Author's Note: Yes, the other seventy-odd chapters were removed by yours truly. But before you panic, they will go up again – and they'll be even better. This does mean that I am editing this story. Taking every chapter down and rewriting it. I know some idiot will come through and say I'm doing this just for more reviews, but I'm not. I love feedback, and I won't deny it to be icing on the proverbial cake, but the main reason for doing this is to make "So I Need You" a better story. Plus, I keep getting an eye twitch when I reread this. The sequel muses visited me the other day, but I have to edit this before I can write anything else. I can't promise you regular updates, but I can promise you that I'll try. There are entire chapters that need to be ditched and new ones to be written. For those of you returning on this ride, welcome back. There's going to be a few new twists and turns this year. And if you're new to this story that's all for the better. That's it for this ridiculously long author's note – I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters from the television show are property of the WWE and its patrons. Some show results within the story are in accordance with what truly happened, so those probably belong to the WWE as well. This story, however, is my work. Don't be a moron and try and plagiarize it, because that will just end in all things bad. If you'd like to archive this on a website, just drop me a line and I'll give you permission. Any original characters that come in along the way are mine, as well.

Spoilers: This story was loosely based on the events of several shows throughout 2003, so if you look up results for the date given, you'll see some parallels. They start going away as the chapters go on and I don't know if many will make it through the editing process. But, just in case, any results from the 2003 Survivor Series up until November of 2004 could be included.

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So I Need You

Prologue

11/17/03

Hunter Hearst Hemsley was positive that tonight's show would be pretty routine. He and the rest of Evolution had a handicap match scheduled against Goldberg; an easy win, more to show the guys in the back who really ran this show than to actually compete. Expecting such a bland evening, the former champion was intrigued at the knock on their locker room's door, pleasantly surprised when he opened it to reveal Lita standing behind it. He hated her with an unbridled passion, and he was quite sure that she returned those feelings. She always responded to his acidic insults with equally venomous comebacks, her eyes flashing. So why was she standing outside the locker room that he shared with his cohorts?

"Come to take me up on my dollar, Lita?" Hunter questioned, referring to one of his past jeers toward her. He let his eyes roam lazily over her toned, lithe body, and was pleased to see her bristle in disgust.

"I thought I told you to stuff it up your ass," she replied, arching an eyebrow toward him. "Or perhaps you couldn't reach. Hm… Well, I suppose your bitch over there could do it for you," she gestured toward Randy Orton, who was, at the current moment, lounging on one of the leather couches. Lita couldn't help but grin at the shocked, insulted look that claimed his face.

"What do you want?" Hunter interrupted her observation in a bored voice, and her gaze returned back to him, the smirk still tickling the edges of her lips.

"I want a lot of things," Lita replied, and brushed past him, sitting on the arm of the second couch. Her audacity rendered Hunter temporarily speechless. "What I want from you guys is your help getting and staying at the top of the women's division."

"Afraid of losing again?" Hunter prompted. "Because your match at Survivor Series last night was just pathetic."

Lita glanced over at him, bemused. "At least I didn't have two people backing me up when I lost. Now that would be pathetic. Gosh, come to think of it, I think some moron pulled that yesterday!" Hunter's glare would have boiled eggs, but she just shrugged it off.

"Why would you want help from us?" Ric Flair chose this time to speak up, looking at Lita with a curious expression on his face.

"You can't be seriously considering this, Flair," Hunter interrupted, astounded. Ric shot him a look that silenced any other words he'd been tempted to say.

"Molly has Gail and Victoria following her like little lapdogs. I can't reclaim my title when I get screwed over in every match," Lita explained. "You guys would even the odds."

"Why not ask your boyfriend?" Hunter jeered. "R-V-D," he mimicked the other man's famous thumb gesture.

"He's not my boyfriend," Lita retorted. "He's my friend and I accompany him to ringside. I can't ask him to do the same because…" she sighed. "He doesn't think like you. Rob would never hit a woman. Which also means that he can never protect me like you can."

"Being in Evolution means that there's nothing but Evolution in your life," Ric told her. "Are you prepared for that?"

"Like she'd leave her little frie—" Hunter scoffed, but Lita cut him off smoothly.

"Yes. I am. I've been waiting for my chance to shine, but that's just it. Chances don't fall into your lap. I'm making my own chance by coming here," her eyes were locked directly with Ric's, and they seemed to have an understanding flowing between them.

It was really getting on Hunter's nerves.

"What makes you so sure that we'll accept you into Evolution?" Hunter questioned her.

"Because, you under-developed moron, Evolution is the top of everything. I am the top of the women's division," Lita replied, turning to glare at him. "I get the women's title. That's not all, either. There are things you can't do, people you can't persuade, that I can. You know I could be a great asset to this team."

"She's right, guys," Ric smiled, and looked to Hunter, Randy, and then Batista. "She could really help us out."

"Now, wait a minute–" Hunter interjected.

"I'm the head of Evolution, and as such, I'm making this decision, H," Ric told him patiently before turning back to Lita. "Welcome to Evolution, Lita."

"Thank you, Ric," Lita said graciously, bowing her head to him and standing up. She headed to the door, but Hunter stepped in front of her.

"Don't think you can screw us over," he told her, narrowing his eyes. "We're going to make sure you're in this one hundred and ten percent."

"I got it, H," Lita replied, rolling her eyes. If he only knew… "Now, if you excuse me, I have a Highlight Reel session to get ready for." And with that, she pushed past Hunter and out of the door. As the door clicked shut behind her, she allowed the triumphant grin to cover her face.

Finally, Evolution was going to get what had been coming to them.

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