The moment she approached the curtain leading out to the arena, Jeff stepped through.  The young man looked distracted, and he didn't even stop to look her way.

"Jeff?  Jeff!"  The redhead shouted after him, but the colorful-haired young man ignored her and continued his brisk walk back to his locker room.

What the hell is going on? Lita thought as she stared after him.  Moments ago, Jeff had run out there to save Trish from those creeps Victoria and Steven Richards, and as he'd helped her up, he'd tenderly kissed her on the lips - almost like a fairytale prince kissing his dream princess... Why had the younger Hardy brother just run off like that?

Lita recalled how, a couple of years ago, Trish had gone to the ringside area during RAW to witness a match Jeff had competed in against The Big Show.  Afterward, although the rainbow-headed man had lost, the diva had helped him up and planted a kiss on his lips.  This was probably gratitude, as a short time previous, the petite blonde had teamed up with the huge man in an intergender tag team match against Lita and her then-boyfriend, Matt Hardy.  Jeff, of course, had been in their corner.  And after Trish had cost her partner and herself the match after being pinned courtesy of Lita's moonsault, Show had gone after her, in a rage.  Jeff had stuck around and saved the Canadian diva from the big man's wrath with a missle dropkick that knocked him to the canvas - allowing Trish to scramble to safety to the outside.

It was all so strange, it didn't add up.  While Lita honestly had no idea what, if anything, had ever transpired between her two friends - they were both pretty quiet on the subject - nothing had really been going on as of late with the two of them.

The redhead shook her head as though to clear it.  It had already been a crazy night on RAW as it was, with the Dudley Boyz allying themselves with that asshole Chief Morley for the sake of their jobs in the WWE.  That incident had shocked her about as much as Jeff having kissed Trish did - but even worse, it left her with a feeling of horrible dismay.  Bubba Ray and D-Von had obviously been anything but happy with their unfortunate decision.

All of a sudden, as the high-flying redhead turned back around, Trish stepped through the curtain, and all of the Dudleys' troubles were forgotten for the moment.

"Trish!"  Lita rushed to her friend's side.  "Are you okay?"  Tentatively, she placed a hand on the blonde's arm, peering with concern into her face.  She noted how, not only had the blonde woman's mascara run, but there were also a couple of smudges of bodypaint on her forehead - Jeff...

The petite Canadian winced as she grabbed hold of the other woman's arm, supporting herself.  With her free hand, she reached behind her, clutching at her lower back, which hurt like hell after Victoria had stretched it out using the ropes as a prop.

"Oh, God damn that God damn Victoria - and Steven Richards!  And damn that Jazz to hell!" Trish cried, her expression briefly transforming to one of fierce anger.  She couldn't believe she'd been left out there alone to get her ass kicked.

"Come on - let's get you back to the locker room," Lita said, holding fast to her friend.

The little blonde looked up, her face curious, eyes full of some emotion the redhead couldn't quite place.  "Where's Jeff?"

"I don't know..." Lita replied with a slight shrug.  "He just ran past me and didn't stop...I guess he may be in his locker room - or taking a shower."

The two women headed down the hallway to their locker room, and neither spoke until they were esconced in the small room.  As the redheaded diva helped Trish onto the small couch situated against one wall, the blonde finally spoke again.

"I have to speak to him..."  She shook her head, then ran her fingers through her long golden locks.  "Who knows what those two psychos would've done to me if it weren't for him...And after that kiss..."

"I know," Lita said in agreement.  "You guys definitely have a lot to discuss..."

Trish met her friend's hazel eyes for a beat before continuing.  "He...He came out to help me when no one else would..."

"I was going to run out there myself," the redhead admitted.

"But Jeff kissed me," the blonde woman said, her fingers traveling up to gently touch her lips as she spoke the young man's name for the first time since entering the locker room.  She stared into her friend's face with wonder.  "He kissed me..."