9 Crimes

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I only own Emma. This whole thing never happened…well, as far as I know it never happened…

Emma Capelli was sitting up in the hotel room bed, her eyes ever-so-often coming to rest on the sleeping form next to her. This wasn't how this whole situation was supposed to play out. She had really screwed up big time, and she was well aware of it. The entire situation was something that could have been out of "The Young and the Restless" or "Days of Our Lives". This wasn't supposed to be something that happened in real life. This kind of thing was just too much for any normal person to handle, but Emma was trying her absolute hardest not to lose her sanity.

Leaving Stu Bennett for John Cena was the dumbest decision she had ever made. Initially, she had tried to pin the blame for the whole debacle on the two men involved, but Emma knew damn well that she was the one that was to blame for everything that had happened.

Dating Stu on his rise to the top wasn't easy. When he became the leader of the Nexus, it just made an already rough situation that much worse. He had been consumed with the character he portrayed, the ruthless and cruel Wade Barrett. Emma had simply become an afterthought. The two had fought with each other constantly. Things were just free falling in the worst way.

Emma was a valet for John Morrison. The two were pretty good friends, and she was able to confide in him for a while. Once Melina returned to the WWE and he resumed his relationship with her, the last thing Emma wanted to do was bring him down with her relationship problems. And things had just been getting worse with each passing day.

When John Cena had befriended her, she mistook for admiration for him as a person, for actually being in love with him. The two had a fairly passionate affair that had lasted for about three and a half months, before Emma finally ended the relationship with her boyfriend of two years.

Immediately after the break up had happened, and Emma had told Stu the truth about what was really going on with John, she and John became an official couple. At first, things between the two of them were absolutely perfect. She couldn't have been happier with the way things turned out.

But for the past month or so, she found herself truly missing Stu. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with John. He was an absolutely wonderful boyfriend and such an incredible person. But he wasn't Stu, and it was Stu that she really wanted to be with. There was something about him that just clicked with her perfectly. She loved him and missed him more than she ever thought she would.

With another glance at John, Emma slowly, carefully got up out of bed, making sure she didn't wake him up. She quietly grabbed her keycard off of the night table. She tiptoed out of the room, practically holding her breath, to eliminate any unnecessary noise that might disturb John's sleep. She made her way out of the room. Emma quickly walked down the long hallway. She found the door, four doors to the left of the room she had been sharing with her current boyfriend, to the room where her ex-boyfriend was staying. This was something she needed to do for her own sanity.

And considering that it was two-thirty in the morning, and he was rooming with Heath, who was notorious for being a sound sleeper and loud snorer. Emma knew that Stu would still be up.

She took a deep breath, as she softly knocked on the door, not loud enough to wake anyone up had he been sleeping, but so if someone was awake, he would most definitely hear it. She immediately looked down at the floor and began fidgeting with the hem of her white form-fitting, v-necked t-shirt. Her black cotton short shorts had barely covered her rear-end. Had she been expecting to actually do this, Emma would have opted to wear something a bit more modest.

She waited a few moments, half-hoping Stu would answer, half-hoping he was asleep and wouldn't answer. She was terribly nervous about how this would work. The sound of the door opening caused her heart to beat triple-time in her chest. Her eyes immediately darted up to meet Stu's eyes. He was wide awake, as she had expected he would be. She knew his insomnia would benefit her at some point.

"Emma?" he asked, confused as to why his unfaithful ex-girlfriend was standing in front of him at this hour, in the doorway to his hotel room. They obviously hadn't ended on the best of terms, seeing as she had been cheating on him.

"Hi," she softly spoke.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing here?" he asked, anger laced in each of his words.

She nervously chewed on her bottom lip. "Do you think we can talk?" she asked, her voice meek.

"Why?" his voice demanded more than asked.

"Please, Stu?" she begged him.

He rolled his eyes. "I have nothing to say to you," he stubbornly replied, crossing his arms over his broad, bare chest.

"Then, can you at least listen to what I have to say?"

"Why?" he demanded again. Emma's eyes were brimming with as of yet uncried tears. It took all she had to not burst out into hysterics. He breathed heavily, and she knew he was about to give into her request. He hated seeing her cry. It was something he never could handle. Stu stood back from the door, giving her space to come into the room. "Come in. Heath's asleep and snoring, so he probably wouldn't hear us anyway, but we can talk in the loo, I guess," he told her. She quickly walked inside the room, as Stu closed the door behind her, slowly shaking his head.

Emma's eyes briefly passed over the sleeping Bison, as Stu had nicknamed Heath, in the bed next to Stu's clearly unused bed. The pair made their way into the decently-sized bathroom. Stu reached his hand against the wall and turned the lights on, before shutting the door, as the two were inside.

They had avoided looking into each other's eyes, at first, until he finally spoke. "So, what's the issue that's just so important you needed to tell me now?" he asked, his voice slightly harsh.

"I um…I think that…" Emma finally looked up and locked eyes with his. "I made a mistake, Stu," she finally admitted.

Stu gave her a look that was borderline pissed off with what she just said. "Excuse me?" he asked, not believing what he was hearing come out of her mouth.

Her eyes immediately went back down to the floor, focusing on the pattern the ceramic tiles created. "Stu, I fucked up," she told him again.

"Oh? And how did you do that?" he asked, once again crossing his arms, which caused his muscles to flex slightly.

"I shouldn't have left you for John," she softly said.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Emma? Honestly? Are you out of your God-damned mind?" he asked her.

"I know. I know you must hate me for what I did to you, but I was wrong, and I realize that now. I just…I just wanted to apologize for what happened…"

"And…?"

She shrugged. "I dunno."

"How the hell am I supposed to forgive you for what you did? You cheated on me with John Cena. After two fucking years together, that's what I get from you? That's how you truly feel about me?"

Emma shook her head adamantly. "No…"

"Bull-fucking-shit. If you really cared, you would've spoken to me about what was going on in our relationship. You wouldn't have started shagging him behind my back. And how in the bloody hell do you expect me to let that go? I get it, I'm not exactly the most emotional guy or anything like that, but you hurt me," he shot, his voice not getting too loud, though he was clearly agitated by what was going on before him.

Finally, the tears began slowly falling out of her eyes and down her flushed cheeks. "I'm sorry, Stu. What I did was really fucked up. I know that. And I don't blame you if you can't forgive me. But I really am sorry."

Stu rolled his eyes. "You're unbelievable," he growled, turning away from her, placing his hands on his hips.

Emma sniffled. "We were fighting all of the time. You acted like I didn't matter to you anymore. And it was like…I just…I was hurting really badly. And John and I had become friends. And I thought that I was in love with him, but I wasn't. I was just confused, and I made a mistake," she tried explaining, through her tears.

"I know I wasn't always the best boyfriend in the world, but you cheated on me with John, and then, you left me to be with him. How did you think that would make me feel?" he asked her.

"I know, Stu."

"No, you don't know."

Emma took a couple of steps toward him. She gently placed her hands on his arms. "I'm sorry, Stu," she whispered.

He shook his head. "You don't understand how much you hurt me, Em," he said, his voice losing some of its hostility. His voice now sounded more hurt and defeated than anything else.

Flashback

"Stu, I can't do this anymore," Emma whispered.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked, almost sounding annoyed.

"I mean…this relationship…I can't do it anymore," she explained.

"What?" He felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. "How…I…Are you seriously breaking up with me right now?"

She slowly nodded her head. "Yes."

"Why?"

"We've been fighting all of the time, Stu, and I just can't deal with it. We don't get along. We just aren't right for each other anymore."

Stu shook his head, knowing full well he wasn't getting the true story of what was going on. "What the hell is going on, Emma? Tell me the truth. It's not the fighting. We always fight and make up. And it's always worked out really well for us. You're leaving something important out."

"No, I'm not."

"After two years, I know when you're lying to me," he pointed out. "Please, just be honest with me."

Emma breathed loudly, sitting on the couch across from him in their shared hotel room, her head in her hands. "I don't want to get into this," she told him.

"Well, too bad. We are getting into it. Speak up and tell me what's really going on," he insisted.

"Fine, just please don't get mad at me," she requested.

"Oh dear Lord. What did you do?" Stu asked, his voice sounding both nervous and angry.

"I'm seeing someone else," Emma admitted, flinching slightly, knowing that he was about to flip his lid.

"Are you bloody kidding me? You've been screwing around behind my back?" he practically yelled, standing up and resting his palms flat against the wall, his body hunched over slightly, as her confession sunk in.

Emma had ben chewing on her bottom lip, her nervous habit. "Stu, I-"

"Shut the hell up!" he yelled, violently whipping his body around and facing her. "How the hell could you do this to me? We've had our share of problems, I'll give you that, but how could you do this to me?"

"It just happened…"

"Who is it? Is he someone I know?" he demanded of her. She nodded slowly. "Who is this wanker?" She shook her head. "You better open your mouth and tell me, Emma. Don't make me find out by my own methods," he practically threatened her.

"Please. It doesn't matter who it is," she begged him.

"Yes, it does," he insisted. "Fucking tell me, Emma!" She sighed, knowing that it was no use to not tell him because he would absolutely find out. "Fine. It's John."

"Hennigan?" he asked in disbelief.

"No…"

Stu thought for a moment. "Please don't tell me…Oh God, no. You're fucking Cena? Are you fucking kidding me?" he yelled at her. Stu was enraged. "I can't believe this. You're leaving me for John Cena? Is that what you're really doing?" he asked, in disbelief and complete rage.

She slowly nodded, feeling badly about what happened, only because it seemed that Stu was hurt by her actions. She didn't actually regret what she did.

Stu looked as if he was about to completely lose it. He turned around and slammed his clenched fist through the sheet rocked wall. Emma couldn't help but be grateful he had put the room in his name.

End Flashback

"I know I hurt you, Stu. And I'm sorry for that. I mistook my admiration for the person he is for actually being in love with him," she tried explaining.

"Oh yes because what happened is clearly a testament to what a great guy he is," he sarcastically shot at her. That helps me feel so much better about the entire situation," he growled, turning around to face her. "Why the fuck are you doing this to me?"

"Because I love you, Stu."

"You have a really fucked up way of showing it," he spoke, his eyes burning into hers. "I loved you more than life itself. I would have done anything for you! And you started fucking someone behind my back! And he's someone I work with! Do you know what a piece of shit that makes me look like? That my girlfriend is banging another guy that we all know? A guy that I have an on-screen feud with? And even more than that, you broke my fucking heart, Emma! Do you understand that?"

"I do understand that! And I'm sorry, Stu. I love you. I always have, and I always will! You're the love of my life. Yes, I fucked up big time. I thought I was doing something that would make me happy, but I realized I was wrong. I realized that I'm still in love with you. I never stopped. And I wasn't going to say anything, but…I just…I couldn't help it," she tearfully explained.

Stu shut his eyes and shok his head slowly. "You shouldn't have said anything about it," he reacted.

"I can't take it back now," she said, placing her hands on his bare abdomen. "If I could, I would, Stu." His eyes locked on hers.

"I've been in love with you since day one, when you were PJ's valet in FCW," he said softly, bringing a hand onto her face, gently cupping it. Stu used his thumb to wipe away her tears. "Don't cry," he told her. "I just…Emma, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you-you know, get married, have babies, grow old together, retire in Tampa and just enjoy everything together," he explained, his voice cracking slightly.

"I still want that, Stu," she said, her tears continuing to fall.

"So do I, but…"

"But what?" she asked.

"How can you expect me to trust you? After everything that happened?"

Emma wrapped her arms around him. "Because you love me, and even if you try to deny it, you know that I love you."

"How do I know that?" he skeptically asked.

"Because you know its always been you. You're the only one for me," she told him. "You know that, Stu."

He slowly nodded. "So what happens now?"

"I don't know," she replied.

"Are you going to break up with John?" he asked.

"Do you want me to?"

"If you want to be with me, then, yes."

"Then, I'll do it," she replied.

"When?"

"I dunno. Can you just kiss me, please?" she asked.

"I shouldn't."

"Stu," she said, her voice a cross between begging him and seducing him.

He immediately smashed his lips against hers, lifting her up in his arms and holding her tightly, as their lips practically melted together. "I love you so much, Emma," he said, not parting his lips from hers.

"I love you, too," she reciprocated.

A/N: In true Jamie fashion, I've started yet another story. This was actually supposed to be one of the short stories, but I got so into it, that I couldn't help myself. It's based on the song "9 Crimes" by Damien Rice, which is such an incredibly powerful song. I highly recommend it to everyone :o)

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this, so far because things are really going to pick up quite quickly in this one. I mean, let's keep these questions in mind: Is Emma really gonna break up with John? Is Stu really going to be so quick to trust her again? Does everything really end up working out, as planned? Hmmm…only time will tell.

Please review! I'm having a crappy night at work already, and you guys always know how to make me smile…plus, the more reviews I get, the quicker I am to work on updates. I know it's like bribery, but I guess I'm a jerk like that. Love you all XoXoXoXoXo