A/N: I think this is the longest I've ever knit-picked over a story but then again the idea for it bothered the hell out of me. A very special thanks to AdeebaLovesHHH for going over this chapter with me, for a couple of hours. If you haven't read any of her fics, please go do so (she's in my fav authors on my profile). As always, please remember to review. Hope you enjoy!

It was Paul Levesque's high school graduation party, he should be in the old barn with his family and friends, having a good time, and dancing with his girlfriend, Stephanie McMahon. But instead, he was sitting a few acres away, by his girlfriend's side, trying his best to muster up the courage to speak to moment he announced that he was going to college in New York City, Stephanie ran off. So now here they were, not talking, while geese floated by on the gorgeous blue water and the sun set behind them.

Stephanie decided to break the silence with the question she was begging to ask him all night, "You're really leaving then?"

Her voice came out in a whisper as she tucked a chestnut lock behind her ear. Paul could tell she was still thinking things over as she struggled with the words, almost as if she was afraid of the answer.

With a deep sigh, he brought himself to speak, "Steph, there's nothing here for me. I don't want to stay here and waste my life away. I want to see the world, to make a name for myself. I could never do that here." He was trying to search her face for any sign of emotion but she just continued to stare out onto the lake.
"Come with me, Steph. We could do this together. Go to college in the city, get married, and start a whole new life there." Paul grabbed her hands as if they was his most precious possession while he waited for an answer. Sure, he was thinking on his feet when he suggested it, but he always knew that he was going to marry Stephanie. Stephanie McMahon was his best friend, his whole world.

Paul had nothing but love his eyes while he tried to convince her to come with him, whereas Stephanie had nothing but sadness, "I can't leave. This is home, Paul. This will always be home."

Then there was silence again, and they both just sat there waiting for the other to speak. No words, just a silence that made the both of them realize that this was the end. Just as Paul was about to open his mouth he heard his mother call him from the barn. Already at a loss for words, he reluctantly got up from off the ground, dusted himself off, and turned to leave. Stephanie remained staring at the lake as the sun continued to set.

As he was walking away, he heard her soft voice, "If you ever come back to this sleepy, old town, promise me that you'll come see me."

Paul turned around to face her. She was now standing with tears spilling out from her blue orbs, running down her beautiful face, and splatting on her white sun dress. He hated seeing her like this, yet he still couldn't deny that she looked like an angel, even as she was breaking down.

With an aching heart, he uttered, "I promise."

He took quick strides to reach her. When their bodies met, Paul's palms reached her tear-stained cheeks as his lips crushed into hers.

Paul bolted up, waking himself from the dream. Damn his mother for making him come back home for his sister's birthday. Anytime he thought about going back home, he always had that dream of when he left Stephanie behind. He hadn't had made contact with her since he left. It had been 5 years and he still couldn't face her.

His mother, Patricia, had tried to convince him to come back to visit all through college. He is now a year out of college and decided that he would give into his mother's demands this time. It wasn't like he didn't like going home to see his family. He didn't like going home because Stephanie was there and he wasn't sure if he could ever face her again.

"Babe, are you okay?" inquired Lauren, a beautiful blonde haired woman was had been his girlfriend for about a year.

He glanced over at her, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a bad dream."

Lauren snuggled into his side, looking up at him with concerned green eyes, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Paul contemplated telling his girlfriend that he was having dreams about his ex-girlfriend, but then decided that she might think that he still had feelings for Stephanie. Which was the last thing he wanted to happen. He was already unsure whether she was just invading his dreams, or if she was still buried deep within his heart. He had to stop thinking about all this! Whatever he had with Stephanie was in the past. It didn't matter that her beautiful face had a bad habit of strolling into his dreams, or that he had yet to become close to engagement in the past 4 years just because he wasn't able to get himself to fall for someone like he had fallen with Steph. Stephanie was the past right? And...Laura? No, Lauren was the future. Fuck! Now he couldn't even remember his own girlfriends name. He chalked that up to a lack of sleep.

"No, it's not important anyway. Let's just go back to bed" responded Paul, stifling a yawn.

Paul sank back down into the mattress and wrapped his arms around Lauren, trying to drift off to sleep. She turned in his arms and whispered, "I'm so excited to meet your family. I hope they'll like me."

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it. I'm sure they'll love you, just like I do." Paul lied to her. The truth was, his family loved Stephanie too much. Every time he talks to any of them on the phone, they try to work her into the conversation somehow. His sister, Lynn, always commenting on how kind Stephanie was, his father was keeping him up to date on how beautiful she was, and his mother always praised her cooking. In their eyes, Stephanie was the perfect woman and anyone else would be mediocre in comparison.

The more he thought of everything, the more he dreaded going back home. Yet before he knew it, he was drifting off into a deep sleep.