Disclaimer: I own none of the characters of this story. They are owned by the WWE or themselves. No profit is being made from this story. It's purely for fun!

A/N: The story came to me one night and wouldn't leave me alone. I had to write it. It's different as it is a Western but with a twist. Hope you enjoy and feedback, good or bad, is always welcome;-)

Chris Jericho walked into the saloon dusty, tired, and thirsty. He had been on a cattle drive for almost a month and the job was finally finished. He took off his tan hat and popped it against his hip to knock some of the dust out of it. After placing the hat back on his head, he then preceded to dust himself off as best he could before going up and ordering a drink.

Crystal blue eyes and long blonde hair were an odd sight back in those days but Chris didn't care. After being on his own for most of his life, he could care less what anybody thought of him. Being orphaned at a young age had hardened his heart; but that was what he had to do in order to survive.

He took a look around the saloon and liked what he saw. It was almost like a feeling of home, not that Chris actually knew what a home felt like. He had drifted from town to town all his life. In all honesty, rooms at an inn in a town or a bunkhouse on a ranch were the closest things to home that he had ever had other than a stranger taking him in once and teaching him the ways of cattle. Other than that, he had never really had a home.

He had been in a lot of saloons in his life and this one was different. There was a different feel to it. Glancing around, he noticed that it actually looked like most saloons but was much cleaner than the ones that he had been around lately. There were plenty of round tables and chairs along with a stage for singing and dancing. There was a piano in the corner with a little round seat practically begging somebody to sit down and play.

He then noticed a woman tending the saloon. His eyes shifted and he took a closer look. Most women that were worked in saloons back in those days were usually either old madams whose whorehouses were closed or women with secrets. Considering how young she looked, he was betting she was a woman with a secret. He quickly walked up to the bar.

Stephanie had been cleaning glasses all morning. She had had an excellent night last night but she was paying for it this morning. She pretty much had cleared out her entire stock of shot glasses the night before and she believed firmly in keeping things clean. It was a trait that she had inherited honestly from her mother.

She had long brown hair pulled up into a messy bun. Her crystal blue eyes looked like the sky above, so crystal clear that they almost could mesmerize a man just by looking into them. She was a very pretty girl that tried to hide most of her prettiness until nighttime. Then, the young owner was decked out in the best dresses available and makeup to accentuate her best features. Other than those times, she was just plain old Stephanie, a sweet girl with an even sweeter smile.

"Excuse me miss," Chris said trying to get her attention. He took his hat off; he may be new in town but he still had manners.

She looked up and her eyes widened. Never before in her life had she ever felt anything like this. One look at the man standing in front of her and her heart was racing out of control. She was always in total control of her life and this was so not like her. She mentally cussed herself and calmed herself quickly while smiling. "Howdy stranger, what can I get for you?"

Chris looked into those blue eyes and felt as though he was drowning. There was something about that woman that just cried out to his very soul. His heart was racing and his eyes were drinking her in like a thirsty man in the desert that had just found a spring of fresh, clear water. He mentally shut himself down, squelching his thoughts, before his mouth got ahead of himself again. "A shot of whiskey, if you don't mind ma'am."

"Oh, and he has manners," she thought to herself almost giddy with pleasure. She had never had a man had affect her senses the way the man in front of her did. She was so tickled that she almost started clapping her hands in glee but she squelched it down quickly. She didn't want him to think that she was crazy. She quickly poured him a shot, set it down on the table, and smiled. "There you go, one shot of whiskey."

"Much obliged ma'am," Chris said with a smile. He put a coin up on the table and nodded his head.

"You're not from around here are you?" Stephanie said unable to stop herself. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment over her blurting out a question like that.

"No ma'am, I'm not," Chris said with a slight smile.

He grabbed his shot and downed it. He grimaced as he felt the heat traveling down to his stomach. "Wow, I haven't had good whiskey like that in a long time. How about another shot?"

"Sure," Stephanie said refilling his shot glass.

"I am looking for a place to stay in town. Could you be kind enough to point me in the right direction Miss....," Chris said hoping she would tell him her name.

"Miss Stephanie," Stephanie said with a grin. "What's your name?"

"Chris ma'am, Chris Jericho," Chris said with a small grin on his own.

Stephanie held out her hand for Chris to shake. He gently placed his hand in hers and brought it up to his lips to kiss it softly. Stephanie felt as though her insides had completely turned to mush. "Yes, well, nice to meet you Chris."

Chris looked into her eyes and smiled. She was special in ways that he couldn't even begin to imagine. He just knew the pull he felt towards her was just too strong to ignore. "No, the pleasure is all mine Stephanie," Chris said. "Now about that place to stay."

"Oh yes, there's a hotel right down the street. The name of it is Ivory's Place. She's a real nice woman. She's got rooms, baths, and there's even a restaurant in the hotel for the public and guests," Stephanie said speaking very quickly.

"Thank you ma'am," Chris said picking up his shot and downing it. "I'll be seeing you around then."

Chris tipped his hat and headed towards the door. He turned back to find her watching him leave with a kind of sad look on her face. He knew then that he couldn't leave just yet. He had to let her know that he would be back. "Ma'am, is the saloon always open?"

Stephanie's face lit up with her smile. "Yes, sir. Always."

Chris grinned back. "Then, I'll be seeing you again real soon."

"I'm counting on it," Stephanie said with a gleam in her eye.

Chris tipped his hat and walked out of the saloon and into the street oblivious to the stares he was receiving from the town folk. He walked on down until he found Ivory's place. He grinned as he walked in hoping this would be a temporary place to call home for a little while.

Big Show walked up to Stephanie and made her look like a small child. At over seven feet tall and weighing more than 500 pounds, he was a giant of a man. He had been looking after Stephanie for as long as he could remember. She had always treated him like a man and not a freak. She had earned his eternal friendship for that reason alone.

"What were you thinking Stephanie?" Show asked with concern in his eyes. He knew that Stephanie, while she enjoyed his company, was getting older and more stubborn. He really didn't want to have to hurt the drifter but Show would in a heartbeat, if he hurt Stephanie.

"What are you talking about Show?" Stephanie asked trying to hide the fact that she knew exactly what he was talking about. Sometimes she wished that he didn't know her so well. Maybe then she would be able to get by with a few things.

"I think we've known each other long enough that you shouldn't even try to pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about," Show said softly chiding his friend.

Stephanie closed her eyes for a second and took in a deep breath. "I know, I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I just want to know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours," Show said patting his friend's hand. The concern on his face was real. He wasn't trying to stick his nose in where it didn't belong but she had acted so different with the drifter that it had sent alarm bells ringing off in his head.

Stephanie stood there for a minute with a silly look on her face. She knew she was kind of acting like a child with a schoolgirl crush but it was more than that. She had had those kinds of crushes before and this paled in comparison. "I wish I could tell you Show. I mean, the minute we made eye contact my breath literally got stuck in my throat. I've been around different kinds of men all my life and I've never felt this way before about any of them," Stephanie said with a little confusion in her voice.

Show contemplated what she had said and smiled. He would love for her to have a happy ending like a fairy tale. There would be nothing that would please him more. The only problem with that was that with her past, it wasn't really possible; at least, not while they were hiding and on the run.

Show thought for a minute before speaking. He knew he had to handle this delicately because she hated being reminded what was really going on in their lives. "Well, you don't know how long he will be in town. He could very well just be passing thru," Show said with a sad smile on his face.

"He's going to be staying for a while I think. If I'm not mistaken, he should be at Ivory's now looking for a place to stay," Stephanie said with a dreamy tone to her voice. There was something about that man that shook her up. She couldn't help but hope that he would stay.

Show noticed the dreamy look on her face and groaned inside. He was going to have to say it. He didn't have a choice now. "Just remember, we're still watching our backs," Show said.

"Don't you think I know that Show? I wish he would just die and leave us alone. Maybe then we would have some peace," Stephanie said the anger flashing in his eyes. She knew they were hiding, they sure had been doing it long enough.

"Now Stephanie, you don't mean that," Show said chided softly.

"Oh yes I do. For years, we've been on the run hiding and dodging him. I'm tired of it Show. I'm tired of hiding from my father," Stephanie said with tears filling her eyes.

"Hold up now, don't cry. You know, we've been here for over a year now with no problems. Maybe, just maybe, we've found a place that he can't find us.

"I hope so Show, I really hope so," Stephanie said with a sad smile.