Disclaimer: WWE owns what it owns. I own Melony. Autumn owns Autumn and so forth.
Note: For the sake of this fiction Chris Benoit is divorced from Nancy and has NO kids. This fic follows no current storyline therefore no spoilers.
Chapter 1- Prologue
Chris Benoit smiled on the outside, but on the inside he was a nervous wreck. He was elated yet terrified. His heart maintained an abnormally fast pace rhythm, as he thought of his upcoming wedding. After two failed marriages, he swore he would never walk down the aisle again. But all that changed the instant he started dating her. Now he found himself unloading boxes of his and his future wife's belongings from the back of the U-haul truck, into 'their' new home. Only about twenty more boxes to go and he should have just enough time to shower, pack and get to the airport in time to catch his eight p.m. flight to Cabo San Lucas, where he would join his fiancee and friends for a pre wedding celebration.
Chris had just stepped out of the shower, when the doorbell rang. He tied the towel around his waist, wondering who the hell could possibly be at the door. Padding down the stairs, he raked a hand through his still wet hair, and opened the door to find a Fed Ex delivery man on his doorstep.
"I have an overnight parcel for Melony McBaine."
Chris guessed she had wasted no time having her mail forwarded. "I'll take it. I'm her...I'm her husband." Chris reflected on how easily those words flew out of his mouth and smiled. "Well...almost." He laughed nervously.
The delivery man raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders. "Works for me. I just need you to sign here...and here." He pointed to the lines requiring a signature and passed the clipboard to Benoit. Signing on the allotted lines, he took the parcel, thanked the delivery man and shut the door. Noticing that there was no return address on the envelope, he started to open it, thinking it could be something from WWE requiring immediate attention. But he decided against it because WWE always used a return address label. He threw it on top of some boxes in the living room and made his way back upstairs to get dressed.
Chris dragged his suitcase down the stairs and set it next to the front door. Walking toward the kitchen, he suddenly remembered the parcel for Melony, guessing he should take it with him, he detoured to the living room and picked up the envelope and took it with him to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out a beer, hoping to calm his nerves before his flight. Checking the clock he realized he had an hour to kill before he needed to leave for the airport, he sat down at the table and popped the tab on the can of beer, killing half of it in one gulp. He stared at the envelope that lay before him, wondering if he should just open it in case it was business related or if he should call Mel first and request her permission to open it. He polished off the beer and dialed her number on his cell. After about the seventh ring he hung up, deciding she was probably out doing pre wedding stuff with Autumn and Molly. He was really making a huge deal out of nothing. It was just an envelope, apparently with some kind of papers in it, because it wasn't thick at all. He and Mel had no secrets. They shared everything. So surely she wouldn't get bent out of shape if he opened it. Besides they were about to be married. He had a right to know what was in here any way. It was probably just a memo from WWE, after all the Divas were always getting memos about wardrobe changes and crap. Or maybe it was even a wedding present in the form of a card or money. Chris shook his head at the drama that played out in his mind. It was ONLY a piece of paper. He pulled the tab on the cardboard envelope and removed a handwritten letter and realized instantly that it wasn't WWE related. Reading the first few lines of the letter, he felt queasy. He placed the paper on the table and mindlessly walked over to the fridge and took out another beer, leaning against the counter he stared at the paper and took a swig from the can. It was painfully obvious that the letter was from Mel's previous boyfriend, and he wasn't sure he wanted to read anymore. This bastard had the nerve to write her after all this time, after he had left her and taken a piece of her heart with him. What the hell was he thinking? He stalked over to the table and picked up the paper, he had to know. He skimmed over the useless dribble, something about an apology, the reason for writing, why he hadn't called. Then his eyes narrowed furiously at the ending of the letter.
'I'm kicking myself for not realizing sooner that I need you by my side, now more than ever. I know I told you that I needed time to establish my career. I made the worst mistake by putting my career above you, above our relationship. I pushed you away at a time when I should have pulled you close. I realize all this now, please tell me it's not too late for us. My life has turned upside down without you. You are my anchor, my reason for breathing. Mel, I need you. I can't go through life without you. I just can't. Can we get together and work all this out? I miss you. You can't avoid me forever. I'm waiting for your call. I still love you'
Chris leaned back in his chair, the words of the letter stinging him like a bullet wound. A surge of emotions ran through him as he drained the beer can. He was scared of losing her to him, what if she took him up on his offer? He glanced at the clock and sighed. If he didn't leave now, he would miss his flight. He pushed back from the table and stood up peering down at the letter. Different scenarios ran through his mind. He could almost see her running to him. Without another thought he ripped the letter into shreds and threw them in the garbage can. He refused to take a chance on losing the one thing in his life that mattered most.