A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I'm glad you all enjoyed it. Especially Nina, and her awesome long review - I do love them so. Thanks, for loving this story as much as you do.

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone or anything. They do. The money, the kids, it all.

Chapter One

'Hi.' Was such an easy word to say, it was one of the simplest two letter words in the world, it was spoken every day, most probably in every language across the world, but words that followed 'Hi'? Those were harder, or so Chris found. Stephanie had replied with her own 'Hi' a few minutes back and from then the conversation had been stilted and he had no idea what to say. He couldn't follow it up with some generic sentence like: 'Nice weather we're having." or "Wow, you're beautiful – can you be mine forever?" that one wasn't so much generic as it was insane since he'd never even told her his name before.

His name...

"I'm Chris." He finally got out. "Irvine."

She finally knew he existed.

He watched her smile and in that moment he just wanted to take her hand in his and never let go. "Wow," she commented with a smirk. "I finally meet the man at the top of this company."

"You haven't met your father before?" he joked and Stephanie actually laughed and he was rooted to his seat, he couldn't move - she captivated everything in him.

"I thought you were just a myth." She spoke reaching forward and he watched her hand search for the back of a chair and as it trailed up and found the top, she pulled it out and slowly made her way towards it until she was sitting opposite him. He felt like an ass, he couldn't get up and pull the chair out for her? He couldn't guide her to the chair and make sure she was seated? Ass, ass, ass. He repeated as he silently berated himself. "Since you've been in this company for over two years, and this is the first time we've met."

"I've seen you around."

"Wish I could say the same."

He did not just say that, God was this just the day where he'd continuously he'd put his foot in his mouth?

"I'm sorry I didn't mean…" he started to apologize but she cut him off.

"It's cool, I know you didn't mean anything by it." she told him, dipping her head down and he wanted to reach out and trace a hand down her jaw until it reached her chin, just so he could tilt her head up and take in the beauty of her face. But he clenched his fist instead and resisted.

"Where's Izzie?"

Izzie was Stephanie's guide dog, a golden retriever that was usually never far away from her. He'd always have a treat for her, feed her it when Stephanie was in some conversation that focused all her attention and allowed Chris just to exist on the outskirts for a little while. He loved Izzie, petting her was relaxing and Izzie always tried to lead Stephanie towards him, silently helping him in his silent plea to be heard, but when Stephanie and Izzie were within arms reach he'd always keep quiet and Stephanie would always urge Izzie forward.

They'd both look back, but Stephanie would never see him looking back at her and all Izzie saw was a man wanting something he never really could have. It wasn't like she could understand anyway. She was a dog.

He noticed the ghost of a smile that came over Stephanie's face at the mention of Izzie. "She's with my brother, we're in Madison Square Garden, and I pretty much know this place like the back of my hand."

"It is a pretty big venue in the wrestling business, so that's understandable." Chris commented.

"So tell me, how come it's taken so long to meet you?"

How could he tell her that he'd met her numerous times in his dreams, slipped his hands into hers and pulled her to him and let his lips fall on hers? How could he tell her that while she most likely didn't have a clue who he was and what he did past being the World Heavyweight Champion, he knew almost all there was to know about her? He couldn't tell her he watched her most weeks, walking with Izzie or her mom or whoever the hell was by her side, wishing he was who she was walking with. He didn't want to appear as some stalker, he wasn't – he was just in love with her. Yes, he loved her. She didn't know anything about him, but he loved her anyway.

"I guess our paths never crossed." He lied.

"That's a shame, it would have been nice to know you."

"You know me now." He whispered.

"I do," she smiled. "Unless you disappear again."

"I won't, I'll always be around." He told her. "If you ever need me." Please need me.

"I'll keep that in mind." She answered back, and she smiled again and he loved those smiles. He loved that he was making those smiles appear.

They sat in silence for a little while, it wasn't surprising to him that the silence was comfortable, he imagined that every moment with Stephanie would be comfortable. He could live his life with comfortable. Hell, he could live his life any which way so long as he came home to Stephanie at night. Or at least hear her voice as he drifted off to sleep.

He could see it so clearly, they'd lay in bed and he'd hold Stephanie to him, his arms holding her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder, and she'd tell him about her day. She'd just talk about the little things that happened and Izzie would sleep by their bed and he'd listen for the cries that would call out into their house and he'd slowly fall asleep as his breathing matched Stephanie's. He craved it so badly. She's what would make his life worth living.

"Are you looking forward to your match?"

"Does one ever really look forward to a Last Man Standing match?" Chris asked with a laugh.

"True," Stephanie replied with a laugh of her own. "You'll win though, I know that. You're better than Paul."

Chris liked to think that he was, but it was nice to hear that Stephanie thought so too. "Thank you."

"Just don't like get injured, because we can't have our best wrestler out on injury."

"Didn't you hear? I'm Captain Teflon, I bounce back."

Stephanie giggled and he felt happy. He'd win this match tonight and dedicate it to her. She might not know that he would, but he would and he'd win because he wanted her to be proud. He just wanted her to hear the words 'Winner and still World Heavyweight Champion – Chris Jericho." and maybe smile. He could live with a smile. He could live with her in his arms and hugging him and maybe a kiss or five, but he wasn't picky. Smiles weren't bad, especially Stephanie's.

"When do you have to go?"

He looked at the clock hanging on the wall behind Stephanie and saw the time and his eyes grew wide. "In like five minutes." He told her, his tone regretful.

"Oh."

He was pretty sure he was imagining it, but he would almost say her tone was exactly the same. But he was just the king of wishful thinking right?

"I could, uh, walk you back to Shane's office if you like?" he offered. He didn't want to stop talking to her just yet, not when he'd finally talk to her without freezing up. Okay, so there was a moment at the start where it was touch and go, but now he was on a roll and he didn't want that to come to a crashing halt.

She smiled and told him, "I'd love that."

He sighed in relief and stood up and watched her mirror his actions. He wanted to reach out and help, but he knew she could do this herself, she wasn't helpless.

They were walking now and it felt strange, well strange in the sense he wasn't walking about ten feet behind her, but instead beside her. He liked it better this way.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you're being watched?" Stephanie asked him.

"Excuse me?"

"I do, every week I feel eyes on me, staring at me."

She felt him watching? Crap, he was coming across as a stalker. "Does it make you feel uncomfortable?"

Of course it does you idiot, it's not like she can see anyone watching her, and wouldn't it make you feel uncomfortable?

"You'd think it would, but," she began and then paused and Chris guessed she was lost in thought. "I don't know, it's like I feel… safe?"

He grinned. He could live with that. "I hope you always feel safe."

"Thank you."

They were approaching Shane's office and Chris's steps faltered. He didn't want to leave her, he wanted to talk with her for hours, he wanted her to tell him her favourite color: blue, her favourite food: Italian, her favourite type of music: blues. He knew them sure, but he wanted to hear her voice when she said them, wanted her to remember the first time she tasted Italian food and what she was doing the first time she heard her favourite song.

But he had a title match and they'd reached Shane's office door.

"Well…here we are." He wanted to reach out and touch her shoulder and let his hand trail down her arm until his hand was holding hers. He wanted to pull on her hand so she was standing in front of him, so close that he could feel her breath on his face, he wanted to lean in and taste her lips.

He wanted her to kiss back.

"I guess this is where we go our separate ways." Stephanie said with a sigh.

"Yeah."

"Do you have a cell number?"

"I do, why?"

"Can you put your number in my cell, I could…I could call you sometime. Or you could call me, if you want to?" Stephanie suggested and he wanted to hug her so hard for suggesting it, if he had her number he could call her up anytime, he could hear her voice and God it was the best suggestion he'd ever heard in his life. He was glad that Stephanie couldn't see him at this moment in time, it was ridiculous how giddy he was.

"Sure, that's a great idea." He tried to play it cool, but even he knew he was failing. Failing badly.

Stephanie handed him her cell and he put his number in it and did the same with her number and his phone. When he handed it back to her their fingers brushed and Stephanie dropped her cell.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked his voice tinted with concern as he bent down and picked up her cell.

"I'm…yeah," Stephanie spoke up, her voice distracted. "I just felt weird there for a second."

"But you feel okay now?"

"Yeah, I don't know what it was," she told him with a laugh. "It just felt familiar."

They said their goodbyes and Chris watched as she opened the door to Shane's office and then shut the door behind her.

He smiled.

He'd finally talked to her and she'd talked back.

He smiled.

He walked to his locker room and got into his ring gear and all the while he thought about their conversation and how after the first little bump in the road the conversation just seemed to flow. He'd imagined having a conversation with her multiple times, and the first time had always been awkward, but when it came to be a reality there was no awkward, there was just Chris and Stephanie and conversation.

He smiled.

He went out for his match and fought Paul. They traded blows, back and forth, back and forth until Paul got the upper hand, but he thought of Stephanie telling him 'You're better than Paul.' and fought back harder. He hit move after move and capitalized on a bulldog with a metal chair that Paul had brought into the ring and as the referee counted from nine to ten, Chris thought of her words again, only this time it was 'You'll win though.' He had. He'd beat Paul fair and square and now the man was getting rolled out on a stretcher. She was right.

He smiled.

He got back to his locker room and showered and changed into a fresh change of clothes. He made his way out of the arena and into his car and found a little dinner off on the side of the interstate. He sat in a booth and munched on the food he'd ordered and when he was almost done, he pulled out his cell and scrolled to her number and hit call. He listened to it ring and ring and then the ringing stopped.

She'd answered.

He smiled a little more.

End of Chapter One.