Disclaimer: As always I own no rights to the WWE. I am just fan who likes to visit their playground now and again.
Author's Note: Special thanks go out to xthefirestillsburns, RandyOrtonxWifexx, Sharona1981, and LilOrchidJenny. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I love you guys for reading and inspiring my creativity. Thanks for such great reviews – I hope that you enjoy this new chapter.
Without further ado…I give you
Chapter 9
June 2012
Peyton sat at her desk wishing she had packed something for lunch other than tuna salad. Looking around her small classroom she couldn't believe that yet another school year was coming to a close. Her students were more than anxious for lunch and recess today. Twenty-eight little minds all with a serious case of spring fever. With a half hour left in her lunch hour, she was surprised that she hadn't seen or heard from Carrie yet.
Picking absently at her snack size bag of sour cream and onion potato chips Peyton lost herself in thoughts of Stephen. They had talked nearly every night over the last two months. If they couldn't actually talk – they traded multiple texts throughout the day. Peyton was constantly amazed at how easy it was to talk to him. She loved hearing about his day. He always asked her thoughts about the weeks Raw or Smackdown (she was becoming a big fan.) He listened very attentively as she talked about "her kids" or parents both the good and bad.
When it was when talked about his life both back in Ireland and now in southern Florida that she lost herself in his words. He painted such beautiful pictures with is words. He spoke with such love and respect for his folks and sisters. She knew he had questions about her family life; her folks, her grandparents, her brothers, and of course her damned scars. He asked questions here and there always gentle and sweet. For all his curiosity he never pried to deep or pushed too hard. Next to Carrie he was quickly cementing a place in her heart as her best friend. Shaking her head, she wondered how it was that Stephen had come to mean so much to her much faster than she expected or could explain.
Quietly, Peyton drifted among her daydream remembering vividly the night before. It had been a really long day. Peyton spent the day dealing trying to prepare the final lessons of the year, dealing with cranky students, and even crankier parents. Although she and Stephen probably wouldn't have the chance to actually talk – they had traded more than a dozen text messages.
Over joyed to finally be home, Peyton fully embraced the blissful silence that fell around her. Exhausted she wanted nothing more than to turn in early and get a good night's sleep. It was nearly nine-thirty when the old Marilyn Monroe movie playing on TMC ended. Clicking off the t.v. and lights she snuggled into bed making herself comfortable.
It was nearly midnight when she admitted that all the tossing and turning was doing nothing to help her sleep. Yawning she turned over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. If only she could shut her mind off for just five minutes. If she could just make her thoughts shut-up she would surely be asleep within seconds. Turning over she turned on the small bedside lamp, thinking she would read a little till she was sleepy. There on the in table laid her cell phone. She told herself that she was picking it up to just make sure the volume was up loud enough to wake her when the alarm sounded. It was late, Stephen was surely sleeping, and if he wasn't …well it wasn't like he didn't have better things to do than talk to an insomniac. Dropping the phone back on the table, she cut off the light turning over and trying once more to sleep. Within a matter of minutes she had cut the light back on and was dialing Stephen's cell phone. After the second ring, she began to feel foolish 'this is silly' she thought 'so what I can't sleep doesn't mean we should both be awake!' Just as she was about to hang up, she heard his groggy "'Ello" come across the line.
Blushing clear to her roots, Peyton spoke her voice somewhere between a whisper and a croak "Ste-Stephen?"
The uncertainty of her voice had Stephen sitting up in bed rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Glancing at the clock beside the bed, Stephen worried about the hour. What had Peyton calling him well after midnight? "Peyton lass, what is it baby girl?"
Peyton felt foolish she should just tell him to go back to bed – that she would talk to him tomorrow. Wait a minute did he just call her 'baby girl?'
The silence continued a minute…then two…a beat longer and Stephen could stand it no longer. "Peyton lass you're worrying me here. Talk to meh baby-girl is everything all right?"
Peyton gave a self-depreciating chuckle with a bare whisper "I...can't…can't sleep."
Stephen smiled 'his baby-girl' couldn't sleep so she called him. Scrubbing his hand across his face he wondered, 'did I just call her baby-girl?' Waiting for her to say something more he realized he liked the way it felt on his lips when he called her baby-girl.
Peyton rushed on in one breath "This is silly you're tired, I should let go back to sleep. I will…I will call you in the morning."
"Don't be silly lass, it's all good! We can talk for a bit."
"Stephen, I feel silly. You were sleeping. You have to work tomorrow. No sense me keeping us both awake."
"Baby-girl" he began patiently, "its fine – honest. Now, what would yeh like to talk 'bout?"
A sound at the door snapped Peyton from her daydreams. She watched as Carrie walked in carrying a medium pepperoni pizza from 'Papa John's' As the delicious smell filled the room, she smiled "Oh sis!" she exclaimed "it's like you read my mind"
Clearing away the unwanted sandwich, Peyton made room for the Carrie and the tasty treat she couldn't wait to tuck into. Carrie laughed "That's me Carrie McKay saving the day!"
Neither woman said much as they tucked into the hot and delicious pizza. As they sat in companionable silence, Peyton found her mind wandering over and over again to Stephen. She could hear his lilting accent ringing in her ears and rushing through her mind. Absently nibbling her pizza, she smiled brief and deep as the sound of Stephen's laughter rumbled through her mind.
Carrie sat back in her chair, watching her best friend. She couldn't help her own smile as she watched the deep grin creeping across Peyton's face. Over the last several weeks, Peyton had told her various bits and pieces about her budding relationship with Stephen. Carrie loved to hear the happiness in her best friend's voice; although she would admit that the curiosity was killing her. Tossing her napkin on top of her empty paper plate she gently cleared her throat.
Peyton startled at the abrupt sound, looking across the desk at Carrie she blushed clear to her roots, "sorry about that," she mumbled, quickly taking a large sip of her diet soda.
Carrie chuckled light and girlishly. "So…looked like you were a million miles aware just then; what were you thinking about so seriously? Or maybe I should ask 'who' you were thinking about just then?"
Looking at her watch Peyton noted with mixed emotion that they just under ten minutes left before the students would be returning from recess. On a whim she decided to tell Carrie all about last night. Taking a deep – almost fortifying breath she told Carrie how an ugly bout of insomnia leads to calling Stephen at just after midnight. Without a lot of detail she gives the other woman some idea of what they talked about. By the time she finished speaking; Peyton was beet red and looked on the verge of tears.
Confused Carrie laid her hand atop Peyton's and squeezed gently. "Sweet-pea! I don't understand what has you so upset. You couldn't sleep – so you reached out to a friend. There's nothing wrong with that." When nothing she said to make Peyton feel better, Carrie wondered if there was more to the story. "Peyton" she began cautiously "did something happen last night that you're not telling me. Did he say something to upset you?"
Covering her face with both hands Peyton murmured "He called me baby-girl and…and…and" her words trailed off.
"And what?" questioned a now more than curious Carrie.
"Ifellasleeponhim!" Peyton answered in a rush.
"Excuse me?"
"Ifellasleeponhim!" came the once more muffled reply.
Reaching across the desk, Carrie gently pried Peyton's hand away from her face. "You want to run that by me one more time."
"One minute he was talking to me – the next minute I fell asleep on him!"
Shaking her head, Carrie still wasn't sure she understood what Peyton so upset. What upset her more the sweet endearment or the falling asleep? "Let me get this straight; you're upset that he called you baby-girl and that you fell asleep on him – right?" Peyton nodded a little sullen. Carrie could feel the laughter bubbling up inside her. Within a second or two she was laughing long, light, and girlish.
Peyton calmly balled up her napkin and tossed it at her dear friend, "I'm glad to see that misery makes you happy."
"Oh sweetie, I'm not laughing at you – honest. I just don't see what's so bad this. So what he called you baby-girl? I personally think it's sweet. I mean come on this 'Sheamus' were talking about if he wants to call you baby-girl let him. As for the whole fell asleep thing – if I were him I would be flattered, find it cute maybe, even a little sexy."
"Cute? Sexy? How can you say that? How is a grown woman falling asleep cute or sexy?"
"Think about it Peyton, you, a beautiful woman couldn't sleep so you called him. Talking to Stephen settled whatever it was that was keeping you awake. He made you feel better. If I were him, I would be feeling pretty damned pleased with myself."
"You think so?" asked a more than doubtful Peyton.
"Hell yes I think so!" exclaimed an animated Carrie.
Noting the time, Carrie began to clean up the remains of their lunch; just as they both Peyton's cell phone ding with an incoming next message. Carrie smiled at the anxiousness that was evident in Peyton as she checked her messages. "Sure ur busy – hope ur feelin' better! Talk later Ste…" Smiling Peyton returned her phone to vibrate before smiling it back into the pocket of her long denim skirt.
"That was him wasn't it?" questioned Carrie a smug smirk filling her face.
As the final bell rang, Peyton nodded to her students returning from recess. Walking with Carrie to the door she smiled before quickly hugging her close and tight. "Thanks Sis…I'll talk to you later."
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After last night, all Peyton wanted was to go home, soak in a hot tub, and crawl into bed nice and early. After spending nearly forty-five minutes soaking in very hot lavender scented bubble bath she felt measurably better. Wrapping herself in her little black cotton bathrobe she headed for the bedroom. Sitting on the edge of her bed she rummaged through her bedside table looking for her lavender body lotion. Humming gently to herself, she set about applying lotion to her arms and legs. Just as she was about to smear lotion down her right leg her cell phone rang. "Figures" she muttered absently as she reached for the phone.
Looking at the caller idea she smiled, "Hello Stephen!"
"'Ello, baby-girl! What yeh doin' this evenin'?"
Peyton sighed "it's a relaxing evening at home, take out, bubble bath, my favorite scented body lotion, and my most comfy jammies."
Stephen wanted to groan. "Dammit woman…you have no idea!" thought Sheamus with a shudder. Driving is his rental SUV back towards the hotel he stopped at a red-light. In his head he knew that they had only known each other a couple of months, but in his gut he felt more for this confusing, beautiful, confounding, beautiful woman than he had for any other woman in a very long time. Barely able to admit it to himself – he certainly wasn't ready to admit it to her or anyone else. The more he learned about her…the more he wanted to know.
"Listen Stephen….about last night, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have woken you up like that. I cannot believe I feel asleep on you. I feel so silly…anyway I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry lass! Ah'm not"
"You're not?" she asked incredulously
"Hell no Ah'm not. Ah'm glad Ah could be there for yeh."
"Thank-you Stephen I appreciate it."
They talked for several more minutes, before Stephen yawned. "You big guy…should get some sleep. After all, I happen to know for a fact that you let a crazy insomniac keep you up past your bedtime last night."
Yawning once more Stephen smiled "That crazy insomniac can keep meh up anytime she likes." Hurriedly he thought 'I know she's skittish, but if Ah' don't ask this now; I never will.' Biting the bullet, Stephen pushed forward, "Listen lass, Ah've been thinkin' yeh mentioned the end of the school year was coming up soon right?"
Peyton wondered what the end of the school year had to do with anything. "Yeah classes end early next week – why?"
"Cause Ah was thinking…thinking that yeh might like to come on the road with meh this summer. What do yeh say?"
Author's Note: What a way to end the chapter – right? For the last month or so this story has given me fits / serious writers. Now my muse is working overtime, two chapters in less than a week. And as unbelievable as it sounds my head is already brimming with ideas for the next chapter. As always All thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and comments about are most welcome and appreciated.