April 2002
"You know," Chris Benoit said to long-time rival and current friend, "You and Stephanie sure do seem pretty chummy lately."
He had met Jericho in the hall while on his way down to the hotel's weight room. Jericho was on his way back up from the weight room.
"Lately?" Chris Jericho asked. "Where have you been the nine months?"
"But lately it's been different," Benoit said.
"What are you implying?" Jericho asked.
"Well, Hunter and Stephanie are divorced," Benoit said. "Maybe you and Stephanie are feeling romantic towards each other."
Jericho smiled. "Really?"
"Just a theory," Benoit said. "But you always did like to play the hero too."
"I thought I wanted to be a rock star," Jericho said.
"That too," Benoit said.
"If Stephanie and I decide to be romantic," Jericho said, "we probably will keep it under wraps for awhile. But I think you're onto something."
"So you are seeing her," Benoit said triumphantly.
"I didn't say that," Jericho said.
"You really suck you know," Benoit said.
"Is it already time to renew the rivalry?" Jericho asked.
"Shove it," Benoit said lightly. "I've got to go lift."
"Have fun," Jericho said. He walked down the hall to his own room. He turned on the light and was surprised to see Stephanie in his room.
"Hey there," Jericho said. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah," Stephanie said.
"What's up?" Jericho asked, slinging his sweat-covered towel on the ground.
"There's rumors going around," Stephanie said.
"Rumors?" Jericho asked, pretending to be clueless.
"About you and I seeing each other," Stephanie said.
"Oh THOSE rumors," Jericho said. ""Do they bug you?"
"Only because they aren't true," Stephanie said, standing up.
"What do you mean?" Jericho asked.
"I wish they were true Chris," Stephanie said.
"Really?" Jericho asked.
"So much," Stephanie nodded.
"You're sure you're ready for a relationship?" Jericho asked.
"I don't know," Stephanie said. "But if I learned one thing in rehab it was that I need to realize what it is I'm feeling and what I want and then I need to go get it."
"Are you saying you want me?" Jericho teased.
"I've always wanted you," Stephanie said. "And to think I had you at one point."
"Yes you did," Jericho answered. "But you've always had me."
"What?" Stephanie asked.
"I've always loved you Stephanie," Jericho said. "Maybe I haven't always been in love with you, but I always cared for you and would do anything to protect you."
"Is that a yes?" Stephanie asked.
"Was there a question?" Jericho asked.
"Will you go out with me?" Stephanie asked.
"Where will our first date be?" Jericho asked.
"Dinner and dancing," Stephanie said.
"You still love to dance?" Jericho asked.
"Some things will never change," Stephanie said.
"I hope you're right," Jericho said. "Yeah, lets go out."
"Really?" Stephanie asked.
"Really," Jericho replied.
"You are so wonderful," Stephanie said, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss on his cheek.
"Let me get showered and then you can have your way with me," Jericho said.
"That sounds like an invitation," Stephanie commented.
"Maybe," Jericho said. "Go."
"Aye aye," Stephanie said.
***Later that night***
Jericho held Stephanie close as they danced to "Shape of my Heart" by the Backstreet Boys. She smelled like vanilla. She felt wonderful.
"To think that this was where we were three years ago," Stephanie murmured.
"I've never been to this club," Jericho said.
"I didn't mean that literally," Stephanie said. "I mean we were together and happy."
"We were happy," Jericho said.
"Can we walk back to the hotel?" Stephanie said. "It's nice outside."
"Sure," Jericho said.
They walked down the empty streets to their hotel. "Chris?"
"Yeah," Jericho answered.
"I want to apologize," Stephanie said.
"Steph, you've apologized to about a hundred people over the past month," Jericho said. "There's nothing you need to apologize to me about."
"Yes there is," Stephanie said. "I'm sorry I put you second to revenge."
"It's in the past," Jericho said.
"And it belongs in the past," Stephanie said. "But it's here and it will stay here until we air it out and know how each of us feel."
"I can't help but feel that this is some part of a twelve-step program," Jericho said. "I'd rather just start over if that is the case and forget the past."
"Can you honestly tell me right now that you would trust me if I told you I wanted to keep this relationship secret again?" Stephanie asked.
Jericho continued to walk in silence.
"I just wanted you to know that what I had done was wrong," Stephanie said. "I was lucky that I wasn't miserable with Hunter. And in a way, you helped me fall in love with him."
"This is not what I wanted to hear," Jericho said.
"Chris, you have been the most important person in my life for nearly four years," Stephanie said. "There is no one who has made a bigger difference. I'm not going to say that I completely regret having chosen revenge over you, because Hunter was a great husband and it was nice to fall in love with someone who was completely different from you.
"But I do regret it somewhat," Stephanie continued. "I was so in love with you back then. I've never been more in love. I wish I had never hurt you, I wish you could trust me without caution, I wish I could have been the woman you wanted me to be. And I wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for hurting you. And I wanted to thank you for letting the past taking a backseat to the present for the past several months."
They had stopped walking at some point in Stephanie's monologue. Jericho had grabbed one of her hands in his. He was seeing the girl he had fallen in love with in early 1999 again. She was radiant, intelligent, and honest.
"It's okay," Jericho said. "The past is in the past."
"You mean it?" Stephanie asked.
"I've never loved anyone more than I've loved you either," Jericho said. "You were the only person I ever felt that click with. For awhile we didn't click so well, but then we did again. I would be stupid to throw away a chance at being happy with you forever just because we had problems in the past."
Stephanie closed her eyes in relief. "So we can really put the past in the past now?"
"The bad parts," Jericho said. "I like certain parts. Like you and Shane being chased out of an arena by Ric Flair."
"Only you," Stephanie chuckled.
"And the first time we made love," Jericho reminded her. "And the first time you told me you loved me. And most importantly, the first time I realized you were the only woman for me."
Stephanie smiled at him. "I never had you pegged as a romantic."
"We still have things to learn about each other," Jericho said.
"That's a good thing," Stephanie said. "Can we take this relationship slow though? I've never really had a relationship that took time to develop."
"That's fine with me," Jericho said. He laughed and said, "Slow and steady wins the race."
"Right," Stephanie agreed.
"Hey," Jericho said as they started to walk again. "You don't want to keep this relationship a secret do you?"
"No," Stephanie said. "I've made that mistake too many times."
"Good," Jericho said.
Minutes later they arrived back at their hotel. "This is where the night ends," Jericho said, outside of Stephanie's room.
"Thanks for the date," Stephanie said.
"Thank you," Jericho replied.
Jericho pulled Stephanie to him and kissed her gently. The kiss deepened until the couple pulled apart breathlessly. "I'll see you tomorrow," Jericho said.
"Yeah," Stephanie said quietly.
"Sweet dreams," Jericho said as she stepped into her room.
"You too," Stephanie said.
Jericho walked down the hall whistling. A figure stepped from behind a huge potted plant. "Sweet dreams Steph and Jericho. They'll be nightmares soon enough."
"You know," Chris Benoit said to long-time rival and current friend, "You and Stephanie sure do seem pretty chummy lately."
He had met Jericho in the hall while on his way down to the hotel's weight room. Jericho was on his way back up from the weight room.
"Lately?" Chris Jericho asked. "Where have you been the nine months?"
"But lately it's been different," Benoit said.
"What are you implying?" Jericho asked.
"Well, Hunter and Stephanie are divorced," Benoit said. "Maybe you and Stephanie are feeling romantic towards each other."
Jericho smiled. "Really?"
"Just a theory," Benoit said. "But you always did like to play the hero too."
"I thought I wanted to be a rock star," Jericho said.
"That too," Benoit said.
"If Stephanie and I decide to be romantic," Jericho said, "we probably will keep it under wraps for awhile. But I think you're onto something."
"So you are seeing her," Benoit said triumphantly.
"I didn't say that," Jericho said.
"You really suck you know," Benoit said.
"Is it already time to renew the rivalry?" Jericho asked.
"Shove it," Benoit said lightly. "I've got to go lift."
"Have fun," Jericho said. He walked down the hall to his own room. He turned on the light and was surprised to see Stephanie in his room.
"Hey there," Jericho said. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah," Stephanie said.
"What's up?" Jericho asked, slinging his sweat-covered towel on the ground.
"There's rumors going around," Stephanie said.
"Rumors?" Jericho asked, pretending to be clueless.
"About you and I seeing each other," Stephanie said.
"Oh THOSE rumors," Jericho said. ""Do they bug you?"
"Only because they aren't true," Stephanie said, standing up.
"What do you mean?" Jericho asked.
"I wish they were true Chris," Stephanie said.
"Really?" Jericho asked.
"So much," Stephanie nodded.
"You're sure you're ready for a relationship?" Jericho asked.
"I don't know," Stephanie said. "But if I learned one thing in rehab it was that I need to realize what it is I'm feeling and what I want and then I need to go get it."
"Are you saying you want me?" Jericho teased.
"I've always wanted you," Stephanie said. "And to think I had you at one point."
"Yes you did," Jericho answered. "But you've always had me."
"What?" Stephanie asked.
"I've always loved you Stephanie," Jericho said. "Maybe I haven't always been in love with you, but I always cared for you and would do anything to protect you."
"Is that a yes?" Stephanie asked.
"Was there a question?" Jericho asked.
"Will you go out with me?" Stephanie asked.
"Where will our first date be?" Jericho asked.
"Dinner and dancing," Stephanie said.
"You still love to dance?" Jericho asked.
"Some things will never change," Stephanie said.
"I hope you're right," Jericho said. "Yeah, lets go out."
"Really?" Stephanie asked.
"Really," Jericho replied.
"You are so wonderful," Stephanie said, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss on his cheek.
"Let me get showered and then you can have your way with me," Jericho said.
"That sounds like an invitation," Stephanie commented.
"Maybe," Jericho said. "Go."
"Aye aye," Stephanie said.
***Later that night***
Jericho held Stephanie close as they danced to "Shape of my Heart" by the Backstreet Boys. She smelled like vanilla. She felt wonderful.
"To think that this was where we were three years ago," Stephanie murmured.
"I've never been to this club," Jericho said.
"I didn't mean that literally," Stephanie said. "I mean we were together and happy."
"We were happy," Jericho said.
"Can we walk back to the hotel?" Stephanie said. "It's nice outside."
"Sure," Jericho said.
They walked down the empty streets to their hotel. "Chris?"
"Yeah," Jericho answered.
"I want to apologize," Stephanie said.
"Steph, you've apologized to about a hundred people over the past month," Jericho said. "There's nothing you need to apologize to me about."
"Yes there is," Stephanie said. "I'm sorry I put you second to revenge."
"It's in the past," Jericho said.
"And it belongs in the past," Stephanie said. "But it's here and it will stay here until we air it out and know how each of us feel."
"I can't help but feel that this is some part of a twelve-step program," Jericho said. "I'd rather just start over if that is the case and forget the past."
"Can you honestly tell me right now that you would trust me if I told you I wanted to keep this relationship secret again?" Stephanie asked.
Jericho continued to walk in silence.
"I just wanted you to know that what I had done was wrong," Stephanie said. "I was lucky that I wasn't miserable with Hunter. And in a way, you helped me fall in love with him."
"This is not what I wanted to hear," Jericho said.
"Chris, you have been the most important person in my life for nearly four years," Stephanie said. "There is no one who has made a bigger difference. I'm not going to say that I completely regret having chosen revenge over you, because Hunter was a great husband and it was nice to fall in love with someone who was completely different from you.
"But I do regret it somewhat," Stephanie continued. "I was so in love with you back then. I've never been more in love. I wish I had never hurt you, I wish you could trust me without caution, I wish I could have been the woman you wanted me to be. And I wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for hurting you. And I wanted to thank you for letting the past taking a backseat to the present for the past several months."
They had stopped walking at some point in Stephanie's monologue. Jericho had grabbed one of her hands in his. He was seeing the girl he had fallen in love with in early 1999 again. She was radiant, intelligent, and honest.
"It's okay," Jericho said. "The past is in the past."
"You mean it?" Stephanie asked.
"I've never loved anyone more than I've loved you either," Jericho said. "You were the only person I ever felt that click with. For awhile we didn't click so well, but then we did again. I would be stupid to throw away a chance at being happy with you forever just because we had problems in the past."
Stephanie closed her eyes in relief. "So we can really put the past in the past now?"
"The bad parts," Jericho said. "I like certain parts. Like you and Shane being chased out of an arena by Ric Flair."
"Only you," Stephanie chuckled.
"And the first time we made love," Jericho reminded her. "And the first time you told me you loved me. And most importantly, the first time I realized you were the only woman for me."
Stephanie smiled at him. "I never had you pegged as a romantic."
"We still have things to learn about each other," Jericho said.
"That's a good thing," Stephanie said. "Can we take this relationship slow though? I've never really had a relationship that took time to develop."
"That's fine with me," Jericho said. He laughed and said, "Slow and steady wins the race."
"Right," Stephanie agreed.
"Hey," Jericho said as they started to walk again. "You don't want to keep this relationship a secret do you?"
"No," Stephanie said. "I've made that mistake too many times."
"Good," Jericho said.
Minutes later they arrived back at their hotel. "This is where the night ends," Jericho said, outside of Stephanie's room.
"Thanks for the date," Stephanie said.
"Thank you," Jericho replied.
Jericho pulled Stephanie to him and kissed her gently. The kiss deepened until the couple pulled apart breathlessly. "I'll see you tomorrow," Jericho said.
"Yeah," Stephanie said quietly.
"Sweet dreams," Jericho said as she stepped into her room.
"You too," Stephanie said.
Jericho walked down the hall whistling. A figure stepped from behind a huge potted plant. "Sweet dreams Steph and Jericho. They'll be nightmares soon enough."