*** I know the last chapter was kind of anti-climatic and quick, but I was already involved in the kidnapping scenario and I decided I didn't like it so much, so I got out of it as quickly as possible. This chapter (the final one in this saga) is a song-fic, the song I use is "Chances Are" by Bob Seger and Martina McBride (the song is on the "Hope Floats" soundtrack). Enjoy. ***
//Chances are you'll find me
Somewhere on your road tonight//
Chris Jericho was dressed in black patent leather pants and a sparkling purple shirt. Stephanie liked the shirt. She'd asked him if she could borrow it at least a hundred times. Jericho shifted his weight from foot to foot. He had faced some huge challenges and been in some scary situations before, but this one took the cake.
Jericho was ready to propose to Stephanie, but he wasn't ready for her to say no. Unfortunately, just because he was proposing, Stephanie was not obligated to say yes. But he had to ask. He had been brought up to believe that when you really loved someone you got married and lived with them for the rest of your life. And he really loved Stephanie. Jericho took a deep breath as his entrance music started to play. He stepped onto the ramp and headed to the ring.
//Seems I always end up driving by.
Ever since I've known you
It just seems you're on my way//
Stephanie leaned back in the couch, laughing softly at a bad joke Shane had made. She wondered why Shane was at RAW. He was normally on the road with WCW on Mondays. It didn't matter. She loved having her family around. It was hard when they fought, but it was great when everyone, even Vince and Linda, realized how much they loved each other.
Stephanie thought that maybe she was destined to fight with the people that she loved most. She and Shane had always fought. She had gone to extreme lengths to get revenge on her father. She had slapped her mother in front of millions of people. She had betrayed the one man that had made her feel fully alive.
Luckily for Stephanie, they all knew how to forgive her. She had her family and she had Chris Jericho.
//All the rules of logic don't apply.
I long to see you in the night
And be with you till morning light.//
Jericho stood in the center of the ring until the cheers died down. He brought the microphone to his mouth and said, "I'm going to do something now that I should have done well over two years ago. But first I need Stephanie McMahon to come to the ring."
Jericho waited in the ring, waiting for the woman who made him feel complete. The woman he couldn't live without. Several moments later, she still hadn't appeared. He began to worry, but her entrance music blared and she came down the ramp. He could she that she was wondering what was happening.
"Stephanie McMahon," Jericho started, going down on bended knee. "Will you marry me?'
//I remember clearly
How you looked the night we met.//
Stephanie looked at the man in front of her and couldn't help but think of the night they had met. He had treated her like a normal person and he didn't treat her any differently after he found out she was Vince McMahon's daughter. His smile had charmed her before she had even talked to him.
Stephanie felt somewhere deep inside of her that everything in her life had led up to this moment. Yes, she loved Chris Jericho. But all she had meant for him was trouble for much of their relationship. She felt blood begin to pound and her head grew a little heavy. Could she guarantee their lives would be easy from that point on?
//I recall your laughter and your smile.
I remember how you made me feel
So at ease//
Jericho saw the indecision on her face. Indecision was good. It meant that she wasn't already decided against accepting his proposal. He took Stephanie's hands in his and said, "I loved you almost immediately after I met you. You were the sweetest woman I had ever met, who put family before anything else and you were intelligent and caring.
"Then I didn't love you. My life was less vivid than it had been before because I couldn't share my dreams with you anymore. I couldn't ask your opinion on something trivial. I couldn't hold your hand or kiss you. I was miserable. Even I didn't know how miserable.
"Then I fell in love with you again. I don't know when and I don't know how. But this time has been better because we've both grown up and we've battled obstacles together. And you are the most wonderful human being I've ever had the honor to know or to love."
//I remember all your grace and your smile.
And now you're all I long to see.
You've come to mean so much to me.//
Tears filled Stephanie's eyes. No one had said anything so beautiful to her. She looked into his eyes. He saw the fear in them. But not fear that he was making a mistake. He feared that she might refuse him.
Stephanie squeezed his hand in both of hers. She had loved him before and she loved him now. But Stephanie was coming to believe she had never really stopped loving him. And when she wasn't with him, she had to keep herself occupied to keep from being miserable.
She smiled down at Jericho. He smiled cautiously. She loved his smile. The way he only smiled when he truly meant it. She felt her heart filling with love for the man in front of her.
//Chances are I'll see you
Somewhere in my dreams tonight
You'll be smiling like the night we met.//
Stephanie's smile could compete with the sun. Her blue eyes glowed with happiness and love. Hunter had loved her smile. He watched the monitor backstage, Jackie leaning against him. It was hard for him to believe he was silently willing Stephanie to accept Jericho's proposal.
"They look so good together," Jackie commented.
"They were made for each other," Hunter said simply. There was no trace of regret or malice in his voice. Jackie knew that Hunter was happy now.
"It helps me believe in fairy tales," Jackie said.
"I hope they live happily ever after," Hunter commented, pulling Jackie close to him.
//Chances are I'll hold you
And I'll offer all I have
You're the only one I can't forget.
Baby you're the best I've ever met.//
Stephanie nodded her head. Jericho's jaw dropped in disbelief. Stephanie helped him to his feet. He gathered her in his arms and spun her around happily. "You mean it?"
"I've never meant anything more," Stephanie replied.
"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," Jericho whispered.
"I love you so much," Stephanie said. "The greatest gift I was ever given was a second chance."
"Your love has been the greatest gift I've ever received," Jericho said.
Stephanie and Jericho didn't hear the crowd cheering. They didn't hear JR commenting on the proposal. All they saw and heard were each other. And all was right in their world.
//And I'll be dreaming of the future
And hoping you'll be by my side.//
Hunter and Jackie were married in March of 2004. Hunter retired from the WWF two years later. He and Jackie opened up a bar. People flocked to the bar to hear the bartender recount his exploits as a WWF champion and to hear the head waitress tell her version of every story.
In 2006, they had a baby boy that they named Shawn Christopher Helmsley. Hunter and Jackie often helped Shawn Michaels train up-and-coming wrestlers. It was hard for the world to believe that HHH could be happy away from the ring. He shocked all the fans and himself by being more content than he had ever been.
//And in the morning I'll be longing
For the night
For the night.//
Jeff Hardy was best friends with Stephanie McMahon after they each got over the initial discomfort of remembering their affair. He realized that Stephanie was someone who really listened to him and cared about him. She supported him when he made the decision to stop risking his body by leaving the WWF in 2005 to become a gym teacher back in Cameron, North Carolina.
But Jeff Hardy was unable to stay away from the Federation that had been a part of his life since he had been seventeen. Vince hired him as a talent scout for the WWF. Jeff specialized in finding wrestlers who were willing to take unbelievable chances to entertain the fans.
//Chances are I'll see you
Somewhere in my dreams tonight//
Edge stayed in WCW until the end of his career. In his eight years in the WCW he had not only a distinguished tag career with Christian, but he was also able to catch the WCW championship three times before retiring.
He moved back to Canada and married his high school sweetheart. He adopted her two daughters from a previous marriage and settled into a happy family. He felt his experience in the wrestling business might help others battle their demons. He opened a clinic especially for professional wrestlers who were fighting addictions to any substance, including painkillers, illegal drugs, and alcohol. He was known throughout the business as a caring and intelligent man.
//You'll be smiling like the night we met.
Chances are I'll hold you
And I'll offer all I have //
Stephanie and Jericho were married in November of 2002. Stephanie juggled her interests in both the WWF and the WCW, while Jericho became one of the best singles wrestlers. Stephanie and Jericho were known for their devotion to each other and it surprised very few people when they decided to take a year off to be with each other in 2005.
The product of that year was a marriage that was stronger than ever and a baby girl named Serena Christine. Two years later they had a son name Jacob Vincent. Their family would go on to take wrestling to new heights.
Stephanie took over as the CEO of the WWF in 2017. Jericho was the commissioner of the WCW from 2012 to 2017. After that he worked as the commissioner of the WWF. Jacob worked with his Uncle Shane to become a savvy businessman that would one day assume leadership in the WWF. Serena became an innovative wrestler who modeled her career on those of Chyna, Lita, and her mother.
No one could deny that Jericho and Stephanie had a happy family. The feuds that plagued the McMahon family were never a part of the Irvine dynasty. But every now and then, the McMahon propensity for trouble making would rear its head and make life interesting.
//You're the only one I can't forget.
Baby you're the best I've ever met. //
Stephanie disengaged herself from Jericho's arms, feeling like she saw her future with him clearly. She liked what she saw.
"You're so gorgeous when you smile like that," Jericho said.
"Good," Stephanie said as they left the ring. "I plan on smiling like this a lot from now on."
Jericho looked at his bride-to-be, "Who could ask for anything more?"
THE END
*** I hope you liked it. PLEASE review. Thanks. ***
//Chances are you'll find me
Somewhere on your road tonight//
Chris Jericho was dressed in black patent leather pants and a sparkling purple shirt. Stephanie liked the shirt. She'd asked him if she could borrow it at least a hundred times. Jericho shifted his weight from foot to foot. He had faced some huge challenges and been in some scary situations before, but this one took the cake.
Jericho was ready to propose to Stephanie, but he wasn't ready for her to say no. Unfortunately, just because he was proposing, Stephanie was not obligated to say yes. But he had to ask. He had been brought up to believe that when you really loved someone you got married and lived with them for the rest of your life. And he really loved Stephanie. Jericho took a deep breath as his entrance music started to play. He stepped onto the ramp and headed to the ring.
//Seems I always end up driving by.
Ever since I've known you
It just seems you're on my way//
Stephanie leaned back in the couch, laughing softly at a bad joke Shane had made. She wondered why Shane was at RAW. He was normally on the road with WCW on Mondays. It didn't matter. She loved having her family around. It was hard when they fought, but it was great when everyone, even Vince and Linda, realized how much they loved each other.
Stephanie thought that maybe she was destined to fight with the people that she loved most. She and Shane had always fought. She had gone to extreme lengths to get revenge on her father. She had slapped her mother in front of millions of people. She had betrayed the one man that had made her feel fully alive.
Luckily for Stephanie, they all knew how to forgive her. She had her family and she had Chris Jericho.
//All the rules of logic don't apply.
I long to see you in the night
And be with you till morning light.//
Jericho stood in the center of the ring until the cheers died down. He brought the microphone to his mouth and said, "I'm going to do something now that I should have done well over two years ago. But first I need Stephanie McMahon to come to the ring."
Jericho waited in the ring, waiting for the woman who made him feel complete. The woman he couldn't live without. Several moments later, she still hadn't appeared. He began to worry, but her entrance music blared and she came down the ramp. He could she that she was wondering what was happening.
"Stephanie McMahon," Jericho started, going down on bended knee. "Will you marry me?'
//I remember clearly
How you looked the night we met.//
Stephanie looked at the man in front of her and couldn't help but think of the night they had met. He had treated her like a normal person and he didn't treat her any differently after he found out she was Vince McMahon's daughter. His smile had charmed her before she had even talked to him.
Stephanie felt somewhere deep inside of her that everything in her life had led up to this moment. Yes, she loved Chris Jericho. But all she had meant for him was trouble for much of their relationship. She felt blood begin to pound and her head grew a little heavy. Could she guarantee their lives would be easy from that point on?
//I recall your laughter and your smile.
I remember how you made me feel
So at ease//
Jericho saw the indecision on her face. Indecision was good. It meant that she wasn't already decided against accepting his proposal. He took Stephanie's hands in his and said, "I loved you almost immediately after I met you. You were the sweetest woman I had ever met, who put family before anything else and you were intelligent and caring.
"Then I didn't love you. My life was less vivid than it had been before because I couldn't share my dreams with you anymore. I couldn't ask your opinion on something trivial. I couldn't hold your hand or kiss you. I was miserable. Even I didn't know how miserable.
"Then I fell in love with you again. I don't know when and I don't know how. But this time has been better because we've both grown up and we've battled obstacles together. And you are the most wonderful human being I've ever had the honor to know or to love."
//I remember all your grace and your smile.
And now you're all I long to see.
You've come to mean so much to me.//
Tears filled Stephanie's eyes. No one had said anything so beautiful to her. She looked into his eyes. He saw the fear in them. But not fear that he was making a mistake. He feared that she might refuse him.
Stephanie squeezed his hand in both of hers. She had loved him before and she loved him now. But Stephanie was coming to believe she had never really stopped loving him. And when she wasn't with him, she had to keep herself occupied to keep from being miserable.
She smiled down at Jericho. He smiled cautiously. She loved his smile. The way he only smiled when he truly meant it. She felt her heart filling with love for the man in front of her.
//Chances are I'll see you
Somewhere in my dreams tonight
You'll be smiling like the night we met.//
Stephanie's smile could compete with the sun. Her blue eyes glowed with happiness and love. Hunter had loved her smile. He watched the monitor backstage, Jackie leaning against him. It was hard for him to believe he was silently willing Stephanie to accept Jericho's proposal.
"They look so good together," Jackie commented.
"They were made for each other," Hunter said simply. There was no trace of regret or malice in his voice. Jackie knew that Hunter was happy now.
"It helps me believe in fairy tales," Jackie said.
"I hope they live happily ever after," Hunter commented, pulling Jackie close to him.
//Chances are I'll hold you
And I'll offer all I have
You're the only one I can't forget.
Baby you're the best I've ever met.//
Stephanie nodded her head. Jericho's jaw dropped in disbelief. Stephanie helped him to his feet. He gathered her in his arms and spun her around happily. "You mean it?"
"I've never meant anything more," Stephanie replied.
"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," Jericho whispered.
"I love you so much," Stephanie said. "The greatest gift I was ever given was a second chance."
"Your love has been the greatest gift I've ever received," Jericho said.
Stephanie and Jericho didn't hear the crowd cheering. They didn't hear JR commenting on the proposal. All they saw and heard were each other. And all was right in their world.
//And I'll be dreaming of the future
And hoping you'll be by my side.//
Hunter and Jackie were married in March of 2004. Hunter retired from the WWF two years later. He and Jackie opened up a bar. People flocked to the bar to hear the bartender recount his exploits as a WWF champion and to hear the head waitress tell her version of every story.
In 2006, they had a baby boy that they named Shawn Christopher Helmsley. Hunter and Jackie often helped Shawn Michaels train up-and-coming wrestlers. It was hard for the world to believe that HHH could be happy away from the ring. He shocked all the fans and himself by being more content than he had ever been.
//And in the morning I'll be longing
For the night
For the night.//
Jeff Hardy was best friends with Stephanie McMahon after they each got over the initial discomfort of remembering their affair. He realized that Stephanie was someone who really listened to him and cared about him. She supported him when he made the decision to stop risking his body by leaving the WWF in 2005 to become a gym teacher back in Cameron, North Carolina.
But Jeff Hardy was unable to stay away from the Federation that had been a part of his life since he had been seventeen. Vince hired him as a talent scout for the WWF. Jeff specialized in finding wrestlers who were willing to take unbelievable chances to entertain the fans.
//Chances are I'll see you
Somewhere in my dreams tonight//
Edge stayed in WCW until the end of his career. In his eight years in the WCW he had not only a distinguished tag career with Christian, but he was also able to catch the WCW championship three times before retiring.
He moved back to Canada and married his high school sweetheart. He adopted her two daughters from a previous marriage and settled into a happy family. He felt his experience in the wrestling business might help others battle their demons. He opened a clinic especially for professional wrestlers who were fighting addictions to any substance, including painkillers, illegal drugs, and alcohol. He was known throughout the business as a caring and intelligent man.
//You'll be smiling like the night we met.
Chances are I'll hold you
And I'll offer all I have //
Stephanie and Jericho were married in November of 2002. Stephanie juggled her interests in both the WWF and the WCW, while Jericho became one of the best singles wrestlers. Stephanie and Jericho were known for their devotion to each other and it surprised very few people when they decided to take a year off to be with each other in 2005.
The product of that year was a marriage that was stronger than ever and a baby girl named Serena Christine. Two years later they had a son name Jacob Vincent. Their family would go on to take wrestling to new heights.
Stephanie took over as the CEO of the WWF in 2017. Jericho was the commissioner of the WCW from 2012 to 2017. After that he worked as the commissioner of the WWF. Jacob worked with his Uncle Shane to become a savvy businessman that would one day assume leadership in the WWF. Serena became an innovative wrestler who modeled her career on those of Chyna, Lita, and her mother.
No one could deny that Jericho and Stephanie had a happy family. The feuds that plagued the McMahon family were never a part of the Irvine dynasty. But every now and then, the McMahon propensity for trouble making would rear its head and make life interesting.
//You're the only one I can't forget.
Baby you're the best I've ever met. //
Stephanie disengaged herself from Jericho's arms, feeling like she saw her future with him clearly. She liked what she saw.
"You're so gorgeous when you smile like that," Jericho said.
"Good," Stephanie said as they left the ring. "I plan on smiling like this a lot from now on."
Jericho looked at his bride-to-be, "Who could ask for anything more?"
THE END
*** I hope you liked it. PLEASE review. Thanks. ***