Stephanie was definitely not acting like herself. She kept attempting to trick her brother and her federation into thinking she was fine, but the fake smiles were harder and harder to make each moment.
Nothing seemed to make her happy, even when she tried to enjoy it.
"I have to get over this." she told herself crossly, almost beratingly. "It has been three days. I must have thought of every way I could get back with him, but none of them would ever work."
But how could she let him go when he was all she saw? Every time she closed her eyes, he was there. She would of course really see him too, because they were in the same business and all, and she all ready knew that would prove even more hellish. It was like being a kid in front of a candy store window. Look but don't touch..
Her eyes fluttered open. Did someone knock on her door or was she hearing things? She wouldn't doubt that she was losing her sanity. She sat up, and then heard it again. Good, so she did hear it. She walked to the door, half expecting her brother would be standing there, the same worried look on his face.
She swung open the door, ready to do the same fake smile, say the same fake assuring words. It wasn't Shane, that's for sure. She peered curiously at the old woman that was standing at her doorway.
"Can I help you?" she questioned. The old woman smiled at her.
"He didn't lie." she finally spoke. Stephanie blinked, confused, but for some reason had a odd feeling she knew who this woman was.
"Who didn't lie?" she questioned, growing even more curious.
"A remarkable young man," she replied, chuckling slightly. "He called me, said that the little girl I looked after had grown up to a fine young lady."
"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes flickering with sudden recognition.
"Don't tell me you forgot me." she replied. "I mean, I did take care of you for god knows how long.."
"Nanna?" she asked, feeling her eyes start to water. The old woman smiled.
"It's been a long time since anyone called me that." she chuckled.
Stephanie pulled the old woman into a hug, not knowing anything else to do. "Oh my god, I can't believe it!" her voice showed her obvious shock. "Come in, come in!"
Che closed the door behind them and led her to a table in the room. They both sat down, and Stephanie just sort of stared at her, still amazed. Eda laughed, probably noticing the look.
"You could catch flies with your mouth hanging like that." she winked at her.
"How did you get here?" she questioned.
"Child, I explained that all ready." she grinned. "A nice man called me up on the telephone, told me that you would just love to see me. Then he said something about finding me would be a last present from him. Anyway, he brought my ticket for a plane, got me a hotel room, and picked me up."
"Do you know his name?" she asked, suddenly realling having a hard time holding her tears back.
"Why yes, actually." she nodded. "He said it was Chris Jericho. I tell ya, darling, he was just as handsome as I thought he would be! A complete gentleman. Why, if I could, I would have went after him myself."
"I would if I could too." Stephanie mumbled, feeling depressed again. She felt a comforting hand on hers.
"Well, don't just sit there, tell me all about you and this man." she smiled at her.
"Oh, you don't want to hear my sob story." Stephanie quickly tried to dismiss it. "I mean, we haven't seen each other in years."
"Child, this is the only thing we ever talked about." the old woman laughed. "I would feel weird if we didn't."
"You sure?" she asked meekly.
"I'm listening." she nodded.
With the sudden outlet, to talk about what happened, she quickly started. She couldn't believe the stuff coming out of her mouth, but she just let herself let it all out. She finally had someone to talk too, she wasn't going to miss the chance. All through it, her old friend sat and listened intently.
"You really love him." she simply said after looking at her for a moment. "I remember when I had the look you had..was with my husband, bless his heart.."
"Yeah, I guess I do." Stephanie replied after a pause. A smile appeared on her friend's face as she looked down, again depressed.
"Well, I was taught that fate only give you one chance. Considering what I've seen with him, I'm guessing that guy is who you were meant to be with." she shrugged softly. "But what do I know? I'm just an old woman." She winked at her and Stephanie let out a smile.
"But there's nothing I can do." she sighed.
"Actually, I can think of something YOU didn't." Eda nodded.
"You can?" she asked, shocked.
"Yes, you missed the hardest choice, but probably the only one that would work," she explained. "You have to go to your father. If you team up with the WWF, it'll be all clear."
"Yeah right!" she said quickly. "Sorry, Nanna, but I don't think my dad would say 'Sure, ECW and WWF can team up because you just suddenly felt like changing teams.'. Nevermind the people in my federation.."
"He might believe you if you told him the entire truth." Eda offered, shrugging.
"Considering Chris's past with me, I doubt he'll believe of all the people in the world *he* was the one who changed my mind." she frowned.
"Have you tried?"
"Well, no.."
"Maybe you should. You never know.."
***
"How many of those have you had?" Chris groaned, putting his head on the bar. He winced at the voice questioning him.
"Only four." he lied.
"Well, maybe you had enough." He felt Matt pat his back. He shrugged in reply.
"Whatever." he mumbled.
"You're starting to worry me, man." Chris lifted hs head to see Matt slip into the stool next to him.
"I'm all right." he replied. Matt gave him a skeptical look. He didn't try to push him to explain his terribly depressed attitude, that's for sure. Chris was glad of that.
He hated how cruel life was. He had to send an old lady just to do something nice for her. He wondered if she was happy to see Eda again. He hoped so.
She had made him think more about Stephanie, though. She asked him questions about her, which he gladly answered. As he talked about her, though, he realized something. Everything he said made him smile. He knew Eda figured out how much she meant to him. She had too.
She didn't comment, just let him describe hot he saw fit. He told her how amazing she was. He told her how it was strange that his feelings were like that, considering the past which he also explained. When he was done, she said only one thing.
"You probably felt the way you do now all along. You just didn't want to see it."
He winced as the words echoed in his mind. She was probably absolutely right. Actually, he probably secretly noticed it the night of King of the Ring. He hadn't meant to kiss her, but he suddenly found himself doing it. He covered that up pretty quickly. What a lie he said! He'd never do what he did again, that's what he promised. A year later..
He shook his head, ordering another drink. Matt too it before he had a chance to drink it. He reminded himself to hate his friends when he sobered up.
Nothing seemed to make her happy, even when she tried to enjoy it.
"I have to get over this." she told herself crossly, almost beratingly. "It has been three days. I must have thought of every way I could get back with him, but none of them would ever work."
But how could she let him go when he was all she saw? Every time she closed her eyes, he was there. She would of course really see him too, because they were in the same business and all, and she all ready knew that would prove even more hellish. It was like being a kid in front of a candy store window. Look but don't touch..
Her eyes fluttered open. Did someone knock on her door or was she hearing things? She wouldn't doubt that she was losing her sanity. She sat up, and then heard it again. Good, so she did hear it. She walked to the door, half expecting her brother would be standing there, the same worried look on his face.
She swung open the door, ready to do the same fake smile, say the same fake assuring words. It wasn't Shane, that's for sure. She peered curiously at the old woman that was standing at her doorway.
"Can I help you?" she questioned. The old woman smiled at her.
"He didn't lie." she finally spoke. Stephanie blinked, confused, but for some reason had a odd feeling she knew who this woman was.
"Who didn't lie?" she questioned, growing even more curious.
"A remarkable young man," she replied, chuckling slightly. "He called me, said that the little girl I looked after had grown up to a fine young lady."
"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes flickering with sudden recognition.
"Don't tell me you forgot me." she replied. "I mean, I did take care of you for god knows how long.."
"Nanna?" she asked, feeling her eyes start to water. The old woman smiled.
"It's been a long time since anyone called me that." she chuckled.
Stephanie pulled the old woman into a hug, not knowing anything else to do. "Oh my god, I can't believe it!" her voice showed her obvious shock. "Come in, come in!"
Che closed the door behind them and led her to a table in the room. They both sat down, and Stephanie just sort of stared at her, still amazed. Eda laughed, probably noticing the look.
"You could catch flies with your mouth hanging like that." she winked at her.
"How did you get here?" she questioned.
"Child, I explained that all ready." she grinned. "A nice man called me up on the telephone, told me that you would just love to see me. Then he said something about finding me would be a last present from him. Anyway, he brought my ticket for a plane, got me a hotel room, and picked me up."
"Do you know his name?" she asked, suddenly realling having a hard time holding her tears back.
"Why yes, actually." she nodded. "He said it was Chris Jericho. I tell ya, darling, he was just as handsome as I thought he would be! A complete gentleman. Why, if I could, I would have went after him myself."
"I would if I could too." Stephanie mumbled, feeling depressed again. She felt a comforting hand on hers.
"Well, don't just sit there, tell me all about you and this man." she smiled at her.
"Oh, you don't want to hear my sob story." Stephanie quickly tried to dismiss it. "I mean, we haven't seen each other in years."
"Child, this is the only thing we ever talked about." the old woman laughed. "I would feel weird if we didn't."
"You sure?" she asked meekly.
"I'm listening." she nodded.
With the sudden outlet, to talk about what happened, she quickly started. She couldn't believe the stuff coming out of her mouth, but she just let herself let it all out. She finally had someone to talk too, she wasn't going to miss the chance. All through it, her old friend sat and listened intently.
"You really love him." she simply said after looking at her for a moment. "I remember when I had the look you had..was with my husband, bless his heart.."
"Yeah, I guess I do." Stephanie replied after a pause. A smile appeared on her friend's face as she looked down, again depressed.
"Well, I was taught that fate only give you one chance. Considering what I've seen with him, I'm guessing that guy is who you were meant to be with." she shrugged softly. "But what do I know? I'm just an old woman." She winked at her and Stephanie let out a smile.
"But there's nothing I can do." she sighed.
"Actually, I can think of something YOU didn't." Eda nodded.
"You can?" she asked, shocked.
"Yes, you missed the hardest choice, but probably the only one that would work," she explained. "You have to go to your father. If you team up with the WWF, it'll be all clear."
"Yeah right!" she said quickly. "Sorry, Nanna, but I don't think my dad would say 'Sure, ECW and WWF can team up because you just suddenly felt like changing teams.'. Nevermind the people in my federation.."
"He might believe you if you told him the entire truth." Eda offered, shrugging.
"Considering Chris's past with me, I doubt he'll believe of all the people in the world *he* was the one who changed my mind." she frowned.
"Have you tried?"
"Well, no.."
"Maybe you should. You never know.."
***
"How many of those have you had?" Chris groaned, putting his head on the bar. He winced at the voice questioning him.
"Only four." he lied.
"Well, maybe you had enough." He felt Matt pat his back. He shrugged in reply.
"Whatever." he mumbled.
"You're starting to worry me, man." Chris lifted hs head to see Matt slip into the stool next to him.
"I'm all right." he replied. Matt gave him a skeptical look. He didn't try to push him to explain his terribly depressed attitude, that's for sure. Chris was glad of that.
He hated how cruel life was. He had to send an old lady just to do something nice for her. He wondered if she was happy to see Eda again. He hoped so.
She had made him think more about Stephanie, though. She asked him questions about her, which he gladly answered. As he talked about her, though, he realized something. Everything he said made him smile. He knew Eda figured out how much she meant to him. She had too.
She didn't comment, just let him describe hot he saw fit. He told her how amazing she was. He told her how it was strange that his feelings were like that, considering the past which he also explained. When he was done, she said only one thing.
"You probably felt the way you do now all along. You just didn't want to see it."
He winced as the words echoed in his mind. She was probably absolutely right. Actually, he probably secretly noticed it the night of King of the Ring. He hadn't meant to kiss her, but he suddenly found himself doing it. He covered that up pretty quickly. What a lie he said! He'd never do what he did again, that's what he promised. A year later..
He shook his head, ordering another drink. Matt too it before he had a chance to drink it. He reminded himself to hate his friends when he sobered up.