Disclaimer and all that other stuff is in Part One, but I guess I should say that I don't own the song I use in this chapter...it's "While You Loved Me" (You didn't think I was clever enough to think up on the title on my own, did you?) by Rascal Flatts.
//If I ever write
The story of my life //
It was hard to believe it was already over. Stephanie had thought she would be able to convince Jericho that her feelings were true. After Thanksgiving weekend was over and he still hadn't answered any of her messages or anything, she realized she couldn't expect Jericho to accept something as supernatural as her out of body experience. Forget the fact that they were soul mates.
Normally Stephanie wouldn't just let the situation be. She wouldn't sit back and watch something she desperately wanted walk away from her. Part of her thought that Jericho was just playing some joke on her. Another part of her remembered the old adage, of letting something you love go and seeing if it comes back to you.
Deep inside of herself, Stephanie knew that she would drive Jericho farther away if she pursued him and tried to get him back. He wouldn't respect that and she would be miserable in the end. She had to trust that she would be shown the answer...hadn't the powers that be already shown her who her soul mate was?
//Don't be surprised
If you're where it begins //
"What's up with you and Jericho?" Jeff asked as he and Stephanie worked out in the WWF facilities.
"What do you mean?" Stephanie asked.
"You're both mopey and you avoid each other like the plague," Jeff said. "You guys are two of my closest friends and I'd like to see you happy."
"That's really sweet Jeff," Stephanie said. "I really screwed up with him. And I'm afraid that if I tell you how I will lose our friendship too."
"You couldn't have done something that bad," Jeff said.
"I didn't do something bad," Stephanie said. "But how Chris interpreted it, it is bad. You might look at it the same way."
"How about we go to lunch and you can let me decide?" Jeff asked.
"You sure?" Stephanie asked.
"Of course," Jeff said.
//Girl I'd have to dedicate
Every line on every page
To the memories we made
While you loved me. //
"He's so stupid!" Jeff said. "So your story is a little unbelievable? Anyone with one good eye could tell that your head over ass in love with that ass clown."
Stephanie giggled. "Thank you for listening to me. How can you be so understanding?"
"You mean about you becoming my friend to get close to Jericho?" Jeff asked. "Because I'm not some idiot who thinks that motives are all that counts. I know I can trust you. I know you are a good person. I know you would
never intentionally hurt anyone. Well, outside of business of course."
"Of course," Stephanie agreed.
"Doesn't he realize you're the best thing that's ever happened to him?" Jeff asked.
"It doesn't seem so," Stephanie said.
"I should knock some sense into him," Jeff said.
//I was born the day you kissed me
And I died inside the night you left me //
"No!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"Why not?" Jeff asked.
"Because then he would convince himself that I'm just using you to get to him," Stephanie said. "I don't want you to ruin your relationship with him to try and save me and Chris."
"Can you and Jericho be saved?" Jeff asked.
"Only Jericho can know the answer to that question," Stephanie said.
//But I lived
Oh, how I lived
While you loved me. //
Stephanie hit her pillow again. One thing that had suffered enormously since Jericho left her was the hours of sleep she got every night. She was averaging about three. And she usually dreamed about him.
"Damn you Chris Jericho," Stephanie whispered, silent tears flowing down her cheeks. How had he gotten to be such a big part of her life in under two months. She felt empty inside now. Even losing James hadn't affected her so much.
She missed his smile, his laugh, and his embrace. She missed the way he would tug on her hair lightly when he was getting ready to tease her. She missed the sound of his voice just before she went to sleep. She missed his warped view of the world. She missed her heart.
// I'd start with chapter one,
Love, innocent and young.
As the morning sun
On a new day. //
"This is my daughter, Stephanie McMahon," Vince said, as he introduced Stephanie to a new wrestler. "You can't have Alan, Steph."
Stephanie blushed. "He didn't mean like that," she said when she noticed the boy with long blonde hair blushed also.
"He meant I can't get you to defect to the Alliance."
"Look who's corrupting the youth of the WWF," Jericho said snidely, coming onto the small group.
Stephanie looked at Jericho for a second. Had they really gone back to the name-calling? But she hadn't heard any teasing in Jericho's voice. She heard pain and a vindictive edge.
"It was nice to meet you Alan," Stephanie said. "I'll see you after the show Daddy."
// Even though I know the end,
Well, I'd do it all again
`Cause I got a lifetime in
While you loved me //
"What am I going to do Jeff?" Stephanie asked. "Pretend like the last three months never happened? Pretend that I'm not in love with the stupid idiot?"
"I'm glad to see you're finally angry," Jeff said. "That's probably a step in the right direction."
"What?" Stephanie asked.
"It means you will either start getting over Jericho," Jeff said. "Or it means you'll start trying to get him back."
"No," Stephanie said. "He's made it perfectly clear that it's over. I just want to stay away from him before he breaks my heart more than he already has."
"Why don't you break his?" Jeff asked.
"What?" Stephanie asked.
//I was born the day you kissed me
And I died inside the night you left me
But I lived
Oh, how I lived While you loved me. //
Stephanie walked down the hall smiling, like Jeff had told her to. Her head was held high and she had a kind word for everyone. Including Chris Jericho.
"Hello Jericho," Stephanie said as he walked by her.
"Shove off ho-bag," Jericho said.
"That was a good match," Stephanie continued, ignoring his words. "Congratulations on your win."
Stephanie started walking down the hall, acting like Jericho was a mere acquaintance. It had been easier than she had thought it would be. Hopefully Jeff was right. Maybe acting like she didn't care about Jericho would bring Jericho around. Maybe he was harassing her because he wanted her attention. When his jeers and lewd comments didn't get the attention he wanted, maybe he'd realize she was indeed the best thing that had ever happened to him.
//I was born the day you kissed me
And I died inside the night you left me
But I lived
Oh, how I lived I lived... //
"That was great," Jeff said.
"You saw?" Stephanie asked.
"Of course," Jeff said. "I'm watching out for you kid."
"You're a great friend Jeff," Stephanie said. "In case I don't tell you enough."
"The feeling is mutual," Jeff said. "If it wasn't for you, Trish and I would still be pretending we were just friends and we wouldn't be going out."
"Don't you know you always have to try for love's sake?" Stephanie asked.
"I guess that's what you've shown me," Jeff said.
//I was born the day you kissed me
And I died inside the night you left me //
Stephanie tossed and turned again that night, but she was able to eventually get some more sleep than she had been getting. And she dreamed about Christmas with her family. And she wasn't confused and upset in her dream. She was happy and content in her life.
Stephanie woke up feeling like a new person. Just because Chris Jericho wasn't willing to accept the fact that his perfect match was Stephanie McMahon, it didn't mean her life needed to end. Her life with Jericho seemed to be at an impasse at best...an end at worst. But she could start a new life.
// But I lived
Oh, how I lived
While you loved me. //
//If I ever write
The story of my life //
It was hard to believe it was already over. Stephanie had thought she would be able to convince Jericho that her feelings were true. After Thanksgiving weekend was over and he still hadn't answered any of her messages or anything, she realized she couldn't expect Jericho to accept something as supernatural as her out of body experience. Forget the fact that they were soul mates.
Normally Stephanie wouldn't just let the situation be. She wouldn't sit back and watch something she desperately wanted walk away from her. Part of her thought that Jericho was just playing some joke on her. Another part of her remembered the old adage, of letting something you love go and seeing if it comes back to you.
Deep inside of herself, Stephanie knew that she would drive Jericho farther away if she pursued him and tried to get him back. He wouldn't respect that and she would be miserable in the end. She had to trust that she would be shown the answer...hadn't the powers that be already shown her who her soul mate was?
//Don't be surprised
If you're where it begins //
"What's up with you and Jericho?" Jeff asked as he and Stephanie worked out in the WWF facilities.
"What do you mean?" Stephanie asked.
"You're both mopey and you avoid each other like the plague," Jeff said. "You guys are two of my closest friends and I'd like to see you happy."
"That's really sweet Jeff," Stephanie said. "I really screwed up with him. And I'm afraid that if I tell you how I will lose our friendship too."
"You couldn't have done something that bad," Jeff said.
"I didn't do something bad," Stephanie said. "But how Chris interpreted it, it is bad. You might look at it the same way."
"How about we go to lunch and you can let me decide?" Jeff asked.
"You sure?" Stephanie asked.
"Of course," Jeff said.
//Girl I'd have to dedicate
Every line on every page
To the memories we made
While you loved me. //
"He's so stupid!" Jeff said. "So your story is a little unbelievable? Anyone with one good eye could tell that your head over ass in love with that ass clown."
Stephanie giggled. "Thank you for listening to me. How can you be so understanding?"
"You mean about you becoming my friend to get close to Jericho?" Jeff asked. "Because I'm not some idiot who thinks that motives are all that counts. I know I can trust you. I know you are a good person. I know you would
never intentionally hurt anyone. Well, outside of business of course."
"Of course," Stephanie agreed.
"Doesn't he realize you're the best thing that's ever happened to him?" Jeff asked.
"It doesn't seem so," Stephanie said.
"I should knock some sense into him," Jeff said.
//I was born the day you kissed me
And I died inside the night you left me //
"No!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"Why not?" Jeff asked.
"Because then he would convince himself that I'm just using you to get to him," Stephanie said. "I don't want you to ruin your relationship with him to try and save me and Chris."
"Can you and Jericho be saved?" Jeff asked.
"Only Jericho can know the answer to that question," Stephanie said.
//But I lived
Oh, how I lived
While you loved me. //
Stephanie hit her pillow again. One thing that had suffered enormously since Jericho left her was the hours of sleep she got every night. She was averaging about three. And she usually dreamed about him.
"Damn you Chris Jericho," Stephanie whispered, silent tears flowing down her cheeks. How had he gotten to be such a big part of her life in under two months. She felt empty inside now. Even losing James hadn't affected her so much.
She missed his smile, his laugh, and his embrace. She missed the way he would tug on her hair lightly when he was getting ready to tease her. She missed the sound of his voice just before she went to sleep. She missed his warped view of the world. She missed her heart.
// I'd start with chapter one,
Love, innocent and young.
As the morning sun
On a new day. //
"This is my daughter, Stephanie McMahon," Vince said, as he introduced Stephanie to a new wrestler. "You can't have Alan, Steph."
Stephanie blushed. "He didn't mean like that," she said when she noticed the boy with long blonde hair blushed also.
"He meant I can't get you to defect to the Alliance."
"Look who's corrupting the youth of the WWF," Jericho said snidely, coming onto the small group.
Stephanie looked at Jericho for a second. Had they really gone back to the name-calling? But she hadn't heard any teasing in Jericho's voice. She heard pain and a vindictive edge.
"It was nice to meet you Alan," Stephanie said. "I'll see you after the show Daddy."
// Even though I know the end,
Well, I'd do it all again
`Cause I got a lifetime in
While you loved me //
"What am I going to do Jeff?" Stephanie asked. "Pretend like the last three months never happened? Pretend that I'm not in love with the stupid idiot?"
"I'm glad to see you're finally angry," Jeff said. "That's probably a step in the right direction."
"What?" Stephanie asked.
"It means you will either start getting over Jericho," Jeff said. "Or it means you'll start trying to get him back."
"No," Stephanie said. "He's made it perfectly clear that it's over. I just want to stay away from him before he breaks my heart more than he already has."
"Why don't you break his?" Jeff asked.
"What?" Stephanie asked.
//I was born the day you kissed me
And I died inside the night you left me
But I lived
Oh, how I lived While you loved me. //
Stephanie walked down the hall smiling, like Jeff had told her to. Her head was held high and she had a kind word for everyone. Including Chris Jericho.
"Hello Jericho," Stephanie said as he walked by her.
"Shove off ho-bag," Jericho said.
"That was a good match," Stephanie continued, ignoring his words. "Congratulations on your win."
Stephanie started walking down the hall, acting like Jericho was a mere acquaintance. It had been easier than she had thought it would be. Hopefully Jeff was right. Maybe acting like she didn't care about Jericho would bring Jericho around. Maybe he was harassing her because he wanted her attention. When his jeers and lewd comments didn't get the attention he wanted, maybe he'd realize she was indeed the best thing that had ever happened to him.
//I was born the day you kissed me
And I died inside the night you left me
But I lived
Oh, how I lived I lived... //
"That was great," Jeff said.
"You saw?" Stephanie asked.
"Of course," Jeff said. "I'm watching out for you kid."
"You're a great friend Jeff," Stephanie said. "In case I don't tell you enough."
"The feeling is mutual," Jeff said. "If it wasn't for you, Trish and I would still be pretending we were just friends and we wouldn't be going out."
"Don't you know you always have to try for love's sake?" Stephanie asked.
"I guess that's what you've shown me," Jeff said.
//I was born the day you kissed me
And I died inside the night you left me //
Stephanie tossed and turned again that night, but she was able to eventually get some more sleep than she had been getting. And she dreamed about Christmas with her family. And she wasn't confused and upset in her dream. She was happy and content in her life.
Stephanie woke up feeling like a new person. Just because Chris Jericho wasn't willing to accept the fact that his perfect match was Stephanie McMahon, it didn't mean her life needed to end. Her life with Jericho seemed to be at an impasse at best...an end at worst. But she could start a new life.
// But I lived
Oh, how I lived
While you loved me. //
