Mix n Match

Plan Three – Operation Just Do Anything and Everything

Chris and Lita watched the couple closely, hoping that they weren't being too obvious. Stephanie leaned in, giving Helms a lingering kiss before rushing out of the hotel.

'Okay, this is your chance,' Chris whispered, giving Lita a little push from behind. 'Go for it! I'll see you at the arena!'

The plan was to spend as much time with their hopefully-soon-to-be other halves. It wasn't much, but it was a plan nonetheless. Anything to get Stephanie and Helms to break up.

'Hey, Stephanie!' Chris called out loudly, running as fast as he could towards her as she got ready to get into her rental car.

She straightened up and looked at him with confusion on her face. 'Chris?'

He tried to catch his breath, pretending that he hadn't been running flat out. 'Are you on your way towards the arena?'

She smiled, still obviously confused. 'Um, yeah. You need a lift?'

'Thank you for saving me the trouble of having to ask!' he thought with a bright smile. Out loud he said, 'Would you mind?'

His Stephanie smiled at him. 'Not at all. Hop on in!'

'Thank you!'

*

His car ride over with Stephanie had been very informative. He asked as many not-too-probing questions as he thought he could get away with and filed them away for later. She laughed at his lame jokes. She laughed! However, once they reached the arena, she had quickly excused herself to attend a meeting with her brother.

Chris waited impatiently for Lita to arrive, anxious for news on how things worked out between her and Helms. The whole hospital debacle hadn't worked as well as they had hoped, with Stephanie and Helms having been pretty much stuck at the hips together the whole time. Still, the four of them managed to become even closer friends. That had to count for something, right?

Finally, Lita arrived. With a major scowl on her face.

'Uh oh. What happened?' he asked, looking concerned.

'Guess who tagged along for a ride over? Stupid Jeffery and stupider Matthew! I swear, those two are out to seriously mess up everything!'

But Chris remembered his ride to the arena, and he had to smile. 'Are you going to ask about how I went?'

'No.'

'Come on.'

'No. I think I can pretty much work it out by the stupid smile on your face.'

'Ask me.'

'No!'

'Ask!'

Lita sighed. 'Fine. How'd you go?'

'Fantastic!'

*

Damn! Too bad his 'fantastic!' luck didn't last for the next time they tried out the plan again. Stephanie had talked to her brother about having meetings so early, and now she and Helms were back to catching lifts to the arena and back again to their hotel together.

'We need to spend time with them,' Lita insisted. 'Otherwise, how are they going to fall under our charms?'

'Well, help me think of stuff. I'm willing to do almost anything and everything,' Chris sighed. The sad thing was, he meant it. Boy, he really wanted Stephanie!

'We need something that will have them completely apart from each other, but not be too obvious that I'm there to see Greg, and you to see Steph.' She paused, frowning at him. 'That made sense, right?'

'It did,' he assured her. He frowned, thinking. Something that would keep Stephanie and Helms apart, but not cause any suspicion when Lita rocks up to see Helms, and he to see Stephanie.

'I know! Training!' Lita cried out triumphantly, her face lighting up. 'Find out when and where Greg does his training, and I'll just conveniently be feeling like some exercise as well.'

'But what about me and Steph?' Chris pouted.

'You think of something!'

'Um…does she like shopping?'

'What rich girl doesn't?'

'Okay, well, how about when she goes shopping I could, you know, bump into her at the mall or something. Would she mind?'

Lita shrugged. 'Probably not. I mean, we're all pretty good friends now, right?'

And therein lay their problems…

*

'Chris?'

Chris turned to face the voice, plastering a look of surprise on his face. 'Steph! Hi!'

She smiled brightly at him. 'Hey! This was the last place I'd expected to see you?'

He looked sheepishly at her. 'Um, yeah. My Mom's birthday is coming up and I actually want to put some thought into her present this year.'

'That's very sweet of you, Chris,' she said.

He loved how easily she said his name. 'Well, considering how she always mentions the fifteen and a half hours of labour she went through to have me, I thought it was the least I could do.'

She laughed. Stephanie laughed! 'Got any ideas of anything that says 'Thanks for putting up fifteen and a half hours of pain to bring me into this world' yet?'

Chris grinned back. 'Actually, the best I've found covers only about three hours.'

Stephanie raised one perfect eyebrow. 'Need help?'

He put his most pathetic face on. 'Please?'

'Hey, Chris!' a chirpy voice greeted happily from his left side. 'What are you doing here?'

'Oh no…' Chris forced down a groan as he turned to face the newcomer. 'Hey, Molly.'

*

'I hate Jeffery! I hate Matthew!'

Chris rolled his eyes. 'The terrible two strike again?'

'Greg is showing me how to do a proper sleeper hold-'

'But you already know how to do it.'

Lita glared at him. 'It doesn't matter anyway. Jeffery and Matthew showed up only seconds later, and proceeded to act like total jerks!'

He dropped his head onto his chest, sighing. 'We really need to get serious.' He glanced at the package beside him, looking up at her again. 'Oh, by the way, you wouldn't happen to be in need of a present that says 'Thanks for going through fifteen and a half hours of pain to bring me into this world', would you?'

If possible, her glare became even more…glarey. 'What's our next plan?'