Chris drove up to the beach, and parked the car. Vince had been kind
enough to give him the day off, the rest of the crew flying to Germany that
day. He was getting his own flight tomorrow. Vince had understood his
need to come here, to see this place.
He got out of the car, and then helped Regan out of her car seat. They walked to the beach slowly. The damp morning fog still lingering, despite the fact it was almost 2 o'clock. The day itself was gray, matching the current mood he was in.
He took Regan into his arms and walked down to the water's edge. The water gently lapped up to his feet, not quite reaching him, then receding back into the murky unknown. The beach was mostly deserted, which Chris didn't mind all that much, he'd rather be alone. He did notice some people way down at the other end, but didn't bother to see what they were doing.
He stood there in relative silence as he looked out over the water. It stretched as far as he could see. He knew somewhere in there, in it's watery depths was Stephanie. This was her permanent home. Her final resting place. The grave at home, in the cemetery wasn't really where she was, it was just symbolic of the fact that she was gone. This was where she really was.
He noticed the gentle calm on the water. It didn't seem like something that could snatch his wife away from him so suddenly. It didn't seem like the killer that it had been on that day two years ago.
He thought of Stephanie, and what she must have been thinking as the plane made its final plunge. She was probably thinking about him and Regan. He hoped that they had been happy thoughts, hoped that she hadn't been in pain as the water had come and taken her from him.
"Daddy?" Regan questioned, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Yes Princess?"
"Why here?" Chris knew that she was asking why there were here.
"You see all that water out there?" he said pointing with his free hand.
"Yeah."
"That's where Mama is," he told her.
"Can go to her?"
"No, we can't go to her," he explained sadly.
"No?"
"Because Mama went up to heaven after she was here." Regan nodded her head, and looked out again.
"Me miss Mama," Regan told him. Chris knew that she was probably too young to even remember Stephanie, but the little girl still knew her from all the things that Chris would show her about her mother.
"I know, I miss her too," Chris said, kissing her forehead. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he sighed.
It was hard being here, harder than he had expected it to be. To actually be at the place where she had passed away brought him an overwhelming pain. All the feelings he had felt on the day when she had died came rushing back to him.
He remembered slowly picking himself off the kitchen floor when Regan had woken up from her nap and started crying. He remembered holding her so tightly, afraid that God would take her too. If He didn't mind taking Stephanie from him, who knew what else could happen?
The few days after that day were probably the worst of his life. People constantly calling and sending their condolences, it was pure torture. Having to make arrangements for his wife's funeral, having to look at coffins, buy a plot, it was heart wrenching. He never wanted to have to feel that again.
He noticed Regan dozing off on his shoulder, and he just let her sleep. Maybe it was the ocean air lulling her to sleep, or maybe, just maybe she was able to feel Stephanie, and she was lulling her to sleep.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Chris heard a voice behind him, but didn't bother to turn around. He just wanted to be alone with Regan, so they could think about Stephanie.
"Yeah," he said.
"I like to come out here sometimes and just look at the water."
"This is the first time I've ever been here," he said, still not turning around. He could tell the woman was behind him a little ways away.
"I live inland a bit, but I like to come out here every so often."
"It's very nice."
"I find it so peaceful out here."
"It is pretty calm."
"Yeah, you should see it in the winter though, it's so angry."
"I know the feeling."
"Of what, being angry, or knowing what it looks like when the ocean's angry?"
"Both I suppose." Chris was trying to appear disinterested so the woman would go away. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now. But maybe talking to someone would help.
"My wife died out there," he told her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
"She was in a plane crash a couple years ago, and she didn't survive. They crashed in this sea."
"Is that why you're here?" she questioned.
"Yeah, it's the first time I've been able to bear coming here. It was so hard you know?"
"I'm sure it would be."
"I finally gathered up the courage to come here, to see the last thing she ever saw."
"I've been coming here as long as I can remember."
"Yeah?" Chris still didn't turn around, instead keeping his gaze focused on the water.
"Of course I can't remember that long."
"If I can be blunt, why?"
"I have no memory from before a few years ago."
"How did that happen?"
"I was attacked. That's the last thing I can remember. I was walking down the street, and I was jumped from behind by two people, I remember they were a male and a female. They took all my belongings, and beat me senseless."
"That's horrible," Chris said disgusted that people would attack someone else.
"Yeah, they beat me so bad I was in a coma for a couple of days. I came out of it fine physically, but I've lost my memory. The doctors say that someday it might come back, but so far nothing."
"That must be scary."
"It was at first, not knowing who I was or where I belonged. No one filed a missing person's report in the States that fit my description, where I presume I'm from, seeing as I have no British accent. So they assumed I didn't have any family. The hospital gave me a job, so now I work in hospital administration."
"At least you're story has a somewhat happy ending."
"Yeah, I mean I'm doing fine now, I still wish I could get my memory back though. It scares me to think that I have a family out there somewhere who don't know what happened to me, who worry about me, and I can't even tell them I'm ok."
"Is that why you come out here, to think?"
"Yeah, some of the time."
"And the rest of the time?"
"I don't know, I just feel drawn here. Like today, for instance, I felt this need to come here, like I was going to find something. Like a link to my past, something was just pulling me towards here, and I knew I had to come."
"I can understand that."
"Maybe you're the reason, who knows, I just knew that today I HAD to come."
"I'm Chris Jericho," he said looking forward still. He could feel her walking over towards him and stand next to him. He didn't bother looking over at her, her presence was enough for him.
"I'm Emma Branson, or at least that's the name I've adopted, I don't know my real one."
"That must suck, to not even know your own name," he said, shaking his head.
"You learn to live with it," she shrugged, then looked over at the little girl sleeping in Chris's arms, "Is that your daughter?"
"Yeah, she's my world."
"She's beautiful, what's her name?"
"Regan."
"From Shakespeare?"
"Yeah," he said surprised, "Most people don't make that connection."
"I don't know. It was just the first thing to pop into my mind. How old is she?"
"She's two, she'll be three in a month."
"Aww, she really is adorable. How old was she when you're wife died?"
"She was six months."
"Wow, so you raise her by yourself?"
"Yes."
"It must be hard."
"She's worth it," he said, gently stroking Regan's hair as the little girl slept quietly in his arms.
"I can see that," she studied him for a moment, "I must be really annoying you. I mean you've probably come here to reflect, and here I've spoiled it."
"No, it's ok."
"No, I'll go, I'm sorry," she told him.
"No, stay, I'd like you to," he said, finally turning to the woman.
His eyes widened in shock, and his jaw dropped. She was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his entire life. She was breathtaking, and he felt something he hadn't felt in two years, he felt true happiness seeping into his veins. She was really here.
"Oh my God," he whispered in disbelief.
"What?" she asked looking at him awkwardly.
"Stephanie!"
A/N: Bwahahahahaha! Now you must wait for the next chapter. And I hope you're all ok with who turned out to be the mystery woman. ;)
Oh yeah, and Stephanie's not dead, SWERVE~! (well for everyone except Karla, because she knew already lol)
Did you really think I would have him get with some random chick or Trish even, no way!
He got out of the car, and then helped Regan out of her car seat. They walked to the beach slowly. The damp morning fog still lingering, despite the fact it was almost 2 o'clock. The day itself was gray, matching the current mood he was in.
He took Regan into his arms and walked down to the water's edge. The water gently lapped up to his feet, not quite reaching him, then receding back into the murky unknown. The beach was mostly deserted, which Chris didn't mind all that much, he'd rather be alone. He did notice some people way down at the other end, but didn't bother to see what they were doing.
He stood there in relative silence as he looked out over the water. It stretched as far as he could see. He knew somewhere in there, in it's watery depths was Stephanie. This was her permanent home. Her final resting place. The grave at home, in the cemetery wasn't really where she was, it was just symbolic of the fact that she was gone. This was where she really was.
He noticed the gentle calm on the water. It didn't seem like something that could snatch his wife away from him so suddenly. It didn't seem like the killer that it had been on that day two years ago.
He thought of Stephanie, and what she must have been thinking as the plane made its final plunge. She was probably thinking about him and Regan. He hoped that they had been happy thoughts, hoped that she hadn't been in pain as the water had come and taken her from him.
"Daddy?" Regan questioned, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Yes Princess?"
"Why here?" Chris knew that she was asking why there were here.
"You see all that water out there?" he said pointing with his free hand.
"Yeah."
"That's where Mama is," he told her.
"Can go to her?"
"No, we can't go to her," he explained sadly.
"No?"
"Because Mama went up to heaven after she was here." Regan nodded her head, and looked out again.
"Me miss Mama," Regan told him. Chris knew that she was probably too young to even remember Stephanie, but the little girl still knew her from all the things that Chris would show her about her mother.
"I know, I miss her too," Chris said, kissing her forehead. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he sighed.
It was hard being here, harder than he had expected it to be. To actually be at the place where she had passed away brought him an overwhelming pain. All the feelings he had felt on the day when she had died came rushing back to him.
He remembered slowly picking himself off the kitchen floor when Regan had woken up from her nap and started crying. He remembered holding her so tightly, afraid that God would take her too. If He didn't mind taking Stephanie from him, who knew what else could happen?
The few days after that day were probably the worst of his life. People constantly calling and sending their condolences, it was pure torture. Having to make arrangements for his wife's funeral, having to look at coffins, buy a plot, it was heart wrenching. He never wanted to have to feel that again.
He noticed Regan dozing off on his shoulder, and he just let her sleep. Maybe it was the ocean air lulling her to sleep, or maybe, just maybe she was able to feel Stephanie, and she was lulling her to sleep.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Chris heard a voice behind him, but didn't bother to turn around. He just wanted to be alone with Regan, so they could think about Stephanie.
"Yeah," he said.
"I like to come out here sometimes and just look at the water."
"This is the first time I've ever been here," he said, still not turning around. He could tell the woman was behind him a little ways away.
"I live inland a bit, but I like to come out here every so often."
"It's very nice."
"I find it so peaceful out here."
"It is pretty calm."
"Yeah, you should see it in the winter though, it's so angry."
"I know the feeling."
"Of what, being angry, or knowing what it looks like when the ocean's angry?"
"Both I suppose." Chris was trying to appear disinterested so the woman would go away. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now. But maybe talking to someone would help.
"My wife died out there," he told her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
"She was in a plane crash a couple years ago, and she didn't survive. They crashed in this sea."
"Is that why you're here?" she questioned.
"Yeah, it's the first time I've been able to bear coming here. It was so hard you know?"
"I'm sure it would be."
"I finally gathered up the courage to come here, to see the last thing she ever saw."
"I've been coming here as long as I can remember."
"Yeah?" Chris still didn't turn around, instead keeping his gaze focused on the water.
"Of course I can't remember that long."
"If I can be blunt, why?"
"I have no memory from before a few years ago."
"How did that happen?"
"I was attacked. That's the last thing I can remember. I was walking down the street, and I was jumped from behind by two people, I remember they were a male and a female. They took all my belongings, and beat me senseless."
"That's horrible," Chris said disgusted that people would attack someone else.
"Yeah, they beat me so bad I was in a coma for a couple of days. I came out of it fine physically, but I've lost my memory. The doctors say that someday it might come back, but so far nothing."
"That must be scary."
"It was at first, not knowing who I was or where I belonged. No one filed a missing person's report in the States that fit my description, where I presume I'm from, seeing as I have no British accent. So they assumed I didn't have any family. The hospital gave me a job, so now I work in hospital administration."
"At least you're story has a somewhat happy ending."
"Yeah, I mean I'm doing fine now, I still wish I could get my memory back though. It scares me to think that I have a family out there somewhere who don't know what happened to me, who worry about me, and I can't even tell them I'm ok."
"Is that why you come out here, to think?"
"Yeah, some of the time."
"And the rest of the time?"
"I don't know, I just feel drawn here. Like today, for instance, I felt this need to come here, like I was going to find something. Like a link to my past, something was just pulling me towards here, and I knew I had to come."
"I can understand that."
"Maybe you're the reason, who knows, I just knew that today I HAD to come."
"I'm Chris Jericho," he said looking forward still. He could feel her walking over towards him and stand next to him. He didn't bother looking over at her, her presence was enough for him.
"I'm Emma Branson, or at least that's the name I've adopted, I don't know my real one."
"That must suck, to not even know your own name," he said, shaking his head.
"You learn to live with it," she shrugged, then looked over at the little girl sleeping in Chris's arms, "Is that your daughter?"
"Yeah, she's my world."
"She's beautiful, what's her name?"
"Regan."
"From Shakespeare?"
"Yeah," he said surprised, "Most people don't make that connection."
"I don't know. It was just the first thing to pop into my mind. How old is she?"
"She's two, she'll be three in a month."
"Aww, she really is adorable. How old was she when you're wife died?"
"She was six months."
"Wow, so you raise her by yourself?"
"Yes."
"It must be hard."
"She's worth it," he said, gently stroking Regan's hair as the little girl slept quietly in his arms.
"I can see that," she studied him for a moment, "I must be really annoying you. I mean you've probably come here to reflect, and here I've spoiled it."
"No, it's ok."
"No, I'll go, I'm sorry," she told him.
"No, stay, I'd like you to," he said, finally turning to the woman.
His eyes widened in shock, and his jaw dropped. She was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his entire life. She was breathtaking, and he felt something he hadn't felt in two years, he felt true happiness seeping into his veins. She was really here.
"Oh my God," he whispered in disbelief.
"What?" she asked looking at him awkwardly.
"Stephanie!"
A/N: Bwahahahahaha! Now you must wait for the next chapter. And I hope you're all ok with who turned out to be the mystery woman. ;)
Oh yeah, and Stephanie's not dead, SWERVE~! (well for everyone except Karla, because she knew already lol)
Did you really think I would have him get with some random chick or Trish even, no way!