Chapter 3 Slipping

A/N:Sorry it took so long tests and all this week , and I had 2 reports last week.

Chris walked into the arena with the Hardys and Lita. If he wanted anything tonight it was to have fun and maybe get a more dreamless sleep. All the death and pain was enough for awhile anyways. After setting their things inside Chris left to get some water. He was grabbing some bottled water when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Chris turned and a smile formed on his face as he saw who it was.

"Hey Steph." he said smiling.

"Hi...ummm....I wanted to thank you for stopping Hunter, at the hotel. It helped me get here without him bugging me."

"No problem Steph, just helping a friend, you are one of my friends right?" She smiled at him and shook her head.

"Of course I'm your friend Chris."

He gave her one of his biggests grins, and she smiled back at him. He had to be careful of what he did and said, because his dream was still fresh in his memory. If he said anything stupid he just might lose her trust and friendship, it was best to keep it to himself.

"Well, I better get back, see you later Chris." she said walking back towards her dressing room.

"Yeah, see you later." he called.

Chris walked back into his dressing room and tossed a bottle of water at Jeff who was sitting down leaning against the lockers.

"Hey, what was that, and what took you so long?" the younger Hardy asked looking up at him.

"First it's your water you asked for and second I ran into a friend." Jericho stated simply sitting down in a chair.

"Yeah, sure." Jeff said opening his water and taking a drink."Matt and Lita said they would be back they had a match."

"So you don't have a match tonight?"

"Nope I'm off." he said smiling and taking another drink of his water.

Chris smirked and got up to change, he had another match against HHH and it didn't surprise him that Hunter asked for a rematch against him. In fact his knew he would and tonight he would beat him again and show Hunter that he played the game and beat it. As he finished putting tape around his wrists Jeff told him his match would start soon.

He walked out onto the ramp after his countdown, and turned to face the crowd. He putt the microphone up to his mouth and began to speak. As he watch HHH pace around the ring.

"Hey Hunter, I don't have any idea why you would want to face me again after I kicked your big ape ass last time. I mean c'mon do you really want me to beat you and embarass you again, and I know everyone is wondering why I carried you wife into the back when you 'accidently' hit her with a sledgehammer. Well....it's really none of your business why I did it, but I know you Hunter, wouldn't have done it yourself, so right now I'm gonna come down there and play the game once again, and I will win." with that said Chris ran down the ramp and slid into the ring.

HHH must have been angry because he started beating Jericho the moment he got in the ring. Chris managed to get a few shots on him but he knew he couldn't last much longer, finally he nailed Hunter with a standing dropkick. Pulling himself up he started towards HHH and kicked him in the ribs a couple of times before kicking him in the head. Chris picked him up, and Hunter then kicked him in his stomach standing up Hunter smirked and glared down a Chris.

Chris felt like all his bones were broken, and his chest was on fire. He could feel HHH pulling him up by his hair, and kicking him and setting him up for the Pedigree. He closed his eyes and felt his head hit the mat. HHH would prove him wrong, unless he kicked out, but that he doubted. After what seemed like forever Hunter covered him, it took every last ounce of strength but Jericho managed to kick out.

Hunter was enraged, he wanted to know how could some one kick out of it, he walked over to the referee amd asked him if he really did kicked out, he nodded and HHH clenched his fists and turned to get Jericho, the only problem was he wasn't there.

Hunter got out of the ring and started to look for him. He rounded one of the corners and got nailed with a flying closeline from Jericho, Chris quickly pick him up and swung him into the stairs, then rolled him into the ring. He then grabbed his legs and turned him over much to Hunters dismay. He started to apply as much pressure as he could but the pain in his back was increasing as well. Finally Triple H tapped out losing to Jericho for the second straight time.

Chris raised his arms in victory as the crowd cheered for him, the sound of cheers made him feel even better about winning. He walked up the ramp and turned around at the top raising his arms again, as an angry Triple H laid in the ring glaring at him.

Walking backstage people congratulated him and smiled at him. He walked into his dressing room to find the Hardys and Lita cheering for him.

"That's my boy!" Jeff cheered as he patted Chris on the back.

"Jeff." Chris said in a warning tone.

"Yeah, yeah that's our Chris." he cheered again.

They all started laughing. They talked for a few minutes and decided they would head back to the hotel and let Jericho shower.

After Chris showered he walked out to the parking area, walking over to the car he saw someone sitting against the wall. As he walked closer he could she that its was a woman, and not just any woman, it was....Stephanie.

"Steph, are you alright." the Canadian asked bending down to look at her.

She sighed and looked up at him. The sight made Chris sad, she had been crying and she had a large bruise forming on the side of her face.

"Stephy, what happened to you?" he asked reaching out slowly, and caressing her face gently.

"Nothing." she said pulling away from him.

"Steph if it's nothing then why would you be out here, by yourself crying?"

"Hunter and I had another fight after his match with you, he said that it was my fault he lost because I wasn't out there to stop you from winning. Then I said it was his fault for hitting me with the sledgehammer, and I couldn't come out injured. He said it was my fault I got hit and my fault you won both times. I disagreed and he hit me, told me to get my own ride back. He said I was useless, and a bitch. Then he left me and I came out here and sat down, and you found me." when she had finished her story she started to cry again.

Chris sat down on the ground and pulled Stephanie onto his lap bringing her into a gently hug, stroking the back of her head, and telling her it would be okay he tried to soothe her. After a few minutes she had stopped crying and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry Chris." she said standing up.

Chris stood up and looked into her eyes, they were full of all kinds of different emotions like fear, anger, and pain. He wished he could make it all better, and take away everthing Hunter had done to her, suddenly he got an idea.

"Steph would you like to stay with me tonight."

Stephanie smiled a bit and looked up at him. "If i'm not imposing or anything."

"No, you could never." he said smiling at her.

They both smiled and Chris walked her to his car. They left and headed towards the hotel. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chris let Stephanie sleep on his bed and he would sleep on the couch. He hoped tonight he wouldn't have another dream. He looked over at the bed where he could see the steady rise and fall of the blankets where Stpehanie slept, not with her here, he couldn't. Finally though he fell asleep praying that his dreams would stop for just tonight, but they didn't. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chris opened his eyes to see Stephanie's face right above him. Startled he jumped and fell out of the chair he seemed to have been sitting in.

"Sleepy?" she asked giggling as he started to climb back to his feet.

"A little," he said smirking at her. This must be another dream, he thought as he sat back down in his chair.

She came over and sat down on his lap, it has to be a dream he thought, but tried to act normal about it. She turned around and kissed him soundly on the lips. When she pulled back she smiled at him. He didn't want this to be a dream, because it seemed that he had Stephanie to himself, and another plus because it felt real.

Looking up into her eyes he could see happiness, and love he just hoped it showed the same in his eyes. She leaned back in and kissed him on the lips again but it was more forceful than the last one , as if she was pouring her heart out to him. He then did the only thing he could do and that was kiss her back with as much passion as she was. He could feel her running her small fingers through his hair and he place his arms firmly around her waist as they continued to kiss.

When they broke apart for air, she smiled at him and stood up reaching her hands out to him. He smiled back and stood grabbing ahold of her hands. Then it started getting dark and the Stephanie who was happy and healthy just a minute ago now turned sad and had cuts and bruises all over her face and body. Chris held tightly to her hands not wanting to let go of her. But he really couldn't move to hug her to him.

He could hear her voice echoing as she told him to hold on.

//You said hold on But I feel like I'm slipping away And you said hold on But it feels like I'm slipping away//

He tried to tighten his grip on her hands but couldn't.

// I won't let you down The words you said to me It's echoing the sound Of what would never be//

He could see a tear fall down her cheek as her eyes turned dark and cold.

//I'm standing here alone The memories remain The same familiar home But nothing looks the same//

He closed he eyes wanting it to just end. Instead he just watched as images of Hunter beat Stephanie who was helpless.

//And I'm standing here alone Can't tell if I'm awake Reality is gone In a dream I can't escape//

He opened his eyes but he was alone in the dark and the images started plaing out in front of him again.

//You said hold on But I feel like I'm slipping away You said hold on But I feel like I'm slipping away//

He could see the pain etched on her face with each hit she took, and the smug look that came across Hunters face everytime she screamed.

//I'm getting through it now I guess it's plain to see That everthing I am Is not everything you need//

Suddenly the images were gone and he was alone in the dark once again.

//And I'm standing here alone Can't tell if I'm awake Reality is gone In a dream I can't escape//

//You said hold on But I feel like I'm slipping away You said hold on But I feel like I'm slipping away//

//And I'm standing here alone Can't tell if I'm awake And it feels like I'm slipping away//

//Reality is gone In a dream I can't escape And I feel like I'm slipping away//

His eyes snapped open when he heard her screaming. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He sat up and found Stephanie was having a nightmare of her own he walked over to her and gently woke her up.

"You alright Steph?" he asked when she woke up.

"No, I don't think I am Chris. How could someone be so mean to someone they claim to love?" she said as she threw her arms around him and started to cry.

"I don't no Steph, but everything will be okay I promise." Jericho said pulling her close to him.

"Would you hold me then, and make the dreams stop?"

"Sure I would." Chris said laying her down on the bed and then climbed into the bed next to her pulling the covers up over them both. She wrapped her arms around him and layed her head on his bare chest, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He waited till she fell asleep before he went to sleep himself, and this time he didn't have anymore bad dreams.

TBC

The song I used in this chapter was "Slipping Away" by Trust Company. Please review.

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