DISCLAIMER: I do not own Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, or other wrestlers that appear in the following story. They are the property of the actors and actresses that portray them, as well as the WWE.
SPOILERS: Mention of events from 08-16-04 Raw.
Flowers Can't Keep Secrets
CHAPTER FOUR
Chris Jericho didn't know much, and never claimed to. He didn't know when he got his first bicycle, or which group officially started the heavy metal era, or what possessed him to grow that scary beard from months past.
But there was one thing he knew for sure: he was getting pretty bloody sick of getting his ass kicked by Batista.
He silently reiterated this fact to himself as he was helped out of the ring. Technically, he had picked up the win when Old Man Flair interfered; of course, the taste of victory against Evolution was a mouthful of blood.
Shelton, of course, was patiently waiting at his post backstage, ice-packs in hand. "Dude, I thought when Edge…" he started, trying to justify his lack of assistance.
Jericho cut him off with a wave, not wanting to tell Shelton that he probably deserved that beat-down. Ever since he had beat Tomko and put Trish in her place, he had been unable to pull himself out of the ditch she dug under him. It pissed him off that she had rendered him so worthless in the ring. "Shut it, Junior. I know you were flirting with Nidia," he stated, groaning as he placed a proffered ice pack on the back of his head. "Damn, I guess I can't count on Flair forgetting to wear his wing tips."
Shelton frowned in sympathy, having his own experiences with the pointy toed shoes. Placing a supportive arm around Chris's shoulders, he began to lead his battered friend back to their locker room (yes, after weeks of Shelton unofficially crashing Chris's space, Stephanie had thought it humorous to book them together at both the arena and at the hotel). "I wasn't flirting with Nidia, by the way."
"No flirting? Wasn't she in there with you watching my match?"
"Well yeah, but…"
"And you two were all alone?"
"So?"
"Jesus, Benj, you'll never get that girl's attention if you ignore her in an empty room, grunting at the TV like you do."
Shelton was sorely tempted to comment about Chris's slow progress with Stephanie, but thankfully held his tongue. A man who had suffered a beating in the ring certainly didn't need another low blow from a friend. "Why did those two pick on you tonight?" he asked, changing the subject.
Chris grimaced, recalling his stunt from last week. "Payback's a bitch," was all he said, telling himself to burn those pictures before he got into more trouble. Thankful to see their locker room door looming ahead, the blond man raised an eyebrow at his companion, who had slightly picked up the pace. "Nidia still in there?"
"Yeah…" Shelton rolled his eyes as Chris made a kissy face. "We still gotta warn her about Stacy; she told me they hung out last night after the show."
"Ooooh, did they have a sleepover? Maybe their painted their nails and did their hair and talked about boys!" With a squeal, Chris bit at his fingernails. "I wonder, oh my, did they talk about… you?"
"I fucking hate you, man," was all Shelton said as he stormed into the room, red-tipped ears visible to all those in the hallway.
A week-old crush and already Benji was a worrywart. Chris could hardly wait until they became official; the boy would probably become a Bam-Bam Bigelow to her Luna Vachon. Shuddering at that unpleasant thought, Jericho followed his friend inside.
Upon seeing Chris, Nidia jumped up from her folding chair. "Chris, I am so sorry…" she said, helping him into a chair. What she was sorry about, she wasn't sure; but she felt it was appropriate to say.
Jericho was just as curious. "Why? Christian was a weasel, and apparently so is his brother. Not much of a surprise, when you think about it."
The brunette chomped at her gum in contemplation. "You were friends with both of them, so what does that make ya?"
"A monkey's uncle?" Shelton chimed in from his seat on the bench.
Chris scowled, moving the ice pack from his head to his ribs. "Har dee har har. Some friends you guys are," he sulked, slouching in his chair and pouting a bit. First Evolution, and now his friends were double-teaming him; it was like a bad European porno.
"I guess I don't get why you started hating Edge, is all," Nidia backtracked, holding her hands up in defense. She was surprised at his petulant behavior, until she remembered how her ex Jamie had acted when he lost his title. Must be a guy thing.
Chris sighed the guttural-est of sighs, disgusted that Nidia could not see the obvious flaws of the IC champ. "Isn't it obvious? He stole my girl AND refused my help to take down Evolution. He's a greasy bastard, and someday I'll take that title away and smack a few of those extra teeth out. Mr. You-think-you-know-me… yeah I know you, the newest face for Crisco."
Shelton and Nidia exchanged looks as Chris's rant faded into a mumble. Before one of them could ascertain if their friend had a concussion, Stephanie crashed their little party. "Chris," she panted, leaning against the doorframe to try and catch her breath.
The pout and the scowl was instantly gone. "Not now Steph, there are children in here," Chris admonished lightly, gesturing at his companions.
Deciding to ignore that comment, she dropped into the chair beside him. "I'm sorry about Edge… what?"
Chris continued to groan, holding his free hand over his face. "Everyone needs to stop being sorry ABOUT him, and start being sorry FOR him. After all, he's a buck-toothed, greasy, overzealous, insipid weasel."
"I sent him out there." The youngest McMahon dropped her gaze to Chris's abs, a lovely vision to enjoy if she wasn't feeling so guilty.
"To help Flair and Batista kick my ass? You shouldn't have!" Chris mock cooed, cracking open his fingers to peer at the brunette beside him. Instead of caring about her words, he studied her hair, which was falling out of her ponytail in a rather becoming fashion.
She wanted to protest, she hated being wrong, but there was no defense in this case. "You're right, I shouldn't have."
"So this means you'll go out with me tonight?"
There was no logic to the placement of this question, other than Chris was hoping to score some pity points. Hell, he'd take a pity date if that would persuade her to dump the weasel.
Stephanie pursued her lips, stealing a glance at his companions. After sizing up Nidia (who was giving her a thumbs-up sign behind Chris's head), she slowly shook her head. "I think you should rest."
"I'd rest a lot better if you were my bed nurse."
Okay, even Chris would admit to reaching with that one. He didn't want to be rejected again, and the only thing he hadn't tried was acting extremely pathetic (which, by the by, was one of his strongest attributes).
Steph, unfortunately, wasn't biting. After another long look at Nidia (which Jericho caught this time), she stood from her chair. "You mistook the part of my contract that stated that I 'service' the wrestlers," she joked weakly, tugging at a piece of hair that tickled her left ear. "I should get going."
And get going she did. Before anyone could blink, she was up and out the door.
Words dying away on his tongue, Chris's eyes flicked from the closing door to his best friend. "What was that about?"
Shelton gave Nidia a look before shrugging. "Don't ask me; I am not the expert on women here," he stated.
With that dismissal, Chris then turned to Nidia. "You're a chick; wanna explain that to me?"
Rubbing at the faded bruises on her neck, the girl nodded resolutely. "She's jealous," she responded simply, snapping her gum for effect.
"Of who?"
Nidia looked over at Shelton. "Of me, I guess."
Chris scoffed loudly. "But we're just friends!" Women cannot be that overbearing, can they?
Obviously, Chris had forgotten who he was referring to.
Nidia answered his outburst with one of her own. "Maybe she thinks that's what you guys are too," she yelled, shaking her index finger in the blond man's face. At his violent headshake, her eyebrows shot to her hairline as her eyes filled with fire. "Oh really? You don't think so, Chris? Then you must have TOLD her how you feel!"
Her anger startled Jericho, so much so that he looked away from her angry eyes in shame. Yes, he HAD shown an interest in her lately, with all of his phone calls, but he had never come out and said what had to be said. To be honest, he didn't think he had to; always believing that women were naturally perceptive to a man's changed intentions towards her.
Again, he forgot of who he spoke of, and her unsuccessful history with men.
Seeing Nidia about to blast him again, Chris gritted his teeth and pushed himself out of his chair. If she wanted him to say it, had been waiting for him to say it, then he would bloody say it, injured or not. Without even a look at his friends, the blond man clutched at his ribs and walked out the door.
Shelton immediately glared at Nidia the moment the door clicked shut. She waved off his glare upon sight. "Nuh-uh, Shelton, don't you start. I'm tired of playing this game, and that man needed a kick in the pants."
Inwardly, he conceded her point. Outwardly, he kept his steely gaze. "Steph's not gonna like this. It wasn't part of the plan."
"The plan, the plan, the plan," Nidia mocked, waving her hands about. "There was no huge plan when this whole thing started, and I think you have forgotten what I gave up when y'all jumped aboard." With a flick of her hair, she deftly spat her gum into a nearby garbage bin and stormed out of the locker room, intending on finding a punching bag and releasing her frustrations.
Shelton watched her go, his stony face giving little away to what he actually felt inside.
Stephanie McMahon, after much pleading with her estranged father, had gained a small victory this week. Despite the fact that she was still the backstage coordinator (see: glorified technician), no longer was she confined to work on a box beside the curtain. A small office had been set up for her in an available janitor's closet; minus the mops, the dirty sink, and various cleaning products, it was rather serviceable.
It didn't take too long for Chris to find it, despite its location on the unused side of the arena. Taking a page from her book, he burst into her office without knocking, catching her quite off guard. "I don't like her," he stated seriously.
Removing her reading glasses, Stephanie set down the work she hadn't been able to concentrate on and gave him a confused look. "You don't like who?"
"Nidia. I. Don't. Like. Her." Punctuating every word, Chris waited for her reaction.
Stephanie wanted to make a joke about not being friends with people you don't like, but she knew that wasn't appropriate at this time. Unlike Serious Stephanie, who always had to contend with Playful Jericho, Serious Jericho demanded only Serious Stephanie. No exceptions. "Fine, you don't like her. Can I get back to work now?" she conceded, picking up the papers she had just put down.
Chris's hand slammed onto her desk, the impact causing the nearby shelf of Lysol cans to rattle loudly. She wasn't getting it; he was going to have to say it. Problem was, he still didn't know what 'it' was. "Why would I call you every night and ask you out every Monday if you thought I liked her?" he demanded, praying to God she would fill in the blanks.
Her brow knotted together, but Chris witnessed the realization that bloomed in her blue eyes. She knows now, his mind whispered over and over, she knows how you feel and you can't even bloody think it, much less say it.
Stephanie didn't know how to react, her mind still stumbling to wrap itself around his revelation. So she went with surprise. "I… but… she's your admirer, Chris. You're just going to give up on that?"
It was the stupidest thing she could have said, given her feelings for him; a verbal translation of her famed bitch slap.
Something shattered inside of Chris. He wanted to throw something, or ring Stephanie's neck, or scream and shout that she didn't feel that way; that she had to feel something for him. He was the King of the World, wanted to be the King of Her World, and yet she didn't want… him. His mixed emotions turned into disgust; he wanted to puke up the remains of his heart and his dignity on her table, but held himself back.
Little did he know that the chaos that was taking place inside of him was being projected on his face. And once she saw his pain, Stephanie understood her folly and sought to rectify it. "Chris, no, I…"
He didn't let her finish. He couldn't hear her voice and not think of the rejection that came from those pink lips not seconds earlier. So he fled her janitor closet, ran past the cafeteria, and sought the cool air of the parking lot.
Only then did he empty his stomach beside a dark blue Neon.
Inside her office, Stephanie pounded on her table in frustration until it buckled down the middle and fell to the floor.
This was definitely not part of the plan.
END CHAPTER FOUR
Author's notes: Dum da dum dum…. Drama! It feels so good to be shedding more light on the mystery; I guesstimate about 3-4 more chapters until the entire 'plan' is revealed. Story won't end there, though; way too many plans for this quartet :D
Borrowing a page out of Gin's book, I'd like to do something I've never done before: address you reviewers individually; for I honestly think it is the only proper way to thank you and make you realize how very very very happy your comments make me!
AhitsAnjel: I am glad I didn't disappoint ya with chapter three :). And OMG, I can't believe you saw my anti-Edge sign! How awesome is that.
Jetderk1462: Thank you for all the complements; I am glad you liked F4J and the sequel so far. The entire gag with the retainer is far from over, so beware! :)
Stratusskittles316: I was pretty pleased that Edge appeared to see my sign at Raw, he needed a reality check in my opinion ;) Now stop reading and go work on your Steph/Chris stories – I am looking out for them! :)
StephanieIrvine04: If I'm good Jodi, you are just as good if not better! :) I'm glad you like the Benji/Nidia tension; it's one of my favorite things to write.
TwistedSteel: So… you love Edge… ewwwwww! J/K!!! I am glad you like the story regardless of your favorite guy being the villain.
Funky in Fishnet: Dia's a cool nickname for Nidia, but I'll see what the Jericho muse cooks up for her (after all, he came up with Benji). Thanks for the complements! :)
Aussiewrestlingfan: Thanks for all the support Carolyn :) Sorry I missed your IM the other day (I was napping)! I've kept up on your message boards, and I promise that as soon as I have a spare moment (maybe some time next year), I'll get around to one of your challenges.
Daniella Consuela: It was a good thought! Glad you found the Edge hijinx funny; I didn't intentionally write him as a girl but hey, if the shoe fits… ;) As for the nickname, I totally agree that they need one; hopefully the Jericho muse can come through…
Kay: The flirting on the phone was only the beginning; I hope you like what happens next! Thanks for all the support! :)
Animezebra: The relationship between Chris and Shelton is the best part of writing this story; for some reason, they just mesh well in my mind. I'm glad you are enjoying the story :)
DCFanatic4life: I'd have to agree with you Nina, there is nothing better than Edge looking like a fool :) I tried to downplay the Edge-bashing a bit though, given all the drama that would happen alter. I'm interested in seeing your reaction to this chapter!
Disco Inferno1: Glad to see that you hate the diva wannabes as much as me Gin :D As for Shelton and Nidia hooking up, well… he's gonna need a kick in the pants, but I doubt Nidia can do it for him… Thank you for all your support and awesome e-mails! :)
Silenttearz03: I am glad you love the story :) Oh, and Edge will still be looking for that retainer for awhile…
Sistergrim: Your review made me smile; I love writing Chris and Steph like that, all playful and sarcastic. Glad you liked F4J; I can't promise anything for this one but I'll try my best! :)
Cold-Zephyr: Another fan of Benji and Nidia! Perhaps they'll be the new 'It' couple lol. Anyways, thanks for all your support; in the meantime, why don't you go write another awesome Bret Hart fic ;)
Whew…. so now you see how much your reviews mean to me. So I hope you'll review and let me know what you think of this chapter. See you next week!