Intoxication Chapter 5: Part 5: Come Follow Me, a wrestling fanfic

Part 5: Come Follow Me (Lyrics and title from the song of the same name)
A/N: This is the final installment of this series. I hope you've enjoyed it! Feedback is much appreciated.

When you look from outside
All you see is videos and shows
But there's more to my life then
People could ever know

Tonight was the night. Christian breathed in deeply, hoping that the controlled breathing would calm his nerves. To say he was nervous was a vast understatement. There was just so much on the line.

First, there was his match with Chris Jericho. He hadn't wanted it to go this far, to escalate to the point where their match was no longer going to be a contest, but a fight. He never wanted their friendship to sour to the point where they despised each other. And what probably hurt the worst about the situation with Chris was that all the outsiders blamed him. According to just about everyone in the locker room, he was the reason for the team's demise. The assumption was far from the truth.

Granted, he had been the one to "turn" on Chris, but it wasn't as though he had simply snapped. He was driven to it, because Chris had backed him so far into a corner with Trish that he...

He hadn't even thought of Trish. She was definitely in the building - he spotted her chatting with Stacy Keibler earlier that night. He knew she had made her decision, and tonight, she would let him and the rest of the wrestling world know just what it was.

Christian glanced up for a moment, watching in silence as Victoria and Nidia scrambled by him, the two ladies mumbling under their breath as they sent disfavoring glares in his direction. He sighed, looking on after them. They couldn't see past the facade, the cold-hearted nature in which he dealt with his problems. They didn't know him at all.

He longed for people to see him, the real him... the person he was around Lita... and the person he used to be around Chris and Trish. But somehow he knew that no matter what he did, people would never be able to truly change their opinions of him. He was forever going to be seen as the CLB.

Sometimes I gotta smile
When I don't feel like smiling
Sit back and ride
When I feel like driving

Settling herself down in front of a monitor in the women's locker room, Trish sighed wistfully. The butterflies had already begun to float around in her stomach, and neither Chris nor Christian had even entered the ring. It wasn't so much that she was nervous over the match itself, but over the fact that she had made her decision and would have to let both men know. She knew without a doubt where her heart truly rested... but she was still hesitant. Things would be uncomfortable enough without her getting involved.

The match between the former best friends began, and Trish tried to focus her attention on the action, but she couldn't. It was strange. It had taken her so much time to make up her mind, to push logic and reason to the side and think with her heart, but she had done it. She was positive she knew who she wanted to be with. But no matter how strongly she felt, she couldn't shake the apprehension. Neither man deserved to have their heartbroken, but it was inevitable that one of them would.

Just then, the locker room door open, causing Trish to abandon her thoughts... for the moment, at least. She glanced up, an absent smile grazing her lips as she saw Stacy Keibler. The leggy diva approached her, taking a seat beside her as concern marred her pretty face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, gently placing a hand on Trish's forearm.

The Canadian woman sighed... she was sick of being asked that question. She nodded - not because she was truly okay, bu because she didn't wish to elaborate on her feelings.

"I'm just not particularly looking forward to this match," she said in reply.

Stacy nodded in understanding. She could only imagine the toll all of the drama surrounding her situation with Chris and Christian had taken on her.

"It's gotta be tough to watch," Stacy noted, her gaze shifting to the monitor. "But Chris will be fine. I'll bet he pulls this one out."

Nobody understands but you I can always be myself with you

Trish laughed ruefully, an action that confused her friend. Stacy was so naive. Everyone was so naive. Everyone, in fact, but herself and Christian. Even Chris himself had no idea what had been going on between them, she had disguised her feelings so well. Nobody had a clue what was going to happen.

Trish shook her head, rising from her seat. It was time.

"I have to go," she said. "There's something I have to do."

Stacy watched as Trish headed to the door. An uneasy lump formed in her throat. She knew exactly where Trish was headed, and it was not a good idea.

"Trish, wait!" she called after her. "You're not going out there, are you? It's too dangerous."

"Look, I'll explain everything later, Stace. This is just something I have to do."

That's why I'm sayin' ooh, I can't believe it
You came just in time with what I needed
And you're not like the other girls I meet everyday
You stay down like them girls from around the way
That's why I'm sayin'
Come follow me, come follow me, come follow me

Christian gave Jericho a hard clothesline, knocking his opponent down to the mat with a thud. He heard the sound of cheers erupting from the audience and his head shot up, knowing damn well they weren't for him. He caught a glimpse of Trish running down the ramp towards them and his stomach nearly fell out of his body. As if he wasn't already short of breath from the fast-paced match, seeing that gorgeous woman nearly knocked him off his feet.

They made eye contact, and she sent him a look he was unable to read. Before he could question her, he received a swift kick to the stomach, which served as a painful reminder that his match with Chris was not over.

The two men went back at it, exchanging blows left and right, the intensity of the match increasing exponentially with the presence of Trish at ringside.

At some point, Christian noticed that she had hopped up on the ring apron, and she was shouting something at him. He moved over to her, a lump forming in his throat.

"Hit me," she said, rather forcefully.

"W-what?" he asked her, blinking rapidly. Did he hear her correctly?

"Trust me Christian," she said. "It sounds crazy now, but just hit me."

He didn't know what had come over her. She may have lost her mind, but for whatever reason, he trusted her with all of his heart. He pulled her into the ring and pushed her - halfheartedly - into the turnbuckle. The moment she hit the mat, the guilt washed over him and he wanted to rush to her. But something told him she had a plan.

Before he could react, Chris nailed him, knocking him to the floor. From the corner of the ring, Trish was beginning to rise, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Despite having her back to him, she knew it was Chris trying to help her. She knew exactly what the fans, the announcers, and her coworkers would think, and so she swung back. She felt her elbow coming in direct contact with Chris's nose, and before she knew it, the match was over. Christian had seized the opportunity she had opened for him and hit the Unprettier, sealing the victory.

Though he had already headed up the ramp, Trish remained in the ring. She had one last thing to do. After helping Chris to his feet, she cupped his face in her hands. The look in her eyes made her feel extremely guilty, but there was no other way around it.

"I'm sorry," she said softly to him. "I'm sorry that things have to end this way."

Then, she swallowed hard and closed her eyes, slapping him in the face. To be honest, the next few minutes were a blur to her, and she didn't come back to her senses until she and Christian stood together at the top of the ramp. He glanced down at her, and she smiled.

Despite the fact that she slapped Jericho, that she more or less turned her back on the fans, that her coworkers would never look at her the same again, she was happy. Christian made her happy.

"I love you," she said, and even though the place was roaring, he could hear her plain as day.

He had waited so long to hear those words from her, and he was elated. Instead of responding in words, he lowered his head to hers, planting on her the most intense, passionate kiss he'd ever given in his entire life. When they separated, she was grinning from ear to ear. From the announcers table, Jerry Lawler made a comment about Trish looking smitten.

Smitten was a gross understatement.

The End