When they got back to the hotel that night Jessie couldn't sleep. The things that had happened with John kept playing through her head keeping her awake. She found herself outside the hotel sitting on a bench. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the person sit down next to her until they reached out and took her hand in theirs. "Are you ok?" Randy asked her. He had went to her room and when she wasn't there he went looking for her.
"No" Jessie answered "Randy why can't he accept things? What he said to me earlier hurt me so bad. I've never had anyone be so hurtful to me before and to have it come from dad makes it that much worse. I mean I knew that he probably wouldn't be happy that I was starting to like Sylvain but to have him accuse me of being a slut..."
"Honey" Randy said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to him since it was cold outside and she was wearing flimsy pajama pants and a T-shirt "John is an idiot for saying what he did to you. That much is apparent, but honey you have to look at things from his point of view. You come into his life at 14. Then you go out of it at 16 after a rough two years and you come back into it at 18, he's not had the chance to accept that. I'm sure he'll come around though, Trish told me that he came back to the locker room after you slapped him and he looked genuinely upset".
"Probably more upset that he ran me back into Sylvain's arms" Jessie spat disgustedly. "You know Randy, not to sound rude or anything I mean but all this talk does nothing. The fact of the matter is he hurt me deeply and until he makes it up to me then nothing is going to get solved. So basically I'm done. I'm through with him until he accepts the fact that I'm with Sylvain and there's nothing he can do about it. I mean Randy I don't want to lose dad but if he's going to force me to make a decision he may not like what I decide". Neither Randy nor Jessie noticed the figure that had been watching them and listening in to their conversation, it made its way back into the hotel with no one none the wiser.
"Come on" Randy said, standing up with Jessie in his arms "lets go to bed. I'm tuckered out" Randy carried her since she was barefoot and he didn't want her to get sick.
"Well you were the one of us who wrestled tonight" Jessie joked with him.
"This is called a fireman's carry" Randy told her as he threw Jessie over his shoulder. He walked back up to her room with her laughing the entire way.
"You better not fart in my face" she told him as he got to her door.
"Well I did have those beans earlier" he said as he sat her on the ground.
"Ewww" Randy laughed and hugged her goodbye. Jessie went into her room and fell into a fitful nights sleep.
The next morning Jessie was woken up by the phone. She sat up and rubbed her eyes as she picked up the receiver "hello".
"Poupe'e de be'be'" Sylvain's voice came through the speaker "I did not wake you, did I" Jessie smiled at his concern.
"Not really" she told him "I didn't sleep too well last night anyway".
"I am sorry" Sylvain said "I got an interesting phone call this morning".
"Oh really" Jessie said "from who?"
"John" Jessie cringed, she almost didn't want to know what was said "he said he wanted to go out tonight, a la nuit de gars hors if you will to make up for how he's been acting. He said that he realized what he's been putting you through and he wants to make things up to you".
"Baby" Jessie said "what's a la nuit de gars hors?" Jessie knew she fucked up the translation, it was proven when Sylvain laughed loudly on the other end of the phone.
"It means guys night out" Sylvain told her "I'm sorry I forget that you don't speak le frencais".
"Its ok" Jessie said to him "I like it when you do, its sexy".
"Bien alors je parlerai en francais autant que je peux" Sylvain said in a sexy low voice, making Jessie get all tingly all over her body. His voice sent chills to her nerve endings, and she loved it alot.
"What ever you say" she said dazedly. Sylvain laughed and agreed.
"Want to do something tonight before I meet John?" Sylvain asked Jessie, they had the day off that day because the big tv taping was the next day.
"Of course" Jessie told him "but what?"
"Well" Sylvain said "we are in Toronto. Why not go to the...zoo". Jessie squealed loudly.
"Oh my God" she said in a rushed voice "I've always wanted to go to the zoo. I've never been, stupid Randy promised to take me once a long time ago but he never did".
"Well" Sylvain said, laughing lightly at Jessie's little kid like attitude "I'll take you. We can see the monkeys, the pandas, the lions..."
"The tigers" Jessie interrupted him.
"So" Sylvain said as he and Jessie were walking around the zoo. He had managed to remain incognito and he was glad for that "are you enjoying today?"
"Yeah" Jessie said "I am. After the rough few days I've had its what I've needed".
"Oui" Sylvain said "ooh look, it is the panda bears". He ran like a little kid over to the fence separating the crowd from the enclosure.
"I didn't figure you as a panda fan" Jessie said as she stood beside him. She took a second to check him out, he was wearing a beige turtle neck sweater and black pants. She thought he looked hot as fuck.
"I've always liked pandas" Sylvain told her "when I was un petit garcon my mother bought me this stuffed panda bear, I named him Jacques, I had him for years. Then our house burned down when I was 10, we lost everything; pictures, clothes, Jacques..."
"Wow" Jessie said, wrapping her arms around him as best she could "that sucks". She didn't know what to say and felt stupid for saying what she did.
"Yeah" Sylvain said smiling down at her "but you've had your fair share of difficulties too I assume".
"How do you know what I've been through?" Jessie asked him, it wasn't accusing but she just wanted to know.
"People talk" he told her, simply "I don't know details but I know something went on before you went to college".
"You're right" Jessie said to Sylvain "but I don't want to get into it right now, I will soon though I promise. I know if whatever this is we have is gonna work then I need to open up about my past sometime".
"I'll be here when you want to" Sylvain told her. Jessie smiled when she knew that she had a good thing with him. Sylvain looked at his watch "mon dieu" he exclaimed quietly "we have been here all day, it is nearing four o'clock, I need to head back and get ready for my night. I am meeting them at 6 since John and Randy want to be back in time to tuck their kids in to bed".
"Daddy isn't tucking me into bed" Jessie said in a pouty voice.
"Awww" Sylvain said "do you want me to come tuck you in tonight?"
"Yeah" Jessie joked, making Sylvain laugh slightly.
"The kids seem excited about watching the Lion King" Alexis said as she and Trish were in the 'kitchen' area making popcorn.
"I know" Trish said "its not like they haven't seen it dozens of times before". Alexis and Trish laughed and were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Jessie" Alexis exclaimed as she opened the door "girl what are you doing here with us moms and kids?"
"Well" Jessie said "nothing better to do and your men took my man away from me".
"Story of my life" Trish joked as she started the movie for the kids. "Let's go into my room and talk, I rented the Notebook for us".
"So Jessie" Alexis said as they made themselves comfortable on Trish's bed "how are things between you and Syyyyyyyylvaaaaaiiiiin?"
"Well they're good" Jessie told her "they'd be even better if dad wouldn't be screwing things up right now".
"Well hopefully after tonight things will taper off" Trish said as she sat on the bed after starting the movie.
"Trish" Alexis said "you and John haven't done the McNasty on this bed have you?"
"EWWWWWWWW" Jessie screamed, covering her ears "my ears my ears".
"Would you hush ya goof" Alexis said "you're gonna make one of the kids run in here to see what's up. Believe me if its Sydney she'll be going to the hospital for stitches later on".
"Alexis" Trish said smacking her on the shoulder "that's not a nice thing to say about your little girl".
"Well its true" Alexis said matter of factly "even though she does great at home she can't get around hotel rooms very well, and lets just say she's been to the ER more times for stitches than I can count, too bad for me none of those times did she have George Clooney as a doctor though".
"Honey" Jessie said to her "you have Randy Freaking Orton as a husband yet you want a piece of Clooney, you are insane".
"Hey" Alexis said taking up for herself "you try seeing Randy puking his guts out when he has food poisoning, he doesn't resemble the sexy mofo in the ring night after night".
"No thanks" Jessie said "I'll stick to Sylvain not only was he a male model but he speaks French too".
"Well my man has that sexy thug thing going on" Trish said "not to mention in bed he..." Jessie clamped a hand over her mouth before she could continue.
"I swear to all that is Holy if one of you mention my father's sex life one more time I will run out of this room screaming like a lunatic" Trish and Lexi made innocent faces at Jessie, who proceded to chuck popcorn at them.
"I can't believe you came around" Randy said to John as they sat at the bar waiting on Sylvain to arrive. Both of them were on their 2nd beer.
"I heard a very interesting conversation" John said mysteriously.
"Who..." Randy asked, it dawned on him though "mine and Jessie's outside the hotel".
"Yeah" John said "I saw her from our bedroom window sitting by herself and I didn't want anything to happen to her so I figured I'd go and kinda keep an eye on her, since I knew she wouldn't talk to me. But by the time I got there you were already talking to her and I kind of overheard the conversation".
"You eavesdropped" Randy reiterated to John.
"Well yes but can you blame me?" John asked him.
"Nope" Randy said "in fact if you had done it sooner it wouldn't have taken you this long to get your head out of your ass".
"I am sorry I am late" Sylvain said as he came up to the table Randy and John were sitting "my mom called before I could leave".
"Its aight" John said, shaking Sylvain's hand "I know how mom's are. Mine still makes me call every time I get into a new city" Randy snickered and John smacked him on the arm.
"So Sylvain" Randy said after they had been sitting in silence for a bit "how's your week been?"
"It has been ok I guess" Sylvain told him "I do my matches and spend time with people that's about it".
"How are you and Jessie?" John asked him, he wanted to know if things were going ok between them.
"We're ok" Sylvain said a bit hesitantly "we aren't that close yet but things are progressing. She has yet to tell me about her past but that will come I think. I know its harsh".
"Yeah" John told him "it is harsh, at best. She hasn't had the best life so far. I'm not gonna get into it since I think its her thing to tell but I will say be prepared because when I learned about things I had never known before it threw me for a loop that I wasn't entirely ready for. Plus it takes alot out of Jessie so you'll need to be prepared for that too".
"I understand" Sylvain said "John I just want you to know that I don't intend on taking advantage of Jessie, I mean yeah I know she's 10 years younger than me but I feel feelings for her and I would never intentionally hurt her or take advantage of her".
"Thanks man" John said sincerely "I really needed to hear that. Dude its just, she's my little girl ya know. She was my heart before she left and while she was off at college not a day went by that I didn't think of her and I'd call, ready to tell her how much I missed her and beg her to come home and I'd hear how much fun she was having, you know just hear the joy in her voice, and I couldn't do it. When she came back I made a vow that I'd get back into the role that I once had in her life and when I saw that she was becoming close to someone in a, I guess romantic way, I freaked and wanted to do everything I could to stop it. I just didn't think about how it would affect her. I paid in the end, but thank God I saw the light before it was too late".
"It really shook her up when you were acting like you were" Sylvain said, bluntly "I won't lie, I went with her to eat after the show where you and she had your...confrontation...in the catering area and she was a wreck, she barely ate anything that night and I had to hold her to calm her down, I got worried a bit because I thought she may be having a, how you say, break down mentally".
"I hurt my babygirl" John said, acting really out of it "the one thing I always promised myself I'd never do".
"John" Randy said clapping him on the shoulder "you can't do that to yourself man. You had good intentions, Josh, her mom didn't. All they wanted to do was hurt her, you know that".
"Yeah" John said "but I still can't help but feel like scum".
"Well then lets get back" Randy said "then you can go to Jessie, wrap your arms around her and GROVEL at her feet for her forgiveness". John laughed a bit and the guys left the bar to go back to the hotel. When they got into the hallway to the room Randy's phone rang. He looked down and saw it was Lexi's cell number. "Who's calling me?" he called out as he, John and Sylvain entered the room. Lexi came into the foyer and kissed Randy.
"Your little girl" she told him "she won't go to bed with out her daddy tucking her in". Randy smiled and went to do just that. Trish and Jessie were sitting on the couch talking when the guys, well John and Sylvain, came in. Trish stood up and kissed John. Jessie kept sitting on the couch, feeling a bit awkward being around John. Sylvain smiled at her when she looked in his direction, trying to silently tell her that everything went well. John pulled back from Trish's embrace and went to sit beside Jessie on the couch.
"Hey" he said softly. "You know you got a good guy there". Jessie smiled faintly, looking at the floor, she wasn't sure how to react. "Babygirl" John said, seeing how Jessie was reacting to him "I am so sorry about how I've been acting these past few days, especially about how I treated you in the cafeteria that day, I was way out of line and never should have said that" John's voice broke as he started to get emotional "please forgive me". Jessie looked up from the floor and saw the tears pooled in John's eyes. She watched as one made its way down a path on his cheek and dropped off the edge of his face.
"Yeah" she said as she threw her arms around John's neck in a tight hug "of course. But never do that to me again, I hated it".
"I won't babygirl" John vowed "I won't".
After they had talked a few minutes Jessie left with Sylvain to go back to their respective rooms. When they got to Jessie's she opened the door and started to step in but Sylvain's voice stopped her "aren't you going to let me in?" Jessie looked at him in question "remember I was going to tuck you in". Jessie laughed. She let Sylvain come in with her and changed into her night clothes in the bathroom before coming back and getting into bed. Sylvain pulled the covers up over her and kissed her forehead "bon du soir doux" he said to her before leaving the room, he turned off the light on his way out. Jessie smiled as she lay in the dark, things had turned out alright. She closed her eyes and slept peacefully.