"They didn't go away!"
Stephanie looked up at the obviously exasperated Chris Jericho, who stood just inside her door. He looked like he hadn't slept at all. She gestured to the seat next to her and he sat down heavily. He leaned his head back on the couch, liking that it was cushy enough for his head to sink in a little bit, almost like a pillow, he thought as he closed his eyes. Speaking of pillows, a bed sounded nice right about now. He didn't move for a moment and she though he had fallen asleep.
"Did you hear what I said?" he asked.
She jumped a bit, "Yeah, I heard you."
"So?"
"So? So what am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know! Make them disappear?"
"Yeah, because I have some magical wand that allows me to change your dreams."
"Have you ever dreamed about me?" he asked, looking at her imploringly. Maybe he wasn't the only one afflicted by these puzzling dreams.
"Yeah…but you were usually getting your ass kicked."
"Great, so I'm just a freak!"
"You're not a freak. You're just having odd dreams."
"About you!"
"Do you love Trish?" Stephanie asked curiously.
He looked at her, startled that she would ask such a personal question, especially because they were even friends. But then again, he was telling her about his dreams, most of which included her in some capacity, even them in sexual situations, which he turned a cute shade of red at when he thought about them. They had transcended that line that separated friend from acquaintance. He could actually consider Stephanie his friend now.
"I might."
"Well, that basically means you don't," she replied.
"No, it doesn't, I said I might."
"It's not a maybe question, it's a yes or no question, and since you obviously couldn't say yes, that means, no, you don't love her."
"But you don't know anything about us," he contested.
"I don't have to. Chris, look at the facts…you're dreaming about me, why? Who the hell knows. You aren't in love with her, you pretty much said it outright. Maybe things are moving too fast with you and Trish."
"You think?" he asked, his eyebrows creasing as he thought hard.
"Maybe, I don't know, I think it was like one day you weren't a couple, the next you're all over each other."
"Since when did you become a relationship counselor?"
"Having a failed marriage gives you a sense of enlightenment," she answered, jokingly, but with a tone of bitterness.
"Maybe if I talk to you about it, then they'll go away."
"You can try," she shrugged, "I guess you can tell me about the dreams, if you feel comfortable enough to do so. It would probably be better this way, because then you wouldn't be keeping it inside."
"Yeah, and then I could at least have a sort of clear conscience when I go back to Trish," he told her.
"You aren't actually like cheating on her or anything Chris," Stephanie said, "We haven't actually had sex."
"Thank God for that."
"Hey, I'll have you know, I'm really good in bed, I haven't gotten a single complaint," she asserted.
"Stephanie, that was so easy that I couldn't take that joke, but know there was a joke in there somewhere," he said.
She scowled at him, "Very funny. Take whatever joke you want, it's not like I can't counter it."
"Ok, so next time I have a dream, I'll let you know."
"Yeah."
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
Chris got up and left, actually happy that he could confide in Stephanie now. It might be better this way, he could separate his dream world from his real world. All he wanted was Trish, she was all he needed and if he had to dream about Stephanie forever, so be it, as long as he had Trish with him in real life. She was so important to him now, and he couldn't lose her, not over something so incredibly stupid.
"Where've you been?" Trish asked, pulling on her jacket that she always wore to the ring.
"Just talking with Stephanie."
Trish raised an eyebrow, "Stephanie huh?"
"Yeah."
"What about?"
"Just shooting the breeze."
"You and Stephanie?"
"Yeah," he said, "She's not too bad once you talk to her. I think she really is just into her work too much. She wants to please her dad."
"That's nice of you to try to befriend her," Trish said, coming up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist, "You're such a good person."
"Yeah, I pride myself on that," he said, leaning down to kiss her.
"That's why I love you," she told him, kissing him quickly, "Because you just…you, you surprise people Chris Jericho, who knows whether it's good or bad, but you just…you surprised me, because I never dreamed you could be such a good man, but you are."
"Well…I don't know what to say to that."
"You don't have to say anything," she responded, "I just want to throw that out there. You deserve to know that."
"She looks lonely sometimes," he admitted.
Then he thought about it. Maybe that's why he dreamed about Stephanie. Yes, he was reaching here, or maybe it was so intricate a reason, that it was the truth. Stephanie didn't have a lot of friends, thanks to her callous ex-husband. Then her father had turned on her and she had been forced to leave, and was probably mostly by herself those long months she had been gone. Now she was back, and nobody really paid attention to her because she was always working.
Maybe Chris had seen that and felt so bad for her; that he wanted to help her. Then in his dreams, they were simply manifestations of what he felt for her, which was really just pity. He wanted to help her, but it had been such an unconscious effort on his part, his brain telling him to help one Stephanie McMahon from whatever hole she had dug herself into. He smiled as he realized the real reasons of these dreams. They had to be the reason.
That night, they came again. They came every night, relentlessly, never fading, never being forgotten. Sometimes you forget dreams, but these dreams, they stuck with him, aiding him, hopefully, in his goal to become Stephanie's friend. That's what Stephanie needed, she needed a friend, someone she could confide in, the dreams…they were…guides.
She looked around hesitantly, as if she were embarrassed or something. He would never get that about her, the hesitation. She always, if only for a moment, doubted her own beauty. He still found her beautiful, even after seven years of marriage, even after trials and tribulations, fights and making up. Then she would put up that strong front that he knew hid just below her surface.
"Do you remember when we first got together?" Chris asked as Stephanie leaned against him on the plane to the next show. The boys were sleeping in the seats across from them, laid out on the seats.
"Of course," she said, "What? Do you think I'm so old that I'd forget that?"
"You? Old? Not a chance, you're still young and beautiful."
"You flatter me too much," she said, "But after two kids, I can't be as beautiful."
"I beg to differ," he told her.
"If you say so. So why'd you bring up the past?"
"I was just thinking about it."
"Why? Realizing what a huge mistake you made by getting with me and marrying me? Because it's a little too late to take that all back," she said, turning to face him.
"I think that has to go down as one of the best decisions of my life," he told her honestly, "Because if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have any of this."
"Me as a human blanket," she said, snuggling up to him.
"Well, yeah, that," he said, wrapping his arms around her, "But us…our life…the boys…I mean, if I never asked you out, then I guess I wouldn't know any better if I had never gotten any of this, because you can't predict stuff like this, but I…it's hard to explain."
"It's just that thing, where you realize that your life has turned out just the way you pictured it, only better?"
"How can you say what I want to better than I can say it?" he asked.
She looked up at him, "Because I think after being with you for so long, you don't have to think so hard for me to get things, because I already get them."
"How did I end up with you?" he said, nuzzling his cheek against her head.
"I think you won me in bingo."
"No, no, I think it was a poker game, thank God for that straight flush, or I never would've won you. Not to mention that really nice watch."
"Yeah, I think the watch was more valuable don't you think?"
"Nah, I'd take you over a watch any day. Now if it was a new car…"
She nudged his arm, "Jerk."
"Yeah, but I'm your jerk."
"Yeah…if I hadn't ended up with you, who knows where I would've ended up," she pondered.
"On a street corner somewhere," he mused.
"Oh, ok, yeah, I'd be selling my services to any guy that came along."
"Yeah, I figured as much, luckily you didn't have to go down that career path, I'd hate to think what kind of diseases you could pick up."
"You're weird," she laughed, causing Brennan to wake up and yawn sleepily.
"Mama loud."
Stephanie laughed a little, "Oops, sorry baby."
"Be shh," he said, making the shh gesture to her.
"Yeah Mama, you are so loud," Chris added.
"I don't need the added commentary from you Jericho," Stephanie said snidely, or at least pretending to be.
"Bren, Mommy's mad at me," Chris said, "Tell her to forgive me."
"Daddy's being mean to me Brenny," Stephanie said pouting.
Brennan looked from his mom to his dad, as if deciding who he should believe. Stephanie laughed as Chris tried to match her pout. Brennan eventually held his arms out towards Stephanie. Stephanie stuck her tongue out at Chris as she unhooked her seatbelt to go pick up Brennan, and brought him over to sit on her lap, where he snuggled against her.
"No mean to Mama," Brennan told Chris.
"Ooh," Stephanie said, "Looks like someone got told."
"You don't like me anymore Bren?"
"No, I like," he said, "Like Mama too."
"Well that's good to hear, because I was thinking of getting rid of her, but if you like her so much, I guess we'll keep her."
"Mama no go!" he said, clinging to Stephanie.
"Oh sweetie, Daddy was just kidding, I'm not going anywhere. He was just being mean."
Chris sent a pout in Stephanie's direction and she shook her head as she hugged Brennan to her. Chris kept pouting, getting more and more pathetic as he went along. Stephanie rolled her eyes and leaned over to kiss him, their lips meeting in a sweet kiss.
Trish's arm rolled over onto Chris and he woke up, except this time, the dreams weren't that unsettling. He smiled to himself and pulled Trish closer. Stephanie was someone who he wanted friendship with. Trish was the woman he wanted to share his life with. It was all so simple now. He leaned down to kiss Trish's head as she stirred in her sleep, coming to look at him, her eyes opening a little.
"What's up?" she asked.
"You're beautiful."
"Thanks," she said, not knowing how else to respond, "I love you."
"I know," he told her, kissing her head, "And I'm getting there."
"Good, I can't wait to hear those words."
