The situation with Stephanie was troubling him. He couldn't think to explain his feelings or her feelings. They were so jumbled up and he couldn't figure out what he was doing anymore. He liked Trish, but he liked Stephanie too. That kiss…that kiss had been like a dream, like that idea you have when you're younger and you see all the movies and you think kisses are supposed to be this spectacular event. The kiss he had shared with Stephanie had been exactly like that.

It confused him that he could have such passion with someone he didn't know. But there were times, moments, that he felt like he knew her better than anyone. But how could that be? How could he feel like he knew her when all logic said that he didn't? He couldn't explain it and it was plaguing him. It was churning in his stomach, acidic and bitter. How could he kiss her? How could he do that to Trish?

"Chris?" came Stephanie's small voice from the doorway.

"What is it?" he asked, trying not to sound testy, but he didn't know how else to sound. He was a horrible human being and he had done a horrible, horrible thing.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Not really," he answered truthfully.

"I know you're confused," Stephanie said, coming into the room a little bit more. "I'm confused too."

"Look, we'll just forget it, because that's what has to be done."

"Ok then," she nodded. "That's fine, if you want to forget it, we will."

"What!" he asked, incensed. "You want to forget it!"

"I thought YOU wanted to forget it," Stephanie asked, alarmed with how forceful he had just sounded. "I mean, you just said that you wanted to forget it."

"I don't know what came over me just now," Chris said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that. It was a great kiss, I'm just really confused right now."

"It WAS a great kiss," Stephanie smiled. "I'll just give you time to think. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Ok."

She left him then, and he just laid back against the bed. He didn't know when he dozed off, but he did. He fell asleep, and there was just darkness. Just a darkness that surrounded him, but he opened his eyes and he realized it was nighttime. He had fallen asleep. He got up and walked out into the hallway. The lights were on downstairs so he headed down there. Stephanie was having a cup of coffee in the kitchen and he smiled at her.

"I fell asleep," he explained.

"I know," Stephanie said. "I went to check on you and you were conked out. Are you hungry or anything?"

"No, but I think I'm going to go," Chris said. He had made the decision as he had woken up. "I'm going to go to Canada and visit my parents. I think I just really need to clear my head with all this stuff."

"I completely understand," Stephanie said. "I don't want to pressure you to stay here or anything."

"I know," he said. He went over and gave her a tentative hug. "Maybe if I clear my head I'll know what I want."

"I hope you find out whatever it is you want," Stephanie whispered against his shirt.

His parents had welcomed him with open arms when he had called from the Winnipeg airport. His father was on his way to the airport right now, insisting that Chris not take a taxi or anything of the sort. He sat on a chair in front of the airport, sunglasses on, wanting to remain inconspicuous. He loved the fans, but now was not the time to see them. He just needed to clear his mind, to not think about Stephanie or Trish.

The trip itself had almost seemed a blur, like it had gone at warp speed. He could barely remember the particulars, like hours had flown by in minutes, but he was probably just anxious to get away from the two women that were plaguing his mind. He looked up just in time to see his father pulling up in the car. He grabbed his things and got into the car, shaking hands with his father.

"Hey Dad, what's up?"

"Well, other than a surprise visit from you, nothing," Ted chuckled.

"Sorry about that, I just needed to get away for a while."

"Why?"

That was such a loaded question that Chris didn't even know where to begin. He just decided to start off simply. "Women troubles."

"Ahh, the eternal problem," Ted said knowingly. "I thought things were good with Trish though, you said they were last time we talked."

"They WERE," Chris said, emphasizing that, that was in the past as this new problem had popped up quite suddenly. "It would be easy if Trish was the only woman in my life Dad. But she's not, at least, I don't think she is."

"What happened?"

"You know Stephanie McMahon."

"I do," Ted confirmed.

"Well, I keep…" he paused, thinking he was crazy for telling his father this kind of stuff. "I keep having these dreams about Stephanie and I can't stop."

"Dreams?"

"Not those kind of dreams," Chris mumbled embarrassedly. "More like dreams that I have a family with her. Two little boys, and we're married and together and happy. And I keep having them, and when I think they're gone, there they are again. I wasn't even friends with Stephanie when they were happening."

"Oh, but after you started dreaming these dreams, you had to talk to her."

"Yeah," Chris said, surprised his father was right. "And that's when things got complicated. Sometimes Dad, it's like, it's like I've known her forever, that I know her inside out and that's not a feeling I get with Trish, but it's something I get with Stephanie. But I'm with Trish, and I think I love her, or something, I don't know."

"Yeah, I'd want to get away too if I were you."

"Not helping Dad," Chris said sarcastically. "I thought I wanted Trish, but Stephanie and I, we kissed yesterday and…God, I know this is going to sound so girly, but it felt so right. Like that was what I was supposed to be doing."

"So isn't your choice made then?"

"You'd think so, but I'm still with Trish."

"But maybe you're attracted to Stephanie. Maybe she's the one for you and these dreams have just been trying to show you what you really want and what you can have if you date Stephanie."

His father brought up a good point, a point that Chris hadn't really thought of. Maybe the dreams weren't just dreams, weird and unpredictable. Maybe they were a precursor. Maybe it was what he was going to have if he went with Stephanie. He hated Trish in his dreams, maybe that just meant he wasn't supposed to be with Trish. But hadn't he been happy with Trish?

"Maybe you're right," Chris said softly, going quiet after that, just taking in the familiar sights of Winnipeg. His father would glance at him every now and then, but didn't pry. His son was obviously confused, and he couldn't help him make such a big decision about his potential future.

They arrived at the house and Chris got his things, throwing them just inside the doorway when he entered his house. He could hear moving around coming from the living room and he went in there and his mother grinned as she went over to him. He hugged her tightly and lifted her up off the ground easily. She pushed him playfully as he set her down.

"There's my little boy," Loretta said, patting his cheek. "I was surprised that you wanted to come visit us."

"I needed a break from my life Mom," Chris said, sounding like such a little boy to her. But that's what he was to her; he was her little boy and he always would be. She gave him a motherly smile.

"What's wrong little boy?" she asked, knowing that he needed his mother right now. Her intuition was kicking in right now.

"I think I may be in love."

"Well that's nothing to take a break from," she said, leading him over to the couch. "Falling in love is a good thing."

"I don't think it's with my girlfriend Mom," he told her, cringing as he said it. He hadn't really expressed the fact that he wasn't really falling in love with Trish. She kept saying it and saying it and he felt more than compelled to feel the same way so as not to break her heart, but he was almost incapable of saying the words at all.

"Oh," his mother said seriously. "Who is it with then?"

"You know Stephanie McMahon…her."

"Her?" his mother asked, slightly surprised. "I wasn't aware you were close."

"We weren't, I mean, we did work together for two years, and sometimes we'd have a drink or dinner to share ideas for our storyline, but…then I started to have dreams about her, and they were so vivid Mom. We had a family, we were married, I was insanely happy. Then I'd wake up beside Trish, and think, geez, why not Trish?"

"Have you been spending a lot of time with Stephanie lately?"

"Yeah, she had an anxiety attack, so I was staying with her for a few days, to make sure that she was ok, because I was worried, she works a lot, so much Mom."

"Uh huh," she said, letting him continue his story when he was ready to continue it.

"And we kissed, and in fear of sounding cliché, it was good. I felt…it with her, I guess you can say. It."

"Oh…it. That's a very powerful thing," she said, understanding what he meant by that.

"Yeah, and so…what do I do?"

"You just have to do what you feel is the right thing to do," his mother told him. "You have to do what feels right to do, not what you think is right, what feels right."

"Can't you just tell me which one to go with Mom?" he asked hopefully, his eyes imploring her to make this big decision for him.

"Little boy, I would, you know I would, but I can't decide your future, that's a road you have to pave all on your own."

"I think I'm going to go lie down for a while Mom, call me for dinner?" Chris asked.

"Of course."

Chris smiled at her before getting off the couch and trudging up the stairs to his old room. It looked the same and it was always a comfort to be here. Some things you just didn't want to ever change. Change wasn't a bad thing, but when you needed to reflect, when you needed time to yourself, there was no better place than a place you were most familiar with and one that wouldn't change, no matter how complicated your life became.

He laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and sighing deeply. He just stared up for a few minutes before closing his eyes, just trying to think things out in his mind. He must've been really sleepy, or the thinking had been too hard since he fell asleep pretty soon afterwards. His body settled into the snugness of the bed, a calm surrounding his body, his mind becoming blank and not thinking of blondes or brunettes.

When he opened his eyes later, he couldn't make out anything in the room. It was dark and he had been asleep for hours. He tried to move, but he was pretty comfortable and his limbs seemed heavy from his slumber. He groaned quietly, almost imperceptible to his own ears. He looked around, but it was too dark to see anything. The door opened slightly, letting some light peek through and he said the kind face of his mother.

"You're awake," she said.

"Yeah," Chris mumbled.

"If only you'd wake up fully."

"Geez, give me a few minutes Mom," Chris joked, but she didn't laugh. Instead, she came over and sat down on the edge of his bed, patting his leg gently.

"We're worried about you."

"Who, you and Dad?" Chris asked her.

"We're just worried for everyone involved. I guess that's a parent thing, but we just want you to be here…with us."

"I am with you Mom," Chris said, sitting up a little bit. "And I'm worried about Stephanie and Trish too. If I choose one, I'm going to hurt the other, and I hate hurting people like that."

"Little boy, she needs you."

"Who?" Chris asked.

"Stephanie needs you little boy, she needs you like you wouldn't believe," Loretta told him and he sat up even further and squinted to see his mother's face. He was confused now. How could she know about Stephanie, and what Stephanie needed? How did she know what she saying? Was she making the choice for him?

"Mom, I appreciate the fact that you would choose for me, but I really should make this decision myself."

"You should see the way she looks at you when you're not aware, when you're…" she trailed off, sighing and looking away, like it pained her to say the words. "You don't have to see the look."

"Was this when I got knocked out during the match?" Chris asked. "How did she look at me Mom?" She didn't answer and Chris leaned forward a little bit, his voice more urgent. "Mom, how did Stephanie look at me?"

He was desperate to find out this information. Did Stephanie look at him in a way that had been caring or loving? Had she given him any indication that she had feelings for him when he had gotten injured? He had told her then, that he loved her, that he wanted her, but he was pretty much unconscious and didn't know what he was saying, but she did. If she had given him a certain look…maybe he wasn't crazy in these feelings for her.

"She is pleading with whatever there is up there Chris, she's pleading for you," his mother said finally, her voice choking up a little bit.

Chris sat back. "And she tried to protect my feelings. She didn't try to sway my decision with her feelings. She left it up to me. She must really care about me if she didn't even try to tell me how she felt about me."

"If you're going to come back, come back for her."

"You mean go back to her, right Mom?"

"I'll be back in a bit," his mother said, patting his leg again and then leaning over to kiss his forehead. "Sit tight."

Chris watched his mother leave and then started thinking about Stephanie again. If she did indeed have feelings for him, how unselfish of her to not act upon those feelings and let him be with Trish. What if he had been the one to cause her anxiety attack though? Now he was feeling guilty. Maybe he'd have to think this Stephanie thing more thoroughly. His mother was making a lot of sense.

He just wished he knew why she said come back.