CJ looked around the corner. He was a little early, but that was okay. Early was good. It showed that he cared. Stephanie had told Our Hero earlier when she'd arrive at the arena and where to meet, and this way they'd have time to chat that oh-so lovely "lover chat" before the duties of work took over on that Tuesday evening.
He took a seat near the entrance that the talent would use that night, not too far away from the door but distanced enough where he wouldn't be conspicuous. Chris didn't know why he felt the need to hide the relationship, anyway...if two people are in love, they should show it off, right? Yet, he had a gut instinct not to be too public with his affections at the moment. Even though CJ and Stephanie were a couple now, he still wasn't exactly in the best favors of too many people.
After positioning himself near the door, prepared to meet her, CJ rested and dropped his head down slightly to nap a little. The events of the past 48 hours were catching up to him, and he'd realized how little sleep he'd gotten throughout the duration of time. However, just to end up here waiting on Stephanie and knowing that she would be there...knowing that something whole and tactile and just plain real would be there, CJ would have done it all over again. He smiled a little as he began to doze.
The amount of time that he sat there resting before she came along was unclear. Chris just remembered seeing her standing in front of him, wordless, smiling down at him as if she'd just finished the last mile of a frantic search just to find him. He hardly remembered what was going through his mind, perhaps maybe it was a dream? Maybe she wasn't there really, and he was still sitting there asleep with his head ever so slightly drooping instead of looking up wide-eyed at her standing there before him, smiling that smile he'd gotten to know so well ever since he'd come here. Then he spoke.
"Joanie..."
It was more of a question than a statement. His voice rose a little in an inquisitive tone as he'd finished the last stressed syllable on her name, voicing the surprise, shock, and general "what the hell?"-ness of the whole situation.
"Yes?" She answered, still smiling down at him. "I'm sorry I woke you up."
"Me too," he replied, his tone now flat and emotionless, just as he liked it whenever he was dealing with her now.
"Were you waiting on someone?" She barely moved.
"Actually, I was," he said, still looking up at her, now folding his arms. Someone had to get the control in this conversation, and CJ was adamant that he won it. "I wasn't expecting you to come my way."
"I did, though," Joanie said this a little pitifully, as if she had come all this way for nothing. "I've been looking for you, if you want to know the truth?"
"Huh," he scoffed. "May I ask why? Because I really don't have anything to say to you at all, Joanie. I thought you knew this."
She sighed and knelt down to eye-level with where CJ was sitting. "Listen," she said. "I know it's been more than hell all this time. Paul's put you through a lot, and..."
"No, *you* have put me through a lot. Paul is full of shit. You at least had me going for a while."
Joanie nodded. "This is true, you're right..." She was being way too accepting to be believable at the moment. "I was a big part of it too. But really...I wasn't happy with what I did, at all." She glanced around as if to see if anyone was listening or coming, then back at Chris. "You really have to believe me. I know this sounds like total bullshit and I really don't expect you to believe a word I say, but I am so...so sorry, Chris..."
He looked at her, unfazed. It wasn't working. CJ was doing his best to ascertain between something incredibly fake and what was real, and he considered himself doing a pretty good job now. He held his ground. Then the roof fell in.
Joanie started blinking back tears. He sat there and watched as her face began to slowly transform into that of a pitiable sinner that was begging for forgiveness. The tears were in full effect now, dribbling from her eyes like waterworks. She began to whimper. Oscar-winning material.
"For God's sake, won't you say something?" Joanie's whimper-voice brought this forth, a little higher than her tone before. "Why won't you believe me?"
CJ shifted a little in his seat. "Why should I believe you?"
"Because I'm telling you the truth," she said. "I am so...so sorry for what I've done. God...I shouldn't even be here saying this, they'd never forgive me, but I just want to start all over again. No tricks. No lies."
He didn't speak for a moment. She kept her gaze on him, looking very much like a penitent and playing her role like a seasoned actress. Almost to the point where she wondered herself if she wasn't telling the truth. Chris looked at his watch, then over at the door.
"I'm waiting on Stephanie," he finally said.
Joanie dabbed at her eyes. "I understand that totally. I can't say that she and I are the best of pals anymore but I can respect your time." Sniffling a little, she attempted the right words. "I just want to talk to you. I just want to talk things over. Anywhere. I promise that this isn't bullshit, Chris."
He shrugged, no words. Joanie continued. "Will you meet with me tonight? It doesn't have to be in private. Just somewhere that we can talk to each other like civilized people and end this stupid warfare shit."
Chris didn't match her gaze for a little bit, then he spoke again, looking at her. "How long have you known about the shootfight, Joanie?"
This took her off her guard momentarily. He'd become a lot less naive in the past few weeks, hadn't he? She couldn't help but answer him honestly. "I just found out about it today," she said with a slight laugh and a sniffle. "That's...that's why I came to you. I'm not gonna lie to you, I need to ease my conscience before you two both do it, because I know you will and I know someone's gonna be hurt."
CJ's veneer cracked a little. This self-serving little purpose seemed to make a little more sense now. Hell, maybe she *was* telling the truth. But it didn't matter. Joanie was one of the least important things to Our Hero right now. He simply nodded a response.
"So you'll meet with me tonight? After the show? There's a bar in the Hilton I'm staying at. You'll meet me there after we get back?" The pleading in her voice was almost touchable, as if it could grab him at any time and pull him in.
"Maybe. I'll problably be with Stephanie tonight. Don't be shocked if you find yourself all alone there."
She agreed. It was worth eating it a little just to get him to that point, even if it was for the last time. Joanie let him enjoy this moment of power over her. She smiled that same smile again and left. CJ watched her leave, then let his head fall slightly again back to where he started.
Joanie left Chris then, a little more confident than when she first spoke to him. At least she had a foot in the door, if anything. Her Paul would be happy with that. If not, to hell with him. She wondered to herself how she ever agreed to going through all this again. God forbid she'd have a conscience and just leave Chris Jericho the hell alone instead of messing with him like this. As she walked away, Joanie also wondered if CJ would really meet with her later on, like she'd asked. Had she been that convincing, or was he just toying with her now like she'd toyed with him? Before, she wouldn't have had any doubts that he would be there. Yet now she wasn't sure. She couldn't help but think of the old saying, "fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me..."
And Chris was indeed living by that creedo. He had no intentions of going to see Joanie at all that night. Serious or not, she'd not convinced him that she was truly remorseful about what she'd done to him. Even if she was, CJ still had qualms about forgiving her anyway. He just wanted to get the war overwith and take that much-needed time off. And he wanted to take that time with Stephanie, who was now entering the arena with a small gym bag in tow. As if he felt her presence, Chris looked up and saw Stephanie walking toward him, all grins and brightness. Something to take Our Hero out of his vengeful mood.
"Aren't you just the peachy-keen tonight?" She rested her bag at her feet and looked at him, having noticed the far-away appearance he had as she'd come in.
"I was just thinking, nothing serious..." he said, putting on a smile for her. Too bad he couldn't fool her.
Stephanie persisted. "I know a serious look when I see one, jack...what happened, did your stock all of a sudden drop and you're forced to stay with the company another day?"
"Funny girl. You should go on the road with that one," he said, trying to remove all seriousness by taking her hand in his and patting his lap with the other.
"Oh, we're this advanced in our relationship to where I get to sit on your lap?" Stephanie laughed and made a great show of regally perching herself upon Chris's knee. He wrapped his arms around her and settled her up against him. As she moved closer, CJ noticed how uncomfortable she seemed.
"Ok, what is it?" Chris smiled at her, attempting to comfort whatever it was. He prompted her a little with a squeeze.
Stephanie hesitated a little, then at his prompting she finally gave it away. "I talked to Andrew today."
His mind halted for a second or two. He didn't even have to ask what they spoke about, so he pressed on without fear of letting any secrets away. "What'd he have to say about us?"
She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Why?"
"It's not important."
He pulled her closer. "Isn't it?"
"No," she answered firmly. "It's not. He doesn't matter to me. I don't care what he says."
CJ sighed. "That bad?"
"I told you..."
He shrugged. "Okay, okay. Let's not talk about him. Let's talk about us."
She smiled again. "All right then, smartie. Tell me what had you looking so mean earlier." CJ wasn't so quick to answer her this time.
"What if I don't want to talk about that?"
She gave a mock-sigh. "That bad?" Touche.
"Well if you must know, I talked to Joanie. Or rather she talked to me."
Stephanie frowned. "And just what did she have to say?"
"Not much. Not much that I *believed*, that is." CJ smirked a little. "She wants my forgiveness all of a sudden. Isn't that just hilarious?"
"Oh, Lord...you've got to be kidding me," Stephanie chuckled. "They are some pathetic people. I wonder what they have up their sleeves."
"No telling. I'm not going to bite the bait though. I think she knows I don't believe her."
"Good," Stephanie said with finality. "It serves her right to be shot down in the middle of a scheme. I don't want you having to deal with any more stress than you can handle."
"Too late," he said. "But you've been my good girl, right? You haven't gone to Shane?"
"I told you I wouldn't. And I didn't."
"Thank you," he said with a little relief, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. "As long as he thinks it's just between me, him, and Paul, I feel pretty safe." He stopped his conversation for a second, to think, and then spoke again. "Do you think he's gonna be upset about us?"
"What about us?"
"You know...us..."
"Oh, THAT us," she said, laughing. "I don't know. But he can just kiss it, just like I told Andrew to kiss it."
CJ acted shocked. "*You* told Andrew Martin to 'kiss it'? My heavens!"
"I didn't mean it literally, I'll have you know," she said, jabbing at his ribs. "I just told him that I'm not going to be with him so much anymore, and I told him why. He got a little upset and so I told him to 'kiss it'."
"So now that it's over I'm sure you'll tell me all the nice details about that secret little relationship between the two of you?"
Stephanie opened her mouth to speak, but didn't for a moment. She smiled and jabbed at him once more. "Are you going to prepare for your match or are you going to sit me on your lap all night and play twenty questions?"
*************
Our Hero spent much of the Tuesday tapings alone backstage. He'd told Stephanie that he needed this time to think; to plan out what he was going to say to Joanie's Paul and when he was going to say it. CJ knew that now was the time to call him out, but that was easier said than done. Joanie was already making the situation more difficult with this "I'm-so-sorry-I-want-to-be-your-friend-again" bullshit.
I guess when she says that, then it's time, he thought.
Anyone can tell you that fate has a roundabout way of getting to the point. Irony and serendipity find their way into our lives whether we need them or not. Such was the case with CJ and the Hunter. Chris planned to make this as quick as possible. Throw out the challenge and get the hell away before the calvary found him. However, fate had different plans for Our Hero.
He was sitting in front of a monitor in one of the many corridors in the back, oblivious to the regular hustle and bustle around him. CJ was also oblivious to the two men milling closer to him--Sean and Jesse, no doubt sent on this "errand" by Joanie or Paul.
"Enjoying the show?" Sean surprised Our Hero a bit as he placed his hand firmly on CJ's shoulder with pseudo-friendliness. Chris remained quiet as he stared at Sean, then over to Jesse, who was obviously still upset at the beating he'd sustained Sunday night.
Finally, CJ smiled forcedly, looking from one man to the other. "What's the real reason," he stated, all pretenses aside. "Why are you here?"
Waltman chuckled. "You mean you don't know? God, by now I thought damn near everybody knew that we're pissed at you..." He leaned in closer to CJ. "...and looking all over for your ass."
Chris stood there, not letting his face show the uneasiness that he was feeling inside. He wanted to look about and see if there were any witnesses about, but he knew damn well no one would come around. He'd isolated himself here and they'd found him. So he bluffed, scoffing at Sean. "So what are you gonna do? Kick my ass?"
Waltman waited for a second, returning CJ's icy stare, then spoke with a joking tone. "That'd be too easy. See, we could tear your ass up right now and you'd be done. But that's not what we want. See, we know what you're up to and we know everything you're gonna do before you even have a chance to open your damn mouth."
"This is supposed to scare me? I don't give two shits about what you know."
"You should," said Jesse, from behind. "No, you'd better care about what we know, because we're here to accept on behalf of Paul."
CJ stopped, letting the smirk fade a little. "You're here to accept?"
"Yeah," Sean said. "The match. The big fight. The shoot. Remember?"
CJ grinned and shook his head. How very Levesque. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, CJ answered with a chuckle. "So he has you do his dirty work for him now? You know, that looks bad, boys. Real bad. It makes him look like a chickenshit, you know. Having you come and 'accept' makes him look like he's scared to even have me make the challenge." They didn't answer, so he continued before anyone could make a move. "And you know what else I think? I think you two ought to stop sucking him off so much. People talk, you know."
Waltman didn't wait another second. He answered CJ with a stiff right to the jaw, knocking him back into Jesse, who roughly pushed Chris to the ground while he was reeling.
"Bitch!" Sean screamed this down at CJ, who was now shaking off the blow and wiping at his lips to find a trace of blood. CJ didn't bother looking back up at Sean, who was now being restrained and pulled away by Jesse as he continued to assault Chris with a slur of obscenities and promises of another beating soon to come.
Sure, thought Chris as he collected himself while they moved away from him and out of his sight. But it won't be me.
********************
On the other side of the arena, Stephanie McMahon happened to be fighting her own battles, however less significant than CJ's. She stood there, against the wall, looking down from Andrew Martin's gaze.
"Just tell me why. That's all I want to know," he said, his hands against the wall on either side of her, attempting to block any attempts of a getaway. "I know you didn't mean what you said to me earlier, and I'm sorry I got upset. But now I want to talk. I just want to talk about this and I want you to at least tell me why."
"I've told you why. Just please, don't make this hard on us..."
"It's somebody else. I know it is. I'm not stupid." Andrew's voice wavered from rising anger to forced calm, as if he was trying to keep under control at her request.
This time she looked at him. "Even if there was someone else, it wouldn't matter. Andrew, I don't do this. Not anymore. It's not good for business."
"Not good for..." He started to repeat this but ended in a chiding laugh. "Stephanie, for God's sake, everything's not about the business."
"And everything's not about sex, Andrew." She coldly glared at him, forcing him back into silence. Andrew quickly thought of something to say to debate this obvious truth.
"We weren't about just THAT," he said, his voice rasing. Stephanie shushed him back down. He shook his head and neared her. "We weren't, Steph, seriously. I mean I think a lot more of you than just that. If you'd just give me time I'd prove that."
"Andrew, I'd love to. Really. But I can't. If we get too close it could be dangerous." She tried to placate him with just this, knowing it wouldn't really hush him.
"Dangerous to who? I don't get it. Look, if there's someone else, just tell me, I'd understand."
Stephanie paused and sighed, trying to get him to understand. "Andrew...please, please listen...it doesn't matter at all if there's anyone else, okay?"
"Why not?" He was growling now, almost convinced that there was someone's ass to kick now.
"Because..." she said, slowly, "I'd tell them the same thing." She bit her lip, not quite sure if this was true yet.
This seemed to take Andrew down a notch. His voice lowered. "So you're serious. You don't want to see me anymore."
"I didn't say that," she answered, almost exasperated. "I'm just saying I don't think it's a good idea for us to be so...close."
"But I need you."
Stephanie held her tongue. She'd heard that somewhere before, however with Andrew Martin, she knew that the something that he needed was a little differerent from what CJ needed. "I'll still be as good a friend as I can to you, Andrew. I'll always be here for you to talk to."
"But we won't be...you know..."
"No. I can't. Not anymore, it's not good for business."
"Okay, okay, I'll try to deal with it," he said, a little rushedly, as if even he didn't believe his own words. "But we can still do it sometimes, can't we? I mean, you know how good we are together, Stephanie." He leaned in a little. She hadn't pushed him away, so he leaned in closer and kissed at her hair.
"Andrew..."
"Just one last time, babe. Please? Tonight?"
"That's not going to help anything..."
"After this it'll be just friends. Honest. Just one last time, after the show tonight."
She sighed. "I'm meeting someone tonight."
"Who?"
Pause. Stephanie couldn't lie. Something, or someone, God or Nature, was compelling her to tell the truth. So she did. "Chris."
Andrew took a moment to process all this, and then he put it together. "Ohh fuck." His fist clenched.
"What?" Stephanie's heart skipped a beat, hoping she hadn't given too much away. Unfortunately, she did. Andrew Martin definitely wasn't stupid, although very very male.
"It's him, isn't it?"
"Him...Andrew, what are you talking about?"
"Jericho. It's him. You're leaving him for me. Fucking him instead of me."
"That's ludicrous, Andrew."
"Oh is it? It's all a big joke?" His fist clenched tighter and Stephanie couldn't help but notice it. Andrew continued. "So I guess that's why Levesque came around to me today and mentioned something about that to me, he just wanted me to get a good laugh, huh? Because it's all a big FUCKING joke?"
Stephanie felt faint as his voice rose louder. She hadn't tried to shush him this time. All the walls were closing in, yet he continued.
"I didn't want to believe it. At all. But now you come here and tell me this. I'm not fucking STUPID..."
"I have to go, Andrew," she said weakly, pushing gently at his arm. Surprisingly, it gave her way. Not taking any chances, Stephanie walked wearily but quickly away, trying to walk and at the same time wonder how in the hell Paul knew anything about this. But Paul was Paul. Paul had his ways.
"Fine," said Andrew, calling after her. "Go to him. He's a fucking loser anyway and you'll find it out, babe. Once you'll find out, then you'll tell me I'm right. And don't think I'm done with him, either, because I'm not."
Stephanie barely heard him. She barely knew where she was anymore. Still, she made it around the corner, out of Andrew's sight. There, she stopped and leaned against the wall for support, where she began to weep openly.
**************
Tuesday evening pressed on and the tapings ended with little more occurence backstage. CJ had distanced himself a little further from trouble, having left the arena after his match for that evening was over. The rest of his Tuesday night saw him lying in his hotel room, waiting for Stephanie. He debated whether or not to tell her about the actions Paul took in accepting the shootfight. It would only spoil the evening, after all, and for now what CJ wanted was to just be alone with her, to love her and make love to her, to hold on to the only real thing he had going for him.
And he wouldn't have to wait long. Stephanie had left early as well, in search of a safe haven from the upcoming storm. She tried as much as she could to erase from her mind the hard glare in Andrew's eyes or the anger in his words...what Levesque told me...oh God, what had Paul seen? What had he told Andrew? More importantly, who else had Paul told?
With all the turmoil on her mind, Stephanie had almost forgotten what she wanted to say to Chris when she would see him tonight. It had been what she was planning all day, putting her thoughts together for this and envisioning the scenario in her mind...but now it wasn't important. Right now, she needed CJ. And, just as Our Hero had done, Stephanie debated on whether or not to tell him about this new situation; this new potential problem. but no. That wasn't important either. What was important...what mattered...was the fact that they were together. Stephanie concentrated on that need as she found her way to CJ's room, to his door, and soon enough in his arms. Upon first glance, the two both looked as if they had so much to tell each other, yet they'd decided for now to close the door on the outside world. So then they focused simply on one another, one concentrating on the pleasures of the other, slowly forgetting about everything else and at the same time becoming one.
****************
Stephanie rested on the pillow and looked up at Chris, who lay beside her, his arm around her waist. After a moment, he leaned in for a kiss.
"Mmm," she said with a giggle. "Mind telling me what that was for?"
"Post-coital bliss," he said. "Never thought I'd have that again. Or not for a long, long time at least." CJ played with a shaft of her hair then, still focused on those beautiful blue eyes. Stephanie sighed deeply and smiled. How could I have ever thought of telling you... She stopped her train of thought then, not wanting to continue into something she couldn't possibly think about right now.
"Hey," Chris said, using that telephathy of his, "promise me something, okay?"
"Okay," she said, smiling and taking his bait.
Chris leaned in closer and rested his head against hers, to where their lips were touching. With that, he whispered, "Promise me you won't leave me."
He noticed the flicker leave her eyes for a moment. Her gaze dropped away from him momentarily. Chris stroked her arm. "What's wrong?" He had an idea of it already, of course.
"It's hard to keep some promises," she said, looking back up at him.
"Hmh," he said. "Okay then, I promise that I won't ever leave you, how's that?"
She smiled again. "So what if it's me that leaves, then?"
"I'll follow you."
"To the ends of the earth, Mr. Sappy?" She playfully reached under the covers and pinched at him. He quickly moved away, grabbing her hand and kissing it, then wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him.
"I couldn't leave you," she said, resting her head against his chest, surprised at saying it just then. And she meant it. Stephanie knew there was no easy way to leave Chris behind. Not now, especially, when he needed her the most.
"Nice to know," he chuckled, stroking her hair. Then he repeated his words from the previous day..."I love you."
This time she responded. "I love you too."
Our Hero grinned down at her and gave her a tight squeeze, trying to play the part of the smooth-lover type...while on the inside he was jumping all over and his heart was doing cartwheels. She'd SAID it...and of course she had to mean it! This affirmed everything. Things had to be okay from here on out. They just had to be. He lay there stroking her hair, enjoying the feeling of completeness, something he hadn't experienced for quite some time now.
As Stephanie drifted off to sleep, CJ continued to plan. He knew for sure that he wasn't going to let Paul and his little team ruin this. Now more than ever, Our Hero was determined to win. He was determined to actually stay, now that he had a reason for fighting. And there was one more obstacle to climb over, if he recalled correctly...
Oh fuck, he thought. Joanie...
And Joanie would be waiting for him tonight, just like she'd said. He had to tell her there was no chance he'd ever forgive her...not now. She couldn't bullshit him anymore, that was for sure. CJ looked down at Stephanie, who'd drifted off. He hated leaving her, even if it was momentary, but this had to be done.
Quietly he sneaked out of bed, fumbling around in the dark for his clothes and hoping he wouldn't wake the sleeping princess. After five minutes of seek-and-find he was dressing and preparing to go, planning on how he'd confront Joanie when he got there, what he'd say, what he'd do, and anticipating her moves. Hey, he'd been down this road before, after all. However, this time he'd know what to say.
CJ looked back at Steph one more time before opening the door. So far so good...
As the door opened and a little spill of light entered the room, CJ stepped out and faintly heard her voice murmuring in the background, in the darkness.
"Give her hell for me."