Chris looked at his watch. The plane was due to leave in fifteen minutes. He didn�t know what the hell was taking so long for her to get changed. He knew she was a girl and all but he handed her clothes and told her just to throw them on top of the ones she was wearing. He then threw a baseball cap at her telling her that might be a good idea as well.
She was in there for a half hour. He was about to go in after her.
In fact�
Chris looked around to make sure no one seemed to be going into this bathroom. He then moved a sign that was sitting inside the janitor�s door by the entrance and placed it in front of the bathroom door. It read �Closed for service� with one of those funny looking black stick figures on the front of it.
�Steph.� He called walking in.
She shrieked and he easily found what stall she was in. �What are you doing in here?�
�I thought you fell in.� Chris said. �What is taking you so long? We�ve got a plane to catch.�
�I am not going anywhere in these clothes. We are far away by now, I don�t see why I have to change.�
�Because I said so.� Chris said. �Now get out here before I come in there and get you out.�
�You wouldn�t dare.�
�I�m a wrestler.� Chris said. �In a really pissy mood. Do you wanna try me?�
She sighed as she pulled the hat low over her head and stepped out of the stall.
Chris had to bit his lip to keep from laughing. She was wearing one of his Y2J hockey jerseys, the black and red one, with matching red workout pants, and a Raw is Jericho hat.
�If you so much as smirk I am going back in there and taking it all off.� Stephanie fumed. �I can�t believe this. I look like�I look like a�.�
�Jerichoholic?�
�I don�t want to be one of those insane people.�
�Look, it could be worse.�
�I don�t see how.�
�You could be a Stephoholic.� Chris shuddered. �Now, those are bad, bad people.�
She grabbed her bag from him and stormed out of the bathroom with him laughing behind her.
�What? Come on, I was kidding.� Chris laughed. �I thought it was funny.�
�I don�t find you humorous.� Stephanie said. �Could we just go and get where we�re suppose to be to hook up with your buddy who I don�t trust?�
Chris took her elbow gently and started to walk beside her. �I didn�t ask for your opinion on Chris Benoit. I know I can trust him.�
�You two hated each other for years.�
�We hated each other for years, Princess.� Chris said. �And look at us now? I wouldn�t be champion without you and you wouldn�t be walking without me.�
�I could�ve handled myself.�
�Would you rather I take you back there?�
�I think I have a better chance of surviving than I do going God knows where with you and Chris Benoit!�
Chris felt his jaw tightened as they arrived at their gate and he pulled her aside, leaning her back against a small pay telephone. �Listen, and listen good, because I will only say this once. You and I are what they deem popular people and we are trying not to pull attention to us, that�s why you are in my clothes, looking quite the fan. So would you please suck up whatever pride you have left and realize that you are under my supervision now, which means that if you gotta pee you ask me. Are we clear on that?�
�Absolutely.� Stephanie said. �Not. I am not asking you to go to the bathroom.�
�Will you shut up till we get to Maine? Will you give me that?�
Stephanie looked at him, with his piercing crystal blue eyes reaching down into her soul, she was afraid to talk. �I�ll be on my best behavior till we get to Maine.� She pushed away from him and moved towards the ramp to get onto the airplane. �But I�m not making any promises after that.�
Chris sighed and rolled his eyes heavenward, saying a small prayer to God.
He tossed and turned a little, ready to give up on the sleep that he was trying to get. All he wanted was an hour before he reached the airport. Was that too much to ask? Tonight still seemed so unreal to him. He couldn�t believe that he saved Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley from a certain fate that wouldn�t have been pretty. He shuddered at the thought of what Hunter would�ve done to Stone Cold had he been there. No Alliance member would�ve stopped him from ripping the bald bastard to shreds.
Yet, Chris was concerned with Stephanie. He wanted her out of harms way. Hunter would do damage control first, then get her out of there. Chris was just the opposite. Get the lady to safety then fry the bastard that dare harm her.
Oh Lord, why was he comparing himself to Stephanie�s husband? He sighed, giving up on sleep and opened his eyes to see a very pale Stephanie regurgitating in a small, paper bag, the flight attendant must have given her.
He frowned. �What�s wrong?�
�I don�t like airplanes.� She said as the plane started to hit some turbulence. �Oh God. I hate them. I hate them so much. I don�t ever want to get in one again.�
�Hey, hey.� Chris said. �We�ll be fine. It�s ok.�
�God, I made Shane rent a bus for me. Ever since�you know�it�s just gotten worse.� She said quietly. �So that�s why I made him rent the bus.�
Chris ignored the �Keep seatbelts on� sign and unbuckled his, turning in his seat to face Stephanie. He took a clean napkin he had left over from the peanuts they handed out earlier and wiped the sweat from Stephanie�s forehead.
�I wish you would�ve told me.�
�We were in such a rush.� She said. �Why did we have to get so far away?�
He smiled weakly. �That was the idea and besides, I think you�ll like Maine.�
She took a deep breath, clutching the seat and looked over at him. �Why Maine?�
�It�s close to Canada.�
�So why not Canada?�
�Cause Canada�s obvious.� Chris said. �The only people who live in Maine are retirees or fisherman. Chris bought a house there because it�s a great way to relax. The towns are small and out of the way. No one really bothers you. In Canada, especially if you�re a Canadian, you�d get mobbed in the middle of the street because you�re a wrestler representing them. It�s not easy for us, or Edge and Christian I assume.�
�Wow.� She said. �I know what it�s like to want to stay out of the spotlight. I don�t like all this attention.�
He gave her a smirk. �Could�ve fooled me.�
�Did you ever hear the saying �Sometimes people aren�t what they seem?�.� She asked.
Chris nodded.
�Sometimes its true.� She said. �Someone sold a picture of me on eBay from when I was at a college party. I was in a bikini. They made a killer off of it.�
�Wow.� Chris said. �I would�ve bought that.�
Stephanie laughed, and he noticed that a little color was coming back to her face. �Why? So you could practice darts with it?�
�You know me too well.� He grinned.
She laughed nervously as the stewardess came on, announcing that they were planning to land. �This is the worst part.� She whispered.
Chris buckled his safety belt once again and placed his left hand over her right one, squeezing it gently. �We�ll get through this, together, I promise.�
She looked over at him with her chocolate brown eyes and gave him a weak smile. When he said it like that, she actually believed him.
Stephanie shifted as she stood by the stairs in the big house that looked more like a cabin, which was owned by Chris Benoit. She waned to run upstairs and strip but she didn�t want to be rude. She didn�t know why, she just didn�t want too.
�Chris?�
�Yes.� They both answered.
�I think she means you.� Chris Benoit said, holding back a smile.
�Is something wrong?� Chris asked her.
�I just wanted to�I wanted to change.� She said.
�I thought you looked cute like that.� Chris said and looked to his friend Benoit. �Doesn�t she look cute like that?�
�I�m going to make some coffee.� Chris said. �I�ll see you in the kitchen.�
Chris Jericho smiled and handed her the bag. �Upstairs, it�s the room with the toilet in it.�
�Thank you ever so much.� Stephanie said. �Does it matter where we sleep? I�m kinda of tired.�
�Well princess, if you could try to make it back down here maybe we can discuss it. I don�t want to overexert you.�
She glared at him. �Just when I thought you could be a gentleman you prove me wrong.� She then turned around and stomped up the steps.
He chuckled to himself before making his way into the kitchen where Benoit had a cup of coffee waiting for him. �Caffeine?�
Benoit nodded. �You look exhausted though. I doubt it�s going to keep you up.�
Chris nodded in agreement and took a ship of the warm liquid. It was almost as cold in Maine as it would be in Canada. He loved this weather and it reminded him of how much he missed it and home.
�So, what�s the plan?� Benoit asked before taking another sip of his drink.
�I don�t know.� Chris said, running his fingers through his long blond hair. He looked down at himself in his jeans glad that he was able to change at the airport as well. �How long can we stay here?�
�As long as you want.� Benoit shrugged. �I�ve got rehab tomorrow back in Alabama. I�m going to head back there on a morning flight. Just make sure you leave the place the way you found it.�
�So no party with the Hardy�s?� Chris grinned as he took a long sip of his drink. He had so much to think about and it was starting to scare him.
�Mind if I ask you something?�
�I have a feeling I�m not going to like this.� Chris said.
�You might not.� Benoit shrugged. �But when did you and Stephanie McMahon become so close?�
�Helmsley and we�re not.� Chris said, making sure he added her husband�s last night. �She just started to interfere in my matches. She was trying to hold this over my head. Now she can�t.�
Benoit sighed and shook his head, giving Chris a small smile and revealing that missing tooth. �I was more interested in when you started to think she�s cute.�
Chris started to choke on his coffee. �I don�t think she�s cute.�
�You just said she was.�
�I was teasing her.�
�Sounded like you really thought she was cute.�
�But I don�t.�
�Right.�
Chris groaned and put his mug in the sink. �I see this conversation is going nowhere. I�m going to head to bed. Where do I tell the princess to sleep?�
�She can share a room with you?� Benoit suggested.
�Funny. You�ve been hanging around me too long.� Chris said. �I take it anywhere.�
�Anywhere. I�ll keep in touch.�
�You do that.� Chris said as he started up the stairs. When did he start to like Stephanie? Please, that made his stomach churn a few times. The only reason he called her cute was because she was in his clothes and he was trying to annoy her.
Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. He wouldn�t date her if she was the last woman on earth.
�Hey Steph.� He called out as he walked onto the second floor.
He didn�t find her in the bathroom but was successful in finding her passed out on a bed, in only his shirt, with no covers and hair and make up still somewhat in tact. She must�ve worn herself out, Chris thought.
He pulled the covers over her long shapely legs and brushed some hair out of her face.
She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping, so innocent. It was like the fa�ade had been removed. She wasn�t Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, she wasn�t Stephanie McMahon, she was just Stephanie, Stephanie sleeping in his big shirt.
He shook his head and started to back out of the room as quickly as he could. Tomorrow he had to think of a plan to get her back without endangering her. Being around her was causing him to have thoughts that would usually make him sick.
Now they made him�
�No, no, no.� He mumbled to himself. �And if I can�t get rid of her, I�m gonna go in town and find me a damn fine woman.�
He closed the door behind him in the room he picked for the night and thought that that was unlikely unless he had a thing for some senior citizens.
