| Part XX |
At the next show Alex was walking down the hall of the arena on her way to 'Taker�s dressing room when she saw Jesse sitting on an equipment box. She noticed he didn�t look very happy and felt a sort of sadness from him. �Hey, honey! What�s wrong?� She asked jumping up to sit beside him, nudging his shoulder slightly. Jesse nudged her back before he answered, �Hey baby girl. Not too much. Just talked to Billy.� �Oh really?!� she asked excitedly. �How is he feeling? Did the surgery go well? How is Nikole?� She asked. Now she understood his mood. Billy had been �injured out� to take care of his shoulder injury that was nagging him. Jesse missed and was worried about Billy. �Yeah, it went okay. Nikki is fussing over him; she likes having him home. But it�s going to take a while in rehab for him to be back.� �Hmm. Well that�s kind of to be expected, huh?� She asked. �Do they have an angle set up for you while he�s out?� she asked. �Yeah, They want me to work with some new kid. For us to be the �newest� tag team.� He stated. �You don�t sound real excited about that prospect.� She laughingly observed. Jesse shrugged then replied, �I�m just not sure why. You know Billy and I were just going in a good direction with the tag belts and then all of DX having belts, then it�s started taking a down swing.� �You�ve got to take the good with the bad.� Alex stated. Jesse shrugged and she could tell it wasn�t helping his mood. Alex decided to try a different tactic. �Aawww, Jesse misses him widdle fwend.� She stated, in her best �tweety bird� voice. Jesse glanced over at her, a mischievous look in his eye. �Don�t do that.� He warned. �Him misses him fwend.� She said again, trying not to lose the voice in her attempt to keep from giggling. �Don�t wowwy Jesse, he�ll be back soon. I�ll be your fwend . . .� she squealed as she jumped off the box when Jesse reached for her. She only got about five steps before Jesse caught her and put her over his shoulder. He began walking down the hall like that as she laughed. �Jesse, put me down!� she demanded, barely able to speak from laughing. As they walked down the hall, Jesse casually said hello to several of the wrestlers, ignoring the fact that Alex was squirming and demanding to be put down. Alex scowling at all of them as they merely smiled, not one offering to help. �Hey! What are you two doing?� Ice asked. She was walking around helping Jim do a security check when she ran into Jesse and who she thought might be Alex but she wasn�t real sure from that angle. �Ice, help me!?� Alex asked, trying desperately to turn to see her. �Make him put me down.� She requested. �Nope! Not gonna do it.� Jesse informed them both, shaking his head. Ice laughed, and moved around to see Alex�s face. �What did you do?� �Nothing! I promise. I didn�t do a thing!� Alex professed innocently, but with a Cheshire grin on her face. �Ah-huh.� Ice stated. �So he just picked you up for NO reason whatsoever and decided to carry you down the hall?� �Well . . .um . . .he might be just a little bit mad.� Alex conceded. �Hmmm, about what?" Ice asked smiling. �I was just trying to make him . . .� she started. �She was trying to annoy me.� Jesse informed Ice. �Jesse, if you don�t put me down, I�m going to pass out. I�m getting dizzy.� Alex informed him, squirming. Jesse held her tighter, popping her lightly on the butt. �HEY!� Alex yelled. �If you keep moving you�re going to fall.� He informed her. �So are you going to carry her around like that all night?� Ice asked, looking back at Jesse. �Nah, I�m just going to take her somewhere where she can�t get into any more trouble.� Jesse informed her, nodding toward the hall. �Oh, okay. Well . . . be careful then. She�s bound to be really pissed when you let her go.� Ice warned him. �Ha! She�s a puddy tat.� Jesse informed her, imitating Alex�s earlier �tweety� voice. Jesse continued down the hall and Alex lifted her head to see Ice standing in the hall waving at her. �Thanks a lot!� she yelled, still laughing. Jesse continued down the hall and made a turn. Alex was starting to get really dizzy, �Jesse . . .put . . .me . . .DOWN!� she demanded again. She started hitting him but it had little effect, as she couldn�t stop laughing. When Jesse reached a door, he kicked on it because Alex was squirming again and he was trying to keep her from falling. �Hey! Open up!� he yelled. Alex heard the door open and she squealed when Jesse hitched her forward and into the arms of Jericho. �Here!" Jesse announced. �See if you can keep her out of trouble.� Jesse requested. �What are you two doing?� Chris asked, looking down at Alex. Alex sat up a little, put her arms around Jericho�s neck and stuck her tongue out at Jesse, before she started laughing again. �See ya!� Jesse offered as he turned to leave. He paused; turning back he leaned over and kissed Alex at her temple. �Thanks, baby girl.� He smiled and turned to leave. Alex smiled back at him, because she knew she had accomplished what she�d wanted and taken Jesse�s mind off his problems at least for a little while. She looked back up at Chris. �Hi.� She said simply, swinging her legs back and forth. Chris closed the door with his foot and carried her into the room. �You can put me down any time now.� She informed him. �I like having you like this.� He informed her. When he saw her blush slightly, reflex had him put her down. Alex�s head was still spinning from being upside down so long and when she took a shaky step Chris caught her before she fell. �Whoa!� she moaned, as she reached out to grab Chris� arm. Chris pulled her close to him and slid his arms around her waist. Alex placed her forehead on his chest until she was sure the room had stopped turning. When she started to back away, Chris tightened his grip around her. She looked up at him and smiled. �I�m okay now.� she assured him. �I know.� He whispered. Before he could stop himself, Chris leaned down, pressing his lips lightly to hers. Caught between shock and an emotion she didn�t know was there Alex kissed him back. Her hands traveled up his arms and wrapping around his neck. Chris pulled her to him, to where she was standing on her toes, as he continued to kiss her softly. When she realized what she was doing she broke the kiss and stepped back, her fingers over her lips, shocked at what she�d just done. Chris smiled, �I�ve waited a long time for that.� He confessed. Alex looked at him confused. �I don�t understand.� She stated. �Yes, you do.� He answered. �I�ve waited a long time to kiss you. More importantly for you to kiss me back.� Chris informed her. �I didn�t mean to . . .� she started. �Don�t tell me you didn�t enjoy that.� He smirked, interrupting her. �And don�t try to tell me you don�t feel something for me.� He stated. �I don�t think about you that way.� �Big . . . BIG fat lie.� She heard a voice in her head say. Chris walked over to her again; he stood inches from her, never taking his eyes off her face. He took her hand, turned it palm side up and traced little circles on the inside of her wrist with his thumb. �Oh really.� He whispered smiling and raised his eyebrow. Alex felt her heart skitter, �Stop.� She whispered weakly and she pulled her arm away from him. �I don�t think about you . . .� Suddenly there was a knock at the door; �Jericho, you�re up next!� a voice from outside the door informed him. Chris pulled Alex to him again and kissed her once more; Alex sighed deeply at the intensity. �Then you need to start.� He warned and walked out for his match. |