| Part XXVII |
A few weeks later Alex was asleep in her room. She had slept fitfully most of the night; but that was nothing new. She usually did around this time. Near dawn she fell into a comfortable sleep. Alex was dreaming when she felt someone touching her hair. She sighed and opened her eyes slightly. Alex thought she was still dreaming. �Morning sleepyhead.� Chris whispered. He was sitting on the floor next to her bed; Alex was lying on her stomach, with her face in the pillow. She smiled sleepily, �Dream come true.� She murmured softly. Chris chuckled, �What?� he asked. �Dreaming.� She whispered touching his cheek lightly with her finger; turning her face slightly to see him more clearly. �You were dreaming about me?� he asked smiling, his eyes dancing. Alex slowly nodded as she smiled sleepily. �Hmmmm . . .was it a good dream?� he asked, running his hand along her hair. Alex nodded; the images of the dream starting to become clearer. �Will you tell me about it?� he asked grinning wickedly. Alex shook her head slowly as she smiled again. �No? Why not?� � he asked; disappointedly as his lips twisted into a pout. When he saw Alex blush, �OH, it was an . . .interesting dream?� Chris concluded. Alex pressed her lips together, as she nodded again. �Hmmmm . . .� he considered, �must have been a very interesting dream.� Alex blushed deeper and she turned to bury her face in the pillow giggling. �You know I can be very persuasive when the occasion calls for it.� He informed her. Alex gasped slightly when she felt his hand slide under the sheet. His hand then slid under her nightshirt to trace little designs on her back; just light enough to tease not tickle. �Are you sure you don�t want to tell?� Chris asked again. Alex shook her head again as she lifted her head from the pillow. She turned on to her side, Chris� hand sliding along her body; she took Chris� hand and pulled it to her lips. �A woman has to have secrets.� she whispered. Chris laughed lightly, and squeezed her hand, �You win � for now.� He conceded. �But you need to get up now.� Alex glanced at the clock, �Oh!� �Your breakfast is getting cold.� He informed her. Alex looked at him confused and propped herself up on her elbow. She followed his gaze across the room to where Chris had elegantly set the table with breakfast for her. She turned back to him surprised. �I know you have to leave later, I wanted us to spend a little time together on Valentine�s.� he informed her. �Do you mind?� he asked sheepishly. Alex just stared at Chris for a moment; Valentine�s had never meant anything to her. Alex reached out and caressed his cheek, then slid her hand around his neck to draw his face to hers and kissed him deeply. �No, baby.� She replied her voice thick. �I don�t mind at all.� Chris stood and waited for Alex to sit up in bed, holding out his hand to help her up. Alex stopped suddenly, �How did you get in here?� she asked. Chris grinned, �I bribed room service.� She smiled, because she knew he wasn�t telling her something. �With?� �My charm, my wit, my boyish good looks.� He informed her, as if the question was ridiculous. She raised her eyebrow at him, �With?� she asked again. �An autograph and a snapshot.� He conceded after a minute. Alex giggled and kissed him lightly, �You big flirt.� She teased. �Go get dressed.� He ordered lightly. It wasn�t until Alex was drying her hair that she realized Chris knew she was leaving, but hadn�t asked her any questions. When she finished she came to sit at the table and they both started eating. �Chris, you haven�t asked me where I�m going.� She stated when they were almost finished. �Do you want to tell me?� he asked lightly. When he saw the look on her face he continued, �I know it�s important because you have gone somewhere the same time each year for the past couple of years. I assume it can�t be dangerous because Kane or 'Taker don�t insist on going with you.� Alex felt he was trying his best to be light. He really wanted to know, but was leaving the choice to her. �I wasn�t going to leave without telling you.� She said softly. Alex could feel that she�d obviously hurt his feeling by not telling him she was leaving for a few days. �I should have said something earlier.� She commented. Chris nodded, �Yeah.� They sat there in an uncomfortable silence, until Chris softly asked, �Where ya going?� �Home.� She said whispered simply. Seeing the confusion on Chris� face she began again. �I want to tell you.� �You sure?� he asked. Alex was certain she was. Not because she felt she needed to explain herself to him, but because she wanted to share this part of herself with him. For the next hour Alex quietly told him about her grandmother and everything she had meant to her and about her promise. Alex wore a sad smile, her body turned to the patio door staring at the skyline and her eyes had a far off look. She pulled her feet up on the chair and hugged her knees to her chest. �She was the one constant in my life. Every major event in my life, she was there. Several times growing up we lived with her. Later, I spent almost every summer at her house. I used to beg, plead � cry if necessary - to go. I hated being with my parents and I loved being around her. She was a very wise woman.� Alex informed him, her voice thick, her finger twirling around her necklace abscently. �I miss her everyday. I go back as much for myself as for her.� Chris walked around the table and picked Alex up out of her chair. She wound her arms around his neck, laying her head on his shoulder as he sat on the bed with her in his lap. �Thank you . . .for sharing that with me. She must have been a very special person.� Chris stated. �Are you sure you should be going alone? This is obviously very hard on you.� Chris asked worriedly. �Not going to be alone, Lydia will be there this year.� She murmured into his shoulder. �A lot of my family is going to be there this year.� She answered, not looking up. �What�s wrong?� he asked, hearing the tears in her voice. �About seven months after she died . . .floods swept through south Texas.� She started. �I remember reading about that. The river came out of its banks or something. A lot of homes were destroyed . . .� Chris stopped when he realized what he was saying. He looked down at her. �Oh sweets, no.� Alex nodded, �Floods are nothing new . . .I grew up with them. When I was little I used to think it was fun. We�d play in the water.� She remembered sadly. �Normally, it wouldn�t have been that a big deal. But the water came so fast and then the damns broke. The water actually got in the house this time . . .� Alex stopped because she could hear her voice crack. �The house, well the entire neighborhood was destroyed. The state condemned the house. They�re going to tear it down this weekend.� She whispered. Chris held her tighter as he felt her body tremble. �I know it�s just a house . . .� she started. �No its not . . .it was her house . . .it was where you grew up.� He assured. �It�s like losing her all over again.� She whimpered, finally giving into the tears. Alex cried on his shoulder for a few minutes while he held her. When she was done, she lifted her head, sniffling, her eyes red; uneasy and unsure of what to say after breaking down so completely in front of him. Sensing her uncertainty, Chris smiled, leaning down he kissed her temple softly, �Anytime darlin�.� He assured her. Alex smiled; it tickled her to no end to hear him try to speak with a Texas drawl. Alex noticed the twinkle in his eyes, �What?� she asked curiously. �My timing sucks right now.� He hesitated, brushing the last of her tears from her cheek. �I have something for you.� Chris informed her. Alex tilted her head, �You what?� She asked confused. He set her on the bed, and walked over to the dresser, where he had laid a box. He walked back to the bed and sat next to her. He turned sideways pulling her to sit between his legs. Alex draped her leg over his as she was waiting impatiently for him to reveal what he had. �Happy Valentines Day.� He announced, setting the small box in the center of her hand. Alex stared at it curiously, �What is it?� she asked. �A puppy.� He said casually and Alex giggled. �Open it silly girl.� He stated. Alex held the box for a moment just looking at it; she noticed her hand was trembling slightly. She�d never gotten a Valentine�s present before. As she opened the small velvet box, Alex gasped at the twinkle. Sitting in the center was a single carat solitaire diamond pendant - the kind that was normally worn on a thin gold chain. �It�s beautiful.� She whispered, as she touched it lightly with her finger. Only seeing the pendant, �But I thought . . .� she started to ask looking up at him. Chris nodded, �I didn�t get the chain . . .I�ve never seen you take this off.� He informed her as he fingered her collarbone for a moment then lifted the chain that rested there. Alex smiled and took his hand and lacing her fingers with his. Alex nodded, �It was hers.� She answered quietly. �I gave it to her . . .and when she died . . .she gave it back.� �I guessed that.� He replied. �You don�t have to put it on there, we can get it . . .� �No,� she shook her head. �I want to. I want to have something of both of you near me � all the time.� She informed him. �Help me put it on.� She requested turning around. Jericho unlatched the chain and slipped the pendant on. Then wrapped his arms around her waist as she leaned back against him. �Thank you,� she whispered. �For my present,� she began, fingering the pendant, �and for listening to me.� She whispered the last part. She turned to sit facing him. �I�m still getting used to opening up about what�s on my mind � and in my heart.� She informed him quietly. �I�ve not opened up about my grandmother with many people. It hurt so much to lose her and talking about it only seem to make it hurt more.� Alex lowered her head and she stared at the floor. She took a deep breath, �I�m sorry. I should have told you I was leaving for a few days.� She whispered. Chris ran his finger under her chin, tilting her head up. �Baby, look at me.� he asked. Chris had watched her face, he�d seen her insecurity, but he�d also seen fear and he�d heard it in her voice. Alex turned her face, not looking at him, �I know you�re mad . . .� �Wait . . .wait . . .wait.� Chris interrupted. Chris made Alex turn around, taking her face in her hands. �Baby.� He whispered, kissing her quickly. �I�m not mad.� Seeing the doubt in her face, �Why do you think I�m mad?� He asked. Alex shrugged her shoulders, �Cause I didn�t tell you . . .� she mumbled. �Stop . . .stop.� Chris interrupted again, pulling her flush against him. Chris stroked her hair, �I was hurt.� He continued. �Alex, I don�t expect you to tell me where you are every minute of every day.� He began. �I was upset I had to find out from Ice and Leah and not you, that you were going to be gone for a couple of days.� He admitted. Alex looked up at him, confusion on her face. �But you still did all this.� She remarked, gesturing at the table. Chris only smiled, �I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt.� He explained. �And I wanted to spend time with you before you left.� �But that�s why you�d be mad. That�s why I didn�t say anything. Couples are supposed to spend Valentine�s Day together. But the holiday doesn�t me that much to me.� she rambled. Chris stared at her for a moment, �You didn�t tell me something . . .because you thought I�d be mad at you?� he asked. Alex only bit her lip not responding. �I�m not mad.� He said slowly. �I understand � now � why the holiday is hard for you.� He began, � And from now on I�m going to do my best to make it easier for you. But baby we�re going to argue and disagree about a lot of things. � Chris framed Alex's face with his hands, his thumb sliding across her cheek, �But I don�t ever want to see that look on your face.� Chris stated, his voice dropping to a soft whisper. �Baby, why were you scared?� he asked softly. Alex fidgeted for a few minutes, biting her bottom lip again, �I warned you this would be muddled. I keep messing up. I don�t know how to do this.� She exclaimed. Chris couldn�t stop the smile that slid across his face, �I love your na�vet�.� He mumbled. Alex face twisted into a pout, �You�re making fun of me.� she whined, pushing him lightly. �I�m not. I promise I�m not.� He said quickly. Chris took her hands in his holding them tightly, �We are stumbling through this. I need you to remember that. We�re going to disagree. The worse that comes from that is we�ll yell at each other until we settle it. Nothing more. But we�re going to agree a whole lot more.� He said emphatically. �Mostly cause I can�t seem to tell you �no�.� he added. Alex grinned wickedly, �Hmmmmmmm . . .is that so.� She purred. Chris, realizing he�d made a mistake, closed his eyes and groaned. �I�m gonna have to remember that.� Alex said brightly. Chris shook his head, �You need to remember you can tell me anything. No matter what it is, no matter what you think my reaction is going to be. Okay?� he asked. Alex nodded, �I�m still sorry.� She whispered softly. Chris pulled her to him and Alex placed her head on his chest. �You�re forgiven.� Chris whispered into her hair. They sat there holding each other for a few minutes until the phone rang. �Who could that be?� Chris asked. Alex walked around the bed to the phone and picked it up. �Yes, I�ll be right down.� Was all she said. �The front desk.� she answered, �It�s my car to the airport. Kane and 'Taker have a signing and couldn�t take me.� She informed Chris. �I was going to take you.� He protested. �Well you can ride with me and it�ll bring you back.� She suggested. �Okay, but I�ll pick you up when you come back.� He insisted. Alex smiled as she enjoyed hearing the possessive nature in his voice. Alex finished getting dressed, grabbing her bags and together they headed to the lobby. Chris took her hand to stop her just before she reached the door. She turned around to look at him, �What?� she asked softly. �Promise . . .to call me if you need me?� he asked of her. Alex smiled and she felt her heart flutter. �I promise.� She answered her voice thick. �What would I do without him?� she asked herself. |