Chris reclined against the pillows and Rosie rested her head against his naked chest.  His arm snaked around her and held her tight.

Taking a deep breath he began his story…

"I've known Carly for a long time.  We grew up together, went to the same school in Winnipeg and in our sophomore year we started dating.  She was everything a guy could ask for and she treated me like a king.  I got on really well with her parents too.  We never fought, had fun with each other, and even got dubbed the golden couple at school because we both had blonde hair."   

"One day early on in our senior year I found Carly talking to this guy I'd never met before.  She told me he was her brother and because of a family disagreement he wasn't welcome in her parent's home.  Darren was a few years older than us and had moved to another town so she hardly ever saw him.  I was told in no uncertain terms not to mention him in front of her parents, and although I thought it was strange, I complied."  

"Every time Darren was in town I hardly saw Carly.  She spent a lot of time with him and I never thought to question it, I mean he was her brother, what right did I have to be jealous?"   

"Darren visited just before our senior prom so of course I hadn't seen Carly for days.  I was missing her and really needed to see her so I went to her house, hoping she wouldn't be angry with me for dropping in unannounced.  At first, the house appeared empty, but the front door was unlocked, so I went in.  There wasn't anyone downstairs, so I went upstairs to check things out.  All the doors were open or ajar except for the one on Carly's bedroom.  Just as I was about to open it I heard a banging noise.  I threw open the door…"

Chris paused remembering like it was yesterday the sight that greeted his eyes.  Taking a deep breath, he continued.

"I threw open the door and there was Carly sprawled naked on her bed, Darren, naked, on top of her.  They both just stared at me when they saw me standing there; they never even bothered to cover themselves.  I felt sick in the stomach and ran out of the house as fast as I could.  When I stopped outside I almost ran back inside, thinking that Darren was raping her, but she had followed me and didn't seem any worse for wear, so to speak.  I was so angry! I demanded to know if she knew how wrong it was to sleep with your brother.  She just smiled back at me and calmly explained that Darren wasn't her brother at all, that was just a cover story.  She'd met him a few months before and was seeing the both of us.  There was one difference though; she and I weren't sleeping together.  That's what annoyed me the most; she had always put me off, saying she wanted to wait until after high school to lose her virginity, yet here she was fucking some other guy behind my back.  I just walked away; leaving her standing on her front lawn wrapped in a quilt and never looked back." 

"Of course it got around school what she'd done, but I never said a word to anyone about it.  I was too cut up to care what people were saying about her.  All I knew was I'd been taken for a fool.  I started to wonder what was wrong with me, why would she feel the need to hurt me like that.  My self esteem hit rock bottom and didn't really recover until I was accepted into Stu Hart's wrestling school."

"Oh Chris, how horrible it all must have been for you," Rosie whispered, stoking his stomach lightly.

"It was tough.  For the next few years I threw myself into my wrestling.  Part of the reason I went to Japan and Mexico was to stay away from home.  I didn't want to have to run into Carly.  Then I joined WCW but I was never given a fair go.  Everyone told me I was too small to be a professional wrestler.  I fully found myself again when I joined the WWE.  As funny as it may sound, I felt at home there and I made some really good friends. Then I met you." He stopped and took a deep breath. "Then I met you and you made my life complete.  I fell in love with you the moment I saw you cradling your foot on the beach.  From the moment I first held you in my arms I knew you were meant for me; that some divine power had made you injure yourself on my beach.  Then after things going so great for so long, Hunter dropped his bombshell about you being his sister.  At first all I could think was history was repeating itself, I almost had myself convinced that you were having an affair with him and he wasn't really your brother."

Rosie sat up and stared wide-eyed at Chris, not really surprised at his confession but hurt nonetheless. 

"You honestly thought I could deceive you like that?" she asked softly.

"In the deep recesses of my mind, yes, I guess I did believe you would.  I can't tell you how sorry I am to say that, but what had happened before kept haunting me.  It got even worse after we were in Winnipeg because I came face to face with Carly.  It was the first time I'd seen her in at least 15 years but everything came rushing back, all the doubts, uncertainties, everything.  Every time I saw you hug Hunter I felt like punching him, but you kept begging me to be nice to him so I had to try, for both our sakes."

"Thank you for being honest with me, even though it hurts to realise you didn't trust me."

"Oh, baby, it's really not that I didn't trust you.  It's just I was waiting for something bad to happen.  I mean, what are the chances of two of my girlfriends suddenly acquiring big brothers?"  Chris joked.

Not appreciating the attempted humour in Chris' last comment, Rosie got out of bed and walked to the fridge.  She grabbed a bottle of juice and took a long drink of it.  Chris noticed the rigid set of her spine and realised he wasn't going to have an easy time of things.  He too got out of bed and walked over to her.

"Rosie…." He began, laying his hands on her shoulders.

Rosie brushed his hands off and walked away.  "I need to be alone for a while, I'm going for a walk," she announced, shrugging into her dressing gown before throwing open the door and walking through it, letting it slam behind her. 

Chris sighed as he watched her walk away. 

Thankful there wasn't anyone else around at this time of night, Rosie strode through the deserted corridors until she reached the balcony.  She walked to the edge and gazed out at the city sprawled before her, her arms folded across her chest.  At least she now knew what had been bothering Chris.  Never in her wildest dreams would she have figured that one out. 

She understood why Chris had been paranoid about her and Hunter but she felt heart-sore that he'd even consider her capable of being unfaithful.  Had she somehow failed to show him just how much he meant to her?  From the first moment they'd met he had been her everything; her friend, her lover, her strength.  She hid nothing from him, supported his career, and gave up her job to travel with him.  She had done everything in her power to make him happy because if he was happy, she was happy.  And we were happy! She thought, closing her eyes against the tears that threatened. 

She dashed away the tears that seeped under her lids and walked over to the chair in the corner.  Thankful it was deep in the shadows, she sunk into it, tucking her feet beneath her.  Leaning her head back she gazed at the starry sky, tears streaming silently down her face. 

***** 

As Dave Batista emerged on the balcony, the eastern sky was lightening.  He sighed as he leaned over the railing, puzzled by the reception he'd received in room 834.  To the best of his knowledge he'd done nothing to piss her off but she'd been particularly cool to him. 

"Damn women, there's no understanding them," he muttered to himself, slapping the railing.

As he contemplated the troublesome woman he'd just left he caught a movement out the corner of his eye.  He spun around and swore colourfully when he realise it was Rosie curled up in the chair to his far right. 

"Rosie! What the hell are you doing out here?" he demanded.

"I just wanted to be alone," she explained, shivering in the early morning chill.

"How long have you been sitting there!"

She just shrugged her shoulders, "Don't know and don't really care."

Dave walked over to her and squatted down at her feet, placing his jacket around her shoulders.  "Have you been crying again?" he asked softly, noting her red eyes.

"No," she denied, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Don't lie to me, darlin'.  What happened?"

"Dave, I really don't want to talk about it."

"Ok, but I'm betting Chris has done some talking, hasn't he?"

Rosie glared at Dave and refused to answer, that in itself telling Dave he was right.  "What are you doing out here at this time of day anyway?  You look like you haven't even changed your clothes from last night."  Rosie countered.  "Did you have a hot date that no-one knew about?"

Dave's cheeks turned pink.  "I don't really want to talk about it."

Rosie smiled slightly at his sarcastic response.  "Turnaround is fair play, I guess."

Dave stood and dropped a chaste kiss onto her forehead.  "I'm going to bed.  Will you be alright?"

"Aren't I always?"

"I ain't answering that," he grinned as we walked away.   

Rosie stayed outside until she made a decision about what she was going to do.  As she made her way back to her room she hoped Chris had already gone down for breakfast, she would prefer to leave him a note explaining her actions rather than confront him face to face.

When she opened the door she was relieved to be greeted with silence.  Sending a quick prayer skyward, she picked up the phone and rang the front desk.

"Good morning, Reception," a bright voice sounded through the hand piece.

"Good morning, this is Rosie Divine from room 804.  Can you please book me a ticket for the next flight to Tampa?  Add it to Mr Jericho's bill, please."

"Certainly ma'am.  I'll do that right away.  I'll buzz you back in a few minutes with the details."

Rosie placed the phone back in its cradle and got dressed before she started packing her suitcase.  She nearly jumped out of her skin when the phone buzzed.

"Hello?"

"Hello Miss Divine, I've booked you on the 9.15 flight to Tampa with American Airways.  Your ticket will be waiting at the airport for you and I've booked a taxi to be here at eight."

"Thanks."

As she finished packing she glanced at the clock and was relieved to see it read 7.51.  She'd have to leave straight away to make her flight, and she'd have no time to say goodbye to anyone.  She knew she was taking the coward's way out but didn't care.  She needed to be alone and had no chance of achieving that whilst she was around the other wrestlers. 

After putting her luggage at the door she sat at the desk and wrote a short note to Chris.  She left it propped against the bedside table, next to his glasses case so he was sure to see it.   

She left her room key on the table, picked up her suitcase and carry bag then left the room.  She waited impatiently for the elevator and breathed a sigh of relief when the doors opened and no one was inside. 

She found her cab, and slipped inside whilst the driver loaded the trunk with her bags.  As the cab pulled away from the curb she didn't look back. 

***** 

Chris scanned the room and immediately noticed Rosie's bags were gone.  He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "Damn, where the hell has she gone?"

He spied the envelope next to the bed and picked it up, tearing it apart in his haste to retrieve the note inside. 

Chris

I need to be alone so I've gone home.  We'll talk tomorrow night.

Rosie 

"Fuck!" he swore, flopping down across the bed.  "I knew something like this would happen!"

His head was pounding like a bitch as he hauled himself up into a sitting position.  He spied a suit coat draped over one of the chairs and realised it was Dave's.  Getting off the bed he snatched his sunglasses from the bedside table, grabbed the coat and headed out the door. 

***** 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, keep your shirt on!" Dave called as someone pounded mercilessly on his door.

He opened the door to see Chris standing there, a piece of paper in one hand and a suit coat dangling over the other arm. 

"Can I come in?" Chris asked softly.

"Sure, man," Dave replied stepping aside to grant Chris access.

"I think this might be yours," Chris commented as he tossed the coat to Dave.

"Sure is, thanks.  Are you ok?  You look like crap."

"Gee thanks, and no I'm not ok.  Rosie's gone."

"What??  You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope, she's gone home."  Chris handed the note to Dave.

Dave read the note then handed it back to him.  "Did you two have a fight last night?"

"I almost wish we had.  No, it's as I suspected all along.  I knew if I told her what had been bothering me there'd be trouble."  Chris sat at the table, his head in his hands.  "I explained to her how Carly was my girlfriend in High School and how she cheated on my with a guy that she told me was her brother and how paranoid I'd become about her and Hunter."

"Oh, man!  She didn't take it too well, huh?"  Dave asked as he took the chair opposite Chris.

"No she withdrew into herself and that was the end of it.  All she said was she wanted to be alone and she walked out the door."

"I think she may have spent a good part of the night out on the balcony, that's where I saw her this morning and she was cold so I gave her my jacket.  What are you going to do, man?"

"Not much I can do.  I can't leave for home until after the show tonight; Vince would have my balls on a platter if I skipped the show.  I guess I'm just going to have to give Rosie the space she needs until I get home tomorrow night."

"It might give her time to get her head together," Dave commented.  "I'm a bit surprised she didn't tell anyone she was leaving."

"When she's upset she prefers to be alone."

"She did seem…standoffish this morning."

Chris leaned back in his chair and threw his head back, wincing slightly.  "It's like she builds a brick wall around herself, one not even Hunter's sledgehammer can penetrate."

"People have different ways of dealing with stuff."

"I know," Chris sighed, "women, there's no understanding them sometimes."

"Tell me about it," Dave grumbled. 

***** 

Rosie walked through her front door and breathed a sigh of relief. 

"God it's good to be home," she sighed as she took her bags to the main bedroom. 

She made quick work of unpacking, changed into shorts and t-shirt and made her way down to the beach.  The salty tang in the air instantly made her feel better as she sat on the sand and gazed out over the restless ocean.  With a clearer mind she was able to look at things objectively.  Was she really willing to give up everything she had just because of one little hiccup?  In the entire time they'd been together he had never shown any mistrust of her, and he shamelessly indulged her love of jewellery, the various rings adorning her fingers and her overflowing jewellery box was testament to that.   Chris was her life and he meant everything to her and since she was being honest with herself, she admitted she didn't really have the inclination to start life anew again; it had been hard enough the first time.  Am I using that as an excuse? She pondered.  Am I only staying because I'm not strong enough to break away?  Even as she thought it she knew it was a lie.  She had no desire to leave Chris or the life they'd built together. 

In a heartbeat she knew she couldn't hold a grudge against him and as soon as he walked through the door tomorrow she'd tell him she understood.  Hopefully he would forgive her for packing up and leaving him this morning, but she was sure he knew she was just licking her wounds.  And she'd explain if necessary, that she was suffering from the worse bout of PMS she'd had in years.

With a lighter heart and a renewed optimism Rosie made her way back to the house, humming softly as she went. 

***** 

Later that day 

Chris was tying his shoe laces, one foot propped up on a bench, when a knock sounded on his dressing room door.

"Come in," he yelled, not bothering to turn around.

"Hey, Chris, how ya doin, man?" Hunter asked, dropping onto the bench next to Chris' foot.

"Head's pounding like there's no tomorrow, but apart from that, I'm ok," he shrugged, switching feet to tie the other lace.

Hunter scanned the room and finding it entirely free of a female influence asked.  "Where's Peanut?"

 "She's….." Chris tried in vain to come up with a legitimate reason for her absence.  He sighed heavily and sat down next to Hunter, hands dangling loosely between his thighs.  "She's gone home."

"She's what?"

"She's gone home," Chris repeated.  "Left me a note this morning and flew home."

"Now why would she have done that?"  Hunter asked, cocking his head to one side in a movement identical to that of his sister.

"How the hell didn't we see you and Rosie were related?  Some of your mannerisms are so alike."  Chris laughed softly.  "We had a talk after you guys left us.  I explained to her why I've been acting funny then I said something dumb and I know I hurt her.  She said she wanted to be alone and that's the last I saw her."

"But she just jumped on a plane and didn't say a word to anyone."

"Hunter, there's still a lot you don't know about your sister.  When she's hurt or angry she prefers to be alone.  She withdraws into herself and doesn't like talking to anyone.  I guess if she was here she's have too many people asking her what was wrong so she probably thought she'd be better off going home."

Hunter stood up and started pacing back and forth.  "It must have been some hell of a confession," he mumbled.

Chris realised now was as good a time as any to face his last demon so he started recounting his tale once again…..

"And until fairly recently I kinda thought you and Rosie were having an affair and using this whole 'long lost sister' thing as a cover," he concluded, bracing himself for the onslaught sure to come his way.

"You fuckin WHAT?" Hunter roared, dragging Chris to his feet and slamming him against the wall.  "You honestly thought that I was screwing Rosie.  How big a pea-brain can you be, huh?  Firstly, right from the start, any idiot could see how smitten she was with you.  No-one else stood a chance of trying to get her away from you.  Secondly, do you think that after all we've been through I would be unfaithful to Nan? Jesus Christ, Chris, this Carly really did a job on you, didn't she?"  He shook his head in disgust as he backed away, knowing that if he didn't put some distance between himself and the blonde man in front of him, he'd start throwing punches.  "You claim to know Rosie so well yet you don't trust her…"

"It's not that I don't trust her," Chris interrupted

Amber eyes bored into blue.  "It doesn't matter!  How can you love someone and then tell them you suspect them of being unfaithful?  If you know her as well as you claim then you'd know she'd never lie to you.  For fuck's sake, I've only known her a little while, and lemme tell ya, I'd trust her with my life."

Chris pushed himself away from the wall and stood toe to toe with Hunter. 

"You know what, Game?"  Chris snarled.  "I've had it with this conversation, had it with your whole 'holier than thou' attitude.   You may think you're better than me, you may think I'm a complete idiot.  But know this:  I love your sister and I will do everything in my power to make her happy and make up for this whole mess.  I thought I was doing the right thing in telling you the whole story, but obviously I was wrong!"

With that Chris spun on his heel and slammed out of the room, leaving Hunter staring at the still shaking door. 

***** 

Rosie was engrossed in Raw when the telephone rang. 

"Bloody hell," she muttered as she snatched the phone off the coffee table.  "Hello?" she enquired curtly.

"Hello, can I speak to Chris?" a female voice asked.

Unable to believe her ears Rosie recognised the voice as being Carly's.  Shaking her head at the other woman's obvious stupidity an idea started to form, one that was pure genius if it could be pulled off. 

"Ah, no, I'm sorry he's not here right now.  Can I leave a message for him?"

"No thanks, I'll catch up with him later…..click."

Rosie stared at the phone as the dial tone buzzed, mouth open. 

"Oh man, she's definitely blonde," she said to the empty room. 

Obviously her absence backstage had been noticed.  She briefly wondered why Hunter or Dave hadn't called her but was glad that they hadn't.  Her attention was drawn back to the TV as Chris appeared on screen.  Her heart did a little jump at the sight of him.  Oh my god he's gorgeous she thought to herself, smiling smugly, and he's all mine!  To her trained eye she could tell he wasn't feeling too crash hot, although someone who didn't know him quite so …… intimately…..would have no clue.  He portrayed Y2J in his usual manner, the crowd right behind him. 

"I love you, Christopher Jericho," she whispered to the TV screen as the camera panned in for a close up, then giggled at her adolescent gesture.   

***** 

After the show, Chris was strolling through the corridors towards the exit when Hunter stepped in front of him.

"What now?" Chris growled.

"I just wanted to apologise for my behaviour earlier.  I was outta line and I didn't mean to snap."

"What?  The great Triple H apologising.  Hell must be freezing over."  Chris declared sarcastically.

"Pull your head in, Chris, Hunter is trying to do the right thing," Nan snarled from beside Hunter.

"Fuck the right thing!  All it does is cause trouble," Chris snapped as he started walking again.

Hunter grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip to stop him.  "I know it doesn't happen too often, but yeah, I'm apologising."

"Fine, I accept your apology.  Can I go now?"

"No, I wanted to give you the heads up about something.  There's a little rumour circulating that things ain't right between you and Rosie and I wanted you to be aware of it.  Oh and Dave's name has been mentioned too."

"Boy, good news travels fast, doesn't it?"

"You know you can't keep any secrets around here."

Chris heaved a heavy sigh and dropped his gym bag at his feet, all the fight gone out of him.

"This is the last thing I wanted to happen, you know.  It's the reason I didn't say anything before."

"The thing is we've all gotta fight this together," Hunter stated.  "If we put up a united front no one can beat us, but we can't fight amongst ourselves."

"I don't want to fight you, Hunter.  I just wanted you to be aware of all the facts in case you heard a pack of lies from anyone."

"By that I take it you mean Carly?"

"Yeah.  She's a conniving bitch and she'll do anything to cause trouble."

back to beginning
 

Web site questions or issues?  Try
All graphics, original fiction and site ©