Come Away With Me

Chapter Four


Chris stood and stretched his aching body. He'd been sitting in the same chair for the last 6 hours, trying to sleep. He glanced over at the woman lying motionless on the bed next to him. Walking over to her pale form, Chris couldn't control the urge to brush away an errant curl from her face. So far he'd only spent two days with the petite brunette but he already new that his former thoughts about her were wrong. He'd learned more about her in the ambulance ride than he had in the last 3 years of working with her. She liked to think that she had everybody fooled with her "I don't need anyone" attitutde and her standoffishness, but Chris had seen through it in a matter of minutes. Actually, he was starting to feel just a little guilty about all the names he'd called her the past few years. She really wasn't that large ---she simply had curves where the other divas were straight as sticks. His body heated, remembering what those curves had felt like in his hands. Remembering the way her lips seemed to be meant for his, how she melted against his body, how sh--
A small groan from the bed pulled him from his sensuous reverie to focus on Molly. He gently clasped her hand in his.
"Hey Molly sweetheart. How are you feeling?"
A bit dazed, Molly wasn't sure she'd heard correctly. Had Jericho called her sweetheart? And had he really sounded sincere? As she struggled to sit up, everything came rushing back to her... the steel chair, the hopsital, Jericho's house, the piano, the kiss and the ambulance ride to where she was now. She smiled wryly at Chris. "Like shit."
Chris grinned broadly. That was what he was waiting to hear..some of that old Molly back. That was his girl. Whoa! When did I start thinking of her as MY girl? Chris asked himself. Putting it down to being exhausted, he back away from her, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "Yeah, well, you just got outta surgery about 6 hours ago." He shrugged. "I guess it's pretty normal to feel like shit."
Molly reached up to gingerly finger the white bandage wrapped around her head. "I don't even wanna know." She thought about that for a moment. "Yes, I do. Did they have to shave my head, Jericho?" Chris exploded.
"You just come out of potentially life threatening brain surgery and you're worried about your hair?!" he stalked over to his chair and grabbed his jacket. "You're a real peice of work, Molly."
Molly watched in confusion as Chris left, slamming the door as he went. Wonder why he's so moody? Molly wondered, slowly tossing back the covers and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Must be pissed because he's here with me instead of out with one of his ring rat conquests. She paused, trying not to think about why the thought of him with someone bothered her and allowing her head to catch up with the rest of her body to make the room stop spinning. Easing off the bed, she slowly made her way to the bathroom. After taking care of her business, she started to shuffle back to bed, a look of determination on her face. She was concentrating so hard, she didn't even notice when the door opened slightly to a guilty looking Chris Jericho. A myriad of emotions crossed his face : anger, fear, frustration and awe. Molly hadn't ceased to amaze him for the last 24 hours, her determination was inspiring.
When she had settled herself into bed again, Chris knocked softly letting himself into her room. Molly's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the arm held behind his back. "Back to yell at me some more, Jericho?"
Chris bit back the smart retort that sprang to his lips. He thrust the boquet of flowers toward her, blushing. Why am I blushing?I'm not a damn twelve year old! "No, I'm here with a peace offering." Obvious delight showed on Molly's face as she reached for the flowers in their pretty crystal vase.
"Chris! They're gorgeous! How did you know that stargazer lilies were my favorite?"
He watched her bury her face in them, inhaling deeply of their fragrance. Her eyes were alight with a glow that made her whole face seem radiant. For a moment, Chris was mesmerized by her beauty. "Ah, see, there you go doing it again."
Molly frowned slightly, still holding the flowers. "Doing what?" Chris reached out to take the flowers from her and set them on the nearby table. Lightly brushing her hair away from her face, he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Calling me Chris. People might start to think that..oh, I don't know...that maybe we might possibly be...dare I say it?...friends!"
Smiling up into his crystalline eyes, Molly reached up to pull him closer to her. She slid her arms around him for a warm hug. "I think maybe we are friends after all, Chris."
A bit surprised by her gesture, Chris just stood there. Coming to his senses, he gently folded her into his embrace realizing seconds later that she fit perfectly. After a few moments, just holding each other, they pulled apart almost reluctantly. The doctor chose that moment to enter the room and inform Molly that she would be able to leave that day. "Tod"Today? That soon?" she asked in astonishment.
"Yes. The procedure we performed on you is fairly routine and not life threatening. It's actually considered out-patient surgery now..."
Chris held up his hand to stop him. "Whoa. So you're telling me that Molly doesn't need 24 hour care for the next two weeks?"
The doctor shook his head, looking at Chris quizically. "Absolutely not. Who told you something like that?"
Chris turned to look at a confused Molly. "But the first doctor who checked me out said that I'd have to be under constant care for two weeks!" Molly told him.
The doctor chuckled. "Well, I don't know who your MD was but you definitely don't need constant supervision. Why, we only put that bandage around your whole head because the position of the incision was akward and it was the only way to keep it in place!"
Molly looked at him, astonished. "You mean I'm not bald?"
It was the doctors turn to look confused. "Bald? Of course not! Your incision is only about an inch long!"
Through the whole thing, Chris had remained silent. Suddenly he smiled grimly and shook the doctors hand. "Well, doc, thanks for everything. I'll be sure to take good care of her." The doctor smiled and left. Chris turned to Molly a grimace on his face.
"I can't believe that first doctor!" Molly exclaimed.
"Oh, I can." Chris said, starting to pace the room. "Vince has always hired stupid people for things like this...this time, he sent you a hospital where a bunch of quacks work!"
Slowly Molly got out of the bed, refusing the hand Chris offered. "Well, I guess you're off the hook, Jericho." she said with a wry smile. "Turns out I don't need a babysitter after all, so now you can enjoy your vacation." Chris watched as she pulled on, under her hospital gown, the jogging pants he had brought in for her. It didn't slip his attention that she had slipped back into calling him "Jericho" and he knew what she was trying to do.
"Uh, yeah. I guess."
"Could you turn around for a moment, please?" Molly asked, holding his t shirt in front of her. Chris grinned, about to make a smart retort, when he noticed the tears in her eyes. Swallowing over the lump that formed in his throat, he nodded and faced the opposite wall.
"Okay. You can turn around now."
The drawstring jogging pants were at least 2 sizes too big and far too long on her. His "Sexy Beast" t-shirt hung off of her shoulers, slightly baring one of them. She wore no makeup and had took off the bandage to pull her hair back into a ponytail. Chris' mouth went dry. She looked incredibly sexy standing there in his clothes... "You look like a teenager " Chris said coarsely. Molly simply looked at him, as though not really sure how to take him anymore..
"Uh, thanks? Look, why don't you just take us back to your house? I can pack up and be gone in.." she checked the clock on the far wall. "Thirty minutes."
Frowning at her, Chris said ,"You're leaving?"
Molly tried to hide the sniffle she knew was coming close behind the tears that were starting to fall. "That's what you want, isn't it? Now you can have your vacation by yourself and you won't have to worry about someone eating you out of house and home..."
Silence met her words as she turned away from him to shove her pajamas from the night before into a plastic bag. She felt a hand gently turn her around. She kept her eyes trained down, not wanting him to see the hurt that was in her eyes.
"You heard every word we said that night,didn't you?" Molly simply nodded. "Aw Molly, I'm sorry..." Gingerly, Chris lifted her chin to look down into her tearstained face. Lightly brushing away a tear, he pulled her forward to kiss the tip of her nose.
"Stay with me."
Molly looked at him, puzzlement on her face. "What?"
"Come away with me." Chris kissed away two more tears that fell. "Come home with me. Be with me."
For a moment Molly allowed herself the luxury of believeing that he meant what he was saying...that he really did want her to be with him. Then reality reached in, as it has it's way of doing, and slapped her back to the truth. "I can't, Chris. I just can't."
"Why?"
Such a simple question with such a difficult answer, Molly thought, easing herself from Chris grasp. "Because I refuse to be pitied." Chris frowned at that comment. Was that what he was doing? It certainly didn't feel like it to him. Suddenly it was more important than his next breath to get her to come home with him.
"Molly, I'm not doing this for pity! Listen, just come back to the house for one night...just one night. If you still think I'm doing this out of pity, then you can leave." Molly was frustrated.
"Why then, Chris? If not for pity, then why else do you fell like it's necessary to put me up in your home?"
Chris took a deep breath. "Molly, I know that we've never been the best of friends and that I've said some pretty harsh things to you before." Reaching out once again to place his hands gently around her face, he pulled her closer to him. " But this...thing between us...it's bigger teitheither one of us. I don't know what it is, Molly. It kinda scares me, but I just know that I can't let you leave me yet." Placing the gentlest of kisses on her lips, Chris pulled back to look into the face he had come to know so well.
Molly took a deep breath and let it out. Looking up into the eyes of the man that would either be her heaven or her hell, she placed her heart on the line.
"Okay, Chris. I'll come home with you."