I guess I can safely take back my slight defense for Alice in the last review. Even with what she did in court, I would have thought it was just the grief acting up, that she was trying to hurt the people she felt had taken her son away, but if that were truly the case, she wouldn't have known all along that Paul couldn't have kids and kept quiet about it. Stephanie pointed out that Alice had even overheard conversations between Steph and Paul about kids, and Alice sat back and said nothing, knowing that Steph was expecting to have a baby with a man who was incapable of that. It's just plain cruel, and it made me lose any faith I might have had in Alice. With a mother like that, constantly making excuses for everything her son does, it's no wonder Paul turned out as psychotic as he did. The whole damn family's crazy.

In a roundabout way, I think it's perfect Paul wasn't able to reproduce. I couldn't imagine Steph having to explain to her kids that, not only was their father dead, but that he had done horrible things to be people and that they would one day find out of those atrocities from a simple Internet search. It's probably for the best they weren't able to have children together, for MANY reasons. As for the paternity test, Alice is a complete bitch for having Ash put through horrible tests when she already knew what the end result would be, but I'm glad that everyone knows, once and for all, that Ash is Chris's son, and I can't wait until they can pick him up in the morning and be together again as a family for good.

I say "family" because, while Chris and Steph aren't married, I think it's very clear they belong together. They are, in every sense of the word, a family, even with the way Vince and Linda accept Chris and his son. I love the bond they've all developed over time, and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here on out. Steph's breakdown at the end was a necessary evil, although I feel bad she has to go through that, but she had to let it out at some point. Good thing Chris was there with her to bring her back down from the ledge, and I hope everything goes okay with his shoulder and that it didn't get too damaged from Steph's outburst. I'd hate to think some of those PT sessions had gone to waste and that he would have to re-do some of the work, but if anyone can get through that, it's Chris.

Other than all that, yeah, I really like where this story is going, and I hope to see more from you soon. This was a nice chapter, and it was good to get a silver lining on what was otherwise a dark cloud hanging overhead. Excellent job!

Welp, I guess I can't blame Alice too terribly much, because I think it's clear a big chunk of her actions, no matter how unreasonable, are caused by her grief. It's important to remember that not only has she lost her son, who was her only child, but all of these accusations of sexual assaults against him are coming out, and this is all new to her. She had no clue any of this was going on, so the shock of Paul being gone combined with the reality of who he was whenever he was away from home, would probably be enough to drive any mother mad. I don't think it was right for her to suggest that Ash was her grandson, and certainly not as publicly as she did before talking to Stephanie about it, but, like I said before, I can't really blame her that much. She's a grieving mother who probably hopes Ash will turn out to be her grandson because, then, she'll still have a piece of Paul to hold onto, a physical reminder of who she had thought her own son was for all those years.

Sad situation all around.

With Chris and Steph, I would hope they would move in together. Sounds to me like they both need each other, even if nothing romantic happens for a while (despite how much I'd like it to!). Their friendship provides them both with a sort of stability that I think is important in a rocky time like this, and I think if Steph works up the nerve to just ask Chris if she can move to Florida with him, she'll find that he'll be relieved and that he probably was hoping she would ask all along. They both depend on each other for a lot of emotional support, whether they realize it or not, so I hope that works out for them. Plus, baby Ash would probably be happier, and he would likely always have a babysitter whenever Chris had to be away from home, because I can't imagine Steph would ever turn down a chance to watch Ash.

As for the reporters, it's sad that they're camping out to capitalize on the tragedy, especially in a time when the survivors of the situation are trying to heal, both physically and emotionally, but that's the good ol' media for you. I can't say I'm surprised, but it's good that Steph's making sure Chris gets to PT every day, regardless of the crowd of people out waiting to greet them. It'll be hard at first, but I think if they work at it, they might find that there is still life on the other side, that they can still find happiness through all the turmoil. And once that happens, I hope Chris and Steph can get together, get married, have a baby, and make Ash a big brother, not necessarily in that order. Is that too much to ask? lol

Excellent work! (And sorry for taking so long to review. Been busy lately.)

I think (read: hope) that this is just a red herring chapter and none of Chris's fears are going to actually come to fruition. Chris has had really no luck thus far, and so for him to think his luck has run out, um, no, he actually deserves a hell of a lot of luck right now and I hope that this is just setting it up so that H gets absolutely destroyed in the match AND that Chris gets a confession out of him. I do have a feeling that everything is going to come out during this match though. My one hesitation from reading this chapter and Chris's fears is that during the match, Chris will have the upper hand and H will break out the fact that he slept with Jessica and that will cause Chris to lose focus for that one moment that will be detrimental to him, but I'm really hoping that doesn't happen.

When Chris was talking to Shane, I admit that I thought he was going to tell Chris that he should tell Stephanie about his feelings for her, prompting Chris to realize there are feelings, but I guess that would be a little too pat at this point. I don't think either one is really in the place to think about their feelings when there's so much going on. I feel like they're already falling in love or in love, but that they won't realize it until later and by then, they'll be completely in love. Either way, they need to get together! :P

I'm glad Stephanie was able to get all that off her chest and feel a little bit better. I really wish Chris had talked about his nightmares with her too. I feel like he's still holding in so much, and I get why, he's trying to help Stephanie get through her stuff, but in doing so, he's kind of making his own situation worse. He's not taking any time to focus on his own well-being, and it's kind of scary because if he continues down this path, what might happen to him when he finally cracks?

Plus, like Stephanie said, there's so much to this plan, and everything has to go perfectly or it can go horribly wrong. Chris laid it out so it sounded so easy, but I doubt that it will be. H is too cunning, and I just hope he doesn't glean on to what's going on before it's all over. Plus, where is he? I mean, he really does have to figure something is going on, but the silence is very threatening.

Paul is really the worst type of person. Like just when you think he can't get any worse, he's drugging women to have sex with them. At least this puts Jessica in a slightly softer light since she didn't really WANT to sleep with H, but was forced into it. And who knows how many other women he's done that to. Man, I can't wait for the rug to be pulled out from underneath him, it's going to be so satisfying. I know that H has that card he thinks is in his back pocket, but at this point, I'm not sure that Chris would care so much about it because he knows what a scum H is in the first place and maybe he would put two and two together with that one as well.

As for Chris and Stephanie, they're both going in these really bad directions. You've pointed out a few times how bad Chris looks and then you have the nightmares that plague him about Jessica. Now Stephanie has all this to deal with regarding Paul, and I feel like the only thing that can help them both is each other. I think they're going to need to lean on each other so much right now, and in the process, hopefully fall in love. I know they both have to work on it, but I think they're what the other really needs, and it's about time they get their heads out of their asses and get together already.

I really liked this!

I see signs of us getting closer to where we need to be, as in, Jericho and Steph finally getting together!

I get the feeling that, in the aftermath of Paul's death, Steph's not really feeling the gravity of it yet. I think maybe she's afraid to allow herself to feel it, although I could be wrong. I just believe that, with as many years as she spent with Paul, and even despite all that he did to hurt her, she actually did love him once upon a time, enough to marry the man. Whether she fell in love with a facade or the real man before he went bad, we may never be able to tell, but there were still some very real feelings there earlier on, and she needs to allow herself to dig through all that and find some sort of healing. I get that she wasn't in love with him any longer, and probably hadn't been for a while, but I think she may have still loved him. I'd be shocked if some teeny, tiny part of her didn't, at least a little bit. Chris basically told her as much, though, so at least he realizes Steph has some serious emotional baggage that's going to eventually come up.

That said, I'm glad Steph's head is clear enough that she's able to devote her time and attention to Chris, because he really needs it. I was relieved that, of all people, she was there to cheer him on, help him undress to shower, and all that other good stuff. I think she gives him better vibes than anyone else would, just because there's such a special connection between them. They both know each other so well, and Chris trusts Steph with his son, which is basically the highest honor a parent can bestow upon anybody else. It was heartwarming to have Steph helping his with his brace, and I loved how bashful Chris got when it came time to take his clothes off. It was so cute!

Also, the Val Venis bit made me smile and added a lightheartedness to their story that I was really craving. It's nice that, even in the face of such drama, Chris and Steph are still able to be the same goofy friends they've always been and that they can still find time to joke around and have fun. And Steph's comment at the end of the chapter? Wowza! I mean, between that and the time she stood under the mistletoe and tried to tempt Chris to kiss her, I think it's safe to say she's thinking about taking the next big step, even if she's not quite ready for it yet. Chris seems a little more reserved in that regard, but I definitely don't think it's due to any lack of wanting to be with Steph. I think he holds onto a lot of fear, because he already loved and lost once with Jessica, and the idea of loving and losing again probably isn't all that appealing to him.

Plus, he has Ash to think about. Yeah, Ash is still a baby now, but kids grow quickly, and the longer he and Steph are together, the more attached Ash will become to her, since she's already taking care of Ash a lot of the time as it is. I hope that when Chris is better, Steph accompanies him and Ash to Florida and stays with them for a while just to help out, until Chris gets back on his feet completely, but when it comes time for her to leave, I hope she stays. I hope she doesn't move an inch and that she and Chris date, get married, and have lots of super cute babies. So yeah, that's my wish as a Jericho/Steph enthusiast.

Excellent work! I really enjoyed this chapter and can't wait to see what you come up with next! :)

So Paul is dead.

Hm.

Can't say I'm too terribly happy about it because, at this point, it seems that death was the easy way out. He got to be an asshole and misuse his power over people and didn't even have to pay for any of it, in the end. He should have suffered the way he made other people suffer, but now that'll never come to fruition. I'm surprised, I guess, because I was so busy in my mind wondering when Paul would get his comeuppance that I never even considered whether or not he might survive the whole thing. I'm almost torn about it, not sure whether I'm relieved or not, but what's done is done.

I feel most sad for Stephanie, who will never be able to make her tormentor pay. Now, much like Chris, she's left with a ton of question about her dead spouse, and it doesn't seem like there's much either of them can do to get closure on that front. I guess I'm thankful that Chris woke up and it appears he's going to pull through. That's a relief, because Ash needs him way more than Steph ever will. It's a shame Chris actually died on the operating table, but he was brought back and survived for a reason. Maybe he's living for Stephanie and his son, and that was enough to keep him around.

At this point, Chris and Steph are going to require a lifetime of therapy or something. I have no clue how they'll make it through this, unless they choose the road of making it through one day at a time. If they never look too far back or ahead, they can probably pull it off. I almost don't even know what to say because I was so shocked Paul had died. When I read that line, I was freaked. I suppose Paul made such a drastic choice because he knew he was backed into a corner and had lost everything, so there was nothing else to lose, but sheesh, what an idiotic thing to do, drawing an officer's weapon.

I don't have much to say this time, mostly because I think this chapter speaks for itself quite well, but, yeah, here's to hoping that you update soon and we get a chapter chock full of Jericho/Steph cutesy moments, because I'm dying for it. Well done. Hope to see something new up from you soon!

Shots fired! Shots fired!

I must say, I expected this match to get ugly very fast, but I didn't see guns coming into it. I thought it rang very true that a person in Paul's position would do something that drastic, though, because I've seen it throughout life. When someone is backed into a corner and feels like they've already been outed for all their worst secrets, they have nothing else to really lose. Paul was aware once that match ended that, not only was he fired from a profession he had worked his whole life for, but in addition to that, everyone knew the real him. They knew what he had done to Stephanie, they knew all the, ahem, "favors" he had asked of the Divas, and he was just busted, point blank and period. His choice to grab the gun and fire the shots was the last act of desperation from a man whose whole life had crashed and burned right before his own eyes.

While I'm relieved that it's all over and Chris won the match, I thought it was incredibly reckless of Stephanie to get involved. I would have expected that, as protective as Vince and Shane seem, they would have jumped up and intervened the second they saw her out there. I can't believe that with the level of viciousness that was going on out there, they just sat in the back doing nothing. Maybe they had a false sense of security since they knew police and an ambulance were on stand-by, but I don't know how I feel about that. It didn't sit right with me. Still, I'm glad Chris was able to make the save and prevent her from taking a sledgehammer to the back. I don't want to even think about how messed up that would have been, had it come to fruition.

I think, overall, Chris should have let the police get involved to begin with. It was borderline poor parenting to get involved in a fight of that level and to allow it to escalate to such a raw caliber when he knows he has a young son at home depending on him. There's no amount of a lesson Chris could teach Paul that would be worth not being alive for his son, so I'm a little peeved at him for that, but, like I said, relieved that the match had the outcome he wanted and that he was able to physically put Paul out of commission. Man, they were trading some vicious barbs back and forth out there. It didn't take long at all for shit to get REAL! I don't know, I guess it was therapeutic for Chris to get all that out, whereas Paul just wanted to be as hateful as possible, simply for the sake of it. And now we have it: Paul's admittance that Jessica was drugged when he got her in bed. Just when I think he can't get any worse.

I don't know if I believed Paul when he told Chris he didn't realize Jessica was his wife until he walked out and saw their wedding photo on the table. I feel like he would have seen Jessica at some point, since wrestlers bring their spouses around the shows occasionally. I have no clue what would bring him to lie about that, but I felt like he wasn't being truthful. Maybe there's more to the story there, or maybe I'm just reading too much into it, lol.

I'm glad Chris was able to shield Steph from being shot, but getting shot himself was, like, worst-case scenario. He's at the hospital and he's still alive, so I guess that's all I could really hope for at this point. I was glad Stephanie finally admitted to herself that she loves this man, because it's been obvious for a long time, and maybe it took a tragedy like this for her to admit it to herself. Then again, I get the feeling she knew it for a while, seeing as how she hinted at Chris to kiss her over Christmas break. While I hate that this happened, I think this might be the launching pad Stephanie needed to bring her to finally confess her feelings aloud to Chris. When he wakes up, I think she'll be ready to tell him the truth about all those things she's held onto.

I'm sure Chris feels the same, and I'd like to see them try getting together, even if it's just a tentative thing at first where they don't kiss or hook up much. Ash will probably be a happier baby too, because he'll feel that love between them and he'll have two people to take care of him most of the time, save for when one (or both) of them go back on the road for work. I don't know if Chris intends on wrestling again, but I think he should take it easy for a while and maybe work backstage and take on more of a corporate role for a while. That seems to be more his speed.

Ultimately, with Paul out of the way, I want some Steph/Jericho lovey-dovey stuff, even if that doesn't come until a little further down the line. With all that said, Chris knew he didn't receive the closure he needed simply from defeating Paul, and I doubt Stephanie's gotten the closure she so desperately needs either, so maybe once they're healed both emotionally and physically, they can give Paul a visit from behind bars and get what they need. I don't know if an exchange of words will be enough to do it, but that's basically the best they're gonna get, considering there isn't anything else. The battle is done.

Hopefully Chris and Steph will win the war, too.

Excellent chapter; I loved this! It gets more suspenseful every time. :D

Dang! So Steph finally knows the truth about the Paul/Jessica affair and so does Chris. It's the ultimate betrayal to both of them, since each were lied to by their spouses, and I'd imagine it's even harder than a typical affair, because they can't go off on their partner, since neither of them are in contact with them, for very different reasons. At least with Steph, she could potentially get Paul on the phone and get out everything she's always wanted to say, all that pent-up anger, but Chris doesn't even have that option since Jessica's dead now. It must be weird for him, like he was married to a stranger for all that time. That's why he should marry a woman like Steph. At least she wouldn't lie to him, nor do I think he would her. So sad when he jammed his finger in her face and she got scared because of the flashbacks to Paul. I guess that's just something she'll have to work through to get rid of. Hopefully Chris can help her.

I think the screaming when Chris decided to pull his car over was completely necessary. He problem needed that moment to let out the extreme mixture of feelings running through him at that point: anger, sadness, betrayal, hurt, confusion, disbelief, shock, etc. I wish he could have had Steph with him in that moment because I think she could have helped, but, I mean, they know each other better than anyone, and if they decided that the time apart would do them more good than coming together, I guess they made the right decision. They both have the potential to be explosive personalities, as we saw when they were arguing about whether or not the match should happen, so it was probably for the best.

So Ash is his! That's great, because I'll admit you had me worried there for a second. Jessica clearly wasn't trustworthy in any manner, so who knows what she did and how many men she did it with. I can't believe she could carry on like that behind Chris's back, but it's what happened and even though Chris was angry that she left all that crap for him to read in the journal, I think it's kind of a good thing. If Paul had never come out with what happened and the journal didn't exist, Chris would have gone on mourning his wife as if she were this sweet angel he's missing out on. The problem isn't the mourning, though; it's just that he has a right to remember her the way that she actually was in reality, and not just the way he wishes she was. I'm sure he still has his days where he misses her, but that has to be hard to do sometimes, knowing what he now knows.

So even Stephanie wants him to fight now. I would say wrestle, but we all know this isn't going to be a typical wrestling match, so I won't go there. I guess she sees how much he needs this, that he needs to feel like he's fighting for his family. I think he's going about it in a super dangerous way and is being reckless, especially knowing he has such a young son at home to take care of. I don't think it's worth risking everything just to put Paul in his place, but Chris is a man, and if he needs this fight to make himself feel whole again, more power to him. I like that Stephanie showed up at the building, even though he didn't want her there due to safety reasons. I feel like that rang true with her and seems like something she would actually do. She doesn't seem the type to sit home in fear, although I know she was for a while in this story, but that was for perfectly legitimate reasons, thanks to Paul. Ugh.

**This is where my review of the chapter ends.**

To the person who decided to leave their ridiculous comment down below, why am I not surprised you posted from a guest account? Sooo original, *rolls eyes*. If you have the balls to come on someone's story and make a smart ass comment, you should at least be able to log into your account so they can see who you are. If you don't like Steph/Jericho, don't come and seek out Steph/Jericho stories. It's really a very simple idea and only requires a little bit of common sense to follow.

I'm not speaking for anyone else, nor am I calling out any ship as a whole, but all I will say is that some of you who like Paul/Steph are so offended whenever you can't convince somebody else to like it, and it's downright idiotic. How about you start liking what you like and not worry about what everyone else chooses to do?

When you get up in arms because someone refuses to ship Paul/Steph or writes Paul in a manner you disagree with, that tells me one thing: Not only do I not like your ship, but you don't even like your own ship. If you did, you would enjoy it wholly without worrying what anybody else thinks of it. If you don't understand that, you require more help than I could possibly ever offer in a review on a fan fiction website.

Of course Paul has to be evil, that is soooo original *rolls eyes* It's the same old Steph/Jericho story just with another title.

So Chris is going through with the match after all? Can't say that I blame him after what went down, but I don't see how it's going to turn out in Chris's favor unless he happens to injure Paul somehow before the match, so that they both go into it with a disadvantage. I wish I could say I'm surprised Paul went there with his confession about Jessica, but I'm not. That's pretty much par for the course with him. It has to be hard for Chris, knowing this woman he was spending his life with had been living a completely separate life on the side, lying to his face every time they spoke. And not only that, but she hooked up with Chris's worst enemy. I'm glad Ash still turned out to belong to Chris, because if it had gone the other way, I think he just might lose it completely.

I liked Stephanie's braveness in this chapter and that she was more willing to face her fears than before. It shows that even though she's vulnerable, all her original personality traits are still there. I have no doubts that with the continued support of her family and friends, she'll get back to a good place again, but not until all this drama is over. This is why Chris needs to finish off Paul once and for all, and I'm hoping that when the match happens, Shane will kinda have his back too and help out any way he can.

I'm glad they're considering simply firing Paul when the time is right and letting the police handle the rest, although I doubt much can be done about the rape since all the physical evidence of it is gone by now. That doesn't mean he can't suffer for the other pain he's caused Stephanie and everyone around him, and I do believe he'll get his comeuppance in the end. My feelings regarding Chris and Stephanie still haven't changed. Each scene that they're together warms my heart, and I'm still waiting for that day when they get together, if all goes as planned. I'm all for working on marriages if there's a chance to repair anything, but it's clear Paul won't be making any progress, and Stephanie clearly needs to cut her losses and move on.

Maybe one day Chris and Steph can get their own place together, possibly get married down the line, and have some cute kids of their own. I think Steph would be a great stepmother to Ash, and I could see her filling that role quite nicely and even coming to enjoy it a whole lot. Really great chapter. I liked it!

I might be an odd thinker for wondering this, but I almost want a glimpse of Paul's past or family life so I can maybe understand why he turned out the way he has. I know I said I was done with him, and I definitely am, but I feel like there has to be more to him. Everyone has multiple sides, and I wonder if he had a softer side, but maybe something happened in his life that caused it to die down. I realize that some people are simply monsters from birth, and that's just the way they tick, but I'd really like to know if, deep down, he has it in him to change one day and be a better person. How can he not even care about the feelings of his own wife, or anybody at all? I'd hate for him to be that completely heartless, but, I don't know, maybe he really is.

I'm glad Vince found out about Paul's attack on Chris and that he stuck it to Paul. He deserved to be shoved back into his place, because he's getting a little too big for his britches. At times, he acts like he thinks his ideas should be held in higher regard than Vince's. Paul absolutely thinks he's running the show, and his arrogance is super annoying. Also, I'm nervous about the nature of the papers that Chris requested from Vince's lawyer. My first thought is that it's some kind of will so that his money can go to Ash if something happens to him. You've got me worried with that one.

Well, Chris is back to dreaming again, and I'm not happy the nightmares have returned to haunt him. I liked that the first person he called was Steph, and I know that was partially because she has his son with her, but I still like to think he would have contacted her anyway. At the end of their talk, when Steph was asking if Chris was truly sure that he was okay, I kept wanting her to press the issue a little harder. She asked him more than once how he was doing, so I think she picked up on his tense vibes, but maybe she was worried to dig deeper since she already tried to make a move with him under the mistletoe and he sort of rebuffed her. Chris wasn't too terribly harsh or anything, but I still think the rejection was enough to make Steph more reserved in her approach with him. I hope that changes soon.

Chris's injury couldn't come at a worse time, but I am glad that it's forcing his hand and causing him to think of options other than the match with Hunter. I kind of think a little too much could go wrong with that match. Just too much room for error. So now that Vince and Chris are back to scheming, it would be nice if we see them include Steph in the deal, because she should have some say. This whole deal concerns her directly, so I would love it if she could be kept in the loop about the latest developments. I also wouldn't mind seeing her nurse Chris back to health now that his shoulder is hurt. Something tells me she would be a seductive caretaker. ;)

Spot-on work with this chapter. Loved it!

Again, another chapter I thoroughly enjoyed! I can hardly stand the parts involving Paul because he's disgusting, and I think when it was mentioned in the text that he was a sociopath, that hit the nail on the head. That's exactly what he is. He has no consideration for the feelings of others, no empathy, no remorse, and he's just a flat-out creepy person. I find it difficult to see how Steph fell for him in the first place, because if he's like that now, he was probably pretty damn close to that when she first met him, and I'd think she would have seen past whatever facade he put on. Still, women get fooled into dating and marrying assholes all the time, so it's completely plausible. I just hate that she even wasted any of her time of Paul. Yuck!

It's good that Chris is taking his conditioning and training seriously and that he's putting in the time and effort to work out, but I don't see him making it to the match. I think he's gonna lose his shit sooner or later and go medieval on Paul. I don't see it ending well for either of them, because if Chris gives Paul a beatdown outside the ring, he can probably have him arrested, since it won't technically be a sanctioned match and can be considered assault. I don't know. The possibilities are endless, and I'm sure you know where you're headed with this, but my mind is going crazy with all the potential endings. I just want Paul to get his comeuppance already. He's a loser and deserves anything bad that comes his way.

The pregnancy thing was pretty heavy, and before the big reveal was made, I guessed that Steph was pregnant. I'm relieved to see that she's not, because I'd hate for her to have Paul's kid. That would open up a whole different bag of worms, and I could see him trying to take the kid and keep them from her, not because he actually wants their son/daughter, but solely to mess with Steph. He takes great pleasure in inflicting pain on her, and the best thing she did was get away from him, so, yeah, a baby at this point would have spelled disaster. I'm hoping Chris is right that Steph's meant to have kids, just not with Paul. Maybe she's meant to have one with Chris. *hint, hint*

In closing, I see all this Chris/Paul rivalry stuff coming to a head, and I just hope it works out in everyone's favor EXCEPT Paul's. That's what I would like to see as a reader. Excellent job. I really hope you get a new chapter up soon, because now that you've started updating more frequently, you're sucking me back into the plotline again. This fic is great!

I loved this chapter! Even though you mentioned that it would jump around quite a bit, I didn't mind that at all, because I liked that you touched on events from a wider expanse of time. Paul is still gross, as expected, and I don't know if I said this before, but the more he appears in this story, the more I'm starting to wish Chris/Steph/The McMahons wouldn't even try to get revenge on him, by way of a match with Chris. I sort of think Steph should pursue her legal options, and if something comes of it, great, but if there's not enough evidence, it might be healthier for her to leave the relationship behind once and for all and just move on.

I don't mean to make light of divorcing, but in this case, it seems for the best. Paul won't change and isn't even willing to acknowledge that he did anything wrong. He actually had the nerve to question how he could possibly have raped his wife, since he seems to think that gives him the right to do whatever he wants with Steph whenever he wants to. If she's not feeling it or giving into his advances, he should back off, and the fact that he can't even comprehend that proves that he's always going to be the same vile person he was when he first committed the act. Between that and making a move on Stacy, instead of trying to get in touch with Steph and apologize, I feel confident in deciding that Paul has absolutely no redeeming qualities. I'm done with him. Absolutely done.

So, at the part when Chris and Steph went to Florida together, I was so happy they spent some alone time with each other. Obviously, being that I ship them together, I wanted it to be super romantic, but I also wasn't disappointed that it wasn't. In their own way, it was sweet that they had the place to themselves and Steph's only concern was to help get his bills covered and sort through the junk lying around his house. She's so committed to helping him, and he is to her, too. They just have each other's backs all the time, and I love that in such a fragile time in their lives, they have that sort of friendship to look to, because everybody isn't fortunate enough to have that.

I loved it when Chris/Steph/Ash were on the floor together playing. It was such a family moment and I was wondering if it was a bit of what we might have to look forward to in the future, should Chris and Steph end up together. They're already so perfect for each other that I don't see how it wouldn't happen. Even when the chips are down and all hope seems to be gone, they're there for one another, and I love the dynamic. I know I basically already said that up above, but I truly mean it. You capture their emotions and connection in a way that leaves me dying for them to come together and be a real couple. I know, I know, patience is a virtue. I'll wait as patiently as I possibly can.

Christmas with the McMahons was sweet, and I loved that they did a sort of mellow celebration instead of going all out. It was refreshing to read. The presents were sweet, and the message that Chris gave along with the watch was so encouraging. I was so happy when Steph flirted with him and made the vague comment about wanting to kiss "someone else" with that dirty mouth. There's no way Chris didn't grasp what she was getting at, but I think he knows they're not ready for such a big step. As much as I love Chris and Steph together, they're both pretty much emotional wrecks right now, and it was smart of Chris to recognize that and keep his distance.

I think there's a lot they need to sort as individuals before they can come together and be in a healthy relationship, if that's what they decide. It looks like that's where they're headed, so I'll go ahead and (safely?) make the assumption. I don't know if therapy needs to be involved or if they need to let a little time pass, but either way, I want them both to get back to their awesome selves before they decide to get romantic. In his own way, Chris acknowledged Steph's flirting when he smiled and kissed her forehead. He didn't want to break her heart or let her down. I like to think that was his way of saying, "I'm feeling ya, but let's give it some time." So sweet.

All in all, I love these two together. The way you write them is awesome. They can literally go from crying on the other's shoulder to laughing together, and I just want them to put in the work to get stable again so they can be each other's everything. Even Linda is pointing out that Steph is basically Chris's family, so other people see it, too. Oh! Almost forgot, but that comment Chris made about being so tired that he doesn't even dream anymore when he goes to sleep tugged on my heartstrings. That poor man. I adored this chapter, and I hope things continue on this way. It was a wonderful read, and once I take a quick break for dinner, I'll be back for the next chapter.

Excellent work!

I'm rereading the story so I can become acquainted with it again, reviews will follow when I get to the newer stuff! :D