It's A Small, Small World

Author: PaulenaK

Email: toukalah@hotmail.com

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Everything WWE belongs to Vince McMahon. Everything

BTVS belongs to Joss Whedon.

Characters: Jericho, Christian, Trish, Lita, Willow, Faith, Spike

Summary: In the wake that dratted Canadian Dollar bet, the four parties involved find they have some mutual acquaintances.

Feedback: Is much appreciated.

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Part One

**

"Come on buddy, everyone loses a match now and then,"

Chris Jericho kept his gaze lowered and grumbled.

"I don’t care about the damn loss."

"Oh?" Christian focused more on his reflection in the mirror then his dejected friend sitting across the room. "Don’t tell me you are still crying over this thing with you and Stratus."

"It's not 'A' thing Christian," Jericho pointed out. "It's 'The' thing, as in 'The Real' thing."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, so you keep telling me," He replied brushing his friends words off with a wave of his hand. "If you ask me she's just screwing with your head, I mean take tonight for example, she spurns your every attempt to get close to her but when the odds are stacked against you inside the ring she's the first one running down the ramp to save your sorry ass. Man, she's practically pushing me outta the way even!"

Jericho's expression grew thoughtful, Christian did have a point. For over a month now Trish had severed all ties to him outside of the WWE and her attitude to him when Raw brought them together was anything but cordial. Yet, she had always been the one to even up the odds whenever the odds needed evening.

"You know what I think?" Christian continued when the silence got too much for high strung Canadian.

"What?"

"I think you need a night out with me and some of my Peep's!"

Jericho opened his mouth to protest but Christian quickly stalled his effort's as he reached for his mobile phone.

"Won’t take me but a minute to set the wheel in motion," He added sending a wink his friend’s way before turning his back on him.

"Hey sexy, what's happening? - Yeah, great here - You said you were in LA this weekend right? - Excellent, wanna hook up? I got a friend here who is in need of some serious cheering up. What'ya say? You in? - Classic babe! Oh hey, bring a friend okay - Yeah, I know the place - See you then."

A grin spread across his face as he turned back to face his follow Canadian.

"It's all set, you, me, two of the hottest babes this side of the Atlantic, do I here a thankyou?"

"Thank you." Jericho shrugged half heartedly already seeing any attempt to get out of what his friend had cooked up would not only fail, but fail with a capital F, but once his friend had his head wrapped around something it was next to impossible to change his mind, not to mention the fact that Christian would whine his ears off.

Jericho sighed, he was never one to take the easy way out but given the way he had been feeling of late, he didn't think his heart could handle anymore emotional strain.

Jericho came out of his musings not realising Christian was still talking.

"You wait bro, tomorrow you'll be asking yourself what you ever saw in a broad like Trish Stratus."

**

"Hey, what are you doing back here? I thought you were going to finally cut Jericho some slack and talk to him."

"Yeah, so did I," Trish said flopping down on the bench next to Lita. "But it seems when I actually want Jericho around, I can’t find him."

"Awww, poor baby..." Lita cooed darting out of the way as Trish playfully swiped at her friends arm.

"Sometimes I think it's just not worth having friends."

"Not even when said friends come baring gifts?" Lita said snatching up her bag and opening it to show her friend what lay inside.

"Bride of Frankenstein!" Trish exclaimed pulling the DVD of her most favourite all time movie from the inside of Lita's bag to hug it to her chest. "Oh my god! Where did you find this?"

Lita grinned at her friend's pleasure.

"It was nothing, just a quick phone call to my cousin who absolutely loves this movie just as much as you do and it was pretty much in the mail the same day."

"But if she loves it just as much as I do, then why did she give it away?"

"She didn't doofus, this is a copy. My cousin is a computer genius, there ain’t a thing she can’t do with her computer if she put her mind to it."

"So, your cousin got all the brains huh?"

"Shut up." Lita replied zipping her bag closed again before both divas headed out of there locker room and down the hall.

**

Part Two

**

"I can’t believe you talked me into this."

Faith rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated breath.

"Willow, will you chill already? I've already told you he's someone I kinda ran into one night and just..." She paused to wink at the redhead. "...kept running into him whenever our postcodes matched."

"Oh, so he's one of 'Those' friends."

Faith watched as Willow's eye's grew to the size of saucers and laughed.

"Like I said, only when our postcodes match."

"To think, my evening could be spent elsewhere if I had of just held out a little longer."

"Yeah, but where's the fun in shacking up with a bunch of girl's to watch a DVD that's older and dustier then Angel?" Willow raised her brow suggestively and Faith frowned. "Don’t answer that."

Willow was still on a giggling high once they reached the club and she entered feeling like she wouldn't need the added help of alcohol to have a good time tonight.

"There they are," Faith said spotting her friend as soon as they stepped clear of the entrance way, offering them a little wave before tugging on the red head's hand. "Isn't he just the sexiest man alive?" Faith crooned lustfully.

Willow reached out and plucked up a napkin off the top of the bar as they passed and offered it to her friend.

Faith's expression was that of confusion.

"What's that for?" She asked.

"I thought you might wanna wipe up the drool hanging off your chin." The redhead grinned and watched as her friend's eye's shot heavenward.

"Why me? I wouldn't have to put up with a smart aleck red head if Cordelia had of agreed to come."

"No, you'd have to put up with a tactless smart aleck and a broody vampire lurking in the shadows."

Faith's eye's darted around the room.

"What makes you think he's not already? I mean Angel's world does not revolve around Cordelia."

"Number one, the whole restoring his soul thing and number two, his world may not revolve around Cordy, but without her it would stop spinning."

"Why Red, aren’t you the little romantic." Faith scoffed.

Willow merely shrugged her tone one of seriousness as she replied, "Knowing what we do and doing what we do, do you blame me?"

**

"Didn't I tell you she was hot?" Christian gasped nudging Jericho in the side. "And dude check out her friend!" He added turning a little now to face the man at his side. "Now if she doesn’t wipe the memory of a certain blonde from your mind then I am a monkey's uncle."

Jericho sighed. They were here. The girls had arrived. Band was setting up and they were well into there third round of drinks. His best friend had made the effort to set this night up, the least he could do was try to enjoy himself. 'And hell he sure wasn't wrong about the girls.' He thought following Christian's lead and getting to his feet as they approached, amusement in his eye's as the brunette flung herself at his friend, their lip's meeting in what could only be described as adult only material.

"Hey."

He turned to the redhead and accepted the hand she held out to him.

"Hey."

They stood there awkwardly, both trying not to look at the couple with them who were showing no signs of coming up for air anytime soon.

"I'm Willow." She continued after a few minutes.

"Chris."

He watched as her eyes darted around the room while her fingers twisted the strap of her purse.

"Would you like to sit down?" He asked motioning to the two chairs across from him and Christian.

She smiled shyly at him, removing the strap of her purse from her shoulder before seating herself, her eye's immediately going back to looking around the room.

Chris whistled softly through his teeth.

'This was going to be one very long night.'

**

Part Three

**

"...And you will not believe what came out of my mouth, I mean, I'm just Willow, and threatening to hit someone over the head with a shovel is not a Willowy thing to do... well, actually..." A drunk Willow exclaimed as she leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially across the table to an equally drunk Chris Jericho. "...It kinda is a Willowy thing to do, just not the kinda thing Willow should do in public..." For the past hour or so she and this man had been trading pot shots and jibes over an unlimited margarita supply thanks to the gold card his friend had left behind the bar before he and Faith had conveniently disappeared into the throng of people gathering on the dance floor.

His response was to lick his lips when his glass missed his mouth, its contents flowing down his chin and into his lap.

"I put on my resolve face," She continued to caught up in telling her tale to notice his clumsiness as she pointed at her face and furrowed her brow's, looking sternly back at him before her face broke into a wide grin. "That was my resolve face," She announced with pride.

"Thanks for the warning," He laughed and she reached forward her hand connecting with the side of his head.

"Thanks, smhanks! You wouldn't be so jolly if'n you were on the receiving end of it, buddy."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that,"

She rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, as I was saying... um... what was I saying again?"

Jericho's forehead crinkled.

'What had they been talking about?' He shrugged, picking up his glass again, his eye's crossing with intense concentration as he inched it to his lips, sighing in delight when he managed to take a swallow without spilling a drop.

Willow giggled.

He stared at her over the top of his glass.

"What's so funny?"

"You."

"Why?"

"You're glass is empty."

"It's not-" He looked down into it before his face took on an accusatory glare. "You drank my drink!"

"I did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Did no-" She glared back at him. "You know I don’t have to put up with this. I came here because a friend asked me to and... And..." She looked around the room trying to glimpse Faith among the crowd. Now that she thought about it she hadn't seen Faith or the other guy since her friend had practically tried to lap up his insides with her tongue. "Where are they?" She asked, there former argument forgotten.

Jericho merely shrugged, a sad dejected look taking over his face as he leaned back into his chair.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked after a moment of silence.

He didn't reply, just kept his face lowered from her gaze.

She watched him curiously, the droop in his shoulders, the fidgeting hands, the forlorn slant to his lips. Sighing, she got up and walked around to his side of the table, seating herself next to him.

"You’re in love, aren't you?"

His head shot up, surprised by her words, his eyes asking there own silent question.

"Yes," She responded, "It's that transparent."

"I'm sorry," He said softly after another moment of silence.

"For what?"

"Well, I know Christian set this whole thing up so that... you and I... well..."

"Hey, hold on there buddy, I am no man's rebound girl. Hell I don’t even swing that way anymore."

"I didn't mean it like that... I just... I don’t... you don’t... what?"

She looked him straight in the eye.

"I'm gay."

"Oh."

"Yes, 'Oh', so no matter how much manly charm you lapped on me tonight you still would end up going home alone."

Jericho grinned, realising he liked this small slip of a girl. She didn't pussyfoot around.

"Now," She said tapping him on the knee. "Why don’t you enlighten me as to why your here with me and not shacked up somewhere partaking in the nookie dance?"

**

Part Four

**

"Okay, so we got popcorn, we got Pepsi and we got Frankenstein. What more could we ask for?"

"Someone to cuddle up to during the scary bits?"

"Scary bits?" Trish looked aghast. "What scary bits? This is complete and utter romance in it's purest form."

"And you’re still single why?"

Trish grabbed a pillow of the bed and flung it at the giggling redhead.

"Shut up."

Lita promptly shut her lips, her pointer finger and her thumb coming together as if holding an invisible key, holding it up beside her mouth and mimed locking her lip's shut. The amusement dancing in her eye's belied the thin line that was her mouth.

Trish pouted some more. Stupid Jericho. If he hadn't of left the arena he might've been the one here now sharing her bedspace, instead of off god knew where doing god knew what. A shy smile turned up the corners of her mouth, maybe then she'd put on a front of being scared every minute or so... her smile grew and her brow quirked... who was she kidding? Make that every thirty second's!

"Earth to Trish, come in blondie..."

Trish swatted at the hand her friend waved in front of her face.

"By the look on your face a few moments ago I don’t need to ask whom it was that occupied your thoughts... do I?" She teased sending Trish a wink before moving forward to slip the DVD into the player.

Trish remained silent as Lita turned to make herself more comfortable on the bed both diva's were lounging on. Trish with her legs out in front of her with a hoard of pillows cushioning her back, while Lita was sprawled out on her stomach at the foot of the bed, with her feet in the air.

"Something bothering you?" She asked not use to her Trish being so non verbal.

"Do you think Jericho and I will ever get it together?"

Lita shrugged.

"I'm the last one who should be dishing out advice about relationship's. Hello! Dumped on nationwide television."

Trish plucked another pillow out from under her, aimed and fired.

"Be serious," She chuckled before adding, "Anyway, you wanted the break up as much as he did, you just hate the fate that he beat you to the punch."

Lita's eyes didn't leave the TV screen, but she did lift her hand and extend her middle finger.

"It's not fair," Trish huffed five minutes into the movie. "I'm doomed to live out the rest of my days in love with a jackass."

**

Part Five

**

Chris cringed under the stare the petit redhead seated at his side had trained on him. No sooner had he started to voice his little tale, the pleasant smile that graced her features soon turned disapproving. Her eye's reducing him mentally to that of a bug. He chanced a glance at her and cringed again. Make that a squashed bug.

"...so," He said cautiously. "That's why I am here subjecting myself to the whims of my best friend."

"Hmmm..."

Jericho moved restlessly in his chair.

"That's it? That's all you have to say? Hmmm?"

"No." She replied her tone matter of fact. "I could say a hell of a lot more but I get the feeling you've heard 'Jericho your an ass', 'you stupid, stupid prick' and 'Rot in hell' quite a lot in the past week's.

She heard him mumble something along the lines of 'Quite a lot multiplied by infinity' but chose to ignore his lemony expression, instead planting a bright smile on her face.

"Look on the flipside and thank your lucky stars head butting you in the groin is all she did, I mean, she could've gone the whole hog and cut that pesky little rascal right off!"

"Hey!"

She held up her hands.

"Okay, 'That' was uncalled for, considering I haven't even seen how teeny-"

"It's not teeny!"

"Okay, Okay, whatever you say Junior."

"Willow."

"Shutting up here."

"Thank you."

"But a bet?" She said with her next breath, proving she couldn't even take orders from herself. "How sixth grade is that?"

Jericho sighed.

"I know it was juvenile." He agreed tapping his finger on the side of his glass. "It was just nice being with her, you know? Just being around her, hanging out and talking... it felt so right. 'She' felt right. And now..."

"And now you feel like an even bigger ass then before?" She kindly finished for him.

He opened his mouth to protest then slowly shut it.

"Yeah," He agreed softly. "That's exactly how I feel. Pathetic aren’t I?”

"No." She replied her eye's boring right into him. "Just human."

"So," He smiled half heartedly. "Do you have any words of wisdom for a lovesick fool?"

Willow pffft!

"Are you crazy? She's got my vote. You are well and truly screwed!"

**

Part Six

**

Willow sighed a huge sigh of relief as she entered the Hyperion lobby and collapsed on the sofa.

"Tough night, pet?"

"The toughest," She replied kicking her shoes off. "If Faith ever talks me into a night out again, kill me... or better still, kill her!"

He chuckled, taking one of her dainty feet in his hands as he joined her on the sofa.

"Mmmm, that feel's good," She mumbled tiredly. "My other foot is so jealous."

"Well, we can’t have that." He grinned taking up her other foot and lavishing it with the same treatment he had the first. "Where is Faith?"

"Oh, she got a better offer, so I'm afraid I'm all you get for company tonight. Where is Angel and the others?"

"They all crammed into Angel's car like sardines in a can and headed over to Wesley's place."

Willow giggled understanding why Spike had stayed here alone rather then joining the others. Wesley's place was usually code for a night of Play Station 2. Angel and Spike in the same room as a PS2 console... not a good combination.

"Besides," He continued. "Someone had to stay and man the phone line."

As if on cue a shrill ringing sounded from the other side of the counter and Willow protested as Spike dropped her foot to leap over the counter top, disappearing from her view only to pop up a few second's later, receiver cradled against his cheek.

"Peaches loft, how may I bloody help you?"

Ignoring Willow's 'Angel-is-so-gonna-kill-you' look, Spike made his way over the counter, plopping back down beside her before holding out the handset.

Willow cocked her brow wondering who could be calling her at this hour?

"Hello?"

"Wills?"

"Lita! Hey!"

"Golly it is you. I thought I had the wrong number for a minute... nice way to answer the phone."

"Ow!" Spike complained as Willow smacked his arm.

"Sorry bout that he's on medication."

"Hope you don’t mind the late call."

"Of course I don’t mind. I mean we hardly talk enough as it is, but why do I get the impression you're calling with bad tidings."

"Because I am,"

Willow sighed as Spike again took up massaging her feet.

"You're cancelling tomorrow aren’t you."

"Sorry Wills. We've got another show tomorrow night so we gotta make tracks to the next city at first light."

"Oh, well..." Willow all but purred. "The next time you’re in LA then."

"Gee, I thought you'd be a lot more bummed at not seeing your favourite cousin in the whole wide world."

"Li, you're my only cousin in the whole wide world." She stated.

"Beside's I'm all bummed out."

"You're night out didn't go so well, hmmm?"

"Yes and no." She began slowly. "The music rocked, the drinks were free and the company good looking."

"But?"

"Said company had issues."

"Doesn't everyone?"

Willow chuckled remembering his face when she had told him he was screwed.

"Not like his."

"Oh, I'm curious now."

Willow pursed her lips, not wanting to so freely spill information that was said to her in confidence, even if she would probably never see him again. It just wasn't a Willowy thing to do.

"Let's just say he spent most of the night mooning over some blonde he's crushing on."

Lita looked across the room to the blonde diva she had spent her night with.

"Believe me, Will’s, I know exactly what you’re talking about."

**

End

**

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