�Why are you doing this?� Stephanie cried as Hunter cursed at her tears and brushed passed her.
�I told you for the last time we don�t need him on our team.� Hunter said. �Steve and I are capable enough of leading the Alliance. Jericho is someone we can�t trust and he insults my wife too damn much.�
�When was the last time he insulted me?� Stephanie asked as she wiped the tears from her face. She should�ve known that Hunter would give her no sympathy.
�He hasn�t been insulting you.� Hunter said. �He�s been hitting on you.�
Stephanie shook her head. �I don�t get this. You come back and you go after Austin now you�re on his side again and going after Chris?�
�You think I didn�t notice any of it?� Hunter asked as he pulled on his �Respect is earned� tee shirt. �The looks, the way you were always in his corner, you wearing his tee shirt, he even helped you win a belt.�
�I�m sorry I hurt your ego.� Stephanie said now angry. �But that doesn�t mean that you get the right to go out there and��
�You humiliated me in front of millions of people.� He said. �You made me look like a man who couldn�t keep his wife satisfied.�
�So this is what this is about.� Stephanie said. �You�re pissed because Chris and I became friends and people think there was something more.�
�I think there was something more.� Hunter snapped. �Now get dressed and let�s go.�
�I am dressed.�
Hunter looked her over in a pair of jeans and a tiny black WWF New York shirt. �You aren�t going out there like that. Wear those short leather shorts and that matching top. And my hat.�
Stephanie walked over towards her luggage and pulled out dressier clothes, holding them against her chest. �I am NOT wearing leather!�
She then stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
�I don�t know how Steve handles Debra.� He mutters. �Gotta get some advice.�
�I think you made a wrong turn.� Jeff said standing up as Chris walked into their dressing room with a smile.
�I didn�t.� Chris said. �And if you don�t mind, just for tonight, I�d like to leave my stuff with you guys.�
�What�s going on?� Matt asked coming out of the bathroom.
�Chris is leaving his stuff here.� Lita smiled. �Something�s going on tonight.�
�Don�t you have your own dressing room?� Jeff asked.
�Well if you�re friendly with the owner of ECW and co-owner of the Alliance of course you�re sharing one with her.� He said dropping his bags on the floor. �But when her husband comes back and wants a room with her you kinda have to take a back seat.�
�Sorry about that.� Matt frowned. �How are the ribs?�
�Alright.� Chris said looking down at his taped middle. �Steph stayed with me for a few hours before the security guards said that Hunter wasn�t leaving until she came with him. They were going to arrest him but she thought it�d be easier if she just left.� He smiled warily. �I preferred the arresting part.�
�I imagined.� Jeff grinned. �Have you heard about the��
A stricken look crossed Chris� face and the younger Hardy was sorry that he brought it up. No one had really heard anything about the People�s champion. Chris obviously had.
�He�s got some broken ribs and a bad concussion.� Chris said sitting on the edge of the couch. �Staples in the back of his head and twenty stitches in then front not to mention a broken arm.�
�God.� Matt said. �They�re animals.�
�I know.� Chris said standing up tonight. �When�s your match?�
�Half hour.� Matt said. �Lita�s off tonight.�
�Good.� Chris said. �Cause I need you guys to join me in the ring.�
�What�s going on?� Lita asked.
Chris smiled. �Wait and see what happens.�
Stephanie held her head high as she walked back and forth between the ropes on the right side of the ring facing the audience. She didn�t want to be out here but Hunter made her come out. She dried her eyes and applied fresh make up as well as an outfit that he approved up. Debra and Stone Cold were standing together on the other side of the ring and her husband was in the middle of the ring, microphone in hand, and talking to Shane. She got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Something was going to go wrong and she knew that this would involve Chris.
Hunter took the microphone and sneered into the cameras. �I�m sure you�re all wondering what we�re doing out here.� He said as he started to walk around the ring.
Stephanie noticed that he was still limping a little on his thigh. Was he still in pain? If he were he wouldn�t show it. He was the epitome of the masculine man. He was a jackass, she thought.
�Since I came back I�ve been able to help Steve and Shane and my dear wife Stephanie see that Chris Jericho is nothing short of a blond bitch who is prancing around with belts on his waist.� Hunter said as Stephanie�s eyes narrowed.
He was going to drag Chris� name through the mud before he completed what he came out here to do.
�So we took a vote and unanimously decided��
She didn�t agree.
��That it was time for Chris to resign from the Alliance.� Hunter said and then laughed along with Stone Cold and Shane. �And since Vince won�t want you back we decided that you should put the WWF title on the line. I�ll fight you for it tonight and along with taking the belt I�ll end your career.� He growled as he glared at the camera. �And you won�t have to worry about which team you�ll be fighting for.�
�Now you see, usually that would scare people.� Chris said, as he appeared on the titantron in his sparkly shirt and vinyl pants.
Stephanie couldn�t hide her smile.
�But I just feel bad for the camera people who have to keep smelling that nasty breath of yours!� Chris screamed.
Stephanie bit back a laugh. �Go Jericho,� she thought.
�You want a title match tonight for the WWF belt? You�re kicking me out of the Alliance? You�re going to end my career?� Chris said as he paced back and forth in the back. �Well listen to me you ass clown, you remember who was the one who took you out of the ring before, I warned you, and you were never, eeeeeever, the same again.�
Stephanie saw the fans jump up from their seats flashing their signs and she wished she were in those seats, chanting Y2J along with them. She was proud of him; glad he was standing up, and showing some leadership.
�So yes, I will put the title on the line.� Chris said. �And the same thing will happen.�
Chris handed the microphone to someone in the back and started to walk away from the cameras when he heard Hunter calling him back. He turned and glared at the cameras.
�This was a set up all along.� Hunter said. �I hope you know that. I want you to remember that tonight when my wife is in my corner.�
�Hunter.� Stephanie said pulling on his arm. �That isn�t true!�
Chris grabbed the microphone back. �Stop hiding behind your wife�s skirts, or nicely fashionable pleather pants.�
Stephanie smiled again, broadly this time, and right up at the titantron.
�I�ll see you in the ring tonight.� Chris said. He then threw the microphone down and headed into a dressing room.
Chris smiled as the lights lit up in the ring and the crowd went wild. He was in the middle of the ring with Matt and Lita on one side of him and Jeff on the other. Hunter had his own surprise earlier. Now it was time for Chris�.
�Since I was kicked out of the Alliance.� He said with an exaggerated pout. �I decided to go back to my old stomping rounds, the WWF.�
More shouts from the crowd and encouraging applauds from Lita. He continued with a bigger smile.
�There�s more.� He said. �I didn�t come back by myself.� He motioned towards the ramp and listened as the Dudley Boy�s music started up. �Welcome back to the Dudley�s!�
The Dudley�s came out with a table in their hand and little Spike on top if it with a smile. The next theme song that started playing was Raven�s. He and Terri came out to the top of the ramp and they walked down together.
Chris smiled. He liked having Raven back but he could�ve done without Terri. Christian�s music stared soon after and Chris heard a lot of boo�s.
�Don�t worry.� Chris said holding up his hand in the center of the ring. �We�re going to talk to Edge after this.�
Rhyno came out and then Hurricane Helms music played and Chris heard the biggest cheers.
�Yes, beside me, we decided there was no humor in the WWF, so we persuaded him over as well.� Chris smiled as he climbed in the ring. �If any former WWF star is in the back wondering why you weren�t talked to well it�s simply because I thought you were all big ass clowns who needed to stay where they were; Test, Tazz, Justin Credible, not worth our time. You didn�t think I had anywhere to go Triple H, did you?� Chris asked. �Thought I was all on my own with no one to turn to. This is what happens when you�re a real man. Your friends accept you back, with open arms.� He smiled as Lita came over and slid her arm around his waist. �You were going to take me out tonight? End my wrestling career? I think you need to call that doctor and tell him his patient�s coming back for more rehab. This is the new WWF!�
The crowd went wild as Chris tossed the microphone out of the ring and his music started to play. He talked the talk and now he had to walk the walk.
Chris watched as the couple came down the ramp together. Stephanie was still in the same outfit that she wore earlier to the ring, something plain and simple, but still Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. He was wearing those too tight underwear and spraying water over himself. That was the one thing Chris hated when he fought with �The Game.� He felt like he was getting a shower during the match.
Stephanie walked down; her face void of any emotion as she stood in Hunter�s corner and clapped for her husband. She really didn�t want to be there. She had grown so close to Chris. They had become good friends and he had taken care of her. Now her husband was back and she was expected to cut off that friendship simply because Hunter didn�t like him.
But wasn�t that what good wives were suppose to do?
Chris watched Hunter circle him and then he attacked, hitting Chris with his fists and tossing him into the turnbuckle for more. The fighting began and now it was time for Chris to show everyone that he could do this, that he could beat �The Game.�
Stephanie sighed and paced and sighed again, slapping her hands down on the mat, and clapping when deemed appropriate. She hated this. She didn�t want a winner. She wanted someone to interfere nicely and just get this stupid thing over with. Why? Why did she have to go through this now? She felt like things were finally falling into place when she was with Chris. She was happy and content and she had a friend that wasn�t of the opposite sex. Her and Lita were getting close and then Hunter returned. Hunter was ruining it all just because he was here. But she was suppose to love him. He was her husband. She wasn�t suppose to be feeling things for Chris. She wasn�t suppose to want him in her life more than she wanted Hunter.
She wasn�t suppose to be falling in love with him.
When she heard a loud cry she looked over and saw Chris on his back, writhing in pain. What did she miss? He was hurt, somehow, some way and Hunter was stalking over towards her. He reached down and kissed her through the ropes and it took all her strength not to haul off and hit him. This wasn�t just any match that he could take lightly, he was fighting Chris, and Stephanie knew that he was underestimating him.
Chris sat up painfully and all he saw was red. Hunter was bent over in his ugly underwear and making out with Stephanie who didn�t look too pleased.
She wasn�t his. He left. He wasn�t here. He didn�t call until recently. He wasn�t the one who took her to Maine and watched out for her safety. He didn�t protect her in the ring. He didn�t have the damn right to kiss her.
�That�s my right.� Chris growled as he got up and pulled Hunter away by his waistband.
Startled, Hunter fell back and Chris kicked him in his ribs over and over and over again. He then rolled Hunter over and bent down, picking up his legs and locking in The Walls of Jericho.
Stephanie saw the pain on Hunter�s face and she knew this was more than just a submission move. Something happened and she would bet that Chris pulled his muscle and his quad could have snapped again. She jumped up on the ropes and tried to get the referee�s attention.
�He�s hurt, ring the bell!�
�Get down, you can�t interfere!� The referee yelled back. �Get off the apron.�
Stephanie looked at Hunter. He wouldn�t tap out. He would somehow crawl over to the ropes, killing himself in the process but he would not tap out. She jumped down from the apron and ran around to the other side. The referee was down by Hunter, waiting to see if he was going to tap out. Stephanie jumped up on the other side of the apron and started to cry out his name.
�Chris! Chris let go!�
Chris was screaming in pain as he was putting all his pressure on Hunter�s back. The bastard wasn�t giving up without a fight and Chris liked that in an opponent. He was ready to apply more pressure when he heard Stephanie calling him. He eased up a little and looked at her. She was waving at him, screaming his name.
�Let go!�
�Let go?� He asked curious. He dropped Hunter�s legs and walked over to her. �What�s the matter?�
�Hunter, I think he tore his quad again.� Stephanie said as she slid in the ring. Chris followed her over and she knelt down beside Hunter who rolled on his back, gripping his thigh.
�Call a paramedic.� She said to the referee.
�The match isn�t over.� The referee said.
�End it.� Chris said angrily. �The man�s in pain.�
�Don�t end the match.� Hunter said getting to his knees. He crawled over to the ropes and pulled himself up. He then reached out and punched Chris square in the face causing him to fall to the mat.
�Hunter.� Stephanie cried. �End the match!�
�Fuck.� Hunter groaned as he fell to the mat himself, gripping his thigh again.
�End the�� Stephanie screamed when she saw Stone Cold enter the ring with a chair. Chris rolled out of the way just in time and Steve hit the mat hard with the piece of steel. The referee finally ended the match and two trainers came running out from the back.
Chris rolled out of the ring and brought Steve out with him, hitting him and knocking him to the ground.
Stephanie bent over Hunter. �You�ll be ok.�
�I�ll never forgive you for this.� Hunter said through gritted teeth. �You will pay, just like Jericho.�
