Stephanie stood outside the door debating on whether or not to knock. She had looked all over for Chris and couldn�t find him anyway. He thought that she was mad at him because Hunter pulled his quad, but she wasn�t, she just had to go to the hospital with him. She left him there as soon as she could.
Then she arrived here. She checked his suite, the bar, the local pizza places within three miles, and he was nowhere to be found. She knew that he was probably off somewhere drowning his sorrows. The only other place that came to mind was a strip joint and it would break her heart to see him there.
With a deep breath she raised her hand and knocked loudly. She heard a mumble of voices and then a smiling Jeff pulled open the door.
�Hey.� Stephanie smiled gratefully. It was late and she was glad that she didn�t wake him up. �I was wondering if you guys know��
Chris walked up behind Jeff. �Hi.�
�Hi.� Stephanie said. �Could we talk?�
Chris looked at Jeff who was still standing there with a goofy smile on his face.
�Oh, I�m sorry.� Jeff said.
A small smile appeared on Chris� face. �Don�t worry about it. We�ll go to my room.�
Stephanie nodded eagerly. As much as she had grown to like the Hardy�s and Lita she needed to talk to Chris alone. She had a feeling that they both needed to talk.
�They�re going to kiss and make up!� They heard Jeff yell as Chris closed the door quietly behind them.
�It�s up��
�I know.� Stephanie said as they walked towards the elevator. �I was up there already. It�s up next to mine.�
�Yeah, well, I like to torture myself.� He smiled as they stepped in the elevator together. They were quiet as they made their way up to Chris� suite. What they had to say to each other was very private and they didn�t want other ears to hear.
As soon as Chris shut the door and turned back towards her, Stephanie let loose.
�I�m not mad at you, I don�t hate you, I�m glad Hunter hurt his quad again.� She said. �I know that�s horrible to say about a wrestler but the doctor told him not to get into the ring and he was so damn hard headed that he had to get in, he had to come back and get revenge for whatever happened to him even though it was an accident. You just left. I had to go with him. He is my husband; I was expected to be there, I left as soon as I found out he was ok. They�re keeping him in the hospital overnight and sending him right back to Alabama in a hospital helicopter. I didn�t see him. I came here, Chris. Please don�t��
He reached her in two strides and took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, his tongue eagerly seeking out hers. He heard her moan softly and then her arms came around him and soon their bodies were pressed together in a tight embrace.
�Shut the hell up.� He whispered as he pulled back, panting softly. �Give me a chance to talk will you?�
She blushed a little but was quiet and sat down on the edge of the bed while Chris paced in front of her in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. He had a chance to come back and get changed. She was still in the clothes she wore at ringside, a pair of pants and a nice blouse.
�I was upset, but not at you, really.� He started off. �When Hunter came back I was pissed at him, he came between us, our friendship, and I didn�t see you anymore, unless it was with him at ringside. Plus he started kicking my ass.� He waved his hand in the air. �I don�t care what Hunter did to me, I didn�t like what he was doing to you.�
�But he didn�t do��
�He did!� Chris said. �Look at you. Before he came back you were wearing more comfortable outfits. Even after his matches you�re still in these clothes. I haven�t seen you in jeans once since he returned, even when you enter the arena. And you don�t talk as much. How many times were you on the mic since he returned? He�s turning back into Mrs. Helmsley. You�re not Steph anymore.�
�I am Mrs. Helmsley.�
�No women should ever belong to her husband.� Chris said. �And you belong to Hunter.�
�I do not be��
�How do you like your hair?�
�What do you mean?�
�How do you like to wear your hair?� Chris asked. �Long, short, curly, crimped?�
�Straight.� She smiled. �I like it straight.�
He walked over towards her and fingered a piece of scrunched hair that was filled with hair spray, moose, and whatever else they used to keep it that way.
�I like it straight too, Steph.� He whispered as he slowly sat down next to her. �There�s something else I have to tell you.�
Stephanie looked into his blue eyes and felt her insides quiver. She wasn�t going to like what she was about to hear. �What is it?�
Chris brushed some hair back from her innocent face and then held it in his hands. This was going to break her heart. He knew that she really did love her husband.
�Hunter cheated on you.�
Stephanie�s eyes grew wide and she stared at Chris in shock. �What?�
Chris nodded. �Hunter had an affair with Trish Status.�
Her vision became fuzzy as tears appeared in her eyes and she pulled away from Chris, standing up and dashing them away. �Hunter wouldn�t do that.�
�I didn�t think he would either.� Chris said standing up as well. �If you were my wife, I wouldn�t be going astray.�
�See.� She said keeping her back towards him.
�But he did.� He whispered. �Steph, I didn�t even know about it. It didn�t cross my mind until��
�Until when?� She asked whirling around on him with anger in her eyes. �Until you started to like me? I told you I was married. I thought you could accept that Chris. Now you�re making up lies. I�m sorry we can�t be friends. I�ll see you around.�
�Hey, wait.� Chris said grabbing her arm as she started towards the door.
�Chris, let��
He grabbed her other arm and forced her to look at him. �It didn�t cross my mind until you got into a fight with Trish Stratus and she almost slipped by saying she fucked Hunter. Hunter had an affair with Trish, Steph. A very long one.�
Stephanie�s face paled as she remembered it. Her and Trish were fighting, Trish almost let it slip, saying that Hunter took full advantage of their time together, she said it wasn�t a lie. Stephanie was upset and Chris comforted her, telling her it would be okay.
She looked at him with tears sliding down her cheeks. �Is this your idea of ok?� She whispered.
�Steph.� He whispered pulling her in his arms. �I�m so sorry.�
�When?� She sniffled pulling back. �I need dates Chris. How did you find out? How do you know that this is true?�
�I told you I didn�t know.� Chris said. �But Benoit was a heel at the time. It was all over the men�s locker room. Everyone knew who was around Hunter. Steve, X-Pac, Albert, your brother probably even knew.�
�Oh God.� Stephanie said holding her stomach. �I think I�m going to be sick.� She sat down on the bed and looked up at him with a red face. �Tell me when.�
�Steph, are you��
�When?!�
�Remember that King of the Ring kiss in 2000?� Chris asked.
�What does�� Stephanie�s lips quivered. �When did it end?�
�When Hunter left for rehab.� Chris said quietly. �And Benoit only knows that it ended because Hunter was gone. No one knows if Trish flew��
�I get it.� Stephanie said as they anger appeared in her blue eyes again. �They could still be fucking.�
Chris winced. She wasn�t a cursor and this news really did tear her apart. He wished he wasn�t the one who told her this but he knew that if it came from anyone else�s mouth she wouldn�t believe them. Hell, he didn�t even know if she believed him.
She stood up, on shaky legs, but with confidence in her eyes. �If Hunter wants to play games, we can play games.� She said quietly. �He thinks that he invented �The Game� but he�s so wrong.� She took her heels off and threw them across the room. �Vince McMahon invented the game.� She walked to the small table and pulled out one of Chris� tee shirts and a pair of his pants. �And we all know that I am Daddy�s little girl.� She smiled as she kissed his cheek and then disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower, washing away what was left of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley.
She walked down the hallway, her heels clicking against the ceramic tiling on the floor. Her hair was straight, her skirt came down to her knees, her heeled boots came just below, she had on a purple blouse that hung loose but revealed very little. Today she was leaving things to the imagination, she was walking proudly, she had an air of confidence around her, not bitchiness. She was happy, glad to be here, and for the first time in weeks she had a real smile on her face.
�Hello, Peggy.� She smiled as she came up to the large, oval shaped desk that was sitting in front of the windows that lined the walls. �Is he here?�
�He�s expecting you.� Peggy smiled as she motioned to the office that sat a few feet away from the desk.
�Thank you.� She said putting her hand on the knob and taking a deep breath. She then stepped in and was greeted with a warm smile.
�Hello Princess.�
�Hi Daddy.� Stephanie smiled as she walked over to her father and hugged him. She felt him kiss her forehead and he pulled away, his eyes revealing a happiness that she hadn�t seen in him in a long time.
�I�m glad you could make it. I know you were busy.� Vince said as he sat back down in his chair.
�I hurried as quickly as I could.� Stephanie said. �Of course my office on the other side of the building isn�t helping matters.� She teased as she turned around and looked at the other wrestler who was sitting in Vince�s office. �Everything settled?�
�Took a while but yes.� Vince said. �He was a little upset that he wasn�t in the main event.�
�He has a thick skull like that.� She smiled over at him. �Isn�t that right, Chris?�
Chris stood up from the leather couch and smirked at her. �I don�t think you wanna be standing here talking about thick skulls, Steph.�
She rolled her eyes as he walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. �We won�t let you down, Daddy.�
�You may have in the past.� Vince said. �But I trust you now, the both of you. No more fighting about Smackdown tomorrow night.�
�Like he�d win anyway.� Stephanie snorted playfully as she pushed Chris out of the office. �I�ll see you later, Peggy.�
�Bye Stephanie, good bye Mr. Jericho.�
Chris blew the older woman a kissed and walked down the hall with his arm slumped around Stephanie�s shoulders. �Not win, eh?�
�Chris, we�ve discussed this.� Stephanie said. �It�s going to be the Hardy�s versus whoever Steve chooses as a partner. We don�t want you getting into serious matches. Hunter will return and Daddy doesn�t like his warning.�
�I don�t like his warning.� Chris grumbled and frowned when Stephanie pushed his arm off her shoulder.
�Some people still report to my husband.� She said as they rounded the hall.
�We�re just friends.�
�Some people see more than that.�
�I�m hoping that �some� is you.� He grinned.
�Oh.� Stephanie groaned and pushed the door open to her office. She stopped in the doorway when she saw the Hardy�s jump onto the floor on their stomach�s and Lita held her hands behind her back. They all had innocent smiles on their faces.
�What happened?� Stephanie asked.
�Nothing.� Jeff smiled as he brushed something under her desk.
Stephanie laughed. �I�m going to find out eventually you might as well show me now.�
Jeff smiled sheepishly as he pulled out an expensive broken vase that was in about five or six pieces. �We were going to glue it together but we figured you�d notice.�
�So you decided to shove it under the desk before I got back.� Stephanie smiled as she knelt down in front of Jeff. �I have a feeling a Twist of Fate was involved in this.�
�No, whisper of the wind.� Matt smiled.
�I told them not to do it.� Lita said as she helped Stephanie picked up the pieces.
Stephanie took them and carefully walked over to the trashcan with them. She then tossed them in there angrily. �You did me a favor. Hunter gave me that. One less thing for me to break. Where we heading to lunch?�
�McDonald�s.� Jeff said.
�We�re not going to McDonald�s.� Matt said. �They don�t care who you are they aren�t going to let you play in the play land.�
Jeff frowned.
�Taco Bell.� Matt said.
�We�re not going to Taco Bell!� Jeff said. �They have less options than McDonald�s.�
�They just got Chicken Quesidilla�s.�
�Oohh.� Jeff said.
Chris laughed as he slipped his arm around Stephanie�s waist. �You can pick.�
Stephanie looked at Lita. �Where should we make them take us?�
�There�s this really expensive place up on fifth.� Lita laughed with a gleam in her eyes as she jumped up on Matt�s back and he gave her a piggyback out of the office.
Chris laughed. �Expensive restaurant it is.� He kissed Stephanie�s cheek as they followed the Hardy�s and Lita.
