�Chris.� Stephanie smiled as she jogged down the stairs. �Why didn�t you wake me? You shouldn�t have let me sleep that long.�
�I didn�t know I was suppose to.�
Stephanie jumped back against the wall with her hand over her heart as she saw Chris Benoit relaxing in a reclining chair and flipping through the channels.
�What are you doing here?�
�I live here from time to time.�
Stephanie took a shaky breath. �Where�s Chris?�
�Out.�
�Out where.�
�Somewhere out there.� He said, grinning and revealing that missing tooth.
�Does he have his cell phone on him?�
�He can�t be disturbed.�
Stephanie felt her head swimming. Chris just left the house, possibly the state, and didn�t tell her about it? To add onto that fact, he left Chris Benoit here to baby-sit her. She couldn�t wait to get a hold of him.
The phone rang and Benoit looked at the clock. He smiled and picked it up.
�What took you so long?�
�Everything ok?�
�She just woke up.� Benoit said. �And she�s halfway across the room from me with her back pressed against the wall. I think she�s afraid I�m going to bite.�
Chris laughed. �Not hard with that tooth gone. Let me talk to her.�
�Hey, phone.� Benoit said, tossing it to her.
Stephanie took it and quickly held it up to her ear. �Chris?�
�It�s me.� He said, his face breaking out into a smile. �How are you holding up?�
Stephanie turned back towards Benoit who continued flipping through the channels before slipping into the kitchen and closing the door behind her.
�Where are you? What are you doing? You left him here with me?�
�One at a time.� He chuckled. �Benoit�s there because I asked him to be there. The Hardy�s and Lita had a match tonight.�
�Where are you?�
�I�ll be home soon.�
�Chris, where are you now?�
Chris frowned. She actually sounded frightened. Did she think that Benoit was going to hurt her? He would imagine so. Especially with all the trouble she caused him before he was put out on injury.
�Shit, Steph I gotta go. Go back to the living room with Benoit. I�ll call you back as soon as I can.�
�Chris, wait, Chris�� She felt tears prick her eyes as she heard the loud dial tone on the other end. For the first time in days she felt unsafe. With Chris here he was like her protection, her security blanket. Now that he was gone she felt vulnerable. He expected her to go out there and make nice with Benoit. He�d probably kill her before the night was through. She took a deep breath. �I�m doing this for Chris.�
She then pushed open the door and headed back into the living room. She stopped when she noticed what Benoit had on.
�Raw?�
�Sit down and watch.� Benoit said. �It�s going to be an interesting evening.�
Stephanie plopped down on the couch; phone in hand, as she watched Jim Ross recap what happened on Smackdown Thursday. She saw it all happen again. Stone Cold advancing towards her, Debra getting the sledge hammer, her own brother ready to swing, and Chris Jericho saving her. She would never forget that, ever. She was pleased to hear that Debra required stitches and was still recovering in the hospital from the ring bell to the face.
�You did that?� Benoit asked.
Stephanie looked over at him with wide eyes and nodded numbly.
�Not to bad.� Benoit said with a small smile.
�I just hope that Steve doesn�t cause anymore�� She stopped when she saw the numbers counting down on the screen. �No.�
Stephanie watched the explosion and then she saw Chris Jericho through the haze, his back to the crowd, as he turned around and did that little kick that she loved. He had a microphone in hand and was headed down to the ring, alone.
�What is he doing?� Stephanie asked as she moved towards the edge of the couch. �You knew about this?�
�What do you think I�m here?� Benoit asked.
Stephanie stared at the television set numbly and she silently started to pray for Chris� safety.
�As you can all see,� Chris said walking around the ring and talking. �Two ass clowns last week decided to pick on someone smaller than them because they can�t win a real match against Chris Jericho. So I had to come out and teach Stone Cold Steve Ass wipe a lesson. Don�t mess with Y2J or any of his friends.�
Chris stopped and stared at the crowds, listening to them cheer at his speech. This is exactly what he needed.
�But still I hear that Stone Cold and he�s little robot Shane McMahon are looking for Princess Stephanie, I�m not pleased that they could take out their anger on a poor female.� He held up his finger and moved it back and forth. �Tsk, tsk, boys. It�s time you pick on someone your own size. So, Austin, you wanna beat on someone, you wanna kick their ass.� He scowled, as he looked right into the camera. �Come and get me.�
�No!� Stephanie screamed as she jumped up from the couch. �He�s crazy.� She said running around it and heading towards the closet.
�What are you doing?� Benoit asked.
�I�m going to wherever they are. Where are they? Kentucky? I think tonight was Louisville. I can get there.�
�By the time you get there, Raw is going to be over.� Benoit said.
�He is going to get hurt!�
Benoit sighed as he stood up and made his way towards her. She backed up as she was struggling to put on her boots.
�You aren�t going anywhere.�
�Try and stop me.� She said her hands placed firmly on her hips.
Chris Benoit picked her up and headed back to the couch, dropping her on her backside. �Stay put.�
She frowned as she struggled to sit up and watch the television. �Please, don�t let him get hurt.� She whispered to herself.
Her brother�s theme music then hit and Shane came out to the top of the ramp, microphone in hand, ready to do a verbal war with Chris Jericho.
�Stone Cold would kick your ass Chris Jericho if he were here tonight, unfortunately he�s with his wife in the hospital. You see my sister busted her open so bad that she��
�Whoa, whoa, whoa there Junior.� Chris said, sighing inwardly, glad that he couldn�t take on Austin tonight. He would head right home to Stephanie. That sounded so nice, home to Stephanie. He shook his head and glared at Shane. �I don�t care what happened to whom. Your just lucky I didn�t hold you down and have Stephanie whack you with the ring bell you jackass.�
Benoit chuckled from his chair. �Go Chris.�
�I�ve said all I need to say tonight.� Chris said. �If Austin wants to kick some ass, he can let me know, I�ll be ready to give it right back, in ten-fold.�
�I�m not done.� Shane smiled as he held up his hand for Chris to stop where he was. �You see, Jericho, you thought that Steph was all sugar and spice and everything nice, didn�t ya? I bet wherever she is she�s got you wrapped around her little finger. Let me tell you something, Y2J, this was the whole plan all along. You see dear Steph helped you win the WCW title so you would be on her side. Yeah, she wants you with her Jericho, it was a set up.� Shane laughed. �But I�ll let Austin know what you said.�
Shane�s theme music played again and he disappeared into the back as Chris stood in the ring, his eye�s narrowed. A set up? Stephanie did this all so he could become a heel? That didn�t make sense. Why would she put him in a match with Steve then? Why would she help out? Why�
�Don�t believe him.�
Chris looked up and saw Matt standing in front of him. He didn�t even know he managed to get backstage.
�Get back to her.� He said quietly. �We�ve got someone keeping an eye on Shane and someone else at the hospital making sure Stone Cold stays put. I�m sure there�s a reason for this; go find out. Jeff has the car waiting.�
�Thanks man.� Chris said. �Keep in touch.�
�I will.� Matt said as he watched Jericho jog off. �And I�ll have Lita kick her ass if what Shane said is true.�
�There is an explanation for that.� Stephanie said as Chris Benoit glared at her.
�Go upstairs until Chris gets back.�
�What?�
�I�m very pissed off right now.� Benoit said. �And I already hate your family so you don�t want to see what happens when I get very pissed off, especially since this involves you screwing over my friend.�
�But I didn�t��
�Do you really wanna sit here and argue with me?� Benoit asked.
Stephanie looked annoyed but she knew when to quit. She kicked off her still one boot and tossed the phone down before stomping up the stairs.
�Spoiled little child.� Benoit muttered as the phone rang. �Yeah, I heard, I�ll leave the house open for you later. Ok.� He hung up and then settled back in his chair. With all the people dropping by they might as well have a party, as long as it wasn�t a Hardy party.
Stephanie woke up to a gentle hand running up and down her back soothingly. Her eyes adjusted to the moonlight that shone on his body.
He smiled sadly as he noticed the tear stains on her face. She cried herself to sleep again. He didn�t like that, especially when he wasn�t here. He felt his heart start to quicken as a small smile appeared on her lips and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He felt himself starting to get attached and now he was slowly starting to realize that he cared about Stephanie. He cared about what did or didn�t happen to her and it hurt like hell to think that this was a set up.
�We need to talk.� He whispered and she pulled back instantly.
Soon she was looking up at him with those pretty blue eyes of hers, eyes that were almost the same color as his.
�Let me explain?� She asked and he nodded. She licked her lips nervously before she trudged on. �My idea was to make you WCW champion so I could get you on my side. I hoped that you could help me with the wrestlers for ECW and that maybe, just maybe you�d be a little bit nicer to me. You didn�t accept my help though and Stone Cold flipped out. I had to schedule that match with him. I knew what would happen if I didn�t.�
�And it happened anyway didn�t it?� He asked as he ran his hand down her cheek.
�Yes.� Stephanie said. �When he was fighting with you, when he pulled out that sledge hammer. I know what it�s done to my life before. I didn�t want that to happen again and...and...� Could she get this out? Could she admit this to herself? �I didn�t want to see you get hurt.�
There, she said it. Now all she had to do was wait for his reaction.
Chris took her face in his hands and he pulled her slowly towards him. Licking his lips quickly, he placed his against hers, kissing her ever so softly.
Stephanie wrapped her arms around Chris and laid back on the bed, pulling him on top of her, thinking she finally got a taste of heaven.
