Rating: M
Summary: Stephanie disappears after that disastrous 11 Feb 02 RAW and returns ten months later...and she�s not alone.
Type of fic: Story
Author�s notes: Okay, this idea ultimately came from my father when he basically said to me (regarding the events at the end of 11 February 2002 RAW), �They should put Steph out to pasture for nine months, and bring her back with Hunter�s baby�. Well, that, and my muses just wanted some Hunter-torture. Italicised paragraphs are flashbacks. (They might not show up in the posts, so I�ll let you guys know when it�s a flashback part, or if there�s a flashback part.)
***
Part Six �Stephanie, what you did was incredibly stupid!� Edge said furiously, glaring at her. Blood was trickling down his face from his left temple, but he didn�t seem to be noticing. �Stupid! Of all the�how could you have been so unbelievably stupid!?�
�I was just trying to help you!� Stephanie yelled back.
�You could have gotten yourself seriously injured! Triple H was ready to kill you out there!�
�And what the hell did you think he was doing to you?�
Shawn shook his head, finally getting in between the two friends. �Hey, stop it, both of you. All this screaming isn�t doing anyone any favours.�
�But-�
�Just stop,� he commanded his fianc�, then turned to face the blonde Canadian. �Edge, I really think you should get that cut seen to.�
Edge slowly lifted a hand, touched the side of his face and pulled it away. He looked at the bloody smear on his fingers with surprise. �Oh, shit.�
Shawn looked sternly at him. �Get someone to take you to hospital for it, not just to the infirmary. Get Spike.�
Edge nodded, and with another angry glance at Stephanie, whirled around and left the room.
Shawn turned back to Stephanie, who slumped hard onto the sofa behind her. �I was just trying to help him,� she repeated, her voice resigned. �Why is he so angry with me?�
He shook his head, unsure whether to kiss her for her sweet innocence, or to frown at her for her complete naivety. �Stephanie, he�s�� Shawn changed his mind, deciding not to say anything. He liked Edge and he didn�t want anything to strain their friendship, or Edge�s friendship with Stephanie.
�He�s what?� she asked, looking at him.
�He�s just worried about you, and so am I.� He sat down beside her. �I know you say you�re fine, and that you can look after yourself, but I have to agree with Edge. What you did tonight wasn�t exactly the smartest thing to do.�
Stephanie glowered at him. �And what did you want me to do? To just sit back and watch Hunter beat the crap out of my bestfriend?�
�No, of course not, but-�
�Edge saved me on Monday night, and I wanted to return the favour. Isn�t that what friends are for?� she asked, daring him to challenge her.
Shawn reached up and held her face between both hands. �Listen to me very carefully, Steph. What you did tonight was extremely brave, and I understand why you did it. But Hunter nearly killed you out there. Do you have any idea what that would have done to me? To your friends? To Cassidy?�
Her features softened. �I�m sorry. It was just��
�Hey, I know,� he murmured, bringing his face closer to hers. �It�s hard seeing your friends out there taking a beating. But for you, you have to stop putting yourself in danger now. You have your daughter to think of. Especially when the father finally realises the truth.�
Stephanie looked at him with haunted eyes. �I don�t want him to know.�
Shawn felt his heart break at the sight of her face. He said nothing as he gathered her into his arms and just held her.
*
�Is everything okay?�
Stephanie sighed as she replaced the receiver. �I don�t think so. He�s talking to me, barely, but he�s still angry.�
�Hey, don�t worry too much about it. It�s Edge. He�ll forgive you in no time,� Shawn reassured her.
But she couldn�t help worrying. �I don�t think he�s ever been this angry before. I wish I could make him understand why I did what I did.�
�He does understand. I know he does. But�� Shawn frowned at her. �The thing is, that bruise around your neck isn�t exactly a very heartening thing to be constantly reminded of.�
At the mention of her neck, the raw ache in her throat returned, and Stephanie swallowed with difficulty and pain. She grimaced. �Thanks for reminding me.�
Just then, Cassidy started crying in the playpen beside Shawn. Stephanie�s first instinct was to go to her daughter, but she contented herself with watching her fianc� take care of Cassidy.
Shawn abruptly turned his attention to Cassidy, cooing and smiling as he bent down to pick her up. �What�s the matter, sweetheart? After-nap crankiness?�
Stephanie smiled at him warmly. She loved him, without question. Shawn had been the first guy she had ever had a crush on, and he delighted in reminding her. It had annoyed her at first, especially when other guys started being interested in her, but now� Now she viewed it as the first inkling of what should have been.
Hunter had no idea about their past: innocent flirting that eventually led to a date, a goodnight kiss, several secret trysts�which sharply ended after the creation of Degeneration X. Shawn had pushed her to the back of his mind, and she had done the same. They were going in completely different directions. It wasn�t going to work out.
When Hunter had revealed what he had done to Stephanie on the eve of her wedding to Andrew, Shawn had been the first person to call her. In fact, he had driven all the way to her apartment in New York from Texas to make sure she was okay. He had been so sweet and caring that night�
And Shawn had been the first person to criticise her after the Armageddon pay-per-view when she finally revealed whose side she had chosen. He hadn�t been kind in his�assessment of her actions, and Stephanie had actually found herself cringing as she had pulled the phone away from her ears.
That had been the last time she had had any contact with Shawn�until that night ten months ago.
�Steph, you think Cassidy would still be too little to be the flower girl at the wedding?� Shawn asked, breaking into her thoughts as Cassidy finally quietened.
Stephanie laughed. �I guess it kind of depends on when you want to get married, doesn�t it?�
�Is this afternoon too soon?� he asked, an adorably hopeful look on his face.
She looked closely at him. �Do you really want to get married so soon?�
�In the blunt words of a famous Texan-�
�Please, don�t!�
�Steph, I would never have asked if I didn�t want to,� he told her gently. �Personally, I never got the whole being engaged for months thing. You don�t ask someone to marry you and then wait two years for it to finally happen.�
Stephanie smiled as she walked towards him. �Would next Saturday be too soon?�
Shawn looked at her with surprise. Then his face lit up. �Are�are you sure about this?�
She looked down at her daughter cradled safely in his arms, then looked back at his hopeful face. Stephanie smiled. �I�ve never been more sure about anything else.�
*
(flashback)
It was her first time to be on the road with the WWF, and Stephanie couldn�t stop looking around in awe at her surroundings. One day all this would be hers, she knew, and she was impatient for that day to come. The wrestlers, the backstage and road crew, the low murmurs of the waiting fans out in the main part of the arena - they were all overwhelming. But it was the atmosphere that made her heart pound, and sent her adrenaline rushing. The excitement, the anticipation, the nerves. All of it was an experience that rivalled nothing else in her young life.
And she wanted to be part of it for the rest of her life.
�Lost?�
Stephanie stopped abruptly at the voice, and gazed up into the friendly face of Shawn Michaels. Her heart stopped, and she felt her cheeks turning pink. �Uh�hi.�
His smile widened. �Are you looking for someone?�
She slowly shook her head. She never realised how cute he was in person! �Um�no. I�m just�looking around.�
�I�m Shawn Michaels by the way,� he introduced. He stuck out his right hand towards her.
Stephanie was so surprised to be greeted in such a formal manner that she just stared at his hand for a few moments. Then, burning with embarrassment, she hesitantly reached out and shook it. �Hi. Again.�
�And you are�?�
She wanted to die, but tried hard to compose herself. She managed to finally smile back at him. �Stephanie. My name is Stephanie McMahon.�
She couldn�t wait to tell all her friends about her day. They were all going to go completely green with envy.
Shawn raised an eyebrow, his smile turning into a charming grin. �Interesting.�
(end flashback)
end part six.
