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 Seven �Who is it? Who�s the father?� the question was commanding, almost desperately so.
Stephanie stared at Hunter in surprise, but still afraid. She shook her head, taking a few steps back away from him. She hit the side of her car. �Hunter��
�Tell me, damnit!� he shouted, eyes glittering with fury. �Tell me who the father of your baby is!�
She was suddenly regretting her decision to arrive alone at the arena. She had scheduled a meeting with Shane, and had insisted that she could take care of herself. There was nothing to fear from Shane, who had yet to show up. In fact, it had been Hunter who had been waiting for her, pacing like a caged tiger, and she had seen him much too late.
�You won�t believe me if I told you,� she whispered, shaking her head and avoiding his eyes.
�You are a little slut, aren�t you?� Hunter murmured, dangerously leaning hard against her. �Who was it, Stephy? It was Edge, wasn�t it? No wonder the Canadian pretty boy thinks he�s in love with a little whore like you. A woman is irresistible when she gives birth to your baby.�
Stephanie felt the anger almost immediately, and using all of her strength she placed both palms on his chest and shoved him as hard as she could. Hunter stumbled back, and fell hard on his ass, and she glared down at him.
�I am not a whore,� she told him with furious determination. �It wasn�t me who had the affair, Hunter. It was you. Remember your little bitch, Lita?�
A stricken look came over Hunter�s face, and a wave of new confidence surged over Stephanie. It was a new feeling having a little power over Hunter, and literally standing above him.
She smiled without humour. �You don�t think I didn�t know about the two of you? I knew from the very beginning, Hunter. And I still managed to fool myself into believing that I was in love with you, and that half of you was better than none of you. I was truly stupid, wasn�t I?�
�I never-�
�Is that why you�re so insistent that I cheated on you?� Stephanie interrupted, not wanting to give him a chance. �Would it make you feel less guilty if I said that I slept with Edge? That Edge is the father?� She paused, looking down at him. �Do you feel any guilt at all?�
*
The guilt he had been trying to ignore for close to a year and a half surfaced rapidly, and it hit him like a tidal wave. Stephanie had known all about Lita�
Hunter had thought he had covered his tracks fairly well. He had grown tired of Stephanie�s constantly putting her career - and her financial security - ahead of his needs, and he had looked elsewhere for�companionship.
He shook his head, trying to focus on his anger. The anger. It was what fuelled him. Anger at Stephanie, at Edge, at everyone who sided with her.
Anger at Shawn.
Shawn Michaels. His ex-bestfriend. The man who had come out and saved Stephanie on SmackDown.
The rage returned, and he hurriedly got back to his feet and towered over his ex-wife. �It was Shawn, wasn�t it? He�s the father!�
Stephanie surprised him. She didn�t move, and she stared right back at him. �Is that what you want to believe? Will that make you sleep easier at night?� she asked coldly.
However, before Hunter could answer, another voice joined them.
�Is there a problem here?� Shane asked, a threatening note in his voice.
Hunter ignored the other man, but he sneered at Stephanie. �No, I got what I came for.�
He left them.
*
�You!�
More than anything, Shawn was startled by the pure fury in the man�s voice. He turned slowly to face his former bestfriend. �Hunter.�
The other man looked as if he was trying hard to control his temper. �It was you?!�
�Hunter, you don�t know what you�re talking about,� he said evenly. �You have no idea-�
�My bestfriend and my wife,� Hunter interrupted, his rage suddenly gone.
Shawn looked at him in surprise, and was actually saddened to see Hunter with a look of pain on his face.
�My bestfriend and my wife,� Hunter repeated softly.
�It�s not like that,� Shawn told him truthfully. �It was never like that. Stephanie never cheated on you, that I�m sure of.�
�How would you know?�
�You wouldn�t understand.�
Hunter glared at Shawn. �Try me.�
But Shawn shook his head. He knew that it wasn�t the right time, or the right place. He wasn�t sure there was ever going to be a right time or a right place. Among other things, Hunter could get very possessive. Shawn knew that, deep down, Hunter had yet to let go of Stephanie.
�Now isn�t-�
�Tell me, damnit!�
Shawn felt his anger begin to rise, but he quickly pushed it back down. He stared hard at the blonde man. �What is it exactly that you want me to tell you, Hunter?�
�How about starting with you sleeping with my wife.�
�She�s not your wife anymore, remember?�
Hunter�s eyes flashed. �No, she�s not, and now you�re swooping in for the kill?�
Shawn shook his head. �It�s not like that.�
�What is it then, Shawn? Just keeping up appearances for your kid?�
�If you only knew��
�Then why don�t you tell me?�
Shawn felt nothing but pity for angry man before him, yet a part of him empathised. It would have devastated Hunter to have been led to believe that he was going to have a baby, and then find out the truth just minutes before his renewal of vows.
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
*
�That�s it, you are to go nowhere by yourself from now on!�
Stephanie rolled her eyes. �Sure thing, Mother Torrie.�
Her friend glared at her. �Do you have any idea how totally dangerous this situation is right now? Hunter is like a trapped animal now. He�s lost you, he�s lost his friends, he�s lost the respect of the fans, and he doesn�t even have his skanky Lita anymore. And you, you now have everything. Cassie, Shawn, the support of your friends and fam-�
�Torrie.�
Torrie sighed. �I�m serious, Steph. Hunter is teetering over the edge, and I�m pretty sure he�s under the belief that everything he�s lost is because of you, and he will try to retaliate. And I�m sure that the question of Cassidy�s paternity is occupying his mind constantly as well. He�s going to be after whoever he thinks is the father.�
�That man is surprisingly stupid,� Tajiri commented, shaking his head. �Even I knew who the father was almost instantly.�
Stephanie laughed, remembering. Tajiri had indeed been the first to correctly determine Cassidy�s biological father. However, before she could speak the door to their dressing room opened, and Shane walked in proudly carrying Cassidy.
�Steph, she�s beautiful,� he beamed at her. �I can�t wait to show her off to everyone!�
She looked in confusion at her brother. �Where�s Shawn?�
�Went to go see Austin and Debra for a couple of minutes,� Shane replied distractedly as he made faces at his niece.
Stephanie sighed, but she was still concerned. �Okay.�
�He�s a big boy, he can look after himself,� Torrie told her.
She looked at her friend. �Hunter thinks that Shawn is Cassie�s father.�
�Oh��
Stephanie grimaced. �Exactly.�
end part seven.
