Let�s talk about real life
Truth and consequences
And coming to our senses
And lies we�d best unlearn
Let�s talk about real love
Truth and propaganda
Are you really gonna stand for
Love that waits it�s turn?
�Truth and Consequences� - Newsboys
Moment #01 � Chris finds Steph at a bar
�Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. Fancy seeing you here.�
She didn�t move, continuing to stare down at her half full glass of whatever it was she was drinking.
Chris Jericho rolled his eyes. �Then again, it�s no big surprise is it? A place like this suits you perfectly.�
The place was a dank, seedy bar that housed cheap drinks and even cheaper patrons. He had desperately needed to use the bathroom, and unfortunately this had been the only place open at three in the morning.
�Go away,� Stephanie muttered, still not looking up at him.
But Chris didn�t feel like going away. �Now, what would your husband think if he found out how low your standards have gotten? Then again, they really weren�t that-�
�Shut up!� she screamed at him, suddenly jumping up and knocking the tattered chair backwards.
�You shut up,� a guy with his head down on the counter mumbled loudly at her.
In the gloomy yet harsh yellow light, Chris looked as closely at her as he could. She looked terrible. Her eyes were bloodshot and she had mascara running down her pale cheeks. Her hair was rattier than usual.
Stephanie stared back at him for a moment, and then turned and ran out.
�Hey!� the bartender angrily called out after her. �You didn�t pay! Stupid bitch!�
Chris frowned at his words. �I�ll pay for her drink. What does she owe you?�
The guy sneered at him. �Drinks. More than one.�
He pulled out his wallet and took out a fifty. He threw it on the counter, beside the still half full glass. �Keep the change.�
Moment #02 � Chris finds Steph passed out
Chris was the last to leave the arena that night, and he was tired. He wasn�t sure why he bothered to stay behind for so long. However, when he reached the parking lot he noticed that there was a second car besides his rental. He frowned. He was pretty sure it was the same car he had seen Stephanie drive in herself.
Maybe she left with her asshole husband? No, Chris saw him leave with X-Punk earlier in the night. Maybe she got a lift with somebody else? Kirk Angel? Somehow, he doubted it. Unsure of why he suddenly cared so much, he walked inside the arena for a little look.
�Just out of curiousity,� he told himself. �Because I don�t care what happens to her. I don�t.�
But Chris wasn�t being totally honest with himself. Ever since that early morning two weeks ago, he had been watching Stephanie closely. And she was looking extremely bad, even though make-up hid most of it.
It was her eyes that caught his attention. They were often filled with self-loathing and shame. That wasn�t the Stephanie he had grown to dislike, and he found himself drawn to her and her pain.
She wasn�t in any of the locker rooms. Not even in any of the bathrooms. With a frown, Chris looked towards the inside of the arena. Because they had another show the next day, the ring had yet to be taken down.
�It can�t hurt to just look,� he muttered, heading out towards it.
Sure enough a prone figure lay in the middle of the ring on her side. With some apprehension Chris made his way down the ramp. Stephanie didn�t seem to be moving. Sleeping? Highly unlikely. Passed out? Probably. Especially with an empty bottle of vodka lying beside her.
He shook his head sadly, unsure of what to do. Call someone? Help her? Leave her? If he left her she would be extremely embarrassed when she would be found in the morning. This would usually make Chris smile, but he was frowning at the thought.
He slid into the ring and kneeled beside her, gently shaking her awake. �Steph? Can you hear me?�
�Go away,� she mumbled. Not passed out. Yet.
�Do you know where you are?�
�I don�t care.�
Chris didn�t like seeing her like this. It was�disconcerting. He tried to pull her up, but she was resisting. �C�mon, you don�t want to stay here.�
�I don�t wanna go to him,� she replied, her voice getting heavier as her eyes fluttered open to look at him.
�Who? Hunter?�
�Chris?�
�Why don�t you want to go home to your husband?�
Stephanie�s face fell, and she suddenly burst out crying. �Cos he�s sleeping with her!�
Chris frowned. �Trish?�
She shook her head vehemently, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. �The one he�s in love with! Chyna!�
Then, she did finally pass out.
Moment #03 � Chris defends Steph
�Hey, Jericho! Did you hear?� Test asked him as he walked into their shared locker room.
�Hear what?�
�About the guy who took that bitch home after RAW.�
Chris grimaced, not liking Stephanie being called a �bitch�. But he shook his head, feigning ignorance. �Who?�
�Steph,� Test replied with a self-satisfied grin. �Apparently some guy took her home with him, or something. Jeffery heard them having a big fight over it earlier today. Guess it�s not surprising that whore-�
�Don�t call her that,� he said before he even knew it was out of his mouth.
Test raised an eyebrow. �This coming from the guy who used to call her even worse every week?�
Chris could have kicked himself for the slip. He shrugged. �Momentary lapse of insanity?�
�Hope it passes, and quickly,� the other man laughed.
He turned away, losing his mood to talk. Insanity or not, he was fairly certain that it wasn�t going to be passing any time soon. The morning after RAW, after Stephanie had woken up in his hotel room, he had met a completely different person to the one he was used to. She wasn�t bitchy-Stephanie. She wasn�t even �good�-Stephanie. She was a woman, hurt and vulnerable after discovering that her asshole husband was having an affair. Chris realised that she was human.
He couldn�t help it. Now that he was getting to know her, Chris was finding it not quite as easy to dislike Stephanie. She wasn�t just Hunter�s wife anymore, or the woman everyone loved to hate, or even a McMahon.
She was Stephanie. Her own person, with her own strengths and weaknesses, her own achievements and mistakes, and with her own life. She was the woman Chris wanted to get to know even more.
Moment #04 � Steph�s wounds are tended to by Chris
�Why are you doing this?�
He looked at her, then shrugged. �You�re hurt.�
But Stephanie wasn�t satisfied with his answer. �I don�t mean just that, I mean-� She stopped, hissing with pain as Chris applied some iodine on one particularly large gash on her upper arm.
�Sorry,� he apologised, sounding as if he meant it.
He had once again found her drinking her troubles away at another decrepit bar. Although the alcohol had dulled her pain, her anger had been as sharp as ever. Stephanie had done her best to ignore Chris as he sat down next to her, but when some guy tried to hit on her she had snapped. Having noticed that the guy had ordered Hunter�s favourite drink, and that in the dark the sleazeball slightly resembled her cheating husband, she had lashed out physically. Thus, the cuts, bumps and bruises.
�I mean, why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?� Stephanie asked again, although it really wasn�t that sudden. He had taken her home two weeks ago, after she had passed out in the middle of the ring.
But Chris was silent, refusing to look her in the eye. She couldn�t stop looking at him. �Chris?�
He sighed. �Because I find myself wanting to help you,� he finally answered, his voice soft.
Stephanie was surprised. Ever since that morning after RAW she had begun to see him in a different light. Although they hadn�t spoken much since that morning, she had come to realise that Chris cared. Not just about her, but in general. What she hadn�t known was why he did begin to care about her.
Chris had gone back to tending her numerous little wounds. In complete silence she watched as he gently cleaned then band-aided each cut and laceration she had received from a broken bourbon bottle. He had a look of concentration on his face, and when he finished he turned to face her.
A small grateful smile curved her mouth. �Thank you.�
Chris smiled back, and Stephanie was blown away. It transformed his entire face. She no longer saw the man who had despised her all those months ago, the man who had called her the ugliest names, the man who had made her so furious. Stephanie saw a man who had physically sacrificed himself to help her. She saw a man who had acquired his own cuts and bruises, for her.
And she saw a smile that she wanted to keep seeing every day for the rest of her life.
Moment #05 � Steph stays
�Do you love him?�
Stephanie thought for a moment about the question. Did she love her husband? She shook her head. �I care about him, but I don�t love him. Not in that way.�
�So why do you care so much that he�s in love with someone else?�
�I�� Stephanie was unsure of why exactly she was so upset that Hunter was having an affair with Chyna. She looked at Chris, who was looking at her expectantly. �I�m not sure. He is my husband.�
�But you�re not-� He stopped abruptly.
She sighed. �He was the first person who wanted to know me because of me. Not because I was Vince�s daughter, or Shane�s sister. I don�t know. I guess I began to rely on him a little too much, and I guess I didn�t want to lose that.�
Chris looked away, not saying anything. Stephanie wondered if he was upset by what she�d just said. The past two months they had begun to get extremely close. Chris had become her new confidante, and she was opening up to him in ways she had never opened up to anyone else before. She wondered if she was falling in love with him.
She made her way to the side of the bed, where she had been sitting closely beside him against the bed-rest.
�Where are you going?� he quickly asked her.
�I think maybe I should leave.�
Stephanie felt his hand grab her arm. She turned to look at him.
Chris had an uncertain, but determined, look on his face. �Stay.�
Her heart started to race. This was the first he had ever asked her to stay with him. She wanted to scream out �Yes!�, but she hesitated. �Are you sure?�
He looked directly into her eyes, a slow smile forming on his face. �I�ve never been more sure of anything in my life.�
Moment #06 � Three little words
�I love you.�
A look of joy came over her face, but it was quickly replaced by anxiety. She turned away from him. �Chris, please don�t-�
�Steph, I mean it,� he interrupted softly. He placed a finger under her chin and turned her head so he could look into her eyes. �I love you.�
A tentative smile appeared. �I never thought I�d hear you say that to me.�
�And why not? You are the most beautiful, amazing, wonderful woman I�ve ever met.�
�Once you got to know me, you mean,� she replied wryly.
Chris grinned. �Especially once I got to know you very well.�
Stephanie blushed, looking away again. Chris would never have thought her to be the bashful type, but there were already a million misconceptions she had proved wrong during their times together.
For awhile they just sat closely together, enjoying the silence and being in the other�s company.
�I was wrong,� she finally spoke up.
He frowned. �Wrong about what, baby?�
�About Hunter and Chyna.�
Chris�s heart picked up speed, and he started to get worried. �They�re not�?�
Stephanie shook her head, not looking at him. �No.�
�How�? What happened?�
�I asked. He said no.�
More silence, but not quite as comfortable as the previous one.
Chris had known everything was too good to be true. �So, what happens now?�
�I don�t�I don�t know.�
�What happens to us?�
�I don�t know.�
�I-� He broke off, not sure what else to say, what to feel.
�Chris, look at me.� He turned to look at her. She had a serious look on her face. �I don�t want to lose you.� She smiled gently at him. �I love you.�
His world had never been more perfect. The three little words he�d been wanting to hear from her for along time. I love you.
Stephanie loved him.
Moment #07 � �What the hell is going on?�
Hunter was tired of all these tedious meetings, was tired of spending so much time away from Stephanie. The past year they had been drifting further and further away from each other. He missed her.
Stephanie had become his bestfriend the first year of their marriage, and then something had happened, and suddenly she began to distance herself from him. One time she had even broached the subject of divorce. Hunter wasn�t in love with her, but he was happy and confident enough to know that he didn�t want a divorce. He had asked �Why?� and she had just shrugged, and it was forgotten.
That had been many months ago. Hunter cared deeply about Stephanie, and he did love her. It was just more platonic than romantic. He really didn�t see anything wrong with being married to his bestfriend. He got all the benefits of their union, and none of the usual relationship hassles.
But he knew that something had to be done about the past few months, and he suddenly stood up. Fortunately, the plane had yet to be fully boarded. Hunter hurriedly grabbed his overnight bag from the overhead compartment and made his way towards the exit.
�Sir, may I help you,� a stunning blonde flight attendant asked, stopping in front of him.
�Yeah. I want to get off.�
�Sir, the plane will be ready in a few minutes. If you�ll just-�
�No, you don�t understand,� Hunter interrupted. �There�s been a mistake. I�m not supposed to be on this flight.�
�May I please see you ticket?� she asked with a little frown.
He sighed. �I meant, I don�t want to be on this flight. I want to be at home with my wife.�
A look of hesitation came over her face. Then, she nodded. �Alright then, sir. If you�ll just follow me.�
*
Hunter had driven home as fast as he could. This was going to be a new beginning for him and Stephanie, and he wanted to start as soon as possible. He found himself parking behind a car he had never seen before.
Frowning, he hurried to the house, the front door unlocked. However, the scene that greeted him made him stop in his tracks. Stephanie tightly hugging the last man Hunter would ever expect. He was more stunned than anything.
�What the hell is going on?�
Moment #08 � ��your wife lost the baby.�
As hurt and angry as he was, Hunter was nonetheless extremely concerned about Stephanie. she had landed heavily and awkwardly on the glass coffee table, and he had raced her to hospital. He hadn�t meant to hit her. He had been completely focused on Jericho, and he hadn�t realised that she had come in between them.
�Mr Helmsley?� a voice called out.
Hunter stood up. Finally, someone able to tell him what the hell was going on. He had been waiting for nearly ninety minutes. Because there were other people with him in the waiting room, the doctor asked him to come into his office.
�She�s going to be okay, right?� Hunter asked nervously as he sat down in front of her desk.
The doctor nodded. �She�ll be fine. However, I wanted to talk to you about the baby.�
Baby?
Hunter kept his face as neutral as he could, saying nothing.
�I�m terribly sorry, Mr Helmsley, but your wife lost the baby.� The doctor paused for a moment. �Sadly, these things happen, and we�re still unsure of the reason why she did.�
Stephanie lost her baby�
�How�how far long was she?�
�She was six weeks pregnant.�
Hunter felt his heart quickening. He and Stephanie hadn�t slept together in four and a half months. He couldn�t have been the father. �Does she know yet?�
The doctor shook his head. �She�s still asleep. She will be informed when she wakes.�
�Please, don�t tell her.�
A frown came over the doctor�s face. �Mr Helmsley, we have an obligation to tell our patients about such things.�
Hunter wasn�t sure why, but he wanted to keep Stephanie from knowing that she carried Jericho�s baby. �I know, but��
The doctor shook his head. �I know this is hard-�
�You have no idea.�
�Your wife will have to be told that she lost your baby.�
Your. The word jolted him, and he started to panic. �She�ll be devastated. You can�t do that to her.�
�I know, but your wife has every right to know.� The doctor hesitated. �If you would prefer to be the one to tell her�?�
�Yes. That would be best,� Hunter readily agreed.
Moment #09 � Chris leaves
Dear Steph
I can�t believe how wrong I�ve been all this time. We�ve been fooling ourselves for months, myself especially. �We� � you and I � were never going to work out, no matter how many times we tried to tell ourselves.
You are a married woman, Steph. But more than that, you�re a McMahon. Your name means something, and I know that you would never do anything to drag it through the mud, to scandalise it with an affair. I realise now why it is that you never pushed for a divorce.
So, now I have to leave. I suppose you can call it cowardly, but I call it�no, it is cowardly. I�m running away � from you, and from the pain. The second Hunter waked through the door and saw us, it was over. We both know that.
I love you.
Chris
Stephanie swore bitterly as she finished reading the obviously hastily written letter. All of it was pure-
She burst out crying, having just realised that Chris really had left. He left her.
�Damn you, you can�t do this to me!� she sobbed, the letter crumpling in her clenched fist. �I won�t let you.�
She could follow him, and then the two of them could be together. With tears still sliding down her cheeks, Stephanie got up and got a large bag out of the closet. Fully intending to just leave, she started to pack some clothes.
But halfway through, she stopped. She just�stopped. And stared at the locket Chris had given to her just last month. For no particular reason, just that he loved her. Or so he said.
And now he had just left her.
Moment #10 � Hunter doesn�t want a divorce
�No.�
�But after what-�
�I said no, Steph.�
She was looking at him in confusion. �Isn�t it what you want?�
Hunter shook his head. �I don�t want a divorce. We�ve managed to get this far, haven�t we?�
Stephanie looked away, her eyes full of pain. Jericho�s sudden departure two months ago was still hurting her.
Although not happy with what she had done, Hunter had found himself unwilling t let her go so easily. They had gotten married, and now he intended to follow his vows � til death do them part.
�Why?� she asked quietly. �I�m not��
�I know,� he replied with a small sigh. He wasn�t the man she was in love with. �But I still don�t want a divorce.� He hesitated. �I don�t want to lose my bestfriend.�
Stephanie looked back at him, uncertain. �Are you sure?�
Hunter nodded. �I�m sure. It will be okay.�
She looked away once more, staring out the window. She was thinking of Jericho. She was always thinking of Jericho.
He knew that she had to get over Jericho first before the two of them could move on, and he wanted to be there for her. Besides, she had always been a friend first and foremost.
And he was still feeling guilty and responsible.
Hunter shook his head, pushing the thought away. No more thinking about the past. It was time to look to the future � his and Stephanie�s future.