Description: He was always Vince's favorite so it should have been no surprise when he was Stephanie's favorite too. From the time at the barbecue to making up false rumors to the strip club avoidance to right here and right now, it's always been you. (Or the one where the Undertaker falls for the Billion Dollar Princess)

Note: Hi there! Before reading this fic I should note that I don't own the WWE or any trademarks of it (although, how stellar would that be if I did?). I try to be relatively accurate for the actual dates of things in this fic because my plan is to write about an affair between Undertaker and Stephanie from 1993 through present day so a lot of the happenings and dates will be accurate and in line with real life dates (i.e. dates of shows, birthdays, etc.) But, I do intend to omit certain things and pretend they never existed while including others. For example, we're gonna pretend that the Undertaker has never been married and has no kids at the start of this fic. Okie dokie? Awesome. I hope you enjoy!

Stephanie McMahon had a crush on Mark Calaway for as long as she could remember. When he father first hired the 6'10" giant back in November of 1990. She loved pretty much everything about the man from his calm demeanor to the way he just commanded respect without ever asking for it. She was only 14 at the time and had childish crush on the man who made her blush like a schoolgirl every time he so much as looked in her direction for more than a second and if he smiled at her, forget it. But she knew he didn't see her in the same light she saw him. He saw her as the boss's kid who showed up at the occasional show or pay-per-view taping, giddy with excitement but shy at the same time. She was a child in his eyes, no doubt.

It would take her almost two years of awkward eye contact, smiles followed by blushing on her part, and the occasional anxiety-inducing "Hi, Mark" before she would work up the courage to say more. It was December of 1992 and she was 16 when he said hi to her as he passed by on his way up to the curtain, almost ready to head out to the ring. He froze and Stephanie noticed his disconcerted expression, a rare one from the man she had been sneaking glances at for years.

"Is something wrong?" she choked out.

"Shit" he cursed under his breath then looked at the younger woman "I forgot my gloves in the locker room."

"I'll go get them!" Stephanie offered "Which bag is yours?"

"It's in the far right corner, it's black and should have a grey coat and beanie on top of it."

"Okay, be right back!"

She bounded for the locker room, being careful to knock to ensure she didn't walk in on someone changing, she quickly found his bag and rummaged through it to find his gloves. Amongst other things in his bag she found a bottle of Jack Daniels, a bandana, a newspaper, and condoms. She felt a small knot tie up in her stomach when she saw the condoms but she grabbed the gloves and tried not tot think about it.

When she returned moments later with his gloves he slid them on quickly, just as his music began to play.

"Thanks, Steph" Mark smiled at the girl before heading through the curtain with Paul Bearer.

She knew that this had to stop. The condoms served as some sort of sick reminder that Mark was much older than her and he was living his own life. Also, it provided a wake up call to the young woman that Mark would probably never want to be with her. This harsh dose of reality hurt but also this weird crush she had on Mark wasn't over the top, or obsessive, or anything of the sort. But, it had gone on for too long and she had began to idealize him when clearly he wasn't perfect and clearly he was getting around with women. As if he would ever be interested in her. It was with that that she decided to try to move past this silly crush and maybe find a guy her own age to distract her as she tried to take less notice of the older man.

Months went by and oddly enough, the more she told herself that Mark was just a regular guy and that there wasn't anything special about him, the easier it became to talk to him and they eventually developed a friendship of sorts. At first it was quick conversations, mostly just small talk, but as 1993 progressed their conversations and their friendship deepened. They talked about movies, music, politics, the wrestling business, and Stephanie's personal life (as Mark never brought his up). Mark was always surprised by how much Stephanie knew and Stephanie was always surprised by how easy it seemed to speak to the man now.

Mark was really the only guy backstage to engage in actual conversation with the girl. Everyone else either didn't care, was afraid of saying anything more than a polite "Hello" to the boss's daughter, or just didn't have the time. Mark tried to make time, though. Not to get ahead in the company or get some sort of "in" because he made friends with the boss's daughter, but because at first she looked so lonely backstage and he hated seeing that, then after months of speaking to her it just became something he wanted to do not because she looked lonely but because he really liked their talks. Granted, their conversations were never especially long. 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there. Whenever they ran into each other backstage they'd chat and then he'd be off with the boys elsewhere. But Stephanie was grateful for the time and Mark was always happy to take a few moments to talk to a girl who by spring time, he considered somewhat of a friend. If adults were allowed to have underage friends, an idea he would spend the following year and a half debating until she turned 18.

Things were made easier in spring of 1993 when Stephanie got a boyfriend and she felt her crush on Mark begin to fade as she fell for this new guy. That was about the time when she realized that maybe what she felt for Mark was just a childish crush and had no merit.

One Monday night in summer, Stephanie was sat on a chair backstage, snacking while reading when Mark sat down beside her.

"You know, I heard you got yourself a boyfriend" he drawled.

"You did? From who?" Stephanie looked up, surprised that Mark would know as she had made a genuine effort to not tell him. Why? That's something she wouldn't realize until years later when she considered that maybe she still felt something for her first big crush at that time and was still trying to leave that door open, even if Mark had no idea there was even a door there to begin with.

"Your father" Mark smirked "I found out because he told me to keep an eye on you and let him know if you tell me anything personal about you two."

Stephanie snorted "He's ridiculous!"

"That's what I thought, but I told him that I would" Mark chuckled softly "So if you two end up gettin' a little wild one night, do me a favor and don't tell me would ya? I don't wanna be in that kinda position."

"Why would I tell you regardless of your promise to my dad?"

"I dunno, seems like we're kinda friends and you tell me about pretty much anything else that happens in your life." Mark paused "Although, ya didn't tell me you had a boyfriend so I suppose you might be good at keeping secrets. Huh, princess?"

Stephanie blushed. That was the first time he called her princess and it certainly wouldn't be the last. She didn't care if he meant it in a joking, teasing manner, it still effected her. "I didn't tell you because we just started dating like a month ago and I didn't want to bore you with tales of rubbing noses and kissing in a high school hallway."

Mark stood up and smirked "Don't worry, I like hearin' about you gettin' buzzed at a party then falling into a pond on your walk back home. It's a nice change of pace from hearing stories about how fucked up someone got and how many hookers they slept with."

"I'm glad I'm a nice escape for you" Stephanie chided.

"You're not an escape. I'd call you my friend, Steph. I talk to you more than half the guys back in that locker room." Mark moved to walk away but stopped and lowered his voice "And Steph? If that boy you're with ever hurts you or tries to make a move on you when you don't wanna, I will beat the living hell out of that son of a bitch."

With that, he walked away and Stephanie was left in a pile of mush. She was still blushing after hearing him call her princess. Just that small exchange and hearing Mark threaten to hurt her boyfriend if he ever hurt her, left her feeling so confused. She tried to keep telling herself that Mark probably considered himself to be like an older brother to her, an actually protective one unlike Shane. But, even as she tried to convince herself of this and convince herself that she was crazy and his threat was done out of sibling-like care, the way he drawled out princess stuck with her and shook her up all over again.

NC

The rest of the summer passed by easily and from the outside looking in, it looked as if Stephanie had a great summer. When in all actuality, she had the most internally tumultuous summer of her life. Mark continued to call her princess as a nickname, a hushed one at that. It was certainly not a nickname he would yell across a room to get her attention, but one that he used to tease her, especially when she acted like a spoiled brat. He kept her in check but always smirked afterwards, letting her know that yes, she was acting like a little brat, but that it didn't actually bother him.

She had began to open up more to him and her true personality started to shine through. She was no longer the Stephanie McMahon who carefully chose her words and was always cheerful. She began to show him more emotion and he ate it up. He loved that she was finally acting like a real person instead of a controlled robotic child. When she would rant to him he would sit and listen quietly, letting her tire herself out sometimes and other times wait until she got mad that he wasn't mad like she was, or at least wasn't reacting, before telling her to relax. She had even walked away from conversations when he didn't say what she wished he would but that was half the fun and helpful for her. She would take a few minutes, realize what a brat she was being, and go back and apologize. He would always accept her apology with no resentment as he loved how passionate she got about the things that bothered her.

It was over that summer that Stephanie felt like they were really friends which only posed more internal conflict for the girl. She had spent many nights debating if Mark was flirting with her or if he really just liked their friendship and she was reading way too much into his teasing. She thought about this with knowledge that he was probably getting home from a strip club, drunk, and falling into his hotel room bed either alone or with the flavor of the month who would be gone as she got too clingy.

Mark had started telling her brief mentions of his own personal life. Things like how he thought all the women he was with got too clingy and wanted too much too soon. That, or they were just bimbos he wanted to fuck for awhile before moving onto the next one. He also kept a few casual fuck buddies in various cities so when he travelled there he would call him up and they'd meet him, fuck, then leave. He hadn't explained it quite so crudely to Stephanie but she got what he was trying to say. As for the strip clubs, she had known about that for a long time from eavesdropping on the other guy's conversations. Although, it was something that he hadn't mentioned to her directly.

As for Stephanie and her boyfriend, Anthony, they weren't doing so well. All summer he had made attempts to sleep with her, but she kept turning him down, limiting him to his feeble attempts at rubbing her through pants or grabbing at her breasts. She didn't know why she kept turning him down, either. She was almost 17 and felt ready for sex, just not with him. This annoyed him greatly and he would snap at her when she stopped him from going to far and would call her a tease. This almost always lead to an explosive argument that lead to Stephanie questioning if something was wrong with her because she didn't want to have sex with Anthony. Anthony was usually very nice to her, except in the instances when she refused to do more with him when he became quite a dick.

On one night at the end of August in particular, they were at a party together and had gone into a room alone, Stephanie was really enjoying making out with him and was even feeling okay as he switched from grabbing at her breasts to rubbing her through her shorts. He unbuttoned her shorts and she let him slip one hand inside her shorts and he began rubbing her a bit roughly through her panties.

"Ow" she winced.

"C'mon baby" Anthony said between kisses "It doesn't hurt, this is supposed to feel good for you."

He resumed what he had been doing until Stephanie stopped him "Well, it doesn't feel good."

"Steph, my last girlfriend loved this."

"Well, I'm not your last girlfriend. I'm your current girlfriend and I don't" Stephanie forced his hand out of her shorts and buttoned them back up "Let's just go back downstairs."

"Whatever, Steph." he got up off the bed and left, slamming the door on his way out. Ensuring that no argument would take place that evening unless Stephanie were to go downstairs and find him.

Stephanie didn't come downstairs for another 15 minutes and only then, it was to leave.

A couple days later she found herself thinking again of that night as she hid away in a corner at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event. She found a spot behind some large trunks and sat on the floor behind them. She had managed to hide there, undetected, for quite awhile until she heard a deep voice from above her.

"Hey, princess. Hidin' are we?"

"Hey, Mark." she mumbled as Mark sat down beside her.

She knew she never needed to invite him to sit. He always knew that he was welcome.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, seeing the distraught look on her face.

"What would make you think something's wrong?"

"I haven't made in 28 years on sheer dumb luck, I can pick up on these little cues you women make. Like, lookin' upset then claiming to be fine, that means you're not fine."

"And do you often console upset women?"

"Usually I don't ask in the first place."

"You're such an ass!"

"I asked you, didn't I?"

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why did you ask me if I was upset?"

Mark gave Stephanie a look "Girl, do you think I talk to you because I wanna punish myself? No, I like your company and it's usually cheery company and seein' you like this…I dunno."

"Seeing me like what?"

"So upset!" Mark almost snapped "You're always so full of life and passion that seein' you like this, as if some lifeless, sad woman came and took over the Stephanie I know, well, it…I dunno."

"I should put a ban on you saying 'I dunno'." Stephanie teased.

"There's the Stephanie I do know." Mark smirked.

Things got quiet again as Stephanie thought about these past few months with Anthony and wondered if this is how relationships just are or if she just got into a bad one and wasted her time with a complete asshole. Either way, it upset her.

"I don't think things are going too well with my boyfriend and I." Stephanie said bluntly.

"And why not?"

"He's too rough with me…" Stephanie trailed off "…and he's constantly pressuring me and it's like he doesn't really care about me, just what he could do with me physically."

"Rough how?" Mark inquired and Stephanie could hear the anger in his voice.

"Like, when we're messing around. I tell him it hurts and it's too rough and he just insists that he ex-girlfriend liked it, so why wouldn't I?"

"It sounds like he doesn't know how to touch a woman." Mark avoided eye contact "And he also sounds like an inexperienced little prick if ya ask me, not that you were."

Stephanie let out a small giggle at first then a full on laugh as she envisioned Marks saying this to Anthony himself and the look of fear that would reside on Anthony's face.

As her laughter died down, though she thought about Mark's first statement and as nosy as ever she dug for more.

"And you do know how to touch a woman?"

Stephanie knew what a loaded question that was and she was edging for more commentary from him. He spoke so little about his personal life, let alone his sex life. She had gathered what she had about him through inference and picking up on tiny bits and pieces of information that he would mention over the course of several conversations and it took months to get the little information she had now. But she was so nosy, especially about man who had kept her up late most nights in the past summer in constant internal emotional turmoil over what she felt for him.

She also knew that he would definitely let his ego stand in the way of giving her a watered down answer to that question.

"Believe me, I know how to please a woman." Mark drawled.

"Oh, you think you do?" Stephanie retorted giving Mark a look.

"I think I do? I know I do." Mark was definitely letting his ego get in the way of this conversation "Says the girl with a boyfriend who can't please her."

"Maybe he's just not the right guy to know how." Stephanie said it and immediately wished she could take it back. It was like all her deepest thoughts that she tried to keep down had surfaced and were dictating what she was saying. That was something that she liked to think of and toy with the idea of late at night when she couldn't sleep, the idea that Mark was the right guy for her and could please her. But that was something she didn't think she would ever voice! Now she was sitting there and implying that exactly to the man himself!

All she would hope for at this point was for Mark to have either not heard it or to not understand her implication. It would make this friendship a lot easier if he felt so friendly, and older brother-esque to her that he didn't even understand what she was implying because that thought would never cross his mind. At the very least, Mark could change the conversation at this point and save her the embarrassment of having to cope with what she just said.

"Well, maybe he's not." Mark agreed before getting up and walking away.

Stephanie sat there for awhile longer, debating what Mark meant by that.