A/N: The song is "Top Of the World" by The All-American Rejects. Flashbacks or things of the past are in italics. It's set on last week's RAW. Thank you Twinny for helping me! Love you!
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the WWE, or it's Superstars.
Is there anybody out there? That wakes up with a bitter taste?
Ha. When did she not? Bitter. Bitter was usually associated with pain, hatred, cynical. Why? Because it was a word to be placed with unhappy endings. Which is something Stephanie McMahon knew all about. Oh, wait. She wasn't Stephanie McMahon anymore. Now, she was Stephanie McMahon-Levesque. And, she was sure that was something Hunter would NEVER let anyone forget.
It's a king that we put up thereAnd he's a short way to fall from grace
She was Mrs. Game. But, before that, she was The Billion Dollar Princess, and Daddy's Little Girl. The one who didn't let her parents, or anyone else for that matter, tell her what to do. She stood by her ground, and did what she wanted. She didn't let anyone under rule her judgment. And, if someone was foolish enough to test her, well, they'd learn the reason she was famous for her signature "Bitch Slap".
It's slowly filling can stand but you have no ground.
Now, things were different. WAY different. So different that if you had been in the company during the Attitude Era, you would find Stephanie bossing people around, telling them what to do. She'd be the one on top of things. Today? She let others take her place in meetings, she's find herself wanting to be somewhere else. She didn't hate her place within World Wrestling Entertainment. No, she couldn't say that. But, she didn't necessarily enjoy it too much either. Sort of like an impasse. There was no way to escape it.
I hear it from the lost say its time that you lost your crown.
She could still remember it. Oh, yes. The day her life had changed forever. on August 9, 1999, nothing had ever been done this way before. She thought it was just another superstar. Who there was nothing too special about. She'd heard the comments some people had made about this new wrestler. The girls said he was a sweetheart, and Hunter, from who she got the vibe that he didn't like him, said he was nothing special. But, of course, that was before she actually saw him.
(Flashback)
She sighed and tried to focus her attention on the huge stack of papers that was scattered across her desk. Stephanie wasn't normally a messy person--in fact, it was just the opposite. But lately, her mind had been on other things, and she just hadn't been paying attention to her work. But right now she wasn't doing anything important, so it was as good a time as any to try and clean her office up.
Stephanie had just walked over to the paper shredder, which was directly behind her desk, when she heard an unfamiliar voice speaking about how the company had become dull and uninteresting, and that it was in need of a savior. Curiously, she set the stack of papers down on the floor and stepped back so that she could see what was going on on the TV screen.
Don't be so greedy.A dollar's a penny to youWhen hearts are beatingSay what you want 'em to away... I see you.
From what she could gather, this person was apparently the new wrestler that her father had been talking about for weeks. She vaguely remembered Vince saying something about him debuting in a few weeks, but she hadn't really been paying attention. Stephanie focused her attention to the screen and took in everything that the man was saying. She couldn't help but crack a smile at his attire. Whoever he was, he sure was flashy. But more importantly, he was talking about bringing change to this company, and that was something that definitely interested Stephanie. She'd been pleading with her father for a long time to take some of her ideas into consideration, but he had always brushed them off. Maybe he would listen to this guy….Chris Jericho.
Stephanie really hoped that she'd be able to work with Chris in the future. His attitude and persona was exactly what the WWF needed right now.
(End of flashback)
When the top of the world falls on youFinally a day, don't wanna be the top of the world falls on you
Oh, how different her life had been back then. Though she was independent. She had been her own person. She had been in a "marriage" storyline with Test at that time. But, behind the scenes, she was single. And, happy to be that way. It wasn't that she didn't get any date offers, because she did. It's just that she wasn't interested. No one special had caught her eye yet. Yet being the key word.
Is there anybody out there?That can see what a man can change?
Not more than a year later, she had gotten thrown into a storyline with him and Hunter. She had seen both me around, but hadn't really talked to Chris a lot. The only reason she had even started talking to Hunter was because of her father's persuasion. He seemed okay, not much of a sweet guy like others she knew. He was friends with people like Shawn Michaels, Sean Waltman, and Chyna. People who didn't really have the best of reputations. Not like she cared anyways. He was just another coworker. And so was Chris Jericho.
It's better that you don't careBecause he knows that he's in his state
But as time passed, she had gotten to know both men better. Even so far as going over lines and things over the phone with Hunter. As for Chris, well, their arguments on TV weren't necessarily made up from scratch. She thought he was brash, cocky, and loud. And he thought the same of her, not to mention he considered her selfish and spoiled.
And just like all of those movies where the bad guy changed, Chris did too. He had become less self centered and arrogant. And, was becoming easier to talk to. Stephanie began to think that maybe she had misjudged him. After all, he was nothing but polite when she passed him in the back. The two of them began to talk more and more, and it wasn't long before they formed a friendship. The polite greetings turned into conversations, and Stephanie was grateful that she had found a friend that she could confide in. He was so much easier to talk to than her father, who never had much time to talk to anyone anyway, and unlike most people, Chris didn't judge her. Many people probably assumed that Stephanie didn't care much about what others thought, but she really did. One thing she really liked about Chris was that he never put her down or made her feel like her thoughts were stupid. He always listened, and gave advice if she asked for it.
I feel the there's a time, put you in your place
Then, during the beginning of 2002, everything changed. She had started going out with Hunter towards the middle of 2001, and at the time, she was happy. But then, when she had began the storyline where she sided with Chris, he changed. He became possessive. He also got jealous, so jealous that he actually forbid Stephanie to talk to any of the male Superstars, regardless of whether or not she was involved in a storyline with them. But the jealousy and possessiveness didn't end there. Hunter hated the storyline that Stephanie was in with Chris. For some reason that was unknown to Stephanie, Hunter did not like Chris. He let that be known too, by throwing his weight around and costing Chris matches left and right. Whenever Chris wanted to talk to Stephanie, Hunter would make sure that he was standing nearby. When the two of them were alone, Hunter would accuse Stephanie of flirting with Chris, and insisted that she stop wearing makeup and skirts, or low-cut shirts. He even once called Stephanie a slut when she showed up at the arena in a knee-length skirt and tank top.
By March Stephanie couldn't stand it anymore, had taken the decision to leave for a few months. The explanation the fans would be given is that Stephanie lost the "Loser Leaves Raw" match. And maybe then, Hunter would take the time to realize what an ass he was being. Because Stephanie cared about him, she really did. But there was something about Chris intrigued her. It was something that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but it was there.
Then, during that time off, things got even more complicated. While Hunter did not visit her, Chris did. And at first, it was just to bring over some papers from the office. Then, two weeks later, he came back. And as time passed, his visits came sooner, and for longer periods of time.
And by June, when it was time for her to come back as Smackdown's General Manager, she and Chris had gotten a lot closer, and could even be defined as a couple. Of course, they didn't publicly acknowledge this. Not even backstage. Especially with Chris and Hunter both on the same show. The only person who knew, was Shane. But even he didn't know the whole story.
She knew that pretending they still hated each others guts in front of company workers bothered Chris. He didn't necessarily say it out loud to her, but she could tell. It was obvious to Stephanie that Chris had feelings for her and while she wished they could tell everyone, she knew that it would be best to keep it a secret for now. And besides that, Stephanie wasn't exactly sure about her feelings. She knew that she cared for Chris a great deal, but was it love? And she knew that her father would have a fit if she told him how she was feeling. So for right now, the best thing for both of them was to go on pretending that they hated each other. It hurt Stephanie to go out there and hear the mean remarks that Chris made just as much as it hurt him to say them, but it was just too big of a risk to reveal the truth. Maybe later, but not now.
In the eyes of those who watch 'ya
Well they can wait 'til you hit your face
Stephanie hurried down the long hallway to her office, not bothering to look up as she was walking. Chris had left a message on a sticky note on her desk before his match, telling her that he needed to talk to her as soon as possible. She was anxious, and a little bit scared. What could Chris possibly need to talk to her about? Would it be something she didn't want to hear? She hoped not. The brunette quickened her pace, the click click of her heels echoing as she hurried to her office. She looked around quickly before opening her office door and stepping in.
Her heart caught in her throat when she saw Chris standing there, casually leaning up against the wall.
"Chris." she said quietly.
"Hello, gorgeous," Chris whispered huskily, moving closer to Stephanie. He smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her cheek.
"Baby." she smiled at her boyfriend.
"You look beautiful, Stephanie," Chris said, his hands on Stephanie's waist. "So how are you?"
"A bit tired." she replied. "But what about you?"
"Better now that we're alone," Chris answered. He noticed the look on Stephanie's face. She did look a bit tired, and worried as well.
"Is something wrong?"
Chris tilted his head to the side and looked at his girlfriend.
"No, nothing's wrong." she lied.
"Stephanie, you don't have to lie to me," Chris said softly. He stroked her cheek softly. "What is it? Is it Hunter?"
"No, Chris, it's not. Just please, stay out of it." she said coldly.
Chris stepped back, surprised and hurt at Stephanie's attitude. Why was she acting this way.
"Fine," he answered just as coldly. "If you don't want to talk to me, that's fine. What, did something happen earlier with you and Hunter when you told him about us?"
"And why would I have told Hunter about us?" she asked.
"I thought we talked about this, Stephanie," Chris said, as he fiddled with a paper clip. "Why can't we tell everyone how we feel?"
"You know why Chris." she said quietly. "It's not that simple."
"Is that so, Stephanie?" Chris answered, the hurt evident in his voice. "Or are you just too afraid of what everyone else will think?" He grabbed Stephanie's hand. "You know how I feel about you, and I don't care what anyone else thinks. Shouldn't that be enough?"
"Chris," she sighed. "It's not, okay? There are a lot of things that would change if we told everyone."
"Well, yeah, things would change, but it's nothing that me and you can't handle together," Chris said softly. "Why are you so scared, Stephanie?"
"I'm not scared." she said angrily. "I just don't think we should tell them Chris." "Can't we just leave it alone?"
Chris shook his head angrily and walked over to the door. If Stephanie didn't want to talk, then that was fine with him, he would give her her space.
"You know that sooner or later, we're going to have to tell everyone else what's going on." He kept his eyes on the door. "And that means you're going to have to suck it up and tell your father, and Hunter."
He pulled the door open.
"If we're done here, I'm going down to catering." The man known as Y2J asserted.
Stephanie didn't say anything. It hurt, and she wanted nothing more than to stop him and beg him not to leave. She did love Chris, and she desperately wanted to make their relationship public, but there were too many risks that would come with it. And she couldn't afford to lose her job, no matter how much she loved Chris. So she didn't say a single word. She simply stood there, with her hands clasped in front of her as she tried to keep the tears from flowing down her face.
"I'm really disappointed in you, Steph," Chris said, turning to her and shaking his head. "I love you, but I can't keep hiding and sneaking around like this. You're too concerned with your reputation, so I guess that this is it for us."
Subsequently, Stephanie backed out of the relationship because she was scared that she would lose her status within the company and that Vince would be mad. Also, she worried about Hunter's reaction. That was the reason that kept her awake at night.
After that, Hunter was never on the same show as he was for too long. And he made sure she wasn't near him at all. She suspected he had somehow found out about the relationship. Although he denied her questions about if he knew smoothing she didn't. And by then, seeing Chris had become awkward. She couldn't even look at him. She did love him. Really she did. But, everyone expected her to do certain things, and act a certain way. So, she did what everyone expected of her. And, she got together with Hunter again. Then, October, 2003, she married him. Not too long after that, she found out Chris had gotten married too. And it killed her. After that, Hunter was never on the same show as he was for too long. And he made sure she wasn't near him at all.
Don't be so greedy.A dollar's a penny to you
When hearts are beatingSay what you want 'em to do
Wasting away... I see you.
She still remembered the time she thought she could have been happy together. She'd thought they would have eventually get married and have children. But in reality, she was married. Not to him, but to Hunter. And, both she and Chris had children now. Separately.
(Flashback)
It had been a normal day at work. It was November 3, 2008 to be exact. Chris had lost the title to Batista at Cyber Sunday. But, he was receiving a rematch. And, then while she was doing paperwork, she heard Lillian say Chris had won. Which surprised her. And impulsively, she went out her office to go congratulate him on his win, but she came to a halt.
In front of her, Chris Jericho was hugging his wife, who looked quite pregnant. So, she went back towards the office, saddened by the fact he seemed to have really moved on. Not like her. No, she was still not over Chris. And, was unhappy in her marriage. If you could even call it that.
(End of flashback)
Yes, Hunter was her husband, but sometimes she felt as if he was a complete stranger. She hated having conversations with him, because they almost always involved him belittling her for something she'd done, or hadn't done.
When the top of the world falls on youFinally a day, don't wanna be you
When the top of the world falls on you
She wasn't happy. In fact, she was far from happy. Sure, she loved her two daughters very much. And that was the only reason she stayed with Hunter. To everyone in the company, including her father, she was the luckiest person in the world. The only one who still happened to know the truth, was her brother. The one person she could actually trust. He didn't judge her based on what she said. The Divas, who absolutely loved Hunter, thought she had the perfect life. And the only reason they thought that, was because Hunter cherished them with compliments while he fought with her. He was the complete opposite of Chris.
Stephanie heard a knock on the office door.
"Come in." she said.
"Hey Steph." Shane greeted his sister with a hug.
"Shane." she smiled.
"Uh, I wanted to let you know Chris is here." he said nervously, since he knew his sister wanted to have a talk with the former World Heavyweight Champion.
Paint yourself a picture
When you waste another picture
And you win,
And you win, and you win
Paint yourself a picture
"Thanks, where is he?" she asked quietly.
"In catering." he told her.
"Thanks," she said, as she walked towards the door.
"Stephanie, wait!" Shane went up to his sister.
"Yes?" she raised an eyebrow.
"I know we've had our differences in the past, but I want you to know something. No matter what happens, I'll always be behind you 100% of the way." Shane said quietly.
"I know," Stephanie said quietly, and went towards catering.
And then you break another picture
And you win, And you win, and you win
And you win, And you win, and you win
And as she opened the door, she saw Chris Jericho who talking to Cody Rhodes and Batista, stare at her. And for a moment, her heart stopped beating.
Don't be so greedy
A dollar's a penny to you
When hearts stop beating
"McMahon." Chris said coldly.
"Jericho." she said just frostily. Then, in that moment, she knew she had been naïve. As much as she thought she could somehow fix the relationship she had with Chris. In this moment, she knew differently. Oh, how she wished she could take back everything.
Say what you what 'em to do
Wasting away... I see you
Maybe then, she could have had a different future. One that included Chris Jericho. One where she was sure she would be happy. Because Chris Jericho could make anyone be happy. Everyone except for her. Because now, they weren't lovers, or coworkers. Now, they were just strangers who happened to work at the same place. But, never spoke to each other.
When the top of the world falls on you
Finding a day, don't wanna be you
When the top of the world falls on you