April 2000
"There is NEVER anything good on TV," Chris Jericho announced to his empty hotel room. He threw the remote on the bedside table and grabbed the latest edition of RAW magazine. Then he heard it. "What the hell?"
He got off the bed to investigate the low, muffled sounds. He walked around his room to try and find the source of the mournful sounds. There was nothing at the front door. Nothing at the window. He moved toward the door that adjoined his room to the next one. Someone was crying in the next room. A wrestler crying? Maybe it was one of the Divas.P
Chris debated whether or not to see if he could help for about a minute before he knocked on the door gently. He heard shuffling in the next room and the door slowly opened. That's when he regretted trying to be chivalrous.
"What?" Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley asked irritably. Her eyes were red and puffy. Chris looked past her to see that her husband was nowhere to be found.P
"I heard crying and I was seeing if anyone needed help or whatever," Chris said.
Stephanie looked at the man in front of her. He was in a worn hockey jersey and old blue jeans. His long blond hair was pulled into a ponytail. It was a far cry from the flashy Y2J she was used to. "I'm fine," Stephanie said. "Thanks."
"You sure?" Chris asked. Her hair was mussed and her black dress was rumpled. "Because upon occasion I can be a good guy."
"I'm sure you can be," Stephanie said. "But I don't think you would understand or you would laugh at me."
"I seriously doubt I would laugh at you," Chris answered. "I try to make a point of not kicking someone when they are down."
"I wish more people were like that," Stephanie said sadly.
"You want to come in here and talk?" Chris asked. "I won't tell anyone."
"You sure you want to listen to me?" Stephanie asked. "I'm not usually too nice to you."
"Well, I don't think I'm very nice to you normally," Chris said smiling. "It can be a one-time thing."
"Thanks," Stephanie said gratefully. He led her into his room and let her lay down on his bed. "I don't know why this all just hit me all of a sudden. It's all been going on for awhile, but now I feel like I'm in over my head."
"What?" Chris asked, sitting in a chair he had pulled next to the bed.
"All of this with Hunter and my dad and Shane," Stephanie said, her hands flapping about helplessly. "I really hate DX too."
"The feeling is mutual," Chris answered. He was glad that elicited a smile from Stephanie.
"Why do you feel in over your head?" Chris asked.
"Because they are awful!" Stephanie exclaimed. "When I married Hunter I just wanted to punish my dad for using me as a chess piece basically and he was a little exciting. But he is cruel. When he hates someone they are as good as dead. And I'm a party to it!"
"You seem pretty willing to aid him normally," Chris commented.
"I have to be or they would all know how truly unhappy I am," Stephanie said miserably. "When I realized how much I hated being with Hunter, my dad and Shane join with Hunter. Now I'm in so deep that I can't get out."
"I'm sure you could if you wanted to," Chris said. "If you really needed to."
"I'm safer if I just act like a spoiled little girl who lets the men her life reek havoc on everyone else's lives," Stephanie said. "Did you see what Hunter did to Mick Foley? I shudder to think what he would do to me if I turned on him."
"Do you love him?" Chris asked filled with curiosity.
"No," Stephanie answered honestly. "But I didn't love Test either. I've never really been in love. I've never known anyone well enough to fall in love."
"You're still young," Chris said, smiling gently.
"You're good at this listening thing," Stephanie said. "Any advice?"
"Nope," Chris said. "I'm make a point of not giving people advice that may very well be flawed and could ruin their lives. But instead I will tell you that if you ever need a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen to you, let me know."
Tears glistened in Stephanie's eyes. "Thank you."
"Hey hey," Chris said, gathering her into a hug. "None of that."
"Do you think I'm just a spoiled little girl?" Stephanie asked, between tears.
"I don't think you're spoiled," Chris said. "At least not anymore."
Stephanie actually laughed. "You know Hunter would kill us both if he found me in your hotel room?"
"I think he'd die of shock first," Chris said.
"You're probably right," Stephanie said.
"I hear I have a title shot against your husband next week," Chris said.
"Watch out Chris," Stephanie said seriously. "He could really hurt you."
"I'll be okay," Chris assured her. "I promise."
"I believe you," Stephanie said.
"There is NEVER anything good on TV," Chris Jericho announced to his empty hotel room. He threw the remote on the bedside table and grabbed the latest edition of RAW magazine. Then he heard it. "What the hell?"
He got off the bed to investigate the low, muffled sounds. He walked around his room to try and find the source of the mournful sounds. There was nothing at the front door. Nothing at the window. He moved toward the door that adjoined his room to the next one. Someone was crying in the next room. A wrestler crying? Maybe it was one of the Divas.P
Chris debated whether or not to see if he could help for about a minute before he knocked on the door gently. He heard shuffling in the next room and the door slowly opened. That's when he regretted trying to be chivalrous.
"What?" Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley asked irritably. Her eyes were red and puffy. Chris looked past her to see that her husband was nowhere to be found.P
"I heard crying and I was seeing if anyone needed help or whatever," Chris said.
Stephanie looked at the man in front of her. He was in a worn hockey jersey and old blue jeans. His long blond hair was pulled into a ponytail. It was a far cry from the flashy Y2J she was used to. "I'm fine," Stephanie said. "Thanks."
"You sure?" Chris asked. Her hair was mussed and her black dress was rumpled. "Because upon occasion I can be a good guy."
"I'm sure you can be," Stephanie said. "But I don't think you would understand or you would laugh at me."
"I seriously doubt I would laugh at you," Chris answered. "I try to make a point of not kicking someone when they are down."
"I wish more people were like that," Stephanie said sadly.
"You want to come in here and talk?" Chris asked. "I won't tell anyone."
"You sure you want to listen to me?" Stephanie asked. "I'm not usually too nice to you."
"Well, I don't think I'm very nice to you normally," Chris said smiling. "It can be a one-time thing."
"Thanks," Stephanie said gratefully. He led her into his room and let her lay down on his bed. "I don't know why this all just hit me all of a sudden. It's all been going on for awhile, but now I feel like I'm in over my head."
"What?" Chris asked, sitting in a chair he had pulled next to the bed.
"All of this with Hunter and my dad and Shane," Stephanie said, her hands flapping about helplessly. "I really hate DX too."
"The feeling is mutual," Chris answered. He was glad that elicited a smile from Stephanie.
"Why do you feel in over your head?" Chris asked.
"Because they are awful!" Stephanie exclaimed. "When I married Hunter I just wanted to punish my dad for using me as a chess piece basically and he was a little exciting. But he is cruel. When he hates someone they are as good as dead. And I'm a party to it!"
"You seem pretty willing to aid him normally," Chris commented.
"I have to be or they would all know how truly unhappy I am," Stephanie said miserably. "When I realized how much I hated being with Hunter, my dad and Shane join with Hunter. Now I'm in so deep that I can't get out."
"I'm sure you could if you wanted to," Chris said. "If you really needed to."
"I'm safer if I just act like a spoiled little girl who lets the men her life reek havoc on everyone else's lives," Stephanie said. "Did you see what Hunter did to Mick Foley? I shudder to think what he would do to me if I turned on him."
"Do you love him?" Chris asked filled with curiosity.
"No," Stephanie answered honestly. "But I didn't love Test either. I've never really been in love. I've never known anyone well enough to fall in love."
"You're still young," Chris said, smiling gently.
"You're good at this listening thing," Stephanie said. "Any advice?"
"Nope," Chris said. "I'm make a point of not giving people advice that may very well be flawed and could ruin their lives. But instead I will tell you that if you ever need a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen to you, let me know."
Tears glistened in Stephanie's eyes. "Thank you."
"Hey hey," Chris said, gathering her into a hug. "None of that."
"Do you think I'm just a spoiled little girl?" Stephanie asked, between tears.
"I don't think you're spoiled," Chris said. "At least not anymore."
Stephanie actually laughed. "You know Hunter would kill us both if he found me in your hotel room?"
"I think he'd die of shock first," Chris said.
"You're probably right," Stephanie said.
"I hear I have a title shot against your husband next week," Chris said.
"Watch out Chris," Stephanie said seriously. "He could really hurt you."
"I'll be okay," Chris assured her. "I promise."
"I believe you," Stephanie said.