A/N: Thanks for the feedback, it's been invaluable. I hope my transitions are a little easier to read now. :)

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Part 7

"So I guess we're going to be stuck in here until either Trish and whoever she's working with decide to let us out, or by some act of nature, someone finds us here," Jericho said.

"I'm thinking the former."

"We're really gullible you know, I mean, we never should have listened to Trish."

"Yeah, you're right," Stephanie said, actually cracking a smile.

"But I guess you're so into Hunter that you thought it was true, and I'm such a nice guy, I have to help a girl in need."

"I guess so."

"What? No back handed comment? No veiled insult? I'm shocked."

"Eh, either you're growing on me Jericho, or I'm just too upset about the whole situation to react."

"I'm hoping it's the first option."

"And why would that be?"

"Because I'm finding myself actually liking you," Jericho said grinning impishly at her.

"Really?" Stephanie asked, surprised.

"Yeah, don't look so shocked. I guess now would be a good time for a confession huh?"

"Confession? What do you have to confess?"

"I've never really, truly hated you Stephanie."

"Are you sure? Because I was under the impression that you hated my guts, that you didn't even want to breathe the same air as I did."

"That was just to get back at you, you started all our fights."

"I did not," she protested.

"Did too," he countered.

"I did not!"

"Who just started this argument?" he said, knowingly.

"Shut up!" she said laughing.

"Ah, see I got you to actually laugh, you can't really hate this situation if you're laughing."

"I guess you've got a point," Stephanie gave in, "So if you never hated me, why did you insult me all the time?"

"There's someone I do hate Stephanie, but it's not you, I hate your husband."

"Hunter?" Stephanie asked incredulously.

"Stephanie, I don't think you see what kind of guy you married. He's not a good guy."

"Of course he is, you just don't know him like I do," Stephanie tried to explain.

"Stephanie, I don't mean to hurt your feelings with this statement, but, "Love is blind." And you are blind to anything bad that Hunter does."

"I know he does bad things, but that doesn't mean that he isn't a good person!"

"And planning to run over Austin, or hitting people with sledgehammers, or planning set-up after set-up after set-up, that's just him being a good person?"

"I don't think you understand. Hunter likes to be on top, and he'll get there by any means necessary."

"But the way he goes about it Stephanie, how can you justify that?"

"I don't know, but he has a reason for what he does, it may not be the best reason, but at least he has a reason. Besides, I've been known to be exactly like Hunter."

"See, now I know that's a big lie."

"What do you mean?"

"Stephanie, after talking with you for the past twenty minutes, I've found that you are NOTHING like your husband. You have feelings and you think about things, and you aren't a bad person. Sure you can be a bad person when you want to be, but that's not who you are. I think you're still the girl you were when you first debuted. Slutty clothes and whorish make-up isn't going to change that."

"Or maybe you've got me all wrong Chris, maybe I am as bad as I make myself out to be. Maybe the good girl was just an act."

"If the good girl was an act, why did you start crying when I insulted you? If you were really the bitch you make yourself out to be, you probably would have ripped me a new one."

"You're right. Maybe I should stop trying to be something I'm not...but I don't know if Hunter would love me anymore."

"Why?"

"Because he likes me when I'm conniving and manipulative. He likes me in short skirts and low-cut tops."

"Stephanie, I'm not a marriage specialist by no means, and I'm not trying to insult your marriage, but how can you think that HHH loves you if all he does is try to change you?"

Stephanie was at a loss for words. Jericho was right, what if Hunter didn't love her at all, but only loved the person he was trying to make her? She had to admit that she didn't like a lot of the stuff that he made her do, and looking back, he never treated her all that well. Sure he tried, but in the end, he really couldn't care less either way.

But she still loved him. She loved him, and that meant making the other person happy, maybe that's why she changed because she was trying to make him happy. That had to be it, she knew it had to be.

"I don't change for him because he tells me to Chris, I change because in a marriage you're supposed to try to make the other person happy. I take my vows seriously, and I'm trying to make him happy," Stephanie said definitively.

"How does he make you happy Stephanie, how does he change for you to make you happy?"

"He doesn't have to change, I love him just the way he is."

"Then what does he do for you that makes you happy?"

"Well, remember our anniversary, he tried to make it a romantic evening."

"That's all. He doesn't do stuff on a daily basis. I knew that if I had a person I loved as much as you claim HHH loves you that I would treat her like a Queen."

"Well, I don't need all that stuff," Stephanie said, trying to convince herself of that. Why did Jericho have to throw her all these hard questions that she couldn't answer?

"And that's why you were rushing in here to see what HHH could have possibly done for you?"

"Chris, have you ever been in love?" Stephanie asked, turning the questions to him.

"Can't say that I have," he answered.

"Then how can you presume to know what love is like?"

"I'm not presuming anything Stephanie, for all I know, HHH worships the ground you walk on, but it doesn't seem to me like he does. I just want to understand how you can love him like you do."

"Because I'm his wife."

"Stephanie, the man drugged you and then married you, how can you possibly love a guy like that?"

"He has a lot of redeeming qualities."

"Like?"

"Like...I don't know! Ok, Chris, I don't know why I love him, but I do!" Stephanie exclaimed loudly, "I just do."

She went over to the other side of the room and sat down heavily on the folding chair that Chris had previously occupied. She had tired of this conversation, and wanted to go back to being silent, it was easier that way. For her and her marriage. Chris was starting to make her think crazy thoughts.

"Stephanie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset, really."

"It's ok," Stephanie told him.

"I'm sure that HHH does love you, and I'm sure he's worrying about you right now."

"Don't lie Chris, you probably think he's out there cheating on me as we speak."

~MEANWHILE~

"Mmm, you have such a pretty mouth," Hunter whispered.

"We never did go looking for Stephanie."

"Who cares, I'm sure she can fend for herself."

"You sure, she seems to cling to you like ivy."

"What can I say, the bitch has it bad for me."

~BACK TO JERICHO AND STEPHANIE~

"I don't think that," he said.

"Sure you do."

"I wouldn't wish that on anybody, for your sake, I hope he isn't having an affair."

"For my sake? Since when did you care so much Chris?"

"I think it was around the time you started calling me Chris instead of Jericho," he said smiling at her. She returned his smile, though tentatively.

"I hadn't even noticed."

"I'd like to consider you a friend now Stephanie, outside of this room, if that's ok with you?"

"It's ok, a girl like me can use all the friends she can get."

"I'm telling you, dump the husband, and friends will be flocking towards you."

"Very funny Chris, very funny."