Old Habits Die Hard
By Misha
Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One.
Chapter Ten: Introducing Stephanie Orton and the Legacy Era
Stephanie stood in the Legacy dressing room and took a deep breath, trying to get her bearings. Raw was going to start in a few minutes and she'd have to go out there and face the consequences of her actions.
More than that she'd have to face her brother and the disappointment in his eyes and she couldn't help but think that might be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do in her entire life.
However, there was no escaping it. She had to go out there and she knew Shane was in the building and that as soon as she went out there, he'd come out to confront her and they'd hash out their differences for the whole world to see, that was the McMahon way after all.
"Do you want me to go out there with you, baby?" Randy whispered in her ear, wrapping both arms around her waist. "You know, show the world that we're a team and that messing with you means messing with me?"
Stephanie paused, trying to decide how to answer that question. Part of her wanted to say no, wanted to do it alone and prove that she could be independent, to prove to her family that this was a decision that she had made on her own, but... She was sick of being independent, of having to stand on her own without having anyone to lean on. This was going to be a hard night for her and she didn't want to do it without support, not when she didn't have to. Besides, this night wasn't just about her.
"Of course." Stephanie said finally. "Ted and Cody too. This is Legacy's night and I want us to present a united front."
All three men nodded and they exited the dressing room and headed towards the ring, just as they got to the gorilla, Stephanie heard her music start, which was her cue to go down to the thing. She took a deep breath and, accompanied by the three male members of Legacy, walked out to face her critics.
The boos from the audience were overwhelming, but that didn't surprise her, nor did it really bother her. Stephanie had never been one to care whether the crowd loved or hated her, and attitude that she'd had to adopt to survive during her marriage to Hunter and the constant 'slut' chants the crowd had thrown at her then and she'd never shed it, not even when the audience had started to like her again. Mainly because she knew how fickle they could be and understood even then that some day she'd do something to displease them and they'd turn on her again and sure enough, they had.
"I'm sure you are all wondering what last night was all about." Stephanie began, addressing the crowd as soon as she and the other members of Legacy made it into the ring. "Well, I'll tell you. Last night was about me growing up and claiming my rightful place in the WWE. Oh, I love being Raw's General Manager, don't get me wrong, but it's not enough. You see, I don't just want power, but respect and recognition. Like Randy, Ted and Cody, I'm a WWE legacy, the fourth generation of McMahons involved with wrestling, and last night I took my rightful place as the fourth and final member of Legacy, but that's not all last night was about."
Stephanie paused, letting the boos get louder. She'd always enjoyed antagonising the crowd, it was one of the things she loved most about being a bad girl--she could do and say whatever she wanted without having to worry about what the fans thought of her.
"I am a WWE Legacy and proud of it. I deserve to be a part of Legacy, yet, ironically, tonight, the night where I'm finally claiming my rightful place, is also the night I officially let go of the name that is my legacy." Stephanie announced.
She could hear the stunned mutterings from King and Michael Cole as they tried to figure out what she meant and a hush from the crowd.
"Ten years ago, I made a huge mistake." Stephanie said, addressing the crowd once more. "I married the wrong man, but that wasn't my biggest mistake."
Well, it might have been, but that didn't fit the tone she was going for now. This was all about drama and creating the biggest impact that she could. It was all about the shock factor. Just one more lesson from dear ol dad that she'd taken to heart.
"No, my biggest mistake was that I clung to the past. Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, that's what I called myself. I broke away from my family and their influence, yet clung to their name as if it was my only worth in the WWE and that was a mistake." Stephanie continued, taking a deep breath and standing straight, taking comfort in the feel of Randy's strong arms around her waist and the presence of Ted and Cody on either side of her. "Well, that's a mistake I won't make again. The McMahon blood runs in my veins and it's my legacy, the legacy I will pass on to my children, but I am no longer Stephanie McMahon and I have no desire to hang onto the Mcmahon name any longer. Legacy isn't just about being second-generation superstars making a name off our parents' glory, it's about creating our own place in the WWE history books and being greater than our parents. For me, I feel I've done all I can as a McMahon and I don't want to be associated with the McMahon family any longer. No, from now on I'd like to be known by my new name and by the legacy my husband and I will create together, so from this moment on, I will be known simply as Stephanie Orton."
There was a stunned silence following her words, as both the crowd and the announcers processed their meaning. She'd definitely made an impact, that was for sure. Stephanie had thought long and hard about her decision to change her name, about whether she wanted to hyphenate or not, and she was happy with what she decided. Maybe it was the failure of the McMahon-Helmsley days that had lead her to do it, she didn't know, but either way being a McMahon had caused her a lot of grief over the years and she wasn't as sad as she once would have thought to let it go forever.
Stephanie leaned into Randy, drinking in his presence and he tightened his hold on her, as if daring the world to stop him from claiming her. Ted and Cody just stood there, smug looks on their handsome faces, showing the world that Legacy was a united front. Stephanie heard the King and Michael Cole bicker about her words as they tried to figure out what she meant by them, if she was really married to Randy Orton.
Just then, Shane's entrance music started and the crowd went wild as her brother made his way down the ramp, mic in hand.
"So it's Stephanie Orton now, huh sis?" Shane challenged. "Interesting, I don't remember getting a wedding invitation."
"It must have gotten lost in the mail." Stephanie told him with a fake smile.
"Or did you run off and elope in secret because you knew I'd tell you that you were making the worst mistake of your life?" Shane asked her. "Hopefully you did something a little classier than a Vegas drive through this time."
Stephanie ignored the dig, it would have had more impact if that was how she and Hunter had really gotten married--but apparently even after ten years Shane was too stupid to figure out that had only been for shock value. The real marriage had been a quiet courthouse affair.
Just like this one had been. then she'd been too caught up with lust and revenge to care and now... Now she was past the point of needing a big, fancy wedding. It might have been small, but Aurora was there and that was all she'd needed, that and becoming Randy's wife... Those two things had made the day perfect, no matter how small it was, but she knew that there was no way she could explain that to Shane.
"I've got to say though, I didn't think it was possible for you to be making the worst mistake of your life, after the huge mistake you made ten years go, but I'll give you credit, you certainly found a way to top that disaster." Shane continued scornfully. "I have to say, Steph, your taste in men just keeps getting worse and worse."
Stephanie felt Randy stiffen with outrage behind her and rubbed his arm gently, hoping to keep his temper in line, at least temporarily. There would be time for it to erupt later, she was sure of that.
"Shane, Shane, Shane. I think what you're not understanding here is that I'm not the foolish little girl I used to be." Stephanie told her brother evenly. "Ten years go I rushed into a disastrous marriage, fuelled by thoughts of power and revenge and well, lust, and like you never let me forget: it ended badly. But that was then and this is now and it's not the same. This wasn't some foolish, cocked decision made for all the wrong reasons. I married Randy Orton a month ago after almost a year of dating. I knew exactly what I was doing and it's the best decision I've ever made."
Stephanie saw Shane turn white at the revelation of just how long her deception had been going on for. She waited for the guilt, but it didn't come. Apparently now that she'd finally done the deed, the guilt had gone away or at least lessened so that she didn't notice it quite so much. Maybe her subconscious had finally realized that she'd just done what she'd had to do.
"As I told you before Shane, Raw's my show." Stephanie told him. "So just go back to your office and you won't get hurt, continue to stand in my way, in our way, and I can't promise you anything."
The booing from the crowd got even louder and Stephanie heard the announcers calling her a heartless bitch, but she wasn't. She was offering Shane an out, though she new her brother too well to think he'd actually take it.
"Are you happy, Stephanie?" Shane demanded and she could hear the strain in his voice. "Do you really want to drive away your entire family?"
"You mean the family that keeps trying to keep me down? The family that keeps punishing me over and over for my mistakes?" Stephanie accused. "Because if so, then I don't care if I drive them away. The McMahon family is sick and twisted and for a long time I thought that was how a family had to be, but now I know different and I just don't want that in my life, not anymore."
It was the truth. She loved her family and always would, but they were never going to be a normal, well-adjusted family. If Stephanie had thought that was even remotely possible, she'd never have been able to betray them not once but twice and honestly, she just couldn't handle the disfunction any longer.
"Randy, what's your opinion on all this?" Shane asked, directing his attention, and no doubt his rage, towards her husband. "You spoke of annihilating the McMahon family, is that true? If so is your marriage to my sister just one more way to achieve that?"
Stephanie sucked in her breath at Shane's insulting words and could feel Randy quiver with barely suppressed rage.
"I want to wipe you pompous, insufferable McMahons off the face of the planet, yes." Randy agreed in a low, angry tone. "But I don't need to marry one of you to do that. I did that because she's a smart, sexy woman, smart enough to denounce the McMahon family name and everything it stands for. If you're smart, you'll leave my wife out of all of our future dealings, because you see Shane, unlike you and your father, I appreciate Stephanie for the precious gem that she is and I protect the things that I cherish. I will destroy anything or anyone that hurts her and that includes you."
Stephanie felt that usual burst of warmth at her husband's words. even in these awful circumstances, it still did wonders for her to hear that Randy valued her.
"Fine, we'll leave Stephanie out of it, for now." Shane said scornfully. "Though, I have to wonder how long this devoted husband act of yours will last, but that's not the issue. We're not finished, Orton, we still have business to finished and I want it finished tonight--in a street fight."
Stephanie gasped, there was no way Shane was in shape for that, not after the beating Randy had given him the night before, but then Shane had always had more pride than brains.
"You're on." Randy said immediately, a slow, calculating smile spreading over his face and there was no denying the satisfaction in his voice. In that moment, he looked every inch the predator about to devour his prey and Stephanie had to fight the chill racing up her spine and remind herself that this was just one side of Randy, that the warm and gentle man she loved so much was still there, just buried for the moment. "And you're right, Shane, after tonight it will be over. For good."
Stephanie shuddered at the promise in her husband's voice and for the first time she felt a little bit of fear over what he was capable of, but it was too late to turn back, even if she wanted too...
Randy was practically shaking with anticipation as he prepared for his match with Shane.
This was it. Tonight he would break Shane and lay him out next to his father and that would be it, the end of the McMahon family. Except for his wife, of course, but as they'd both stated, she was no longer a McMahon. Aurora was, though, but that was a hurdle they could deal with later.
"Randy," Stephanie said hesitantly, biting her lip adorably, "about tonight..."
"I can't promise to go easy on Shane tonight." Randy told her, accurately guessing what she was about to ask of him.
Stephanie winced and glanced away. "I know, I guess, I just..."
"Baby, I know he's your brother, but this is beyond you." Randy reminded her. "This isn't just about me wanting to destroy your family, this about me proving that no one messes with me. I can't back down, not ever for you."
He loved his wife, but not even for her would he jeopardise his hard-earned reputation. He need the WWE universe to think of him as the ruthless, emotionless legend killer, it was key to his career, but it was also key to protecting Stephanie and Aurora. As long as the world saw him as a psychopath who was capable of anything, then they'd be afraid of messing with him, which meant they wouldn't dare mess with his wife or family.
He'd dented the emotionless part of that reputation by declaring his love for Stephanie for the world to hear it, so he was doubly motivated to prove that he was still as ruthless that ever, that love had not softened him. On the contrary, it had just given him something to fight for.
"Steph, this was all part of the plan, remember?" He reminded her. "We take out Shane, just like we took out your father, and then we run Raw together, our way."
Ironically, the whole plan had been Stephanie's idea in the first place. True, he'd been bugging her about going public with their relationship, tired of being her dirty little secret, but she was the one to decide how things would go down.
She'd come up with the plan the night that Shane had first shown up at Raw and started making decisions--the night her brother had taunted her about her failed marriage and told her he thought she'd repeat her mistakes. It was then that Stephanie had given up on the idea that someday her family would support their relationship, if she just gave them enough time to see that she'd changed. That night she'd realized that they were just waiting for her to screw up and that they'd never take their relationship seriously, so she'd suggested that instead, the two of them find a way to removed both Vince and Shane from the picture and do things their way instead.
Randy had agreed instantly, because he had no use for either of the McMahon men and because he'd do anything to make Stephanie happy. So it was a little frustrating to have her stray from the course when they were so close to the goal, after all, after tonight it would all be over and nothing and no one would stand in their way.
"I know." Stephanie told him and then she sighed. "You're right, you have to do this, I know that. I just... I can't be ringside for this one."
"That's fine." Randy assured her, biting back the irritation her words provoked.
Stephanie was having a hard enough time as it was, she didn't need to deal with her criticism. Besides, he'd vowed to be the one man to support her unconditionally, to not criticize her decisions, to be whatever she needed him to be and right now she needed him to be patient. So he would be.
"Go to your office, do your paper work and I'll meet you there when this is all done." He told his wife after a moment.
Stephanie nodded, her face anguished.
Randy placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. "I love you, Steph."
Stephanie gave him a weak smile. "I love you too." She whispered and then hurried out of the backstage area.
Randy watched her go, feeling incredibly frustrated by her decision and by her obvious doubts.
Maybe he was selfish, but as much he was trying to be supportive of Stephanie, he still wanted his wife by his side for this moment, needed her to prove that she was as invested in their future as he was. He had to believe that she was, but right now, as he faced this huge moment alone, for the first time he had doubts... He had to wonder if she was really committed to him, to a life together or if he was just Stephanie's latest way of rebelling against her family...
Randy forced himself to push all his doubts aside when Ted and Cody joined him, about ten minutes after Stephanie had escaped to her office, when he was busy getting ready for his match.
"Where's Stephanie?" Ted asked, glancing around. "I thought she'd be out here with you. I thought we'd be presenting a unite front out there, like we did earlier."
Ted's words were an unmeaning blow, reminding Randy that he had stood by his wife's side when she'd needed him, but that she seemed unable to do the same for him when the time came. It was not a thought he liked.
"She had paper work to do." Randy said shortly, not wanting to go into detail.
Ted nodded, accepting the words at face value, though Cody looked less than convinced. "Couldn't the paperwork have waited?" He asked sceptically, then raised an eyebrow. "Is she having second thoughts, is that why she's not here?"
"No." Randy assured him. "She's not, she just... Stephanie's not a fighter and it's hard for her to watch the action sometimes, so I sent her to her office."
It wasn't that simple, of course, he'd only sent her because he was afraid she'd crack under the pressure other, but neither Ted or Cody would appreciate hearing that despite everything, Stephanie still suffered from conflicting loyalties. Randy was pissed off by that development and her reluctance to give Shane what he deserved and he loved her, so he could imagine how Ted or Cody would react, especially Cody who neither liked nor trusted Stephanie, and Legacy didn't need that. Not now when they were about to seize control of their own destiny and not ever. They would be a united front, no matter what Randy had to do to make sure that was so. "
I thought the plan was for Stephanie to act as our manager and accompany us to ringside for our matches." Cody pressed. "Since she doesn't wrestle herself."
There was unmistakable derision in his voice, Cody had made constant comments about Stephanie's ring skills, or lack there of, and how she didn't have what it took to be a part of Legacy--regardless of her multi-generation status.
"It is and she will." Randy assured him, not even trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. He didn't like having his authority question. "However, she's also General Manager of Raw, remember?"
"Randy's right." Ted agreed instantly. "And she's a lot more use to Legacy as General Manger of Raw, than as acting as our manager and just providing eye candy."
"Who just provides eye candy?" A feminine voice asked from behind them.
Randy whirled around to see his wife standing there. She'd changed out of her black business suit and into a pair of jeans and a tight fitting Legacy t-shirt. Randy saw Ted grin at the sight and couldn't resist a grin of his own. His wife was a sight for sore eyes, as always.
"I hope you don't mean me?" Stephanie asked with a grin of her own.
"Never." Randy assured her. "I thought you had paper work?" His eyes asked her a silent question and gave him a warm, if slightly nervous, smile in response.
"My paper work can wait." Stephanie told him lightly, coming to stand beside him. "I thought it was more important for Legacy to present a united front tonight."
Randy felt his spirit lifted by her words, all his doubts vanished. Stephanie might have faltered, but in the end she had come through for him and for Legacy.
Randy took the hand she offered him, just as his music began to play. This was it. It was time to show the world what Legacy was really made of and what happened to people who tried to stand in the way of their destiny...