*** I meant to post this the first time. Thanks to bannonluke for pointing out that I hadn't posted it. This chapter contains very explicit violence. To those of you who have already read this and been disturbed I'm sorry. If you want to skip this chapter you can…the next chapter will recap this scene without the explicitness. This chapter contains violence against women and attempted sexual abuse. Sorry again. ***

Stephanie blew lightly on the nails she had just painted blood red to match the patent leather pants Jericho was going to wear into the ring that night. She smiled as she thought about how much fun they had planning what to wear.

Jericho had actually picked her outfit. She was wearing a black leather halter top and black leather pants that rode low on her hips her. Her hair was straight and she had a leather golfers hat that she was going to put on.

Jericho was out getting her a Big Mac from McDonald's. She had been having a major craving and she wasn't near ready. He had graciously offered to go get food for her. She hummed happily as she thought about her husband who was probably her best friend in the entire world.

The door creaked open and Stephanie giggled, "Took you long enough Chris."

"It's not Chris," a growling voice said from the doorway.

Stephanie looked up and her blue eyes filled with horror. "Hunter!"

"That's right bitch," Hunter said.

"What are you doing in here?" Stephanie asked, stumbling out of her chair. "I mean, this is mine and Chris' room."

"Isn't it all so cozy?" Hunter asked, walking slowly towards her.

"I don't know if you were watching to see when Chris left or whatever Hunter," Stephanie said, "but you should leave now because he's going to be back soon."

"Do I scare you?" Hunter asked menacingly.

"No," Stephanie said, but the quiver in her voice betrayed her.

Hunter smiled in cruel satisfaction. "I always did scare you. I could tell when we got married that you were frightened about how you might fare in my home."

"Hunter, please," Stephanie said, backed up against the wall. "Just leave me alone."

"It's not that simple Stephanie," Hunter said. "I gave us the opportunity to move on with our lives when you were forced to leave the WWF. But you had to go and ruin that."

"What's the matter Hunter?" Stephanie asked. "Are you just angry that you lost whatever ability you used to have to manipulate the situation to your favor. Does it make you mad that I can outplay you?"

"Little girl," Hunter said. "You have no idea."

"You don't scare me," Stephanie said, thinking a show of bravado would make him leave the room. She had no idea how long it would take Chris to get back.

"I should," Hunter said.

Stephanie didn't see Hunter's hand dart out and tangle in her hair. She did feel him pull her violently toward him. She felt herself crash against him. His mouth assaulted her mouth. She was in shock and she couldn't move.

Suddenly her brain came out of the haze that had enveloped her when Hunter had grabbed ahold of her. She felt his tongue pushing against her pursed lips. She opened her mouth and bit down on his tongue with all of her might.

Hunter pulled back and yelled, "You fucking bitch!"

Stephanie tried to get away from him but he grabbed her arm with one hand and hit her across the face with the other. Stephanie staggered, but Hunter held her upright. Her cheek felt like it was on fire where his hand had connected with her skin.

"You want to bite me Stephanie?" Hunter asked, his voice low with fury.

"Get away from me you asshole," Stephanie said, outraged that Hunter dare put his hands on her. "You're pathetic!"

Hunter's eyes went wide with rage and he hit her across the face. Then he buried a fist in her gut. Stephanie felt like her eye was going to explode and she couldn't breathe. She fell to the ground when Hunter finally let go of her hand.

He kicked her once in the abdomen and her arms quickly moved to protect herself. "You just think you're so special Stephanie."

"Please, just leave," Stephanie whispered harshly.

"What's that Stephanie?" Hunter asked.

"Please go," Stephanie said, dismayed to feel the tears in her eyes. She felt so vulnerable lying on the floor. Her cell phone was across the room and there was no way Hunter would just let her crawl over so she could get ahold of her husband.

"Why don't you beg?" Hunter asked.

"No," Stephanie said, not willing to degrade herself for this man. Chris would be back eventually. "My husband will kill you."

"You're husband thinks you're a no-good slut like everyone else in this federation Stephanie," Hunter said. "No one actually likes you."

"Stop it," Stephanie said, choking on her tears. "Chris cares about me!"

"Does he really?" Hunter asked. "You think he was just playing when he called you names, when he put you in the Walls?"

"You don't know him," Stephanie cried.

"And you think you do?" Hunter asked. "You didn't know me and you were married to me for two years. I bet you didn't think I was capable of this, did you?"

Suddenly he was kneeling down next to her. He pinned her shoulders to the ground. His hands were wrapped around her neck. Her eyes went wide. Her hands flew to the hands around her neck and she clawed at his huge hands.

Hunter smiled at the blue eyes that were wide with fear. "Don't worry," he said, releasing her neck. "I won't kill you."

Stephanie gulped in the air. She tried to move, but he wouldn't let her. "Please, just let me go."

"Not yet," Hunter said.

Stephanie felt her stomach drop as she heard the distinctive sound of a zipper being undone. "No, please don't Hunter."

"You know you want this Stephanie," Hunter said.

"No!" Stephanie yelled, trying desperately to move away from him. "Please stop! Help me!"

"Who would help a slut like you?" Hunter asked, his hand starting to work on the zipper of her leather pants. "You're getting what you deserve."

"Help!" Stephanie cried again.

*

Chris felt his heart jump with fear when he heard Stephanie's cries from down the hall. Why the hell was no one else helping her? He raced down the hall and opened the door to see Hunter on top of his wife.

He went red with rage. He flew to Hunter and dragged him off of Stephanie. "You fucking bastard!"

Chris slammed Hunter up against the wall and began to lay hard punches into the man. He didn't even realize that he had hit the man so much, so hard that he wasn't able to defend himself.

He felt himself being pulled away from Hunter. He saw him slump to the floor. He felt some of his rage subside.

"What the hell happened?" Chris Benoit asked, restraining Chris on one side. He hadn't even realized that they had come into the room.

"Stephanie," Jericho said, shaking Benoit and Kurt Angle off of him. He went to his wife, who was curled up in the corner of the room.

"Baby," he whispered as he kneeled down next to her. "Are you okay?"

"Chris?" Stephanie asked, looking up into the blue eyes that had become so familiar to her. She breathed a ragged sigh of relief.

He wrapped his arms around her and he lifted her off of the ground. He looked over to the other side of the room where Benoit was checking on Hunter. "Would you please get that asshole out of my wife's dressing room?"

Benoit was about to protest that he had knocked the man unconscious, but he recognized the protective tone in Jericho's voice. He simply nodded. He looked over at Angle and the Olympian nodded and helped Benoit lift the man. They took him to the trainer.

Chris sat on the couch and sat Stephanie on his lap. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. He felt silent sobs wrack her body.

"Shh, shh," Chris whispered. "It's okay. I'm here baby."

"I was so afraid," Stephanie whispered, her breath warm on his shoulder. "I didn't know when you would get back. Hunter said, he said…"

"What did he say baby?" Chris asked, running a hand up and down her back.

"That you didn't care about me," Stephanie said between tears. "That you still thought I was a slut."

"Jesus," Chris said. "Hunter is a bastard Stephanie. I don't think you are a slut. I think you are amazing. And I'm not going to let you out of my sight anytime soon."

"What the hell did you do to Hunter?" Vince exclaimed as he stormed into the dressing room. Stephanie clung tighter to Chris.

"That bastard tried to rape your daughter," Chris said, barely controlling the rage in his voice. He needed to stay calm for Stephanie. "He didn't even get what he deserved."

"Stephanie?" Vince asked, his face suddenly concerned as he looked at Stephanie's form, rolled tight in Chris' lap. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Stephanie finally looked up, wiping tears off of her cheeks. "I'm okay."

"No you aren't," Chris said, looking intently at the tiny bruises that were beginning to show around her neck. "He was strangling you."

"He's going to jail," Vince said, determination in his voice.

"No Daddy," Stephanie said. "Don't. I don't want people to know. And Chris nearly killed him. I think if I agree not to press charges he won't send the cops after Chris."

"Steph, he should be punished," Chris said.

"But you shouldn't," Stephanie said. She looked over to her father and then something red on the floor caught her eyes. Tears filled her eyes again, she turned and smiled shakily at Chris. "You got me flowers."

"I'm your husband," Chris said. "I'm allowed."

"You're my hero," Stephanie said, lightly touching her lips to his. "Thank you for saving me."