Early the next morning Paul was awake and he just lay watching Stephanie sleep, he knew he should wake her to go to work but he didn't have the heart. With everything that had happened with Shane lately she was worn out and he just wanted to let her rest as stress wasn't good for her.

He was lying watching her when the phone rang and he quickly turned around and picked it up trying not to let it wake her before he whispered into the receiver, "McMahon – Levesque residence."

Linda was on the other end of the phone so she whispered, "hi Paul it's Linda. Why are we whispering?"

He smiled, "sorry, Steph is still sleeping and I didn't want to wake her. What can I do for you?"

"Shouldn't Steph be getting ready for work?"

He nodded, "yeah but she looks so peaceful, I haven't got the heart to wake her with the whole Shane thing going on."

Linda sighed, "that's why I was calling. I went over and visited Shane yesterday and confronted him after Steph corroborated your story about the hospital and he said she's covering for you and everything and I don't know what to do Paul. He's my own son and I don't know how to react."

Paul sighed and absently stroked a stray piece of hair out of Stephanie's face, "I don't know what to tell you Linda, he's your son and you've got to believe him but honestly I'd never do anything to hurt Steph and I want this baby more than anything. I'm not telling you what to do but maybe you need some help from Vince."

"No way, Vince will fly off the deep end and I don't want him involved unless he has to be. I've got to get going, tell Steph to come into work when she's ready."

"Alright, bye."

Paul had turned around and put the phone down but as he did Stephanie woke up and turned on her side and was leaning on her hand so as Paul turned back around she said, "who was on the phone?"

He jumped and nearly fell out of bed, "don't scare me like that will you, I thought you were still asleep."

She smiled, "I was but I woke up, so who was on the phone?"

He sighed and lay down on his back and pulled Stephanie close to him, "your Mom called, she said she'd spoken to Shane and he denied everything, he said you were just covering for me and Linda is just confused."

Stephanie sighed, "if I wasn't pregnant I'd kill him."

He laughed, "the fact that you are pregnant is the problem."

She sighed, "alright then."

Suddenly she looked at the clock, "Paul it's 8:30am."

Paul nodded, "I can read you know."

Stephanie hit him in the stomach, "I'm supposed to be at work at 8:30am and you know it."

He nodded, "I know and your Mum said to go in when you're ready."

"Why did you let me sleep so long?"

He shrugged, "you looked really peaceful and with everything that's happened lately I figured you could do with the rest, sorry if it bothers you."

Stephanie hugged him tightly, "I did need the rest but this could have waited until the weekend."

"I know but there's no harm done."

She sighed, "I guess not but I'd better get up now."

Paul nodded as he watched her get out of bed, "it'll all be okay you know."

She nodded, "I know, I've got you."

She walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

Stephanie walked into work to see her Secretary Jennifer on the phone looking frazzled, "she's here now, hold on and I'll put you through in a second."

Jennifer put the mystery caller on hold, "good morning Stephanie, how are you feeling this morning?"

Stephanie smiled, "a hell of a lot better than you by the looks of it. What's happened and who was on the phone?"

Jennifer sighed, "that was Shane for the fifth time this morning,"

Stephanie looked at her watch, "it's only 10am."

Jennifer nodded, "I know but he's been calling since 8:30 wanting to speak to you and I obviously didn't know what to tell him so I just said that you weren't in yet and that you were probably stuck in traffic. Everything's okay isn't it?"

Stephanie nodded, "everything's fine, I overslept thanks to my darling husband but everything's fine."

Jennifer nodded, "good; you look a lot better this morning. You'd better go and take this call before Shane calls the army or something."

Stephanie laughed, "alright."

Stephanie walked into her office and dumped her things before picking up the phone, "Shane, what is this about you harassing my Secretary?"

"Nice to talk to you too Steph. Anyway I was worried about you after Paul's reaction at the hospital yesterday and with you being late I thought he'd hurt you."

She sighed, "I was late because Paul and I had a wonderful evening last night and he let me sleep in this morning."

Shane sighed, "so he was off sleeping with some bimbo then?"

She shook her head, "don't go there Shane, you know Paul is faithful to me so stop spouting stuff you know nothing about."

"But Steph it's true, I bet you had a fight over me and he stormed off and slept with some hooker whilst you cried yourself to sleep."

Stephanie shook her head, "I can't deal with this."

She hung up on Shane not in the mood to deal with him or listen to him.

Once Stephanie had hung up the phone from Shane she picked up the phone and dialled a familiar extension, "we need to talk, I'm on my way up if you're not busy."

The person on the other end said, "I'm never too busy to see you, come on up."

Stephanie left her office telling Jennifer to tell Shane she was busy and headed to the elevator.