NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I'm back! Past few days have been blistering hot, and I wound up staying home from work earlier this week due to the smoke from all the wildfires in the area. Luckily, I have a Panera Bread in my neighborhood (shameless plug), so I camped out there in the air conditioning to cool off, write, and enjoy some goodies (Try their fresh fruit pastry and their acai berry iced tea, yet another shameless plug!)
Anyway, back to 4/26/99. Vince and Shane are reeling (deservedly so, no?) but Mark and Stephanie (not to mention Stephanie's friends) are celebrating:). BTW, no lemons in this chapter (I don't write those). Match descriptions are courtesy of the slashwrestling and pww websites, with a few of my own tweaks. You already know how the Smackdown taping kicked off, so I won't rehash it. This story's wrapping up, and I want to get to the confrontation between Stephanie and her dad and brother, so the matches will be written in recap-style to save time and space (you can write them out yourselves if you want).
Chapter Thirty-Six
Back in the hotel, the girls screamed and danced in joy as the limo with Mark and Stephanie rolled out of the parking lot and Vince McMahon dropped to his knees in anguish. "We did it! We did it! We did it!" Ryan gushed, before Nicole whistled through her fingers to get her and Anna's attention.
"Not entirely, girls," Nicole pointed out, wisely. "Stephanie and Mark did it. We just helped them along."
"This is true," Anna smiled, as her cell phone rang. She climbed off the bed she was lounging on to answer it, and and shook her head at JR's overly dramatic announcement of the night's events. "A tragedy? Maybe for Vince. Hello? Hey, how are you? Can't complain. We just saw the wedding. Congratulations. Well, the girls and I were talking earlier about attending the Smackdown taping tomorrow—Nicole has to be there, so I offered to give her a ride—and I was planning to head back home tomorrow night, why? Sure. Well, there's a Denny's close by. How about we meet over there? Okay. Be there in about...say, forty-five minutes? Sounds great. I'll see you then. 'Bye."
Anna's eyes sparkled as she ended the call. "That was Bradshaw. He's gonna be at a meeting with Bearer and the rest of the talent. He wants to meet up with me for a late dinner after it's over."
"You lucky girl," Nicole smiled. "Now, he's paying for it, right?"
"He'd better!" Anna stepped into the bathroom to give herself a once-over in the mirror. A fluff of her hair, a dab of lip gloss, a flick of mascara and a touch of powder and she was good to go. She grabbed her purse and her jacket and picked up her room key off the dresser. "Don't wait up," she smiled, before breezing out the door.
~~~MOD~~~
"I'm not sure I can keep my eyes closed much longer," Stephanie gushed as Mark led her down the hallway to their suite. In the hotel lobby, Mark had instructed his new wife to close her eyes and keep them closed until he said to open them.
The limo ride back to the hotel had been a happy blur, with the newlyweds kissing and cuddling and happily making up for lost time. The highlight of that ride was Mark slipping the wedding band on Stephanie's finger, officially making her Mrs. Mark William Calaway.
Neither of them wanted to get too worked up yet, choosing to wait until they got back to their suite.
"We're almost here, Babe...okay...stop and wait." Stephanie heard Mark fumble around and curse softly under his breath, and then she heard a tiny beep as a door unlocked. "Keep your eyes closed and don't freak."
Freak? What does he mean, don't—Stephanie squeaked in surprise as she was lifted into the air. Mark had taken her into his arms and was preparing to carry her over the threshold. She slid her arms around her new husband's neck and nestled against his chest as he carried her through the doorway and set her gently on the floor.
Behind her closed eyes, Stephanie was aware of lights growing brighter. "Okay...just about...okay. Now you can open your eyes."
Slowly, so as not to be jarred by the sudden changed from dark to light, Stephanie parted her eyelids.
"Oh...wow!" she gasped and gazed in wonder at the honeymoon suite. The king sized bed was draped with a gold and purple comforter that matched the décor in the room. There were vases full of roses in a red so deep that they looked almost black. Dozens of Hershey's kisses were arranged in the shape of a big heart in the middle of the bed. A plate of homemade cookies and sparkling cider had been left for them on a table, along with a tray with chocolate covered strawberries. On the tray was a card upon which was written in elegant script:
Mark & Stephanie
Sealed For Time & All Eternity
April 26, 1999
Mark smiled down at his new wife. "You like it?"
"Like it?" Stephanie threw her arms around her husband and kissed him passionately. "I love it."
"I thought you would. The girls wanted to do something special for us."
Stephanie wandered around the posh suite in a happy daze, taking in all the sights and textures and scents. Every so often she would stop and glance over her shoulder at Mark, who leaned against the doorjamb with a soft smile. It hadn't completely sunk in yet that she and Mark were now husband and wife, and it felt surreal, almost dreamlike.
Her gaze rested on a round black striped hatbox on the nightstand. A rose, the same as the ones in the vases, lay across the lid. Gently, Stephanie picked up the box and set it on the bed. "Is this for me?"
"Open it."
Her fingers trembling with anticipation, Stephanie lifted the lid and nudged aside the tissue paper. She cocked an eyebrow in bewilderment. A teddy bear? What's a teddy bear doing here—her questions disappeared and her face lit up in surprise as she recognized the box's contents.
"Teddy!" Stephanie gasped, lifting her childhood heirloom out of the box and pressing it to her chest. A lump began to grow in her throat as she gazed down at the fuzzy brown toy and ran her fingers across the soft surface. "It's Teddy!" She gazed over at her new husband in amazement. "I thought you'd burned him on TV! How-"
Mark approached his wife and set a big hand gently on her shoulder. "I hid him from Vince. The bear you saw get burned up...ummm...I found one at a thrift store. It looked so close to your bear that it fooled everyone. Gently, Mark lifted Stephanie's chin up. "There's no way I could have just set on fire something that meant so much to you."
Stephanie felt the tears leak from her eyes and roll down her cheeks. "You...you saved Teddy. You saved Teddy!" she gasped, her voice cracking. Holding her cherished toy in one hand, she managed to choke out a few more words of thanks before throwing her arms around Mark and sobbing in gratitude.
When her crying jag was finished, Stephanie lifted her head. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears. "I know this is a cliche, but...you don't know what this means to me, Mark."
Tenderly, Mark pressed his lips against those of his new wife. "I think I do." He paused, and then a sly smile spread across his face. "Hey...why don't you get changed into something a little less... confining. If I'm not mistaken, the girls moved your things up here while they were decorating."
Stephanie set Teddy back in the hatbox. "I think I will."
In the big bathroom (resplendent with real granite counters, marble floor tiles and a bathtub so big, it looked like a spa), Stephanie took off her boots and stepped out of her wedding dress, and then quickly put her hair up. A flash of color caught her eye, and she glanced to her right. Recognizing the items sitting on the counter, Stephanie smirked. Ryan must have set this stuff out, she thought, as her heart raced in excitement. Mark's gonna flip when he sees me in this!
~~~MOD~~~
"Mark. Maaark...Maaaarrrk?" The name was spoken in a soft sing-song, playful and full of promise.
Mark, having set the Hershey kisses in a glass dish and changed into some black lounge pants, was lounging across the bed when he heard Stephanie call his name. He glanced up in time to see his new wife emerge from the bathroom.
"Oh...wow."
Stephanie let the purple hooded jacket trimmed in lace slip off her shoulders and drop gracefully to the floor. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she undid it to allow it to tumble past her shoulders. Her wedding night outfit was simple, yet striking. Stephanie wore a simple pair of black lace panties with purple satin ribbon trim and a matching pushup bra. She wasn't one for elaborate undergarments, and this ensemble struck the perfect balance of sexy and simple.
Stephanie crawled across the bed to where Mark was lounging. "You like?"
"I like," Mark smiled, moving so that his new wife could lay comfortably on top of him. "I like very, very much."
"I'm kinda playing this by ear," Stephanie admitted, a blush staining her cheeks. She was aware of music playing in the background-some Led Zeppelin ballad that went, If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you-and it made her smile. She wasn't one for sappy love songs, and apparently, neither was Mark.
"I'm...kinda doing the same, Babe, so you don't have to feel like you have to know everything."
Mark's words reassured his new wife, who sighed and snuggled closer. "Mark, I have a confession."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I've been...ummm...saving myself for marriage."
Mark couldn't help but chuckle in surprise. "No way! Really?"
Stephanie smiled slyly. "Really. And you have the honor of being my first..."
~~~MOD~~~
WWF Smackdown Taping
4/27/99
"You sound sooo happy!" Anna gushed on her cell phone to Stephanie, who was currently laying low. She was driving around the arena for a place to park her van after dropping Nicole and Ryan off at the service entrance. It was mid-afternoon.
"I'm over the moon," Stephanie beamed. "I won't go into any details, but last night was fantastic! You guys did an awesome job decorating the room. And tell Ryan thanks for the strawberries."
"I don't know how she found the time to get those for you." Finding an empty spot, Anna wheeled her van carefully in between an SUV and a new VW Bug. She threw the van in park and checked to make sure the VIP pass that Bradshaw had given her last night was clipped securely to her blouse. It was. "She must have slipped into the gift shop at the hotel when Nicole and I were otherwise occupied. But we knew you two would like them."
"We did. And the cookies were really good, too. We still have a few to snack on later." Stephanie paused. "Listen, this will have to be the last phone conversation that we can have for a while. Mark and I want to sell the kidnapped-and-married-against-my-will angle until next Monday. He's gonna have a meeting with Mom and the Board of Directors tomorrow. He wanted to do it next week, but we're gonna be in San Diego for the RAW taping. And Mom explained that it would be a smart idea to get everyone's ducks in a row before we make an official appearance as husband and wife."
Still on the phone, Anna grabbed her purse and hopped out of her vehicle. "So I guess you talked your mom today?"
"Yeah. She sent out an emergency memo last night. Everyone still has their jobs. The house shows are gonna continue. And she likes the ideas that Mark and Bearer have already rolled out, and she wants to develop them a little further. Especially the ideas about the tag team division."
"Well, it's good to know that your mom's on your side, even if she's not entirely in favor of you and Mark being husband and wife now."
"She's not, and she was up-front about it. And I respect that. But she knows that Mark's got my best interests, and the interests of the WWF, at heart. She's looking at it from a business standpoint. Dad's been letting his vendetta with Austin get in the way of running the company the way it should be. Now that she knows what Dad and Shane have been up to, she and Mark and I can hold them both accountable."
"And speaking of your dad, Bradshaw warned me that Vince and Shane may be in the building tonight, so Ryan and I are gonna lay low until they leave."
"How'd you guys get VIP passes?"
"Bradshaw gave me one last night, and Val gave Ryan one. And speaking of Bradshaw, he and I went out for dinner last night after RAW went off the air."
"Really? That was nice of him. So how are things going between you two?"
"Swimmingly." Anna grinned. "He and I are gonna try the long distance relationship thing for a while. If it doesn't work out, then we've both agreed to be buddies."
"That's good. If you guys are getting along great and a relationship doesn't work, then there's no sense in ending it on a bad note, right?"
"Very true." Anna paused as she stepped out of her vehicle and locked it. "Listen, I need to get in the building before it gets too crowded. Stay in touch, okay?"
"I will. And thanks for everything."
Anna smirked. "You're welcome, Mrs. Taker."
"Mrs. Taker, huh? I kinda like that. Stay safe. Love you."
"Love you, too. Bye!" Anna ended the call and entered the venue, showing her pass to security and exchanging some friendly greetings. She got a Diet Pepsi out of the vending machine and sipped it as she looked for her companions for the night. This was the first time she'd ever been backstage, and with Mark in charge, it promised to be interesting...
~~~MOD~~~
As the World Wrestling Federation's network television special got underway, Vince and Shane McMahon came to the ring. Vince thanked the fans for their support, and explained that while he was pleased with his personal accomplishments, he was not so proud of his business ones. He also took the time to address the situation pertaining to the Undertaker marrying Stephanie, resulting in the hostile takeover of the WWF. He and his family were sick with grief over the forced marriage of his daughter to the Lord of Darkness, and he and Shane pleaded with the Undertaker to return the unwilling bride to her family. Just then, the new owner of the WWF made an appearance, along with his minions. The Undertaker put Vince and Shane in their place, explaining that the McMahons worked for him. After some additional words were exchanged, Taker told his new father-in-law that Stephanie would appear live on Monday Night RAW next week. Before leaving for the night, Taker fired a parting shot, gloating that his new wife had saved herself for marriage!
Owen Hart was scheduled to take on Val Venis in the first match of the night, but Owen was nowhere to be found. So Jeff Jarrett came down to the ring with Debra to substitute for the no-show. However, the Blue Blazer attacked Val from behind and he took on the adult film star one on one. Val hit the Blazer, who suspiciously looked and talked exactly like Owen, with a Fisherman's suplex. However, Debra distracted the referee, and Jarrett came in the ring and kicked Val below the belt. The Blazer/Owen, pinned him for the win. After the match, the Godfather came out to try to claim Debra as his newest ho, but the Blazer and Jarrett chased off the self-styled pimp.
Val was pleasantly surprised backstage when Ryan appeared in his dressing room to "cheer him up!"
A little later, Kevin Kelly interviewed the Blazer, who said he was here because the Federation needs a superhero. He reminded all his "little Blazers" to say their prayers, take their vitamins and drink their milk.
In singles competition, Droz (accompanied by Prince Albert) took on D'Lo Brown (with Ivory). When D'Lo climbed to the top rope, Prince Albert entered the ring and dropped him with a fall away slam, ending the match in disqualification. Droz and Albert were set to give a dazed D'Lo a piercing, but Ivory sprinted to the back and came back out with "Sexual Chocolate." Mark Henry made his return from a knee injury-just in time to save D'Lo.
Next up was a match put together by Paul Bearer and The Undertaker. It was a Triple Threat match, and the winner would receive a shot at the European Championship, which had been retired by Shane McMahon several weeks earlier. Midian, Test, and Triple H each took on each other in a display of power, agility, and brute strength. During the match, Chyna interfered in an attempt to swing the match in Triple H's favor, but she was knocked off of the ring apron during an Irish Whip by Test. As a result, she was ordered back to the locker room under threat of suspension. In the end, the Ministry's eyes and ears finished off Triple H with an Eye Opener DDT for the victory!
After his match, Mideon received a bucket of KFC from "Your new boss." The Ministry's "eyes and ears" looked quite happy as he sat down and tucked into his surprise dinner.
A battle between two heavyweights was next, as Big Show took on the 500 pound behemoth Viscera. It was a solid back-and-forth match, and Show was remarkably agile for someone his size, even going so far as drop-kicking his opponent! But it was Viscera who ultimately got the victory.
After that match, Smackdown took a special look at Sable and how the femme fatale has "gone Hollywood," listing her multiple appearances on Pacific Blue, Happy Hour, Extra, Regis, ET, TV Guide, Playboy, etc.
The King of Hardcore, Mankind, took on Big Bossman and Kane in a Hardcore Handicap match. It was a brutal fight, during which Bossman tried to flee the ring; he was stopped by Test, who tossed him back in the ring. He tried to escape a second time, but he was then interrupted by Big Show. This time, Bossman staggered Show with a low blow and fled backstage with the Big Show following. From there, Mankind turned his attention to Kane, knocking out the Big Red Machine with the Mandible Claw for the victory. After the match, Mankind stormed out in search of Bossman, calling him a coward.
Dok Hendrix conducted a special interview with the Brood, who broke their silence for the first time. Gangrel said their visions of darkness are not the same as the Undertaker, and that is why the Brood left the Ministry. Edge said that people that don't understand the Brood would learn in time. Dok said he believed that the Brood was just a gimmick that Christian, Gangrel and Edge were using to draw attention to themselves. Gangrel countered that Dok was the one who was a gimmick-calling him "Michael." Perhaps as punishment for calling them a gimmick, the Brood gave Dok a blood bath!
Sable, who was forced by Paul Bearer to appear solo, prepared to take on her mystery opponent. To her shock and horror, the Femme Fatale's opponent was her bodyguard, Nicole Bass! The champ got in the face of the world's biggest female body-builder, but Nicole announced to the fans in attendance—and to Sable—that she was quitting as Sable's bodyguard!
Nicole didn't so much beat Sable as she humiliated her, beating the Playmate in less than a minute with a chokeslam!
After the match, the new Women's Champion celebrated in the ring as Sable fled backstage in tears. So much for "This is for all the women who want to be me and all the men who come to see me"
Then, once the cameras were off, Nicole celebrated with Anna and Ryan, who took her out to dinner at a nearby Denny's.
The New Age Outlaws prepared for their Tag Team Championship match on RAW by taking on the Mean Street Posse. Both teams looked like they were having difficulty working in the ring, especially the Outlaws, who were unusually non-cohesive. During the match, the Brood (without fanfare) came down to watch their opponents, perhaps in preparation for the upcoming championship match. In spite of their lack of communication, the Outlaws won the match, but a heated exchange followed. Suddenly, the arena lights went off, and all four combatants were the recipients of a blood bath!
Kevin Kelly interviewed Ken Shamrock - we see clips from Monday where the Acolytes take out Shamrock. Ken fired back with the following: "You cost me that match against the Undertaker, Bradshaw - and tonight you will pay for that. Street fight rules - see, I was born on the street, I was raised to fight. I fought for space - but Bradshaw I want you to understand one thing. I'm gonna break your arms, I'm gonna break your legs, and I'm gonna break your spirit - and then when I'm through with all that, then I'm gonna beat the crap outta you some more. So you willing to lay it all on the line? I am. I'll see you in the ring, punk."
In the anything goes Street Fight, Ken Shamrock took on Bradshaw. The "World's Most Dangerous Man" was able to choke out Bradshaw with a little help from a baseball bat and win the match. Afterwards, however, Shamrock refused to release the hold until Farooq stormed out and clobbered the MMA superstar. Shamrock lay out cold as Farooq helped his partner backstage.
The Rock took on Stone Cold Steve Austin in a non-title match for the Main Event. Austin came out and quickly fired away with roundhouse rights, kicks and stomps. Whip, duck, duck, Rock grabbed the rope and went outside the ring, stomped halfway up the ramp, then reconsidered and returned to the ring. Big right hand, and an Okie blow. Austin threw Rock into the ring. Snapmare, elbowdrop, 1, 2, and a kickout. A suplex with authority, and another two count by Austin. Rock hit a swinging neckbreaker and the tide turned. Rock shoved away the ref but didn't get disqualified. Then, Austin to the outside, with Rock following, and a clothesline over the barricade. Austin came back with a barrage of rights, and then grabbed a chair, but Rock kicked him in the gut before the Rattlesnake could use it. Rock then put the boots to him. Austin's head met the Spanish commentary table and then, the Spanish commentators. Then Austin fired back and the ROCK was laid out on Cole and Cornette's broadcast table. A piledriver attempt on the floor was countered with a back bodydrop. A lariat move by the Rock was met by a huge "Austin" chant. Austin was thrown back in. A right hand by Rock, whip, sleeper! Austin backed him into the corner, elbows out, right hand, whip, reverse, back elbow by the Rock. Bodyslam. A People's elbow connected. To the rear chinlock. The crowd was on their feet. Arm falls once, arm falls twice, arm didn't fall thrice. Austin powered himself up and elbowed out, and threw a lariat, which Rock ducked a lariat and delivers one of his own for 2. Suddenly, Undertaker and Paul Bearer returned to the ringside. Undertaker was holding a shovel. Austin got back up. He and Rock traded blows, but then Austin got his second wind. Kick, Stunner attempt is blocked! Rock Bottom attempt is countered - kick, STUNNER! Referee Earl Hebner gets into position, 1, 2, Bearer pulled Rock out of the ring!
On the outside, Rock got into Bearer's face before he jumped back into the ring. At that moment, Taker leveled Austin with the shovel, and Hebner had no choice but to call for the bell. The match ended in a double disqualification, and Rock and Austin confronted Taker and Bearer. The new owner of the WWF gestured towards Austin's belt, and then motioned around his waist with his hands before leaving a dumbfounded Rock and Austin in the ring. The gesture was clear—Taker wanted Austin's championship, and the non-title match had been a distraction!
So the stage was set for Monday Night RAW. Nicole Bass was the new Women's Champion. The Brood and The New Age Outlaws would fight for the Tag Team Championship. Mideon and X-Pac were set for the European Championship. And Mark would begin his road towards championship glory.
And Mr. McMahon—not to mention the Corporation—was nowhere to be found. It was clear that the McMahon Ministry Era didn't need them.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Not a particularly big chapter, but it does set the stage for the next RAW. I can't wait for Stephanie's confrontation—and her mom may make a surprise appearance!:)
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