Fully Loaded 2000
"Chris!" a female voice called from down the hall. Chris turned to see Trish Stratus coming toward him. "I have a message for you."
"Thanks," Chris said, taking the note from her. "How are you doing?"
"Good," Trish said sweetly. "Except these boots are killing me."
Chris looked down at her five-inch heels and laughed. "I wonder why?"
Trish laughed as she waved good-bye. Chris opened the note and smiled. Good luck on your match, since I can't be in your corner. Last night was fabulous. Love, the trash-bag ho.
The previous night had been fabulous. Hunter had been out with DX, so Stephanie went to Chris' room and they watched movies for hours. They were comfortable around each other. It was good to have a real friend in the Federation, even if no one knew they were friends.
Stephanie walked down the hallway. Chris was ready to drool. It was past time he admitted that he was attracted to Stephanie. Hell, in was about to fight a Last Man Standing match because he had kissed her at King of the Ring. He winked at her and waved the folded slip of paper. Stephanie barely hid the smile she felt.
She wanted him to kiss her again. It had been unexpected. It had been wonderful. She really wanted Chris to beat Hunter. And she really wanted Chris to kiss her again.
"Hey there," Kurt Angle said, sidling up next to Stephanie. "You're smiling a little too widely."
"What?" Stephanie asked in shock.
"I could tell exactly what you were thinking just now," Kurt said. "And if you're not careful, no amount of cover-ups would hide it."
"You're such a good friend Kurt," Stephanie said, hugging him. "The flowers were a great touch."
"Flowers?" Kurt asked.
"You didn't send them?" Stephanie asked. "Then it's...nevermind."
"I'll hide your wide grin," Kurt said. "How was your night?"
"Great," Stephanie said. "We watched cheesy comedies all night."
"Sounds like good wholesome fun," Kurt laughed.
"You know Kurt," Stephanie said. "You never told me why you protect me and Chris. Why you go out of your way to make sure we don't get caught. I'd think it would be against one of your I's."
"Not if you love him," Kurt said simply.
"I don't...I mean there's no way," Stephanie said helplessly. "I'm not sure. He's the best friend I've ever had. But you follow closely."
"Gee," Kurt said dryly. "Thanks."
"Good luck today," Stephanie said. "Not that you really need luck, right?"
"It's all skill," Kurt said. "By the way, I think with you and the egomaniac getting closer, you and I are going to have to step up the flirtation. I won't tell you when I am going to do anything because I want you to be surprised and I want you on your toes."
"You should apply for sainthood," Stephanie said.
"I just think everyone deserves to be happy," Kurt shrugged. "Now, off to the ring with me."
"What the hell were you doing talking to Kurt?" Hunter demanded as he came up behind Stephanie.
"We are just friends Hunter," Stephanie sighed. "Why can't you trust me?"
"Never trust a McMahon," Hunter muttered.
"Oh that's just great," Stephanie yelled. "I'm your wife Hunter! I'm not just another McMahon, I'm eternally attached to you. Do you understand that you need to TRUST ME?"
"Calm down Steph," Hunter said. "I'll stop bugging you about the Olympic hero already."
"Thank you," Stephanie said.
"You ready for me to go kick Jericho's ass?" Hunter asked.
"Will you please?" Stephanie asked sweetly, feeling sick inside. She desperately wanted Chris to do major bodily harm to her husband.
"Anything for you Steph," Hunter said, lightly kissing her lips.
Stephanie followed HHH to the ring and had a front-row seat to the long, violent match. Chris surprised her by how well he fought. He usually seemed so cocky and flashy in the ring, but this time was different. He was driven and strategic. It was an amazing change. If he could fight like that more often he would be the WWF Champ in no time.
When HHH and Jericho both went through the Spanish announce table, Stephanie caught her breath. He wasn't getting up. Jericho, get up! She screamed in her head. But the ref counted 10 just as Hunter stood up.
Stephanie rushed over to where Hunter weaved over Jericho's prostrate body. Somebody get an ambulance, she wanted to scream. Instead she acted as a crutch for her husband and ushered him up the ramp.
Later, Stephanie slipped away to the hospital that Chris had been taken to. He was battered and bruised, but the doctor had said he would be fine. He was going to be released the next morning.
"Hey gorgeous," he whispered.
"I didn't know you were awake," Stephanie said, grasping his hand in both of hers. "Are you okay?"
"You're here," Chris said. "I'm perfect."
"Stop going after him Chris," Stephanie said. "Go after Benoit or Kurt or anyone but Hunter."
"No Stephanie," Chris croaked.
"I can't be at ringside watching him try to kill you Chris," Stephanie said. "I know you are doing this for me, but you're killing me."
"You really want me to stop?" Chris asked.
"Please," Stephanie pleaded.
"Alright," Chris said. "I have to make one more stand against him. But I think Kurt is going to try and kick his ass next."
"Oh great," Stephanie sighed. "At least it isn't you."
"C'mere," Chris whispered, pulling her onto the bed next to him. "I think you need to relax sweetie."
"I don't know what I would do if you ever were really hurt," Stephanie said, her hand resting over his heart. "You are so important to me now."
Chris turned his head and gently kissed her lips. "You're important to me too."
"Chris!" a female voice called from down the hall. Chris turned to see Trish Stratus coming toward him. "I have a message for you."
"Thanks," Chris said, taking the note from her. "How are you doing?"
"Good," Trish said sweetly. "Except these boots are killing me."
Chris looked down at her five-inch heels and laughed. "I wonder why?"
Trish laughed as she waved good-bye. Chris opened the note and smiled. Good luck on your match, since I can't be in your corner. Last night was fabulous. Love, the trash-bag ho.
The previous night had been fabulous. Hunter had been out with DX, so Stephanie went to Chris' room and they watched movies for hours. They were comfortable around each other. It was good to have a real friend in the Federation, even if no one knew they were friends.
Stephanie walked down the hallway. Chris was ready to drool. It was past time he admitted that he was attracted to Stephanie. Hell, in was about to fight a Last Man Standing match because he had kissed her at King of the Ring. He winked at her and waved the folded slip of paper. Stephanie barely hid the smile she felt.
She wanted him to kiss her again. It had been unexpected. It had been wonderful. She really wanted Chris to beat Hunter. And she really wanted Chris to kiss her again.
"Hey there," Kurt Angle said, sidling up next to Stephanie. "You're smiling a little too widely."
"What?" Stephanie asked in shock.
"I could tell exactly what you were thinking just now," Kurt said. "And if you're not careful, no amount of cover-ups would hide it."
"You're such a good friend Kurt," Stephanie said, hugging him. "The flowers were a great touch."
"Flowers?" Kurt asked.
"You didn't send them?" Stephanie asked. "Then it's...nevermind."
"I'll hide your wide grin," Kurt said. "How was your night?"
"Great," Stephanie said. "We watched cheesy comedies all night."
"Sounds like good wholesome fun," Kurt laughed.
"You know Kurt," Stephanie said. "You never told me why you protect me and Chris. Why you go out of your way to make sure we don't get caught. I'd think it would be against one of your I's."
"Not if you love him," Kurt said simply.
"I don't...I mean there's no way," Stephanie said helplessly. "I'm not sure. He's the best friend I've ever had. But you follow closely."
"Gee," Kurt said dryly. "Thanks."
"Good luck today," Stephanie said. "Not that you really need luck, right?"
"It's all skill," Kurt said. "By the way, I think with you and the egomaniac getting closer, you and I are going to have to step up the flirtation. I won't tell you when I am going to do anything because I want you to be surprised and I want you on your toes."
"You should apply for sainthood," Stephanie said.
"I just think everyone deserves to be happy," Kurt shrugged. "Now, off to the ring with me."
"What the hell were you doing talking to Kurt?" Hunter demanded as he came up behind Stephanie.
"We are just friends Hunter," Stephanie sighed. "Why can't you trust me?"
"Never trust a McMahon," Hunter muttered.
"Oh that's just great," Stephanie yelled. "I'm your wife Hunter! I'm not just another McMahon, I'm eternally attached to you. Do you understand that you need to TRUST ME?"
"Calm down Steph," Hunter said. "I'll stop bugging you about the Olympic hero already."
"Thank you," Stephanie said.
"You ready for me to go kick Jericho's ass?" Hunter asked.
"Will you please?" Stephanie asked sweetly, feeling sick inside. She desperately wanted Chris to do major bodily harm to her husband.
"Anything for you Steph," Hunter said, lightly kissing her lips.
Stephanie followed HHH to the ring and had a front-row seat to the long, violent match. Chris surprised her by how well he fought. He usually seemed so cocky and flashy in the ring, but this time was different. He was driven and strategic. It was an amazing change. If he could fight like that more often he would be the WWF Champ in no time.
When HHH and Jericho both went through the Spanish announce table, Stephanie caught her breath. He wasn't getting up. Jericho, get up! She screamed in her head. But the ref counted 10 just as Hunter stood up.
Stephanie rushed over to where Hunter weaved over Jericho's prostrate body. Somebody get an ambulance, she wanted to scream. Instead she acted as a crutch for her husband and ushered him up the ramp.
Later, Stephanie slipped away to the hospital that Chris had been taken to. He was battered and bruised, but the doctor had said he would be fine. He was going to be released the next morning.
"Hey gorgeous," he whispered.
"I didn't know you were awake," Stephanie said, grasping his hand in both of hers. "Are you okay?"
"You're here," Chris said. "I'm perfect."
"Stop going after him Chris," Stephanie said. "Go after Benoit or Kurt or anyone but Hunter."
"No Stephanie," Chris croaked.
"I can't be at ringside watching him try to kill you Chris," Stephanie said. "I know you are doing this for me, but you're killing me."
"You really want me to stop?" Chris asked.
"Please," Stephanie pleaded.
"Alright," Chris said. "I have to make one more stand against him. But I think Kurt is going to try and kick his ass next."
"Oh great," Stephanie sighed. "At least it isn't you."
"C'mere," Chris whispered, pulling her onto the bed next to him. "I think you need to relax sweetie."
"I don't know what I would do if you ever were really hurt," Stephanie said, her hand resting over his heart. "You are so important to me now."
Chris turned his head and gently kissed her lips. "You're important to me too."