***Hey, be prepared to be shocked. I promise. Mal, you aren't going to like this chapter I can almost guarantee. Tell me what you think.***
September 2001
//I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end it doesn't even matter//
Stephanie woke up slowly. "Call Hunter," she whispered before even opening her eyes. She had made a point to call him everyday since he had caught her. She went home every weekend.
Hunter was really sweet. So attentive and loving. It reminded her of the previous year. They had started their marriage as a business agreement. Then they started to be attracted to each other. Stephanie had been attracted to his self-confidence and his sense of humor. He wasn't bad to look at either.
When she let herself fall for Hunter she realized he was a romantic at heart. It was different from anything she had ever experienced. She had to admit she was looking for the same heady excitement she had had with Chris Jericho, which had been the most extraordinary feeling. But what she had felt when she was with Hunter was sweet and warm.
Chris Jericho. She knew he had no idea that he was letting Hunter know that she was staying away from home. He didn't intentionally hurt people unless they deserved it. Well, there was that whole thing with Chyna, but he was deranged at that point. And Stephanie knew why. He had sworn he would never trust another woman. Never love another woman.
Stephanie hadn't meant to fall in love with Hunter. She thought she would end up with Chris Jericho after she brought Vince around. She had always known she could get Vince to back Hunter. Right after her wedding, Stephanie spent most of her time with Chris. Hunter didn't really know. Jericho was careful with her, making sure nothing would happen to her reputation. He had been that way since they met.
She met Chris Jericho when she was still in college. She went with Shane to scout WCW wrestlers. She had been mesmerized by the way Jericho moved in the ring. She could see that he had spent a lot of time in Japan. The precision was there. And he had the fire for wrestling. She had gone backstage with Shane. Shane wasn't known so well at that time and he was still able to get backstage and talk with other wrestlers. It was a good way to hear if the other wrestlers were hard workers or what not.
"Hey, you look to innocent to be back here," a low, masculine voice said. She whipped around to see the man she had been awestruck with in the ring. He was gorgeous. Tanned and muscled. He had a cocky smile on his face. And his eyes were so blue.
"Yeah, I'm looking for my brother," Stephanie said, trying hard not to stammer. It wasn't that she had never had a boyfriend, it was that she had never felt such instant sexual attraction. "I seem to have lost him."
"Well then," Jericho said, "I think it's my duty as a gentleman to stay here and make sure you are okay."
"You don't have to," Stephanie said.
"I know," Jericho said. "But it's not everyday you see beautiful girls waiting backstage for their brother."
"Thanks," Stephanie said.
"For what?" Jericho asked.
"You called me beautiful," Stephanie said.
"I guess I did," Jericho grinned. "I'm Chris Jericho."
"I know," Stephanie said. "You were great out there. You can work on the mat and in the air. Not too many wrestlers are so well rounded."
"You know a lot about wrestling?" Jericho asked.
"I know some," Stephanie nodded. "When is your contract up with WCW?"
"A couple months," Jericho said. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Sure," Stephanie said.
"I've been talking to WWF and as soon as I'm done here I have a deal there," Jericho said.
"That's great!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"WWF fan?" Jericho asked.
Stephanie had just turned 22 and had inherited her 25% of the WWF the year before. "You could say that."
"Hey, I never caught your name," Jericho said.
"You're right," Stephanie said.
"Aren't you going to tell me?" Jericho asked. "I at least need to know the name of the woman I'm going to ask out, don't you think?"
"Yes," Stephanie said. "My name is Stephanie."
"Stephanie!" Shane exclaimed, rushing down the hall. "We got to run. Flair caught me back there and he's ready to kick my ass."
"Hey Shane," Jericho said.
"Oh hey Chris," Shane said. "Thanks for watching my baby sister."
"You're his sister?" Chris asked in shock. Stephanie nodded as Shane pulled her toward the door.
"The answer is yes!" Stephanie exclaimed.
Jericho smiled. She was going out on a date with him.
And that was the beginning. She rifled through her dad's desk and found his phone number. They only saw each other occasionally for the first few months. On his hiatus between when he left WCW and came to WWF he spent his time with her. She was just beginning her onscreen presence. He would fly to different cities and take her out.
Jericho was the first person she had ever been in love with, the first person she had ever made love with, the first person she was engaged to. He had asked her the night before Test called her out to ask her on a date. Jericho had understood that she couldn't stomp all over his heart.
It was Jericho who helped her formulate her plan to screw Vince. He had been angrier than anyone else when he found out Vince was behind her kidnapping. He didn't like seeing Stephanie pretend to be in love with anyone else. She told him she was just pretending Test was him.
The plan was originally for her to marry him at the drive-thru. But they knew that wouldn't affect Vince enough. Vince liked Jericho back then. Shane was one of Chris' friends. Shane was the only one who knew Chris and Stephanie were in love. So she convinced Hunter to help her out. Until Vince screwed over the Corporation.
Slowly she had fallen for Hunter. She wasn't in love with him yet. But he sacrificed himself so much for her. Jericho had seen it and asked her to leave him. Divorce Hunter and marry him like they were supposed to. Screw revenge.
Stephanie had chosen revenge. Chris was heartbroken and mad as hell. That's when the name calling had begun. She was glad she still had his attention. But it hurt that the man she was still in love with could call her such horrible things. It was when she realized how much she had hurt him.
She had hoped for one second that they could go back to how they were when he kissed her at King of the Ring. She had wanted Chris to win. She felt she owed him that much. She knew he would duck. She didn't know he would kiss her. Then he called her roadkill. That's when she accepted it was completely over.
Stephanie let herself fall for husband completely after the roadkill comment. And she had enjoyed it when Hunter made Jericho suffer for all of his comments. He should have known better than anyone that she was not really a slut. She was desperate.
Stephanie got out of bed and slipped on a red silk robe. She padded to the table in the room and dialed her apartment.
"Hello?" Hunter answered.
"Hey sweetie," Stephanie said.
"Hey there," Hunter said. "What are you up to?"
"I just woke up," Stephanie said. "Smackdown taping tonight you know."
"I know," Hunter said. "Guess what?"
"What?" Stephanie asked.
"I'm on track to be back in a month and a half," Hunter said.
"That's so great Hunter," Stephanie said. "I know how crazy you've been going."
"Yeah," Hunter said. "Then we can be together all the time."
"That's right," Stephanie said, faking extreme happiness.
"You coming how this weekend?" Hunter asked.
"Actually I was thinking we could spend the weekend at Dad's," Stephanie said. "It's his birthday."
"Stephanie," Hunter groaned.
"He's got no one else Hunter," Stephanie said. "He pretends that the divorce is not affecting him and that he doesn't miss Shane, but he does."
"Okay," Hunter said.
"I'll book the flights," Stephanie said.
"Alright," Hunter said. "I love you."
"I love you too," Stephanie said. She clicked the phone off and turned back to the bed.
"You always call him in the morning," a gravelly voice said.
"I thought you were still asleep," Stephanie said, sitting next to the inert form on her bed.
"How could I sleep when you're awake?" he asked, raising his arms to pull her next to him. He lightly kissed her lips.
"Hmm," Stephanie murmured against his lips. "I need a shower."
"That sounds like a really good idea," he said. He sat up and brought Stephanie with him. He picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.
"I don't think many people would expect you to be so strong," Stephanie said, dropping kisses on his neck.
"Not too many people would expect me to be in your bed every night," he said.
"You're right," Stephanie agreed. He put her down and she turned on the shower.
"When's Hunter coming back?" he asked.
"A month and a half," Stephanie said.
"And this all ends?" he asked.
"Oh no," Stephanie said. "We will just be more careful."
He raised his eyebrow the way she loved. She grinned as she stripped off her robe. He pulled her to him. "You are too gorgeous," he said.
Later, when they were each getting dressed, Stephanie asked. "Are we going out with Edge and Christian after the taping?"
"I guess," he said.
"They are a lot of fun," Stephanie said. "Kurt was always hanging around them, but they are so much more fun around you."
"Look Steph," he said, his green eyes connecting with her, "don't spend too much time around Edge. He does some stupid shit."
"Oh, stop worrying," Stephanie said. "I love that you worry, but I have Jericho and Hunter worrying about me. I just need you to be you."
"I worry about people I care about," he said.
"You care about me?" Stephanie asked.
"Stephanie we've been sleeping together for nearly two months," he said. "I tend to care about people I have sex with."
"I care about you too," Stephanie said.
"That's good," he said. "Chris Jericho was all wrong when he called you all those names, you just need someone who sees the real you."
Stephanie smiled. It wasn't until Jericho stopped calling her names that she truly lived up to him. If he knew all that she was doing he would drop her as his manager in a second and he probably wouldn't hesitate to tell Hunter.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," Stephanie said. "I was just thinking about all the fun we've had Jeff."
Jeff Hardy grinned and pulled Stephanie towards him again. "It has been fun, huh?"
***Shocked huh? I was too when the muses spoke to me. Tell me what you think in the review... it's right there, you might as well. Or if you want to keep your review private my e-mail is twstofate@hotmail.com. I'll get the next chapter ASAP!!***
September 2001
//I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end it doesn't even matter//
Stephanie woke up slowly. "Call Hunter," she whispered before even opening her eyes. She had made a point to call him everyday since he had caught her. She went home every weekend.
Hunter was really sweet. So attentive and loving. It reminded her of the previous year. They had started their marriage as a business agreement. Then they started to be attracted to each other. Stephanie had been attracted to his self-confidence and his sense of humor. He wasn't bad to look at either.
When she let herself fall for Hunter she realized he was a romantic at heart. It was different from anything she had ever experienced. She had to admit she was looking for the same heady excitement she had had with Chris Jericho, which had been the most extraordinary feeling. But what she had felt when she was with Hunter was sweet and warm.
Chris Jericho. She knew he had no idea that he was letting Hunter know that she was staying away from home. He didn't intentionally hurt people unless they deserved it. Well, there was that whole thing with Chyna, but he was deranged at that point. And Stephanie knew why. He had sworn he would never trust another woman. Never love another woman.
Stephanie hadn't meant to fall in love with Hunter. She thought she would end up with Chris Jericho after she brought Vince around. She had always known she could get Vince to back Hunter. Right after her wedding, Stephanie spent most of her time with Chris. Hunter didn't really know. Jericho was careful with her, making sure nothing would happen to her reputation. He had been that way since they met.
She met Chris Jericho when she was still in college. She went with Shane to scout WCW wrestlers. She had been mesmerized by the way Jericho moved in the ring. She could see that he had spent a lot of time in Japan. The precision was there. And he had the fire for wrestling. She had gone backstage with Shane. Shane wasn't known so well at that time and he was still able to get backstage and talk with other wrestlers. It was a good way to hear if the other wrestlers were hard workers or what not.
"Hey, you look to innocent to be back here," a low, masculine voice said. She whipped around to see the man she had been awestruck with in the ring. He was gorgeous. Tanned and muscled. He had a cocky smile on his face. And his eyes were so blue.
"Yeah, I'm looking for my brother," Stephanie said, trying hard not to stammer. It wasn't that she had never had a boyfriend, it was that she had never felt such instant sexual attraction. "I seem to have lost him."
"Well then," Jericho said, "I think it's my duty as a gentleman to stay here and make sure you are okay."
"You don't have to," Stephanie said.
"I know," Jericho said. "But it's not everyday you see beautiful girls waiting backstage for their brother."
"Thanks," Stephanie said.
"For what?" Jericho asked.
"You called me beautiful," Stephanie said.
"I guess I did," Jericho grinned. "I'm Chris Jericho."
"I know," Stephanie said. "You were great out there. You can work on the mat and in the air. Not too many wrestlers are so well rounded."
"You know a lot about wrestling?" Jericho asked.
"I know some," Stephanie nodded. "When is your contract up with WCW?"
"A couple months," Jericho said. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Sure," Stephanie said.
"I've been talking to WWF and as soon as I'm done here I have a deal there," Jericho said.
"That's great!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"WWF fan?" Jericho asked.
Stephanie had just turned 22 and had inherited her 25% of the WWF the year before. "You could say that."
"Hey, I never caught your name," Jericho said.
"You're right," Stephanie said.
"Aren't you going to tell me?" Jericho asked. "I at least need to know the name of the woman I'm going to ask out, don't you think?"
"Yes," Stephanie said. "My name is Stephanie."
"Stephanie!" Shane exclaimed, rushing down the hall. "We got to run. Flair caught me back there and he's ready to kick my ass."
"Hey Shane," Jericho said.
"Oh hey Chris," Shane said. "Thanks for watching my baby sister."
"You're his sister?" Chris asked in shock. Stephanie nodded as Shane pulled her toward the door.
"The answer is yes!" Stephanie exclaimed.
Jericho smiled. She was going out on a date with him.
And that was the beginning. She rifled through her dad's desk and found his phone number. They only saw each other occasionally for the first few months. On his hiatus between when he left WCW and came to WWF he spent his time with her. She was just beginning her onscreen presence. He would fly to different cities and take her out.
Jericho was the first person she had ever been in love with, the first person she had ever made love with, the first person she was engaged to. He had asked her the night before Test called her out to ask her on a date. Jericho had understood that she couldn't stomp all over his heart.
It was Jericho who helped her formulate her plan to screw Vince. He had been angrier than anyone else when he found out Vince was behind her kidnapping. He didn't like seeing Stephanie pretend to be in love with anyone else. She told him she was just pretending Test was him.
The plan was originally for her to marry him at the drive-thru. But they knew that wouldn't affect Vince enough. Vince liked Jericho back then. Shane was one of Chris' friends. Shane was the only one who knew Chris and Stephanie were in love. So she convinced Hunter to help her out. Until Vince screwed over the Corporation.
Slowly she had fallen for Hunter. She wasn't in love with him yet. But he sacrificed himself so much for her. Jericho had seen it and asked her to leave him. Divorce Hunter and marry him like they were supposed to. Screw revenge.
Stephanie had chosen revenge. Chris was heartbroken and mad as hell. That's when the name calling had begun. She was glad she still had his attention. But it hurt that the man she was still in love with could call her such horrible things. It was when she realized how much she had hurt him.
She had hoped for one second that they could go back to how they were when he kissed her at King of the Ring. She had wanted Chris to win. She felt she owed him that much. She knew he would duck. She didn't know he would kiss her. Then he called her roadkill. That's when she accepted it was completely over.
Stephanie let herself fall for husband completely after the roadkill comment. And she had enjoyed it when Hunter made Jericho suffer for all of his comments. He should have known better than anyone that she was not really a slut. She was desperate.
Stephanie got out of bed and slipped on a red silk robe. She padded to the table in the room and dialed her apartment.
"Hello?" Hunter answered.
"Hey sweetie," Stephanie said.
"Hey there," Hunter said. "What are you up to?"
"I just woke up," Stephanie said. "Smackdown taping tonight you know."
"I know," Hunter said. "Guess what?"
"What?" Stephanie asked.
"I'm on track to be back in a month and a half," Hunter said.
"That's so great Hunter," Stephanie said. "I know how crazy you've been going."
"Yeah," Hunter said. "Then we can be together all the time."
"That's right," Stephanie said, faking extreme happiness.
"You coming how this weekend?" Hunter asked.
"Actually I was thinking we could spend the weekend at Dad's," Stephanie said. "It's his birthday."
"Stephanie," Hunter groaned.
"He's got no one else Hunter," Stephanie said. "He pretends that the divorce is not affecting him and that he doesn't miss Shane, but he does."
"Okay," Hunter said.
"I'll book the flights," Stephanie said.
"Alright," Hunter said. "I love you."
"I love you too," Stephanie said. She clicked the phone off and turned back to the bed.
"You always call him in the morning," a gravelly voice said.
"I thought you were still asleep," Stephanie said, sitting next to the inert form on her bed.
"How could I sleep when you're awake?" he asked, raising his arms to pull her next to him. He lightly kissed her lips.
"Hmm," Stephanie murmured against his lips. "I need a shower."
"That sounds like a really good idea," he said. He sat up and brought Stephanie with him. He picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.
"I don't think many people would expect you to be so strong," Stephanie said, dropping kisses on his neck.
"Not too many people would expect me to be in your bed every night," he said.
"You're right," Stephanie agreed. He put her down and she turned on the shower.
"When's Hunter coming back?" he asked.
"A month and a half," Stephanie said.
"And this all ends?" he asked.
"Oh no," Stephanie said. "We will just be more careful."
He raised his eyebrow the way she loved. She grinned as she stripped off her robe. He pulled her to him. "You are too gorgeous," he said.
Later, when they were each getting dressed, Stephanie asked. "Are we going out with Edge and Christian after the taping?"
"I guess," he said.
"They are a lot of fun," Stephanie said. "Kurt was always hanging around them, but they are so much more fun around you."
"Look Steph," he said, his green eyes connecting with her, "don't spend too much time around Edge. He does some stupid shit."
"Oh, stop worrying," Stephanie said. "I love that you worry, but I have Jericho and Hunter worrying about me. I just need you to be you."
"I worry about people I care about," he said.
"You care about me?" Stephanie asked.
"Stephanie we've been sleeping together for nearly two months," he said. "I tend to care about people I have sex with."
"I care about you too," Stephanie said.
"That's good," he said. "Chris Jericho was all wrong when he called you all those names, you just need someone who sees the real you."
Stephanie smiled. It wasn't until Jericho stopped calling her names that she truly lived up to him. If he knew all that she was doing he would drop her as his manager in a second and he probably wouldn't hesitate to tell Hunter.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," Stephanie said. "I was just thinking about all the fun we've had Jeff."
Jeff Hardy grinned and pulled Stephanie towards him again. "It has been fun, huh?"
***Shocked huh? I was too when the muses spoke to me. Tell me what you think in the review... it's right there, you might as well. Or if you want to keep your review private my e-mail is twstofate@hotmail.com. I'll get the next chapter ASAP!!***