June 2002
// I tried so hard and got so far,
But in the end it doesn't really matter //
"I'll be there in ten," Stephanie said into her cell phone. "I promise. I love you too. Bye."
She hung up her phone and shook her head in agitation. She had been sitting in the limo for nearly two hours. She asked the driver, "Do you know why there's so much traffic today?"
"No Miss McMahon," the driver answered.
Stephanie sighed and slumped back against her seat. It was her first Raw back and she didn't want to be late. She laid her head back and closed her eyes.
A few moments later the limo pulled into the parking lot of the arena. Stephanie sat up and smoothed her skirt and hair. The limo pulled into the garage. A camera and Chris Jericho greeted her.
"Hello," Stephanie said, hugging her boyfriend.
"Hey," Jericho said, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Your dad is in the ring making an ass of himself."
"Be nice," Stephanie warned.
"You know how he is," Jericho replied.
"I know how you are too," Stephanie said. "You can be long-winded at times."
"But people want to hear what I have to say," Jericho replied.
"I forgot," Stephanie said sarcastically.
"You should remember from now on," Jericho teased. He pulled her to a stop before she started concentrating on the gorilla. He lightly kissed her lips before releasing her. "Now, figure out when we are going to go shut him up."
Stephanie turned to the TV. Vince was saying, "As you all know, Linda and I are having a trial reconciliation. I've asked her if I could convince her to interfere a little less. She is considering this as a sign of her commitment to our marriage.
"I would now like to take the opportunity to review the job performance of several of our superstars and other WWF employees. I particular I want to address out interfering and manipulative Commissioner Mick Foley. I think it is far past time that Foley be released..."
Vince turned in shock as Jericho's countdown started and Jericho and Stephanie came out at the top of the ramp. Jericho motioned for his music to stop and brought a microphone close, "Vince, would you PLEASE shut the hell up?"
Vince stared at his daughter's boyfriend, not believing what was happening. Jericho handed the microphone to Stephanie. "Daddy, I know you are only trying to help business, but I think you should leave Mick Foley alone. Fans everywhere love his cheap pops. I mean, he actually manages to make every city sound good, at least for a few seconds.
"You just need to work within your restraints Dad. You are smarter than Mick, you can outsmart him rather than fire him. So why don't you just prove that you are a genius instead of firing Mick."
Vince stared at his daughter in shock. She hadn't ever questioned him before. She had always believed he knew what was best for the business. Sure, there were times they had disagreed on a personal level. But she always let him have his way in business. He nodded his head in shock.
"Good," Stephanie said. "Now, would you like to come backstage with me so we can talk about how we might get your way?"
"Don't patronize me young lady," Vince warned.
"I just want to help you Daddy," Stephanie said innocently.
Vince nodded again and he left the ring. He was obviously in shock still. He walked up the ramp to meet his daughter and Chris Jericho. "She can make you feel like you're about three years old when she wants, huh?"
"I'm guessing you know the feeling," Vince said to Jericho.
"Yeah," Jericho grinned. "There's something I want to talk to you about later."
"Alright," Vince said.
Later that night, Jericho walked Stephanie to her limo and kissed her softly. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."
"I thought you were coming back to the hotel with me," Stephanie said.
"I have to talk with Vince about something," Jericho said. "Now's the only time I can catch up with him I guess."
"I'll wait with you," Stephanie offered.
"It would be better if you didn't," Jericho said. "I'll be at the hotel before you know it sweetie."
"Are you keeping secrets from me Chris Jericho?" Stephanie asked suspiciously.
"Not for much longer," Jericho promised. "Now, don't make me throw you in the limo."
"Okay," Stephanie sighed. "I love you."
"And I love you," Jericho said.
Jericho walked away as the car pulled out of the garage. He whistled as he headed back towards Vince's dressing room. He knocked on the closed door.
"Come in," Vince called.
"Hey there Vince," Jericho said as he walked into the room. He noticed the papers scattered all over the table in the room.
"What's all this?" Jericho asked.
"Documentation on WCW," Vince sighed. "It seems Shane does indeed take after me."
"How do you mean?" Jericho asked.
"He has a head for the business," Vince said. "It's a McMahon trait I think."
"I would be inclined to agree with you," Jericho said. "There wasn't a touch of pride I heard there was there Vince?"
"Is it a crime to be proud when your son takes after you?" Vince asked.
"Probably not," Jericho said. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I might tell Steph, just because it would make her happy."
"Enough of that," Vince said. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Next RAW," Jericho said, "I want to do something and I want your approval on two different levels."
"Okay," Vince said.
"I want to ask your daughter to marry me," Jericho said.
"You haven't asked her yet?" Vince asked.
"We haven't been dating that long," Jericho said.
"This time," Vince said. "Didn't you go out for over a year before?"
"We're different people now," Jericho said. "I really don't even consider that a relationship with Stephanie as she is now, because if I did I never would have been able to fall in love with her again."
"That much bad blood?" Vince asked.
"Lets just say her marriage to Hunter was supposed to end after you reconciled with her," Jericho replied. "She fell for Hunter while she was dating me."
"Well," Vince said. "You have my blessing."
"And I can ask her on Raw?" Jericho asked.
"Yeah, of course," Vince said.
"Thanks a lot Vince," Jericho said.
"You're welcome," Vince said.
Jericho turned to leave the dressing room. "Oh and Jericho," Vince said.
"Yeah?" Jericho asked as he turned around.
"If you ever hurt her I will personally come and kick your ass," Vince said.
"I'll look forward to it," Jericho said, "if I ever hurt her."
Jericho left the dressing room and headed back to the locker room. He grabbed his bag and headed to his rental car. He whistled all the way.
He got to the hotel with relative ease. He went to his room and knocked on the adjoining room's door. After a few seconds there was no answer. "Stephanie?" he asked through the door.
Still, there was no answer. He picked up his phone and called her room. He knew that the ringing of hotel room phones woke her up and she might have decided to take a nap until he got back.
No one picked up the phone. He called the front desk. Stephanie hadn't been in yet.
"Where the hell are you?" Jericho asked. He called her cell phone. No one answered.
His own cell phone rang. "Steph?"
"It's Vince," her father replied. "I take it you haven't seen her?"
"No," Jericho said. "You don't know where she is either?"
"No I don't," Vince said, "but her driver was knocked unconscious and tied up in the garage here at the arena."
"That's not possible," Jericho replied. "I watched the limo pull away."
"Then obviously someone else was driving," Vince replied.
"Are you saying she was kidnapped?" Jericho asked.
"It looks that way," Vince replied.
"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Jericho exclaimed.
"Do you know if she ever made it to the hotel?" Vince asked.
"The front desk said no," Jericho replied.
"Who the hell kidnapped Stephanie?" Vince asked.
"Come on Vince," Jericho growled. "We both know what scum-bag kidnapped her."
// I tried so hard and got so far,
But in the end it doesn't really matter //
"I'll be there in ten," Stephanie said into her cell phone. "I promise. I love you too. Bye."
She hung up her phone and shook her head in agitation. She had been sitting in the limo for nearly two hours. She asked the driver, "Do you know why there's so much traffic today?"
"No Miss McMahon," the driver answered.
Stephanie sighed and slumped back against her seat. It was her first Raw back and she didn't want to be late. She laid her head back and closed her eyes.
A few moments later the limo pulled into the parking lot of the arena. Stephanie sat up and smoothed her skirt and hair. The limo pulled into the garage. A camera and Chris Jericho greeted her.
"Hello," Stephanie said, hugging her boyfriend.
"Hey," Jericho said, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Your dad is in the ring making an ass of himself."
"Be nice," Stephanie warned.
"You know how he is," Jericho replied.
"I know how you are too," Stephanie said. "You can be long-winded at times."
"But people want to hear what I have to say," Jericho replied.
"I forgot," Stephanie said sarcastically.
"You should remember from now on," Jericho teased. He pulled her to a stop before she started concentrating on the gorilla. He lightly kissed her lips before releasing her. "Now, figure out when we are going to go shut him up."
Stephanie turned to the TV. Vince was saying, "As you all know, Linda and I are having a trial reconciliation. I've asked her if I could convince her to interfere a little less. She is considering this as a sign of her commitment to our marriage.
"I would now like to take the opportunity to review the job performance of several of our superstars and other WWF employees. I particular I want to address out interfering and manipulative Commissioner Mick Foley. I think it is far past time that Foley be released..."
Vince turned in shock as Jericho's countdown started and Jericho and Stephanie came out at the top of the ramp. Jericho motioned for his music to stop and brought a microphone close, "Vince, would you PLEASE shut the hell up?"
Vince stared at his daughter's boyfriend, not believing what was happening. Jericho handed the microphone to Stephanie. "Daddy, I know you are only trying to help business, but I think you should leave Mick Foley alone. Fans everywhere love his cheap pops. I mean, he actually manages to make every city sound good, at least for a few seconds.
"You just need to work within your restraints Dad. You are smarter than Mick, you can outsmart him rather than fire him. So why don't you just prove that you are a genius instead of firing Mick."
Vince stared at his daughter in shock. She hadn't ever questioned him before. She had always believed he knew what was best for the business. Sure, there were times they had disagreed on a personal level. But she always let him have his way in business. He nodded his head in shock.
"Good," Stephanie said. "Now, would you like to come backstage with me so we can talk about how we might get your way?"
"Don't patronize me young lady," Vince warned.
"I just want to help you Daddy," Stephanie said innocently.
Vince nodded again and he left the ring. He was obviously in shock still. He walked up the ramp to meet his daughter and Chris Jericho. "She can make you feel like you're about three years old when she wants, huh?"
"I'm guessing you know the feeling," Vince said to Jericho.
"Yeah," Jericho grinned. "There's something I want to talk to you about later."
"Alright," Vince said.
Later that night, Jericho walked Stephanie to her limo and kissed her softly. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."
"I thought you were coming back to the hotel with me," Stephanie said.
"I have to talk with Vince about something," Jericho said. "Now's the only time I can catch up with him I guess."
"I'll wait with you," Stephanie offered.
"It would be better if you didn't," Jericho said. "I'll be at the hotel before you know it sweetie."
"Are you keeping secrets from me Chris Jericho?" Stephanie asked suspiciously.
"Not for much longer," Jericho promised. "Now, don't make me throw you in the limo."
"Okay," Stephanie sighed. "I love you."
"And I love you," Jericho said.
Jericho walked away as the car pulled out of the garage. He whistled as he headed back towards Vince's dressing room. He knocked on the closed door.
"Come in," Vince called.
"Hey there Vince," Jericho said as he walked into the room. He noticed the papers scattered all over the table in the room.
"What's all this?" Jericho asked.
"Documentation on WCW," Vince sighed. "It seems Shane does indeed take after me."
"How do you mean?" Jericho asked.
"He has a head for the business," Vince said. "It's a McMahon trait I think."
"I would be inclined to agree with you," Jericho said. "There wasn't a touch of pride I heard there was there Vince?"
"Is it a crime to be proud when your son takes after you?" Vince asked.
"Probably not," Jericho said. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I might tell Steph, just because it would make her happy."
"Enough of that," Vince said. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Next RAW," Jericho said, "I want to do something and I want your approval on two different levels."
"Okay," Vince said.
"I want to ask your daughter to marry me," Jericho said.
"You haven't asked her yet?" Vince asked.
"We haven't been dating that long," Jericho said.
"This time," Vince said. "Didn't you go out for over a year before?"
"We're different people now," Jericho said. "I really don't even consider that a relationship with Stephanie as she is now, because if I did I never would have been able to fall in love with her again."
"That much bad blood?" Vince asked.
"Lets just say her marriage to Hunter was supposed to end after you reconciled with her," Jericho replied. "She fell for Hunter while she was dating me."
"Well," Vince said. "You have my blessing."
"And I can ask her on Raw?" Jericho asked.
"Yeah, of course," Vince said.
"Thanks a lot Vince," Jericho said.
"You're welcome," Vince said.
Jericho turned to leave the dressing room. "Oh and Jericho," Vince said.
"Yeah?" Jericho asked as he turned around.
"If you ever hurt her I will personally come and kick your ass," Vince said.
"I'll look forward to it," Jericho said, "if I ever hurt her."
Jericho left the dressing room and headed back to the locker room. He grabbed his bag and headed to his rental car. He whistled all the way.
He got to the hotel with relative ease. He went to his room and knocked on the adjoining room's door. After a few seconds there was no answer. "Stephanie?" he asked through the door.
Still, there was no answer. He picked up his phone and called her room. He knew that the ringing of hotel room phones woke her up and she might have decided to take a nap until he got back.
No one picked up the phone. He called the front desk. Stephanie hadn't been in yet.
"Where the hell are you?" Jericho asked. He called her cell phone. No one answered.
His own cell phone rang. "Steph?"
"It's Vince," her father replied. "I take it you haven't seen her?"
"No," Jericho said. "You don't know where she is either?"
"No I don't," Vince said, "but her driver was knocked unconscious and tied up in the garage here at the arena."
"That's not possible," Jericho replied. "I watched the limo pull away."
"Then obviously someone else was driving," Vince replied.
"Are you saying she was kidnapped?" Jericho asked.
"It looks that way," Vince replied.
"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Jericho exclaimed.
"Do you know if she ever made it to the hotel?" Vince asked.
"The front desk said no," Jericho replied.
"Who the hell kidnapped Stephanie?" Vince asked.
"Come on Vince," Jericho growled. "We both know what scum-bag kidnapped her."