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Hanging by a Moment Part Four

RAW is WAR – Week Three

'Hey, partner!' Chris greeted cheerfully, walking into Stephanie's dressing room.

She whirled around to face him, glaring at him. 'Stay away from me, Jericho.'

He was surprised. 'Oh? Didn't anyone tell you?'

Her eyes narrowed. 'Tell me what?'

'We have an intergender tag team match against RTC.'

'What?!'

'That's right. Hope you're ready.' Chris turned to leave, but was quickly called back.

'Who told you that?' she demanded.

The mute TV screen caught his eye, and he pointed at the image of William Regal being interviewed by Jonathan Coachman. 'You might want to turn the sound up on that thing,' he said.

Stephanie quickly grabbed the remote control and turned the volume up.

'…since King of the Ring. I have just gotten off the phone with Mr McMahon, and he feels that, in the interest of fairness, it's time that Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley and Chris Jericho show the world how strong their new partnership is,' Regal was saying, a smug look on his face. 'So, tonight on RAW, they are to take on the team of Ivory and Val of Right to Censor.'

She turned to face him again, a look of horror on her face. 'This can't be happening.'

Chris couldn't wipe the pleased grin off his face. 'It's you and me, babe.'

'Stop it already! Damnit, Jericho, this is all your fault! You and your twisted delusions!'

He just shook his head. 'If you'll just admit it to yourself, then we wouldn't be having all this trouble. We need to be able to communicate out there if you want us to win-'

'I don't want us to do anything!'

Chris sighed. 'I'll come back later, when you've calmed down a little bit, and we'll talk some more.'

*

'How'd she take it?' Jeff asked as he walked into their dressing room.

'Well, she wasn't too clear on it, but I'm pretty sure it she isn't too happy about it.'

'Understatement much?'

'Been watching a little too much Buffy much?' Chris replied with a grin.

Jeff laughed. 'Buffy kicks ass! Literally, and figuratively.'

'So, what now? Is she going to show up for the match? She has been known to walk out of them before. Remember last year when Triple H called her 'Trish'?'

Chris frowned, not liking the mention of Stephanie's husband. 'True.'

'Know what I think?'

'What?'

'I think you need to treat her a little better if you really want her to like you.'

He stared at his friend, surprised. 'What are you talking about?'

Jeff just rolled his eyes. 'Look, it's pretty obvious that you dig the girl. Why else are you making such a fuss about what she did at King of the Ring? Not to mention that kiss you planted on her last week.'

*

'But, Dad-'

Chris watched as Stephanie pulled the cell phone away from her ear, stare at in surprise, then throw it angrily across the room, where it shattered. She swore under her breath.

He bit back a sarcastic comment, Jeff's words still in his mind. As was Benoit's from SmackDown. He didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to develop some…feelings for her. She was just not the same Stephanie he was used to disliking so much.

'Um…knock knock,' Chris said instead, just standing at the door.

She turned to face him. But unlike earlier in the night, there was no sign of anger in her eyes. In a snap of a finger, it had all disappeared. 'My own father is using anything and everything he can against me to make sure I wrestle tonight,' she informed him.

For the first time since King of the Ring, Chris felt guilty. And seeing the defeated and wearied expression on her face, and hearing the lost and disconsolate tone in her voice, it suddenly hit him. He had been wrong. Stephanie had never been interested in him. He had been the one always interested in her.

Not when she had saved him from that beating Austin was giving him with the steel chair. Not even when she had helped him win the WWF Championship Title. It had been right after, when he had confronted her after the match about what she had just done. It had been the first time he had seen her so vulnerable. She was human after all.

'I'm sorry,' Chris said, meaning it and wanting her to know that he meant it.

Stephanie stared at him for a moment. 'You really mean it.'

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. 'I feel like such an asshole.'

'That's because you are an asshole,' she replied. But her voice was soft, and she had the faintest trace of a smile on her face. 'Look, we have this match in about fifteen minutes. I can't get out of it, but I want it over as soon as possible. So, I guess we need to plan. Or something. Isn't that what tag teams do?'

Chris looked at her. Benoit was right. Stephanie was amazingly beautiful, and she could have anyone she wanted. And she didn't want him.

He suddenly frowned. Why would Benoit be thinking about Stephanie anyway? The thought made him… Could it be? Was he, Chris Jericho, actually feeling…? Jealous? The idea of other men thinking about Stephanie was suddenly not a good one.

'What?' she said, looking at him with confusion.

His eyes travelled to her left hand. To the gold band she was wearing on her ring finger.

'Chris?'

The name jolted him, and his gaze returned to her face. She was actually looking at him with some concern.

Oh, shit. He was in a lot of trouble.

*

SmackDown

Chris watched the replay of the intergender tag team match from RAW, unable to stop grinning as he waited for the image to appear on screen. Some shots of him and Stephanie coming down separately; shots of him and Val Dickhead starting off; Dickhead's tag to Ivory; shot of Stephanie's determined face as she tagged herself in; Stephanie getting knocked down, but quickly coming back up again; monkey flip on Ivory, quickly followed by a hair toss; Ivory's tag to Dickhead; him saving Stephanie from being touched by Dickhead; Lionsault on Dickhead; Stephanie getting the pin as he threw Ivory out of the ring.

Finally…the image of a beaming Stephanie throwing her arms around him, Chris Jericho.

'I must say, what a disgusting display of affection,' Regal said when the camera panned back to him, one of his patented besmirched looks on his face. 'Not at all suiting of a married woman!'

Just then, the lights went out and a too-familiar countdown started on the Ovaltron. Chris sat up with a start, staring at the screen. What the…?!

Countdown. Entrance video…camera to the top of the ramp. There was no one there. Chris frowned, shaking his head and wondering if the crew had made a huge error of some-

He froze.

Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. Straight hair hanging naturally over her shoulders, very light make-up, midnight blue pants, fitted light blue top…and an unbuttoned glittery silver shirt that looked very familiar.

Chris had never heard a bigger pop for her, and a swell of joy came over him as a large smile lit up her face. It wasn't one of those smug smirks either. It was a genuine smile, which never waned as she walked towards the ring, ducked under the second rope, and passed Regal to grab a microphone from the ring announcer.

She faced Regal, raising the microphone, but then the cheers increased even more. The look of amazement on her face was real, and she turned to face the crowd, shaking her head slightly.

After most of the cheers died down, she raised the microphone again, addressing Regal. 'Actually, Mr Esteemed Commissioner, for your information, my husband, Triple H, is happy that I'm associating myself with a man who is not only the World Wrestling Federation Champion, but a man who did, after all, save me from Val's Money Shot on RAW.'

Chris was stunned. That was the very last thing he expected her to say.

The camera moved to Regal's reaction. He had a look of a man who had just been besmirched to the max, his face turning a bright red. 'Well…well…we'll just see how this so called association lasts!' he spluttered. Then, dropping the microphone, he quickly reached out, grabbed her, and did his arm-twist/spin-DDT move.

*

Out of the corner of his eye, on TV, Chris could see Michael Cole showing the people at home what had happened 'during the break'. It was of him rushing out, checking on a still Stephanie in the middle of the ring, and then carrying her towards the back.

But he wasn't concerned about what was happening on screen, his concentration on Stephanie as the trainer checked her over for any signs of concussion. She had a look of pain on her face, and she groaned slightly as she bent her head back.

'You really need to go home and get some rest,' the trainer instructed her, leaning back and standing up. 'There's no concussion or anything like that, but I'd still prefer it if you didn't do anything that might injure your neck even more.'

Stephanie thanked the trainer as he left the room, and then turned to face him. 'And thank you,' she said simply.

Chris frowned. 'What for?'

'For saving me on RAW, and for going out there to check up on me. Other than Hunter, I really don't know who else would have done it.'

Once again with the mentioning of the husband. But he couldn't help the smile appearing on his face. 'Why wouldn't have I saved you?'

Stephanie stared at him. 'I have a question for you. Why exactly did you save me?'

He was stumped, unsure of how to answer without embarrassing himself. Luckily, Regal's angry face, and voice, saved him from having to answer her. He was once again being interviewed by Coachman.

'That…that…that harlot! How dare she think she can insult my position as Commissioner! How dare she think she knows better!' Regal was raging. 'Well, we'll see about that! Tonight, she and Jericho will be one half of the first ever Intergender Tag Team Handicap Match! Their opponents will be the Dudleyz, and their half-sister, Orion Dudley!'

Chris turned back to Stephanie, who was hanging her head. He sighed. This was going to be a hell of a match. He wasn't sure if he could protect her. Orion was a very technical wrestler, and built very similarly to Chyna.

'Steph, I'm so sorry,' he apologised once again, feeling extremely bad. 'I'll do my best to protect-'

'Forget it,' she interrupted, sounding tired. 'Just…forget it. I should have just ignored you in the first place anyway.'

Chris felt his stomach drop. Not exactly the answer he was hoping for. But he persisted. 'Can I ask you something?'

'Go for your life.'

'Did Trips really say what you said he said?' he couldn't help asking.

Stephanie finally raised her eyes and looked at him. Chris was certain there was a trace of amusement in them. 'Worried?'

He quickly laughed out loud. 'Of course not!' Much. 'I was just…surprised.'

She just continued to look at him for a few minutes. 'Well, to be honest, he pretty much hit the roof when I came home. But once I told him what my father said to me on the phone, he grudgingly admitted that it was probably best I have someone to…' She trailed off, then slowly stood up. 'I'll go back to my dressing room and get ready.'

*

'The question on everyone's lips – what exactly is the relationship between you and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, a married woman?' Lilian Garcia asked, looking at him with obvious curiosity.

'Vivian, after all these weeks of verbal sparring and, dare I say it, a kiss, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley and I have finally come to some kind of agreement,' Chris answered, somewhat truthfully. 'And the agreement is that our relationship…' He suddenly laughed out loud, hoping it didn't sound quite so fake. 'Is to be kept strictly private!'

'So, you're not going to talk about it?' Lilian asked, sounding disappointed.

'Next question.'

'How about Stephanie coming out to your entrance and wearing one of your shirts?'

Chris gave a small shrug. 'Well, Vivian, when you're a team, like Y2J and Y2Steph are a team, you…' He trailed off for a moment, trying to think of the best way to answer without Stephanie getting too angry with him. He couldn't keep the smirk from appearing on his face. 'You share things.'

*

'Are you ready for this?'

'No.'

Chris stared at her, unsure of how to feel. He didn't like these new feelings of guilt and shame for having gotten her in this situation in the first place, but he did like having to team up with her. Since their win on RAW, they had come to a kind of mutual understanding, but hadn't yet talked about their recent actions and words regarding who was interested in who.

'You seem pretty calm about all this?' he commented, noting her very collected manner.

Stephanie looked at him, smiling slightly. 'Hey, if I'm going to get my ass kicked, why fight it? I say take it like a man, and all that.'

He couldn't believe it. She was just full of surprises, full of an indefinite number of unexpected surprises. One of them being she was still wearing the shiny, silver shirt. 'Sure you want to come out with me?'

She just shrugged. 'I've already come out to your entrance once, so why not again? Besides, as a team, aren't we supposed to…' She trailed off, just looking at him. 'Share things?'

[ Part Five ]