By: Elektra
"I'm guessing my daughter is safe?" Vince asked Jericho as he caught the younger man in the backstage corridors.
"She's at the hotel," Jericho replied.
"No one knows which hotel, right?"
"No one but you and me, Junior," Chris answered, then furrowed his brow, "I have a question though. I'm not exactly Stephanie's favourite person. Why are you trusting me with her whereabouts?"
"She told me how you helped her in Winnipeg, and at the hotel when Kronik found you," Vince replied, "She seemed very adamant that you could be trusted,"
"Really? So, did she seem very adamant that I get a raise for all my efforts?" Jericho asked with a smirk. Getting paid-off wasn't really so bad, now that he thought of it ...
"We'll talk about it," Vince replied, "You're proving your worth to me," the boss then headed back to his office.
Jericho raised his eyebrows. He wasn't really doing this to prove his worth. He was doing it to help Stephanie... though WHY was beyond him. She had never done him any favours.
"We'll talk about it," Jericho repeated, then smiled.
"And we've got a LOT to talk about..." a voice spoke behind Jericho.
Chris froze, and turned around slowly.
Rhyno stood behind Jericho, having heard every word he and Vince had shared.
***
Stephanie snuck into the arena quietly. She peered down the hallway carefully before she walked on. Both her father and Chris had told her to stay at the hotel, but she just couldn't. If Chris and Hunter were in the same building, she knew there would be a confrontation... and Chris would NOT come out on top as long as Hunter had his sledgehammer and the Alliance behind him.
"Steph!"
Stephanie jumped at the sound of the voice, "JEFF!" she replied, "Yell a little louder why don't you? I don't think the Alliance heard you!"
"Well excuse me..." Jeff replied, "But what the heck are you doing here? I was talking to Chris and he said you were tucked away at an undisclosed location,"
"I was bored," Stephanie replied.
"You were worried about him, weren't you?" Jeff smiled, "Figures,"
"Where is he?" Stephanie asked.
Jeff furrowed his brow, "You know, I have no idea! He dropped his stuff in the dressing room with us, then said he had to talk to Vince. We haven't seen him since,"
"And you didn't go look for him? Some friends you are!" she snapped, "I'll find him myself,"
"Need an escort?" Jeff asked.
Stephanie studied the Hardy Boy for a moment. Oh well. He was better then nothing.
"Yeah. Sure. Come on." She headed down the hall, and stopped dead in her tracks as she passed a monitor, "No!" she gasped, "God no!"
"What is--" Jeff froze when he saw the monitor. Jericho was being held in the ring by the Alliance, and was about to get up close and personal with Triple H's sledgehammer.
***
"So, Y2J," Triple H spoke into the mic as he stood in front of Jericho in the ring, "A little Rhyno told me you know where my slut wife is!"
"EX-Wife," Jericho replied.
"That remains to be seen," Triple H replied. The crowd started a Y2J chant. Triple H turned to them angrily, "Shut up!" he shouted, then turned back to Jericho. "Why are you helping my wife, Jericho?" he demanded, "You hate her!"
"Well, while I admit the trash bag 'ho and I don't get along, I can't help but pity her for being married to an ass-clown like yourself," Jericho replied with an arrogant smirk.
Austin grabbed the mic from Triple H.
"You talk to Triple H with respect! WHAT? I said you talk to Triple H with respect! You come out here with your stupid little haircut and think you can say whatever you want? WHAT? You make me sick! WHAT? You're PATHETIC! WHAT? That's right... you're pathetic - Just like these idiots who cheer for you!"
"Jealous they aren't cheering for YOU anymore, Austin?" Jericho asked, "WHAT?"
Austin fumed, and Triple H took the mic from him, "Where's my wife, Jericho?"
"Checked the brothels lately, Trip? I'm sure she's around," Jericho replied.
Triple H hit Jericho across the face with the mic. It was only due to Palumbo and O'Haire's grasp on his arms that Y2J didn't fall over.
"I'm not screwing around with you, Jericho!" Triple H snapped.
"Funny," Jericho started, ignoring the pain in his jaw, "Your wife did," he smirked, "In more ways then one!" Jericho knew if Stephanie was there, she'd hate him for his comments. But she wasn't there, and he wasn't about to let Triple H find out where her father hid her away. He owed her that much. If he could get a few jokes in at her expense in the meantime, well why not?
"HUNTER!" a voice shouted through the speakers. Everyone's attention went to the ramp. Triple H smiled. Stephanie stood there, mic in hand. "I'm here, ok? Let him go!"
"Come here, Steph. We need to talk..." Triple H began.
Vince quickly rushed out from the back and grabbed Stephanie. She pulled away.
"No, daddy. Enough. I refuse to hide anymore!" Stephanie dropped the mic and climbed into the ring.
Triple H signalled for Palumbo and O'Haire to let Jericho go. They did so, kicking his legs out from under him.
Chris tried to climb to his knees, only to have Triple H hit him with the handle of the sledgehammer. Jericho grabbed his head as pain shot through his skull.
Stephanie's eyes went wide as Triple H brought the sledgehammer down on Jericho's back. Jericho's scream echoed throughout the arena.
Triple H raised the sledgehammer once more, and Stephanie quickly covered Chris with her own body.
Triple H froze, sledgehammer held high, "Steph?" He asked, "What are you doing?"
Stephanie glared up at him, "It's over, Hunter! It's OVER! Accept it! Sign the damn papers and ACCEPT IT!"
"For HIM?" Triple H asked, then smirked, "Why am I not surprised. I knew you two pretended to hate each other a little too much..." he shrugged, "Well, you can share his fate then!"
Stephanie protected Jericho as Triple H raised the sledgehammer once more. She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact... but it never came.
Stephanie opened her eyes to see Triple H lying on the ground, holding his ribs as Rhyno glared down at him. Rhyno looked towards Stephanie, and she mouthed a thank you. Rhyno smiled... a normal smile this time.
The Dudley Boys, RVD, Tazz, and most of the WWF locker room emptied out and ran down to the ring, attacking the Alliance and Triple H.
Stephanie stood up and helped Jericho to his feet. Chris looked at her, "You should have just stayed at the hotel!" he said.
"Excuse me for helping your sorry ass!" Stephanie snapped, "I'll remember not to do that next time!" With that, she angrily turned on her heel and headed backstage.
"Wait! Steph... I didn't mean--- HEY! WAIT!" Jericho gingerly crawled out of the ring and chased after her.
With all the commotion, no one saw Austin, Shane, and Heyman sneak out of the ring and run back to the dressing rooms unharmed.
***
"Stephanie, STOP! What's the matter with you?!" Chris asked as he finally caught up to the youngest McMahon. "Did you just feel like getting up close and personal with Trip's sledgehammer tonight, or what?"
"Why do you care? As far as what I did for you is concerned, I was protecting Daddy's investment! Triple H has injured too many guys!" Stephanie responded, "I couldn't let him injure any more!"
"There's being protective and being stupid! If Rhyno
hadn't gored Triple H when
he did, you would have been lying in a hospital bed!" Jericho explained.
"I can't do ANYTHING right by you, can I, Chris!?"
Stephanie shouted angrily. "When we
were on opposite sides, I was a bitch! Now that we're on the same side,
I'm still a bitch! What
more do you want me to do?" She screamed, "I risked my neck to save
you out there. Weren't you going on about thanking people the other day?
I guess it doesn't count if it's ME, huh? Oh no... Stephanie doesn't deserve
any thanks! Stephanie is just a spoiled selfish little bi--"
Before Stephanie could finish, Chris grabbed her and shut her up...
It wasn't the first time Jericho had kissed her, but it would be the first time Stephanie responded. And respond she did, by making the kiss deeper then it had any right to be.
Jericho suddenly pulled away, surprise clear on his face as he tried to catch his breath. He wasn't quite sure what to say. Chris had expected her to shove him away like she had before. He expected her to call him some uncomplimentary name and slap him. What he DIDN'T expect was for her to kiss him back. This changed everything... and he didn't like the change!
"Chris," Stephanie began, but she was at a loss for words.
"This... this didn't happen," Chris said quickly, "This DID NOT happen!" Jericho backed away from Stephanie, then turned around and headed down the hall as fast as his injuries would let him.
Stephanie watched him go, knowing things would just
get more confusing if she followed. She took a deep breath
and leaned against the wall, still feeling the warmth of his lips on hers.
"Stupid..." she said to herself, "Stupid, stupid!"
Stephanie closed her eyes, begging herself to get over the feelings she realized she had developed for the man she once considered enemy #1. The man who had made a career out of calling her every name in the book...
And the man who, in the last two months, had cared
more about her then her own husband had in the last two years.
