"I called you," a voice said from the doorway.
Stephanie jumped in her seat in surprise. She turned away from her computer screen and looked at the door. "You did?" she asked. "No one gave me a message."
"I don't mean here," he replied.
"Okay," Stephanie said uncertainly.
"I called your phone number at home," he said.
"Oh," Stephanie said. "It was probably after I left for the airport."
"That's what I figured," he said.
"You can sit down if you want to," Stephanie said, gesturing towards the chairs in her office.
"Thanks," he said, settling in the chair Jericho had sat in earlier in the day. "What are you doing here so late?"
"Going over paperwork," Stephanie said. "It's all kind of overwhelming."
"Are you going back home?" he asked.
"No," Stephanie said. "At least not right away."
"I see," he said.
"I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable," Stephanie said. "But Shane needs me to stay here and a couple of people have made it clear that they want me here."
"I want you here too," he said softly.
"Yeah?" Stephanie asked, suddenly feeling warm and happy inside for the first time in several days.
"I love you Steph," he said. "Why wouldn't I want you here?"
"We've kept everything a secret for so long," Stephanie sighed, leaning back in her chair. "We only see each other about five or six times a month. It's not much of a relationship."
"It's not just a relationship though," he replied.
"I know," Stephanie said. She stood up and walked to the door to close it and lock it. "But it isn't what it should be."
"You were the one who was sure everything would be destroyed if we let anyone know," he replied. He held out his arms and let her sit in her lap.
"Daddy knew," Stephanie said. "He was happy for us."
"Well, I'm the only man in your life that he ever liked," he replied. "He didn't like Test, he hated Hunter for how he treated you, and he wasn't really all that fond of Jericho."
"Jericho is my best friend," Stephanie said. "And Daddy liked him just fine."
"If he's such a good friend, why haven't you told him about us?" he asked.
"I don't know," Stephanie sighed, feeling at home in the arms that held her close. "I've tried but I don't think he could possibly understand."
"You think if he knew he'd watch me like a hawk?" he asked.
"That too," Stephanie acknowledged.
"I love you," he said. "I've hurt for you these past few days."
She looked into the blue eyes that she loved, the blue eyes that haunted her dreams when he wasn't with her. "I know," Stephanie said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I saw you at the funeral."
"I wanted to just wrap you up and tell you everything would be okay," he said.
"Can you do it now?" Stephanie asked.
"God yes," he said, pulling her closer to him. "And I will do my best to make sure that everything will be okay."
Stephanie put her hand over his chest, where his heart was and felt it beat against her palm. "I believe you."
"Good," he said. He covered her hand with his own.
"I've tried so hard to get away from this business," Stephanie said, lying her head on his shoulder. "But because of you and my family I was never completely detached. Now I'm going to be back in the thick of things."
"Who told you they wanted you back in the federation?" he asked, stroking his hand up and down her back in a soothing rhythm.
"Jericho of course," Stephanie said. "And The Rock."
"The Rock?" he asked in shock.
"That was basically my response," Stephanie said, tracing figures on his chest.
"Well, like I said," he said, "I'm glad you will be close. Sometimes I worry about you up in that lighthouse. But you only leave for book tours."
"You don't need to worry," Stephanie said.
"It's in the job description," he replied simply.
"Where?" Stephanie asked.
"I will honor, obey, love, and protect," he said simply. "Right there, plain as day."
"So protect means worry?" Stephanie asked.
"It does now," he replied.
"Well, I worry about you too," Stephanie said. "You work too hard."
"You work too hard," he said. "It's all you do when you're alone and you're alone most of the time."
"Well, we will both just have to rectify that," Stephanie said.
"I'd like for you to stay with me," he said, pulling her close again.
"I don't know," Stephanie said.
"Don't you think it's about time we went ahead and let the cat out of the bag?" he asked. "It's been nearly three years."
"You're right," Stephanie said. "But we have to tell Shane first."
"He doesn't like me much," he said.
"He's my brother," Stephanie said.
"Okay, we tell Shane first," he agreed.
"And then I have to tell Jericho," Stephanie sighed. "But I can do that alone."
"He still had a crush on you," he said.
"He knows it would never work out though and we are better off as friends," Stephanie said.
"He still has a crush on you," he said.
"Well, it doesn't matter," Stephanie said. "Because I love you."
"And I love you," he replied. He lightly kissed her lips.
"Come home with me tonight," Stephanie said. "We'll tell Shane in the morning."
"Okay," he said.
She got off of his lap and went to her desk to arrange the papers and turn off her computer. He stood up and stretched.
"Wait a sec," he said, pulling the chain of the simple chain he always wore around his neck out from under his shirt. He took the chain off and shook off the simple gold band that hung on the chain. He placed the band on his left ring finger. "Might as well go all the way."
Stephanie smiled softly and took off the chain she wore. Moments later she was wearing an identical gold band on her finger.
"It's official," he said, taking her hand in his. "We're announcing to the world that we've been married for about three years."
"Yeah," Stephanie said, squeezing his hand in hers.
"Lets get out of here," he said, pulling her towards the door.
"Okay," Stephanie said, letting him pull her out of the office.
*
"Morning Steph," Shane said, without looking up from the newspaper. He heard footsteps on the tile and expected it to be Stephanie since she was the only other person still in the house.
"She'll be down in a second," a decidedly masculine voice said.
Shane's head whipped up to see the owner of the voice wearing a t-shirt and warm-up pants.
"Hey guys," Stephanie said as she breezed into the kitchen. She headed straight for the coffee pot.
"What is he doing here?" Shane asked.
"I invited him," Stephanie said. "We have something to tell you Shane. You're going to be angry, but we still have to tell you."
"Okay," Shane said suspiciously.
"We're married," Stephanie said.
"Married?" Shane sputtered.
"Have been for nearly three years," Stephanie continued.
"You…and Kurt have been married for three years?" Shane asked.
"Yeah," Stephanie said.
Shane looked from his sister to Kurt Angle. "I have to get to work. We'll talk later."
"Bye Shane," Stephanie said.
"Three years?" Shane asked.
"Yeah," Stephanie said.
"Dear God," Shane sighed as he left the kitchen.
*
Betcha didn't see that one coming, did you? Tell me what you think, please!!!
Stephanie jumped in her seat in surprise. She turned away from her computer screen and looked at the door. "You did?" she asked. "No one gave me a message."
"I don't mean here," he replied.
"Okay," Stephanie said uncertainly.
"I called your phone number at home," he said.
"Oh," Stephanie said. "It was probably after I left for the airport."
"That's what I figured," he said.
"You can sit down if you want to," Stephanie said, gesturing towards the chairs in her office.
"Thanks," he said, settling in the chair Jericho had sat in earlier in the day. "What are you doing here so late?"
"Going over paperwork," Stephanie said. "It's all kind of overwhelming."
"Are you going back home?" he asked.
"No," Stephanie said. "At least not right away."
"I see," he said.
"I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable," Stephanie said. "But Shane needs me to stay here and a couple of people have made it clear that they want me here."
"I want you here too," he said softly.
"Yeah?" Stephanie asked, suddenly feeling warm and happy inside for the first time in several days.
"I love you Steph," he said. "Why wouldn't I want you here?"
"We've kept everything a secret for so long," Stephanie sighed, leaning back in her chair. "We only see each other about five or six times a month. It's not much of a relationship."
"It's not just a relationship though," he replied.
"I know," Stephanie said. She stood up and walked to the door to close it and lock it. "But it isn't what it should be."
"You were the one who was sure everything would be destroyed if we let anyone know," he replied. He held out his arms and let her sit in her lap.
"Daddy knew," Stephanie said. "He was happy for us."
"Well, I'm the only man in your life that he ever liked," he replied. "He didn't like Test, he hated Hunter for how he treated you, and he wasn't really all that fond of Jericho."
"Jericho is my best friend," Stephanie said. "And Daddy liked him just fine."
"If he's such a good friend, why haven't you told him about us?" he asked.
"I don't know," Stephanie sighed, feeling at home in the arms that held her close. "I've tried but I don't think he could possibly understand."
"You think if he knew he'd watch me like a hawk?" he asked.
"That too," Stephanie acknowledged.
"I love you," he said. "I've hurt for you these past few days."
She looked into the blue eyes that she loved, the blue eyes that haunted her dreams when he wasn't with her. "I know," Stephanie said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I saw you at the funeral."
"I wanted to just wrap you up and tell you everything would be okay," he said.
"Can you do it now?" Stephanie asked.
"God yes," he said, pulling her closer to him. "And I will do my best to make sure that everything will be okay."
Stephanie put her hand over his chest, where his heart was and felt it beat against her palm. "I believe you."
"Good," he said. He covered her hand with his own.
"I've tried so hard to get away from this business," Stephanie said, lying her head on his shoulder. "But because of you and my family I was never completely detached. Now I'm going to be back in the thick of things."
"Who told you they wanted you back in the federation?" he asked, stroking his hand up and down her back in a soothing rhythm.
"Jericho of course," Stephanie said. "And The Rock."
"The Rock?" he asked in shock.
"That was basically my response," Stephanie said, tracing figures on his chest.
"Well, like I said," he said, "I'm glad you will be close. Sometimes I worry about you up in that lighthouse. But you only leave for book tours."
"You don't need to worry," Stephanie said.
"It's in the job description," he replied simply.
"Where?" Stephanie asked.
"I will honor, obey, love, and protect," he said simply. "Right there, plain as day."
"So protect means worry?" Stephanie asked.
"It does now," he replied.
"Well, I worry about you too," Stephanie said. "You work too hard."
"You work too hard," he said. "It's all you do when you're alone and you're alone most of the time."
"Well, we will both just have to rectify that," Stephanie said.
"I'd like for you to stay with me," he said, pulling her close again.
"I don't know," Stephanie said.
"Don't you think it's about time we went ahead and let the cat out of the bag?" he asked. "It's been nearly three years."
"You're right," Stephanie said. "But we have to tell Shane first."
"He doesn't like me much," he said.
"He's my brother," Stephanie said.
"Okay, we tell Shane first," he agreed.
"And then I have to tell Jericho," Stephanie sighed. "But I can do that alone."
"He still had a crush on you," he said.
"He knows it would never work out though and we are better off as friends," Stephanie said.
"He still has a crush on you," he said.
"Well, it doesn't matter," Stephanie said. "Because I love you."
"And I love you," he replied. He lightly kissed her lips.
"Come home with me tonight," Stephanie said. "We'll tell Shane in the morning."
"Okay," he said.
She got off of his lap and went to her desk to arrange the papers and turn off her computer. He stood up and stretched.
"Wait a sec," he said, pulling the chain of the simple chain he always wore around his neck out from under his shirt. He took the chain off and shook off the simple gold band that hung on the chain. He placed the band on his left ring finger. "Might as well go all the way."
Stephanie smiled softly and took off the chain she wore. Moments later she was wearing an identical gold band on her finger.
"It's official," he said, taking her hand in his. "We're announcing to the world that we've been married for about three years."
"Yeah," Stephanie said, squeezing his hand in hers.
"Lets get out of here," he said, pulling her towards the door.
"Okay," Stephanie said, letting him pull her out of the office.
*
"Morning Steph," Shane said, without looking up from the newspaper. He heard footsteps on the tile and expected it to be Stephanie since she was the only other person still in the house.
"She'll be down in a second," a decidedly masculine voice said.
Shane's head whipped up to see the owner of the voice wearing a t-shirt and warm-up pants.
"Hey guys," Stephanie said as she breezed into the kitchen. She headed straight for the coffee pot.
"What is he doing here?" Shane asked.
"I invited him," Stephanie said. "We have something to tell you Shane. You're going to be angry, but we still have to tell you."
"Okay," Shane said suspiciously.
"We're married," Stephanie said.
"Married?" Shane sputtered.
"Have been for nearly three years," Stephanie continued.
"You…and Kurt have been married for three years?" Shane asked.
"Yeah," Stephanie said.
Shane looked from his sister to Kurt Angle. "I have to get to work. We'll talk later."
"Bye Shane," Stephanie said.
"Three years?" Shane asked.
"Yeah," Stephanie said.
"Dear God," Shane sighed as he left the kitchen.
*
Betcha didn't see that one coming, did you? Tell me what you think, please!!!