"Hey," Stephanie said to Kurt when he slipped an arm around her waist. She
looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled at him.
"I love you," Kurt said, dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder. "I like your hair straight like that."
"Thanks," Stephanie said. "Do I look studious?"
Kurt looked at the blue sleeveless button down shirt and the high-waisted black slacks she was wearing. "You look like a very competent woman," he said, kissing her shoulder again.
"I am a very competent woman," Stephanie said, smiling at Kurt.
"Steph!" Jericho exclaimed as he barged into her dressing room. "What is he doing in here?"
"Hey Chris," Stephanie said. She patted Kurt's hand and went to sit on the couch. "Why don't you sit down?"
"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Chris asked.
"Probably not," Stephanie said.
"I'll let you two talk," Kurt said, knowing well how close his wife was to Chris Jericho.
"What's up?" Jericho asked, sitting on the edge of the couch next to Stephanie.
"You know Kurt and I were always friends," Stephanie said. "Even after he was the one who destroyed the Alliance, our relationship was never that strained."
"Yeah," Chris said, nodding.
"Well, we've been a lot closer than anyone knows," Stephanie said. "I did have an affair with him while I was married to Hunter. He was the only one, but I still had an affair with him. It was when he defected to the Alliance."
"Okay," Chris said.
"Well, we stopped seeing each other after the Alliance ended," Stephanie said. "And then you and I went out after I got divorced. But when we broke up it was Kurt I ran to."
"You got your lighthouse though," Chris said.
"He helped me find it," Stephanie said.
"So he knows where it is?" Chris asked.
"He owns half of it," Stephanie said.
"You bought your lighthouse with Kurt Angle?" Chris asked. "God, if that's it, I'm fine. I thought this was serious or something."
"That's not it Chris," Stephanie said.
"What?" Chris asked.
"In September, Kurt and I will have been married for three years," Stephanie said.
Chris sat there, not moving. Stephanie laid her hand on his arm. "You okay Chris?"
"How could you not tell me?" Chris asked.
"We didn't tell anyone," Stephanie said. "My dad knew, that was it."
"You still could have told me," Chris said. "I would have kept it a secret if you asked me to."
"I know you would have," Stephanie said. "But it wasn't fair to Kurt to ask that he not tell anyone and then ask him to let me tell you."
"And you're married to him?" Chris asked. "Are you happy?"
"Yeah," Stephanie said. "We don't see each other so often, but often enough."
"Well, I guess I have to be happy for you," Chris said.
"You don't have to," Stephanie said. "But I would like for you to be happy for me. I do love him Chris. He's good to me."
"Well, that I can judge for myself," Chris said.
"Flair in his son want to make an example of The Rock," Chris said. "The stupid man should have stuck to movies instead of trying to come back and help us."
"He came back to help?" Stephanie asked.
"Yeah," Chris said.
"And David is as bad as Flair?" Stephanie asked.
"Sometimes I think he could be worse," Chris said. "But every now and then, like when Stacy talks about him, I think he might be a decent guy."
"We can hope," Stephanie said.
"Well, you want to help me go protect The Rock's worthless ass?" Chris asked.
"I guess I have a couple of announcements to make anyways," Stephanie said, shrugging.
*
Stephanie knew her father had changed his in-ring music, but she had always loved "No Chance". She came out to the music, Jericho right behind her.
"Why don't you drop the chair?" Stephanie asked Ric Flair.
"You have no power here," Flair said.
"That's where you are wrong," Stephanie said. "With my brother, I control fifty percent of the WWE Flair. And if you don't stop beating The Rock, I will sue you for destruction of property."
"She means the chair, not The Rock," Jericho said.
"Funny," Flair said to Jericho, a constant thorn in his side since he came to own half of the WWE.
"Nevertheless," Stephanie shrugged. "You should stop."
"Who's going to stop me?" Flair asked. "And the rest of my guys?"
Flair motioned to the men around him. It was an impressive bunch, Stephanie could admit that. In the ring with Flair and David were Kevin Nash, X-Pac, Big Show, Billy Gunn, Torrie Wilson, Ivory, Christian, Mr. Perfect, Brock Lesnar, and Hunter.
"Me," Stephanie said.
"And what army?" Flair asked, obviously amused.
"Us," Kurt said as he stepped out onto the top of the ramp with Shane, the Hardys, Edge, Kane, Trish, and Molly. "There are more of us in the back who are willing to stand with Stephanie also."
"You think that little brat can come in here and decide she wants to change everything?" Flair asked. "I don't think so."
"I just want you to leave The Rock alone for now," Stephanie said.
"Fine," Flair said. Nash and X-Pac roughly shoved the beaten and bruised Rocky out of the ring. Jeff and Matt quickly went to help him up the ramp.
"Thanks," Rock said when he got to the top.
"It's no big deal," Stephanie said. "Why you?"
"Who the hell knows?" Rock answered.
"Thanks," Stephanie said to Flair. "I'm sure we will have fun working with each other over the upcoming months."
"Doubtful," Flair said.
Stephanie shrugged and led her rag-tag band off of the ramp. Kurt was close behind her. "You're shaking Stephanie," he commented softly, pulling her into his arms.
"I never thought I would be back," Stephanie said, letting him pull her against his solid body.
"You are back now," Kurt said. "And I'll take care of you."
"I know," Stephanie said. She straightened to see Jericho watching them with raised brows.
"You two are going to make me sick, huh?" Jericho asked.
"Maybe so," Stephanie said.
"Gross," Jericho said before walking away.
*
I know a lot has to be explained about Stephanie and Kurt's relationship and it will be in the next chapter. Just know that nothing about them is conventional and Stephanie never feels like their marriage is real. If you think about it like that it's easy to understand her comments about him in the second chapter at Vince's funeral. If you read back you'll know what I'm talking about.
"I love you," Kurt said, dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder. "I like your hair straight like that."
"Thanks," Stephanie said. "Do I look studious?"
Kurt looked at the blue sleeveless button down shirt and the high-waisted black slacks she was wearing. "You look like a very competent woman," he said, kissing her shoulder again.
"I am a very competent woman," Stephanie said, smiling at Kurt.
"Steph!" Jericho exclaimed as he barged into her dressing room. "What is he doing in here?"
"Hey Chris," Stephanie said. She patted Kurt's hand and went to sit on the couch. "Why don't you sit down?"
"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Chris asked.
"Probably not," Stephanie said.
"I'll let you two talk," Kurt said, knowing well how close his wife was to Chris Jericho.
"What's up?" Jericho asked, sitting on the edge of the couch next to Stephanie.
"You know Kurt and I were always friends," Stephanie said. "Even after he was the one who destroyed the Alliance, our relationship was never that strained."
"Yeah," Chris said, nodding.
"Well, we've been a lot closer than anyone knows," Stephanie said. "I did have an affair with him while I was married to Hunter. He was the only one, but I still had an affair with him. It was when he defected to the Alliance."
"Okay," Chris said.
"Well, we stopped seeing each other after the Alliance ended," Stephanie said. "And then you and I went out after I got divorced. But when we broke up it was Kurt I ran to."
"You got your lighthouse though," Chris said.
"He helped me find it," Stephanie said.
"So he knows where it is?" Chris asked.
"He owns half of it," Stephanie said.
"You bought your lighthouse with Kurt Angle?" Chris asked. "God, if that's it, I'm fine. I thought this was serious or something."
"That's not it Chris," Stephanie said.
"What?" Chris asked.
"In September, Kurt and I will have been married for three years," Stephanie said.
Chris sat there, not moving. Stephanie laid her hand on his arm. "You okay Chris?"
"How could you not tell me?" Chris asked.
"We didn't tell anyone," Stephanie said. "My dad knew, that was it."
"You still could have told me," Chris said. "I would have kept it a secret if you asked me to."
"I know you would have," Stephanie said. "But it wasn't fair to Kurt to ask that he not tell anyone and then ask him to let me tell you."
"And you're married to him?" Chris asked. "Are you happy?"
"Yeah," Stephanie said. "We don't see each other so often, but often enough."
"Well, I guess I have to be happy for you," Chris said.
"You don't have to," Stephanie said. "But I would like for you to be happy for me. I do love him Chris. He's good to me."
"Well, that I can judge for myself," Chris said.
"Flair in his son want to make an example of The Rock," Chris said. "The stupid man should have stuck to movies instead of trying to come back and help us."
"He came back to help?" Stephanie asked.
"Yeah," Chris said.
"And David is as bad as Flair?" Stephanie asked.
"Sometimes I think he could be worse," Chris said. "But every now and then, like when Stacy talks about him, I think he might be a decent guy."
"We can hope," Stephanie said.
"Well, you want to help me go protect The Rock's worthless ass?" Chris asked.
"I guess I have a couple of announcements to make anyways," Stephanie said, shrugging.
*
Stephanie knew her father had changed his in-ring music, but she had always loved "No Chance". She came out to the music, Jericho right behind her.
"Why don't you drop the chair?" Stephanie asked Ric Flair.
"You have no power here," Flair said.
"That's where you are wrong," Stephanie said. "With my brother, I control fifty percent of the WWE Flair. And if you don't stop beating The Rock, I will sue you for destruction of property."
"She means the chair, not The Rock," Jericho said.
"Funny," Flair said to Jericho, a constant thorn in his side since he came to own half of the WWE.
"Nevertheless," Stephanie shrugged. "You should stop."
"Who's going to stop me?" Flair asked. "And the rest of my guys?"
Flair motioned to the men around him. It was an impressive bunch, Stephanie could admit that. In the ring with Flair and David were Kevin Nash, X-Pac, Big Show, Billy Gunn, Torrie Wilson, Ivory, Christian, Mr. Perfect, Brock Lesnar, and Hunter.
"Me," Stephanie said.
"And what army?" Flair asked, obviously amused.
"Us," Kurt said as he stepped out onto the top of the ramp with Shane, the Hardys, Edge, Kane, Trish, and Molly. "There are more of us in the back who are willing to stand with Stephanie also."
"You think that little brat can come in here and decide she wants to change everything?" Flair asked. "I don't think so."
"I just want you to leave The Rock alone for now," Stephanie said.
"Fine," Flair said. Nash and X-Pac roughly shoved the beaten and bruised Rocky out of the ring. Jeff and Matt quickly went to help him up the ramp.
"Thanks," Rock said when he got to the top.
"It's no big deal," Stephanie said. "Why you?"
"Who the hell knows?" Rock answered.
"Thanks," Stephanie said to Flair. "I'm sure we will have fun working with each other over the upcoming months."
"Doubtful," Flair said.
Stephanie shrugged and led her rag-tag band off of the ramp. Kurt was close behind her. "You're shaking Stephanie," he commented softly, pulling her into his arms.
"I never thought I would be back," Stephanie said, letting him pull her against his solid body.
"You are back now," Kurt said. "And I'll take care of you."
"I know," Stephanie said. She straightened to see Jericho watching them with raised brows.
"You two are going to make me sick, huh?" Jericho asked.
"Maybe so," Stephanie said.
"Gross," Jericho said before walking away.
*
I know a lot has to be explained about Stephanie and Kurt's relationship and it will be in the next chapter. Just know that nothing about them is conventional and Stephanie never feels like their marriage is real. If you think about it like that it's easy to understand her comments about him in the second chapter at Vince's funeral. If you read back you'll know what I'm talking about.