Deceit

Part: 3/?
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Takes place from RAW & beyond.

Disclaimer: I do not own anybody. Every character/person belongs to the WWE and Vince McMahon. This story takes part during the 'WWF', so any indication of WWF instead of WWE is intentional. Parts of this chapter are taken from Survivor Series, November 2001.

Feedback: Please R&R!

Summary: Stephanie, despite being honest about her pregnancy, fibs about something very closely linked to the pregnancy.

Chapter 3- Protection

~*~*~*~

Stephanie

Stephanie walked backstage with Hunter to their locker room. Several superstars who she knew despised her shook her hand and congratulated her. A 'face' husband obviously earned you respect! Hunter was talking rapidly about the baby and how it was going to improve their lives. He told her how much he loved her and their child and she nodded and smiled weakly. Could she tell him now? Could she tell him the truth? Hunter and her then passed a locker room. The name on the door caught her eye…Chris Jericho. She paused to look at the door for a moment and then looked back at Hunter who was a few feet ahead of her. She glanced back and forth between the door and her husband and then sighed and followed Hunter.

" I can't tell Hunter…I can't tell him about that night." Stephanie proclaimed silently to herself.

~*~*~*~

Night of Survivor Series- November 2001

" What?!?" Stephanie glanced at Chris Jericho. Did he just offer her his help?

" You asked for my help…what can I do?"

" Wait…you…Chris Jericho…are asking what you can do for me???"

" Yes…I want to help you get through the pain…" Jericho began. He noticed Stephanie raise her eyebrow.

" Ok…ok…I can't pull this shit off! Rock's out there…I need a place to hide. He's gonna kill me!"

" Awww…poor little Chris afraid of Rocky?" Stephanie mocked. She managed to straighten herself out. Mocking Jericho always made her feel better.

" This coming from the person who's run away from the Rock a dozen times?"

" Fine. We're back to taking shots at each other…so we've covered that we hate each other. You aren't going to help me and I have no intention of helping you. So how 'bout we leave things with a good insult and you go on your way?" Stephanie replied.

" Steph…ok I'll help you…be okay or whatever. Then you help me." Stephanie paused as Jericho looked at her. She really needed someone to make her feel better. It was usually Kurt…but he was the reason. Hunter…well he was far away…he was unable to do anything with a busted quad.

" It's a deal." Stephanie said as she stood up and walked over to Jericho and shook his hand. If Hunter wasn't there to comfort her…if he couldn't even bother to call her to see if she was okay…then she would rely on Jericho.

Jericho would be her salvation.

~*~*~*~

Triple H

Triple H couldn't believe what was going on. His wife and him were going to have a child…a Baby Game. He knew Steph and him had their problems. He knew he was an asshole at times and he knew Stephanie was a bitch at times…but he also knew that when the baby came the two of them could be great parents. Hunter held Stephanie's hand and walked her to their locker room.

" Why did the damn locker room have to be so far away!" He thought. All he wanted to do was take Stephanie away from the arena and hug her and kiss her and treat her the way he always did in private. He hated displaying his affection for his wife in front of a lot of people. He smirked at the thought.

" How hypocritical am I? Hadn't I just swirled my wife around the ring and laid a big smackeroonie on her lips? Wow…I'm starting to sound like Booker T!"  Hunter thought as he started to laugh lightly.

" What's so funny?" Stephanie asked with a smile. Hunter turned to look at her, realising how gorgeous his wife really was. He was seeing her in a total different light…now that she was pregnant.

" Just thinking about us. I was just thinking that in the past few months we've been so distant. You with your own company…me with my injury. Recently I believed that we were doomed…that this was going to be it…we would always be distant.  But now we're back together…we're together and happy…and it feels good." Hunter said smiling. Stephanie smiled back.

" I love you Steph." Triple H said as he leaned in and planted a kiss on his wife's lips.

" I love you too, Hunter. I'm glad everything turned out for the best."

" Me too. Nothing's going to stop me from being happy now…nothing is going to ruin this for me. Nothing is going to ruin the fact that I have a great wife…and that I'm going to be a dad. Nothing." Hunter replied as Stephanie's smile subsided. Hunter walked on a few steps further and didn't hear Stephanie.

" Don't bet on it." Stephanie mumbled before grabbing Hunter's hand and walking on.

~*~*~*~

The Night of Survivor Series-November 2001

Stephanie sat on her leather couch and analysed the young Canadian who she had just made a pact with.

" Hmmm…so?" Stephanie demanded slyly.

" No." Was the firm reply.

" Come on…ask!" Stephanie ordered. Jericho looked at her for a few minutes glaring at her…the faint voice of The Rock in the background.

" Jericho!"

" Stephanie there's not way I'm going to degrade myself…"

" I'm the only one who can help you Jericho…and you know you wanna say it."

" Stephanie!"

" Come on…"

" What can I do for you…Ms. McMahon?" Jericho bit out angrily.

Stephanie walked closer up to him, now a few inches away.

" Steph, he's getting closer." Chris quickly said as Stephanie moved nearer. The Rock's voice got louder and louder as he got closer and closer to Stephanie's locker room. Jericho gulped at the advances of both Stephanie and The Rock.

" Stephanie…" Jericho replied frantically as they both heard Rock a few mere steps away.

" I help you…you help me." Stephanie whispered.

" Yeah." Jericho said quickly…his eyes locked on the door. He heard Rock outside the door.

" Let's see what's behind door number one…" The Rock mumbled. Jericho's eyes widened with fear. The knob turned.

" Steph…" Jericho pleaded with her. Just as the door was about to open Stephanie grabbed Jericho and pushed him against the wall. Before Jericho could respond Stephanie clutched him and kissed him. Jericho's eyes opened up in shock as Stephanie continued to stuff her tongue down his mouth and practically covered his whole body with herself.

" Jericho are you in…" The Rock opened the door to see two people making out. Unable to see who either of them were.

" Sorry." He mumbled before closing the door and making his way down the hall. As the door clicked Stephanie unlocked her lips from Chris's.

" T-that's all I could do to s-save you. He would've seen you." Stephanie stammered. She was breathing heavily as Jericho stared into her eyes.

" Uhhh…thanks. I owe you…" Jericho whispered.

" Yeah you do."

" So what can I do for you?" He asked huskily.

" You could…"

" What?"

"You could make me feel like nothing happened tonight…that I didn't lose all my money…all my status. Help me feel like nothing happened…nothing happened before this moment. Help me feel happy Chris." Stephanie replied as she clutched the neck of Chris Jericho's hockey shirt.

" Steph…" He said looking down at Stephanie's hands as she looked up at him eagerly. He paused.

" How?" He asked after while. She gave him the answer by connecting their lips together. This time Chris Jericho quickly responded and the two kissed passionately.

~*~*~*~

Chris Jericho

Jericho paced his locker room. He knew that moments ago Stephanie and Triple H were outside his door…he could hear the congratulations the happy couple received. It pissed him off that everyone liked Triple H…what the hell was that about? I mean the guy ran over Stone Cold…beat the Rock…allied with Stone Cold…and wrecked loads of people's careers…and he got all the praise? And then there was him…he was the undisputed champion…he was the top dog and no one took him seriously. Everyone hated him…and why? Because he had beaten the Rock…and then he had beaten Stone Cold…oh and he had allowed Vince to screw Austin. I mean…Triple H had done the same but he was one up. He was Vince's son-in-law…heck the guy was married to Stephanie for all the wrong reasons. He wanted the money and the fame. Jericho stopped pacing.

" Am I defending Stephanie?" He thought. No…this couldn't be happening. He had tried so hard to overcome his feelings for Stephanie…they couldn't be coming back.

" Ok…Jericho think. Stephanie's a bottom-feeding trashbag ho, a two cent tramp, a billion dollar princess, a bitch…" Jericho soothed himself down by repeated numerous names he had called Stephanie.

" There's no way I'm gonna think of her like I did after that night…there's no way I'm gonna recall those feelings…no way! I'm not going to remember that one moment!"

~*~*~*~