Deceit

Part: 4/?
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.

A/N Sorry for the late delay. Writer's block.

Chapter 4- The Morning After

~*~*~*~

The Morning after Survivor Series-November 2001

Knock! Knock!

" Jericho, wake up! We gotta get down to the gym. RAW's tonight. And you might wanna hurry 'cos I think Rock's still lookin' to kick your ass!" A voice hollered through Chris Jericho's hotel room.

" Hmmm…okay Edge. I'll be down in half an hour." Jericho groaned as he got up and wiped his eyes.

" Whoo hoo…Monday night. RAW is Jericho." Jericho mumbled. He removed the covers off himself and was about to stumble off to take a shower, until he felt a sudden chill.

" What the…?" He stated, realising he was buck-naked and the window was wide open, bringing in the cold November air. He quickly grabbed the covers to cover himself, before he got the opportunity to catch a cold. Colds were a no-no in the business.

Just as he removed the covers, a moan escaped from the bed. Jericho quickly whipped his head 'round to see a naked Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley in his bed.

Stephanie fluttered her eyes open and rubbed them. She shivered as a sudden gust of wind blew over her.

" What did we do?!?" A voice rang out angrily. Stephanie quickly awoke from her daze as she recognised the voice.

" Jericho?" She mumbled opening her eyes wide to see the blonde Canadian with bed covers covering him. She looked down to see herself, nude.

" Oh my god!" She shrieked as she covered parts of her with her hands and her arm. She then attempted to snatch the covers away from Jericho.

" I need it more than you! I have more things to cover!" Stephanie screamed.

" What did we do? We didn't…" Jericho wondered as Stephanie yanked the covers of him and covered herself.

" I think we did." She groaned.

" But I would never…not with you!"  Jericho protested as he grabbed a cushion of the couch to hide a part of himself.

" Hey! Like I want to share a bed with you! We were both pretty hammered last night."

" After the kiss."

" Yeah…we kissed…when sober. Ewwwww!" Stephanie declared, a sudden bolt of disgust running through her.

" Hey you wanted it alright? So then we left together. Hiding from everyone. Then we came to the hotel…" Jericho recalled.

" Got drunk in the hotel bar."

" Came to your room."

" And…shit!" Jericho declared as Stephanie shrieked.

" Jericho, if any word of this gets to Hunter…or my dad...we're dead."

" Well, you ain't exactly on good terms with him at the moment. Perhaps he wouldn't…kill us."

" C'mon…despite me trying to put him out of business…I'm still his only daughter. If he knew I had sex with Chris Jericho he'd kill me…and you. He hates you."

" Gee…thanks."

" Like you didn't know already."

" And if your big-nosed husband found out…I'm sure I'll be having a meeting with his trusty friend: the sledgehammer."

" Yeah. What do we do now?"

" Well for one we don't talk to anyone 'bout this. Anyone."

" Yup. You don't tell Kurt, Edge or whoever the hell you're friends with. And I don't tell my friends." Stephanie declared. Jericho raised an eyebrow.

" You gotta be kidding me. You…have friends?"

" Shut up! Of course I do. Lita, Tori, other Torrie, Stacy…at times they're my friends."

" Whatever."

" Fine don't believe me. But what do we do now?"

"How 'bout I shower…go to the gym with Edge and make myself scarce. I promise never to look you directly in the eye ever again, not to see you again…and not to touch you again." Jericho vowed.

" Good. Me neither. Oh…and you are never to talk to me again."

" Done."

" Good…now I'm going in the shower." Jericho responded as he awkwardly stood looking at Stephanie.

" So?" Stephanie asked, noticing he wasn't moving.

" You mind not looking." He said uneasily. She sighed.

" Fine…nothing there that I haven't seen before." She replied, as she looked away. Jericho moved a few steps towards the bathroom and Stephanie looked up.

" Nice ass." She remarked with a giggle, causing Chris to practically run to the shower.

~*~*~*~

Stephanie

" So Steph, do you know how far long you are?" Triple H asked Stephanie. She nodded her head 'no'. The two were seated in their limo on their way to their hotel room. The small monitor in front of them showed them what was still happening on RAW.

" No. But I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow. I'll find out then." Stephanie responded meekly. Truthfully, she knew how far long she was…about ten weeks.

" What time is it? I want to be there…but SmackDown tapings tomorrow."

" Ummm…I'm not sure."

" I'd love to get out of it, but you know in this business…"

" You don't take days off. I know Hunter." Stephanie ended for him. He smiled at her and she smiled back. As much as she hated lying to him, she was glad they were communicating; glad that he showed her he truly did love her.

" I have a match with Jericho and Angle tomorrow." Triple H thought out loud.

" Jericho?" Stephanie asked absently. She realised that she had just asked Hunter only about Chris Jericho. Why was he plaguing her thoughts?

" Yeah. Your dad's idea. At least I can take a shot at Angle before our match…and if I pin Jericho tomorrow. One-way ticket to the Undisputed Championship." Triple H responded grinning.

" I want to be by your side." Stephanie spoke up suddenly.

" At the match tomorrow?" Hunter asked confused.

" Yes, and when you win the championship."

" Steph, you're pregnant. Especially in our line of work…it's very easy to get hurt. I don't want you or our baby hurt. I would never forgive myself." Hunter said as he grasped her hand in his.

" I know. But I want to be there." She replied urgently.

" And you are…in here." Hunter responded as he placed their adjoined hands on his heart. Stephanie looked at him and smiled.

God, her husband could be so romantic at times. At times.

" I love you…so much." She replied as she kissed him passionately. In the background, replays of their previous kiss in the middle of the ring kept playing.

'But that was the past. Now's the present.' Stephanie thought.

~*~*~*~

The Morning After Survivor Series-November 2001

" Steph, are you sure 'bout this?" Shane McMahon asked his baby sister, Stephanie.

" Shane, Dad wants us at RAW. We should attend." Stephanie declared. The two were sitting in a local Starbucks, sipping away on coffee.

Once Jericho had left his hotel room to the gym, Stephanie had made her way out a lengthy time later. She had gone to her own hotel room and bathed. Once she got out she checked her cell to find out that she had five missed calls and fifteen text messages. She had run through most of them…several apologies from Alliance stars.

Stephanie, sorry 'bout last night. I'm gonna kick Angle's ass, once I get back in the WWF! –Booker T

Steph, answer my calls. Where r u? You 'kay? - Shane

Stephie, Steve is not happy about Kurt. Call him. - Debra

I still have my job. Sux 2 be u. –Paul Heyman

Ms. McMahon, I'm really my apologies about last night.  –Shawn Stasiak

The list was endless.

There was one name missing from the text messages and the missing calls. One person.

Hunter.

 Shane had called and texted a bunch of times. Finally he had gotten through to her and informed her that her father, Vince McMahon, had summoned the two of them to RAW.

" Stephanie, you know he wants us there to gloat. He's gonna kick my ass and slap yours." Shane responded as he sipped on his cappuccino.

" I know Shane. But…we deserve it. I just wanna be in that ring one last time. Even if I get my ass slapped. I want to say goodbye." Stephanie responded, stirring her hot chocolate.

" Fine sis. Remember Steph, Dad was more hurt by you than me."

" I know." Stephanie replied glumly.

" So what does Hunter have to say about all this?" Shane asked.

" Hunter? He hasn't even called me. Probably didn't even bother to watch the most important night of my life." Stephanie moaned.

" Really?"

" Yeah. You know how he is…busy with his rehab and everything. He's so eager to be back. Become the champion again. He hasn't called."

" Call him yourself then." Shane said handing Steph her cell.

~*~*~*~