Deceit

Part: 6/?
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Takes place from RAW 2/4/02 & 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 6-Abandoned and Confused

~*~*~*~

Stephanie McMahon

When Hunter and Stephanie had parted lips, Stephanie reached to unlock the door to their hotel room.

" No wait, baby." Hunter proclaimed as he took her hand off the doorknob. He then took his large hands and covered Stephanie's eyes.

" Hunter, what are you doing?" Stephanie asked with a giggle.

" It's a surprise." Triple H responded as he opened the hotel door and the two walked into the room, with Triple H shielding Stephanie's eyes.

" Can I see now?"

" Yeah. Surprise!" Hunter whispered as he flicked on the light and took his hands away from Stephanie's face. Stephanie took a moment to adjust to the light change and then gasped.

The whole hotel room was full of red roses. Petals covered the silk sheets on the bed. Bouquets of roses covered each corner and a champagne bottle with two glasses was situated on the bedside table.

" You did this!" Stephanie exclaimed as she turned to her husband with a huge grin and Hunter nodded.

" Oh my God…wow, Hunter. This is beautiful. I love you so much! Thank you!" Stephanie said as tears welled up in her eyes, as she gave her husband a hug.

" I love you too." Hunter responded and the two tenderly kissed.

" And I love you too, baby." Triple H continued as he kissed Stephanie's stomach. Stephanie looked at the hotel room and her husband and sighed.

Why couldn't everything be perfect? Why couldn't she just celebrate with her husband over having their baby?

Why couldn't her life just be perfect?

~*~*~*~

RAW November 19, 2001

" We're sorry, Ms. McMahon." The security guards mumbled to Stephanie before pushing her out of a back door and closing her only entrance into the arena.

Tears flowed down the troubled young woman's eyes as she looked around the dark, cold parking lot for her brother or a car.

But there was no one in sight.

" Shane!" She called out meekly. She realised that she had been kicked out of the arena from a different exit then she had come in.

Shane wasn't here.

" Great." She mumbled as she wrapped her arms around herself and attempted to stroll to the front of the arena. Hopefully, Shane was waiting for her there.

She was suddenly aware of her settings. It was a very cold night and it was pitch dark and she was alone. And she was very scared.

And to top it all of, she didn't even know which way to go to get to the damn entrance!

Stephanie strolled onwards, until she suddenly heard a noise and whipped around.

There was nothing there.

" Oh God." She mumbled as she walked faster, turning to look behind her now and again.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang with a shrill. Stephanie shrieked with fright at the unexpected noise and tripped over.

" Shit." She mumbled as she got up off the floor and answered the cell phone, realising that there really wasn't anything behind her.

" Steph?" The voice on the other line asked.

" Hunter? Yeah it's me." Stephanie squeaked.

" You all right honey? You don't sound okay." Her husband asked. Stephanie looked around. She was sitting in a dark parking lot alone, with a scrapped knee.

" I-I've been better." She groaned.

" I just watched the tape from last night. I'm so sorry baby." Triple H responded. Stephanie sighed.

So he had finally seen it. Her husband had finally seen her fail.

" How are you feeling? Where are you?" Triple H suddenly asked, realising that he had no idea where his wife was.

" I'm at RAW…well actually slumped over in the parking lot outside the arena." Stephanie responded, tears flowing from her eyes.

" WHAT?!?!" She heard her husband scream, causing her to push the phone away from her ears.

" Hunter, I just wanna come home." She cried.

" Baby, what happened? Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?" Stephanie realised that she was actually smiling at his words…considering her awful situation. She was in pain, but at least her husband acknowledged it.

" No, nobody hurt me. But I'm alone, Hunter and I'm cold and scared. I don't know what to do." She moaned.

" Get back to the arena. You're safe there."    

" I can't. I was kicked out."

" Who did you come with?"

" Shane."

" Where's he then?" Came his protective voice.

" He was kicked out before me…I don't know where he is."

" Okay, I'm calling Vince." Triple H declared.

" No, Hunter!" Stephanie protested.

" Steph…"

" Vince won't care. He'll only do something to you."

" I'm not letting you wander out in the dark alone…" Hunter argued. Stephanie suddenly paused, her expression suddenly changed.

" Wait, I see Shane. It's okay, honey. I'm fine now. I'll be on the next plane home. Okay?" Stephanie suddenly responded, noticing someone's feet in front of her.

" You sure you're safe?"

" Yeah, I'm safe now. I'll call you later. Bye." Stephanie said as she looked up at the person in front of her.

~*~*~*~

Chris Jericho

Jericho entered the hotel room that he shared with Edge and flung his bag on a nearby couch.

" Dammit!" He yelled as he kicked the foot of his bed.

Stephanie was plaguing his thoughts. Throughout the night as he prepared for his match with Undertaker against The Rock and Stone Cold, they had played Triple H and Stephanie's reunion and announcement numerous times. Whenever the kiss was shown Chris felt like hurling…and he didn't know why.

And that caused reminders of Survivor Series to run through his mind. Kurt's mention of the PPV didn't help either. Everything seemed connected to him, but he couldn't understand why.

" Hey dude." Edge declared as he walked into the room with his brother trailing behind him.

" Ummm…hey guys." Jericho greeted.

" Why you so down Chris? You had a pretty good night…you beat both Stone Cold and Rock again!" Edge responded.

" Yeah…did get my ass kicked though. I hate Rocky." Jericho mumbled as he went to the mini bar and pulled out a drink. Edge did the same.

" Well we knew that. You've always resented him." Christian continued as Edge threw him a beer.

" You're the one to talk about resentment." Jericho shot back, indicating Edge.

" Well despite Edge and my ring resentment…we're still best buds outta the ring. Right, dude?" Christian asked his brother, extending his drink forward. Edge responded by clinking his glass with his brother's.

" Yeah man. Y'know our fights did reek with awesomeness. I was really looking forward to us doing another PPV match-up."

" I know…we so should've done Survivor Series together." Christian replied.

" Yeah…it would've been much better than you against Al Snow…and me against that dumbass Test." Edge continued. Jericho suddenly perked up at the mention of that certain November PPV.

Why did that night ruin everything?

~*~*~*~

RAW November 19, 2001

" Didn't really picture you as one for dark parking lots…more of dark cars." Chris Jericho snickered as he looked down at the distraught Stephanie McMahon and offered her a hand to pull her up.

" I can't believe I'm going to thank you for showing up…I was so scared! Thank you!" Stephanie exclaimed as she hugged the blonde Canadian.

" I overheard someone mention throwing you out in the dark. Figured I'd diss you." Chris muttered, not exactly pulling Stephanie off him.

" Can you believe that? My bastard of a father threw me out of the arena, alone in the friggin' dark! There could be rapists out here…and he doesn't give a damn!" Stephanie shrieked.

" I got a good share of your dad's bad side a while ago. Booked me in a match with Kane 'cos apparently my ego's too big. Wonder where he got that from!" Jericho said, mocking the chairman of the WWF.

" Why did you come and rescue me, Jericho?" Stephanie asked softly. The two were still in a light embrace.

" Rescue? Steph, you're like three yards away from the main arena! And the entrance is like a 4-minute walk away. And I guess…well I saw what happened to you earlier. I'm sorry about that."

" Really? Chris Jericho is sympathising with me!"

" Well I did sleep with you yesterday…so technically I already crossed the Jericho/Stephanie borderline." Jericho responded with a smile. Stephanie unknowingly smiled back.

"  You want me to walk you to the front?" Jericho asked her.

" Yeah…uhhhh…thank you, Chris."  Stephanie said turning to her saviour. They looked at each other intensely before they leaned in to share a poignant kiss.

~*~*~*~

Triple H

Triple H lay in bed with his wife, who was in deep slumber.

He felt as if he was in heaven.

He was in one of the honeymoon suites with his pregnant wife and they had just spent an amazing night together, one they hadn't in months. Five long months.

Triple H then looked at his wife for an intense moment, realisation set in. Stephanie didn't look five months pregnant…but then he really wasn't one to know about women's pregnancies in detail.

It was surprising how not a few months ago, but a mere day before the two were bickering and at each other's throats.

Triple H would be lying if he said he hadn't thought of divorce. It was a very small option in his mind…but it was present. Stephanie's attitude and his determination to be at the top of the roster again had gradually become major strains on their relationship. It was worse than the time he thought she and Kurt had something going on…but well at one time he had also thought that their was a possibility that Stephanie and Chris Jericho had a thing.

Triple H snickered to himself at the thought of those two together.

How paranoid was he?

~*~*~*~

November 19, 2001

Triple H lay in his bed, moving his leg back and forth to exercise it. He hated the pain, the rehabilitation and the fact that one stupid injury had put him eight months behind others. He wanted to be the champion again…he wanted to kick ass again and he couldn't. Because of the damn injury.

But when he did come back, he was going to conflict so much pain on everyone. He was going to make it to the top…but first he was going to pummel the man who put him in this position.

Chris Jericho.

It was Jericho's Walls of Jericho that injured his quad causing it to tear moments later. It was because of the blonde wrestler that he was sitting in bed than punching men in a ring. It was because of that man that he was unable to fulfil duties…everyday duties and husbandly duties for his wife.

Speaking of which…he decided to call his wife again to check up on her. It had only been five minutes after his conversation with her, but the fact that she was scared, alone and in the dark scared the hell out of Triple H.

Yes, the two had great differences and yes, they only saw each other once a fortnight when she worked and were arguing continuously, but she was still his wife and he had come to love her in their closing in on two year marriage. It was his duty to make sure she was safe.

Triple H dialled his wife's cell phone number, but there was no answer…the phone was off. He knew it shouldn't have, but it made him more worried. He then decided to call Shane, after all Stephanie did say she saw him and was with him. Triple H dialled Shane's number and was luckily able to reach him.

" Hey Shane-o, it's Hunter." Triple H greeted his brother-in-law.

" Oh, hey Hunter. What is it?" Shane asked, a little annoyed.

" I can't get through to Steph's cell. Can you put her on for a bit, I want to talk to her?" Hunter asked.

" Steph? Stephanie's not with me. She was kicked out at a different part of the arena…I'm trying to find her now." Shane replied, confused.

" What! She told me she saw you a while ago."

" Hunter, I haven't seen her since I left the ring." Shane responded. Both men were now obviously worried.

Hunter's wife and Shane's sister was lost.

" I'm looking for her, Hunter. I think I see people moving somewhere over there." Shane responded calmly, seeing some figures. He had to stay calm…nothing would happen to his baby sister.

" Shane, if something happens to her…god help me I'm gonna…"

" Yeah kick my ass…got it. I'll call you when I find her…stay calm. She's a big girl. Keep calling her though."

" I will…find her fast, Shane."

" Sure." Shane responded as clicked his cell phone shut. He then yelled in the direction of the figures.

" Stephanie!"

~*~*~*~