Deceit

Part: 10/?
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 RAW 2/11/02.

Feedback: Of course!!! I'm nothing without it!

Chapter 10- Preparations

Triple H

This was the day.

This was the day that Triple H, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, was going to renew his wedding vows with his wife.

It had been exactly a week since Stephanie had announced the news and Triple H couldn't believe how excited he was over it. Stephanie's family also seemed to be enthralled with the new admission to the McMahon-Helmsley family.

At the McMahon-family dinner, although Stephanie remained suspiciously quiet, Linda and Shane had berated her and him with questions. Anything from names to diapers had been discussed and Triple H had been smiling throughout the entire dinner.

He was, however, stumped as to why Vince McMahon wasn't asking questions about the baby, his first grandchild. Hunter's father-in-law was unusually subdued like Stephanie and occasionally shot a 'future' question at his daughter. The rest of the evening he sat in silence, staring worryingly at the youngest McMahon.

'But there's no point on dwelling on the past. It's time for the future.' He thought.

" Hey honey." Stephanie greeted her husband as she walked into the locker room.

" Isn't it bad luck for me to see the bride before the wedding?" Triple H asked with a smile.

" I'm not dressed yet. Just wanted to see if you were ready." She said as she walked up to him and fiddled with his open bow.

" Almost." He replied as he turned to the television screen, watching footage of Kurt Angle pushing him into Stephanie last week on Smackdown. Anger came over him.

" Hunter, please don't fight with Kurt or anyone else tonight. We don't want anything to ruin this night." She said as she tugged on his arm slightly.

" I promise. I have to go take care of something right now though."

" Okay. But remember, you promised."

" I promise, Steph." He said with a smile and walked out of the room.

~*~*~*~

Stephanie McMahon

Stephanie sat back onto the couch and touched her stomach lightly. She still hadn't gotten over the fact that she was carrying life inside her.

It had almost been a week since she had told Chris that he was the father. And it had almost been a week since she had seen or heard from him.

Stephanie was worried that he hadn't heard her, but she was even more worried that he had.

She didn't know if it was butterflies or the baby…but something was upsetting her stomach. She knew the chances of the wedding running smoothly without a hitch were very slim.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and someone walked in. Stephanie, absently, greeted the intruder as her husband.

" It's me, Steph." Came the hoarse reply.

Stephanie looked up to see the father of her child, a man who had made her life so complicated, a wrestler who she had obtained unusual feelings and urges for: Chris Jericho.

" Chris, I d-didn't know you were…Hunter will be back soon." She abruptly answered.

" So you're going through with this renewal, eh?" He asked awkwardly.

" Umm…y-yes."

" So you're going to continue telling Trips that baby's his?" He asked subtly.

" No. I-I don't know what to tell him yet, but I will."

" Do you want me to tell him? Tell him that child is mine."

" No!! Chris, I will tell him. But not now." Stephanie exclaimed, jumping up from her seat to stand directly in front of him.

" Steph…fine. I j-just…[he breathed heavily] I just came to tell you that as the father of the child. I'm there for you. I always will be. Don't think you're alone in this. Umm…these are for you." Jericho replied with sincerity, as he handed Stephanie a bouquet of roses from behind his back.

" Chris, they're beautiful."

" I didn't get the chance to tell you before…but congratulations. To both of us really." He said awkwardly. Stephanie shot him a warm smile and clutched his hand.

" Thank you, Chris. Thank you so much." She leaned in and gave him a hug and he smiled.

" I'll be going now. But Steph, I want to be part of my child's life, okay?"

" I understand. I-I'll sort it out. I promise." She stammered. Jericho nodded and made his way out of the door.

" Oh Chris?" Stephanie called, grabbing his arm. He looked back at her.

" What?"

" You won't come out there and tell Hunter the truth will you?" She responded meekly. The Undisputed Champion paused for a long moment, watching Stephanie's hand on his arm. He glanced at her stomach, her stomach that possessed his child.

" Please? Tell me you won't?" Stephanie pleaded. Jericho gulped and then an icy look covered his face.

" No. I won't." He replied acidly and left the room.

Stephanie stood for a while. Happiness was supposed to come over her at his response, but all she felt was disappointment.

Unaware to her that on the other side of the door, Chris Jericho was leaning against the door…his eyes closed in pain.

He sighed in anguish, before walking off to his locker room slowly.

~*~*~*~

Triple H

Triple H walked into his locker room to see Stephanie sitting on the couch, gently touching some roses.

Those weren't there from the last time he was there. Were they? They were probably just a congratulatory present from someone.

" Hey babe." He answered as he came in.

" Hunter." Stephanie exclaimed nervously. She quickly dropped the flowers on the couch and uneasily stood up.

" I have something to give you, Steph." Triple H said. He knew this was going to make her happy.

" What is it?" She asked. Hunter then handed her a little black jewellery box.

" I've been meaning to give you one for a long time. I know this whole wedding wasn't exactly perfect the first time." Triple H replied as Stephanie opened the box. Her face lit up in surprise and happiness.

" Oh my god, Hunter this is…" She was at a loss of words. The ring was absolutely amazing…or smashing, as the annoying doctor she had seen last week kept saying.

Triple H waited anxiously for Stephanie's response. He had arranged for the ring in the past few days. It had cost him a lot of money…that huge rock on the ring alone was worth more than half of his wrestling memorabilia.

He had decided to give the ring to her before the wedding; he alone wanted to see her reaction. On his journey to receive the ring, however, he had run into Arn Anderson who had given him a Fed-Ex package. Triple H didn't know who sent it or what it was, but he didn't really care.

This day was his wife's day. This day was their day.

" Wow. Hunter, this is gorgeous. I love it!" Stephanie said with tears welling in her eyes.

" I wanted everything to be perfect." Triple H responded. Stephanie gripped his hand and caressed it slightly. She then leaned up and gave her husband a passionate kiss.

" It is." She replied with a smile, as she hugged him. Her eyes then suddenly caught sight of the roses still on the sofa and a frown replaced the smile.

~*~*~*~

Chris Jericho

Once he had retreated to his own locker room (he is the Undisputed Champion after all)…Jericho lost it.

Chairs, titles and bottles went flying around the room. He kicked and threw everything in sight.

" What the hell is going on in here?" Edge exclaimed as he ran in, followed by his brother Christian and Kurt. Chris threw a decoration to the floor where it shattered into many pieces.

" Chris, are you okay? What the hell happened?" Christian asked in concern. Jericho ignored them and picked up more stuff.

" Chris!" Kurt yelled, as Edge and Christian held him back. Jericho collapsed onto the leather sofa in exhaustion.

" What's the matter, man?" Christian asked.

" Chris, let it go." Kurt stated, knowing deep down what was troubling his best friend. Jericho looked up at him with cold eyes. Edge and Christian looked back and forth at their friends.

" What's going on guys?"

" Let her go." Kurt whispered. But Edge and Christian caught it.

" Let who go? Whose she?" They both asked simultaneously. Kurt and Chris ignored them. The two were preoccupied in their own staring match. Chris then quickly looked away as he glanced at the television screen, the one object he hadn't touched.

" Whoa dude! You are not going to throw that thing!" Edge shouted. Jericho blew them off with a huff, his eyes not on the actual television, but at the image.

He looked intensely at Stephanie and Triple H's interaction. Her sadness explained as Vince not walking her down the aisle was forgotten when Triple H reassured her that it was 'their' day.

And the kiss they shared before Stephanie departed.

Edge and Christian noticed Chris's intense fascination with the conversation shared between the McMahon-Helmsleys.

" What's going on, Kurt?" Christian whispered to the Olympian. Kurt looked at Chris sadly.

" Nothing, man." He looked at his friend who hung his head in grief.

" Nothing anymore."

~*~*~*~

Triple H

Hunter poured himself some champagne and absently sat on the couch watching a recap of the last match. He soon realised that he had sat on the red roses that Stephanie had placed on the sofa and winced in pain.

" Damn thorns." He moaned as he picked the bouquet up and placed them on the table on the side, next to the Fed-Ex package he had received earlier. Triple H examined the package, realising he had almost forgotten about it in all the haste.

" No name." He noted. The number one contender glanced at his watch, noticing that he had enough time to watch whatever was on the tape before the wedding ceremony. He popped the tape into the VCR and grabbed his glass of champagne.

Maybe it was some wedding present.

Triple H took a sip of his champagne, only to spit it out within the first few minutes of the tape. He sat on the edge of his seat, watching image-by-image go by. And by each image passed, his reaction grew angrier and angrier. His face became redder and redder.

Triple H shut the tape and threw his champagne glass at the wall viciously, where it shattered into pieces whilst growling in anger.

Champagne dribbled down the wall as Triple H collapsed onto the sofa and covered his head with his hands.

No one other than him saw the tape.

No one knew what was on it that had made him furious.

No one knew what was on that tape that had me him infuriated moments before his wedding.

~*~*~*~