Title: Floating Up

Chapter 2: Memories

Author: Kora

E-mail: KrazyKora@aol.com or WinterViolet24@aol.com

Rating: R

Disclaimer: The following characters belong to WWE and all the people and companies who deal with all that legal stuff. I am simply using the characters for my own twisted enjoyment. All warnings featured on Part 1.

------------------------------

Last time I talked to you

You were lonely and out of place

You were looking down on me

Lost out in space

Laid underneath the stars

Strung out and feeling brave

Watch the riddles glow

Watch them float away

You're falling back to me

The star that I can't see

I know you're out there

Somewhere out there

You're falling out of reach

Defying gravity

I know you're out there

Somewhere out there

-Our Lady Peace, 'Somewhere Out There'

------------------------------

Stephanie sat in her office, rubbing her forehead worriedly as her father and brother paced back and forth. They were both red faced, clutching the white flyers that had been filtered around ruthlessly. Vince's hands looked as if they were about to bleed, the papers crushed in his grip.

A Secretary poked his head in, a frown creasing his forehead, "Mr. McMahon-"

"What!" Vince and Shane snapped simultaneously.

"I interviewed all the Smackdown staff and Superstars about the situation. They either found the flyers on their desks or taped to their lockers. The perpetrator did a clean sweep, making sure everyone got a copy. I also called up to the RAW offices, they all received copies too. Eric Bischoff, all of his staff and Superstars know as well about Ms.McMahon's...er...situation."

"Fuck!" Vince bit out harshly and pounded a fist on Stephanie's desk, making her visibly jump in her seat. Shane rushed to her side, "Are you okay, sis?"

She nodded but swallowed, feeling terribly nauseous. She held a hand over her eyes, breathing out slowly, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"You look pale." Shane said, trying to sound gentle but his voice was too strained. Still, he managed to brush her cheek softly, making her force out a weak smile, "I'm fine, Shane-o. Don't worry about me."

Vince was still cursing, his words black enough to make the Devil shrink back. He rested his fists on Stephanie's desk, "How did this get out? How! Who would..."

"It's obvious, Dad," Shane hissed, rising away from Stephanie to face his father, "Only you, Stephanie, and I knew about what happened to Stephanie."

"Shawn." Stephanie whispered on the tiniest breath. Her father and brother turned to her. She tried again, her voice still coming out meekly, "Shawn knew."

"And Shawn, now he did find her after the attack but-I mean, I may not be the biggest Shawn Michaels fan but he wouldn't do this. He wouldn't take pictures of her and-and pass them around like they were candy! No, this was someone else. And I think you and I know who that someone is, we just don't want to say it."

Stephanie closed her eyes shut tightly. She could practically feel the tension in the room. Even with her eyes closed she knew her father and brother had come over to her, kneeling down beside her chair. She could hear their breath, the heat coming off their bodies and then her father spoke in the most delicate manner, a way she'd never even heard him speak, "Stephanie, sweetheart?"

Stephanie let out a shaky sigh and opened her blue eyes, showing that they were glazed. He sucked in a breath before continuing, "Stephanie, do you-you remember anything? Anything at all from that night?"

A notch formed between her eyes as she tried to think, it looked as if she was almost confused by the question. She looked away from Shane and Vince, looked past them as if trying to see through them and into the next room. She tried her hardest to remember but all she seemed to come up against was a brick wall. She shook her head, "No. I don't see anything. It's like...like my mind's blank."

She could see the disappointment on their faces, could feel her father's anger. She knew he wasn't mad at her, he was mad at the situation but that didn't make her feel any less disappointing. If only she could pull up something. Anything. Suddenly there was a smart knock on the door. Before Vince or Shane could even answer it, it burst open. Shawn stood there, wild eyed.

Stephanie shot out of her chair and bounded to him, "Oh Shawn!"

She thrust herself into his all ready waiting arms. He crushed her to him and placed a kiss on her forehead, "I got here as quick as I could. Thank god I wasn't that far away..."

"Thank god." She agreed, squeezing him back, "Usually RAW's stars shoot their shows so far away..."

"I know, I know. Good thing I had some time off or...Jesus, Stephanie, I'm just happy I can be here for you."

"Me too." She whispered and pulled away from him, holding him at arm's length, "Now stand up straight so I can get a good look at you."

He did so, a grin on his face, "You giving me an inspection? You only saw me two weeks ago. Can't imagine I've changed that much."

She brushed a finger along his hair. This time it was tightly pulled back, showing off those high cheekbones. Her finger descended to his cheek and then went along his jawbone, diving under his chin to tap a spot, "Here, this is new."

"Hmm?" Shawn found the spot she'd touched, finding a tiny white bandage, "Oh yeah, cut myself shaving."

"Shaving. Huh, I wonder what you would look like with some fuzz on your face." She teased.

"A grizzly bear." He said with a wink when they both heard Vince clear his throat. They turned and both looked a bit abashed. They got so carried away with their own unique banter they often ignored others. Stephanie couldn't have been anymore grateful. At least Shawn's idle talk had given her a reprieve from the dark matter at hand. The tears no longer stung her eyes and she no longer felt as queasy. However, thinking of those flyers easily brought up the unease again.

"Shawn." Vince said and held out his hand. Shawn gave it a firm shake, "Long time no see."

"You too, sir. Wish it could have been under better circumstances."

"Yes, I agree. I suppose I owe you something of a thank you for taking care of my daughter after she was...left at a disadvantage."

"I did what I could, Vince. No more than that. Honestly I wish I had been able to do more."

You did everything, Stephanie didn't say as Shane went over and offered his own sober 'hello'. Stephanie didn't know why Shane was so temperamental around Shawn. Vince had more to hold against Shawn than her brother did, yet he treated him with the utmost civility. Shane seemed to only tolerate his presence because he had to.

Stephanie retook her seat as the men went off in their own private discussion. Her head still aching slightly. Shawn looked at Vince, his eyes uncharacteristically serious, "May I see the flyer?"

"Here." Vince said and handed him a copy.

Shawn swallowed as he saw the picture. It was the same picture that haunted his nightmares, the one imprinted on his brain. Stephanie covered in bruises and scratches, her skin white, her lips a tight violet blue line, her eyes wide open with shock, her body contorted into a fetal position. Clothes torn, hair mixed with filth from the gutter, her body soaked from head to toe by the cold downpour that had been raining that night. The night she was raped and left for dead. The night he found her. The memories came back to him unbidden as well as the flood of emotions that had rocked him then and he found himself loosing his balance. He took a firm grip of Stephanie's desk.

"You all right?" Vince asked.

"Yeah. Just need some air. God, I remember finding her...it was so-well, it scared the shit out of me. When I saw her like that I didn't know what to do and at the same moment my heart broke in two. Shit Vince, it was the saddest thing I'd ever seen in my entire life. Who takes a woman like her, someone so strong and just-just uses her up, crumples her and tosses her to the side like a tissue? And who the fuck takes a picture of her afterwards?"

"You-you think he was the one who took the picture too? Who passed out the flyer?"

"Of course, Vince, who else would do it?"

"Well I did bring your name up," Shane commented dryly, "But I also mentioned to my father that I doubt you would do something like this."

Shawn's gritted his teeth, "Of course I wouldn't, Shane. I care about your sister! I would NEVER do this to her!"

"Calm down, Shawn, no one's accusing you of anything." Vince said.

Shawn and Shane glared at each other then both men seemed to back down, Shane stepping closer to Vince and Shawn heading over to Stephanie. Vince and Shane talked to each other in hushed, heated whispers, but it was easy to overhear, despite how low they tried to talk. Stephanie could hear them mentioning how the flyers had even ended up at RAW's offices, which must have meant that her attacker had an accomplice. After all, how else could they have gotten passed around at two locations at once?

Hearing this made Stephanie's skin pale all over again. The thought of her rapist having someone help him, the fact that it was not one but two people conspiring to ruin her was more than she could take. Shawn could see her lose color and he knelt down next to her, his hand reaching out to play with a few loose strands of her hair, "Hey pretty lady, whatcha thinking?"

"Nothing." She whispered, her eyes cast on the floor. Shawn just continued to kneel next to her side, a hand still in her hair. She smiled at the act, finding it comforting as she tried to zone out the sound of her brother and father's conversation, not wanting to hear anymore. Her eyes searched for something to focus on. After the attack she had found it common to find herself focusing on some object and dissecting it with an almost abnormal amount of attention.

Unfortunately this time her eyes landed on one of the flyers that rested on the floor. It was crumpled badly, some of the ink worn. She could still make out the title 'Stephanie McMahon-Broken' but her picture was a bit blurred. She found her eyes focusing on the picture of herself. All the sound in the room seemed to fade away followed by the light, her whole being falling into some sort of hum as she kept focusing on the picture. The memories began to flash before her eyes, making her want to snap her head back.

He grabbed her from behind.

She struggled.

He forced her to the ground.

The pavement scrapped her skin.

She smacked at his shoulder.


He twisted her wrist.

Her skin burned.

It blurred out, then came back again to some spot new, some memory after…

He tossed her in the gutter.

'This is where you belong, Stephanie.' He had said.

He pulled out something.

'Smile, this is for posterity,' he'd whispered.

There was a flash.

A snap.

He'd taken a picture.

'I want to remember this night for the rest of my life. Don't you, Stephanie? No, I suppose you don't. But I know you will. You'll never forget it for as long as you live. And this picture will be my little momento of our wonderful evening together,' his voice had been full of rancorous humor.

"Stephanie?"

Stephanie shook, her eyes wide as she breathed in the quietest voice, "He took a picture."

"What?" Shawn asked calmly. Vince and Shane had both stopped talking, both having rushed to Stephanie's side, hanging on her every word. All three were crouched around her.

"He...he took a picture. I remember." She pressed a hand to her forehead, her body still trembling, "He took a picture. For posterity. He said...he wanted to remember...oh, Shawn-why is he doing this to me?"

The end of her comment ended in such a tiny cry that it tore at Shawn's heart, making him pull her into his arms again, "I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know. But we'll get him. I promise you."

"He's right, Stephanie. This idiot's just made the biggest mistake of his life. And I swear to you, I will find him and make him pay. No one does this to my daughter and lives! No one does this to a McMahon and lives!" Vince vowed.

Suddenly the door to Stephanie's office burst open again. Hunter stood there, looking about as wild as Shawn had when he'd entered. The secretary from earlier looked completely at a loss, sputtering, "I-I tried to stop him. Mr. McMahon but he..."

"Where's Stephanie!" Hunter roared.

"Hunter..." Vince started but Hunter pushed past him. The moment he saw his ex-wife in Shawn's arms he froze, his whole body so rigid it seemed startling. His body was so big and powerful that the whole room seemed to quake under it, he stared at Shawn with such intensity and pure venom in his eyes that anyone else would have shrunk away, "What is he doing here?"

"Could ask you the same." Shawn spit back, jumping to his feet. After what had happened to Stephanie he was in the mood for a good fight and there was certainly no lost love between Hunter and himself. Stephanie, feeling a fight coming on, leapt between both men, "Guys, please, don't-"

"I heard about what happened. Got the flyer and flew down here as soon as I could. I wanted to check up on you and I find him here." Hunter hissed.

"Hunter..." Vince started again but Shane jumped in, only making matters worse as he shouted, "No Father, I'm glad he knows! Glad he's here because he's my number one suspect!"

Hunter turned on Shane, his fury boiling over to where his body shook with it as he bellowed, "You think I did this! I would NEVER touch her like that! I would NEVER hurt her! Who the fuck do you think you are! You don't know a goddamn thing and I-"

"EVERYONE PLEASE!" Stephanie cried, her voice cutting sharply through the air, "There is way too much testosterone in the room! Please just...let me talk to Hunter. Alone."

Shawn and Shane both began vocalizing their disapproval but Stephanie eventually managed to win them over. She escorted them out of the room-her father first, followed by Shane, and lastly Shawn. Shawn looked between her and Hunter anxiously, before he was out of the room he pulled her close, "Stephanie, if you need me..."

"Shawn, I'll be all right. He's just my ex-husband. I know how to handle him." She assured him.

"I know you can handle yourself, Stephanie. I just..."

"You're worried and I thank you for it, Shawn. I know how much you care."

Do you? He didn't ask, instead choosing to nod and back down, allowing her to shut the door to her office. She turned to Hunter. They both stood alone in the room. She managed a shaky smile, feeling the unease in the room. She saw several things had fallen to the floor and bent down, picking them up and clucking her tongue, commenting on how messy her office was getting.

"Is it true, Steph?"

She froze in mid action and rose to her standing position, meeting his warm gaze. This man had been her husband once. Those eyes-she used to get lost in them. His arms-she used to rest in them. She sighed, her head bobbing up and down, "Yes, Hunter, I'm afraid it is."

"Then," he swallowed thickly, "Then you were really..."

"I was raped, Hunter."

His eyes squeezed shut as if she had just stabbed him, the admission obviously painful, "When."

"After the House Show in Seattle."

"That was three months ago." He said with some shock.

"Yes."

"Why-well why didn't you tell me?" He asked flabbergasted.

"Because I didn't think you'd want to know."

"Wouldn't want to know! Jesus, Stephanie!" Hunter hissed.

"Hunter, we're divorced! I'm your ex-wife! You've moved on. You have a life now and I didn't think it would be of much interest to you."

"Stephanie, God, of course it is! We may be divorced but...I mean this is a big thing and I just thought you would of..." Hunter looked so lost and confused. He looked around the room and found a chair, sitting down, "Is-is everything okay? I mean..."

"He didn't get me pregnant or give me an STD, though I still have to get tested every couple of weeks, you know, follow-ups and all if that's what you mean. I went to the doctor and got checked out, filed a report. I'm in therapy now but..."

"Oh God," He breathed, rubbing a hand over his face, resting it on his mouth a moment before asking, "How...I mean how did you-do all of this? That picture you were in..."

"I was in the gutter. He raped me and left me there to die. Someone found me."

"Who?"

She gave him a sad smile, "Why don't you ask your ex-best friend."

Hunter leaned back, looking so blown away that in any other circumstance the look could have been construed as funny, "Shawn?"

She nodded.

"Shawn found you."

"Shawn found me, took me to the hospital, took care of me."

"Oh God," Hunter breathed, a hand running through his hair, "Shawn. Fuck."

"He was very good to me, Hunter. I know you two are having your tiff but...he was good to me. Anyway, now you know so you can go ahead and get back to your life and..."

"Jesus, Steph, I know I'm shallow but not that shallow, all right? I'm not going to just take all of what you told me and flush it away because it filled in some gaps, okay? I mean...it's all kind of hard to swallow. What happened to you and Shawn and," Hunter sighed and rose to his feet, he walked over to her and looked down into her eyes. He reached out a hand and touched her cheek, making her eyes widened. She stepped back a little, caught off guard.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"It's okay. I just," she scratched behind her ear idly, "I have a hard time with people touching me since..."

"Oh God." Hunter repeated, the words his new phrase for the evening. He pulled back his hand, his eyes still locked with hers, "Stephanie, baby, I'm so glad you're okay. That you lived and that...I wish I could have told you this sooner, when you needed it."

"That's all right, Hunter. Thank you. I appreciate it. Really." Stephanie said, offering him a sweet smile. He smiled back and moved from foot to foot, asking in a surprisingly unsure voice, "Would you-would you like to go out with me? For dinner? We-we could catch up."

Stephanie looked a bit stunned by this. Was this the same man who had so recently been flaunting the belt he had not deserved? Was this the same man who gloated about his ability? She looked deep into his eyes and saw the look of the man she remembered having married. The man she had fallen so deeply in love with that she had thought they would be together forever.

She bit her lip, "I don't know if that's such a good idea, Hunter."

"Please, Stephanie?" He asked and reached out to take her hand in his own, squeezing it gently.

She sighed, relenting, "Okay."

He grinned and drew her hand up, kissing it quickly, "Thank you."

She felt a tiny blush creep over the bridge of her nose and nodded in his direction. He turned and left the office, leaving her to wonder what was going to happen next. And how in the world she would explain this to Shawn.