They had traveled through the night with Jericho at the wheel. The first rays of morning light were just appearing, and beside him was Stephanie, who was snoring lightly. Not like a buzz-saw, more of a heavy sighing. Chris smiled slightly, he couldn't help but think it was the cutest thing he had ever seen and heard.

He turned to the right on the road he was on and pulled into the parking lot of the nearest motel and switched the engine off. He looked into the rear-view mirror in front of him. He looked as tired as he felt. Chris let out a long yawn and turned towards Stephanie.

He reached out and shook her gently, but Stephanie just mumbled something slightly and remained asleep. This time he shook her just a little harder and she stirred from her sleep and finally woke up.

Stephanie looked around, disorientated, wondering where she was. She looked to her left and saw Chris Jericho. Confusion came over her for a second, then she remembered the events of the other night. She smiled over at him and then finally realized that they had stopped moving.

"Where are we?"

"Denver."

"Denver? We're in Denver?"

"Yeah, we're stopping here on our way to Winnipeg."

"To your own house?"

"Yeah. Home sweet home."

"But won't that take forever?"

"It'll be a couple of days at least. We're going to stop here so I can get some much needed beauty sleep. I'm not this handsome without a good couple of hours in bed. Then we're off on our own little road trip."

"Are you sure it'll be safe enough to stay in Winnipeg? What if Hunter tracks me down? What will I do then?"

"We."

"We?"

"You said, 'What will I do' the question is 'What will we do?' If he does manage to find us I'll deal with him. Don't worry that won't happen though, he won't find you, not till you're ready to be seen. It's my parents home anyway, my home is in Florida. You don't need to worry Steph, I won't let him get you, I'll keep you safe. I promise."

"Thank you Chris."

"It's no problem Princess."

They exited the car, getting their bags out from the backseat and headed over towards the man at the reception desk to book a room. Chris made small talk with the man at the desk until he had gotten his details and given them a room to stay in for the night. Chris and Stephanie headed towards their room, heading up the metal stairs that lead to the second story and along to Room Number 12. Chris opened the door and they headed in.

Once inside they both dropped their bags to the floor and took a look around. The room itself was pretty basic. It had two beds that were only separated by a night-table that had a lamp and a telephone on top of it, a television that looked like it had seen better days and a door which probably lead to the bathroom.

Chris looked over towards Stephanie and had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing at the look that had appeared on her face. She looked at the room as if someone had just puked their guts out and hadn't bothered to clean up afterwards. It was plain to see that this was not what she was used to.

"Don't worry Princess, it's only for a couple of hours then we'll head off again and try to find a better one when we next stop."

"No...No it's fine, it's not like I'm going to get a disease from just breathing the air in here...right?"

Chris laughed.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that won't happen in here."

Stephanie smiled at her own stupidity.

"I'm sorry that I sound ungratefull but this is new to me, I am very thankful that you have helped me Chris, even though you didn't need to. I'm glad to be anywhere that doesn't included Hunter. So I guess this isn't the worst place I've ever been."

"He really has put you through hell hasn't he?"

Stephanie looked away from Chris and sat down on top of her bed.

"You have no idea. Being with Hunter was...was, there's no word for how bad it was when I was with him. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone."

"You're not with him now, you won't ever be again, I swear Steph if he touches you again I won't be held accountable for my actions."

Chris sat on the bed opposite Stephanie and leaned forward, he took her hands in his and gently stroked his thumb back and forth over them. He looked up at her and took her in. She looked completely different than what he was used to. She had no make-up on and her hair was straight. Other than the clothes she was still in from last night there was not trace of the evil Stephanie McMahon everyone was used to seeing. This Stephanie looked innocent and vulnerable.

"Can you tell me how long it's been going on for, how it started in the first place?"

"O...ok."

Stephanie took a deep breath and let the words flow from her mouth.

"It all started after Kurt had that thing for me, Hunter couldn't stand the thought of someone else being attracted to me. So one night, it was just after the show had finished and we were in our dressing-room. We were arguing over what Kurt had done earlier in the show and I must have said something and the next thing I knew, he had smacked me across the face and I had ended up on the floor. I couldn't believe that he had actually touched me like that and he just looked down at me laying there, and he just turned and walked away. He didn't even apologize. Afterwards things just got worse, he'd hit me for stupid things, like leaving clothes laying about, stuff like that. I finally got the courage to tell him that I was leaving, but he didn't like that at all, so he beat me up and left me in the middle of the floor unconscious. It has been going on ever since, and he'd control what I'd wear, who I would talk to and if I told him no or disagreed with him I'd get hit till I finally agreed. Now I'm here with you, of all people."

"That bastard! I can't believe what he's been doing to you! What he's put you through! He had no right to touch you! God, I want to kill him so much."

"Chris, I'm ok now. With you."

Chris looked at her and smiled softly at her. His hands still held hers and he gave them a little squeeze.

"How do you feel, now that you've said it out loud? That you're not the only person carrying this around?"

Stephanie thought for a moment, thinking about all she felt now that she was away from Hunter, and had someone that actually cared for her.

"Like a weight has been taken off my shoulders. That I'm not alone anymore, someone actually cares a....about me, an...and I'm s...safe."

Chris could tell that she was trying not to cry in front of him. Trying not to be weak. He didn't care if she cried in front of him, after all that she had been through, she'd never be weak in his eyes ever again.

"You can let it out you know, it won't make you weak. It might even make you feel better than you do right now."

He watched her face. Her eyes glazed over with unshed tears, then the first tear fell, then the second and the third and fourth, until there was to many too count and all he could do was watch.

He made a decision and pulled her forward to him and sat her on top of his knees, then he wrapped his arms around her as she leaned into his chest.

Stephanie had never felt more secure and safe in her entire life.

As Chris held her in his arms as she cried, seconds turned to minutes which became hours. He had lost track of how long he had held her for. All he knew was that she had cried all the tears she had, had and fell asleep exhausted.

He slowly stood up with Stephanie in his arms and gently put her onto her bed. He made a move towards his own bed but Stephanie had a hold of his hand and it didn't seem she was going to let go of it anytime soon, so he lay down behind her and wrapped his free arm around her pulling her to him. He drifted off to sleep listening to her heavy sighing with a smile on his face.