A Christmas to Remember
Chapter One
"Come on, wake up Steph" The words sounded fuzzy and faint as Stephanie started to come to. But yet she still couldn't quite make out who's voice that was, but it sounded familiar. All she could make out was that it was a man's voice. "Where am I" Steph pondered out loud. Steph opened her eyes and started to try to look around. "Oh my god I can't see. What the hell is going on?" Suddenly Steph broke down in tears. Steph felt someone pick up her hand and starting rubbing it soothingly. "Steph, Steph it's ok, calm down I'm here. You're in the hospital. I brought you.. "HOSPITAL?!?!?" Steph sat up suddenly and started to feel the room start to spin. "Woah, and she put her hand up to her head. "Here, lay back down. I am so glad that you're awake, you know you really had me worried there." She felt someone guiding her to lay back against the hospital bed. "Do you want a glass of water?" "Yeah, that'd be nice, but why am I here?" Steph asked shakily. "What's going on? God I feel like I was hit by a truck." She started to let herself relax a little. "You don't remember anything?" "Well, let me start at the beginning, you're name is Stephanie McMahon and you are the daughter of Vince and .." "I know who I am, I just don't know why I'm here. God what the hell is going on" and with that Stephanie started crying harder. "Woa, calm down, I'm here I won't leave your side, here's your water and I'll tell you everything. But you have to promise me that you're going to calm down." And with that this mysterious guy handed her a water glass and picked up her hand and held it protectively. Steph accepted the water and took a deep breath. "I was on my way back to the hotel after walking down to the Christmas display down the block when there was a couple of guys ganging up on this girl. So I yelled at them and started to run towards them. I must have scared them off. I got over to the girl and she was unconscious face down. I turned her over and it was you. I couldn't believe it. I picked you up and carried you back to the hotel and put you in the back seat of my rental car and drove you here." Is it starting to come back yet?? Steph started to think back and slowly it started coming back to her. Her and Paul started off discussing the show and slowly it developed into thinking back to old times when they had the McMahon-Helmsley era going on and they had fired Foley and called it their Christmas present to everyone. And Kurt brought his family out and were singing Christmas carols. But slowly the nice conversation started to turn to remembering other times which led to the bad times. Next thing she knew they were having in all out fight yelling at each other as loudly as possible. And it ended with Stephanie bawling and running out of the hotel room. Down the stairs she flew and out into the cold, crisp December night air. She started out on a walk to clear her head. "Damn how he can make me mad. Why do I let his still linger in my heart, she pondered to herself as she wandered through the downtown scene. Pretty soon she was freezing cold, damp from the falling snow and decided to go back to the hotel before she caught pneumonia. As she was approaching the hotel she felt someone grab her around the mouth and something jabbed her in the back. "Listen lady, do as I say and you won't be hurt too badly, understand?" She nodded acknowledging what the man had said. Tears trickling down her face. "Don't even think about screaming." She nodded again praying that they would just leave her alone. She felt another guy grab her by the arm and start dragging her into the dark alley. "Oh my god I'm going to die" she thought desperately. Soon the guys were starting to pull at her clothes and if she tried to resist they would slap her around. Finally the first guy became enraged with her trying to resist and threw her to the ground. That was the last thing she remembered was hitting her head hard on the pavement below. Steph started shaking. She felt her hand get squeezed. "It's ok Steph, I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you. By the way, what were you doing out and about at 1:00 a.m.? This is Manhattan, it's just not safe for a pretty girl like you." The mysterious man questioned. "Ok, I can't take it anymore. Who are you? "It's me Matt Hardy. You know, version 1?" he asked teasingly. "Look, don't worry about it." Steph let herself relax a little. "Ok, now why can't I see, I never let you answer me." "The doctor said that from the trauma that your head sustained, your brain swelled a little, and until you woke up, he was uncertain if that would affect your vision, but give it a couple hours and it'll return." Matt assured her. "Matt, thank you so much. Paul and I got into it pretty bad and I got pissed ran off and I was on my way home. I guess I never realized how late it was. I don't know how to repay you." Steph replied graciously. "But they're sure that I'm not blind forever right?" Steph asked nervously. "Yup, I double-checked for you." Matt replied. And you don't have to repay me, I'm just glad that you're ok." Matt was still stroking her hand protectively. Matt looked down at her in the hospital bed and started to smile. He had always had a little crush on the "billion-dollar princess" and here he was in the hospital with her, holding her hand and being her knight in shining armor. "God I feel just exhausted. What else did the doctor tell you?" Steph asked while trying to get comfy in the very uncomfortable hospital bed. "Here let me help" Matt said and started re-arranging her pillows and fluffing them. "The doctor said that you have a pretty serious concussion and you're not allowed to be alone for the next 48 hours. Do you have someone you want me to call so you can go home? Matt advised Steph. "It's no fun to celebrate Christmas alone." Steph started to think about who to call when it dawned on her. This was the year she was going to be going to Paul's family because all of hers was dispersed around the world doing their own thing. Her mom and dad went to Honolulu early as a Christmas present to themselves, Shane, Marissa and the baby were headed to Marissa's family and she was going to go to Paul's. But then they broke up right after Thanksgiving. And she had never thought about it. She found she was surrounding herself with work so she wouldn't think about the break up but now they're all off and here she was sitting in a hospital bed. " Some Christmas" she thought to herself. Soon she found herself having tears slowly falling down her cheeks. "Well, I'll be spending Christmas here then because I have nowhere to go where I won't be alone." Steph said quietly while trying so hard not to cry. Crying made her head hurt even worse then it already did. "What?" Matt responded quite loudly. "There is no way I'm going to let you spend Christmas in the hospital alone. Why don't you come home with me for Christmas?" "I can promise you some of the best cooking around and some good company." Matt asked. "Gee, it would be really great if she would come with to dad's" Matt thought to himself. "She's had a really rough year, she deserves a nice, calm get away." "Matt I can't do that to you. You're going to be with your family, the last thing you want is me following along. Look, I'll be fine, I can just stay here and.." Matt cut her off abrubtly "Stephanie Marie McMahon, I won't take no for an answer. This will be a nice change of pace for you." "Are you sure Matt, I mean I'm not from the south, I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb and I'm going to be imposing on your family." Steph asked shyly. "I don't want to put anybody out" "Trust me, you'll be an honorary member of the Hardy family. And as far as not wanting to put anybody out, my house is finished, and we'll stay there and there'll be no problems. I'll just call and let dad know that he'll need to set one more plate at the table." Matt responded. "Why don't you get some rest and we'll call the doctor after you get a nap" "Ok, that sounds good." Steph replied. She closed here eyes and suddenly she heard her door open. "Who is it? Who's there? Steph asked terrifyingly. Tears sprang to her eyes again. "Steph, it's me Matt, I was just going to step into the hall to call dad. Do you want me to stay in here with you?" Matt asked feeling sheepish for scaring the hell out of poor Steph. "I'm so sorry Steph, I didn't mean to scare you." "It's ok Matt" Steph choked out. "But, could you stay...never mind, I'm fine, go ahead.' Steph started to ask but then felt stupid. "I'll be fine" "No, I'll stay in here with you. I'll call from the room phone and then I'll just put the call on my card." Matt replied. He pulled up a chair and picked up Steph's hand and started to rub it lightly. Steph soon drifted off to sleep to the sound of Pearl Jam playing softly on the cd player in the room.
Matt sat there next to Steph gazing down at her adoringly. "God I wish I could make her mine" Matt thought to himself. "I would treat her so much better than Paul ever did. But what would I have to offer her. All I am is a mid-carder, I could never give her everything she deserves." Matt picked up the phone and quietly advised his dad that he would be bringing a gift to Christmas dinner. "Is this a prospective girlfriend Matthew?" Gilbert Hardy asked his eldest son. He knew that Matt hadn't had a steady girlfriend since him and Amy broke up years ago. "I wish dad, but no" Matt replied. "Look, I'll see you soon, and do me a favor. Tell Jeff and Beth to treat her like one of the family. She's had a rough last couple of days." Matt asked. "Don't you worry, we'll make sure she has a Christmas to remember." Gilbert replied. And with that his dad hung up. "Yeah, a Christmas to remember is exactly what I would like to give Stephanie," Matt began to think and with that he laid his head on his hand on the bed and started to doze off.
Chapter One
"Come on, wake up Steph" The words sounded fuzzy and faint as Stephanie started to come to. But yet she still couldn't quite make out who's voice that was, but it sounded familiar. All she could make out was that it was a man's voice. "Where am I" Steph pondered out loud. Steph opened her eyes and started to try to look around. "Oh my god I can't see. What the hell is going on?" Suddenly Steph broke down in tears. Steph felt someone pick up her hand and starting rubbing it soothingly. "Steph, Steph it's ok, calm down I'm here. You're in the hospital. I brought you.. "HOSPITAL?!?!?" Steph sat up suddenly and started to feel the room start to spin. "Woah, and she put her hand up to her head. "Here, lay back down. I am so glad that you're awake, you know you really had me worried there." She felt someone guiding her to lay back against the hospital bed. "Do you want a glass of water?" "Yeah, that'd be nice, but why am I here?" Steph asked shakily. "What's going on? God I feel like I was hit by a truck." She started to let herself relax a little. "You don't remember anything?" "Well, let me start at the beginning, you're name is Stephanie McMahon and you are the daughter of Vince and .." "I know who I am, I just don't know why I'm here. God what the hell is going on" and with that Stephanie started crying harder. "Woa, calm down, I'm here I won't leave your side, here's your water and I'll tell you everything. But you have to promise me that you're going to calm down." And with that this mysterious guy handed her a water glass and picked up her hand and held it protectively. Steph accepted the water and took a deep breath. "I was on my way back to the hotel after walking down to the Christmas display down the block when there was a couple of guys ganging up on this girl. So I yelled at them and started to run towards them. I must have scared them off. I got over to the girl and she was unconscious face down. I turned her over and it was you. I couldn't believe it. I picked you up and carried you back to the hotel and put you in the back seat of my rental car and drove you here." Is it starting to come back yet?? Steph started to think back and slowly it started coming back to her. Her and Paul started off discussing the show and slowly it developed into thinking back to old times when they had the McMahon-Helmsley era going on and they had fired Foley and called it their Christmas present to everyone. And Kurt brought his family out and were singing Christmas carols. But slowly the nice conversation started to turn to remembering other times which led to the bad times. Next thing she knew they were having in all out fight yelling at each other as loudly as possible. And it ended with Stephanie bawling and running out of the hotel room. Down the stairs she flew and out into the cold, crisp December night air. She started out on a walk to clear her head. "Damn how he can make me mad. Why do I let his still linger in my heart, she pondered to herself as she wandered through the downtown scene. Pretty soon she was freezing cold, damp from the falling snow and decided to go back to the hotel before she caught pneumonia. As she was approaching the hotel she felt someone grab her around the mouth and something jabbed her in the back. "Listen lady, do as I say and you won't be hurt too badly, understand?" She nodded acknowledging what the man had said. Tears trickling down her face. "Don't even think about screaming." She nodded again praying that they would just leave her alone. She felt another guy grab her by the arm and start dragging her into the dark alley. "Oh my god I'm going to die" she thought desperately. Soon the guys were starting to pull at her clothes and if she tried to resist they would slap her around. Finally the first guy became enraged with her trying to resist and threw her to the ground. That was the last thing she remembered was hitting her head hard on the pavement below. Steph started shaking. She felt her hand get squeezed. "It's ok Steph, I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you. By the way, what were you doing out and about at 1:00 a.m.? This is Manhattan, it's just not safe for a pretty girl like you." The mysterious man questioned. "Ok, I can't take it anymore. Who are you? "It's me Matt Hardy. You know, version 1?" he asked teasingly. "Look, don't worry about it." Steph let herself relax a little. "Ok, now why can't I see, I never let you answer me." "The doctor said that from the trauma that your head sustained, your brain swelled a little, and until you woke up, he was uncertain if that would affect your vision, but give it a couple hours and it'll return." Matt assured her. "Matt, thank you so much. Paul and I got into it pretty bad and I got pissed ran off and I was on my way home. I guess I never realized how late it was. I don't know how to repay you." Steph replied graciously. "But they're sure that I'm not blind forever right?" Steph asked nervously. "Yup, I double-checked for you." Matt replied. And you don't have to repay me, I'm just glad that you're ok." Matt was still stroking her hand protectively. Matt looked down at her in the hospital bed and started to smile. He had always had a little crush on the "billion-dollar princess" and here he was in the hospital with her, holding her hand and being her knight in shining armor. "God I feel just exhausted. What else did the doctor tell you?" Steph asked while trying to get comfy in the very uncomfortable hospital bed. "Here let me help" Matt said and started re-arranging her pillows and fluffing them. "The doctor said that you have a pretty serious concussion and you're not allowed to be alone for the next 48 hours. Do you have someone you want me to call so you can go home? Matt advised Steph. "It's no fun to celebrate Christmas alone." Steph started to think about who to call when it dawned on her. This was the year she was going to be going to Paul's family because all of hers was dispersed around the world doing their own thing. Her mom and dad went to Honolulu early as a Christmas present to themselves, Shane, Marissa and the baby were headed to Marissa's family and she was going to go to Paul's. But then they broke up right after Thanksgiving. And she had never thought about it. She found she was surrounding herself with work so she wouldn't think about the break up but now they're all off and here she was sitting in a hospital bed. " Some Christmas" she thought to herself. Soon she found herself having tears slowly falling down her cheeks. "Well, I'll be spending Christmas here then because I have nowhere to go where I won't be alone." Steph said quietly while trying so hard not to cry. Crying made her head hurt even worse then it already did. "What?" Matt responded quite loudly. "There is no way I'm going to let you spend Christmas in the hospital alone. Why don't you come home with me for Christmas?" "I can promise you some of the best cooking around and some good company." Matt asked. "Gee, it would be really great if she would come with to dad's" Matt thought to himself. "She's had a really rough year, she deserves a nice, calm get away." "Matt I can't do that to you. You're going to be with your family, the last thing you want is me following along. Look, I'll be fine, I can just stay here and.." Matt cut her off abrubtly "Stephanie Marie McMahon, I won't take no for an answer. This will be a nice change of pace for you." "Are you sure Matt, I mean I'm not from the south, I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb and I'm going to be imposing on your family." Steph asked shyly. "I don't want to put anybody out" "Trust me, you'll be an honorary member of the Hardy family. And as far as not wanting to put anybody out, my house is finished, and we'll stay there and there'll be no problems. I'll just call and let dad know that he'll need to set one more plate at the table." Matt responded. "Why don't you get some rest and we'll call the doctor after you get a nap" "Ok, that sounds good." Steph replied. She closed here eyes and suddenly she heard her door open. "Who is it? Who's there? Steph asked terrifyingly. Tears sprang to her eyes again. "Steph, it's me Matt, I was just going to step into the hall to call dad. Do you want me to stay in here with you?" Matt asked feeling sheepish for scaring the hell out of poor Steph. "I'm so sorry Steph, I didn't mean to scare you." "It's ok Matt" Steph choked out. "But, could you stay...never mind, I'm fine, go ahead.' Steph started to ask but then felt stupid. "I'll be fine" "No, I'll stay in here with you. I'll call from the room phone and then I'll just put the call on my card." Matt replied. He pulled up a chair and picked up Steph's hand and started to rub it lightly. Steph soon drifted off to sleep to the sound of Pearl Jam playing softly on the cd player in the room.
Matt sat there next to Steph gazing down at her adoringly. "God I wish I could make her mine" Matt thought to himself. "I would treat her so much better than Paul ever did. But what would I have to offer her. All I am is a mid-carder, I could never give her everything she deserves." Matt picked up the phone and quietly advised his dad that he would be bringing a gift to Christmas dinner. "Is this a prospective girlfriend Matthew?" Gilbert Hardy asked his eldest son. He knew that Matt hadn't had a steady girlfriend since him and Amy broke up years ago. "I wish dad, but no" Matt replied. "Look, I'll see you soon, and do me a favor. Tell Jeff and Beth to treat her like one of the family. She's had a rough last couple of days." Matt asked. "Don't you worry, we'll make sure she has a Christmas to remember." Gilbert replied. And with that his dad hung up. "Yeah, a Christmas to remember is exactly what I would like to give Stephanie," Matt began to think and with that he laid his head on his hand on the bed and started to doze off.