A/N: Just a side note for when you get down to the second part of this chapter… I'm honestly not a fan of Stephanie's writing… LOL, but for the sake of the story, we'll pretend. You'll understand what I mean when you get there. =) Keep reviewing guys, and thanks for the poll votes!!
PART 23
Adam glanced into the eyes of the World Heavyweight Champion in disgust... of all the people to run into at a time like this. Shaking his head, the Canadian made a move to go around him, deciding that he just wasn't going to put up with any crap, not tonight. However, Paul put an arm up, grabbing a hold of him and refusing to let him pass.
"Alright, what do you want, Paul?" he asked.
Paul could practically smell the disdain Adam held towards him as he kept a firm grip on his shoulder. He smirked haughtily, his eyes locking intensely with the green pair in front of him.
"Before you jump the gun, I'll have you know that I'm only here to help," he replied, releasing his grip slightly. Adam shrugged out of the burly man's now loose grasp, sending him a look of disbelief.
"I wasn't aware that I was in need of any help," he remarked dryly.
"I think you are," Paul said seriously, stepping backwards and leaning up against Adam's car. "And I'm just the guy for the job. I know that you and I aren't what one would call friends - or even aquaintences, for that matter - but I do believe we could become of great benefit to one another." Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Adam eyed Paul speculatively.
"Just what are you getting at?" he asked cautiously, wanting to kick himself for even *allowing* a conversation with a man like Levesque last this long.
"You want Trish, don't you?" Paul asked. Raising an eyebrow, Adam nodded.
"And?" he challenged.
"*And*, I'd be more than willing to help you get her... if you'll help me with getting..."
"Paul, you and Stephanie are done. If you think I'm going to help you steal her from Chris - who, need I remind you is one of my best friends - you're out of your damn mind," Adam cut him off. He had always thought of Levesque as a little crazy, but he had really gone off the deep end if he thought he would go along with this.
"It's not about Stephanie. I could care less about that no good little bitch," Paul replied harshly, though the bitterness in his tone signaled otherwise. "Now, if you'd kindly shut the fuck up, I'd love to explain this whole thing to you." Rolling his eyes, Adam reluctantly agreed.
"Fine, but make it quick. I don't have all night." A small, almost unnoticeable smirk of satisfaction crept its way onto Paul's face as he nodded.
"As I was saying, I'd be plenty willing to help you out with Trish... if, that is, you're willing to help me get Randy back," he explained. Adam sent him a puzzled look.
"Excuse me?" he asked. "What do you mean help you get Randy back?"
"Look, Randy's been moping around about Trish for over a month now and to be honest, I'm getting fucking sick of it. I want the Evolution Randy - the *real* Randy - back. The way I see it, if Trish moves on and finds someone new, he'll have no other choice but to get the hell over her. NOw, I've got plenty of ideas on how to make this plan work, but it'd be a hell of a lot quicker and easier if I had your help. What do you say?" he asked hopefully. Adam stood in silence for a moment, and he appeared to Paul to be deep in thought.
"You know what?" Adam spoke up after a minute or two, causing Paul to glance up expectantly. "I think I'll take my chances with Trish."
With that said, he turned his back to Levesque, strolling around to the opposite side of the car, sticking the key in and unlocking the door. He got inside, slamming the door shut behind him, unsure if the force he put into shutting it was natural or because of the anger he was feeling at the moment. Paul sighed, shaking his head as he slowly made his way to the other side of the car. He reached out and tapped lightly on the window, catching Adam's attention before he had a chance to slip the key in the ignition. He turned his head slowly, scowling as he rolled down the window.
"What?" he asked testily.
"I saw what happened in there, Adam. Do you really think you have a shot with Trish after the shit you just pulled?" Paul inquired, leaning down and sticking his head in the window.
"Okay, so maybe I made a mistake kissing her like that, but that doesn't in any way mean..."
"Yeah, Copeland, it does. Face the facts, man. Just admit it... you want my help. If I'm man enough to admit that I need your help, you should be able to do the same," Levesque interrupted, staring down Adam intensely.
Adam returned the glare, but at the same time, he found himself seriously contemplating, even iconsidering/i Paul's suggested plan. It was wrong, it was against everything he believed in... but it could work. As much as Adam was repulsed at the mere thought of Levesque, the man had a way of getting exactly what he wanted. The risk of working with him had a chance of being worth it. Besides, there was no actualy harm in simply hearing him out, right? Taking a deep breath, Adam found the door handle, opening it and motioning for Paul to step back. He stood and faced him, locking eyes with him as he spoke.
"What exactly did you have in mind?"
THE NEXT NIGHT
Chris yawned as he entered the hotel room he was sharing with Stephanie. He tossed his keycard onto a nearby table and headed into the room in search of the brunette.
"Steph?" he called, raising an eyebrow when he didn't find her in the living room or the bedroom.
Then, he heard a sound like running water, and Chris paused, listening in carefully. Sure enough, the shower in the bathroom was running. Breathing a sigh that could only be described as one of relief, Chris sauntered over to the bed, sitting down on it and settling back against the headboard. He grabbed the remote and switched the TV on, flipping aimlessly through the channels to pass the time until Stephanie got out of the shower.
About five minutes later, the water stopped and Chris heard the sound of the shower curtain swinging open. He tossed his legs off the side of the bed, his gaze shifting to the bathroom door as he watited for his wife to emerge. The minutes passed by slowly, and when the tiny strip of light shining underneath the door disappeared and Stephanie *still* didn't come out, he began to grow a little worried. His brow cocking slightly, he stood, slowly heading over to the bathroom. He tapped lighting on the door, pressing his ear up against it as he heard a small, almost inaudible sound. It sounded like... almost like a sniffle. His brow furrowing in concern, Chris graipped the knob gently and opened the door, gasping softly at what he discovered...
She was crying.
Upon hearing the door open, Stephanie's head snapped down, her eyes locking with the floor. She was sitting on the edge of the tub, a white towel wrapped securely around her. She looked absolutely beautiful - almost angelic - to Chris, and he couldn't help but gawk at her for a moment or two, but his concern for her overpowered his desire when she looked up and he saw the tears that had filled her eyes. He shook all such thoughts out of his mind, dropping to his knees at her side. He rested one hand on her thigh, the other gently coming up to brush the tears off of her freshly washed face.
"Hey... what's wrong?" he asked softly, moving his hand to the bare section of her back. Sniffling again, Stephanie simply shook her head.
"Nothing, nothing. I'm find Chris, really. I've just been thinking, and I got a little overemotional... don't worry," she assured him, failing miserably at her attempt to send him a reassuring smile. Chris's gaze didn't falter for a minute, and the blonde man didn't believe for a second that a word of what Stephanie said was true.
"Stephanie," he said in a tone so serious it almost sounded stern. "What is it?" Shaking her head silently, Stephanie rubbed the remaining tears from her eyes, thankful that she was no longer wearing any makeup.
"I'm fine Chris, don't worry... I'm fine," she said.
"Did something happen?" Chris asked, his heart beginning to ache at see her so distraught and not being able to do a damn thing about it. Stephanie drew her gaze over to him, her watery eyes meeting his.
"Well, yes and no. See, today, I was working, when I get a call from an executive at UPN. They say my creative abilities are awesome, and since the ratings have been going up, they tell me if I keep up the great work, I'll be one of the main reasons Smackdown is kept on the air. I've never been so excited about something, Chris. I was so proud of myself, I practically jumped out of my seat to run and tell someone... that's when I realized that I don't *have* anyone to tell. That's the kind of thing I'd want to tell my father, and it's almost like I don't have one. I went from feeling so ecstatic that someone had finally recognized me, to feeling so lonely and empty. I'm finally starting to realize it, Chris... I don't have a family," she explained, her voice staying surprisingly strong despite how crushed she had to be feeling.
"Stephanie, that's not true... sure, your relationship with your father has pretty much disentregated to nothing, but that's his fault, and *his* loss. You've still got your mother, and you know that Shane is..."
"Is my brother whom I never see because he's either working in Connecticut or at home in New York," Stephanie cut him off, shaking her head. "I hate to sound so bitter, but you don't understand, Chris. All any girl wants to do is please her father. I've tried so hard my entire life to make him proud of me, only to find out that that is just impossible. I just... I just wanted to make my Daddy happy, and now he despises me! My own ifather/i doesn't love me."
The tears instantly sprang back to her eyes, her words becoming choked with sobs as she buried her head in her knees. Chris jumped up, moving from the floor to the edge of the tub next to her. He wrapped a consoling arm around her shoulder, wincing as he felt just how badly she was shaking. He pulled her to him, hugging her tightly, allowing her damp hair to drape over his arm as he softly stroked her hair. He couldn't even begin to imagine how awful Stephanie must have been feeling. Chris had always had quiet a close relationship with his father Ted, and the thought alone of not having a father like his to share moments and create memories with absolutely frightened him. As he held Stephanie, Chris tried putting himself in the shoes of Vince McMahon, or any father for that matter. He couldn't comprehend how black a man's heart would have to be in order to act so coldly towards his own daughter.
"Hey, are you... are you okay?" he asked, a slight hesitance in his tone.
Glancing up at him, Stephanie gripped her towel and moved closer to him, not wanting to leave the comfort and refuge of his embrace, even if it was only temporary.
"I'll be okay, Chris. It's just that sometimes I get a little lonely... like nobody loves me," she explained.
She hoped that she hadn't come across as begging for sympathy, because that wasn't at all what she was aiming for. She just wanted to have someone who knew, someone to *understand* how she felt.
"Stephanie," Chris replied, brushing some of the loose hair awar from her face, "*I* love you."
Stephanie met his blue eyes, the tender and loving gaze in them more than enough to convince her. Chris found himself having trouble swallowing, an anxious feeling rising from the depths of his stomach. Before his heard could relay the message to his brain, Chris tilted her chin up and placed his lips on hers, kissing her for the first time. Stephanie closed her eyes, a soft sigh emitting from her lips as she kissed him back, her hand coming up to cup the back of his neck. The apprehensiveness slowly difted out of Chris's system, a wave of relief washing over him as he took notice to how eagerly she was returning the kiss. He had once again confessed to Stephanie that he loved her...
And if she still didn't believe it, then he would just have to show her.