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Torment of Tantalus

Chapter 2

Hunter Hearst Hemsley looked up as his fiancée walked into the room. Evolution was sprawled out over the two couches, watching the monitor as RAW continued. Triple H immediately picked up on Stephanie's mood as she sat down beside him. "You okay?" he asked, worry in his eyes. She sighed heavily.

"Yeah, I'll be alright," her eyes were on the monitor, but she didn't pay attention to what was playing.

"What happened?" he pressed. "I thought you just went to get some food..." he trailed off, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I wanted to tell Chris about our engagement," Stephanie told him, and Hunter tensed. "I know you don't like him, and I know it's vice versa, but he's my best friend, Hunter. I want him to be there for the wedding."

"He upset you, Steph. I don't call that much of a best friend," Triple H said, his eyes on hers. Stephanie sighed, biting her lip.

"He was worried that I'm making a mistake because of all the bad stuff we've been through," she told him, her voice slightly defensive. "Can't you just accept the fact that we're best friends?" she asked, her voice strained.

"I'm sorry, Stephanie... I just don't like to see you upset." He sighed as she put her head on his shoulder. She didn't say anything more and neither did he. The conversation had been closed. Hunter looked at Stephanie, and suppressed an inward chuckle. 'Stupid, oblivious Stephanie,' he thought to himself. 'Chris was right, you did make a mistake. He always was too smart for his own good.' He felt a smirk tug at his lips. 'Stephanie, so weak, so in love with love. All I had to do was send some flowers and put on the charm. She doesn't suspect a thing!' he paused as the World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Benoit, came onscreen.

It was no secret backstage that Eric Bischoff was going to be fired soon; Vince McMahon taking control of the show back. It was no secret, either, that since breaking up with his little girl, Triple H was not on his best list. 'Not anymore,' Hunter thought. 'As long as Daddy's little girl is by my side and happy, Vince will do what I want, when I want. From here on out, Stephanie is my ticket to stay on Vince's good list; to get the matches I want; to get my title back. She'll never suspect why I'm really getting married to her. She thinks I'm in love with her; ha! That's a laugh. I can't imagine anyone ever being in love with that woman.' He paused for a moment, struggling to keep his grin to himself. 'I should watch Chris a little more,' he thought, frowning slightly as he thought of the Canadian's involvement in his fiancée's life. 'He knows who he's dealing with, and isn't near as stupid as Stephanie is. I can't afford to have Stephanie around him so much. Of course, keeping Stephanie away from him will be easy. He painted himself in a corner, telling her that she was making a big mistake.' He silently played with her hair, unable to stop a smile from forming on his face. 'The plan is foolproof. I'm going to put Chris Jericho out of Stephanie's life, marry the witch, and get the World Championship,' his grin widened.

No one would suspect a thing.

Chris Jericho leaned against the set of lockers behind him, closing his eyes softly. He knew better than to let emotion get the best of him—what would people say if someone walked in, and he was crying?—but unbidden, Stephanie's words came back to him.

"Can't you just appreciate it that we're in love with each other, and we're together again? Forget the past. That's your problem, Jericho: You never let go of the past."

'Is she right?' he wondered silently, and then shook his head. Maybe he did, but Stephanie was the exact opposite. It would've done her well to remember the past when Hunter showed up. Of course, she didn't. And now...they were getting married. The thought chilled him to the bone. Stephanie McMahon-Hemsley. He ran a hand through his hair. Stephanie wanted his blessing; she wanted him at the wedding? Chris shook his head. He could barely cope with just the thought. There was no way he was going to the wedding.

There was no way he was giving Hunter and Stephanie a blessing.

He rubbed his temples with one hand. As Stephanie had told him about Hunter, he'd wanted to scream. "Did the last two weeks mean nothing to you? Did our kiss mean nothing to you?" He hadn't found his voice in time to shout those words. Thinking about them, Chris sighed heavily. Two weeks, and everything was going his way...and then Hunter came along. Jericho banged his head against the lockers, cherishing the pain that ran through his head. Anything to get his mind off the pain in his heart...

Stephanie had just gotten over Hunter, and he'd just gotten over Trish. They'd gone out a lot, at the movies, hung out, all friendship-like things to do. Was he the only one that sensed the chemistry between them? 'No,' he thought, shaking his head. 'Or otherwise, she wouldn't have kissed me back that night.'

The pain came in waves now. Chris just sighed, closing his eyes again. What he wouldn't give to have the blackness come over him and take him away from consciousness. 'Look what you've done, Jericho,' he thought to himself sourly. 'You were getting over Trish! You were well on your way to being single again! And then sometime along the way, you stupidly fell for Stephanie McMahon.'

Stupid move or not, Chris knew there was no way to reverse it. He would have to live with the fact that Stephanie was Hunter's fiancée, and that he loved Stephanie.

That didn't mean, however, that he would accept it. Chris stood suddenly, grabbing the strap to his duffel bag and leaving the room. He hated Hunter Hearst Hemsley with a passion.

And as a friend, or more, he would do everything in his power to make sure that Stephanie didn't marry Hunter.