Chapter 26

"A pregnancy test? There's no way I need one of those," Stephanie declared.

"Stephanie, I studied this when I was in school, and I really do think you should get a pregnancy test," Trish insisted.

"But I can't... There's no way that I could be...that."

"Have you had sex lately?"

"That's a bold question to ask."

"Have you, or have you not?"

"The last time I was with Hunter was over a month and a half ago, and we used a condom," Stephanie said, remembering that night and purposely leaving out the fact that she and Chris had been having unprotected sex for the past few weeks.

"Condoms aren't one hundred percent effective, though," Trish pointed out. "The only way you can be sure that you won't get pregnant is by practicing abstinence..."

"You sound like my old sex ed teacher from middle school," Stephanie said with a small smile.

"I can't imagine being a sex ed teacher," Trish said, thinking about the sex ed class she'd taken in high school. "Rolling a condom on a banana does nothing to prepare you for rolling a condom on a throbbing, erect-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Too much information," Stephanie interrupted. "Now... Are you sure that I need to take a...well, that kind of test?"

"Positive. The way you described it..." Trish's voice trailed off.

"Fine," Stephanie agreed finally, running her fingers through her hair, feeling completely frustrated. "I'll take the test."

"Good, good" Trish said, looking critically at her. "You'll let me know the results of the test after you take it, right?"

"We're not friends, Trish, but I'll tell you if you do me a favor," Stephanie said after a minute.

"What's that?"

"Don't tell Hunter or Chris about anything."

Trish held her hand out. "Deal," she said, smiling at Stephanie.

Stephanie clasped Trish's outstretched hand and shook it, smiling back for some odd reason. Why was Trish being so nice to her, and why was she being so nice to Trish? Trish had destroyed her marriage to Hunter, had caused so many problems for her... But Stephanie knew the real reason she couldn't hate Trish fully, and it had nothing to do with the fact that Trish had just given her some good advice about what could possibly be wrong with her...

It was because Trish had practically given Stephanie the best thing in her life at the time...

It was because Trish had given her Chris...

Stephanie sat on the edge of the tub and closed her eyes. The pregnancy test she'd purchased just a few short minutes before rested unopened and unused on the counter near the edge of the sink. She was at her house with Hunter in Connecticut, locked in their bathroom, contemplating whether or not she was going to take the test. She'd told Trish that she would, but that had been three days ago...

What if she was really pregnant? What would she do? If she did turn out to be pregnant, she knew without a doubt that the baby would be Chris's. There was just no possibility that Hunter could be the father, especially not with all the unprotected sex she'd been having with Chris... She had to admit, she'd been reckless... She'd been all caught up in the moment and demanded that Chris take her, regardless of the fact that they'd run out of protection...

Maybe I want this, she thought, eyes still closed. Maybe I want to have Chris's baby...

With that thought in mind, she opened her eyes and stood up. She grabbed the pregnancy test and opened it, then proceeded to take the test quickly before she had the time to go back on her decision and change her mind. After that, all she could do was wait, so she sat back down on the edge of the tub and looked blankly at the wall.

What was she going to do?

She had been sitting there for only five of the required ten minutes when there was a knock on the door. She was startled out of her thoughts, and she stood up quickly. "Y-yes?" she called in a shaky voice.

"You've got a visitor," Hunter said, sounding grumpy.

"A visitor? Who?" she asked, not opening the door.

"Jericho," he spat, as if the name tasted nasty.

Chris is here? Oh my... She grabbed the pregnancy test and looked around for a safe place to put it. At the last second, she dropped it in the garbage and covered it with some tissue. That should be fine until I get back in here... Chris is here? All she could think about was the fact that apparently, Chris was at her house. She hadn't seen him since Tuesday night, and now it was Thursday afternoon...

"What's he doing here?" Hunter asked, grabbing her arm as soon as she came out of the bathroom. "Why is Chris Jericho at our house? Our house?"

"Chris and I are friends, you know that," Stephanie said, glaring at him. "Now it's got to be something important for him to come all the way here when he lives in Florida, so let my arm go so I can see what he wants."

"Steph, I don't want you hanging with him anymore," he said, letting her arm go and folding his own arms across his chest.

"You don't get to choose my friends for me, Hunter. Don't you get that?" she asked, folding her arms as well.

"He kissed you right in front of me!"

"On the cheek, or are you blind?"

"He was aiming for your lips," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what he's trying to pull, but there's definitely something up with him. I can sense it."

"Think what you want to think," she said shortly, turning on her heel and heading for the door. "Chris is waiting for me..."

"Steph... Stephanie, wait," he said, going after her. She turned around with a frown on her face, and he stepped closer to her, pulling her into his arms and hugging her. "I don't want to lose you, baby," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, shocked that he was hugging her and kissing her. When was he ever really affectionate with her this way?

"I'm talking about us, Stephanie... You're my wife, but when's the last time we shared a hotel room? When's the last time we even shared a bed?" he asked, still hugging her. "We've been home since Tuesday night, and we still haven't slept in the same room..."

"I've just needed some space, that's all," she said, breathing in his scent. It was still the same as she remembered it to be, and oh, how good he smelled... She felt herself snuggling closer to him, just to feel this body that she really hadn't felt in a long time...

"Space, huh? Well don't forget..." He pulled back a little and tilted her chin up, then gave her a soft kiss. She closed her eyes, and he pulled back. "Don't forget about me..."

"I won't," she whispered, opening her eyes and gazing up into his. She turned away quickly and practically fled from the room.

Hunter watched her go and smiled, but when she disappeared from the room, his smile disappeared as well. Why had he done that? Why had he kissed her when he didn't even want to be with her? Why had he said all those things when he was planning to divorce her sometime in the very near future? He didn't know the answers to any of his own questions, and it made him mad. The one thing he did know was that he loved Trish, and he was going to be with her...

Maybe a shower will calm me down, he thought, and then he headed for the bathroom...

Chris stood pacing back and forth in the entrance hall of Stephanie and Hunter's huge Connecticut home. He hadn't seen Stephanie since Tuesday night, and it had been pure torture for him. He couldn't be without her, and he'd realized that. He had come today to persuade her to leave Hunter...and that's just what he was going to do.

"Chris, what are you doing here?" Stephanie asked, walking down the stairs.

"I had to see you," he whispered, meeting her at the foot of the stairs. He pulled her into his arms and held her there, then kissed her. "God, I missed you..."

"It's only been, like, two days," she whispered back. "You can't survive without me?"

"No," he said honestly. "I can't be without you..."

She smiled at him, then kissed him. "I can't be without you, either..."

"If you feel the same way that I do, Stephanie, then why won't you just leave him?" he asked her quietly, his lips brushing her ear. "Why won't you just leave him and be with me?"

"I will, I just haven't figured out a way to tell him it's over," she replied in a voice just as quiet as his.

"Steph..."

"I'm working on it, Chris..."

He stepped away from her and stared intently at her. "Do you want to be with me? Really?"

"Yes... How could you think otherwise?" she asked, taking a step toward him.

"You're still with him, though," he said, looking away. "I was sitting at home wishing that you were there with me, but there's no way that you can be with me if you're with him."

"I'm yours, Chris, ok?" she assured him. "And I'll leave him soon enough. I just have to do it on my terms, when I'm truly ready."

"What if I'm already ready?" he countered.

"Chris..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at him. "I don't want to argue with you about this. Just wait for me."

"I've been waiting, Steph, and I'm tired of it. I dumped Trish for you, didn't I? For us?" he pointed out.

"You did," she conceded. "But it was different. You and Trish were only dating. Hunter and I, we're-"

"Married. That's obvious," he interrupted. "You don't have to keep reminding me..."

"I'm sorry, ok? But how the hell am I supposed to do it?" she asked loudly. "I mean, what do you want me to do? Just waltz up to him and say, 'Hunter, I cheated on you with Chris Jericho. I've been screwing him for months now, so I'm divorcing you.' Is that what I'm supposed to do?"

"No, you're supposed to tell him the truth. You're supposed to tell him that you love me," he said. "You're not supposed to make it seem like our relationship is just all about sex."

"But maybe that's what I want him to believe," she snapped.

"Are you serious?" he asked, mouth gaping. "You don't want him to know that you and I... That we're in love?"

"You're in love, Chris. I don't know what I am," she said, looking away from him.

He took another step away from her. "Excuse me?"

Don't make me say it again... Why did I say that in the first place? she wondered, but she didn't speak. She just looked over at a spot on the wall, feeling his eyes burning a hole in her.

"St... Steph? Don't you...love me?" he whispered, his voice shaking a little.

"I don't know anymore," she whispered back. "I mean, I do, ok? But not enough to just leave him so soon..."

"What do you mean, so soon? It's been months!" he exclaimed. "If that's not long enough, I don't know what is!"

"You can't just rush these types of things! You can't rush a divorce, Chris! But you wouldn't know that, would you, huh? Because you have never been married, have you?" she asked angrily.

"What a low blow," he said quietly. "I can't believe you would say something like that to me... Someone you supposedly love... But I'm beginning to wonder now if you ever truly meant that when you told me."

"You know what? I can't... Just leave," she said, turning her back to him. "I have so much going on right now, and I'm so frustrated. You just don't understand what I'm going through! I have so many things happening at once, so many bad things, and I don't want to keep arguing with you... I love you but you can't... I can't... Just go."

"I came all the way from Florida to be with you, and you're just going to make me leave?" he asked incredulously.

"My husband is right upstairs! What do you expect from me?" she asked, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. "What do you want from me?"

"I just want your love," he whispered, closing the distance between them and kissing her. "I just want your love..."

She kissed him back, putting her arms around his neck to pull him closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. She pulled back a short while later and stared into his eyes, biting her bottom lip nervously. "Chris," she whispered. He leaned his forehead against hers and she closed her eyes for a minute. She opened them shortly after and spoke again. "You better go..."

"Why did that just feel like a goodbye kiss?" he asked, his voice catching as he looked into her eyes.

"Stephanie!" Hunter called from the top of the stairs, causing them both to look up. He was standing at the top of the stairs holding something in his hand, and he had the most shocked look on his face. "You and I need to talk."

"Chris, we'll have to talk later," Stephanie said, tearing herself away from him. She looked up at what Hunter was holding and prayed that Chris didn't recognize what was in her husband's hand. "I'll call you, ok?"

"Fuck it," Chris said shortly, turning away from her and heading for the door. "When you make up your mind and do what needs to be done, let me know... Until then, don't bother." He walked out the door and slammed it shut behind him, not looking back once. He headed for his rental car, and once he was inside, he did something he never did, ever...

He cried.

He didn't know why, but it just felt like things between him and Stephanie were over. What had happened? He didn't know and he couldn't understand, but it all hurt... Everything hurt...

Meanwhile, in the house, Stephanie looked over at the door Chris had just disappeared through. She wanted to follow him out and tell him that she did love him. She wanted to tell him that she'd divorce Hunter right away, that she'd tell Hunter the real reason why she was leaving him... She wanted to tell him everything that she felt for him, all the different things he made her feel...

But she couldn't make herself move, because then she remembered what Hunter was holding in his hand at the top of the stairs.

"What just happened here? What was he talking about?" Hunter asked, coming down the stairs. "Why's he all pissed, and why were you in his arms?"

"We had an argument," Stephanie said absently. What an understatement.

"You know what? That's not important right now," he said, holding up the object he held in his hand. "What's important is this. Exactly when the hell were you going to tell me that you're pregnant, huh?"

"I'm... I'm pregnant?" she asked, eyes getting wide. She snatched the test from him and looked at it. "No, it's... It's wrong."

"I looked at the box to see what the lines meant. You're pregnant, Stephanie... Why were you hiding this from me?" he demanded.

"I'm pregnant," she said to herself, completely ignoring him. "I'm going to have a baby."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her. "I'm your husband. I think I deserve to know that we're going to be parents."

He thinks this is his? she thought, a wry laugh escaping from her mouth. "I'm pregnant," she said again, shaking her head. "How fucking ironic..."

"What are you talking about? Steph?" he asked, looking suspiciously at her. "What are you..."

But Stephanie didn't hear the rest of his sentence, because all of a sudden, her whole world went black...

A/N: This chapter was hard to write...and I DON'T LIKE IT! Seriously! Well, at least we know she's pregnant, even though that was kind of obvious before... Read and review, please... I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up because life is really hectic right now...