Randy saw Rob jump onto the top rope out of the corner of his eye and groaned, ignoring the throbbing pain in his gut. He knew, better than anyone, that the pain would soon pass. Just before Rob Van Dam had a chance to turn around and see that Randy was standing, he rushed at him and pushed him off the top rope. Randy watched as Rob smacked his head against the barrior. His eyes widened. He stood back and watched the fans reaction as Rob slowly got up. He looked over at JR and Jerry who only looked back at Randy, disappointed and obviously confused. It wasn't written in the script. Randy swallowed hard and remembered what Stephanie had said to him earlier. She wanted Rob 'taken care of'. Even though he didn't like those words coming out of Stephanie's mouth, and that it scared him, he still had given her his word. And he never backed down on his word.

Randy slid out of the ring and stalked over to Rob. Grabbing his hair he threw him into the metal post then into the ring. As he slid in, Rob kicked him. He went to punch him, but Randy blocked it and hit him back. Acting quickly, he delivered a DDT, lying Rob out for the count. Randy stood up and smirked as the ref pushed him away and went to aid Rob, who wasn't moving. He looked around and laughed as the ref signaled for help. He jumped out of the ring and grabbed a chair from the corner.

JR's eyes widened and he covered the mic with his hand and glared at him. "What do you think you're doing with that?"

"Stay out of this, donut boy," Randy snapped, going back into the ring. He smirked as he held the chair up, much to the fans disapproval. He grabbed the ref by the shirt and tossed him aside as he brought the chair down, making a sickening sound.

Stephanie smiled and shut off the television as she turned to her computer. "How's that for a statement," she muttered proudly.

A knock was heard on her door as she looked up to see John standing there. "John," she said, surprised.

He smiled weakly at her and walked in, closing the door. "Sorry for just dropping in but I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay."

He cleared his throat. "Well, first I came to see how you're doing."

Stephanie frowned and shut off the computer screen, standing up and straightening out her skirt. "My Dad spoke to you."

He nodded. "Yeah."

She stood in front of him and leaned against her desk folding her arms across her chest. "I'm a big girl, John. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But Heyman's a maniac."

Stephanie smiled slightly. "Is that…are you worried about me?"

He shifted his stance and shook his head, avoiding her smirking expression, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "No," he muttered.

She laughed. "Oh my god. The Champ," she mocked, making him frown as he looked back at her. "The man who swore to strike down Dalip is playing a protective puppy dog to his boss," she mocked. John stared at her. She laughed again. "Seriously, what are you here about?"

He shook his head and took off his hat to rub his hand then placed it back on. "Uh, I wanted to talk to you about…last week."

"What about it?"

"Well," John said, getting more uncomfortable. "I was just wondering…if it meant anything."

Stephanie blinked. "Um, I don't know." John studied her closely. "I mean, with everything going on with the company…I never really gave any thought to it," she admitted.

John frowned and stepped up, close to her, smelling her perfume, as his hand gently touched her eyebrow. "Where'd you get that from?"

Stephanie hissed and swatted his hand away as he touched a cut on her eyebrow. "Ow!"

He held up his hands. "Sorry," he muttered. He looked at her as she walked over to the mirror on the wall and examined the small wound. "What happened?"

She frowned as she touched it. "I don't remember." She blinked several times, trying to remember.

The blood on the sink and floor…

He walked up from behind her and gazed at her in the mirror. "Steph…"

She slowly turned around and looked up at him in his piercing blue eyes. "John," she breathed. "You really don't want to get involved with me."

He shook his head, brushing back a strand of her hair, astounded with her, as he smiled and shook his head. "No," he whispered, pressing his body against hers. Stephanie closed her eyes and sighed. The contact struck up lightning between them and her heart beat rose, feeling the sexual tension between them. "Ever since I laid eyes on you," he said, bringing his lips close to her. "I love you."

Something in Stephanie snapped within her. Stephanie pushed John off of her and walked around him. He spun around and looked at her in confusion. "What?"

Stephanie looked at him with wide eyes. "Did you hear what you just said to me?" she demanded. He shrugged looking at her sadly. "You said you loved me. John, you don't even know me!"

John held up his hands. "Okay, maybe that was a little forward. But I still meant it."

Stephanie shook her head. "No, you didn't."

John narrowed his eyes. "How would you know?" he snapped. "I say what I mean."

She sighed. "John-"

But she was cut off when he walked up to her, cupping her chin with his hand, and kissed her passionately. Despite the uncertainty she was feeling, Stephanie didn't break the kiss. Instead, she slid her hand up his shirt and leaned in further. She moaned as he rubbed her backside then picked her up and placed her on her desk. He regrettably broke the passionate kiss and stared into her eyes as she panted. "Steph…are you sure?"

Instead of answering, she leaned in and kissed him. He didn't argue as he cleared the desk of all the objects and papers and laid her flat, leaning over her. He gazed into her eyes as she proceeded to take his shirt off.

Vince stormed into the back lot of the arena and scowled as he saw Paul Heyman leaning up against Stephanie's car. "Heyman, what the hell are you doing here?"

The former General Manager smiled at his former boss and stood up straight, walking towards him. "Hey Vince. How are the kids?"

"You better answer me dammit."

Paul raised his hands, offended. "Now, now. No need to get all testy. I didn't come to start a fight."

"Then why are you here?"

Paul shrugged. "Just came to give you some wide words of advice." Vince raised his eyebrows. "Get your daughter out of this, Vince. She'll only get hurt."

Vince glared at Paul. "Is that a threat?"

Paul laughed heartily and patted Vince on the back. "Vinnie, Vinnie, Vinnie. You never learn do you? You and your family are just so hard headed that you never learn?" He glared at Vince in the eyes. Even though he was shorter, he never backed down. "WWE is mine. I'm sick of being undermined by that bitch daughter of yours and I'm sick of being ignored and passed off. I loved this job before I met you and your daughter. All you two have done for me was taint it. ECW was my field and yet you continue to ruin it!" he replied angrily. "Those days are long over. My first, last and only warning. Get your family out of this because this is a war. No more scripts, no more rehearsals and practices." He grinned at Vince as he glared at him with pure hatred. "Enjoy the rest of the night, Mr. McMahon."

Vince watched as Paul walked out of the arena just as Adam and Randy ran up beside him. "What was that?" Randy asked.

Vince continued to stare as Adam asked, "Want us to go after him?"

Vince shook his head. "No." He turned to them, seeing the disappointment in their eyes. "We will, soon," he reassured them. "But we have to be smart about this. Stephanie was right about one thing…this is a war now."

John slipped on his shirt as Stephanie zipped up her skirt. She brushed back her hair and picked up her heels as she glanced at the mess on the floor. John noticed her looking around and raised his eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

Stephanie bent down and started to pile the papers together. "No, it'll just take me forever to get these papers back in order."

"Here, lemme help," John offered, picking up various files and papers as well.

"John, it's okay," Stephanie said. "I know you have a match soon."

"Yeah well, I don't think I'm really in any condition to be wrestling now," he said.

Stephanie looked up at him sharply and saw the cocky grin on his face. She laughed as he pulled her into him and kissed her tenderly. Once they broke away, he gazed into her eyes and said softly, "Steph…what is this to you?"

Stephanie blinked a few times and pushed John off of her again as she stood up. "I already told you…"

"Just, tell me what you're feeling," he asked, standing up.

She sighed and looked at him. "I…" She was cut off as her phone began to ring. She looked around, trying to figure out where it was, as John rolled his eyes. Stephanie moved a pile of papers and picked up the phone. "Stephanie Mc…" John watched her closely as Stephanie glanced at the floor then at John, her eyes filled with excitement. "Yes, thank you." Stephanie closed the phone and smiled at John.

"What?"

"Paul's coming back," she said happily. John blinked. "Our Paul," she clarified.

John nodded as he grabbed his hat. "That's great."

Stephanie frowned. "Why aren't you happy about that?" she asked. "Paul is one other person to help us drive the nail into Heyman's coffin."

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

"Aren't you?" Stephanie asked. "Heyman is like a virus, invading our job, hurting the people we care about, destroying our careers…" Stephanie watched John and sighed. "Look, I know what you want to hear….but I'm not sure if it's something I can say."

"Why not? Don't you feel the same way I do?"

"I don't know you that well, John," Stephanie said. "Don't you understand that?"

John shrugged. "Don't you at least want to try?"

So many thoughts entered Stephanie's mind at that moment. The possibility of her and John dating and hitting it off. Of it ending badly. It didn't come at a good time. The war with the newly darkened ECW and Heyman didn't lighten things up. But then, what if Stephanie didn't give it a try? What would she miss out with John and could she really stand to see him with another woman?

Stephanie sighed and she looked down at her hands. "You know," she said softly, looking up at him. "I think I can," she admitted.

John smiled. "Really?"

Stephanie returned his smile. "Yeah." He laughed and hugged her tightly, kissing her. "Don't say I never warned you though," she added.

John nodded and confessed, "I talk in my sleep."

Stephanie laughed. For the first time in a long time…she laughed.

John ran to the gorilla as Vince glared at him. "Where the hell have you been?"

John looked at Vince sheepishly as Randy handed him his belt. "Sorry."

"Whatever," Vince said, clearly not in the mood to figure out what John was doing before. "Listen to me…when you get out in that ring, I don't want you to spend all of you energy."

John wanted to laugh, but instead he said, "Why not?"

"We have bigger fish to fry and tomorrow night we're gonna cook 'em," Vince replied sinisterly.

John just nodded as his music hit and he went out there, ignoring the massive boos that filled the arena.

Trish knocked on the door and opened it slightly as she saw Stephanie picking up papers on the floor. Her eyes searched the office until they laid upon Stephanie. "Did a tornado come through here?"

Stephanie looked up and blushed. "Oh, uh…"

Trish smiled and closed the door, leaning against it. "So, um, John was in a fairly good mood just now even with your father breathing down his neck."

Stephanie stood up. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

Trish laughed. "Stephanie, you never were a good liar." Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Looks like you two had fun," she said. "Quite a few times," she muttered. Stephanie ignored her best friend. "So I heard that Paul Heyman made an appearance in the parking lot."

Stephanie's head snapped up and her eyes widened. "What?"

Trish nodded as Stephanie rounded the desk and walked outside quickly with Trish behind her. "He's gone now, Steph."

"What was he doing here?"

Trish shrugged. "I think he was just messing with your father."

"I'm gonna kill him," Stephanie muttered angrily.

"Hey, on a lighter note, sort of," Trish said. "Randy took out Robert."

Stephanie stopped and turned around. She couldn't help but to smirk. "Really."

Trish stared at her. "Steph…did you tell Randy to do that?"

Stephanie only giggled as she walked into the control room with Trish following her.

From the shadows, Jim Fullington watched Stephanie and dialed a number on his phone. After a few rings, he said, "Yeah…I got her."

On the other line he listened as the voice said, "Take care of her."