Pairings - EB/VKM, SMH/HHH, HHH/SM
Series - TNA/WWE
Rating - M
Warnings - Language, Slash Themes
Disclaimer - I don't own anything. It is all owned by the WWE.
Summary - Eric violates the code and lands himself in a rather unusual situation.
Author's Notes - This is a work that involves slash fiction. If this is not your thing, consider yourself officially warned.
Word Count -
It was only a ten minute drive into town for that nights RAW and Eric was grateful for it, feeling rather uncomfortable in the silence between him and Stephanie. Wanting to smooth things over as much as possible he decided it would be a good idea to take Stephanie out to the nicest place in town which happened to be a rather posh Italian restaurant that had been doing business in Greenwich for as long as he could remember. He wasn't entirely sure why he chose this particular location to have what he hoped would be a rather productive chat with the youngest member of the McMahon family clan. It could have been in the hopes that with it being such a nice place in a town where she would be recognized that it would avoid their conversation from going south rather quickly or it could have been that famous rumor that she hooked up with Randy Savage when she was just a teenager and thus had a thing for Italians but whatever it was it seemed to be the right choice as Stephanie hadn't made any objections as they entered the parking lot and headed up the ornately decorated terra cotta steps inside.
"Mrs. McMahon-Helmsley it's been awhile!" Came the voice of an overly dressed man behind the counter.
"Yes it has. Eric this is Pierre. Pierre, this is Eric Bischoff." Stephanie said, making the mannerly introductions as was expected from someone of her standing.
"Nice to meet you, Pierre. Such a French name for someone who runs an Italian restaurant." Eric said.
"Yes well you will have to excuse me as anyplace that serves escargot is not up to my standards. Please, let me take you to your seats." And with that the trio made their way through the floor of crowded tables to a little booth with a pleasant view of the outdoors, the natural light a pleasant change from the artificial light to which they were accustomed to. Often times the artificial lights of hotel lamps and arena lights were the only kind those in their profession would see for months on end and as they settled into their seats Eric watched as they both visibly perked up in the warm light much in the way a pair of daisies would in the early morning sun and it set them both at ease for the moment.
"May I start you off with something to drink?" Pierre said as he flipped open a leather notebook that had been tucked into a pocket of his apron.
"Yes please, uh... let's see I'll have the usual." Stephanie said, looking at Eric to signal his turn to order.
"I'll have whatever she's having." Eric said as he reached for the laminated plastic menu that had been placed before him, examining the offerings.
"Perfect! I'll be right back." Pierre said before rushing to the kitchen doors to fill their order.
"Stephanie..." Eric began.
"Before you even start don't. O.K., just don't. If your little plan was to make me mad because you think I will go whining to my father and get you off the hook then you are sadly mistaken because I don't give up that easily for anyone, ESPECIALLY you." Stephanie said in her business tone of voice which signaled to Eric that he might actually be able to talk his way through this mess.
Realizing that Stephanie needed to vent off a little more steam from earlier before he began to inform her of what he thought would be a reasonable arrangement for the both of them he merely sat at attention and waited for her to continue working her frustration out of her system. After all her problem wasn't really with him it was with her husband, he reasoned, he just happened to be the person at hand who had to listen to all of their marital problems as if he didn't have any real problems of his own to deal with and if listening to her rave on for a little while meant that he got his way in the end then he had no problem pretending to care for the moment.
"You think you can protect me from Hunter? What can you do that security isn't already doing for me?" Stephanie said as she waited expectantly for Eric to respond.
"I'm not doing it for you Stephanie, I'm doing it for your father and unlike your security team, who by the way are likely to quit on the spot when confronted by any real threat, you can always count on me to do what is in my best interests, which for the time being, means making sure that you stay out of harms way." Eric said bluntly, watching as his words registered in her mind.
"Well then what am I worried about. When you put it that way it makes perfect sense. If there is one thing I can rely on you for it is that you really will do whatever is best for you at the moment. I guess I'm safe now." Stephanie said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. Clearly his response wasn't the one she was looking for.
"You know Stephanie, Hunter is a smart man but I didn't get to where I am today without being damn clever myself and over my career I've had to out think Superstars that are a hell of a lot smarter and better than him. I've even had to outsmart Hunter before back when he was nothing in WCW. Him and his little Kliq buddies too." Eric added for emphasis. After all Eric had this situation under control for the time being. Panicking wasn't going to help either of them and if he could manage to cool Stephanie's anxiety down a notch or two with clear reasoning then all the better for him.
"Well... about that. You see..." Stephanie began nervously, unsure of how to word whatever it was she had to say.
"Well what?" Eric asked in the most neutral voice he could muster without it sounding forced, waiting for her to come up with some sort of witty comment about how he handles his business.
"I'm not sure how to tell you this but I kinda, maybe, sorta did sign Hall and Nash to Smackdown." Stephanie managed to say as she watched her own words register in Eric's mind and his facial expression turn from one of blank attention to one of realization and fury.
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Eric nearly yelled, barely able to contain his shock, anger and surprise as they sat along the edge of the room, no longer able to enjoy the rays of sunlight for the cloud of doom and gloom that Stephanie had just dragged over them. "What were you thinking!" Eric spat, drawing in his bottom lip and biting down in an attempt to stop himself from saying something to dig himself even further into the ever deepening ditch in which he found himself these days.
"I thought I was getting a big coup de grace over you at the time. I signed them before you told me about Hunter and Shawn. Look, Eric, the truth is that I'm scared. There I said it. It's out in the open now." Stephanie said, looking rather defeated.
Having gone from trying to calm Stephanie down to now trying to calm himself down Eric took several deep breaths. How could she do this to him?! With Hall and Nash on Smackdown Michaels and Triple H would no doubt defect to her show soon after and along with them a good chunk of RAW's ratings which meant his spot as top G.M. was now in jeopardy. If he had ever needed a good reason to hate Stephanie he now had one but he wasn't about to let her get the upper hand. Taking another deep breath Eric regained enough composure to see that this could be his chance to get what he wanted from Stephanie, her cooperation.
"Alright Stephanie. I'm glad that's out in the open. While we're trying to get on the same page is there anything else you have to tell me?" Eric asked, waiting to see if there was anything else she was hiding from him.
"No. That's everything, I swear." Stephanie said as she ran a hand through her hair and sighed.
"I don't know what you were thinking signing them... No I know what you were thinking but surely you realize this makes things a whole lot more complicated. I mean with those four back together again backstage antics are bound to take a sharp, skyward increase, your ratings will no doubt increase ten fold and now we not only have to worry about Hunter and Shawn but their two big buddies as well." Eric began, hoping that by laying everything out in the open that he could persuade Stephanie to see things his way.
"I don't know what we're going to do Eric." Stephanie said. "I admit I'm afraid but I'm not going to let them, you or anyone take away my spot as G.M.."
"I'm calling a truce." Eric said, much to Stephanie's shock and awe.
"Are you serious right now?" Stephanie said in disbelief that anything remotely human could come out of Eric's mouth.
"Yes I'm serious. Until this whole mess is resolved I promise I won't do anything else to gain sole G.M. power of both RAW and Smackdown so long as you promise to do what I say in order to keep you safe from those degenerates so I can keep my job as G.M. of RAW." Eric said flatly in the hopes of getting Stephanie to work with him.
"What are we going to do? I mean they aren't exactly known for playing nice and it isn't just me they'll be after." Stephanie asked, genuinely out of ideas at the moment.
"I don't know just yet. Let me think about it and I should come up with something by the time RAW is over with tonight." Eric said, the beginning of an idea already taking shape inside his head.