"Steph! Can you get the phone?" shouted Chris. Stephanie rolled her eyes. "I'm making dinner!"

"Well I'm just out of the shower! And you're closest!" he called back. Stephanie sighed and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey gorgeous! How goes it?"

"Heya Lydia, just cooking dinner. How are you?" Stephanie cradled the receiver between her shoulder and ear and continued stirring. Lydia laughed. "Great! I got a new job, so my hair is currently black with light blue streaks. Looks wild."

"What kinda place let's you dye your hair that colour?"

"It's a funky second hand clothes shop. My boss actually suggested it." Lydia sounded satisfied. "Anyways, the reason I'm calling, somehow, we've managed to scrape the cash together to get cable and the boys are insisting on ordering Wrestlemania 12... you and Chris wanna come round and watch it?"

Steph felt her stomach knot up. Previously, when anyone had ever mentioned the WWF, she'd managed to keep out of the conversation. Now however... She bit her lip. Could she keep her composure throughout an entire PPV, especially with her father on commentary?

"Steph? You there?" Lydia's voice brought Stephanie back to the present. "Yeah, sorry. When is it?"

"April 2nd. I think."

"Uh, I'll see what we've got on. Chris might be out of town for a match, and since it's a weekend, I'll probably be with him." Steph stalled. Lydia sensed her hesitation. "It's no big deal. Just thought you guys might be interested."

"I'll get back to you ok?"

"No problem. Catch ya later." They hung up as Chris called out. "Who was that babe?"

"Lydia. They've managed to get a cable hook up and Edge & Christain have ordered Wrestlemania 12. Lyd was wondering if we were interested in going around there and watching it with them." Stephanie diced up the chicken angrily. Chris laughed. "Would I?" He came into the kitchen and watched her attack the food. "What's wrong hon?"

"Nothing."

He came up behind her and took the knife out of her hand. "Steph. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, give me the knife back."

"You really think I'm gonna give you a fatal weapon in the mood your in now?" Chris raised an eyebrow. Stephanie glared at him. "I'm not in any kind of mood, give me the knife."

"I'm not giving you the knife!"

"Well someone's gotta make dinner!" shouted Steph. "And god knows you're not exactly a gourmet cook yourself!"

"OK, so I cheated for Valentines Day." Chris admitted. "But I can cook and I don't take out my anger on the innocent."

All the negativity seemed to rush out of her then. She collapsed against Chris, tears streaming down her face. He wrapped an arm around her waist and stroked her hair. "It's ok baby. I promise, it's gonna be ok."

"How can you say that when you don't even know what the problem is?" Stephanie turned her tear stained face towards his. Chris kissed her forehead. "Because there's nothing that you and I can't get through together. I mean it."

"Oh god!" Stephanie burst into tears again. "I don't deserve you."

"Actually it's the other way around. I don't deserve you. But I've got you and I just want to make you happy." Chris said seriously. "Now tell me, what can I do to stop the tears?"

"Hold me." She sobbed. "Just hold me tight until it all goes away."

He guided Stephanie over to the couch and pulled her onto his lap, rocking her gently and whispered soothing words until she had cried herself to sleep. Chris sat there, still stroking her hair and thinking.

There was so much about Steph he didn't know, so much he wanted to. He guessed that tonight's tears had been set off by something to remind her of home. She rarely spoke of her parents, and only occasionally about Shane but Chris was certain she thought of them more often then she let on. He also certain that no matter how alone her home life had been, for the most part she was happy there and she got homesick at times. Eventually, he dozed off too.

Some time later, they were woken by the phone ringing.

"I'll get it." muttered Stephanie sleepily. Chris laughed, having snapped wide awake at the sound of the phone. "If you'll just get off me, I'll answer it."

He leapt over the back of the couch and snatched up the receiver. "Hello? No, I was having a nap." - laughing "Not usually. Yeah for sure."

Stephanie's ear's pricked up at the tone of Chris's voice. She looked over the back of the couch but his back was to her. He kept talking. "Yeah that's good for me. Yes, I do - no, I understand. I can definitely understand that. Yep, ok I'll see you then. 2pm on Saturday afternoon? Can't wait. Bye."

He hung up the phone and turned to Stephanie, an excited look on his face. "Babe, you're not gonna believe it."

"What's happened?"

"That was Eric Bischoff on the phone. He's the owner of WCW. They're in town this weekend for a show. He wants me to go in and wrestle a dark match, see what kinda form I'm in." Chris picked Stephanie up and twirled her around. "If they like what they see, they'll have a contract for me."

Stephanie stared at Chris in shock. "Bischoff? WCW? Oh my god."

He seemed oblivious to her turmoil. "I know! Isn't it amazing? Apparently someone from WCW has been in the audience at a few UWA matches recently. I can't believe it! I gotta go call... well everyone I ever met!"

Chris started dialling excitedly as Stephanie sank down onto the couch. Chris, in WCW? She'd managed to distance herself from Chris's wrestling, except for the occasional massage when his back was playing up on him. But now... WCW wasn't exactly a small time indie promotion. It wasn't even a big indie promotion. This was the big league, and the next step up from WCW was usually...

She froze as she realised that after WCW, there was only one step up and that was to the WWF. There was no doubt in her mind that Chris would make it there one day or that she and Chris would still be together then. She toyed with the promise ring he'd given her for Valentine's Day along with the promise that once he'd made it, he'd make an honest woman out of her. But would Chris wrestling with the WWF & her relationship cancel each other out? She knew that they could have one, not the other and she knew, without having to think about it, which one she would choose.