"How are you feeling now?"

"Ravenous." Stephanie replied with a grin. Shane placed a hand on her forehead. "Steph, you're never ravenous! Plus, you’re watching Nitro! Do you have any idea what the old man will do if he catches you?"

"Do you really think I care?" replied Steph, taking the tray off Shane. In all the time that she'd been home, she still hadn't been down for meals. She just didn't think she could handle seeing her father again until she'd dealt with the situation completely. Shane raised an eyebrow. "You should. Vince is your Dad too remember?"

"No he's not. Dad would suggest an emotional relationship which Vince and I do not currently possess. Not that it's any great loss."

"Sis, I'm worried about your health. That flu hit you a lot harder than it should've. Why wouldn't you go to the doctor?"

Stephanie shrugged. "It was Mom's call, not mine. Plus I was still emotionally weak from what happened. I'm fine now."

"Glad to hear it. I've really been worried about you Steph."

"Me too."

Stephanie spun around in shock. "Joey?"

"Heya Steph. Miss me?" He grinned cockily.

"For about 2 months." She replied honestly. ~ Then I met Chris .~ Shane stood up and glared at the unexpected visitor angrily. "What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd drop by and visit an old flame. Carmella let me in."

"Stephanie, remind me to talk to the staff about that." Shane replied, not taking his angry faze away from Joey's face. Stephanie smothered a laugh. "Will do."

"Ease up Shane-O." Joey held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. :I just need to talk to Stephanie."

"Forget it Joey." She glanced at him coldly. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Fine. Can you confirm or deny a rumour for me?"

"If I do then will you leave?"

"If that's what you really want." smirked Joey. Steph laughed shortly. "Oh believe me, it is."

"As long as you believe it." Joey shrugged. Stephanie waited. "Well?"

"Shane? Can we have some privacy?"

"No." Shane replied instantly. "Anything you have to say can be said in front of me."

"Stephie baby?" Joey used his old pet name for her. "Are you going to let big brother continue to push you around?"

"Do not call me that!" hissed Stephanie. "And I made him promise when I first got back that he wouldn't leave us alone."

"Worried you won't be able to keep your hands off me?" smirked Joey. She smirked back. "No. I'm just concerned about what would happen in a room full of potentially fatal objects and no witnesses."

"Yeah whatever." Joey looked decidedly uncomfortable. "So is it true that you got exiled from the McMahon mansion due to the minor inconvenience of pregnancy? That you waited out your pregnancy at your aunt's place and then gave the brat up for adoption? And that you stayed a year there to make it look a little more innocent?"

Stephanie stared at Joey in shock. Was he serious? People were saying that? Briefly she wondered if her father knew, then dismissed the thought. God, of all the things... she'd been a virgin when she'd left Sabine's... Joey knew that damned well.

"No. That's not the truth at all." Steph replied finally, turning her attention back to the television. "Shane? Get rid of him."

She turned the sound on the TV up so that it drowned out the sounds of Shane and Joey yelling at each other. Shaking with anger, she stood up and looked for the calendar on her desk, Joey's words having reminded her of something she'd completely forgotten about until now. Seeing what she was looking for, Steph sat down heavily at the desk, reaching into a drawer and bringing out the chain she kept the promise ring Chris had given her for Valentine's Day. The ring, some photos and a small teddy bear she'd gotten when Chris had first started travelling.

She was staring at a photo of her and Chris, taken on New Years Day, and fiddling with the ring, when Linda came in several hours later to check up on her. "Goodnight Steph."

"Night Mom." Stephanie's voice was flat. Linda locked the bedroom door and leaned against the desk. "Steph? What's wrong honey?"

Stephanie told her mother about Joey's visit and the rumour about her pregnancy. Linda hugged her. "I'd heard that something like that was going around. Your father was livid, but I thought the best way to quell it was to not react. You weren't pregnant when you were sent to your aunt's place were you?"

"No!" Stephanie was adamant. Linda smiled. "I knew you weren't. Is everything else ok?"

"No Mom, it's not. It's really not." Stephanie replied slowly. She looked at the photo, at the ring and at the photo again. "Mom, I... oh my god."

"Honey, what is it?" Linda was worried. Stephanie's health had been improving so much lately. Linda hoped that Joey hadn't distressed her too much and vowed to talk to his parents about him coming around unannounced and while Stephanie was there. Stephanie looked her mother straight in the eyes and took a deep breath.

"Mom... I'm pregnant."