Chris walked through the corridors looking like a man on a mission. Which to be perfectly honest, was exactly what he was. Raw was due to start in an hour and he had a few things planned. Before he got out there on the mic however, he wanted to discuss a few things with someone.

He was still angry that Stephanie had believed Vince when he’d told her that Linda had blackmailed him into signing the adoption papers. He’d talked to Linda McMahon a few times since his debut and she’d never been anything but friendly to him. She’d told him that she was aware of his past with Stephanie, but had also told him that it would not be used to his disadvantage. So far, she hadn’t been wrong.

Shane was a mystery though. He’d always looked forwards to meeting Shane, simply because of the way Stephanie spoke about him – a combination of idolization and hatred. And the heir apparent hadn’t let him down. Chris found Shane to be one of those people that you wanted to praise from here to Rome and back, then 20 seconds later you wanted to kick their ass the same distance.

Chris turned the corner and ran into a figure heading in the opposite direction. Since he was walking powerfully and the other was merely ambling casually, the force of the collision sent the other man sprawling to the floor. Chris started to reach down to help him up, then saw who it was. "Oh. It’s you."

"Yes it’s me." Kurt Angle glared up at him. "Aren’t you going to help me up?"

"Let me think about it…" Chris pretended to give the matter some serious thought. "No. Absolutely not."

"You are a very rude man." Proclaimed Angle as he got to his feet. "I don’t understand how Edge and Christian put up with you. And if the fans knew what you were really like… it’s no wonder Stephanie left you."

Chris grabbed the younger man by the front of the shirt and slammed him against the wall. "You don’t know shit about me and Stephanie!"

"Oh you’d be surprised." Kurt replied with a smirk. They glared at each other for a few minutes. Chris opened his mouth to say something, the started laughing. "Oh you’re good. Nearly sucked me in. You don’t know shit about Stephanie and I."

"How can you be so certain?" he challenged. Chris let go of him and stepped away. "Because only a select few know what happened. And if you did dupe the Princess into telling you, then you wouldn’t be so nasty about it, since it’s a very sensitive subject for both of us. If I find out you’ve bothering Stephanie about it, then I will hurt you. Then I’ll leave you to Hunter’s mercy."

Kurt gaped wordlessly for a few seconds, then turned and hurried away. Chris watched him leave, turning in surprise as voice behind him laughed "I think you scared him."

"Linda!" He exclaimed in surprise. "I was just looking for you!"

"I thought you might be." Linda McMahon looked around carefully and gestured at an empty storeroom, waiting till they were both in there. "I heard Vince has been in her ear?"

"Yeah." Chris sat on some empty crates. The older woman nodded. "I thought so. I don’t even need to ask if she believes him or not. Do you believe him?"

"Absolutely not." He didn’t even have to think about it. Linda smiled weakly. "Thank you. That means something."

"I was rather harsh with Stephanie when she told me she believed her father. " Chris admitted. "I just… I spent a fair bit of time chatting with Shane and from what he’s told me and from what I know about you, I just don’t think you’re capable of something like that."

"That really means a lot to me Chris." Linda replied. "You’re a good man and I know that you loved my daughter very much and that she’s hurt you very deeply. Vince sees you as the man who corrupted his daughter. Shane sees you as the man who is putting his sister through hell."

Chris nodded. It didn’t surprise him. "How do you see me?"

Linda smiled at him. "I see you as the man that my daughter pined for throughout her entire pregnancy. Even while she was in labor, all she wanted was you by her side. I see you as the father of my grandchild and the person everyone seems to have forgotten about."

~~~~

"Do you really think that I would reward you for coming out here week after week and making derogatory comments towards Steph? I know that maybe you don't think it bothers her, but she's very sensitive." A combination of jealousy, anger and possessiveness welled up inside him as Hunter caressed Stephanie’s face. "Steph is very delicate. Steph is like a little flower."

"Flower?" Chris smirked back. "I'd have to say that little Stephy-baby lost her flower a long time ago!"

Stephanie’s jaw dropped and she stared at him in disbelief. ‘You bastard’ They made eye contact for a brief moment. She wasn’t surprised by the look of pain and hatred in his eyes, that was something she’d gotten used to over the past few months. What did surprise Steph was the fact that she now understood exactly how much it hurt to feel that combination, for she felt it every time she looked at Jericho…. Or even thought about how her mother had betrayed her.