Wrestling 1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Stephanie sniffed as her mind began to drift, the words becoming a hazy blur on the screen in front of her. There was a dull ache in her chest as she blinked back the hot tears that threatened to fall, tears that she had shed every time she thought about losing the one man she had ever really loved, the one man that could have been her everything. At that moment she hated her father. She hated him for testing her loyalty to him and making her give up the one thing she treasured most in her life. He was the man of her dreams. Paul.

The thing that really hurt her the most is the fact that Vince had changed his mind and taken away his permission for them to date. When he had given her and Paul his blessing, Stephanie had been the happiest girl alive. She was with the most amazing guy, a guy that in all honesty she could picture spending the rest of her life with and as crazy as it sounded, the man she wanted to be the father of her children. She could even picture the cosy little home with the white picket fence but now she had to give it all up just because of the assholes in the locker rooms who couldn't handle the fact that she and Paul were together.

God, she wanted to just crawl away and hide and dwell in her own melancholy but unfortunately that wasn't an option for her. Unfortunately for her, the show still had to go on. Stephanie took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on the script she was in the middle of working on. She rubbed her temples trying to make the low throbbing go away when the knock at the door interrupted her and she quickly wiped at her eyes, trying her best to find her composure.

"Come in." she called.

Her breath caught in her throat and she felt a little shaky as she watched Paul walk through the door. She resisted the urge to run over to him and wrap her arms around him just as tightly as she could. Instead she sat still, her blue eyes settling on his as she drank him in. His brown pools were heavy and tired and the forced smile that traced his lips didn't even reach them. He stood there awkwardly, his big hands stuffed in the pockets of his faded jeans.

"Hey." he said.

Stephanie swallowed thickly, pushing back the lump in her throat. "Hey."

"So, how's things?"

Paul's tone was so gentle and he wore a concerned expression on his face. Concern that brought tears to her eyes, tears that she desperately tried to blink away. She had been so determined to be strong about this but seeing Paul standing there in front of her yet so out of her reach, her resolve crumbled. Stephanie quickly stood up and turned away smoothing down her black pencil skirt taking the chance to compose herself once more. She released a shaky breath before licking her lips and slowly turning to face him.

"Things are…..okay. I'm okay." she replied, forcing a smile. "You?"

Paul nodded as he quickly scanned her face. He knew Stephanie was lying to him. It was obvious she was far from okay but he decided to let it go for now because if she could pretend things were fine, it meant he could pretend too. Although the heaviness in his heart reminded him just how hard this was to stand here in front of her, being so close to her. But he couldn't stay away. He had to come and see her and of course he had told himself he just wanted to check up on her. The truth was the last six days without her had been the longest and hardest of his life. And although they had made small talk on the phone with the pretence of going over storylines and generally avoiding the reality of the situation, Paul had missed her face, her beautiful blue eyes and her amazing smile. Her smile was what he missed the most. No matter how bad or low he was feeling, one smile from Stephanie and his mood had lifted. It was dazzling and beautiful just like her.

"Did you want to go over the script for tonight?" Stephanie asked, breaking his thoughts.

Paul slowly shook his head. "Actually. I just wanted to see you."

He smiled softly as he took a step closer to her, lifting his left shoulder in a shrug.

"I guess I needed to know you were okay."

Stephanie pressed her lips together as her eyes once again glossed over with her tears. They slipped over her lashes trickling down her cheeks as she lost the battle to suppress them. Paul didn't hesitate for one second as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her holding her tightly while she cried. As her body shook with her sobs, the moment felt bittersweet as he realised how good it felt to have her in his arms again. It was like coming home but how he wished it was under different circumstances. Although Paul had tried his best to understand Vince's decision and to respect it for Stephanie's sake, right now he felt like telling Vince exactly where to shove it. What made the situation even more unbearable was the fact that he had given them his blessing and had given them the time to get to know and develop feelings for one another, feelings that had completely overwhelmed him. Paul knew without a doubt that he had fallen in love with Stephanie although she was still blissfully unaware. He'd never found the courage to say the words out loud and now it was far too late.

As Paul felt Stephanie's body stop trembling, he still held on to her tightly reluctant to let her go and wanting to hold on to her as long as he possibly could.

"This is so damn hard." Stephanie whispered into his chest.

Paul sighed heavily as his fingers lifted and slowly began to brush through the ends of her soft brown strands. "I know. But if it's meant to be, it will be and we have to have faith in that."

Stephanie pulled away and looking up into his deep brown eyes, she felt a grip in her chest and knew right then and there that despite what her father wanted, she was going to be with Paul no matter what. She didn't want to live without him for another second. All she had to figure out now was how to prove to her father that they were truly meant to be together.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Paul's eyes searched for Stephanie as he walked back to the locker room, his white towel hanging around his neck damp with his perspiration. She hadn't accompanied him to the ring with tonight and he had missed her presence there. The simple truth was he loved her being there either walking down the ramp by his side or simply cheering him on from outside of the ring. Her words of encouragement always gave him that extra little boost especially towards the end of the match when the tiredness would kick in and he would start to feel sore and lethargic. He was feeling absolutely exhausted tonight. Of course his lack of sleep was quickly catching up with him. For the last six days he'd been unable to rest properly, his mind plagued with thoughts of Stephanie and the reality of being without her.

Sighing softly, Paul surveyed the people around him and quickly realised that she wasn't around, at least not in the corridors with the rest of the crew. He decided he would try her dressing room at the end of the hall. As his boots scuffed along the grubby floor, he battled with himself as to whether seeing her was such a good idea. He knew he should be keeping his distance from Stephanie but the fact was he just couldn't. He needed to see her. It was an impulse that wouldn't go away especially now their time was limited together. Tomorrow, he was flying back home and it would be another long week before he would see her again. He needed to reassure himself that she was going to be okay. If she was then maybe he could try to pretend that he would be too.

Approaching her grey chipped painted door, Paul raised his hand to knock but he was interrupted by the gruff voice behind him.

"She's not in there".

Paul turned round to see the man responsible for his own personal hell standing glaring at him to the point his eyeballs were practically popping out of his sockets. He pushed down his own bitterness, clenching his jaw.

"Do you have any idea where she is then?" he asked.

"No and quite frankly I think it's for the best if you kept your distance from my daughter."

Paul clenched his fist trying to control the urge to smack Vince right in mouth. God knows it was something he'd wanted to do since the moment he'd pulled him and Stephanie into his room, telling them that he had changed their mind and that he was taking away his permission for them to date. Like it was just that simple to ignore what was in his heart.

"Look, we still work together Vince. I just wanted to see if Steph wanted to run over the script for tomorrow night's show."

Paul's head shook in disdain and was about to turn away when the sound of Vince's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"It's for the best Paul. I can't risk upsetting my wrestlers. The business has to be my top priority."

Paul clenched his fist as he felt a surge of anger rush through his veins. He snorted in disgust as he took a step backwards. "Well maybe it's your daughter's happiness that should be at the top of that priority list, Vince."

He refused to meet his boss' eye as he quickly turned away making his way back along the corridor. He needed to get the hell out of here before he did something he would regret. He was quite sure that punching out Vince would not only get him fired but it would make sure he and Stephanie would never be together and that was just unthinkable especially when the hope that he would be with her again was the only thing keeping him functioning right now. God knows it even hurt to breathe to be without her.

Pushing back his hair wearily from his face, Paul shoved open the door to his locker room. He was relieved to see it was thankfully empty. After his run-in with Vince the last thing he wanted to do was make small talk with the guys. He just wanted to get changed out of his gear and leave this place. Lifting his right leg onto the chipped, wooden bench, he started to untie his boots but his fingertips faltered when he heard the click of her heels on the concrete. Paul tilted his head as he watched her walking towards him, slowly taking in the sight of her from her long legs all the way up to her face. Her hair was down and fell in soft waves over her shoulders. Her crystal blue eyes literally stole his breath away.

"Hey." she smiled.

"Hey." he replied, swallowing thickly.

"So, you had a good match out there tonight." she said as she clasped her fingers in front of her, twisting them together almost nervously.

"Never mind my match Steph. What are you doing here?" Paul asked abruptly surprising both himself and Stephanie. Her blue eyes looked hurt as she shook her head and slowly began to back away.

"Sorry. I can just leave if that's what you want."

Paul shook his head and quickly grabbed her arm stopping her before she reached the door. His expression softened as he realised he was taking his anger and frustration out on her. God knows she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve any of it.

"I don't want you to leave. Come here." he smiled apologetically pulling her into his arms.

As his hands slid over her waist, Stephanie rested her head on his chest. She closed her eyes holding him tightly and breathing in the smell of him. Her eyes burned with her unshed tears. She felt so safe wrapped in his arms. That was one of things she loved about being with Paul. She felt so safe and protected with him. She knew that with Paul around nothing and no-one could hurt her. Well, except for her father of course. He had hurt her more than she had ever dreamt was possible.  
Blinking back her tears, Stephanie lifted her head breaking their embrace. Paul's brown eyes watched her, concerned.

"What is it, Stephanie? Talk to me. I know you didn't come here to discuss my match."

She let out a shaky breath as her fingers lifted brushing through his almost dry blonde strands. The tips of her fingers curled around the ends. Her blue eyes were wide, almost pleading with him. "What are we going to do Paul? I can't go on like this. I can't go on pretending we're nothing more than friends. It's killing me."

"Me too." he admitted. "But what can we do about it? You know damn well your father doesn't want us to be together."

"But maybe he'll change his mind Paul. Maybe if I could go to him and tell him how miserable I am without you he'll let us be together. I mean, surely he'd want his daughter to be happy, right?"

Paul saw the look of hope in her ocean blue depths and felt his anger returning as he remembered his earlier conversation with Vince. Any normal father would want his daughter to be happy but not that man. He'd rather take care of his precious business instead. It seemed to be all that mattered to him to him lately.

Sighing heavily, Paul licked his lips and shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea Steph."

He saw the devastation in her eyes as she stepped away from him, her expression mixed with hurt and confusion.

"Why? Don't you want us to be together?"

"Of course I do." he reassured her, loosely gripping his fingers with hers. "You know that. I just don't think going to your father will make him change his mind."

"Why not? He loves me. I'm his daughter. Surely he wants what's best for me and what's best for me is you. I don't want to be without you Paul. I need you."

Stephanie paused and licked her lips as she looked at him almost uncertainly.

"Unless of course you don't feel the same way as I do."

Her head tilted downwards as she drew her eyes from him. But not before Paul saw the hint of doubt that lingered there and he sighed softly knowing what he had to reassure her. Stephanie was waiting for him to tell her he needed her too and that he was in love with her. God knows the number of nights he had regretted the chance of not getting to tell her how he really felt. Well now here he was getting that chance. Still, it didn't mean he was prepared for it. He wasn't because for him it wasn't just admitting that he loved her. To him he would be admitting what he felt in his heart. Because he knew Stephanie was it. She was the one for him. Saying he loved her meant he was promising her forever and while he was ready for that, it still scared him half to death. But what was even more terrifying was spending his life without her.

Reaching for her, Paul slid his fingers through hers and tugged her towards him.

"Steph, you know I feel the same way."

Letting out a slow breath, he raised his eyes to meet hers. The emotions that shone there were the emotions reflected in his own heart and one by one he felt all his fears begin to slip away.

"I'm in love with you Steph." he told her softly. "And I want to spend the rest of my life loving you so how can you even doubt that I don't want to be with you?"

Stephanie swallowed thickly before biting down on her lip, trying to conceal the smile of happiness tugging at the corner of her mouth. "So, you're in love with me, huh?"

Paul's brown eyes narrowed in her direction as he playfully shook his head at her. "Once just isn't enough for you is it? You're going to have to make me say it twice."

"I just want to make you suffer." she grinned back. "Plus I wanted to make sure I heard you correctly."

"Oh you heard me alright." he said pulling her to his chest and wrapping his arm around her. "But just in case there's any confusion, I'll tell you again. Stephanie McMahon, I love you."

"Really? Then I've got a confession to make." she replied, leaning over and whispering in his ear. "I'm in love with you too."

His lips curved up gently as they sought out hers, his mouth brushing over hers softly and tenderly. Stephanie felt herself melting into him opening her mouth allowing Paul to deepen the kiss. He tasted of mint and his lips were so warm and familiar to her. Right now, standing here kissing him, it felt like they had never been apart. A soft moan escaped from the back of her throat as Paul's mouth swept over her mouth, exploring her, tasting her.

Suddenly the door sprung open and they quickly broke apart. Stephanie's mouth was still wet from the kiss as she realised her father was standing in the doorway, his face snarled in anger.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

"Daddy, we were just……"

Vince shook his head effectively cutting her off. "I don't want your excuses Stephanie. I told you to stay away from him and you are blatantly disobeying my orders. Get your ass out of this locker room. Now!"

Stephanie looked towards Paul, her eyes glossed over with her tears as she whispered her apology. As she scurried from the room, Paul stared at Vince, his body rigid with his anger.

"And you, I warned you earlier. Stay the hell away from my daughter or so help me God, I'll fire your ass!"

Vince stormed out of the room slamming the door on his way out before Paul could even say a word in retaliation. He clenched his fists in anger as his rage quickly reached boiling point. Grabbing a chair, he threw it towards the door that Vince had just left through. As it clattered against the wood before falling to the floor, Paul began to pace the room, his fingers clutching tightly at his scalp trying his best to resist the urge to go after him and beat the crap out of him. One thing was for sure though. Vince wasn't going to keep him away from Stephanie because his mind was made up. He was done playing by the rules. He just hoped that after tonight, Stephanie was too and she would find the courage to stand up to her father once and for all.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for all your replies guys. It really means a lot especially with this fic. This was the first story I ever wrote and it's my baby and a little special to me._

Chapter 3

Paul began to stir underneath the covers, his left arm flinging out and hitting the soft mattress. As he shifted around on the crisp cotton sheets, he became aware of the loud knocking on the door and he groaned thickly into the darkness forcing his eyes to slowly flutter open. It took him a moment to get his bearings as he wondered who the hell was waking him up at this hour. Whoever it was, they had better have a damn good explanation because God knows it had taken him long enough to fall over tonight. His thoughts had preyed on his mind making him more restless than usual.

As the persistent knocking echoed in the silent room once more, Paul cursed under his breath and flung back the heavy duvet cover. His hand reached out to flick on the small lamp beside him on the night stand and the soft light bathed the room as he stumbled in the direction of the high backed chair. He picked up the black track pants he had discarded there earlier and muttering under his breath, he pulled them on. Paul's bare feet sunk into the plush pile of the carpet as he shuffled across the room and opening the door, his nose crinkled with his scowl.

However, that scowl quickly faded and his brown eyes widened with surprise when he saw who was standing there in the dimly lit hallway. Stephanie was wearing a pair of cream pyjamas and her long brown strands were loose and tousled around her shoulders. Her young face was fresh and bare of any makeup. In that moment, Paul thought she had never looked more beautiful.

"Hey." she smiled almost shyly.

Stephanie lingered there in the doorway, her fingers twisting together nervously in front of her suddenly feeling unsure of what to say to him or how to explain why she was here. All she knew was that she had needed to see him. Lying in bed, Paul had consumed all of her thoughts and she had been unable to sleep especially knowing he was in the same building and only two floors down from her. Eventually she just couldn't ignore her longing to be with him any longer hence the reason why she was knocking down the door of his hotel room at three o'clock in the morning. It was crazy but she had become desperate.

"Do you want to come in?" asked Paul, smiling and stepping aside to let her pass.

Stephanie nodded brushing past him and crossing the room stopping just in front of the unmade bed. Suddenly she wanted to be between those sheets lying beside him, holding him and feeling the warmth of his arms around her. God knows it was the only place she wanted to be. As she shuffled round to face him, she saw Paul walking towards her and she took in his appearance admiring his smooth chiselled chest and the way his track pants hung low on his hips. She subconsciously licked her lips as she felt her desire for him coil in the pit of her stomach. It was a desire she couldn't ignore and a desire that engulfed her. Quite honestly, she had never wanted anything more than she wanted Paul right at this very minute. As she watched him rake his thick fingers through his blonde hair, she knew that was exactly why she had come here. She needed him so much. She needed to feel close to him. Her feelings for him were starting to overwhelm her to the point where she was struggling to breathe. Suddenly it wasn't enough to tell Paul she loved him. She wanted to show him in all the ways her words could never express.

"Like what you see McMahon?"

Stephanie felt a rush of heat to her cheeks as she realised she had been staring at Paul. As she shyly lifted her eyes to meet his, she noticed his lips were curved into that sexy smirk of his, a smirk that made her knees weak. Not that she would admit that to him, of course. Paul was cocky enough. In fact, he was too damn cocky for his own good sometimes. Still, it was one of the things she loved about him. In fact, she loved every little thing about him.

"But you know, while I'm extremely flattered by your attention, I'm pretty sure it's not the reason why you're banging down my door in the middle of the night."

A soft sigh escaped from her lips as Paul stood directly in front of her, tucking his finger under her chin and letting his thumb lightly caress her skin.

"Is everything okay?"

Stephanie slowly nodded her head as she felt his left arm encircle her waist. Allowing her head to fall against his chest, she let out a slow breath and breathed in the faint scent of his cologne. "It is now I'm here with you."

Her mouth curved up gently as she felt his lips kiss her hair. Being here in Paul's arms, she felt so happy and content. She knew there was nowhere else she wanted to be. There was nowhere else she belonged than right here.

"I was worried about you, you know."

Stephanie breathed in, closing her eyes and sliding her arms around him.

"After your father left……"

Stephanie lifted her head and looked at Paul, silencing him. "I don't want to talk about him. I don't want to even think about him."

Smiling softly, she lifted her fingers and trailed them along his jaw line, the stubble tickling her fingertips.

"I just want to be with you Paul."

As Stephanie's big beautiful eyes stared at him, pulling him in, Paul couldn't mistake the meaning of her words and swallowed thickly as he saw the desire that flickered in her ocean blue pools, the same desire that matched his own longing for her. A longing that consumed every fibre of his being any time he was around her. God knows he had imagined this moment for so long but hadn't rushed anything, trying his best to wait and be patient. After all he had wanted to do this right. He had wanted to take the time to get to know Stephanie and fall in love with her properly. He hadn't wanted sex to get in the way and perhaps confuse the feelings that were growing between them. Not that there was any confusion on his part, not now he admitted his love for her. Because he truly loved Stephanie and he wanted her so badly. The brief time spent apart from her had only strengthened his hunger for this woman. And now seeing that same hunger in Stephanie's eyes, he didn't want to wait another second to be close to her and show her how much he loved her. Licking his lips, Paul's brown orbs darkened as his hands gently curled around her face.

"I love you so much." whispered Stephanie as his own face moved towards hers.

"I love you too." he hushed as his mouth lowered towards hers, his lips pressing down gently as his eyes fluttered shut and Paul breathed her in. The familiar vanilla scent of her perfume made his knees weak and as he kissed her, his mind slowly began to forget everything as he felt himself get lost. Lost in Stephanie; lost in the way she made him feel.

Suddenly, for now, nothing else mattered. Not Vince; not any of the obstacles that stood between them being together. All that mattered was Stephanie and love he felt for her. This woman was his heart. In her arms was exactly where he wanted to be for the rest of his life because loving and being with Stephanie just made perfect sense to him.

Sighing contentedly into her, Paul's hand lifted to thread through her soft strands, his other arm sliding around her waist as his tongue flicked over her bottom lip, seeking entry. A second later, he felt her mouth part slightly and that was all the encouragement he needed to slide his tongue over hers, feeling the heat of Stephanie's body as it pressed firmly against him. She felt amazing as she moved against him tempting him as she grinded her hips slowly into him. A low growl emanated from his hot throat and Paul began to back her slowly towards the bed. Her soft whimper drove him wild as his mouth hungrily sought out the column of her throat.

"Paul."

He briefly lifted his head as his name fell softly from her lips and saw Stephanie throw her head back, arching her body towards him. He swore he had never seen anything more beautiful as she offered herself to him and his brown eyes flickered dark with his desire as his mouth descended on her once more. His lips trailed slowly over her collarbone, his tongue flicking and tasting her skin as his hands skimmed over the contours of her body. The silk material of her pyjama top felt soft and cool against his skin and he slowly pushed up the bottom hem.

That was when he was left momentarily confused as Stephanie stepped back from his embrace. His lips prickled with the taste of her and his hands reluctantly dropped to his side feeling empty without her. But that emptiness was only fleeting as he felt her push him back towards the bed, his stomach pooling with his desire as he sat down with a bump. Stephanie stood in front of him watching him with heavy lidded eyes, her chest heaving with her ragged breathing as she lifted her top pulling it over her head.

As the garment fell to the floor, her hair fell in waves over her shoulders and Paul felt breathless as she stepped out of her pyjama bottoms and he witnessed for the first time how truly beautiful she was. Her body was just incredible and as she stepped into the white moonlight, he swore his heart almost stopped.

"Come here." he said thickly as his hands slid around her thighs pulling her to him.

The world seemed to disappear as his mouth found hers once more and they lost themselves in one another, surrendering their bodies to on another and to the deep rooted feelings all consuming their hearts.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Stephanie stirred in her sleep shifting her head on the soft cream cotton pillows. She inhaled the faint scent of the fabric softener as she slowly she opened her eyes letting them adjust to the bright morning sunlight poking through the thin gap in the curtains. Her blue eyes focused on the white painted ceiling and she became aware of the sound of soft snoring beside her. Her lips curved up gently as she turned her head and came face to face with Paul His handsome face was relaxed and peaceful as he continued to sleep next to her, his lips parted and his arm flung across her stomach. A few loose blonde strands of hair fell across his forehead. Stephanie's fingers reached across to tenderly brush them aside as memories of the previous night came flooding back to her. Her body tingled at the recollection of his touch and his whispered declarations of his love. Paul had taken her once more before they had fallen sated in one another's arms as the first signs of dawn had crept across the room.

Shifting closer to him, Stephanie snuggled into his chest. As she inhaled the slight trace of his cologne and relished his gentle heat, she realised how right this felt being here wrapped in his arms. It really was like coming home and there was nowhere else she ever wanted to be than right here. Paul had become everything to her, her whole world was him. She just couldn't contemplate even trying to survive without him. God knows the last weeks without him had been hell and she couldn't put herself through that pain again, not now, not after last night. Because what she had felt with Paul, she had never experienced in her life before. It was like there was something between them, this deep rooted connection that bound them together so completely. They had fit together so perfectly and she truly did believe they were meant to be. It was just a pity her father didn't see things the same way.

Sighing softly into Paul's warmth, Stephanie remembered just how angry her father had been last night. He had been furious that Stephanie had disobeyed him and had told her in no uncertain terms that she was to stay away from Paul once and for all. But as much as it killed her not to respect her father's wishes, it killed her more to be without Paul and Stephanie just couldn't do it. In fact, she refused to which meant she was left with only one option. She had to find some way to make her father see sense but the question was how?

But that particular train of thought was quickly interrupted as she felt Paul stirring beside her. She lifted her head to see a slow smile trace his lips as his heavy brown eyes settled on her.

"Morning Princess." he said, his voice thick with sleep.

"Morning." she replied as his nose nuzzled against hers before kissing her softly.

As they parted, she sighed softly before glancing down at the space between them. Paul's thick finger slid under her chin lifting her eyes up until they met his. His forehead was crinkled as he watched her carefully.

"You okay? You look worried about something."

Stephanie pressed her lips together forcing a smile. She was reluctant to tell Paul the truth. She could only imagine how he would react at the simple mention of her father's name and she didn't want to spoil the mood, not this morning. She licked her lips and curled a hand around his cheek. "It's nothing really. I was just thinking about a couple of problems I've got with the script for tonight's show."

Paul raised his eyebrow. "You didn't mention these problems yesterday."

"That's because I didn't think of them yesterday."

He paused for a second silently appraising her before his brown eyes narrowed in her direction. "You're lying to me. I can tell you know."

Stephanie snorted with amusement. "And how can you tell?"

"I don't know. You look shifty."

Her laughter made her body shake against him. "Okay Sherlock, if you must know I was thinking about Dad."

Paul's smile slowly began to fade.

"What can we do Paul?" asked Stephanie. "How can we persuade him to let us see one another?"

Paul let out a calming breath as he felt his temperature rise at the mere thought of Vince. Last night had been the final straw. He had officially lost patience with the man and quite honestly, he wasn't prepared to be reasonable about his relationship with Stephanie. He was determined to be with her no matter what, with or without Vince's blessing. The problem was he just wasn't sure if Stephanie could do the same. He knew how much her family meant to her and he knew it would kill her to be estranged from them in any way.

Sighing heavily, his big hand moved from her chin lifting to tuck a wayward strand behind her ear. "It's just not going to happen, Steph. There is no way in hell your father will let us be together, especially not after yesterday."

Stephanie's concerned blue eyes scanned his face. "Then what are we going to do because being without you is just not an option for me."

"I don't know. I really don't." Paul sighed softly into Stephanie's hair, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer to him. His lips lightly brushed over her temple. "But what I do know is that I can't imagine my life without you in it. I love you Stephanie but I can't help but feel worried about you. I know how much your family means to you, including your dad. I don't want to put you in the position of having to choose between us."

As his voice fell away, he didn't add that there was a part of him that wasn't so sure he would win that particular battle anyway, at least not without a price. But his own fears were quickly forgotten as he felt Stephanie's shoulder begin to lightly shake.

"Steph?" he asked, his voice was laced with concern as he realised she was upset. He slid his arm around her holding her close.

Stephanie said nothing as she buried her head in Paul's chest trying her best to control her emotions. As she sniffed and blinked back the hot tears that threatened to fall, she knew that what Paul had just said was true. She did want them both in her life so desperately. Both men were so important to her and her father had always been there for her. She couldn't imagine a time in her life when he hadn't been and she didn't want to. God, this was so hard. She just needed some time to think. She needed time to come up with some sort of plan, something that would convince her father that she and Paul were right for one another. Surely she would think of something. She was a McMahon after all. Manipulation was in her blood. In the meantime she would just have to find some way of being with Paul. After all, she was here this morning and no-one was any the wiser. Maybe they could keep their relationship a secret.

Pushing back the lump in her throat and letting out a shaky breath, Stephanie realised it was her only choice right now. At least it would buy her some time and really it wouldn't be so hard. After all they still had their storyline together which meant they could spend time alone without Vince becoming suspicious. All she would have to do was to convince Paul.

Lifting her head to look at him, she felt Paul shift away from her, his brown eyes watching her carefully. She gave him a bright albeit watery smile and saw the confusion slowly etch itself on his face. She bit back the genuine laughter that bubbled in the back of her throat chewing down on her bottom lip knowing exactly what he was thinking. Paul always maintained that he could never understand women and she knew her rapid change in emotions would be more than baffling to him. Lifting her hand, she slowly began to brush her fingers through his soft blonde strands.

"What would you say if I told you there was a way for us to be together while I work on my father?"

Paul wrinkled his nose, his head shifting on the pillows as he looked at her in total bewilderment. "I'd say you were mad Steph. There is no way your father will allow us to be together period."

"But what if he didn't actually know we were together? What if he thought our relationship was strictly professional?"

Paul licked his lips and looked at Stephanie as her plan slowly registered in his head. Deep down he knew it was wrong to even contemplate keeping their relationship a secret from Vince. It would only end in tears but the old bastard had really pissed him off yesterday and he refused to play along any more with his so called rules. So screw it! He'd go along with her plan because quite frankly he didn't have a choice. He refused to be without Stephanie, he didn't want to be ever again. He just hoped to God his girlfriend knew what the hell she was doing.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"My hubby officially kicks ass!"

Paul grinned widely shaking his head with amusement. Raking his thick fingers through his soft blonde strands, he watched Stephanie's hand run over the gold that currently hung pride of place on the back of the small hotel chair. He'd won the belt tonight after defeating Rocky in a steel cage match. It was a match he felt particularly happy with too. Both of them had worked hard taking their fair share of bumps and putting on one hell of a show for the crowd. And what had made it even sweeter for him was getting to raise that championship belt in the air. Man, he loved being the champion and not just because it meant he was the best. It was also because it meant the company had faith in him to carry the business and he was extremely proud of that fact. He had so worked hard to get where he was and it was nice to get some form of recognition for it. Something else that was nice was having someone like Stephanie to share it all with.

Smiling softly to himself, Paul watched her walk towards him, the stem of her glass dangling from her fingers as her hips swayed temptingly. She had insisted on celebrating his victory tonight with a bottle of the finest champagne courtesy of room service. She had seemed every bit as proud as he was lifting that belt in the air. There had been no mistaking the expression on her crystal blue eyes as she had turned to him in the ring, pointing at him in her signature pose. That was when he had swept her into his arms and kissed her hard. It was a kiss that sure as hell hadn't been scripted but in that moment he hadn't given a damn. Despite the fifteen thousand plus that packed the arena, it had felt like they were the only two people in the world. He had even kissed her a second time as they had posed at the top of the ramp and it had probably lasted a lot longer than the celebratory kiss rule book would allow but he hadn't been able to help himself. He never could when it came to Stephanie. God she was amazing. He knew for a fact that she was the one, the person he wanted to have a family with and grow old with. He just couldn't picture his life with anyone else. He didn't want to. There were a couple of times when he had even envisioned both of them years from now sitting side by side in front of the fire as they rocked back and forth reminiscing about their life spent together. God, it was corny but it was true. Of course it would all depend if they ever even made it that far.

Paul bit down on his lip, frowning slightly. He knew deep down they were on borrowed time sneaking around behind Vince's back. Not that he cared about the old bastard's feelings because Vince sure as hell didn't care about his or his daughter's. But what he did care about was Stephanie and he knew she would be unable to cope with the fallout if it ever came to light that they were disobeying Vince's wishes.

"What's the matter, baby?"

Stephanie's voice snapped him from his thoughts. Her blue eyes were inquisitive as she sat down beside him lifting her glass to her mouth and taking a sip. Paul slowly shook his head, determined not to let any thoughts of Vince tarnish their little victory party.

"You look tired." she told him lifting her hand to his face and letting it settle there as her thumb lightly traced his cheek.

"I'm fine." he smiled leaning into her touch.

Stephanie's eyes narrowed disbelievingly as they scanned his handsome face seeing the dark shadows that encompassed his gentle brown eyes. She knew Paul had hardly slept last night after his flight delay had kept him in Boston until the early hours of this morning. However, while she was anxious he finally get some rest, she was also hoping he wouldn't fall asleep too soon. She had a few plans of her own for him to help kick start this little victory party of theirs.

Feeling her body tingle with desire at the simple thought of being with him, Stephanie reached over and placed her glass down on the floor next to them. As she raised her head, she felt it spin a little. Blinking heavily, she knew the champagne had gone straight to her head but she didn't care. They were celebrating after all. She also decided that Paul was partly to blame too. If he was like any normal person and actually drunk anything other than water and protein shakes, she wouldn't have had to drink the bottle all on her own. As she focused on Paul once more, she noticed the slow sexy smirk crossing his face.

"What's so funny Mr Game?" she smiled.

"Oh, I don't know." he grinned as he shifted on the sofa beside her causing his black t-shirt to ride up his stomach, exposing the strip of smooth tanned skin. "Maybe it's the fact that Mrs Game is currently drunk out of her pretty little mind."

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide with indignation as she snorted at his comment.

"Drunk!? I'm not drunk! I'm just happy thank you very much. I mean it's not every day a girl finds herself married to the WWF champion."

She smiled at him seductively as she moved over him straddling his lap and wrapping her arms around his thick neck. She licked her lips as she pushed his soft strands over his shoulder and dipped her head trailing her tongue over his earlobe.

"Are you trying to seduce me, McMahon?" Paul asked her, thickly.

Stephanie's lips curved up gently before brushing lightly over his neck. Her blue eyes were dark with her desire as she lifted her head to smile at him. "I'm quite sure you're not complaining. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, I can feel your protest, or lack of it, from where I'm sitting."

Watching him carefully, she ground her hips against him feeling his hard heat underneath her. A low growl escaped from his parted lips which she quickly silenced with her kiss………….

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Vince sighed heavily as he read over the script for the following evening. He shook his head removing his glasses and tossing them to the table in front of him. It was no good. The script would need to be revised and it would need to be done tonight. He had no option. He had meetings scheduled for the best part of tomorrow and there was no way he could fit it all in. He just hoped Stephanie was awake. It was going to be a long night. Picking up the phone next to him, he dialled Stephanie's number. As he heard the message informing him that her number was currently unavailable, he slammed the phone down. "Damn it Stephanie."

Pushing back his chair, he realised there was nothing else for it. He would have to go to her room and wake her up himself. She wouldn't like it but he had no choice. The business came before any form of beauty sleep. He should know. He couldn't recall the last time he had slept for more than four hours straight. Five minutes later Vince was standing outside her hotel suite knocking on her door, the sound echoing throughout the empty corridor. His feet shifted impatiently on the faded patterned carpet as he knocked again, this time banging much louder.

"Where the hell is she?" he muttered to himself as he raked his fingers through his hair.

"I don't think she's there Mr McMahon."

Vince turned round surprised by the voice to see Test standing behind him. His brown eyes glared at him in annoyance. "And how the hell would you know where my daughter is?"

Andrew lifted his shoulder in a casual shrug. "Well I'm sure I saw Stephanie earlier and I'm pretty certain she was with Paul. In fact I think they were on their way to his room."

Andrew tried not to smile as he watched as Vince's face turned bright red. He honestly looked like he could explode at any second. "Are you okay Mr McMahon?" he asked.

Vince snarled at him as he threw a final angry look at the door. "No, I'm damn well not!" His voice boomed down the corridor as he turned on his heels heading towards the elevator. "And get your damn ass in bed! We've got a show tomorrow night!"

A smug grin slowly crossed Andrew's face as he watched Vince walk away. He hadn't expected his opportunity to come so quickly. He had heard the gossip around the locker room and knew that Vince disapproved of Paul and Stephanie being together. So after he had accidentally seen them tonight hugging and kissing in the elevator before the doors had shut, he knew he had his chance to get his revenge on Paul. After all he was the one who had cost Andrew his big chance to be a top player in the business. It should be him that was WWF champion and married to the billion dollar princess not that degenerate. Congratulating himself on a job well done Andrew took Vince's advice and headed to bed. After all it wasn't wise to cross the boss.

Three floors down Vince was now standing outside Paul's hotel room irate at the sound of laughter coming from inside the room. It was Stephanie and his blood was boiling knowing that bastard was in there corrupting his little baby girl. They obviously thought they could outsmart him by seeing each other behind his back. Well they were wrong and they would have a relationship over his dead body. How dare they think they could deceive him like this! He was going to put a stop to this once and for all because as far as he was concerned, things were going to change around here. No one made a fool of him and got away with it and Paul and Stephanie would find that out the hard way. Let's see how much they laughed when they realised the consequences of their actions, when they realised no one, absolutely no-one crossed Vince McMahon. Because they were both going to pay for this and they would pay dearly, even his darling daughter. His decision was made. Tomorrow morning he would put an end to this deception and he couldn't wait to see the look on their faces when they realised the games were over. When they realised McMahon-Helmsley era was coming to an abrupt end and their so-called relationship would be over once and for all……..


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Stephanie lay there impatiently, a soft sigh escaping from her lips as her fingertips lightly traced his warm skin. Paul was still fast asleep, his chest rising and falling with his deep and slow even breathing. The morning sunlight kissed his face as he lay on his back, his head turned to the side, buried and slightly hidden in the crisp cotton material of the pillow. Soft strands of his fair hair fell across his face and she lifted her hand to tenderly brush them aside. So far she had resisted the urge to awaken him however now she was getting restless. She was suddenly feeling desperate, needing him to open his eyes, wanting to wish him a good morning and have his inviting lips kiss hers in a gentle embrace.

Raising herself up and lightly giving him a shake, Stephanie watched him eagerly. Paul remained still, his eyelashes still brushing the tips of his cheeks, his mouth still slightly parted in slumber. She waited a beat before shaking him once more. This time her sigh was one of frustration as once again he remained undisturbed. Her lips down turned into a frown as she shifted on the mattress. However, it was simply a matter of seconds before her blue eyes twinkled with her smile and she positioned herself above him, her hair sweeping over him deciding to take matters into her own hands. Stephanie started to crawl her way down his body placing soft, open mouth kisses as she went. It wasn't long before she heard Paul give a soft moan as he eventually became aware of her and began to stir. That was all the encouragement she needed as she continued her way down to his body, disappearing beneath the tangled blankets.

It wasn't long before Paul's eyes shot wide open as he felt the warmth radiating from Stephanie's mouth. He swallowed thickly before turning his head, lightly growling in appreciation at the pleasure he was feeling from her touch. His fingers tangled themselves in her chestnut hair as his brown eyes closed once more feeling the desire coil in the pit of his stomach as the soft kisses caressed his stomach. Her long blonde strands tickled his skin as she made her way back up his muscled torso and letting out a sigh of contentment, his eyes fluttered open. Stephanie smiled as she came face to face with him and Paul's big hand tenderly brushed back her tousled hair from her forehead.

"Good morning baby." Stephanie said leaning over and pressed her lips gently against his.

"You know something McMahon?" he said thickly, smiling. "You do that every morning and I might just keep you. You could be my own personal alarm clock."

Stephanie laughed as she trailed a finger down his chest, her body settling underneath the warmth of the covers and Paul once more. "And what would my payment be for providing such a service?"

He rolled his lips together in contemplation before pulling her back towards him and rolling her on top of him. "How about I show you right now?" he suggested.

Paul smiled against Stephanie's lips and he began to kiss her, his tongue brushing over hers, exploring her mouth. Suddenly the phone on the bed-side table began to ring but it didn't deter him as he chose to ignore it. He had more important things to take care of like his girlfriend. His mouth tugged gently on Stephanie's bottom lip before it travelled to her neck and began to kiss and suck on her sweet skin.

"Paul, aren't you going to answer that?" asked Stephanie breathlessly as the phone continued to ring out. She felt Paul shake his head as he continued his assault on her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut as his tongue flicked over her skin, tasting her but the constant shrill ring of the telephone proved too distracting. Unable to stand it any longer, Stephanie pulled away from him, running her fingers through his hair.

"They're obviously not giving up Paul. Shouldn't you answer it? It might be important."

Sighing heavily in defeat, Paul muttered a curse under his breath reaching across her temporarily pinning her to the bed as he picked up the receiver.

"What?" he barked rather abruptly. He didn't care about his telephone manners and he sure as hell wasn't in the mood right now for exchanging pleasantries with whoever was on the end of the phone, not when they were keeping him from more pressing matters.

"There's a meeting scheduled to take place in half an hour. I want you there."

Paul's nostrils flared angrily at the sound of his voice. Vince. The bastard had impeccable timing. "I'll be there." he replied and was just about to hang up when he heard him continue the conversation.

"I can't get hold of Stephanie to tell her. She's not in her room. Any idea where I could find her?"

Paul's brown eyes flickered with his dismay. There was something in the tone of his voice that raised his suspicions. Shit! Did Vince know? No he couldn't. They had been careful. Vince had no reason to suspect anything was going on. What was he going to say though? Well, whatever it was, he'd better think quick before his silence gave the game away. Scratching absently at his cheek, Paul licked his lips.

"Uh, I'm not sure. I think she might have mentioned something last night about going out to breakfast with a friend. Look, I gotta go and hit the shower if I'm gonna make this meeting. I'll see you there"

Luckily for Paul, he couldn't see Vince's face turn bright red as he hung up the phone cutting him off. Stephanie sat up in bed drawing her knees to her chest pulling the covers with her.

"Was that Daddy? Was he looking for me?"

Paul nodded as he raked his fingers through his tousled hair. "Yeah. There's a meeting in half an hour. He wants me there. Probably you too."

He saw Stephanie's face drop as she asked her next question. "Do you think he knows I'm here with you?"

As she looked over at him, he saw the fear in her big ocean blue eyes. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed the top of her head and tried his best to reassure her.

"I don't think so Steph and right now, we've no reason to believe he does. Look let's get ready and head to this meeting. There's no point in worrying about it. All you've got to do is go along with the excuse I gave him about you going out for breakfast. He'll have no reason to think that you're lying."

Stephanie nodded in agreement pressing her lips together in a smile. Paul was right. There was no way her father could know about them and besides meetings were called all the time. There was no need to panic here. She just had to play it cool when she saw him and not let him suspect a single thing.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Vince paced up and down along the dusty concrete floor, his eyes firmly trained on the door as the wrestlers started to filter into the room. His jaw was clenched tightly, his teeth practically grinding together as he tried his best to hold in his temper, knowing he had to keep a clear head if he was going to pretend it was business as usual today. Although the truth was he felt sick to his stomach knowing his daughter had deceived him in this way, running around with that no good son of a bitch behind his back. Never before had she defied him in such a manner. Never before had she disobeyed his orders. Swallowing thickly Vince's fingers pressed firmly into his palms.

As his gaze remained on the door ahead, he failed to notice that his son was watching him from across the room, slightly frowning as he paid particular attention to his father's mannerisms. Shane knew his father and knew by the clenched jaw and the tense shoulders that he was out for someone's blood this morning. He recognised the signs all too well. God knows he had been witness to it a number of times over the years. He was only glad that he wasn't the person on the receiving end and he started to ponder who it might be.

As if on cue, Stephanie walked through the door, flicking her hair over her shoulder and Shane noticed his father almost snarl as he became aware of his daughter's presence in the room. He sighed softly muttering to himself as he saw his sister approach him. "What the hell have you been up to Stephanie?"

Stephanie was oblivious as she smiled and approached her brother, tossing her planner down on the table next to him. "Hey Shane. What's up?"

Shane shifted in his chair as he returned her smile deciding he was going say nothing and leave it for now. It wasn't the time or place for questioning her. He would talk to her after the meeting and find out just what was going on. Licking his lips, he raked his fingers through his short dark strands.

"Good morning little sis. Sleep well?"

Stephanie's blue eyes widened appearing slightly startled for a second before she forced a smile as she sat down next to him. "Fine thanks."

Shane smirked to himself as she busied herself with her planner unable to miss the blush that had slowly crept across her cheeks the second he had enquired about her evening. Well, well. It looked like Stephanie had been holding out on him about something or was that something actually a someone? He knew for a fact he was going to enjoy their chat later on and find out.

As he sniffed and turned in his seat to continue their conversation, he noticed Stephanie was looking ahead, her expression almost shy and her blue eyes wide as her attention focused elsewhere. Shane glanced in that direction and found the reason why his sister currently resembled a teenage girl with a crush. Paul had arrived. As he pulled back a seat and took his place directly across from them, he noticed Paul wink and smile at his sister. Of course she smiled back, a huge grin spreading across her face before she quickly glanced down at her planner. Suddenly everything became crystal clear to Shane. Paul was obviously the reason why Stephanie had been blushing like a school girl and if that was the case, he may also be the reason for his father's anger. Letting out a slow breath, Shane rested back in his seat suddenly having a horrible premonition that all hell was going to break loose in the McMahon family.

Just then his father cleared his throat and began to speak. Shane gave him his full attention quickly pushing his worries to the back of his mind for now.

"Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I've called this meeting today in an effort to get ratings back up. I've discussed things with our writing team and we've come up with some ideas."

Paul's head was bowed as he absently doodled on his notebook, his mind deliberately shutting Vince out. He wasn't in the mood to listen to any of his crap today, not when it was his phone call that had dragged him here in the first place ruining any plans he had made for this morning. Although of course the morning hadn't completely blown entirely.

Paul smirked to himself as he remembered Stephanie's earlier wake up call. God knows he could wake up to that everyday or more specifically her because there was no one else on this earth he wanted to be with. Paul raised his brown eyes letting them fall on the woman across the table. Her head was resting on her chin as she listened intently to her father, her teeth gently pulling on her bottom lip as she concentrated. Paul was more than content to sit there and just watch her, admiring everything about her from her soft full lips to her big sparkling blue eyes, eyes that were as blue as the ocean. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd found himself drowning in those eyes. Her overwhelming beauty just drew him in and more often than not he would find himself wondering if this was all a dream and if he was just imagining the fact that this gorgeous, smart woman was in love with him. It all seemed too good to be true but he thanked his lucky stars every day that it wasn't.

Just then he saw a movement to his left and out of the corner of his eye he saw Shane looking at him with an almost tentative look on his face. Not sure what was up with the Boy Wonder, Paul gave him a small curious smile before turning his attention back to Stephanie. He immediately saw the shocked expression on her face and as Vince's words registered in his head, it became obvious what had caused her reaction.

"…a love triangle which will eventually lead to divorce."

Vince looked at them both as he delivered his bombshell and silently congratulated himself as he witnessed their surprise and their confusion. They should have known better than to disobey his wishes and he was going to make sure they learnt that lesson the hard way. "Now moving on to other matters……."

Stephanie couldn't listen to her father anymore as she started to feel nauseous. Her stomach was doing somersaults as her slightly trembling fingers gripped onto her pen. Now she knew without a doubt that her father knew about her and Paul. She was sure of it. What the hell was she going to do? Unable to stop the sick feeling she had in her stomach, Stephanie felt someone watching her. She looked up expecting it to be Paul but he was staring at the table and his jaw was clenched and taut with his anger. He obviously realised Vince knew the truth and who could only guess the impossible obstacles that would now stand in the way of them being together. Because she knew her father and she knew there was no chance in hell he would give them his blessing. Not now, not after their deceit.

Stephanie's eyes absently darted round the table but she stopped with a start as she saw the person who was watching her. Andrew. What the hell was he staring at her like that for? And what was the deal with that stupid grin he was wearing? Not that she was even going to bother about him because he was the least of her worries right now. All she wanted was for this meeting to finish so she could get the hell out of here and talk to Paul.

Suddenly she was aware of the sound of the chairs scraping back. Thank God her prayers had been answered and it was finally over. As she went to leave the table, she felt someone pulling on her arm. Turning around she saw it was Shane and there was no mistaking the look of concern in his brown orbs.

"Stephanie, I think it's time you told me the truth about what the hell is going on and why dad looks like he is about to blow a gasket." he hissed at her.

Stephanie sighed and nodded her head. "I'll meet you outside. Just give me a minute."

"No Stephanie. Now!"

Without giving her a chance to do anything else, Shane quickly led his sister out of the door before any one could realise they were gone. It was for her own good after all. He had to get her out of there before his father got hold of her and when he asked her what the hell was going on, Stephanie needed to be honest with him and tell him the truth. Maybe then he might just be able to help her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Paul looked across at the doorway noticing Stephanie leaving with Shane. Lightly frowning, he grabbed his pen and notebook and intended to follow them or at least he did until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning round he came face to face with Test and scowled back at him. What did that asshole want? He was in no mood to listen to him.

"What a shame about you and Stephanie, huh?" smirked Andrew. "Looks like they finally realised what a load of crap your storyline really was."

Paul felt his temperature rise as he stared at the buck toothed idiot, his right hand balling into a fist. "You'd better shut your fucking mouth Martin before I shut it for you."

"Oh, is that so? Your empty threats don't mean nothing to me. As far as I'm concerned, you and that slut wife of yours deserve everything that's coming to you."

A red mist descended on Paul knowing he had heard more than enough. The rage boiled through his blood as he slammed his fist into Andrew's face causing him to fall backwards against the table. He was about to connect with a second blow when he heard Vince from behind him.

"Enough! You hit him again and I swear to God I'll fire your ass!"

The threat was enough to somehow get his anger in check. Paul stared at Andrew before he lowered his hand and started to back off. Although he wanted to continue to beat the living hell out of him, there was no way he would let Vince have the satisfaction of telling him he was fired. So he walked away, glaring furiously at Andrew in the process.

"You'd better keep your mouth shut from now on." he warned him.

Turning around he made his way out of the room completely ignoring Vince as he went. His shoulders were heaving with his rage. That bastard Martin! What the hell was his problem anyway? And where did he get off calling Stephanie a slut? Vince maybe saved his ass this time round but next time he'd make sure he finished the job and beat Andrew to a bloody pulp.

Paul raked his hand through his hair in frustration. As he got to the end of the deserted corridor he realised Stephanie and Shane were nowhere to be found so decided to head back to the hotel gym where he could burn off some steam. God knows he had to do something and if Stephanie needed him she could catch up with him there.

Meanwhile back in the meeting room Vince stood shaking his head at the bloody state spread across the table. "Get up."

He grabbed Andrew's outstretched hand and pulled him up. Satisfied he was back on his feet Vince swung a punch sending him back onto the table. Andrew rubbed his jaw and looked up to see Vince standing over him.

"Don't you ever call my daughter a slut again! Next time I won't stop Paul from beating you to death."

Andrew grimaced. He hadn't realised Vince had heard him. "Sorry Mr McMahon."

Vince cringed as he heard his apology. This guy Martin was such a suck-up. He couldn't stand people like that although he was more than prepared to put up with it if it meant getting what he wanted. See, he had a plan. Watching Paul hit Andrew had made him think about how to end the McMahon Helmsley storyline. His original idea had been for Triple H to get involved with another female wrestler which would eventually cause the divorce. Vince had also hoped that he could persuade this diva that it would be in her best interests to try and seduce Paul for real. This would then make Stephanie see him for what he really was and she would stop this silly notion that she cared for him somehow. But now he thought differently. He decided that Test would be the cause of the break-up between Triple H and his daughter. After all he was more than aware that Stephanie did have a crush on Andrew when she first joined the business. Maybe if he turned on the charm she would fall for him again. It would also produce a storyline where Test would defeat Triple H for the world heavyweight title. He would take everything away from Paul and leave him with nothing. It was all he deserved for messing around with Stephanie behind his back. Smiling to himself he pulled Andrew up.

"I've got a proposition for you. Meet me backstage tonight. I'll give you the details then."

Andrew grinned as he watched Vince leave the room. It was time for him to get what he wanted but first he'd have to take care of his face. He was pretty sure that asshole Levesque had managed to burst his nose. But it had been a small price to pay for what he was about to receive in return.

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Completely unaware of everything that had just taken place, Shane and Stephanie took their seats at the table in the small cafe. Stephanie had needed coffee especially now her hangover seemed to be kicking in. She felt nauseous and she could feel a head-ache coming on. Rubbing her temples, she watched gratefully as the waitress left to take care of their order.

"So tell me what's going on between you and Paul."

Stephanie frowned as she looked across at her brother. "There's nothing going on." she replied feebly.

Shane's stern brown eyes looked back at her, mirroring his disbelief at her denial. "Don't lie to me Stephanie. I saw the looks you were giving one another at the meeting and I saw you blush when I asked if you slept well. Add in the fact that Dad is obviously pissed off at you about something and it doesn't take Einstein to work it out."

The waitress saved her from having to answer Shane's question as she brought the coffee to the table. Stephanie cradled the mug in both hands and brought the hot drink to her mouth. She instantly felt her stomach go queasy so she placed the mug back down.

"Something wrong with your coffee?"

She absently shook her head as she pushed the drink from her reach. "No, I just feel sick. I don't think I can drink it. I guess I went overboard with the celebrations last night."

"Celebrations, huh? So who were you celebrating with? Paul by any chance?"

Stephanie raised her head to look at her brother and seeing the smug, knowing look on his face, she sighed in defeat knowing it was pointless to keep up the pretence. "Yes, with Paul." she admitted.

Shane watched his sister as she sat back in her chair and looked over at him tentatively, waiting for his reaction. He couldn't help but feel extremely worried about her. The way their father had reacted at the meeting and his decision to change the direction of their storyline meant that he had obviously worked out that she and Paul were still seeing one another behind his back. And while he personally thought Stephanie was nuts for thinking she could pull the wool over Vince's eyes, he also felt sorry for her and could sympathise with her predicament. She was clearly head over heels in love with Paul. Any fool could see that and from what he could make out, Paul felt the same way about his sister.

He'd actually been in favour of them starting to date and he never could understand why his father had suddenly changed his mind and forbidden them to continue their relationship. Okay, so some of the wrestlers had a problem with it but they were big boys. They would get over it and accept the situation or they would just have to deal with it. In his opinion, Paul was a decent guy. He liked him and he trusted him. Okay he had a bit of a reputation in the past but he had changed. His relationship with Joanie had tamed him and shown him that there was more to life than screwing ring rats every night of the week.

"You want me to talk to Dad? See if I can talk some sense into him?" offered Shane.

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide with her surprise and her mood instantly lifted as she realised her brother was on their side and not only that, he was offering to help. "You'd do that? I mean you're not angry I'm with Paul?"

Shane sighed as he shifted in his chair, resting his forearms on the table. "I'll be honest with you Stephanie. I think you're crazy for going behind Dad's back and disobeying his orders to stay away from Paul. You know how he can be. But on the same token, I can understand why. If you love Paul as much as I love Marissa then I know it would be killing you to be away from him. So I'll talk to him, see if I can work out what he's thinking."

Stephanie beamed back at him and gratefully reached over to squeeze his hand. "Thank you Shane. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Yeah but I'm not promising anything Steph. He could completely blow me out and stick to his guns. But I'll try my best. I promise."

She nodded her understanding. "And that's all I can ask for. I just hope it works and Dad changes his mind because I don't even want to think about what will happen if it doesn't."

Shane watched her thoughtfully as he picked up his coffee.

"Nor do I." he thought.

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An hour or so later Paul had finished at the gym and was making his way back to his hotel room. He was tired and his body physically ached from his workout. He had lifted more than he usually did as he desperately tried to stop thinking about what was going to happen between him and Stephanie. He knew Vince knew. Any idiot could work that out from the way things had gone down at the meeting earlier. The problem was where did they go from here? Paul wanted to tell Vince to go to hell and be with Stephanie anyway. He could care less about his job if it meant they were together. But he knew it wasn't that easy for her. Stephanie loved her father regardless of what he put her through and he knew that she would be miserable if she didn't have him or the rest of her family in her life.

And that was what would happen. Vince was vindictive enough to involve Linda and Shane in his decision to disown Stephanie and he would make it impossible for them to refuse to do so. So that left only one option, an option that Paul honestly couldn't bear to think about. Breaking things off with Stephanie would kill him. He had never loved anyone like he loved her. Since he had let her into his heart he hadn't stopped thinking about her or their future together. But being in love also meant he couldn't be selfish. He had to think of Stephanie and he knew that he had to do what was best for her. Because the harsh truth was she could learn to live without him in her life but she could never live without her family.

With his mind more of less made up, Paul entered his room and his heart felt heavy as he dumped his gym bag to the floor. He headed to the shower trying to prepare himself for the hardest conversation of his life………


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Paul hung up after leaving yet another message on Stephanie's phone. He sighed heavily as he tossed his cell to the bed and raked his fingers impatiently through his hair. Although he kept trying to convince himself differently, he couldn't help but feel worried about her. Stephanie never had her phone switched off through the day which meant either Vince had gotten hold of her after the meeting or she was trying to avoid her father and in his eyes that was only a good thing. The last thing he wanted was her being at the receiving end of Vince's anger and it had been obvious from her old man's reactions that he was totally pissed at the pair of them to the point that Shane had even sensed it too and thankfully he had taken his baby sister somewhere safe. Although deep down, Paul was also a little relieved that he hadn't yet had the chance to talk to Stephanie himself. Quite simply, he just didn't want to give her up. He loved her so much and he wanted to be completely selfish and hold onto their relationship. But unfortunately being in love with someone meant you put that person first. And that was what he was doing. Putting Stephanie first regardless of how he felt about her. But if it was the case, why did he feel like his heart was about to break and that his whole world was about to come to an end?

Paul lifted his wrist and checked his watch. The clock was ticking and there was only an hour to go before it was time to head to the arena. Grabbing his gym bag from the chair, he decided he was going to head over there anyway. He was going to go nuts if he stayed here any longer and maybe he'd manage to catch up with Stephanie there. Paul's heart was heavy as he opened the door. Even the thought of seeing her tonight couldn't lift his spirits. If anything it just made him feel even worse. How the hell was he supposed to exist without her?

As he went to step out into the hallway, he heard his phone start to ring. He lingered at the door, his brown eyes glancing at the bed where he had left his phone. He dropped his gym bag to the floor and slowly crossed the room. The door clicked shut behind him as he saw her name flash up on his caller ID. Stephanie. Letting out a shaky breath, Paul reached out for the phone and answered the call.

"Hey Steph."

"Hi baby."

Paul's eyes squeezed shut at the sound of her soft familiar voice.

"Sorry for not calling you sooner but I had to come back and have a lie down after talking to Shane. I guess our celebrations from last night caught up with me."

Stephanie laughed down the phone unaware that Paul was trying his hardest not to break down. He couldn't believe that less than twenty four hours ago he had everything he had ever wanted. He was the world federation champion and he was in love with the woman of his dreams. Now the belt seemed like little consolation for what he was about to lose.

"Paul, are you still there?"

He opened his sad eyes and pushed back his hair. "Yeah I'm here. Look Steph, we really need to talk."

Stephanie sighed at the other end. "I know. I mean it's obvious Daddy knows about us now. But don't worry Paul. Shane is going to talk to him. He's going to try and make him see sense."

Paul could hear the hope in her voice and his brow furrowed with his confusion, unable to understand why. Surely Stephanie realised that it wouldn't matter what Shane said to her father. There was no way in hell Vince was going to back down now and give them his blessing. That much was obvious to him. It should be obvious to her too.

"Paul? Didn't you hear what I just said?" Stephanie asked him, frowning at his silence. Here she was telling him that everything just might be okay and he was deliberately spacing out on her. What on earth was his problem?

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just worried about you."

Stephanie smiled to herself as she hugged the padded pillow to her chest. She loved the way Paul was always so considerate and was always looking out for her. His caring nature was one of the many reasons she loved him.

"Well there's no need to worry." she told him. "It's going to be okay."

She paused as she glanced at the small digital clock on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Look I'm running late and I really have to get to the arena. Can we talk about this after the show?"

Paul nodded his head reluctantly as he rested his back against the wall, shifting his feet underneath him. "Sure. I'll see you when I get there. Bye Steph."

"Bye Paul. I love you, you know."

Her words worked their way into him making his eyes burn with unexpected tears. He quickly blinked them away taken aback by the sudden show of his emotions.

"I love you too sweetheart." He paused for a second, swallowing thickly. "Always." he whispered.

Paul hung up as a sadness welled up inside him and he leant his head back closing his eyes trying his hardest not to let that sadness overwhelm him.

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Meanwhile back at the arena Shane had decided to arrive a little earlier than usual. He had made up his mind. He was going to find his father and try and talk to him before the show. Stephanie loved Paul and it was stupid trying to keep them apart especially because of the mindless idiots in the back. Well screw them. His sister's happiness was way more important to him than the business. He just hoped his father saw it that way too despite his famous McMahon stubbornness.

Shane continued along the empty hallway. His footsteps faltered as he recognised the familiar low tone as his father talked to someone. Maybe it was a member of the ring crew. They were usually the only people around the arena early apart from his father.

As he approached the door at the end of the corridor, the voices got clearer. Shane could now hear the conversation and he realised that what they were talking about involved Paul and Stephanie. To say he was intrigued was putting it mildly. Who else knew about their relationship and why would his father be discussing it? Shane stood silently outside the doorway and decided to hear a little more before making his presence known.

"So this time next month you will be our new WWF champion defeating Triple H in a handicap match. And in your corner helping you to get the victory will be ….. me."

Vince grinned as he saw the look of delight on Andrew's face. He decided not to spoil things by telling him that the reason he was personally getting involved was that he didn't trust Test to carry the match on his own. In Vince's opinion, Paul held more talent in his little finger than Andrew ever would. Still, he needed him to carry the belt. It was all part of his plan.

"So, how will it all come about? I'm sure you'll have some great ideas." said Andrew.

Vince gave a tiny smile in acknowledgement while inside his skin crawled. Martin really was an ass-kisser. "Well Andrew, as you know from our meeting this morning, the McMahon-Helmsley era is coming to an end. And the cause of this will be you. You will get involved with Stephanie causing Triple H to ask for a divorce. He will then face you in a match in an attempt to get revenge for being with his wife."

"And how will you get involved in all of this Mr McMahon?"

"Well, once Triple H finds out what has been going on he will proceed to talk trash about my daughter. And you know what happens to people who badmouth Stephanie."

Vince watched in amusement as Andrew rubbed his jaw, the same one that Vince's fist had connected with earlier.

"Anyway, after you have the title I will give you and Stephanie my blessing to get married. It's simple."

Andrew rubbed his hands together and grinned. It was all falling into place. Soon he would be exactly where he should have been before that bastard Levesque took what was rightfully his.

"Oh and Andrew, there is one other thing."

"Sure."

"Perhaps whilst working with Stephanie you could take into account how she feels about you."

Andrew's nose wrinkled in confusion. "I don't quite understand what you are trying to say."

"Well let's just say my daughter has had a crush on you for the longest time and if working with her you felt you could return those feelings then I want you to know that you would have my blessing to go ahead."

Vince swallowed thickly and didn't tell him that it would only be until Paul was out of his daughter's life for good. He didn't want Stephanie with a wrestler period and especially not an ass-kissing little bastard like this one.

"You know I didn't realise Stephanie still felt that way about me. I mean after all she is seeing Paul isn't she?"

Vince scowled. "Well yes but I'm sure that's only because she probably thought she didn't have a chance with you. I mean you never did anything to make her think otherwise, did you?"

Andrew shook his head and couldn't believe his luck. Here he was about to take everything away from the one man he hated. Revenge would be sweet especially if that revenge included one Stephanie McMahon plus he had always thought daddy's little princess was hot.

"I guess I didn't. Well Mr McMahon, I won't let you down. I promise you I'll be a great champion and with Stephanie by my side, I'll be the proudest wrestler in this business."

Vince shook the hand that was offered to him. "Thank you Andrew. Now if you don't mind I've got a show to get ready."

Shane heard the footsteps approach him and quickly ducked into the room next door. He couldn't face seeing his father. Not now. Not after what he had just heard. He could feel his stomach churn with disgust as he tried to take in what he had just heard. He could understand his father taking the belt from Paul as punishment. That was his way and he was quite sure Paul would be expecting it to happen anyway but what Shane couldn't get his head round was the fact that his father was quite prepared to play with Stephanie's emotions. He obviously didn't care about her happiness and he was crazy if he thought that she could jump from one wrestler to the other. Shane felt his anger bubble to the surface. He wanted to go in there and have it out with him but he decided against it for now. He wasn't sure why but his gut reaction was not to let Vince know he knew about any of this. He had to try and work this to his advantage but he needed to figure out how. He needed time to think.

A few moments later, Stephanie arrived at the arena just missing her brother who had pulled away into his car. She wouldn't have necessarily have noticed him anyway. Her mind was too preoccupied with the final draft of the script she needed to run over before the show. Tucking her hair behind her ear, Stephanie made her way towards her dressing room. Her heels clacked again the concrete but she was made to stop in her tracks when she heard the voice behind her.

"Well there's a sight for sore eyes. How are you doing Stephanie?"

Stephanie whirled round to see Andrew standing there and he was wearing the same smug grin that he had had on his face earlier. She tossed her head in confusion. "Fine Andrew but if you don't mind I've got a script to run over."

"Oh yeah. I guess you must be gutted that your storyline with Paul is coming to an end."

Stephanie frowned at the tone of his voice. It sounded almost condescending and she didn't like it one little bit. "I'll get over it." she replied abruptly. "After all it's not like it's real life or anything."

"No? Well that's funny. When I saw you in the elevator it looked very real to me."

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide stunned by Andrew's words. It suddenly dawned on her that it was him. He must have been the one to tell her father that she and Paul were together.

"Lost for words Stephanie?"

She scowled at him placing her hand on her hip. "Look Andrew, I don't know what you think you're trying to accomplish here but it's not working. So get the hell away from me. I've got work to do."

Andrew sneered as she walked away from him. So she was going to play hard to get. That was alright by him. He loved a challenge. And with Vince's backing it was a challenge he would definitely overcome. Making his way towards his locker room he started to whistle. It had been a good day and it was only going to get better.

***********************************************************************

At that time Paul still hadn't made it to the arena yet. The truth was he was putting it off for as long as he could. He just couldn't face it knowing what was going to happen after the show. So he'd just sat here in the hotel room, the words going round and round in his head. Words he'd somehow have to try and say to Stephanie.

Raking his fingers through his hair, he abruptly got up from the small padded chair. He suddenly felt stifled by his thoughts and needed to get out of here. He needed to stop thinking about everything because it was driving him nuts. Paul's movements were slow as he made his way over to get his bag. He jumped slightly startled when he heard the knock on the door and his brow crinkled in puzzlement. He wasn't expecting anybody. His big hand turned the handle and he saw Shane standing out in the hallway. His brown eyes momentarily warmed with a smile.

"Hey man. What can I do for you?" he asked him.

"Can I come in?" asked Shane.

Paul nodded and showed him into the room. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask him about Stephanie but Shane got there first after deciding he was just going to get straight to the point.

"You probably know I talked to Stephanie today."

He nodded again and Shane smiled.

"She told me about you two being together and I'm going to tell you what I told her. I think you're both crazy for thinking you could go behind my father's back like that."

Paul scowled and held up his hand interrupting him. "Hold it right there, Shane. You know very little about the situation and….."

Shane repeated his action, holding up his hand this time stopping him from completing his sentence. "If you would hold on a minute and let me finish you'd know that although I think you're both crazy, I can understand why you did it."

Paul sighed heavily, his brown eyes drifting to the faded carpet.

"Do you love my sister Paul?"

He immediately looked up. "Of course I do. I love Steph to death." He paused swallowing hard and pushing back the lump he could feel in this throat. "And that's why I've made my decision."

He turned and deliberately moved to the window. His brown eyes focused on the tall buildings across the street as he stared out of the glass absently.

"What decision Paul?" asked Shane and watched Paul's shoulders slump forward as he pressed his head against the window pane. He felt the uneasiness build in his stomach. He didn't like the way Paul was acting. He had a bad feeling that he was about to do something stupid. Shaking his head, he took him by the shoulder and turned him round to face him. "What decision are you talking about, Paul?"

There was no disguising the pain in his voice as he replied. "I'm going to let her go Shane. I'm not going to put her in the position of choosing between me and her family."

Paul paused, smiling at him sadly.

"You know as well as I do that Stephanie couldn't handle losing you guys and if she was to pick me over you, that would be what would happen. Your father would see to that. And I can't put her through that Shane. You know I can't."

Shane pressed his lips together tightly. If he had ever doubted that Paul loved his sister, he sure as hell didn't now. What he was prepared to do for her more than proved that love but he was making a huge mistake and he had to make him see that for his sake and for Stephanie's. He sighed softly.

"Paul, I admire you. I really do." he told him. "I mean to have the guts to give everything up for the person you love, it's the most unselfish thing you could do. But don't you think you should let Stephanie decide what she wants for herself?"

Paul's expression was firm as he shook his head. "No Shane. I'm going to do this. It's best for everyone in the long run."

Shane could see the determination in his face. He could hear it in his voice and he knew that he had no other choice than to tell him what he had overheard at the arena this afternoon. Maybe then he would realise that he was playing right into his father's hands. Maybe then he would change his mind about Stephanie. Clearing his throat, Shane walked towards the bed. When he turned around, Paul was standing there watching him carefully.

"So you're going to let Dad win huh?"

Paul brow crinkled in confusion. This wasn't the reaction he expected from Shane. Did he honestly want Stephanie to lose her family? He shook his head at him.

"Shane it's not a question of winning or losing. It's a question of doing the right thing."

"Bullshit Paul!"

His brown eyes went wide with surprise.

"I can't believe you're going to give up so easily. Surely Stephanie deserves you to fight for her? To make Dad see that no matter what he throws at you, you're going to be together."

Paul stared at Shane in disbelief. "Why are you so intent on us being together? Why are you trying to get me to change my mind?"

"Because I can see how much she loves you Paul and I can see that you return that love right back. You've proved to me that you have Stephanie's best interests at heart. I just wish I could say the same about my father. He doesn't care about her feelings and he made that quite clear to me today."

Paul saw the look of anger that crossed his face immediately arousing his suspicions. "What has Vince done, Shane?"

Shane lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "He just seems so blinded by rage right now. He hates the fact that you and Stephanie have defied his wishes and so much so that he's concocted a ridiculous plan to get back at you both and end your relationship."

Paul licked his lips as he absorbed Shane's words. In all honesty, he wasn't surprised that Vince was up to no good. The bastard was heartless and he had no conscience when it came to business. The sad thing was it looked like that also included his family.

"What's he going to do?" he asked him. "Take my title? Don't worry. I expected that to happen."

"Not just that Paul. He's going to try and get Stephanie to fall in love with someone else."

Paul nodded and realised he was obviously not the only one not paying attention to Vince's rambling earlier on. Shane had obviously zoned out too. "I knew that too. He said as much at the meeting this morning."

"No Paul. We're talking real-life scenario here."

"What?!"

Paul's mouth parted unable to believe what he was hearing. His fists clenched with his rage as he tried to process what Shane was telling him.

"Is he for real? Does your father think that Stephanie and I are just playing with one another? I mean does he honestly believe that his own daughter can turn her feelings on and off at the drop of a hat? Who the hell does he think he is to try and tell her how to live her life?"

Shane smiled to himself. Bingo! "But so are you Paul. I mean aren't you going to tell Stephanie that she has to live her life without you in it despite her wanting the very opposite?"

Paul was stunned into silence as he realised Shane was right. He was acting just like Vince. He was forcing his decision on Stephanie, the only difference being he knew it was for the best.

"You're not playing fair Shane." he told him.

"I'm a McMahon, what do you expect?" he retorted.

Both men smiled in spite of the anger they felt.

"But seriously Paul, don't let my father win." Shane pleaded. "Don't end things with Stephanie. Okay, worst case scenario, Dad cuts off all contact with you. But as for me, mom and Marissa, there's no chance in hell that he would keep us away. Mom's a lot tougher than she looks you know."

Paul smiled in spite of himself but knew Shane was right. Linda could stand up for herself if she had to.

"So what's it to be Paul? Are you going to fight for my sister or not?"

A slow smile crept across his face and Paul knew right then what his answer would be. He had no choice, not when he knew it would kill him inside to be without her.

"Yeah, I'm going to fight for her. I promise."

As he spoke those words, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and as he looked at Shane he knew he would be eternally grateful for stopping him making the biggest mistake of his life.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Paul and Shane entered the backstage door arena. They nodded and acknowledged the security guard standing at the double doors and both of them remained silent as they continued their way along the narrow corridor. It had been that way ever since they had left the hotel. Both men had been so pre-occupied with their own thoughts they hadn't engaged in any form of conversation but as they neared the dressing room area, Paul placed his hand on Shane's shoulder quickly stopping him in his tracks.

"So, do I get to know who the lucky guy is?"

Shane furrowed his brow in confusion. His head had been elsewhere and he had no clue what Paul was talking about. "What guy?" he replied.

"The guy Vince has decided to rope into his fucked up plans."

He snorted with disgust. "Oh that guy. Well, it's Andrew."

Paul's brown eyes went wide with amazement as he raked his fingers through his hair. "That asshole? That explains why the cocky bastard had a go at me today."

"He did? What did he say?"

"Something about how cut up he was about our crappy storyline coming to an end but his comment about Stephanie being a slut was the final straw."

Shane's nostrils flared with his anger. "He called her that? Well he'll get what's coming to him along with Dad."

But his curiosity was peeked when he saw the slow smirk that crossed Paul's face.

"Oh there's no need to worry on that score. I kind of took care of him myself when I smacked him in the face."

"I hope there was blood."

"Oh yeah there was blood." Paul grinned widely but it quickly faded into a troubled frown. "So, what are we going to do about Vince?"

Shane shook his head and sighed. "I'm not totally sure yet but I do know that I don't want Dad or Andrew getting any inkling that we know what they are planning. I think we should play along with their little game for now."

Paul nodded in agreement. "But what about Steph?"

"I'll talk to her. I'll tell her everything I know and get her to play along too. Don't worry about Stephanie, Paul. She can handle Dad. As long as she's got you beside her, she'll be fine."

Paul smiled gratefully at Shane as his feet shifted on the concrete floor. "Listen, I'm going to change into my gear. Tell Steph I'll catch up with her later?"

"Sure."

Shane watched Paul disappear down the corridor before he turned to his left and knocked on the green painted door in front of him. Stephanie looked up from her laptop when she heard the knock and the door open. She spotted Shane's head as it popped through the door.

"Got a minute Steph?"

"Sure, come in. By the way have you seen Paul? He's usually here by now and there's been a few changes to the script that I wanted to run over with him."

Shane sat down on the couch next to her, the cushions shifting underneath his weight. "Paul's here." he told her as he scratched at his cheek. "He came with me actually. He's gone to get changed and he said to tell you he'd catch up with you later."

Stephanie looked at him in surprise. "Since when were you and Paul travel buddies?"

"Since I went to see him at the hotel. I had a couple of things I needed to talk to him about."

"What would you and Paul need to talk about?"

"Well that's why I'm here. I thought I should put you in the picture about what Dad's been up to."

Stephanie's blue eyes narrowed in his direction. She had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "What's going on Shane?"

She listened in disbelief as Shane filled her in on the conversation he had overheard between Andrew and her father. She was shocked and horrified to know that her father could play with her emotions like that. She quickly rose to her feet. Her expression was troubled as she pushed back her hair unaware that Shane was watching her as she paced up and down trying to absorb what he had just told her. He could tell she was as angry as he and Paul had been.

"You know that explains why I haven't seen him all day." she said. "He's been too busy plotting his revenge. But does he really think I'm that heartless? I mean does he think I can just turn my feelings on and off like that?"

"Funnily enough that's kind of what Paul said earlier." Shane sighed and got to his feet knowing that what he was about to do was the right thing in his mind at least.

"Speaking of Paul there's something else I want you to know." he told her.

Stephanie stopped and looked at her brother. She could see the concern in his eyes as he placed his hands on her shoulders and she felt the worry start to creep into her heart.

"Now I'm only telling you this because I want to make sure you won't unknowingly say or do anything that could jeopardise your relationship with him."

Her blue eyes were wide with her fear. "What are you talking about Shane?"

"Earlier, when I went to see Paul, I found out that he was going to break things off with you. He thought it would be for the best. He didn't want to put you in a position where you had to choose between him and your family."

Tears immediately sprung into Stephanie's eyes and she blinked them back as she felt herself start to panic. "No. He can't do that. Not now."

Shane tried to reassure her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "Calm down Steph. He's not going to. He realised that he couldn't make that decision for you."

He let her go and relaxed when he saw Stephanie was calming down but he held her hands as he continued to speak trying to reassure her.

"What I also want you to know is that if you love Paul and you want to be with him, then you have my blessing and I'm sure that when you talk to Mom, she'll be happy for you too. Dad will come round in the end Steph. I promise. In the meantime you have to be strong for your sake and for Paul's. You have to reassure him that there is no doubt in your mind that you are doing the right thing."

Stephanie nodded her head and reached for him once more hugging him tightly. As they broke apart she smiled at him. "You're the best big brother a girl could have you know."

Shane smiled back. "For a bratty little sister, you're not bad either."

"Hey!" Stephanie playfully swatted his arm at his arm and Shane laughed. However his expression turned serious as he rubbed her arm affectionately.

"But for now we'll just go along letting him think we know nothing about his plan until we can think of a way to stop him and make him see sense, okay?"

She nodded her head once more. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Just remember you owe me one."

"I'll remember."

They heard someone clear their throat and they both turned round to see Paul standing in the doorway smiling.

"You know there is nothing like a brother and sister bonding to bring warmth to your heart."

Stephanie beamed at him. "Care to join in?"

He shook his head as he crossed the room. "Nah! Shane and I have bonded enough for today. Any more and people might talk."

Shane chuckled. "Well my work here is done. I'm off to make myself useful and keep an eye on what Dad's up to."

Stephanie pulled him into one last hug before she let him go. "I meant what I said. Thank you for everything."

He winked at her. "Any time."

Paul and Stephanie watched as he left before turning to face one another.

"So did Shane fill you in?"

Before she answered Stephanie walked over to him and pulled him into her arms holding him tightly. "Yes he did. We're not going to let him win Paul."

Paul heard the determination in her voice and he silently thanked Shane again for stopping him making a horrible mistake. He was never going to doubt their relationship again. For Stephanie's sake he was going to make Vince see sense no matter what it took.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Paul flopped down tiredly on the scratched wooden bench. He sighed as he lifted the ice-pack to the back of his head and tried to ignore the throbbing in his temples. That asshole Martin had hit him from behind as he was doing his promo in the ring setting in motion Vince's great plan to end the McMahon-Helmsley era. It was a shame it was all part of the storyline because Paul would have liked nothing better than to have an excuse to go to Andrew's locker room and finish the beating he had given him earlier. His blood boiled every time he looked in the direction of the ugly idiot.

Lifting his wrist, Paul checked his watch and wondered where Stephanie was. She had told him she would be back in ten minutes and that had been half an hour ago when she had blown him a kiss and disappeared down the corridor. He was starting to worry that she had run into Vince. Amazingly enough they had managed to avoid him all night so far but he knew their luck would have to run out sooner or later and when it did he didn't want Stephanie facing her father alone. That was why he needed to get the hell out of this locker room and find her.

Dumping the ice-pack, Paul grabbed his bag and jacket. His hand was reaching for the door when it suddenly shot towards him and hit him in the face. The pain shot across his head as his belongings dropped to the floor. "Fuck!" he cried out as he clutched his strands tightly at his scalp.

Stephanie's blue eyes were wide and concerned as she rushed over to his side. "Oh honey, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Paul nodded and inhaled slowly trying his best to calm down. He knew it had been an accident but that was little consolation at the moment as he felt the throbbing in his head.

"I'm so sorry Paul. I didn't see you when I came in." said Stephanie as she led him towards the bench and coaxed him to sit down. She took the space next to him as she reached out for his arm. Her expression was apologetic and when Paul turned to face, he suddenly felt bad for being angry with her. His face immediately softened as he pulled her into his arms.

"Hey, it's okay. It was an accident." he smiled as he released her and cupped her face in his hands. He brushed his lips gently over hers before pulling away and looking at her with a devilish look in his eyes, the throbbing in his head temporarily forgotten. "But you know, you could make it up to me if you really wanted to."

A slow smile crossed Stephanie's face as her hand lifted to brush back a loose strand of his damp hair. "And how would I go about doing that?"

"Hmmm, well let me see. You could start by joining me in the tub when we get back to the hotel and help me with those hard-to-reach places." he grinned.

"I could huh?"

Stephanie felt Paul's fingers as they caressed her neck and sighed as his lips replaced them and nipped and sucked on her skin. He moved away and whispered in her ear while running his hands slowly down her body.

"Then after you've bathed me I'll let you take me to bed where you can do anything you damn well please."

She felt the warmth rush through her body as his lips continued to make a trail towards the opening of her shirt. She cleared her throat as she tried to maintain control. "Paul, maybe we should continue this at the hotel."

He smirked at her as he lifted his head. "Why McMahon? Are you scared we get caught?"

"No!" she lied. "I just want to make sure there are no interruptions. Like you said, I've got some serious making up to do."

"Damn right you do." grinned Paul. "Come on Princess, let's get out of here." he said as he stood up and held out his hand. Stephanie took it as he pulled her to her feet and grabbing his things he held the door open for her as they made their way out into the corridor.

It was Stephanie who saw him first. He was making his way towards them and she saw his face turn into a scowl as he realised who was in front of him.

"Well, well. If it isn't the happy couple. Don't think you're going to get away with this, Stephanie!"

"Save it Dad! Paul and I are together and you're just going to have to deal with it."

Although Stephanie appeared confident as she faced up to her father, Paul could feel her body shake against him. He pulled her closer to try and reassure her.

"Don't you talk to me in that manner, Stephanie. I told you two not to see one another and you blatantly disobeyed my orders. Luckily someone was smart enough to tell me what you had been up to."

"No need to guess who that was. Is that why Andrew is getting a push Daddy? Is that what it takes to get ahead around here?"

"Now you listen to me…."

Vince was cut short by Paul who stepped forward coming face to face with him.

"No! You listen to me Vince. Stephanie and I tried to respect your wishes. We stayed apart but we realised that we loved one another too much not to be together. It was your irrational behaviour that led us to go behind your back in the first place. If you had just put your daughter's happiness before the business then none of this would be happening."

"Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? You're lucky your ass isn't fired."

"You know what Vince. Do what you want. I don't care anymore. Just as long as you realise that I'm with Stephanie whether you approve of it or not."

Paul watched as Vince's face turned red. He knew he wouldn't fire him. He needed him here to go ahead with his screwed-up plan.

"We'll see about that! Stephanie, I want to see you before our meeting at nine sharp tomorrow morning. We've got things to discuss." Vince started to walk away but stopped and turned back round. "And your "boyfriend" here is not invited!"

Paul resisted the urge to laugh as he walked away. He had never heard anyone say the word "boyfriend" with such venom. He turned to look at Stephanie who was watching her father leave the building. "Well that went better than I thought."

Stephanie looked towards Paul and gave him a small smile. "That's what I'm worried about."

Paul reached out and pulled her into his arms holding her tightly. "Come on. Let's go to the hotel. I'm on a promise, remember?"

Stephanie shook her head and smiled at the grin on Paul's face. "You don't give up do you?"

"No I don't. But that's one of the things you love about me." He said leaning over and kissed her on the tip of her nose.

"You're so full of it Levesque." she told him as she slid her fingers through his.

"Come on . I've got some making up to do"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Stephanie looked over at the bed and smiled as she saw Paul sprawled out across the mattress. He looked so innocent while he lay sleeping but as she recalled the events from the previous night, she knew that she couldn't be further from the truth. She sighed to herself wishing that she could just crawl back into bed with him instead of having to go to this meeting where her father was obviously going to give her a piece of his mind. As if she didn't feel bad enough.

As she pulled on her shoes, Stephanie stifled another yawn. She felt absolutely exhausted but she put it down to being up most of the night. Not that she was complaining about that of course. She'd happily spend every night of the rest of her life making love to Paul. A gentle smile crossed her face and she was just about to rise to her feet when she felt the grip on her arm as Paul pulled her back onto the bed.

"Trying to sneak out on me McMahon? You know it's not nice to take advantage of a guy and then abandon him the next morning." he whispered as she closed her eyes feeling his lips lightly nip on her ear lobe.

"I didn't know the deal included the morning too." she breathed.

Paul's body shook with his chuckle as he pulled her round to face him. "It's a twenty four hour thing. I need round-the-clock attention you know."

Stephanie smiled as he traced her face with his thumb.

"Are you okay Steph? You're looking kind of pale this morning."

"Yeah, I'm just tired. Your around-the-clock demands wear a girl out you know."

He grinned at her. "Well I promise to be on my best behaviour tonight. How does pizza, a movie and lots of cuddling sound?"

"Sounds like heaven." Stephanie kissed him softly. "But in the meantime I'd better go and face the music."

She stood up and smoothed her skirt down and pulled her jacket on flicking her hair over the collar.

"You know I don't like the thought of you facing your father on your own. Do you want me to come with you?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, do you? Anyway I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"But I do worry Steph." Paul sniffed as he raked his fingers through his hair and sat up against the pillows. "And just for the record, I plan to make it a life-time habit to worry about you."

Stephanie's mouth lifted into a delighted grin as she leant over and kissed him. "I like the sound of that but I really need to go. I'll see you later at the production meeting."

Grabbing her bag she made her way towards the door. Before she closed it behind her, she turned back and blew him a kiss.

"I love you Levesque."

Paul smiled and winked at her. "I love you too Princess. Now get your ass out of here so I can get some sleep."

He waited until the door closed behind her before he grabbed his phone from the nightstand. He dialled the number and sat back waiting for the other person to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi Shane, it's Paul. Listen, your dad's called Stephanie to a meeting and he's banned me from being there. I'm just worried that he's going to cause trouble and upset her. Is there any chance you could be there?"

"Sure. Actually I was getting ready to head over there anyway. There were a couple of things I needed to do before the production meeting."

"Thanks man. I appreciate it."

"No problem. I'll catch up with you later."

"See ya Shane."

Paul hung up and tossed the phone on the covers. He felt a little easier now that he had Shane looking out for Stephanie. God knows he was worried about her. She looked so pale and fragile this morning and he wasn't convinced that she could handle her father on her own and quite frankly he didn't want her to……….

"Do you hear me Stephanie?!"

Shane shook his head as he heard his father's booming voice along the corridor. He obviously wasn't holding back on what he had to say to Stephanie. Deciding that he wasn't in the mood to be polite, he opened the door without knocking and walked straight into the room they were in.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Shane? I'm trying to have a private conversation with you sister."

"If it's that private why could I hear you all the way down the hallway?"

Vince sneered and pointed his finger towards him. "Listen to me. If your sister hadn't been so disobedient and gone behind my back then I wouldn't have to be raising my voice to her."

"Listen to yourself Dad. You're treating her like a child. She is a grown woman for God's sake."

"Then maybe she should start acting like it instead of sneaking around like some disobedient child. She's lucky I don't send her back home for what's she doing to this family."

Stephanie stood up unable to hold back any longer. "What am I doing that's so wrong Daddy? All I've done is fall in love. Where's the harm in that?"

"The harm is that he's a wrestler for crying out loud. He's not good enough for you Steph. Is it such a crime to want the best for my daughter?"

"Paul is what's best for me Daddy. I love him and he loves me. Why can't you accept that?"

"I told you Stephanie – he's not good enough for you. He's a brute with no manners and a reputation to be ashamed of. Don't you remember the havoc he and his friends caused around here? He slept with anything that was walking for Christ sake!"

"He's changed Daddy! Any fool can see that. Why won't you give him a chance to prove that to you?! I mean you must think something of him. He is the WWF champion."

"Not for long he isn't. I'm going to show him and you that I will not tolerate anyone who disobeys my wishes. Shane, why don't you talk some sense into your sister?"

"Why would I when I happen to agree with what she is saying?" Shane saw the anger in his father's face and he didn't care. He had to realise that he had no right how to tell Stephanie to live her life.

"What the hell do you mean by that? Surely you can't approve of her associating with that….that imbecile." snarled Vince.

"That imbecile as you call him has more than proved to me that he loves Stephanie. I don't see any problem with them being together. As long as he takes care of her and treats her right then, as far as I'm concerned, they have my blessing."

"I can't believe this. You're as big an idiot as your sister if you really believe she could be happy with that moron."

Stephanie looked over at Shane and shook her head as Vince continued to rant on about Paul. She knew it was a lost cause. He wasn't going to listen to reason and they were clearly wasting their time. She was just about to try and interrupt him when she started to feel light-headed. She grabbed onto the back of the chair to steady herself as she felt her legs go wobbly.

"Are you okay Stephanie?" She looked round and saw Shane standing beside her, his brow furrowed with concern. She nodded her head .

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just felt a bit dizzy that's all. That's what I get for skipping breakfast." She smiled in an attempt to reassure him that she was okay.

Vince watched as Shane helped her into her seat. "So much for him taking care of you. Look at the mess you're in."

Shane looked at his father unable to believe that he had said that. "Dad, enough! Back off and leave her alone."

"Well she's got five minutes to pull herself together before the production meeting starts. I'll be back then. I've got a phone call to make."

Shane watched him leave, the disgust clearly written across his face. "How nice of him to be so concerned about his daughter."

"What do expect Shane? After all he is the man that's prepared to ruin my life."  
Stephanie stood up. "I'm going to get some coffee before this meeting starts. Are you coming?"

"Yeah. And I'm gonna make sure you have something to eat with it."

She smiled at him as they made their way into the corridor. "You always were the bossy one."

"Shut up and let's get go."

Andrew watched as they made their way down the corridor paying particular attention to Stephanie. His eyes travelled over her body and he licked his lips as he thought about what he would to her when she was his. One thing was for sure – Paul would be a distant memory once he had his hands on her. Nothing was going to get in his way. He was going to be the WWF champion and better than that, Stephanie was going to be his.

Once she had disappeared out of his sight, he looked around and saw the other wrestlers start to appear for the meeting. He watched them with a smug look on his face. He couldn't wait to see their reaction when Vince announced his plan and he would make sure that they would show him the respect he deserved once he wore that belt. His facial expression turned to a frown when he spotted the man he hated most stop in front of him.

"Nice shiner you got there Martin." Paul said silently congratulating himself on his handiwork.

"Shut up Levesque. You'll get yours eventually."

Paul stood tall and clenched his fists by his sides trying to resist the urge to smack him one again. "Is that a threat?"

"What are you gonna do about it if it is? Hit me again? You know you'll get fired if you do."

Paul couldn't believe the arrogance of the guy. He really was one smug bastard. "It would be worth it believe me. I know you think you're smart. You think just because you ratted on me and Steph that suddenly your Vince's golden boy and as a reward he's gonna give you the title. Well I've got news for you. I don't give a fuck! As far as I'm concerned I'm the winner here because I've got Stephanie and believe me, that's worth a damn sight more than being the heavyweight champion."

"Yeah, but for how much longer Paul? I mean how long is it gonna take before she realises what a total loser you are?"

Paul was just about to smack him in the face when he heard a voice behind him.

"Paul, he's not worth it man. Don't give him the satisfaction."

He turned around to see Shane and Stephanie standing there. Shane led Stephanie towards him. "Here, why don't you take Steph to her seat. She's not feeling too great. I want a word with Andrew anyway."

Paul took Stephanie's hand and noticed that she still looked as pale as she did this morning. He gave her a kiss on her forehead before heading towards the door. He couldn't resist having the last say as he walked into the room. "Next time there'll be no-one to save your sorry ass."

Shane stood in front of Andrew blocking his view of Stephanie. "You'd better watch what you're saying to Paul. You could get yourself killed one of these days."

"What do you want Shane?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I didn't appreciate you ratting on Stephanie to my father. No-one likes an ass-kisser Martin although it seems to be working out quite well for you."

"Is there a point to this?"

"Yes there is. Keep your nose out of my sister's business in future. It's none of your concern."

Andrew sneered at Shane. "Oh but it will be my business when I've got the title and she's by my side. I'll finally get payback on that bastard Levesque. He took what was mine in the first place."

Shane couldn't believe that he honestly thought that. Did he not realise that they went with Paul because no-one thought Andrew was capable of handling a major storyline?  
"If you're delusional enough to believe that then fine. Just don't expect any of the rest of us to."

With that said, Shane walked away leaving him standing in the corridor and didn't notice the evil look on Andrew's face as he thought about how he was going to make Stephanie finally his.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Stephanie watched the crowd as they hurled abuse towards her and Andrew. It was their reaction to her revelation that she had made a big mistake marrying Triple H. She had now told the whole world she was still in love with Test and she wanted to leave Hunter to be with him. The storyline was now set much to her dismay. As the first chords of her music struck, she made her way towards the ropes when she felt Andrew turn her round to face him. As her blue eyes fell on him, she saw the grin plastered across his face as he pulled her lips to his. Stephanie breath hitched with disbelief. This definitely wasn't in the script. She kept her mouth firmly closed as she felt his tongue try to gain entry and pulling away as discreetly as possible, she gave him a forced smile before turning to leave the ring. Inside, she could feel her anger bubbling to the surface. She was absolutely livid with him not to mention the fact he made her stomach churn. Who the hell did he think he was to maul her like that? Andrew's sweaty palm took hers as he grabbed hold of her hand walking up the ramp.

As soon as they got backstage, Stephanie threw his hand away in disgust as she whirled round, her eyes indignant as she faced him. "What the hell did you think you were doing out there? Nowhere in the script did it say that you could lay your slimy hands on me."

Andrew laughed in her face. "Now, now Stephanie. Calm down. We had to make it believable for the audience. After all you've kissed Hunter plenty of times in the ring."

"Yeah but he wasn't a sleazy bastard like you." Stephanie said as she started to walk away. However, she had only managed a couple of steps when she felt him pull her back.

"Fight me all you want baby. You know you'll come round in the end." he told her.

"I'm not your baby Andrew. And believe me it wouldn't matter if you were the last man on earth. I still wouldn't want you anywhere near me."

Stephanie ignored the staring eyes in the back as she walked away, her face rigid with anger. She didn't know how much longer she could continue with this crap. She had a good mind to go straight to her father right now and tell him that she knew everything and that his little plan was never going to work. The only problem with that is he would write her out of the show and send her back home like he had threatened to do. And as much as she hated it, she would rather be here with Paul than stuck at home never seeing him from one day to the next.

She made her way into her dressing room and her heart leapt with surprise when she walked in to see Paul sitting on the small sofa waiting on her. She hadn't been expecting him to be here at all. He hadn't been scripted to be on the show tonight so he had gone home for a few days and wasn't due back until tomorrow. She was so happy to see him. As he stood up to greet her, she ran straight into his arms and held him close.

"God I've missed you." she confessed as she sighed contentedly feeling her anger disappear as she melted into his warmth and breathed in the spicy scent of his cologne. His soft blonde strands were freshly washed and tickled her nose.

"I should go away more often if this is the welcome I get." he chuckled.

Stephanie lifted her head up and took his face in her hands. Her big blue eyes scanned his handsome face as she drank him in. "I don't think so. I hate it when we're apart."

She pulled his face to hers and began to kiss him tenderly. Her heart raced as her mouth parted. She brushed her tongue over his tasting him as she pulled him against her. She just couldn't have him close enough as she moved her hands down to cup his ass and her fingernails gripped the faded denim as she ground her body into him. She didn't know what had come over her but all she knew was that she needed Paul so badly. As her lips moved to his neck, she heard the low growl in the back of his throat. Her stomach pooled with desire as she nibbled his lobe and breathed in his ear. "I want you Paul."

Her surprised gasp was silenced by his kiss as Paul lifted her up in his arms and carried her in the direction of the sofa. Her body felt cold without him as she felt him move away and her mouth had opened to protest when she watched him lock the door and turn to face her. A slow smile crossed her wet lips as he made his way back to her removing his leather jacket and throwing it the ground. His big arms reached for her as he kissed her once more. His firm body pressed down on hers gently lowering her in the direction of the cushions. Stephanie moaned softly into his mouth as his big hands began to touch her burning her skin. Paul grabbed her halter top and quickly pulled it over her head. His fingers tangled in her tousled strands as she reached for the bottom hem of his shirt. Her nails grazed his chest as she pulled his t-shirt off and her hand moved to his jeans. That was when she felt her mouth start to water and her stomach churn. She quickly jumped up off the sofa causing Paul to fall back stunned. His brown eyes blinked rapidly as he watched Stephanie disappear into the bathroom and quickly filled with his concerned expression as he heard her begin to throw up.

Sighing he raked his fingers through his hair and stood up making his way through to her. He reached for the cloth sitting by the sink and ran it under the cold water. He watched as Stephanie sat back propping herself up against the wall. Her complexion was so pale and Paul noticed the black rings under her eyes. He wrung out the cloth and knelt down beside her pressing the cold material on the back of her neck.

"Feeling any better?" he asked as he kept his hand on the cloth changing position and sat down on the tiled floor beside her.

"A little." she smiled gratefully. "I don't know what happened. I must have eaten something that doesn't agree with me."

Paul shook his head and sighed at her explanation. This sickness had been going on for the last few weeks now and he had to confess to being worried about Stephanie so much so he had actually discussed it with his mom while he had been home. When she had suggested to him what was probably wrong, he wondered why he hadn't seen it for himself. He should have recognised the symptoms. After all, his sister had gone through the same thing twice. Either Stephanie had no idea what was happening to her or she was in complete denial over it. But he couldn't allow her to deny it any longer. It was time to bite the bullet and talk to her about it. Removing the cloth from her neck, he shifted on the floor turning his body to face her.

"Steph, I don't think you're sick because you ate something disagreeable."

He watched her as she refused to look at him and instead focused on her hands, nervously wringing her fingers together. As she sat there silent Paul was hit with the realisation that she knew exactly what was going on. He felt his rage creep to the surface as he wondered how long she had been planning on keeping this from him. Days? Weeks? Months? Surely Stephanie knew she couldn't keep it a secret forever. Tossing the cloth to the floor, he knew shouting at her wasn't going to get him anywhere. He took a deep breath in an attempt to stay calm and stared straight ahead focusing his eyes on the wall in front of him. "So when were you going to tell me about the baby?" he asked in a controlled, hushed tone.

"I don't know." Stephanie whispered as her head bowed forward, her brown hair covering her face like a curtain. She felt her tears burn her eyes as Paul's hand lifted her chin, forcing her to look in his direction.

"Don't you think this was something you should have shared with me?"

Stephanie heard the anger in his tone and tried to blink back her tears. She knew she had messed up and she had messed up really badly. She had meant to talk to him about it. She really had but it had never been quite the right time and if she was honest with herself, she had been perfectly content to ignore the situation in the hope that somehow it would just go away. But it wouldn't go away no matter how much she wanted it too. The lump in her throat was painful as she finally allowed herself to look into his deep brown eyes.  
"I'm sorry Paul. I'm so sorry."

Her emotions got the better of her and she burst into tears. She looked away from Paul as she put her head in her hands and her shoulders shook as she began to sob heavily. Paul sat like a stone reluctant to comfort her. Stephanie had brought this on herself. She could have easily told him what was going on. But as he listened to her sobs, he felt overwhelmingly guilty for being angry and unable to listen to her distress one second longer he pulled to his chest. He felt her tears wet his skin as she shuddered against him. His big hand rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down.

"Come on Steph. Please don't cry." he pleaded.

He simply held her as she tried to control her tears until eventually he felt her body go still in his arms. He looked around him suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable. He knew they needed to talk but this really wasn't the ideal place to continue the discussion. Not when there were people just outside that door; people who included Stephanie's father. Licking his lips, Paul gently tried to coax her from his arms.

"Come on. Let's get dressed and get out of here. We can talk back at the hotel."

He got to his feet and held his hand out to Stephanie. Avoiding his eyes she lightly gripped his fingers as he pulled her to her feet. She was silent as she shakily walked back to the sofa pulling on her clothes and Paul did the same. Neither one of them spoke as they gathered their belongings and left the room and the arena.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The low sound of the radio filled the uneasy silence in the car. The short distance to the hotel seemed to stretch out into miles as Paul's long fingers tapped anxiously against the steering wheel. His brown eyes stared out at the road ahead yet his mind saw nothing as he drove. His thoughts pre-occupied him as the stark realisation hit him that he was actually going to be a father. He was going to be responsible for a baby; a child created with the woman he loved; their own flesh and blood. If he was honest with himself, that responsibility absolutely scared him to death and had done so for the last couple of days ever since his mother had raised the possibility of Stephanie being pregnant. He just wasn't sure if he was ready for all of this. It was a lot to process and the consequences were huge.

His mom had tried to talk to him about it while he was home but of course he had told her he didn't want to discuss it. It would have made it all too alarmingly real for him and eventually she had left him alone but not before telling him that he would be better talking to Stephanie about the situation and finding out for sure if she was pregnant or not. So he had left a day early. He had come to see her and confront her and find out the truth and now that he had, there was no doubt in his mind that Stephanie was expecting their baby. He just couldn't believe that she had kept him in the dark all this time. After all they'd been through he thought she trusted him enough to tell him anything but obviously that wasn't the case. Instead she had been trying to deal with this all on her own. Did Stephanie honestly believe that he wouldn't find out the truth eventually? After all there was a time limit on the secret that she had been keeping from him. Sighing heavily, Paul lifted his big hand and ran his fingers through hair before turning his head slightly to glance towards Stephanie.

She was staring out the window, her body turned away from him. She couldn't look in Paul's direction. She couldn't face the anger and disappointment in his beautiful brown eyes. They were eyes that revealed his every emotion to her. They were like a tunnel to his soul and she knew she had hurt him earlier when he had figured out the truth about the baby. She had meant to tell him she suspected she was pregnant, she honestly had and had no intention of keeping anything from him. It was just always a conversation she was happy to put off hoping it was a bad dream that would simply go away. She was so scared about how Paul would react to the pregnancy. They had never discussed children and she wasn't sure about his feelings on the subject. She hadn't even let herself think how she would feel about having a baby. That would have meant acknowledging the fact that she might be pregnant and Stephanie had preferred to be in denial pushing what was happening to the back of her mind. Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, she felt her stomach churn as she thought about the conversation she and Paul were about to have. God, she felt sick. She didn't know if she could handle it if Paul didn't want this baby. Feeling the hot tears burn her eyes, she tried to blink them away and noticed that they had pulled up at the hotel. Letting out a silent, shaky breath, she knew her time had run out and that it was only a matter of minutes before she would have to face the harsh reality about what was happening to her; to them.

Those minutes were filled with the continued silence as they entered the hotel and made their way to their room. Neither one of them had spoken to one another, both of them so uncertain of what to say. The brightly decorated space seemed terribly small as they stood awkwardly in the middle of the floor waiting for the other to make the first move. The silence felt deafening as Paul shifted his feet on the plush carpet and guiding his blonde strands behind his ear, he cleared his throat unable to stand it any longer.

"So why didn't you tell me what was going on Steph?" he asked her softly.

He saw her blue eyes widen with her surprise as they slowly drifted to his face. He knew she hadn't expected him to be so calm with her. He wasn't expecting it himself either but the truth was he just didn't feel angry any more. That emotion had quickly been replaced by his concerns and his overwhelming fear about being a father. Fears that he knew Stephanie had to be experiencing too. He watched her carefully as she slowly made her way over to the large king-size bed. The covers crumpled underneath her as she sat down, her shoulder lifting in a shrug as her eyes glanced down at the floor.

"I don't know why I didn't tell you. I guess I was just scared and I didn't want to admit to myself that anything was going on."

"But you are pregnant aren't you?"

Stephanie swallowed thickly as his words rung in her ears. Hearing Paul actually say it out loud and in the open made the whole thing terrifyingly real for her and she knew there was no turning back for either of them now. It was time to admit the truth. It was time to finally face up what was happening. She slowly allowed her eyes to raise and settle on his, her brown strands shifting across her shoulders as she nodded her confirmation. "I haven't actually taken a test yet but it would just tell me what I probably already know. I am having our baby Paul and I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything." she cried, her voice wavering with her emotion as the tears spilled out over her lashes.

Stephanie pressed her lips together tightly as her shoulders began to lightly tremble. Her hand lifted to wipe at her cheek and that was when she felt the warmth of Paul's fingers as he lightly took hold of it bringing it to her lap. She pushed back the lump in her throat as he slowly knelt down in front of her. His concerned brown eyes scanned her face as he gently squeezed her digits reassuringly.

"Hey, don't you ever be sorry that you're having our child. Ever." he told her before pausing and looking at her uncertainly. "Unless of course you don't want this baby." he added watching her anxiously for an answer.

The truth was he didn't know what he would do if Stephanie said she wasn't going ahead with this pregnancy. Although he was scared about becoming a father, all doubt had now left his mind and he knew right here and now that he wanted this baby. He just prayed to God that Stephanie felt the same way as he did otherwise he wasn't sure what their future would be; what it could be.

"Of course I want this baby Paul."

His shoulders sagged with his relief.

"But I'm just worried that you don't."

His mouth down turned into a frown, his relief quickly replaced with confusion. "And why wouldn't I?"

Stephanie shook her head immediately feeling nothing but disappointment that Paul had avoided answering her question by asking one of his own. She wanted to hear him actually say that this baby was what he wanted. Instead all he had done was fuel her fear that he wouldn't stand by her or their child. After all he had been prepared to walk away before when the going got tough with her father until Shane had stepped in and managed to persuade him otherwise. Well things would be a hell of a lot tougher now. How long would it be before he couldn't stand the heat and was prepared to give up on her? She could feel her anger start to bubble to the surface and she quickly pulled her hand away from his as she stood up from the bed.

"Steph?"

Her stomach was in knots as she ignored him and began to pace the floor. She could feel him rise to his feet and close the distance between them.

"Stephanie what the hell is going on with you? Why won't you talk to me?"

Her blue eyes flashed at him as she spun on her heel to face him. "Because I'm fucking terrified Paul that's why. I don't want to raise this baby alone and I'm afraid that's what going to happen here. You're going to walk away and I'll be left to face the consequences and won't my father just love that one!"

Stephanie quickly turned away but not before Paul grabbed her arm and pulled her round to face him.

"What the hell are you talking about? What have I done to make you think that I would leave you to raise our child on your own?"

"You've done nothing Paul and that's the problem. Not once have you said that you actually want this baby. And knowing that you were prepared to leave me when the going got tough before, well it just makes me think that there would be nothing stopping you doing it now especially now the stakes are so much higher."

Paul's big hand slowly slipped from her arm as he stood there shocked and taken aback that Stephanie would think that way about him. As he rubbed his fingers wearily across his forehead, he softly sighed and quickly realised the reason why. Shane must have told her that he had contemplated ending their relationship when her father had found out about them. And knowing what Vince's reaction would be to the baby, he knew there would be tough times ahead. He guessed he could understand Stephanie's reaction and couldn't blame her one little bit. But he wasn't going to run out on her. He wasn't going to run out on their child. He just had to convince her of that. He had to try his best to reassure her that there was no doubt whatsoever in his mind. Gently reaching out for her, Paul lightly gripped her arm. His tight smile was tentative as he gestured towards the small sofa. "Please, can we sit down?"

Stephanie silently nodded her agreement. The cushions shifted underneath her weight. She could feel Paul's brown eyes watching her as she deliberately stared ahead, avoiding looking at him.

"Steph, will you look at me. Please?"

She turned round and slowly raised her head. Paul took hold of her left hand wrapping his warm fingers around it.

"I want you to believe me when I tell you that I really want this baby. I do, Steph. I really do. What we've created is something so beautiful and I want nothing more than to spend my life caring for you and our child . And I can promise you with all of my heart that I will be by your side through everything. I'm not going to run, Steph. It's never going to be an option for me and you want to know why? It's because I know for a fact I can't live without you. I'm in love with you Stephanie, so much and I don't want to be without you or our baby."

Stephanie sniffed as her eyes began to gloss over. "Do you really mean that?"

Paul quickly nodded. "Of course. I want you and I want our child, Stephanie. I want you both so much."

Her lips trembled with her watery smile. He immediately reached for her and pulled her into his arms. Her soft strands tickled his cheek as her head nestled into his neck and he felt her shoulders begin to lightly shake, his heart feeling heavy as he held her tightly. He couldn't believe he had almost screwed things up. He was just so relieved that Stephanie had finally believed him when he said he wanted the baby because God knows the way he had acted tonight she had every right not to. He had just been so scared and he could only imagine the fear Stephanie had experienced the past few weeks keeping all this to herself. He buried his face in her hair kissing the top of her head. Eventually he felt her tears subside and after a moment he released his hold on her gently brushing his lips across her forehead.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Stephanie nodded wiping the tears from her face. She sniffed as her lips curved gently with her smile. "It's these damn hormones. They just make me want to cry all the time."

Paul chuckled lightly as he wiped the remainder of her tears away with the pad of his thumb. "How are you feeling? Do you still feel sick?"

"I'm not so bad now. I'm just tired I guess."

"Do you want to go to bed?" he asked her as he caressed her cheek.

"Actually I fancy a soak in the tub. Would you mind?" she asked him.

"Of course I don't mind." he smiled. "I'll go run the water for you while you get changed."

Stephanie felt cold as he let her go and made his way towards the bathroom. Her blue eyes followed him watching him disappear behind the wooden door. They lingered there for a second before she slowly bent over and began to remove her shoes. "Oh and Paul?" she called as she tossed one to the floor.

"I know, I know. Plenty of bubbles." he replied, his voice echoing through the room.

She laughed as she got to her feet. At times he knew her so well. She got undressed and put on the robe she pulled out of her bag. She tied the sash as she walked through to the bathroom to find her bath ready with plenty of bubbles floating on the surface.  
Paul grinned as his big hand gestured towards the tub. "Is the bath to your satisfaction Princess?"

Stephanie grinned back as she stepped out of her robe and climbed in, lowering herself to rest her head on the back of the tub. "This is perfect." she sighed as she felt her body relax and her eyes slowly close over. "I think I might just keep you, you know. You can run my bath anytime."

Paul laughed and he was about to make his way through to the bedroom when Stephanie called him back.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"I was gonna watch some television while you were in the tub."

"Oh no you don't, mister. I need a big strong man to help me wash my back. Are you up for it?"

Paul smiled and walked to the tub as Stephanie held the washcloth up in the air.  
Taking it from her, he dipped it in the water and started to wash her skin.

"Paul, are you happy? About the baby, I mean."

He continued what he was doing as he contemplated her question. "Yeah, I'm happy." he told her as the cloth moved over her shoulders. "But I'll be honest with you. I'm kind of scared too."

Stephanie brought her hand up out of the water and put her palm on his thick forearm stilling his movement. "Tell me what you're scared about?" she asked him as her big blue eyes fell on him.

Paul sighed as he shifted on the edge of the tub sensing that his answer was important to her. "It's just the whole father thing." He gave her an uneasy smile as he wrung the cloth in between his fingertips. "I mean I'm going to have a child that's going to depend on me for so much and I'm just not sure that I'm going to be good enough and be able to give our child everything he or she needs."

Stephanie raised her hand to gently touch his face. "Paul, you are going to be an amazing father. I just know you are. You are such a loving, generous and caring man. How can any child ask for any better than that?"

Paul smiled shyly at her response. "You really think so?"

"Yeah I do. You're going to be the best daddy in the world. I just know it."

Paul turned his cheek to kiss the palm of her hand. "And you are going to be the best mommy in the world."

"I hope so."

"I know so."

Stephanie smiled before giving a huge yawn.

"Now I think it's time we got you to bed." Paul reached over and grabbed a towel. "Come on, let's get you dried off."

Stephanie stood up and stepped out of the tub and felt herself being wrapped in the fluffy towel.

"You go get ready and I'll empty the tub."

"Thank you." Stephanie smiled reaching up to give him a sweet kiss before going through to the bedroom and getting ready for bed. By the time Paul came out of the bathroom, she was already under the covers. He undressed and got into bed beside her. Stephanie moved over to lay her head on his chest and felt Paul kiss the top of her head. Her eyes got heavy as she listened to the faint beat of his heart and was almost drifting off to sleep when Paul's voice brought her back around.

"When are we going to tell everybody?"

Her soft sigh disappeared into the darkness as her nails gently traced along his skin. "I don't want to tell anyone just now. At least not before I go to the doctor first and have him confirm that I'm actually pregnant and that the baby's healthy."

"Sounds good to me. When will we go?"

"Well I was thinking of going home Thursday." She yawned as she slid her leg through Paul's. "So I could make an appointment for then if that's okay with you."

"Thursday's fine for me."

"Good. I'll make an appointment in the morning." Stephanie yawned once more as she snuggled into Paul's chest comforted by the warmth of his skin. "Goodnight Paul."

"Goodnight baby."

Paul's arms held her close as he felt her drift off to sleep. As he lay there he realised that he actually felt excited about the prospect of becoming a father. He wasn't as scared as he had felt initially and he had the woman lying next to him to thank for that. She was the one that had reassured him tonight and had told him he would be an amazing father and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that he didn't disappoint her in any way. As Paul lay and thought about Stephanie and their baby, he eventually managed to drift off to sleep himself, his dreams filled of their amazing future together.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Paul held Stephanie's hand as they sat and waited for her name to be called. She watched with amusement as Paul's leg bounced up and down while he gazed around the room. He was more nervous than she was and it had been that way ever since she had made the appointment. However, he had still found the time to fuss over her and make sure she was eating and resting properly and Stephanie wasn't complaining. It was nice to have him with her and looking after her. She loved him so much even more so now part of him was growing inside her. She laid her hand on his leg and smiled as he looked round at her.

"You're going to make a hole in the floor if you keep bouncing your leg like that."

"Very funny. What time is it anyway?"

"One minute after the last time you asked. Don't worry. It will be our turn soon."

Just then a nurse appeared with a folder in her hand. "Stephanie McMahon?"

"See, I told you. Are you ready?"

Paul nodded as Stephanie took his hand and they followed the nurse down the hallway. They entered the clean, fresh-smelling room and the nurse asked them to take a seat. Just then a tall, blonde-haired woman appeared taking the folder from her and offered her hand to Stephanie.

"Miss McMahon? Hi. I'm Doctor Greene. Doctor Philips is on leave at the moment so I'm taking his place."

Stephanie and Paul both stood up and Stephanie shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you Doctor Greene. This is Paul."

Paul shook her hand and they both sat back down as the doctor and nurse took their places at the desk in front of them.

"So Stephanie, how are you feeling today?"

"Okay. A bit tired and nauseous but apart from that, fine."

"Good. Well today we're going to run some tests which will hopefully confirm your pregnancy. We'll also check your blood pressure and carry out an ultrasound to determine how far along you are. Before we start, do you have any questions?"

"No, I'm good. Paul, do you have any questions for the doctor?"

Paul cleared his throat before shaking his head. "No. No questions."

Stephanie smiled. "Paul's a little nervous." she explained.

"Ah! First time being a father Paul?"

"Yeah." he chuckled nervously. "Is it that obvious?" He felt Stephanie take his hand in hers and squeeze it reassuringly.

The doctor smiled over at him. "There's no need to worry. It's natural to feel a little scared. After all having a baby is a major event in anybody's life. Stephanie, we're going to run some tests now and I'll need to go over some questions with you. Paul, would you like to stay?"

Paul looked towards Stephanie and was about to ask what she wanted him to do when she made the decision for him.

"I know you'll probably be a little uncomfortable being here while the doctor is carrying out her examination. Why don't you wait outside and then maybe you could come back in when we do the ultrasound?"

Stephanie looked towards the doctor who nodded her head in agreement.

"Only if you're sure."

"I'm sure. I'll see you in a bit."

Paul stood up to leave and as he made his way out the door, he smiled and winked at Stephanie. As he closed the door behind him, he let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he didn't want to be there but the thought of watching Stephanie being poked and prodded and stabbed with needles did not appeal to him at all. He would have to make sure he thanked her later for being so understanding.

In an attempt to keep himself occupied he decided to go in search for a coffee machine. He wasn't allowed coffee when Stephanie was around as the smell made her feel sick so he was going to take advantage of the fact that she wasn't there. He made his way along the corridor to the machine he had seen on his way in here.

As he put in his money and waited for his drink, his thoughts started to drift to their baby and whether it would be a boy or a girl. Although he and Stephanie hadn't discussed it yet, he couldn't help but lean towards a little girl. He guessed his sister's kids had a lot to do with that. Peter had been terrible as a baby, constantly crying and never sleeping and he remembered Lynn being at her wits end and practically tearing her hair out. His niece was a different story. She was such a contented baby, hardly ever crying and she had slept right through the night from about three months old. Taking his coffee from the machine, he took a sip and made his way back towards the waiting area. Sitting down, he picked up a magazine and started to flick through it.  
He never did understand how women could read this stuff but it would do if it meant killing time until the ultrasound. Actually he ended up being totally engrossed in the latest celebrity gossip so much so that he failed to hear the nurse when she called out to him. As she made her way closer, she called on him again.

"Excuse me, Mr Levesque?"

"Yeah?"

"Miss McMahon and Doctor Greene are ready to do the ultrasound now."

"Right, thanks." Paul threw down the magazine and put his empty coffee cup in the bin and started to follow the nurse. He felt his nerves start to return as he made his way into the room and saw Stephanie lying on the examination table. He walked over to her and kissed her on her forehead.

"Hey. How did you get on? Is everything okay?"

Stephanie gave him a huge smile. "Everything is great Paul. The doctor has confirmed the pregnancy and all the tests and stuff have been fine. I have to wait on the results of the blood tests though but I should get them in a couple of days."

Paul took her hand and sat next to her just as Doctor Greene walked back into the room holding a tube of something in her hand.

"Well now the father's here, let's see your baby."  
She lifted up Stephanie's top. "I'll warn you now. This stuff is cold."

Stephanie gasped as the doctor squeezed some gel onto her stomach. She then turned on the monitor beside her and started to move the scanner across the gelled area.  
Suddenly an image appeared on the screen and the doctor pointed towards it.

"Now I believe that that there is your baby."

Stephanie felt the tears burn her eyes as she saw the tiny image before her. She blinked them back gazing at the screen in absolute wonderment as the doctor took some measurements. It was so amazing and her baby looked so real. It was already becoming a little person, a little person that would belong to her. That thought nearly overwhelmed her. Pressing her lips together tightly, a tear trickled down her cheek. She felt Paul's grip on her hand tighten and as she looked towards him she saw he was enthralled by what he was seeing.

Doctor Greene continued to point towards the screen "And there is one of the baby's hands and down here is definitely a foot. Would you like a picture?"

Stephanie wiped her eyes and nodded "Yes, yes please."

As the doctor started to print the picture, the expectant parents both continued to stare at the screen in silence, both in awe of what they were seeing.

Paul whispered not wanting to break the magic of the moment. "It's amazing isn't it? I can't believe that that is our baby."

Stephanie smiled at him and as he turned to face her, she noticed the glossy expression in his beautiful brown orbs. She leant over and kissed him softly before both of them turned back towards the monitor and continued to look at their baby on the screen.

"Going by the baby's measurements and the information you gave me earlier, I can tell you that you are approximately eight weeks along. Today is March 15th. That means your due date will be about October 25th."

"Wow. You can tell all that from the size of the baby?"

The doctor smiled at Paul's question. "Yes we can. It's amazing what you can tell from an ultrasound these days."

"And what about the sex of the baby? How soon could we know? If we wanted to that is."

"Stephanie will get another scan at twenty weeks. We can tell you then whether your baby is a boy or a girl. Do any of you have any preferences?"

Stephanie looked at Paul and he looked back, neither one willing to answer.  
Stephanie smiled at the doctor, "It's not actually something we've discussed. I guess we just wanted to be sure that the baby was healthy more than anything else."

"Well, there are no problems at all. Here's a towel for you to remove the gel. While you're getting ready I'll give you your prescription for your vitamins and schedule you in for your next appointment."

Paul stood and waited as Stephanie cleaned herself up and straightened her clothes.  
They made their way over to the other side of the room as Doctor Greene finished what she was doing.

"Right, here you go. Your prescription, your appointment and most importantly, your scan picture."

"Thank you Doctor." Stephanie shook her hand followed by Paul.

"Goodbye Stephanie. Paul. I'll see you in three months time."

As they made their way into the corridor, Stephanie put her prescription and appointment card in her bag but held on to the baby's picture wanting to look at it again. "It's amazing isn't it?"

Paul's finger traced the outline of the foot. "I can't believe that it's really our baby."

Stephanie stopped to face him and smiled at him tenderly. "I know." She stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his kissing him softly.

"And what did I do to deserve that?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe it's just for being here for me and our baby."

Paul pulled her to him and held her, paying no attention to the people around them as he kissed her hair. He put his arm round her shoulder and started to walk. "Come on. Let's get you your vitamins."

As they walked away looking at the picture, neither of them noticed the woman trying to catch their attention.

"Are you sure it's Stephanie?"

"Yes Michael! I know my best friend's daughter. Linda never mentioned anything to me yesterday about being a grandmother."

"Well, she doesn't have to tell you everything now does she?"

"It must have slipped her mind. I'll call her when I get home."

Michael shook his head as he followed his wife into the elevator. God help Linda McMahon when she got that phone call.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Stephanie slouched in her seat feeling absolutely exhausted as she struggled to focus on the road ahead. Her body felt like lead and she was desperate just to get home and lie down and have a nap. The last couple of weeks into her pregnancy it hadn't been unusual for her to crave sleep in the afternoon. As Paul drove their rental car back to her apartment, she felt her eyes begin to close, the car lulling her into slumber.

She was unaware that Paul kept glancing over at her smiling. He was glad to see her finally resting. Although Stephanie had denied it this morning, he knew she had been awake for most of last night. He knew because he had felt her tossing and turning around beside him. She had been nervous about today and what could happen with their child but there had been no reason to be that way. The baby was fine; perfectly fine and perfectly healthy.

As he raked his fingers through his blonde strands and glanced at her once more, Paul noticed that Stephanie still had the baby picture clasped in her hand. She hadn't let go of it since they had left the doctor's office. He'd lost count of times he'd caught her looking at it and beaming brightly. She was just so happy and overjoyed and she wasn't the only one. Paul turned his attention to the road smiling once more as he remembered that tiny image on the monitor screen. It had been so small, no bigger than a blob really. But seeing that for the first time and knowing that was his child, he had been so overwhelmed. He had been mesmerised by the tiny hands and feet that were visible even at such an early stage. He'd literally had to fight the urge to walk up and touch the monitor; to touch their baby. He was so looking forward to being a daddy now especially now it all felt so real and so exciting to him.

Manoeuvring the car into Stephanie's drive, Paul pulled up in front of her apartment. He had been more than relieved when she had told him they would be coming here and not staying at her parents' house. He sure as hell couldn't have handled sharing the same roof as Vince. For him, it was bad enough that he only stayed a couple of miles down the road. As Paul turned off the engine, he was reluctant to wake Stephanie up as she looked so peaceful lying there. He reached over and gently brushed her brown hair from her face. His hand lightly grazed her cheek before resting on her shoulder to softly shake her awake.

"Stephanie?" he hushed.

Her eyelids fluttered. His lips curved up gently before he pressed them against her temple.

"Steph."

"Hmmmmm?" She lifted her head to stare around her in a daze.

"Come on baby. Let's get you inside." smiled Paul stepping out of the car to open her door.

Once they were inside the apartment, Stephanie started to make her way towards the ornate living room. She felt Paul's arms circle her waist and pull her back into him.

"Oh no you don't young lady. You are going to bed. My orders."

She turned round in his arms, her blue eyes sparkling with her matching smile. "Hmmm. Wanting to have a little afternoon fun, are we?"

Paul narrowed his eyes in a mock stern expression. "No so get your mind out of the gutter McMahon. You're going to bed to sleep and to sleep only."

She pretended to pout as her fingers toyed with the ends of his blonde strands. "Well I'll only go on one condition." she told him.

"And what's that?"

"You come with me."

Paul smiled as his long finger affectionately tapped her nose. "I think you have yourself a deal. Come on. Let's get you to bed."

Stephanie screamed as she felt herself being lifted up, her body stretched across his muscular arms as he carried her through to the bedroom. Paul placed her on top of the bed and removed her shoes as she giggled. He then took off his own and joined her, pulling her into his arms. As she settled her body against him, the warm sunlight fell gently against their faces and in a matter of moments as they lay there in silence, both of them fell into a deep asleep…….

Linda McMahon was about to leave the house when she heard the phone ring. Putting her coat and bag down, she walked along the hall towards the phone.  
"Hello?"

"Linda, hi! It's Evelyn."

"Evelyn. You just caught me. I'm on my way out the door."

"Oh, you must be on your way to see Stephanie. I would imagine you can't wait to hear all about it."

"Hear about what? And why would I be going to see Stephanie? As far as I know, she's not even home this week."

"Now Linda, I know it's considered bad luck to tell people in the early stages but I'm your best friend. I promise I'll keep it to myself."

Linda shook her head in confusion. Evelyn wasn't making any sense. "Look you'll have to explain to me just what you're talking about because you've gotten me totally confused."

It suddenly dawned on Evelyn that Linda knew nothing about Stephanie and her pregnancy. Baffled as to why Stephanie wouldn't tell her mother something so important, she decided it was her duty as a friend to let Linda know the truth. Although if she was honest with herself, she would admit that part of her just couldn't resist the temptation to spread the gossip.

"Linda I saw Stephanie today. She was at Doctor Greene's office and she was with a very handsome young man may I add. Anyway, Michael and I saw them on the way out of the doctors and they were looking at a picture; a baby picture."

Linda was silent as she tried to absorb what her friend had just told her. As she wearily rubbed her forehead she thought that it couldn't be true. There was no way Stephanie would keep something important like that from her. Evelyn had to be mistaken. "Are you sure it was Stephanie you saw and not someone else? After all it has been a while since you last saw her."

"I know it was her Linda. I wouldn't imagine there would be many young girls walking around with Triple H on their arm."

Linda stood shocked into silence as her friend continued.

"It actually wasn't until I came home that I realised that's who it was. Matt's got his poster on the wall in his bedroom." Evelyn paused on the end of the line. "Linda, are you okay?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine. Look Evelyn, I've got to go. I'll talk to you soon."

Linda hung up before she heard any more and tried to process the fact that her daughter might be pregnant. She was obviously trying to keep it a secret and deep down, Linda honestly couldn't blame Stephanie for doing so. She had witnessed first hand Vince's anger over Stephanie and Paul's relationship and she didn't see what his problem was. She had always liked Paul and okay, in the past he had made some mistakes but he had grown up a lot over the last few years and had become a mature, responsible man. Shane also liked him and after discussing the relationship with her son, Linda was convinced that Paul truly loved her daughter and had no doubts that Stephanie felt the same way about him.

Sighing, Linda picked up her bag and headed out the door towards the car. She was on her way to the office but first she was going to make a little detour by Stephanie's apartment. She was going to see her daughter and find out the truth…….

Stephanie opened her eyes feeling Paul's lips gently caress her stomach. A slow smile spread across her face as she ruffled his hair. The movement got his attention as he lifted his head, looking up towards her.

"Hey beautiful. Sleep well?"

Stephanie nodded as she shifted against the soft pillows. "Yeah, I did actually." Her nose wrinkled with her amusement as she felt Paul's fingertips lightly tap against her rounded stomach. "Paul, what are you doing down there?"

Paul beamed at her looking mighty pleased with himself. "If you must know I'm bonding with our baby. I just thought he or she needed to know who their daddy was."

She couldn't help but laugh at the serious expression on his face. "You're taking this daddy business awfully seriously now aren't you?"

He shook his head as his brown eyes settled on her stomach once more. "Your mommy's being horrible and mean to Daddy."

Stephanie tugged on his arm encouraging him to move up the bed towards her. "Mommy will make it up to Daddy if he'll let her."

Paul grinned back as his face came level with hers. "I think I could be persuaded to let you do that."

He was just about to kiss her when they heard the doorbell ring and he looked at her curiously.

"Who knows we're here Steph?"

"No-one I don't think." Stephanie stood up trying to look out the window into the car park. "It's mom." she said frowning as she recognised the car.

"How does she know we're here?"

Stephanie glanced at the tall mirror to fix her tousled hair. "I don't know but I guess there's one way to find out."

Stephanie walked out into the hallway with Paul following close behind. As she opened the door, he disappeared into the living room.

"Hi Mom. Come in."

Linda smiled at her daughter and gave her a hug as she met her in the hallway.

"Paul's just through there."

Linda followed Stephanie into the room and she smiled as Paul stood up to greet her.

"Hey Linda. How are you?"

She noticed the hesitant smile on his face. He was clearly feeling a little awkward due to the situation with Vince. She decided to show him she was one hundred percent on their side. Linda walked over to him and gave him a hug which he gratefully returned. "Hi Paul. I'm fine thanks. How are you?"

"Great." His smile was genuine this time as he sat back down with Stephanie and Linda joining them.

"So how did you know I was home today?" asked Stephanie. "I meant to call you but I never quite got round to it."

Linda smiled at her daughter and decided that she was going to be totally honest with her. She'd always been honest with her daughter and that wasn't going to change now. "Do you remember my friend Evelyn?"

Stephanie smiled as she recalled the woman her mother talked about. "I do indeed. She loved to gossip if I remember correctly."

Linda nodded. "Well she called me today and she mentioned to me that she had seen you with Paul."

Unaware of where Evelyn had spotted her, Stephanie frowned quizzically. "Did she? Well I never saw her. Did she say where she had seen us?"

"She did actually. In fact she told me she saw you coming out of the doctor's office this morning."

Stephanie's blue eyes widened with shock as she realised from her mother's hurt expression that she knew the truth. She stood up and walked to the other side of the room unable to see that hurt any longer. She slowly turned to face her mother and Paul.

"I guess you know that Paul and I are having a baby then."

Linda nodded. "You've just confirmed what Evelyn told me. Why couldn't you tell me Stephanie? Why did I have to find out from someone else?"

Stephanie felt her eyes gloss over with her tears as she realised she had disappointed and upset her mother; the one person in the world she would never want to upset. She scurried out of the room and Paul heard the distinct click of bathroom door lock. He sighed softly as his brown eyes settled on Linda.

"I'm sorry that you found out about the baby the way you did today." he said. "You deserved better than that. But you need to know that it was just today the doctor actually confirmed that Stephanie was pregnant. So please don't be angry with her. If anything, she's still trying to come to terms with this all."

Linda nodded, her relief apparent at Paul's explanation. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise that you had only found out today. I was only upset because I thought Stephanie was keeping the baby a secret from me and I couldn't understand why."

"Look I'm going to check on Stephanie and make sure she's okay. Would you like to see the picture of the baby while I'm gone?"

Linda smiled at Paul. "Yes, I would."

Paul walked over to Stephanie's tote bag and took out the picture. After glancing at it fondly for a second, he passed it over to Linda. "I'm going to go and get Stephanie. I'm sure she'll want to tell you everything the doctor said today."

As he went to walk away Linda grabbed his hand to stop him. "Thank you Paul."

He smiled at her. "You're welcome."

His footsteps disappeared into the hallway. Linda stared completely mesmerised unable to tear her eyes away from the sonogram. She traced the image with her finger unable to believe that this was her daughter's baby; her grandchild.

"It's pretty amazing huh?"

Linda looked up and smiled at her daughter who had sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry mom."

Linda reached for her daughter hugging her tightly before letting her go. "You've nothing to be sorry for Stephanie. It should be me who's apologising for jumping to conclusions."

Stephanie sniffed and smiled gratefully as took hold of her mother's hand.

"So, did the doctor tell you how far along you are?"

"About eight weeks. She actually gave me a due date of October 25th."

Linda's eyes fell to the picture once more. "October, huh? When you think of it, it's not that far away."

"I know. It's kind of scary."

Linda turned her attention away to her daughter. "I'm happy for you Stephanie. I really am."

"Thanks mom. You don't know how much that means to me right now."

"Do you want me to tell your father for you?" Linda asked.

Stephanie quickly shook her head. "No. It's not fair on you to ask you to do that. Anyway, it should probably come from me and Paul but thanks for the offer."

Linda nodded and patted her hand. "No problem. Listen, I've got to go and head over to the office. Can we meet for lunch tomorrow and get the chance to talk a bit more? Maybe then we can decide the best time to tell your father."

"I'd like that. I'll call you tomorrow."

Stephanie and Linda got up and made their way to the front door. Linda looked back to see Paul coming towards them.

"Are you going already?" he asked.

"I'm afraid so. Not all of us have the day off you know." she teased. "I'll see you both soon."

Linda hugged them both as she left the apartment. Paul watched Stephanie close the door and run her fingers through her hair sighing. He took her into his arms and held her close.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah and you know I'm actually glad in a way that Mom knows. Otherwise I would have been happy to try and keep the baby a secret for as long as I could. At least this way I'll be left with no choice but to tell Dad."

Paul felt himself tense as he thought of Vince. "It's not going to be pretty though."

"I know. But what can he do? I mean now that we're having a baby he'll have to accept the fact that we're together."

Paul frowned knowing there was no chance in hell that Vince would accept their relationship but he decided to keep that thought to himself. He didn't share Stephanie's optimism and he knew for a fact that when they told her father about the baby all hell would break loose. He'd just have to make sure he was there to protect Stephanie when it happened. She was his only priority now. Her and their baby.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Paul shifted in his seat distracted as Vince continued to ramble on about the show. Honestly, he didn't have a clue what he was going on about. His mind had completely blanked him out preferring to focus on other things or should that be other people. In fact one person in particular. Stephanie.

A gentle smile tugged at Paul's lips as his brown eyes settled on her. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but there was definitely something different about her today. Her face looked brighter somehow like it was glowing or something. His smile crept upwards as he saw her hand move to her stomach to rub it gently. She had been doing that for the last few days now and he was quite sure Stephanie was unaware she was doing it. Personally, he found it particularly cute and made a mental note to remember to tease her about it later.

As his eyes briefly glanced towards his notepad, his brow crinkled with his curiosity as he saw a folded piece of paper in front of him. As his hand lifted to rake through his soft blonde strands, he wondered who the hell it was from. He knew it wasn't from Stephanie as he had been watching her the whole time. Intrigued, he leant back in his seat and keeping the piece of paper below the table, he read the neat scrawl.

"Paul, can we talk in private after the meeting? Shane."

Paul looked up to his left to see Shane watching him so he nodded his head in his direction. Shane gave him a small smile in return before he paid attention again to the meeting. Paul wondered what he wanted to talk to him about. They had called and told him about the baby the same day as Linda had found out and he had seemed genuinely happy for them. Maybe he had changed his mind. As Paul heard the scraping chairs signalling the end of the meeting, he knew that whatever it was he just about to find out.

"I'm going to be revising the script for tonight. Do you want to help me?"

Paul smiled at the sound of Stephanie's voice. He pushed back his chair as he gathered his things together suddenly wishing he could be spending the afternoon with her. Unfortunately it wasn't an option for him, not now he was meeting with Shane. As he rose to his feet, he quickly made his excuses. "I thought I might head to the gym first. Do you mind?"

Stephanie shook her head. "No, not at all. After all, I prefer my men to be in good physical condition."

Paul pretended to scowl as his brown eyes sparkled at her. "I hope the use of the word men was a slip of the tongue. There's only one man's condition you should be interested in, you know."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows and licked her lips. "And I am interested. I'm very interested." She winked at him as she took his notepad and pen stuffing it inside her leather bag. "I'll see you later big boy."

Paul chuckled to himself as he pulled on his jacket, his eyes following her through the door as he flicked his hair over the collar. The room was empty when he eventually made his way outside. Shane was waiting for him just down the corridor so he quickly made his way in that direction.

Shane smiled at him as he approached him. "Fancy a coffee while we talk? There's a place just across the street."

He nodded his agreement. "Sure. Let's go."

Their footsteps fell in time as they made their way towards the exit.

"So, how's Stephanie been feeling the last couple of days?" asked Shane as he brushed a loose thread from his sports coat. "I know when she talked to Marissa she said she had been feeling really sick."

"Yeah. She's not been able to keep much down especially in the mornings but hopefully it won't last too much longer now she's reaching the second trimester."

He nodded and they continued to make small talk until they reached the coffee house where they placed their order at the counter then grabbed a table.

"So Shane, what's up?" asked Paul as he settled in his chair, his long fingers beginning to absently toy with his paper napkin.

"I hope you don't think I'm interfering but I just wanted to talk to you before you tell Dad about the baby on Saturday." he explained. After meeting with Linda on Friday, he knew Stephanie and their mother had decided that the best place to tell Vince would be at home. Linda would have everyone there for dinner and then Stephanie and Paul could give him their news. God knows they were going to need the support. They also needed to show their father that Paul was one hundred percent committed to this child which was why he needed to talk to him first. He needed to know Paul was in this for the long haul and wasn't spooked by the whole prospect of becoming a father. He cleared his throat as he offered a tentative smile. "I guess I just want to make sure Stephanie is going to be alright and that I know you'll be behind her one hundred percent."

Paul smiled at Shane and saw the hesitancy in his expression. He was obviously worried about broaching this subject but he needn't have been. He could understand his concern given that Shane had been the one who had stop him from ending things with Stephanie before. He knew he was just looking out for his little sister and if the shoe was on the other foot, he would do exactly the same thing. He smiled at Shane as he began to reassure him.

"I promise you I will be there for Stephanie and our baby." he said. "Look, I know you're worried. I mean you were the one that had to talk some sense into me before but I made a promise to you then and I don't intend on breaking it now. I know your dad is not going to be happy when he finds out Steph is pregnant and that's putting it mildly. But I'm prepared for that and I'm going to be there and I'm going to try and protect Stephanie from getting hurt any more than she has to."

Shane's expression softened with his relief. "I'm glad. Steph tries to make out she's tough but when it comes down to it, she's probably more scared than you realise."

Just then the waitress arrived with their order and placed it down in front of them.  
Paul watched Shane as he took a sip of his hot coffee. He could see that he had something else on his mind by the way he was now chewing his bottom lip and drumming his fingers on the table. Stephanie did the exact same thing when she wanted to talk about something but was unsure how to start the conversation. Paul decided to make it easy for him. He sniffed as his big hands wrapped around his mug.

"So what else is on your mind?"

Shane's brown eyes widened with his surprise. "I'm that obvious, huh?"

Paul nodded as he swallowed his drink. "You and Stephanie are more alike than you think. So why don't you tell me what's bothering you."

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "I was just thinking that's all and wondering if you've given any thought about what you're going to do when the baby is born? I mean are you going to live with Stephanie and the baby?"

"Of course. I mean we haven't really talked about it but I just assumed it was going to happen somewhere down the line."

Shane's finger lightly traced the rim of his mug. "Look, I know it's none of my business but I know how my dad thinks, Paul and I just thought that when you told him about the baby that it might sound better if he knew that you had plans for the future; plans that included Steph and your child."

Paul sat back in his seat as he pressed his lips together thoughtfully. He knew Shane had made a good point about Vince and honestly, he had thought about what would happen once the baby arrived but he'd never actually discussed with Stephanie. The subject had just never come up. And although there was no doubt in his mind what he wanted, he wasn't exactly sure it was Stephanie wanted for herself and she was the important one. He knew it would be better to talk to her about it especially before they told Vince about the baby. Leaning forward, he rested his forearms on the table.  
"You know what Shane? You're right. I guess I never thought about it that way. I'll talk to Stephanie before Saturday and make sure we have an idea of what we both want."

"That's great. I just want Dad to see how ridiculous he's being over the whole thing. At least now he'll have to give up his plan to get her together with Andrew."

Paul snorted. "Yeah, that's true. And I suppose she'll have to get written out of the show too. After all she can't accompany that moron to the ring now she's pregnant."

"You know Dad will still go ahead with you losing the belt to Test though?"

Paul nodded and sighed. "Oh I know he will. But the belt's not important to me now. Stephanie is and as long as she's not involved in his fucked-up plans then that's fine by me."

Shane smiled. "Good." His brown eyes briefly glanced at the watch on his wrist. "Well I suppose I should be heading back, I've got a few things to do before the show. Are you coming with me?"

He shook his head. "No. I told Steph I was going to the gym so I think I'll head back to the hotel and lift a few weights."

"Okay. I'll catch up with you later then."

Both men got up from the table and made their way out the door onto the street. Shane turned and slapped Paul affectionately across his back.

"Listen, thanks for talking with me. I appreciate it."

"No worries. I know that you're just looking out for Stephanie and I'd be the same with my sister. I'll see you later on at the show."

"Bye Paul." Shane made his way down the street back to the arena. It had gone down better than he had expected with Paul and he was glad he had talked to him. He only hoped that on Saturday things went half as well for everyone's sake…….

Stephanie threw herself on the bed relieved the show was over. She was feeling tired and wanted nothing better than to snuggle up to Paul and fall asleep. It had been a long day and the thought of kissing Andrew one more time in the ring made her physically gag. She would be glad when her dad knew about the baby then she could start to be written out of the show in turn getting her away from that sleaze. He always found ways of touching her or kissing her and it was really starting to piss her off. She knew Paul felt the same way too and she actually had to stop him going after Andrew tonight after he had witnessed her being mauled in the ring by him. On a lighter note though, her man was extremely sexy when he was angry.

As she smiled to herself, Stephanie felt her eyes start to get heavy and she wished Paul would hurry up. On the way up to their room they had ran into Dwayne and he had wanted to quickly discuss their match for tomorrow night and of course Paul never turned down a chance to talk wrestling. The guy just never switched off but it was one of the many things she loved about him. He was so passionate and dedicated in everything he did. Just as her eyes began to flutter shut, Stephanie heard Paul enter the room and she sat up on the bed as he threw his leather jacket on the seat.

"Well that's the match sorted for tomorrow. We've gone over a lot of the moves that we're doing and it's going to be good."

Stephanie smiled as she saw Paul grinning. His brown eyes were twinkling with excitement. He was like a little kid when he talked about his fights. "I'm sure it is. Now are you coming to bed?" she asked him.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you first."

Stephanie sighed loudly. Even talking seemed too energetic to her at that moment. "Can't it wait until tomorrow Paul? I'm really tired and all I want to do is go to sleep."

She felt the bed dip underneath his weight as he sat down next to her. "But we've got the promotion for the pay-per-view to do tomorrow and I really want to discuss something with you. Please?"

Stephanie saw his brown eyes pleading with her and she sighed once more, this time in defeat. She always got suckered in when he looked at her like that with those incredible chocolate brown pools. She pushed herself up the bed and settled back into the pillows. "Alright. What is it you want to talk about?"

Paul smiled as he took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "Us. I want to know what your plans are for us once the baby is born."

Her nose crinkled with her confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, have you given any thought to us living together? You know like where you'd want us to stay?"

Stephanie felt herself literally burst with happiness as her smile twitched at the corner of her lips. By the sound of things, Paul was making a commitment to her and the baby and although she had no doubts about their relationship, they hadn't really talked about the future. Not really. But now, hearing him actually talk about it, it made her a little giddy with excitement. It made her feel they could be a proper family. She tried to contain her happiness as she gently squeezed his hand.

"Not really. But you're right, Paul. It's something we should discuss."

His handsome grin lit up with his grin. "That's exactly what I thought once Shane brought the subject up."

Stephanie immediately felt her good mood rapidly disappear. She snatched her hand away and stood up from the bed ignoring the slight dizzy sensation in her head. Her bleu eyes flashed with her anger. "So that's the only reason you're discussing our future, huh? Because my brother suggested it to you?!"

Paul sighed softly silently kicking himself for opening his mouth before thinking. His big hand pushed his blonde hair back from his forehead as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Don't be stupid Stephanie. You know fine well that's not it."

"Oh, so now I'm stupid." she cried throwing her hands into the air. "Well maybe I am for actually thinking that you wanted us to live together and have a future with one another."

"You know damn well I do. You're just being completely irrational about this."

"So now I'm irrational as well as stupid. Well at least now I know what you think of me." Stephanie shouted before she stormed into the bathroom. The loud click of the lock echoed in the silent room.

Paul shook his head and muttered under his breath. "Well congratulations Levesque. That went well."

The mattress squeaked as he stood up from the bed. His footsteps were slow as he walked over in the direction the bathroom. He could hear Stephanie obviously crying behind the door. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest as he pressed his palm against the freshly painted wood. "Stephanie, are you okay?" he asked her softly.

She gave him no reply but he heard her sniff in an obvious attempt to control her sobbing. His heart broke for her unable to hear her so upset.

"Steph, come on." he urged her.

"Just go away and leave me alone Paul."

"Sorry but that's not going to happen. Just open the door Stephanie."

"No way."

Paul rolled his eyes not surprised at her determination to be stubborn. Stephanie was one of the most stubborn women he had ever met but strangely it only made him love her even more. Of course there was also the fact that he was equally as stubborn. "Fine then." he told her. "I'll just sit here and talk to you through the door. It makes no difference to me."

"And who says I'll be listening to you?"

Paul smiled to himself and sat down on the plush carpet leaning his shoulder against the wall. "Like I said before, it doesn't matter. I'll be talking to you anyway."

"Do what you want. I don't care."

"I'm quite sure that right now you don't." His smile faded as his head rested against the wooden doorframe. "Look Steph, what I said earlier? It came out all wrong. I want you to know that I do want us to live together when we have the baby. In fact I don't see any reason why we shouldn't start living together now. And not just because Shane brought it up. I've actually been thinking about it for a while now but I guess I just figured we had plenty of time to discuss it. But today Shane raised a good point when he said that maybe if we had it all sorted out before Saturday, it would make things better when we talked to your dad."

There was silence on the other side of the door and Paul took it as his cue to continue.

"I do want us to be together Steph - you, me and the baby. I honestly can't see my life now without you in it. I even felt that way before we knew you were pregnant."

Paul looked up as he heard the click of the lock but the door didn't open. He smiled as he rose to his feet.

"If you're not coming out, I'm going to come in."

"Do what you like."

Paul chuckled to himself as he opened the door. He obviously wasn't going to get a better invitation that that. Stephanie was obviously determined not to let him off lightly. As he walked in the small room, he saw her sitting against the faraway wall with her knees pulled up to her chest. She deliberately avoided looking at him as he sat across from her with his back against the bath tub.

"So, I take it you're still pissed off with me?"

"Yep." snipped Stephanie still refusing to look at him and choosing to observe her hands instead.

"So, what do I have to do to make you un-pissed?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know, huh? So even if I told you I was one hundred percent, head-over-heels in love with you that wouldn't put a smile on your face?"

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders, still looking at her hands. "Like I said I don't know."

"Well in that case, I guess there's only one way to find out."

Stephanie swallowed thickly as Paul shuffled on his knees to sit right in front of her. She didn't protest as he took her hands in his, his touch gently bathing her skin in a lovely warmth.

"Stephanie Marie McMahon, I love you. Would you do me the honour of moving in with me?"

Stephanie felt her lips curve up gently despite herself.

"Do I take that smile to mean yes?"

Stephanie looked up and met Paul's eyes for the first time since he entered the room. They were twinkling at her brightly making her heart skip a beat. "Yes." she finally conceded.

She beamed as he pulled her towards him and sat her on his legs. He took her face in his hands and kissed her on the nose.

"I'm sorry I called you stupid earlier."

"That's okay. But you know you did call me irrational as well." she teased.

"Well I apologise for that too. So will you forgive me now?" he pouted.

"I suppose so." she said casually lifting her shoulder in a shrug. "But only if you promise to make it up to me."

"See that would be perfectly fine with me because I was planning on doing that anyway." Paul whispered brushing his lips over hers and kissing her softly. His hands lifted to tangle in her hair and his mouth widened deepening the kiss. As Stephanie moaned appreciatively, his stomach pooled with desire and wondered if she realised that he planned to make it up to her the entire night.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Stephanie's eyes slowly began to flutter open. As they adjusted to the bright rays of the morning sunshine, she noticed the empty space beside her. A slow smile spread across her face as her fingertips touched the messy tangled sheets and she remembered the night she had just shared with Paul. It had been nothing short of amazing and her tiredness had seemed to disappear as her body craved his touch over and over again. She had always wanted him. Her desire for Paul had never been in question but now she was pregnant, it was if he was like a drug; something she constantly craved. She wanted him even more than before with her body sometimes desperate for his attention.

As her head lightly shifted on the soft cream pillow, she felt her stomach start to churn. She groaned at the now all too familiar sensation and she dashed into the bathroom just in time to throw up into the toilet bowl. As she finished emptying her stomach, she became aware of the water switching off in the shower. A moment later she felt Paul rubbing her back and pulling her hair over her shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and leant back into him. "This is definitely one part of the pregnancy I'll be glad to see the back of. That and feeling so tired all the time."

"Well hopefully it will be over soon. Come on. Let's get you back to bed."

Stephanie felt Paul wrap his arm around her waist as he helped her to her feet. Her face was etched with her frown as he guided her back to the bedroom.  
"But I have to get ready Paul. We've got this promotion to do." she sighed.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about any promotion." Paul turned her round to face him holding her in his arms. His hand reached up to brush her tousled brown strands behind her left ear. "I'll tell your dad you're not feeling well. I'll say you've caught a stomach bug or something."

Stephanie snorted. "Like me being ill will matter to him. He doesn't think anybody should get sick."

"Well he'll have no option but to accept it. You need to rest Steph. You look exhausted."

"Yes well that's not entirely due to the baby now is it?"

Paul smirked as he dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I didn't hear any complaints from you last night. Of course you were too busy screaming my name…."

Stephanie playfully smacked his large bicep as she let Paul lead her to the unmade bed. "Well for your information, I wasn't the only one. I definitely heard my name on your lips on more than one occasion."

She heard him chuckle as she climbed back under the sheets. She pulled them up to her chin and settled back against the pillows content just to watch Paul as he got dressed in front of her. God knows she could do this for the rest of her life. A soft smile crossed her lips as she caught his reflection in the mirror and his brown eyes winked back at her as he smoothed his damp blonde strands into a ponytail. "So, we never did decide where we're going to live." she said.

Paul's lips curved up gently as he turned to face her. "Well I think we might have been a bit too busy to discuss it last night. You want to decide now?"

Stephanie nodded her head. "If it's alright with you, I wouldn't mind moving in with you and bringing our child up there. What do you think?" she asked him shyly.

Paul walked over and sat down on the bed beside her, the mattress dipping underneath his weight. "I think it's a great idea." he agreed as he placed his hand on her leg, gently squeezing it under the covers. "But only if you're sure that's what you really want to do."

"I'm sure." she told him. "It's definitely a nicer place to bring up our child. Besides my apartment just wouldn't be practical although we could keep it for when we visit Mom or Shane."

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Well if that's what you want then that's what we'll do. I happen to know one particular person who will be over the moon with your decision."

"Let me guess. Your mom?" grinned Stephanie.

"Yeah. She's practically bought half a nursery already by the sounds of things." Paul leaned over and grabbed his watch from the bed side table. "Now that we've agreed where we're going to stay, I'd better get going." He leaned over and gave Stephanie a soft, slow kiss feeling her moan vibrate against his parted mouth. His brown eyes sparkled at her as he pulled away. "Now you, young lady are on strict instructions to stay in bed and get some rest."

"Aye, aye sir." she replied, mockingly lifting her hand to her head in a salute.

"Very funny." Paul chuckled as he affectionately tapped her nose. "I'll call you later McMahon."

He walked over and grabbed his leather jacket from the chair before heading towards the door. Stephanie watched him and beamed as he turned around and mouthed "I love you" before he left. As the door clicked shut behind him, she snuggled into the covers and within seconds she was following Paul's instructions and falling fast asleep……….

Paul could still feel his anger simmering away as he made his way down from the podium. His fists were loosely clenched as he walked backstage. His mind just hadn't been on promoting his match at all especially when Vince had dropped his little bombshell to the fans and informed them that he would be in Test's corner as Triple H defended his title in a handicap match. Paul knew that Vince would be sure to get a few kicks in during the match just for the hell of it too. In fact, after Saturday when they told him about the baby, he would probably even go so far as to try and kill him. But that wasn't what he was pissed off about although funnily enough Vince was the one behind his anger. The man always found a way to push his buttons and today was no different. When he had arrived he had gone straight to the old goat and had even been polite to him telling him that Stephanie wouldn't be coming because she was sick. He hadn't expected Vince to react so badly. He had been livid shouting at the top of his voice and accusing Stephanie of being unable to do her job and he had even gone so far as to say she was nothing more than a waste of space. He hadn't been able to listen to any more and he had walked away before he heard any more of his garbage and ignored Vince as he shouted obscenities in his direction. It had taken everything he had not to turn back and smack him in the face but he knew that if he had done that it would have only made matters worse.

Now he just couldn't wait to get the hell out of here and get back to Stephanie. Paul lifted his wrist to check his watch and decided it was time to leave, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

"Hey!! Levesque!!"

Paul's mouth curled into a snarl as he heard his voice and turning round, he came face to face with Andrew. He felt his body bristle with irritation. "What the hell do you want Martin?"

"I just thought I'd let you know that I'm going to enjoy taking your title from you. It's going to give me great satisfaction to see you finally get what's coming to you."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Look I don't give a flying fuck what you enjoy. Get out of my face and leave me alone."

Andrew watched him as he walked away. He couldn't resist shouting after him. "You know after I'm done with your career, I'm planning on taking Stephanie as well."

Paul whirled round, his brown eyes flashing black with his anger as he walked back towards where Andrew was standing. He grabbed his shirt and pointed his finger to his face. "You stay away from Stephanie. She's not some fucking possession you can just decide to have. I'm warning you, you go near her and I'll kill you."

"Yeah? And how do you plan to stop me?"

"Like this." Paul didn't have a second's hesitation as he pulled his fist back and smacked him hard in the mouth. Andrew fell to the ground and felt the blood pour from his lip. Paul grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his feet before throwing and holding him against the wall.

"That's just for starters. If I see you touching Stephanie or so much looking at her the wrong way, I swear to God I'll rip your god damn head off. And that goes for in the ring too."

Paul shoved him into the wall before backing away and walking down the corridor towards the exit. If he had turned back he would have seen Andrew smirk as he took the phone out of his pocket dialling a familiar number.

"Hey, it's me. I'm just checking to make sure everything is set up for after Wrestlemania." Andrew smiled as the person on the other end of the phone confirmed that it was all in hand and he then hung up. His voice echoed throughout the empty corridor as he walked back to where all the other wrestlers were gathered. "Just you wait Paul. Before long you're going to know what it feels like to lose everything you love." He wiped the blood from his lip then gave out a low chuckle before walking into the room. "And you will lose everything. Trust me on that."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Paul pulled the car out of the junction turning left as he continued their journey. As his fingers absently beat in time with the low sound of the music on the radio, he glanced down at Stephanie and smiled. She was still fast asleep, her long lashes brushing across the tips of her cheeks and her mouth slightly parted as the back of her head rested against his shoulder. Her hand was over her stomach hugging it almost protectively and Paul felt a rush of love wash over him. In that moment, Stephanie had never looked more beautiful to him even more so now she was carrying their child. And he felt closer to her than he ever had before. It was because of the bond they shared; a bond that had been a product of the overwhelming love he had for this woman.

As he pulled up at the traffic lights, Paul leaned over to drop a kiss on the top of her hair. The last few days had been tough on Stephanie and quite frankly, he had been worried about her. She was both physically and mentally exhausted and it didn't help that she was constantly throwing up. At least until around mid-afternoon when she would finally manage to eat something and keep it down. Stephanie had also been restless at nights, endlessly tossing and turning beside him and last night she had even given up on getting any sleep and had stayed up watching late night movies. Unable to sleep without her, he had joined her on the sofa wrapping his arms around her, silently reassuring her. Although he knew her restlessness was partly due to the pregnancy, he also knew that she had been worrying about today and how Vince would react to the news of their baby. He had to admit he had been worrying too, but not about him. He was worried only about Stephanie. She was all that mattered to him; her and their baby.

The light turned green ahead and Paul pulled away and took another left, taking the road to the McMahon house. He felt his own uneasiness start to creep in the closer the car got to the driveway. Personally he couldn't care what Vince thought. They were going to having a child together whether he liked it or not but he wanted the news to go well for Stephanie's sake. He knew that her father's disapproval of their relationship was bad enough for her to handle but if he wanted nothing to do with the baby then she would be absolutely devastated. God knows he just couldn't stand seeing her in any sort of emotional pain. Every tear she shed tore him up on the inside.

Spotting the road in front of him, Paul sighed softly and guided the car up the driveway. As he approached the house, he saw the familiar black Range Rover parked beside the garage. His shoulders slumped with relief knowing Shane and Marissa had already arrived. He didn't really want to be here alone and God knows they needed every ounce of support they could get.  
Parking the car adjacent to theirs, Paul switched off the engine. He carefully shifted in the chair and turned to Stephanie, his big hand lifting and hesitating for a second reluctant to disturb her before letting his fingertips brush over her face. He tucked a few loose strands behind her ear before his thumb caressed her cheek. "Stephanie?" he hushed.

Her head shifted on his arm as she began to stir from her slumber, letting out a soft moan.

"Steph?"

Her eyelids began to flutter open.

"Wake up baby. We're here."

He watched as she slowly came to, her bleary eyes taking in her surroundings. Stephanie offered him a small smile as she lifted herself up the seat. As her gaze fixed on her parents' house, she rubbed her forehead, her shoulders rising and falling with her heavy sigh. Paul sensed her anxiety and pulled her into his arms squeezing her gently.

"It's going to be okay, you know. We'll get through this."

As he let her go, she smiled shakily at him and she took his hand in his threading their fingers together. "I know. It's just……well I'm scared Paul. I just don't know how Dad's going to react. What if he wants nothing to do with our baby? What if he doesn't want to know his grandchild?"

Paul shook his head in an attempt to reassure her. Okay, he had been worrying about the exact same thing earlier but he had try and be positive for Stephanie's sake. The last thing he needed was her walking in that house a nervous wreck. God knows it was going to be difficult enough. "Try not to worry about that now. We just need to focus on telling your father the truth and letting him know that no matter what, we're having this baby. Plus we've got your mom and Shane and Marissa on our side. If anything, they might help us talk him round."

Stephanie nodded and took a deep breath as she stared ominously at the red brick building straight ahead. It was her home; a place she always looked forward to coming to. A place that today only filled her with a sense of dread.

"Come on baby. We can do this."

Stephanie felt Paul cup her face in his hands. Her eyes briefly closed as he kissed her tenderly. His brown pools held a gentle expression as they settled on her.

"If it helps any I love you." he told her.

A slow smile crept across her face. "I love you too." she replied before instinctively pulling him into her arms feeling the need to have him close. However, they quickly jumped apart at the knock on the window. Shane's face peered at them through the glass.

"Are you two going to stay out here all day or are you coming inside?"

Paul made a face at him as he opened the door and climbed out. "The idea of staying out here is actually quite appealing right now."

Shane smiled and patted him on the back. "Don't worry about it. It's going to be okay."

He nodded and saw Stephanie walk around the car towards her brother and pull him into a hug.

"Hi Shane. Is Marissa here?"

"Yeah. She's helping mom out in the kitchen. You guys ready to come in?"

Stephanie nodded and let out a shaky breath as she clutched hold of Paul's hand and gripping it tightly, they followed Shane into the house.  
Paul immediately felt uneasy as he walked into the hall, his footsteps echoing heavily on the highly polished floor. This was the first time he'd been in the place since Vince had forbidden him and Stephanie from seeing one another. He felt more like a trespasser than a welcome visitor. Not sure what to do, Paul followed behind Stephanie holding her hand just as tightly. His brown eyes searched ominously waiting for that moment when Vince would make his appearance. Thankfully he was nowhere in sight as they made their way through the dining room and into the bright spacious kitchen.

"Stephanie, Paul! You're here." Linda cried putting down the oven gloves and making her way towards them. She smiled as she pulled Stephanie into her arms hugging her tightly. "How are you feeling? How's the baby? Are you okay?"

Stephanie nodded and Paul noticed her hand rub her stomach as she walked across to the marble counter. "Everything's good, Mom. I'm fine. Well apart from the morning sickness and stuff." She paused to look over at Paul and smile at him. "But Paul's been an angel looking after me making sure I'm eating and resting properly."

Linda smiled as she pulled him into a welcoming hug. "Thank you for looking after her. I know how stubborn she can be."

Paul grinned back as she released him. "Yeah but I can be just as stubborn."

Everyone laughed as Marissa joined in and greeted them both. "You're looking well Steph."

"Thanks Riss. So, is Dad around?" Stephanie asked her mom as she walked back towards the stove.

"He's in the study. He had a couple of phone calls to make." Linda turned to her daughter and smiled. "Dinner will be ready in five minutes. Shane, do you want to go and take a seat with Paul? Stephanie can help Marissa and myself get the food ready."

Shane nodded as he and Paul left the kitchen and made their way into the dining room. He pointed to the seat on the opposite side of the table. "I think that's your seat Paul and Steph's beside you."

Paul nodded and he removed his jacket placing it on the back of the wooden chair before sitting down.

"So have you decided when you're going to break the news to Dad?"

He shook his head as Shane as he took the seat across from him. His fingers raked nervously through his long blonde strands. "Not really but maybe waiting until after dinner would be a good idea. I wouldn't want to spoil your old man's appetite."

Shane chuckled as he began to toy with the corner of his cloth napkin. "Do you know what you're going to say to him anyway?"

"No but I'm sure we'll come up with something when the time comes." he sighed. "Oh and by the way, I did what you suggested. I talked to Stephanie about living together and we've agreed that's what we both want to do."

Shane smiled at the news, happy for his little sister. He knew how much Paul meant to her and how much the stability would reassure her of their future together. "I'm glad. The more we have to persuade Dad the better."

"Persuade me about what?"

Paul's shoulders immediately tensed as he heard Vince's voice directly behind him. He looked down towards the table paying particular attention to the table cloth unable to quite meet his eye. The truth was he felt a little intimidated by his presence and the fact he was in the man's home. He heard Shane clear his throat across the table.

"Paul and I were discussing a storyline we had come up with for after Wrestlemania."

"Yes, well you know I don't like to discuss business over dinner so any ideas you have will have to wait until later."

"Sure. No problem Dad." smiled Shane. He looked over at Paul who was still finding the table cloth particularly interesting. He knew the guy had to be feeling more than uncomfortable being here and he admired his guts for coming in the first place. He was about to say something and include him in the conversation when his father turned around and walked into the kitchen. Shane let out a sigh of relief as the door swung shut behind him. "That was close. I thought he had overheard our conversation."

Paul looked up briefly and offered a small smile before looking back down at the table cloth. To say he hated every second of this already was a gross understatement. He would love nothing more than to blurt out the truth quickly to Vince before grabbing Stephanie and bolting for the door, anything to just get it over and done with. Absently bouncing his leg up and down under the table, Paul began to chew on his fingernail unaware that Shane was watching him. He didn't even hear Stephanie when she appeared a few seconds later carrying a dish of vegetables.

She placed it down on the table and noticed that Paul was staring down at the table in a world of his own. She made her way towards him, her gentle smile lighting up her face. "Admiring mom's new table cloth there?"

Paul lifted his head to her, her voice bringing him out of his haze. "Sorry, what?"

Her blue eyes narrowed at him in concern. "Paul, are you okay?"

He quickly nodded his head to reassure her. "Sure. I was just thinking about my match on Monday with Show, that's all."

She nodded somewhat satisfied with his explanation before leaving the room. However, she glanced to Shane for reassurance and she felt relieved when she saw him mouth the words "he's okay." Feeling a little happier, she made her way back into the kitchen just in time to hear her mother talking to her father.

"I'm warning you Vince. You will make an effort for Stephanie's sake and for mine."

Linda's eyes met Stephanie's as she saw her daughter come back in the room. Stephanie shook her head and picked up the dish with potatoes and was about to make her way back into the dining room when she turned back to her father. Her brow crinkled with her angry scowl. "I'm here with Paul whether you like it or not Dad. And I'm sure you won't want to spoil things for Mom. She's gone to a lot of trouble making dinner for us all."

Vince only stood and watched as she left and made her way back to the dining room. He was silent for a moment before grabbing the knife from the counter and glaring in his wife's direction. "Let's get this over with."

Linda sighed with despair as he left the kitchen. Marissa patted her shoulder before grabbing the remainder of the food and following Vince. Pressing her lips together tightly, Linda removed her apron and made her way to join the rest of her family……

Paul watched nervously as Vince carved the large cooked bird at the top of the table. He was pretty sure if the old bastard could get away with it, he would be carving him up instead and no doubt he would take immense satisfaction from it too. After all he was the one responsible for corrupting his baby girl. As Paul shifted uncomfortably in his seat, he felt Stephanie's hand squeeze his leg reassuringly. He glanced in her direction to catch her smiling at him. He forced a smile back before returning his attention to Vince. He wanted to make sure the knife was nowhere near his direction.

"So Paul, are your parents coming to Wrestlemania?"

Paul looked over to see Linda smiling at him obviously trying to get the conversation flowing and trying to dispel the awkward tension around the dinner table. He nodded his head as he cleared his throat. "They go every year. They wouldn't miss it for the world."

"And who are defending your title against this time?" she asked as she picked up her butter knife.

Paul saw Vince glance over at him. There was an almost threatening expression on his face and he quickly realised that Linda had no clue about her husband's little plan to get revenge on the man who had stolen his daughter away. Paul wasn't planning to lie to cover up for him either.  
"It's Test." he said, looking straight at her. He saw the obvious shock on Linda's face as she absorbed the news of his opponent.

"Test? Since when was Test main event material?"

Paul couldn't help but chuckle at Linda's reaction. Even she could see the very idea was fucked up. "I don't know but the writers seem to think he's ready."

Shane interrupted as he reached for the potatoes deciding to enlighten his mother even further. "Paul forgot to mention that he's actually in a handicap match."

Paul watched on with amusement as he saw Shane blatantly stare in his father's direction. Vince met his eyes briefly before going back to carving the bird.

"Really? Who's in Test's corner?"

Shane scooped up the potatoes as he replied. "Dad."

Linda's mouth parted to say something but before she could Stephanie turned to Paul with a surprised look on her face.

"You never told me you were going to be in a handicap match."

Paul lifted his shoulder in a shrug trying to brush it off. "Didn't I?"

"You know fine well you didn't." she scowled as she turned her attention to her father. "Why the hell are you getting involved in Paul's match, Dad?"

Vince laid down the knife as he met her stormy blue eyes. "I'm only going along with the storyline. After all the trash Triple H has said about you recently, it seemed only fitting that I would get involved."

Stephanie shook her head in disbelief at her father. She couldn't believe that man but he could wait. Right now, she was more disappointed in Paul. Why hadn't he told her about the match? Why had he decided to keep it from her? It more than explained his pissed off mood when he came back from the promotion the other day. Of course he hadn't wanted to talk about it and she had let it drop knowing not to push him for an answer. She wasn't going to push him now either. It wasn't the time or place and she didn't want to give her dad the satisfaction of being angry with Paul. Instead she grabbed her fork and stabbed at her potatoes.

The table fell silent as they began eating their meal. Paul looked over at Stephanie who was deliberately avoiding eye contact with him. He knew she was pissed at him for not telling her about the match but the truth was he hadn't wanted to upset her. She hadn't been feeling well plus the fact he hadn't really wanted to discuss that day's events at all bearing in mind Vince's reaction to Stephanie's absence. He had told her that her father was fine with her being sick that day but only because he didn't want her worrying about it. It wasn't good for her and it wasn't good for the baby either.  
His eyes drifted across the table as Stephanie ignored him and started to talk to Linda. He was obviously getting the cold shoulder. Fine. He would leave it for now. After all he knew Stephanie and she was obviously determined to make her point. He was in the dog house but she would come around eventually. She always did.

Paul started to join in the conversation with Shane and Marissa. At some point he managed to catch Vince's eye. Their gaze was fixed on one another before he turned away and focused his attention on his daughter. Paul clenched his teeth together angrily. He'd love to wipe that smug grin off Vince's face and tell him exactly what he thought of him but bearing in mind he was at a table filled with McMahons, he decided now probably wasn't the time or the place.  
Swallowing his food, Paul discreetly looked at his watch. He inwardly groaned as he realised that they'd only been here for fifty minutes. It had felt more like fifty hours to him. He wished the day was over and done with and he could get the hell out of here. Maybe they could just make their excuses and go and tell Vince about the baby another time. Then again that would mean having to go through this all again and that was not going to happen, at least not in this lifetime.

When Paul eventually cleared his plate, he noticed everybody had finished their meal too and Linda had begun clearing the table with Stephanie and Marissa standing up to help. He silently prayed someone would remove the knife from the table before abandoning him here with Vince but his shoulders slumped with his relief when Vince actually stood up to leave.

"I've just got one phone call to make." he explained to his wife.

Linda shouted after him as he walked out of the room. "Five minutes Vince. There's dessert to come."

As she carried the plates through to the kitchen, Paul and Shane were the only ones still sitting at the table. Shane dabbed his napkin at the corners of his mouth and smiled.

"Well you've survived the main course."

"Yeah. One down and one left to go." Paul sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He saw Shane throw him an apologetic glance.

"Look Paul, I want to say I'm sorry for letting it slip about the match with Dad. I just thought Stephanie knew."

He quickly shook his head. "It's alright. I would have told her eventually. I guess I just didn't want to upset her even more right now. She's stressed enough about today as it is."

"That's understandable. It's not going to be easy." frowned Shane.

"Now that's a fucking understatement if ever I heard one."

Both men were chuckling as Stephanie entered the room and she raised her brow inquisitively. "What's so funny, boys?"

Paul licked his lips. "It's nothing really."

"Either that or you're keeping things from me again."

He rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Come on Steph. I didn't tell you about the match because I didn't want to upset you."

Stephanie sighed heavily as she rubbed her stomach. She knew deep down Paul was only trying to protect her. She lifted her shoulder in an apologetic shrug. "I understand why you did it Paul. I do but just because I'm pregnant it doesn't mean I can't handle things."

She noticed his face instantly fall as his brown eyes look at her startled. Her stomach dropped as she heard her father's voice roar behind her.

"Did I just hear you correctly Stephanie? Did you just say you were pregnant?!"

Stephanie's mouth parted but she couldn't form any words as her mother rushed in at the sound of her husband's voice. She could only stand still, frozen to the spot. She was vaguely aware of Paul getting up from his chair and walking over to her standing beside her as he took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Sit down, Vince, please." pleaded Linda.

"I will not sit down Linda! Not until someone tells me what the hell is going on around here."

Paul inhaled a deep breath knowing they had no option but to tell Vince the truth now. His feet shifted underneath him on the carpet as he nervously cleared his throat. "Stephanie is pregnant Vince. We were going to tell you after dinner."

Vince glared at Paul, the hatred flashing in his eyes before he turned to his wife. "So this is what this little family get together is all about. I take it you all know their dirty little secret?"

He looked round to see everyone standing there awkwardly. He shook his head and pointed at Paul. "This is all your fault. You've corrupted my daughter and ruined her life and now you're going to bring a baby into all of this. Well over my dead body you will."

His brown eyes fixed on his daughter.

"Stephanie, I want you to make an appointment first thing Monday and I want you to arrange for a termination."

Paul heard Stephanie cry in distress before she broke down in tears. He clenched his open fist tightly feeling his anger rush through his veins. He was unable to stop the rage he felt as he let Vince's words register in his head and sink in. "How dare you Vince! How fucking dare you stand there and talk about our child as if it's nothing more than an inconvenience. An inconvenience you can't wait to get rid of." He wrapped his arm protectively around Stephanie as she buried her head in his chest. "This is our baby. Mine and Stephanie's and we're going to have this child whether you approve of it or not. And if you don't want to be a part of the baby's life, fine. That's your choice and quite frankly it doesn't bother me one way or the other. But I do know it happens to matter to Stephanie and that's why I'm asking you now to accept our child for her sake."

"Never!" spat Vince. "I'll never accept any child that has anything to do with you."

Linda stepped in and took hold of Vince's arm. "Vince please! Listen to him."

Paul shook his head, his blonde strands shifting across his shoulders. "Forget it Linda. If he wants to let his bitterness towards me stop him from having a relationship with his own grandchild then that's his call."

Shane was unable to stay silent any longer as he heard the pain in Stephanie's cries. He walked over to where his dad was standing, his body rigid with anger.

"Do you know I really admire Paul's restraint because if that was me, I would have punched you in the face by now and I wouldn't be trying to reason with you either! But I know he's doing it for Stephanie and that's because he loves her Dad. It's obvious to everyone but to you! Instead you're determined not to give them a chance? Why is that anyway? Because he's a wrestler?!"

"You know damn well it is." shouted Vince. "Not to mention he screws anything that walks."

Paul snarled at Vince in disgust unable to listen to anymore. "Not any more. That was in my past Vince, a past that maybe I'm not very proud of but people change. I've changed. I've grown up and realised that I want someone special in my life. I want a wife and I want a family."

Vince sneered in his direction. "Not with my daughter you won't."

Stephanie sniffed as she broke away from Paul and wiping her wet tears from her face, she walked over to stand beside her brother rubbing his arm reassuringly. "But I'm old enough to make my own decisions, Dad. I can decide for myself who I want to be with and who I want to be the father of my children. Yes, it would be great if you were part of all that. But if you can't accept it, then fine. That's your choice but I'll do it all with or without you. Come on Paul, we're leaving."

She walked out the room without looking back once. Paul went to follow her but before he left he walked over to Linda, his big hand patting her shoulder affectionately. "Thanks for dinner Linda. I'll get Stephanie to call you." he told her softly.

Linda nodded with tears in her eyes as she watched Paul walk out the door. Unable to control her anger, she turned towards her husband, her tears now streaming down her cheeks. "I hope you're proud of what you've done today!"

She turned and walked into the kitchen closely followed by Marissa.

Shane stood and stared at his father shaking his head. "I can't believe you Dad. I can't believe you stood there in front of Stephanie and told her to get rid of her own baby, her own flesh and blood. You really make me sick."

Vince pointed at his son. "Don't you take that attitude with me Shane! I've got my reasons and they're valid ones."

"No they're not. And I think that deep down, you know that and you're too damn stubborn to admit you are wrong about Paul."

"It doesn't matter what you say to me Shane. I don't want my daughter with a wrestler period."

"Really? Well Andrew's a wrestler Dad. Why have you given him your blessing to go after Stephanie?" Shane stared at his father who just stood there silently unable to look his son in the eye. He smirked at him confidently knowing he had taken him completely by surprise. "That's right. I know all about your little plan to get back at Paul and personally I think it sucks and it's down right disgusting. I can't believe you could treat your own daughter like that!"

"I don't have to listen to this." Vince said as he turned and made his way out of the room.

"Why? Because the truth hurts, isn't that right Dad?!" Shane shouted. As a door slammed down the hallway, he sighed as he raked his fingers through his short strands. Slowly, he made his way into the kitchen to check on his mother. She had been so distraught but at least the worst was over now Vince finally knew about the baby. Hopefully in time he would learn to accept Paul and Stephanie's child. He just hoped his little sister would be okay with or without her father's blessing.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Paul watched Stephanie as she paced up and down in the dressing room. She was more nervous than he was about his match at Wrestlemania tonight despite his reassurances and she felt she had every reason to be worried. Vince had been strangely quiet ever since the day he had found out about the baby and Stephanie was anxious that he was planning something even going so far as to physically hurt him in the ring. Although Paul shared her concerns, he decided he wasn't going to dwell on them. He was going to go out there and just get the match over and done with.

Just then he smiled as he saw Stephanie absently bring her hand to her stomach, touching their child. Although she still wasn't showing any apparent signs of her pregnancy, Paul had noticed the slight swell of her stomach and a glow that would appear in her face from time to time. She had that glow now and Stephanie never looked more beautiful to him than she did right at this very moment. Paul walked over to her stopping her in her tracks and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.

"All this worrying isn't going to do you or the baby any good you know."

Stephanie sighed as she looked up and met his eyes. "I can't help it Paul. I've got an uneasy feeling about tonight. I'll just be glad when it's over and I know you're okay."

Paul smiled and kissed her softly. "I'm going to be alright Stephanie. A bit bruised and sore probably but nothing I can't handle, I promise."

She tried to have faith in that promise as she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She felt an overwhelming need to have him close. She couldn't stop thinking that something was going to happen no matter how hard Paul tried to convince her otherwise. God knows she would be relieved when tonight was over and he was safely lying by her side.

Suddenly they heard a knock and a shout through the door. "Game, you're up next."

Stephanie reluctantly released her grip on Paul and stepped away from him. She felt him pull her back and kiss her forehead.

"I love you. I'll see you after my match."

She watched as he walked out the door before placing her hand against her abdomen and whispering into the empty room. "We love you too. Just please be careful."

Stephanie hadn't been able to bring herself to watch the match. Instead she sat in Paul's dressing room and waited for him to return. Suddenly Joanie burst into the room startling her. "Stephanie, Paul's hurt. They're taking him to hospital."

She immediately jumped up and felt herself start to panic. A wave of nausea rolled around in her stomach. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"They're not sure. He was unconscious and bleeding pretty badly."

"I've got to see him."

As Stephanie rushed towards the door, she felt Joanie take her by the arm.  
"The ambulance has already taken him to the hospital. I've got a car out front. I'll take you there."

She nodded not questioning why Joanie was suddenly so willing to be so accommodating. It was the least of her worries as she followed her along the empty corridor and towards the back entrance of the arena.

"This is me."

Joanie unlocked the car and Stephanie got in the passenger side. As they drove to the hospital, she remained silent lost in her thoughts. She just didn't have the energy to make small talk and pretend everything was okay. Instead she stared out the window and her heart ached as she thought about Paul. She needed him to be okay because she couldn't imagine how she would cope if he was seriously hurt. Stephanie bit on her lip as she tried not to cry and squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to hold back the tears. She knew her father would be behind it all – he had to be. She just hoped he hadn't gone too far in his attempt to teach them a lesson for going against his wishes. Unfortunately his obvious hatred for Paul meant Vince was out of control.

As Stephanie sniffed and opened her eyes, she saw that they were no longer on the main road. Confused, she looked towards Joanie who was focused straight ahead. "Where are we? Are you sure you're going the right way?"

A voice replied from behind startling her. "Trust me. We're going the right way."

Stephanie whirled round and gasped in shock as she noticed the person sitting directly behind her. "Andrew? What the hell is going on and why are you here?"

He held his hand up to silence her. "You'll find out soon enough. For now you should just sit back and enjoy the ride."

Stephanie shook her head as she tried to absorb what was going on. She looked back towards Joanie who was still staring straight ahead. Feeling a rush of hatred, she thumped her arms with her fists causing the car to swerve as she screamed at her.

"You lied to me. You told me Paul was hurt. How could you do a thing like that?"

Joanie used her right hand and tried to grab her in an attempt to stop her from hitting her. She didn't succeed and Stephanie threw her fists repeatedly in her direction. That was until she felt Andrew grab her arms from behind and hold onto them.

"Now, now Stephanie. It's not a good idea to distract the driver."

"Fuck off you asshole."

Stephanie spat in his direction and it hit him in the face. Andrew immediately released one of her arms and wiped the phlegm from his face. "You've been hanging round Levesque for too long. It looks like you've picked up his bad habits."

"Don't you dare talk about Paul. Once he finds out I'm missing he'll come after your ugly ass."

Andrew burst out laughing, infuriating Stephanie even more. She struggled against him as he held her but he tightened his grip on her and pulled her sharply against her seat. "I'm afraid Paul won't be able to save you Stephanie. We didn't lie you know. Paul is hurt and he is on his way to the hospital."

"Why are you doing this Andrew? Why won't you take me to the hospital to see him? I have to be there for him."

"No you don't Stephanie. Don't you understand? You belong to me now."

There was something in his voice that totally creeped her out. Stephanie started to feel terribly scared. She wasn't sure what was going on but she knew she was in danger. She turned to see Joanie looking at her but she quickly turned away as she met her gaze. Although she knew she didn't want to hear his answer, she couldn't stop herself from asking the question.

"What makes you think I belong to you? Are you crazy?"

"No Stephanie. I am perfectly sane. It was your father that gave me the idea. See he gave me his permission you know. He said I could have you along with the title. It was kind of like a package deal I suppose."

"You are completely insane. What makes you think that just because you've managed to get me in a car with you that I'm somehow going to want to stay with you?"

"Because my dear Stephanie, I'm going to keep you somewhere nice and safe and once I've had you a few times, I'm pretty sure your little boyfriend will want nothing more to do with you. It would drive him crazy to know you've been with another man. In fact, I'd be surprised if he wanted to see you again. After all, you will be damaged goods."

Stephanie tried to struggle out of Andrew's grip but he held her really tightly and she couldn't break free. She felt her anger start to overcome her fear and not being able to lash out with her hands, she raised her feet and started kicking them in Joanie's direction. As her foot connected with her arm, she felt the car start to swerve again as Andrew tried to control her.

"Stephanie, for fuck sake! Stop it or we're going to crash the car."

She didn't really listen to him and at that moment, she didn't really care. She continued to kick at Joanie hard and she tried to fend her off with her hand. At one point she turned his attention away from the road completely in an attempt to help Andrew control her. When she eventually looked back towards the road all she saw was the glare of the lights as they approached the car. Joanie closed her eyes as she felt the sickening thud of metal against metal……

Paul woke up and immediately felt the pain in his head. He closed his eyes and letting out a low groan, he hazily recalled the events of last night. He remembered beating the hell out of Test when he had felt something hit his head hard from behind. He'd fallen to the mat and lay there, struggling to stay conscious. That's when he saw Vince stand before him with a sledgehammer raised above his head. That was the last image he saw before he blacked out completely.

Letting out an uneasy sigh, Paul decided to attempt to open his eyes again. As they opened, he looked around groggily and saw he was in a hospital room. He appeared to be all alone too. He wondered where Stephanie was. He assumed she had been here at some point once she had found out he had been hurt and was no doubt ready to tell him I told you so. She had known Vince would have been up to something and she had been proven correct. Groaning as another wave of pain hit his head, Paul turned to see the door opening. He saw his mother enter the room and she smiled as she saw her son was awake.

"Oh Paul. I'm so glad you're finally back with us. Your father and I have been so worried about you."

She rushed to his side and kissed his forehead before sitting beside him.

"Your dad is on his way. He just stopped to get some coffee."

Paul smiled and nodded his head. "Is Steph with him?"

He noticed his mother hesitate and avoid his gaze. Immediately sensing something was wrong, he sat up and felt himself start to panic.

"Mom, where's Stephanie?"

As she looked towards him, he saw the tears in her eyes and he felt his stomach start to churn anxiously as a horrible feeling crept into his gut.

"We don't know Paul. She's vanished."

He stared at her, totally confused. "What do you mean vanished? She can't just disappear."

"But she has Paul. Her family has been worried sick and have been trying to find her all night."

Paul immediately felt a painful lump in his throat as he tried to process what had happened. Stephanie and his baby were missing, alone and without him. God only knows what had happened to them or where they were. But he did know this. He had to get out of here and find them. He couldn't lie here while the two most important things in his life needed him. Paul threw back the covers and jumping out of bed, he started to look for his clothes.

"Paul, what are you doing? You should be in bed." Patricia pleaded.

"How the hell can I stay in bed when Stephanie's missing? I need to find her mom. I just have to."

His voice broke as his eyes began to gloss over with unexpected tears. Furiously blinking them away, Paul spotted his gym bag in the corner of the room and made his way towards it. He immediately felt dizzy and nauseous as the bag went out of focus. He stumbled backwards, falling into the wall. His mother immediately rushed over and tried to help him up. At that point the doctor and his father entered the room. They rushed over and helped Patricia get Paul back into bed. He didn't have the ability to protest and once he was settled, the doctor grabbed his chart and looked towards him.

"Mr Levesque, I strongly recommend that you stay in bed for the time being. You've suffered a really bad trauma to your head and it's too dangerous for you to be up and about so early."

Paul glared at the doctor as his eyes managed to focus once more and shook his head in disgust. "What do you want me to do? My girlfriend is missing. I can't just sit here and wait. I've got to do something."

As he tried to get back up, both the doctor and his dad held him back down on the bed.

"Look son, I know you're hurting and I know you're worried about Stephanie. We all are. But you're in no condition to be looking for her. If you don't stay in bed, you could end up seriously hurt and you'll be no good to Stephanie then, will you?"

Paul looked desperately at his father. "But I can't not do anything. What if she's hurt? What if something's happened to her or the baby?"

The doctor interrupted. "Mr Levesque, you are severely concussed. I can assure you that if you don't stay in bed, you risk permanent damage to your brain. Now I understand your concern about your girlfriend. Would it help if I contact the local hospitals and see if they've got anyone there with her name? If something has happened to her then they'll have a record of it."

He nodded. "I'd appreciate that. Could you do it now? I need to know she's okay."

The doctor nodded. "Can you tell me her name?"

"It's Stephanie. Stephanie McMahon."

"I'll contact them right away. In the meantime I really need you to stay in bed."

Sighing heavily in frustration, Paul watched the heavy set man leave the room before turning towards his parents. Suddenly their concerned looks were stifling him and he was struggling to breathe.

"Mom, Dad, can I be alone right now? Please?" he asked them.

He felt a wave of relief when Patricia leaned over and kissed his forehead and his dad squeezed his hand before both of them left. As soon as the door closed behind them, Paul turned on his side and faced the window. As he stared blankly at the rain that battered against the glass, he felt the fear creep into the pit of his stomach as he thought about Stephanie. Where was she? What the fuck could have happened to her? He honestly didn't know what he would do if something had happened to her and the baby. They were his life now, his future. He didn't want to contemplate being without them because he just wouldn't function. They meant everything to him and so much more.

Paul pushed back the hot lump in his throat as he cursed being stuck in this bed. He wanted to say to hell with it and go and look for her but he knew he was in no fit state to do so. His head hurt like hell and the room still seemed to be spinning from earlier. Fuck, he was useless and his father was right. He'd be no good to Stephanie if he was hurt. Besides, she'd give him hell for being so stupid when she came back. If she ever came back.

Suddenly the reality of the situation overwhelmed him and Paul succumbed to the pain in his heart as a tear rolled down his cheek. He felt his world crashing down around him as he allowed himself to cry thinking about Stephanie and thinking about their unborn child.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Stephanie woke up and took in her unfamiliar surroundings. Her brow crinkled with her frown as she realised she was in a hospital room however she had absolutely no clue how she had gotten here. As she tried to recall anything that would explain why she was in this bed, she realised that her mind was completely blank. She couldn't remember a thing and that scared her. Stephanie felt her breathing quicken as she started to panic and began to run things through her head in an attempt to reassure herself. Her name was Stephanie. She could remember that much. Her mother was Linda, her father Vince and of course she had her brother Shane. Shane who had smeared her face with birthday cake when she was five.

As Stephanie realised she still had her brain in there somewhere, she began to calm down a little. Just then a nurse walked through the door.

"Ah. You're finally awake I see. How are you feeling?"

Funnily enough in her panic about her memory, Stephanie hadn't actually felt any pain. But now the nurse had mentioned it, her head was killing her and her neck and back were really sore. As she told the nurse her symptoms, she nodded and smiled.

"You suffered head trauma in the accident and you are maybe experiencing some whiplash in your neck and back. I'll get you started on some medication for the pain. In the meantime, I'll have the doctor come and examine you. Oh and by the way, we'll also have to get you to fill in your details. With you being unconscious, we weren't able to even get your name last night."

She chuckled and left to go and get the doctor. Stephanie lay there and took in the fact she had been in an accident. At least that would explain why she was in hospital. But what sort of accident and what had happened? She was about to try and recall any details of last night when the doctor arrived. He was a small man in an oversized white coat.

"Hello. I'm Doctor Sharpe. Before I carry out my examination, I'll start with the simple things first. I'll take your details."

Stephanie nodded and sat up.

"May I have your name?"

"Yes. It's Stephanie."

"And your last name Stephanie?"

Stephanie opened her mouth to answer and that's when she realised she didn't have an answer. She didn't even know her own name. She felt the blood beat in her ears as she started to panic. "I…. I don't know. Oh my God! I don't know my own name." she cried.

She felt the tears trickle down her cheeks and the doctor took her hand trying his best to calm her down.

"Stephanie, please don't worry. It could be that the bump you took has caused you some short term memory loss but until I examine you thoroughly, we won't know for sure. How about I ask you a few more questions and we can see how badly your memory has been affected?"

Stephanie was scared as it was and didn't want to know how little she actually knew. "No. I can't. I just want to know my name. Why don't I know my name?"

The doctor could see she wasn't going to calm down until she got an answer. The doctor had an idea.

"Listen Stephanie. The gentleman who was involved in the accident with you is here and is awake. How about I get him to tell you your name? Will that help you?"

Stephanie looked at the doctor. She didn't know who this gentleman was but if he could help her then maybe she should see him.  
"Okay. I'd like to see him."

The doctor nodded. "I'll be right back."

Stephanie wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. She was scared. She was struggling to remember anything – hell, she was lucky she even knew part of her name. Just then the doctor appeared with a man standing beside her. She recognised his face immediately and was relieved.

"I know you. Your name is Andrew."

The doctor smiled as did Andrew. "That's right Stephanie. I'm Andrew."

Stephanie smiled back as the doctor looked towards Andrew. "Maybe you could tell Stephanie her name?"

Andrew nodded. "Certainly. Her name is Stephanie. Stephanie Martin. She's my wife."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Her slender hand lifted and touched his beautiful face. Her body was a rush of nervous energy as she felt his thumb begin to trace delicious slow circles over her spine making her weak inside. She felt herself tremble as their bodies pressed together and his warm breath danced over her lips. His incredible brown eyes looked deeply into hers stealing her soul away so much so she forgot to breathe for a second. Then he kissed her; a kiss so tender yet so passionate that it made her knees tremble and she burned with her desire for him as his tongue brushed over hers tasting her. God he tasted so good, so good she just wanted so much more. He explored every inch of her mouth before moving towards her neck. She clutched his soft blonde strands in her hands tangling them in between her fingers and softly sighed as he nipped at the sensitive skin there. His tongue flicked out and followed the thin column of her throat. She felt a shiver down her spine and her mouth felt dry as he trailed soft, wet kisses to her chest. Then his big hand roughly pulled open her blouse and she gasped as her beat loudly in her chest with excitement and anticipation. Scooping her up into his strong arms, he carried her over to the bed where he gently placed her down on top of the comforter.

The mattress lightly creaked as he moved his body over hers and she swallowed thickly as his eyes flashed black with his desire and he kissed her hard. Her hands roamed his massive back before slipping under his t-shirt and feeling the heat of his soft skin against her palm. Her core throbbed impatiently. She wanted this man so much. She needed him.

Violently tugging on the bottom hem of his shirt, she lifted it up over his back. He broke away as he pulled it over his head and his blonde hair fell softly over his face as he tossed it aside. Then he looked at her. A look that was full of his intentions as he pulled down the zipper of his jeans before his hands slid up her parted thighs. He bunched her skirt around her waist and her stomach pooled with desire as he lowered his mouth, his soft strands spilling over her body .…..

Stephanie's eyes popped open as she drifted out of her slumber. A hazy smile adorned her face as she gazed absently around her room. Slowly blinking she took in her surroundings. That's when her smile faded and she realised she was still in her hospital bed, not the bed she had been sharing in her dream. God, her dream.

Shifting her head on the pillows, a slow smile crossed Stephanie's face once more as she remembered every little detail. Like the way her heart jumped at his touch and the way her skin tingled in anticipation knowing what he was about to do to her. She also remembered feeling so overcome and so alive. Much like her dream really. It had been so vivid and so real so much so she swore she could still feel her whole body trembling as she remembered the intimate touch of the blonde haired man. Her beautiful stranger. A stranger with no name. Really, she hadn't a clue who he was and his face wasn't familiar to her at all. It made her wonder if he really existed or if he was simply a figment of her imagination.

Sighing heavily, Stephanie's smile down turned into a frown. She was beginning to get so frustrated at the things she couldn't remember even more so now she had found out about the baby. Bringing her hand to her stomach, she began to gently rub the tiny bump silently connecting with the child inside. It had been such a shock when the doctor had told her she was pregnant. That shock had then turned to concern, concern that the baby had been harmed during the accident. So they had carried out a scan to check that the baby was okay and thankfully he or she was. They were perfect and healthy and twelve weeks along. Seeing them on that screen had made them so real and despite everything that was happening to her and the uncertainty in her mind, she actually felt excited at the prospect of becoming a mother. She knew it was everything she wanted. She only wished she felt the same joy at discovering she had a husband.

Shifting on the bed, Stephanie raised herself up. Her eyes gazed towards the sun drenched window as her mind turned to Andrew. She didn't know what it was but she just couldn't bring herself to physically touch him. Every time he came near her, she flinched away. In actual fact, he made her skin crawl but she guessed that was because of the amnesia. She didn't remember him intimately. Maybe once she got her memory back she would feel differently towards him. Part of her hoped she would. After all she was married to the guy and she must have had some sort of feelings for him, feelings so deep and so true she had agreed to spend forever with him. Marriage wasn't something she would have entered into lightly. She must have loved Andrew very much. Although all in all, the whole thing with him just felt so strange to her.

Something else that felt strange was how little Andrew wanted to talk about their life together. She had asked him questions about where they met, where they lived and how long they had been married for. He had been very vague about the whole thing and had suggested they didn't talk about it. His excuse was that he didn't want to upset her by discussing things she couldn't remember. She had reluctantly gone along with it knowing he had only her best interests at heart. He had shown her that when he had contacted her father to let him know she was perfectly okay and tell him where she was. So her parents were coming to visit her this afternoon and she was really looking forward to seeing them. She needed their familiar faces around her and hopefully they would be able to answer her questions and help this huge mess in her head. Maybe even seeing them would help trigger her memory. God, she hoped so. One thing she knew for sure was that she didn't want to keep on living like this, in this weird limbo.

Sighing softly, Stephanie continued to stare out the window watching the sun rise over the buildings. She was completely unaware that even though they were miles apart, Paul was doing the very same thing. His brown eyes were bloodshot and heavy as his head rested on the crisp cotton pillow. He had been tossing restlessly all night unable to sleep with Stephanie constantly on his mind. He was worried sick about her and couldn't help but imagine that something bad must have happened to her, something so bad he felt his gut twist tightly every time he thought about it. It was the only explanation. Stephanie wouldn't just disappear without a word to anyone. It just wasn't like her not to get in touch but so far the doctor hadn't been able to locate her in any of the hospitals and no-one at all had heard from her since she had left the arena. It just made his heart feel all the more heavier and even more shattered. Christ! He felt so fucking useless just lying here and not being able to try and find her. If the doctor didn't release him today he was going to discharge himself anyway. He had to do something. He was going crazy being cooped up in here and he felt like he going to explode with all the pent up worry and frustration he held inside.

Paul shifted anxiously against the pillows. As his brown eyes lifted to the ceiling, he heard the low ringing from the other side of the room. He threw back the covers and rushed over to his bag to retrieve his cell phone ignoring the wave of dizziness he felt as he bent over and flipped it open. He felt sick the second he saw Shane's caller ID flash across the screen. He swallowed hard as he realised he probably had some news about Stephanie but despite his desperation to know what was happening, he also worried that the news would be bad and he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it. He didn't know if he could handle the fact that Stephanie was hurt or even worse, gone.

Closing his eyes tight, Paul quickly pushed that thought from his mind. He didn't even want to think about that possibility. He couldn't. But he also couldn't take another minute not knowing what had happened to her. Slowly opening his eyes and letting out a shaky breath, he tentatively answered the call. He could barely hear anything else above the worried beating of his heart. "Hello?"

"Hey, Paul. It's Shane. Listen, sorry to call so early but I thought you might want to know I've got some news about Stephanie."

Paul licked his dry lips and ran his fingers through his limp strands as he slowly turned towards the window. "Is she okay?" he breathed, bracing himself for what he was about to hear.

"Yeah, she's okay."

Paul felt awash with relief as he pressed his lips together. His head was spinning with the emotion he felt knowing the woman he loved was safe.

"She was in a car accident but don't worry. Both her and the baby are unharmed."

Paul silently thanked God as he wandered across to his bed.

"Well, physically at least."

He heard the trepidation in Shane's voice and his whole body went tense with anxiety. "What do you mean? I thought you said she was fine."

"Look Paul, Stephanie suffered a head injury. It's caused her to lose some of her memory. The doctor's pretty sure it's just temporary but for now she can't remember certain things."

Paul was stunned into silence by Shane's admission. His brow crinkled as his relief turned to concern and he tried to absorb the news about Stephanie's condition. She had to be so scared right now and it was killing him to think of her that way. She would be lying in that hospital bed so vulnerable and so frightened and all he wanted to be close to her and hold her and reassure her that everything would get better. God, he needed to get out of here. He needed to be with her.

"Where is she, Shane?" he asked.

He frowned as he heard the long heavy sigh on the other end.

"Look, there's no easy way to tell you this so I'm just going to come right out and say it."

"Say what?"

"Paul, Stephanie thinks she's married to Andrew."

Paul's mouth dropped in disbelief. "Martin? She thinks she's married to fucking Marton? Why the hell would she think that?" he asked as he started to pace up and down the room, his right hand tightly clutching his hair at his scalp unable to believe what he was hearing.

"I don't know Paul. All I know is she was in the car with Andrew and Joanie when the accident happened. She woke up and immediately recognised Andrew as her husband."

He shook his head in anger. Joanie. What the fuck was Joanie doing there and why the hell was Stephanie in a car with her let alone Andrew? "Why hasn't anyone told her the truth? Surely they can't let her believe that crap!"

"Well from what Andrew told Dad the doctors say it would be too traumatic to tell Stephanie the real story. They say it would upset her too much and set her recovery back quite a bit. The best thing to do is to go along with it and hope she remembers soon."

Paul's expression fell as he leaned back resting his head against the wall. He felt numb as he slowly came to realise Stephanie probably knew nothing about him or their relationship. She wouldn't have a clue that the baby she was carrying was his; theirs.

"Paul, are you okay?"

He shook his head sadly. "This is totally fucked up Shane. How the hell did Stephanie end up in a car with those two morons anyway?"

"Well they were apparently taking Steph to the hospital to see you after you got injured."

Paul frowned immediately feeling that something wasn't quite right about all of this. None of it was making sense. It just didn't add up. "If that was the case, why isn't Stephanie here in this hospital?" he voiced out loud.

Shane sighed. "I don't know Paul. Maybe after I've seen Steph this afternoon I'll have some more answers."

"Can I come with you to see her?"

He sensed Shane's hesitation before he replied.

"That's another thing. Apparently the doctor thinks it would be best if you stayed away for now. They don't want to confuse her any more than she already is."

Paul snarled with his anger as he pushed himself off the wall. "That's bullshit Shane!" he snapped. "I've got every right to see her and no-one's going to stop me."

"I know and I know it sucks and I understand how you feel Paul. I really do. I'm on your side here. But please, for Stephanie's sake, can you listen to the doctor and stay away? I just don't think it will help her to see you right now and I know you'll only want what's best for her. I promise to let you know how she is once I've seen her."

Paul felt the fight leave his body as his shoulders slumped in resignation. He didn't want to hurt Stephanie in any way and as much as he needed to see her right now, he would do whatever it took to make her better. After all the sooner she recovered, the sooner she would be back in his arms where she belonged. Still, that didn't mean he liked it. In fact, he was going to hate every damn second of it. He sighed as he wearily rubbed at his aching temple. "I'll stay away but only for Stephanie's sake. Will you call me as soon as you can?"

"I will and I'm sorry, Paul. I really am."

"I know." he said and hung up and staring around his silent, empty hospital room, he felt his anger and his pain bubble to the surface. Screaming in frustration, he threw his phone against the wall and watched as it shattered into pieces. Ironically enough his heart felt like it was shattered too.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Stephanie glanced up as she heard the light rapping on the door. Her face erupted into a huge delighted smile as she saw her mother and father walk through the door. She was even more delighted and relieved that she recognised their faces and knew exactly who they were. Vince was the first to arrive by the side of her bed and his big arms wrapped around her as held on to her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're alive, Princess. We were so worried about you."

Stephanie could hear his voice waiver with his emotion and she felt the tears catch in the back of her throat. "I'm okay Dad." she told him. "I am. I'm just really happy you're here."

He softly kissed her forehead as Linda approached the bed moving in to embrace her as Vince stepped away. Stephanie felt eyes gloss over as she breathed in her mother's perfume feeling comforted by her familiar, warm scent.

"Oh Stephanie. I'm so relieved to see that you're okay." Linda pressed her lips together tightly as her hand lifted to tenderly brush through her daughter's tousled strands, her big eyes scanning her pretty face. "How are you?"

Stephanie smiled as she blinked back her tears. "I'm fine. I'm not as sore today but I just wish I could remember more, that's all." she sighed.

Linda pressed a kiss in her hair and sat down on the bed next to her lightly crumpling the crisp cotton sheets as she took her slender hand squeezing it reassuringly. "You will honey. The doctor is confident you'll regain your memory just as soon as your brain has gotten over the shock of the crash."

"God, I hope so."

"And is everything okay with the baby?"

Stephanie nodded and smiled as her other hand absently lifted to rest on her stomach briefly connecting with her unborn child. "Yes, the baby's fine although I must admit finding out I was pregnant was a bit of a shock. That was something else I couldn't remember."

Vince shook his head in disgust as he stood there listening to Stephanie and Linda discuss the baby. He couldn't listen to them talk about that child; a child fathered by the man he detested; the man he held accountable for corrupting his own baby girl. As his feet shifted uncomfortably on the floor, he saw Stephanie over glance in his direction. Her blue eyes narrowed curiously as she watched him.

"Are you okay, Dad?"

He nodded as he stuffed his big hands in his black trouser pockets. "I was just thinking that I might as well check on Andrew and Joanie while I'm here. You don't mind do you?"

Stephanie shook her head as she smiled at him gently. "Of course not, Daddy. Anyway, I'm sure I'll probably still be here when you get back." she said jokingly.

Vince managed to summon a smile as he patted her leg and left the room. Stephanie had just turned to say something else to Linda when she saw the familiar head of black hair poke through the open door. Her face lit up with joy when she saw her brother walk through the door.

"Shane!" she cried as she opened her arms out to him.

Linda moved off the bed and smiled as Shane pulled his sister into a hug. His brown eyes sparkled at her as he playfully tucked her under the chin, something he had done ever since she could remember and she felt comforted once more by the familiarity of her family.

"How are you sis? Feeling okay?"

Stephanie smiled as she pushed herself up against the pillows and tucked her limp brown strands behind her right ear. "I'm getting better and I'm really hoping the doctor will discharge me tomorrow. I can't wait to get out of this bed and get home."

Shane licked his lips as he pulled a chair across to the bed sitting down as his mother sat down on the bed once more. He decided to just broach the subject and ask the question that had been constantly on his mind during the drive here; a question that every time he thought of her answer, he felt sick to his stomach. "Is Andrew going to be taking care of you when you get out of here?" he asked.

He noticed her smile fade at the mention of his name. He glanced over at his mother who was watching her daughter with a concerned expression on her face as she covered her hand with hers. He knew she had witnessed the same reaction too.

"Is everything okay Stephanie?" asked Linda.

"Sure." Stephanie forced a smile ignoring the anxiousness she felt at the mention of her husband's name. Andrew was something she just didn't want to think about right now and all she wanted was just to be home with the people she knew and the people she loved; the people who were familiar to her at least until she started to remember and maybe feel the connection she once shared with her husband. A connection that right now just wasn't there so much so the very thought of being alone with Andrew made her feel weird and uncomfortable and she didn't like it one little bit. Stephanie squeezed her mother's hand as her big blue eyes stared across at her.

"Listen Mom, would you mind if I stayed with you when I get out of here? I mean, with Andrew being on the road I can't imagine he'll have the time to look after me. Maybe I'd be better being at home with you."

She felt her body sigh with relief when Linda nodded and smiled sensing nothing untoward in her daughter's request.

"You are more than welcome to stay. I'll enjoy looking after you." she told her.

Shane smiled on the opposite side of the bed, happy that Stephanie would be home and happy that she wouldn't be alone with that creep Andrew. God knows what he would try and do to her and there was no doubt in his mind that he would take advantage of the fact that his sister thought they were married. He still couldn't wrap his mind around that. Why would she think that? Had her mind separated fact from fiction and did she think their storyline had been real? It just didn't make sense. In fact there was a lot about this whole situation that baffled him. Paul was right when he said things just didn't add up. The more and more he thought about it, he knew this whole thing was crazy. This hospital was miles from anywhere. How the hell had she ended up here instead of somewhere closer to the arena?

Shane pressed his lips together thoughtfully as he rested back on the chair. He heard Stephanie begin to talk about the baby and he felt his heart go out to Paul. He knew it had to be killing him to keep his distance right now but again his actions only proved to him just how much he loved Stephanie. He was prepared to go through hell just to see her get better. And on the outside, Stephanie looked fine. She had a few cuts and bruises but nothing too serious. Unfortunately her mental condition was a completely different story. As he chewed on the inside of his mouth, he was tempted to take a chance just to see how much she didn't remember. And who knows, maybe the conversation might trigger her memory about something. He reckoned it had to be worth a shot. Crossing his right foot over his left, Shane cleared his throat and smiled when his sister looked over in his direction.

"So Steph, did you see any of Andrew's match at Wrestlemania?"

He saw her forehead crinkle in confusion. "Wrestlemania? When did that happen?" she replied.

"A couple of days ago. Andrew fought Paul for the title."

Stephanie's face washed over with a blank expression. "Paul? Who's Paul?"

Shane's mouth parted in disbelief as he glanced at his mother. Her blue eyes were filled with concern as they looked back at him and he realised Stephanie's condition was worse than he had thought. He had imagined there would be some chance she would at least remember something about Paul. God, he would completely heartbroken when he found out he was stranger to the woman he loved.

As he turned his head, he saw the curious look on Stephanie's face as she looked between her mother and her brother.

"You didn't answer my question. Who is Paul and why are you and mom so surprised I don't remember him?"

Shane heard the underlying panic in her tone and not wanting to see her upset and remembering the doctor's warning, he decided he needed to calm her down. He offered her a reassuring smile as he explained. "Paul is Triple H. You used to work really closely with him. In fact you were married to him on screen for a little while."

He could see Stephanie's brow furrow in concentration before her eyes glossed over with her frustration.

"I can't remember him Shane. I can't remember Paul."

He could hear the anxiety and the fear in her voice. He immediately stood up from the chair and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close and holding her tightly as her shoulders began to shake with her tears. It was his fault she was upset and he cursed himself for getting her in this state. The doctor was right. She clearly wasn't ready to try and remember things. As he kissed the top of her head, Shane sighed as he realised that once he told Paul found out the extent of her amnesia, he would be absolutely devastated.

_Two weeks later……_

Paul's feet shuffled along the dusty concrete floor. His big hand gripped the straps of his gym bag as he chomped on his gum and made his way to his dressing room. Despite his happiness at the doctor finally clearing him to wrestle again after recovering from the after effects of his concussion, he felt totally empty inside as he walked along the narrow corridor of the arena. It had been two weeks since he had last seen Stephanie. Two long, lonely weeks that had felt like an eternity to him. Being without her had left this great big gaping hole in his life and his heart.

Luckily he had his parents at home supporting him otherwise he had been in real danger of completely falling apart. Shane had told him Stephanie still didn't remember anything and was still somehow convinced that Martin was her husband. He couldn't stand it. It was killing him to stay away from her and not be able to see her beautiful face or hear her voice. She was constantly on his mind and he was forever wondering what she was doing and how she was coping. He also thought a lot about their baby. His mother knew how much he was hurting and one day she appeared with this pregnancy book telling him it might help him and it had in a way. He had spent his nights reading everything he could on their child's development. He knew Stephanie was fourteen weeks along. He knew her nausea should be easing off and the baby could be starting to move. He often wondered if she had felt their baby and if she had, if she had even known what was happening. The book had said it would be a movement like bubbles or fluttering; a movement so faint that the mother might not even pick up on thinking it was gas or something.

And while he felt a little comfort by being able to share what Stephanie was going through, he was completely gutted he was missing out on so much. He got angry every time he thought about it knowing that it was him that should be with her now, looking after her and being with her every step of the way through her pregnancy. It wasn't fair that he was being denied this time with their child and with Stephanie but he knew he couldn't push her to remember.

Paul sighed as he raked his fingers through his hair. After Shane had told him how she had reacted to his name at the hospital, he knew he was doing the right thing by staying away but it didn't mean he had to like it. Still, he was thankful that Shane kept him posted on her condition and had been calling him at least every couple of days. He had also told him that Stephanie was back home and Paul knew Vince would be taking some perverse pleasure from having his baby girl under lock and key away from the ring and away from him.

Paul scowled as he made his way along the corridor ignoring the staring eyes looking in his direction. Instead he focused straight ahead with his eyes trained on the ground not wanting to see the forced sympathetic looks on people's faces as they tried to pretend they felt sorry for him. Hell, most of them probably wanted to run up and tell him he deserved every single thing that was happening to him. He knew he wasn't popular because of his relationship with Stephanie but quite frankly he didn't give a fuck. He loved her, heart and soul. She was all that mattered to him. She was all that would ever matter; her and their child.

Spotting his dressing room, he sighed with relief and pushing open the door, he disappeared behind it.

A few moments later and he would have seen Stephanie walking along the exact same corridor. She was every bit as anxious as Paul had been. She wasn't exactly sure it was the best idea to come back to work but she was going crazy staying locked up at home. Of course it was completely against her father's wishes to be here but luckily her mother and Shane had been on her side and had managed to persuade her father that she wasn't this fragile doll that was about to break. It might actually do her good to get back to normal and get back among the people she knew and worked with. It also might help her trigger her memory.

Stephanie sighed as she pushed back her hair from her forehead. She was still upset and frustrated that she couldn't remember a lot of things. It was like she had woken up and lost the last year of her life, a year that she was desperately trying to get to grips with. Although it didn't help that she couldn't accept the fact that she was married to Andrew. She didn't know what it was but she felt absolutely nothing for the man. She had found herself relieved that he had only managed to visit her once during the last two weeks. Fortunately for her, her father had insisted on separate rooms for them both being that they were under his roof which Stephanie had thought weird as they were married but at the same time, she wasn't complaining. It had meant Andrew had no chance to lay his hands on her and for that she had been grateful and content not to question it.

It was as she approached the drinks machine that Stephanie saw his large figure emerge from the dressing room. She froze and let out a surprised gasp as she recognised his face and the long blonde strands that fell around his shoulders. As he lifted his head, his pair of deep brown eyes locked on hers and she placed her hand over her mouth in an attempt to stop herself from screaming as she realised it was really him. It was that guy. The man she had seen only in her dreams.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

It was her.

Paul's brown eyes were wide with his disbelief. Inside his heart was hammering wildly in his chest as he struggled to process that it really was Stephanie standing in front of him. And while everything inside him wanted to take her into his arms and hold her tight, he somehow managed to reign himself back. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was frighten her; and she was frightened. Her big beautiful blue eyes were startled as they stared back at him. She seemed totally shocked to see him here and he had to admit to being a little stunned himself right now. He honestly hadn't expected Stephanie to be here tonight and by the looks of things, she hadn't expected to see him either. Of course that now left him feeling totally confused. She wasn't supposed to remember who he was but her reaction told him that might not be the case after all.

Shifting his feet on the floor, Paul licked his dry lips. As his big hand lifted to push back his blonde strands, he felt it lightly tremble and he quickly dropped his arm to side, clenching his fingers together in an effort to contain his emotions. It had been a lonely couple of weeks without Stephanie and seeing her now, it had completely overwhelmed him to the point where he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. God, he had missed her so badly so much that at times he had physically ached for her. So many nights he had lain in there in darkness desperate to wrap her in his arms and have her close to him. How he wished he could wrap his arms around her right now and never let her go. And how could he let go when he knew how empty and lonely they had felt without her.

Sighing softly, Paul saw that Stephanie was still watching him carefully. She seemed almost hesitant to cross his path yet too intrigued to walk away from him. Taking small steps, he decided to make the first move as he slowly approached her. His brown eyes were gentle as he offered her a warm smile.

"Hey." he said struggling to find his voice. "Are you okay?"

Stephanie simply nodded at him, her cheeks flushed with heat as her mind replayed the dream she had at the hospital and again one night just last week. Both times, it had been so real and vivid to her and seeing him standing there brought it all rushing back to her. She swore she could still feel his lips on hers; she could even remember the way his stubble had lightly scratched her skin and how her body had responded to him. She had just felt so alive when she was with him; a far cry from the way that she felt with Andrew, the man who she was married to. Yet she had been okay with that. After all, her dreams had been just that; dreams. Well, up until a few seconds ago when she had looked up to see this man standing in front of her; the man who she had dreamed about and the man who she realised clearly wasn't any figment of her imagination because here he was and he was real. He was very real which now made her wonder who he was and why she would dream about him in that way. Stephanie swallowed thickly and gazing into his deep brown eyes, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were familiar to her somehow.

"It's good to see you back again Stephanie."

Her name fell so softly from his lips and his smile was so warm and genuine that any hesitation or awkwardness she felt slowly began to slip away and she smiled back at him unaware that her simple act had caused Paul's heart to melt.

"Thank you." she replied as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I've missed being here and to be honest, I'm glad just to get out of the house. My mom has been driving me crazy what with her fussing over me every five minutes."

"Yeah well you always have been a pretty independent lady and very determined too, might I add." he chuckled.

But his laughter faded when he saw Stephanie bite down on her lip and glance away somewhat awkwardly. He briefly closed his eyes and mentally kicked himself as he realised he had come on too strong. She was obviously feeling uncomfortable around him and that was the last thing he wanted. God, it was killing him to pretend not to love her but it would kill him more to scare her completely away. Taking a step closer and exhaling slowly, Paul decided he would make this as easy as possible for her.

"You don't remember me, do you?" he asked her.

Stephanie shook her head as she looked back up at him and the sadness in her big blue eyes almost tore him apart. "I'm sorry." she whispered.

Paul rolled his lips together as he attempted to keep his own emotions in check and resisted the urge to pull her into his arms. Instead he forced a smile in an attempt to reassure her and even himself that he was fine. "Don't be." he told her. "I heard about your accident. It's not your fault."

"I know but I feel bad not knowing who you are especially when I can feel that I obviously should."

"Well how about I fix that for you right now." Paul smiled as he held out his hand in her direction and his heart lifted when he saw her face flicker with her amusement. "It's good to meet you, Stephanie. I'm Paul."

His brow crinkled with his surprise when Stephanie immediately stepped back and looked at him strangely.

"You're Paul?"

He nodded.

"Paul as in Triple H?"

Paul nodded once more, his brown eyes filled with confusion at her shocked reaction. Stephanie was looking at him strangely; like she had seen a ghost or something. His hand fell to his side worried that he had scared her yet again. "Steph, are you okay?" he asked.

She stood still for a second before nodding her head and smiling once more to quickly alleviate his fears.

"Yes. Look, I'm sorry for how I reacted." she explained as she lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "It's just that you seemed familiar to me somehow and now I know why. You're the guy, the guy Shane keeps telling me about."

Paul's brow raised in a pleasant surprise. "He talks about me?"

Stephanie's smile spread slowly across her face. "Only all the time. He was really shocked that out of everybody, I didn't remember you so he tells me stuff to try and jog my memory about you." She paused as she glanced briefly at the floor, her fingers slowly wringing together before solemnly looking back up at him. Her voice was gentle yet filled with her emotion as her blue eyes looked into his. "He told me that you're my best friend. Is that true?"

Paul pressed his lips together. He felt the lump burn in his throat as he stood looking at the woman who held his heart; a heart that just didn't work properly without her. God, he just wanted to take her in his arms and tell her the truth. He wanted to tell her that he wasn't just her best friend; he wanted to tell her he was her everything but he knew he couldn't do that for Stephanie's sake. He couldn't be in any way selfish about this. He had to put her first; her and their unborn child and he just had to try and be patient. Pushing back the lump in his throat, Paul looked back up at her and seeing the concerned expression on her face, he smiled and ignored the pang in his chest. "Yeah, it's true." he said tenderly.

There wasn't even a second of hesitation before Stephanie crossed the short distance between them and wrapped her arms around him pulling him closely to her. Paul melted into her as he held on to her just as tightly. He bit back his tears as he cherished the familiar feel of her. Holding Stephanie felt like coming home again; she was so warm and perfect and he didn't want to ever let go, not when he knew he just didn't work without her. Tangling his long fingers in her soft strands, Paul buried his face in her hair and breathed in the clean, fruity smell. He had waited so long to have her close to him and now that he held her, he didn't know how he would manage without her but he would have to somehow. He just had to pray that before long Stephanie would remember.

Paul reluctantly let his arms fall away as he felt her break their embrace. His brown eyes drifted to the slight swell of her stomach and he silently whispered his love for his child before lifting his head to see her watching him.

"It's weird. I can't remember anything about you and yet for some reason I feel so close to you." Her hand reached out to touch his arm and she smiled at him. "I've got so many questions going round in my head right now like where did we meet and how did we become friends……."

Paul smiled as Stephanie's voice trailed away and he raked his long fingers through his hair. "I thought Shane told you all of that."

"Oh, he did. I just want to check and see if your stories add up." She paused as she licked her lips and shrugged. "I don't know. Sometimes he makes you sound too good to be true."

"Well see, that's because I am." he grinned.

"I'll believe you." Stephanie laughed causing his heart to flutter in his chest and Paul decided to seize another opportunity to spend some time with her.

"We could always meet up later and you can find out for yourself. I'll let you ask me anything you want."

Stephanie smirked with a devilish glint in her eyes. "Anything, huh?"

He nodded. "Anything."

"You're on." she told him. "How about after the show? We can head back to the hotel and have a couple of drinks. You can tell me all your secrets."

Paul beamed back at her, his mind already counting down the hours to when he would finally get to spend some time alone with her. God, he needed it. He needed her. "You've got yourself a deal Princess."

Stephanie nodded as she quickly glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Well, I'd better go before Daddy sends out a search party for me. I'll see you later Paul." she smiled and her blue eyes lingered for a second before she lifted her hand in a wave and headed down the corridor.

Paul's brown eyes wore a gentle expression as he stood there and watched her until she disappeared. He still couldn't believe he had spoken to her and not only that, how easy it had been to pretend everything was normal between them. It's like the simple act of being with her just made everything fall away including his pain. Thankfully Stephanie seemed at ease with him as soon as she found out who he was. Shane had obviously been doing a lot of ground work on his behalf by telling his sister all about him and he would have to find him and thank him for that. He actually felt touched that he had gone as far as to say he was her best friend. He must have tried to let her know how close they were without actually telling her the truth and although Paul needed her to know they were a whole lot more to one another, he knew he couldn't push it until she started to remember it all for herself. In the meantime he would have to be content with being her friend and spending time with her. Anything was better than the lonely hell he had been through without her the last couple of weeks.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Stephanie descended the stairs into the hotel lobby. The hour was late and the reception area was practically deserted. Even the receptionist wasn't at the desk and was no doubt sitting in the back with a coffee enjoying the peace and quiet. She wished she'd had that luxury during the show tonight but unfortunately things had been hectic to the point where her cup of coffee still remained untouched in the catering area. She'd had a million and one things to do backstage and half the time she would find herself back pedalling trying to remember exactly what it was her role entailed. But thankfully she gotten through it relatively unscathed and even her father had seemed somewhat pleased when she had left him at the arena. Of course, she had left with the pretence of going straight to her hotel room; she hadn't told him anything about seeing Paul tonight.

Stephanie smiled to herself as her heels sunk into the plush carpet. Ever since their meeting in the corridor, she had found herself thinking about him all the time. She had been so shocked to see him walk out that door and realise the man from her dreams was actually real and not only that, her best friend; a friend that all thanks to Shane she knew quite a lot about. Ever since leaving the hospital, he had talked about Paul and had made a point of making sure she knew how important he was to her. Of course it had never crossed her mind to ask to see a picture of him. She didn't know why. Maybe she had just been content to sit and listen to stories about Paul and the more she had heard, the more intrigued she had been about him; even more so now she had met him in person.

And now here she was about to meet him once more. All night, she had felt a sense of nervous anticipation about seeing Paul. She didn't know why. She just couldn't wait to talk to him and get to know every little thing about him. She knew instinctively he would be nothing but completely honest with her. He just had this sincerity around him and this warmth making her feel so at ease around him especially towards the end of their conversation. In fact, she'd secretly been hoping their paths would cross backstage at the show. Unfortunately they hadn't but she had managed to sneak a quiet moment to herself to watch his match on the monitor in the dressing room. God, Paul was so talented and gifted in that ring. She couldn't help but admire his ability and of course her attention had drifted to his body. Let's just say she would have to be completely blind not to notice how toned and muscular he was and not only that, she found him an extremely handsome guy. And if she was being completely honest she would have to admit that physically, there was an attraction there, maybe even more than she should be comfortable with. After all, they were friends but then again that attraction would certainly explain the hot dreams she had about him.

Feeling her cheeks flush with heat, Stephanie deliberately snapped herself from the funk she was in. She just shouldn't think that way about Paul. He was her best friend for God sakes and besides, she had a husband.

Stephanie's smile faded as she walked into the hotel bar and thought about Andrew. She wished she could feel something for him but she didn't. There was simply no attraction there and actually the more time she spent with him, the more she disliked him. She found it so hard to believe they were actually married especially when she felt so distant from him. It was almost like he was a stranger to her; a stranger who elicited no type of feelings in her at all. She hoped she regained her memory soon and maybe then she could remember why she had loved him enough to want to spend forever with him. As it was, she didn't want to spend one second with him and it made her so sad to think an innocent child would be brought into that kind of environment.

Sighing softly, Stephanie looked around the bar and all thoughts of Andrew left her mind as she saw Paul sitting at a table in the far corner. It was his long blonde strands she recognised first. They were beautiful and unmistakable to her. Quickly scanning the bar and making sure there was no-one else that she recognised, she made her way over towards the table. Her reason for the cloak and dagger entrance being she had lied to Andrew to get rid of him tonight. She had told him that her father wanted to revise the storylines for tomorrow's show. She didn't know why but she felt the need to keep her meeting with Paul a secret from everyone like it was her own guilty pleasure. Was it crazy that she felt this fission of excitement about spending time with him when she could remember nothing about him? What was it about this man that made her feel things she couldn't even feel towards her own husband?

Paul glanced up from his drink as he saw her slide into the seat across from him. His heart swelled when she smiled at him and his brown eyes were instantly mesmerised by her. Stephanie truly was beautiful as she sat there with her soft hair curled and falling over her shoulders and her amazing blue eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

"Hi Paul. Sorry I'm late. I had trouble getting away."

Paul shook his head as his lips curved up gently thinking how nice it sounded to hear his name fall from her lips. He had missed that. He had missed her. "Don't worry about it. You're here now and I hope you don't mind but I ordered you a drink already."

Stephanie glanced at the fruit juice sitting on the table. Her nose wrinkled with her curiosity as she looked at him wondering about his choice. His expression was gentle as he answered her unspoken question.

"I know you can't drink because of the baby."

Her brow lifted in surprise. "You do?"

Paul nodded and sighed softly.. "You told me as soon as you found out you were pregnant." He pressed his lips together resisting the temptation to scream that he was the father of their child but he took a large mouthful from his beer bottle instead. He didn't usually drink alcohol but he felt like he needed it tonight. The pretence of not loving her was already getting to him. Still, he had so much he wanted to tell her and ask her about her and their unborn child. Swallowing his drink, he placed the bottle down on the table and his tone was laced with his concern for her. "So, how are you feeling? Are you still being so sick all the time?"

"You know about the sickness too?" Stephanie asked as she twirled the straw in her glass.

"Steph, I know everything." joked Paul.

She lightly chuckled as she took a sip of her drink. "Well Mr Know-it-all I do feel much better now the sickness has gone and I actually seem to be sleeping a little better too."

Paul smiled. "Good. I'm glad."

He quenched the need to ask if she had felt the baby moving yet. He didn't want to give the game away and reveal just how much he knew about her pregnancy. God knows, he didn't want to spook her and cut short their precious time together. And it was precious. He cherished each and every moment he got to spend with her tonight and he wanted to remember every single detail. Because maybe those details would help him make it through those lonely hours without her and ease the desperate ache in his heart that quite simply just didn't function properly without Stephanie.

"So Paul, are you ready for my inquisition? I've thought up lots of questions to ask you."

His shoulders shook with his amused laughter as he saw her smirking at him over her glass before sipping at her juice. "You can ask me anything you like but on one condition." he told her.

"Well see it all depends what that condition is."

"I get to ask you one question and in return you can ask me as many as you want."

Stephanie's blue eyes twinkled as she nodded her head in agreement. "I think you've got yourself a deal there. So, what's your question?"

Paul rolled his lips together as his fingers began to absently pick at the peeling label on his bottle. "It's just something that's been bugging me about earlier. See, you acted shocked to see me and yet you didn't know who I was. Why was that?"

Stephanie felt the heat rush to her cheeks once more. Her blue eyes were focused on his hands; those same hands that had touched her so intimately in her dreams. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably as she realised how embarrassing her answer would sound but she decided to tell Paul the truth anyway. After all she wanted him to be nothing but honest with her. The least she could do was be honest in return even if it meant she lost any shred of dignity too. "I recognised you from my dream." she admitted shyly, tilting her head downwards.

Paul couldn't help but give an egotistical smirk at her answer. "You dream about me McMahon?"

Stephanie shook her head at the smug look on his face. "Yes I did but it was only twice. I didn't recognise you and in fact, I wasn't even sure you existed. As you can imagine, I got the fright of my life when I saw you today and realised you were real."

Paul's brown eyes twinkled back at her. "Oh I'm real alright. So, what was your dream all about?"

He immediately chuckled as he saw Stephanie's cheeks redden and deliberately avoid his gaze by focusing on the glass in her hand. He swore he could feel her squirm under the intensity of his gaze. He had always found her reaction to any sort of embarrassing situation kind of cute. The corner of his mouth lifted in a teasing smirk.  
"So, how good was I in this dream of yours?"

Stephanie instantly looked up and stuck her tongue out at him before starting to laugh herself, shaking her head causing her brown strands to shift softly over her shoulders. "You're certainly full of yourself, aren't you?"

"Maybe but you still haven't answered my question."

Stephanie mumbled as she looked down at her joined hands. "You were good."

Paul pretended not to hear her and leaned further across the table. "Sorry, I didn't catch that. You'll have to speak up a bit."

She looked up and shook her head at the arrogant grin he wore on his face; a grin that caused an unexpected hot flash across her chest. She swallowed thickly as she tried to maintain her composure. "I said you were good. In fact, you were extremely good. Now, can we move on to another question?"

Paul snickered as he sat back in his chair. He didn't know if it was the beer or not but for the first time in a long time he felt really relaxed. He knew it was because he was with Stephanie. God knows he had missed her more than he had ever dreamt possible. And although it was killing him not to be able to touch her or show her how much he loved her, somehow just being around her helped to ease the pain a little and let him pretend everything was normal between them. Well as it normal as it could be under the circumstances.

"Paul, tell me how we met."

Stephanie's request interrupted his thoughts. Paul's expression was tender as he told her how they got to know one another. It wasn't hard. He remembered it all as if it was yesterday. He could still recall the first time he noticed Stephanie McMahon. She was sitting quietly in the corner as Vince had rambled on at one of the meetings he had called. He hadn't been attracted to her at that point though. The attraction had come much later. But he could still recall thinking she was beautiful but in a young and innocent way. Her blue eyes had been so wide and full of awe as she had looked up and gazed at her father as he talked. It wasn't until he started to work with Stephanie on their storyline that he had gotten to know anything about her at all and had soon realised how much fun she was to be with. He'd also realised how quickly she had grown into a smart, sexy and confident woman. They had become close fairly quickly and had spent a lot of their free time together. They would find various different reasons for spending time with one another or calling each other and although they would pretend those reasons were work related in some way it became obvious that there was so much more to it. But of course, Paul couldn't let Stephanie know about any of that so his story of their history was much shorter than it should have been.

When he had pretty much told her everything he could, Stephanie sat back and smiled at him unaware that her simple act made him melt inside.

"Well, it looks like my brother told me the truth. Your story is pretty much the same as his although you were both a little sketchy on the details of your personal life and as your best friend I think I have the privilege of knowing all the good stuff." she grinned as she toyed with her drink. "So Paul, that brings me to my next question. Have you got anyone special in your life right now?"

Stephanie noticed his easy smile instantly fade and if she wasn't mistaken, his brown eyes flashed with his pain as he stood up suddenly.

"I need another drink. Do you want one?"

She shook her head and she bit down on her lip thoughtfully as her troubled stare followed Paul to the bar. God, the last thing she meant to do was upset him with her question but she obviously had. Trust her to be so damn inquisitive. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes as she rested her head back against the soft padded cushions of the chair. She was so fed up not being able to remember anything and now it had caused her to put her foot in it with Paul and he was her best friend and the last person in the world she wanted to hurt. She might not know much but she knew that. For some reason she just felt really close to him and sitting here with him tonight, she felt like she had known him forever and there was no awkwardness or strangeness at all between them. It had soothed her somewhat. And despite the fact Paul was still a stranger to her in so many ways, she sensed a connection between them; a bond that surpassed any simple friendship and she had no doubts at all that he was a very special person in her life. Of course, that only made it all the harder to know that Paul was upset and he was upset because of her.

She let out a sigh of frustration and turning her head, she saw him walk back to the table. He wore a solemn expression on his handsome face and her eyes reflected her spoken apology as he sat back down across from her.

"Paul, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to put my foot in it and upset you just now. Forgive me?"

As he saw her hopeful eyes looking over at him, he immediately shook his head and smiled. "Steph, there is nothing to forgive."

His heart ached as she reached out taking his hand in hers. As her soft fingers wrapped around his, Paul felt a rush of emotion at her familiar touch as she squeezed them ever so gently. God, this was absolutely killing him to have her touching him like this. It reminded him of everything he had lost and everything he wanted. It was on the tip of his tongue to blurt out the truth but he remembered Shane telling him about any upset setting back her recovery and he didn't want to be the one to cause that to happen to her. He cared about Stephanie too much. He loved her. Feeling the lump in the back of his throat, Paul bit down on the corner of his lip as he tried to control his emotions. He wouldn't allow himself to break in front of her. He just couldn't.

"Paul, are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

Her concern worked its way into him. He slowly brought his eyes up to meet hers and as his heart swelled with his love for Stephanie, he realised was kidding himself if he thought he could spend time with her and just be her friend. His heart broke every time he looked at her and remembered what he had lost. He was seriously in danger of losing it and he had to get out of here quickly before he fell apart in front of her.  
Paul swallowed hard as he gathered himself in check and reluctantly released his hand from hers.

"Sorry Steph, but I've got to get going. I've got an early start in the morning."

He saw her face instantly fall as he stood up and grabbed his jacket. He started to walk away but couldn't leave things as they were, not when he knew he had upset her. Paul retraced his steps and leant over the table letting his brown eyes get lost in her for only a few seconds before eventually placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Goodnight." he hushed.

His lips lifted in the tiniest of smiles as he silently whispered his love for her and his child before turning and leaving her there. It took everything he had to put one foot in front of the other when all he wanted to do was go back and take Stephanie in his arms and hold her just as tightly as he could. Because he would never let go. Not now. Not when he knew exactly how hollow and empty he felt without her.

Paul's footsteps were heavy as he entered the hotel lobby. As he walked to the staircase, he saw the last person on earth he wanted to see at that precise moment. He tried to avoid him and focused his eyes on the floor but of course, the cocky bastard just had to come right over to him and say something.

"Hey Levesque! Been drowning your sorrows tonight?"

Paul's nostrils flared as he glowered at him and shook his head in disgust. "I'm not in the mood Martin so I'd appreciate you getting out of my face right now."

Andrew deliberately stood in front of him blocking his path with a sadistic grin on his face. "Now now Paul, there's no need for that. I was just being civil to you."

Paul clenched his fists at his side resisting the urge to punch him square in the face. "I don't care. Move out of my way. Now!"

Andrew laughed as he blocked his path again. Paul dug his fingers tightly into his palms as he tried his best to control his anger.

"So, tell me. How does it feel to look at a man who has everything in his life and realise you have nothing at all?"

Paul glowered at him, his eyes flashing black with his anger and the pure hatred he felt for this man. It took all he had not to grab him and tear him limb from limb. "You listen to me and you listen real good!" he snarled. "Stephanie will get her memory back and when she does, she'll be back with me where she belongs."

"Dream on Levesque. By the time Stephanie remembers anything, it will be too late. We'll be married and she'll be living happily ever after with me and our baby."

Mentioning the baby made Paul see red and he couldn't control himself any longer as he grabbed Andrew by the collar of his shirt throwing him up against the wall and pinning him there. "Don't you dare ever associate yourself with my child! That baby is mine. Mine and Stephanie's!"

The surprised cry behind him made his heart stop for a second. Paul's stomach churned anxiously as he let go of Andrew and slowly spun on his heel. Stephanie was standing in front of him and his soul shattered when he saw the unshed tears pooling in her eyes. Her face was pale and her expression completely stunned. As Paul's mouth parted to try and say something, anything, she looked at them both before shaking her head and he could only watch as she backed away and ran out of the hotel.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Stephanie's blue eyes stared absently out the window. The bright lights of the city blindly flashed by her as the small, well-built driver manoeuvred the cab effortlessly through the busy streets. There was no particular destination he was heading to. He was just carrying out her instructions to drive around for a while and after flashing him a handful of notes he had been more than happy to accept the expensive fare. Thankfully he hadn't felt the need to strike up meaningless conversation with her either and had left her pretty much alone with her thoughts. Stephanie had been more than grateful for the silence needing the time to try and wrap her head around the fact that Paul was the father of her child or so he had claimed.

But as she twisted her fingers together and rested her head back against the head rest, Stephanie knew for a fact that Paul was speaking the truth. Why else would he have Andrew pinned up against the wall like that? God, he had looked so angry with him too and having no idea why her best friend would be attacking her husband in the middle of the hotel, she had rushed over to find out exactly what was going on. She had been completely shocked when she had overhead Paul say that the baby she was carrying was his not to mention being utterly confused. He was supposed to be her friend and one of the most important people in her world. Now she had to try and process the fact that they had slept with one another. Had it been a simple indiscretion; a one night stand or it had been so much more that? She wished she could remember the truth. She wished she could know how she could be married to one man yet father a child to another. God, she was supposed to be in love with her husband. How could she do that to Andrew and why hadn't he mentioned anything to her? But she guessed it would explain a lot like his noticeable lack of interest in her pregnancy. Maybe it would even explain why she felt so cold and distant towards him. And then of course there was Paul.

Sighing softly, Stephanie lifted her fingers to her temples and pressed small circles against her skin. Her head was thumping trying to process everything. She'd also lost track of how long she had been driving around in this cab. As she went to check her watch, she saw the driver turn in his seat and briefly glance at her.

"Sorry lady but I have to take you back to the hotel. I've got a pick-up over on 9th West."

Stephanie nodded her head and smiled. Inside her stomach was a jumble of knots at the thought of what awaited her when she got back there but she knew she had to face up the truth even though she was terrified about what that truth might be. She was frustrated too; frustrated at all the things that she couldn't remember and there was really only one person she knew she could rely on to tell her everything.

Moments later, she was back at the hotel and after tipping her driver more than generously, she walked tentatively in the hotel lobby. The reception area was silent and deserted with thankfully not a soul around. Tucking her hair behind her ear, Stephanie checked her watch as she waited patiently on the elevator. She grimaced slightly at the late hour but she knew that she didn't have any choice. Waiting until morning to talk to him would drive her totally crazy. She needed to know. It was as simple as that.

The elevator pinged open and stepping inside, she pressed the button for the tenth floor. Her foot tapped impatiently as she watched the red illuminated square blink and ascend the row of numbers.

"Come on. Come on." she pleaded.

It was a matter of seconds before the door slid open. As she stepped out into the freshly decorated hallway, she saw his room straight ahead and adjusting the strap of her handbag, she waited with baited breath as her knuckles lightly rapped against the wood. She knew he would no doubt be pissed at her for waking him up in the middle of the night but she just didn't care. All she cared about finding out the truth and he was the only one that could help her with that. He was the only one she trusted right now.

Just then, she heard him fumble with the lock and the door slowly opened. His tired face peered out of the gap and he scowled.

"Steph! It's you." His hand lifted to rake through his strands as he let the door swing over. "What the hell are you doing here at this time of the night?"

"I needed to see you."

"And couldn't it wait?"

"No Shane, it can't wait. I need to know the truth."

His brown eyes narrowed curiously. "The truth about what?"

Stephanie briefly closed her eyes as an image of Paul's face flashed through her mind and she sniffed as she felt the hot tears burn at the back of her throat. Her lips trembled as she looked back at her brother, her hand lifting to touch her slightly rounded stomach. "The baby, Shane. Is it true this baby is Paul's?"

Shane's mouth parted in stunned surprise as a million questions began to race through his head like how did she know and who the hell had told her? It couldn't have been Paul. He knew the risks to her recovery. He had promised he would keep his distance from her.

"Please Shane, I need you tell me the truth. I need you tell me everything. Please." she cried as her unshed tears trickled down her cheeks.

Unable to see her so distressed, Shane pulled her into his arms holding her tightly as her body shook with her sobs.

"Bring her inside Shane."

He glanced up to see Marissa standing next to them, her expression sympathetic and gentle as her fingers gently smoothed backed Stephanie's hair.

"You need to tell her." she hushed to her husband. "This has been going on for long enough."

Shane smiled sadly and nodded as he felt Stephanie lift her head. He knew the doctor had warned that it might be detrimental to his sister's recovery to confuse her by telling her about Paul but surely it couldn't be any worse than the emotions she was going through now. His heart was breaking at the devastation in her blue eyes. All his life he had looked out for Stephanie and protected her doing what he thought was best. Well, it was no different now and Marissa was right. Being honest with her had to be for the best. She couldn't continue living this crazy lie about Andrew.

Dropping a kiss on Stephanie's forehead, he guided her into the room sitting next to her on the small cloth patterned sofa. Although she had stopped crying, he still felt the need to comfort his sister and took her hand in his, holding it tightly. Her skin was cold and felt like a chunk of ice and he rubbed it gently in an attempt to warm her.

"Are you okay?" Marissa asked as she sat down on the chair across from them.

Stephanie sniffed and nodded as she turned to her brother. His mouth lifted in a smile as he stared at her thoughtfully.

"So, how did you find out about Paul?" he asked her.

Stephanie let out a shaky breath and began to tell him and Marissa everything that had happened from the moment she met Paul in the corridor right up to the part where she overheard his revelation about her baby. All the while, her heart was racing in her chest and her stomach was a jumble of nervous anticipation knowing that what she was about to hear was going to change everything and possibly determine the future; her future and the baby's. That's what made it so important for her to know about Paul. After all, if he was the baby's father, he had a right to be part of that and their life. That's if he wanted to be.

Clearing her throat, Stephanie finished her story and her blue eyes anxiously scanned her brother's face as she waited for his response. She could see the concern etched in his forehead as his hand gripped hers just a little more tightly and his lips lifted in a small smile.

"Paul will be devastated you found like that. He'll also be worried sick about you, you know. Have you talked to him at all?"

"I came straight here to see you." she told him as she licked her lips and shifted on the chair impatiently. "So are you going to tell me the truth or not?"

Shane quickly nodded his head and her shoulders slumped with her relief.

"But before I do, I need you know something. I need you to understand that the reason we haven't said anything before now is because we were worried about you, Steph. We were worried especially when the doctor told us that telling you the truth might upset you and setback your recovery and we didn't want that. We didn't want to do anything that would jeopardise your health and we honestly thought the best thing was letting you remember by yourself."

Stephanie nodded and smiled at him showing she understood.

"But things seem to be getting out of control so maybe it is better that you do know everything now."

She squeezed his hand. "That's all I want Shane."

He rolled his lips together as he looked directly at her. "Well I guess the first thing you should know is that Andrew isn't your husband."

Stephanie gasped and her big eyes went wide. She was totally stunned by that admission yet at the same time overwhelmed with total relief. It just felt right and made perfect sense to her but what didn't make sense was why Andrew had told her they were married in the first place. What the hell had he been playing at saying such a thing? Was he crazy or just completely insane? Shaking her head, she felt herself bristle with her anger. "Why would he lie to me Shane?" she asked him.

This time it was her brother's turn to look stunned as he sat back from her looking at her strangely. "What do you mean he lied to you? You were the one that said he was your husband when you woke up after your accident."

Stephanie shook her head. "I recognised Andrew but he was the one that told me we were married."

Shane snarled as he pushed his hand through his short dark strands. "That son of a bitch! I can't believe he would stoop that low and do that to you. I'm going to kill him."

He rose to stand up from the chair but Stephanie still had a firm grip of his hand and tugged him back to sit.

"Oh Shane, I don't care." she told him as she smiled. "I'm just happy I know Andrew's not my husband. You know I thought it was strange that I felt nothing for him but I just thought it was because I couldn't remember being married to him, like I couldn't connect with him or something. It's such a relief to know that we're not together."

Shane looked at her stunned by how well she was taking the news. It made him wonder what her reaction would be once she knew about her relationship with Paul. After all, Stephanie still considered him a stranger of sorts despite now knowing he was the father of their child. Maybe he should test the water first. She'd had a lot to take in tonight and he didn't want to say too much or upset her in any way. God knows he'd never forgive himself if she did end up back in the hospital. Still, he had promised her to tell her everything. He just needed to be sure. His brown eyes watched her carefully as he posed his next question. "And what about Paul, Steph? How do you feel about him?"

She slowly nodded as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "You know I totally believe what you said about him being my best friend. I just feel so at ease around him and when we were talking earlier on, I felt like there was some sort of connection there, something that I definitely didn't feel with Andrew. It's like I could tell he was someone special to me. Does that make sense?"

Shane nodded and smiled. "It makes perfect sense."

"And how do you feel about Paul being the father of your baby?"

Stephanie turned and looked thoughtfully at Marissa. "You know, I think I'm actually okay with it. I mean don't get me wrong. At first, I was spooked and totally freaked out but now I've had time to settle down and time to think about it, I reckon it might turn out okay." she smiled softly. "Paul and I are friends, right and what could be better for our child than growing up with parents that care for each other and are close in some way."

"Yeah well, you and Paul are a lot closer than you might think."

Stephanie's blue eyes were tentative as she turned to her brother. "What do you mean by closer?"

She saw him glance at Marissa and she patted his hand to get his attention again.

"Shane, tell me what you meant?" she pleaded as her stomach churned anxiously.

"You always were impatient."

He laughed as Stephanie hit him in the arm and held his hands up to stop her. "Alright, I'll tell you." But his laughter faded as his concerned brown eyes looked at her. "Are you sure you're okay? You can handle this?"

Stephanie sighed heavily but deep down she knew that he only had her best interests at heart. "I'm fine Shane." she told him squeezing his hand and reassuring him.

"Well, okay." He paused as his lips curved up gently. "Steph, you and Paul were in a relationship before your accident."

He heard her gasp before she pressed her lips together tightly. Her blue eyes glossed over with her tears.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

Stephanie nodded and sniffed as she tried to compose herself. She blinked back the tears as she suddenly realised all the pieces of the puzzle of her life were starting to slowly come together and make sense. "Were we in love?"

"Yeah and I happen to know that for Paul, nothing has changed. He was devastated when he found out you lost your memory and has been waiting patiently hoping you'll remember everything. It's been killing him to stay away from you and the baby."

She shook her head in disbelief as she wiped at the tears on her wet cheeks. "I can't believe it. Why didn't he tell me any of this?"

"Because he didn't want to do anything to harm your recovery, Steph. But you know, I am starting to wonder whether Andrew lied to us about that one too."

But in that moment Stephanie didn't care about Andrew or his lies. All she cared about was Paul and suddenly it felt terribly important to see him and talk to him. She let go of her brother's hand as she rose to her feet. "I have to go and see him Shane. I have to tell Paul I know the truth."

Shane nodded as he stood up, his brown eyes shining with his happiness for her and his relief that Stephanie seemed to be happy now she knew the truth and more importantly than that, she seemed to be coping just fine. "Before you go though I should probably warn you."

She wrinkled her brow in curiosity as she smoothed down her sweater. "Warn me about what?"

"Well I guess you don't remember but Paul is one grumpy pain in the ass when you disturb his sleep. Prepare for some verbal abuse when you bang down his door."

Stephanie laughed and she wrapped her arms around her brother and hugged him gratefully. "I'll try and bear that in mind."

She released him before walking over and hugging Marissa too. "Thank you both so much. You don't know how relieved and happy I am right now."

Shane smiled at her gently. "I'm just sorry it took us all this time to tell you. I hope you understand we were just worried about you."

"Of course I do." she told him, patting his arm and sighing softly. "Well, I'm going to go and wake up Paul. Wish me luck."

Shane chuckled as he followed his sister across the room. "You do know you're probably going to need it."

Stephanie turned the handle on the door and looked back at her brother, her face lit up with her tender expression. "I mean it Shane. Thank you for everything."

She hugged him once more before Shane pulled away and winked at her. "Go on sis. Go and get your man."

Stephanie gave him a beaming smile as she turned and walked down the corridor. As she heard the door click shut behind her, her nerves kicked in and her smile faded as her footsteps slowed on the plush pale blue carpet. She could feel her heart pounding madly in her chest as she got closer to his room. Paul was staying on the same floor as Shane. She had remembered that when she had seen his key card lying on the table in the hotel bar. His room number was 1024; the room now right in front of her.

Letting out a shaky breath, Stephanie stared at the white laminate door before lifting her hand to knock………..


	27. Chapter 27

Honestly, thanks so much for all your wonderful feedback. It really means a lot for this and all my other fics. Anyway, here's the next installment seeing I had time on my hands this morning. :)

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Chapter 27

Her stomach was in knots as she waited for Paul to answer the door. Twisting her fingers together nervously, Stephanie wondered what was taking him so long. She suddenly felt so anxious to see him and tell him she knew the truth yet she was terrified too. After all, this was about to change her whole life; well her life as it had been during the last two weeks anyway and she had all these unanswered questions buzzing around in her head. Questions that only Paul could answer for her but he would have to actually open the door first to accomplish that.

Frowning slightly, Stephanie knocked once more, this time more assured and louder. She couldn't help but smile when she heard the muffled cursing as he fumbled with the handle. Shane was obviously right. Paul was a moody pain in the ass when disturbed in the middle of the night but hopefully he would be just a little bit happy to see her standing here.

As the door creaked open, the blood beat in her ears as his face emerged in the crack and his heavy brown eyes squinted into the light in the hallway.

"Steph?" His voice was thick with sleep and his tousled blonde strands fell messily around his face as his big hand lifted to rub at his left eye. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

Stephanie nodded and smiled at him shyly. Paul was wearing a pair of black track pants and as he pushed back his hair from his forehead, she saw the muscles ripple in his firm, toned stomach and she swallowed thickly lifting her blue eyes to meet his. His facial expression was warm and gentle and she was surprised by the faint fluttering in her chest as his lips curved up slowly.

"Do you want to come inside?" he asked.

She smiled once more and brushed past him as he stepped aside to let her pass. The light flicked on as the door closed behind her bathing the room in a soft glow. As she glanced around the small ornate room, her hand lifted to her stomach absently resting there. She could smell the faint trace of some cologne mixed in with lemons and shifting her gaze, her face flickered with her amusement as she saw the unmade bed with the covers strewn messily across it. She could picture Paul throwing them back in anger as he cursed whoever it was that had disturbed his slumber. God knows what he had thought when he had opened the door and saw her standing there.

Stephanie shifted her weight and turning her head, she saw Paul hovering by the small chair just watching her. In fact, his brown eyes were almost trancelike as they fixated on her. He was obviously off in his own little world which made her curious to know what he was so deeply in thought about. Lifting her hand and waving it in front of him, she grinned in his direction. "Earth to Paul."

She saw him lightly shake his head as his eyes flickered back into life again.

"Sorry." he smiled. "I must have spaced out."

"That's okay. What were you thinking about anyways?"

Paul lifted his shoulder in a shrug, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could give them a thought. "Just how cute you look every time you rub your stomach like that. It's like it's your way of talking to the baby."

He flinched as it suddenly hit him what he had said and he mentally scolded himself for mentioning it all. Only hours ago, Stephanie had run out him after he had opened his stupid mouth and here he was making things awkward again especially when he didn't have a clue how she felt about him being the father. Although he was pretty sure he could be about to find out. After all, what other reason would she be banging his door down in the middle of the night? He just didn't know if he was ready to hear what she had to say. Christ, he was nervous.

Rubbing his chin, he walked over to the small refrigerator. He bent down to retrieve a ice cold bottle of water and when he straightened up and twisted the cap off, he finally met Stephanie's curious blue eyes. Clearing his throat, he gestured to the bottle lightly gripped in his hand. "Can I get you anything?"

"No thank you."

Paul nodded as he took a mouthful of the cold drink.

"I hope you're not going to spit that out on me now."

His snort of amusement caught the water in his throat and he spluttered as he placed the water down on the dresser before finally managing to swallow. His hand lifted to stifle his coughing and he felt Stephanie behind him as she began to rub his back unwittingly sending a tingle down his spine and a pang to his chest. He had missed her touching him like this. He had missed everything about her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you choke."

Paul smiled at her, his coughing finally under control. "You're forgiven and I do have manners outside the ring you know."

As their eyes locked on one another, he could feel the delicious heat of her hand still on his skin. He inhaled her vanilla scent and tried not to think about how close Stephanie was as she stood beside him. Her face was so soft and beautiful as she lifted her other hand to push back the loose blonde strands that framed the front of his face. Paul's breath caught in his throat and his heart pounded in his chest as he just stood there, his hands still by his sides, too scared to move in case he broke the magic of the moment. But God, he ached to touch her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her close and feel her soft lips on his. Swallowing thickly, his face slowly moved towards her. His heart plummeted when he felt her fingers on his lips stopping the kiss and realising what he had been about to do, he shook his head and pulled away. His brown eyes were apologetic and filled with his dismay.

"I'm so sorry." he hushed. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I don't know what came over me."

He was stunned into silence by the slow smile that crept across Stephanie's face. Her blue eyes were soft as they travelled across his face.

"It's okay Paul. I know. I know the truth."

"I know you do Steph and I'm sorry for that too. I didn't mean for you to find out about the baby like that. The last thing in the world I wanted was to upset you…."

Stephanie shook her head as her hand lifted to his arm interrupting him. "I'm not upset, Paul." she told him.

She saw the flicker of confusion in his deep brown eyes as he looked at her and she decided it was time for her to confess to him that she knew the truth.

"I know, Paul. I know about us. Me and you." she said softly.

She saw his handsome face flicker with his emotion as a surprised smile lifted his lips.

"You do?"

Her stomach fluttered as she nodded her head and he grinned.

"But how do you know? Do you remember something?"

She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry. It was Shane that told me."

As Paul nodded, her heart went out to him as she saw the obvious disappointment in his eyes and she rubbed his arm affectionately.

"But I want you to know something, okay? I want you to know that regardless of what I do or don't remember about us, I do know how I felt when Shane told me we were in love and in a relationship." She paused, her fingers hesitating for a second before lifting to brush through his hair as something unexpected shifted in her chest causing a wave of emotions to rush through her; emotions that she knew were somehow related to this man because even though her mind had chosen to temporarily forget him, her heart could feel him with every single beat.

"I was so happy Paul." she smiled. "As soon as he told me about us, it all made sense to me. Suddenly all these little pieces of my life started to come together and it was because of you. And you know, even though I didn't remember anything about you, from the first moment I saw you I felt this connection between us. Deep down I could feel that you were someone special to me."

The expression on Paul's face was unfathomable as his fingers lifted to lightly trace her cheek. "Yeah well, Shane wasn't entirely accurate with what he said."

Stephanie's hand fell to rest on his chest as her blue stared back at him tentatively.

"He said we were in love like our relationship was in the past. I just want you to know that as far as I'm concerned it's in the present and the future. I love you so much,

Stephanie. You and our baby and for me….well, for me we're forever if that's what you want."

Her eyes glossed over with her hot tears and she felt absolutely no hesitation as she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips tenderly over his. Paul's arms slid around her waist and she melted into him as he eagerly kissed her back. His touch felt so warm and familiar to her yet so exciting. Her whole body was a rush of nervous energy and she was filled with a sense that this was where she belonged; like she had somehow come back home.

As Paul's mouth parted to deepen the kiss, her fingers lifted to tangle in his hair. That was when she felt it. It was like floating bubbles in her stomach and her lips froze as she concentrated on the sensation. She could feel Paul break the kiss and as he stepped back, her hand fell from his hair to drift to her stomach where she rubbed her palm over her slight bump.

"Stephanie, are you okay?"

She nodded and licking her wet lips, she smiled to reassure him. "I just felt something weird going on in my stomach, that's all. Maybe I've eaten something that doesn't agree with the baby."

Paul slowly shook his head. He wore a tender expression on his face as his hand covered hers, both of them gently touching her stomach. "It's nothing you've eaten Steph. It's the baby."

Stephanie's brow crinkled in curiosity. He lifted his shoulder in a shrug.

"You're fourteen weeks along, right which means the baby is starting to move. But not everyone recognises the movement straight away as it's a fluttering kind of sensation, sort of like bubbles."

Her blue eyes sparkled at him as she grinned in surprise at the realisation that Paul had been keeping tabs on their baby's development. "Someone's been busy preparing to be a father." she teased.

"My mom bought me a book." he smiled. "It tells you all about the different stages of pregnancy and how the baby is growing." He paused as he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear relishing the feel of touching her after all the lonely nights spent without her; nights that thankfully now appeared to be over. His fingers drifted to caress the soft skin of her cheek. "She thought it would keep me sane while I was at home and I suppose it did help. It kept me occupied at least."

"I'm so sorry to have put you through all this Paul."

He shook his head and pulled her into his arms once more feeling Stephanie hold him back just as tightly. "You've nothing to apologise for Stephanie." he whispered into her hair. "None of this was your fault." He quickly pulled back as he heard her gasp and place her hand on her stomach again.

Stephanie's head lifted to grin at him. "I think our baby is going to be a little kicker."

She took his hand from her waist and threading their fingers together, she brought their joined hands to rest on her slightly swollen bump. "I know we won't be able to feel the baby moving on the outside yet but I just want her to know that her mommy and daddy are together again and are both here for her."

Paul gently dropped a kiss on her forehead before resting his head there. "You're pretty adamant that's a her in there. Are you hoping for a little girl?"

"Not really. To be honest, I don't mind if it's a boy or a girl." she said as she felt his thumb lightly graze her knuckles. "I guess I just want the baby to be healthy. Oh and cute too."

Paul smiled as he lifted his head. "Steph, how could our baby not be cute? I mean just look at her daddy." he smirked.

Stephanie smiled as she felt a sudden burst of happiness; happiness that she was here and happiness that told her there was nowhere else she wanted to be but here with Paul and their unborn child. Lifting her left hand to the back of his hair, she brought his face to hers and kissed him softly. As their noses brushed together, she stifled back a yawn as her head nestled into his neck.

"You getting sleepy?" he asked her, the low rumble of his voice soothing her as she breathed in the fresh, clean smell of his hair.

"I guess I am. It's been a long day." she conceded.

"Maybe you should get your pretty ass in bed then."

She lifted her head and smirked at him. "Is that an offer?"

Paul chuckled shaking his head. "Easy McMahon. I think you've had enough excitement for one day and besides I wouldn't want to wear you out."

Stephanie laughed as her hand lifted to touch his face, the light stubble of his beard tickling her skin. "But can I stay here with you? I promise to keep my hands to myself."

"I think that can be arranged. Although I can't promise you I'll be able to do the same." he winked as he kissed her cheek before reluctantly breaking their embrace and walking over to his open travel bag where he pulled out a black Motorhead t-shirt.

"Here." he grinned as he tossed it to her. "I think it might be better if you cover yourself up."

Stephanie's laughter made his heart soar and his brown eyes followed her as she walked into the bathroom. He was already settled in bed when she finally reappeared. As she crawled in beside him looking more beautiful that he had ever remembered seeing her, he felt like pinching himself to try and believe that his nightmare was really over. Stephanie was back in his arms where she belonged and although she didn't remember anything about their relationship, she seemed happy enough to know they were in love and had seemed at ease touching him and holding him. That was enough for him and he wasn't going to rush things between them. God knows the last thing he wanted was to scare her off so he was going to take things slowly for Stephanie's sake and give her the chance to get used to him and their relationship again. He just prayed it would all work out between them and that somehow Stephanie would remember in time how much she did love him. Not that it mattered right now because he loved her enough for the both of them and she did seem to care for him. That was something at least and he could settle for that for now as long as it meant that he could be with her and their child. That was all that mattered to him. It was all that would ever matter.

Sighing softly, he smiled as Stephanie moved across the bed to snuggle into his chest.

He kissed her hair and held her in the darkness and within seconds he heard her breathing even out and he knew she was asleep.

"I love you." he whispered as his fingers brushed through the ends of her hair. His eyes closed over as the comfort of Stephanie's body beside him lulled him to sleep and his last thought as he drifted off was that she was back where she belonged and he was finally whole again.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Stephanie eyelids slowly fluttered open. As she eventually began to come round, she felt something heavy lying across her stomach and shifting her head on the pillow, a slow smile crossed her face. Paul's arm was flung across her while the rest of his body was lying face down, his head buried somewhere in between the strewn pillows. His blonde hair fanned messily over the crisp white cotton and her hand lifted and reached over to gently brush through the ends, enjoying the feel of soft silky strands against her fingertips. The sound of his gentle breathing filled the room and she lay there trying to take in the fact that she was really here lying next to him feeling the heat of his skin against hers. To her, it all seemed so surreal.

Licking her lips, Stephanie felt content to just watch Paul sleep, her blue eyes holding a tender expression as she thought about the events of yesterday. That was totally surreal too. Finding out about Paul had spooked her at first but she couldn't get over the fact that this just felt so right. Being here with him, touching him and feeling him, it was like a sense of coming home to her. She knew in her heart that this was where she wanted to be and where she should be. She just wished she could remember everything that had happened between them before her accident. It was really weird how she had managed to remember certain things like her family and her job but absolutely nothing about Paul or their relationship. She was missing out on so much including all the memories that had made her fall in love with him and have a child with him. Although she knew it wasn't hard to see why she did love him. Paul had proven himself to be an amazing man; an amazing, kind and patient man and so handsome too.

Stephanie shifted on the mattress as the rays of the morning sun shone through the room flecking his hair with gold. She lay on her side as her fingertips drifted lower to caress the smooth, soft skin on his back feeling him breathe. She knew it was just going to be a function of time before she remembered Paul or before she got to know him again. And she did want to know him. She wanted to know every single thing about him including his hopes, his dreams and his fears. She wanted to feel as close to him as you could possibly be to someone. But despite Paul being a stranger to her in so many ways, she couldn't deny what she felt being here next to him. It was like a happy contentment yet at the same time, she'd never felt so alive. Her whole body was awash with delicious tingles at the simple act of his touch. That was something she never ever experienced towards Andrew and now she knew why. She just didn't believe he would lie to her about something like that. What did he have to gain by telling her he was her husband? It was definitely not the actions of a normal person whatever his reasons.

But all thoughts of Andrew left her mind as she felt Paul begin to stir beside her and a hint of a smile crossed her face as she felt him pull her closer towards his body. She felt a hot flash across her chest as the heat of his skin radiated through the material of her shirt and her mind automatically drifted to her dream that she had about them while she was in hospital. Her eyes closed as she remembered his touch. God, it was still so vivid even now and to her surprise she found herself wondering how long it would be before she'd get to experience those feelings for real.

"What are you smiling about McMahon?"

His thick sleepy voice startled her and her eyes popped open to see Paul's face in front of her, his heavy brown eyes lying watching her through his blonde strands. She felt a rush of heat to her face and he obviously sensed her embarrassment judging by the smirk that slowly crossed his face. But despite her blushes, Stephanie couldn't help but think that she had never seen anything so sexy in her life.

"So what's making you so flustered, huh?" he asked her. "Have you been dreaming about me again?"

She bit down on her lip to conceal her smile and lightly smacked him on his arm.

"Never you mind what I was dreaming about. A girl gets to have her secrets you know."

"Well, maybe one day you'll tell me all about them."

Stephanie smiled as she brushed his hair back from his forehead. "Maybe I will one day."

Paul's expression was gentle as her hand cupped his face. He was pleasantly surprised to see how calm and contented she appeared to be. Honestly, his first thought when he had woken and realised his arm was draped across her practically cradling her was that Stephanie would feel awkward and uncomfortable being so close to him but it certainly didn't seem that way. Although he wasn't a total idiot and he knew the events of the last twenty four hours were bound to have taken their toll on her. She'd had so much to deal with and she had to be feeling emotionally drained, even still a little confused. "So, how are you feeling this morning?" he asked her carefully.

His brown eyes searched her face as he waited for her reply and his heart lifted when she smiled to reassure him.

"I'm perfectly fine although I must admit I still feel a little tired."

"Well, you will go knocking down people's doors at all hours of the morning."

Stephanie's thumb tenderly grazed his cheek. "But I'm so glad I did." she hushed.

"So am I."

Their noses brushed together and their lips met in a slow, gentle kiss. Paul's hand lifted to tangle in her hair, pressing her even closer to him and Stephanie's leg slid through the middle of his as his mouth parted to deepen the kiss. Her soft moan was silenced by his tongue as it swept over her mouth. She melted into him, her stomach pooling with an overwhelming desire and she felt herself get lost as she started to lose control. Her hands skimmed down his arms before running over his back, scraping her nails against his hot skin. Paul continued to kiss her passionately literally stealing her breath away. Her heart was racing as her fingers dipped under the waistband of his track pants but her blue eyes were disappointed and confused when she felt Paul pull away and bring his hand down to stop her movement. It lingered there for a second before he brought it to her face, his thumb tracing her cheekbone. Stephanie licked her wet lips that still prickled from his kiss.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothing's wrong. I just don't want to confuse you by rushing things Steph."

She shook her head against the pillows. "I'm not confused Paul. I know what I want and I want you."

His expression was tender as he swept her hair across her forehead. "And believe me, I want you too. But think about it. Yesterday you didn't even recognise who I was let alone have any feelings towards me. I just think you need to take your time. I think you need to get to know me again before we take the next step."

His concern touched her and Stephanie smiled as she realised that Paul only had her best interests at heart. God, he really was wonderful and so much more than she could have ever hoped for. "I guess you're right." she conceded. "But I want you to know something, Paul. I want you to know that I have absolutely no doubts about us, none whatsoever because I can feel it Paul. I can feel we belong together and I know I have feelings for you. I just wish I could remember us." She paused sighing with her frustration. "Everything would just be so much simpler."

"Look, try not to worry. You will remember everything eventually. These things just take time."

"I know." she frowned. "I just wish it would happen sooner rather than later."

"Me too." Paul brushed his lips over her forehead then instantly gasped as he felt the cold air hit his body. Stephanie had tugged the covers away from him and her laughter was music to his ears as he playfully pouted at her. "What did you do that for? Give me the covers back."

"No. It's time for you to get up and take me to breakfast."

"Come on Steph. It's still early yet."

She shook her head refusing to bend despite the cute puppy-dog expression on his face. "The eyes won't work on me Levesque. Get up."

Paul sighed in defeat and raking his fingers through his hair, he sat up swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. His feet shuffled across the carpet as he made his way towards the bathroom and turning, he stuck his tongue out at her before closing the door. Stephanie laughed as she pulled the covers back over the bed, snuggling back under them feeling extremely happy and content as she waited for him to finish in the shower.

Half an hour later they were making their way to the hotel dining room for breakfast. As they entered the room and Stephanie scoured the busy tables for an empty space, she noticed her brother smiling and waving in their direction. Smiling back, she took Paul's hand in hers and led him over to his table.

"Good morning. Mind if we join you for breakfast?" she smiled between Shane and Marissa.

"Not at all sis." He stood up and gestured to an empty chair beside his wife. "Take a seat."

As Stephanie shuffled behind the table and sat down, Paul placed his hand on Shane's shoulder. His expression was grateful as he looked at the man responsible for helping put the pieces of his life back together. "I just want to say thank you for everything you've done for me and for Stephanie. Not only did you tell her the truth about me and our relationship but I believe you've making sure she knows all about me." He paused as his lips twitched with his smile. "I just hope what you told her was all good."

He slapped his back as he slipped past him to sit down at his seat. Shane grinned as he pulled his chair back into the table.

"Would I have reason to tell her anything else?"

"But of course not."

The men laughed together and Marissa smiled as she saw how happy Stephanie was watching Paul and her brother talking and how happy she looked full stop. She was a far cry from the distressed and confused woman who had come to their room last night which reassured her that she and Shane had done the absolute right thing by telling her the truth about everything. She touched her hand to catch her attention. "I take it things went well with Paul last night?"

Stephanie beamed back at her as she unfolded her napkin. "Yes, it did and I don't know. I just feel so happy Riss."

Marissa laughed. "I can tell judging by that huge smile you have on your face." She leaned over to whisper her next question. "So, did you two have a late night?"

"I heard that."

She turned her head to see Paul's brown eyes narrowed in her direction but he couldn't disguise the pure happiness that sparkled from them.

"And for your information, Steph and I did have a late night but not for the reasons you're thinking of. She didn't come to my door until after two this morning."

Marissa sighed as she playfully shook her head and sat back in her seat. "You're no fun. I guess I'll just have to take Stephanie shopping and get all the details when you're not there." She glanced at her sister-in-law who was smiling. "That's if you would like to go."

"It just so happens I've got the morning off and I would never turn down the chance to go shopping." Her blue eyes turned to Paul who was smiling at her. "Is that okay with you?"

"Sure. I was going to head to the gym anyway."

Stephanie nodded and eagerly began discussing her shopping trip with Marissa. He watched her for second until he felt the tap on his arm. He turned his head to see Shane looking at him with a worried expression on his face.

"Can I talk to you after breakfast? I think there's a few things we need to discuss."

Paul nodded. "Sure."

Both men settled back into their seats as the women continued to chat.

After breakfast, Stephanie and Marissa disappeared and headed into town. Paul and Shane were still at the table and finishing their coffee.

"So, now the girls are gone, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

Shane rolled his lips together as he shifted on the chair. "Did Stephanie tell you about Andrew?"

Paul shook his head and frowned. "What about him?"

"Well it was Andrew who told Stephanie he was her husband and not the other way around."

His brown eyes flashed with his anger. "What? Why the hell would he do that?"

"I don't know. But it also makes me wonder what else he's lied about."

"What? You think he lied about us not being able to tell Stephanie the truth?"

Shane lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "But I was planning to find out."

Paul pushed his coffee cup away resting his large forearms on the table. "You know I don't trust that bastard one little bit. Something else that's been bugging me is why Steph was even in the car with him that night. I don't believe he was taking her to see me at the hospital. Like I said to you at the time, if that was the case, why wasn't Steph admitted to the same hospital as me? Why take her twenty miles away?"

"I don't know. I didn't get an answer out of him or Joanie when I asked them at the hospital."

"Joanie." Paul sighed raking his fingers through his hair. "You know I still can't believe she got involved in this. I'm going to have to talk to her."

Shane nodded his head in agreement. "How about we see her after the production meeting this afternoon?"

"You want to come?"

"Yeah. After all, she did screw with my sister."

"Fine by me." Paul told him pushing back his chair. "Listen I'm going to head to the gym. Do you want to come?"

"No, but thanks anyway. I've got some paperwork to get done before this afternoon's meeting. I'll catch up with you at the arena?"

"Yeah. I'll see you then."

Shane sat back as Paul got up from the table and watched his large frame exit the dining room. A smile lingered on his lips glad that things seemed to be cool between him and Stephanie. His heart had soared seeing how happy his sister had been this morning and it was because she was back where she belonged. She was back with Paul. He just pitied Joanie when he got his hands on her this afternoon. It was no secret that things were less than friendly between them since the split. It looked like things were about to get even messier.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Paul sighed as his fingernail absently scratched at the wooden table. He was bored beyond belief. Vince seemed to be babbling on more than usual so much so he had stopped paying any attention to the old goat about half an hour ago. Instead he was amusing himself by counting the number of dirty looks that were being thrown his way by both Vince and Andrew. It appeared he wasn't Mr Popularity this afternoon and he was enjoying every second of it. Vince was clearly annoyed at the sight of his daughter sitting right next to him and Paul was tempted to either hold Stephanie's hand or put his arm round her just for spite. However, Stephanie had pleaded with him to keep things quiet at least until she had the chance to tell her father about them getting back together. She was going home tomorrow and she had decided to tell him about Andrew at the same time. It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell her he knew what Vince's reaction was going to be but he realised he didn't know what, if anything, Stephanie remembered about her father's attitude towards them and towards their baby. Paul decided that he would have to talk to Shane before she had the chance to tell Vince. He would hopefully clue him into what had been going on the last couple of weeks.

As Paul glanced around the room, he caught Andrew staring across the table at him once again. He met his glare with one of his own and smirked to himself as he saw Andrew look away and turn his attention back to Vince. He was so looking forward to seeing that bastard get what was coming to him. He would also make sure that he got the message to stay away from Stephanie for good. The sick freak clearly had an obsession with her and he didn't like the idea of that one little bit.

Paul sighed with relief when he heard the chairs scrape back signalling that Vince had wrapped up the meeting for that day. As he gathered his things together, he looked around to see where Joanie was. He spotted her standing talking to Christian at the other end of the room. His lips curled into a snarl as he watched her carefully. He didn't want her getting away and Joanie was going to talk whether she liked it or not. She had a lot of explaining to do especially when it came to screwing with his life. God knows she'd screwed with it enough over the years. But his attention was diverted from Joanie when he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Stephanie smiling at him.

"What are you up to before the show?" she asked him. "Do you fancy helping me brainstorm over some scripts? Being away for two weeks has definitely frazzled my brain."

Paul smiled back and was trying to think of an excuse to get away when Shane appeared and stepped in to save him.

"Back off there little sis. Paul promised to help me plan out a couple of matches this afternoon."

"Oh he did, did he? At least I know where your loyalties lie." she joked and pretended to pout as she gathered her things from the table.

Paul shook his head and his smile widened. The princess really was quite the drama queen. "Look, I promise to make it up to you later. After the show we'll do whatever you want."

Stephanie glanced up with a devilish smirk on her face. "Anything I want huh?"

Paul grinned but his smile slowly faded as he saw Joanie out of the corner of his eye start to leave the room. He quickly looked at Shane who had spotted her leaving too.

"So sis, we'll catch up with you later. Paul, are you ready?"

"Sure."

He quickly grabbed his things and headed towards the door with Shane. Before he left, he looked back towards Stephanie and blew her a kiss before exiting the room.

Stephanie looked over at the empty door with a puzzled expression on her face. Those two were definitely up to something. She would just have to make it her business to find out exactly what it was…..

Paul's foot tapped impatiently on the concrete floor as he sat waiting in the empty locker room for Shane to return. Hopefully he would have Joanie in tow after luring her here under the pretence he needed to run over a new storyline for the show. He certainly couldn't have gone after her. He didn't want a chance of her suspecting they knew anything about what happened that night and with conversations between them since the split being few and far between, Joanie would have known something was up if he had approached her. And not only that, he didn't want any distractions or interference from any other wrestlers especially that asshole, Andrew. God, every time he thought about what he'd done to Stephanie, he wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp. But Andrew would get his in time that was for sure.

Just then the door swung open and Paul rose to his feet resisting the urge to laugh out loud at the shocked expression on Joanie's face when she clocked him standing here. It quickly turned to panic when she became aware that Shane was locking the door before crossing the room in silence. Joanie looked like a startled rabbit as her eyes began to dart around the room.

"What's going on here? And what's he doing here?" Joanie snarled pointing her finger in Paul's direction. "I thought we were discussing my match."

Paul was silent as he walked over to stand right in front of her slowly backing her into the wall as he stood there just staring at her for a moment. The face staring back at him was the same but it belonged to someone else. Some one he no longer recognised. Joanie was a stranger to him and it was so hard to believe that this was a woman he had been in love with for four years. Or at least he thought he had been in love but looking back on it now, he couldn't have been because his heart didn't find its beat until the moment he had fallen in love with Stephanie. Stephanie. God, the thought of anyone hurting a hair on her head killed him inside. Andrew had tried to hurt her and somehow Joanie had been a part of that too. Was her hatred for him really that strong? Because he honestly hadn't meant to hurt her when he had ended things between them. He had just realised she wasn't enough and he wasn't prepared to settle. Not when he could have everything he wanted with someone else.

Paul's brown eyes were dark with his anger as he rubbed the thin beard on his chin.

"So rumours are you were taking Stephanie to see me in hospital the night of the crash?"

"So this is what this is all about? Your stupid little girlfriend?"

He glared at her irately, his fists clenched tightly in his hands. "I don't want any of your shit Joanie. Just tell me. Tell me exactly what you were doing with Stephanie that night."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't fucking lie to me Joanie because I know. Andrew told me you were there."

She stared back at him slightly stunned before ducking her head and Paul silently congratulated himself on his little lie because Andrew hadn't told him anything at all. Still, he needed to bait Joanie into telling him the truth somehow and knowing her like he did, the very thought of Andrew ratting her out would make her talk. And she was going to talk to him whether she liked it or not.

"Joanie?" he growled angrily.

Joanie slowly lifted her gaze and was met with Paul's angry glare. Shane's too. Shit, the last thing she needed was her career on the skids. She'd lost too much already and she wasn't going to jeopardise the last thing she had left to hold on to. God knows she's worked too hard to give it all up now. Of course her journey was never supposed to be a solo one. It was supposed to have included Paul.

Joanie's expression was sad as she briefly looked at her ex-boyfriend. She felt a twinge of regret. After all, they did have something pretty great once. Or at least she thought they did. Looking back, they didn't really have that much in common. She could admit that now just like she could admit that the only reason they were ever together in the first place was because of wrestling. God knows Paul lived and breathed for the business. She just wished he'd loved her half as much as he loved the ring. It had always been his mistress, well at least until Stephanie had come along. Now he loved her instead. The fucking princess. Because of Stephanie McMahon she had lost the one person that had ever mattered to her.

That's why she had agreed to help Andrew with his plan. Although she thought he was totally nuts for thinking he could get away with it. And standing here now, Joanie decided she was going to come clean about the whole thing. She didn't have any loyalties to Andrew and she certainly wasn't going to end her career because of the wacko. In fact she wished she'd never gotten involved in the first place because even if Andrew had managed to kidnap Stephanie, Paul would have never came running back to her. She knew that much and she could see it in his eyes right now. He hated her for what she had done to Stephanie and the suffering she had been through. He could never love her again. He would probably never trust her either.

Sighing in resignation, Joanie began to tell her story. "Look, none of this was my idea okay? It was Andrew. He had arranged a hideout for him and Stephanie. He wanted to get her on her own and win her over. He wanted to convince her they should be together."

Paul's nostrils flared as he shook his head in anger. He was struggling to take in what he was hearing and couldn't believe that slimy bastard would stoop so low. "That is one fucked up plan. Why the hell did you help him?"

"I think you know why."

Paul sighed as her sad unfamiliar eyes stared back at him.

Just then Shane walked over and stood beside Paul. "Just how long was he planning to keep my sister against her will?"

Joanie shook his head and licked his lips. "I don't know but I saw a lease he had signed for at least one month."

Paul's eyes went wide with his disbelief and he stepped back a bit raking his fingers through his blonde strands as he tried to process what Joanie had told him. "Let me get this straight. He decided to kidnap Stephanie, take her to this hideout and keep her there for a month or however long it took to get her to fall in love with him."

"Yes."

"The guy is obviously fucking nuts or he's been watching too many movies. Surely he can't have expected it to work or to even have gotten away with it?"

Joanie lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "He's fixated with Stephanie, Paul and he can't think straight when it comes to her. He honestly thinks she belongs with him."

"Well, she doesn't and he's going to get the message loud and clear soon enough."

Joanie watched nervously as Paul and Shane stood there taking in everything they had just heard. She was desperate to get out of here before Paul exploded. She could see the familiar vein throbbing in his temple and she knew it was only a matter of time before he lost it completely. Even though she could count on one hand the number of times she had seen him angry, she didn't want to add to that total.

"How did the crash happen?" asked Shane. "Was it really some careless driver?"

Joanie sighed and shook her head. "No. It was Stephanie's fault. She almost fucking killed us all by the way lashing out like she did. I lost control of the car and next thing I knew there was a flash of lights and we hit the car coming towards us."

"Yeah well you're fucking lucky I don't rip you apart for putting Stephanie and my baby at risk." Paul threatened as he glared angrily at her. "I'm warning you Joanie. You fucking go anywhere near them again I'll kill you. Do you understand me?"

Joanie nodded knowing every word he said was the truth and if there was any doubt in her mind Paul hated her, there certainly wasn't now.

"That goes for me too you know." piped in Shane. "Anything work related you come to me or my father. Stay away from Stephanie or so help me I'll fire your ass!"

Joanie watched with relief as both of them started to walk away. However that relief was short lived and she cringed when Paul walked back in her direction.

"I'd advise you not to breathe a word of any of this to your little friend Andrew. It's the least you owe me."

Joanie nodded and let out a shaky breath as Paul disappeared out the door with Shane behind him. She slumped down to the bench grateful the confrontation was over with and decided that from now on, Andrew was completely on his own. Just like she was.

A solitary tear trickled down Joanie's cheek at that thought. …

Meanwhile Paul and Shane had looked around for Andrew but to no avail. He seemed to have disappeared and no-one had seen him or knew where he was. They had decided to give up for now and would catch him after the show. He was in the main event so he would be guaranteed to be there. As Shane headed off to catch up with a few of the wrestlers to discuss their matches, Paul decided to look for Stephanie. He thought he had better spend some time with her now as he would have to break their promise and postpone her plans for them for later tonight.

He decided against knocking on the door of her dressing room before he walked in and smiled at the sight that greeted him as he entered the room. Stephanie was standing in front of the mirror with the waistband of her trousers open and her slender hand rubbing her exposed stomach. She smiled back at him as she caught his reflection behind her and watched in the mirror as he walked over towards her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder. Paul whispered in her ear sending goose bumps down her spine.

"You're so beautiful." he told her.

Stephanie closed her eyes and sighed as she melted into him and felt him brush his

lips softly against the skin on her neck. Her lids fluttered open when she felt the warmth of his hands on her stomach.

"Has the baby been moving again?"

"A little." she smiled. "I was just checking to see if I had a noticeable bump yet."

Paul's brown eyes drifted down her body. Her stomach was still pretty flat and to everyone else there would be no visible sign of her pregnancy but he could see the rounded curve that was beginning to develop. It wouldn't be long before she definitely started to show and he for one couldn't wait.

"I had to buy some new clothes when I was shopping with Marissa earlier." she told him as she played with his long thick fingers. "My jeans are starting to get a little bit tight."

He saw the perplexed frown on her face and lifting his head, he turned her in his arms to face him. His brown eyes were tender as he caressed her face with the back of his hand. "Like I said to you just a moment ago, I think you're beautiful."

Stephanie pouted her lips as she traced his chest with her finger. "Even if I'm fat?"

Paul shook his head and chuckled. "Stephanie, you're not fat. The baby's growing and unfortunately you're going to have to grow along with her. But don't worry, baby. When you become the size of a house, I'll still think you're gorgeous." he winked.

She smacked his arm but couldn't contain her laughter. As she bit down on her lip, she looked up at him thoughtfully. "Do you think it's weird that we keep referring to the baby as a girl?"

"No. It's definitely better than calling her "it". Besides, we can always change it if we find out the baby's a boy."

"And what would you prefer? A boy or a girl?"

Stephanie watched as he scrunched up his nose and then sighed.

"Don't hate me for choosing but I think I'd like a little girl."

She raised her brow and smiled at him. "Really? I thought all men wanted a little boy to play sports with and carry on the family name."

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love a little boy too but my sister definitely had an easier time with Neysa when she was a baby. I think that's part of the reason why I'm leaning towards a girl. That plus I get to beat up her boyfriends."

Stephanie laughed as she pulled away and refastened her trousers. She saw Paul flop onto the couch so she made her way over sitting beside him and resting her legs on his lap as she stretched out over the cushions.

"Tell me more about your family." she asked him.

Paul smiled and Stephanie listened intently as he told her all about his mom, dad, sister and her family. It was obvious from the way that he spoke about them that they were very close and she had a feeling that she would like them if she were to meet them. Although maybe she already had and she just didn't remember. God, this was all becoming so frustrating. As she sat there deep in thought, she was unaware that Paul was watching her. She nearly jumped when he leant over and spoke softly in her ear.

"Tell me what you're thinking about."

She gave him a small smile as she absently twirled a strand of her hair round her finger. "I was just trying to remember if I had met your family before."

"Yeah, you have. Although I haven't done the official 'take you home to meet the parents thing', you've met mom and dad a couple of times. They come to all the shows."

She nodded her head. "And what do they think about becoming grandparents?"

Paul chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Mom's excited, that's for sure. She's bought loads of stuff already. I actually couldn't believe how much there was when I saw it all. And Dad's happy too but I think mothers are more into all that kind of stuff anyway."

Stephanie smiled. "I know what you mean. My mom's bought a few bits and pieces too." Her smile fell as she sighed softly pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "My dad hasn't really mentioned it though. In fact, I don't think we've really talked about the baby at all."

Paul sat in silence as he felt anger at the mention of Vince. It didn't surprise him in the least that he had shown no interest in their child. He really was one heartless bastard. Shifting on the chair, he saw how unhappy Stephanie looked and decided to quickly change the subject as he patted her leg. "So, do you need any help on those scripts? I just happen to have a free afternoon now and would like nothing more than to spend it with a lovely lady such as yourself."

Stephanie's lips curved up gently as she moved towards Paul giving him a soft lingering kiss. As she pulled away, she saw the gentle expression on his face.

"I love you Steph."

He didn't wait for her response as he lifted her legs and stood up and made his way towards the scripts lying on the table. Stephanie watched him as he flicked through the pages, his blonde hair falling softly over his face. She knew she wasn't quite ready to say those three words back to him just yet but she knew it was only a matter of time. Regardless of what she could or couldn't remember about this man, she knew that she cared deeply for him and the more time she spent with him, the harder she would fall for him. Paul Levesque was an incredible guy and most definitely looked like being for keeps….

Meanwhile Shane looked on with interest as he watched Andrew walk along the corridor with his father. He had been on his way to the canteen area when he had spotted them and had decided to see what they were up to. He walked slowly and softly behind them as he tried not to draw attention to himself. As they came to a halt at the top of the corridor, he stepped just inside one of the open doorways keeping himself out of sight.

"So you think Stephanie knows about you not being her husband?"

"I think so. She's not even spoken to me today. In fact I haven't seen her since she found out that Paul was the father of the baby."

"Hmmm. I think I need to talk to my daughter and see exactly what she knows. I'm surprised Paul would tell her the truth though. After all, he has stayed away for two weeks after we told him that any surprises would set back her recovery. Why would he suddenly tell her everything now and risk it?"

"I don't know although you thinking of telling everyone that was pure genius on your part Mr McMahon. Everyone was too scared to tell Stephanie anything she didn't know after that."

Vince forced himself to smile as Andrew started sucking up to him again. He really disliked the man but he needed him to help carry through his plan. "Look, Stephanie's going to be at home tomorrow. I'll talk to her and see what she knows or remembers. In the meantime, keep a low profile and stay away from Paul. I don't want him trying to get any information out of you."

"Okay Mr McMahon."

Vince watched as Andrew walked back down the corridor. He knew the young man was no match for Paul and after a few punches, Andrew would be more than willing to spill his guts. Although he didn't care about him, he didn't want anyone to know about his own involvement in any of this. Sighing, he too walked back down the corridor and unbeknownst to him, he walked straight past his son.

Shane stood still unable to believe what he had just heard. He shook his head as he realised his father was once again more than willing to play around with Stephanie's life. Well not any more. After he and Paul had paid Andrew a little visit tonight and got him to spill the beans, Shane was going to confront his father. It was time to put a stop to his little games once and for all before he ruined any more lives in the process.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Pau sighed impatiently as he raked his fingers through his damp blonde strands. His eyes focused on the dressing room door for the hundredth time as he sat on the bench waiting for Andrew to return from the ring. His match had been next on the card after his own. He had himself finished wrestling over twenty minutes ago but sitting here now, Paul could feel the adrenaline quickly wearing off and his body was becoming tired and sore after taking a slam through the announce table. It hadn't broken and his back was throbbing dully. He would no doubt pay for it in the morning however his aching muscles were the last thing on his mind. All he could think about was Andrew and what he had done. God, it made him sick every time he thought of the guy putting his hands anywhere near Stephanie. Then there had been his fucked up plan to kidnap her.

Paul shook his head as he shifted on the bench. He was going to personally make damn sure that the sneaky bastard had no chance to escape from the arena which was why he was sitting here now still in his wrestling gear. He wanted to have all the bases covered. It also meant that by coming straight here, he could avoid returning to his own locker room and not have to face another interrogation from Stephanie. Paul sighed softly as he thought of her. She hadn't been pleased when he had told her he had made plans with Shane for after the show especially when he had already fobbed her off once this morning. Twice had made her suspicious and of course that had led to her quizzing him as to what he and Shane were actually up to. He tried to bluff his way through with an excuse about his new storyline with Rocky but he could tell that she wasn't buying it at all. His girl was sometimes far too smart for her own good.

Paul's lips twitched with his fond smile but that smile quickly faded as the door to the locker room slowly opened. He stood up bracing himself with his fists clenched by his side but he visibly relaxed and smiled as he saw Shane walk into the room.

"Where have you been? I thought I was going to have the pleasure of kicking his ass all by myself." he joked.

Shane shook his head as he sat down beside Paul on the bench. "Oh no. There's no way I'm letting you have all the fun."

Paul chuckled as he kept a watchful eye on the door waiting for Andrew to eventually return.

"So, you could've warned me Steph was on the war path."

He grimaced as he turned his head, smiling apologetically at Shane. "Sorry man. I came here straight from my match."

"I can see that. I take it you're avoiding her."

Paul nodded his head raking his fingers through his nearly dry strands once more. "She knows something's going on with us and she's determined to find out what it is."

"So I found out when I went to your locker room to get you."

"Is she pissed?"

Shane smiled. "Oh yeah. But only because she's curious and wants to know what's going on. You've only added fuel to the fire by not returning to your dressing room after the match."

"I know but I just thought it would be easier if I came straight here. I didn't want to get caught up in it all with Steph and give Andrew the chance to escape before we managed to get our hands on him."

Shane nodded. He contemplated over whether to tell Paul about what he had found out about his father earlier but decided against it for now. He would wait until they had spoken to Andrew first.

And as the door opened it looked like their wait was over. Both men stood up and Andrew's face was a picture as he walked into the room and saw them standing there.

"What the hell are you two doing here?"

Paul gave him a tight sarcastic smile as he walked over to him. As Andrew's attention was diverted to him, Shane walked over and locked the door. Paul's face immediately turned poker straight as he stared at Andrew. "I think we all know why we're here don't we, Martin?"

Andrew nervously looked from Paul to Shane then back to Paul again. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Paul snickered and shook his head before his face went poker straight and he pushed Andrew into the wall behind him. His nostrils flared with his snarl as his big hand held him up by his neck. "If you know what's good for you you'll cut the crap and explain to me exactly why you would pretend to be Stephanie's husband."

Andrew snorted, his ugly face sneering back at him. "It's not my fault that's what she wanted to believe when she woke up. She probably didn't want to remember being involved with the likes of you."

But he quickly winced in pain as he felt the back of his head being slammed against the wall.

"Shut the fuck up. I know it was you who tried to manipulate Stephanie into thinking she was your wife. What I don't understand is why. Why the hell would you do something like that?"

"Because Stephanie deserves a real man and not a fucking stupid asshole like yourself."

Paul let go of his neck and swung his fist smacking Andrew right in the face. This forced Andrew to fall backwards into the wall and slump to the ground. Paul went to grab him but Shane got there first. He grabbed his arms and hauled him up holding him there.

"I suggest you start co-operating with us if you want to make it out of here in one piece. Now tell us what the hell you were thinking of when you told Stephanie she was married to you."

Andrew spat blood from his mouth onto the floor before he grinned evilly at Shane. "I love her and Stephanie belongs with me. Sooner or later she's going to realise that for herself."

Shane shook his head in disgust at Andrew as he stood there sneering at him. He looked to his right to see Paul standing there, his face and body rigid with anger and his fists clenched tightly. He saw him walk over and stand right beside him.

"You'd better get it into that thick skull of yours that Stephanie is not some possession that you can just decide you want to have. She can choose for herself who she wants to be with."

Andrew snorted at Paul. "What, like you I suppose?"

He glowered back at him. "Yeah actually. Your fucked up plan didn't work. Stephanie knows about your lie and pretty soon she'll know all about your plan to kidnap and keep her."

Shane noticed Andrew's eyes widen in surprise at Paul's statement before he covered up by snickering and shaking his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. You're delusional."

Shane was the one who punched Andrew this time. Andrew reeled backwards as he fell onto the floor. He hadn't seen it coming as his attention had been fully focused on Paul. He made no move to get up off the floor and just lay there wiping the blood from his mouth. Paul walked over and bent down pulling Andrew's hair so his head leaned backwards to face him.

"I know everything. I know you lured Stephanie into the car that night pretending to take her to see me when in actual fact you were taking her to your little hideout you had organised and I know you planned to keep her there against her will and do God knows what to her. Well, you listen to me and you listen good! You stay the fuck away from her from now on or I swear to God I'll kill you."

Paul forcefully tugged his hair back before letting him go. As he stood up, he kicked him hard in the stomach and watched with satisfaction as Andrew groaned in pain. Paul smiled as he saw Shane throw in another kick for good measure. Shane stood back and grinned as Andrew began to cough and splutter as he lay on the ground.

"Come on Paul. I think he's got the message. Let's get out of here."

Paul nodded and they both made their way to the door. However, they stopped in their tracks as they heard the voice from behind them.

"I can get you both charged with assault you know."

Paul sneered and walked back over towards him, his massive frame towering above him. "You do that. It'll give me great satisfaction to tell the police my reasons why I kicked your ass. I'm sure they don't look too kindly on people who plan to kidnap women so they can force themselves on them."

"You've no proof of any of that."

"Really? I think you'll find I have. Does a photocopy of the lease in your name and a witness count as evidence I wonder?"

Paul watched with amusement as he saw the panicked expression on Andrew's face. Of course he was bluffing but he didn't need to let this idiot know that. Paul turned to leave but before he did, he gave Andrew another kick to his stomach. He grinned as he saw Shane come over and deliver another swift kick too. Shane lifted his shoulder in a shrug.

"Like I said earlier, I wasn't giving you the pleasure of having all the fun."

Andrew groaned as he watched them laugh and make their way out the door. As he crawled to the bench, he made a silent oath that they would both pay for what they had done to him and then let them see who was laughing then. Because it was himself who would have the last laugh. He'd make sure of it…..

Stephanie glanced up as the door opened and Paul walked into the locker room. She noticed with amusement the startled expression on his face when he saw her sitting there.

"Steph? What are you still doing here? I thought you would be back at the hotel."

Stephanie stood up and made her way towards him, her hands smoothing over the wrinkles in her skirt. "I decided to wait for you. You didn't come back after your match and I was worried about you."

Paul smiled as she took his hands in hers. "I'm fine. Like I told you earlier, I was catching up with Shane."

She nodded. "So he said when he dropped by here earlier. Funny though, I didn't think catching up with my brother would involve bloodshed." Her blue eyes stared at him as she held up Paul's taped hand which was stained red with blood. "I saw your match and there was definitely no blood involved. Care to explain how this happened?"

Paul drew out a long, laboured breath as he tried to quickly think of an excuse but his mind drawing a complete blank. Stephanie slowly shook her head at his silence.

"I know you and Shane have been up to something all day and you obviously don't want to tell me what it is. Fine, that's your decision. But I hope you realise that when I see your hand covered in someone else's blood then I'm going to be concerned."

"Look Steph, there's absolutely nothing for you to worry about. Everything has been sorted out now."

Stephanie released his hands and backed off as she stood facing him with her left hand on her hip. "Of course I have something to be worried about Paul. You've been in a fight with one of our wrestlers. How stupid could you be? What I don't understand is why Shane allowed it to happen. You both know Daddy doesn't approve of fighting outside the ring."

Paul's brown eyes stared at her as he shook his head in disbelief. Did she think that he really gave a damn what Vince did or didn't approve of? Stephanie was really picking the wrong time to go on her moral high ground. He was still pissed off from his run-in with Andrew plus he had had an interesting conversation with Shane on the way back to his locker room. Looks like Daddy dearest was up to his usual tricks not that it should surprise him. Shifting his feet on the floor, he sniffed. "I did what I had to do to get the situation sorted out once and for all. If Vince doesn't like it, then he can kiss my ass."

Stephanie snorted in response. "How very adult of you Paul! I hope you change your attitude before you have to speak to my father about all of this."

Paul pressed his lips together tightly as he struggled to control his temper. He didn't care for the disapproving tone in her voice. "I don't have to speak to your father about anything. I did what I had to do and that's it. End of story!"

"You're being naive if you think my father won't find out about you beating up on of his wrestlers. You'll be lucky if you don't find yourself with a suspension."

"If he wants to suspend me then let him. Right now I don't give a fuck!"

Paul snarled as he walked past her and sat down on the bench. There was an uneasy silence as he furiously pulled at his laces and untied his wrestling boots. He refused to look at Stephanie as he pulled them off his feet and grabbed his towel and shower gel from his bag before heading to the shower.

Stephanie watched in silence as he walked away and sighed heavily as she sat down on the bench. She hadn't meant to speak to Paul the way she had but she had just been so worried about him being involved in a fight. Whoever he had hit obviously came off worse because there was no sign of any cuts or bruises on him. What she didn't understand was why he was being so secretive about it and how he had managed to get Shane on his side. She sat there pondering over everything when suddenly it hit her and she smacked herself on the head for her stupidity. Andrew. It had to have been him. Why hadn't she worked that out before? It would explain why Shane was involved and why Paul was so angry at her just now. He had obviously decided to teach Andrew a lesson for deliberately lying about them being married and there she was giving him a hard time for it.

Stephanie looked towards the shower desperate for Paul to return so she could tell him how sorry she was. She chewed her lip as she thought about what she would say to him when he came back. As she sat there waiting, her eyes rested on his gym bag sitting on the end of the bench. His clothes were strewn all around the bag. Paul must have done that when he had angrily grabbed his towel earlier. Stephanie decided to try and occupy herself and tidy up the clothes. She took them out of the bag and began to fold them neatly. As she removed his jeans, she noticed a small photo album sitting in the bottom. Curious, she picked it up and opened it. She smiled as she saw a picture of herself and Paul. He had his arms wrapped round her waist with his chin resting on her shoulder, both of them smiling widely for the camera. She flipped over to find a few more including one where they were kissing and one where they were standing looking into one another's eyes, oblivious to everyone around them. However, it was the last one that brought tears to her eyes. It was a sonogram of a baby and as she saw Baby Levesque written in the corner along with the date of 15th March, she realised it was their baby. She traced the outline of their unborn child as she gazed at it in wonder. It was amazing and beautiful. It was hers; hers and Paul's. She took her finger away from the photo and her hand automatically drifted to her stomach and rested there. She wondered how much bigger her baby had gotten since this picture had been taken. She looked so tiny in it. Stephanie shook her head and chuckled. Or he.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Paul come out from the shower, his towel wrapped around his waist. He instantly felt any anger he had left disappear as he saw her looking at the baby picture in her hand.

"I thought I'd keep it safe for you. Our child is going to be a little heartbreaker."

Stephanie turned round and smiled as she saw him standing there. "How could they not be? I mean, look how cute their daddy is." She placed the photo album down on the bench as she walked towards him. She placed her hands on his chest, his skin still slick and wet from his shower. "I'm so sorry for earlier Paul. I didn't mean to over-react like that. I guess it was just my way of showing that I was worried about you."

Paul smiled as he brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "I know. I didn't mean to take my anger out on you either but I was still pissed from earlier."

"Andrew does tend to have that affect on people."

His brow lifted in surprise. "How do you know? Did you talk to Shane?"

Stephanie shook her head as she lifted her shoulder in a light shrug. "I managed to figure it out for myself eventually. I just wished I'd been there to see you give him what he deserved."

Paul's shoulders shook with his amused laughter. "What would Daddy say when he found out his baby girl approved of me hitting one of his wrestlers?"

She replied by smacking him on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For being a smart-ass!" she retorted. Stephanie was about to walk away when she felt herself being pulled back into his arms.

"Oh no you don't. I think you need to give me a kiss to try and make it up to me."

She shook her head at the smirk on his face. "I've already apologised. Wasn't that good enough for you?"

"Hell no! I want you to show me you meant it. Actions speak louder than words you know."

Stephanie smiled as she threaded her fingers through his damp hair and brought his head towards her. She rested her forehead against his for a minute and stared into his deep brown eyes feeling herself get lost in them. She felt his warm breath on her lips as he captured them with his own, pressing on them gently. It was Stephanie who deepened the kiss as she brought his head even closer and caressed his tongue with hers. Her free hand travelled downwards and cupped his ass as she pulled his body tightly against her own and felt her top get damp as the water from Paul's chest seeped through the material. As she grinded her body into his, she heard Paul give a low moan and he grabbed her ass tightly and squeezed it. It was Stephanie's turn to let out a moan as he broke the kiss and sucked and nipped on the skin at her neck. Her whole body was tingling as Paul continued to trail kisses downwards towards her heaving chest. She sighed in frustration though as she felt him stop what he was doing and pull her into his arms. They stood there silent for a moment, their laboured breathing the only sound in the room.

As Paul's husky tone whispered in her ear, Stephanie felt goosebumps travel up and down her body. "Why don't I get dressed and we can continue this back at the hotel?"

She smiled and nodded her head. Paul brushed his lips over her cheek and she watched him walk over to his bag and grab his t-shirt. It looked like he had forgotten about his little speech this morning when he told her he wanted them not to rush things and Stephanie wasn't complaining. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. Her body was desperate for his touch and she couldn't wait to feel his hands on her skin. She bit her lip and smiled as Paul grabbed his bag and took her by the hand as they made their way out into the corridor and towards the exit.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Shane continued to pace up and down as he looked out the window for the hundredth time checking for any sign of Paul and Stephanie. They were due to arrive at his parents' house any minute now and he was a little anxious to say the least. Raking his fingers through his short dark strands, he glanced across the room to see Marissa shaking her head and watching him with a smile on her face. His brow crinkled with his curiosity. "Can I ask what you find so amusing?" he asked her.

"You." she replied simply and stood up crossing the short distance to where her husband was standing to slide her arms around his waist. "Just try and relax."

"That's easier said than done." Shane sighed as he dropped a kiss in her hair and his mouth down turned into a worried frown. "All hell is about to break loose and I'm worried about how Stephanie is going to take it all. She has no idea how much Dad hates Paul right now and she'll be so upset if she finds out about his involvement in all that stuff with Andrew."

Marissa lifted her hand to his face, gently cupping it as her thumb traced his cheek. "I know but she's got us here to support her as well as Paul and your mom. Not that she'll need it. Stephanie is tougher than you give her credit for you know."

"I know but she's pregnant Riss. It can't be good for the baby."

She was silent as she pulled Shane to her, holding him close as she leant her head against his chest. She knew he was concerned for his sister and she had always admired the way he always looked out for Stephanie and stood by her, especially lately. They were very close and were always there for one another. It was one of the many traits she loved about him.

"Aw, now would you look at that! There's a sight that would warm anybody's heart."

Shane's body shook with his laughter and they broke apart to see Paul standing by the door grinning at them.

"We didn't hear you arrive. When did you get here?" he asked.

"Just now. Steph's with your mom in the kitchen. They'll both be through in a minute."

Shane nodded as he guided Marissa to the sofa. Paul sat in the chair across from them, the cushions dipping underneath his weight.

"So, I didn't see your dad around." he said tentatively as he raked his fingers through his long blonde strands. A small glimmer of hope crept into his heart that Vince wasn't actually here although he knew his luck wouldn't stretch that far. Besides, the sooner they got this over with, the sooner he could leave. "Is he here?"

"Yeah. He's in his office making a few calls."

Paul let out a slow breath. "Well, I can't wait to see his face when he sees me sitting here."

Shane gave a wry smile as he settled back against the cushions.. "What will be even better is when he finds out we know all about his little plan. He's gone way too far this time and it needs to stop."

Marissa took her husband's hand in hers and smiled at Paul. "Shane's worried about how Steph's going to take it all. She's going to be devastated."

He nodded sadly. "I know but let's hope it doesn't come to that. But regardless of what happens, I'm going to be there supporting her through it all."

Shane looked at his wife and smiled. "That's exactly what Marissa said earlier." His eyes lingered for a second before they drifted back to Paul. "We'll be there for her too you know."

"I know." A slow smile crept across Paul's face. "You are the protective older brother after all."

"Damn right I am. With a stupid fucking asshole like yourself, I'd have to be."

Marissa looked confused as she glanced between the pair of them, both of them chuckling with amusement at the comment. "I don't get it."

"That's what Andrew called Paul last night right before he got the crap beat out of him." explained Shane proudly.

"Who got the crap beat out of them? Have you been fighting Shane?"

He grimaced and shifted round in his seat to see his mom standing behind him with her disapproval written across her face. Stephanie was just beside her and she grinned back at him enjoying the moment. He playfully scrunched his nose at her before smiling reassuringly at Linda. "I wouldn't call it a fight as such. Don't worry mom. It was nothing Andrew didn't deserve anyway."

She nodded and smiled understanding completely. Her son had filled her in on Andrew's lie and she was absolutely furious to say the least. She honestly couldn't believe anyone would stoop so low and try and manipulate someone when they were at their most vulnerable especially when that someone was her daughter. She sighed as she pushed up the sleeve of her sweater. "Has your father been through yet?"

Paul smirked from across the room. "I think you would have heard by now if Vince had been here."

Linda shook her head and smiled. She knew Paul was right. "Well, I'll go through and see what's keeping him."

They all watched Linda leave the room and go in search of her husband. Stephanie slid into the space beside Paul.

"So, have I missed anything while I was with Mom?"

He smiled back at her as he playfully tapped her nose with his long finger. "You did actually. I caught your brother and wife smooching when I got here earlier."

Shane shook his head as his face flickered with his amusement. "We weren't smooching as you call it. Anyway, you're one to talk. Your lips are permanently attached to my sisters."

Paul held his hands out helplessly. "Hey, I can't help it if I'm a sucker for a beautiful woman."

Stephanie nudged him with her shoulder. "You're such a suck-up."

"Well baby, I've got a pregnant, hormonal girlfriend on my hands. Of course I'm gonna suck up."

Shane and Marissa laughed as Stephanie grabbed a cushion from behind her hitting Paul across the head covering his face. However, all playfulness disappeared and their faces instantly straightened as they heard Vince's voice from behind them.

"What's all the hilarity about in here?"

Shane immediately stood up and looked towards his father who was standing in the doorway with Linda right behind him. He saw Vince snarl when he saw Paul's face appear from behind the cushion.

"What the hell is he doing here?" he pointed.

Stephanie refused to be intimidated as she stood up with Shane to face her father. "Paul's with me Dad."

"Why? Where's Andrew?"

Paul and Shane looked at Vince in disgust. They couldn't believe he was still trying to carry on with the deceit. However, they both remained silent to let Stephanie say her piece. She had asked them yesterday not to get involved. She wanted to handle her father on her own as she felt it was something she had to do for herself. They had reluctantly granted her request.

"Andrew's not my husband Dad. You know that fine well. You also know that I was with Paul before my accident. Luckily I found that out for myself and we're back together now."

Vince shook his head unable to speak as he tried to grasp the fact that Stephanie was back with the man he despised; the man he wanted as far away as possible from his daughter. This was the last thing he had wanted to happen and he wanted to tell Stephanie she was crazy for doing so. However, he decided it would be better to try and remain calm for now. He wouldn't win her round with threats or ultimatums. "Are you saying you remember everything now, honey?"

Stephanie shook her head sadly as she clasped her hands together in front of her. "No, unfortunately I don't. But Shane told me the truth. If it wasn't for him I would still think I was married to Andrew."

Vince turned and narrowed his eyes in his direction from across the room. "Now son, don't you remember what the doctor said about Stephanie's condition? You could have done more harm than good by telling her the truth. You could have set back her recovery."

Shane's lips lifted in a wry smile. "I think you and I both know there was not much chance of that happening Dad."

Vince was startled by Shane's comment and Shane watched with satisfaction as his father avoided his gaze and refused to comment. Linda, however, wasn't content to let it lie, not when her daughter's health had been involved.

"Your father's right Shane. You took a huge risk telling Stephanie the truth like that."

"Well, I don't think so and I don't believe that was the doctor's opinion anyway."

Linda looked at her son confused. "What do you mean Shane? The doctor told your father and Andrew the risks."

"And after the lies Andrew told do you really believe him?"

Linda looked towards Vince who was nervously looking at the carpet. "Vince, you were there. What exactly did the doctor say?"

Vince cleared his throat and he glanced up at his wife. "I can't exactly remember his words. It was Andrew he talked to. I was just standing beside them at the time. Maybe Andrew picked him up wrongly."

Shane glanced over at Paul who was looking at Vince shaking his head. They both knew he was lying to save his own skin but last night they had decided to only let Linda and Stephanie know the truth if they absolutely had to. It would devastate them to know the extent of his deceit and they didn't want that to happen. They wanted the minimum amount of damage. Instead they would confront Vince on his own at a later time.

Stephanie, however, couldn't believe her ears. Her blue eyes were filled with dismay as she glanced between her parents. "You mean to tell me that I could have known the truth about Paul all along? I don't believe it."

Linda immediately crossed the room and hugged her daughter. "I know you're upset sweetheart but at least you know the truth now. That's the main thing."

Stephanie nodded as her mother smoothed back her hair from her forehead. "I suppose so." She glanced back over at her father. She was having trouble believing what he had just told them but decided to let it go for now. Her mother was right. She was with Paul now and that was what mattered. Still, there would have to be some payback for what had gone down. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she lifted her shoulder in a shrug.

"So Dad, are you going to punish Andrew for what he's done?"

Vince quickly shook his head. "I don't really think that's necessary, do you honey?"

Stephanie snorted in disbelief placing her hands on her hips. "Yes Dad. I do think it's necessary. He deliberately tried to ruin my life by lying to me and pretending to be my husband. Now I find out he's been lying about what the doctor said. It's not on Dad. Either you sort him out or I will."

"And how do you propose I do that Stephanie?"

"Fire him. Or if you don't have the guts to do that, make him lose his belt. I don't know why the hell he's champion anyway."

Linda nodded. "I never did figure that one out myself. Vince, Stephanie's right. Andrew needs to be punished for what he's done to our daughter and this family."

Vince shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "Okay then. Andrew will lose his title at Backlash."

"To Paul." Everyone turned to Shane who had made the suggestion and was now staring defiantly at his father. His brown eyes wore a stern expression never once leaving his face. "I think even Dad will agree it's only fitting that he has a chance at his re-match for the belt."

Vince's nostrils briefly flared with his anger before he reluctantly gave in. "Fine. Paul will get his re-match."

As Stephanie went to hug her father, Shane looked over at Paul and winked at him. Round one to them.

"Thank you Dad. You don't know how much that means to me."

"You know I'd do anything for you honey. You are my little girl."

"Then will you accept the fact that Paul and I are together?" she asked hopefully.

Vince paused and shook his head. "I'm sorry Stephanie. I can't do that."

Stephanie felt the tears of frustration spring to her eyes as her hand drifted to her stomach lightly rubbing the slightly swollen bump. "Why not Dad? We love each other and we're going to have a baby together. This isn't just some little crush I've developed overnight."

"I understand but I can't accept that you are with him and I can't accept your child. That's my final decision."

As Vince turned round and left the room Stephanie looked after him in shock before bursting into tears. Paul immediately crossed the room to comfort her pulling her into his arms. As he rocked her gently, his eyes met Shane's and he saw the anger in them mirroring his own.

Shane looked towards his mother. "Mom, will you and Marissa look after Steph? Paul and I are going to talk to Dad."

Linda nodded. She saw the determination in her son's eyes and hoped he would be able to talk some sense into Vince. God knows someone had to try. Paul kissed Stephanie's forehead before he pulled away and let Linda take over and comfort her. He followed Shane out the door and they headed silently towards Vince's office.

Shane didn't bother knocking before he burst into his father's room. He saw Vince sitting at his desk glaring at them both.

"Didn't I teach you any manners? You knock before you enter."

"Shut up Dad. I'm not in the mood."

"Now listen to me Shane….."

Shane held up his hand immediately silencing him. "No, you listen to me. You're going to go in there and tell Stephanie that you've changed your mind. You're going to tell her that you accept the fact that she and Paul are together and you're looking forward to becoming a grandfather."

"Over my dead body."

Paul snorted and glared at Vince. "That can easily be arranged."

"I don't remember asking for your opinion."

"Yeah, well it seems there's a lot you don't remember Vince. You seem to have forgotten all about the little stunt you pulled when you lied about what the doctor had said."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I don't appreciate you coming into my home, uninvited by the way, and calling me a liar."

Shane had heard more than enough. He leant across the desk, his hands spread across the wood. "You are a liar Dad. I overheard you and Andrew speaking yesterday. It was quite an interesting conversation you had too."

Shane and Paul watched in amusement as Vince scowled before focusing his attention on his hands which were clasped in front of him.

Shane pulled the padded seat across sitting down and looking sternly at him. "I'm putting a stop to everything right now. You'll accept Paul and you'll accept his child or I'll tell anyone who'll listen exactly what you've been up to. I'm sure Mom and Stephanie will be very interested to hear all about your plans to get back at Paul and all the lies you've told about your own daughter." He scratched at his face as he leant back in the chair. "Do you know you much you've placed her at risk? Andrew was plotting to kidnap her after Wrestlemania. If it wasn't for the car crash, God knows where Stephanie would be right now. Do you really want to put your own daughter through that?"

Vince looked up at Shane with confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean, kidnap her? Andrew was taking Stephanie to the hospital to see Paul."

"No he wasn't Dad." He looked over towards Paul who was standing at the edge of the desk. "Tell him, will you."

Paul's brown eyes settled on Vince. "He had signed a lease for at least a month for a hideout miles away from where we were. He was planning to keep her there against her will. He was delusional enough to think that holding her captive would make her fall in love with him. Stupid fucker."

Shane looked at his father who was struggling to take it all in. "You're partly to blame for that Dad. You started it all by telling Andrew he had your permission to go after Stephanie like she was some kind of damned trophy. Could you have forgiven yourself knowing that your actions could have seriously harmed your own daughter? God forbid, but she could have been killed in that car crash that night. Mom and I would never have forgiven you for that and I know you would have never forgiven yourself."

Vince was stunned into silence and knew his son was right. He loved his daughter even although his actions lately proved otherwise. He couldn't believe Andrew had gone as far as to try and kidnap his daughter. What on earth had he done?

Shane saw the look of remorse on his father's face and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he was finally getting through to him. "Dad, this all has to stop before anyone gets hurt even more than they have done already. Do you agree?"

Shane and Paul both watched as Vince solemnly nodded his head. He remained silent and sat staring at the desk.

Paul reluctantly took the chair next to Vince clearing his throat knowing that what he was about to do was for Stephanie and Stephanie alone. God knows he didn't give a damn about this man. In fact he loathed the very air he breathed.

"Look Vince, I love Stephanie and I would never do anything to hurt her or our child. Both of them mean the world to me and I would give up everything for them including my career which has always been my life right up until the point I fell in love with your daughter. I lived and breathed wrestling but now I live and breathe for Stephanie and our baby. You don't have to like it but for Stephanie's sake, I'm asking you to try and accept our relationship."

There was no reply as Vince still sat in silence.

Paul sighed and stood up. "At least I can say I tried." He looked towards Shane who got to his feet.

"I hope you do the right thing Dad."

With that Paul and Shane walked out the room leaving Vince sitting still silent and still staring at his desk. They walked back towards the living room. They saw the three women sitting on the one couch huddled closely together. They all looked up as they saw the two men walk through the door and sit down in the couch opposite.

Linda looked at her son with hope in her eyes. "How did it go with your father?"

Shane shrugged. "I don't know but I hope I've maybe gotten through to him."

There was silence for a little bit until Linda stood up. "I'm going to make some coffee. Would anyone like a cup?"

Everyone smiled and nodded as she made her way out the door. They heard her voice as she greeted her husband in the hallway. "Vince, would you like some coffee?"

"In a minute. Can you go back in the living room? I'd like to talk to you all."

All eyes were on Vince and Linda as they entered the room. Linda went back over and sat beside her daughter. She took her hand and clutched it tightly in her own.

Vince looked round the room and saw five pairs of eyes staring straight at him. He took the seat by the window and focused his attention on his daughter.

"Stephanie, your brother and Paul have persuaded me to do some thinking. I realise now that maybe I was a bit hasty by not giving your relationship with Paul a chance. Although I'm not happy with the situation, I'm willing to give you my blessing to be with him and I look forward to meeting my grandchild."

Paul watched as Stephanie jumped from the chair and went over to hug her father. Although Vince's blessing left a bitter taste in his mouth, he knew it meant a lot to Stephanie and her happiness was the important thing. Personally, Vince's approval wasn't worth anything to him. He only did this so that his lies and deceit would remain a secret to his wife and daughter. It made him sick.

As Stephanie pulled away from her father, she looked across at Paul and Shane and mouthed "thank you" before giving them a huge smile. She couldn't believe it. Today had gone so much better than she had expected. As she sat back down beside her mother, she saw her father stand back up and walk towards the door. Before he left he turned back round towards Paul. His expression was cold as he crinkled his brow.

"If you hurt my daughter in any way, I'll fire your ass!"

Paul shook his head as he watched Vince leave the room. Trust the old bastard to want the last word. Well screw him. It didn't matter to him anyway. He had Stephanie and their child and that was all that was important to him. Vince could take his empty threats and shove them up his ass.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Stephanie placed the vase of white lilies in the centre of the dining table and stood back as she admired her handiwork. She had never considered herself house proud in any way but she had surprised herself by the amount of satisfaction she got in making this place a home. Our home she thought to herself.

Stephanie smiled contentedly as she wrapped her arms around chest. She loved the sound of those words and she would never tire of hearing them. It had been a week since she had moved in with Paul. In fact it had been the weekend after her father had given them their blessing. The minute they had left her parents' house that day, she had asked Paul to drive her to her apartment. She didn't know why. She just knew she wanted to go there. She hadn't stepped a foot inside since her accident and she was eager to see what memories, if any, she remembered. However, when she had walked through the door, she had been surprised to find packed boxes lying around. She had obviously been in the process of moving out. Paul had confirmed as much when he had told her about their plans to move in together after Wrestlemania. Without any hesitation at all, Stephanie had asked him if the offer still stood and had been overjoyed when he said yes. So she had wasted no time and arranged to have all her stuff transported here the following day. She had been so happy ever since and sometimes felt like pinching herself just to make sure this was all real. She just loved being here and being with Paul. Just getting to spend the evening snuggled up against him on the sofa watching a movie or sitting down to eat a meal together was everything she wanted. The best part though was falling asleep and then waking up still in Paul's arms. She could definitely do that for the rest of her life and if she had anything to say about it, she would.

Stephanie smiled to herself and her hand drifted down to touch her stomach as she felt the familiar fluttering in her stomach. The movements were becoming more frequent now and stronger and made the pregnancy all the more real for her. That plus the fact she was definitely starting to show. She had developed a small significant bump over the last week or so and her clothes were starting to feel tight. It was definitely the happiest she had ever felt about gaining weight. Of course her cravings had helped contribute to that.

Stephanie was about to walk back to the kitchen when she heard the loud curse from the top of the staircase. Curious, she decided to go and investigate what was going on. Paul was in the process of clearing out the room that was going to become the nursery. Although there was still about four months to go until the baby was born, he wanted to get a head start on things while he was home. They both knew that once Paul got his title back, his spare time would be considerably less and they would be lucky to get back here once a week.

As she stood against the doorway of the room he was working in, she saw him sitting on the floor and leaning against the bed as his big hand rubbed the back of his head. "Aw. Did my big strong man hurt himself?" she teased.

Paul looked up at her and pouted as he brought his hand to rest on his thick thigh. "Yes I did as a matter of fact and you really shouldn't mock a man when he's injured you know."

Stephanie laughed as she went over to sit beside him playfully nudging his shoulder with hers. "So, what happened?"

"I was clearing some stuff from under the bed. I whacked my head off the metal when I tried to crawl back out."

She pulled his head towards her and kissed it briefly inhaling the clean smell of his freshly washed blonde strands. "Does that make it feel any better?" she asked.

"A little." Paul smirked as he shifted to look at her. "It's my lip that's hurting now. I think I might have bit down on it or something."

Stephanie shook her head and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. "Has that helped any?"

"Oh yeah." He smiled as he brushed her hair behind her ear but after studying Stephanie's face for a second, he furrowed his brow and frowned. "Steph, are you okay? You look a little pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine." she nodded as she dropped one last kiss on his forehead before moving to get to her feet. That was when she felt her knees tremble and turn to jelly. Stephanie dropped heavily to the bed and tried to focus as the room started to spin. Her stomach churned making her feel a little nauseous.

Paul shuffled to kneel in front of her. His brown eyes were concerned as he took her hands in his. They were extremely warm to the touch. In fact Stephanie felt like she was burning up. Her face was also as white as a sheet and he saw little beads of perspiration appear on her forehead. "Steph, are you sure you're okay? You don't look so good." he told her.

"I'm just a little dizzy, that's all. I guess I must have stood up far too quickly."

Paul watched her carefully still not convinced but decided there was no sense in panicking. Stephanie was tired and probably just needed to rest. The last week or so had been hectic what with her moving in and still working in between. And of course there had been no chance of her slowing down. Stephanie was one determined lady but he was equally as determined especially when it came to looking after her.

"Come on Steph. I think you should have a lie down." he told her.

He was pleasantly surprised when he didn't meet any resistance. Stephanie let him pull her to her feet and she didn't protest as he picked her up in his arms. Instead he could feel her snuggling into his chest as he carried her through to the bedroom. Paul lay her down on top of the bed and sat down beside her. He smoothed back the hair from her forehead and noticed it was damp to the touch.

"Will you lie beside me?" she asked him.

Paul smiled and nodded as she shifted her body over and he lay down next to her. He pulled her into his arms and immediately felt the heat from her body. Stephanie felt like she was on fire. He held her tightly and he listened to her breathing eventually even out after a few minutes as she fell asleep. He also noticed with relief that her body seemed to have cooled down a bit as well. Paul hoped that she would be better once she woke up but he would keep an eye on her anyway. Any more dizzy turns like that one and he was marching her straight to the doctor.

Stephanie woke up as few hours later to find Paul no longer beside her and the room cloaked in the falling shadows of darkness. As she rubbed her eyes and sat up, she realised she felt so much better and at least the room had stopped spinning. She swung her legs over the bed and decided she would make a start to dinner. She was starting to feel hungry although that was nothing out of the ordinary lately. She had no cravings as such but she was always looking to eat or pick away at something. Their baby obviously had quite the appetite.

Smiling, she walked along the hallway poking her head into the upstairs rooms looking for Paul but he was nowhere to be found. As she started to make her way down the stairs, she smiled as she saw him standing waiting for her at the bottom. As she reached the last step, Paul kissed her forehead.

"I was just on my way to wake you up." He placed his finger under her chin as his eyes searched her face. "You look much better. Did you sleep well?"

Stephanie nodded her head reassuringly. "Yes I did and I feel fine now. I'm starting to get hungry though. I was thinking of making some dinner."

Paul grinned. "I'm one step ahead of you babe. Dinner's about ready if you want to make your way to the kitchen."

She lifted her brow in surprise. "I am impressed." She linked Paul's arm in her own and nudged him playfully. "Lead the way handsome."

He winked at her and they made their way towards the kitchen. Stephanie grinned as she saw the small table set with a candle burning in the middle. Her stomach rumbled as she breathed in the smell coming from the direction of the stove.

Paul walked over and removed the pan that was on the ring. He started to dish the food into the plates and smiled at his girlfriend who was watching him intently.

"You want to grab a seat?"

Stephanie nodded and as she sat down, Paul placed her plate in front of her. It was heaped full with a chicken, pasta and sauce combination. "This looks good." she commented. She picked up her fork and closed her eyes as she savoured the taste in her mouth. "You know, you're not bad in the kitchen."

Paul grinned as he sat down across from her. "Thank you. I do have other talents as well you know."

"Oh, don't worry. I know all about those." Stephanie smirked. "In fact you can practice them on me tonight." She paused and noticed with amusement Paul's reaction to her words as a big smile appeared on his face. She decided to taunt him further. "When you wash my back in the tub later, that is."

She saw him shake his head as she placed another forkful of food in her mouth.

"You're nothing but a tease McMahon."

She grinned at him from across the table and playfully dangled her fork in front of her as she chewed. She picked up her glass of water and took a drink and as she sat the glass back down, she looked back up towards him deliberately licking her lips and running her foot up and down his leg. "You are more than welcome to join me in the tub you know."

Paul immediately dropped his fork and stood up from the table. He grabbed Stephanie's hand to pull her up. She tried to feign innocence as she protested.

"What are you doing Paul? I haven't finished dinner yet."

Paul looked at her, his eyes darkened black by his desire. "I've decided we need to work up more of an appetite first."

Stephanie felt her body tingle with anticipation as Paul pulled her up from her chair and swept her up in his muscular arms. She giggled as he carried her from the kitchen through the living room and up the stairs towards the bathroom.

Two hours later Stephanie was back sitting at the kitchen table dressed in her pyjamas, her damp hair piled high in a ponytail on her head. She watched Paul as he stood with his back to her at the sink clearing the last of the dishes. She was content to just sit and admire his tanned muscular back and the way his track pants hung low on his hips. She knew that one piece of clothing was the only thing stopping him from being completely naked. Despite their lovemaking just one hour earlier, she found her body was craving for his touch yet again.

"Stop checking me out McMahon."

Paul's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see him standing, leaning against the counter and smirking at her. Stephanie tried not to stare at his chest as she replied. "I was not. Don't flatter yourself."

He snorted and shook his head. "Don't lie to me now. I know damn well what you were doing. You were checking me out. Hell, you used to do it all the time even before we got together."

Paul saw Stephanie's face instantly fall and he regretted his words.

"I'll have to take your word for it. I wouldn't remember that now, would I?"

Paul sighed as he walked over and sat down beside her. Although she tried to hide it, he knew Stephanie was still upset about her memory loss. He watched for a minute as she sat with her chin resting in her hands, her elbows on the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Stephanie sat up and looked towards him. She saw the concern etched across his face and felt bad about her reaction. "You've nothing to apologise for Paul. It's not your fault that I can't remember our past. I just get so damn frustrated at times." She tried to blink away the tears that threatened to fall. There was no point in getting emotional about it. There was nothing she could do but try to accept it.

"I think you should go and see the doctor. Maybe he can recommend something that might encourage you to remember."

Stephanie sighed. "I don't know."

Paul took her hands in his. "Surely it's worth a try. Come on Steph. It's not like you to be defeatist about anything."

She gave him a small smile. "I promise to think about it."

"Good." He brought her hand up and kissed it and gave her a smile. He decided to try and lighten the conversation. "So, I've been thinking it's about time we started looking at names for the baby."

Stephanie smiled. "Me too." She absently reached down and rubbed her stomach as she thought of their child. "Although I was going to wait until we knew if this little one was a boy or a girl."

Paul nodded. "I suppose you're right. When's your next appointment?"

"A week on Wednesday. It's just after Backlash." She chewed on her lip for a second. "Just for interest's sake, have you thought of any names seeing as how you brought the subject up?"

He lifted his shoulder in a coy shrug. "Maybe I do but I'm not telling you."

"Why not? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Paul looked at her in surprise. "You know what you want to call our baby?"

"Yeah. Probably since I was about fourteen and I had a huge crush on this guy in my year at school. I used to daydream as I watched him in class and picture myself getting married to him and having his children. I had two kids – a boy and a girl."

He laughed. "Wow. Serious stuff. I bet you even had names for the kids."

Stephanie's flushed embarrassed face told him all he needed to know.

"I knew it. I know you too well McMahon."

"In that case Mr Smart –ass what names did I choose?"

Paul smiled and beckoned her with his finger. "Come over here and I'll tell you."

Stephanie lifted her brow playfully as she stood up and moved over to sit on his lap. She sat sideways and wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed with contentment a she felt his lips brush against her neck.

"I'll pass on the boy but I know for a fact your little girl's name would be Aurora."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows pleasantly surprised. "How did you know?"

"Steph, please. Give me some credit. You've only made me watch that damn Sleeping Beauty movie about a hundred times."

"God, you really love to exaggerate, don't you?"

"No I don't." Paul retorted poking her in her side and caused her to squeal in surprise.

But her squeal turned to a gasp as Stephanie gasped felt the baby start to move around. She took Paul's hand and placed it on her stomach.

"The baby just moved. If we wait a minute she might do it again."

They sat for a few seconds. Stephanie grinned and looked at Paul as she felt the baby move for a second time. His eyes were soft and gentle and she could see by his facial expression that he was overwhelmed. It was the first time he had felt the baby; the first time he had connected with his child.

"It's pretty amazing, huh?"

Paul nodded his head as a slow smile crossed his face. "Yeah. God, it just makes everything so much more real, doesn't it. I'm actually going to be a daddy Steph."

"Yes you are." Stephanie said running her fingers through his hair and brushed her lips softly against his before pulling him into her arms, his head resting against her chest.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Stephanie's arm rested against the open passenger window. Her blue eyes took in the scenery outside still marvelling at the fact that she managed to persuade Paul to travel to the city to go shopping. Of course, he couldn't refuse being that they were purchasing things for the baby and it had been a successful trip all in all. They had bought all their furniture for the nursery including a crib which would be delivered to their home in a few months time. They could have had it sooner but Paul was refusing to decorate the nursery until it got closer to the birth. Their other purchase sat in the back seat of the car.

Turning her head, Stephanie looked behind her and couldn't help but laugh at the human-sized teddy bear with a huge bow around its neck sitting right in the middle of the back seat. She tucked her hair behind her ear as she faced the front once more.

"I don't think I've ever seen a teddy bear that size in my life before. It's absolutely huge."

Paul briefly glanced towards her and grinned before turning his attention back to the road. "It's awesome isn't it and it will fit perfectly in the rocking chair we bought. I was thinking we could place it right over by the window, you know across from where you wanted the crib."

"Great. You do know our child will have nightmares though every time they wake up and see Bearzilla back there staring over at them."

Paul lightly shook his head rolling his eyes dryly. "Don't talk nonsense Stephanie. No child is scared of a cuddly toy or any toy for that matter."

"Yes they are. I mean hello? Child's Play? Remember that one? That doll was scary. In fact it was just plain evil."

Paul glanced over at Stephanie and let out an amused chuckle at the pained expression on her face. She never had been a big horror movie fan. His girl was definitely squeamish.

"So, what time are your parents expecting us?" she asked him.

He glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard and visibly grimaced when he noticed they were late. "Oh only over half an hour ago or so. We're nearly there though."

Stephanie smiled in amusement as she looked out the window but she wasn't surprised they were late. Paul had a recurring habit of running late but she was pretty sure his parents were used to it by now. After all they had thirty odd years of dealing with their son. They had to have the patience of a saint in her opinion. Not that she knew that terribly much about them. She'd only picked up bits and pieces from what Paul had told her and of course anything before the last month or so drew a black. She had to admit to feeling a little anxious about meeting them today though. She didn't know why. According to Paul they had met backstage before and got along just fine. But then again that was work. This was completely different. After all she was about to meet them for the first time as Paul's girlfriend, the woman who was dating their son and carrying their grandchild. She was desperate to make a good impression for her and for Paul. She knew how much his parents meant to him. He thought the world of them. Lifting her slender finger to her mouth, Stephanie absently began to chew on her nail. God, she was so nervous right now. She could only imagine what they thought of her. All they saw was the person she played on television. It was hardly a glowing character reference but hopefully they would realise she was nothing like her at all. Well nothing except the fact that both the real Stephanie and the fictional Stephanie were both deeply in love with their handsome and extremely sexy son.

Her mouth tilting in a smile, Stephanie glanced up just in time to see Paul pulling up in front of a pretty house at the end of the street. Her hand fell away and she let out the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding.

"This is us."

Stephanie nodded and exhaled slowly. Sensing her anxiety, Paul reached over and took her hand in his.

"Hey don't worry. My parents will love you."

He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them softly. As he lifted his head, his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"I mean you're dating me right? They've got to know that you're smart as well as being a woman with an impeccable taste in men."

Stephanie bit back her smile as she rolled her eyes dryly. "You're such a charmer Levesque. Modest too might I add."

"Hey, I try."

Paul's shoulders shook with his light chuckle. His hand gently caressed her face before his finger playfully tapped Stephanie on the nose.

"Come on. We'd better go in. I can feel mom watching me already from behind that twitching drape of hers."

Stephanie laughed as she got out the car and smoothing down her skirt she felt her stomach churn nervously. She patted it absently as she closed the door behind her and gratefully clutched Paul's hand as they made their way up the garden path, her brown strands blowing in the gentle afternoon breeze. They had barely even made it to the red painted door when it opened to reveal his mother.

"Paul! Stephanie! Glad to see you made it." Patricia's lips twitched with her smile as she looked directly at her son. "Well eventually."

He made a playful face at her and she beamed back at him before pulling him into a hug.

"God, it's so good to see you."

"You saw me like a week ago, Ma." Paul retorted as he stepped back and ran his fingers through his hair. "You're acting like I'm the prodigal son or something."

Patricia rolled her eyes as she smiled at Stephanie. "Do you see exactly what I've to put up with. I'm Patricia by the way. Paul's mother."

"You know I think Steph managed to work that one out for herself. I mean she has seen you before." Paul smirked. But his smirk turned into a frown and he rubbed his arm where his mother playfully slapped him. Pouting he followed her and Stephanie into the house. He was greeted by the familiar smell of lemons and cookies. His mother always baked when she knew he was coming. Nothing gave her more pleasure than feeding her son and he never had cause to complain. After all nothing tasted as good as his mom's home made cooking. Walking into the living room, Paul spotted his father stand up from the sofa and immediately make his way towards Stephanie. She was standing beside him tucking her hair behind her ear and thankfully looking a little more relaxed.

"Hello there. It's nice to see you again."

Paul smiled as he watched him pull Stephanie into a hug.

"Although we were convinced Paul was hiding you. Either that or he was too ashamed to have you come visit us."

Stephanie's blue eyes were sparkling with her laughter as she turned her head to glance at Paul. He rolled his eyes in her direction lightly shaking his head.

"I told Mom on the phone that we were busy what with Steph moving into the house and everything. And really, you have to see the stuff she's brought with her to believe it. It's like she's moved in a small country or something."

This time it was Stephanie who smacked his arm in playful reproach. Paul's father laughed as he officially welcomed his son with a hug.

"You know you're looking really well Stephanie." commented Patricia. "And by the looks of things the baby is coming along nicely too."

Stephanie nodded as she rubbed her palm across her rounded stomach. "Everything's going to plan according to the gynaecologist."

Paul grinned excitedly as he looked at his mother. "The baby's even started to kick."

His mother grinned back and clasped her hands together. "That's wonderful. It's such an amazing experience too to feel the baby move inside you. It makes it all the more real. Come on dear."

Patricia reached for Stephanie's hand and began leading her towards the hallway.

"I want to show you some things I've bought for the baby. See what you think. It's not much but it's a start."

"You are joking right?" Paul snorted as he called out after her. "Ma, you've got a whole nursery up there!"

"Don't exaggerate Paul. You sound just like your father." she told him, her voice carrying through from the stairs.

Paul chuckled lightly as he scratched at his cheek and shifted his feet on the carpet.

"So Pop, how come all my bad traits come from you and yet Mom's responsible for all the good ones?"

"That's women for you son. They like to take the credit while dishing out the blame at the same time. Fancy a drink?"

He nodded and was about to follow his father to the kitchen when he heard his mother's panicked shout from upstairs.

"Paul! Quick! It's Stephanie!"

His heart leapt to his throat and Paul immediately bolted towards the stairs heading for his old bedroom where he knew the baby's stuff was being stored. A million different scenarios were rushing through his head like Stephanie had fallen or she had hurt herself lifting something. As he rushed in the doorway, he saw his mother cradling Stephanie's head in her arms while the rest of her body lay sprawled on the floor. Her eyes were closed and he reached for her, kneeling beside her and feeling the nausea in his stomach as his eyes frantically checked over her.

"What happened? Is she hurt?"

His mother shook her head as her bottom lip trembled. "I don't know. One minute she was fine, the next she just collapsed. It all happened so quickly."

"It's okay Ma." Paul told her calmly while inside he felt anything but. He pressed his palm against Stephanie's forehead and noticed it felt extremely warm and clammy. It was just like that time she passed out in the bedroom. Now she had passed out again. And although he was no expert in pregnancy, he had to guess that wasn't a healthy sign. He turned to the doorway to see his father standing there.

"Dad, will you call an ambulance?" he asked him, making the decision.

His father nodded and left to make the call. Paul stroked Stephanie's face as he tried to wake her up.

"Stephanie, can you hear me? Come on baby, open your eyes. Wake up."

His thumb traced her cheek. His fingers brushed through her damp brown strands as he silently prayed that everything was going to be alright. That Stephanie was fine and the baby was fine. That this was something and nothing because he really couldn't face the alternative. He didn't even want to think about it because God knows they meant far too much to him. Stephanie and the baby were his life and the reality was it didn't mean shit without them in it.

"Steph?" he called to her once more.

Her soft moan was music to his ears. His shoulders sagged with his relief as he let out a calming breath. His brown eyes watched her face eagerly as Stephanie slowly started to come round.

"Paul?" she said, slightly confused. Her blue eyes darted around strangely.

"I'm here baby. I'm right here."

Paul took her hand squeezing it gently. He could hear his mother whisper "thank God" before smiling at him in relief.

"What….what happened?" Stephanie asked him groggily. She lifted her head as she began to try and sit up. Paul placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her from moving.

"No, Steph. Don't move. I think you should stay still until the paramedics come."

Her blue eyes widened with alarm. "Paramedics? There's no need for that Paul. I'm fine. I am."

His brown eyes were determined as he shook his head adamantly. "No you're not. You can't be. Not when you passed out like that. I think you should go to the hospital and get checked out just to be safe."

Stephanie heard the concern in Paul's deep tone and she took his hand in hers squeezing his fingers reassuringly. "I just got dizzy that's all. You don't need to make a fuss."

"No? Well I think I do. You got dizzy yesterday too remember and I told you then if it happened again, you were getting checked out."

"But…."

"No buts Steph. I'm worried about you and I want to make sure you're okay. So please do this. For me. Please."

His eyes beseeched hers. Stephanie sighed as Patricia smoothed back her hair.

"Paul's right dear. You need to get yourself checked out for your sake and the baby's."

Stephanie looked at Paul for a moment before nodding her head and reluctantly conceding defeat. They were right. She had more than herself to think of. She had the baby. Their baby. She could never forgive herself if something happened to their child over her stubbornness to go to hospital. It was stupid and a little reckless too.

"But can I at least sit up?" she asked.

Paul smiled at her gently and gripped her shoulders as he brought her into a sitting position. He shuffled over next to her and sitting by her side, he slipped an arm around her shoulder, pulling Stephanie towards him, gently kissing her on the forehead, grateful that she had woken up and appeared to be fine even giving them a taste of her legendary McMahon stubbornness.

"The paramedics are here."

Paul looked over at the door to see his father enter the room with the two paramedics just behind him.

"Damn. It's Stephanie McMahon and Triple H."

Paul rolled his eyes as the older paramedic gave the younger one a glare. He was clearly star struck by the way his mouth was hanging open but he quickly gathered himself as the youngster bowed his head and apologised.

"I'm sorry. I just don't get to see many famous people around these parts, that's all."

Paul and Stephanie both chuckled as the older paramedic shook his head and knelt down next to them.

"You'll have to forgive Brad over there. He doesn't get out much. Now, can you tell me what happened to you ma'am?"

Stephanie shrugged. "I started to feel dizzy and next thing I know I'm lying here on the floor."

Patricia nodded. "She just fainted right in front of me. We're especially worried due to her pregnancy."

The paramedic nodded. "How far along are you Miss McMahon?"

"About eighteen weeks."

"Okay. Well, just to be safe let's get you to the hospital and get you checked out."

Paul and the older paramedic, whose name was Jim judging by the name tag he wore, helped pull Stephanie to her feet. Stephanie looked towards Jim as she brushed herself off.

"Are you sure this is all really necessary?" she asked him.

Paul shot Stephanie a warning glare as they ushered her along the hallway. "Stephanie, you promised me."

She sighed and looked towards Jim as he helped escort her down the stairs.

"Don't look at me ma'am. Have you seen the size of him? You don't screw around with guys like that."

"See? You should listen to the nice man Stephanie. He knows what he's talking about." winked Paul.

Stephanie stuck her tongue out in his direction before being helped into the ambulance. His parents were standing watching as their son got in with her.

"We'll follow you in the car and meet you at the hospital."

Paul nodded at his father and mother as the ambulance doors closed and they began to pull away down the street…

An hour or so later Paul was sitting in the brightly lit waiting area. He glanced around him, his right leg jiggling as he anxiously looked down the corridor towards the room where Stephanie was being examined. The doctor was currently running some tests on her and he was trying not to stress out over it. But it was hard. God knows he had been scared as hell when he'd seen her lying unconscious in his mother's arms. Her face had been so pale that she had looked almost grey. Dead.

Shaking his head Paul rid himself of that thought. Instead he focused on the fact that Stephanie had woken up and she had been okay. Or at least she had appeared to be. Raking his fingers through his long blonde strands, Paul sighed softly. His head bowed and his brown eyes absently focused on the worn grey linoleum floor. He wondered how Stephanie was getting on. He honestly didn't want to think about how he would cope if anything was seriously wrong with her or their baby. It just didn't bear thinking about. It was funny though. The baby wasn't even born yet it was such a part of their lives already, like they were already a family. And that was all he wanted in his life. Stephanie and his baby were all he needed.

"She'll be okay Paul."

He lifted his head and smiled tightly at his mother. Patricia patted his hand as it rested on his denim clad thigh.

"You saw for yourself she was right as rain once she woke up."

Paul sighed softly pushing his hair from his face. "I know. I just can't help but think there's something wrong though. Steph shouldn't have passed out like that. Not twice."

"Well I'm sure it's nothing serious…."

Patricia's voice trailed off as they saw the doctor approach them. Paul and his parents immediately stood up from their seats.

"Mr Levesque?"

Paul nodded and the doctor smiled. The blood was beating loudly in his ears as he silently pondered whether smiling was a good sign or not.

"I've examined Stephanie and I'm pleased to tell you that she and the baby are absolutely fine."

Paul's shoulders rose and fell with his relieved sigh. His fingers slowly uncurled from his palm as he felt himself relax just a little.

"I got her to describe her symptoms to me and I can assure you that feeling dizzy, lightheaded or faint are very normal during pregnancy." the doctor continued. "And as in most cases, these symptoms aren't harmful unless they occur frequently or severely. Stephanie has what we call postural hypotension which is caused by low blood pressure. This happens frequently in pregnancy due to a change in position and the cardiovascular system not reacting as fast."

Paul rolled his lips together thoughtfully as he let the doctors words sink in. "So it's not a serious condition?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not at the moment. Like I said, if her symptoms become more severe then I would be worried. As it is, her low blood pressure can be controlled through drinking lots of water, resting and not standing for long periods of time. There are also ways to control her condition through her diet and I'll be giving her lots of information before she is discharged."

"So, can I see her?"

The doctor nodded and smiled. "Of course. With any luck, Stephanie can go home this evening. I see no reason to keep her in to be perfectly honest. I just want to check her remaining blood test results once they come back from the lab."

Paul smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you Doctor."

He felt his mother pull him into a hug as the doctor left.

"I'm so glad she is okay Paul. Your father and I will grab a coffee while you go see her. We'll pop in later once you've had a chance to talk."

"Okay Mom."

He watched them for a second as they walked in the direction of the elevators. He then turned and he could feel the heaviness in chest slowly subside with every step he took along the corridor and towards Stephanie's room. She was going to be okay. She and the baby were absolutely fine. Stephanie was sitting up in bed when he walked through the door. Her beautiful smile lit up her face and it hit him unexpectedly that he was so lucky. Things could have turned out so much differently. He just thanked God they hadn't.

Paul approached the bed and pulling her tightly into his arms, he kissed the top of her head. "Don't ever scare me like that again, McMahon."

He let himself just hold her for a moment just relishing the feel of Stephanie knowing she was going to be okay. Because that was all that mattered. She was all that mattered.

"I'm sorry."

Paul lifted his head as Stephanie's hand lifted to tenderly caress his face. "What for?"

"For putting you through this. For making you worry."

A slow smile crossed his face. "But don't you get it McMahon? I make it a habit to worry about you."

His brown eyes were gentle as he bent down and kissed her softly. Stephanie patted the space next to her and she smiled as he sat down taking her hand in his.

"So did the doctor tell you how it happened?" she asked.

"Yes he did and from now on, you're taking it easy Steph. I mean it. Even if I have to take care of you myself.

She gave him a grin as her fingers toyed with his. "My own big, strong handsome nurse. What more could a girl want in her life?"

Paul chuckled as he pulled her into a hug. But all joking aside, he was going to make sure that Stephanie's condition didn't get any worse and that she looked after herself properly from now on. He went through hell once not having her in his life and he wasn't prepared to go through that again. Not when he knew how it felt to be without her. He didn't ever want to feel that way again. Stephanie was his life. She was his heart and soul. She was simply everything.

Andrew threw the phone across the room and watched as it fell to the floor. He could feel his rage coursing through his veins. His title was going to be taken away from him and by the very man he had won it from in the first place. So not only had he lost Stephanie, now he was going to lose his belt. His career was the only thing he had left after everything and now that was going down the toilet too. Well there was only one man he blamed for all of this happening to him. Paul Levesque. It was all his fucking fault. He hated him with a passion and now he was going to pay for what he had done. Yes. He was going to pay badly. If there was one thing in his life he was sure of, it was that! Just like he was sure that payback would be a complete and utter bitch!


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Stephanie heels clicked against the concrete floor as she walked backstage, humming a tune to herself and hugging a bunch of papers to her chest. They were the running sheets for the pay-per-view tonight; a pay-per-view that was going to be extremely sweet in her opinion. Paul was in the main event and getting back the title that was rightfully his. God, she was going to be so proud to watch him hold that belt in the air and show the world what she already knew. That he was the number one guy. That no-one else deserved that spot. No-one else worked harder in that ring or was more dedicated to the business than Paul; well no-one that wasn't born into the name McMahon anyway. In fact, his passion was one of the things that she loved most about him; although it was just one thing in a long list being that particular list was very long and very extensive.

Stephanie's lips curved up gently as she lifted her hand and tucked her hair behind her left ear. She turned right and made her way towards the locker room absently greeting a few wrestlers that were hanging around waiting for their match to begin, not that she really paid them any attention. Her mind was definitely elsewhere and focused solely on the man that was behind the door straight in front of her. Lightly rapping her knuckles on the wood to alert him of her presence, she walked into the room and her heart filled with warmth the second she heard Paul's deep laughter. He was joking about something with Shane and it truly made her happy to see them both get along so well. Their friendship meant a lot to her and they really had grown closer ever since Shane had found out about their relationship and supported them. And thank God he had because if it wasn't for her brother, who knows how the entire mess with Andrew could have ended up for them.

Biting down on her bottom lip, Stephanie soon forgot all about Andrew as Paul grinned at her widely causing a rush butterflies to dance across her chest.

"There she is, my favourite girl."

Stephanie smiled back shyly as she crossed the short distance between them kissing him softly on the lips. "I'd better be your only girl Levesque otherwise you're in serious trouble."

Her hand playfully smacked his ass and she winked at him as she walked away and placed down the papers in a space on the long wooden bench. Turning to her brother, she pulled him into a hug.

"So how are my little sis and her bump today?"

Stephanie chuckled as she stepped back from him. "We're absolutely fine thank you. I think I'll just be glad when this pregnancy is finally over." Her hand sought out her stomach rubbing the side of the rounded, neat bump. "Then this little one can have some proper identity instead of being called bump, it, him or her."

Shane laughed as Paul walked over to stand behind Stephanie placing his hands over hers. She briefly closed her eyes breathing in the fresh spicy scent of his cologne.

"And then we can give our child the name we've chosen for them."

Shane looked between them both and smiled. "So you guys have decided on a name already?"

His sister quickly shook her head. "No we haven't." She turned slightly to her right sticking her tongue out at Paul whose shoulders shook with his amused laughter. He had teased her only last night that if the baby was a boy, he should be called Lemmy. His suggestion had been met with the contempt it had rightfully deserved. "Our child's name is still under discussion."

Shane laughed and looked at Paul. "You do know you've no chance in hell of getting the name you want."

Stephanie pouted as she looked at her brother. "And just what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well, you have to admit you are kind of stubborn Steph and you do have that annoying tendency to want your own way a lot of the time."

Stephanie pulled away from Paul and she stood with her hands on her hips. "I do not." She turned round to look at her boyfriend seeking his support. "Tell him I'm not like that Paul."

He laughed as he held his hands up in the air. "Hey, leave me out of your sibling quarrels. And anyway, I've got a match to prepare for so if you don't mind, I'm going to change into my gear." He dropped a kiss in her hair before opening up his bag on the bench beside her.

Shane smiled at Stephanie who was standing in front of him. "So sis, can we call a truce?"

She pretended to roll her lips in contemplation before a slow smile crept across her face. "A truce it is."

"In that case, I'll leave while the going is good." Shane slapped Paul on the back as he walked past him. "Good luck for tonight and make sure you don't go too easy on Test."

"Oh don't you worry. I plan to make sure the bastard knows exactly what it feels like to play the Game."

Shane chuckled and raised his hand in farewell as he walked out the door.

As Paul's big hand rummaged through his bag, he felt Stephanie's arms slide around his waist from behind.

"So after your match when we're all alone back in our hotel room, will I get to feel what it's like to play the Game too?"

He grinned at her seductive tone and shifting in her arms, he turned to face her locking his hands around her. "You already know how to play the Game McMahon. You played it only this morning, remember?"

She smiled as she traced her finger down his chest. "I know but I enjoyed it so much, I want to play it again. And again. And again."

Paul chuckled but his laughter was silenced by Stephanie's kiss and as their lips parted, he rested his forehead against hers, her brown eyes soft with his emotion. "You do know how much I love you, don't you?" he hushed.

"Oh I think you may have told me once or twice." she smiled.

She kissed him softly once more and her expression was tender as she absently ran her hand through his soft blonde strands.

"I'm going to go and check on a few of the wrestlers and let you get ready."

Her eyes lingered on him for a second before she reluctantly let him go and walked to the table picking up the papers she had left there earlier. Brushing past Paul, she kissed him on the cheek. "Good luck in your match, baby. Oh and just so you know, I love you too."

Stephanie winked at him before turning around and walking out the room. Paul stood and smiled as he watched her leave wondering how he ever got so damn lucky. Not only did he have Stephanie, he also had their child and both of them meant the world to him. He truly was blessed in love and in his career and tonight when he got back his title, his life would be as close to perfect as he had ever possibly imagined. It was everything he had ever wanted. It was his dream come true.

Stephanie felt a rush of nervous energy as she stood backstage with Shane watching on the monitor as Paul set Andrew up for the pedigree. Her heart flipped with excitement as he hit his finishing move before pinning him and she joined in with the referee as he gave the three count. Stephanie screamed with joy and clapped her hands as the crowd cheered and Paul's music blasted through the arena.

Shane caught sight of his father walking towards them. "A good match, huh Dad?"

Vince paused for a second before slowly nodding his head. "I guess it was."

He was caught by surprise as his daughter wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you Daddy. Paul deserved to get the title back."

Vince smiled and his mouth had parted to reply when the shouting from nearby the guerrilla position interrupted them.

"Get those paramedics out there now!"

Stephanie felt her stomach drop and immediately looked back towards the monitor. The nausea rose in her throat and she clamped her hand over her mouth as she saw Paul lying still, face down on the mat. She slowly backed away in shock shaking her head in disbelief. The tears burned her eyes as she struggled to take in what had happened.

"He….he's not moving, Shane. Why isn't he moving?"

Her desperate blue eyes glanced briefly at her brother before travelling back to the monitor. Her hand lifted to wipe at the tear that had trickled down her cheek. That was when she noticed the sickly pool of red. Her breath caught in her throat. Paul was bleeding. He was hurt. A guttural cry escaped from her lips as she desperately pushed past the faceless people that had suddenly congregated around her.

"Stephanie!"

Shane immediately rushed after her sensing where she was going and knowing that seeing Paul in that state wouldn't do her any good at all. He nudged past the bodies that had quickly gathered and eventually caught up with his sister grabbing hold of her shoulder just before she got to the ramp. As she whirled round towards him, he could see the tears that had slipped down her water stained cheeks. His brown eyes were concerned as they searched hers.

"Stephanie, please don't go in that ring. I don't think it's a good idea for you to be here…"

She shrugged his hand violently from her shoulder. "No Shane. Paul needs me." Her bottom lip trembled as she glanced towards the ring. "I have to be with him."

Stephanie rushed to the ring. As she climbed up the steel steps, she was aware of the security guards leading Andrew away but he was the last thing on her mind as she climbed through the ropes. Her heart was breaking and her knees felt weak with her fear as she determinedly made her way towards Paul, barging her way through the crowd of people that had gathered around him. Seeing her there, they quickly moved away and could only watch in silence as Stephanie fell to her knees beside Paul. She tentatively reached for him and gently pulled his body round in her arms. That was when she saw his beautiful face covered in blood. His eyes were closed.

Stephanie let out a strangled sob as she cradled him closer to her. Her hand was trembling as she lifted it to tenderly push back the strands of hair that were matted to his cheek. Her fingers caressed his wet crimson skin. It felt chilled to the touch and the cold sent a shiver down her spine. It was almost like he was dead. Paul's body was limp and lifeless in her arms. Frantic, Stephanie pulled him even closer. The tears spilled over her lashes as she pulled him closer, rocking him back and forward as her heart twisted with her pain.

"Come on baby. You can wake up now." she told him, her voice hitching with her sobs. Her throat burned with her sorrow as she stared at him desperately. Her hand cupped his face and her thumb left a trace in the blood as it traced his cheek.

"P….please Paul. Just wake up. Don't….don't leave me. Don't leave our baby!"

Stephanie began to cry hysterically as she held him even tighter to her, her arms clinging to Paul scared to let him go. She didn't see the paramedics enter the ring to take care of him. She wasn't aware of anything except her pain at the thought of losing Paul. God, she loved him so much. She couldn't face her life alone; she couldn't exist without him. He was everything. Paul was her heart. That was why he couldn't do this. That's why he had to wake up. He just had to wake up!

"Baby, open your eyes. Please!"

Shane briefly closed his eyes as he listened to Stephanie's desperate pleas. It killed him to see her like this. Each wretched sob tore right through his gut. Letting out a slow breath, he knelt down beside her placing his hand on her shoulder. Stephanie didn't appear to notice him as she continued to talk to Paul, pleading with him to wake up as she rocked him back and forth. A paramedic hovered around them and he wore sympathy in his eyes but Shane knew they were running out of time. They needed to get to Paul and fast but first they had to get Stephanie to let go of him. She didn't seem to see them and appeared to be in some kind of trance. Pushing back the lump in his hot throat, Shane rubbed his sister's back.

"Stephanie? You need to let them take Paul to hospital now. You have to let him go."

He watched her patiently for a few seconds before squeezing her shoulder gently once more.

"Steph?"

Although Stephanie didn't acknowledge him, she stopped rocking Paul back and forward. Shane listened with a heavy heart as she cradled her boyfriend's head to her chest taking deep shaky breaths as she tried to control her sobbing. Her voice was a breathy whisper when she eventually spoke.

"I….I can't Shane. I c…can't let him go. What if he doesn't come back to me? What will I do?"

Shane shook his head determinedly. "That's not going to happen. I promise you. Paul's a fighter. You know that and there is no way he's leaving you. But the longer he stays here with you, the harder his chances are. You need to let him go, Steph. You need to let the paramedics take care of him now, okay?"

A few seconds passed before she eventually nodded her agreement, sniffing loudly.

Shane nodded to the paramedics and watched as they knelt down and carefully took Paul from Stephanie's arms. The tears rolled down Stephanie's cheeks as they got him onto a stretcher where they checked him over before securing his neck. They looked up towards her and Shane who were still kneeling in the ring. "Is anyone coming with us?"

Shane looked at his sister. He knew she would want to be with Paul but she was a mess. She was covered in his blood making him feel sick to his stomach. God knows how she would react when she saw it. She needed to get cleaned up before she went anywhere. He shook his head as he hugged his sister. "No. We'll follow you there."

The paramedic nodded before they rushed Paul up the ramp. Shane looked at Stephanie who was still kneeling in the very same spot and staring straight ahead and saying absolutely nothing. It was almost as if she was frozen in shock. He stood up and as he did, he noticed his father standing at the edge of the ring. No words were spoken as Vince walked over to his son and helped him as they pulled Stephanie to her feet and aided her gently out of the ring.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The waiting room was silent as the whole McMahon family sat there anxiously waiting on any news about Paul. It had been at least an hour since they had arrived at the hospital and despite Stephanie's desperate pleading with at least two doctors, there was still nothing anyone could tell them about his condition. The scent of fear lingered in the small room. Although no one had voiced their concerns, deep down everyone knew that it was serious and Paul's life could very well be hanging in the balance. According to Jim Ross, Andrew had been ferocious in his attack hitting Paul twice in his head with the sledgehammer. Even after falling to the ground after the first shot, Andrew hit him a second time whilst he was lying unconscious in the ring. It had been a sick and vile act and by all accounts, Paul was lucky to still be breathing.

As an announcement crackled over the hospital tannoy, Paul's parents entered the room. They hadn't been at the pay-per-view as Patricia had just been recovering from the flu so Shane had called them on their way over to the hospital. As they walked over towards them, Linda could see the unshed tears in Patricia's eyes and she stood up immediately pulling her into a hug, sensing as a mother the pain she was going through.

Paul's father's expression was sombre as he looked at Shane. "Is there any news about Paul yet?"

Shane shook his head and sighed. "Not yet. They've got him in surgery now."

He nodded and took his wife's hand as she stepped away from Linda.

Patricia looked over at Stephanie who was sitting at the end of the row of chairs. She was silent and motionless and looked so small as she stared straight ahead. She was dwarfed by the large items of clothing she wore. Patricia recognised the track pants and t-shirt as Paul's. Her bottom lip trembled at the thought of her son and releasing her husband's hand, she made her way over to Stephanie taking the vacant seat next to her. Although she failed to acknowledge her presence, Patricia reached across taking her hand in hers. It felt like a chunk of ice and she squeezed it reassuringly as it rested in her lap. They just sat there alone with their thoughts until Stephanie's faint whisper eventually broke the silence.

"This is his favourite t-shirt you know. I had to wear it. It makes me feel like he's with me somehow."

Patricia swallowed hard pushing back the lump in her throat. She blinked back her hot tears determined to stay strong not only for herself but for Stephanie's sake. They had to stay positive and she had to remember to believe in her faith and her son. Licking her lips, she turned to Stephanie. The young woman's face was drawn and pale when she eventually looked back at her.

"Paul is with you, Stephanie and he's going to make it you know. Paul's got so much to live for. He loves you and the baby so much. He's not going to leave you. He's not going to leave any of us."

Patricia's bottom lip trembled and she bit down on it, letting out a shaky breath as her emotions got the better of her.

"I made a silent pact with him when I held him in the ring you know." Stephanie's lips lifted in a small, tight smile. "I told him that if he wakes up and comes back to me, back to us, he can name the baby."

Patricia squeezed her hand once more. "He'll love that honey."

Stephanie nodded and turned once more to stare blankly at the walls. Patricia left her in peace and just sat there with her holding her hand silently praying for her son.

But those prayers were quickly interrupted as the doctor walked through the swinging double doors. Everyone immediately stood up and watched him anxiously as he slowly approached them. He gave them a brief smile of recognition before turning his attention towards Stephanie. Her scared blue eyes stared back at him as her breath caught in her throat anxiously awaiting whatever it was he had to tell them.

"I'm pleased to be able to tell you that Mr Levesque has made it through surgery and in the recovery area waiting to be taken to the intensive care unit. However, he's in no means out of the woods and his condition is still extremely critical."

Stephanie blinked back her salty tears as she nodded to the doctor to continue.

"I'm very concerned about the swelling in his brain. We need this swelling to go down and fast and the best way to do that is to keep him in a coma-like state. We can do that with medication. We'll also hook him up to ventilator. That way, with the machine breathing for him, his brain doesn't have to work and this will encourage the swelling to go down much more quickly. And once the swelling has reduced and the risk to Mr Levesque is minimised, then we can take him off the ventilator and let him breathe on his own and eventually take him off the medication."

Stephanie stood silent in a trance-like state, her mind in a total haze unable to take in what the doctor was telling her and what it meant for Paul. As she stared at him blankly, she felt Patricia's hand on her shoulder and could only listen as she asked the doctor a few questions; questions she wasn't capable of asking for herself.

"What are the chances of Paul making a full recovery?"

"I honestly can't answer that question. Until Paul wakes up, there's no way we can assess what damage has been done, if any, to his brain."

"And how long will he have to be hooked to a ventilator?"

"Again, that all depends on how quickly the swelling goes down. I've had patients where the swelling has significantly reduced within a couple of days. With other patients it's taken at least a week. There's no time limit to this sort of injury I'm afraid."

Suddenly Stephanie had heard enough and asked the only question that was on her mind. "Can I see him? Please?"

The doctor nodded and gave her a small smile. "Of course. We'll be moving him to intensive care shortly. A nurse will come and get you once he is settled in."

"Thank you." she whispered.

The doctor nodded and looked around the six grim faces staring back at him. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to give you better news. If there is any change in Mr Levesque's condition, I'll let you know."

He walked back down the corridor and with heavy hearts everyone sat back down on their seats; everyone except Stephanie. She grabbed her black leather bag that sat on the floor and holding the strap, she fished around inside until she found the appointment card she was looking for. Her jaw rigid with her determination, she started to walk towards the reception desk.

Shane stood up as she passed by him and lightly grabbing her arm, he stopped her in her tracks. "Where are you going Steph?"

"I have to find a phone Shane. I need to cancel my appointment."

"What appointment?"

"My next ultrasound. I'm not doing it alone. I'm not doing it without Paul."

Shane saw the determined look on her face and gave her a smile. "I'll come with you. I'll get some coffee for everyone."

As they passed by their mother, Linda smiled at her son gratefully and watched as he accompanied Stephanie to the reception desk. She was extremely worried about her daughter. She wasn't sure how she would cope with Paul's injury even although she seemed to be in control at the moment. Still, she had the baby to consider and she needed to look after herself especially as it wasn't too long ago that Stephanie was in the hospital herself. She just prayed to God that Paul managed to pull through. She wasn't sure what Stephanie would do or how she would exist if he didn't.

* * *

Stephanie let out a shaky breath as her hand pressed against the solid wood door. It lightly creaked as she pushed it open and swung shut behind her as she made her way into the hospital room. It felt cold and uninviting despite the soft orange hues that filtered through the blinds from the setting sun. She lightly shivered as her feet timidly shuffled across the clean linoleum. Her lips parted in a silent gasp and she covered her mouth with her hand as she looked towards the bed where Paul lay. Her heart broke to see him lying there and despite his size, he looked so small, his body lost in the array of wires and machines. As she got closer to the bed, she felt the tears burning her eyes but she tried hard not to cry and not to focus on the humming of the ventilator that was breathing for him. She was determined to be strong for Paul. He needed her strength to help him pull through this and he had to pull through; being without him just wasn't an option for her.

Pulling out the small padded chair, she sat down at the side of the bed. Reaching for his hand, she took it into her own feeling reassured by the warmth of his skin, proof that despite his lifeless body, Paul was still very much alive. Kissing his knuckles, Stephanie smoothed back the hair from his face with her free hand. She tenderly brushed the strands behind his ear and felt a little at ease to see that despite the tube in his mouth, Paul actually looked at peace. But her stomach churned as she looked at his forehead and saw the reason why he was lying there. His forehead was covered in dark purple bruising and a thick row of butterfly stitches lay just above his left eyebrow. Stephanie brought her hand to her mouth and lightly kissing her fingertips, she placed them to his forehead as if to make it better. The machines beeped and hummed around her as she sat in silence just watching him as he slept. She was so grateful to be near him and be able to touch him. It killed her to be apart from him and have him lying in a room scared and all alone.

Shifting on the chair, Stephanie leant forward and her voice was so soft when she eventually spoke that it was barely audible above the machines around her.

"You know I've seen a lot of movies where they say that if you talk to a person while they are unconscious, they can hear you and it helps them want to come back from whatever place they are in while they're sleeping. So, I've decided that's what I'm going to do. Everyday I'm going to sit here holding your hand and I'm going to talk to you because I need you to come back to me Paul. I need you and our baby needs you. God. We love you so much honey."

Her voice wavered as the tears welled up in her eyes. One escaped trickling slowly down her cheek. She sniffed as she grabbed Paul's hand tighter, squeezing his fingers desperately.

"Besides we made a pact remember? You wake up and I'll let you name our baby. And I meant it Paul. I meant every word."

Her words echoed desperately around the small room. Her tears were now like water running down her face. Stephanie's devastated blue eyes stared at Paul sadly as she ran her fingers through his matted long blonde hair. She tried not to notice the small speckles of blood that still stained his soft strands.

"And I've cancelled the ultrasound today." she eventually continued. "I just thought it was best you know. Besides I refuse to see our child without you there beside me. Because you have to be there Paul. I don't want to do it without you. I want to see your face light up when the doctor tells us our baby is perfect. Because she will be perfect and she'll be beautiful just like you. She'll be just like her daddy just you see."

Her voice hitched with her sobs as her face crumpled with her emotion. Cupping his face with her hand, Stephanie moved closer, breathing him in as her other hand still gripped his tightly. He was so still and pale. Paul looked practically lifeless and it sent an icy chill to her heart. Because she couldn't lose him like this. Not now. Not when she needed him more than she ever had.

"God, this is all just so unfair! Why is this happening to us?" she cried as she gulped back her hot tears. "This morning we were so happy. I had everything. I had you. I had the baby. And now look? You're lying here and I don't know if you'll wake up. But you have to wake up. You have to come back to me because I need you Paul. And…..and our baby, she needs you too. We both love you so much and this family, well it just won't work properly without you. So you have to get through this Paul! Please! I don't know what I'll do if I lose you. I just can't be without you. I just can't."

Stephanie let out a strangled sob and her heart felt like it was breaking as she bowed her head and buried her face into his chest. Her whole body trembled violently as she cried. Gripping his hand tightly, she was determined not to let go. She wasn't going to let Paul go. Not ever. She needed him. She loved him. Now all she had to do was try and find a way to make him come back to her.


	36. Chapter 36

Thanks for all your lovely reviews guys. This is the first fic I ever wrote way back then and it's nice to know people still enjoy "my baby" lol. Here's the next installment.

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Chapter 36

Shane's expression was sombre as he sat and looked around the waiting area. The chipped paint on the walls and the worn linoleum were becoming all too familiar to him after spending the better part of seventy two hours practically shut in here. Quite honestly, he would be more than happy if he never to had to set foot inside this place again. The whole atmosphere was tense and it quickly deflated your spirits despite his best efforts to remain upbeat especially for his sister's sake. Because he had stayed here for her. God knows the last three days had been torture for her and he felt Stephanie needed his support. Still it didn't stop him feeling so useless just sitting around waiting for any news about Paul. So far there had been no change in his condition and although the doctor kept assuring them that it was early days yet, everyone was anxious as each day passed with no sign of any improvement.

Sighing softly, Shane ran his fingers through his short, dark hair. He glanced down the corridor knowing he should probably go and check on Stephanie but there was something he had to get out of the way first; something had been preying on his mind ever since Paul had got hurt. But he knew he couldn't make any rash assumptions without talking to his father first. He was the only one who could mind at ease. Or at least he hoped he would. The alternative just didn't bear thinking about and God knows what the repercussions could be.

Pushing himself to his feet, Shane pulled on the cuff on his black shirt and glanced over in his parents' direction. They had both been here on and off the last three days as well and he could see the tiredness and the worry etched on his mother's face. Not only was she worried about Paul, she was fretting over Stephanie too. Vince was equally as worried about his daughter. It was a tough time for all of them right now.

"Dad, can I have a word?" Shane asked as he shuffled his feet awkwardly in front of him.

Vince looked up at his son and nodded, gesturing to the seat next to him.

Shane shook his head refusing the offer.

"We need to talk in private."

Vince raised his eyebrows in surprise but stood up beside his son. Linda looked towards Shane with her brow crinkled in concern.

"Is everything alright, Shane?"

He quickly nodded his head and offered her a reassuring smile. "I just need to discuss something with Dad. It's nothing for you to worry about."

Linda gave him a small smile back and watched both her son and husband walked out the waiting area and into the hospital corridor. Shane's brown eyes were thoughtful as they stared at the floor and his footsteps were slow as he walked alongside his father. Vince got his attention as he patted his shoulder.

"What is it you want to discuss Shane?"

He sighed heavily and with a grim expression he stopped and turned to face him. His father's expression was open and receptive. There was no obvious sign of guilt or remorse on his part but that didn't mean a lot right now. Vince's hatred for Paul had turned him into a virtual stranger. A man he didn't recognise and a man he didn't like very much right now. Still, he was his father and he still liked to think he knew the man in front of him. His gut told him he wasn't involved in what happened with Paul but he needed to hear him say the words out loud, just to be sure. He had to know.

"I need to ask you something okay and I want you to tell me the truth. Did you have anything to do with what's happened to Paul?"

Vince's eyes went wide and his mouth parted with shock. He shook his head slowly.

"You think I'm responsible for what Andrew did? How can you think that, Shane?"

Shane lifted his shoulder in a shrug ignoring the pang of guilt in his chest. "Well can you blame me for having a little trouble trusting your integrity right now? I mean you did hit Paul with a sledgehammer yourself not so long ago and he landed up in hospital then. Now the same thing has happened to him again."

Vince sighed sadly as his hands lifted to rub at his face wearily. He knew he couldn't blame his son for that particular train of thought. His actions regarding Paul had never exactly been rational. He'd let his anger rule his head one too many times; maybe too many times. Still, no matter how much hatred he felt for the man who had led his baby girl astray, he'd never wish anything like this on him, not when he could see how broken up Stephanie was about it and it ate him up inside to see her in so much pain. One thing he had never been able to handle is see his children suffer although even that statement could be brought into question after his actions lately. Still anything he done, he'd always believed he had done with his daughter's best interests at heart. He loved Stephanie. He loved both his kids.

Lifting his head, Vince sighed softly and his brown eyes looked straight at Shane. His face wore a stern and sincere expression. "I can assure you son that I had nothing to do with it. I promise you."

Shane just watched his father silently for a moment wondering if he could trust his own judgement on this. Because in his heart he really felt that his father was being honest with him. It was just a shame that his past actions meant he could never fully trust him, not where Paul was concerned. Scratching at his cheek, his expression became stern.

"Well, I'm just going to have to take your word on that. But I warn you Dad. If I ever find out you had any part in this, I will never, ever forgive you. I can promise you that." he warned him.

Vince nodded his understanding and they both walked back in silence towards the waiting area. Linda watched them carefully as they approached her and she gave Shane a smile as her husband sat back down next to her.

"Did you get whatever it was sorted out?"

He nodded and smiled back warmly to reassure her. The last thing he wanted was his mother worrying even more than she already was.

"Yeah, we did. Listen, I'm going to go and check on Stephanie. I want to make sure she's okay."

Linda nodded grateful Shane was checking on her and feeling a little concerned herself about her daughter. Stephanie had hardly left Paul's side in the last three days and had refused to listen to her or Patricia when they had told her to eat something or get some rest. The only person that seemed to get through to her at the moment was Shane and Linda was extremely grateful for that. She wouldn't be able to handle it if anything happened to her or the baby. God knows, her nerves were shot as it was every time she thought of Paul.

Sighing heavily, Linda glanced across at Paul's parents who were sitting just down from her and Vince. They were both leaning against one another after dozing off a short while ago. She just hoped they were finding a little respite from their anxiety and their pain. Not that they wouldn't be sleeping for long. They couldn't. They were just too worried about their son and she couldn't imagine what they were going through as they waited for any news on Paul's condition. God knows this was tough on all of them. She could only hope and pray that Paul would pull through this injury and just come back to them.

* * *

Shane was greeted by the beeping and humming of the machines as he entered the room quietly, gently closing the door over behind him. Stephanie was asleep and her head rested on Paul's lap, her hand firmly clasping his almost like she was scared to let him go. Thin darts of sunlight speckled her hair as they shone through the tilted blinds. Shane smiled fondly as he wandered across to the bed, his hand briefly touching her brown strands tenderly pushing them back from her face. He was glad she was finally getting some rest. His brown eyes slowly drifted up to Paul. No matter how many times he saw him lying there, he still couldn't get used to all the wires attached to him and the odd tube in his mouth that he breathed through. Yet his face looked so relaxed and peaceful and he found it hard to believe Paul was fighting a battle to save his own life although the bruising on his forehead and the thick row of stitches were a constant reminder of what he had been through.

Sighing sadly, Shane sat down carefully on the edge of the bed trying his best not to disturb his sister. Her light breathing was a comfort to him as he sat in silence just watching Paul thinking about him and everything he had been through lately. All he'd ever been guilty of was being in love Stephanie but unfortunately that love had come at a price, maybe even to the extent of him losing his life. Lightly shaking his head, Shane quickly pushed that thought from his mind and the sound of his own voice surprised him as he found himself talking to the man who he considered family and not only that, a close friend.

"I want you to know that you're going to make it Paul." He paused for a second his eyes watching his face for any sort of reaction but of course Paul remained absolutely still. His soft sigh echoed around the hospital room. "You have to believe that, man. You have to believe you'll get better. You've got so much to live for you know. There's Stephanie and the baby and also the business; a business that you were put on this earth to be a part of."

As Shane paused absently raking his fingers through his hair, he was unaware that Stephanie had opened her eyes, her expression soft as she lay still and listened to her brother.

"You know you can't let that bastard win, Paul. You can't let Andrew take you away from Stephanie. That's what he wants, you know. He knows how much Stephanie loves you and he can't stand it. It eats him up inside and that's why he did what he did to you. He wanted you out of the picture and I'll be damned if you're going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he succeeded."

His brown eyes searched once more for a reaction but he knew it was pointless. He wasn't going to get one. Not today. Maybe not ever.

"This is stupid." he sighed as he rubbed his face wearily. "You can't even hear me, can you?"

"Yes he can."

Shane jumped slightly startled by Stephanie's voice. She lifted her head and her lips pressed together in a sad smile as she reached for his hand lightly squeezing it.

"Paul hears everything Shane. That's why I talk to him every day. That's why I can't leave him all alone. He knows we're here."

Shane nodded hearing the conviction in his sister's voice. She truly believed what she was saying to him and the reason why she had barely left his side.

Shifting on the bed, he watched Stephanie sit up and sit back in her chair, her hand still holding Paul's. He sat up and took the seat on her other side and that was when noticed the untouched sandwich that lay on the floor beside her feet. He sighed as his brow furrowed in her direction.

"Stephanie, you have to eat."

"I'm not hungry Shane."

"I don't care. You still have to eat. You have to take of yourself for you and the baby's sake." He paused for a minute as Stephanie rubbed her thumb across Paul's hand, her blue eyes watching him tenderly. "You know Paul will be pissed when he wakes up and finds out you're not eating or looking after yourself properly."

She turned to glare at him. "That's emotional blackmail, you know."

"As long as it makes you eat, I really don't care."

Stephanie's lips curved up gently, touched by his concern. Shane always did like to play the older protective brother and she had to admit that it helped her to know he was there for her, looking out for her. As her lips parted to attempt a reply, the sound of the door opening interrupted her.

They both stood up, Stephanie reluctantly letting go of Paul's hand as the doctor, a nurse and a hospital porter entered the room. The middle aged balding doctor gave them a smile as he walked across towards the bed.

"There's no need to be alarmed. We're just going to take Paul away for some tests."

"What kind of tests?" Stephanie asked, alarmed. "Is he okay?"

The doctor smiled at her trying to reassure her. "There's nothing to be worried about. We're going to take Paul back up to Neurology to do an MRI scan. We want to check to see if the swelling has gone down and also to make sure there is no fluid on the brain."

Stephanie nodded and absently rubbed her stomach as she felt the baby kick. She felt Shane wrap his arm around her and hug her to him and she leaned into him grateful for the comfort. They both watched in silence as the doctor and nurse sorted out the equipment and wires attached to Paul before they started to wheel him out of the room. Before they left, the doctor turned back round to Stephanie.

"Paul will be back in an hour or so. Maybe you could grab a bite to eat in the meantime?"

Stephanie nodded and continued to watch them wheel Paul out into the corridor reluctant to let him out of her sight for even a moment. As the door clicked shut behind them, she sighed softly and turned to Shane who was rubbing her arm affectionately.

"Did you pay him to say that to me?"

Shane chuckled and shook his head happy that despite everything that was happening right now, Stephanie still had her sense of humour. "No, I did not but he did make a very good suggestion. So, how about it? Do you fancy accompanying me to the cafeteria?"

Stephanie sighed and nodded her head. "I guess so. At least it will help me take my mind off what's happening to Paul up there."

She bit down her lip before looking up at her brother. He saw her unshed tears as they glistened in her big eyes.

"I'm so worried Shane." she whispered. "What if the swelling hasn't gone down? What if Paul's not getting any better?"

Shane pulled her into a hug and held her closely to him. His fingers squeezed her arm firmly. "That's not going to happen Stephanie. Paul's going to make it. You'll see. You have to have faith that everything's going to be alright."

He heard her sniff before she brought her head back up from his shoulder, her eyes red with her tears.

"I'll try. It's just hard to be positive when he's lying there like that, you know?"

"I know." he sighed. "Come on. Let's go get something to eat."

Shane put his arm protectively around her as they walked out the room and towards the cafeteria.


	37. Chapter 37

Well it's been a while huh?...lol. Thanks for all your support and the lovely messages I received in my absence. It's nice to know I wasn't forgotten. Here's the next chapter of this one and hopefully it means I'll now get my finger out and update some other stories. Enjoy :)

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Chapter 37

Stephanie chewed anxiously on her fingernail as she glanced towards the double doors at the end of the corridor. Her stomach was twisting in knots making her feel nauseous. It had been at least a couple of hours since Paul had been taken for his scan and he was yet to return to his room. All she could think was that something had to be wrong. The doctor himself had said it would only take an hour so what was taking them so long? And why wouldn't they tell her something? Anything. Just some small reassurance that Paul was going to be fine. Surely they realised she was sitting here picturing all kinds of horrible scenarios and worrying herself sick into the bargain.

Shifting uneasily in her seat, Stephanie let out an impatient sigh as her hand fell to her lap. She felt a gentle squeeze on her leg and turned her head to see her mother smiling at her.

"It will be alright honey. Try not to worry."

Stephanie could only nod in response as she turned back round and waited for news of Paul. Thankfully she didn't have to wait much longer as the doors soon opened and her stomach lurched anxiously as she stood up along with everyone else, her legs feeling like jelly as the doctor approached them. Her blue eyes searched his face for any indication of what he was about to say but his expression was blank only fuelling her fears that the news was bad. Her breath caught in her throat as he nodded to greet them all before focusing his attention on her and Paul's parents who were standing right next her in the waiting area.

"Well I'm happy to tell you that it's good news."

Stephanie let out a cry of relief and she felt Patricia grab her hand squeezing it tightly. A stray tear escaped from her lashes and slipped down her cheek.

"The scan revealed that the swelling in Paul's brain has reduced significantly and if everything goes to plan, I see no reason why I can't take him off the ventilator tomorrow."

She smiled with joy blinking back the tears that welled up in her eyes. The swelling had gone down. Finally she had the news she wanted. Paul was going to be fine and he was coming back to her. Pushing back the hot lump in her throat, she listened intently as the doctor explained his condition further.

"As from now, we have stopped the medication which means that Paul will no longer be deliberately kept in a coma-like state. It will, however, take a bit of time for the medication to leave his system which is why I won't be taking him off the ventilator just yet. We will be monitoring his blood levels and once we are satisfied that the medication has worn off, we will remove the endotracheal tube and let Paul breathe on his own."

"Does that mean he'll wake up soon?"

The doctor smiled at Stephanie. "I hope so."

"How soon?"

His smile faded and he sighed. "I'm afraid that unfortunately, we just don't know. Paul never regained consciousness after the blows he received to his head. Therefore we can't be sure that once the medication wears off, he will instantly wake up."

Stephanie felt the fear creep into her heart once more. "But he will wake up, right?" she asked, her blue eyes scanning his face frantically as she searched for some sort of reassurance.

"I'm afraid I can't give you any guarantees but I can tell you that the signs are good. The swelling has gone down, there doesn't appear to be any further trauma to the brain and Paul is in great, physical condition. So let's just take it one step at a time, okay. We'll get him off the ventilator and take things from there." His hand reached out to gently touch her shoulder. "In the meantime, Paul is back in his room. I'm sure you'll want to see him."

Stephanie nodded and swallowed hard as she bowed her head, staring down at the floor and repeating the doctor's words over and over in her head. Paul might not wake up. There were no guarantees. God, it just wasn't fair. She had felt so relieved and happy when he had told them Paul would be taken off the ventilator but of course it wasn't as simple as that. It never was and now there was the chance that he still wouldn't wake up and maybe he never would.

Stephanie felt her eyes gloss over with tears but she wasn't even sure she had the energy to cry. She felt so emotionally exhausted and wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. She was a total wreck; a wreck that was so sick and tired of getting her hopes up only for reality to come along and take that hope away; hope that she had desperately tried to cling on to the last few days.

Blinking back her tears, she jumped slightly startled as she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She glanced up to see Patricia standing and smiling at her. Her eyes were soft and kind and reminded her so much of Paul and right now that did anything but comfort her.

"Don't you want to go and see Paul, honey? The doctor said you could."

Stephanie sniffed and swallowed hard pushing back the lump in her throat. "Why don't you go and see him first? I just need…" She let out a shaky breath as she took a second to compose herself with her hand lifting to wipe at her wet cheeks. "I just need to go and get some air." she told her.

Her bottom lip trembled as she pushed past Patricia and her mother and ran out the waiting area and along the hospital corridor.

Shane was about to go after her when he felt someone pull him back. He turned round to see Vince looking at him.

"Let me go after her."

Shane looked at him warily. "I don't know if that's a such a good idea Dad. Steph is upset."

"I know. Please Shane?"

His father's brown eyes pleaded with him eagerly. Shane eventually nodded reluctantly and watched as Vince went after Stephanie before turning to see his mother smile gratefully at him. He tried to muster a smile back. He just hoped that for Stephanie's sake, Vince didn't screw things up.

* * *

Paul's parents were sitting by his bedside. Patricia sighed as she held her son's hand in hers, soothed by his gentle warmth. She tried to take comfort in the steady beat of the heart monitor reminding her son was still very much alive. Yet she still worried. She was just such a bundle of emotions right now and although she was delighted that Paul would be coming off the ventilator soon, she knew it wasn't that simple. There would still be a long road ahead; a road that she prayed her son would survive. God knows she couldn't contemplate going before him. It wasn't meant to be that way and it wouldn't be. She had to stop thinking like that and she had to stay positive. She had to stay strong for her son. Paul needed her strength.

"He's going to be okay, you know. Paul is a fighter and he'll make it through this."

Patricia smiled at her husband gratefully. "I know but I still can't help worrying." As her eyes settled on the pale face of her son once more, she struggled to keep her composure as a solitary tear trickled down her cheek. She pressed her lips together trying her hardest to fight back her sobs. "That's still my little boy who's lying there." she cried.

Paul's father hugged his wife to him as she burst into tears. He felt his own emotion bubble to the surface as he held her close. The last three days had taken its toll on everyone. But hopefully this would all soon be over. They just had to hold on to the belief that things were going to be alright in the end.

* * *

Vince felt the balmy evening breeze on his face as he walked out the hospital entrance doors. As he breathed in the fresh air, he spotted his daughter not twenty feet away sitting on a bench with her face turned to the sky. He smiled fondly as he slowly approached her briefly reminded of all the times when she was a little girl and he would find her in that very same position, her face tilted to the sun enjoying the warm rays on her face. She always thought it would make her grow as tall and as beautiful as the sunflowers. Of course to him, Stephanie had grown into a young woman even more beautiful than any flower put on this earth.

Sitting in the space next to his daughter, Vince took her hand. She eventually looked in his direction, the devastation in her sad blue eyes making his heart break.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

Stephanie's nose wrinkled with her anger. "Paul's lying in a hospital bed unconscious and he might not wake up. How the hell can I be okay, Dad?"

Vince sighed and gently squeezed her hand mentally kicking himself for his own stupidity. "I'm sorry. That was a dumb question. But you have to try and be positive about this Stephanie. There is every chance Paul could wake up tomorrow."

"Yeah but there is every chance he might not." she sighed sadly. She paused for a beat as her eyes narrowed, watching her father carefully. "Why are you pretending to be so concerned anyway?"

Vince's mouth parted in surprise. "You're my daughter, Stephanie. Of course I'm concerned."

"I don't mean me." she said, correcting him. "I mean Paul. Why are you here Dad? Why are you trying to pretend you care whether he wakes up or not? You hate his guts."

"Now Stephanie, that's not true."

Stephanie shook her head, her long brown strands shifting across her shoulders.

"Don't lie to me Dad. I'm not an idiot. I know you don't want me to be with Paul and I know you hate the fact I'm having his child. God knows, you probably want to hang round here just to make sure he's never going to have the chance to lay a finger on your baby girl ever again."

She stood up to leave but was stopped in her tracks as her father tugged on her hand pulling her back to sit on the bench. She could see the hurt expression on his face but she didn't care about his feelings. Not any more.

"That's not fair Stephanie. Okay, I'll admit I didn't like you seeing him but that doesn't mean I want to see him dead."

Stephanie shook her head. "Save it Dad. I don't want to hear it." She tried to pull away once more but he had a firm grip on her and she couldn't break free. "Dad, please let go of me!" she demanded.

"Not until you hear what I've got to say."

Stephanie stared at him defiantly for a few seconds before she sighed and conceded defeat, reluctantly leaning back against the wooden spars of the bench.

"I've done a lot of thinking over the last few days and I would like to apologise to you for how I've reacted to your relationship with Paul."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise at her father's apology but remained silent staring straight ahead as he continued to talk.

"I've done some things that I'm not proud of and I'll admit Paul's not the person I pictured my baby girl wanting to spend the rest of her life with but I can see that you love him and he quite clearly makes you happy. And all I want is for you to be happy Stephanie. I know you probably find that hard to believe and I don't blame you but anything I've done, I've done because I've thought that was what was best for you at that time."

Stephanie found herself turning to smile at him in spite of herself. God knows she had every reason to still be angry at her father but she found that that anger was slowly disappearing. If the last few days had taught her anything, it was that life was so short and you should cherish the people around you because who knows what was waiting around the corner. Her family could be taken away in a heartbeat and after everything was said and done, Vince was still her father and she still loved him. Her family was her blood.

"Look, I know I've let my anger and rage rule my head and I'm sorry for any pain I put you through. I just hope that in time you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

"Oh, Dad. Of course I do."

Vince felt his shoulders slump with his relief as Stephanie held her arms out to him and he pulled her into a hug. He was just so glad she had forgiven him and he was grateful to be given the chance to make things up to his daughter. He hadn't been lying to her when he had said he wanted her to be happy. He was going to have to try and accept that her happiness included Paul. It wasn't going to be easy and it was going to take a lot of tolerance and restraint on his part but he had to do it. He had to try and do something to suppress the guilt he was feeling over what had happened to Paul. See, he wasn't stupid. He knew that although he hadn't played any part in the attack in that ring, he was in some way indirectly responsible for what Andrew had done. If there was any chance that Paul didn't make it, he would have his blood on his hands. He just thanked God Stephanie couldn't remember his part in all of it. If she did, she would never be able to forgive him and he couldn't handle that. He just couldn't lose his baby girl.

As they broke apart, Vince watched as Stephanie sat back on the bench and sighed, her hand gently rubbing her neat bump.

"Dad, what am I going to do if Paul doesn't make it? How am I going to cope with raising this baby on my own?"

He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and tenderly kissed her hair as her head leaned against him.

"You'll never be on your own Stephanie. You've got a family that loves you and that will be there for you. And as for Paul, you've got to believe he's going to be okay. The doctor hasn't given you any reason to believe otherwise."

"I know and I know there's a good chance he'll wake up. But you heard what the doctor said. Paul never regained consciousness after the blows to his head. Maybe he never will. But even if he does, what are the chances of there being no permanent damage? He was really hurt Daddy. There was so much blood and it was everywhere."

Stephanie bit down on her lip as the tears burned her eyes, the images flashing through her mind as she remembered how Paul had looked as she had held him in the ring. He'd felt so lifeless and cold and his beautiful face had been covered in blood and every time she pictured it, she felt a chill in her heart.

"Stephanie, please try not to get upset. It won't do you or the baby any good."

Vince watched as Stephanie sniffed and tried to blink back her tears. He sighed feeling totally useless and unable to take away her pain. It killed him to see his daughter suffering like this.

"Look honey, you have to try and not think the worst. You've had some great news today. Paul's coming off the ventilator. Surely that's something to be positive about and you should focus on that and try not to worry about what could happen. Try and see it that Paul's condition has improved and he's getting better."

Stephanie lifted her head, wiping her cheeks and nodded in determination. "You know what? You're right. I'm not going to think the worst. I'm going to go in there and I'm going to sit with Paul and I'm going to tell him that he's going to wake up."

Vince's brown eyes were filled with admiration as he squeezed her hand. "That's my girl. Now let's get you back inside."

He helped Stephanie to her feet holding her hand as he walked with her back to hospital.

* * *

Stephanie's footsteps were slow and deliberate despite her heart racing excitedly in her chest. She exhaled slowly trying her best to stay calm as she walked along the bright and airy corridor towards the hospital side room. She was still trying to digest the news that Paul was now off the ventilator and according to the doctor, so far all the signs were encouraging. He was managing to breathe on his own without any assistance from any machine and she tried to tell herself that it was a huge step in the right direction. Still, she knew Paul wasn't out of the woods yet and until he woke up, she wasn't assuming anything. But this had certainly lifted her spirits and now she was just so desperate to see him.

Her hand pressed against the door and pushing it open, Stephanie walked into the room. The bright sunshine streamed through the open blinds and the first thing that hit her was the overwhelming silence. There was the machine monitoring Paul's vitals but that was all. The bed was no longer surrounded by all that ominous equipment and his handsome face was clearly visible to her.

Moving closer to the bed, Stephanie felt her lips curve up gently. Now the tube was removed from his mouth, he looked so much better and he looked like her Paul again. Her hand drifted to his face and she softly caressed his cheek lightly trailing her fingers along his jaw line. The stubble there had grown and his thin beard felt softer against her skin. Her thumb traced his bottom lip before she leant over him, brushing her lips gently against his. She had missed the feel of his lips and they were lovely and warm and soft yet still unable to move or respond to her kiss.

As Stephanie broke away, she sighed and moved her hand up to run her fingers through his matted blonde strands, her hand resting there as her blue eyes watched him intently.

"Come on Paul. It's time for you to wake up now." she whispered.

She sighed once more as his facial features remained still and she realised there would be no response. Well, at least not yet.

Pulling out the seat just next to her, Stephanie sat down, her hand moving from his hair to clutch at his hand tightly. Her thumb lightly traced small circles on his knuckles as she just watched him, searching his face for any signs that he might be waking up. Although there seemed to be none, she refused to be downhearted about it and she refused to believe that Paul wouldn't wake up. After all, the doctor had told her not to expect him to regain consciousness straight away and he had only come off the ventilator less than an hour ago. She would just have to try and be patient somehow while she waited for him to come back to her. And Paul would come back to her. She put all her faith in that.

Stephanie wasn't sure how long she sat there or how much time had passed when she heard the door open behind her. She turned round as Shane's head popped through.

"Do you mind if we come in?" he asked her.

Stephanie smiled back at him, shaking her head. Her smile got even wider as she saw Marissa walk through the door with him. She kissed Paul's hand before gently placing it on the bed and she got to her feet pulling her sister in law into a hug.

"It's so great to see you Marissa. When did you get here?"

"Just now. Shane called me last night and told me Paul was improving so I thought I'd come and show my support." Marissa glanced towards the bed her eyes settling on Paul. "How is he?"

Stephanie raked her fingers through her hair and sighed. "He's still the same but at least he's breathing on his own now. I guess we just have to wait and see if he wakes up."

As her blue eyes fell on Paul's face once more, she felt Shane squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.

"He will wake up Steph."

She turned to him and nodded and the three of them walked over to the bed and sat down. Stephanie was on one side holding Paul's hand once more while Shane and Marissa sat on the other.

"He looks so much better now that tube has been removed. It's just like he's sleeping really." said Shane.

Marissa smiled. "I suppose he is, isn't he?"

"I guess so."

Stephanie's smile was full of love and affection as she held Paul's hand up to her mouth tenderly kissing the tips of his fingers. "Then we should all be prepared for a long wait. Paul's a really deep sleeper and it's a nightmare to even try and wake him up in the mornings never mind after a coma."

Their gentle laughter filled the hospital room but Stephanie suddenly stopped and froze. Shane noticed her shocked expression and his brow crinkled in concern.

"Steph, what's wrong?"

Stephanie looked towards her brother, her mind in a total daze before a smile of wonderment slowly crossed her face.

"Shane, I felt it. I felt Paul move his fingers."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Stephanie chewed on the inside of her bottom lip, her stomach churning with anxiety as she watched the doctor examine Paul and check his vitals. Still, her hope was diminishing by the second as his body remained completely still and his eyes closed, his long lashes brushing the tips of his cheeks. There had been no further response from Paul since he had moved his fingers which made her begin to wonder if it had all been a part of her imagination. Maybe she had been mistaken. Maybe she had just been so desperate to feel his touch that she imagined something that wasn't there. But she was so sure she had felt him. She was so sure she had felt his fingers move in her hand.

Just then Shane squeezed her shoulder and Stephanie turned round to smile at him gratefully, not sure how on earth she could have gotten through this without him. He had been there for her every step of the way through Paul's injury and she was so thankful that he had. She had felt so close to falling apart so many times but every time Shane was there picking her back up again and reassuring her that everything would be alright. And it would be alright. She had to believe in that for her sake and for Paul's. She had to have enough faith inside for the both of them.

As Stephanie glanced back towards the bed, she noticed the doctor had finished his examination and he was making his way across to her. She let out as shaky breath as she prepared herself for what he was about to tell her and tried not to take too much heart from the small smile he wore upon his face as he stopped to stand in front of them.

"Everything seems fine. Paul's heart rate and blood pressure are good and his condition is stable. Although he is still unresponsive at the moment, I'm still confident that he will eventually regain consciousness."

Stephanie sighed softly as she looked towards Paul once more, her blue eyes resting over his handsome face.

"I must have imagined him moving his fingers. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"You haven't wasted my time. The very opposite, in fact."

She looked back at the doctor, her hopes lifted once more by his reply.

"There is every chance Paul did respond to you." he explained. "It's extremely common for a patient to be unconscious and still have a simple reflex in response to touch or even pain. They may also show signs of hearing and understanding what is going on around them."

Stephanie's brow furrowed in his direction. "So he can definitely hear me when I talk to him?"

"I like to believe so. I think that the more you talk to the patient, the more you're encouraging them to respond to you."

Her mouth curved up gently, her spirits lifted. "Thank you Doctor."

"You're welcome and if you think you see or hear Paul responding in any way, get the nurse to page me."

"I will. Thank you."

Stephanie heard the door click behind him as she crossed the short distance to Paul's hospital bed, her smile still hovering at the corner of her lips. Although he was still unconscious, she felt a lot more optimistic about everything and was determined to make Paul wake up, starting right now. Her fingers sought out his hand as it rested on the crisp white sheets and sliding her hand over the top of his, she squeezed it gently. Shane and Marissa walked over to stand beside her and Shane placed his hand on Stephanie's shoulder.

"I'm going to go out and tell everyone what the doctor said. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

She gave him a smile and shook her head. "No, I'm okay for now."

Her brother raised his eyebrow at her response and she chuckled in amusement at his protective nature.

"I'm not hungry right now but if I promise to eat something later, will you get off my case?"

Shane smiled, satisfied with her answer. "Okay, but I'll be checking to make sure you keep your promise. You have to keep up your strength for the baby."

Stephanie shook her head once more and looked towards Marissa smiling. "Get him out of here before I have to beat him up."

Marissa laughed as she took hold of her husband's hand. "Why do I believe you actually could give him a beating?"

Shane stared at his wife in disbelief. "Which side are you on here?"

She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips. "Why yours, of course dear."

She winked at Stephanie and pulled Shane in the direction of the door.

"Now come on before your little sister here comes after you."

Shane stuck his tongue out at Stephanie before following his wife out the door.

Stephanie was still laughing as she turned her attention back to Paul. Her smile slowly faded as she brushed her fingertips through his matted hair and she bent over, pressing her mouth softly over his. She took comfort from their familiar warmth and her blue eyes were tender as they watched over him. Her hand repeatedly ran through his hair as her shoulders rose and fell with her heavy sigh.

"You know what I wish?" she eventually began as she sat down on the edge of the bed. The pristine cotton sheets rustled underneath her as she shifted closer to Paul, staring at him wistfully.

"I wish this was all nothing more than a bad dream. I wish I could wake up and we would be sitting at home, just the two of us. We'd be snuggled up on the sofa together watching a movie and eating dinner. Of course, as per usual, you'd get restless half way through and try to distract me by kissing my neck or tickling my foot. I'd smack your arm and tell you to stop and you'd just sit and grin and give me that look; a look where I know fine well that the movie is the last thing on your mind.

Stephanie paused, smiling fondly as her hand trailed over his cheek, lightly tracing his cool, soft skin.

"Actually now that I think about it, I don't think we've ever really seen a movie all the way through to the end. You seem to have the knack of persuading me to get involved in certain other activities."

Her light chuckle filled the room and her touch was tender as her hand curled around his face. Stephanie was so focused on Paul that she failed to hear the door open behind her.

Patricia smiled as she saw Stephanie kiss her son and rest her forehead against his. She felt somewhat an intruder interrupting such a tender, private moment but it also touched her knowing her son was so loved. And he was loved. She had no doubt about that. And that's all she had ever really wanted for him. To know love and be loved.

Patricia approached the bed slowly and as she touched Stephanie's shoulder to get her attention, she felt her jump and smiled back apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you dear."

Stephanie let out a shaky breath and shook her head, smiling back. "It's alright. I just didn't hear you come in." She glanced back towards the bed, her blue eyes softening with her love. "I guess I was too busy talking to Paul."

Her hand moved to clasp his once more. Patricia walked round to the opposite side of the bed and took his other hand. She pressed her lips to his cheek and sighed wistfully as she looked over at Stephanie.

"Shane told me Paul moved his fingers. I just hope it's a good sign that he's going to come round soon."

"I hope so too. And you know what I just thinking? I miss his voice. I really do."

Patricia smiled and reached over to pat her hand as it rested on top of her son's. "I know what you mean. I'm even starting to miss his smart-ass comments."

Stephanie chuckled and her face softened as she looked towards Paul's mother. "He always makes me laugh. Even when I'm feeling low or really pissed off, he'll say or do something that will just instantly cheer me up and make everything seem a whole lot better. He's like my good mood pill or something. I don't know how I ever survived without him."

"Well I know for a fact he happens to feel the same way." Patricia sighed softly as she turned her head, looking at Paul. "It killed him to be away from you and the baby when you had your accident."

"I know."

Stephanie bit down on her lip, blinking back the tears that suddenly sprung to her eyes, threatening to fall.

"I'm so glad I finally learned the truth about our relationship. But you know what the horrible thing is? Not remembering for myself. I just wish I could remember the little things like how we met and what we did on our first date. Those things are so important to me and even more so now. I mean, what if Paul doesn't wake up? How can I have any memories of us when I don't have any recollection of what happened?"

Stephanie's voice waivered and she let out a tortured cry. Her pain rolled down her cheeks as her body fell forward shaking with her frightened breaths and tears as everything came crashing down on her. Patricia immediately ran round to comfort her, holding her closely and kissing her hair as she sobbed into her shoulder.

"Shhhh. Come on now. There's no need to cry. And do you know why there's no need to cry? It's because Paul is going to wake up. He's going to wake up and he's going to get better. So it doesn't matter about memories or anything else because you're not going to need them." she told her sternly as she sniffed, fighting back her own tears. God knows it was killing her to see her son lying there day after day. The only thing holding her together was the hope that Paul would come back to her soon. And it was hope she held onto even tighter after Shane had told her about the movement of his fingers. Because she refused give up on him. She would never give up on her son. Paul Michael Levesque was and always would be a fighter.

Rubbing Stephanie's back, trying to soothe her somewhat, Patricia tried to impart some of that hope to the young woman in her arms. The young woman who was carrying her unborn grandchild and the young woman who she hoped would one day become an official part of their family.

"You have to stay positive Stephanie." she told her as she hugged her closer. "And not just for you. For Paul's sake and the baby's."

She heard Stephanie sniff and try to control her tears. Eventually after a moment or two she managed to stop crying and as she pulled away from Patricia, she wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand and gave her a tight, embarrassed smile.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me just now."

"Yeah well I think I do. You're upset and you're probably frustrated and you've every right to be. I also think that you are exhausted." she said, her brow furrowing in concern at the dark circles that encompassed the young woman's eyes. Goodness knows when Stephanie had last had a full night's rest. Every moment was spent here, by Paul's side.

"Why don't you go and get a proper night's sleep?" she suggested. "I'll be here with Paul and if there's any change in his condition, I promise to let you know."

Stephanie smiled gratefully but shook her head. "I can't leave Paul. I promised him I'd be here."

Patricia pressed her lips together sternly. "Yeah well Paul wouldn't want you to run yourself into the ground and that's exactly what you're doing. When's the last time you got a decent sleep or had a hot meal?"

Stephanie bowed her head in defeat.

"I thought as much. It's not good for you or the baby and at the rate you're going you could end up back in hospital yourself. So please go and get some sleep, dear. Nothing is going to change. Paul will still be here in the morning."

Glancing for a second at the man beside her, Stephanie reluctantly nodded in agreement. Patricia was right. She was putting the baby at risk and it was stupid no matter what her reasoning.

"But you promise to call me if anything changes?"

Patricia smiled. "I promise."

Stephanie turned towards Paul and leaning over him, she kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you baby."

She watched him for a few seconds longer before she slid from the bed. Grabbing her belongings from the floor beside her, she pulled his mother into a hug.

"Thank you." she whispered.

Patricia nodded and smiled as she watched Stephanie leave. Her eyes never left her until the door clicked shut behind her and finally satisfied she was alone, she slowly turned to face her son and took his hand in hers. Her tired eyes searched his face but their expression was stern as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"Now Paul Michael Levesque, you listen to me. You have to wake up now. You hear? Because everyone misses you but more importantly than that they need you. I need you. And Stephanie needs you too and of course the baby. And I know how much you want this child Paul and I know you'll want to be there every step of the way. Remember how miserable you were when Stephanie lost her memory and you weren't a part of the pregnancy? It killed you and you have to make sure that doesn't happen again. You have to make sure you don't miss out on any more. So come on Paul, open your eyes. Open your eyes and wake up for Mom. Please!"

Her heartfelt plea echoed around the walls of the hospital room. Patricia sat just watching Paul for a moment before she sighed and moved to the chair beside the bed and rubbing his knuckles with her thumb, she watched her son as he slept. Her eyes never left his face as she silently said a little prayer and began her overnight vigil.

* * *

Stephanie walked briskly towards Paul's room, the soles of her sneakers squeaking intermittently against the clean linoleum. She was in good spirits and felt much better now she had gotten a full night's rest. It had actually surprised her that she had. Despite her anxiety over Paul, she had slept practically the entire night although she had to admit she did feel a little guilty at abandoning him like that. After all, she had promised not to leave his side and she had been gone all night, close on twelve hours now. Still, she knew Paul would understand especially when it meant she was taking care of herself and their baby.

Rubbing the side of her rounded stomach, Stephanie entered the hospital room and walking over to the bed, she placed a kiss on Paul's lips.

"Good morning baby."

The rays of the morning sunshine filtered through the blinds speckling his hair with flecks of gold. She ran her fingers through the matted blonde strands and smiled to herself. The bruising had faded on his forehead and the thick butterfly stitches had been removed and replaced with tape. Even though Paul remained unresponsive, she was determined to remain upbeat and positive today.

"I missed you last night." she told him. "I didn't want to leave you, you know but your mom was pretty determined to make me get some rest. I know she meant well though and I do feel much better now I've had a little sleep. She's gone to get some rest now with your dad. I think they were in here with you all last night. Oh and Shane and Marissa send their love by the way and they'll be back to see you later on. Mom and Dad have had to go back to the office though but I've promised to let them know if there's any news."

Stephanie took Paul's hand in hers as she sat down on the seat beside him. Her mouth had parted to say something else when she felt the baby start to move. She smiled and placed her free hand on the lower right hand of her stomach where the kicking was. It was such a perfect miracle to her. How she wished Paul was awake and sharing this experience with her. He had been so excited the last time he had felt the baby move.

Suddenly Stephanie's eyes lit up and she stood up and held his hand against her stomach pressing it firmly as she covered his knuckles with her palm.

"Can you feel our child kicking, Paul?" she hushed. "Well I reckon that's her way of talking to us. And do you know what I think she's trying to say? I think she's trying to tell her daddy to wake up now."

Stephanie stood there for a moment sharing the experience with Paul until the movement subsided. Sighing softly, she went to move her hand away when she heard a soft moan that stopped her in her tracks. She felt her heart begin to race in her chest and the blood beat in her ears as her eyes searched Paul's face frantically for any signs that he was waking up. It seemed like an eternity as she stood there and she had just began to think she had imagined it when the hot tears stuck in the back of her throat as she saw his eyelids flutter. Overwhelmed, she immediately grabbed his face in her hands. Her big blue eyes watched him carefully.

"Paul, it's me baby. Open your eyes for me." she whispered.

Her breath caught in her throat as his eyes began to slowly open and she smiled at him through the tears that slipped over her lashes and rolled down her cheeks. His voice was barely a whisper as he said her name.

"Steph?"

Stephanie placed her head against his and could taste the salt of her tears as she kissed him gently.

"I'm right here Paul. I'm not going anywhere."

She could see him fighting hard to try and stay awake. His eyelids blinked heavily but he gave in to the struggle as his eyes closed and he drifted off back to sleep. Stephanie just stood there, content to just watch him for a minute before she kissed him again and held him tightly, reluctant to let go. She felt her heart pound as it thumped wildly in her chest. She breathed him in unable to believe that she had experienced yet another perfect miracle. Paul had woken up and now everything was going to be okay. Paul was coming back to her!


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Stephanie rested her head against the corridor wall, her teeth biting down anxiously on the inside of her lip as her blue eyes focused on the door of Paul's room. The doctor was inside carrying out his examination after she had alerted him to the fact that Paul had opened his eyes, albeit for a handful of seconds. Not that it mattered to her how long he had been awake for. All that mattered was that he had woken up and he had come back to her. Now all she had to do was try and be patient until she could see him again. It was beginning to feel like they had been examining him forever and she was desperate to be by his side just in case he opened his eyes again. She didn't want him waking up scared and confused and alone. And he would be scared. Paul probably didn't have a clue why he was lying there in that hospital bed or even comprehend just how close they had all come to losing him.

Letting out a shaky breath and pushing those thoughts from her mind, Stephanie lifted her wrist and briefly glanced at her watch wondering if Paul's parents would get here anytime soon. Patricia had cried when she'd told her the news just a short while ago causing tears of her own to slip slowly down her cheeks. Everyone had been on such an emotional rollercoaster lately worried sick over Paul but now she was just relieved that it was all over. Or at least she hoped it was. After all, he had recognised her face and the sound of her name as it fell from his lips had been just the most amazing sound in the world to her.

Just then, the door to Paul's room opened and Stephanie lifted her head and stood up. Her stomach was a flutter of tiny little knots as the doctor turned round and smiled at her.

"Is he okay?" she enquired anxiously.

He nodded as the door clicked shut behind him and he placed his pen back in the top right hand pocket of his white jacket.

"Everything is fine." he reassured her. "Paul is still asleep but that's to be expected at this stage. It will take him a few days to fully gain consciousness so you'll probably find that he'll drift in and out for majority of the time."

"But he will eventually wake up, right?"

The doctor's kind smile was reassuring. "Maybe not for very long at first but as time goes on, his periods of consciousness will increase."

Stephanie let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. Her blue eyes looked to the door once more as her hand lifted to tuck her brown strands behind her ear. "And will there be any long term effects? When will you be able to know if there's been any damage to Paul's brain?"

The doctor took her arm and guided her to the side of the corridor as a nurse passed by pushing a trolley. "Well we'll get a better idea of that once Paul has fully regained consciousness. There may even be no damage at all and the fact that Paul instantly recognised who you were is a very good sign indeed."

"It's just as well. I don't think I could handle both of us having memory loss."

The doctor looked at her curiously and that was when Stephanie realised she must have voiced her thoughts out loud.

"You suffer from memory loss? When did this happen?"

She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "I had a car accident about six weeks ago. Apparently the trauma to my head has affected my short term memory."

The doctor chewed on his lip thoughtfully. "Have you looked into hypnosis?"

Stephanie shook her head slowly. "No, I haven't. Do you think it could work?"

"It's certainly an option. Why don't you have a think about it and if you are interested, I could set up a meeting with my colleague who could answer any questions you might have."

"Thank you." she smiled gratefully. "But right now Paul is my only priority and until I know he's going to be just fine, I just can't think about anything else."

The doctor touched her arm reassuringly. "I understand. Just know that the offer stands any time."

She nodded her thanks as he turned and walked down the corridor. Her footsteps were light as she pushed open the white door and walked into Paul's room. She was greeted with the fresh scent of the pink roses that sat in a vase on the windowsill. She had put them there just yesterday thinking they might help brighten up the mood a little. Now her mood couldn't be any brighter and her spirits were lifted knowing Paul was finally on the road to recovery. The last five days had been nothing short of a nightmare for everyone but thankfully it seemed that nightmare was coming to an end.

* * *

A few hours later Paul's parents had gone for some lunch and once again Stephanie found herself alone with Paul. Her blue eyes glanced at their joined hands as they rested on the bed and her thumb began to tenderly trace his knuckles. She loved Paul's hands. They were so soft and smooth and warm. Each time she held them in hers, it was like her fingers had been wrapped in this big velvet glove and she felt so safe and protected whenever she was with him. She felt so lucky too and sometimes had to pinch herself to believe that this wonderful, amazing man had fallen in love with her. He completed her in so many ways and made her life feel so fullfilled and blessed. It was a life that would be blessed even further once their baby was born extending their own little family by one.

Smiling softly, Stephanie placed her other hand on her stomach and began rubbing small circles there. She wasn't sure how long she sat in that position but she must have drifted off into her own world because the next thing she knew, her hand was being softly squeezed and she looked up to see Paul's eyes blinking heavily and struggling to focus on her.

"Steph….." he whispered hoarsely.

Stephanie reached for him touching his face with her hand. "Shhh, it's okay Paul. I'm right here."

His eyelids shut briefly before they popped opened again. "The baby…."

Stephanie smiled as she brought his fingertips to her lips and kissed them. "The baby's perfectly fine so you just try to get some rest now, okay?"

She watched as Paul's lips twitched in the tiniest of smiles before he drifted back to sleep. Rubbing his hand, she felt elated he had woken up again and not only that, he had remembered about the baby. Maybe there wouldn't be any damaging effects from his injuries after all. Her spirits boosted by that thought, Stephanie smiled and rubbed her swollen abdomen once more as she loosely held Paul's fingers.

"Daddy was awake and checking on you." she said softly.

But she was interrupted by a knock at the door. Her blue eyes were apprehensive as they met the police officer who walked into the room. Stephanie gently placed Paul's hand down on the crisp cotton sheets and quickly stood up to meet him.

"Can I help you?"

The police officer tilted his peaked cap. "Sorry to disturb you ma'am. My name is Officer Landon and I was instructed to check on your husband and see if he can answer any of our questions about the attack by Mr Martin."

Stephanie shook her head at him and suddenly felt a rush of anger at the officer's inconsideration for their situation.

"First of all, Mr Levesque is not my husband. Secondly, he's not able to answer any of your questions right now because unfortunately he's still drifting in and out of consciousness. I'm sorry if that's an inconvenience to you."

The police officer held up his hands realising his mistake. "I'm sorry Miss…."

His voice drifted off awkwardly and his mouth lifted in an apologetic smile.

"McMahon. Stephanie McMahon."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm sorry Miss McMahon but the information I had received at reception was that Mr Levesque had woken up. If I had known any differently, I wouldn't have intruded on you."

His apology quickly diffused her rage and Stephanie immediately felt bad for flying off the handle. After all, the man was only trying to do his job. Pushing her hand through her long brown strands, she offered him an apologetic smile of her own.

"It's okay. It's not your fault and I'm sorry that I snapped at you. It's just been a rough few days that's all."

"I understand miss. I can only imagine what you've been going through. Perhaps I'll just come back at another time when Mr Levesque is awake?"

Stephanie nodded her head gratefully. "And is he still in jail?"

"Mr Martin?"

"Yes."

The officer glanced briefly at the floor before he replied. "No, he's out on bail at the moment."

Her blue eyes widened at the news and she shook her head in disbelief. "What do you mean he's out on bail? He nearly killed Paul last Sunday and now he's walking free!"

The young man lifted his hand in attempt to calm her down. "Ma'am, the judge felt he wasn't a threat and granted bail. But I can assure you, we're keeping an eye on him."

"I don't believe this! This is crazy!" she cried as she began to pace around at the side of the bed. "What if he comes after Paul again?"

The officer was interrupted by Shane as he walked into the room. He had heard the raised voices as he stood outside in the corridor and wondered what the hell was going on. He also saw the distressed look on his sister's face and immediately pulled her into his arms as she ran to him.

"What is it Stephanie? What's happened?"

She lifted her head blinking back the frightened tears that had sprung to her eyes. "Andrew is free, Shane. He's out on bail."

Shane's brown eyes were wide with disbelief as he turned to look at the police officer. "You let him go? Are you crazy? The guy is a psychopath!"

The officer shrugged. "I'm sorry sir but it was the court's decision. Unless he violates his bail conditions he's a free man until the trial. But like I said to Miss McMahon, we'll be keeping an eye on him."

Shane pointed his finger threateningly in his direction. "Well, you'd better because if that man harms Paul or Stephanie, I won't be responsible for my actions."

The officer nodded and said his goodbye before quickly leaving. Shane looked towards Stephanie and saw her walk back over to sit down beside Paul. He followed her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Try not to think about it, Steph. Just concentrate on Paul for now."

Stephanie sighed as she grabbed Paul's hand, her fingers gently stroking his skin. "I know but it's going to be hard when I'm looking over my shoulder every day."

"You don't have to do that. Paul is perfectly safe here and I'm going to make sure I'm around to keep an eye on things." His hand gently squeezed her reassuringly. "Don't worry Stephanie. Besides Andrew is nothing but a cowardly bastard anyway and there's no way he'd have the balls to come here and try anything. Not knowing we're all here."

Stephanie nodded and smiled at her brother. "I guess you're right and thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything."

Shane's lips curved up gently, touched by his sister's appreciation of him. "You're welcome little sis. Besides Paul would kick my ass if I didn't look after you."

Stephanie smirked at him. "Of course he would. He loves me."

"He sure does. And why wouldn't he? Us McMahons, we are irresistible you know."

She laughed as she leant her head on her brother's shoulder, holding tightly onto Paul's hand. She watched him sleep for a moment before her heavy sigh broke the silence.

"Do you think Paul will be able to return to the ring?"

Shane's eyes went wide at the unexpected question and he lifted his shoulder in a shrug as she turned to him. "I don't know Steph. I guess it all depends on whether there's been any serious damage done to his head. And even if he does manage to return, it won't be for a good while. At least six months I would say."

"God, he'll be devastated if he can't wrestle. We all know how much it means to him. I just hope and pray it doesn't come to that."

"I know but try to be positive. You just have to look at how far Paul has come already in the last couple of days."

Stephanie slowly nodded her head as she looked over at Paul, her blue eyes filling with love and tenderness. He'd fought so hard to come back to her. She had to believe he'd fight just as hard to return to the ring.

"You're right." she agreed. "And Paul is tough. He won't go down without a fight, that's for sure."

Shane smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her to him as they sat there content to just watch Paul sleep. Stephanie's words rung in his head and he knew she was absolutely right. Paul was tough and he was determined and he would make sure he returned to the ring. They just had to pray to God that his recovery went well and that his injuries didn't stand in the way.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Paul's head shifted on the padded white pillow as slowly, he began to drift out of his slumber. His lips felt thick when they slightly parted and his eyes stung in the bright rays of the sun as they peered ahead, gradually adjusting to his surroundings. They took in the now familiar stark white walls and the thin vertical blinds hanging from the tall window reminding him he was still in this hospital bed. He wasn't entirely sure how long he had been lying here but he knew it had been a while. His body felt stiff and sore and his legs in particular were extremely heavy.

Tilting his head downwards, Paul's brown eyes shone with tenderness as they saw the reason for that heaviness. A slow smile lifted the corner of his lips as he took in the familiar chestnut hair that fanned across the sheets and carefully he lifted his hand from the mattress to settle in her soft strands. His movements were gentle as he brushed them back from her face, watching Stephanie as she slept. She looked so innocent and beautiful to him, like an angel. And she was an angel. She was his angel.

He didn't have a clue how long he had been out of it but he did know that every single time he had opened his eyes Stephanie had been by his side holding his hand reassuring him that he wasn't alone and that everything was okay. Her presence would comfort him and her soft, calm voice would eventually soothe him back to sleep even though at times he had tried hard to fight it. He wanted to stay awake. He wanted to be with Stephanie and get out of this place. He just wanted home already.

Sighing softly and shifting his body ever so slightly under her, Paul swallowed and grimaced as he felt the rawness of his throat. It burned and turning his head on the pillow, he saw the jug of water that rested on the stand by the side of the bed. It was a little out of his reach and although he was desperate for a drink, he would wait. Any movement could wake up Stephanie and he didn't want to do that. God knows, she had to be exhausted and she needed her rest, especially with the baby.

His fingers brushing through Stephanie's hair once more, Paul continued to watch her sleep when he felt an aggravating tickle in his throat. Pressing his lips together, he tried to stifle it but it was no use. A few seconds later his body shook with his sore cough and he lifted his hand from her hair to cover his mouth. It caused Stephanie to stir and her bleary blue eyes looked in his direction as she quickly came round. Pushing back her chair, she got to her feet and picked up the jug of water. She filled a glass with the ice cold drink and wincing as she heard the hoarse rawness of Paul's cough, she held the water out to him.

"Here you are honey. Take this."

Paul nodded his head as he finally got his coughing under control. His fingers wrapped around the cold glass as he looked at Stephanie apologetically. "Sorry."

"Don't be silly." she smiled noticing Paul's hand start to shake violently as he moved the glass to his mouth. He sighed and his head flopped back against the pillow in frustration.

"Here. Let me help you." she urged him gently, as she took the drink from his hand and held it to his mouth. Sitting up, Paul took a sip of the cold clear liquid.

"Thank you." he smiled.

Stephanie's face flickered with concern as she placed the glass back down on the stand. His voice sounded so sore and hoarse but she guessed it was to be expected and was no doubt an effect of the breathing tube. Running her fingers through her hair, she tucked it behind her left ear and leaning over, Stephanie touched Paul's face gently brushing her lips over his forehead.

"Have you been awake long?" she asked, taking his hand and sitting down on the bed next to him.

Paul shook his head, his heavy brown eyes showing a brief twinkle. "I've just been watching you sleep. I guess it makes a change from you having to watch me, huh?"

Stephanie grinned as she felt Paul tug on her hand pulling her towards him. His voice was a thick whisper as he brought her face inches away from his.

"You know there's something I've wanted to do ever since I woke up."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." he smiled. "Come here."

Her face moved closer and their noses rubbed together as Paul's fingers tangled in Stephanie's hair. He brought her lips to meet his in a slow, lingering kiss and after, when they broke apart he was alarmed to see the tears that shone in Stephanie's eyes. As one escaped and slipped over her lashes, he brought his thumb up and tenderly wiped it away.

"Steph, what is it? What's wrong baby?"

Stephanie could see the concerned expression on his face and tried to smile through her tears to reassure him. "I'm okay. I'm just a little overwhelmed, that's all."

"You are?"

She nodded her head and sniffed, her lips still wet from his kiss. "I know it probably sounds silly now but there were times when I thought I'd never see you open your eyes again. I thought I'd never be able to talk to you let alone feel you kiss me."

Letting out a shaky breath, she placed her hand on top of Paul's as his long fingers curled around her face.

"That plus my damn hormones are all over the place."

Paul lightly chuckled and kissed her softly once more before removing his hand from her face and taking her right hand into his left, his fingers seeking out hers and feeling her warm, soft skin.

"So, how is the little one? Has she been behaving in there?" he asked as his other hand sought out Stephanie's stomach, his palm gently rubbing over the tiny miracle she held inside.

"She has but I think she's missed her daddy."

Paul smiled as he blinked heavily and his hand fell away as his head rested back on the pillow. "So, did I miss the…..you know…."

His brown eyes briefly closed for a second as he searched his mind for the word he was looking for. Shaking his head in defeat, his brow was furrowed as they fluttered open again.

"That thing where they take the picture of the baby. What's it called again?"

"You mean the ultrasound?"

"If that's what you call it then yeah." he sighed.

As his fingers gently toyed with hers, Stephanie ignored the tiny knot of anxiety that crept into the pit of her stomach. After all it was one silly word Paul couldn't remember and he had just come out of a medically induced coma. He was bound to be a bit confused and disorientated right now. Deciding not to worry, she smiled at him.

"No, you didn't miss it." she told him. "I cancelled the appointment Paul. I couldn't do it without you there."

His expression was grateful as he squeezed her hand. "Well the minute I get out of here, we'll reschedule the appointment."

Stephanie nodded as she reached out to touch his face, her fingers lightly tracing his soft cheek. "I might even ask the doctor if he has a rough idea when you will be released. That way I can call and make the appointment soon."

"Good idea." whispered Paul and his eyes began to close over.

Stephanie's lips curved up gently as she brushed his hair back from his forehead. She wasn't surprised he was falling back asleep. This was the longest he had been awake since he had regained consciousness two days ago.

As his gentle breathing filled the room, she brought her hand away just as his eyes popped open once more and they looked back at her, tired and heavy.

"Steph, how long have I been out of it?"

"Just over a week." she sighed. "This would have been the eighth day."

Paul's forehead crinkled as he pondered over her answer. "What day is it today?"

"Monday, I think. Why?"

He slowly shook his head, his blonde strands shifting against the cotton material of the pillow. "No reason. I just wondered that's all. It feels a bit strange not to know these things I guess."

Stephanie's heart shone in her big blue eyes as she slid her fingers tightly through his, squeezing them gently. "Well just in case there is any doubt, I'd better make sure that you know how much I love you."

The left corner of Paul's mouth lifted up. "And how much is that exactly?"

"Oh trust me, it's a lot."

He shook his head pretending to frown. "That's all? Come on woman. I've been lying here for days." He paused pressing his lips together as he stifled a yawn. "Surely you can come up with something better than that."

The words were out of Stephanie's mouth before she realised what she had said.

"Marry me."

Paul's brown eyes flickered with surprise. He lay there in a stunned silence as he tried to process what she had asked him and tried to fight the sleep that was creeping up on him. Blinking heavily he watched as Stephanie avoided looking in his direction and she let go of his hand as she stood up from the bed and smoothed down the bottom hem of her sweater.

"I'd better go and get your mom. She asked me to tell her when you woke up."

It took all the energy Paul could muster to reach out for her arm and pull her back.

"Wait. Please. You can't just leave after saying something like that."

His eyes struggled to focus as Stephanie eventually turned round. Even through their heaviness he could see the unshed tears shining in her ocean blue pools and he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He never could stand to see her upset like this. He hated it especially when he was the reason behind it. His mouth parted to say something to her but her hand lifted to silence him.

"Look Paul, let's just drop it okay? It was totally unexpected and it just came out of nowhere. I mean you've just woken up from a coma for God's sakes."

"But that doesn't mean…." His tired voice trailed away as he rolled his lips together and he tried to find the energy to stay focused. God knows he couldn't fall asleep now. Talk about the worst timing in the world. There was no way he could leave things like hanging like this. Shifting on the bed, Paul blinked rapidly trying to keep his eyes open as he continued his point. "It doesn't mean I don't know what I want Stephanie."

His weary face stared back at her. Stephanie could see his struggle to stay awake to talk to her and she immediately felt guilty. She quickly pushed her own disappointment to the side and leant over him, brushing her lips across his cheek. Her blue eyes were stern as they scanned his handsome face.

"You need to rest now. We'll talk later okay?"

Paul managed to smile as his fingertips reached for her. "Okay."

His eyelids shut and his hand went still as he finally gave in to sleep. It wasn't long before his deep and even breathing filled the room.

Stephanie sat down on the bed, the mattress lightly creaking underneath her weight as she held his hand in hers, silently cursing herself for what she had done just now. She was an idiot. She honestly couldn't believe that those two words had flown out of her mouth like that. She had been as shocked as Paul when she'd said them but at the same time, she couldn't deny that it felt right to her. She would be lying if she said that it hadn't been in the back of her mind already and that she had never thought about marrying Paul. In fact many a doodle had been scribbled at the endless production meetings she attended and her favourite scribble recently had been Stephanie Levesque. Even on paper, they looked perfect together. And they were sharing a house and expecting their first child. Getting married would only cement the great relationship they already had. At least that was the way she saw it.

Paul obviously saw things differently and she knew for a fact that she had freaked him out. She had seen it in his eyes. Paul wore his soul in his eyes and they told her everything. Her proposition had spooked him.

Sighing heavily, Stephanie brought his hand to her mouth and pressed his fingertips to her lips. Honestly, she knew she had no regrets about her proposal. Besides it was out there now and she couldn't take it back. She didn't even want to. If nearly losing Paul had taught her anything, it was that life was so short and you needed to grab it with both hands. She wanted to be with the man she loved forever so she had done something in order to make it happen. She just hoped to God she hadn't spoiled their relationship by being so rash.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Paul began to stir, his head shifting on the soft pillows. He could feel the hazy fog of sleep start to clear from his mind as he recognised the hushed voice of his mother. His eyes slowly fluttering open, they were met with a pair of matching brown ones as her kind maternal face looked down on him, smiling fondly.

"Paul, you're awake." she exclaimed in delight, touching his cheek and looking towards his father who stood just behind her left shoulder. "Look, our little boy has opened his eyes." she informed him.

Paul rolled those eyes dryly as he moved against the mattress, pushing his head up the pillows and settling back against them. He rolled his tongue over the roof of his mouth and swallowed thickly reaching for the glass of water on the tray next to him.

"Ma, I'm hardly your little boy any more." he told her as he lifted the glass to his mouth and sighed with frustration as his hand shook violently.

"Nonsense." Patricia scolded as she reached over helping her son guide the glass to his mouth. She watched him take a lengthy sip of the cold drink before removing the tumbler from his hand and placing it next to the bed. "It doesn't matter how old you are. You'll always be our little boy, you know." she informed him as she kissed his forehead before sitting down beside him, taking the seat next to her husband.

"So, how do you feel honey?"

Paul nodded as he licked his lips, his forehead tensing as he felt the rawness of his throat. "I'm okay. My head hurts a little but I'm fine." He paused as he quickly glanced round the bright, airy room, lightly frowning when he realised someone was missing. The one person he wanted to see desperately. "Mom, where's Stephanie? Is she still here at the hospital?"

As he looked in her direction, he saw Patricia's sober frown. His father wore the exact same expression and he immediately began to panic, sitting up in bed as he looked between his parents.

"Steph is okay, isn't she? I mean nothing has happened to her, right?"

His father nodded quickly patting his leg to reassure him. "Of course nothing has happened. She's fine so don't worry. She's just gone back to the hotel to rest for a while."

Paul nodded and sighed heavily as he lay back against the pillows, his brown eyes settling on the white cracked ceiling. Despite his father's reassurance he knew Stephanie was conspicuous in her absence. She never usually left his side. She was obviously avoiding him because of their earlier conversation and of course, his reaction certainly hadn't helped matters. But the truth was he had been thrown for a complete loop when Stephanie had uttered those two little words to him. It had been so unexpected and he hadn't a clue what to say to her. Although yes or no was generally the way to go with these things. Instead he had lain there like a total idiot and hadn't opened his mouth. Was it any wonder she was freaking out on him and staying in her hotel room? And he could only imagine what she was thinking. No doubt, she was probably upset with him too. God knows she'd shed enough tears over him lately and now he was causing her to shed some more. He really was a complete and utter asshole. Sighing in frustration, Paul's hand lifted to push back his hair.

"Paul? Are you okay?"

Paul heard the concern in his mother's voice and shifting his head on the pillow, he turned to her, pressing his lips in a tight smile. "I'm fine Ma. I'm just worried about Steph, that's all."

"Has something happened between the pair of you? I thought she looked upset when she left your room this morning. And thinking about it, I haven't seen her since."

Paul felt a stab of guilt as he pushed himself into a sitting position, his muscles aching in protest at the light movement. Ignoring the pain, he moved around on the bed until he was in a comfortable position, his back propped up by the two padded pillows as the covers lay loose around his waist. He could see his mother watching him, anxiously. He knew she was worried and as usual he could keep nothing from her. He was open book as far as he was concerned and he always had been. Like she always used to tell him, he wore his heart on his sleeve. Rolling his lips together, Paul decided to come clean about what had happened knowing he wouldn't get away with anything less but the absolute truth. He hadn't been able to do it for the last thirty years or so and he sure as hell wasn't going to get away with it now.

"I think Steph might be a little freaked out." he admitted eventually.

"Freaked out? But why?"

"Well she asked me something earlier and I kind of blew it when I said nothing. And of course I made things worse when I fell asleep on her before we could even finish the conversation."

"But that wasn't intentional and Stephanie knows that."

"Yeah well I hope so." Paul sighed.

Patricia frowned and looked at her husband. He could only shrug and look towards his son.

"What did she ask you anyway? If you want to tell us that is."

Paul licked his dry lips, his brown eyes settling on their faces as he looked at them hesitantly. "If I tell you, you have to promise to keep it to yourselves. Please. Steph would be mortified if she knew I had told you."

Patricia quickly nodded. "I promise and so does your father."

"I can answer for myself you know."

She immediately held up her hand silencing her husband's protest. "Come on Paul tell us what's going on."

His cheeks puffed out as he exhaled a slow breath lifting his left shoulder in a light shrug. He felt surprisingly awake and alert as he began to explain. "Well see, she told me she loved me."

Patricia's nose crinkled with her confusion. "But surely you weren't surprised by that statement?"

"Of course not. I mean it's no secret that we love each other. What did surprise me though was when she asked me to marry her."

His mother squealed loudly in excitement but quickly clamped her hand over her mouth as she saw her son staring strangely at her. Her husband shook his head as he patted her on the shoulder.

"Try to control yourself dear. You'll get us thrown out for causing a disturbance in the ward."

Patricia screwed her nose up at him before focusing her attention back on Paul. "Ignore your father. Tell me what you said."

He flinched in embarrassment as he glanced down at his hands. "Well see that's the problem. I didn't say anything." he mumbled.

"Nothing?" shrieked Patricia in exasperation. "The mother of your unborn child puts her heart on the line and asks for your hand in marriage and you say nothing? Paul Michael Levesque, are you crazy?"

Paul lifted his head, holding his hands up in the air. "I know. I've screwed up. But I was just so shocked when she said it. I mean it came totally out of the blue for one thing."

As his hands rested on the white sheets, he felt his mother pat them gently. Her face wore a suspicious smile as she looked at him affectionately.

"I don't think it has come out of the blue though, do you?"

"You mean you were expecting this to happen?" he asked, his brown eyes narrowing questioningly.

"Well yes but I wasn't really expecting Stephanie to do the asking if you catch my drift."

Paul saw the glint in his mother's eye and he knew he had been busted. He pressed his lips together and shook his head. "You've seen the ring haven't you?"

Patricia grinned as she sat back in her chair. "You're lucky it was me that found it and not Stephanie. It could have easily been her that sorted through your bag you know."

"Yeah well I wasn't exactly planning on getting whacked with a sledgehammer that night now was I?"

Her smile faded as she was reminded what her son had been through lately and the reason why he was in the hospital bed. The thought of it still sent tiny shivers down her spine making her blood chill. "That's true enough." she replied, sighing. "It was actually Shane that brought your bag to the hospital although I took it back to the hotel with me." Her spirits lifted once more as she smirked at Paul. "It's a beautiful ring by the way. You have good taste honey. I'm very proud."

His genuine hoarse laughter was music to her ears. "I'm glad you approve. I just hope Steph likes it as much as you do."

"Of course she will. When had you been planning on asking her?"

Paul lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "After my match at Backlash. I had it all organised until some psycho bastard messed things up."

Just then the door tentatively opened and the room went silent as everyone looked across to see Stephanie walk through the door. She seemed almost shy as she approached the bed, hovering near the bottom and managing to avoid all eye contact with Paul as she stood there.

"Hi Stephanie." said Patricia as she got up from her chair to greet her. "Did you manage to get some rest, sweetie?"

Stephanie bit down on her lip, forcing a smile. "Yeah. Thanks."

As she continued to make small talk with his mother, Paul's brown eyes scanned her face and knew for a fact Stephanie had lied about getting any sleep. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy and it was obvious she had been crying despite trying her best to disguise it with makeup. She must have thought he was an idiot to think he couldn't see these things even when she was blatantly refusing to look in his direction. He knew her too well. He could even sense her discomfort as her fingers wrung together anxiously in front of her. He just wished his parents would leave so they could be alone and he could talk to her and sort this whole mess out.

Feeling slightly guilty for thinking that way, Paul glanced at his mother, his brow furrowing curiously as he watched her rake through her handbag as she smiled up at Stephanie.

"Paul's father and I were going to go to the cafeteria. Do you think you can handle him on your own?"

As Stephanie nodded, Paul silently chuckled at his mother's uncanny intuition and felt her hover by his side as his girlfriend turned to strike up a conversation with his father. His brown eyes never left her face as he silently pleaded for her to look at him but he was interrupted when he felt his mother pressing something into his hand.

"I have a feeling you might be needing this." she hushed into his ear as she leant over to kiss his cheek. "Good luck sweetheart."

As Paul quickly tucked the ring box underneath the pillow, he smiled at his mother and mouthed "thank you" as she placed her bag on her shoulder and tapping her husband's shoulder, she got his attention.

"Come on Paul. Let's go before I keel over from starvation."

Her husband shook his head in amusement and said his goodbyes before following his wife out the door. As the door clicked shut behind them, an awkward silence descended in the room. Stephanie turned to the window and Paul sighed as he watched her fidget with the roses in the vase. He could tell from her mannerisms she was nervous to be alone with him. Well ditto, because so was he. In fact, scrap that. He was absolutely fucking terrified but he knew marrying Stephanie was what he wanted more than anything in the world. There was no question about it. She was his life, his soul, his heart. He just had to be sure not to muck this up and managing to stay conscious would be a good start. Thankfully he felt surprisingly awake despite the low throbbing in his head. Clearing his throat to get her attention, Paul lightly flinched with the soreness but managed a welcoming smile as he ushered her over.

"Steph, would you come and sit with me a minute?" he asked her.

Stephanie slowly turned towards him but she remained by the window as her blue eyes darted around the room looking everywhere but at him.

"Please? I won't bite. I promise." he joked with her.

Stephanie chewed on her bottom lip and her beautiful face wore a tentative expression as she walked over to the side of the bed. She went to sit on the chair next to him but Paul gently took her arm and guided her to sit on the bed.

"Here. I want you to sit next to me."

She hesitated for a second before taking the space next to him, the covers lightly crumpling under her weight. But she was still determined to avoid all eye contact as she stared ahead towards the door. Paul's shoulders rose and fell with his sigh knowing she wasn't going to make this easy on him. Then again, what else did he expect with the way they had left things. Pushing back his hair from his forehead, he decided to try again.

"Steph, will you look at me."

Her head didn't move.

"Please?" he pleaded gently.

Slowly her head turned in his direction reluctantly meeting his piercing stare.

"I think we really need to talk."

She quickly shook her head feeling the heat rush to her face as she was reminded of her earlier stupidity. Her hand began to nervously smooth the hem of her dress as her eyes darted around the room once more. "Look, just forget it. I have."

Paul's hand fell on hers stilling their movement. He reached for her fingers gripping them tightly in his and as he squeezed them gently, Stephanie allowed her eyes to meet his once more.

"No Steph. I don't want to forget it. I want to talk about it."

His brown eyes looked heavy and tired and a little confused. Stephanie immediately felt guilty in avoiding him. After all it wasn't his fault she had proposed out of the blue and in turn had shocked not only Paul but herself too.

"Look Paul, it's alright. Honestly." she told him. "I just blurted it out without thinking. It was stupid of me really. So it's my fault and I'm sorry. Now can we talk about something else?"

Paul wore an exasperated expression as he let out a heavy sigh. "God, why do you have to be so…so….shit, what's that word again?"

Stephanie watched as Paul closed his eyes and tried to remember the word he was looking for. His forehead was crinkled in concentration. She tried not to panic as she realised that it was the exact same thing that had happened to him earlier. Paul seemed to have no recollection of certain words but she tried to remind herself that he had been in a coma for goodness sakes. His mind was bound to be a little fuzzy. In the meantime she could help him out a little.

"Stubborn?" she offered.

Paul's mouth frowned in confusion as his eyes opened and focused on her again. "Would that be right or is agreeing to that going to land me in trouble?"

Stephanie lightly chuckled and decided to put Paul at ease and not bring any attention to his loss of memory. God knows he'd been through enough to last him a lifetime. Squeezing his fingers in a reconciliatory gesture, she smiled at him meekly. "If I'm honest, probably."

His handsome face lit up with smile as he curled his hand around her cheek, the simple touch sending a tingle down her spine.

"But I still love you. You know that, don't you?" he reminded her softly.

Stephanie felt her earlier anxiousness begin to slip away as her lips curved up affectionately. "I know. And I love you too Paul and I'm so sorry if I've spoiled things between us."

She was pleasantly surprised when he shook his head and smiled.

"Steph, you haven't spoiled anything. All you've done is rain on my parade."

He saw the confused expression in her incredible blue orbs and he let out a shaky breath as the blood began to beat in his ears. He knew this was it. It was now or never. His hand dropping from her face, he reached under the pillow and grabbed the ring box he'd placed under there. He saw the stunned look on her face and her lips parted with her silent gasp as his lightly trembling fingers opened the lid. Her slender hand covered her mouth as tears glossed over her eyes. The diamond sparkled as it nestled in the velvet box but her attention wasn't on the ring. Her attention was solely on Paul.

Letting out a nervous breath, he tucked his limp blonde strands behind his left ear and smiled tenderly at her. "I must admit that when I planned all this, I didn't exactly have a hospital bed in mind but hey, you're here and I'm here and at the end of the day I suppose that's all that matters right?."

Stephanie nodded in agreement. Although his voice was still slightly hoarse, it was gentle and filled with real emotion as he continued.

"I meant it when I said I love you Steph. I love you with all my heart and you're it for me. You're the one. I want to grow old with you and I want to have my family with you."

His brown eyes briefly glanced to her rounded bump and his fingers reached for it lovingly.

"You and this little one mean the world to me. God knows it killed me to be apart from you both before and I never want to go through that again. Ever. Because the truth is I just don't work without you."

Paul lifted his hand to Stephanie's face, wiping her tears with the pad of his thumb. He took the ring out from the box which he placed on the bed and his brown eyes sparkling with his emotion, he took her left hand and held it shakily.

"So I guess what I'm trying to say…well ask really…. is Stephanie will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

Stephanie's bottom lip trembled as she smiled at him through her tears. "Yes, Paul. Yes, I'll marry you." she squealed in delight.

Paul grinned and placed the ring on Stephanie's finger. He let her admire it for a second before pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. As he breathed her in, he felt her nose nuzzle his cheek and turning his face slightly, he felt her lips brush softly over his. Her mouth was so warm and soft and she tasted of mint. Tilting his head slightly, he began to deepen the kiss. However, they were quickly interrupted by a sound of the door closing and a loud commotion outside in the corridor. Breathing his curse into her mouth, Paul reluctantly pulled broke the kiss.

As Stephanie looked curiously towards the door, he sat and shook his head. He knew exactly who was behind it all and he touched Stephanie's on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Would you do me a favour? Go outside and tell Mom and whoever else she's rounded up out there just to come in here instead of staying out there and causing havoc."

Stephanie burst into laughter as she stood up and opened the door. Her mind delirious with her excitement, she peered out and saw four guilty faces staring back at her. She grinned and gestured back in the direction the room.

"He knows you're all out here. You'd better come in."

Patricia was the first one to grab Stephanie and pull her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you both dear and I, for one, will be extremely proud to call you my daughter."

Stephanie smiled but didn't have time to verbalise a reply as Patricia practically ran into the room to see Paul. The next one in line to congratulate her was his father. He hugged her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Like Patricia said, we'll be delighted to welcome you into our family."

"Thank you." she replied smiling as she watched him enter the room.

Her eyes glancing back at the corridor, she grinned as she saw Shane and Marissa standing and grinning right back at her.

"I'm so happy for you Steph. You really deserve it after everything." said Shane, pulling her into a hug.

Stephanie stepped back, smiling at him. "Thank you Shane."

She then hugged Marissa who smiled as she broke away.

"It's really great news Stephanie. You and Paul will be so happy together." She looked down and grabbing Stephanie's left hand, her eyes widening in admiration at the sparkling jewel. "It's really beautiful Steph. Paul's got good taste."

"Of course he does. He's marrying me isn't he?"

Shane clapped his hands together slightly startling them both. "Right, let's go in and see my future brother-in-law. Now he's conscious, I'll be able to lay down some ground rules."

Stephanie laughed as she followed him into the room. "Go easy on him now. He's still recovering."

Her laughter followed her into the room and Paul looked across spotting Shane and his wife. Marissa was the first one to approach the bed and pull him into a hug.

"It makes a nice change to see you awake Paul. And I understand congratulations are in order."

He beamed back proudly at her as he cleared his throat. "Thanks Rissa. It's actually good to see a different face around here too. This lot are starting to lose their appeal."

"I hope you're not badmouthing my sister Levesque." smirked Shane as he appeared beside Marissa.

"And what are you going to do about it Shano? I could whip your ass even from this hospital bed."

Shane laughed as he pulled Paul into a brief hug, his hand clapping his shoulder. "I'll pretend you're still high on drugs and that's what's causing you to be delusional." But as he pulled away his expression turned slightly more serious as he glanced briefly at his sister. "I'm really happy for you and for Steph. Just treat her right will you?"

Paul pressed his lips together and nodded. "I promise."

"So, how did all you guys know about us?" asked Stephanie as she sat down next to him on the bed.

Paul immediately looked at Patricia who was practically glowing with her happiness. "Oh, I think Mother dearest might be able to shed some light on that one."

She smacked Paul lightly on the arm before turning towards Stephanie and smiling.

"I found the ring in Paul's gym bag. I just happened to let it slip to Paul that I knew about it and fortunately enough, I happened to have it in my handbag today."

Paul rolled his eyes dryly. "And after leaving here you must have high tailed it to the waiting room to gather the troops."

"And is it such a bad thing to be happy for my son?"

Paul's lips curved up affectionately as he touched her hand. "No Ma, it's not."

Just then the door opened again and the doctor entered the room. Stephanie immediately stood up and he greeted her with a smile as he made his way through the people and towards the bed. His smile widened when he saw Paul.

"Well Mr Levesque, it's nice to see you awake and alert. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. A little tired I guess."

The doctor nodded as he picked up his charts that hung from the end of the bed. "I wouldn't mind carrying out a quick examination just to check and see how you're doing. It's just routine. There is nothing to worry about." he reassured him.

Paul nodded before turning his attention to the people huddled round the bed. "Sorry guys but you'll have to take your celebrating elsewhere. I'm not providing a peep show even if you are all family."

Everyone smiled and said their goodbyes apart from Stephanie who remained by the bed. As the doctor continued to study the charts, her hand lifted to rub her stomach and Paul smiled knowing the reason why.

"Is she kicking you again?"

Stephanie nodded her head and smiled. "Yeah, she's definitely a feisty little thing."

"She must get that from her mother."

The doctor glanced up as Stephanie's laughter filled the room.

"So, you know the baby is a girl then?" he asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "We just have a hunch that she is."

"Well, it can't be long until the ultrasound."

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "That was actually last week but I didn't want to go without Paul. So I've cancelled it until we can make another appointment."

The doctor nodded and was quiet for a second before looking between Paul and Stephanie. "What about if I arrange for an ultrasound to be done here for you? I'd still want you to go and see your gynaecologist once you get home but I see no harm in letting you know the sex of your baby right now."

Stephanie's face erupted into a huge smile as she looked eagerly at Paul. He was grinning right back at her, his brown eyes sparkling with excitement.

"What about it, Steph? Are we going to do it?"

Stephanie nodded excitedly as she looked to the doctor. "That would be absolutely fantastic."

The doctor smiled and nodded. "Right that's settled. I'll examine Paul first and then we'll take you upstairs."

Stephanie smiled as she rubbed her stomach and stood to the side to let the doctor carry on with his examination. As she glanced around, the sparkle from her finger caught her attention and she smiled as she brought her hand up to look at it. It really was beautiful. The single diamond sparkled brightly against the white gold band.

As she looked towards the bed, she saw Paul watching her. He winked and smiled before turning his attention back to the doctor. Stephanie felt her body tingle in response and she resisted the urge to scream with excitement. It was such a relief and such a good feeling to be so happy after everything. And she was happy. She was deliriously happy. Paul had pulled through and now he was her fiancé. God how wonderful did that sound! She honestly couldn't believe he had been planning to propose to her all this time. She really was one lucky woman and she couldn't believe her dream was finally going to come true. She really was going to be Mrs Paul Levesque and there was nothing in this world that could stop her. Paul, her and their baby. They were going to be a family.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The bright morning sunlight greeted Stephanie as she walked into the hospital side room. A smile adorned her face to see Paul standing by his bed, packing his belongings in the bag she had brought for him just last night. That sight alone made her deliriously happy never mind the fact he was getting to come home today. It had been three whole weeks since he had regained full consciousness and the doctors were extremely pleased with his progress. The only thing they had expressed some concern over was Paul's inability to remember certain words and his headaches which seemed to be quite frequent. However, they had run another MRI and were satisfied that there was no scarring or damage to his brain. They were confident that the effects would only be temporary and would subside once the swelling had completely disappeared. Stephanie hoped that it would also help his mood swings. Paul seemed to get easily frustrated nowadays and had very little patience at times. Although it hadn't been apparent to everybody, both she and his parents had both noticed the subtle changes to his personality lately. But right now, she was refusing to dwell on any of that. All she was focusing on was finally getting him out of this place and taking him home.

As the door clocked shut behind her, it caught Paul's attention. He lifted his head and smiled as Stephanie crossed the room towards him, holding out his hand to pull her to him.

"There's my girl." he said softly.

Stephanie felt his big arms wrap around her and she sighed contentedly as she breathed in the scent of his freshly washed hair. The soft blonde strands tickled her cheek as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

"I can't wait to get you home and have you all to myself." he breathed into her ear.

Stephanie giggled as she lifted her head and saw his big brown eyes sparkling back at her mischievously. "Getting frisky, huh? You must be feeling better."

"Damn right I am." he smirked as he captured her lips in kiss. His mouth felt soft and warm as it pressed firmly against hers and Stephanie let out a soft moan just as his tongue flicked out to tease her bottom lip.

However, she was soon looking up in confusion as Paul broke the kiss and burst into amused laughter. She pretended to look upset as she pouted her lips at him but the truth was his laughter was music to her ears even if she had been enjoying kissing him.

"If you're looking to get some tonight then laughing at me isn't the way to go about it." she playfully scolded.

Paul smiled as he removed his hands from around her waist and placed them on her stomach, gently rubbing the swollen ever increasing bump. "I wasn't laughing at you. I was just laughing at how weird it felt to have this little one between us. It's been a while since I held you like this. You've definitely gotten bigger Steph."

Her blue eyes narrowed in his direction. "You laugh at me and now you tell me I'm getting fat? You sure know how to seduce a girl Levesque."

Paul's shoulders shook with his amused chuckle as he slid his hands over her hips once more dropping a kiss on her nose. "You're putting words in my mouth. Stop it." He paused as the left corner of his mouth curved up into a smirk. "And as for me seducing you, well just you wait until tonight. Then I'll show you the meaning of the word seduction."

Stephanie felt her body tingle in anticipation as Paul winked and laughed before turning his attention back to his unpacked bag. She smiled and looked down as she felt the baby kick for the third time that morning. She placed her hand on her stomach where she felt the movement, rubbing small circles with her palm. Paul was right about her size though. She was definitely getting bigger especially during this last week or so. Her stomach was like a small beach ball and the waistband of her trousers wouldn't even fasten this morning. She had to give up trying and put on a pair of practical and more importantly comfortable leggings instead. Their precious baby girl was growing and fast. God, a baby girl. How wonderful did that sound. The ultrasound the doctor performed had only proved what they had felt in their hearts. In four short months they would have their daughter.

"You're beautiful McMahon."

She pressed her lips together shyly hearing his soft tone. "You're such a suck up you know."

Paul's fingers felt deliciously warm as they lightly took hold of hers. "So is it considered sucking up when I tell you that I love you?"

Stephanie shook her head as their hands clasped together. "It's very smart and I highly recommend using it on a regular basis especially if you're planning on getting some tonight."

"Then McMahon, I love you." he hushed into her mouth as he kissed her softly. "I love you. I love you. I love you." he repeated playfully in between quick successive kisses.

Stephanie giggled as Paul lifted her into a hug. As she glanced over his shoulder, she saw the door open and Shane walked through with Marissa. His face lit up with his smile as he watched Paul place his sister back down.

"Awww, young love. Doesn't it make you all warm and fuzzy inside?" he joked.

Marissa laughed and lightly smacked his arm. "Stop teasing Shane or else I'll have to tell your sister that we were just making out in the elevator."

Paul's nose crinkled with his grimace as he pretended to shudder at that thought. "Please Marissa. I don't want to know anything more about you playing tonsil hockey with Shane. It disturbs me."

She burst into laughter while Shane looked towards Paul smiling knowingly at him.

"Like I haven't had to watch you maul my sister often enough."

"Yeah, but you know she loves it." he smirked.

Stephanie held up her hands in front of both Paul and Shane silencing them. "Okay, I think we've all heard enough. Shane, are you ready to take us home?"

Shane nodded. "I sure am." He turned and smiled at Paul. "Come on Game, let's get you out of here."

"Sounds good to me." he replied, picking up his holdall with one hand and taking Stephanie's hand in the other.

As he looked around the hospital room one last time, he felt so grateful to be finally leaving. He had been going stir crazy cooped up in this place. In fact the last few days it had felt like the walls were closing in on him. He just needed out of here and was so looking forward to getting home and just being with Stephanie. He didn't want to spend another single moment without her. Not when his time with her was so precious. He needed her so much, especially now and especially after his conversation with the police a few days ago. Going over everything, it had hit him what had happened and how serious the assault on him had been. So serious in fact that he could easily have been dead. He would no longer be with Stephanie. He'd never have got the chance to meet their baby. Since that moment, he had felt the need to be close to them as much as possible and had rarely let Stephanie out of his sight. He had even persuaded her to spend the nights with him at the hospital, scared to spend a single moment without her. He wanted her close. Paul knew he had been completely unfair and selfish to her but he couldn't help it. He needed Stephanie with him every second of every day. She was his strength right now and quite frankly her love for him was the only thing holding him together. In fact it was about all he could rely on right now.

Walking out the door, Paul ignored the chill down his spine as he followed Stephanie down the corridor.

* * *

The room was silent as Stephanie stood by the large sash window, feeling the warmth of the sun on the back of her neck as she watched Paul. He lay fast asleep on the sofa, his face partially buried in the soft pillows and his shoulders lifting rhythmically with his deep and even breathing. He had been in that exact same position since Shane had dropped them off more than three hours ago. They had come back to stay at her apartment as Nashua had been too far for them to travel and the doctor hadn't felt like Paul was up to flying yet. She had to agree because the car journey here had certainly taken it out of him. He was sleeping like a baby and completely dead to the world.

Smiling gently to herself and happy to see him resting, Stephanie decided to make herself a drink. She needed to follow orders and keep herself hydrated. God knows the last thing she needed was to end up in another hospital bed. After the last few weeks, she'd be glad never to set foot inside another hospital again. Maybe she would even consider the possibility of a home birth for their baby to accomodate that wish.

Chuckling to herself, Stephanie was about to walk through to the kitchen when she heard Paul start to mumble incoherently. As she turned back, she saw his body twitch and his arm shoot out to hit the cushion. She smiled realising he must be dreaming. Briefly wondering what his dreams were about, she had just stepped into the hallway when she heard Paul call out her name.

"Stephanie!"

His voice sounded frantic and desperate. She ran back just as his body shifted on the sofa. His head turned on the cushion and she saw the visible distress on his face as his hand thrashed up in the air. It was obviously a bad dream and she began shaking him to try and wake him up.

"Paul."

Her hand brushed back the hair from his face and she felt the cold perspiration on his forehead. Shaking his shoulder once more, she said his name more forcefully.

"Paul, come on. Wake up honey."

His brown eyes suddenly popped open as he looked at her, clearly disorientated. In fact, he looked terrified. It took him a second to come round and realise where he was. He then pulled her into his arms saying absolutely nothing as he held her tightly. He was lightly trembling against her and his breathing was ragged.

Stephanie kissed his temple and brushed her fingers through his blonde hair in an attempt to soothe him. "It's okay baby. It was just a dream." she hushed.

After a few minutes, she felt his grip loosen and she pulled back slightly to look at him, her blue eyes scanning his face carefully.

"Are you okay?"

Paul still said nothing but he smiled to reassure her lightly nodding his head. His eyes fell closed as she kissed his forehead and cupping his face his hands, she noticed his jaw tense.

"Does your head hurt?" she asked him.

Paul cleared his throat as his eyes fluttered open again. "A little." he admitted.

"I'll go and get your medication."

Her footsteps disappeared into the hallway. Paul rested his head back on the soft cream pillow resisting the urge to scream for her to come back. He didn't want to let her out of his sight. The dream where he had thought he had lost her was so vivid and still felt so real to him. God, he had been so relieved when he had woken up and realised that she was still here. Stephanie was still alive.

Paul let out a shaky breath as he tried to control his composure. His heart was still racing in his chest. Swallowing thickly, he heard the sound of Stephanie's footsteps and suddenly he began to feel a little calmer. He sat up as Stephanie held out two tablets and a glass of water.

"Here. Hopefully these will do the trick."

"Thanks." he smiled sitting up and taking the tablets from her outstretched palm. As he placed them on his tongue, he took a mouthful of the cold drink and it instantly soothed his hot throat as he gulped it down. As he placed the empty glass on the floor, he saw Stephanie watching him, her blue eyes wide and concerned.

"Are you sure you're okay baby?"

He slowly nodded his head and reaching for her hand, he gently toyed with her fingers. "Would you do me a favour?"

Stephanie smiled. "Anything."

"Come to bed and just hold me?"

Stephanie nodded and Paul got to his feet, holding her hand tightly. She tried to push back the frightened tears that threatened to fall as she followed him in silence along the hallway. She was just so worried. He had looked so scared and sounded so vulnerable when he had asked her to hold him. She wondered what had made him feel so terrified. It broke her heart to see him that way.

But Stephanie kept her thoughts to herself and followed Paul into the bedroom where the rays of the afternoon sunshine filtered through the tilted blinds. She lightly shivered as she watched him pull back the covers on the bed, climbing in fully clothed and tugging on her hand to follow him. As she snuggled in beside him, she felt both his arms wrap around her and hold her tightly. She said nothing as she breathed him in, savouring his warmth. Instead she lay there in silence content just to hold him like this. It had been so long since she had fallen asleep in Paul's arms. Eventually she heard his breathing even out and she felt relieved he had managed to fall back asleep. Closing her eyes, Stephanie nestled into his chest and hearing the faint rhythm of his heartbeat, she was content to lay there and listen until it too had lulled her into sleep.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Paul's brown eyes stared into the darkening shadows as the rhythmic drumming of the falling rain echoed in the room. It had awoken him from his slumber but thankfully Stephanie still slept on totally oblivious as she lay completely still beside him. Her face was turned to him and her warm breath danced over his cheek as he held her close, his long fingers running softly through her hair. She felt so good in his arms and he didn't want to let go especially after everything that had happened to them lately. He wanted her close. He had missed just holding her like this.

Dropping a kiss on her temple, a vision of Stephanie lying battered and bloodied flooded his mind and Paul closed his eyes tight in attempt to shut it out. It was that fucking dream again; the exact same dream that haunted him every night for the last four nights ever since the police had informed him that Andrew was free and out on bail. The dream would be the same one every time. Andrew was attacking Stephanie. He was tied to a chair unable to move and only able watch on helplessly, silently screaming inside as Andrew's fists rained down on her. Every blow made him sick to his stomach. Then Andrew would reach into his pocket and terror would grip Paul's heart as he raised the knife in the air preparing to stab her. That was when he woke up. He'd always wake up before the knife made contact. And he thanked God he did. The very idea of the blade touching Stephanie made his blood chill and he would be shaking violently, visibly distressed by his dreams the second he opened his eyes.

Swallowing hard, Paul shifted on the bed and he was brought out of his thoughts by Stephanie as he felt her move beside him. He turned his head to look at her and saw her incredible eyes were open and watching him. She looked so beautiful and his heart filled with his love for her as he rolled to face her, his legs tangling in the sheets as he pulled her to him. No words were spoken as he moved his head towards hers and kissed her tenderly.

"Hey." he whispered as he pulled her close once more, resting his chin on her hair.

As Paul's big arms squeezed Stephanie tightly, she instinctively knew that something was troubling him. She had even seen it in his face in the brief few seconds she had been watching him. His handsome features had been troubled and sad. Even earlier on when they had made love Stephanie had sensed his desperation and his need for her and afterwards he had said very little as he had held her tight to him. It was almost like he was clinging to her, afraid to let her go. It had been that way the last few days. And while she knew he was still recovering from his injuries, she also sensed something was seriously bothering Paul and judging from what she had witnessed earlier, it was bothering him to the point that it was affecting his sleep too. Paul was having nightmares. Maybe if she could get him to talk about it, it might help him. She hated thinking of him trying to deal with this all alone. After all she was here for him. She always would be.

Shifting on the pillows and forcing Paul to slightly release his grip, Stephanie's concerned blue eyes searched his handsome face. His fingers sought out his as they loosely gripped together.

"Paul, are you okay?"

He smiled at her quickly as his big hand trailed a slow path down her back. "Of course I'm okay. In fact I'm more than okay. I mean I got the most beautiful woman in the world naked and in my bed. What could possibly be not okay about that?"

Despite his playful tone and his lopsided smirk, Stephanie wasn't fooled. She knew what he was doing. Paul was trying to fob her off but it wasn't going to work; not this time. She needed to know what was going on in that head of his. She was worried about him. God knows he'd been through so much as it was.

Licking her lips, her leg slid in between his parted thighs. "I just get the feeling that something is bothering you that's all."

"Me?"

Stephanie nodded.

"Where did you get that from? I'm fine. I promise."

She sighed into Paul's chest as he pulled her close once more.

"Please Paul, don't shut me out. Whatever it is, you can tell me. We can try and work it out."

As the words left her lips her body suddenly felt cold as Paul released his grip. She watched him push himself up the bed, resting his back against the pillows. He refused to look at her as he stared into the shadows, his heavy sigh momentarily drowning out the sound of the rain.

"I've told you there's nothing wrong okay. Now can we just drop it?"

Stephanie's sigh mimicked his as she carefully manoeuvred herself to sit next to him, adjusting the sheets around her concealing her nudity. "I know you're lying to me Paul. I know there's something troubling you."

She could only watch as Paul violently tugged back the covers and got out of bed. He picked up his jeans from the floor and stepped into them.

"Steph, can't you fucking leave it? I don't know how many times I have to say it but I'm fine. End of story."

He yanked up the zipper and fastened the button as his feet padded across the floor to pick up his discarded t-shirt. Even in the darkness, Stephanie could feel the pointed glare in his eyes when he turned to look at her.

"Just drop it. Please."

"But Paul…."

"But nothing!"

His angry shout stunned her. Paul never raised his voice at her. Ever.

"I told you there's nothing wrong so why don't you just fucking listen to me and leave me the fuck alone." he shot back.

Paul turned away as he furiously pulled on his t-shirt and made his way out of the bedroom. He slammed the door shut leaving Stephanie sitting there in stunned silence. It took a moment before her emotions caught up with her and the tears began to fall freely down her cheeks as she clutched the sheets to her chest protectively and tried to figure out what the hell had just happened.

* * *

Paul sat in the living room in darkness, his face illuminated by the soft glow from the street lights outside. He wasn't sure how much time had passed but it had been a while since he had blown up at Stephanie and it was only now that he could feel his anger begin to subside. He didn't know why he had felt so enraged by her concern and if he was honest with himself, he was scared by his reaction. He had felt so out of control as he had lashed out at her and that was a feeling he wasn't familiar with. He was used to controlling his anger; he wasn't in the habit of blowing up at people, especially not at Stephanie. In fact he always made a conscious effort to be calm around her, especially now she was pregnant. But ever since that fucking sledgehammer had beat his brains in, things had obviously changed.

Of course that was something else that troubled him. He had always considered himself pretty indestructible. He was very seldom ill and anytime he was injured, he had always been able to make a quick recovery and get back in the ring in the minimum time possible. But it was a completely different story this time. Now he had been made to look weak and vulnerable and God knows if or when he would make a full recovery. Because he wasn't stupid. Although the doctors had made out that him forgetting a few words here and there was no big deal, he knew something wasn't right. Not when you included his constant headaches, his temper and the fucked up dreams that continued to haunt him. He was lucky he hadn't been thrown in the damn looney bin.

Sighing in frustration, Paul raked his fingers through his blonde hair. He knew he should be sharing his fears with Stephanie. Part of him wanted to but he couldn't. Call it pride or stupidity on his part but he just didn't want to burden her with everything. She had been through enough lately what with her accident, her memory loss and now his injury. It had taken its toll on her especially during the last two weeks. He could see the tiredness in her eyes and the worry etched on her pretty face. Her priority had to be taking care of herself and the baby. She couldn't be worrying about him as well but no doubt she probably was especially after his little performance tonight.

Shifting on the cushions, Paul immediately felt a knot of guilt twist in his gut as he thought about what he had said to her. Stephanie didn't deserve to be treated like that, no way. Not after everything she had done for him. She had been there for him unconditionally. She had been such a godsend to him and he had repaid her by acting like a complete asshole. She deserved so much better than that. She also deserved an apology from him; a huge one.

Pushing himself up off the sofa, Paul's footsteps were slow and tentative as he walked along the hallway to the bedroom. His palm pressed against the wood as he opened the door slowly. He could hear Stephanie's tears before he even walked into the room. She was lying curled up on the bed sobbing into her pillow. The sight of her so upset killed him inside and Paul closed his eyes and sighed. He really was a stupid heartless bastard.

Quickly he walked over to the bed unable to bear her seeing her like that. He sat down gently on the mattress and it dipped under his weight as his hand lifted, reaching to brush back Stephanie's hair from her face. Her cheeks were wet with her tears and her eyes were red and puffy as she lay staring straight ahead, refusing to look in his direction. His face flickered with his remorse and his hushed voice was barely a whisper above the sound of the rain.

"Steph, I am so sorry baby." he said. "I am. I didn't mean to talk to you like that. You didn't deserve it."

Stephanie sniffed and slowly turned her head around to face him. His heart broke all over again when he watched her bottom lip tremble with her shaky breaths.

"You're right. I didn't deserve that. Because I care about you Paul. I just wanted to help you."

"I know you did and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."

His apologetic brown eyes watched her carefully for a moment as his big thumb lifted to wipe at her cheek.

"Are we okay?" he asked her.

Stephanie nodded and gave him a small smile. She felt her anger at him slowly begin to slip away as her big eyes looked into his. "You would tell me if anything was troubling you though, wouldn't you?"

Paul silently whispered another apology as he forced a smile on his face. "Of course I would but there's nothing for you to worry about. Honest."

Stephanie's smile faded as she rolled her lips together thoughtfully. She knew Paul was lying to her but against her better judgement she was going to drop the issue for now. He obviously didn't want to talk about whatever it was that was bothering him and to be perfectly honest, she was too tired at the moment to pursue it. She'd just have to trust that Paul would tell her what was wrong eventually and when he did, she would be there for him. She just wanted to care for him. She hated seeing him so distressed.

"I love you."

"I know." she nodded hearing the sincerity in his gentle tone. She rolled onto her back as she stared up at him. Paul's expression was tender as his face moved towards her, brushing his lips over hers.

"God knows where I'd be without be you."

His voice wavered and Paul wrapped his arms around Stephanie, holding her to him as he breathed her in. He felt her hand touch his hair, her fingers lightly tangling in his blonde strands.

"Well you won't ever have to find out. See, I plan on sticking around."

"Oh yeah? How long?"

"Forever."

Paul let out a deep breath as he buried his face in Stephanie's neck. Forever. He sure as hell liked the sound of that.

"But you know if you wanted to, there is a way you could really make it up to me."

Paul smiled as he lifted his head, his brown eyes looking at her curiously. "Anything."

"Order me some pizza." she grinned. "I'm starving and I really fancy a pizza with absolutely everything on it."

Paul laughed and shook his head as he sat up on the bed. "It looks like those cravings are starting to kick in."

"You bet they are especially after three weeks of hospital cafeteria food. You do realise that you will now be at my beck and call day or night."

He lifted his brow at her suggestion. "Oh, you think so?"

Stephanie nodded as the heel of her hands wiped at her cheek. "I know so. The mother-to-be is in charge of carrying the baby and the father-to-be is in charge of taking care of all the mother-to-be's cravings and stuff."

"And where exactly did you hear this?"

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "I can't remember but it is common knowledge."

"I see. Well, I suppose I'd better take my duties seriously then and order you some pizza."

"That sounds like a great idea."

Her beautiful smile made his heart burst and Paul kissed her forehead before standing up and making his way towards the door.

"Oh, and Paul?"

He spun round on his heel and was met by her infectious grin.

"After my pizza I need you to take care of my other craving."

Paul smirked and raised his eyebrows quizzically. "Oh yeah? And what would this other craving be, McMahon?"

"You." she told him simply. "I want to play with my favourite Game."

He blinked heavily as he felt his body tingle with anticipation. Stephanie always had quite the effect on him, even with just words. Her voice made his knees weak and then there was that look; the look that told him exactly how much she needed him and wanted him. That same look was there right now, reflected in her ocean blue eyes. Swallowing thickly, Paul felt his own desire pool in the pit of his stomach. Gesturing to the door, he reluctantly began to leave.

"I'll just go and order that pizza."

Stephanie nodded and her lips curved up mischievously as she watched him leave. She could see that Paul was obviously affected by her teasing. It was good to know that she had still had that effect on him especially considering she was five and a half months pregnant. She didn't exactly feel desirable right now and she would be glad to get her figure back. But apart from that, she was really looking forward to this baby arriving and becoming a family. It was something that she wanted more and more with each day that passed. Their little girl would only strengthen the bond she and Paul shared.

Smiling, Stephanie reached down and rubbed her rounded stomach. She was so lost in her thoughts that she failed to hear Paul as he walked back into the room. She jumped, slightly startled by the sound of his voice.

"Penny for them?"

Her heart beat in her chest as she placed her hand over it. "You scared me. I didn't hear you come back in."

The mattress lightly creaked as Paul sat down next to her and smiled.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Us. Our family."

Paul's lips curved up gently as he took hold of her hand, his thumb rubbing small circles on her skin. "That sounds nice."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"Maybe we should decide when we're going to make this family official."

Stephanie's brow crinkled curiously at Paul. "What do you mean?"

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Well I was just thinking that maybe we should set a date for the wedding."

Stephanie let out a squeal as she lightly bounced on the bed. "Are you sure? You don't think we should wait?"

Paul shook his head and smiled. "What's there to wait for? As far as I'm concerned, the sooner it happens, the better. I can't wait to make you my wife."

"And I can't wait to be your wife." Their noses bumping together, Stephanie gave him a slow, lingering kiss. She smiled as she broke away. "Saying that, I didn't exactly picture myself being heavily pregnant on my wedding day."

"So we wait until the baby is born."

"Are you sure? You wouldn't mind?"

Paul shook his head, his brown eyes sparkling back at her. "No. It's whatever you want Steph."

"Christmas Eve."

"What?" he asked.

"Christmas Eve. I always thought it would be nice to get married at Christmas with twinkling lights all around and the snowflakes falling outside. It just seems so romantic"

Paul lightly chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Well seeing as I am the most romantic guy in the world, Stephanie Marie McMahon, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife on Christmas Eve?"

Stephanie grinned as her face beamed back at him. "I will."

Paul grinned back and pulled Stephanie towards him kissing her slowly and softly. Suddenly his worries slipped away knowing that in six months time, he would be marrying the woman of his dreams. His baby girl would be there too, watching her parents promise their future to one another. He couldn't ask for more and it allowed him to hope that maybe, just maybe everything just might end up all right after all.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Paul's hand lightly trembled as he placed the video in the machine and hesitating for just a second, his finger pressed play. His heart was racing in his chest as he sat back in the chair and watched the start of his entrance to the ring.

He swallowed hard as he shifted in the seat. Stephanie would kill him if she knew he was doing this. She had gone mad when she had overheard him on the phone asking for a copy of the tape to be sent to him. She didn't understand why he wanted to torture himself in this way and had warned him that seeing his match at Backlash wouldn't do his recovery any good. But here he was ignoring her advice. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her though; not when she had absolutely no clue he was doing this.

Stephanie was out. She had decided now that the date for the wedding was official she needed to visit her mother this afternoon and discuss some plans. Fortunately she hadn't minded when Paul had told her he didn't feel up to going. He couldn't face Linda's motherly concern and he certainly didn't want to see Vince. The bastard would put on a good show for Stephanie pretending that he cared but deep down Paul knew he was full of shit. Vince was just scared that his baby girl would put two and two together and realise that he was partly to blame for her fiancé getting his head bashed in. And he was to blame. There was no doubt about that in his mind. Vince was the one that had encouraged that psycho Martin to go after his daughter. He'd rather see her with a deranged freak than be with someone like him. Although he had to admit it would bring him a great amount of personal satisfaction to see the look on Vince's face as Stephanie discussed her wedding plans. It would be eating the old goat up inside to pretend to be happy for her.

But all thoughts of Vince quickly left Paul's head as he turned his attention back to the match. His fingers curled tightly into the palm of his hand, his fingernails lightly digging into his skin as he saw Test walk down the ramp. His hands shifted restlessly as they pressed down tensely on his thighs and he tried to control the urge to ram his fist into the television screen. He could feel the anger bubbling like hot lava in the pit of his stomach. He truly resented that bastard for what he had done, not only to him but to Stephanie too. And it was all because he had some screwed up notion that Stephanie somehow belonged to him. And God only knows where he was hiding out now. No-one had seen or heard from him since he was released on bail - or at least that's what he had been told when the topic of conversation had arisen. People were probably scared to tell him the truth thinking that he was going to after Martin and kick the living shit out of him. And in all honesty, that was a pretty accurate assumption to make.

Paul licked his dry lips and picked up the remote control as the match got underway. He felt his fingers shake as he pressed the fast forward button. He knew what he was looking for and he suddenly had the pressing need to see it. He didn't know why the hell he would want to but he did. Call it morbid fascination or call it fucking nuts.

Paul saw the fleeting image of himself raising the championship belt in the air. He pressed play and swallowed hard knowing that Andrew's attack was only seconds away. Without realising it, he had clutched the arms of the chair and gripped them tightly as Andrew picked up the sledgehammer. The room began to swim in front of him as the blood beat in his ears. Suddenly his stomach lurched and the vomit rose in his throat causing him to quickly glance away. Paul's whole body was awash with anxiety as he realised he couldn't watch it. Just the thought of seeing the attack scared the crap out of him. Paul closed his eyes and quickly pressed stop on the remote control before he saw any more.

The square black plastic tumbled to the floor as he angrily threw it down. His breathing was quick as he glanced down at his hands. They were shaking violently and he quickly clasped them together. He was obviously freaked out by the whole thing. Stephanie had been absolutely right. He shouldn't have been watching the match but in all honesty, he thought he could handle it. He thought the only emotions he would be dealing with would be his anger at getting his head bashed in. But it seemed that wasn't the case at all. Quite clearly, he was more fucked up than he thought. He had become some sort of emotional basket case and it was all thanks to that psycho Martin. He would be lucky to have a wrestling career after this. What the hell was he meant to do now?

Paul grimaced and closed his eyes as he felt his head start to pound. The headaches seemed to be getting worse and that wasn't all. His dreams were keeping him awake at night and he hadn't slept properly in days now. He was constantly haunted by images in his dreams of Stephanie lying hurt and covered in blood. It left him cold and scared and feeling completely out of control. He wasn't sure if he could handle all of this for very much longer. That's if he was even handling it to begin with.

Just then Paul stood up abruptly and began to pace up and down the spacious living room. His fingers pressed firmly against his forehead, rubbing over the clammy skin. The pain in his head was starting to be excruciating. He couldn't even take anything for it. He'd only taken a couple of tablets an hour ago. Instead he gritted his teeth together trying his best to ride it out. But he felt on edge and tense almost like he was uncomfortable in his own skin.

As he walked past the wooden coffee table, the sun glinted against the vase of flowers that sat perfectly in the middle. It grabbed his attention and before he could think, Paul had picked up the vase screaming with rage as he hurled it against the wall. He watched the glass shatter into pieces on impact. It was only a matter of seconds before he had picked up an ornament and had thrown it in the same direction.

Paul was unable to stop himself as he stormed around the room, a red mist descending on him as he destroyed anything he could get his hands on. In that moment he forgot the pain. He forgot everything else except the satisfaction of smashing up the place. When he was finally done, he slumped back against the wall, his breathing heavy as he placed his head in his hands. He slid to the floor and his body began to shake as his throat burned with his tears and as he looked around the devastation that surrounded him, he realised that he no longer recognised the place any more. Worse than that, he didn't even recognise himself.

It was almost an hour later when Stephanie came home. The first thing that hit her the second she walked in the front door was the overwhelming silence. The place was that quiet that she could hear the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. But Paul had to be somewhere in the apartment. He hadn't ventured outside once since he had been released from the hospital. Maybe he was sleeping. Deep down, she hoped that he was. She knew sleep hadn't come easy for him since he had come home.

Placing down her keys on the small table in the hall, she called gently out as she walked towards the living room.

"Paul, are you there?"

As she passed through the doorway, she immediately gasped and the bridal magazines she had been carrying tumbled to the floor. Stunned, she stepped over them and her eyes stared in disbelief the upturned pieces of furniture which lay across the length of the room. She also saw the shattered glass that sparkled against the plush carpet as the sunlight shone through the panes of the window.

As she lifted her hand to push her hair back from her face, Stephanie realised that her fingers were lightly trembling and it was no wonder. She has gotten a shock to find the place like this. The room had been totally wrecked. What the hell had happened in here? And more importantly, where was Paul?

Stephanie was about to turn about and look for him when her eyes fell on the video boxes scattered around the floor. The television was still switched on and white and black dots danced oddly around the screen. She felt a sense of dread wash over her as she walked slowly towards the boxes. Bending down carefully, she picked up the one that was lying empty. She got an uneasy feeling in her bones as she pressed play on the video machine. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes and she let out a frightened whimper as she saw the sledgehammer connect with Paul's head. Feeling sick, she quickly switched the tape off and the blood beat in her ears as she slowly stood up. Suddenly the truth dawned on her and she couldn't help but wonder why on earth Paul had tortured himself like this and watched the damn thing. She had told him it wouldn't do him any good and judging by the state of the living room, she had been absolutely right.

Sighing softly, she lightly shook her head.

"I couldn't watch it."

She jumped, slightly startled by the sound of his soft voice. She quickly turned round and saw Paul sitting slumped against the wall in the faraway corner. He was staring straight ahead and hugging his knees to his chest. Despite his size, he looked so small and he reminded Stephanie of a frightened little boy.

Pushing back the hot lump in her throat, she wiped at tears she hadn't realised she had shed.

"Thank God you didn't. Reliving what happened won't do you any good, you know." she said.

She walked across to where Paul was sitting and awkwardly placed herself on the floor beside him. It was definitely getting harder to manoeuvre now she was getting bigger. She rested her left hand against her rounded stomach.

"So, did trashing the place make you feel any better?" she asked him, sharply.

She saw Paul close his eyes and hang his head in shame. His blonde hair fell over his face like a silk curtain. She immediately felt guilty for speaking to him in such an abrupt tone but she couldn't help it. She felt angry at what he had done. But that anger quickly slipped away when Paul spoke, his voice barely a whisper.

"I'm so sorry, Steph."

Stephanie sighed and placed her hand on top of his knee, squeezing it reassuringly.

"I know you are. I just wish you would tell me what's going on in that head of yours. I want to help you Paul but I can't if you won't let me in."

"I can't Steph. I … I just can't."

"Well you're going to have to try because you can't keep lashing out like this any longer. It's not doing you or me any good."

Paul closed his eyes and lifted his head, resting it against the wall. His soft strands partially covered his face as he leaned into her.

"I know that but I can't help it. I just get so angry sometimes you know."

He let out a heavy sigh and turned his head slowly. His brown eyes met Stephanie's and she felt her tears spill over her lashes once more as she saw the pain that lingered there; the pain she would do anything to take away. She hated seeing Paul like this; so vulnerable and broken.

"I scare myself, Steph. Worse than that, I don't know who I am anymore." he hushed.

Stephanie's tears rolled down her cheeks as she immediately reached for him, her hand resting on his head as she pulled it to her shoulder. She kissed his hair as her fingers began to smooth back the blonde strands.

"It's going to be alright Paul, I promise."

She pulled him closer and she felt his body shake as he finally began to let go.

"We're going to get through this, you and me together."

Stephanie's voice wavered and she closed her eyes as she gripped Paul tightly to her and tried hard not to listen to the voice in her head telling her that they might not get through this at all. In fact things just might never be the same again.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Stephanie sipped at her coffee staring at the strewn pieces of paper currently littering her kitchen table. They were pages from the script for the upcoming show but she couldn't concentrate on it. She couldn't focus on anything to do with work. She had tried knowing she had deadlines to meet but her mind kept wandering to other things; other things namely being Paul. She just couldn't stop thinking about him or worrying about him. Not only was he having these horrible nightmares, now he was smashing the place up. And that just wasn't Paul. He wasn't a violent person or an angry one either. Or at least he never used to be. Lately he had changed and it was obvious to her he was suffering some effects from his injury. But Paul didn't want to know. In fact he rarely even discussed it and anytime she asked him to talk, he kept telling her it was fine. That he was fine. But of course that wasn't true. If today had proved anything, it was that Paul was far from fine. He had even admitted himself that he was scared. She was scared too. His actions this afternoon had freaked her out so much so she knew she couldn't handle this alone.

Placing down her mug, Stephanie pushed back her chair and getting up she slowly wandered through to the hallway. She could hear Paul in the other room and she tried to ignore the pang of guilt she felt as she tiptoed along the hallway not wanting him to know what she was up to. Stephanie gently closed the bedroom door behind her before she picked up her cell phone that lay on the bed. Pressing the digits, she felt her fingers lightly tremble. She let out a calming breath as she listened to the line ring out and when she heard his voice, she unexpectedly felt a hard lump in her throat. She rolled her lips and mentally told herself to pull herself together. Now was definitely not the time to be falling apart. Tossing her head back slightly, she forced a small smile upon her face to strengthen her resolve.

"Hi Shane." she eventually said greeting her brother.

"Stephanie. And to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

"What? Are you saying I need a reason to call you now?" she teased.

But she noticed her voice sounded a little emotionally high pitched and Stephanie quickly closed her mouth, hoping he hadn't noticed. Hoping Shane couldn't hear the tears she was trying her best to hide.

"No. Of course not." he told her.

There was a slight pause as Stephanie wandered across to the window and as she absently looked through the glass she heard Shane clear his throat.

"But it sounds like there is a reason." he replied softly. "Steph, are you okay? You sound a little upset."

Stephanie sighed as she pressed her eyes shut. Trust Shane to be able to see right through her. He always could but then that was probably the reason she had wanted to call him in the first place. She needed to talk to someone and she knew her brother was the only other person besides Paul that wouldn't let her fob him off by trying to tell him everything was fine. And everything wasn't fine. Paul was a mess and she felt completely out of her depth.

Licking her lips, Stephanie slowly opened her eyes and stared out at the street below.

"It's Paul." she finally admitted softly.

"Is he alright? Has something happened to him?"

She shook her head despite Shane being unable to see her response. "Nothing's happened to him physically. He's not hurt or anything."

"Then what's wrong's Steph? Come on. Talk to me."

The tears burned the back of her throat as she turned from the window and she swallowed them back as she crossed the room and sat down on the neatly made bed, the covers lightly crumpling underneath her.

"Oh Shane!" she sighed as she rested her hand on her bump lightly rubbing her palm over her rounded stomach. "I don't know what to do."

"Why? What's going on."

Stephanie blinked back her tears hearing the panic in her brother's tone. "He trashed the place, Shane. Thats' what's going on."

"What do you mean he trashed the place?"

"It's like I said. I came home this afternoon to find Paul had trashed the living room. There was glass and furniture everywhere. The whole place was a mess. And I know he didn't mean it to do it but why the hell would he want to watch that damn tape anyway?"

Stephanie felt the tears finally slip over her lashes and trickle down her cheek as she recalled that afternoon and remembered the frightened look on Paul's face. It was a look she'd seen before, usually when he had woken from one of his dreams. They were nightmares actually; nightmares Paul had been having frequently ever since he'd left the hospital. And there were the mood swings to deal with too. It took very little to set Paul off in a rage. God knows she had tried so hard to pretend that everything was normal since he'd been discharged but it wasn't until now, when she was actually talking about it to someone, that she realised she couldn't fool herself any longer. Things weren't normal. In fact, they were anything but. Paul just wasn't her Paul any more.

"What tape Steph? Please tell me he wasn't watching his match at Backlash."

Shane's worried voice broke her train of thought and Stephanie sniffed, wiping her fingers over her cheek and feeling the wet warmth of her tears.

"He was." she sighed softly. "Although he couldn't actually watch the part where Andrew attacked him. Thank God."

Her brother's relieved sigh crackled down the line.

"Thank God is right. And I'm telling you, if I ever find out who Paul got that tape from, I'll fire their ass. They should have never given it to him in the first place. I mean what the hell were they thinking?"

Stephanie smiled at his tirade despite her heavy heart. Shane never admitted it but he always liked to fire people who stepped out of line. It gave him a great sense of satisfaction to give them their comeuppance. And people thought she was the ruthless one. God help them all when her father eventually retired. They would be lucky to have any employees left if Shane got to revel in the power of actually being in charge.

"Look Steph, I know Paul shouldn't have trashed the place but you know what? Seeing that match must have brought back a lot of bad memories for him. You can't really blame him for wanting to lash out. Not that I'm condoning what he did. I'm not. But you can understand it, can't you?"

Stephanie closed her eyes and sighed once more. If only it were that simple. But it was so much more than that. It was more than anyone else had even realised. And how could they? She had done a good job of hiding the truth to the outside world. Paul had too.

"Of course I understand and I don't blame him, Shane. I really don't. But it's not just today I'm worried about."

Stephanie swallowed thickly, her voice faltering for a second. She was reluctant to say it out loud. She was afraid saying the words would make it all too real. But the truth was it was real and she had no choice. She had to tell Shane if she wanted to help Paul. She just couldn't do this alone any more. She was out of her depth. Shifting on the bed, her hand absently rubbed her stomach silently communicating with her unborn child; a child who deserved to know her real daddy. The daddy who wasn't constantly angry and frustrated. That thought alone gave Stephanie the strength to continue the conversation.

"Look Shane, Paul's not himself. He hasn't been since we left the hospital. In fact, even in the hospital I noticed it."

"Noticed what?"

"His mood swings." she admitted. "It's like he's fine one minute and then he totally loses control the next and it can be over even the smallest of things. Do you know he even yelled at me for no reason the other day? It was like he totally freaked out for nothing. And that's not like him, Shane. It usually takes a hell of a lot for Paul to lose his temper."

Shane sighed softly knowing Stephanie was right. Outside of his character, Paul was one of the most passive guys he had ever met. Hell, he even got ribbed by the guys in the back about it with a few of them even calling him Stephanie's bitch. Of course that had been when Paul still wrestled; before he got his head bashed in by a psycho.

"Have you talked to him about it?" he asked his sister.

"I've tried but he refuses to talk to me." Stephanie admitted as she blinked back tears that threatened to fall once more as the image of Paul huddled in the room flooded her mind. He had looked so broken and small. He had reminded her of a frightened child.

"You should have seen him today." she continued. "He was so scared Shane and so sad. He told me that he didn't know who he was anymore and then he broke down in tears."

Shane heard Stephanie's voice break and he closed his eyes as he listened to his sister's distress. It killed him to know she was hurting this way. She loved Paul so much. It had to be tearing her apart to see him like that especially knowing how overjoyed and relieved she had been when Paul had eventually regained consciousness after his injury. Stephanie had been so happy to have him home. She had been looking forward to them eventually becoming a family. Now it seemed someone was playing a cruel joke putting them through this after everything they had already been put through. It seemed fate had decided to bite them in the ass big time.

"I could try talking to him if you like." he offered knowing he wanted to help. He cared about Paul. He hated the thought of him going through this.

"I don't know Shane." Stephanie sniffed as she considered his offer. "He won't talk to me so God knows if he'd talk to you."

"Isn't it at least worth a try?" he asked.

She nodded to herself, knowing he was right. Somebody had to try and get Paul to open up and talk about what was happening to him. It wasn't doing him any good keeping it all bottled up inside. It wasn't doing her or the baby any good either. They were all suffering.

"I guess you're right." she conceded as she lifted her hand pushing it through her hair. "Thanks Shane. I don't know what I'd do without you, you know." she told him, her lips curving up gently.

"Well, you know you can get me a V.I.P. invitation to this wedding of yours. You can even tell Paul I always wanted to be a best man."

Stephanie found herself chuckling lightly, the weight on her shoulders feeling just that little bit lighter. "You can tell him yourself when you talk to him."

"Then I will. How about I call over tomorrow and I'll bring Marissa with me. That way you guys can talk about babies and weddings while I have a chat with Paul. Is that okay?"

"That's perfect. And you know, if you're lucky, I might even throw in some dinner."

"Gee thanks Steph. I try to help you and you try to kill me in return."

Stephanie rolled her eyes dryly at his teasing comment. "Don't be smart big brother. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You can count on it. Bye Steph."

She listened to the tone at the end of the line for a second before hanging up. Stephanie let out a slow calm breath as she tried to keep her emotions in check and wiped at her eyes once more trying her best to hide any signs she had been crying. She didn't want Paul to see she was upset. God knows he felt guilty enough as it was about today. Although she had to admit she actually felt a bit better about the whole thing now she had confided in someone. She just hoped Shane would be able to get Paul to open up to him. He couldn't go on the way he had been. He was retreating into himself more and more each day and she couldn't bear to see him that way. Paul was always so vibrant and full of life but he was quickly becoming a shell of his former self.

Stephanie carefully stood up from the bed and pushing back her hair, she decided she would go and check on him. She had left him alone tidying up the mess in the living room. She had offered to help but Paul had refused telling her to go and do some work instead. He knew some scripts were due in a couple of days and she had yet to make a start to them. That and she knew he felt guilty about her cleaning up his mess.

Making her way out into the hallway, Stephanie tried her best to compose herself and she even managed a genuine smile as she walked into the living room and found the place was tidy and pretty immaculate. She watched Paul as he swept up the last pieces of glass and tossed them into the trash can he had brought through from the kitchen.

"It looks as good as new." she commented as she wandered towards him.

She saw the meek apologetic expression on Paul's face as he turned towards her lifting his shoulder in an awkward shrug. "I'm sorry. I'll replace whatever was broken."

Stephanie shook her head and her smile widened as she wrapped her arms around his neck and affectionately brushed her fingers through the soft ends of his hair. "You must be feeling bad. You're actually offering to take me shopping."

Her joking manner lifted Paul's spirits and his brown eyes twinkled as he lightly chuckled. "God help me. We'll be there for hours."

She grinned but that grin turned into a gasp of excitement as she felt a familiar movement. Stephanie released her arms from around his neck and stepped back. She curled her hands around Paul's and guided them to rest on her stomach.

"You feel that? Our daughter is kicking in there. I think she likes the idea of going shopping with her mommy and daddy."

Paul's face filled with delight as he felt another kick. "Well, see that's only because she knows we'll end up buying her lots of stuff. She likes being spoiled just like her mother."

"Hey you!" Stephanie jokingly protested as she playfully shoved him before grabbing at his fingers and intertwining them with her own as she stood there looking at him. She said nothing for a moment as she observed him, looking deep into his incredible brown eyes and suddenly feeling overcome with the emotion. "I love you Paul Levesque." she hushed.

She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly on the lips. She wanted him to know that she meant every word; to feel that she meant it. To know that despite everything he was going through, she was there for him and she always would be. Her heart belonged to him.

When Stephanie eventually broke the kiss, Paul nuzzled into her pulling her into his arms. He held her close, squeezing her gently as his lips grazed her temple.

"I don't deserve you Steph." he told her.

"Don't be silly." she scolded as she remained nestled in the crook of his neck. His gentle heat was soothing and she felt their troubles slowly start to disappear like bubbles floating in the air.

"I'm so sorry for putting you through all of this."

Stephanie shook her head as she rubbed her hands gently up and down his back cherishing the feel of being in his embrace. It was moments like this, just holding Paul and feeling close to him, that she could actually believe that they would get through this. That together, they could get through anything. They'd been through so much already. She was damned if they wouldn't get through this too. And they had to. It was as simple as that because losing Paul just wasn't an option for her.

"Don't apologise. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." she told him.

"Can I hold you to that?"

Stephanie lifted her head hearing the seriousness in his voice and Paul's eyes mirrored his solemn expression. He looked so lost and sad and she felt a pull in her chest as she nodded back at him, resting her forehead against his. The breath from his heavy sigh danced across her face.

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Anything." she whispered.

"Try not to give up on me. Because the truth is I need you Steph."

Paul's words sounded so vulnerable. Stephanie pushed back the hot lump in her throat as she cupped one side of his face in her hand. Her fingertips softly traced his skin as she closed her eyes, holding back her tears.

"I need you too, baby." she reassured him. "I'll always be here for you Paul. I promise."

Paul buried his head in her hair as he wrapped his arms around Stephanie once more holding her tightly. He tried to find faith in her words hoping she had meant every single one because he couldn't bear the thought of what would happen to him without her. Stephanie was his strength. She was the glue that was holding him together and the truth was that without her, he was in real danger of completely falling apart. She was the only one that could save him. He needed Stephanie there to catch him. He needed her to be his safe place to fall.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The sound of the crunching gravel travelled through the open window. Stephanie threw down the bridal magazine she had been skimming through and stood up from the sofa. Her blue eyes peered through the glass and they lit up with her delighted smile as she saw her brother emerge from the car.

"They're here." she told Paul as she quickly rushed past him into the hallway.

Paul's lips curved up gently, warmed at Stephanie's excitement as she headed to the front door to greet their visitors. It was really nice to see her so happy and in good spirits. God knows he hadn't given her a reason to feel like that lately and he was beginning to feel like this gigantic fucking chain around her neck.

Sighing softly, Paul didn't have time to wallow as he heard the footsteps in the hall. He stood up as Shane and Marissa walked in the room. Marissa was the first one through the door and she surprised Paul a little by rushing over and pulling him into a hug.

"How are you doing?" she asked him.

Paul nodded and grinned as they broke apart. "I'm doing great. How about you?"

Marissa grinned vibrantly as she clapped her hands together. "Me? I'm so excited about this wedding. And I love the fact it's on Christmas Eve. How romantic are you Mr Levesque?"

Paul had opened his mouth to put her straight when Stephanie walked into the room and interrupted. She smirked playfully at Paul as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't let him fool you Riss. He may be romantic but the Christmas Eve thing was all my idea. He just went along with it."

He rolled his eyes dryly. "Like I had any option not to."

Stephanie stuck her tongue out at him and Marissa started to laugh as Shane walked over and stood beside Paul. He placed his arm around his shoulder, smacking his large bicep in brotherly solidarity.

"Well you'd better get used to it buddy because once that ring is on her finger, any ability you have to make a decision for yourself is automatically gone." he told him and watched as his wife placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head at him in mock disapproval.

"Shane McMahon, you'd better take that back. I let you make decisions. Just last week I let you decide whether you took me shopping or just gave me your credit card instead."

Shane snorted. "Yeah with the end result being the same. Total bankruptcy."

"Come on Rissa, you don't have to listen to this." said Stephanie as she gently grabbed her sister in law's arm and guided her towards the door. "Come with me to the kitchen while I make us a drink and I'll tell you some more embarrassing stories about Shane when he was little."

"You've told her them all Steph. There's nothing left to tell her about me."

Stephanie smirked at her brother as she walked out the door. "Oh yes there is."

Before Shane could say anything else, his sister had closed the door behind her. He shook his head and turned to Paul who was chuckling in amusement.

"Does Lynn ever tell embarrassing stories about you?"

Paul nodded. "Hell yeah. And you can add my mother to that list as well."

Shane laughed as he sat down on the sofa and looked across as Paul took the chair opposite him. He couldn't help but notice how gaunt and pale the guy looked and there were dark circles encompassing his eyes only proving what Shane already knew. Paul was obviously having trouble sleeping. His face wore a concerned expression as he shifted on the cushions.

"So I would ask you how you're feeling but you're bound to be sick of hearing that question by now." he smiled sympathetically.

Paul quickly nodded. "You can blame that on my mother. She calls me at least twice every damn day."

"You can't blame her though. For a while there she probably thought she wasn't going to ever talk to you again."

Shane immediately sensed Paul's discomfort as his face crumpled into a troubled frown and his leg began to bounce almost nervously in front of him.

"Yeah well, at least that's over now." Paul replied lowly.

"Is it?"

His brown eyes narrowed in Shane's direction. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

His body was tense and his whole manner was defensive. Shane sighed as he raked his fingers through his short strands and sat forward, knowing he was going to have to tread carefully. They'd barely even struck up a conversation and already Paul was on edge.

"Look, Steph told me you're still getting headaches. She also mentioned that you haven't been sleeping very well."

Paul sighed heavily and licked his lips, pushing his blonde strands back from his forehead. As he rested against the cushions, his mouth pressed together tightly and his fingers clenched together. He suddenly felt uncomfortable and restless. He didn't want to talk about any of this right now and he wondered why the hell Shane had to bring it up anyway.

"You do know you shouldn't be dealing with this on your own. Everyone cares about you and wants to help you."

Paul snorted in disbelief at Shane's naivety. "Everyone? I sure hope you've not included your father on that list."

His brown eyes stared back at Shane defiantly while inside he wondered why he had brought up the subject of Vince in the first place. He wasn't entirely sure. Maybe it was because he was starting to feel a little defensive and not only that, he was trying hard to find a way to take the focus off himself. The last thing he needed was someone else seeing the true picture and knowing how fucked up he really was.

"Look believe it or not Paul, Dad is worried about you." said Shane calmly. "He's trying really hard to accept your relationship with Stephanie, you know."

"And you really believe that after everything he's done?"

Paul paused, shaking his head.

"Because I don't." he continued. "The only reason your dad would ever pretend to care about me is because he feels guilty, Shane! The old goat knows fine well it's his fault Martin's obsessed with Stephanie and he sure as hell knows he's partly to blame for the bastard bashing my brains in."

Shane winced at Paul's words knowing that they carried an element of truth. But at the same time, he also knew that his father did feel genuine remorse at the pain he had caused Stephanie and Paul. He saw the regret in his eyes every time he looked at his baby girl. And that regret had gone a long way to him finding a way to forgive Vince for the all the heartache he had caused. But then again, Vince was his father and he loved him unconditionally. Paul didn't need to be so forgiving. He was also completely justified at feeling so angry and hurt. Still, he had to give Paul credit. He hadn't shown any of that anger and hurt to Stephanie. He knew how much family meant to his sister and it's why he had never told her the truth. It would break her heart to discover the lengths her father had gone to in order to destroy her relationship with him. That's why Paul had protected her. And that's why he, as her brother, had to try and make Paul see that his father had changed. It was the only way he could stop his sister from sensing something was wrong and even suspecting the truth.

"Look I understand where you're coming from Paul. I do." he stressed. "But Dad really is making an effort and maybe you should try to accept that for Stephanie's sake if nothing else."

Shane's words spun around his head as Paul closed his eyes and his fingers lifted to press down on his temples as he felt the dull throbbing return. He'd blame his headache on Vince too. He had been perfectly fine until the subject of that old bastard had come up.

"How bad does it hurt?"

"Pretty fucking bad." he admitted as his hands dropped to his lap. He leant his head back against the back of the chair, his eyes remaining closed. "I'll be okay in a minute."

"Do you want me to get you something? Have you taken any medication?"

Paul opened his eyes and saw the concerned face looking back at him. It was a face that reminded him a lot of Stephanie when she was constantly looking over him, mothering him. "Thanks." he smiled gratefully. "But I took my pills half an hour ago. It just takes a while for them to kick in I guess."

Shane nodded but wasn't convinced as he watched Paul carefully. It was obvious he was in a lot of discomfort and needed something much stronger. His face was almost grey with the pain he was in.

"Have you thought about going back to the doctor? Maybe he could help."

"Look, I'm fine." Paul shot back in irritation. "I'll be okay in a minute."

Shane shook his head and sighed. He could feel his own irritation bubble to the surface. Paul wasn't fine. Not by a long shot but of course, he was too damn proud and stubborn to admit it. Well, he was sick of pussyfooting around him. It was time to try the direct approach. God knows, he had to try something because Stephanie was right. Paul wasn't himself and ignoring the problem wasn't doing him any favours. And if he thought he could be stubborn about this he could think again. No one could hold a candle to a McMahon when they decided to stick their ground.

"Look, why won't you admit there's something wrong?" Shane asked, refusing to acknowledge the scowl thrown his way. "You're in pain and you're not sleeping. There are obviously side affects from your injury. Why won't you go to the doctor and get some help?"

His words echoed around the spacious room as Paul stood up and walked across to the window. His huge shoulders were tense as he gripped the wooden ledge and when he spoke his words were gruff and abrupt. "Please just drop it, would you? I'm handling it."

"No you're not Paul."

Shane sighed heavily as he got to his feet and tentatively approached the window.

"Watching the match where you got your head bashed in and then trashing this place is not what I would call handling things."

Paul felt his stomach drop as Shane's words slowly sunk in. He couldn't stop the pang of guilt he felt as he turned to him or the shame that washed over him as he remembered. "I can't believe Steph told you that. Does everyone know?"

Shane quickly shook his head to reassure him. "No, it's just me. She told me when she called me last night."

"She never said anything about talking to you."

"She probably didn't want to upset you, that's all."

"Oh that's right. Poor Paul! We'd better not tell him anything in case he loses it.!" Paul snorted.

"It's not like that and you know it." said Shane, watching Paul clench his fists as he stood there glaring back at him. His brown eyes were dark as his face crumpled with his anger.

"Do I?" he shouted back. "I don't think so. All I know is you've obviously been talking about me behind my back. So tell me Shane what's the diagnosis? Am I an emotional wreck or just a crazy bastard?"

Suddenly the door opened and Stephanie rushed in. Her blue eyes were big and wide as she glanced between the two men standing across the room. "I heard shouting. Is everything okay?"

Shane looked over at her and nodded his head. "It's fine. We were just having a chat."

"A chat? Is that what you would call it?" sneered Paul. "Funny, it feels more like a fucking interrogation. But if it's a chat you're looking for, you'd be better talking with my fiancee over here. She likes having little chats with her brother about me."

As he glared at her, Stephanie immediately felt guilty and she crossed the room reaching for him, her hand lightly clasping his arm.

"I was just worried about you Paul. I needed someone to talk to." she explained.

"And you couldn't talk to me?"

Stephanie slowly shook her head as she saw out of the corner of her eye her brother and Marissa back to the other side of the room. But she kept her focus on Paul, knowing she needed to be honest with him. She had no choice, not if she wanted to get through to him. And she wanted to, desperately.

"No. I can't talk to you Paul." she admitted sadly. "Every time I try to talk to you or I try to find out what's wrong, you either give me the silent treatment or you shout at me to leave you alone. So what am I to do, Paul? Talk to myself? Keep this all inside?"

Paul snorted angrily as he shook her hand away and stepped back. "Don't be so ridiculous Steph."

"Oh I'm not the one being ridiculous Paul. You are. You refuse any help from me or anyone else. You haven't been outside in days and yesterday I find out you've been watching a match where you get your head bashed in. Are you crazy?"

As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. She could only watch as Paul let out a sarcastic laugh and threw his hands up in the air.

"That's right Steph. I'm crazy. Go ahead and say it. After all, that's what you're thinking."

"No, Paul. I don't. Not at all."

His brown eyes stared back at her coldly as he stood tall. His size was intimidating as he closed the tiny space between them.

"Don't lie to me Steph." he shouted at her. "You could at least have the guts to tell me the truth!"

His raised voice made her jump slightly and as Paul walked towards her once more, Stephanie instinctively started to back away from him accidently bumping into a sideboard in the process. As she regained her footing, she saw the bewildered expression on Paul's face as he stopped suddenly, frozen to the spot and that bewilderment turned to pain as he realised why she had acted the way she did. The blood pulsed in her ears until he spoke, his words so soft she had to strain to hear them.

"You're scared of me."

The devastation in his deep brown eyes made her throat burn as she quickly shook her head.

"No I'm not."

"You are Steph. You're terrified. I can see it in your eyes."

As they looked at one another, Stephanie felt the tears slowly slip over her lashes sensing his pain and knowing she was the one who had caused it.

"I'm sorry Paul. I didn't mean to back away. It just happened."

Paul shook his head sadly. "You've got nothing to apologise for baby." he told her softly. "This is my fault. It's all my fault and I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything."

His voice wavered as he quickly left the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

Stephanie looked towards Shane who had walked across to where she was standing and the tears slipped down her cheeks as he pulled her into a hug. She just stood there for a moment in silent devastation and he said nothing as he held her and he continued to hold her while Stephanie broke down and let herself cry in his arms.

* * *

Paul glanced sadly at the envelope in his hand. He held it for a few moments before tossing it down on the bed and he grabbed his holdall that sat on the floor next to him. Furiously he began to empty his clothes from the closet before throwing them haphazardly into his bag only pausing for a second to angrily wipe away a tear that had threatened to fall. He couldn't cry. He refused to. He wouldn't be upset about what had happened because he didn't deserve to. God knows there was no-one to blame for this mess but himself because he did this. His actions had caused all of this.

Blocking that thought from his mind, Paul didn't allow himself any more time to think as he furiously continued to pack. If he did think, he just might change his mind and he couldn't allow that to happen. He had to leave for Stephanie's sake. It was for the best. It was the best for her and the best for their unborn child too.

Letting out a calming breath, it strengthened his resolve and Paul finished packing zipping up the bag. As he looked up, his eyes caught the bright glint of the brass photo frame and his gaze settled on the picture which sat on the dresser. He slowly crossed the room and picked it up. A melancholy smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was one of his favourite photos of them together. He had his arms wrapped around Stephanie and she was looking up and smiling at him. They were both so happy and carefree in that moment. And they had been. Of course that all seemed a lifetime ago; a lifetime before he had screwed everything up for them. As his finger gently traced the glass covering Stephanie's face, he felt the ache in his heart at the thought of leaving her. He was going to miss her. He was going to miss her with everything inside him and it killed him to think of spending a single moment without her.

Feeling the hot lump in his throat, Paul quickly pushed that thought from his mind and walked over and opened his bag. He placed the photo on top before zipping it back up again. His fingers reached for the envelope on the bed and it dangled from his fingertips as he lifted his bag. He quickly turned to leave when his breath caught in his throat and he saw Shane standing in the open doorway.

"You're leaving?" he asked him in alarm.

Paul nodded as he glanced away, unable to see the disappointment in his face. It only reminded him that he had disappointed Stephanie too and not only that he, had also disappointed himself in the process. Because he had meant it when he had promised Stephanie forever. He just didn't realise that forever would be cut so cruelly short.

"I have to Shano. I just can't hurt her anymore."

"But you'll hurt her by leaving. You know that don't you."

"Yeah. Yeah I do." he admitted sadly.

He slowly lifted his head and he licked his lips as his brown eyes sought out Shane's. They silently pleaded with him to understand, to know his reasons why.

"But I also know I'll hurt her even more by staying here." Paul told him sadly. "She's scared of me, Shane. You saw it and I can't blame her. Not when I scare myself. I'm a walking time bomb, man. I'm a mess and that's why I can't stay here any longer. Not like this. I'm not putting Stephanie at risk. Her or our baby. I couldn't live with myself."

His voice broke away and Shane sighed and nodded, showing he got it. He didn't like it but he got it.

"She won't let you leave, you know."

Paul nodded his head. "And that's why I'm not saying goodbye."

He felt his hand lightly tremble as he held out the envelope to Shane. His chest felt tight and he pressed his lips together, trying his best to keep his composure. This felt like the cowards way out but it was the only way.

"Will you give her this for me?"

Shane paused for a moment not sure what to do before he nodded and took the envelope from him. "Where will you go?"

"Home. I'll probably stay at my parents' house." Paul gave him a tight smile. "There are too many memories at ours."

Shane heard the pain in his voice and without saying a word, he walked over and pulled Paul into a hug. He sounded so broken and vulnerable to him. Paul patted his back and quickly pulled away, needing to leave. He picked up his bag and walked to the door but he stopped before he left and turned round to Shane.

"Promise me you'll look after her?"

Shane nodded and watched as Paul walked away. He stood in a stunned silence as he opened the front door and left. Seconds later the living room door opened and Marissa walked out into the hallway. She looked up to see her husband standing just in front of her.

"Was that Paul?"

He nodded. "He's gone Riss." he told her sadly.

"Did he say why?"

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "He thinks he's a risk to Stephanie and the baby."

Marissa sighed and pushed her hand through her hair as she glanced at the open door to the living room. "Stephanie's asleep. What are you going to tell her when she wakes up?"

Shane shook his head sadly as he turned, leaning back against the wall. "I don't know. That Paul's gone and we're going to be there to help her through it."

Marissa nodded and she pulled her husband into her arms and held him. Shane kissed her hair glancing down and seeing the envelope in his hands. At least Paul had found a way of saying goodbye but he knew it would provide little comfort to Stephanie when she realised he was really gone. It would break her heart in two but he'd be there looking after her. Stephanie would survive this. Paul would too. He'd make sure of it.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Stephanie lay on top of the bed with her body curled into a ball - well as much of a ball as her pregnancy would allow her and her face was softly illuminated by the moonlight that shone through the glass pane of the window. She was on the right hand side of the mattress, Paul's side, and she could smell his cologne as she breathed into the soft padded pillow. If she closed her eyes, she even could imagine he was here lying beside her now. His big arms would be holding her, soothing her aching heart. His hushed voice would be reassuring her that everything was okay; that he was here looking after her because that's what Paul did. He looked after her and he chased her fears away. He protected her – or at least he used to but he wouldn't be protecting her any more. Paul wasn't here because Paul was gone.

Feeling the lump burning the back of her throat, Stephanie swallowed hard and glanced down at the envelope she held loosely in her hand. Her sad blue eyes stared at the familiar cream stationery. She had been stupidly holding on to it for hours afraid to open it because she wasn't sure she had the strength to see his words. She was barely hanging on as it was. That and well somewhere in her mind she had convinced herself that if she didn't open the letter, it couldn't be true. That she could somehow stop all of this from happening to her. Maybe even reverse the events of today and stop her heart from completely shattering into tiny pieces. God knows it had broken in two the second she realised Paul had left her. She couldn't believe he had just walked out on her like that and she had been inconsolable ever since knowing she was the reason he had gone. She didn't need a stupid piece of paper to tell her that not when she had her own guilt as a constant reminder.

Feeling her tears try to consume her once again, Stephanie let out a shaky breath and turned to lie on her back angrily swiping at her wet cheeks. The mattress lightly creaked under her weight as her hand rested on her stomach, rubbing it absently. She silently whispered to her unborn child to forgive her for sending her daddy away. After all who could she blame but her self for Paul leaving the way he did? She was the one that had caused the damage the second she had she flinched away from him this afternoon. She just didn't know why she had. She knew Paul would never lay a finger on her. Or at least the old Paul wouldn't anyway. And maybe that was the problem. Paul had changed so much since the attack that at times she didn't recognise him. His moods had become so unpredictable that she never knew what his reaction was going to be. Sometimes she felt like she was living with a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. He was wound up so tightly and she could sense the rage simmering inside him. But that wasn't Paul's fault. He was actually the victim in the whole scenario and it was all because of that bastard Andrew. The damage he had caused had been devastating and the whole ordeal had obviously affected Paul more badly than anyone had even realised; even Paul himself. God, even now she could still see the frightened expression on his face as he had sat in the corner of the living room yesterday. The same frightened expression that told her he was every bit as scared as she was, probably even more so.

Biting down on her lip, Stephanie lifted her hand to look at the letter again. As she held it up in front of her, the moonlight caught her engagement ring and her eyes were drawn to the diamond as it sparkled catching her attention. She held her hand up and sighed wistfully. She had been so happy when Paul had proposed to her. It was everything she had ever wanted. To be his wife and share his name and become a proper family. A family she cherished more than anything especially with the baby on its way. She had such high hopes and dreams for their daughter but unfortunately that dream of a perfect family for her appeared to be over before it even had the chance to get started.

Raking her hand through her hair and shifting on the bed, Stephanie turned her attention back to the envelope that she held in her other hand. Her finger slowly traced her name that Paul had written on the front in his familiar scrawl, the letters looping neatly together. She wished she could hear him say her name one more time because she loved it when Paul said her name. No one else said it the way he did. It always sounded special, intimate and seemed to fall so softly from lips. Even now she could hear his voice and it only made her miss him even more desperately. She wanted to hear him, talk to him and hold him in her arms. She wanted him here beside her. Why the hell did he have to leave her?

Suddenly needing to have an answer to that question, Stephanie pushed herself up the bed and leant back against the pillows. Her fingers were lightly trembling as she opened the envelope and pulling out the piece of paper, she slowly unfolded the note. Letting out a calming breath, her blue eyes scanned what Paul had written to her.

_Steph,_

_I know there's nothing I can say that will change what I've done. By the time you read this I'll have walked out on you and I'll have walked out on our daughter too. Please believe me when I tell you that it was the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life but I know it's for the best. I can't be near you right now, Steph. I don't trust myself. I can't._

_But you can trust the fact that I never meant to hurt you. Please believe that. But today has made me open my eyes and see what I've done to you. You were scared of me and it killed me to know that my actions were responsible for you feeling that way. I was so wrapped up in my own fear and anger that I never saw the damage I was causing and now it's too late. I've hurt the one person in the world that means everything to me and I'll never forgive myself for that. I've let you down sweetheart and I'm so sorry._

_I know when I walk out that door today, it's going to take everything I have not to turn around and walk straight back. I'm going to miss you so much but I have to do this for your sake. You and the baby come first. You don't deserve to live in fear but you do deserve to be happy and safe. And I want you to be happy Steph. God knows I haven't given you much reason to feel that way lately._

_And while I regret what I've done to you, I don't regret a single minute of my life with you. You're such an amazing and beautiful person. You taught me what happiness and love are all about - and I do love you Stephanie. I always will. Remember that._

_Paul_

Stephanie's eyes were filled with her sadness as she stared at the note, trying her best to absorb every single word. She wasn't even aware that tears had slipped from her lashes, trickling slowly down her cheek. Her mind was too preoccupied with Paul and his reasons for leaving her. And she could understand those reasons. She did. Paul was always so protective of her and he would have been devastated to think that he couldn't protect her from himself. He just wanted to keep her safe; her and their baby. But while Paul considered himself a risk to that safety, she simply didn't agree. She knew Paul. She knew deep down in her heart he wasn't capable of physically hurting her or their child. She trusted him implicitly even if her own actions today had caused Paul to doubt that trust. But she hadn't meant to act that way. If she could take it all back in a heart beat she would just like if she could take away every ounce of pain and fear Paul felt she would do that too.

Lifting her hand to wipe at her wet cheeks, Stephanie opened her eyes and lifting the letter, she began to read it once more. Her eyes scanned the piece of paper frantically searching for more answers and when she came to the last paragraph Stephanie shook her head in disapproval. She even found herself starting to feel a little angry with Paul. It was obvious what he was trying to do here. He was trying to say goodbye to her without actually putting the word down on paper. But why the hell would he do that and why was he giving up on her and his family so easily? She was here for him no matter what and Paul knew that. He knew how much she loved him. It was only yesterday that she told him she would never give up on him.

"_Try not to give up on me. I need you Steph."_

Paul's words echoed in her mind, haunting her. They were words he had only spoken yesterday. He had been so scared and confused and she had held him in her arms and reassured him that she would always be there for him. She had made him a promise she would be his strength and he knew her. Paul knew she wasn't in the habit of breaking her promises.

Suddenly Stephanie had a moment of clarity and tossing the paper to the bed, she carefully swung her legs to the floor knowing exactly what she had to do. She had to go after Paul and find a way to fix this mess. They hadn't gone through all the shit they had gone through to be together just for it to be over like this. She wasn't accepting it. She refused to. She was going to fight for Paul and she was going to fight for her family. God knows she was up for the battle. She had to be because if she didn't fight then Andrew had won and that wasn't going to happen. She wouldn't allow it to. It was as simple as that.

Getting to her feet, Stephanie stood up and switched on the light. She walked over to the cupboard and pulled out her small holdall. Her face was set determinedly as she began to throw a few belongings together. She certainly wasn't going to waste another minute sitting here and wallowing. Instead she was going to do something about this mess. She was going to Nashua and she was going to bring Paul home. It was the only way to make him see she wasn't prepared to give him on him just yet. She had made him a promise and she damn well intended to keep it too. Nothing or no one was going to stand in her way either. God help them if they did.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Paul thanked the cab driver and stood at the bottom of the path as the car pulled away, the red tail lights disappearing down the street. His head slowly turned towards the red brick house that sat just in front of him sighing softly when he saw the soft glow of the living room lamp through the window. It was after midnight and he had been hoping his parents would have been in bed letting him sneak inside undetected. Unfortunately there was no chance of that and he would be about to face a million and one questions why he was here.

Adjusting the bag in his big hand, Paul's footsteps scuffed against the concrete as he made his way to the white painted door. Without even trying the handle, he pressed his finger down on the doorbell. The door would be locked and knowing his mother, chained and bolted too so why he even thought he could sneak in was a mystery. Just then Paul saw the light appear in the small pane of glass and his mouth twitched in amusement as he heard the light cursing. His mother never did like late visitors and no doubt she would be surprised by this one. As the key turned on the other side, Paul shifted his feet, letting out a slow breath as the door opened. His mother's mouth parted in shock when she saw him standing there as he smiled pensively and walked into the house.

"You should watch your mouth Ma. That could have been Father Donnelly at the door and he would have dragged your ass to confession."

Patricia shook her head as the door clicked shut behind her. "Never mind my language. Paul, what the hell are you doing here? Why aren't you at home?"

His eyes briefly glanced at the floor but not before she saw the flicker in his expression telling her that something was wrong. She knew her son. Something had happened and her stomach began to churn anxiously as she reached for him, hugging him to her. His heavy sigh echoed in the hallway and when they broke apart she saw the sadness in his tired brown eyes.

"Tell me what's going on. Please?"

He pressed his lips together, raking his fingers through his hair before he smiled at her gently. "I will Ma, I promise. Can I just dump my stuff in my room first?"

Patricia nodded and as her hand rubbed his arm affectionately, Paul felt the lump burning in the back of his throat. He quickly turned and made his way up the staircase, his jaw clenched tightly as he tried to keep his composure.

But that composure shook once more as he flicked on the light and walked into his old bedroom. A brown flat packed box rested against the wall and tossing his bag on the neatly made bed, Paul slowly walked towards it. His stomach ached as he realised it was the crib they had ordered for the baby's nursery. Stephanie must have arranged for it to be delivered here knowing the likelihood was they wouldn't be home. It was hard to believe it had only been a month ago that they had been shopping, picking out things for baby. Stephanie had been glowing with happiness the whole time and he had to admit to feeling a little excited too. It had made the whole thing feel so real and his heart had soared knowing this was really happening; that they were really having a child. Of course, he hadn't told Stephanie any of that. Instead he'd ribbed her, pretending to moan and protest every time she dragged him into a different store. Of course, those days of ribbing her were long gone now.

Sighing sadly, Paul ran his fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and his fingers pressed circles into his temples as he felt his head begin to throb. It made him remember he hadn't taken his medication and he slowly wandered to the bed, unzipping the holdall to retrieve the pills. But as the bag sprung open, the first thing he saw was the picture; the one of him and Stephanie.

Paul felt the dull ache in his chest as he picked it up and held it up in front of him. His brown eyes stared at Stephanie as his finger lifted to lightly trace her face through the glass. God, he missed her so much already. He had even tried to call her at least eight times tonight needing to hear the sound of her voice but he hadn't been able to do it. His fingers just couldn't dial the numbers and the truth was he didn't want to hear the pain that he knew he had already inflicted. It was hard enough dealing with the damage he had already done and it was killing him knowing she would be hurting and it was all because of him.

Slowly turning round, he placed the picture on the bedside table. It was all he had left of them; a memory so precious he wanted to keep it close by even if it broke his heart to remember.

"Paul, are you okay up there?"

Paul sighed as his mother's voice filtered up the stairs. He knew she would be worried and waiting anxiously for him to come down and tell her what was going on. He just hoped he could handle her disappointment in him when she knew the truth.

"I'll be down in a second." he called out.

His big hand searched in his bag eventually finding the plastic tube of tablets. Holding them in his palm, he felt his stomach churn as he made his way downstairs. He knew it would devastate his parents when they found out the truth about what had been going on. He just hoped that they could understand his reasons for walking out on Stephanie and his daughter.

A few moments later, Paul walked into the spacious living room and he immediately saw the concerned expressions on his parents' faces. He gave his father a small, nervous smile.

"Hey Dad."

His father smiled warmly gesturing to the chair opposite him. Paul sank down in the cushions and resting his forearms on his thick thighs, he bowed his head struggling to find the words to start this conversation. God knows it wasn't going to be easy that was for sure. Even now he could feel his throat thicken at the thought of Stephanie.

"What's happened Paul?" his mother asked cautiously.

He sighed softly and turning his head, his brown eyes settled on his mother.

"I've left Steph."

Patricia's face immediately fell in shock and she shook her head in bafflement.

"Why on earth would you leave her, Paul? God, it was only yesterday Stephanie was talking about the wedding plans to me and….."

Her husband touched her arm silencing her.

"Patricia, let Paul explain himself. I'm sure he's got very good reasons."

She nodded and reaching for her son's hand, she smiled at him apologetically. "I'm sorry. I'm just shocked that's all."

"I know. And believe me, it was the hardest decision I've ever had to make but it was for the best. I couldn't risk hurting her any more than I have already."

Just then his hand lifted to rub at his forehead. Patricia's brow crinkled with her concern.

"Are you still getting headaches?"

Paul nodded and brought his hand down. His face was pale and strained with the pain. "I've just taken a couple of tablets in the kitchen. They'll hopefully kick in soon."

There was a pause filled by the rhythmic ticking of the carriage clock on the mantelpiece before his father's voice asked him gently.

"Why did you leave her, son?"

Paul bowed his head once more, his blonde strands falling over his face. His brown eyes stared blindly at the patterned carpet. He suddenly felt embarrassed and ashamed at the truth. And he should be ashamed. Look at what he had become. He was like some deranged psycho and he could only imagine his parents' reaction once they found out that their normally passive son was a complete basket case.

Paul let out a shaky breath as he felt his mother squeeze his hand encouragingly. As he glanced up at her, he saw the gentle, caring expression on her face and he knew that she would support him no matter what. His father would too. God knows they always had been there for him and that was the incentive he needed to finally admit the truth.

"It's me. It's been ever since I left the hospital. I can't sleep. I'm constantly losing my temper at little things. Things that don't even matter but I'm just so fucking angry all the time. There's so much rage inside me that I can't sit still. I can't control it. So instead I'm lashing out at Stephanie and anything else that gets in my way. Christ, I even wrecked the house the other day."

Paul paused pressing his lips together as he felt his frustration burn in his gut. He was so tired and unable to control his emotions any longer. In fact just talking about them was beginning to overwhelm him. He could feel the lump burning in his throat and the tears welling in his eyes. Of course it didn't help that every second he was sitting here, his mind wanted to dwell on the woman and child he had just left behind. His heart was breaking at the simple thought of them.

"So that's why I had to leave Mom." he continued, his brown eyes going wide, pleading for his parents to understand. "I mean can you imagine if one day instead of a vase or a lamp I actually took my temper out on Stephanie or God forbid the baby."

Paul's words stuck in his throat and he couldn't stop the solitary tear that trickled down his cheek. He sniffed and angrily wiped it away but it was quickly followed by another. His composure began to crumble as his reality came crashing down on him. Knowing what he had put Stephanie through these past couple of months made him hate himself. He loathed this person he had become. He was like some kind of wild animal and it was no wonder Stephanie was scared of him. He was scared of himself and who knows what he was capable of? He felt so out of control and horribly alone.

Just then Paul felt his mother wrap her arms around him and he buried his head into her shoulder. Suddenly he was that little boy again. The frightened little boy who needed to feel safe, who needed to find some reassurance that some way, somehow, everything would be right again. But how could it be right when he'd driven away the one person who made him complete. Stephanie was his heart and he just didn't work properly without her. Yet he'd have to find a way just like he'd have to find a way to rebuild his life without her in it because Stephanie wasn't an option for him. He'd ended that dream the second he'd made her feel scared and threatened. Letting her love him was just too much of a risk and it was a gamble he couldn't let her make.

Paul let out a strangled sob as his emotions finally got the better of him and through frightened breaths and tears he finally let go allowing himself to cry for what he had lost. Paul cried for Stephanie, he cried for his unborn daughter and deep inside, a little piece of himself cried for him too.

* * *

Paul's eyes flickered open but he quickly shut them again as the bright sunlight streamed through the open blinds hitting his face. Groaning softly, he turned his head and his big hand lifted to rub at his left eye as he blearily peered at the clock on the nightstand. He was surprised to learn it was ten minutes after eleven which meant he'd actually managed to get a few hours sleep after tossing and turning practically all night. Not that he had expected to get any sleep in the first place. He hardly slept nowadays anyway and especially not without Stephanie there beside him.

Deliberately pushing that thought of Stephanie from his mind, Paul pulled back the covers and got out of bed. As his hand absently scratched at his stomach, he wondered why his mother had let him sleep so late. When he and Lynn had stayed at home, she would always wake them up by eight and that included weekends and the school holidays. But then again, it had been the early hours of the morning by the time they'd finished talking and his parents had eventually called it a night. It was little wonder they had let him rest.

Pressing his lips together to stifle a yawn, Paul stretched his arms in front of him and made his way towards the bathroom and into the shower. As soon as the hot water hit his body, he closed his eyes and his thoughts automatically drifted to Stephanie despite his reluctance to think about her. It just hurt too much yet his mind constantly wanted to torture him by remembering her. Paul felt a pang in his chest as an image of her beautiful face flashed through his head. He tried to ignore the knot of guilt knowing she would no doubt be upset he had left but his only solace was that she wouldn't be dealing with this alone. She would have Shane and Marissa there supporting her and no doubt Vince would be rubbing his hands with glee once he found out he was gone. The old bastard would be celebrating too if he got the chance to. Of course he'd put on a good display for his daughter telling Stephanie how sorry he was and then probably proceed to bad mouth him any chance he got. His name would be trash by the time Vince was done with him but right now that was the least of his concerns. Vince could say what the fuck he liked. He just didn't care any more.

Paul sighed softly as he bowed his head, placing his hands on the tiled wall and letting the water cascade down his massive back. His only concern was that Stephanie understood why he had left. God knows he couldn't stand the thought of her hating him for what he had done. Although deep down, he knew that probably wouldn't be the case. Stephanie wasn't capable of hate. She had such a big heart and was so full of love and kindness that she was the sweetest girl he knew. And the strongest. How much shit had she been through herself without having to put up with his mess. And although Stephanie was beginning to remember tiny details of her life every day, the recovery from her amnesia was a long, slow process. A process that had to take a back seat to his own screwed up issues. Stephanie definitely had to rue the day she ever met him. Christ knows her life had been one big fucking mess ever since they got together.

Feeling his chest ache at the thought of her regret, Paul turned off the water and stepped out the shower. Grabbing a towel, he hastily wrapped it around his waist and ignoring the cold water that dripped from his hair, he headed back in the direction of the bedroom to grab his toothbrush from his bag. That's when he felt his footsteps falter and he stood there literally frozen to the spot. Stephanie was sitting on the bed.

As her ocean blue eyes stared up at him, Paul felt himself struggling for air, drowning in her beauty. He looked at her not quite daring to believe that she was really here. That Stephanie was real.

"Now there's a sight that's worth travelling a couple of hundred miles for." she smiled.

Her playful tone confused him and Paul watched her astounded as she stood up and walked towards him. His heart was now racing in his chest as he tried to figure out why the hell Stephanie was acting like this. Surely she should be shouting at him and screaming that he was a bastard for leaving her. He had been prepared for that although he thought he would have had to face those screams of anger down the phone. He wasn't prepared for this; to have Stephanie face to face standing there right in front of him teasing him like nothing had happened. To say he was confused was a total understatement.

Raking his fingers through his wet strands, Paul's wary brown eyes narrowed in her direction. "Steph, what are you doing here?" he asked her.

Stephanie sighed softly seeing the anxiety in his face and taking his left hand in hers, she noticed that his fingers were cold and they were slightly shaking. She squeezed them gently trying to reassure him as she smiled at him once more. Paul was so scared and so was she. Scared she would have to spend the rest of her life without him. Well that wasn't going to happen; not if she had anything to do with it. Being without him just wasn't an option for her. Not when she loved him with every fibre of her being. Paul was her heart and soul; her everything and she refused to leave here without him.

Lacing her fingers through his, Stephanie's blue eyes were soft as they scanned his handsome face. "I know you think that leaving me was for the best." she said.

Paul slowly nodded his head as she lifted her other hand brushing back the wet strands of hair that had fallen over his face. Being so close to her was making his heart race a hundred miles an hour.

"But I promised I wouldn't give up on you Paul and I meant it." she told him.

His jaw flickered as he looked at her for a moment, touched by her gesture before slowly shaking his head.

"Steph, I can't take the chance. Don't you understand?"

"Of course I do. But Paul, you're not that kind of man. I know you and I know you would never intentionally hurt me."

Paul paused for a moment, his brow crinkling as he furrowed his brow. His sad brown eyes stared back at her as he slowly released her hand, stepping back and distancing himself from her.

"How can you say that after the way you reacted yesterday? You were scared of me Steph. I know it and you know it too.

His face was sad as he watched her carefully. Stephanie sighed and realised there was no point in lying to him. Paul knew her far too well; sometimes better than she knew herself. And besides, if she wanted to get through to him, she at least had to have the decency to be honest with him.

"Okay." she nodded lifting her shoulder in a slight shrug. "I'll admit I was a little frightened but I don't want to lose you over it because the truth is it's even scarier for me to be without you."

Stephanie's hand reached for him, gripping his thick wrist and feeling his gentle warmth as her blue eyes looked deeply into his, pleading with him.

"Please, Paul. I want to fight for us. I want us to be a proper family."

"And so do I Stephanie. More than anything in this world but do you honestly think I made my decision lightly? It took everything I had to walk out that door yesterday. I don't know if I could have the strength to walk away from you again."

"Well you won't have to find the strength because I'm not letting you go Paul. Ever. It's as simple as that." she said determinedly as she took both his hands and placed them on her stomach. She saw Paul's expression soften as he felt the movement inside; the movement that reminded him of the child growing in there. A child that was a product of the love they had for each other. A love that she knew could survive anything including this.

"You feel that, don't you?"

A gentle smile pulled at the corner of Paul's mouth and Stephanie gripped his hands even tighter.

"That's our daughter kicking in there. Don't you think we owe it to her to fix this mess?"

As the baby moved again, Paul closed his eyes. It felt amazing to know that was his baby girl in there; a baby girl who would rely on him and depend on him; the same baby girl who needed her father to protect her from all the bad things in life. And that was the problem. How was he supposed to protect his daughter when he couldn't even protect her from himself?

Paul's heart was heavy as his eyes blinked open. Stephanie was watching him intently and he felt sick to his stomach knowing he couldn't give her what she wanted. That once again, he was going to hurt her but it was for the best. He knew it and he had to make sure Stephanie knew it too. Glancing away, Paul slowly pulled his hands from hers and stepped back.

"I think we owe it to our baby not to let her grow up with a psycho for a father."

Stephanie heard the defeated tone in his deep voice. She sighed softly as he walked away and sat down on the bed. The creak of the mattress echoed oddly around the room. Her heart went out to Paul as his shoulders slumped and he bowed his head, placing it in his hands. She knew this whole thing had been so tough on him; the attack, the injury and now this. Paul was so sure he was losing it that all logic had completely left his mind. He just couldn't see any way out of this. It had left him broken and beaten. But she was determined to fight and make him see sense and to let him know what she loved him no matter what.

Rolling her lips together thoughtfully, Stephanie crossed the room and carefully knelt in front of him taking his hands and placing them in hers. He refused to look at her as she rested her forearms on his thighs and instead he focused on their joined hands, his thumb lightly tracing over her knuckles.

"Paul, look at me. Please." she urged him.

There was a moment's hesitation before he slowly lifted his head and she could see the devastation in his incredible brown eyes.

"Paul, you're not crazy." she told him softly.

She saw his mouth open to interrupt but she shook her head quickly to stop him.

"Please, I need to say something first."

Paul licked his lips slowly nodding his head.

"You and I both know how serious the injury to your head was. I mean, I could have lost you for good, that's how serious it was. And even now, you've not completely recovered. The headaches and your temper? They're obviously side effects from your injury, Paul and I think you need to go to the doctor and get it checked out. They'll be able to help you."

"Lock me up you mean."

Stephanie's nose screwed up in confusion as her blue eyes searched his face.

"Why would they lock you up? You're ill not insane."

Paul lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Then how do you explain it all, Steph? How do you explain the fucked up dreams? The insomnia? Not to mention the fact that I lose it and feel the need to smash in everything in my sight….."

"Wait. What dreams Paul?"

He dropped his head once more unable to look her in the eye. Instead he toyed with her hand, his thick fingers absently twisting the diamond she wore.

"Do you remember that day I spoke to the police in the hospital?"

He glanced up to see Stephanie nod at him. Her face wore a gentle expression.

"Well, that was when it all hit me. What happened to me, I mean. In fact it hit me pretty hard and that night I had a dream and I've been having it ever since."

"What's your dream about?" she asked him.

Paul immediately shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But Paul it might help you."

He shook his head once more, this time his brown eyes pleading with her urgently. "No Steph, please. Because every time I think about it, I panic or I get angry and that's when I lose it. And I'm not losing it. Not with you. Not today."

Stephanie nodded her head and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I understand. I do. But baby, having dreams doesn't mean you're crazy."

Paul's mouth lifted in a sad smile as he shrugged his left shoulder. "Maybe not but it sure as hell makes me feel that way."

As he glanced down at their hands once more, he heard the determination in Stephanie's voice when she spoke.

"First thing in the morning we're going to the doctor."

His brown eyes widened, panicked as he looked up at her. "But Steph….."

Stephanie shook her head as she lifted one of her hands away from his and placed it softly over his mouth.

"Paul, do you want to fight for us or not?"

She watched his brown eyes flicker with his emotion as he slowly nodded his head. Stephanie felt her eyes gloss over with tears as she smiled at him. They were tears of relief; relief that she might finally be getting through to him. She moved her hand from his mouth to cup his face and her thumb began to absently stroke his cheek.

"Good because I want to fight for us too. So first thing in the morning, we're going to the doctor and we're going to find out for sure what's going on with you. We need to know out what we're dealing with and when we do we're going to beat this Paul but the only way we're going to do it is together. You and me."

She paused as he turned, his lips brushing over the corner of her palm. His head moved forward until it rested against hers and Stephanie breathed him in.

"We're unstoppable Levesque." she told him as her fingers tangled in his damp hair and loosely clutched the blonde strands. "I mean, really? How much shit have we had to put up with since we got together? But you know what? We've always managed to get through it in the end and we'll get through this too.

Paul's lips curved up gently as he placed his hand over hers.

"Yeah well that's the McMahon stubbornness for you. They never give up."

Stephanie smiled back but her expression turned serious as she looked deep into his eyes. "And I'm never going to give up on you. So don't even try and get rid of me. It won't work."

Their noses nuzzled together and her eyes fluttered shut as his warm lips pressed tenderly against hers.

"Thank you." he breathed against her mouth.

"What for?" she asked him as they broke apart and her eyes opened once more.

"For not giving up on me and for being strong enough to fight for the both of us right now."

Stephanie's hand gently stroked his face. "I made you a promise, remember? Now, it's your turn to make a promise to me."

"Anything."

"I want you to promise that you'll never leave me again. I don't think my heart could take it."

Paul swallowed thickly pushing back the hard lump in his throat. His facial expression was sombre and sincere as he cupped her face in his hands and looked straight into her ocean blue pools making his chest feel weak.

"I promise. I'm so sorry for everything, Steph."

"Hey, I only wanted a promise. I didn't need an apology."

She brushed her lips over his once more and there was no mistaking the adoration in her eyes as she told him.

"I love you Paul. Everything is going to be okay."

"I love you too baby." he whispered. "God, I love you so much."

Paul pulled her into his arms and he held onto her tightly. Words couldn't explain how grateful he was to Stephanie for coming after him and stopping him from making the biggest mistake of his life. She was right. He had to fight. He sure as hell wasn't going to let this thing win. He was going to beat it, whatever it was, and he wasn't going to give in. He owed it to himself and most of all, he owed it to Stephanie and his baby girl; his family. Because they were his life and they meant everything to him. They were also his strength and in them he would find the strength to confront his demons and finally beat them once and for all. Stephanie believed in him and it was time he started to believe in himself too.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Stephanie threw the keys down on the table and she couldn't help the smile that erupted across her face as she turned and looked at Paul. She swore her heart was close to bursting as she watched him walk towards her down the hallway. Everything was as it should be now he was back home and it had been so good waking up and realising he was back where he belonged; in her arms and with her.

"It feels good to be home doesn't it?" she asked him.

Paul nodded and his mouth twitched with his own smile as he reached for her, pulling her into his chest. He breathed in her faint scent as he squeezed her tightly before dropping a kiss on her forehead. "And thank you by the way for coming with me this morning. I couldn't have done it on my own."

Stephanie shook her head as she brushed back a few loose blonde strands from his face. "You don't need to thank me. I wanted to be there with you." Her lips curved up gently as her finger slowly traced over his cheek. "I'm just glad we finally know what we're up against."

"And I'm just glad they won't lock me up and throw away the key."

Stephanie pretended to scowl as she smacked at his arm playfully. "Hey, no more talk of you being crazy. I don't want to hear it."

"Yes ma'am." winked Paul unknowingly causing her chest to flutter madly. "I promise that from now on I'll only use the word crazy when describing how I feel about you."

"You're such a suck-up Levesque."

"Yes I am but you know you love me for it."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "You're right. I do."

Stephanie snuggled into Paul's chest as his arms slid around her waist. As she melted into his gentle heat she thought how amazing it was to have him like this. It was like seeing a glimpse of his former self and there was no denying his spirits had definitely been lifted after seeing the doctor today. He seemed a lot more positive and that was definitely a start although she wasn't forgetting that he still had a long road ahead. But Paul would make it. She had no doubt about that at all and she would be there supporting him all the way.

Suddenly she shifted uncomfortably in his arms unable to handle the pressure on her bladder any longer and she reluctantly broke their embrace.

"I have to go to the bathroom." she explained. "Our daughter's creating havoc again."

Paul laughed as his empty arms dropped to his sides and he called out after her as she rushed up the stairs.

"Steph, have you got those leaflets? I want to take a look."

"They're in my purse."

Her words were closely followed by the echo of the door slamming shut. Paul shook his head and smiled as he looked around for Stephanie's purse silently thanking his lucky stars he wasn't a pregnant woman. Locating the red leather holdall over by the small table in the hallway, he pulled out the leaflets and began to flick through them as he wandered into the living room. He shrugged off his coat and dropped it on the back of the sofa as he sat down and began to read the four words that had changed everything for him. Post traumatic stress disorder.

It sure sounded a lot better than emotionally disturbed or psychotic. And apparently the side effects he had been suffering from his attack were classic symptoms of PTSD although they wouldn't be able to confirm his diagnosis until he had been assessed by a psychotherapist. His first appointment was next week and in the meantime he had been prescribed medication. They would deal with his anxiety and the insomnia. He had to admit he was looking forward to finally getting a decent night's sleep. He was practically running on empty and had been for weeks now.

Paul sighed and his fingers wearily rubbed his forehead as he read through some of the information. It was a lot to take in and he was still trying to process most if it all but the important thing was he would find a way to get through this. He had to. He had made a promise to Stephanie to do everything he could to beat this thing and he was determined not to let her or his baby down.

Just then his cell phone rang interrupting his train of thought and Paul threw down the leaflet on the sturdy oak coffee table. Pulling the cell out of his leather coat pocket, he smiled when he saw it was his mother calling. His finger jabbed at the top left button.

"Hello Mom, what took you so long? I've been home for at least five minutes."

He grinned as he heard her snort at his comment down the phone.

"You're not too old to get a smack across the ass you know."

Paul burst out laughing. "Ma, I've been through enough without having to add child abuse to the list."

"That's true. Anyway, you sound pretty cheerful. I take it today went quite well then."

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug, raking his fingers through his hair. "I suppose it did. I told them what had been happening lately with my moods and stuff and the doctor was fairly certain it was post traumatic stress disorder. Apparently the nightmares and violent outbursts are classic symptoms."

"Well I'm just relieved they know what's happening with you. It still sounds pretty serious though."

"Yeah but they're confident that with the right treatment, I should make a full recovery. Hey, I even get my own personal shrink."

As his mother chuckled down the phone, he looked up to see Stephanie walk in the room. He smiled at her as he stood up from the sofa holding out his free arm for her to come to. She happily leaned against his chest as he wrapped it around her.

"Look Ma, I'm gonna go. I'll come round and see you and Dad tomorrow alright?"

"That's fine with me. You and Stephanie can stay for dinner if you like. I think Lynn is coming over with the kids."

"In that case I'll see you tomorrow night. Bye Mom."

Paul hung up and threw his phone down on the sofa. He wrapped both his arms around Stephanie's waist and she looked up and smiled at him.

"You didn't have to end the phone call on my account."

He quickly shook his head. "I didn't. Anyway why would I want to waste time on the phone when I could be doing something else?"

"Like what?"

"Well I was thinking maybe I could do this."

Paul's smile disappeared into his kiss as he leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers. His big hands curled around her face as he kissed her softly and tenderly and Stephanie felt her heart race as his tongue slid into her open mouth brushing over her tongue. The familiar taste of him made her knees tremble with longing and at that moment she was grateful that he was cupping her face otherwise there was every chance she would have melted away to a puddle on the floor.

Stephanie sighed softly, her lips parting further allowing Paul to deepen the kiss, his tongue gently sweeping over her mouth causing her to feel every sensation to the tips of her fingers. It had felt like forever since he had kissed her this way and she could feel her body respond as his thumb lightly traced the column of her throat. Her body tingled with her desire and she realised she wanted him; more than that she needed him.

Stephanie pulled away breaking the kiss and she felt breathless as her heavy lidded eyes looked into his. There was no mistaking the dark look in Paul's eyes; a look that told her in no uncertain terms he wanted her too. And without saying a word, he bent down and picked her up in his arms. Stephanie gave a light giggle as he grinned, adjusting her weight and as he carried her to the stairs, she closed her eyes, leaning her head against his shoulder. As she breathed in the fresh, clean smell of his hair, she realised this was a perfect moment. One she wished she could bottle up and keep to remember forever. But she wasn't going to kid herself that suddenly everything was fine and Paul was back to normal. It was going to take time for him to fully recover but this morning she had definitely seen him return to his former self and it made her hopeful for the future. A future that included her, Paul and their unborn child. Her perfect family.

* * *

Shane looked through the pieces of paper scattered around the desk and he sighed as he raked his fingers through his short dark strands. The script for the show was a nightmare and right now, he badly missed Stephanie being around the place. She usually handled stuff like this but she had asked for some time off to be with Paul. His father had granted it albeit grudgingly. Personally, he was just over the moon that his sister and Paul had managed to sort things out. Stephanie had sounded genuinely happy when she had called him yesterday and she seemed fairly optimistic about Paul's recovery now they knew exactly what they were dealing with. She'd even invited him over to visit at the weekend. He had to admit he was looking forward to it especially after the disaster that was today. And with no house shows scheduled, it meant he and Marissa could spend a couple of days with them in Nashua.

But pushing all thoughts of the weekend out of his mind, Shane tried to focus on the script in front of him but sighed once more when he was interrupted by the light knocking on the door. He shook his head in disdain as he called out.

"Come in."

His brown eyes widened with surprise when Chyna poked her head around the door. She was probably the last person he had expected to see. Joanie had pretty much been avoiding him ever since he and Paul had grilled her about Andrew.

"Have you got a minute Shane? I need to talk to you."

Shane nodded motioning to the seat across from him and watched Joanie nervously enter the room. "Is there a problem with your storyline? Your feud with Billy is only temporary you know."

She sighed as she sat down. "I know but that's not it." She paused, biting down on her lip as she looked Shane in the eye. "Look I don't know why I should care but I do. It's Andrew. He's going to approach your father about coming back."

Shane's mouth dropped in horror. "What? He wants to come back here after what he did to Paul? Is he fucking crazy?"

"I know and that's why I've come to you. I wanted you to have a heads-up on the situation. You need to make sure your father doesn't agree to it or God knows what could happen to Paul or to anyone."

"Don't worry. My father will make sure he never sets foot in the ring again."

Joanie looked suspiciously at Shane. "Are you sure about that? Everyone knows your father hates Paul's guts and will do anything to get one over on him."

Shane quickly shook his head. "Not any more. Dad has buried the hatchet with Paul and I know he'll never agree to that bastard coming back. Besides, Martin's ass will be in jail soon enough after what he's done."

"Well I hope you're right. After what he did to Paul, no-one wants to get in the ring with him."

He stood up as Joanie got to her feet. "Well you can tell the boys that they don't have to worry. Martin is history."

Joanie nodded and Shane watched as she turned around and walked out the door. He lightly shook his head unable to believe the audacity of Andrew thinking he could come back here after everything he had done. He truly was crazy and a total whack job. Martin would never set foot inside a wrestling ring again. He would personally make sure of that. Besides, it would be virtually impossible for him to wrestle when he was stuck in a prison cell and that's exactly where he was headed. There was no doubt Andrew was going to pay for what he did to Paul. He would hire the best lawyers and make sure the guy got what he deserved. No one screwed with his family and got away with it. No one.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Stephanie leant against the wooden door frame and smiled as her hand absently rubbed the side of her stomach. The nursery had really started to take shape the last couple of days and she was excited to see it starting to look like a proper baby's room. The old decor was gone and the room was now decorated in pretty pinks and yellows. Most of the furniture had been assembled too apart from the crib but Paul was apparently working on that now.

Stephanie watched as he began to tighten a couple of the screws joining two of the sides together. Paul had been working so hard on the room and she could see his brown eyes were heavy and tired and it was little wonder after getting little rest. He had been pretty upset after a dream he'd had last night. He had tossed and turned for hours before eventually giving up and leaving her in bed alone. Instead of sleeping, he had worked on the baby's room and in fact had spent the last four nights here. Stephanie just wished he would talk to her and tell her why the dreams he was having were affecting him so badly to the point that he had become an insomniac. However, every time she tried to broach the subject with him he would bite her head off. She just hoped his medication would start to take effect soon and he could get a proper night's rest. She was so worried about him and Paul was practically running on empty. He had to be absolutely exhausted.

Just then, Paul tossed down the screwdriver and looked up to see Stephanie standing watching him. He smiled as he pushed himself to his feet and she crossed the room to meet him.

"So McMahon, what do you think? Do you like it?"

She nodded her head before sliding her arms around his waist and leaning against his chest, breathing in the faint spicy scent of his cologne.

"I love it. The colours all blend in really well."

She tilted her head up and grinned at him.

"Whoever picked them did good don't you think?"

Paul's body shook with his deep chuckle as he kissed the tip of her nose. "They certainly did. Remind me to reward them for their efforts later on."

Stephanie's blue eyes widened with her curiosity. "And what does that reward entail exactly?"

"Hmmmm." Paul rolled his lips together thoughtfully. "How about a nice meal followed by a hot bubble bath run by yours truly. And if you're really lucky, I'll even hop in and wash your back."

He paused as his hand sought out her stomach and his palm gently rubbed over the bump.

"Although I'm kind of wondering if there's enough room in there for all three of us."

Stephanie laughed and gazed down at herself. "She's getting big now, isn't she? I mean my feet have basically disappeared and can you imagine the size I'll be in a couple of months' time? I'll practically be the size of a small country."

Paul wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed the top of her head. "It doesn't matter. You'll still be beautiful to me."

"Oh you're just full of charm today aren't you?" she smirked.

"I try Steph. I really do but it's not easy being this damn good you know."

"I'm sure it's not."

She smiled and her hand lifted to tenderly tuck his soft blonde strands behind his ear. "Oh by the way the doctor called. Your appointment's been set up for Monday at 11.00am."

"I'm not looking forward to it, you know." he said as his nose crinkled with disapproval. "I hate being interrogated."

"They're not there to interrogate you Paul. They only want to help you."

"I know but who knows what kind of questions they'll be asking." He lightly shook his head as he scowled. "I'm a private person Steph. I don't want to go into all that stuff."

Stephanie's blue eyes pleaded with him as she curled her hand around his face. "Please give it a chance Paul. It might not actually be that bad once you get there."

He sighed in resignation. "I know. I'm just nervous I guess."

"I don't blame you. I can come with you if you want me to."

As she smiled up at him, Paul felt gratitude for her support. Then again, he didn't expect anything less. Stephanie has been nothing but supportive since the moment he'd woken up in that hospital room. Her strength amazed him; more than that he loved her for it. He loved her so much that there were times when he looked at her and he could hardly breathe.

"Thank you but I think it's something I need to do on my own, for now at least." He smiled back at her. "But if it gets too scary, you're more than welcome to come and hold my hand if you like."

"I think you've got yourself a deal."

"Good. That's settled then."

Paul brushed his lips over her forehead before he pulled away and turned his attention back to the crib. He lifted the flat pack away from the wall and began to unwrap the base.

"Maybe you could tell the doctor about your dreams when you're there. I think talking about them would really help you."

Paul swallowed hard as his hand stilled and his brown eyes hardened as they stared out towards the window. "I don't want to talk about it Steph."

"But Paul they're obviously bothering you. I heard you calling out my name last night. You sounded really scared."

His eyes fluttered shut and his stomach churned as a vision of a bloody and battered Stephanie entered his head. Last night had been the first time he'd dreamt of her being stabbed. Even now he could remember the knife piercing her skin. It had all been so vivid and real that when he had awoken he had been so terrified, thinking he had actually lost her. The only thing that had calmed him down was finding Stephanie lying next to him and hearing her steady breathing had soothed him somewhat. But the whole dream had really freaked him out so much so he couldn't handle it. Christ, he couldn't even handle a conversation about it that's how screwed up he was and he could feel his anxiety getting the better of him. His control was starting to slip. It always did every time someone mentioned those fucking dreams.

"Drop it Steph. I mean it." he warned her as his eyes popped open. He could feel Stephanie's hand on his arm, the gentle heat of her fingers warming his skin.

"But Paul I'm only trying to help you."

His anxiety clutched tightly at his chest and Paul shrugged her off as his breathing began to deepen, his anger bubbling to the surface.

"No you're not helping. You're not helping at all. Not when you bring the subject up every fucking minute. Why can't you just stop interfering and just leave me the fuck alone!"

Stephanie shook her head at his outburst and her face wore a hurt expression as she stared back at him. "I'll be happy to. I don't have to take this shit from you, you know."

"No-one's asking you to. I'm just glad you finally got the message to back off instead of being a goddamn pain in the ass!"

"You know you really are a bastard at times." she shot back before she left.

The slamming of the door echoed around the room and it seemed to being him to his senses. Paul immediately felt guilty as he realised he had gone way too far. Stephanie was right. He was a total bastard and she sure as hell didn't deserve to have been treated that way. God knows she'd been nothing but supportive since the attack yet every opportunity he had, he seemed to throw it back in her face. And it wasn't like he meant to hurt her. It killed him to know he had upset her but his anger just seemed to explode and he was unable to keep it under control. He just wished she would stop constantly hassling him to talk about his dreams. Didn't she understand that it wasn't because he wouldn't talk about it? The truth was he just couldn't. The dreams scared him to death. They freaked him out. He wanted to forget about them not relive them with her. But then again, how could he expect her to understand when he never gave her the chance to? He never talked to her. Hell, he didn't even offer her an explanation.

Paul sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, the soft strands falling around his face gently. As he looked around the room, he knew he had to apologise to Stephanie.

The door lightly creaked at the hinges as he opened it and stepped out into the hallway. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he could hear the loud banging in the direction of the kitchen. It was quickly followed by a loud curse and he winced as he walked through. He was met by a less than friendly scowl and he rolled his eyes knowing she wasn't going to make it easy on him. A pissed off McMahon was a stubborn McMahon, especially one brandishing a knife.

Holding up his hands in a gesture of peace, Paul cautiously approached her.

"Steph, look I'm sorry okay? I acted like a jerk."

Stephanie glared at him for a second before she turned her back to him and walked in the direction of the counter. "You're right. You were a jerk. It was totally uncalled for."

She began to aggressively chop with the knife and Paul tentatively reached for her shoulder feeling her tense up at his touch.

"I was out of line. I know that and I truly am sorry."

Stephanie remained silent as she stared ahead at the wall, her hand hovering above the counter as it loosely gripped the knife. Paul sighed as he gently pleaded with her.

"Can we sit down and talk about this? Please?"

She remained still for a moment before she lifted her shoulder in a shrug and stepped away from him. Paul's hand dropped to his side as he watched her walk to the table and pull out a chair. He held out his hand towards her as she sat down.

"Before we start can I have the knife please?"

Stephanie snorted at him but eventually passed him the utensil. He placed it on the counter before pulling out the chair next to her and sitting down. He let out a heavy sigh and he lifted his hand and rubbed at his chin.

"Look, I didn't mean to shout at you." he said softly as his hand fell away to drop to his lap. He leant forward towards Stephanie, his face softening as he looked into her blue eyes. "I just get so angry sometimes. I can't help it."

Her lips twitched with a smile of acknowledgement. "I know and I try to understand Paul. I do. But when I have to stand there and take the verbal abuse, it's hard. It's really hard."

Paul's eyes briefly dropped to the table as he felt a stab of guilt in his chest.

"I know." he agreed.

His head tilted upwards as he offered her a contrite smile.

"And I know I don't always show it but it really means a lot to have you supporting me through all of this. You're my rock Steph. I'd be totally lost without you. You know how much you mean to me, don't you?"

Stephanie's expression instantly softened at his admission and she reached for his hand, clasping it in hers. "I just worry about you Paul. I don't mean to be a pain in the ass."

Paul grimaced. "I didn't mean that you know."

"I know." she smiled. "And I didn't mean to call you a bastard."

Paul smirked. "Yes you did."

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a playful shrug.

"And you were right. I was a bastard. But I honestly don't mean to be and especially not to you."

Stephanie brought his hand to her mouth and gently kissed his knuckles. She toyed with his fingers as she let out a sigh, a breath of courage as she brought up the subject again. "I know you don't want to talk about them. Well not to me anyway."

"What? My dreams?"

Stephanie looked up and slowly nodded.

"I can't Steph. I…I just can't. Not to you. I can't risk it because when I talk about them, for some reason I just get angry and I can't be angry at you. Not any more."

Paul began to fidget nervously on the seat and she squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"It's okay. I understand. But if I promise to lay off the subject will you do something for me?"

He nodded his head and she was encouraged to continue.

"Talk to someone about it. If you can't, then fine. But I'd really appreciate it if you'd at least try."

As her hopeful blue eyes stared back at him, Paul knew he had to give her this. After all, it was the least that she deserved even if talking about them ranked up there with sticking pins in his eyes. He nodded once more and his heart lifted when he saw her beaming smile.

"Thank you."

"You've got nothing to thank me for Steph. If there's anyone who should be saying thank you, it's me."

Stephanie said nothing as she stood up and sat on his knee wrapping her arms around his neck. "Then I'll just say you're welcome."

She brushed her lips softly against his and as she broke away, she smiled at him.

"Now I seem to remember someone promising me a reward earlier on."

Paul grinned. "Nice to know you can still remember some things."

Stephanie stuck out her tongue. "Ha ha. Very funny. You know you're just back in my good books. I wouldn't push it if I were you."

"Point taken."

She grinned playfully pinching his cheek. "Good boy."

She stood up and took Paul's hand to pull him to his feet.

"You'd better get cracking and get dinner started. I'm starving Levesque."

Paul rolled his eyes biting down on his lip to conceal his smile as he made his way over towards the counter. He picked up the knife that Stephanie had been using earlier.

"Oh and Paul?"

He turned round to see her leaning against the door frame and smiling at him.

"If you do a good job at dinner, I'll let you join me in that bubble bath you promised."

Paul grinned as she winked and walked out the door. Her hips swayed seductively and Stephanie certainly knew how to push his buttons that was for sure. And the fact she was still talking to him after his little outburst was more than he could have asked for. Still, he knew they couldn't keep going on like this. One time he might just go too far and push her away and he just couldn't risk that. Stephanie was far too important to him to lose her. God knows she meant everything to him. So maybe she was right. Maybe to fix things, he did need to talk to someone although the simple thought of that alone freaked him out. Still, he was going to have to do something. He wasn't prepared to live like this any longer. More importantly, he wasn't prepared to hurt Stephanie any longer. So in order to keep her happy and safe he had to suck it up and try and find the courage to deal with this thing head on.

* * *

Vince scowled in annoyance as the shrill ringing of the phone interrupted the silence of the study. Muttering under his breath, he picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Vince? Hey. It's Andrew. Andrew Martin."

His face turned pale at the name. "Martin! What the hell do you want?"

"It's quite easy. I want to come back and you're going to make it happen."

Vince's mouth parted in disbelief as he absorbed Andrew's request. "Over my dead body you will. You really expect me to let you back after what you did to Paul? You're crazy. Besides, you should be locked up for what you've done."

"We'll see. In the meantime you will let me back to wrestle or I'll make sure everybody knows about your involvement in your daughter's personal life. Once everyone knows the truth, I'm sure no-one will be shocked to find out that you masterminded the attack on Paul. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Vince's blood immediately chilled.

"You bastard Martin! I had nothing to do with what happened to Paul and you know it!"

"Maybe but I'm pretty sure everyone else will have a hard time believing you including your precious daughter. I'll give you twenty four hours to make up your mind."

Vince swallowed hard as he heard Andrew hang up at the other end. He stared incredulously at the receiver in his hand. He couldn't believe what was happening to him. There was no way in hell he could justify letting Andrew back. On the other hand, he couldn't let Stephanie know about his interference in her relationship with Paul. She would hate him for it and he couldn't risk losing his baby girl. He had to face the cold hard fact that he was screwed whatever he decided to do and that what ever his decision was, it was going to cost him and cost him dearly.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Vince sat in his office and swirled the drink in his glass. The amber liquid sloshed against the sides and his tired eyes burned as he watched it almost in a trance. His head was spinning. He'd been up all night unable to sleep as he played everything over and over in his mind knowing time was running out and he would eventually have to make a decision about Andrew. It was a decision that killed him knowing that he either hurt his daughter by hiring back the man that almost killed Paul or he hurt her by letting her find out the lengths her own father had been prepared to take to keep her away from the man that she loved; the father of her child.

As he took stock of everything, Vince was actually surprised to realise that he felt ashamed about the things he had done. He was a man of few regrets but he truly regretted the way he had treated his daughter. He had toyed with her feelings and emotions like they hadn't been important. Like her heart was disposable and that wasn't the case. He loved his baby girl. He wasn't supposed to hurt her. And now he'd placed her at risk by helping turn Andrew into the deranged psycho that he was.

His stomach churning nauseously, Vince placed the glass to his lips and gulped it down in one go. His hand was lightly shaking as he set it down on the table in front of him. The sun was starting to rise colouring the sky in pinks and gold and he knew he had only a few hours left before Andrew would call. Still, that would give him enough time to do what he had to do.

Vince pushed back his chair and stood up. His footsteps were heavy as he made his way out of the office and towards the stairs. There was only one person he could rely on to give him strength to carry through his decision. Linda was his rock, his confidante and he needed her by his side. He was going to do the right thing for once in his life and admit exactly what he had done and risk the fallout whatever it might be. If he lost everything in the process so be it. It was the penance he had to pay for screwing with his daughter's happiness.

* * *

Stephanie's eyes slowly fluttered open and as she shifted her body between the sheets, she felt the warmth next to her and a slow smile traced her lips. Her hand reached out, her fingers lightly tracing the soft smooth skin. This was the first time in what felt like forever that she had woken up to find Paul still lying next to her.

She moved her head on the pillow and her big blue eyes fell on his handsome face. Paul looked so peaceful and relaxed and the early morning sunshine flecked his hair with gold. As her fingers lifted to push back the loose blonde strands, she felt the hot lump in her throat suddenly feeling overwhelmed by what this all meant. Paul had survived one night without being haunted by his dreams. It seemed like his medication was finally starting to work and she was so relieved. He had looked so tired and pale particularly during the last couple of days and she had been so worried about him.

Feeling the tears burn her eyes, Stephanie squeezed them shut as her arm slid around Paul's waist. Burying her head into his chest, she pulled him close and breathed him in, relishing his gentle warmth. It felt so good to have him here, lying beside her, waking up next to him. God, she had missed this. She had missed him.

As her lips brushed over his chest, she felt Paul stir beside her and she kept still as his thick groan echoed in the silent room. His big hand moved across her back tracing small circles against her spine. She let out a shaky breath as he kissed her hair and sighed contentedly.

"I could stay here all day." he murmured thickly.

Stephanie swallowed back her tears as she nodded her head against him. "Me too." she hushed.

She felt Paul gently pull away and his thumb tucked underneath her chin, lifting her face to his. Her red rimmed eyes reluctantly met his concerned brown ones and his brow crinkled as they studied her carefully.

"Hey, what's the matter?" he asked her.

Stephanie quickly shook her head as she sniffed. "Nothing's wrong, I promise. It's just my damn hormones making me act all emotional."

"What about?"

"Waking up next to you." she confessed.

Paul's lips curved up gently as the pad of his thumb wiped at her wet cheeks. "Well I like waking up next to you too."

His lips pressed against her forehead before pulling her to him. He hugged her tightly as the palm of his left hand rested gently over her stomach. He knew that waking up like this had been a big deal for both of them. And sure, that probably sounded stupid being that they did live together and they did sleep in the same bed. But ever since the attack, he hadn't spent a full night like this beside her. His nightmares had kept him awake and rather than disturbing Stephanie's sleep, he would get up and watch television or work in the nursery. Anything to keep his mind occupied. He couldn't remember the last time they had woken up together and in each others arms.

"So did you manage to sleep all night?" asked Stephanie as she pulled away and curled her hand around his face. Her hopeful eyes sparkled with her happiness as he slowly nodded his head against the cotton pillow.

"Oh baby, I'm so glad."

Her lips were soft and warm as they lightly brushed over his.

"I've been so worried about you." she confessed.

Her words made his chest knot with guilt and Paul's smile faded as his fingers toyed with the ends of her hair.

"I know and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through lately and….."

Stephanie quickly shook her head silencing him. "No, Paul. You don't owe me any apologies for anything, okay? We're only looking forward now; you, me and our baby."

Her hand reached out for his, their fingers intertwining as they touched her rounded stomach.

"Besides I happen to think you're worth the trouble." she smirked as she rested her forehead against his.

As his brown eyes looked into hers, she felt her heart swell with her feelings for him and she pressed her lips together, taking a second just to see him and to see the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with; the man who she loved and who was her heart and soul.

"I love you." she hushed.

Paul's face instantly softened as his eyes sparkled back at her swimming with a myriad of emotions; emotions that told Stephanie her feelings were absolutely requited.

"I love you too."

"Show me." she breathed against his parted mouth as she kissed him.

Their lips moved perfectly together as Paul's hand slipped under her nightdress. As he pushed the material up and around her waist, she felt the heat that erupted through her body as it melted into him. She found herself getting lost as his lips began to trail an agonisingly slow path down her body and she closed her eyes tightly savouring every kiss and every touch he had to offer her as she let herself succumb to him…

* * *

Linda watched her husband as he anxiously paced up and down the small study, his fingers nervously raking through the greying short strands. She had to admit she had been completely taken aback when Vince had awoken her and told her everything he had done to Stephanie and Paul; although if she was being totally honest with herself, she wasn't that surprised. Shane had kept her up to speed about a lot of the things her husband had been up to and she knew he had disapproved of Paul's relationship with their daughter. However, one thing she didn't realise was Vince's whole involvement in the Andrew situation.

Linda sighed as she continued to watch her husband. She knew Vince blamed himself for what Andrew had done to Paul but if she was being fair, he was probably a bit harsh on himself. Yes, he had screwed up by encouraging him to go after Stephanie but at the same time, he wasn't the one that had made Andrew try to kidnap Stephanie or bludgeon Paul with that sledgehammer. How could have he had any idea the lengths Andrew had been prepared to go to in his obsession with their daughter.

Still, that didn't stop her from being extremely angry and upset with her husband. Vince had definitely crossed the line by the way he had interfered in Paul and Stephanie's relationship. And she had to give him credit that he had at least acknowledged that fact. It still didn't change anything though. Paul was still recovering from Andrew's vicious attack and once Stephanie knew the truth about Vince, she would be absolutely devastated.

Just then Linda jumped slightly started as the low ringing echoed in the silent room. She looked at her husband and watched the trepidation on his face as he picked up his phone and she nodded at him reassuringly as he eventually answered.

"Yes?"

"Have you made up your mind McMahon?"

Vince swallowed hard and his eyes met his wife's, finding the strength there to stand by his decision.

"Yes I have. You can forget about ever setting foot in a wrestling ring again. I'm not taking you back Andrew. Not now and not ever. You're finished, do you hear me?"

The maniacal laughter crackled down the line.

"Well Vince, you've made things very interesting, very interesting indeed. I hope you know the penalty for the decision you've made."

"Yes I have and you can take your threats and shove them up your ass. No-one hurts my family and gets away with it Andrew including you."

Vince hung up and threw the phone down on his desk. He watched as Linda stood up and walked across to stand beside him. She gave him a small smile as she placed her hand upon his shoulder.

"You've done the right thing Vince."

Vince nodded his head but inside his stomach was churning. His heart was breaking despite knowing he'd made the right decision. A decision that didn't offer him any solace when it came to possibly losing his daughter. He just hoped that in time Stephanie would learn to forgive him for what he had done.


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Stephanie was beaming as she opened the door to her brother who chuckled as she enveloped him in a hug. "I'm so glad you guys could make it." she said.

Shane's lips brushed against her cheek and as she stepped back from him his eyes widened in alarm as he looked at his little sister who quite frankly was anything but little any more.

"Good God Steph! You're huge. Are you sure you're only carrying one baby in there?"

Stephanie playfully smacked his arm as she stood aside to let him in. "Don't frighten me by saying things like that. The thought of giving birth to just this one is bad enough. Hey Rissa. How are you?" she smiled, greeting her sister in law as she followed on behind her husband.

"I'm fine." replied Marissa, giving her a brief hug. "And I think you look great by the way. You're positively glowing, you know."

Stephanie grinned as she closed the door and led them down the airy hallway. "Paul's just finished up in the nursery." she told them. "He'll be down in a minute. He's just hopped in the shower."

"And are we allowed to see the baby's room?" asked Marissa.

She nodded her head. "Of course. Come with me."

Shane took Marissa's hand as they followed Stephanie up the stairs.

"It's practically finished now." she explained as she carefully ascended the steps, her hand resting on her rounded stomach. "Paul's worked really hard the last few days."

She grinned as she stood at the doorway and turning the handle, she gestured towards the bright, spacious room.

"Tah-dah! What do you guys think?"

Shane and Marissa walked in and stood back admiring the pink and yellow decoration that looked pretty in the rays of sunshine that shone through the tall glass windows. They also admired the carved, wooden furniture and the tiny crib that lay empty awaiting its small occupant.

"It's absolutely gorgeous." smiled Marissa. "Paul's done an amazing job."

Shane walked over and laughed at the huge bear that sat in the rocking chair by the bay window. "Who the hell gave you this thing? It's huge!"

"Oh Paul bought it ages ago."

He shook his head in amusement. "I should have known. And knowing Paul, he's probably named the damn thing too."

"You're right, I have and no cursing in the nursery. It's not allowed."

Shane turned round to see Paul leaning against the doorway. They exchanged grins before Marissa pulled Paul into a hug.

"Hey. It's good to see you Paul. You've done a great job with the baby's room."

Paul smiled back at her almost proudly. "Thanks Rissa. But it wasn't all me. Steph picked out the colours and the furniture. I just put it all together."

Shane slapped his shoulder in a show of solidarity. "Let's face it. It's not like you would have got to choose the colours you wanted anyway. It's always Steph's way or no way."

He chuckled before pulled Paul into a brief hug.

"It's good to see you, man. You look a hell of a lot better than last time I saw you that's for sure."

"Gee thanks." grinned Paul as he pushed back his damp blonde strands. But he knew what Shane meant though. It was amazing the difference a couple of nights sleep had made to him and he was even starting to feel remotely human again.

"I've made some dinner." smiled Stephanie. "Are you guys hungry?"

Shane's wide brown eyes sought out Paul who burst out laughing at the worried expression on his face. He slapped him over the back.

"Don't worry Shano. Your sister has actually gotten better in the kitchen and hey, look at me. I'm not dead yet."

He glanced at Stephanie and bit down on his lip to stifle his smile as he saw her standing looking at Shane with her hands folded in front of her and her eyebrows raised. Yep, Stephanie was pissed. He quickly grabbed Marissa's hand and pulled her towards the hall.

"I think we'll get out of here before there's any bloodshed."

Their footsteps disappeared into the hallway as Stephanie continued to look at her brother but her lips twitched with her smile as he grinned at her and pulled her into an affectionate hug.

"You know I'm only messing with you, right?"

Stephanie grinned back, nodding her head. "And of course I wouldn't have it any other way. It means I get to tease you back."

Shane looked almost thoughtful for a second as he smiled at her.

"I have to admit you look really happy Steph. I'm so glad things have worked out for you and Paul."

She beamed back at him. "It's just made such a difference knowing what we're up against with him. And Paul's finally getting some sleep thanks to the medication. Even his temper is under control and he's so much more relaxed and content. I think it's down to the fact that he's not having those dreams. They really seem to be the trigger. Whenever he has them or talks about them, that's when he loses it."

"Well at least they've stopped for now."

"Yeah." Stephanie lifted her shoulder in shrug and sighed softly. "Maybe when he sees the psychotherapist on Monday, he might be able to talk about them. He refuses point blank to discuss them with me. He says it's too risky."

Shane placed his hands on her shoulders and nodded as he squeezed them gently. "It's understandable, Steph. Paul doesn't want to hurt you. He's going to want to protect you from that."

"I know. It just hurts a bit to know that he can't talk to me about it. I mean we should be able to discuss everything."

"Well maybe in time he will. Well once he gets past all the anger and rage associated with those dreams."

Stephanie's lips curved up gently. "You're right as always."

"My God. Did I just hear you correctly?"

She smacked at his arm playfully. "Yes you did. And no, I'm not going to repeat it. It pained me enough to say it the first time."

Shane laughed as he wrapped his arm across her shoulder. "Speaking of pain, I suppose we'd better go and eat this dinner you've prepared."

Stephanie shook her head as she followed her brother out of the room. "It's not too late to add arsenic or something equally as nasty to yours."

"Now Steph, is that any way to speak to your child's godfather?"

"What makes you think you're going to be a godfather?"

Shane lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Because that's the way it works. And anyway, I'd make a perfect godfather if I do say so myself." He stopped and winked at Stephanie. "I'd also make an incredible best man."

She burst out laughing as she shoved her brother through the kitchen door.

* * *

Shane leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh as he rubbed at his stomach. "Well I have to say I am extremely impressed, Steph. I enjoyed that meal not to mention I'm actually still alive."

Stephanie scowled at her brother before narrowing her eyes in Paul's direction. "Are you going to let him away with that?"

He smiled at her and shook his head as he stood up from the table. "No I am not. Seeing the dishwasher is on the blink, Shane is officially on dishes duty."

He turned to grin at Shane who shot him a dirty look. Paul laughed as he began to lift the plates around him.

"Come on Shano. You wash and I'll dry. We can let the women finish gossiping."

Marissa slapped Shane's backside as he stood up from his seat. "Yeah, get to work mister."

Shane stuck out his tongue at his wife before starting to clear up the plates from the table. He ignored the grin on Stephanie's face as he followed Paul through to the kitchen.

"You're just full of great ideas aren't you?" he complained as he dumped the dishes down on the counter.

"Well I don't know about you but I'd rather be in here than sitting out there listening to them gossip. I mean what's so fascinating about who's dating who or the outfit such and such wore to whatever premiere? I just don't get it."

Shane nodded his head as he began to fill the sink with water. "I don't either. It's a female thing. We'll never figure it out."

Paul chuckled as he took a bottle of water from the fridge. The door shut behind him as he walked over to the counter and picked up a bottle shaking out a couple of tablets. Shane watched him as he popped them in his mouth and took a drink of water.

"Is everything okay?" he asked concerned.

Paul quickly nodded as he swallowed the water. "Yeah. It's just for the headache."

"Is it bad?"

"Actually, no. They've gotten much better the last few days."

"Good. I'm glad."

Shane turned round to turn off the tap and place the dishes in the water. He sighed softly as he glanced over at Paul once more. He had been trying to decide what to do all day and he was going to take Marissa's advice. He was going to talk to Paul before it preyed on his mind any longer. He needed to know what was going on because God knows too many secrets had been kept in this family lately. Turning from the sink, Shane wiped his wet hands on the back of his jeans.

"Listen, can we talk for a second?" he asked as he wandered towards the table.

Paul nodded and gestured for him to sit down. Shane sighed heavily as he sat back in the chair and realised there was no easy way to sugar coat this. He was just going to have to come out with this and tell Paul the whole situation.

"Look, there's something I think you should know." he told him quickly before he lost his nerve.

Paul nodded as his brown eyes stared back at him inquisitively.

"Dad got a call from Andrew the other day."

Shane saw Paul's face instantly curl into an angry snarl. Part of him already regretted his decision of bringing the subject up but deep down he knew it was for the best. This had to come from him. He took a deep breath and began to tell Paul everything from Andrew's threats to Vince's decision not to let him back.

Once he had finished, he watched with baited breath as Paul shoved back his chair and stood up. His face was red with anger and Shane could see him clench his fists tightly by his sides. It was obviously taking everything he had not to explode in a rage. Shane sighed heavily as he watched him pace up and down in front of him.

"I'm sorry Paul. I shouldn't have brought it up. I just thought you should know."

Paul nodded and continued to pace for a moment before he stopped and sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. "Look, I'm glad you brought this up, okay? But right now, I'm just trying to keep calm. The last thing Stephanie needs is for me to lose my cool."

Paul started to pace up and down again as he tried to keep his temper in check. He knew he should be discussing this further with Shane but even the thought of that bastard Martin was making his blood boil. Fuck! He suddenly stopped, feeling horribly stifled. "I need to get out of here."

Shane stood up and shook his head. "Paul, you can't. What about Stephanie?"

"Stephanie is the reason I need to get out of here."

He walked across to the door which led out into the back garden. He placed his hand on the door knob before turning back to Shane.

"Look, I just need to go for a walk until I calm down. I won't be long."

Paul closed the door behind him and made his way to the front of the house. He began walking in a haze not sure he was going but one thing he did know was he couldn't have stayed in there for very much longer. And it wasn't just Andrew's name that had pissed him off. Vince's had too. There was the man responsible for all the shit he and Stephanie had gone through in the last eight months or so and now because he'd told Martin to fuck off, he was suddenly made out to be a god damn hero. Well not in his book. If it wasn't for that bastard, then none of this would have happened. But he'd have to keep that opinion to himself. Shane had obviously forgiven his father and Paul could understand that. The McMahon's were tight. No matter what Vince did or how far he went, his family always ended up sticking by him. He supposed he kind of admired it in a way. He'd like to think that he'd always stand by his parents. But then again, his family weren't as fucked up as the McMahons. But right now there was only one McMahon that mattered to him; the one person who really would be affected by all of this. Stephanie.

Paul sighed softly as he thought about her. As much as she protested at times, Stephanie still was and would always be daddy's little girl. When she found out the truth about Vince, her whole world would come crashing down. He had seen how badly his actions had affected her before her accident. She had been devastated to learn just how far Daddy was prepared to go to keep her away from him. She'd have to go through that all again and right now, he wasn't in a position to be there supporting her like he had in the past. He had his own demons to fight at the moment. He just didn't know if he was strong enough right now to help Stephanie with hers too…..

* * *

Shane's stomach was in knots as he looked at the clock. The seconds seemed to creep by agonisingly slowly as he waited for Paul to return. He had been gone for thirty minutes now. It was only a matter of time before Stephanie came through that door asking where he was. And how the hell was he meant to answer that question?

"Where are you man?" he muttered as he pushed back the chair.

He was about to check out the window once more when the door suddenly opened and Shane breathed a sigh of relief as Paul walked through the door. But his eyes widened in alarm as he saw the blood on his right hand.

"Paul, what the hell have you done?"

He followed him over to the sink where he had placed his hand under the steady stream of water, the blood swirling down the drain in a trial of crimson.

"Nothing. I just had a run in with a door that's all."

Shane opened his mouth but he was quickly silenced by Paul.

"Look, don't ask. I needed to do it to help me calm down."

"And did it work?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"So how are you going to explain it to Stephanie? The cut I mean. Your knuckles are all grazed."

Paul lifted his shoulder in a shrug as he watched the water begin to run clear. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it I guess."

He grabbed a dishcloth that was lying on the counter and wrapped it around his hand. He leaned back resting his hip against the marble and his brown eyes were serious as they met Shane's across the room.

"I want to tell Stephanie everything." Paul told him somberly.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he frowned.

"I'd rather she heard it from me than that psycho bastard. I mean, that's what he's threatening to do, right?"

Shane nodded his head.

Paul sighed in resignation. "Then I've got to do it. And if you don't mind, I'd like to do it now while you and Marissa are here. Steph's going to need some support and I know I'm not in the best of shape to do that alone. So, will you help me out? Will you be there when I tell her?"

Shane nodded once more offering him a small smile. "Of course I will. And you're right. She should know the truth. I just hope she'll be able to handle it."

"Probably not but then that's why we're here for her, right? We'll help her get through it. We have to."

"So when are you going to tell her?"

"Well there's no time like the present is there?"

Shane slowly shook his head.

"Okay then. Let's do it."

Paul pushed himself off the counter and made his way through to the dining room. His stomach lurched as he heard the sound of Stephanie's laughter and he wished there was something he could do to protect her from all this. It just wasn't fair. Stephanie had been so happy the past couple of days and now that happiness was about to be short-lived. It looked like yet another curve ball had been thrown into their path. He just hoped he was strong enough to make sure they got through it together.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Stephanie's mouth curved up gently when she saw Paul finally emerge from the kitchen. He was talking to Shane who was following on just behind him but as she watched them slowly approach the table, her soft smile down turned into a puzzled frown. Both their faces wore sombre expressions and Paul in particular seemed so tense and even a little agitated. She knew just by looking at him that something was bothering him but she didn't have a clue what it could be. He had been perfectly fine today and all through dinner unless of course something had happened in the kitchen with Shane.

Stephanie rolled her lips together thoughtfully as she leant back against her chair, her blue eyes observing them closely. Their conversation quickly fell away as they got nearer the table and neither one of them met her inquisitive stare as they sat down at their respective places. Her brother immediately turned his attention to his wife and Paul refused to even look at her and instead focused on the vase of flowers in the centre of the table. She was sure he didn't find the pink lilies the least bit fascinating and the fact that he was chewing on his bottom lip only reaffirmed what she already thought. Something was definitely wrong but what on earth could have happened in that kitchen to make him and Shane act so weird?

Stephanie's curiosity got the better of her and her hand reached for Paul's arm. She swore she felt him jump as her fingers touched his warm skin and his right hand lifted to rake through his hair. That's when she saw the red grazes that covered his knuckles and her mouth parted in a gasp as she grabbed his wrist, her brow crinkling with her concern as she inspected his wounds.

"Paul, what the hell happened to your hand? It's bleeding for goodness sake!"

As she tilted her head upwards, she met his solemn brown eyes watching her. She immediately felt her stomach twist into tiny knots. Paul's eyes always told her everything and right now they were myriad of emotions telling her what she had already suspected. Something had happened; something was wrong. Something so serious he was looking at her like that. It was a look that was tinged with sympathy and even a hint of regret suddenly making her feel a little cold and a little scared.

Not sure she was ready to face the truth about what was going on, Stephanie suddenly pushed back her chair and got to her feet.

"Steph, where are you going?" Paul asked her.

This time she was the one who refused to meet Paul's concerned stare as her eyes darted around nervously and she slowly backed towards the kitchen.

"I need to get a bandage. You need that protected."

But she was fleetingly hit with the feeling that she might be the one who needed the protection as Paul stood up and slowly shaking his head, his hand gently reached out for her.

"Forget the bandage. Just sit back down."

She swallowed thickly as she lifted her eyes, her own hand absently reaching for her stomach and rubbing over her side as she felt the faint movement of their child.

"Please." urged Paul.

Stephanie was hesitant, her feet frozen to the spot as she briefly glanced over at her brother. His worried expression only fuelled the crippling fear in her chest. Even Marissa looked serious and a little upset.

"Steph?"

She let out a slow, calming breath before looking back at Paul.

"What's going on?" she asked shakily.

"Just sit down baby, please and I'll explain."

Her eyes lingered on him for a few seconds longer before she reluctantly took her seat once more. Her uneasiness was only abated a little by Paul's touch as he placed his hand on top of hers. She tried not to notice the bloody mess of his hand which only raised more questions in her mind. Instead she focused on his handsome face and the tender expression he wore as he squeezed her fingers gently.

"You know how much I love you, right? You know I love you more than anything in this world."

Stephanie slowly nodded her head, a small smile twitching at the corner of her lips.

"And that love means that I care about you and that I want to protect you no matter what, even if it might mean hurting you in the process."

Her wide blue eyes were wary as they stared back at him and Paul sighed softly.

"And I know what I'm about to tell you know will hurt you but I think you should find out the truth from me rather than someone else."

Stephanie felt her stomach churn anxiously. Her head felt like it was spinning and her heart suddenly felt terribly heavy as she swallowed back the lump in her throat.

"What have you done, Paul?" she whispered.

He quickly shook his head and he squeezed her hand once more as he began to explain. "It's not me that's done anything. It's Andrew."

Her mouth parted, stunned at the mention of his name. "Andrew? What's he done?"

She paused briefly glancing around the room.

"Did he come here? Is that why your hand is all cut?"

Her voice was raised in panic and Paul immediately reassured her.

"No. Don't worry. He's not here."

"Then what the hell is all this stuff about Andrew and you still haven't told me why your hand is all covered in blood!"

Paul glanced briefly at the table before bringing his eyes back up to meet Stephanie's. He could see the fear in her ocean blue pools despite her brave front and while part of him regretted coming this far, he knew he had no choice but to continue and tell her the truth. God knows it was the least she deserved. There had been far too much deceit in her life what with her father and his stupid fucked up schemes to keep them apart. She needed to hear the truth and quite frankly, he had no choice anyway. Not now.

Clearing his throat, Paul licked his lips and his fingers slid through hers, his thumb lightly tracing her knuckles. "My hand is cut is because I lashed out and hit a door and the reason I did that was to try and get rid of my anger. It was better to lash out at that than any of you guys."

Stephanie's big eyes instantly widened even further in alarm. "What on earth made you so angry that you had to hit a door?"

He paused for a moment feeling that anger burn once again in his gut and he tried his best to compose himself. This was hard enough without letting his rage for Andrew get the better of him. Besides, Stephanie needed him. He had to be in control. He had to be here for her.

Sighing softly, he replied calmly. "Andrew has been blackmailing your Dad, Steph. He's trying to get back in the ring."

Her top lip snarled in anger as the McMahon temper quickly rose to the surface. "How dare he try and come back after everything he's done to you and to us! He nearly killed you Paul! The bastard should be in jail instead of walking around trying to threaten us with ultimatums!"

Paul quickly nodded his head. "I know and don't worry. Your father told him there was no chance he was getting back in that ring."

His words made Stephanie sigh with relief. She didn't know what she would have done if Andrew had come back. She loathed the man and the very ground he walked on. God, she still felt sick every time she thought about what he had done and to even think he had the damn nerve to think about returning. At least her father had put him in his place and she knew he would make sure he was finished in the business.

But she looked back at Paul, Stephanie noticed the concerned expression he still wore and her brow crinkled in confusion. "So if Daddy said no, then what's the problem? I mean, what has he got to blackmail us on anyway? The guy is even more delusional than I thought if he thinks making empty threats is going to get him his job back!"

Paul sat back in his chair and turning his head, he quickly glanced at Shane. He seemed to sense his hesitancy and he nodded his head, slightly reassuring him.

Both of them were unaware that Stephanie had been watching them closely.

"Just what exactly is going on here?" she asked.

Paul sighed heavily as he turned to face her and he saw the tentative expression on her face as she waited for his answer.

"Please Paul, just tell me." she pleaded with him.

His voice was low as he shifted on the seat. "Because Vince won't let Martin back, he's threatened to tell you the truth."

Her brow furrowed curiously. "The truth about what?"

"Everything. Our relationship. The lengths your Dad was prepared to go to in order to split us up."

His heart broke as he witnessed the look of pure devastation on Stephanie's beautiful face. He fucking hated this. Seeing her pain was more than he could handle.

"Is this stuff I don't remember?"

Paul slowly nodded his head, tightening his grip on her hand. "But you don't have to hear it if you don't want to."

Stephanie glanced away for a few seconds before looking back up to meet his eyes. He saw the determined look that adorned her beautiful face.

"I want to know Paul." she told him. "I have to hear what's he's done."

Paul let out a heavy sigh and he began to tell her everything holding her hand as he did so. He knew Stephanie was hurt and angry. He could see the emotions flickering in her eyes as the realisation of what her father had done started to hit home. He honestly wanted to kill Vince for what he had done. This was his daughter for God sakes! His precious baby girl. How the hell could he have put her through all of this and still claim to love her? These weren't actions of a loving father. He truly was a heartless bastard and he would never forgive Vince for having to do this. It was killing him on the inside to see Stephanie hurting like this.

And when he was finished, Stephanie just sat there motionless and silent. He could hear the sound of his own breathing as he watched her, resisting the urge to pull her into his arms knowing she needed a little space. Instead he gripped hold of her fingers. Her bottom lip was lightly trembling and he felt his heart ache as he watched her visibly struggle with her emotions. He knew the truth about Vince would be like a dagger to her stomach. He wished there was something, anything he could do to take her pain away.

Suddenly Stephanie stood up shrugging his hand from hers and she slowly walked across towards the window. Paul watched her wrap her arms around herself almost protectively as she stared outside and he sighed softly. He could see Shane's concerned expression as he pushed himself up from his chair but it was the furthest thing from his mind as he crossed the short distance to where Stephanie was standing.

As he stood behind her, Paul swore he felt her tense. His hand gently reached for her shoulder and he was shocked when he felt her shrug him off.

"Leave me alone." she told him.

Paul sighed once more recognising the signs. Stephanie was shutting herself off. But he couldn't let her do that. She was hurting too much to deal with this alone.

"Steph, please talk to me. I want to help you"

He heard her indignant snort before Stephanie whirled round to face him, her blue eyes flashing dark with her anger.

"Help me! It's a pity you didn't want to help me by telling me all of this a hell of a lot sooner."

His nose wrinkled with his confusion. "How could I tell you sooner? I only just found out about Andrew myself."

"That's not what I meant! Why the hell didn't you tell me about my father before now?"

His brown eyes narrowed in her direction. "Tell you what about your father?"

Stephanie sneered back at him as her manicured finger jabbed at his chest. "About all the things he'd done to you and to us. Didn't you think I deserved to know the truth?"

"Of course you did but I didn't think you could handle it."

Stephanie snorted back at him. "I couldn't handle it! Don't make me laugh! Don't pretend you did this out of concern for me!"

Paul shook his head angrily and clenched his fists tightly by his sides. He didn't have to stand here and take this crap. And he had no damn clue why she was ragging on him. He'd only tried to do the right thing by telling Stephanie the truth about Vince. Now all he was getting was grief for his efforts. Well, he'd make sure never to make that mistake again. God knows, he was sick to death of getting it the neck from a damn McMahon.

Shifting his feet on the carpet, Paul glared back at Stephanie. "Of course I was concerned for you. I didn't want you hearing this from Martin. I thought that hearing it from me might somehow make it easier on you but I guess I was wrong about that."

He started to walk away but stopped and spun back round on his heel as his anger and frustration got the better of him.

"You know what, Steph? I know you couldn't have handled the truth especially not where your precious father is concerned. Hell, I've lost count of the number of times that man has tried to cause trouble between us and yet every time you always go running back forgiving him. It doesn't matter what he does. You're nothing but Daddy's spoilt little girl. Stephanie McMahon. Daddy's little princess."

"Fuck you Paul!" she spat back. "You know you go on about me not being able to handle things! What about you! You can't even talk about a stupid dream without getting all freaked out about it!"

Stephanie saw his face flicker with his pain and she immediately pressed her lips together, regretting her words. Her blue eyes were apologetic as her hand reached to touch his arm. "I'm sorry Paul. I didn't mean that! I was just angry…"

Paul shrugged her off silencing her. His eyes were dark with his hurt and his anger as his top lip curled into a snarl.

"Oh you meant it alright. I guess you've inherited that mean streak from your precious Daddy. Never mess with a McMahon, huh Steph? You'd think I would have learned that lesson by now."

"What do you mean by that?" she shouted after him as he headed towards the brightly lit hall. He stopped in the doorway long enough to turn back and glare at her.

"You're a smart girl, Steph. You work it out!"

She could only stand and watch after him with a heavy heart as Paul's footsteps thudded up the stairs and her tears burned the back of her throat as a door slammed shut, echoing in the silence.

"He didn't deserve that, Steph."

Stephanie sniffed as her big glossy eyes turned from the hall that Paul had disappeared though and stared back at her brother. She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall as she slowly nodded her head.

"I know." she conceded.

Her bottom lip trembled as her shoulders began to shudder with her shaky breaths.

"God Shane, what have I done?" she cried as the tears slipped over her lashes, trickling down her face.

Shane pulled her into his arms and held her as she began to cry. As he rocked her gently, he caught Marissa's eye and she smiled at him sympathetically as her fingers reached to run through the ends of Stephanie's hair.

"I'll go and check on Paul." she offered.

He smiled at her gratefully just as he felt his sister pull away. Her tears hitched in her throat as she looked at Marissa, trying her hardest to compose herself and gulp back her sorrow.

"I…I should go. I should be the one to….to talk to him." she eventually stammered out.

"You could try but to be honest, I don't think that's a good idea, Steph." she told her calmly as she rubbed her arm soothingly. "You're both too upset to be rational right now. Give him a chance to calm down first then maybe talk to him, okay?"

Stephanie nodded in agreement as her hand wiped at her blotchy cheeks. "He'll be so angry with me. I….I really hurt him."

"Paul knows you didn't mean what you said." rationalised Shane, trying his hardest to calm his sister down. Getting so upset wasn't good for her or the baby. His hand rubbed up and down her back watching her sniffing back her tears.

"And I know he didn't mean what he said to you. You were both just angry and needed someone to lash out at. I think Rissa's right. You both need time to calm down."

"But….but what if he leaves again, Shane? I couldn't take it."

Her big blue eyes were wide and frightened. Marissa placed her hand on her shoulder squeezing it reassuringly. "I'm pretty sure he's not going anywhere. But if you want, I'll go and check on him and make sure, okay?"

Stephanie nodded and whispered her thanks as Marissa headed towards the stairs.

"Paul will be fine Steph."

She sighed unconvincingly as her red rimmed eyes watched her sister in law disappear through the hall.

"Besides, Rissa will sort him out." smiled Shane. "She's pretty good at this kind of thing. No matter how badly Dad pisses me off, she always manages to calm me down."

He looked at Stephanie tentatively as he broached the subject.

"Speaking of Dad, do you want to talk about it? It must have hit you pretty hard when you heard everything Paul had to say."

Stephanie said nothing as she made her way back to the dining table. She sat down in the chair and looked up to see Shane watching her. Her head felt like it was spinning, still reeling from her fight with Paul. She lifted her shoulder in a shrug.

"To be honest, I can't think about any of it right now. I'm too worried about Paul."

Shane nodded and took the seat beside her. His hand reached for hers patting it affectionately. "It took a lot for Paul to tell you about him, you know. He knows how much Dad means to you. We all do. That was probably why no-one wanted to tell you the things he had done."

Stephanie rolled her lips together as she slowly shook her head, her chestnut strands shifting across her shoulders. "I could have handled it Shane. You could have told me."

"Maybe."

He paused as her hand lifted to rake through her hair.

"But I completely understand Paul's reasons for not telling you."

Stephanie's blue eyes narrowed curiously in his direction. "You do? Why?"

Shane shifted in his seat, his back leaning back against the wooden spars. His brown eyes appeared thoughtful as he looked at her.

"Paul knows how important Dad is to you and how close you guys are. He knows losing that would upset you. I agree with what he said you know. You couldn't handle the truth. Not really. That was why we kept you in the dark about what had really happened."

"And what makes you think I couldn't handle it?"

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "It's just that Paul and I hated seeing how upset you got every time Dad made you choose between him and us. We saw what it did to you, Steph. It ate you up on the inside. I could see it and Paul could see it. Even though you chose Paul, it broke your heart knowing that being with him might mean losing your family. You were torn apart. It killed Paul to see you like that and that's why at one point he even decided to break things off with you."

Stephanie's blue eyes widened with alarm. "He broke up with me?"

Shane quickly shook his head. "No. I talked to him and he realised it wasn't his choice to make. But the point is he hated seeing the effect it all had on you. When Dad finally accepted your relationship and your baby, Paul saw how happy you were. He knows how important your family is to you. You can't blame him for not wanting to take that away from you. He loves you Steph. He just wants you to be happy, that's all."

She felt a pang of guilt as she softly sighed and nodded her head as her fingers toyed with the corner of a napkin. "I know. I was just so angry when he told me about Dad, you know?"

Shane nodded.

"And I took that anger out on Paul. I just couldn't help it. I can't believe Dad could do all that, Shane."

Stephanie lifted her head and he could see the disbelief in her eyes and not only that, her disappointment. She had always held their father on a pedestal and now that pedestal had come crashing down around her.

"I mean I know he is capable of a lot of things but toying around with people's lives and emotions like that is out of order. Especially when it's people he's supposed to love and care about."

"I know and Dad realises that too. He is sorry for what he's done, Steph."

She clenched her jaw tightly refusing to even consider her father's remorse. "Right now, I don't care how sorry he is. Paul could have died and it was partly due to him and his stupid fucking notion that I would be better off with Andrew."

She paused as she briefly glanced down at the table. Her blue eyes were determined when they looked back up at him.

"I don't think I can ever forgive him for that."

"I can't say I blame you. I'm still pretty angry at him too."

Stephanie shook her head adamantly as she stared back at her brother. "Oh I'm not just angry Shane. I'm fucking furious and I hate him right now for what he's done. He's gone too far this time and things will never be the same between us. Ever!"

As she got up from the table, Shane watched her carefully knowing she had meant every single word. The attack on Paul was too much to forgive. Stephanie had almost lost the man that she loved more than anything. His father would be devastated if he lost his only daughter. But to be perfectly honest, it was probably no more than the silly old fool deserved….

Upstairs Marissa was hovering in the doorway to the nursery. A small smile adorned her face as she saw Paul sitting on the large rocking chair, the huge teddy bear sitting nestled between his feet. He was staring out the window, no doubt occupied with his thoughts and probably brooding over his fight with Stephanie. She and Paul weren't particularly close but she knew enough about him to know he loved Stephanie and he hated fighting with her. She hated fighting with Shane too. But unfortunately she had learned that arguments were inevitable when it came to the McMahon temper not to mention their determined stubbornness. But eventually they always swallowed their pride and sought out your forgiveness.

Rapping her knuckles lightly against the wood, Marissa wandered into the room.

"Is it okay to come in?" she asked softly.

Paul turned his head and his lips twitched with his brief smile as he nodded. She couldn't mistake the sadness in his heavy brown eyes and she sighed as she sat down on the floor, across from the teddy bear. She ruffled its fur as she looked about the freshly decorated room.

"It's hard to believe that in a couple of month's time there will be an actual baby in here. It's amazing, isn't it?" she wondered.

"Yeah."

Marissa looked up at Paul and smiled as he lifted his shoulder in a shrug.

"It still scares me sometimes. You know, being a father."

She quickly nodded her head. "I think it's only natural to feel that way. Whenever Shane and I have discussed kids I must admit, I feel a bit scared myself. It's a huge responsibility having children."

"Yeah. I mean I can hardly be responsible for myself never mind a child. But I feel ready, you know. I'm actually looking forward to it." he smiled.

"Good. And I know for a fact you and Stephanie will be fantastic parents."

Marissa watched Paul's smile quickly disappear at the mention of her name. She sighed as she pushed back her dark strands behind her ear.

"She didn't mean what she said, Paul. Steph was angry and upset and unfortunately you were the one who had to take the brunt of it."

He slowly shook his head as he pressed his lips together tightly.

"Steph knew what she was doing. She brought up the one thing she knew would that get to me. It was uncalled for especially when she knows what we've both been through lately."

"I know. But that's the McMahon temper for you." she told him fondly as she thought of her husband. "Their anger just causes them to lash out and not think rationally. They don't mean to hurt you even though I know it doesn't feel that way at the time."

"I take it I'm not the only one who has experienced a pissed off McMahon."

Paul's lips curved up gently in spite of himself.

"No, you're not. And nine times out of ten it's the same person behind it."

His mouth down turned into an angry scowl.

"Vince."

Marissa nodded. "He's gone way too far this time and he knows it."

"Oh I don't think so." he shot back. "All he's worried about is losing his baby girl. I'm not actually delusional enough to believe that he regrets anything he's done to me. The only thing Vince regrets is getting found out."

Marissa rolled her lips contemplatively as she briefly glanced towards the window. "I don't know. He seems pretty upset about it all."

"Trust me. The only thing he's upset about is the fact that Stephanie's going to be pissed at him. He could care less about me and frankly I don't care about him."

Her eyes settled on Paul once more. "Then don't give him the satisfaction of falling out with Stephanie over this."

His face flickered with his amusement as the corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk.

"The female psychology. It's amazing how you women can manipulate your words like that to get the advantage. Steph does it all the time."

Marissa grinned back at him. "Well, it works on Shane. I thought I'd try it on you."

"Well I give you ten out of ten for trying."

"And did it work?" she asked him hopefully.

"I don't know." he shrugged. "I'm still too angry at her to think straight right now."

"Okay." she conceded, pushing herself up and rising to her feet. As she tugged down the hem of her shirt, she looked directly at Paul. Her lips pressed together in a small smile.

"But maybe you could remember that Stephanie's been through a lot lately and now her world has just been turned upside down by finding out about Vince. She could probably really use your support right about now."

"I'll try and take that on board."

"Good. Well, I'm going to head back downstairs now. Are you coming?"

Paul shook his head. "Not right now, no. But thanks."

"You're welcome." she told him as she headed towards the hall.

Paul let out a heavy, contemplative sigh as he watched Marissa leave the room. He knew what she had said to him was true. Stephanie did need him. In fact, he had known that even before he had even told her about Vince. Deep down, he knew he should be down there talking to her and helping her find a way to deal with it all but his hurt and anger wouldn't let him. If he was honest with himself, so was his pride. He hated feeling so fucking weak and vulnerable and Stephanie had taken the one thing that made him feel that way and used it against him. It was like a kick to his gut and he wasn't prepared to forget her harsh words, at least not quite yet.

The chair lightly creaked as Paul began to absently rock back and forth, his mind drifting to Stephanie despite his anger. God knows everything was always about her. She was in his head. She was firmly lodged in his heart too.

Time passed as Paul sat there alone with his thoughts. He wasn't sure how long he had been spaced out for when he eventually looked towards the window but the room was now in a grey darkness and as he sat in the shadows, he listened to the rain that now battered against the window pane. Within seconds it was accompanied by a flash of lightening that briefly illuminated the room and when the thunder eventually rumbled, he couldn't stop the gentle smile that traced his lips. Stephanie hated storms. He knew she would probably be freaking out down there. He could still remember the time she came to his hotel room banging down his door at nearly three in the morning. It had been just a month or so before they had started dating. Her big blue eyes had looked so wide and frightened as she had stood in the doorway and as he taken her into his arms, something had just felt right about it. It was as if she had always meant to be there. And from that moment on, there had been no turning back. He had fallen for her, unable to catch his breath.

As Paul shifted in the chair, he heard the sudden footsteps on the stairs and his hand reached down, lifting the bear into his lap. He knew it was Stephanie before they even entered the room. He could always sense when she was close by and his heart would start beating just that little faster. It was beating now as he waited for her. He didn't have to wait long and the rhythmic sound of the rain echoed in the silent room as he felt her overwhelming presence next to him. The bear hid his face from her but then again that had probably been his intention when he had heard her footsteps.

"Are you and Mr Bear having a good time up here?"

Paul shifted the stuffed toy to the left until Stephanie came into view. The light from the hallway illuminated her beautiful face and he could tell from her puffy eyes that she had been crying. He never could handle seeing her upset and he felt his resolve crumble as he offered her a smile.

"We were just listening out for the screams down there."

Stephanie let out a nervous laugh as she fidgeted with her hands, her fingers twisting together anxiously. "That was probably Shane. He gets freaked out by storms way more than I do."

Paul shook his head with amusement and resisted the urge to laugh out loud at the mental image in his head of Shane, screaming at the top of his voice. Instead he focused on the humble woman standing just in front of him.

"So, there was no-one to keep you safe?"

Stephanie sniffed lifting her shoulder in a light shrug. "Well, see, I was kind of hoping that's where you would come in."

She pressed her lips together in a watery smile.

"You're the best hero a girl could ask for."

"Well I just hope I don't disappoint you by freaking out on you."

As Paul watched Stephanie's face visibly fall, he mentally kicked himself for saying what he did. He didn't know where that comment had come from. He guessed he was still feeling a little defensive and was obviously not quite prepared to forgive her just yet. But God, it was killing him to see her looking at him that way. It was like he had ripped her heart from her chest and stomped on it.

He was about to apologise when there was another flash of lightning and Stephanie visibly jumped as she let out a scream. She looked like a small frightened child and Paul sighed as he placed the bear down at the side of the chair, holding his arms out in her direction.

There was no mistaking the big grateful blue eyes that batted back at him and the relieved smile as Stephanie sat down on his lap sliding her arms around his neck. As she buried her face in his hair, she breathed in the fresh clean smell of his shampoo feeling the soft strands tickle her face.

"I guess I'm just a sucker for a damsel in distress."

As his arms wrapped around her rounded stomach, Stephanie felt her tears burn her throat once more as her remorse washed over her and she swallowed hard. She lifted her head and her face mirrored her spoken apology as she looked into his deep brown eyes.

"I'm so sorry Paul. I never meant what I said to you. I didn't mean to hurt you."

She pressed her lips tightly together as her composure shook. As Paul looked at her tenderly, he felt his anger just slip away as his long fingers lifted to her cheek and brushed back the few loose strands that fell over her face.

"I know. And I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I lashed out at you."

Stephanie sniffed and shook her head. "But you were right Paul. I wouldn't have been able to handle it. In fact, I don't think I am handling it, at all."

Her eyes glossed over with her tears as her strangled sob filled the room. Paul pulled her to him and held her as she cried in his arms. His hushed whispers attempted to soothe her as his hand brushed through the ends of her hair. Right now, he felt so damn useless. Stephanie's heart was breaking and there was absolutely nothing he could do. This was all Vince's fault.

Feeling his anger burn in his gut at the thought of him, Paul quickly tried to push it aside. He needed to be calm for Stephanie. He couldn't let his own feelings get in the way of being here for her. Sure, she was upset right now but Vince was her father. She couldn't be hasty in her decision and he couldn't let his own hatred for the man cloud her judgement either.

As he eventually felt her sobbing subside, Paul kissed her hair and slowly her head lifted. His brown eyes were caring and concerned as the pad of his thumb wiped at her wet cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

She slowly nodded.

"You know you can't let what your father did upset you like this. It's not good for you. It's not good for the baby either."

Stephanie sniffed as she let out a shaky breath "I know but I can't help it. I hate him Paul. I hate him for what he's done especially to you."

"Hate's a strong word Steph especially when it's directed at your father."

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she blinked back at him. "Why are you picking up for him?"

Stephanie immediately regretted her question as she saw Paul's mouth curl in anger.

"Trust me. The last thing I will ever do is pick up for Vince McMahon."

He paused as he tried to keep his emotions in check and licking his lips, he sighed softly.

"Look, the only reason I said what I did was because of you. I know how much your family means to you Steph. I don't want you acting in haste and regretting it later. Just let the dust settle and see how you feel. You've had a lot to take in tonight. Your emotions will be all over the place."

Her love for Paul shone in her eyes as Stephanie stroked his face with her hand, touched by his words and his reasoning and knowing in her heart that what he said made total sense.

"How did you get to be so smart?" she asked him as the rain continued to pelt against the glass, the dotted shadows dancing across the room.

"Well, you can thank the beautiful girl I'm marrying. She's a good influence."

Stephanie's mouth lifted with her delighted smile but it was quickly accompanied her frightened scream as the rumble of thunder emanated from the black heavy sky outside. She gripped hold of Paul tightly, her head burrowing into his chest. She felt his body shake with the low rumble of his laughter.

"Come on McMahon. Let's get you to bed. At least that way you'll have the covers to hide under."

As he kissed her head, he carefully encouraged her to her feet. As she rubbed her hand over her stomach, she watched Paul place the bear back on the chair. She smiled contentedly as she looked around the room.

"I love it in here. I can't wait for the baby to arrive."

Paul smiled as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and placed his hands on top of hers over her stomach. "Me neither."

He dropped another kiss the exposed skin on Stephanie's shoulder before resting his stubbled chin there.

"I can't wait to be a daddy Steph. It's going to be great. Just you, me and our daughter. A little family of our own."

Stephanie felt a tingle of excitement as she rested her head against his. Their own little family was everything she wanted and in a couple of months she would have exactly that. She didn't need anyone or anything else and that included her father.

God, she was so angry at him right now but she would take Paul's advice and not be too hasty in making a decision. But she knew that no matter how long she took, it would never be long enough for her to learn to forgive Vince. He had gone way too far this time and if she had to cut him out of her life, she would do it. She was prepared to do whatever it took to make her life perfect. And it would be perfect. She had Paul and he was everything she needed. He was the person she could turn to and depend upon. She no longer needed her father because the truth was daddy's little girl had grown up and moved on for good.


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

"I understand you've been experiencing nightmares. Do you want to talk about them?"

Paul tightened his grip on Stephanie's hand and he uncomfortably shifted in his seat. He cleared his throat as his eyes darted nervously around the room before settling on the floor. He knew this question had been coming. During his first couple of sessions with the psychiatrist, Glen had slowly gotten him to open up. And somehow, after a lot of coaxing from both him and Stephanie, he had managed to eventually talk about the attack. It hadn't been easy. God knows he still felt sick to his stomach every time he thought about it and it had also brought back a lot of his fear and his anger; feelings he thought he had managed to push aside up until now. But the fear that he felt over the attack was nothing like the terrifying fear he had felt during those damn nightmares.

As Paul lifted his gaze from the polished wooden floor, he noticed both Stephanie and Glen watching him intently. He quickly looked back down hiding behind the long blonde strands that fell over his face. He really didn't want to do this. It was taking everything he had not to grab Stephanie and make a bolt for the door. Thank God she had come here with him. Despite his initial bravado, she had known there was no chance he could have done any of this alone and she had been here for him every step of the way. Quite frankly she had been his angel.

"You know you don't have to do this if you don't want to." she said softly as her fingers gently squeezed his.

Paul tilted his head to the side to look at her. He could see the concern etched on her beautiful face and the tiredness in her heavy blue eyes. Stephanie had been through so much lately and it was starting to take its toll on her. He had felt her tossing and turning the past few nights beside him and he knew she was still struggling with her decision about Vince. She had tried to hide it of course but he could tell she was conflicted. Stephanie was hurt and angry and confused. She wouldn't talk to her father at all and refused to take any of his calls over the last few weeks. The only person she had talked to was her mother asking her to tell Vince to give her space. So far, he was respecting her request but still he knew that despite everything he had done, Stephanie missed her father.

And on top of that, he knew that with the due date drawing nearer, she had started to worry about giving birth. In his opinion she had made the mistake of watching too many damned documentaries and they had absolutely petrified her. Of course he'd tried his best to reassure her everything would be fine even getting his mother and his sister to talk to her. But despite their reassurances, she still she was continuing to fret over everything and he was worried about her.

Feeling the anxious knot twisting in his stomach, Paul let out a slow calming breath. He knew he didn't really have a choice here but to talk about his damn dreams. He had to do this for Stephanie. The last thing she needed was to worry over him too. God knows he'd put her through enough as it was without this too.

Paul pressed his lips together in a tight smile and tried to ignore the voice in his head telling him to get the hell out of here. "It's okay. I'm fine." he lied.

He swallowed thickly as he turned to face Glen. He bit down on his bottom lip as he tried to draw on the courage he needed to start a conversation he desperately wanted to avoid.

Glen seemed to sense his hesitancy and his kind face smiled back at him reassuringly.

"Nightmares are extremely common with PTSD you know. Patients can feel intense fear and helplessness during the actual trauma so any thoughts or memories about it are distressing to them. You try to avoid them or mentally block them out."

He paused as he shifted on his chair, clasping his hands together on his lap.

"But of course you can't control those memories while you're asleep so your brain relives that trauma through your dreams. And when you wake up and remember those dreams, you feel terrified or so angry that you just want to lash out."

"And that's normal behaviour for a person with that condition, right? I mean you wouldn't diagnose that person as crazy, would you?" asked Stephanie.

Glen quickly shook his head. "Of course not. Violent outbursts are a very common side effect of PTSD."

As Stephanie continued to listen to Glen, Paul's gentle eyes fell on her, watching her. A soft smile traced his lips despite his anxiety. He knew that she had raised that question for his sake. She knew it had been his greatest fear throughout this whole thing; thinking he was slowly turning psychotic. There had been so many times when he had felt like he was two different people. One minute he was calm and rational. The next he would be flying off the handle at the slightest of things and lashing out at whatever and whoever he could. It was a relief to know that there was a reason behind his behaviour and he wasn't simply losing his mind.

Just then Glen cleared his throat catching his attention. "So Paul, do you think you feel up to talking about it?"

As Stephanie turned her head to look at him, their eyes connected and Paul found the strength and courage in her that he needed. He squeezed her hand before turning his attention to Glen and for the first time since the attack, he began to try and describe his dreams….

* * *

Stephanie turned her head to look at Paul carefully watching him as he drove. His face gave nothing away and his eyes stared straight ahead as he concentrated on the busy road, his fingers tapping absently against the steering wheel. He had been really quiet since they had finished his session with Glen and so far had said very little to her about anything at all. She just worried that he was okay. He had gotten upset and a little agitated during the discussion particularly when he had finally revealed that his nightmares had involved her being in danger and at times even dead. Now she knew why he had been so reluctant to tell her about them. Talking about them meant reliving them all over again. It made them real and that reality freaked him out especially when the person attacking her in the dreams was the person responsible for Paul's condition in the first place. Glen had explained that because he was so angry with Andrew, that anger over the attach had transferred to his dreams too. That's why he had gotten in a rage each and every time she had asked Paul about them. But she was just relieved more than anything that he had finally opened up to someone. Keeping it all bottled up inside hadn't been helping Paul at all and maybe now he could try and cope with them a bit better. Maybe in time he might even forget about them. He had made really good progress over the past month or so and she couldn't help but feel really proud of him. He had done so well and been so strong.

Shifting her body slightly, Stephanie reached her hand across, lightly squeezing his knee. "Are you alright, Paul? You're awfully quiet."

"I'm fine." he replied, turning briefly to offer her a small smile.

She nodded pretending to accept his answer but knowing in her heart he was lying to her. Paul was anything but fine but obviously he didn't want to talk about it and she knew not to push him. And she guessed she couldn't blame him either. He'd been through enough today as it was but, still she wanted him to know she was there just in case he needed her. She never wanted him to think he had to be alone. She touched his arm gently to get his attention.

"You do know I'm here for you, right? I mean, if you need to, you will talk to me won't you?"

Paul reached across and touched her thigh, his palm rubbing over it gently. "Of course I will."

He briefly glanced at her and smiled gratefully before turning his attention back to the road.

"But honestly, right now, I just want to forget about it, Steph. I've done enough talking for one day. I couldn't handle going over it all again."

"That's okay. I understand."

She smiled as she moved across the seat towards him. Her head rested against his muscular arm, feeling his gentle heat.

"So, what time have we to be at your parents' house?" she asked.

"Anytime this afternoon I guess. Mom never said a certain time but we could probably just head over there now while we're out anyway."

"I guess so. What's the special occasion anyway?"

"There's no reason. She just invited us over."

Paul turned his head to grin at her.

"I guess she just wants to see her adorable son and who could blame her, right?"

As Stephanie laughed, he looked back at the road deliberately holding back the truth but only because it was supposed to be a surprise. Unbeknownst to Stephanie, Lynn and his mother had organised a baby shower and had sworn him to complete secrecy. He'd also been threatened with his life if he didn't make good on his promise to get her there and on time. And with any luck, he could make an escape after he had dropped her off. He wasn't particularly enamoured with staying in a room full of women cooing and gushing over baby stuff.

As Paul guided the car around the corner, he felt Stephanie wriggle around beside him and he quickly glanced at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." she sighed as she shifted her body on the seat. "My back's just sore and I'm a little uncomfortable. I got to tell ya, it's not much fun being the size a beached whale."

He lightly chuckled as he lifted his arm to wrap it around her shoulder. He pulled her in towards him and he kissed her hair as her head rested against his chest. "You're still beautiful to me babe."

Stephanie lifted her eyes to look at him disbelievingly. "I know you're lying through your teeth but thank you."

"Oh I'm not lying to you. I do think you're beautiful. In fact, I think you're absolutely gorgeous."

"And I think you're full of shit."

She felt his arm quickly pull away from her and her look of confusion turned to a giggle of amusement as she felt his big hand rub over her stomach.

"Paul, what are you doing?" she asked curiously.

"I'm covering our daughter's ears wherever they may be in there. She doesn't need to hear her mommy cussing."

Stephanie laughed and shaking her head, she turned to look out the window and recognising the pretty red brick house, she realised they had already arrived and in record time.

"So, you got here without us getting lost. Well done." she teased as she pushed her hand through her loose brown strands.

Paul's brown eyes glared at her as he switched off the car engine.

"I do know the way to my own parents' house thank you very much." he retorted as he turned in his seat to face her, his big arm stretching out across the back of the seat. "You need to stop ribbing me, McMahon."

Stephanie smiled as she rubbed the top of her stomach feeling the baby kick again. "You know you've gotten into the habit of calling me that." she commented. "What are you going to call me once we're married, huh?"

Paul raised his brow playfully. "Oh I don't know."

A slow smile crept across his face as he moved his face towards her, his warm breath dancing across her skin.

"But I could think of a few choice names."

"I bet you could." smiled Stephanie. She closed her eyes as their lips met in a slow, soft kiss.

"So, I'd better get you in there. Tell me, is my mother looking out the window yet?"

Stephanie glanced out of the passenger window and seeing the figure twitching the curtains, she laughed. "Yes, she is."

"I thought so."

Paul grinned as he opened the car door and walked around to help her out her side. She was grateful knowing she was definitely struggling to get herself around these days. She smiled as Paul held out his hand to help her out. As she straightened up, she rubbed her back trying to ease the pain unaware Paul was watching her closely.

"You are okay, aren't you?"

Stephanie nodded her head. "I'm fine."

She clasped Paul's hand and they walked towards the house. She looked over at him happy that he appeared relaxed and in much better spirits and she was relieved. She hated seeing him low and upset and his smile was much too beautiful to hide on her.

As they entered the bright hallway, the first thing Stephanie noticed was the silence. If she didn't know better, she would think there was nobody home. She tugged on Paul's arm as they walked towards the living room pulling him to the side.

"Don't you think it's awfully quiet?"

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Not really." His eyes twinkled mischievously as he opened the door. "Maybe Dad has gagged Mom or something. She was probably nagging him to death."

Grinning, he stepped aside gesturing for her to go first. Smiling, Stephanie walked into the room and she jumped slightly startled when she was greeted with a huge shout.

"Surprise!"

Her mouth parted in disbelief as she saw everyone gathered in the living room. She was especially shocked to see her mother, Marissa and even Shane. She approached them straight away, pulling her mother into a hug. Overwhelmed, she burst into tears.

Patricia looked suspiciously at her son. "Is everything okay? You haven't upset her, have you?"

"No, I have not." He teasingly smirked at her. "She's just happy to see her mom, that's all. Just like I'm happy to see you Ma."

Paul let out a surprised yelp as she smacked his arm. "I take it back. Maybe I'm not so happy to see you after all." He rubbed the skin where her hand had connected and scowled. "What was that for?"

Patricia smiled at him sweetly. "I heard your comment about me nagging your father to death."

"Well we always did teach our son to tell the truth Patricia."

She turned round to scowl at her husband who had just walked into the living room. Paul laughed as he hugged his father. He then spotted Lynn across the room and hugged her too.

"How's my favourite sister?"

"I'm your only sister."

"Still doesn't mean you can't be my favourite, Lynnie."

Lynn smacked his arm. "Don't call me that. You know I don't like it."

Paul shook his head as he rubbed his arm again. "Geez! What is it with the women in this house getting the urge to hit me?"

She smirked back at him. "Well if you weren't so annoying, we wouldn't feel the need to do it."

"You're annoying me. Does that mean I get to hit you now Lynnie?"

"I told you to stop calling me that."

Paul snickered. "Why would I when I know how much it bugs you?"

"That's enough from the both of you." warned Patricia. She shook her head, her face flickering with her amusement at her children and felt relief when she noticed Stephanie had stopped crying.

"Are you okay, dear?" she asked.

Stephanie nodded and gave her a watery smile as she wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I guess I was just overwhelmed by all of this."

She looked around the room and saw the presents and food that were laid out. There were also balloons and a banner on the wall saying "Congratulations, it's a girl." "This is all so amazing. Thank you."

"Yeah mother. This is quite a party you've put on." commented Paul as he went to pick up a sandwich from one of the trays. He felt his hand instantly being slapped away.

"Leave it. It's girls only."

Paul scowled at his sister's warning. "But I'm the father. If it wasn't for my daughter, you wouldn't be having this party."

"So you want to stay and talk babies, huh? Because that's the only way you're going to get your grubby mitts on any of that food."

"I thought I told you two to stop it." scolded Patricia.

"But she started it!"

"And I'm finishing it."

Paul made a face before turning towards his father and Shane who had been watching the whole thing with amusement. "I'm going home." he whined. "Are you guys coming with me?"

Shane grinned. "Only if you promise we can watch the baseball game and drink plenty of beer in the process."

"You got yourself a deal Shano. Hell, I might even through in a pizza or two. Are you coming Dad?"

"Sure."

Paul walked across and kissed Stephanie on the cheek. "Have a nice time honey."

She smiled as he pulled her into a hug. "I will."

He picked up his keys as he made his way to the door.

"What? No hug for your sister?"

Paul stood in the doorway and he smiled as he flipped her off. "Bye Lynnie."

Lynn pretended to scowl but once the door closed, she burst into laughter. She turned towards Stephanie who was laughing too. "He's a pain in the ass but you got to love him."

Stephanie nodded. "I feel exactly the same way about Shane."

Patricia looked over at Linda and smiled. "So, were Shane and Stephanie as bad as my two?"

"God yes. I've lost count of the number of times those two have argued with each other. But at the end of the day, they are always there for one another and I guess that's what counts, huh?"

"Most definitely." Patricia smiled and gestured towards the presents. "Now Stephanie, which one do you want to open first?"…..

* * *

Stephanie smiled as she looked at all the presents laid out in front of her. They had so much stuff. There were toys, clothes, a baby gym and a high chair. Lynn had even made up a box which contained diapers, baby toiletries and a little brush and comb. Everyone had been so generous and kind. There was no doubt in her mind her daughter was going to get spoiled the second she was born especially if Paul had his way.

Shifting up the chair, Stephanie felt the building pressure on her bladder and she sighed, carefully getting to her feet. There were definitely things about her pregnancy she wouldn't miss including the urge to go to the bathroom every ten minutes.

Shuffling her feet, she immediately felt the nagging pain in her back and she winced as her hand reached round, rubbing gently across it.

"Stephanie, are you okay?" asked her mother who was now standing next to her.

She nodded letting out a slow breath. "I'm fine. I just need to go to the bathroom, that's all."

But she winced once more as this time another pain shot through her. This time though it wasn't in her back. She clutched her stomach and sat back down in the chair.

"Damn it."

The rest of the women joined Linda as they huddled around her. Linda shook her head.

"Stephanie, you're not okay. Is something wrong?"

Stephanie shook her head as the pain slowly subsided. "No, nothing's wrong." she sighed wearily. "But you might want to call Paul and tell him to get back here. I think my contractions have started."

Patricia's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders as she rubbed her abdomen. "I don't know but it was painful. It was right across my stomach. It's stopped now though."

Patricia stood up immediately. "I'll call him now."

Her stomach was churning as she rushed to the phone tapping her foot impatiently as it rung out endlessly at the other end.

"Come on, Paul. Answer the goddamn phone."

"Hello?"

It was her husband's voice.

"Paul, where is our son? Is he there?"

"No. He went with Shane to the store. Why? Is there a problem?"

"We think Stephanie's gone into labour."

"What? You're kidding me."

"No I'm not kidding you and he needs to be here. When did he leave?"

"About twenty minutes ago so he shouldn't be long. We'll come straight over once he gets here."

"Okay. Just hurry up."

Her heart was racing in her chest as she hung up and wandered back to Stephanie. Her hopeful blue eyes stared up at her.

"Did you get Paul? Is he coming?"

Patricia shook her head. "He's gone to the store with Shane. They won't be long though."

"You'll be fine, Steph." said Lynn, squeezing her hand and smiling reassuringly. "You've got plenty of time. It can take up to forty eight hours for the baby to arrive once the contractions have started."

Just then Stephanie winced in pain again. She inhaled sharply and gritted her teeth as she tried to ride out the contraction. "I don't think our daughter wants to wait that long." she hissed.

Lynn rubbed her back soothingly. "Are you okay?"

Stephanie nodded her head. Patricia began to pace the room.

"Paul had better get here fast." she panicked.

Her daughter rolled her eyes and shook her head knowing how her mother could get in these situations. God knows she'd witnessed it enough times with the birth of her own children.

"It's okay Mom. Stephanie's waters haven't even broken yet. There's plenty of time." she told her.

Linda smoothed back Stephanie's hair. "You're doing great, honey. Try and stay nice and calm."

Stephanie nodded her head as she let out another slow breath. On the outside, she was the epitome of calm. But on the inside, it was a different story. She felt sick and scared and worried to death. She wasn't due to have the baby for another three weeks yet. This was way too early. She wasn't ready. She just hoped everything would be alright and prayed to God Paul would get here any time soon. She needed him and was relying on him to be there every step of the way. She didn't want to face any of this without him. Paul was her strength and she needed that strength now more than she ever did.


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Paul pulled the car into the driveway and his brow instantly crinkled in confusion when he found his father standing by the garage waiting for them. He had been engrossed in a bottle of beer and the baseball game when they had left him less than an hour ago. Why the hell was he now out here and why was he walking towards the car?

Lifting his shoulder in a shrug at Shane's inquisitive stare, Paul jabbed at the button on the door and peered curiously at his father as the window slid open.

"Here. I've locked the place up."

Paul jumped slightly startled as a bunch of keys were unexpectedly tossed in his direction. He frowned as he threw them into the small tray underneath the stereo and turned his head to see his father climbing into the back of the car.

"Dad, what are you doing? What's going on?"

"Your mother called."

Paul's brown eyes narrowed in his direction and stared impatiently as his father paused clicking his harness into place. "And? Why did she call?"

"Stephanie's in labour. You need to get her to hospital."

His father had delivered the news pretty calmly but Paul felt anything but calm as the words slowly sunk in. His lips parted and his mouth hung open as it hit him what was actually happening. Stephanie was in labour. She was having their baby. Shit. Licking his dry lips, he looked at his father, stunned.

"But she can't be. She's not due for another three weeks." he reasoned.

"I'm afraid it looks like your daughter doesn't want to wait any longer."

Paul slowly turned his head towards the front of the car. He sat there, his body frozen as the enormity of the whole situation began to overwhelm him. He felt a strange sensation in his chest. He was going to be a father. God, this was really happening to him.

Paul felt the butterflies in his stomach as he pushed back his hair from his face and he noticed his hands were lightly trembling as he brought them back to his lap. His stomach lurched with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He knew this day had been coming but it wasn't supposed to be now. He wasn't ready. He was supposed to have more time to prepare. There was the mobile for the cot he still had to build and he still hadn't figured out how to assemble the damn stroller. It had been an enigma to him all week but he thought he had a few more weeks to figure it all out. He was meant to have more time to prepare for all of this.

"Paul, are you going to sit there all day or are you going to get a move on?"

Shane's voice echoed in his head snapping him out of his funk. Paul let out a slow calming breath and briefly glanced in the rear view mirror. He saw the familiar smile looking back at him. It was a smile that he had seen so many times over the years. It was a smile he knew he could trust and a smile that had always reassured him no matter what.

"Everything will be fine son." said his father as he leant forward accompanying his smile with a soft squeeze of his shoulder.

The left corner of his mouth lifted as Paul smiled and nodded. Suddenly his fear began to dissolve into a rush of excitement and nervous anticipation as he realised the baby was coming whether he was ready for it or not. And the truth was that he was ready as he probably ever would be. Now he just had to get to Stephanie and get her to the hospital. There was no doubt she'd kick his ass if he even missed one second of this.

A slow grin crept across Paul's face and his hand released the brake as his heart pounded madly in his chest. The tyres gave out a screech as the car sped off down the driveway…

Several hours had passed and they were both now in the labour ward, alone for the time being in a spacious side room. The monitors beeped rhythmically beside them signalling that everything appeared to be perfectly fine. The midwife had voiced the same opinion just before she left as the first shadows of nightfall started to creep into the room. Paul's forehead tensed seeing Stephanie visibly wince in pain once more. He hated seeing her like this but she had been so brave in getting this far and much braver than she needed to be in his opinion.

Just then Paul let out a hiss of surprise as Stephanie tightened her grip on his hand. It felt like a vice clamping down on his fingers as she clung onto him riding out the pain of yet another contraction.

"Steph, are you sure you don't want the good drugs?" he asked her as he listened to her laboured pants and breathing.

"No!" she shot back through her clenched teeth.

Stephanie let out a few long slow breaths as she felt the contraction eventually subside and her left hand drifted over her tight, swollen belly making her diamond engagement ring sparkle in the dim lighting of the room.

"I told you. I want to do this naturally."

"Well, I just hope my hand holds out. I think you almost crushed the bones in my fingers that time." he joked.

He was immediately silenced by the icy pair of blue eyes that glared back at him.

"Try taking my place Levesque. Then you'll know what real pain feels like." she snapped back.

As Stephanie shifted on the bed in an attempt to get comfortable, Paul decided it would be in his best interests to keep quiet, jokes or otherwise. His fiancée was definitely not in the frame of mind for any form of humour right now and he guessed he couldn't blame her. She was tired and sore. They had been here for almost seven hours already and although her waters had broken just a short while ago, there was no sign of her labour being over any time soon. And of course, the McMahon stubbornness was kicking in and Stephanie was determined not to take any drugs to ease the pain. Apparently she'd seen some horror story about an epidural going wrong and it had scared her to death. Those damned documentaries! Instead she was settling for gas and air and as Paul watched her place the tube in her mouth sucking it in, he felt his hot fingers throb and was tempted to ask for a shot. By the time this was all over, he'd be lucky to escape with a few broken bones and in his hand still in tact.

Just then the door opened and the gynaecologist walked in. Her smile was pleasant and kind and after examining Stephanie for a moment, she looked up at them both and smiled once more as she removed the surgical gloves.

"You're dilated to five so we're looking for it to be a little while yet." She walked across and checked the monitor. "Everything looks fine though. The baby's heart rate is normal."

Paul nodded and was unable not to voice his concerns as he briefly glanced at Stephanie. "But she went into labour early. Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Yes, there is absolutely nothing to worry about." Their doctor smiled as she lightly patted Stephanie's hand. "I'll come back in a bit and check how you're doing."

Stephanie nodded, smiling at her gratefully. Paul pulled up a chair as he sat down next to the bed. He'd taken to standing a short while ago being his back hadn't appreciated the cold, hard leather but constantly hunching over wasn't doing him any favours either. Not that he had complained about it. God knows, he would have his head in his hands if he did.

"So, how are you feeling?" he asked Stephanie as he took her hand in his and his thumb lightly traced over her knuckles.

"Tired and sore." she sighed.

Paul's expression was tender as he lifted his hand and tucked a few damp loose strands behind her ear. "You're doing great, Steph."

She nodded and reached out, her hand curling around his face. "I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier. It's just when the pain starts, I can't help it. I just want to lash out."

"I noticed." he grinned back.

Stephanie stuck out her tongue before resting her head back against the pillows. She turned her head to smile at him wearily yet there was a sparkle of excitement in her heavy blue eyes. "We're really going to be parents, Paul. I can't believe it."

"I know. Are you scared?" he asked her.

She slowly shook her head. "No. I'm ready for this. I really, really am."

She paused as she felt his warm fingers slide through hers. His brown eyes wore a tender expression as they watched her.

"What about you? Are you scared?" she asked him.

"Truthfully?"

Stephanie nodded.

"I was fucking terrified when my dad told me you were in labour. It was like I couldn't believe it was actually happening you know, that the baby was coming. But now?"

A smile twitched at the corner of his lips as he toyed with the ends of her fingers.

"Now I just want to be a daddy already."

The words were just out of his mouth when he saw Stephanie's face grimace as another contraction hit. Her low moan filled the room and Paul gritted his teeth as her sharp nails dug into his hand piercing his skin.

"Breathe through it, Steph." he told her.

"I am, damn it!" she panted heavily and eventually rode it out.

As she sighed with relief when it was over and Stephanie moved her body against the flat mattress, Paul stood up and shook his hand to get some feeling back into it noticing with amusement the four tiny nail indents across the palm.

"I think they're getting closer." he said commenting on the contractions.

"You don't have to tell me that. I can damn well feel it." she snapped back.

"And you're sure you don't want any drugs for the pain?"

Stephanie shot him a deathly glare and Paul silently chuckled as he held up his hands.

"Okay. I get the message. No drugs." he said as he sat back down and took her hand in his once more….

A few hours later Stephanie was groaning loudly, her back arching against the pillow as the pain shot through her body. Her hand gripped hold of Paul's tightly as the tiny beads of perspiration shone on her tensed forehead.

"Come on baby. You need to push."

Her head turned viciously and her blue eyes glared angrily at Paul. "I'll push when I'm god damned good and ready." she shot back.

But as she panted heavily, tired by her efforts, Stephanie squeezed his hand needing every ounce of the support he could offer her to get her through his. A tear escaped from the side of her lashes as she felt the pain wracking her body. Words couldn't describe how excruciating it felt each and every time a contraction hit and she had the weird sensation that if she pushed just that little bit too hard her whole backside was about to explode in front of everyone. Why had she stupidly refused those drugs? And why was this taking so long? She just wanted this damn baby out now.  
As if she could sense Stephanie needed the encouragement, the doctor lifted her head and smiled softly.

"You're doing great Stephanie." she told her. "I can see the baby's head. Another push and your daughter will be on her way."

Stephanie instantly cried out as another big contraction hit her. She gritted her teeth together as she sat forward to push, groaning with the effort as she gripped hold tightly of Paul. The blood was pounding in her ears when she eventually fell back onto the pillow absolutely exhausted, sure she couldn't take any more. God, this was so hard. Why didn't anyone tell her this would be the most unbearable, most painful experience of her life?

"Well done Stephanie. I can see her head."

Paul smoothed back the damp strands from her forehead as he smiled down at her proudly. "Did you hear that? You're nearly there. It's almost over."

Stephanie was panting heavily as she turned to him, trying her best to catch her breath. Her top lip was practically snarling back at him as she glared back at him.

"You're never touching me again, Levesque. Do you hear me?"

Paul's face flickered with his amusement. "Loud and clear, baby."

"Never again." she stammered out as she tried to do her breathing.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the midwife smile at their exchange. He was pretty sure he wasn't the first father-to-be that had been threatened in the exact same way and he wouldn't be the last.

"Right Stephanie, I need you to push one more time. You're nearly there."

Paul smoothed back her hair from her sweaty brow once more. "Come on, Steph. You're doing really well, honey."

Stephanie screamed as she pushed as hard as she could. Her body felt weak and was shaking from the exertion but that exertion and every ounce of pain were quickly forgotten as the perfect sound of a baby crying filled the room. As her head collapsed to the pillow, Stephanie felt her tears slip over her lashes and rush down her face. Her blue eyes looked over at the nurses for a second as they tended to her baby girl before turning to glance at Paul. There was no mistaking the unshed tears that shone in his glossy brown eyes as he stared at their daughter in complete awe and squeezing his hand, she felt a rush of love for him. A rush of love that could never thank him enough for the overwhelming gift he had just given her.

"Would you like to meet your daughter before we check her over?"

Stephanie watched the midwife wrap the baby in a white hospital blanket and she smiled through her tears as she pushed herself up the bed and held out her arms. As the midwife passed her the newborn, her big blue eyes scanned the small bundle eagerly, desperate to see the life she had helped create and that she had nurtured for the last eight months or so. As she carefully adjusted the baby in her arms, Stephanie was completely overwhelmed when she stared at the tiny person she was holding. God, she was so beautiful. The most amazing, perfect thing she had ever seen in her whole life. Thankfully she had stopped crying now and seemed to be lying there, quite content with her new surroundings.

Stephanie looked up at Paul as he reached across touching one of her tiny little hands. Through the visible tears that rolled down his cheeks, she could see his joy and hear the raw emotion in his voice when he spoke.

"She's so tiny and beautiful, isn't she?"

Stephanie nodded her head as she looked back down at their daughter, her eyes filling with awe once more. "She's just amazing, Paul." she said proudly, sniffing back her own tears.

"She is amazing. Just like her Mommy I reckon."

Stephanie heard the tenderness in his voice and carefully shifting on the bed, she managed to reached up and touch his face with her hand. Her sparkling blue pools were swimming with her emotion as she looked at the father of her child.

"I love you so much." she hushed.

Paul's eyes shone with his own love as they stared back at her

"Thank you for giving me the family I always dreamed of." she said.

He smiled gently as he bent down to kiss her softly. "No. Thank you. It's because of you that we are a family and I'll never forget that, Stephanie, ever."

She let her eyes linger on him for a moment before looking back down at their daughter. She let out a soft whimper as Stephanie gently kissed her forehead tasting her velvety soft skin for the first time.

"Hi little girl, I'm your mommy."

She carefully adjusted her in her arms as she turned the baby to face Paul.

"And this handsome man right here is your daddy. Say hello to daddy."

Paul bent down and kissed his daughter's cheek. "Hello my precious girl."

As his fingers lightly traced her soft, delicate cheek, Stephanie smiled up at him, her curiosity suddenly making her impatient.

"So, come on. Tell me what you've decided to call her."

Paul chuckled as he sat down beside Stephanie on the bed, the mattress creaking oddly underneath him. He wasn't surprised by her impatience now the baby was here. He had kept her in suspense for months ever since she had told him that he could name their child. He had to admit he had been surprised she had kept that promise and all he had told her any time she had pestered him was that it wasn't his original choice. He just hoped Stephanie liked it. It seemed apt considering everything they had been through together.

As his big finger toyed with the tiny perfect digits of his daughter's hand, he smiled tenderly. "Hope." he told her simply. "I want to call her Hope."

Stephanie pressed her curved lips together thoughtfully as she looked down at her daughter. "Hope. I like that name."

She tilted her head up to look at Paul.

"What made you decide to pick that one?" she asked.

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "I was looking through your book of baby names one night when I saw it. Then I saw the meaning behind it and that's when I knew it was perfect for her."

He smiled as his daughter's tiny fist curled around his finger.

"Hope. It means trust and faith."

Stephanie smiled, touched by his sentiment as she let her head fall and rest against Paul's shoulder. She understood exactly why those two things were important to him. They were the same two things that had gotten her through everything they had had to ensure the past several months. That and the love she had for the man sitting next to her. A man she loved so much, her heart burst every time she looked at him. A love that was strong and powerful just like the love she could feel for her baby girl even though she'd barely been in her life for a few precious moments.

Feeling her heart swell with her happiness, Stephanie smiled as she felt Paul kiss her hair and she glanced down at their daughter, their perfect miracle created by that love they had for each other. Her perfect family.

"Mommy and Daddy love you Hope Levesque. We love you with all our heart." she smiled tenderly.


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Paul's face was filled with contentment as his tender brown eyes stared down at his baby daughter. She was lying cradled in his big arms fast asleep. Her tiny lashes brushed the tips of her cheeks and her perfect lips were slightly parted. He could feel the gentle warmth that radiated from her body and he had to admit he was in awe every second he looked at her. He was unable to believe he had helped create something so perfect and beautiful. It was amazing too how her little facial features had changed in the couple of days since she had been born. Her skin had lost that pinkish colour now and it looked so flawless and smooth and unbelievably soft to touch. He wasn't quite sure who she resembled though. Sometimes he would look at her and see a similarity to Stephanie. Other times she actually reminded him of his sister rather than himself. But regardless of whom she looked liked, Hope was still the most beautiful baby girl in the world; his most precious gift.

Paul lifted his hand and gently grazed her cheek with his thumb. As he doted on his daughter, he didn't notice Stephanie lingering in the doorway to the bathroom. Her eyes were filled with love and her heart was bursting with pride watching them together. There was just something about seeing Paul with Hope that got to her. It overwhelmed her and she lost count of the number of times she had fallen in love with him all over again the last couple of days. He was so tender and gentle with her and there was no doubt at all in her mind that he was going to be an absolutely amazing father. Even now, he had the uncanny knack of knowing exactly what Hope needed while sometimes she felt like she was flailing, unsure of her role as a mother. But like Paul kept reminding her, she just needed time to find her feet and try to adjust. Maybe once she got home, she would feel a little more relaxed and it would all start to come together.

Sighing softly, Stephanie tucked a few loose strands behind her ear as she walked over to the chair where Paul sat. She rested her hand on his shoulder and her blue eyes were tender as she looked down at her sleeping child.

"She's a little heart breaker, huh?"

Paul tilted his head in her direction and smiled. "She certainly is. Just like her mommy."

Stephanie bent down and kissed him softly. She smiled as she brushed back his hair. "I'm so glad I'm getting home today. Another day in here and I'd have gone nuts."

Ruffling his blonde strands affectionately, she walked across to the bed and sat down, bending over to pull on her black high heeled boots.

"It will be nice to get home and have some peace and quiet."

She paused as she tugged at the zipper.

"Just you, me and Hope. Alone and together."

As she continued to get ready, Paul's brow crinkled, lightly grimacing at her words. He knew he'd have to tell her now. He had no option. He just hoped she wouldn't be too mad when she found out. After all, it had seemed like a perfectly good idea when his mother had suggested it to him.

"Em, Steph?" he called out tentatively.

Stephanie lifted her head and immediately saw the apprehensive look on his face. She knew something was up. Her brow furrowed in his direction.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Paul chuckled nervously. "Nothing's wrong. Why would anything be wrong?"

Stephanie stood up and smoothed down her skirt, her hand tugging at the hem of her sweater. "Because you've got that look on your face that tells me something's up."

She placed her hands on her hips as she stood in front of him, her blue eyes scrutinising him.

"So spill it, Levesque. What have you done?"

Paul carefully lifted himself out of the seat and Stephanie stepped aside as he carried Hope across to her cot beside the bed. He gently placed her down smiling at her and smoothing the hair on her head before turning to his fiancée. She was obviously getting impatient waiting for an answer judging by the way she was now furiously tapping her foot against the floor. He quickly held up his hands in defence in an attempt to ward off her wrath.

"Now before you go off on one, I want you to know it has nothing to do with me. It was totally my mother's idea."

"Just tell me, Paul."

"And I also want you to remember that we agreed not to shout or argue in front of Hope."

"Paul, will you just tell me already." she shot back impatiently.

"Okay." he conceded, his face flickering with his amusement as he raked his fingers through his hair. "It's just that when we go home, we won't exactly be alone."

Stephanie stared back at him suspiciously. "And why is that?"

"Well, see, my mother thought it would be a good idea to welcome our daughter home with a little get together."

Her face fell as she groaned. "You are kidding me, right?"

Paul slowly shook his head as he crossed the short distance between them, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Unfortunately I'm not."

He pulled her close and dropped a kiss in her freshly washed hair, his big hand running over her back soothingly.

"Look I know it's not what you wanted but Mom's heart was in the right place. She knew everyone would want to come and see us settled at home with Hope so she thought if she had this little welcome home party, then all our family would be there at the same time. I guess she just thought we'd be grateful to get our visitors over and done with in one go."

Stephanie sighed as her head rested against his chest hearing the faint trace of his heartbeat. "I guess that's true." she admitted.

She lifted her head to offer him a small smile.

"It's not that I'm ungrateful or anything. I guess I'm just tired and the thought of entertaining everyone is making me cranky."

Paul's expression was sympathetic as his long finger tapped her nose affectionately. "Look, don't worry about it. Besides, they won't be looking to be entertained. All they'll be interested in is getting to hold the baby."

Stephanie chuckled, knowing he was speaking the truth. "So, which grandma do you think will get in there first?"

His brown eyes sparkled back at her. "My money is on Linda."

"I don't know. I think your mom stands a good chance. She may be small but she's feisty."

"You're right about that one."

Paul smiled as he brushed his hand through her hair, pushing it back behind her ear.

"So, you're okay with it? The party, I mean?" he asked.

Stephanie sighed and nodded her head. "And it's like you said. We'll get all the visitors over with at once and then after that I get you and Hope all to myself."

"In that case, let's get this show on the road."

Paul kissed her gently before releasing her and glanced over at Hope who was still fast asleep.

Stephanie rubbed his arm and smiled. "Why don't you put her in her car seat while I finish getting ready?"

Paul nodded and walking to the cot, he gently picked Hope up placing his hand carefully behind her head. Her face was still peaceful and relaxed in sleep as he put her in the baby carrier which was sitting ready on top of the bed. He strapped her tiny frame inside and smiled seeing how small she looked all wrapped up in there.

Beside him Stephanie pulled on her coat, flicking her hair out from the collar. She zipped up the holdall lying next to Hope and reached across to touch her daughter's cheek affectionately.

"I can't wait to get this little one home." she smiled.

Paul hoisted her bag over his shoulder. His big arms lifted the baby carrier with ease and his free arm wrapped around Stephanie's shoulder.

"Come on then Mommy. Let's go."

Stephanie grinned back at him feeling tired yet deliciously happy as they walked out of the hospital room and into the corridor. It felt so good to be getting out of here and going home and the best part of it all was she was going home with her family; her own perfect little family.

A short while later Stephanie walked into the bright airy living room and waved hello at the eager, expectant faces already there, patiently waiting for their return. As she shrugged off her coat, she felt a tug on her skirt and looked down to see a grinning Neyssa.

"Aunt Stephanie, is the baby with you?"

She smiled and ruffled her blonde hair. "Uncle Paul is just bringing her in now sweetie."

Just then Paul appeared behind her carrying Hope in her carrier. He shook his head as he saw his mother and Linda. They looked like they were practically ready to pounce. He grinned at his niece who was now standing right beside him.

"Hey toots. How are you?"

"Fine." She stood on her tiptoes trying to get a look at her new baby cousin. "Uncle Paul, can I see her now?"

He winked at her animated, excited face. "Of course you can. Why don't you run over and grab a seat on the sofa. I'll bring her over to you."

He laughed as Neyssa ran across shouting out to her mother.

"Mommy, I get to see Hope first."

He had guessed it would be exciting for her. It was her first baby cousin and she still hadn't seen her yet. Lynn had come alone when she had visited at the hospital.

Placing the carrier on the floor, Paul bent down to unclip her and lift her out. He handed her over to Stephanie who had wandered over beside him.

"Why don't you take her over to Neyssa while I get the rest of the stuff from the car?"

Stephanie grinned as she took Hope from his arms. She whispered at her tenderly before gently removing her small woollen coat and carrying her over. She could see everybody smiling as Hope finally started to stir, her tiny hands balled into fists. Her eyes still remained closed but her mouth opened and she let out a faint whimper.

Linda stroked the baby's face gently as she approached them. "Oh Stephanie, she's just beautiful."

Patricia beamed as she stood at the opposite side. "She certainly is."

She gazed down at the denim pinafore and cardigan that dwarfed Hope's tiny body.

"Is that the outfit Lynn bought her?"

Stephanie nodded her head. "It's a little big but she'll soon grow into it."

Just then Paul walked back into the room dumping the bags. He grinned at the clucking grandmothers and he saw the scowl on his niece's face as he walked over towards her. Her arms were folded across her chest as she glared impatiently. He bent down over the back of the sofa and whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry, toots. I'll get Hope for you."

Neyssa turned round and grinned at him. Paul flipped her a wink and went over to tap Stephanie on the shoulder. She looked up at him expectantly.

"I have to tell you that a certain little girl is getting impatient over there." he whispered conspiratorially.

Stephanie nodded her head and smiled at Patricia and Linda. "Excuse me ladies. Hope has a very important person to meet."

Stephanie saw Neyssa's face immediately light up and a huge grin covered her face as she sat down beside her. She adjusted her body so Hope was facing her.

"Hope, this pretty little girl beside you is Neyssa. She's one of your big cousins."

Neyssa reached across and touched Hope's hand. She beamed with excitement as she felt Hope clutch her finger. "Look, she's holding my hand."

Just then Hope opened her eyes and they gazed around inquisitively. She turned round to her mother who was sitting right beside her.

"Look Mommy, she's looking at me."

Her excited face beamed at Stephanie.

"Can she see me?"

Stephanie smiled. "Not yet sweetie but she can hear you. Every time she hears your voice, she'll know it's you."

"Why can't she see me?"

"Well when babies are first born, they just see shadows. They don't see colours until they're a little bit older."

Neyssa looked down and smiled at her baby cousin. "Hiya Hope. You're awfully pretty." She looked up at Stephanie as her fingers reached for the baby's tiny fist. "I think she looks pretty like you Aunt Stephanie."

"Why thank you, sweetie."

Paul snorted, tapping his niece on the shoulder from behind. "And what about me? Don't you think she looks like me?"

Neyssa shook her head and giggled. "You're not pretty Uncle Paul. Don't be silly."

His lips parted to make a retort but he never got the chance as the door bell rang, faintly echoing in the room. Paul frowned as he pushed himself off the back of the sofa.

"I'll get it."

His nose wrinkled with his curiosity wondering who it could be. As far as he was concerned, everyone who knew about Hope was here. Well apart from Vince of course but he certainly wouldn't be turning up at their door. For once he had actually listened to his daughter and respected her wishes to stay away. He had left her alone after hearing her desperate plea but Paul wondered how much longer it could last now that his granddaughter was born.

Pondering over that thought, Paul opened the door and was greeted with a huge bouquet of roses. The delivery guy held out a clipboard.

"Miss Stephanie McMahon live here?"

"Yeah."

"Then can you sign for these, please?"

He nodded his head and picked up the pen. "Do you know who they're from?"

The delivery guy looked at him as if he was stupid. "Try reading the card mister. I just deliver them."

Paul scowled as he accepted the bouquet. He closed the door before the guy even hinted at a tip. As far as he was concerned, he could shove straight it up his ass. Paul turned the bouquet round in his hand looking for a card.

Stephanie grinned as walked across and touched the red petals. "They're beautiful, Paul. You shouldn't have."

"Sorry to disappoint you Steph but I didn't." he replied apologetically.

She frowned as she admired the flowers. "Then who did?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out." He flinched as a thorn pierced his finger.

"Damn it." he cursed.

Paul lifted his finger up and noticed the blood now trickling down his index finger. Shaking his head, he handed the roses to Stephanie. "Here, take these. I need to clean this up."

Her lips pouted as she stroked his cheek. "Awww, my poor baby."

She chuckled at his scowl as she linked her free arm through his.

"Come on. I'll come with you. I want to put these in water anyway."

Paul sucked on his finger as they walked into the kitchen. "So I take it our daughter has been kidnapped?"

Stephanie smiled as she pulled out a vase from the cupboard. "Yeah. Lynn managed to grab Hope before our mothers decided to hog her."

She put down the vase and walked across to Paul who had managed to retrieve a band aid from the first aid box but was obviously struggling to get the remove it from the wrapper. She held out her hand.

"Here, give it to me."

She took off the wrapper in a matter of seconds and carefully placed the dressing around his finger. She lifted it up and pressed it to her lips.

"There, it's all better now."

"Thank you." he smiled.

"You're welcome."

Stephanie walked back over and began to take the roses out of the wrapper placing them in the vase. Paul was watching her, standing in front of her leaning over the counter.

"So, have you found out who they're from yet?"

She pressed her lips together as she shook her head. "And I can't see a card."

Just then she spotted a small envelope in the middle of the bouquet.

"Ah-ha. There it is."

She carefully reached in to retrieve it and ran her finger along the envelope to open it.

Paul scratched his beard and watched as a frown crossed her face. "What's wrong?"

"That's weird. It doesn't say who they're from."

"It doesn't? Let me see."

Stephanie handed him the card. He shook his head as he read it seeing nothing but the word "Congratulations!" There was no name. Nothing.

Stephanie twirled a rose round between her fingers. "You'd think they'd want us to know who they are. After all, these must have cost a fortune."

Just then the kitchen door opened and Shane appeared glancing and smiling at the two of them.

"Hey guys. I thought I'd escape the cooing women out there."

Paul grinned and shook his head. "Don't tell me. My dad has fallen asleep already."

"He passed out on the chair a few minutes ago."

Stephanie looked up from behind the flowers. "Is Hope okay?"

"Yeah. Mom's got her. She seems pretty content." Shane raked his fingers through his dark strands and gestured towards the flowers. "So, whoever got you those must have spent a pretty penny."

Paul nodded his head. "Yeah. But the question is, who?"

"You don't know who they're from?"

"No. They didn't put their name on the card."

"Weird. Maybe you could call the shop where the flowers came from. They might be able to tell you."

Stephanie's blue eyes sparkled as she smirked at her brother. "They don't call you the Boy Wonder for nothing, do they?"

Shane rolled his eyes dryly at her sarcasm. "Hey, there's no need for that. It was only a suggestion."

"And it was a good one at that. I think that's what surprised me."

His eyes were wide as they turned to Paul. "Can you believe that?"

Paul pressed his lips in a smile as he slapped him on the back showing his solidarity. "Unfortunately I can. I do have a sister of my own out there."

Just then the door opened and Lynn popped her head through.

He smirked. "Speak of the devil."

Lynn frowned. "What have you been saying about me now, Paul?"

"Nothing, sister dearest."

"Good." She gave him a grin. "Listen, Neyssa is desperate to see Hope's nursery. Can I take her up and show her?"

"Sure. Do you want me to come with you?"

Lynn nodded and Paul followed her out into the living room. Shane watched them leave before turning to his sister who was arranging the flowers in the tall vase. His brown eyes were gentle as they admired her. His baby sister. A mother. He still couldn't believe it. And in a matter of weeks she would be a wife too. She was suddenly no longer the little girl he used to tackle or wrestle to the floor. She was all grown up. His lips curved up fondly as he stood in front of her.

"So, how's motherhood little sis? Is everything going okay?"

Stephanie nodded and smiled. "So far, so good."

She sighed as she stepped back admiring her handiwork with the bouquet.

"But let's just see how I survive now I'm home. It's a different story when there's no midwife on hand to help me."

Shane smiled softly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder lightly squeezing it. "You'll be fine. Besides, it's not like you're on your own. You've got Paul plus I'm pretty sure the two grandmothers through there won't be too far away."

"I'm quite sure they won't." she smiled as she touched the red petals once more.

"They're pretty flowers, aren't they?"

Shane smiled at his sister and decided now was as good a time as any to talk to her especially now Paul was out of the way. He needed to talk to her alone and although he hated bringing the subject up in the first place he really had no option. Time was running out and this couldn't wait any longer. Biting the bullet, he nudged her to get her attention. "Steph, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure." She gestured towards the kitchen table where they both sat down. She gave him a smile. "What's up?"

Shane let out a sigh as he fiddled with his wedding band stretching his legs out underneath the table. "Dad got a date for Paul's medical evaluation. It's the start of next month."

Stephanie absorbed this chewing her lip thoughtfully. Paul hadn't mentioned anything about this to her. But then again, if he knew she wasn't entirely sure he would say anything anyway. They didn't discuss anything to do with wrestling nowadays. It appeared to be a strictly taboo subject between them.

"Does Paul know?" she asked curiously.

He quickly shook his head. "Not yet. Dad told them to hold off until you got settled with Hope."

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug before covering her hand with his.

"I just thought you should know. I don't know if you've talked with Paul about going back in the ring."

Stephanie sighed heavily and shook her head. "I guess I've been avoiding it. I mean, I know he's getting better and he's doing really well. But I don't know if he's ready to go back, Shane. And even if he is, what if they tell him he can't wrestle again? He'll be devastated."

"I know. I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge if and when we come to it."

He saw her frown and squeezed her hand affectionately.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." he apologised.

"It's okay. I mean we're going to have to talk about his career sometime. I guess it's just going to be sooner rather than later."

"Well you know where I am if you need me, right?"

Stephanie nodded her head and smiled at him gratefully. Honestly, she was actually glad Shane had brought the subject up. Although they had deliberately avoided the subject, they now had no choice but to think about it. And as scary as it seemed, they needed to face the fact that Paul might never wrestle again. But not now. She'd wait a couple of days before trying to talk to him about it. She wanted to enjoy her time at home with her family first. God knows, she wanted to enjoy every second.

"Dad sends his congratulations by the way."

Stephanie rolled her lips together, quickly drawing her hand away as she sat back with her arms folded across her chest. "I wondered how long it would take to bring his name up."

"Look Steph, he asked me to pass on his best wishes. I said I would."

"Well I don't want to hear them."

She pushed back her chair and stood up effectively ending the conversation.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to check on my daughter."

Shane let out a sigh as he watched Stephanie walk out the kitchen. Although he hadn't expected anything else, he hated this rift between his father and sister. And although his mother put a brave face on it, he knew she hated it too. It had been so hard to tell Vince to stay away when he wanted to visit the hospital to see his new born granddaughter. He had looked heart broken and completely devastated when Linda had told him no. But at the end of the day, his father had no-one to blame for this but himself. It was his scheming and his unjustified hatred of Paul that had got him into this mess in the first place. His father would just have to hope and pray that in time Stephanie would learn to forgive him someday.


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Paul began to stir in his sleep and the heel of his hand lifted to rub at his eye as he became aware of the soft whimpering that filled the room. Realising his daughter was crying, he shifted his head on the pillow. Darts of moonlight shone through the open blind illuminating the peaceful expression on Stephanie's face and Paul quickly reached over and switched off the baby monitor so it didn't disturb her. He would check on Hope. He knew Steph had gotten very little rest during her stay at the hospital and she had struggled to keep her eyes open all the way through dinner.

Pulling back the warm covers, Paul swung his legs out of bed and yawning, he made his way along the hall, his big hand lightly scratching at his stomach. He could feel the cool night air gently prickle his skin and he lightly shivered. The crying got louder the second he opened the nursery door and he made soothing sounds as he walked over to her cot, guided by the soft glow of the nightlight. He could see Hope's little face was red from her sobbing. He smiled as he reached down, picking her up and hugging her to his bare chest.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Daddy's here. Daddy's here."

Amazingly enough, her crying faded to a whimper as she heard his familiar voice. As he adjusted her small body to cradle her in his arms, Hope's open eyes searched for him as her little hand clutched his at his finger. He could see she was perfectly content and he wasn't surprised being it had only been a couple of hours since she had taken her bottle.

Paul smiled as he began to gently rock her. "So, you just wanted some attention, huh?"

He slowly wandered across towards the window and stared out at the stillness of the night for a moment before tilting his head to gaze down at his daughter tenderly. His soft voice echoed in the silent room.

"I guess you did get spoiled today. Everybody was holding you and telling you how beautiful you are."

He paused as Hope's eyes stared back at him, seemingly entranced by him as he toyed gently with her tiny fingers.

"You get your good looks from your mommy, by the way."

Paul looked out the window once more as he continued to rock her. The full moon was shining as it lit up the black night sky.

"Your mommy's pretty cool, you know. And she's smart too."

He looked back down at his daughter and smiled.

"If you take after her, you'll be alright."

Gently bouncing her, he walked over towards the rocking chair and picking up the large teddy with his free arm, he threw it to the ground. The wooden seat lightly creaked as he sat down and Hope's head nestled against the crook of his arm. He smiled affectionately as he caressed her face with his hand, his fingers lightly tracing her soft skin.

"You know it's a big, bad world out there baby girl but I'm going to do the best I can to steer you in the right direction. But I have to warn you. I might just screw up along the way. See, daddy's not as smart as mommy is but I love you and I promise that I'll always be there for you no matter what."

He bent down and brushed his lips across her forehead. As he looked back up, he saw Stephanie walking into the nursery. He gave her a surprised smile as he shifted in the chair.

"Hey, I thought you were sleeping."

She shook her head and smiled. "I woke up and saw you were gone. I figured I might find you in here."

"Yeah well Hope and I were just having a chat."

"I know. I heard you."

She bent down and kissed the top of his head and brushed her hand through his hair affectionately as her gentle blue eyes met his.

"Hope will soon learn that her daddy is way smarter than he ever gives himself credit for."

"Even when he screws up?" he asked.

Stephanie moved to the side, resting her head against his as her finger reached for Hope, tracing her hand. "The fact is Paul we're both going to screw up along the way. But it's like you said. We can do our best and make sure we're there for her every step of the way."

"And just hope she understands when I ban her from dating."

Stephanie chuckled as she turned her head and dropped a kiss on his temple. "You're jumping the gun a bit, don't you think?" she said as she settled back against him.

"Maybe but I think we should teach her from an early age that boys are bad and are to be avoided at all costs."

"And why would we do that? Don't you want her to be happy and have a family of her own?"

"Well I have first hand knowledge of what teenage boys are like, that's all. They're only after one thing."

Stephanie smiled in amusement as she moved to sit down on the floor in front of him. Her arms rested on his thick parted thighs as she leant against them. "So, you're admitting you just wanted to get laid when you were younger?"

"Can I plead the fifth?" he joked, grinning.

But as Hope whimpered, his brown eyes fell on her and his expression became a lot more serious as he let out a soft sigh.

"But in all seriousness Steph, I wasn't interested in relationships at that age and I know I hurt a few people along the way. I just can't stand the thought of anyone hurting our daughter like that, you know. "

"I know." she smiled as his fingers reached for her hand and intertwined them with hers. Stephanie smiled as she ran her left hand across his thigh squeezing it gently as she shifted closer to him.

"But the reality is we can't stop her from getting hurt or making mistakes, Paul. We can try only and point her in the right direction."

Paul nodded his head and sighed. "I guess I just want to protect her no matter what."

Stephanie nodded and chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip as Paul's words mulled over in her head and she thought about what he had just said. She couldn't help but apply it to her own situation with her father although what Vince did went above and beyond a father protecting a child. But she guessed his motivation behind all his fucked up schemes had been the same. He wanted to protect his baby girl. She looked up to see Paul watching her intently. She gave him a hesitant smile.

"Do you think that was what my father doing? I mean, I know he was way out of line and what he did to us was unforgivable. But do you think in his mind, he was just trying to protect me from being hurt by you?"

Paul pressed his lips together taking his time to think his answer through. He knew what he said right now could go a long way towards influencing Stephanie's decision on Vince. And honestly, it would be so easy to say shoot the man down. He was quite happy having Vince out of their lives. It certainly made things easier on his stomach. He couldn't face seeing the old goat knowing what he'd done in his attempts to ruin his relationship with Stephanie. But being a father now, albeit a relatively new one, it made him see things in a new perspective. He already loved his daughter unconditionally and he knew, without a doubt, he would do anything for her. Hell, he'd even risk his own life for her. It was scary how fast his feelings for his daughter had consumed him. He wanted to give her everything she ever wanted. He would do anything for her. He also knew he would be completely devastated if Hope ever cut him out of her life. Living without her would kill him inside. It even made him feel slightly more sympathetic towards Vince. And deep down he knew that Vince's actions had been fuelled by the need to protect his daughter from him. And given Paul's colourful past - by his own admission - he guessed he could understand it a little.

He slowly shook his head as he realised he knew his answer. "Yes. I think he was."

He paused as Stephanie gazed down at the floor and he squeezed her fingers gently. Her blue eyes focused on him once more as she lifted her head.

"But the way he went about it was wrong, Steph." he continued softly. "He deliberately set out to hurt you with a blatant disregard for you or your feelings. He was so consumed by his hatred for me that he never once stopped to think about how it was affecting you, his own daughter. And that's the part I just don't understand. Yes, I want to protect Hope. But I would never do anything that would deliberately hurt her or jeopardise my relationship with her."

"I know. I guess I just want to try and understand why he did what he did."

Stephanie sighed as she lowered herself, resting the side of her head against his thigh as her hand lifted to reach out to touch her daughter.

"I actually missed Dad being here today. I know everyone else was here but that only made it worse. He should have been holding Hope and playing the doting grandfather just like your father was."

Paul shook his heard hearing the guilt in her voice. "But that's not your fault Stephanie."

She smiled up at him. "I know. It's just I feel I should forgive him." She gestured towards Hope. "And for our daughter's sake as much as mine. She deserves to know her Pops."

Paul squeezed her hand once more. "I know. Just give yourself time, Steph. You'll make the right decision in the end."

Stephanie nodded her head as she pushed herself off the floor. She bent down and took Hope from Paul's arms smiling as she noticed she was fast asleep again.

"It looks like our deep and meaningfuls have done the trick. She's out like a light."

She pressed her lips against her temple before gently placing her in her crib. She pulled the cover over her as she smoothed back her soft hair.

"She looks like you, you know."

Paul frowned as he stood behind her sliding his arms around her waist and clasping his hands around her. "I don't see it myself. I'm just glad she's got a tiny button nose. Let's just hope it stays that way."

Stephanie chuckled with amusement as she turned in his arms and lifted her hand to curl around his face. "She's perfect just like her Daddy."

She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly.

"Come on. Let's get back to bed before she wakes up again."

Paul nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they closed the door softly behind them. "See, that's another thing she takes after you."

Stephanie looked up at him curiously. "What?"

"The need to scream at the top of her voice just to get something she wants."

Stephanie playfully smacked his arm as Paul grinned at her. "You're lucky I love you Levesque or you could be in serious trouble right there."

"I thank my lucky stars every day, babe."

Stephanie shook her head in amusement as she crawled into bed. She pulled the covers around her as she lay down beside Paul snuggling into his chest. She was still for a moment just listening to his breathing until a thought popped into her head.

"I think I might call that florist tomorrow. I want to know who sent me those flowers." she said.

But she didn't get a response and lifted her head. Paul's eyes were closed signalling he was fast asleep already. She whispered goodnight touching her fingers to her lips and pressing them to his warm lips before she cuddled back into him. Within a matter of seconds, Paul's steady breathing had lulled her to sleep with all thoughts of Vince and flowers firmly banished from her mind.


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Stephanie's eyes slowly fluttered open and shifting her head from the pillow, she became aware of the faint rays of daylight as they filtered through the tilted blinds into the room. She immediately reached out to pull round the clock on the nightstand and her blue eyes went wide when she saw it was ten after six. That meant it had been at least six hours since Hope's last feed. She should have woken up wanting a bottle long before now however she couldn't recall hearing her daughter cry at any point through the night.

Feeling slightly panicked, Stephanie quickly sat up in bed and as she pushed her hair back from her face, she noticed that Paul wasn't beside her. His pillow was empty and his side of the bed vacant. A wave of relief washed through her as her panic subsided and she realised everything was fine. Paul must have heard the baby and taken care of her even though it had been her turn to do so.

Smiling at his thoughtfulness, Stephanie pushed back the covers and as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, she stretched and let out a loud yawn. Feeling a slight chill in the room, she rubbed her bare arms and adjusted the strap of her pyjama top as she made her way to the nursery. Her footsteps were sluggish and slow. Despite having slept for almost six hours straight, she still felt absolutely exhausted and it was little wonder after a few weeks of very little rest. Their beautiful baby daughter had brought chaos to the Levesque-McMahon household.

Hope refused to sleep for more than two hours straight and was up at constant intervals all through the night. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept for any longer. Most days she and Paul were practically dead on their feet but they both refused to whine or complain about it. Every minute of interrupted sleep was worth it just to have their baby girl in their lives. And she had to admit, both of them were managing to adapt to parenthood quite nicely with relatively few hiccups so far. She actually felt quite comfortable in her new role as a mother and of course Paul was an amazing father.

Stephanie rubbed at her heavy eyes as she popped her head around the open nursery door. Her small smile faded into a troubled frown when she noticed the crib was empty and there was no sign of either Hope or Paul which meant only one thing. Paul had been having trouble getting the baby to settle and had taken her downstairs.

Feeling a little anxiety start to creep in, Stephanie bit down on the corner of her lip as she made her way back down the hallway and to the stairs. She couldn't help but be a little concerned that there was something serious causing her daughter to get so upset lately. It was more often than not that Hope's reason for waking up was because she was so distressed. Her little body would go rigid and her fists would be clenched as she screamed at the top of her voice. It was such a sore cry too and more often than not it would be a short while after she had taken and finished her feed. She would have to discuss it with Paul and see what he thought but it would probably be worth a trip to the doctor just to get it checked out.

But her thoughts of a doctor's appointment were interrupted when she was halfway down the staircase and heard the sound of the low music playing in the living room. Stephanie smiled softly as she descended the carpeted steps recognising the familiar tune. It was one of many she had listed down for their wedding but this song in particular was very special to her. It had been the song she and Paul had shared their very first dance to when they had gone on their second date together. She had actually managed to remember that a couple of weeks ago out of the blue and since then, other little details about their past were slowly but surely coming back to her. Her mind was unlocking them piece by piece and it seemed her memory was making a recovery.

As her feet padded towards the living room, Stephanie paused and lingered in the open doorway feeling a catch in her chest as she witnessed the scene in front of her. Paul was gently swaying back and forth with Hope in his arms. His eyes were closed as he held her to his bare chest with his chin resting against the top of her head. Hope appeared to be fast asleep as she nestled into her daddy with his big hand rubbing her back gently. Stephanie leant against the wooden doorframe and wrapping her arms around herself, she smiled contentedly. She just loved watching Paul with their daughter. He was so tender and gentle with her and he was every bit the doting father. The rush of emotion she got when she saw him with her was overwhelming and she knew that she was more in love with him than she had ever thought possible. It just made her wish December twenty fourth was here already. She just wanted to become Paul's wife and make this family absolutely perfect.

As her soft blue eyes continued to watch, they were eventually met with a pair of brown ones when Paul glanced up and spotted her lingering in the doorway. They sparkled with his smile as Stephanie crossed the short distance between them.

"I think the music did the trick" he hushed taking care not to disturb his daughter as he adjusted her and balanced her in his left arm while his right one reached for Stephanie.

She smiled as she felt him kiss the top of her head and wrap his arm around her shoulder. She nestled into the crook of his neck, breathing him in as she reached for Hope and smoothed back the fine dark hair on her head. Her finger lightly traced her smooth brow. "How long have you been down here?" she asked softly.

"A few hours."

Stephanie tilted her head up and her forehead crinkled with her concern when she saw the dark circles that encompassed his heavy eyes. "You're exhausted, Paul. You should have woken me."

He shook his head as he gently pulled her back against his chest and his fingers began to lightly brush through the ends of her long brown strands. "There was no point in both of us losing sleep. Besides, you looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you."

She nodded her head in acknowledgment as she closed her eyes enjoying the gentle warmth of his skin. Her body started to move in time with his as Paul continued to rock Hope to the music despite her now being deep in slumber. As her fingers clasped the tiny hands of her daughter, Stephanie realised that this was a perfect moment. It was one she wished she could take and lock away forever so she could look back and remember everything from the feel of Paul's fingers through her hair to the intoxicating baby smell of her daughter. Honestly, she couldn't remember feeling more happy or contented in her life. Everything she wanted or needed was right here beside her. Her life right now was perfect and complete.

Her mouth twitching with her smile, Stephanie felt her mind start to drift as she continued to sway and listen to the music. Totally relaxed, she found herself yawning into Paul's chest and she could feel his body lightly shake with his low chuckle.

"You falling asleep on me, McMahon?"

Stephanie's eyes fluttered open as she looked up at him. "You must have that magic touch." she told him.

"You know you have told me that before although I think it was under slightly different circumstances."

Paul winked and smirked cockily causing her to shake her head and laugh as he kissed her forehead.

"What do you say we take this little troublemaker upstairs with us and catch some sleep before she decides to wake up again?"

"Okay but you do know she'll be devastated to know her daddy thinks of her that way. Hope dotes on her daddy."

Stephanie smiled as she tapped his nose playfully. She reluctantly broke from his embrace and immediately felt cold as she walked across to switch off the stereo.

Paul followed on behind her with the baby still cradled in his arms as he bumped her hip playfully.

"This little girl knows I love her despite her inability to sleep for any length of time." he said fondly as he kissed Hope's soft hair and carried her up the stairs behind Stephanie.

She turned to him on the landing, biting down on her lip thoughtfully. "Do you think we should be worried about that?"

"What?"

"The whole not sleeping thing."

Paul shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean I think it's pretty common knowledge that we're not the first parents to experience sleepless nights with their baby."

Stephanie nodded, her brow crinkled with contemplation as she began to walk along the hall to their bedroom. "But I have noticed she does seem to get really upset especially after taking her bottle. I wondered if we should get her checked out just to be on the safe side."

"It wouldn't do any harm, I guess especially if it will put your mind at ease about her."

"It will."

Paul smiled as he passed by her in the bedroom and sat down gently on the bed. The mattress lightly creaked underneath his weight as he shifted Hope to his other arm and he carefully got in underneath the covers, lying down on the mattress adjusting her small body against his chest. Her small face was turned towards Stephanie who was crawling in beside him.

"I'll make the appointment today." she told him as he lay down next to Paul resting her head against his chest as her hand reached up to gently rub over Hope's back.

Her blue eyes were filled with concern as she watched her sleep unable to bear the thought of something being wrong. However, at the same time, she also knew it would be better to check it out sooner rather than later. The last thing she wanted was her daughter to suffer unnecessarily.

Pressing her lips softly against Paul's smooth skin, Stephanie looked up at him and her facial expression softened when she saw his eyes were already closed. She could tell by his deep and even breathing that he had fallen asleep straight away and she wasn't surprised in the least. He had looked absolutely exhausted downstairs. Settling back down against his chest, she decided to make the most of Hope being asleep and closed her eyes to catch some rest herself. She could hear the faint sound of Paul's heartbeat against her ear and it wasn't long before its steady rhythm lulled her back to sleep.

* * *

Paul was on his way to the nursery when he saw her through the open door. He smiled softly and his brow crinkled in curiosity as he lingered in the hallway just watching her. He always loved watching Stephanie. She captivated him and she was completely mesmerising with her overwhelming beauty and grace. She was beautiful now standing in front of the full length mirror fresh from her shower and wearing her favourite black lace underwear. He had to admit he quite liked those particular garments himself and in fact had reaped the benefits of Stephanie's expensive lingerie selection quite a number of times during the course of their relationship. He remembered her telling him once that wearing it helped her feel attractive and desirable. To him, she was always both those things whether she was wearing a scrap of black lace or one of his oversized t-shirts to bed. He just had to look at Stephanie and he desired her. Wanting her was a natural instinct to him like sleeping or breathing. It was just something that he always did even now just standing here watching her.

Shifting from the doorway, Paul pushed a few loose strands behind his ear and was about to leave when he heard her loud heavy sigh. He immediately glanced back and his brown eyes softened as he watched Stephanie turn to the side and look at her reflection. Her hand rubbed over the curve of her stomach and straight away he knew what she was thinking. It was evident from the dejected scowl on her face and her wrinkled brow as she stared back unhappily at herself.

Shifting his feet, Paul crossed the short distance towards her and sliding his arms around her waist, he pulled her to him. His chin rested on her shoulder and he could feel the soft strands of her hair lightly tickle his face as he winked at her reflection in the mirror.

"Hey there, gorgeous." he smiled as his lips grazed over her jaw line.

"I know what you're trying to do Paul but you can save your breath." sighed Stephanie as she let her head against his. But she was quickly turned in his arms, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones as they sparkled back at her.

"So tell me Miss Know-It-All, what exactly is it that I'm I trying to do?"

"You're trying to make me feel better."

"And why would I want to do that?" he asked, clasping his hands around her back.

But she quickly shrugged off his embrace as she dropped her head.

"Well you saw how ugly and fat I looked just now."

Stephanie's beautiful face looked miserable as she walked to the bed and sat down, lightly crumpling the comforter underneath her. She focused her attention on the floor refusing to look at Paul. God knows she felt depressed enough without seeing the pity and disgust in his eyes. Her shoulders slumped forward covering her face with her hair. Within seconds she could feel his presence and detect the faint scent of his cologne as he stood in front of her.

"Well you must have been looking in a different mirror to me because I sure as hell saw no-one matching that description."

His soft voice was laced with a stern edge. Stephanie could tell he was angry she was talking this way but she couldn't help herself. It was how she felt. Paul's arm rested on her leg as he knelt down in front of her and she could feel his fingers tuck underneath her chin as he lifted her face to meet his. Her eyes darted around still looking everywhere but at him.

"Stephanie, look at me please." he pleaded.

She sighed and reluctantly shifted her gaze towards him. She could see the twinkle in his deep brown eyes as he smiled at her.

"Steph, you're beautiful."

Despite the gentle sincerity she could hear in his voice, she shook her head choosing not to believe him. After all, she knew what she was.

"How can you say that after what you just saw?" she asked him.

"Because you are beautiful and that's the absolute truth."

Paul's expression was tender as he cupped the side of her face.

"In fact I think you're more beautiful now than you've ever been."

His low hushed voice got to her and Stephanie's face softened as she leant her face into the palm of his hand.

"You're such a suck-up Levesque."

She tilted her head and brushed her lips across his fingers. Paul slid his arms around her neck and smiled.

"Maybe but I meant every single word of it. You are beautiful. In fact, your beauty blows me away at times." He reached over and kissed her gently. Stephanie smiled at him as they broke apart.

"I guess I'm just worried that I won't lose the baby weight before our wedding" she confessed.

"You will, Steph. Just give yourself a chance. Hope is barely a month old yet and besides, we've still got a couple of months or so until you drag me down that aisle." he replied, grinning at her mischievously.

"I'll be dragging you by the hair on your head if you're not careful" she said, smirking at him.

"Hey now. Violence won't be necessary. I'm planning to walk down of my own free will, if you must know."

Her lips curved up gently as she tilted her head to the side, brushing her fingers through the ends of his hair. "So I don't have to worry about you leaving me at the altar, then?"

Paul shook his head. "Not a chance. Marrying the woman I love is going to make me the happiest guy in the world."

He kissed her softly and pulled away slightly until Stephanie captured his lips again. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she began to kiss him passionately stealing her own breath away. Her heart was racing in her chest. She didn't know what had come over her but all she knew was that when Paul kissed her, she had wanted this. She wanted more. Since Hope had been born, any intimacy between them had been limited and she missed it. She just needed to feel close to him again.

Stephanie flicked her tongue over his bottom lip and she tasted the mint on his breath as it brushed against his tongue. Her mouth parted wider as she kissed him more deeply. His thick low growl made her stomach flutter madly and she gripped his hair even more tightly as she lost herself in him. But she was left breathless and confused when she felt Paul begin to pull away and she reluctantly broke the kiss. She wrapped her arms almost protectively around herself as she watched Paul push himself to his feet. He licked his wet lips and raked his fingers through his hair as he smiled at her awkwardly.

"You'd better get dressed if we're going to make that doctor's appointment."

She nodded her head and watched as he quickly left the room. The tears began to pool in her eyes but she bit down on her lip to try and compose herself. She didn't want to cry. She was trying not to read too much into his actions but as time went on it was becoming much harder to ignore it. Paul had been this way for the last week or so holding back from any kind of intimate contact with her. At first, she had never even realised. They had been so busy adapting to life with Hope that she had hardly given it a second thought but recently things had settled down. They had established a routine and that's when she had time to catch her breath and notice his reluctance to touch her.

Paul was still affectionate though. He was more than happy to hold her in his arms and kiss her albeit his kisses were closer to a peck on the lips. But he never seemed to want to go any further than that and that's what confused her. She and Paul had always had a very physical relationship. Just because they weren't able to have sex right now, it didn't mean everything else had to stop. Being a mother hadn't curbed her desire or the need to be touched. She still needed Paul as much as she had ever done but it was becoming pretty obvious that something had changed and Paul didn't feel the same way. Maybe he saw her differently and maybe to the point where he wasn't attracted to her anymore and if that was the case, she couldn't blame him. Physically, she wasn't the same woman he had fallen in love with. Her slim toned figure had been replaced with saggy dimpled skin and stretch marks. She probably repulsed him and the ironic thing was Paul had just spent the last five minutes telling her how beautiful she was. Yet he had pushed her away and rejected her. It was little wonder she looked in the mirror and didn't like what she saw anymore.

Sighing heavily, Stephanie let out a shaky breath and pushed herself off the bed. She slowly got dressed and as she clipped up her loose waves, she glanced out the bedroom window. Her brow crinkled with mild curiosity as her eyes fell on the unfamiliar red car sitting opposite the house.

"Steph, are you ready?"

Paul's voice echoed along the hallway and she turned from the window adjusting the clip.

"I'll be there in a second." she called out forgetting all about the car in the street and failing to see the smile on the face of the man in that car as his eyes stared up at her intently….

* * *

Patricia rang the doorbell and as she waited for her son to answer, she looked over at the car sitting across the street. It was a red Cadillac and the person sitting in the passenger side had his head leant back against the seat. She assumed he was asleep but she couldn't tell. His eyes were hidden behind the dark sunglasses he wore. She also couldn't make out his face to know if he was familiar or not. She pretty much knew everybody in the small town.

Frowning slightly, she turned away and was about to ring the doorbell again when she heard the sound of their familiar voices as they walked up the path. She looked round and smiled to see Stephanie pushing the baby's stroller with her son following on behind her.

"Hey Mom." Paul smiled as she stepped aside to let him open the door.

"Hey. You guys been out enjoying the fresh air?" she asked.

"Well it was nice out so we decided to walk to the surgery. Hope had a doctor's appointment"

Patricia furrowed her brow, concerned. "There's nothing wrong with her, is there?"

Stephanie quickly shook her head reassuring her. "Nothing serious anyway, thank God."

She passed the stroller to Paul and he wheeled Hope into the house. She pushed back the few loose strands of hair that had escaped from her messy knot as she turned to smile at his mother.

"Hope has colic, apparently. That's why she's been so upset after her feed and can't sleep."

Patricia nodded as she followed Stephanie into the house closing the door behind her. "Did he give you anything to help her?"

"Colic drops. He also gave us a leaflet to read. There are things in there we can do to help her. He also recommended changing her formula too. Sometimes that can help."

Patricia smiled as she watched Paul carefully lift Hope from her pram. She walked across and softly stroked the side of her granddaughter's face. "Bless her. She's fast asleep."

"She just fell over before we got home. Do you want to hold her?" Paul asked rocking the baby gently in his arms.

"Actually I came here to see I could take her overnight."

She saw Stephanie frown as she removed her coat. Patricia lightly chuckled knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"Don't worry." she told her. "I know what I'm letting myself in for but one night of interrupted sleep isn't going to kill me. And besides, the pair of you could probably use the break." She smiled sympathetically as she looked between them. They both looked completely worn out as their heavy, tired eyes stared back at her.

Stephanie smiled back at her gratefully. "It would be nice to get a good night's sleep."

Patricia smiled at her. "Good. That's settled then." She turned towards her son lightly patting his arm. "Paul, go and get her things together for me, will you?"

"So that's how it is." he said, smirking at her mischievously. "You just want to take the baby and run. You don't give a damn about seeing your own son anymore."

She shook her head and lifted her hand to playfully pinch his cheek. "That's not true. You know you'll always be my special little boy."

"Ma!" he protested. Paul shook his head embarrassed as he handed Hope to Patricia. "Here. Take her while I go and get her things."

He muttered under his breath as he heard his mother and Stephanie both laugh as he ran up the stairs.

Stephanie began to rummage in the bag she held in her hand. "I'll give you these to take with you. They're the colic drops the doctor prescribed. I just picked them up from the pharmacy. I think the instructions are on them."

Patricia smiled and nodded her head. "Okay." She adjusted Hope in her arms and smiled down at her peaceful perfect face.

"And you sure you're okay with doing this? I just feel really bad knowing you're going to be up with her all night."

"Don't worry about it, dear. I wouldn't offer to take her if I didn't want to." She cooed at Hope reaching for her tiny little hand as she began to stir. "I know what it's like trying to cope with a baby that won't settle. Paul used to be exactly the same way. He only started sleeping through the night when he was about ten months old although he certainly made it up for it after that."

Stephanie smiled as she laid down the bag and placed the colic drops on the table. But her smile quickly down turned to a frown as she saw the white envelope sitting by the vase of flowers recognising it straight away. It was the correspondence regarding Paul's medical evaluation for his return to work and by the looks of things it was still unopened. She peered down and looked at the post mark and saw it was dated a few days ago. Of course Paul had never mentioned receiving it but that didn't surprise her in the least. He very rarely mentioned anything to do with wrestling never mind his career but he wasn't going to be able to put this conversation off any longer. Time was obviously running out and he was going to have to make a decision one way or another. Maybe she could persuade him to discuss it with her tonight. With Hope at his parents' house it would be an ideal time to raise the subject.

Just then Hope began to cry and she turned round to see Patricia rocking her in her arms, trying to soothe her.

"Does she need her bottle?"

Stephanie shook her head as she walked across and touched her daughter's cheek. "She was only fed an hour or so ago. She must have a sore little tummy."

"Are you abusing my child, mother?" joked Paul as he appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He placed Hope's carry bag down on the table and seeing the drops, he placed them in it.

"No I am not. Although I'll be abusing you in a minute if there's any more of that."

Patricia turned round to place Hope back in her stroller and failed to see Paul stick his tongue out at her behind her back. Stephanie placed her hand over her mouth concealing her snort of amusement as she took Hope's bag.

"I'll just take her home with me now. The walk will probably settle her down again." Patricia wheeled the stroller round to face the door and smiled at Stephanie as she handed her the overnight bag.

"Thank you. We really appreciate this." she said bending down to kiss her daughter and say goodbye.

"Don't be silly. She's my granddaughter. I want to spend some time with her."

"Yeah, well just remember we want her back." Paul said smirking at her as he opened the front door.

Patricia waved as she wheeled the pram out. "I'll see you both tomorrow. Just get some rest, the pair of you."

She cooed at Hope as she pushed her down the path. She was so busy with her granddaughter that she paid no attention to the red Cadillac sitting outside or the man in the car smiling as he watched her walk down the street…


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Later that evening Paul was lying sprawled across the sofa, his legs dangling over the edge of the arm as he watched television. His hand moved to absently scratch his stomach and that was when he caught Stephanie out the corner of his eye hovering by him and straight away he could tell there was something on her mind. Her mannerisms were an open book to him especially with the way she was chewing on her lip and wringing her hands together.

Jabbing at the button on the remote, Paul switched off the television and throwing down the control, he swung his legs round to sit up and patted the seat beside him as he looked up and smiled at her. "Why don't you sit down and tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours."

Stephanie nodded distractedly as she sat down next to him rubbing her hands over her jeans. She licked her lips as she contemplated how to start this conversation. All afternoon she had been trying to think of the best way to bring the subject up but so far none of the options seemed appealing. She knew Paul would get angry and upset but she had no choice. They needed to talk about this. God knows it was all she'd been able to think about since she saw the unopened envelope on the table.

Shifting nervously in her seat, Stephanie looked at Paul offering him a tentative smile.

"It's hard to believe isn't it that it's been just about six months since you were in the hospital."

Paul said nothing as his brown eyes observed her silently knowing straight away that Stephanie had seen the letter that arrived for him this morning. It didn't take a genius to figure that part out. It also meant he knew where this was conversation was going and he wasn't exactly sure he liked it. He very rarely discussed the wrestling business and it was for a very good reason. His life was so much happier and simpler without the hassle of it all and that included one Vince McMahon. But of course, he could never tell Stephanie that. Despite her own grievances with her father, he knew she still loved him and it would probably devastate her to know that his loathing for the man ran so deep he was perfectly happy not to be a part of the business that he loved so much. In fact the very thought of the man made him feel sick to his stomach.

Rolling his lips together, Paul sighed heavily as he sat back against the cushions. He could feel Stephanie watching him patiently waiting for a response.

"Your medical must be due soon. Have you heard anything?"

He glanced across looking at her sternly. "You know I have so you can stop pretending you haven't seen that letter on the table over there."

Stephanie sighed as she reached out to touch his leg. "So were you ever planning to tell me about it?"

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? Surely you must know if you were going to discuss it with me or not."

"Actually no, I don't know. In fact, I don't even know if I was going to open the damn thing or not let alone discuss it with you."

Paul let out a frustrated sigh as he pushed his hair back from his forehead and stood up abruptly from the sofa.

"Paul, where are you going? We need to talk about this."

"I don't want to." he shot back simply.

As he went to walk away, Stephanie stood up blocking his path and her blue eyes were sympathetic as she touched his shoulder feeling his whole body tense underneath her fingertips.

"I know this is hard baby but you can't keep avoiding it forever. You're going to have to make a decision about whether you want to return to the ring or not."

Paul was silent for a moment before his deep brown eyes finally looked at her. "Maybe I won't have to. Maybe that decision will be made for me."

His head bowed forward and his long blonde strands fell across his face hiding it from view. Stephanie reached up and brushed it behind his ear touching his face tenderly.

"There's nothing anyone has said to make us think that you can't wrestle again."

"But I'm not sure I want to. Wrestle again I mean."

He tilted his head in Stephanie's direction and he watched her carefully trying to gauge her reaction to his admission. He could see she was stunned by the wide eyed look on her face. And if he was being honest, he was a little bit shocked himself. It was the first time he had admitted to himself that he had serious doubts about wrestling again but that was the way he was feeling right now especially now he had Hope in his life. His baby girl meant more than anything to him and she was his priority now. Not him and not some stupid career that in the grand scheme of things meant nothing. Nothing at all.

"But why, Paul?" asked Stephanie eventually as her eyes looked directly into his, searching for her answer. "It's your passion. You love getting in that ring."

"Yeah I did love it right up until the part where I got my brains bashed in." he scowled feeling his anger bubble to the surface as he thought about the attack. "I could have died Stephanie and it was no thanks to your father. If I go back there, who knows what shit he'll pull next time and I can't allow that to happen. Not when I've got you and Hope to think about."

Stephanie said nothing as she sighed and pulled him into her arms. As she leant her head on Paul's shoulder, she knew she understood his reasons but she also knew it would be tearing him up on the inside to give up the career that he loved and had worked so hard for. Wrestling was such a major part of who he was. She couldn't allow him to give that up not if it was only her father's vindictiveness standing in his way. But she couldn't force the issue. She had to give him time and the very fact they had discussed this was a huge starting point. She just needed Paul to do one more thing.

Stepping back, Stephanie's arms dropped from his waist as she took his hands in hers and ran her thumb across his skin.

"Can I ask you something?"

Paul nodded his head.

"Don't make any decisions just now. Just go for the medical. I'll even come with you." she offered.

He pressed his lips together thoughtfully. "I don't know, Steph."

"Please, Paul." she pleaded. "I just need to know everything is okay if only for my peace of mind."

As her big blue eyes stared back at him, Paul knew he would give her what he wanted. God knows he was a sucker for those eyes. Before he knew it he found himself nodding and reluctantly agreeing however, it wasn't without his own conditions.

"But I will only go if you promise to drop the subject for now." he asked her. "We've got the evening to ourselves. Let's not spoil it, okay?"

"Okay." she agreed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. A slow smile crossed her face as her hands ran over his chest. "I was going to hop in the tub actually and there is definitely room for two."

There was no mistaking her seductive tone and Paul swallowed thickly as he shook his head and quickly stepped back putting distance between them. "You go. I'll make a start to dinner."

He saw her face flicker with something he didn't want to acknowledge as Stephanie dropped her arms to her side.

"Don't bother. I'm not hungry."

Paul felt the knot of guilt in his chest as he watched her practically run from the room. His heart felt heavy as he heard the thud of her feet on the stairs and he let out a sigh as he fell back down to the sofa trying his best to convince himself that he'd only imagined the tears he saw shining in her eyes…

A short while later his guilt had gotten the better of him and Paul was standing inside the bedroom door. The low light of the moon illuminated the room and he could see Stephanie was lying on their bed, her back turned towards him as she lay huddled into the pillows. He could tell by the tiny whimper that echoed around the silent walls that she had been crying and of course that only made him feel even worse. See, he knew the reason why she was so upset although that hadn't stopped him trying his best to convince himself otherwise. In fact, he'd spent the last hour trying to think of any other excuse for the hurt and dejected look he had seen on her face earlier. But it had been a pointless and futile attempt. He knew deep down he was to blame and right now, he felt like the biggest bastard in the world for hurting her like this. God knows he had never meant to. Cautiously approaching the bed, Paul stopped to stand beside her.

"Just go away. I want to be on my own." she asked him in a muffled voice, her head still buried in the pillows.

He sighed as he pushed back his hair with his hand and sat next to her, the mattress dipping underneath his weight. "Steph, please. Come on. Don't be like this. Just let me explain."

Her head shot up to glare at him. "And what's there to explain, Paul? You don't want to touch me. End of story."

As she sniffed and shifted on the bed, he shuffled closer.

"You know that's not true, Stephanie."

She angrily shook her head as she pushed herself up against the pillows to a sitting position and her hand swiped at her wet cheeks. "Well it doesn't look that way to me. You can't stand to be near me for even five seconds. Don't even try and deny it."

"This is ridiculous!" Paul sighed in frustration.

"Is it? Then why won't you touch me?" she shot back.

"I do touch you."

"Yeah but it's nothing more except a hug and a quick peck on the lips now and again. I get more affection nowadays from my own brother."

As her puffy red eyes stared back at him accusingly, Paul dropped his head for a moment, lifting his shoulder in a shrug.

"I was just trying to keep my distance, that's all." he told her.

"Why?"

He chewed on his lip and shrugged once more. His words hung in the back of his throat as he sat there in silence, his forearms leaning on his slightly parted thighs. He didn't know why. It was a perfectly simple question Stephanie had asked him but it was one he was hesitant to answer. Swallowing thickly, he felt the warmth of her hand as it rested on his arm.

"Paul, please talk to me."

He sighed heavily as he struggled to find the courage to even look at her, to talk to her.

"I need to understand. I need to know….well…. I guess I just need to know that you still want me after everything."

But any hesitancy he felt disappeared the second he heard the wavering uncertainty in Stephanie's voice. Paul jerked his head up and instantly reached out to touch her face, his thumb lightly tracing her soft skin as his tender brown eyes sought out hers.

"Of course I still want you. Steph, I love you. How can you even doubt that?"

She lifted her shoulder uncertainly as her fingers twisted nervously in her lap and she briefly glanced away. "So why won't you touch me like you used to?" she asked him so softly that he had to strain his ears to hear her.

Paul's heart reached out to her as his hand covered hers stilling her movement. "Honestly, I don't trust myself to." he admitted.

Stephanie's brow crinkled with her confusion and she tilted her head up in his direction seeing his soft smile.

"I want you, Steph. Believe that. From now until the day I die, I'll want you." Paul told her as his fingers slid through hers, intertwining with hers. "But I'm scared." he told her. "I'm scared that I'm going to hurt you or you're going to feel pressured into doing something that you're just not ready for. And I don't want to do that to you. I know these things take time. I mean you've just had a baby. Our baby."

Stephanie's lips curved up gently as she listened to his explanation, touched by his thoughtfulness. All this time it had been about her and her needs. Suddenly it all made sense and she felt bad for doubting him. More than that, it was such a relief to know that Paul still wanted her.

Tugging on his hand to pull him to her, she brushed her mouth against his before resting her forehead against him and smiling as her hand curled around his cheek.

"You're not going to hurt me, I promise." she said softly. "And if I don't feel like doing something, I'll tell you."

"But is it safe to …. you know?" he asked her before briefly dipping his head.

"What?" she asked, smiling at his shyness and her hand lifted as her finger tucked him underneath the chin, lifting his handsome face to hers once more. "You mean fool around together?"

Paul chuckled lowly. "Yeah. Something like that."

"It's safe." Stephanie nodded. "I mean even if we can't have sex, there is other stuff we can do you know."

His brown eyes twinkled curiously. "Like what exactly?"

Stephanie pressed her lips together and pouted seductively as she ran her fingers through his hair. Her head dropped to his ear as she whispered suggestively. "Why don't you get undressed and I'll show you."

Just then the phone rang and Paul rolled his eyes and groaned. He reached across her body to pick it up but Stephanie slapped his hand away.

"Let the machine pick it up." she told him.

"But what if it's an emergency?" he said thinking of Hope.

"Then they'll call your cell."

He nodded and the phone stopped ringing out as Stephanie moved to straddle him.

"Now forget about the phone call and kiss me Levesque." she smiled against his mouth as their lips met. As Paul began to kiss her deeply, they were both oblivious to the beep of the answering machine as it echoed downstairs in the empty living room. It was soon accompanied by the threatening, menacing voice.

"You both think you're so smart getting one over on me with Vince. Well you're not smart enough and you're going to find out that I get what I want. I always do."

The maniacal chuckle was soon accompanied by the click of the receiver as Andrew Martin ended the call.


	60. Chapter 60

Thanks again for all your lovely feedback. Hope you enjoy the next chapter :)

* * *

Chapter 60

Stephanie smiled dreamily as the soft, feather-like kisses awoke her from her slumber. Her eyes remained closed and she let out a satisfied moan as her hand reached down and searched for him. Her fingers tangled in the silky strands of hair as she felt his head rest against her stomach and she let out a sigh of contentment.

"Hmmm, this is nice." she smiled as his fingertips began to softly trace her outer thigh. "I forgot what it was like to have a morning to ourselves." Her breath hitched in her throat and she lightly shivered as his wet mouth trailed further kisses across her abdomen. "No crying baby, no interruptions…."

"You know we could always trade the little trouble maker in."

Stephanie opened her eyes and tilted her head to see Paul smiling back at her. His brown eyes twinkled mischievously as the morning sunlight shone across his face and she shook her head in amusement as he turned his attention back to her stomach. "She's a baby, Paul. Not a car."

She bit down on her lip as she felt his warm tongue lick her skin.

"You know, Hope would be heart broken if she knew her daddy wanted rid of her."

Paul lifted his head causing Stephanie's hand to drop to the mattress. He slowly crawled up the bed stopping when his face hovered above hers, the ends of his long, blonde hair lightly tickling her face. "I never said I wanted rid of the baby." he smiled as his lips brushed softly against hers.

"No, you just want a different model." replied Stephanie.

Paul chuckled as his thumb trailed slowly along her cheekbone. "Well, I was thinking a boy would be nice. Women are such high maintenance, you know."

His eyes went wide with stunned surprise as he felt Stephanie's hand connect hard with his ass, smacking him. "Damn it, woman!" He reached behind him and grabbed her arm, pinning it above her head. The mattress shifted and creaked oddly underneath them. "You know you're nothing but a violent wench."

Stephanie smiled widely. "Funny. I don't remember you calling me that last night. If I recall correctly, you were saying something altogether different."

A slow smirk spread across Paul's face at the memory.

"I'm glad Hope was at your parents' house." said Stephanie. "She would have been scarred for life if she'd overheard some of the things her daddy was saying to her mommy."

Paul raised his eyebrows at her. "And what about what Mommy was saying to Daddy?"

She felt herself blush as Paul began to chuckle again. She chewed on the inside of her lip as he softly nuzzled her cheek. "I'm not sure I can remember." she said swallowing thickly as Paul's teeth lightly grazed her earlobe.

"Well maybe I should refresh your memory." he whispered huskily in her ear and his hand skimmed down her side as his mouth slowly trailed down her jawbone.

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"Well I could do this…" Paul sucked on her bottom lip gently as his fingers trailed up the inside of her thigh. He smiled to himself as he felt her hips buck against him, her fingernails scraping lightly across his back. "Is it helping you any?" he mumbled into her mouth.

Stephanie shook her head, playing along, as his tongue ran slowly across her bottom lip. She suddenly gasped and felt her body tremble as his thumb brushed against her swollen flesh, teasing her. "God, Paul." she whimpered.

"I think we might be getting somewhere." he replied, smirking.

Paul's lips covered hers as he began to kiss Stephanie slowly and deeply. He heard her moan softly as his tongue explored her mouth. He deliberately ignored the phone as its loud shrill filled the room.

Stephanie turned her head away, breaking their kiss. "We should answer that." she replied, staring at him breathlessly.

"Let the machine pick it up." Paul replied as he dropped his head and began to focus his attention on her neck.

"We can't. It might be important."

Stephanie pushed him away and Paul sighed heavily as he rolled to the side.

"Important, my ass." he snorted pushing back his hair as Stephanie sat up in bed to answer the call. "It will be my mother." he told her matter of factly. "She seems to have the uncanny knack of being able to ruin the moment."

Stephanie couldn't help but smile as she turned back towards Paul. "Good morning Patricia." She giggled softly as she watched Paul roll his eyes and bury his head in the pillows. "How's Hope been?" she asked as she reached out her hand and as she rested her head back, she began to brush her fingers through the ends of his hair. "Did she sleep?"

Paul turned his head on the pillow facing her, blowing away the loose locks that fell annoyingly across his eye. His hand rested against her leg and he smiled softly to himself as Stephanie laughed. He loved watching her laugh. He loved watching her. He liked reminding himself of all the little things about her. There was the way her big eyes would sparkle when she was happy, the way her nose would wrinkle when she laughed and the way she would chew on her bottom lip when she was deep in thought or nervous. She truly was the most beautiful thing in his world and he constantly found himself wondering how he got to be so damn lucky. But he wasn't going to question it. He was going to grab his luck with both hands because Stephanie and his daughter were both so special to him. His life was full and perfect. He just couldn't imagine it without them and he never wanted to either.

"No, it's okay. We'll come over and pick her up."

Paul shifted across the bed and pulled down the covers placing a kiss on her exposed hip.

"We'll be there in about an hour or so."

He lifted his head and shook it vehemently. Stephanie smirked as she said her goodbyes and hung up.

"What did you tell her that for?" he asked, frowning.

"I'm sorry. Did you already have plans?" she replied acting innocently as she brushed back his hair from his face.

"You know damn well I did, McMahon. It involved you, me and this bed."

Stephanie smiled as she bent down and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Well how about we make it you, me and the shower. What do you say, Levesque? Fancy scrubbing my back?" she quipped as she threw back the covers and got out of bed. Picking up her robe, she shivered as the cool air hit her warm skin. She pulled it on and felt Paul's hot breath blow gently against her ear as he came and stood behind her.

"I don't think it's your back that needs special attention, do you?" he hushed as his hand slipped into her robe and began to skim down her stomach until it rested between her legs.

Stephanie bit down on her lip and tilted her head towards him. "Maybe you could scrub there too."

His brown eyes twinkled at her. "Oh, I intend to."

"Then what the hell are you waiting for?"

Stephanie screamed out loudly as Paul whipped her round and lifted her over his shoulder. The sound of her laughter echoed through the empty house as he carried through the bedroom and straight to the bathroom.

* * *

"Okay, where is she? Where's my daughter?" asked Paul as he looked around the living room.

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she wandered in behind him, smiling at Patricia who was watching her son with amusement.

"Your father has taken her for a walk to try and get her to settle. What on earth did you think we'd done with her? Sold her to the neighbours?"

Paul made a face at her as he pushed back his hair from his forehead. "There's no need to be smart, mother. I just wondered where she was that's all."

Stephanie grinned as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and winked at Patricia. "Paul is feeling guilty."

"I am not!"

"Oh yes you are." she replied as she absently picked at a thread at the bottom of her red sweater.

His mother looked between them, confused. "Why would you feel guilty?"

"Paul talked about trading her in this morning. He wants a quieter baby."

"Paul! That's awful." Patricia scolded.

Paul shook his head as he threw himself on the sofa stretching out his denim clad legs in front of him. "I was kidding you know." His brown eyes twinkled as he threw his arm across the back of the seat and his black shirt stretched across his massive chest. "Although I might seriously consider trading you in if you're not careful." He winked at his fiancée. "What do you think, Steph? Think anyone would take my mother off my hands?"

Stephanie shook her head as she sat down beside him nudging him playfully. "Stop it." she said as she covered his hand with hers resting it on his thigh.

"You're not too old to get a smack, you know." replied Patricia, placing her hands on her hips. Her eyes twinkled brightly back at him.

Paul smirked widely as he chewed on his gum. "There's no need, Ma. Steph already spanked me this morning."

"Paul!" Stephanie glared at him, blushing as he burst into laughter. She moved her hand from his and smacked him across the arm.

Patricia smiled to herself as she glanced across at the window. "Here's your father coming now."

Paul immediately jumped up from the sofa and rubbed his hands on his jeans. "I'll go and help him with Hope."

Both women watched with a smile as he rushed from the room.

"You know, he used to be with same when Neysa was a baby." Patricia said as she wandered across and sat down beside Stephanie shoving the large padded cushion to one side. "The minute Lynn appeared at the door he'd take her out of the pram and hold her. He seemed to have a knack with her too." She smiled. "Whenever she would cry, Paul would pick her up or talk to her and she would just stop."

Stephanie smiled as she twirled a strand of hair absently around her finger. "Hope is exactly the same with him. Then again it's no surprise. Paul always seems to have a way of charming the women."

They both chuckled as the subject of their conversation walked back into the room. Paul's brown eyes peered at them suspiciously as he held his daughter to his chest. His hand rubbed her small back soothingly as her head nestled into him. "What are you two cackling about?"

"Nothing." replied Stephanie innocently as she stood up and walked across to her daughter.

"Nothing, my ass!" snorted Paul.

"Paul, stop cussing in front of my granddaughter!"

Stephanie smiled gently as she looked at her sleeping baby. Her finger began to trace the soft skin on her face. "Hey there, sweetie. Mommy's missed you."

"Where's your father, Paul?" asked Patricia.

"I'm right here." her husband replied as he walked into the living room. He smiled at Stephanie as he sat down on the chair. "She's been as good as gold this morning."

"I'm glad. I just wish she'd been as good last night. I'm sorry if she kept you awake."

"Oh she didn't keep me awake, dear."

"That's because you were more than happy to lie and in bed and let me tend to our grandchild." scolded Patricia.

"I wouldn't have gotten a look in anyway. Every time there was the slightest whimper over the monitor you were up and at her like a shot."

Paul looked at his parents and chuckled in amusement. "Mom was hogging the baby? I never would have guessed."

Patricia made a face at him as she raked her fingers through her short hair. "Speaking of the baby, have you thought about the christening?"

He frowned as he shifted Hope gently in his arms. "Not really. Why?"

"Father Donnelly asked me about it on Sunday. I said I would talk to you about it."

Stephanie shrugged as she looked up at Paul. "I guess it's something we need to start thinking about."

He sighed and nodded his head. "It's just a shame we couldn't have it on the same day as the wedding. God knows it would save a lot of hassle."

Her big blue eyes stared back at him thoughtfully. "Then why don't we?"

"You're serious?"

"Why not? Everyone we would invite is going to be there for the wedding. It would make perfect sense."

Paul looked over at his mother. "What do you think, Mom?"

Patricia beamed at them. "I think it's a wonderful idea. I'm sure Father Donnelly will be delighted to do it. Have you decided on godparents?"

He looked at Stephanie and shrugged. "I don't know. Shane and Lynn I guess."

She nodded and smiled. "I know for a fact Shane would hunt us down if he wasn't allowed to be the godfather."

"Yeah. I reckon my sister would be baying for blood too."

"Then it's settled." Stephanie stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "We should head back home so we can make a start to the arrangements."

"What? Right this very second?"

"No time like the present." she said affectionately ruffling his hair.

Paul groaned loudly as he glared at his mother. "Do you see what you've started?"

"You know, I'm more than happy to do all the planning for the christening." said Stephanie as she picked up Hope's changing bag and placed the strap over her shoulder. "You'll just have to look after the baby for the afternoon."

"I think I can manage that." Paul agreed as he looked down and smiled at his sleeping daughter. "We can sit on the sofa and I can teach her all about baseball."

"I'm sure she'll be enamoured with that." Stephanie scoffed as she rolled her eyes at Patricia and followed Paul out of the door. She watched with a soft smile on her face as he shifted the baby in his arms and placed her gently in her stroller. "Thanks for looking after her, Patricia."

"It was no problem, dear."

"I'm actually surprised we're getting our daughter back. I thought we'd have to prise her out of your hands." joked Paul as he pushed the stroller towards the door. He smiled at his father and thanked him as he opened it.

"Never mind the smart comments and get your daughter home. It looks like it could start raining soon." replied his mother as she hovered on the doorstep with her husband.

Paul peered up at the sky and frowned at the darkening clouds. "I think you might be right." He lifted his hand in farewell as he began to push Hope down the path. "See you later."

As he placed his arm around Stephanie and turned down the tree-lined street, he didn't see the driver of the red Cadillac parked at the end of the road. If he did, he would have seen the vicious sneer on Andrew Martin's face and the look of hatred in his eyes as he watched them make their journey home together…

* * *

"Are you finished yet?"

Stephanie looked up from her laptop and pushed her glasses up into her hair. She smiled as she felt Paul place a kiss on the top of her head. "Not yet. I'm just working on the seating plan."

He slid his arms around her as he placed his chin on her shoulder. "Well I don't care where I am as long as it's next to you." He placed another kiss on her cheek and breathed in the fresh scent of her perfume.

"I think I can have that arranged."

"Good." Paul straightened himself up, stretching his huge arms out in front of him.

"Where's Hope?"

Paul yawned as he sat down on the chair next to her. He pushed back his hair behind his ears. "She was tired. I put her down for a nap." He rested his thick forearms against the dining room table and dropping his head on top of them, he closed his eyes.

"It looks like she's not the only one who is sleepy." Stephanie said, reaching across as her hand moved up and down his broad back.

"It's your fault, you know." His eyes popped open and he smiled at her. "Your demands wore me out."

"My demands?"

Paul nodded his head against his arm as Stephanie's hand moved to brush through his hair.

"So it wasn't you who told me in that sexy, husky voice of yours how much you needed me and exactly what you wanted?"

"Oh, that was definitely me." he replied, smirking cockily. "And you were more than happy to do everything I asked if I remember correctly."

"Well, only because you were so eager to return the favour." Stephanie bent down and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"And on more than one occasion." said Paul, winking at her. He closed his eyes as he kissed her again. They reluctantly broke apart as they heard Hope begin to cry. "I'd better go check on our little darling." He lifted his head and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose before pushing back his chair.

"Before you go, have you seen my diary? I need to call the caterer."

Paul shrugged as he backtracked towards the door scratching his hair. "You could try the table in the living room. I might have seen it there."

Stephanie got up from the table as he disappeared through the door. She smoothed down her sweater as she followed him through and smiled as she heard him bound up the stairs. It looked like Hope's colic was bothering her again but hopefully the drops would start working real soon and she would start to feel a little bitter. It was horrible to know her baby girl was in pain.

Stephanie wandered over to the table and immediately spotted her black leather diary. She silently congratulated Paul as she began to flick through it. Since having the baby, she was lucky if she remembered her name sometimes. It wasn't the first time she'd placed something down only to forget where she'd put it less than five minutes later.

Stephanie was about to walk away when the blinking light on the phone caught her attention. There was a message. Suddenly she remembered the unanswered call from last night. Frowning, she pressed play and rested her elbows on the table as she waited. She hoped it wasn't important. She'd totally forgotten to check the phone when they got back home this morning.

Stephanie smiled to herself as Hope's crying stopped and Shane's voice filled the room.

"Hey, Steph. It's me. Call me when you get this message."

The machine beeped. She bit down on her lip as she waited for the next one. She couldn't wait to see Shane's face when she told him about being a godparent. God knows, he'd hinted about it often enough.

"Paul, it's Glen. I just wondered if we could reschedule our next session. If you call the office, we can sort out a date. Talk to you then."

Stephanie was surprised when the machine signalled another message. Her blue eyes went wide and she swallowed hard as she heard his menacing voice.

"You both think you're so smart getting one over on me with Vince. Well you're not smart enough and you're going to find out that I get what I want. I always do."

Her hands shook as she forcefully pressed the button stopping the machine. Stephanie knew exactly who had made the call. Andrew. She'd know that creepy voice anywhere and it seemed like after everything they'd been through, after everything he'd done, he still wasn't finished screwing with their lives. She quickly glanced towards the stairs as she heard the sound of Paul's footsteps. Without another thought she deleted the messages wiping all trace of them and let out a shaky, calming breath as she made her way quickly back to the dining room.

Paul was finally getting over the attack. She'd persuaded him to take the medical and maybe even think about the future. His life was moving forward. If he found out Andrew was back on the scene, God only knows what it would do to him. There was every possibility it could set his progress right back. Well, she wasn't going to let that happen. She'd fought too hard to keep her family together to let it all fall apart. She'd deal with Andrew without Paul. She had no other choice and one way or the other, that bastard was going to pay for what he had done. She was going to make sure of it with every breath in her body. No one screwed with a McMahon or their family and got away with it.


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Paul stared at the stark white walls as his stomach churned anxiously. Being here unsettled him terribly. He hated the sharp smell of disinfectant that lingered in the hallway. He also hated sitting waiting impatiently while a bunch of quacks decided on his future. A future that may or may not involve what he loved to do the most; wrestling. God knows it had been his life for so long and he had loved the rush it gave him. He had thrived on pushing his body to the limit while he entertained fans in their thousands. Or at least he had thrived on it until a psycho decided to bash his fucking brains in with a sledgehammer. Now the thought of it left him cold inside. He wasn't sure he wanted to go back. He didn't even know if he could get in that ring again.

Paul sighed heavily and shifted his feet, his boots scuffing against the pale beige carpet. He felt her squeeze his hand reassuringly. He turned his head and saw her big blue eyes smiling back at him. Stephanie. She was the reason why he was sitting here in the first place. She had wanted him to have the medical. She had wanted peace of mind that he had recovered from the attack physically and he had to admit he did too. After all, he had responsibilities now and he wanted to make sure he was around to take care of them.

Tilting his head to the side, Paul rested his head on Stephanie's shoulder. He felt her press her lips against his hair and he slowly closed his eyes. He loved her with everything he had. She and Hope were all that mattered to him. They were his life now and he knew he would do anything and everything for them.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded his head and smiled at the concerned tone in her voice. Stephanie had been nothing short of incredible through this whole damn thing. If it hadn't been for her, he knew he would have fallen apart. He had needed her so much and she hadn't once let him down even at times when he had tried his hardest to push her away.

"Hopefully the doctor won't be much longer."

Paul pressed his lips tightly together and glanced over at the double doors just down the corridor. The doctor had walked through them over an hour ago. He wasn't in any particular rush to have him walk back through them. Not knowing the truth meant he wasn't forced to face the future. It was a decision he wasn't sure he wanted to face up to. That's if he even had a decision to make. He wasn't naive. He was more than aware that his wrestling career could be over. And while the mere idea of that would have killed him only months ago, right now he wasn't sure he even cared.

Licking his lips, Paul's eyes fell to their joined hands that rested in Stephanie's lap. Her diamond sparkled in the soft glow of the lights. His thick fingers reached out and touched it absently twisting the gold band.

"I wonder if your mom got Hope to sleep."

He smiled gently grateful for the change in subject. "Our little troublemaker doesn't know the meaning of the word sleep."

"But she is getting better."

Paul lifted his head. His brown eyes twinkled at her. "Oh yeah. She's better alright. She's managed to extend nap time from five minutes to ten."

Stephanie chuckled and leant her forehead against his.

"She's still young enough to trade in you know. We should do it now before we get too attached to her."

"Who are you trying to kid, Levesque?" Stephanie said as she lifted her head and smiled at him. "You're already attached. In fact, our daughter has you well and truly wrapped around her little finger."

"That's because she's manipulative just like her mommy."

"I'm not manipulative." replied Stephanie as she tenderly tucked a stray blonde strand behind his ear. "I just know how to work things to my advantage."

Paul was about to reply when out of the corner of his eye, he saw the double doors open and his body tensed as he watched the small, burly doctor walk through. Sighing heavily, he felt the tight knots in his stomach. He felt Stephanie's thumb lightly graze his cheek before her hand fell away.

"It's going to be okay, Paul."

His brown eyes fell upon her. Despite her reassurances, he could see the fear in Stephanie's eyes. She was scared of the truth every bit as much as he was.

"Mr Levesque?"

Paul stood up and forced himself to smile at the middle aged man. His hand still gripped hold of Stephanie's tightly.

"Would you like to follow me to my office?" he smiled.

He nodded and tried to ignore his heart as it pounded wildly in his chest. He walked behind the doctor in silence. He didn't even look at Stephanie. All he could think about was that this was it. The moment of truth and a decision that had the ability to affect the rest of his life.

The doctor opened the white painted door and stepped aside to let them pass. The tastefully decorated room still smelled of lemon furniture polish and the sun shone through the large glass window behind the wooden desk. Paul dropped Stephanie's hand and took the seat he had sat in only this morning. The brown leather creaked underneath his weight. His thick fingers twisted nervously together as he clasped them in front of him. The doctor's eyes were kind as they looked between him and Stephanie.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. I had to await the final results of your CT scan."

Paul nodded and swallowed hard. The blood was beating loudly in his ears.

"And I'm pleased to tell you that everything looks fine. There is no swelling to the brain and we can't see any evidence of any long term damage."

He let out a long, shaky breath feeling the relief wash through his body. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Stephanie wipe at her face. She turned her head and smiled at him. Her eyes were glossed over and her lips trembled slightly.

"But while you've recovered physically, Mr Levesque, I can't help but be a little reluctant to clear you medically fit to return to work."

Paul looked at the doctor. His brown eyes were confused by his words.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Stephanie. Her hand rested on Paul's arm. His big hand covered it and his skin felt cold.

"I've spoken to your therapist." replied the doctor as he leant back in his chair. "Glen has concerns that you haven't yet dealt with what happened to you. He says you have yet to discuss the incident leading up to your injuries. Is that true?"

Paul nodded his head and swallowed hard.

The doctor smiled at him. The expression on his face was kind. "It's perfectly normal to need time to cope mentally with what has happened to you. Fixing a head injury takes a long time. It's the most complex machine in the world. I always tell my patients that head injury is like running a marathon. You can't sprint through your recovery. You have to pace yourself for the long race and keep as positive an attitude as you can along the way. But the good news is you will get better. You are getting better, Mr Levesque."

Paul licked his lips. He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know how he felt about all of this. Although deep down he knew what the doctor said was true. He hadn't dealt with the attack. Not really. He kept pushing it to the back of his mind too scared of the anger, the uncontrollable anger that accompanied the memories.

"What I'd like to do is reassess you in the New Year after you've completed your therapy sessions with Glen."

He nodded automatically. Stephanie's hand gripped his arm.

"Your injuries may have healed physically however mentally I still feel you are at risk. But we are pleased with your progress, Mr Levesque. You just have to be a little more patient."

Paul smiled at the doctor more than happy with the assessment. See, he could be patient especially when it meant he could put off any decision about his career. Instead he could focus on Stephanie and his baby daughter. It was all that mattered right to him now and at the end of the day they were all he really cared about.

* * *

Hours later Paul was smiling as the large chair rocked slowly back and forward creaking rhythmically in the dark silent nursery. The moonlight shone through the large bay window behind them and a mixture of light and shadows fell across Hope's beautiful face. Her long dark eyelashes rested against her cheeks and her small full lips were slightly parted. Paul's heart swelled with pride as he watched his little angel sleep. It was amazing really, the emotions that he felt. Every time he looked or held his daughter he was overwhelmed by his love for this tiny, perfect creature. He still found it hard sometimes to believe she was really his. That he had been partly responsible for creating something so amazing and so beautiful. Hope made his life mean something, like he'd accomplished something worthwhile. Every thing he had achieved or every title he had won before her was paled into insignificance. He had created a life, something so special, that he couldn't find the words to express what it meant to him.

As his fingers lightly traced her warm cheek, Paul wondered why he had been so scared of being a parent. In fact, until he'd met Stephanie it was something he'd never ever contemplated. He thought he was content just to be successful in his career. He'd never ever dreamt he could be just as successful as a father. And while he still had a long way to go and a lot to learn, he didn't think he was doing a bad job. Hope knew love. She wanted for nothing and he'd do anything for his baby girl. He'd never let her down.

"Here you are."

The light from the hallway illuminated the room as Stephanie walked into the nursery. Paul smiled as she knelt at his feet inhaling the clean smell of vanilla body lotion she used. Her freshly washed hair was damp and piled on the top of her head.

"Did she drink her bottle?" she asked as her finger lightly traced Hope's chin.

"Every last drop."

"And she didn't cry?"

Paul shook his head. "She's been out like a light for the last half hour."

"Thankfully those colic drops seem to be working." Stephanie pushed herself to her feet and bent down to kiss his hair inhaling the smell of his conditioner. She felt his hand rub the back of her bare knee. "Are you coming to bed?"

He nodded and brushing his lips softly across Hope's cheek, Paul passed her carefully to Stephanie. He watched her carry her to her crib as he pushed himself to his feet and yawning, he made his way to the bedroom, his bare feet shuffling tiredly across the carpet. His thick fingers unbuttoned his jeans and he let them pool to his feet before stepping out of them. His hair bristled with static as he pulled his shirt over his head and pushing back the covers, he hopped into bed. His body relaxed the second he nestled into the soft pillows. His eyes closed over as he heard Stephanie enter the room. He listened to her footsteps as she approached the bed and the mattress shifted as she got in next to him.

"Hey." she said softly.

His brown eyes popped open as he felt Stephanie lean across him. Her chestnut hair tickled his face and his lips curved up gently as her fingertips trailed across his jaw line. "Hey." he replied.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep."

"You can't." scowled Stephanie.

"And why not?" he said as he closed his eyes again.

"Well, I thought we could talk."

"I'm tired. I don't want to talk."

"Paul…!" she sighed.

He slowly opened his eyes once more to see her frowning as she stared ahead. His hand snaked around her waist as he shifted his head on the soft pillow and leant into the crook of her neck.

"God, you smell good." he murmured.

Stephanie closed her eyes and sighed softly as Paul kissed the column of her throat. His tongue flicked across her skin and she felt a tingle of pleasure down her spine.

"I thought you were tired." she mumbled as her fingers moved to tangle in his hair.

"Maybe not so much." he breathed into her ear. His wet mouth covered her lobe as he nipped at it gently.

"Good then we can talk." said Stephanie as she pulled away from his embrace. She swallowed thickly as she met his dark brown eyes. They smouldered with his want and desire for her and she lightly shivered under his watchful gaze.

"I thought I told you already. I don't want to."

Paul's big hand pushed down on her hip and he rolled her onto her back. The mattress creaked underneath them and his huge body hovered above her.

"Besides, didn't anyone tell you that talking is overrated?" he stated as he moved his mouth towards her. He rested his bodyweight on his thick forearm as his other hand skimmed up her thigh, pushing up the hem to her silk nightdress.

"Then what is it you propose we do instead?" she asked as she licked her lips, wetting them in anticipation of his kiss.

"Well I could do this….." Paul's voice trailed off as he captured her mouth with his. He kissed her languidly as his hand moved to the top of her leg. He squeezed her hot flesh gently and her throaty moan echoed in the silent room breaking their kiss.

"Paul!"

"What?" he asked teasingly as he brushed his upturned lips against the corner of her mouth. His thumb deliberately swept against her underwear and her hips bucked against the pressure of his hand.

"Touch me. Please." Stephanie whispered.

Paul's thumb rubbed her through the lace as she closed her heavy lidded eyes. "I don't know. Maybe you're right, Steph. Maybe we should talk." he smirked as he trailed his wet mouth along her jaw line.

"Fuck talking!"

Paul snorted and lifted his head, his fingers skimming across the waistband of her underwear as he watched her face. Her eyes were pressed together as her top teeth pulled on her lip. Christ, she was beautiful and God did he need her. "That's quite a mouth you've got there, McMahon."

Her blue eyes popped open and there was no mistaking the hunger or her need for him. "Shut up and make love to me, Paul." Her hand pushed his head closer towards her. "It's been way too long." she mumbled before she pressed her lips against his.

Stephanie's mouth parted and she began to kiss him deeply. Her stomach pooled with the anticipation at the thought of being so close to him again and feeling every part of him. God knows it had felt like forever since she had been with him so completely and she had missed it. She had missed him. The palm of her hands ran up and down his back as she moaned softly into his mouth. She could feel the hard firmness of the muscle underneath his smooth skin. It felt so soft and burning hot like his skin was on fire. She was burning too; burning with her desire for him and her intensifying need to be with him.

Feeling his big hand squeeze her left breast, Stephanie slid her tongue into his mouth. It brushed against his tasting the gentle mint on his breath. Paul always tasted incredible. She could never get enough of him and he was a constant craving to her.

Her hand pressed his body closer and she whispered his name as his mouth began to make a downwards trail towards her chest. She closed her eyes as her whole body tingled and she arched her back into him, letting herself get lost in him. Paul. He was so much more than she had ever hoped for. She loved him with everything she had and she felt so much for him at times she couldn't breathe.

Whispering his name, Stephanie let her mind drift as she succumbed to his touch and his caress. A while later, she was struggling to find her breath in the aftermath of their lovemaking and her body lightly trembled in Paul's arms as he held her close to him. His lips brushed over her temple.

"Wow." he whispered as he tucked a messy strand of hair behind her ear. "I forgot how good I was at that."

She couldn't help but snort with amusement as she leant back and looked at him. She shook her head in disbelief. "You don't believe in being modest, do you?"

"What's the point?" he replied smirking. "You know the truth. I've got no need to hide it."

"You're a cocky bastard."

"Yes I am but it's one of the many things you love about me." he grinned. His brown eyes sparkled at her and she smiled as her hand curled around his cheek.

"Well I have to admit you do have a certain charm." She paused as she gently kissed his forehead. "I'm also very proud of you."

"Proud of me?"

Stephanie nodded.

"Why?" he asked, his nose scrunched in confusion.

"Well look how far you've come." Her thumb lightly traced his jaw line, his stubble scratching her skin. "Only a few months ago, we thought your injury meant you might never wrestle again."

Paul glanced away. His hand fell away to rest against her hip.

"It's only a matter of time, baby. Just think. Six weeks from now you could be in that ring doing what you love to do."

"But what if I don't want to?" he asked her abruptly. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. "I told you before I wasn't sure I wanted to wrestle again."

"But I thought you just needed time Paul….."

"Yeah?" he interrupted. "Well how stupid of me for thinking you understood."

He lifted Stephanie up removing her from his lap. She pulled the covers to her chest as she shook her head in confusion.

"Of course I understand." she said as he picked up a pair of track pants thrown across the chair. She watched him pull them on before pushing back his hair from his forehead. "Paul?"

"What?" he asked as he pulled out a drawer and rummaged through it.

"Talk to me, please."

"I told you, Steph. I don't want to talk." He roughly shoved his head through the shirt. His soft blonde hair fell messily around his shoulders.

Stephanie sighed heavily. "I thought we were past all this."

"Past what?" he snapped finally looking at her, his brown eyes flashing with his temper.

"You! You shutting me out and trying to deal with this on your own."

"I'm not shutting you out." he cried in frustration.

"Well it sure feels that way." She pulled the sheet tighter to her chest and sighed. "Christ, Paul. I'm going to be your wife in a few weeks. We should be helping one another with our problems not arguing about them."

"I'm not arguing. You're the one that brought this up in the first place."

"And of course here comes the stubbornness."

"Drop the sarcasm, Steph. It doesn't suit you."

Just then Hope began to cry. Paul picked up her monitor and headed towards the door. "I'll see to our daughter. It's not like I'll sleep now anyway."

The door slammed shut behind him. Stephanie fell back onto the bed and groaned loudly in frustration. She couldn't believe what had happened just now but she wasn't going to even try and reason with him. She had learned from experience to leave Paul well alone when he was like this. She'd just have to be patient and wait to talk to him when he had calmed down because as much as he protested that he didn't want to wrestle, deep down she knew it wasn't true. Not really. Paul loved wrestling so much. It was in his blood. It was his passion. He was just feeling scared right now; scared of her father and what he could potentially do to him. She knew Paul hated being in such a vulnerable position. It made him feel weak. Well maybe there was something she could do about that. Maybe it was time to talk to her father and set him straight on a few things. Basically he was either done fucking with Paul or he lost her and Hope for good. Plus she needed to get some information out of him about Andrew. He was another psycho she was going to have to deal with because she was done with both him and her father thinking they could screw around with the two people that mattered most to her. She loved Paul and Hope. She loved them with all her heart and she was going to do whatever it took to protect both of them. She would do whatever she had to for her family.


End file.
