Here’s to the Night

by Carrie

Author's Note: This is the first fanfic I feel confident enough in to post, and of course, it's a Jericho/Steph shipper. A bit of a sad one, in my opinion. It uses "Here's To The Night" by Eve 6, and that doesn't belong to me and neither do the characters, though I wish they did...

So denied so I lied are you the now or never kind
In a day and a day love I'm gonna be gone for good again
Are you willing to be had are you cool with just tonight
Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well

Stephanie clung to Chris's body feverishly. She wasn't going to let go of him, not just yet, She knew full well that this was going to be their last night together. Their last of many. The sad thing was, while she was married, she never loved Hunter. Not even a little bit. She had a fling with Kurt Angle while she was married to... him. She wasn't in love with Kurt, either. Her heart belonged to the blonde, charismatic Canadian laying beside her.

Put your name on the line along with place and time
Wanna stay not to go I wanna ditch the logical
Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well

"You sure you want to do this?" Chris asked softly, talking into her ear. His breath was hot on her neck, and she loved it. The shivers it sent up and down her spine were some of the nicest feelings she had ever gotten. One thing Hunter could never do was make her shiver.

"Positive. One last night with you is better than not being with you at all," she told him, looking directly into his blue eyes. He looked into hers, and saw nothing but love.

He sighed inwardly once more, this was going to be the hardest thing he had ever done.

Here's to the nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to goodbye
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon

Afterwards, Stephanie lay awake in his arms, tears coming to her eyes. She was stronger than this. She never cried at anything. Never... but this time was different, she realized. This was something important to her, and sadly, something she didn't want to end. The warm tears slid down her cheeks, landing softly on Chris's chisled, well built chest, sliding down until it met the sheets and could go no further.

Chris flinched. He hoped she didn't notice, he was pretending to be asleep so she didn't know he knew she was crying. She would hate it if someone knew that Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, WWF's "most dominant female" had actually shown feelings and shed tears. if only people knew that the bitch she pretended to be so often wasn't really who she was. Maybe then her life would be better... maybe then she wouldn't have remained married to that scumbag, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. What kind of a name was that anyway? Chris hugged Stephanie tighter to him, she should have been with him from the start. He felt her breathing deepen and even out and he knew instantly that the poor girl had cried herself to sleep.

All my time is froze in motion
Can't I stay an hour or two or more
Don't let me let you go
Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well

The next morning, Stephanie was getting dressed, "Chris... can't I just stay a little bit longer? Please? I don't want to have to leave you... not like this..." she pleaded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Tears she wouldn't shed because she didn't want him to see how weak she really was.

"I'm sorry, Princess... but you have to leave. Hunter will suspect something if you aren't back in your hotel room when he calls. You know that." Chris said.

"But... I don't want to go. I want to stay with you... forever," she told him, walking over to him and hugging him tightly.

He held her in his arms, one hand gently stroking her soft, straightened brown hair, "Steph, I wish you could... I really do. You're married, and we can't continue to have this affair. I'm so sorry it had to end like this. If I had it my way, it wouldn't end at all. You know that."

"I know... I'll go..." she said reluctantly, pulling away from his warm, loving, protective embrace. He nodded, but pulled her back to him for one last, passionate, knee-shaking kiss. "I love you Princess. Forever."

She nodded, and kissed the tip of his nose, "I love you too, Lionheart. Always and forever. Goodbye..." she walked to the door and opened it, not looking back for fear she would break down and start crying once more.

Here's to the nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to goodbye
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon

When the door closed behind her, he whispered "goodbye" to the back of the door. He knew she would never hear it, but he didn't care. Somewhere deep in side, the goodbye meant that he really had broken off with her. He would never see her again. The thought struck him quickly, and as realization hit him, he slumped against the door of his room, tears and sobs wracking his 225-pound, muscular frame. Goodbye Stephanie... I'll never forget the way you make me feel. Ever. He thought before he composed himself and got ready to head to the night's events.

Stephanie got back to her hotel room quickly, falling onto her bed in a mess of tears. She missed him already, and she knew he would never hold her in his arms again. She would just have to accept that, and go back to being in the arms of a man she never felt anything for. Goodbye Chris... I know someday we'll be together again soon, she told herself to make herself feel better about the whole thing. Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley now knew what it was like to be in love; after 24 years, and she realized now that it was the most precious gift one could ever hope of recieving.

The End.

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