A/N – Just a little something I cooked up after Raw two weeks ago following the pedigree heard round the world. It's told from Stephanie's perspective. Enjoy!

As he ripped the red leather belt away from her GM's grasp only to hand it over to the man he had single-handedly decided would be the one to claim it, their eyes locked briefly. Hunter's revealing a fiery glare, Stephanie's betraying the absolute confusion she felt in that moment. Both of them seeming to suggest that the other had done something so wrong, so unforgivable. Both of them revealing that for the first time in a long time, a very long time, they were not on the same page.

Contrary to what Mick and Seth wanted to believe, Stephanie truly had no idea Hunter was in the building, much less planning to insert himself into the main event. The last she had heard he was on the road with NXT. Another lie it seemed as he was standing right in front of her, looking her dead in the eyes as he raised the hand of a new champion, one who was no longer their champion but his and his alone.

She was just as blindsided, just as dumbfounded by his involvement in costing Seth the chance to be the Universal Champion as the man himself was. Because it had made no sense to her. It had made no sense that her husband, after two years of grooming Seth into the superstar he was today, would turn his back on him so viciously, so callously. And to do it without even telling her was just as, if not even more so bewildering.

If Stephanie didn't know better she would have thought she was on an episode of Swerved, because as convoluted as it sounded to use a live, TV main event as a punchline, that made more sense to her than Hunter turning his back on Seth in the moment he needed his mentor, his idol, his friend the most.

Her first thought was why, her second, how. Why didn't he tell her? How could he do this?

After all, it had been Hunter who had brought Seth to her, who had decided he was to be the future and promised her that they could trust the man despite the fact he had spent the better part of his WWE career trying to destroy that which the two of them had created. Seth had, alongside his Shield brethren, been the biggest anti-authority figure in the company so to bring him on board took more than a leap of faith on her part.

But Stephanie trusted her husband explicitly. She trusted that he knew Seth as well as he said he did, that his influence on the younger man was as unbreakable as he claimed it to be. She trusted that he knew what he was doing when it came to molding the former NXT champion into the new face of the company. She trusted his judgment. And in trusting her husband beyond all else, she came to trust Seth as well, who proved to be everything Hunter had believed him to be and more.

Seth had quickly taken to his new role and had taken every opportunity to learn from the example Hunter had set for him. He was their hand-picked chosen one and had not once disappointed in that role. Of course, he was stubborn, of course, he needed to be knocked down a peg on a few occasions but Stephanie knew that this was part of what made Seth stand out to Hunter in the first place. And the more she got to know him, the more she got to see his passion and his drive and his head strong attitude.

She started to see why of all the up-and-coming roster talents, Hunter had chosen Seth. She knew her husband saw a version of himself in the man and the more she got to know him, truly know him, the more she saw the same. The more she realized that this man who would be king was 100 percent best for business and that at the end of the day, there was no one she would have rather had to be the new face of the company than Seth Rollins.

In fact, she and Hunter had become so close to his beloved protégé that Stephanie often joked that Seth was like the son they had never had. That had they been blessed with a biological little boy, he would have grown up to be just like Seth, the young man the couple had nurtured, protected and cared for over the past two years.

That's what made Hunter's actions that night all the more questionable, all the more despicable and nauseating. They had come to love Seth like their own and yet when the man needed them the most, all Hunter could do was hit him with the pedigree, the move he had given Seth to use for himself, and anoint another with the crown in his place. He had stabbed Seth in the back and it almost made Stephanie violently ill just thinking about how he could have done that to the person who she had thought meant so much to the both of them.

It seemed she was wrong. It seemed Seth was just the latest pawn in her husband's game.

Those eyes continued to haunt her, cold and sharp, as if they were trying to send a message. Not just to Seth, but to his cheering squad seated ringside as well. To send a message to his own wife that he had made a decision on his own accord and that things were about to change. And judging by the daggers shot her way, Stephanie knew this change was not going to be something she liked very much at all.

In that moment as her mind was trying to make sense of everything, to sort it all out, Stephanie made the mistake of looking away from Hunter and instead at Seth, who was finally starting to realize what had just happened. He looked as confused as she was but on top of that he looked nearly broken, the image of Hunter holding Kevin Owens' arm in the air and holding that belt in the air, crushing everything he thought he knew.

And Stephanie knew exactly what was going through his mind because it's what was going through hers. That was supposed to be his title, his moment, his mentor holding his arm up in the air. But instead he was left there to watch as someone else took all of that from him, someone he had never expected would have betrayed him like that.

It broke her heart to see that look in Seth's eyes, to see Hunter smirking down at him and relishing in what he only could have seen to be some kind of sick victory. Was this really what her husband had wanted? To embarrass not only Seth but herself? To stab them both in the back in what she could only assume was some kind of power move?

Was it a case of professional jealously?

Was he jealous that she had chosen Mick and not him to be the GM of Raw? Was he jealous she had chosen Seth and not him to be the flagship's top draw, the first pick in the WWE Draft?

Surely that had been what he had wanted though in grooming Seth all of those years. It had been with the idea in mind that one day Seth would take over, would be the top name, the top heel in the company following Hunter's own footsteps. But was that day not as soon as Stephanie had believed it to be? Was she wrong in thinking that her husband merely wanted to focus on his role with NXT as opposed to being back alongside her on Raw?

Even so, how did that explain him turning his back on the one he had taken under his wing, the one he had been determined to make a real heir as opposed to both Randy and Batista who inevitably disappointed him?

Nothing about Hunter's actions was making any sense and all thinking about them was doing, was making Stephanie light-headed. She needed to make her way to the back, to get away from all of the eyes that were on her in that moment. However, before she had a chance, Seth rolled out of the ring and proceeded to immediately get in her face.

He wanted answers, so did Mick, and she didn't blame either of them. The problem was though that she didn't have them. As much as she wanted to tell Seth what he needed to hear, she didn't have the words. She didn't even know where to begin. But she saw the hurt on his face, the confusion, the pain. He had been betrayed by the man who had brought him into this business, who had helped him become the first NXT champion. The man who had guided him from being Mr. Money in the Bank to WWE Champion to the first ever man to hold the WWE and United States championships at the same time. The man who had encouraged him throughout his injury, who had embraced him and showered him with praise upon his return.

This was now the same man who had prevented him from winning the Universal title, the same man who as far as Seth was concerned, chose Kevin Owens over him. It broke his heart and it broke Stephanie's too.

Seth needed to lash out, he needed someone to blame. She was the easy target. He didn't believe her when she tried to tell him she knew nothing about what happened, didn't believe her when she told him she never would have betrayed him like that. After all, she was Hunter's wife, simply meaning there was guilt by association. And maybe there was, but Stephanie would have sworn on her daughters' lives that she was just as confused as he was, if she thought it would have done any good.

He continued to berate her, continued to say things that only made her heart hurt worse.

After all that we've been through… that was your husband. If you think for one second I believe you had nothing to do with this…

She tried to respond but she couldn't. Fortunately, Mick was able to calm down the situation, at least long enough for Seth to return up the ramp. He was devastated and again, she didn't at all blame him.

Stephanie could feel herself starting to hyperventilate and before she knew it, Mick was helping her to the back. He didn't look at her though as she could tell that he was still angry about everything that had happened, about the way Hunter had practically shown both of them up in front of the entire live and TV audience. And like Seth, he wasn't exactly convinced that she knew nothing about it either. After all, he had known her for years and if there was one thing Stephanie could do almost better than anyone it was play dumb and play innocent. She could lie with the best of them and she knew that, everybody knew that, but this time, it wasn't a lie. She honestly had no idea because if she did, she would have done something to stop it.

Calming herself, Stephanie could hear noises coming from outside of the medical area. She knew what was going on. It was the official championship photography she had scheduled, the one that was supposed to be for Seth. She took a deep breath. She may not have liked the result and she may have still been utterly confused by it, but that didn't change the fact that she was the commissioner and she had a new champion to congratulate. It was only right and honestly, Kevin wasn't that bad. He wasn't Seth but if she did have a second choice to win the title, it would have been him.

Stephanie made her way over the few doors to where the studio was and where Kevin was being photographed with the belt. She offered him a half-hearted smile but was stunned in her tracks when she saw the man standing behind the cameras, seeming to be directing the shoot and running it as if he were the one in control.

He noticed her too and seemed to have a softer expression on his face than the one he wore earlier that night when he was pedigreeing Seth into the mat.

"Hey guys, take 15, I'd like a minute alone with my wife," Hunter said as he dismissed the photographers and Kevin. They were about to leave when Stephanie grabbed the new champion's arm, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"Hunter is not in charge here," she replied sternly, directed at all of them but especially at Kevin. "You don't work for him, you work for me. Now, that being said, I will let Kevin know when I am ready for this to continue. Understood?"

Kevin looked back and forth between Stephanie and Hunter, who offered him a nod. Stephanie just rolled her eyes. Her order meant nothing to this man. It was only until her husband basically non- verbally told him it was in fact, okay to leave, that he did so. Going forward that was going to be a problem, a big, big problem. It was a precedent she most certainly did not want to set and she needed to make that clear, along with other things to Hunter, so this one time, Stephanie let it go.

A few minutes later the two were alone. Hunter was the first to speak.

"Was that some kind of power play or something?" he asked frustrated. "Because seriously Steph, that's real professional."

"Oh now I'm the one not being professional?" she replied, her blood starting to boil. "Who told you to come in here and take care of this shoot?"

"Well, seeing as you seemed too busy with consoling Seth, I figured someone had to make sure it got done," Hunter replied curtly. "Wouldn't be fair to Kevin otherwise."

Stephanie just nodded as the conversation began to get heated, much as she expected it would. "Right, not fair to Kevin. Not to mention what wasn't fair to Seth. How could you do that to him? Hell, how could you do that to me? You just decide to show up and do something that still doesn't make sense to me, and you don't even tell me, don't even warn me?"

"Babe, if I warned you, you would have put a stop to it," Hunter assumed correctly. "We both know how you feel about Seth."

"I'll admit I wanted Seth to be champion, to bring the title back home, but I wanted everybody to have a fair shot Hunter," Stephanie argued. "That's why Mick and I were ringside. To prevent, well, to prevent exactly what happened from happening."

"You and Vince haven't been giving Kevin or Sami or any of my guys a fair shot since day one," Hunter replied, taking issue with Stephanie's misguided sense of loyalty. "If it wasn't for me, Seth never would have gotten one either. So I took matters into my own hands. Your dad was so convinced that NXT was just this pet project to keep me away from Raw that he neglected to realize we made and continue to make real stars, stars that have launched WWE into higher heights than ever before. In fact, without NXT, without my contribution, there wouldn't be a new era."

"Oh," Stephanie said simply. "So they are your guys now, is that it?"

Hunter just smiled. "It's my promotion, always has been. Ever since the day that your dad told me I had full control over everything down there, ever since you decided you didn't really want anything to do with it. You both underestimated NXT and you underestimated me. And you of all people Steph, I really thought you would have known better."

Finally, some part of this whole thing was starting to make sense to Stephanie. It was becoming clear that this was less about Seth and more about Hunter because for the first time in a long time, he was no longer the one in control. And she knew her husband better than anybody. Not being in control was something that definitely didn't sit well with him.

"You're jealous," Stephanie simply responded. "That's what this is about. You're jealous that my father didn't include you in talks of the brand split and that I chose Mick over you. This isn't about Seth or Kevin, this is about you proving you still have power."

Hunter just looked at Stephanie. She was incredibly astute but she was also somewhat naïve when it came to her husband and his machinations. This was about so much more than just power and control and mere jealously. This was a statement that had been a long time coming, a plan he had put into motion the day he decided to ask Vince about creating a developmental third brand. It was always leading to this, she just didn't know it. No one did. No one realized that behind the scenes of it all, Hunter was still the one pulling the strings.

She was right about one thing though. This had nothing to do with Seth. He was merely collateral damage.

"Sweetheart you have no idea," he teased. "All I know is, you're not going to want to be on the losing side when this is all said and done."

"Losing side?" Stephanie questioned. "If you're talking about Smackdown then I think we'll be fine. Hunter, I shoulder some of the blame as far as not thinking to consult you but the door is always open, you know that. I'd love to have you on my team. I'd love for us to work together again. But in order for that to happen, you can't just decide to go rogue. The days of the Authority are over so if we're gonna make this work, you need to run everything by myself or Mick before you make a brand-altering decision like what happened tonight, okay?"

"Is that some kind of joke?" Hunter asked, clearly feeling disrespected. "I love you Steph and I respect your role in this company, but it's gonna be a cold day in hell before I feel the need to run anything by you or that lunatic you call a GM. Foley? Really? You could have picked anybody and you went with him? That's your problem Steph. You lost your ruthlessness. You became soft because of him."

"Because of Mick?" Stephanie questioned.

Hunter shook his head. "Because of Rollins. You lost control over Raw a long time ago and tonight is the perfect example. You came in here with tears staining your eyes. The old Steph never would have cried over anything, least of which a stupid little superstar screaming in her face."

Stephanie just stared at Hunter for a moment before he continued.

"Yeah, I saw it," he replied. "You broke down because of him. And see Steph, that's the difference between you and I. Seth had it all until he didn't and when that time came, I cut ties. But you, you just couldn't. Always had a soft spot for the kid. He's not what's best for business anymore. He's the reason why you lost the title to your brother and were forced to replace it with whatever that new belt is supposed to be. He couldn't get the job done and he hasn't been able to ever since he came back by himself, without the Authority by his side. Just goes to show that none of his success would have been possible without us and without us, he's nothing but a shell of the franchise player I thought he was. Not to mention that he is the reason Finn, your biggest new star as I promised all of you he would be, is on the shelf for six months."

"Right," Stephanie just nodded. "I forgot, Finn's one of your guys."

"You're damn right he's one of my guys!" Hunter said in frustration. "He was poised to be Raw's guy too until Seth got his hands on him. And maybe that's what you wanted. Maybe you wanted Seth to rough him up the way he did Sting. But Stephanie, pretty soon you are going to realize what I did months ago. That kid is more trouble than he's worth just like Batista and Orton both proved to be."

"The injury was an accident," Stephanie defended. "And as far as Seth not living up to your expectations, maybe that is the problem. Batista and Randy, they turned out to be stars Hunter, with or without you. So maybe it's not Seth who is the problem, maybe it's you."

Hunter shook his head as he walked toward the door. "You've got blinders on when it comes to Rollins," he said as deciding this conversation was over he gave the photographers the okay to return. "And the fact that you don't see that, well, just reinforces that I'm doing what needs to be done around here to save you from yourself and to save this whole damn company from folding. The future is now Stephanie and all of you are going to learn shortly that you either adapt to it or perish."

"What does that catchphrase have to do with anything?" Stephanie asked as she made eye contact with Kevin. "What the hell are you up to?"

Hunter smirked as he too looked over at his new protégé. "It's over sweetheart and next week on Raw, you're gonna find out why. In fact, you and your brother and your dad, you're all going to find out why I poured so much time and effort into building NXT into what it is, into creating this brand that has singlehandedly saved WWE from itself. Like I said, the future is now and you can't hide from it."

A/N – So, there you have it. Thoughts?