Title: Remember When
Author: Empress
Email: Empress@thewaysideinn.net
Distribution: Empress' Private Library and The Wayside Inn  All others ask first.
Rating:  NC17 again bordering or dancing all over a XXX rating - and this actually comes as a shock to whom??
Characters: Hunter/Nan; Dixie the Wonder Wiener Dog; Tina Elliott; Hurricane; Vince McMahon; Dave Batista; Red Elliott; Brun Elliott; Ric Flair; Randy Orton; Stacy Kiebler; Chris Benoit; Chris Jericho/Rosie; Kit Helmsley; and more OFCs that aren't important than you can shake a stick at.
Spoilers:  None.
Warnings:  I'm overdue on some smut so this one's pretty well stocked with it. 
Summary: Ugh….  I suck at summaries!!  But here goes…On the way back from the funeral, Hunter and Nan reminisce of their first time together.  Tina's new job becomes public knowledge, and more than one person isn't happy about it.  Randy says something stupid and pays the consequences.  Hunter's mother makes her first appearance, and Nan's secret is revealed!!!
Author's Notes: As this is a flashback chapter, we're bouncing around again.  Might wanna get your kneepads for this one.  Hey, everyone's got to have a "greatest clips" episode, right?  And as usual, I do mine a little differently.
Feedback: Always.
Disclaimer: Not mine - theirs.  Some are mine and I'm keeping those.  No money made.  Please pass the insulin.  On with the show.

Remember when thirty seemed old
Now lookn' back it's just a steppin' stone
To where we are,
Where we've been
Said we'd do it all again
Remember when
       Remember When - Alan Jackson

August 26 2004 - Thursday 10:15 p.m.
Colonial Inn, Room 217 - Moccasin Gap, North Carolina 

"I think your brothers have finally accepted me," Hunter began without preamble, as he dried Nan off, preparing for bed. 

She hadn't cried in the bathtub for long.  Not long enough for Hunter, as odd as it may sound.  He was still convinced that the depth of her grief hadn't even begun to be tapped yet.  And he couldn't help but wonder what would cause the violent outpouring of emotion he knew was boiling beneath her façade of calm to come bubbling to the surface.  Or how long it would take to get there.

Once her tears had dried up, all the strength seemed to go out of her, and she'd stumbled twice trying to pull herself out of the tub.  For once she'd actually asked for his help.  That had scared him, almost as badly as it had the night in Pittsburgh when he'd found out she'd hurt herself in Florida.

Hunter scooped her out of the tub, and carried her wet, naked, and covered in suds, back into the bedroom.  He set her down on a chair while he sat on the edge of the bed, and ran a towel over her, sopping up the suds and the excess water.

"Really?  How do you figure?"  Nan murmured quietly, bracing herself on his shoulder as he lifted each leg and dried it, almost clinically.

"Well, Brun didn't try to arrest me," he chuckled grinning at her, reminding her of when her brother had done just that, the first time the two men had met.  He was pleased to see her lips tilt up in a small smile.  "And Robbie didn't threaten to kill me.  Then again, he didn't speak to me either.  But I think the lack of a death threat is a good sign, don't you?"

"Maybe," she answered, unwilling to comment more on her oldest brother's increasing dislike of Hunter.  Robbie had never liked him.  And here lately, it was just growing more intense.  She knew why he felt that way, now at any rate.  But there wasn't anything she could do about it.

"You don't sound too convinced."

She shrugged.  "Robbie's always been a little…odd.  I wouldn't worry about it.  He's not the one you live with."

"Thank God," he grumbled.  "You want a night gown?"

"No."  She shook her head, and made a move to get up. 

But Hunter stopped her, instead lifting her up in his arms again and transferring her the short distance to the bed.  Once he got her settled, he stood up and stripped off his robe and boxers, then slid between the sheets with her.  Immediately, she snuggled up against him, laying her cheek on his chest.  Hunter wrapped an arm around her and began stroking her head. 

"So what's Robbie got against me?"

Nan sighed.  "Do you really want to discuss this now?"

"Maybe not in depth, but I'd kinda like to have an answer."

"Hunter, Robbie just doesn't care for…well…jocks.  A label you definitely qualify for.  We don't call him Egghead for nothin' ya know," she explained.

Shifting, he reached for the remote, and scaled through the channels until he found something they could sleep to, settling on the tail end of an X-Men rerun on TBS.  "That explains why he was less than friendly when I first met him.  Not now, though.  If anything, he's gotten worse."

Nan made a non-committal sound and murmured, "Oooh…Wolverine.  Very nice.  I like."

"You and Legs both.  What is it with you two and Hugh Jackman?"

"He's sexy as hell.  Drop dead, gutter crawlin', tongue draggin' gorgeous."

Hunter grunted.  "He doesn't do a damn thing for me.  Now Halle Berry on the other hand…"

"Oh enough with the Halle stuff.  You're starting to sound like Coach."

He chuckled.  "She wouldn't give that ass-kisser the time of day."

"Don't tell him that.  You'll crush his dreams."

Chuckling again, they quieted and settled in to watch the end of the movie.  Nan sighed sweetly when Wolverine ripped his gloves off and put his bare hands on Rogue's skin, practically willing her to come back to life, only for her to do so, then push him away as he passed out, and began to bleed from his wounds.

"Life force stealing mutation or not," Nan muttered as the station broke for commercial.  "Those two are soo doin' it."

Hunter laughed.  "I can't believe you said that."

"Said what," she asked, rubbing her cheek against his chest.  "That they're doin' it?  Well, they are.  I don't know about you, but I was a big follower of the comics back in the day.  They're bumpin' uglies.  Trust me on this one."

"If you say so, baby."

"Damn skippy, I say so."

Hunter laughed, then fell silent as the movie came back on.  Once the credits began to roll, he turned the volume down a bit, commenting casually, "You know, don't you?  About Robbie, I mean."

Nan hesitated.  "I've got an idea."

"So…what is it then?"

She shifted to look up at him.  "I think he's jealous that you spend more time with Tina than he does."

Hunter just stared at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.  "Makes sense.  She's a great kid.  I'd be proud as hell to call her my daughter."

"Would you?"  Nan looked at him oddly, and he couldn't help but wonder what was going on behind those gypsy eyes of hers.  He had a pretty good idea though. 

"Of course.  What's not to be proud of?"

She nodded, then laid her head back down. 

"Even your Dad was nice to me this time," Hunter murmured, setting the sleep timer on the television, then laying the remote aside to turn off the bedside light.

"Daddy's always nice to you."

"Tolerant.  Not nice."

"Tolerant is nice for Daddy," Nan rebutted with a yawn.

"Getting sleepy, baby?"

She nodded.  Then remembering one other time he'd said that to her, she smiled against his skin.

Hunter felt it.  "What?"

"Just remembering…" 

~<>~

I miss you much
I really really miss you
You much
I miss you much
I'm not ashamed to tell the world
I miss you
       Miss You Much - Janet Jackson

March 4, 2002 9:15 p.m. EST
Nan's House, Moccasin Gap, North Carolina 

Deciding to call it an early night, Nan lay in the middle of her cold queen-sized bed amongst enough pillows and blankets to get lost in, with Dixie curled up beneath the covers with her.  Aside from the fact that due to an absolute freak snowstorm that left six inches of snow on the ground, and despite her heat being cranked up to seventy, and in spite of the two quilts weighting her down, Nan just couldn't seem to get warm.

Tucking the covers up further under her chin, she snuggled deeper into the mound of bedding, and rolled her head to the side only to stare at the empty pillow beside her.  It wasn't like she expected to see him there.  But missing someone made you think really crazy things sometimes.  Like if she closed her eyes really tightly then opened them again, that he'd magically appear laying beside her, favoring her with that gentle smile that he seemed to reserve only for her.  Fighting the childish impulse for about three seconds, she gave in.  When she opened her eyes again, the pillow was still there, only now it had a little brown dog on it, enthusiastically licking her face.

Laughing at both the dog and her own silliness, Nan scooped Dixie up and dragged her underneath the covers, tucking her like a baby up against her side.  She turned her attention back to the television on her highboy dresser.  Finally the commercial break was over and the cameras were trained on Stephanie McMahon, who was currently bitching out Jericho about some kind of lotion she wanted.

Listening only partially, Nan frowned.  She would never have believed Chris would get himself tangled up with Steph if she'd not seen it with her own eyes.  Fleetingly, she wondered if he had done it to get back at her somehow.  But she shook her head; that was kind of an egotistical line of thinking.  Especially since she and Chris had split up over a year ago.  Besides, she'd dated Kane up until three weeks ago, and Chris had been perfectly okay with that.  At least he'd never given her any inclination that he was still hurt over their break-up.  And there was still the valid point that Chris didn't know that she and Hunter were…well…dating. 

Sorta.

It was really difficult to classify a relationship, which consisted mainly of telephone calls, with a man going through an ugly divorce as dating.  She'd not seen him in two weeks, other than when he was on her television, of course.  When she'd been dating Chris, and later Kane, she'd managed to see them at least once a week, flying or driving to wherever they were performing at the time.  She had so many frequent flyer miles now that she was certain she had an upgrade to the Space Shuttle.  But with Hunter, she couldn't do that.  He was insistent that she stay out of the line of fire…meaning his divorce.  At least until Stephanie finally gave in and signed the separation papers he'd filed last month.  Until then, she had to stay at home, and deal with a true long-distance relationship.  She'd wanted to be with him for so long, and now that it was almost in her grasp that being unable to see him was making her nuts.

Okay, so he called her several times a week.  Sometimes several times a day, depending on his schedule and hers.  But as wonderful as it was to hear his voice and sweet of him to call, it just wasn't the same.  She missed him.

The sound of his voice smoothed away her frown into a sappy teenagery smile.  She flicked her eyes back to the television in time to see Hunter tell his wife that he wanted her out of his life.  He up-ended the box he carried on the sofa and left the room.  Nan's eyes fluttered closed as Steph slathered her face and arms with some of the lotion she'd found amongst her things.

A little later, she came awake quickly at the sounds of the screaming crowd at the live event.  Sleepily, she struggled to focus on the screen and was horrified to see Hunter bleeding profusely, hanging up side down from the ropes, while Stephanie slung the chair that she'd just hit him with, into the ring.  Her face and arms were covered in an ugly rash and she was screeching at Hunter about poisoning her lotion, as she helped Angle out of the ring to win the match.

Wiping at her eyes, Nan looked over at the clock, hoping he was okay and that she wouldn't have to wait to find out.  Knowing she wouldn't sleep until he called, she switched over to the local news.  An hour and a half later, she was near frantic with worry as he still hadn't called.  Just about the time she was ready to call his cell, the phone rang, nearly startling her out of her skin.

She scrambled for the receiver, answering with a breathless gasp.  "Hunter?"

"Hey baby."  His voice was heavy and tired, and she was utterly relieved to hear it.

"Are you okay?  I saw all the blood, and…"

"I'm fine, baby.  Just a couple of stitches to the old noggin and I'm right as rain."  He chuckled deeply into the phone.  "Obviously you know how my night went.  So how about you?  You sound tired."

"I am," she affirmed, worming her way back down into the covers, a silly smile crawling across her face.  "Had a long day that started with me digging my car out of the damn snow."

"How much did you get?"

"Six inches."

He laughed.  "That's nothing.  Wait till you see a New England snowfall.  Then you'll know what real snow looks like."

"Maybe," she grumbled petulantly.  "But around here, in a town that, I swear to God, has only one stinking plow, six inches is enough to shut down everything.  Even the schools were closed today."

He sighed.  "You in bed?"

"Yeah," she murmured around a yawn. 

"Getting sleepy, baby?"

"A little.  You?"

She could hear him grin.  "Laid down right before I called you.  What time do you have to go in tomorrow?"

"Seven.  I've got an early breakfast meeting in the morning," she sighed regretfully.

"So a short call then," he answered through a yawn.  His voice took on a definite leer.  "What are you wearing?"

"Nothing," she giggled.

"Evil woman," he groaned.  "Telling me that when I'm half a country away and all I can do is dream about it."

"Hey, you asked," she laughed.

"You could have lied."

Nan's grin widened.  "Why?  Especially when the truth is so much more fun.  But if it's any consolation, I'm cold."

Hunter's voice dropped an octave into a deep rumble.  "I wish I could be there to warm you up."

Nan hesitated for a moment before responding, then threw caution to the winds.  "So why don't you?"

"Don't I what," he asked, yawning again.

"Why don't you come warm me up?"

That woke him.  "What are you saying, baby?"

Fighting a building case of nerves, Nan plunged ahead.  "You don't have to be where until Friday?"

"Columbia, South Carolina."

"So instead of going all the way back to Connecticut, just to come back down south, why don't you come stay here until Friday?"  Her heart thudded in her chest awaiting his answer.

"Baby, I've got no clean clothes.  Nothing but a week's worth of dirties and foul wrestling gear," Hunter protested half-heartedly.

Nan couldn't stop the bubble of laughter that rose in her throat.  "Boy, you really are tired.  I'm offering you four days and three nights worth of rest, home cooked meals, and great company.  And you're worried about your laundry?  Tell you what handsome.  You get on a plane and come see me, and I'll even throw in laundry services.  What say?"

Hunter laughed along with her, realizing just how stupid his protest had sounded.  "Four days, huh?"

"Yep.  Meals and laundry included."

"And three nights."

"That is correct, sir."

His voice deepened.  "In your one bedroom apartment?"

"It's a two bedroom cottage, but you can't stay in the second bedroom."

"I can't?"

"Nope."

He yawned again.  "How come?"

"Because the bed's not big enough."

Hunter blinked.  "Not big enough for me?"

"For us," she answered softly.

He hesitated.  "You're sure."

"I am."

"Baby…"

"Hunter," she interrupted.  "I know what I'm asking.  And yes.  I'm sure.  I miss you."

"I miss you too," Hunter groaned.  "If I don't get to hold you soon, I'm gonna go insane."

"Same here," she agreed.  "So, what do you say, handsome?"

Hunter laughed.  "I say I'm on my way to catch a plane.  What time can you meet me at the airport?" 

~<>~

So take me as I am
This may mean
You'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that
When I start to make you nervous
And I'm going to extremes
Tomorrow I will change
And today won't mean a thing
       Bitch - Meredith Brooks

March 5, 2002 7:10 a.m. EST
Executive Conference Room, the Harrell Coliseum - Charlotte, North Carolina 

Audrey Lane glanced up at the clock on the wall for the third time in fifteen minutes.  Fighting a sigh, she tapped her pen against her teeth in growing boredom.  She looked around at the others sitting, chatting quietly around the conference table.  None of them seemed to be overly concerned that the meeting hadn't started yet.  But considering the amounts of donuts, pastries and fresh fruit in the middle of the table, as well as juices and coffee, these folks would happily sit here and talk until all of the food ran out.

None of them looked at her or even acknowledged her presence in any way.  After all, as the boss' secretary, wasn't she persona non gratta?  The one who would run back to the boss and spill the beans on all of their dirty little secrets?

Audrey gave a mental scoff at that.  Like these people actually had any secrets that the boss would give a damn about.  Besides, when they found out that she was being groomed for the General Manager's position, they were all gonna shit kittens anyway.

The door burst open in a rush of noise as a dark clothed figure strode confidently into the room and up to the head of the table.  All talk ceased and all eyes tracked the newcomer as the boss settled into the plush chair, beneath a portrait of the original owner of the Coliseum.  Audrey's lips twisted up into a smug smirk as the other employees straightened up in their seats, their casual smiles and easy banter long gone.  Some of the men even adjusted their ties.  She loved it, when the boss intimidated these damn sheep.

"Okay!  I've not no time for bullshit this morning.  It's," Dark eyes flicked upwards to the clock.  "Seven-fifteen.  You've all got forty-five minutes to astound me with April's schedule.  And make no mistake, this will be hammered out in that amount of time or you're all going to have to pull double duty over the weekend to fix it.  Understood?"

As pained groans went up around the table, the boss leaned forward, folding long fingers together and gave them all a chilling smile.  "People, I'm out of here at eight-thirty today.  And this meeting will be over by eight sharp, whether we're done or not.  But if you insist on wasting my time with bitching and whining at me, then go ahead.  You'll just work the weekend anyway.  Those of you that still have a job to bitch about.  Your choice.  What's it gonna be?"

At the resounding silence, Nan looked over at Audrey and winked.  "I thought you'd see it my way."  She looked over at a now sweating, balding middle aged man to her left.  "Alan.  You're up first.  Is Ringling Brothers on board for April or not?" 

+++++ 

"Earth to Nan," Audrey smirked as she snapped her fingers in front of her friend's face.

Blinking rapidly, Nan looked up.  "Huh?"

Laughing, Audrey fell into the chair across from Nan's desk, slapping her steno pad against her leg.  "You kill me, girl.  You really do."

"What?  I got something green on me?"

"No."  Audrey shook her head.  "You fly into the conference room like the Wicked Witch on steroids, get 'em pissing down their legs, and now you're sitting here, doodling and day-dreaming like some love-sick teenager."

Nan leaned back and stuck her middle finger up at her secretary.  Audrey seized the opportunity to move forward and snatch the paper on which Nan had been drawing out from under her hand. 

Holding it up, she scrutinized it carefully.  "Who's Hunter?"

"Gimme that!"  Nan lunged across the desk grasping for the paper, but Audrey jerked it back, dangling it just out of reach.

"Uh-uh," she laughed.  "Dish."

"Drey!"

She bounced the paper again.  "Who…is…Hunter?"

Nan groaned and dropped her head down on her desk, face first with a loud thunk.  "Why in God's name do I put up with you?"

"Cause we've been best friends since kindergarten.  And because no one but Genie and I can stand your ornery ass," Audrey answered.  "And since Genie got deployed to Iraq, you're stuck with me."

The redhead lifted up and propped her face in her hands.  "Hunter Hearst Helmsley."

Audrey's green eyes widened.  Absently she laid the paper back down on the desk.  "You're shitting me!  Isn't he married?"

Nan snatched up the paper, began ripping it into confetti sized pieces, and tossed them into the wastebasket.  "Separated."

Audrey waived a hand around in the air.  "Semantics.  Until that final order is signed, he ain't free, honey."

"I know," Nan sighed, then stuck her chin into the air.  "And I don't care."

"Nan."

"I don't wanna hear it," she protested petulantly.  "Just reschedule everything on my calendar through Saturday.  And unless the building's on fire, I don't wanna be disturbed.  Got it?"

"Got it, Boss."

Nan rolled her eyes.  "Don't call me that."

"Yes, ma'am, Miss Elliott," Audrey smirked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Drey," Nan rumbled in warning.

Audrey pulled an envelope out of her steno pad and passed it to Nan.  "Tina's tickets."

Nan sighed in relief, taking the envelope.  "Thanks.  If I'd forgotten these, she'd have freaked out.  Good seats?"

"Front row center, as requested.  Having an aunt who owns the arena's got its perks, I'll say."  Audrey reached over and tapped her calendar.  "I can reschedule everything but Friday night."

"Friday night?"

"Tina's play, remember?" 

Nan groaned.  "God, what is wrong with me??"

"Sounds like you're in loooove."

"Shut up."

"It's not a four letter word, you know.  Well, it is, but you know what I mean."

"Don't start, Drey."

"All right; all right.  You've got to be at the theater by seven-thirty if you want a good seat.  Curtain goes up at eight."  Audrey instructed.  "And before you ask, yes, I've got Michael Talbot lined up to cover the video."

"Good.  The time shouldn't be a problem.  I'll make it."

Audrey paused for a minute, then, even suspecting the answer, asked anyway.  "Redneck Rising has a gig at the Sand Castle on Thursday night.  Why don't you stop by?  Maybe even sit in with us?  You can even bring your fella."

Nan stood and began gathering her things.  "I don't think so, Drey.  Maybe next time."

"You always say that," Audrey grumbled under her breath, following as her friend headed for the door.

Nan turned back and flashed her a bright smile.  "I'm off.  Wish me luck?"

Audrey nodded and moved to embrace the other woman.  "Of course.  Be happy."

"I intend to be."  She bustled out of the office.

She watched Nan practically float down the corridor and spoke quietly, "One day you will sing again, Nan.  And I fully intend to be there to witness it when you do.

~<>~

August 27, 2004 - Friday 9:17 a.m.
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport - Charlotte, North Carolina 

Hunter held Nan close to his side, crutches and all.  He was almost crowding her as they walked through the terminal headed for gate nineteen and their flight which would take them back to Connecticut.  And, amazingly enough, no one bothered them…much.  Maybe it was the way he sheltered her against his body.  Or maybe it was the grim look of determination on his face.  Perhaps it was the torrential rains coming down outside.  Most likely it was the fact that any time someone did approach him for an autograph he actually snarled at them, brushing past them rudely.  Whatever it was that kept the fans away, Nan was grateful for it.  Her nerves were absolutely shot, and she was barely holding on to a sense of calm.  It was a fake, and a bad one, but she was doing her best. 

Normally she'd be a little down from leaving her hometown.  And she was down, but not for leaving her family behind, rather for what they'd all just gone through.  This time, she was overly anxious to get on the plane and get the hell out of her home state.  She loved her family, loved spending time with them, and missed them terribly when she was away from them for long periods.  But right now, she needed the insanity of her life with Hunter inside the WWE.  She needed to lose herself and some of her melancholy in some good old-fashioned violence.  And watching her friends, and enemies, beating each other senseless for screaming crowds seemed to be just the ticket.

Hunter had told her they'd have the house to themselves that night, since Tina had gone on with someone, Hurricane she'd assumed, to the house show in Colorado Springs.  And even though she'd catch up with them in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nan was a little disappointed that she'd have to wait to find out how the meeting at the University had gone.  Part of her screamed out to make contact with the young woman, but at the same time, she was also looking forward to being alone in the house with Hunter.  Maybe she could convince him to go nude hot-tubbing with her. 

She frowned.  He'd not touched her, sexually, since before her surgery.  And while she'd like to think it was because he didn't want her to aggravate her leg in any way, that little insecure voice she kept locked tightly inside was having a field day with it.  Physically she'd been cleared for resuming intimacy the day she'd checked out of the hospital.  She'd made sure of it. 

They'd not discussed it, but every time she hinted at making love with him, Hunter had deftly maneuvered out of it somehow.  Her frown deepened.  A little less than four weeks.  The longest they'd gone since that break up in early July.  Hell, they'd not even gone that long when they first started dating. 

The rubber stopper on her crutches caught on a worn spot of carpeting, and she stumbled forward.  Hunter immediately caught her, and with a touch so gentle that it set her teeth on edge, helped her straighten back up. 

"Easy, baby.  Careful now."  He looked at her with concerned eyes.  "We need to get you home and put you to bed.  Get some sleep."

Nan didn't respond, now fuming too much to trust herself with anything less than a demand that they join the Mile High Club on the way home.  Sleep my ass, she thought.  The last thing she wanted to do in their bed was sleep.  That was it, she decided.  She was throwing these damn crutches off the fuckin' back deck and into the pool the minute she got home.  And then she was gonna tie him to that bed and…

"Aren't you hot in that coat?"  Hunter inquired.

"I'm fine," she answered cryptically, making her even more pleased with what she'd decided to wear under her full-length raincoat that morning.

She grinned wickedly at the track her thoughts were taking.  Her mind filling rapidly with images, precious few of them having anything to do with the bed itself.  But that last idea of tying him up did have merit.  Put some of those ugly ties of his to good use.  She wondered if he'd go for it.

"I know that look," Hunter murmured as they settled into empty plastic chairs to await their flight.  "What are you up to?"

She looked up at him through hooded lashes.  "Just…thinking."  About testing out the kitchen counter…the living room floor…hell, even the washing machine on its spin cycle.  Ooooh!  Leaning over the deck railing outside…

Hunter had known her too long not to recognize the glimmering light in her eyes.  "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"Yup," she nodded vehemently.  "I'd suggest you get any sleep you plan on getting on the airplane.  Because you sure as hell aren't gonna sleep at home."

He flashed a wicked grin back at her.  "Is that a threat?"

"A promise."

"Wicked woman."

"One you've been neglecting horribly too," she agreed.

Hunter sighed, knowing what was coming.  "Nan, I don't want you to aggravate your injury."

"Oh bullshit," she argued quietly.  "My leg's got nothing to do with this.  But if that's what you wanna tell yourself, go ahead.  I'm just telling you, put up or shut up, Game."

"Oh really?"  He couldn't help but smirk at her, never having seen her act this aggressively in respect to their sex-life.

"Yes, really."  She answered with a resounding confidence.  "Just give in willingly and you won't get hurt.  Don't make me attack you."

He threw his head back, laughing, then leveled a look on her that made her toes curl.  "Maybe you need to attack me, if you want to get what you're after."

She lifted a brow at him, accepting the challenge.  "Just get me home, stud, and you've got a deal."

"Game on, huh?"

Nan reached up, wrapped his tie around her fist, and pulled on it until he either had to lower his head to hers or choke to death.  He lowered his head. 

She brought her lips up to his, stopping just shy of contact and whispered, "My Game.  My rules."  Then she bit him.

Not hard.  But hard enough that when she pulled back, he didn't let her get away.  He wrapped both hands around her shoulders and kissed her thoroughly, his tongue plundering the depths of her mouth, intending to dominate and subdue.  But she didn't let him.  Instead, she met his ferocity head on, matching him pace for pace, breath for breath.  When she began sucking on his tongue, he wrenched his mouth away from hers, hearing someone clearing their throat.

"Shit," he breathed heavily, looking at her curiously.  She definitely hadn't been kidding about him neglecting her lately.  Not if she kissed him like that.  And in public.

"You get my point?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it baby."  Hunter glanced up to see a security guard eyeing them.  The guard cleared his throat again.  "Do we know that guy?"

Nan followed his gaze, her own eyes narrowing slightly before she smiled.  "I believe we do." 

~<>~

I've seen your face a hundred times
Everyday we've been apart
I don't care about the sunshine, yeah
'cause mama, mama, I'm coming home
I'm coming home
       Coming Home - Ozzy Osbourne

March 5, 2002 8:57 a.m. EST
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport 

She couldn't remember ever having been this nervous in her life.  Even when she had stood before an auditorium holding nearly a thousand people, singling her heart out, in that State Championship Vocal Competition in high school, it didn't begin to compare to the anxiety currently unfurling in her middle.  And she'd placed third, out of the whole state of North Carolina, in that one. 

Looked like she was placing third again.  Chyna - first.  Steph - second.  Nan - third.  "But maybe this time, third time's the charm," she whispered to herself.

Unable to sit still, she got up and started pacing by the bank of windows.  She gripped the matching black leather belt on her coat with desperate fingers on one hand, while with the other she plucked furiously at her bottom lip.  Ruining her lipstick, she was sure, but unable to stop herself.  If his plane didn't land soon, she was going to come right out of her skin.

A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.  Turning, she saw the lady behind the counter move to open the heavy door to the boarding ramp, then step out of the way.  Nan's eyes flicked up to the electronic sign over the door.  American Airlines Flight 3427 from Austin, TX, now arriving.

The moment of truth.  He was here.  Unexpectedly, she found her mouth going dry and was unable to move her feet.  Breathing in deeply, she stood by the bank of windows.  And waited.

She didn't have to wait long.  He was the twenty-seventh passenger through the door.  She'd counted.  He strode through the door, with a heavy bag draped over one shoulder, and dragging a rolling suitcase behind him.  Her breath caught in her chest while her heart gave a funny feeling little skip-hop.  Her eyes drank in every inch of him, almost like it was the first time she'd ever seen him.

Hunter stood at least head and shoulders over the crowd, and easily out weighed most of them by at least twice, if not more.  He wore big, thick-soled black work boots, faded blue jeans so tight that they should have been illegal, and a black Gold's Gym T-shirt snug enough that she could see his nipples were hard when his jacket shifted with his movements.  His massively wide shoulders, threatening to rip out the seams at any moment, were covered with  that denim and black leather jacket he'd worn since he came back in January from his quad surgery.  His mane of long blonde hair curled around those shoulders, held off his face only by the black leather driver's cap he wore backwards on his head. 

He had a harsh face, with a high forehead, a few long, old scars bisecting the deep lines.  Said forehead was  partially covered by the white bandage over the stitches he'd mentioned last night.  Lines of fatigue cut deep trenches around his eyes and pulled those brain melting lips down at the corners.  His strong chin and jaw were covered in a scruffy looking dark blonde beard and mustache.  The only detraction from his face was a very large, almost huge, nose.  But, she had to admit ruefully, it fit him somehow.  She couldn't see his eyes, covered as they were with amber tinted sunglasses, but she didn't need to, remembering their intensity.  They were a light brown.  Whiskey eyes, she'd always thought of them.  Like a lion's.  The Leo he truly embodied.

That's what he was to her.  A big blonde, magnificent male lion.  Alpha male.  The leader of the pack.  And he looked utterly exhausted.  She gave a shuddering breath, realizing deep down inside every part of her heart that she might have held back from him, out of self-preservation, just jumped ship.  Shit, she was in serious trouble here.

He was looking around, but hadn't spotted her yet.  Still, tired or not, when a little boy, around eleven years old, approached him asking for his autograph, Hunter stopped, signed the piece of paper the child held, and gave his trademark 'thumbs-up' sign as the boy's father took a picture.  Nan stood back and watched, her smile returning, seeing the awestruck grin on the little boy's face as he waved furiously while his father ushered him away.

Before Hunter could move forward, two giggling teenage girls took the little boy's place.  Again, he stopped to sign autographs and pose for pictures.  Unlike the little boy, the two girls didn't leave right away.  They lingered, and flirted, cooing and batting their eyelashes at him.  It was enough to make her want to roll her eyes in nausea.  Nan would have had to be dead not to feel irritation at the girls' blatant come-ons, but she fought it down.  It came with the territory with dating a celebrity of Hunter's magnitude.  And it wasn't like she'd not been through it before with Chris.  And although rare, even Kane.  Still, with those two, she'd found it amusing.  But not so with Hunter.  And he looked like he was growing annoyed himself at their fawning.  So Nan cleared her throat, just loud enough to be heard across the sparsely populated waiting area.

Hunter heard the small sound and turned in her direction, his gaze latching on to her from behind the amber lenses.  She stood by the bank of windows to his left, the early morning sunlight streaming through the glass, made even brighter by the white snow on the ground outside.  The first thing that registered to him was that she was dressed completely in black.  Black flat boots that came up to her knees, hugging her calves.  A black skirt that did the same to her thighs stopping barely before the boots began.  She had on a black turtleneck, held at the waist by a wide black belt with silver 'O' shaped buckle.  His gaze zeroed in on the shining silver 'H' necklace he'd given her for Christmas, where it dangled over the thick roll of her turtleneck.  It swung lazily back and forth with each breath she took, drawing his eyes down to the swell of breasts straining against the black material covering them. 

Long slender tapered fingers, tipped in a deep scarlet color, played nervously with the belt of her ankle-length black leather coat.  Finely sculpted reddish-brown brows arched high over the dark chocolate brown eyes meeting his.  Peaches and cream skin accented high cheekbones, sloping gently into a delicate, slightly upturned, petite nose.  The barest hint of a dimple in her chin was accented by full, sinfully rosy lips that angled upward in a shy smile.  She had her hair pulled back into a neat ponytail.  The tail, as thick around as his wrist and trying to curl around the swell of one breast, lay draped over her shoulder to rest nearly at her waist.  The sunlight streaming through the windows hit her head, lighting her hair up like it was living fire against her dark clothing.

Somewhere behind him he could hear someone calling his name, but it didn't register as he stared at her.  He knew she'd come from work, thus explaining why she was so dressed up.  And he'd seen her several times nicely clothed since that last visit in Birmingham when she'd shown up in 'work-clothes.'  But he'd not seen her dressed to kill like she was today. 

A slow lazy and somewhat lecherous grin spread across his face revealing strong, even white teeth and smoothing away the lines of fatigue.  Without a word to the girls, he walked towards Nan, dragging his suitcase behind him, hitching his other bag higher up on his shoulder.  His eyes never left her as he crossed the short distance, and she felt the impact of those whiskey colored eyes of his down in the marrow of her bones, turning them to jelly.

Her heart was thudding so hard in her chest when he stopped in front of her, that she was sure he could hear it.  Testosterone and trails of his cologne wafted off him like invisible tethers, tugging at her from all sides.  He dropped his bags at his feet and reached up to lower his sunglasses down that awesome specter of a nose.  He pasted on his most charming lopsided grin, the one that usually made the female fans scream and the ring rats rip open their tops, and continued to stare at her, flexing his biceps just a little, his grin widening when he saw her lips part. 

Under the influence of his whiskey, virile stare, her face split into a blinding smile, no longer caring if she were setting herself up for heartache.  All thoughts of Chyna and Steph faded away.  He was here.  With her, and because he wanted to be.

They continued to stare at each other for a moment, the tension between them building to near nail-biting levels.  Finally, he pulled the glasses off completely and tucked them into his inside breast pocket.

"Hey, baby," he said, his voice guttural, but smooth.  Then he wrapped both big arms around her in a warm embrace.  He hugged her closer against him, uttering a low moan when she lifted her hands to his shoulders, a moan that reverberated throughout her body.

"Hunter," she whispered against his neck.  "I..."

He didn't let her finish.  He lowered his mouth to hers for a desperate brain-melting kiss.  His lips were warms and firm, his tongue strong and determined.  She sighed into his mouth and leaned up to get even closer.  Her mouth remembered his, every texture, every flavor.  Their teeth clicked and tongues danced, sending white-hot bolts of desire through them both.  Nan pushed her hands into his hair, and kneaded the back of his neck, pulling his mouth closer, deeper.  His arms tightened around her and even through the layers of clothing they both wore, she could feel his urgent desire for her, and her body leapt in response.

Dimly, Nan was aware of flashbulbs going off around them.  But she was incapable of rational thought and Hunter consumed everything else.  She pressed her body against his erection and he groaned.  His hands slid down her back, then inside her coat, gripping her hips, and drawing her against him.  She gave in to the thrill of being with him, dragged her hands from his hair and thrust them through the opening of his jacket to wrap her arms around his warm back, tugging him even closer.

The sound of persistent throat-clearing reached her ears, and apparently Hunter's.  They lifted their heads from each other to see a security guard standing a few feet away, trying to look as if he hadn't noticed them.  He was failing miserably if the constant twitch of his lips were any indication.  Nan realized other people around them were doing their best to ignore them, while others were looking on with avid interest and laughing.  As some began to applaud, Nan flushed with embarrassment, and Hunter's mouth twisted up into an arrogant smirk.

"Jeez," Nan mumbled, turning her flaming cheeks against Hunter's shoulder.  "Making out in public.  What am I?  Sixteen?"

He squeezed her waist before pulling away to pick his shoulder bag back up.  He wrapped his fingers around the pull handle of his rolling suitcase only to find hers already there.  She tugged his suitcase around, switching it to her other hand.  Hunter immediately claimed her free hand closest to him, threading his fingers through hers.

With a final chaste press of lips to her forehead, he grinned down at her.  "We'd better clear out before we arrested.  Hell of a welcome though, baby."

She matched his smile, and hand-in-hand, they walked out of the terminal, a smattering of applause following in their wake. 

~<>~

August 27, 2004 - Friday 9:21 a.m.
United Airlines Flight 7248 to Stamford, Connecticut 

"Same guy?  Really?"  Hunter asked as they took their seats on the airplane that would take them back home.

Nan shrugged.  "Looked like the same one to me."

The flight attendant approached them.  "Excuse me, but would you like me to take those and store them for you?"  She waived her hand at Nan's crutches leaning up against the empty seat beside her.

"Yes, please.  Thank you."  Hunter answered for her, passing the smiling woman the crutches.

"And can you manage to throw them out of the air lock or something?"  Nan called after her.

As they'd been reminiscing all morning, something else popped into Hunter's mind.  He grinned at her, taking her hand.  "Up to a bit of skullduggery yourself there, baby?"

"Hell no," Nan snorted.  "Unlike you, I thought that was pretty damn blatant." 

~<>~

let's talk about sex, baby
Let's talk about you and me
Let's talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be
Let's talk about sex
       Let's Talk About Sex - Salt 'N' Peppa

March 5, 2002 9:27 a.m. EST
I85 East, Charlotte, North Carolina 

"I figured you'd probably sleep on the way in."  Nan glanced over at Hunter quickly, as he struggled with a yawn, before training her eyes back on the road.

Stretching as much as the confines of Nan's midnight blue Mustang would allow, Hunter propped an arm on her seat, and toyed with a strand of her hair.  "Ever been so tired you couldn't sleep?"

"Oh yeah.  More times than I can count," she nodded.

"I'm there."  His straying fingers trailed down her cheek.  "And hungry enough to eat the ass-end out of a dead hippo."

"But you're divorcing her."

Hunter blinked for a minute then erupted in a short bark of laughter.  "You are so bad!"

Nan grinned with a saucy wink.  "Did you really poison her lotion?"

"Now would I do something like that?"

"Yes," she answered with an emphatic nod.

His eyes widened and he placed a hand on his chest.  "I'm truly hurt."

"Your heart's on the other side, Hunter."

"Deeply offended that you would think I am even capable of such a cruel and malicious act on my dear soon to be ex-wife," he continued.

Nan emitted an un-ladylike snort.  "Oh pul-lease!  Who are you trying to kid here?"

But Hunter was having too much fun with their banter to let it go just yet.  "Why, such a vile act of skullduggery is beneath me!"

"Skullduggery?  You are so full of shit, Helmsley."  Nan rolled her eyes as she took the exit off the interstate, onto the two-lane black top that would take them to her hometown.  "So did you?"

"No."  Laughing, he smiled at her.  "But is it my fault she didn't bother to check the expiration date on that crap?"

Anything else she might have said was forestalled by the loud grumbling protest from Hunter's empty belly.  She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she maneuvered the Mustang down the curvy road.  "Guess you weren't kidding about being hungry, huh?  When'd you eat last?"

"Uh…Texas.  I think."

Shaking her head, she sighed, sweeping her dark eyes over to the digital clock on the dash.  "How about we stop at the best place for breakfast in town?  Outside of my own kitchen, of course."

Hunter grimaced.  "I don't think I'm up to the hassle of crowds, baby."

"Won't be a problem with where I've got in mind.  Guaranteed."

He shrugged, too tired to argue and too hungry not to eat at the first available opportunity.  "Okay.  You know this place better than I do."  Hunter scratched at his chest absently, then looked over at her.  "Baby, we uh, might want to stop by a drug store, too.  You know."  He shrugged again.

Nan hid her surprise along with her smile.  Hunter - shy?  That was one for the record books.  Okay…so we're gonna have this conversation in the car.  What the hell.  "I was gonna ask you about that.  I assume that you're talking of…protection?"

"Yeah," he nodded, watching her face carefully.  He was surprised to see color creep up her cheeks.

"Hoo-boy.  Okay."  She swallowed nervously, then plunged ahead.  "We can stop if you want.  But I…God.  Hunter, I can't use regular condoms.  I'm allergic to latex."  There.  She said it.  And only marginally did she want to hide.

He processed that for a moment, refusing to allow his time with her to go up in smoke.  "So what, then?  Lambskin?  Aren't those kind of chancy?"

Nan nodded.  "They're not as effective against STDs."

"Or pregnancy."

He didn't miss the miniscule tightening around her eyes.  But she didn't comment on it.  "Not that you have to worry about either from me.  I've been on the pill for years.  And I don't…I mean…I…"

"I get it, baby," Hunter took pity on her darkening red cheeks.  Although it chapped his ass to think of her with anyone else, ever, he addressed it anyway.  "You don't need to worry about me either.  We all get tested regularly, so I'm pretty sure about Jericho and Kane."

She shook her head.  "You don't even have to speculate.  I never slept with either of them."

"You didn't?"  Hunter didn't fight the broad grin that spread across his face at her negative shake.  As typically macho as it was, he couldn't help but feel a little smug.  And relieved.  Okay, a lot smug.  His grin faded a little, as another thought occurred to him.  He hated to ask; but he needed to know.  Not that her answer would change his mind.  "Baby, you're not…"

Catching his hesitation, she laughed.  "A virgin?  No.  It's just been…a while."

"How long," he blurted, unable to halt the question, and at the same time, not really wanting to know either.

She breathed in deeply before answering.  "Five years."

Hunter let out a long breath.  Five years was a long time.  But it gave him a warm sensation in his middle to know she'd not been with either of the guys he worked with.

His silence made her nervous.  "So, do we stop?"

"I don't think that'll be necessary," he answered, reaching for her hand on the gearshift. 

Her stomach fluttered in her middle at what he was implying.  Bareback suited her just fine.  She released the gearshift and threaded her fingers through his, then laughed as another hungry rumble split the air.

"But food first?"  She smiled at him, with a heavy look.

He returned it.  "Right." 

~<>~

August 27, 2004 - Friday 10:05 a.m.
United Airlines Flight 7248 to Stamford, Connecticut 

"Ugh," Hunter grimaced as he opened the peanuts and juice the flight attendant passed out.  "Tell me again why we're flying coach?"

"Because it was the only flight we could get back today."  Nan answered around a mouthful of peanuts. 

"We should have stopped at Ruby's for breakfast."

She grinned at him.  "I tried to wake you up.  But you wanted to sleep more than you wanted food."

"Don't remind me.  I'm certainly regretting it now," Hunter groused, taking a sip of the bitter juice and making a face.  "I hate grapefruit."

Nan just laughed at him. 

~<>~

Yea, this is my town,
Hey, Where I was born, where I was raised,
Where I keep all my yesterdays
Where I ran off 'cuz I got mad
And it came to blows with my old man
Where I came back, settled down,
It's where they're puttin' me in the ground
This is my town
Yea, this is my town.
My Town - Montgomery Gentry

March 5, 2002 10:15 a.m. EST
Moccasin Gap, North Carolina 

Hunter unfolded his long frame, held both arms over his head, and leaned backwards until his spine cracked.  He lowered his arms to drape one around Nan's shoulders as she walked behind the car to his side.  Together they made their way across the gravel parking lot towards the doors of the small diner when Hunter caught a glance at the sign.

"Vern's Vittles?  You can't be serious."

"Sure I can.  Do it all the time," Nan grinned sarcastically.

"Nash is rubbing off on you."  Hunter gave her a half-hearted glare as he recognized one of his old friend's favorite quips.  "That name sounds like it's straight out of Hee-Haw or something."

"Easy with the cracks, Yankee boy," she countered.  "You've already got one strike against you with that accent of yours.  Don't start poking fun at the South.  Not here."

"Accent?  I don't have an accent."

Nan fixed him with a doubtful look.  "Yes, you do.  And it stands out like a sore thumb."

"Down here deep in the heart of Deliverance, I'd say I probably do sound different.  But I don't have an accent," Hunter protested.  "Now you guys…you're the ones who have the accent. "

"Humph," Nan snorted.  "You just proved my point.  You guys.  Down here it's y'all."

Hunter stopped, his hand on the door handle, and looked down at her, his face scrunching up.  "Yaaawwwlll.  How's that?"

She erupted in laughter as he pulled the door open for her.  "Horrible."

"Thank you," he chuckled with her.

She preceded him through the door, taking off her coat and moving towards a row of pegs on the wall.  She motioned for Hunter to remove his jacket as well.  At his questioning look, she nodded.  He removed the garment, hanging it on an available peg.  Nan draped her own coat over it, effectively covering the large 'H' triple cross emblem on the back. 

Hunter blinked in the dimness of the diner, looking around at the few patrons inside.  Most of the diners appeared to be over fifty.  Although several sets of eyes tracked them, no one made a move to intercept.  Maybe she'd been right and they'd get to eat in relative peace.

But when Hunter took her hand as she wound her way through the tables to a vacant four-seater near the back, a loud voice rang out.  "Hey there, li'll gal!  What brings you in here this mornin'?"

Nan waived gaily.  "Good food, Mister Beau.  What else?"

The ancient-looking farmer dragged a faded John Deere ball cap from his bald head, and placed it over his heart.  "Cuz ya can't stay away from me, sweet thang!"

She planted a fist on her hip and grinned at him.  "Keep talkin' that way to me, Mister Beau, and when Miss Gertie finds out you'll be sleepin' in the barn again."

"She's gotcha there, Beau!" one of his cronies guffawed, slapping at his knee.

"Mebe so.  But at least I'll be warm, fer a change!"  Beau yelled back.  He spotted Hunter pulling out Nan's chair for her and the tender look on his face.  "Hoooeee!  Li'll gal's got hersef a new feller!  Who ya got there, li'll gal?"

"Beauregard Montgomery!  You mind yer manners a'fore I come over there and whack you good!"  A woman called from behind the counter, as she raised a wooden spoon and brandished it threateningly in the air.

With a wheezing cackle, the old man winked at Nan and Hunter then went back to his meal.  As the others in the diner who had looked on in amusement did the same, Hunter took his seat across from Nan.

He grinned.  "Friendly bunch."

"Very," she laughed brightly.  "One of the things I love about this place.  Lots of local color."

"You can say that again," he said with a chuckle.  "Who was that guy?"

But his question went unanswered, as the spoon wielding woman walked over to table.  "Mornin' sugar." 

"Mornin', Ruby.  Oh, I'm gonna need a fried bologna sandwich on rye with mayo and tomato to go, please."

Ruby fixed her with a grimace and a glare.  "Fer Millie, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Humph," Ruby grumbled.  "Miss High and Mighty's too good to come in fer my cookin' but she'll get you ta do it fer her.  Cuz she knows you won't say no to her."

"Millie?"  Hunter questioned.

"Miss Millie Lauder…my landlady," Nan answered.  "She's really sweet."

"L'll gal, that dried up old hen's about as sweet as a water moccasin.  And has a disposition to match.  Yer too dang good to her, and everybody knows it."

"She's lonely."

"She's evil," Ruby countered.

"Ruby," Nan chastised.

But the woman pulled a pencil out of her hair and pointed it at her.  "Don't be goin' ta tryin' ta change my mind, youngun.  I went ta school with that old dragon.  An' I know stories about her that'd curl yer hair.  But you'll get yer sandwich.  Jest make sure she pays ya back fer it this time."

"Yes ma'am," Nan nodded with a smile.

She placed a menu in front of Hunter, but didn't bother for Nan.  Just as quickly two mugs hit the table and were filled with hot black coffee that filled the air around them with a mouthwatering aroma.  Seemingly from nowhere, forks and spoons wrapped in napkins joined the table's spartan décor, along with cream and sugar, and two glasses of ice water. 

Ruby dug a tattered order pad out of the apron tied around her waist, cracked her gum, cocked her hip, and stared right at Hunter.  "What'll you have, you handsome devil?"

Nan nearly snorted coffee through her nose at the pole-axed expression on Hunter's face, coughing and sputtering, sopping up the mess with a few napkins Ruby casually tossed in her direction.

Hunter stared up at this stately woman, who in her hey-day would have given Ann Miller a run for her money in the looks department.  Now, she had a bottle black beehive hairdo, thick horn-rimmed glasses accentuating steel gray eyes, sharp as a hawk's.  Eyes that didn't miss a trick, he'd bet.  Her hands were long and graceful, but gnarled with age, and heavily bejeweled.  Her thickly ruby-red coated lips were curled back into the warmest smile he'd seen in some time.  And Ruby was eighty if a day, the cares of a hard life worn plainly on her face for the world to see.  He felt his own face curl into a smile as he realized she reminded him of his grandmother, a woman who, God rest her soul, did just like this one does…work every day of her life because it kept her from being bored.

He tipped his head at her, knowing a lady when he saw one.  "Good morning to you too, ma'am. What do you recommend?"

Ruby smiled blindingly at him, cracked her gum again, and turned to Nan.  "Where'd ya find this fine specimen of a man, sugar?  And why ain't I seen him in here a'fore now?"  Not really expecting an answer, and not waiting for one either, she turned back to address Hunter.  She snatched the menu back away from him.  "Now you just sit right there, Pup, and I'll feed you up good.  And you'll be coming back to see me now, won't ya darlin'?"

"Yes, ma'am."  Hunter found himself nodding while Nan snickered at him.  "Aren't you going to ask her what she wants," he asked still slightly dumbfounded as Ruby began to saunter away. 

She turned back around and winked at the big man.  "Not a chance, darlin'.  I've been feedin' that li'll gal most of her life.  I'll give her exactly whatever I feel like givin' her, and she'll love it too."

"It ain't the food everyone comes here fer, but because we're hopelessly in love with Ruby there, but she won't have any of us!"  The man Nan had spoken to declared loud enough for the waitress to hear.

"Ahh g'wan, now!  You just stop yer flirtin' there, Beauregard!"  Ruby crowed from over near the kitchen window.  "I got bunions older than you!"

Nan and Hunter, as well as several other customers in the semi-crowded dinner laughed heartily at her comment, as she cracked her gum again, and returned to her job. 

"I think I like her."  Hunter observed, reaching over the table to take Nan's hand.

"She's something, huh?  I've been coming here forever."

"So who's the guy?"  He referred to the gentleman who Ruby had set expertly in his place.

Nan smiled.  "A friend of my Grampa Elliott.  They had neighboring farms, up until my Grandma sold it after Grampa passed on.  I spent lots of time out there during the summers.  Well, whatever time I didn't spend with Granddaddy Harrell."

"A real country girl, huh?"

She nodded, and was about to say something else when the front door opened, the bell over it tinkling merrily and a familiar voice carried over the diner.

"Ruby, darlin' I've got a mad, vicious female out in the truck that won't let me back in if I don't get a piece of that ham!"

"Gotcha covered, you silver-tongued devil!"  Ruby hollered back.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the newcomer work his way towards the back, apparently headed straight for them.  He was an older man, maybe late sixties, maybe more.  It was kind of hard to tell.  He wore a US Army ball-cap perched on his head, with the insignia of Sergeant on its brim.  A bushy white mustache dwarfed his upper lip, almost completely covering his mouth.  The man, though dressed in jeans and a red and black flannel shirt, didn't move like a farmer.  He had an arrogance to his swagger that reminded him a lot of his boss.  A man completely in control of everything around him.  And although he walked with a distinct limp and with the aid of a cane, neither did anything to detract from the air of confidence surrounding him.  Thick glasses covered dark eyes, that missed nothing, Hunter could tell even from a distance, especially since those eyes were currently trained on him.

"Oh, God.  Is it Tuesday?"  Nan whispered in mild panic.

"Yeah."  Hunter noticed all of the color drain out of Nan's face.  "What's wrong, baby?"

But she didn't get to answer.  About halfway to them, that dark glance swept over Nan, and the older man hollered, "Baby girl!"

"Hunter, I'm sorry," she whispered just before standing up and embracing the older man.  "Mornin', Daddy."

Hunter felt his stomach drop into his feet and he found himself standing up, as Nan led her father over to their table.  She stopped and looked sheepishly at him.

"Daddy, this is Hunter Helmsley.  Hunter, my father.  Red Elliott."  With flaming cheeks, Nan slipped back into her seat, leaving them to take it from there.

"Good to meet you, Sir."  Hunter automatically extended his hand, surprised to find a callused palm almost as big as his own gripping his hand in a firm handshake. 

"Mmm-hmm.  Same here."  Red grumbled with a sharp look at his daughter, who was currently finding her coffee extremely interesting.

"Won't you join us?"  Hunter offered, really hoping he'd say no.  No such luck.

"For a minute," Red agreed, pulling out a chair and lowering himself in it.  He passed his cane to Nan, and she took it, hanging it off the empty chair beside her.

Once Hunter was seated, Red turned his gaze on Nan.  "Thought you had to work today."

"I went in for a meeting, then cleared my schedule," Nan answered.  "Why?  Did you need me for something?"

Red shook his head.  "Nah.  But Brun's lookin' for you."

"Why?"

"Dunno."  Red shrugged.  "Didn't say.  Get me a cup, baby girl."

Nan nodded, proceeded to get up and walk behind the counter into Ruby's territory to fix a cup of coffee for her father, leaving the two of them alone at the table.

Red turned his gaze on Hunter.  "Helmsley, huh?" 

"Yes, sir."

"Can't say as I remember hearing about you before."

Hunter nodded, expecting the third degree.  "We've not been going out for very long.  Only a week or two.  But I've known her for a couple of years."

"Humph," Red acknowledged with a grunt.  "You one of those wrestlers she hangs out with?"

"Yes, sir."

"You any good?"

Hunter grinned.  "Yes, sir.

"Where you from, boy?"  Red asked as Nan came back and set the coffee in front of him, taking her seat.

"Greenwich, Connecticut."

Red turned to his daughter.  "A Yankee."

"Daddy," Nan grumbled.  "Not everyone can be born in the South."

"Maybe," her father grinned, stunning Hunter with the similarity between his grin and Nan's.  "But they should be."

Ruby returned shortly thereafter carrying a tray with two plates and two boxes, interrupting any further comments.  She set one box beside Nan.  "Yer sandwich for Her Majesty."

She set a plate down in front of Hunter that was practically over flowing with pancakes, sausage, baked ham, toast, and scrambled eggs.  The second plate, which was dwarfed by the Spanish omelet and hash browns on it, she laid in front of Nan. 

"One piece of baked ham."  She passed the last box to Red.

"There you go, sweeties.  Eat up and enjoy."  Ruby turned to Nan, who was eyeing the omelet with a mixed look of lust and trepidation.  "And I want to see a clean plate, sugar.  You got me?"  She leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, much to the amusement of her companions.

Nan nodded blushing, and dug into her breakfast amid the catcalls and wolf whistles of the other patrons.  "Now hush up yer fuss!  This li'll gal's been as good to me as my own Vern!"  She called over the din, waving her hand at a photograph of a young, distinguished looking man, in an Army uniform, over the cash register.  "And when you no-account lay-abouts can claim the same, then I'll kiss every last one of you too!  Now eat up a'fore I think you're all done and take away yer plates!"

A chorus of yes, ma'am's echoed throughout the small diner as the duly chastised customers turned back to their meals.

Once she was out of earshot, Hunter asked around a mouthful of pancakes, "She is something else.  Who's Vern?"

Red wiped his mouth, placing his coffee cup back down on the table.  "Her son.  He was killed in Vietnam.  Or, they think he was killed there.  She opened this diner with his military pay.  Named it after his memory, 'cause he loved her cooking so much."

"That's rough."

Red nodded.  "She's taken quite a shine to baby-girl here, too."

Hunter grinned at her.  "Lucky you."

Nan agreed, lifting another fork-full of the fluffy omelet.  "She's great.  Except when she's trying to kill me with food…like today."

"I'll leave you younguns to your breakfast.  Besides, if I don't get this out there soon, I'm in big trouble.  Maggie's not known for her patience."

"Why don't you bring her in and join us."  Hunter offered, trying to be polite.

Nan chuckled, passing her father his cane.  "I don't think the health department would appreciate that very much."

"Huh?"

Red laughed at the look on Hunter's face.  "Maggie ain't my wife, boy.  She's my dog."

He chuckled again then levered himself up with his cane, reaching for the to-go box Ruby had laid in front of him.  Leaning heavily against the table, he reached into his back pocket for his money clip.

"Here, let me get that for you, Mr. Elliott," Hunter offered, deftly sliding the ticket off the top of the box before Red could stop him.  "Least I can do since you can't join us."

Nan's father looked at him, one corner of his mouth threatening to tilt up.  Then he turned a wink on his daughter, and she smothered a groan, knowing what was coming next.  He didn't disappoint her. 

"Mighty nice of ya, boy," Red answered, putting his money clip away.  "You'll have to come to the house for dinner to let me make it up to ya."

Not seeing the trap being laid in front of him, Hunter readily agreed.  "Sounds wonderful.  I'd like that."

"Good," Red grinned, turning to walk away, calling over his shoulder as he headed to the door.  "Dinner's at six.  Don't be late."

As the tinkling of the bell over the door signaled his departure, Hunter turned wide eyes on Nan.  "What did I just say yes to?"

"Dinner with my parents.  Tonight," she answered with a grin.

Hunter groaned.  "I was afraid you were gonna say that." 

~<>~

August 27, 2004 - Friday 10:05 a.m. EST
United Airlines Flight 7248 to Stamford, Connecticut 

"Now I'm hungrier than ever.  Thanks," Hunter grumbled. 

"Are you actually telling me that Ruby's cooking outweighed your first meeting with Daddy?"  Nan asked incredulously.

"In a way."  He nodded.  "Besides, we kind of got bombarded that day, if you'll recall.  First your dad, then Brun, and Miss Millie.  Then Dixie."

"Yeah, it was kind of a baptism by fire." 

"Damn right it was." 

~<>~

She'll let you into the parts of herself
That'll bring you down
She'll let you in her heart
If you got a hammer and a vise
       Secret Garden - Bruce Springsteen

March 5, 2002 10:15 a.m. EST
Moccasin Gap, North Carolina 

"I don't fucking believe this!"  Nan groused, but pulling the Mustang over to the side of the road.

Hunter looked in the side mirror to see blue lights flashing.  "Were you speeding?"

"No!"

A deep voice called over the speaker mounted between the flashing lights, "Out of the car!"

Nan leaned her head out of the window.  "Fuck you!"

Hunter's eyes almost popped out of his head.  "Have you lost your mind?!"  He glanced back into the side mirror to see possibly the biggest cop he'd ever seen in his life get out of the police car and head over to where they sat.  He placed a hand over his forehead, wondering if he had enough cash on him to bail them both out of jail and groaned.  "Oh shit, he's coming over here."

"Relax.  I'll handle this asshole."

Hunter looked at her like she'd gone insane.  Once the cop approached the car, his stomach shriveled a bit.  The man was huge.  Easily as big as he was, maybe not so muscular, but this dude carried a gun, and looked like he was in no mood for bullshit.  Mirrored sunglasses covered his eyes, and he had a copper red goatee and mustache.  It was odd, but Hunter thought for a moment just how much the cop looked like the Undertaker…minus the tattoos of course.

The cop propped a hand on the open window, keeping the other on his gun.  "License and registration."

Nan folded both arms over her chest.  "Forget it."

"Licensee and registration," he repeated.

"Are you deaf?  I said no!"

"Baby…" Hunter began.

"No, damnit!  I'm not playing his stupid game."  Nan growled.  She looked back up at the cop.  "Why are you doing this?  Don't you have something better to do today than hassle me?"

Hunter slunk lower in his seat, wondering what he'd gotten himself into here.

"Sir, step out of the car please.  Hands against the hood."

"He's not getting out of the goddamn car!  You keep this up and so help me God, and I'll break your fuckin' nose…again!"

That got Hunter's attention, as did the cop's laughter.  He looked over to see the cop take off his glasses, revealing sparkling hazel eyes.  "What the…"

"Easy bucket-head.  You hit me while I'm on duty and I'll have to arrest you for assaulting a police officer."  The cop grinned widely.

"No judge in this town will convict me of it, and you know it.  Hell, your Lieutenant may even give me a commendation."  Nan turned to Hunter.  "Hunter, my soon to be dead brother, Brun Elliott."

"Nice to finally meet you."  Brun extended his hand past his sister, through the window.

Breathing a little more easily, Hunter took the man's hand, chastising himself for not recognizing the voice.  After all, he'd talked to this man several times on the phone.  "Hell of an introduction, man."

"Yeah, well, can't blame me for lookin' out for baby sister here."

"I can, you asshole.  Daddy said you were looking for me?"

Brun nodded.  "Jessi's first cotillion is tonight.  Wanted to know if you wanted to come."  His eyes slid over to where Hunter sat then grinned.  "But I guess I already know the answer to that, don't I?"

"I'll have to pass on this one.  But why don't you stop by Mom and Dad's.  We'll be there for dinner.  I'd love to see her all dressed up for the big event."  Her eyes narrowed.  "You did remember her corsage, right?"

Brun groaned and dropped his head.  "No."

"I'll take care of it.  Just make sure you stop by before you go."

"Thanks bucket-head."  He stepped back from the car, heading back for his own.  He called over his shoulder,  "Oh, and get your engine checked.  Looks like you're burning oil again.  See you tonight!" 

They sat on the side of the road until Brun had pulled away and went back down the blacktop in the opposite direction.  Only after he was gone, did Nan steer her car back up on the road and set out again for Miss Millie's.

"Quite a kidder, your brother."

"You don't know the half of it."

"Did you really break his nose?"

"Yup."

"How old were you?"

"Three."

At Hunter's wide-eyed look, Nan laughed.

Ten minutes later, Nan turned into an oak-tree lined paved driveway that wound through a winter wonderland.  Having grown up in New England, Hunter was used to frequent snowfalls.  But this place looked like something out of a Norman Rockwell print.

Ancient skeletal trees stretched their ice-tipped fingers towards what Nan had called a buttermilk sky.  A layer of snow, looking like freshly spread white cake frosting covered what he was sure would be revealed in the spring as lush green grass.  It was beautiful.

"I can see why you love this place," Hunter remarked, recalling how she'd told him in Birmingham that she adored where she lived.

She made a murmur of agreement, smiling.  They made a turn around an oak tree that Hunter was positive was a hundred years old, and so big that it'd take him, Undertaker and even The Big Show to circle the trunks with their arms stretched all the way out.  Then he caught site of the house at the end of the drive.

"Whoa," Hunter breathed, staring at the two story antebellum home sitting perfectly centered between two of the biggest magnolia trees he'd ever seen.  He had a large home himself.  This thing, however, was huge by today's standards.  Not as big as the mausoleum he'd grown up in.  Not even as big as his grandmother's home either, but she'd have loved this place. 

An old stately Southern home, this house had duel white columns standing sentry to a wrap around porch, as well as what appeared to be a circular tower, it's curved spire far surpassing the second story.  There were two smaller out buildings that he could see with a row of ancient boxwoods, about waist high, separating the larger of the two buildings from the rest of the house and yard.

"Looks like it's straight out of Gone With The Wind," he muttered, his eyes still taking it all in.

"Home sweet home," Nan sighed as she pulled her Mustang up to a paved slab beside the hedgerow and shut off the car.  "Doesn't it?  I just love this old place.  Always have, ever since I was a little girl."

Hunter opened the door and slid out of the car as she did the same, picking up the to-go box off the back seat.  He looked up at the house and cast an accusatory glance at her.  "You call this a two-bedroom cottage?  What would you call the Taj Mahal - a five flight walk-up?"

Nan blinked at him then started laughing.  "I don't live in the big house, Hunter.  I live there."  She pointed at the larger of the two outbuildings, clearly the two-bedroom cottage she'd told him about.  "The big house belongs to Miss Millie."

She came around to his side of the car.  "I've got to take this in to her.  Why don't you go on in my house and I'll be right back."

Hunter shook his head.  "Nope.  I'd like to meet her.  She sounds like a character."

"Ooookay," Nan agreed hesitantly, taking his outstretched hand as they walked through the break in the hedges, and across the yard to the door off the back porch.  "Just remember, Miss Millie can be a little…unfriendly to strangers."

"I thought you said she was sweet."  Hunter released her fingers and slipped his hand to the small of her back as she carefully picked her way up the snow-covered steps.

"She is," Nan answered.  "To me."  She knocked on the door.

Immediately a loud yowling started up from inside.  The sound was both low and earsplitting at the same time, and it set Hunter's teeth on edge.  "What the hell is that?"

"Oh, that's just Lucifer.  Don't mind him; he's harmless," she answered with a grin.

"What the hell is he, a hyena?"

"Her cat."

"Cat.  Figures."  Hunter muttered, stamping the snow off his boots.  "Every good storybook witch has a cat."

"Be nice," she giggled.

A movement behind the curtain on the French door caught her attention.  The curtain pulled back just enough to reveal a black eye staring at them, sizing them up.  Nan waived with a big smile and the curtain closed again.  The door opened and the owner of the eye stepped into view.  Hunter couldn't help but smile.

Miss Millie Lauder was five-foot nothing and probably weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet.  Long white hair fell in two braids almost to her waist, giving her a Native American appearance.  Which was probably what she was, Hunter thought, noting the high cheekbones, hawkish nose, and almond shaped eyes.  Eyes black as a raven's wing and sharp as a tack as they stared at him.  She was easily the same age as Ruby from the diner, but didn't look quite so aged as Ruby had.  Miss Millie was dressed in sneakers, blue jeans, and a gray sweatshirt with the words Ancient Old Hag splashed across the front in dripping red lettering.  And she carried a shotgun in the crook of her elbow.

"Mornin', Miss Millie," Nan warbled happily, leaning down to press a kiss to the wrinkled leathery cheek.  As the old woman stepped back to let them in, Nan asked, "You planning on shooting someone today?"

"If the little bastards will stand still long enough, you're damn right I am," she grumbled closing the door behind them, waiving them to follow her.

She led them into the kitchen and swatted the air with her hand at the chairs, indicating them to take a seat at the table, while she stowed her gun by the refrigerator.  Coming back to the table, she took the box from Nan and patted her head with a miniscule smile.  "Thank you, Sally.  Lucifer!  Get your sorry hide in here!"

Hunter turned curious eyes to the open archway leading into the depths of the house, wanting to see this cat.  He was expecting a panther or a mountain lion at the very least, judging by the volume of the yowling he'd heard earlier.  And what he saw wasn't that far off base.  When Lucifer finally came into sight, he was the biggest blonde and white tabby cat that Hunter had ever seen.  The damn thing had to weigh twenty-five pounds on the slim side.

Miss Millie smiled indulgently at the corpulent feline.  She unwrapped the plastic cutlery and cut the sandwich into fourths, and handed a quarter to the cat.  Lucifer took it, backed into a corner, and began devouring it, rye bread, fried bologna, tomato, lettuce, mayo, and all, growling and snarling the whole time.

The old woman took a bite of the sandwich, chewed for a moment, then turned her hawkish gaze on Hunter.  "Who the hell are you?"  She wiped her mouth with a napkin, then continued, before giving him a chance to answer.  "You look like that sonofabitch Triple H, but I know my Sally wouldn't bring him into my house."

Hunter gawked at the woman, not expecting that reaction.  "Well, ma'am…" he began, but was stopped by her rusty sounding laughter.

"Look it, Sally!  The Game at a loss for words!"  She cackled gleefully.  "Relax, youngun.  I'm just joshin' ya.  You're actually my favorite one to watch, especially when you make that Olympic asshole cry for his momma."

Hunter flashed her a feral grin.  "I'll be sure and hurt him extra hard for you on Monday night then."

"You do that."  She nodded, biting into her sandwich again with relish.  Then she turned to Nan.  "You tell that brother of yours that if he doesn't do something about those damn Watson boys, then I will.  Ridin' those damn four-wheeled contraptions through my rose garden's gonna get 'em shot."

"Miss Millie, you can't shoot them.  You'll go to jail," Nan voiced with concern, knowing her landlady meant exactly what she said.

"Ah, rock salt in the ass never hurt anybody.  Not permanently anyway," she denied, taking another huge bite.

Grinning, Nan nodded.  "I'll tell him when we see him at Momma and Daddy's tonight.  That reminds me.  Jessi's first cotillion is tonight and Brun forgot her corsage.  Think you can help me out?"

"For that gorgeous little thing?  Sure I will.  I'll call down to Kimberly at the shop and have them deliver something special to your folks tonight."  She snorted.  "Idiot man, forgetting like that.  Just shameful." 

"Just give me the bill and I'll take care of it."

"No need, darlin'.  I'll trade ya even for the sandwich."  With one last big bite, she polished off her meal.  "Well, I don't mean to rush you off, but I got things to do today.  Thanks for brining it by though," she waived a hand at the empty box.  "That woman give you a hard time?"

Nan laughed as she and Hunter stood to go.  "Of course."

"Humph.  Hateful old bitch."  She turned her eyes back to Hunter as Nan walked over to pet Lucifer who was licking his paws.  The cat's loud purrs filled the kitchen.  "You gonna be around a while, Triple H?"

He nodded.  "Yes ma'am.  Until Friday."

She gave him a knowing wink.  "Then I'll have you two over for dinner…the next time you come down.  You take good care with my Sally.  You hear me?  Or I'll make that street fight you had with Cactus Jack in 2000 look like a cakewalk.  You hear me?"

Hunter laughed, liking this tough old bird immensely.  "Yes ma'am.  I hear you.  You saw that fight on the pay-per view, huh?"

"Saw hell, boy!  I was there!"  She leaned in, and grabbed his arm in a surprisingly firm grip.  She lowered her voice to a whisper.  "And confidentially, I say you've traded up in getting rid of that sharp, bat-faced gal you married."

"I think so too, " he whispered grinning, then flexed his biscep for her.

"Hooooeeee!"  She cackled again, slapping playfully at him.  "Sally, get this stallion out of here a'fore I steal him from you!"

Laughing, they walked to the door together, but Nan stopped just before leaving.  "Miss Millie, you never told me what you wanted for your birthday next week."

"Oh, I don't know.  Nothing big.  Something small would be just fine.  Maybe a nice little lacy throw pillow for me to rest my feet on."  She opened the door for them.  "Stuffed with Shawn Michaels' chest hair."

The door slammed shut behind them, and Hunter's sidesplitting laughter rang out over the yard. 

+++++ 

"Why does she call you Sally?"  Hunter asked after retrieving his bags from Nan's car.

She shrugged, as they walked the short distance to her house.  "Miss Millie used to baby-sit me sometimes when I was little.  Momma said she took one look at me, and said I didn't look like a 'Nanette.'  She's been calling me Sally ever since.  Practically all my life."

She unlocked the door and ushered him inside, dropping her keys in a wicker basked that perched atop a four-foot tall CD cabinet, by the door.  Nan hung up her coat on antique coat rack, and murmured, "That's odd.  Dixie usually meets when I come in.  She's probably in the back bedroom.  I'll be right back."  She dropped her purse on the kitchen table as she walked by.

Hunter set his bags down by the couch in the den-kitchen combination great room and used the opportunity to take a good look around her home.  You could always tell a lot about a person by they way they decorated their personal space, and this one spoke volumes about the woman he'd suddenly found himself fascinated with.

The first thing that stood out was an overwhelming number of bookcases lining two of the walls of the living area.  Books, both paperbacks and hardbacks, filled the shelves and spilled over across the tops and into stacks on the floor.  He glanced at some of the spines, not really surprised to see a diversity of titles, reading everything from romance, to horror, to fantasy, some children's literature, and even some classical textbooks.  The largest bookcase was filled to overflowing with videotapes and DVDs.  The walls not covered by the bookcases were peppered with pictures of people he assumed were her family.  And friends, he added, spotting a few of Shawn, Kevin, Edge, Al Snow, and even Kiebler.  The furniture was big and comfortably padded, well suited for sprawling out in front of the massive entertainment center along the fourth wall.

He wandered into the kitchen, right off the living area, and grinned at the predominate grape motif.  Grapes, and grape-shaped, things were everywhere.  Grape potholders, grape coffee cups, candlesticks, cabinet knobs, a whole set of grape-vine decorated dishes behind glass doors of a corner cabinet, right down to silk flowers over an archway with multi-colored clusters of plastic grapes hanging from the arch. 

He grinned at the very girlie décor, spying a collection of teapots on top of the fridge - two of which were also grape shaped.  One of the non-grape varieties being a snowman and the last a classic white pot with a magnolia blossom on it.  Her house reflected her personality.  Very at ease with delicate antiques, as she was with the violent world of professional wrestling.  An odd mixture, she was.  Both little girl and all woman.  His woman, he thought with a grin.

Nan came back down the hallway, smoothing a hand over her ponytail, frowning.  "She's not back there."

"Something wrong, baby?"

"I don't know.  It's not like her to not meet me at the door."  Nan paused to pull her boots off and drop them beside the leather loveseat.  She headed for a burgundy colored curtain, with more silk flowers and grapes hanging over it, on the other end of the living room.  "Dixie?"

She was only gone a few seconds before he heard her panicked cry.  "Hunter!"

He sprinted across the house and bounded through the curtain into her bedroom, to see her holding a little brown dachshund.  But something was wrong with the dog.  Her long body was rigid, stumpy little legs stiff.  Big, impossibly wide eyes free-rolled in their sockets, but saw nothing.

Nan held the rigid body close to her chest and spun around, presenting her back to him.  "Unzip me."

"What's wrong with her?" he asked as he lowered the zipper on her turtleneck sweater, and then did the same with the one on her skirt.

"She's having a seizure.  She's epileptic.  Help me get this off."  She lifted a shoulder as she shifted the dog from one arm to the other.  Hunter pushed the sweater off her shoulders, revealing a black lacy camisole underneath.  "She can't see when this happens.  Hear either.  She can still smell, but it's subdued.  I need to get her close to my skin so she'll know I'm here."

Not exactly the way he wanted to get her out of those clothes, but his concern for the dog now convulsing in her arms did a really good job cooling his ardor.  He helped her out of her sweater and skirt, leaving her in only the camisole and matching lacy French cut panties.  Nan slid up onto the high bed, cradling the little dog to her chest, making soothing noises and stroking her head.

Hunter stood in the middle of the room, not knowing how to help.  "Can I get her some medicine or something?"

"No," Nan shook her head.  "To late for that.  But you can join me.  Take off your shirt though, so she can get used to your scent.  And time this for me."

He needed no further urging, kicking off his boots, stripping off his socks and taking off his belt.  He glanced at the clock, marking the time, while shrugging out of his jacket and pulling his T-shirt over his head.  He slid out of his jeans, leaving him in only his boxers.  He draped the jeans over the footboard before sitting down on the other side of the bed.  Nan immediately scooted towards him, positioning Dixie between them.  Hunter rolled to his side, laying his head on the pillow and began to rub Dixie's tummy, while Nan continued to talk softly to the little dog.

Several agonizing minutes later, Dixie blinked, licked her nose, and whined quietly.

"There she is.  Hey baby-dog.  You feeling better now?"  Nan cooed, relief flooding her features.  She cast a glance at Hunter.  "Time?"

"Five minutes and about thirty, maybe forty seconds," he answered, looking up at the bedside clock.  He exhaled loudly, and rolled over onto his back.

"Not too bad this time," she nodded, then laughed as Dixie wriggled out of her arms and crawled over to plop herself down wearily on Hunter's stomach.  She dragged a wet tongue down his cheek, huffed out an exhausted breath and closed her eyes.  "I think she likes you."

He chuckled.  "What will she do now?"

"Take a nap.  She usually drops right off after a seizure."

Hunter yawned, glad the crisis had passed and she was okay, and held out an arm.  "Excellent idea."

Nan slid over, and pillowed her head on his chest, sighing as his arm dropped over her shoulder, hugging her close to him.  Within seconds, all three of them were fast asleep, with Dixie's huffing snores occasionally breaking the silence enveloping the house. 

~<>~

August 27, 2004 - Friday 10:15 a.m.
United Airlines Flight 7248 to Stamford, Connecticut 

"And let's not forget that was the first time I met Tina.  Remember when she walked in?"

Nan started laughing.  "Oh yeah.  I wish you could have seen the look on your face.  You positively turned green!"

Hunter fixed her with a sour look.  "You don't have to sound so damn happy about it."

"Yes I do!"  She warbled gleefully. 

~<>~

International heroes
You got the teenage blues
Change has gotta come soon
Or else we’re gonna lose
       International Heroes - Mott the Hoople

March 5, 2002 3:45 p.m.
Nan's House - Moccasin Gap, North Carolina 

"Nettie?"  Tina called out, letting herself into the house with her key, and shutting the door quietly behind her.  Her aunt didn't answer, so she walked into the kitchen, pausing only to cast a curious glance at the luggage on the floor near the door.

Figuring her aunt must be going somewhere soon, she just shrugged to herself, and walked through the kitchen down the back hall and into the bedroom she called hers whenever she stayed there.  She hefted her book-bag up onto the desk and fished out an overnight bag from the closet.  She stuffed some clothes from her 'emergency stash' into the bag and set it beside her book bag.

She hopped up onto the twin bed, snagging a pink stuffed lamb up from the pillow and hugged it to her chest.  Tina looked around the room and tried to visualize her own pictures and posters on the walls and sighed.  She really didn't want to move, now that her dad had gotten that new job down at the beach.  She only had four and a half months left of her senior year to go.  And leaving Chesterbrook Academy behind, as well as all of her friends pissed her off.  But the thought of leaving her family, Nettie especially, to go live with her dad and his new wife over a hundred and fifty miles away just turned her stomach.  She rested her cheek on the lamb's head.

"Please," she prayed softly.  "Please let Daddy not make me move.  Please let Nettie say I can stay with her until graduation."

With a final sigh, she set the lamb aside, and flounced up off the bed.  She stood in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the door, frowning at herself.  Blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, she turned to the side and tightened the elastic band holding her hair in place.  She straightened her plaid skirt, white button down shirt, and plaid vest.  She took in the black Mary Jane's and white knee socks with a critical eye.  I look like a little girl, she complained inwardly, then grinned, remembering that at least she didn't have to wear a tie like the guys did.  She hated the Chesterbrook Academy uniform.  But it was the price she paid to go to the most academically prestigious school between here and Charlotte.  Besides, if Nettie could stand it, then so could she. 

She gathered up her bags and left the room.  She stopped long enough to drop the bags and jacket on the kitchen table, then continued on to the burgundy curtain that separated her aunt's bedroom from the living room. 

"Nettie?"  She called out, moving the curtain aside.

Tina stopped dead at the sight of her aunt curled up on the bed, with a blonde muscle-bound hunk, both in their underwear.  And Dixie right between the sleeping couple.  Dixie caught sight of her and immediately starting barking excitedly, bringing the slumbering couple awake with a start.

"Oh, shit!  I'm sorry!"  Tina blurted out, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment as she bolted for the curtain.

"Who's that?"  Hunter mumbled, running a hand down his face as Nan scrambled off the bed and whirled around in circles trying to get into her robe.

"Tina."  She finally took off the robe and peered blearily up the twisted sleeve.

Hunter slid off the bed, took the robe, gave it a sharp snap, and then held it open for her to slip her arms through.  "Tina's your niece, right?"

Nan nodded, quickly tying her robe closed and bolted through the curtain, with Dixie trotting happily right on her heels.  Tina was leaning over the kitchen counter, staring down into the sink, when Nan caught up with her.

"Tina," she started.

The blonde teenager whirled around, her blue eyes wide.  "Nettie, I am soooo sorry!  I didn't know…"

"Squirt, it's okay," Nan smiled at her, reaching into the fridge for two bottles of juice, and passing one to Tina.  "You didn't see anything you shouldn't."

With a relieved smile, Tina accepted the juice, cracked the cap, and downed the whole thing.  She tossed the empty bottle into the trash, and motioned to the bags by the door.  "He staying for the week?"

"Till Friday," Nan nodded, grinning from ear to ear.  She caught a speculative light in Tina's eyes.  "What?"

"You look…different.  I dunno.  Happy."  Tina smirked at her.  "Course, I would be too.  He's gorgeous."

Nan blushed, red creeping up her neck and cheeks.  "He is that," she answered with a blinding smile and a twinkle in her eye.

Tina noted the look on her aunt's face.  Oh my God!  Nettie's in love!  She felt a tingling in her eyes and a lump in her throat.  She'd not seen her aunt look like that in years.  She suddenly didn't care who the blonde hunk in her aunt's bed was.  As long as he made her look like that, then she already loved him.  "So," she grinned.  "Who is he?"

"He," Hunter answered for himself, as he came into the kitchen dressed only in his jeans, his feet still bare.  "Is Hunter Hearst Helmsley.  Hi.  Nice to meet you, Tina."  He held out his hand.

Tina ignored it and walked up to him.  She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.  Unsure what to do, Hunter looked at Nan, who just raised her juice in a mock toast at him.  Hunter awkwardly returned the hug, patting the teenager on the back gently.

She pulled back, grinning up at him.  "They sure do grow 'em big wherever you come from, huh."

He chuckled.  "Yeah, you could say that, I guess."

Nan noticed the bags on the table and addressed Tina.  "You're still staying with Penny this week, right?" she asked, knowing her parents were out of town due to an interview Robbie had for a new job down in Wilmington.

Tina nodded, her ponytail bobbing with the motion.  "Yeah.  If that's still okay."  She winked at Hunter who promptly choked on the juice Nan had passed to him.  But Tina babbled on, not noticing it.  "I figured it'd be better than trying to get everyone home after the concert, tomorrow too.  We're all gonna crash at Penny's house.  You got the tickets, yes?"

"In my purse," Nan answered with a smile at Tina's excited squeal.

"Who are you gonna see?"  Hunter asked, as she rifled through her aunt's purse.

"Nickleback and Godsmack."

Hunter whistled.  "Great groups.  I bet it'll be a hell of show."

"Don't I know it," Tina sighed dreamily.  She pulled out the tickets and squealed again.  "Front row center!  Nettie, you're the best!"  She raced up to embrace her aunt then scooped up Dixie.  The two bopped ecstatically around the kitchen, singing the lyrics to Nickleback's This Is How You Remind Me, with Dixie's happy barks joining in.  "Never made it as a wise man…I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealin'…Tired of livin' like a blind man…"

Hunter sidled up against Nan, slipping an arm around her waist.  He chuckled, finding the teenager's enthusiasm highly amusing.  "I think she likes her seats."

"Ya think?"  Nan laughed along with him.

Tina suddenly stopped dancing and singing.  She set Dixie down.  "I almost forgot!  Can you take me shopping on Saturday?  Doug finally asked me!"

Nan nodded.  "I think we can find a suitable prom dress for you in Charlotte.  One that won't send your dad into apoplectic spasms."

The teenager rolled her eyes melodramatically.  "Like that's even possible.  If he had his way, I'd go in some granny dress out of the forties, completely covered from head to foot."

"Not a bad idea," Hunter mumbled.

"Don't you start on me now too."  Tina grinned at him.  She shrugged on her jacket and lifted her bags, looking at Nan.  "And Daddy wants to talk to you about something.  Said he'd call you."

Nan made a murmur of agreement.  "You've got money for this week?  And your cell phone?"

"Yes, Nettie.  I'm good.  And before you say it, I'll be at school right on time Thursday after the concert tomorrow night, promise.  Good thing I've got first period study hall.  Wanna bet I'll sleep through it?"  Tina questioned, heading for the door.  She stopped, and turned back, looking at Hunter.  "Since you're leaving on Friday, you won't be here to see my grand debut, huh?"

At Hunter's questioning look, Nan explained.  "Tina's playing Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.  Friday is opening night."

"Sorry, no.  I guess I'll have to miss this one," Hunter answered.

"No biggie.  I'll let you make it up to me," she grinned sassily at him.  "You know we're not having rehearsals tomorrow night…church night and all.  Why don't you two stop by the auditorium tonight?  You can watch the dress rehearsal.  See me almost get eaten by a Muppet-plant.  What do you say, Nettie?  Maybe you can even catch Mister Mooney come unglued like he always does before opening night?  Just like the old days when he taught drama to you??"

"Will we have time?"  Hunter asked Nan.

"Maybe, if we push it.  We'll have to see, Squirt."

"Time?"  Tina asked. 

"Hunter here wrangled us into dinner with Mom and Dad tonight."  Nan answered.

Tina peered around her to grin cheekily at him, opening the front door behind her.  "Ya did huh?"  She gave a short laugh.  "Hey, Uncle Hunter!"

Hunter's head popped up at the familial title.  "Yeah, Squirt," he answered, easily picking up on Nan's nickname for the vivacious blonde teenager.

Tina blew him a kiss and winked.  "Sucks to be you!" 

~<>~

August 27, 2004 - Friday 10:35 a.m.
United Airlines Flight 7248 to Stamford, Connecticut 

"I thought that dinner went very well."  Nan mumbled.

"Compared to a last meal on death row, I'm sure it did," Hunter agreed.  At the look on her face, he stopped her before she could get a roll going.  "Don't get me wrong.  Your folks are great.  But meeting the parents of your girlfriend on your first night together is kind of a lot to lay on a guy.  And your Dad's not the easiest of men to get along with."

"Don't I know it," Nan snorted.  "But he just…"

"…loves you and wants the best for you.  I get it, baby."  Hunter finished for her.  "We need to have Jessi up to the house again, soon.  I caught all those hints she kept dropping this week."

Nan chuckled.  "You mean those subtle ones she kept hitting with a sledgehammer?"

"Yeah, those.  She's a good kid."  Hunter grinned.  "And so's Tina."

She nodded, a soft smile gracing her face.  "She is indeed.  You know, she still talks about how cool it was of you to make sure we got to see a little of her dress rehearsal in that play.  I think you won her over that night."

"She was great.  Has quite a set of pipes on her for such a little thing."  He looked down at her.  "Must get her voice from you."

Nan looked at him oddly, her eyes narrowing a fraction.  "Maybe. She did so well.  It was a great play."

Hunter leered at her.  "But not as good as the one after it."

"You're biased," Nan smiled at him, reaching up to trail her fingers down his cheek, only to find them captured in his, and pressed to his lips. 

"Definitely." 

~<>~

Then came the night
Warm and dark
Draggin' its chains
Across our hearts
The moon was full
The grass was wet
Makin' us scream makin' us sweat
Makin' us cling makin' us claw
Makin' us rise makin' us fall
Breath on breath, skin on skin
I can't go back, there again
Holdin' on tight
It was wrong it was right
Then came the night
Then Came The Night - Trace Adkins

March 5, 2002 - Friday 8:45 p.m.
Nan's House - Moccasin Gap, North Carolina 

They'd gotten back to her house just a few minutes prior, having spent the evening with her parents, and then making Tina's night by stopping by the school auditorium to watch her rehearse, as she'd requested.  Hunter had thoroughly enjoyed himself at meeting Nan's youngest niece Jessi, and then Tina's play.  And even after an awkward moment or two at her parent's house, he'd finally settled down to relax and enjoy the evening with them.  He loved Ellie, Nan's mother, to death, completely soaking up the maternal affection she so freely showered on him.  And he found a new respect for her father when seeing him interact with his granddaughter, so excited she could barely speak slow enough to be understood.  Red listened to her babbling with a patience and ready smile he'd never suspected of the gruff man he'd met earlier that morning.

But now they were home.  Hunter had lit the gas logs in the fireplace.  Dixie had been fed and was currently snoring softly in her doggie bed, still worn out from her earlier incident.  And it was just the two of them.  Together they turned out the lights and locked the doors.  Nan had kissed him sweetly, then led him into the bedroom, excusing herself to the bathroom for just a moment.

Hunter's back was to her when she emerged.  When he turned, she was afraid she would lose her nerve.  But when she saw his handsome face, his powerfully built body, his questioning eyes, her hunger for him exploded, and she rushed into his arms.

He caught her up against him, practically lifting her off the ground as he kissed her deeply, crushing her in his embrace.  Their meeting was feverish, their breathing ragged, their hands rushed as they tore at each other's clothes.  His T-shirt fell away, then her sweater, shirt, and jeans.  She smoothed her hands up the wide expanse of his chest, the fine, almost invisible blonde hairs tickling her palms.  His was a bodybuilder's physique, heavy with muscle, rippling, and tan.  She closed her eyes, reveling in the smooth skin of his back, the indention of his spine, the tapering of his waist.  Her fingers traced the flat planes of his stomach, running them along the waistband of his jeans.  Jeans that sculpted his hips, and thighs in a way that she was envious of.

Experiencing the textures of his body, combined with his exploration of hers, made her breathless.  She didn't have a model's body, hers being more curvaceous and full, than a model could get away with.  He cupped her full breasts through her flimsy camisole, teasing the budded nipples.

She hissed in pleasure when he dragged her camisole over her head and dropped to his knees to kiss and lick each pink peak thoroughly, dragging his teeth across the sensitive skin, sending instant moisture to wet her thin panties.  She cried out, her hands kneading his neck, her knees buckling.  She fell forward and he picked her up, then car­ried her to the bed, settling her on the edge and rolling her panties down the length of her legs.  His fingers caressed the scars on her right leg with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes, but he said nothing about them.

He spread her knees and knelt to rain kisses up her inner thighs, moving back and forth, nipping at her skin.  She leaned back on her elbows because in addi­tion to the unbelievable sparkles of pleasure of hav­ing his mouth on her, in addition to the almost unbearable anticipation of having his tongue inside her, she took great pleasure in watching Hunter enjoy the act of making love to her with his mouth.  When he reached the culmination of his journey, his warm tongue flicked against her wet folds and their moans melded.  Seeing his blonde head between her legs, his long hair tickling her thighs, was incredibly erotic.

When he plunged his tongue inside her, her body jerked in response to the icy fire racing through her muscles.  After teasing her mercilessly, he found her sensual switch and worked it with his tongue until she clenched her fists in the bedspread, murmuring his name, begging for release.  He moaned against her clit to escalate the vibrations, launching her to an or­gasm so powerful, that even in the throes of the in­tense spasms, the possibility of a health implication crossed her mind…a burst vein, a permanent muscle contraction, a heart attack.

But happily, she lived to reach for his waistband and unzip his jeans, feeling another surge of desire when she freed his enormous erection.  He groaned then sucked in a sharp breath when she pushed down his soft cotton boxers to cradle his sex in her hands.

She had wondered as to Hunter's size.  She had dreamed of his nude body countless times, had conjured up his image for dozens of erotic sessions alone.  But nothing compared to the real thing.  When she saw and felt his rigid, straining shaft, she was awed all over again…thick and long, with a proud tip, al­ready shiny with a pearlescent bead of moisture.  She dipped her head for a taste, but Hunter stopped her with a groan.

"Don't think I don't want you to," he gasped.  "But I'm so hot for you right now, I won't last two sec­onds.  And she want to be inside you…the first time."

A pang of longing struck her low and hard.  She nod­ded her agreement, then reached down to caress his velvety sack and the sen­sitive ridge beneath.  He clenched her shoulders in a long moan, then urged her back on the bed.  He followed her, stretching out on top of her, bracing himself with his arms.  The sensation of full-body contact with him almost overwhelmed her, and she knew there was so much more to come.

He kissed her hard, slanting his mouth over hers, delving his tongue deep.  He captured her hands, entwining their fingers, and pinned them to the bed over her head.  Their bodies were slick with perspiration, and the musk of his maleness only fueled her desire. 

"Now, Hunter... now."

He shifted his hips, easing his erection between her thighs.  His jaw was clenched with restraint as he found her entrance and pushed in slowly, one breath­taking inch at a time, until he was fully sheathed in her body.  It was an amazing feeling, to be so filled, for every centimeter of her slick channel to be stim­ulated at once.  She squeezed his fingers between hers and contracted her inner muscles around him.

"Oh, baby," he groaned.  "Oh, God, that feels...soooo…good."

He flexed his hips, making tiny thrusts that prod­ded an untapped spot deep inside her.  Almost imme­diately, the waves of a powerful orgasm began to build, radiating from her womb.  She flailed as the ten­sion in her body mounted.  His thrusts intensified, longer, deeper, faster.  Their moans mingled as the sensations ratcheted higher.  She climaxed in a sudden explosion of color and light, and sank her teeth into his shoulder to stifle her cries.  His shuddering release came a split second after hers, his face contorted in pleasure-pain, her name on his lips.

Then he rolled her over on top of him and exhaled noisily.  "That," he murmured, "was amazing.  But definitely not long enough."

She sighed against his chest, feeling languid and blissful, her body still pulsing from the pleasure he'd given her.  "So get some rest and we'll go again."  She pushed up to move away, but he cap­tured her wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To take a shower."

"Not without me, you're not."

Warmth filtered through her chest as he pushed to his feet and pulled her into the bathroom.  He closed the door and pinned her against it.  "But first, I have to do something that I've been dying to do since I got here."

Full of female pride, she grinned.  "I thought we just did that."

He laughed.  "Yes, but there's one more thing."

He reached behind her neck and gently, ever so gently.  He released her hair from its tie and pushed his hands into it, pulling it forward over her shoul­ders and her breasts.  "Beautiful," he breathed.

At first she couldn't speak, the feelings welling up in her chest threatening to choke her.  "Thank you," she said shyly.

He kissed her lightly.  "You like the water hot, don't you?"

She nodded, inordinately pleased he remembered her saying that once.

While he turned on the water and adjusted the temperature, she leaned against the vanity, enjoying the view of his lean backside and powerful hamstrings.  And the treasure on the other side…sigh. Lust pumped through her body with such force that she pressed a fist to her mouth to regain control.  This man brought out the worst in her.

When Hunter turned around, she reached out and flipped off the light.

A few seconds later his chuckle reverberated in the tiled room.  "It's a little late for shyness, don't you think, baby?"

Seizing a deliciously wicked opportunity, she pushed off the vanity, felt her way over to him and pressed her breasts into his warm back.  "I thought we could take a shower in the dark.  You know what they say, when one sense is taken away, the other senses become more keen."

He gave a low laugh of compliance and they climbed under the spray together.

With the door closed, the windowless room was completely dark, and sud­denly, she could feel the smooth surface of the tub beneath her feet, the softness of the country water splashing over her face, the callused tips of Hunter's hands caressing her bottom.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and flicked her tongue over his nipples, reveling in the saltiness of his skin.  She felt around the wall until she found a soft loofah and what felt like a bar of soap.  She lathered the loofah and scrubbed Hunter's back in large, mas­saging circles, applying as much pressure as she could.

"Ooh, that's great," he moaned.

The acoustics in their little cocoon were wonder­ful, magnifying their noises.  Methodically, she worked the loofah over his shoulders and down his arms, then down to his lower back and hips.  She turned him around slowly and massaged the lather onto his chest, ignoring for the time being his erection prodding her stomach.  He submitted to her ministrations, mur­muring approval as she moved across his stomach and hipbones, then moved down to his thighs.  She knelt to better feel her way down the fronts of his legs, then handed him the loofah and the soap.  Still kneeling, she gently washed his cock with her hands, massaging and stroking him clean.  Then she took the velvety tip into her mouth, eliciting a gasp from Hunter.  The water spilled over her hair and face as she pleasured him with her mouth, taking in as much of his length as she could accommodate, stroking the base of him with her fingers.

With a guttural groan, Hunter stopped her, lifted her to her feet and whispered, "Your turn." 

He moved behind her and began to massage her neck and shoul­ders.  She sighed in appreciation, planting her hands against the shower wall, allowing the spray to wash over her face.  While he moved the loofah over her back, he slid his hand around to massage her breasts.  It was ecstasy, feeling so many sensations and tex­tures at once, and now knowing that with Hunter, the best was yet to come.

He worked the loofah down her back and over her hips, while sliding his other hand down her stomach and into the curls between her thighs.  "Mmm, ohhh, yesssss."

"You like?" he whispered.

"Umm-hmm."

He slipped a finger inside her from behind.  "You like?" he whispered again.

"Ummm-hmmm." she contracted around him, and he pressed forward.  She was amazed.  He was certainly a quick study.  From just one time, the man knew how to push her button, from both sides.  She could feel another orgasm coming on and gave in to it, brought to higher heights with every stroke at his urging in her ear.  When one wave subsided, another crashed through her body, vi­brating her down to her bones.  At last, when she was too weak to stand, Hunter supported her with one hand and turned off the shower with the other.

Unfortunately, she slipped and threw him off bal­ance, too.  She could feel them going down and grabbed for the shower curtain, which came crashing down on top of them, but helped to break their fall.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine," she moaned.  "You?"

"Yeah, think so."

She started giggling.  "So much for showering in the dark."

They both laughed until they were limp, then wrapped towels around themselves.  Hunter took her hand and led her back through the bedroom into the living room and settled her down on the large low footstool in front of the fireplace, and began rubbing her other down.  Of course, the rubbing led to other touching, and the touching lead to kissing, and the kissing led to him urging her up, to straddle him.  She grinned, then looped her arms around his neck, and whispered naughty things in his ear until his erection was so stiff, she could have impaled herself on him.  In­stead, she leveraged herself on her knees and low­ered herself on him bit by thrilling bit as he nuzzled her breasts.

The position was mind-blowing, matching up their boy and girl parts perfectly, allowing Hunter to reach her highest secret places, and providing enough frontal friction that another orgasm for her was only a matter of time.  Their hands were free to roam, and best of all, they could look into each other's eyes.

Hunter had the sexiest eyes, whiskey colored, endlessly deep, and expressive.  She could tell every time he reached a new pleasure plateau.  When her body began to tremble with the onset of a powerful climax, he curled his hand around the nape of her neck and brought her face up to his.

"I want to see you come," he said.  "I want to see your face, see how I make you feel."

His words sent her soaring over the edge, her al­ready sensitized erogenous zones screaming with re­lease.  She clung to him while spasms racked her body.  He uttered a long, quaking groan and picked her up, standing on his feet, climaxing with her arms and legs wrapped around him like a vise.  It was almost a religious experience.

When their bodies quieted, they found that they had somehow traveled several feet away from the footstool.  He looked for a place to lower her, and they almost made it back to the bedroom.  But not quite.  Hunter decided at the last minute to lay her down on the furry rug in front of the fire.  Her dismount was wobbly and she hooked a floor lamp on her way down, sending it crashing to the floor, crushing the shade, and shatter­ing the bulb.

Laughing like schoolchildren, they decided to sleep where fell, on the floor in front of the fireplace after she retrieved a blanket and some throw pillows from the couch.  Nan's body was fatigued beyond words, but her mind wouldn't shut down so easily.  She lay with her head on Hunter's chest and listened as his heart quieted, then fell into a steady sleep rhythm.  Slowly, she slipped off to sleep, realizing that for the first time in a very long time, with Hunter's arms around her, she was warm. 

+++++ 

"I can't believe it's already time for me to go."  Hunter sighed, tugging Nan closer to him.

"Me either," she murmured against his chest, rubbing her hands up and down his back.

They'd had a wonderful few days, in spite of the rocky start with almost her whole family descending upon them.  After that first night, the Elliott's had left them alone.  It reminded her of their time in Birmingham, just the two of them, ignoring the outside world.  They'd filled their days with talking, watching old movies and of course Smackdown when it had come on Thursday night.  They'd taken long walks in the snow, which had refused to melt.  And they'd even had a snowball fight, which of course, Hunter had won.  Only by him cheating, tackling her to the ground in a snow bank, both of them rolling around on the ground and laughing like children.  Then they'd warmed up in front of the fireplace, only to end up making love on the living room floor, with Lonestar's Amazed playing softly in the background. 

They'd fallen easily into a routine, with none of the awkwardness she'd expected.  And nothing, she decided, was better than spending all night in Hunter's arms.  Except for maybe waking up in them. 

"Why don't you come with me?"

"I can't.  I promised Tina we'd go get her prom dress tomorrow afternoon."  Then it registered what he'd asked.  Nan pulled back a little to look up at him.  "I thought you didn't want me around until Steph signed the separation papers."

"First of all, I do want you around.  I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to leave," Hunter paused to kiss her forehead at her smile.  "Secondly, remember that call I got yesterday?  It was from my lawyer.  Steph's agreed to sign the papers on Monday night in Detroit and she's brining Lucy."

"Hunter, that's great!"  Nan beamed, knowing how badly he missed his bulldog.

He nodded.  "I'll be at a house show in Ann Arbor on Sunday.  So, why don't you come to Michigan, and go on with me to Detroit on Monday night.  You could even stay with me in Connecticut for a couple of days, if you like.  And maybe you could take Lucy back with you, and take care of her for me?  Would you do that?"

She smiled, a hint of moisture in her eyes, and nodded.  "I can definitely do Michigan.  We'll have to see about Connecticut.  But I'd love to take care of Lucy for you."

A voice over the loudspeaker called out, "Rows fifteen through thirty, flight 8913 to Columbia, South Carolina now boarding."

Hunter groaned, dropping his forehead to hers.  "I've got to go."

She squeezed him tightly.  "I'll see you Sunday.  Be careful."

"I will."  He caressed her lips gently with his own for a moment, before pulling away, and picking up his shoulder bag and rolling suitcase.  "I'll call you tonight after the show.  Miss you."

"You too," she called after him, wrapping both arms around her middle watching him walk towards the boarding ramp.  He stopped at the gate, and looked back at her, smiling as she waived, then turned and headed through the doors to the waiting airplane.

Nan moved over to the bank of windows where she could see his plane.  She stood there for a few minutes, waiting to see the plane start to taxi down the runway.  She pulled her jeans jacket closer around her shoulders, burying her face into the collar of the shirt she wore.  It was Hunter's.  She'd filched it from the laundry she'd promised to wash for him.  She'd done all of his laundry when they got in that first night, after Tina had left.  And he'd worn that shirt to dinner with her parents.  Instead of washing it again, she'd purposely left it out, surprising him this morning by wearing it to the airport.  He'd only grinned at her and told her to keep it.

With sad eyes, she watched his plane take off and head off into the sky.  Before it got completely out of sight, she turned away.  Letting a loved one get completely out of sight when they were leaving on a trip meant you'd never see them again.  One of her very few superstitions and this one she practiced religiously.  She rubbed the collar against her nose and breathed in his spicy scent. 

Walking stiffly, she headed out of the terminal.  She'd always been okay with long distance relationships, but this one was going to kill her. 

~<>~

August 27, 2004 - Friday 11:37 a.m.
Hunter & Nan's House - Greenwich, Connecticut 

It was odd walking into an empty house, without Tina or Dixie meeting them at the front door.  The young woman hadn't been living with them for long, but Hunter already found himself missing her presence.  She didn't go to every show with them, but she had for most.  And whenever she'd not gone, she always met them when they came back home.  But, he had to admit to himself, after some of those more intimate memories they'd shared on the plane, he was glad they had the house to themselves.

Nan had gone on into their home, grumbling about her crutches every step of the way, while he'd unloaded their bags and lugged them into the house.  He thought he heard a faint splash, but dismissed it.  Setting them down by the door, he looked around for her, but didn't see her.

"Baby?"

"Out here," she called from the deck off the living room.

Grinning, Hunter walked through the room and out the sliding glass doors, stopping dead in his tracks.  Nan stood on the middle of the deck, still wrapped up in her long raincoat, the detested crutches no where in sight.  Before he could speak, she reached up and pulled off the hair-tie securing her locks in the ponytail she'd worn since that morning.  Then she untied her raincoat, letting it slide off her shoulders and down to pool on the planks beneath her feet. 

Hunter just stared at her.  Taking it all in, never having guessed that she was wearing only stockings and a smile underneath that coat.  "Whoa," he huffed out in a rushed breath.

She just smiled wickedly at him.  "Take me now or lose me forever."

Loosening his tie, Hunter crossed the deck with a predatory gleam in his eyes, grateful that they lived so far off the road and behind a locked gate.  "Well, when you put it that way…."

~<>~

I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly, - R. Kelly

August 30, 2004 - Monday 5:02 p.m.
RAW - Historic Cow Palace - San Francisco, CA 

"I thought you'd be proud of me," Tina complained.

"Oh, sweetie," Nan smiled sadly, running her hand over Tina's head.  "There's no way I could be more proud of you without rupturing an internal organ.  You've always made me proud.  Your whole life, since the day you were born.  I've bored everyone to tears over how proud of you I am.  You didn't have to do this for me to feel that way.  Or your Uncle Hunter either."

Exhaling loudly in frustration, Tina got up from her seat on one of the equipment boxes and adjusted the battery pack to her headset.  "I didn't do it to make you proud, Nettie.  I did it be cause it really is the perfect setting for my thesis.  Making you and Uncle Hunter proud was just a fringe benefit."

Nan watched as Tina fidgeted with her WWE Staff T-shirt, hating, yet understanding that it was time for Tina to make decisions regarding the course of her life on her own now.  Be they good decisions or bad.  Nan had always promised she'd support her.  And by God, she wasn't going to let her down now - even if Tina's working with the WWE made her terribly afraid for the young woman.

"Besides," Tina's voice got her attention.  "You're around this stuff all the time and you've never had any issues."

"Not true.  And I don't work for Vince McMahon," Nan answered automatically.

"Not yet.  But we can change that, the moment you're willing to sit down and talk to me," an all too familiar voice said from over her shoulder.

Nan spun around on her rump, nearly toppling over the box in the process.  "Vince.  I didn't know…that is, I…"

Vince McMahon smiled down at her, his eyes twinkling with an odd light Nan couldn't give a name to.  "How are you, Nan?"

"Uh…I'm fine, Vince.  Thank you."

He turned his smile on Tina, and extended his hand.  "And this must be Tina.  Welcome aboard." 

Tina slipped her hand into his, her blue eyes wide.  "Thank you, Mr. McMahon."

"Call me Vince," his smile deepened as he shook her hand, then released her.  "After all, your family and mine go back a long way."

She nodded.  "All right, Vince."

"My son Shane speaks quite highly of his meeting with you.  I've read through your internship agreement and your transcript.  Quite impressive.  I'm looking forward to reading your thesis when you're finished."

Nan gaped at him.  "You're going to read it?" 

"Of course.  The University still provides a copy to the sponsoring corporation, right Tina?"

"Yes, sir."

He nodded, rocking back on his heels.  "Good.  Good.  I think it'll prove to be very enlightening."  He turned his gaze back on Nan.  "Why don't you call my secretary and see what works for you after Unforgiven.  I'm afraid I'm booked up until after then."

"Vince, I appreciate the offer, but I don't know if…"

He held up a hand.  "You don't even know what my offer entails yet.  Hear me out before you decide to say no.  Either way, I think we're overdue to get caught up.  Don't you?"

Her eyes narrowed in confusion.  "I'd need to discuss this with Hunter…"

Vince's face went flat at the mention of his former son-in-law's name, and she didn't miss the miniscule tightening around his eyes.  "By all means, discuss it with Hunter first.  But make the appointment.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Bischoff before the show begins.  Ladies."

With a tip of his head, he strode away in his customary arrogant swagger.  Tina and Nan followed him with their eyes. 

"Whoa," Tina huffed.  "The infamous Vince McMahon.  What's his deal?"

"You could psychoanalyze that man for years and still not know the answer to that question," Nan murmured thoughtfully, wondering what he was up to now.

Tina turned her questioning gaze back on her aunt.  "So what's up between us, Nettie?  Are you really that worried about my internship or are you just being over-protective.  Again?"

She dragged her mind off of Vince and his many possible machinations, and back on to the subject at hand.  "Probably a little of both.  But with good reason."

Tina sat back down and took Nan's hand in hers.  "Nettie, you're the closest thing I've got to a mom.  And I love it that you're so protective of me.  Even though it makes me bat-shit nuts sometimes.  But I can handle the nuts part if you just tell me why this has got you so keyed up."

"I don't want you to get hurt," Nan blurted out.  "I'd lose my mind if something happened to you.  Especially since I'm responsible for introducing you to this life."

"I'm gonna get hurt sometimes, Nettie.  It's a fact of life in general.  And nothing you can do is gonna change that."

Nan blinked away the moisture gathering in her eyes.  She wrapped her arm around Tina's shoulder and squeezed.  "When did you grow up on me, huh?"

Tina giggled as she returned the hug.  "I wouldn't say I'm grown yet.  Just workin' on it hard."

"Squirt, from what I can see, you're pretty much there."  Nan pulled back then exhaled deeply.  "Okay.  If you're gonna do this, just promise me you'll keep your eyes and ears open.  Use your head.  These guys can get pretty tough on newbies.  And if they find out you're studying them for a psychology paper, they'll make a target out of you.  So don't let down your guard."

"I won't.  Promise," Tina grinned at her.

Nan tweaked her nose.  "You'd better not.  And if you run into anyone giving you a hard time, you take it to Bischoff.  Regardless of how I feel about the schlep, he's got an obligation to keep you out of harm's way.  More so than the average employee."

"Because of you?  And Uncle Hunter?"

"No," she shook her head.  "Because Yale would own the WWE if something happened to one of their students doing an internship here."

Tina nodded, her blonde ponytail bobbing vigorously.  "I hear you.  Do you really think I'm in danger?"

"In the WWE, anything can happen.  And usually does."  Nan intoned grimly.  "And if Bischoff shrugs you off, should anything happen, you immediately tell me and Hunter.  Or Dave, or Naitch."

"Duly noted, ma'am."  Tina saluted with a grin. 

"Spoiled brat."

"Your fault."  Tina stuck her tongue out at her.  "So if it's so dangerous around these guys, why haven't you had any problems?"

"Squirt, I've always got Hunter's protection.  Or Evolution's.  Hell, even Kane and Jericho's before that.  Trace it back for enough time and I've always had a watchdog of some sort.  But that doesn't mean I've not had my share of problems here.  And who's going to protect you when Hunter's not around?  Hurricane?"  Nan asked.  "I know you're a couple, and I like the kid and all, but he's not…"

Tina shook her head violently.  "We're not really a couple, per se."

Nan just stared at her.  "You're not?  Does he know that?"

The blonde young woman just shrugged.  "The company frowns on the fraternization of employees."

"Since when?"  Nan snorted. 

Tina lifted a shoulder, ducking her head.  "Read it in the internship agreement."

"Tina, you need to tell him.  You owe him that much, Squirt.  I don't understand this, anyway.  Last I saw, you two were pretty tight.  What happened to change that?"  She laughed, a ludicrous idea forming in her head.  "I mean, the only way I can see you dumping him is if someone else caught your eye."

"Don't be ridiculous," Tina protested, fidgeting with her hair.

Nan caught the nervous notion and the pinking of her cheeks.  Tina never really was any good at hiding things from her.  "Tina!  Who is it??"

"No one," she argued, but she could see she wasn't fooling her.  "Okay, someone.  But I don't wanna talk about it.  It may be all in my head.  Besides, I really should tell Shane that he's sort of…over-assumed about him and me, I guess."

"Don't bother.  He already knows."  Hurricane announced coming around the blind corner where they sat, his face tight with a mixture of hurt and fury.  He swept Nan with a derisive glance then shifted to Tina.  "I guess it's true what they say.  The apple really doesn't fall from the tree."  He turned on his heel and stalked away.

"Shane!"  Tina jumped up, calling after him.  But he continued walking.  Tina turned a distraught look on Nan.  "I'd better go after him.  Catch up with you after the show, Nettie."

Nan watched her jog after Hurricane and wearily levered herself to her feet, aided by a cane, the hated crutches having met with a tragically rusty death at the bottom of their pool. 

"And so it begins, " she said with a sigh.  With a wobbling gait, she headed off towards the Evolution dressing room. 

~<>~

so put you head on my shoulder and I'll dry your tears
Your heartache you feel will be over and so will your fears
Together we'll face what's ahead
You can believe all that I said,
       As Long As I Live - Preachers From Outer Space

August 30, 2004 - Monday 5:12 p.m.
RAW - Historic Cow Palace - San Francisco, CA 

Dave heard the loud, angry voice of Hurricane before he could see him.  He stopped, cocked his head to the side, and listened, not wanting to rush in before knowing the lay of the land.

"No!"  Hurricane yelled at her, causing her to shrink back away from him.  "You made it very clear how you feel…make that don't feel about me!  I can't possibly see what else you think we have to say to each other!"

"Shane," Tina began.  "I never meant to give you the impression that…"

"Oh save it for someone who gives a damn, Tina!"

He'd heard enough, and came around the corner fighting to control his temper.  "What the hell is going on here?!"

Hurricane turned an angry glare on the Animal of Evolution.  "Just getting dumped, if it matters to you.  Lemme give you a bit of advice, Batista.  Never trust a pretty woman.  They'll fuck you over you every time."  With a final hateful look at Tina, the young wrestler stalked off.

Dave waited until he was out of sight, and turned to look down into Tina's distraught face.  "You okay?"

She nodded shakily.  "Yeah, yeah.  I'm fine."

He pursed his lips.  "I take it that you two are finished, then, huh?"

"We never got started," she said leaning up against the wall.  "That's what I was explaining to Nettie, when he overheard us talking."

"But he thought you did."  Dave observed with a nod, clasping his hands in front of his dark suit.

"Apparently."  She looked up into his eyes.  "Dave, do you think I led him on?"

"That's what he said?"  At her affirmative nod, he sighed.  "You said yourself you didn't promise him anything.  Sound like to me he assumed a lot from just three dates."

Tina made a non-committal sound, looking away.  Of it's own accord, her hand came up to pluck at her bottom lip, a habit that Dave was getting vastly familiar with.  He reached over and pulled her fingers away from her mouth, but didn't release her hand.  She looked back up at him. 

"Do you think I'm leading you on?"

Her question, like so many others with her, came at him out of left field.  He smirked down at her.  "Do you think you are?"

"Who's the psyche major here, anyway?"  Tina grumbled.  "I'm not you, know."

"I know that."  He nodded, still grinning.  "But I'm more mature than he is.  Wiser too, I'd like to think."

"Lord, I'd certainly hope so," she grimaced.  "I just don't like him thinking I did a number on him."

Dave sighed, and slipped an arm around her shoulders.  "Let it go, Tina.  He'll nurse his wounds, play it up a bit to make himself feel better, and then he'll let it go too."

She leaned into his muscular body.  "I guess this is what Nettie meant when she warned me of having problems with the guys backstage.  You don't think he'll start trouble for me?"

"I won't let him," Dave growled, feeling somewhat proprietary.  He squeezed her shoulders.  "Come on; buck up.  You've got a job to do.  One you'd best be getting to, if you want to keep it."

She tilted her head back, turning shining eyes on him.  "Thanks, Dave."

"Anytime."  He smiled at her.  "We're still on for after the show tonight, right?  All of us going out for dinner still sounds good to you?"

"I've just got to change first."  She agreed.  "I'll meet you at the hotel, like we talked about.  Okay?"

He nodded, looking around to make sure they were alone.  He lowered his head to briefly caress her lips with his own, pulling away quickly in case they were seen.  "Looking forward to it.  Now go on, get out of here.  Go be brilliant."

"I'm looking forward to your match tonight.  In those little trunks of yours…very sexy," Tina sassed back at him.  She stepped away from him, and nearly came out of her skin with a squeal as the flat of his hand connected with her backside.

Tina only looked saucily back over her shoulder at him as she sauntered away, a happy smile on her face.  Dave watched her walk away, then breathed in deeply, a rare grin gracing his face as he made his way towards the Evolution dressing room.

Neither of them saw the eyes watching them both from a dark corner of the corridor.  Nor did they hear the whispered, "I thought so." 

~<>~

We should really love each other
In peace and harmony, ooh
Instead, we’re fussing and fighting
And them workin’ iniquity
Why’s this fussing and a-fighting?
I wanna know, lord, I wanna know, I wanna know now
Why’s this cheating and backbiting?
I wanna know, oh, lord, I wanna know now
       Fussin' And Fightin' - Bob Marley

August 30, 2004 - Monday 5:15 p.m.
RAW - Historic Cow Palace - San Francisco, CA 

Lost in her worries over Tina, Nan didn't see the group of WWE talent standing off to the side of the corridor until she was almost on top of them.

"There she is," Rosie called brightly with a sweet smile from where she stood talking to Jericho, Benoit, and Stacy.  Hunter's sister waved her over and wrapped an arm around Nan's shoulders, squeezing her gently.

"How're you holding up, Nan?"  Chris asked, squeezing her hand in his.

The redhead shrugged, tilting her head to the side.  "Okay, I guess.  Lots to take in lately.  I meant to thank you for coming."

Chris smiled at her.  "That's what family," he stressed the word with a smile, "does for each other."

Nan nodded, swallowing against the knot forming in her throat.  Then her eyes fell on Stacy.  She took two ginger steps forward and her friend met her that short distance, embracing her tightly.  Nan returned the hug with one arm, leaning heavily on her cane with the other.

"Thank you for the flowers,"  Nan murmured huskily against Stacy's shoulder.  "Momma really appreciated them.  Daisies are her favorite."

Stacy released her and stepped back.  "I remembered you saying that once.  I'm glad liked them."  The leggy blonde wiped at her eyes, her smile trembling.

"Don't start that or I will too."  Nan cautioned with a half-smile.

"Nan?"  Benoit said softly.  "I'm really…sorry," he hesitated not sure how his condolences would be received by the tempestuous redheaded girlfriend of his enemy.

She stunned him by leaning over and pecking his cheek, squeezing his arm.  "Thank you, Chris."

He looked at her in dumbfounded amazement, as did the rest of them, all of them knowing how much she disliked the former Champion.  Himself included.  "I thought you hated me," he said, giving voice to his thoughts.

"It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind without prior notice," she answered.  "Besides, Buffy here has been working on me."

"Careful there, Faith.  Rumor might get around that you really do have a heart."  Stacy grinned at her.

"If it does, she'll know who to blame," Rosie giggled happily.

Jericho looked over their heads.  "Don't look now, but here comes the man of the hour."

They looked up as a group to see Randy Orton headed right towards where they stood.  He stopped once he reached them, shrugging the Heavyweight Championship belt higher up on his shoulder.  "Guys."

"Hey Sweet Meat," Stacy greeted warmly.

"Hiya Legs."  Randy nodded, his tone serious.  "Ah, guys, mind if I steal Nan away?  Can I talk to you a minute?"

Fixing him with curious eyes, she agreed.  "Sure."  She threw a glance at Stacy, who caught the unspoken request and nodded.

As Nan turned to walk away with Randy, she heard Stacy whisper, "Stick around guys…just in case."

"You think Randy might do something?"  Rosie asked, her eyes wide.

"I hope not," Stacy murmured, keeping watch on the pair walking away.  "Just keep your ears open."

Randy stopped once they were about fifteen feet away.  He shuffled his feet and scratched the back of his head.  To most, he appeared very handsome and on top of the world in his mustard colored suit with the gold slung over one shoulder.  But that's not what Nan saw.  She wouldn't deny that he was handsome or at the pinnacle of the business currently.  She just didn't see his looks right now, as always looking deeper, beneath the façade that all of the talent wore from time to time.  He looked uncomfortable, nervous, maybe a little scared, and a lot lost.  But she also saw an arrogant, green kid, way in over his head, even if he didn't see how deep he was in it yet.  She likened him to a fledgling bird having been kicked out of the nest to see if he would fly or be devoured by the lions that prowled around the trunk of the tree.  Only, in this case, the lions that paced around, waiting for him to fall, were the same ones that raised him, nurtured him, and taught him how to fly in the first place.  A very precarious position young Orton was in, and she wondered if even he knew how much danger surrounded him.

"You wanted to talk to me?"  She queried.

"Uh…yeah.  I wanted to tell you how sor…"

"Please don't," she interrupted him with an exhaled sigh.  "I appreciate it all the same, really.  But if I have to hear one more expression of sympathy right now, no matter how sincere, I swear I'll go postal and take half the arena with me."

Randy quirked a toothy grin at her.  "Would it make you feel better then,  if I told you to fuck off?"

"It might," Nan laughed.

He chuckled with her, then sobered again.  "I understand Tina's now working with us.  That's gotta be freaking' you out a little."

"Try a lot."  Nan's mouth turned down at the corners.  "But she's gotta fly sometime.  At least this way, I can be close at hand should she crash and burn."

"Want me to keep an eye out for her?"  Randy surprised her by offering.  "I mean, should she run into any trouble."

Nan cocked her head to the side, her eyes narrowing at the thought that just wormed it's way into her brain.  Oh dear Lord, please tell me I'm wrong.  I won't mind.  Really.  Instead, she just nodded warily.  "Yeah, if it wouldn't put you out."

He grinned at her.  "Nah, not at all.  She's a good kid."

Feeling an icy ball forming in her stomach at the idea of what Hunter was going to do if she did turn out to be right about this, Nan studied Randy for a moment before saying, "But that's not what you wanted to talk to me about.  Was it?"

Randy shook his head.  "No, not really.  I guess I also wanted to touch base and make sure that we were okay.  You know…still friends?  In spite of…everything."

She sighed.  She loved Hunter desperately.  But as much as she loved him, she hated being caught in the middle like this.  "That really depends on you, Killer."

Randy's eyes narrowed.  "How do you figure?"

Nan eyed him curiously.  She'd suspected a while back that young Orton was having a bit of difficulty  in separating the business from his real life.  So many of the newer wrestlers did when they were first breaking into it.  At least, until they grew into their leads, as her grandpa used to say.  It kind of surprised her that Randy would be having this problem, knowing just how much of what the talent did and said was for the fans and cameras, and how much wasn't.  She would have thought that Hunter would have taught him that.  Or maybe Naitch.  After all, they'd both taught Dave that valuable lesson, hadn't they?

"Hunter doesn't dictate who I can be friends with, Randy," she answered softly.

He snorted like he didn't believe her.  "You expect me to buy that?"

"It's the truth."

"It's a load of crap and we both know it," the young champion argued.

Nan's brows furrowed, feeling that itching sensation at the back of her eyes that she always got whenever she was about to get into a hell of a fight.  "Care to explain that one, Killer?"

"Oh, come on, Nan!"  Randy rolled his eyes.  "You can't possibly be that naïve.  I've seen the way he controls your every move.  Where you go; what you do; and yes, Nan, even who you're friends with.  Why, even Shawn - "

"You leave Shawn out of this," Nan hissed, feeling her grip on her temper start to slip through her fingers.

"Why, Nan?  Afraid of hearing the truth?"

Gritting her teeth, forcing herself to calm down,  she cut her eyes at him.  "If you believe that, then it's obvious you wouldn't know the truth if it walked up and bit you on your arrogant ass."

"Arrogant?  You're calling me arrogant?"  He protested, his eyes going wide.  "Oh, that's right.  You would know arrogance when you saw it, considering you go to sleep with it every night."

"I would have said that you were an ungrateful, cocky, disrespectful little shit, but I figured you'd take exception to that!" 

~<>~

I never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
never cared for what they say
never cared for games they play
never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
and I know
So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters
       Nothing Else Matters - Metallica

August 30, 2004 - Monday 5:19 p.m. EST
RAW - Historic Cow Palace - San Francisco, CA 

Hunter tapped the engraved invitation against his fingertips, prowling his dressing room while he waited for Naitch and Dave to return.  He'd sent Naitch to go find Nan, and Dave had called saying he was on his way.  He looked down at the invitation again.  His first and immediate reaction was to chunk it into the trash, like he'd done for the past two years when he'd received it.

But this time he hesitated.  If he were going to go through with his plans, this might be just the introduction he was looking for.  On the other hand, it could open up a whole different can of worms, too.  He hated making decisions like this.  Big ones never even broke his stride, but trivial shit like this tripped him up damn near every time.

He'd been neglecting her.  That's what she'd accused him of in the airport three days ago.  He knew she'd said it flippantly, joking about their lack of intimacy since her surgery.  But he had to wonder if there wasn't some truth to it...on a grander scale.

They'd never had the normal beginnings of a relationship.  Most couples, he assumed, met, got to know each other, dated, had sex like crazed party weasels, then eventually either moved in with each other or got married.  Not them, Hunter thought, tapping the invitation against his leg as he paced.  No, they'd done things a little out of order.

She'd fallen in love with him first.  Sorta.  Then they'd met.  He'd married Stephanie and Nan had hooked up with Y2J.  It had taken them almost four years to get around to the getting-to-know-you part.  She'd fallen even deeper for him, and this time he'd done the same.  He'd still been married, and she was dating Kane.  But in the course of a little over a month after his return, she'd broken up with Kane and he'd divorced his wife.  They'd moved in together only seven months after the night she'd first told him she loved him.  And they'd been together ever since. 

Their early days hadn't gone the normal route, no.  Yet, Hunter thought to himself, maybe that's what made them stick together so well.  They'd had to fight to be together.  Fight with his ex-wife, and her ex-boyfriends.  Fight his job and hers.  Fight his friends who thought he was making a career killing mistake, and those of hers who were certain she'd just earned herself a broken heart.  Not to mention the six hundred miles apart that they lived.  They'd fought everyone and everything, and they'd done it side by side. 

They'd proved them all wrong by still being together.  Yeah, okay so he shoved his own head up his ass for almost a month back in July.  And she'd not helped by letting her fears get the better of her and running away.  But they'd come through it, with the help of a wonderfully meddlesome friend. 

She'd been right about him neglecting her.  But not in the way she'd meant.  Sort of.  He grinned.  He, to use an archaic term, had never courted her.  They'd never had the time.  But, that was about to change.  If she thought he didn't have a romantic streak, she was in for one hell of a surprise.  He just wished he'd not waited so damn long.  Yet, at the same time, he was glad he hadn't been able to properly date her. 

He was convinced that was part of the reason they'd been able to make it.  Their non-conventional beginnings had given them the strength it took to be together.  Cause, God knew he wasn't easy to live with.  And she was no prizewinner in that arena either.  But they'd done it.  And just maybe, because they'd had to find strength and support in each other since so many were against them, with very few exceptions, it made them a little stronger than most couples they knew.

Nan needed a little spoiling, he thought.  His gaze gravitated back down to the ivory and gold placard in his hand.  Nodding to himself, he crossed the room and slipped it inside his suit coat pocket, making a mental note to send their RSVP in the affirmative.  Yeah, she needing some spoiling, some romance, and this might be the way to start.  But if he really were going to do this, he was going to do it his way. 

Retrieving his cell from his bag, he flipped it open and made a call.  It rang twice, and he grinned at the surly barked greeting.  "Jesus, man, can't you answer the phone like a normal human fuckin' being or is it completely against your nature?"

"What the hell do you want," the deep voice rumbled on the other end of the line.  "I got things I'm doin'."

Hunter laughed.  "What's her name?"

"Hang on."  His friend mumbled something Hunter couldn't hear, and he heard a high pitched voice giggle something in response.  Then came back to the phone.  "Chastity, if you can fuckin' believe that."

"Ha!"  Hunter exploded in laughter.  "Give it up, man.  You ain't getting' any from a chick with a name like that."

"Oh, I dunno," the voice rumbled again.  "I'm hoping it's a major misnomer."

"Good luck.  Listen," Hunter cleared his throat.  "I got a first class ticket with your name on it if you can be here Tuesday-week.  September seventh.  That work for you?"  Shit, that was their anniversary, Hunter thought, then grinned only wider.  Perfect.

"Yeah…yeah that works…oh.  Say, mind if I bring a friend?  Can you make it two tickets?"

Hunter rolled his eyes.  "Whatever, man.  But if they don't get along, it's on your head.  Not mine.  You know how Nan is."

"Do I ever," the other man chuckled.  "No worries there.  She'll like this guest.  Guaranteed.  How long am I stayin'?"

"Through Unforgiven, if you can."

There was a moment's silence, broken only by the flipping of paper.  "Yeah.  But I'll have to leave by the following Tuesday, latest."

"Got a hot date?"

"Smartass," the caller grumbled.  "No, I've got a month long engagement in Japan."

Hunter's eyes widened.  "No shit!  Congrats, man.  Long time comin'."

"Yeah, it'll be nice to kick some ass again."

"No doubt.  No doubt," Hunter agreed, his eyes falling on his suit coat.  "Oh, yeah.  And make sure you pack your tux."

"Why the fuck do I need my tux in Japan?"

"No, dipshit.  For the night before Unforgiven.  The eleventh?"

The other man groaned.  "Goddamn, you're actually gonna drag me to that horse and pony show?  I thought you hated those damn things."

"I do.  But I'm doin' it as a surprise for Nan.  And you don't wanna miss it."

"Do I get to dance with her or are you gonna slug me, again?"

Hunter laughed again.  "I may slug you out of principle.  But yeah, you show up in Black Tie and you can dance with her.  Once."

"Runt, you sure this is a good idea?  I mean, I was canned at the beginning of this year.  That damn thing is for employees and their families only.  What's Vinney Mac gonna say?"

"Since when do you give a rat's ass what McMahon says?  So we'll get you a date and make it all respectable."  Hunter argued. 

"I'll get my own damn date, thank you very much.  I don't put it past you to set me up with Mae Young."

"Now that you mention it, I think she is available.  Want me to call her for ya?"

"Fuck off, Helmsley.  I'll see you on the seventh."

Grinning, Hunter agreed.  "I'll pick you up at the airport.  And don't tell her you're comin'.  Surprise, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah…I got it.  Can I go back to what I was doin' now??"

"Later, ya horny bastard."

"Always."

Still chuckling, Hunter closed his flip phone, and began to change into his ring gear. 

~<>~

You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim
       Don't Mess Around With Jim - Jim Croce

August 30, 2004 - Monday 5:21 p.m. EST
RAW - Historic Cow Palace - San Francisco, CA 

As their voices grew louder and their words more heated, Stacy motioned the others to move a little closer in case things got out of hand.  "He doesn't need to be doing this," she murmured frowning.

"I know that look," Jericho commented.  "She's getting close to losing it."

"Think she'll do something she'll regret?"  Benoit asked, letting the implications of his question hang in the air.

Jericho rubbed his jaw in memory.  "Easily."

"Ungrateful?!"  Randy yelled, his temper up now too.  "What the hell do I have to be grateful to that bastard for?!  What has that asshole done that I should offer him even one once of respect?!"

"Got you where you are today!"  Nan yelled back.  "When you came to RAW, you were a mid-card talent, still wet behind the ears and tripping over your own damn feet.  But Hunter saw something in you and took you under his tutelage.  Without him, the Legend Killer never would have been and you'd still be getting lost in the shuffle on Heat!"

Her upper lip curled back in a sneer, the grip on her temper completely gone.  "See, that's the difference between you and Hunter, Randy.  You waited for someone to do it for you.  To make you a star.  That bastard is the one who did it for you.  But he didn't wait for anyone.  That asshole did it on his own!"

Randy loomed up to his full height and snarled at her.  "For God's sake!  Will you wake up and see him for what he really is for once in your life!  A manipulative bastard who'll fuck over anyone who gets in his way.  He never earned a damn thing!" 

Nan looked at him like he'd just landed from another planet.  "I knew you were young, but I didn't realize that was synonymous with stupid, too!  With or without that belt, he's at the top of this business, through his own talent and effort." 

"Hunter's where he's at because he rode on Shawn Michaels' coat tails!  His, and Kevin Nash's!"  Randy informed her, anger flushing his cheeks.

"After the Curtain Call, Hunter and Shawn couldn't ride together.  They couldn't talk or even be friendly with each other without fear of Hunter losing his job!  Yet, they remained friends and went on to found DX, a stable that is rivaled only by Evolution.  Another group he formed!"

Randy blew out a breath.  "Ancient history, Nan.  Hunter's only at the top of this business because he's been handed everything he's gotten."

"Let me tell you something about ancient history, Orton. "  She began, her eyes narrowing.  "You're right, but only partly.  They did hand him something.  You know what they handed him, Randy?"

At his negative headshake, she took a step forward and her voice dropped to an icy pitch.  "Shit.  That's what they handed him.  Mounds and piles of shit.  After the Curtain Call,  they did everything they could to fuck with him.  To make him quit.  They gave him the worst matches possible.  Lame referees.  Booked him against guys he had to carry, and then made him lose to them.  They took him out of main events and put him in the opening card matches.  They cut all of his angles on TV, and stopped any hopes he had of titles or belts.  He was held back in the worst possible way.  In Your House.  Nineteen ninety-six.  Hunter versus Hillbilly Jim.  And they forced garbage down his throat!  Wet, rotting garbage!"

Her chest heaving, her face frighteningly pale, she continued seething.  "That's what they handed him, Randy.  But he took it.  He took all that heat, stuffed it down inside, and used it to fuel his fire.  And he became a star in spite of them."

"Humph."  Randy snorted, not impressed.  "Marrying the boss' daughter sure helped a hell of a lot."

Exercising a control she didn't know she had to keep from slugging the piss out of the younger man, Nan answered, "Yes.  He did marry the boss' daughter - an act which set off a level of hell you can't even begin to fathom."

"Oh yeah, real hell.  A hell so horrible that twice, while you were off in Florida with Nash, Hunter came to the arenas with Steph!" 

Stacy hissed in a whispered breath.  "Oh, Randy.  Don't do this."

"Stay out of this, Legs."  Randy warned her with a glance.  "This doesn't concern you."  He turned his sneering gaze back on the redhead.  "I bet he didn't tell you that.  Did he, Nan?  Uh-oh.  Looks like trouble in paradise.  Not so heroic, now, is he?"

Nan just stared at him, feeling like she'd taken a blow to the stomach.  "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"The World Heavyweight Champion!"  Randy bellowed.  "And I think I'm due for a little respect!"

"Respect is earned, boy!"  Nan retorted, backing up before she did something she'd regret later.  "And you've earned exactly jack-shit from me!  Now I'm sorry as all hell that someone licked all the red off your lolly.  But take Benoit's advice, boy.  Grow the fuck up!  Stop your crying and whining.  And be a man!"

"Hey, hey," Jericho rushed up to them, with Rosie in tow.  "Let's all just calm down.  Come on, Nan.  Let's get you out of here."  He wrapped an arm around Nan's shoulders, intending to lead her away.  But Randy's voice stopped them.

So angry he was shaking, and more than a little embarrassed at her dressing down, he did something many young men would have done.  Spoke without stopping to think first.  "A boy am I?!  Well, you'd better pick out Hunter's tombstone, Nan.  Because come Unforgiven, this boy is gonna bury your man!"

If she hadn't been so angry.  If she hadn't already been at the breaking point with her nerves.  If she hadn't already pushed her stress levels through the roof with Tina's new job.  If Vince hadn't caught her off guard.  If Randy hadn't just said all of those nasty things about Hunter after he'd spent the past week begin so strong and so very sweet to her.  If she hadn't buried her heart once before.  If she hadn't just buried her uncle.  If she hadn't ever known what it felt like to pick out a tombstone for someone she loved.  If he hadn't tapped into her biggest fear - of losing Hunter.

If she hadn't…

If she hadn't…

If she hadn't…

But she had.

The sound, like the crack of a gunshot, brought Ric Flair sliding around the corner on the slick bottoms of his Italian shoes, just in time to see Randy Orton stagger back a pace, catching himself on the catering table behind him. 

Benoit, Kiebler, Jericho, and Hunter's sister all stood by, their eyes wide as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.  Not quite sure himself, Ric cast a glance Orton's way, his own blue eyes widening at the angry red hand-print shinning on his cheek.  Whoever had hit him had done it so hard that the print was still white around the edges.  Then he saw Nan standing before the young champion, trembling.

She'd hit him.  She'd actually slapped the prick.  He debated for a moment if he should step in or not.  Part of him was quite happy with the thought of watching her beat the little shit half-to death with her cane, if she wanted to.  But at the same time…if Orton were stupid enough to take a swing at her, then Rick would spend the rest of the night scraping what was left of Orton - and himself - off the arena walls once Hunter found out.

Ric caught sight of Nan's white face, no color save for two bright spots of red on her cheeks.  She was so mad, her dark brown eyes had turned black in her wrath.  Or sadness; he couldn't really tell which.  But Nan made his decision on whether to step in or not.  She shocked everyone by doing something extraordinarily rare for her.  She took a step forward and raised her hand to strike him again, and suddenly burst into tears.  And not the quiet, dainty kind either.

No, these tears sounded more like screams being torn from her soul.  She sobbed loudly, brutal sounds emanating from her throat, a river of tears flowing down both cheeks.  All of them stood in stunned silence at never having seen her crack like this before.

The sight of her flinging an arm around her middle and starting to gasp for air galvanized them into action, with Stacy leading the way by rushing up to her.

"Oh oh oh, honey, no."  Stacy murmured, wrapping both her arms around her friend.  But Nan didn't register her presence, continuing to cry, gasping as the horrible noises grew worse.

Perhaps out of contrition or maybe even out of the instinctive desire to save his own hide, Randy started towards the women, but found himself pinned to the wall, with Jericho on one side and Benoit on the other.

"Hold up there, Junior!"  Jericho growled.

"Let go of me, man!"  Randy yelled.

Benoit pushed in a little harder against the champion's struggles.  "Don't you think you've done enough?!"

Agonizing, watching Nan melt down against Stacy, and Chris practically shoving Randy through the wall, Rosie blurted out, "I'm gonna go get Hunter!"

"No!"  Ric yelled.  "I'll take her."  He turned calm eyes on Stacy's distrustful gaze. 

"Stacy," he said quietly, holding out his arms.

They shared a tense moment as Stacy stared at the wrestling veteran, debating.  She finally nodded and relinquished her protective hold on her shaking friend.  "Honey, go with Ric.  And I'll come see you later, okay?"

"Come on, Sunshine," Ric murmured soothingly as Nan didn't answer.  "Let's get you somewhere a little more quiet."  He wrapped an arm around the still crying woman, leading her away from them and down the corridor towards the Evolution dressing room.

Once they were out of sight, Benoit and Jericho released Randy.  He pushed himself off the wall, shoving  away from them.  Before he could get far, Rosie walked right up to him.

"What the hell is wrong with you!"

"With me?!  She's the one who just came unglued!"

"Yeah, and you pushed her to it, saying all those horrible things about my brother when you of all people know what he means to her!"  Rosie vibrated in place with her anger.

Randy busied himself with straightening his jacket and repositioning the belt on his shoulder.  "Well, she needs to wake up.  See what he's really like," he grumbled.

"You self-consumed little prig!"  Rosie swore.  "You are one Tae-Bo class away from an arse kicking!"

"You wanna kick my ass, Rosie?  Well get in line!"

Jericho stepped up between them, going nose to nose with Randy.  "The line forms behind me."

"Stop it!"  Stacy yelled, throwing her hands into the air.  "Just stop it!  All of you!  This is ridiculous!"

Randy smoothed his shirt and smirked at them.  "Thanks, Legs."

"Oh, shut the fuck up, Randy!"  She snarled at him.  "You're the one who started this shit in the first place!"

"Me?!"  Randy's mouth dropped open.  He pointed in the direction Ric and Nan had taken.  "She…"

"Was just defending the man she loves."  Benoit interrupted.  "Your mouth is writing checks your ass can't cash, kid.  Jesus, Randy.  You don't tug on Superman's cape and you damn sure don't do it in front of Lois Lane."

"He's not fuckin' Superman!"  Randy protested vehemently.

"But to her, he is," Rosie pointed out, calming down somewhat.

"Oh gimme a break!"

"She never did anything but stand by you."  Stacy crossed her arms over her chest, frowning at him.  "She just buried her uncle and you just threatened to bury her lover.  I can't believe you'd say something so cruel."  Pinning him into place with a disappointed stare for a brief moment, Stacy turned on her spindly heels and stalked away.

With a disgusted noise, Rosie and Chris did the same, leaving the young champion alone with Benoit.  Randy turned to sneer at him.  "Got something you wanna say to me, Crippler?"

"Only this," Benoit bit out.  "Your fight is with Triple H.  Not his girlfriend.  He's already on your bad side for standing up to him.  And by going after her, even in a moment of angry stupidity, you just doubled his ammunition.  You've got a lot of enemies around here, Randy.  Are you sure you wanna add her to that list?"

Benoit walked away, leaving the youngest Heavyweight Champion in WWE history alone to ponder his words. 

~<>~

I’ve got the sun in the morning
I’ve got the moon at night
I’ve got your arms around me, everything’s alright
Hold me real tight is how I’d like to spend
The, the rest of my life
Got to know that I want you baby
Got to know that I need you darling
I just want to say you’re my everything
       You're My Everything - Anita Baker

August 30, 2004 - Monday 5:30 p.m. EST
RAW - Historic Cow Palace - San Francisco, CA 

Dave and Hunter spun around as the door burst open, and Ric came through it, all but carrying Nan with him.  Hunter quickly crossed the room to them.  "Baby, what's wrong?"

Nan didn't answer.  Instead, dropping her cane, she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his chest, her quieted cries starting up all over again.  Hunter maneuvered them backward to sit down on the low couch.  He pulled her up onto his lap, holding her snugly against him as she cried.  While he thought he knew what was going on with her, that something had triggered the grief and stress she'd bottled up since her uncle's death, he still couldn't help but wonder what had caused it.

Dave moved over and picked up Nan's discarded cane, rolling the hand carved dark wood between his hands as he settled onto the arm of one of the chairs, with Naitch right beside him.

After a few minutes, once her cries had softened considerably, Hunter looked up at the Nature Boy.  "What happened, Naitch?"

Ric shrugged, waiving his hands in the air.  "No idea, Champ.  All I know is, she slugged the shit out of Orton and then started crying."

Hunter blinked at him.  "Orton."

"Orton."  Ric nodded.

"She hit him,"  Dave rumbled.

"Slapped the taste out of his mouth," Ric confirmed with a nod.

Hunter's brows furrowed.  "And that made her cry??" 

~<>~

I've seen a look of evil in your eyes
You've been filling me all full of lies
Sorrow will not change your shameful deeds
Do well best, someone else has better seen
Evil woman, don't you play your games with me
       Evil Woman - Black Sabbath

August 30, 2004 - Monday 8:54 p.m. EST
Hilltop - Helmsley Estate - Greenwich, CT 

Mary Katherine Hearst-Helmsley, Kit to her social set, sat gracefully behind the antique mahogany desk of her private study, calmly flipping through the thick folder that the courier from her lawyer had dropped off earlier that day.  When she'd received notice from the bank that her son had removed a very significant piece of jewelry from his safety-deposit box, she'd gone straight to her attorney's office and had them hire a private investigator to turn up everything they could find on the current woman in her son's life.  With a sour expression on her beautiful face, she clucked her tongue every time she read a page. 

A soft knock fell on the door to her study.  Without even looking up, she answered, "Come in, Maria."

The Hispanic housekeeper walked in quietly, pushing a cart laden with a selection of fruit and cheeses, as well as a silver coffee server, cream and sugar, and a single china cup and saucer.  Without being told, she poured the coffee and added the cream and sugar, stirring it so that the spoon didn't make a sound.  Once she was done, she backed up.  "Your coffee, Mrs. Hearst-Helmsley."

"Open the armoire, Maria.  Set the television to channel forty-one.  But leave the volume turned down."

"Yes, ma'am."  The housekeeper did as instructed, and brought the remote control over to lay it on the cart beside the coffee server.

"That will be all, Maria.  For the night, I think.  You may clear away the cart in the morning."  Kit answered dismissively, not sparing the woman a glance.

"Thank you ma'am."  As quietly as she entered, she also left, shutting the door softly behind her.

Kit reached over and took a sip of the bitter brew, and set the cup back on the saucer, her light brown eyes never leaving the page she was reading.  She made a mental list of what she'd found so far as she flipped the pages. 

Born and raised in North Carolina.  "Wonderful.  A barefoot redneck."

Flip.

Educated in private schools until she'd gone to two different public colleges.  "Probably couldn't get into a respectable university," Kit sneered.

Flip.

Engaged to marry a police officer and Desert Storm veteran, only to cancel the wedding, the night before.  Lived with him for six years outside of marriage, only to have the young man die in 1999.  "Ugh…" Kit frowned. 

Flip.

Inherited The Harrell Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina upon the death of her Grandfather, and ran it until the Summer of 2002.  "A common blue-collar worker.  Lovely."

Flip.

Was involved for a year and four months with one Chris "Y2J" Jericho, a wrestler, and then for six months with another wrestler only known as Kane.  "At least you're confining your exploits to just one company."

Flip.

Moved to Connecticut in the Fall of 2002 to live with one Hunter Hearst Helmsley.  There weren't words to describe the sickness she felt at that bit of information.

Flip.

Wrote for Every Day Living Magazine up until last week when she was terminated via telephone.  Reason for termination unavailable due to court order.  "Got caught dipping your fingers into the company till, did you?"  Kit murmured.

Flip.

Traveled to North Carolina for the death of her uncle, Colonel Wesley James Harrell of the United States Airforce, just getting back to Connecticut this past Friday.  And there was a picture.  She lifted the photograph out of the folder wanting to get a good look at the woman who was currently ruining her son's life.  The picture clearly showed Hunter standing beside a woman with long red hair at a gravesite.  He had one arm around her waist protectively, practically supporting the woman leaning on a pair of crutches.  "And she's crippled to boot.  Just wonderful."

Disgusted, she closed the folder, leaning back in her chair.  She looked over at the picture of her son on the desk.  "I cannot believe you left that delightfully well-bred woman you married for…this!"  She picked up the folder off the desk and shoved it into a drawer, slamming it shut, not seeing the piece of paper that slid out of the folder and fell to the floor.

A flash from the television caught her eye, and she looked up, to point the remote at it, turning up the volume.  The noise was raucous, the crowd screaming in a frenzy as fireworks went off in the building. 

An uncultured voice called out, "And welcome ladies and gentlemen to Monday Night RAW!  We are live tonight from the historic Cow Palace in San Francisco, California!"

Immediately loud trashy music, if it could be called music, Kit sneered, started up, and three men strode out onto a metal platform.  She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing at the man in the middle, her son.  Kit's lip curling back in disgust.  She watched him strut down the ramp leading to the ring, wearing only a black T-shirt with a skull with long red hair on it, and a pair of tight black underwear, as well as pads and boots. 

Hunter motioned for a microphone, and she trained her ears on the television, not wanting to miss a moment of what intelligent discourse might come out of his mouth.  "Let me clarify some things!  You see what's standing in this ring right now?  This is Evolution!  You know why this exists, huh?  Do you know why this unit exists?  Because I made it so!  My thought!  My heart!  My sweat!  My blood made this what it is today.  You'd don't believe it?  Just ask around.  Ask him," he pointed to the old man.  "Ask Ric Flair.  Better yet…better yet, don't ask him.  Read the book!  He'll tell you where I stand!

"So this is what you've degenerated into, Hunter," she murmured to the empty room automatically tuning out his ravings.  "A complete barbarian, cavorting with old men, and tattooed freaks of nature.  I am so proud."

He had her hair and her eyes, but everything else about him was his father made over, and it turned her stomach.  She'd never wanted a boy, but she'd done her best by him.  From the moment the doctor had laid that screaming, red-faced worm-like bundle in her arms - she fought a shudder at the memory - she'd tried to make sure he'd rise above his father's genetics.  And the male species in general.  Educated him in the best private schools.  Instructed him in the fine arts…literature, art, music, etiquette, and social grace.  And this was how he repaid her.  By denigrating himself on television, rolling around in a wrestling ring like a common, sweating, beer-swilling hoodlum.

Hunter's voice pulled her attention back to the television set.  "And how do you repay me, Orton?  You spit in my face.  That's how you repay me, Orton?!  Something no one has ever done before and something nobody will ever do again!  Now Orton, I taught you a lot of things!  I made you and I will break you, Randy Orton!"

"Still blaming others for your own indiscretions, Hunter?  I'm disappointed.  I thought perhaps I'd succeeded in teaching you to take responsibility for your actions."  Caught off guard, she heard her own words echoing back to her, as her son continued to rage into the microphone. 

"I brought you into this world and I will take you out of this world!  So remember everything I taught you, Randy.  But remember to be a man.  Don't hide in the back.  Don't cower with your tail between your legs.  You chose this path!  You chose this destiny!  So come to this ring and face the consequences of your actions, and do it like a man, Orton!"

Kit closed her eyes.  For a moment, she saw a broken Chinese vase in the main hall and a baseball laying nearby, with a six year old Hunter no where in sight.  She saw herself stomping through the house, looking for him, saying almost the same things.

How many times have I told you not to play ball in the house?!  I brought you into this world Hunter Hearst Helmsley!  And by God, I will take you out of it just as easily!  What did I tell you would happen the next time you did this?  But you didn't listen, did you Hunter?  No, you never do!

She finally found him, hiding under the bed in his room.  In a rage, she flipped the mattress off the bed and dragged him screaming up through the slats of the bed frame, through his room, and back down the staircase, lecturing him the entire way.

  Don't you ever hide from me, young man!  Don't cower with your tail between your legs.  You chose this path!  So you will come downstairs and face the consequences of your actions!

She opened her eyes, feeling now as she had at the time.  Absolutely no remorse and completely justified in what had taken place afterwards.  "At least you remember something I tried to teach you."

She looked back up at the television to see a handsome young man in a mustard colored suit smiling at her son, telling him thank you for everything he'd taught him, then going on to say that Hunter hadn't gotten nothing out of their mutual agreement.  Disgusted with the entire evening, its revelations, and with what her son had become, she switched off the set.

She got up to leave the room and noticed the paper that had fallen from the folder.  Leaning over, she picked it up, and skimmed the contents, her eyes widening.  She read it again to make sure she was seeing this correctly.  She was.

It the worst information of all about the woman Hunter lived with, as far Kit was concerned.  But not entirely surprising either, given her background and upbringing. 

Gave birth to a child out of wedlock at age fifteen and put said child up for adoption.  Adoption records sealed.

"How very interesting," she hummed, sitting back down in her chair. 

<End>
 

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