06 May 2002

'Hunter?'

Hunter turned around, and was surprised to see Linda McMahon. He nodded curtly. 'Linda.'

She smiled gently at him. 'It's been awhile. How are you?'

'I don't mean to be rude, but what can I help you with?' he asked, ignoring her question.

Linda bit her lip. 'Alright then. I've noticed that in the past nine months, things haven't been quite the same with you. It's because of my daughter, isn't it?'

Hunter laughed without humour. 'Not everything begins and ends with Stephanie. She has absolutely-'

'I got a letter from her this morning.'

He froze, heart suddenly pounding. It wasn't the reaction he wanted, and he forced himself to act nonchalant. He had tried to tell himself time and again that he neither cared, nor wanted, to hear from his estranged wife ever again. 'Well, that's great for you.'

'I just thought you might like to know,' Linda continued, her eyes boring into him.

Hunter felt somewhat uneasy under her gaze. He felt like she could see right through him. 'Thanks, but no thanks.'

He quickly turned and walked into his dressing room, closing the door behind him just in case he suddenly changed his mind. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about Stephanie all these months. He had tried hard to push all thoughts of her away, but everything he did and saw was just a reminder of her.

After she had walked out of the front door nine months ago, Hunter knew he had gone temporarily insane. He had completely demolished the house Stephanie had loved, destroying every ornament and furniture that she had ever touched. But he had fixed and cleaned it all, having bought new home furnishings.

Just then Hunter heard a soft knock on the door, and he automatically opened it. 'Chyna.'

She smiled brightly at him. 'Hey, Hunter.'

He left the door open and walked further into the room. 'What are you doing here?'

'Came to see you, of course.'

He and Chyna had been very close once, and he had believed that she had been the one for him. Till death do them apart, forever and ever, etc etc. But it wasn't to be. They drifted apart, their paths went in opposite directions, but they never truly lost that friendship that had bonded them together in the first place. She hadn't been happy when he married Stephanie, and she had all but ignored him. However, for the past few months, Chyna had started to reach out to him again. Hunter knew that nine months ago he had shut down, had shut out everyone, refusing to let anyone in. Even Chyna. But she persisted.

'Well, you've seen me,' he replied shortly. He lifted his bag onto the couch and started to pull his wresting gear out.

'I just saw Linda, actually,' Chyna continued in a casual tone. 'She told me that she received a letter from Steph today.'

'Yeah, so I heard.' Hunter was surprised at his former love's about-turn regarding Stephanie.

He heard her sigh softly behind him. 'Hunter, I know you, and I know that you have more to say on the matter.'

'Go away, Chyna. This has nothing to do with you.'

'I'm sorry for the way I treated Steph, okay? I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you said you truly did love her.'

Hunter whirled around, furious. 'Damnit, I told you never to say that again!'

Chyna looked at him sadly. 'I hate seeing you like this. You're keeping all these emotions bottled up, and I really don't think it's healthy for you.'

He glared at her. 'Just get out, okay? This has nothing to do with you, not anymore. Get out, before I say something I'll regret.'

'I think you should go after her, or at least-'

'Get. Out.'

Chyna sighed. 'Fine.'

*

07 May 2002

'She's okay, right? Is she coming back home?'

Linda had to smile at Vince's optimism. Ever since they had lost their daughter, he had begun to change. Or rather, he had reverted to the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago. 'She is home, Vince.'

His smile widened. 'Really? Where is she? Why didn't she come see us?'

'Australia is her home for now, and she's not coming back any time soon.'

'Did she say that? Where's the letter?'

'No, she didn't say it. I know my daughter, and I can read between the lines.'

Vince's smile grew sad, and his eyes dropped. 'I wish I could have done things so much more differently, Linda. I think back now to what I said to her, and I could kick my own ass.'

'Papa! Gramma!' a little girl's voice squealed, running into the kitchen where they were having breakfast.

Linda and Vince got large, identical grins on their faces as they stood to greet their bright one year old grand-daughter, Mechelle. 'Chelley!' Linda greeted, scooping the girl up easily and giving her a big hug and kiss.

She handed her to Vince a few moments later, and Linda watched them with affection. Mechelle had been a huge part of Vince's change in attitude. He had swallowed his pride and had apologised numerous times to their son, Shane, just for the chance to be able to be a grandfather.

Linda knew her husband well, and now all that haunted him was their daughter's parting words. 'You are not my father, Vince, and I'm ashamed to call myself a McMahon. I have no father.'

'Hey, Mom,' Shane greeted, walking into the kitchen with his wife, Isabelle, who smiled at her. 'Hey, Pop.'

'Hi, honey,' she smiled back, giving each of them a hug and a kiss. With Stephanie's sudden disappearance, the three remaining McMahons had gotten closer again, all of them missing their youngest.

After all the initial greetings, everyone sat down to a light brunch. As usual, Mechelle was the center of attention. Linda suddenly remembered Stephanie's letter once again, and she mentioned having gotten it yesterday morning.

Isabelle froze as Shane dropped his fork. 'Steph? How…how is she? Where is she?'

Linda put down her own fork more quietly, and smiled at them, filled with mixed emotions. She pulled out the letter from her pocket and showed them. 'I have it right here.'

'Read it, Linda,' Isabelle urged. Vince and Shane were nodding, looking at her eagerly.

'Alright, but it's not all happy news,' she warned, before clearing her throat and reading it out loud. Linda had most of it already committed to memory, having read and re-read it numerous times.

'Chris was dying?' Vince asked in a shocked voice when she finished. 'If only she'd said something…'

'Mom, is there a full return address? Could we visit her? I mean, we should be getting tickets right now, right?' Shane asked, getting excited.

Linda shook her head sadly, knowing exactly how her son felt. 'No full return address on the envelope. She doesn't want to be found yet.'

'I feel so terrible for her,' Isabelle said softly, carefully wiping a tear away. 'All alone in a foreign country at a time like this? Chris having just died, and now with her new baby.'

'I have a grandson,' Vince said in awe.

'She gave him his father's name,' Linda confirmed, her smile widening. Her baby girl had a baby of her own, and she was still trying to believe it. She wanted so much to see him, to hold him. And to be there for her daughter.

She glanced briefly at Mechelle, who was concentrating intensely on playing with her fruits, not having realised that everyone around her were concerned with other things. She loved the little girl, and just looking at her made her want to see her grandson even more.

'What about Hunter?' Isabelle asked, looking at each of them. 'Does he know about this?'

Linda shook her head. 'I tried talking to him last night about it, but he didn't want to listen. I'm not sure he wants to know.'

'But he has a right to know, right? I mean, she did leave him quite suddenly, and with no explanation.'

'I think she would have written him a letter if she wanted to explain,' Shane said. 'I can't believe…I mean all these months, and she told no one. She shouldered it all herself. I can't even begin to imagine all the difficulties she had to go through.'

'She's our girl,' Vince said quietly. 'She's a McMahon. I'm sure she's handling herself just fine.'

*

22 May 2002

Stephanie watched Colby sleeping peacefully, completely oblivious to his mother's anguish. She reached out hesitantly and stroked his fine, blonde hair. 'I love you so much,' she whispered. 'As much as I love your father. I miss…I miss…' She stopped, unable to go on any further as she began to sob softly.

She hurried out of the baby's room, and to her and- No, just hers now.

Stephanie hurried to her bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. She held herself, unable to stop the tears from spilling. It was one month exactly to the day Chris died, and with each day she managed to live through the pain became worse. And now, four weeks later, it was more than she could stand, the pain in her heart becoming a physical ache in her chest. She was finding it hard to breathe.

Stephanie wanted to die, to leave behind a world that was so cruel it would select the one person she loved more than anything, waste him away into nothing and then take him away only one year after she had found him. She wanted to just not exist anymore.

But she knew she couldn't. Chris had left her with someone infinitely precious, and she had to take care of him. Their son needed her, and she was going to be strong. Because there was only the two of them left.

*

11 June 2002

Hunter was walking past Shane's dressing room, and suddenly stopped when he heard Stephanie's name being mentioned. He had been leaving the arena, one of the last wrestlers to do so, and was therefore grateful that no one could see him eavesdropping.

'I know what you mean,' Isabelle, Shane's wife, was saying. 'I wish she'd write again, and soon.'

He heard Shane sigh in frustration. 'I just…I don't want to be saying this, but it was so unfair of her to write once, never tell us where she is, and then just stop again!'

'Shane, I'm sure she's doing fine,' Isabelle soothed. 'You know Steph. She likes to do things her own way, and if she truly needed our help, then she'll ask us.'

'She can be so stubborn! Why doesn't she just come home?'

Isabelle laughed lightly. 'She's a McMahon, what more can I say? But just give her time, okay? Chris just died, and-'

Hunter froze, not hearing any more of their conversation. Chris just died? Jericho was dead? He was unsure of what to think, how to feel. His mind turned to Stephanie, and he had to wonder how she was coping. Maybe-

'Hunter!'

Hunter jumped at the startled voice, and turned to face a surprised looking Shane and Isabelle. He hadn't heard them walking towards him. For a moment, he just stared at his brother-in-law, then abruptly turned away and left.

*

29 July 2002

'What in the hell just happened out there?' Vince raged, slamming the dressing room door shut behind him.

Hunter already felt bad enough as it was, and this was the last thing he needed. 'It was an accident, Vince. I'm sorry!'

'How do you expect me to run a professional business when my top guy doesn't even know how to goddamn wrestle?' It was more statement than a question.

Hunter's eyes flashed as his guilt increased. He knew he was at fault, having been easily suddenly distracted by a woman who had seemed like the mirror image of his estranged wife. Stephanie. But when he had turned his head for a closer look, taking his eyes off his opponent, she wasn't even there. 'Accidents happen, Vince. And this is the first in a very long time, so don't think-'

'Do you realise that the man you just knocked unconscious could die?' Vince interrupted, his own eyes flashing as he glared at him. 'Do you realise how serious this matter is?'

'Of course I do! I may hate the guy, but I didn't want to kill him! In this business, you know things like this can happen!'

Vince said nothing, tightening his lip and narrowing his eyes. 'I don't want to do this, but this has been coming for a long time. Not just your lacklustre attitude in the ring, but your alienation of everyone in the back. It's become a problem.'

Hunter stared at him, unsure of what to say or think. Yet, a small part of him was dying to hear the older man's answer to his question. 'Are you firing me?'

'I'm sorry, Hunter, but it's gone on for too long,' Vince said, his voice hard. 'I tolerated it for as long as I could, but no more. Ever since Steph-'

'Go to hell, Vince,' he spat out. 'That's where you belong.' He picked up his bag, not bothering to change out of his wrestling gear, and stalked out of the arena.

For the last time.