A/N: nothing you recognize is mine (McMahon, Triple H, Shawn, Shane, etc…). Please review…

McMahon hardly slept that night. He went over the plan in his head a thousand times. It would be simple. All he needed to do was wait. Hunter would leave her side eventually, he would blink. That's when he would strike. It was only a matter of time. A smile crept to the corners of Vince's mouth as he fantasized about what he would do when he got his hands on her. Oh she would pay. He hoped he wouldn't have to wait long; his blood was already boiling with rage. As dawn broke, McMahon was sitting on the edge of the hotel bed. Large, powerful hands were clasped tightly around each other and rubbing in tension. His grey pinstriped suit, accented by is gold tie, began to cling to his warming body with the leaking perspiration. With the sun continuing to rise, McMahon grabbed his wallet and phone and adventured to the hotel lobby to search for a cab. Today he was going to watch the couple and see what they were up to, and of course, wait for his chance.

----(another arena in another city)

Shawn paced the empty locker room. He had noticed that Vince had disappeared off of the radar. His assistants were covering for him and maintaining he was around, just keeping to himself from the stress of his daughter. Shawn knew better. The question now, where was he? What was he doing? As Shawn's anxiety hit a new high, Shane walked in to the locker room.

"Shane! Man, where is your father?!"

Shane approached the ball of stress carefully. "Shawn I don't know for sure, but I am worried that he…"

"Figured out she left with Hunter?" Shawn interrupted. "That is what I was afraid of."

"Well, what can we do? You can't leave you are right in the middle of a story, and I don't know if I should leave…someone might tip him off."

Shawn sank into the provided couch in frustration. "We should call Hunter. Tell him what we think."

"Is it worth scaring Imara? She seemed to finally be letting herself open up to Hunter and I would hate to offset that."

"I don't know Shane. I don't know." Shawn looked up at the young McMahon with helpless, confused, sad eyes. Neither man knew what to do. What if Vince really was there and was in fact hiding? However, what if he was in Connecticut near Imara and Hunter?

"Okay, I will see if I can get past the lemmings protecting him and his location, and if I can't find him or find him to in fact have left, then we will call them and tell them what we know and that is it. Okay?"

"Yeah okay. Man, this is screwed up." Shawn covered his emotional face with his hands, breathing deeply.

"Try and have a good show buddy, I will come and find you after." Shane gave Shawn a pat on the shoulder, and in return Shawn smiled at Shane as he left the locker room.

Before leaving to make his entrance to the fans, Shawn blew off some steam by sending a few of the standalone lockers crashing to the ground. He was overwhelmed with emotion and he couldn't take it for much longer, this needed to end.

--(Back in Connecticut)—

"Imara, what about this? It's cute right?" Hunter held up some cartoon riddled shirt covered in pink and purple.

At least he's trying, she smiled. "Um, yes if you are five or six. Hunter, I am too jaded for pinks and purples. I prefer something….like…this!" She held up a dark grey t-shirt with metallic skulls and crossbones over the left shoulder.

"Oh whatever, I give up." He threw up his large arms in a smile. He walked over to the rack Imara was rifling through. She had picked out a few things, but he could tell she was loosing steam. After all, she wasn't a normal girl, she didn't spend her life in malls shopping for the latest fashions, this was foreign to her. "Hey, when we are done at this store you want to go get a drink or something?"

"Yes! This is ridiculous…I hate shopping." She huffed. "Okay, with an offer like that I am going to try these on and get out of here." Imara found her way into the dressing room. She had been trying on clothes all morning. This time was different. In the other rooms she was avoiding the onslaught of mirrors until she was clothed. Imara had little desire to see her wounds, even if they were healing. In this room, she caught a glimpse in the mirror and couldn't help but look. The bruises began to look worse than they were, in that awkward healing phase where everything looks just awful but was indeed better. Her small body was still a mural of blues, greens and purples, but at least she couldn't see anything new and some older marks actually had time to disappear. It was easier to find normal colored skin. She was snapped out of her trance by Hunter's voice outside the room.

"Hey, slow poke, everything okay in there?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry I got tangled in a sleeve, I'll be right out." She quickly dressed herself and walked out, having not tried on a single thing. It didn't matter, she was a good judge of what would fit, she had to be, so she just picked out what she liked, including a one piece swimming suit Hunter insisted she buy, 'just in case'. "Okay, I'm ready let's get out of here, shall we?"

"Yep!"

The couple made their way to a checkout and walked out into the mall. Imara was a sight. For a girl who hated shopping, you couldn't tell. She had bags hanging off of every limb. Hunter just laughed, until she kicked him, then he offered to help. They walked up stairs to the food court which smelled of a potpourri of different foods, some better than others. The duo decided on Orange Julies' and sat down in a spot to watch the ice skaters below. In Imara's world, things were looking better.

--(from across the dept store/mall)--

Look at them. Shopping as if nothing is wrong in the world. He watched as Hunter held up a shirt and as Imara laughed at his attempt at her style. How dare she laugh! She doesn't deserve anything, except for what I am going to give her. Oh what, now she is going to try on those ridiculous things? I can't even believe this. He won't leave her side that sick sonofabitch. God, what is she doing in there, picking her nose? How long does it take to try on some clothes? Oh good, there she is. Of course he had to remind her he was waiting for her lazy ass. Jesus, she was such an idiot. Vince noticed them head for the check out. Stalking them, he moved slowly and quietly behind some other oversized clothing displays. He had been following them all day, through all of the stores. Vince found it unbelievable how Hunter would act to her. Shit, where are they going now? Out of the store huh…no problem. He followed them as they made their way out of the store. If she ever kicked me, that would be the end of her…well this is the end of her. What? Now he is buying her something to drink? She is such a freeloader. She is a McMahon damnit! These two are unbelievable. I can't watch this anymore. I will wait for them at home. This is making me want to throw up. Vince left the two to their drinks and ice skaters. Aware that Hunter had a state of the art alarm system in place, he needed to find an open window. The girl was careless enough, there had to be something left open somewhere.

Mr. McMahon pulled up to the mansion, again. In the day light it had a glow to it from the crisp white paint. When he was done, the house wouldn't sparkle anymore. He ventured around the property carefully examining all of the windows and doors.

Aha! That dumb girl messed up. Her own bedroom window is open enough. McMahon searched for a way up and decided that it would be impossible to sneak up that high without being seen or heard. Damnit, that girl. Teasing me like that! Who does she think she is… Vince continued to inspect the property. No obtainable open windows left him with one option. To hide out back, by the pool, and wait. He did just that. He found an uncomfortable spot in the back near overgrown trees and plants designed to keep prying eyes out of Hunter's back yard. Normally Vince wouldn't have the patience to wait. This time, the only thing keeping him from charging in was the images he had in his mind of everything he wanted to do to her. He imagined her begging for her life while gasping for breath. Images of her throat being crushed from the pressure of his hand almost sent him into bliss, a mental orgasm. This, he was going to enjoy.

----

"Well Imara, it is a little late for lunch and a little early for dinner, but I am hungry. What about you?" Hunter inquired and Imara unpacked her new wardrobe into the shared closet.

"I could eat. I was also thinking maybe someone should get some use out of your pool." Imara gave Hunter a wink.

"Well then, let's go swimming! I'll meet you at the pool in five!" Hunter smiled like a school boy.

Imara wanted to feel comfortable in her own skin. She was tired of hiding in long sleeves and dark jeans. Ultimately, Imara desired to feel normal and that wasn't going to happen unless she took baby steps. She wiggled her way into her new, black suit. It wasn't anything special. It was the 'little black dress' of swimming suits and it accented her curvy figure nicely. Shyness and embarrassment still took over and she coyly wrapped herself in an oversized towel. When she got outside to the pool, she found Hunter flipping off of the diving board like a 12 year old boy. Her laugh forced its way out of her stomach causing her whole body to shake with delight.

"You are ridiculous Hunter! Anyone ever tell you to act your age?!" She hollered his direction.

"Hey Imara…how old would YOU be if you didn't know how old you were? Uh huh, EXACTLY! Right now, today, I'm an adolescent boy, deal with it and jump in!" He splashed her, diving back under the water.

Again, Imara let out a laugh. She dropped her towel and hurriedly cannon balled into the waiting water. It felt wonderful. She began to swim here and there all over the pool, allowing her body to glide through the water. The water rushed over her, and under her. For a while, Imara forgot about her healing wounds and the circumstances that led her to the water. When she popped up, Hunter was waiting, impatiently, to say something.

"Hey, mermaid, the sun is starting to go down, we should go inside, order a pizza." Hunter offered her a towel.

"Yeah, can I stay out for a few more minutes please? This is really nice."

"Yeah, okay but just a few minutes. I will go change and order the pizza, and then I am coming back out and dragging you out of here even if I have to use a fishing net."

Imara responded by diving back underneath the water, splashing Hunter with her feet as she plunged unfathomable depths of the shallow pool.

Hunter made his way inside.

Imara continued to swim pseudo laps along the pool. She had no idea of the man whose moment of opportunity had just presented itself. Imara came up for a final breath of air and was greeted by a hefty, sturdy hand trapping her small head underneath the surface. Imara struggled, flailing her arms and attempting to grasp a hold of the arm confining her. The water made it impossible, her grip consistently slipped. Finally, after what felt eternal, the strong hold was released and instead two brawny hands began dragging her out of the water by her head and neck. Imara struggled to see through her coughing fits spitting up pool water and continuing to fight for breath. Seeing her assailant was no longer necessary when the familiar low rumble ring through her ears.

"Gotcha."