Author's Notes: I know that this story has hit a few highs on the cheese-o-meter and I've tried to control them but the muse of all cheesiness hit in the epilogue. And I couldn't stop it! AAHHHH! Run before the Swiss put holes in you too!

Chapter XXIX: Getting on With Life

Stephanie refused to allow Therese out of the apartment late Monday morning and even threatened to take her crutches if she didn't stay. The blonde complied but attempted to start lunch the minute the other woman was out the door. Stephanie had called for a limo to bring Evan home from the airport in style. She couldn't wait to see his reaction since he was expecting only Therese.

Evan's face showed how tired the kid was from six weeks of camp but his stride showed the relief of returning home. His eyes swept the crowd for Therese who always stood out above most but, on a second glance, his gaze settled on Stephanie. He dropped his luggage and rushed into her outstretched arms. She ruffled his curly hair and exclaimed, "I didn't think you could get any darker. Look at your tan."

"They let us play basketball outside every day, so it just happened," he excitedly explained.

"It makes you look so handsome."

He blushed and starting looking around for his sister. "Where's Therese?"

"She's at home waiting for you, so let's go," Stephanie answered with a smile.

Evan gave her a crooked look and picked up his luggage. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you in the limo."

"You brought a limo for me?" Evan asked with wide eyes.

"Of course, I did," she answered, knowing she had delayed having to answer him.

When they were settled in the vehicle and moving, Stephanie gave him the rundown of what had happened and he rolled his eyes. "Not again," he muttered.

"Not again?"

"It's not the first time," the boy replied, shaking his head. "She's gonna have to quit this job or she won't be so lucky next time."

"I can tell you it'll be a little while before she gets back out there."

"If you were me, you wouldn't want her back out there at all," he stated and looked out the window.

Stephanie wasn't sure how to respond, so she decided to take his mind off it until they arrived home. "So tell me about camp, from start to finish."

Evan had yet to quit talking when he and Stephanie entered the apartment. Therese was lounged across the couch, her face a little pale. "Rese," Evan called and she muttered something, attempting to turn over on the couch. "Rese, you okay?" he said and pushed on her shoulder. She blinked and rubbed the sleep from her eyes to see him.

"Babe," she exclaimed and hugged him to her. "I'm so glad you're home."

"I'm so glad you're okay," he said, his voice choking a little.

"Oh, honey, I'm just fine. Don't worry about me."

"How can I not when you get shot, not once but twice! I don't want you doing this anymore."

"We'll talk about that later," Therese sternly replied but then softened her tone. "I made sandwiches for lunch—"

"You did what!" Both Stephanie and Evan yelled at her.

"I'm not an invalid," she replied. "But if you want to be that way, I'll just sit right here and you can bring me my lunch."

The siblings talked and napped through the rest of the day until RAW. Therese attempted to excuse herself but Evan protested and she couldn't resist his request for her to stay. She didn't want to see Kevin on television. He had made it obvious that he wanted nothing to do with her. Shawn and Stephanie had said nothing, confirming her beliefs. She thought she had seen him when she woke up in the hospital but he was gone when she finally struggled out of the fog of painkillers and her hopes had been dashed. After berating herself for the things she had done wrong Thursday night, Kevin had been all she could think of. How was she supposed to deal with the man she loved not returning her love anymore? She knew he had to be hurting from her lies but if only he would give her the chance to explain… It didn't matter. She would make it through her pity party and throw herself back into work and taking care of Evan. This too shall pass, she told herself constantly.

RAW began with a statement by Vince McMahon that Bischoff had been fired for his insubordinate attitude and that was the last his name was mentioned. The whole affair was swept under the table just like it had been on SmackDown! So little was known about what had happened that the show went as if Stephanie was only absent because she had been run over by A-Train.

Shawn Michaels dropped his bag at Kevin Nash's feet. The taller man looked and gave him a crooked smile and said, "How's it going? Just to let you know, I heard Jericho in the hall running his mouth about you."

"Don't act like nothing's happened," Shawn harshly replied.

"It's the best way to get on with life."

"I can't believe you. I have never met a more stubborn man in my life!"

"Yeah, well…" Kevin said and turned back to his own sports bag.

"Just a couple of weeks ago you wanted her to move in with you," Shawn said, waving his arms. "How many times in your life do you think you're going to a leggy, six-foot blonde fall in love with you because of who you are and not because you're a wrestler?"

"And how am I supposed to make a relationship work with a woman in New York?" Nash asked with a glare, standing up to tower over Shawn. "That's not to mention I don't know what was part of the truth and what was part of the job!"

"You fell in love with the true woman. It's the little stuff on the side that doesn't matter that she had to hide from you."

"Shawn, I don't want to talk about her here. We've got too much to worry about in the form of Jericho and Triple H," he replied, pointing at the lockerroom door.

"This is not over," Shawn said, pointing a finger at Kevin's chest. Somehow, the two banded together against their enemies and, before the night was over, they had been placed in an Elimination Chamber against Chris Jericho, Triple H, Randy Orton, and Goldberg.


Stephanie was settled in Therese's armchair, listening with interest to Evan's suggestions for SmackDown! as the show came on. She had decided to take one more week off. The exhaustion of the past few months had caught up with her and a mini-vacation was needed. She hadn't realized how tired she was from last Thursday's incident until her body had finally stopped moving when they arrived at Therese's apartment. The quaint apartment was so inviting and it felt good to help Therese out instead of worrying about her own self. Another week was needed to relax and formulate a game plan. Bischoff being the mastermind behind all the mess had thrown her off and, when she had lost to Sable, in an essence, she lost to her father.

The show seemed to go well without her. She was impressed that the Undertaker cared to confront her father about what had happened to her at Vengeance. Unfortunately, he never got to as Funaki fetched McMahon to take him to Lesnar who had been laid out with a pipe. The main event was to be Vince versus Brock in a cage match with Kurt Angle as the guest referee. However, it turned out otherwise. Lesnar faked being hurt to attack Kurt and shown himself to be on Vince's side. Stephanie was enraged at her father. First he was obsessed with Hogan and now he had somehow turned one of the most dominant wrestlers to his side. She had to go back next week and battle back against the bastard.

"Evan, tell me what you think about this…" Stephanie began to get his opinion on a few things about the show.


Shawn made it into town Friday afternoon and met up with the three of them shortly after Therese's doctor appointment to have her stitches out. Everything was healing nicely but she still wasn't allowed to fully walk on the leg. None of them broached the subject of Kevin and Therese could see pity in their eyes for her. From their looks, she was a bit grateful to send Stephanie to stay with Shawn for the night.

The brunette lay in his arms, physically satisfied but emotionally disturbed. "Do you think Kevin will lighten up and talk to her?"

"If I know him, he eventually will. I'm gonna beat him if he doesn't."

Stephanie chuckled a little then said, "I'm surprised you took it so well."

"I'm a little hurt that you couldn't trust me with what was going on but it's not worth getting into a fight or losing you over it. That one fight we had was so stupid and I don't want us to go through something like that again," Shawn explained and pulled her close.

"So you won't get in a fight with me over the fact that I'm going back to work to stand up my father. I'm going to put SmackDown! back in order and I'm starting with him."

"He's not afraid to physically hurt you," he pointed out as he raised up to look at her.

"Like I don't know that from past experience. I want you to know my plans because I want your support. I'm gonna need you to listen to me instead of telling me I shouldn't be fighting back,"

Shawn exhaled loudly. "I don't know if I can watch you get hurt."

"Please, Shawn," she pleaded.

"There's no way I can stop you, is there?" She shook her head in response. "I'm not happy about it but, since I have no choice, I'll be here for you because I love you."

"I love you too," she replied and pulled him down for a kiss.

When Shawn left Sunday night, Stephanie sat down with Therese to tell her she would be leaving tomorrow. "You have to do what you have to do," Therese said, surprised at herself for caring that much. "I can't believe this is over."

"I know," Stephanie sighed, "but, I have to go back and even the score."

"Of course, but it's just so weird now."

"Yeah, but we'll keep in touch. Every time we come through town, I'll get you and Evan tickets and backstage passes."

"I can't believe I'm saying this but it's like I'm saying 'goodbye' to my best friend," Therese said with a kidding smile.

Stephanie laughed and hugged the blonde to her. Evan had heard the conversation from the kitchen and edged down beside them on the sofa. The two women opened their arms and pulled him in too.

The next night, the siblings were alone for the first time in three and a half months watching RAW together. Evan nudged Therese on the thigh when Shawn and Kevin were shown on the screen. They were talking about Jericho's challenge to Nash for a hair versus hair match. Therese told herself she could care less about his decision but she was surprised that he took the chance and accepted. When Jericho took the ring and clarified the stipulations as that of Nash losing his hair and Chris losing his goatee, Kevin "nicely" made him agree to the standard hair versus hair match or Chris would lose his right there. It made for a nice giggle and then Evan asked, "Are you still gonna love him if he loses his hair?"

"Babe, I've got bad news."

"You broke up?" Evan asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah," she drew out. "It's complicated and I'm so sorry."

"He'll be back."

"Honey, don't get your hopes up," Therese said and put an arm around his shoulders.


Stephanie took a deep breath when her father began SmackDown! by announcing "the real" Brock Lesnar. She had every intention of starting her show with her presence. The GM made her way through the halls and then asked for her music to be cued. She had never felt better in her life about a decision. Bischoff was out of her hair. He pled innocent at his arraignment and was denied bail, a hopeful sign that he wouldn't see the light of day for some time. The man had caused her more trouble than she had ever imagined and now SmackDown! would win out in the brand wars. Stephanie thought of how she could take the show up that extra notch now RAW would no longer possess without the conniving, back-stabbing, power-hungry, and obviously psychotic idiot.

Smoothing a hand over her blue-jean skirt, the General Manager stepped out from behind the curtain and strutted to the ring with a glare on her face. "Maybe you came out here because you learned your lesson at Vengeance," Vince said with a leering grin.

"Yeah, I learned a lesson at Vengeance, Dad. I learned that you'll send a three hundred and fifty pound monster out to physically abuse your own daughter just so that your little slut could defeat me at Vengeance," Stephanie retorted.

"I had my reasons," he said, attempting to gloss over her comment.

"For your own sick demented amusement…or are you threatened because I have a position of power and you wanted to see if you could make me quit? 'Cause I'm not gonna quit, Dad. Until you fire me or until you listen to reason, I'm going to stand up to you because…as a father to Shane and I and as a husband to my mother, you are a piece of garbage." She carefully regarded Lesnar out of the corner of eye as he leered at her and edged closer and closer. "You're nothing," she shouted in Vince's face.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Are you trying to stand up to me? I don't take that kind of talk from any man alive, much less a woman. You know, I've got to say that you're a terrible disappointment, Stephanie, and maybe I am to you…When I put you in the position of General Manager of SmackDown, I thought for sure I could be proud of you and you would follow in my footsteps…It looks like maybe I made a bad investment, maybe the worse investment of my life. But—oh, no, no, no, that wouldn't be the worse investment, the worst investment of my life was the day I married your mother."

That was too much for Stephanie and she reared back to slap him but Lesnar caught her arm and forced her back before letting go. "So you wanna play rough tonight? You wanna get physical tonight? You accuse me of physical abuse? I'll show you physical abuse. Right here, in this very ring, tonight, you're gonna go one-on-one with the three-hundred and fifty pound A-Train." His music started and then he shouted at her, "That's physical abuse." She knew she must have look like a deer caught in headlights as she tried to digest this news.

Stephanie faced the match with her head up but unfortunately left with her head lying against the Undertaker's shoulder. The pain in her ribs and the throbbing in her head only served to drive her more. She had gotten a piece of Sable, once again showing that the blonde bimbo couldn't stand up to Stephanie's passion for revenge for the havoc the woman had caused in her life. Her father was next on her list. Shane was avenging her mother and now she was avenging WWE. She now had the closest thing to a family she would probably ever have again, along with a wonderful man she was a dating and a great friend that supported. She would stop at nothing. Even if she had to physically duke it out with her father herself, she would not bend to him and quit.


Therese quietly sat on the bench of the church and listened to the soothing tone of the service. She was still having trouble with her thigh and couldn't stand and kneel as much as the liturgy called for. It had been months since she had stepped foot in a church, except for Freddie Blassie's funeral, and she had found herself in the confessional, gushing about everything that had happened in that span and using the time as emotional and spiritual therapy. As the congregants stood to take part in the Eucharist, she reached for the cane that now replaced her crutches and fell into line.

A pair of gold-brown eyes watched her every move. The man had lit two white candles after wandering into the small Catholic church and stood within the shadows of a pillar to watch an age-old service in which he had once devoutly participated in before his mother's death. He had not been to confession and could not in good conscience take communion. When the parishioners queued, his eyes lit on the tallest woman in the line. As she knelt and wobbled, an altar boy rushed over to grasp her arm and steady her. He helped her to stand and walked a few paces holding her elbow before letting go.

Therese was about to sit back down again when she caught sight of Kevin Nash, a man that could not easily blend in anywhere. At first, she thought she was seeing things as she had done the first week after he walked out on her but the image of him never faded. She made her way slowly over while he watched her through down-cast eyes. "What are you doing here?" she whispered and indicated that they move to the narthex so as not to disturb the rest of the service.

"I came to find you."

"You're good."

"I went to your apartment and, when you weren't there, I wasn't sure what to and I kind of wandered in here…" He trailed off, not about to admit that he had lost his nerve to apologize when she wasn't home and was about to get in his car and leave when he noticed the church and realized that he hadn't lit a candle for his parents this year.

"Obviously you know that I live only a block over, so you wanna go to my apartment and talk?"

"Yeah," he answered, glancing down at the floor and then over to her cane, "Do you need some help?"

"You're a little late for the 'help' part," she replied, not meaning for it to sound sarcastic as he held the door open for her.

"I deserved that."

"I didn't mean—"

"It's okay. I've been a little stupid the past couple of weeks," he interrupted and put his hand under her elbow. She started to shake it off but it had been too long since they last touched beyond him spearing her to the ground to take her Beretta away. Therese never expected to see him again. He had made it quite obvious by not getting in touch with her and neither Shawn nor Stephanie said a word about him, implying the same.

"Steph and Evan took care of me and I've still got Evan for another week before he goes back to school. I will be absolutely fine by then."

They lapsed into silence as Therese made slow progress down the sidewalk and into her building. To break the tension, she asked, "So what's with the platinum blonde hair?"

He laughed slightly. "I was trying something different and it didn't go the way I'd planned. Besides, if I lose it next week, no big deal."

"But I thought it was staying right where it is," she said, mocking him with a smile.

"That's my intention," he replied, placing his hand on the open elevator doors to wait for her.

Therese unlocked her apartment door, held it open for Kevin, and then offered him a drink. She left him to wonder around the living room, looking at the many pictures that adorned the room. Most were obviously of her family but there were a few of the four of them with Evan in the middle. A handful lay on one of the small tables and on top of the pile was the picture one of the Anaheim staff took of the two of them at the Stanley Cup play-offs. Shawn had told him more than once that she loved him and that he was never part of the ruse. He still couldn't help but think she was using him to feel out the RAW list of suspects.

When she came back into the room, Kevin took both glasses from her and she swept her arm at the couch, indicating he should take a seat. She settled down in the armchair and propped her injured leg up on the coffee table. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to explain why he was there.

"I came to apologize. I should have at least talked to you instead of just running away."

"Is that an apology for running away too?" Therese asked.

"I'm not one to beat around the bush. I don't know what to do about us. I don't really know you anymore."

She had rehearsed her response to him on many occasions, if there was ever a chance to use it. "I'm still me. I didn't lie to you as much as you think I did. I had to cover my trail to keep anyone from knowing who I really was. I don't live in Atlanta, I didn't go to college with Stephanie, Evan is my brother, I'm not a secretary. But you knew all that before you walked in the door. There's probably nothing else to tell you. What you see is what you get."

"Does that include me?" Kevin asked, holding her gaze.

"I know what you're thinking. I turned you down because I didn't want to have to lie to you but you were quite a persistent devil and before I knew it…I was head over heels. I wanted to tell you the truth and tried to come up with ways to tell you."

He regarded her words for a moment before slowly exhaling, "I don't know."

"What don't you know? Me? I'm not asking you to walk back into my life and everything be the same way it was before all this happened. Not that I wouldn't love for it to be…If you don't want to be with me, fine. If it's because I had to rearrange the truth of who I am to protect Stephanie, then you've got two options. You can kiss my ass for not caring or we can try this again, starting with every white lie I can remember telling."

Kevin's eyes stayed focused on the floor while she lectured and the guilt washed over him. His main intentions were to apologize and get answers to some questions. Subconsciously, he had to do it in person because he wanted to see her and had the hope that she wanted to see him. He set his glass down and rose to take hers before pulling her to her feet.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, caressing her face. "I don't know what else to say—"

"Then don't say anything," she replied. "Just kiss me." His lips descended on hers and she molded her body to his, relishing in the feel of having him back.

Epilogue

The French doors closing caught her attention and Therese yelled into the family room, "Evan, come help me please." When there was no response, she set the ladle down, turned off the stove, and pushed the pot of sauce onto a cold eye. "Evan—" she started, heading out of the kitchen, but her scowl turned into a smile. "You're home early!"

Kevin returned the smile and stepped around his duffle bag that just seen two and a half weeks of travel. "I just couldn't wait so I took another flight," he replied and pulled her into a gentle hug, nuzzling her neck. "How long do you think I can have you before anyone notices I'm home?"

"I don't know," she suggestively replied. "Evan should be home from basketball practice at any minute but with—" The phone ringing interrupted her and she went back to the kitchen where the closest phone was. Glancing at the callerID, she noticed it was the Chairman of WWE. "Hello, Mrs. McMahon-Michaels," she said.

"It's almost been a year. You can quit calling me that," Stephanie said with slight laugh.

"It took you so long to get married, I think I have every right to keep calling you that."

"Here, let me have her," Kevin whispered to Therese and carefully cradled the infant that was asleep on her shoulder.

"How much longer are you on maternity leave with Lily?" Stephanie asked.

"We talked about this last week."

"I just wanted to make sure."

"I've two months more before I go back," the blonde replied, now an employee with the Atlanta training facility of Pendleton's company, much to Evan's relief. "Why do you—" She stopped when Ruby, the usually highly lazy beagle, streaked by with a doll's dress hanging off her fat body. "Watch out," she warned Kevin. He turned in the direction from which the dog came in time to be smacked in the legs by a little brown-headed girl carrying baby booties.

"Daddy!" she shouted and Kevin scooped her up into his only free arm, hugging his two daughters to him.

"Is everything okay?" Stephanie asked.

"Yeah," she answered, "Dinah was attempting to dress Ruby for the second time today."

"I'm gonna wait until I'm as old as you were when you had her. I don't think I can handle one now," the brunette nervously laughed.

"You're almost there now."

"Don't remind me. Besides, I don't think I could handle one and deal with this."

"Deal with what?" Therese asked, a little worried at the sound of Stephanie's voice.

Kevin let Dinah slid down to the floor to take off after the dog again and caressed the blonde peach-fuzz on Lily's head as his wife's face went pale. She looked up at him and whispered, "Eric Bischoff made early parole and Steph got an anonymous letter today."

FINI (sorta)


Author's Notes:
I warned you about the epilogue being bad! If it makes it any better, just pretend that Bischoff got 5-10 years in prison and Kevin and Therese started dating again.

First, I want to say that I'm writing an alternate ending to this story. I kind of wanted the mastermind to be someone else but I knew I would be in a lot of trouble if I did it. So, just for the benefit of my weird muse, I'm writing another ending that begins with the unveiling of the mastermind in chapter 28 and how I think it would unravel with this person at the helm. I'm not planning a sequel at this moment but I did leave it open just in case. It also depends on how many people want to see one.

Second, a BIG, BIG, WHOPPING thanks to all of my reviewers—lila, LeelooJinn, Tari Ciryatan, omarisangel04, AdaMacada, karisma, Jennifer Hyacinth, sugarshanesgirl, MutantXHottie, Shannon 1979, Jess 420, Latisha C, CenasHott, AngelRose82, Rawemotion, cerebralgoddess18, and y2Julia. I couldn't have done it without all of you, your input, and your inspiration. I would love for y'all to stick around for the alternate ending.