Please REVIEW, I know this is a crazy story and I want to read your thoughts :)


Coreys Kitten, thank you so much for helping me with whatever I throw at you. You are truly one of a kind ;)


It's all about The GAME and how you play it!

I guess I'm supposed to say that I do NOT own Triple H's character, so I don't own any wrestling character.


Rated M, for language and sexual content.

- SLASH -


Chapter 29

Having Paul's family over for the weekend made my faith come to life. Seeing him with his family was a marvelous sight. The big, jacked up monster that he was, with the thick neck and the frown brow was nothing more than a piece of warmed butter when he was around his girls. Stephanie and the girls filled my lonely apartment with love and laughter, something I knew nothing about. The feel of a family replaced the emptiness that my home knew.

We went for a walk in the park and had lunch together. The girls ran after Hunter all over the park and played ball with him. When I was growing up, the only running I did was from my dad's rage. Those 3 little girls were the happiest on earth and I couldn't help but admire how they all loved each other.

That was the price I had to pay for loving a married man. I had to sit there and watch as he caressed his wife's hand and kissed her softly. I had to hide my love for him, control my every move and not stare at him. I couldn't go near him or touch him the way I wanted. I just had to be the fun uncle and block the hunger for his touch.

The hardest thing though was having Stephanie take care of me like I was one of her own kids. The way she would rest her hand on my forehead and check if I had a fever or how she made sure I was drinking the endless cups of tea she put in front of me. She did it out of love for her man.

When Paul gave the girls showers one night she brought me a blanket and sat with me on the porch. I thanked her for everything and she said that I was part of this family and that Paul wanted to make sure I was alright, but he didn't know how to do it, so she did it. It broke my heart listening to her and I tried as hard as I could not to cry when she went inside and Paul came out.

That night, Paul woke me up at 2am and asked me to go in the bathroom with him. He saw it in my eyes and sensed a meltdown coming. I knew it would be dangerous, but looking into his eyes in the dark and seeing how much he was begging for me to say yes, made it impossible for me to say no. He knew I was in pain, being around his family wasn't easy for me. He was always there when I needed him. Whether it was 10 years ago when I didn't know him or when were got close. He was always my savior.

We kissed so hungrily that night and I cried through the kiss. I needed him and he was right there knowing and feeling all my pain. He held me close and kissed my teary eyes. I knew I should've said no when he asked me to come back to Connecticut with them. I had a week off from work because of the concussion and he didn't want me to be alone. I said yes, but I made him promise to take me to a hotel and not make me stay with them.

Murphy sat with me on the plane. That girl was special to me since day one and I could never forget how she hugged me that night. As I sat there looking around at his family, I wished there was a way to go back in time and deny him. I knew that one day this would all be over and he would be out of my life for good, I just didn't know if loving him the way I did was worth losing him forever.

When we came back to Connecticut, they drove me straight to the hotel so that I could get some rest. Later that night, Paul came and I finally got to have him to myself. It was getting harder letting him go with each time. I was starting to realize he was right, he couldn't love me the way he wanted too. He was mine for a few hours and then I was alone again. Before kissing me goodnight, he promised he would stop by around lunch time to check up on me.

I woke up in the morning and realized I slept too much. Paul promised to come around lunch and I wanted to be ready in case he would want to have lunch with me. I was just getting out of the shower when I heard the knock on the door. I smiled as I looked at time and realized it was too early for him to be here. I loved it that he was early, because it always gave me more time with him.

"You're early." I said as I opened the door with nothing but a towel around my waist.

The woman in front of me forced a smile. "Hi, Joe."

"Hi." I froze.

"Can I come in?" She nearly whispered.

"Yes of course." I gestured and closed the door after she walked inside. "Let me just put some clothes on. I'll be right with you."

My heart must have been beating hundred miles an hour when I went to get dressed. What the hell? What is she doing here? I put on jeans and t-shirt as fast as I could and came back.

"So, what's up?" I asked, trying as hard as I could not to look straight into her eyes. I still felt like a criminal when I was alone with her.

"First of all, I want you to know that it wasn't easy for me to come here." She said with a choked voice and sat on the couch.

She rested her hands on her thighs and I noticed she was shaking. I kneeled down before her and took her hands in mine. "What's wrong, Steph? You're shaking."

"God." She exhaled as she got up and took a few steps away from me. "Why do you have to be so damn sweet? Why can't you just be evil, so that I can hate you?"

My heart must've stopped as I saw the tears in her eyes and heard her voice crack. Could it be? Does she know?

"Stephanie…" I tried to speak.

"God!" She exclaimed and covered her face. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry." She wiped a few tears.

I closed the gap between us and reached for her hand. "Please don't cry."

She didn't push me away. "You know why I'm here, right? Please don't make me say it." She whispered as she looked down at my hands holding hers.

She knows. My hand slipped from hers as I broke contact and took a step back. Standing there looking at the floor, I felt like an excuse for a human being. I felt like scum. Why isn't she yelling at me? Why isn't she threatening me?

"Joe, look at me." She begged and approached me slowly.

I just couldn't bring myself to face her.

"Will you please just look at me?" She put her hand on my cheek and guided my face to hers. "I'm not angry with you. God only knows I tried to hate you, but I can't."

"How did you…" I tried to ask, but my voice failed me. I lowered my eyes from hers again. Why is it even important how she found out, you little scumbag!

"I have suspected it for a while, but last night when he came home after seeing you, I did something I've never done before. I looked at his phone while he was in the shower." She explained as she tried to control her crying. "Joe, look at me."

"I can't." I whispered as I turned my back to her. Her tears and the pain in her voice were unbearable.

"You have to!" She raised her voice and forcefully turned me around to face her.

"Please don't leave him." I managed to say.

"Oh, Joe." She rested her hand on my cheek.

I gently moved her hand from my cheek and took a step back. "Does he know you're here?"

"He will know when he gets home later."

"He's on his way here. He'll be here any minute now."

"Joe, would you look at me for a minute?"

I couldn't. All I could think about was her and her beautiful daughters that I hurt. This amazing woman standing in front of me was nothing but good and kind to me and I repaid her with betrayal.

"I'm going to pack. I'll be out of here in half an hour. You can go wait for him downstairs."

"Joe, please, will you look at me?"

"I can't. Look, you don't have to worry, I'm leaving and I'm not coming back."

"Look at me." She whispered. "Do you love him?"

"It doesn't matter how I feel."

"It matters, because if you do, you have to understand why I need you to leave."

"I know why…" The knock on the door surprised us both. We knew it was him and as she slowly made her way to the door, I found myself at the corner of the room. I wanted to die. I wanted to disappear from the face of the planet and not watch the moment my life ends.

"Steph?" He asked in surprise as he walked in. "What are you doing here?" He asked her as he looked at me.

"Hi." She closed the door. "I came to talk to Joe."

"Hey, kid." He smiled.

I didn't answer.

"Joe." He said again and I looked up. "What's going on?"

I couldn't speak. This whole thing just blew up in our faces exactly like I knew it would. Nothing good lasts forever, not in my life.

Stephanie looked at her husband and took his hand in hers. "I asked Joe to leave."

"You did what?" He raised his voice at her as he asked in disbelief.

"Paul, I know everything. It doesn't take a genius to see what's going on with you two."

"You shouldn't have come here, Steph." He frowned. "You should've talked to me first."

"Do you really want to open this here in front of Joe?"

"There is nothing to open."

"Really? Tell him that you love your family and that you're staying with us! Tell him!"

"I don't have to tell him that, he knows that."

"And yet he chose to have an affair with you."

"We didn't choose this, Steph, it just happened."

"And now it ends!"

I could tell Paul was angry now. He stood there looking at her, his beautiful wife, the love of his life and didn't know what to do.

"Steph, please, it's not what you think."

"Are you having an affair with him?"

"It's not like that."

"The text messages suggests otherwise."

When she revealed how she found out, Paul knew he couldn't do anything to get out of it. I didn't know what happened or where I found the strength, but something inside me just screamed save him. I needed to make that decision for him. I could see it in his eyes and felt in in his voice, he was torn.

I slowly made my way to him and hoped that I'd have a voice when I open my mouth. "Listen to me, Paul." I asked him, but he just looked at Steph and didn't say a word.

"Damn it, Paul, look at me!" I raised my voice and he finally looked at me. "You have to go with your wife, you know you do. We've talked about this and I told you I didn't want the end of your marriage on my hands."

"Joe." He tried, but I didn't let him speak.

"No. Listen to me, you have to go. You know that I will always be grateful for everything you've done for me and that I will never forget you. It's time to go back to your family and the life that you love."

"I'm not letting you go. I will find a way to keep you in my life."

"Your family is more important then everything, you said so many times. We were playing a very dangerous game and you are very lucky she is even willing to take you back."

"Listen to him, Paul."

"You don't know what you're doing Steph. You should've come to me first."

When she didn't respond, he looked into my eyes and said. "I'm sorry, kid, I'm so sorry. I'm going to have to break my promise to you. I never meant for this to happen."

"I know."

He hugged me like never before and I could feel his heart racing. When he broke the hug his eyes were bright. I could see he was about to cry.

The door closed and he was out of my life. No kiss goodbye, no must say last words, just a hug, a look and a broken heart.

My knees suddenly felt weak as I realized Paul was out of my life. The couch was the closest thing to me and I nearly felt on it. My breathing became heavier as I fought the tears and kept it inside. It was over. The best thing that ever happened to me just walked out the door and I was alone again.

I didn't cry that day. There was no need. I chose to think about the good times, the memories of his smile, his voice, his sense of humor. I met my lifelong hero. I got to be his friend and spend time with him. How many people get to meet their hero?

The ride to the airport seemed longer then it really was. I could feel the black hole inside my heart growing. It's been a while since I've felt the pain of a broken heart. I loved him more than anything in this world. I got a second chance at love and it ended badly again. I just hoped his life would be back to normal and that she will be able to forgive him for hurting her.

I got lucky that day. I only had to wait an hour and a half for a flight home. I felt nothing but emptiness as I opened the door to my apartment. Hunter wasn't there. He was with Emily and her kids and I preferred to leave him there and avoid Emily's questions.

As I lay in bed that night, I thought about all the time we spent together. His kind words, his faith in me, his love, his touch. My heart was broken, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I knew that no matter what, he will always be with me, like he was all those years ago.

I thought about him and Ric flair popped up in my mind. I remembered the farewell they had for him on Raw a few years back and I tried to remember the words for that song they used. The only thing I remembered was the words 'leave the memories alone'.

After I looked it up on Google, I found the lyrics and started reading. Those were the first tears since he left the hotel room and as much as I didn't want to admit it, I knew hard times were ahead of me. Watching him leave was one of the hardest things I ever had to face, but going on with my life without him by my side was going to be impossible.

There were many things I needed to say to him and just couldn't because Steph was there. As I sat in front of my computer, a little smile appeared on my lips. Even after he left and even if my heart was broken, just the thought of all he has done for me made me smile.

Dear Paul,

This is probably the very last time I get a chance to say thank you.

If you have that look in your eyes now, like you don't understand why I would want to say thank you, you should know better than anyone how powerful the words thank you are and it was made to say it to people like you.

So thank you, King, thank you for being who you are, you are a good man and I was lucky to feel the goodness of your heart.

Thank you for the opportunity to work with you, I know I'm just a kid in your eyes but I appreciate you giving me the chance and making a believer out of you.

Thank you for letting me in your home and introducing me to your family, it was an honor for me.

There's a lot you don't know about my life, you may have read all the headlines on the internet, but no one except Emily knows that my wife was pregnant when she died. I hope that one day I would have a family like yours and get a chance to be a good father and husband like you.

Would you please tell the girls that I will miss them and I love them with all my heart? I'm sure being so good with them, as you are, you'll find the right words to explain to them why I left. They will always be in my heart and I will cherish every moment I've spent with them.

Tell Stephanie that I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt her. Love conquers all and I know how big your love for her is, I've seen it in your eyes so many times. I hope she knows that she is always number one in your life and in your heart and I hope I left before I caused damage to your marriage.

As for me, I'll be alright, I'm sure you'll be alright to. I know that even if it hurts now to accept the fact that I'm never going to see you again, it's for the best. I will never forget you and all the moments we spent together. Every word you ever said to me, everything you tried to teach me, will be engraved in my heart forever.

Before I say goodbye, I want you to listen to this song, I chose those words to be the last words I ever say to you. Please know that you've changed me for the better and you destroyed my walls completely.

Leave the memories alone
I don't want to see the way it is

As to how it used to be
Leave the memories alone, don't change a thing
And I'll hold you here in my memory

Goodbye, Paul.

Thank you for bringing me back to life and restoring hope to my heart, ten years ago.

I will be eternally grateful.

Joe.

As I clicked on the sent button, I drank some water to wash away the tears that were choking me. My last words to him would stay with me forever.

I love you, Paul Levesque. I will love you until my last breath.


THE END


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