There're certain moments in the WWF/WWE where you know where you're and who you're with when they happened…For me…This's one of them! January 7, 2002…Madison Square Garden…I was there when HHH returned from his Quad injury! I've been to a lot of Yankee games in my life and for as much as I have amazing memories from each one…None of them compare to feeling MSG shake when "The Game." came out! I hope every fan…Whether you're actually there or not…Enjoys this trip down memory lane! A shout out to PlayTheGame for HHH's thoughts before he went out there! :)

January 7, 2002

"Is it safe to presume you developed depression after the events of Survivor Series and the Raw after?" The doctor asked.

"It started as soon as I came back to Birmingham…It's not just losing my job that upset me…It's the way Hunter showed no concern about me whatsoever. Instead of consoling me like I thought he would, all he did was talk about how trusting Kurt's a bad idea from the get go and I should've known better than to go along with it…It's basically one step away from screaming "I told you so." at the top of his lungs!" I said as I ran my fingers through my hair.

The therapist nodded as she wrote before turning her attention back to me. "At the end of our last session, you said after Survivor Series you and Hunter'd have two weeks of back to normal and then two weeks of horrible…Care to elaborate on that?"

I felt tears beginning to well up in my eyes. "We're already estranged from what happened in Burbank, but…Having the Alliance lose the way it did and then to be kicked out of the WWF the way I was…It didn't make things any easier. There'd be weeks where I'd forget why we're together in the first place…Weeks where things would go downhill so far and so fast I'd wondered why we didn't just call it quits. But, then…There'd be those weeks of "Us against the World." again…And those weeks would make me remember…Those weeks kept us together. Unfortunately…There're more horrible weeks than normal ones."

"Stephanie…If things had gotten that bad between you and Hunter…Why didn't you just pack your suitcase and leave?" The doctor questioned.

"I tried…On more than one occasion…But every time…Every single fucking time…I'd get as far as the door before I'd turn around and go back to the bedroom." I said as I softly began to cry, silencing the room with my bombshell. For the first time since my therapy had started…The therapist's stunned …I took that as my signal to continue, "It'd gotten to a point with us where…We'd fight and scream at each other like never before…To a point where we'd be losing our voices and be trying to catch our breaths because we'd be so mad at each other. No matter how bad it got, though…I couldn't do it…I couldn't leave."

"And that my Dear's why you're here." The doctor said as she handed me a tissue from her desk. I wiped my eyes as I tried to compose myself, noticing the sympathy in the therapist's eyes. Once she knew I'd calmed down, the doctor continued, "Tell me about January 7, 2002."

"The day of Hunter's return...The day we'd both been waiting for eight months's finally here…We should've been our closest…Instead…We couldn't have been farther apart…"


A dreary daylight's streaming in through the windows as I awoke that morning. I reached out my hand and spread my fingertips across the bed…Hoping to come in contact with Hunter's warm body...Not really surprised when all I found's a cold and empty side. I threw the sheet and comforter off of me as I sat up and looked around the room for any sign of Hunter…But he's not there…It seemed he's never there.

"Hunter?" I asked loudly, thinking he might've been in the master bathroom…But aside from the sound of my voice echoing around the bedroom…All I heard's dead silence. I sighed sadly as I looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand, taking in the time as I moved towards the edge of the bed and lowered my feet to the floor. In a city of over eight million people...I couldn't have felt more alone.

It's not supposed to be like this…There's not supposed to be this distance between us…But there was…And worse. Gone're the days of "Two weeks of good, then two weeks of bad."…Now it's strictly "Bad."…It'd been that way since Christmas Eve…Since I'd gone to see my Father at Raw. When Hunter's not avoiding me…We're fighting…And when we weren't fighting…We're neutral. There's no loving words or soft caresses anymore…All that's left's coldness and rare touches. The past two years're beginning to seem like a faraway memory…A different time…Another life lived by someone else.

As I pulled myself up, I picked up Hunter's discarded shirt from the floor and held it in my hands…Running my fingers over the material before throwing it on the bed. His scent surrounded me and I found myself thinking back to the night he first told me he loved me. Back then…I felt as if I was living a dream…A fairytale… Now I couldn't help but wonder how it'd gone all wrong. All I was feeling's pain, but I tried to push it away as I walked towards the bathroom. I walked over to the mirror, catching sight of my reflection. Every day I was losing more and more of who I was…Of what made me…Me…And I couldn't hide it anymore.

The tears came before I had a chance to prepare for them…Consuming me as I sank down to the toilet seat. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, releasing all my worries and fears until I had no more tears left to cry. I took a deep breath as I wiped my eyes with the palms of her hands. "Don't be foolish... You're not a crier…Mcmahon's aren't criers…If your Grandfather could see you now!" I could hear Dad say…That's why being with Hunter made me feel alive…Made me feel human. From the littlest secrets to the biggest revelations…We'd tell each other anything and everything…Or at least…We used to.

I stood up and turned on the shower, watching emotionlessly as steam began to fill the room. Shaking myself out of my trance, I allowed my nightgown to slide off my body and fall to the floor before stepping underneath the water. When I stepped out of the shower fifteen minutes later, I was greeted to the sound of the TV blaring through the walls. I pulled my robe tighter as I opened the door of the master bathroom, leaning on the doorframe as I watched Hunter flip through the channels. The relief that's in me soon faded when he noticed my presence in the room…Looking up at me with a tight frown across his face.

"Oh good, you're up…About time too." He said, unable to hide the coldness in his eyes.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I pushed myself off the doorframe and walked around the bed towards the closet. Neither of us spoke: I rummaged through my clothes…He watched ESPN. Finally…I'd enough of the silence. "Hunter…About me not coming back to Birmingham with you and me not listening to you about Kurt…I..." I said as I stared ahead, hoping to convey everything I wanted to say.

"It's what it is, Steph…You and I." He responded as he cut me off, softly but still detached, "But…Like you said in Burbank…"We'll figure this out…We always do."" He growled as he stood up quickly.

"Where're you going?" I asked quietly.

"I have "Regis and Kelly." in an hour and I don't wanna be late." Hunter snapped.

"Well…Call me when you're done…We can do Breakfast or something." I spoke softly as I turned to face him.

"Whatever…" Hunter responded as he walked past me, "…I'll see you later!"

"Hunter!" My soft outburst seemed to stop in him in tracks and he slowly and unexpectedly turned around to face me, ""Us against the World."…Please…Don't forget that!" I told him hopefully as I waited for a reaction. I didn't really know what's going through his mind…But the look of skepticism on his face took my breath away. Instead of answering me, he just nodded silently before turning around and heading out the door.

As I watched him disappear, my heart sank when he didn't look back…It seemed no matter what I did it always upset him. Taking a deep breath, I plastered a fake smile on my face as I returned my focus back to the closet. I'd always come second to his love for the business...That's how it'd always been…But now…I wasn't even on the list anymore. But it's like I said after we reconciled…"For better or worse…In good times and in bad.". Even after all that time and everything that'd been going on… What I said that day's true…Even though Hunter and I didn't actually say our vows…I believed them…Even if he didn't anymore.

Hours later, we're at Madison Square Garden for Raw. Hunter's just ten minutes away from making his return…And I was shaking my head as another "HHH." chant started up…The crowd's so loud in the arena…You weren't just hearing them on the TV…You could hear them all them the way down in the locker room. Between every time his name's mentioned or a clip's shown on the Titantron …MSG wanted "The Game."…And I knew they would. For months, that's all I'd seen…The "We Miss You HHH's." and the "Come Back Soon HHH's." and the "Bring Back HHH's.". I looked at Hunter and couldn't have been prouder...Nobody knew just what he'd gone through to get there…To that moment...Except me.

To say Hunter's scared out of his mind's an understatement…It's also shocking to even think. He never got scared…When all the cards're stacked against him…He's always up to the task of beating the odds. But I knew this fear had nothing to do with an opponent or a match…It's his own personal fear he's fighting against: "What if they don't remember meWhat if they don't want me backWhat if my music hits and I walk out there to Crickets?" It's when he started pacing back and forth I decided to intervene…The only way I knew how.

I got up from the loveseat I was sitting on, fixing my black halter dress. Hunter's so focused on the altercation between Jazz and Trish...I knew he wouldn't hear me behind him. I reached up and started kneading his neck…It's a chance I was taking…But I had to take it. "Everything's gonna be fine…You'll see." I whispered.

Instead of flinching like he'd been doing, Hunter relaxed and let me continue. I wanted to tell him I loved him and I missed him and I was proud of him…But I held off…I was so afraid I'd spook him and we'd be back at square one. Still, I couldn't believe he didn't pull away…It'd been so long since he'd hadn't.

I heard Hunter take a deep breath as he turned around to face me. "I'm freaking out right now!" He said nervously, "But, uh…Don't tell anyone I said that, okay?"

"You know I won't." I sighed as I slowly ran my hands down from his shoulders to his hands…Our fingers sliding together like one, "Though I'll say, it's perfectly normal to be feeling what you're feeling… There's like what...22,000 people out there!" I softly joked.

"Not helping!" Hunter said seriously as he took his hands back, crossing his arms over his chest.

I initiated the contact once more, tugging at his arms until they dropped. I wrapped my arms around his neck and was startled when he wrapped his around my waist. "Wow…Two instances of love in less than five minutes and no sign of disgust coming from your Husband…Definite progress…Keep it going!" I thought to myself as I started to talk. "I'm sorry I teased you. But just…Stop getting yourself worked up about this! When you walk out to that ring tonight…This place's gonna fucking explode!"

Hunter looked at me skeptically. "How can you know that?" He sighed, shaking his head slowly.

"Because I just do, okay?" I yelled as I cut him off, "Madison Square Garden's gonna go crazy for you…End of discussion…Case closed!"

"Thanks." He said with a small smile. Then, he took a deep breath…As if he's gonna say something. But before he could get a word out, the "HHH RETURNS NEXT!" bumper appeared on the screen and the hugest roar of the night erupted from inside MSG…The locker room began to shake like an earthquake. Hunter's eyes went wide as did mine, "Did you hear that?" He asked. I nodded in response, "Unbelievable…I guess that's my queue to go out there!"

"I'm not coming with you?" I pouted as I pulled away, taken aback by what he said. This's not expected… I'd always assumed I'd be by his side when he made his great return...That "The Mcmahon Helmsley Era." would be back together once more, "Why am I not going out there with you?"

"Because I said so!" He snapped as he grabbed his water bottle from the TV stand. My eyes went to the floor, "Steph…" Hunter said, lowering his tone, "…I need to do this myself…It's up to me to show the world I haven't lost a step…That I'm still "The Game."!"

Before I had the chance to respond, Hunter opened the door and started his walk down to the ring. As the commercials rolled, I sat back in the couch and finally let everything sink in. That night's it...After eight long months of painful rehab…Every ounce of sweat and every drop of blood and every piece of determination Hunter had in his body…The love and passion he had for this business…All of it's about to come to a head. Suddenly…A familiar roar of an electric guitar and five words brought my night to a standstill:

"TIME TO PLAY THE GAME!"

If the last two hours had raised Madison Square Garden's roof, the sound of Hunter's music blew it off! The arena went crazy the moment he stepped through the curtain and I almost felt my heart stop as the reaction got bigger and bigger! Hunter kept his eyes to the ground as he poured the water over his head, but the minute he saw the fans… Unemotional and composed's done…In its place's a fit of energy I'd never seen before. He'd never admit he cared whether the fans liked him or not, but I knew underneath the cool exterior's a man who's reveling in the admiration. They actually had to restart his entrance music once more so he could make his way around the ring…The crowd's that loud!

Finally…After hitting all four posts and posing on the ropes and the crowd finally died down…Hunter grabbed the microphone: "Just in case you've forgotten…Let me remind you just who the hell I am…I'm "The Game."…And you can bet your ass I'm back!" The crowd started up once again, but Hunter's not done…There's one more piece of information he decided to share with the fans in MSG, "And I'm the Guy that tonight officially enters the Royal Rumble…And I'm the…"

Before the fans could enjoy Hunter's announcement, Kurt's music started blaring in the arena and he appeared on the entrance ramp with a microphone in hand. I couldn't believe he'd to that…Yet again…I couldn't believe he'd portray me the way he did! At first, Kurt cried and whined about how Hunter's Quad injury was nothing like the broken neck he had at the Olympics!

"Oh God…Not this again…So two years ago!" I screamed as he babbled about entering the Royal Rumble as well. If he wanted to piss off Hunter on his first night back…He's about to.

"And you wanna know why I didn't enter the Rumble last year…Because I was too busy pinning your ass to the mat!"

I knew Kurt's a dead man as soon as he said that…But he wasn't my problem anymore…Personally or professionally. When Hunter hit the Pedigree…Whatever doubt had been there's there no more…He's back!

Later that night, I laid awake and watched the snow blanket the city. Hunter's sleeping peacefully beside me and I couldn't help but be angry at his ability to close himself off. We hardly spoke after Raw or the car ride home…Any progress that'd been made in the locker room's gone before it started. I'd gone from being the Wife whose opinion mattered most in the world to the thing I swore to myself I never was or would ever be: The Manager who kept her mouth shut…The Valet who could find someone else to watch over…And I hated it!

I loved Hunter more than he could possibly ever know, but I was starting to question whether or not he still felt the same way about me. There'd been times when Hunter's distant and would push me away…But no matter what…He'd always come back. Now…We didn't even cuddle in bed…He'd stay on the side by the door…I'd stay by the bathroom.

I swallowed hard as I felt the first tear break free and roll down the side of my face, dropping onto the pillow beneath me. I closed my eyes against the moisture building up, begging sleep to come and claim me. Because just for a little while…For one night…I wanted to feel free…I wanted to feel loved.


"That's the last night I cried for Hunter…For a while anyway. I was tired of it…I'd done it far too much for far too long!" I said.

"Is that why you started getting angry and confrontational and…Dare I say it…Bitchy?" The therapist asked, calling me out.

"Honestly…Yeah! I'm not saying I was a Saint…I mean…I know I made mistakes when it came to Hunter and I, but…I also didn't deserve the way I was being treated. It's like they say…"Love makes you do crazy things."…And I did the craziest of them all."

So the seeds for Stephanie's downward sprial's starting to be planted…She's in a very dark place at this moment! No drugs and no alcohol just yet…But she's getting there! And I'm sorry for making Hunter seem like such a Dick…But I told you Guys he'd turn out to be one…Plus…He kinda was one to Stephanie during that time (Shrugging Shoulders.)! Next chapter's when Stephanie does her interview with JR and as she said a couple of days later on Raw…"She had an epiphany!"