Always - Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Part One

19 January 2008

Hunter woke up once again to the comforting feeling of his wife beside him. To him, it was the best feeling in the world. Stephanie shifted slightly, snuggling closer to his body for warmth.

He looked down at her in wonder, still half amazed that they had made it this far, that they had made it at all. He gently pushed back her now shoulder length brown hair from her face so he could get a clear view of her face. She was relaxed and still breathing deeply but quietly. She was still so beautiful.

Hunter knew he should get up and get ready for work, but he didn't want to move lest he disturb Stephanie's sleep. However, their three year old daughter, Caitlyn, did it for him.

'Time for wakeys!' she announced loudly, pushing open their bedroom door and walking right in. She was their human alarm clock.

Beside him, Hunter felt his wife begin to wake as he turned towards Caitlyn. He sat up, smiling at their daughter. 'Good morning, babycakes.'

Caitlyn grinned adorably up at him as she scrambled onto the bed. 'Morning, Daddy!' She gave him a big hug around the neck, and then kissed him on the cheeks. She then turned her attention to her mother. 'Morning, Mommy!'

Hunter looked down and saw Stephanie with her eyes still closed, pretending to still be asleep. He could tell by the small smile she was trying to hide.

'Wake up,' Caitlyn demanded with a loud whisper, beginning to giggle. Hunter watched as she crawled over Stephanie, and put her face as close to her mother's as she could. 'Mommy?'

For a few seconds Stephanie didn't move, then all of a sudden, from under the covers, her arms came up and wrapped themselves around Caitlyn, at the same time opening her eyes and scaring their daughter with a 'Boo!' Caitlyn squealed as she now found herself in her mother's hug.

Stephanie laughed, kissing her on the nose. 'Good morning, baby,' she greeted.

Hunter smiled at the blissfully happy mother-daughter scene beside him, still unable to fully believe that it was all his.

Stephanie turned to look up at him, and smiled. 'Good morning to my other baby.'

He smiled and bent down to kiss her.

Part Two

Stephanie pulled the last shopping bag from the backseat of her Honda Legend and slammed the door shut with her hips.

'Want me to help?' Caitlyn offered from where she was standing patiently beside her.

Stephanie smiled down at her daughter, and gave her one of the lighter bags. 'Here you go, doll.'

Her arms were still full of other shopping packages. She turned, ready to walk to the house, when she got the strange feeling of being watched. With a slight frown she looked to the left of the street. Nothing. To the right. Nothing. Stephanie slowly turned around to face the other side of the quiet street.

A man, warmly dressed in dark, muted colours for the cold weather, was standing one house to the right of the one directly across. Although wearing a cap, she could see stray strands of long, blonde hair escaping. He looked familiar.

When he noticed her notice him, he quickly turned and started to walk away.

Stephanie's heart started to race. Without being fully aware of what she was doing, she dropped everything and raced after the man. She was oblivious to Caitlyn calling out to her in alarm.

'Chris!'

He stopped for a second, but then continued to put distance between them.

Half afraid at her sudden desperation, Stephanie increased her speed. 'Damn you! Will you stop?' she screamed.

He did. And then slowly turned to face her.

She stopped a few paces from him. Breathing hard, heart pounding, eyes widening as she saw him up close.

'They told me you were dead.'

*

'You have a beautiful home,' Chris couldn't help but comment as he was shown the living room.

'Thank you,' she replied.

Chris could feel her eyes still on him. He turned back towards her and smiled. 'Yes, it's really me.'

But Stephanie shook her head. 'I still can't believe it…all these years, and now, out of the blue…' Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was trying not to cry. 'Do you have any idea what I've been-'

'Mommy?' the little girl interrupted, coming into the living room. She looked at him suspiciously as she stood by her mother's side. 'Can I please have a drink?'

Chris hunkered down and smiled at her. She was absolutely adorable. Shoulder length chestnut hair, cute little button nose, even teeth, and blue eyes. 'Hi there.'

She stared at him, and Chris realised that Stephanie had yet to introduce them. 'Daddy says I'm not allowed to talk to strangers.'

His heart suddenly dropped. Daddy. He should have expected it, but it still came as a blow. He tried hard to maintain his smile as he looked up at Stephanie, still staring at him. 'Well, I'm not a stranger. I'm a friend of your Mom's.'

'My Mom?'

'That's right. My name is Chris.'

She smiled proudly. 'My name is Caitlyn Isabelle Helmsley.'

Chris froze. Stephanie was still married to him?

Part Three

Hunter always looked forward to coming home to his girls, and because it was Friday he was earlier than usual. He had managed to stop by a flower stand and had bought Stephanie a dozen white roses, and Caitlyn a cute little teddy bear holding a tulip.

He let himself into the house, dropping his bag on the floor. He usually called out when he arrived home, but today he wanted to surprise them. He stopped for a second, listening. Nothing. Maybe they were out in the backyard? With flowers and the teddy bear in hand, he walked out to the back. And froze.

Caitlyn was playing on the swing while Stephanie was sitting on the wooden bench, quietly talking to a guy closely beside her. A blonde guy. A blonde guy he had thought was dead for six years.

'Daddy!' Caitlyn called out happily, spotting him. She hopped off the swing and ran towards him, but Hunter barely noticed. His attention was focused on the couple before him.

Stephanie and Jericho had turned to look at him, and Jericho stood up with an uncertain smile.

'Daddy?'

Hunter looked down and realised that his daughter was looking up at him with a puzzled look on her face. He forced a smile for her, and bent down to pick her up. 'Hey, babycakes.'

'Is that for me?' she asked, pointing to the teddy bear in his other hand.

'Sure is. There you go.'

Caitlyn gave him a little kiss on the cheeks. 'Thanks, Daddy!'

Hunter put her back on the ground, and she ran into the house with her present.

Stephanie approached him tentatively. 'Hi, Hunter.'

'Steph.' He offered her the roses, feeling a little wary as Chris watched their every move. He looked exactly the same as he had six years ago.

'Long time no see, Hunter.'

'I thought you were dead.'

Jericho shrugged, a small wry smile on his face. 'Yeah, I get that a lot.'

Part Four

Stephanie could see that Chris was feeling extremely uncomfortable, especially under Hunter's intense gaze.

He looked briefly at her. 'I guess that's also my cue to leave.'

'No!' It was out of her mouth before she could stop it, and she suddenly felt guilty. She glanced at Hunter, and he was looking at her with obvious hurt. 'I mean…please, don't…'

But Chris shook his head. 'I have to. I should never have been here at all.'

Stephanie was beginning to feel frantic. She couldn't lose him again. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it. 'You can't leave me again!' she cried out.

Hunter had taken a step away from her, but for the moment she didn't care. Chris was back in her life.

But Chris was shaking his head. 'I have to go. I'm sorry.'

The thought of him leaving without having explained anything was too much as she burst out crying, dropping the flowers to her feet as she covered her face. 'You can't…please…'

*

The two men looked at each other above Stephanie's bent form. They both wanted to comfort the woman they loved, but neither of them were unsure of the other. Hunter was her husband. Chris was the one she was crying over.

Finally, with a last, desperate look at Stephanie, Hunter turned away and walked back into the house. Chris immediately went to her, holding her as she clung to him.

'Please, don't…don't leave me,' she sobbed.

'Steph, I have to,' he murmured, holding her tight. 'More than anything I wish I could stay here with you for the rest of my life, but I can't. You have a family.'

But she shook her head.

'You have Hunter, and you have a beautiful daughter. They need you,' he continued. Although it pained him to say, he knew he had to. 'He loves you, and I know that you love him.'

'I love you,' she whispered through her tears. 'I always have.'

'Steph, please,' Chris started once more. 'You don't understand.' He thought about Xerxes, a truly evil Immortal who had started to stalk him. 'If I stay, I could put you in danger.' Then, he thought about her growing old while he stayed the same. 'If I stay, you'll start to hate me. I wouldn't be able to bear it.'

'Never,' Stephanie denied vehemently, staring at him with wide eyes and having calmed down a little. 'Chris, do you have any idea how hard it was for me after the accident? Everyone was saying you were dead, but I didn't want to believe them. I couldn't, because I could still feel you, and I just knew that you were still alive.'

But he shook his head, his heart breaking at her words. 'I'm so sorry. I can't-'

He stopped suddenly, his senses beginning to tingle. The Buzz. There was another Immortal watching him. He straightened up, pushing Stephanie towards the house.

'Chris? What-'

'Get inside, now,' Chris told her urgently. 'Whatever happens, don't come out.'

'But-'

'Steph, please! I don't want anything to happen to you!'

Stephanie looked at him, half afraid and half confused. But she nodded reluctantly. 'I won't let you leave,' she said with determination.

However, before she reached the back door, Chris felt a painful grip on his arm and he was pulled backwards as Stephanie screamed.

'Well, well, Jericho. Can't escape me this time,' Xerxes sneered down at him as he lay on the ground. Then he turned to look at Stephanie. 'And what do we have here? A tasty little treat?'

Xerxes was the worst kind of Immortal, akin to a vampire. He hunted and killed mortals like game.

And Chris was damned if he was going to let the bastard touch Stephanie.

Part Five

Hunter's head shot up when he heard Stephanie scream, and he rushed out to the back yard. If Jericho did something to her… But deep down he knew it wasn't Jericho, and his heart started to pound.

'Daddy?' Caitlyn called out just before he reached the back door. She sounded scared.

Hunter was torn. If something happened to Stephanie…but he couldn't ignore his daughter. He quickly turned to face her. 'Honey, go to your room, okay?'

'I heard Mommy scream,' she replied, tears already sliding down her cheeks.

'I'm going to make sure she's okay. Go to your room, and I'll come and see you as soon as I can.'

Caitlyn looked dubious, but she nodded slowly. 'Okay.'

Hunter gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile before hurrying out of the house. Stephanie was rushing out towards a fallen Chris, while a huge guy was towering over him.

'Steph! No!' he called out, running towards her to try and stop her.

But he was too late, and the huge guy had casually swatted her aside. Hunter was horrified to see her land heavily on the grass. He dropped beside her, gently cradling her head on his lap. 'Steph?'

Stephanie groaned, her face scrunching up in pain. 'Ow…'

'Baby, are you okay?' he asked, worried.

She nodded, struggling to sit up. Hunter helped her, and their attention was drawn to the two men now fighting.

Out of nowhere, another guy, this one much leaner than the first stranger, jumped over the shoulder-high hedge surrounding their backyard and ran towards them.

'Chris! Sword!' he called out, throwing the weapon in his direction. The huge guy already had one of his own, and he tried to cut Chris with it as he rolled towards the one on the ground.

Chris jumped up, sword in hand, and faced the huge guy.

'Are you guys alright?' the second stranger asked, suddenly beside them.

Hunter and Stephanie looked up at him in surprise. 'Uh, yeah,' he answered, confused at the sudden combat right in front of him. 'What's going on?'

'That big guy is Xerxes. He's been after Chris for years now. Lucky for him, I was in the neighbourhood,' the guy explained, confusing Hunter even more. He had a weird accent.

'And who are you?' Stephanie asked.

'My name is Connor MacLeod. I'm a friend of Chris's. Can you get up? We have to get in the house.'

Hunter helped Stephanie to stand, but she refused to move. 'I'm not leaving him,' she said stubbornly.

He was hurt to find out that she was still in love with Jericho, but now wasn't the most appropriate time to get jealous. 'Steph, please-'

'I said no.'

'It's dangerous to be out here,' Connor warned.

'What are you?' Stephanie asked, facing the guy. 'You jumped over that hedge like it was nothing.'

But Connor shook his head. 'Now is not the time to explain.'

'Now is the perfect time,' Stephanie insisted, still not budging. She kept glancing at Jericho, as did Hunter. He was relieved to see that it seemed to be quite an even match, with Jericho attacking as much as he was defending.

'I am an Immortal.'

Hunter turned to stare at the guy. 'A what?'

'And that guy, Xerxes?' Stephanie asked, obviously believing Connor. He turned his gaze to his wife, surprised at how calmly she was taking all this in.

'Yes, even older than me.'

'And…Chris?'

Connor nodded again. 'Chris is also an Immortal.'

Part Six

Chris was tired. He'd been fighting for well over ninety minutes now, and the past thirty minutes he'd done nothing but defend himself. He had cursed himself for not having had his sword with him, and the sight of his mentor had been a welcome relief. Out of the corner of his eye he had watched as Connor made his way to Stephanie and Hunter and, he could only assume, explained to them what was going on.

He had noticed that Stephanie was refusing to go into the house, but that had been way over an hour ago. Now, he was fully concentrating on not getting his head cut off. Chris was beginning to get extremely tired, emotionally as well. He wasn't sure how long he could go on. He knew that the first time he had evaded Xerxes, it had made the other man become obsessed with him. Connor had told him that, according to legend, nobody has ever gotten away alive from a fight with Xerxes. The second time had just made the huge man even more determined to kill him.

Now, here they were at their third confrontation. Chris knew how extremely lucky he had been the first two times, and that this time would be entirely different. Xerxes was much stronger, faster, more experienced and had a lot more patience and stamina than he did. He knew that, but he refused to just lay down and quit.

'Damn, boy,' Xerxes breathed out, attacking his left side. 'Don't you ever give up?'

Chris felt a sharp pain as Xerxes' sword pierced his flesh. He grimaced. 'Not if I can help it.'

Xerxes grinned at him, his eyes glittering with evil intent. 'I like a fighter. But more than that, I love a dead fighter.'

Chris blocked another attempted stab to his throat. 'Do you know how cheesy you are?'

'A semi-funny, dead fighter. Even better.'

*

Stephanie was at the end of her rope. She could tell that Chris was tired, and she wasn't sure how much longer he could continue.

She turned to Connor for the hundredth time. 'Help him!'

But he just shook his head sadly. 'I can't. It's against the rules.'

'To hell with the rules!'

'Mrs McMahon, pl-'

'McMahon-Helmsley,' Hunter quietly corrected.

'Please, you must understand, there are rules that us Immortals must adhere to.'

'Or else what?' Stephanie shot back, her eyes blazing. She couldn't believe that this guy dared to called himself Chris's 'friend'.

'I'm sorry,' he said simply, not backing down. 'I can't help him.'

'Steph, come on. It'll be okay,' Hunter said, with a hand on her arm.

She jerked free of his grip. 'No, damnit! I am not just going to sit here and watch him die!'

A look of pain crossed his features, and another pang of guilt hit her. But she said nothing. Instead, she turned back to the fight, and gasped.

Xerxes had, in the few seconds that she had looked away, managed to knock Chris's sword out of his grasp and knock him to the ground. He was now advancing towards Chris, a malicious grin on his face.

Even before she knew what she was doing, Stephanie was racing towards the guy, and using all of her strength and weight, knocked Xerxes down. She landed painfully on top of him, and then she was flying across the grass as Xerxes shoved her off him with all of his might.

Her head bounced painfully on the grass.

A/N: Me not good with writing fight scenes!