*** Hunter's POV ***
How do you tell your wife that you think her brother is slime? I never really liked Shane McMahon. I was friendly with him during the McMahon-Helmsley Regime for Stephanie. But he's a little punk who wouldn't know up from down if you stood him on his head. Okay, strange analogy, but I think you can get the point.
I can see why some people like Shane. He is friendly and he works hard. But he's also devious and untrustworthy. He was the first person to stand up for Linda McMahon and I give him points for that. But then he used his mother as a reason to try and destroy his father. I understand beating the hell out of the guy for carrying on an affair on national television, but then trying to kill the company he spent decades building...that's low.
Yeah, I know Stephanie is a part of that too. And the thought of her trying to put Vince out of business makes me a little sick to my stomach. Vince loves Stephanie like there is no tomorrow. That man would do anything for his little girl. Hell, he betrayed The Rock for me because that's what Stephanie wanted.
Deep down, I've always admired Vince. He does whatever it takes to be the best. Maybe he didn't always pay as much attention to his family as he should have. Maybe he made some lousy decisions involving his family and the Federation. But he is the best. And he really loves the business.
Stephanie is so much like her father. She can be ruthless and cunning but she can be tremendously caring too. I wish I knew a way to keep her from destroying Vince. But there is no way to do that. Once Stephanie is set on a course of action, there is no stopping her.
I'm glad I can be at Invasion. I want to keep an eye on Shane. If he ever thinks about doing something to hurt my wife I will haunt him like a ghost until the day he dies. I don't know why, but I feel that I have to be suspicious of Shane.
"Hunter?" Stephanie called.
"Yeah?" I asked, looking away from the plane window.
"You need to put your tray up honey," Stephanie said. "It's time to land."
"Right," I said, securing the tray in the back of the seat in front of me.
"What are you thinking about?" Stephanie asked.
"Not much," I lied.
"I can read you like a book," Stephanie said. "I know you were thinking about something."
"Alright," I sighed. "I was wondering what tricks you and Shane had tucked up your sleeves for Invasion."
"We've got a few," Stephanie said, smiling smugly to herself.
"You aren't going to tell me?" I asked.
"You know I can't risk anyone overhearing or suspecting," Stephanie said, laying her hand on my forearm. "It isn't that I don't trust you. It's just I want it to be a complete surprise."
"I understand honey," I said. I smiled to assure her I wasn't angry. "Look, have you told your dad you don't hate him?"
"Why should I?" Stephanie asked defensively.
"Because he's family," I said.
"Did you hear what he said to Jericho on Smackdown about me?" Stephanie asked, her blue eyes flashing with anger.
"He was hurt sweetheart," I replied. "You did say you couldn't wait for him to die. Twice."
"He called me a tramp!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"Fine," I said. I made a mental note to talk to Vince about his daughter.
"Don't go all pouty on me," Stephanie said. "This is going to be a great weekend for us. I'm going to put ECW back on the mat."
"I know," I said.
Which brings up a second problem. Who the hell am I supposed to wrestle for? Stephanie is my wife and I love her. I know that signing with them would help her out a lot. But I love the WWF. My life was all about the WWF. Being hurt helped me realize I do have to think about what I'm going to do after I retire from wrestling. I guess I never really thought about life beyond wrestling.
I love the business so I know I won't ever actually leave it behind completely. I guess I might have vaguely thought about being a talent scout or running a training center.
Now I don't even know who I'm going to wrestle for when I do indeed get back. Vince has treated me like a son since Wrestlemania 16. Before that, he encouraged me to be the best. Maybe he saw that, like himself, I was willing to do whatever I could to get to the top and stay there.
Hours later I was laying on the hotel bed, watching some news program. "Honey, I need to go have a strategy session with Shane," Stephanie said, sitting on the bed next to me.
"Okay sweetheart," I said, pulling her down to me to give her a kiss.
"I'll see you later," Stephanie said. I could read the tenderness in her blue eyes. I hope the children we have someday have her eyes.
"Count on it," I said. I watched her leave the room and waited five minutes before picking up the phone.
"Yeah?" a gruff voice asked.
"It's Hunter," I said. I was greeted with silence. "I call in peace."
"What's up?" Vince finally asked.
"Stephanie's meeting with Shane. I want to talk to you," I said.
"Where are you staying?" Vince asked.
"Hilton," I answered.
"Me too," Vince said. "Bar downstairs?"
"I'll leave now," I said.
"Okay," Vince answered.
When I saw Vince downstairs, I barely recognized him. The last time I had seen him his daughter was still devoted to him, he had a best friend in Steve Austin, and his company was on top with no competition. I had never felt so sorry for another human being in my life.
I know the reason Linda McMahon halted divorce proceedings was because his children were ganging up on him. Linda had more basic human decency than any other person I had ever met. I know that no matter how much Vine had hurt her in the past, it hurt her more to see every person he had ever cared for turn on him.
"Hi Hunter," Vince said.
"Hey Vince," I said. "You holding up okay?"
"I've been better," Vince answered. "Can't really remember ever being worse."
"I can understand that," I replied. "Look, I wanted to make sure you knew that Stephanie really does love you. She may not be willing to admit it right now, but she loves you a lot."
"I love her too," Vince said.
"She was hurt by what you said to Jericho," I said.
"I know," Vince said miserably. "And I know it's not true."
"Me too," I said, grinning. "I hate to see what Shane and Stephanie are doing to you. You know I've thought as you as a father for awhile."
"I know," Vince said. "I'm really glad you called."
"Yeah, me too," I said. "Actually, I had an ulterior motive."
"What?" Vince asked.
"Can you keep an extra eye on Shane?" I asked. "I get the feeling he might get the urge to double-cross Steph. I don't want to see her hurt by him."
"Yeah," Vince said. "I hate to think that my flesh and blood would be that devious. But I guess I've already seen that they can be."
"I wish I could help you out Vince," I said. "But I love your daughter and she has to be my main concern."
"That actually makes me happier that you helping me would," Vince said. He stood up and we embraced briefly.
I left Vince McMahon standing there in the hotel bar. I had no idea that the next time I would see him he would be betrayed, not only by his children, but by the man he had just begun to consider a friend. Of course, I didn't know I was about to be betrayed either.
How do you tell your wife that you think her brother is slime? I never really liked Shane McMahon. I was friendly with him during the McMahon-Helmsley Regime for Stephanie. But he's a little punk who wouldn't know up from down if you stood him on his head. Okay, strange analogy, but I think you can get the point.
I can see why some people like Shane. He is friendly and he works hard. But he's also devious and untrustworthy. He was the first person to stand up for Linda McMahon and I give him points for that. But then he used his mother as a reason to try and destroy his father. I understand beating the hell out of the guy for carrying on an affair on national television, but then trying to kill the company he spent decades building...that's low.
Yeah, I know Stephanie is a part of that too. And the thought of her trying to put Vince out of business makes me a little sick to my stomach. Vince loves Stephanie like there is no tomorrow. That man would do anything for his little girl. Hell, he betrayed The Rock for me because that's what Stephanie wanted.
Deep down, I've always admired Vince. He does whatever it takes to be the best. Maybe he didn't always pay as much attention to his family as he should have. Maybe he made some lousy decisions involving his family and the Federation. But he is the best. And he really loves the business.
Stephanie is so much like her father. She can be ruthless and cunning but she can be tremendously caring too. I wish I knew a way to keep her from destroying Vince. But there is no way to do that. Once Stephanie is set on a course of action, there is no stopping her.
I'm glad I can be at Invasion. I want to keep an eye on Shane. If he ever thinks about doing something to hurt my wife I will haunt him like a ghost until the day he dies. I don't know why, but I feel that I have to be suspicious of Shane.
"Hunter?" Stephanie called.
"Yeah?" I asked, looking away from the plane window.
"You need to put your tray up honey," Stephanie said. "It's time to land."
"Right," I said, securing the tray in the back of the seat in front of me.
"What are you thinking about?" Stephanie asked.
"Not much," I lied.
"I can read you like a book," Stephanie said. "I know you were thinking about something."
"Alright," I sighed. "I was wondering what tricks you and Shane had tucked up your sleeves for Invasion."
"We've got a few," Stephanie said, smiling smugly to herself.
"You aren't going to tell me?" I asked.
"You know I can't risk anyone overhearing or suspecting," Stephanie said, laying her hand on my forearm. "It isn't that I don't trust you. It's just I want it to be a complete surprise."
"I understand honey," I said. I smiled to assure her I wasn't angry. "Look, have you told your dad you don't hate him?"
"Why should I?" Stephanie asked defensively.
"Because he's family," I said.
"Did you hear what he said to Jericho on Smackdown about me?" Stephanie asked, her blue eyes flashing with anger.
"He was hurt sweetheart," I replied. "You did say you couldn't wait for him to die. Twice."
"He called me a tramp!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"Fine," I said. I made a mental note to talk to Vince about his daughter.
"Don't go all pouty on me," Stephanie said. "This is going to be a great weekend for us. I'm going to put ECW back on the mat."
"I know," I said.
Which brings up a second problem. Who the hell am I supposed to wrestle for? Stephanie is my wife and I love her. I know that signing with them would help her out a lot. But I love the WWF. My life was all about the WWF. Being hurt helped me realize I do have to think about what I'm going to do after I retire from wrestling. I guess I never really thought about life beyond wrestling.
I love the business so I know I won't ever actually leave it behind completely. I guess I might have vaguely thought about being a talent scout or running a training center.
Now I don't even know who I'm going to wrestle for when I do indeed get back. Vince has treated me like a son since Wrestlemania 16. Before that, he encouraged me to be the best. Maybe he saw that, like himself, I was willing to do whatever I could to get to the top and stay there.
Hours later I was laying on the hotel bed, watching some news program. "Honey, I need to go have a strategy session with Shane," Stephanie said, sitting on the bed next to me.
"Okay sweetheart," I said, pulling her down to me to give her a kiss.
"I'll see you later," Stephanie said. I could read the tenderness in her blue eyes. I hope the children we have someday have her eyes.
"Count on it," I said. I watched her leave the room and waited five minutes before picking up the phone.
"Yeah?" a gruff voice asked.
"It's Hunter," I said. I was greeted with silence. "I call in peace."
"What's up?" Vince finally asked.
"Stephanie's meeting with Shane. I want to talk to you," I said.
"Where are you staying?" Vince asked.
"Hilton," I answered.
"Me too," Vince said. "Bar downstairs?"
"I'll leave now," I said.
"Okay," Vince answered.
When I saw Vince downstairs, I barely recognized him. The last time I had seen him his daughter was still devoted to him, he had a best friend in Steve Austin, and his company was on top with no competition. I had never felt so sorry for another human being in my life.
I know the reason Linda McMahon halted divorce proceedings was because his children were ganging up on him. Linda had more basic human decency than any other person I had ever met. I know that no matter how much Vine had hurt her in the past, it hurt her more to see every person he had ever cared for turn on him.
"Hi Hunter," Vince said.
"Hey Vince," I said. "You holding up okay?"
"I've been better," Vince answered. "Can't really remember ever being worse."
"I can understand that," I replied. "Look, I wanted to make sure you knew that Stephanie really does love you. She may not be willing to admit it right now, but she loves you a lot."
"I love her too," Vince said.
"She was hurt by what you said to Jericho," I said.
"I know," Vince said miserably. "And I know it's not true."
"Me too," I said, grinning. "I hate to see what Shane and Stephanie are doing to you. You know I've thought as you as a father for awhile."
"I know," Vince said. "I'm really glad you called."
"Yeah, me too," I said. "Actually, I had an ulterior motive."
"What?" Vince asked.
"Can you keep an extra eye on Shane?" I asked. "I get the feeling he might get the urge to double-cross Steph. I don't want to see her hurt by him."
"Yeah," Vince said. "I hate to think that my flesh and blood would be that devious. But I guess I've already seen that they can be."
"I wish I could help you out Vince," I said. "But I love your daughter and she has to be my main concern."
"That actually makes me happier that you helping me would," Vince said. He stood up and we embraced briefly.
I left Vince McMahon standing there in the hotel bar. I had no idea that the next time I would see him he would be betrayed, not only by his children, but by the man he had just begun to consider a friend. Of course, I didn't know I was about to be betrayed either.