Disclaimer: first page.

A/N: Sorry that this took forever. Life happened and my muses went on strike at the same time.  A special note: Scott Hall, Sean Waltman and Brian Armstrong (Road Dogg) are now in the NWA/TNA together. www.nwatna.com to see what is going on.

Kevin managed to snag me backstage passes for SummerSlam. The deal was that I tell everyone who asked that I was not returning to the show. Man, I really shouldn't have gotten fired in the first place and now everyone had to live up to the rules of Pretty Princess. Have I mentioned before that I hate Stephanie?

I also hate Vince right now. Billy and Pac just came into the locker room we share. The Kid has just been released from his contract and The Powers decided to spice things up and have Billy and Chuck get "married." Oh for the love of Pete, why didn't they just kill my boys and be done with it?

Shawn sighed. "Damn, Billy. I would have guessed that if you were to ever marry a guy, it would have been Jesse. I wonder how he's going to take this?"

Billy sighed dramatically. "Oh Shawn, if only Jesse would ask."

"Hey, I'm sure if you would show a little interest in settling down, he would." Kevin patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Oh I don't know." Billy kept going with his theatrics, playing up to the fact that Shawn's face was a picture of amusement and a small twitch that clearly wondered if Billy might be just a little serious. After all, they were together an awful lot… Billy continued, "After all, Chuck is such a wonderful guy, and I would be a fool to lose him like I lost Jesse."

The Kid stared at the ground and spoke in a choked voice. "I don't know what to tell you Billy." Ok, I thought. Don't look at Pac or hilarity will ensue.

I decided to mess with his mind too. "I think that you should talk to Jesse at least. He needs to know how you feel. He did tell me that your little episode in Vegas was the most cherished day of his life." Shawn shot a look at me. It said 'Vegas? Why don't I know about Vegas?'

Billy leapt up out of his seat. "Excuse me, I have to go make a phone call."

"I'll go with you." Kevin slowly got up, but I could hear the laughter in his voice. I couldn't look at him for fear I would collapse with laugher. As it was I couldn't make eye contact with Shawn.

"Well, um, moving right along." Shawn coughed nervously. "You two are staying back here tonight right?"

"Yeah, I've been told in twenty words or less not to show my face around the area and Kevin wouldn't be any good hobbling out there."

Kid put in his two cents, "Billy and me will be in the cafeteria with the others. We won't get involved in your match either. As much as we would like to beat the shit out of Hunter, it's your fight."

Then the PPV started all too soon. Kevin returned, Kid left and Shawn brooded. I was quietly praying to every religion I could remember and even a few I'm sure I created on the spot for Shawn's health.

Kid came back during the middle of the show. "Guys, I called Jesse. We are going to leave for a meeting with the NWA/TNA. The company has allowed us to get our things together before going in."

I could tell the Kid was excited about the idea, but wanted our approval first. I reached over the chair to hug him. "That's great. I hear it's a good company. Not that I would be biased for Scott's sake or anything."

All three of them laughed. "Nah," Shawn smiled. "Not biased for your family at all."

"Who, me?" I teased. "Well, maybe a little. I am responsible for you hoodlums , you know."

"Right," Pac bounced up, "I am going to call Jesse back and tell him to pack things up. We're going to Nashville. Oh yeah, and I have to tell Vince to kiss my ass before I leave."

As he shot for the door, Kevin called out from behind, "Be nice to Vince, Kid, don't burn one of the few bridges we have left!" But as soon as he was out the door, Kevin's face fell, "Ah hell, there goes all the nWo and DX and only pieces of the Kilq are left around. What am I going to do now?"

Shawn snorted. "You do exactly what me and Chyna have done since we've been lonely; keep going. But, hey mom, maybe you should call the NWA?"

"I don't know", I sighed, "not sure that is what I want to do. Getting back in the ring would be nice, but I would have to go and rebuild all the respect I had here, and I'm thinking it is just too much trouble."

Kevin chuckled. "Like Scott, Kid and Jesse would even allow them to talk badly about you. Those guys make quite the game out of intimidation."

"Not as intimidating as Silent Chyna, but scary nonetheless." Shawn added.

I sighed. "I'll tell you what, I won't say that I will, but I won't not look into it. Okay? Does that satisfy you two?"

Shawn laughed outright. "Does it satisfy us? Hell, no. We won't be happy till Mom's back in the ring. But we will settle for it. After all, any amount of begging won't help. You won't do anything you don't want to."

I kept my mouth shut and just smiled at him. I couldn't tell him the one thing that I really never wanted to do was watch him and Hunter fight like this, or simply see Hunter act this way in any case.

Someone knocked on the door as we sat there, talking about many other times we sat in a locker room together, before a PPV. "Michaels, you're up in five." Shawn was going to the ring. He got up to leave. "Be careful, Sunshine." I couldn't bring myself to wish him luck against Hunter, it felt wrong. I noticed Kevin didn't either.

"I'll be fine, Chyna. Even if I come back a loser and hurt, I will still know that I went out and let him know that I wasn't easy to take out."

Kevin winced. "Oh man, you didn't have to say it like that."

Shawn just laughed and bounced out the door. He acted the way he used to before a match, happy and full of ego. I had missed that.

We watched the match in near silence. The only times we spoke were to comment on the moves. Kevin and I held no conversation at all. Didn't want to miss anything by talking about something else. It was great to see HBK back in his element again.

He won.

And then Hunter had to bring out that damned sledgehammer.

So make it two times in my life I wanted to kill him.

I was so angry that if I had seen Hunter on my way to Shawn backstage that the whole locker room would have lost the attempt to hold me back. I got there to see the paramedics working on Shawn while he was still on the stretcher. "I thought I told you not to get hurt, Heart Break Kid."

"Ah, it's nothing." He smiled weakly at me. "Just a little twinge in the back." The paramedic snorted without turning around. I glared, Kevin glared, and we got a straight answer. "You remember that time I got really drunk in Germany and, although I was coherent, my legs wouldn't obey my body? Yeah, this is what that feels like all over again."

I couldn't speak so Kevin did it for me. "Is it," he paused, "permanent?"

The paramedic who snorted earlier answered. " I don't think it is. A little lower of a shot and it might have been. I'd say your opponent wanted you back to face him. Shots normally go for the places that would have put you in a whole 'nother world of hurt. He either knew what he was doing, or he has some shitty aim. I'd like to get you into an x-ray to be sure though. If it is what I think it is, your legs should come back completely in a week or two."

I told Shawn I'd be at the hospital soon, and Kevin chose to ride with him there. I headed back to the locker room to pack up our bags. As I walked, my brain wouldn't shut off for a moment's peace. The medic had said that Hunter had to know what he was doing or had bad aim. Now, I had been with Hunter long enough to know he knew how to use that cursed sledgehammer. Bad aim? Not likely. My anger faded as confusion sat in. Which was a good thing.

He was there as I opened the door.