Stephanie padded down the hallway, opening the door to her parent's bedroom
without knocking. "Mother, I didn't send you-" she began frantically, but
there was no one in the room. "Mother?" she whispered loudly, not wanting
to awaken Hunter if possible. "Mother?" she asked again as she called down
the staircase. She didn't want to go down, and decided to check the
bathroom. The door was shut. "Mom-are you in there--?" Stephanie asked,
opening the door even as she said so. The window was wide open, the
curtains fluttering in the breeze. Stephanie swallowed hard. No one ever
opened the window this far. She cautiously stuck her head out, peering
outside. To her relief, she saw no one, but then wondered why she had even
expected to see anyone. This whole stalker thing had her seeing danger
everywhere. She shut the window, making sure to lock it.
Stephanie had failed, however to look up. If she had, she would have seen a man hanging precariously on the roof over the bathroom, only three feet from her head. It would have been so easy, he mused..all he would have had to do was reach down and grab her head and.that would have been the end. But that would have been too easy for that bitch. Out of everyone in that entire family, it was Stephanie and Vince who had cost him the most. Oh, sure he hated Shane too, for the role he had played, but it was that traitorous, double-crossing witch Stephanie who had caused him the most. And for that, she would pay. He hadn't decided if her life would be his price, but he figured he'd just see how things played out. First he'd destroy her, by destroying her soul, her heart. Then maybe her body. He hadn't quite decided yet, but he had one thing Stephanie McMahon-Helmsely didn't have: Time. It was a pity about Linda, though.but she was the one person who he could use against both Vince and Stephanie, and therefore, in the end, she was expendable.
It had been a close call at the house though.when that s.o.b. Hunter had come in, he'd known it was time to leave. If it had been just Linda and Stephanie, fun could have been had, but at this point he wasn't willing to risk being discovered this early in the game. Besides, he'd accomplished what he'd set out to accomplish here, even if those fools wouldn't realize it for a few days. And then they'd finally see exactly how serious he was. Stephanie drinking the senna, that had just been a happy coincidence, he wouldn't have cared if either she or Vince had drunk it. And the fact that Stephanie was pregnant.well it was all just coming together for him now wasn't it? She had so much to lose, and she would lose it all, just as she had made him lose everything. The man swung his long legs over the side of the roof, huffing a bit.he wasn't in the best shape, at least for this kind of work. He was glad now that he had planned for the contingency that he wouldn't be able to get out downstairs, and used the thin cord to rappel himself down the roof. He drove away, still laughing at the stupidity the McMahons had shown in making him their enemy.
"Mom? If you're here, please answer me.you need to answer me, please!" Stephanie called out. Hunter's bedroom door swung open.
Looking up, expecting to see Hunter, she was shocked to see her mother.
"What were you doing in there?"
"I know it silly but-well, I thought I heard a noise by the bathroom on my way to my bedroom and I decided to go back to Hunter's room and just wait and see if I heard anything else outside while I was in there." Linda said, shaking off her dizzy spell, trying to hide it from Stephanie. Stephanie would only worry, she was so on edge as it was.
" Back in there? Stephanie asked sharply. "What were you doing in there before?"
"Just talking.."
"What about.Mother, I swear if you-" Stephanie had turned white.
"I didn't say a word about-that. Don't you think he would have already come to see you if I had?"
Stephanie breathed again. Her mom was right. "But-"
"Shhh.Did you hear anything? Is that what woke you up too?"
"No, I didn't hear anything, but I did wake up because of something you said. Did you say you thought I sent you roses?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes."
"Well, I didn't. I didn't send you roses, Mom. And I don't know who did, either."
"But the card, it had your name!"
"Yes, I thought that's what you said. But it wasn't me."
"If you're trying to frighten me-"
"I'm not! I'm just telling you the truth! It wasn't me, and to tell you the truth, I don't like the fact that someone sent something to you using my name."
"I-I don't either. But just because this happened.it doesn't mean that-"
"Since you seem hell bent on denying that we are in any danger, Mom, I'll say it for you: Yes, it could well mean that the stalker sent you roses."
"No, no.I."
"Mother, you have to start taking this seriously!"
"Stephanie, do you know how many threats this family receives? More than you could count!"
"I know Mother, I've seen most of them. There's a lot of weird people out there, but most of them are harmless. I usually don't even think anything of it, because as long as this family is as rich as we are, we're bound to have a lot of jealous people who don't like us."
"And you think this is somehow different from that then?"
"Yes! Mother, someone's been able to get close enough to take photos of all of us! But I think it was the fact someone put A DRUG in my freaking drink that drove it all home for me." Stephanie said cynically. God, her mother was so stubborn!
"Stephanie-"
"You know what? Don't even say it, okay? I know you're in denial of this whole thing, probably because some part of you knows this time, it's for real. I'm scared, I'm not afraid to admit it. And I don't know about you, but I'm sleeping with my husband tonight. You can join us or not, but I know I'd feel better if you were in the same room with us." Stephanie was proud of herself for thinking to phrase it that way, like her mother was doing her a favor. Actually, she really would feel better with both of them near her. But having watched how Hunter got people to do anything he wanted, she was finally starting to learn a few things that were proving useful.
"Well, I-suppose that's logical. I-Let's go." Linda practically ran into Hunter's room. Stephanie crawled into the bed, fitting herself with a finally sleeping Hunter. Her mother crawled in on her right, so that Stephanie was in the middle. It was a tight fit, but Stephanie finally felt her heartbeat beginning to slow. She turned her back to Hunter, so they were back to back for a moment. Hunter turned on his side and mumbled "What the hell-"
"We're sleeping in here with you. Just go back to sleep, okay?" Stephanie said curtly, no room for argument in her voice. For a second she thought he was too far gone to respond, but he simply drawled "Ooookkkkayyy then." She could swear she heard laughter in the jerk's voice. She'd tell him about the roses in the morning, she decided. He then turned his back to her, pulling on his pillow, drifted back into unconsciousness, and while it took a little longer for Stephanie and Linda, they soon were asleep as well.
Stephanie had failed, however to look up. If she had, she would have seen a man hanging precariously on the roof over the bathroom, only three feet from her head. It would have been so easy, he mused..all he would have had to do was reach down and grab her head and.that would have been the end. But that would have been too easy for that bitch. Out of everyone in that entire family, it was Stephanie and Vince who had cost him the most. Oh, sure he hated Shane too, for the role he had played, but it was that traitorous, double-crossing witch Stephanie who had caused him the most. And for that, she would pay. He hadn't decided if her life would be his price, but he figured he'd just see how things played out. First he'd destroy her, by destroying her soul, her heart. Then maybe her body. He hadn't quite decided yet, but he had one thing Stephanie McMahon-Helmsely didn't have: Time. It was a pity about Linda, though.but she was the one person who he could use against both Vince and Stephanie, and therefore, in the end, she was expendable.
It had been a close call at the house though.when that s.o.b. Hunter had come in, he'd known it was time to leave. If it had been just Linda and Stephanie, fun could have been had, but at this point he wasn't willing to risk being discovered this early in the game. Besides, he'd accomplished what he'd set out to accomplish here, even if those fools wouldn't realize it for a few days. And then they'd finally see exactly how serious he was. Stephanie drinking the senna, that had just been a happy coincidence, he wouldn't have cared if either she or Vince had drunk it. And the fact that Stephanie was pregnant.well it was all just coming together for him now wasn't it? She had so much to lose, and she would lose it all, just as she had made him lose everything. The man swung his long legs over the side of the roof, huffing a bit.he wasn't in the best shape, at least for this kind of work. He was glad now that he had planned for the contingency that he wouldn't be able to get out downstairs, and used the thin cord to rappel himself down the roof. He drove away, still laughing at the stupidity the McMahons had shown in making him their enemy.
"Mom? If you're here, please answer me.you need to answer me, please!" Stephanie called out. Hunter's bedroom door swung open.
Looking up, expecting to see Hunter, she was shocked to see her mother.
"What were you doing in there?"
"I know it silly but-well, I thought I heard a noise by the bathroom on my way to my bedroom and I decided to go back to Hunter's room and just wait and see if I heard anything else outside while I was in there." Linda said, shaking off her dizzy spell, trying to hide it from Stephanie. Stephanie would only worry, she was so on edge as it was.
" Back in there? Stephanie asked sharply. "What were you doing in there before?"
"Just talking.."
"What about.Mother, I swear if you-" Stephanie had turned white.
"I didn't say a word about-that. Don't you think he would have already come to see you if I had?"
Stephanie breathed again. Her mom was right. "But-"
"Shhh.Did you hear anything? Is that what woke you up too?"
"No, I didn't hear anything, but I did wake up because of something you said. Did you say you thought I sent you roses?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes."
"Well, I didn't. I didn't send you roses, Mom. And I don't know who did, either."
"But the card, it had your name!"
"Yes, I thought that's what you said. But it wasn't me."
"If you're trying to frighten me-"
"I'm not! I'm just telling you the truth! It wasn't me, and to tell you the truth, I don't like the fact that someone sent something to you using my name."
"I-I don't either. But just because this happened.it doesn't mean that-"
"Since you seem hell bent on denying that we are in any danger, Mom, I'll say it for you: Yes, it could well mean that the stalker sent you roses."
"No, no.I."
"Mother, you have to start taking this seriously!"
"Stephanie, do you know how many threats this family receives? More than you could count!"
"I know Mother, I've seen most of them. There's a lot of weird people out there, but most of them are harmless. I usually don't even think anything of it, because as long as this family is as rich as we are, we're bound to have a lot of jealous people who don't like us."
"And you think this is somehow different from that then?"
"Yes! Mother, someone's been able to get close enough to take photos of all of us! But I think it was the fact someone put A DRUG in my freaking drink that drove it all home for me." Stephanie said cynically. God, her mother was so stubborn!
"Stephanie-"
"You know what? Don't even say it, okay? I know you're in denial of this whole thing, probably because some part of you knows this time, it's for real. I'm scared, I'm not afraid to admit it. And I don't know about you, but I'm sleeping with my husband tonight. You can join us or not, but I know I'd feel better if you were in the same room with us." Stephanie was proud of herself for thinking to phrase it that way, like her mother was doing her a favor. Actually, she really would feel better with both of them near her. But having watched how Hunter got people to do anything he wanted, she was finally starting to learn a few things that were proving useful.
"Well, I-suppose that's logical. I-Let's go." Linda practically ran into Hunter's room. Stephanie crawled into the bed, fitting herself with a finally sleeping Hunter. Her mother crawled in on her right, so that Stephanie was in the middle. It was a tight fit, but Stephanie finally felt her heartbeat beginning to slow. She turned her back to Hunter, so they were back to back for a moment. Hunter turned on his side and mumbled "What the hell-"
"We're sleeping in here with you. Just go back to sleep, okay?" Stephanie said curtly, no room for argument in her voice. For a second she thought he was too far gone to respond, but he simply drawled "Ooookkkkayyy then." She could swear she heard laughter in the jerk's voice. She'd tell him about the roses in the morning, she decided. He then turned his back to her, pulling on his pillow, drifted back into unconsciousness, and while it took a little longer for Stephanie and Linda, they soon were asleep as well.