This story is a work of fiction. I only own the characters that are non- WWE. Vince McMahon owns the WWE and characters. Do not distribute, do not sell, and do not sue. THANKS..***********

CHAPTER NINE

Sunday morning came and Mark had spent the night to be sure to be there. Sara had taken Justin back to their house in case things got out of hand. A quarter past noon, a clunky old Ford Fairlane pulled up outside the house. Because of Mark's recognizability, he was staying put from vantagepoint in the living room. Karen went out to meet Roy, who was alone and wielding a rifle. Glenn went out the back and snuck around to stand just out of sight in the shadow of the side of the house.

"Karen, you slut?!? Where in the he-have you been?" Roy yelled.

"Go home Roy! It's over!" Karen returned angrily.

"Oh so that's how it is, whore?" Roy screamed. "You all high and mighty now? Well I've news for you girl. You're coming home, now get in the damn car!"

"I'm not coming with you Roy." Karen was firm. "Not now, not ever again."

"You know I could shoot you right now if I wanted too." Roy leered. "I ought to, you're getting so uppity."

Oh shit! What if he really does? He's drunk or else he'd probably have done it by now.

"I'm not coming back Roy." Karen restated.

"Well I'm going to have to teach you a lesson then." Roy lunged for her. Karen dodged backwards towards the corner where Glenn was standing

Glenn could take no more of this. He came out of the shadows at that moment.

"Mister, you had better get off my property!" He growled.

"Oh so you're whoring yourself out to another man now." Roy said in rage. "I'll kill you both then."

While he was distracted Mark had been sneaking up from behind. He raised the rifle and started to aim. However, he was so drunk that he was having trouble finding the trigger. This gave Mark the opportunity he needed. Mark attacked him from behind just as the rifle went off.

Karen screamed out in pain as the bullet found its mark deep in her abdomen.

Mark got the gun away at that point.

"I'm shot Glenn! Oh God! He shot me!" Karen cried out.

"Nooo! You bastard!" Glenn shouted in rage.

He jumped forward at Roy and punched him square in the jaw. With one hit, he knocked the lowlife out. Roy fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Glenn was in a blind rage so he was repeatedly punching Roy in the face.

"No Glenn! You've got to stop. This isn't the way." Mark attempted to stop him. "You'll kill him."

"That's exactly what the bastard deserves." Glenn yelled out.

"No, you've got to let the cops handle it." Mark persuaded pulling him off. "Karen's been shot Glenn. We've got to get help for her."

"Oh God no!" Glenn snapped back into reality.

The brothers ran to Karen's side. Mark knelt down beside her and tried to assess the extent of her injuries.

"She's hurt bad. There's no time for an ambulance. We've got to get her to a hospital now." Mark realized.

They rushed to load her into the back of Mark's extended cab. Glenn squeezed onto the floorboards beside her. Mark got in a drove.

"Oh God. Please don't die. Please don't die." He was mumbling over and over.

"Keep pressure on the wound Glenn." Mark called from the front.

"It's okay Glenn." Karen smiled weakly. "It doesn't really hurt so much now. I'm sure it's going to be fi--." Karen passed out at that moment.

"Oh God Mark! She's passed out." Glenn was crying now. "There's so much blood. Hurry Mark hurry!"

"I am brother I am." Mark called back at him.

They reached the hospital shortly thereafter as Mark had exceeded all known speed laws to man. The hospital staff was waiting for them, thanks to the miraculous invention of the cell phone. Mark had called in the situation ahead to them. The emergency technicians took over and the brothers sat in the waiting room.

"Oh God, she's going to die! It's happening all over again." Glenn was rambling over and over again.

"Get a hold of yourself. There wasn't anything you could've done to prevent what happened to Rose. And there wasn't much you could do for this either." Mark reasoned. "We've got to pray brother, we've got to pray now."

They sat and prayed like they never had prayed before. About an hour later, the doctor came out and told them that Karen would live. She would live. Never had those words meant so much to Glenn as they did right then. He knew what he had to do. It had become clear as crystal.

"Can I go see her doctor?" Glenn asked.

"Yes, she needs her rest so make it quick." The doctor informed him. "She's conscious now thankfully."

"I'll go with you brother." Mark stood up to follow.

"No Mark. I need to do this alone." Glenn stopped him.

Mark gave Glenn a questioning look but he sat back down as requested.

Glenn walked in silence to the room where Karen lay. His pulse was racing but he was strangely unafraid. He pushed open the door.

"Glenn? Is that you?" Karen called out weakly as he entered.

Shutting the door behind him, Glenn answered, "Yes, honey, it's me. I need to talk to you."

Karen sighed in the pain that which had returned.

Glenn sat down on the side of the bed and took her hand gently in his.

"I'm so sorry that this has happened." Glenn said as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I shouldn't have let you confront him that way."

"It was my choice Glenn." Karen told him in a labored breath.

"I know. But I want to protect you. I want to make sure nothing like this ever happens again." Glenn told her.

"I know you do." Karen smiled.

"I love you with all of my heart Karen. Today, I was so scared. Scared that I might never have the chance to say this to you." Glenn continued.

"Say what?" Karen replied.

"Will you marry me?" Glenn asked the question.

"Yes Glenn. Oh yes!" Karen's eyes lit up.

Glenn bent down and gave her a beautiful soft kiss that was so perfect and genuine.

"Well, when do you want to do it?" Karen asked already knowing the answer.

"As soon as I can find a pastor." Glenn smiled.

And that's just what he did. He found a pastor who was visiting a patient up the hall. With Mark as a witness, they were married right then and there. Karen was discharged from the hospital two weeks later and they returned home. Roy strangely was never heard from again; though the rumor has it; a hunter found some very odd looking bones the following spring in a bear cave a few miles away. And the couple that lived in the cabin on the mountain couldn't possibly have lived happier ever after.

THE END!