A Thousand Reasons

by Leeloo Jinn

COMPLETE- Triple H returns to the WWE with someone in tow… someone female. In the process, he gets more problems and excitement than he's paying her for. Centered around Triple H’s return to the WWE and beyond. OC, Triple H, Evolution, Jericho, etc

48. Worth It In the End

Chapter 48

Hunter rolled over with a groan. His hand touched the back of his head where Evie had hit him with the chair. The tender skin protested at his gentle prodding and he readjusted the ice pack he had been using to keep the swelling down. When he had been checked over, the trainer stated that he was surprised that Hunter didn't have a concussion. Evie had hit him pretty hard.

Is that so surprising? he thought in disgust. You fire her on national television and dump her in front of millions of people. What did you expect her to do?

The mere fact that she had hit him with the chair astonished him. He hadn't been expecting a physical attack; he expected more of a verbal one. Apparently verbalizing wasn't on her mind, and she had decided that a physical response would be more effective in getting her point across.

"Point taken," he murmured.

Hunter was finally cleared to go and he headed back to the locker room to collect his things. He rode back to the hotel alone. Ric had gone with Randy and Batista to the hospital. Their injuries had been a bit more serious and they both needed x-rays.

When he made it back to the hotel, the desk clerk gave him a large manila envelope, stating that it was from Evie. When Hunter opened it in his room, he sighed. It was the personal schedule that she had kept for him. He went to the adjoining door and opened it, half expecting to find her there, waiting to chew him out. He stepped into the room and looked around. His heart fell when he realized that she was actually gone. There was nothing there to indicate that anyone had been in the room at all.

Hunter sat down on the end of the bed, his head in his hands. She was gone and as far as he knew, she was never coming back. A shudder ran through him at the thought of actually spending a night without her. Even though they hadn't been together since their argument, she had always been in the next room. Now she was probably miles away.

He hated himself for letting her go, but he knew that it had to be done. No denying that. The longer she would have stayed, the more she would have been taken advantage of by others. She was better off without the everyday strain and stress of that; she was better off without him.

Better off without me, he thought sadly. Who knows how much longer it would have lasted?

Truth was, he was hoping it would've lasted a long time. The thought of actually settling down with her had crossed his mind more than once, but he had pushed it aside out of fear. She had become so much a part of his life that he hadn't really anticipated what it would feel like to not have her next to him. Now he knew, and he didn't like it. With her there was a sense of sureness and security. She felt like his other half. Now he felt nothing but emptiness. His shoulders slumped and his head lowered.

"Damn," he whispered to the vacant room.

A knock on the door to his room startled him out of his reverie. He walked into his own room, closing the adjoining door after him. He peered through the peephole in his door and saw Ric standing in the hall.

"Great," he murmured before opening the door.

Ric looked up as the door swung wide. "Hey champ," he said with a half-smile. "How're you feeling?"

Hunter waved his hand back and forth. "So-so. Head still hurts a little."

Ric gave a short laugh. "Not surprised. She really smacked you with that chair. Never thought she had it in her."

Hunter grimaced. "Me neither" he replied as he stood aside to allow Ric in.

Ric strode in, throwing a fleeting glance towards the other door in the room. "She still here?" he asked indifferently.

"Nope. She's gone," Hunter responded. "Didn't really think she'd stick around, did you?"

Ric shook his head. "No, I guess not." He looked at Hunter speculatively. "So, now what?"

He really didn't want Ric to know how much Evie's departure affected him. It hurt enough just thinking about it. He didn't want to talk about it anyway. Hunter shrugged. "Now I worry about that damn title match at Wrestlemania, that's what."

Ric beamed. "That's what I wanna hear outta the World Heavyweight champion." He clenched his fist as if he were grabbing something. "You're gonna wipe the floor with Booker T."

"How about Batista and Randy? How are they?" Hunter asked.

"Both are out with injuries. Randy might be back next week, but Batista's out of it for a while." Ric shook his head. "Man, if I ever get my hands on Christian…"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Ric. They'll both bounce back and we'll let them take care of Christian," Hunter stated.

"I guess," Ric replied. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. It's been one hell of a night."

Hunter chuckled. "You can say that again." He opened the door for Ric. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Bright and early," Ric said as he walked out.

Hunter closed the door after him and leaned against it. He wasn't sure how well he was going to sleep tonight. The prospect of holding a pillow instead of Evie wasn't too appealing. With another sigh, he began to strip off his clothes. He deliberately took his time, not wanting to get into bed until he absolutely had to. He took a long, hot shower, fiddled around sorting his clothes out for tomorrow, flipped through the television channels and finally he decided to stop putting it off.

He shut the light off and pulled back the blankets. As he lay in the dark, staring up at the ceiling, he wondered if Evie was home yet.

By now, she's probably unpacking and cursing me out at the same time, he thought wryly.

He rolled onto his side, clutching the other pillow to him. It was a poor substitute for her warm body. His heart lurched with the torment of not being able hold her again. Never touch her. Never kiss her. Never smell the scent of her hair, or taste the warmth of her skin. No more smile. The pain increased at the thought of the empty days ahead.

"I'm sorry Evie," he whispered. He buried his face in the pillow as if he were trying to smother the ache that had centered in his chest. Instead, the fabric absorbed the tears trickling from his eyes.

---

Evie arrived home close to three in the morning. She had simply dumped her bags in her room, switched off her cell phone and the ringer on her home phone, stripped and fell into bed with an ice pack on her cheek. As she wrapped the blankets around her aching body, she grimaced at the pain the movements caused. I am definitely going to have some bruises tomorrow.

She adjusted the ice pack, feeling the cold soothe the discolored, inflamed skin. As she lay there, she went over what had happened in New York, as well as the week prior. She should have guessed that Hunter was going to do something drastic. He had refused to talk to her about their argument. Actually, he had refused to talk to her at all unless it had to do with her match. Big signs right there.

Apparently not big enough for me to see.She grimaced. I am such a dope. I should have seen it coming. Especially with the way he was acting in the ring.

His attitude toward her in the ring was not the Hunter she knew. That was the World Heavyweight champion talking. Tears pricked her eyes as his words echoed in her mind. It hurt in the most awful way. How could he carelessly abandon her like that? It didn't make any sense. There had to be more to it than that. And knowing Hunter, there probably was.

He hadn't talked to her about any of it and ended it all on his own conditions. She'd had no say so at all in it. Once again, he had hid behind his fears and changed things without telling her. Her tears receded as she became angry.

"Selfish bastard," she muttered to herself. "I ought to go back and kick his ass some more."

She entertained the thought of Hunter's reaction if she showed up at his hotel door with another steel chair; even going as far as to fantasize how many ways she could use it on him. A malicious grin spread across her face as she pictured him trying to apologize and receiving a swift smack to the head. She entertained a few more satisfying thoughts of slapping him around, but her grin quickly faded as she realized that, even though she was angry with him, she still loved him.

The reality of the whole situation, along with the tension she had been under, crashed down on her and tears filled her eyes as she hugged the other pillow to her. "Damn you," she whispered thickly as she succumbed to weeping.

---

Evie pulled on a pair of track pants and an old Cure concert shirt. She finally decided to get up and dressed after two days in bed. Most of it had been spent alternating between tears and sleeping. She concluded that she wasn't doing herself any good by moping in bed and resolutely pushed herself to get up.

As she twisted her hair up in a knot, she padded barefoot into the living room. She hadn't answered her phones for two whole days, not wanting to talk to anyone at all. She didn't think she could handle the questions that were sure to come up. Especially from her sister. Lauren would be raring to kick Hunter's ass for the stunt he'd pulled on her baby sister.

When she cleared her password for her cell phone, she was shocked to hear so many messages. Of course a majority of them were from Lauren. There were a couple from Bradshaw and one from Batista and also one from her friend Philip. She jotted down who had called and erased the messages. She shuddered to think of what was waiting on her home phone voicemail.

Once she had taken care of that and made a note to call Linda McMahon, she dialed Lauren's number. The answering machine picked up, and Evie left a message to let her know she was okay, she was at home, and would be answering the phone today. Then she dialed Bradshaw's number. He picked up on the second ring.

"John Bradshaw," he stated.

"Hey stranger," Evie replied quietly.

At the other end, Bradshaw smiled. "Nice to know you're still alive, darlin'."

"If you can call it that" Evie half-joked. "I'm lucky nothing's broken."

"You sure about that?" he questioned pointedly.

She sat down on the sofa. "No bones broken, but can't say much about my heart," she said casually.

Bradshaw sighed as he silently cursed Hunter out. "I wish there was somethin' I could've done. If I had been there, you know I would've."

"I know," she simply stated.

"Is there anything I can do for you? I mean, I'm willing to go beat the crap outta him. You just say the word."

A small smile curved her mouth upwards; her hero. "I appreciate that John, but it's not necessary."

"Well you know that if I don't do it, your sister will," he stated with a chuckle. Evie had told him about her sister once. It sounded like Lauren was just as much of a firecracker as Evie. "Hey, remind me never to make you angry. I don't wanna be hit in the head with a chair." Evie laughed softly as he continued. "You really nailed Bischoff too. Should-a smacked him around a bit more though."

"Should-a, could-a, would-a," she responded and then told him why she had whacked Bischoff as well as Shawn and Hunter. "That whole scene in Bischoff's office was the catalyst I guess," she said with some disappointment.

"For Hunter firing you? Why the hell would he fire you over that?" Bradshaw questioned. "He never made a stink about you having a go at Bischoff before, did he?"

Evie sat back in the cushions, tucking one leg under the other. "No, he never did. He always backed me up, but this time it was different. He actually got mad at me." Her voice fell a few octaves. "And he never did tell me why he fired me."

Bradshaw laughed. "You didn't give him a chance to, darlin'. You whacked him over the head with a chair."

"True," she said as she smiled. "I guess I'll never know, but it really doesn't matter now."

"Now that doesn't sound like the Evie I know," Bradshaw stated. "The Evie I know wouldn't take no for an answer."

She plucked at the fabric on the sofa. "Have you been talking to my sister?"

Bradshaw furrowed his brow in confusion. "No, why?"

"You sound just like her," Evie replied. "Warming me up to talk to her, are you?" she teased.

He chuckled. "Nope, but I can if you want me to." He wondered why her attitude was so indifferent, considering the subject. He decided to take a chance and ask her. "Hey darlin'?"

"What?" she asked in response.

"How are you, really?" He cleared his throat. "I mean, you seem to be treating this like it's an every day thing."

Evie lay her head back on the cushion, looking up at the ceiling as she thought about it. "Because if I don't, I end up crying, and I spent the past two days doing that. It didn't change anything, so I figured I might as well get on with my life."

She continued on. "No pointing getting upset about it. It's over and done with and I can't change it; may as well move forward."

Bradshaw nodded even though she couldn't see him. He felt that she was handling it well, at least on the surface. Whatever was going on inside had to be worse. "Makes sense," he finally said.

"When am I gonna see you again?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

He sighed heavily. "Darlin', I dunno. We don't have a stop date in Chicago for a couple of months at least." He thought about the SmackDown! schedule for a moment or two. "We might have a date coming up in Milwaukee soon."

"I can drive to Milwaukee. It's only a couple of hours from here," Evie said. She really did want to see him. They hadn't laid eyes on each other in a while.

"Well, I double check things and let you know, okay?" he asked.

"All right," she said and glanced at the clock on the bookshelf. "Hey, I'm gonna let you go, but call me later this week, will you?"

It seemed that she was deliberately cutting the conversation short, but he knew that she probably had other people to talk to. He let it slide. "Sure thing darlin'," Bradshaw answered.

They said their goodbyes and Evie disconnected the call. She dropped the phone on the sofa, gathering her courage for the next phone call. It wasn't something she really wanted to do, but it had to be done. The thought of answering questions made her want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over her head. She made a face at herself. She was going to have to call Linda McMahon whether she liked it or not. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, she picked the phone up and dialed the number.

Linda's receptionist answered. "Linda McMahon's office, how can I help you?"

"Sherri, its Evie Mackenzie. Is Linda available?" Evie asked casually.

"Let me check for you," Sherri replied and placed Evie on hold. Almost immediately, she came back on the line. "She's available. Let me connect you."

Evie thanked her and waited for Linda to pick up. Within seconds, Linda's voice could be heard at the other end.

"Hello Evie. How are you?" Linda asked in a friendly tone.

Inwardly, Evie was relieved. Apparently Linda wasn't upset with her regarding what she had done in the ring. "Physically, I'm all right. A few black and blue marks, but I'm okay," Evie said.

"I am so sorry about that. Vince never should have made that match," Linda apologized. "I was trying to find something in your contract that would have gotten you out of it, but we never wrote in anything about those kinds of situations."

Evie shrugged. "Don't worry about it Linda. I'm still alive and somewhat unscathed," she joked.

Linda chuckled. "Which is more than I can say for Jericho, Shawn, Hunter and Bischoff. You really let them have it." She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Don't tell anyone, but I was especially glad to see you whack Bischoff."

Evie laughed. "It felt damn good," she replied. "And I won't mention it to anyone, so don't worry."

Linda leaned back in her chair. "You did pretty well in the ring. Who helped you out?"

"Dave Batista did," Evie responded. "Of course, my intense dislike for Chris Jericho helped too," she said dryly.

Linda grinned. "Ever thought about becoming a professional wrestler? We need a bit of new blood in the women's division to shake things up."

Another laugh from Evie. "That's kind of you Linda, but I really have no desire to get back in a wrestling ring."

Linda pulled Evie's contract out of the folder on her desk. "Well, Hunter may have let you go, but you're still employed by the company." She shuffled through the stack of paper. "So technically, you still work for us." Linda hesitated for a few seconds before continuing. "I wondered if you would like to work in the main office."

"Doing what?" Evie asked, slightly intrigued.

"Well, my own assistant will be leaving soon because she's expecting a baby and won't be returning. I wondered if you'd like to take her place."

Evie ruminated on that possibility. She'd have a job, it would be far enough from a wrestling ring and at least she would have very limited contact with Hunter. It seemed like a good opportunity, but she wanted to think about it a little before committing. "Would it be all right if I thought it over, Linda?"

"That's not a problem. I'm sure there are some things you want to get straightened out at home first, so take a few weeks to think it over," Linda answered. "I don't need a decision right away. Just make sure to let me know what it is. If you decide not to remain with the company all together, I'll need you to fly out to Stamford and sign release papers."

"I understand," Evie replied. "I'll make sure to let you know one way or the other. But in the meantime, if you find someone who is qualified, don't pass them over on my account."

"All right," Linda said. "I'll keep that in mind and I look forward to hearing from you." She paused and then, "I'm really sorry things went that far Evie. It wasn't my intention for you to end up in the ring with anyone."

"I know, Linda. What's done is done, so don't worry about it," Evie told her. She had the feeling that Linda was sorry for a lot more than she was letting on, but Evie dismissed it as imagination. "I'll talk to you in a few weeks."

No sooner had she ended the call with Linda, than her home phone rang. Rolling her eyes, she picked up the cordless, instinctively knowing it was her sister.

"Lauren?" Evie asked.

A laugh at the other end confirmed her guess. "Are you psychic today, sister dear?" Lauren questioned in good humor.

Evie smiled. "Not really. I figured it was you. You only left, like, a thousand messages on my voicemail. Were you trying to overload it?"

"No, I was concerned about you. We saw what happened Monday night on television," Lauren replied, her voice hardening.

Evie decided it was a good thing that Hunter and her sister may never cross paths. If they did, Hunter would never reproduce the rest of his natural born life. "So what did you think?" she asked nonchalantly.

"I think he deserved what you did to him. But you know that if I ever get my hands on him, he's a dead man," Lauren said darkly.

"Are you talking about Jericho, Shawn, Bischoff or Hunter," Evie asked jokingly.

"This isn't funny Evelyn. That man," she spat, "doesn't deserve to even walk the earth after what he did to you."

Evie tried to placate her. "Lauren, calm down. What's done is done and there's no use in getting worked up over it."

Her sister stopped short. This was unexpected. Evie was making it seem like Lauren had been the one wronged and she was trying to calm her down. She thought it would be the other way around. "Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?"

A smile pulled at Evie's mouth. "I am still your sister."

"You don't sound like it. I expected you to be upset and crying, but instead you're acting like its no problem at all," Lauren responded.

Evie told Lauren what she told Bradshaw earlier. "It can't be changed, Lauren. There's no point in getting upset. I may as well get on with my own life."

At the other end, Lauren shook her head. She wasn't buying it. "Uh-uh. You can't fool me, Evelyn Rose. I know you."

"Look, I just spent two days in bed crying over him. It didn't change anything. In fact, it made me feel even worse. So, I decided that the best way to get back at him was to get on with living," Evie stated a bit forcefully. "I am not going to let this turn me back into that person I used to be. I don't regret what I did to him. Not for a second."

Lauren was slightly stunned at her sister's attitude towards the whole thing. She had changed dramatically over the past few years. Even more so during the time she had been with Hunter. Although Evie may be acting tough on the outside, on the inside, Lauren knew she had to be hurting. "So you're just going to bury the pain deep down and ignore it then? How's that going to help, Evie? You know it's only going to make you bitter."

"Not if I don't let it. And I haven't buried it. Didn't you hear me when I said I'd been crying for two days straight?" Evie asked in frustration. She loved her sister dearly and valued her opinions, but sometimes she drove Evie nuts.

Sensing that the conversation could quickly escalate into an argument, Lauren conceded. She knew when to shut up. "All right. You got me there. But don't think for a minute, that if I ever see him again that I won't give him a piece of my mind."

Evie sighed. "I'm afraid you'll give him more than that," she said matter-of-factly. "Don't forget, I know you too Lauren. And I know he'll probably lose the ability to reproduce if you have anything to do with it."

Despite being angry at Hunter, Lauren laughed at Evie's remark. Evie did know her all too well. "Yeah, well…" she trailed off. "Have you talked to mom and dad yet?"

"No," Evie said quietly. "Have they said anything to you at all?"

Lauren grimaced. "They saw what happened on Monday. Mom couldn't take it and left the room until the match was over. Dad was furious that Hunter would even allow you to get into that situation in the first place, but he was whooping it up when you cleaned house with that chair."

Evie chuckled at that thought. Her dad had been in quite a few scraps in his time, but he had always instilled the belief in his children that fighting was a last resort, and when it came down to that, you gave 'em hell. Another thought occurred to her.

"What about the boys? Did they see it?" she asked her sister.

"Yeah, they did. They were glad Shawn came out to help you, but they couldn't understand why Hunter fired you," Lauren replied. "I told them that I didn't know why, but Jacob thinks he fired you so you wouldn't get hurt like that anymore."

Evie's heart lifted slightly at Lauren's words. Her nephew, as young as he was, probably had a better grasp on things than she did. It made sense when she thought about it. It was something Hunter would do just to get her away from harm. It still made her mad that he hadn't bothered to discuss it with her.

"Smart kid," Evie stated. "He seems to have hit on something I missed."

Lauren wrinkled her brow. "How so? I mean, I know my kids are smart, but what do you mean by something you missed?"

Evie stood up and slowly paced the length of the room. "I couldn't understand why Hunter fired me. It was completely out of the blue and I figured there was probably more to it, but I couldn't quite guess what it would be. It's possible Jacob might have figured it out."

"Sorta makes sense, I guess," Lauren said. "But it was still rotten of him to do that, and on national television too" she muttered. "It doesn't get him off the hook with me though."

Evie laughed softly. She almost felt sorry for Hunter. He'd better hope he never met up with Lauren, or he'd be in a world of pain. "I love you," she simply said.

"You better," Lauren stated.

"I have to. You're family," Evie teased.

They finished up their conversation. Lauren made a few more threats against Hunter and told Evie she shouldn't take no for an answer. She said Evie should march right back and demand some answers. Evie told her she'd think about it.

After a few more calls, Evie stretched and walked back into her bedroom. Her suitcase was still where she left it. She yanked it up onto the bed to unpack it. She pulled out the clothes and separated them to be washed.

When she was emptying her make-up bag, she came across the necklace that Hunter had given her over Christmas. As she held it in her hand, she recalled why Hunter had given it to her. He had said it was for sticking around for so long, but deep down, they both knew why he had really given it to her. Despite the determination she had displayed on the outside, it still hurt on the inside. The ache in her chest grew as she thought about never being able to hold him again. Never have that feeling of safety when she was in his arms. Never feel his hands touching her, or his strong body pressing her to the bed. Never smell the scent of soap on his skin. The tears rushed up and spilled over as she sank to the floor, clutching the gold chain in her hand. Her arms wrapped around her legs, her forehead lowered to the tops of her knees and she cried.

---

The days leading up to Wrestlemania were difficult for Hunter. Not only did he have to deal with Booker T's taunts and threats, he also had to deal with the loneliness that had invaded since Evie left. The nights that he and Ric did go out with female company, always ended with Hunter going back to his room alone. Women had dulled the pain before, but he knew that it wouldn't work this time. He didn't want any of them. He wanted Evie.

His temper became short with people. He snapped and raged at the smallest things. Most dismissed it as pre-Wrestlemania nerves, but one person knew what the real problem was.

Batista had spoken to Hunter a few times. The older man had called him under the pretense of checking on him and how his injury was, but Batista knew that he needed someone to talk to. At first Hunter denied the problem, but he eventually opened up enough for Batista to get a grasp on things. Batista had been as surprised as everyone else that Hunter had fired Evie. When he had gotten over the shock, he figured that there was a reason why Hunter had done it, but he waited to hear it from Hunter himself.

In time, Hunter did get around to mentioning it. Batista understood why, but what he didn't understand was why Hunter hadn't told Evie. Hunter stated that before he could say anything, Evie had left, and he felt it was better that way. When Batista questioned him why it was better, Hunter became upset and said he had his reasons. After that, he didn't talk about it again and Batista didn't bring it up.

Wrestlemania came and went. Jericho had been awarded a match against Shawn Michaels in return for Shawn's interference that Monday night. Shawn had emerged victorious, but Jericho had the last laugh when he nailed Shawn with a low blow after the match had ended.

Hunter retained his title against Booker T. The fight had lasted longer than Hunter had expected, but he managed to pull Booker up in a three count for the win. Ric, as excited as he was, insisted that they celebrate. Hunter had put his foot down. He was sore from the match and tired from fighting his feelings of loneliness the past couple of weeks. All he wanted to do was get away from everyone and that's exactly what he did. He went straight to his hotel room, locked the door and turned off his cell phone. Within minutes, he had undressed and was lounging on the bed with the remote for the TV in his hand. He flipped through the channels and came across the movie Evil Dead 2. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. It seemed that the whole world was out to remind him of what he had let go.

Despite the lingering memory that this was one of Evie's favorite movies, he watched it. There wasn't much else on and he figured some torture was in order tonight. He decided to push the envelope a little more and wondered what she was doing right now. Where was she and who was she with? Did she think about him?

He snorted in derision. She probably did think about him, but not in the way Hunter was hoping. More along the lines of "I'm-gonna-kill-him-when-I-see-him" is what she's probably thinking.

Well, what did you expect? That she'd be pining over you? Wasting away to nothing? Boo-hooing all over the place? Considering what you did to her, you should be glad that she's not banging your door down to get a little payback, the little voice stated.

I wouldn't want her to be banging down my door. I'd rather her be banging… well, never mind that, he thought.

The little voice chuckled. Thinking things like that gets you into trouble. And a cold shower.

Hunter sighed. He'd lost track of how many cold showers he'd taken over the past few weeks. He couldn't help himself. Every time he thought about what they had done, desire centered itself between his legs. Yeah, why not torture myself some more? Then I can take another cold shower, he thought wryly as he adjusted himself.

You're not doing yourself any favors, are you? Not making it any easier to get on with your own life. She's probably moved on with hers. After all, she hasn't bothered to call you or anything.

Only because I pissed her off enough to leave me alone. That's what I wanted anyway. I don't have to worry about her getting jumped, or beaten up, or used against me, Hunter replied in defense of his actions.

You also don't have her in your life anymore either, the voice said to him. She was right to ask you that question, wasn't she?

About what? Hunter questioned.

Where she fit into your life; she didn't, and now you're alone. The voice sighed. Was what you did worth the one thing that fills that void in your life?

Hunter's arm rested across his eyes. Nothing mattered but her. That's why I did it. I did it for her, he responded. But had a hard time convincing himself that was the reason why, or that it was even a good reason.

---

Evie spent her days cleaning. She had been ruthless; scrubbing every corner, cleaning out closets, throwing out out-of-date material. Cleaning had always been therapeutic for her. It made her feel she still had control over something in her life. The tasks kept her focused on what she was doing so that she didn't have time to think about anything else; the anything else being Hunter.

She had gone out with Philip quite a bit. They had gone to a couple clubs and out to lunch. He even took her along on a buying trip for his business. He claimed that he needed input, but Evie knew he was trying to help her get her mind off things, and she appreciated him for it.

She had also spent time with her family. It hadn't been easy to talk to her parents. She knew they would be upset about what had happened and how it had been handled, but they told her that no matter what, they still loved her. Her mother had restated that she understood Evie's mind was her own and she made her own decisions, but she was still her mother and worried about her. Evie assured her that she would be fine. It would take time, but she'd be all right.

Her father took her aside and told her that even though he was disappointed with Hunter, he sure liked the way Evie had handled him in the ring. "I'd have given him a few more hits, but I think you got your point across just fine. That'll teach him not to mess with my little girl. You did real good out there," he said with a hint of pride.

However, Evie found out that her dad was really disappointed in the whole thing because he had taken quite a liking to Hunter. Her mother commented on it to her one day while she was helping Evie take some things to her storage locker.

"So what are you going to do about a job?" Lillian asked casually.

Evie shrugged as she opened the trunk of her car. "Not sure yet. Linda McMahon offered me a job at the main office in Connecticut. And Philip said I could come back and work for him if I wanted." She lifted a container out of the trunk and set it down on the ground. "It's not like I'm hurting for money right now."

"Your uncle needs help at his pub. He said you'd be welcome there if you wanted a job," Lillian said to her.

Evie chuckled. "And be ordered around by the great Irish tyrant?" she joked. "I'd rather get back in a wrestling ring."

Lillian laughed along with her. Her oldest brother was known for being quite overbearing, especially when it came to his business. "If you took the job in Connecticut, would you have to move there?" she asked.

"Probably," Evie grunted as she removed another box.

Lillian hesitated to ask the next question. To cover the silence, she picked up a box and carried it into the building. She unlocked the storage room door and set the box inside. Evie came up behind her and Lillian moved aside so that she could put the other carton down.

As Evie straightened up, she looked her mom in the eye. ""Go ahead, mom. Ask."

Lillian smiled in amusement. "Can't get anything by you, can I" When Evie shook her head, Lillian asked the question. "Would you see Hunter at all if you're at the main office?"

"I don't know. If I did, it wouldn't be an everyday occurrence. He's on the road so much that I doubt I'd see him at all," she replied.

Lillian looked at her daughter thoughtfully. "But there's a chance that you might."

Evie shrugged. "There's always a chance that I might run into him. It's not like I'd be completely isolated and most of the wrestlers are in and out of the building at one time." She returned her mother's gaze. "If it happens, it happens. I'm a big girl mom," she said pointedly.

A sigh escaped her mother. "I know sweetheart. I'm your mom and I can't help worrying." She closed the door to the storage room. "Your father was pretty let down with Hunter as well."

Evie became interested. "What do you mean?"

"He really liked Hunter. He told me that he thought it was wonderful that you had found a good man this time." She looked at Evie with a bit of a grin. "I think he thought you and Hunter were going to settle down."

A faint blush stained Evie's cheeks. "Why on earth would he think that?"

Lillian gave her a knowing smile. "Oh honey, he was so excited to see you happy. Things had been so rough for you for quite some time, that he was thrilled that you had finally gotten a break." She lowered her voice a bit and the smile faded. "He loves you so much and only wants to see you happy. After all, you're his girl."

The blush deepened a bit, and Evie had to turn her face away from her mom so she wouldn't see the tears. After she had returned home from California, her father had been fiercely protective of her. He had also encouraged her to take self-defense so that she would be able to protect herself. He had told her that if he couldn't be there, then she should at least learn to take care of herself.

She pushed the tears down, taking a quick swipe at her eyes just to make sure. "Is that why he's been moping when he thinks I'm not looking?" she asked in a steady voice.

Lillian nodded. "But, like you, I'm sure he'll get over it. He's tough, much like his youngest daughter," she replied with a sideways glance at Evie.

Evie chuckled in response. Deep down, her love for her dad grew even more. He was a good man himself. Evie only hoped she'd be able to find someone just like him one day.

Well, I thought I had, she told herself later that day as she looked around her bedroom, making sure everything was where she wanted it. Her gaze fell on her dresser. Lying there on the top corner of her jewelry box was the necklace. She felt her heart lurch at the sight of it. I really need to put that somewhere, or get rid of it, she thought. It's not helping much by reminding me of… things.

With fresh determination, she took an envelope out of her desk drawer and deposited the necklace in it. She sealed it up and placed it in a photo box on the top shelf of her closet. That's that, she thought as she dusted off her hands. All though, I should really give it back to him. I don't want it around at all.

She entertained the thought for a few moments. It's not as if it means anything now. Apparently he wasn't serious enough about me if he let go of me, she rationalized and then she shrugged. It's not like I have to decide today.

However, Evie did decide that she didn't want to work in the main office. She thought it better to get out of the WWE altogether. That way, the chances of seeing Hunter would be reduced to almost zero and she could forget him that much quicker.

Linda McMahon was disappointed that Evie wouldn't be staying with the company, but told her that she understood. Over the next month, one thing after another had come up on Linda McMahon's end, but she finally was able to schedule Evie to come in. Evie made arrangements to fly to Stamford to sign the release papers and whatever else Linda needed from her. She decided to fly out and back the same day, not wanting to stick around any longer in Stamford than she had to.

---

The night before she had to leave, Evie had packed a carry-on bag with a few toiletries and a change of clothing, just in case. It never hurt to be prepared. All she had to do in the morning was pull on her clothes, catch a cab and get to the airport. She spent the evening on the computer, surfing the Internet and chatting on messenger with Philip. When she had finished, she went to get ready for bed. As she checked over her things for tomorrow, she realized she had forgotten to put out her shoes. She opened her closet and narrowly missed being hit on the head with something. It turned out to be the photo box. As she picked up the spilled contents and shuffled them back into the box, she came across the envelope with the necklace in it. Slowly she turned it over in her hand. She had planned on mailing it back to him, but hadn't gotten around to it. An idea popped into her head as she stared at the package.

"Well, why not? It would save me the time of mailing it and I'm sure Linda wouldn't mind making sure he gets it." Making up her mind, she put it into her purse. "It'll be one less thing to worry about."

As she flew out to Stamford in the morning, she couldn't keep her mind off the damn thing. She toyed with the thought of putting a message in the envelope, but figured that the necklace was enough of a statement. She hadn't attempted to call Hunter at all. She felt that she shouldn't have to. If he had wanted to clue her in on things, he knew how to get a hold of her. It still hurt to think that he didn't give a damn.

Enough of that, she told herself firmly. It's the past. Let it alone. You've got a life to live. She pushed Hunter and the necklace out of her mind.

Evie arrived at Linda's office early. She chatted with Sherri while waiting for Linda. Sherri said she was sorry that Evie wouldn't be working with her and wished her luck in whatever she ended up doing. The phone buzzed, signaling Sherri to let Evie into the office.

Linda McMahon stood up as Evie entered the room. She came around the desk and shook Evie's hand. "It's good to see you Evie," she stated as she gestured for her to take a seat.

"Thanks Linda. It's good to see you too. I'm sorry it's not under better circumstances though," Evie replied as she sat down and smoothed her short skirt over her thighs.

Linda took her seat behind the desk. "So am I. I'm sorry that you're not going to stay with us, but in this situation, perhaps its better." She sorted through the papers on her desk. "I want to apologize again for what happened. That was something you shouldn't have gone through."

Evie waved a hand to dismiss Linda's words. "Like I said, Linda, don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault." She had to take another look at Linda. The woman had an expression of guilt on her face. "What's wrong?"

Linda cleared her throat. "Actually, I feel that it is partly my fault."

Evie shifted in her seat, clearly not expecting this. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I am the one that assigned you to Hunter. If I hadn't done that, you wouldn't have been in that predicament," she said and then cleared her throat again. "I feel guilty about all this."

An eyebrow shot up. Evie wasn't quite sure what Linda was getting at. "What exactly are you talking about, Linda?"

Linda folded her hands on the top of the desk and looked at Evie. "What I mean is that I assigned you to Hunter for a reason other than a professional one." When Evie gave her a puzzled look, Linda went on to explain. "You see, he was having a difficult time with his injury. He was isolated out there in Birmingham, especially when Stephanie took up her own agenda, leaving him and their marriage off to the side. He requested me to send someone to help out while he was down there since he wasn't getting any support from Stephanie. So I sent you."

Evie squirmed uncomfortably in her chair as she caught on to what Linda meant. "So it wasn't just my professional qualifications, was it?"

Linda shook her head. "No, it wasn't. It was more personal than professional. I thought you would be good for him. Your previous employer said that you were very tenacious when the situation called for it; that you were stubborn and didn't take garbage from anyone. I needed someone like that to deal with Hunter." Linda chuckled. "And you know how stubborn he is."

Evie nodded. "Don't I know it," she responded dryly.

"Despite all the things that have happened, I have a soft spot for my former son-in-law." She quickly smiled. "Well, I have a soft spot for anyone that would take on a marriage to Stephanie. My daughter is not an easy person to live with. All though she has grown up quite a bit lately and seems to be acting more like an adult than a spoiled child."

Linda continued on. "But at that time, he needed someone that was going to be there for him. Not just to help him out physically, but emotionally. Things were very strained between him and Stephanie and I thought it would help if he had someone to talk to."

She leaned forward, looking Evie in the eye. "I guess you could say that I feel bad about this because in retrospect, I was subconsciously matchmaking."

"Matchmaking?" Evie almost choked on the word.

Linda waved a hand. "Trust me, it wasn't my intention, but it sort of ended up that way. I saw a person that Hunter could benefit from in a better way than he could emotionally from my daughter. It was only a matter of time before that relationship dissolved. So I put you two together." She sat back, still watching Evie. "I didn't expect you to stay with him so long though."

"Neither did I," replied Evie softly. So it hadn't been her imagination that day when she and Linda had conversed. Linda had been feeling bad about the whole mess.

Linda noted the wistful look on Evie's face. It seemed that things had progressed farther than she actually thought. "You were in love with him, weren't you?" Linda asked gently with insight that came from years of experience.

Evie's eyes dropped to her lap and she nodded her head. "Still am," she almost whispered. Her head came up and determination flashed in her eyes. "But it's over with," she said firmly.

Linda nodded. It saddened her that Evie seemed to be giving up so quickly. "Well, you never know what might happen." She smiled tentatively. "I'm so sorry, Evie. If I had known…" she trailed off.

"But you didn't know. None of us did. It just happened. And to tell you the truth, I wouldn't trade it all for anything else, so stop feeling guilty," Evie responded kindly.

A look of relief spread over Linda's features. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"You're welcome." Evie leaned towards the desk, putting aside emotions and getting down to business. "Now, what about those forms I need to sign?"

---

Evie left Linda's office after another thirty minutes. She had signed the forms and left the envelope with Linda, with a promise that Hunter would get it. They chatted amicably for a few more minutes before Evie stated that she had to leave.

Linda stood up and came around the desk. "Well, I'm sorry to see you go, Evie. If you ever change your mind just give me a call," she said as she held out her hand.

Evie shook her hand. "Thanks Linda. I appreciate everything you've done for me."

"If you ever need anything, let me know," Linda said with a smile.

Evie understood what she was saying. "Thanks again Linda."

They shook hands one more time and Evie left the room. Linda watched as she walked out the door and hoped she had timed things right. If she had, Evie would be seeing Hunter sooner than she thought. Sometimes people just need a push in the right direction, she thought. I hope that they're smart enough to take advantage of it.

She had been telling the truth when she said she had a soft spot for Hunter. Under the surface of that brash, arrogant demeanor was a man; a good man. Before the problems between Hunter and Stephanie had surfaced, Linda had seen how protective he had been of her. And despite the reasons for their marriage, Linda had the impression that Hunter had loved Stephanie. But while her daughter had possibly professed the same feeling to him, it apparently hadn't been the truth. Stephanie had loved him because of the power, both physical and psychological, he held. She had decided that Hunter, while injured, was of no use to her in the effort to gain acceptance from her domineering father, and she left him.

Linda sighed. She had done all she could do without directly interfering. It was up to them. Her phone buzzed, breaking into her thoughts and bringing her back into the present.

She pressed the button. "What is it Sherri?"

"Mr. Tolbert is here with the addendums," Sherri responded.

"Send him in please," Linda stated and then sat back down behind her desk.

---

Evie had stopped and said a brief goodbye to Sherri, and then headed out to the elevator. As she waited for the doors to open, she glanced around casually. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Not paying attention, Evie almost ran into whoever was coming out. She stopped short and glanced up. Her mouth parted in a shocked breath.

A pair of hazel eyes looked down at her, taking in her face framed by the mass of auburn hair. His eyes traveled briefly over her form, noting the short skirt she was wearing and glimpsed those long legs before returning to her face.

"Evie," the familiar voice said calmly as his heart hammered in his chest.

"Hunter," she replied trying to keep her voice even.

Her eyes quickly skimmed over him, taking in as much as she could. After being away from him for over two months, she was almost desperate to look at him. She hadn't seen him since she had left him lying in the ring. "I didn't expect to see you here" she said, keeping the conversation polite.

He shrugged as he stepped off the elevator and stood in front of her, blocking her path. "I didn't expect to see you either. What're you doing here?"

Evie kept her face composed, but inside her stomach was twisting in apprehension. To run into him here and today of all days, she thought. "Signing my release forms. What about you?" She hoped he couldn't hear the rapid beating of her heart. As much as she hated to admit it, she wanted him more than anything else at that moment.

"Contract addendums," he replied. He also kept his expression neutral, but on the inside, he was fighting down the urge to take her in his arms, apologize and kiss her senseless. The ache that he had been fighting returned in full force as he looked at her.

She nodded, deciding to cut things short. If she stood there any longer, she'd break down and throw herself at him. She forced herself to smile carelessly. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch," she stated in dismissal.

Hunter said nothing in reply. Instead, he merely nodded and moved aside so she could press the button to call the elevator back up. With one last glance at her, he turned and walked towards Linda's office. His heart was still pounding and halfway there, he almost turned around to say something, but he forced himself to keep walking.

She watched his retreating back. Her emotions roiled in a mixture of nervousness and anger at seeing him so soon. She really shouldn't let the opportunity to find out why he had done what he did, pass her by. Before her lips could form his name, he disappeared into Linda's outer office. Evie promptly shut her mouth and stepped onto the elevator.

When the doors had closed, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. Shakily, she blew it out as she pushed the tears down. Doesn't do any good to fall apart girl. You've come a long way, so don't let all that come undone. Now, if she could only get her heart to stop beating so hard.

---

Hunter had been subdued throughout the time it took to go over the addendums and sign them. Linda watched him surreptitiously through the proceedings, confident that he had run into Evie. That could be the only explanation for his silence. Normally, he was vociferous when it came to his contract, but today he had pretty much agreed with things and signed with no complaints.

When the lawyer had left, Linda sat back in her chair. "I have something for you," she said quietly.

Hunter looked up at her. "What would that be?"

Linda opened a drawer and took out an envelope. "This was given to me today and I told the person that I would make sure you received it." She placed it on the desk and pushed it towards him.

"What is it?" he asked as he reached for it.

"I have no idea. I wasn't told," she responded truthfully. Evie hadn't explained to her exactly what it was and she hadn't asked.

Hunter took the envelope and tore open the end. He tilted it up and watched as a gold chain and a three stone sapphire pendant slid out onto his hand. Pain stabbed through his heart. He hadn't thought she would return this to him. Apparently to Evie, it was officially over. He carefully put it back in the envelope and placed it in his jacket pocket.

Linda noted the brief flash of pain when he saw the jewelry. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

Hunter looked up at her and she was startled to see the disappointment on his face. The mask of indifference quickly replaced it. "I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

Linda looked at him knowingly. "She's at the airport Hunter. Her flight doesn't leave for at least an hour."

Hunter shook his head. "I can't, Linda, but thank you."

"You let the opportunity go and you may not have another," Linda stated matter-of-factly.

"I have my reasons for doing the things that I do. I don't expect anyone to understand them," he told her in a forced tone.

"I'm sure you have your reasons, Hunter, but you're letting go of a chance at being happy." Linda sat back in her chair. "And those chances don't come along very often in life."

"Maybe not, Linda, but as I said, I have my reasons." Hunter stood up. "Thanks for giving me the message." He headed towards the door and as his hand reached for the knob, Linda spoke up again.

"You may have your reasons, but she still has your heart."

Hunter stopped, keeping his back to the CEO as his hand briefly touched the pocket that contained the necklace. "Not anymore," he replied and left the room.

---

He sat in his rental car, resting his head against the steering wheel. He could feel the slight weight of the necklace in his pocket. It felt like a thousand pounds weighing down his heart. Again, he was fighting the unbearable loneliness he'd been feeling since she'd left. He hadn't been sleeping very well, nor had he been eager to enjoy anyone else's company.

He gently beat his head against the steering wheel. You love her you moron. Why the hell are you acting like this? You know what you want and you know where she is right now. Why not go after her? As much as he wanted to, he couldn't quite make his hands turn the key in the ignition.

Because you're afraid, that's why, stated that inner voice. You're afraid of being in love because you know how much of a risk it is. It's scary, messy, no-emotions-barred need and it frightens the hell out of you.

He sat back, mulling over the thought. It did make him panic. In all his 33 years, he had never felt like this for anyone. Why me? he questioned. I didn't ask for this; I wasn't expecting this.

That's usually when it happens, stupid; when you're not looking for it. Linda was right. These chances don't come along very often. Go, the voice pushed.

Hunter snorted in derision. Yeah, and I can just see the looks on peoples' faces and hear the comments if she comes back with me.

The voice sighed in exasperation. And since when did you give a damn what everyone else thinks?

That was a good question. Normally, he could care less what people thought of him. It was none of their business how he chose to conduct his life, or who he let into it.

But it's not about what people think. It's about you and her, so why are you still here? the voice questioned.

His shoulders slumped and he lowered his head. Because for her, it's over; I'm not a part of her life now.

That doesn't mean that she doesn't love you anymore. You saw the look on her face today. She still wants to be with you, and here you are arguing with yourself when you could be talking to her.

He raised his head as he continued to think things over. The past two months had bee absolutely wretched for him on an emotional level. What he had done to her was one of the lowest things he'd done in quite some time. He wrestled with the reasons why as well as his feelings for her. Running a hand across his forehead, he sighed heavily. He knew deep down that she belonged to him, but that fear made him reluctant to seek her out and apologize. He would have to admit he was wrong and he hated that. And who was to say that she would take him back, let alone accept his apology?

Dammit man, you love her! She's worth the embarrassment of saying you were wrong. And if you don't go, you might never get the chance again. It's either that or be alone the rest of your life.

Hunter grimaced at that thought, but knew it was true. After a few more minutes of contemplation, he came to the conclusion that he'd done the single stupidest thing in his entire life. It even beat out marrying Stephanie. He had let the one thing that he truly loved in his life get on a plane to Chicago. And it would happen again if he didn't go now. The thought of losing her again pushed him into action. His fingers turned the key and started the car up. Linda had stated that Evie's flight wasn't leaving for an hour, but that was fifteen minutes ago. If he wanted to make it before she got on the plane, he'd have to hurry.

---

Evie walked up to the check in counter. She placed her ticket on the counter top and smiled at the person behind it. "Checking in."

The young man looked up and returned the smile. "Certainly" he said as he took her ticket to look at it. As he pulled up the information in the computer, he looked at the ticket and then at her. "You're Evie Mackenzie?"

"Yeah. Why? Is there a problem?" she asked.

The young man shook his head. "No, no problem." He smiled in a friendly way. "I watched your match against Jericho."

Evie returned the smile, amazed that someone remembered. "That was two months ago. You still remember that?"

He chuckled. "Yeah I do. You were good. Too bad you didn't stick around to wrestle some more. You could have given the other women a run for their money."

"Well, thanks, I guess," Evie replied awkwardly.

"I thought Triple H was an ass to let you go. At least the way he did it, but what do you expect? The guy's a jerk."

The smile wavered a little. "Yeah, he can be quite the jerk," she replied. Like I need to be reminded of that fact? she thought sarcastically.

"So are you still working for the WWE?" he asked casually.

"No. I just came out here to take care of a few loose ends." When he opened his mouth to ask another question, she spoke up before he could say anything. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'd really like to get on the plane if I can," she told the young man.

He looked apologetic as he stamped her ticket. "Well, they're not letting anyone board just yet. The flight doesn't leave for another forty-five minutes."

Evie muttered a curse. She had no desire to stick around any longer than necessary; especially after running into Hunter earlier. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure. They don't start boarding until fifteen minutes before," the man responded. "I'm sorry." He slid the ticket towards her.

She gave him a half grin. "It's not your fault. You're only doing your job." Her fingers latched onto the piece of paper. "Thanks anyway."

"You're welcome. Have a good flight," he said as she turned away.

Evie walked over to the waiting area and dropped her carry on and purse on one of the chairs facing the windows. She sat down next to them and watched the activity on the tarmac, letting her mind wander. Inevitably, it wandered back to Hunter and their brief encounter at the elevator.

I should have waited around to talk to him, she though to herself. I should have made him tell me what his reasons were. She chuckled in derision at that. Like I could make him do anything he doesn't want to do.

She shifted in the chair. Not that it matters now, but I'd still like to know what possessed him to fire me. Her thoughts whirled around so much that she could hardly make sense of them.

Coming to the conclusion that nothing she thought was going to make any sense today, Evie passed the time playing games on her cell phone or watching the traffic out on the airstrip. Finally the flight attendant announced that they were now boarding passengers. Sighing in relief, Evie picked up her bags and headed towards the gate.

---

Hunter parked his rental car and headed into the airport. After scanning the flight board, he located the gate he needed and noticed that he had a few minutes left before the flight took off. The traffic had been horrendous and he had little time to spare. He hurried towards the gate at a fast pace, trying not to draw too much attention to himself.

He got to the gate and noticed that the door was closing. He rushed up to the door to get the attention of the person closing it.

"Hold on," he said in a hurry.

The woman glanced up at him as she locked to door. "I'm sorry sir, but the flight is leaving the terminal. If you were booked on this flight, you can change your ticket at the reservation desk."

Hunter shook his head. "No, there's someone on that flight that I need to…" He stopped himself, knowing that it wouldn't make any difference. The plane was already leaving. There was no way that it would be turned around. "Shit," he muttered.

"Is there anything I can help you with sir?" the woman asked him.

"Not unless you can stop the plane," he said with a wry smile.

The woman smiled. "I'm sorry, once it's gone, it's gone. Do you need to get to Chicago? Because if you do, there is one more flight leaving later this evening. The flights this time of the week aren't completely booked, so there's a good chance you can get on it."

Hunter shook his head again. "That's okay. I'll figure something out. Thanks," he replied.

"You're welcome," she stated and then left the area.

Hunter sat down on one of the plastic chairs to give himself a minute to think. The woman had told him that there was another flight later. What if he flew out to Chicago to talk to her? That would show her how serious his intentions were, wouldn't it?

What if she doesn't want to talk to me? he thought in a moment of panic.

Doesn't matter. You want to talk to her. You're the one that wants to fix this, so go. Worry about that when you get there, the voice replied.

He shrugged. Good enough for me.

He knew he had Evie's address in his appointment book, but that was in his rental car. Within moments, he made up his mind and headed over to change his ticket. He needed to check out of his hotel and turn in his rental car.

Better not waste any time then, the voice stated firmly.

---

Evie sat down on the El train with a sigh of relief. Her plane had been on time for a change and she was relieved that that particular piece of her life was over. Tired from the flight, she allowed her mind to mull over the pleasantly mundane thought of what she was going to have for dinner. As she glanced out the window, absentmindedly watching the buildings speed by, her cell phone rang.

"This is Evie," she stated.

"Oh good, I'm glad I got you on the first try," Lauren said fretfully from the other end.

Evie straightened up at the tone of Lauren's voice. "What's wrong?"

"Where are you?" Lauren asked.

"I'm on the Blue Line from O'Hare," she replied quickly. "What's wrong?"

Lauren gulped as if she were fighting back tears. "It's dad. He's in the hospital," she said shakily.

A hot swoop of nausea turned Evie's stomach. "What?" she exclaimed. "What happened?"

"He had a heart attack. Mom found him in the family room and called the ambulance" Lauren replied, trying to calm down. "He's at Alexian Brothers Hospital."

"How serious is it?" Evie asked as she attempted to stay calm herself.

"We don't know yet. The doctor hasn't come out yet." Lauren took another breath and blew it out. "How fast can you get here?"

Evie looked out the window as the train was pulling into the next station. "I'm at the Jefferson Park stop. I'll go back to O'Hare and catch a cab."

"Hold on a second," Lauren said.

Evie gathered up her bags and got off the train. She heard a partially muffled conversation and then Lauren spoke up again.

"Gavin will pick you up at River Road. Wait for him out front," Lauren told her.

"All right. I'll see you soon," she said as she waited for a train going back towards O'Hare.

"I love you," Lauren told her quietly.

"Me too," Evie replied simply and then disconnected the call.

She wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered despite the warm May evening. Her dad had a heart attack. It didn't seem possible. He was a strong man and in good health.

"Please don't let him die," she muttered. "Please don't."

She made it to the River Road station in good time and waited out front for Gavin. Her mind was still trying to comprehend the fact that her dad was in the hospital. Tears formed in her eyes and she swiped at them. "No crying. You don't even know if there's anything to cry about yet" she told herself.

Gavin finally pulled up in his Pontiac. Evie tossed her carry on bag in the back and climbed into the passenger seat. As soon as she had closed the door, Gavin was pulling away from the curb.

"How is he?" Evie asked tentatively, still praying that it wasn't serious.

Gavin gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Right now, he's still in the emergency room. Lauren called when I was on my way here and said the doctor didn't have much information, but as soon as he did, he would let us know."

"Shit," Evie cursed. "Do you know what happened?"

Gavin shook his head. "Not in so much detail, but from what Mom told me, he was doing something in the family room when she heard a crash. She went in and found him on the floor, holding his left arm. She called the ambulance and they took him to the hospital." He quickly glanced at his sister-in-law. "That's all I know."

Evie nodded, pressing her lips together. She was afraid that if she said anything, she'd start crying. Her head fell back on the headrest. I don't think I can take another surprise today. All though, things always seem to happen in threes. I just hope that the third thing doesn't have anything to do with dad.

They made it to the hospital and Gavin parked the car in the Emergency Room lot. They walked in and spotting her sister, Evie walked over as Lauren stood up. They embraced tightly.

"Any news?" Evie asked as she withdrew.

Lauren nodded. "They moved him up to ICU. The doctor said he was lucky that it was a mild one, but they're going to monitor him in ICU for a couple days and then move him to a regular room."

Evie let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Where's mom?"

"She went up with the doctor and dad," Lauren replied before embracing her husband.

Evie waited for them to part. "Can we see him?"

"One at a time" Lauren said. "I was waiting for you to get here before I went up." She linked her arm through Evie's. "How are you? Are you okay"

Evie knew that she was referring to her trip to Stamford. "Yeah," she responded hesitantly. "I just don't want anymore surprises today. I don't think I could take it," she half-joked.

Lauren chuckled in response as the three of them went to the elevators. Once they reached ICU, Lauren asked which room David Mackenzie was in. The nurse told her the number and reminded them that they could go in one at a time. Locating the room, Evie peeked around the door. She saw her mother sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her husband's hand. A monitor beeped and chimed as it registered his heartbeat. David's eyes slowly drifted over to the door and he smiled. Lillian turned to see who he was looking at and as soon as she saw Evie, she stood up.

"Come on in," Lillian said. Evie stepped in and her mother hugged her. "I'm so glad you're here," she said before kissing her cheek.

"I am too," Evie replied and then looked at her dad. He looked pale and tired. "You know, you don't have to go to extremes to get attention," she joked to cover her anxiety.

David smiled and held his hand out to her. "How's my girl" he whispered.

She took his hand. "I'm fine. You don't look so good though," she replied with a half hearted smile as the tears welled up in her eyes.

"Well, I'm better than I was earlier." He noticed the tears that were spilling over. "Hey, I'm all right. No need to cry."

"I'm sorry," Evie sniffled. "It's just that it's been a long day and to come home and find you in the hospital…" she trailed off.

He gently patted her hand. "I'm okay. I'll be out of here in a few days, so stop worrying." He smiled as she wiped the tears away with her free hand. "I'm a tough old man, remember?"

She chuckled and took the tissue her mother handed her. "Yeah, I know. You get up at four in the morning and chop a forest down, and then you wrestle a bear before lunch and an elephant right after." She remembered the stories he used to tell her when she was little.

"See? I'll be fine," he responded.

They chatted for a couple more minutes and then Evie said that Lauren and Gavin wanted to see him. She promised that she would be back tomorrow and kissed her father on the cheek.

When Lauren went in to see David, Evie located the bathroom so she could clean herself up a bit. When she was finished, she went back to her dad's room. Her mother was waiting outside for her.

"Are you okay?" Lillian asked.

"Yeah," Evie replied with a watery smile. "I'll be all right."

"Been a rough day for you, hasn't it?" Lillian questioned as she put an arm around her daughter. "Do you want to go home with me tonight or go to your own place?"

Evie contemplated the question. "I think I'll go to my place. There's not a whole lot I can do here, so I may as well get out from underfoot." She looked at her mother. "Are you staying with dad tonight?"

"Until he falls asleep, and that could be a while. Lauren and Gavin are going home. The boys are at the neighbor's house, but they want to get back to reassure them that grandpa's fine," Lillian replied. "Are you going to take the train home?"

Evie nodded. "Cheaper than a cab," she said. "I just need a ride to Cumberland or River Road."

"I'm sure Gavin could drop you off," her mother stated.

"Drop you off where?" Gavin said as he came up to them.

Lillian told him that Evie was going to her own home tonight and needed a ride to the station. Gavin promised he would take care of it and went to get his wife. After a round of goodnights and see-you-tomorrows, they left. Evie was quiet all the way to the Cumberland station. Lauren left her alone, knowing that it had been a stressful day for everyone. At the station, Evie thanked her brother-in-law and sister and went up the escalator. Once she had added money to her CTA pass, she went down another escalator to the platform.

She arrived at her stop an hour later. She'd had to transfer to the red line going out to Howard. When she had gotten off at her stop, she hailed a cab to get to her condo. She paid the driver, refused help with her carryon and went through the gate and around back to the stairs. Her mind was on her father as she climbed to the second landing. She was so distracted with her thoughts that she didn't register what she was seeing on the step in front of her.

The light on the landing illuminated the object in a yellowish glow. Her gaze traveled up over a pair of shoes, dark jeans, black t shirt and leather jacket to his face. Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized who it was.

Quickly, she assumed an expression of anger. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

Hunter sat on the landing, his feet resting on the step below and his bag behind him. His face was inexpressive as he looked at her. "I wanna talk to you," he simply said.

She eyed him suspiciously. "And what makes you think I want to talk-"

He cut her off. "C'mon Evie, I know you wanna talk to me. I know you want answers."

"I don't want anything from you except to be left alone! I don't need this right now Hunter," she snapped. "I've had a bad day and you're making even worse."

Hunter started to get a bit peeved. "I flew all the way out here at the last minute. The least you could do, is be nice about turning me away."

Her voice started to rise. "Well whose fault is that? I didn't ask you to come here and I don't feel like being nice about anything."

"Oh cut the crap Evie! I know you want answers and I'm not leaving until you hear me out!" Hunter shot back as he stood up.

Evie sighed in frustration. "Look, I'm tired. I just got back from the hospital and I'm in no mood to argue with you."

That caught his attention. "What were you doing at the hospital?" he questioned.

"My father had a heart attack today. Now, if you'll move out of my way, I'd like to go inside," she said as she tried to move past him, which was difficult to do since he took up most of the space.

He reached out and placed a hand on her arm. "Is he okay?" he asked softly.

Evie stopped when she felt the touch of his hand. She looked him directly in the face and noticed the concern in his eyes. She softened a bit. "He'll be fine. It was a mild one. They're going to keep him there a few days to make sure everything is fine."

"I'm glad he's okay," Hunter replied. "How about you?"

She glared at him. What did he care if she was okay or not? He didn't care how she felt after firing her, did he? Her anger shot up again. "What the hell kind of question is that? Do you honestly think I'm okay?"

He held up his hands as if to ward her off. "I'm just trying to be nice, Evie. Give me some credit here."

"I'd like to give you a swift kick in the ass," she spat. "You show up here expecting me to talk to you after what you did?"

Hunter's temper flared. "Dammit woman! I came out here to apologize! If you wanna stand here and argue, I've got all night!"

Her eyes were blazing with anger and she almost lost it. For two months she had been dealing with the pain of his dismissal, and now he had shown up out of the blue like it was no big deal. Like he was doing her some sort of favor. "Oh, so now you have time to apologize? Well fuck you!" She jabbed him in the chest with her index finger. "You can take your apology and shove it up your ass!"

This time she managed to get past him and was unlocking the door by the time he turned around. The anger seeped out of him at her words. She obviously didn't want to talk to him. She didn't seem to be suffering as much as he had been. He heaved a sigh as he picked up his bag.

"I guess it was a mistake coming here. I thought maybe something could be salvaged outta all this mess. I guess I was wrong." He shouldered his bag. "For what it's worth, Evie, I am sorry."

Evie paused, her hand on the doorknob. He actually sounded sincere, and he had traveled all the way out here to talk. She doubted that he was doing this just to bicker with her.

"Hunter?" she asked quietly.

He stopped on the third step. "What?"

She raked a hand through the mass of red hair. "Did you really come out here to talk to me?"

He turned around and a lopsided grin appeared. "I didn't come all this way just to piss you off."

Evie knew she would probably regret it. She supposed that he didn't come all the way out here just to yank her chain. Besides, she might not get another chance at this again. "Oh, fine," she said sharply. "But don't even think you're staying here tonight."

"Thanks," he simply replied, ignoring the last comment she had made. He was in the door. He didn't want to push his luck any farther.

She gestured to the kitchen as they walked in. "Help yourself to whatever there is. I need to change." With that said, she swept into the hallway to her bedroom.

Hunter dropped his bag near the door as he watched her walk away. Once she was out of sight, he took his jacket off and laid it across the back of a kitchen chair. He proceeded to take a bottle of water out of the fridge and ambled into the living room. He had made himself comfortable on the sofa and was running over what he wanted to say when Evie entered. She had changed from her dressy attire into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. His eyes raked over her, remembering how she looked with nothing on. He stifled a groan and pushed the memory aside.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw him. "Make yourself at home," she quipped.

"I did," he said with a grin and took a sip of water.

Evie sat down on a chair as far from him as possible. Not that she didn't trust him; she didn't trust herself around him. Besides, she was still mad enough to carry out her threat of kicking his ass. "Well, you're here, so start talking Helmsley."

"No quite sure where to start," he said casually. "There's a lot to talk about."

She leaned back in the chair. "How about starting with the obvious? Like, why you fired me."

"Fine" he shrugged. "The reason why I fired you is because… well, because I didn't want you in those situations anymore. Who knows how much farther Jericho would go? Or Bischoff for that matter?"

Evie tilted her head to one side. "We talked about all that before, Hunter. I knew what I was getting into from the start. I don't appreciate you making my decisions for me," she said a little more forcefully than she wanted.

"Look, if I told you what I had decided, you would've found a way to talk me out of it," he replied curtly. "I made that decision with you in mind."

Evie's eyes lit up in anger. "Bullshit. You made that decision for yourself, so don't give me that crap. Did it make any difference to you how I'd feel?"

"I have my reasons-"

She cut him short. "My safety being one of them. What's the other?" she demanded. She didn't want to mess around; she wanted the truth. After two months, she deserved the truth.

He shifted on the sofa, leaning forward so that his forearms rested on the tops of his thighs. He set the water bottle on the floor. He didn't want to admit what he was about to own up to. It was embarrassing for him. To people on the RAW roster, he was evil personified; inhuman at times. He was "The Game", the "Cerebral Assassin", and he never let his emotions get the better of him; at least, not until Evie had come along.

If you don't say it now, you'll never say it at all. A few moments of embarrassment are worth it, the voice reminded him.

He sighed heavily and then pushed the words out before he could reconsider. "Because I was scared." He shook his head. "No, that's not right. Because I am scared," he amended.

Evie sat on the edge of the chair. He had her attention. "Scared of what?" she asked softly.

He looked down at the floor. "Of the feelings I have for you. No one has ever made me feel this way before."

"And what way is that?" she asked cautiously. Oh, he definitely had her attention now. The great and powerful Triple H looked incredibly uneasy sitting there on her sofa. She couldn't even begin to imagine what his response would be.

His eyes lifted to meet hers. "You make me feel like a man. Not some remorseless, relentless machine bent on power and being at the top. You reduce me to someone who is imperfect and vulnerable and you love me despite my faults, and that scares the hell out of me," he told her, his voice wavering slightly. "You know how much I hate feeling weak," he said with a slight smile.

Evie sat back, stunned. He was actually admitting that he was human. Underneath that cool, unperturbed façade, he was a man that was fallible. The anger she had been feeling since that night, dwindled at his words. For him to come here and embarrass himself by acknowledging his insecurities told her how much he did love her. He wouldn't do that for just anyone. Evie didn't quite know what to say. Instead, she waited for him to finish.

He cleared his throat. "There are a thousand reasons why I let you go, but that's the main one." He glanced at her. "I'm sorry, Evie. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now that I've had time to actually think it over, I came to the conclusion that I did the stupidest thing I've ever done in my entire life." He shook his head as he smiled. "It beat out marrying Steph by a long shot."

Evie chuckled at that. "And that was pretty stupid" she commented.

"Yeah it was," Hunter admitted. "Women talk you into the dumbest things sometimes." His eyes met hers. "No offense."

"None taken," Evie replied simply.

"After seeing you this afternoon, I realized how stupid I've been. I didn't want to let the opportunity pass me by, so I came out here," he said, his tone becoming serious again. "I don't expect you to accept my apology, and I don't expect you to take me back. I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry that I hurt you."

Evie was quiet for a couple of minutes, taking the time to absorb what he had admitted to. It wasn't an everyday occurrence for Hunter to own up to the things he kept hidden deep down. She did appreciate the honesty, but was unsure of how things would be if she accepted his apology. Would they go back to where they had left off? Or would it be less than that? She didn't think she could take it being any less that what it had been before, but they had to start over somewhere, didn't they?

"I'm… well, I don't quite know what to say," she started. "I mean, it's obvious you feel strongly about this to come all the way out here to apologize. I never would have guessed that somewhere in there, you're still Hunter and not Triple H."

Hunter smiled. "Well Hunter's been having a real hard time sleeping and concentrating and basically, he's been feeling wretched for the past two months." He picked at some invisible fluff on his pant leg. "Triple H has been… well, he's been taking Hunter's stupidity out on everyone else, as usual."

Evie smiled. "Well, for you to admit to being stupid is surprising in itself."

"Gee, rub it in why don't you?" he muttered good-naturedly.

Her smile widened. "Hey, I think I earned the right to rub it in." The smile slowly faded. "I know it's a pretty big step for you to come here and admit to how you feel. I appreciate it and I appreciate your apology."

Hunter held his breath, unsure if she was going to accept it or not. But even if she didn't, at least she knew how he felt about her. He just hoped she still felt the same way about him. "Confusing, isn't it?" he asked.

She watched him closely. "But that's the way love is, Hunter. It's confusing and exciting, but it's also imperfect and vulnerable and a thousand other things. Just like us." she replied softly. "If it wasn't, it wouldn't be worth all the time and trouble we've gone through." She got up and walked over to him, sitting next to him on the sofa. "You wouldn't be worth all my time and trouble."

His eyes met hers. "So what are you saying Evie?"

Her lips pressed together. If he could open up to her, she needed to be honest with him. She wanted him more than anything else in this lifetime. She didn't want to think of her future without him, however long it might last. "I need you in my life." She touched his hand. "Whether it's as my friend or as my lover, I want to be with you. I don't want anyone else."

Hunter's heart quickened at her words. She still wanted him! She still cared about him. He felt the lump in his throat and he closed his eyes in an effort to push it down. It was more than he had hoped for. At the very least, he had hoped she would accept his apology. He took a breath and blew it out as he opened his eyes.

"I need you in my life too. I hadn't really imagined what things would be like without you. And when I found out, I hated it. I couldn't be with other women, simply because they weren't you. They weren't what I wanted. I only wanted you," he said softly.

Tears welled up in Evie's eyes. She felt one trickle down over her cheek and she wiped it away. She shakily exhaled. "So where do we go from here?" she asked.

He hadn't thought about that. In fact, he hadn't thought beyond apologizing. But now he realized he wasn't quite sure either. Hunter shrugged. "I don't know. Where do you want it to go?"

"As far as possible," Evie replied with a hint of amusement. She watched as Hunter chuckled. "But for right now, maybe we could start out as friends?" she asked hopefully.

As much as she wanted to take up where they had left off, she knew that it might not be the most sensible thing to do. They both needed a little time to let their wounds heal. And she could think of no one else she'd rather do that with.

To have her in his life was the one thing he wanted most, whether it was as friends or as lovers. He had the distinct feeling that she was going to be in his life for a very long time.

Hunter entwined his fingers with hers. "I'd like that," he said as his eyes met hers.

Evie smiled at him. "I'm glad."

He put his arm around her and she settled into the crook of his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. A sigh escaped him. She felt good against him. He had missed the simple act of holding her. As he sat there, enjoying the feel of her, he wondered if she would want to come back to RAW with him.

He rubbed his thumb over her shoulder. "Are you working yet?"

Evie had relaxed into him and was savoring the feel of his arm around her again. She wondered why he had asked her that. "No. I've been… well, busy with other things; trying to forget things. Why?" she asked. "What do you have in mind?"

Hunter smiled. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come back with me as my assistant again."

She chuckled. "After you fired me on television?" She thought about it. "Well, there's the whole Bischoff/Jericho/Shawn problem." She glanced at him. "And I've already signed my release papers."

The wheels started turning in Hunter's mind. "The thing with that is Linda can draw up a new contract and this time we make sure that "no-wrestling" is in there."

"Definitely," Evie snorted.

"And I'm sure we can add in a few more things to that effect," Hunter continued. "If we do it right this time, Bischoff won't have any jurisdiction over you and you won't have to get into a ring with anyone again." He rubbed a hand over his jaw as he continued to think about it.

Evie was a little unsure about all of this. On one hand, she would be with Hunter on a daily basis again, and she couldn't think of anything better. Well, she could, but decided it wasn't a good idea to dwell on those thoughts. Plenty of time for that down the line. On the other, it would mean facing Jericho, Shawn and Bischoff, but she wasn't afraid of those three. Still, it was something to think over. "Can I think about it?" she asked. "I mean, I'm flattered and all, but I don't know. It seems a bit sudden."

"Sure" Hunter said. "While you're thinking about it, would it be too much to ask if I could stay here tonight?"

She was planning on letting him stay anyway, but decided to mess with him a bit. "I told you not to expect to stay, didn't I?"

"Yeah," he responded.

"So what makes you think I'd change my mind? I know you apologized, but that doesn't mean that I'm gonna hop in bed with you," Evie stated casually as she pulled away from him.

"I'm not expecting you to," Hunter protested.

A small smile flitted across her lips. "Liar, liar," she teased.

"I'll sleep in the other room. I'll behave myself, I promise," he wheedled.

"I don't know…" Evie said slowly.

"Puhleeease?" he whined and then pouted.

She laughed at the face he was making. "Well, I suppose it would be okay." She held up a hand as he started to talk. "But there are a couple of rules. First, you stay in your own room." She paused and then- "Second, you stay in your own room. I don't wanna wake up and find you snuggling up to me in the middle of the night."

He folded his arms across his broad chest. "Fine, I'll stay in my room" he sulked.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Evie let out a bark of laughter.

Hunter looked at her, realizing she had been teasing him. "You are just asking for it, aren't you?" he shouted and then reached over and began tickling her.

Evie collapsed into a fit of giggles and he continued to torment her. As she lay back, trying to escape him, he stretched over her, continuing to tickle her. Soon she was gasping for him to stop.

"Hunter… I can't… breathe! St-stop it" she squealed.

He finally relented and stopped tickling, but remained where he was. He looked down at her as she tried to catch her breath.

"What?" she asked softly.

He simply smiled and then bent his head and kissed her. His mouth brushed hers lightly at first and when she didn't protest, he increased the pressure a little more. She trembled as his mouth touched hers tenderly. His lips teased hers open and his tongue dipped in briefly before he withdrew.

"Nothing," Hunter replied huskily as he straightened himself and stood up. He stretched his arms out over his head. "It's late. We should both get some sleep."

Evie propped herself up on her elbows. "You're terrible," she told him with a half grin.

He simply smiled at her and headed towards the second bedroom. Evie shook her head as she admired the view.

"I have a bad feeling about this," she murmured and then grinned.

---

Two months later, Evie stepped out of the Evolution limo and surveyed her surroundings; the glare of the sun on the semi trailers; the smell of exhaust and oil and the sound of chattering fans, hoping for a glimpse of their favorites. As she tilted her head up to look at the arena, she realized how much she had missed all this. Not just the job, but the excitement of the show. Most of all, she had missed being with Hunter on a daily basis.

Hunter had climbed out of the limo behind her and smirked as she straightened out her skirt. "So," he asked, "how does it feel to be back?" He had a feeling that this time, things were going to be much better. He had been thrilled that she had decided to come back with him. The words had barely left her lips and he was on the phone to Linda McMahon to get a new contract drawn up; this time with clearer specifications.

She grinned mischievously as she shouldered her bag. "Feels good," she replied. "Does anyone else but Evolution know that I'm here?"

That patented smirk widened into a huge grin. "No, no one but us; I think quite a few people will be surprised."

"I'm sure surprised will be an understatement," Evie responded as they headed into the arena and to Evolution's locker room.

On their way there, a few of the production people said hello to Evie and welcomed her back. She graciously thanked them and continued on her way with Hunter. As she stepped into the locker room, she was immediately pulled into a bear hug. She gasped in surprise and then laughed when she recognized the tattooed arms. A squeeze later, she was released and she looked up into the smiling face of Dave Batista.

"Well, it's good to see you too," she stated dryly.

He chuckled in response and backed away as Hunter entered the room.

Ric got up off the sofa, walked over to Evie and held out his hand. "Good to have you back, Evie," he said as he shook her hand.

"Thanks Ric," she replied as she looked at Randy, who smiled and waved hello to her from his spot on the leather couch.

Things quickly got down to business and the show was just starting when there was a knock on the door. Evie got up and when she answered it, she found a go-fer on the other side, clutching a thick envelope.

"Can I help you?" Evie asked.

"I'm supposed to give this to Triple H and wait for him to sign it so I can take it back to Mr. Bischoff," the young man said.

Evie held out her hand. "I'll take that, and you don't need to worry about waiting for it. I'll take it back to Mr. Bischoff for you," she told him.

"I… well, I guess that's okay," he stammered and then handed over the envelope. "Just make sure you get it back to him. I don't want to lose my job."

Evie grinned. "Oh, don't worry. I'll definitely make sure he gets this." She closed the door before the go-fer could change his mind. As she turned around, still grinning, she came face to face with Hunter. She held up the envelope. "I think this is your contract for SummerSlam." She handed him the envelope. "Why don't you sign it and I'll take it to Bischoff's office," she stated coyly.

Hunter smirked at the tone of her voice. "Eager to say hi to the boss?" he asked her as he took the contract out of its envelope. He gestured to Ric for a pen. Ric handed him one and Hunter opened the contract to sign it.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Evie asked with evil glee as she watched Hunter sign the agreement.

He slowly folded it up and slipped in back in the envelope. "Well, why don't I go with you, just so I can make a few things clear to Mr. Bischoff," Hunter replied with a wink. "I mean, we don't want there to be any misunderstandings, do we?" He turned the envelope and its contents over to her.

"I think that is a good idea," Evie stated, still grinning mischievously.

Hunter chuckled as he handed the pen back to Ric. "So, what are we waiting for? No time like the present," he said as he opened the door. He turned to look at the other three members of Evolution. "We'll be back in a few minutes, gentlemen."

As he closed the door behind them, Evie spoke up. "I wonder what his reaction is going to be."

"I'm sure he'll be pretty surprised," Hunter replied. Actually, he couldn't wait to see the GM's reaction to one of his least favorite people returning to RAW. It would be entertaining, to say the least. Especially when Bischoff would find out that he has no authority over Evie.

"I can't wait to see the look on his face when I walk in," Evie said as the headed towards Bischoff's office. Ever since her new contract had been drawn up and signed, she had been envisioning Bischoff's reaction. The expression on his face would be priceless.

Hunter chuckled. "Neither can I, Evie. Neither can I."

Within minutes, they were standing outside the closed door to Eric Bischoff's office. Neither of them said anything at first; they just stood there grinning conspiratorially at each other.

Finally, Hunter raised his hand to knock. "Ready?" he asked her.

Evie raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm always ready," she responded.

End

---

A/N: Many, many, many thanks to all of you who read and reviewed this story. Your words of encouragement and excitement have meant a lot to me. I am so glad that you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I never expected my first fic to do so well, or that it received over 300 reviews. I guess I'm doing something right. I'm hoping I can do the same with the sequel.

Again, many thanks to all of you.

P.S. 02.06.05 - I revised the ending yet again. I felt that this one had a bit more closure to it than the last one.