The Emancipation of Trish Stratus

A/N: You guys have been so good to continue reading this story even though I've been torturous in making you wait for the one piece of information you really want to know. So here it is - all will be revealed in this chapter. I'm anxiously awaiting the love/hate mail.And I don't own'em, in case you'vebeen hit over the head with a steel chair or something since the last chapter.

For the first time in more than a month, Trish felt alone. Batista had carried her to Cena's car as soon as Evolution started their in-ring celebration over Orton's title, and then he disappeared. Cena had helped her to her room, made sure she wasn't concussed, and then left her alone for the night. She didn't know what she was supposed to do next, but she had no intention of showing up for RAW the following night.

After nearly an hour in the hottest bubble bath she could draw, she fell into what had to be the most comfortable bed she had ever felt, other than her own. For the first time, the severity of what she had done sank deep into her skull. The look in Hunter's eyes, as he lay beaten in the ring, told her the truth as she refused to see it. Their relationship had been destroyed.

There was nothing that either of them could do now to make it like it was. But as she lay awake, unable to sleep without his arms around her, she realized something. Hunter had started all of this, with his demands and his manipulations. If he had just minded his own business and let her be an adult, let her make her own decisions or mistakes or whatever, then she would have never hit him with that chair in the first place. And if he hadn't taken her title away, she would have never gotten into the ring and embarrassed him like she did.

Staring at the ceiling, she made a decision. She hadn't started any of this. But she would finish it.

XXX

By the time Trish got to the arena, found Batista and Cena, and went to gorilla position, Evolution was making their way to the ring. Confetti was falling and the three of them were smiling like kings. This was it – the moment she had been planning all day.

"This makes me sick," Batista snarled as the three men on the screen climbed into the ring and Orton took his congratulations. "I gave everything I had for that title, and to watch someone just hand it over to that son of a bitch makes me wanna," he stopped as Trish put a hand on his arm and shot him a winning smile.

"Relax, Sweetie. It's under control," she nodded to the screen as Orton took the microphone from Lillian and approached the center of the ring, belt over his shoulder.

"Hunter, you and I have been through some really good times, and some really bad times together," he said, his cocky grin firmly in place. "We have fought side by side, and face to face. We have been friends, and we have been opponents." He looked to the ground and then back up, sincerity beaming in his eyes as the crowd booed loudly. "I messed up, man. I turned on the only guys who ever had my back, and for that, I'm apologizing," he sighed.

Trish smacked Cena's stomach. "I'm goin' out there. Wait here, and if I need you?" He just nodded and turned his attention back to the screen.

"I wanna make it up to you," Orton finished, holding the title toward the man beside him.

Trish's music hit as all three member of Evolution turned to face her. Triple H rolled his eyes as Flair and Orton crossed their arms over their chests. If she made it out of the ring without getting the hell beat out of her, she would consider it a good night.

With a small wave, she ducked inside the ring and grasped the microphone she had picked up back stage. "Don't get all pissy, boys. I'm here for the party," she insisted. Turning to Hunter, she thought over everything she wanted to say. "I have spent the last twenty hours thinking a lot about what happened last night. More than that," she sighed and noted that she had his full attention. "Hunter, I've been thinking about this whole situation. When I couldn't sleep last night, I watched some old matches, some of yours, and I remembered something. Something that, in my mind, transcends titles and matches and all this other bull.

"I remembered crying the night you won the Royal Rumble. Do you remember that night?" He smiled proudly and nodded. She noted that Flair and Orton had both taken a step back from her – clearly, they no longer considered her a serious threat to them. "I remember those bitchin' parties after matches like Hell in a Cell and the Elimination Chamber." He laughed with her now. "I remember being so proud of you, every time your hand was raised in victory. Every time you won that belt, I remember feeling like I had, too."

Standing there, looking into his eyes, every emotion came rushing back to her – everything they had gone through, everything they had done. She wondered if any of this had really been worth it. Was any guy worth losing someone as important as Hunter had been to her?

"I remember," she forced herself to go on, "hating, with a seething hatred, anyone who took that belt away from you, because I knew you loved it so damn much. Sometime over the last twenty hours, Hunter, I realized something. This thing?" She pointed from herself to him and back again. "It was never about that title for me. But it was for you, wasn't it? This championship meant so much to you that, even though you didn't want to, you got into this ring with me to defend it. I'm the one who made things personal. I'm the one that lost sight of who we were and why I always respected you in the first place," she chuckled.

He put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes twinkling. He was in a good mood – she could tell from the smirk on his face. She knew him well enough to know his mood by the look in his eyes – that's the kind of friendship they had. And that's why she was out there. "Look, I didn't mean to interrupt your party. I just wanted to say that I get it now, and I'm sorry. I let things go too far, and I messed up the relationship that we had." Taking a deep breath, she met his eyes and swallowed all of the pride she had left. "And I would really like it if I could be the one who put that belt back around the waist of its rightful owner."

She turned to Orton, who smiled generouslyas he handed the belt to her. Trish felt its weight in her hands and looked up at Hunter, holding his gaze. He was so excited. He really didn't love anything as much as that belt, and now she knew it with one hundred percent certainty.

Holding Triple H's gaze, she took a step backwards and wrapped the belt around his waist, staring up into his crystal blue eyes as she snapped it in place and then let her hand rest on the curve of his ass. She heard the snort and then the angry "What the hell are you doing?" from behind her.

Trish locked her gaze with Randy's as she spoke to Triple H. "I'm giving the belt to the man who earned it last night at SummerSlam," she said, chuckling softly. "I think it looks good on you, baby."

He leaned down and picked her up, kissing her deeply in front of a shocked arena, and a seething Triple H. Before Hunter or Flair could make a move, Orton walked to the ropes and held them for Trish, who jumped out and waited for him to join her on the floor. Hand-in-hand, they backed up the ramp, meeting Batista and Cena as they stepped out from behind the curtain.

Randy shook their hands and then put his arm around Trish's shoulder as all four faced Triple H. With the microphone raised to his lips, Orton spoke with all of the arrogance that had once made Trish sick to her stomach. Now it made her want to knock him to the floor and ride him like a dime store pony in front of everyone.

"Triple H," he said. "There's something I've been wanting to say to you for awhile now. If you remember, I told you a long time ago, that I would get back everything you took from me when you kicked me out of Evolution. I told you that I would wait until you weren't looking, and I would get back my pride, my blood, and my title." Patting the gold around his waist, he smiled triumphantly. "The day has come, Triple H. And do you know what the real kicker is? Not only did I get your title? But I got Trish out of the deal."

When he turned to look at her, she felt like the entire arena had disappeared. "I love you," she mouthed and then smiled brightly. The crowd was cheering loudly, and she felt good. She felt free – liberated from all of the secrets that had been holding her down for the last eight months.

"It feels good, Triple H, to have this belt back around my waist." Hunter was holding on to the top rope for support. He knew he couldn't take all four of them, but his face was red enough to say he might try. "And do you know what else feels good around my waist, man?" He winked and picked Trish up with one arm.

She wrapped her legs around him as Cena led the line off the ramp. She didn't know what would happen next, but she didn't really care. She had made the decision to choose her love for Randy over her friendship with Hunter, and she wasn't sorry. Even knowing that it would probably get ugly sooner than later, she had a hard time wiping the smile off of her face.