Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, other than Lily and Madison.
Rated: M
Warning(s): Slash, Past Mpreg, Storyline Fanfic, etc.

"So, um..." Daniel handed Phil a glass of diet Pepsi, before taking a seat at the nearby table. He wanted to give Phil enough space to ensure that he didn't feel crowded. "How have things been with the baby?"

Phil sighed, absently rubbing a hand over his distended belly. "Honestly? Things have been pretty rough without my insomnia meds. There were a couple of times where I just got so moody, I was pretty sure that Kofi was plotting how to kill me in my sleep."

Daniel frowned. He certainly hadn't missed the hormones, but... he knew that a major part of Phil's insomnia had been caused by their separation and the conflict between them. Honestly, he'd never meant for any of this to end up hurting Phil. He just wanted to prove that he could provide for their family, that, even if he was the ultimate underdog, he could still rise to the occasion and be the man that Phil needed and deserved.

He knew, deep down, that he didn't deserve someone like Phil. Even if Phil had his moments of being a complete asshole, he knew that the love Phil had for him was unconditional. They might not have been trying to get pregnant, but Phil had come to love their unborn son with that same intensity. There was nothing he wouldn't do for them, even if it meant standing up to Hunter. Being with Phil made Daniel a better man... how could he have been so willing to sacrifice that?

Phil took a sip of his Pepsi, "I think that your son was trying to knock some sense into me." He chuckled softly. "Kofi told me that you'd been calling while I was out on a walk, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to see you yet. The baby kicked me so hard I saw stars."

"Are you alright?" Daniel asked, instantly overcome with worry.

Phil nodded, setting the Pepsi down on the beside table. "It's funny, Daniel. Relax." He patted the seat beside him, "You don't have to stay so far away from me."

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." Daniel said, sounding a bit shy.

Phil rolled his eyes, "The only thing that's making me uncomfortable is the fact that you're walking on egg shells around me, like I'm some sort of ticking time bomb set to go off at any moment." Phil said. "Now, get your ass over here and sit next to me."

Making up with Phil was certainly an experience, that was for sure. He'd expected Phil to want to keep a friendly distance between them while they felt each other out, to make sure that nobody felt pressured into anything they were uncomfortable with. He hadn't expected that distance to put off his fiancé. So he did as Phil had asked (or, rather, demanded) and came to sit next to him, keeping a comfortable distance between them. Phil rolled his eyes again.

"I swear that I showered today." And there were the hormones again, rearing their ugly head. Because whenever he tried to make things better, he kept making them one-hundred times worse. "I don't want you to feel like you have to be cordial with me or anything."

Now, it was Daniel's turn to sigh, "I just... I don't know... I thought that you'd want to take things slow. Ease back into things. Feel each other out."

Phil frowned, "I'm not asking you to jump my bones or anything like that. I just want you to sit next to me, is all. But if you don't want to, you don't have to."

"It's not that I don't want to..." Daniel ran a hand over his face, trying his best to keep calm. They'd only been at this for twenty minutes and everything was already going to hell. "It's just... you mean so much to me, Phil... I don't want to risk screwing things up again."

"Daniel, there's no such thing as a perfect relationship. Each of us have our differences, our flaws... quite honestly, I don't think it'd be very interesting to be in a relationship with a perfect person. We're going to butt heads, and we're going to fight... I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't understand and accept that."

Honestly, he didn't think that he'd ever understand why it was that Daniel insisted on competing in this match, even when it could mean the end of his career. After all, he couldn't provide for them if he was put on the shelf for an indefinite period of time. But it was what Daniel wanted, and even if he didn't necessarily agree with it, he could accept it. He loved Daniel enough to weather anything with him, and that included this foolish match he insisted on competing in.

"Now, tell me, what've you been up to?" Phil asked.

That made Daniel pause. How the hell was he supposed to explain that he'd been seeking advise from the Queen of Crazy herself, AJ Lee - who happened to be his fiancé's former stalker? "Um... well, you know... this and that... it takes a lot to plot an uprising against the Authority."

Phil seemed to accept this, "I can imagine." And then, after a moment of silence, "I've decided that I'm going to take Hunter up on those complimentary WrestleMania tickets he offered. I mean, I know that he was insulting me, but... I want to be there for you."

Daniel's eyes widened. "Phil... you don't know how much that means to me. I mean... you know you don't have to, right? Your due date is getting closer and I don't want you to be taking any unnecessary risks..."

"Like exposing myself to more stress?" Because they both knew that Hunter would be a raving maniac come the night of WrestleMania. "I think I can handle it."

Daniel grinned, before scooping Phil into a tight embrace. "You don't know how happy you've just made me, baby!"

And Phil hugged him back, relishing in the familiar feeling of Daniel's arms around him. "Trust me... I think that I do."

It was time. Hunter had finally been released from the hospital. The bleeding had stopped, much to the relief of the doctors. His status for WrestleMania was still very much up in the air, but Hunter figured he could swing it against medical advice. It certainly wouldn't make him any friends, and he knew that he'd be receiving quite the lecture from Vince, but it didn't matter. With everything crumbling around him, this match was all he had left.

Which was why the first person he'd called following his release from the hospital was his ex-wife, Stephanie McMahon. Claiming that he needed to meet with her as soon as possible, they'd managed to schedule an appointment for three. It would be informal (they were meeting at her hotel room), but he didn't need formalities for this. Perhaps it would've been better if he'd had witnesses, but... well, hindsight was twenty-twenty, after all.

He knocked on the door to her hotel room and she answered almost immediately. "Hunter... please come in." She moved aside, allowing him enough room to enter. "I can't lie, I was a bit surprised when you called out of the blue like that. Is something wrong with the girls?"

Hunter had forgotten that very few people were privy to what was going on with the custody battle. Hunter shook his head, "No, the girls are just fine. Actually, I'm here concerning my match against Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania."

Stephanie's face fell. "You're not trying to back out of it now, are you? Because now that your darling husband has decided that he wants to lose, we're really banking on your match against Daniel. You need to kick ass out there, Hunter."

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk about." Hunter sighed, "I want to lose against Daniel Bryan. And I want him to go on to become champion."

Stephanie looked as though she'd been struck across the face. "You want to what?" But he knew she'd heard him loud and clear.

"He's certainly earned it." Hunter remembered how bravely Daniel had stood up against him in the hospital room. To come up against him like that had taken real courage. "Think about it - it'd be the perfect ending to the storyline, with everything coming full-circle."

But Stephanie wasn't hearing any of it. "You want to lose? Hunter, do you even realize the consequences of your actions? Do you understand what would happen if you lost to Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania?"

"He'd go on to compete in the Triple Threat against Randy and Batista, and he'd win. Daniel would be the new World Heavyweight Champion. That's what would happen." Hunter replied calmly.

"No." Stephanie shook her head, her eyes frantic. "What would happen is that the Authority would lose everything they'd worked so hard to gain, including the respect and fear of the other superstars. The title belt has to stay with the Authority."

What respect? The only respect that the Authority had were from the few superstars slimy enough to come and lick their boots. And that wasn't really respect, that was ass-kissing at its finest. No, what Hunter realized in that hospital room is that he'd much rather have the respect of a talented performer like Daniel Bryan, who was willing to lay everything on the line for the one chance to bring home the bacon for his family. He didn't need the respect of ass-kissers.

Ever since he'd been in the hospital, he'd become aware of the pain being suffered by those around him. It was deeply saddening, to take a step back and wonder how long his superstars and divas had been suffering, and he'd been ignoring their pain in favor of wallowing in his own. Randy had miscarried a child he didn't even know he was carrying, and had lost his only son. Daniel was about to lose his fiancé and unborn child.

The Authority was supposed to be doing what was best for business, but wasn't it best for business to keep their superstars happy and healthy? Tormenting and torturing those who held a different opinion than they did only served to cause more pain and heartache - no matter how he rolled the dice, somebody was suffering. And Hunter didn't think he could handle anymore heartache. For once, he just wanted to make someone... happy.

"I asked you to do one thing, Hunter. One. Thing. And that was to try and talk some sense into your husband and save the Streak. Obviously, I was expecting too much from you. But for you to turn around and do this to me? I'm starting to think you hate me, Hunter." Stephanie said, darkly.

"For the first time ever, Stephanie, this is a situation that has absolutely nothing to do with you." Hunter replied absently. "Nothing at all."

Stephanie didn't seem to take too kindly to that. "You're coming to me, the Vice President of Creative, and asking me to write it into the storyline that you lose to Daniel Bryan, who then goes on to win the triple threat match and hold the most prestigious title in sports entertainment. That has everything to do with me."

Hunter sighed, "Allow me to rephrase, Steph. I'm about one injury away from a lengthy hospital stay because of how hard I've been pushing my body post-pregnancy. I shouldn't even be stepping foot in a ring, but I'm going to. Because you backed me into a corner."

Stephanie frowned, "I presented you with the contract and gave you a choice. Nobody forced your hand!"

"You manipulated my emotions to get the answer you wanted. I think that that qualifies as forcing my hand." Hunter said forcefully.

No matter how hard she fought, this was one battle that Stephanie wouldn't win... and looking deep into Hunter's eyes, it was clear that she knew it. She might not have forged his signature, but she'd played the hand she'd been dealt incredibly well and she'd gotten what she wanted. Now, it was Hunter's turn to turn the tables. She might've been the queen of manipulation, but Hunter had learned each of her tricks while they were together. He knew how to play the game.

"Fine." She made a note of it. "But only on one condition."

Hunter rolled his eyes, "Because there always has to be a condition."

Stephanie ignored his last comment, instead deciding to continue on her train of thought. "You will lose your match against Daniel Bryan, who will go on to become the new champion. But there's no saying how long he'll hold the title." Hunter didn't like the dark look in her eye...

But he also realized that this was perhaps as close as he would come to getting what he wanted, so they shook on it. "Sounds like a deal."

Later That Night

Hunter returned to his hotel room, exhausted from a vicious round of negotiating with his ex-wife. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, surprised, and a little apprehensive, to find that the lights were already on. Readying himself to fend off a potential attacker, he hadn't expected to see Randy sitting on the edge of the bed, nursing a half-empty bottle of wine, a vacant look in his eyes.

"Randy?" He closed the door behind him, a little put off by the fact that Randy didn't react to his voice at all. "Randy, are you okay?"

It was a dumb question and Hunter knew it immediately. Nevertheless, he continued to approach Randy slowly, making sure that Randy saw him coming the entire time. Finally, he took a seat on the bed beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. It was then that Randy turned to him, revealing swollen, red-rimmed eyes. He was shaking so badly that Hunter gently took the bottle away from him, not wanting him to accidentally drop it on the ground.

"I talked to John today." Randy said softly, weakly. Well, that certainly explained a lot. "He said that, while he was 'sorry for my loss', he wouldn't be able to make the funeral due to prior commitments." Randy sniffled, "What the hell could be more important than his own son's funeral?"

Hunter squeezed his shoulder gently, "I'm so sorry, Randy..."

Randy stared down at his hands, which were shaking terribly. "At first... I was just so mad. I couldn't understand. And then, I just... I realized that I... What I really wanted... I just wanted somebody to love me, you know? And the only one that ever did... is d-d-d..." he couldn't even say the word.

"That's not true, Randy. I know plenty of people that care about you very much." Hunter said firmly.

"Oh yeah?" A nod. "Like who?"

"Well, me, for one." Hunter said.

Randy raised a brow, before shaking his head. "You're my boss. It's your job to care about me."

And while that was true, it wasn't necessarily what Hunter had meant. It had been a confusing and stressful time for both of them, and Hunter felt that they had been drawn much closer because of it. He didn't think he loved Randy - after everything they'd been through, he was understandably questioning the word 'love' and everything that it entailed. But something deep inside of him wanted to make Randy feel better, wanted to help him heal.

Seeing him like this, so broken and confused, hurt Hunter in a way that he didn't remember he could be hurt. Perhaps it was because he felt the same way, and just like Randy, felt that he had nobody to turn to to help make it better. But maybe, just maybe, they could be that person for each other. And it was with that thought in mind that he leaned in and placed a soft, gentle kiss on Randy's lips.

At first, Randy's eyes widened and he stiffened up considerably. He looked like a deer that had been caught in the headlights. But then he relaxed, allowing himself to lean into Hunter's gentle touch. His lips were incredibly soft, with the faint taste of wine lingering upon them. Randy's arms wrapped around Hunter's shoulders, pulling him down on top of him as he fell back against the bed, their bodies fitting together like two perfectly shaped puzzle pieces.

After several heated moments, Hunter drew back, a look of reluctance upon his face. "We can't do this. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"I'll let you in on a little secret." Randy said, sneaking up to nibble on Hunter's earlobe. And then, his voice scarcely above a whisper, "I'm not nearly as drunk as I might seem." He led Hunter's hands to his hips, "We're both using each other to feel better, right? Nothing wrong with that."

"No," Hunter's fingers hooked into Randy's waistband, teasing the sensitive skin there, "There's nothing wrong with that."

Daniel stared down at the man curled up in his arms, sleeping peacefully for the first time in who knows how long. When Phil had agreed to spend the night, Daniel had been absolutely over the moon. It seemed like things were finally looking up for them and he was terrified that he was going to screw things up somehow. One wrong move and he might really lose Phil forever - and he didn't think that he could handle that.

Which was why he really wasn't okay with taking Phil to see Hunter tomorrow. But if that was what Phil wanted, who was he to say no? "I love you," he whispered softly, not wanting to wake his sleeping love. "Forever and always. And we'll see this one through... together."