Penance
Author: PaulenaK - toukalah@hotmail.com
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Everything WWE belongs to Vince McMahon. Everything
BTVS and ATS belong to Josh Whedon.
Feedback: Is much appreciated.
Summary: Two WWE superstars, two ghosts, two missions.
 
Spoilers: ATS – Spike is a ghost, but he is no where near the A1-Team. BTVS – Buffy died in the final battle. WWE – Takes up after
Triple H gets pinned by Shelton Benjamin.
 
**
 
Part One
 
**
 
He stormed through the curtain shoving at anything and anybody wether they be friend, foe or something in between – Right now he didn't give a shit!
 
He had lost!
 
Him!
 
The Game!
 
The toughest man on the Raw roster, multi-time world champion, the most ruthless man in the business had lost to a man who had yet to make it as a singles competitor, a man who was as far down on the ladder of success in years and experience had beaten him in the middle of the ring. 1 – 2 – 3. Bam – Bam – Bam! Just like that.
 
Fuck!
 
He was the leader of Evolution.
 
The leader!
 
And yet he was the only one without any gold around his waist. How screwed up was that?
 
Before he knew what he was doing he had lifted his booted foot and kicked Eric Bischoff's office door off its hinges.
 
"Now, now Triple H…" Bischoff began backing away as the bigger man approached. "I know you must feel humiliated and payback is your's. I promise you that whenever you want it, just say the word and it's yours."
 
"Just say the word hey," Hunter growled as he glared down at the sorry excuse for a man that had traded three Raw superstars to Smack Down just to get him back… and look what that trade had accomplished.
 
Him getting pinned that's what… and not by just any Raw superstar either, but by one that had been drafted to raw the very same night he had been drafted to Smack Down. Someone who had yet to wipe his arse in a Raw toilet let alone make a name for himself among the Raw Roster!
 
His nostrils flared.
 
`Well he had definitely made a name for himself tonight.'
 
Thanks to Shelton Benjamin he was now a laughing stock back stage and around the world, hell Flair, Orton and Batista were probably crowing about it behind his back right now.
 
"Hunter?"
 
He heard his name and ignored the hands that were pushing at his chest as his own hands wrapped around Bischoff's neck and squeezed.
 
"Ah, ah, ah…" Came a sing song voice from behind him and he turned to see the bleached blonde Brit that haunted his waking state standing a few feet behind him with his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets and that all knowing smirk Hunter was growing to despise.
 
"Not nice mate and you know it, let the mean nasty General Manager go there's a good boy."
 
"God, I hate you." Hunter hissed over his shoulder.
 
"Yeah, but sticks and stones and all that, now let him go you silly git or you'll never get that blasted title back and I'll never get to heaven!"
 
**
 
Part Two
 
**
 
"You sure you're okay EB?"
 
"Get the hell away from me!" Eric snapped slapping away the hands of his young apprentice, his hands moving back to his sore throat once Johnny Nitro had taken a step back. "And don't call me EB!"
 
"Yeah, don't call him EB." Coach piped up following in his mentor's footsteps by slapping young Johnny yet again, this time upside the head.
 
"He was like a mad man, a stark raving mad man." Eric continued slowly easing his head from one side to the other. "What are you two screw ups waiting for? Go get me a glass of water!" He barked leaning back in his chair.
 
"On it boss," Both Nitro and Coach said at the same time, they moved at the same time too causing both to get wedged in the doorway before Coach pushed his way through muttering nonsense about a lowly apprentice knowing his place, which according to Coach was more then a few steps `behind' him!
 
Eric was glad for the peace and quiet that existed once those two had left his office.
 
"Why did I ever take those two on?" He silently asked himself wincing at the discomfort voicing that small sentence caused.
 
After this little episode that mongrel Triple H deserved to be on
Smack Down! The esteemed leader of Evolution should be grateful `He' had been able to acquire him back. It had been no easy feat and the new General Manager of Smack Down – Kurt Angle had been just as superstar hungry as the two General Managers before him.
 
He had thought he'd be killing two birds with one stone by getting both Dudley's as well as Booker T off his case while bringing his prized champion back under his wing. And it had worked too. Everything was hunky dory right up until Hunter had lost to young
Shelton Benjamin, but `That' hadn't been his fault!
 
His hand instinctively went up again to rub at his sore throat, after today he'd have to be very careful around the former world champion, hell `Everyone' would have to be more careful around the former world champion! His calculated face came into view as a plan of action started forming in his mind. He needed to stay one step ahead of this situation with Triple H to ensure this kind of behaviour didn't happen again. A grin started to form on his features as he leaned back in his chair - At least not to him.
 
**
 
"He maybe a pansy ass sissy boy pounce, but wrapping them there feelers of yours around his ruddy neck is not scoring you or I any brownie points upstairs. If you know what I mean."
 
Hunter leaned back on the closed door once he had made his way back to Evolutions locker room and closed his eyes. As predicted Flair, Orton and Batista were nowhere to be found. He wished all things wish-able that this bleached Brit would follow there example and leave him the hell alone, but to no avail he realised when he opened his eyes once more.
 
"You do know what I mean right?" Spike continued.
 
Hunter rolled his eyes and pulled the door open again with the intention of leaving the room and then thought better of it seeing as
Spike would show up no matter where he went and instead crossed the room to the bathroom.
 
"Look-"
 
"Yes already," Hunter paused in the bathroom doorway and all but barked over his shoulder. "I know what you mean."
 
"We're in this together you know," Spike said undaunted by the other man's gruff tone.
 
"I said I know."
 
"Then act like you know and stop beating up people whenever you bloody well feel like it. You want your precious title back you're gonna have to earn it."
 
Hunter remained silent.
 
"This is the part where you say `And you Spike, you handsome devil, if you want to get to heaven you have to help me be a little sissy boy and right all my wrongs’."
 
Hunter snorted and stepped through the bathroom doorway and closing it partway so he could get a little privacy, though for the life of him he didn't know why he bothered. Spike would just walk through the frigging wall if he had a mind too, but Spike's attention had been diverted momentarily from the other man as he heard footsteps. He took a step back and poked his head out the doorway to see Lita traipsing down the hallway, her head bouncing to a tune only she could hear through the head phones she wore over her ears. She sure was a pretty little chit, but then again he was rather partial to redheads.
 
He turned back to Hunter who was still in the bathroom and then turned back to Lita who at this time having reached her destination now stood outside the locker room next to the one they were in. She fumbled with her ear phones a bit before putting it away in the bag she carried over her shoulder.
 
His mouth turned up in a half smile as a plan started forming in his head.
 
"You know Hunter you really should get out more." He called from the doorway.
 
"No, I shouldn't." Came the reply.
 
"Yeah, you should." Spike disagreed, his voice getting a tad louder with each word. "You prance around here all night like you got women coming out of your ears and then go back to your posh hotel room alone. Now if you ask me something is definitely wrong there."
 
"I didn't ask you." Hunter called back. "And why the hell are you yelling?"
 
"Well, if your ears were as big as your nose I wouldn't have to yell now would I?"
 
"Why you little punk-"
 
Hunter's words stopped abruptly when he exited the bathroom expecting to see the spook who had showed up one day running his mouth about not being able to get into heaven until he preformed one last act of goodness and `Wah-lah!' just like that `He' had been deemed `That' goodness! But instead of his eyes locking on Spike they instead locked on the Hardy punk’s skank Lita. Her shoulder was casually propped up against the doorjamb and she stared at him with a furrowed brow.
 
`Wait till I die and get my hands on you, you little runt.' Hunter cursed inwardly his eyes going around the room expecting the little
Billy Idol wannabe to pop up and when he didn't, Hunter turned his gaze back to the redhead who still stood there staring at him.
 
"What the hell are you looking at?" He barked.
 
She in turn quirked a brow her arms coming up as she folded them across her chest and continued to stare. Something else he had not expected.
 
Where was that fiery temper she was renowned for? He had assumed she'd at least glare at him a little, but she did nothing but stare at him as if trying to see passed the anger – He stopped his train of thought right there.
 
Past the anger? Where the hell had that come from?
 
Stepping forward he none to gently pushed the red head back causing her to stumble out into the hallway and made to slam the door in her face, but his actions slowed when he saw her hand reach forth to stop him from closing the door. He didn't know what made him ease up on the door and that only made him even angrier.
 
"Are you alright?"
 
Her words surprised him so much he almost forgot to be angry, but years of practice had him scowling down at her something fierce… and `Then' he slammed the door!
 
**
 
Spike emerged through the closed door and watched as Lita walked back to the door she'd gone to previously, turn the door handle. Step through and quietly close the door behind her.
 
He looked to the heavens and shrugged. "Told you he was a silly nit."
 
**
 
Part Three
 
**
 
Hunter kicked at an empty can some little bug had carelessly dropped to the curb as he neared his hotel having foregone on the usual limo ride and taken to the streets on foot something he hadn’t done since his marriage with Stephanie. It was his thing when he had needed time away from his ‘Then’ wife and it came in handy now that he needed time away from his spook. They could have been cut from the same mould, he mused with a shake of his head.
 
Brushing all thoughts aside of his ex wife he walked up the steps to the hotel entrance totally ignoring the doorman’s greeting, merely stepped through the doorway as the other man pulled open the wide doors.
 
He half expected to see Spike somewhere in the hotel lobby smirking at him from afar so he kept his eyes on the plush carpet that covered the lobby floor now expecting the blonde Brit to fall into step beside him and start nattering away about Hunter’s many flaws. The last thing he needed were more people assuming he was crazy when he would totally forget about he being the only one able to see Spike and inadvertently respond to the spooks lams ass taunts, which in the first few weeks of knowing Spike he had done more times then he cared to remember. And he had no doubt in his mind that that’s exactly what people assumed about him.
 
When Spike neither appeared beside him or to even be in the same room he shrugged and started towards the elevator only to stop short and do a quick about face when he spotted Lita waiting at the elevator, obviously awaiting its descent. He stood behind a potted plant and peered over the top of it.
He had two choices. He could both wait until she had entered the elevator and then go wait for the next one or he could take the stairs. When a few minutes passed and Lita still stood waiting for the elevator his choice was chosen and stepping out from behind the potted plant he discreetly made his way to the door marked ‘Stairs’.
 
**
 
“What’s up with Hunter man?” Randy asked the two men with him as they idly waited outside there leaders hotel room. “I know he has to be stressed about all that hoopla with that Benjamin brat and not holding the gold anymore, struth, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my intercontinental title, but I think it’s all becoming a bit too much for him.”
 
Flair rolled his eyes having heard this same song and dance routine from the youngest member of Evolution before.
 
“The Champ knows what he’s doing,” He replied not bothering to look at Randy as he spoke.
 
“Yeah, but you have to admit,” Batista said changing his leaning position on the wall so that he now faced the other two men. “…He was pinned by a rookie and an ex Smack Down clown at that is kinda ego shattering to him… and down right funny to everybody else.”
 
Flair grinned despite his loyalty to there leader. Batista had sure hit the nail on the head there.
 
“Not to mention we all hold titles but him.” Batista continued his own grin forming.
 
“Yeah, but to be pinned by a rookie…” Orton stressed off in his own little world.
 
A huge sigh behind them had them all turning to see Lita standing a few feet away with her hands running through her long red hair before securing it up at the back of her head.
 
“Can anybody join this little ‘let’s bag the leader’ fest or is it a members only deal?”
 
“Keep walking sunshine,” Flair said not giving the red head a second glance. Randy on the other hand had different ideas as he pushed off the wall effectively blocking Lita’s path.
 
“Now hold on there Ric,” He began his lecherous look taking in all Lita had to offer. “I see no reason why we can’t have a little fun while we wait for Hunter.”
 
Lita snorted and threw a look at each of them in turn before she nodded.
 
“You certainly look in need of some ‘attention’.” She agreed stressing the last word. Randy’s mouth fell open obviously not expecting her to agree with him. “After all,” She continued. “It’s probably been a while since you had a decent screw, what with being so far up your leader’s arse and all. And you,” She said turning her attention to Flair. “I doubt you can even get it up anymore. Something I’m sure Triple H has no problem with.” – Now why had she said that? She hadn’t meant to go ‘That’ far.
 
Her silently spoken question had her cringing on the inside, yet she had no time to dwell on it as Flair advanced on her and she quickly ducked under his arm and scooted away from the other two only stopping when she had put a little distance between herself and the three members of Evolution.
 
“Gee, out smarted by a woman, won’t that look good on your resume.” She said in parting offering them a little wave and disappearing round the corner before they could even think of closing the gap.
 
**
 
Hunter had watched the little scene from behind the slightly ajar stairwell door. His expression fierce at what he’s heard Ric, Randy and Dave say about his lack of gold in there faction.
 
“Arseholes,” He grumbled before closing the door fully as Lita ran passed with a huge grin on her face only to open it again a few minutes later to see there response to her parting words.
 
All three men were now pacing the hallway like caged animals longing to be free, threats of what they would do to the little Hardy bitch when they opportunity arose falling freely from there mouths. There were a few things he’d like to do to that Hardy wench himself, he still hadn’t forgotten the time she’d low blowed him at backlash and then again the following night on Raw! But right now another thought pushed itself to the fore front of his mind. A thought he’d been trying desperately to ignore.
 
In doing what she had a few minutes ago she had succeeded I becoming the topic of there ‘Bagging’ session in place of him! Wether deliberate or not she had come to his defence.
 
His face soured when he met the cheeky blue eyes of Spike standing nonchalantly behind Flair.
 
Yep, she had indeed come to his defence, he silently told himself. But what was worse was now he wouldn’t hear the end of it!
 
**
 
Part Four
 
**
 
“Hey, there he is,”
 
Was the first thing Hunter heard as he left the stair well.
 
“What’s up champ?”
 
Was the second.
 
He ignored both, simply swiped his room card, opened the door and walked inside. The three men left outside all shared a look before following there leader.
 
”Those sissy’s are gonna start crawling up your arse as soon as they-”
 
”You’ll get the gold back champ.”
 
”Yeah Hunter, that gold belongs around your waist.”
 
”All the gold belongs in Evolution.”
 
Spike chuckled and speared Hunter with his ’I-told-you-so’ look.
 
”Shut up.” Hunter barked looking right at Spike, but it was the three members of Evolution who answered him.
 
”Sure,”
 
”Sorry,”
 
”You okay champ?”
 
Hunter brought his hands up to his temples and tried to kill the sound of Spike’s amusement from his mind. It didn’t work. Neither did pretending the blonde spook wasn’t in the room, especially when he was dancing a jig behind Batista and the only thing he could see was Spike’s blonde head as it popped up every now and then over the big man’s shoulders.
 
”Fine,” He grumbled pouring a good portion of amber liquid from the decanter that sat on a table in the middle of the room into a glass. He took a long swallow.
 
”You’re worried, I get that, hell I’m-”
 
”I said I’m fine.”
 
Flair took a step back and held up his hands. ”Okay champ, whatever you say.” He sent Orton and Batista a pointed look before seating himself in one of the arm chairs the hotel provided.
 
”Oh bad move there muscles now the old one thinks you’re bonkers.”
 
Spike stood behind Hunter now, a cocky smile on his face as he whispered taunts into the other man’s ear. Hunter resisted the urge to look over his shoulder and slap that cocky son of a bitch right in the mouth! Instead, to show his irritation he settled for nostril flaring and rapid breaths.
 
”No gold, no gold, no gold... those are the two words being sent telepathically between those three monkeys.” Spike continued.
 
Hunter looked that time causing Flair and the others to look too.
 
Spike shook his head and chuckled. ”Great guys you recruited there, like sheep the lot of them.”
 
”Shut it.” Hunter grumbled before he could stop himself.
 
Flair’s brows drew together.
 
”Ah... Hunter man, we didn’t say anything.” Randy replied for them. He looked like he was about to say more, but a quick kick to his shin courtesy of Flair and the young man’s mouth snapped shut quick smart.
 
”So what’s on the cards tonight?” Flair asked purposely changing the subject. ”Want me to call management and have-”
 
”Don’t do anything,” Hunter cut in turning his back on his friends and moving to the window.
 
”You sure, I got Sonya and Tonya booked in to tend to your every whim, you remember how good they were last time.”
 
Hunter kept his back to them and rolled his eyes, the last thing he wanted to do was get laid, no matter how tempting it sounded. He couldn’t get what he had witnessed from the stair well out of his mind. Damn! He should be filling his head with strategies on how to get his belt back, not this endless scene with Lita sparring verbally with the three members of his faction, not to mention the fact that they had been bagging him and that it was Lita who had brought that bagging to an end. Sheesh! When did he start referring to her as ’Lita’ anyhow? It had always been that ’Hardy Bitch’ or ’Hardy
Whore’ - What was wrong with him? Maybe Flair was right, maybe a good romp between the sheets was just what he needed.
 
”Don’t do it,” He heard Spike’s warning in his ear even though the blonde spook was on the other side of the room.
 
Hunter sent him an ’and-how-do-you-expect-to-stop-me’ look and then turned to Flair. ”Second thoughts send the girls up.” He said.
 
Flair grinned. ”Whatever you say champ.”
 
”Oh, and another thing,” Hunter added as he began to make his way to the bathroom. ”After you’ve made the call you can all run along. I won’t need you anymore tonight.”
 
The bathroom door closed and the three men left in the room stared at it with open mouths. Hunter had never dismissed them so candidly before.
 
It was the big man Batista who broke the silence and only because he was the first to rise from the luxurious leather sofa. ”Well,” He said looking from Flair to Orton and then back again. ”That’s gratitude for yah.”
 
When they left Spike looked at the closed bathroom door and shook his head as he waited for it to open and for Hunter to emerge, which he did a few minutes later clad only in a towel that was slung loosely around his hips.
 
”Now look what you’ve done.” He said.
 
Hunter ignored his words. ”You know the words ’run along’ were meant for you too.”
 
”Yeah,” Spike shrugged. ”But when have you ever known me to listen?”
 
”Just say what you gotta say and leave,” Hunter grumbled obviously at his wits end.
 
Spike held up his hands much like Flair had done earlier and replied, ”Fine, whatever,”
 
Hunter waited but Spike said no more.
 
”Sometime tonight would be good.”
 
”Okay, sheesh, keep your-” He cringed as he took in Hunter’s attire. ”-towel on.”
 
”Spike-”
 
”Okay, okay, I only got one question for you.”
 
”Good, ask it and go.”
 
Spike pretended to dust an imaginary piece of lint off his shoulder before turning to smile at Hunter.
 
”What’s your favourite woman’s fragrance?”
 
**
 
Lita was still smiling from her confrontation with Evolution as she entered the hotel room she shared with Stacy Keibler. And that smile only got bigger when she saw her room mate sitting amongst vase after vase of blue violets, yellow daffodils and brought orange gerberas.
 
”New look for you?” She inquired with a raised brow as she closed the door and walking fully into the room.
 
”I should be asking you,” Stacy replied holding a small envelope out to her.
 
Lita frowned.
 
”For me?”
 
”Well don’t sound so disbelieving; it was bound to happen one day.”
 
”Ha ha...”
 
”Come on, I’m dying to know who they’re from.” Stacy exclaimed reaching out and pulling Lita down onto the couch with her.
 
”Okay, I’m opening it.”
 
She looked down at the envelope in her hands and slowly started to peel the flap. No sooner had she started when Stacy gave a strangled cry, snatching the envelope from Lita’s hands and tearing it open.
 
”Just wanted to be helpful,” She said handing it back to her with a sheepish grin.
 
Lita chuckled as she pulled a small card from the envelope.
 
”Bright, Bold and Vibrant.” she read.
 
Stacy was practically bouncing beside her.
 
”And?” She asked.
 
”And... nothing,” Lita shrugged. ”That’s it.”
 
Stacy’s mouth fell open.
 
”You have a secret admirer!” She exclaimed.
 
”Crap. These flowers may very well be for you.” Lita said dropping the small card to the coffee table in front of them. ”I’m going to take a shower.” She said, getting to her feet she started to make her way to the bathroom.
 
”Nah,” Stacy was adamant her voice rising as the sound of the shower coming to life came through the slightly open door. ”They’re for you.” She called over the sound. ”People, especially men look at you and go ’WOW!’ while people, especially men look at me and go ’Gee, she’s really tall’.”
 
**
 
Part Five
 
**
 
“I sure hope those girls made a difference in Hunter’s mood. “Randy grumbled to Batista as they casually waited for Flair and Hunter to arrive for breakfast.
 
The big man didn’t bother looking up from his morning paper, merely shrugged his shoulders and nothing more.
 
“I swear sometimes I get the feeling his lights are on but nobody’s home.” Randy continued sending Trish a smile as she sat alone by the breakfast buffet, probably waiting for Tyson to return from filling her plate, he inwardly scoffed. She sent him the finger, which was pretty much what he’d expected after all he did give her man the beating of his life… and then some, granted the beating was done off screen and with Batista and Flair at his back, but hey, a beat down was still a beat down no matter the fairness. He sent her a wink and then chuckled at the glare she responded with. “I bet she wouldn’t hate me so if she knew how sexy I think she is.”
 
“I bet she would,” Batista said, again not looking up from his paper. “In fact, I got a crisp new one hundred dollar bill that says she would.”
 
Randy grinned. He’d never been able to walk away from a bet, even one he had no chance of winning.
 
“Get that three dollar money clip out bro,” He said getting to his feet and wasted no time in making his way across to her.
 
The first thing he noticed was that she was still alone and his eyes quickly scanned the room for her ‘Problem Solver’. When he could see neither hide nor hair of her pet monkey he plastered his most winning smile on his face.
 
“Well, well…” He began not waiting for an invitation to sit down at her table. “…Must be my lucky day.”
 
Trish took one look at him, picked up her water glass and flung its contents straight in his face.
 
“No,” She replied sending him a winning smile of her own. “I actually think its mine.” She got to her feet, slung her Woman’s Title over her shoulder and walked off laughing as she went.
 
Randy turned to see Batista wave that one hundred dollar bill in the air before returning it neatly to his money clip. He picked up a napkin from the table Trish had been sitting at and dabbed at his face and couldn’t stop his eyes from returning to the doors the blond seductress had disappeared through, he didn’t mind her rejection or even the water in his face, but what he did mind was the fact that he could still hear her laughter in his head long after she had left the room. That really got his dander up. But unlike Hunter, Randy happened to dislike beating on women, so sometime very soon he’d have to take his frustration out on her ‘Problem Solver’ or of the gods were merciful – On Christian himself.
 
“Hey kid, what you doing all the way over there?”
 
Randy looked up from his musings to see Flair and Hunter already seated at the table with Batista.
 
“And why the hell are you wet?” Flair continued as Randy joined them.
 
Batista chuckled. “Someone decided he stunk and helped him wash up.” He answered for the younger man.
 
“Sounds entertaining,” Hunter’s droll tone sounded around them and Randy quirked a brow at Flair.
 
“Maybe you should have sent up four women.” He mumbled under his breath to the older man who merely nodded as he watched the former champ.
 
‘He’s gonna crack,’ Flair couldn’t help but think. He’d been in this business a long time and he’d seen it happen to the toughest of men. He just never thought it would happen to Hunter. The lack of gold around his waist was seriously going to his head and if he wouldn’t get his mind straight Flair knew he would lose it altogether. And in the event of that happening, Flair also knew that it was time to start looking out for number one again.
 
**
 
Part Six
 
**
 
Lita and Stacy stood at the door of the hotel restaurant and the first thing Lita saw was Hunter sitting like a king among his loyal guards. And to think that day she had gotten lost in the tangle that was the hotel hallways she had found herself face to face with him as he stormed out of his room. And if not for him pulling up at the last minute she knew he would have bulldozed right through her. But anyway, that day he had looked like a little boy on need of a friend – Well, she mused – right up until he’d opened his big mouth. When that happened, the innocent image faded and the Hunter Hurst Helmsley everyone loved to hate - Well, almost everybody - came into view.
 
She had to remember that she had a vested interest in Triple H and just prayed she could bring herself to pull it off, but not today. Today she decided would be a Hunter free day.
 
“What do you say we go get breakfast somewhere else?” She asked stopping Stacy before she could step fully into the room. “Let’s go to the place that has the blue berry bagels.”
 
Stacy looked perplexed at Lita’s suggestion. “But that deli is over four blocks away and we don’t have a rental car yet.”
 
“So we’ll work up an appetite – Come on.” Lita said rolling her eyes before her hand latched onto the tall blondes arm and she proceeded to pull her friend back out of the restaurant and right out of the hotel.
 
**
 
Hunter snorted.
 
‘Yeah you better run.’ He thought to himself. He hadn’t missed Lita’s arrival or her hasty exit for that matter. Why Spike was entertaining the thought that he and Lita had some common ground he had no idea. She was a hellcat, a fucking distraction in his life that he didn’t need. Hell, Spike was that as well but at least Spike was there to guide him towards the gold – Not lead him off the path. At least that’s what he hoped. What else could the spook be but a guardian angel of sort’s, ‘His’ guardian angel of sort’s. He didn’t like knowing there was someone else out there or up there – He added his eyes going heavenward – pulling the strings, but Spike’s appearance kinda nipped it in the butt for him and he had no choice but to believe in higher beings and all that jazz - But why Lita?
 
Last night he had thought long and hard over some things, did a little spring cleaning of the mind so to speak to get the weird thoughts off – His face soured – a certain red head and back on the path to gold.
 
“Didn’t I tell you two that those girls would put the smile back on the Game’s face?” Ric stated looking decidedly pleased with himself.
 
Hunter on the other hand looked all but pleased. Had he been smiling? He didn’t remember smiling. It was then he looked up and saw Spike’s grinning face in a wall mirror. The spooks fingers were on his face pushing his cheeks up in a make shift smile. A make shift frigging smile!
 
“Spike!” Hunter roared getting up so fast the momentum tipped his chair back. The three other men were up in there feet too, all with different expressions all trained on him.
 
“Ah… Spike… in… in my shoe, it’s been bugging the hell outta me.”
 
Batista expelled a breath, sat back down in his chair and went back to reading his newspaper. Randy chuckled and began to rib Hunter about his ‘wee little footsies’ causing the other man’s nostrils to flare, but Ric’s look remained still. Where everything else showed nothing, his eyes showed that behind his blank look his mind was working over time.
 
Hunter made a deal of leaning over to adjust his shoe and nearly forgot himself again when his spook appeared under the table.
 
“So,” Spike began not bothering to hide his amusement. “Get it?”
 
Hunter’s glare was murderous. “Get. What.” He hissed between clenched teeth.
 
“The ‘Spike’ of course,” Spike replied with a grin and this time Hunter did lose it and made a dive for the blond spook, which only resulted in an up turned table, him sprawled out on the floor and again three different expressions all trained on him.
 
“More ‘Spike’ trouble?” Randy asked with a raised brow.
 
“Shut up.” Hunter barked lifting the chair leg of the seat Randy was seated on causing the younger man to topple over. “One smart aleck in my head is enough. I don’t need it from you too.” And then he was up on his feet and walking to the door sending a glare to anyone who dared look his way.
 
Waiters hurried over to right the toppled furniture as soon as Hunter left almost as if they had waited for him to leave.
 
‘One smart aleck in my head is enough.’ Had been Hunter’s words, Ric mused. Just what the hell was going on? Had he misread Hunter the night before? Instead of just skimming the tip of insanity, had Hunter fallen in head first?
 
“Take care of this.” He said getting to his feet. “I’m going to find
Hunter.”
 
He turned about to move when he bumped into a waitress carrying a tray of drinks. She smiled and he recognised her as one of the girls he’d had sent up for Hunter. He returned her smile and prepared to move off again, but on a whim he turned back to ask how her night went.
 
“Fine,” She replied. “Easiest money I’ve ever made.”
 
Her answer had him chuckling. “Is that right?”
 
She looked confused and then went on to explain. “We arrived, had a drink, he went to the bathroom, stayed in there long enough for us to count the ceiling tiles and when he finally came out he paid us double to leave. So, like I said – Easiest money I’ve ever made.” And then she was weaving her way through the tables oblivious to how much more she had just given Ric to think about.
 
**
 
Lita smiled at the look of bliss that appeared on Stacy’s face after plopping the last of her blue berry bagel into her mouth.
 
“God I want to take this deli on the road with us!” She exclaimed dabbing at the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
 
“Yeah, Vince would really love that. A month on the road and he’d have a hoard of over weight divas to deal with.”
 
“Hmmm… good point… better just to buy a dozen and send them to Trish’s hotel room.”
 
Lita’s smile turned into a giggle. “Death by blue berry bagel. I like it.”
 
“Well I’m not just a pretty face you know.” Stacy stated with a grin.
 
“Oh I know,” Lita agreed. “You’re also cute, got the best legs in the business and you’re a damn good friend to boot.” She continued in her best Texan drawl.
 
Stacy batted her eyelids. “Why I do declare… you say the sweetest things.” And then she pouted and said. “Why couldn’t you be male?” Which had Lita bursting into giggles all over again.
 
They left the deli and walked arm in arm back the way they had come occasionally ducking into a shop now and then when something caught there eye, so by the time they arrived back at the hotel there arms were full and they were both extremely satisfied that they had definitely walked off the blue berry bagels they had had for breakfast.
 
“Now that’s something you don’t see everyday.” Stacy remarked as they made there was across the hotel lobby to the elevator.
 
“What’s that?” Lita asked not looking up from her task of searching through her bag for there room card.
 
Stacy nodded towards the bar where Hunter sat. “His high and mightiness over there sitting all on his lonesome,”
 
Lita rolled her eyes when she saw who it was Stacy was referring too. She so didn’t want to be having a conversation about him right now. Wasn’t ‘He’ the reason the deli four blocks away sounded good?
 
“A lot of people sit alone.” She said as the elevator doors slid open.
 
Umm… hello… didn’t you just say you didn’t want to have a conversation about him? A little voice in her head reminded her.
 
“A lot of people – Yes.” Stacy agreed. “Hunter Hurst Helmsley – No. You know as well as I do that he doesn’t go anywhere without the rest of Evolution to fight his battles for him.”
 
Lita did know that, had even had hands on experience with the way he and Evolution worked. Hunter had had no morals about continually hitting her with a steel chair while the rest of Evolution surrounded them effectively stopping anyone from coming to her aid.
 
Funny you never thought of that yesterday when your paths crossed outside his hotel room, she mused lowering her head to her bag again.
 
“Did I tell you I saw two girls leaving Hunter’s room last night?”
 
“Stacy, I’m hardly interested.” Lita answered ignoring the voice inside her telling her she was. 
 
The elevator doors opened and both girls stepped inside. Stacy checked her appearance in the mirrored wall before continuing on with her little story.
 
“Yeah, I had a craving for a raspberry twist of all things so anyway I was on my way to the snack machine and wah-lah! There they were.”
 
“Aha,” Lita replied her eyes on the closed elevator doors.
 
“And there he was handing them money, not even trying to hide the fact that they were ‘working girls’ and he didn’t even say goodbye or good job you know, just slammed the door in there faces-“
 
“Stacy please,” Lita said bringing her hands up to her temples stilling her friend’s words immediately.
 
“You okay?” She asked her face now a mask of concern.
 
The red head nodded and sent her a half hearted smile sighing inwardly when Stacy settled into silence. Here she was trying to push his hateful image from her mind and get a little piece for just a little while and there Stacy was talking non stop about the very man she wanted to forget!
 
‘You can’t forget him. Not yet. You promised…’ came that all too familiar voice in her head.
 
No, she thought knowing the voice was right. A promise was a promise and she wasn’t about to start breaking them now.
 
“Okay, I won’t forget him… but please, please let me do this my way.”
 
“Do what your way?” Stacy asked as the elevator doors slid open again.
 
Lita masked her surprise with a wide grin. She hadn’t realised she’d spoken out loud.
 
“Whatever I have too I guess.” She exclaimed and hurried out of the elevator before Stacy could question her anymore.
 
**
 
Part Seven
 
**
 
Ric searched the hotel for Hunter only to find him back where they’d started in the hotel dining room, only this time he was seated at the bar.
 
“What’s up with you Champ?” he said not mincing his words as he took the stool next to the other man.
 
Hunter kept his eyes on the wall behind the bar. “This had just been a crazy morning that’s all.” He said.
 
“More like a crazy week.” Ric grumbled shaking his head to the bar man as he approached. “Is it Stephanie?” He went on. “You… you know regretting the divorce and all.”
 
It was Hunter’s turn to shake his head. “No, I’m not regretting the divorce.”
 
“Must be the gold then,” Ric nodded to himself. “Tomorrow night that title will be yours again. Evolution will hold all the gold again baby.”
 
Hunter tried to smile in agreement to Ric’s words, but failed miserably and lifted his glass to his lips to hide it, which only caused Ric’s brow to furrow again.
 
“Listen,” He said. “You don’t have to come to the arena tonight you’re not scheduled on till next week. Stay here. Relax.” 
 
Hunter shrugged and then wondered if he looked as pathetic as he felt. He doubted a night away from the ring would change his mood, what he needed was a night away from Spike!
 
‘How would that help your cause?’ The Brit’s voice spoke inside his head. ‘You need me as much as I need you, you bleedin’ pounce. Even if you don’t think you do.’
 
Why did he get the feeling that the only way to ever get any peace from Spike would be to do what he asked. Maybe then his mind would get a little peace from a certain red head as well and things could get back to normal.
 
‘You tried that way once before remember? Worked well enough I guess…’ His mind told him. ‘But now your sins are such that to play the Good Samaritan now would make the angels laugh.’
 
He drained the rest of his glass with one swallow. “Let’s get outta here.” He said getting to his feet and slapping Flair in the shoulder.
 
“What ever you say champ.” The older man replied trying to drum up the excitement needed to convince himself that the calculating, cut throat and indifferently cold man he knew as The Game was back – It wasn’t working.
 
**
 
“Where have you been?” Batista asked as Randy entered there hotel room. “We gotta be at the arena in just under an hour.” The big man crossed the room only to appear a few minutes later with a towel and his shaving kit.
 
“Dave chill,” Randy began as he started stuffing his own gear for the night into his bag. “I’ve been to see our esteemed General Manager.”
 
That took Batista’s attention off of his gym bag and the items he was packing inside to look at him with a raised brow. “And why would you be doing that?” He asked.
 
“Just needed the okay on a little endeavour I’m about to embark on tonight.”
 
“What endeavour is that?”
 
Both men turned to see Hunter and Ric standing in the doorway. The sound of Randy zipping his bag closed was the only sound that permeated the air before both he and Batista joined the other two men at the door.
 
“I’m gonna give a lady a helping hand is all.” Randy said with a cocky smile.
 
Batista rolled his eyes, something that looked totally silly considering his size. “A little lady called Trish?”
 
He got his answer in the form of a big cheeky grin from the youngest member of Evolution.
 
Hunter frowned. “Trish is going one on one with Stacy Keibler tonight. She won’t need a helping hand.”
 
“Especially if she’s got Tomko in her corner,” Ric added.
 
“Nah-uh,” Randy shook his head. “The match has been changed,” He went on to explain. “It’s now a handicap match. Trish and Tomko vs. Stacy and Lita.”
 
Hunter’s ears perked up and he turned and walked away to busy himself at the bar so he wouldn’t hear the rest of Randy’s explanation, but even across the room Randy’s voice floated into his ears.
 
“I plan on taking Tomko out and then stepping up in his place when he’s a no show. After tonight Trish is gonna think I’m the next best thing to that women’s championship title she loves so much.”
 
“And then what do you plan on doing?” Hunter heard himself ask.
 
‘Good man,’ Spike’s voice echoed in his head.
 
Randy chuckled. “It’s a match man, I plan to wrestle.”
 
“You gonna be okay here by yourself?” Ric asked pulling the cuff of his sleeve up to check his watch.
 
“Yeah,” Hunter forced a grin. “I’ll just raid all the alcohol in the mini fridge here before I go back to my suite.”
 
Ric chuckled and stepped forward to slap him on the back. “Go nuts, by the sounds of it Randy wont be back tonight to enjoy it.”
 
“I can guarantee it.” Hunter heard Randy reply just as the door was pulled shut behind them.
 
Alone now he just stared at the closed door. He expected Spike to appear at any given second now that he was alone and when five minutes passed and then ten and Spike still hadn’t appeared he found himself wondering where his spook could be.
 
He made his way over to the mini fridge, opened it and then closed it again without even looking inside. You should be glad Spike isn’t around, he told himself walking to the window and peering down at the traffic below. He saw Ric, Randy and Batista get into there limo and watched as it drove off.
 
Isn’t this what you wanted? A Spike free night? He continued to tell himself and at that moment he saw another pair walk out of the hotel and move towards there car.
 
He wanted to turn his head away, he knew he should’ve but for some reason he couldn’t. Stacy’s head lifted in laughter and he saw the same expression mirrored on Lita’s face. He wondered what they had to be so happy about considering they were on there way to a handicap match – But then again Randy had said that that match had just been changed so maybe they didn’t know yet.
 
“Step away from the window.” He told himself and then did the exactly that. “Go to the fridge, get drink, sit on couch and watch TV.” He walked to the fridge but paused upon opening it and looked back to the window. “Open the fridge Hunter. Open the fucking fridge.” He continued to tell himself. But he didn’t.
 
What he did do was grab his jacket and walk out of the room not bothering to shut the door as he left.
 
“Well, well, well…” Spike said as he watched Hunter get into the elevator. “Seems he’s gonna do something right after all.” His eyes went to the heavens. “There maybe hope for us yet.”
 
**
 
Part Eight
 
**
 
“Uh-oh…”
 
“What?” Lita said coming to a halt at Stacy’s side where she stood outside there hotel room door.
 
“Looks like ‘Mr Secret Admirer’ has struck again.” Stacy said pointing down to the little box no bigger then one of the muffins they had consumed for breakfast. “You gonna open it or should I do the honours?” She continued when Lita ignored the box and merely swiped there room card and stepped over the box and into the room they shared. “I guess I do.” Stacy grinned bending down to retrieve the box. “It feels kinda solid so we can rule out exploding slime.” She said weighing it in her hand as she crossed the room to plop herself down on an armchair across from the one the red head had seated herself and placed the box on the table that sat between them. “So you gonna open it?”
 
Lita sat back in her chair and pretended to study her nails. “No.” She replied.
 
“Can I?”
 
“Go for your life.” She replied with a shrug.
 
So Stacy did. She tore into the wrapping paper as if it were tissue rather then the extremely expensive metallic paper that it was. And when she had gotten to its core she unveiled an ornamental bottle filled with a fiery coloured liquid the same shade as Lita’s hair.
 
“Oh this guy is good…” Stacy exclaimed unscrewing the top to press down on the nozzle and within seconds both women were breathing in the fragrance.
 
“Mmmm…” Lita began getting up to sniff the air again. “Aleena, my favourite perfume…”
 
“It’s gorgeous,” Stacy agreed returning the cap to the bottle and passing it to the red head only then noticing the tiny card that still lay in the box. She plucked it out and her mouth dropped open as she read it.
 
“What is it?” Lita asked reaching for the card but Stacy pulled it just out of her reach.
 
“You are never going to believe this.”
 
Lita uncapped the bottle again and sent another spray of scented mist into the air before replying, “Believe what?”
 
“I know who your mystery guy is- And don’t tell me I’m dreaming because I hold in my hand the proof that this gift and the flowers the other day were for you.”
 
Lita cringed and set the bottle down on the table again. “It’s bad isn’t it? It’s someone I totally can’t stand. Somebody like JBL or heaven forbid – Bischoff.”
 
Stacy smiled and peeked at the card again, her smile dissolving into giggles as her eyes glanced over the name. “You might prefer one of them to the name on this card.” Stacy said again holding the card to her chest so the red head couldn’t snatch it out of her hand.
 
Lita groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Just tell me Stace, I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”
 
“Once I tell you his name you are going to do everything in your power to avoid him aren’t you?”
 
“Oh hell yeah!” she declared peeping through her fingers. “Who is it?”
 
Stacy giggled again knowing if she were in Lita’s shoes she’d be doing the same thing. She held the card up and began to read aloud. “Lita, don’t question why, just accept…”
 
“And the rest…” Lita cringed waving for Stacy to continue.
 
“Don’t question why, just accept…” She repeated slowly adding… “Hunter Hurst Helmsley.”
 
**
 
“Mrs Hunter Hurst Helmsley, Mrs Lita Helmsley, Mrs H, Mrs Game…”
 
Even through the closed bathroom door Lita could still hear Stacy in the other room and after that last crack her hands went to the faucets and turned them both on full bull. She closed her eyes and counted down slowly from ten to zero and when she opened them again the image of a young woman stared back at her in the mirror and she heard the woman’s voice in her head.
 
‘This is good it may be what we’ve been waiting for.’
 
“But he’s an ass.” Lita told the image. “You have all this faith in a guy you don’t know. Why?”
 
The image started to fade away as it always did when she dared to ask that one question and the words ‘Because I have too’ floated around inside her head until all she heard again was the water gushing out of the faucets to run down the sink.
 
“Come on ‘Mrs Most-hated-man-in-the-WWE’ we got an arena to get to.” She heard Stacy call from the other room and before she knew what she was doing she picked the bottle of perfume up and sent a stream of mist into the air before walking through it.
 
**
 
“You smell nice,”
 
“Stacy…”
 
“Okay, okay I’m shutting up.” The leggy blond giggled. “You wanna drive or shall I?” she asked instead as the neared the rental car they shared that was parked in the hotel car park.
 
“I will, Lita said snatching the keys the other woman dangled from her fingers. “I don’t want to die young.”
 
“Yeah, but at least you’ll smell nice.” Stacy grinned over the top of the car at her and Lita couldn’t help the chuckle that rose up her throat.
 
“Silliness suits you Stace.”
 
“I know, it’s a curse,” The leggy blond replied rolling her eyes upwards and in doing so she caught a glimpse of someone watching them from one of the hotel’s upper levels, but when she turned back for a second glance it was gone. She turned back to the red head who stared down at the keys in her hand. “Will you stop mooning over your little love muffin and open the car already?”
 
Lita glared at her before they both heard the click of the internal lock release. “I’m ‘NOT’ mooning over anyone and ‘HE’ is ‘NOT’ my love muffin.”
 
“Whatever you say,” Stacy sent her a look of innocence then and opened the passenger door to get in. “He is cute though don’t you think?” She continued once Lita had followed her actions.
 
“No, I don’t think.” Lita said a little too rushed.
 
“Right…” The word rolled off Stacy’s tongue.
 
Lita turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of there parking space. Stacy had a knowing look on her face, a look Lita was becoming all too accustomed too. She now hated that look.
 
**
 
Part Nine
 
**
 
“It’ll be like taking candy from a baby.”
 
A pause.
 
“Don’t sweat it C. I got your lady covered.”
 
Another pause longer this time, that ended with the big man screwing his face up while he held his mobile phone away from his ear.
 
“Yeah, I know that Trish is your lady, wrong choice of words you know that I just meant I got her back in your absence.”
 
The deep breath he exhaled was a sign that the man on the other end of the line had been pacified.
 
“Okay, I better go see if she’s ready. It’s nearly time. Sure thing. Later C.”
 
Tomko could only shake his head as he dropped his phone into his bag and made his way to the door.
 
“That man so needs to take a chill pill.” He said upon opening the door. “What the fu-“He began when he saw who awaited him on the other side.
 
And then all he saw was darkness.
 
**
 
“A handicap match! A frigging handicap match!”
 
“Ah… I heard you the first time Li,” Stacy replied her hand going up to massage her temple. “And the six times after that.” She added as the red head finally stopped pacing to plop herself down on the bench next to her. They were alone in the divas locker room after having just found out from Eric Bischoff himself that Stacy’s match against Trish had been changed to a tag team handicap match. The two of them versus Trish and Tomko.
 
Stacy’s mood had gone from cheeky and playful to ‘God I’m dead’ in two seconds flat while Lita had gotten angry and stayed angry. She had stomped back to the locker room ahead of Stacy and then promptly slammed the door shut after the tall blond had entered.
 
“What are we gonna do?” Stacy finally said after what seemed like the longest silence imaginable.
 
Lita inhaled and then exhaled loudly. “The only thing we can do Stace. Go out there and give it out all.” She said getting to her feet again even back here in the divas locker room they could hear Trish’s entrance music blaring through the arena followed by the expected ‘Slut’ chant from the crowd. “You ready for this?” She continued.
 
“No.” Stacy replied honestly.
 
“Come on,” Lita said reaching down to pull Stacy to her feet. “If you find yourself facing Tomko in the ring just take a leaf out of the Guerrero’s book.”
 
Stacy quirked a brow. “You want me to lie, cheat and steal?”
 
“No, of course not,” Lita replied shooting a smile the blondes way hoping to lighten the mood a bit. “I don’t want you to ‘just’ lie, cheat and steal. I want you to lie, cheat and steal like you’ve never lied, cheated and stolen before!”
 
**
 
“Excuse me sir, you’re not allowed back here-“
 
“Fuck off.”
 
“Oh sorry… Mr… H… H…”
 
“Just fuck off.” He hissed again shoving the young security guard away. “These fucks get younger and younger.” He muttered as he watched for signs of anyone noticing his little exchange with that door bitch. Even with a stupid beanie and – He made a sour face – fleecy shirt he had acquired to lesson his chances of recognition he knew that sooner or later he was gonna be recognised.
 
He just needed to run into randy before any one else recognised him. Flair and Batista were still out at ringside playing up to the crowd after there victory, there locker room was empty and he had already seen Trish making her way to the gorilla so where the hell was Randy?
 
He waited in a little alcove behind a crate and settled himself in. Randy had to come passed sooner or later if he wanted to make it out to ringside and sure enough no more then a few minutes later Evolutions youngest member swaggered down the hallway towards him, his cocky smirk in full array for all to see.
 
Hunter readied himself behind the crate, hating what he was gonna do, but knowing it was something that had to be done. For Spike’s sake and for the sake of his sanity he told himself. Not because of Lita at all.
 
He waited till Randy stepped into his path before his arm sprang out wrapping around the younger man’s mouth while his other arm wrapped around his head and he squeezed effectively applying a sleeper hold.
 
Randy struggled and then struggled some more but he was no match for
Hunter’s upper body strength and sooner then Hunter expected Randy’s body went limp in his arms. Opening the crate he hefted Randy’s unconscious body up and over the side.
 
He hadn’t bothered to look inside the crate before he tossed Randy inside and grinned when he leaned up to close the lid to see Randy nestled amongst an assortment of panties and bra’s.
 
Well Hunter mused with a smirk. At least the little shit will be waking with a smile.
 
**
 
Part Ten
 
**
 
Trish stretched out her muscles as she waited for Stacy’s music to hit signalling the leggy blonde’s descent down the ramp only to raise a curious brow Charles Robinson’s way when Randy Orton’s entrance music began instead. Charles just shrugged and sent her a look that clearly said ‘I only know as much as you do’.
 
They both waited for the youngest member of Evolution to push through the curtain although when his music stopped playing and he still had yet to appear confusion loomed all around.
 
“What’s going on?” Trish whispered to herself. “Where the hell is Tomko?”
 
The crowds cheers soon over came the confusion though as Stacy’s entrance music began and she followed by Lita made her way to the ring.
 
Once Stacy entered the ring that was enough for Charles Robinson as far he knew it was a singles match between Stacy and Trish and when Lita merely stood on the outside he motioned for the bell.
 
“Hold it! Hold it! Hold it!” A voice called from up on the ramp before the two divas had time to lock up in the middle of the ring.
 
Eric Bischoff stood at the top of the ramp with a microphone in his hand. “This is supposed to be a tag team handicap match.”
 
Lita got up on the apron then letting everyone know that that’s exactly what is was. A handicap match – Stacy/Lita vs Trish. She smiled sweetly at Trish before focusing back on Bischoff who merely chuckled.
 
“No, no, no Lita,” He began. “You’ve got it all wrong. It’s not Trish who’s supposed to have the handicap, it’s you and Stacy.”
 
Boo’s from the crowd erupted throughout the arena. “So without further a due let me introduce Trish’s newly appointed tag team partner as of five seconds ago – Kane!”
 
 
Trish watched as shock and then fear registered across Lita’s face and not being the one to look a gift horse in the mouth used that to her advantage and before Stacy knew what was happening Trish’s booted foot caught her cheek snapping her head back so far she thought it would fly right off her shoulders. She felt the ring floor vibrate beneath her three times but only when she opened her eyes and saw Charles Robinson raising Trish’s arm in victory did she realise those vibrations were the referee’s hand slamming out the three count.
 
“Lita,” She whispered crawling to the corner of the ring, but the red heads gaze was still pinned to the big red machine who still stood at the top of the ramp grinning down at her. “Lita!” She called again only louder this time.
 
Lita shook her head as if just waking from a dream and realised that they were the only two still left in the ring.
 
“God Stacy!” She cried hurrying over to check on her friend. “Oh god Stace I’m sorry… your match-“
 
The blond waved her apology off. “Don’t worry about that let’s just get out of here before Kane decides to come down here.
 
Not having to be told twice Lita slid out of the ring and pulled the still hurting Stacy with her.
 
**
 
Hunter shook his head as he watched the replay of what had happened down at ringside displayed on a monitor he could only just see from where he stood in the back. Trust Bischoff to always have to get his way no matter the cost he thought to himself ignoring that other little voice that was telling him that all things considered that’s something he himself would do.
 
And Lita really freaked when she saw Kane walk through the curtain. He knew she and Kane had had a more then ‘friends’ relationship not so long ago, he wasn’t sure on the specific’s and lets face it, he hadn’t really cared about the specifics back then and he shouldn’t really now, yet how could he not when according to Spike ‘Lita’ was the light at the end of the tunnel – For them both.
 
How Spike had come to the conclusion he had no idea, but if at the end of that tunnel he found himself with the gold then all the better for him. He just wished it would hurry up and come already, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to put up with Spike and his antics for much longer.
 
A grumbling from inside the crate told him that his young protégé was starting to rouse so as soon as he had checked to make sure no one was there to witness his retreat he stepped out from behind the crate and slinked away.
 
**
 
Why his footsteps ended here he had no idea.
 
He had to be crazy to come to her locker room when he had no reason to, hell there was still a slim chance that he would run into Ric or Dave, he’d be better off high tailing it back to the bloody hotel, yet here he was standing outside the divas locker room contemplating wether to go in or not.
 
He knew she was in there alone; he had arrived in time to see Trish venting into her mobile phone as she left for the night followed closely behind by a dazed Tomko. As far as he knew Trish, Lita and Stacy were the only divas scheduled for tonight and since Stacy hadn’t been at her side when she had entered well he had to assume that she was in there alone.
 
Then why did he get the feeling that she wasn’t? He opened the door a crack and listened.
 
Laughter - The sound of laughter came at him from inside the room. He pushed the door open more.
 
He had rarely heard her laugh and couldn’t help but think what the hell she could be laughing at. Her friend just lost her title shot and she just wigged big time at the sight of Big Red – But laughing she was.
 
It was a sweet sound, full of humour and he wished… Damn, he shouldn’t have come. She was obviously enjoying herself and he’d only ruin that and… hang on – Who the hell was she enjoying herself with?
 
Before he knew what he was doing he barged through the door and what he found however deflated the hot emotions that had assailed him because Lita was as he’d first assumed – Alone.
 
**
 
Part Eleven
 
**
 
She shot up so fast the chair she had been seated on toppled back and she had to clutch the end of the table to keep from joining it.
 
Mouth open, eyes wide, hand at her breast and all she could so was stare at him as he stood like a man made of marble in the doorway.
 
“C…can I help you?” She asked her gaze inadvertently flicking over her shoulder.
 
His already furrowed brow furrowed more as his gaze followed hers to where nothing but a mirror sat on a table. She seemed nervous he noted as she shifted from foot to foot. Why was she nervous?
 
He took a step forward. She took a step back.
 
What was she hiding?
 
“Lita you’ll never guess-“
 
Lita’s gaze trained on Stacy as she made to enter the divas locker room only to stop dead in her tracks when faced with a very big and very broad back in a flannel shirt.
 
Her face brightened immediately. “Mick!” She exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
 
She squeezed passed the mad blocking the doorway and turned, her smile dying as soon as she saw those all too familiar ice cold eyes of there World Champion.
 
Her mouth opened and then closed and then opened again, but before her mouth could form the words that were in her mind Hunter turned on his heel and in a perfect pirouette and then walked out.
 
Stacy turned back to Lita to see her chest expand and her shoulders slump as if she had been holding her breath that whole time.
 
“You okay?” She asked moving forward to close the door. “What did ‘He’ want?”
 
A maniacal chuckle escaped the red heads lips as she bent over to right her chair before flopping down on it.
 
“Lita?” Stacy said cautiously taking a step forward, but the red head lifted her head took one look at her friend and burst out laughing.
 
“Y… you…” Lita tried to expel the cause of her amusement and immediately gave up when her eyes met Stacy’s, her words dissolving into more giggles.
 
Stacy stood there with her hands on her hips trying to ignore the laughter that was welling up inside of her.
 
“You’re… face…” Tears from laughing so hard began to flow. “…Mick!” and then more laughter came.
 
Stacy’s expression turned from confusion to amusement. “You would have assumed the same,” She exclaimed in her defence. “I mean who else around here would ever wear a flannel shirt?”
 
Lita waved a hand towards the closed door and replied, “Well, Hunter apparently.”
 
The two divas shared another few minutes of laughter before Stacy noticed the mirror sitting on the table.
 
She reached to pick it up. “Hmm… Jan forgot one of her mir-“
 
“No!” Lita cut in snatching the mirror up before Stacy could and wrapping it in a towel before stowing it away in her bag. “It’s ah… it’s mine.”
 
“Oh, okay, well if you’re ready can we get out of here because Trish belted me a whopper and I want to get back to the hotel before my head swells to twice its normal size.”
 
“Yeah sure,” Lita said her amusement turning to concern in two seconds flat. She moved towards the door.
 
“I do have one thing to say though,”
 
Lita rolled her eyes before turning to face her friend and sending her an ‘I-knew-this-was-too-good-to-be-true’ look.
 
Stacy merely smiled and stepped past the red head pausing momentarily in the doorway to say, “Told you so.”
 
**
 
Where the hell have you been?”
 
Randy grumbled something unintelligible as he passed Ric and Dave in the car park and got into there waiting limo.
 
Dave smiled his fingers drumming on the top of the limo while Ric’s gaze remained on the open limo door that Randy had just disappeared through.
 
“Guess I win,” Dave said his voice a low rumble in the quiet car park.
 
Ric got out his wallet and started counting out some bills.
 
“The next time I suggest a little wager concerning the kid…” He handed the bills over to Dave. “…knock me out.”
 
**
 
Part Twelve
 
**
 
He paced the hotel room and waited. He couldn’t do much else and sent a pissed off glare to the heavens only to rebuke his actions when the lights flickered.
 
“Can you blame me? I’m a man if action. All this bloody waiting will be the death of me.” He muttered darkly his eyes going upward again before he added, “If I were alive that is.”
 
The room remained still and he threw his hands up in exasperation.
 
“Stuff the lot of you, I’m outta here.” He grumbled stalking to the door, only instead of walking through it as usual he walked ‘into’ it, the shock of feeling the hard wood of the door against his cold skin sent him reeling back in shock.
 
“You can’t keep me here you know. That silly pounce you’ve saddled me with is a hopeless case! Now Randy Orton on the other hand, he has women dripping off him like sweat after a work out. Why couldn’t you have picked him?
 
The lights flickered again.
 
“What do you mean Randy Orton is too easy? I’m all about the ‘easy’.”
 
The lights went out and stayed out this time.
 
“Ow come on!” He glowered in the darkness. “A vamp’s allowed to bitch now and then isn’t he?”
 
The door opened then and a familiar burly shadow stepped through before the lights came on again.
 
“It’s about bloody time!” Spike exclaimed as Hunter dropped his room card on a table before turning to push the door shut behind him. “You don’t know what it’s like to have only the ‘Power’s That Be’ for company.” He continued.
 
Hunter frowned.
 
“The powers that be what?”
 
Spike chuckled and looked up.
 
“Exactly.”
 
Hunter crossed the room to the bathroom emerging a few minutes later shirtless and bare foot. He lay down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.
 
Spike didn’t need to ask him how his night went, the fact that he was still here was enough to tell him that Hunter had failed. He was about to ask what had happened when a glow started to emanate from the bathroom, his eyes quickly darted to Hunter, but the other man had brought his fore arm up and it now rested across his face.
 
With caution he took the necessary steps needed to bring him to the bathroom door and passed unhindered under the doorway.
 
A smile lighted his features.
 
“Buffy?”
 
She retuned his smile and stretched her hand out towards him.
 
“Buffy,” He whispered again his arm extending to hers. There fingers touched for a brief moment before her image started to fade. He tried to hold on to her, to keep her with him but after a few moments she disappeared.
 
How could they do that to him, give him just a glimpse, a taste of what and why he was there in the first place? He felt like he had been given his heart back only to have it ripped out again.
 
He made his way to the other room again and stood over Hunter. As dejected as he felt right now he knew that one glimpse that one touch was the closest he had come to Buffy in a long, long time.
 
“Looks like you didn’t fail after all.” He said. “Thank you.”
 
Hunter’s only response was a light snore.
 
Spike brought his hand up. He could still feel her touch on his skin. He turned away from the other man and left the room – via the wall only t stick his head back through it a few seconds later.
 
“Oh and… all the things I’ve been saying behind your back – I didn’t mean it.” He grinned. “Well… not all of it.” And then he was gone.
 
**
 
“Hey man this is no time for sleeping!”
 
Hunter grumbled something unintelligible and rolled over.
 
“There’s a world full of gorgeous women out there just waiting to be graced with our presence.” The pesky voice in his ear continued and was followed by a pesky hand poking at his side.
 
“Go away Spike.” His voice was sharp as he swiped at the hand only then realising his lapse when a voice replied, “Do I look like a Dudley to you?”
 
His eyes flew open.
 
“Ric! What are you doing here?”
 
“This is my room too remember? You feeling alright?” Ric asked.
 
“Yeah, course,” Hunter replied bringing himself up into a sitting position and sent the older man a sheepish grin. “Guess my brain was still in ‘waking up’ mode.”
 
Ric moved a chair closer to the bed and seated himself.
 
“Hunter…” He began. “…is there something you wanna tell me?”
 
Hunter leaned forward.
 
“Nope.”
 
“You sure? Cause you know you’ve been acting a little… preoccupied-“
 
“Ric,” Hunter cut in. “I’m good.”
 
“Okay champ… okay. You know I’ve been talking to Bischoff-“
 
“What?”
 
“I’ve been talking to Bischoff,” Ric repeated a little more cautiously. “On your behalf about a titl-“
 
“Why the hell would you do that?”
 
“Well… I was… you haven’t… I… was… helping…”
 
Hunter leaned a tad bit closer his eyes never wavering.
 
“You know I have the utmost respect for you Ric, but don’t ever go to
Bischoff on my behalf without my knowing it. Let’s not forget whose the main man in this faction. Let’s not forget who made evolution. Let’s not forget who put you where you are now when everyone else in this industry had you written off as a has been.”
 
Ric’s eyes hardened and a vein popped out on his forehead, but other then that he stayed perfectly still.
 
“Are we clear on that?” Hunter continued after a moment’s silence.
 
Ric stood to his feet and returned the chair to its original place.
 
“Perfectly.” He replied and then left the room.
 
**
 
Part Thirteen
 
**
 
“Dave man, when I find out who jumped me his arse is gonna be spread across eight different states.”
 
Amber liquid swirled and bubbled as the big man turned his glass first one way and then the next saying, “Why stop at eight?” before tilting the glass to his lips.
 
Randy straightened in his chair not seeing the amusement shining in the other man’s eyes.
 
“You’re right,” He stated with determination. “With Evolution behind me the sky is the limit.”
 
Silence reigned after her very passionate declaration as they both took another drink.
 
“Man,” Randy said after a while. “What’s taking Ric and Hunter so long?”
 
“Don’t sweat it,” Dave replied his eyes leaving his drink to focus on the array of beautiful women who were currently in the bar with them, a lot of whom had been watching them since they had entered it to wait for Ric and Hunter. He raised his glass to a particular red head who’d caught his attention as soon as he’d entered and delighted in the way she ducked her head to hide what he could only assume was a blush.
 
He turned back to Randy. “These girls aren’t going anywhere.”
 
“No, but if I had of made it to the ring tonight I would be making it with Trish right now.”
 
“Confident little shit aren’t you,” Dave chuckled.
 
“Confidence has nothing to do with it bro, it’s a damn fact. Trish wants me bad.” He grinned sending a wink to a group of ladies at the other side of the bar. “But until then, that pretty little brunette and her friend will do for now.”
 
“Keep it in your shorts kid,” Ric said as he joined them.
 
“Hunter not coming?” Dave asked.
 
“No.” The older man replied allowing his eyes to sweep across the room before focusing once again on his friends. He stared at them each in turn and then nodded as if he had just made the hardest decision of his life and said, “We need to talk.”
 
**
 
She closed her eyes and tried for the umpteenth time to will herself to sleep, but her traitorous eye lids flickered open no more than a minute after closing them and a sigh escaped her lips in a long drawn out whistle – Something else she’d done for the umpteenth time since sliding beneath the scratchy hotel sheets on her bed.
 
Her room mate didn’t seem to share her dilemma thought, the sound of Stacy’s even breathing had filled the room as soon as her head had hit the pillow.
 
Lita knew the cause of her restless ness though and the faint glow emanating from her open bag by the bathroom door called for her to give up on sleep altogether and answer its plea. Rolling over she put her back to the bathroom door and again closed her eyes.
 
Why had Hunter shown up when he had? He hadn’t even been rostered on that night, not that that was anything major, he could have just been there to support his buddies. She herself at times accompanied Stacy to the arena on her nights off and vice versa, everyone did it now and then, but – Her mind was quick to point out – when she accompanied Stacy they usually rode in the same car, where she and Stacy had both seen only Ric, Dave and Randy leave the hotel.
 
Again nothing major she debated with herself. He may have been running late or something so had planned to meet them at the arena, but still her mind argued that that still didn’t explain ‘Why’ he had burst into the divas locker room like he had or for that matter why he was dressed as if he actually worked for a living.
 
“This is all so confusing.” She whispered rolling over again.
 
‘It will all become clear in the end.’ The voice in her head answered.
 
“You must really love this guy to go to all this trouble to be with him.”
 
‘I do. He died for me. For everyone.’
 
Lita contemplated those words for a moment. ‘He died for me.’ She couldn’t imagine a love that strong, that wilful to give up ones life for.
 
“Why Hunter?” She asked with a sigh. “He’s not the most approachable of men you know. Insects keep there distance.”
 
A quiet chuckle sounded inside her head.
 
“He’s only after what will benefit him.” She continued.
 
‘I know.’ The voice answered. ‘But he was chosen and without him I am lost.’
 
The anguish she heard fill her head pulled at her strengthening her determination to help this girl.
 
“What am I supposed to say to him when we do come face to face again?”
 
‘You will know when the time comes… As will he.’
 
I must be crazy Lita thought rolling over again when the glow across the room went out.
 
All at once she felt the events of the night take there toll and letting forth a mighty yawn she closed her eyes again, yet for reasons not her own she found herself pushing the covers back and rising from the bed. She yawned again and her gaze turned longingly towards her bed, but her body it seemed had other ideas and as if she had no control over her body, she walked out of the room barefoot and in nothing more then a singlet and pyjama bottoms.
 
**
 
“Get up! Get up!”
 
Hunter sat up with a start and bounded from his bed as if it had been on fire, his bare chest heaving and his hair all stringy with sweat. The initial panic he’d first felt now fading as his heart beat slowed to a more regular bear and he lifted his head to glare at the cause of his sleeps disturbance.
 
“Spike?”
 
“Hallway. Now.” The bleached blond ordered before striding purposely through a wall and out of Hunter’s sight.
 
“What the fuck?” Hunter said not bothering with donning the t-shirt he had carelessly discarded before sleep over took him fully and walked to the door opening it only to find the hallways empty when he poked his head through the opening.
 
“Over here. Hurry up!”
 
Again he was spared only a glimpse of blond mingled with the swoosh of Spike’s leather duster and wondered wether to follow or not only to be surprised at finding himself already at the end of the hallway, his ear tuned to listen for the sound of Spike’s voice.
 
Where the hell was Spike leading him? Or more to the point ‘Why’ the hell was he allowing Spike to lead him? It was as if he had no say over his body’s actions whatsoever, yet at the same time he felt comforted like he knew that wherever Spike was leading him it would be okay, that everything would be okay.
 
Then he saw her.
 
**
 
Part Fourteen
 
**
 
“By the seriousness of your expression Ric, I can pretty much guess what you’re going to say.”
 
The three members of Evolution sat in there limo on there way to god knew where, on entering Ric had simply instructed the driver to drive.
 
Ric met the big man’s eyes across from him. “So you’ve noticed the change in Hunter too?”
 
“Shit man,” Randy chose to answer. “With all Hunter’s surliness on top of his usual surliness and all the locking himself in the bathroom for hours on end not to mention the full on conversations he has with himself, how could we not notice?”
 
“I’m sure it’s just the lack of gold around his waist…” Dave remarked ever the voice of reason. “…and next week should remedy that seeing as he’s got a title match against Benjamin.”
 
“Providing he wins that is, he hasn’t exactly been on a winning streak lately.”
 
“That’s what we’re here for though, to make sure Hunter wins.” Randy said looking at both men in turn before adding. “Isn’t it?”
 
“You would think that wouldn’t you, seeing as he’s our leader and all…” Ric let his sentence hand and could pinpoint precisely when Dave and Randy turned to the same page he was on.
 
“What exactly are you saying?” Dave asked not really sure he liked what Ric was getting at. He leaned forward in his seat.
 
“I’m saying,” Ric answered leaning forward also. “That we leave Hunter to the wolves.”
 
**
 
She was just standing there staring at him.
 
Why? Fucked if he knew! But she was. And for some uncanny reason he felt good. And if he wanted things to get anymore weirder – He knew that she was feeling just as good.
 
An impish grin appeared on her face then, one that his own expression couldn’t help but mirror and then they took off hand in hand, running through the hallways like two disobedient teenagers out after curfew.
 
**
 
There running spree ended on the roof top of the hotel and there began the start of something else, the start of hammering hearts, guttural groans and pleasure long since forgotten.
 
The first time there bodies couldn’t wait and with there clothes still on they gave way to there desire by mutual rocking and groping. As unfulfilling as it was it spent there initial passion and made way for what was to come. She hadn’t even started her descent from the first throes of there carnal movements when his mouth and hands began there onslaught again.
 
They touched everywhere and she was loathed to have them leave her body, pressing herself, arching herself more into his touch. And then he was kissing her, his lips following the path his hands had taken across her shoulder, down her arm and then up again to her breast, where he lingered for what seemed like an eternity to her.
 
Her pyjama bottoms fell to her ankles and her thong followed soon after before he hoisted her up, his hands cupping her backside and holding her to him while her legs wrapped themselves around his waist.
 
There joining was rough, his mouth now painful as he thrust into her, but at that moment she didn’t care because the red grooves she could see trailing down his back where a testament to the fact that she was giving as good as she got.
 
Her release came first, her teeth clamping down on his shoulder as it shook her to her very core before his followed. And in the minutes that followed nothing but a sense of utter fulfilment filled them both.
 
**
 
Lita growled and tried to hold on to the cosy sleep induced corner of her mind that had kept her so content all through the night, not wanting to let go of the feeling she had of being completely and utterly… sated.
 
“Wow, I wish I could wake up with that look,” She heard Stacy say from the side of the bed where the other woman stood. “…must have been one hell of a dream.”
 
Lita frowned. Her mind trying its damnedest to conjure up an image of the man from her dream, but his image remained just out of her reach. She sighed in resignation and replied, “Yep. Now if only I could remember it.”
 
**
 
Part Fifteen
 
**
 
A week had passed. A new city. New arena and a new crowd of roaring fans to fill its seats.
 
Hunter sat alone inside Evolutions locker room - Granted Spike was there too, but seeing as Spike had barely said a word all week Hunter found it easy to ignore his spook. He just hoped Spike’s silence wasn’t due to that dream he had had a week ago.
 
Gawd! What if he had been talking in his sleep? Or shit – Groaning in pleasure!
 
That dream bested even some of his real life encounters with the opposite sex. He just wished he could remember the woman who had the starring role. He could remember her body, what her body had felt like to his touch and what his body had experienced inside hers, but when he tried to picture her face his mind drew a blank.
 
Struth! Thinking about it now and what he could have said during it not only caused a blush to rise up his neck but it caused something else to rise too.
 
Slanting his gaze Spike’s way he shifted this way and that in his seat causing Spike to arch a brow before – Damn it – he blushed too!
 
He had said something in his sleep that night! Spike’s knowing look tinged with embarrassment proved that. Fuck!
 
Hunter groaned and quickly averted his gaze, his eyes darting anywhere but to the corner of the room where Spike sat. A flash of red caught his eye and he looked up to see Lita’s image plastered on the screen of the 17” monitor that usually graced the inside of Evolutions locker room.
 
She looked pretty he mused… in a ‘Hardy Whore’ kind of way, but pretty nonetheless. He could even picture her head on the body of his dream gir- What the hell was he thinking? That’s Lita his mind was quick to tell him. LITA! Sheesh! She was already like an out of control plague on his mind, the last thing he needed was for her to be an erotic out of control plague.
 
**
 
“Hey champ, you ready for your big match?”
 
Hunter grunted in reply totally missing the ‘Yeah right’ look the older man turned on the other two men that followed him. He really didn’t want to listen to Ric right now, in truth he didn’t want to listen to him at all or anyone for that matter. Not now. Not when he was this close to getting his title back.
 
Maybe that was another reason Spike had been quiet all week, after all if he won it would be to the benefit of them both would it not? At least that’s what he had always believed – He gets the gold, Spike gets to heaven. Yet even as he thought it somehow that theory didn’t seem right in his mind. Was he missing something?
 
Tuning out all around him, especially Ric’s incessant nattering he faced the mirror and started to mentally psyche himself up for his match. He had to win this match. He had too.
 
That dash of red flashed in his peripheral vision and he turned toward it immediately seeing Lita’s image up on the screen again, this time though she was in the car park and by the look of it she seemed oblivious to the camera focused on her, but in the seconds that followed Hunter saw that to be a good thing because what she couldn’t see – He could. And right now what he could see was a huge black shadow descending on her.
 
**
 
“Where the hell are you going?”
 
Thinking Hunter had been ready to head out to ring side, Ric had been full on his heels only to stop with his mouth agape as Hunter instead turned in the opposite direction, his long strides alone telling the sixteen time World Champion that wherever the other man was headed, he was headed there with a purpose in mind.
 
“The ring is this way!” He called regardless of the fact that Hunter had already disappeared from his sight. “Fuck!”
 
“You took the word right out of my mouth.”
 
“Eric,” Ric said turning to face Raw’s General Manager Eric Bischoff. “We were just on our way to the ring…”
 
Dave and Randy joined them at the door then in time to hear Bischoff’s reply.
 
“Minus your leader?”
 
Ric forced a laugh and playfully elbowed Dave in the side.
 
“Minus a leader, isn’t this guy funny?”
 
“Apparently.” The big man replied in a bored tone.
 
Some of Ric’s enthusiasm seemed to die then and it was an anxious looking Ric Flair who now stood in front of there GM.
 
“He’ll be there, I guarantee it.” He promised.
 
“He better be,” Eric replied turning to walk back the way he had come. “Cause you’ll be taking his place if he don’t.”
 
**
 
Part Sixteen
 
**
 
He had walked this ramp many a time in his career, probably more times then anyone else in the business today and in all that time he couldn’t once remember walking down it in proxy of someone else.
 
Dave and Randy walked at his side as he had hoped and he grinned knowing that when it was time to make there way back up it they would be bringing the World Heavy Weight Championship with them. And by god it would be around ‘his’ waist!
 
In proxy of my arse Ric thought smugly. If he won the title would be his, no way was he just gonna hand it over to Hunter.
 
“And the challenger from Greenwich…” Lilian’s announcing halted mid speak as she saw the three men walking down the ramp. “…ah… from Charlotte North Carolina, The Nature Boy Ric Flair!”
 
The crowd seemed to be as perplexed as Lilian but it didn’t take long for the boo’s to start.
 
Shelton Benjamin jumped about inside the ring not caring who he wrestled as long as he wrestled someone. He figured this would be an easy match as long as Dave and Randy stayed out of it – Yeah, who was he kidding – but if he played his moves right the title would still be his.
 
Taking a moment to look around at the crowd as he stood on the apron, Ric grinned already feeling the rush that winning brought and with it he felt the blow to the back of his head as well as the impact of his body hitting the concrete floor outside the ring caused by turning his back on his opponent.
 
‘Dumb fuck’ Ric thought deciding to stay down a moment longer than was called for hoping for the younger man to step outside the ring intent on tossing his sorry carcass inside the squared circle where the match could continue only to get pounced on by Dave or Randy or hell maybe even both.
 
He could hear the referee counting. He was up to five. Why wasn’t he feeling Shelton’s hands hauling his arse up? Turning he saw Shelton still inside the ring standing next to the referee who was still counting.
 
Eight…
 
Fuck! He was up like a shot and sliding under the bottom rope on the count of nine. So the little shit wasn’t going to play nice, oh well, it’s be his funeral.
 
However… four chops, two clotheslines and one T-bone suplex later and it was Ric who was sprawled out on the ring floor gasping for breath. His eyes shot to Dave there expression screamed ‘What are you waiting for?’
 
The big man grinned and rolled his eyes as if to say ‘Okay, okay’ before he motioned to Randy who promptly jumped up on the apron effectively capturing the referee’s attention while Dave went after Shelton, pulling the younger man out of the ring and tossing him into the security barrier as if he weighed no more then Stacy Keibler and then followed it up with a Batista Bomb and even took the time to send a smile Lilian’s way when Shelton landed at her feet before hurling him back inside the ring for the three count, which Ric got a few seconds later.
 
Lilian Garcia got to her feet and held her microphone to her lips.
 
“Here is your winner and the new World Heavy Weight Champion – The Nature Boy Ric Flair!”
 
**
 
The sound of the door swinging wildly and then hitting the wall behind it barely registered in Hunter’s head as he burst through it and out into the arena car park.
 
He knew he had a somewhere else to be and that by not being there right now was going to land him in the shit big time, but without Spike even needing to tell him he knew that title match or no title match this was where he had to be.
 
Looking one way and then the next he had thought he saw someone, well the back of someone as they darted in between the cars. It wasn’t Spike that he did know for one thing Spike didn’t have long blond hair.
 
“Humph.” He mused and then walked off in that direction.
 
Less then a few minutes later he heard a familiar giggle – Lita’s giggle - followed by a few mumbled words and then followed still by more giggling.
 
Doing a totally non-Hunter thing he crouched down as much as he could behind a car and peeked around the side.
 
It was Lita alright. Giggling and nattering away like no tomorrow. Thing was she was giggling and nattering away to herself! A trait he was prone to do when Spike pestered him, although his giggling and nattering would be more scowling and swearing.
 
Was she having a conversation with his spook or did she have one of her own? Was that why he was so ‘aware’ of her… because they had ‘Spike’ in common?
 
She was talking again now and he stopped his train of though to listen, hell he even stopped breathing.
 
‘I don’t know if I can trust him.’
 
Pause.
 
‘He’s done it before.’
 
Another pause.
 
“Don’t worry, I said I would help and I will.’
 
And then he heard what he was waiting to hear.
 
‘Spike.’
 
“Spike?”
 
She jumped. He knew she would, but he didn’t expect her to turn an understanding gaze his way. He expected anger, shock maybe even a little fear, but not understanding. He felt almost as if she had known he was there, had been expecting him all this time.
 
“We have to go.”
 
Was she talking to him now?
 
She opened the passenger door to her rental car and motioned for him to get in.
 
Damn! She was talking to him.
 
“Why?”
 
That one word from him sounded stupid in his head but his body was already acting on her command.
 
“So they can be together.” She replied once she was seated in the driver’s seat.
 
The thought to ask ‘What about us?’ passed through his mind and the need to ask was there as well, but he kept his lips firmly pressed together.
 
The screech of tyres on asphalt is what he heard next as they sped out of the car park, both oblivious to the fact that the camera that Hunter first saw Lita in the car park from was still rolling.
 
**
 
Part Seventeen
 
**
 
“Look who’s the new champ yeah, look who’s the new champ yeah!” Ric’s look as he burst backstage was euphoric. “Look who’s the new champ yeah, look who’s the new champ yeah!”
 
“Anyone would think he won that title all on his own,” Randy chuckled sidling up to Dave. “I mean where is the love? I didn’t even hear a thank you.”
 
The bigger man continued to watch as Ric continued to prance around hugging everyone who had the misfortune to be in his path.
 
“I doubt you’d be getting that thank you little man,” he replied smoothly.
 
“Who you calling little?”
 
Dave chuckled and slapped Randy on the back. “Would you prefer ‘teeny’ man?” He suggested instead and laughed out right when Randy’s bottom lip jutted out. “I’m only teasing,” He consoled the younger man as they now made there way after Ric who had stopped at the end of the hallway to wait for them.
 
“Just get what you need boys and we’re out of here,” he began when Dave and Randy were near enough. “We got a lot of celebrating to do.”
 
He started down the hallway again only to retract his steps when Randy asked, “What about Hunter?”
 
Ric’s eyes were sparkling as he turned to face them again and he simply stated, “What about him? I’m the boss now kid.”
 
**
 
“Where are we going?”
 
In the two hours they had been on the road that was the first either of them had spoken. Lita turned her head to look across at Hunter and shrugged. “I have no idea.”
 
His brow furrowed in the dark interior of the car, she couldn’t see it, but she knew it had, just like she knew they’d know where they were going when they got to it.
 
“I’m just kinda following orders you know?” She continued.
 
“Spike’s orders?”
 
She grinned then and replied. “No, Buffy’s.”
 
“What’s a Buffy?”
 
Her grin became a chuckle. An infectious chuckle he thought feeling the corners of his mouth curl. They enjoyed the few minutes of amusement his comment had brought although he still didn’t know what a Buffy was and all too soon for his liking her face sobered and she brought the car to a stop.
 
“Do you feel it?” She asked her chin nearly touching the steering wheel as she leaned forward to peer out into the darkness a head of them.
 
“Yes,” Hunter replied almost immediately. They had stopped a few metres away from a road sign, its message illuminated like a neon sign in the light there cars headlights gave off.
 
“Welcome to Sunnydale.” Lita read aloud.
 
“I know this place,” Hunter said his hand groping for the door handle.
 
“Where are you going?” She asked when he succeeded in opening the door and stepped out.
 
“This is where it all began,” Hunter replied in way of an answer. He didn’t hear Lita get out of the car, only knew that in the minutes that followed she had joined him where he stood. “This is where it all began.”
 
She smiled then finally understanding. “They met here,”
 
“Yes,” Hunter smiled too. “And fell in love here.”
 
“It only seems right does it not that it would end here.”
 
End, Hunter mused. Was it really? After all the wise cracks, the taunting, the lack of privacy and – Damn! – The friendship Spike had brought – And lets face it in all this time Spike had been more of a friend to him then his own buddies in Evolution – was it all over now?
 
“Look,” Lita’s voice broke into his thoughts and it was with misty eyes that he turned to see the couple standing on the other side of the road sign. The two shone, there faces radiant against the back drop of the darkness that shrouded them. And they smiled.
 
“So that’s a Buffy?” Hunter said slanting his eyes to catch Lita’s reaction when he added, “Where can I get one of those?”
 
Lita bit the inside of her lip to keep the amusement his words had brought from her expression and arched a brow. “And that’s Spike,” She said making a show of letting her eyes rove over the blond spook. “My… oh my…”
 
She wanted to laugh now. She could hear Buffy’s laughter in her head even though the other woman’s face remained neutral. Lita turned to face Hunter then and as soon as her eyes met his expression she gave in to the laughter. His glower enough to tell her that her reaction was not been what he had been after.
 
‘She’s got you there.’
 
“Shut up.” Hunter snapped.
 
“Excuse me?”
 
It took a moment to realise that Spike had only spoken in his head and that made him glower more. “Nothing,” He mumbled pissed off now that Spike could still infuriate and embarrass him at the same time. Bring on the end, he inwardly cursed.
 
‘Oh you know you don’t mean that,’ Came another voice and his head shot up, his eyes locking on the petite blonde at Spike’s side.
 
“You heard me?” He asked.
 
Buffy offered him a smile in response.
 
“Then this really is the end?” Hunter continued.
 
“No.” She replied to them both this time. Hunter felt the warmth that was Lita’s hand as her fingers interlocked with his.
 
“You chose well Hunter,” Spike said a look of respect in his eyes as he faced the other man and Hunter realised that, that was the first time Spike had ever called him by his name.
 
“Chose?” He said not understanding the meaning of Spike’s words.
 
“You showed that you cared about something other then the gold.”
 
Hunter’s eyes darted to Lita and then just as quickly darted back to Spike when he saw her watching him. A look of dawning came over him.
 
“The dark shadow I saw descending on Lita in the car park… that was you?”
 
“Actually that was me,” Buffy answered. “Of course I only appeared to be a dark shadow to you, to Lita I was my now normal, as you can see glowy self.”
 
“But in the locker room, I wasn’t the only one to see…” Hunter sighed and actually chuckled. “I was the only one to see wasn’t I?”
 
Buffy grinned.
 
“There will be of course footage of you and Lita leaving the arena together, we couldn’t stop that, but when you think about it, it’s going to kinda work in your favour anyway.”
 
“What do you mean?” Lita asked this time.
 
“You will see,” Buffy smiled.
 
And it was like as one they watched as the two images before them started to disappear. ‘Thank you’ they both seemed to say and then they were gone.
 
**
 
Epilogue
 
**
 
“…here is your winner and new World Heavy Weight Champion – Triple H!”
 
Bruised and a lot sore Hunter held the heavy weight gold above his head, the crowd’s roar of approval bringing a smile to his face, but all that dimmed when he met Lita’s eyes where she stood outside the ring next to Stacy.
 
Both Dave and Randy had been drafted to Smack Down so it was a lonely Ric Flair who had come out to face him and now his once good friend crawled to the edge of the ring on his belly where he finally got some aid from the referee.
 
Buffy had been right. The footage of him and Lita leaving the arena together had given him the break needed to keep Lita at his side not only as his valet but also as something more. Crooking his finger he bade her enter and the crowds roar only got louder when she complied.
 
“You did it,” She said when she was close enough for him to hear.
 
He shook his head smiling down at her. “No,” He replied reaching forth to firmly take hold of her hand in his before lifting it up to his lips for all to see. “We did it.”
 
**
 
End
 
**
 
 
 
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