*It was Hunter’s favourite time of year. He lived for this. The pressure, the attention, the spotlight. It was moments like these that made him who he was. Shawn may have earned the moniker “Mister Wrestlemania”, but the term could easily have been applied to either man as far as commitment to the annual extravaganze went. Hunter knew what the week entailed…constant press, autograph signings, meet and greets, interviews, photo shoots, TV spots, the Slammy awatds…and on top of that, the preparation for the match itself…late nights studying tapes of every opponent that lay ahead of you…hours in the gym, working off the weaknesses developed by maybe not eating as healthily as you should have, or watching movies with your other half when you should have been going for an evening run. Most people may have found the workload unbearable, but Hunter embraced it. Spending a week like this wasn’t a sacrifice to him…these days, Wrestlemania or not, Hunter was more fond of going for the run than engaging in social activity with the woman who he shared a house with. It was one of these evening runs he had just indulged in. He turned into the familiar street that led to his house, and slowed to a walk, not because he was tired, but because he was procrastinating. He had a treadmill in his home gym that he could have used…but he kept opting not to, and he knew why…he just hadn’t mustered the courage to face it yet. As he turned into his driveway and sipped some water, the house loomed over him, seeming threatening rather than homely in his eyes… and not for the first time. Hunter opened the door and stepped inside. Megan was in the living room... Reading a book, or sketching or something; he didn’t really pay attention. His five month old daughter Morgan looked up at the sound of the door opening. Her mother did not. Hunter walked into the living room towards the child’s play pen. He smiled genuinely as he bent down to pick her up.*

Megan Flair-Helmsley: How was your run?

*She still hadn’t looked at him. Either that was a really good book she was reading, or she was pissed. Hunter knew the question was designed as nothing more than to open the conversation, and would soon proceed to nagging, but he answered her as if there hadn’t been a hidden agenda behind her question.*

Triple H: It was good…it’s a nice evening. How was…whatever it is you’re doing.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Reading? Great. Really stimulating.

Triple H: I can tell…you’re too busy reading it to even look at me when we have a conversation. Just please do me a favor, and don’t bother.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Don’t bother with what? A conversation?

*She put the book down now.*

Triple H: You’ve been dying to lecture me all week long. I can see it in your eyes. I can hear the contempt in your voice when you ask me how the interview was or what time I’m meeting Shawn at the air port. So, do me a favor and just…don’t lecture me.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Why do you think of every conversation I have with you as a lecture?

Triple H: Because that’s what they usually are.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Well I think I have a right to lecture you sometimes. You know how I feel about the wrestling thing.

Triple H: I do. You’ve been complaining about it since the day we got married in fact you asked me to lose the world title so we could get married. And I really don’t get it…because you always knew what a big part of my life it is. I thought we’d talked about all of this last year.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: No, Hunter. I talked, and you didn’t listen. You said you were going to take it easy.

Triple H: I have been taking it easy. And you said you trusted my judgement.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Six way ladder matches for world title shots isn’t taking it easy.

Triple H: Jesus Christ, Meg… I could earn a world title match whenever I wanted. It’s not like I went and asked for this. I’m in the match because the booking committee wants to market it a certain way…the only four men in the company who have been around since Wrestlemania 1 are booked in it. That was the point.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Fine. Can you please not act like a scum bag in front of Morgan?

Triple H: Scumbag?? Do you have some kind of victim complex? I’m doing my job. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve quit or taken time off to make you feel better. I have a responsibility to the company I work for.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: And you have responsibility to your daughter.

Triple H: Are you worried about Morgan, or about yourself?

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Both.

Triple H: Okay look…I’m doing my best here.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Are you really?

Triple H: Yeah, I am. I kept myself out of title feuds. I jobbed out the tag title match and the Iron Man title match. I haven’t even been booked since I beat O’Haire for the Mania spot.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Exactly. You haven’t been booked yet you still haven’t been here. There’s always someone you need to go and talk to or something you have to do…which makes me think it isn’t even about wrestling any more. Is there someone specific you need to keep disappearing for?

Triple H: What are you saying?

Megan Flair-Helmsley: I’m saying something’s wrong here.

Triple H: I’m taking Morgan to bed.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Hunter don’t be a coward. We’ve been avoiding this situation for too long.

Triple H: I’m not avoiding anything. I’m taking my daughter to bed because what I have to say to you, I don’t want to say in front of her.

*He didn’t wait for her to respond. He was quickly losing his temper and he couldn’t afford to do it in front of his child. Hunter held the little girl in his arms and took her upstairs. The soft lilac tones of her bedroom were soothing to him. The child didn’t seem to know what was going on. What Hunter would give to be that oblivious to his environment. He stayed up stairs for a while, soothing her. It took him more than a few minutes to get her to fall asleep… once she was safely lost in a dreamland, he placed her softly in the cradle in the far corner of the room and put a blanket over her. He went back downstairs, not really wanting to, but knowing he had to. It was amazing how all the comfort of the baby’s bedroom disappeared as soon as he stepped through the door. The living room seemed much more hostile.*

Triple H: Okay…she’s asleep. Now what were you insinuating? There isn’t any way on earth you asked me if I was seeing someone else. You must be crazy.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Yeah I guess so. Why else would I still be here?

Triple H: Are you on crack? I’ve done almost every single thing you ever asked me to do and you’re still complaining! What am I supposed to just no-show Wrestlemania because you might feel neglected if I actually focus on my work?

Megan Flair-Helmsley: I can’t figure out which would be worse…you leaving me and Morgan for wrestling or for another woman.

Triple H: Stop it. You sound like a mental patient or something. Maybe Steve’s rubbing off on you. If you want to start insinuating about seeing other people it’s a two way street. You spend just as much time with him as I spend with Joanie.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: I never said a single thing about Joanie.

Triple H: You don’t have to…you’ve been acting like a jealous girlfriend ever since she came into DX, which is really shitty ‘cause she always says really good things about you, and I thought you liked her.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: I do like her, but I think I have a right to feel a little weird about you spending so much time with her.

Triple H: I spend more time with Shawn than I do with her, are you going to imply that I’ve been having a relationship with him on the side, too? *He sighed in an exasperated manner* Why are you doing this? I thought we’d came to some kind of common ground, and as soon as things get a little uncomfortable for you, you have to jerk the rug out from everything I’m doing. Why?

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Because Hunter…I’ve given you every single thing I have, but I need you to need me back! What’s so hard to understand about that?

Triple H: You don’t need me to need you…you need every day to be perfect. You need me to need nothing but you. And I can’t do that. I can’t. And if you’re going to keep making me feel guilty for that, then…

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Then what?

*He sighed and looked at the floor for a moment before looking back at her and answering*

Triple H: …Maybe you should go.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: You’re kicking me out of the house?!

Triple H: Just a suggestion. Maybe we need distance from each other…some space.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: I thought the problem was too much distance and space.

Triple H: The problem is you wanting me to do what you want all the fucking time. I’d stay here all the time, I’d call Bischoff right now and tell him I won’t make Wrestlemania and I’d take even more time off if I thought it would make things better…but it never works. I need wrestling in my life, and it seems like you want me not to have it. One of us has to compromise, and I’m sick of that person being me.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: You’re actually serious…aren’t you?

Triple H: Afraid so. I’m sorry, Meg…I really am. But you need to go. You could stay at David’s…it’s close, and he isn’t using it.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Yeah until he comes home for the Slammies and figures out what the hell is going on! And what about Morgan? You can’t jerk that little girl around.

Triple H: I have no intention of hurting our child…but come on, we’re jerking her around if we keep living this lie. You can pick her up in the morning and then later we’ll figure things out for the long term.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: “Later” as in after Wrestlemania.

Triple H: Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: I’ve waited for you to grow up, and get over your hang ups, and face whatever fear of responsibility you seem to have…but I guess I really must have been crazy to think you could ever love me enough to get over that sport…right?

Triple H: No, Megan…what’s really crazy is that I believed you every time you said you loved me enough to deal with the difficulties we both knew this relationship would bring with it.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: Is there somebody else? Really?

Triple H: No. There’s no-one. It’s just us. We didn’t need anyone else to screw this up. *He leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling, sighing deeply* …I’m not even that upset, Megan. What does that tell you? This isn’t working.

Megan Flair-Helmsley: And you couldn’t figure this out before we had a baby together?! Maybe one day when you explain this to her, then you’ll be upset.

*Hunter opened his mouth to respond, but he knew it was pointless, so he didn’t bother saying anything. The conversation, much like the relationship, was over. He stayed motionless as she walked through the living room door… and remained so as the minutes slowly passed while she was upstairs, packing whatever she needed. Hunter didn’t count the minutes, he just stayed inside his own head until she had gone. He knew it had to be killing her to leave the house without Morgan, but he meant what he had said…she could pick her up in the morning. He didn’t know what would happen after that. All he knew was that he was going to stay in his daughter’s life. He was going to make sure of that, no matter what. He wouldn’t let anyone take her away from him. He had seen the effect Ric’s career had had on his children’s lives, and he refused to let his daughter feel the same way about him that he knew Megan felt about Ric sometimes. Of course, it was highly likely that if Morgan grew up living with Megan, she’d have her head filled with anti-wrestling thoughts that would poison her against him. Of course, he had to be the bad guy in the situation…even when he was face, he was always a villain to one person or another, and hr wouldn’t let that person be his little girl. Hunter walked up the stairs and into her room. There must have been something in the lilac paint on the walls, because he felt much more at ease the second he walked into that room and saw her lying there, sleeping blissfully. He bent down, stroked the tiny amount of blonde hair she had, and kissed her forehead softly.*

Triple H: I’m still here, baby girl…I promise.