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Together
    - Khylara

I was sitting backstage in the small room that had been designated
for the commentators, alternating between watching the monitor and
taking notes when I heard a soft knock.  I looked up, my eyes
widening when I saw who it was.  "Hi."

"Hey."  Peter stood in the doorway, still in his ring gear, an
uncertain look on his face.  "You mind if I watch the rest of the
show in here? I'm not exactly welcome in either locker room."

That was an understatement.  The WWF side still didn't trust him; he
was still considered a part of the Alliance in spite of the past few
weeks because he hadn't said one way or the other. And the Alliance
was ready to give him another beatdown for attacking Heyman on
Smackdown.  "Sure," I said, moving over to make room for him on the
couch.  "I saw your run-in.  How come?"

He shrugged.  "Payback, mostly.  And I wanted to see if I could
rattle Paulie."  A small feral smile crossed his face.  "Did a pretty
good job, I think."

"You certainly did.  He's still blithering."  I couldn't help smiling
as well.  Seeing that loudmouth jackass reduced to a gibbering
hysteric was very satisfying. "You looked good."

"Thanks.  Thought I actually had a chance of winning before I went
sailing over."  He shrugged.  "It was worth a shot. I ain't got
nothin' to lose."  At my confused look he explained.  "I talked to
McMahon.  It all depends on if the WWF wins tonight, but he said I
could come back."  He paused.  "I'd be doing Heat and Smackdown
mostly.  Wrestling house shows in between.  He said something about
me doing a tag team, but he wasn't sure with who yet."

I nodded approvingly.  "That'd be good for you.  You haven't done a
lot of tag work here."  I paused, putting my pad and pen down on the
coffee table in front of us.  "And I'm glad about Smackdown and
Heat.  It wouldn't feel right doing them without you."

"This whole mess hasn't felt right from the get go. I don't know what
the fuck I was thinking."  He let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand
over his face.  "But it's almost over."

"Thank God," I murmured in complete agreement.  For better or worse,
it would all end tonight.

We were both silent for a moment, our eyes on the monitor, watching
both teams enter the ring.  Then Peter said quietly, "I've missed
you, babe."

Reaching over, I took his hand and twined out fingers together.  God,
it felt good to touch him again like this after so long.  We had
purposely avoided eachother so as not to bring down the Alliance's
wrath on our heads.  "I've missed you, too," I whispered.  "Working
with you...but not being with you..."  I didn't finish; I literally
could not describe how bad it had been.

Peter nodded in complete undertanding. "I know, babe.  It's been a
bitch for me, too."  A weak smile suddenly crossed his face.  "I've
even missed hearing you snore."

My eyes stung with unshed tears.  "And I never thought I'd miss your
cold feet," I said, trying to smile as well.  "but I do."

We both turned our attention back to the monitor, watching the match
unfold in front of us.  "Have you heard anything?" Peter asked after
awhile. "Did they say...you know...how it was supposed to end?"

I shook my head, my heart aching at the uncertainty I heard in
Peter's voice.  I wished I could reassure him, but I couldn't.  "No
one knows for sure.  McMahon hasn't said."  I shook my head.  "For
all I know, he could've left it up to chance."

He snorted.  "Don't bet on it.  Knowing Vinnie Mac, he's got it all
planned out with an ace up his sleeve and everything.  You watch."
He paused.  "I just wish it was a sure thing.  You know?"

I squeezed his fingers. "I know."

We continued to watch, and sure enough, Peter was right.  My eyes
widened as Angle ran in and brained Austin with his Championship
belt. "I'll be damned," I murmured.  "I thought for sure..."

"That it was Austin? So did everyone else," Peter commented.  He
didn't look suprised.  "But on Thursday when I went backstage I saw
Kurt go into McMahon's office."  He wrinkled his nose.  "Three
guesses as to what they were doing."

"I don't have to."  The fact that Kurt Angle was McMahon's latest
boytoy was common knowledge backstage. "I thought that all ended when
Kurt went over, though."

"So did I, but I guess not."  A disgusted look crossed Peter's
face.  "You know Angle.  Whatever it takes to save his own ass."

I was about to agree with him when I heard JR yell about the cover.
We turned back to the monitor just in time to see the referee slap
down 1 2 3 as the Rock pinned Austin.

The two of us stared in silence as everyone else - fans and wrestlers
alike - went crazy.  Peter let out a long, heavy sigh and visibly
relaxed.  "Over," he breathed.  "It's about fucking time."

"Yeah." A great weight was lifted from my own shoulders as I watched
the Rock play to the crowd.  Safe.  Peter and I were finally safe now
that the Alliance was no more.  No more humiliating beatdowns for
him, no more looking over my shoulder scared of my own shadow for me,
no more staying apart for safety's sake for either of us.  Things
could finally go back to normal.

I turned to Peter and was suprised to see him staring at me
uncertainly, biting his lip, as if he was trying to get up the nerve
to tell me something.  "Peter?  What is it?"

He moved closer, one hand going to his pocket.  "Here.  Give me your
other pocket.  "Here.  Give me your other hand." Puzzled, I obeyed
and he held them both for a moment, his large fingers caressing my
slender ones. "Mikey...baby, I love you."

I couldn't help smiling; Peter's usually not so demonstative and I
hadn't heard those three little words in a long time.  "I love you,
too."  I felt him slip something onto my finger and when I looked
down to see what it was my heart nearly stopped from the shock.

That something was a wedding ring.

I met his eyes, my own filling with tears.  "Peter..."  There was so
much I wanted to say, but all of a sudden my throat closed up on me
and I couldn't get the words out.

He reached up, brushing a finger along my cheek.  "Will you?" He
asked softly.  "You don't have to answer now...but think about it?"
He ducked his head.  "I know after everything...all the crap I put
you through...I have no right to ask..."

I couldn't stand it anymore.  Reaching out, I lifted his head up,
making him meet my eyes.  "If you don't, then no one does,"  I said,
shaking my head.  "Because no one else makes me feel the way you do.
You're the only one who makes me happy.  Don't you see?"

He didn't.  I could tell just by looking into those beautiful dark
eyes of his. He was still uncertain, still afraid.  Only one thing
would make that fear go away.  "Peter...yes."

"You sure?"  He pressed, even though I heard the faintest hint of
hope in his voice.  "I mean...I'm no prize.  You could do better..."

"Better than someone who loves me?  Better than someone I've loved
from the first moment I saw him?"  I shook my head again; I hated it
when he put himself down.  "Don't talk like that."  I cupped his face
in my hands.  "I love you.  You are everything I could ever want.
Everything I could ever need."  I was beginning to sound like a bad
country song, but I didn't care.  Anything to convince him.  "With
all my heart...yes."

What I said must've finally sunk in, because his face lit up with the
most beautiful smile I had ever seen.  His hands moved on top of mine
and without another word he drew me into a long, loving kiss.

As our lips met I thought briefly about the small velvet box that's
been in my travel bag forever.  I had never found the right moment -
or the courage - to give Peter what was in it.  But now...after
this...

/Smackdown,/ I decided as I wrapped my arms around his neck.  /I'll
give it to him on Smackdown.  Before the cameras roll./ The kiss
deepened as Peter tightened his hold on me and all at once I forgot
everything.  Everything except the man in my arms and that single
perfect heart-soaring kiss.

An interruption was inevitable.  There wasn't even a knock warning
us; Coach burst in, grinning from ear to ear.  "Mike! Did you see
it?  We...Whoa!"  He stopped dead.  "Uh...sorry, guys.  I didn't
mean...Oh, hell."

I couldn't help grinning at Coach's obvious discomfort. "Everybody
celebrating?" I asked, keeping my arms around Peter when he tried to
pull away.

"Yeah."  He glanced around the room, the monitor, everywhere but at
us.  "They're breaking out the champagne now.  Some of the guys were
asking where you were; thought you'd want to join the party.
Especially after everything you went through."

"You go on, babe," Peter said quietly.  "I'll wait here."

I frowned; there was no way we were starting that. "Peter's coming
with me," I said by way of a warning.  "And we're not staying long."

Coach shrugged.  "Figured that," he admitted, indicating our embrace
with a wave of his hand.  "And I don't think there's gonna be a
problem, Tazz.  Especially after you choked Heyman out on Smackdown."

I nodded, for the moment satisfied.  "We'll be there in a little
bit."  Coach took the hint and left, closing the door behind him.

Peter turned back to me.  "You didn't have to do that," he said.  "I
could've waited here."

"No." I shook my head firmly.  "I'm not hiding this any longer.
Everybody's just going to have to get used to seeing us together."  I
paused.  "If you're okay with that?"

He smiled, banishing my doubts. "Yeah.  I'm okay with that.
especially since we won't be staying long."  He nuzzled my
neck.  "'Cause I've got other plans for you, babe."

I shivered with long-suppressed desire.  We hadn't made love in
months and all of a sudden I didn't want to wait a moment
longer.  "On  second thought, let's get the hell out of here."  I
pulled Peter to his feet. "I'd much rather see what your plans are
for me."

Peter grinned.  "I was kinda hoping you'd say that."

We kissed long and hard, a promise of things to come before
reluctantly drawing away.  Leaving the commentator's room, we
silently joined hands as we made our way down the arena hallway.
Together.