Hunter walked into the kitchen where Stephanie McMahon-Helmsly sat, drinking coffee. "Took you long enough to get up." Stephanie remarked.

Hunter looked down shyly. "Sorry, I was just thinking about....someone."

Stephanie got up to pour Hunter a cup of coffee, then handed Hunter the mug, and sat down on the couch, beckoning her husband to join her. "So, what's on your mind?"

"It's about Sean." Hunter admitted. "He's carrying around more guilt than humanly possible and it's making him impossible to live with."

Stephanie turned to look at him closer. "You ever think about...ways...to help him get rid of the guilt?"

Hunter shifted. "Actually I was...but I don't know what I could do."

Stephanie laughed. "You're his best friend. I'm sure you know what buttons to push."

"Better than anyone....I think I got it." Hunter paused for a minute. "You really think it's a good idea for me to do that to Sean?"

"Someone needs to. He's a total brat and someone's gotta do something about him."

Hunter got up. "You're right." He kissed Stephanie. "Thanks for the idea."
 

Hunter had managed to isolate Sean in his hotel room. They both sat on the bed, facing each other, in silence until he said "Sean, I couldn't help but notice there's something wrong."

Sean looked at Hunter in confusion. "No man, I'm fine, nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

"Because it looks to me that ever since you betrayed Kane, you've been carrying around this shitload of angst and guilt. It's making you hell to deal with."

Sean looked away. "Yeah, well I'm sorry. We were tight. Can't help thinking maybe it was a dumb move."

"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. There's nothing you can do to change it. You gotta learn to deal with it."

He laughed bitterly. "Yeah, fat chance of that happening."

"I think I know a way to help you. Help you deal with the guilt and help you get rid of that bad attitude of yours."

Sean looked up at Hunter, about to ask what he was talking about, but the question died on his lips when he met Hunter's eyes. "Hunter, I don't know what you're talking about, but whatever it is, I don't want any part of it."

Hunter got up and walked in front of Sean. He tried to move away but Hunter had too strong a grip. "The more you fuss, the harder this is gonna go" Hunter moved Sean over so he lie face-down on the bed.

"Please Hunter, please let me go...Hunter please don't do this..." Hunter used the handcuffs he brought to secure his hands to the bedposts. Sean let out a frightened sob when he heard the click. "Hunter, NO! I can't go through this again, please..."

Hunter ignored his cries. "You know why I'm doing this." He frowned at Sean's small sobs. "What's wrong, I haven't even touched you yet. Oh, that's right though, I don't need to, because tying you up is enough, right Sean? You hate it when you have no control over what someone does to you. This is just about killing you inside, isn't it?" He got no answer. "I don't like hurting you Sean, but this is what I have to do." He paused. "I know you're beating yourself up over what happened between you and Kane, so just think of this as paying for your mistakes."

From the next room there was a yell, and Hunter looked up. "Dammit, gotta go see what Stephanie wants. You stay here and be a good boy now, you hear me?"

He was gone for what seemed like hours to Sean's panicked mind. He tried to tell himself that this was different than what had happened when he was a kid, that Hunter wasn't the monster his father had been, that he would have to let him go at some point. Finally Hunter did come back. "So Sean, do you think you're learned your lesson?" He took the silence for a yes and uncuffed him. Sean scrambled for the other side of the bed, trying to put something between them. "Do you understand why I had to do this Sean?" Hunter asked.

"Fuck you." Sean whispered, shaking..

"You should really watch your mouth. That's the kind of attitude I was talking about, the one you need to lose."

Sean held the table beside him for support. "Get the hell away from me Hunter."

Hunter moved forward. "Don't talk to me that way or I swear I'll tie you up again."

Sean moved quickly out the door and down the hall, ducking instinctively into the most isolated room because....

Oh shit. Because that was where Kane always got his room and now the former partners stood face-to-face. "Kane...." Sean crumpled to the ground. "Go ahead, kick my ass, I don't care anymore."

He tensed, waiting for the attack, but instead heard the click of a lock. Looking up hesitantly, he saw Kane standing above him. "Door's locked, no one can get in. You want to tell me what's going on?" Kane's voice was raspy but got the message across.

Sean took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Hunter's gone psycho on me...he tied me up...shit, he was looking for the best way to hurt me and he found it." He lowered his head. "Guess I should tell you...when I was little, I was so scared of the dark...my dad thought the best way to take care of it was to lock me in the closet...he used to leave me there for hours....or he'd hit me or my mom and there was nothing I could do to stop it, he was so much bigger than me. Ever since, I hate losing control, I hate being powerless, I hate being left alone and scared....Hunter knew that and used it to....I don't even know what the hell he was doing, punishing me or something."

"Why should I believe you?" asked Kane.

"Believe....fuck it, I'm getting outta here, you aren't gonna trust me, you have no reason to." Sean tried to leave, but Kane blocked his path. Sean sighed and dropped back to the floor. "Why would I make this up Kane? Do you think I enjoy talking about getting hurt by people I trusted? Do you think I like looking this goddamn weak in front of you?" He wiped away tears he wasn't aware had fallen.

"Nothing weak about it." Kane knelt next to him. "It's not your fault."

Sean laughed, still fighting tears. "What is this, 'Good Will Hunting'? Oh yeah, you don't watch movies...you should see it though, it's pretty good."

"You're avoiding the subject."

"Yeah, I am. Since when do you care anyways?"

"Since always."

Sean stopped. "Oh come on, letting me hide here is enough, you don't gotta pretend to be concerned too."

"I'm not pretending Sean." Kane moved closer to the younger man. "Talk to me." He refused to let Sean get away with carrying this burden himself.

Sean swallowed, trying to keep down a sob. "Stop it Kane. I can't...I can't...." His voice dropped to a pained whisper. "Don't make me fall apart. I can't fall apart...not in front of you..."

"I won't think any less of you if you cry. Just let it go." He touched Sean's face lightly and that was enough to break the wall of self-control.

"I was so scared..." Sean sobbed. Kane leaned forward to gather him into his arms and met no resistance. "I was so scared and he didn't even care. And he told me it would make me feel better about leaving you, it would take the guilt away...but it didn't. I just felt worse." He abruptly pulled his face up from Kane's chest to look in his eyes. "Because you would never of hurt me like that, right?"

"No, never Sean."

Sean hid his face again in Kane's shirt. "Of course not. You cared...and I just threw that away." The sobs intensified.

Kane pulled him closer. "I forgive you Sean."

Sean choked. "Don't say that. Don't say that cuz I know you can't mean it..."

"I do mean it. I forgive you Sean." He rubbed soothing circles on Sean's back.

Gradually Sean stopped crying. He pulled back slightly, looking at the spot where his head had laid. "I'm sorry man...I got your shirt all wet."

Kane smiled at him. "It's ok, it'll dry." He handed Sean a box of tissues and Sean wiped his eyes and blew his nose. "Feel any better?" he asked.

Sean nodded. "I think so." He paused. "You really forgive me?"

"I really forgive you." Kane glanced at Sean's rapidly closing eyes. "You need to get some sleep."

"I don't wanna go back to my hotel room."

"And I wouldn't let you even if you did. You're staying here." Kane gently helped him up and tucked him into the bed. When Sean had fallen asleep, Kane slowly left the room and walked down the hall to Sean's hotel room.

The adjoining door opened as Hunter walked in, saying "Sean, when you run off, I just have to punish you more..." He stopped. "Oh hi Kane. Sean's not here, so..."

Kane wrapped his hand around Hunter's throat and shoved him against the wall. Each word was spaced out and forceful. "If you ever touch him again, I will send you straight to hell. Do you understand me?"

Hunter's eyes were bulging out of their sockets. "Loud and clear." Kane released him and he ran back into his hotel room.

Kane picked up Sean's bag and left the room, going back to his own. He stopped inside the door when he saw Sean sitting upright in the bed, shaking. "Sean?"

"Kane?" Sean continued to hug himself, whimpering with fear. "I thought you went away, I though you left me here..."

Kane moved swiftly to sit down next to Sean on the bed and hold him. "I'm sorry, I wanted to get your stuff from your room. I'd never leave you Sean."

Sean lay back down, curling into a ball. "Did you see Hunter? Is he really pissed?"

"Yes but don't worry. You're safe now."

"Safe's good. I like safe." He looked up at Kane. "Do you mind...I mean, would you...maybe stay here tonight?"

"It would take an act of God to remove me. One of the big ones. A tornado or something."

Sean laughed. "Didn't know you had a sense of humor."

Kane smiled behind his mask. "There's a lot of things about me you don't know." He slipped under the covers and Sean gratefully moved close so Kane could hold him. "Now will you sleep?" Kane asked in mock annoyance.

"I can't sleep. I want to talk."

"What about?"

"A lot of things, but mostly where you and I stand."

"We're friends, Sean. I though you knew that."

"I do, but...no one's ever treated me like you do. Like I'm special on my own, not because I'm Hunter's shadow. Like I'm worthy of respect, of...of love. Kane...I love you." There was silence for a long while, until Sean muttered. "Oh great, blew another one."

Kane let out a shaky breath. "No, no, it's just...no one has ever told me that before. I love you too Sean. Always have."

Sean swallowed. "Shit, don't you start crying or else it'll set me off and then where will we be?" He laughed tiredly. "I'm really getting sick of being this vulnerable." Kane stroked Sean's hair in silence until the younger man said "Is this the part where you become a wild stallion and impale me on your throbbing manhood?"

Kane couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe tomorrow, ok? Right now, you need your rest. The door's locked, Hunter's scared shitless of me, and I'm right here. You're safe. So sleep."

It was only then in the silence they heard the music coming from next door. "Pretty song." Kane whispered.

"Never figured you for a Disney fan." muttered Sean, half-asleep.

"Just listen to it."

I'll be your candle on the water
This flame inside of me will grow
Keep holding on, you'll make it
Here's my hand so take it
Look for me, reaching out to show
As sure as rivers flow
I'll never let you go

Kane looked down at Sean, who was sleeping peacefully, a smile lighting his face for the first time that night. Kane kissed his forehead gently, then closed his eyes. "I'll never let you go." he whispered, drifting off to sleep.