Part 5:

Sabrina was doing her best to clean up when her front door buzzed. Linda was here already. She looked around at her mess of books and shrugged. She couldn't do anything about it now.
"Hi Boss," she said with a smile, opening her front door.
"If you keep on calling me that," said Linda, "I'm going to turn around and go home."
"Sorry, sorry. Linda. Come on in, welcome to my humble abode."
As Linda walked into Sabrina's condo, she felt immediately comfortable. It was incredibly cozy and comfortable and it fit the young woman's personality perfectly. The walls were of a warm, pale beige and the furniture was a match for it, in muted beiges and browns.
"This is a nice place," said Linda as Sabrina led her up the stairs to her living room.
"I'm trying to turn it into a home."
"You're off to a good start."
"Not quite. You just saw the entrance. The rest is still a mess."
As if to prove her words, Sabrina led Linda into the living room where books were strewn all over the place. There were empty pizza boxes and Chinese food containers all over the floor along with soda bottles.
"I'm a bad housekeeper," said Sabrina with a grin.
"You're a young woman. If this place has been spotless, I would have had to worry about your sanity."
"Funny. Have a seat… somewhere."
"There's no place for me to sit down."
"Here," said Sabrina, shoving a bright red afghan to the side to reveal a couch, "sit."
"This reminds me of Steph's bedroom when she was a teenager."
"Was it this messy?"
"Magazines and clothes all over the place. And no amount of threatening could get her to clean it up."
"Perfectly understandable. I remember my teenage years. You never know exactly what to wear for every occasion. Very critical moments."
"I suppose," whispered Linda thoughtfully. "So, what can I do to help?"
"You really want to help?" asked a disbelieving Sabrina.
"Of course, that's why I came here, isn't it?"
"All right, let's get you started on that box of books."
Linda and Sabrina worked side by side for an hour, talking mostly about Sabrina's wild array of books.
"And you read them all?"
"Absolutely. And some I've read two or three times."
"Wow! You must never get bored."
"I do, sometimes. But reading was the best way of ignoring my older brother and his friends."
"Any other siblings besides your brother?"
"Nope. Just me and Nick."
"What was the age difference between you and your brother?"
"Three years. But he was cool. Taught me how to fight and shit. He was a good brother I suppose."
"Are the two of you still close?"
"More than we used to be. After he got married, we kind of drifted apart. But then his wife died and I helped him out a lot. Specially with the kids."
"You're an auntie?"
"Yep. To the most adorable pair of twin boys ever, Jason and Mark."
"If you don't mind my asking, how did their mother die?"
"Drunk driver," said Sabrina, sinking down to the ground, a pair of books in her hands. "Nick was heartbroken. They were high school sweethearts you know."
"Oh my God," whispered Linda, her hand going to her mouth.
"I miss her too. Sofia was incredible. The boys look like her a lot."
"And all of your family's still in Canada?"
"Yep. In Ottawa."
"What do your parents do?"
"My mom's a therapist and my dad's a high school history teacher."
"Is this your first time away from home?"
"No. I moved out when I was… 20. Moved to Toronto for that writing job you asked me about during my interview."
"I see. So independent," said Linda with a smile. "I wish Shane and Stephanie had done something like that. It would have done wonders for them."
"I don't know," said Sabrina, putting books on a shelf. "No matter what, they'd always know they'd have a job at Titan. And that you'd always welcome them with open arms."
"True."
"See, when I moved out, my parents told me that they'd always be there for me. But I knew that I had to do this on my own, no matter what. I wanted to prove to them that no matter how bad it was, I could be independent."
"And did you prove it? That you were independent?"
"Well, I lived off peanut butter and bologna for a year but yeah, I did it," said Sabrina with a smile. "See all these books," she said, pointing to the shelves loaded with romance novels, "I bought at least three books every paycheck. It was less expensive than having a TV or going to the movies."
"No," chuckled Linda, "Shane and Steph love their creature comforts too much to try living like that."
"But it was hard though. You don't know how many nights I went to bed crying and damning myself. For the first month, I was fine, enjoying my freedom, but then, I was so homesick, I lost ten pounds in two months."
"Really? Your mother must have had a fit when she saw you."
"My dad did. My mom just sat me down and fed me until my belly was full. That time, they sent me back to Toronto with three boxes full of food."
"Ha ha ha!"
Sabrina looked at Linda as she laughed and was surprised. She wondered when her family had last seen her laugh. Damn them, she thought. How could they not see how she was hurting because of them? She wanted to break their heads for being so damn insensitive.
"Sabrina! Whoo hoo, earth to Sabrina," said Linda, waving her hand in front of her assistant's face.
"I'm sorry. I was lost in thought."
"Didn't seem like good thoughts," said Linda, glancing at Sabrina's tightly clenched lips.
"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Sometimes, I start thinking and I forget everything. Now, about some pizza?"

Part 6:

It was one o'clock in the morning when Linda finally made it back to her house. Stephanie was probably up in her room, getting ready for bed. She opened her bedroom door and was shocked to see Vince ready for bed, reading the paper, sitting in a leather armchair by the fireplace. Usually, at this time, he was either in his office, working or in bed, sleeping.
"Linda," he said, putting the paper down in his lap.
"Good evening Vince."
"Might I ask where you were tonight?"
"Out."
"Yes, I know you were out. But the question is out where and with whom?"
"Why?"
"Because Linda, you walked out on your guests and family without a word."
"None of you needed me there."
"Of course you were needed," said Vince, getting up and going to stand in front of his wife, "you're the CEO of this company."
"The CEO," Linda scoffed, "is that all I am to you? The CEO of your precious company?"
"Of course not, you're the mother of my children. Linda, what is this about?"
"What else Vince? What else am I to you?"
"Where is this coming from? Why are you acting so irrationally?"
With tears in her eyes, Linda turned away from her husband and walked to her dressing room. "I think for tonight, you and I should sleep in separate bedrooms," she said softly.
"What? Why?"
"Because I don't think I can lie in a bed next to you tonight and not hurt you." Linda closed the dressing room door behind her and left Vince standing in the middle of their bedroom, completely dazed and confused.


THE NEXT MORNING

By the time Sabrina got into work at seven thirty that morning, Linda was already there, pouring over reports.
"We're in early," said Sabrina with a bright smile.
"The early bird gets the worm. Sabrina, we're going to have to speed things up in regards to my plan."
"Okay," said the young woman, "what do you need me to do?"
"Focus on your special project. Your deadline's been moved up from two weeks from today to as soon as possible."
"All right."
"I've already gotten in touch with Andrew. He knows what to do and what to expect."
"All right, I'll get started on that right away."
"Thank you."
"Uh Linda," asked Sabrina before walking out of the office, "are you all right?"
"Why do you ask?"
"There are circles under your eyes and you look like you cried yourself to sleep."
"I didn't sleep. Now, get to work."

LATER THE SAME DAY

"What the hell is this about, Linda?" asked Vince coming into his wife's office, waving a piece of paper around.
Linda looked up from her computer screen at her husband and sighed. "What exactly are you talking about Vince?"
"This time you booked on RAW. What is that about?"
"It's a shoot interview. You'll see soon enough."
"Tell me now!" he growled.
"No! For once, I'm calling the shots. You surprised me with Stephanie's defection to DX, well, I'm surprising you now!"
"Is this revenge Linda? Is that what this is all about?" he asked softly, "do you want to pay me back for not abiding to your wishes about Stephanie's story line?"
"In a way, yes. But that's not all of it."
"What's the rest of it?"
"You'll find out soon enough, Vince."
"Fine, Linda. We'll do your shoot interview. Send me the details I need and I'll abide by your wishes."
"That's all I need from you Vince. Abide by my wishes. For once."

Part 7:

RAW

"Ladies and gentlemen," said J.R. "for those of you just joining us, the McMahon-Helmsley era is at it again, this time pitting the Hardyz in a handicap match against T&A and Val Venis, punishing them for their intervention during T&A's match against the Acolytes."
"Yeah but J.R., what business was it of Jeff and Matt's to disrupt a perfectly good match against the Acolytes?"
"Considering the fact that Trish Stratus distracted the referee during the Hardyz match against the Road Dogg and X-Pac on SMACKDOWN, I think Matt and Jeff had plenty of reason to want retribution."
"Anyhow, those pretty boys are going to get their clocks cleaned and I can't wait to see it."
"King, why don't you shut up so we can have a look at the instructions Stephanie gave T&A for that match?"

IN A DRESSING ROOM, SOMEWHERE IN THE ARENA

"All right Trish," Steph was saying, "you and your boys have done right by us and that's why you guys are getting your shot at the Hardyz tonight. I'm tired of those two pretty boys getting all the praise anyway so why don't you show them how it's done?"
"Not a problem, Stephanie. My boys can handle those Hardyz in their sleep."
"Good. Because if they can't, we might have to start looking elsewhere for help."
Test rolled his eyes and scoffed at Stephanie and Trish. Both women turned on him, their eyes narrowing.
"Anything you want to add?" asked Steph.
"Don't worry about him," said Trish, "I'll take care of him."
"Fine, because I have enough trouble with Jericho calling me a slut. If Test is going to start calling me names too, I might have to start looking elsewhere for…"
"Excuse me, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley," said Sabrina, coming into the T&A dressing room.
"Yeah?"
"This is for you," said the young woman, handing her a white envelope.
"What is this?"
"An invitation from Linda McMahon."
"And who are you?"
"That'll be explained to you then," said Sabrina before walking out of the dressing room.

BACK AT RINGSIDE

"J.R. who the hell was that and what is this invitation she just gave Stephanie?"
"I don't know King. It's the first time we've seen her on WWF TV."
"Tell me about it. But the question remains, who the hell is she?"

THE DX DRESSING ROOM

"What is this invitation about Steph?" Vince asked his daughter.
"I don't know Daddy. All it says is that I have to be at ringside at 10.50 PM for Mom's announcement."
"What announcement?"
"I really don't know."
"Well, I don't like it," said Hunter. "The last time your mother made an announcement, she put Stone Cold in Rock's corner. I didn't like that and I don't want anything like that to happen again."
"We'll see. Anyhow Steph, we're not letting you go out there on your own."
"Excuse me," said Sabrina, coming into the DX dressing room without knocking, "Mr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon?"
"Yes. Who the hell are you?"
"You'll see later on tonight. In the meantime, I have an envelope for you."
"Another invitation?"
"Yes sir."
"Can you tell me what this is about?"
"I could, but I won't."
"Oh really?" asked Hunter, barring her way out of the dressing room. "I suggest you reconsider."
"Listen, I'm just a messenger," she said, sliding out of his way, "Mrs. McMahon just told me to deliver the envelopes."
"I don't like this," said HHH as Sabrina slammed the door shut, "I don't like it at all."

BACKSTAGE

Michael Cole was trying to interview a very excited Shane The Giant Killer McMahon when his interview was interrupted by Linda McMahon's messenger.
"Mr. McMahon, I'm sorry to interrupt your interview but I have something from u from Mrs. McMahon."
"What is it?"
"What is it with this family?" asked Sabrina. "Just open the damn envelope!"

10.50 - RINGSIDE

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just taken our last commercial break but we've still had no sign from Linda McMahon. Until now that is," said J.R. as the No Chance theme began.
But this time, it wasn't Shane or Vince's faces that appeared on the Titantron, but Linda's. And out she came, wearing a dark blue denim suit with white seams and a white top underneath. She made her way to the ring confidently and got a microphone from Lillian Garcia.
"All right Vince, Shane, Stephanie. I invited you to come out here, so please do so."
And out they came, Vince, Shane and Stephanie, with DX in tow.
"No, no, no, no," said Linda, "I invited Vince, Shane and Stephanie. HHH, if you want to stay, fine, do so. You're part of the family I suppose. But tell your DX flunkies to take a hike. Otherwise, I won't be making any announcements."
Hunter stepped forward, about to tell Linda off but Shane whispered a few calming words to him and he relented, sending Road Dogg, X-Pac and Tori backstage.
"Fine, I sent them away. What's your announcement?"
"Well, for the past six months, I've had to watch my family act like idiots. First off, there's you Stephanie. Every week, some WWF employee calls you a whore, a tramp, a slut, not to mention the millions of fans. And they have reason to. You don't wear bras, you dress like a hooker and what the hell have you been doing to your hair? You slapped your brother and me on national TV. Yes, you're the women's champion, but you didn't do that all by yourself, did you? Frankly, you've become a mother's worst nightmare."
Stephanie's mouth gaped wide open at her mother's frank words and she was without a response. Hunter wrapped a comforting arm around her, his eyes shooting daggers at Linda.
"And you Shane, the Giant Killer. You've gone from being an independent, intelligent young man, to being nothing more than your brother-in-law's flunky. Yes, you took on the Big Show, but without help from T&A, you would have been squashed like a bug, am I right? You jump around the ring, you call yourself Simba, but as a mother, I call you a dishonorable fool." Shane paled and stepped back as if he'd been struck. Never in his own life had his mother ever spoken to him like this.
"And you Vince. Oh you, my husband. Well, I saved the best for last. I've shared your life for too many years to count, yet, in the past couple of months, you've made me regret spending even five minutes with you. I should have known, from the moment you revealed yourself as the Greater Power, the only way for you was down. But I believed in you. No more Vince. As of now, I believe in me. After all, I am the CEO."
Vince was seething, his face red with fury. This was as shocking to him as it was to the fans. He didn't know that this is what Linda had planned.
"Shane, Stephanie, you never listened to my objections to your part in the WWF. You ignored me. Even when I stood right in front of you, you ignored me, your mother. So as of this moment, the both of you are now orphans. I am no longer your mother. You picked your father over me and now, I am picking myself over you. And in so doing, I have carefully handpicked a new pair of children. Vince, Shane and Stephanie are your children. You've molded them into being replicas of you and you should be proud of that. And I intend on being proud of my children."
Linda took a deep breath and smiled at her former family's confusion. This was going better than she'd planned.
"My children are smart, intelligent and independent. And I think the time has come for me to introduce them to you. The first one you all know. And Stephanie, had you not gotten so drunk at your wedding shower, you would have made him my son. I now introduce you to my new son, Andrew McMahon."
And out of the crowd, Andrew appeared, wearing a dark blue denim suit very much like his mother's. He climbed over the railing separating the crowd from the ring and joined his mother, a big smile on his face. He hugged her and gently pecked her cheek. Then he turned to his former fiancée, a huge smile on his face.
Holding on to her new son's hand, Linda continued, "Now, I also had to find a replacement for my daughter. I needed someone with a sense of loyalty, intelligence, grace, and most of all, style," she added, eyeing Stephanie's leopard skin dress, "so daughter, come on out. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Sabrina McMahon."
And Sabrina appeared, carefully making her way to the ring from the crowd. She too, was wearing the new McMahon family uniform of dark blue denim. Once she was on the apron, her new brother, Andrew, held down the ropes for her to join her new mother. Sabrina hugged Linda and pecked her cheek, just like Andrew had done. "So Vince, you have your children. Now, Andrew and Sabrina, they're my children."

Part 8:

There was a long moment of silence in the arena after Linda's words. Then the fans reacted so loudly the arena shook down from its foundation all the way up to the rafters.
"Excuse me," asked Vince once the crowd had quieted down, stepping down the ramp, waving off Shane and Stephanie, "but what did you just say?"
"I introduced you to my children Vince. They're not yours. They're mine."
"So you're turning your back on Shane and Stephanie, is that what you're saying?"
"I knew you'd get it. Eventually."
"What kind of mother do you think that makes you?"
"A mother who's finally making choices and who's not letting you rule her life anymore. So, no matter what you say, no matter how much you scream about it, they're my kids and they'll step into my shoes once I retire from the WWF."
Shane looked like his head was about to explode as he ran to the ring. Andrew immediately stepped in front of Linda, taking her microphone.
"Yo Shane-O, before you come any closer, why don't you tell me what you want with my mother?"
At Andrew's words, Shane stumbled back as if he'd been struck.
"Mom," he whispered, "please, you don't know what you're saying, what you're doing. Please, reconsider…"
"I'm Mrs. McMahon to you," said Linda, her eyes unwavering, "you'd do well to remember that."
"This is all your fault," he then exploded, looking past Andrew at Sabrina, "you put this idea in her head, didn't you?"
"Me?" said Sabrina, "oh no Shane. You underestimate my mother. This idea was all hers. When she came to me, how could I turn down such a prestigious offer, to be the daughter of Linda McMahon? Oh no…"
"I'm Linda McMahon's daughter," screeched Stephanie, shaking her husband's arms from around her shoulder, "her only daughter…"
"Not anymore, you're not," said Linda, "haven't you been paying attention?"
"Mom, you can't do this to me. Granted, I haven't treated you very nicely in the past couple of months. I'm sorry about that. But we can make things better. I promise."
"Oh well, since you promise, I guess I can rethink my decision… all right, done. Stephanie, Vince is your father. Sabrina is my daughter and there's not a damn thing you can do about that."
"Oh you're such a bitch Linda!" Hunter hissed.
"Hey," said Sabrina, grabbing the microphone, "watch your mouth. This is my mother you're talking to."
"Oh hell," said Hunter. "If this isn't the most dysfunctional family on TV today. And I married into it."
"Shut your mouth Hunter," said Andrew, "you're here only because my mother allowed you to be here. She never said you were allowed to speak."
"Listen, you big blond idiot, just because you were too dumb to get your fiancée married out from under you, it doesn't mean you can tell me what to do."
"Actually it does," said Linda. "As of now, you might as well consider every word that comes out of Andrew's mouth, and Sabrina's for that matter, as law. I gave them the full powers of WWF CEOs. Not only are they my new children, they're also extensions of my power."
"I am not going to stand for this Linda," said Vince, climbing up to the ring's apron.
"Fine then," said Linda coming to stand in front of him, "lie down for it!" Linda planted her hands in her husband's chest and gave him a hefty push. He fell back on the black mats surrounding the ring and as Shane and Hunter rushed the ring going after Andrew, Sabrina ushered her mother from the ring and led her into the crowd. Then, she slid back into the ring and tapped Shane on the shoulder. When he turned around, he was struck in the face by the heel of her foot. He went down fast and Sabrina was about to deliver another blow, this time to Hunter when Stephanie dug her hands in Sabrina's hair.
The undeniable smile that crossed Sabrina's face was a clearly dangerous one, especially when she jerked her hair out of Steph's grasp. She turned around and backhanded Vince's daughter so hard that the brunette fell on her ass, landing hard.
In the meantime, Andrew had gotten out of Hunter's sleeper hold and delivered his pump handle slam. He was about to choke slam Shane when the rest of DX came running down the ramp.
"Come on," said Sabrina, tugging on his hand, "we have to catch up with Mom."
"OK, lead the way."
Andrew and Sabrina slid out of the ring and made their way through the crowd, much like Linda had done. As they ran in front of Shane, Hunter and Road Dogg, they threw garbage cans in their way until they came to the docking area where Linda was waiting for them in a red SUV.
"Come on, come on," she yelled at them, "get in, quick!"
Andrew leapt into the backseat and Sabrina caught the front passenger door as Linda started driving away.
Shane, Hunter and Road Dogg only saw the back of the red SUV as it sped away from the arena.
"God damn it!" swore Shane. "God damn it all!"

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