"Damnit look at this! You're barely even back yet and people are already on your case! I don't get it! Why can't these people give you a BREAK!"

Scott turned and looked at his young lover and smiled. "Baby, I told you this would happen and not to get worked up about it. It just comes along with part of being Scott Hall."

"But It Isn't RIGHT!" The young man screeched. "They aren't even giving you a chance! All of this stuff is BULLSHIT!"

"Might I remind you that I AM coming back as a bad guy… uh excuse the pun," Scott said smiling.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" The young one yelled. "They aren't talking about your character they are talking about YOU and that isn't RIGHT!! They don't KNOW YOU!"

"Baby come here," Scott said sighing as he put down his book. Reluctantly the young man got up from behind the computer and walked over to his older lover and pouting he sat down on the familiar lap.

"You said when we talked about this earlier that you were cool. I warned you what happens when I'm on TV… people always look at my past first and me second. They can't stand to face the facts that I AM clean and I AM sober and frankly I AM one of the best in the business. They are frustrated because the ones THEY adore aren't on TV therefore they attack ME. I'm used to it… my past makes me an easy target. Why get worked up about it? I can't change it and since I'm suppose to be a heel they are only making me look better."

"I know that I'm clean and sober and you know that I'm clean and sober and Vince and the Kliq know that I'm clean and sober. If those that want to hate me feel the need to be narrow minded and nasty then let them… I don't NEED the entire world to like Scott Hall."

"If they had any brains they would," the young man sighed rubbing his cheek against the fuzzy hair on Scott's chest. "I just hate seeing people being mean to you. Let them call me names I don't care, but calling you names isn't right."

"It hurts you," Scott sighed hating to see his young love upset like this. He and Kevin were used to it, but he had known that it was going to be hard on his new lover right from the start.

"Would you rather that I not have come back?" Scott asked quietly and seriously.

"NO NEVER!!" The other man yelled. "I've been waiting FOREVER for this! FINALLY we are going to BOTH be in the SAME place. No more waiting 'til 4 AM for phone calls. No more biting my tongue when people ask whom I'm dating. No more pretending. I NEED to be with you. Being separated from you all the time hurts more than this shit does now… it just ain't fair!"

"Tell me what I can do to make you feel better," Scott asked softly.

"Just be you," The dark haired young man replied… his accent thickened with emotion. "Swear that you are ok with how these people treat you. Swear that we will be together now and I won't have to lie and hide any more. Pretending on TV is one thing… but having to do it in my private life is another. Swear that we'll always be together."

Smiling Scott reached behind the pillow next to him and pulled out a flat box. "Then put this on… I doubt anyone will have to guess for long who it's from and know that as long as you wear this that I will love you Matt Hardy."

Breathlessly Matt took the jewelry box from Scott and opening it found a necklace inside. There was a long thick silver box chain with a large wolf head pendant attached. The eyes of the wolf were two tiny emeralds. "Oh Scotty," Matt gushed happily taking it out of the box.

"Turn the wolf's head over baby," Scott whispered.

On the back there was an inscription…

To My Carolina Boy who made this Wolf not Lone anymore… With all my Love Scotty.

"Oh Scotty," Matt sighed again as his eyes misted.

"I love you Matthew," Scott whispered and Matt turned in Scott's lap wrapping his arms tightly around Scott's neck.

"I love you too my Wolf," Matt whispered back the naysayers and criticism forgotten just as they should be.