Everyone watch the pay per view? I love both Punk and Bryan even more after that.

This is my last chapter of this story. I was thinking of writing a sequel at some point dealing with all the personal stuff Jericho brought up in his feud with Punk if anyone's interested but this seemed like a good place to end this one.

Xxxxxxx

Chris was satisfied as he walked towards the parking lot after his match during the first house show of the week. He passed several people on his way but ignored them but was walking down a deserted hallway when he heard a door open behind him. He ignored that as well, and that turned out to be a mistake. In fact, he didn't even have time to think that it was a mistake when a sharp pain hit him and then his vision went completely dark.

Xxxxxxxx

It wasn't hard, Punk reflected idly, to be that guy. His gaze was focused on Chris as he waited patiently for the man to wake on his own. He wasn't sure where that patience came from but he felt in no hurry. He had Chris and this time things would work in his favor.

It was easy to think like that again, to be that guy again. The guy who had beaten Jeff Hardy until he could barely move before driving him out of the company. The guy who had tormented Rey Mysterio's family. The guy who had threatened Randy Orton's wife.

He grinned humorlessly when Chris finally began to wake up and stepped closer to the man. Arms crossed, he stared down at Chris and waited until the disorientation passed and Chris looked up at him and began fighting against the ropes that Punk had bound him to the chair he was sitting in.

"Hey, Chris. I think we need to talk." He bent forward, his smile only widening when Chris tried to speak through the gag. "Oh, sorry. That's right, you can't. So I guess you'll just have to listen while I talk."

The glare Chris shot him was full of hatred and Punk titled his head a little. He wanted to see fear in those blue eyes.

"I've been thinking about what to do about you for the past several days. But this…this is all very familiar, isn't it? We've been here before, haven't we?"

The memories of all the screwed up scenarios he and Chris had played out during their screwed up relationship had come back to him when he'd been debating on what he should do about Chris. His relationship with Chris had happened when he was at his darkest. When he'd been unstable and a little bit crazy.

"You deserve to be punished, don't you think? After everything you've done?"

Chris was still trying to yell at him through the gag and his glare still held nothing but hatred. Punk only shrugged, straightened and kicked the leg of the chair, watched as Chris fell backwards. Walking around, he knelt and put his knee to Chris' throat, putting just enough pressure there to make Chris squirm.

"Did you really think you would get away with everything you've done to me since you came back?" Rage colored his tone and he removed his knee from Chris throat, leaned close to the man, replaced his knee with his hand.

"I thought about doing the same thing to you that you did to me. Thought about just putting you in the hospital. I'm still thinking about that option."

When he leaned so close that their noses were almost touching, when he squeezed hard enough that Chris was having trouble breathing, he finally saw it. That fear. He wasn't sure if it was because of the pressure on his throat or because of the look in his eyes. Whatever it was, he grinned again and put his lips next to Chris' ear.

"I want you to think about it, Chris, while you're lying here. You have a couple of options. Either you leave the fighting we do in the ring or you can ignore this warning and I can take it a few steps farther next time. And you can look into my eyes and tell me if I'm capable of doing that."

He released Chris suddenly, stood up and stared down at the man. Chris' eyes widened when he started to turn away, to leave the room.

"Don't worry. I'm sure someone will find you at some point. Maybe before they close this place down for the night." He waved and then he was out the door and heading back towards his locker room to find John.

Xxxxxxxxx

John sighed as he got changed back into his street clothes. Punk had disappeared sometime during his match and John was worried. He knew Jericho was supposed to be there for the house show and John had debated on whether or not to find the man himself and beat some sense into him or to wait.

But Punk disappearing could mean that Jericho had gotten the drop on him again and John stood from the bench after he put his tennis shoes on, intending to leave the room to find Punk. He hadn't even started across the room, however, when the door opened and Punk came inside.

"Hey, where've you been?" John asked. He eyed the man when he saw the smile on Punk's face.

"Had to take care of something. You ready to get out of here?"

"Yeah." He stood and grabbed his back, slinging it over his shoulder before following Punk out. "What were you doing?" He pressed as they walked towards the parking lot.

"You said it yourself. Something had to be done about Jericho…"

"You did something to Jericho?" John asked, with mild disappointment. He would have liked to be in on that.

"Gave him a bit of a warning." There was a light in Punk's eyes that made John wonder if that warning had just been a verbal one.

"Think it worked?"

Punk shrugged. "Probably not but if it didn't, I got other ways to make Chris listen."

"Hey, I believe you're capable of holding anyone's attention, Punk."

Punk paused, stopped by the car they'd driven from the hotel. "You know, you could call me…by my first name."

John stopped as well and a bright smile spread across his face. "I could?"

"Yeah." He groaned at the look on John's face. "It's not a big deal."

"Sure." But it was a big deal. Punk was in that generation of wrestlers who never used their real names. John was sure the only people who used his real name were the people he considered family so that offer meant that…

"I love you…Phil."

And Punk only grinned and answered easily. "Love you too."