Disclaimer: surely you jest..

Notes: Let me start by saying, if you've read Living with the Consequences, this story uses some of those elements. Obviously it's going to have it's differences, but this story is not a re-write.. I ignore a lot of real life situations with my writing- this story is no exception. My timeline is tweaked to set everything from this year into 2008 and making everyone two years younger than they are now. (example, Lita according to my adjusted timeline would be 31). In addition to the main plot, there is an added sub-plot, you'll be able to pick this one out fairly easy I'm sure. I could almost call this A/U in a sense, but it's still wrestling verse, kinda, sorta.. if you squint.

5:00 a.m. Monday October 13th, 2008- Tampa, Florida

Just like many times in her life, Amy Dumas was alone.. And like many times in her life, it was by her choice.. The former WWE diva the only one awake in the Tampa home of Adam Copeland and Trish Stratus. The living room was dark, save for the television; silent save for the voice of the man in the commercial. Sighing heavily, Amy ran a hand through her hair, the woman's stomach a veritable ball of nerves. Later that day, along with Trish, Dawn Marie Psaltis and Lisa Varon; Amy would make her debut with TNA Wrestling. And not only would it be her debut, but, it would be the first time she had appeared on television since leaving the WWE four year ago. And when she had left, the world had more or less been convinced it was an injury.. Creative using the pregnancy angle with Glen Jacobs, otherwise known as Kane... In reality, that wasn't very far from the truth. Amy hadn't been injured since her major neck injury, but she had been pregnant... Her four year old twins sleeping soundly in one of the guest rooms upstairs. A boy and a girl, both with beautiful blue eyes. William Adam and Cordelia Ann, representing innocence in a world full of deceit.. and a bitter-sweet reminder of what had once been. Running her hands through her hair, Amy's attention flickered from the television to the display of framed pictures above the fireplace. Why they needed a fireplace in Florida, Amy wasn't quite sure... but Trish had insisted on having a house with a fireplace. And as her hazel gaze barely made out the photos, Amy understood why. Their home had many pictures in many places, but, the ones that had taken priority in decorating had gone upon the mantle above the fireplace. Like the one on the very end, Amy and Trish from their first month in the WWE... And the one in the middle, Adam and Trish on their wedding day. Closing her eyes, the former diva could remember that day just like it was yesterday... She had been in the wedding, the blond woman's matron of honour; Adam's best man had been his best friend... current TNA Champion, Amy's former boyfriend and very unsuspecting father. Someone she hadn't seen in over four years, someone whom had once been an important part of her life... William Jason Reso, otherwise known as Jay Reso or Christian Cage depending on who you were. At one point in time, he had been one of her best friends, at one point in time.. they had been inseparable.. And then things had changed. All so quickly, before either of them could stop it... Heaving out another sigh, Amy curled up on the couch.

"Nothing is worse than missing an opportunity that could've changed your life."

If she had known what she did now, then maybe.. Just maybe, she would have acted differently.

"It's going to be a really long day."

"Ames?" Trish questioned sleepily, the blond woman currently headed downstairs. "Have you slept at all?"

"I can't," Amy admitted truthfully, "and I know I should because we have such a big day ahead, but I just can't.. I mean, it's the first time I'll be back on television since I left the WWE and.."

Trish grimaced as she seated herself next to her best friend, "because he's going to be there... Maybe it would have been easier if you had just told him?"

Amy sighed, "I wanted to tell him but he told me not to contact him at all, unless I was on my deathbed... And I was angry enough to believe him."

The blond woman shrugged, "I suppose... And yes, I know, Adam and I could have said something as well but.. He didn't want anything to do with you."

The redhead smiled wryly, "and after tonight he'll never want to see my face ever again. He'll probably tell me to rot in Hell, which, he has all rights to tell me that and--"

"Ames," Trish held up a hand, "you two practically destroyed each other... Sure, some stuff has changed since then, but a lot hasn't."

"And it's my fault, I know this Trish, so don't try to tell me differently." Amy buried her face in her hands, "he wasn't supposed to care that much."

"Amy, he loved you just as much as you loved him." Trish rubbed the red-head's back like a mother would her child. "I know you never meant to hurt him like that, but you did and there really isn't anything else you can do about it so stop beating yourself up for that."

The redhead sniffled miserably, "it still hurts... and it shouldn't. I should be over this... I should be over him and--"

"You're a human being Amy, not a machine. Of course it's going to hurt." Smoothing strands of hair away from Amy's forehead, Trish continued: "Look.. today isn't going to be easy, working in TNA with him there isn't going to be easy but I know you.. And I know you can do this, okay? I'll be here for you, Dawn and Lisa will be here for you."

"I know you'll be here for me.. Without the three of you, Adam, Chris and Ty? I don't know if I would have been able to do this." Hazel eyes shutting tight, Amy bit down on her lower lip. "But, at the same time? You all are his friends too.. I shouldn't have put you all through this."

Trish let out a sigh of her own, "Ames.. We chose to be. Yeah, we all understood what we were getting into by doing what we've been doing but.. You needed us."

Amy let out a bitter laugh, "and it'll just give him yet another reason to hate me. As he rightfully should, I mean.. I've denied him the chance to know his own children and for what? Because I was angry and I wanted to hurt him more than I already had? I'm a terrible human being, Trish."

Trish ran a hand through her blond locks, "and what more do you want me to say Amy? You did what you did because you were trying to protect yourself, it's human instinct. He did what he did because he was trying to protect himself... Just make sure that you're telling him for the right reasons."

"I can't look at myself in the mirror without feeling guilty, I can't look at my own children without feeling guilty.." Amy didn't bother to wipe away any of the tears. "For everything that went wrong? I need to do something right. I doubt it will change anything or maybe it will just make it worse but... I need to tell him."

"Well if it makes you feel any better? Adam is already looking into getting another house, far far away from here."

Amy rolled her eyes a little, "as tempting as the idea sounds? I can't run away any more, Trish. He deserves better." A beat passed, "and besides which.. It's been four years since the two of us have been in a wrestling ring together.. I look forward to kicking your ass again."

Trish rolled her eyes at that, the two women falling silent.. waiting for the rest of the house to wake up. And they wouldn't have too much longer to wait, William and Cordelia soon heading downstairs... Amy beckoning them to the couch. Her son, the older of the two by a minute, had such a striking resemblance to Jay that it was almost painful.. Her daughter had those same blue eyes, the rest of her nearly a splitting image of Amy. Of course, after they had been born, Amy had seen the resemblance instantly... Not that she'd ever had any doubts in her mind as to whom their father was..

"Auntie Trish?"

Trish turned a beaming smile to William, "yes honey?"

"Uncle Adam is still sleeping."

"Then why don't you and Cordelia go wake him up?" Trish winked, "we can't have Uncle Adam sleeping in when we have such a big day ahead of us."

Cordelia and William grinned in delight, the twins racing back upstairs to burst into the bedroom.. Adam waking up seconds later.. The twins racing back downstairs with the tall blond man hot on their heels.

"The angry bear is going to get you.." Adam teased as he chased them, "and he's hungry."

Cordelia went in one direction, William going in another.. Adam chasing after his god-son first...

Trish smiled at the display, "he's almost as bad as they are."

"I've got you!" He exclaimed as he scooped up Cordelia, holding the laughing child under one arm. "And now I'm going to get your brother."

Amy laughed as Adam caught up to William. "Sometimes? I think he's worse."

"Possibly," Trish agreed, the blond woman laughing as well when Adam, Cordelia and William collapsed into a heap on the carpet. "Why don't we get breakfast ready for the angry bear and the cubs."

Amy nodded her agreement to that, her mind temporarily taken off of what would happen later that day.. She and Trish going about the morning as routinely and as calmly as possible.

xXx

Just as they had planned yesterday at dinner, Dawn and Chris Irvine along with their two sons, were supposed to head over to Adam and Trish's house before they left for Orlando. Lisa and Tyson would be meeting them at the arena, the dark haired woman being the only one of the four former WWE divas whom was already employed by TNA. Needless to say, Lisa had been nothing short of elated and shocked when Dixie Carter finally gave the green light to fully bring a women's division.. Of course, they had to wait until TNA had more air time on television and the right amount of money... Lisa having worked very closely with Dixie on the matter. Since they already had Gail Kim, Jackie Moore and Tracy Brooks, they would obviously need some competition. And maybe Lisa should have tried to recruit some of the younger divas coming up through the WWE but.. She preferred experience. And despite them not having wrestled since they'd respectively left the WWE; Amy, Dawn and Trish were what Lisa wanted. Some had taken that news better than others, some were looking forward to the women's division; some of the TNA knock outs were looking forward to working with their former WWE co-workers. Some, on the other hand, had taken the news indifferently... Specifically one Jay Reso. Of course he didn't mind working with Trish or Dawn again... Amy, however, was another matter entirely. Since she had left the WWE, well before that really, since she had decided she didn't want anything to do with him; the blue eyed blond man had decided he didn't want anything to do with her.. Their mutual friends had subsequently been caught in the middle of it all... Perhaps no one more so than Adam, Chris coming in a close second.. The two men currently standing in the kitchen, getting snacks and such ready for the drive to Orlando and for the arena.

Chris glanced up from the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he was making, cutting the crusts off carefully for William. "Dude.. You do realise that you and Jay are about to start a feud, right?"

Adam waited until he had packed up the sliced fruit. "I'm aware of that, so what?"

The shorter blond man arched an eyebrow, "so what? He's going to kill you... And me, but you more."

The green eyed blond man glared, "and keep in mind that William and Cordelia are in the living room, you idiot. I know he's going to be angry at me, I'm expecting that. But, it's not like he really tried, is it? And it's not like I didn't try to tell him."

"Even though she asked you not to?"

"He's my best friend," Adam replied defensively, "trust me dude, it wasn't exactly in my plans to keep it from him for this long. But, when he won't listen to anything that remotely involves her? You remember how he was after she left."

Chris arched an eyebrow, "after she left the WWE or after she left him? Because he didn't take either very well, you know."

Adam nodded, "I know he didn't, but I was talking about when she left him.. Seriously dude, I've never seen him that gutted. It was like he had the Stanley Cup Trophy handed to him and then taken away.. Bigger than that, even. He was just crushed."

Dawn cleared her throat, the brunette currently putting cookies into small bags for the twins and her sons. "Amy is also in the living room, so if I were the two of you? I would be really careful about what I say in here. She's already been going through the guilt trip from hell for the past four years."

"I know Dawnie," Chris finished up the sandwiches, "hopefully they can call a truce by the time little Andrew gets here."

"You mean Andrea," Dawn corrected him with a smirk, "after two boys? I deserve to have a girl."

Adam blinked, "how are you going to wrestle when you're three months pregnant?"

Dawn rolled her eyes, "well duh, I won't be. I'm going to manage.. Lisa said that Amy and Trish would be wrestling again, but she never said anything about me."

"And we won't be wrestling for at least a month," Trish added from the living room, "we have to get back into ring shape first."

"Mommy?"

"Yes Cordelia?"

"Is Uncle Ty gonna be there?"

"Yes sweetheart, Uncle Ty will be there."

In the kitchen, Chris grimaced. "Did you pack riot gear with your wrestling gear?"

Adam arched an eyebrow, "why would I want to do that?"

"Duh, we're going to need it. Not only will he be mad at the two of us? But Tyson too."

"I think Tyson is capable of taking care of himself, Chris. You, on the other hand, might have something to worry about."

Chris rolled his eyes, "oh please.. I can so totally take him down."

Adam smirked, "uh huh.. You just keep telling yourself that, buddy. One of these days? The rest of us will believe you."

Chris mimicked his friend, Amy and Trish making sure that William, Cordelia, Junior and Lance had enough crayons, colouring books and picture books for the trip and the show. They had already arranged for either Christy or Dawn to be with the four energetic children whilst the tapings were going on.. And that was if, of course, Amy and Dawn couldn't be there themselves. Neither Dawn, Amy or Trish were familiar with how TNA operated...and added to that, it was the first time that TNA would be going for two hours. At least they were fortunate that they wouldn't be filming live, the tapings giving everyone the benefit of being able to re-tape segments if they needed to. And since neither Amy, Dawn or Trish had been on television in four years, the likelihood remained that they just might need some time to readjust. They could at least hope that things would go as smoothly as possible, but... Given the two hour taping, four over excited children and the added stress of having two very combustible personalities within the same vicinity.. Needless to say, things were already quite stressful... Chris deciding that he was going to pack a few extra pillows just to be on the safe side.. Adam rolling his eyes at the older man's actions.. Even if he secretly had considered doing the same.