A/N: Hello readers. Ok so if you haven't read Unfamous Beginnings by Miss Meggie, Famous in a Small Town by Adrian Jade, or Answered Prayers by Miss Meggie I suggest you do because this is technically the fourth story in the series. It is written by myself, Adrain Jade, and also Miss Meggie. So with that being said let the saga continue.
"Damn." She let her head slip back and hit the wall behind her. She stared at the negative pregnancy test in her hands. She knew that it would be hard for them to start a family. But she couldn't fathom it would be this hard. They started trying shortly after they were married and over the next 11 months endured a lot of heartbreak as month after month negative pregnancy tests littered their trash barrels.
Everyone she knew was having babies. All the people she went to high school with, her own family members, everyone. Billy and his fiancée were expecting a little boy in September; they were naming him Ayden Joe. Her sister just gave birth to a little girl named Kyra Maree.
"Negative?" Addley asked tentatively. She crouched down to her friend's level. She placed her forehead against her's. "Your time to be a mom will come."
"I know ... it's just frustraitin'." Meghan sighed. "It sucks cause probably right now someone is gettin' pregnant that doesn't want to be and here I am tryin' so hard to get pregnant and it just ain't happening."
"Well at least I'm not pregnant. That would kill you." Addley joked a little to make her friend feel better.
"In order to be pregnant you need a man Adds." Meghan remarked.
"That was cold." Addley frowned. "I am single because I want to be not because I can't get a guy." She shrugged. "I just haven't met Mr. Right yet. Not everyone can have such a great guy like The Meathead."
"Please John." Meghan begged.
"You're nuts Meghan that thing is bigger than you are!" He stated putting his foot down to the idea of having such a HUGE dog in his home.
"Yes, but it would guard me. "
"I guard you…" John said.
"Not when you're working you don't…"
"That's what Tyra is here for."
"She's a big softie and you know it and what's Lou going to bark a burglar to death…?"
"I get that you want your own dog honey. And that's fine but why a Great Dane … it could squish you baby and well I prefer you un-squished." He stood looking over her shoulder at the computer screen.
"Please … I'll take him to obedience classes so he doesn't stand on me or something." She was giving him the "puppy dog" eyes. They always worked on her dad. She just hoped John was as much of a softie as he was.
"Okay but please be careful." He relented. All he really wanted is to see her happy and if having a horse for a dog made her happy then she could have one.
"Hey honey can we name him Scooby?" He asked.
"Umm ... how about no!" Damn she shot him down again.
"Um, how bout Doxology?" Meghan suggested.
"Doxa-what?" John asked.
"Doxology means to praise God Meathead. It's the name of Sam's horse in East of Eden." Addley replied reading her friend's wavelength.
"Well thanks for that enlightening piece of knowledge Ms. Harvard Scholar." John retorted annoyed.
"At least I got into college on my grades and not because I use game enhancing supplements." She continued flipping through the people magazine she was reading. She didn't even bother to look up to see how red his face got.
"Does this mean doxology is a no?" Meghan asked.
"Meghan stop reading so much it makes me feel stupid." john said
"You should read East of Eden baby you'd like it."
"Megs you know Steinbeck will give him a headache if it ain't Car & Driver it ain't his thing." Addley teased.
"Nuh uh I totally read Of Mice and Men." He defended his own intelligence.
"I totally just won that argument." Addley got up from the chair she was vacating. "If you'll both excuse me I have children's lives to make better." Addley was a social worker, a very good one at that.
It was a few days later and Addley just walked through the door from going down the street to grab the mail. "Megs ... your high school reunion is coming up. You gonna go?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"I don't wanna."
"But won't it be nice to see all of your old classmates and teachers again?" Addley insisted on the subject.
"I'm not going Addy you can't make me!" she tossed the high school reunion invitation in the trash. Addley promptly fished it out.
"Well why the hell not? I heard you had the run of the place." She placed her hands on her hips.
"I was the shit… and now I'm just this…" she gestured to her chair.
"Don't let John catch you being like that. You know he'll go on one of his endless lectures about how you are perfect." She rolled her eyes. Those never ending rants got old really fast. Although Addley did agree with the man she still didn't feel like listening to him dull out complements for like two hours.
"I can't Addley I know its stupid but everyone will be waiting for me to fall flat on my face."
"So be better than that! Take John with you… I know you miss some of your old girls… Trysten especially."
"Well if Tryst is going I'll consider it." John strolls in
"How's beautiful wife today?" he kisses her cheek.
"Fine. I might need you to clear the date for my high school reunion."
"Okay… How's my favorite pain in the ass today?" John smiled at Addley.
"Fine meathead how was the gym?"
"Same as always…" he wrapped his arms around Meghan from behind. She squealed.
"What's my rule John?" She began waving her hand in front of her face to try and get rid of the strong smell of body odor that was now lingering in her breathing space.
"I have to shower before I touch you if I have just left the gym or the ring." He looked a little guilty. He gave her a sheepish grin.
"Yup."
"Can I talk you into joining me?" He gave her a wink.
"Very tempting offer … but how badly do you want to eat dinner?"
"Pretty badly." Just as he said this his stomach growled loudly.
"Rain check then?"
"Count on it."
"Adds I think I want this one." Addley and Meghan were on Addley's laptop looking at Great Danes to adopt.
"That dog is fuckin huge! Can you imagine how big its shits must be? John will have to be out there with a fuckin snow shovel." Meghan cringed at the thought but at the same time she had to laugh. Addley looked at her watch. "Ok enough puppy searching. They guys will be here soon so we'd better get started on dinner." She advised.
Meghan was used to random wrestlers coming and going as they pleased in her house but the sight of Santino Marella carrying a live chicken through her kitchen was startling.
"Where did you get that? And get it out of my kitchen Marella! Matt get your feet off my coffee table dude!"
"How did you…?"
"Eyes in the back of my head Matty …" She smirked.
"Anyways back to you're feathered friend here?"
"I saw him in the pet shop window and thought… my pet…"
"Your pet?"
"It doesn't like me though and everything likes John. Women, Babies ... animals. So I thought maybe he could work his magic and make it friendlier." Meghan laughed she couldn't help it. Everything really did love John but she wasn't sure John's skills extended to poultry. The chicken ... rooster whatever that thing was squawked at her. She backed up. She so should have joined John in the shower and left Addley to cook dinner.
"Put that thing in backyard and hope Tyra doesn't eat it."
They all sat down to dinner John, Meghan, Addley, and Santino. The Hardy brothers and John's brothers Dan and Matt and his wife Coverly were also at the dinner table. Along with Dan's twins Avery and Ian. Addley and Dan eyed each other with interest. One of them would look at the other but as soon as the other started to look that way the person who was staring would turn their head quickly and a blush would cross over their cheeks. Meghan rolled her eyes at the whole thing. John just smirked and whispered "Be nice." in her ear.
"Should we make bets?" she whispered back John laughed drawing attention to them. Addley gave them a questioning look.
"What? She's funny." He said trying to justify his laugh. Everyone's attention left them.
Addley felt a prickling of jealously as she watched John's simple affections to Meghan. From this angle she could see John drawing imaginary designs on her palm. Her head resting on his shoulder as he was gesturing at Jeff Hardy with his fork. She watched as Meghan intercepted a roll thrown by Ian aimed for his twin sister Avery's head. John's six year old twin niece and nephew sure kept things lively. Meghan wanted so badly to be a mother. Life was never perfect Addley thought. She was lonely Meghan was childless and might always be.
"Ok ice cream" John said. The kids got up running after him.
Only Addley caught the tiny look of longing in Meghan's gaze.
"I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream!" Avery sang. The little girl grabbed the tail of John's shirt
"Pull Me." It was a game they played to see how Strong Uncle John was.
She sat down on her bottom and John dragged her into the kitchen as she held on to his shirt.
"John please be careful." Meghan yelled after them. She was always so afraid one of them was going to get hurt.
"So John what's up with Addley?" Dan asked after dinner. They were sitting out on the back steps smoking a few cigars. "Is she single?"
John cocked his head to the side and gave his brother a look. "Dude ... you just got divorced."
"So ... that doesn't mean I have to be single for the rest of my life." Dan reasoned.
"Yes she is single." He answered the question. "But she is also my wife's best friend and if something goes wrong I do not want to be at war with Megs cause of it."
"Nothing is gonna go wrong." Dan patted his older brother's back. "Wish me luck." He took one last puff of his cigar and then dropped it to the ground and stomped it out.
"Addley ... hey. Can I help you?" Dan asked the woman who was currently loading the dish washer.
"... Nah it's ok I got it Dan but thanks for offering. You are the only one who does around here."
"You sure?" He asked. He was really just trying to find a reason to be able to stay.
She knew what he was doing and wanted to be nice to him. "Well ... you are taller than I am. Would you mind putting those couple of dishes on the top shelf?" She pretended to be all weak and feeble.
"It would be my honor." He smiled at her and grabbed the plates. It took him only a few seconds to put them away.
"You know it's awfully lonely in here all by myself. Would you mind staying in here to keep me company?"
"Was I that obvious?" Dan asked catching on. "You'll have to excuse me I haven't done this is a long time so I am really out of practice."
"It's ok Dan. I'm not good at this either." Addley looked at him. "Screw it!" She crossed the room in two strides and kissed him.
"Wow ... well just wow." Was all Dan could say.
"Yep ... that was nice." Addley agreed.
"So ... since we got our first kiss out of the way. Would you mind if I took you out to a movie or something?" He asked hopefully.
"Sure."
John strolled into the Elias High School auditorium. He caught sight of a picture of his wife in midair doing the splits as she was tossed in basket toss at the state finals. "She was really something back then all audacious and fiery..:" Jake murmured from behind him
"Still is." john replied his stance told the shorter man he was ready for a brawl.
"Where is Meggie?" Jake asked. "I'd like to see her"
"Don't call her that." John warned. "She's with Trysten Macabe... you fuck up her night I fuck up your face we clear? John threatened.
Jake walked over to her "Can I speak to you a minute alone..."
She looked over at John. He nodded. "If it'll get you to go away."
"I... I need you to be my friend again." Jake begged.
"Why Jake nothing has changed..."
"Does he make you happy?" Jake asked out of the blue.
"Yes, still not seeing your point... whether I'm happy or not does not concern you anymore.
"You don't look happy."
"You care?" She asked a little surprised.
"Yes I do ... just cause things ended the way they did doesn't mean I do not care."
"I'm not having this conversation with you Jake." She stated getting ready to wheel away from him.
"I hear you are trying for kids..." She glared up at him.
"Lex needs to learn to shut her damn mouth..." Meghan grumbled. She was seriously going to have to have a long talk with her sister about spreading her business around.
"Well Heather's pregnant I wanted to be the one who told you. I didn't want you to hear it from someone else."
"Of course she is its like babies are falling from the damn sky... but you know what good for you Jake. I hope you guys are really happy living in that lovely trailer." She was getting more and more frustrated by the minute.
"Well I was serious about being friends."
"I'll think about it..." She couldn't promise him anything more than that.
"My number is still the same Meg."
She wheeled herself to the classroom where the school newspaper was housed. Some of her articles from it and the LA Times and The Tampa Tribune graced the cork covered walls. "My home..." she murmured.
"Wait so you where smart and a cheerleader damn I lucked out." John's voice made her jump out of her skin.
"Jesus Johnny make some freaking noise!" She yelled. "Mrs. Blackwood believed in me that's all. I don't think I would be who I am today if it weren't for her pushing me. You know that Brad Paisley song ... the one where he goes: And you should really thank Mrs. Brinkman. She spent so much extra time. It's like she sees the diamond underneath. And she's polishin' you 'til you shine?"
"Yes. I am familiar with that song."
"Well that quote rings true. Mrs. Blackwood put a lot of her time and effort making me realize that I had what is takes to make it in the reporting world. So without her I would never have known you."
"Well then wifey I am very glad she did." He leaned down and gave her a passionate kiss. "Cause now I have you all to myself."
"Wouldn't have it any other way hubby."
A/N: This chapter is dedicated in loving memory to Meghan's brother Dalton Chase Wyatt.