Ashley was walking around and saw Amanda sitting down, talking to Bayley… and Ashley walked over.
"I'll talk to ya later." Bayley replied before she left, Ashley looking at Amanda.
"What are you doing?" Ashley asked.
"Last minute things before going on maternity leave." Amanda answered, Ashley turning startled.
"So you're just leaving out of my life again?" Ashley asked.
"Ash, I'm getting closer to my due date. What do you expect me to do, give birth and then just get back in that ring like it's nothing? This little guy takes priority over a career right now." Amanda replied, turning and heading to hers and Finn's locker room… but Ashley caught up to her and stopped her.
"But what about us huh?! What about us?! Don't you care anymore?!" Ashley yelled, Amanda shoving her back as she had seen Ashley's right hand turn into a fist.
"I'm not gonna choose between you and my growing family so don't force me to!" Amanda replied angrily before she headed into the locker room… and Ashley saw her packing her duffel bag as Finn walked in.
"Hey, Darlin', you ready to go?" Finn asked as he grabbed Amanda's duffel bag for her.
"Yeah. Let's go." Amanda responded before she entwined her right hand with Finn's left and the two left the locker room to head for the parking garage… and Ashley running after them.
Ashley caught up to them as Finn was helping Amanda into the rented Altima, Amanda buckling up and Finn closing the passenger door before he headed to the driver's side.
"I've already lost too many people! I won't let you leave!" Ashley yelled.
"You can't force her to stay!" Finn responded before he got in and they drove off as Ashley screamed that she would never let Amanda go…
Amanda jolted awake, Finn lightly brushing her tears away and holding her closer to him.
"She's gonna try everything she can to keep me by her side…" Amanda replied as Finn rested his right hand on Amanda's stomach and Liam moved around.
"I'm not gonna let her hurt either of you, you and Liam mean too much to me." Finn responded before they kissed and held each other… and heard a knock at the adjoining door, knowing it was Luke.
"Hey Demon Lovers! Your clothes are on?" Luke asked.
"Yes, Luke." Finn responded before he helped Amanda sit up and walked to the adjoining door after turning the light on.
He opened it and let Luke in… and Luke saw that Amanda's eyes were red.
"Bad dream?" Luke asked.
Amanda nodded and Luke walked over and sat down before they hugged… only for him to yelp, the two letting go and Luke rubbing his side as Amanda rubbed her stomach.
"Sorry." Amanda replied.
"Nah he's probably thinking you were hugging a rock. So who wants to hear the latest in Firelovers vs The Lunatic?" Luke said.
"Actually… I don't, nightmare was about Ashley refusing to let Finn take me away from her." Amanda explained, Luke lightly rubbing Amanda's right shoulder.
"Well I guess that's what happens when you suffer from the fear of abandonment." Luke responded.
"We're not abandoning her, Mandy and I are putting Liam first." Finn responded.
"I know but in her eyes it feels like to her you two are leaving her." Luke said.
"Well when she and Seth have a family, she'll understand why me and Finn are putting this little boy first. Seth understands." Amanda replied as Finn sat down and rested his right hand on her back.
11/20/18…
Ashley found Finn and Amanda in a McDonalds at about 7 in the morning and Finn setting both duffel bags aside before helping Amanda sit down and Amanda eating two sausage biscuits… nearby were three hashbrowns and a tea as Finn ate a sausage and egg croissant sandwich.
Ashley saw Finn lovingly rub Amanda's stomach as they kissed.
"He's asleep so he'll give you some time to rest. I know you're sore, love." Finn responded.
"It's worth every bit of it. Before we know it, we'll be holding him." Amanda replied.
Ashley couldn't see a soon to be father and mother… all she saw was the man that took her surrogate little sister away and created a child with her.
Ashley ordered her food, picked it up and left as Amanda made her way to the restroom.
It was when Finn and Amanda were back in their Brooklyn apartment that they kissed and Amanda grabbed a spare set of clothes and decided to go get cleaned off.
She stripped her makeup off, stripped her maternity skinny jeans and star print blouse off before pulling off her bra and underwear.
Carefully as she could, Amanda shaved her legs, arms and underarms and rinsed off the teal razor before turning the sink off and capping the razor and shaving cream.
She started up the shower after opening the glass door… grabbing her hair brush and hair clip, she walked in and set it on the soap dish as the water soaked her.
Once her hair was brushed out with a cinnamon scented leave in conditioner, Amanda clipped it up and scrubbed herself clean with a pumpkin spice scented shower gel and rinsed it off before unclipping her hair and rinsing the conditioner out.
Amanda dried off after turning the shower off, wrapping the oversized dark red towel around her and towel drying her hair before sprayed antiperspirant under her arms.
She sat down to pull her red boy short panties on and fuzzy red maternity pajamas pants on before she stood up and took the towel off before hung it up with the other one.
Amanda pulled on a white long sleeve maternity pajama shirt that had Best Gift Ever printed on it in red.
And she couldn't help but think back.
August 20th 2018…
She was eying it even thought she knew she shouldn't… and then he spoke up.
"Hey, I'll be right back, Ash. Can you watch the briefcase for me?" Braun replied.
"Uh… yeah sure." Ashley said.
Braun nodded and left… and Ashley waited until she was sure he couldn't hear her before she picked it up and tiptoed out of the room.
"Now way in hell you are cashing in on my man's friend." Ashley whispered before running down the hallways and without paying attention she ran into Finn's and Amanda's locker room.
"Hey boys. Look at what I- oh shit wrong room!" Ashley said.
"Braun's gonna kill you." Amanda responded, absentmindedly adjusting her bohemia v neck floral print maxi dress that concealed her growing baby bump as well as it could.
"Do you have a deathwish?!" Finn asked.
"Nah I like to think of it as living life to the extreme." Ashley said.
"When people get older, they usually ease off of the throttle, Sis. We don't need Braun going ballistic and tearing up the arena like he did before the Royal Rumble." Amanda responded before she attempted to take the briefcase back but Ashley stopped her.
"Jeez you make it sound like I'm old when I'm only 28." Ashley said.
"30, soon to be 31." Amanda responded, Ashley remembering that her 31st birthday was coming up in October and that it was Amanda who had turned 28 back in June.
"Alright I like to think I'm 28 so what?" Ashley asked.
"Maybe because your younger sister and brother in law are having a baby and you're trying to keep from feeling aged?" Finn responded, Ashley nodding in agreement as she ignored the agitation she was feeling.
"Time went by fast. How is the little one?" Ashley replied.
"When we were at the appointment the other day, his fingers moved like he was waving at us." Amanda answered, her and Finn thinking that they're having a boy.
And Ashley saw Amanda glance at a picture of the two, Finn, Natalya and the recently deceased Jim Neidhart when they were a few years younger… and Finn lightly rubbed his right hand up and down Amanda's back as Ashley lightly squeezed Amanda's left hand.
"Sorry… been spacing out a lot lately." Amanda responded as she brushed tears away.
"To lose so many loved ones in such little time is upsetting, love." Finn replied gently.
"It is. And you've got all those extra hormones." Ashley responded.
"Is Seth still holding it against me that I threw a stapler at his head last week?" Amanda questioned.
"Nah I told him to grow a fucking set of balls and get over it." Ashley said before they heard Braun yelling down the hallway. "I think that's my cue to run."
Ashley left and Amanda closed the door.
"I worry about her. We're not teenagers stealing briefcases or ring gear anymore." Amanda responded as Finn wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I know you do but Ash is a big girl who can take care of herself." Finn replied.
"Yeah." Amanda replied.
She knew he was right…
Present time…
'Ashley does need to let go just a bit.' Amanda thought after walking to Finn, the two kissing… and Finn rubbed Amanda's stomach, Liam giving a sleepy kick.
"I know, little guy. I'm not happy with Ashley either." Finn whispered.
He felt like Ashley lied to him and Amanda about being happy about the baby.