Title: One More Show

Author: Kori/justagirl8225

Rating: PG-13

Pairing(s)/Characters: Lita, Christian, A.J. Styles/Trish, Tomko, Edge; mentions of and appearances by many others.

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to any person, place or thing that you may recognise.

Spoilers: None really...

Summary: He just wasn't ready to let go...

Warnings: angst, possible language and possible (but not likely) main character death.

Notes: All applicable notes are in previous parts of the story.

Despite the fact that he really didn't need a legitimate doctor's note to excuse himself from wrestling; Jay had found himself calling his doctor to procure a note. Of course it was more to explain the back injury that really didn't exist… the blue eyed blond man hoping that having an official statement would at least get the concern and suspicion of his friends to ease up. Or at the very least that it would get Amy to back off just a little bit… Jay was still reluctant to tell his friends the truth about his condition, mainly because it made it that much more real even though he knew it was real… having to admit it aloud, having it become slightly public knowledge, even amongst his friends. Well, Jay just wasn't sure if he was ready to deal with that just yet even though he knew he would have to tell them eventually. But, for now, he had an alibi from his doctor… what he needed next was a witness of sorts and he knew exactly who to ask. Not that he entirely wanted to put her in that kind of position but, she was also the one most likely to get to the root of the situation and that was a risk that Jay just wasn't willing to take. Really though, if he had been thinking more clearly and perhaps more willing to admit the entire truth to himself; then maybe he would tell his friends what was really wrong with him. But he wasn't ready to do that just yet, the blue eyed blond man still not ready to come to grips with the fact that his life would never be the same. He realised that his deception was wrong and while he did feel guilty about it, Jay was unsure of what else to do. He was losing control and that was something that did not sit well with him at all, the blond man willing to do whatever it took. And that was exactly why Jay found himself at Chris' house, the doctor's note folded neatly and in one of the back pockets of his jeans.

Chris pointed towards the kitchen after he'd opened the door, "Amy's in there having coffee with Dawn."

Jay arched an eyebrow as he walked inside, "and what makes you think I'm here to see Amy?"

Chris rolled his eyes, "for one, I've spent enough time around the divas to pick up on a few of their habits, unfortunately…. And for two, you never just stop by unless you have a reason to stop by. Amy just so happens to be here and—"

"She's sitting right here so you can stop talking about me like I'm invisible," Amy interrupted then, her eyes slightly bloodshot. "What's going on?"

"Chris and I will just be outside," Dawn spoke up before Jay could say a word, the brunette already on her feet. "Come on Chris, you had said you wanted to talk about a koi pond in the back."

The blond man in question blinked, "I did?" Chris smiled sheepishly when Dawn glared, "oh right… the koi pond in the back, so let's go talk about that now."

Amy rolled her eyes at the pair, taking a slow sip of her coffee as Jay seated himself at the table. "You're looking better…"

Jay nodded shortly, "I just needed to sleep and I wanted to apologise to you for the way I was behaving."

"I'm getting used to it, Jay."

"Which you shouldn't have to," he removed the note from his pocket, "I also wanted to tell you something but before I tell you… Ames, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone else yet. Especially not Adam, I don't want him knowing about this."

The former diva blinked, "and you aren't planning on telling him about this yourself?"

The blond man shrugged as he unfolded the note, making a show of smoothing it out. "I'll tell him when it's the right time to tell him."

Amy arched an eyebrow at that, "Jay… he's your best friend, Adam has a right to know about these things."

"Well, he hasn't been coming to check on me every week, he doesn't make sure that my cats have food or that I have food." Jay held her questioning gaze for a long moment, "yes, he's my best friend and all that, but you… You're Amy."

"If you're going to tell me whatever this is just because you're feeling guilty," Amy chewed on her lower lip, "then I'm really not sure if I want to know."

He shook his head, "it's not about me feeling guilty, well not entirely about me feeling guilty because I do. You shouldn't have to put up with me behaving like that and without knowing the reason."

She shrugged, "you said it was because of your back injury and the meds… that's reason enough, I guess."

"Just read over that," Jay passed the note across the table, "I got that from my doctor's office this morning, I was going to drop it off to Dixie and Jeff first but… well, just read it. It explains a lot, okay?"

"If you insist," Amy replied hesitantly, the note soon in one hand as she read it over. A frown settling heavily on her face, "Jay… why didn't you just say something in the first place?"

A pointed look settled in his blue eyes, "would you really want everyone knowing that you couldn't wrestle again? Ames, this is about pride… Adam is still going strong and he's the same age as I am… and yet I'm on the shelf because of my stupid back."

Shaking her head, she moved so she was sitting next to him. "I can understand not saying anything because of pride but it's not like he wouldn't understand… or that anyone else would understand. All of us would understand."

Jay frowned, "I know they'd understand but I don't want to tell them yet…. Ames, wrestling was something I wanted to do since I was a kid, bouncing off of the outfield wall in a little league baseball field in Orangeville or having matches in an indoor courtyard or wherever. It's just something I've wanted to do since I was a kid… and now I can't do it anymore and nothing feels right, my life doesn't feel like my life."

Amy patted his hand with one of hers, "I know Jay… you've told me hundreds of times before and it's obvious to everyone who knows you, wrestling is your life. But just because you can't wrestle anymore doesn't mean your life is automatically over… you just make some adjustments. But that still doesn't tell me why you don't want anyone else to know yet. I'm not the only one who's concerned about you."

"I know everyone is worried but, just trust me okay? I have my reasons for not wanting to tell them… I can't explain it fully but please?" He took one of her hands in both of his as he continued to speak. "Can you just do this for me; promise me that you won't say a word to anyone else yet?"

"You are going to tell everyone else eventually right? That the reason you're acting like this is because you can't wrestle again, even though they know you're injured and would likely understand?" Amy sighed; the former diva visibly conflicted… "Alright, I promise you I won't say anything."

"Thank you," he said first and then kissed her on the cheek. "And I will tell everyone else, just not yet…. Are you still heading home today?"

She nodded, "I've got to help my brother with the last minute details for Trish's birthday party, plus Trish and I are planning a Christmas party with Dawn. Since it's Chris' turn to host the Christmas party, of course that means that Dawn, Trish and I are actually planning it."

Jay smirked, "well last years Christmas party wasn't all that bad, was it? You have to admit, I'm a pretty good host."

Amy rolled her eyes, "last years Christmas party could have been a disaster and it should have been a disaster because everything that could go wrong did go wrong."

"It wasn't that bad…"

"Oh ye with the selective memory? Yes it was that bad." Amy wrinkled her nose, "but I guess that's what made it one of the better ones in the past few years."

Jay finally released her hand to fold the note back up, "you're going to help me with Christmas shopping, right? You promised me last year."

Amy let out a sigh, "I help you every year Jay, why would this year be any different, hmm? It's a wonder that you and A.J even manage to get your Christmas shopping done."

"Well all know that Adam would never get his Christmas shopping done if it wasn't for his mom."

"And there's nothing wrong with that, is there? Besides, it's not much different than my brother having his girlfriend do most of his shopping."

"I guess," Jay replied and then trailed off into temporary silence… "So… when are you headed back to Atlanta?"

Amy frowned, "well I had wanted to leave before lunch since I was supposed to have dinner with A.J tonight. If I leave now then I'll make it back with some time to at least unpack… why do you ask?"

Jay grinned at her, "I was thinking we could head out for breakfast… I have all day to drop the note off to Dixie and Jeff, but if you're going back to Atlanta today, then we should go out for breakfast now."

"We should, huh?" Amy pretended to think about it for a moment, "I guess we could do that… I just need to tell Dawn and Chris or they could come with us?"

"Your call," the blond man said as he pushed his chair back from the table. "I'll just be outside, alright?"

As Jay headed out the front door, Amy went out the back door to speak with Dawn and Chris; the brunette more or less insisting that Amy go on ahead without them. But the redhead had expected that from her friend, Amy rolling her eyes when Dawn started commenting about how they should just admit to the obvious. And it wasn't that she hadn't thought about it herself, she had… on more than one occasion but she was also mostly content to leave things as they were. Plus, with the added stress on Jay not being able to wrestle again because of his back…. Well Amy didn't want to put the additional stress of a relationship on him.

Later that day- Atlanta, Georgia

Just as she had planned on doing, Amy found herself out for dinner with her little brother… a late dinner, but still dinner. Amy just having unpacked when A.J showed up at her house and with their dinner reservations, the redhead just had enough time to change… A.J waiting until they'd gotten to the restaurant before speaking with his sister…

"When did you get back home?"

"About half an hour before you showed up actually," Amy carefully unfolded her napkin on her lap, "why do you ask?"

A.J made a face, "because I called Chris' house earlier and you weren't there… I called Adam's house after lunch and you weren't there either."

Amy arched an eyebrow, "it takes six hours to drive from Tampa to Atlanta—"

"And I know you didn't drive… Ames, you told me you were gonna be back in Atlanta this afternoon, so where were you all day?"

"I was with Jay… we went out to breakfast."

"For four hours?"

"Allen, what is your problem? I told you I was going to be staying in Tampa for another day to hang out with Chris, check on Adam and check on Jay… and that's exactly what I did."

The younger sibling frowned, "then can you tell me what's going on with Jay? I called him earlier to see if he was gonna come to Trish's party and he told me he couldn't make it."

Amy let out a sigh, "and that's because he can't … you know he hurt his back, he can't take the long car rides and he probably doesn't want to fly."

A.J shook his head, "there was more to it then that sis, I can't say what but I could hear it. It was like he didn't want to talk to me at all."

Amy blinked, "he's been like that with everyone lately… including Adam and he's known Adam since they were kids."

"Almost everyone," A.J corrected with the slightest of frowns, "you seem to be pretty close to him still…"

"Not really little bro," Amy nibbled thoughtfully on a breadstick, "he talks to me but not about everything."

"But you do know what's going on with him, don't you?" A.J prodded his sister anyway, "what's really going on with him Ames?"

Amy shrugged, "exactly what he's told everyone and what Jeff told all of you… he hurt his back and he's going to be out indefinitely because of it. I think an injury like that and being out like that would affect anyone."

A.J nodded hesitantly, "and you're sure that's it? There's nothing else?"

"Just trust me on this okay? I'm sure that's it…"

"Okay…" A.J cleared his throat, "so… what were the two of you doing for four hours, huh?"

"I told you we went out for breakfast," Amy rolled her eyes when her brother arched an eyebrow. "Please don't start… not tonight. We're supposed to be planning the last minute details for Trish's birthday party."

A.J held up his hands in mock defence, the two siblings discussing the last minute details for Trish's party as they had originally planned. Eventually the pair also discussed the upcoming Christmas party at Chris' house… Amy carefully avoiding anything remotely related to Jay when her brother tried to bring up the subject again.