Ted DiBiase Jr. stretched out his long, tanned legs in the mass of cool white sheets and covers that adorned his bed. Next to him on the nightstand was a bottle of Michelob, not his favorite or preferred brand but beer was beer and after the week or so he'd had, he definitely needed a beer…or two. Maybe even three. Maryse had finally returned home from an extended hospital stay in Kissimmee and it appeared as if her medical woes were finally over. Her body had responded to the antibiotic therapy that it needed to rid itself of the dangerous and deadly infection brought on by the after effects of a botched abortion. Still weak and reeling emotionally, the blonde had vowed to move on and was looking ahead to returning to the ring. So far her secret had been safe. Only she, Ted, Cody, Ryland, and now Josh knew the truth about the pregnancy. As far as everyone else was concerned, her old knee injury was acting up. As long as the secret remain kept, their jobs were safe, at least for the moment. Ted hadn't initially trusted Josh at first but the young doctor had somehow kept his word and not managed to go blab to Ted's father or Virgil. That counted for something. And Ryland, who had done so much to protect all of them, had kept from her husband yet one more important and sordid detail…the identity of the aborted baby's father. Josh's anger had further been fueled by the false impression that he was under that Ted was the baby's father. His wife had initially made the same assumption and had been corrected but it was in the best interest of everyone if Josh was kept in the dark.

And then there was Ryland. Ted leaned back into pillow after taking another swig. That was a whole other story in itself. He had known her since forever, or at least it seemed to feel that way. They had been the best of childhood pals at one time. She had disappeared from his life for years then suddenly returned at a time when he was stuck in a dark place. His family relationships, his career, his self-esteem, and his marriage were all falling apart at that same time. He was hurt and bitter, taking that anger out on anyone around him. Ryland had been no different. He was not interested in rekindling some stupid childhood friendship but when she had been unexpectedly drawn into their very adult drama, things had started to happen, things, feelings neither of them had expected. He had seen her in a different light. She was an amazing person with an amazing heart. He didn't trust a lot of people and it unnerved him that he had been forced to put trust in her but it had bonded them together and he had come to depend on that relationship. Ryland didn't want anything from him, she didn't judge him and more importantly, she listened to him. He needed that. And the way she had handled the whole Maryse situation never ceased to amaze him.

She had always been a friend, a buddy, a little sister type. And she had always been pretty, even as a child. He could never remember a time when she wasn't put together, prim, proper, and all dolled up. But as they had gotten reacquainted in Tampa, he had gotten to know another side of her. He had contributed to bringing that side out, the side where she was fun, free, and unguarded. It had been the most fun either had had in a long time when they had played hide and seek in the midst of a Florida rainstorm. That day had changed things for both of them, even though at the time they had no idea how much. And the new developments had culminated in them holding and kissing each other for hours in between sleeping in each other's arms. Neither had dared take it to another physical level. It didn't feel like cheating but both knew realistically that it was.

Even Maryse had sensed the new tension between them and if she did, maybe so could everyone else. Maybe his parents, maybe even Josh. Just the thoughts were enough to drive him to have another drink and he gladly did so. Holding her in that moment had brought him the comfort he so desperately needed. It was enough for him but he found himself wanting to relive that special moment over and over again. He constantly thought about it. And in the back of his mind, he wanted more. Only alone at night could he admit to himself that he was indeed attracted to her. Holding her made him want more. The love had long been drained from his own marriage and he was well aware of the affection and chemistry lacking from Ryland's. But they were good people at heart, God fearing, raised in the church by Christian families who had drilled in their head and instilled in their heart the importance of moral principles. He and Ryland had managed to stay away from each other for a week and even though he missed having her around, a part of him was slightly grateful for the separation. He was beginning not to trust himself with her anymore. That bothered him.

It was a little after nine p.m. and he'd had a long day working out in the gym and at the arena. He had worked hard as usual but the frustrations continued to mount when it seemed that his efforts continued to go unnoticed and did not matter. The respect from his co-workers, the fans, and even his own father was lacking and that weighed heavily on him. The days were long and sad again and he wondered if they were ever going to get any better. Grabbing the remote, he began aimlessly flipping through channels, trying to find something to watch to pass the time away. Nothing good was on and even if it was, he probably wouldn't have paid any attention anyway. Exhaling and letting out a loud burp in the middle of it, he polished off the last sip of the beer and emerged, in boxer shorts only, to the kitchen to grab another one. He had just popped the top off the bottle when he heard rustling at the door, then a soft knock. Ted's heart stopped as he put the beer down.

"Ryland," he said out loud as he rushed to the door.

He opened it and standing before him was a beautiful face and petite frame, familiar eyes that looked up at him with nervousness and uncertainty. Ted swallowed hard.

"Ted. Hi…"

"Kris, what…what are you doing here?" he asked.

It had been a while since he had seen his wife. The original arrangement was for her to try to fly out as often as her work schedule permitted, at least every other weekend. But overtime at the hospital and tension between them had all but eliminated their in person contact. And now, seemingly out of the blue, she was standing in front of him.

"I missed my husband," she shrugged and stated simply. "What other reason did I need?"

"Oh," Ted managed finally, noting that she had a lot of luggage with her.

"Um, are you going to invite me in?" she asked after a few seconds with a nervous chuckle.

Ted shook his head.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Of course. Sorry. Please come in," he helped her.

She took a seat on the sofa and looked around.

"So…it's been a long time."

"Yeah."

"How have you been?"

"Good," he left it at that.

Too much had happened and it wasn't like he could share any of it with her anyway.

"I, uh, I guess you're wondering why I'm here, why I just showed up like this," she finally said.

Ted rubbed his head.

"No. I mean, it's cool and all, it's just…I had no idea you were coming. I could have cleaned the place up a bit, picked you up at the airport."

"It's okay."

"It's just a…surprise."

"I'm sorry…"

Ted played with his hands, wishing desperately that he had pockets to shove them into.

"I didn't mean it like that. I really am glad to see you, Kris."

He walked over to her and they shared an awkward kiss.

"I hope you mean that, Ted. Because I am glad to see you. I've missed you so, so much. I didn't realize how much until you opened up that door and I saw your face."

"I miss you, too."

"I've been such a fool and it just hit me all of a sudden a few days ago. I was working a double shift at the hospital and I was exhausted and it had been a pretty bad day. I drove home and all I wanted was to be greeted by the man that I love. I wanted to be kissed and held and I wanted to have someone to talk to, somebody to make it all better. And all I actually had was an empty house. It left me feeling so afraid, so alone. Ted, I don't ever want to have that feeling again. It's awful. So that's when I realized…that's probably how you have been feeling for a very long time."

The emotion poured out of her voice.

"Kris…"

"We've had our share of problems. I spent a lot of time blaming you, being so angry at you. You did some things that were wrong but let's face it, it was not all your fault. I have to start taking responsibility for my part in things. In order to move on, we might have to take a look back but honestly, I don't care who did or said what. That doesn't matter to me anymore. That is the past. Today is the present and I want a future as your wife, Ted. I haven't given up on our marriage just yet, and I don't plan to. I love you. I promised you and God and all our family and friends forever and I don't take that lightly. I intend to keep that promise. So that's why I'm here."

Ted looked dumbfounded.

"I, I don't know what to say. I mean, this is kind of a shock."

"I know it is. But I'm here now," she reached out for his hand and rubbed it.

He slowly nodded.

"You're here now."

"Do you think we can work it out?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"I, I don't know. I mean, I hope so. Is that what you want?"

She smiled.

"I do. Is that what you want?"

He chewed his lip and was quiet for a minute.

"Sure. Yeah, I think we can give it a try."

"I love you," she threw her slender arms around his neck. "I mean that. I love you so much. And we're going to do better. I'm going to do better. I know I haven't always been the most supportive wife, especially when it comes to your career. I'm so sorry about that. Let me make it up to you. Please. Give me another chance. Let your dreams be my dreams."

Ted looked her in the eye. This was his high school sweetheart, the woman he had vowed to love and cherish for all eternity. Their marriage had been disintegrating for a while and now she was back, accepting responsibility for her role, willing to forgive him for his. Kris was asking for a second chance and how could he say no? Though many mixed emotions raced throughout his body, he knew as a man, a married man, what he was supposed to do, in turn what he had to do. It was time for second chances. He had fallen out of love with Kristen but she was willing to address and fix the very reasons why. He owed her the respect of at least giving it a shot. He hadn't got married just to get divorced. And working on his marriage might somehow fix his relationship with his father, his status at work and his slew of other personal issues. And maybe it would make him forget about Ryland Crafton. He still didn't know how he felt about that one.