Chapter Thirty-Seven Disclaimer: This story is intended for readers of a mature age. It contains coarse language, adult situations, and other things that are not suitable for those who are younger than sixteen years. Also, I do not own any WWE Superstar and/or Diva, any personality from TNA, or anyone associated in the professional wrestling business, past and present. They are their own property. Also, any characters in this story that you do not recognize, they are either my personal property, or the property of someone else and used with their permission. Thank you for not suing.

"So, a certain brother of mine told me that a certain mother of my child was doing some serious thinking," Matt said, as he crawled into bed next to Krys on a Tuesday night. He had just finished another set of SmackDown tapings, and Krys had just come back on the road after two weeks of taking care of Cameron back in Philadelphia.

Sighing, Krys closed the book she had been reading, put it on the nightstand, and faced Matt. "Yeah. I was thinking about retiring," she mentioned quietly. "I know it sucks, but Trish telling us all why she stepped away really got me thinking. I mean…she told us all that there was nothing left to accomplish, and that she had wanted to concentrate on getting married and starting a family. It made me think, 'what if that's what I want? Should I walk away too?' I really don't know what to do, Matt." She threw her hands up in the air, sighing in frustration.

"Hey." Matt wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her, though he doubted it would do much good. "You know, when Jeff told me that you were thinking about retiring, I'll admit, I was a little confused at first. I wondered why, and then it hit me. You don't think you have exactly what it takes to make it, don't you?" When Krys went to protest, Matt raised his hand. "That, and the fact that you want to spend as much time as you possibly can raising Cam the right way. Am I right?" Krys fell silent again, nodding. "I don't blame you, but did you take into consideration the fans you'll be disappointing?"

"Yeah, I mentioned that to Jeff. And he told me that if the fans know I'm happy, then it shouldn't be a bother. But I mean…I don't wanna retire, but I'm seriously thinking about it. I don't think I should just yet, but I want to do a Trish, and retire as Women's Champion."

For a moment, Matt said nothing, and the two sat in silence for a bit, before anything else was said. "You know I love you, right, Krys?"

"Of course, though I doubt it sometimes."

"Okay. Now, I want to see you happy. And if that means you retiring, then so be it." He then pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I can't tell you what to do, you know that. But, whatever your decision—whether you decide to retire or not—it rests solely on your shoulders, and I would still love and support you, no matter what." Matt then lay under the blankets, and turned off the light. "Sleep on it, bright eyes."

As they lay down and sleep claimed then, a small tear rolled down her cheek. Was it honestly something she wanted to do?

Kat, Adam and Jeff

"Kat? Kat, come on, answer the phone, please. I wanna talk to you." Jeff's voice on Kat's voicemail made her sigh and roll her eyes. For two days, she hadn't spoken to either Jeff or Adam, too aggravated with the two of them for their macho pride and fighting over her and a little girl. Didn't those idiots realize that no matter which of them she was with, she would always love them? Whether they realized it or not, they would always be a part of hers and Isabella's lives. Not to mention Ariel's as well.

Picking up her phone, Kat dialed Jeff's number, and closed her eyes bitterly as he picked up. "Kat, are you still mad at me?" Jeff asked quietly upon answering.

"Figure it out, dumbass," she responded, irritated all of a sudden. Jeff sighed on the other end.

"Listen, I know I was being a complete jackass when I picked that fight with Adam, but let's face it, there's something about you Kat…"

"Something about me, what?" she growled, ready to bite his head off.

"Whoa, whoa. I was going to say that there was something about you, Kat, that drives a man wild. I'd do anything for you and your daughter, Kitty, and I want you to know it. Even if it's something as ridiculous as picking a fight with the American Werewolf in Canada himself."

Kat had to chuckle at the werewolf jokes. They all made wolf jokes about Adam, ever since Krys told him that he looked like something that crawled out of either "Teen Wolf" or "Thriller". Kat still laughed till she cried every time Jeff would break out with a moonwalk whenever he saw Adam. "So…do you forgive me?"

Kat sighed audibly, wanting to make Jeff as anxious as possible before answering. Finally she said, "Sure, I guess I forgive you. I mean, you are from North Carolina of all places, so that means you can't control your stupidity."

"HEY!" he cried, agitation creeping into his tone. "Don't diss the dirty south, man. Remember, you're from Texas." His voice was smug again, and Kat grinned. The humor was back in their relationship, which meant that all was well again.

RAW/ECW house show – Tokyo, Japan

Backstage at the joint RAW and ECW house show in Tokyo a few days later, Krys sat near the Gorilla Spot as Edge and Lita prepared to make their way to the ring for a tag team match. With Amy as his manager, Edge was to team with Randy Orton against D-Generation X as the main event of the evening. As the two stopped at the curtain right before the entrances, as Lilian Garcia announced the main event, Krys cast a sideways glance at the redhead, who looked her way and waved back.

Krys smiled at Amy, grateful that she didn't hate her for all the bitterness she'd shown her during her pregnancy. "Heard you're thinking about retiring," Amy whispered, making her way over to Krys and taking hold of her hand.

"I heard you're thinking about it as well," Krys said back, placing her free hand over the one Amy was holding. "Is it true?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "Things are getting too crazy around here to stick around." Amy opened her mouth to say more, but Adam took hold of her arm and led her back to the curtain.

"Ames, we gotta go," Adam said. He nodded once to Krys, who nodded back. They weren't exactly buddy-buddy, but at least they didn't hate one another for everything they'd done to each other in the past. "Catch you around, Krys."

"Same to you. Hey, Ames." The redhead turned back to Krys as "You think you know me…" started, curiosity in her eyes. "Meet me in my hotel room later after the show. We gotta catch up on a lot."

Amy nodded as the guitar riff of "Metalingus" started to kick in. "I'll catch you after the show," she mouthed, before putting on her bitch face. Adam took her arm, she tilted her chin in the air, exuding the air of cockiness around her that made her so hated, and they stepped through the curtain to the roar of the crowd.

Krys slowly jumped out of the chair she was sitting in, and made her way to the tech's area, where she watched Randy Orton make his way out, followed by DX. She smiled as she watched Amy work the crowd, taunting and jeering them as much as they jeered her. She tossed her hair, and cheered on Edge and Orton, and tried to interfere in the match when it looked like DX was going to gain an advantage. Finally, she smiled with glee as DX won, and Shawn Michaels and Triple H celebrated in the ring, and appealed to the crowd. The Japanese audience was hot for them all the whole show, and Krys was proud to be a part of this. Though she was not wrestling currently, because she and the rest of the WWE wanted to keep her return a secret, she still showed up at certain shows, just in case Vince decided he'd needed her for whatever reason.

As Rated RKO made their way backstage, Amy gave a thumbs-up to Krys, who gave a half-smile and nodded her head in understanding. "Fifteen minutes," she mouthed to her. "Meet me at the Divas' locker room."

"Will do," she mouthed back, and Amy walked off with Adam. Randy, however, stayed behind, telling the Canadian that he'd catch up to him later, and walked over to Krys.

"Great match, St. Louis," she said, calling him by his city.

"Why thank you, Philly," he said back, that smirk of his making its way onto his face. "Bet you're wondering about Kira and the baby, huh?"

"You know it, brother. So, tell me." Krys hoisted herself back into the rather high chair, and, trying and failing miserably to hid the grin that was on his face again, she shook her head and leaned back. "What are you waiting for, make with the talkin'."

Randy smiled at her again. "I'll tell you later on the way back to the hotel. There's not much to update you on, but Kira's doing fine, her belly's getting bigger, and that's all I'm telling you for now." At Krys' protests, he laughed. "Besides, I have a feeling that you're going to be quite a while with your convo with Amy."

"Yeah, we have a lot to talk about, I'm guessing," Krys said back, sitting back. "Oh well, you can tell me on the way back to the hotel like you said. So, go take a shower, because you stink to high hell, and I'll catch you in a few."

"Good Lord, you're a pushy cunt," Randy whined teasingly. "No wonder you and Matt are a perfect match."

She playfully scowled at him, placing her hands on her hips, arms akimbo. "I'm gonna ignore that 'cunt' comment, because you're married to my best HLA buddy, and because you think Matty and I are so perfect together. But next time, I'm gonna take a crap in your bag, and see how you like it!"

Randy's jaw dropped, and he stared at Krys incredulously. "You are so evil!"

She smirked as he ruffled her hair good-naturedly. "Don't tempt me. Seriously."

Sitting around, saying hello and congratulating several of the passers-by wrestlers on a great match, Krys sat in a chair, doing nothing and swinging her legs, whistling like a dork. Thankfully for her, fifteen minutes passed by rather quickly due to her running around and doing random things for random people, and when she glanced at her watch and saw that fifteen minutes had gone closer to twenty, she ran back to Stephanie, handed the Creative Exec her bottle of water, then took off for the Divas' locker room, looking for Amy. She knocked on the door first, not wanting to get stuff thrown at her for just barging in. "Hey red, you decent or what?" she called.

She then opened the door to see the redhead just pulling down her shirt. "Dammit, you are," she said with a grin.

Amy grinned back. "I see Kira's rubbed off on you," she said with a chuckle.

Krys chuckled as well. "Eh, it was a high school thing, so to speak. She's one of my closest buddies, you know that." She then sat on the bench, while Amy put on her sneakers. "So, what's up?"

"Not much, you're the one who wanted to talk. So talk."

"Yes, ma'am." The smile on her face fading, Krys looked into Amy's eyes and said, "Amy, I'm really, really sorry for everything I did when I was pregnant. I mean…I had this fucked up mentality that since Matt and me were gonna have a baby, that you should step off and stay off, or some shit like that--"

"Don't even try to excuse it," Amy interrupted, holding up a hand. "I really shouldn't have infringed on you guys' territory. I mean, I thought that since things were cool between us all and we were friends again, that I could hang out with Matt, and it would be okay with you. Guess I was wrong, huh?"

Krys sighed. "Dude, I swear to God, I felt so righteous in attacking you, but now I know that I shouldn't fly off the handle like that to you or anyone."

"Krys, don't apologize. Sure, I was pissed, but after Matt went running after you when you took off, I had to think to myself for a bit. I realized that I had put myself out there to your bitterness. I mean, really, as much as you guys say you're over, none of us are really over all that drama from last year." The two of them nodded thoughtfully before Amy spoke again. "And after you took off, and Matt ran after you, I had to think to myself. I had no right to be there with Matt. I had no right to sleep with him. And in all honesty…I feel as if I were the one who cost you your job in the first place. And I could never, ever begin to forgive myself for that." She took Krys' hand, and brown eyes met hazel. "I could never forgive myself for putting all of us through that crap. I made some pretty bad decisions, and I know I can never make it up to you, but…will you forgive me?"

"Wait, what? Whoa…" Krys had never expected that of all things from Amy. Sure, she'd expected the redhead to confess that she'd still loved Matt, that she wanted him back, that kind of thing, but never her asking Krys to forgive her. "Ames, it's no problem at all, really. You and I were like sisters at one point, man. I forgive the shit out of you, Amy." Before she knew it, Amy's face had become a blur of white and auburn, and Krys was sobbing uncontrollably. Amy started crying too, and the two women wrapped their arms around one another, crying on each other's shoulders.

Finally, after a good minute or two of crying, the two disentangled their arms from around each other, sniffled, and looked each other in the eye. Krys was the first to speak. "Sorry about that," she said sheepishly, wiping her eyes, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to get carried away like that."

"It's okay," Amy replied with a sheepish smile of her own. "I guess we just had to let it out." She then sighed, and threw her arm around Krys' shoulders. "Man, I miss hanging out like this with you guys. Just sitting around, bullshitting and getting drunk to no end."

"Those were good times," Krys agreed. "It doesn't have to change, you know Amy. We can still do the Cleansing and stuff like that. You can come around anytime you want and see Cameron."

"Speaking of Cameron…" Amy's eyes were serious again. "So, are you going to retire or not?"

Krys sat back against the lockers and sighed again. "I don't know," she admitted. "I mean, just seeing all those guys out there, flipping out for every single match, it made me think, 'Why the hell do I wanna give this up? It's the best job in the world, idiot; don't waste it by giving up so soon. I still have a shitload of stuff to do—by the way, I still say we should have the first-ever TLC match for the Women's Title," she teased, a grin etching its way onto her face once more, and Amy returned it. "Nah, I guess I'm not retiring after all. I love it too much to give it up. What about you?"

It was Amy's turn to sigh, then. She sat back against the lockers as well, not answering Krys for a moment. Finally, she said, "Yeah, I'm gonna step away from the ring."

"What?!" Krys all but shouted, sitting up and staring at Amy with wide eyes. "Why?!"

"Because it's not fun anymore." She threw up her hands in frustration. "I mean, I'm not having much fun wrestling anymore; you, Kat and Mickie are my only competition after Trish left and Lexi and Kira went to SmackDown and Kira had her baby, and on top of that…the fans hate me. I mean, ever since that shit came out last year, my life's been hell. I can't go anywhere without people yelling at me, calling me all types of 'whore', 'slut' and this, that, and the third. By this point, I'm pretty sure a face turn is out of the question… So I guess I'll just retire."

"Oh, come on, Amy," Krys protested, "Those fans, they're only talking shit about Lita. They don't know shit about the real Amy Dumas, the Amy Dumas that all of us know and love. I know you love this job as much as I or Lexi and Kat do, and you work just as hard as any of the guys do. So why give it up? Because of some shit the fans say? They don't know you personally; Amy shouldn't walk away because they hate Lita. If you want to walk away, I'm not going to stop you. If your heart is really set on this, then I'm only going to tell you this: If you're going to walk away, then do it for you. Don't do it for the fans."

For a long moment, Amy said nothing, then she finally said quietly, "You're right. I mean, those chants get to me, but I've really wanted to step away for a bit. I've got so many things I wanna do, and wrestling's holding me back. I wanna get away for a while."

"Are you coming back?" Krys' voice was quiet, almost reserved. It was as if she was afraid that she was going to tell her that she was never going to come back.

"…I don't know," Amy answered, just as quietly. "I mean, if I feel the urge to come back, then I will. But then, I want to be better than ever, y'know?"

"I know." Krys then stood to her feet, and held out her arms to the redhead. "Gimme a hug, you crazy bitch."

With a genuine smile on her face, Amy stood to her feet and took Krys in a tight embrace, and the two just stood there for an eternity, just hugging. The moment was broken by a knock at the door.

"Amy, you ready yet?" Adam's voice sounded off through the door, and Krys rolled her eyes at Amy, who rolled her eyes back.

"Give me a sec." Amy turned back to Krys, leaned in, and kissed her on the cheek. "Glad we had this chat, sis. It cleared up a lot of shit between us, and I'm grateful for it. I'm really gonna miss the shit out of you. You were always the fourth member of Team Xtreme, whether anyone realized that or not."

"I'm gonna miss the living hell out of you too, red. I'll catch you soon." With the tears in her eyes again, Krys clapped a hand on Amy's back, and gave her a reassuring smile as Amy turned the doorknob, and opened the door. The two waved at each other as Amy walked out and closed the door behind her.

Wiping her eyes and sniffling again, Krys shook her head. All of my friends are leaving me, she thought, fear creeping into her body. I'm gonna be alone soon… Oh, God, no.

"…Wait a minute, what am I talking about?" she asked herself, looking up in the air. "I'm not alone. I've got an entire family here with me. Amy's gonna go, Trish is gone, but Kira's coming back soon, and Lexi and Kat are still on the road. And I've got my North Carolina Connection. What the hell am I talking about? I'm never alone."

And she was right. Realization dawned on her, and she realized the answer to the question she'd been agonizing over for the past month. She would never be alone. Her group of friends was here to stay, come hell or high water. Amy would be missed, and so would Trish, but she had all the family she needed right where she was.

Fuck retirement. She can retire when she's dead. Hearing the knock on the door, Krys turned when she heard Randy's voice. "Ready, Krys?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." With a grin on her face, she threw open the door, and threw her arm around Randy's shoulders. "Let's get out of here."

This is my home. This is my family. I'm here to stay, bitches!