All of the people in this story are owned by Vince McMahon and the WWF, except for Melanie, Uncle Wes, Michael and Monica.
If you would like to use my story, please ask me first.
Please review, I love feedback! Constructive criticism is fine, but no flames please.
Chapter 5: A Chance Meeting
Yawning, Amy drowsily opened her eyes and felt something soft and velvety wrapped around her. She looked down at the royal blue sash tied around her waist. *I don't remember my robe being this soft- uh oh!* She practically jumped out of bed and skidded to a stop in front of the bathroom door. Amy breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the water dripping off of her clothes and into the tub. Her thoughts rushed back to last night, she remembered Matt carrying her and hearing Stephanie's voice several times. *Please let this be Stephanie's robe,* she thought fervently to herself. She looked down at her bare feet and realized for the first time how toasty warm they were compared to the cold, hardwood floor. *How come they're so warm?* Amy wondered to herself. She felt along the foot of the bed and felt two little lumps. Pulling back the covers, she saw 2 hot water bottles lying there. Smiling softly to herself, she thought, *Snug as a bug in a rug.* Quietly, she opened the door and tiptoed across the hall to Matt and Jeff's room. She knocked on the door softly. Shirtless, Matt opened the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Amy blushed, she seldom saw him without a shirt on unless he was in the ring.
His eyes wide with surprise, Matt asked, "Amy! How are you feeling?"
"Um, fine," she responded quickly. "Tell me this is Stephanie's robe?" she blurted out in one breath.
Matt smiled, "Actually, no".. he paused, taking in her distraught features. Panic flitted across her face for just one second, but quickly she regained her composure. Amy was trying to find a way to sensitively ask Matt a question without offending him.
Matt knew what was bothering her though, so he continued. "The robe is complimentary, we have one in our room too." He noticed Amy visibly relax. "And," he continued, "Stephanie took your wet clothes off, not me," he said with a chuckle.
"Oh, thank you," she said gratefully, nervously fiddling with the sash at her waist. "How did you know?" she asked curiously.
"It was written all over your face. You may try to hide what your thinking but you can't fool me. I know you better than that," he said smugly.
"Or at least you'd like to think you do," she said with a smirk. She turned on her heel and headed back to her room. Opening her door, she saw a flower box lying on the polished, cherry wood nightstand beneath her window. *Oh, Matt must have sent me flowers, how sweet of him,* she thought with a smile. She neatly took off the yellow wrapping and opened the box. The smile fell off her face and she gasped, the flowers were charred, mostly ashes. There was a little note in the bottom of the box. With shaking hands, Amy unfolded the note. It read: "Something to remember me by." The note fluttered to the floor. A million thoughts flooded through Amy's mind, *Is this for real? Do I actually know this person or worse yet, does he or she know me?*
Matt had just closed his door and crawled into bed when he heard a soft knock on their door. Matt sighed and had the feeling he wasn't going to get any more sleep this morning.
"Amy, I really don't feel like witty"... he said as he opened the door. He stopped abruptly when he saw her pale face.
"Matt," she said, her voice trembling with fear.
"Amy what is it, what's the matter?" Matt asked, concerned. Unable to get the words past her throat, she gripped his hand tightly and pulled him into her room. He noticed the mutilated flowers on the nightstand. "What the heck?" Matt asked angrily.
"Look at this," Amy said, picking the note up off the floor, she handed it to Matt. As he read the note, his jaw muscle tightened. "Vince needs to know about this," Matt said, grabbing her hand. He started pulling her towards the door.
"Uh, Matt, we're not dressed. Going to see Vince in our pajamas might be a little awkward don't you think?"
"Oh," he stopped abruptly, and sheepishly looked down at his pants. "It might give Vince the wrong idea."
"And," Amy said gently, "I would like to talk to Vince about it okay. It's just something I feel that I need to do myself, but I would love it if you were there for moral support. Besides, in case I stumble over my words you can help me pick up the pieces."
Matt swallowed hard, "Um, okay."
"I appreciate your doing this for me, I know it's hard for you, because your accustomed to being the leader type."
Whether she realized it or not, that was a major blow to his ego.
He shrugged, "Aw, it's no big deal."
"Yes it is," she said, "it takes a strong man to go against the grain." She brushed a soft kiss against the scratchy stubble starting to form on his chin. "Better start growing that goatee again for the matches, the girls love it," she said teasingly. "Just let me get dressed, and I'll meet you in the hallway in a few minutes." As Matt laced up his shoes, he thought, *I know Amy wants to do this on her own, and I understand that. It is hard for me, even though I don't admit it. I'll be there for her, but if Amy wants any help I'll gladly give it to her,* he thought determinedly. Amy and Matt walked quietly down the hall, and knocked softly on Vince McMahon's door. They could hear laughing and giggling coming from inside. Amy turned to Matt, "Maybe we picked a bad time," Amy said, looking uncomfortable. Just then the door opened, and Vince peered at them, his hair disheveled.
"Who is it honey?" they heard Linda McMahon's voice ask from inside.
"What do you guys want? It's 8:30 in the morning!" he hissed.
"We uh, that is I uh," Amy babbled.
"We need to talk to you Vince, it's important," Matt said, giving Amy's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. Linda came to the door, just tying the sash around her robe.
"Oh, hi guys," Linda said smiling. She rested her chin on Vince's shoulder.
Vince sighed, "Alright, meet me in the lobby at 10:00 a.m. sharp."
Amy and Matt nodded, "Thanks Vince," Matt said.
"See, I don't think they would have noticed us in our pajamas at all," he teased as they starting walking back down the hall. When she didn't respond to his teasing though, he frowned. "What no jab to the ribs or punch in the shoulder?" he asked with a grin.
"Hey, what's wrong red?" Matt asked, gently massaging her neck.
"I can't believe I didn't do that," Amy said in frustration.
He dropped his hand from her neck, "What are you talking about? Oh, I know, it's because you got all tongue-tied in front of Vince."
"Thanks for reminding me," Amy replied sourly.
"Hon, don't worry about it, you've been through a lot lately, and last night is the straw that broke the camel's back."
"I suppose that's part of it, plus I've never really had a serious discussion with Vince, he's just always handed us a script and told us what he expects from us in the ring. It just bugs me that I got all nervous and wimped out."
"Amy, you don't have to try and be so tough all the time," he admonished gently.
Amy raised an eyebrow, "Did that sentence just come out of your mouth?" she feigned in mock surprise. "Besides, I learn from the best," Amy said, casting him a sideways glance.
"I know I have the tough guy thing going on, but on occasion even I have to let my guard down. I'm only human."
"I know," Amy said with a sigh. As they reached her door, Amy turned around suddenly, facing Matt. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, after practice, I'm meeting Stephanie at the mall for lunch, so I'll see you later this evening."
"Okay, but be careful," he said in concern.
"Will do," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
10:00 am, in the lobby:
Amy, Matt and Vince sat down in the overstuffed chairs.
"So what do you guys want to talk to me about?" Vince asked curiously, leaning forward in his chair. Matt sat back and listened intently as Amy told Vince everything, starting with the explosion of Chris's S.U.V., up to now, ending with the burned flowers incident. She conveniently left out the part when the stranger walked into her hotel room the day of their arrival. Vince stared at her, speechless, then he leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"I think the police need to be brought into this," Vince said matter-of-factly."
"What can the police do though, I don't know who the stalker is." Apparently, it's someone from my past, but the note that he or she left with the flowers doesn't ring a bell." Amy handed him the note. "I'm thinking perhaps it's just an obsessed fan."
"Or another psychotic family member," Vince said raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, it's not Monica," Amy said quickly, looking at Matt out of the corner of her eye. "Besides, Monica is Nora's half sister, she's not related to me."
"Whatever, good enough, you're all close enough to be family anyway."
"Okay, so no police, what about a bodyguard?"
Matt sat bolt upright in his chair, "That's a great idea!"
"No," Amy said firmly. "I would have no life or privacy. He'd follow me everywhere."
"Okay," Vince sighed. He wasn't about to argue with Amy, she could be very tenacious when she wanted to be. He could see that in her personality when she was in the ring. "I'll do what I can as far as hiring extra security for inside and outside the auditorium. Amy, I do have one more suggestion though," Vince said reluctantly.
"What is it?" Amy asked, her voice filled with dread. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like what he was about to say.
"You may want to take a break from wrestling for a while, just till this blows over," Vince said quickly.
"Amy stood up quickly, "What, no, I'm not doing that." She stormed over to the window, staring out of it unseeingly. Just then she felt hands gently press down on her shoulders, " I can't do it Matt, I want to be in the thick of it, not behind the scenes."
"I know red," he said gently, "but Vince has a point, less exposure, less chance of the stalker getting to you."
Amy turned to face him, her eyes looking sorrowfully into his, "If you were asked to stop wrestling because of a health or safety issue, would you do it?
His eyes locked with hers, "No," he said with finality.
"Okay then." Amy stepped away from Matt and walked over to Vince, giving him her answer.
Amy looked at her watch, "I have to go meet Stephanie at the mall, I'll see you guys later."
Watching her go, Vince said, "Geez, Amy's like a dog with a bone, she holds on and won't let go."
Her tenacity is one of the things I love about her though," Matt said with a grin. Soberly, Matt said, "I can't say that I wouldn't do the same thing if I were in her shoes."
"So big bro, have you tried on one of Amy's dresses yet? It might be a bit tight on you though," Jeff said, grinning, as he clapped a hand on Matt's shoulder.
"Ha, ha, very funny," Matt said giving Jeff a withering look. "Oh, and remember, you and I are supposed to meet Paul outside on the verandah in 20 minutes, and," Matt emphasized, raising an eyebrow, "try not to be late."
Jeff nodded absent-mindedly, "Okay, okay." Jeff turned to Vince, "Why did you let Melanie be my manager after you found out she was pregnant?"
"Because I asked him to," a female voice said from behind them. "He was reluctant to let me get involved because I was with child. I need to be around friends though and to keep busy. If I'm busy working, I'm too preoccupied to think about Greg as much," Melanie explained, unshed tears glittering in her sea-green eyes.
Watching her closely, Jeff finally found his voice, "Mellie, I just don't want you getting hurt."
"I know," she said softly, pulling him into a hug, "but the decision was not yours to make, but mine. Please try to understand. I'll be careful though, I promise," she said through the tears in her eyes.
"A-hem," Vince cleared his throat. Slowly Melanie pulled away from Jeff. "Don't give me a reason to believe that pesky rumor," Vince said with mock severity.
"We're just old friends," Melanie said reassuringly.
"I can see that," Vince said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Oh, and Jeff, I gave Matt your script earlier, your fighting Andrew (Test). Melanie is in your corner, while Trish is in Andrew's. I'll see you guys at the match tonight."
Melanie watched him leave, then turned back to Jeff, "I'm going to go watch the others practice, then Vince want's me to go through several outfits that Stephanie picked out for me to wear in the ring- that she thought would match my style," Melanie said a bit uncertainly.
"Don't worry, Steph probably has your style down pat. She has good taste in clothes, so your in good hands. That girl shops more than Nora does, and Nora goes to the mall at least once a week. Melanie laughed then abruptly changed the subject.
"I appreciate your concern Jeff, but please don't worry about me too much because Vince has told all the wrestlers that I'm pregnant, so they all know to be extra careful not to get me involved in a match, kind of like Lillian," Melanie said with a carefree grin. Jeff watched as she walked away, *yea, but Lillian's gotten caught in the crossfire numerous times, the worst being when she broke her arm,* he thought darkly.
Jeff looked at his watch, "Aw, shoot, I'm going to be late!" he muttered to himself. When he got to their table he was surprised to find Chris and Andrew there too. Matt looked up at Jeff in surprise and looked at his watch.
"You got here on time-with 30 seconds to spare," Matt said, grinning wryly. As Jeff sat down Paul smiled nervously at the group.
"I called this meeting of sorts, because I want you guys to go shopping with me," he said hesitantly.
"Aw man," the others groaned.
Ignoring them, Paul continued, "To buy a wedding ring for Stephanie," he finished. The guys looked at him in surprise, their mouths hanging open.
Meanwhile, at the mall :
Amy was surprised to see Nora, Trish, Jessica and Monica sitting at a table with Stephanie.
"Hey, what are ya'll doing here?" Amy asked in surprise. As Amy sat down beside Nora, Stephanie leaned forward in her chair, a bright smile on her face, "I'd like you guys to help me pick out a wedding ring for Paul," she said excitedly.
The girls squealed.
"Oh, this is going to be such fun!" Nora said delightedly. As the girls started walking through the mall Monica noticed a guy walking ahead and to the right of them at a fast pace. *He looks kind of like-Elroy Jetson!?* Monica thought in surprise.
"Nora," Monica said, pointing at the guy ahead of her, "do you know that person? He looks vaguely familiar."
Nora giggled, "Yes, that's Erin O'Grady, you may know him as Crash Holly."
"Oh, right, he's that.. hey, he's that wrestler on tv!" Monica exclaimed.
"Right, Erin's great, he's the coolest."
"Oh, so Erin's your boyfriend?" Monica asked curiously, trying her best to hide her disappointment. Monica felt a twinge of jealously at the prospect of he and Nora dating.
"Oh, no," Nora said with a laugh, "Jeff's my boy".. Nora stopped abruptly, a frown marring her pretty features.
"No, no, Erin's not my boyfriend, he's just a good friend," she finished quietly. Failing to notice Nora's change in demeanor, Monica found herself greatly relieved that he wasn't dating anyone at the moment. *What's going on with me, I don't even know the guy,* she thought to herself.
"You like him don't ya?" Nora said, grinning slyly at her.
"What are you talking about? I don't even know him."
"No, but all of a sudden you're very curious about him- for someone you don't even know," she said with a Cheshire-cat like grin.
They were interrupted by a tug on Nora's arm.
"Oh, my gosh!" Stephanie said, dragging Nora into a Celtic jewelry store. She pointed excitedly to a two-tone, gold wedding band in the store window. "This would be perfect for Paul, manly and unique, plus he is always reading books about Celtic civilization, customs etc."
A smile spread slowly across her face as she inspected the design of the band closely. It consisted of two gold bands-one white gold, the other yellow gold, intertwined together, giving it a multi-colored, braided look.
"What do you guys think?" Stephanie asked the others excitedly.
"I think it's nice," Trish said.
"It's breathtaking!" Monica replied.
"I'm getting it then," Stephanie said firmly. The others waited outside the store while she purchased the correct size ring for Paul.
Conspiratorially, Amy leaned towards Trish, Nora and Monica, "What do you think if we had a bridal shower for Stephanie?" she asked, her eyes shining excitedly.
Giddy , Nora whispered softly, "I thing that would be just peachy!"
The others just looked at her. "What?" she said. Monica and Trish thought it was 'peachy' too.
"Great, I'm glad you guys like it. Now, all I have to do is wheedle Matt and Jeff into letting me use their house," she said with a grin.
"Why their house?" Trish asked, curiously.
"Their place is bigger than mine," Amy said simply.
"Shh, she's coming," Monica whispered quickly.
"Got it," Stephanie said triumphantly, clutching her precious cargo close to her chest. "Now, Monica how about we get you some new clothes. You would look great in leather pants"...
A half-hour later, at the other end of the mall:
*Finally,* the guys thought with relief, when Paul found a jewelry store that he was actually interested in. *They'll feel differently when it's their turn,* Paul thought with a grin as he entered the store.
He turned the gold braided, Celtic ring over in his hands, this will look great on her delicate finger, Paul thought to himself. *Good thing I know her ring size.* He walked out of the store with a smile on his face.
"Okay, now we can go."
"Oh, geez, finally, we've been here three hours! " Chris said.
Andrew elbowed Jeff in the ribs, "Hey, isn't that Erin over there?"
"Yeah, it looks like it," Jeff said absent-mindedly, not really paying attention. Andrew noticed a raven-haired girl with him.
"Who's the girl with him?" Andrew asked Jeff. "Earth to Jeff?" he asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
Jeff shook his head, "Uh, sorry, what did you say?"
"I said," Andrew emphasized, "Who's that girl he's with?"
Jeff looked for a second, then shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know." Getting a glimpse of her face, Jeff almost did a double take and looked again. *Nah, It couldn't be Monica, could it? No, no, Erin wouldn't fall for an ex-con, right?*
Wrestling auditorium, 5:00 o'clock:
When Jeff walked through the double doors, the first person he saw was Chris Benoit.
"Hey Chris!" Jeff yelled, jogging over to him. "Have you seen Nora anywhere?" Chris closed his eyes and thought for a second, "She was here earlier this morning, but she left hours ago."
"Did she say where she was going?" Jeff asked, partly in concern, and partly trying to track her down in hopes of talking to her.
Looking slightly irritated, Chris replied, "She said she was going to meet a friend at the mall.
"Oh," Jeff said, looking crestfallen.
Feeling a little bad, Chris said quickly, "She didn't say who she was going to meet."
"Thanks for your help Chris," Jeff said, his shoulders slumped, as he headed back towards the entrance.
"No, problem, anytime." *That kid has it bad,* Chris thought to himself, shaking his head.
6:00 o'clock, the auditorium :
Jeff looked at his watch nervously, his match started in five minutes. He hadn't seen Nora all day. *Maybe she's just trying to avoid me, or maybe her "friend," is some guy she just met and maybe she's hanging out with him at the mall. He shook his head, *Man, too many maybes, but still, I hope I'm not too late,* he thought frantically.
Just then, Mel came up to Jeff.
"Jeff, I'm sorry about all the rumors about us, I hope they haven't messed things up with you and your girlfriend. Judging by the guilty look on his face, she knew otherwise.
"Oh, Jeff, I'm so sorry!" Practically throwing herself into Jeff's arms, she wrapped her arms around his waist and clung tightly to him.
Hesitantly, Nora pushed open the locker room door, "Jeff can we.. talk," her voice trailed off. Nora's throat went dry. Rooted to the spot, Nora felt as if she were paralyzed.
"Nora!" Jeff said, releasing Melanie. Nora turned and fled, tears flooding her eyes.
"Nora!" Jeff cried out again as he reached the end of the corridor. He thought he'd seen a glimpse of her golden ringlets to his left, but when he reached the end of the hallway, she wasn't there either. He ran a hand through his blue hair. "This is just not my week," he muttered, putting his head in his hands.
A female voice spoke quietly behind him, "It looks like I've made things worse instead of better," she said regretfully.
"Melanie, it's not your fault," Jeff said forcefully. It's a matter of both trust and communication between Nora and I." Jeff looked at his watch. "Come on, we have a match to attend."
With the Hardys music playing, Jeff and Melanie made their way to the ring. Jeff got up on the ropes and did the trademark guns. Suddenly, the arena went dark and Test's music started playing. Test made his way to the ring, followed by Trish. Once Test entered the ring, Jeff motioned for Melanie to leave the ring. Obediently, she ducked under the ropes and watched in fascination as Jeff clothes-lined, then twisted Test's arm behind his back. She never imagined she'd be this close to a wrestling match, and Melanie found herself getting into it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Trish climb under the ropes to help Test. Following suit, Melanie ducked under the ropes and grabbed Trish's arm, "What do you think you're doing?" Melanie hissed.
"Melanie, it's part of the script, remember? I'm supposed to come in and interfere." Melanie's eyes widened in recognition. Reluctantly, she let go of Trish's arm. Melanie stepped out onto the ring's edge and carefully made her way back to the turnbuckle. She watched tensely as Trish grabbed a handful of Jeff's brightly colored hair.
"Come on Jeff!" Melanie screamed, pounding on the turnbuckle. Test easily got out of Jeff's arm lock and delivered a swift kick to his midsection. With a sneer on her face, Trish backed away, knowing she had done her part, watching as Jeff doubled over in pain. Melanie was so engrossed in the match that she didn't realize she was now standing in the center of the ring's apron. Looking down, Melanie grasped the rope tightly and slowly turned around. Trish saw what was about to happen and raced around to the other side of the ring.
Melanie was gingerly lowering herself off of the apron, when frantically, Trish cried out, "Melanie, get out of the way!" Melanie looked up at Trish, startled. Going out of character, Trish screamed, "Andrew stop!" Surprised, Andrew threw a confused glance at Trish, but his jaw dropped when he saw Melanie in his way! He tried to stop but to no avail. He bounced off the rope, knocking Melanie to the floor.
Meanwhile, backstage:
Benoit's match was up next, so he glanced up at the monitor to see how Jeff and Andrew's match was progressing. He abruptly stopped lacing up his boots as he watched the screen. Benoit usually never got involved in wrestling matches that weren't his own, but judging by the panicked look on Andrew's face as he jumped out of the ring, something had gone horribly wrong. Chris jumped up off the locker room bench and raced towards the entrance ramp. He made his way down the ramp, ignoring the horde of screaming fans surrounding him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Jeff slowly getting up. That's when Chris noticed a young woman with luxurious, brown hair lying face down outside the ring. He knelt down beside Trish and felt the young woman's neck for a pulse.
"What happened?" Chris asked calmly.
Trish pointed to the center of the ring apron, "Andrew bounced off the rope, but he didn't see Melanie until the last minute and by then it was too late."
"Melanie," his eyes widened. Gently, he turned Melanie over, looking her over critically.
"Andrew went to call an ambulance, they should be here soon," Trish said. Chris nodded absent-mindedly, as if mulling something over. Making a decision, Chris carefully scooped up an unconscious Melanie in his arms.
"Whoa, wait a minute, aren't you going to wait for Andrew to come back?" Trish questioned.
"Relax Trish, Jeff and I can get her to the hospital faster. Ya coming Jeff?" Chris yelled over his shoulder.
"Right behind you!" Jeff yelled, jumping off the apron, albeit, a bit stiffly. As Jeff looked worriedly at Melanie's still form, he pleaded silently, "Lord, let her be alright."
If you would like to use my story, please ask me first.
Please review, I love feedback! Constructive criticism is fine, but no flames please.
Chapter 5: A Chance Meeting
Yawning, Amy drowsily opened her eyes and felt something soft and velvety wrapped around her. She looked down at the royal blue sash tied around her waist. *I don't remember my robe being this soft- uh oh!* She practically jumped out of bed and skidded to a stop in front of the bathroom door. Amy breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the water dripping off of her clothes and into the tub. Her thoughts rushed back to last night, she remembered Matt carrying her and hearing Stephanie's voice several times. *Please let this be Stephanie's robe,* she thought fervently to herself. She looked down at her bare feet and realized for the first time how toasty warm they were compared to the cold, hardwood floor. *How come they're so warm?* Amy wondered to herself. She felt along the foot of the bed and felt two little lumps. Pulling back the covers, she saw 2 hot water bottles lying there. Smiling softly to herself, she thought, *Snug as a bug in a rug.* Quietly, she opened the door and tiptoed across the hall to Matt and Jeff's room. She knocked on the door softly. Shirtless, Matt opened the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Amy blushed, she seldom saw him without a shirt on unless he was in the ring.
His eyes wide with surprise, Matt asked, "Amy! How are you feeling?"
"Um, fine," she responded quickly. "Tell me this is Stephanie's robe?" she blurted out in one breath.
Matt smiled, "Actually, no".. he paused, taking in her distraught features. Panic flitted across her face for just one second, but quickly she regained her composure. Amy was trying to find a way to sensitively ask Matt a question without offending him.
Matt knew what was bothering her though, so he continued. "The robe is complimentary, we have one in our room too." He noticed Amy visibly relax. "And," he continued, "Stephanie took your wet clothes off, not me," he said with a chuckle.
"Oh, thank you," she said gratefully, nervously fiddling with the sash at her waist. "How did you know?" she asked curiously.
"It was written all over your face. You may try to hide what your thinking but you can't fool me. I know you better than that," he said smugly.
"Or at least you'd like to think you do," she said with a smirk. She turned on her heel and headed back to her room. Opening her door, she saw a flower box lying on the polished, cherry wood nightstand beneath her window. *Oh, Matt must have sent me flowers, how sweet of him,* she thought with a smile. She neatly took off the yellow wrapping and opened the box. The smile fell off her face and she gasped, the flowers were charred, mostly ashes. There was a little note in the bottom of the box. With shaking hands, Amy unfolded the note. It read: "Something to remember me by." The note fluttered to the floor. A million thoughts flooded through Amy's mind, *Is this for real? Do I actually know this person or worse yet, does he or she know me?*
Matt had just closed his door and crawled into bed when he heard a soft knock on their door. Matt sighed and had the feeling he wasn't going to get any more sleep this morning.
"Amy, I really don't feel like witty"... he said as he opened the door. He stopped abruptly when he saw her pale face.
"Matt," she said, her voice trembling with fear.
"Amy what is it, what's the matter?" Matt asked, concerned. Unable to get the words past her throat, she gripped his hand tightly and pulled him into her room. He noticed the mutilated flowers on the nightstand. "What the heck?" Matt asked angrily.
"Look at this," Amy said, picking the note up off the floor, she handed it to Matt. As he read the note, his jaw muscle tightened. "Vince needs to know about this," Matt said, grabbing her hand. He started pulling her towards the door.
"Uh, Matt, we're not dressed. Going to see Vince in our pajamas might be a little awkward don't you think?"
"Oh," he stopped abruptly, and sheepishly looked down at his pants. "It might give Vince the wrong idea."
"And," Amy said gently, "I would like to talk to Vince about it okay. It's just something I feel that I need to do myself, but I would love it if you were there for moral support. Besides, in case I stumble over my words you can help me pick up the pieces."
Matt swallowed hard, "Um, okay."
"I appreciate your doing this for me, I know it's hard for you, because your accustomed to being the leader type."
Whether she realized it or not, that was a major blow to his ego.
He shrugged, "Aw, it's no big deal."
"Yes it is," she said, "it takes a strong man to go against the grain." She brushed a soft kiss against the scratchy stubble starting to form on his chin. "Better start growing that goatee again for the matches, the girls love it," she said teasingly. "Just let me get dressed, and I'll meet you in the hallway in a few minutes." As Matt laced up his shoes, he thought, *I know Amy wants to do this on her own, and I understand that. It is hard for me, even though I don't admit it. I'll be there for her, but if Amy wants any help I'll gladly give it to her,* he thought determinedly. Amy and Matt walked quietly down the hall, and knocked softly on Vince McMahon's door. They could hear laughing and giggling coming from inside. Amy turned to Matt, "Maybe we picked a bad time," Amy said, looking uncomfortable. Just then the door opened, and Vince peered at them, his hair disheveled.
"Who is it honey?" they heard Linda McMahon's voice ask from inside.
"What do you guys want? It's 8:30 in the morning!" he hissed.
"We uh, that is I uh," Amy babbled.
"We need to talk to you Vince, it's important," Matt said, giving Amy's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. Linda came to the door, just tying the sash around her robe.
"Oh, hi guys," Linda said smiling. She rested her chin on Vince's shoulder.
Vince sighed, "Alright, meet me in the lobby at 10:00 a.m. sharp."
Amy and Matt nodded, "Thanks Vince," Matt said.
"See, I don't think they would have noticed us in our pajamas at all," he teased as they starting walking back down the hall. When she didn't respond to his teasing though, he frowned. "What no jab to the ribs or punch in the shoulder?" he asked with a grin.
"Hey, what's wrong red?" Matt asked, gently massaging her neck.
"I can't believe I didn't do that," Amy said in frustration.
He dropped his hand from her neck, "What are you talking about? Oh, I know, it's because you got all tongue-tied in front of Vince."
"Thanks for reminding me," Amy replied sourly.
"Hon, don't worry about it, you've been through a lot lately, and last night is the straw that broke the camel's back."
"I suppose that's part of it, plus I've never really had a serious discussion with Vince, he's just always handed us a script and told us what he expects from us in the ring. It just bugs me that I got all nervous and wimped out."
"Amy, you don't have to try and be so tough all the time," he admonished gently.
Amy raised an eyebrow, "Did that sentence just come out of your mouth?" she feigned in mock surprise. "Besides, I learn from the best," Amy said, casting him a sideways glance.
"I know I have the tough guy thing going on, but on occasion even I have to let my guard down. I'm only human."
"I know," Amy said with a sigh. As they reached her door, Amy turned around suddenly, facing Matt. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, after practice, I'm meeting Stephanie at the mall for lunch, so I'll see you later this evening."
"Okay, but be careful," he said in concern.
"Will do," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
10:00 am, in the lobby:
Amy, Matt and Vince sat down in the overstuffed chairs.
"So what do you guys want to talk to me about?" Vince asked curiously, leaning forward in his chair. Matt sat back and listened intently as Amy told Vince everything, starting with the explosion of Chris's S.U.V., up to now, ending with the burned flowers incident. She conveniently left out the part when the stranger walked into her hotel room the day of their arrival. Vince stared at her, speechless, then he leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"I think the police need to be brought into this," Vince said matter-of-factly."
"What can the police do though, I don't know who the stalker is." Apparently, it's someone from my past, but the note that he or she left with the flowers doesn't ring a bell." Amy handed him the note. "I'm thinking perhaps it's just an obsessed fan."
"Or another psychotic family member," Vince said raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, it's not Monica," Amy said quickly, looking at Matt out of the corner of her eye. "Besides, Monica is Nora's half sister, she's not related to me."
"Whatever, good enough, you're all close enough to be family anyway."
"Okay, so no police, what about a bodyguard?"
Matt sat bolt upright in his chair, "That's a great idea!"
"No," Amy said firmly. "I would have no life or privacy. He'd follow me everywhere."
"Okay," Vince sighed. He wasn't about to argue with Amy, she could be very tenacious when she wanted to be. He could see that in her personality when she was in the ring. "I'll do what I can as far as hiring extra security for inside and outside the auditorium. Amy, I do have one more suggestion though," Vince said reluctantly.
"What is it?" Amy asked, her voice filled with dread. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like what he was about to say.
"You may want to take a break from wrestling for a while, just till this blows over," Vince said quickly.
"Amy stood up quickly, "What, no, I'm not doing that." She stormed over to the window, staring out of it unseeingly. Just then she felt hands gently press down on her shoulders, " I can't do it Matt, I want to be in the thick of it, not behind the scenes."
"I know red," he said gently, "but Vince has a point, less exposure, less chance of the stalker getting to you."
Amy turned to face him, her eyes looking sorrowfully into his, "If you were asked to stop wrestling because of a health or safety issue, would you do it?
His eyes locked with hers, "No," he said with finality.
"Okay then." Amy stepped away from Matt and walked over to Vince, giving him her answer.
Amy looked at her watch, "I have to go meet Stephanie at the mall, I'll see you guys later."
Watching her go, Vince said, "Geez, Amy's like a dog with a bone, she holds on and won't let go."
Her tenacity is one of the things I love about her though," Matt said with a grin. Soberly, Matt said, "I can't say that I wouldn't do the same thing if I were in her shoes."
"So big bro, have you tried on one of Amy's dresses yet? It might be a bit tight on you though," Jeff said, grinning, as he clapped a hand on Matt's shoulder.
"Ha, ha, very funny," Matt said giving Jeff a withering look. "Oh, and remember, you and I are supposed to meet Paul outside on the verandah in 20 minutes, and," Matt emphasized, raising an eyebrow, "try not to be late."
Jeff nodded absent-mindedly, "Okay, okay." Jeff turned to Vince, "Why did you let Melanie be my manager after you found out she was pregnant?"
"Because I asked him to," a female voice said from behind them. "He was reluctant to let me get involved because I was with child. I need to be around friends though and to keep busy. If I'm busy working, I'm too preoccupied to think about Greg as much," Melanie explained, unshed tears glittering in her sea-green eyes.
Watching her closely, Jeff finally found his voice, "Mellie, I just don't want you getting hurt."
"I know," she said softly, pulling him into a hug, "but the decision was not yours to make, but mine. Please try to understand. I'll be careful though, I promise," she said through the tears in her eyes.
"A-hem," Vince cleared his throat. Slowly Melanie pulled away from Jeff. "Don't give me a reason to believe that pesky rumor," Vince said with mock severity.
"We're just old friends," Melanie said reassuringly.
"I can see that," Vince said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Oh, and Jeff, I gave Matt your script earlier, your fighting Andrew (Test). Melanie is in your corner, while Trish is in Andrew's. I'll see you guys at the match tonight."
Melanie watched him leave, then turned back to Jeff, "I'm going to go watch the others practice, then Vince want's me to go through several outfits that Stephanie picked out for me to wear in the ring- that she thought would match my style," Melanie said a bit uncertainly.
"Don't worry, Steph probably has your style down pat. She has good taste in clothes, so your in good hands. That girl shops more than Nora does, and Nora goes to the mall at least once a week. Melanie laughed then abruptly changed the subject.
"I appreciate your concern Jeff, but please don't worry about me too much because Vince has told all the wrestlers that I'm pregnant, so they all know to be extra careful not to get me involved in a match, kind of like Lillian," Melanie said with a carefree grin. Jeff watched as she walked away, *yea, but Lillian's gotten caught in the crossfire numerous times, the worst being when she broke her arm,* he thought darkly.
Jeff looked at his watch, "Aw, shoot, I'm going to be late!" he muttered to himself. When he got to their table he was surprised to find Chris and Andrew there too. Matt looked up at Jeff in surprise and looked at his watch.
"You got here on time-with 30 seconds to spare," Matt said, grinning wryly. As Jeff sat down Paul smiled nervously at the group.
"I called this meeting of sorts, because I want you guys to go shopping with me," he said hesitantly.
"Aw man," the others groaned.
Ignoring them, Paul continued, "To buy a wedding ring for Stephanie," he finished. The guys looked at him in surprise, their mouths hanging open.
Meanwhile, at the mall :
Amy was surprised to see Nora, Trish, Jessica and Monica sitting at a table with Stephanie.
"Hey, what are ya'll doing here?" Amy asked in surprise. As Amy sat down beside Nora, Stephanie leaned forward in her chair, a bright smile on her face, "I'd like you guys to help me pick out a wedding ring for Paul," she said excitedly.
The girls squealed.
"Oh, this is going to be such fun!" Nora said delightedly. As the girls started walking through the mall Monica noticed a guy walking ahead and to the right of them at a fast pace. *He looks kind of like-Elroy Jetson!?* Monica thought in surprise.
"Nora," Monica said, pointing at the guy ahead of her, "do you know that person? He looks vaguely familiar."
Nora giggled, "Yes, that's Erin O'Grady, you may know him as Crash Holly."
"Oh, right, he's that.. hey, he's that wrestler on tv!" Monica exclaimed.
"Right, Erin's great, he's the coolest."
"Oh, so Erin's your boyfriend?" Monica asked curiously, trying her best to hide her disappointment. Monica felt a twinge of jealously at the prospect of he and Nora dating.
"Oh, no," Nora said with a laugh, "Jeff's my boy".. Nora stopped abruptly, a frown marring her pretty features.
"No, no, Erin's not my boyfriend, he's just a good friend," she finished quietly. Failing to notice Nora's change in demeanor, Monica found herself greatly relieved that he wasn't dating anyone at the moment. *What's going on with me, I don't even know the guy,* she thought to herself.
"You like him don't ya?" Nora said, grinning slyly at her.
"What are you talking about? I don't even know him."
"No, but all of a sudden you're very curious about him- for someone you don't even know," she said with a Cheshire-cat like grin.
They were interrupted by a tug on Nora's arm.
"Oh, my gosh!" Stephanie said, dragging Nora into a Celtic jewelry store. She pointed excitedly to a two-tone, gold wedding band in the store window. "This would be perfect for Paul, manly and unique, plus he is always reading books about Celtic civilization, customs etc."
A smile spread slowly across her face as she inspected the design of the band closely. It consisted of two gold bands-one white gold, the other yellow gold, intertwined together, giving it a multi-colored, braided look.
"What do you guys think?" Stephanie asked the others excitedly.
"I think it's nice," Trish said.
"It's breathtaking!" Monica replied.
"I'm getting it then," Stephanie said firmly. The others waited outside the store while she purchased the correct size ring for Paul.
Conspiratorially, Amy leaned towards Trish, Nora and Monica, "What do you think if we had a bridal shower for Stephanie?" she asked, her eyes shining excitedly.
Giddy , Nora whispered softly, "I thing that would be just peachy!"
The others just looked at her. "What?" she said. Monica and Trish thought it was 'peachy' too.
"Great, I'm glad you guys like it. Now, all I have to do is wheedle Matt and Jeff into letting me use their house," she said with a grin.
"Why their house?" Trish asked, curiously.
"Their place is bigger than mine," Amy said simply.
"Shh, she's coming," Monica whispered quickly.
"Got it," Stephanie said triumphantly, clutching her precious cargo close to her chest. "Now, Monica how about we get you some new clothes. You would look great in leather pants"...
A half-hour later, at the other end of the mall:
*Finally,* the guys thought with relief, when Paul found a jewelry store that he was actually interested in. *They'll feel differently when it's their turn,* Paul thought with a grin as he entered the store.
He turned the gold braided, Celtic ring over in his hands, this will look great on her delicate finger, Paul thought to himself. *Good thing I know her ring size.* He walked out of the store with a smile on his face.
"Okay, now we can go."
"Oh, geez, finally, we've been here three hours! " Chris said.
Andrew elbowed Jeff in the ribs, "Hey, isn't that Erin over there?"
"Yeah, it looks like it," Jeff said absent-mindedly, not really paying attention. Andrew noticed a raven-haired girl with him.
"Who's the girl with him?" Andrew asked Jeff. "Earth to Jeff?" he asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
Jeff shook his head, "Uh, sorry, what did you say?"
"I said," Andrew emphasized, "Who's that girl he's with?"
Jeff looked for a second, then shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know." Getting a glimpse of her face, Jeff almost did a double take and looked again. *Nah, It couldn't be Monica, could it? No, no, Erin wouldn't fall for an ex-con, right?*
Wrestling auditorium, 5:00 o'clock:
When Jeff walked through the double doors, the first person he saw was Chris Benoit.
"Hey Chris!" Jeff yelled, jogging over to him. "Have you seen Nora anywhere?" Chris closed his eyes and thought for a second, "She was here earlier this morning, but she left hours ago."
"Did she say where she was going?" Jeff asked, partly in concern, and partly trying to track her down in hopes of talking to her.
Looking slightly irritated, Chris replied, "She said she was going to meet a friend at the mall.
"Oh," Jeff said, looking crestfallen.
Feeling a little bad, Chris said quickly, "She didn't say who she was going to meet."
"Thanks for your help Chris," Jeff said, his shoulders slumped, as he headed back towards the entrance.
"No, problem, anytime." *That kid has it bad,* Chris thought to himself, shaking his head.
6:00 o'clock, the auditorium :
Jeff looked at his watch nervously, his match started in five minutes. He hadn't seen Nora all day. *Maybe she's just trying to avoid me, or maybe her "friend," is some guy she just met and maybe she's hanging out with him at the mall. He shook his head, *Man, too many maybes, but still, I hope I'm not too late,* he thought frantically.
Just then, Mel came up to Jeff.
"Jeff, I'm sorry about all the rumors about us, I hope they haven't messed things up with you and your girlfriend. Judging by the guilty look on his face, she knew otherwise.
"Oh, Jeff, I'm so sorry!" Practically throwing herself into Jeff's arms, she wrapped her arms around his waist and clung tightly to him.
Hesitantly, Nora pushed open the locker room door, "Jeff can we.. talk," her voice trailed off. Nora's throat went dry. Rooted to the spot, Nora felt as if she were paralyzed.
"Nora!" Jeff said, releasing Melanie. Nora turned and fled, tears flooding her eyes.
"Nora!" Jeff cried out again as he reached the end of the corridor. He thought he'd seen a glimpse of her golden ringlets to his left, but when he reached the end of the hallway, she wasn't there either. He ran a hand through his blue hair. "This is just not my week," he muttered, putting his head in his hands.
A female voice spoke quietly behind him, "It looks like I've made things worse instead of better," she said regretfully.
"Melanie, it's not your fault," Jeff said forcefully. It's a matter of both trust and communication between Nora and I." Jeff looked at his watch. "Come on, we have a match to attend."
With the Hardys music playing, Jeff and Melanie made their way to the ring. Jeff got up on the ropes and did the trademark guns. Suddenly, the arena went dark and Test's music started playing. Test made his way to the ring, followed by Trish. Once Test entered the ring, Jeff motioned for Melanie to leave the ring. Obediently, she ducked under the ropes and watched in fascination as Jeff clothes-lined, then twisted Test's arm behind his back. She never imagined she'd be this close to a wrestling match, and Melanie found herself getting into it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Trish climb under the ropes to help Test. Following suit, Melanie ducked under the ropes and grabbed Trish's arm, "What do you think you're doing?" Melanie hissed.
"Melanie, it's part of the script, remember? I'm supposed to come in and interfere." Melanie's eyes widened in recognition. Reluctantly, she let go of Trish's arm. Melanie stepped out onto the ring's edge and carefully made her way back to the turnbuckle. She watched tensely as Trish grabbed a handful of Jeff's brightly colored hair.
"Come on Jeff!" Melanie screamed, pounding on the turnbuckle. Test easily got out of Jeff's arm lock and delivered a swift kick to his midsection. With a sneer on her face, Trish backed away, knowing she had done her part, watching as Jeff doubled over in pain. Melanie was so engrossed in the match that she didn't realize she was now standing in the center of the ring's apron. Looking down, Melanie grasped the rope tightly and slowly turned around. Trish saw what was about to happen and raced around to the other side of the ring.
Melanie was gingerly lowering herself off of the apron, when frantically, Trish cried out, "Melanie, get out of the way!" Melanie looked up at Trish, startled. Going out of character, Trish screamed, "Andrew stop!" Surprised, Andrew threw a confused glance at Trish, but his jaw dropped when he saw Melanie in his way! He tried to stop but to no avail. He bounced off the rope, knocking Melanie to the floor.
Meanwhile, backstage:
Benoit's match was up next, so he glanced up at the monitor to see how Jeff and Andrew's match was progressing. He abruptly stopped lacing up his boots as he watched the screen. Benoit usually never got involved in wrestling matches that weren't his own, but judging by the panicked look on Andrew's face as he jumped out of the ring, something had gone horribly wrong. Chris jumped up off the locker room bench and raced towards the entrance ramp. He made his way down the ramp, ignoring the horde of screaming fans surrounding him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Jeff slowly getting up. That's when Chris noticed a young woman with luxurious, brown hair lying face down outside the ring. He knelt down beside Trish and felt the young woman's neck for a pulse.
"What happened?" Chris asked calmly.
Trish pointed to the center of the ring apron, "Andrew bounced off the rope, but he didn't see Melanie until the last minute and by then it was too late."
"Melanie," his eyes widened. Gently, he turned Melanie over, looking her over critically.
"Andrew went to call an ambulance, they should be here soon," Trish said. Chris nodded absent-mindedly, as if mulling something over. Making a decision, Chris carefully scooped up an unconscious Melanie in his arms.
"Whoa, wait a minute, aren't you going to wait for Andrew to come back?" Trish questioned.
"Relax Trish, Jeff and I can get her to the hospital faster. Ya coming Jeff?" Chris yelled over his shoulder.
"Right behind you!" Jeff yelled, jumping off the apron, albeit, a bit stiffly. As Jeff looked worriedly at Melanie's still form, he pleaded silently, "Lord, let her be alright."