All of the people in this story are owned by Vince McMahon and the WWF, except for Melanie, Uncle Wes, and Michael.
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 6: Love Takes Time (The Love Chapter! :)
Jeff relentlessly paced the waiting room floor.
"How can you just sit there like that?" Jeff questioned of Chris's cool demeanor. Jeff stopped pacing and studied Chris's face closely for a second. He noticed Chris's jaw muscle tighten. *Chris is worried about her too,* Jeff realized. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't realize"...
"I'm just glad I got there when I did," Chris said softly.
Just then the doctor strolled towards them. Chris jumped up out of his chair, while Jeff asked anxiously, "How is she? Will she be okay?"
"Well, she has some bruising on her stomach, but the baby is just fine."
"Thank goodness," Jeff said breathing a sigh of relief.
"P p Pregnant?" Chris stuttered.
The doctor continued, "She does have a slight concussion though, so she will need to stay the night for observation. Otherwise she should be okay."
Jeff pumped the doctor's hand enthusiastically, "Thank you Doctor"...
"Weatherly," the doctor supplied wit h a smile. He started to walk away, but suddenly he turned around and said, "And take good care of that young woman, you never know what you have until you almost lose it." With that Doctor Weatherly turned on his heel and walked away, his white coat billowing behind him.
"Sounds like the voice of experience," Chris noted.
"I'll say," Jeff nodded in agreement. "I hope it turned out alright for him," Jeff said turning to Chris.
"Judging by the smile in his eyes, I'd say it turned out just fine," Chris said with a smile on his face. They went in to see Melanie, Chris somewhat awkwardly, because he didn't really know her. Jeff sat down next to Melanie and gently grasped her hand. Melanie slowly opened her eyes, only to feel the warmth of someone's hand holding hers. She squinted painfully in the bright light. Almost shyly, Chris scooted his chair over just a bit.
"How are you feeling?" Jeff asked.
"Well, my stomach is a bit sore"... Her eyes widened in panic, "Is my baby okay?" Melanie tightened her hold on Jeff's hand, her eyes darting frantically back and forth between Jeff and Chris.
"Your baby is fine Mel," Jeff said gently.
"And," she said, a teasing smile on her lips, "my throat is kind of dry."
Taking the hint, Jeff got up quickly and said, "One glass of water coming up."
Melanie's eyes slowly drifted to Chris. "Hi," she said softly. His face broke out in a wide grin and Melanie noticed his missing tooth. Her own face broke out into a wide grin. *He has such an adorable smile, what with his missing tooth and all. Okay, where did that thought just come from!* Even with just a smile, her head felt like it was going to split open. "Oh," she moaned, putting a hand to her head. Instantly, she felt gentle hands push her back into the pillows. She opened her eyes again, expecting to see Jeff, instead she saw the concerned face of Chris Benoit looking into hers.
"Easy does it," he said. "Name's Chris Benoit," he said gruffly, as he sat back down in his chair.
"My name is Mel"...
Carelessly, he said, "Oh, I know who you are."
"Oh, okay," she said huffily.
*Darn it, now I've ticked her off,* he thought nervously.
"All I meant was, I had heard that you were going to be Jeff's manager, that's all."
*Dagnabit , this is why I do not talk to girls. I always end up sticking my foot in my mouth, or making a fool out of myself.*
*Where is Jeff with that water! This Chris Benoit person is making me uncomfortable. One minute he's nice, the next minute stand-offish.*
"I hadn't seen you until tonight, once Trish told me who you were"...
"When did you meet me, I don't recall meeting you?" she asked, slightly alarmed.
Chris squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. "Well, I saw Jeff's match on the tv backstage, and later, when I noticed the panicky look on Andrew's face I rushed out to the ring, knowing something was terribly wrong. That's when I saw you," Chris finished.
"So, you brought me here?" Melanie asked intrigued.
Chris nodded, "Well, Jeff and I did. Andrew had called the ambulance, but I argued that Jeff and I could get you here faster. Since you were unconscious, I picked you up and, well, here you are."
"So you basically saved me," she said quietly.
"Yeah," he said.
She smiled at him. "Thank you."
"Oh, it was no big deal," he said, but he couldn't help staring into her rich, turquoise eyes. Jeff came back into the room and plopped down in his chair. Startled, Chris broke eye contact with Melanie and quickly scooted his chair a little ways from the bed. *Whew, I didn't realize I was so close to her!*
"Am I interrupting something?" Jeff said with a sly grin.
7:00, in the locker room:
Monica and Erin were sitting on a giant chest, idly swinging their legs back and forth. Erin said coolly, "You know, why don't you try your hand at wrestling. You seem to have the body for it." *She has a great body, but I'm not going there. I've already had someone dance the two-step on my heart and I'm not letting it happen again.*
"Oh, thanks, but I'm not really into that sort of thing," Monica replied uneasily. *The last thing I need is to be in the spotlight,* Monica thought nervously.
"She's great with a blow gun though," Chris (Jericho) commented as he breezed past them in the hall. Monica glared daggers at Chris.
"It's just something I used to practice with that's all," she said lamely.
His face brightening, Erin asked, "Oh, wow, that's neat! Do you know any martial arts moves like Steve Blackman?"
"Some," she said reluctantly.
"You really need to talk to Vince about wrestling, you'd be great!" Erin said enthusiastically. "Unless, that is you already have a job," he said hesitantly.
"Did someone mention my name?" Vince asked, walking up to them.
"Hey Vince, this is Monica," Erin said with a smile.
"Monica, it's"... Vince said, extending his hand to her.
"What! It's you!" he snarled.
"Excuse us a minute Erin," Monica said grabbing Vince's arm she pulled him into a corner.
"I thought you were supposed to be in jail!" Vince hissed. Before Monica could utter a word, Vince continued, "No, wait a minute, let me guess, you broke out," he said sarcastically.
"Let me explain, please," she begged.
"You have 5 minutes," he said, crossing his well-built arms over his chest.
"I'm different okay, I just came back to try and make things right concerning the people that I hurt.
"Yeah, I'll bet. Who's to say your not the one who tried to kill Amy!" he said, his voice rising a notch. Monica quickly looked over at Erin, who raised an eyebrow.
"Shh!" Monica whispered loudly. "Look, I also came here to start over, maybe make a better life for myself."
"Well not in my ring you won't!" Vince exploded.
"Excuse me," Erin said timidly, striding over to them. "Obviously, you and Monica aren't on great terms, but I think she has the makings of a great wrestler!" he said excitedly.
"Oh, you do, do you," Vince challenged. Impressed that Erin didn't waver under his glare, Vince turned to Monica, "Okay, let's see what you've got." Monica sparred with Erin for a few minutes using boxing moves and stances, then making a smooth transition into martial arts movements.
"Not bad," Vince said eyeing her carefully.
"Golly, where did you learn how to do those moves?" Erin asked, impressed.
"In jai.., I mean a place I used to stay when I was younger," Monica added quickly, looking over at Vince, who raised an eyebrow.
"If you want it," Vince offered, looking her straight in the eye.
"I want it," Monica said decisively, grasping Vince's out stretched hand in a firm grip. She knew this was Vince's way of telling her, "This is your chance, take it."
8:00 o'clock, inside the hotel:
Jessica sat on the bed, her back resting comfortably against several pillows Chris had put there for her. Restless, she flipped channels, bored out of her mind, until she came upon "That Seventies Show."
"This show is so hilarious," Jessica said, laughing, as she struggled once again to get comfortable amongst the fluffy pillows.
"Aw, the he!".. she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry little one, I promised not to curse around you."
I feel like a blimp," she muttered to herself. In disgust, Jessica threw a pillow to the floor. She went to look in the full length mirror. "I'm not really that big," she said, studying herself. "But why do I feel so big?" she asked herself with a sigh.
She looked up, startled, when she heard the key jiggle in the lock.
"Okay, hon, I've got your double chocolate fudge ice cream, a jar of Vienna sausages and a can of oysters," Chris said, trying not to turn green.
"Oh, thank you," Jessica said gratefully, grabbing the tub of ice cream from him. "Don't look at me like that, I don't eat the food all mixed together, just one after the other," she said with a grin.
"Whatever you say hon," Chris said putting the rest of the food away. Lately, he had to be extra sensitive around her. Anything seemed to set her off, even when there was no connection between what he said and how she interpreted it. Chris was trying to be patient and deal with it. *After all,* Chris thought, *The doctor said it 's only overactive hormones, just a temporary thing.* Well, Chris's patience was about to be tested.
Chris came back from the little kitchenette area, when out of the blue Jessica asked, "You think I'm fat don't you?" she asked, her face crestfallen.
"Where did this come from?" Chris asked. Sitting on the bed beside her, he pulled Jessica into his arms.
"Well, when you told me, "'Whatever you say hon,'" "I thought you were just being really non-chalant about my weight, even though you must have noticed it by now." He sighed and rolled his eyes. He kissed her forehead gently.
"Sweetie, I think you're beautiful, inside and out."
"Really?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Really," he said firmly.
"I feel so big, but I looked at myself in the mirror and my tummy isn't really that big," Jessica said, frustration in her voice.
*Ah ha! So that's what this is all about,* Chris thought.
"Well, maybe there's two of you in there," Chris said with a smile, as he gently rubbed her stomach.
"One is enough, if they were two of them my stomach would be dragging the ground," Jessica said irritably.
"Jess, I'm only kidding," Chris said with a sigh. Chris also realized that she had a shorter fuse these days. Not to mention an even shorter attention span, as he was about to find out.
"I couldn't get comfortable earlier, your much softer than those pillows," Jess commented.
"Gee, thanks," Chris said wry grin, "Just don't punch me like I watched you do to those pillows," he said uneasily as he noticed the one lying on the floor.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, your too cute," she said sleepily. He looked down at her as she snuggled deeper into his chest, a dreamy look on her face.
"I love you to honey." Tightening his arms around her, they both fell into a dreamless sleep.
8:30 p.m., Trish's dressing room:
Andrew paced back and forth as Trish sat down in a chair, putting on her elbow pads. She stopped and watched him for a few seconds.
"Andrew, honey, stop pacing, I feel like I'm watching a tennis match."
"It's just this match darn it, I don't like you"... Trish cut him off, "I'll be fine out there, what with Steve and Brian there to protect me."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Andrew muttered. Trish stopped in the middle of adjusting her knee pads and stood up. She cradled his face in her hands.
"Oh your jealous, that's so sweet," Trish said, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Don't be though," she said, slipping her hand into his.
"I know I shouldn't be jealous, but that story line with Steve just burns me up!" Andrew replied clenching his fist.
"The writers cooked it up because they thought it would be interesting. They don't have any more romantic story lines for us, as of right now, and tonight's only a wrestling match," Trish said, batting her eyelashes at Andrew, making him turn to mush.
"You're right, as always, Steve does seem like a decent guy, I've talked to him on several occasions.
"See, there you go," Trish responded, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
"Hey, that's not a kiss!" Andrew said, pulling her to his chest. "This is." He gently cupped her chin as his lips descended upon hers. When Andrew finally released her, Trish stepped back, a dazed look on her face. *Wow! So gentle, yet equally intense and passionate.* Just then she heard the roar of the crowd and Brian's(Grand Master Sexay's) music come on.
"That's my cue, I'll meet you back here after the match." She whipped around, almost hitting a metal, support pole directly behind her. *Hey, I noticed this thing here earlier, why didn't I remember it was here just now?* she thought, a puzzled look on her face.
Andrew put his hands on Trish's waist, easily spanning it. "Whoa, be careful there babe," he cautioned.
"Thanks," Trish said. She shook her head, attempting to clear it. Then she made a beeline for the door and headed towards the ring. Andrew shook his head and smiled, "Wow can that girl kiss!" he said, almost forgetting to duck so he wouldn't hit the door frame on his way out.
9:00 o'clock, at a fancy restaurant:
Paul stretched his arm across the table, gently entwining his fingers through Stephanie's, "Penny for your thoughts?"
She shook her head, "Huh, oh, I'm sorry Paul, I was just thinking."
"Care to talk about it?" he asked, noting with concern the troubled look in her eyes. Stephanie studied him carefully, as if debating whether to discuss with him what was bothering her.
She took a deep breath and blurted out, "Do you want children?"
He blinked, "Where did this come from?" he asked gently.
She fought back the tears, *I thought he wanted kids, after the way he seemed to bond with Michael and Lisa,* she thought, her hope quickly dying.
"Yes," Paul said looking into her eyes. Relief flooded through her.
"How do you feel about adoption?" Stephanie asked. He sighed. She could tell he was getting frustrated.
*I really don't want to discuss this right now, I'd rather just have a quiet, if not belated dinner with her.* He shifted in his seat, "Steph, I want to be the father of our children, adopted or not."
Stephanie started crying softly.
"Hey, come on Stephanie, don't cry," Paul said uncomfortably, he hated seeing women cry. He put an arm around Stephanie consolingly and led her out onto the patio. Paul gently tilted her chin up to face him. In the moonlight he could see the tear tracks on her face.
"Why are you crying? Are you upset by my response?"
Vehemently, she shook her head no, "I guess I'm just so relieved that your okay with everything."
"Sweetie, I'm marrying you for you, not whether or not you can have children. I think it would be wonderful if we have a child that we, ourselves helped to bring into this world, but if we adopt, then we give a child a loving home, that's all. Even if we don't have children I'd be happy with just you."
Stephanie wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly, she buried her head in his chest.
She brought her head up, and looked up into his rich, blue eyes, "I love you."
His eyes full of love, he looked down into her beautiful, brown eyes, "I love you too."
At the movies:
Tears forming in her eyes, Amy snuggled up to Matt as they watched the end of 'Pearl Harbor'.
As Faith Hill's music came on during the ending credits, Amy commented, "That was so horribly sad!"
"I know," Matt said, wiping a few stray tears from his eyes. Matt put his arm around Amy's shoulders, "You ready to go?" Amy nodded. "Come on, let's see if we can't find a fifties-style diner around here," Matt said. Matt spotted a diner just across the street. He looked at his watch, 9:30. *I hope they're still open,* he thought. They walked across the street in silence. Matt glanced over at Amy, knowing she had a lot on her mind. Whether it was the movie lingering in the back of her mind or more, he didn't know. He had a strong hunch though that the morning's events were the reason for her quiet behavior. *I'm pretty sure she'll talk to me about what's bothering her, but it has to be on her time, no pushing,* he thought to himself. Matt opened the door for Amy, and she was met by a blast of oldies music coming from the juke box. She smiled slightly. Catching her smile, Matt grinned and said, "I was hoping I might see your face light up tonight." Amy blushed. They found a booth and slid into the comfortable red, leather seats. A waitress wearing cat eye glasses came over to them. She popped her bubble and continued cracking her gum.
"What can I get for ya?" Matt looked at her name tag, it read Lenore.
*Even the name sounds like it's from the fifties,* Matt thought with a grin. Amy noticed the young woman was even wearing a poodle skirt with saddle shoes. *This is cool!* Amy thought, smiling. The waitress stopped chewing her gum and stared at them, "Are you ready to order yet?" she asked.
Knowing Amy's favorite drink, Matt replied, "Two chocolate malts please."
"Okay," the waitress said with a shrug. Taking the menus, she turned on her heel and walked back to the counter.
"You remembered," Amy smiled at Matt, pleased. Matt smiled, "Hon, wherever there is a chocolate malt to be drank, you drink it."
Amy nodded. "Our waitress is.. unusual," Amy said thoughtfully.
"Oh, you mean Lenore," Matt said, jerking his head towards the counter.
"Do you always read women's name tags?" Amy asked, crossing her arms.
"Always, I want to know who I'm speaking to," Matt said frankly. Just then Lenore sat their malts down in front of them.
"Enjoy, and let me know if you need anything." They watched her walk away, blowing another big bubble. Amy grew thoughtful as she sipped her malt.
She stopped sipping her malt and looked up at Matt.
"Matt, can we talk?" she asked, almost shyly.
"Sure," he said easily, "what's up?" Even though Matt seemed relaxed, inside, his heart was pounding and he felt like he had butterflies in his stomach.
"I've decided to temporarily quit wrestling," she said quietly.
Matt watched several different emotions cross her face.
"Are you sure?" he asked her seriously.
She nodded, "What choice do I have," she said helplessly. "After everything that 's happened, what with the stalker coming into my bedroom- for the second time."
"What!" Matt said, his dark eyes glittering dangerously.
*Uh, oh,* Amy thought, her heart pounding triple time. She sighed.
*The best thing to do is just to come clean,* she thought.
"The first day at the hotel, I had just entered my room when I felt someone put their arms around my waist, thinking it was you I asked a question. When there was no response I tried to turn around to get a look at the person's face, but I felt his arms drop away from my waist. That was when I asked if you had come into my room. When you said no, it freaked me out. I didn't know who it was though, and I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily, so I didn't tell you about it. Amy watched with bated breath as she saw a multitude of emotions pass over his face: Anger, frustration, hurt, finally understanding. "It's okay," Matt said softly. "I'm just glad you weren't hurt." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She expected him to be, well angry.
"Aren't you upset?" Amy asked, puzzled.
"Yeah," Matt admitted, "but more concerned for your safety than anything else. "Come here," he said, reaching across the table for her hand. He put the money, including the tip, on the table.
"Thanks for the malts Lenore, they were good."
Lenore turned and looked at Matt in surprise, "Your welcome."
They walked outside and sat down on the porch swing. Slowly rocking the swing back and forth, Matt and Amy sat in silence for a few seconds.
"I knew something was on your mind, but I also knew you would tell me about it when you were good and ready, so I wasn't about to push you," Matt told Amy.
Amy turned to Matt, "You know me so well."
Matt shrugged, "Amy, I've known you for several years now, even though we weren't dating for most of that time, you learn a lot about a person when you spend almost every day with them," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm just glad you told me about it, better late than never," he said with a shrug.
What Amy said next surprised Matt.
"Hold me," Amy said, her voice thick. He didn't know what to say, surprised, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. The next thing he knew he felt something wet fall onto his t-shirt.
"Hey, hey Amy, what did I say?" he asked puzzled.
"It's what you didn't say," Amy said, her voice muffled as she buried her tear-stained face deeper into his leather bomber jacket. "Thank you for understanding. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, it would have made things easier for the both of us." He felt a great relief at that statement.
"Amy, I just want us to be able to tell each other anything- no matter what, and hopefully feel comfortable about it."
He felt her nod against his chest.
She pulled away from Matt and smiled sweetly, "In that case, how do you feel about having a bridal shower at your house?"...
The next morning:
Jeff tried to get the gritty feeling out of his eyes as he opened them. Instantly his face was bathed in sunlight.
"Ahh!" Quickly, he squeezed his eyes shut, and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow. Matt had kept him up a good solid hour last night, telling him all about he and Amy's date. Jeff was happy for his brother, but at the same time it made it harder for him, because he and Nora's own relationship was on the rocks. Just then a harsh knock sounded at their door. "Ooh," Jeff moaned, pulling the pillow over his face.
"I'll get it," Matt grumbled, slowly getting out of bed. Matt was pretty tired too. Jeff had spent a good deal of time telling him about the incident in the ring, Melanie and Benoit. Matt opened the door and looked up, way up, into the face of Mark Calloway(The Undertaker). Matt swallowed hard, "Hey Mark, what's up?" He and Jeff didn't know Mark that well, so Matt had no clue as to why Mark was here. *As long as he doesn't have a bone to pick with us,* Matt thought uneasily.
"Vince wants to talk to you guys," Mark said gruffly. "He's in the small conference room downstairs on the right."
"Okay, thanks Mark," Matt said.
"No problem," Mark said with a wave, as he walked away.
"Jeff, we have a meeting with Vince, now. Come on, get up," Matt said urgently. He shook his brother's shoulder.
"Alright, alright, I'm up," Jeff said groggily, as he slowly sat up in bed. Matt pointed at Jeff and started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Jeff asked indignantly.
"Your hair, it's sticking up all over the place," Matt said, trying to hold back a grin.
"Quick, hand me a comb!" Jeff said horrified.
When Matt and Jeff entered the conference room, they were surprised to see Amy and Nora there too.
"What's going on?" Jeff asked warily. *It's got to be something big if Vince is calling us in for a meeting, and whatever it is, it's probably not good either,* Jeff thought with a frown.
"Alright, tonight is Amy's last performance, until we find out who's stalking her." They all nodded somberly. Vince looked at them uneasily, "But, your last match will be quite memorable, I'm afraid. Jeff and Nora, you will be fighting Amy and Matt, as the last match of the evening."
"What!" Matt roared.
"No way!" Jeff replied angrily. The girls looked at each other uneasily.
Vince held his hands up, "Unfortunately, there is more, Jeff is supposed to do a corkscrew moonsault on Amy towards the end of the match. "The creative writers came up with this whole idea yesterday afternoon. I tried to get them to reconsider, but they refused."
"They seem to be doing that a lot lately," Matt said bitterly.
Angrily Matt left the room. Hoping she would be able to calm him down, Amy followed after Matt.
Amy framed Matt's face with her hands, "Matt it'll be okay, I'll be okay," she emphasized. Amy slowly watched the smoldering fire in Matt's eyes die out. Matt hugged her, and said calmly, "Jeff knows what he's doing."
Back in the conference room:
Vince sat back in his black, leather chair, and closed his eyes, sighing. Nora's mind was spinning, she had so much she wanted to say, but so much was going on at the same time.
Nora whirled around to face Jeff, and blurted out, "I don't know if I should say this, but I love you!" Jeff stared at her, his mouth dropping open. Vince stared at Nora with a mixed expression of humor and surprise on his face.
"Wh, what?" Jeff asked, thunderstruck.
An idea struck her and Nora's face lit up like a Christmas tree.
Amy and Matt walked back into the room, holding hands.
"Okay," Matt said, taking a deep breath, "sorry about that Vince, I didn't mean to walk out like that," Matt apologized.
Vince nodded. "Apology accepted, but I understand the reasons for your anger Matt."
Taking a deep breath, Nora stepped forward, "I'll take the corkscrew for Amy."
Matt stared open-mouthed at Nora. He wasn't expecting her to say that. Both he and Amy were speechless, as was Vince.
"What, No!" Jeff said, slamming his fist on the wooden table behind him.
Finding his voice, Vince said, "No, that's a great idea Nora, unique original," Vince said, but his smile trailed off as both Jeff and Nora glared at him. Quietly, Matt, Amy and Vince left the room, realizing this was really something between Nora and Jeff.
Calming down a little, Jeff said softly, "You could get hurt, in fact, chances are you will."
"I know," she said, her fingers lightly trailing down the side of his face, "but I trust you." With that she walked out of the room. Jeff went after her, striding down the hall briskly in order to catch up to Nora. Gently he grasped her upper arms, looked down into Nora's cornflower blue eyes and said, "I love you too." She blinked once, then twice. "Y, you do, but I thought you and Mel"... Jeff cut her off with a kiss.
"Wow," Nora said, lightly touching her lips where he kissed her.
"Does that answer your question?" he said with a smile.
"You know, a couple more kisses wouldn't hurt," she said slyly.
"The things I have to go through," he said with an exaggerated sigh, as Jeff leaned in for another kiss.
9:30, showtime:
Jeff ran a hand through his natural, blond hair. He looked in the full-length mirror and practiced. "Nora, I can't go through with this, if I make one mistake- I don't won't to put you at risk like that."
"You can go through with it, I'll help you." Startled, Jeff turned around to look at Nora's frowning face.
"Nora I'm afraid I'll make a mistake and if I do," he trailed off.
Nora ran her hands up his bare arms, "Whatever happened to "'Fear is Only a four-letter Word,'" she said with an encouraging smile.
"Not when it involves my girlfriend," he said matter-of-factly.
"Look I know you can do this, you've done this move hundreds of times, you know it like the back of your hand." For emphasis, she turned his hand over in hers. "And," she emphasized, "everyone knows where to stand, if I recall, we didn't practice 5 hours straight for nothing," she said with a smile.
"I don't deserve you," he said smiling, as he kissed the top of her head.
"I know," she said with a grin. "Now, let's get out there and knock 'em dead."
The Hardy's music blasted through the speakers as both teams made their way to the ring.
Jeff and Matt faced off, followed by Nora and Amy. Then came the defining moment. Jeff got up on the turnbuckle, setting up for the corkscrew Moonsault. *This is it,* Jeff thought, squeezing his eyes shut. *Oh God, please don't let me hurt her!* he thought frantically. With that thought screaming through his mind he propelled himself off the ropes. At the same time, the crowd gasped as Amy pushed Nora into Jeff's way. He felt the impact, as his legs and torso jarred with Nora's upper body and face. Her head hit the mat hard and the last thing Nora saw was red in Jeff's hair and then everything went black.
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 6: Love Takes Time (The Love Chapter! :)
Jeff relentlessly paced the waiting room floor.
"How can you just sit there like that?" Jeff questioned of Chris's cool demeanor. Jeff stopped pacing and studied Chris's face closely for a second. He noticed Chris's jaw muscle tighten. *Chris is worried about her too,* Jeff realized. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't realize"...
"I'm just glad I got there when I did," Chris said softly.
Just then the doctor strolled towards them. Chris jumped up out of his chair, while Jeff asked anxiously, "How is she? Will she be okay?"
"Well, she has some bruising on her stomach, but the baby is just fine."
"Thank goodness," Jeff said breathing a sigh of relief.
"P p Pregnant?" Chris stuttered.
The doctor continued, "She does have a slight concussion though, so she will need to stay the night for observation. Otherwise she should be okay."
Jeff pumped the doctor's hand enthusiastically, "Thank you Doctor"...
"Weatherly," the doctor supplied wit h a smile. He started to walk away, but suddenly he turned around and said, "And take good care of that young woman, you never know what you have until you almost lose it." With that Doctor Weatherly turned on his heel and walked away, his white coat billowing behind him.
"Sounds like the voice of experience," Chris noted.
"I'll say," Jeff nodded in agreement. "I hope it turned out alright for him," Jeff said turning to Chris.
"Judging by the smile in his eyes, I'd say it turned out just fine," Chris said with a smile on his face. They went in to see Melanie, Chris somewhat awkwardly, because he didn't really know her. Jeff sat down next to Melanie and gently grasped her hand. Melanie slowly opened her eyes, only to feel the warmth of someone's hand holding hers. She squinted painfully in the bright light. Almost shyly, Chris scooted his chair over just a bit.
"How are you feeling?" Jeff asked.
"Well, my stomach is a bit sore"... Her eyes widened in panic, "Is my baby okay?" Melanie tightened her hold on Jeff's hand, her eyes darting frantically back and forth between Jeff and Chris.
"Your baby is fine Mel," Jeff said gently.
"And," she said, a teasing smile on her lips, "my throat is kind of dry."
Taking the hint, Jeff got up quickly and said, "One glass of water coming up."
Melanie's eyes slowly drifted to Chris. "Hi," she said softly. His face broke out in a wide grin and Melanie noticed his missing tooth. Her own face broke out into a wide grin. *He has such an adorable smile, what with his missing tooth and all. Okay, where did that thought just come from!* Even with just a smile, her head felt like it was going to split open. "Oh," she moaned, putting a hand to her head. Instantly, she felt gentle hands push her back into the pillows. She opened her eyes again, expecting to see Jeff, instead she saw the concerned face of Chris Benoit looking into hers.
"Easy does it," he said. "Name's Chris Benoit," he said gruffly, as he sat back down in his chair.
"My name is Mel"...
Carelessly, he said, "Oh, I know who you are."
"Oh, okay," she said huffily.
*Darn it, now I've ticked her off,* he thought nervously.
"All I meant was, I had heard that you were going to be Jeff's manager, that's all."
*Dagnabit , this is why I do not talk to girls. I always end up sticking my foot in my mouth, or making a fool out of myself.*
*Where is Jeff with that water! This Chris Benoit person is making me uncomfortable. One minute he's nice, the next minute stand-offish.*
"I hadn't seen you until tonight, once Trish told me who you were"...
"When did you meet me, I don't recall meeting you?" she asked, slightly alarmed.
Chris squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. "Well, I saw Jeff's match on the tv backstage, and later, when I noticed the panicky look on Andrew's face I rushed out to the ring, knowing something was terribly wrong. That's when I saw you," Chris finished.
"So, you brought me here?" Melanie asked intrigued.
Chris nodded, "Well, Jeff and I did. Andrew had called the ambulance, but I argued that Jeff and I could get you here faster. Since you were unconscious, I picked you up and, well, here you are."
"So you basically saved me," she said quietly.
"Yeah," he said.
She smiled at him. "Thank you."
"Oh, it was no big deal," he said, but he couldn't help staring into her rich, turquoise eyes. Jeff came back into the room and plopped down in his chair. Startled, Chris broke eye contact with Melanie and quickly scooted his chair a little ways from the bed. *Whew, I didn't realize I was so close to her!*
"Am I interrupting something?" Jeff said with a sly grin.
7:00, in the locker room:
Monica and Erin were sitting on a giant chest, idly swinging their legs back and forth. Erin said coolly, "You know, why don't you try your hand at wrestling. You seem to have the body for it." *She has a great body, but I'm not going there. I've already had someone dance the two-step on my heart and I'm not letting it happen again.*
"Oh, thanks, but I'm not really into that sort of thing," Monica replied uneasily. *The last thing I need is to be in the spotlight,* Monica thought nervously.
"She's great with a blow gun though," Chris (Jericho) commented as he breezed past them in the hall. Monica glared daggers at Chris.
"It's just something I used to practice with that's all," she said lamely.
His face brightening, Erin asked, "Oh, wow, that's neat! Do you know any martial arts moves like Steve Blackman?"
"Some," she said reluctantly.
"You really need to talk to Vince about wrestling, you'd be great!" Erin said enthusiastically. "Unless, that is you already have a job," he said hesitantly.
"Did someone mention my name?" Vince asked, walking up to them.
"Hey Vince, this is Monica," Erin said with a smile.
"Monica, it's"... Vince said, extending his hand to her.
"What! It's you!" he snarled.
"Excuse us a minute Erin," Monica said grabbing Vince's arm she pulled him into a corner.
"I thought you were supposed to be in jail!" Vince hissed. Before Monica could utter a word, Vince continued, "No, wait a minute, let me guess, you broke out," he said sarcastically.
"Let me explain, please," she begged.
"You have 5 minutes," he said, crossing his well-built arms over his chest.
"I'm different okay, I just came back to try and make things right concerning the people that I hurt.
"Yeah, I'll bet. Who's to say your not the one who tried to kill Amy!" he said, his voice rising a notch. Monica quickly looked over at Erin, who raised an eyebrow.
"Shh!" Monica whispered loudly. "Look, I also came here to start over, maybe make a better life for myself."
"Well not in my ring you won't!" Vince exploded.
"Excuse me," Erin said timidly, striding over to them. "Obviously, you and Monica aren't on great terms, but I think she has the makings of a great wrestler!" he said excitedly.
"Oh, you do, do you," Vince challenged. Impressed that Erin didn't waver under his glare, Vince turned to Monica, "Okay, let's see what you've got." Monica sparred with Erin for a few minutes using boxing moves and stances, then making a smooth transition into martial arts movements.
"Not bad," Vince said eyeing her carefully.
"Golly, where did you learn how to do those moves?" Erin asked, impressed.
"In jai.., I mean a place I used to stay when I was younger," Monica added quickly, looking over at Vince, who raised an eyebrow.
"If you want it," Vince offered, looking her straight in the eye.
"I want it," Monica said decisively, grasping Vince's out stretched hand in a firm grip. She knew this was Vince's way of telling her, "This is your chance, take it."
8:00 o'clock, inside the hotel:
Jessica sat on the bed, her back resting comfortably against several pillows Chris had put there for her. Restless, she flipped channels, bored out of her mind, until she came upon "That Seventies Show."
"This show is so hilarious," Jessica said, laughing, as she struggled once again to get comfortable amongst the fluffy pillows.
"Aw, the he!".. she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry little one, I promised not to curse around you."
I feel like a blimp," she muttered to herself. In disgust, Jessica threw a pillow to the floor. She went to look in the full length mirror. "I'm not really that big," she said, studying herself. "But why do I feel so big?" she asked herself with a sigh.
She looked up, startled, when she heard the key jiggle in the lock.
"Okay, hon, I've got your double chocolate fudge ice cream, a jar of Vienna sausages and a can of oysters," Chris said, trying not to turn green.
"Oh, thank you," Jessica said gratefully, grabbing the tub of ice cream from him. "Don't look at me like that, I don't eat the food all mixed together, just one after the other," she said with a grin.
"Whatever you say hon," Chris said putting the rest of the food away. Lately, he had to be extra sensitive around her. Anything seemed to set her off, even when there was no connection between what he said and how she interpreted it. Chris was trying to be patient and deal with it. *After all,* Chris thought, *The doctor said it 's only overactive hormones, just a temporary thing.* Well, Chris's patience was about to be tested.
Chris came back from the little kitchenette area, when out of the blue Jessica asked, "You think I'm fat don't you?" she asked, her face crestfallen.
"Where did this come from?" Chris asked. Sitting on the bed beside her, he pulled Jessica into his arms.
"Well, when you told me, "'Whatever you say hon,'" "I thought you were just being really non-chalant about my weight, even though you must have noticed it by now." He sighed and rolled his eyes. He kissed her forehead gently.
"Sweetie, I think you're beautiful, inside and out."
"Really?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Really," he said firmly.
"I feel so big, but I looked at myself in the mirror and my tummy isn't really that big," Jessica said, frustration in her voice.
*Ah ha! So that's what this is all about,* Chris thought.
"Well, maybe there's two of you in there," Chris said with a smile, as he gently rubbed her stomach.
"One is enough, if they were two of them my stomach would be dragging the ground," Jessica said irritably.
"Jess, I'm only kidding," Chris said with a sigh. Chris also realized that she had a shorter fuse these days. Not to mention an even shorter attention span, as he was about to find out.
"I couldn't get comfortable earlier, your much softer than those pillows," Jess commented.
"Gee, thanks," Chris said wry grin, "Just don't punch me like I watched you do to those pillows," he said uneasily as he noticed the one lying on the floor.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, your too cute," she said sleepily. He looked down at her as she snuggled deeper into his chest, a dreamy look on her face.
"I love you to honey." Tightening his arms around her, they both fell into a dreamless sleep.
8:30 p.m., Trish's dressing room:
Andrew paced back and forth as Trish sat down in a chair, putting on her elbow pads. She stopped and watched him for a few seconds.
"Andrew, honey, stop pacing, I feel like I'm watching a tennis match."
"It's just this match darn it, I don't like you"... Trish cut him off, "I'll be fine out there, what with Steve and Brian there to protect me."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Andrew muttered. Trish stopped in the middle of adjusting her knee pads and stood up. She cradled his face in her hands.
"Oh your jealous, that's so sweet," Trish said, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Don't be though," she said, slipping her hand into his.
"I know I shouldn't be jealous, but that story line with Steve just burns me up!" Andrew replied clenching his fist.
"The writers cooked it up because they thought it would be interesting. They don't have any more romantic story lines for us, as of right now, and tonight's only a wrestling match," Trish said, batting her eyelashes at Andrew, making him turn to mush.
"You're right, as always, Steve does seem like a decent guy, I've talked to him on several occasions.
"See, there you go," Trish responded, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
"Hey, that's not a kiss!" Andrew said, pulling her to his chest. "This is." He gently cupped her chin as his lips descended upon hers. When Andrew finally released her, Trish stepped back, a dazed look on her face. *Wow! So gentle, yet equally intense and passionate.* Just then she heard the roar of the crowd and Brian's(Grand Master Sexay's) music come on.
"That's my cue, I'll meet you back here after the match." She whipped around, almost hitting a metal, support pole directly behind her. *Hey, I noticed this thing here earlier, why didn't I remember it was here just now?* she thought, a puzzled look on her face.
Andrew put his hands on Trish's waist, easily spanning it. "Whoa, be careful there babe," he cautioned.
"Thanks," Trish said. She shook her head, attempting to clear it. Then she made a beeline for the door and headed towards the ring. Andrew shook his head and smiled, "Wow can that girl kiss!" he said, almost forgetting to duck so he wouldn't hit the door frame on his way out.
9:00 o'clock, at a fancy restaurant:
Paul stretched his arm across the table, gently entwining his fingers through Stephanie's, "Penny for your thoughts?"
She shook her head, "Huh, oh, I'm sorry Paul, I was just thinking."
"Care to talk about it?" he asked, noting with concern the troubled look in her eyes. Stephanie studied him carefully, as if debating whether to discuss with him what was bothering her.
She took a deep breath and blurted out, "Do you want children?"
He blinked, "Where did this come from?" he asked gently.
She fought back the tears, *I thought he wanted kids, after the way he seemed to bond with Michael and Lisa,* she thought, her hope quickly dying.
"Yes," Paul said looking into her eyes. Relief flooded through her.
"How do you feel about adoption?" Stephanie asked. He sighed. She could tell he was getting frustrated.
*I really don't want to discuss this right now, I'd rather just have a quiet, if not belated dinner with her.* He shifted in his seat, "Steph, I want to be the father of our children, adopted or not."
Stephanie started crying softly.
"Hey, come on Stephanie, don't cry," Paul said uncomfortably, he hated seeing women cry. He put an arm around Stephanie consolingly and led her out onto the patio. Paul gently tilted her chin up to face him. In the moonlight he could see the tear tracks on her face.
"Why are you crying? Are you upset by my response?"
Vehemently, she shook her head no, "I guess I'm just so relieved that your okay with everything."
"Sweetie, I'm marrying you for you, not whether or not you can have children. I think it would be wonderful if we have a child that we, ourselves helped to bring into this world, but if we adopt, then we give a child a loving home, that's all. Even if we don't have children I'd be happy with just you."
Stephanie wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly, she buried her head in his chest.
She brought her head up, and looked up into his rich, blue eyes, "I love you."
His eyes full of love, he looked down into her beautiful, brown eyes, "I love you too."
At the movies:
Tears forming in her eyes, Amy snuggled up to Matt as they watched the end of 'Pearl Harbor'.
As Faith Hill's music came on during the ending credits, Amy commented, "That was so horribly sad!"
"I know," Matt said, wiping a few stray tears from his eyes. Matt put his arm around Amy's shoulders, "You ready to go?" Amy nodded. "Come on, let's see if we can't find a fifties-style diner around here," Matt said. Matt spotted a diner just across the street. He looked at his watch, 9:30. *I hope they're still open,* he thought. They walked across the street in silence. Matt glanced over at Amy, knowing she had a lot on her mind. Whether it was the movie lingering in the back of her mind or more, he didn't know. He had a strong hunch though that the morning's events were the reason for her quiet behavior. *I'm pretty sure she'll talk to me about what's bothering her, but it has to be on her time, no pushing,* he thought to himself. Matt opened the door for Amy, and she was met by a blast of oldies music coming from the juke box. She smiled slightly. Catching her smile, Matt grinned and said, "I was hoping I might see your face light up tonight." Amy blushed. They found a booth and slid into the comfortable red, leather seats. A waitress wearing cat eye glasses came over to them. She popped her bubble and continued cracking her gum.
"What can I get for ya?" Matt looked at her name tag, it read Lenore.
*Even the name sounds like it's from the fifties,* Matt thought with a grin. Amy noticed the young woman was even wearing a poodle skirt with saddle shoes. *This is cool!* Amy thought, smiling. The waitress stopped chewing her gum and stared at them, "Are you ready to order yet?" she asked.
Knowing Amy's favorite drink, Matt replied, "Two chocolate malts please."
"Okay," the waitress said with a shrug. Taking the menus, she turned on her heel and walked back to the counter.
"You remembered," Amy smiled at Matt, pleased. Matt smiled, "Hon, wherever there is a chocolate malt to be drank, you drink it."
Amy nodded. "Our waitress is.. unusual," Amy said thoughtfully.
"Oh, you mean Lenore," Matt said, jerking his head towards the counter.
"Do you always read women's name tags?" Amy asked, crossing her arms.
"Always, I want to know who I'm speaking to," Matt said frankly. Just then Lenore sat their malts down in front of them.
"Enjoy, and let me know if you need anything." They watched her walk away, blowing another big bubble. Amy grew thoughtful as she sipped her malt.
She stopped sipping her malt and looked up at Matt.
"Matt, can we talk?" she asked, almost shyly.
"Sure," he said easily, "what's up?" Even though Matt seemed relaxed, inside, his heart was pounding and he felt like he had butterflies in his stomach.
"I've decided to temporarily quit wrestling," she said quietly.
Matt watched several different emotions cross her face.
"Are you sure?" he asked her seriously.
She nodded, "What choice do I have," she said helplessly. "After everything that 's happened, what with the stalker coming into my bedroom- for the second time."
"What!" Matt said, his dark eyes glittering dangerously.
*Uh, oh,* Amy thought, her heart pounding triple time. She sighed.
*The best thing to do is just to come clean,* she thought.
"The first day at the hotel, I had just entered my room when I felt someone put their arms around my waist, thinking it was you I asked a question. When there was no response I tried to turn around to get a look at the person's face, but I felt his arms drop away from my waist. That was when I asked if you had come into my room. When you said no, it freaked me out. I didn't know who it was though, and I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily, so I didn't tell you about it. Amy watched with bated breath as she saw a multitude of emotions pass over his face: Anger, frustration, hurt, finally understanding. "It's okay," Matt said softly. "I'm just glad you weren't hurt." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She expected him to be, well angry.
"Aren't you upset?" Amy asked, puzzled.
"Yeah," Matt admitted, "but more concerned for your safety than anything else. "Come here," he said, reaching across the table for her hand. He put the money, including the tip, on the table.
"Thanks for the malts Lenore, they were good."
Lenore turned and looked at Matt in surprise, "Your welcome."
They walked outside and sat down on the porch swing. Slowly rocking the swing back and forth, Matt and Amy sat in silence for a few seconds.
"I knew something was on your mind, but I also knew you would tell me about it when you were good and ready, so I wasn't about to push you," Matt told Amy.
Amy turned to Matt, "You know me so well."
Matt shrugged, "Amy, I've known you for several years now, even though we weren't dating for most of that time, you learn a lot about a person when you spend almost every day with them," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm just glad you told me about it, better late than never," he said with a shrug.
What Amy said next surprised Matt.
"Hold me," Amy said, her voice thick. He didn't know what to say, surprised, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. The next thing he knew he felt something wet fall onto his t-shirt.
"Hey, hey Amy, what did I say?" he asked puzzled.
"It's what you didn't say," Amy said, her voice muffled as she buried her tear-stained face deeper into his leather bomber jacket. "Thank you for understanding. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, it would have made things easier for the both of us." He felt a great relief at that statement.
"Amy, I just want us to be able to tell each other anything- no matter what, and hopefully feel comfortable about it."
He felt her nod against his chest.
She pulled away from Matt and smiled sweetly, "In that case, how do you feel about having a bridal shower at your house?"...
The next morning:
Jeff tried to get the gritty feeling out of his eyes as he opened them. Instantly his face was bathed in sunlight.
"Ahh!" Quickly, he squeezed his eyes shut, and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow. Matt had kept him up a good solid hour last night, telling him all about he and Amy's date. Jeff was happy for his brother, but at the same time it made it harder for him, because he and Nora's own relationship was on the rocks. Just then a harsh knock sounded at their door. "Ooh," Jeff moaned, pulling the pillow over his face.
"I'll get it," Matt grumbled, slowly getting out of bed. Matt was pretty tired too. Jeff had spent a good deal of time telling him about the incident in the ring, Melanie and Benoit. Matt opened the door and looked up, way up, into the face of Mark Calloway(The Undertaker). Matt swallowed hard, "Hey Mark, what's up?" He and Jeff didn't know Mark that well, so Matt had no clue as to why Mark was here. *As long as he doesn't have a bone to pick with us,* Matt thought uneasily.
"Vince wants to talk to you guys," Mark said gruffly. "He's in the small conference room downstairs on the right."
"Okay, thanks Mark," Matt said.
"No problem," Mark said with a wave, as he walked away.
"Jeff, we have a meeting with Vince, now. Come on, get up," Matt said urgently. He shook his brother's shoulder.
"Alright, alright, I'm up," Jeff said groggily, as he slowly sat up in bed. Matt pointed at Jeff and started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Jeff asked indignantly.
"Your hair, it's sticking up all over the place," Matt said, trying to hold back a grin.
"Quick, hand me a comb!" Jeff said horrified.
When Matt and Jeff entered the conference room, they were surprised to see Amy and Nora there too.
"What's going on?" Jeff asked warily. *It's got to be something big if Vince is calling us in for a meeting, and whatever it is, it's probably not good either,* Jeff thought with a frown.
"Alright, tonight is Amy's last performance, until we find out who's stalking her." They all nodded somberly. Vince looked at them uneasily, "But, your last match will be quite memorable, I'm afraid. Jeff and Nora, you will be fighting Amy and Matt, as the last match of the evening."
"What!" Matt roared.
"No way!" Jeff replied angrily. The girls looked at each other uneasily.
Vince held his hands up, "Unfortunately, there is more, Jeff is supposed to do a corkscrew moonsault on Amy towards the end of the match. "The creative writers came up with this whole idea yesterday afternoon. I tried to get them to reconsider, but they refused."
"They seem to be doing that a lot lately," Matt said bitterly.
Angrily Matt left the room. Hoping she would be able to calm him down, Amy followed after Matt.
Amy framed Matt's face with her hands, "Matt it'll be okay, I'll be okay," she emphasized. Amy slowly watched the smoldering fire in Matt's eyes die out. Matt hugged her, and said calmly, "Jeff knows what he's doing."
Back in the conference room:
Vince sat back in his black, leather chair, and closed his eyes, sighing. Nora's mind was spinning, she had so much she wanted to say, but so much was going on at the same time.
Nora whirled around to face Jeff, and blurted out, "I don't know if I should say this, but I love you!" Jeff stared at her, his mouth dropping open. Vince stared at Nora with a mixed expression of humor and surprise on his face.
"Wh, what?" Jeff asked, thunderstruck.
An idea struck her and Nora's face lit up like a Christmas tree.
Amy and Matt walked back into the room, holding hands.
"Okay," Matt said, taking a deep breath, "sorry about that Vince, I didn't mean to walk out like that," Matt apologized.
Vince nodded. "Apology accepted, but I understand the reasons for your anger Matt."
Taking a deep breath, Nora stepped forward, "I'll take the corkscrew for Amy."
Matt stared open-mouthed at Nora. He wasn't expecting her to say that. Both he and Amy were speechless, as was Vince.
"What, No!" Jeff said, slamming his fist on the wooden table behind him.
Finding his voice, Vince said, "No, that's a great idea Nora, unique original," Vince said, but his smile trailed off as both Jeff and Nora glared at him. Quietly, Matt, Amy and Vince left the room, realizing this was really something between Nora and Jeff.
Calming down a little, Jeff said softly, "You could get hurt, in fact, chances are you will."
"I know," she said, her fingers lightly trailing down the side of his face, "but I trust you." With that she walked out of the room. Jeff went after her, striding down the hall briskly in order to catch up to Nora. Gently he grasped her upper arms, looked down into Nora's cornflower blue eyes and said, "I love you too." She blinked once, then twice. "Y, you do, but I thought you and Mel"... Jeff cut her off with a kiss.
"Wow," Nora said, lightly touching her lips where he kissed her.
"Does that answer your question?" he said with a smile.
"You know, a couple more kisses wouldn't hurt," she said slyly.
"The things I have to go through," he said with an exaggerated sigh, as Jeff leaned in for another kiss.
9:30, showtime:
Jeff ran a hand through his natural, blond hair. He looked in the full-length mirror and practiced. "Nora, I can't go through with this, if I make one mistake- I don't won't to put you at risk like that."
"You can go through with it, I'll help you." Startled, Jeff turned around to look at Nora's frowning face.
"Nora I'm afraid I'll make a mistake and if I do," he trailed off.
Nora ran her hands up his bare arms, "Whatever happened to "'Fear is Only a four-letter Word,'" she said with an encouraging smile.
"Not when it involves my girlfriend," he said matter-of-factly.
"Look I know you can do this, you've done this move hundreds of times, you know it like the back of your hand." For emphasis, she turned his hand over in hers. "And," she emphasized, "everyone knows where to stand, if I recall, we didn't practice 5 hours straight for nothing," she said with a smile.
"I don't deserve you," he said smiling, as he kissed the top of her head.
"I know," she said with a grin. "Now, let's get out there and knock 'em dead."
The Hardy's music blasted through the speakers as both teams made their way to the ring.
Jeff and Matt faced off, followed by Nora and Amy. Then came the defining moment. Jeff got up on the turnbuckle, setting up for the corkscrew Moonsault. *This is it,* Jeff thought, squeezing his eyes shut. *Oh God, please don't let me hurt her!* he thought frantically. With that thought screaming through his mind he propelled himself off the ropes. At the same time, the crowd gasped as Amy pushed Nora into Jeff's way. He felt the impact, as his legs and torso jarred with Nora's upper body and face. Her head hit the mat hard and the last thing Nora saw was red in Jeff's hair and then everything went black.