All of the people in this story are owned by Vince McMahon and the WWF, except for Melanie, Uncle Wes, Michael and Monica.
The forties radio show, 'The Shadow', is not mine, but I don't know who it belongs to. :)
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 8: Moment of Truth
Amy limped back to her car and dialed Matt's number when her cell phone started beeping. "For crying out loud, now you decide to die on me!" Amy said in disgust. Angrily stuffing her phone inside her purse, Amy grabbed the bag of sodas and slowly made her way to the house. She shifted the bag of sodas to the crook of her right arm, but her right wrist started to throb. Switching it back to her left, her thoughts drifted back to the stalker. *Okay, I'm almost certain I know who my friendly neighborhood stalker is,* Amy thought sarcastically. *Now I have to tell Matt,* Amy thought soberly. *This is the one part of my past that I didn't want anyone to know, not even my parents.* Amy's adrenaline rush was quickly fading, fast being replaced with fear and pain. Wearily, Amy knocked on Matt and Jeff's door. Matt opened the door and asked, "Amy, where were?" he stopped, taking in her pale face, torn pants, and wet hair plastered to her face. Matt gently ran his hands down the sides of her face and neck, stopping at her bare shoulders. "Amy, your freezing! What happened? Are you okay?" Matt started rubbing her arms furiously.
Shrugging off his touch, Amy asked, a glazed look in her eyes, "Can I talk to you?" Matt nodded, watching her carefully. *It's almost like she's in another world,* Matt thought worriedly. Amy started shivering uncontrollably. Matt wasn't sure if it was the cold or something more, but he wasn't taking any chances. Matt put an arm around her shoulders and was about to call out for Jeff, when Amy tightly gripped his arm. "I need to talk to you first," Amy pleaded.
"Hon, I just want to get you warm," Matt insisted. He went to get her a blanket. Wrapping it around her shoulders he said, "Now, we can talk." They walked into the kitchen. Amy climbed up on a stool, while Matt pulled out a jar of marshmallow cream. He glanced over at her, relieved to see the wild look gone from her eyes. A few minutes later Matt handed her the cocoa to her and said, "Just the way you like it, milk with extra marshmallow cream." Amy returned his smile as she took the cup. As soon as she wrapped her right hand around the steaming mug of chocolate intense pain shot through her wrist. Reflexively, she dropped the cup. Matt caught it though, spilling scalding hot chocolate all over his hand. He muttered a curse under his breath as he washed his stinging skin under the cold, refreshing water.
"Matt, are you okay?" Amy asked anxiously, cradling her wrist in her left hand. He turned around, "Yeah, I'm," he stopped, his eyes narrowing, "What happened to your wrist?" Matt's eyes glinted dangerously as Amy told him the whole story. Gently, Matt took her hand and tenderly kissed the cool skin on the underside of her wrist. His kiss was making her feel all warm and tingly on the inside even though she was freezing on the outside. It was almost electrifying. Trying to get her thoughts back on track, Amy cleared her throat and said, "I'm pretty sure I know who the stalker is." Releasing her hand, Matt linked his hands behind his head and leaned back in the chair, studying her carefully.
Matt leaned forward in his chair, his eyes piercing hers, "Why do I get the feeling there's much more to this than meets the eye?" Drawing a deep breath, Amy began to tell him her secret.
"Okay, I was eighteen, still in my senior year of high school. There was this guy, Jamie Collins, who had been pursuing me all summer. I was not interested, which worked out really well because Mom and Dad didn't approve of him anyway. They felt he was kind of like a punk. Leather jacket, motorcycle, the whole nine yards, but what really bothered them was the fact that they believed him to be hanging out with the wrong crowd. Even I knew he had been caught skipping school a couple of times already. Well, I began to feel attracted to him. I think it was mostly his charm and boy did he turn it on." Amy smiled slightly. "Anyway, I fell for it hook, line and sinker," Amy said ruefully. "So, I started dating him in secret. At first I thought he was sweet, and I began to think my parents were wrong. We started going steady a month after our relationship first started. Then things began to go sour. Originally, I had been looking at him through rose-colored glasses but now I began chipping away at his false charm and was beginning to see pieces of his real personality. I mean no guy is perfect, but Jamie was downright scary. I saw him smoking with his buddies, which I didn't like, and I overheard them talking about vandalizing the school. I finally confronted Jamie when I him saw steal the hubcaps right off the principal's car. He just gave me an 'I don't care' attitude. We started arguing a lot more and then he started drinking. I'm not sure what triggered it, but he began developing an unnatural fascination with fire. Once we got in an argument and he was so angry with me he took his cigarette lighter, held it to my hair and threatened to set it afire, just to see the thrill of it burn. Matt scowled and Amy could see his jaw muscles tighten. She gently put a hand on his arm, "It's okay Matt, he didn't hurt me." Amy felt Matt relax slightly under her touch.
"Well, the next day, I told him it was over. That I'd had enough. I went to class later that morning and saw a note on my desk, it said, 'I did this all for you.' I frowned, knowing it was Jamie. Not even a minute later the fire alarms went off in the school. I looked out the window and saw the gym going up in flames. I rushed outside and looked on in horror as I watched the gym burn to the ground. I knew then, deep down, that Jamie was responsible." Just then Monica rushed into the kitchen, her face flushed, and her eyes bright.
"Did I just here you right? You mentioned Jamie and fire in the same sentence," Monica said directly.
Amy nodded reluctantly, "How did you hear?".. Monica cut her off, "I just came in from playing with the puppy outside. I happened to walk by the kitchen when you mentioned his name. Jamie and I shared a cell in a New Orleans prison, but the place was burned down to the ground two weeks ago, and seven prisoners escaped." Amy went as white as a sheet.
"Baby, don't faint, please," Matt beckoned, kneeling in front of her.
"I, I won't. I'm okay, really," but Amy grasped Matt's forearms tightly, her fingernails digging into his skin.
"Amy," Monica continued gravely, "it's very possible that Jamie set fire to that jail and just walked away."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. They all jumped.
"Stephanie!" Amy said, panic in her voice.
"It's okay Amy," Monica said soothingly, "We'll help you set the food up. We just need to make sure that Stephanie is good and surprised," Monica said with a smile. The corners of Amy's mouth turned up just a bit, "You're right."
Amy crossed the foyer to the door, opening it. Stephanie and Paul walked into the hallway.
"Hi guys," Stephanie and Paul said to Amy and Monica. Amy ushered them into the living room.
All the girls, except Stephanie, yelled, "Surprise!"
Stephanie blushed and put her hands over her mouth in surprise as she looked at her friends. She stared in amazement at the many streamers, banners and signs hanging all over the walls. Stephanie took her hands away from her mouth, a smile widening on her face. Turning to her, Paul wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Surprise!" he whispered softly into her ear.
"Oh, my gosh, I can't believe you guys did this for me!" Thank you!" She turned to Paul, "And you," he looked at her guiltily, "you knew about this the whole time and didn't tell me!" Stephanie exclaimed, smiling. She reached up on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around Paul's neck, hugging him fiercely. Stephanie pulled away from Paul slowly as she noticed how pale and drawn Amy looked. "Amy, are you okay?" she asked, concerned. Amy looked at Matt uneasily, who was walking towards her. Matt gave her a look that seemed to say, *The ball's in your court.* Amy took a deep breath.
"Why don't we go into the dining room," Amy suggested. They walked towards the dining room, where Jeff and the girls had just finished putting the platters of food on the table-minus the cake of course. Amy went into the kitchen, only to find Jeff getting drinks for everyone. She reached up on tiptoe and kissed Jeff on the cheek. Jeff turned to look at Amy in surprise, "What was that for?"
"Thanks for helping the girls set up the food," Amy said gratefully.
"No problem Amy-girl," Jeff said with a smile. Amy frowned in confusion, "I didn't bring in the food though, how did"... Jeff looked up from putting ice in the glasses. *Oh, Matt, please tell me you didn't tell Jeff,* Amy thought fearfully.
"Matt told me where you parked the car because of a fallen tree blocking the road, so Matt and I went down got the rest of the food." Jeff eyed her suspiciously, noticing Amy visibly relax after he finished his statement.
Before Jeff could question her though, Amy rushed into the dining room. Everyone looked up from getting their food, and stared at Amy, due to her abrupt entrance.
"Guys, I have something to tell you," Amy said anxiously, all in one breath. Matt locked eyes with Amy, surprise showing in his dark, brown orbs. "I know who the stalker is, because I used to date him." Paul's mouth dropped open in shock, and the bite of the sandwich he just took, fell out, but nobody noticed. Jeff, who was standing behind and to the left of Amy, spit out his root beer, nearly choking on it.
"Wh, what?" Jeff asked, not quite believing what he just heard. Amy told them everything, beginning with Jamie yanking her out of the car. They were all sitting down now, as she repositioned the ice pack, that Matt had silently given her, around her wrist.
"I knew Jamie had been the one to burn down the gym, but I didn't tell the principal for fear he would include me as an accomplice to the crime. I was also afraid that Jamie would come after me If I told. For all I knew, he could have been dead, injured, but I never saw him again, until now," Amy finished. The others looked at her in stunned silence. Humiliated, Amy jumped up out of the chair and fled the room. With a quick glance at the others, Matt quickly jumped up out of his own chair to go look for Amy. He heard sobbing in the kitchen.
"Amy," Matt said softly.
"Go away!" Amy cried.
"I can't, I live here," Matt said with a chuckle.
"It's not funny!" she exclaimed indignantly, taking her hands away from her face.
"I know it's not, that's why I'm here," Matt replied soberly.
"Do you think any less of me?" Amy asked quietly.
"What?" Matt asked in surprise.
"Do you think any less of me?" Amy repeated. Matt looked at her in shock.
"You've never given me a reason to," Matt said honestly.
Not seeming to hear him, Amy continued, "I've always felt guilty about never telling anyone it was Jamie who burned down the gym. If I would have told someone, maybe he'd be a better person now. Or maybe he would at least be in jail where he belongs."
Matt knelt down in front of Amy and cupped her face in his hands, "Amy Christine Dumas, listen to me, I don't think any less of you and neither does anyone sitting out there."
"But not even my parents know about Jamie and I, no one else knows but you all,"
"It doesn't matter, it's all in the past. Everyone makes mistakes Amy. All we can do is try our best to learn from them and go on. You've let this haunt you long enough, it's time to let go. Live for the present and the future, not the past." He gently wiped her tear-stained cheeks with his hand.
She smiled. "Thanks for helping Jeff bring the food in, that was sweet of you."
He looked at her blankly, "Huh, oh, oh yeah. Your welcome." Matt hugged her tightly to him, pressing a kiss against her temple, "I love you and I want you to know that you mean the world to me. Nothing is ever going to change that."
Amy hugged him tightly, entwining her fingers through his, "My sentiments exactly." Hand-in-hand, they walked back into the living room.
"Amy, we aren't ashamed of you or anything, we just didn't know how to respond to what you told us, that's all. Kind of shell-shocked you know," Jessica said easily.
"I know, it's okay," Amy replied with a soft smile.
"So, what are you going to do, now that you know who your stalker is?" Paul asked curiously.
"Well," Amy said as she sat down, "the police won't do anything because he hasn't seriously hurt me yet, and- Monica, what did Jamie look like when you shared a cell with him?"
Monica frowned, "Now that I think about it, I could never really see his face. He always wore a scarf and a hat, so I could only see part of his face. It's like he was practicing to be `The Shadow' or something," she said with a laugh.
"Something must have happened to him when he set the gym ablaze," Amy said, a mixture of pain and surprise crossing her face. "Well, if the police won't come to him, I'll bring the police to me," Amy said setting her jaw in determination. Matt frowned, not liking where this was going. Amy continued, "When we go to the Teco Arena, for Monday Night Raw, in Florida, on Monday, I'll ask Vince about getting in the ring again."
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Matt said, jumping out of his chair. "I know where this is going, you're not letting yourself be set up as a target for him!" Matt said, his jaw muscle tightening profusely.
"Matt," Amy said soothingly, putting a hand on his arm, "since we really don't know what he looks like, I can't go to the police about Jamie. This is the only way to draw him out."
Amy could see Matt relax slightly, "Alright, but I am going to be your shadow from now on."
Amy sighed, "I know."
Jeff stood up, "When this all goes down, Matt and I will be right there behind you. If Matt can't be your shadow at all times, I'm willing to fill in." The others nodded in agreement.
"It's probably best if we hang in groups as much as we can," Nora advised gravely.
Changing the subject, Nora asked brightly, "Do you guys want some cake?" They nodded. Amy and Nora cut the cake and gave pieces to everyone.
After the guys finished their cake, Jeff got up and said, "We're going out back to play with- hey, have you decided on a name for the puppy yet?"
"Penny," Amy responded, "In the sunlight, her coat glistens like a copper penny."
"I like it," Matt said with a smile, "it fits her."
As the guys walked outside, Paul whispered, "We left at a good time, Steph is going to start opening the presents and then they are going to talk about girl stuff." Matt and Jeff just shook their heads and chuckled.
Amy handed Stephanie her first present. As Stephanie started opening her gift she said, "It is so nice of you guys to have a bridal shower for me, thank you. Now down to the juicy info," Stephanie said leaning forward with a grin. "You and Matt seem to have a really good relationship going," Steph stated, fishing for info. Amy leaned back in her chair, smiling. "Yes, we do. Matt is really sweet and I'm very lucky to have him. Just today, he got me an Italian Neapolitan Mastiff puppy."
"Yeah, I just heard you, Jeff and Matt talking about her. Don't they grow to be approximately 150 pounds?" Stephanie asked wide-eyed. "Yep, I love a challenge," Amy replied with a gleam in her eye.
"So," Steph said, turning to Trish, "What's the lowdown with you and Andrew?"
Trish blushed, "Things are going well, I guess. Andrew is so sweet."
"I here a but coming on," Jessica prompted with a grin.
"Sometimes people irritate Andrew, he can get pretty hot-headed at times."
"Being a former bodyguard for Motley Crüe will do that to ya," Amy said matter-of-factly.
"Well, that doesn't bother me, I usually manage to keep him from blowing a gasket. I suppose it's because he loves me."
"You suppose," Monica said, her eyes bugging out of her head.
"What? Well, he's not seeing other girls or cheating on you is he?" Nora asked.
Trish shook her head, "No."
Stephanie smiled knowingly, "Oh, I know what it is, you want a deeper commitment from him don't you?
"Well, yes," Trish replied uncomfortably.
"But, you already have that?" Jessica questioned, confused. A second later, her eyes lit up, "I know, you want him to ask you to marry him!" Jessica cried triumphantly.
Trish blushed profusely, shaking her head yes, "How did you know?" Trish asked in amazement.
"You have no idea how long I waited for Chris to pop the question," Jessica replied, rolling her eyes. Trish's face fell. "Every guy is different though," Jess said encouragingly.
"Your turn Jess," Stephanie said with a grin.
"Not much to tell," Jessica said with a shrug.
"Oh, that sounds promising," Stephanie said sarcastically.
Ignoring Steph's remark, "Our relationship is great. Chris puts up with my numerous mood swings and he's been a doll with all my hormonal changes, but he's been so overprotective lately. Take today for example, no offense, I like traveling with you guys," Jessica said looking at Monica and Trish, "but Chris insisted that I come with the girls and not drive myself here. He won't let me drive by myself anywhere anymore," she complained.
"No offense Jessica, but your looking kind of big for five months," Amy commented.
"I know, I've been kind of worried about that, so has Chris. I'm going to see the doctor next week, but I guess your right, he's only concerned about the baby's and my welfare."
"Okay Nora spill," Stephanie said eagerly. I heard all about what happened between you and Jeff. Now I want to hear the aftermath."
"I think our relationship is stronger, and I don't think we take each other for granted as much," Nora replied honestly.
"Short and sweet, I like it," Monica said with a grin.
"Well, guess what, that's good, because your next," Stephanie said, a wicked grin playing across her face.
Monica blushed not accustomed to so much positive attention. "Well, I would like to get to know Erin better, but he seems so withdrawn at times. See, Steve Blackman has been training me for the past two weeks, helping me smooth out the transition of my boxing and martial arts moves into wrestling moves. Erin was supposed to teach me basic and intermediate wrestling moves, but several times he told Vince that he wasn't ready to train me yet. Finally, Vince had enough and I'm training with Erin next week," Monica said with a smile. Erin would talk to me before and after my training sessions with Steve but that's it. I felt like he was avoiding me and didn't want to be around me. I mean, I thought he liked me, at least as a friend. It hurts, I just don't get it," Monica said, frustrated.
"Sweetie, you'll need to talk to Erin about this, I bet he would like to get to know you better too, but maybe he's afraid to," Amy offered. Monica got the feeling that Amy knew more than she was telling. *Maybe it's not her place to tell,* Monica reasoned.
"I guess your right," Monica said with a sigh.
"Give him time, he'll come around," Jessica said comfortingly, putting an arm around her shoulder.
Changing the subject, Monica asked innocently, "So, do you and Paul plan on having a lot of children after your married?" A heavy silence filled the room. *What did I say?* Monica thought uncomfortably. It was so quiet in the room you could hear a pin drop.
"We hope to," Stephanie said quietly. "Chances are, we won't be able to have children of our own."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know"...
"No, it's okay, I don't mind talking to you about it. When I went to see the doctor just after I got out of high school, she told me I would never be able to bear children. I felt like my heart had been ripped out my chest."
"Did the doctor even give you an explanation as to why you wouldn't be able to have children of your own?" Monica asked.
"No, She just told me things weren't right with my hormonal, chemical and physical system. She didn't seem to know why."
"She put it so nicely too," Monica said sarcastically.
"Yeah, well, I'm not giving up hope," Stephanie said determinedly. "After Paul and I get married, we are going to try to have a child of our own, and if things don't turn out, then we have decided that we'll adopt. When we get back from our honeymoon, I want to put us on adoption waiting list. The more babies the merrier," Stephanie said with a small smile. Stephanie opened up her next gift, and blushed a deep red as she pulled it out of the box.
"The red on that negligee matches your face," Amy said with a laugh, falling back against the chair.
"Maybe this will help you have babies quicker, once your wed," Monica said sweetly.
"Oh, you guys!" Stephanie said, laughing until her sides ached.
Two days later, in Florida:
"Absolutely not! Over my dead body, or possibly yours in this case! I will not have you out in that ring until this all over!" Vince exclaimed. Amy thought he was going to burst a blood vessel.
"Vince, but don't you see, this is the only way it's going to be all over," Amy pleaded.
"No, I'll figure out another way to catch this psychopath, without using you as bait," Vince said determinedly. Amy noticed the firm set of his jaw and knew there would be no way of changing his mind.
Shoulders slumped, Amy walked out of his office, closing the door behind her. Matt and Jeff jumped up out of their chairs and rushed over to her.
"So, what did he say?" Matt and Jeff asked anxiously.
"It's a no go guys," Amy said, reaching out to hug them.
Minutes later, Outside the Teco Arena:
A pair of brown combat boots pounded on the pavement as a young man with a shock of red hair hanging over his eye, walked up to the security guard.
He held up an I. D. card, "I'm looking for Monica, Monica Irvine."
P. S. Jamie Collins is a character I created.
The forties radio show, 'The Shadow', is not mine, but I don't know who it belongs to. :)
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 8: Moment of Truth
Amy limped back to her car and dialed Matt's number when her cell phone started beeping. "For crying out loud, now you decide to die on me!" Amy said in disgust. Angrily stuffing her phone inside her purse, Amy grabbed the bag of sodas and slowly made her way to the house. She shifted the bag of sodas to the crook of her right arm, but her right wrist started to throb. Switching it back to her left, her thoughts drifted back to the stalker. *Okay, I'm almost certain I know who my friendly neighborhood stalker is,* Amy thought sarcastically. *Now I have to tell Matt,* Amy thought soberly. *This is the one part of my past that I didn't want anyone to know, not even my parents.* Amy's adrenaline rush was quickly fading, fast being replaced with fear and pain. Wearily, Amy knocked on Matt and Jeff's door. Matt opened the door and asked, "Amy, where were?" he stopped, taking in her pale face, torn pants, and wet hair plastered to her face. Matt gently ran his hands down the sides of her face and neck, stopping at her bare shoulders. "Amy, your freezing! What happened? Are you okay?" Matt started rubbing her arms furiously.
Shrugging off his touch, Amy asked, a glazed look in her eyes, "Can I talk to you?" Matt nodded, watching her carefully. *It's almost like she's in another world,* Matt thought worriedly. Amy started shivering uncontrollably. Matt wasn't sure if it was the cold or something more, but he wasn't taking any chances. Matt put an arm around her shoulders and was about to call out for Jeff, when Amy tightly gripped his arm. "I need to talk to you first," Amy pleaded.
"Hon, I just want to get you warm," Matt insisted. He went to get her a blanket. Wrapping it around her shoulders he said, "Now, we can talk." They walked into the kitchen. Amy climbed up on a stool, while Matt pulled out a jar of marshmallow cream. He glanced over at her, relieved to see the wild look gone from her eyes. A few minutes later Matt handed her the cocoa to her and said, "Just the way you like it, milk with extra marshmallow cream." Amy returned his smile as she took the cup. As soon as she wrapped her right hand around the steaming mug of chocolate intense pain shot through her wrist. Reflexively, she dropped the cup. Matt caught it though, spilling scalding hot chocolate all over his hand. He muttered a curse under his breath as he washed his stinging skin under the cold, refreshing water.
"Matt, are you okay?" Amy asked anxiously, cradling her wrist in her left hand. He turned around, "Yeah, I'm," he stopped, his eyes narrowing, "What happened to your wrist?" Matt's eyes glinted dangerously as Amy told him the whole story. Gently, Matt took her hand and tenderly kissed the cool skin on the underside of her wrist. His kiss was making her feel all warm and tingly on the inside even though she was freezing on the outside. It was almost electrifying. Trying to get her thoughts back on track, Amy cleared her throat and said, "I'm pretty sure I know who the stalker is." Releasing her hand, Matt linked his hands behind his head and leaned back in the chair, studying her carefully.
Matt leaned forward in his chair, his eyes piercing hers, "Why do I get the feeling there's much more to this than meets the eye?" Drawing a deep breath, Amy began to tell him her secret.
"Okay, I was eighteen, still in my senior year of high school. There was this guy, Jamie Collins, who had been pursuing me all summer. I was not interested, which worked out really well because Mom and Dad didn't approve of him anyway. They felt he was kind of like a punk. Leather jacket, motorcycle, the whole nine yards, but what really bothered them was the fact that they believed him to be hanging out with the wrong crowd. Even I knew he had been caught skipping school a couple of times already. Well, I began to feel attracted to him. I think it was mostly his charm and boy did he turn it on." Amy smiled slightly. "Anyway, I fell for it hook, line and sinker," Amy said ruefully. "So, I started dating him in secret. At first I thought he was sweet, and I began to think my parents were wrong. We started going steady a month after our relationship first started. Then things began to go sour. Originally, I had been looking at him through rose-colored glasses but now I began chipping away at his false charm and was beginning to see pieces of his real personality. I mean no guy is perfect, but Jamie was downright scary. I saw him smoking with his buddies, which I didn't like, and I overheard them talking about vandalizing the school. I finally confronted Jamie when I him saw steal the hubcaps right off the principal's car. He just gave me an 'I don't care' attitude. We started arguing a lot more and then he started drinking. I'm not sure what triggered it, but he began developing an unnatural fascination with fire. Once we got in an argument and he was so angry with me he took his cigarette lighter, held it to my hair and threatened to set it afire, just to see the thrill of it burn. Matt scowled and Amy could see his jaw muscles tighten. She gently put a hand on his arm, "It's okay Matt, he didn't hurt me." Amy felt Matt relax slightly under her touch.
"Well, the next day, I told him it was over. That I'd had enough. I went to class later that morning and saw a note on my desk, it said, 'I did this all for you.' I frowned, knowing it was Jamie. Not even a minute later the fire alarms went off in the school. I looked out the window and saw the gym going up in flames. I rushed outside and looked on in horror as I watched the gym burn to the ground. I knew then, deep down, that Jamie was responsible." Just then Monica rushed into the kitchen, her face flushed, and her eyes bright.
"Did I just here you right? You mentioned Jamie and fire in the same sentence," Monica said directly.
Amy nodded reluctantly, "How did you hear?".. Monica cut her off, "I just came in from playing with the puppy outside. I happened to walk by the kitchen when you mentioned his name. Jamie and I shared a cell in a New Orleans prison, but the place was burned down to the ground two weeks ago, and seven prisoners escaped." Amy went as white as a sheet.
"Baby, don't faint, please," Matt beckoned, kneeling in front of her.
"I, I won't. I'm okay, really," but Amy grasped Matt's forearms tightly, her fingernails digging into his skin.
"Amy," Monica continued gravely, "it's very possible that Jamie set fire to that jail and just walked away."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. They all jumped.
"Stephanie!" Amy said, panic in her voice.
"It's okay Amy," Monica said soothingly, "We'll help you set the food up. We just need to make sure that Stephanie is good and surprised," Monica said with a smile. The corners of Amy's mouth turned up just a bit, "You're right."
Amy crossed the foyer to the door, opening it. Stephanie and Paul walked into the hallway.
"Hi guys," Stephanie and Paul said to Amy and Monica. Amy ushered them into the living room.
All the girls, except Stephanie, yelled, "Surprise!"
Stephanie blushed and put her hands over her mouth in surprise as she looked at her friends. She stared in amazement at the many streamers, banners and signs hanging all over the walls. Stephanie took her hands away from her mouth, a smile widening on her face. Turning to her, Paul wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Surprise!" he whispered softly into her ear.
"Oh, my gosh, I can't believe you guys did this for me!" Thank you!" She turned to Paul, "And you," he looked at her guiltily, "you knew about this the whole time and didn't tell me!" Stephanie exclaimed, smiling. She reached up on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around Paul's neck, hugging him fiercely. Stephanie pulled away from Paul slowly as she noticed how pale and drawn Amy looked. "Amy, are you okay?" she asked, concerned. Amy looked at Matt uneasily, who was walking towards her. Matt gave her a look that seemed to say, *The ball's in your court.* Amy took a deep breath.
"Why don't we go into the dining room," Amy suggested. They walked towards the dining room, where Jeff and the girls had just finished putting the platters of food on the table-minus the cake of course. Amy went into the kitchen, only to find Jeff getting drinks for everyone. She reached up on tiptoe and kissed Jeff on the cheek. Jeff turned to look at Amy in surprise, "What was that for?"
"Thanks for helping the girls set up the food," Amy said gratefully.
"No problem Amy-girl," Jeff said with a smile. Amy frowned in confusion, "I didn't bring in the food though, how did"... Jeff looked up from putting ice in the glasses. *Oh, Matt, please tell me you didn't tell Jeff,* Amy thought fearfully.
"Matt told me where you parked the car because of a fallen tree blocking the road, so Matt and I went down got the rest of the food." Jeff eyed her suspiciously, noticing Amy visibly relax after he finished his statement.
Before Jeff could question her though, Amy rushed into the dining room. Everyone looked up from getting their food, and stared at Amy, due to her abrupt entrance.
"Guys, I have something to tell you," Amy said anxiously, all in one breath. Matt locked eyes with Amy, surprise showing in his dark, brown orbs. "I know who the stalker is, because I used to date him." Paul's mouth dropped open in shock, and the bite of the sandwich he just took, fell out, but nobody noticed. Jeff, who was standing behind and to the left of Amy, spit out his root beer, nearly choking on it.
"Wh, what?" Jeff asked, not quite believing what he just heard. Amy told them everything, beginning with Jamie yanking her out of the car. They were all sitting down now, as she repositioned the ice pack, that Matt had silently given her, around her wrist.
"I knew Jamie had been the one to burn down the gym, but I didn't tell the principal for fear he would include me as an accomplice to the crime. I was also afraid that Jamie would come after me If I told. For all I knew, he could have been dead, injured, but I never saw him again, until now," Amy finished. The others looked at her in stunned silence. Humiliated, Amy jumped up out of the chair and fled the room. With a quick glance at the others, Matt quickly jumped up out of his own chair to go look for Amy. He heard sobbing in the kitchen.
"Amy," Matt said softly.
"Go away!" Amy cried.
"I can't, I live here," Matt said with a chuckle.
"It's not funny!" she exclaimed indignantly, taking her hands away from her face.
"I know it's not, that's why I'm here," Matt replied soberly.
"Do you think any less of me?" Amy asked quietly.
"What?" Matt asked in surprise.
"Do you think any less of me?" Amy repeated. Matt looked at her in shock.
"You've never given me a reason to," Matt said honestly.
Not seeming to hear him, Amy continued, "I've always felt guilty about never telling anyone it was Jamie who burned down the gym. If I would have told someone, maybe he'd be a better person now. Or maybe he would at least be in jail where he belongs."
Matt knelt down in front of Amy and cupped her face in his hands, "Amy Christine Dumas, listen to me, I don't think any less of you and neither does anyone sitting out there."
"But not even my parents know about Jamie and I, no one else knows but you all,"
"It doesn't matter, it's all in the past. Everyone makes mistakes Amy. All we can do is try our best to learn from them and go on. You've let this haunt you long enough, it's time to let go. Live for the present and the future, not the past." He gently wiped her tear-stained cheeks with his hand.
She smiled. "Thanks for helping Jeff bring the food in, that was sweet of you."
He looked at her blankly, "Huh, oh, oh yeah. Your welcome." Matt hugged her tightly to him, pressing a kiss against her temple, "I love you and I want you to know that you mean the world to me. Nothing is ever going to change that."
Amy hugged him tightly, entwining her fingers through his, "My sentiments exactly." Hand-in-hand, they walked back into the living room.
"Amy, we aren't ashamed of you or anything, we just didn't know how to respond to what you told us, that's all. Kind of shell-shocked you know," Jessica said easily.
"I know, it's okay," Amy replied with a soft smile.
"So, what are you going to do, now that you know who your stalker is?" Paul asked curiously.
"Well," Amy said as she sat down, "the police won't do anything because he hasn't seriously hurt me yet, and- Monica, what did Jamie look like when you shared a cell with him?"
Monica frowned, "Now that I think about it, I could never really see his face. He always wore a scarf and a hat, so I could only see part of his face. It's like he was practicing to be `The Shadow' or something," she said with a laugh.
"Something must have happened to him when he set the gym ablaze," Amy said, a mixture of pain and surprise crossing her face. "Well, if the police won't come to him, I'll bring the police to me," Amy said setting her jaw in determination. Matt frowned, not liking where this was going. Amy continued, "When we go to the Teco Arena, for Monday Night Raw, in Florida, on Monday, I'll ask Vince about getting in the ring again."
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Matt said, jumping out of his chair. "I know where this is going, you're not letting yourself be set up as a target for him!" Matt said, his jaw muscle tightening profusely.
"Matt," Amy said soothingly, putting a hand on his arm, "since we really don't know what he looks like, I can't go to the police about Jamie. This is the only way to draw him out."
Amy could see Matt relax slightly, "Alright, but I am going to be your shadow from now on."
Amy sighed, "I know."
Jeff stood up, "When this all goes down, Matt and I will be right there behind you. If Matt can't be your shadow at all times, I'm willing to fill in." The others nodded in agreement.
"It's probably best if we hang in groups as much as we can," Nora advised gravely.
Changing the subject, Nora asked brightly, "Do you guys want some cake?" They nodded. Amy and Nora cut the cake and gave pieces to everyone.
After the guys finished their cake, Jeff got up and said, "We're going out back to play with- hey, have you decided on a name for the puppy yet?"
"Penny," Amy responded, "In the sunlight, her coat glistens like a copper penny."
"I like it," Matt said with a smile, "it fits her."
As the guys walked outside, Paul whispered, "We left at a good time, Steph is going to start opening the presents and then they are going to talk about girl stuff." Matt and Jeff just shook their heads and chuckled.
Amy handed Stephanie her first present. As Stephanie started opening her gift she said, "It is so nice of you guys to have a bridal shower for me, thank you. Now down to the juicy info," Stephanie said leaning forward with a grin. "You and Matt seem to have a really good relationship going," Steph stated, fishing for info. Amy leaned back in her chair, smiling. "Yes, we do. Matt is really sweet and I'm very lucky to have him. Just today, he got me an Italian Neapolitan Mastiff puppy."
"Yeah, I just heard you, Jeff and Matt talking about her. Don't they grow to be approximately 150 pounds?" Stephanie asked wide-eyed. "Yep, I love a challenge," Amy replied with a gleam in her eye.
"So," Steph said, turning to Trish, "What's the lowdown with you and Andrew?"
Trish blushed, "Things are going well, I guess. Andrew is so sweet."
"I here a but coming on," Jessica prompted with a grin.
"Sometimes people irritate Andrew, he can get pretty hot-headed at times."
"Being a former bodyguard for Motley Crüe will do that to ya," Amy said matter-of-factly.
"Well, that doesn't bother me, I usually manage to keep him from blowing a gasket. I suppose it's because he loves me."
"You suppose," Monica said, her eyes bugging out of her head.
"What? Well, he's not seeing other girls or cheating on you is he?" Nora asked.
Trish shook her head, "No."
Stephanie smiled knowingly, "Oh, I know what it is, you want a deeper commitment from him don't you?
"Well, yes," Trish replied uncomfortably.
"But, you already have that?" Jessica questioned, confused. A second later, her eyes lit up, "I know, you want him to ask you to marry him!" Jessica cried triumphantly.
Trish blushed profusely, shaking her head yes, "How did you know?" Trish asked in amazement.
"You have no idea how long I waited for Chris to pop the question," Jessica replied, rolling her eyes. Trish's face fell. "Every guy is different though," Jess said encouragingly.
"Your turn Jess," Stephanie said with a grin.
"Not much to tell," Jessica said with a shrug.
"Oh, that sounds promising," Stephanie said sarcastically.
Ignoring Steph's remark, "Our relationship is great. Chris puts up with my numerous mood swings and he's been a doll with all my hormonal changes, but he's been so overprotective lately. Take today for example, no offense, I like traveling with you guys," Jessica said looking at Monica and Trish, "but Chris insisted that I come with the girls and not drive myself here. He won't let me drive by myself anywhere anymore," she complained.
"No offense Jessica, but your looking kind of big for five months," Amy commented.
"I know, I've been kind of worried about that, so has Chris. I'm going to see the doctor next week, but I guess your right, he's only concerned about the baby's and my welfare."
"Okay Nora spill," Stephanie said eagerly. I heard all about what happened between you and Jeff. Now I want to hear the aftermath."
"I think our relationship is stronger, and I don't think we take each other for granted as much," Nora replied honestly.
"Short and sweet, I like it," Monica said with a grin.
"Well, guess what, that's good, because your next," Stephanie said, a wicked grin playing across her face.
Monica blushed not accustomed to so much positive attention. "Well, I would like to get to know Erin better, but he seems so withdrawn at times. See, Steve Blackman has been training me for the past two weeks, helping me smooth out the transition of my boxing and martial arts moves into wrestling moves. Erin was supposed to teach me basic and intermediate wrestling moves, but several times he told Vince that he wasn't ready to train me yet. Finally, Vince had enough and I'm training with Erin next week," Monica said with a smile. Erin would talk to me before and after my training sessions with Steve but that's it. I felt like he was avoiding me and didn't want to be around me. I mean, I thought he liked me, at least as a friend. It hurts, I just don't get it," Monica said, frustrated.
"Sweetie, you'll need to talk to Erin about this, I bet he would like to get to know you better too, but maybe he's afraid to," Amy offered. Monica got the feeling that Amy knew more than she was telling. *Maybe it's not her place to tell,* Monica reasoned.
"I guess your right," Monica said with a sigh.
"Give him time, he'll come around," Jessica said comfortingly, putting an arm around her shoulder.
Changing the subject, Monica asked innocently, "So, do you and Paul plan on having a lot of children after your married?" A heavy silence filled the room. *What did I say?* Monica thought uncomfortably. It was so quiet in the room you could hear a pin drop.
"We hope to," Stephanie said quietly. "Chances are, we won't be able to have children of our own."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know"...
"No, it's okay, I don't mind talking to you about it. When I went to see the doctor just after I got out of high school, she told me I would never be able to bear children. I felt like my heart had been ripped out my chest."
"Did the doctor even give you an explanation as to why you wouldn't be able to have children of your own?" Monica asked.
"No, She just told me things weren't right with my hormonal, chemical and physical system. She didn't seem to know why."
"She put it so nicely too," Monica said sarcastically.
"Yeah, well, I'm not giving up hope," Stephanie said determinedly. "After Paul and I get married, we are going to try to have a child of our own, and if things don't turn out, then we have decided that we'll adopt. When we get back from our honeymoon, I want to put us on adoption waiting list. The more babies the merrier," Stephanie said with a small smile. Stephanie opened up her next gift, and blushed a deep red as she pulled it out of the box.
"The red on that negligee matches your face," Amy said with a laugh, falling back against the chair.
"Maybe this will help you have babies quicker, once your wed," Monica said sweetly.
"Oh, you guys!" Stephanie said, laughing until her sides ached.
Two days later, in Florida:
"Absolutely not! Over my dead body, or possibly yours in this case! I will not have you out in that ring until this all over!" Vince exclaimed. Amy thought he was going to burst a blood vessel.
"Vince, but don't you see, this is the only way it's going to be all over," Amy pleaded.
"No, I'll figure out another way to catch this psychopath, without using you as bait," Vince said determinedly. Amy noticed the firm set of his jaw and knew there would be no way of changing his mind.
Shoulders slumped, Amy walked out of his office, closing the door behind her. Matt and Jeff jumped up out of their chairs and rushed over to her.
"So, what did he say?" Matt and Jeff asked anxiously.
"It's a no go guys," Amy said, reaching out to hug them.
Minutes later, Outside the Teco Arena:
A pair of brown combat boots pounded on the pavement as a young man with a shock of red hair hanging over his eye, walked up to the security guard.
He held up an I. D. card, "I'm looking for Monica, Monica Irvine."
P. S. Jamie Collins is a character I created.