Disclaimer: I do not own the wrestlers or WWF, except for Melanie, Monica and Lenae. That's Vince's McMahon's job, Though if it ever goes up for sale... :)
If you would like to use this story, please ask me first, thanks.
I know it's been quite awhile since I added a chapter to this story, so if anyone has been patiently waiting for updates, thanks for hanging tight! :-)
Chapter 7: Surprise!
Amy stared at Matt blankly, "Mo, move in with Jeff?" Beginning to recover from the shock, Amy asked, "Have you talked to Jeff yet? Is it okay with him? We are talking just a couple of months right?"
Matt frowned, "Well, yes, it'd only be a couple of months, just until the house is finished."
"Well yes, as in only until the house is finished or does your response include, yes, Jeff's cool with it?" Amy persisted.
"Both," he replied, irritated. "Look, this is not okay with you is it?"
"I just think it might be a bit awkward, don't you think? What about privacy?"
Matt shrugged, "It's his and my house, privacy shouldn't be a problem. Besides, why should it be awkward, you and Jeff are like sister and brother."
"Exactly," Amy muttered to herself, frowning. Ignoring the doubts plaguing her, Amy smiled uneasily, "Okay."
As the suspension of Jeff Hardy and Spike slowly drug on, Nora behaved herself when she accompanied APA or Bradshaw to the ring. Slowly, she was becoming an integral part of the team. As they started hanging out more and more backstage, the boys willingly stopped smoking cigars when they were around her, because the smell made her physically ill. Whenever Nora played poker with them, which became quite frequent, for she was becoming highly fond of the game, she noticed how many beers littered the table.
"You guys really ought to cut back on the beer, too much is bad for your health," Nora reminded them sweetly.
Ron frowned, "You know Nora, it's really none.. but Bradshaw cut him off. "We can cut it back a little, can't we Ron?" Bradshaw pushed, glaring at him.
"By how much?" Ron demanded, raising an eyebrow.
Their last night together, Nora, Bradshaw and Ron were scheduled to fight Ivory and Lance.
"I'm going to miss working with you guys," Nora sniffled.
"Well, come on little lady, sit down and play a final game of poker with us," both men encouraged.
"Well, okay," she squealed happily, donning her green poker hat. Bradshaw took a sip from the can of beer at his side. Ron offered her a drink from his yet-to-be opened can.
"No thanks," she said smiling proudly, "I have O'Douls!"
The next morning APA met up with Jeff and Spike, who were talking animatedly as they walked down the hall.
"Excuse me Jeff, we need to ask you a favor?"
"Sure, what's the favor?"
"We were hoping you wouldn't mind sharing Nora - as a sidekick I mean," Bradshaw added hastily.
"Yeah, she's such a sweetheart. We've cut back on our beer and our cigar smoking because of her," Ron added cheerfully.
Groaning, Jeff clapped a hand to his forehead, "Oh man, it's catching, she's so perky no one can resist her."
"Nevver evver!" Nora said with a smile as she walked up to the group. Wrapping her arms around Jeff's waist, she rested her chin on Jeff's shoulder and whispered sweetly, "I heard that last comment honey, and I'll take that as a compliment."
"We would like to ask Vince if you could split your time as valet between Jeff and us," Bradshaw explained, grinning from-ear-to-ear.
"Oh, that would be wonderful! You don't mind do you Jeff?" Nora asked hopefully.
He shook his head, "No, it's okay with me. Vince may be a tougher sell on it though," he warned.
"I'll talk to him, I'm sure he'll love it!" she said, practically bouncing up and down excitedly.
As they watched her skip down the hall, Jeff commented dryly, "I think she's had too much sugar today - that and she has a plan."
Later that night, in New York:
"It feels like forever since we've gotten together again," Monica announced, smiling. Monica, Erin, Al, Chris, Jessica, Stephanie, Paul, Amy, Matt, Nora, Jeff, Trish, Andrew and Spike gathered around the large, round table, seating themselves comfortably on the soft, red leather seats.
"Trish, how did your doctor's appointment go?" Monica asked.
"It went really well," she smiled, giving Andrew a sideways glance, who was also smiling broadly.
"I'm going to have a new baby brother or sister!" Lenae blurted out excitedly. "That's why Mum wasn't feeling so good on the plane trip back!" she explained, her clear, blue eyes sparkling.
Trish blushed, her eyes speaking volumes as they locked with Andrew's, *We are going to have to talk to her about thinking before you speak.* Trish and Andrew couldn't help but smile though. They were very thankful Lenae was happy and open about it, not upset by a new family member on the way.
"Congratulations," Amy said, reaching over Matt to give Trish a hug, "I'm so happy for you guys! Do you know how far along you are?"
"The doctor said she thinks about two weeks," Trish replied excitedly.
"Steph, Jessica, how are you doing? Are you having any pregnancy symptoms yet?" Trish asked reluctantly. Having just come back from the doctor the day before yesterday, she really hadn't had a chance to read up on pregnancy. Her and Andrew were still in a whirlwind over the whole thing. Not to mention, they had been unsure of how Lenae's reaction to the news of a new baby would be.
Chris rolled his eyes, *Oh geeze, not again.*
Paul looked at Chris over Steph's head, his eyes saying, *Trish really doesn't want to bring up this subject.*
*Especially at the dinner table,* Jericho's eyes emphasized. They couldn't tell their wives these things, unless they wanted to be in 'The doghouse.'
"Well, I've been feeling pretty good for the most part, except my back is beginning to ache, my feet are starting to swell and I think that's it," Stephanie said with a shrug.
Trish wrinkled her nose, "Oh - that's nice."
Paul wrinkled his own nose, "Uh, don't forget the moodswings," he said quietly.
"What!" she whispered loudly, "I do not have moodswings" she exclaimed, hitting him in the arm.
Andrew visibly cringed, *My wife is going to get like this?!*
"Yeah right, no moodswings," Jeff scoffed, folding his arms across his chest.
"Hey, you know what, that sounds like enough information," Trish replied quickly, "I'm sure I can find the rest out from a boo.."
Jessica leaned forward, cutting Trish off, "Hey," she whined, "you haven't heard my story yet."
Before Trish could utter a word, Jessica began her story. "Same as Steph, but I feel bloated almost all the time, and like clockwork, once a week, I hug the porcelain toilet, which is quickly becoming my best friend," Jessica finished sarcastically. Everyone laughed at her last remark. "But it's worth it, I wouldn't trade our two babies for the world," Jessica declared, her eyes shining. Chris smiled at her and laced his fingers through hers.
Nora smiled, and looked at Jeff, who was grinning too.
"What?" Spike asked, his heart sinking, "did you guys move up your wedding date?"
"No," Nora replied, still smiling. "I managed to convince Vince to let me be a sidekick to both Jeff and the APA!" she squealed excitedly.
"If anyone could do it Nora, you could," Spike managed to squeak out. The sadness in his voice and eyes did not go unnoticed by Nora. Her heart went out to him, *He's so lonely,* she thought. *Poor Spike, he needs someone.* Grinning mischievously, Nora asked, "Hey Spike, have you met Nidia yet?"
"Nidia, no, who's she?"
"Well," Nora started, her eyes gleaming.
Monica cleared her throat quietly. All eyes locked on her. For the first time, everyone noticed Erin had his arm draped lightly over her shoulder.
"I didn't want to interrupt, but .. Erin and I went on our first date earlier this evening!" Her voice was quiet but her smile was bright.
"Where did you guys go?" Al asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Erin took me to Coney Island!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I'd never been there before, we had a blast!"
"So, what rides did you guys go on, what sights did you go see? We want details hon," Amy said excitedly.
Matt's arm tightened around her shoulder "You mean you want details," he said with a smile. Amy laid her head on his shoulder, "Always," she responded with a grin.
"Well," Monica began.
Flashback
Late afternoon was fading into dusk as the orange/pink sun merged with the crystal, blue waters surrounding Coney Island. Shyly, Monica kissed Erin on the cheek, "Bringing me here was so sweet of you, thank you."
"Aw, well, I wanted to bring you some place special, something different, somewhere you hadn't been before," Erin said, grinning at her.
"You did well too, sneaking behind my back, asking Chris and Nora what I liked to do in my spare time, when I have it," she joked.
"What would you like to do first?" Erin asked.
"Well, you keep talking about the wonder wheel," Monica replied with a smile.
"That's right," he said enthusiastically. "Do you know the wonder wheel has a perfect safety record?" he quizzed Monica, a goofy grin on his face.
"No, I didn't, but that's good to hear," she replied with a laugh. One hour later after riding the Wonder Wheel 3 times, the Thunderbolt twice then a spin on the carousel, Monica was hungry. "I demand cotton candy and ice cream," she laughed heartily, slipping her arm through Erin's.
"Your wish is my command milady," he said with a grin.
As they got on the Cyclone, Monica's stomach felt queasy, "I don't know if I want to get on this roller coaster, it seems much bigger than the Thunderbolt."
"That's because it is," Erin replied good-naturedly. Reluctantly, she strapped herself in.
As the ride started it's slow ascent, Monica leaned over to Erin, "I think I should have waited longer for my food to digest," she started to say.
Erin gave her a quick look of panic as they reached the first peak of the roller coaster, "You're kidding riiiggghttt!" he yelled as they hurtled down. Monica's stomach lurched. *Oh no!* she thought. After several more twists, turns and curves her stomach couldn't take any more upheaval, so it released it's burden - on Erin! The coaster rolled to a stop, with a shocked Erin staring down at his lap.
"Oh gosh! I'm soo sorry Erin!" she exclaimed.
"It's, it's okay," he faltered. "Luckily the hotel is nearby, we can just change clothes." Turning red with embarrassment, Monica nodded her head mutely.
An hour later:
Erin made sure Monica didn't get on any more rides, instead Monica had her face painted by a clown. Afterwards, the two strolled hand-in-hand down the boardwalk, watching the fireworks light up the night sky.
suddenly, out of the blue, Monica asked, "Would you like to kiss me? Because I sure would like to kiss you," she said shyly. Erin turned to face her, surprise written all over his face. "Of course I understand if you don't want to kiss me, after what happened today.." Erin cut her off as he gently grasped her chin, pressing his lips passionately to hers. Cupping his face in her hands, she eagerly returned the kiss.
Back to the present:
"So, your date turned out pretty good after all," Nora commented, her eyes sparkling.
"It won't be a date you'll soon forget, that's for sure," Al replied dryly.
"The end sure didn't sound boring," Trish commented mischievously.
"I'm glad you guys had a memorable time," Amy replied, an impish grin on her face.
Jeff pulled his arm out from around Nora's shoulders and glanced at his watch, "Well, we'd better turn in, another early day, another city."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Paul replied, helping Steph out of the booth.
"We'll see y'all in the morning," Matt threw over his shoulder as he, Jeff, Amy and Nora headed back to the hotel.
Later that night, as Chris climbed into bed beside Jessica, she asked, "Hey, when is Chris coming back?
"In three months. He managed to take time off to help Melanie with Gregory Christopher," Chris said with a grin as he reached over to turn off the light.
"She named the baby after him!" Jessica gasped in surprise.
"Yeah," Chris said wistfully. "He told me right after she had the baby, that he was falling in love with her."
Jessica cuddled up to Chris, "That's so sweet, has she said anything to him?"
"Not that I know of, but I suspect that she is falling in love with him too."
"Melanie is probably still grieving for her husband some," Jessica suggested thoughtfully.
"Chris is aware, that's why he told her he would give her all the time she needs."
"She couldn't find a better man," Jessica said proudly. "It might take her awhile to give her heart to someone else though, it took me awhile to give my heart to you."
"Oh really, and why is that?" Jericho asked casually, leaning over her.
"Because," Jessica said sarcastically, "you're just a hard man to get to know. Do I need to remind you of Monica? It took her a long time to let her help you break down the walls," she finished wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Of Jericho," he cracked.
"That was weak, coming from you," Jessica said bluntly, a smile on her lips.
"Weak, I'll show you weak," he growled. With that, he pressed his lips to hers in a breathtaking kiss.
His lips leavin hers, Jessica said softly, "I know just how to press your buttons."
"Always," he said, "always."
Next month, July:
Amy and Matt had the next two weeks to arrange everything for the wedding - or almost everything.
At TGI Fridays, Amy and Matt were discussing earnestly, in what direction they should continue next.
"I called several churches we wanted to have the wedding at, and finally I was able to find one that had a spot available in October."
"Wonderful," Amy breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's the church our Mom used to go to," Matt replied wistfully.
"Oh Matt," Amy replied, tears coming to her eyes.
"Somehow I feel at peace with that, almost like closure."
Amy reached across the table, covering her hand over his, "I understand," she replied softly.
With a shake of his head, Matt forced a small smile and said, "Okay, so what are some things you have in mind?"
"What? Oh yeah," Amy replied, regaining her train of thought.
"I should probably start looking for a wedding dress, the cake, the reception food.."
"Red, might I add a suggestion?"
"Sure."
"Why don't you start the search for your wedding dress first, while I rent a tux. Then we can start going over the guest list together."
"Oh shoot, what if the church isn't big enough? Maybe we should have started the guest list first?" Amy replied, her voice panicky.
"Sweetie, the church is fairly small, but I'm sure it's big enough for our closest friends and family.
Amy shook her head, "I can't understand why I don't have it more organized. I'm usually more in control than this."
"You don't have to worry about being the only one in control, we are in this together remember," he reminded her with a gentle smile.
She smiled gratefully and gave him a big hug, "Thanks Matt, for keeping me from freaking out."
"Don't worry about the rest right now, we'll deal with it a little later on down the road, alright? One step at a time."
Matt snapped his fingers, "Shoot, I forgot to tell you. Jeff and Nora want to meet us for dinner at Applebees tonight. You game?"
Amy smiled, "That would be nice. It will give us a chance to discuss the wedding plans with them."
Later that night, at Applebees:
"We were able to get a church for October 18th, a morning wedding!" Amy exclaimed excitedly. "Are you sure you guys don't want to get married with us?" Amy questioned excitedly.
Nora and Jeff looked at each other, "Thanks just the same Amy-girl," Jeff replied good-naturedly, "but we've talked it over, and we would really like to have our own wedding."
Amy would have loved to have a double wedding, but she understood.
Matt and Jeff both cleared their throats. "Would you be my best man?" the brothers asked each other simultaneously. The color rose in their cheeks as Amy and Nora laughed. "Yes," Matt and Jeff answered each other at the same time.
"That was good guys, you couldn't have timed it any better," Amy teased, a twinkle in her eyes.
Jeff smiled and looked at Matt, "We were able to get a pastor for a November wedding," he said excitedly.
"That's great!" Matt said, excited for his baby brother. "But did you just say a pastor, don't you need a church too?" Matt asked, confused.
"That's just it, we don't need a church, we are going to have an outdoor wedding!" Jeff exclaimed happily.
"Oh." Amy and Matt looked at each other in surprise.
Jeff frowned, "You don't like it do you?" Even though it really didn't matter what anyone else thought, Jeff still wanted his brother's approval.
"N, no, I think it's a neat idea, I guess I just wasn't expecting it, that's all."
"I think it will make a lovely picture, the two of you getting married outdoors," Amy replied eagerly.
"So, by February, we'll be out and you two will have the whole place to yourselves," Amy said, grinning mischievously.
Nora stared at Amy, a blank look on her face, "I'm sorry Amy, but I have no idea what you're talking about."
Amy's face darkened, "Jeff, did you tell Nora about us?"
"Tell me about what?" Nora asked in confusion, her blue eyes darting back and forth between the two.
Jeff swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair. Turning to Amy and Matt, Jeff took Nora's hand, and said quietly, "If you'll excuse us a minute."
Walking over to an empty booth, a confused Nora turned to Jeff, "What's she talking about?"
"Well, Matt is having the house built for them but.."
Nora bobbed her head up and down, "Right, I know?" she prodded gently..
"It won't be finished until four months after the wedding, so Matt and Amy will be staying with us for the first three months of our marriage."
Nora stared at him in shock, unsure of how to respond.
"Well, say something!" Jeff whispered pleadingly.
"I don't mind, I suppose," Nora replied slowly, "but why didn't you tell me? Jeff, once we are married you can't leave me out of the loop like this. You need to tell me these things, in advance. That, and it makes me feel like a fool when everyone else is clued in but me!" Nora replied in exasperation.
"Nora!" Jeff hissed, "people will hear."
"I don't care," she whispered back.
"Nora, don't you think you are acting a little bit childish? It's not like I'm married to you yet."
Her mouth dropped open, "Excuse me?!"
*Uh oh.* As soon as the words slipped out of his mouth, he knew he was in trouble.
Nora's cornflower, blue eyes blazed, "I'll choose to ignore that - for now. Let me tell you something though mister," she replied angrily, shaking a finger at him.
"Nora, people are staring," Jeff whispered urgently.
"Jeff, with four people in the house, privacy is going to be a big issue," Nora pointed out.
"What issue? Matt and Amy will give us our privacy, I'm sure."
Nora rolled her eyes, "With good intentions, yes, but it will be harder with two couples sharing the same house."
"I'm sure everything will be fine, besides you and Amy are practically best friends. Trust me, it'll be fine. I'm totally confident that things will work out," Jeff told himself coolly, even though nagging doubts lingered in the back of his mind.
"I hope so," she muttered under her breath.
Week #2
Matt and Amy spent the whole day shopping. In no time, Matt found his tuxedo, but Amy, highly frustrated, couldn't find anything she wanted to be married in.
"Hon, maybe you are being a little too picky about this," he suggested.
Amy shook her head stubbornly, "Matt, I've tried on dozens of wedding dresses today and none look quite right on me. This is my wedding dress, I want it to be perfect."
He sighed, "Well, why don't you check the web?"
"I don't want to buy a dress off the web, I don't know what I'm getting," Amy protested.
Frustrated, Matt let out a deep breath in an attempt to quell his rising irritation, "I'm not saying you have to buy it over the web, just check out the designs, see if anything catches your eye. Then maybe you can have a seamstress make it or something."
Amy's eyes lit up, "Hey, you're right, that's a great idea." She leaned over to kiss him, "Thanks Matt."
"Of course it's a great idea," he retorted, "I'm always right," Matt finished with a grin.
"How come you are so calm about this whole thing?"
"The wedding, because I already found my clothes," he said with a wide smile.
Amy elbowed him, "Ha, ha, very funny. I'll call you if I find anything." Blowing him a quick kiss, Amy dashed out of the mall.
Excitedly, Amy turned on her computer and spent the next several hours surfing the web. Her eyes burning, she rubbed at them wearily. *Okay, this is it, if I don't find anything on this web site, I'm just going to have to sett.." She gasped, all thoughts of giving up flew out of her head as she stared at the dress that popped up on screen. *It's absolutely heavenly!*
Amy called Matt and told him her discovery.
"See I knew it, I told you that you would find something on the Internet," Matt said proudly.
"Okay, okay, quit rubbing it in would ya," Amy demanded playfully.
"It's my job," Matt responded, equally playful.
Week #3:
Amy felt much more at ease, her dress was being worked on. The baker knew what type of cake her and Matt wanted and would get started on it in early October. Somehow, in what little spare time they had, Amy and Matt had sent all the invitations out. They were hopeful everyone would be able to come. All she had to do now was ask a certain few people if they would be in the wedding party. She swallowed hard, nervously approaching the group. "Stephanie, would you like to be my maid of honor?"
Stephanie's eyes gleamed, "Really, you're serious?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Amy asked with a smile as she hugged her.
"In that case, I'll except," Stephanie responded, beaming.
Amy frowned, "Steph, have you seen Trish?"
"No, I haven't seen her all day."
"Okay, well thanks anyway." Nora and Jeff were busy getting their own wedding plans together, so Amy didn't want to make a somewhat stressful situation any tougher. So, she decided to ask Trish. Trish had become a great and valued friend to her over the past year. Thinking back, Amy remembered the incident when the earthquake hit.
Flashback:
"Amy, I'm not in love with Matt, I don't think I ever was. I was just trying to stir up trouble, that's all. I'm sorry. Besides, it's easy to tell that you're in love with Matt and I think you guys are perfect for each other," she said smiling brightly.
"She's going to be okay, Lisa," Trish said soothingly.
Amy suddenly started thrashing around and mumbled, "Have to go, gotta tell Matt..before it's to late," Amy wailed. She was almost frantic, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"You're not going anywhere honey, but we'll talk to Matt, I promise," Trish said solemnly.
Return to the present:
Amy finally found Trish and Andrew discussing the script for that night. Reluctantly, Andrew was allowing her to come to ringside, but only if she stayed far enough away from the fighting. Timidly, Amy approached them, because it seemed even though he was laying down the ground rules, Trish wanted to step all over them.
"Um, excuse me?"
"What?!" they demanded.
Amy took a step back, "Uh, maybe I'll come back later."
"No, it's okay Ames, what can we do for ya?" Andrew asked apologetically.
"I was wondering if you would like to be my bridesmaid Trish?"
"Would I, I would be honored!" Trish beamed.
"Great, thanks Trish. I was hoping you would say yes, you've been a great friend to me in the past year and I wanted to show my appreciation," Amy replied, smiling softly.
"That's what friends are for," Trish replied, her voice equally soft. "You taught me that."
One week before the wedding:
"I'm so excited, yet nervous at the same time," Amy whispered to Nora, her heart thudding in her chest.
"About what?" Nora asked casually, unlocking the door to her apartment. As soon as she opened the door, several people jumped up and yelled, "Surprise!"
"Wh, what?!" Amy exclaimed in surprise.
"The wedding or the Bridal shower," Nora replied mischievously.
"We know you didn't want a Bridal shower, but we just had to get you a wedding present and a congratulations cake," Monica blurted out excitedly. Jessica walked out from the kitchen, bearing a large cake in her hands.
"Oh my gosh, you guys!" Amy smiled in amazement. "You didn't have to do anything. So whose idea was it?"
Nora slowly raised her hand. "Mine," she replied sheepishly.
Amy smiled and shook her head, "Aw, you guys," she said, giving each of them a hug. They had cake and talked, all the while waiting for a certain special guest to arrive. Suspiciously, Amy began to feel that the gang was hiding something, when suddenly a knock sounded at the door. Amy looked at Nora with interest as she practically leaped up from her seat next to Jessica.
"Thank goodness you're here," Nora whispered anxiously as the young woman stepped through the doorway.
Amy herself jumped up when she saw who it was, "Mel, it's so great to see you! How are you doing?"
Melanie opened her mouth to say something, then as if changing her mind, she smiled. "Really good, thanks."
She handed Amy a box wrapped in green tissue paper, "Here, this is from us."
"You guys, I wasn't expecting any wedding presents," Amy said with a shake of her head, though it was impossible for her to keep the excited smile off her face as she sat down on the sofa and gingerly started removing the wrapping paper. She stopped suddenly, studying their faces intently, hoping their faces would give them away as to what it was.
*Oh fudge, nothing!* she thought, to her dismay.
"We know you better than you think Ames," Trish said with a grin, "we aren't letting our faces give it away this time."
Resuming her task, Amy removed the box lid, pulled back red tissue paper and gasped. Turning a bright shade of red, Amy demanded, "Okay, who got me this?" Once again, Nora raised her hand, looking quite sheepish. "The outfit was my idea and we all chipped in, thinking it would be perfect for you and Matt."
"Outfit!" Amy exclaimed with mock severity, "Nora, there's barely nothing here."
"That was the idea," Nora answered, a slow smile spreading across her face.
"What's happened to the sweet, little innocent Nora I knew?" Amy asked, a smile on her face.
"I've been hanging around Jeff too long," Nora replied slyly. Turning a bit red, Nora responded, "No, honestly, I just thought it would be perfect for you and Matt on your wedding night."
Slightly embarrassed, Amy held up the filmy, emerald green lace and silk teddy with matching green velvet thong.
"It's really pretty Amy," Monica said shyly.
"Thank you."
"If that doesn't get Matt going, nothing will," Stephanie replied, with a wink.
Amy noticed Melanie fidgeting with a gold wedding band on her finger. She didn't remember seeing the ring on her finger before, so Amy innocently commented, "Wow Melanie, I've never seen you wear your wedding ring before."
"I don't. After Greg died it reminded me of all that I lost, so I hid our wedding ring away. Chris purchased this wedding ring for me the day before we exchanged vows."
If you would like to use this story, please ask me first, thanks.
I know it's been quite awhile since I added a chapter to this story, so if anyone has been patiently waiting for updates, thanks for hanging tight! :-)
Chapter 7: Surprise!
Amy stared at Matt blankly, "Mo, move in with Jeff?" Beginning to recover from the shock, Amy asked, "Have you talked to Jeff yet? Is it okay with him? We are talking just a couple of months right?"
Matt frowned, "Well, yes, it'd only be a couple of months, just until the house is finished."
"Well yes, as in only until the house is finished or does your response include, yes, Jeff's cool with it?" Amy persisted.
"Both," he replied, irritated. "Look, this is not okay with you is it?"
"I just think it might be a bit awkward, don't you think? What about privacy?"
Matt shrugged, "It's his and my house, privacy shouldn't be a problem. Besides, why should it be awkward, you and Jeff are like sister and brother."
"Exactly," Amy muttered to herself, frowning. Ignoring the doubts plaguing her, Amy smiled uneasily, "Okay."
As the suspension of Jeff Hardy and Spike slowly drug on, Nora behaved herself when she accompanied APA or Bradshaw to the ring. Slowly, she was becoming an integral part of the team. As they started hanging out more and more backstage, the boys willingly stopped smoking cigars when they were around her, because the smell made her physically ill. Whenever Nora played poker with them, which became quite frequent, for she was becoming highly fond of the game, she noticed how many beers littered the table.
"You guys really ought to cut back on the beer, too much is bad for your health," Nora reminded them sweetly.
Ron frowned, "You know Nora, it's really none.. but Bradshaw cut him off. "We can cut it back a little, can't we Ron?" Bradshaw pushed, glaring at him.
"By how much?" Ron demanded, raising an eyebrow.
Their last night together, Nora, Bradshaw and Ron were scheduled to fight Ivory and Lance.
"I'm going to miss working with you guys," Nora sniffled.
"Well, come on little lady, sit down and play a final game of poker with us," both men encouraged.
"Well, okay," she squealed happily, donning her green poker hat. Bradshaw took a sip from the can of beer at his side. Ron offered her a drink from his yet-to-be opened can.
"No thanks," she said smiling proudly, "I have O'Douls!"
The next morning APA met up with Jeff and Spike, who were talking animatedly as they walked down the hall.
"Excuse me Jeff, we need to ask you a favor?"
"Sure, what's the favor?"
"We were hoping you wouldn't mind sharing Nora - as a sidekick I mean," Bradshaw added hastily.
"Yeah, she's such a sweetheart. We've cut back on our beer and our cigar smoking because of her," Ron added cheerfully.
Groaning, Jeff clapped a hand to his forehead, "Oh man, it's catching, she's so perky no one can resist her."
"Nevver evver!" Nora said with a smile as she walked up to the group. Wrapping her arms around Jeff's waist, she rested her chin on Jeff's shoulder and whispered sweetly, "I heard that last comment honey, and I'll take that as a compliment."
"We would like to ask Vince if you could split your time as valet between Jeff and us," Bradshaw explained, grinning from-ear-to-ear.
"Oh, that would be wonderful! You don't mind do you Jeff?" Nora asked hopefully.
He shook his head, "No, it's okay with me. Vince may be a tougher sell on it though," he warned.
"I'll talk to him, I'm sure he'll love it!" she said, practically bouncing up and down excitedly.
As they watched her skip down the hall, Jeff commented dryly, "I think she's had too much sugar today - that and she has a plan."
Later that night, in New York:
"It feels like forever since we've gotten together again," Monica announced, smiling. Monica, Erin, Al, Chris, Jessica, Stephanie, Paul, Amy, Matt, Nora, Jeff, Trish, Andrew and Spike gathered around the large, round table, seating themselves comfortably on the soft, red leather seats.
"Trish, how did your doctor's appointment go?" Monica asked.
"It went really well," she smiled, giving Andrew a sideways glance, who was also smiling broadly.
"I'm going to have a new baby brother or sister!" Lenae blurted out excitedly. "That's why Mum wasn't feeling so good on the plane trip back!" she explained, her clear, blue eyes sparkling.
Trish blushed, her eyes speaking volumes as they locked with Andrew's, *We are going to have to talk to her about thinking before you speak.* Trish and Andrew couldn't help but smile though. They were very thankful Lenae was happy and open about it, not upset by a new family member on the way.
"Congratulations," Amy said, reaching over Matt to give Trish a hug, "I'm so happy for you guys! Do you know how far along you are?"
"The doctor said she thinks about two weeks," Trish replied excitedly.
"Steph, Jessica, how are you doing? Are you having any pregnancy symptoms yet?" Trish asked reluctantly. Having just come back from the doctor the day before yesterday, she really hadn't had a chance to read up on pregnancy. Her and Andrew were still in a whirlwind over the whole thing. Not to mention, they had been unsure of how Lenae's reaction to the news of a new baby would be.
Chris rolled his eyes, *Oh geeze, not again.*
Paul looked at Chris over Steph's head, his eyes saying, *Trish really doesn't want to bring up this subject.*
*Especially at the dinner table,* Jericho's eyes emphasized. They couldn't tell their wives these things, unless they wanted to be in 'The doghouse.'
"Well, I've been feeling pretty good for the most part, except my back is beginning to ache, my feet are starting to swell and I think that's it," Stephanie said with a shrug.
Trish wrinkled her nose, "Oh - that's nice."
Paul wrinkled his own nose, "Uh, don't forget the moodswings," he said quietly.
"What!" she whispered loudly, "I do not have moodswings" she exclaimed, hitting him in the arm.
Andrew visibly cringed, *My wife is going to get like this?!*
"Yeah right, no moodswings," Jeff scoffed, folding his arms across his chest.
"Hey, you know what, that sounds like enough information," Trish replied quickly, "I'm sure I can find the rest out from a boo.."
Jessica leaned forward, cutting Trish off, "Hey," she whined, "you haven't heard my story yet."
Before Trish could utter a word, Jessica began her story. "Same as Steph, but I feel bloated almost all the time, and like clockwork, once a week, I hug the porcelain toilet, which is quickly becoming my best friend," Jessica finished sarcastically. Everyone laughed at her last remark. "But it's worth it, I wouldn't trade our two babies for the world," Jessica declared, her eyes shining. Chris smiled at her and laced his fingers through hers.
Nora smiled, and looked at Jeff, who was grinning too.
"What?" Spike asked, his heart sinking, "did you guys move up your wedding date?"
"No," Nora replied, still smiling. "I managed to convince Vince to let me be a sidekick to both Jeff and the APA!" she squealed excitedly.
"If anyone could do it Nora, you could," Spike managed to squeak out. The sadness in his voice and eyes did not go unnoticed by Nora. Her heart went out to him, *He's so lonely,* she thought. *Poor Spike, he needs someone.* Grinning mischievously, Nora asked, "Hey Spike, have you met Nidia yet?"
"Nidia, no, who's she?"
"Well," Nora started, her eyes gleaming.
Monica cleared her throat quietly. All eyes locked on her. For the first time, everyone noticed Erin had his arm draped lightly over her shoulder.
"I didn't want to interrupt, but .. Erin and I went on our first date earlier this evening!" Her voice was quiet but her smile was bright.
"Where did you guys go?" Al asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Erin took me to Coney Island!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I'd never been there before, we had a blast!"
"So, what rides did you guys go on, what sights did you go see? We want details hon," Amy said excitedly.
Matt's arm tightened around her shoulder "You mean you want details," he said with a smile. Amy laid her head on his shoulder, "Always," she responded with a grin.
"Well," Monica began.
Flashback
Late afternoon was fading into dusk as the orange/pink sun merged with the crystal, blue waters surrounding Coney Island. Shyly, Monica kissed Erin on the cheek, "Bringing me here was so sweet of you, thank you."
"Aw, well, I wanted to bring you some place special, something different, somewhere you hadn't been before," Erin said, grinning at her.
"You did well too, sneaking behind my back, asking Chris and Nora what I liked to do in my spare time, when I have it," she joked.
"What would you like to do first?" Erin asked.
"Well, you keep talking about the wonder wheel," Monica replied with a smile.
"That's right," he said enthusiastically. "Do you know the wonder wheel has a perfect safety record?" he quizzed Monica, a goofy grin on his face.
"No, I didn't, but that's good to hear," she replied with a laugh. One hour later after riding the Wonder Wheel 3 times, the Thunderbolt twice then a spin on the carousel, Monica was hungry. "I demand cotton candy and ice cream," she laughed heartily, slipping her arm through Erin's.
"Your wish is my command milady," he said with a grin.
As they got on the Cyclone, Monica's stomach felt queasy, "I don't know if I want to get on this roller coaster, it seems much bigger than the Thunderbolt."
"That's because it is," Erin replied good-naturedly. Reluctantly, she strapped herself in.
As the ride started it's slow ascent, Monica leaned over to Erin, "I think I should have waited longer for my food to digest," she started to say.
Erin gave her a quick look of panic as they reached the first peak of the roller coaster, "You're kidding riiiggghttt!" he yelled as they hurtled down. Monica's stomach lurched. *Oh no!* she thought. After several more twists, turns and curves her stomach couldn't take any more upheaval, so it released it's burden - on Erin! The coaster rolled to a stop, with a shocked Erin staring down at his lap.
"Oh gosh! I'm soo sorry Erin!" she exclaimed.
"It's, it's okay," he faltered. "Luckily the hotel is nearby, we can just change clothes." Turning red with embarrassment, Monica nodded her head mutely.
An hour later:
Erin made sure Monica didn't get on any more rides, instead Monica had her face painted by a clown. Afterwards, the two strolled hand-in-hand down the boardwalk, watching the fireworks light up the night sky.
suddenly, out of the blue, Monica asked, "Would you like to kiss me? Because I sure would like to kiss you," she said shyly. Erin turned to face her, surprise written all over his face. "Of course I understand if you don't want to kiss me, after what happened today.." Erin cut her off as he gently grasped her chin, pressing his lips passionately to hers. Cupping his face in her hands, she eagerly returned the kiss.
Back to the present:
"So, your date turned out pretty good after all," Nora commented, her eyes sparkling.
"It won't be a date you'll soon forget, that's for sure," Al replied dryly.
"The end sure didn't sound boring," Trish commented mischievously.
"I'm glad you guys had a memorable time," Amy replied, an impish grin on her face.
Jeff pulled his arm out from around Nora's shoulders and glanced at his watch, "Well, we'd better turn in, another early day, another city."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Paul replied, helping Steph out of the booth.
"We'll see y'all in the morning," Matt threw over his shoulder as he, Jeff, Amy and Nora headed back to the hotel.
Later that night, as Chris climbed into bed beside Jessica, she asked, "Hey, when is Chris coming back?
"In three months. He managed to take time off to help Melanie with Gregory Christopher," Chris said with a grin as he reached over to turn off the light.
"She named the baby after him!" Jessica gasped in surprise.
"Yeah," Chris said wistfully. "He told me right after she had the baby, that he was falling in love with her."
Jessica cuddled up to Chris, "That's so sweet, has she said anything to him?"
"Not that I know of, but I suspect that she is falling in love with him too."
"Melanie is probably still grieving for her husband some," Jessica suggested thoughtfully.
"Chris is aware, that's why he told her he would give her all the time she needs."
"She couldn't find a better man," Jessica said proudly. "It might take her awhile to give her heart to someone else though, it took me awhile to give my heart to you."
"Oh really, and why is that?" Jericho asked casually, leaning over her.
"Because," Jessica said sarcastically, "you're just a hard man to get to know. Do I need to remind you of Monica? It took her a long time to let her help you break down the walls," she finished wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Of Jericho," he cracked.
"That was weak, coming from you," Jessica said bluntly, a smile on her lips.
"Weak, I'll show you weak," he growled. With that, he pressed his lips to hers in a breathtaking kiss.
His lips leavin hers, Jessica said softly, "I know just how to press your buttons."
"Always," he said, "always."
Next month, July:
Amy and Matt had the next two weeks to arrange everything for the wedding - or almost everything.
At TGI Fridays, Amy and Matt were discussing earnestly, in what direction they should continue next.
"I called several churches we wanted to have the wedding at, and finally I was able to find one that had a spot available in October."
"Wonderful," Amy breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's the church our Mom used to go to," Matt replied wistfully.
"Oh Matt," Amy replied, tears coming to her eyes.
"Somehow I feel at peace with that, almost like closure."
Amy reached across the table, covering her hand over his, "I understand," she replied softly.
With a shake of his head, Matt forced a small smile and said, "Okay, so what are some things you have in mind?"
"What? Oh yeah," Amy replied, regaining her train of thought.
"I should probably start looking for a wedding dress, the cake, the reception food.."
"Red, might I add a suggestion?"
"Sure."
"Why don't you start the search for your wedding dress first, while I rent a tux. Then we can start going over the guest list together."
"Oh shoot, what if the church isn't big enough? Maybe we should have started the guest list first?" Amy replied, her voice panicky.
"Sweetie, the church is fairly small, but I'm sure it's big enough for our closest friends and family.
Amy shook her head, "I can't understand why I don't have it more organized. I'm usually more in control than this."
"You don't have to worry about being the only one in control, we are in this together remember," he reminded her with a gentle smile.
She smiled gratefully and gave him a big hug, "Thanks Matt, for keeping me from freaking out."
"Don't worry about the rest right now, we'll deal with it a little later on down the road, alright? One step at a time."
Matt snapped his fingers, "Shoot, I forgot to tell you. Jeff and Nora want to meet us for dinner at Applebees tonight. You game?"
Amy smiled, "That would be nice. It will give us a chance to discuss the wedding plans with them."
Later that night, at Applebees:
"We were able to get a church for October 18th, a morning wedding!" Amy exclaimed excitedly. "Are you sure you guys don't want to get married with us?" Amy questioned excitedly.
Nora and Jeff looked at each other, "Thanks just the same Amy-girl," Jeff replied good-naturedly, "but we've talked it over, and we would really like to have our own wedding."
Amy would have loved to have a double wedding, but she understood.
Matt and Jeff both cleared their throats. "Would you be my best man?" the brothers asked each other simultaneously. The color rose in their cheeks as Amy and Nora laughed. "Yes," Matt and Jeff answered each other at the same time.
"That was good guys, you couldn't have timed it any better," Amy teased, a twinkle in her eyes.
Jeff smiled and looked at Matt, "We were able to get a pastor for a November wedding," he said excitedly.
"That's great!" Matt said, excited for his baby brother. "But did you just say a pastor, don't you need a church too?" Matt asked, confused.
"That's just it, we don't need a church, we are going to have an outdoor wedding!" Jeff exclaimed happily.
"Oh." Amy and Matt looked at each other in surprise.
Jeff frowned, "You don't like it do you?" Even though it really didn't matter what anyone else thought, Jeff still wanted his brother's approval.
"N, no, I think it's a neat idea, I guess I just wasn't expecting it, that's all."
"I think it will make a lovely picture, the two of you getting married outdoors," Amy replied eagerly.
"So, by February, we'll be out and you two will have the whole place to yourselves," Amy said, grinning mischievously.
Nora stared at Amy, a blank look on her face, "I'm sorry Amy, but I have no idea what you're talking about."
Amy's face darkened, "Jeff, did you tell Nora about us?"
"Tell me about what?" Nora asked in confusion, her blue eyes darting back and forth between the two.
Jeff swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair. Turning to Amy and Matt, Jeff took Nora's hand, and said quietly, "If you'll excuse us a minute."
Walking over to an empty booth, a confused Nora turned to Jeff, "What's she talking about?"
"Well, Matt is having the house built for them but.."
Nora bobbed her head up and down, "Right, I know?" she prodded gently..
"It won't be finished until four months after the wedding, so Matt and Amy will be staying with us for the first three months of our marriage."
Nora stared at him in shock, unsure of how to respond.
"Well, say something!" Jeff whispered pleadingly.
"I don't mind, I suppose," Nora replied slowly, "but why didn't you tell me? Jeff, once we are married you can't leave me out of the loop like this. You need to tell me these things, in advance. That, and it makes me feel like a fool when everyone else is clued in but me!" Nora replied in exasperation.
"Nora!" Jeff hissed, "people will hear."
"I don't care," she whispered back.
"Nora, don't you think you are acting a little bit childish? It's not like I'm married to you yet."
Her mouth dropped open, "Excuse me?!"
*Uh oh.* As soon as the words slipped out of his mouth, he knew he was in trouble.
Nora's cornflower, blue eyes blazed, "I'll choose to ignore that - for now. Let me tell you something though mister," she replied angrily, shaking a finger at him.
"Nora, people are staring," Jeff whispered urgently.
"Jeff, with four people in the house, privacy is going to be a big issue," Nora pointed out.
"What issue? Matt and Amy will give us our privacy, I'm sure."
Nora rolled her eyes, "With good intentions, yes, but it will be harder with two couples sharing the same house."
"I'm sure everything will be fine, besides you and Amy are practically best friends. Trust me, it'll be fine. I'm totally confident that things will work out," Jeff told himself coolly, even though nagging doubts lingered in the back of his mind.
"I hope so," she muttered under her breath.
Week #2
Matt and Amy spent the whole day shopping. In no time, Matt found his tuxedo, but Amy, highly frustrated, couldn't find anything she wanted to be married in.
"Hon, maybe you are being a little too picky about this," he suggested.
Amy shook her head stubbornly, "Matt, I've tried on dozens of wedding dresses today and none look quite right on me. This is my wedding dress, I want it to be perfect."
He sighed, "Well, why don't you check the web?"
"I don't want to buy a dress off the web, I don't know what I'm getting," Amy protested.
Frustrated, Matt let out a deep breath in an attempt to quell his rising irritation, "I'm not saying you have to buy it over the web, just check out the designs, see if anything catches your eye. Then maybe you can have a seamstress make it or something."
Amy's eyes lit up, "Hey, you're right, that's a great idea." She leaned over to kiss him, "Thanks Matt."
"Of course it's a great idea," he retorted, "I'm always right," Matt finished with a grin.
"How come you are so calm about this whole thing?"
"The wedding, because I already found my clothes," he said with a wide smile.
Amy elbowed him, "Ha, ha, very funny. I'll call you if I find anything." Blowing him a quick kiss, Amy dashed out of the mall.
Excitedly, Amy turned on her computer and spent the next several hours surfing the web. Her eyes burning, she rubbed at them wearily. *Okay, this is it, if I don't find anything on this web site, I'm just going to have to sett.." She gasped, all thoughts of giving up flew out of her head as she stared at the dress that popped up on screen. *It's absolutely heavenly!*
Amy called Matt and told him her discovery.
"See I knew it, I told you that you would find something on the Internet," Matt said proudly.
"Okay, okay, quit rubbing it in would ya," Amy demanded playfully.
"It's my job," Matt responded, equally playful.
Week #3:
Amy felt much more at ease, her dress was being worked on. The baker knew what type of cake her and Matt wanted and would get started on it in early October. Somehow, in what little spare time they had, Amy and Matt had sent all the invitations out. They were hopeful everyone would be able to come. All she had to do now was ask a certain few people if they would be in the wedding party. She swallowed hard, nervously approaching the group. "Stephanie, would you like to be my maid of honor?"
Stephanie's eyes gleamed, "Really, you're serious?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Amy asked with a smile as she hugged her.
"In that case, I'll except," Stephanie responded, beaming.
Amy frowned, "Steph, have you seen Trish?"
"No, I haven't seen her all day."
"Okay, well thanks anyway." Nora and Jeff were busy getting their own wedding plans together, so Amy didn't want to make a somewhat stressful situation any tougher. So, she decided to ask Trish. Trish had become a great and valued friend to her over the past year. Thinking back, Amy remembered the incident when the earthquake hit.
Flashback:
"Amy, I'm not in love with Matt, I don't think I ever was. I was just trying to stir up trouble, that's all. I'm sorry. Besides, it's easy to tell that you're in love with Matt and I think you guys are perfect for each other," she said smiling brightly.
"She's going to be okay, Lisa," Trish said soothingly.
Amy suddenly started thrashing around and mumbled, "Have to go, gotta tell Matt..before it's to late," Amy wailed. She was almost frantic, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"You're not going anywhere honey, but we'll talk to Matt, I promise," Trish said solemnly.
Return to the present:
Amy finally found Trish and Andrew discussing the script for that night. Reluctantly, Andrew was allowing her to come to ringside, but only if she stayed far enough away from the fighting. Timidly, Amy approached them, because it seemed even though he was laying down the ground rules, Trish wanted to step all over them.
"Um, excuse me?"
"What?!" they demanded.
Amy took a step back, "Uh, maybe I'll come back later."
"No, it's okay Ames, what can we do for ya?" Andrew asked apologetically.
"I was wondering if you would like to be my bridesmaid Trish?"
"Would I, I would be honored!" Trish beamed.
"Great, thanks Trish. I was hoping you would say yes, you've been a great friend to me in the past year and I wanted to show my appreciation," Amy replied, smiling softly.
"That's what friends are for," Trish replied, her voice equally soft. "You taught me that."
One week before the wedding:
"I'm so excited, yet nervous at the same time," Amy whispered to Nora, her heart thudding in her chest.
"About what?" Nora asked casually, unlocking the door to her apartment. As soon as she opened the door, several people jumped up and yelled, "Surprise!"
"Wh, what?!" Amy exclaimed in surprise.
"The wedding or the Bridal shower," Nora replied mischievously.
"We know you didn't want a Bridal shower, but we just had to get you a wedding present and a congratulations cake," Monica blurted out excitedly. Jessica walked out from the kitchen, bearing a large cake in her hands.
"Oh my gosh, you guys!" Amy smiled in amazement. "You didn't have to do anything. So whose idea was it?"
Nora slowly raised her hand. "Mine," she replied sheepishly.
Amy smiled and shook her head, "Aw, you guys," she said, giving each of them a hug. They had cake and talked, all the while waiting for a certain special guest to arrive. Suspiciously, Amy began to feel that the gang was hiding something, when suddenly a knock sounded at the door. Amy looked at Nora with interest as she practically leaped up from her seat next to Jessica.
"Thank goodness you're here," Nora whispered anxiously as the young woman stepped through the doorway.
Amy herself jumped up when she saw who it was, "Mel, it's so great to see you! How are you doing?"
Melanie opened her mouth to say something, then as if changing her mind, she smiled. "Really good, thanks."
She handed Amy a box wrapped in green tissue paper, "Here, this is from us."
"You guys, I wasn't expecting any wedding presents," Amy said with a shake of her head, though it was impossible for her to keep the excited smile off her face as she sat down on the sofa and gingerly started removing the wrapping paper. She stopped suddenly, studying their faces intently, hoping their faces would give them away as to what it was.
*Oh fudge, nothing!* she thought, to her dismay.
"We know you better than you think Ames," Trish said with a grin, "we aren't letting our faces give it away this time."
Resuming her task, Amy removed the box lid, pulled back red tissue paper and gasped. Turning a bright shade of red, Amy demanded, "Okay, who got me this?" Once again, Nora raised her hand, looking quite sheepish. "The outfit was my idea and we all chipped in, thinking it would be perfect for you and Matt."
"Outfit!" Amy exclaimed with mock severity, "Nora, there's barely nothing here."
"That was the idea," Nora answered, a slow smile spreading across her face.
"What's happened to the sweet, little innocent Nora I knew?" Amy asked, a smile on her face.
"I've been hanging around Jeff too long," Nora replied slyly. Turning a bit red, Nora responded, "No, honestly, I just thought it would be perfect for you and Matt on your wedding night."
Slightly embarrassed, Amy held up the filmy, emerald green lace and silk teddy with matching green velvet thong.
"It's really pretty Amy," Monica said shyly.
"Thank you."
"If that doesn't get Matt going, nothing will," Stephanie replied, with a wink.
Amy noticed Melanie fidgeting with a gold wedding band on her finger. She didn't remember seeing the ring on her finger before, so Amy innocently commented, "Wow Melanie, I've never seen you wear your wedding ring before."
"I don't. After Greg died it reminded me of all that I lost, so I hid our wedding ring away. Chris purchased this wedding ring for me the day before we exchanged vows."