It was the next week and Nessa sat in Joe's locker room at the Impact Zone with the door locked while Joe went out and had a confrontation with Scott Steiner. Joe hadn't left her side much since the day Nick tried to take her on the plane with him because he wanted to be there to protect her and their baby. Throughout the week Alex, Allen, Andy, James and Chris Harris had all stopped by to see her and make sure she was really okay. Nessa's thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone ringing and not even thinking to bother to check the caller id she answered it. "Hello?"
"Aness?" Nick's voice flooded the line and she gasped. "Please don't hang up."
"What the hell do you want?" She snapped, trying to hide the fear in her voice.
"I wanted to explain myself."
"There's nothing to explain! You tried to get Kelly to help you kidnap me and take me on a plane against my will knowing that I didn't want to go with you."
"It wasn't like that..." He trailed off and Nessa laughed bitterly.
"Oh then please, by all means, enlighten me to how it was because that's what it sure as hell looked like to me Nicky!"
"I wanted you to come back here with me so I could convince you that we belong together, not you and Joe...I knew you wouldn't come with me any other way."
"I wouldn't have come with you any way! I told you that even though there's a part of me that still loves you I'm not in love with you, I don't want to be with you. I'm married to Joe and pregnant with his baby...I've never been happier in my life and I'll be damned if I let you or anyone else try to take that away from me!" Someone knocked on the door and she looked over at the monitor, noticing that Joe wasn't there anymore. "I've gotta go, I suggest you don't call me for a while and let me cool off."
"All right...I love you Aness." Nick whispered.
"You too Nicky." Nessa replied and hung up the phone. She walked over to the door and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "Who is it?"
"It's me babe." Joe stated and she opened the door quickly. "Who were you talking to?" He asked, stepping into the locker room and looking around.
"You heard that?"
"Yeah, couldn't help but hear it once I reached the door...it was Nick wasn't it?" Joe questioned and she nodded. "What the fuck did he want?"
"To explain himself."
"And what was his explanation?" Joe growled and Nessa winced which he noticed immediately. "Sorry Ness, I'm just pissed that he had the nerve to call you."
"It's okay. I am too...he said that he wanted me to go back with him so that he could convince me that we belonged together and not me and you. That he knew that was the only way I'd go with him and there was no other way."
"That son of a bitch!" Joe exclaimed and Nessa sighed.
"Baby calm down, there's no use getting all worked up over something that you can't do anything about...it's over and done with now. He knows how I feel and I think he may accept it, Nicky was just hurting because of me being pregnant by you and the thoughts of Serenity flooding back to both of us again."
"How can you make excuses for what he did?"
"I'm not making excuses for what he did Joe. All I'm trying to do is explain to you what I know he was going through, god forbid but if you were to ever lose a child you would understand." She said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes and he took her in his arms.
"You're right babe, I'm sorry. I was just so worried about you and the baby when you called me that day...I had no idea what was going on and didn't know whether you were hurt or not."
"I know and I'm sorry for worrying you but I'm okay now and it's all over."
"It wasn't your fault. Larry stopped me in the hall and said that he wants to talk to you so we need to go see what he wants." Joe told her.
"Okay." He took her hand and they walked out of his locker room to Larry's office and Joe knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Joe opened the door and they walked in. "Ahh Joe, Vanessa...so glad you could join me. There's something that I would like to speak to you about."
"What is it?" Nessa asked.
"Joe informed of your marriage and pregnancy, first of all I just want to say congratulations. Secondly...I know that you don't like the idea of this but it's the only way I can think of to explain your absence without doing something in the ring so would you consider doing an interview and explaining why you won't be around?"
"I'll do it, I have a question though."
"What is it?" Larry asked her.
"Is it going to be out in the ring?"
"That's what I was planning on, why?"
"Then I want full security around me and Joe. With Steiner lurking out there I don't want to take any chances of something happening to me or our baby." Nessa said, taking Joe's hand in hers and he smiled.
"I understand that, I'll inform Tenay of it and you'll be let know when it's time." She nodded and followed Joe out of Larry's office.
"You were awfully quick to agree to that." Joe stated when they got back to his locker room.
"Things are different this time...to be honest with you, I was never this much in love with Monty and this time I want to do things right and if that means telling everyone about us then that's what I'll do."
"Listen to this Don! I just received word that at the end of the show we're going to have an important announcement from Alannah and Samoa Joe!" Mike Tenay's voice played through the monitor and Nessa smiled.
"I wonder what it could be Mike?" Don asked.
"That you're a jackass." Nessa replied to the monitor and Joe laughed. "Sorry, I'm not too fond of him." She grumbled. They sat watching the rest of the show until the knock came on the door letting them know it was almost time for the interview. "Well, here we go." Nessa and Joe walked to the entrance tunnel where they were met by at least a dozen of security guards and stood there waiting for his music to start up.
Once it did he took her hand and they were led out of the tunnel by security. They stopped at the top of the ramp long enough to do their usual routine then made their way to the ring where Joe and a security guard held the ropes open for Nessa. The guards surrounded the ring, making sure no one was able to get through then Joe and Nessa turned their attention to Mike Tenay.
"Alannah as I stated earlier, I was told that you and Samoa Joe have a very important announcement to share with everyone...care to let us know what that is?" He asked, holding the microphone out to her and she smiled.
"I'd love to Mike, may I?" She questioned, pointing to the microphone and he nodded. Nessa took the mic and turned to look at the crowd. "Now I know most of you are probably wondering what this is all about so I'm going to get right to it. You know me as Alannah, Samoa Joe's valet but my real name is Vanessa and I am in reality Joe's wife. We just got married last week here in Florida where we both call home among family and friends. Also I just found out that I am six weeks pregnant with Joe's child so until after the baby is born it is with much regret that I say...I am no longer going to be at ringside with him though I will be watching from backstage. I want to thank you all for the support that you have shown me since I arrived here in TNA and be assured that once I am able to I will be returning to join my husband at ringside." The crowd was going crazy as she turned to Joe and gave him a quick kiss. "Again I just want to thank you all and I hope to see you soon." She handed the microphone back to Mike, gave him a kiss on the cheek then she and Joe went to the back where Chris, Allen and Alex were waiting on them.
"Why didn't you tell us you were going to do that?" Allen asked her.
"It was a last minute thing that Larry just asked me about tonight." Nessa stated and he nodded. "I'm hungry...anybody want to go get some ice cream?" She questioned and Joe laughed. "What? I have a craving for ice cream!"
"I'll go with you V.C." Alex spoke up and Nessa smiled.
"Let's go cause some trouble then."
"We'll go with you guys to keep you in line." Chris stated, laughing.
"No fair! Ruin all our fun why don't you old man?" She teased him and he growled playfully.
"I am NOT old!"
"Older than me." Nessa shrugged, smiling.
"Not by much." Chris replied, trying his hardest not to laugh.
"By enough."
"All right children let's go." Joe said, laughing.
"Watch who you're calling a child or you won't be getting any for a while." Nessa warned him, smiling evilly. Joe smacked her ass then grabbed his bag out of his locker room. "Can we go get my ice cream now?"
"Yeah, come on." He told her and the five of them left the arena to find the closest place that sold ice cream.
