Disclaimer: I do not own the characters affiliated with WWE, I do own Nicole Michael's however. This story is completely AU! This is my first fic so be gentle, reviews are welcomed!

Six months had passed and summer was leaving Newport. A wedding was planned, the cake ordered, the dress made, the reservations placed. The buck night and hen night were over. In two days Nicole would marry Adam Copeland, the one man she despised most in this world.

Nicole walked further along the beach, huddling into her wrap that guarded her from the cool air. The orange sun set over the sea giving the beach a surreal aura. She loved this time of the day; it was the only time she was away from the house.

A figure stood behind the lifeguard shack watching her move sadly across the beach. He felt his heart tug seeing the torment in her face and sadness in her huddled figure. She was still as beautiful as the day they'd met but she wasn't the same Nicole.

He followed her along the beach watching the way she looked out sadly to the sea, probably wishing for someone to come save her.

"Whoever it is that's following me might as well stop, I know you're there," she said stopping. She turned around slowly. "What do you want?"

Although he had been expecting this, Jeff was still surprised by her coldness. "I heard you were getting married to Adam."

"So now you give a shit?"

"Don't…"

"Don't what? Get upset? Tell you how I feel? You left me."

"I had no choice."

"Like I have no choice in marrying Adam. You left me to work with the man who's my father's enemy. The man I loved turned out to be the man I hated most."

"You don't hate me."

"You are exactly the type of man I don't want to be with. You are what my father is. You lie; you cheat and ruin people's lives. Worst of all, you lied to me and you betrayed me."

"I didn't want to leave you but it was for the best."

"Why Jeff? So I wouldn't find out what you really were? Guess what, I did and because of you I'm being forced to marry Adam and my best friend won't speak to me."

"They threatened to hurt you when I couldn't give them all the information they needed. I begged them to take me instead of you."

"How novel of you," she replied sarcastically.

"When did you become so cold?"

"When you left me in the middle of nowhere on my own. When you ripped my heart out and left to me to rot in my father's world. You could have told me you were leaving; it would have softened the blow."

"I tried. They kept me on a tight leash."

"So why are you here?"

"I love you."

"And I love Jeff Hardy, the sweet CD store owner who accepted me for who I am, who showed me how to love in this cold, cruel world. The Jeff Hardy who would hold my hand in the street, who'd make tender love to me. That Jeff Hardy left me a long time ago."

"I'm still that Jeff."

"Well you have a funny way of showing it. You were distant for so long, I should have guessed you would left me."

"Why won't you listen to me?"

"There's no point. In two days I'm marrying Adam, he'll take over from my father when he dies, I'll have his children and we'll both move on."

"I'll never move on from you."

"You should have thought about that before you walked out on me." She lowered her voice, "We could have run away. I would have left all this behind for you."

"Then come away with me," he said trying to hold her hand.

"I can't," she said stepping back. "You made your choice now deal with it."

"I came back for you. I risked my life running away from them to come get you. Are you really just going to walk away from us?"

"You did," she said and turned away. He watched her walk away knowing she didn't mean the things she'd said. In his heart he knew she yearned for him the way he yearned for her.

Nicole felt her chest tighten as she walked away. She knew someone had been following, she'd expected it to be Adam. When she saw Jeff all she wanted was to jump in his arms and hold him close. Yet the pain he had caused when he'd left was unbearable.

Jeff Hardy was the last thing Nicole needed on her mind.

Nicole sat by the pool having started the second bottle of wine while Maria watched on. They were celebrating her last night of freedom.

"I have to tell you something," Nicole said feeling very light headed as Maria poured her glass.

"Oh let me guess, I love guessing," Maria said. "Um, you and Copeland had sex?"

"No. Just let me tell you, we'll be here all night. I need to get this off my chest while I'm single and tipsy."

"Spill. Did you and John finally hook up?"

"No. Jeff came and saw me yesterday."

"That son of a bitch. What happened?"

"He came back for me. He left Nash for me."

"Honey he left you once before."

"He said he left to protect me. He sacrificed himself for me. It doesn't stop the hurting, not by a long shot, but I still love him."

"You always will love him, but you're with Adam, you love Adam and tomorrow you're going to become Mrs Copeland. You're going to be so happy with him, he's really changed."

If only you knew, Nicole thought to herself and finished her glass.

"If he came to the wedding tomorrow and asked you to go with him, would you? Even if it meant leaving us all behind?"

"I don't know," she said sadly. "Enough about him, why aren't you drinking?"

"I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I want you to know," Maria said. "I'm pregnant."

"Oh my god, are you serious?" Maria nodded with a big grin on her face. "Congratulations! Grandma's going to kill you. You're pregnant and not married."

"I know and there's something else you need to know. Randy and I are leaving."

"You're running away?"

"We have to. We want this child so much and I know if we stay here I won't be able to have him. I got a new job in Paris working with Chanel, and Randy's going to find a job once we're over there."

"Doesn't dad have the right to know?"

"Please don't make me feel guilty about this. I would give anything for Randy and him for me."

"I'm really happy for you," and she meant every word.