Four days later Ashley and Chris sat on their couch, at their home in Victoria Texas. Ashley actually had her head in his lap looking up at her husband. He ran his fingers through her hair and she smiled up at him. "I've missed my period." She said quietly. They had discussed having other children, but they had decided against it.
Chris looked down at her surprised. "What?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
She nodded slowly. "Yeah." She said.
"So you're pregnant?" He asked.
Ashley shook her head. "I am not sure. I could be." She said.
"You're still on your birth control right?" Chris asked.
Ashley nodded. "Yeah why would I stop?"
"I don't know, Jess did." He said.
Ashley sat up quickly. "I am not her Chris! I would never fucking trick you into having more kids!" She yelled at him and stormed out of the room.
Chris sighed and shook his head. "Damn it." He yelled and punched the wall.
The next day Ashley walked into the doctor's office, with a nervous stomach. She had ignored Chris on her way out. She had already made up her mind, if she pregnant she would have the child, even if it forced her and Chris apart. Of course, it would kill her but then again every child should have a chance to live.
"Ashley Jericho!" The nurse called after she only had waited five minutes or so.
Ashley grabbed her purse and walked into the back, where her weight was taken and she was then shown into the small room. The nurse had her dress in a paper gown and sit on the table. She waited for a bit until the doctor came into the room. "Ashley Jericho!" She said with a smile. "Is it that time already?"
Ashley smiled as Dr. Grant entered the room. "Hey Dr. Grant. Yeah it is!" She said with a laugh. Dr. Grant was her OB/GYN, and she had seen her since she was eighteen years old, and had seen her through both pregnancies.
"So what's up?" Dr. Grant asked sitting down.
Ashley sighed and smiled. "Check up, plus I might be pregnant." She said with a smile. "Oh and I've been having some killer back pain."
Dr. Grant smiled and nodded. "Okay well we'll do some blood tests, after the regular check up. Then a pelvic exam okay?" Ashley nodded and smiled. Dr. Grant
Two hours later Dr. Grant came back in with the results of the blood tests. She sat down with the fully dressed Ashley. "Alright you're not pregnant." She said.
Ashley let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god."
Dr. Grant nodded. "I just have a few questions okay?"
"Of course."
"Alright have you had menstrual changes in the last couple of months?"
Ashley thought for a moment. "Yeah the last two months have been really light and I missed it this month."
Dr. Grant wrote that down as she asked. "You said you have back pain, how long has that been going on for?"
"Um three weeks or so."
Dr. Grant nodded. "Alright have you been fatigued lately?"
"Yeah."
Dr. Grant nodded. "Okay Ashley I am just going to be straight up with you, your blood test came back and your red blood cells are down. I am worried about that so you're going to have to stay for a little bit longer and we are going to take some more blood. For a CA-125 test okay?"
Ashley nodded. "That's fine whatever you need."
Ashley returned home and with a sigh, she set down her keys. Her arm hurt and she knew Dr. Grant would be calling her tomorrow bright an early with the CA-125 test results, whatever that meant. She walked into the living room and Chris sat there by himself. "Where are the kids?" She asked softly.
Chris smiled when he saw his wife. "Your dad took them. Thought we could use some alone time I guess." He said with a smile.
Ashley shrugged and walked over to Chris. She dropped into his awaiting arms and they kissed deeply. "So." She said.
"So how'd it go?" Chris asked.
"Well I am not pregnant."
"What's up then?"
Ashley shrugged. "I don't know, we have to wait for some test results." She said and hugged Chris closely.
"I am sorry about comparing you to Jess." He said softly.
Ashley shrugged it off. "No big deal baby." She said and closed her eyes.
"You okay baby girl?" He asked.
Ashley shrugged. "My back hurts super badly, and I am tired." She said softly.
"Did the doctor give you anything for the pain?" Chris asked.
Ashley shook her head slowly. "No."
Chris frowned and hugged his wife. He then weaseled his way behind her so she was sitting on his lap with a grin he began singing softly. "I wanna make you smile, whenever you're sad, carry you when you're arthritis is bad. All I wanna do is grow old with you. I'll get you're medicine, When you're tummy aches, Build you a fire If the furnace breaks Oh, it could be so nice, Growin' old with you I'll miss you, Kiss you, Give you my coat When you are cold I'll need you, Feed you, Even let you hold The remote control So let me do the dishes In our kitchen sink, Put you to bed When you've had Too much to drink Ohhhh, I could be the man, Who grows old with you I wanna grow old with you"
When he finished Ashley smiled at him and brushed his hair out of his face. "Good old Adam Sandler." She said softly. Chris nodded. He had been singing I wanna grow old with you from the Wedding Singer her since their honeymoon and anytime after they had fought or she wasn't feeling well he would sing it.
Chris sighed and kissed neck softly. "I love you Ash."
"I love you too." She mumbled.
"Want me to carry you up to bed?" Chris asked.
Ashley nodded slowly. "Please." She said in a childish voice.
Chris smiled and nodded as he picked her up bridal style. He carried her upstairs but by the time he laid her in the bed, she was fast asleep. Chris smiled as he covered her up with a blanket and kissed her forehead. He sat down at the edge of the bed and rubbed his face.
Chris sighed and remembered when he was twenty-six years old; he had been single and no children. He had always felt like he had cheated Ashley out of something because they had married when she was so young. Now at the age of forty-two he could feel himself wearing down. Wrestling was taking a toll on his body. He wasn't feeling as fast as he once had. He wanted to keep going but he knew he would soon have to retire from in ring action and become a behind the scenes player.
Chris awoke the next morning to the phone ringing. He groaned as he reached for it. "Hello?" He said softly.
"Mr. Jericho, its Dr. Grant." The professional voice said. "I am sorry to call so early, with the kids and all but may I speak with Ashley?"
Chris looked over at the sleeping form of his wife. "I'm sorry Dr. Grant." He whispered. "She was in a lot of pain last night she didn't get a lot of sleep. She's sleeping now so can I take a message?"
Dr. Grant nodded. "Um how about you two stop by my office at two this afternoon. I have something to discuss with you both ok?" She asked.
Chris nodded. "We'll be there. Thanks Dr. Grant."
Chris got off the bed and walked into the adjacent bathroom. He started the water and threw some bubble bath in the hot water. He went over and picked Ashley up gently. She groaned. "More sleep." She mumbled.
"No baby girl. We have to get up, and go see Dr. Grant." He whispered as he began to take off her shirt. Once she was fully undressed, he carried her into the bathroom and put her in the bathtub.
Ashley moaned in pleasure. "An extra hot bath." She said and smiled at her husband.
Chris winked and kissed her softly. "I love you. Enjoy your extra hot bath." He said and walked out of the room. He knew how Ashley loved his extra hot baths. It had always been the one thing that could refresh his wife.
An hour later Ashley and Chris sat waiting in Dr. Grant's office holding hands. "I've never been in here." Ashley said suddenly.
"No?" Chris asked.
Ashley shook her head and shrugged. "I hope this is quick because I want to go see the boys." She said.
Chris smiled and laughed. Ashley hated to be away from the boys for very long. They waited for a few more minutes when Dr. Grant walked in with another doctor. "Ashley. Chris." Dr. Grant said with a small smile.
"Hello Dr. Grant." Ashley said.
"This is Dr. Ragsdale. He's a very good friend of mine." Dr. Grant said with a small smile.
"Nice to meet you Dr. Ragsdale." Ashley said as she shook his head.
"The pleasure is all mine Mrs. Jericho." He said.
"So what's up Dr. Grant?" Ashley asked biting her lip.
Dr. Grant sighed. "There's no easy way to say to say this Ashley." She said with sadness.
Ashley bit her lip and looked into her eyes. "Just come out and say it please." Ashley said in a steady voice.
"We believe you have Ovarian Cancer." Dr. Grant said.
Cancer that word hung in the air and Ashley gasped a bit. "Cancer?"
"Yes but it's treatable from your blood test Mrs. Jericho we believe you are in Stage Two A. We believe the cancer has extended to both your ovaries, and the uterus and possibly the fallopian tubes. Of course we won't know until we do a couple of simple procedures." Dr. Ragsdale cut in.
Ashley nodded slowly. "And…" She began but she felt the tears beginning to come. She calmed herself down and said. "And when will we do these simple procedures?"
Dr. Ragsdale smiled sadly. "I know this is hard but the procedures could be done today or if you like another time in the near future."
Ashley sighed a bit. "Can we do them now? I would really like to know now."
Dr. Ragsdale nodded. "I can do it now."
An hour later Ashley and Chris sat in their car. The tests had confirmed what the doctors had said. Ashley clutched Chris tightly crying. She couldn't believe this her life was perfect and now cancer. Chris rubbed her back, still in shock himself. "I love you." He whispered. "We will get through this together baby I promise."
Ashley nodded and released her husband. "We gota tell daddy." She said softly.
Chris bit his lip. "Do you wanna go now?"
Ashley nodded. "We are supposed to go for dinner." She said looking at the time. It was already 4:40.
Chris smiled sadly and then kissed his wife passionately. "I love you."
Ashley grinned and kissed him back. "I love you."
Chris and Ashley pulled into Steve Austin's driveway twenty minutes later. Ashley smiled at the house she had grown up. Steve had been her biological parents' best friend and when they had died in a car crash, he had adopted her. Ashley ran up the walk and into Steve's awaiting arms. "Daddy!" She cried and hugged up tightly.
Chris laughed and smiled at how Ashley could turn into a child with just seeing her father. "Hey baby girl." Steve said. "How are you?"
"Tired." She answered honestly.
Steve nodded. "Looks like you lost some weight." He said. "Come on girlie let's get you fed."
Ashley laughed with a small smile. "I am not very hungry daddy. I just got back from Dr. Grant's."
"You eating and that's final young lady!" Steve growled. Ashley laughed as her sons ran towards them. "Mommy!" Noah cried and hugged her tightly.
"Hey baby boy." She said and ran her hands through his blonde hair. Noah looked like Chris while Austin had her black hair.
"You okay mommy?" Austin asked as he hugged her also.
Ashley nodded. "Yeah Austin I am okay."
"Promise?"
Ashley nodded and smiled a bit. "You know it Bubba." She said using his nickname.
Steve knew something was wrong. "Alright boys go wash up for dinner." He said as Ashley and Chris walked into the dining room. Ashley smiled as she slid into the seat remembering all the family dinners Steve, Chris, the boys, and herself had all had here. "What's wrong?" Steve asked suddenly.
Ashley looked up at her father and sighed. "Sit down daddy." She said.
Steve sat down next to his daughter and held her hand tightly. "What is it?"
Ashley gulped and smiled sadly. "I have ovarian cancer." She said softly.
"What?" Steve asked but he had heard her. He grabbed his daughter into a tight hug and they sobbed together.