Thanks to Thinkoutsidethebun07, franktheapprentice16, xAttitudex, cena-ria-434, Jorrieprincess, JClvr, dj-ssdd and Cheerperson for the reviews on chapter 7! I'm so sorry for the late update (I got writer's block lol.) Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the next chapter as the drama continues, lol. Happy reading!

Oh by the way, did anyone watch Raw last night? Did you notice that when after Randy left Vince's office (no championship opportunity, so yeah he was so pissed) that the cameras then switched to Maria when she was on her way to ring to go against Beth Phoenix? I was like omg Mandy!!! Lol. I'm sorry, I thought it was just so cool...yet weird you know? lol. Anyways, moving on to the next chapter of Mixed Blessings! Lol, I hope you enjoy it!!

Chapter 8 – The Ears Certainly Don't Lie

"I'm so hungry I could eat a whole buffalo right now," John joked as the two men left the locker room with bags hanging on their shoulders. "Speaking of food, I thinking of Chinese."

"Bourbon chicken?"

"How do you know?"

"Maybe I'm psychic?" said Randy, rolling his eyes with sarcasm.

"Oh whatever," John laughed. Bourbon chicken would always be the one to satisfy John's taste buds. "And I suppose you want noodles?"

"I guess," said Randy with a slight shrug. "It doesn't really matter to me. I'll have what you're having."

"Okay." John looked at him and sensed how quiet Randy was since after their training session in the ring and he began to wonder if something was wrong.

"Randy?" John asked.

Randy was then quickly been snapped out of what seemed to be a brief day dream. "Huh?"

"You sound distressed about something. What's up?"

"It's nothing really," Randy sighed. "It's just that miss her that's all."

"Aw, I'm sure Izzy will be back soon."

"Yeah she will be, this week actually."

"Cool, so it shouldn't be long now until she throws you down with a big kiss!"

"Now that's what I'm looking forward to," Randy grinned. He couldn't wait until Isabelle would get to St. Louis. A few more days to go seemed so far but then it wouldn't long until he would see her angelic face again after two weeks of not having a proper conversation due to the conferences and the massive loads of projects that Isabelle had to work on. Maybe being a businesswoman wasn't that easy, was it?

"Hey, I'm going to check up on Torrie. You're coming?"

"Yeah sure."

They walked through the corridors and soon they got to the arena where the ring was set and would be occupied by the three divas, one of them was acting as the referee as a dark haired diva raised another diva's hand as if declared to be the winner.

"And here's your winner, Mickie James!"

"Woo! That was the best training session I ever had in a long time."

"Oh shut up and get me a Gatorade!"

John and Randy laughed at the blonde's response when she had sat up and massaged the back of her neck.

"Looks like you girls are having some fun."

The echo produced by John's voice would get the girls' attention as they turned and beamed at the two men who were walking down toward them.

"Hey boys," said Torrie as she got up to her feet. "What's up?"

"We were just about to head out to get some lunch," said John.

"Oh what do you have in mind?"

"Chinese."

"Oh, is bourbon chicken on the menu?"

"Has everyone been reading my mind today? First Randy and now you?"

Torrie laughed. "Well duh babes. There's something called the usual."

Randy raised an eyebrow while giving him the 'I think it's kinda obvious' sort of look, which had made John chuckle.

"Okay, so they're my addiction," said John. "But if you're looking for someone to blame, blame Maria for introducing them to me!"

"Hey speaking of Maria," Randy began as he had thought that she would be there, perhaps watching the girls from the spectator area. He looked around the spacious arena but she was nowhere in sight. "Where is she?"

"I'm not sure," said Candice. "I think she said she was going to get a bottle of water, right?"

"Yeah she did say that," said Torrie. Then the three divas looked at each other, all of them hoped that Maria was coping with her pregnancy, which would be unknown to Randy, of course.

"She is okay right?" Randy asked. She looked pale at the hospital a night ago and his concern for the brunette diva grew with anxiety about the idea that she had fallen sick again.

"Oh yeah of course," said Mickie.

"Better than ever," Torrie added.

"That's great, I'm glad."

"I'll go see what's taking her," said Candice and looked at the two divas, who simply nodded for her to go check on Maria. Candice exited the four sided ring and went past Randy and John, who were standing by the apron as she headed out toward the backstage area. The anxiety crept up to her as she ran her hand through her dark locks, knowing that something had to be wrong with her friend and her unborn child. To get a bottle of water shouldn't take more than ten minutes, right? It seemed awfully long for Maria to get a simple drink. So there has to be something wrong with this picture.

"Oh God, please let Ria be okay."

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The rubber soles of his leather shoes would echo a hollow sound as he was walking along the quiet corridor, on his way to his office. The mind of the future boss of the world wrestling entertainment was filled with thoughts playing around in his head. All Shane could think about was Maria. She seemed to be upset about something this morning and was very hesitant to receive any gift that comes from the heart. Who wouldn't buy a gift for a girl who has been sick? Even if she was feeling better now, he should at least get something to cheer her up. But that plan seemed to have gone down the drain since Maria would clearly refuse anything he would give her.

Perhaps he should try again with a bouquet of roses? That would be a very nice gesture to make but the result he would get out of that was Maria trying to avoid him in anyway possible.

That mental list of ideas would be a tough one to create in his brain as it would include every single romantic, or rather things that a friend would do for a girl. Give her flowers. Give her chocolates. Take her out to a fancy restaurant. Or better yet, to give her a ride on a…

"Oh I'm sorry."

His thoughts of impressing Maria disappeared in a flash and his eyes would fall upon the beet red cheeks of embarrassment after Candice had accidentally collided into him.

"That's okay," said Shane with a smile. "I don't think I was watching where I was going anyway."

"Oh okay well I'll be off now."

"Whoa, hold on what's the-"

"Sorry Shane, can't talk."

Before he could get an explanation, the dark haired diva had already turned the corner and was out of his sight. Then Shane would be curious about why would Candice would rush off like that.

Unless something happened….

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"Sweetheart? Are you in here?"

She knocked on the door and no response was made. Candice already checked the catering room and she wasn't there so the next place that came to her mind would be the women's locker room. She pushed the door open and went in.

"Maria?"

"I'm coming out."

Just then a woman stepped out of the bathroom, looking rather gloomy as if to have just had a worse nightmare. Candice went to tend to her.

"Oh honey, are you okay?"

"Yeah," said Maria, almost grubbily. "Can you imagine me standing over the sink this whole time from since I left? Now I know how any pregnant woman feels."

"Aw, you'll get through this," said Candice, brushing off the locks of hairs from Maria's face.

"No Candi I can't," said Maria, her hands now placed on either side of her head, pacing around in frustration. "This is just the beginning of a nightmare that I can't get out of."

"Look I know it's seems to be complicated right now but…"

Maria stopped and turned around to look at her with disbelief.

"It seems to be? Of course it is! There's a baby that belongs to a man who is getting married in two months and that baby happens to be living inside me!"

Candice sighed as she watched her friend buried her face into her hands.

"I could imagine what you're going through."

"You have no idea."

So many questions began to swirl in her mind. Why had she suggested a night out as a celebration of Randy's victory at WrestleMania? Why did they have to end up so drunk that they would end up sleeping together and now an innocent baby has become a memory of that dreaded night? And why, of all things, would Maria fall in love with Randy all over again? She had started to develop a crush on him but that was before Isabelle came into his life, which caused her to keep that secret sealed into her heart. But now there was another secret she would have to keep it sealed forever. Even if it would mean that the child will never get the chance to know his or her father….

"You wouldn't believe whose out by the ring."

Maria's eyes grew with horror. "You mean Randy?"

Candice nodded. "He's there with John right now."

"He didn't ask for me, did he?"

"Actually he did and I told him that you were getting a drink and then I was starting to worry about you, so I thought I would come and check on you and-"

"Candice!" Maria hissed. "He could have followed you!"

"But he didn't!" said Candice, almost yelled back. "We got him convinced that you are okay. He was really concerned about you."

The brunette diva groaned and dropped down upon the bench. "That's the last thing I need right now. The last thing I need is for Randy to find out that I'm carrying his child. It's just too risky."

"But honey," Candice began to say as she sat down on the bench as well. "You need to tell him. He deserves to know and it's the right thing to do."

"The right thing to do? How about doing something that's right for everyone?"

"What are you talking about?"

"If I tell Randy, this could ruin his chance of marrying Isabelle."

"Oh…yes you're right."

"You see? That's why I can't tell him."

Candice sighed. "This is so complicated."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Maria muttered. It has already starting to get complicated. Can there be any way out of it? That question in mind may be an unlikely one to answer. Candice gave her a rub on the shoulder just to help ease Maria a little.

"Come on Maria, I think it's time for us to go. I'm betting the others are wondering where we are."

Maria nodded and then weakly, "Okay."

They got up from the bench and Candice's arm would be curled around Maria's shoulder for a bit of comforting. That was all that Maria needed for the moment as they exited the women's locker room, to find themselves out on long corridors to find their way back to the others who would have been waiting on them by now.

But little did they know of a shadow that was eyeing on the two divas and then waited until they went further along the corridor until they could no longer be seen. The shadow then stepped out from behind the wall and apparently trying to get the words out of his mouth from the shocking revelation that he just heard from his own two ears and unfortunately for him, his ears has heard every detail clearly.

"Maria's pregnant? Randy's the father?"

Shane couldn't believe it. But unfortunately, everything he had heard behind that locker room door was true….

Coming up on chapter 9: Shane confronts Maria about what he knows….what will be Maria's reaction and could she get him to keep her secret sealed as well?