Thanks to all who reviewed. Enjoy and Happy reading!

Chapter 16 - An Unexpected Twist

Shane was very annoyed to say the least when Randy won his first match. He thought that he was just lucky for now. The wwe champion had three matches left to compete in so there was no way that he could gain any more victories after that, especially the last match of the evening which would be the most brutal one of all.

Then there was a knock on the door. The Raw general manager turned his attention from the screen of the monitor to the door before him.

"Come in," he said.

Two men entered and Shane stood up from his seat to meet them.

"Good you here."

"Yes sir," said Lance. "We got the message and it sounded important."

"It is actually," said Shane. "It has to do with your match tonight."

"The triple threat match?" Trevor asked.

"Yes," Shane said matter of factly. "I'm giving you guys the opportunity of a lifetime."

"What do you mean?" Lance asked out of curiosity while Trevor was thinking the same.

"Yeah what do you have in mind?" Trevor asked.

Shane smirked. He had an idea and he knew that it would go well as long as they would follow it. Lance and Trevor still had the looks of confusion on their faces. The Raw general manager continued on to stress out his point.

"Well let's just say that I have a proposition for you," said Shane. "I'm giving you guys the chance to face The Hardys next week on Raw."

"The Hardys?" Lance blinked as if he wasn't sure what he had just said from his own two ears. "Matt and Jeff? The tag team champions?"

"That's right," said Shane and put on a serious face to prove that he did meant what he said. "If you guys defeated Orton tonight, the tag team match will be made officially…with the tag team titles on the line."

"You can't be serious…" Trevor began and turned to Lance as if he wasn't sure of how to react to Shane's offer. "Did you really--"

"Yes Trevor I'm damn serious," said Shane. "So I suggest that you two should go and be prepared because…" He made a glance at this gold Rolex watch to check for the time. "The match is coming up soon."

Lance made a laugh out of excitement and exchanged looks with Trevor and patted his partner on the shoulder. "This is it man. We finally got ourselves an opportunity!"

"Yeah. Oh wow. Shane this is great! You have no idea how it means to us."

"I'm sure," Shane sneered. "Just remember this. If you guys lose…and I mean if either of you get pinned by Orton, the match next week will not happen. So make up your minds about what you want because I planned this to be a one time thing. Got that?"

"Yes sir," Lance retorted and then made a grin. "Thank you very much."

"Yes thank you so much for this," said Trevor with smile.

Shane nodded and shook hands with them before they left his office. As the door was closed, a smirk came at the corner of his lips.

"You may be lucky for now Orton. But coming up in a next few minutes your luck will run out soon enough."

Then his smirk dropped into a look of disappointment and made a sigh afterwards. Maria was going to tell Randy about the baby and she could be telling him any time now….

-------------------

Thought he was thrilled that he won in his match against Kennedy, his next upcoming matches wasn't his priority at that point. His smirk of cockiness had been replaced with a look of worry and concern when John told him that Maria needed to talk to him. He knew that it had to be important otherwise she wouldn't have been waiting for him in his locker room.

He stepped into a locker room and offered a small smile to his best friend who was sitting on the bench. Randy was happy that they were now friends again.

"Hey Maria. John told me that you were here."

"Yeah," said Maria. "You better sit down."

Randy sat down on the bench next to her. He was starting to worry about her and he knew that it sounded serious. He placed his championship belt aside before he turned back to her.

"Alright," said Randy. "Now what is it that you want to see me about?"

Her lips began to tremble but she knew that she had to stay strong.

You're doing the right thing. Just go and tell him.

Maria made a breath so she could be at ease. Her heart was thumping with nervousness. But she was determined to get it all out in the open.

"Randy…" Maria began and cleared her throat a bit before she continued on with no hesitation. "There's something I want to tell you. Something that I should have told you when you came to visit me at the hospital."

"What is it?" Randy asked. Maria turned silent and he could tell that whatever she wanted to say was troubling her.

"Okay, do you remember that I said I had been food poisoned? Well that's not the reason why I got to the hospital in the first place."

"What?" Randy raised his brow in slight confusion. "I don't understand."

"I wasn't food poisoned," said Maria. She felt a sting in her eyes and she tried not to let the tears get in the way.

"So…so…if it wasn't food poisoning then how come you were at the hospital then?"

Then a single tear came out freely of her eye. Her grip on his hand was getting a little tighter than before. Her lips quivered and she hid her face from him as she lowered her head to stare down on her lap.

"You're scaring me now," said Randy. "Maria…"

Maria made a sniffle and wiped the tears from her cheeks. It was now time. It was time for her to come clean.

"Randy, I'm--"

Then she got cut off at her sentence when a cell phone rang. Maria let out a groan and stomped her heel of her boot. Why did her cell phone have to ring? Especially now?

"You better answer it," said Randy.

"I don't want to."

"Well it might be important."

Maria sighed and took out her cell phone from her pocket and looked at the screen for the caller ID.

"Please excuse me," she said as she stood up and answered it.

"Hello?" she answered in an annoyed tone.

Maria! Are you with Randy?

"Yes," Maria said through gritted teeth. "And now isn't the time!"

She was starting to get even more annoyed when Torrie began to talk fast as if she was running out of breath.

"Will you slow down?" Maria asked. "I can't hear a word you just said!"

Are you watching the match for the women's title right now?

"No but why--"

Well turn on the monitor now!

"Torrie I don't have the ti--"

Just do it!

Maria let out a frustrated groan. First she was interrupted and now she was being told to watch something that she had no intention of?

She turned on the monitor and soon her eyes grew wide with confusion. At that moment, the cameras were showing the short brunette woman struggling with something silver that hooked her wrist to the bottom red rope.

"What the hell?" was Randy's voice from the background. Maria was thinking the exact same thing.

"Mickie! How did she--"

Melina got her trapped! Mickie won the match but then Melina attacked her afterwards and then handcuffed her to the ropes!

Maria was confused about the situation but then another woman came on the screen with a smirk on her face and a microphone in hand.

So this is why I think that I should give my best wishes in my own special way," Melina was saying as she held a hand over her chest. "And I just want to congratulate her on becoming a mommy!"

Maria's jaw dropped at the mention of the last word. Mommy…

There was just no possible way that Melina meant her….right?

"She didn't mean who I think she means…" Maria croaked.

Oh yes she meant you! She mentioned your name earlier on! I thought you knew--"

"How could I have known about this when I wasn't even watching the match!" Maria snapped. "How the hell did she know?!"

I have no idea but the truth is that she knows and she has told everyone that you're pregnant! The worse part is that she said she knew who the father is!

"What?!" Maria asked with horror. Randy looked from the screen and then to Maria and wondered if Melina's actions had anything to do with how Maria was acting at that point.

That's what she said. And she was going on about it's someone who we all know very well!

If Melina had known about Randy being the father of the baby, then Maria's nightmare just might come true…

"Oh my god…"

And the worse part is Candice and I can't stop her. We're locked in.

"What?!"

John broke the stupid handle so we're stuck inside his locker room….don't ask how but what you have to do is to stop her before it's too late!

"Okay I'm on it!" Maria retorted and she quickly closed the flip of her phone. Her heart was thumping madly now. She was scared.

"Maria what's going on?" Randy questioned as he made a glance at the monitor. "Do you know what Melina is--"

"I have to go," Maria said abruptly as she rushed past him to get to the door.

"But wait, what is it you were going to tell me?"

"Not right now. It has to wait."

"Why can't you---"

"I just can't right now okay?" Maria said with a yell and then made sad face for him. "I'm sorry."

"But Maria, hold…"

It was too late as Maria disappeared behind the door and left Randy confused. He turned back to the monitor and he was starting to get more confused.

He wondered what was going on around him.

But he watched on to look at the diva on the screen as he was determined to find the answers….

---------------

Maria ran as fast as her boots could take her. She managed to avoid all the questions that were thrown out to her as the past the busy crowd standing around at the corridors. She had hoped and prayed that Melina hadn't revealed the father of the child as yet. Her theme song blasted through the speakers as soon as she got near to the stage and soon she had gotten the attention of the thousands of fans around her.

As she gasped for breath, Maria walked down the ramp. Cheers were echoed around her and the fans seemed to be happy by the news. She definitely did not expect her secret to come out this way.

"Oh here comes Mommy!" said Melina with a smile. Maria climbed up the steel steps and got under the ropes to enter the ring. The minute she entered the ring, she saw Mickie handcuffed to the bottom rope. The women's champion tried to get out of the handcuffs but it was hopeless.

"Oh good Mommy is here," said Melina with fake smile. "Everyone knows about the news. Let's all congratulate her yeah?"

The crowd cheered and Maria felt her cheeks turning red with humiliation. She made a glance at Mickie who made a sad face for her friend. Maria turned to Melina once again.

"I guess you must be happy about it huh?" Melina asked. "To have that buddle of joy!" She turned to the crowd. "Now this might sound like the big one but just you wait until you people find out who the proud daddy is!"

That was the part that she didn't want. It was bad enough that the whole world knows about her pregnancy.

"Melina please don't tell them," Maria pleaded. "Please…"

But then Melina made a smirk.

"What? You don't want me to tell them? But this is such big news! How could you want to hold this back?

As desperate as she was, Maria grabbed her hand and pleaded her to not reveal about the baby's true paternity. Tears began streaming out of her eyes. Melina made a sad face to Maria and pouted her lips. But Maria wasn't prepared for a hot slap she had received from the paparazzi princess. She stumbled a few steps back and had her face placed on one side of her side. Mickie was yelling at Melina in the background but she didn't pay any attention to her as she had a plan to execute.

"You pathetic bitch!" Melina said hotly. "If you think that I'm going to listen to you, then you better think again!"

Melina smirked again as the crowd produced boos for her. But she didn't care. That was her time for fun and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

"So people the moment that you all have been waiting for….the baby's daddy!"

Maria closed her eyes and hoped that it was all a dream. It had all seemed to be so real to become one. She could hear Mickie's yelling in the background. The crowd was creating thunder in the arena. She felt a tear running down her cheek…

"And he is none other than…."

She was about to say this name and then it would be all over….

But she didn't expect to hear a different reaction from the crowd nor did she expect to hear a particular theme song blasting through the speakers. Maria opened her eyes and was relieved to see Shane coming down the ramp.

Maria turned to see a shock look on Melina's face and that made her smirk. She couldn't stand him but she was grateful that he came down to the ring just in time.

Shane grabbed the microphone from Melina and she was scared to see that stern look on his face.

"Melina I want you to leave this ring now," he said. "Get Mickie out of the handcuffs and depart from this ring."

Melina didn't move. She looked at Maria and then back to Shane again.

"Melina," Shane repeated. "I want you to leave now."

Shane looked down at her and Melina knew that she didn't have to be told twice. She turned to Mickie to release her free from the ropes.

"Good," said Shane. "Now I want you two girls to leave."

Maria made a sigh of relief. She was happy to say the least that Shane came to stop Melina.

"Maria you stay here."

"What?" she said although the crowd couldn't hear her because she didn't have the microphone on her. Confused as she was, she had no idea why Shane wanted her to remain in the ring. Melina left the ring and Mickie gripped her hand tightly as if to say 'hang in there' before she left the ring as well.

At that moment, Maria thought that it was the worst night she had ever been into. She began to imagine what his reaction would be when he found out that she was pregnant. He must have had figured it all out by now that it was something that she had intended on telling him.

"Maria as you hate to reveal it out in public," said Shane. "This is bound to come out sooner or later. So I suggest that we tell them now and get it over with."

Her eyes widen with shock. He was considering on telling the whole world about Randy and her? She knew that both men had their issues but it was definitely too much.

"I'm sorry Maria," said Shane as she looked at her pleading eyes. "But I couldn't stand to hear stupid rumors going around about you so now is the time to tell the real truth."

"No Shane!" Maria yelled. But it was no use. He had already made it clear so there was nothing that she could do about it. The Raw general manager turned to the crowd and continued on to say what he had to say.

"So tonight you have heard from Melina that Maria is pregnant," said Shane. "And that is indeed correct."

He had confirmed it much to Maria's dismay. She buried her face in her hands. This had to be a nightmare. It just had to be….

"And now for the other bit for news. That is…who the father really is."

Shane turned to her with a concern look on his face. Maria wasn't looking at him. She was too upset to do so.

"And the father of the baby is in fact someone that you all know very well and he is in fact here in this arena tonight."

She felt a stinging sensation burning her eyes….she didn't know how to take it all in.

"I'm not going to keep you all in suspense any longer," said Shane. "So I'll just get it out and over with. So the father of Maria's baby is none other…."

Tears were coming out of her eyes once more….

Shane cleared his throat and went on to finish his sentence.

"….than me."

Maria felt as if she had just gotten hit by a ton of bricks at this shocking announcement that Shane had just made. AS she turned to face him, a smirk came upon his face and took his hand to bring her closer to him.

"That's right people," Shane began with cockiness. "The daddy is none other than Shane O Mac!"

If she wasn't appalled when Shane announced himself as the father, Maria was now and she was in total disbelief by this.

"Maria and I are proud to announce that we're expecting our first child together and I would like to say that we are proud parents of the future heir of this grand empire. Now hit my music! We have something to celebrate!"

As his music theme hit the speakers, Shane went to hug Maria and soon the whole world around her started to spin….

--------------

It was the most shocking announcement that anyone ever heard but no one was as shocked as the wwe champion himself.

"No it be can't be….this can't be true…"

But was it? Was that what Maria was trying to tell him all along?

As he watched the brunette women being spun around in another man's arms, Randy couldn't believe it.

And as stubborn as he was, he refused to believe what his ears had heard until he would hear it straight from Maria's mouth.

A/N: I hope the chapter is okay. I'm not really sure about it. Please review.