AN: thanks for all the love. I don't know why but this story is just flowing right now. Be on the lookout for chapter 4 in the next half hour.

Chapter 3

Three months later…

Tampa…

Sasha let her thoughts roll over her as she walked around the grocery store. Just as she promised, Sasha called and checked in with her boys every week. She never asked to speak with Matt and he never asked to speak with her. That was fine with her. She had more important things to deal with. She ran a hand over her slightly expanding belly. She was only 5 months along but you couldn't mistake that she was pregnant.

Jeff constantly harassed her, wanting to see her. She was good at putting him off, but for how much longer she didn't know. Stephanie was the only one she let know where she was or what was going on with her. It helped that they were cousins though no one outside the family knew that. She purposefully removed any trace of that relationship when she started on the Indy circuit.

She pushed the shopping cart to the fruit and vegetable area. Glancing around, she saw this week's craving obsession. She hated pears but for some reason the baby loved them. Grabbing a bag, she started throwing some of the fruit in. Unfortunately, she grabbed that one pear that was holding the rest up in the case. She moved back as they all started tumbling down. Muttering under her breath, she squatted down and started tossing the wayward produce back up.

Sasha smiled to herself as she saw two hands join her in her efforts. Not looking immediately at the person helping her, they finished putting the fruit back in place. Grabbing the hand held in front of her, she pulled herself to her feet. She finally looked up and gasped.

"Sasha?"

At an arena…

"Did you hear from her?"

"Yes Matt," Jeff said quickly. "She is fine."

"Did she ask about me?"

"As usual, no. Do you want me to ask her to call you Matt?"

Matt looked down at his hands. He knew he was putting his brother in an awkward situation. She was Jeff's friend, but dammit, he was his brother.

"I miss her is all."

"You should have thought about that when you were using her as a doormat," Jeff said throwing his bag down. He hated being caught in the middle but Matt needed to wake up.

"I keep telling you, I didn't mean too."

"But you did anyway," Jeff said sitting down. "Why couldn't you just tell her how you felt? Why did you have to sneak around with all those rats?"

"I fucked up. We all know that. I want her back. After Amy…"

Jeff's head snapped up and he glared at his brother. "Get over it. Stop using Amy as an excuse for you not being able to handle a relationship."

"But it did screw me up." Matt knew he had to try and justify his behavior to his brother.

"It screwed a lot of people up. Everyone but you has moved on." Jeff got up and went to the door. "You may be older than me but you still need to grow up."

Matt watched his brother leave and knew he was right. No matter what he was going to change and get Sasha back in his life. He just had to find her first.

Tampa…

Sasha glanced in her rearview mirror making sure the car was still following her. She pulled into her driveway and started pulling her groceries out of the car.

"Let me help you Sasha," he said gently as he grabbed almost all the bags and began following her into the house. Sasha unpacked the bags and put her things away still not saying a word to the man standing in her kitchen watching her. Gesturing to a chair, she sat down and waited for him to join her.

"Before I say anything," she began. "I need your promise that you tell no one you saw me or spoke with me."

Chris Irvine looked into his young friends hurt eyes. "I won't say a word as long as you tell me everything. Do you know how worried everyone has been about you?"

Sasha nodded and for the first time in a while felt really guilty. She let a hand rest on her bump as she let out a breath.

"I had to leave when I did. If I didn't I would have still been stuck in a dead end relationship with someone who treated me worse than dirt most of the time."

"I understand you wanted to leave that assclown but you left all of us too." Chris reached across the table and grabbed her hand in his. "Jess has been asking for updates on you nonstop. Can I at least tell her where you are?"

"I guess. It would be nice not to be so lonely." She looked up at Chris with tears misting her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She started sobbing and placed her head on the table.

Chris immediately got out of his chair and pulled her into his arms. "Calm down sunshine. Don't be upset. It's not good for you or the little one."

"I upset soooo many people," she choked out as his hand rubbed circles on her back. "I hear it in their voices when I call every week. How could I do this to my friends?"

Chris looked at her as he held her. "Tell me honestly, what was your biggest reason for leaving?"

No one had asked her that. They all assumed it was just because of Matt's treatment of her. Then again they didn't know about the baby.

"It was one thing for him to treat me badly. I could over look the rats to a point. I could overlook the criticism of not being Amy to a point. But I didn't want to put my baby through that."

Chris reached up and brushed the tears from her cheeks. "You know, if everyone knew you were pregnant, I guarantee no one would blame you for kicking his sorry ass to the curb. As for the ring rats, you know I thought you should have put your foot down about that. God knows what he could have given you if he wasn't careful. And as for being Amy, who the hell would want to be like that skank."

"He wanted me to be her," she said softly. "Why do you think I changed my hair color or the way I dressed? I thought it would make him love me."

Chris kissed her on the forehead as he rocked her in his arms. "You are so much better than Dumas." She looked up at him and smiled. "Just to make you feel better, Matt is feeling lower than a toad stool right now. He's going crazy trying to find you."

Sasha shook as if chilled in his arms. "What if I don't want to be found?"

"Then you should have hid out in a city were most wrestlers have a home." He laughed as she blushed.

"What are you doing in Tampa on a Monday anyway?"

"Sweetheart, we are taping all three shows here this week," he said softly knowing she was going to bristle in his arms. He was right, she did.

"I guess I can't leave the house for a while then," she said with a crooked grin.

"I guess not," he responded with a frown. "However, Jess is coming to the show tonight. I have to passes. If you grow a set," he laughed as she slapped his shoulder. "You should come with her. You don't need to hide."

Sasha stood up and paced the kitchen. "If I come, do you think people will be pissed at me?"

"I'm not going to lie; you left some worried and angry people behind. But I think they are just going to be so happy to see you."

"Tell Jess to call me later." Sasha grabbed a pen and wrote the house number on it. "I'll let her know whether or not to come get me."

Chris got up and kissed her cheek. "Even if you don't come expect a visit from us tomorrow."

"I will," Sasha said with the first genuine smile she had in months. She really did miss her friends.