"Pride and Prejudice"
An Edge/Ashley fanfic

Thanks so much to Sarcastic Nightmare, DanaO1230, I luv hardy, edge Ashley, xxcharmedangel09xx, BabyEmza, MissMikkiMouse and Nadia26 for reviewing last chapter; and thanks to every single one of you who through the years left a review or added this story to either alert or favorite, YOU ARE ALL AWESOME and I've had much fun working on this story.

Yes, this is the final chapter… at last! :) I've worked for two whole weeks on it so I hope you'll be enjoying the outcome – it's quite long (19 pages… forgive me!), but I hope it'd be worth it.

Hope you'll enjoy the new one as well!
R&R for the last time!


Chapter 45
"Feels Like Home"

The events of the previous day –or more specifically of the previous night- slowly rushed back to Ashley as her mind started to wake up responding to the outside world's noises; a process that, as natural and instinctive as it usually was, had in the space of the last couple of weeks become progressively harder for the diva in question. It wasn't that idle reflex of either 'oh no, where did the night go?' or of 'five more minutes, please!' out of common-to-everybody morning laziness, no; she simply cursed the starting of the new day for she didn't want to live it as it was. She would have much rather indulged in that dreamless and restless sleep that had accompanied her lately; basically anything was better than being awake and allow her traitorous mind time to think, time to remember.

And this morning surprisingly bore no difference as the Dirty Diva groggily rubbed her sleepy eyes, silently wondering why the match she had so much longed for in the previous 48 hours had instead left her so empty, so numb inside. As far as Kelly was concerned she had proudly embraced and enjoyed that part of the match; she was quite sure to have put up a good performance and there were no doubts she had humiliated the younger diva, showing her there was still something she couldn't steal from her: her pride. At least in-ring wise. Oh yes, she wouldn't have minded re-watching time and time again that sequence; it had definitely felt good, way too good.

Au contraire her mind, that irritably enough seemed to have developed a will of its own lately, decided instead to offer a special for-her-eyes-only, non-stop broadcast of the other part of the match, the one that had seen the boys as protagonists, taking apparently much pleasure in lingering over Adam's painful looking close-ups, and especially his agonizing expression while she and Matt had celebrated together at the bottom of the ramp with a kiss approved loudly by the fans.

God, since when her own brain had taken such a masochistic turn?

Furthermore, why did she feel like her lungs closed and her chest tightened every time she was forced to relive those moments, to witness his evident pain? Wasn't revenge meant to be sweet? Wasn't revenge what she had been after all along?

Then why on earth instead than feeling like gloating she would have much preferred burying herself alive and let the whole world forget about her altogether?

As the weight on her stomach started to become progressively less metaphorical and more concrete (…was this the first step towards insanity?) and before her hyperactive –and evidently quite resourceful- mind presented her yet another replay this time with HD Technicolor details (and maybe even one of those dramatic soundtracks in crescendo, you never knew), Ashley sharply opened her eyes at last.

There, never she had felt happier to be greeted by the plain sight of a faded hotel room's ceiling.

Then, feeling something unmistakably shifting under the covers, something that surely didn't belong to her unless she had developed extra sets of limbs overnight, the punk diva immediately stiffened, her eyes slowly and cautiously scanning down her own body.

Alright, good news was that after all she definitely wasn't going insane just yet. Oh, and she still had only one pair of arms and one pair of legs. Phew.

Not so good news was that there was actually an arm firmly wrapped around her midsection and effectively pinning her to the mattress. An arm that unmistakably belonged to Matt Hardy.

Riiight, there was also another part of the previous night, the one during which, after generously celebrating their both physical and moral double win with a bottle of champagne, the two long lost lovers had ended up in each other's arms, to put it poetically.

It wasn't unexpected, they both knew it was bound to happen after the sharp turns the events had taken the previous evening, and, considering the last time they had been together was around one year and half ago, there had been also a certain dose of anticipation on both sides… yet, fireworks hadn't exploded and sparkles hadn't shined. Sure, it had felt sweet and somehow familiar, of course, but at least on her side that still wasn't the 'coming back home' sensation one might have expected in the circumstance. It wasn't two lovers realizing after various misadventures bringing them apart that they were inevitably meant to be, it felt much more like two good old friends sharing a moment of mutual purpose.

And now, now that it was morning and the recent past was inflexibly left behind, Ashley instinctively wondered whether the Hardy boy had felt this exact way when they had first hooked up years ago, whether he had held her close while wishing for her to be Lita, just like now she was longing—

No, stop it, just stop. This was masochistic and quite pointless. She had made her decision and there was no reason to have such thoughts now. It was over with him and she was blessed to have a guy like Matt to share her bed with now. She wouldn't allow her resolutions to crumble down like that; yes, there was probably some work to do on her relationship with Matt in order to have it taking up all the space in her heart again… but they were two adults rowing on the same ship, in the same direction. …Or at least one of them was willingly letting herself being led towards this metaphorical harbour, that was.

As for now, the New York native decided she just needed some fresh air to clear her mind and prep herself up for the future she had evidently decided to embrace. It was quite fortunate then that she had already arranged to meet up with her boys for breakfast, thus giving her a perfect momentarily gateway.

Carefully untangling herself from Matt's grip and quietly sneaking out of bed trying not to wake him up, the Dirty Diva hastily seized up his brand new 'Lock it Down' wwe t-shirt from the floor and put it on while on her way to the bathroom for a much needed refreshing shower.

Prospect that would have worked out quite nicely if she hadn't tripped over her own suitcase, of course.

"What," Matt groggily said waken up by the noise (that or the not-so-low flow of curses anyway) "seduced and then abandoned in the morning? So cliché."

Unattractively hopping on her sore toe to greet his sleepy smile (oh well, those were the ups of spending the night with someone you already knew and vice versa, no need to get all embarrassed when such incidents occurred), Ashley playfully shook her head. "I would have at least left you some money on the nightstand in that case, I'm just having breakfast with Paul and Brian."

"Gee thanks," he laughed "I'm glad I'm not being treated as your male prostitute. By the way, you free for lunch? I was hoping we could eat something together before flying down to NC— told you dad and Jeff can't wait to officially greet you back, and the rest of the crew too to tell the truth."

Right, she had evidently forgotten the fact Matt had this stretching towards borderline tendency of wanting to perfectly organize all their moves beforehand. But, how they say, once you pick your poison…

"Sounds great," she tightly smiled "I'll be back later to pack my stuff."

"Speaking of," Matt echoed with his trademark all-around good guy smile "you can keep that shirt, I love how it looks on you."

Okay, he was sweet, at least you have to give him that.

"Thanks babe," Ashley smiled back, instinctively recalling that time she and Adam had quite literally wrestled –and she had quite predictably lost- for whom had to wear one of his t-shirts on a particular day and then they had ended up spending the same in bed anyway, where no shirts were actually necessary.

Oh fuck it, when did her mind become such a bitch?

x—x—x—x—x

"Son of a bitch!" Was the yell that in meanwhile echoed two levels upstairs inside an almost identical hotel room as Adam thus decided to make his feelings towards the trolley whose wheel had gotten stuck in the carpet known to the whole floor.

Abruptly waken up by such soft tones, a much confused Kenny barely emerged from under the bed covers, looking around in alarm.

"…Are you talking to me?"

Giving up on the initial death glare of choice (honestly, what was the point in trying anymore?), Adam eventually opted for shaking his head in helplessness. "Why would I?"

"Don't worry Kenny," piped up Jay exiting from the bathroom and buttoning down his checked shirt "someone's a bit cranky this morning, nothing to do with you."

"Oh, good…" the latter distractedly mumbled, some sort of distant, dreamy expression slowly sharpening up on his sleepy features "I was having such a beautiful dream— you were in it too!" He enthusiastically pointed a finger in Adam's direction, who blankly stared back proving his lack of interest for the subject… which absolutely didn't seem to discourage Kenny at all.

"I was a duck, in a pond—"

"Oh Lord." Grunted the Rated R superstar as Jay, suddenly materializing at his side, chuckled in evident amusement.

"And you were on the edge, ha! how funny, throwing bread crumbles at me," Kenny happily went on with his tale before suddenly frowning "but for some reason you kept hitting me on my duck head with them instead than feeding me."

"Such a spoilsport, shame on you." Jay snickered hitting Adam's arm, who in return offered a clearly not entertained glare.

"But then… oh she arrived," Kenny proceeded undisturbed with a happy sigh "my Brookie, in the pond with me… yet she wasn't exactly a duck like me… she was more like… bigger and quite white…"

"A hen?" Adam suggested, evidently deciding after all he didn't have better matters to occupy his time with at present.

"Don't be ridiculous," Jay scoffed "hens can't swim!"

"Oh right, forgive me," the World Heavyweight champion sarcastically retorted "cause this dream makes so much sense already."

"—A swam!" The youngest of the three exclaimed snapping his fingers in sudden realization, looking blissfully unaware of the back and forth that had just taken place before his eyes. "She was so, so, so beautiful… and then I woke up."

"Bummer." Adam offered an eye-roll mocking disappointment, "I wanted to know whether I managed to hit the chick too."

"She wasn't a chicken, she was a swam." Kenny placidly corrected, "Don't you get it? It's a sign…! We were swimming in exactly the same pond, alone… it means she's my soulmate!"

"…You were of two different species." Adam deadpanned, "Ducks can't marry swams." He added using the air-quotes on the particular verb choice.

"Hey, who's to say that?" Jay begged to differ on the deeply ethologic question, "Maybe he was going to transform into a kickass swam as well like in the children's book, you don't know."

"…I honestly don't know which one of you is the worst anymore." Edge helplessly said hooking his brow at his lifetime best friend, "How can you even be sure it was this Brooke girl? She was a swam! Hell, it might have been a male one for all we know!"

"No, it wasn't!" Kenny promptly protested.

"Yeah? How can you be sure?" Adam questioned bringing his hands on his hips.

"I could feel her presence there. She's my soulmate." Kenny solemnly proclaimed setting the bizarre argument.

"Oh God, take me out of here." Muttered the titled superstar while he moved aforementioned suitcase towards the door at last.

"I think I really do love her, you know?" Kenny placidly went on "And to think I thought I'd never get over Kelly after what happened…"

Stopping in mid-track at the mention of the particular name and doing a hazarded bee-line towards the bed, the brow-hooked expression on Adam's face said it all without words needed.

"Excuse me," he slowly stated under the pressure of Jay's equally perplexed stare "what are you talking about?"

"Brooke, I love—"

"Never mind that rubbish, the part with Kelly concerned."

"Oh. You surely remember, don't you? When I was so depressed after she used me only for sex…" The younger superstar progressively lowered his voice with the advancing of the sentence.

"…It was Kelly? Why didn't you mention that before?" Adam echoed in disbelief, running one hand through his hair in evident frustration. A brief, almost imperceptible glance in between the two best friends and they both knew they were actually sharing the same thought; something definitely didn't sound right in the equation that had Kenny and Kelly as factors and a night of meaningless, entertaining, wild sex as result. No, something was up, and they had the distinct feeling of it being something crucial to know. And to know right now.

"You never let me talk—"

"Alright, shut up." Adam brusquely interrupted the defensive reply –thus unawarely proving once again the point of the same- and went to sit on the edge of Kenny's bed, Jay towering behind him as he followed the exchange with vivid interest. "I need you to tell me exactly what happened that night, can you remember?"

"I guess I can try…" The ex Spirit Squad member conceded adjusting in an upright position as he perceived somehow the importance of his role in the situation, briefly closing his eyes a moment later. "We had all gone out clubbing after a show— well, not all of us cause neither you and Ashley were there, but there was a bunch of us—"

"When? When exactly was this?"

"Let him concentrate." Jay amended, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder trying to make him control his justified impatience.

"…Around 2 months ago, I'd say." Kenny eventually elaborated "Yes, cause Brooke and Layla were dancing with the two new guys, Hawkins and Ryder, and pretty much everyone was having a capital time except me. I was, uh, I was a bit down cause you and Ashley had just secretly hooked up and back to that week I— I thought I liked her." He cast his eyes down in palpable embarrassment.

"Whatever." Always the sensible one, Adam pushed the subplot aside by encouragingly slapping Kenny's knee, "You discover a new love of your life every other week anyway. What happened after that?"

"I might have said the reason of my sadness aloud… multiple times, and while I kept drowning my pain in alcohol Kelly must have been there at the table at some point cause next thing I knew she was all over me all of a sudden, flirting and pouring me yet more drinks—"

"And?" Adam prompted as the younger superstar suddenly turned a bright, lobster-like shade of red.

"And she insisted we had to get back to my room, our room I mean, everybody knows we always share one." He hastily corrected himself, "And so I did. But then I actually don't remember anything after letting her inside and sitting on my bed…" Kenny shyly confessed, "I don't know the details or anything actually— I just recall your side of the room was a mess the morning after, more than usual. I should know cause I'm the one who always cleans it, you know, and it took me 2 hours that following day."

There, and the unknown quantity had been found out at last. Equation solved.

Sharply turning to face Jay in mutual understanding, Adam slapped his hands on his thighs. "She took the bandana indeed… I didn't lose it. She did it on purpose." It wasn't a question for an opinion, it wasn't a suggestion, at this point it was simply a matter of fact.

"Yeah," the TNA superstar inevitably agreed "and Layla confirmed Kelly had started showing up with that bandana way before she even started saying you two were an item."

Halfway ready to question since when, and most importantly how and why, his best friend had become Layla's confident, Adam didn't have a chance to follow through when Kenny beat him on time.

"I'm not understanding anything." The latter, bless his heart, announced in total confusion, glancing back and forth like a lost puppy.

"Cheer up my boy," Adam affectionately patted his leg before standing up "she didn't use you for sex, she only got you drunk to use your key and snoop through my things."

"Oh. But how—"

"C'mon, get dressed, we don't have time to waste."

"Why?" Kenny's eyes widened once more "Where are we going?"

"To have a chat with Kelly, where else?" Adam easily replied, the hint of an evil smirk touching his lips.

x—x—x—x—x

Rushing towards the hotel's fancy cafeteria dressed in the same shirt and pair of jeans shorts, Ashley impatiently moved her blonde, black & blue streaked hair from her face as she eventually reached her destination, letting herself collapse on the empty chair in between Paul and Brian at the little circular table they were already occupying.

"I know, I know, I'm late. Sorry!" The self-proclaimed Dirty Diva raised both hands in self defense under the weight of both gazes, then, without waiting to know whether her apology was accepted or not, she brought Brian in for a side hug and stole a croissant from his plate.

"What, prince charming kept you up late?" Paul questioned eloquently hooking his brow.

Feigning a shocked gasp, she playfully hit him on the forearm. "Don't be inappropriate, Pauly."

While the dark haired Hooligan rolled his eyes at being thus scolded, Brian offered a pout. "Can't you order your own food for once instead than stealing mine?"

"Nope," Ashley vigorously shook her head and happily grinned "cause you're my boys and we share everything."

"…Or at least we used to be."

This time genuinely surprised by Paul's mutter, Ashley turned to him with wide eyes. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you guys mad at me for some reason?"

Always the peace-maker, it was Brian the first to respond to the concerned question. "No! Of course we're not!" He exclaimed reassuringly placing a hand on Ashley's wrist.

"Not specifically at you." Paul echoed in another not-so-low mutter, ignoring the warning look his best friend shot him from the opposite side.

"Then what is it?"

"We're not exactly, how to put it—"

"Not exactly down with you jumping into Matt's arms again." Paul concluded for Brian's lack of words, causing Ashley's confused expression to turn into one of shock.

"Hey, that's not we agreed on!"

Ignoring Brian's protest, the punk diva slowly pushed her seat back, her eyes cast down for a brief moment while she tried to process what was happening. "Okay," she eventually piped up, her elbows placed on the table's surface "I really don't want to argue with you guys, and especially not for this kind of stuff, so can I be informed of what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Ash," Paul let out a sigh and shook his head in self-reproach for his inappropriate outburst, "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. We're just concerned about you."

"But why would you be?" It was Ashley's turn to shake her head in helplessness while she glanced right and left to both guys before a tight smile appeared on her features "Or better, why would you be about Matt? You guys know him— I appreciate you want to protect and look after me, and we all know the last time it happened I should've definitely listened to you, but Matt is… Matt is Matt! Guys, he'd never hurt me like Edge did, we all know that."

"And is that enough of a reason to start dating someone, especially if your heart still beats for someone else?" Brian softly asked, his hand pressed once again above the diva's.

Briefly averting her gaze, Ashley didn't even consider for a second the hypothesis of blatantly lie, not to her best friends. "What else can you do when this someone else is a douche that deliberately stomped on your heart?" She helplessly shrugged, "I loved him, you guys surely know I did, and I've literally done anything to be with him… but he played me like I was nothing, like I meant nothing to him. So what do you do when something like that happens? You have to force yourself out of it, you've got to move on."

"…Yes," Paul sharply nodded in apparent agreement "by having meaningless sex with some hot, random guy!"

"Gosh," Ashley couldn't refrain to laugh at such heartfelt point of view "thanks for the opinion you have of me…!"

"You know we don't mean that," Brian hastily corrected, aiming another glare at his insensitive friend "we're just wondering whether Matt is the exact person you need at this point of your life."

"You've got to admit it, he doesn't really strike as rebound guy." Paul nonchalantly shrugged, "He might not be in it for the same… purpose as you."

"Guys, I'm not about to get married tomorrow, you know that?" She humorlessly giggled.

"Are you sure? Cause, let me tell you, he seems pretty much over serious with this… relationship you've guys have rekindled. I know Matt might look like the safe option right now, but you've got to be careful with your heart, alright? Just promise us you won't be launching yourself in anything you're not 100% sure."

"We just don't want you to remain disappointed if you eventually realize you're actually on two different fields, if you got what I mean." Brian helpfully added, "You know we'll be there for you no matter what— even though you steal my meticulously ordered breakfast and Paul actually manages to insult you trying to make things better, that's not a matter of that, we just don't want you to get hurt again."

Feeling tears pricking at her eyes, Ashley instinctively covered her mouth with her hand before displaying her touched, emotional smile. "I do know that and I do love you guys even more for that," she softly said "and I want you guys to keep in mind that you two are going to always be my number one boys, alright? Nothing will change that. …And now don't make me cry like that, c'mon!" She hastily added with a giggle, bringing both guys closer for a hazarded group hug.

"Well, well," a female voice unexpectedly spoke from behind after a few seconds "all love for the male best friends, huh? What about the best girl friend, doesn't she get a hug?"

Her chair painfully screeching on the floor as she literally jumped up after inevitably breaking apart with two smiling Paul and Brian definitely satisfied by their little chat, Ashley stared at said figure with her jaw dropped for at least 40 seconds before successfully recovering from the shock.

"Oh my God… TRISHY!"

And there she went, crushing the multiple times Women's Champion in a fierce, affectionate hug, letting the Canadian wholeheartedly giggle at such contagious enthusiasm.

x—x—x—x—x

"You know," Kelly conversationally stated while admiring the profile of her perfectly flat belly in the figure length mirror "I've given it some thought and I totally think I should be the one taking care of our next choreography after what happened."

Lowering the chick-lit she was pleasantly engrossed into, Brooke was naïve enough to actually voice out her perplexity at such announcement. "Why, what happened?"

The dirty look that followed, accompanied by an inevitable scoff, was alone enough to make the brunette regret her instinctive question as she uncomfortable shifted her position on the bed.

"You two lost last night, that's what happened." Kelly gravely reproached in evident irritation, "And I won't allow the image of the Extreme Exposé to be associated with losers."

Picking up her purse from where it laid abandoned on a chest of drawers, it was this time Layla, their official choreographer, who dared to speak up.

"But you lost too…" Was the natural point that was presented with a casual shrug.

Her blue eyes progressively narrowing into two slits, the pretty blonde viper pointed an accusatory finger in her friend's direction. "I wasn't the one getting pinned." She icily clarified, her tone gripping with such hatred that Layla was actually relieved of having a solid bed physically separating the two of them at the moment.

Left to muse on how good it would have felt to openly proclaim how she hadn't been pinned only cause Ashley had practically already destroyed her, Brooke abruptly awoke from her wishful reverie only when Kelly, with the argument thus settled and finally ready to leave the room, let out a surprised shriek when upon opening the door she found someone already waiting on the other side.

"Baby...! I wasn't expect—"

"Shut up, bitch." Adam abruptly commanded –and surprisingly enough actually obtained- as he pressed the door open with the palm of his hand and forced his way inside uninvited.

Concise and straight to the point, yes, Brooke wondered whether momentarily worshipping the Rated R superstar might have been considered idolatry.

Oh, to hell with that, at least metaphorically for the moment, some sins were just worth making.

Straightening up not to miss a single second of the scene that was undoubtedly about to take place, the brunette actually sprang to her feet when Kenny followed and silently placed himself a little bit behind his hero of choice on Edge's right side.

Same gasp and same blush but opposite motion took place a second later on the other side of the room as Layla let go of her bag and abruptly sat down on the edge of her bed when none other than her own talent scout closed the door and flanked the superstar on the left.

Unaware of the reaction of her friends, Kelly took a couple of steps back as she surveyed the unexpected trio placed before the door, confusion etched on her face as the diva started to feel the place was a little bit too crowded for her liking.

"What's going on? Why don't we go somewhere more priv—"

"No one's going anywhere." Adam harshly cut her off "You're as dumb as you look if you think we're here to have a nice little friendly chat."

1 – 0 for the Rated R superstar. Go team!

A midst of anger and embarrassment for being treated like that from the one she had been bragging about being her boyfriend and in front of other four people, Kelly wasn't evidently ready to give up just yet. At least not without putting up a fight of her own.

"What are you here for, then?" She displayed her bitchy attitude by defiantly lifting her chin, her hands firmly placed on her hips.

"Cause I need to have you, you were right all along, I can't fight it."

"Cause my boy here needs to finally ask Brooke out, if you don't mind."

"You see this man? He has chosen your friend there to make her a star, you selfish cow."

"Don't flatter yourself, honey," Adam spoke with the hint of a snicker, thus bursting the bubble of all three respective fantasies "I'm just here to tell you you can wipe that smug expression off your face. It's all out, we know everything." He solemnly said. "I know now how you came across Ashley's bandana, you deliberately took it from my stuff when you pretended to seduce Kenny, didn't you?" He took a satisfied pause as Kelly visibly paled, a double shocked gasp echoing from behind the diva. "What's the matter, you didn't think I was smart enough to figure it out in the end? Did you really take me for a fool?"

"You can't prove it." Kelly gravely stated, more out of desperation than genuine conviction.

"Really? My bad, must've forgotten to send the memo saying I've got two people who can back up this theory." Adam feigned mock surprise in response to Kelly's confusion "My boys here happened to have a chat with your girls, a chat that, guess what, confirmed everything we needed to know. Face it, we've outsmarted you."

"Oh noes…" Was the chocked mutter that came from Layla, unawarely revealing she had been the one spilling the beans, so to speak, as all attention momentarily focused on her. Well, all but one, cause Brooke was still busy intently staring at the proud looking Kenny standing with his legs slightly opened and his hands behind his back, for some obscure reason a pair of black shades (the same of the previous day) perched on top of his head. God, wasn't he just like Kevin Costner in Bodyguard?

Moving her gaze (one that didn't promise anything good for the black haired diva) back to the smirking Adam, Kelly folded her arms on her chest. "And that's it?" She provocatively said, "You think Ashley is going to magically fall back into your arms only cause you have so called witnesses for the bandana thing?" She showed a smirk of her own, "What about the kiss, huh? The kiss that everyone distinctly saw played on the Titan Tron?"

"That wasn't real and you know it." Adam lividly said.

"Oh, I do, but does miss Dirty Diva?" Kelly snickered "Can you prove it to her?"

1 – 1 what a bitch.

"Yes, he can!"

Absorbed in the conversation, everybody literally jumped as Brooke thus cried out from the very end of the room. Lifting her arm up high in the air, she then turned a certain item she was holding in Adam's direction.

An item that, the more you focused from the distance, the more it looked like a cell phone… the same one Kelly had unceremoniously threw at her 15 minutes prior and demanded for it to be charged when she would have been back later.

"Here's the original recorded video." The brunette hastily explained, "It shows you rejecting her!" Brooke hastily added after taking a second look at the footage she had just stumbled upon by sudden intuitive enlightenment "And it's been sent by… oh gosh… Matt Hardy…"

A collective chorus of gasps was heard as the diva, just as shocked as the rest of them, read the name on the display in almost a whisper, her wide eyes consequently focusing on Edge.

General surprise that allowed the only non-shocked one of the group to liberally lash towards her fellow Extreme Exposé member in a triumph of not-so-nice epithets.

"Give it back, you idiot!" Kelly yelled trying to interject the advancing Brooke "That's mine!"

Quickly seizing the blonde by her waist in an unexpected movement and pulling her back before she could successfully collide against the brunette, in the spur of the moment Kenny had never felt more James Bond-like in his whole life.

Not satisfied with being so restrained, Kelly kept kicking the air frantically, unsuccessfully trying to set herself free from the superstar's hold.

"Alright, listen to me!" She screeched "Give me that phone back and nothing happens, I forget this ever took place." She forced an all-too-sweet smile "But give it to them and I swear you and I are done on any level."

Raising her eyebrows in a surely not impressed expression, Brooke simply shrugged the threat off with a mumbled "Bummer" and closed the gap separating her from the Rated R superstar, finally handing him the sought-after prize.

Saying that Kelly wasn't pleased with the outcome of her persuasive ways would have been the understatement of the century. "You're done!" She angrily yelled, "Do you hear me? You're fucking done with Extreme Exposé! Are you happy now? You're all alone!"

Too busy glaring in a midst of anger and sick satisfaction at Brooke's troubled expression at seeing all she had –as empty as it was- crumbling down like that, the young blonde didn't expect a reply coming from behind her own ear.

"No, she's not." Kenny solemnly said, loud enough for the whole audience to hear, "She's with me." And with that he unceremoniously shoved Kelly aside and outstretched his hand towards Brooke. Hand that the brunette, at this point with a somewhat tearful smile on her pretty face, eagerly accepted, coming to stand at his side.

"How lovely," Kelly spitefully scorned "saved by the idiot of the village."

Another collective gasp was in order as the sharp noise of Brooke's palm hardly colliding with Kelly's cheek echoed through the room.

"Don't you dare," the now former dancer warned "you're just envious cause you're a bitch and no-one will ever care for you. And in case you haven't realized, your sick little games are way over."

2 – 1 and Brooke for the win!

"Couldn't have said it better myself, bravo." Adam smugly echoed, the cell phone secured in his jeans' pocket. "Now, if you don't mind we're kinda fucking done with you. For good."

And with a last death glare he followed the still hand-in-hand fresh couple outside.

Closing the retiring group, Jay tapped the tip of an imaginary hat, "Pleasure doing business with you." He said with a boyish grin before pulling the door closed behind himself.

"…Wait!" Layla screeched jumping up in dismay, "What about my shoot, what about my career?"

"Oh, shut the hell up!" Kelly yelled in visible frustration, throwing the by now discarded handbag at her friend "You're just useless!"

Sharply turning to fix the blonde with a glare, Layla conceded an appreciative nod. "Maybe, but at least I do know how to dance." She metaphorically spat in Kelly's shocked face.

Oh yes, some defeats are just meant to sting for days…

x—x—x—x—x

"God, I can't believe you're here!" Ashley exclaimed once again as the two casually walked around the area surveying the hotel's swimming pool "Let alone the fact you didn't even tell me you were going to visit…!"

"Touchée." Trish playfully rolled her eyes at the punk's reproach, "But in my defense it wasn't exactly planned beforehand. Jay had some business to discuss with Vince anyway, and then after he talked on the phone with Adam the other day…"

"Oh, right." All enthusiasm immediately evaporated from Ashley's voice as Trish eloquently trailed off, there was really no guessing what would have come next. "You already know everything then."

"Yes, I do. And I would have loved hearing it from you." She stopped the wandering by softly seizing Ashley's wrist and thus forcing her to lift her reluctant gaze again. "What's going on, Ash?"

"Nothing. Nothing's going on." The troubled girl helplessly shrugged, "You know what went down and now I'm back with Matt, that's it."

"I can see that," Trish failed to mask her apparently new dislike for the older Hardy while nodding at the particular T-shirt she was still wearing "but I'm still failing to understand why I didn't get an excited phone call from my squealing best friend about that if that's what makes you happy. So, does it?"

In response, Ashley mildly stomped a foot on the ground in frustration. "I knew you were going to take his side."

Crossing her arms and leaning back against the railing, Trish let out the smallest of chuckles. "Honey, actually I took immediately your side. Heck, I even physically assaulted Adam with my purse…!"

"Then I don't underst—"

"He didn't do anything wrong, Ash. Not on purpose." She softly pressed on even when the punk let out a sarcastic scoff. "I know there are things that don't make any sense in this story and, I swear, I'm not blaming you for your reaction… but, sweetie, when you love someone you gotta learn to trust them."

"Yeah, cause evidently it worked out perfectly, didn't it? I should've never let myself fall for him. I asked for trouble."

"…And you can overcome it together!" Trish echoed with emphasis "He loves you Ash, he really does. Do you think I would be here pleading his case if I wasn't deadly sure of him being your true chance at happiness? If you'd only let him explain…"

A sad smile appeared on the punk's face as she feebly shook her head, resigned. "Tell me one good reason why I should."

"Because you have nothing to lose at this point."

The voice that responded, coming from exactly the opposite side, made both girls startle as they simultaneously turned to look at the Rated R superstar himself.

Instinctively taking a step back as he advanced, the wide-eyed glare Ashley directed at Trish bore no doubts on what was going on in her mind.

"She didn't know I was coming here," Adam answered the unvoiced question "Jay told me where to find her, or actually, the both of you according to the intention Trish had confided to him this morning. This wasn't a set up."

Registering his words, Ashley folded her arms on her chest as to figuratively shielding herself from any pain. "Still, you're wasting your time here." She icily said, "I don't want to hear what you have to say— actually, I don't need to hear what you have to say. You don't owe me any explanation. Not anymore."

He was expecting this greeting, of course he did, therefore he appeared extremely collected and at his own ease as he pressed further the matter.

"Then what difference does it make to you if you give me 5 minutes of your time? 5 minutes, not one more. There's no trick, I'm only asking for you to listen, not to believe me. 5 minutes. And then I swear to God all you have to do is nod and I won't bother you again. Never again."

Feeling somewhat panicking inside, Ashley instinctively blurted out "I'm with Matt now, this won't change anything."

Taking the blow he was expecting with apparent dignity, Adam imperceptibly shrugged. "Even more then, what difference would this make to you?"

If Ashley could have looked at her face right then, she would have probably understood she had already made her decision on the subject, just like Adam would have realized if he hadn't been the one involved in the first place; reason why, being the only lucid of the three to see it clearly, Trish silently and quite unnoticed started to walk away, just in time to hear a feeble "Go on, then" uttered by her best friend.

A relieved sigh accompanied the Rated R superstar at hearing her consent; that was it, he had at least succeeded in the first step: not making her reject him altogether. Yet now came the most difficult part, the part he wasn't entirely sure how to approach in order to make her believe him. Never having been one unable to buy his way with words, for a moment Adam wished this was all some kind of in-ring promo where his eloquence had never failed him cause, maybe for the first time ever, he was having trouble finding the right words.

"A few weeks ago," he eventually piped up while taking a step forward next to her and placing his hands on the same railing Trish was previously pressed against "the night when all this mess began, after your talk with Kelly you asked me a simple question… a question I failed to respond to, prompting you to believe you had caught me red-handed. You asked me how was it possible for her to be having this after I confessed I had taken it from you months back." He took the infamous bandana from his back pocket and softly tucked it in Ashley's front one without asking for permission; involuntarily shivering under his touch, the diva was actually relieved of having him on her side looking down at the pool area below and not in front of herself. This way she could easily elude his eyes and only glance sideways up at him when safely unnoticed.

"I know it took me a while, but I have your answer now. You remember that disastrous double date night when we mutually tried to make the other jealous, you with Jeff and me with Kelly, and the way she stormed out after noticing I couldn't take my eyes off of you? I guess she had it against me, against us, since then. So when Kenny accidentally revealed that the two of us had in meanwhile secretly got together she jumped the occasion straight away, making him drink and promising him a wild night— that thank God never happened. Nope, cause once they got in our room Kenny was as predictable too wasted to conclude anything and that left Kelly free to go through my things undisturbed. I do know I had the bandana till that period, and now I do remember getting mad at Kenny the following day cause my stuff was all over the place and I couldn't find it anymore."

Her eyes instinctively widening with interest, Ashley forgot her initial intention and gazed up at him. "So she stole it from you with that exact purpose?"

"I don't know whether at the time she had already laid out the whole plan," Adam honestly said accompanying his words with a shrug "but I suppose she thought it could come in handy at some point to make either of us pay. After all we're speaking of the same person who persuaded Cherry into attacking you around those same weeks… nothing would surprise me anymore at this point. But you can ask either Kenny or Jay if you don't believe me." He added mistaking her genuine shock for doubt "They've collected quite a few stories on the matter to confirm what I've just told you. They went around and asked questions, talked to Brooke and Layla… I'm not telling you bullshit, we have enough proof, I swear… that if you still value my word."

The last phrase was spoken in a low mutter, his troubled face searching for any positive sign in her frowning expression, yet Ashley wasn't really paying attention anymore in that exact moment; she knew he wasn't lying, she felt it.

"That's insanity… it's so creepy to think she was watching over us, actually making schemes against us…" The Dirty Diva trailed off as a shiver ran through her spine.

Holding tightly on the railing to control himself from instinctively cradling her in his arms and promising he would now protect her, Adam swallowed hard, bracing himself for what he had to say next; and, if for now she at least hadn't screamed at him accusations of still been telling lies, he wasn't sure of the reaction she was going to have upon hearing the rest of the story.

"That's not all," he awkwardly added "there's still that kiss, the one she showed the whole world. I know you didn't believe me cause it was all so damn cliché, but it really wasn't what it looked like. Here," Edge handed her the cell phone "Brooke just stole it for me — you can see the unedited clip on there, as soon as she jumped on me I pushed her away… which obviously wasn't in the footage we both saw, the one abruptly cut off after two mere seconds of lips touching."

"I don't—"

"I know, I should have told you straight away when it took place and probably none of this would have happened." Adam ran a hand through his hair, "That's my fault cause I could have prevented all this, I know. And I was actually going to tell you right after… but then you surprised me saying you wanted to sleep together for the first time and, God, all thoughts of anything Kelly-related obviously slipped from my mind. As lame an excuse as it sounds."

Ashley's hand progressively tightened around the unfamiliar cell phone, her eyes now instinctively focused on nothing but the Rated R superstar. She had to admit one thing, this was all dangerously plausible, just like Kelly was indeed dangerously capable of anything to reach her goal, as they had now tangible proof of. With Adam staring down at her, anxiously waiting for either a word or a sign, Ashley knew the ball was now in her side of the metaphorical court. He had done his speech, he had laid his arguments, and now it was only up to her to decide what to do, whether to believe him or not.

It seemed to the Dirty Diva that all the ideas, the resolutions she had embraced until half an hour prior were now starting to crumble down as she noticed for the first time how tired and battered he looked from up close — signs that had nothing to do with the physical battle of the previous day, signs she well recognized cause they were the same she had met in the mirror lately. And it finally occurred to her, the only question he couldn't possibly answer: why was he there, quite frankly looking as if he hadn't slept for days, if his words were nothing but a lie? Furthermore, what would have been he point in continuing to lie now? If really he had used her just for sex, if really he had only wanted to play her like a fool, then why was he still there trying to change her mind when the page had been turned and he was free to laugh at her with his precious Kelly on his arm?

He had won his game, he had proved his point, there was nothing left to say. Unless… unless he was actually speaking the truth and he really did care, unless they both had been the ones being played, and surely not by each other.

"Is it all here, inside this video? You pushing her away?" She cautiously asked, feeling all of a sudden extremely self-conscious as he solemnly confirmed with a nod. With her emotions all bottled up inside and therefore still unreadable, Ashley didn't think of what her body language might suggest as she shook her head. "I don't think I need to watch it then."

Deceived by that, Adam took a sharp breath of desperation, his hand instinctively enclosing around hers to stop the diva before she could shove the item back at him and run away.

"Wait, there's one last thing you need to know…" He hastily added, fearing time wasn't on his side anymore "If you take a look at least at the info of that clip you'll see the name of the sender, the one person who evidently helped Kelly out, shooting the easily mistaking scene while it happened."

If anything but puzzled about how the detail could be of any relevance at this point, Ashley did as instructed, scrolling down to reveal the identity of the mysterious accomplice.

Once she loudly gasped and removed her hand from his touch to put it on her chest in disbelief, Adam knew the last piece of the puzzle wasn't a mystery anymore.

"But I don't understand, Matt—"

"I know, I know." He softly echoed as her words ended in an incoherent stutter, her wide eyes focusing on him in evident shock. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this, I didn't have a clue myself until half an hour ago."

"But how, why would he—"

A humorless chuckle escaped Adam's lips as she, ironically enough, now gazed up at him desperate for answers. "I guess he was ready to try anything to win you back… I can't exactly say I don't understand where he's coming from."

"God, that's… that's just too much to elaborate." The punk complained in a midst of frustration, shock and pain, looking away in dismay while running her hands through her hair.

Wiping a layer of perspiration from his forehead, Adam did his best to hide his disappointment, mistaking once again her reaction.

"I understand if you love him enough to justify that, I just thought you deserved to know the truth, the whole truth. In spite of what and who you want to choose to believe, let me tell you that what we had was real to me, Ash, it was true." The superstar said with passion, eventually overcome by the weight of his emotions "Damn, we've gone through way too much to arrive where we were— and it was them who took it away from us. Alright," he raised his voice "if Matt's the one you love then so be it, I'll keep my word and stay away, but hell Ashley, we deserved a better ending than this. Can't you see it? I love you, I fucking love you and I've loved you probably since day one when I thought I couldn't stand you — you know that I had to shut down my foolish, arrogant pride to admit it even to myself, much like I'm humiliating myself now, and I know you had to overcome the prejudices you had against me, as rightful as they might have been, to give in and start to trust me. Why can't you do that again, then? I'm here, I'm yours, I've always been yours and yours alone. I know I've never made a relationship work before, but you can't make that stand in the way— not when we were fucking, amazingly happy together. No, I know I won't probably ever been Matt Hardy if that's what you're looking for, and I know I will always manage to be a jerk every once in awhile, but I'm honest and I've always been with you. I can't promise I'll be perfect cause God knows I probably never will, but, to hell Ash, I can swear I'll be loving you till the end of fucking time. So why, WHY, can't it be enough?"

With her hand still pressed to her chest, that at this precise moment felt likely to be about to explode at any second, Ashley wasn't ashamed to let her tears run freely as she stared at the man she really loved, the one she had kept loving all along, standing before her painfully out of breath and with his arms helplessly spread wide.

Not trusting herself to speak, she did the only sensible thing she could at the moment to answer his question without further misunderstandings: she reached out and threw her arms around his neck, holding tightly onto him as her mouth fervently claimed his, leaving no space to doubt. Not anymore.

Then, with his hands firmly enclosed around her waist hardly crushing her petite frame into his own body, she moved one of her hands away to throw the cell phone she hadn't realized she was still holding down into the pool.

Pulling apart for much needed air and with their foreheads still touching as identical relieved, tearful, blissfully happy expressions played on both their faces, Adam let out a low growl.

"You just threw away the only proof we had."

"I don't need any proof," she begged to differ "I've already made too many mistakes searching for rational answers instead than trusting my heart. I don't intend of doing that anymore."

"God, punkie, couldn't you thought of that before?" Adam half-playfully complained burying his face into her neck, "You had me fearing for the worst there."

"I'm sorry, I really am," Ashley seriously stated hugging him even tighter before a giggle escaped her lips "but your love declaration was terribly worth all the pain, trust me, I've never heard one with more curses threw in it."

"Already starting to criticize, aren't we?" He feigned an impressed expression while breaking the embrace to softly run his thumb across her cheek "You know what, I hope you know I've had enough days without you to last me for a lifetime… if that wasn't clear you're not going anywhere anymore punkie."

"I honestly don't intend to go anywhere." The punk diva smiled against the touch of his hand, "Though I think you have to know something before we start where we left off…" She suddenly frowned, biting on her bottom lip. "Last night I've slept with Matt," She revealed as her cheeks inevitably burnt "it didn't mean anything for me, but I can understand if that means something to you. Cause by sleep I mean—"

"Hell, woman," Adam let out a groan "don't give me any details, please. Honestly, the fact I'm known as the Rated R superstar should be enough to make you realize I didn't exactly think you meant having lovely picnics on the grass when you told me you were with him now."

Slightly confused by his answer, Ashley cocked her head on a side. "Does that mean that you do mind about it or not?"

"Well," he conceded an appreciative nod before a much more relaxed smile appeared on his features "I do mind as in I'd like very much to rip Hardy's head off and play hockey with it even more right now, but we were broken up, technically you didn't do anything you weren't free to. It's alright, it doesn't change where we're standing now."

Reassured and relieved by his words, the Dirty Diva let out a much liberating giggle before burying her face in the crook of his neck once again. "I love you." She breathlessly whispered, "It was never the same with Matt, you're the one I've loved all along."

"Glad to hear so, punkie, you don't realize how much that makes me happy." He softly echoed, running a hand across her back "So what, you think now this can come back where it belongs?" Adam questioned while slightly pushing her away what was needed to retrieve the bandana from her front pocket.

Biting on her bottom lip as he proceeded to tie it around her wrist, Ashley abruptly took her hand back and seized the item with her other one. "I don't think it belongs there anymore," she spoke up with a sunny smile "it's been long actually since it did. There." She added mirroring his previous gesture and successfully placing the skull-printed black fabric around his own wrist. "Much fitting this way."

Chuckling up at her, Adam slightly shook his head. "I swear I'll guard it with my life this time."

"Oi, you'd better!" She ventured a playful slap on his chest, I don't think I'm in any condition to survive another break up of this sort!

"Well, in that case, you might as well started taking actions to prevent it from happening…" Adam counteracted with one of his best smirks, causing the diva to momentarily furrow her brow in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Hell, take that bloody shirt off woman and while you're at it burn it to the ground… won't you?" He exclaimed with a groan, eloquently nodding at the Hardy Boy signature item of clothing.

Wholeheartedly laughing at his complaint, she vigorously nodded. "I can assure you I have every intention of doing so, but first…"

x—x—x—x—x

"Finally, where have you been? I had to pack your things myself and—" Abruptly trailing off as soon as he completely opened the door and therefore took in the whole sight awaiting him on the other side, Matt's face immediately scrunched up in confusion. "What's going on here?"

"And you have the bloody nerve to ask, Matt." Ashley echoed in disbelief, "I trusted you. I freaking trusted you… and all along you were the one working behind my back to hurt me."

Understanding –well, at least he wasn't as slow as his partner in crime in catching up- that something had unmistakably happened to blow his cover up, the older Hardy tried his best puppy dog eyes. "Don't listen to whatever story he told you, Ash," Matt pleaded "you know we belong together. I can explain—"

"Save it." She angrily spat, "Save it for someone who actually gives a damn, won't you? Cause quite frankly I don't, Matt. Actually I guess in a way I should even thank you… for helping me opening up my eyes and realizing you're not the one I love. Not the one I could ever really love."

Narrowing his eyes as she pressed herself against the side of his sworn enemy, Matt evidently decided the time for pretending was definitely over. "I should've known it," he snorted "you're nothing but a cheaper, sluttier Lita-copycat. Actually, cross that, she at least did have some personality—"

"Don't you dare, you pathetic little bast—"

"NO!" Ashley shouted as Adam moved back his elbow getting ready to silence the bitter superstar with a punch, surprisingly stopping him from proceed with his clear intentions; then, under the perplexed gaze of her boyfriend, she actually stepped forward in a quick movement and embraced the task herself.

"…Wow, nice hook baby. I never would have guessed." Adam complimented with an impressed expression.

"Thank you very much," she innocently smiled while nonchalantly rubbing her reddened knuckles "would you mind being a dear and taking my bags?"

"My pleasure." Edge chuckled in evident amusement as he easily walked around Matt's figure lying on the floor to dutifully oblige.

xxx

As the two consequently made their way back from the room while cheerfully chatting engrossed in their own world, they were soon left to stop when they distractedly bumped into another couple coming from the opposite direction.

"Awww," a much excited Brooke cooed "you actually managed to make up! That's so awesome— I'm so happy!" And to further prove her point, the former Extreme Exposé member actually launched herself at the two slightly perplexed looking SD stars, hazarding some sort of double hug before stepping back at Kenny's side with the same enthusiastic grin on her face.

"Oh, umm, thank you I guess." Ashley smiled in a midst of amusement and confusion, considering she had probably never exchanged more than a couple of words with the other diva before… and, judging from Adam's expression, she could've actually sworn the same about him.

"We're together now, as in I asked her to be my girlfriend." Kenny helpfully added with a blissfully happy smile of his own, "And I'm going to ask Teddy Long to move her to Smackdown with us… so she can be my valet!"

"Good thinking there." Adam complimented with a wink "And you take good care of my boy, won't you? And just to be sure keep an eye on him, he tends to fall in love as soon as a girl smiles at him."

"Don't worry, he's in good hands now." Brooke cheerfully giggled.

"OH!" Kenny suddenly exclaimed, "You know what we should do? All four of us? Going out on a double date sometimes! How awesome would it be?"

"Yeah… sure, we— we will arrange something, why not." The Rated R superstar tried his best to bite back his laughter as he seized Ashley by the arm and eventually passed the other couple by. "Sure, I wouldn't miss it for the world." He muttered as soon as they found themselves alone again.

"C'mon," Ashley giggled "they're cute together."

"Maybe," he offered an appreciative nod "but we're way better."

"Oh, that goes without saying. The Rated R superstar and the Dirty Diva, who could ask for better." She echoed with a giggle, "And all's well what ends well I suppose."

"Indeed." Adam agreed with a content smile "So, you hungry punkie? Cause, I don't know you, but this reconciliation has kinda made me starving."

"Not really right now… but tell you what, I was rather thinking we could skip lunch altogether and go back to your room… hey, we don't even need to kick Kenny out this time."

Distancing himself from the diva just what was needed to take a full glance at her, Adam let out a satisfied sigh. "I've always known you were just the woman of my dreams, punkie." He declared with his trademark smirk, pulling her into him once again to steal another kiss.

And yes, as simple as the gesture was, this time it actually felt like home. For both.

THE END.