Amanda stood in front of the mirror, looking disconsolately at her dress. Although everyone kept saying this would be the happiest day of her life, she was having trouble believing it. In less than an hour, she would be marrying Everett Chase. They had dated through high school and college, and for 2 years after that. It finally got to the point that Amanda couldn’t think of a good excuse to say no to his proposal. The thought of spending the rest of her life as Mrs. Chase was not appealing to her, nor was the simple, quiet life in Kentucky. The same people she’d grown up with, the family that she felt was holding her back, and now a husband who thought she dreamed too much would still surround her.

All of her life, Amanda had let other people tell her what to do. First her father, telling her what courses to take, what University to go to, who to marry. Her mother, telling her what to wear, how to act, and what she should do for the rest of her life. Amanda’s older sister, Paulette, was the favorite. She was their golden child, and could do no wrong. Amanda was under the constant impression that her parents were trying to raise her to Paulette’s level…which was a place Amanda had absolutely no interest in going. Paulette was a stuck up snob, used to getting her own way, and steamrolling people who didn’t step aside for her.

Amanda was a beautiful woman, although she didn’t think so. Unlike Paulette’s blonde-haired, blue-eyed, cover model style, Amanda was a quieter beauty. She had long, naturally wavy, golden brown hair, and clear gray eyes. While Paulette took pride in her stick thin figure, Amanda was curvier, which in her eyes mad her the ‘fat’ sister. The only thing Amanda had that Paulette didn’t get was Everett. She claimed he was so boring only Amanda would attract him.

Sighing, Amanda thought Paulette was, for once, right. Everett was boring. Except her father called it ‘stable’. He was content to live the rest of his life in this little town he had grown up in, managing his father’s real estate office, while Amanda threw away her nursing degree to stay home and have his children.

‘If he’s that bad,’ she thought to herself, ‘why the hell am I marrying him?’ She couldn’t think of a single good reason, except for that stability he provided. ‘But do I really need another father? Tied to him forever?’

Amanda, who had never done an impulsive thing in her life, made a snap decision. Lifting up the skirt of her long satin gown, she quietly left the dressing room and headed out of the church. She managed to get outside without being spotted, and was relieved to see her best friend, Amy, just getting out of her car in the lot. Running low between the other parked cars, she made her way to Amy’s Camaro.

Amy watched her coming with a grin on her face. They had been friends since they were 5 years old. She wasn’t happy that Amanda was marrying that loser Everett, but she put on a good front, supporting them. Amy personally thought Amanda deserved so much better than that daddy’s boy.

"Hey, Manda," she called, and was immediately shushed. Amanda glanced around to make sure they were alone. "What the hell’s going on?" Amy said, in an exaggerated whisper.

"I need your car, Amy," Amanda almost looked scared, and kept looking furtively to the left and right.

"My car? Did you forget something? I could go get it, whatever it is," Amy offered.

Amanda shook her head, then gently pushed Amy out of her way. As Amanda slid into the driver’s seat, Amy stared at her in amazement. Amanda had never pushed anyone. It just wasn’t her nature.

"What’s happening? Eloping with Prince Charming?" Even as Amanda started the car, the situation was dawning on Amy. "Oh My God!!!" she squealed. "You’re leaving the goody-goody at the altar!"

"I’ll call you later, so you’ll know where to pick up your car," Amanda said, shifting into reverse.

"That better not be all you call me about! I want a full report, Amanda Rheanne," Amy couldn’t stop grinning at what was happening. The only thing that kept her from turning cartwheels in the parking lot was the fact she was wearing a dress. Instead of that, she spun in a circle as Amanda pulled out into the flow of traffic on the main road.

Part 2

Amanda made it as far as downtown before realizing she only had about one hundred dollars in her small purse. Debating, she knew if she went all the way to her house for her credit cards she would probably lose her nerve. She sighed then jumped as Amy’s cell phone, which was in the passenger seat, began ringing. Laughing softly at herself, she grabbed the phone and flipped it open.

"Girl," came Amy’s voice, whispering. "The shit has hit the fan up in here. I think your dad’s about to have a heart attack."

Amanda felt a twinge of guilt, but pushed it aside. "Taking it hard, huh? I thought they would. Amy, what the hell am I doing?"

"Getting a life, baby. Where are you going? You’re going to need some clothes and stuff, you know." Amy said, sounding extremely happy.

"I don’t know. I’m downtown right now. I don’t even have a lot of money on me. This dress doesn’t have any pockets, Ames," Amanda said, as she pulled into a supermarket parking lot.

"Listen, I can’t stay on here too long. Go to the Arena on Broadway. There’s a ball game or something going on tonight. Grab a ticket and wait inside, and I’ll bring you some clothes and money," Amy didn’t wait for a reply, and she slammed down the phone.

Amanda turned off the cellular and pulled back out onto the main road. As she made her way to Broadway, she smiled as she realized how much Amy was enjoying this. Like playing James Bond or superspy. Amanda finally found the sports arena and pulled into the packed parking garage.

Feeling very conspicuous in her wedding gown, she went to the ticket window and bought a ticket for the event that was already in progress. She entered the main lobby and made a beeline for the smoking area. Knowing Amy, that would be the first place she’d look.

The small alcove was empty except for a woman in an event staff jacket standing in the corner. Amanda walked to the window and stared down at the parking lot.

"People don’t usually get so dressed up for a wrestling card," said a voice behind her. "Unless, of course, you’re one of the wrestlers."

Amanda turned and looked at the woman, who had walked over to the ashtray to put out her cigarette. The lady was young and pretty, with dark hair and green eyes. Sighing, Amanda turned to look at her. "I’ve had a rough evening. It’s only going to get worse." The lady looked concerned as tears suddenly filled Amanda’s eyes.

"Well," said the woman. "Once you hit bottom, you can only look up right?" She shook the cigarette pack at Amanda, who shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"By the way, my name’s Kaylee," the lady said, smiling at her.

"Amanda," Amanda said, "runaway bride. In case you hadn’t noticed."

Kay laughed and said, "I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to get married, but if you’d like, I have some extra clothes downstairs. You could probably fit into some of my jeans, and blend in a little better."

Amanda was amazed that this woman she had just met was taking her appearance in stride, and seemed to understand what was going on without being told anything. Agreeing to try on some clothes, she followed Kay through the building, past the security station that blocked the entrance to the backstage area. After sharing some jokes with the security guard on duty, Kay led Amanda through a maze-like corridor, and into a dressing room. A very large man was sitting on a bench, lacing up his boots.

"Hey, sweetie," he said to Kay with a grin. Then he noticed Amanda. "What’s up?"

"We’re going to need the room for a few minutes, Hunter," Kay said. "Oh, Amanda, this is my fiancé, Hunter. Hunter, Amanda." Kay introduced them, and promised they wouldn’t take long. With a puzzled expression, Hunter stepped out into the hallway as Kay started rummaging through an overnight bag.

"This should do it," Kay said, holding up a pair of black jeans, and a man’s light blue button-down shirt. "Got a few pairs of jeans, but this is the only clean shirt in the bag. It’s one of Hunter’s, so it’ll probably swallow you."

Grateful to get the hated wedding dress off, Amanda quickly stripped and put on the jeans and shirt. The shirt went to her knees, and was so loose it was comical. Amanda left the last few buttons on the bottom undone, so the shirt would not trip her up.

"Looks OK," Kay said, critically. "Gonna have to find you some different shoes, though. I never liked the jeans and stiletto look, personally. Hold on." With that, Kay left the locker room. A few minutes later, she came back in with a shoe box in her hand. "I hope these fit. One of the girls went shopping today, she bought about ten pairs of shoes." Amanda slipped her foot in and they were a good fit.

"Now, tell me about it," Kay said, sitting on a bench. Amanda felt like she could trust her, so she told Kay everything about the boring life that was waiting for her. Kay listened, then sat for a few minutes, thinking.

"You said you had a degree in nursing? If you need a job, we have one for you. On of our sports med docs retired last month. We need another person on the medical staff. Of course, you’d have to talk to Vince McMahon about it, but I could give him a nudge."

"I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that for me. You don’t know me. I don’t know what I’m going to do though."

"You’re going to let me do this for you. You said you wanted to travel, and have adventures, and help people. Believe me, this is the perfect place for it." Kay said, and Amanda had no argument against her.

Part 3

The door cracked open, and Hunter stuck his head in. "You guys decent in here? I gotta get warmed up." Laughing, Kay told him to come in. Amanda watched Kay and Hunter together as he lifted free-weights, and she teased him. She wished she had a relationship like that. Everett had absolutely no sense of humor. And he didn’t like it when Amanda played with him. He also wasn’t very big on personal fitness, which made Amy make jokes about how Everett would only get fatter with age. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered why she had stuck with it for so long. She had almost married the weenie.

Finally, Hunter finished his workout and kissed Kay for good luck. After he left, Kay grabbed Amanda’s hand and pulled her toward the door.

"What?" Amanda said, nervously, trying to pull her arm back.

Laughing, Kay said, "No time like the present to slay the dragon, hun." Not understanding what she meant, Amanda let herself be led through the corridor. At an unmarked door, Kay stopped and knocked. Before waiting for an answer, she pushed open the door. It led into a large office, where a man sat behind a desk talking on the phone. After waving them to a seat, he quickly finished his conversation and hung up.

He smiled brightly at Kay, before asking what she needed. "Well, Shane, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine," she gestured at Amanda. "She’s a registered nurse, and she needs a job. And since Vinnie’s not here tonight, you da man, man."

He looked Amanda over, smiling as he said, "Yeah, right. But we do need someone for the med team. Do you have your resume with you?"

Feeling embarrassed, Amanda shook her head. "Not at the moment, but I could get my friend to bring it." She didn’t mention the fact that she was also bringing all of Amanda’s belongings.

"Cool, OK, tell you what. Hang out tonight, get to know the guys a little, when you’re friend gets here, we’ll go over your stats." He slid a badge with ‘Event Staff’ on the front. "Just make sure you have that on backstage, so security can see it. We’ve had some problems with someone sneaking backstage and trashing dressing rooms." Shane explained, as Amanda pinned the tag to the front of her shirt.

"I should go call my friend, catch her before she leaves," Amanda said, finally smiling back at Shane. Kay directed her to the nearest phone, and told Amanda she’d catch up to her. After she left the room, Kay turned to Shane and waited. It didn’t take long.

"What’s up, Kay? Taking in another stray?" He said, teasingly.

"Aww, she’s had a rough time, Shane. She needs a break. She seems like a good person, and we should at least try her out." Shane opened his mouth, but Kay waved it off. "I know, I know, we don’t usually have female meds on payroll. But the guys might like it." Kay wiggled her eyebrows, and made Shane laugh.

"Well, you know I can’t say no to you, Kay. Maybe I can work something out for her," Shane said, still smiling as Kay left the office.

Part 4

Amanda felt more conspicuous that ever as she made her way through the hallway. She felt like everyone she passed was staring at her. Finally finding the courtesy phone, she picked it up and quickly dialed her home number. She crossed her fingers, hoping that she would catch Amy before she left.

After about ten rings, Amanda was about to hang up when a breathless Amanda picked up the phone.

" ‘Lo," she said, panting.

"Thank God I got you, Amy. Do me one more favor? Can you grab my resume folder? It’s in the top drawer of my computer desk," Amanda said hurriedly.

"What for? I can’t really talk, Amanda, I wanna get out of her before your parents show up…they were heading this way, I think I beat them by like 5 minutes," Amy said, sounding like she was having the time of her life.

"OK, but make sure to grab that folder," Amanda said, before hanging up. That done she wandered the halls for a few minutes, looking at the people running around.

Most of them were men in various stages of undress, laughing and calling each other names. A few women were standing in a corner, having what looked like a serious conversation. Feeling totally out of place, Amanda finally entered what looked like a cafeteria, and sat down in the seat closest to the door.

At several of the other tables, more men sat eating the food that was catered to the event, and talking quietly. Amanda had no idea what was going on; she had never watched wrestling…in fact the only wrestler she had heard of was Stone Cold, and only him because it was hard not to notice all of the Austin: 316 T-shirts everyone seemed to be wearing.

Sighing, trying not to stare at anyone, she waited, thinking. It would be at least half an hour before Amy made it to the arena, so she had time to kill. And nice as she was, Amanda didn’t think Kay was at all serious about offering her a job. She started wondering what a medic for the wrestlers did, and where they got to go.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion out in the hallway. Without thinking, Amanda ran to see what was happening. A small group of people had gathered around one of the guys, who was holding his shoulder as blood seeped between his fingers.

Her nurse training kicked in, as she shoved her way past three huge men to get at the bleeder.

Part 5

All had gone well during the match, right up until Dean threw him up against the metal steps. A jagged piece of metal had ripped into his upper arm and shoulder, causing a white-hot flair of pain to run through Jeff’s body.

As Jeff lay on the arena floor rolling in pain, Matt used the opportunity to make a pin on Dean’s partner, Perry Saturn, scoring the win for the Hardy Boys. It still hurt, but Jeff, as usual, tried to joke his way out of the pain.

"Crap, Matt, look at this," he said, gesturing with his uninjured arm. "My favorite shirt. I don’t even know how to get bloodstains out."

Matt was more than a little concerned for his little brother, though. The blood was slowly draining from Jeff’s face, leaving him looking gray. "Jeff, maybe you should quit joking around and find somewhere to sit."

"Yeah," said Lita, following behind them. "You need to put your head between your legs…"

"And kiss your ass goodbye," Jeff and Lita finished together, getting a groan from Matt at the old joke.

"I just need to sit. Just for a minute," as Jeff said the last word, his vision doubled, then started fading. He leaned against the wall, and slid down toward the floor.

"Wow," he mumbled weakly. "Hey, guys, who put the lights on a dimmer?" Jeff was starting to pass out from the loss of blood and the pain that the cut had caused.

A small crowd had gathered around them by this time, including Dean Malenko, the man who had shoved him into the steps. "You don’t look so good, Jeff," he said in a rough voice.

"No shit," Jeff managed to say, trying to keep his eyes focused. "Does this mean our date’s off tonight, sweetie?"

The other guys laughed, as Matt looked worriedly down at his brother. "I’m gonna go get a doc, Jeff." He looked at Lita, "Make sure he doesn’t move, he’s lost a lot of blood." Lita nodded her head and Matt ran down the hallway.

Just then a small woman shoved up beside Jeff. He looked up into her face as she frowned at his arm. "That’s a hell of a slash. Anybody got a clean shirt handy?" As she spoke, she grabbed the sleeve of Jeff’s shirt and ripped it away from the cut. Some one handed one to her, and she ripped it up into squares. She folded one and pried his hand off of his arm, then pressed the cloth against the gash.

While she concentrated on his arm, Jeff studied her face. ‘Maybe it’s the pain talking,’ he thought to himself, ‘but I think I see an angel.’ He mentally shook his head. Even in his thoughts he was trying to be funny.

The woman, still holding the makeshift pad on his arm, turned and started barking orders to the guys who were standing around watching. "I need a medkit. There should be one in the caf, in the kitchen." She pointed at Lita. "Run and get it for me, now, please."

Lita immediately left and was back only a few seconds later, with a small white box. Amanda took it from her and had Lita hold the pad to Jeff’s arm as she flipped open the kit. She took out a small bottle of peroxide, some sterile gauze pads, and some butterfly bandages.

"We’re going to have to wash that cut out, and it’s going to hurt. One of you guys," she gestured at Dean. "Get down here and grab his hands. Don’t let him jerk around too much, or the bleeding will start up again." She looked at Lita. "Ready?"

Lita took the pad away from Jeff’s arm, as Amanda poured a liberal amount of peroxide on his arm. Jeff hissed and tried to jerk away, but Dean held him steady as Amanda carefully swabbed the gash with sterile pads. Cleaned up, the cut wasn’t long, but it was deep. Amanda knew it would require stitches, but she didn’t have the proper equipment. Temporarily, the butterflies would close the cut until he could get to the emergency room.

Amanda quickly applied the butterfly bandages before he started bleeding heavily again. Then she took some gauze pads and used a small roll of medical tape to secure it tightly over the cut. Now that the flow of blood was stopped, Amanda relaxed slightly as she wiped blood from the man’s arm.

"Am I going to live?" Jeff asked weakly, giving her a grin. Instead of smiling back, she studied his face for a few seconds.

"Only if your tetanus booster is up to date. Lockjaw sucks, you know." She deadpanned, and he laughed and immediately winced as his arm throbbed.

Amanda finally looked around at the people who stood above them. Along with the original guys (and she felt herself blushing, remembering how she had shoved them out of her way) another five or six had joined them, including Kay and Shane. Amanda couldn’t help but notice the triumphant look Kay flashed at Shane, or the big smile on Shane’s face.

Matt reappeared, looking like he was going to have a heart attack, and dragging a man along with him. They both stopped dead when they saw Jeff, already bandaged, the color coming back into his face. With some assistance, Jeff was able to stand, and was helped along the hallway toward the exit, and a car to take him for his stitches. The small crowd slowly disbursed, leaving Amanda, Kay and Shane in the hall.

"Don’t know about you, Shane-o," Kay said, wryly. "But I thought that was one hell of a demonstration. Was that part of the interview process?"

Shane rolled his eyes at Kay, then grabbed Amanda’s hand, "Not a conventional aptitude test, but as far as I’m concerned, Amanda, the job is yours."

Amanda smiled at him gratefully as Kay gave her a hug. She couldn’t wait until she saw Amy and told her about her new job.

Part 6

Amanda stood on the loading docks at the back of the building, waiting for Amy. She was about to walk around the building when a familiar looking van sped around the corner and came to a screeching halt in front of her.

"Ta da!" Amy yelled, as she jumped out of the vehicle. Her brother, Rob, got out of the driver’s seat, and opened the rear doors. As he pulled out the two bags Amy had packed for Amanda, Amy climbed up the to the docks and hugged Amanda.

"Nice outfit. I thought you’d still be in that awful dress. Oh," she added, holding out Amanda’s resume folder, "I remembered to grab this. What’s it for?"

Amanda laughed as she told Amy and Rob about the job she was getting with the wrestling company. "Kay, the woman who pretty much got me the job, said she’s gonna look out for me. I’ll get to travel and finally use my degree. We leave for New York tonight."

"Well, I’m glad for you, Amanda," Rob said, hugging her. "Lots different from wasting your life with Evvie." He looked at her longingly. Everyone except for Amanda knew Rob had a monster-sized crush on her, and had since she was 13 or so. He was genuinely glad that she wasn’t getting married

The door behind them opened, and Kay stepped out. "Hey, Amanda, we need to get ready to bug out." She let herself be introduced to Amy and Rob, then told Amanda to meet her at the Cafeteria.

Telling her friends goodbye, and promising to call and write them often, Amanda went back inside to get ready to go. Rob gave his sister a hug as he helped her up into the van. "I’m almost jealous, Robbie," Amy said. "Loses her fiancé and getting a cool job in the same day, wow." Rob laughed as he got in the van.

"I just hope they don’t take advantage of her. She isn’t very assertive," Rob said, doubtfully.

"I think," Amy said, smiling softly, "she’s about to prove you wrong."

Part 7

As the last match of the night ended, all of the wrestlers were gathered in the cafeteria, getting ready to head to Madison Square Garden in New York. Everyone was excited, a big pay-per-view was scheduled for the next night, and the volume of the company was cranked up for it.

"The thing about a pay-per is," Kay was saying quietly to Amanda, "These are huge matches. There’s always some bloodshed and injuries, because the wrestlers want to give people their money’s worth. You’re going to be indispensable tomorrow night."

Amanda looked worriedly at the wrestlers leaving the caf to head to their vehicles. "They’re really going to put themselves through all that just for a bunch of fans?"

"No, no, I didn’t mean to give you the impression that it was on purpose. It’s a bigger scale of what we do, though. They get over-zealous. They all want to top the guys that wrestled before them, so they do crazy stunts. Matt and Jeff call themselves the pay-per-view kamikazes," Kay said, laughing. "Jeff’s the one you helped out earlier. If there’s a trick or move they haven’t tried, I don’t know what it is. And they always come up with some hair-brained stunt for the pay-pers. You should just thank God Mick isn’t wrestling anymore. He spent more time with the docs than all the other wrestlers combined."

"I think I can handle it," Amanda said, full of confidence. She had graduated at the head of her class, and had trained to be an emergency room nurse. But she still worried about these men putting their bodies on the line for the entertainment of others.

Almost reading her mind, Kay touched her arm. "They don’t just do it for the fans. They are proving something to themselves, although I personally could think of easier ways to do it. Serious injuries are rare, and most of the guys look out for the other ones. But it’s not easy for them. This sport has gotten a little extreme in the past few years." As she talked, Amanda saw Kay look at Hunter across the room. It was no secret to anyone there that Hunter was working with multiple injuries, and every day he worked put more strain on his abused body.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Kay looked at Amanda and grinned. "Oh well. Anyway, you can ride to New York with Hunter and me if you want. We can set you up in a room, and get you acquainted with the other guys."

Grateful for the offer, Amanda and Kay gathered their things and headed out to Hunter’s rental car.

"One thing, though. Hunter drives like a bat out of hell. Don’t say I didn’t warn you." Amanda laughed with Kay as they climbed inside the car. A few minutes later, Hunter came outside, and they were on their way to New York, and the start of Amanda’s new life.

Part 8

After getting stitched up, Jeff and Matt got into their own car and started the long drive to the Garden. The doctor in the emergency room had given Jeff some painkillers, and he felt detached from his body.

"Was I dreaming, or was there some girl hovering over me at the arena tonight?" He asked Matt, sounding out of it.

Matt laughed, "I knew you weren’t that far gone, Jeffie. You could have all of your limbs severed, and you’d still point out a pretty girl in the 5^th row."

"So she was real. Damn." Jeff shook his head weakly. "Should have got her number. She was hot."

As always, Matt was both amazed and exasperated by Jeff. It the middle of a war, Jeff would be in a bar trying to pick up a girlfriend. But Jeff’s bad luck with the fairer sex was legendary. He didn’t know how to pick them, keep them, or even meet them.

"Well, little bro," Matt said, grinning. "You probably missed your chance, since we won’t be seeing her again. I think she worked at the arena. She had on a yellow tag." Usually, the yellow tag meant arena staff, red meant WWF staff.

Sighing, Jeff leaned his head against the window as the car sped over the interstate. "Just my luck, huh?"

Matt was about to answer when Jeff started snoring. Apparently the painkillers had sunk in; Jeff was sound asleep in the passenger seat. Turning the volume of the radio up for company, Matt laughed softly to himself as he thought about Jeff.

The last girlfriend he’d had was a real flake. She was in awe of who Jeff was, and eventually just dropped him. Matt had a suspicion that Joanie and Lita had something to do with her quick departure, but neither of them would admit to it. Lita was like a sister to them, and Joanie was the mother hen of the roster, so they both were hard on the guys’ potential girlfriends.

Especially Joanie. Matt remembered how Joanie had at first not liked Hunter and Kay being together. She had changed her tune, because unlike most other girls faced with the 6 foot tall, muscular Chyna, Kay had not backed down, or even been scared. Matt laughed, remembering Joanie’s outraged expression when she had told him about Kay telling her to piss off and mind her own business.

It was only a week or two after that, Joanie had decided Kay was OK. She and Joanie were best friends now, because neither one would take shit off of the other. They seemed to thrive on that kind of relationship.

Matt thought being in the federation was like being in an extended family. And he knew Jeff felt it too, although he often was hard for anyone to get close to. Jeff tended to hide behind his comedian act, so no one really knew him. Matt only hoped that someday, that would change, and Jeff would learn he didn’t need to be a clown to get people to like him. He sighed as he concentrated on the long drive ahead of him.

Part 9

After nearly 4 hours of being in the car, Amanda felt like falling over. She had had a long discussion with Hunter and Kay about her situation. After finding out that the only people that knew why she was there were Shane, Kay, and Hunter, she asked them to do her a favor.

"No prob," said Hunter, speeding down the highway.

"I’d like to…it might sound weird, but, nobody else needs to know I left Everett at the altar. I’d like to be able to forget about him, and move on," Amanda said.

"That’s not strange. I don’t blame you," said Kay, looking over her shoulder at Amanda. "Consider it in the past and forgotten. I’ll tell Shane."

In the course of the drive, Amanda and Kay had drawn closer as she told them about her schooling and almost making the mistake of marrying Everett. Kay talked about her former job as a booker for an arena, and Hunter made them both laugh with stories of the guys in the locker room.

"What do you do now, Kay?" Amanda had asked at one point.

Laughing, Kay said, "Actually, I started off as an arena booker and payroll supervisor. That was boring, so I elbowed my way into match booking. I help write the story lines. Plus I try to keep the peace in the back." She grinned at Hunter. "Some of the guys have a helluva temper."

"Hey, hey. I’m not that bad anymore. What about Steve or Glen? They’re an explosion waiting to happen." Hunter said, laughing.

Turning once again to Amanda, Kay said, "Steve is Stone Cold, Glen is Kane, the huge guy in the red mask. Glen’s been in a snit for about 3 months now, but he won’t talk about it. Stoney’s upset because his marriage is on the rocks." Kay shook her head. "I thought for sure he and Debra could’ve worked things out, but they just kinda fell apart. Oh, and Hunter forgot about Chris Jericho. He and his soon to be ex-wife are going through a hellacious divorce. They were only married for a few months, but she wants everything he’s got. Luckily though, he thinks it’s funny."

"Funny? What’s so funny about getting a divorce?" Amanda wondered.

"Well," said Hunter, laughing as he explained. "A few weeks before they got married, the dingbat signed a pre-nup. She keeps following Chris from arena to arena, causing trouble. He’s just waiting for her to pay for them to go to court so he can flash that pre-nup and get the case dismissed, wasting about two thousand dollars of her own cash."

"That sounds horrible!" Amanda said, feeling momentarily sorry for the girl.

"You would think so," said Hunter, still chuckling. "That girl put him through hell. She went through his money like it was water and she was in the desert. He caught a tough break with her, and now he’s getting her back without actually hurting her." He paused for a minute, thinking. "Too bad anyway though. Chris loves her but she was smothering him. I’d leave too."

This comment elicited a smack on the shoulder from Kay. "I meant, if my woman was an anal-retentive, grasping witch, dear." Hunter said, flashing Kay a winning smile, and getting a laugh from Amanda.

"You better watch it, mister," Kay said. "Can you believe him?" She asked Amanda, then turned back to Hunter. "Don’t make me make you get on TV with another apology." At this, both Kay and Hunter laughed, as Amanda sat in the back seat puzzled.

Kay explained how Hunter had made his proposal, which made Amanda laugh again. She was glad that Kay and Hunter had worked out their troubles. From what she’d seen, they were perfect for each other.

Part 10

When they finally got to the hotel in New York, all three of them were wiped out. After checking in, they all headed upstairs. "If you’re hungry," Hunter said in the elevator, "just buzz room service. It’ll be paid for by the fed. Just try not to go too nuts, or Vinnie and Shane will audit you."

Laughing, Amanda stepped off the elevator on the 21^st floor, and promised to meet Kay the next morning at the diner in the hotel lobby. She carried her bags down the long hall to her room and opened the door.

In the large room was a huge bed, a big screen TV, a desk with a phone on it, and several chairs. The bathroom was small, but it had a huge bathtub with water jets. Amanda looked at the tub with longing. But she had to take care of some other things first.

Settling her things in for the three-day stay, she finally sat down and dialed Amy’s number. She answered on the first ring, obviously expecting the call.

"So, you made it to the rotten apple, huh?" Amy said, after Amanda gave her hello.

"Yeah. We’ll be here for three days. You should see my room." Amanda said, looking out the window, which had a lovely view.

"Glad you like it, Manda." Amy said, trying not to yawn. She had a big day and was ready for bed.

"Amy," Amanda said. "I was thinking. Maybe I should call home, let everyone know I’m alive."

"Don’t you dare!" Amy screamed, making Amanda hold the phone away from her ear. "They’ll just brain wash you into coming back. You know it, I know it, hell, everyone in that church today knows it. Give them a few weeks, or hell, even months, to chew it over. They deserve it, Manda."

"Maybe you’re right," Amanda said. "I just feel the slightest little tingle of guilt. Just a tiny, infinitesimal twinge." She added when she heard Amy take a deep breath to protest.

"Give it some time, Amanda. Wait til you meet an interesting guy, and rub it in." Amy said, joking.

"That would be today. Actually I met several. But not in the sense that you mean," she quickly said the last part, hoping Amy wouldn’t make an issue of it.

"Well, when you meet Mister Right, send me his brother," Amy said, laughing. After saying goodbye, they each hung up and Amanda finally went into the bathroom to soak in the tub.

Part 11

When Matt and Jeff finally got to the hotel, almost everyone else was checked in. They usually split a suite with Edge and Christian, but they were going to have to go it alone this weekend.

After checking in and getting the key, Matt went back to the car, where Jeff was still sleeping in the passenger seat.

"Little brother," Matt whispered in a teasing voice. "Sleeping ugly. Hey. Wakey, wakey."

"Cut it out," Jeff grumbled, as he finally cracked open his eyes. He climbed out of the car and hissed as his arm smacked into the door. "Crap. At this rate, my arm might fall off. It might be better that way." He said conversationally to Matt, as he gingerly touched the bandages.

"Now, now," Matt said, trying to sound like their dad. "Things are always darkest before the dawn, Jeffie."

Frowning at him, Jeff said, "I don’t really think that applies to this situation, Matt."

"Yeah, but I’d have to call dad for a saying that would. Let’s go in so I can take a turn sleeping." Matt said, grinning.

"Sorry you had to drive the whole time. Those damn pain pills knocked me on my ass. But now I’m my old, lovable self." Jeff said, smacking Matt’s back with his good hand.

"Don’t worry about it. You drive next time, butthead." Matt joked back, as they rode the elevator up. They got to their floor, and found their room. After tossing his bag into the corner, Matt fell onto the first bed he came to and immediately fell asleep.

"Jeez, a world record," Jeff said quietly, as he went into the bathroom. He stood looking at the tub, trying to remember what the doctor had said about getting his bandage wet. "Probably said not to do it. It figures." Jeff really wanted a long soak, to get rid of his aching muscles and the dried blood on his side and arm.

Finally giving in, he filled the tub and stripped, slowly sinking into the hot water. He relaxed and thought about the girl he had seen earlier. He thought he had dreamed about her in the car, but with the drugs in his system, he couldn’t be sure. He had hardly said two words to her, and had probably looked like a reject from the psycho ward as he bled all over the floor. But she had been pretty, with a soft voice and beautiful eyes.

He almost fell asleep again in the tub, but managed to get out and towel off without falling over with exhaustion. He went into the bedroom and picked up Matt’s overnight bag. Grumbling under his breath, he put it on one of the chairs, then took a pair of boxers out of his own bag. When he was alone, Jeff usually slept in his birthday suit. But when he and Matt shared a room, out of rueful respect, he wore the tackiest boxers he could find. They were bright green, orange, and yellow, and glowed in the dark.

"The only thing worse than seeing your cracked, hairy ass in the morning," Matt had once said, "Is waking up in the middle of the night to go take a leak, and seeing your cracked, hairy, glowing ass."

"My ass is not hairy!" Jeff had said, pulling down his jeans, and mooning Matt, who made retching noises.

Matt should have never said it, because now Jeff never went anywhere without his trusty, taste offensive boxers. He did that and a million other things calculated to drive Matt totally crazy.

As he lay in bed, drifting toward sleep, Jeff wondered again about the girl that had helped him out. He wished he could see her again, and thank her for all of her help. Little did he know, the woman of his thoughts was in the next room, already asleep, not giving a second thought to the man she had doctored that afternoon.

Part 12

At 6 o’clock the next morning, Amanda woke up with a start, and looked around in confusion. For a few minutes, she didn’t know where she was. Then the events of the previous day came back to her.

Smiling, she climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. As she took a shower and got dressed, she wondered what was going to happen that day. Already she could tell the job was going to be huge…there were so many people on the federations roster, just learning who they were was going to be a lot of work.

Amanda walked into the diner in the hotel lobby at a quarter til seven. She looked around to see if Kay was there, but didn’t notice her anywhere. Amanda slid into a booth and ordered a coffee and a sweet roll. She spent the next few minutes people watching. There were several large men in the room, who were probably wrestlers, but she couldn’t tell for sure.

She had just taken a huge bite of the sweet roll when she heard a voice behind her. "Well, it’s my angel of mercy," said the voice. Amanda turned and saw a young man standing there, grinning at her. She kept looking at his hair, which was dyed in shades of blue and green.

"I’m sorry, I think you have me confused with someone else," Amanda said, nervously. She had heard the big city was full of weird people, and hoped this one would go away.

"What, don’t you remember me? From yesterday?" the man came to the side of her booth, and raised his shirtsleeve up, showing a clean white bandage.

"Oh," Amanda said, flushing. "I didn’t recognize you without the blood all over you." She studied him critically. "You look much better today, anyway. Get your tetanus booster?" She asked him, half-joking.

He pulled up the other sleeve to show her a Band-Aid on his arm. "Yep, the doctor made me do it. So no lockjaw for me, right? Although a lot of people would pay to have me shut up for a while."

Amanda laughed at him, and he slid into the booth across from her. "My name’s Jeff Hardy, by the way." He offered her his hand.

"Amanda," she said, shaking his hand and smiling at him. "I’m new on your med team. Starting today."

Jeff whistled. "Picked a helluva day to do it. There’s a big show tonight." Amanda nodded.

"I know, I’ve already been told. But to tell you the truth," she said, still smiling, "I don’t know the first thing about wrestling. I’ve never watched it. I didn’t even get to see any of the matches last night."

"Well," said Jeff, grinning at her. "That’ll be our little secret then. Some of these guys might get insulted if you don’t know who they are."

"Hey, guys, good morning," Kay said, walking up to the table. "Amanda, I see you’ve met the fed flirt."

"Hey baby Kay," Jeff said, standing and giving her a hug. "We were just talking shop. I wasn’t flirting." He wiggled his eyebrows before wandering over to his brother’s table to eat his cold breakfast.

"Tell me," Kay said, sitting where Jeff had just gotten up. "Was he flirting?"

"To tell you the truth, Kay, I wouldn’t know," Amanda said. "I never was any good at that stuff. We were just talking."

"Well, take it from me. If Jeff’s talking to you, he’s flirting. But he’s harmless," Kay said, smiling. "Now, let’s get down to business."

Amanda finally noticed the folder Kay was carrying with her. "Later today, Shane’ll hook up with you and get your salary worked out. This," she said, taking out a paper, "is a short job description. Pretty much you’ll do what you did yesterday. Hang out and put Band-Aids on boo-boos. Plus, some of the guys get a little physical therapy," Kay stopped and laughed. "But not too physical. Mostly back massages, and deep muscle rubs. Things like that. Some of them are rehabbing knees and shoulders, so you have to make sure they’re doing their daily programs. Otherwise, our insurance goes to hell. Pretty simple, right?"

"Yeah, sounds good. I might have to find somebody to practice the massaging on, though. ER nurses don’t really get into the physical therapy side of it," Amanda said apologetically.

"Just ask, you won’t have a shortage of volunteers," Kay laughed. "They’ll be lined up out the door. You’re the first female doc we’ve ever had."

"OK. So when do I start?" Amanda asked. She was eager to get going, and put herself to use.

"Right now, if you want. We have to get all the files from Shane; you can go over them and see who needs what. We have two other docs; one is a chiropractor, the other a physical therapist. You’ll pretty much be in charge of them. Think you can handle that?" Kay asked, already knowing she could. Kay thought Amanda had a lot of potential.

"Yes. I’m sure I am," Amanda looked at Kay thoughtfully. "I never thanked you for this, did I? I can’t tell you how good it is being useful."

Kay smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "It’s no problem. But you should save that thank you til you know what you’ve gotten into." They both laughed, then Kay said, "I’ll take you to the arena, get you the files, and find a willing body to work on. Showtime’s in twelve hours. Plenty of time, right?" Kay laughed again. "Everything in this company is about ten times the speed of the rest of the world, we do so much traveling and TV, but once you get used to it, it’s a great gig. If you need anything at all, Hunter and I are here to help, along with all the other guys. Just ask.’

Amanda paid for her breakfast, and carrying the folder Kay had given her, headed out to the car. As she and Kay headed for the arena, she was happily lost in thought, going over the things she had learned in school, thinking about what she’d like to do to make her job run smoothly, and wondering if it was going to be as easy as Kay had made it sound.

Part 13

Jeff sat at his table, watching the new doc talking with Kay. She really was beautiful, it wasn’t just the pain talking. He was mesmerized by her.

"Hello? Hey," Matt said, finally pulling Jeff’s thoughts back to the present. "What did the doctor say about tonight? I don’t want you to rip your stitches out, numskull."

"Hell, I don’t remember," Jeff said, watching Kay and Amanda leave the diner. Sighing, he turned to his brother. "I think it’s OK. I just have to watch how I move it. I think if I tape it up, it’ll reinforce the stitches."

Matt looked at him dubiously. "It’s up to you, bro. But we can talk to Christian and Edge, and make sure they go easy on your arm."

"Yeah, whatever," Jeff said, lost in his own thoughts again. Matt shook his head. It was obvious to him that Jeff was developing a little crush on the new doc.

Matt had been up since four-thirty that morning, already working out in the gym. Shane had come in around five, and told him about their new employee. He was amused to find out it was the woman that Jeff had fixated on yesterday.

He didn’t tell Jeff about it, though. By the time he was done working out and showering, he was already thinking about the match they had that night. They were wrestling in a ladder match for the title belts. Since he and Jeff were such daredevils, they were considered the masters of the ladder match. Now Matt would have to make sure Jeff didn’t hurt himself any worse than he already was.

Both concentrating on their own thoughts, they paid their bill and headed to the gym for another workout. On days when they had a big match, both men liked to work out several times. It got them pumped up and in the mind-frame they needed to be in.

As he worked out, Jeff thought about Amanda. No matter what Kay said, he wasn’t flirting with her. ‘OK, maybe I was, a little.’ He thought to himself. But she was new, he didn’t want to get in the way of her doing her job, so he was going to bide his time before talking to her again.

The workout helped to clear his thoughts, and limber up his injured arm. Gently stretching it, Jeff noticed most of the stiffness was gone, although it was still a little sore. He’d have to live with it though. Tonight was going to be a big night.

Part 14

Amanda had just settled into her small office in the arena when Kay knocked on the door. "I got you a guinea pig for you to practice on. He should be here in a minute. How’s it going?"

Amanda grinned at her. "I’m working on it. Who’s the lucky victim?"

Kay looked behind her. "Here he comes now."

She stepped all the way into the room so that the man behind her could come in. Amanda was shocked speechless at the size of him. He had to be at least seven feet tall.

"Amanda, this is Glen. Also known as Kane. Glen, this is Amanda, your new torture provider." Kay said, smiling.

"Nice to meet you," Amanda said, marveling at him. He nodded, his face looking solemn.

"Where we gonna do this?" he said in a rough voice. Apparently, he didn’t want to waste a lot of time on small talk.

"Next door," Kay said, sounding cheerful in spite of Glen’s attitude. "There are some tables set up already." As Glen walked to the other room, Kay turned to Amanda. "That’s where most of the guys will come to be worked on. Kind of a triage unit. But there’s a massage table and a jet spa in there too, so you should be able to handle them. Eric and Donnie, the other two meds, should be around in about an hour. They’re going room to room, making sure the guys know who need in here later today."

"OK. I got it," Amanda said, and looked thoughtfully at the doorway. Quietly, she added, "He’s not very friendly, is he?"

Kay smiled sadly. "Usually, he’s the sweetest guy you’d ever want to meet. Lately, he’s been going through some crap, but he won’t talk about it. Not even to me." Kay sounded hurt as she said the last part. Most of the guys thought of her as the fed shrink.

"Look, try not to let it bother you," Kay said, as she led Amanda to the door of the triage room. "He’s just very self involved right now, I guess. If he gets hateful or whatever, tell him I’ll kick his ass." She laughed and walked off leaving Amanda staring at the door.

Part 15

With a sigh, she finally opened it and stepped inside. Glen was seated on the message table, swinging his long legs, looking like the world’s largest kid. Amanda had to smile at the thought. He saw the smile, and frowned at her, before making his face go blank.

"Well, Kay said you needed a volunteer. What do I do?" Glen said, not looking at her.

Deciding to take Kay’s advice, she ignored his tone and stepped in front of him with her hands on her hips. "First of all, I need you to strip," his head snapped up and he stared at her. "Your shirt, anyway," she added, smiling again. "Hard to give a massage through clothes."

Glen thought about it for a minute or two, then visibly relaxed. He’d thought she wanted to practice sticking giant needles in him or something. He finally pulled his shirt off and tossed it over one of the other beds. Then following her instructions, he lay down on his stomach, as she warmed up massage oil in her hands.

"I haven’t done this in a while. So if I’m not doing it right, or hurt you, or anything, let me know," Amanda said, conversationally. To her surprise, he answered her.

"You can’t really mess up a back rub," Glen said, his voice still sounding rough, but not so cold. "You just have to be careful with the guys who have back injuries."

"You know your stuff, huh?" Amanda said, spreading the warmed oil on his back and shoulders.

"Some. When you travel around injured with injured friends, you learn a few things." Glen said, relaxing even more as her hands kneaded the stiff muscles in his shoulders.

"You’re really tense. It’s like a bunch of knots back here," Amanda said, jokingly. In truth, she was admiring his back. This was the first man she’d seen that actually had muscle definition in the small muscles in his back. He looked strong and solid.

"Had a rough time lately," he said, starting to sound sleepy. Slowly, she worked the tension from his neck and shoulders, then moved on to his lower back.

"Sorry to hear that. Me too. I lucked into this job," Amanda said, just to make conversation.

"What happened to you?" Glen asked, sounding mildly interested.

"I don’t really like to get into it. I’m trying to forget about some things. But I’m learning to let it go." Amanda said, evasively. She didn’t want the whole world to know about the mistake she had almost made.

"Yeah, I hear that," Glen said. "I can’t seem to snap out of this funk I’m in. maybe I should get some therapy." He off-handedly said the last part, making it into a joke.

"Well, I’m no therapist. But if you want, I’m a good listener. I won’t try to give you advice or anything like that. But sometimes it helps to talk it out." Amanda said, continuing to rub the tight muscles in his lower back.

He was silent for a few minutes, and Amanda thought she had gone too far, or offended him. Glen finally spoke, though, and what he said caused her hands to stop their work.

"About six months ago, I found out I had a son by a woman I hadn’t seen in almost 3 years. Two months later, she killed herself and my kid. I never knew him," he said, choking on the words. "I would have taken him away from her if I had known. But all this traveling," he paused, taking a deep breath. "I never even got to see him."

She resumed her slow massage of his back. She was shocked into silence. Finally, she said, "I don’t know what to say. My God, and you’ve been carrying something like that around with you all this time?"

Glen nodded, not trusting his voice. "If I just would have taken some time off, I might have seen how she was, might have been able to save him…"

Amanda felt herself getting angry at him. "How could you have known? It wasn’t your fault. You can’t keep blaming yourself for her mistakes. I know it’s a big loss to you, but what would you have done differently?"

He thought for a few minutes. "I don’t know, that’s the hell of it. In this job, taking time off is like blowing off years of work. When you come back, you have to pretty much start all over. I can’t believe all I could think about was my career."

Amanda couldn’t think of anything to say to him. She couldn’t begin to imagine the pain he felt.

"I keep telling myself that I didn’t know the kid, that maybe he wasn’t mine. But deep down," his voice thickened. "I know he was mine. I know it. and I can’t help but feel like she was reaching out to me for help and I ignored her." Abruptly he sat up, and turned to face her with tears in his eyes. "I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell anyone about this. I shouldn’t have said anything to you. I don’t know why I dumped it on you."

Amanda, who had tears of sympathy in her own eyes, reached out to him. "I’m glad you did, though. Nobody should have to face something like that alone. I want to help. It makes my own problems seem so…petty."

Glen studied her face for a few minutes. Without thinking, Amanda stepped forward and put her arms around him, hugging him tight. For a second, he stiffened up, then put his own arms around her, returning her embrace.

Part 16

Jeff sat in the cafeteria, watching last week’s Raw with Matt and a few other guys. Actually, he wasn’t paying much attention to the monitor…Amanda had come in a few minutes ago and was sitting at another table. Although she had a stack of folders in front of her, she appeared to be staring into outer space.

As the video ended, Jeff stood and made his way over to Amanda’s table. She didn’t notice him standing there, she was so deep in thought.

He cleared his through, and smiled as she jumped "Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. Mind if I sit?" Jeff asked.

"Umm, sure," she said, sliding her folders out of the way. "I guess I was about a million miles away. It’s been a busy day."

"And only the first of many," Jeff said, and laughed as she groaned. "How’s it going, by the way?"

Amanda looked thoughtfully at the stack of folders. "Pretty eventful. Not bad, all in all. I learned a lot more than I thought I would." He studied her face as she stared pensively at her hands.

Speaking softly, sensing something wrong, Jeff leaned toward her, "The guys haven’t been bugging you or anything?"

Amanda looked into his eyes, and said, "No, no, just some things I need to work out for myself. All the people here have been great."

Jeff leaned back in relief. Some of the guys he worked with were a little rough around the edges. He made a promise to himself to keep an eye on her, just to be sure.

"So," she said, seeming to shake off the mood she had been in. "Tonight’s the…um…whatsits….Survivor Series. Kay says it’s a big night for you guys."

Excitedly, Jeff filled her in. "Pay-pers are always big for us. Lots of things come together and we pull out all the stops for it. Especially me and Matt."

"I’ve heard that you two are daredevils. How’s the arm, by the way?" Amanda said, smiling at him.

"A little sore, but I don’t think it’s a problem. We have a title shot tonight, so I can’t let a little cut get in the way." Jeff said, flexing his arm to show her.

"Just be a little careful. It would suck to rip those stitches out." Amanda said, sounding like a mother hen. Jeff was grinning at her, wondering if it was possible to fall in love with a person you met less than 24 hours before.

"I’ll try. But it’s a ladder match, so who knows what’s gonna happen. Mattie will be doing the big stunts, so I should be OK," Jeff said, nodding at Matt, who was deep in conversation with Edge.

"I hope so. I’m hoping for a semi-peaceful start to my job here," with a laugh, Amanda gathered up her papers and prepared to leave.

"Good luck tonight, Jeff," she said, as she stood to leave. "Don’t be in my office after the match." Amanda scolded him, and he laughed as he watched her leave the cafeteria.

Part 17

So far, the night had gone smoothly, or so Amanda thought, thinking about the controlled chaos she had seen. People were running around, shouting, playing a few last minute pranks on each other. About halfway through the pay-per-view, she had her first casualty, Kurt Angle, who had a gash on his forehead from a chair-shot that the Undertaker had given him. After that, a steady flow of people were in and out of the triage room where she worked with Eric and Don.

Most of the injuries were minor, and a few came in for a quick physical therapy session right before their matches. Hunter popped his head in to see if Amanda needed anything, and about twenty minutes later showed up needing his back worked over.

Her only major problem that first night was her worry for Glen. She couldn’t make herself stop thinking about the big man who had opened up to her. At least until the accident.

The Hardys’ were in the midst of their big match with Edge and Christian, and all was going well. Right up until Jeff was thrown a little too hard into the steel ladder in the middle of the ring. He managed to get up and finish the match, which they ended up winning. Afterward, though, he had to be dragged by Matt to the triage.

"It doesn’t even hurt," he protested to Amanda, as she looked at his shoulder. "Matt’s all bent out of shape for nothing."

"This isn’t nothing, Jeff. I think you might have a dislocated shoulder. You can’t feel it because it’s out of the socket and pinching the nerve." Amanda shook her head at him. "I thought you were going to take it easy out there."

"I did. I managed not to break my stitches, see?" Jeff grinned and held out his other arm, still sporting a spotless white bandage.

"Goody for you. Matt, you’re going to have to hold him so I can pop his shoulder back in. Then we can put you in a sling and send you for X-rays." Jeff groaned, and Amanda gave him a stern look. "Either X-rays tonight and a week of rest, or no wrestling for about 6 months while you have surgery trying to repair nerve and tissue damage we didn’t know was there."

"Crap. I can’t win. OK, OK, let’s get it over with." Jeff conceded without arguing anymore.

Amanda firmly grasped his arms, as Matt pulled the other way. With an audible pop, Jeff’s shoulder went back into it’s rightful home. "Funny," he said, looking at the arm, "It still doesn’t…"

Before he could finish his though, the first pain hit him and Jeff hissed in his breath. "Holy Shit!" Quickly, Amanda slipped a sling over his head, taking the weight of his arm off the shoulder.

"Come on, cowboy. I’ll give you a lift to the ER. Thanks, Amanda," Matt said gratefully. As they headed out the door, Amanda was distracted by some of the other guys, who were trying not to bleed all over the floor. Now she added Jeff to her list of worries. She thought he was going to be one of her most regular visitors due to all the chances he took. She sighed as she went to look over her next victim.

Part 18

After all the matches were over, and all the bumps and boo-boos attended to, Amanda finally called it a night and cleaned up the triage. She didn’t pack anything up, as the next night’s TV taping was going to be in the same arena. She was almost finished when she heard a sound at the door.

"Hey," came the familiar voice. It was Glen, standing there with wet hair and a sheepish smile on his face. "I thought you might need a lift to the hotel. Kay and Hunter already took off. Hunter’s back was bothering him, so I said I’d take care of you."

Amanda gave him a thankful smile as she put away the last of her supplies. "Thanks, I’d appreciate it." She closed the door behind them and walked with Glen down the now empty corridor.

Glen cleared his throat. "Hungry? We could grab a bite at the diner. I think they’re still open."

"Starving. All this running around, I’ve built up a huge appetite. No wonder you guys eat like ten times a day," Amanda said, laughing.

Glen gave her a weak smile as they arrived at the hotel. After sitting in a booth and ordering, they both retreated into their own thoughts for a few minutes. Amanda finally broke the silence.

"I caught some of the matches tonight. I didn’t see you out there," she said, wondering if she’d just gotten too busy and missed it.

"That’s because I wear this hideous red and black leather mask when I wrestle. We look a lot different in out street clothes, well, some of us do anyway." He answered her, smiling a little. She thought for a few minutes, then finally remembered catching a glimpse of him.

"OK, I got it now. I’m not much of a wrestling fan, I guess, if I can’t pick a ten foot tall guy out of a crowd." She was laughing at herself, wondering how crazy he thought she was.

"Actually, I’m six-ten. Don’t worry about it, you’ll learn. There’s only a few of us really tall guys. There’s me, and Mark-Undertaker. And the Big Show, also known as Paul, who’s not around right now. There’s a couple of others who are pretty big, but I think height wise we’re the big ones."

"Wow, six-ten. That’s a long way to fall," she said, as she dug into the food the waitress had brought to them.

"Mostly I throw the other guys around. I don’t fall very often, but when I do, it’s a biggie." Amanda didn’t miss the underlying meaning in his words. Glen had taken the biggest fall of his life only recently.

Deciding to try to cheer him up, Amanda spent the rest of the dinner telling him the story of her own failure. Although she hadn’t wanted anyone else to know about it, she felt she could trust Glen to not spread it around.

After dinner, he took Amanda to her room, and said goodnight. A little while later, after soaking in a hot bath, she was in bed, hands crossed behind her head, thinking about both Glen and Jeff. They both worried her, and she felt a strange pull from them. Vaguely, she knew she had to be careful. Although her experience with men was limited to Everett, she knew that she was attracted to both of them, Glen a little more so than Jeff, and for completely different reasons.

Part 19

Almost two weeks later, Amanda felt like she had a grip on her new job. She eventually met most of the people that she worked with, and although a few of them were a little strange, most were helpful and friendly. Eric and Don, the other people on the med staff, both went out of their way to get her settled in.

Nothing much was happening in the middle of December. Most of the guys were in England for a UK only pay-per-view; the rest were either holed up in the dorms of Titan Sports of had gone home for a visit with families.

Kay and Hunter asked Amanda if she wanted to go with them to their house, but she said no. She had paperwork to catch up on, and the peace and quiet in the dorms was a welcome change from all the rowdiness of the last several weeks.

"But, listen," Kay was saying. "We’ll be back in three days, in time for Vinnie Mac’s Christmas party. If you need anything at all, give me a call, I’ll help out. And some of the guys are hanging around, so you won’t be all alone."

"Don’t worry about me, Kay," Amanda said, rolling her eyes. "I’ll be fine here. It’ll be nice not having to put gauze pads on people for a few days."

When Kay and Hunter finally left, Amanda went to her room. It was in the smaller west wing of the building. It had its own bathroom, a large bed and a computer. Amanda liked the dorms…they felt more like a hotel that a dormitory.

After spending some time on the computer, calling Amy, and unpacking her bag, Amanda decided to wander around the building. She wasn’t sure who had stayed behind. Hunter got the time off because of his back injury. The only other person she was sure had stayed behind was Chris Jericho, whose divorce would be settled within the next few days.

As she rounded the corner into the main lobby, she saw a familiar figure. Amanda smiled as Glen turned away from the bulletin board to look at her.

"I didn’t think you’d still be here, Glen," she said, glad to see him. She hadn’t talked to him in about a week.

"I don’t have a match in the UK, so I thought I’d stick around. I was thinking about going to my friends house for a few days," he said, giving her a warm smile. "If you want to come, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. Beats hanging out here all by yourself."

Amanda was tempted. "I don’t know. I need to catch up on some stuff while it’s quiet," she said apologetically.

"Come on, just for a day or two. I’ll bring you back in time to get your work done. He has a house by a little lake. It’s kind of therapeutic." Amanda was glad that Glen sounded better. His eyes were still filled with sadness, but she could see he was finally trying to rise above it.

"Well," she hesitated. She really did have things to do, but the idea of spending a few days alone with Glen was swaying her. "Maybe for a day? If you can bring me back tomorrow, I’ll have time to get everything done and a little time for myself."

Glen smiled and said, "Great. I have to get some stuff from my room. Just grab an overnight bag and meet me back here in about half an hour. I’ll bring you back tomorrow afternoon."

She grinned at him, and went back to her room to gather her things. She felt bad for not having gone with Kay, but spending some time with Glen when he was hurting so much was important. She hoped she could help him.

Part 20

The ride to Glen’s hideaway was only an hour or so, but in that time they talked and she managed to make him laugh a few times. As they drove along the winding driveway, Amanda was in awe of how beautiful it was. The small house was about a hundred yards from a private beach. The lake itself was small, but very still and clear. Amanda stood by the car breathing in the fresh air, as Glen grabbed their bags from the back seat.

Using a key hidden in a rock beside the porch, Glen opened the door. "Hello?" he called, as he set their bags down. The house felt empty. "Guess he ran out somewhere. Go ahead, look around."

Amanda wandered from room to room. The living room had a giant fireplace in it, and thick rugs and pillows on the floor. In the big kitchen, she found a note on the counter and smiled in amusement as she handed it to Glen. His friend had apparently gone to visit relatives for a few weeks, and he gave Glen the run of the house.

"Well, looks like we’re on our own. I thought he’d be here, though." Glen looked nervously at her. "If you don’t want to stay, I can take you back."

"No, no, I want to stay with you. This place is beautiful." Amanda reassured him. "Why wouldn’t I want to stay?"

"I just thought…well, I guess I thought you wouldn’t want to be stuck here with me alone." Glen said, blushing slightly.

Amanda gave him a small smile. "I want to stay, Glen. I feel safe with you. Don’t worry about it."

Glen sighed with relief. He really did want to spend more time with her, but only if she was comfortable doing it. Most people were so intimidated by his size they couldn’t relax around him.

For the rest of the day, they talked about their friends and their pasts. They spent a while on the back deck swing, until it started getting cold. Glen started a fire in the fireplace after dinner, and they both sat in front of it with giant mugs of hot chocolate.

They were both lost in thought as they stared at the flames. Glen stretched out on the pillows, his arms folded behind his head. Amanda took their empty mugs into the kitchen and rinsed them out. When she got back in the living room, Glen’s eyes were closed, and his breathing was deep and even. He had told her that for the last several months he hadn’t been sleeping very well.

As quietly as she could, she went into her bedroom and changed into her long flannel nightgown. Although the fire had warmed the living room, the rest of the house was chilly. She grabbed a quilt from the bed and went back into the living room. She gently spread the blanket over Glen, then hesitated for a minute. Slowly she slid under the quilt and snuggled up against him. In a matter of minutes, she was asleep.

Part 21

Amanda had only been asleep for an hour or so when she was awakened by a soft moaning. Sitting up, she panicked as she looked around. Glen was lying beside her, tossing and turning, making soft noises in his sleep. He was having a nightmare, and Amanda’s heart went out to him.

She snuggled up to him again and took him in her arms. Amanda made soft soothing noises as she stroked his back. In a few minutes, he stopped struggling with her, and put his arms around her. She continued rubbing his back, singing unintelligibly to him. She was almost asleep again, when she realized that he was awake.

Amanda stopped making any noise, but her hands continued stroking his broad back. Slowly, Glen pulled away from her a little, then tilted her chin up and kissed her. She returned the kiss, still moving her hands along his back and sides as his hands did the same.

In a matter of moments, they were both undressed and making love in front of the fire. Afterward, as she drifted off to sleep, they clung to each other, not wanting to let go.

Glen was awake before her the next morning. After making love to Amanda, he had slept the first nightmare free sleep he had had in months. He held her in his arms as she slept, and just studied her face in the morning light. Glen thought she was an amazing woman. Just being around her was healing his broken heart.

Eventually, she felt him staring at her, and slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the look in his eyes, she smiled softly and pulled him to her. They made love again, before finally getting up from their bed on the floor. For the rest of the day, they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves, stealing kisses and embraces throughout the day.

At around five o’clock, Glen said, "If you need to get back, we should leave now, before it gets too dark. Do you want to head out to the dorms?"

Amanda put her arms around him and kissed him. "What do you think?" she asked playfully. He was thrilled that she was staying with him; he wasn’t ready to take her back and share her with the other wrestlers.

The second night passed in much the same way as the first, but time was moving very fast for them. Before they knew it, it was time to head back to reality, and the demands of their jobs.

Part 22

Amanda and Glen were almost at the dorms when he pulled the car over onto the shoulder of the road. "I know you’re going to think I’m crazy. But I just can’t stop thinking about this. I’m probably screwing up, rushing you. But I love you, Amanda. I think I’d like to marry you."

Amanda felt tears fill her eyes. "Oh, Glen. I love you too. But…married? My last wedding was a disaster, you know." She tried to make light of it, but her heart was soaring. She wanted nothing more than to marry this man, but didn’t want him to think she was making a mistake in saying yes.

Glen took her hands and turned her to face him. "Well, we don’t have to have a big wedding. I feel like I’ve known you forever, Amanda." His fingers softly stroked the backs of her hands, sending chills down her back. "We can have a really long engagement. But say you’ll marry me." He was almost pleading, but he had a happy look in his eyes, which before were clouded with misery and sadness.

"How can I say no? I love you, Glen, and of course I’ll marry you. Forget the long engagement. We can get married now and I won’t regret it." Amanda said, and let Glen pull her into his arms for a kiss.

When they finally got back to the dorm and parted ways, temporarily, Amanda was almost bursting with the need to tell someone that she was in love. Once in her room, she dialed Amy’s number.

"Where have you been? I’ve been calling and calling." Amy reprimanded her, but still sounded amused that Amanda had become her own woman.

"You won’t believe it. Well, maybe you will," Amanda said, laughing. "I just spent the last few days alone with the most amazing man. He loves me, Amy, and we’re getting married."

For the first time in her life, Amy was shocked into silence. Overcoming it, she said, "Oh my God, are you shitting me? Are you serious?" She squealed when Amanda told her it was true, and Amy couldn’t have been happier for her. "So, when’s the wedding?"

"We haven’t decided yet. We want to make it fast, so it’ll probably just be in front of a judge. I really love him, Amy." Amanda and Amy talked excitedly for a while, then Amy made Amanda promise not to get married without her at the ceremony. When they hung up, Amanda couldn’t stop smiling. She had never felt about Everett the way she felt about Glen.

Later on that afternoon, Kay showed up at her room. "I just heard the wildest rumor. From Hunter, no less." She said, as she came in and sat on Amanda’s bed. Amanda was finishing dressing for the Christmas party that night.

"What rumor would that be?" Amanda’s face was all innocence as she pulled her hair away from her face.

"Don’t be coy. About you and Glen, getting married." Kay said, tossing a small pillow at her.

Amanda laughed and ducked. "That’s not a rumor. It’s true. Boy, good news sure travels fast around here."

"Well, apparently Glen told Crash. That’s where his big mistake was. If you need news to travel fast, send it Crash, is what I always say. When Hunter heard, he went to Glen and forced it out of him." Kay gave Amanda a hug. "Are you sure about it though?"

"Kay, I love him. I’ve never been so sure about anything." Amanda said, smiling at her.

"Then I’m happy for you. And just so you don’t get caught by surprise, Vinnie Mac himself will be announcing it at tonight’s party." With that, Kay laughed and left the room.

Part 23

Several hours later, right in the middle of the loud and festive McMahon Christmas party, Vince called for quiet and announced Amanda and Glen’s engagement. They accepted congratulations from everyone, and they all drank a toast to their future. All except for Jeff, who stood in the corner, looking like he had been hit with a brick.

Jeff wasn’t necessarily jealous of Glen, but at the announcement he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He had sensed that Glen and Amanda had both gone through bad times, and now had to try to be happy that they had each other. In the meantime, his heart was broken. Jeff had fallen in love with Amanda the moment he had looked up at her through the pain of his cut arm, and seen the concern for him on her face.

Jeff made his way, unseen, outside to the garden, where he leaned on the stone wall that separated Vince’s property from the woods behind the house.

"Cold out here," came a voice. Jeff started, and looked around. Amanda was standing a few feet away, her arms wrapped around herself. "I needed some air. Too many people crowding around all at once makes me nervous."

Jeff smiled sadly at her, wishing that he was the one marrying her. "Yeah. Almost Christmas." He sighed, and watched his breath form a mist in front of his face.

"Is something wrong?" Amanda said, concern lacing her voice.

"No, no, everything’s just peachy," he said, sarcastically. The minute he said it, he wanted to take the hateful tone back. Amanda frowned at him.

"Sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way." He said, trying to sound brighter. His voice still sounded strange, even to his own ears.

"Maybe I can help you. That shoulder’s not still bothering you is it?" Amanda said, stepping closer.

Jeff looked into her eyes. "No, not the shoulder." He hesitated for a moment. "I fell in love with somebody who’s in love with someone else. I feel like shit right now." He looked meaningfully at her.

"Oh, Jeff," she said, looking surprised. "I’m so sorry. Did she know you loved her?"

"I never got a chance to tell her. I was always afraid I’d sound stupid." Jeff said, trying to will her to understand what he was talking about.

"Maybe she’ll come around, Jeff. You’re a great guy," Amanda said. She gently touched his arm.

"I doubt it," Jeff said, trying to ignore the feeling of her hand on him. "She seems pretty happy to me. I guess I’ll have to settle for being a friend. Hopefully she won’t shut me out."

"I’m sure she won’t, Jeff. Maybe you should be telling her this," Amanda said, and smiled at him again. She squeezed his arm, then turned to reenter the house.

Jeff sadly watched her go, and said softly, "I just did."

Part 24

After Christmas passed, things got back to normal, or as close to normal as anything is in the WWF. Things were progressing rapidly toward their next pay-per-view, and Amanda and Kay were both busy planning their respective weddings.

Glen had started a big program with Chris Jericho, and was spending a lot of his time with Chris, working on the finer points of their rivalry. A few days before Christmas, Chris’s divorce had finalized, and his ex-wife had disappeared. Since then though, Chris had been getting threatening letters and his dressing room and room at the dorm had been trashed several times.

Although it seemed serious to Amanda, Chris had adopted a flippant attitude about it. "It’s either Jess, trying to make me crazy, or a fan that thinks she’s in love with me. It’ll pass. Stuff like this usually does. They find somebody else to fixate on, and you become yesterday’s garbage."

Amanda still worried for him. From reading the letters Chris received, the person that sent them didn’t appear to be very stable. But if he felt safe, there was nothing Amanda could say to him to prove him wrong.

She had her own problems to deal with. For the last few days, she had gotten out of bed feeling nauseated. The smell of food made her stomach turn. It didn’t take long for Amanda to figure out she was pregnant. She was excited, and couldn’t wait to tell Glen about it. But she was saving it for their wedding night, which was to occur in just a few weeks.

They were planning on getting married right after the January pay-per-view, the Royal Rumble. They would both be taking about a week off to go on a mini-honeymoon.

The day of the pay-per-view approached, and Amanda was excited, not only because it was a big night, but also because she would be marrying Glen the next day. Vince had given them the use of his house in Connecticut for the ceremony, and the reception afterward. Only about fifty people or so would be there. The rest had to be at a different arena for tomorrow night’s Raw.

Things had just gotten underway when the first casualties started coming in. Once again all the injuries tended to be minor, although Jeff was pushing it again and came back with a concussion. Amanda thought he had been avoiding her lately, maybe because he was embarrassed about telling her his problems. She made him take it easy in the triage room for a while until he was a little more stable, then took a break to watch Glen and Chris’s big match.

On the monitor, Chris went out into the arena to a giant response from the crowd. Glen’s music started, as Chris stood in the middle of the ring, waiting for him. Glen didn’t come out. His music was stopped, and Chris started pacing the ring, looking impatient.

Glen’s entrance music restarted, but again no one came through the curtains. Amanda watched in confusion. She had just seen Glen about fifteen minutes ago, as he headed off to find Chris for last minute run through of their match. She couldn’t imagine what was going on.

When the second playing of the theme music died down, Chris conferred with the officials at ringside. The announcer got on the microphone and told the audience that Kane was delayed, and the match would be held later. The crowd showed signs of disappointment, but Chris just shrugged and grabbed the mike, and spent a few minutes entertaining them. He finally left the ring and came back to the backstage area, looking confused.

"Amanda, where the hell is Glen?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Last I saw him, he was looking for you. Didn’t you talk to him?" Chris said no, he hadn’t seen Glen since earlier that afternoon. They both decided to look around the arena for him.

Part 25

Glen had left the triage area after getting a good luck kiss from Amanda, and went off in search of Chris. He didn’t see him in any of his usual pre-match spots: the cafeteria or the lounge.

Glen went to Chris’s dressing room and cracked open the door. It was pitch black inside, and silent, so Chris obviously wasn’t in there. Glen was about to close the door, when he heard a soft noise.

"Hey, anybody there?" he said, a smile forming on his face. Chris had developed a reputation for playing practical jokes, and Glen assumed this would be one of them. Chris probably thought he was going to scare Glen and get a good laugh before their match.

Glen stepped inside the dark locker room and was reaching to flip on the lights when he detected a movement out of the corner of his eye. He tried to follow the shadow, but it was too dark and his eyes hadn’t adjusted to the blackness yet. He took a hesitant step farther into the locker room.

He could hear someone breathing heavily in the darkness, and tried to swallow a smile. The breathing stopped, and he heard stealthy noises coming from behind him.

Before he could reach the lights or turn around, he sensed someone come up close to him. He opened his mouth to tell Chris to knock off the horseplay when pain exploded through his back, then his side. Without realizing he was falling, Glen sank heavily to the floor. He put his hand to his side, and it came away wet. The pain came in his back again, as his vision faded, and he finally passed out from the loss of blood.

Part 26

For the first fifteen minutes of their search, Amanda remained calm. No one had seen Glen leave the arena. And Amanda was apparently the last one who had spoken to him before he disappeared. Panic was starting to gnaw at her nerves as a feeling of dread began shaping in the pit of her stomach.

"He probably stepped out for air and got side-tracked," Chris said, doubtfully. "Or maybe he saw somebody that needed help. I don’t know, Amanda."

"No, he wouldn’t just take off like this, Chris. I know it. Something’s wrong, I feel it. Where the hell could he be?" Amanda said, fighting back tears of frustration.

"What the hell!" Chris exclaimed as they rounded a corner. "God, not again. I left the light in my locker room on and the door closed. If my shit got trashed again, I’m gonna go postal, I swear it."

The door to Chris’s room was ajar, but showed nothing but a slice of blackness. Just looking at dark beyond the hallway made Amanda’s unease grow.

"We better go get security. Amanda?" Chris stared at her as she blankly walked toward the door to his dressing room. "What are you doing?"

Amanda didn’t answer him; instead, she placed a hand on the door and pushed it all the way open. The lights in the hall didn’t illuminate the room at all, and her hand reached for the light switch. All the while, a small voice in her head was screaming, ‘No’ over and over again.

In a state close to shock, almost knowing what she would see before she saw it, Amanda flipped the light switch.

There, in the middle of the floor was Glen. Stunned, she took in the sight of him lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing. Her mind went blank and she dropped to her knees beside him, not hearing Chris out in the hallway screaming for help.

She gently rolled Glen onto his back, and studied the wounds she could see. He had obviously been attacked from behind with a sharp object, as all of the injuries were in his back and left side. He had lost so much blood. But unlike her first night when a compress and butterfly bandages could stop the blood flow, Amanda knew that Glen was far beyond anything she could do.

Amanda was sitting on the floor, his head cradled in her lap and her hand stroking his hair when the paramedics rushed in with a stretcher. She reluctantly let him go long enough for them to load Glen onto the stretcher and into the waiting ambulance. She sat on the bench next to him as the paramedics worked on him, holding his hand and praying.

It was in the emergency room of the hospital that he finally managed to crack his eyes open. He saw her standing over her, and tried to smile, tried to talk to her.

Amanda grasped his hand, softly whispering, "No, please, don’t leave me, baby. I love you, Glen, please, stay with me." Tears had started falling down her face as she leaned over and kissed him. "Please, Glen, keep your eyes open. Please. For me." She paused, the added, "For our baby…please Glen, you’re going to be a daddy, come on, open your eyes."

For a moment his eyes widened, and he mouthed the word ‘baby’. Amanda nodded and kissed him again. "Our baby, Glen. Hold on, I love you." She looked down, and he smiled tiredly, mouthing the word ‘baby’ again. Then his eyes slid shut and he slipped away from Amanda and all the doctors working to save him.

Part 27

The whole company was in a state of shock over what had happened to Glen. Amanda was inconsolable, and distanced herself from all of the friends that wanted to help share her burden of grief. The day of Glen’s funeral, as all of the WWF wrestlers gathered around his grave, Amanda fell down to her knees, crying for what she had lost, and what he had learned too late. It was a small comfort to her that in Glen’s last moments of life, she had made him happy.

As soon as the funeral was over, Amanda went back to the dorms. She didn’t eat or sleep. People would stop by or call and she would ignore them, choosing instead to sit and stare out the window, lost in her own thoughts.

The police had no idea who the attacker was. Chris’s ex-wife was found and questioned, but she had been staying with a new boyfriend, nearly one thousand miles from where the attack happened. Not only that, but she had many reliable witnesses who told the police that she had been exactly where she said she was.

That left the option that most scared all people that were even slightly famous. A ‘fan’ who convinced themselves that they had to take whatever action was necessary to get the star to notice them. When that didn’t work, they would resort to violence, sometimes against themselves, but more often against the star or their family.

There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the attack was meant for Chris, and that Glen had just been in the wrong room at the wrong time.

Chris thought about that as he walked toward Amanda’s room. Earlier, Kay had been in tears because Amanda had refused to even look at her. but Chris knew if he didn’t say something to her, he’d never be able to live with himself.

He knocked softly on her door, and of course there was no answer. But Chris had promised Kay that he was going to reach her. For her sake as well as his own, he knew she needed someone to help her climb out of the shock she was in.

Not waiting for her to open the door, he turned the knob and went in. Chris looked at Amanda in silence as he gently closed the door behind him. She looked terrible as she sat in the chair by the window. He thought she had lost weight, and she looked like a strong gust of wind would blow her over.

Amanda turned her head toward him, but her gaze seemed to go right through him. Chris cleared his throat as he approached her. "Amanda, I need to talk to you." Her eyes finally seemed to focus on him as he stepped in front of her.

"Please, just for a minute."

She didn’t answer, but her gaze seemed to be following his movements. Chris sank down on the edge of the bed in front of her. "It’s my fault. I know it is. I just want to make sure you’re not blaming yourself. The police say that what happened was meant for me." He abruptly stood up and started pacing. "I should have listened to you and Kay, should have done something. But I thought I was untouchable. And look what that caused." Chris’s breath hitched and he started crying softly. "I’m so damn sorry Amanda. I wish it was me that was dead."

"Don’t say that, Chris," Amanda said in a hoarse voice. He spun around and looked at her. Amanda’s expression was pained, and he could see she was trying to reach out to him and comfort him.

Chris dropped down to his knees in front of her, and put his arms around her. "It’s true though. It was meant for me. If I had waited for him like I usually do, none of this would have happened."

"Please, Chris," Amanda said, stroking his hair. "It’s not your fault. I know it’s not. And don’t ever say you wish it was you. You couldn’t know how far it would go. No one could have."

They held each other in silence, both of them crying. "It’s hard to believe he’s gone, Amanda. I lost one of my best friends, but you lost the man you were supposed to marry. I know he loved you. You were all he talked about when we were together." Chris said, sniffling, as Amanda smiled sadly.

"I haven’t lost all of him," she said, and he looked at her questioningly. "I’m going to have his baby. I’ve been sitting here for days, thinking about how I wish I was dead, too. But I want to have his baby, Chris," she said, tenderly, and lowered her hand to her stomach. "It’s the only part of Glen that didn’t fade away. I want to live to make sure this little one knows how much his or her daddy wanted it. And to know how much he loved it." Amanda’s voice cracked, and she started crying again.

"Did Glen know?" Chris asked, in awe. Amanda being pregnant with Glen’s baby seemed almost like a miracle to him.

"In the end. Right before he passed away, I told him." More tears slipped down her cheeks as she smiled weakly. "He smiled at me. He understood, I know he did. If he could have held on, I know that he would have. But it was too late. But knowing he was going to be a daddy made those last few moments happy for him. I regret that I didn’t tell him sooner. It wouldn’t have made a difference in the end, but he would have had time to enjoy it. I know he wanted kids more than anything in the world."

Part 28

After talking for a while longer, Chris left Amanda’s room and went to find Kay. She was in the office, quietly crying as she went over all of Glen’s paperwork. She looked up and smiled guiltily at Chris when he entered.

"I just keep putting this stuff off. It hurts, you know?" she said, and waved at the computer in front of her. On the screen was all of the information about his next of kin, and life insurance. Glen had had the foresight to go to the legal offices and change everything over to Amanda about a week before the incident.

"I wouldn’t be able to do it. Not for a long time, anyway." Chris tried to comfort her as she blew her nose.

"Did she say anything to you?" Kay asked him hopefully.

"Did who say what?" Amanda said as she entered the office, smiling sadly at Kay. "I’ve decided to stop shutting everybody out. I can’t keep holding all of his friends at arms length. I guess I finally realized that I’m not the only one that loved him."

"I’m glad, baby," Kay said, as she hugged Amanda tight.

"Tell her the rest, Amanda," Chris said, sounding for the first time in days, almost happy.

"Tell me what?" Kay asked, pulling away and looking at Amanda. Amanda smiled sadly at her friend.

"I’m going to have a baby. Glen’s baby," she said, her smile growing stronger. Kay’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she grabbed Amanda for another hug.

"Really? That’s great!" she looked at Amanda’s face. "I mean, it’s a good thing, right?"

"Beyond good, Kay. I have a little part of him inside me now. It’s going to help me go on." Amanda said. "I wanted to tell you first, so I could start preparing for it now. When the baby’s born, I’m going to need some time off, and I have to find a place to live…I can’t see keeping a baby in the dorms when I’m not traveling."

Kay waved her worries off. "We can take care of all of that later. I’m so happy for you!" She grinned at Chris. "Glen would have loved it, you know. He used to talk about having a few little ones all the time."

"I know," said Chris. "He’s looking down right now smiling at us all, I can feel it."

Part 29

Amanda was in her room again, taking a hot bath. As she washed her hair, she thought about what had happened to Glen. This afternoon, she had talked to Shane and the police about catching the person who had killed Glen. Although they had no leads, the police were one hundred percent behind Shane as he presented his idea to them.

Shane was going to hire some private bodyguards for Chris. Although Chris protested loud and long against it, Shane overruled him. "One tragedy’s enough, Chris. I think that whoever did it knows that they missed you, and they’ll try again. The police and everyone else say that this attack was aimed at you. So you get protection, until things cool off."

Amanda pleaded with Chris to just do what Shane wanted. "I couldn’t stand to lose you too, Chris. It’s only temporary."

Chris didn’t want Amanda to worry about him, but he reluctantly agreed to work with Shane on it. Deep down, he wanted whoever had been behind the attack to come back so he could take out his anger and pain over Glen’s death on them.

As Amanda lay in the tub, she felt her own anger at the person responsible build. Not only had the assailant taken a life; he or she had also taken away her baby’s father. And the man that she loved.

Amanda climbed into bed early that night, hoping that when the person was finally caught, they were made to suffer like she had. Her hand rested protectively on her stomach as she drifted off to sleep.

Part 30

Jeff lay awake for a long time that same night. Every day since Glen had died, he wanted to go to Amanda and take her in his arms and make her all better. But he restrained the urge. From the way others were talking, she didn’t want to see anyone.

He obsessed over her day and night. Glen’s death had put a giant void in all their lives, but he couldn’t imagine what she was going through. Word had spread quickly through the federation that Amanda was pregnant with Glen’s baby. Jeff mulled that over in his mind.

For the first time in his life, he wondered what it would be like to have kids. He never wanted kids before…they seemed to be a lot of trouble. But the thought of Amanda carrying his baby seemed so right to him.

Jeff shook himself out of this line of thought. Her fiancé was barely in the ground, and he had put himself in the picture. He hated himself for still feeling that way about Amanda, but he couldn’t help it. He was still so much in love with her that it hurt.

He sighed, tossing and turning, trying to clear his head so he could get some sleep. His thoughts drifted back to the night of the Christmas party, when he had tried to tell her he loved her without actually saying the words.

Jeff suddenly sat up. He had hoped that Amanda wouldn’t shut him out, that she wouldn’t stop being friends with him just because she had found Glen. But the opposite had happened. He had turned his back on her, and now she needed all the love she could get. He vowed to himself that Amanda wouldn’t have to face raising a little one alone. He was going to help her in any way he could, and help keep Glen alive in Amanda’s heart, so that his kid would know that his father was a loved and remembered man.

Part 31

Almost a month after Glen’s funeral, things were once again moving along in the WWF. Amanda noticed signs, held up by wrestling fans, with Glen’s name on them and it warmed her heart. It helped to know that he had effected so many lives through wrestling. A lot of people looked up to him, and admired him. He had been a rock in the federation, and the audience could sense that in him.

In all of the stories she heard about him, Amanda gathered that, although the WWF made his life extremely busy, he always stopped to talk to the fans. He signed autographs for them, he donated his time and his name to various charities, and everyone who came in contact with him generally loved him.

In nearly her third month of pregnancy, Amanda was barely starting to show. Occasionally she felt a small flicker of movement, which her doctor wrote off as imagination. Babies usually don’t get strong enough to make themselves known until the fourth month or so. But Amanda just smiled at him, and told him he didn’t know the baby’s father. He was a fighter, and so would his son be.

Amanda was thrilled at her last doctor’s appointment to find out she was going to have Glen’s son. She knew how happy he would have been.

She was almost done for the night when Jeff came to the door of the triage room. "Ready to roll, pretty lady?" Although he still flirted outrageously with all the women in the fed, Jeff had gained a level of maturity that Amanda had never noticed before. He made sure she was rested and healthy, taking her back and forth to doctor appointments before anyone else could even offer.

He also made her laugh as he told stories about Glen that she hadn’t heard before. She was grateful that Jeff was around. He seemed to sense when she needed him, and was there for her twenty-four/seven.

"How’s Chris?" Amanda asked, flipping off the lights.

Jeff laughed, and said, "Not a happy camper. At all. Those bodyguards showed up this morning and he’s about to rip his hair out. But I guess he’ll stick with it."

Amanda knew he would. Shane had finally laid down the law. It was either Chris get a bodyguard until Shane deemed him safe, or Chris get taken off the roster and TV until the attacker was found.

Faced with losing time in the spotlight of the fed, Chris relented and got his bodyguards. Two were men, one was a woman, which he resented even more than the fact that anybody felt he needed one.

"And that lady bodyguard," Jeff said, still laughing. "She ripped into his ass right off. The other two guys seemed afraid of Chris, but she looked like she was going to rip his head off if he didn’t cooperate."

Amanda chuckled at the thought of Chris being put in his place. But she was still torn. On one hand, she hoped that the bodyguards were an unnecessary precaution; that the person who had killed Glen would give up. On the other hand, she wanted that person caught, and hopefully tortured for what they had done to Glen.

Part 32

Chris was sulking in his locker room, hating the fact that everyone thought he needed protection. And that woman bodyguard, Sammy, had really pissed him off. She was all of five and a half feet tall…how could she put fear into the heart of a would be stalker?

When the three bodyguards had shown up earlier in the day, Chris thought he was ready to accept having them shadow him. Until he saw the girl. The two guys were the beefy type; they didn’t look like anyone ever messed with them. But the girl was young and pretty, and small. When she was introduced, he was shocked that she was a professional.

Sammy had raised an eyebrow at him. "What, just because I’m a woman means I can’t do my job?" She had asked, sarcastically.

"It’s not the fact that you’re a woman," he had said, although that was what bothered him the most. "I don’t need protection, anyway. So pardon me for being just a tad resentful."

"Don’t need a guard, huh?" she had asked, still raising that questioning eyebrow. "This person has already killed a man that would make most normal people run and hide. What makes you think you’d be any different?"

"They got him from behind," Chris said, fighting off the grief that stayed with him. "I’ve been extra careful, I think I can handle it if they show up again."

"Right," Sammy said, sarcastically. "Look, our job is to watch your back so you can keep on working. Unless you grow eyes in the back of your head, you can’t do it alone. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here at all. So you’ll just have to overcome your hang-ups about this. We’re here and we’re staying."

Chris had been put in his place, and he couldn’t argue against this little dynamo, so he clamped his lips shut and tried to pretend the guards weren’t there. It was kind of hard though, when he went into the cafeteria to grab a bite Jeff had laughed and called him Mr. President. The nickname caught on, and soon most of the guys were calling him Prez.

"We won’t be right with you all the time, you know," Sammy said as she sat at the table next to him. "Right now, we’re just learning your movements. For a few days, one of us will always be with you. We need to get to recognize the faces of the people you work with so we don’t throw them up against a wall or anything."

Chris had nodded his head. He just wanted this whole thing to be over with.

For the next week he was constantly trailed by one of the three. They went everywhere he went. It was starting to drive him crazy. Sammy came into his locker room one day, and gave him some welcome news.

"We’re gonna let you do your thing now. But one of us will always be watching you." She handed him a small device that looked like a remote to unlock car doors. "If anything happens, and I mean anything, push the button on this remote. It’ll make our pagers go off, and we’ll be here. Put it somewhere that you can get to it fast. Don’t mess around with this, now. There’s already one person dead, lets not make it two."

With that little speech, Sammy had turned and stormed out of the room. Although he’d never admit it to anyone, Chris was starting to like her attitude. She didn’t bullshit, just cut right to the chase, take it or leave it.

Part 33

For a while, things stayed on the quiet side in the WWF. Although Chris regularly protested the need for the bodyguards, they had pretty much faded from sight. Occasionally, Sammy would show up to give him instructions, which he absolutely hated.

Through all of this, Amanda’s pregnancy became more and more apparent. At five months, her stomach was just starting to get distended. The baby was active, and was constantly kicking and moving around.

A day didn’t go by that she didn’t think about Glen. A few moments everyday she was forced to stop whatever she was doing to sit down and cry, still trying to come to terms with her grief and loss. But their baby was helping to fill the void that had developed when Glen died.

Amanda still worked the TV and pay-per-views, but Don and Eric scolded her into giving up the rest of the shows in between so that she could get plenty of rest. She smiled to herself, thinking about how most of the roster was reacting to her now.

In the beginning, they all treated her like one of the guys. Now that she was pregnant, and had been through so much, it was like she had gained 70 or so big brothers, about 15 big sisters, a new father and mother, and various other relatives.

A few in particular never ceased to amaze her. Mark, whose wrestling name was the Undertaker, was almost a clone of Glen. He stood almost seven feet tall, and had the same long hair. He had come into her office one day to get some stitches removed from just over his ear. As she worked, he put his hand on her stomach.

"You better be taking care of my little nephew," he’d said in a gruff voice. Although they weren’t really related, Mark and Glen had been brought into the WWF as brothers.

Amanda had placed her hand over his and moved it to where the baby was kicking. Mark grinned when he felt it. "He lets me know when I’m not," she’d said, smiling at him.

Another one that got to her, and made her cry, was Steve Austin, man of the million 3:16 shirts. He and Debra had worked things out finally, and were more solid now than they were before. Although he seldom came into triage, one night as she was getting ready to clean up, Steve walked in and without a word began straightening the room. As she looked on with an amused expression on her face, he put everything in its proper place and quickly swept up the floor.

Finally, he looked at her and grinned. "Glen would have kicked my ass if I didn’t try to help you out. We’re all gonna take care of that little one now."

Amanda had smiled back at him. As soon as he left though, she started crying. She missed Glen so much, and everything around her kept bringing him back. And his friends had loved him so much that they were taking her in and sheltering her, giving her the family that she had always yearned for.

Part 34

And between all of her brotherly visits, Amanda saw Jeff more and more. He was making himself her champion in everything, from helping her cart stuff around to volunteering to take Lamaze classes with her. She was touched deeply by his thoughtfulness everyday. He could sense her moods and get a laugh out of her when no one else could.

And some days he was there when she was hit by a big wave of pain and grief, and needed a shoulder to cry on. Jeff did all that and more, telling her stories of his wild youth in North Carolina, talking about his escapades with Matt, reminding her of how much Glen had loved her.

When she hit the six month mark, she decided she needed to take a little trip. She rooted through Glen’s address book, which she had kept. After calling his friend that owned the little house on the lake, and accepting his tearful condolences, he agreed to let her stay there for a weekend, so she could strengthen her memories of Glen.

"Are you sure that’s a good idea?" Jeff asked, watching her pack. Her stomach had suddenly dropped, making her look like she was carrying around a small beach ball. Jeff thought Amanda had never looked so beautiful. There was a peacefulness around her, especially when she put a protective hand on her round stomach that called to Jeff.

"I need to do this, Jeff. Really." She said, smiling at him.

"I don’t think it’s good for you to be going out there all by yourself. What if something happens?" A million possible tragedies ran through his mind, but he didn’t want to say any out loud. It was superstitious, but he didn’t want to jinx her.

"So come with me, baby-sitter. It’s just for a couple of nights, and I really need to see the place again. His friend said I could bring a friend with me, and I was going to get Kay to go, but she’s going to pick out her wedding dress this weekend." She explained, and looked at him expectantly.

Jeff couldn’t tell her no. "I accept your most gracious invitation. When do we leave?"

"In about half an hour. Does that give you enough time to make yourself look pretty?" She asked him playfully. He growled at her and left to throw some clothes in a bag.

Part 35

As Jeff packed, Matt wandered into his room. "Where you going, little bro?" He asked, as Jeff looked around for his world famous glow in the dark boxers.

"A little road trip with Amanda for a few days," Jeff answered, holding up the boxers triumphantly.

Matt’s brow creased. "Please tell me you are not putting the moves on a pregnant lady whose baby’s father died not too long ago."

Exasperated, Jeff turned to him. "That’s a pretty shitty thing to say, Matt. Amanda wants to go to some place on the lake where she and Glen went; she didn’t have anybody to go with her. I just don’t like the idea of her going off by herself like that. Stuff could happen."

"Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it, Jeff. Really." Matt said, looking at Jeff with astonishment written across his face. "I mean, I know you kind of like her and everything…"

"Kind of like her? I do like her. A lot. And I want to make sure that she has everything she needs, emotionally, financially, and personally. For Glen and for his baby." Jeff said, interrupting Matt.

"We all do, Jeff," Matt said soothingly to him. He had never seen Jeff act this way before. He was being so damn serious it was spooky. "I just didn’t think before that comment came out. I’m sorry. I know how you feel about Amanda."

Jeff sighed, letting go of the pointless anger. "I know you do. I’m sorry for not having much of a sense of humor anymore. I really mean it though, Matt. For once in my life, it’s about something other than me. I want to take care of her. And I hope that Glen is looking down and approving of it all the way. I’m doing this for him too."

Matt gave his brother a hug. "I know you are. We’re all trying to do right by him. Have a good time, and keep them safe, Jeffy."

Part 36

Although it had been six months, the way to the house on the lake was forever burned onto Amanda’s mind. She gave Jeff directions, and was riding comfortably in the passenger seat.

They turned up the familiar driveway, and Amanda was hit with a wave of sadness and longing so strong it took her breath away. She wanted Glen here with her again. The car pulled up to the house and she stepped out, closing her eyes and breathing in the fresh air. Jeff grabbed their bags from the car, and they headed toward the porch.

Amanda stopped and took the house key from under the rock. Jeff gently took it from her, and unlocked and opened the door.

"Hello?" he called out, putting their bags on the floor beside the door. When no one answered, Jeff looked at Amanda. "I guess he ran out somewhere."

A sense of déjà vu was surrounding her. "Go ahead, look around." She said, softly, remembering Glen’s deep voice.

They wandered through the house, and Amanda wasn’t at all surprised to find a note on the kitchen counter. Glen’s friend had decided to give her room, and had gone to visit his girlfriend for the weekend.

"Well, looks like we’re on our own," Jeff said, and was shocked into silence as Amanda burst into tears. He gently held her as she sobbed onto his shoulder. "If you don’t want to stay, I’ll take you back." His words made her cry even harder.

What Jeff didn’t realize was that they had repeated almost word for word the entrance that she and Glen had made at the small house. It was almost as if Glen himself were here, holding onto her.

Amanda finally pulled herself together. Pulling away from Jeff she looked apologetically up at him. "I’m sorry. You just don’t know…"

"Don’t be sorry," Jeff said, stroking her cheek. "You deserve to cry all you want to."

"I’ll be all right. And no, I don’t want to go back. I want to stay." She said, sounding sure of herself.

"OK, then. Which room will be mine, then?" Jeff asked her, as he led her back to the living room. She stared at the fireplace for a long moment before answering.

"Either one is fine. I’m going to sleep in here on the floor." Amanda said. She wanted to recapture their time together, and she was going to start there, where it had all started between Glen and her.

"On the floor? Are you…" but he didn’t finish the question. Jeff could tell but the way she was looking at the living room that it held special meaning for her. He wouldn’t be able to talk her out of it, so he didn’t waste his energy.

Part 37

Jeff spent the rest of the day watching Amanda as she roamed from room to room. Occasionally a smile would flicker across her face, or tears would fall from her beautiful eyes. She sat for a long while on the swing on the back deck, staring into space. Jeff was starting to worry about her being out there so long, but she stood up and came inside when the sun started sinking below the horizon.

After dinner, Amanda asked Jeff to start a fire in the fireplace. Although it was June, the night air held the chill from the lake water. He obliged, and they sat in front of the fire, drinking hot chocolate.

After a long while, she finally spoke. "This is where I realized I was in love with him, Jeff. I’d only known him for about two weeks, and I loved him. I was with a guy before him for almost eight years, and I never once in all that time felt anything remotely like what I felt for Glen." She had started crying again. "I miss him so much." As she sobbed, Jeff put his arms around her and held her close.

"I wanted to come here this weekend because I need him. I need to feel him close to me, and this is the only place where that can happen. But I didn’t expect it to hurt this much," Amanda said, struggling to say the words.

Jeff stroked her hair and wished he could do something to ease her deep pain. But only time and love could heal her, and he was struggling to give her both. "Poor baby," he whispered, stroking her hair. "You two never got a chance for a happy ending. But I know he loved you, Amanda. And he’s watching you and loving you right now. I believe that, you need to believe that too."

She was sobbing again. "I’m trying. But I couldn’t save him, Jeff. I couldn’t save him."

Part 38

Eventually, Amanda cried herself to sleep as she sat cradled in Jeff’s arms. His own eyes were filled with tears of pain for what she was going through. She still blamed herself for Glen’s death. But there had been nothing she could have done any differently.

Jeff gently laid her down on the thick rug and pillows. He wandered quietly through the house, and finally grabbed an old quilt off of one of the beds. He carried it back to the living room, and gently tucked it around her. Amanda didn’t stir as he gently kissed her forehead.

Jeff stepped away from her, and took a seat on the couch. He studied her face in the light of the fire. She didn’t deserve to be going through all this pain. All she did was love someone, and some asshole had come along and snatched that away from her.

As Jeff was lost in thought, time slipped away from him. He was almost dozing sitting up when Amanda suddenly sat up. He snapped fully awake instantly.

"What’s wrong?" He asked, sliding down beside her on the floor. He took one of her hands in his.

"I thought I heard…" she trailed off and shook her head. "Must have been my imagination."

"I didn’t hear anything. What was it that you think you heard?" Jeff asked, curious.

"I heard someone moaning. And talking. I guess it was just a dream." Amanda said, sadly. She slowly lay back down and snuggled under the quilt. "Sorry I woke you up, Jeff."

"That’s what I’m here for, remember. If you want to talk, or you need anything, don’t hesitate, Amanda. I want to help you." Jeff said, looking into her eyes.

"OK. What I need is to be held while I sleep." Jeff audibly swallowed, and Amanda looked up at him. "But you don’t have to…"

"It’s OK. But, are you sure you want me to? I won’t try anything funny," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. She smiled tiredly at him.

"Climb on in. I just want to be hugged for a while. Scratch that. I need to be hugged for a while." She didn’t have to ask him twice. Jeff slid under the quilt, and pulled her against him. "No funny stuff," she mumbled, already falling back into sleep.

Jeff smiled in the fire-light, and breathed in deeply, smelling her. "Don’t worry, I’m only here to do you’re bidding."

She grunted and threw a half-hearted elbow at him. "Keep it up," she mumble again, and was asleep before she could finish the threat.

Part 39

Amanda woke up first as the sun was just rising over the trees outside. She extricated herself from Jeff’s arms, amazed that she didn’t feel guilty about asking him to hold her in the place where Glen had held her.

But all through the night, she had had strange dreams. Some were nice, replaying her nights at this house with Glen. Others were darker, as she tried again and again to get Glen to hang onto his life.

In one of them, she was in the triage of the arena where he had died. He had just popped his head in to get his good luck kiss. Without success, she tried again and again to make him stay with her. But he just shook his head sadly, and said, "The past can’t be changed, Amanda."

She had started crying, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him back in the room. "But it’s not the past yet! It hasn’t happened yet!" she screamed at him, as he continued to get away from her.

"But it has," he said sadly, stopping to look back at her. "But don’t let the past ruin your future." As he said this, Jeff walked around the corner gingerly holding his head, as Matt followed behind him. Instead of noticing Glen, Jeff seemed to walk right through him, and Amanda realized that he was disappearing. "NO!" she screamed, reaching for him and grabbing nothing but air. "You can’t leave me again!"

"I love you, Amanda," his voice whispered back to her, as he faded from sight. She woke up then, and looked around the familiar house. Jeff slept on next to her, oblivious to the fact that she was awake.

Amanda sat next to him for a while, studying his handsome face in the morning light. Jeff had been more than a friend to her since Glen had died. It was almost like he was trying to step into the vacancy Glen had left in her life. With a sad smile, she shook her head. No one could fill that void. But as she watched him sleep on, she finally realized what most other people had figured out a long time ago.

Jeff was in love with her. And instead of using the tragedy, or her pregnancy to help him get over her, he had given her that love so she could face living without Glen. She thought of the way his eyes had lit up the first time she had put his hand on her stomach to feel the baby kick. Not jealousy, not contempt that she was carrying another man’s child. Just wonder and love, for both of them. And she had been so lost that she had missed it.

She smiled tenderly at Jeff. Amanda didn’t believe in prophetic dreams, and she couldn’t bring herself to love Jeff in the same way that she loved Glen. But she would let him do what he was aching to do; and that was to love her and her baby.

Part 40

Chris was tired of looking over his shoulder. Not only watching for a would be attacker, but also for those damn bodyguards. Usually, he couldn’t find them.

He didn’t have to look very hard today. After his workout, he headed to his locker room, where Sammy stood, waiting. Sighing and rolling his eyes at her, he said, "What now? Did I forget to flush or something? This is getting ridiculous. How am I supposed to remember all the rules when you guys throw more at me everyday."

Sammy cocked her eyebrow at him and let him rant for a few more minutes. Finally, she cut in, "Look, I was just stopping to check in, make sure you were doing OK. I promise I don’t have any more instructions for you."

Chris relaxed when he heard that. Being followed by the pros mad him feel tenser than he liked to be.

"Well, then, sorry for ranting. Maybe I could by you some dinner to make up for biting your head off whenever I get the chance." Chris said, and flashed her a grin.

Sammy didn’t grin back. "I don’t mix business with pleasure, Mr. Jericho. Haven’t you seen the movie, The Bodyguard? It never works."

Chris gave her a sly smile. "What’s with all the Mr. Jericho crap? It’s Chris. And I don’t recall offering you any pleasure." He paused, then said, "That usually comes after dinner."

Sammy rolled her eyes, and he could tell she was trying not to laugh at him. "Going to dinner with you would be an unprofessional thing to do. Not to mention the fact that the guys would kill me if they saw me going out with a client."

Chris shrugged the men off. He couldn’t even remember their names. "Why, will they get jealous that you get a free meal? Come on, let me get a shower, then we’re going to eat, and I don’t want an argument. It’s a public place, so I guess I’ll need my bodyguard with me, right?"

"You’re unbelievably conceited. Why do you assume that I’m going to wait here while you take a shower, just so you can drag me to some greasy spoon and force me to eat a cholesterol burger." Sammy grouched at him, but she walked over to a bench against the wall and sat down.

"Because I’m irresistible when I put my mind to it. You women all fall down at my feet when I snap my fingers. Now wait for me, I’ll be out of the shower in five minutes." Sammy groaned in exasperation as Chris laughed and went inside the shower stall.

Part 41

Out at house by the lake, Jeff and Amanda were walking along the edge of the water. They hadn’t said very much to each other that morning. Jeff had slept with Amanda in his arms, and hadn’t slept so well in months. This morning he woke up to the sound of her getting breakfast ready.

After eating, she asked if he wanted to walk around the lake. It was small, probably only a mile or two all the way around. Jeff had readily agreed, not wanting her to be alone too much today.

So they left the house and started trekking on a well kept path that went all the way around the lake. They walked in silence, stopping occasionally so Amanda could rest. At about the halfway point, she sat down on an overturned true with a rueful grin. "OK, I’m about beat. I need a real break." She put a hand on her stomach. "The extra weight is wearing me out."

Jeff laughed and sat beside her. He placed his hand on the lower part of her stomach and grinned when the little baby gave him a hearty kick. "Acting up today, huh?" He leaned lower, putting his mouth closer to her stomach. "Straighten up in their, little one. We got a while to go, then you can have some food." They both laughed as the baby kicked again, even harder than the first time. "I guess he’s hungry," Jeff said, smiling at Amanda.

"I suppose. He’s always hungry." Amanda was still smiling. "Sometimes he gets the hiccups. It about drives me nuts."

She was still marveling over the way he acted with her. Jeff didn’t try to hide his feelings for her, but he didn’t try to force them on her either. All morning she had thought about it, but although she cared deeply for him, she didn’t love him. Her heart belonged to Glen.

Jeff saw the light go out of her eyes and knew she was thinking about Glen again. The pain seemed to hit her in waves. Gently, he took her hand. "Hey, come on. Whatever you’re thinking, he knows, Amanda."

Amanda was amazed that sometimes Jeff seemed to read her mind. "I know, I can’t help it." She took several deep breaths to steady herself. "It’s not so bad, in the daytime. Every now and then I get hit with this giant wall of sadness. But at night, it’s so much worse. Because I can almost feel him there with me, I can shut my eyes and pretend he’s there. But I know that’s wrong. If I keep holding on to him, pretending he’s with me at night, I might never be able to let him go."

"I don’t think I could have made it as far as you have, Amanda. You’re strong. And you’re going to stay strong; I’m going to make sure of it. Someday, you’ll be able to look back and just feel love, instead of all this other stuff, the guilt and grief." He paused, swallowing. "And I’m going to be with you the whole way. You can take some strength from me if you need it. If you need somebody to hold you at night, you come to me. Whatever you need or want, I want to give you."

Jeff looked out over the water as Amanda studied his face. "Jeff," she said, softly. "I don’t think…"

"I don’t want an argument. I’m not hiding anything from you Amanda. I love you. I have loved you since the first time I saw you. I know you can’t love me back. I don’t expect you to. I just want to help you, and help Glen’s little one. Let me at least use my love to do that."

"Oh, Jeff. I care a great deal for you. I really do. But Glen…" she trailed off, not bothering to finish the thought. "I’d feel like I was taking advantage of your feelings for me if I started relying on you too much."

"How can you take advantage of me when I’m the one putting myself in your life?" Jeff asked, sounding like he was thinking to himself. "You can’t take advantage of me. I’d enjoy it too much, and my enjoying it would mean that you weren’t really taking advantage of me in the first place. Make sense?"

"Not really," but Amanda smiled at him, and squeezed his hand. "Thank you for being with me, Jeff."

"Thank you for letting me be here," Jeff said, and kissed her cheek.

Part 42

Chris sat across the table from Sammy, watching her eat. "So, where’s dumb and dumber at tonight? You know, your partners?" He still couldn’t remember their names.

"They have the night off. I’m it for right now. They’ll be around in the morning, though." Sammy said, looking at him with a smirk on her face. "Is being with me making you nervous or something?"

"Who, me?" he said, making his voice squeak. "I’m not nervous. Just wanting to make sure Shane’s getting his money’s worth."

"Believe me, he is. We’re doing our part," she said, growing serious. "We’re keeping an eye on several people. According to the police, the attacker was most likely a woman because of the height of the wounds." Sammy paused, taking in the look on his face. "Sorry. I keep forgetting that you guys were close."

Chris gave her a crooked smile. "It’s OK. Sometimes it just comes back and bites me on the ass."

"I’m not really good at watching out for other people’s feelings. It’s one of my quirks." Sammy said, sounding apologetic.

"Don’t worry about it. You can’t help the way you are." Chris said, with a devilish smile.

"Gee, thanks. It’s always nice to hear a compliment," Sammy said, rolling here eyes.

"I didn’t mean it to sound bitchy." Chris said, liking her more and more. Sammy didn’t take shit off of anybody. And she spoke her mind, which was a nice change from the people who just told him what they thought he wanted to hear.

They are in silence for a few minutes. "What are you thinking?" Chris asked finally. She had a strange look on her face.

"Nothing much." Sammy said, and looked him in the eye. "Just wondering when the pleasure was going to start."

Part 43

Amanda and Jeff were putting their bags into the car, preparing to drive back to the dorms of the WWF. As Jeff wandered the house, making sure that everything was picked up and put away, Amanda walked down beside the calm water of the lake.

The second night at the house hadn’t been any easier than the first, and Amanda woke up several times from strange, barely remembered dreams of Glen. The dream from the night before had repeated itself, pulling her awake with tears running down her cheeks.

Amanda had talked Jeff into sleeping in one of the bedrooms so that she could have the living room to herself. She had to promise that she’d call him if she needed him, but she was finally alone. She had stayed awake for a long time, reliving her weekend in this house with Glen.

She had finally fallen asleep, and every time she woke up, she felt Glen’s presence. As scary as some of her nightmares were, she had never called out to Jeff. She’d wake up and feel Glen around her, whispering to her, and she’d fall back to sleep.

Amanda didn’t tell Jeff any of that, though. She thought it would make her sound crazy. Little did she know that Jeff had some strange dreams of his own.

He had just dozed off when he heard voices. One of them was definitely Amanda’s, the other was deep and masculine. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about.

Later in the night, Jeff had shared a dream with Amanda, although neither of them realized it. In the dream, he had turned the corner of the hallway and seen Glen and Amanda kissing, and then Glen started to leave, to go to Chris’s locker room. Without thinking, he had stepped forward as Amanda went back into the triage. Jeff grabbed Glen’s arm. "Don’t go, Glen. She needs you." He’d said.

Glen had looked at him blankly for a few seconds, then removed Jeff’s hand from his arm. "She needs you now, Jeff." Glen said softly, and smiled at him. He turned away and walked off down the hallway.

Jeff had tried to go after him and was jarred awake as he fell off the bed. Climbing back up, he was shaken by the dream. He had slammed his head the night that Glen died, and had seen Amanda and Glen share a kiss, but they hadn’t spoken to each other. Jeff had been too busy trying to get Matt off his back.

Jeff was a little more open to the power of dreams than Amanda was. Although he would never admit it to anyone, he believed that Glen had sent him a message last night. And he made a silent vow to his fallen friend that he was going to be there for Amanda whenever she needed him.

Part 44

Neither spoke much on the drive back to the dorms. Amanda sat with her eyes closed, her head against the seat. Both of them were lost in thought.

Back at the dorms, she stopped off at the bulletin board to see where they would be going the next night. Amanda felt a giant stone settle in her stomach as she realized that it was the arena where Glen had been killed.

"You don’t have to go," Jeff said, from behind her, reading the name of the arena. "The guys can handle it."

Shaking her head, Amanda turned to him. "It’s only a building right? I’ll be fine."

She walked in the direction of her room, her hand resting on her stomach. Jeff watched her until she turned the corner. He didn’t think he’d ever be as strong as she was.

Jeff went to his room and was unpacking when Matt popped in. "Hey, how was the trip?" he asked, flinging himself onto Jeff’s bed.

Jeff shrugged his shoulders. "Not bad. I think it helped her a little." He hoped it was true. They all missed Glen, but nowhere near the depth of feeling that Amanda had.

"That’s good. What’s wrong?" Matt asked, looking hard into Jeff’s eyes. Jeff could never hide anything from Matt.

"Nothing," he tried to evade Matt’s inquiring look. As usual, he couldn’t do it. "You wouldn’t believe it anyway."

"Try me," Matt said, sitting up. "Come on…don’t make me call dad."

Jeff tried to laugh at the old joke, but couldn’t quite sustain the sound. "I don’t know, big bro. Just got the blues or something. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night."

Matt immediately took interest. Although he was the first person to make fun of Jeff’s many quirks, he always took Jeff’s dreams seriously. Most of them tended to come true. Matt would refer to Jeff as his psychic friend, and make jokes about channeling Elvis, but invariably the dreams were signs of things to come.

"So, what did you dream, little bro?" He asked. "You haven’t had a dream you remembered in a while. I was starting to think Superman had lost his power."

Jeff still did not laugh. "It’s personal, Matt, and meant for me and me only, I think." He didn’t like shutting Matt out, but it seemed too personal to involve him.

Matt looked hurt, then perked right up. "You’ll tell me eventually. You always do. Let’s go grab some food, dude." He clapped Jeff on the back, and led him out of the room.

Part 45

The next night, as Raw went on the air, Amanda was walking slowly through the hallways of the arena. She knew where she was going, but didn’t want to admit it to herself.

She stopped in front of the door. ‘Dressing Room 132’ was on a small plaque in the center at her eye level. She raised her hand and traced the letters. Building up her courage, she grasped the knob and turned it.

Inside, it was dark, but not pitch black like it had been when Glen was there. Amanda stood in the doorway, letting her eyes adjust to the gloom. Finally, she stepped inside and flipped up the light switch.

She softly closed the door and walked over to a bench. As she sat there, she stared at the place on the floor where she had found Glen. The room had been repainted since then, and the carpeting had been replaced. Amanda didn’t know what she had expected to find there.

After fifteen minutes sitting quietly and absently rubbing her stomach, Amanda stood up to leave. Almost immediately, she was overcome by the unmistakable scent of the cologne that Glen wore. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply of the familiar smell.

Tears slipped down her face. "Glen?" she said softly, not knowing why she had spoken out loud. She didn’t believe in ghosts, or the supernatural. But her eyes snapped open when she heard a soft sigh answer her.

Amanda was alone in the room. This locker room wasn’t being used tonight, and there was no place for the smell to be coming from. She turned in a small circle, looking around the room.

The scent was fading. As quickly as it had come, it was gone, dissipating and leaving only the smell of the cleaner that was used by the housekeepers. Amanda stood there for a few more minutes, trying to will the smell to return. When nothing happened, she left, turning out the lights and closing the door behind her.

Part 46

Chris was in his dressing room, tying his boots, when the door opened. He barely glanced up, assuming it was Sammy. He could see her boots, and the legs of her jeans. "Hey," he said, struggling with the knots that Jeff had tied in the laces. "Forget something?" he asked.

Sammy had already been there once tonight. She reminded him of their safety precautions, which they took more seriously at a heavily attended TV taping. Chris had tried to take her seriously, but as soon as she sent the two goons she was with away, he had grabbed her and kissed her.

Sammy had finally broken away from him, smiling devilishly. "Save it for later, Tiger," she said, squeezing his butt. After their dinner the other night, she had taken him to her apartment, and had shown him what she meant when she said ‘pleasure’.

"God, woman. I might have to hire a bodyguard to protect me from you!" Chris had said, as she got him into the bathtub. That was at around three in the morning. They didn’t make it out of the tub until six.

Chris had fallen for her, hard. After the mess with Jessica, he had vowed to stay away from women for a while. But Sammy was her total and complete opposite; independent and self-reliant, strong and intelligent. Chris grinned, thinking about her.

Sammy didn’t answer him, but shuffled closer. Finally the knot was coming undone, and Chris made quick work of re-lacing his boot. "Now," he said, finally looking up at her, "Come for a quickie?" And was face to face with a strange woman, who stood there with rage on her face and a large knife in her hand.

Part 47

Sammy was standing in the hallway, watching the pregnant lady leave the locker room where the man had gotten killed. ‘I guess she’s the one Chris told me about,’ she thought to herself, and felt her heart go out to Amanda. Ever since her night with Chris, she was feeling strange emotions that she’d never dealt with before.

It was like Chris had brought her to life. Sammy had beaten herself up for most of the day after they had slept together, knowing that she had broken one of the unwritten rules of being a bodyguard. No involvement with a client. But she hadn’t been able to help herself. He tried to act like a smartass, but she knew he was hurting. And the amazing thing was that she wanted to help heal him.

Sammy sighed and headed down the hall toward the cafeteria. She needed a strong cup of coffee. She had just gotten the cup and put cream and sugar in it when her pager went off.

In a split second, she was running down the hall toward Chris’s locker room. As soon as the alarm had sounded, all of the wayward thoughts had left her mind, except for her training. She only paused for a moment outside the door, and considered waiting until her backup could catch up to her. She shook her head. If Chris was really in trouble, there wasn’t time to waste.

She listened and didn’t hear anything, so she slowly edged the door open. At the same time, she reached for the small caliber gun she kept tucked in a holster at her back.

Part 48

It only took her a second to take in the scene. Chris was in a corner, trying to talk quietly and rationally to a woman who stood in front of him, a large knife, held seemingly forgotten, at her side.

Chris’s eyed filled with relief when Sammy walked in, then the look changed to blatant terror. He had hoped one of the beefcakes would be there. He didn’t want Sammy to get hurt.

The woman in front of him had backed him into the corner, gesturing wildly with the knife as she cursed and raged at him. Among other things, she accused him of sleeping around with whores while she stayed home with his children.

Trying to keep his head, not knowing how to handle her, Chris had turned on the B.S. factory. He kept his voice calm, and called her sweetie. He asked her to forgive him. He kept talking, saying anything, because the more he said to her the more she seemed to calm down.

At least until she saw the direction of Chris’s gaze. Sudden anger flared into her eyes when she took a look at Sammy. "That’s the whore, isn’t it Chris?" She didn’t wait for an answer, but swing the knife, cutting open Chris’s T-shirt and putting a shallow slash across his chest. He grabbed his chest and ducked low as she swung at him again.

Sammy didn’t have time to raise her gun. The deranged woman moved with lightening quick speed, slicing Chris’s chest, before spinning around and gunning for her. Reflexively, Sammy turned her upper body as the knife swung. As the knife plunged into her left shoulder, Sammy brought her right hand up in a stiff upper cut. The woman fell back, leaving the knife jutting from Sammy’s shoulder.

The woman was back on her feet immediately, screaming and running at Sammy again, her fingernails up. She was reaching out to scratch at Sammy’s eyes. Sammy swiftly turned, and performed her favorite move, the spinning heel kick. The woman staggered again, but didn’t fall. Using her left hand, which was starting to go numb, Sammy grabbed the woman’s jacket and pulled her forward. At the same time, her right hand was flying toward the woman’s face. The force of the punch knocked the loony down.

Sammy sank to her knees beside the psycho. She rolled her over onto her stomach, and pulled her arms up behind her.

"Chris," she said, her voice sounding strange to her own ears. "Get me something to tie her up with." Still holding his chest, which was dripping blood, Chris handed her a roll of tape that he used to wrap his wrists before his matches.

Sammy used it for almost the same purpose. The knife still protruding from her shoulder, she worked quickly to bind the woman’s hands behind her back. Then, for good measure, she taped her ankles too.

Satisfied that if the woman came to she wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone, Sammy gave Chris a sickly smile and passed out next to the woman on the floor.

Part 49

Amanda was almost the triage room when the two burly bodyguards ran past her. She watched them race around the corner, and sensed what was happening. As quickly as she could, she followed them to Chris’s dressing room.

Amanda stopped in the doorway, taking in the scene. A woman lay on the floor, tied up and apparently unconscious. Chris’s bodyguard, Sammy, lay cradled in his arms, a knife sticking out of her shoulder. She was awake, but gray-faced. The knife had prevented major blood loss, but Amanda could tell that Sammy was in pain.

The front of Chris’s torn shirt was dripping blood, but it was sluggish. ‘Must have only been a scratch.’ Amanda thought clinically. After her initial shock, her training took over.

She got down on her knees beside Chris and Sammy. Sammy looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, get this thing out of me." She said, sounding weak.

"I don’t think I can. It’s keeping you from bleeding. It’s better to leave it in until a surgeon or at least a doctor can take a look at it." Amanda said, checking the pulse in her left arm. It was slow and thready. If the paramedics didn’t hurry, Sammy was going to lose the use of that arm.

Overcoming her pain, her eyes turning into steel, Sammy said, "I don’t want to wait. Either you do it, or I’ll get it myself." She weakly reached toward the knife with her right hand and grasped the handle.

Amanda gently removed the hand from the knife. She was going to have to try and pull it out, otherwise the blood flow to the arm was going to stop completely.

One of the male bodyguards had run to call security and the police, along with an ambulance. Amanda had the other one go back to the triage room for some sterile pads, gloves, and disinfectant.

He was back in record time, and handed the items to Amanda. She poured the disinfectant over her hands, then dried them on one of the pads. She slipped her hands into the latex gloves and turned to Chris. "Hold her steady. This is going to hurt like hell."

Chris nodded, and pulled Sammy closer to him. Amanda grasped the handle in both of her hands. From the position of the knife, it wasn’t likely that the blade would catch on any bones as she pulled it out. Taking a deep breath, Amanda slid the knife slowly and smoothly out of Sammy’s shoulder.

"Holy fucking God," Sammy hissed, but stayed steady as the knife cleared her shoulder. Amanda dropped the knife onto another sterile pad, then picked up a handful of them. She ripped the top of Sammy’s shirt, exposing the cut. It was about an inch and a half wide, and had gone in at least three inches, maybe more.

The cut was barely bleeding, but Amanda made a compress out of the pads, and held them to the cut. The paramedics had finally arrived, making a commotion out in the hallway. Amanda told them what she’d done, and they quickly started an IV in Sammy’s uninjured arm. Amanda checked Sammy’s pulse one last time before they put her on the stretcher. It was growing stronger, which meant that the knife had been clamping an artery shut, but hadn’t cut through it.

Part 50

Chris wanted to ride in the ambulance with Sammy, but the other two bodyguards told him the police would need to talk with him, and take care of the crazy lady first. He waited impatiently for them, telling Amanda what had happened.

The loony had groaned and was trying to roll over, but the bodyguards were keeping a close eye on her.

"So, that’s the woman?" Amanda asked, quietly. She couldn’t believe that she was sitting in the same room with the woman who had killed Glen. For a second, she felt like grabbing the knife and plunging it into the woman’s back and sides as she had done to Glen. Frightened by the black rage she felt, Amanda turned her face away, and refused to look at her again.

The police arrived and got a statement from both Chris and Amanda. They bagged up the knife, and although they didn’t say anything at the time, they were more than certain that it would match the knife wounds that were found on Glen’s body.

They cuffed the woman and stood her up. She looked wildly around the room, and her eyes focused on Amanda. She stared long and hard at Amanda’s obviously pregnant stomach. Then she started laughing. "I know who you are," she screamed at Amanda. Amanda flinched back and Chris put a protective arm around her. "I killed that big fucker. He was going to try to stop me. Nothing can keep me away from you, Chris! I love you!" She continued screaming and laughing as Amanda stepped in front of her and spit in her face.

Part 51

Kay rushed into the triage office, where Amanda sat, calm and clear-eyed. The woman who had attacked Chris and Sammy had been taken away about an hour ago, and Chris was on his way to the hospital to see Sammy. Amanda had left things in Eric and Don’s hands, and had shut herself into the office.

Kay was worried for her all over again. Chris had told Amanda about what the woman had said to Amanda before the cops could drag her away. She stopped in the office door, and studied Amanda for a moment.

Amanda sat still at the desk, playing with a pencil. For the first time in months, she had a peaceful look on her face. The sadness was still there, in her eyes, but Kay thought it was fading, finally.

She said as much as she went to Amanda’s side and took her hand. Amanda smiled serenely at her. "It’s closure, Kay," she said, sounding calm and sure. "Like a giant weight has been lifted off of my chest."

"I would have killed her," Kay said softly, not knowing that Amanda had come close to doing just that.

"It’s OK. She’s going to fry." Amanda said, then frowned. "I hope I don’t sound awful saying that. But it’s the truth. One way or another, she’ll get punished finally, and that’s all that matters, really."

Kay looked at her, worried she was in shock. But Amanda smiled sadly at her. "I know, I know. I just came in here to get some rest. And to get away from people trying to mother hen me all the time. I’m not going psycho on you or anything." Amanda said, looking her straight in the eye.

Kay’s face brightened. She hadn’t heard that fighting tone in Amanda’s voice for months, and she was absurdly glad that Amanda had gotten it back.

Part 52

Two months later, Amanda was sitting in the cafeteria, talking with Sammy. Chris’s bodyguard-slash-girlfriend was still wearing a sling, although she took it off whenever she thought she could get away with it. Sammy had accepted a job with the security team of the WWF, and she and Chris had become inseparable.

All of the wrestlers marveled at the way Sammy had taken the crazed woman down. "Maybe you should start as a wrestler instead of security," Shane had said, as she and Chris told him exactly what had happened. Shane was only half joking, and he was persuading her to take some wrestling training when she got the doctor’s OK.

Amanda, in the meantime, had added more weight to her eight-month pregnancy. Instead of working in triage, she handled all of the light stuff, which included their paper work and reports about various injuries. In less than a month, she was going to be having a little boy, and had spent the last two months heavily preparing.

Jeff went with her to all of her Lamaze classes, although Kay had volunteered her time, too. Jeff vetoed her though. He also helped Amanda find a small house near the dorms, and furniture to put inside. He took care of the million little details that she didn’t have time or was too tired to remember.

And every night she dreamed of Glen. Almost all of them were the same, she trying to stop him from leaving, and Glen walking away talking about the past and future. Inevitably, Jeff appeared in these dreams. But she wasn’t a believer in things like that.

If she had told Jeff of these dreams, he would have felt a load of guilt lift from his shoulders. He stayed with Amanda constantly, and was aware that it looked like they were an item. But Amanda held him at the friendship level, still pining for Glen. Jeff would have seen the dreams for what they were: Glen giving Amanda his blessing to move on with her life.

Jeff’s own dreams also featured Glen in the starring role, telling him to watch out for Amanda, to be there for her, to be patient. Always the same dream, of the hallway in the arena where he had died, but a different message in each one.

Part 53

In the triage office later that day, Amanda was going over the reports that she would have to give to Shane on the various injuries of the wrestlers. She was almost done when the first pain struck her.

At first it was just an annoying crampy feeling in her lower abdomen. But it quickly escalated into bands of pressure that lasted for several minutes at a time.

With shaky hands, Amanda lifted the cell phone from her desk and dialed Kay’s number.

When she answered, Amanda couldn’t hide the pain in her voice. "Kay, can you find Jeff for me? Please?"

"What’s wrong, Amanda?" Kay said, already standing to look over the heads of the guys in front of her. Most of the wrestlers were in the cafeteria with her, in the middle of a production meeting. She finally spotted him and caught his eye.

As he made his way to her table, every eye in the room followed him, wondering what was going on. On the phone, Amanda was breathing heavily, fighting another contraction. "Tell him to hurry, Kay. I need him. My labor’s starting."

"Oh my God," Kay yelled. Now everyone looked at her, and Jeff grabbed the phone from her hand.

He assured Amanda he was on his way, then gave the phone back to Kay. As he left, Shane stood up and waved impatiently at Kay. "Well?" he asked, exasperated.

Kay grinned and stood up on the table. "Well, people," she called out so everyone could hear her. "Looks like we’re going to have a baby!"

Part 54

Jeff got Matt to help take Amanda to the car, the gratefully accepted his offer to drive so he could sit in the back seat with her. The contractions were coming harder and faster now, leaving her crying tears of pain.

"I don’t know why this is happening now!" Amanda said, between pains. "It’s too early. I still have a month left."

"It doesn’t surprise me at all. This boy’s gonna take after his daddy," Jeff said wryly. "Glen was always the first one at the party. He never could wait to get to where he was going. A regular chip off the old block." Jeff smiled at Amanda and stroked her stomach.

She had smiled at the comment, then was grasped by another contraction. Jeff timed it, and was shocked to see that they were only two minutes apart. Her labor was flying by, and he hoped they’d get to the hospital in time.

Matt was driving like a Nascar hopeful, speeding gleefully around turns and screeching to a halt at the hospital doors. They got Amanda out of the car, and Jeff sent Matt back to the arena to get Amanda’s bag that she had packed in preparation for the birth. In their excitement, they had forgotten to grab it.

Amanda was all checked in and lay quietly in the hospital room. Jeff sat by her side, holding her hand, still timing the contractions. The doctor had come in and examined her, but said she had a while to go.

"A while? But her contractions are so close together!" Jeff said, incredulous. When she first got into the hospital room, Amanda’s contractions were less than a minute apart.

"Sometimes that happens, especially with a first baby. Amanda, you aren’t dilated enough to be in heavy labor. Your contractions will slow down and even out, then we can get down to business." The doctor had smiled at her and patted her stomach reassuringly.

"But it’s too early!" Amanda said, scared for her unborn son. She would die if anything happened to him.

"Not at all!" The doctor said, happily, hooking a monitor to her stomach. "His heart is strong, his lungs have developed beautifully. Looks like your little man’s just in a hurry to get here." With that, he left Amanda and Jeff alone for a few minutes to get Amanda’s records.

Part 55

Proving the doctor to be right, Amanda’s contractions dwindled down until they were about fifteen minutes apart. The intensity of them slacked off, too, giving her some relief from the pain.

She was tempted to ask for drugs, but had ultimately decided she would try to go the natural way. When she told Jeff, he laughed. "Damn good thing. I wouldn’t want to have gone to all those Lamaze classes for nothing."

Amanda laughed with him, then was hit by another contraction. Jeff talked her through it, and when it finally let go, she smiled at him gratefully.

Matt came bounding into the room, swinging her bag. "Wow, security is doing anal probes out front. I thought I was going to have to bribe somebody to get me in." He laughed softly. "Luckily the ward nurse is a fan. She slipped me past the rest of the battalion."

In this hospital, like most, security around newborn babies tended to be tighter than anywhere else in the place.

After making sure Amanda didn’t need anything else, Matt decided to go out to the waiting room and see if anyone else was there yet. It was a little after nine, and Raw had just started, but Matt said as soon as their matches ended all of the wrestlers would be at the hospital waiting for news.

"I wish you’d tell them to stay put, Matt," Amanda said, softly. "This is probably going to take a while."

"I couldn’t keep them away, and I don’t really want to try. Mark would probably rip my head off if I even suggested it to him. So in the waiting room we wait. I’ll be back," Matt said the last part in a cheesy Terminator voice and slipped out the door.

Part 56

For the next several hours, Amanda breathed her way through stronger contractions as Jeff held her hand and talked to her. In the waiting room, about 30 people milled around, all of them huge, some still wearing their wrestling gear.

Kay had ducked into Amanda’s room to see how she doing. She came out of the room ten minutes later, a smile on her face. She reported Amanda’s progress to the other guys, then sat down with Hunter.

"What are you grinning about, woman?" Hunter asked, looking at her with his eyebrow raised.

"Oh, nothing," she said, trying to look innocent. "Just thinking."

"About…" Hunter knew that look too well. Kay had seen something that had pleased her to no end.

"Jeff and Amanda. You should see them together in there." She couldn’t help but sound happy. Although she missed Glen, Amanda could do a lot worse than having Jeff at her side.

"I have seen them together. Where have you been?" Hunter smirked, and got a smack on the arm.

"Working. I mean, together, goof." Kay said, taking Hunter’s hand.

"That’s what I meant too, Kay. Everybody knows Jeff has a thing for Amanda." Hunter couldn’t stop grinning. It wasn’t very often that he noticed something before Kay did.

"Yeah, but do they know Amanda has a thing for Jeff?" she asked him. Then she grinned again. "Men always see the obvious, but not the subtle things. You should see the way she looks at him. And I don’t think she realizes she’s doing it, either. I hope she comes around, though."

"Jeez, Kay, she just lost Glen not too long ago. Don’t try to rush her," Hunter said, putting an arm around her.

‘I’m not rushing anything. But I don’t think Glen would have wanted her to mope around forever. He’d want her to be happy. And I think Jeff makes her happy." Kay said, snuggling up to Hunter. They sat in silence and watched the clock, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

Part 57

At 4:28 a.m., Amanda gave a last big push, and finally delivered her baby boy. Jeff was still at her side, holding her hand, and wiping the sweat from her forehead. The nurses quickly took the baby, cleaned him up and cleared his mouth and nose. Tears filled Amanda’s eyes as the baby let out a wail.

Wrapping the little one in a blanket, the pediatric nurse brought him to Amanda and placed him in her arms. After the first loud cry, the baby’s eyes had opened and he tried to focus on the blurry shapes that he saw.

Amanda was filled with love for the little one. She raised his blanket, and saw a head full of dark hair. His eyes were a deep brown color. Amanda’s smiled at him, thinking of how he was a miniature of his daddy.

Jeff watched Amanda studying her baby, tears in his own eyes. the baby favored Glen, but he could see Amanda’s features there, too. The birth was a miracle for Jeff to see, and he was would not have been any happier if it had been his own son.

Amanda looked up at Jeff, and smiled. Without thinking about it, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. She hesitated for a moment, but returned it, tears still streaming down her face.

When she pulled away, she gave him another smile. "Want to hold him?" she asked, looking tired. She’d had a long night, and needed some rest.

Jeff gently took the baby from her. He cradled him in his arms, and watched as the little eyes focused for a second on his face, then slipped shut. The baby was ready for a nap, too. The tears in his eyes slipped quietly down his face as he was overcome by a fierce protectiveness for both Amanda and the baby.

The nurses had things in the room straightened out in record time, and were gently taking the baby from Jeff to get him to the nursery for a bath and something to eat. He reluctantly handed him over, and smiled down at Amanda, who could barely hold her eyes open.

Part 58

Jeff left the delivery room, and wandered out to the waiting area, where about twenty of his fellow wrestlers still waited. They all looked up expectantly as he stood there.

Grinning brightly, he said loud enough for everyone to hear him, "It’s a boy, he’s fine and so is Amanda."

Looks of relief and excitement filled all of the faces. Most of the guys stood up to go to the nursery and try to get a peek at the new baby. When things had settled down again, the only people left in the waiting room were Hunter and Kay, both curled up on the waiting room chairs catching some sleep, and Mark.

"I thought for sure Matt would still be hanging around," Jeff said, sinking into a chair next to Mark.

"He called Amanda’s friend in Kentucky last night, and went to pick her up at the airport. He should be back." Mark paused. "Is everything really all right?"

Jeff grinned. "Perfectly. He’s a handsome little guy, and Amanda just needs some rest. She was amazing." He still sounded awed over the birth. Mark smiled at him, hearing the amazement in his voice.

"Glen would be proud that you were in there with her, Jeff," Mark said, standing up and stretching. Jeff nodded his head. When Mark made a statement like that, you could take it to the bank. He and Glen had been more than friends; they were almost two sides of the same coin.

"I hope so. I hope I did the right thing by helping her." Jeff said, yawning.

"Don’t worry, you did. I’m gonna poke my head in and see if Amanda’s awake. If she is, I need to talk to her for a second. Then I’ll go visit my nephew." Jeff laughed, as Mark walked down the hallway towards Amanda’s room.

"So, she popped it out, huh?" said Hunter, who had awakened and caught the last part of Jeff and Mark’s conversation. "Ten fingers, ten toes, all the necessary parts?" Jeff laughed, and Hunter smirked.

"Yeah, he’s all there. Looks like Kay’s done in." Jeff said, gesturing.

"She was up all night worrying. Thank God they’re both OK. Kay would have gone off." They both laughed quietly again, as Kay stirred and opened her eyes.

"I would not," she said, sleepily, sitting up and rubbing her neck. "I was worried because it was a month early. Things happen, you know."

"Yeah, hun, we know," Hunter said, soothingly, as he pulled her to his side. "But everything’s fine. Now, let’s go get a look at the little rug rat."

Jeff watched them wander down the hallway as he waited for Matt to return. Tiredly, he laid his head back against the wall and dozed off within minutes.

Part 59

Mark opened the door and peeked inside. Amanda was still awake, staring up at the ceiling, looking tired but very happy. Smiling, Mark pushed the door shut behind him and went to her bedside.

She looked up at him and grinned. "The doctor said the baby was already up to seven and a half pound. If I carried him another month, I probably would have had a c-section. I guess he knew better than everybody when to come out." Amanda smiled up into his eyes, which were filling with tears. She knew that of all the wrestlers, Mark had been the closest to Glen. They had spent years working on their ‘brother’ relationship, traveling together and living inside each other’s back pocket. "He looks just like Glen. Same hair, same eyes…" she trailed off, as Mark gently took her hand.

"I needed to talk to you about Glen for a second, Amanda." He sounded serious, and she was almost afraid to hear what he had to say. "You’ve had dreams about him, right?"

Amanda was shocked. She hadn’t told anyone, not Jeff or Kay, or even Amy, about the dreams that left her crying and feeling hollow. "Yes, but how did you…"

"Glen told me." Mark stated, his tone deadly serious. "It sounds crazy. I know it does. But I’ve always believed in the power of dreams, Amanda. I haven’t done wrong following one yet." He paused, looking at her reaction to his words. She wasn’t laughing, which was good, and she had an open expression in her eyes, which was better.

"Glen has been coming to me in dreams for a few weeks now. It’s strange. We walk around in the hallways, talking, like we used to do. He told me that he visits you in dreams almost every night. He was trying to give you a message, but you wouldn’t listen." Tears were filling her eyes. Amanda had always figured the dreams were her way of punishing herself. She believed what Mark was saying. Like the character in wrestling that he played, Mark was eerily perceptive.

"What does he want from me, Mark," she asked sadly.

"He wants you to go on, Amanda. And let him go. Glen doesn’t want you not loving and not being loved just because he’s not the one giving and receiving it. He said you know who he’s talking about." Mark gave her hand a squeeze. "I know it’s hard hearing it, but my dreams always come true, or predict things. And this is the strongest one I’ve had in ages. Glen was really focusing in on me."

Although she didn’t want to, Amanda felt herself get angry. "And what do I do now? Start acting like I never knew him? Pretend I just had a one night stand and got pregnant?" She burst into tears. "I miss him, I don’t want to let him go. I never really got a chance to hold on to him."

Mark nodded, smoothing her hair back from her forehead. "I know. And he knows it too. Don’t pretend anything, Amanda. Just don’t shut out love that’s been waiting for you. That’s what Glen was saying." He kissed her gently on the cheek, and left the room, leaving Amanda to mull over what he’d said. It was too much for her to think about after all that had happened, and she fell into an exhausted sleep.

Part 60

Matt got back to the hospital at six, with a tired but excited looking Amy behind him. Although she hadn’t been able to get away to see Amanda since she had left, at the news of her delivery Amy had dropped everything and grabbed the first flight she could get.

Plus, she had just shared a car with Matt Hardy, who she thought was the hottest man in the world. She couldn’t believe Amanda worked with these people. But Amanda had never been a wrestling fan.

After learning that the baby was safe and sound in the nursery, and Amanda was sleeping in her room, Amy accepted Matt and Jeff’s invitation to eat breakfast with them.

All through the meal, she listened as Jeff talked about Amanda. It was obvious he had it bad for her, and Amy was hugely pleased. Amanda needed good things in her life. Although she had never met Glen, Amy understood Amanda’s love and devotion to him. But she thought Amanda would be crazy to let Jeff slip away from her.

As Amy and Matt talked, Jeff tried to keep from smiling knowingly. Matt seemed to be impressed with Amy, and did everything he could to avoid looking her in the eyes. But when she turned away to speak to Jeff, Matt would stare at her, a silly smile on his face.

She was a funny girl, and Matt could do a lot worse. Amy seemed to be thriving on living vicariously through Amanda’s new life. She was truly proud of all that she had done and lived through.

Finished eating, they went upstairs to look in the nursery window at Amanda and Glen’s son, who slept on his back in a blue T-shirt. Jeff felt a sense of pride that he had been there for the birth. He already felt like a father to the little one.

Part 61

Through out the day, the wrestlers went in and out of Amanda’s hospital room. At ten o’clock, the doctor had approved taking the baby in, and everyone came in to ohh and ahh. Most of them brought flowers and little presents for the baby and mother.

At six, the ward nurse officially declared Amanda’s visiting hours over. She hadn’t had a moment alone all day, and she was exhausted. The only person allowed to see her after that was Jeff, who planned on spending the night sleeping in the chair next to her.

Amanda nursed the baby, and settled him in for the night at eight. Then she relaxed as Jeff told her about they guys acting silly over the little one. Dwayne, also known as The Rock, had pretty much bought out all of the stuffed animals at the gift shop downstairs. And Steve and Debra had braved going to the local Wal-Mart, almost starting a riot as they bought enough diapers, bottles, and outfits to take the baby up to his fifteenth year.

Amanda laughed listening to Jeff talk. Ever since Mark had come in to visit, Jeff had never left her thoughts. She watched him holding the baby, and listened to his voice when he talked to him. Amanda couldn’t deny that what she heard in Jeff’s voice was anything but love for the newborn. She had to fight back fresh tears, thinking of how everyone was taking care of them.

"So, got a name for the big guy yet?" Jeff asked, smiling down at the baby.

"I can’t decide. When I first realized I was pregnant, I thought I’d leave it up to Glen," She smiled down at the little one. "Maybe a good name will come to me in my sleep, though, right, Angel?" she murmured to the baby.

The baby slept on, and Amanda yawned. "This sure took it out of me. I’m bushed. And I’ll have to wake up in a few hours and feed him again." But she didn’t sound like it was a chore. Just thinking of taking care of her baby made her feel stronger.

"If you need to rest, I can take care of the little guy," Jeff said, then frowned as Amanda burst out laughing. "What, don’t you trust me?"

"It’s not that. Jeff, how are you going to breast feed him? I think maybe I should handle that part of it." Still chuckling over the expression on his face, she tried to sound bossy. "Of course, you can and will change diapers." His face soured even more, but she could tell he was loving it.

"I’d be honored to be on poop-patrol, ma’am," he said, giving her a salute. They both settled down into their respective beds, both tired from the long day they had been through.

Part 62

Both of them woke up with the baby that night. Jeff sat quietly in his chair, and watched as Amanda sleepily hugged the baby to her before giving him his late night snack. For a moment, Jeff wondered if it was a perverted thing to be watching a woman breast feed her child without her knowing it.

He didn’t really care if it was, though. Amanda was beautiful as she held the baby to her, and whispered softly to him. Even with the little sleep she had gotten, Amanda seemed more energetic than she had earlier. As the baby ate, she came all the way awake. It would be a little while before she would be able to go back to sleep.

When the little one was finished, she burped him and laid him gently back in the portable crib. She lay down on her side, and gently stroked the baby’s hair, loving the silky feel of it.

Amanda still couldn’t think of a name. She thought about naming him Glen, for his father, but almost instantly knew it would be the last thing that Glen would have wanted. He would say the baby was his own little person, and needed a name that reflected that. And on some level, she knew that naming him Glen would only intensify her feelings of loss. It would be a constant reminder of what she had lost and someday she might forget that the baby represented all that she had gained.

The baby sighed and shifted in his sleep, making Amanda smile with wonder at him. She couldn’t make herself fully believe that he was there. Already the pain and the labor seemed like a dream. Amanda still remembered how it had hurt, but it didn’t seem important anymore.

Amanda glanced over at Jeff, who was sprawled in a chair. She assumed he was still asleep from the way he was positioned. He’d probably have a hell of a stiff neck in the morning. She studied him for a few minutes, wondering why Glen would picked Jeff as her champion.

But of course, she knew the answer to that. It was crystal clear every time Jeff looked at her, or the baby. Jeff loved her, perhaps as deeply and fully as Glen had. Maybe Glen had sensed it before he’d died, or maybe what Mark told her was true: Glen had come back to tell her to move on.

She found herself wondering if the emotions that she felt for Jeff were love, or only friendship, as she kept trying to tell herself. It was nothing like what she’d felt for Glen, but it was just as strong and solid. Almost tangible. She fell back into a light sleep as she wrestled with her thoughts, and wasn’t surprised that she dreamed of Jeff almost exclusively that night.

Part 63

When Jeff was sure that Amanda was asleep, he slowly stood up and stretched his cramped muscles. Quietly, he leaned over the baby’s crib, and gently touched his head. The baby sighed again, and was quiet.

Jeff couldn’t get enough of looking at the little boy. He’d always thought of kids as pesky, and underfoot all the time. But he already loved the little guy, more than he would have thought possible. He stroked the tiny head one last time before turning to Amanda.

He loved her so much, it was almost like a physical pain. He gently stroked her soft cheek, then leaned down to kiss her forehead. Jeff knew he had to be patient with her. One day, she would realize that he wasn’t just playing around with her. He only hoped it would happen soon.

Sighing, he went back to his uncomfortable chair and sat down. Amanda had told him to go to a motel, but he didn’t want to leave her alone at the hospital. Most of the other guys were on their way back to the dorms, which was about a two-hour drive from where they were.

His eyes slipped closed, and he smiled sleepily as the baby made some small noises in his crib.

Part 64

After two days in the hospital, the doctors were satisfied that mother and baby were healthy and ready to go home. Jeff helped Amanda gather up all the baby gifts, and loaded her and the unnamed baby into the car he had rented.

They listened to soft music on the radio, as the little one slept comfortably in his carseat. "What are you going to do about a name?" Jeff asked her, for the millionth time.

"I don’t know," she said, grinning. She shuffled through some papers in the diaper bag in the back seat. "They gave me a certificate to fill in and mail back to the hospital so they can write the rest of his birth certificate."

"What’s so hard about picking a name? Name him Gladius. Or Bruno. Or maybe Ralph. Fred. George. See, I just came up with a few, right off the top of my head," Jeff said, trying to sound serious. Amanda was giggling beside him.

"Yes, I see it now, Bruno Gladius Jacobs. Sounds very masculine and strong. Like a caveman." She paused for a second. "I don’t know. I can’t think of a name that suits him."

"Well, hurry up. I don’t want to be calling him No Name for the rest of his life," Jeff said, as they drove on toward Connecticut.

"That would sound like a wrestling name," Amanda said, still laughing. "No Name Jacobs, now entering the ring."

"So, you’ve at least decided to give him Glen’s last name? That’s a start." Jeff said, wryly.

"Of course. He is the baby’s father, even if we never got married." Jeff was immediately sorry for bringing it up. But Amanda surprised him. After taking in a shaky breath, she gave him a smile.

"Don’t worry. I’m not going to break down on you. It hurts, but the baby makes it better." She twisted in her seat to look at him. Jeff saw the look of deep love that the baby received, and silently wished that Amanda would look at him like that.

Part 65

When they arrived at the house, Jeff opened the door and carried the baby inside. Amanda stopped in the doorway, gasping in surprise. The living room was full of balloons and flowers, and stuffed animals were everywhere.

Jeff laughed and sat the baby down on the couch. "Looks like a jungle in here. Look, a wild man-eating tiger!" He grabbed a stuffed Tigger that was sitting between two vases full of roses. Amanda laughed as he danced around the room, pretending the toy was attacking him.

She wandered through the house. In every room, there were more toys and flowers. In her bedroom, she found what Kay had described as post-baby-not-as-fat-as-you-used-to-be-but-still-need-Jenny-Craig clothes scattered across her bed and in her closet.

She heard Jeff burst out laughing. Amanda searched, and found him standing at the door of the third, smallest bedroom, which she planned to use as a home office once she got settled down with the baby.

It was stuffed with things for the baby. Diapers of all sizes were stacked against three of the walls, the piles almost reaching to the ceiling. There were bags and boxes of clothes, and even more toys. "Oh my God," she managed to say between bursts of laughter. "The guys really went all out."

"Guys, nothing," Jeff said. "This was all Steve and Debra. You didn’t believe me about the Wal-Mart, did you? He’ll deny everything, of course."

Amanda looked into the baby’s room, and her breath was taken away. While she was in the hospital, someone had painted the walls and ceiling a soft sky blue, with traces of white clouds. All of the baby’s furniture was set up, and the crib was made up with blue bedding that matched the walls. Curtains were hung at the window, and there were more toys and clothes in the room.

Amanda was crying. Jeff started to worry, then thought better of it. Seeing what a group of big brawny guys could do for you was a moving experience. She was deeply touched, and thought she would never be able to thank them enough.

Part 66

Jeff had left to check out his schedule for the next week, and Amanda had settle the baby into his crib when someone knocked on the door.

She peeked out the window, and was surprised to see Mark standing there. She opened the door for him, and gave him a bright smile as she gestured him inside.

"I figured you’d be home by now. I saw Jeff at the dorms." He said, as he sat down. "Where’s the little one?"

"Sleeping. But…" she smile slyly. "We can wake him up, if you’d like to hold him."

Mark grinned, and followed her into the nursery. He gently picked the baby up and sat down with him in the rocking chair that was thoughtfully placed in the corner.

Amanda loved watching his face as he looked down at the baby. She had discovered that most babies had the same effect on people. You felt like wrapping yourself around them and protecting them from everything.

As he slowly rocked, Mark looked up at Amanda. "Thought of a name yet?" She grinned at him, and shook her head. He sat in silence for a moment. "Brandon Nathaniel. Good, solid name. Glen’s father was named Nathaniel."

Amanda looked at him expectantly. "Yes," he said, reading the question he saw that she was going to ask. "Glen told me. Last night."

She looked pleased, then frowned. "I haven’t dreamed about him in days, Mark. I was waiting for him to tell me."

Mark smiled at her. "You were too tired and busy. You dreamed, but you don’t remember it." It was eerie. As he talked, she realized she had dreamed, but when she woke up, she was too fuzzy-minded to focus on what had happened in them.

"I know what a reputation you have with the guys, Mark," Amanda said, leaning against a wall. "About being able to see some things and then those things happen. But I still find it difficult to believe that Glen is somehow communicating with me."

He smiled at her again, and looked down at the baby. "Love builds bridges. Of all kinds. Stranger things have happened." The baby opened his eyes, and focused on Mark for a few seconds, then began waving his hands and feet around. Mark seemed to come out of a trance, and grinned up at Amanda. "Brandon’s hungry. I guess I’d better leave so you can feed him."

At the door, Mark turned and gave them both a kiss on the cheek. "Trust your heart, Amanda. Glen’s guiding you." With that, he walked out to his motorcycle and drove away.

Part 67

Amanda took a six-week maternity leave, and she and Brandon settled in to a regular schedule. Jeff came over whenever he could sneak away from the pressures of wrestling, but touring constantly he couldn’t be around her nearly enough.

Chris had surprised everyone when he disappeared with Sammy for almost a week, then returned and announced that they had gotten married. They had flown to Las Vegas for a quickie wedding, since neither of them felt like going through the red tape of an actual ceremony.

Sammy had started training as a wrestler. At first they just wanted to put her in the women’s division, so she could get a little experience before moving up to bigger things. But being the dynamo that Chris had said she was, Sammy blew the competition away. They were letting Joanie train her in the finer arts of beating up the men.

Hunter and Kay’s wedding day was approaching, and neither of them seemed to be getting the usual cold feet. In fact, the closer it got, the happier they became. Kay was a constant fixture at Amanda’s house, helping her take care of Brandon.

Mark was also in and out of the house, ‘just checking in’, as he put it in his gruff voice. Steve and Debra stopped by several times, and when he thought no one was looking, Steve would look at the baby with a big grin on his face. Amanda had walked into the nursery once and had found Steve standing over the crib, actually baby talking. She had tried no to laugh as the big man made noises and strange sounds, but couldn’t hold it in. Steve had turned bright red, then waved it off. "It’s like an instinct thing. Get around a baby and lose your cool."

Part 68

Kay and Hunter’s wedding day finally arrived. Kay had offered Amanda a position as one of the bride’s maids, but Amanda had declined, not willing to be fitted for the skin-tight dress the other women would be wearing. She still had some baby weight, and her chest had grown to what seemed to Amanda to be monstrous proportions due to the breast-feeding.

They were married at Vince’s huge house, in the garden at the beginning of October. It was a beautiful ceremony. Vince himself gave away the bride, as Kay’s own father had passed away several years before. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Hunter kissed his new bride, who Chris immediately dubbed ‘Mrs. H.’ The joke was considered pay-back to Hunter, who had started calling Sammy ‘Mrs. 2J’ as soon as news of their wedding was made public.

At the reception, Brandon was passed from hand to hand, and Amanda danced with most of the guys there. Jeff finally managed to cut in just as a slow song started. He held Amanda close to him, and smiled when she laid her head on his shoulder. "Having a good time?" He asked her, giving her a little hug.

"Yes. I think they are so perfect for each other," she raised her head to look at Kay and Hunter, who were dancing and smiling into each other’s eyes. It was easy to see they were made for each other.

"They are. Kay’s the only person who could possibly put up with Hunter, and likewise, Hunter’s the only one crazy enough to try to live with Kay," Jeff laughed and Amanda swatted his arm. "What? It’s totally true, ask anybody."

"You’re awful," Amanda said, letting herself relax against him. It had been a perfect day, and she was starting to get tired. As the song ended, she stifled a yawn.

"You look beat," Jeff said, concern written on his face. "Want me to take you home?"

"Please. I’m used to sitting around. This has been a lot of exercise for me." Amanda said. Jeff knew it wasn’t true, she was still the busiest person he knew. But getting up with Brandon several times a night was taking its toll.

They said their good-byes, and Kay protested that Amanda wouldn’t be there for the throwing of the bouquet. But Amanda could barely keep her eyes open, and Kay let the argument go.

They collected Brandon from Edge, who was making silly faces at him and didn’t want to give him up. They finally got into the car, and Jeff drove carefully to Amanda’s house, which was about an hour away.

Almost as soon as the car started, both mother and baby were asleep. Jeff couldn’t help grinning as he glanced at Amanda, curled up in the passenger seat. Although she didn’t think so, she was the most beautiful woman at the wedding. Most of the baby weight had melted away, and she was only a size larger than she had been before the pregnancy.

But it wasn’t the weight loss that made her beautiful. She had blossomed with motherhood, developing a softness that had been missing before. Jeff thought she’d never looked better.

He pulled the car up to her house, and cut the engine. Jeff carefully extracted Brandon from his car seat, then woke Amanda. They went inside, and he gently put the baby in his bed, leaning over to tuck him in and give him a kiss.

Part 69

Amanda watched Jeff from the doorway. She felt tears form in her eyes at the tender way he treated Brandon. She knew she had a touch of post-partem depression. Almost anything could set off a crying fit, be it a sad movie or a show of emotion from another person. But she found that she wasn’t crying over Glen the way she used to. The physical pain had given way to a dull, but sweet ache.

Jeff turned from the baby, and flushed slightly when he saw her standing at the door. He grinned sheepishly. "I can’t help myself around the kid. He brings out the mother in me."

Amanda smiled at him. She felt totally awake after her catnap in the car. She had learned to take sleep when she could get it, and stretch that energy out for hours.

"Go in the living room, and take a seat. I’m going to change, then fix some food. That wedding food didn’t do a thing for me." Amanda said, still smiling. Although the food had been delicious, in true, catered affair style, the effects of it wore off after approximately an hour of activity.

Jeff walked past her. "You go change, and I’ll find some food for us. If you don’t mind me staying?"

"Not at all. There’s some leftover chicken in the fridge, just nuke it." She headed off to her own room.

Jeff had just turned the microwave on when he heard Amanda come into the kitchen. She was still wearing the dress.

"I can’t reach the damn zipper," she said, a smile in her voice. "Would you mind getting it for me?"

Jeff stepped behind her, and slowly lowered the zipper, exposing her long, smooth back. He couldn’t resist the urge, and gently ran his fingertips up her spine.

Amanda shut her eyes with pleasure at the touch of his hand. Jeff gently turned her to face him, and pressed his lips to hers. She immediately responded, as his hands roamed over her body.

She wasn’t thinking about anything but the feel of Jeff’s hands on her body as he lowered the top half of her dress down her shoulders and unhooked her bra. He was gently caressing her, still kissing her deeply and passionately.

She suddenly detected a familiar scent. It was Glen’s cologne, not as strong as the last time she’d sensed it, but unmistakable nonetheless. With a jerk, she pulled away from Jeff and quickly covered her exposed breasts. Jeff looked momentarily stunned, but quickly pulled himself together.

"I’m so sorry, Amanda, I don’t know what I was thinking," He babbled, trying to hide his embarrassment at having her shove him away.

Amanda had started to cry. "It’s not you, Jeff. It’s me. I can’t explain…"

"I understand. Totally. I have to go," Jeff hurriedly said goodbye, leaving Amanda standing in the kitchen with her dress pressed to her chest.

Part 70

Amanda quickly got into her pajamas and sat in the living room, staring at the black screen of the TV. She had wanted Jeff, and could still feel his hands on her body. But the sudden smell of Glen’s cologne had startled her. She didn’t know what it meant. Was it Glen trying to stop her, or was it just her imagination? Or maybe Glen was putting his approval on her relationship with Jeff.

Amanda didn’t know what to think, couldn’t even begin to understand why she was smelling the familiar fragrance. When all of her other memories had faded, she knew that the masculine smell of Glen’s cologne would always be fresh in her mind.

She had to admit it to herself now. There was something there with Jeff, and although she wouldn’t call it love, it was real and powerful. He probably thought she was a tease, which made her face flame. She hadn’t been able to reach the zipper on her dress, and was taken in by the touch of his hands.

Brandon woke up, demanding his midnight feeding, and Amanda quickly breast-fed him and returned him to his crib. She was about to go to her own bed when she heard a soft knock on the door.

When she opened it, she was surprised to find Mark standing there, looking handsome in his black tuxedo. He’d apparently come straight over from the wedding. Amanda let him in, and sat next to him on the couch.

"Something’s wrong," he said. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. "What do you need, Amanda?"

"How did…" she began, but he cut her off.

"I had a feeling. More than a feeling, really. I had to come over and talk to you." Mark said, sounding calm and controlled. But in fact, the feeling in him was still strong. He didn’t want to tell her, but the he’d had a strong vision of Glen while he was seated in the garden at the wedding. Mark had gathered that Amanda needed guidance, and he was supposed to help her.

"I don’t understand," Amanda said. She didn’t want to tell Mark about her and Jeff. It was too embarrassing.

"You sense him, don’t you?" Mark asked, looking Amanda in the eye.

Part 71

Jeff called himself a million names as he drove back to the dorms. He had promised himself he wouldn’t rush her, and he’d pretty much attacked her in her own kitchen.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot," he kept repeating the word, as he pulled up to the building. He was still mentally kicking himself when he got to his room.

Jeff didn’t hesitate for long before deciding a cold shower was in order. Just holding her in his arms as they danced had been enough to turn him on, and touching her went beyond anything he’d dared to dream about.

The icy water hit his body, making him draw in a sharp breath before relaxing into the water. After a few minutes, he got out and toweled off before slipping on a pair of jeans. It made no sense to him to get into bed. Jeff knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

Instead, he paced his room and listened to the sounds of people returning from the wedding. Eventually what he was waiting for happened, and Matt stuck his head in the door without knocking.

"Hey, little bro, didn’t expect to see you here," Matt had a questioning look in his eyes as he looked at Jeff. Matt had just spent the whole evening dancing with Amy, who Kay had invited because she was Amanda’s friend. He was deliriously happy.

"Yeah, well," was all Jeff said, as he came to a stop at the window. "Shit happens, right Mattie?"

Although Jeff’s voice all but dripped with sarcasm, Matt heard the underlying pain. He came all the way inside the room, and closed the door behind him. "So what’s up?" He said, all serious. Matt had never seen Jeff like this, usually he was quick to bounce back from anything that life threw at him.

"What’s up?" Jeff repeated thoughtfully. Matt didn’t like the flat way he spoke. "Hmm, let’s see. I’m in love with a woman who is in love with a man who died a tragic death right before they could get married. The woman then proceeded to have a baby, by the aforementioned man, said baby also being loved by stupid old me."

Matt didn’t have anything smart to say to that. Although most everyone suspected that Jeff was in love with Amanda, he’d never said it to anyone. "Jeff…" Matt began, but Jeff wasn’t ready for Matt to talk yet.

"Please. Baby and woman become my life, and I do something so incredibly stupid it makes Mick Foley taking a dive off a steel cage look sane." Jeff shook his head, then stared hard at Matt. Matt had never seen so much pain on his little brother’s face. "I make a stupid mistake with the woman, who pushes me away like I have the plague. Now, you tell me what’s up, big bro. Because, for the life of me, I can’t tell the difference between up or down anymore."

Part 72

"Sense him?" Amanda said, stalling for time. She knew exactly who Mark was talking about but didn’t want to admit it. Amanda didn’t believe in ghosts.

He gave her a look that said he wasn’t going to take any bull shit from her on this. "I sense Glen too, Amanda." He growled at her. "Tell me." It was an order, and she thought about hedging a little. Looking at the expression on his face, she haltingly explained about the cologne and the dreams.

Mark listened thoughtfully, not showing any adverse reaction to the story of Amanda and Jeff in the kitchen. After she finished speaking, he sat in silence for several long minutes, seeming to hold his own inner conversation. Amanda wondered, almost against her will, if he were somehow conferring with Glen.

"Do you care for Jeff?" He finally asked. Mark’s eyes were focused inward, almost as if he weren’t there at all.

Amanda hesitated. "Yes," she finally said, sounding unsure. Mark’s eyes suddenly focused on her.

"Either you do or you don’t, Amanda. Quit trying to fool yourself." He said, startling her.

"Yes," she said, sounding sure of herself. "I do. But Glen…"

"Is dead." Mark said, his voice final. "And you’re alive. Glen doesn’t understand why you’re using him to cut off your own happiness."

It was almost too much for Amanda. She understood that Mark had some kind of peculiar perception, almost an eerie sixth sense. But she did not believe that he was communicating with her dead fiancé. It just wasn’t possible.

"Look, Mark," Amanda said, starting to sob. "I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, or what kind of kick you’re getting out of doing this to me. But can’t you please, please, stop it?"

She didn’t look up at him, but put her face in her hands and cried. Mark was looking at her in sympathy. "I’m not playing a game with you, Amanda. Glen would talk to you too, if you’d open yourself up to it. Usually, it’s easier when you sleep. But a non-believer won’t see it. Open up, and he’ll talk to you. That’s all he wants." With that, he rose from the couch and left her house.

Part 73

It was after three a.m. when Amanda finally dragged herself into bed. She’d stayed up after Mark left, thinking, until Brandon had stirred. After feeding him and tucking him in, she knew she had to get some sleep.

Almost reluctantly, she climbed into bed. Amanda realized that she was almost afraid of falling asleep, of letting down her defenses. In sleep, even if there were no remembered dreams, the subconscious took over. She was scared of her own mind.

Finally, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. In a matter of moments, she was breathing evenly, deep in the kind of sleep that her body demanded. Mark’s words kept going through her mind. "Open yourself up," his deep voice whispered in her ear.

‘I don’t know how!’ she thought, thinking how funny it was that Mark’s voice sounded so close. Amanda wondered if he had sneaked back into the house, then mentally laughed it off. She felt floaty and unattached from herself, and realized that she was dreaming.

Amanda cleared her thoughts. In her dream, she placed herself in her favorite place. When she was a little girl, they had lived on a horse farm in Kentucky. At the very edge of the property was a small creek, with an old picnic table beside it. Her parents had forgotten it was out there, and that was where Amanda went to be alone, to think and dream.

She walked across the pasture, along the familiar black fence, toward the table. It was a warm summer day, and she marveled at how real the sun felt on her face. As she cleared the trees that shaded the creak, her footsteps faltered.

Seated on the table, his back to her, was Glen. He sensed her behind him, and turned, smiling at her. Amanda’s heart melted. She got her feet moving, and within seconds stood next to the table.

Glen slowly rose, still looking deep into her eyes. "I’ve been waiting for you." He said, his smile growing wider.

With a sound that was part sob, part laugh, Amanda threw herself into his arms. Glen was amazingly solid as he returned her embrace. He finally pulled away, and held her at arm’s length.

Part 74

Amanda realized that they were no longer by the creek. They now stood in Brandon’s room, next to the crib. Glen ran a gentle hand down Amanda’s cheek, then turned to look at the baby. "He’s beautiful," Glen whispered softly, tears choking the words. He stroked the thick dark hair on top of Brandon’s head. The baby sighed, and a small smile appeared for a fleeting moment on his face.

"He looks just like you," Amanda said, standing next to Glen and admiring Brandon’s perfect little face. She looked up at Glen, smiling. "It’s like he knows you’re here, too."

"He does," Glen said, sounding confident. Then his face grew serious. "Are you ready to listen?"

"I am listening," Amanda said, feeling scared. This dream was too real, and it hit her too close to the heart.

"You’re hearing me, but you aren’t really listening to me, Amanda." Glen said, and smiled sadly. "You need to listen."

Amanda sank down on the rocking chair, which felt hard and cold under her. ‘This is the most ultra-realistic dream I’ve ever had.’ Amanda thought to herself.

"Maybe it’s not all dream," Glen said, reading her mind. Amanda started, then relaxed.

"I want to listen. Glen, please, help me," Amanda said, trying not to cry again.

"I will," he said softly, and stooped in front of her. Glen gently touched her face, and ran his hand through her hair. "You have to let me go now, Amanda." She started shaking her head violently. He grasped her chin and forced her to look in his eyes. "I love you, and I always will. And I know that you love me."

Amanda looked at him, her eyes large and filled with tears that slipped silently down her cheeks. Glen gently wiped away the wetness, smiling sadly. "Jeff loves you. He wants to take care of you. Until you admit that you love him, too, you can never let me go." His face grew sadder. "I want to be with you always, Amanda, but not at the expense of your happiness. Not if it means that you freeze out the people who would love you as much as I do." Tears were falling down his face now.

"But your cologne…I thought…" Amanda stuttered it out. Glen gave her a sad smile.

"The first time, I was just letting you know I was there. In the kitchen, you imagined it, to push Jeff away," in shame, Amanda tried to turn her face away. Glen captured it between his large hands. "No, you have to listen. I’m taking away all the guilt you feel, Amanda. I know you love me. But there are different kinds of love. If you think about it, you’ll know I’m right. I can’t think of another person on the planet that would make you happier than Jeff could. And you make him happy, just being around him. I want you to be together. He’s going to be the one that takes care of you in my place. I think I knew that, even before the…attack."

Brandon started making hungry noises, not really crying yet, but close. Glen quickly kissed Amanda. He was fading before her eyes as the baby’s cries got louder. "I love you, Amanda." His voice was a soft whisper, and Amanda’s eyes snapped open.

She was in her bed, her face wet with tears, Brandon crying in his nursery. Amanda rushed in to comfort the little one, noticing it was almost seven in the morning.

Part 75

As soon as Brandon was satisfied, Amanda sat in the rocking chair, going over her dream. It had seemed so real. But she had awakened in bed, alone.

Amanda was ready to admit that she loved Jeff. She didn’t try to kid herself about it. He was Glen’s total opposite in a lot of ways, but still strong and caring. And she felt as strong for him as she had for Glen, but in a different way. Glen had been right.

Amanda had no trouble admitting it had been Glen in her dream. It wasn’t just some part of her mind telling her what she wanted to hear. She wished that she had been able to say that she loved him, even if it was a dream.

"He knows," Amanda said, softly. She turned her thoughts to Jeff.

After the way she had pushed him away the night before, Amanda’s face flushed. He probably thought that he repulsed her, when just the opposite was true. She’d wanted to cling to him, and open herself up to him, but the guilt over Glen had reared it’s head. But as her dream had pointed out, it was a different kind of love.

"I love Jeff," she said out loud, waiting to see what the words would do to her. She smiled broadly, and repeated it. "I love Jeff." She hugged Brandon, who was wide awake, and staring up at her. Amanda looked into his eyes, so like his father’s, and gently touched his face.

But after the way she had behaved last night, would Jeff still want her? Amanda knew that her rejection had wounded him. She had to think of a way to make it up to him.

Part 76

Jeff woke up, still wearing his jeans. He had fallen asleep at his desk, his head resting on the computer keyboard. Shaking his head, and stretching his stiff muscles, he went into the bathroom and ran a hot bath.

He stripped, and slipped into the water. He felt horrible, like a piece of him had been torn out. It wasn’t just Amanda’s rejection of his advances last night. He was beginning to think that she would never let Glen go, and that he’d be wasting his time and love on a woman who didn’t want to feel anything.

Jeff shook those thoughts out of his head. That was stupid. Of course she wanted to feel. Her reaction when he’d first touched her and kissed her told him that. Just thinking about her soft skin and the way she’d held on to him caused him to moan. But then she’d frozen up, shoving him away, like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on her.

Jeff understood that he’d never be able to replace Glen in her heart. All this time, he was hoping that she would be able to make room for him someday. And he’d pulled his little stunt last night, probably scaring her into not wanting to be around him anymore.

Part of him believed that, while another deeper part laughed. That part of him knew what the rest of him couldn’t see. She had made room for him, but was afraid to let him move in.

Jeff got out of the tub and dried off. After getting dressed, he realized what he had to do. He’d redouble his efforts, and make her see what they had. Amanda couldn’t stay locked in place forever. She needed him, and he couldn’t live without her. He was going to make her understand that he wouldn’t be pushed away so easily.

Part 77

The first person Jeff saw when he left his room was Mark. Mark looked as if he had been expecting Jeff to come out of his room. "Hey, Jeff," Mark said, giving him a knowing smile.

Jeff looked at him, puzzled. "Mark, what the hell is going on?" He asked, confused.

"Nothing. Just hanging around," that wasn’t what Jeff had meant, and Mark knew it. But that infuriating smile stayed on his face.

Jeff sighed and walked on, throwing another glance back at Mark, who now had a big grin on his face. Mark looked like he was carrying around a big juicy secret, with no one to share it with.

Jeff shook off the thought as he got into his car. He was going to take care of some errands, then he was going to take care of Amanda.

Part 78

Mark was still grinning when Matt came down the hallway, looking for Jeff. He wasn’t in his room, and it was unlike him not to sleep in on their rare days off.

"Hey, Mark," he said, surprised to see him there. Mark didn’t spend a lot of time in the dorms. He had his own house, not far away.

"Matt," Mark nodded at him, a smile still playing around the corners of his mouth.

"Is something wrong?" Matt asked, suspiciously. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so happy."

Mark just shook his head. "Things are starting to come together, Matt. In a big, beautiful way." Mark laughed out loud and walked off toward the front doors.

Matt stood and stared after him, not comprehending at all what Mark was talking about. Rolling his eyes at the ceiling, Matt decided to worry about it later. He had a breakfast date with Amy before she left to go back to Kentucky, and he didn’t want to be late.

Part 79

Jeff stood uncertainly on Amanda’s front porch, hoping he was not going to make a fool of himself. Although he’d felt sure and confident all morning, as soon as Amanda’s house came into view the feelings were replaced with dread.

If she rejected him, or even looked like she was going to, Jeff would die. He couldn’t live without her. And he didn’t intend to.

Finally calling on his courage, he knocked on her door. A few seconds later, he heard her footsteps as they approached. The door opened, and Jeff stood silently, looking at Amanda.

She finally gave a little smile, then stepped back to let him come in. Jeff did, still tongue-tied. Everything he’d been planning to say to her had left his head, leaving him feeling slow and stupid.

"I didn’t think you’d come back," Amanda finally said, sitting on the couch. Brandon was lying on a blanket on the floor, kicking his feet and swinging his arms. Jeff smiled looking at him, before answering.

"Why wouldn’t I?" He asked softly. He turned to look into her eyes.

She blushed and looked away, but almost immediately looked back. There was something different in her eyes, something that wasn’t there before. Jeff couldn’t quite put his finger on it, though.

"I thought, I mean, after the way I acted last night…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish, and blushing brighter. If only he knew how much she’d like to do it over.

"You didn’t do anything wrong, Amanda," Jeff said, then stood up and went to the couch beside her. He took her hand in his, and they both sat watching Brandon try to roll around on the floor.

Jeff brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed the palm, which sent a shiver all the way through Amanda’s body. "I was the one who was wrong," Jeff said. She was going to protest, but he stopped her. "I thought I could love you and not expect to get anything back. But I do expect it. I want to be more than your friend, Amanda. I thought being around you, helping you, was going to be enough, but I was wrong." He paused, then faced her.

"I need to know if you feel anything for me. Anything at all. Love, hate, disgust, lust, just name something so I know where I’m going." He pleaded with her, tracing the back of her hand with his fingers.

"Jeff," she began, the licked her dry lips. "I do feel something for you. Not hate, not disgust. I had…well, a dream last night. I finally found out what I needed to know."

Jeff felt a small flicker of hope. "And that was?" he asked, trying not to sound nervous.

She took a deep breath. "First of all, I need to say… I still love Glen. I can’t change that."

Jeff nodded. "I know that, Amanda, and I don’t want you to."

She smiled at him. "I found out that there are a different kinds of love, Jeff. Lots of different kinds."

He gave her hand a squeeze, urging her on. "Sometime last night, or this morning, I was finally able to admit to myself…that I love you." She finally managed to say it, then waited for his reaction.

Jeff sat stunned for a few moments. He had known it was coming, but the powerful force of her words to his heart was awesome.

Part 80

Amanda continued when Jeff couldn’t speak. "I’ll always love Glen, but I was using that to keep you at a distance. Let’s face it, when it comes to love and marriage, I’m a two-time loser." He didn’t understand what she was talking about, so she quickly explained leaving Everett at the altar. "And of course, Glen died the night before our wedding. So that’s strike two."

She smiled sadly. "I’ve thought about it all morning. It hurt to lose Glen, a deep down physical and emotional pain. I never loved Everett, so leaving him hardly gave me second thoughts." Her eyes sparkled, as tears formed. "But with Glen, I finally found what I wanted. And then he was taken away from me." The tears ran freely down her face. "Deep down, I thought I was being punished for what I had done to Everett. I couldn’t make myself stop thinking about it in those terms."

Jeff put his arm around her, letting her talk it all out. "It was stupid of me, I know. What happened to Glen was a freak thing, it could have happened to anyone of the wrestlers. There was no way to stop it from happening. But I kept going over it in my mind. If I had made him stay with me for just a few more seconds, would it have made a difference? If I had been able to do something for him, besides just holding him and waiting for the ambulance, would I have been able to save him?" she sighed deeply. "I was making myself crazy, thinking about it. And all the time I was doing that, I was being drawn to you."

"I thought I had gotten over the brunt of the guilt. Until last night," Jeff tried to say that she didn’t have to talk about it. "Please, let me finish. When you touched me, kissed me…all I wanted was to grab onto you and not let you go. But I’m so afraid of losing someone else. I used Glen, kept the guilt inside, because I thought if I could keep you at arm’s length, I could love you, and you wouldn’t get hurt. But I don’t want to keep you away from me, Jeff. I need you."

Tears sparkled in Jeff’s eyes as he held Amanda in his arms. "I was afraid that you hated me for touching you," he whispered. She shook her head, not trusting her voice. "I know you love Glen, and you always will. I don’t want to take his place, Amanda. I want to love you in my own way. You and Brandon, you both need me, and I need both of you."

Gently, he leaned down and kissed Amanda’s lips, as he wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs. Amanda held onto him, pulling him close in a tight hug.

Part 81

The rest of the day went by quickly. Jeff went back to the dorms to get his schedule, and to try and find Matt. Amanda spent the day taking care of Brandon, and getting ready to go back to work full time.

Brandon would be traveling with her, but she’d have plenty of baby-sitters willing to watch after him while she worked.

Amanda had just put Brandon down for the night when she heard a knock at the door. He heart jumped up into her throat, and butterflies danced in her stomach. She opened the door and saw Jeff standing there, looking as nervous as she felt.

Jeff managed a grin. "Our match got bumped. I thought I’d stop by, see if you needed anything…" He didn’t finish, and finally Amanda pushed the door all the way open to let him in. Jeff entered the living room, and stood by the couch.

Hesitating only for a moment, Amanda went to him and put her arms around him. Jeff released his tension, and held her for several long minutes. Without knowing he was going to do it, he began kissing her lips, and touching her face and hair.

He was still wary of being pushed away. But instead, Amanda pulled him closer, pressing her body against his. He moaned as her hands roamed over his back and shoulders, pausing to play with his long hair.

Amanda quickly rid Jeff of his jacket and shirt, then took his hand and led him to her bedroom. They spent most of the night getting to know one another’s bodies, and whispering promises to each other.

Brandon cried for his midnight feeding, and Amanda hastily went into the nursery. She had been in bed with Jeff for almost four hours. It felt like it had only been minutes. She smiled softly as she rocked Brandon. Jeff was amazing, very passionate, and he made her feel like she was the most beautiful person in the world.

Brandon finally got his fill, and sleepily smiled at his mother as she lay him down in the crib. Quietly, she went back to her own room, where Jeff was sprawled on her bed, breathing deeply as he slept. She slipped into the bed next to him, and his arms immediately gathered her close. Amanda couldn’t stop smiling as she drifted off to sleep in Jeff’s arms.

Part 82

The next time Amanda woke up, sunlight was streaming through her bedroom window. Jeff was on his side next to her, propped on his elbow, staring down at her face.

Jeff grinned at her, then leaned down to kiss her. "I have something for you." He said, when he managed to pull away from her. Turning, he grabbed a small box from the table next to the bed.

Amanda’s hands trembled as she opened the box. Inside was a heart-shaped sapphire, surrounded by tiny diamonds that sparkled in the morning light. "Jeff…" was all she could say. The ring was gorgeous.

Jeff took the ring from her, and slipped it on her finger. "I thought it would be a long time before I gave this to you." He paused and grinned. "Do you remember when I dislocated my shoulder at that pay-per-view? Your first real day on the job." Jeff gently touched her face. "The next morning, I went out and bought this ring for you. I knew I loved you. I thought you were some kind of angel."

Amanda smiled happily up at him. "I’m no angel." Tears were sparkling in her eyes. "And you’ve held onto it for almost a year? Even though I got engaged to Glen?" And then she remembered their conversation in the garden, on the night of the Christmas party. "You were trying to tell me. I feel so stupid."

"Don’t say that. You were in love," Jeff looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "So, how bout it?"

"How bout what?" Amanda said, still smiling.

"Well, I didn’t just give you the ring for nothing. I want to marry you, Amanda, and spend my life taking care of you and Brandon."

More tears in her eyes, Amanda nodded, "Then my answer is yes."

Part 83

Amanda realized that she hadn’t given Brandon his three a.m. feeding. A worried look passed over her face, and she jumped out of bed, Jeff following her looking confused.

In his crib, Brandon was playing with one of his socks, which he’d managed to pull off his foot sometime that morning. As soon as he saw his mother, his little face broke into a smile.

"Little bug slept through the night," Jeff commented, standing by as Amanda lifted Brandon into her arms. "So, when are we going to get married? Not that I’m in a hurry or anything." He added, as Amanda sat in the rocking chair.

She laughed. "As soon as you want." Amanda started feeding Brandon, and Jeff got down beside the chair to lightly stroke the baby’s head.

"Well, you can pick the date. I don’t care what kind of huge fling you want, just so long as I don’t have to wait forever," Jeff said, grinning.

"I don’t want a big wedding. In fact, I don’t really want a wedding at all," Amanda said, and laughed at the startled look on Jeff’s face. "I’ve tried it twice and it didn’t work for me. Let’s just elope, like Chris and Sammy did."

"That’ll do it for me," Jeff said, giving her a kiss. "I love you, Amanda."

"I love you too, Jeff," Amanda said, returning his kiss.

Epilogue

Jeff sat on the couch, giving a bottle to Skye, watching old wrestling tapes. Skye had just turned six months old, a fabulous age to get her hooked on the world of wrestling.

"Hey, Dad, who’s that?" A five-year old Brandon asked, his eyes glued to the screen. Amanda and Jeff had gone to Vegas three days after he’d proposed, then Jeff had adopted Brandon. One year later, Amanda gave him his first daughter, Brianna, who was now almost 4. Skye had come along a few years later, and Amanda was already talking about having another one.

Jeff looked at the screen, not surprised by who was on there. "That’s your real Dad, Brandon," he said, quietly. Brandon had known since the year before that Jeff wasn’t really his father. This was the first time that Brandon had ever seen a tape of Glen wrestling.

Brandon frowned at the TV. "Was he a good wrestler, like you?" Jeff’s heart went out to the boy.

"He was one of the best," Jeff said, settling Skye in the crook of his arm so he could use his free hand to pull Brandon to him for a hug. "He loved you and your Mom very much."

"As much as you do?" Brandon asked, in his point-blank way. The kid always spoke his mind, and was still the spitting image of his father.

Jeff ruffled his hair. "If not more. But we still love him, right kiddo?"

Brandon smiled brightly, his eyes going back to the action on the screen. "Yeah." His face was thoughtful as he watched his father throw his opponent around the ring.

Jeff looked over his shoulder and saw Amanda standing there holding Brianna by the hand. She smiled at him, then sat on the couch next to Brandon with Brianna in her lap. After almost five years together, he still found himself loving her more as each day passed.

Brandon turned to Jeff, a troubled look on his face. "But I thought you were my Dad. Are you still my Dad?"

Amanda gave her son a hug. "Of course he is. You’re lucky to have two fine Daddies, Brandon. And I’m sure they both love you very much."

Brandon finally seemed satisfied with the conversation. Amanda kissed Jeff, then tried to hide a sly smile.

"Oh, no," Jeff said, knowing that look. But he was smiling. "Don’t tell me."

"I’m pregnant," she said, and started laughing. "I wasn’t for sure, so I went to the doctor today. He says I’m two months along."

Jeff tried to act outraged, but he couldn’t pull it off. "That’s it, woman. I’m cutting you off until you stop ovulating."

Laughing, Amanda snuggled up to him, all their children around them. "I think this one is definitely going to take after his Daddy. He’s already doing flips."

Jeff kissed her tenderly, tears in his eyes. Still smiling, Jeff’s family settled in on the couch to remember the past, and plan for their future.