Two and a half years earlier...

"I'm so excited!" Stephanie McMahon practically squealed with delight to her best friend, Amanda.  She checked her hair and makeup in the mirror over her vanity table for what must have been the fiftieth time in an hour.

"I know, I know, Steph...it's not like you haven't told me that about a zillion times already," Amanda said, rolling her eyes teasingly.  The truth was, she was a bit envious of her friend.

"You're just jealous," Stephanie said, tweaking Amanda's nose as she turned around on her chair.  "I have a date with the most gorgeous guy in the universe!"

A pleasant shiver ran up and down her spine when she thought about him - he was so handsome and sweet.  She usually didn't like "sweet" guys, favoring the bad boy type, but he had this mystique about him - and of course, he was drop-dead gorgeous.  She'd had her eye on him for several months, and had finally worked up the nerve to ask him out.  She'd been thrilled when he'd said yes, and now, here she was, getting ready for their date and waiting for him to pick her up...

"He's here!" Stephanie cried when she heard the doorbell ring.  She jumped up from her seat, even though she didn't want to appear overly anxious.  She calmed herself down a bit and glanced at Amanda, knowing the butler would let him in.

She guessed that her parents would greet him when he was let in, and she was actually relieved that this was their first date and not their fifth.  She didn't want them to know certain things about her, like the fact that, despite what Daddy thought, she was not a virgin...

*

Present time...

Adam Copeland glanced through his script for this week's RAW and did a double-take.  Included in the pages was a note from WWF C.E.O. Linda McMahon.  He pulled it out and sat down on the black leather couch in the locker room.  His eyebrows arched up as he read the note's surprising contents.

Adam looked up as he heard someone else walk into the room.  "Oh, hey, Matt," he said when he saw that it was his friend Matt Hardy.  "You're not going to believe this..."

"Oh, hey, man, I already know.  I just came back from seeing Amy.  She told me that Linda McMahon wants her to be your new valet.  Pretty cool idea."

"I guess," Adam said thoughtfully.  He had mixed feelings about having anyone acting as his valet, as his Edge character had usually been more or less a loner, even though he'd been teamed up with his best friend, Jason Reso, for quite some time, after being a part of The Brood with Jay, as well as David Heath.  On the other hand, Amy Dumas was a good friend of his, and although he usually saw her as "one of the guys," she was a beautiful woman and very easy on his eyes.  He decided this might be fun after all.

"Amy said she's looking forward to it," Matt said, interrupting Adam's thoughts.  "She thinks it'd be cool to be able to work with you."

Hmm, Adam thought.  Yeah, this will be interesting.

*

An hour later, Adam walked to the room that Vince McMahon was using as his office for the evening.  He stood for a moment outside the door, deep in thought, then knocked four times with his knuckles.

"Come on in," Mr. McMahon's voice called from within.

Adam went inside and instantly met the hazel eyes of Amy, who was already in the office for their meeting.  She nodded a greeting to him and gave him a small smile.  He gave her a little smile of his own.

"Thanks for coming, Adam," Vince started.  "I was telling Amy here that I wanted to go over the plan with you a bit.  Now, what we're going to have you do is to approach her after she comes to aid you in your match at No Way Out against Kurt Angle.  Angle has you in the ankle lock, Amy runs out from the back, distracts Kurt and hurricanranas him, rescuing you in the process and giving you the chance to use your finisher on Angle and get the win.  After this, for the next several weeks, wherever Amy is, you are.  She has a match, you come down to ringside to watch.  She has an interview, you show up and thank and praise her.  Eventually, you approach her one last time and ask her to join you.  We're going to put you two in a mixed tag team match in the near future."

Adam glanced at Amy, who was staring at him, then looked back at the boss.  "Sounds good."  He grinned, meeting Amy's eyes again.

"Good.  I've already discussed all of this with Amy, and she likes the ideas as well.  We'll iron out all the specific details in due time.  You two can get going now."

As they left the office together, Amy turned to Adam.  "I'm really excited about the opportunity to work with you, Adam.  I think we'll make an excellent team."  Her eyes gleamed as she continued smiling at him.

"I agree," he admitted.  "This should be interesting, to say the least.  We've always worked against each other on TV, so it should be fun."

"Yeah."

Adam thought for a moment, then said, "Hey, do you think the fans are going to like this idea, though?  They know you best as the Team Xtreme girl."

"Oh, we can make them love this idea," she replied.

Adam gazed at her.  Aside from being friends with her for two years, he couldn't deny his intense attraction toward her.  But she only saw him as a friend, and he hadn't known her to date fellow wrestlers.  Just his rotten luck.

Amy started to talk about what they, along with Matt, Jeff, Jay and Trish, were going to do for the evening.  While she was speaking, Adam suddenly became aware of a presence nearby but farther down the hallway.  From his peripheral vision, he could see that someone was watching them.  He turned his head slowly in the direction of that person and saw that it was Stephanie McMahon, the boss' daughter.  As he eyed her, Steph resumed walking the rest of the way to her father's office, gazing intensely at Adam and Amy as she passed them by.

Adam blinked and shook his head quickly.  Stephanie kind of unnerved him.  He'd felt that way ever since they went out that autumn night in 1999.  Before they'd gone out, he'd been intrigued by her and had been flattered when she'd asked him out.  She was so pretty, and she seemed to be very sweet and down to earth, the kind of girl with whom he wanted to be involved...but boy, was he wrong!

It had turned out that Stephanie was the kind of person who was obsessed with power and how to obtain it.  She was so much like her father in that regard.  Adam had felt uncomfortable by that as well as the fact that Steph seemed to want him for his looks alone.  She hadn't actually said as much, but her mannerisms spoke volumes for her.  He refused to be the trophy boy for some rich, arrogant, snobby girl.

*

"What was that all about, Daddy?" Stephanie questioned Vince.  She was a bit annoyed after seeing Adam and Amy acting chummy together in the hallway.  She knew they were friends, but she'd become incensed when she just happened by and saw the way Adam was gazing at Amy - so intensely.  Maybe there was something between them - maybe there was something going on between them!  The mere thought sickened her.

"We are going to put the two of them together, sweetheart," Mr. McMahon replied as he calmly sat down on the leather loveseat on one side of the room.  "That is, Lita will be Edge's new valet.  It's all planned out."

"Edge and Lita...?!"  Stephanie frowned.  She didn't like the sound of this.  "Who the hell came up with that idea?"

"Your mother did, honey."

Stephanie felt her blood beginning to boil.  Her lips pursed into an angry smirk.  "Oh, it was Mom's idea...I should've known!"  Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.  "Well, that's just great, Dad...just great!"  She gritted her teeth.

Vince studied his daughter warily.  She looked furious, but it was more so than that.  She somehow seemed to be personally affected by the news he'd just given her.  What was it that had so offended her?  She seemed - jealous.  He recalled how his little girl had gone on a date with Adam Copeland a little more than two years ago, and she had seemed crazy about him - but it hadn't worked out between them, and they'd only been on that one date.  Besides, Stephanie had become engaged to her boyfriend, Paul Levesque, just three months earlier.  So, what was the problem?

"Steph...calm down.  Your mother thought the fans would like this idea, and she brought it to my attention - I agree with her.  I think the fans do want to see this."

"Oh, please!" Stephanie cried.  "Quite the contrary, Dad - Edge has always more or less been a loner, even though he's been with The Brood and a tag team with Christian.  Well, now that he's solo again, he should stay a loner!  It doesn't make sense any other way!"

"I'm sorry, Steph," Vince replied, "but we've already decided to go along with this angle.  There are no more discussions about it."

Stephanie sulked and pouted and didn't utter another word.  She was seething inside.  In fact, she was so angry that she could feel a small vein throbbing in her neck.  Before her father could say any more, she turned and stormed out of his office.

She walked briskly down the hallways of the arena.  She felt as though her life were coming apart at the seams.  She couldn't get out of her mind the image of Adam's face as he'd been gazing at Amy.  He'd looked enamored.  He looked like he was in love with her!

Blinking back hot, scalding tears, Steph kept walking aimlessly and almost collided with someone.  She was ready to tell off the poor, unfortunate soul until she saw who it was.

"Hey, babe...what's the matter?" Chris Irvine's voice spoke soothingly to her as he put one hand on her chin to tip her face up.  He frowned when he saw the unhappy expression on her usually satisfied face.

"What are you doing, Chris?" she said in a loud whisper.  "Not here - what if someone sees us?"  Her eyes flashed at him angrily.

Chris' clear blue eyes showed momentary hurt.  "Sorry."  He studied her.  Stephanie looked so full of despair that he just wanted to put his arms around her and kiss her deeply.

For the past seven months, Stephanie and Chris had been carrying on a passionate yet discreet affair.  There had always been something between them, although Steph didn't love him in any way.  The most she could admit feeling for him was friendship.

And Paul - Paul was a man she felt more strongly about than Chris, and she felt secure with him financially and professionally.  Although she loved him, she realized that she was not in love with him.   In fact, there was no way she could ever have a deep and meaningful passion for any other man like that which she felt for Adam.

"So, come on, baby," Chris was saying to her.  He interrupted the reverie she was having about her golden boy.  "Why don't we go somewhere private?"  His hand was still caressing her chin.

Stephanie pushed his hand away.  "Not now, Chris," she said with gritted teeth.  She didn't want to bother with him right now.  If she did, she would just end up having sex with him and fantasizing about Adam during it.  Right now, she didn't feel much in the mood for Chris.

"Maybe later...I'm not really in the mood.  Okay?"

"Okay, babe," Chris said with disappointment.  "You know where you can find me if you want me later."

"I know," Stephanie replied.  With those words, she broke away from him and continued her walk down the hall.

*

February, No Way Out Pay-Per-View (three weeks later)

"...Edge is in trouble!" J.R. exclaimed from the announcer's table.  "Angle has him set up for the Olympic Slam - but wait!"

"Edge just squirmed out of that one!" Jerry Lawler shouted.  "Ahhhhhhh!  Edgecution time!  No--"

As Edge attempted his finishing maneuver, Kurt Angle managed to avoid it and swiftly reversed his opponent into a belly-to-belly suplex.  Afterward, as Angle got to his feet and celebrated by yelling "woo," Edge speared him.  However, the young blond Canadian was so exhausted from the grueling twenty-minute match that he didn't immediately go for the cover.  The referee began to count for both men, who lay sprawled on the mat.  By five, Edge rolled over and threw an arm over his opponent for the pinfall.  Angle kicked out at two, but with surprising quickness and adrenaline, sprang to his feet and grabbed Edge in the Ankle Lock.

Edge attempted to inch his way to the ropes, but Angle pulled him to the center of the ring.  As the Canadian valiantly continued trying to reach the ropes, Angle twisted his ankle even more.  Edge's face contorted into a grimace of pain.  There seemed to be nothing more he could do, but he didn't tap out.  He wouldn't give up - couldn't.

"What's this?" J.R. asked as the shapely form of Lita suddenly emerged as the diva ran from the back to the ring.

"I don't know," Lawler said.  "What's Lita doing out here?"

The redheaded high flyer immediately climbed up onto the apron, directly in the line of Kurt Angle's view.  Upon seeing her, the Olympic Hero released his hold on Edge and started shouting and pointing at her.  "What the hell is she doing here?" he yelled.

Edge started to crawl to the other side of the ring, where he grabbed onto his injured ankle and attempted to stand up.  Referee Teddy Long followed and aided him, checking to see if Edge could continue the match.  He hadn't seen Lita at all.

Meanwhile, Lita took advantage of the referee's distraction and of Kurt's confusion by scrambling up the top turnbuckle.  She quickly took Angle down with a hurricanrana that landed him smack in the center of the ring.  As she hopped off the apron, Edge hobbled over and made the pin, and Teddy Long counted three.  The match was over - Edge was victorious.  Lita backed up slowly on the ramp, watching Edge as he got painfully to his feet and regarded her curiously with a look of confusion on his face.

"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" J.R. shouted.

"Lita just helped Edge win the match - that's what happened!" Jerry cried.

*

"You were awesome," Adam told Amy as they were relaxing backstage after the match.  "You did everything perfectly.  It couldn't have gone better."

"Thanks," Amy replied with a slightly shy smile.

Adam grinned at her as they sat on opposite ends of a small couch in a deserted locker room.  She looked so sweet when she looked shy.  Over the past couple of weeks, she'd appeared quite shy around him, and he wondered about that now.

He was so thrilled he was going to be working with her from now on.  She was so talented, and he knew they would make an excellent team.  Besides, he recently realized that he'd developed strong feelings for her that went far beyond just friendship.  He was falling deeply in love with her.

Actually, in some ways, it wasn't good that they would be working together.  At times, Adam would gaze at Amy and find himself getting aroused, which would not be a good thing to happen in front of an audience.  Also, he wasn't sure that Amy reciprocated anything even remotely like the feelings he had for her, despite her occasional shyness around him.

Just talk to her, he told himself.  Just do it...

He told himself that often, but somehow, he couldn't get up the courage.  Why was he so uncertain and nervous?  He'd never been that way with a woman before.

Adam realized what it was.  He believed Amy was the type of girl who would not only reject a fellow wrestler, but also a friend out of fear of what might happen if it didn't work out between them.  Intuitively, he sensed that she was exactly that type of person - one who wouldn't risk losing a friendship for a relationship.

"Adam?" Amy said.  She waved a hand in front of his face.

"What?"  He blinked, meeting her eyes.  "I'm sorry.  What were you saying?"

"I asked if you were okay - I lost you for a minute there.  You got this blank expression on your face and just seemed a million miles away.  What were you thinking about?"  She gazed at him with concern.

"Err...nothing.  Just about how we're going to pull off the next show," he said lamely.  Actually, he'd been imagining what it would be like to kiss her, but he didn't want her to know that.

"Really?"

"Yeah..."

"Are you sure that's all it was?" Amy asked.  "Because I could have sworn there was definitely something more to it than that."

"Like what?" Adam questioned.

Amy slid over, closer to him, and, to his surprise, she placed a hand gently on his cheek, sliding it into his long blond hair.  "Like this," she said softly, leaning over to kiss him tenderly on the cheek.  Afterward, she met his eyes, and Adam's heart began to pound.  Could it be?

Gazing into her eyes, Adam dared to move his face closer to hers until their lips met.  They kissed passionately, and Adam's breathing quickened.  The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back on the couch with Amy on top of him, and they continued kissing.  Amy entwined her fingers in his hair and caressed his cheeks, and Adam stroked her back and allowed his hands to travel down to her buttocks.  He felt himself growing hard against her.  He held her tightly down against him and moaned softly as she began fondling him through his wrestling tights.

Adam felt like he was dreaming.  Was he really here, on this couch, in this locker room, making out with Amy Dumas?  The sound of her voice told him that he wasn't dreaming and that this was really happening.

"Mmm...like that?" Amy asked breathlessly as she continued fondling the now large bulge in his pants, a smile on her face.

"Uh huh," was all Adam could manage as a reply as he kept his eyes locked on hers.

Still straddling him, Amy leaned over slightly and kissed him, and Adam responded, fervently kissing her back.  He ran one hand through her long red hair, which was now damp with sweat.

After a few minutes, Amy lifted her head from his to gaze deeply into his eyes again.

"Amy," Adam said softly.  "You don't know how long I've been wanting to do that...kiss you, I mean."

"Really?" she said, then smiled again.  "I had a feeling for awhile.  I kept picking up this vibe whenever we were together.  I've noticed the way you look at me."  She leaned down and they kissed again.  Afterward, she move slightly and began tugging at the waistband of Adam's tights.  Adam moved a bit and watched as she pulled his wrestling tights down.  Amy then repositioned herself, smiling at him as she met his eyes again, then she began to go down on him.

Adam sighed and reached down to gently caress her hair as her lips, teeth and tongue lavished him.  He let out a soft moan.

*

Stephanie was livid now that she'd witnessed the beginning of the new Edge/Lita angle.  She couldn't believe her bitch of a mother.  Well, she'd show her! Leave it to Mom to make my life miserable, she thought bitterly.

She continued walking down the hallway and stopped right outside of a locker room and suddenly heard a voice coming from within.

"Oh, God...Amy!"

Stephanie frowned.  That sounded like Adam!  What the hell was going on in there?  Ears perked up, she leaned closer to the door, straining to hear more.  To her shock and dismay, she then heard a female voice utter something unintelligible.  She suddenly realized what must be taking place in there - Amy's mouth was "full."

Stephanie felt as though a cannonball had been shot into her stomach.  Stifling a cry with one hand over her mouth, she stumbled away from the door.  She felt sick and thought her tears would pour forth at any moment.  She wanted to die.

Mechanically, she left the arena.  As she got into her limo, she instructed the driver where to take her.  Paul wouldn't miss her, as he still had a match at the end of the night.  But there was one person whose match had already ended, and she had to go see him.

*

Adam moaned with pleasure as Amy rode him with deep, regular strides.  They were both dripping with sweat as they made love.  He held firmly to her waist and guided her movements, alternately moving one hand to caress her in a way that made her cry out.

"Adam...Adam!" Amy cried as she came.  She moved faster and faster, causing Adam to come at the same time.

"Oh, God..."  He emptied himself into her and tried to catch his breath.

After it was over, they lay in each other's arms, both still breathing heavily.  Adam stroked Amy's hair and cheek and gazed at her.

"I can't believe we just did that," he admitted.

Amy smiled up at him, fully sated.  "Why not?"

"Just because it happened so suddenly.  I mean, we just had our first kiss only a few minutes before it happened.  And...wow!"  His grin widened.

Amy laughed softly.  "I've imagined that for a long time now, Adam...what it would be like to make love to you.  And in reality, it was a lot better than it ever was in my fantasies."

Their eyes locked and held for a moment before Adam leaned slightly over to tenderly kiss her on the forehead.

*

Stephanie knocked on the door to room 519 in the Holiday Inn and was certain that she would unleash a torrent of tears when the door was opened.  To her surprise, it didn't happen.

"Steph," Chris said with a smile as he looked her up and down with pleasure.  "What a sight you are after the beating I took in my match earlier tonight."  He stood aside to let her in.

Stephanie practically marched into the center of the room, trying to hold her emotions in check.  She couldn't get the images out of her mind - the images of Amy and her Adam engaging in perverse positions...touching each other inappropriately...sharing things that should never be shared between Adam and any woman other than herself.

She suddenly realized that Chris was pouring her a drink - champagne, she realized.

"I don't want anything to drink, Chris," she protested.

"Aw, come on, sugar," he said as he gazed at her, glass in hand.  "It'll loosen you up a little, and you look really tense.  On the other hand, I know a few other ways I can loosen you up."  He gave her that lascivious grin of his that made so many women weak in the knees.

"Chris, I don't want a drink...I just want...I want..."

He put the glass down on the nightstand and came closer to her.  He let his right hand trail from behind her left ear to down to her left nipple, which he easily sought within the confines of her conservative black blazer and tight pink T-shirt.  "What do you want, Steph?"

Stephanie's breath caught in her throat at his light-as-a-feather touch.  He already had her aroused.  She gazed directly into his eyes and said softly, "Make love to me, Chris..."

Without a word, Chris slowly removed her blazer, then leaned over to kiss her on the neck.  Steph closed her eyes and savored the feeling of his hot lips on her flesh.  His right hand sought her breast and cupped it.

A moment later, Chris turned his attention on Stephanie's miniskirt, which he quickly yanked down.  Slowly, he pulled down her panties, which were pink to match her shirt and bra.  Once he had her completely undressed, he took both her hands in his and led them to his belt buckle.  Steph eagerly followed his lead and undid the belt and then his jeans.

Chris was about to get on top of her on the edge of the bed, but Stephanie repositioned herself, turning her back to him.  She heard Chris chuckle softly before he entered her.

She closed her eyes as he thrust into her, and the tears finally came.  Adam, Adam, oh, Adam, she thought as her cheeks were moistened by her tears.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Stephanie.  She was the WWF's head writer.  She could add whatever she wished to any angle taking place, at any time.

"Oh, God...oh, yes..." she moaned as she climaxed.  Chris held tightly to her waist and thrust even faster and harder into her from behind.  All along, it was really Adam who was in her mind.  She had to bite her lip to prevent herself from screaming out his name as her body was overcome with extreme pleasure.

She felt even more pleasure as she suddenly thought up brilliant concoctions she could come up with in the very near future.  And she would enjoy every moment of it.

*

"Guess what?" Adam asked Jay Reso, his best friend, as they sat flipping through the channels of the TV in the hotel room they were sharing.  "You'll never believe it."

Jay studied Adam.  He noted the huge grin on his friend's face and realized that this must have something to do with a girl.  "Who'd you pick up, dude?" he asked with a grin of his own.

"Well, I didn't 'pick up' anyone...not exactly," Adam admitted.  Then, after a beat, he said, "Amy and I got together tonight."

"Amy?  Amy Dumas?  Are you kidding me, man?"  Jay's smile widened.

"No, I'm not kidding.  We were hanging out in the locker room after my match, just talking, and she kissed me.  Next thing I knew, we were all over each other."

"Whoa, whoa...so, you guys had sex, right?" Jay moved so that he was sitting on the edge of his bed, as if to get all of the juicy details.

"Yeah," Adam said.  "It was amazing...absolutely amazing.  She is amazing."

"So, how was she?  What did you guys do exactly?"  Jay still wore that silly grin.

"A gentleman never tells," Adam said innocently.  "It was beautiful.  And it wasn't just sex, either, Jay.  I love Amy."

"Wow...did you tell her that?"

"No, not yet.  I just want to make sure she feels the same way about me first," Adam said, tossing back some of his long blond hair.

"Well, that's great, Adam," Jay said sincerely.  "I'm sure she does love you.  You guys are great friends, and she respects you and likes you a lot."  He grinned again.  "And may I say it's about damn time!  You have had the hots for her like forever!"

*

Stephanie McMahon was distraught.  She glanced over to the other side of the bed and watched Chris Irvine as he peacefully slept.  They'd been laying in the bed for the past hour and some odd minutes, after sex.  She hadn't felt much in the mood to talk, so Chris had done all of that while she merely pretended to listen.

She'd been distracted the entire time Chris spoke, as Adam was still on her mind.  She could not believe that Adam had slept with Amy.  Thinking about this again now, she felt sick to her stomach.

She had to get back to her own room, as Paul was probably back by now.  He would get worried or suspicious if she wasn't there.  Rising from the bed quietly so as not to wake Chris, she made her way out of the room.

Stephanie swallowed hard as she envisioned facing Paul now.  She realized she didn't want to deal with him, just like she hadn't wanted to deal with Chris.  The only man she could think about was Adam.  Beautiful, sweet, gentle Adam.

She almost cried out as she climbed the stairs one flight to the sixth floor of the hotel.  It suddenly hit her - she couldn't marry Paul!  As good as they were together in a business sense, it wouldn't be right to wed a man with whom she wasn't in love.  Now at the door to her room, Stephanie stopped and held her hands up to her temples.  She had a lot to think about, and it wasn't going to be easy dealing with it later on.

*

RAW is WAR, the following month...

"...Christian has Edge in a sleeper hold.  Edge seems to be quickly fading, King," J.R. said to his colleague.

"Nighty night, Edge.  HAHA!" Lawler laughed.

Lita, in Edge's corner, pounded on the apron from the outside.  "Come on, Edge!" she shouted encouragingly.

"Lita, rooting on her man," J.R. said.  "The referee now checking to see if Edge is conscious or not.  Christian could win this thing right here..."

"Yeah, c'mon, Christian!  Ahhhhhh!"  Jerry screamed as Edge suddenly rose his arm against the referee's three-count, broke free, and reversed the sleeper on his brother and former tag team partner.

"What is this?" J.R. suddenly exclaimed as Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley suddenly appeared from the crowd.  She was wearing a black, low-cut tank top and blue jeans.  "What the hell is Stephanie doing out here?"

Immediately after J.R. uttered those words, Stephanie suddenly sprang onto an unsuspecting Lita, whose back was turned, and who hadn't seen her.  With surprising strength and agility, the boss' daughter grabbed the other woman by the hair and threw her face-first into the steel ring steps.

"Ahhhhhh!  What's going on, here?!" Lawler yelled.

"Stephanie McMahon just attacked Lita!" J.R. cried.  "What the hell was that for?"

Stephanie continued to smash Lita face-first into the steps a second, then third, then a fourth time.  She then tossed her to the arena floor and proceeded to kick her in the ribs.

"My God!  Someone stop her!" J.R. yelled.

At this point, Edge and Christian had literally stopped their match and stared in confusion at the attack on the outside.  Referee Charles Robinson called for the bell to put an end to the match and also watched the ambush, shocked.

After one final kick, Stephanie stood over Lita, who was now bleeding from a gash in her forehead, and began to laugh and point down at the other woman.  She started backing away slightly and looked up only just in time to see Edge flying straight at her.  The wind knocked out of her, Stephanie fell onto her back painfully on the arena floor as she was speared by the 240-pound man.

Edge, Christian and Robinson then all stooped over, helping Lita to her feet.  The young woman was hurt, and she was bleeding pretty badly.  Edge seemed to take over as he helped her to her feet and eyed her with concern.  "Oh, my God," the people in the front row could hear him saying.

The referee went to check on Stephanie, slowly helping her up to her feet.  She placed one hand on her lower back, onto which she'd landed with Edge's spear.  A grimace of pain contorted her features.

As Edge held Lita up gently, he and Christian looked her over with concern and spoke to her, trying to see if she was all right.  She nodded, holding one hand against her head, and winced.

"Lita does not look good, King..."

Edge turned his gaze from Lita to Stephanie McMahon, who still stood nearby, the referee still attending to her.  As he eyed the woman who had viciously attacked his valet, his expression changed to a cold glare, his greenish-brown eyes full of rage.  After a moment, turning away, now only concern and tenderness on his face, Edge gently lifted Lita up into his arms and carried her to the backstage area.

*

"I cannot believe what happened out there!" Adam spat angrily as he and Amy drove back to the hotel after being in the emergency room for four hours.

Amy winced and tried not to touch her bandage, underneath which lay fourteen stitches on the raw gash on the left side of her forehead.  "Neither can I...my head is killing me, Adam."  She closed her eyes, wishing the Tylenol a nurse had given her would kick in already.

"That fucking bitch!" Adam yelled as he gestured angrily with his left hand and steered the wheel of the rental car with the other.  "Who the hell does she think she is???!  What the hell was all that for?!"

"I don't know," Amy said quietly.  "It certainly wasn't in my script for this week.  Maybe something was changed at the last minute and they forgot to tell us about it.  Maybe Stephanie is supposed to be working with Jay now."

"That can't be," Adam insisted.  "If that was the case, then why was Jay just as shocked as we were?  Stephanie McMahon went out there specifically to hurt you, Amy.  I don't know why, but that's what I know."

Amy shook her head slowly.  It didn't make any sense.  Why would Stephanie want to hurt her?  She still thought it all had to be some kind of misunderstanding, something that had very recently been written into the script and of which they hadn't had a chance to be informed.  At the moment, she didn't really care.  All she wanted was to go back to her hotel room and get some sleep.

Adam eased the car into a free space in the small parking lot behind the hotel.  He got out of the driver's side and went over to the passenger's side, helping Amy out of the car.  He gazed down at her and winced. Poor thing, he thought as he laced his fingers through hers and gently squeezed her hand.  He was glad he'd speared Stephanie.  How dare she try to hurt his precious, beautiful Amy?!

When they were in their hotel room, he helped Amy to the bed and lay beside her.  She closed her eyes, and Adam gently stroked the uninjured side of her forehead.  He blinked at her with concern, then moved so that his lips were upon hers and kissed her gently but passionately.  She kissed him back and put one arm around him, stroking his hair.

Adam repositioned himself slightly so that he was just hovering over Amy, and their kiss intensified.  She now held onto him with both hands, letting out a soft moan while they kissed.  Adam's erection prodded at her stomach, and he felt a little guilty about wanting to make love to her while she felt so lousy.  He suddenly pulled back.

"Maybe we shouldn't," he said, gazing with concern down into her hazel eyes.  "You're hurt, baby."  He gently fingered the area surrounding her wound, nearly overcome by the depth of his feelings for her.

"I'll live," Amy said softly, gazing up into his brown eyes.  "It's okay...really.  Come here," she whispered.  She rose her head slightly to kiss him again, and he kissed her back, feeling more in love with her than ever.

Gently, he removed her shirt, kissing the areas surrounding her injury, and she smiled slightly.  She reached down and undid his jeans, then let her hands travel inside them.  Adam let out a soft moan as she touched him, his eyes never leaving hers.

After a few more minutes, both their garments completely removed, they began to tenderly make love.

*

Stephanie felt great - in fact, she felt absolutely terrific.  As she stood in front of a mirror in a locker room, brushing out her long brown hair, she realized she suddenly had company.

"Hey, Trish," she said cheerfully as she noticed Trish Stratus suddenly walk in.  The young blonde had become somewhat of a friend over the past year and a half, since Trish had joined the WWF.

Trish didn't bother to respond to Steph's niceties.  A serious expression on her face, her dark brown eyes indignant, she stormed directly beside Stephanie and glared at her.  "What the hell was that out there?"

Stephanie put down her hairbrush and calmly faced the other woman.  "Whatever do you mean, Trish?" she asked, an innocent but satisfied smile on her face.

"Cut the crap, Stephanie - you viciously attacked Amy out there!  In front of about twenty-thousand people - not to mention the other whatever million watching at home on TV!  What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Stephanie eyed Trish warily.  The blonde seemed angry enough to strike her at any moment.  Trish was one of Amy's best friends, and Steph knew she was fiercely loyal to the bitch.  Nevertheless, she decided to confide in Ms. Stratus.

"That 'attack,' as you just called it, was something I added to tonight's script at the last minute.  Lita needed a good beating, and I decided that the best person to give it to her was Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley."  She laughed softly, throatily, eyes on the other girl's.

Trish shook her head.  "But why?  What did she ever do to you?"

"Why, Trish - you sound like you think it's personal."

"You're right - because I do!" Trish raised her voice.  "It looked very personal!"

"Well, it is," Stephanie hissed in a dangerously low whisper, gazing directly into the eyes of the other woman.  "That worthless whore stole my man!"  Her hands clenched into fists so hard that she felt her nails digging into her palms.

"What?  What are you talking about?" Trish asked, a look of great confusion on her face.

"I'm talking about Adam..."

"Adam?"  Trish shook her head, totally perplexed.  Since when was Adam Copeland Stephanie's man???  Adam and Amy had been an item for the past couple of months now, and she never heard of anything going on between him and Stephanie McMahon.  "You're nuts," she finally said.  "Adam is Amy's man, not yours!  You've got Paul - and Chris!"  She made a sour face when she said those last two words, as she had no respect for cheating, or for cheaters.

"You don't know a damn thing, Miss Trish!" Stephanie said.  "You don't know much at all.  Oh, I had something with Adam, all right.  We went out, hit it off, the whole works.  I knew as soon as I laid eyes on him that we were meant for each other.  He is the most beautiful man I've ever met, and I've never felt so strongly about another man in my entire life!"  Then, chuckling softly, she added, "Don't you think we'll have some really beautiful children someday?"  Her smile looked genuine.

Trish glared at her in amazement.  Stephanie was totally delirious.  She and Adam had no relationship whatsoever.  Trish didn't know anything about the two of them dating in the past, but there was definitely nothing between them now - at least not in Adam's eyes.  He was so obviously head-over-heels in love with Amy, and no one else.  She shook her head, actually feeling sympathetic toward Stephanie McMahon.

Trish knew one thing for sure.  Eventually, Amy would have to be told about this, as she sensed that both she and Adam were completely oblivious to the obsession Stephanie apparently felt toward Adam.  And she would be the one to tell her.

*

One week later...

That morning, Amy had her stitches removed.  Luckily, as the doctor who'd sutured her up had promised, she was left without a scar.

Now, in the early afternoon, she and Adam sat alone at a small table in the dining room of a Hilton Hotel in Boston, the WWF's latest stop.  Adam gently fingered her forehead, where she had been hurt.  He gazed intensely into her eyes, moving his hand from her brow to her cheek.  He still hadn't yet told her he loved her, and this seemed to be the perfect moment.

"Amy," he began.  But before Amy could reply and before Adam could continue, he was suddenly interrupted.

"Excuse me, you two..."  They both looked up at the buff form of Paul Levesque, who was standing over their table.  "...have either one of you seen Stephanie?"

Adam's eyes narrowed at the mention of Paul's financee's name, and Amy noticed.

"No, we haven't," she answered for both of them.

"Okay...well, thanks anyway," Paul said before walking away.

Amy turned back to Adam, who now appeared slightly distracted.  "So, what were you saying?" she asked, grasping both his hands.

Adam debated with himself about whether he should say it here or in the privacy of their hotel room.  Finally, he made up his mind.

"Well," he said, gazing deeply into her eyes, "I just wanted to say-"

"Hey, guys," a southern accent suddenly interrupted.

Adam looked up impatiently into the face of Jeff Hardy, whose hair was currently fluorescent green with slight touches of orange.  His older brother Matt stood beside him.

"What's going on?" Matt asked, a smile spreading across his face.

Amy glanced from Matt to Jeff, to Adam and then back to the Hardys again.  "Well, Adam's been trying to tell me something, but everybody keeps interrupting."  She gave each of the brothers a meaningful look in turn.

"That's right," Adam said, eyeing both his friends with a touch of annoyance.

Now Jeff's face also wore a silly grin.  "Sorry, dude.  We just wanted to know if you guys wanted to hang out in a few.  We're gonna catch a movie."

Amy turned her eyes from Jeff to Adam, to see his reaction.  She read his expression and then gave an answer for the both of them.  "Nah, but thanks for the offer, guys."

"Sure thing.  Catch you two later then," Matt said before he and Jeff left.

Amy turned back to Adam, shaking her head and rolling her eyes in mock exasperation, but smiling all the same.  "Now, what were you saying, baby?"

Adam knew instinctively that, if he opened his mouth to speak again while they were still sitting there, there would be yet another interruption.

"I have an idea," he said.  "Let's get out of here.  I'll tell you upstairs."  He rose from his chair, and Amy did the same.

Holding hands, they made their way out of the dining area, and Adam felt relieved.  Now he would finally get the chance to tell her - with no interruptions.

He was wrong again - as they were exiting, the petite form of Trish Stratus appeared before them.

"Hi, Amy...hi, Adam," she said, smiling.  Then, quick as lightning, Trish's expression turned serious.  "Can I speak with you privately for a moment, Amy?"

Amy, noting something important on her friend's face, nodded.  "Sure."

"I'm sorry, Adam," Trish apologized.  "I know you two probably want to go out and do something alone, but this will only take a few minutes."

"It's okay, Trish," Adam said, even though he couldn't believe they'd had yet another interruption.

"I'll meet you in our room," he said to Amy, giving her a quick peck on the lips before he disappeared down the corridor.

"What's going on?" Amy asked when Adam was gone.

"Come with me to my room...I'll explain there..."

*

When the two women were in Trish's hotel room, Amy didn't even bother to sit down.  She sensed that whatever her friend had to talk to her about, it would be fast.

Trish didn't beat around the bush.  "Something weird is going on, Ames.  Stephanie McMahon attacking you on RAW last week was not just for the show like she has everyone believing."

"What?" Amy asked.  "You sound just like Adam."

"Do I?  Well, I'm not really surprised he didn't say anything to you."

"About what?  What are you talking about, Trish?"

Looking her friend squarely in the eye, Trish said, "I confronted Stephanie the night she attacked you.  When I saw what she did, I knew she'd singled you out for some reason, and I asked her about it.  And...she told me why she did it."

"Go on," Amy said. This should be interesting.

"She has this weird obsession with Adam," Trish revealed.  "I don't know how long it went on, or what exactly happened between the two of them, but Amy - according to Stephanie, they dated at one time."

"What?" Amy asked.  She was shocked.  "You've got to be kidding me!"

"I'm not.  Stephanie told me they did.  I don't know when, or how long, or how serious, but I believed her when she told me.  She...she hates you, Amy.  She completely resents you and accused you of 'stealing her man'."

"That's preposterous!" Amy shouted.  She began to pace the floor in her anger.  "She's engaged to Paul Levesque, for crying out loud!"

"I know," Trish said, nodding.  And fucking Chris Irvine on the side, she thought bitterly.  "Amy, I'd watch my back if I were you.  Stephanie McMahon is a woman with a lot of power - she can break you - and she's also a woman with an obsession."

Amy was nearly seething now.  "I'm going to have a little talk with Adam and get to the bottom of this!" she said.

"I'm sorry I had to tell you something that would upset you so much," Trish said.  "But you're my friend, and I felt you needed to know."

"No, don't apologize - I'm glad you told me, Trish.  Thank you.  I have to go talk to Adam now.  See you later."  She walked straight to the door and let herself out.

*

"Amy, I just wanted to tell you that I love you," Adam said to his reflection in the mirror above the bathroom sink as he rehearsed.

"Amy - you mean the world to me, and..."  He stopped when he heard the front door open and close.

"Hey, you," he said with a smile as he poked his head out from the bathroom's doorway.  His smile vanished when he noticed the expression on Amy's face.  She looked unhappy.  He approached her.  "What's wrong?"

Amy turned her face from him momentarily, then glared up at him.  "Tell it to me straight, Adam Copeland - did you or didn't you used to date Stephanie McMahon?"

Adam blinked at her in surprise, then ran a hand through his mane of long blond hair.  So, was this what Trish had so urgently needed to speak to Amy about?  Then, how did Trish know?

"No - I mean, we went on one date about two and a half years ago, but that was it."

Feeling hurt, Amy glared up into his brownish-green eyes.  The expression on her face nearly broke Adam's heart.  "Why didn't you tell me this before?" she demanded.

Adam reached over and encircled her waist with his muscular arms.  "Because it was a long time ago and was no big deal, hon..."  He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back.

"No big deal?  Adam, according to Trish, Stephanie is completely obsessed with you!  You call that 'no big deal'?!"

Adam gazed at her uncertainly.  "What do you mean 'obsessed'?"

"What do you think I mean, Adam?  I mean obsessed - literally obsessed!  What exactly happened between you two?"

Adam didn't like the way Amy kept backing away from him.  She seemed to suddenly not trust him, and there was no reason for that.  He had always been completely honest with her from the very beginning of their relationship.

"Nothing happened between us, Amy.  We went out one time.  In fact, she was the one who asked me out."

"What difference does that make?" Amy cried.

"Shh...Amy, calm down," Adam pleaded.  "I swear to you, nothing ever happened between myself and Stephanie McMahon.  We went out on one date, to dinner, and then I brought her back home.  I didn't even kiss her - other than on the cheek.  And that is the truth."  He gazed evenly into her eyes, his own never wavering.

Amy felt something break inside of her as she read what she knew was nothing but truth in Adam's face, in those incredible brown eyes that always tenderly made love to her with their intense, piercing gaze.

Finally, slightly choked up, eyes beginning to well with tears, she spoke.  "I believe you, Adam.  I'm...I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry I doubted you."

Adam felt himself soften.  "Oh, baby, it's okay.  Come here..."  He held out his arms and Amy fell into them, embracing him tightly.  She buried her face into his chest and he stroked her long red hair lovingly.

After a moment, he held her back a little and tipped her chin up so that she was gazing up into his eyes.  "I would never lie to you, Amy...never.  Amy, I love you..."

Amy's tears nearly spilling over, her face broke out into a smile.  "Really?"

Adam kept his eyes glued to hers.  "Yes, really.  I love you, Amy."

She reached up slowly with her right hand and gently fingered his full lower lip, and, his eyes still fastened to hers, Adam took her hand and kissed it.

"I love you, too," Amy whispered.

Adam gave her one of those smiles that had always made her melt, and then he slowly lowered his head and placed his lips on hers.  Their kiss was sweet and romantic, yet hot and passionate at the same time.

*

Two weeks later...

Stephanie gazed down at the huge five-carat marquis diamond on her finger and felt a pang of regret.  She didn't want to have to do this, but she knew she had no choice.

She was in New York City's Russian Tea Room, having dinner with Paul, who, at the moment, was in the men's room.

"Excuse me, madame," said the waiter who'd suddenly appeared.  He'd interrupted Steph's mental rehearsal of how she was going to break off the engagement.  "Can I bring you some dessert or coffee, perhaps?"

"No, thank you," she replied.  "Just the check."  She wanted to be able to do this as quickly as possible, when Paul returned.

Just as the waiter placed the check on the table, Paul returned.  His smile went all the way up to his sparkling light brown eyes as he slid back into his chair across the table from her.  "Are we all set, babe?"  He glanced the bill over and reached for his wallet.

"Actually, no, Paul," Stephanie blurted.  As he looked up at her, she plummeted on.  "We have to talk..."

"About...?"  Paul's expression turned serious as he sensed that he wasn't going to like whatever she was about to say.

Removing the diamond ring from her finger and handing it across the table to him, Stephanie said, "I can't marry you..."

Paul glanced dumbfoundedly at the jewelry that now lay in the palm of his hand.  After a moment, he glared up at Stephanie.  "What?!"  In seconds, his face went from serene to furious.

Steph shook her head.  "I can't-"

"You can't marry me?!" Paul shouted, not caring that people were starting to stare at them.  "Why the hell not?!"

"Paul, calm down," Steph said softly, her eyes darting around the restaurant.  She was embarrassed, and the last thing she needed was a scene.

"Why the hell should I calm down?!  Why the hell don't you want to marry me?!"

Stephanie swallowed nervously, took a deep breath and said, "Because I'm not in love with you, Paul.  I'm in love with someone else.  I'm...sorry."

"Oh, so there's someone else?  Who?!  Who is it?  It's that goddamned Irvine, isn't it?!" Paul sputtered, nearly choking on the name.

"No!  No, it's not Chris...Paul, please!"

"Fuck you, Stephanie McMahon!"  Paul then rose so fast that he toppled over his chair.  Before Steph could even react, he stormed out of the restaurant, leaving her with the bill and feeling mortified.  She sat there with her head in her hands, face burning with humiliation and shame.  As she reached for her platinum Visa card, the maitre-d came over.

"Is everything all right, ma'am?"

"Yes...yes, it's just fine," she said without looking up.  What kind of moron is he? she thought.  No, asshole, everything is not all right!

Once the bill and tip were taken care of, Stephanie put on her jacket and calmly left.  She vowed to herself never to step foot into the Russian Tea Room ever again.

*

Chris Irvine lay relaxing on the bed of the Marriott Hotel he was staying in, flipping through cable channels but not finding anything of interest to watch.

He shook his head.  Why was it that, with so many channels to choose from, there never seemed to be anything decent on TV?  He sighed, wishing Stephanie was there with him.  He knew that if she were, he wouldn't be bored for even a moment.

He looked up as a loud knock suddenly resounded from the other side of the door to his room.

"Yeah, coming...Just a minute!"  He rose from the bed to answer, thinking it was probably Stephanie - finally.  A slow smile spread across his face.  Before he reached the door, a second, louder knock sounded.

When Chris opened the door, he was jolted by a painful right hook that connected solidly with his nose.  Caught by surprise, he staggered backward from the blow, nearly falling over onto the carpet.  He felt blood suddenly gushing from his nose.

Paul Levesque stood in the doorway, nearly shaking with the intensity of his fury.  Chris nearly cowered at the hatred and anger that emanated from the larger man's body.  Paul look mad enough to kill him where he stood.

"You've been fucking Stephanie?!  You want her?!  You can fucking have her, you worthless bastard!" he growled.  Paul's eyes glittered with rage as he pointed an accusatory finger at Chris.

Chris opened his mouth to speak but couldn't say a word.  There was nothing he could say to defend himself.  He and Stephanie had been found out.

"I should rip your fucking head off right now!" Paul screamed.  "But she's not even worth it!"  He glared at the smaller man for a moment longer, then turned and stormed away.

Chris stood there, as if transfixed, nearly in shock over what had just occurred.  Then, getting his bearings, he rushed to close the door, then ran into the bathroom to tend to his bloody nose.  He hoped it was not broken.

*

Adam moaned as Amy took his hard-on lovingly into her mouth, running her tongue gently around the head.  "Oh God, Amy...that feels so...mmm..."  He closed his eyes slowly, a smile crossing his lips.  He reached down and gently caressed her long red tresses.

As Adam began to raise his hips and groan deep in his throat, Amy suddenly stopped, her ears perking up as she appeared to be listening carefully to something.  Adam rose his head from the pillows and glanced at her.  "Don't stop, baby."  When he realized she was listening for something, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I thought I heard something, Adam...like someone yelling in the hallway."

Adam sat up slightly and reached over to her, gently pulling her to him.  "It's okay," he said.  "Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with us."

"I want to see what's going on," Amy said, pulling gently out of his embrace.  She put on the delicate red satin robe she'd discarded on the floor beside the bed.

"Now?" Adam whined.  "What about this?"  Amy's eyes followed his down to his throbbing erection.

Amy laughed softly.  "We'll take care of him a little later.  Promise."  She leaned over to kiss him quickly on the lips, then straightened up.  Adam held onto her wrist, refusing to let her leave.

"Oh, come on, Ames..."  His brown eyes looked slightly glazed over in his state of extreme arousal.  His upper lip curled into a small half smile.

"Aww, poor baby," Amy teased, laughing.  "I'll be back in a sec.  I just have to know what's going on."  She pulled out of his loose grasp and headed for the door as Adam threw the blankets on himself.

Amy gazed around the hallway but at first didn't see anything too conspicuous.  Then, glancing to her right, she suddenly spotted a burly form nearly all the way at the other end of the floor.  It looked to her to be Paul Levesque, who seemed to nearly stomp his way out of sight and evidently pounded down the stairwell.

She stood rooted to her spot for a moment before rushing down the hallway toward the other end.

"What happened?" she asked Stacy Keibler and Andrew Martin, who were standing just in the doorway of the room they were sharing.  They both looked confused, as they had come over following the commotion that had come from the room directly across from theirs.

"There was a fight," Stacy said, concern showing clearly on her face.  "We heard someone pounding on the door, and then-"

"Paul was suddenly yelling and screaming," Andrew finished for her.  "Jericho's in there, and he's not rooming with anyone, so he must have been real pissed off at him for some reason."

"Did you guys go to check on him?" Amy asked.

"No, but there hasn't been a peep in that room since Paul ran off."

"Well, maybe someone should," she said.

"You're right, Amy," Stacy concurred.  "We should at least see if he's okay," she said, glancing at Andrew meaningfully.  They had both heard exactly what Levesque had shouted at Chris but didn't want to spread it around out of respect for both men.

The three of them tentatively approached the door.  Amy knocked softly, but there was no answer.  The only sound she could detect from within was a soft laugh track from the television set.  She pressed her ear against the door to listen more closely for any other sound.

The sensation of someone suddenly brushing against her left side made Amy turn around sharply.  As she looked up, she saw that Adam had suddenly appeared by her side.  He was clad in his black terry cloth bathrobe.  "So, what's going on?" he asked, putting an arm around her waist.

"We're not sure," she said.  "Stacy and Drew said that they heard Paul banging on the door to Chris' room here and then afterward starting yelling at him."

"What about?" Adam questioned, his Canadian accent clearly evident with the way he spoke that second word.

"We don't know," Stacy quickly answered, glancing almost nervously from Adam to Amy, then to Andrew.

Amy turned her attention back to the door.  "Chris?  Can you hear me?  Are you all right?"

There was no reply.

"Chris, please answer me.  We just want to make sure you're all right."

When he still didn't respond, Andrew spoke up.  "I'm sure he's okay, Amy.  Let's all just let him be."  He reached for Stacy's hand and steered her back to their room.

"Okay, I guess you're right," she said reluctantly.  She couldn't help but feel that something was very wrong.  What if Chris was hurt?  Then again, he was a big boy and could take care of himself.  And if he was hurt, he would seek attention for it.  "All right...goodnight, Stace, Drew."

"Goodnight," they both replied in unison.

Adam waved at them before turning back to Amy.  He gazed down into her worried hazel eyes and said, "I'm sure he's all right, hon.  You know Chris...he probably made some kind of wisecrack that pissed off Paul earlier tonight.  Paul probably just told him off for making him look stupid in front of all his friends."  He smirked and shrugged.  "Now, come on, I'm gonna hold you to that promise you made to me a few minutes ago..."  He playfully swept her up into his arms, nuzzling her neck, and as Amy laughed, he ran back to their room.

*

Stephanie finally stepped into the Marriott Hotel after spending a couple of hours riding her limo around the City.  She didn't want to have to go to her and Paul's room tonight to pick up her things, knowing full well that Paul probably wouldn't allow her in, anyway.  Instead, she stealthily made her way to Chris' room.

Stephanie had an extra key, so she let herself in.  The TV was on softly.  "Chris?" she called tentatively.  She felt like she should be crying, but she hadn't shed a single tear.  She heard a muttered, unintelligible sound coming from the bathroom.

"Chris?"  She shut the door behind her and turned into the doorway of the bathroom.  "Oh, my God!"  Stephanie rushed over to Chris, who was leaning over the sink, his nose bloody and still bleeding freely.

"Oh, God!  Paul did this to you, didn't he?"  Her blue eyes filled with alarm.  She placed an arm around him.

Chris held a wad of toilet paper against his nose and glanced at her.  "Yeah, he did.  Steph, he found out about us."

Stephanie winced.  "I know," she replied, feeling horribly guilty.  "Hold on...let me get you an icepack."  She grabbed a hand towel from on top of the toilet and quickly went out to the small fridge in the other room.  She retrieved ice from the freezer compartment and wrapped it up in the white towel, then rushed back to Chris.

"Here," she said, "let me hold this against your forehead.  I've heard that if you put ice over there and pinch the bridge of your nose, that will stop a nosebleed."  Chris obeyed her while she pressed the icepack against his head.

In a few minutes, the nosebleed all but stopped.  Chris and Stephanie left the bathroom, leaving the icepack in the sink.  Chris thanked her as he gingerly touched his nose.  "Doesn't seem to be broken," he said.

"I'm so sorry about this, Chris," she said.  "It's all my fault that Paul hit you."

"What exactly happened?"

Stephanie sighed and ran a hand through her long dark hair.  "Well," she began, "basically, I broke off the engagement to Paul.  I...I just can't marry him."  She had no intention of telling him the actual reason why she'd rejected Paul.  Let him think whatever he would think.

Chris stared at her silently for a moment as they sat on the bed side-by-side.  His crystal-blue eyes seemed to sparkle as his face suddenly broke into a small smile.  He surprised Stephanie by suddenly tackling her on the bed.  He squeezed her breasts almost painfully, kissing her.  Chris' tongue darted deep into her mouth, seeking her own.

Stephanie pulled away slightly, gazing up at him.  "You're not...mad?  It was my fault Paul attacked you..."  She felt momentarily confused.

"If it means I get to have you all to myself, then it was worth it," he replied in a soft voice.  He leaned down to kiss her full on the lips again, and she kissed him back, but thoughts of Adam ran through her mind.  Adam, oh, Adam, she thought.