"Adam?  Are you in there?  Can I come in?"  It was Jay.

Adam wanted to ignore his friend after what he'd just done to him, but he didn't.

"Sorry, Jay," he called through the door, "but I can't let you in right now."  The truth was, he was going out, anyway.

"Aw, come on...I'm sorry I did that just now, man."  He was about to knock again, but Adam opened the door and stepped out.

"Whatever," Adam muttered, glaring at Jay.  He was thoroughly pissed, and although his anger wasn't toward Jay, he was using him as a scapegoat.  "Get out of my way...I'm going out for a drive."  He pushed past Jay and headed for the stairwell.

Jay stood there for a beat, staring after him, then said, "Oh, hell...Adam, wait up!"  He ran after his lifelong friend.

Jay followed Adam down the stairs, to the lobby, which wasn't easy because Adam was walking extremely fast with those long legs of his.  He finally caught up with him outside of the hotel.

"Come on, Adam - talk to me, man," Jay begged.  He wanted to know what had happened and knew that there had been some misunderstanding.

Adam didn't reply as he walked briskly to his rental car and got in behind the wheel.  When he started the ignition and didn't move to unlock the passenger's side, Jay tried the door - it was already unlocked, much to his relief.  He slipped in and slammed the door.

Adam pulled the car out of its space and steered it onto the street.  The two best friends sat in silence for a couple of miles before Adam stopped for a red light and finally spoke.

"Goddamn it, Jay!  That's it, it's over - I've lost Amy for sure.  Shit!"  He hit the steering wheel with his right hand, then nervously raked his fingers through his long blond hair.  He felt furious enough to punch out one of the car windows.

"What the hell happened this morning, Adam?" Jay asked as he turned to study his friend's face.  "Amy told Trish and me that Stephanie-"

"Fuck Stephanie McMahon!" Adam shouted, punching the steering wheel as he continued to drive.  "That psycho bitch!  Do you want to know what really happened, Jay?  Stephanie snuck into our room while Amy was out...holy shit - that's it!  She stole Amy's room key," he said, figuring out one mystery.

"What?"

"Amy was missing her room key - Stephanie must have stolen it out of her bag last night.  I know that's what happened!" Adam cried.

"Why would she do that?" Jay asked.

"Jeez, Jay...doesn't your girlfriend tell you anything she discusses with her friends?"  He shook his head.  "Never mind.  Remember when I went out with Stephanie?"

"Sure...but that was three years ago."

"Right," Adam said.  "But what I didn't know was that, in these three years, Stephanie McMahon has been harboring this crazy obsession toward me.  This morning, she snuck into my room and got in the shower with me."

Jay stared at Adam, incredulous.  "You mean...?"

"No..." Adam said, annoyed with what he knew his friend was thinking.  "Never!  I thought she was Amy at first because my back was to her.  But then, when she spoke...I got the hell out, put on a towel and tried to throw her out of there.  She stalled by giving me this innocent, hurt look, and the next thing I knew, Amy was standing there in the doorway."

"So, Amy put two and two together and...oh, God," Jay said.

"Fuck!  That bitch must have stolen my shirt, too.  God, Jay...how the hell am I going to make Amy believe the truth?"  Adam was furious as he thought about Stephanie, about what she'd tried to do - and what she had done.  "That spoiled little bitch wanted to break us apart all along," he said between clenched teeth.  In his anger, he floored the accelerator.

Jay felt his chest push forward and mentally counted his lucky stars that he'd put on his seatbelt.  He had never seen Adam so pissed, and they went back twenty years.

"Adam, slow down.  I'm sure you'll be able to patch this all up with Amy.  She loves you, and she's a reasonable girl."

"That fucking Stephanie McMahon!  Thinks she's some princess who can play with people's lives!"  He continued speeding, spitting out a string of curses.

A moment later, Jay muttered some curses himself when he suddenly heard a police siren behind them.  "Aw, shit!"

Adam glanced into the rearview mirror and shook his head.  "Damn," he hissed as he pulled the car over to the side of the road.

A uniformed police officer got out of the vehicle and approached him.  Adam rolled down the window, feeling like a scolded dog.

"License and registration, sir," the officer demanded.

Adam reached for both, relieved that he had them with him.  Neither he nor Jay said a single word while the official eyed his information.

"Hey, you're Edge!" the officer suddenly said.

Adam looked up, surprised.  Maybe they would get out of this one with no trouble after all.

The officer leaned over and peered into the window, and it was then that he got a glimpse of Jay as well.  "And you're Christian!"  Jay lifted a hand and saluted the policeman.

"Well, this is quite a surprise.  However, Mr..." he glanced back down at Adam's license, which he held in his right hand, "...Copeland, you were doing close to eighty in a forty-five mile an hour zone."

"I apologize, officer," Adam said humbly.  "I promise, it won't happen again."

"Hey, you're one lucky man," the cop said, winking.  "That Lita sure is gorgeous."

"Yeah, she is," Adam replied longingly, a heavy, sinking feeling in his chest. If he lost Amy...

"Here you go..."  The officer handed him back his information, and Adam realized he was indeed getting off scot-free.  "No more speeding!"

"Yes, sir."  As the cop turned to go back to his patrol car, Adam put the car back in drive and steered away.

"Whew, that was a close one," Jay said, glancing behind them through the back window.  "Sometimes our careers are a true blessing, huh?"

"Uh huh," Adam muttered.  At that moment, he felt the incredible urge to drive to some neighborhood bar and get hammered.

*

"Oh, my God!" Amy exclaimed, fresh tears coming to her eyes as she and Trish looked over the results of her Clear Blue Easy pregnancy test.  In the designated area was a plus sign.

She lifted a hand and placed it over her mouth to stifle her cries.  "What am I going to do?  Oh, God!"

Trish came over to pull her into a comforting hug.

"A baby!  This is the worst time for something like this to happen!  Trish, what am I going to do?"

Trish gazed into her friend's tear-stained face sympathetically and smoothed some strands of red hair off of her face.  "Well, for starters, you're going to pull yourself together," she said.  "These home pregnancy tests are not always accurate.  I think you should go see the company doctor."

"I know what the end result is going to be!" Amy cried.  "Oh, God..."  She sobbed, making no attempt to wipe away any of the tears.

Trish stared at her friend, momentarily at a loss for words.  She didn't know what else to say at the moment to comfort Amy, because the chances were great that the test had not produced false results and that Amy was pregnant.  Then, she placed her hands on either of Amy's shoulders, gazing directly into her eyes.

"Listen to me, Amy...when was your last period?"

Amy's face was a mask of worry and fear for several seconds, then one of intense concentration as she thought about her friend's question.  "It was...oh, God!  It was a month ago.  I never got it this month!"

"Oh, shit," Trish said softly.

Amy ran a hand through her hair.  "I don't believe this...I mean, I do want to have a baby someday, but now is the wrong time!  There's my career - damn it, Trish!  I'm a pro-wrestler!  A baby right now would ruin my career!"  She bowed her head and cried some more.

Trish gazed at her sympathetically for a moment, then snapped back to her senses.  "Come on," she said.  She snatched up the pregnancy test and tossed it into the waste basket.  "Wash your face, and we'll go get some breakfast."

"Oh, God!"  With Trish's last words, Amy suddenly felt horribly nauseous.  It was as if her friend had put the whammy on her.  She rushed over to the toilet, pulled up the lid and seat and vomited.

Trish rushed to get her a cold cup of water, then came back and handed it to her.  "Has this happened before?  Have you thrown up before?"

"Yes," Amy admitted reluctantly.  "I haven't been feeling well the past couple of weeks."  She took a sip of water and wiped the side of her face.

"Come on, let's get out of this bathroom."  Trish led Amy back into the room and sat beside her on the bed.  She glanced at her watch and suddenly realized that Jay had been gone for almost an hour.

Just then, as if he'd read her mind, Jay came through the door.  He glanced at the two women and shook his head when he saw that Amy was still so upset.

While he removed his jacket, Trish regarded him.  "Did you go talk to Adam?"

"Yeah...he told me what happened."  Then, facing Amy, he said, "Stephanie McMahon stole your room key and snuck in while he was in the shower."

Amy looked up at him with tearful, questioning eyes, but didn't speak.

"It's the truth, Amy...look, you've really got to talk to Adam."

"I can't...I can't talk to him right now, Jay - not now."  She exchanged nervous glances with Trish, then held both hands up to her face.  "Damn that Adam Copeland!"

While Trish again tried to console her, Jay disappeared into the bathroom.

"Amy, Jay is right - you do have to talk to Adam."

"But I don't feel like I can do that right now.  I just know that image is going to be burned into my brain for a long time to come, Trish - the image of him and Stephanie-"

"What's this?"  Amy was suddenly interrupted by Jay's tremulous voice, and both she and Trish looked up.

Jay was standing directly outside the bathroom door, holding up Amy's pregnancy test.  His face had gone ashen.

Amy and Trish exchanged nervous glances again.  Neither of them spoke a word.

"Trish...?"

Trish simply stared at Jay.  She didn't want to spill the beans to him, valuing her friend's right to privacy.  She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"Jay, that's mine," Amy suddenly admitted in a clear, unwavering voice.

Jay stared at her in shock.  "It's yours?  Amy, are you pregnant?"  When she didn't reply, he plodded on.  "Listen, I know you're mad at Adam, but if you're pregnant, you have to tell him!"

Amy shook her head.  "I can't...I can't talk to him right now."

"You have to talk to him!" Jay shouted.  "Amy...Adam grew up without a father.  If you're carrying his baby...it would devastate him if his child ended up going through the same thing he did."

Fresh tears coursed their way down Amy's cheeks as she listened to Jay's words.  She knew he was right.  Then, Trish jumped in to her defense.

"Jay, she doesn't know for sure if she's really pregnant.  Amy is going to get checked out by the company doctor, and then she'll know for sure...right, Amy?"

Wiping away some tears, Amy nodded.  "Yes..."  She looked up at Trish pleadingly.  "Would you go with me?"

"Of course I will," Trish replied, gently stroking Amy's hair, then giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze.

"Thank you."  She hugged her.  "And Trish?  Can I...stay here with you for awhile?  I can't be around Adam right now."

Trish looked up and met Jay's blue gaze.  A silent communication went between them, then Trish said, "Sure, Amy...Jay can go and stay with Adam while you're rooming with me."

*

Stephanie McMahon was shocked and depressed after what had happened that morning.  She had never expected such a negative reaction from Adam, and it hurt.

As she sat on the edge of the bed in her and Chris' room, she bitterly recalled every moment.  Had he figured out yet that she had rummaged through Amy's tote bag for that key?  Something told her he had.

She had heard Amy running down the hall, Adam chasing her.  She'd heard Adam begging Jay Reso to let him into his room, as Amy had apparently gone there.  A few minutes later, she'd heard Adam and Jay arguing and then footsteps pounding away.  She'd gone to the window and seen the two of them outside, get into a car and drive off.

How could he act that way?  As if he were repulsed by me? Steph wondered.  She winced as she recalled the expression of pure horror in Adam's eyes as he'd finally seen that it was her in the shower with him.  And then, the horror had been replaced by disdain - contempt.  It was reminiscent of the look on Paul's face when she'd broken it off with him.

Stephanie was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't realize Chris had come out from his shower.  She looked up when he spoke to her.

"Ready to go get some lunch?"

She stared at him, marveling at how he'd somehow managed to sleep through her entire ordeal.  Good thing he was a heavy sleeper.

"I'm not...hungry."  She meant it.  Her appetite had completely vanished after what had happened.  How could Adam reject her like that?

"Well, I am," Chris stated.  "Come out with me to eat."

Stephanie gazed at him.  She decided it would be best to get out and away from here for awhile after all - before the inevitable gossip made its way to Chris.

*

Hours later, Adam sat alone in the hotel bar.  As he downed drink after drink, he mentally replayed the events of that morning.

He was desperately trying to think of a way to approach Amy, to convince her that he had not been unfaithful to her with Stephanie McMahon - or anyone - as she obviously thought he had.

Normally, Adam wasn't much of a drinker, though he enjoyed an occasional beer or two.  However, he was so upset that he felt he could drink an entire keg to drown away his sorrows.

As he was chugging on what was probably his eighth beer - he'd lost count - he heard Jay's voice.

"Hey, dude...don't you think you've had enough?"

Adam glanced to his left to see Jay sitting on the barstool next to him, staring at him with a concerned expression on his face.

"Leave me alone," he muttered, his voice slightly slurred from all the alcohol.

"No," Jay insisted emphatically.  "Enough is enough already.  Come on..."  He yanked the bottle out of Adam's hand and grabbed him by the arm.

Adam resignedly allowed Jay to pull him away from the bar.  He leaned on him for support as they approached the stairwell.

"Oh, forget about it," Jay muttered.  "We'll take the elevator."

Back in Adam's room, Jay led his best friend to his bed and removed his shoes for him.

Adam lay there quietly for a few minutes with his left arm thrown across his forehead, shielding his eyes.  Jay pulled a chair up by the bed and watched over him.

"It's all over, Jay," Adam suddenly moaned.  "What am I going to do without her?  I love her, Jay...I love her so much, sometimes it physically hurts..."

"It's not over, Adam."

"You don't know that.  God, I love Amy so much..."  He started to cry.

Jay watched as Adam's body was wracked with sobs.  "Aw, hey, man...it'll be okay," he said.

Adam continued to cry, his emotions heightened even more by all the beer he'd drank.  He wept like a baby.  "Amy...Amy," he sobbed into the pillow.  To make matters worse, the bed was fragrant with the scent of her.

Jay came over to sit on the bed by Adam.  "Don't worry - this will all blow over.  You'll talk to Amy when she's ready, and you'll explain everything, and you guys will be just like you were before."

Adam continued crying.

"Aw, shit, Adam," Jay said.  He moved closer and hugged him, and he could feel Adam's body shaking as he wept.

*

One week later, Uniondale, New York, Nassau Coliseum

Amy stepped out into the hallway of the arena.  It was about thirty minutes before RAW, and she had just gone to see the company doctor.  Her face was pale as she exchanged glances with Trish, who had been waiting for her.

"Well?"  Trish had an expectant expression on her face, her dark brown eyes focused on Amy's hazel ones.

Amy didn't speak.  Her eyes were suddenly focused on a vision beyond Trish.  "Oh, no," she whispered to herself.  She wished the floor would just open up and swallow her at that very moment.

Trish looked up and followed her friend's eyes and saw Adam walking over to them.  His brown eyes looked concerned as he gazed upon Amy.

"Amy?" he said softly.  "What's the matter?  I just saw you leaving the doctor's office..."  The company doctor stayed in a specific room each time they were out on tour, and he knew that this was it for whenever they were at the Nassau Coliseum.

"I can't..."  Amy closed her eyes and shook her head, putting up both hands in a retreating manner.  "...I can't talk to you right now, Adam.  I just can't be around you right now."  She walked briskly away, head down, and didn't turn back.

Trish started to follow after her, but Adam grabbed her by the arm.  "Trish, wait," he said.  "What's wrong with Amy?  Is she sick?"

Trish looked down and bit her lip.  Then, looking directly into his eyes, she said, "I don't know, Adam.  What I do know is that she's very upset about what happened last week."

Adam swallowed hard, hating the clenched feeling he had in his gut.

"Just leave her be for now," Trish said gently.  "Let her just be by herself for awhile, and when she's ready, she will talk to you.  I know she will."  She gave him a sympathetic squeeze on the shoulder before hurrying off to catch up to Amy.

Adam stood there for a moment, watching as Trish disappeared.  He momentarily turned toward the door of the doctor's office, considering going in and demanding to know why Amy had seen him but decided against it.  Then, checking his watch, he turned and walked away.  The show would be starting in less than twenty minutes, and although he didn't have a match scheduled for that night, he was still expected to be out there with everyone else.  He had to return to his locker room and get changed.

*

Trish found Amy alone in the locker room they were sharing.  She was standing in front of the vanity mirror, her shirt pulled up slightly, her hands gently rubbing her flat belly.  Amy stared at her reflection, at her stomach, when she suddenly realized Trish was in the room with her.  Their eyes met in the mirror.

Trish gazed at her seriously as she realized what the doctor had obviously told Amy.

"I'm pregnant, Trish...the doctor said I'm just about a month along...I'm pregnant with Adam's baby..."

*

Twenty minutes later, RAW began.  Mr. McMahon and daughter Stephanie strolled arm-in-arm to the ring.  The boss had a microphone in hand and began one of his endless, tedious tirades.  Five minutes later, he called each and every WWF superstar to come out from the back and gather around ringside to listen carefully to what he and Stephanie both had to say.

Normally, Adam would have gone to the ring with Amy by his side, but she was nowhere to be seen.  He was one of the first few wrestlers to walk out, Albert, Scotty 2 Hotty and Chris Jericho the closest near him.  He didn't see Amy anywhere and felt concerned.

A moment later, he spotted Amy as being one of the last few superstars to emerge from the back.  His eyes slowly scanned her from head-to-toe, and back up again, longingly.  She was wearing a pair of baggy navy blue pants with pink bungee cords and a bright pink belly shirt.  Her hot pink thong showed outside of her low-slung pants.  To Adam, she looked more appetizing than a seven-course gourmet meal.  He longed to touch her, to hold her.

As she walked out, she gazed at him momentarily, taking in his black shirt and black leather pants, then looked directly into his eyes.  She looked so unhappy, so lost.  Adam's heart stopped for a second, and he couldn't tear his gaze away from her.  She came to a stop nearly directly in front of his line of vision, on the other side of the ring.  He noticed Trish, who was at her left side, nudge her and whisper something to her, but Amy appeared to just ignore her.  Her eyes remained glued on Adam for a couple of minutes.  They seemed almost to engage in a staring contest until Amy finally looked away.

Vince continued with his speech, which ended up going on for at least a full ten or fifteen minutes.  Adam couldn't concentrate on the meaningless words, and his eyes remained fixed on Amy the entire time.  He wouldn't look elsewhere - he couldn't.  He felt a sharp pang in his heart as he noticed Amy deliberately trying to avoid looking at him.  She wasn't focusing on anything or anyone in particular and appeared almost lost within herself.

Adam finally tore his gaze off of Amy as he suddenly heard Stephanie McMahon's shrill, annoying voice.  He looked up at her in the ring, emerald-topaz eyes glaring through her.  If one of the cameras were to focus directly on his face, he knew that anyone would plainly be able to see the hatred he had for her.

While Stephanie continued her whining, Adam suddenly came to a decision.  He would confront the bitch sometime before the night was over.  He had to say his piece, as it was all Stephanie's fault that Amy had been avoiding him all week.  He and Amy loved each other - it wasn't right that they should be apart - and especially not over the crazy, irrational actions of someone the likes of Stephanie McMahon.

*

Stephanie was esconced in the room she was using as her personal office and locker room for the night.  She was glad that, after her speech with her father earlier that night, she didn't have to put in any more appearances.  She just wanted to be alone, as she had not felt too good about herself during the week for not getting the desired reaction and response from Adam.

She sat down on the black leather couch in one corner of the room, arranging her purple mini-skirt.  She pressed one hand against her forehead, as she was feeling slightly warm.  She hoped she wasn't getting sick.  She had business to attend to, as she was the WWF's head writer.  She had a few ideas and wanted to put them to use.  Maybe she would write Amy into having to compete in a genuine, physical match with a male wrestler.  She laughed aloud at this thought, as she would love to see the bitch worked over.

Suddenly, the door was thrown open and slammed back into place.  Stephanie leapt up from the couch in shock, nearly crying out as she was so abruptly startled.  Who would dare burst into her office like this?

She looked up, directly into the handsome face of Adam Copeland, whose bronze-emerald eyes glittered with rage as he glared at her.  His face was contorted with anger.

She smiled.  "Why, Adam...you didn't have to-"  Stephanie's voice was cut off as Adam swiftly grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off her feet, and slammed her against the wall.  Her eyes widened in shock.

"Now, you listen to me, princess," he hissed between clenched teeth, his face reddened in his violent fury, "I don't know what kind of shit you're trying to pull, but if you do or say anything - anything to hurt Amy, I will personally kill you.  This is not a threat - it's a promise.  I swear, I will kill you."

Stephanie struggled against Adam's iron grip on her throat, flailing her feet, which were still off the floor.  Adam held her up to his own eyes' length.  Wave after wave of fear coursed through Steph, and her blood felt chilled as she stared into Adam's eyes.  He looked positively demonic.

Stephanie tried to speak, but her words were choked because of the hand still holding fast to her throat.  "I...I only did what I did because...I love you..."  Her voice sounded feeble, even to her.  "I thought you felt the same way...I thought there was something between us..."

"Why the fuck did you think that, princess?!" Adam demanded, moving his face closer to hers.  His voice sounded like a taunt to Stephanie.  "I am in love with Amy - I will never love you!"

Tears began to come to Stephanie's eyes as she felt her heart breaking at his words.  She again struggled to free herself, one hand pulling at Adam's, and the other weakly trying to strike him.  She failed at both attempts.

Adam wasn't thinking clearly and was acting solely on pure impulse, rage and passion.  He felt as if he could choke the life out of Stephanie right then and there.

All of a sudden, the door opened and Chris Irvine's voice boomed out.  "What the fuck is going on here?!  Get your hands off her!"

Without turning around, Adam said, "Go away, Chris...this doesn't involve you.  This is between me and this bitch."

"Like hell!" Chris shouted.  "That's my girlfriend you're manhandling there, Copeland!"  He ran over and grabbed Adam's shoulder in an attempt to turn him around to face him.  In the process, Adam released Stephanie, who dropped on her feet.  She clutched at her throat.

Adam gave the smaller man a shove to the chest.  "Don't, Chris!"  But Chris took a swing at him anyway, punching him in the cheek.  His head was rocked back by the force of the blow.  Adam didn't want to hit his friend, but he had no choice.  He punched him back, in the jaw.

Chris staggered back from the blow, holding his face.  Instead of hitting Adam a second time, he went to Stephanie's side.  The heiress was rubbing her throat and coughing as she was finally able to take deep breaths.

"You know, it's a real shame you don't see her for what she really is," Adam said, looking Chris squarely in the eye.  "One of these days, you're going to find out - the hard way."  He turned around and fled the room.

Adam rushed to the locker room.  He had to compose himself and hoped Jay would be around for him to talk to.  He knew he would have to face serious repercussions for what he'd just done.  He would be lucky if all Vince did was suspend him for a month or two.

*

Hours later, Amy was in her and Trish's hotel room, laying in bed and absent-mindedly watching TV.  She heard the door open and shut and looked up at Trish, who had just stepped in after spending an hour with Jay.

"Oh, Amy," Trish said, sitting down on the other bed with a concerned expression on her face.  "I just heard something terrible from Jay."

Amy sat up.  She knew that whatever Trish was referring to, it had to do with Adam.  "What is it?"  She braced herself for the worst.

"Adam attacked Stephanie McMahon tonight...he stormed into her office and grabbed her by the throat.  He warned her against doing or saying anything to hurt you, Amy..."

Amy gaped at Trish, at a loss for words.

"...He was trying to protect you, Amy...Jay said that Adam was afraid Stephanie might write something crazy in the script again, like another surprise ambush on you - or worse," Trish said.  "He's afraid he might get suspended - he's sure it's all going to get back to Vince."

"Oh, God," Amy said softly, closing her eyes.  She couldn't believe what a crazy thing Adam did, and all to protect her.  And he still didn't even know about the baby yet.

Trish said, "From what Jay told me, Adam doesn't think Stephanie would say anything herself.  Chris walked in and got into a fight with him when he saw what he was doing to her.  He might go to Vince."

Amy shook her head.  "Adam..." she moaned in her misery.  How badly she wanted to be with him again - talk to him - have him hold her in his muscular arms and kiss her.  In her dreams, nightly, she saw his beautiful, precious face, his deep greenish-brown eyes, his silky blond hair, his hypnotic smile, his hands - so large and yet so gentle when he touched her.  Tears flowed from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"Amy, I really think you should talk to Adam - tonight - now.  Jay is right.  Adam loves you, and it's obvious he never did anything with Stephanie."

Amy gazed into the kind, warm eyes of her friend and knew that she was right.  What a horrible person she'd been during this past week.  She'd refused to speak to Adam and had avoided him at all costs.  She'd jumped to a conclusion and had turned a deaf ear to any of his explanations - she hadn't even allowed him to give her any - and she had ignored all of the facts Jay had given her.  What a fool she'd been.

"I am just awful," she cried, covering her face with both hands.  She wept.

Trish came over to sit beside her.  "No, you're not, Amy...you're just confused...and hurt - you're human."  She slipped an arm around her distraught friend.

"But I doubted Adam when he was trying to tell me what happened.  I am such a selfish person!"

"You're not."  Trish put her arms around Amy and hugged her.  She tried to soothe her friend.  "Shh..."

*

Adam sat up on his bed, his arms crossed over his chest as he pretended to be absorbed in the program playing on the TV set.  In reality, he was totally oblivious of the show, his thoughts completely on Amy and nothing else.  He didn't even look up when someone knocked on the door.

Jay jumped up to answer.  Adam didn't bother looking up when he opened the door.  He couldn't focus on anything.  He heard Jay speaking softly with someone, then Jay telling him he would be back later.  Adam only mumbled something unintelligibly in response.  He heard the door shut as Jay left the room.

Adam suddenly became aware that he wasn't alone in the room and that someone was standing near the door.  Finally looking up, he was astonished to see Amy there, staring at him.  He instantly rose from the bed and, gazing intently at her, he walked toward her.  She took a few small, tentative steps closer to him as well.

He moved still closer to her, and their eyes locked.  "Amy..."  He tentatively reached out to her, uncertain by the look on her face.  They gazed at each other wordlessly for a moment.

Amy gazed up at him sadly, her eyes shining and unwavering.  "I'm...sorry," she finally said softly, instantly breaking into tears.  Adam couldn't bear to see the love of his life so unhappy.  It tore at his heart to see Amy crying.  He reached out and pulled her against him, stroking her long hair.  He held her tightly and never wanted to let go.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he soothed.  He kissed her hair and rubbed his cheek against it.  It felt so good to have her in his arms again.

After a moment, pulling slightly back and wiping the tears from her face, Amy said, "Yes, I do...I've been so unreasonable.  I wouldn't even allow you to explain...God, Adam...I have been so miserable this week without you."

"So have I..."  He held both her hands in his and kissed them, one after the other.

"Jay told me what happened that morning - that Stephanie stole my key..."

"She's sick," Adam spat, and his face transformed into a mask of contempt.  If there was one person on the planet he physically hated, it was Stephanie McMahon.

"Trish told me what you did to her tonight," Amy said with concern, lacing her fingers in his.  "Adam, please tell me you didn't do what she said you did..."

Adam shook his head with the memory of grabbing Stephanie by the throat and forcefully slamming her against the wall.  "I did go into her office and held her by the throat - I told her that if she ever did anything to hurt you, I'd kill her."

"Oh, Adam..."  She felt sick with worry and hoped that none of this would get back to Mr. McMahon, or else Adam would be in serious trouble.

"I couldn't help myself," he said.  "I saw red, Amy...I just snapped.  I hate what she did to us.  I hate her.  I told Chris it's too bad he doesn't see her for what she truly is."

Amy stared into Adam's handsome face wordlessly, suddenly noticing the darkening bruise on his left cheek.  "Your face," she said softly, wincing.  She reached out tentatively to tenderly touch the spot.

"Yeah," Adam said softly.  He didn't want to worry her further with the details of how he got the bruise.

"How did that happen?" she asked.  She looked concerned.

"Chris came into Stephanie's office while I was in there with her.  He didn't like what I was doing to his girlfriend, so he belted me."

"Oh, Adam," she said again.  She wanted to kiss his bruise and make it disappear.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Adam suddenly remembered something.  "Oh, yeah...what's wrong?  Why did you go to see the company doctor?"

Amy held her gaze upon him and bit her lip.  Wordlessly, she led him by the hand to one of the beds to sit down.  She turned slightly to face him, one leg tucked underneath her.  "I had to...follow up on something," she said nervously.

Adam's expression became one of concern.  "Follow up...?  Oh, my God, Amy - what is it?  Is it something serious?"

"I...I..."  Amy faltered, as she had dreaded this moment.  Then, deciding the best way to tell him was the fast way - like ripping off a band aid - she took a deep breath and said, "Adam, I'm pregnant."

As she gazed at him, Adam's eyes seemed to darken.  His pupils seemed to enlarge somewhat.  His face showed an initial reaction of surprise.  "Really?"

Amy nodded wordlessly.

Adam's face broke into a huge grin.  "Amy...Oh, my God!  I'm going to be a father!"  He stood up and gently pulled her up with him.  "I love you!" he cried.  He kissed her on the lips, then picked her up in his arms and swung her around.

Amy stared into his face.  "You're really happy about this?"

"Are you kidding?  Of course I am!" Adam assured her, hugging her again.  "Oh, Amy...this is such a beautiful surprise...a baby!"  He couldn't stop grinning.  "How far along are you?" he asked, holding her back and glancing at her stomach.  He reached out gently to touch her.

She pressed his hand against her belly and met his eyes.  "Only a month.  The doctor said the baby is due around June 29th or 30th."

Adam gazed at her, in complete awe.  "Wow...a month already.  That's so amazing!"  He pulled her to him in another embrace.

Amy held tightly to him, feeling a lot more secure and comfortable.  She smiled, touched at Adam's joy.  Earlier that night, when the doctor had confirmed that she was indeed pregnant, she'd known she was going to keep Adam's baby.  She laughed softly.  "Oh, God, Adam...I was so worried about how you would react."

Adam held her back slightly, gazing deeply down into her eyes.  "This is the best news I've heard in a long time."  His brown eyes sparkled.  "I love you, Ames," he said softly, before dipping his head to kiss her.

*

Stephanie sat on the bed in her hotel room, shaken by the events of earlier that night.  She couldn't believe that Adam had handled her so brutally.  He had always been such a gentle person, and yet, somehow he had manhandled her and spoken to her in such a horrible manner.

Initially, when she'd seen him force his way into her office, she'd been pleasantly surprised and had not felt threatened in the least little way.  When he had grabbed her by the throat and slammed her up against that wall, she'd actually anticipated more.  His face had been close to hers when he'd spoken to her, and she'd almost thought he was going to kiss her.

She couldn't believe the words he'd spoken to her.  He'd been bitterly sarcastic in calling her "princess."  On top of that, had she actually heard him correctly when he'd threatened to kill her?  She shuddered.  She hated thinking that Adam hated her guts, which was exactly how it seemed.  A single tear trickled down her cheek.

"Goddamn it!" Chris sputtered as he came in from the bathroom.  He was holding his third ice pack of the evening up against his jaw.  He had a darkening bruise where Adam had struck him.

"I can't believe the nerve of that Adam!" he shouted.  "And here, I thought this guy was my friend...some friend!"

Stephanie just sat there wordlessly and stared at him.

"I think we should go to your father and tell him exactly what Copeland did to you.  And he threatened you, didn't he?"

Stephanie shook her head.  "No, Chris...I...I don't want to say anything to Daddy."

He stared at her in surprise.  "Are you kidding me?  Why wouldn't you want to report it?  He attacked you, Steph!"

"I just...don't.  I...can't."  Another tear fell down her cheek.

"Oh, Steph," Chris said softly, sympathetically.  He dropped the ice pack on the nightstand and came to stand over her, pulling her up by one hand.  She started sobbing almost uncontrollably as she remembered the manic look in Adam's eyes, in his beloved face.

"Shh..." Chris soothed her as he stroked her long brown hair.  "Nobody's going to hurt you again - I'll see to that."  He held her for a long time, and her crying eventually subsided.  He gave her a squeeze and then held her back to gaze deeply into her blue eyes.

Stephanie's face still looked sad as she met Chris' eyes and held his intense, penetrating gaze.  She wanted nothing more than to forget everything that had happened earlier that night.  She reached out with one hand to touch his lips, and he kissed her fingers, then grasped her hand and laced her fingers with his own.  He moved his head closer to her and kissed her deeply and passionately.  She kissed him back fervently, feeling stirrings of arousal.

Chris felt himself getting hard and pressed his body against Steph's.  As they continued kissing, he lowered his right hand to her breast, seeking and then fingering the nipple.  She breathed heavily while the kiss intensified.

Stephanie moved her hand down to cup Chris' erection, and she fondled him.  She was so horny right now that all she could think about was having him inside her.  But despite what had happened that night, she couldn't stop thinking of Adam.  Oh, God, Adam, she thought.  She wanted desperately for him to love her, to make love to her.

Chris slowly undressed her, and she reached out to undo his jeans.  When they were both completely undressed, Stephanie was panting with anticipation.  But she didn't want to look up and see Chris.  She got crawled onto the bed on all fours and positioned herself, welcoming him.  Seconds later, she felt the bed sink ever so slightly with Chris' weight, then she felt him enter her a moment later.

As Chris thrust into her, Stephanie's breath caught in her throat.  She shut her eyes tightly, and the image of Adam's face burning in her brain, she returned all the movements, thrust for thrust.

It went on and on for fifteen, twenty minutes before Stephanie felt the delicious sensations.  She felt as if she could burst as her orgasm approached, and then she cried out loudly.

"Oh, God!  Oh, God!"  She threw her head back slightly, reveling in the intensity of the climax.  "Oh...Adam!  Adam!"  She moved her hips side-to-side, desperately trying to cling to the ecstasy.

"What?!"  Chris' voice sounded angry, and he suddenly withdrew from her.  Stephanie glanced over her shoulder.

"Oh, God...oh, please - don't stop," she pleaded desperately.

Chris stooped over to pick up his pants from the floor.  Once in them, he stared at Stephanie, a look of rage on his face.  "You called me Adam," he stated.

Stephanie blinked in confusion.  She didn't even realize she'd done this.  "Oh, God...Chris...I'm so sorry."

"Why the hell did you call out his name?!"

"I don't...I..."  Stephanie faltered on her words, not knowing what to say.

"Damn you, Stephanie McMahon!  Are you fucking Adam on the side?"

"No, I'm not, Chris...I swear it."  Fear took residence in her mind at that moment.  What if Chris didn't believe her?  What if he confronted Adam?

"What the fuck is going on between you and him?  Why did he attack you tonight?" Chris demanded, gesturing angrily.  "You never did tell me..."

"I don't...I...I think it's because of Amy."

"Amy? What's because of Amy?!"

"He was afraid...that is..." Stephanie stuttered.  "He thought I would do something to...hurt her."

"Oh, like the way you attacked her all those months ago on RAW?  There never was any explanation for that."

"Yeah," Stephanie managed to say.  She stared at him, slipping underneath the blankets, as she was cold now that she no longer had the heat of Chris' body against or inside of her.

Chris stared at her, and now he wondered exactly what Adam had meant when he'd spoken those words to him earlier that night.

"You know, it's a real shame you don't see her for what she really is...One of these days, you're going to find out - the hard way."

Stephanie stared up at him pleadingly.  "Come on, Chris...I'm sorry.  Please lay here beside me."  She patted the part of the bed beside her.

"You know what?  I don't want to," Chris said, his voice even and eyes glued to her.  "I'm gonna go get another room..."

*

Adam and Amy were discussing how they spent their time apart and their baby when there was a knock at the door.  They both realized it must be Jay returning.

Adam called, "Come on in, Jay!"

The door opened, and Jay stepped in, Trish behind him and holding onto his hand.  "Everything okay in here?" he asked, surveying his friends.

"Everything's perfect," Adam replied with a smile.  He glanced at Amy, who was gazing at him with love in her eyes, a tiny smile on her lips, and squeezed her hand, which he held.

Jay and Trish both smiled.  "That's great, guys!" Trish said.  "I'm so glad you two are back together."

"Yeah," Jay agreed.  "You both were so miserable without each other."

"Jay, Trish, we just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  You two are such great friends," Adam said.

Amy nodded and concurred, "Yeah, and if it weren't for the two of you, we might not have gotten back together so soon - or at all, for that matter."

"You don't have to thank us," Jay said.  "We only did what any friends would have done - you would have done the same for us."

Trish said, "You guys - why don't you stay here, and we'll stay in the other room.  You two deserve your 'alone' time."  She glanced at Jay meaningfully, as she was certain Adam and Amy wanted to "catch up" on the week they'd been apart.

"Thanks," Adam said, smiling knowingly.

After they exchanged goodnights and Trish and Jay left, after Jay grabbed some of his stuff - and after resourceful Trish left Amy a bag with some toiletries and her nightgown, Adam and Amy gazed at each other.  They were still sitting on the bed and holding hands.

"I never stopped thinking about you for even a moment," Adam told her.

"I dreamt about you every night we were apart," Amy revealed.

"We have a lot of catching up to do," Adam said softly, a grin spreading across his handsome features.  He lifted Amy's hand to his lips and kissed it gently.  Afterward, he gently stroked her cheek, smoothing the hair away from it.

Amy gazed deeply into his eyes, her heart pounding as Adam tipped her head up with one hand to kiss her softly and passionately on the lips.  She gasped in his mouth as his tongue entered hers and pressed against her own.

Adam lay back and gently pulled Amy on top of him.  She straddled him as they continued kissing, and she moaned as she felt his erection twitching against her groin.  "Mmm...Adam..."

Slowly, they began undressing each other, and every kiss, every caress was tender and passionate simultanously.  Amy straddled him again and guided Adam's entrance.  As she began to ride him deeply and steadily, finding a synchronic rhythm, he gently pulled her down to him to kiss her lips.  She returned all his kisses eagerly, her heart bursting with love and joy.

Their lovemaking was so beautiful that tears came to Amy's eyes and dripped down on Adam's chest.  Adam reached up to gently finger her tears and realized that tears of his own were falling down his own cheeks.  "Amy...I love you," he said softly.

They clung to each other as they both came at the same time.  Amy moaned, crying out his name, and Adam felt her body shudder with pleasure above him.  He grasped her waist and rose his hips slightly off the bed as he came deep inside of her.

When it was over, Amy moved to lay beside Adam and rested her head on his chest.  She closed her eyes, feeling more happy than she'd been in a week.  "I love you, Adam," she whispered.  The fingers of her left hand caressed his chest.

Adam gently kissed her forehead.  "I love you, Amy."  He closed his eyes, loving the feeling of her in his arms again after that horrible, lonely week.  He smiled.  He couldn't believe it - he was going to be a father.