Stephanie McMahon felt awful.  She'd just spent the worst month of her entire life.

First, Chris had decided to back off on her for awhile.  He hadn't actually broken up with her, but rather told her he needed a break from her.  She honestly didn't see any difference, as she was alone.  She and Chris had spoken only a handful of times during the past thirty days, and it killed her inside.  Sometime during this period apart, Stephanie had come to the painful realization that she really did love Chris.

And then, a few weeks ago, she had gone to her father with some ideas for the WWF.  Despite the threat Adam Copeland had issued to her last month, she'd written lots of new angles in mind concerning Amy Dumas.

She'd approached Vince with her ideas, her two favorites being, first, to put Amy in a first blood or hardcore match against the tough Jazz, and the second, to split up Lita and Edge.  However, much to Steph's chagrin, Vince had shot down every one of her ideas.  She remembered that day bitterly.

"But Daddy - don't you know that true fans of women's wrestling want to see something like that?  A match between two of the toughest and most credible female competitors?  Think about the ratings!"

"No, Steph...I'm sorry, but that's just not going to work.  At least not with Amy in the picture.  You see, honey-"

Stephanie cut him off.  "And we really should end the whole Edge and Lita thing already.  If this keeps up much longer, she'll be with him longer than she was with the Hardys."

"That's not going to happen, Steph," Vince had stated.  "We're not going to split up Edge and Lita, and at the same time, we're not going to be seeing Lita in action for awhile - not even to help Edge out in his matches..."

Stephanie started at her father impatiently.

"...because Amy is pregnant, honey."

Stephanie's jaw dropped, and her eyes widened.  She felt so shocked that she couldn't even inhale.  Oh, no...please, no...

She gaped at her father as he continued speaking, but all his remaining words were an incoherent blur.  Stephanie felt as though she had been dumped into a pool of arctic waters.  She was suddenly so numb.  Her mind in a haze, she departed from Vince's office.

Now, as she lay curled up on her hotel room bed, she wept bitterly.  For three years, she'd dreamt of having Adam's child, and now Amy was doing just that.

She dreaded even watching Adam's matches now, as she could read every glance and gaze that passed between him and Amy.  She felt sick.  What did I ever do to deserve this? she wondered.

Stephanie didn't see any logical reason why she should continue to live.  Her life had gone to hell in a handbasket in the span of a month.  She felt like she had nothing to live for at this point.  Maybe she should do something about it.

Because she had been having such a hard time sleeping over the past month, Stephanie had seen the company doctor.  He had prescribed sleeping pills for her.  Nobody, not even her father, knew about this.  She knew how to end her sorrows and her miserable existence - she would take a bunch of those pills.

*

Chris tossed and turned in his hotel bed.  He was physically comfortable, but his mind wouldn't let him rest.  He couldn't stop thinking about Stephanie.

He missed her terribly.  So, she had called out another man's name during sex.  Was that really so terrible as to warrant him avoiding her for the past month?  Of course not, he told himself.  He knew it all came down to his wounded pride and male ego.

Chris didn't want to spend another moment without the woman he loved.  He rose from the bed, slipping his feet into the pair of shoes he'd kept at his bedside.  Afterward, he went out to the hallway and made his way to Steph's room.

When he got there, he knocked softly.  "Stephanie?" he called.  "It's me."

She didn't respond, so he knocked louder and said, "Steph - open up...it's Chris."  That was when he heard a soft noise from within.  It sounded like a whimper.

"Stephanie?"

Chris began to panic, as a sixth sense told him that something was very wrong in that room.  He began to frantically pound on the door.  She never answered.

Then, Chris noticed something very odd.  A hotel room card key was half-sticking out from under the door.  Silently praying, Chris picked it up and tried it.  He let out an audible exhalation as the doorknob gave way.

He almost cried at what he saw.  Stephanie was sprawled on her side on the bed, facing him, her long dark hair fanned out on the pillow.  She looked extremely groggy as her eyelids fluttered ever so slightly.  He then noticed the bottle at her side and rushed over.

Glancing quickly at the label on the bottle, Chris cursed and tossed it aside.  Then, reaching down and picking Stephanie up, he yelled, "No, Steph, no!"  He stood her up and began walking her around the room.

She peered at him through slitted eyes, her mouth slightly open.  "Ch-Chris?"

"Damnit, Stephanie!"  Chris was furious and refused to let her overdose.  He walked her around for a few more minutes, but she continuously flopped around as he supported her waist, her own arm clumsily over his shoulder.

Chris finally lifted Steph up in his arms and carried her to the bathroom.  Setting her on her feet and holding her upright, he turned the cold water on as far as it would go.  Then, he picked her up and placed her in the shower directly underneath the icy spray.  Stephanie's unearthly screams echoed loudly in the small room, nearly deafening him.  After awhile, she began to cry hysterically.

"I don't want to die, Chris!" she pleaded, gazing up at him with her tearful blue eyes.

Chris stepped into the shower, under the frigid water, with her and held her tightly in his arms.  "You're not going to die, Steph...not if I have anything to say about it..."

*

Amy grinned at Adam with excitement as they regarded the doctor they'd looked up earlier that day.

Because they were still on the road and hadn't been given time off just yet, Amy had located an OB-GYN she'd heard was very good.  She had her own gynecologist back home, but she had to get checked out, as she hadn't done so since seeing the company doctor a month earlier.

Dr. Simpson was a warm, African-American woman in her mid-to late-forties who had her own practice in the Bay Area.  She had welcomed Amy and Adam genially and had congratulated them after telling them that her nineteen-year-old son was a big WWF fan, and especially a huge Lita fan.

Amy smiled and held tightly to Adam's hand as the doctor was giving her a sonogram.  On the tiny screen was an image of the baby, at a little over thirteen weeks.  The sound of a tiny, rapid heartbeat resounded throughout the small office.

"Oh, my God..." Adam breathed in amazement as he stared at the picture of his child and heard the heartbeat.  His face broke out into a smile that lit up his entire face.

Amy's mouth opened in a tiny O.  She couldn't believe that this unbelievable miracle was taking place inside of her.  "Wow," she breathed, her eyes glued to the screen.

"Here is the baby's head," Dr. Simpson said, pointing it out to them with her left index finger.  Then, turning to them, she gestured.  "The baby is this big right now."

Adam mimicked the doctor's hand gestures in awe.  "That tiny..."  He gazed down at Amy and kissed her on the cheek.

"Do you two want to know the sex of your baby?" Dr. Simpson asked.

"Yes," Amy answered quickly before considering Adam's feelings.  A moment later, she turned to face him.  "Oh, babe...I'm sorry.  Do you want to know?"  She rubbed the pad of her thumb over his hand.

Adam thought for a moment while he stared, transfixed, at the monitor.  "Nah...I think I'd rather be surprised."  He gazed at Amy and then suddenly said, "On the other hand - yeah, why not?  If we know the sex now, we can be better prepared when the baby is born."

Amy smiled, reaching up to gently touch Adam's cheek.  "Are you sure, honey?"

"Yes, I'm sure," he replied, smiling at her and then turning to the doctor.  "What is it, doc?"

Dr. Simpson smiled warmly.  She liked this young couple a lot.  "You're having a boy..."

*

Later, Adam sat in his locker room in The Cow Palace with Jay, as they prepared for their evenings matches on RAW.

Adam was clad in his silvery, metallic tights, having gotten dressed early.  He was lacing up his wrestling boots when Jay changed into his trademark fishnet shirt.

"So, how did it go?" he asked, and Adam grinned.

"Everything is normal," Adam replied.  "And check this out, Jay..."  He leaned over to pull something out of his duffel bag.  "...this is so amazing.  Look at this..."  He handed him a photo of the baby in utero.

"Wow," Jay said as he looked it over.  "That little tiny thing is really your kid..."

Adam smiled with pride, his large white teeth showing.  "Yup...and Jay - guess what?  It's a boy."

Jay looked up and met his best friend's eyes.  His face broke out into a devilish smile.  "Well, you know what that means, Dad..."

*

At the same time that Adam and Jay were discussing the baby, so were Amy and Trish.  They were in their locker room together, both dressed for the upcoming show.

Amy's eyes sparkled as she told Trish she and Adam were expecting a little boy.  "I want him to look just like his father, too," she said lovingly.  "Blond hair, and those big, dark greenish eyes..."

Trish smiled.  "You know, Amy," she said, "For the life of me, I just can't picture you with a big belly."  She looked her friend up and down, and, envisioning it, she started cracking up.

Amy giggled.  "Well, neither can I, but maybe he won't be too big."

"Are you kidding?  With Adam as his father?!"  They both laughed.

Amy rubbed her stomach, which was still flat, and gazed into the vanity mirror before them.  "I wonder when I'll start to show?"

"Oh, probably not for another couple of months yet," Trish said.  Then, changing the subject somewhat, she asked, "So, have you guys been thinking of names?"

"Oh, it's still too early to worry about that," Amy answered.  "Although...I have been doing that.  There are a few boys' names I really love..."

*

Stephanie sat glumly in a locker room she was sharing with Chris.  She was still not feeling like herself, although she vowed she would never again attempt suicide.  She had realized that it just wasn't an option.

That night, very discreetly, after Chris had taken her out of that icy shower, he'd rushed her to a hospital.  There, she'd had her stomach pumped.  Fortunately, all traces of the drug had been expunged from her system.  Luckily, Chris had found her early.

She'd never revealed to him that, before going to the bed to take those pills, she had slipped her hotel key under the door.  She'd done this at the last moment, almost as an afterthought, somehow sensing that he'd come to her that night.  It was then that she'd realized she didn't really want to die but was crying out for help.  And Chris had been there for her.

Stephanie was so grateful toward him.  He was her savior.  If it hadn't been for him...

She was now going through therapy.  She had hired a psychologist to travel with the WWF just for her.  At first, the man had refused, stating that he couldn't just leave all of his patients to go on the road, but Stephanie had been persistent.  She'd pled her case and had made the psychologist a monetary offer he just couldn't refuse.  In a lot of ways, it was great being the The Billion Dollar Princess.

Chris stepped into the room, still dripping from his shower.  Steph gazed up at him, her eyes never leaving his muscular frame.  She thought it sad that it had taken all the turmoil she'd been through to realize she loved him so deeply.  However, Stephanie thought that in the long run, it was probably actually all worth it.

They had done a good job of hiding the truth from everyone - even Vince.  She'd decided that if her dad ever asked about Dr. Fischer, she would say he was her or Chris' personal trainer.  That excuse would work, as the man was very physically fit.

Stephanie now knew that she had a problem with obsession.  She did many things obsessively, but her feelings for Adam went way beyond this.  She was still heartbroken that she would never have a chance with him, but at least Dr. Fischer could help her.  He and Chris had convinced her that she wasn't beyond help.

*

That night, after RAW...

"Adam?" Amy called from their hotel room bed.  She was still wearing a pair of black parachute pants and a red belly T-shirt with a cat's face in crossbones and skull, her dress for RAW.

"Hmm?" Adam replied as he emerged from the bathroom.  He sat down on the bed beside her, his breath smelling strongly of Colgate toothpaste.

She gazed into his eyes and smiled.  "Well," she began, "we should talk about names for the baby.  I've been thinking of a few..."  Before he could reply, she started giving him a list.  "...I like Nicholas, and Ryan, and Justin..."

Adam laughed softly.  "Ames," he said, "I have to tell you something in regards to that.  It's kind of silly, but serious at the same time."  He put one arm around her, holding her close.

As Amy held the eye contact with him, he continued.  "See, years ago, Jay and I promised each other that if we ever had sons someday, we would name them after one another - which means we have to name the baby Jason."  He swallowed a bit uneasily, hoping that Amy wouldn't get furious, as she wasn't really being given a choice in what to name her own child.

To Adam's surprise, she began to laugh good-naturedly.  "Jason Copeland?" she asked.  "Okay, let me get this straight - Jay's son, if he ever has one, will be Adam Reso, and our little boy will be Jason Copeland?"

Adam placed one hand gently on Amy's belly.  "Yeah, pretty much," he said, a small smile on his face.

Amy's smile broadened.  "That's so cute...and I love the name Jason," she admitted.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Come here, you," Adam said, gently pulling Amy closer to him.  He laid her back and showered her with kisses on her eyelids, cheeks, the tip of her nose, her lips and neck.

Amy laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down against her.  She pulled her head back slightly to gaze up into his deep bronze eyes.  He was smiling down at her, and those incredible eyes shone with love.  He lowered his head and kissed her again.

Adam moved down the bed so that his head was by her stomach, and he kissed her there.  Afterward, he turned his head so that his ear was against her stomach.  His soft long hair tickled Amy a little.  She closed her eyes and smiled.  She felt so great, so loved.  In contrast to how terrified she'd been when she'd first suspected she was pregnant, she now felt so excited about the baby.  Her relationship with Adam was just about perfect.

As he lay there with his head resting gently on Amy's stomach, a myriad of thoughts whirled through Adam's brain.  He loved Amy so much and was thrilled about the baby.  There was only one way he could imagine being happier than he was right now...

*

Two weeks later...Boston, Massachussets

"...and so, you found yourself obsessing over this young man, Adam," Dr. Randall Fischer said.

"Yes," Stephanie admitted.  "But I never just obsessed over him.  It's not that simple, doctor.  I...I love Adam."  She blinked nervously, anticipating the man's response.

"But you only went on one date with him..."

"I...know.  But I felt something right away.  I fell for him, Dr. Fischer."

"Tell me something, Stephanie...," the psychiatrist inquired, "...are you sure you are in love with Adam, or could it be that it is simply the idea of being in love that you are in love with?"

"No, I...oh, hell!"  Stephanie rolled her eyes heavenward, frustrated.  She threw up her hands and stood up to pace the length of the room.  They were in her and Chris' hotel room conducting the session.  Chris had gone out for an hour while it occurred.

"Listen to me, doctor," Steph said evenly, her voice tinged with annoyance.  "It is not love I am in love with - it is Adam Copeland I am in love with!  Why is that so difficult to believe?!  I fell madly in love with him, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him!  Now, I don't care what you say to dispute this, because I know in my heart that I'm speaking the truth!"  She stopped her pacing and turned to stare angrily at the man.

Dr. Fischer remained silent for a full five minutes while he absorbed what she'd said and jotted down notes in his notebook.

Stephanie walked over to the window and parted the drapes slightly to peer outside.  She wished she were out there in the sunshine, doing anything other than this.  She knew the therapy was necessary for her, but at the same time, there were times when it drove her nearly mad.  She hated it when Dr. Fischer patronized her like he was doing right now.

"Stephanie...tell me about Adam's girlfriend.  You've never spoken much about her."

Steph turned back toward him and sneered.  She still felt nothing but hostility toward Amy.  Scowling, she spat, "His girlfriend's name is Amy, and I can't stand her!"

"That's understandable," the doctor interjected.  "She's with the man you love..."

"Exactly!  Now you're getting it, Dr. Fischer!"  She paused, catching her breath.  After a moment, Stephanie said, "Amy Dumas...that's her name.  I swear, I thought I was going to pass out when my dad told me she was pregnant with Adam's baby!  She's already something like three months along, and rumor has it they're expecting a boy..."

The doctor eyed her silently, occasionally jotting more notes.

"...Why did this have to happen?" Stephanie whined.  "Why???"  She started choking up, tears threatening to escape her blue eyes.  "Well, I know why it happened, but...oh, damnit, you know what I mean, doctor!"  She looked at him imploringly.  "When I found out about this baby, I just wanted to die!  In fact," she revealed, "I even tried to take my own life...before, I hated that Adam was with Amy and seemed to be so much in love with her, but - but now it all seems even more real, you know?  A baby!  That's going to make them a family!"

"Yes, it is," Dr. Fischer agreed, nodding.

"Do you know what I want to do?" Steph asked, a maniacal gleam in her eyes.  "I really want to do something to Amy - hurt her bad!  Like I did after the first month she moved in on Adam!  I want to scratch her eyes out, pull the hair off her head!  I want to make her bleed, like I did back then!  And that's not all, doctor...I have dreams about stealing her baby from the hospital and raising it as my own!  I would have Adam's child - that way, it would make me feel more like I had his baby myself."

"That would not be a wise idea, Stephanie," Fischer said.  "The things you've just talked about involve assault and kidnapping.  Those are not options."

"I didn't say I would actually do those things!" Steph snapped.  "I only said I've thought and dreamt about it!"

The psychiatrist looked up into Stephanie's blue, piercing gaze, thinking how much of an angry and disturbed young woman she really was.  He had to do everything in his power to ensure that she would never, ever act upon any of her delusional fantasies.

*

Later, Stephanie and Chris lounged in the moderately-sized hotel dining room.  Discreetly, in sotto voce, Steph discussed her afternoon's therapy session.

"I know Dr. Fischer is right, Chris," she said with despair.  "I have an obsessive personality, and I shouldn't want to hurt Amy, and I shouldn't have these feelings for Adam...I..."  She paused and gazed deeply into the twin pools of crystal blue that were Chris' eyes.  She was amazed that Chris had stuck by her after all this, that he still loved her and wanted to be with her.

Chris grasped and squeezed her left hand.  "It's okay, Steph...we'll get through this - together."  His expression was serious, then serene and full of love.  "Maybe we can ask Vince for time off, get away from things - go on a vacation for a week or two."

Stephanie nodded.  "I'd like that."  She managed a weak smile, which faded as she caught sight of Adam and Amy out of the corner of her eye.  They had just come in and were being seated by the hostess at a table across the room from them.  She watched sadly as the pair whose love was the envy of many on the roster reluctantly released hands to sit down.

Chris' eyes followed Stephanie's, and he couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy when he saw Adam - why couldn't Steph look at him like that, or like how Amy gazed at Adam?  What did Adam have that he didn't that made him so special to Stephanie?

*

Amy glanced worriedly past Adam's shoulder, feeling a chill as she caught the intense gaze of Stephanie McMahon.  Normally, she would not be in the least afraid of the boss' daughter, but now that she was pregnant, she was.  Stephanie had proven in the not-so-distant past to be capable of anything.

"What's wrong, babe?"  Adam turned slightly and glanced over his shoulder.  He saw Stephanie and Chris looking their way.  "Do you want to go somewhere else, Amy?" he asked when he turned back to face her.

"No...no, I'll be okay."  She felt famished and picked up her menu.

A few minutes later, Jay and Trish came into the dining room to join them.  Adam waved them over.

"Hey," Jay greeted.

"Hey," Adam replied as Trish and Jay sat down.  He and Jay exchanged knowing smiles.

"We've got a whole day off tomorrow," Trish exclaimed happily.  "What are we going to do to celebrate it?"

"We'll figure something out," Adam said.  "But me and Jay are gonna go out for awhile after lunch."

"Where?" Amy questioned, as this was the first time she was hearing of this.

"Nowhere special - just some guy stuff," he replied mysteriously.  He and Jay again exchanged glances.

"Hmm..." Amy wondered as she regarded Adam suspiciously.  She glanced at Trish, then at Jay and back at Adam, but none of the blonds' faces revealed anything.

*

The next afternoon...

Adam left Amy just outside of the hotel's dining room after they finished lunch.  He'd given her a hug and kiss and promised he'd be back to do something fun with her in two hours tops.  Amy hadn't asked him where he and Jay were going, but the question marks in her eyes had been more than evident.

Adam walked out into the northern California sun and clouds, pushing his dark sunglasses down over his eyes.  He spotted Jay leaning up against his rental car, waiting for him, his arms crossed.  After their usual best buddies greeting, Adam unlocked the doors and they got in.

As he started the engine and pulled away from the curb, Adam smiled and said, "So far, everything's going as planned...Amy doesn't suspect a thing."  Actually, that wasn't true.  Adam mentally acknowledged that Amy had been very curious but merely hadn't asked him what was up since yesterday.  When he hadn't divulged any information, she'd stopped asking.

"Cool," Jay said with a nod of his head.

Adam glanced over at him for a moment.  "Maybe you shouldn't have said anything to Trish, Jay...You know how close she and Amy are...Are you sure she won't let the cat out of the bag?"

"Nah, Trish is good at keeping secrets," Jay replied.  "Look at how she was that week you and Amy were apart - she knew about the baby, but did she tell you anything?  Hell, she didn't even tell me."  He pushed down the sun visor in front of him and checked his reflection in the vanity mirror.

"True, true," Adam said.  "Okay, I trust Trish to keep this little secret."

"So, do you have any idea of what you're gonna get?"

"I don't know...I'll know when I see it," Adam said.

*

Stephanie made her way to her father's executive suite, bracing herself.  As she'd told Chris, she'd decided to talk to Vince herself to ask him for a vacation.  She knew she needed it.  And as reluctant as she was to tell her father the truth about her mental state and therapy, she felt she might just tell him if she had to.

After she knocked on the twin oak doors, she held her breath.

"It's open, honey," Vince called from within.  He knew it was Steph, as she'd called his suite in advance for a quick meeting.

Stephanie turned the knob and nervously pushed her way into the large suite.  She didn't bother glancing around, as she had but one purpose.

"Hi, Daddy...as I said before, I really need to ask you something."

"Of course, Steph...sit down, get comfortable."

Stephanie perched on the very edge of a green velvet princess chair, her stomach doing nervous flips.  She really didn't want her father to know about the last few months - even years.

"Well, Daddy," she began, "Chris and I were talking it over, and we decided that I - that we - should maybe take a little break - get away for awhile..."  She tucked some of her long brown hair behind her left ear.

"You mean a vacation?"  Vince eyed her speculatively.

"Yeah, a vacation.  Would that be okay?  I really need a break, Dad...and Chris has been so good in helping me-"  Stephanie cut off her own words, realizing she'd said too much.  She'd promised herself she was only going to give him more information if he asked for it.

"Helping you to do what, Steph?"

Damn, Stephanie cursed herself.  Now she had no choice.  However, maybe she could give him an abbreviated version.

"Oh, Daddy...I'm on the brink of a nervous breakdown!" she cried.  "And Dr. Fischer is not a personal trainer - he's my therapist."

Vince eyed his daughter, no hint of surprise registering on his face.  After a moment, he nodded.  "Very well, honey...you and Chris can have next week off.  If you need a second week off as well, be sure to call me on my cell phone to let me know in advance..."

*

After spending two hours of quality time and a friendly cup of coffee with her father, Stephanie returned to Chris.  She told him about the two of them being granted a week, even two if she needed it, off.

Now, they were out together for a walk in the warm sunshine, the day pleasantly fragrant of the state's flowers.

Stephanie and Chris strolled hand-in-hand, enjoying the scenery but mostly each other's company.

"Where should we go on vacation?" Chris asked.  "How about Hawaii?"

Stephanie abruptly stopped walking and turned to face him.  "I don't care where I am as long as I'm with you," she said profoundly, gazing deep and long into his crystal blue eyes.

Chris smiled as he gazed back at her, his eyes never wavering from hers.  He started to speak, but Steph placed one finger on his lips to silence him.

"Shh...I'm not finished...Chris, I want you to know how grateful I am for everything you've done for me.  You've been there and chose to stand by me after all the terrible things I've done.  A lesser man would have walked out of my life and never looked back.  And through everything," Stephanie said, "you've managed to maintain your dignity..."  She moved slightly closer to him and squeezed the hand she held in her own.  "...And I love you, Chris Irvine..."

Chris' handsome face broadened into a smile that went all the way up to his bright blue eyes.  "That's all I ever wanted to hear from you, Steph," he said, a warm, fuzzy feeling in the bottom of his stomach.  "I love you, too."  He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and kissed her.

*

The following week, Phoenix, Arizona, RAW is War

Adam was nervous but excited at the same time as he sat in the locker room waiting for his time to appear.  He periodically checked his watch, as he was wearing his street clothes tonight.  He didn't have a match scheduled until tomorrow's SmackDown taping.

"Hey, calm down, man," Jay said as he slapped a friendly hand against Adam's shoulder.  "Everything'll be fine."

"I know," he replied.  "I'm just anxious, that's all."

Jay chuckled.  "Well, that's only natural."

Adam glanced at his watch for what he thought had to be the hundredth time in the past half-hour.  "It's almost time," he said.  "I'd better go meet Amy now."

"Okay," Jay said.  "Trish and I will be watching back here, rooting you on...good luck, Adam."  He smiled and gave him a thumbs-up sign.

"Thanks," Adam said, exhaling a deep breath.  He went out to the hallway, nearly colliding into Amy, who had just approached the door.  Her arm was raised, fist poised to knock.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, laughing.  "Ready, babe?  We're almost on."

"Yup, I'm ready."

They had about five minutes to spare.  They walked together to the curtain by the ramp to wait.

Amy gazed up at Adam lovingly and grasped his hand.  She noticed that he looked pretty nervous.  Well, it isn't every day you challenge the WWF champion to a title shot, she thought.

Adam ran his free hand through his silky golden locks.  I'm not going to choke up out there, he promised himself as he gazed fondly at Amy.

Before he knew it, a stage hand came and directed them to go out to the arena.  As Adam heard the opening line of his theme song blaring - "You think you know me..." - he pushed his way through the curtain, Amy at his side.

Lillian Garcia's voice rang loud and clear.  "From Toronto, Canada, making his way to the ring, being accompanied by Lita - Edge!"

As they got closer to the ring, Adam stepped in front of Amy so that he was on the apron first.  He put out his hand for her, and she took it, and he held the ropes open for her so she could enter first.

Adam glanced over at Lillian and reached out to take the microphone from her.  She handed it to him, and he waited patiently until his music stopped playing.  Amy stood nearby and watched him as he surveyed the crowd and then turned to face her.  He gave her a warm, loving smile before lifting the mic up to his lips.

"You know something?  I'm at a point in my life where I want to take chances...I'm a very lucky man."  He surveyed the crowd, then turned to gaze intensely at Amy.  He pushed his dark sunglasses up over his eyes and he stared at her.  She gazed back at him curiously.

Adam continued, glancing out at the audience.  "I came out here tonight claiming that I was going to issue a challenge to Triple H to face him for a title shot, but that's not the case."  He focused his gaze back on Amy.  "But in reality, I came out here to ask you something..."

Amy's eyes widened slightly as she gazed at Adam quizzically.  She had no idea what he was talking about.

Taking hold of Amy's left hand, Adam lowered himself to one knee in the center of the ring.  As Amy realized what he was about to do, she gasped softly in surprise and clapped her free hand against her mouth.  She mouthed, "Oh, my God" as she felt her eyes beginning to well up with tears.  The fans began to respond to Adam's gesture as well with shouts and screams and applause.

"Amy," Adam said, getting out of character, as he was about to do the most important thing of his life, "I have never loved anyone as much as I love you...You have made me the happiest man alive, but you can make me even happier..."

Amy wept silently as she gazed down at him.  She couldn't believe this, had never expected it.  She felt that she had never loved this man more than she did at that very moment.

Adam reached into one of his pants pockets and pulled out a diamond ring.  "...Amy, will you marry me?"

"Oh, my God," she exclaimed softly, the tears running freely down her cheeks.  She was practically speechless and had never felt so surprised as she was at that moment.  "Yes, of course I'll marry you, Adam," she cried.

Adam slipped the diamond onto her finger and stood up to hug her as his face broke out into a broad grin.  Amy laughed, her tears still flowing, as she held tightly to him, the fans applauding and roaring their approval.

"I love you," Adam said, his face close to hers as he held her back slightly to gaze into her eyes.  He lowered his head to kiss her, and she kissed him back with all her heart and soul.

*

"Alright!" Jay said with approval from his spot in front of one of the TV monitors in the locker room backstage.  He gestured happily as he watched his friends get engaged on live national television.  Then, glancing over at Trish, who was standing at his side, he squeezed her hand in his.  She smiled warmly back at him.

"That's so beautiful," she said.  "It's so great to see them so happy...That is so wonderful."

"Yeah," Jay agreed.  "Adam is such a lucky guy."  He gazed at Trish.  "And so am I."  He enveloped her in an embrace and kissed her tenderly.  She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back fervently.

*

Later that night, in their hotel room, Adam and Amy made love.  Afterward, they lay spent in one another's arms.  Amy lay her head on Adam's muscular chest, listening to his strong and steady heartbeat.

She felt like she was in heaven.  Was this all a dream?  No, she thought as she childishly reached out to pinch her left arm.  She was so happy.  She was going to be married to the man she loved, and she was having his child.  Life couldn't be more perfect.

Adam gently fingered her face, gently caressing her cheek, chin and lips.  "Penny for your thoughts," he said with a smile, his greenish-brown eyes sparkling happily as he moved his hand to her right arm and fingered her massive tattoo.

Amy smiled.  "I was just thinking about how I'm the luckiest girl in the world...I love you, Adam Copeland."  She leaned over until her lips were on his and they were kissing deep and passionately.  Afterward, she lay her head back on his chest.

Adam put his arm around her waist and snuggled closer to her.  "I love you, too," he said dreamily.  He was so happy.  Soon, they both fell asleep, content in one another's arms and in their solid, unbreakable love.
 
 

The End