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Adam chuckled softly as he took in the joy little Amanda felt at the simple game they were playing. Well, on the contrary, it wasn't *that* simple. MarioKart was a little more skillful than that - but for a six-year-old, Mandy sure had good hand-eye coordination. As it was, he really *wasn't* trying to let her win. He *had* been, but that was before he'd realized she could actually play!
"I beat you! I beat you!"
The tall blond man let out a playful growl and put down his control.
"You sure did, Blondie..." He made a creeping motion, wiggling his long fingers at the girl and she began to squeal as she dropped the control she'd been using. "... and now, the Tickle Monster's gonna get you!"
Despite the fact that they were not alone in the locker room, Adam was completely oblivious by the scrutiny of the two others who were present. Instead, he was intent with a mischievous and playful purpose as he caught Mandy, holding her under one arm as he tickled her mercilessly with his free hand. The little girl screamed and laughed.
Jay almost couldn't tear his gaze away from his best friend and the child, his brain working overtime. And then, finally, he turned to exchange glances with Trish, who was sitting beside him. He couldn't help but think about what she'd told him so recently - that Jeff Hardy actually suspected Amanda might be *Adam's* daughter.
At first, he'd laughed it off, finding the idea ridiculous. How in heck could Adam be Mandy's father? But then something clicked inside his head, and he reminded himself that, once upon a time ago, the blond man and Amy *had* slept together. Yet, it had only been a one-night stand. What were the odds of...? Then he'd had to also remind himself that one time was all it took...
"Excuse me, guys, I-"
Everyone looked up at the sound of Amy's voice as she suddenly appeared in the doorway. Adam still had Mandy in his arms and paused in mid-tickle, his grin widening as he caught sight of the redhead.
She was so caught off-guard by the scene between Adam and her daughter that her breath had been nearly taken away. The tall Canadian had been playing with her, tickling her by the looks of it. It touched her so profoundly - the two of them were really getting along.
"Hi, Mommy!" the girl exclaimed. "I beat Uncle Adam in MarioKart!"
The redhead laughed softly, melodiously.
"Oh, is that so?" She swung her gaze toward the blond man.
"I'm afraid so," he said spiritedly as he stood up. "I got my butt kicked by a six-year-old!"
"I wanna beat Aunt Trish next!"
"Sure, honey," the little blonde quipped as she reached out to gently poke Amanda on the tip of her nose. "But I think your mommy wanted something first."
"Oh... right," Amy said as she ran her fingers through her hair. She glanced from Mandy to Adam and back and forth again. "Why don't you stay here and play with Aunt Trish and Uncle Jay while me and Uncle Adam have a talk?"
The blond man met her gaze and could clearly see that she wanted to go elsewhere. Her hazel eyes seemed to be pleading with him.
"Okay," the girl said as she climbed onto Trish's lap. Quickly, she was already engrossed in a new subject with the blonde diva and the short-haired Canadian man.
Adam slipped from the room and followed Amy down the hallway. They walked awhile in silence for a moment until his curiosity got the better of him. It seemed as though the redheaded woman was full of pensiveness.
"So, what's up?" he asked.
"Well..." She bit her lip as she turned to face forward, suddenly refusing to look at him. Seeing him and Amanda so chummy back there and liking each other so much nearly had her choked up. It was so wonderful, she hoped it wouldn't bring her to tears. And yet, she *still* hadn't told him - either one of them... "I needed to talk to you," she resumed. "It's just that I... Well, you know how Matt and I have been having problems lately..."
"Yeah...?" Adam felt his heart quickening at her words.
"And in spite of that, I think he's going to ask me to marry him," Amy plundered on.
The tall blond man's heart stopped, his blood running ice cold. It felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach, kicked in the balls.
"But... the thing is," she continued in a whisper. "I'm thinking of leaving him..."