Gone

______________________________________________________

Adam had just finished sorting through his bag and selected his tights for the night when he heard a loud sound. The door suddenly burst open, and he saw Matt Hardy walk into his locker room.

"Hey, man-"

The tall blond man's words were cut short as the dark-haired man silenced him with a single punch to the face. Shocked, Adam fell to the floor, clutching his jaw. He suddenly became aware of Amy's voice as well, the redhead letting out a scream as she ducked into the room.

"It's you? It's *you*?!" Matt yelled, his face red in his fury. Both his hands were balled into fists as he glared down at Adam.

The tall blond man staggered to his feet, Amy rushing to his side in an instant. The first thought that zipped through his mind was that the redhead must have told the older Hardy about them over these last two weeks.

"You fucking bastard! I knew you knew each other six years ago, but..." Matt shook his head. "... you scum - you abandoned them!"

The blond man reached a hand back up to his face, his jaw sore from the blow the other man had administered. The redhead was grabbing onto his arm, craning her neck so as to get a better look at the probably darkening bruise he was developing.

"What...? No," he denied, shaking his head.

"You're a miserable excuse for a man!" the dark-haired man shouted as he pointed an accusatory finger at the Canadian.

"Matt, stop it!" Amy cried. "Adam didn't know! He didn't *know*!"

"You're only protecting him because you two are fucking again!"

"No!" the redhead exclaimed. "He didn't know until just over a week ago! I-I never told him about Mandy."

Matt glared from Amy to Adam and then back to the diva again. His head was spinning from all of this. He felt as though his world were collapsing all around him. It was so overwhelming. Then, recovering, he glared coldly at Adam, his dark eyes hard.

"I bet you're not even her biological father," he spat.

"I *am*," the blond man responded. He stood his ground as he stared into Matt's eyes.

"No... Let me tell you something," the Hardy continued, his voice and eyes still cold as he pointed in Adam's face. "I may not be her natural father, but..." He huffed a sarcastic laugh. "... even if you *are*, I am more a father to that little girl than you could ever even *hope* to be."

The taller man clenched his hands into fists. A vein began to visibly throb in his temple.

"We'll see about that," he countered in a low tone. "She's *my* daughter, and that's something you could never take away from me *or* Mandy."

A derisive laugh escaped the darker man as he then shifted his gaze on his now former girlfriend.

"You've really got him wound around your little finger, don't you?"

The redhead opened her mouth to speak, but no words emerged. What was he talking about? She noticed the tall blond visibly stiffen, however.

"In all seriousness," Matt went on, his gaze darkening and hardening, "I doubt Amanda is your daughter." He gave Amy a disgusted look.

Adam's green eyes grew hard with further anger as he glared at the man. Despite the fact that he knew the shorter man had every right to be so mad, he'd still decked him - and at the moment, he was being a prick. And it wasn't so much for himself that Adam was getting pissed off - it was for Amy. In so many words, Matt was basically calling her a slut. And that did *not* sit well with the tall blond man.

"I want a paternity test done!" the Hardy suddenly shouted. Again, his face grew red with rage.

"Matt," Amy broke in softly. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "You're *not* her father - you *know* that."

"I don't give a shit!" came the shouted response. Matt's voice boomed so loudly, the redhead nearly jumped back. Adam, on the other hand, still stood still and strong as he barely blinked at the exclamation.

"That's all fine and good," the blond man said evenly. "You want me to take a paternity test?" He stepped closer to Matt, and Amy stood just behind him, still gripping nervously and securely onto his hand. "That's just *fine*... Bring it on."  
 
 

Part 33

Back