Telling Vince about my pregnancy wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. In fact, he seemed genuinely happy about it. Since there was only a few months left on my contract, he allowed me to stay on as an interviewer. He told me that I could come back when I felt like it, but I told him, "we'll see." If Kevin and I were going to keep the child, I wanted to be a full time mother to him or her.

Even though I didn't know where my career was going, I said goodbye to the Dominatress. It was kinda like getting a new beginning in the company, since the Dominatress was never unmasked. Now that I got rid of the half-mask and leather outfit, I was just Jade.

Being an interviewer wasn't bad either. The same amount of fun with a hell of a lot less risk. Well, most of the time. I wound up having to interview Kane, which was supposed to end in a brawl with the nWo. I interrupted their stare down. "Guys, now's not the time." "It's always a good time for a fight," X-Pac said. "Kane's going to squash you. He's twice your size." Kane folded his arms over his chest, and laughed. "Maybe, but he's a perfect match for Kevin."

He stepped up, and stood eye to eye, toe to toe with Kane. "Jade, you should leave," Kevin said. Unfortunately, I went the wrong way. Instead of going behind X, Scott and Kevin, I went behind Kane. I got knocked down when Kevin punched him, and Kane stumbled backward. When Kevin saw me on the floor, he came to my side. X and Scott continued to pound on Kane, so no one would pay attention to what happened.

"Are you ok? What about the baby?" "Kev, we're fine. I've taken worse bumps." "You weren't pregnant then." "I meant last night when you rolled over on me. You're messing up your promo. Go on." He followed in the direction the guys and the camera man went. I stayed near the interview set, so I could interview Terri for a bikini match.

Kevin, Scott, X and Glen came back to the interview area. "Are you ok, Jade," Glen asked me. "Yes, I'm fine." "Sorry I knocked you down." "It's ok. As long as the baby is ok, I'll let you live." Scott, X and Glen's jaws dropped. "Baby!?" I looked at Kevin. "You didn't tell your friends?" "I was trying to keep the peace." "You haven't told your friends either," Glen said. "How far along?" "Almost two months." "Congrats, little bit." "Thanks, Glen." "Yeah, congrats, Jade." "Thanks, X."

"I'm going to get ready for my match. I'll see you later," X said. "I'm going, too," Glen said. "Bye, guys." They were full of shit. They felt the tention building between Scott, Kevin and myself. When they walked away, Scott said, "two months? That's around the time of our wedding. The baby could be mine or Kev's." "No, Scott. The baby is Kevin's." "How do you know," he challenged. "I was on the rag right after we were supposed to get married. So, it had to have happened after that."

Scott looked down. "I hope you're not upset. I mean, we didn't plan for this to happen." "You don't have to explain yourself to me, mija. Good luck with the baby." "Thank you." He kissed my cheek, and slowly walked back to the dressing room.

Unfortunately, Scott didn't make it very long in the company. I wasn't there, but there was some sort of disturbance on a flight back from Europe. Vince swears Scott was drunk, but I highly doubt it. He wouldn't jeopardize his custody rights to his kids over alcohol.

Even though Scott was gone, the nWo marched on. The group consisted of X-Pac, Big Show, Shawn Michaels and my darling Kevin. I missed Scott terribly after he was fired, but I had heard he found a new job working for Jeff Jarrett and his father, Jerry. I wished him all the luck in the world with NWA.

As for Kevin and I, things couldn't have been better. In fact, we had decided to keep our baby girl. He planned a surprise for me at the last house show I would be at. Normally, the guys would do their own promos at the house shows, but this time Vince asked me to interview the nWo. Of course, I said I would. I went out, and introduced them. Kevin was the only one to come out, though.

When he stepped over the top rope, I shrugged and said, "where are the other guys?" He asked for the mic, and I gave it to him. "I know you thought you would be interviewing me and the boys, but uh... We have a celebration planned for our two newest members." He unfolded the shirt in his hand, and gave it to me. The nWo theme started back up, and the guys came out. Show came out carrying a balloon with baby Disney characters on it. X carried a balloon with baby Looney Tunes on it. Shawn followed behind them with a balloon that said "congratulations".

As they came into the ring, they kissed me on the cheek, and handed me the balloon. They stood behind Kevin in a line. "Oh... I almost forgot. There's one more balloon. Hollywood, if you would be so kind..." I turned to watch as he came out with a big heart shaped balloon that said "will you marry me?" on it. When I turned to look at Kevin, he was on one knee holding a velvet box with a ring inside. "Let's make the family complete," he said off of the mic. He handed me the mic. "What do you say, ladies? Should I marry Kevin," I asked the crowd. It seemed like everyone said "yes". "Seems like I'm not the only one who thinks you're worth keeping. Yes, I'll marry you."

Later that night, we set the date for July 17. Eight days after his birthday, and eight days before mine.

The week after I went out was Monty and Nikole's wedding. She looked beautiful in her dress, and seemed to glow from the inside out. Monty was handsome in his tuxedo, as were Road Dogg and X. Road Dogg's wife, Chawni, and I were the bride's maids. I was honored, even though between the dress and the baby, I looked fat.

Kevin went with me to the wedding. He had given X strict instructions that if anything happened to me, he'd wring his neck. He had become so protective that he threatened anybodythat came near me. Of course, the wedding went without incident, and X was able to live another day.

Speaking of X, he had brought his girlfriend to the wedding. His girlfriend just happened to be Joanie Laurer; mine and Niki's ex-roommate. It was good to see her again. She was quite shocked to see my now showing stomach, and the ring on my finger. I left her wondering who the man was until the reception. When she saw us together, her jaw hit the floor. "You're marrying Kevin?" "Yeah. I'm almost five months pregnant with his baby. He thought it was only right that we get married." "Do you agree with him?" "Yeah. Besides, we get along great, and I really love him." "Well, congratulations. I hope everything works out this time." "Thank you. And, I hope you and X wind up like us." "Don't put ideas in her head, Jade," X said. "Why not? I think she's just the woman to keep you in your place," Kevin said.

"Alright, single ladies. It's time for the bouquet toss. Even if you're engaged, I want your asses out here," Niki said, talking to me and Sandra. Sandra and Terry had gotten engaged just two days before. Well, with Joanie being the tallest of the ladies, she caught the bouquet. When Monty threw the garter belt, Kevin caught it. Sandra grabbed her camera, and came around to get a picture. Joanie was in X's arms, and I was in Kevin's.

Not long after, I began getting tired. I gave Monty and Nikole my congratulations, and gave them both a hug. "I'll see you two when you get back from Jamaica. You'll be back before the wedding, won't you?" "We'll be back next week." "Great. Have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't."

Once Kevin and I made it back to the house, I asked him, "do you want some ice cream?" "You're not going to put pickle slices on it, are you?" "Yuck! No! I hate pickles. I put salsa on mine." "I'll pass."

Everything had been so perfect since Kevin and I got together, that we should have known something would knock us off of "Cloud 9". When it finally happened, Kevin landed flat on his back. I was sitting at home watching the last match on Raw, which was Kevin's, when the phone rang.

"Hello." "Jade, turn off the t.v." It was Shawn. "Why?" "There's been an accident, and I know it hasn't shown yet because of the time delay." I muted the t.v., but told him I turned it off. "What happened?" "Kev's knee went out. The doc thinks it's like what happened to Trips. Kev wanted me to make sure you didn't see it, and..."

"Oh my God," I gasped, as I watched Kevin fall to the mat screaming. "Damn it, Jade... I told you to turn it off," he said calmly. "Where is he now?" "The medics are taking him to the hospital. Paul and I are following them." "As soon as you find out what's going on, call me, and let me know. I don't care what time it is." "As long as you calm down, for the baby's sake." "I will."

It was two o'clock in the morning before the phone rang again. "Hello," I said groggily. "Hey, baby. Did I wake you up?" "Yes, but that doesn't matter. What have the doctors said?" "I tore my ACL. I head out for Alabama in a couple hours. They're going to cut me open, hun." "Oh, Kev... That's a hell of a way to spend your birthday." "I've been thinking more about our wedding," he said sounding sleepy. "We can talk about that Wednesday. I'm going to meet you at the hospital." "Jade, don't do that. You shouldn't be traveling this late in your pregnancy. It's not good for the baby." "That's only for flying. I'm driving in whether you like it or not." "Not if I don't tell you where." "I can get it out of Paul."

He laughed. "You are so stubborn." "Only because I love you that much. Get some rest. I'll see you when I get there. And, Kevin..." "Yeah, baby?" "Happy birthday. I love you." "I love you, too. Bye, Jade. Be careful."

After I hung up, I tried to go back to sleep. I laid in bed for two hours, before I decided to get up. I packed my bags, and wrote a note for Nikole, since she would be back to move the next day.

At eight o'clock I called Sandra, and explained the situation to her. "Would you keep an eye on the house while I go out there?" "I'll have Missy watch the house, and I'll come with you. You shouldn't be on the road alone right now." "I'd really appreciate it if you would." "Let me call Vince and Terry, and pack a bag. Then we'll leave." Two hours later, we were On Interstate 10, passing the Houston City limits.

The trip seemed to take a week, even though it really only took a day and a half. At noon on Wednesday, we pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. I went to the nurse's station to find out what room he was in. "I'm sorry. Considering his celebrity status, I can't let you see him without some proof of relation." "I don't suppose his daughter is enough proof," I mumbled. Sandra laughed. "Will you please call his room, and tell him Jade Nash would like to see him?" "Sandra Gerrin, too."

She gave us a disbelieving look, but turned to the phone, and called his room. After a moment she said, "Mr. Nash, we have a couple women here that wish to see you. One said her name is Jade Nash..." By that point I heard him say, "let her in." "Yes, sir." She turned to me. "Room 320." "Thank you." As I walked down the hall, I said, "bitch."

"Jade, she's just doing her job." "I know, but it annoyed me." We got on the elevator, and I pushed the button for the third floor. "I would have had to open up a can of whoop ass if she wouldn't have let us in." Sandra laughed. "That would have been a sight." "Well, would you have stood for it if it were you and Terry?" "Hell no."

The elevator lurched to a stop. As we walked down the hall, I turned to Sandra and said, "by the way, how is Terry?" "He's doing fine. He has a serious case of cabin fever, but that's it." "That's good."

As I turned back, I noticed I was within a foot of running into someone. I looked up, and my jaw hit the floor. "Uh... Hi, Scott." "Hola, mija. Como stas?" "I'm fine. How are you?" "I've been busy with NWA. How's the baby?" "Oh, she's a little wrestler under construction." He laughed. The baby started kicking. "Here," I said as I grabbed his hand. I laid it on my stomach where she was kicking. "See what I mean?" "Yeah. She has the Big Boot down already." I laughed. "I'm running out to get my lunch. Do you need anything?" "No, thanks. I just need to see Kev." "Ok. I'll see you in awhile."

Scott walked off, and my eyes followed. "Sandra, do you think I messed up by leaving him for Kevin?" "If you would have stayed with him, you probably wouldn't be pregnant, and your relationship would be long distance with you working for Vince, and him working for the Jarretts." "True. I guess I still love him though." "There's a man down the hall that loves you, is the father of your baby, and will be your husband in seven days." I smiled. "I love him, too." "You can't have both, so stick with the one you've got," Sandra said as she turned me around, and pushed me toward Kevin's room.

I opened the door, and said, "knock, knock." The only person I saw was X. "Hey, X. Where's Kevin?" He pointed to an area just out of view. I looked around the corner where Kevin sat in his wheel chair. "Hey, hunny." He smiled. "Hey, babe. How are my girls?" "Your daughter is trying to kick her way out, but we're ok."

"Are you decent," Sandra called from the door. "Yes. Hello, Sandra." "Hey, Kev."

"What has the doctor said," I asked. "He's going to take me to do some tests in a few minutes. He said we'll know more then."

Kevin looked so down and depressed that it broke my heart. "Oh, baby..." I said as I stepped by his side. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and laid his head on my stomach. I looked up at X, and nodded toward the door. "Come on, Sandra. I'll buy you lunch."

After they left I said, "you're a strong man. You'll be back on your feet in no time." "I know, Jade, but I keep looking at the situation like Vince would. This is my second injury since I've been back. I just turned 43 yesterday. I don't want him to think I'm getting too old for this." "So, prove him wrong. Show him you can bounce back like Trip, or any of the other guys." "I'm not sure if I can anymore." "Sure you can. You listen to the doctors, and I'll feed you health food. Between them mending you, and me lightening the load on it, you should be as good as new."

Kevin looked up at me. "As long as I can play with the kids in a few months, I'll be happy." "Don't worry, love. You will." "About our wedding..."

He was interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by an older man coming through. "Mr. Nash. How are you today?" "As well as can be." "Who is this young lady?" "Dr. Peterson, this is my fiance'e, Jade. Jade, this is the man trying to save my knee." "It's nice to meet you, Doctor." "It's nice to meet you, as well." He turned back to Kevin. "Well, are you ready?" "Let's get it over with." "Do you want me to come?" "Not this time, baby. Get some rest. You had a long ride." "Ok, sweetie."

As the doctor wheeled Kevin out of the room, I laid down on the bed. Five minutes later, the door opened again. "Hey, Kev. I got some fries for..." Scott noticed he was gone. "The doctor has him," I told him. "Oh. Want some fries?" "No, thanks."

Scott sat in the chair next to the bed, and laid his hand on my belly. The baby pushed where his hand was. "I think she likes me," he laughed. "She takes after her momma." "Jade..." "I know. I shouldn't have said that."

Scott sat back and sighed. "It still hurts that it's not my baby." "I wouldn't mind either way. I love you both. And, there's no saying that it isn't your baby. I lied about having my period after we were supposed to get married." "Why?" "I didn't want you to get your hopes up, just to find out she's Kevin's." "Does he know you lied?" "I don't know if he realized it or not, but I have a feeling that's the real reason he didn't tell you." "When are you due?" "November tenth." "That goes back to early February, when you left me." "I didn't leave you. You told me to leave our wedding. If it wasn't for that damn test, I'd be married to you, and we'd know this was your baby."

Scott sighed again. "We can have a test done after she's born. Kevin doesn't have to know, unless I'm the father." "Deal," I replied. "I'd hate for your daughter to call you 'Uncle Scott' even once." "What would happen between us if she is mine?" "I don't know. I guess we'll find out then." "But you and Kevin are supposed to get married in a week." "Key words are 'supposed to'. I have this feeling he's going to put it off," I said as a tear slid down my cheek.

"What's wrong?" "Nothing." "You're a terrible liar." I chuckle. "It's just... Like I said, I love you both. I never wanted to leave you, but you were mad, and understandably so. So, I stuck with him. I should have fought against you pushing me away." He brushed my tears away with his thumb. "How do you think I feel? I lost my bride, because of one of my stupid ideas." I laid my hand on his cheek. Before I knew what was happening, he leaned over me, and claimed my lips. As the kiss ended, he stood up, and said, "I'm not sorry for that." "I'm not either."

*********************

Kevin came back to the room an hour later. "Well, what's going on," I asked Dr. Peterson. "It'll be a slow recovery, but I think he can make it. He'll have to have therapy three times a week, until he regains full use of his knee, and even then, there's no telling if or when he'll be ready for the ring again."

I slid my fingers in Kevin's hand. "As long you can get him walking again, I'll be happy." I looked at Kevin as he sat in the wheel chair. "You'd be miserable if you couldn't wrestle, though, right?" "Yes. It's what I've done for the last 15 years. I can't see myself doing anything else." I patted my belly. "Believe me, I understand." "If you don't mind me asking, how far along are you," Dr. Peterson asked. "Twenty two weeks." "Eighteen more to go. Congratulations." "Thank you," Kevin and I said. "Well, I'm off to finish my rounds. I will see you tomorrow, Kevin." "Ok. Thanks, Doc."

As Dr. Peterson walked out the door, Kevin looked at Scott. "Scott, can I have a moment alone with Jade?" "Sure, man. I'll go get some coffee."

Once Scott left, Kevin looked down at his lap. "It's about the wedding, isn't it?" "Yeah, it is." "You want to put it off, don't you?" He looked up at me. "Yes." "Until you're healed, or indeffinately?" "Until we know for sure that you are carrying my child." "Kevin, I love you, but if you're only marrying me because I'm pregnant, we can call the whole thing off." "But I want to be there for her, if I'm her father." "You can be there for her, even if we're not married, just like you are for your son." I sighed. "Kevin, I don't want to get married again if I'll have to go through another divorce. The last one almost killed me inside."

I stared down at him for a long, silent moment. He looked down at his lap again, but stayed quiet. "Kevin, if you want me out of your life, with the exception of this baby, tell me now. The man I want to marry will love me and the baby, no matter if she's his or not." "You sound like you have someone else lined up to take my place." "You're changing the subject." He sighed. "I guess I just fell out of love with you." "That's all you had to say," I replied as I walked to the door. Before I opened it, I turned back to him. "By the way, you took his place when he pushed me away. He'd be taking his spot back." I walked out the door, and went in search of Scott.

Scott was still in the cafeteria when I found him. He had sat down with Sandra and X. I walked over, and stood beside him. "Hey. How's Kevin doing," Sandra asked. "He's well enough for now," I said as the first tear slid from my eye. "Scott, can I speak to you alone for a moment?" "Sure, mija." "What's wrong, Sis?" "I'll let you know after I talk to Scott, Sis."

Scott and I went to a table as far from them as possible. After we sat, I asked him, "do you still love me?" "Yes. If I didn't, I wouldn't have kissed you earlier." "Do you still want to marry me?" He looked at me confused. "Yes. What are you getting to, Jade?" "One more question, then I'll let you know. Would you love me, and the baby, even if Kevin is the father?" "Yes." "We split up," I told him. His jaw dropped. I told him why, and what happened. "Besides, I can't stand the pain of looking at you, and not being able to touch you." Another tear slid down my cheek.

He took my hand in his. "Te amo, Scott." He smiled at me. "I love you, too, mija." He wiped the tears from my cheek, and I leaned into his touch. "Can we turn two failed proposals into a perfect marriage," I asked him. "I'm willing to try if you are." I stood, and leaned over the table to kiss him. Still holding hands, Scott rose from the table, and we went to fill Sandra and X in on what happened.

"You're shitting me," X said. "Nope. This time, we're really going to do it." "Here," Scott said as he dug in his pocket. "You can be witnesses to this." He slid Kevin's ring off of my finger, and slid the ring he gave me before on. In the middle of the cafeteria, he got on his knee, and said, "Jade, will you marry me?" "Of course I will, Scott." I wrapped my arms around his neck, and didn't want to let go.

He gently kissed me as he stood up. "Let's go to my hotel." "Alright." I looked over at X and Sandra. "Uh..." "Don't worry, Sis. I'll get a room there in awhile. X told me where they are staying." I gave her a hug. "Thanks for coming out here with me." "No probelm."

chapter 8

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of the phone. Since I was next to it, I answered it. "Hello," I said groggily. "Who's this," a man said. "Who the hell is this?" "Kevin." Without saying another word, I woke Scott up, and handed him the phone. "Yeah?" he said. Then, he said, "my girlfriend." Then, Scott said my name.

My stomach knotted. I was wondering what Kevin was saying, when Scott said, "I was thinking of taking her home, and marrying her." After a moment, Scott handed me the phone, and I hung it up. "He wanted to talk to you," he said. "Oh, well. He'll get over it. I'm going back to sleep." He smiled at me, and pulled me into his embrace. "You can't go back to sleep. We have some planning to do." "For what?" "Our wedding." "No. No planning, no dress, no tuxedo, no flowers, no bride's maid, no groom's men... We only need the two of us. Waiting and planning leaves too much time for a catastrophy to screw up another wedding." "So, what do you want to do?" "Go to the Justice of the Peace, and get it over with." He chuckled. "Ok. If that's how you want it, it's fine with me." "Good."

"We still have to get up. The baby is going to get hungry." She started moving. "Did you have to mention that?" Scott laid between my legs, and propped himself up with his elbows on either side of my hips. He gently ran his hands over my belly. "Be good to your mommy," he said. She stopped moving. He placed kisses all over my stomach. I thought to myself, 'how could I have ever thought I belonged with Kevin?'

I laid my hand on his cheek. "Scott, you're too much." "Can you deal with that?" "Yes," I laughed. "I love you." "Te amo, mija." He placed a kiss in the palm of my hand.

"I'm going to take a shower. Why don't you call X, and invite him to breakfast." "Ok." He kissed me, then went into the bathroom. I called X's room, but a familiar female voice answered. "Sandra? Is that you?" "Yeah. What's up, Jade?" "Maybe I should ask you that. Why are you answering Sean's line?" She giggled a little. "He's in the shower." "Sandra... Did you two..." "Yeah, we did it." "What about Terry and Joanie?" "Shit! Way to burst my bubble."

I snickered. "Why don't you and 'loverboy' meet us downstairs for breakfast. You two can work out your relationship later." "Ok. I'll go jump in the shower." "With X?" "That's for me to know." "Bye."

After hanging up, I joined Scott in the shower. "They will meet us down there." "They?" "Sandra was with him." He laughed. "I don't think we're the only ones with the 'engagement curse'."

Ignoring his comment, I ran my hands over his wet chest. "Have I ever told you how sexy you are?" "I think you have." "Well, I'm going to tell you again. Damn, you're sexy!" He wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me deeply. His hand moved down to squeeze my ass cheek.

Forty-five minutes later, we were sitting down at the resteraunt. Sandra sat across from me. Everytime I looked up at her, I couldn't help but laugh. While she was looking at the menu, she finally got agitated, and kicked me under the table. "Shut up, Jade." "You realize we're going to have girl-talk later?"

Before Sandra could answer, my cell phone rang. Without checking the caller ID, I answered. "Hey, Jade. Is Sandra with you?" I had to have gone pale. It was Terry. "She just ran out to the store for me." "Could you have her call me on my cell phone?" "Sure thing, Terry." "Thanks. Bye." I looked across the table at Sandra, who looked like she'd seen a ghost. "You owe me." "Uh... Yeah. Ok." "Terry?" X said. Sandra only stuttered and stammered. "Her fiance," I answered.

Sandra and I worked up a script in the hotel room, while Scott and X went to see Kevin. "What would really help us is if you knew what was going to happen between you and X." "How?" "If you are going to leave Terry, tell him and get it over with. If not, act like nothing happened." "I can't do that. I have to tell him either way. It would be like lying to him if I didn't." "But you're not. You're just not telling him."

"Jade..." "Sandra, I've been in this situation a few times, and..." "And the guys found out, one way or another. I have to tell him." I sighed. "Alright. Atleast see what he wants first." "Deal."

Two seconds later, Scott entered the room. "That didn't take long," I said. He smiled at me. "He wasn't very happy about you hanging up on him this morning. He thought I did it." "I'll call him in a few minutes." "I'm going to Sean's room to make my call. I'll see you later, Jade." "Ok. Good luck." "Thanks."

Once Sandra left, I asked Scott, "how upset was he?" "No more than usual. I doubt he'll yell if you call." "Alright. I'll call him now." "Keep your cool." "I'll try."

I punched in the number. When it was answered, I said, "what the hell is your problem, Kevin? You want to yell at your friend for something I did on accident?" "Jade, hold on. You have the wrong guy." "Trips?" "Yeah, it's me," he laughed. "Sorry. Can I talk to Kevin?" "Hold on."

"Yeah?" "What the hell..." "Congratulations, Jade." "What?" "On your engagement. That's all I wanted to say this morning." I sighed. "I'm sorry I hung up on you. I didn't know you were still on the line. I thought you hung up on Scott." "It's ok, baby. No hard feelings about that, or you and Scott getting back together. No matter who the real father of that baby is, he will be a great dad to her."

I sniffled. "Are you crying?" "Damn hormones," I muttered. Kevin chuckled. "Bye, Jade." "Bye, Kevin. I wish you a speedy recovery." "Thank you." As I hung up, Scott sat next to me on the bed.

"What did I miss? You started by yelling, then apologizing, and now you're crying." I told him what Kevin said. He smiled, and wrapped his arms around me. "See, mami? Kevin's not a complete asshole." "I know that. He was a complete sweetheart, until yesterday." "Falling out of love isn't such a bad thing. If I hadn't fallen out of love with my ex, we wouldn't have gotten engaged the first time." "And if Kevin hadn't with me, we wouldn't be engaged again."

I laid my head on his shoulder. "All the hell we've gone through, and we wind up together again... I think it's a sign." "Oh, yeah?" "Yeah. We belong together."

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. I went to the doctor the day before, for my monthly check up. The baby was healthy, and growing fast. The doctor also said for the next month and a half, I'd have to come in bi-weekly. Then, it would be once a week. It was getting close to time. Well, two and a half to three months.

Back to my birthday... Scott and I finally got married. He got a little mad at me, but got over it quickly. You see, he never told me his middle name, so when the judge said, "do you, Scott Oliver Hall" I snickered. Of course, he laughed when the judge said, "do you, Jade Margarite Callaway".

We went to his home after we were married. There were a few things we had to take care of, before we could go on a honeymoon. As we were gathering his kids' bags for a week at their mother's house, the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, I was surprised to find X and Sandra.

"Meet the new Mr. and Mrs. Waltman," X said. "You're shitting me," I said. "No. We eloped," Sandra said. "Hunny, get down here," I yelled up the stairs to Scott. "What? Who's here?" "Mr. and Mrs. Waltman." He came down the stairs with a smile on his face. "Congradulations, man. By the way, meet the new Mrs. Hall." "When?" Sandra asked. "This morning. It's the best birthday present a girl could ask for," I said. "Congrats, and happy birthday, Sis," Sandra said as she hugged me. "Thank you, and congrats to you, too."

"So, what are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be on your honeymoon?" "We came to Orlando for our honeymoon. Where are you two going?" "Where no one can find us," I laughed. "Can you give us a state?" "Louisianna. We're going gambling," Scott said.

While we were talking, the phone rang. "You go ahead and talk to them. I'll get it," I told Scott. "Hello." "Happy birthday, Jade." "Thank you, Kevin." "What did Scott give you?" I hesitated a moment before saying, "a wedding ring. We got married this morning." "Congratulations." "Thank you." "How's the baby?" "Getting big. Not much longer, now." "Let me know when you go into the hospital, and I'll be there." "Of course I will. How is rehab going?" "Slow, but I'm making some improvement." "That's good."

"Hey, Jade, call them back later," X said. "It's Kevin," I yelled back. "Did Sean go to your wedding?" Kevin asked. "No. Scott and I went alone. Sean and Sandra came by to tell us they got married." "I guess I'm the only single one left," he said, meaning of the guys in the Kliq. "Yeah, you are," I laughed. "I'll let you get back to your guests. Call me sometime. Keep me updated on the doctor visits." "I will. Bye." "Wait!" "What?" "Are you and Scott going on a honeymoon?" "Yeah. We're supposed to be leaving now." "Call me when you get back. I'll take you to lunch." "Alright. I'll let you know when we get back."

chapter 11

Needless to say, Scott and I spent more time in the room, than at the tables on our honeymoon. Hell, you're supposed to spend that time in the sack together, aren't you? Before coming back, we took the two hour drive to my house. Everything was fine, so I grabbed a few things that I needed, and we headed home.

Scott took me to the house before he went to pick up his kids from their mom's house. I guess she remembered me from years ago, because she was really upset to see me when we dropped them off. While Scott was gone, I called Kevin.

"Hello," he said groggily. "Hey, Kev. I'm back at the house." "Hey, Jade. Did you have fun?" "Of course. Were you asleep?" "Yeah. My schedule sucks these days. I catch naps when I can. When do you want to meet for lunch?" "I have to go to the doctor Wednesday at eleven. Other than that, my schedule is clear." "I'll see if I can skip therapy, and come with you. Would that be a problem?" "I don't see why it would." "Great. We can go to lunch afterward." "I'll come get you if you give me the address." He gave me the address and room number to the hotel he was staying at, and I wrote it down. "Alright. I'll be there at ten." "See you then." "Bye."

After I hung up, I took some food out to start dinner. A few minutes later, Scott and the boys came in. Scott kissed me on the cheek and asked, "where did you hide the aspirin, mija?" I reached up in the cabinet, then handed it to him. "Was it that bad, hun?" "She made me love you even more. I just wish she hadn't yelled so loud." "My poor baby..." I wrapped my arms around his waist, and his went around my shoulders. "She'll get used to us being together, mi amor. It just takes time."

He gave me a kiss, but it was interrupted by the boys. "Yuck! Do you have to do that while we're awake?" David, the younger of the two, said. "Why didn't you ever kiss mom like that?" Chris, the older boy, asked. Scott sighed and rubbed his temples. "David, if you don't want to see us kissing, stay out of the kitchen. Chris, I've had enough of your mother for one day. Why don't you guys go turn on a movie?" "Can we have some popcorn?" David asked. Scott looked at me. "Dinner won't be done for awhile. If you say it's ok, I'll start some." "I want you to make it, dad," Chris said. "Why does it matter who makes it?" When Chris didn't answer his father, Scott said, "in your room. We need to have a talk." With a sigh, Chris walked off.

"David, why don't you make the popcorn, while I talk to your dad?" "Ok, Jade." As he went to the pantry to get a package, I dragged Scott into the living room. "Let me talk to Chris," I said. "Why?" "Because I'm his problem. If we can talk about it, maybe we can work things out." He smiled at me. "Alright, but if you don't get it taken care of, it's my turn." "You got it."

I went to Chris' room, and knocked on the open door. When he looked up, I said, "can I come in?" "Whatever." I went in, and sat in the desk chair. "Why do you have a problem with me? I have an idea why, but I want to hear you say it." He gave me a "go to hell" look, and said, "you're not my mom." "Nobody said I was going to be." "No, but you're trying to take her place." "Chris, I'm not trying to take your mom's place. Think of me as someone you have to deal with. Kinda like a live-in nanny." "None of my other nannies slept with my dad." His words stunned me for a moment, but I played it off. "I guess that's a good thing. It would make things kinda weird." "Don't joke with me. You probably don't even love my dad. You probably only married him for his money." I didn't know if I should slap him, or laugh. "I met your dad almost nine years ago, while I was in a wrestling school. Up until a couple months ago, I worked with him. I think I have enough." I sighed. "Look, I'm not here to ruin your life. I'm here to help your dad, and keep him happy. What would really make your dad happy, is if we could get along. You may not be used to a woman, besides your mom, being this close to your dad, but, hey, give me a chance. I'm not like the wicked step-mother from Cinderella. Clean up your own mess, and follow your dad's rules, and we'll get along just fine." Chris looked up at me. "You're not going to boss me around?" "Only if you don't listen." "You're not going to make me call you mom?" "Not unless you want to. Jade is just fine." "Ok." "Now, let's go make sure your dad and David haven't burnt down the kitchen." He laughed. "Alright."

We went back to the kitchen, where Scott and David were putting the popcorn in a bowl. When Scott saw us, he told them to go start a movie. After the boys went in the living room, he said, "well?" "I think we'll get along just fine." "What did you do? Threaten him with a ball bat?" he laughed. "No. We discussed a few issues about me and you, and I told him if he cleans up after himself, and follows your rules, we'll get along." "What about while I'm doing a show? They've been known to scare people away while I'm gone." "This week, it would be easier if they went to their mom's house. I doubt we'll have a problem, though." "What's going on this week?" "Remember? I have to go to the doctor Wednesday." Then, I remembered, I had to tell him what else was happening. I took a deep breath. "And, I'm having lunch with Kevin afterward. He's going to the doctor with me. This way, he gets an update on the baby, too."

Scott crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at me as if to ask why. "Don't give me that look, mi amor. He has just as much right as you do to go with me. Besides, if the baby is his, we have to maintain a friendship. We can get the awkwardness out of the way now." "I still say she's my baby." "I hope she is, but we won't know for sure until she is born." His posture relaxed a bit, and he took me into his arms. "You're right. But, no funny stuff." "Hunny, he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell."

Wednesday, Scott took Chris and David to their mom's house on his way to the airport. As he was checking in for his flight to Kentucky, I was getting ready to meet with Kevin. I was walking out the door, when my cell phone rang.

"Hello." "Hey, baby girl." "Adams?" "You didn't forget about me already, did you?" "No, bro. It's just been awhile." "Yeah, I know. So, how have you been?" "A little heavy. I was just heading to the doctor's office." "What's wrong?" "I guess Mark didn't tell you. I"m having a baby." "You, too, huh?" "What due you mean? Your ol' lady having a baby?" "No, Sara is. She's due in November." "I'm due in early October." "So, what else is new?" "I got married last week." "Anyone I know?" "Scott Hall. And I don't need a lecture on who it is. I've had enough of them." "Yes, ma'am. To what do I owe the honor of you biting my head off?" "It's a long story. Look, bro, can I call you back when I get done at the doctor's? I promise, I will explain everything to you then." "Alright. Be careful. If you don't call me back by five, I'll call you." "Alright."

We said our goodbyes, and I left to pick up Kevin. I found his hotel farely easily, and with five minutes to spare. I knocked on the door, and waited nervously. To my surprise, he opened the door, and was standing with the help of a pair of crutches. "Kev, you shouldn't be on your leg. Where is your wheelchair?" "I'm tired of it. I won't be on my feet much today, so I'm giving my ass a rest." "You are stubborn." "No. I'm determined," he laughed. He kissed me on the cheek, then got in the car. I stood shocked for a moment, then shook it off as a friendly gesture.

We exchanged small talk on the way there. Once we were in the waiting room, he asked, "what is the doc supposed to do today?" "As far as I know, he'll weigh me, measure my stomach, check my blood pressure... Basic stuff." He nodded. "I'm glad you wanted to come with me. It really means a lot," I told him. "It's my pleasure. I need to know what's happening, too." "I know. I'll be glad when it's all over." "Have you thought about Vince's offer?" "I have plenty of time to think of that after she's born. I'd have to get back in shape, before I could even consider it."

"Jade Hall," the nurse called from the doorway. We followed the nurse down the hall. She lead Kevin to the room, so he could sit, while she weighed me. Once that was done, and I went in the room, Kevin asked me, "how much do you weigh now?" "You should know better than to ever ask a woman that." The nurse laughed. "I need you to lay down for your blood pressure, Mrs. Hall." I did. As she was hooking the cuff around my arm, I said, "I'm 164 pounds, Kevin." "Either that's one big baby, or you've been snacking too much," he laughed. "Kevin..." "Shutting up."

The nurse laughed again. "You two make a cute couple." I looked at Kevin, and he looked at me with his eyebrow raised. "Um... He's not my husband." "Oh. I'm sorry. I just assumed..." "It's ok. We used to be a couple," Kevin said. The nurse took the cuff off of my arm, and hung it back up. "Alright. You know the routine, Mrs. Hall. Put the gown on, and he'll be in shortly." "Alright."

After the nurse left, Kevin asked, "you're not going to change in front of me, are you?" "I don't see you reaching for the curtain beside you." He pulled the curtain around to block his view. "Geez, Kevin. You act like you've never seen me naked." "You weren't married then." "You are such a baby sometimes. What are you going to do when she's born?" "Let your husband be in there with you." "And, if she's your daughter, you'll miss her birth." "You can't have me and Scott both in the room. One of us will be in the way." "Fine. If he's working, you can be in the delivery room. If not, you're saved." "Fine."

I sat down on the table, and said, "ok. I'm decent." As he opened the curtain, the door opened. The nurse came in, and said, "there's a big man in the lobby saying he is your husband." "Did he say his name?" "Scott." "Yep. That's him." She opened the door, and he came in. "Hey, baby. I thought you had a show." "I called from the airport. They don't need me tonight." "I'm glad you could come." I sat up, and kissed him. Then, he turned his head. "Kevin..." "Scott..." The silence was deafening. "Jesus, can't you two say hi to each other? You two were best friends. Act like it."

There was a knock on the door, before it opened. "Well, you have quite a support crew, Jade." Dr. Moore, this is my husband, Scott, and our friend, Kevin." "It's nice to meet both of you. Jade are you positive you want Kevin in here? I need to check your cervix." "Well, he's already..." "Scott!"

"What's the real story with these two," Dr. Moore asked. "One of them is the father, but we don't know which." "That explains it. Well, I'll set up a paternity test for after she's born. In the meantime, you two should get along. Jade doesn't need any stress. It could harm the baby." "And if anything happens to this baby, I'm going to harm you." Scott kissed my forehead. "I'm sorry, mija." He turned to Kevin. "Still bros." "For life." I couldn't help rolling my eyes at Kevin. But, they shook hands, and agreed to get along.

It wasn't long before I had my first encounter with Kev's ex-wife. There was a knock on the door one afternoon. With Kevin getting ready to go out, I was left to answer the door. "Hello." "Hello. Is Kevin here?" "Yeah. He's getting ready." "Who are you?" "Oh, I'm his live in maid." "Jade, no stories. Tell her the truth," he said from behind me. I looked at her and sighed. "Come in. It's kind of a long story." Once I had the door closed behind her, Kevin went into introductions. "Tia Nash, this is Jade Hall." She turned around to look at me. "Oh. You're Scott's wife." "Not for much longer." She gave me a confused look.

"Come sit down, Tia. We need to have a talk." As she sat, I went to check on Priscilla. I changed her diaper, and dressed her, before carrying her into the living room. As I did, I heard Kevin say, "we were seeing each other for awhile." "Kevin, it doesn't take that long to say it." I looked at Tia. "What he's trying to say is that I got pregnant, and a few days ago, I gave birth to his daughter." Her eyes almost popped out of her head. "Just to clarify, Kevin and I have agreed we aren't getting back together. He's only letting me stay here until I find a house near by." "Why aren't you staying with your husband?" "Because we're splitting up. Look, I have a house, but it's in Houston, and I'm not going to take Kevin's daughter that far away from him. Tia nodded.

She looked up at Kevin. "Why didn't you tell me?" "I didn't know she was mine until a few days ago. I knew there was a chance, but we weren't sure." "You should have let me know that much. You have to learn to trust me with what's going on," she said as she got up, and walked to the door. She turned to look at him before stepping out, and closing the door. I handed Priscilla to Kevin and said, "girl talk," before going after her. When I caught her, she was sitting in the car. "Wait!" She rolled down the window, and said, "what?" "Tia, we both know he can be a thoughtless pain in the ass, but he loves you. And, I know you love him, too. Otherwise, you wouldn't be hurt right now." "How do I explain to my son that he has a half-sister?" "Let Kevin explain it to him. Just, please, don't give up on him." She sighed as she put the car in reverse. "Tell him that I'll call him tomorrow." "Alright."

As I walked through the door Kevin asked, "what did you say?" "I asked her to give you another chance." "What did she say?" "She'll call you tomorrow." "Thank you." "Yeah, yeah... I owed you for giving me a place to stay."

There was a knock on the door. "Maybe she wants to talk now," Kevin said as he walked to the door. Instead of Tia standing on the other side, it was a constable. "Hello. I'm looking for Jade Hall." "That's me," I said as I went to the door. "I have some papers here from Mr. Hall." "About the anullment?" "Yes, ma'am." "That was fast. I just sign it, and send it in, right?" "Yes, ma'am." "Alright. Thank you."

The constable walked away as I closed the door. "You hold your freedom in your hands," Kevin said as he rocked Priscilla in his arms. "I don't want to think of it like that. I just want to sign these, and forget about it." "It's not that simple, and you know it." "Yeah, I know. Hell, no matter who I've been with for the past nine years, I've still loved Scott. But this is where it comes to an end." "Don't be such a drama queen. Sign the papers, say 'to hell with Scott', and let's go celebrate." I couldn't help but smile. "Where's the pen?"

After a few months, I became restless. I had bought a house outside of Orlando. Between decorating the house, and caring for Priscilla, I had no time for myself. Between the way my life was going, and a certain visitor, I decided what I was going to do.

The phone rang one morning. "Hello." "My lady of darkness... It's good to hear your voice again." "I beleive you have a new lady of darkness, darlin'. How have you been, Mark?" "I've seen better days. Hey, why don't we get the girls together for a play date?" "Because you and your girl are in Texas, and Priscilla and I are in Florida." "I'll bring Annie to Florida. I need to talk to you." I was speechless for a moment. "Uh, ok. Are you flying or driving?" "Flying." "Let me know when your plane lands. I'll come get you two." "You got it, babe."

Six hours later, Priscilla and I were waiting for Mark and Annie at the terminal. Slowly the people walked through the doorway, but I could see Mark as soon as he stepped off the plane. As he walked through the doorway, carrying Annie in her car seat, I walked up to him, and gave him a hug. "Hey, big evil. It's been awhile." He smiled at me. "It's been too long. I gotta get our bag, then we can head to your place." "Alright. Let's get moving."

Once the girls were buckled in, and we were on the road, I asked him, "what did you want to talk about?" "I heard you got married and divorced since the last time we saw each other." "Anulled, but yeah. I was married to Scott for a month. How'd you find out?" "Kevin told Trips, and Trips told me." "So much for people staying out of my business. What else have you heard?" "Scott's not Priscilla's daddy." "No, Kevin is. Is that all?" I said, getting annoyed. "Yeah. Wanna hear something funny?" "Shoot." "Sara's cheating on me." I almost laughed at the irony of what he told me. "What goes around..." "...comes around. I know. It made me think of what I did to you. I'm sorry I hurt you like that." "Don't worry about the past, Mark. I've forgiven you, and we've both moved on."

We were both silent until we got to my house. We set the girls on the floor to play, while we had a talk. "What else is on your mind, Mark? I know you didn't fly all the way out here to apologize again." He laughed. "You know me too well, Jade." "I should." "Vince is one reason why I'm here. It seems we have an opening for a dominatress on Smackdown." "I've been thinking about whether I want to return or not." "And?" "And, I have to think of what's in my daughter's best interest." "The other reason I came is because I miss seeing you." I smiled as I laid my hand on his cheek. "There are times when I miss you, too." "I came to ask you if we could give it one last shot, after I divorce Sara." A tear slid from my eye. "I'd like that." "I'll stay at my house in the Keys, so you won't feel like I'm crowding you." "Yet, you're not too far away." "Our daughters can play together." "Yeah. They're only a couple months apart in age." "We've always gotten along." "Yeah. Even after our divorce." "So, you'll take me back?" "Yes."

As he came closer to kiss me, there was a knock on the door. "Hell. Who could that be?" I asked myself aloud. I answered the door, and Kevin stood on the other side. "Hey, Jade. Is Priscilla ready?" "Ready for what?" "Tia and I are taking the kids on a spring break trip." "Shit. I'm sorry, Kev. I was gonna get her ready to go, then Mark called and said he was flying in... Give me a few minutes, and I can get her stuff together. Come on in." As he entered and laid eyes on Mark, he nodded and said, "Taker." "Kevin." I went into Priscilla's room, and started packing her bag. A few moments later, Kevin came in.

"What is he doing here?" "He's my ex-husband, this is my house, and he offered to bring his daughter so she could play with Priscilla." "There's nothing else going on?" "That's my business, Kevin." "I don't want that weird guy around our daughter." "Get a life, Kevin. I was married to him for five years. There's nothing weird about him." "You are really making me question your sanity." "Kevin... Look, we're just talking for now. I agreed to see him again after he gets a divorce, but he's not living with me, and I'm not moving in with him. But, there is one thing we need to talk about. Vince wants me on Smackdown. I'm thinking of telling him yes." "What will we do with Priscilla when I go back on the road?" "That's what we need to talk about." "A nanny?" "I don't know if I could trust a stranger with her." "Sandra and Sean. They're trying to have a kid. Sandra could use the practice." "I'll ask her." I zipped up Priscilla's bag. "I just need to get her formula and bottles, and she's ready to go." I went into the kitchen, and packed them, then handed it to Kevin. "Do you need the car seat?" "No, Tia went and got one for her."

I picked Priscilla up from the floor, and hugged her. I gave her a kiss on the cheek, and said, "be good for daddy." I handed her to Kevin, and said, "bye-bye. I love you." "I'll have her back in a few days." "Alright." As I closed the door behind them, I turned to Mark, who still sat on the couch. "I'm sorry about that. I completely forgot Priscilla was going with him." "That's ok, darlin'. Come sit down." I sat beside him, never taking my eyes off of him. He laid his arm behind me. He put his left hand on my leg.

"Back to what we were talking about. You'll take me back?" I closed my eyes, as a warmth took over my body. "Yes, but I won't sleep with you until your divorce is final." He leaned forward. "That's fine." He kissed me, softly, slowly. "I know what you're doing, Mark." "What am I doing?" "You're trying to wear down my defenses." "Is it working?" "Not when I know your daughter is on the floor." "What about when she's in bed?" "You can try." He kissed me again. "By the way, I hate your new tattoo." He laughed. "I thought you might." "And why did you cut off all of that hair?" "My reason is laying on the floor."

At eight o'clock that night, I called Vince. "Hello." "I hear you have an opening for a dominatress." "Do you want the position?" "You sent me a good looking man to torture. How could I refuse?" "How's your baby, Jade?" "She's doing good. Growing like a weed." "What about while you're on the road?" "I spoke to my best friend, and she agreed to watch her when Kevin can't." "Alright. How soon can you report to OVW?" "How soon can you get me a contract to sign?" "Two days." "Alright. I'll go with Mark to the Smackdown taping, and we can go over it." "Sounds good. See you Tuesday." "Bye, Vince." "Bye."

As I hung up the phone, Mark entered the living room. "Annie's down for the night." "Vince is going to work on my contract." He sat next to me. "Good. I can't wait to see you out with the rest of us again. That's where you belong." I leaned over, and laid my head on his shoulder. "You're getting soft, Mark." "Where?" I tapped his chest. "Right here." "Darlin', you've always had a soft spot in my heart." He wrapped his arms around me. "Damn, I've missed you." He laughed. "I know. You've told me a few times today." "I'll get over it eventually." "Remember how we used to hang out, and watch t.v.?" "Yeah." "Get up." When I got up, he laid down on the couch. "Come on." I giggled as I laid down with him. "Mark." "Yeah?" "Let's not screw it up this time." "You got it." It wasn't long before I fell asleep in the familiar comfort of his arms.

When I awoke about an hour later, it was because his cell phone rang. He pulled it off of his hip, looked at the caller ID, then flipped it open to answer it. "Hello." I heard her on the other end, clear as a summer's day. "Hey, hunny. Where are you?" "I'm in Florida." "What are you doing there?" "Some recruiting work for Vince." "What? Dean couldn't do it?" "Vince thought I would be a better persuader for this wrestler." "Is Annie with you, or is she with your mom?" "She's here. She's sound asleep." "OK. When will you be back?" "Probably not until Friday. I have Smackdown Tuesday, then I have to come back, and go over negotiations between Vince and the new guy. By the way, when I get back, we need to have a talk." "Alright. Well, I'll see you Friday." "Bye."

He hung up the phone, and set it on the end table. He said a string of obscenities that would make a sailor blush. "Are you really coming back with me, or are you going to try to catch her again?" "I'm allowing myself time to think. I'd like to fly back Wednesday to see if he's laying on my side of the bed." "Whatever you decide to do, I'm here for you." "You're an angel. What are you doing getting back with me?" I rolled around to face him. "Maybe I'm one of hell's angels." "Hell doesn't have anything as sweet as you." "You're getting soft again." "Yeah, but you love it." He kissed me; oh gawd how he kissed me... My arms went around his neck as he slowly pulled me under him. It had been almost six months since I had gotten that far with anyone. There was no way in hell I was going to refuse Mark. "Let's go in the bedroom, Mark." "Are you giving in?" "Oh hell, yes!"