Instinctive Reactions
Matt Hardy stood on the back porch of the huge McMahon home, his gaze locked out on the garden at the rear of the house, tears streaming down his face in spite of himself.
It couldn't be true.
Could it?
Krissy was pregnant with Adam's baby. She was pregnant...
He had prayed for that a million times over the years they had been together. He had always wanted to make her a mother.
But today...
It wasn't Matt making her a mother.
Today, it could not be.
And his heart broke at the very thought.
Why hadn't she told him before now? Why did she wait? Why did she let Melly be the one to tell him?
Krissy looked at Matt, the tears that had filled her eyes now slipping unchecked to her cheeks. "Mattie, please, you have to understand. I didn't..."
Melly laughed evilly as she watched her sister plead with Matt. She raised her voice so she could be heard above her. "Krissy, I'd like to be the first to congratulate you on your pregnancy. I'm sure you and Adam's baby will be absolutely gorgeous." She said, being sure to stress Adam's name. She sat down, her job accomplished.
Krissy's words trailed off. She sat there stunned into silence, her only sound a small whimper as her eyes begged Matt for understanding.
No. Maybe she hadn't let Melly tell him.
But Melly had all the same.
Why would she tell Melly? Why would she tell her and not him? He shook his head, resting a hand over his eyes, trying to fight the tears.
Kalli...
She had known too.
Despite more than two months of walking a tight rope where she and Krissy where concerned, she had defended Krissy. She too had tried to silence Melly.
"Matty?"
Speak of the devil...
"Matty?"
For moments, he did not answer her, leaving her just to hover, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot behind him.
"Matty?"
"Why didn't you tell me?" His tone was accusing, "How could you not tell me, Kalli?"
Shame filled Kalli's sad voice as she offered meekly, "I didn't tell you for the same reasons I never told you about Adam, Matt." She sighed, "She's my sister. If she asks me to keep a secret, I keep it. I have no choice."
He snarled, "And Melly?"
Kalli shook her head, "That I don't know." She pondered a moment, "I really didn't think Krissy would tell Melly. Not knowing how she feels about you. Not when Melly waits day in and day out for a reason to push her back to Adam." She sighed, "I don't know how Melly knew, Matt."
He murmured, "I guess it doesn't matter. She knew." He added, all heart broken, "And I didn't."
"That's not how she wanted you to find out, Matt."
Anger flushed in his cheeks, "Then why didn't she tell me herself?"
Stepping up behind him, Kalli rest a hand on his arm. Fury in him, he shook his arm away and hurt filled her eyes. "Matty..."
"Don't."
But his rejection of her affection did not keep her at bay. She reached out, taking hold of his arms and turning him, forcing him to face her, and though he was, his eyes were still looking elsewhere. "Look at me." He would not and she snapped, "Look at me!" He did so slowly and she whispered, "She didn't tell you because she's terrified you're going to leave her."
"I would never..." He broke away, sighing. Kalli knew him as well as Krissy did. And she knew him possibly better than she knew herself.
Kalli nodded, "That's what I thought."
He whispered painfully, "The baby isn't mine..."
"But she is, Matt." Kalli realized the plea in her voice made her words sound like a desperate beg but she didn't care, "Don't let her go. Please don't let her go."
"If she still loves him..."
"Part of her will always love him," she cut him off. "That doesn't mean she loves you any less." Kalli cupped his face in her hands, forcing his gaze to stay locked on hers. "She made her choice, Matt. Her life is with you."
"But the baby..."
Again she cut him off, "Will have two loving fathers."
"Kalli," he sighed, "Its not that simple. The baby is his, and if she still loves him... Kalli... She always goes back to him, and you know that as well as I do."
For a long time the McMahon Heiress simply looked at him.
It was true and she couldn't deny it.
Krissy had run back to Adam time and time again.
But this time, Kalli honestly had faith in her sister. She knew, she could see, that this time, Krissy knew once and for all who her life was meant to be with.
And it was not Adam Copeland.
It was one Matthew Moore Hardy.
"If you walk away from her, Matt, you are the biggest fool I have ever met." The words were harsher than Kalli had intended them and when Matt's hurt at them was evident she flinched, "Matty... I didn't mean..."
"Ssshhh," he shook his head. "Just... Don't..." His gaze fell to his feet.
Unsure what else to say, what else she could ever possibly do she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him lovingly, praying that this was not how it was going to be. She knew Matt was meant for Krissy, and Krissy for Matt.
If only...
Tears filled her eyes and she whispered, "If I had never kissed you..."
And it was true.
Matt and Krissy would never have broken up if not for that kiss. Krissy would never have returned to Adam's arms. And she would not be pregnant right now.
"Don't do it, Kalli." Matt whispered into her hair, "There's no point. We can't change what we did."
"But I..."
His voice was a soft command, "Don't."
She stammered again, "But I..."
"He's right, Kalli." Jeff's voice reached her ears and she pulled back from Matt slightly, turning, her face meeting Jeff's as he stepped out onto the back porch. The younger Hardy looked between his brother and his girlfriend, "neither of you can take back what happened. There's no point punishing yourselves for it again."
She sniffled, nodding slightly.
"Matt," Jeff stepped up to them, resting a hand on his brother's arm. "I'm so sorry, man. I am." Matt nodded in response and then Jeff said, "What do you think you're going to do?"
The elder of the two brother's groaned softly, pain in the sound, "I don't know."
"Then let me give you some words of advice," he smiled gently at his brother, "The last thing Krissy said to me before she left then..."
"She's gone?" Matt asked.
Jeff nodded, "To the hospital."
"The hospital?" Panic filled Kalli's voice, "Oh God! Melly went into labour didn't she?" Jeff nodded, "We have to go then..." She started making toward the door back into the house. "I'll get my car. Meet me in the garage, I just have to get the keys..." The rest of whatever it was she was saying trailed away as she disappeared into the house.
The brothers watched her for a moment before Jeff turned to Matt, "Matt? I'm serious..." He looked into his brothers eyes as he spoke, "Don't leave her."
"Jeff..."
"The last thing she said to me before she left was to tell you that she loved you. Not Adam. YOU." Jeff's tone was a little hard but he was desperate to get his point across, "You think long and hard about that before you make any kind of decision about what you want to do." He stepped toward the door, "Are you coming?"
Matt barely nodded as Jeff went inside.
She loved him.
But was that going to be enough when there was a baby involved?
Could he really rob Adam of his child?
And could he really rob her of Adam?
A week ago, he would have said yes without hesitation.
But today he had not one, but two people to consider.
He shook his head again, fighting away his tears...
Everything had just changed.
And Matt Hardy honestly didn't know what to do now.
~ The End ~