He reflected over the past couple of days, shuddering slightly as he realized, not for the first time, that he could have died - that he would not have been sitting here in this car with Amy, listening to Boston's "More Than a Feeling" and on his way to the next SmackDown taping.

The grumbling of his stomach protesting his hunger reminded him of how very alive he was.  The tall blond turned to face the young woman and smiled.  "Why don't we get out at the next exit?  We can probably find a decent place to eat...hell, at this rate, I'll settle for a McDonald's."

"All right," Amy replied, glancing at him with a smile.  She was about to say more when the sudden ringing of Adam's cell phone interrupted her.  The tall Canadian man glanced at the redhead for a beat before he answered it.

"Hello?"  He had no idea who was calling, as the number listed on his caller ID was one he didn't recognize.

"Adam?  Thank God!"  It was Jay.  His best friend's voice sounded frantic.  "I just heard what happened," he explained.  "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine...we just left the hospital about..."  He checked his watch.  "...an hour ago."

"Shit, I can't believe what almost happened to you," Jay said.

"I know," Adam said, running a hand through his long blond hair.  "If it wasn't for Amy here..."  His gaze traveled over to the woman behind the wheel.

"How is she holding up?"

"Oh, she's great," he replied.  "She saved my life...she's an angel."  Adam reached out and placed his left hand on Amy's right one.

The diva briefly turned her head his way, glancing at the blond man with a serious expression on her lovely face.  A moment after she turned her eyes back to the road, she slipped her right hand off the steering wheel and between them, grasping his hand as well.

"Well, thank God she was there with you," Jay said.  After a beat, he asked, "So, when do you think you'll be here?"

"Shouldn't be too long...we're nearing Philadelphia as we speak.  We're going to stop somewhere for breakfast first."

"Okay...I'll wait for you guys...see you later."

"Later, Jay."

*

Jay Reso hung up the phone in his hotel room and then made his way to the small restaurant downstairs.  He couldn't believe his best friend had had such a close brush with death the other night.  It was all so unbelievable.  He recalled how he'd heard the news from Stephanie McMahon.

"Jay, I just heard something horrible from my dad!" she cried.

Before he could question her, the distraught brunette plodded on.  "Adam was in the hospital!  He was almost run over last night!"

"What???  My God, Stephanie, how-"

"Some SUV nearly hit him out in the parking lot!" she cried, her blue eyes welling up with tears.

"How...when did this...I mean-"

"Amy was with him," Stephanie explained.  "Thank God for that woman - she shoved him out of the way."

"And he's in the hospital now?" Jay asked, nervously grasping the young woman by her shoulders as he stared into her face.

"Yes...well, I don't know if they're still there...Amy called Dad and told him what happened.  They kept him for observation overnight - because he went into shock."

"Oh, my God."

"Amy told my dad they would be leaving sometime this morning," Stephanie continued.  "They're probably on their way now."  She paused, looking away from the Canadian's face for a moment.  "I...I can't believe this."

"It'll be okay, Steph," Jay said, pulling the brunette into a hug.  He knew how much she cared for Adam.  A few minutes after, Stephanie had left.  That was when he'd called Adam's cell phone.

Now, he sat at a small table in the hotel's restaurant eating his breakfast.  As he nibbled on his cheese omelet and sipped a cup of black coffee, Jay looked up as he noticed someone else enter the room through his peripheral vision.

Nora Greenwald, dressed in a black sun dress with a pattern of tiny white flowers on it, sat alone several tables away.  As he studied her, Jay noticed that she looked upset.  The blonde looked exhausted as well, as evidenced by the dark circles under her pretty blue eyes.  As she raised her hands to her long hair, he caught sight of the sizable bruise on her left arm, just above the wrist.

Jay frowned as he continued to watch her, concern coming over him.  He and Nora had never been especially close friends, but he liked and respected the petite blonde.  Putting down his coffee cup, he made up his mind.

"Nora!"

The young woman looked up in surprise.  Apparently, she'd been so preoccupied that she hadn't even noticed his presence.  She looked over at him, and Jay could see a look of fear cross her features.

"Would you join me?"

Nora put up her left hand in protest.  "N-no, that's okay, Jay...I'd rather be by myself right now."  She became self-conscious and placed her right hand over the very noticeable bruise on the milky white flesh of her left arm.  She looked down at the menu before her.

Jay continued to study her for a moment before he got up and went to her table.  He sat down across from the blonde and peered more closely at her.  That was when he noticed she was shaking very slightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," she replied, not looking up.

After a moment, Jay reached over and gently grasped her left wrist.

"D-don't do that!" Nora said in a loud whisper.

Jay stared from her bruise to her haunted looking blue eyes.  The poor girl looked terrified.  What the hell had happened to her?

Nora gazed into the blond man's concerned eyes nervously, then shifted her own eyes elsewhere.  She thought about her boyfriend.  She couldn't let him see her with Jay - or with any other man.  If he saw this, what he would do to her would make what he'd done last night look like a walk in the park.

"Jay, would you please...please, leave me alone," she whispered.

But the man would not be swayed.  "He did this to you, didn't he?"

The frightened diva again met his eyes, but this time, her own eyes silently pleaded with him.  Jay looked at her so tenderly, with so much concern.  She could tell he truly cared - which was something she had not experienced directed toward herself in a long time.  She debated whether or not to trust him with her ordeals.  Jay Reso would understand and would want and try to help her - she instinctively knew this.  He was a good man - and that knowledge helped her make up her mind.

"N-no...I can't...I...I'm sorry, I-"  She cut her own words off, gently pulling out of his loose grip and stood up.  She instantly turned and quickly left the small restaurant.

Jay watched the blonde woman flee, a combination of confusion, concern and hurt running through him.  He decided that he was going to get to the bottom of this situation - one way or another.