At What Cost
by Caged Sparkle Black

Standing Disclaimer: Neither is, Caged Sparkle Black, a stock owner of the World Wrestling Federation Entertainment nor is she affiliated with the aforementioned company or any other sports entertainment or wrestling company. Trademarks and copyrights are not intended to be infringed upon as there is no monetary gain whatsoever unless you count reviews, which by the way are not considered monetary gain. Furthermore, the title of this story was not the creation of the author as the title was originally used by Brown University for a student group. The author came to this realization of the aforementioned group by putting the title in a search engine to see if the title was truly original, alas it was not. It should also be mentioned that after using this website's search engine, there are other fanfictions under this title in other fandoms and this one.

Author's Notes: This story has been eating at me for a while now to post it, so here is the introductory chapter. Do not fret Some Secrets Should Be Kept readers and reviewers, it will be updated shortly. Artistic license will be used frequently throughout this story, for example Brett DiBiase was born in 1985 and not 1988. Ted Jr., Brett, Randy Orton, and John Cena are not married. Mickie James was not released. Cody is still on RAW. Feedback would be much appreciated as this story has me stepping out of my comfort zone of writing stories starring the McMahons, Triple H, and Christian. This multi-chapter story begins in the late eighties with a few chapters featuring the nineties and early two thousands then will catch up to the present time.

Summary: Legacies are either destined, created, or bought. Everyone has a price, but at what cost will she have to pay, both inside and outside the squared circle? Refunds are prohibited. Brett/TBD. Ted/OC. Randy/TBD. Cody/Kelly. Cena/Stephanie. JoMo/Beth Phoenix.

Prologue

For many, it takes years of consideration, weighing ones options, and research to know for certain what they want to accomplish in life. However, Adriana Camille Montgomery, knew at the young age of three-and-a-half, what she wanted to do, she wanted to be a professional wrestler like Brett and Teddy's daddy. Her mother, Charmaine, 18, awkwardly chuckled at her innocence thinking it was adorably ironic, yet totally out of the question, whereas her grandmother, Josephine, was firmly against entertaining the toddler's fantasy almost to the extent of being cruel, of which her behavior only worsened as Adriana grew older.

The subject of professional wrestling, let alone watching it, was a big no-no in the Montgomery household. The widowed matriarch, Josephine Montgomery, was absolutely against it, stating that it was barbaric and totally unsuitable for young girls and women. When Josephine spoke, it was the law of the house. Although Adriana, would be forbidden to talk about or watch professional wresting in her home, that did not stop her from doing so or fantasizing herself as the Womens Champion and/or the valet of a main event star. Because her grandmother worked as a nurse every weekend at the local hospital and her mother working as a third shift waitress at a truck stop just off the highway, Adriana spent many weekends watching and talking about professional wresting at her best friends house who just so happened to be sons of a professional wrestler. She and the boys frequently imitated what they watched on television. Josephine had once caught the three wrestling behind their elementary school, upon witnessing this, she made her daughter agree to send Adriana to a private school away from the boys. To Josephine's disappointment this would not separate Adriana from the boys nor her dream of professional wrestling.

It would not be until the age of nine that Adriana could freely watch and fantasize about professional wrestling in her own home. Her mother, Charmaine, at the age of 24, graduated from Mississippi College with a Bachelors degree in ironically Social Work. Shortly afterward, Charmaine, received a job as a social worker at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, in Jackson, Mississippi. Charmaine and Adriana moved to a two bedroom apartment in the Windsor Village Apartment complex. Two years after the move, Adriana was eleven, Charmaine married a doctor, Raymond O'Steene, 32, and they moved back to Clinton, two streets over from the Montgomery Matriarch Josephine and Adriana best friend's family.

Chapter One

"Never shall I forget the times I spent with you; continue to be my friend, as you will always find me yours." - Ludwig Van Beethoven

City Park
Clinton, Mississippi
July 4, 1988

A young dark haired girl quietly cowered under a large oak tree. Her white lacy dress and white shiny shoes were becoming dirt and grass stained. She balled her fists in the dirt beside her and she began to sniffle into the cradle of her knees. She was lost and it was her fault. She would never see her Mama or her Grandmama again. Her mama had told her not to leave the sandbox, not to talk to strangers, and that she would be right back, but the little girl had grew impatient and after a long while she began to hunt for her mama, but her young teenage mother was no where to be found, because the teenager had unknowingly to either her daughter or her own mother, had went to the movies. The little girl's short rather chubby legs had quickly became tired after searching most of the large park, in which is why she was now sitting in the dirt under the large oak tree.

Courageously, the little girl took a peek from her knees and with her balled up dirty fists, she wiped away the tears from her brown eyes and cherub cheeks. She scanned the gigantic playground for her Mama, but did not see her. She started crying in earnest and laid her face back down on her knees.

She cried for several moments before she felt someone gently tapping her on her left shoulder. She flinched then looked up and saw a smiling small boy in clean blue jeans and a green flannel shirt sitting in front of her Indian style and next to him stood a tall boy who wore a matching outfit.

"Hi." The smaller boy stated.

"I not pose to talk to strangers." The little girl sniffled, but cautiously eyed both boys cautiously and curiosity.

"I not a stranger. I gonna to be your bestest friend." The smaller boy replied smiling. The taller boy rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pocket.

"If we tell you our names and you tell us yours, we won't be strangers anymore." The taller boy stated in a six year old rationale. "I'm Ted and this is my annoying little brother Brett."

"Ay," Brett stated frowning at his brother. "I not noying."

"Hi." The little girl hesitantly replied. "I is Adriana."

"We gonna be best friends, Addy." Brett stated unknowingly giving her, her first nickname. He then asked curious. "Where is your mommy?"

Ted noticed it before Brett. The tears again began running down Adriana's cheek. She did not make a sound though other than sobbing a reply for Brett's question. "I don't know."

"Brett, go get Momma." Ted told his little brother. Brett stood up from the dirt, effectively getting dirt and grass stains on the knees of his jeans.

"Addy, don't cry, mommy will find your mommy." Brett proclaimed before running across the playground passing the monkey bars, slide, and sandbox.

"Adriana, crying won't get your mommy back." Ted stated truthfully, but cruelly. Adriana began crying harder. "Stop being a baby." Adriana choked on her tears. "Seriously, stop crying." Ted repeated, but the tone of his voice softened and smiled at her for the first time. "Adriana, pretty girls aren't supposed to cry in front of boys."

"You dink I pretty?" Adriana ceased her crying looking at Ted as if he was the most important person to her. No one had ever told her she was pretty, not even her Momma or Grandmama.

"I know so." Ted replied quietly extending his right hand. "Give me your hand and I'll take you to my mommy so she can find yours. Okay?"

"Kay." She agreed as she stood. She took Ted's hand and smiled at him. He frowned, her lacy white dress was now ruined as it was filled with dirt and grass stains.

"How old are you?" He asked as they walked slowly hand in hand across the playground. Ted looked down and saw the top of her head. She was so small compared to him. She was even smaller than Brett who was little.

"Three." She replied holding up four fingers. Ted shook his head as he bent one of her fingers down to make her show three.

"There, that's three." He explained then proudly proclaimed. "I'm six."

"Theodore Marvin DiBiase Junior!" A panicked voice penetrated both Ted's and Adriana's ears. Both looked up and Adriana saw a woman with Brett on her hip running toward them. Adriana stopped turned to run away. Ted tightened his grip on her small hand and she looked up at him.

"That's my and Brett's mommy." Ted told her. "She'll find yours."

"Will she?" Adriana asked in hope.

"Yes, my mommy is the best." Ted declared and thought it odd that Adriana did not retaliate by saying that her mommy was the best, even though Ted, a six year old, knew that she wasn't the best mommy because best mommys did not ever abandon their kids.

Dibiase Home
December 24, 1988
Clinton, Mississippi

Melanie watched and listened to her sons, Ted and Brett, and their newly best friend Adriana Montgomery, sing Christmas Carols rambunctiously and off key. Melanie still could not believe that Adriana's mother had simply left her at a public park this past summer. It was later found out that the teenager had done it so she could go on a picnic date. Once the boys had told her of Adriana's situation of being lost, Melanie had went straight to the police station with her boys and a hysterical Adriana. A police officer had luckily recognized Addison as the granddaughter of the widowed Josephine Montgomery. Jospehine's husband, George, had been the Chief of Police before his death, two winters ago.

Mrs. Montgomery, a registered nurse, had been working a double shift at the local hospital whereas her seventeen year old daughter, Charmaine, was supposed to be taking care of her own child, three-year-old Adriana.

Melanie curled her lip in disapproval as she remembered that Charmaine had received a stern talking to from social services after the removal of Adriana from her home to a short term foster one. Charmaine was court ordered to under go parenting classes, and supervised visits until the mandated classes had been met in which she could regain custody of her daughter. Melanie believed that the punishment should have been more severe, because what she had seen and heard, the young girl neglected Adriana. However, Charmaine had met the court's standards and Adriana had went back to live with her mother and grandmother.

It had broke Melanie's heart to see Adriana go back, because the little girl had found her way into it that day in the park. Adriana had also found her way into Melanie's husband's Ted Sr.'s heart, while she had stayed in the DiBiase home for the four months that she was placed into the foster care system. The couple had wanted to make their foster daughter a permanent fixture in their family, but the court system had had other plans.

Regardless of whom claimed legal custodian rights to Adriana, the girl would quickly integrated herself into their family through out the years at first because of her close knit friendship with their youngest Brett and at times tumultuous friendship with the Patriarch's name sake, Ted Jr, yet eventually for other reasons.