Promise an Ocean
Chapter Four

"Aw," a voice cooed beside him. "Is Unckie Hunter being mean and not changing you?"

Hunter turned to glare at Randy Orton, taking his eyes off the crying child for a moment. "Unckie? Your dad dropped you on your head, didn't he?" he questioned, before shifting Ella in his arms. "And she's not wet."

"Please. That's a 'change me' cry. I realize that my kid is older than yours, but I recognize a 'change me' cry when I hear one. Hand her over," he added, before holding out his arms. Rolling his eyes, Hunter passed over the sobbing infant, watching as Randy cupped his hand over the diaper. "Hell, man, she's soaked. Pass me the diaper bag."

Grudgingly, the larger man handed it over. "I swear, she was changed an hour ago." Randy grunted and reached into the bag for a towel, spreading it out on the locker room bench, before laying the little girl down on her back, keeping one hand securely on her stomach to keep her from rolling off. He dug back into the diaper bag and found what he was looking for, laying out the supplies on the bench and floor. He straddled the bench at her feet and started to remove her diaper. "You do much of this with your Melissa?"

Randy shook his head, easing away the used diaper before grabbing one of the wipes. "Nah. Not as much as I'd like to. Stupid as it sounds, I missed out on wiping Melly's little butt and I wanted to be there for that. 'Course now, she doesn't want to let Mom prick her finger before her meals, which makes it that much harder. She only wants her daddy." He frowned as he unfolded the new diaper, sliding it under the gurgling infant.

"She's doing good though?"

"Oh, yeah. Melly's a trooper. We worked out a diet with the pediatrician and there's no need to put her on insulin shots so far. She's doing pretty good with the new medication. Teaching her how to swallow pills was fun. I swear, it took a whole box of Tic-Tacs before she got the hang of it. Kid was hyper like you wouldn't believe, but neither of us could think of anything better." He finished fastening the new diaper on the baby and lifted her up, nuzzling her cheek. "Who's a dry little girl now, huh? Who? Is it you? Yes, it is. That's our dry little girl."

Hunter smirked. "You really were dropped on your head."

"Oh, like I haven't seen you do the whole baby talk thing when nobody's lookin'. Don't give me that crap." Randy smiled back at the girl who tried to grab his nose with both hands. "She likes me."

"She likes everyone."

"Yeah? Well, she was crying when you were holding her."

"Because she was wet, you idiot."

Another pair of hands appeared, plucking the baby out of Randy Orton's arms and into another pair. Chris Jericho grinned down at the girl, who was staring at the round pendant on his necklace with wide and fascinated eyes. "Are they fighting over you, Princess? I know how much it sucks when Mommy and Daddy fight." He lowered his voice to a stage whisper. "I just don't know which one wears the pants in the family."

"Fuck you, Jericho," Randy said good naturedly, reaching out to tickle one of the bare feet in front of him. Ella giggled and pulled her foot away.

"Actually, the correct phrase is 'Go fuck yourself, Hardy'. But that's neither here nor there," Jericho said, as Ella reached out to grab at the pendant. He smiled and held her against him with one hand, rubbing the back of her hand gently until she released the round disk. "Did I really just walk in on you guys fighting over changing her? You know, if this leaks out, our wives are probably going to demand more children."

Hunter chuckled, sitting down on the bench. "Yeah, Steph already has that look in her eyes. We said we were waiting until Kenny was a little older, but this one is convincing her otherwise. I'm going to have fun talking her out of that one."

"Yeah. I called and talked to my wife about possibly looking after her while we're all on the road. Stephanie asked me last night, and we still have all the gear from the boys. She asked when I was going to be home. I can only imagine what that means," Jericho mused, as a small hand patted his jaw and cheek. "She sure has turned this locker room upside down, for being such a little thing. If one good thing comes out of this, she's gonna have a whole bunch of aunts and uncles."

Ella looked up at Jericho and gave him a toothless grin, before her mouth opened and she spit up on the front of his shirt. Hunter and Randy started to laugh, which caused Ella to giggle. "And that would be my cue. She's all yours," he said, giving the infant a wry look before depositing her into Hunter's waiting arms.

"She's already done the dirty work. I'll gladly take her now," he said. "Good girl. If you have to spit up on anyone, make sure it's Unckie Chris."

"Unckie?" Jericho questioned as he strode off towards the shower area to wash off his shirt.

Slowly, the rest of the locker room began to fill in, guys walking in and dropping off their gear, Ella getting handed from willing wrestler to willing wrestler. Most of the fathers took their time with her, and Undertaker was the lucky one that got to feed her a bottle, while a good number of well-muscled men stood around and cooed at her. She took it all in with shining eyes and smiles, waving her pudgy fists and laughing along with everyone else.

Shane McMahon came to pick her up before the show started, the infant staying with him since he had already arranged for the crib and accessories to be brought up to his hotel room the night before. A group of Divas stood outside the door to the men's locker room, waiting for him to step out so that they could fuss over the little girl. The company had always maintained that WWE was like a family, but it had never been more true as locker room disputes were forgotten, past grudges ignored so that they could all have a chance to play with the little girl.

Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley hurried down the hallway, tying her bathrobe tighter around herself. If it hadn't of been for the sound of tightly controlled panic in her brother's voice, she would have taken the time to throw on a pair of jeans and sweatshirt, maybe even put her hair in a ponytail, in case she ran into a sleepless employee. But because of the call to her cell phone, she had simply grabbed the complimentary robe to cover her boxer shorts and tee shirt, and shoved a pair of ankle socks on before running for the elevator.

As she neared the room that her brother was staying in, she slowed her progress, a smile coming to her face when she could hear faint cries coming from the other side of the door. Chuckling to herself, she knocked on the door, the crying getting louder as Shane came to let her in. She immediately held out her arms and took the baby into them, rubbing her back as she walked in. "What's the matter?" she asked, using the wide collar of the robe to dry the wetness on Ella's face.

"I don't know. That's why I called. She just won't stop crying. I thought maybe she was hungry, but she kept turning away from the bottle. I checked to make sure she wasn't wet. She's not running a fever or anything. I don't have a clue."

Stephanie shushed the sniffling child. "She was turning away from the bottle? Like turning her head away or just being generally fussy?"

"I don't really know the difference," Shane admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "She's probably keeping up the entire floor. I just don't know what to try next."

She sat down, a patient smile on her face. "I'm sorry. I just have to sit here and enjoy the role reversal. All these years, you've been the one giving me advice. If it wasn't for this little one squealing her head off, I'd probably just sit and bask. Ah, this is rich." Her smile turned into a grin. "Okay, I'm done. Has Ella been chewing on anything today?"

"I was beginning to think that her foot was permanently attached to her mouth. She kept trying to chew on them after I put her in the sleeper, but she's been sticking her hands in her mouth, too."

"Poor little thing," Stephanie said sweetly, adjusting the girl on her lap. She nestled her against one arm and brought up the other hand, running her finger along Ella's lip until she opened her mouth. She pushed her fingertip into the girl's mouth and rubbed it along her bottom gums, listening as the cries quieted. "She's getting her first tooth. It's a little painful." She continued to rub, until Ella quieted down, her eyes drooping shut. "Mom taught me this trick. A couple of minutes and she'll be asleep. It helps relieve the pain. I'll run down in the morning and get her a teething ring."

"I don't remember...was Kenny that bad?"

Stephanie laughed quietly, shaking her head. "You think this is bad? Ken screamed his head off every chance he got, with every tooth that came in. He still cries when he gets a new tooth. If Hunter hadn't been at home, injured, I probably would have ripped my hair out trying to deal with him alone. Nothing we did would work for long. Those were some sleepless nights. I went through so much Advil that I probably should have bought shares in the company."

Shane laughed softly as Stephanie stood up, removing her finger from Ella's mouth. She wiped it on her robe as she walked to the crib, laying the infant down. "You're good," he told her.

Looking over her shoulder with a grin, she nodded. "I know." Turning back to him, she stretched her arms above her head. "If she starts crying again, just do what I did. You'll be able to find the lump in her gums pretty easily. She probably won't want a bottle that often, but if you put some of her food in the fridge, it'll probably help. You'll be fine, Shane. At least you won't have to go through all twenty or so teeth coming in."

"Yeah," he said softly, causing her to cock her head as she regarded him carefully. Her smile dimmed a bit as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, surprising him into not responding. The McMahon family was not a family that prided itself on its physical interactions. That wasn't to say that the kids didn't get their fair share of hugs and kisses when they were younger. But as they grew up, the hugs and kisses on the cheek became reserved for special occasions only: graduations, weddings, funerals, and births.

Smiling into his shoulder as he returned the hug, she rubbed the space between his shoulder blades briefly, pulling away to look up at him. "It's going to happen eventually, Shane. And in the meantime, you can borrow Kenny whenever you want. And now you have Ella to fuss over."

"Yeah. Not for long, though," he answered, before breaking the embrace and taking a step back. "That little one has a dad out there somewhere.

Stephanie made a face and tucked her messy hair behind her ears. "I was going to tell you this in the morning, but since I'm here now...I convinced Dad that if the father doesn't step up and assume responsibility in a month, we're going to offer to run paternity tests. Don't give me that look, Shane. It was the best I could do."

"A month? Jesus. And what are we doing with Ella in the meantime?"

She shrugged. "Jericho called his wife, and they're willing to take her in. Granted, she'd have her hands full, considering they already have two kids, and she'd have to take time off work in order to watch them all, but they're willing. It's a temporary solution, but it's the best we have."

Shane shook his head and sat down on the corner of his bed, glancing over at the crib. "Or Renée and I could take her. You've got Ken's crib and stuff in storage, I've got the room at my house, and Renée doesn't work, so it's not like it would be that much of a hardship." He chuckled when he saw her look. "Don't give me that look, Stephanie," he mocked.

"I'm just...well, not really surprised, I guess. I knew that you would offer, but does Renée even know that you're offering? Have you even talked to her?"

"Am I stupid enough to offer something like this without talking to my wife first?"

"Yes," she shot back quickly, before rolling her eyes. "You always have to be impulsive, don't you? Okay, fair enough, you guys talked it over. Are you sure, though? You know what comes with having an infant, right? Obviously, you do, since she's stayed with you for two nights, but there's more to it than this. It's not all fun and games, Shane. She's been an angel so far, but as I'm very quickly learning with Kenny, as cute as they look, they can be little terrors."

He shrugged. "I'm not an idiot, Steph. I do have some experience in this department. Don't forget how many times I watched Ken when he was little, not to mention the fact that there's quite a few years between us. I do remember you growing up. I'm not exactly helpless."

"No, but this is a little different. And it's not like you looking after Ken, either. You can't give her back after a day or so. She'll be with you for the whole month. You won't be able to call me and say 'okay, I've had enough, come pick her up'. And how are you going to deal with it when we do figure out who the father is? You're going to be able to cheerfully give her up? Shane, I know you. I know how you get attached. You wear your heart on your sleeve." Stephanie sank down on the bed next to him, giving him a shrewd look. "Are you and Renée sure about this? Knowing what's going to happen?"

With a roll of his eyes, he turned to her. "Steph, you and I know better than anyone what Dad means when he says he wants to keep this in house. He doesn't mean the company. He never has. He means the family. He may deny it, but it is what he means, yes?" She nodded reluctantly. "Okay, fine. When I go back home tomorrow, I'll stop by your place and pick up the crib and everything else we might need. It's down in the basement?" She nodded again. "Good. Then it's settled."

"And what are you going to do when you're on the road for me next week?"

"I'm not going to ruin your time off. Renée and I will discuss it, but most likely, she'll come with me. We're dealing well enough with having her on the road right now. I don't see how it'll be any different. I'll call and inform the airlines and the hotels of the change. And when I do have to work, if I can't take her with me, there are plenty of people backstage that would be happy to have her for an hour or so. Hell, you can barely pry some of them away from her now."

Stephanie laughed under her breath, shaking her head. "Because she's a novelty. Ooh, shiny, and all that. God, this is like WWE's version of The Babysitters Club."

"You still read those?" he joked.

"Oh, hush up. If I remember right, you have the entire collection of Hardy Boys Mysteries, including the ones with Nancy Drew." Childishly, she stuck her tongue out at him, and laughed when he lightly punched her on the arm. She sobered quickly and looked towards the crib again, at the sleeping infant with the curly dark hair. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into, Shane?"

"The same thing I've been trying to get myself into for the past five years with no success?" he asked, his voice equally soft. "Who knows, maybe it'll be good practice. And besides, she sleeps through the night, so I don't have to worry about hauling my ass out of dead at three a.m. to feed her."

She snorted. "Yeah, you get to avoid all the fun stuff." With a sigh, she stood up, tying her robe tighter. "All right, I'll let Jericho know that he and his wife aren't temporarily adopting. And because you're a wimp, I'll let Mom and Dad know, too. Can't say he's gonna be pleased about it, and we may be working him into an early heart attack, but it's your choice."

Shane looked up at her with a faint smile. "Thanks, Stephanie."

"Anytime. Now get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning before you take off." She waved and let herself out of the hotel room, closing the door quietly behind her. A smile played on her lips as she made her way back to the elevator and then back to her own floor.

She let herself into her hotel room and slipped off the robe, hanging it in the bathroom and tiptoeing through the darkened room until she found the bed. With a sigh, she crawled back in, her smile becoming wider when she felt a heavy arm band itself around her. "So?" Hunter asked, sounding like he was barely awake.

"She's getting her first tooth. He panicked."

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" he muttered and she was sure that if the light had been on, she could have seen him roll his eyes. "And?"

"And he fell for it. Ella is going home with Shane, and he and Renée are going to watch her. Your plan worked."

He grunted. "You know, if he finds out that Jericho actually said no when you asked him, there'll be hell to pay. Just so you know."

Stephanie smirked into the darkness and gave him arm a tap. "Hey, it was your idea, not mine. I barely had to do any work. He had his mind made up before I said much. Probably before I even got into the room." She turned towards him and felt him sigh. "We did do the right thing, didn't we?"

"I think so. I also think that I'm very tired and I need my sleep. 'Sides, we're gonna have to deal with your dad in the morning."

"We?" she questioned.

"Well, you. I was just trying to be nice."

She laughed and hit him again.