I'm back! Sorry this took way longer then I thought to get up and not because I couldn't write it but because every time I sat down to proofread or post it my sister decided that was the moment she wanted to spend time together... oh little sisters they're so crazy lol. Anyway before we get into the chapter I want to dedicate this chapter to my best friend not that she will ever see this. She is an awesome human being and I don't where I would be without her in my life. I based the character of Caroline on her, they are basically the same person. The way Caroline talks in the story is exactly how my best friend talks to me and if you have someone in your life who tells it like it is you will definitely love her character. As always I appreciate any and all favorites, follows, reviews, and ideas you guys have about the story. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

I don't own Roman Reigns or anyone associated with WWE.

CHAPTER 10

A few hours had past and the party was underway. A few stragglers were still coming in but for the most part everyone was here. Stacey was happy to see that Joe had found some solace from the overload of Disney and Frozen stuff with a few of her guy friends and family over by the make shift drink bar her dad had set up for the day.

"Hey slut, stop ogling your boyfriend and help me carry this butt load of gifts I brought your awesome offspring." Stacey heard from behind her. Turning to see Caroline and her husband Rob standing there each with an arm full of gifts.

"Bitch please!" Stacey responded with a laugh before grabbing some of the gifts out of Caroline and Rob's hands and walking them over to the gift area and setting them down. "Thank you for coming and I've told you before you don't have to buy her so much, you spoil the crap out of her."

"Nonsense, she deserves it and that skinny bag is for you." Caroline said waving her hand at her friend dismissingly and then pointing at a black bag in Stacey's hand.

"Thank you maybe later we can bring this out" Stacey said knowing it was a bottle of wine from a winery near where Rob grew up. "Not that you don't already know, but snacks are over there and bars over there so help yourself to anything and food should be out shortly." She continued pointing in various directions around the party even though the basic party set had been the same at every one of Kennedy's birthday parties.

"Thanks G. Now when am I going to get to meet this new man of yours?" Caroline asked Stacey who smiled and blushed. She had told her best friend about Joe but because of their schedules she had not seen Caroline recently enough to give her any of the details about anything.

"He's around so I'm sure you will get to meet him soon." Stacey responded with a smile.

Joe was in the middle of a conversation about the college football playoffs when he glanced over to see his girlfriend laughing and talking with another couple. Joe instantly recognized Caroline from several pictures he had seen around Stacey's apartment and her parent's home.

Joe excused himself from the group making his way over to where Stacey was standing on the deck talking to Rob and Caroline. As he approached he heard Caroline ask if she was going to get to meet Stacey's new boyfriend, to which his girlfriend responded yes.

"Hey babygirl" He said as he reached his girlfriend putting an arm around her waist.

"Hey handsome" She responds before continuing "Joe I would you to meet my best friend and college roommate Caroline and her husband Rob. Rob also went to school with us." Stacey said to Joe.

"Nice to meet you both." Joe responded as he reached out to shake both of their hands.

"So you're the Joe, G here keeps telling me about." Caroline says as Stacey blushes at her statement.

"I am." Joe responds to her.

"Well it's nice to finally meet you. We'll talk later, but now I need to go find little G and get my fill of hugs." Caroline tells Joe and Stacey.

"She's in the bounce house castle out that my dad and Joe set up." Stacey tells her as Caroline and Rob walk away.

"They seem nice." Joe said looking at his girlfriend.

"They are the best. I owe Caroline a lot; she really there for me in college when I was going through everything." She told him as she watched her daughter climb out of the bounce house and take a short running leap into Rob's arms before turning and doing the same to Caroline.

"Hey, mom wants to know if you're ready to put the food out." Maggie said coming up from behind Stacey and Joe.

"Yeah, let's do it. I bet the kids are hungry." Stacey replied as she and Joe followed Maggie into the house to start setting up the food.

Joe couldn't believe how all out Stacey had gone for the party; the food even had names themed at the movies, but he had to admit it was worth it to see the smile that had been plastered on Kennedy's face. As he sat down on the patio to eat his meal making sure he had plenty of food to please Stacey's grandmother, Caroline sat down next to him.

"Having fun?" Joe asked her.

"Of course. You?" She replied.

"Yeah. This is a great party." Joe says as he takes another bite of his salad.

"It is. So before we go any further, I'm just going to get this out of the way." Caroline says with a serious look on her face. "Stacey is my best friend and I love her and Kennedy like family. You hurt either one of them and I will personally end you. Trust me I took on Bryce and I'm not afraid to take on you."

FLASHBACK

A few hours have passed since we had all left Stacey's delivery room. I was shocked to hear she didn't want anyone in there with her when she had the baby but it was her choice. I was getting nervous because no one had come out to get us or told us anything and I could tell I wasn't the only one, her parents and sister also seemed nervous. The longer time went on the angrier it made me that she was going through this alone. That idiot just refused to step up and then yesterday he completely ignored her in the cafeteria. I wasn't kidding when I said if I saw him alone I would kick his ass. I am brought out of my thought when I see Stacey's nurse come into the waiting area. We all stand as she approaches.

"Everything went great! Mom and baby are perfectly healthy." She says smiling.

"That's great! Is it a boy or a girl?" Stacey's mom asks anxiously before the exact same words can leave my mouth and I can by just looking Maggie and Stacey's dad they were thinking the same thing.

"Stacey would like to tell, well show you herself. Please follow me." We all follow the nurse down the hall to a different room on the opposite side of the labor and delivery unit. The nurse knocks on the closed door and I can hear Stacey voice on the opposite side calling us in. The nurse opens the door and allows all of us to enter before closing the door again. Stacey is sitting on the bed cradling a tiny baby smiling bigger than I've ever seen her smile.

"Hi meet your new granddaughter and niece." Stacey says quietly which instantly brings smiles and tears to all of our faces. We instantly surround her and start congratulating Stacey before taking turns to hold the baby girl.

"So did you decide on a name?" Stacey's dad asks Stacey while he's holding his new granddaughter.

"I did. Please don't get upset. I have always liked this name and even though he's choosing to not be in the picture I wanted her to have some part of Bryce with her, so I named her after his dad, Ken. This way she will always carry part of him with her, plus it's after my Grandpa too so I thought it would be fitting." She said with a pleading smile. I stare at her shocked, after everything she is still being civil and nice toward him. I am so pissed but I continue to keep a smile on my face because I know this isn't the time or place to talk about this.

"Okay so what's the name?" Maggie said with a strange tone that shows her obvious displeasure in Stacey's idea.

"Kennedy. Her name is Kennedy Elyse." Stacey says looking over at her daughter.

"It's beautiful and I love that you used our middle name." Her mom says with a smile.

"Yeah that was a given." Stacey tells her mom with a laugh.

I spend as much time with both of them as I can before I have to get back to campus so that I can study and finish my work that I missed today. I say my goodbyes and head out the door to the hospital stopping to call Jenn on the way and tell her the good news.

I reach campus a short time later and as I get out of my car I can't believe my eyes. Bryce is standing there with a girl outside of his fraternity house and I can tell by the way they are standing that he's flirting with her. On next to no sleep and knowing he was the reason my best friend is going through this alone I snap.

"Congratulations Bryce!" I say loudly as I walk toward him and get close enough to him to interrupt his conversation.

"What are you talking about?" He says to me with an annoyed tone in his voice and a confused look on his face. I'm sure I'm the last person he wants to see right now.

"Yeah what are you talking about?" The ditzy brunette girl he was talking to says.

"You have a daughter. She was born this afternoon. She's beautiful but I'm sure she gets that from her mother." I tell Bryce with a big smile on my face as his face pales and the girl looks at me like I have two heads. I turn and face her. "By the look on your face I'm gonna guess he didn't tell you he knocked up my roommate did he? Or did you know about it and he pull the old it's not mine routine?" The girl remains silent as does Bryce who I can tell is getting more upset that I ruined whatever this interaction they were having. "By your silence I guess I got my answer." I say to them.

"Bryce I have to go. I'll text you later about this weekend." The girl says uncomfortably before walking away quickly.

"I don't have a daughter or any kid for that matter." He says almost growling in frustration at me.

"No, no, you do. Stacey didn't get pregnant on her own and no many how many times you deny it, that baby girl is yours you piece of shit scum bag. Everyone on this campus knows that. You are just too big of a pussy to man up and be responsible for your actions." I say raising my voice at him causing the people around to look at us.

"I told that bitch to get an abortion because I didn't want the kid! She only kept it to try and keep me in her life!" He yells back at me. I can't believe what I just heard and before I can even stop myself I slap him with everything I have. I refuse to let him say another hurtful thing about my best friend. He's caused enough pain for her.

"Do you even hear the fucking garbage that's coming out of your mouth?" I yell as I feel myself being pulled back and watch him rub the side of his face which is now visibly red from my slap. "What's really sad about this whole thing is that you keep being an asshole and saying all these horrible things about Stacey yet she still named that baby after member of your family that way she would carry some part of your family with her. You can talk all the trash you want about Stacey but the fact that she is unselfish enough to be nice to you still says only the opposite about her. I only can hope Kennedy is as selfless and tough as her mom when she is older." I see Bryce tense when Kennedy's name comes out of my mouth and I know he knows who she is named after.

"Stop! Caroline, calm down! Stop!" I hear the voices of one of Bryce's frat brothers Dale along with my boyfriend Rob say as they pull me away before I put my hands up signaling that I'm not going to do anymore. "I'm good guys. I promise I'm done. Rob let's go home." I say as I turn and walk away.

PRESENT

"I promise you, I would never do anything to hurt Stacey or Kennedy. They both mean a lot to me." Joe tells her. Caroline looks Joe in the eye and she can see that he is being honest and sincere.

"Ok I believe you. But you know how it is I still have to give the speech." She says with a laugh making Joe chuckle in agreeance before they both continued eating.

Stacey is standing in the kitchen refilling some of the snack bowls and cleaning up the food. She can see Caroline sitting next to Joe and by the look on Joe's face she is positive that Caroline is giving him "the you break her heart, I break your face" lecture.

"So who picked the theme of the party? Everyone knows Frozen is so last year, Descendants is all the rage now." Stacey hears a voice say making her sigh knowing it's her bitch cousin Sierra.

"Kennedy did. She felt like she didn't get a true Frozen party last year in the hospital so she wanted to a redo and does it really matter, it's a kid's birthday party." Stacey said defending her daughter's choice.

"Oh well, whatever." Sierra said while she filled her plate with food having no comeback to what Stacey had told her except and eye roll.

Stacey continued working around Sierra when she heard the sliding door open and Jordan appeared at her side.

"Miss Stacey, are we going to have cake and ice cream soon?" The little girl asked politely.

"Yea in a few minutes, I want to let the adults finish eating and I need to finish clearing off the table and then we will. How's that sound?" She told her.

"Okay!" Jordan said with a smile before retreating back outside.

"Who was that?" Sierra questioned as Jordan ran past.

"That's my boyfriend's daughter Jordan." Stacey said.

"Boyfriend? When did that happen?"

"A few months ago, why?" Stacey questioned back.

"Don't you think it's a little early to introduce your boyfriend to your daughter and for you to meet his daughter? I mean what if they get attached to you guys and then you break up. They could get their hearts broken too. That's not exactly smart on your parts."

"Well, I met him because of Kennedy and we hung with the kids before we ever went on our first official date so I'm going to have to say no on that."

"You met him through your daughter? This should be good. What she's your dating service now?" Sierra continued to berate her cousin.

"No. Why would you even say that? I met him and on Kennedy's Make a Wish trip, he helped grant her wish and then he told me he had a daughter her age so we took them to the aquarium one of the days we were there." Stacey shot back, infuriated that her cousin who was single with no children would even comment about the situation.

"Wow! A trip that is supposed to be about your daughter and you manage to use it to meet a man. Mother of the year status right there."

"Sierra shut up!" Maggie said walking in from adjoining room having heard enough. "Stacey is a good mom and you know it. Just because she met Joe uniquely doesn't change that fact. Have a kid or two before you decide to talk shit about the way my sister is raising my niece and stop trying to cause trouble." Sierra looked at the sisters and frowned before storming off to another area of the house. Maggie would be damned to let her cousin make her sister feel bad about how she and Joe met or the decisions they made about their daughters. After all that was the point of Kennedy's wish to see her mom happy again and Joe did exactly that.

Once the food had been cleaned up and Stacey set out the two tier Frozen cake Kennedy had picked out at the store. Kennedy and the kids gathered around the table with the adults filling in behind them to sing Happy Birthday to the now 8 year old.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday Dear Kennedy! Happy Birthday to you!" The crowd sang as Kennedy smiled on.

"Alright Kennedy close your eyes and make a wish." Stacey said to her.

"Yea sweet pea, make it a good one!" Joe told her. Kennedy looked at Stacey who was standing next to her with Joe on her other side and Jordan standing in front of him. She smiled and then took a deep breathe before blowing out all her candles to the delight of her family and friends.