A/N: So, we finally got a Chris/Steph segment last night, which I loved, for the most part! It was great seeing them back together, but...and I may be in the minority with this one, but the whole "filthy, dirty, brutal, bottom-feeding..." line has run its course with me. It was a classic segment, in that the exchange was basically the same interaction Chris/Steph have been having since around 2000, but I'd like to see something new. They're older now, they're both married and have children and, call me crazy, but I'd like to see more of a transformation in the way they talk to each other. It's like, there's been so much of a transformation with the individual characters of Hunter, Steph, and Chris, but then when they did the promo as a group, they completely regressed.

That said, the promo did have a good, nostalgic feel to it, and I'm sure part of the reason they chose to set the segment up that way was to flashback to old times, but I would have loved to see Chris tease Steph in a way that's different from what he's already done in the past. Regardless, we got them on TV together, and with Hunter and Steph in the ring while Jericho taunted them from the ramp, it truly did feel like the McMahon-Helmsley Era all over again, so I liked that part of it.

Anyway, I'm done blathering, aside from letting you guys know that I will now start alternating my updates so that some of the stories that are being forgotten about will be updated more frequently. I hate feeling like I'm neglecting them, and some of you have expressed that you want updates for the other stories as well, so that's what will happen! Thanks for being loyal readers of mine, and I know it's been a long time with this one, but, nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the update! ;)

Stephanie wore her signature glare, the one she only pulled out in severe situations. The nerve of Chris's supposed friends to show up at their house after trying to shove him right out of the band was unreal, and Stephanie's teeth clamped down hard on her tongue, somehow managing not to draw blood. She let go of Renner's little hand and folded her arms across her chest, struggling not to hop out of the car, march up to all four men, and give them a major piece of her mind. A curious sound from outside caught her attention, and she squinted out the windshield at all five silhouettes standing in the dark, holding her breath to get a handle on what was happening.

Her mind had been playing tricks on her, because the only noise she detected now was laughter. She hunkered down in her seat, growing restless from waiting, but then, she heard it again. Laughter. Surely Chris wasn't laughing it up with the very people who had failed to show him any emotional support in his greatest time of need, but there Chris stood, patting the backs of the guys who had betrayed him and pulling them into a series of manly hugs. Scoffing loudly, Stephanie thrust her door open and went straight to the back, reaching inside to pull Renner up from his car seat.

Her hands quaked as fury overcame her, and Stephanie pulled the baby to her chest, holding him in a defensive manner to protect him from the cold. She kicked both car doors shut and stalked across the front lawn to Chris. "What the hell do you think you're doing? These guys want to turn their backs on you and kick you out of the band you founded, and you're cracking jokes?"

"Calm down, babe. Let me explain," Chris requested.

"No!" She directed her next biting words at Rich. "How could you do this? You're supposed to be his best friend and you're threatening to kick him out of the group? Doesn't friendship and loyalty mean anything to you at all?"

Renner whimpered, and that was where Chris drew his line. There was a time to shoot the shit with old pals and a time to be a father, and hearing his son's cry fell under the latter. "Steph, they were fucking with me. They weren't serious, and they're not trying to kick me out. I'm just a dumbass who fell for a stupid prank, that's all. Bring Renner inside, okay? It's too cold out here for such a little baby."

"Can I see the little guy?" Rich asked.

"Hey, what about us?" Frank cut in. "I want to see the kid, too."

"Me too," Paul said.

"Me three," Billy added.

"Everybody shut the hell up, or else none of you are seein' my kid," Chris threatened, even though they knew his words held no weight. He chuckled and jogged back to their vehicle, which, thankfully, Stephanie hadn't locked, since the engine was still running. Chris tugged the keys out of the ignition and locked everything up, bringing them straight to the front door and pushing it open, only after fumbling with those damn keys for another short while. He ushered Stephanie and Renner inside first, wanting to get them into the warm house right away.

Stephanie didn't want to leave Chris's side. She leaned in so close she breathed in the last remaining hints of his aftershave. "I don't understand this, sweetie. What's going on?"

"I'll explain. Give me a sec," he said. She pulled away, but he grasped her arm lightly, to keep her from straying too far. "Relax, okay? Everything's perfect, and you'll see that in just a minute."

"If you say so," Stephanie shrugged, though not entirely convinced. "Renner's going to cry for me soon. He'll want his milk."

The guys, in the meantime, had filtered in through the front door and made a half-circle around Stephanie, each struggling to get a good look at Renner. Stephanie was still in her protective stance, angry over the potential they had to hurt Chris, which meant her friendly face was lost. Her suspicious gaze flitted over the men standing across from her — guys she had once considered to be among her best friends — but all she saw anymore was a group willing to betray the only person who had believed in them enough to extend an opportunity to join the band in the first damned place. Chris hadn't been obligated to let them in, but he had, out of the goodness of his heart, and he got no appreciation or respect in return.

"I'm really disappointed in you guys," she said, shaking her head. Chris dropped his own head, snickering into his chest, and she cut her eyes. "This isn't funny, Chris! Why don't you tell them what you were telling me before, instead of acting like this is some damn sleepover party?"

Chris lifted his head, pleading with her from a place of amusement. His eyes danced with humor, as did everyone else's, like there was some big joke and she was the only person in the room not understanding the punchline. "They were joking, baby, I told you. It was all a joke, and I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. They're not trying to kick me out of the band for staying behind to take care of you. They were fucking with me, and the only reason Rich kept it going so long was because he thought I knew he was joking."

"I still don't find anything funny. If what they threatened to do was real, they should be ashamed of themselves and, if it wasn't real, then the joke wasn't funny," Stephanie said. Once she got an idea in her head, it was difficult, if not impossible, to switch her over to a different train of thought. Chris took it as a compliment, because he knew her ire was flowing solely from her instincts to protect him. She glided to the bottom of the staircase and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to feed our son."

Chris watched her stomp all the way up the stairs, turning back to his friends only after she was out of earshot. "She'll get over it guys, don't worry. She's just protective of me, the same way I am of her. If she thinks anyone's trying to hurt me, she gets very defensive and upset."

"Uh," Rich scratched the back of his neck, glancing furtively from the living room to the staircase, "so how long would you guess she's going to be pissed at us for? Because I really wanted to talk to her and see your son."

"Of course you can see the kid," Chris laughed, rolling his eyes. "Steph breastfeeds, so she likes her privacy to do that, but I'll go up in a little bit, when I think she should be finished. I can grab Renner and bring him down for a little while, but not for long, because he usually sleeps after his night feeding."

"Look at you, all in daddy mode," Billy teased, stopping near a wooden chest in the living room. He picked up a framed photo of Chris with Stephanie, right after they had touched back down on solid ground from a hot air balloon ride. Chris's arms were wrapped around Stephanie's waist from behind, and he was kissing her cheek while she smiled into the camera. Billy gazed at it for a long time, and Chris briefly wondered what he must be thinking about. "You're really taking to this dad thing, aren't you?"

"I don't think you have much of a choice once your girlfriend gets pregnant," Chris chuckled. He waved the guys over and got them to follow him into the kitchen, where he pointed out the stools they could sit on while he grabbed cold beers from the refrigerator. He wasn't much of a beer drinker any longer, but he always kept a full case on supply for those occasions when he had friends over who enjoyed a strong brew. "That's not to say I'm forced into this, because I really love being a dad, but it was all so unexpected. I pretty much had to be ready, whether I wanted to or not, because Renner didn't ask to be here, but he is, and he deserves a good mom and dad."

"That's decent," Frank said. He brushed a hand over his blond — almost yellow — hair and eagerly accepted the cold beer Chris handed over. "Thanks, man. Did everything work out with your woman, what with all the depression and stuff she was going through? She's acting like her usual, hardcore self, so it kinda seems like she's better."

"Hardcore?" Chris scrunched his nose, laughing at the way the word sounded in relation to his wife. "Well, I probably wouldn't have thought to use that work to describe her, but I guess it sort of does. She's a lot better, though, to answer your question. She had a little bit of a hard time there, after having Renner. The morning that I was set to leave for our overseas tour, I could see in her eyes that something was wrong. I've been with her for years, so I can tell when she's bluffing and when something is seriously wrong. She wasn't faking it."

"So what did you do?" Rich asked. Chris finished passing out beers, foregoing one for himself, since it wasn't his drink of choice. A bottle of Grey Goose would have had a much better chance of hitting the spot with Chris. He sat on the stool beside Rich, drumming his fingers against his thighs.

"I brought her to the doctor, to see what they thought. She was feeling really sad and overwhelmed, so I made an appointment, and she got diagnosed with postpartum depression," Chris explained, folding his arms across his midsection. "She had the option to take medication for it, but she didn't want to take any because she was worried it would enter her milk supply and affect Renner. The only other option was therapy, so that's what she's doing. She goes a couple times a week, sometimes by herself, but other times, she brings me or her parents. It's not really a strict thing, so she has some leeway in who she can bring with her."

"And it's helping?" Paul wondered. He scratched absently at his nose, nursing his beer.

"It is, I would say. You've seen her for yourself tonight, so there's your proof," Chris said, a smile spreading across his face and lighting like a wildfire. "She's still my fierce, beautiful woman, so there you go. Speaking of, I'm going to run up and check on her. I want to see if she's almost done feeding Renn, and if she is, I'll bring him down. Just hang out, and help yourselves to anything in the fridge or pantry."

"Cool. Thanks, man," Paul replied.

The other guys offered up the same sentiments, shedding themselves of their coats and preparing to spend a few hours indoors. Chris figured they would end up spending the whole night, and he could only hope Stephanie wouldn't mind having unexpected guests. Normally, she wouldn't have cared, but in her current state of staring daggers at each one of the men, Chris didn't know how she would handle being around them for an unspecified amount of time. He jogged up the stairs, checking his reflection in an adjacent wall mirror to make sure everything was in place.

He went straight to their bedroom and wasn't all that surprised to find the door shut. He rapped lightly against the wood so she wouldn't be shocked by his sudden appearance, and he turned the knob gradually, slipping inside with her. Renner was all finished nursing, and Stephanie held him in her arms as she sat up in bed, pressing soft kisses all over his face. She glanced up briefly when she heard Chris enter, but she shifted her focus back to the baby, rubbing his tiny hand between her forefinger and thumb. She whispered something in Renner's ear, and Chris smiled at the sight of them together; they were beautiful.

He stood near the door for as long as it took to kick his shoes off, then he padded over to the bed and took a seat beside Stephanie. His hands came to rest on her body, in a sort of half-hug, and he kissed her lips, then Renner's forehead, whispering to his son next. "I love you, Renner. Did you have a good dinner with Mommy?"

"He didn't eat very much," Stephanie said, the slightest of worry lines appearing above her brows.

"No?"

"No," she confirmed. "He stopped a little early. I hope he's not getting sick." Chris watched as she ran her finger down Renner's cheek, loosening her hold on him so he could shift to a more comfortable position. He raised his leg, and Stephanie laughed when his foot ended up pressed against her chest. "Look at that cute little foot," she giggled, rubbing his leg with her palm. She offered her finger, and Renner latched onto it, making a tiny fist around the lone digit. She raised his hand to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. "Just make yourself comfortable, baby. There's all sorts of room here."

Chris laughed, tucking a few tendrils of Stephanie's hair behind her ear. When she looked up, he saw pure magic in her eyes, the sort of glow that could only be set in motion by Renner. "You really love being a mother, don't you?"

"It's the best thing I ever did, besides marrying you."

"You look happy with him. Better and happier," Chris said, reaching out to cup her cheek. He caressed her face with his thumb, studying her softened features. When Stephanie realized that her bonding time with Renner was bringing the sentimentality out of Chris, she matched his smile, tilting her head far enough to kiss his hand. "You're starting to get back to normal, aren't you, baby?"

"I think so. Therapy has been helping a lot, but I also think time is making it easier," she explained. Chris nodded along. "The further I get into motherhood, the less pressure I feel to take care of Renner, because I'm getting more confident in my abilities. It's so funny because Trish told me all of this over the phone one day. I called her in a panic that day you went to the zoo with Renn and my parents, and I was telling her that I didn't know if I could be a good mother and that I was doubting myself."

"What did she say?"

"She told me that it would pass and that it was normal for a mother to doubt herself in the beginning. She did it with Eli, and she said every new mother goes through it," Stephanie recalled. Held under the heaviness of Chris's unwavering gaze, she felt the familiar tickle in her cheeks that always accompanied a blush. She bit down on her bottom lip and waited for the sensation to pass, but she knew Chris had seen it, when he began smirking. "Yes, for your information, you still have the power to make me blush, almost on command. I can't help it. No matter how long we're together, I have the same crush on you that I always had before we got together."

"I'm glad you do," he laughed, kissing her cheek. "I'm also happy you're better. Stick with therapy for a little while longer to make sure that nothing else comes up, but as long as you continue on like this, I think you'll be ready to leave all this behind within another month or so. I'm really proud of you, Steph. I tell you this all the time, but you really are a good mom."

"And you're a good daddy," she complimented.

"I try to be. If you need me to go to therapy with you this week, just let me know, and I'll be there. We can have one of your parents watch Renner, or if they're not available, we'll figure something else out. If your appointment is during his usual nap time, we might even be able to bring him along and let him sleep in his car seat while you have your session."

"We'll see."

"So, I'll tell you what I actually came up here for," Chris said. He slid his hand onto her thigh and rubbed it over the material of her pants. He softened both his eyes and tone. "I love you for being so protective of me. You always watch out for me, and it makes me feel good, but the guys really were joking about everything. They didn't mean any harm."

"They made you go through all of that stress for nothing. Me too."

"I understand, but can you please give them another chance?" Chris pleaded. "They really want to make things right. They all keep asking about you, and I came up because Rich wants to see the baby. So do the rest of the guys, actually."

"It's his bedtime, Chris."

"I know, but can I take him down for one second so they can all get a quick look at him? I'll bring him right back up so you can bundle him up and put him in his co-sleeper, but they want to see him," Chris reiterated. When Stephanie didn't look convinced, he tried flat-out begging. He clasped his hands in front of his chest and put on his best pout. "Please? I give all your friends chances, even when they annoy the shit out of me."

"Excuse me, but my friends are not annoying," she argued, struggling to stow away the slightest hint of a smile. Chris tipped his head and extended his pout, and she rolled her eyes, finally giving in. "Fine, but if they say anything to piss me off or act flippant about the situation, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind. That stupid joke wasn't funny, and they should have known better."

"Okay, you tell 'em," he smiled, holding his hands out for Renner. "Can I take him down?"

"Of course you can," she said, handing him off gently. Chris led the way, and Stephanie kicked her shoes off and left them near the door, beside Chris's. She followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen, stopping a few feet from the guys and crossing her arms, displaying another of her classic glares. Rich flinched and stared at his lap, and everyone else averted their eyes.

"We're, uh, real sorry about how all that went down, Steph," Rich said, speaking for the group. He was an unofficial leader for the band, in a sense. "It was only supposed to be a joke, and when Chris argued back with me, I thought he was just playing along. I felt like he should know me better than to think I, or any of us, would screw him over like that. He's our friend, our brother, and I think I speak for everyone when I say we all feel like shit about it. We love Chris, and we love you and Renner, too."

While Paul, Billy, and Frank murmured the same sentiments as a follow-up, Stephanie began tapping her foot loudly, dropping her hands to her sides and clenching her fists, as if she were only a few seconds away from blowing a fuse. Finally, she put the angry act to rest and gave in. She hugged Rich first, since he was her favorite, although she would never dream of admitting that secret aloud. She didn't want him to get a big head, nor did she want to insult the other guys, since they all held a special place in her heart, in their own, individual ways. When she was through greeting everyone, Stephanie headed to the refrigerator while Chris stepped forward with the baby.

"Here he is, guys," Chris said, displaying his semi-dozing son proudly. "This is the famous Renner Blaine."

"Holy crap, he doesn't even look like you," Rich noted. He reached for Renner's hand and gave it a soft rub. "He looks just like Steph, and not even just because of the dark hair. He has all of her features and everything."

"I think so, too," Chris said. "Actually, everyone who has seen him so far has said the same thing. Maybe the theory that boys look like their mothers and girls look like their fathers is true. If Steph and I have a little girl, she'll probably come out blond and looking exactly like me."

"Let's hope not," Rich said, hunching over and slapping his knee. Chris shot him a mock glare, and he tapped Chris's shoulder. "Nah, I'm just kidding, bro. He's a real cute kid. You guys have done well for yourselves, getting married and having this adorable baby."

"Does he like pizza?" Frank asked, reaching out to tickle his stomach.

"Dude, he's a freakin' baby," Chris said, shaking his head. Leave it to Frank to say something so off-the-wall it left everyone speechless. "He doesn't do anything except drink his mommy's milk, sleep, cry, pee, and poop. I wouldn't even know where to begin trying to feed him a slice of pizza. Are you serious, man?"

"I told you I don't know much about babies," Frank said. "I mean, I know young babies can't eat real foods, but you can probably break off small pieces of pizza and feed it to him. He can't choke on it if it's tiny, right? Not a lot of parents probably do that, but I bet they could."

A dumbfounded Stephanie stood near the refrigerator, sipping apple juice from the glass in her hand, but she lowered the beverage to join in on the fun. "Oh, God, Frank, just stop while you're ahead, buddy."

The kitchen erupted in laughter, which also happened to frighten baby Renner, who wasn't a fan of loud, unexpected noises. He squinted his eyes for a moment and wailed, wanting a way out of the scary room with all the unfamiliar faces. Before Chris could make it all the way to Stephanie, she had set her glass down and was in the process of meeting him halfway. She outstretched her arms and took Renner into them, rubbing his back and kissing the top of his head. She bounced him lightly, up and down, and whispered sweet words in his ear.

"It's okay, baby," she said, soothing his cries almost immediately. All he had wanted was his mommy, and now that he had her, there was no reason to cry anymore. "Yeah, you're all right, honey, because Mommy's here, and I won't ever let anything bad happen to my baby boy. It's okay, sweets."

"She sure calmed him down fast," Billy noticed, impressed with her parenting abilities.

"Of course she did. She's an amazing wife and an even more amazing mommy," Chris said. Stephanie raised her head and puckered her lips, and Chris leaned in to deliver the kiss she sought after. He ran a hand over her hair, kissed her cheek, then hunched over to kiss Renner's cheek. "All right, Steph has to bring Renner to bed, but you guys can see him again a little later. We just got back from an outing at the park, so he's had a long day, and I'm sure he's tired."

"I'll see you all in a little while," Stephanie said. "I'll try to come back down and hang out with you after Renner goes down, assuming I don't fall asleep first. I'm pretty exhausted, so I might."

"It's cool, we understand," Rich said. He sidled up to Stephanie's side and kissed her cheek, placing his hand gently on her left elbow. "Again, I want to say I'm really sorry for how everything went down. I hate that you guys thought we were serious about kicking Chris out of the band, but without him, there isn't any band, and we would never even think of doing anything like that. We're all family, so I'm glad you forgive us. We'll make it up to you, I swear."

"Thanks, but it's not necessary. I'm just glad you're not doing anything rash and that it was all a misunderstanding," she said, covering her mouth to muffle a yawn. She started to leave the room, but something stopped her. "How long are you all here for?"

"Probably a few hours tomorrow before we're all going to head home and see our families," Paul said. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering. We can go out for breakfast together in the morning, if everyone wants to. It'll be my treat," she offered, still patting Renner's back as he nodded off against her arm. "There are plenty of good places to eat around here."

"What do you say, guys?" Chris asked, holding his hands out while issuing the open invitation.

"We're in," Rich answered. Since nobody objected, Stephanie smiled brightly around the room, at the four band members who had become Chris's family away from home over the years. Suddenly, doubting their intentions seemed like the silliest thing in the world, and Stephanie was almost embarrassed that she had fallen for such foolishness. Whenever Chris was away from her, she took comfort in knowing that his friends would protect him, and it was nice to receive confirmation that none of that had changed.

"I'm really glad you're here, guys," she said. Chris's head snapped over, and she could feel his eyes watching her curiously, but she could also feel the warmth of his smile washing over her. Seeing his friends and wife getting along again probably brought on a lot of relief for Chris, and she reached out to lightly pinch his arm, adding another line to her statement that made it so boldly and classically her. "But if you ever mess with my husband again, you'll all be goners."

"You know, I think she just might be serious," Frank said thoughtfully, cupping his chin with his fingers, as if he were some sort of modern day philosopher. Stephanie spun around and headed back into the next room so she could bring Renner to bed, but not without tossing one final thought over her shoulder.

"Oh, I am serious. Believe it."