Sorry . . . I don't know how many times I should say it to you guys. I've been so busy these last couple of months and had serious writers block; Not going to lie but I wrote this chapter 5 different times with 5 different outcomes and I still don't think it's good enough. The last chapter I rushed and it didn't turn out the way I wanted so now I'm just trying make the rest of the chapters better for you guys. I still don't think it's that good but I don't want you guys waiting any longer for this. Again I'm sorry and hope you enjoy the chapter and as normal review, one love xx
The next morning
Paul and Stephanie are sitting outside in the backyard sitting on the bench swing, they both woke up early and Paul decided that they needed to just get away from the family. Stephanie was resting her head on Paul's shoulder while he ran his fingers up and down her back. While sat in silence, Stephanie took it as a chance to think about the different outcomes they could do once they finally properly speak to her family.
"Babe" Stephanie said lifting her head off Paul's shoulder and looked him deep in the eyes, "what are we going to tell my parents?"
"What are you talking about? We told them about our marriage last night"
"Yeah, I know but we kinda left right after without explanation. Shane isn't happy about us, I'm not ready for what they are going to say"
"Does it really matter though?" Paul said shifting so that he could rest his arm on the back of the bench as he focused on Stephanie, "We have gone this far together not caring about what other people thought of us"
"It's my family Paul, what they think means a lot to me and I can't get over the fact that they won't approve"
"They don't approve, my love. That isn't the problem, we will have the chance to change their mind" Paul took hold of both of Stephanie's hands, "I promise you that we will only leave here if your family is okay with the marriage. As much as I want to get back to New York, you are so much more important and if you want to have your parents approval then we will stay until that happens"
Stephanie nodded and leaned forward and kissed Paul softly. How was Paul so calm about all of this? He should be a lot more nervous about dealing with her family than she is but he doesn't seem to care about anything as long as she is okay. Last night was a mess for her, the way Shane reacted was completely what she expected but she was hoping that she would be heading back to New York now but instead she is still putting out the fires.
"What did I do to deserve you?"
"You got very drunk and trusted me enough to marry me" Paul said smirking, Stephanie rolled her eyes and hit him in the arm, "I'm joking. I'm the lucky one here and no one can do anything that will split us up"
While Stephanie and Paul were outside enjoying their quiet time together, other McMahon's were starting to wake up. Marissa walked downstairs into the kitchen to see her mother-in-law looking out of the window into the garden. The closer Marissa got to her she could see Stephanie and Paul sitting outside talking on the swing bench.
"How long have they been outside?"
"I just got here" Linda said looking at Marissa, "She seems comfortable with him"
"She really is, it's around people that doesn't understand their reasoning for this situation" Marissa said moving over to the coffee pot and turning it on, "Paul works overtime when it comes to her because she gets so nervous about what everyone thinks about her and after her breakup with Alex, she really needed support"
Linda looked outside one more time and saw Stephanie cuddled up to Paul with her eyes closed. Maybe, Marissa was right, Stephanie was so comfortable with Paul, "I just can't believe that she got married"
"I still can't believe it. It's like a bad romantic movie"
Linda laughed softly in agreement, "You are so right. Is it wrong that I think they should stay married?"
"Not really because I'm rooting for them as well"
"I haven't seen Steph like this in a long time and I think it's all because of Paul"
Marissa nodded and looked back out to the garden and smiled at how content Stephanie was sitting in Paul's arms. She was the only person that knew about the Alex situation and everything that happens between her and Hunter.
Stephanie head was resting on Paul's chest with her eyes closed letting the wind blow past them, as she listened to Paul's breathing and breathed in his cologne. This was her safe place, ever since she met Paul she never felt like she was in danger or that she was fragile. She just wanted to stay here with him forever, but forever is short lived when Paul starts moving and starts talking.
"Looks like our peace is up" Paul muttered and kissed the top of Stephanie's head. She opened her eyes and saw Marissa standing on the patio looking on at them.
"I'm not ready for this" Stephanie said standing up and took Paul's hand in hers and they walked back into the house. As they walked into the kitchen they were met with three pairs of eyes, "How did everyone sleep?"
"Wish I slept better but there was a lot on my mind" Shane said pointedly looking at Paul
"That makes sense" Stephanie said biting her lip not wanting to say anything else
There was an awkward silence in the room when Linda decided to break it, "I was thinking about going out for brunch. I'm tired of cooking now that thanksgiving is over"
"That sounds like a great idea" Marissa said, "How about we all get ready and leave straight away" Marissa walked out of the kitchen not before grabbing her husband's hand and pulling him out of with her. They were quickly followed by Stephanie and Paul, leaving Vince and Linda in the kitchen alone.
"Is this really a good idea?" Vince asked doubting the professionalism of his family out in public with the current situation
"Yes, out in public I know everyone is going to maintain a certain appearance and hopefully none of you will create a scene in front of the world" Vince nodded and walked out of the kitchen knowing that Linda had everything under control.
About 30 minutes later, Stephanie was dressed and was just doing the last touches to her makeup when Paul walked into her bedroom, in a white button down shirt and faded blue jeans. She saw him walked over to her through the mirror and he wrapped his arms around her back and kissed her on the cheek.
"You look beautiful" Paul said
"Thank you" Stephanie said putting her lip gloss on before standing up and picking up her phone and handing it to Paul, "This brunch is not going to turn out well"
"It is, there's only so much your family will do in public; they won't make a scene and that's how we will explain it all easily" Paul said pulling Stephanie into him by her waist, "Before you know it we will be back in the penthouse in New York and this will be a distant memory"
Stephanie nodded and stood on her tip toes and softly kissed her husband, "I love you"
"I love you too" Paul said kissing Stephanie one more time before letting her go and walking out of the room downstairs. As they walked down the stairs thy saw everyone standing their waiting.
"Well, obviously there are too many of us to fit into one car, so how are we going to split it?"
"I'll drive and follow behind you" Paul offered. Vince nodded agreeing and they all started leaving the house.
Once everyone decided what car they were getting in, they were on their way to the restaurant. Vince had Linda and Shane in his car, while Paul had Stephanie, Marissa, Declan and Kenyon. It wasn't a long drive until they reached the restaurant, Paul parked the car at the valet and was about to get out of the car when Marissa put a hand on his shoulder stopping him.
"Paul, I can't speak for you but you have to understand that anything that they say in there is because they want to protect Steph"
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind" Paul said getting out of the car, he handed the keys to the valet and and took hold of Stephanie's hand.
After sitting at the table for about 10 minutes no one had said a word and it was starting to get uncomfortable for Paul, he could just feel the eyes on him like they were just trying to break him and if no spoke soon he probably would break.
"Okay, we seem to be getting nowhere" Marissa started, it was clear that she was going to be playing the voice of reason, "Who's going to start?"
"I just think this is really irresponsible and you aren't ready for this step in your life" Vince started. Stephanie took a deep breath knowing that it was just an opinion - plus her nephews were at the table, she can't really get angry, "I get that you can have fun on your birthday but this is just a scream for help-"
"A scream for help? Are you f-" Stephanie stopped before she could swear remembering that the kids were at the table with her, "Are you serious?"
"Yes. Why else would you do this?" Stephanie sat there silent because she didn't actually have an answer for that. Why did she do it? She wasn't even over Alex when her and Paul got married
"I don't know" Stephanie said softly, those three soft, quiet words made everyone at the table shocked, "It wasn't a cry for help, it didn't feel like a rebound, and I thought about it so much at the beginning. It was so difficult moving forward after Alex and truthfully, I didn't completely trust Paul because he was new in my life plus because of my relationship with Alex"
"Why didn't you tell us when it happened? We could've helped you out of this situation"
"It wasn't . . . isn't your situation, it's ours and we sorted it out. Clearly, not in a way that you would've but I'm happy and that's the only thing I'm focusing on. I know we should've told you earlier but I just couldn't come round to seeing your disappointed looks" Stephanie said, and just as fast, Vince changed the way he was sitting and focusing on his daughter.
"What about you?" Vince asked looking at Paul, "You're a bit quiet there, don't you have anything to say?"
"Not really" Paul said. Stephanie pinched his leg because he wasn't making any of this easier for her to get through, "Sorry. It's just that after last night, I'm not sure what else you need to hear from me"
"Do you regret it?" Everyone turned their attention to Shane as he finally speaks
"No" Paul said without missing a beat, "I do regret how it turned out. I wish I met her before that day before or week before so that we could've properly dated or something but I don't regret marrying her because just for the person she is we would've ended up married anyways"
Stephanie smiled she couldn't believe Paul thought that. They never really talked about their relationship or the what ifs, but actually hearing that he would've married her either way just made her that much happier.
"But why stay married?"
"No prenup" Paul joked smiling causing Vince and Shane to smile, "I'm joking. My family is very similar to yours, everything I do professional wise is to impress him or the board, while personally I'm just trying not to ruin his name. I've done enough teenage rebellion previous I'm just trying to prove to him that my actions sometimes are for the better."
"Why don't I like you? You seem like the nicest guy and you have your head on straight. What is it about you?"
"I married your sister. It wasn't traditional and up until yesterday you thought I was dating someone else"
Shane nodded and accepted that answer. He looked over at his sister and pushed past the marriage and the secrets and just saw his little sister, the person he was meant to protect and just saw a smile that she lost years ago and probably didn't even notice, "Steph, can I talk to you quickly?"
"Sure" Stephanie stood up and followed Shane outside of the restaurant, "Is everything okay?"
"I know we haven't spoken much clearly since you got married and I didn't know. I want to change that, what happened with Alex?"
"It's a long story"
"I'm all ears, I'm here for you Steph"
Stephanie took a deep breath and started to explain everything to her brother, including the miscarriage, the abuse, the cheating and basically everything else that broke them two up. By the end, Shane was beyond pissed off,
"I'm so sorry, Steph" Shane said pulling his sister into a hug, "I can't believe you went through that and I wasn't there for you"
"Shane, I can't expect you to be there for all my problems. Yes it was hard but Kelsey was there and helped me through it" Stephanie said when Shane let go of her
"That's the thing, I'm your brother, you shouldn't have been going through that alone. I know Kelsey was there but I'm meant to be there for you and because I wasn't I'm so sorry"
"You have children and a wife, I can't call you whenever I might get into trouble or something"
"I'm still sorry Steph" Shane said one more time before hugging her again, "I love you Steph and I'm here for you"
"I love you too"
About two hours later, Paul and Stephanie were on their way back to New York. As promised, Paul made sure that he didn't leave until he was happy that the McMahon family was sort of accepting of his and Stephanie relationship before heading off to New York. That was a long weekend and just knowing that he can finally go back to his house and sleep in his bed.
"Babe, I want to say thank you"
"For what?"
"Just everything this weekend, I wouldn't been able to get through that weekend with anyone else"
"You are more than welcome, my love. We got into this mess together and I wasn't going to let you deal with it alone" Paul said kissing her cheek, "I love you baby"
"I love you too" Stephanie said resting her head on Paul's shoulder and closed her eyes, it was already a draining day for her and she really needed to sleep.
A couple hours later they arrived back in New York. It was a short drive back to Paul's penthouse, Stephanie couldn't be more pleased to be back in the comfort of the penthouse again. She took her bag into the bedroom and started to unpack, not long later Paul walked into the room on his phone; she couldn't be surprised that he was back to his business self, she didn't really let him work during there time in Connecticut so he was probably just trying to catch up.
"I'll have my assistant email you with the information and hopefully we will speak again soon" Paul said hanging up the phone and immediately went straight to emailing Lily about the phone call
"We've been back for less than an hour"
"I know but I have so many emails to go through" Paul said looking up from his phone for a split second then back down, "Um . . . do you want to go to dinner tonight with Lynn and Gordon?"
"Sure, I haven't seen Lynn in forever" Stephanie said excitedly, "where were you thinking?"
"Craft. It's Lynn's favorite restaurant, mainly because she buys the most expensive shit in the place" Paul rolled his eyes. He was silent for a bit before putting his phone in his pocket, "Our reservation is at 7"
Stephanie looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was 4 o'clock, "Fancy restaurant?"
"Very" Stephanie nodded and went into the closet to figure out what she was going to wear.
A couple hours later, Paul, Stephanie, Lynn and Gordon were all enjoying their dinner at Craft. It was just relaxing that they could go out with people that was happy with Paul and Stephanie's marriage.
"How was the Thanksgiving?" Paul asked
"Perfect, Mom was a little upset about the fact that you two weren't there but she understood when I told her why" Lynn explained taking a sip of her wine but was keeping eye contact on her brother.
"Out with it" Paul said leaning back in his chair
"You haven't told me how your Thanksgiving was" Lynn whined, making Stephanie smile and Paul laugh
"Eventful but parents love me" Stephanie rolled her eyes knowing that he wasn't telling the truth and by the look on Lynn's face, she could tell that Lynn didn't believe him either.
"What about siblings? I know I have a hard time loving you" Lynn joked, without a beat Paul kicked her under the table, "Ouch, what's with the kicking?"
"You can learn to be supportive of me. But Shane wasn't as easy to come around but I guess I said some of the right things because he was accepting afterwards"
Lynn nodded and looked at Stephanie knowing she had something to do with helping Shane get a long with Paul. Lynn sat back and started to watch the interaction between her brother and sister-in-law and saw something different about them. They both looked like they had a massive weight lifted off of them, she guessed that it was because everyone finally knows about them and they can be themselves. Her thoughts were cut off by Paul's phone ringing, he looked at the caller ID and looked back up at his sister and smiled sadly
"I need to take this" Lynn nodded as Paul walked off as he answered the phone call. When she knew Paul was a good distance away she decided it was a good time to talk to Stephanie without Paul protecting him
"How was Thanksgiving really?"
"Awful. I'm pretty sure my brother was going to kill Paul at one point, but we went to lunch and everyone understood it all in some way" Stephanie smiled, "I'm so happy that my family knows now. I just want to see where everything goes with Paul now"
"Marriage is an adventure and being married to a Levesque is a fucking rollercoaster but they make it all worth it in the end" Gordon said taking hold of Lynn's hand, "Sure they work like their lives depend on it but they put the same amount of effort into their relationships"
Stephanie couldn't help but smile at Gordon's words, she looks outside to where Paul was standing and couldn't help but think about all the possibilities they would have in the future and where they would be. She was in love with this amazing man and he would always remind her that he would give her the world. Seeing the way he is with her nephews and his niece and nephew, she could only imagine the type of father he would be to their children.
A/N: Sorry it's short but I may or may not have rushed it a little and didn't really correct anything. The next chapter is Shawn's wedding so please give me a little time to write it so that it's better than this chapter and my previous chapters. Anything that you might want to see in the wedding message me or put it in the comment.