Sorry guys, I'm really struggling to write this, finally got a chapter out, be patient, I'm still struggling with writers block, thanks so much for the reviews.
Ally laughed as the kids took turns holding their new brother, to them it was serious business, they each wanted their full five minutes of bonding with Jaxon. The baby was two weeks old and he was showered with attention from everyone.
Ally had a talk with Mark before they brought him home, about being sure to give plenty of attention to the other kids, she didn't want them getting jealous, but they weren't , they showered the baby with love and seemed to be thrilled with the newest addition to the family.
It was was Christmas Eve and Kevin and Jacob were spending the holidays with them. Kevin lifted Jaxon, kissing him. "You sure are a cute lil thing."
Ally smiled as Kevin talked baby talk to him, she knew him and Shawn would love to have more kids, they were on a waiting list to adopt, but it was a long slow process and they had already been waiting a while, it was a shame they were great parents to Jacob.
Kevin laid the baby in her arms. "Ally he's so beautiful." He said sitting down beside her.
"Thanks I think so too." She said grinning.
Mark was getting the kids ready for bed and he had his hands full, they were full of Christmas Eve excitement like most children, she could here them running around upstairs, giggles and excited chatter, she was sure Mark was ready to pull his hair out.
Ally was so happy Mark was spending Christmas at home, so were the kids. "Think I should go help him with the kids?" Kevin asked smiling.
She just shook her head. "He'll survive." She said grinning.
Kevin went to make some hot chocolate for Ally when Mark come down followed by the four kids. Jassy was of course walking beside Jacob and the twins giggling their way down the stairs. "Kids this is it, you can put some cookies out and that's it, I want those butts in bed, got it?"
All four of the kids nodded and he sent them off to the kitchen to get cookies from Kevin, to put out for Santa.
Mark flopped down beside Ally. "Those kids are on some kind of sugar rush or something."
Ally grinned. "No its Christmas Eve rush, their just excited, don't forget you have to put together that new bike for Zack and the scooters for the girls and the new doll houses and that pirate ship for Zack."
Mark rolled his eyes. "How could I forget?"
Ally just smiled. "Can you put Jaxon down, he's asleep?"
Mark smiled and took the small baby in his big arms kissing his forehead. "Yeah." He said softly and got up heading upstairs.
The kids came rushing in and Taby and Jassy put the plate of cookies under the tree and Zack sat the milk down beside it. Jacob flopped on the couch cuddling close to Ally, he and Ally were quite close, she figured she was the mother figure in his life, she loved the boy like one of her own. "Aunt Ally, I'm glad you have kids or I wouldn't have no brothers or sister."
She smiled and kissed his cheek. "You are part of this family Jacob, and we all love you."
Jacob watched Jassy. "Well Jassy is not really my sister, but shes my best friend, someday I'm gonna marry her."
Ally just smiled. "You are huh?" Keeping her arm around the eight year old.
"Yep I am, she loves me and I love her." He said full of confidence.
Ally smiled. "You're just like your papa, you know." Jacob smiled even bigger taking that as a great compliment.
It took a hour or so but they finally got the kids settled in for the night, Kevin headed to bed and Mark and Ally were left sitting in front of the tree. Mark pulled her close. "We should get to bed, the kids will be up early."
Ally nodded but didn't move, Mark put his arms around her. "Give daddy a kiss.'
Ally giggled and gave him a kiss on the cheek and Mark frowned. "That the best you can do baby girl?"
Ally smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close pressing her lips to his. Mark groaned at the intimate kiss, it didn't take much for her to turn him on so completely.
Mark pulled her in his lap, deepening the kiss his big hands rubbing up and down her back, dipping too squeeze her bottom. Ally moaned and moved even closer in his embrace. Mark pulled back and grinned. "Lets take it upstairs little girl."
Ally giggled "umm I am but you have some work to do remember Santa?" She said getting up.
Mark growled. "Where the hell is Kevin, he cans help me."
Ally just smiled. "You go find him, I'm going to bed. Ally bent and kissed his cheek ans Mark just gave her a look mumbling under his breath. "Damn woman, driving me crazy, thats what you're doing."
Ally just smiled and headed up to bed and a few minutes later Kevin came in the room. "Ally sent me to help you ya big baby."
Mark just shot him the finger. "Then get over here and help."
The two men set about putting the toys together, it took a couple of hours and a little cussing, but sometime after two am they were finished.
"I need a beer." Mark said getting up.
Kevin laughed "At two in the morning?" Mark just nodded and Kevin followed him to the kitchen. Mark got him a beer and handed one to Kevin. The two men sat at the kitchen table drinking their beers.
"Ya know Mark, its time to marry that lil girl." Kevin said looking at his friend.
Mark rolled his eyes. "Kev just let it go, okay?" Mark said draining his beer and getting up to throw the can away.
Kevin just watched Mark leave the room, when was that man going to wake up, to how lucky he was he had Ally and the kids, he hoped he didn't wake up to find himself alone someday.
The next morning was chaos , but it was a happy chaos, Zack and Jacob were out the door with their new bikes as soon as possible and The girls sat in the corner playing together with their new doll house ans Ally got up and laid Jaxon in the small play yard they kept in the living room.
Kevin yawned and got up. "I'm going to shower and then I'll help with getting dinner started."
Ally nodded and Mark walked over pulling her in his arms kissing her. "Why don't you take a nap before you start dinner, I'll keep a eye on the baby and the kids."
Ally yawned and nodded and Mark watched her walk upstairs, she had her hands full with the kids, at least while he was home, he could help her out.
Dinner was a noisy affair with the four kids chattering while they ate, but no one seemed to mind. Mark's mind was on work, he had to leave to go back tomorrow and he really didn't want to, the thought of leaving her and the kids just ate him up, he loved his job, loved what he did, but still, he wanted to be with his family, but with the career he chose, one had to make sacrifices, but his family was the one that paid the cost. "Wake up Taker." Mark jerked his head up to see Kevin grinning at him. "What you fretting over deadman?"
Mark just shrugged "Nothing, just thinking about getting back to work."
Ally dropped her head, she sure wasn't looking forward to Mark leaving tomorrow."
Mark saw the look on her face and frowned, surely she knew he had to get back to work, he didn't deal well with pouting women, hell he felt bad enough, he sure didn't need her making him feel worse.
"Daddy I wish you could just stay home." Jassy said looking none to happy herself.
"I know baby, but I have a job, I have to work, I'll see you in a week or two."
Jassy nodded but the gloom settled over all the kids, Ally changed the subject and got the kids talking about a movie Kevin was going to take them to the next day, they managed to get through their dinner and Kevin herded the kids off and Mark took the baby up to put him down for a nap.
Mark spent the evening playing with the kids, Ally just watching, she almost sick inside to see him go tomorrow, she loved the man so much.
They said goodbye to Jake and Kevin that evening and soon after tucked the kids in for the night.
Mark walked in the bedroom, he was ill about going back to work anyway, and knowing the kids didn't like it and Ally either, just made his mood worse. Mark flopped on the bed and Ally laid the book down she was reading. "Ally pouting about me going back to work, wont get ya anywhere, you just got the kids upset, they see you upset they get upset, wrestling's my job, how I make a living and nothing is going to change that."
Ally just stared at him, she wasn't pouting, she was a little upset , yes, but far from pouting. "Mark I'm not pouting, what I'm not supposed to miss you and want you at home, I cant help the way I feel.
Mark just shook his head. "Look I don't need to have to feel bad every time I leave to go to work, you knew what I did for a living ever since you met me, if you have a problem with it now, too bad." With that he flopped over on his side and closed his eyes.
Ally sighed and lay back, Mark could be so prickly and now he was going to punish her by ignoring her. She should be used to his little spurts of bad temper, she tried not to take it personally, but sometimes she couldn't help it.
Mark kissed the kid bye and held and rocked Jaxon a bit before her left, he hardly spoke two words to Ally, she just shrugged to herself, he would get over it eventually.
Mark was ill as a hornet once he was back at work, his anger at Ally gnawed at him, deep inside he knew he was being a prick, but he would never admit it. The problem was with Mark and he knew it, having four kids and even Ally was making him feel trapped, he loved his kids, but the whole scene was just making him feel like some kinda old married man and he didn't like it one bit. His feelings for Ally had always scared the shit outta him and now was no different.
February 2004
Ally sat at her computer trying to breastfeed Jaxon and work with her free hand, her business was successful and she never had any intention of giving it up, she knew depending on any man , even Mark to take care of her and the kids was not smart and the way Mark had been acting the last few months, well she wasn't sure what was in there future, he came home maybe once a month to see the kids, he slept in the same bed with her, even had sex with her sometimes, but he was detached, they didn't talk unless it was about the kids, he had effectively put a wall between them and she didn't know how to tear it down.
She had a busy week, Jassy's birthday was this Friday and she was trying to plan the party for that. Ally smiled, she couldn't believe the kids were growing so fast, the twins would be seven in may too.
One thing that was bright and sunny in her life was her kids, they were her world. She refused to let Mark's attitude bring her down, she had her kids and a thriving business, Mark would have to figure out what he wanted on his own.
Jassy ran to the door when she heard the car pulling and was out the door in a flash. Ally smiled as she heard Jassy screaming daddy at the top of her lungs. Ally was grateful Mark's sour mood had not carried over to the kids and relieved he had showed up for Jassy's birthday.
The twins quickly followed Jassy out the door and she smiled as she lay Jaxon in his playpen in the den.
Mark came in carrying Jassy and Taby and Zack followed closely behind him. Mark nodded at Ally and set the giggling girls down and picked up Jaxon from the playpen kissing him. "Hows my boy huh?"
The toothless baby grinned at him and Mark smiled, he loved his kids more than anything.
"So when is this big party Jassy?" He asked.
"Tonight daddy, I'm having a sleepover too." She said bouncing with excitement.
Mark smiled. "You kids go get those presents out of the back of the truck and theres one for each of you, go ahead and opened them and play for a while, then I'll be out to play with you okay?"
The kids ran off in a flash eager to see what their dad had got them.
Ally smiled as she heard their squeals of delight. "What this time?"
Mark shrugged. "I got Zack a remote control helicopter and I got the girls two of those remote control Barbie cars. I got Jassy another present for her party, but I got it hid."
Ally nodded and sat down on the couch, Mark sat down across from her holding Jaxon as he got sleepy. "Ally we need to talk." He sighed and just kept staring at his son. "I want to separate, I'm just not happy and its for the best, you know I love the kids more than anything, I want to be a part of their live, I hope this can be a friendly break up."
Ally wasn't in the least surprised, truthfully no matter how sweet Mark had been at the beginning, she had always expected this to happen, and the last few months, she had prepared herself for it. "Okay, you know you can see the kids whenever you want, I wouldn't keep them from you."
Mark was surprised at how calmly she sat there, he had expected tears, maybe even pleading for them to work it out. "You don't seem upset." He said a little perturbed at her lack of response.
Ally stood. "Mark I'm not going to fall to pieces over you or any man anymore, all I care about is my kids." She started for the door to leave the room and stopped and looked back. "So who is she, I mean I know that's why you're doing this, you're keeping your promise not to cheat, doing the kind thing and breaking up with me, who's the new woman in your life?"
Mark just looked away from her and Ally just shook her head leaving to go check on the kids. Mark laid a sleeping Jaxon down in the playpen, Ally knew him too well.
He sighed , Victoria had come to him a few weeks ago wanting some help training, she wanted to become a stronger wrestler and things were moving fast between them now, the only thing that had held him back was his promise to Ally, now he had taken care of that, nothing was holding him back.
Mark was never one to deny himself what he wanted and he wasn't about to start now, he wanted Victoria and he would have her, he looked down at his sleeping son, at least Ally wasn't spiteful, she would let him see the kids. Mark turned and watched his kids through the window, they were going to have to tell the kids, that they weren't together anymore and that was the worse part, hurting the kids, he didn't like it, but they had to know the truth, him and Ally couldn't just keep pretending in front of them.