A/N: Your reviews are much appreciated. I hope you like the chapter!


Chris and Stephanie left the City Clerk's Office hand-in-hand. Stephanie's walking had morphed into a unique sort of bouncing, as she practically hopped along from one foot to the next, sending Chris into a fit of laughter as they bounded back to the vehicle with their marriage license in tow. Only a few weeks into the new year, 2009 was already proving to be a year neither of them would forget. By the same time the next month, they would be joined as husband and wife, and every day, Stephanie's heart settled a little more on the idea of taking Chris's surname as her own.

At first, she had assumed she would keep her last name, since it had always been such a huge part of who she was. No matter where in the wrestling world she went, the McMahon name spoke for her, and she couldn't imagine answering to anything else. After deep conversation with Chris about the issue, they decided she would take his last name without hyphenation of her previous name, while still being professionally recognized as Stephanie McMahon. She was proud to become an Irvine and share the name with Chris and Graham. That decision had only been one among many that made her shine with pride.

Since Stephanie had chosen the wedding date, Chris stuck to his word and selected the venue, deciding on an English Tudor style mansion, which had the capacity to hold up to 75 guests indoors and more on the outdoor patio. They wouldn't need so many seats, though, because the general plan was to only have their immediate family as guests, save for a few friends. Stephanie had never craved the enormity of a huge wedding with a massive guest list of people she barely spoke to in everyday life. If her wedding had attendees, she wanted them to be people who truly loved and cared about her, day in and day out.

"We're getting married. This is so amazing," she gushed, gazing into the blue abyss of the sky while Chris led her safely across the parking lot. "It feels like the sun is shining brighter, I swear. The day is perfect and sunny, just for us."

"You're so funny, babe," Chris laughed, transitioning right into the next subject. "They said there's no waiting period on our marriage license, right? We can pretty much do this whenever we want to?"

"We're free to get married whenever we want. She said there wasn't a waiting period, and we already booked the venue for February 14th, so we're all set. You know what I was just thinking, though?" Stephanie asked. Chris glanced over at her, eyes covered by his dark sunglasses, and she continued. "I went back on literally every single thing I said about marriage. I told you last year that you were moving too fast and we needed to hold off. Then, you proposed to me at the very end of last year, and I said yes. Then, I said we would be engaged for at least eight or nine months before getting married, and as it turns out, we will have only been engaged for a little over two months when we get married."

"That's because being in love makes you crazy," Chris said. "It makes you throw all your past rules out the window, and you start letting your heart rule you. I don't feel apprehensive at all about marrying you this early on in our relationship, because I'm not ever divorcing you, so it doesn't matter," Chris said. He led her around to the passenger side of their vehicle, helping her into her seat, and when she tugged on his shirt, he leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. "I'm not nervous, so I don't want you to be either, okay?"

"I'm not nervous at all. I'm so happy and excited," she said.

He didn't need her to tell him that, though. He could see it clearly for himself in her eyes. The woman before him wasn't the same uncertain one who had sat at a lunch table with him months before, telling him they were miles away from being ready to marry each other. No, the transformed woman he gazed at head-on was ready for the future that was to come, and for that, he was grateful. She had seen the light, as he always knew she would, and in less than a month, she would become his wife.

Chris let Stephanie choose the restaurant where they would enjoy a light lunch, and they were seated in a comfortable booth within minutes. Stephanie hadn't been able to part with their marriage license, so she brought the document into the restaurant with her, turning it over in her hand with a smile as she relayed the information to Linda over the phone, explaining that they had been successful in obtaining one that morning. Her smile lessened gradually until, finally, she resorted to rolling her eyes at Chris from across the table, mocking her mother's words. She opened her mouth and pretended to stick her finger down her throat and gag.

Chris knew, without being told, what Linda must have been griping about.

He and Stephanie had spent nearly their entire engagement trying to convince their parents why they were certain they wanted to go through with the wedding. Objections shot in at them from all directions, and Chris was almost prepared to say that if they could get through the pre-wedding arguments with their families, then they could definitely get through married life. The thing was, Chris didn't intend to only do enough to barely scrape by as a husband. He wanted to reach down into the deepest part of his heart, to the pieces of himself that he knew had something valuable to offer Stephanie. He would be more than she ever imagined he could.

His thoughts came crashing down when she plunked her cell phone on the tabletop, and after the waitress came over to take their orders, Stephanie set in on a rant Chris had heard more times than he cared to admit. "I'm about to go completely crazy and pull all my hair out," she said, rethinking her word choice straight away. "Actually, I wouldn't mess up my hair, because it has to be pretty for our wedding, but my mom is driving me insane. Who would have thought my dad would take the news of our engagement so much better than she would?"

"What's she saying?"

"I told her about getting our marriage license this morning, because I thought she would be happy for me, but instead, she's just bitching at me about how I'd better be sure this is what I really want. She was telling me I can't go back on this once I do it, which isn't even true, because you can get a marriage annulled, but that won't even be necessary, because we're making the right decision for ourselves," she said, placing her head in her hands. "I'm so frustrated."

"You can't let the things other people say get to you like this, babe. Not even when it's your own mom," Chris said. He paused and took a sip of his soft drink. "People are going to talk, because they don't know our relationship like we do. If they were you or me, they would understand why we're getting married, because they would feel how deeply we love each other. I can't blame them for not getting why we're doing this, but we know why, and that's all that matters. We can't let other people get into our heads."

"She likes you, though. My mom has always loved you and thought you were great for me."

"Yeah, but up until now, I wasn't marrying her only daughter and whisking her away," Chris pointed out. "Marriage is a big deal. It's the biggest thing we'll ever do together, besides having children of our own, and our parents just want what's best for us. It's the same way with my dad. He always liked you, but as soon as he found out I had proposed, he started acting weird. We have to try and put ourselves in their positions. If we were parents of adult children and they were getting married this quickly, we would probably be put-off by it, too."

"Oh my gosh, it's not even that fast!" Stephanie claimed, tossing her hands in the air exasperatedly. "I've known people who got married after, like, two months of knowing each other. I swear it. I've known people who got married after knowing each other less than half a year. I understand we haven't been dating for very long, but we've known each other for a whole year and some change. That's long enough to know whether or not you want to be with someone. It's so annoying, Chris."

"I know it is, but keep your patience in check. We're almost where we need to be," he told her. "We've got our marriage license, we have the venue booked, we have our immediate family and close friends invited, and everything else will fall into place. I picked out your wedding ring, and you picked out my wedding band. Everything is finished, except for a few minor details. The easiest part is going to be saying the 'I-do's'."

"I just had the craziest thought," she said, speaking in that self-conscious way that let him know she was headed in a serious direction, despite the fact that she would try to play the situation off like no big deal. Chris pretended to ignore her words, to see if she would let it go, but she brought it up again, meaning she wanted to talk about whatever was nagging at her psyche. "Whoa, this is freaking me out a little."

"What is it, my little dumpling?"

"Dumpling?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. She rolled up the paper from her straw and tossed it across the booth at him. Chris laughed and swatted the tiny paper ball away from his face. "We can't turn into that old married couple, where we come up with cheesy pet names for each other and start completing each other's sentences. That's not cool."

"To be fair, we're not married now, and we already finish each other's sentences sometimes."

"True," she nodded. Chris reached across the table for her hand, and she placed it in his. His fingers folded over hers, and he brought it to his mouth, giving her palm a soft kiss.

"Tell me what you wanted to say earlier. I'm all ears."

"I was just thinking about how sometimes you think you want to marry someone, but then the day comes and you can't do it. Like, you know all those weddings where the bride leaves the groom at the altar, or sometimes the other way around?"

"I know about those types of things, yes," he said, nodding slowly. His mind struggled to reject what she was saying, since the idea of leaving Stephanie at the altar was too horrendous to have even crossed his mind, but connecting with her gaze from across the table, he could see the concern was real for her. "Are you trying to tell me you're thinking of leaving me at the altar, babe? Because if you're having doubts, I would rather you get them all out on the table right now. Please don't wait until the actual day we're supposed to get married to tell me. I won't be very happy with you if you do that."

"No, I'm not saying that," she said, eyes widening. She bit her bottom lip and narrowed her gaze, staring off into the distance. Chris moved his head in an attempt to obstruct her vision and regain eye contact, but she looked even farther away.

"Steph, I don't know if I like this feeling coming over me right now," he admitted. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I was a little nervous that maybe you might go back on wanting to marry me, actually."

"You what?" Chris asked, heart pounding in his chest. Surely, he must have developed a hearing problem, because there was no way the woman he was set to marry in less than a month was telling him she doubted his certainty with regard to their marriage. Hadn't he shown her all the love in the world and made it clear there was no other woman he would rather be with? As he gazed across the table and noted the fear on her eyes, very real fears, he gained the answer to his previous question. What he had shown her hadn't been enough. "I would never even consider leaving you at the altar. Why would you think something like that?"

"I don't know. Isn't this just normal wedding-day jitters?"

"I don't think it's ever a good sign for a bride to be concerned that her groom is going to leave her at the altar. That's really not cool, but you're being honest with me, and I appreciate that. I'm not going to fault you for feeling the way that you do. I just want to fix it."

"How?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Can you give me a little more information and maybe tell me what's fueling this feeling?" Chris requested. Her hand remained captive inside his. "You must be having certain thoughts that brought up this feeling inside you, so just tell me what those thoughts are, and I'll do my best to fix this."

"I always get scared before a major change occurs in my life," she said, holding her free hand up guiltily. "Slight character flaw."

"Hey, we've all got 'em, babe. Being able to admit your flaws makes you more personable," he shrugged. "Now tell me what's really going on. I want to make this better."

"I know you do," she said. Stephanie sighed, pushing her hair back so that it wasn't overtaking her face. "I guess I've been thinking about how you came into my life, and if you ever wanted to leave, it would be so easy for you. You've saved up a ton of money, and for all I know, you could get scared and go back to Canada with Graham. I would feel like scum if you were to leave like that, and I guess I just have some insecurity issues with you."

"What kinds of issues?"

"I get jealous when other women hang around you, and in the back of my mind, I always wonder what it might be like if you were to ever meet someone else who you really came to love. You and I got together so quickly, and I'm just thinking, what if you feel like you're in love with me, but then, some other woman comes along and charms you? You could decide she's your true soulmate and not want me anymore. Or you could decide that you only felt close to me because of the material things I've offered you. That's always a possibility, right?" she asked, cringing when he began inadvertently glaring. "You can't be mad at me, Chris. You asked me to tell you everything I was feeling, so that's what I just did. You can't be mad."

"You think I love you because of a house, a job, and a car? You honestly think I've made love to you, time after countless time, because I'm saying to myself while we're in bed together, 'Gee, I really love all the nice things Stephanie has given to me. She's a real pal.' That's what you think?" he asked, face twisting into a horrified grimace.

"Now that you've set it up that way, it sounds pretty silly," she said, blushing.

"It sounds silly because it is silly," Chris told her. "Do I appreciate that you gave me a house to live in, a job to do, and car to drive? Of course. But you know what? Not a single one of those things replaces you. I would live in a cardboard box underneath a bridge and give up my job and everything else, as long as it meant I could have you and Graham. I couldn't care less about material things. They're nice, but I love you because I love you, not because I love what you've given me."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I think with it being so close to our wedding day, my mind's starting to go a little haywire. When I take a step back and think logically, I know you wouldn't ever hurt me by just leaving me at the altar, but I think my nerves are letting those bad thoughts creep into my head," she explained. "I don't have any doubts, and I know you don't, either. Just be patient with me, if you can."

"Of course I can, and if I can't, I have an entire lifetime to learn how to contain the enigma that is Stephanie McMahon," he said, thinking better of his words. "Or should I say Stephanie Irvine?"

That time, her smile reached her eyes. "I like that much better. Has a nice ring to it, huh?"

"It sure does."

Stephanie lay flat on her stomach in the grass, her legs bent at the knees in such a way that her feet dangled in the air. She crossed her ankles and perched her chin in each of her hands, having a playful stare-down with Caylie. She cracked a smile but didn't blink, leaning in so close to Caylie's face that they bumped noses, which sent Caylie into a laughing fit as she toppled onto her back from the seated position she had been in. Amanda covered her mouth to contain her laughter, but Stephanie tossed her head back and let her laughter out freely.

Chris had suggested that Stephanie get out of the house, since plans for the wedding had been bogging her down far too much. The stress was like an anchor, dragging her to the darkest depths of the ocean, so she decided to not only get out of the house, but spend some valuable time with Amanda and Caylie as well. She had not forgotten even for a single day that her time with the girls was limited, and she wanted to make the most of their final days as a full group. Her life had changed in the past year in ways she could never have imagined, and sometimes, those adjustments were a lot to take on.

Her mind still had difficulty processing the idea of not being able to see Amanda and Caylie every morning when she woke up, but with the great advances in technology over the past several years, she could use the video chat feature to keep herself in the loop with their new lives in Montana. For all that she was set to lose, she had plenty to gain, in receiving a lifetime with Chris and Graham. The surreal quality remained, in that she almost couldn't believe she was marrying so soon, but her heart told her the decision was right. Plus, Ted and Linda had finally begun to come around, perhaps because they saw Chris and Stephanie weren't deterred by the naysayers.

"I can't believe my two girls are leaving me. I'm so sad," Stephanie said. When Caylie sat back up, Stephanie made an exaggerated pouty face, and Caylie covered her mouth with her palm. Stephanie kissed her hand and slid it away, wanting to talk to Amanda, whose back was pressed up against the oak of a nearby tree trunk as she attempted to get some reading done. She lowered her book when she heard Stephanie's voice. "Can we talk, Manda?"

"Yeah, sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude," she said, closing her book and placing it on the grass as she scooted herself closer, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I only brought the book so I could be occupied while you played with Caylie. I know how you two love each other."

Caylie crawled into Stephanie's lap and sat up, with her back pressed against Stephanie's torso. Stephanie kissed the top of her head and smoothed her blond curls down, addressing Amanda once more. "I want you to know how proud I am of you for all of your accomplishments, because you've come such a long way from the timid girl I found on the sidewalk so long ago. You gave birth to your beautiful daughter, went to school, graduated with a trade, and now you have a great job in a dental office. Are you still thinking of going back to school later to become an actual dentist?"

"That's what I'm hoping for, if time permits. Who knows what will happen, though?"

"Life is definitely unpredictable," Stephanie said, holding up her left hand and pointing to her engagement ring, as a demonstration of that very fact. Amanda laughed at the joke and shook her head. "I want you to know that just because you're leaving doesn't mean that our relationship is over and we'll never talk again. I mean, things could be that way, if you wanted them to, but I don't want you to move and feel like you're alone."

"Oh, of course not. I know you'll still be around for me, if I need you," Amanda said.

"Exactly. If anything should happen in Montana and you feel like you need a support system, you can always give me a call, and I know Chris feels the same way. You have his number, so you can always call him too, if you need a guy's advice on anything. We're still going to be your family, you know," Stephanie said. "You can call for any reason, even if it's something as simple as being short on your rent or groceries. I can always send money."

"I know you would, and I appreciate that so much, but it's time for me and Tanner to see what we're made of and find out whether or not we can make it by ourselves. If he's truly ready to step up and be a boyfriend to me and a father to Caylie, then he needs to provide for us on his own. If he doesn't do that, I'll know where I stand, and I can make whatever decisions I need to make."

"You're confident," Stephanie pointed out. "That's a good thing, because that means you won't let him walk all over you. Your parents taught you well."

"You taught me well," Amanda corrected. The light in her eyes dampened and she bit her lip, gazing sadly into the distance. "I'll really miss you a lot, Steph, and I know Caylie will, too. I'm going to be so homesick at first."

"You will, but you'll also get over it after a while," Stephanie told her. "I was the same way when I first went to college and had to move to Boston on my own. Shane went to college in Boston, too, but by the time I got out there, he had already graduated, so he was long gone. It was tough being alone at first, but I eventually got to know people, so it was a cool experience. That's how I'm hoping Montana is for you."

"Me too. I want all good things from now on. I've dealt with enough pain."

"Are you going to see your parents one last time before you go?"

"I don't know," Amanda answered shortly, brushing her hair aside and cringing apologetically. "Sorry. They're still a sore subject for me."

"That's okay, I understand," Stephanie said. Caylie left her lap and crawled back onto the grass, chasing after a leaf that was blowing in the wind. Stephanie kept an eye on her and continued talking. "I hope they reach out to you soon. You're a good girl, and it would be a shame if they continued to miss out on their daughter's and granddaughter's lives due to their own stubbornness. That would just be the saddest thing."

"It would."

"But you can't change them, so as long as you know you're trying and doing your part, that's pretty much your only option," she added. "I hope you don't internalize any of the hurtful things they've said or done, because you've done amazingly well for yourself, and it makes me feel good that you became someone great. I took you in, but you didn't just sit around doing nothing. You went and made a career path for yourself, and now you have the means to take care of yourself and Caylie. That's huge, and you should be very proud of yourself."

"I am, honestly," Amanda said. They quieted for a long while, sitting in the breeze and watching Caylie while she played with almost everything she found in the grass, from a discarded bubble gum wrapper, to twigs, to a cigarette butt, which Amanda had to rush to grab away from her. With the month of February rapidly approaching, she said, "Are your wedding plans pretty much finalized?"

Stephanie scrunched her nose and covered her face with both hands, groaning from behind them. Suddenly, Amanda felt guilty for bringing up the one subject Stephanie had left her home to escape. "Uh, we're almost done," she said, dropping her hands into her lap, "but even still, it feels like I have a million different things to do. This is literally going to be the smallest wedding ever, though."

"Why did you choose such a small ceremony?"

"Because I knew if I had a big one, my parents would want to invite everyone they know, and I don't mean to be rude, but most of the people in their circle are spoiled, pretentious jerks. They judge everybody for every reason under the sun, and I don't want that surrounding me on a day that's supposed to be the happiest of my life. I want to be around people I love and care for, people who have been here for me for a really long time, so Chris and I agreed we would only invite immediate family and a few close friends. He has some people from Winnipeg flying in."

"I was just about to ask you whether or not he has any friends coming in. He's totally a likeable guy, so I would imagine he had lots of friends back home, but he never talks about them, so I wasn't sure."

"Well, he lost contact with a lot of people when he became homeless," she explained. "When it was him and Graham living out of their car, scrounging up whatever food they could get for the day, he didn't really have the time or energy to keep in contact with anyone. His friends were having financial struggles of their own and had their own families to take care of, so he couldn't exactly bombard them with his needs. Now that he's doing better, he's gotten back into contact with some of those people, so he's inviting a few friends he's known since high school."

"Have you met them?"

"Not yet. The first time I'll meet them is on our wedding day. I have a hair and makeup person, so that's good," Stephanie said, eyes lighting up at the thought that she had accomplished quite a bit, in the short amount of time she had given herself to plan a wedding. "I hired a separate person for Chris's hair, so he'll have his own stylist. We have our rings to give each other, and he's got his suit. I bought my dress, and I decided to have a really short train, since it's a small wedding. Nothing too over-the-top, but the dress is still beautiful, and it means a lot to me. I'll save it and maybe even have a daughter someday who I can show it to. You never know, right?"

"That's true, you just never know," Amanda said, leaning back on the palms of her hands and crossing her legs. She spoke sincerely and from the heart, adding, "I'm really glad I met you, Steph."

Stephanie's smile rang loud and clear. "I'm glad I met you, too, Manda."