gdhdh TITLE: Second Chances

AUTHOR: Dannette [ UniqueFandoms@aol.com ]

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: On Christmas Eve, Stephanie gets a glimpse of what her life could have been if she had made different choices in her life. Inspired by 'The Family Man'. AU story.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Stephanie McMahon, Andrew Martin (Test) or whoever decides to pop up in this story; They belong to the WWF and Vince McMahon ---- Unfortunately in my case, I do not own Shane McMahon (Sad I know.)

SPECIAL DEDICATIONS: To Grace and all the other Andrew/Stephanie fans out there!!

~*~

Stephanie flipped through a photo album, she smiled at all the pictures of Megan, Megan was the most adorable little girl she had ever seen, Megan reminded Stephanie of her so much. Stephanie sighed, and flipped to a page full of Chris pictures, Stephanie smiled.

Before Stephanie would never believe that a book could hold so much meaning, but the book in her hands had so much meaning, it was full of memories of her "family". A family that in the past 2 months, she had gotten accustomed being around; She thrived on the fact that when she woke up she could expect Andrew to wish her good morning, or exactly at 10:35 am she knew that when the phone rang that it was Shane.

But it was so much more then that, in the two months that Stephanie had been here, she had found out stuff about her, that she didn't even know before. Stephanie had experienced things she had never experienced before; She had made Andrew, Chris, and Megan dinners, she had sang along to songs as she cleaned the house ... she had done things she had never done before. Stephanie McMahon was not a person who cleaned and cooked, actually Stephanie McMahon didn't lift a finger much less strain a muscle like she had done the other day. The oddest thing about all of this was that Stephanie didn't care that she cleaned and cook, in fact she liked doing it ... it made her feel as if she had a place in this world, and as for straining the muscle, the discomfort had went away as Andrew rubbed the pain away.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Stephanie looked away from the book when she heard the distinct ringing of the black telephone on the table next to the bed Stephanie was sitting on; Stephanie put the photo album down on the bed and flipped over and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" Stephanie asked, pushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Hey Steph! Listen I'm in the car with Jeff and Matt right now, want to do the girl bonding thing while they eat you out of house and home?" Lita asked, speaking into the cell phone.

Stephanie laughed; She had learned since her time here, that she was best friends with Lita. "Yeah come on over, but I don't know how Jeff and Matt will do, considering Shane is here, and you know how Shane is ... "

"A human vacuum?" Lita questioned, smirking.

"Pretty much yeah." Stephanie replied, giggling softly into the phone.

"Talk to you when I get there Steph." Lita said, hanging up the phone.

~*~

"Hey Stephanie." Lita said, walking into the house. Her red hair was up in a tight pony-tail, a few fiery red strands dangling on both sides of her face.

"Come in." Stephanie said smiling at Lita. "And guys you know where the kitchen is."

Matt smirked. "Hey Steph."

Jeff laughed. "Me and Matt could never forget where the kitchen is."

Lita rolled her eyes as she watched Matt and Jeff walk off in the kitchen. "I swear those two ... "

Stephanie laughed. "They're men, what did you expect? All men act like that."

Lita shook her head. "Not Andrew."

"Oh that's because she trained me to be a gentleman." Andrew said walking in, he walked over to Stephanie and kissed her on the cheek. "It took a long time, and it involved torture devices."

Stephanie laughed and pushed Andrew towards the kitchen. "There weren't that many torture devices."

Lita laughed hooking her arm around Stephanie's neck. "Hey did you see how Jeff's hair was normal?"

Stephanie nodded. "I noticed that, what happened to the streaks?"

"We had a bet, I told him I could kick his ass and he said I couldn't --- " Lita started, smirking.

"And you did?" Stephanie said, raising her eyebrow.

"Yep, and the prize of the bet was for him to dye his hair normal." Lita replied, smiling.

"Oh he must be livid about that." Stephanie said, her eyes shining.

Lita nodded. "Oh he is."

Lita and Stephanie both burst out in laughter as Jeff came in.

"What?" Jeff asked confused.

~*~

"No put that down Megan!" Stephanie screamed chasing Megan around the house. "That vase is not a toy Megan, I'm telling you, put it down right now!"

"No!" Megan screamed back, running out the front door as it opened up.

"Whoa ..." Andrew was pushed to the door as Stephanie ran out after Megan. "Megan, listen to your mom!" Andrew shouted after Stephanie and Megan, he dropped the bags he was holding and ran after them.

"I said give that to me Megan." Stephanie ran after Megan.

"Hey you two!" Andrew screamed as Stephanie and Megan start to run towards the street; Andrew quickened his pace and pulled Stephanie and and Megan down towards the grass. "Don't ever do that to me again you two!" Andrew screamed, holding on to both Stephanie and Megan.

~*~

"What the hell is your problem?" Andrew asked, staring at Stephanie concerned. "Yesterday you and Megan nearly get run over a car over some dumb vase, and now you forget to pick up Megan at school. This isn't like you, you never forget to pick up Megan; You're more responsible then this." Andrew replied, staring sternly at Stephanie.

Stephanie threw her hands in the air. "Well maybe I'm not the woman you married."

Andrew crossed his arms across his chest. "Well you're not acting like her."

"That's because I'm not her! I am the total opposite of her! I'm Stephanie McMahon damnit! I don't lift a finger, I have people who do things for me! I'm the billion dollar princess, and I'm spoiled to the core. I'm not some domestic house wife, I am co-owner of the WWF, well I was ... I am the owner of ECW! I live in a VERY expensive penthouse which is being billed to my father's credit card. But I do not live in some regular looking house, that looks like some rip-off from the Brady Bunch!" Stephanie screamed.

Andrew rolled his eyes. "If you miss your spoiled, little princess life so much, why did you marry me?"

"I don't know! I have no idea!" Stephanie ran up the stairs of the house.

~*~

Stephanie sat on the porch steps, her hair up in a pony-tail, strands of her brown hair hiding her face, her chin resting on her knees, which were drawn up to her chest. Her dream world was suddenly evolving into a nightmare come true; Suddenly the world that didn't have any drama, suddenly had too much of it, just like her regular life. Suddenly this world wasn't as good as her old one ... she missed her Shane. She missed his cynical and bitter laughs and smiles, she missed how he rolled his eyes at one of her comments, she missed how they finished each other's sentences.

Stephanie missed the sick mind of DDP.

Stephanie missed joking around with her ECW wrestlers, especially D-Von Dudley.

Stephanie missed everything about her old life, and what she especially missed was not feeling the pain of the arguments between her and Andrew.

"Hey, listen I'm sorry." Andrew said, as he sat down next to Stephanie on the porch step. "I guess we're at that time of the month, when me and you can't seem to stop fighting. I'm glad you chose me over the spoiled, priviliged life. I don't know how my life would be without you in it."

"I can." Stephanie said quietly.

"What did you say?" Andrew asked, putting his arm around Stephanie's body.

"Nothing." Stephanie replied, letting Andrew hold on to her.

~*~

Stephanie watched Smackdown from her locker-room she shared with Andrew; Megan and Chris were being watched by Lita who was out since she had a broken ankle. Stephanie watched Andrew run out in the ring and start attacking Triple H, Stephanie let her eyes wander over to where Paul Heyman was announcing the match with JR. Stephanie frowned.

Paul Heyman was just an announcer? Paul had so much more potential, Paul was supposed to be by her side at the top of the ECW. But living in this world, ECW didn't exist and Paul, in this world ... was just an announcer. "Paul ... " Stephanie muttered, closing her eyes.

Somehow her perfect world, wasn't so perfect to other people.

~*~

Stephanie held Chris in her arms as she watched Megan and Andrew play in the playground, both of them lauging wildy while chasing each other around. Stephanie looked down at Chris, who had a smile on his face, Stephanie hugged Chris, dropping a kiss on his forehead.

One minute life was good ... and then the next it was bad ... and then there were times like these where it was just ... life. There was no other way to explain it, it was just life ... her life, Andrew's life, Megan and Chris's life ... a life they all shared together, a life where nothing could tear them apart, except each other.

"Hey McMahon." Trish said, sitting down next to Stephanie on the bench. "Nice view." Trish said, pointing over to Andrew and Megan.

"Yeah, it is." Stephanie replied, not turning to Trish. In this world Trish and Stephanie weren't enemies either; Considering Vince and Linda never got the divorce, so Vince never started something with Trish, so there was no reason for the two to fight anymore.

"Well for you it is. I actually pride myself in the fact that I don't come home to the whole marriage and kids thing. I live the single life and I damn well love it." Trish replied, pushing the blonde strands of her hair out of her face, she puckered her glossy lips.

"What do you call what you're doing with Jeff Hardy?" Stephanie asked, turning to Trish.

"I call that heavy flirting, but nothing more. I don't need a man tying me down, although it works for some people. But for me, I perfer life the simple way." Trish replied.

"But without drama, what do you have in life?" Stephanie asked.

"The simple things. Drama over-takes your life, takes over your body. Drama sucks." Trish replied, staring at Stephanie. "But hey me and you, we're two different people."

"We never used to be." Stephanie muttered quietly.

Trish continued to stare at Stephanie, she had seen a change in her friend; Stephanie McMahon was usually chipper and cheery but lately Stephanie had seemed to be so ... different. Trish shook her head, and turned her head to the sight of Andrew and Megan. "Don't be so down McMahon, you got a good life."

"That's it exactly it Trish, this life isn't mine. It's like I woke up one day and I was here, in a simple looking house, with two children and a husband and a life full of drama. Before my life had been so simple, I was on top of my game, GAME! My life was a game, which I was suceeding in. And then I make one little choice and everything gets turned upside down and this is where I'm left ... in the middle. In the middle of something great, but also in the middle of something utterly and completely complicated. I want to go back to where I used to be, but somehow I know that wherever I go from here, I'll never be the same." Stephanie replied, looking into Trish's eyes.

Trish stared at Stephanie, taking in the emotions playing on her friend's face. "Maybe it was for the best? Look Steph, I don't know what's going on in your mind lately, but you haven't been the same person for a long time. I've been your friend since the day you debuted in the WWF, and I have never seen you like this, not even with the whole Hunter drugging you and marrying you and almost tearing you and Andrew apart thing. Whatever doubts you are having in your head they aren't worth throwing away the best thing you have ever had. You and Andrew are the envy of everybody in the WWF; Everybody wants the sort of love you and Andrew have, the unconditional love, the sort of love that can live through anything ... the good, the bad and all the in between stuff. God, I know I told you I'm not up for that sappy crap, that I love the single life ... but I would do anything to have that sort of love. To know that every morning there is a wonderful man waiting to wish me good morning, that I got two wonderful children that love the hell out of me ... if I had that sort of life Stephanie, I would be cynical or bitter about it." Trish replied, forcing a smile for Stephanie.

"Yeah ... " Stephanie said, turning away from Trish.

"McMahon, don't be an idiot, you got something good here and I won't sit here with you while I watch you throw it away because you have yourself deillusioned that you belong somewhere else in life. There is nowhere else in this world that you should be, you belong with Andrew in that beautiful house ... sure it's not a mansion, but it's the closest thing to heaven you can get. Because a mansion or a stupid penthouse hotel room doesn't have beautiful and cherished memories, it doesn't have the memories of all the birthdays in there, the anniverserys, the late conversations on the phone with your brothers and friends. That house is a great house, no it's a wondeful house, I have always wanted a house like that; And Andrew ... he's the perfect man, because he loves you Stephanie. Loves you more then anyone else could, and in those moments where Triple H claimed that you were his wife he was terrifed of losing you, and I saw the fear on his face as he awaited the winner of the match, and in those few moments, that match was about to proclaim his destiny. Because if Hunter had won at Armaggedon Andrew would have lost you forever. And god those two kids you have, they're little angels Stephanie and they love their mother so damn much, god knows how they would you miss you if you left. So McMahon don't be dumb, and stay with your family, be grateful you have a family." Trish replied, standing up. "And don't let me catch you walking away from this family." Trish said, before leaving.

Stephanie watched Trish walk away. Stephanie sighed, Trish's words were so true, but yet so fake at the same time. In real life her and Andrew's love, it didn't exist. Megan and Chris didn't exist. And the friendships Stephanie shared with Trish and Lita didn't exist.

Everything in this world was fake, even her.

~*~

"We can't be in a rut like this Stephanie." Andrew said, pacing back and forth in their bedroom. "What's going on with us? Two months ago we were happy at where our lives were at, and now ... now we seem to be in this rut that you aren't allowing us to get out of Stephanie." Andrew said, stopping in front of Stephanie.

"There is no rut Andrew! It's me! I'm ruining this marriage! I shouldn't even be here!" Stephanie screamed, tears pricking her blue eyes.

Andrew grabbed Stephanie's hands. "There is nowhere else you should be. Stephanie, whatever is going on with you, you can tell me. I love you, I have since I first laid my eyes on you, how I could ever move on if I ever lost you ... that's just the most impossible thing to do. You make my life worth wild Stephanie McMahon, and you are NOT ruining this marriage, if you're doing anything, you're helping it live."

"How can you talk and look at me like I'm the most beautiful person you have ever seen? Like I'm an angel?" Stephanie questioned, staring into Andrew's shimmering eyes.

"Because it's the truth. You are beautiful." Andrew replied.

"Not all the time." Stephanie muttered.

"ALL the time, you're beautiful all the time. There isn't a moment when I don't think you are beautiful. Please Stephanie, help me save this marriage, save our life together. Do you want to stay with me? Do you want to live this life with me?" Andrew asked, waiting for Stephanie's answer.

Stephanie nodded. "I want to stay here forever Andrew."

~*~

Good morning Stephanie,

I went to the store to get food for breakfast, I'm going to make you the most wonderful breakfast because you are the most wonderful wife, and you are. There was a time back there when I thought you were going to give up on us, but I'm glad you didn't, because you Stephanie McMahon are my life.

My life. My wife. My lover. My soulmate. My best friend. My reality check.

Shall I go on? I remember when we first got married, you would always wake up earlier then me and when I woke up you would be gone, but right on the pillow would be the sweetest letters I have ever read. You would write about how you much you loved me, and how much goodness we were going to create. Those letters made my morning, they made me energized for the day, and I haven't seen you energized in a long time, so I thought you deserved a letter like the ones you used to write to me everyday.

I love you and I always shall.

See you downstairs angel.

Your hopelessly devoted husband,
Andrew Martin.

Stephanie fell back down on the bed once she finished reading the letter Andrew had left for her; A huge grin was on her face. Suddenly everything was falling into place, maybe Trish was right after all. Stephanie crawled up and picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" Trish's voice came on the other side of the phone.

"Trish, I just want to thank you for giving me that advice in the park. I am never leaving Andrew's side ever!" Stephanie yelled through the phone.

"That's great Stephanie! Okay call me back later I was asleep." Trish said, before hanging up the phone.

Stephanie laughed, slamming the phone down.