After Raw that night, Chris was going home. He wasn't scheduled for any
house shows that week and wouldn't be performing until the pay per view on
Sunday. Now Chris was Canadian and Stephanie was from Connecticut, so they
compromised on where they would live and chose Tampa Bay, Florida. Chris
was tired, so he slept on the plane ride home from the show in Oregon. He
woke up with enough time to rest by the time the plane had arrived. He
drove home, and it was about noon when Chris entered his house.
"Hello, anybody home?" His voice echoed.
"Uh oh, look whose here!"
Chris turned and smiled at the voice, approaching him from down the hall was his lovely wife Stephanie. Chris kissed her and grinned proudly at what she held in her hands, their baby boy.
"Well, well, look who it is." Chris picked him up. "Did you miss daddy? And you say yes. Well daddy missed you." Stephanie couldn't help but smile and laugh at Chris's high pitched baby voice. Chris made his son ball up his tiny fist, then hit his cheek. "Oh, man, you're getting strong big guy, I think that knocked out a filling!" The baby gurgled and cooed happily.
"So how was Raw, Chris?" Stephanie asked, taking his bag out of his hand.
"It was great, how was your day here with the kid?"
"Oh he's great. Oh, by the way. We're all going up to the estate for the holidays, the whole family's getting together. Us, my parents, Shane and his family, everyone will be there."
Chris grinned, "I'd love to go, it'll be my first McMahon Christmas."
Stephanie smiled, Chris was right. Stephanie wasn't the first in her family to have a child and make Vince and Linda grandparents, Shane and his wife Marissa had a daughter of their own who they named Shannon. Shane had left the wrestling business to be with his family, but Chris wasn't about ready to make that ultimate sacrifice. The WWE was his life and he had it before marrying Stephanie and fathering their son Joseph, it had come first. Chris handed little Joey back to Stephanie, he was a little over half a year old, and picked his bags up off the floor. He went upstairs to his room to unpack and get his things ready for Sunday.
"I'm so glad you took the week off honey." Steph said up the stairs. "We can spend it together as a family."
"Yea." Chris came out of the room and back down stairs. He and his wife sat down on the sofa in the living room and turned the tv onto one of the little kid cartoon shows for Joey to watch. After a few minutes of watching, Chris turned to Steph. "So what did you guys do while I was gone?"
"Hmm, let's see." Stephanie began to think. "Well I took care of some of the usual things like going to the store. I saved the laundry for you."
"Oh, thanks." Chris groaned sarcastically.
"And now you get a chance to be home to mow the lawn." Steph smiled.
"Oh joy." Chris smirked. "Oh well, at least we don't have a pool that I have to clean."
"Yea, I know how much you hate that. Oh, and I took Joey to the doctor for a checkup."
"Aw, now why did you do that?" Chris made an uneasy face and cringed.
"Come on Chris, you're a grown man, 33 years old damit, don't you think that it's time you put this childish phobia behind you? Joey's growing up fast and sees you as his role model father figure, I don't want him to scream like a girl at the site of needles. Speaking of which, he and I got our flu shots while we were there."
"Ugh, now that was just dumb!"
"What, why's that?"
"They're shooting sickness into you, and with a needle no less!"
"Oh, come on Chris." Stephanie lowered her voice as to not upset their son who was oblivious to their presence, still fixated on the colorful cartoon images on the screen.
"Steph, I've never gotten the flu in my life, I've never had to get any stupid shot and I won't start now."
"Oh and why not?"
"I don't want to break my streak. Have you heard the news? They say that this year is the worst ever for an outbreak."
"All more reason to get it and not infect our son."
"Look," Chris hesitated at that comment. "The necessary evil might work for you and Joey, but not for me, I know if I get it now, then I'll get sick, then get Joey and you sick."
"You know what, fine, I don't want to talk about this anymore and get Joey upset." Stephanie raised her hands and sat back.
"Alright then."
Chris turned and looked at Joey. He knew he'd never do anything to put he and Stephanie in any danger. Chris looked at his wife, she was watching the cartoon cat on tv entertain their little boy. Chris sighed, he knew why Stephanie was acting this way. She still had the memories of what happened over a year ago back in the northeast. He couldn't blame her, sometimes in the night, he would have nightmares about Dan and Carlos, even Keith and Lisa. She saw what they put him through and Chris understood first hand that she didn't want to see him be put through that again, and he felt the same way, he wouldn't want it either. He was glad everything had been long since behind them, he felt much easier now to have a wife and son, his family was safer with him around now than they would've been if the four of them were still alive and running around.
"Chris?" He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see Stephanie wearing a concerned look. "Are you ok, is something wrong?"
"No." Chris smiled. "Just thinking. This is Joey's first Christmas, and I want to make it special for him."
"Oh?" Steph grinned and cuddled up warmly against him. "And what do you have in mind?"
"Hmm, well.." Chris looked up and began to think, he wrapped his arm around her and held her closely to his body. Steph leaned her head against Chris's chest, his heart beat soothing to her. Chris spoke up, "Other than going to your parents, I want to give him a Christmas celebration here. I'm gonna go all out, doll up everything, make this house the best Christmas thing in the history of the world."
"Oh Chris." Stephanie giggled. "Knowing you and your Charlie Brown luck, you'll get a little tree and some cheap broken ornaments."
"What?" Chris laughed. Joey turned around from the tv and looked at them. "Come here Joey." Chris got up, picked up his son, and carried him back to the sofa, propping him up on his lap. "What do you think Joey, are you ready for Christmas?"
Joey gurgled something in baby talk and tried to turn around back to the direction of the tv set.
"Chris, you know he can't talk, he's not even a year old." Stephanie reminded.
"He can't even walk yet, he just crawls around. So what can he do?"
"Chris, he's a baby." Stephanie laughed. "Just give it some time."
Chris looked up at the tv, "Man, what do you have him watching?"
"Sagwa, it's his favorite show about a Siamese cat from ancient China."
"Sagwa?" Chris looked strangely at his wife, then at his son. "How about I introduce you to some quality tv shows." He flipped through the channels in the cartoon section. "Aha, now here's one for all audiences and tastes."
"Chris, that's Inuyasha, it's rated PG 13!"
"Oh, oops." Chris changed it quickly. "Well, I liked it anyway."
"He's not 13, I don't want him exposed to that kind of stuff."
"Fine." Chris changed a channel on the remote while looking at Stephanie. "We'll watch Pokemon." He put down the remote and sat back against the sofa.
"Look Joey, it's Pikachu." Stephanie pointed to the screen. "Can you say, Pikachu?"
Chris held up Joey to block his face, "Pikachu." He said in a high, raspy voice.
"Shut up Chris." Stephanie laughed.
"Gotta catch em all." Chris bean to sing and Joey bounced on his lap.
Stephanie couldn't help but laugh this time, "Well you boys have fun in your little anime world. I'm going to make dinner." She got up.
Chris held Joey up to block his face again, he spoke in the same baby voice, "Make steaks tonight."
"Chris." Stephanie put her hands on her hips. "Joey can't eat steaks yet, give him some time."
"He can't even eat steak? Man kid, grow up!" Chris joked.
Stephanie shook her head and left the room, leaving Chris and Joey to play. Chris was rarely home and didn't get much time to be with his family, so he wanted to use all the time he could get to spend time with his son before he really did grow up. What Chris didn't know is, his time left to spend with his family would be cut shorter than he thought it really should be.
"Hello, anybody home?" His voice echoed.
"Uh oh, look whose here!"
Chris turned and smiled at the voice, approaching him from down the hall was his lovely wife Stephanie. Chris kissed her and grinned proudly at what she held in her hands, their baby boy.
"Well, well, look who it is." Chris picked him up. "Did you miss daddy? And you say yes. Well daddy missed you." Stephanie couldn't help but smile and laugh at Chris's high pitched baby voice. Chris made his son ball up his tiny fist, then hit his cheek. "Oh, man, you're getting strong big guy, I think that knocked out a filling!" The baby gurgled and cooed happily.
"So how was Raw, Chris?" Stephanie asked, taking his bag out of his hand.
"It was great, how was your day here with the kid?"
"Oh he's great. Oh, by the way. We're all going up to the estate for the holidays, the whole family's getting together. Us, my parents, Shane and his family, everyone will be there."
Chris grinned, "I'd love to go, it'll be my first McMahon Christmas."
Stephanie smiled, Chris was right. Stephanie wasn't the first in her family to have a child and make Vince and Linda grandparents, Shane and his wife Marissa had a daughter of their own who they named Shannon. Shane had left the wrestling business to be with his family, but Chris wasn't about ready to make that ultimate sacrifice. The WWE was his life and he had it before marrying Stephanie and fathering their son Joseph, it had come first. Chris handed little Joey back to Stephanie, he was a little over half a year old, and picked his bags up off the floor. He went upstairs to his room to unpack and get his things ready for Sunday.
"I'm so glad you took the week off honey." Steph said up the stairs. "We can spend it together as a family."
"Yea." Chris came out of the room and back down stairs. He and his wife sat down on the sofa in the living room and turned the tv onto one of the little kid cartoon shows for Joey to watch. After a few minutes of watching, Chris turned to Steph. "So what did you guys do while I was gone?"
"Hmm, let's see." Stephanie began to think. "Well I took care of some of the usual things like going to the store. I saved the laundry for you."
"Oh, thanks." Chris groaned sarcastically.
"And now you get a chance to be home to mow the lawn." Steph smiled.
"Oh joy." Chris smirked. "Oh well, at least we don't have a pool that I have to clean."
"Yea, I know how much you hate that. Oh, and I took Joey to the doctor for a checkup."
"Aw, now why did you do that?" Chris made an uneasy face and cringed.
"Come on Chris, you're a grown man, 33 years old damit, don't you think that it's time you put this childish phobia behind you? Joey's growing up fast and sees you as his role model father figure, I don't want him to scream like a girl at the site of needles. Speaking of which, he and I got our flu shots while we were there."
"Ugh, now that was just dumb!"
"What, why's that?"
"They're shooting sickness into you, and with a needle no less!"
"Oh, come on Chris." Stephanie lowered her voice as to not upset their son who was oblivious to their presence, still fixated on the colorful cartoon images on the screen.
"Steph, I've never gotten the flu in my life, I've never had to get any stupid shot and I won't start now."
"Oh and why not?"
"I don't want to break my streak. Have you heard the news? They say that this year is the worst ever for an outbreak."
"All more reason to get it and not infect our son."
"Look," Chris hesitated at that comment. "The necessary evil might work for you and Joey, but not for me, I know if I get it now, then I'll get sick, then get Joey and you sick."
"You know what, fine, I don't want to talk about this anymore and get Joey upset." Stephanie raised her hands and sat back.
"Alright then."
Chris turned and looked at Joey. He knew he'd never do anything to put he and Stephanie in any danger. Chris looked at his wife, she was watching the cartoon cat on tv entertain their little boy. Chris sighed, he knew why Stephanie was acting this way. She still had the memories of what happened over a year ago back in the northeast. He couldn't blame her, sometimes in the night, he would have nightmares about Dan and Carlos, even Keith and Lisa. She saw what they put him through and Chris understood first hand that she didn't want to see him be put through that again, and he felt the same way, he wouldn't want it either. He was glad everything had been long since behind them, he felt much easier now to have a wife and son, his family was safer with him around now than they would've been if the four of them were still alive and running around.
"Chris?" He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see Stephanie wearing a concerned look. "Are you ok, is something wrong?"
"No." Chris smiled. "Just thinking. This is Joey's first Christmas, and I want to make it special for him."
"Oh?" Steph grinned and cuddled up warmly against him. "And what do you have in mind?"
"Hmm, well.." Chris looked up and began to think, he wrapped his arm around her and held her closely to his body. Steph leaned her head against Chris's chest, his heart beat soothing to her. Chris spoke up, "Other than going to your parents, I want to give him a Christmas celebration here. I'm gonna go all out, doll up everything, make this house the best Christmas thing in the history of the world."
"Oh Chris." Stephanie giggled. "Knowing you and your Charlie Brown luck, you'll get a little tree and some cheap broken ornaments."
"What?" Chris laughed. Joey turned around from the tv and looked at them. "Come here Joey." Chris got up, picked up his son, and carried him back to the sofa, propping him up on his lap. "What do you think Joey, are you ready for Christmas?"
Joey gurgled something in baby talk and tried to turn around back to the direction of the tv set.
"Chris, you know he can't talk, he's not even a year old." Stephanie reminded.
"He can't even walk yet, he just crawls around. So what can he do?"
"Chris, he's a baby." Stephanie laughed. "Just give it some time."
Chris looked up at the tv, "Man, what do you have him watching?"
"Sagwa, it's his favorite show about a Siamese cat from ancient China."
"Sagwa?" Chris looked strangely at his wife, then at his son. "How about I introduce you to some quality tv shows." He flipped through the channels in the cartoon section. "Aha, now here's one for all audiences and tastes."
"Chris, that's Inuyasha, it's rated PG 13!"
"Oh, oops." Chris changed it quickly. "Well, I liked it anyway."
"He's not 13, I don't want him exposed to that kind of stuff."
"Fine." Chris changed a channel on the remote while looking at Stephanie. "We'll watch Pokemon." He put down the remote and sat back against the sofa.
"Look Joey, it's Pikachu." Stephanie pointed to the screen. "Can you say, Pikachu?"
Chris held up Joey to block his face, "Pikachu." He said in a high, raspy voice.
"Shut up Chris." Stephanie laughed.
"Gotta catch em all." Chris bean to sing and Joey bounced on his lap.
Stephanie couldn't help but laugh this time, "Well you boys have fun in your little anime world. I'm going to make dinner." She got up.
Chris held Joey up to block his face again, he spoke in the same baby voice, "Make steaks tonight."
"Chris." Stephanie put her hands on her hips. "Joey can't eat steaks yet, give him some time."
"He can't even eat steak? Man kid, grow up!" Chris joked.
Stephanie shook her head and left the room, leaving Chris and Joey to play. Chris was rarely home and didn't get much time to be with his family, so he wanted to use all the time he could get to spend time with his son before he really did grow up. What Chris didn't know is, his time left to spend with his family would be cut shorter than he thought it really should be.
