Disclaimer: As always I don't own anything and sueing me would be
pointless.
Unexpected Chapter Seventeen
Mark spent much of the afternoon getting ready for his picnic later with Stephanie. In the last week he'd scouted the perfect location, and almost everything else. Now he needed food. Him working in the kitchen wasn't a pretty sight.
"Need help?" Savannah asked breaking him out of his thoughts.
"I thought you were keeping Stephanie entertained," Mark told his daughter.
"Steph's sleeping," Savannah informed him. "Sierra will probably be up soon though."
"I need food for later," Mark said.
"You could order take out or let me make some food," Savannah suggested.
"What should I get?" Mark asked.
"Let me make food," Savannah said. She was a good cook and Steph always cooked, it was her little Valentine's gift. She also remembered previous experiences with her father's cooking skills.
"Then who will keep Steph entertained?" Mark asked. He remembered the last time he tried to cook, it wasn't pleasant.
"Parents are so dense sometimes," Savannah said. "You and Sierra can. When they both wake up you two can take Sierra to the park or something."
"Where did my sweet little girl go? I've got a smart mouthed teenager in her place," Mark commented.
"You might want to call Syd before she gets here in a couple of weeks, so she isn't to surprised," Savannah said ignoring his previous comment.
"I know but she's always so busy she never has more than a few minutes to talk to me," Mark said.
"Join the club. She rarely has time to talk to me either," Savannah said she wanted to know what was going on in her sister's head. "Don't worry about Syd tonight. It's like your first date with Stephanie."
"I always worry about you guys and I always will," Mark told his daughter.
Savannah got several pots and pans and began to cook. Mark took that as his cue to leave.
He went upstairs to check on Sierra and Stephanie. Steph looked so peaceful when she as sleeping like none of the turmoil in her life was happening. 'Face it,' he told himself. 'You're falling for her hard.'
He took a deep breath and smiled for the first time in a while. He could say he was actually happy.
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Mark later realized that all he had to do was to keep his youngest daughter entertained. In fact he had to go up and wake Stephanie up about 4:30 so she would sleep later. After they were both awake Mark did what Savannah suggested. (He thought they teenager often had a few to many good ideas.)
He got to sit there and watch two of his favorite people in the world. No if only the other two were around life would be perfect. He'd be content in his pseudo retirement. He still had a mechanic shop in Houston, but other that he didn't do much all day.
"Daddy pay wit me," Sierra said grabbing his hand. She directed him over to the slide before she went up the steps. He new that she wanted him to catch her at the bottom. He wished that his two older daughters still wanted him to be that much a part of their lives.
"You said Sydney was coming the first week of March?" Steph asked on the way home.
"I don't know how Savannah managed to do seeing as last time I knew she was going on a cruise with a bunch of her friends, but she managed," Mark said. He wanted to make sure that Sydney actually got there before getting his hopes up to far. He knew his oldest daughter wanted more independence that he wanted to give her.
"Heard anything from Shane lately?" Mark asked. He knew that Steph would tell him what was going on but he had to ask.
"Not really, Shane's somehow found himself on Dad's bad side for probably the first time in his life," Steph said remembering her brother complaining that he wasn't being involved in decision making and things like he used to be the other day on the phone. "He did say that Paul was getting his ass kicked more frequently though."
Mark laughed. He figured Shane had told a few strategic people that Steph and Paul were no longer together and now the bastard was paying for it. Stephanie also smiled; she liked knowing that her friends were thinking about her.
"Maybe we could head out to LA for a couple days and see the Smackdown guys at their PPV," Steph suggested .She couldn't wait to see some of her friends again. She missed them so much.
"Maybe who knows," Mark said. He'd already went though Linda to make sure they would be able to get backstage.
The group arrived at the house each going their own away. Steph went upstairs to shower and change before whatever surprise Mark had planned. She was surprised that he hadn't dropped any hints at all. She assumed that Savannah was his co-conspirator and she hadn't left any hints either.
Mark on the other and when into the kitchen to see if the food was ready yet and gather a few things to take to spot he'd chosen. He wanted every thing to be there so Steph wouldn't have any clue what was going on.
Once he finished the he went upstairs took a quick shower of his own and changed. He was still done before Stephanie.
- - - - - -
Steph nervously walked down the stairs. She hoped hey weren't going to a public place because she still felt self conscious over everything. She'd dressed in simple black pants and a light purple top.
She saw Mark at the bottom of the stairs dressed as casually as she was and decided that this was definitely one surprise that she would like.
Mark led her outside and through the back yard. Steph wasn't sure what to think. Before long the house was out of sight and she saw a little picnic set up in a clearing. She couldn't help but to smile. No one else would have thought of something so simple and loving. "Thank you," Steph said giving him a hug.
He smiled because of how happy she was. He wanted her to have a little bit of happiness even if it was only for the evening.
The two began their meal and talking. They talked about a little bit of this and that. They usually didn't have much time for adult conversations. They talked a lot about when they were younger. Eventually when the conversation began to lull they fell into a rather comfortable silence.
"Steph, I think I'm falling in love with you," Mark said after a few moments
"I think I already fell in love with you," Steph replied.
Sorry if it was really, really fluffy, but I was in that kind of mood. Please review, things will start picking up a little next chapter
Unexpected Chapter Seventeen
Mark spent much of the afternoon getting ready for his picnic later with Stephanie. In the last week he'd scouted the perfect location, and almost everything else. Now he needed food. Him working in the kitchen wasn't a pretty sight.
"Need help?" Savannah asked breaking him out of his thoughts.
"I thought you were keeping Stephanie entertained," Mark told his daughter.
"Steph's sleeping," Savannah informed him. "Sierra will probably be up soon though."
"I need food for later," Mark said.
"You could order take out or let me make some food," Savannah suggested.
"What should I get?" Mark asked.
"Let me make food," Savannah said. She was a good cook and Steph always cooked, it was her little Valentine's gift. She also remembered previous experiences with her father's cooking skills.
"Then who will keep Steph entertained?" Mark asked. He remembered the last time he tried to cook, it wasn't pleasant.
"Parents are so dense sometimes," Savannah said. "You and Sierra can. When they both wake up you two can take Sierra to the park or something."
"Where did my sweet little girl go? I've got a smart mouthed teenager in her place," Mark commented.
"You might want to call Syd before she gets here in a couple of weeks, so she isn't to surprised," Savannah said ignoring his previous comment.
"I know but she's always so busy she never has more than a few minutes to talk to me," Mark said.
"Join the club. She rarely has time to talk to me either," Savannah said she wanted to know what was going on in her sister's head. "Don't worry about Syd tonight. It's like your first date with Stephanie."
"I always worry about you guys and I always will," Mark told his daughter.
Savannah got several pots and pans and began to cook. Mark took that as his cue to leave.
He went upstairs to check on Sierra and Stephanie. Steph looked so peaceful when she as sleeping like none of the turmoil in her life was happening. 'Face it,' he told himself. 'You're falling for her hard.'
He took a deep breath and smiled for the first time in a while. He could say he was actually happy.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mark later realized that all he had to do was to keep his youngest daughter entertained. In fact he had to go up and wake Stephanie up about 4:30 so she would sleep later. After they were both awake Mark did what Savannah suggested. (He thought they teenager often had a few to many good ideas.)
He got to sit there and watch two of his favorite people in the world. No if only the other two were around life would be perfect. He'd be content in his pseudo retirement. He still had a mechanic shop in Houston, but other that he didn't do much all day.
"Daddy pay wit me," Sierra said grabbing his hand. She directed him over to the slide before she went up the steps. He new that she wanted him to catch her at the bottom. He wished that his two older daughters still wanted him to be that much a part of their lives.
"You said Sydney was coming the first week of March?" Steph asked on the way home.
"I don't know how Savannah managed to do seeing as last time I knew she was going on a cruise with a bunch of her friends, but she managed," Mark said. He wanted to make sure that Sydney actually got there before getting his hopes up to far. He knew his oldest daughter wanted more independence that he wanted to give her.
"Heard anything from Shane lately?" Mark asked. He knew that Steph would tell him what was going on but he had to ask.
"Not really, Shane's somehow found himself on Dad's bad side for probably the first time in his life," Steph said remembering her brother complaining that he wasn't being involved in decision making and things like he used to be the other day on the phone. "He did say that Paul was getting his ass kicked more frequently though."
Mark laughed. He figured Shane had told a few strategic people that Steph and Paul were no longer together and now the bastard was paying for it. Stephanie also smiled; she liked knowing that her friends were thinking about her.
"Maybe we could head out to LA for a couple days and see the Smackdown guys at their PPV," Steph suggested .She couldn't wait to see some of her friends again. She missed them so much.
"Maybe who knows," Mark said. He'd already went though Linda to make sure they would be able to get backstage.
The group arrived at the house each going their own away. Steph went upstairs to shower and change before whatever surprise Mark had planned. She was surprised that he hadn't dropped any hints at all. She assumed that Savannah was his co-conspirator and she hadn't left any hints either.
Mark on the other and when into the kitchen to see if the food was ready yet and gather a few things to take to spot he'd chosen. He wanted every thing to be there so Steph wouldn't have any clue what was going on.
Once he finished the he went upstairs took a quick shower of his own and changed. He was still done before Stephanie.
- - - - - -
Steph nervously walked down the stairs. She hoped hey weren't going to a public place because she still felt self conscious over everything. She'd dressed in simple black pants and a light purple top.
She saw Mark at the bottom of the stairs dressed as casually as she was and decided that this was definitely one surprise that she would like.
Mark led her outside and through the back yard. Steph wasn't sure what to think. Before long the house was out of sight and she saw a little picnic set up in a clearing. She couldn't help but to smile. No one else would have thought of something so simple and loving. "Thank you," Steph said giving him a hug.
He smiled because of how happy she was. He wanted her to have a little bit of happiness even if it was only for the evening.
The two began their meal and talking. They talked about a little bit of this and that. They usually didn't have much time for adult conversations. They talked a lot about when they were younger. Eventually when the conversation began to lull they fell into a rather comfortable silence.
"Steph, I think I'm falling in love with you," Mark said after a few moments
"I think I already fell in love with you," Steph replied.
Sorry if it was really, really fluffy, but I was in that kind of mood. Please review, things will start picking up a little next chapter