Disclaimer: As always I don't own anything.
Unexpected Chapter Twenty
Mark made some coffee and waited for Sydney to wake up. They needed to talk, and he didn't want to put this off any longer. He wanted to tread carefully because he didn't want any more fireworks than necessary to go off.
It wasn't long before Sydney smelled the coffee her father made and sat at the kitchen table drinking it quietly.
"Syd, we need to talk," Mark said. No know how much Savannah had told her.
"Dad it's Sunday, can't this wait?" Sydney asked. Despite what she thought he believed she didn't want to sit and argue with him for hours.
"No, it can't. Unfortunately, Princess, the world doesn't revolve around you. I wanted to talk to you for the past few weeks but you're always busy," Mark told her.
"What can't wait until tomorrow?" Sydney asked.
"I'm seeing someone," Mark told her. "Stephanie has been staying at the house a lot and I didn't want to surprise you when you came home for Spring Break."
"Oh yeah, about Spring Break," Sydney began. "I had originally planned on going on a cruise with a bunch of friends. I kind of wanted to keep those plans."
"Sydney Reanna Callaway, don't you dare back out of spring break. Savannah's looking forward to this and so am I," Mark told her.
"Don't guilt trip me," Sydney said.
"I let you opt out of Christmas. I haven't seen you since August. You cannot opt out of spring break. You are part of this family," Mark told her.
"There you go. You always do that. You can't control me; I'm not a child."
"Then stop acting like a child. When you can act like an adult I'll treat you like an adult," Mark shot back.
"If I don't come?" Sydney asked.
"Aside from breaking your sisters heart you'll break Stephanie's. You don't even know what Sierra looks like anymore. Face it Sydney, if it were an option, not coming wouldn't be wise," Mark told her.
Sydney considered confessing why she told Savannah she'd come home, but quickly realized she'd be in more trouble than Savannah would be. (It always seemed that that was the case more often than not.) "Dad it's spring break. The holiday was invented for us to have fun. Winter break was meant for going home," Sydney said.
"You weren't home. If you were you would have known what was going on. You would know why I worry about you," Mark told her. He felt like he was talking to a brick wall. Now he had a clue what everyone must feel like when they argued with him.
"Maybe I don't want to know. Dad I turn on the news and there's so many stories about kidnappings and murders that I rarely watch the stuff anymore," Sydney told him. This was turning into the battle of wills their conversations always became.
"How can you not care? She's your sister, your own flesh and blood," Mark said.
"I don't know how to help her. Hell there's probably nothing we can do to help her especially if she keeps it all bottled up," Sydney told him.
"Stephanie and I are the ones who reassure her when who she really wants is you. Unfortunately you're the closest thing to a mother she has. You're time would be enough to help her. How many times have you told her you were to busy to talk to her?"
"School isn't a picnic you know."
"No, Syd, I don't know because you never call me and let me know what's going on. I get a 'Hi, how are you? I'm fine. Gotta go.' every couple of months and I'm supposed to be okay with everything?"
"I'm sorry it don't have time for conversations with you and Savannah, but there's a lot going on here," Sydney told him.
"I'm not asking for lengthy conversations. I'm asking for like ten minutes two or three times a week. You know so I don't panic when I don't hear anything for weeks and get a panicky phone call from you."
"I'm sorry there's always an essay to write or an exam to study for. I'm sorry I want to make you proud of me," Sydney said.
"Little girl, I'm always proud of you. If you were working a minimum wage dead end job I would still be proud of you. You'll always be special to me not matter what," Mark said softening and pulling her into a hug.
"It's hard with Savannah and Sierra always needing you. I never had enough time to spend with you," Sydney said. She buried her head against his chest. She hadn't been this close to her father in years.
"Baby, I'm sorry you felt lost in the shuffle. Next time it happens you have every right to yell and scream at me, just don't pull away from me," Mark said. "I still want you to meet Stephanie."
"Why?" Sydney asked. "You didn't listen to us about Sara."
"I know and it was incredibly stupid," Mark said. "If I had I would have saved myself, and you guys, a lot of pain."
Sydney felt the tension she'd felt the last few days melt away in her father's arms. She hadn't been held like this since she was like fifteen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next week and a half Stephanie and Shane learned how hard it was to get things done during normal business hours. It seemed that Jaden and Sierra weren't content with whoever wasn't busy.
Shane couldn't help but watch his sister. He had been afraid that he hadn't given her the right advice when she encouraged her to come back, but seeing her face the first morning when Mark called erased all his doubts. Seeing her with Mark's children erased any doubts that might have come up.
"Shane," Steph said after she put the kids to bed, "thanks for coming here and not even questioning anything."
"Stephie, you're my baby sister. I'd do anything for you," Shane said.
The siblings talked for a while longer before turning in for the night. Stephanie thought about Mark and all the things that had happened and for the first time she realized despite all the negative things that happened the last few months she was happy.
Her big accomplishment the last week and a half was, as long still as he agreed, to get Mark back on Raw after Wresltemania, where he'd been originally set to return.
______________________________________________________________ There you go. Please review, and as always suggestions are welcome.
Unexpected Chapter Twenty
Mark made some coffee and waited for Sydney to wake up. They needed to talk, and he didn't want to put this off any longer. He wanted to tread carefully because he didn't want any more fireworks than necessary to go off.
It wasn't long before Sydney smelled the coffee her father made and sat at the kitchen table drinking it quietly.
"Syd, we need to talk," Mark said. No know how much Savannah had told her.
"Dad it's Sunday, can't this wait?" Sydney asked. Despite what she thought he believed she didn't want to sit and argue with him for hours.
"No, it can't. Unfortunately, Princess, the world doesn't revolve around you. I wanted to talk to you for the past few weeks but you're always busy," Mark told her.
"What can't wait until tomorrow?" Sydney asked.
"I'm seeing someone," Mark told her. "Stephanie has been staying at the house a lot and I didn't want to surprise you when you came home for Spring Break."
"Oh yeah, about Spring Break," Sydney began. "I had originally planned on going on a cruise with a bunch of friends. I kind of wanted to keep those plans."
"Sydney Reanna Callaway, don't you dare back out of spring break. Savannah's looking forward to this and so am I," Mark told her.
"Don't guilt trip me," Sydney said.
"I let you opt out of Christmas. I haven't seen you since August. You cannot opt out of spring break. You are part of this family," Mark told her.
"There you go. You always do that. You can't control me; I'm not a child."
"Then stop acting like a child. When you can act like an adult I'll treat you like an adult," Mark shot back.
"If I don't come?" Sydney asked.
"Aside from breaking your sisters heart you'll break Stephanie's. You don't even know what Sierra looks like anymore. Face it Sydney, if it were an option, not coming wouldn't be wise," Mark told her.
Sydney considered confessing why she told Savannah she'd come home, but quickly realized she'd be in more trouble than Savannah would be. (It always seemed that that was the case more often than not.) "Dad it's spring break. The holiday was invented for us to have fun. Winter break was meant for going home," Sydney said.
"You weren't home. If you were you would have known what was going on. You would know why I worry about you," Mark told her. He felt like he was talking to a brick wall. Now he had a clue what everyone must feel like when they argued with him.
"Maybe I don't want to know. Dad I turn on the news and there's so many stories about kidnappings and murders that I rarely watch the stuff anymore," Sydney told him. This was turning into the battle of wills their conversations always became.
"How can you not care? She's your sister, your own flesh and blood," Mark said.
"I don't know how to help her. Hell there's probably nothing we can do to help her especially if she keeps it all bottled up," Sydney told him.
"Stephanie and I are the ones who reassure her when who she really wants is you. Unfortunately you're the closest thing to a mother she has. You're time would be enough to help her. How many times have you told her you were to busy to talk to her?"
"School isn't a picnic you know."
"No, Syd, I don't know because you never call me and let me know what's going on. I get a 'Hi, how are you? I'm fine. Gotta go.' every couple of months and I'm supposed to be okay with everything?"
"I'm sorry it don't have time for conversations with you and Savannah, but there's a lot going on here," Sydney told him.
"I'm not asking for lengthy conversations. I'm asking for like ten minutes two or three times a week. You know so I don't panic when I don't hear anything for weeks and get a panicky phone call from you."
"I'm sorry there's always an essay to write or an exam to study for. I'm sorry I want to make you proud of me," Sydney said.
"Little girl, I'm always proud of you. If you were working a minimum wage dead end job I would still be proud of you. You'll always be special to me not matter what," Mark said softening and pulling her into a hug.
"It's hard with Savannah and Sierra always needing you. I never had enough time to spend with you," Sydney said. She buried her head against his chest. She hadn't been this close to her father in years.
"Baby, I'm sorry you felt lost in the shuffle. Next time it happens you have every right to yell and scream at me, just don't pull away from me," Mark said. "I still want you to meet Stephanie."
"Why?" Sydney asked. "You didn't listen to us about Sara."
"I know and it was incredibly stupid," Mark said. "If I had I would have saved myself, and you guys, a lot of pain."
Sydney felt the tension she'd felt the last few days melt away in her father's arms. She hadn't been held like this since she was like fifteen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next week and a half Stephanie and Shane learned how hard it was to get things done during normal business hours. It seemed that Jaden and Sierra weren't content with whoever wasn't busy.
Shane couldn't help but watch his sister. He had been afraid that he hadn't given her the right advice when she encouraged her to come back, but seeing her face the first morning when Mark called erased all his doubts. Seeing her with Mark's children erased any doubts that might have come up.
"Shane," Steph said after she put the kids to bed, "thanks for coming here and not even questioning anything."
"Stephie, you're my baby sister. I'd do anything for you," Shane said.
The siblings talked for a while longer before turning in for the night. Stephanie thought about Mark and all the things that had happened and for the first time she realized despite all the negative things that happened the last few months she was happy.
Her big accomplishment the last week and a half was, as long still as he agreed, to get Mark back on Raw after Wresltemania, where he'd been originally set to return.
______________________________________________________________ There you go. Please review, and as always suggestions are welcome.