Second Chance
Rating: PG
Content: Sap
Disclaimer: don't own, don't sue
Summary: Sequel to Won't Make The Same Mistake Twice

Allie watched her now long-term boyfriend playing with their little girl. Scarlet, now ten months old, was struggling to stay standing, her hands held by her daddy, a look of determination on her face. That look when Jeff's in the ring, about to start a match? That was the one. Definitely a daddy's girl. Slowly, Scarlet began to take a few, stumbling steps.

"That's it sweetie," Jeff encouraged, a huge smile on his face, "you are a clever girl." Then, with pride, he lifted her up, cradling her in his arms and dropping little kisses on her face.

"Look at you two," Allie laughed, "so which one of you's the baby?"

With a wicked look on his face, Jeff stood up, placed Scarlet in her play-pen, and in a trice scooped up Allie in his arms and started kissing her passionately.

"That ain't no baby making you feel that good," he whispered.

Allie enjoyed the kissing for a little while, then wriggled out of the wrestler's grasp. "Not in front of the baby," she insisted, standing and rearranging her clothes. Jeff fixed her with a seductive stare, and pouted when she refused to succumb to his advances.

"But I'm not gonna see you for ten days," Jeff whined, "Allie, I have to leave in a half hour. I don't wanna go."

"I know baby," she sighed, picking up their child and holding her over her left shoulder. "I don't want you to go either."

"Then I'll stay, "the multi-coloured haired wrestler decided. "I'll quit the WWF and get a proper job."

"No Jeff, "Allie rolled her eyes. It was the same every time. "You are not quitting. Now listen to me," with her free hand she stroked his cheek, and Scarlet murmured, "listen to us. You are gonna go on tour. And you are gonna steal the show. We'll still be here when you get back. We promise."

"I know," Jeff put his arms around the two women in his life, "I'll still miss my girls though."

Once Jeff had gone, Allie set Scarlet down to sleep, then sat down on the couch. She loved Jeff, but it was so hard when they were apart. She'd survived the first two months of Scarlet's life on her own, before she and Jeff had got back together, but now ... it was just so hard to be alone. Once you started relying on someone to be there, it was hard when they weren't. She knew it was hard for Jeff too. He really regretted missing those first two months, hated being apart from Scarlet. He was a good dad, anyone could see that. He loved Scarlet. Allie almost believed that he loved her too.

The ten days passed incredibly slowly for both Allie and Jeff. They always did. Then those blissful five or six days together, as a proper family, they were like nothing else in the world.

"Do you want to play sweetie?" Jeff tickled the baby, who was lying on her back. "You know that Mommy and Daddy love you more than anything."

Scarlet reached up her tiny hand to touch Jeff's face, and opened her mouth. "Da," she managed to say, "ma."

"Allie, come in here babe," Jeff shouted excitedly. She popped her head around the door, and intrigued, walked over to the pair. "Listen," he ordered.

"Da da. Ma ma," obediently, Scarlet spoke again.

"Oh Jeff. Oh Scarlet you are such a clever girl," Allie had tears in her eyes. When she looked at Jeff, so did he.

"I was so scared that I was gonna miss moments like this," he admitted quietly.

"I know sugar," Allie nuzzled Jeff's neck, "but Scarlet knows that you love her and that's the most important thing."

"Does her mom know that I love her too?" Jeff looked at Allie shyly. In some ways he was very mature for his age - he had to be; but in others, like at this point, he seemed so naive, so unconfident, so unsure. He'd messed up with Allie once before and was scared that he'd do it again. But this time it wouldn't just be Allie that he lost, and that thought terrified him. On the road he'd seen so many families fall apart because of the time away from home. He was determined that the same wasn't gonna happen to him and Allie.

"I know Jeff," Allie kissed him gently. Then she saw the worried, stricken look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"We will always be together, won't we?" he asked softly. "Only, so many families fall apart in this business because of all the travelling. I'm scared it's gonna happen to us too."

"It won't. I promise," Allie reassured him, noting that the normally harsh frown had been replaced by a nervous and shy look. "Jeff, we have something that the other's don't have."

He looked at her questioningly, picking up Scarlet because she had started to whimper, and rocking her gently. The smile that appeared on his face when he held his child filled Allie with joy. "Jeff... what's different with us... is that we truly love each other. We... I'm not saying that we won't have our problems, but I know that we'll always be able to work through them. We trust each other, and that's why we'll always be together."

"Thank you babe, " Now Jeff addressed his daughter. "Hear that Scarlet? Your Mommy and Daddy are gonna be together forever."

"Ma ma. Da da," Scarlet gurgled again.

"See? Scarlet knows too," Allie giggled with just a little relief.

Jeff? Are you going to be back in time for Scarlet's birthday?" Allie demanded impatiently.

The wrestler frowned, "I'll try sweetie, but I can't guarantee anything. Vince wants me to work the Friday show. I'll fly out as soon as I can after that. All being well I should be back, but..."

"Oh Jeff," Allie tried to hide her disappointment, because she knew how upset Jeff was that he might miss his daughter's first birthday.

"I'm sorry babe," he kissed her gently, putting his arms around her waist, "you know I want to be there."

"I know," she sighed, "it's what comes with being successful I suppose."

"You do know I'd give it all up for you two," the younger Hardy admitted.

"Yeah. but we'd never ask you to do that. Anyway, I've invited some of the mother and baby group to the party so that Scarlet will have some friends to play with. She gets on really well with the other kids there you know." Allie tried to get practical with the arrangements for the day.

"But Scarlet's definitely the prettiest one there," Jeff, ever proud, asserted, "can I dye her hair for the occasion?"

"No!" the dark haired girl exclaimed, "Jeff, our daughter is not gonna have blue hair."

"I was thinking red to match her name actually," Jeff pouted.

"No!"

The day of Scarlet's birthday, Jeff was stuck in Chicago. He was on the phone every five minutes, updating Allie as to when he would get home and demanding to speak with his little girl. Allie was getting more and more frazzled.

When the phone rang for the seventeenth time that day, she lost her temper with Jeff. He asked to speak to Scarlet again, when Allie had just got her off to sleep before her party.

"Jeff. She's asleep. I have a hundred and one things to do. I do not need you calling me every five fucking minutes telling me you're still in Chicago. I don't care. Just get your ass here now. I don't want any fucking excuses, just be here," she slammed the phone down.

Scarlet awoke and started crying. Her mum's bad mood was obviously affecting her.

"I'm sorry sweetie," Allie whispered into her daughter's hair, instantly regretting shouting at her boyfriend.

The party came and went, and still no sign of Jeff. Once all the guests had left and Allie had tidied up, she finally showed her disappointment by bursting into tears, her crying soon accompanied by Scarlet's.

"Oh darling I'm sorry," she sobbed, cradling her child in her arms, "I just wish your daddy was here. I shouted at him earlier and I didn't mean to . I was just stressed and upset and disappointed for him cos I knew how much he wanted to be here for you. I do love him Scarlet. I didn't mean to shout."

"Da da," Scarlet said clearly, peering over her mother's shoulder, "da da."

"Daddy's here darling," Jeff walked into the room, obviously having heard most of Allie's outburst. He scooped up his daughter into his arms. "Happy birthday my angel." Jeff kissed his daughter tenderly, then he and the little girl looked at Allie.

"I told you I'd get here baby," his emerald eyes locked directly into her brown eyes. "I love you too. I didn't mean to make you mad."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "I shouldn't have got angry with you. I know you were only worried because you thought you might miss today."

"But I'm here now, and that's all that matters," he hugged both girls, then Allie took Scarlet and rocked her to sleep. Both kissed her and laid her in the cot, then went to bed themselves.

"See? We did as you said we would," Jeff noted. "You said we could work through our arguments and we have."

"I love you Jeff. And I'm sorry for today," Allie whispered into his ear.

"Don't apologise. I love you too and that's all that matters."