Chapter 7

"Animal, mineral or vegetable?" Mark questioned, stroking his goatee thoughtfully as he glanced over at his best friend and future brother-in-law.

Steve snorted. "All three, jackass, study yer plate a bit better. She's got'em all on there!"

"STOP LOOKING AT THE DAMNED FOOD! WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT IT?!" She snapped, her hormones raging by now, and started pacing a hole in the floor as she finally stopped. She stared hardening back at them with her steely blue eyes, which were narrowed slightly.

Mark and Steve both swallowed hard, trying not to look at the food, but at the same time, needing to look at it to determine what was so important. "There's more vegetables then meat?" Steve guessed, waiting for another smack upside his head while Mark just shook his in response.

Sighing and whimpering in agitation, Chalice pointed at the food and actually picked up a single baby carrot in her hand. "What's different about this? What does the ENTIRE meal consist of?" She asked, trying to get their minds focused on the task at hand. Though, she already knew men were clueless when it came to this sort of thing to begin with.

"Um…Midget food?" Steve asked tentatively, blinking a little, and raked a hand over his bald head.

Mark groaned, not believing Steve actually just said that, and retorted, "No you dumbass, it's a fucking baby carrot…" His eyes suddenly flew open.

Chalice slowly backed away when she seen Mark's eyes fly open, swallowing hard, and leaned against the wall as she started breathing raggedly. She winced as another pain shot through her stomach and breathed it out. "Yeah, a baby carrot...Just like everything else on that menu." She replied softly, closing her eyes, and sighed as she pressed a hand to her stomach.

Steve was slower on the uptake then Mark, arching an eyebrow at his friend, who had gone still, his face drained of color. "Calaway? Hey ol' man!" He snapped his fingers in front of Mark's face, trying to get his attention back. Mark's green orbs were firmly focused on Chalice, not blinking, not moving an inch. "Would somebody please tell me what the Hell is goin' on here?"

Tears slid down Chalice's cheeks as she slowly turned to face her brother, her eyes telling him exactly what Mark just figured out, and threw the baby carrot on his plate. Her bottom lip was trembling so hard that she could already feel her teeth chattering within her mouth. Her body was shaking violently as she kept her hand on her stomach. Her blue eyes pleading with her brother to understand and not to be upset with her. Even though she knew, he hadn't figured it out quite yet.

The realization finally dawned on him as Steve's mouth dropped into a perfect shaped O, finally cottoning on. He glanced back and forth between Mark and Chalice then down at the carrot. "Jeez, you tryin' to tell us yer carryin' a carrot stick?" He said at last, his voice harsh with emotion.

"I'm pregnant, brother." She finally whispered out, revealing what both men had figured out, and closed her eyes tightly shut, leaning back against the wall as she breathed in and out deeply. Her hand pressed a little more against her stomach. She didn't say another word, just waited for the explosion to erupt. Waited for half of Texas to explode with her brother's temper.

Steve nodded, standing up and swallowed hard repeatedly. "I got that…" He rounded on Mark, who was already prepared for a blow, remembering what had happened when they'd told Steve they were engaged. "Well, Dairy Deadman, I sincerely hope ya plan on marryin' Challie before my niece or nephew is born." He stated sternly, his blue eyes raw with emotion.

Chalice's eyes flew open as she stared at her brother in shock, her mouth in the shape of an O this time, and blinked at him several times, not sure if she'd heard him right. "Y-You're not angry?" She finally stuttered out, sputtering incoherently, and finally looked at Mark, who hadn't said anything yet or moved an inch. "I'm sorry, I thought we were careful…" She whispered to him, the regret shining in her blue eyes.

Mark stood up, walking over to wrap one arm around her waist, a hand moving to feel her hardened stomach. "What are you sorry for?" He finally spoke in a whisper, blinking back tears. "We're going to have a baby…" He bent down to passionately kiss her, groaning at what Steve said next.

"Aww get a damned room!" Then he started chuckling, still not believing this was happening. "Just imagine it. The Undertaker is havin' a baby by Stone Cold's sister. Tell me that is not messed up? Middle finger flippin', eye rollin' toddler."

"My son or daughter is not going anywhere NEAR a wrestling ring." She stated sternly, eyeing her brother knowingly, before staring up into her fiancé's eyes, her blue eyes shimmering with happy tears. "So you're happy about this then?" She softly asked, brushing away a single tear that fell down his cheek, and was thankful his arm was holding her up as she started crying hysterically.

"How could I not be happy?" Mark frowned when she started crying, looking worried. "Is this normal? Nothing's broke is it?"

"Man, don't ya know anythin'? It's called hormones. They're outta order." Steve informed him, knowing this was going to be a long road ahead of them, especially with the temper Chalice had on her.

"I'm sorry!" She choked out, knowing Mark hated to see her cry, and wiped away her tears frantically. "I don't mean to cry. I didn't know how you'd take it! I didn't know how to tell you! We just got back together and everything!" Her hormones were going full speed as she started rambling on, the tears never stopping even though she kept wiping them away.

"Holy shit. We need to take her to one of them…lady doctors." Steve said, staring at his sister like she was crazy. "Challie, calm down. Yer gonna make yerself sick and that can't be good for the baby."

Mark nodded in agreement, sitting down on the couch, and pulled her with him as he asked gently, "How far along are you, darlin'?"

"Two months." She softly croaked out, sitting on her fiancé's lap, and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "That's why I've been so damned emotional lately. That's why I threw that vase because of you kicking in the door and why I socked Steve in the nose." She shot her brother a deadly glare. "Why don't YOU try carrying a baby in your womb and feel YOUR hormones going in a million different directions and see how hot YOU look, BROTHER OF MINE!"

Steve looked disgusted at the mere thought. "Fer one, Chalice, I don't have a WOMB! Two, my body ain't made for carryin' or deliverin' a baby so get the thought outta yer head. Two months? Shit, how long have ya been together? Jeez Mark, ya must be old if it took ya this long to get her pregnant."

"If it weren't for my pregnant fiancée sitting on my lap, Steve, I'd have to hurt you." Mark said calmly, resting his head against hers, and rubbed her back soothingly with his hand.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was going to tell you that morning that bitch showed up, but obviously, that didn't happen." Chalice admitted, releasing a shaky breath, and slowly sat up from her fiancé's lap, twiddling her thumbs. "I found out two weeks prior to that morning. I lied to you about going to the store, Mark. I actually went to the doctor's and that's when they confirmed that I was two months along." Tears were already sliding down her cheeks as she raked a hand through her hair and winced again.

Mark hugged her gently, not angry with her in the least. "It's alright, darlin'." He whispered, smiling as he kissed her temple, and moved his hand down to gently rub her stomach, his breath catching in his throat again.

"If ya cry Calaway, I'm kickin' yer big ol' ass outta here." Steve threatened, already a little emotional himself. This was his baby sister after all and now she was having a baby of her own.

Giggling tearfully at her brother, Chalice held out her hand to him, her big blue eyes staring into his. "I know this is hard for you, Stevie, but I really hope you're ready to become an uncle." She smiled and wiggled her fingers again at him. "Come over here, please."

Steve sighed mockingly, moving over to sit on the couch with them, taking Chalice's hands in his. "Of course I am. Boy or girl, it's gonna be the toughest little S.O.B. around, next to me that is. I can teach him or her how to do the Stone Cold Stunner, first beer…" His eyes took on a dreamy look. "And then send'em on home to you."

"You do ANY of those things and I'll ban you from seeing him or her." She threatened, meaning every word that came out of her mouth, and smiled softly. She took his hand and pressed it against her stomach, immediately crying when her brother started to. She just wrapped her arms around her brother and held onto him for dear life, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm going to be a mother." She whispered in disbelief.

"Yer gonna be a GREAT mother." Steve assured her, adverting his eyes from Mark's when he seen the big man was tearing up. "Are ya sure no Stone Cold Stunners?"

Sighing exasperatedly, Chalice smiled as she lifted her brother's chin up with her hand and stared into his eyes. "Please don't corrupt your niece or nephew." She said, running her finger down his cheek, wiping away a stray tear, and smirked. "What was that you said to MY fiancé earlier? Don't cry or else you'll kick his ass?"

"Yer not kickin' my ass, Challie. In fact…" Steve's blonde eyebrows drew together. "Yer not kickin' anyone's ass. This violent stuff of yers has to end. It's not good fer the baby. Hear me girl?"

Mark's eyebrows rose, almost disappearing into his hair, and grunted, "Brave man…"

"I meant you were going to kick Mark's ass, you fuckin' asshole!" She spat back at her brother, her eyes narrowed, and inflamed as her eyebrows furrowed together. "And don't even TRY to tell me what to do or how to act during MY pregnancy or I'll stick my size nine foot up your ass!"

Mark's arms tightened gently around her. "Darlin', this is what Steve meant. Even when you're not…emotional, you have one Hell of a temper. You got to control it, honey. It's not good for the baby. He was right." He said gently, prepared to be attacked.

"What the fuck do you expect me to do, Mark?!" She shouted, sliding off of his lap, and turned around to face both of them. "I have so many fuckin' emotions and hormones swirling through me right now and I can't control them! I'm sorry if this is a bother, but you're not going to have to deal with it for seven more months until this baby pops out of me and the hormones stop raging! This is why I've been temperamental! I CAN'T CONTROL IT SO STOP ACTING LIKE A BUNCH OF SPOILELD, SELFISH BASTARDS!" Her voice had raised to a shrill scream before stomping out of the house, in the backyard, literally shaking and trembling with anger.

Steve and Mark exchanged heavy looks and the big brother was the first to speak. "Well Hell, if poppin' a kid is what it's gonna take to get that temper of hers under control, ya best be knockin' her ass up again as soon as she delivers."

"You both have tempers, it's a genetic thing." Mark retorted, standing up from the couch. "What're the odds she'll rip my balls off if I go out there?"

"Oh…I'd say bout ninety/ten…"

Chalice just stood outside, staring off into the horizon of her brother's huge backyard, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Her arms were crossed over her chest as the cool wind blew through her hair, causing her tears to dry on her cheeks. Why couldn't they understand that this was extremely hard for her? She hadn't expected this to happen and now her body was changing in ways she'd never dreamed of. Her hormones were causing her temper to rise more than usual, but all they could think about was trying to control her and it. It wasn't happening. Not with Chalice feeling like this. "They don't understand what this is doing to me…" She whispered regretfully, solemnly.

"I'm risking it." Mark said finally after a few moments of silence, getting to his feet again since he'd sat down on the couch to think. "I ain't letting her run off on me again."

Steve got to his feet as well, pulling a white bandana out of his back pocket. "I'll go with you. Damage control." He explained, following Mark towards the back door. He stuck his head out of the patio door, waving it in the air, and shouted, "We surrender!"

Chalice didn't laugh or find it at all humorous as she kept her back to them and ordered, "Leave me alone. I want to be by myself right now. Go watch a game, play cards, kill each other. Do something. Just leave me alone." Her voice was filled with hurt, confusion and fear as she continued to stare out into the horizon, the tears never stopping.

"We can do all of that out here in the backyard." Steve pointed out, grabbing Mark by the head and dragging him out into the grass right in front of her. "Want to be our referee?" He asked hopefully, trying to cheer her up. Mark grunted, smirking, and Steve yelped out, "NOT MY DAMN ASS!"

Chalice just shook her head back at them and turned around, walking over to the swing that was attached to the tree, and sat down on it. She'd done that when she was little, since Steve was eight years older than her, and just started swinging on it, staring down at the ground. She wasn't in the mood for their stupid antics and wanted to be left alone. All they did was always criticize her and try to control what she did. When they didn't have the SLIGHTEST clue what her body was going through.

Steve sighed, releasing his hold on Mark, and stood up, walking over to her. "Challie, if we make a run into town, will ya wait here fer us?" He asked softly, knowing she was in a foul mood right now.

"Just go." She whispered out, continuing to swing back and forth, her hair flowing over her shoulders and down her back. "I won't expect you two back from your beer drinking contest until late." She added with disdain before getting up and walking into the house, into her old bedroom, and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Mark, c'mon." Steve said, leading the way back inside and out the front door.