Chapter 18

~Five Years Later~

"Marcus Steven Calaway, you be nice to your sister right now!" Chalice admonished her little boy, who was now five years old, while little Rose Chalice Calaway was three, going on four in a few short months.

It was a beautiful summer day, right in the middle of June, and Chalice was watching her children play in the backyard with each other. Marcus was growing so fast, just like his father. Those big blue eyes and auburn hair made him stand out; making him a sheer knock out with the ladies she'd meet on the street when she'd take them for walks and whatnot. On the other hand, Rose was stunning with her long, black locks and emerald green eyes that matched her father's identically. Both were extraordinary children and smart as a whip. Though, Chalice didn't want to admit it and sighed, not believing how fast her babies were growing up.

"Aww Hell momma, she started it!" Marcus shouted back, snatching away the remote to his monster truck from Rose.

Steve was standing at the grill with Mark; both on their day off, and paled when he heard that from his nephew as he groaned, "Aww Hell…"

"You're in trouble now." Mark murmured, busying himself with the steaks and hamburgers.

"Marcus!" Chalice shouted and immediately walked over to him, snatching the remote out of his hand, and smacked him upside the head lightly. "Don't say that word again! You know better than that!" She added strongly, anger flaring in her blue eyes that mirrored his own as well as his uncle's, and slowly turned around to face her brother. "Stevie, did you teach my son to use that word?" She asked and growled when he just lowered his head in shame. "Mark, aren't you going to hit him or…SOMETHING?! This is OUR son for Christ sakes and he's already saying that word and he's FIVE!"

"On it, darlin'." Mark whacked Steve upside the head, not so lightly, with his hand.

"Ouch, you mean sumbitch!" Steve whined, rubbing his bald head. "He heard me use it! I ain't teachin' him jack…OUCH!" He moved away after Mark clocked him again.

"Watch your mouth around the kids!"

"Mommy, why are Daddy and Uncle Weavie wighting?" The beautiful three year old Rose asked her mother, causing Chalice to stare down at her daughter, love shining in her eyes as she bent down to be eye level with her.

"Because my beautiful angel, Uncle Stevie needs to learn to watch his mouth." She talked softly to her daughter and smiled when she ran a hand through her black hair, just like Chalice did and bit her bottom lip. They had a lot of the same characteristics, but those emerald green eyes set her apart from her daddy. They were mirror images and she was indeed a daddy's girl. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, I wanna go pway on the swing set!" She shouted excitedly and ran over to her brother, pulling him with her as he groaned, and Chalice smirked at her son. She knew they were going to be just like her and Steve. She just had a hunch it was going to happen that way before venturing over to see how the food was coming along.

"You didn't pop him in the head too hard, did ya sweetie?" She asked her husband, running her hand up his chest.

"Hard enough to rattle his teeth, darlin'." Mark answered, bending down to kiss the top of her head, casually flipping a burger before glancing over at Steve, who was now taking turns pushing the kids on the swings. "He won't be usin' any foul language anytime soon."

"Good." She replied softly and leaned up on her tiptoes, kissing his lips, and felt her entire body light on fire instantly. After seven years of being together, he never ceased to amaze her and loved how their passion never died for each other. "I love you. Let me know when the food is ready." She said before walking away and over to her brother, who was now wrestling around with Marcus in the yard. "Haven't you learned anything from my husband?" She asked dramatically, causing Rose to giggle.

Steve didn't answer, too busy pretending to be in pain from the headlock Marcus had on him. "I tap, I tap!" He howled, grunting when Rose joined in, dropping a tiny elbow on his ribs. "Ouch! Mercy!" He shook his head when they let him up. "That's my girl! You dropped that perfectly." He patted her head before looking over at Marcus. "And ya owe me a rematch, buddy."

"What have you done to my babies?!" She sarcastically cried, burying her face in her hands, and shook her head back and forth. She laughed when Rose tackled her legs, causing her to fall over in the grass, and grinned before doing the airplane with her. "You can fly, my white Rose!" She cooed and grinned when Steve picked her little girl up and started spinning her around in circles before going over to her son. "Done rough housin' and beatin' up your uncle yet?"

"No!" Marcus exclaimed excitedly, his blue eyes twinkling. "He said he's gonna teach me how to do the stunner!" He started jumping up and down in his excitement, grinning at his mom.

Steve heard that and coughed, holding Rose against him in a defense posture. "Protect me, Rosie." He whispered, causing her to giggle more.

"Is THAT right?" Chalice questioned, her eyebrow rising, and turned around slowly to face her brother. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want my children being influenced with that sport?" She chided, placing her hands on her hips, and stared hardening at her brother. "What do you have to say for yourself, Stevie?"

"Um…Don't trust anyone?" Steve replied, trying not to grin when Rose kept on giggling. "Come on Challie, they're Dad and Uncle are wrestlers. They're gonna learn bout it sometime or another."

"WHAT?!" Marcus shouted another one of Steve's lines in the ring.

"My children are NOT becoming wrestlers!" Chalice stated emphatically and groaned when Marcus started chanting the word what to her. "MARCUS, knock it off before I put you over my knee or have your father do it!" She threatened in a growl and looked over at her daughter, who was giggling full blown now.

"What? What? What? What? What?" Marcus kept chanting, bouncing around the yard along with his head, driving Chalice up the wall.

Mark sighed, setting aside the plates of steak and burgers before walking over to pick up his son. He dropped down to one knee and turned Marcus over before delivering one open hand smack to his butt. "You heard your momma." He admonished sternly.

"Ouch!" Marcus whined, his butt stinging.

"Happy now, Steve? You corrupted your nephew!" She shouted at him before walking over to her husband, who'd just set Marcus down on the ground, and stated, "I want you to go up to your room for fifteen minutes and think about what you did. The next time, maybe you'll listen to what your mother has to say. Now get goin'." She ordered, pointing in the direction of the house, and scrubbed her face with her hand. "Why was I blessed with such a devil child?"

Marcus was muttering under his breath while he stalked into the house and shrieked out to just spite his mother before slamming the door behind him, "WHAT?!"

Steve clamped a hand over Rose's mouth when she took up the 'what' chant her brother was doing. "How bout we go look at what yer Dad made to eat?" He suggested gently, placing her on his hip, and carried her towards the picnic table.

Mark took Chalice's shoulders in his hands when she went to chase after him and said, "I'll tend to it, darlin'. Go eat."

"No screw that!" She snapped and walked over, taking her brother by his ear, and pulled him into the house as he shrieked at her to let him go. "Get your ass upstairs right NOW and talk to your nephew before I tear him a new asshole!" She growled in an order, pointing at the stairs, her blue eyes spitting fire, and breathed heavily. "I mean it, Steve. Don't even THINK about joking with him either! You tell him if he doesn't start listening to me, he won't get to spend the night at your house anymore!" Steve nodded, swallowing hard before heading upstairs, looking like an admonished child himself. He went into Marcus's room, stopping him from destroying his toys and set him down for a nice long talk.

"Daddy, why is mommy so angwy?" Rose asked her father, those big emerald green eyes staring back into his, mirroring his own, and had a confused look on her features.

Mark sighed, pulling her onto his lap, cutting up her food for her. "Because she doesn't like how your brother is behaving, darlin'." He answered her softly.

"He's being mean." She pointed out, her bottom lip sticking out as she batted her eyelashes at her father. "Daddy, am I bein' a good girl?" She asked softly, that sweet, angelic voice flowing to him, and leaned her head on his shoulder while he cut up her food for her.

Mark chuckled softly as he nodded. "Yeah darlin', you're being a good girl. Keep it up alright?" He moved her and set her plate in front of her. "Eat up, Rose." He patted her head before glancing towards the house, hoping Chalice hadn't killed some boys.

After calming herself down a little more, Chalice finally walked back outside, sighing heavily as she shook her head. Marcus was a pill that was for sure. He took after his uncle and was a trouble maker. It made Chalice wonder why so many of Steve's genes were in her son, but then again, he had Williams and Calaway blood flowing through his veins. She sighed again and walked over to her daughter, who was eating peacefully, and kissed the top of her head before walking over to the swings. The cool wind blew through her hair, causing her eyes to drift shut, and enjoyed the peaceful moment as her arms wrapped around herself. Even if her son gave her a hard time, she still loved him and knew her brother meant well as far as wanting to make him a wrestler. She wanted Marcus to make his own decisions though. Wanted him to be happy with his life like she was as well as her beautiful daughter.

"You sit here and eat darlin'." Mark whispered, kissing Rose's cheek before walking over to his wife. "I'll give ya a push." He drawled his green eyes twinkling as he gently pushed her. "Everything alright in there, darlin'?'

"Yeah, Stevie is having a talk with him about his attitude and everything." Chalice quietly replied and smiled when her husband started pushing her. It was moments like these that she cherished most as he wrapped his arms around her while swinging her lightly back and forth. Her feet dangling as she sighed and leaned back against his strong chest.

Mark sighed contentedly, smiling down at his wife. She looked beautiful, still managed to take his breath away. "You're gorgeous, Chalice." He whispered, halting her on the swing to hold her tighter. "The most beautiful woman in the world, alongside of Rose."

"Quite the charmer." She commented with a smile and snuggled further into his chest. "I can't believe it's been seven years, Mark." She breathed out, her hand trailing up to massage his neck gently, and closed her eyes as the breeze picked up. "They're growing up so fast." She added, a hint of sadness in her voice, but she knew she couldn't control it or how fast time went by for that matter.

"Kids do darlin'." Mark pointed out, watching as Steve and Marcus walked out, joining Rose at the table. "Don't worry; you still got plenty of time with them." He nuzzled her neck. "You hungry? There's plenty over there."

"I'll eat later. I'm enjoying this too much right now. We hardly have time to ourselves anymore." She quietly responded, stroking his forearms with her fingertips, and tucked her head beneath his chin as he held her to him tighter. "Not that I regret having them because I don't. They're beautiful angels, even though your son is a demon spawn." She smirked when he began to chuckle and shook her head. "Laugh if you must, but I'm tellin' ya, that boy of ours is trouble, just like his Uncle and father."

"The kind of trouble you like, darlin'." Mark teased, tilting her head up to bend down and feathered his lips against hers, smiling against them. "And he's not a demon…Semi-demon." He corrected her with a soft chuckle. "You wouldn't trade him for all the world and we both know it."

"I hate it when you prove me wrong." She grumbled against his lips, though the smile remained, and brought her hand up to stroke his face tenderly with it. "I love you so much, Mark." She whispered and stood up from the swing, wrapping her arms around his neck as she stood on her tiptoes. She giggled when he lifted her up, causing her legs to wrap around his waist, and rested her head on his shoulder as she ran her finger down his cheek. "You sure you can still hold onto me like this, old man?" She teased with a small laugh, snuggling further into him.

"Darlin', I'm going to hold on to you forever until this old body of mine is buried six feet under so don't be worrying that impertinent, beautiful head of yours." Mark promised, capturing her lips in his in a passionate, soul searing kiss. "Old my ass…"

Chalice laughed softly against his lips as she kissed him back, moaning softly, and felt herself melt into him like molten lava. "I had to make sure. I don't want to wear you out or anything." She giggled when he growled and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of it. She sighed when she witnessed Steve put Rose on his lap, trying to get her to eat, and smirked when she flipped a spoonful of potato salad in his eye.

"Oh god…" Mark groaned, watching as Marcus and Rose both began pelting Steve with their food, giggling sweetly while Steve tried to fend off their attacks, finally hurling potato chips back at them. "Remind me, we raising two kids or three?"

"I thought it was two, but I think I was mistaken." Chalice answered with a smile, shaking her head, and looked up into his beautiful emerald green eyes, pressing her forehead to his.

"Alright, I surrender, I surrender!" Steve shrieked, darting away from the picnic table, covered in potato salad and macaroni and cheese. "ACK!" He went down face first when they both tackled him to the ground. "HELP ME!" Mark just snorted, trying not to laugh.

"You're on your own there, bro!" Chalice called back to him, laughing harder when Rose started jumping on his stomach while Marcus had him in a headlock. "I'm having a moment with my husband." She then turned back around to face him, her blue eyes twinkling mischievously, and giggled when Mark's eyes began growing a darker color. "Later on after they're asleep." She whispered promisingly before kissing him again.

"I don't know. Naptime IS coming up and Steve can always keep an ear out for them." He growled, hoisting her up over his shoulders, and smacked her ass lightly with one large hand. "I might just kidnap you for a few hours."