Two Weeks Later

"You better have a damn good reason for this McMahon."

"You'll have to excuse me Roger, I've got an unexpected visitor and I need to take this meeting, I'll call you back with the logistics," Shane said into his phone, saying goodbye and hanging up the receiver. "Hello Trish."

"Hello Trish?" Trish said, scoffing. "You call my home and my husband told me that there was an emergency with Stephanie and Finnegan and so I fly down here immediately, grab a taxi, get down to headquarters and see Linda and ask what happened to Stephanie and Finn and find out they're fine. So then I think that there must be something wrong with your brain! I flew in from Toronto for nothing!"

"Well, it wasn't for nothing," Shane said. "I definitely called you for a reason."

"A reason so big that I had to fly to Connecticut to hear it?" Trish asked, folding her arms across her chest. "I thought something had happened to Steph or God forbid Finn. I sat on the plane and thought up all these horrible scenarios that could've happened to Finn. He's my godson, you know I love him, don't ever do that to me again!"

"This is about Finn, and just because he's physically safe doesn't mean that he's okay."

"Okay, lay it on me," Trish said, coming into the office and sitting down across from him.

"Well, Chris and Stephanie broke up."

"I'm well aware," Trish said. "They've been broken up for almost a month now."

"I know, and don't you think that's something we need to correct?" Shane asked. "Chris and Stephanie have been apart for a month. Finn has had his parents apart for an entire month."

"Shane, I know that it happened, you don't have to keep repeating it. What do you want me to do about it though? It's not like I have a magic wand that's suddenly going to let me put everything back together. The two of them broke up, we have to respect their privacy."

"No we don't!" Shane said adamantly. "We don't have to listen to a word they say. Do you know why Stephanie would break it off with Chris? I mean, she didn't give me a good reason and since you're her best friend, I thought that you might have some insight."

"I don't know, she won't tell me either," Trish shrugged. "I'm not going to beat it out of her. If she broke up with him, then she has her reasons. Shane, maybe their relationship wasn't going well, or maybe they found out they weren't compatible. We don't know."

"They have a son together. They also lived together for like five years, they've known each for like nine years. That's meant to be Trish. If that's not meant to be, then what hope is there for the rest of us?"

"Shane, I really don't think it's our place to interfere," Trish told him. "I respect the fact that they're ending their relationship. I really think that you should too."

"I'm thinking completely about Finn here," Shane said back. "I don't want my nephew to have to be transported back and forth like he's some sort of object. What my sister and Chris fail to see is that their break-up is affecting Finn too."

Trish sighed. Shane had a point with all of this, though it took him forever to get to it when he really could've told her over the phone. She hadn't really thought of how this affected Finn in the long run. She knew that he had had a hard time wrapping around the fact that his mother and father weren't married when it had come up with him. This was probably even harder to understand, as it would be for any young kid.

Finnegan was a sweet little boy, kind of the opposite of his parents actually, so she didn't want anything to hurt him, and perhaps they were forgetting the ramifications of the break-up on the young boy. "Okay, so you've got a point, is that all you've got?"

"Well, since you're Steph's best friend and you hold a lot of leverage--"

"I'm not going to do something like talk her into getting back together with Chris, Shane. That's entirely Stephanie's opinion and choice and I'm not going to get involved in something like that."

"No, I don't want you to talk her into anything, well, maybe something. My thinking is that if Stephanie sees what's out there and realizes that she doesn't like it, she'll go back to what's right."

"I'm not sure I follow you," Trish said, looking a little perplexed as to what he was suggesting.

"Well, you've got the hook-up, we're heading to Toronto in a couple of weeks and I was wondering if you knew any…single, available men."

"I didn't know that you swung that way Shane," Trish said with a smirk and Shane scowled. She laughed and licked her lips a little. "You want me to set up your sister, who isn't even a month removed from a six-year relationship?"

"Yes, because then she'll see that she's meant to be with Chris."

"Shane, I don't like this," she told him honestly. "I'm not in the business of meddling. If Stephanie wants to be set-up, or you want me to set her up, I will, but it won't be for the purposes of trying to get her back together with Chris. That's her decision, not mine, not yours, hers."

"You can't tell me you don't think Chris and Steph are perfect together."

"They are, I won't lie, but that's to us, the outsiders, maybe their relationship has been bad for a really long time and they were just really good at keeping it together for Finn."

"I refuse to believe that. So you'll set her up?"

"And what if she has a good time?"

"You think she'd have a good time?" he asked, and she shrugged. He thought for a moment, then chuckled, "It won't happen, this is Stephanie, and I know her. So if you can just find a guy to go out with her in the next two weeks. Break out a picture or something, I'm sure she has a lot of really great pictures that you have. She's pretty, just you know, show it off."

"You're a whack job Shane, this isn't going to work, and then what if it backfires on you. What if I set her up and she has a fantastic time and decides to see this guy again? Then she gets a new boyfriend and she falls in love? Where does that leave Chris?"

Shane frowned. He didn't like thinking of the logistics or the consequences. He was a McMahon, they just went balls out in everything and didn't care about the consequences until later. But there was just no chance that Stephanie would find someone else, just no chance. She loved Chris, she had been with Chris forever and they had a son. In Shane's mind, that made them perfect together.

"It wouldn't happen," he asserted, "It just wouldn't happen. I have faith."

"Fine, but I'm not going to find someone I know she'll hate Shane, I'm not doing that. And if she has fun with this guy, I'm going to encourage her."

"Fine, we'll see though, we'll see."

"And for the record, don't you ever call me telling me there's an emergency when there isn't," she told him, stalking out of the room.

Shane sat back in his desk chair and thought for a moment. He had to go see Stephanie and gauge how receptive she would be to another date, or not. If she wasn't, maybe he'd scrap the plans and just tell her to get with Chris or he'd put her in a headlock like when they were little. No, that wouldn't work, she was a thirty-one year old mother now, and she'd probably get Finnegan to kick him in the shin.

Shane rang the doorbell and waited for a moment. And then another moments as the moments ticked by. He turned around and saw that Stephanie's car was indeed in the driveway so she had to be home. The one thing that she and Chris had never been eccentric about was cars. He had one and she had one and that was it. They had no need for vintage cars or fast cars, just cars that got them where they needed to go.

"Shane, what are you doing here?" Stephanie asked as she opened the door.

"I live ten minutes away, is it such a crime to drop over?" he asked.

"No, I just wasn't expecting you."

"What took you so long to get the door?" he asked as he walked inside the house behind her.

"Finny and I are making Chris's birthday present," Stephanie explained. "It involves painting so I had it all over my hands."

"Chris's birthday present?" Shane asked with a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Yes, Chris's birthday is in nine days and Finny wanted to start on his card, so that's what we're working on. We're going to buy his present this weekend, and then wrap it to give it to him."

"So you're getting him a present too?"

"We haven't spoken in two weeks, but I don't think it's been so long that I can't give him something," Stephanie said, though she hadn't spoken to Chris in two weeks. She had kept her phone on vibrate and her answering machine was picking up any and all calls. She was still stinging from what had happened when Chris had come over for dinner.

She thought that she could have him, but it turned out that she was completely wrong. He didn't want her. He had stopped himself from kissing her and touching her, and then taking her up to their bedroom and having his way with her. She wanted it too; she didn't realize how much she wanted it until Chris's hands had been on her hips. But he had stopped himself just in time, for him at least. She had fallen in too far at that point and sought out nothing more than his mouth. But what could she have said or done? Chris had made it pretty clear that he didn't want her, and she had to respect that.

Getting married for Finnegan wouldn't do any good and she was sure that was his reason. And while she could love Chris with all her heart, she just couldn't give herself to him completely when his intentions weren't totally for her.

"Besides," Stephanie said to him, "I got him his gift months and months ago."

"Oh," Shane said as they walked out into the backyard where there were paints sitting there and a big huge white card. "Wow, this is something else."

"Well, we had a little mishap with the first one so we're trying again," Stephanie said as she sat next to Finnegan. "So Finny, ready for round two?"

"Yup Mommy, hi Uncle Shane, are you going to help?" Finnegan asked. Stephanie looked up at her brother with a smirk. She knew he would never ever let himself paint or fingerpaint. The idea alone was enough to send him into convulsions.

"No, I just wanted to talk to your mommy," Shane said.

"What is it this time?" she asked.

"Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing, how you were holding up?"

"I'm fine Shane," Stephanie lied coolly. She wasn't fine, not even close to fine, but she could pretend, she'd been doing it for long enough now. "I'm not going to fall apart just because my relationship did."

"I'm just worried about you is all," he said defensively. "I mean, being suddenly single is a huge step and I just want you to know as your big brother, that I'm behind you a hundred percent. I mean, I want you with Chris, yes, but if it doesn't work out, then I'm there for you." There, Shane could lie too.

"Well, things didn't work out with Chris. Things are completely broken off. We haven't spoken more than a few words over the past couple weeks and that's fine with me. He's been in Winnipeg until his apartment is ready and everything is completely broken off."

"So if he were to go out with someone, you wouldn't care?"

"Is he going out with someone?" she asked suspiciously.

"No, just wondering, and if you were to go out with someone, I mean, you would right, since you and Chris are completely broken up. Since you have no relationship, and moving on generally means that you would start to date other guys since you're only thirty-one and you've never been married."

"Well…yeah, sure, I guess dating wouldn't be out of the question," Stephanie admitted. "If I met the right someone, I could see myself dating again. If that's in the cards for me, and if they like Finny, because if they didn't like Finny or if Finny didn't like them, I'd dump them."

"Well, I guess you really are moving on," Shane said, though inwardly he was taking notes. He wasn't doing this to be a schemer or to stir up trouble, he just wanted his sister to be happy, and he had convinced himself that the only way that she was going to be happy was if she had Chris. "I'm happy for you. Anyways, I should get going, I didn't want to stay here that long anyways, I've got a date tonight."

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "Spare me the details. Say goodbye to Uncle Shane, sweets."

"Bye Uncle Shane," Finnegan said casually, not letting his eyes stray from his art project in front of him. Shane tousled his hair a little and showed himself out as Stephanie turned to Finnegan.

"This is looking great Finny, Daddy is going to love it so much."

"I know," he said, causing Stephanie to laugh at his confidence.

"I think Daddy is going to love it."

The next nine days were tough for Stephanie. She had been celebrating birthdays with Chris for a long time, and just a month and a half before, barely, they had been celebrating her birthday. Finnegan and Chris had made her breakfast in bed and then they had spent the day at the park and Chris had made a picnic for her. It was incredibly cheesy and at the end of the day they had laughed about it, but they knew they had had a good time.

Chris had just moved to his apartment and he had no furniture besides some stuff he had bought last minute. Stephanie rang his buzzer and when they identified themselves, he let them up. She intended to just drop off Finnegan, give Chris his present and go. She didn't think she could take any more than that. She had originally planned a special day for his birthday, her waking him up with kisses and her naked body, and then she'd cook for him, and then…well, she didn't want to think about what they would've done. Instead she rang the doorbell to his new residence. That was a surreal feeling.

"Hey!" Chris said as he saw Finnegan, and Stephanie too. Despite what he had said, and what she had said a couple of weeks ago, he missed her and he needed to see her, if only for one second.

"Hi Daddy! Happy Birthday!" Finnegan said, thrusting his card at Chris.

"Wow, look at the size of this thing, and a present too! I'm so lucky, why don't you bring it inside while I talk to your mommy for a second."

"Okay," Finnegan said, going inside and looking around at his new surroundings. Chris turned to Stephanie and gave her a small, tentative smile.

"Hi, so this is your new place?"

"Yeah, it is," he said. "Oh, let me take that," he said, referring to the bag of Finnegan's things she was holding. She gave it over to him and he took it, holding it in his hand. "Thanks for letting him stay the night with me, it'd be a crappy birthday if I didn't get to see him."

"Yeah, speaking of which, Happy Birthday," she told him softly. "I know it isn't how we were going to spend it, I had a plan…you don't want to hear about that," she chuckled mirthlessly, shifting her weight between her feet. "Oh, before I forget…"

"Forget what?" Chris asked, wondering if she had any special instructions for Finnegan.

Stephanie leaned forward and picked up the large flat present that she had leaned against the wall. She held it in front of her and shoved it in his direction, "Happy Birthday, this is for you."

"Stephanie, this is…you didn't have to do anything for me?" he told her, feeling even more guilty for what had happened a couple weeks ago.

"No, its okay, I actually bought this months and months ago, and to not give it to you now seems kind of fruitless, its not something I could really use or anything, so you should have it, and…you could…um, it might look good in your apartment, looking at it from here it seems a little bare."

Chris rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, uh, thanks for this…whatever it is, do you want me to open it now?"

"If you wanted, I mean, you could, but you could wait until I leave."

"I'd like you to stay while I open it," he told her softly. On his previous birthdays, Stephanie would always be leaning over his shoulder as he unwrapped his gift and trying to get at it herself when she was unsatisfied by the speed at which he ripped the paper. Then she would constantly ask if it was good, or if he liked it, until he kissed her into submission. While he knew that wasn't going to happen this time, he could pretend for a little bit that she was still his.

She followed him into the apartment and she resisted the urge to look at his new life. Whatever it was she knew that it didn't include her. Finn was sitting on a loveseat and came bounding over. "Is that Mommy's present?"

"Yeah," Chris said, "Do you know what it is?"

"Nope, Mommy wouldn't tell me," Finnegan said as he tried to look at it. Chris lifted him up easily and set him on the counter next to the gift. "Are you going to open it, Daddy?"

"You bet I am," Chris said.

"Go ahead," Stephanie said, "And I really hope you like it, and if you don't, well, I mean, you can't really return it."

Chris ripped open the paper covering the gift and when he saw what it was, he gasped in shock. He looked to Stephanie, who had a ghost of a smile on her face as she stared down at it. He looked at it again and almost started crying. He had to blink back tears at it; it was so incredible as he reached to run his hand over the glass.

"Stephanie…this is too much…"

She shrugged, "I thought you'd like it, I wanted to get it for you."

"Holy, oh my God, is this the original!" Chris said as he stared for a long moment.

"Yeah, that's the original."

Chris stared back down again. It was a few different things actually. In the middle was the original handwritten manuscript to the Beatle's "A Day in the Life," written by John Lennon, next to that was a record sleeve with all four Beatles signatures on it and, and then underneath was a handwritten autograph to him from Paul McCartney. Chris was in absolute shock at the different items, his mouth almost drooling at what he had in his hands.

"This is…oh my God…how did you get this stuff!" Chris asked, looking at her with his mouth agape.

She tried to look casual, "Um, well, the manuscript was up for auction and I put in a bid and got it, I won't tell you for what, you'll kill me, and then the autographs I got from someone, and the autograph from Paul, well, remember when we went to his concert earlier this year?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well, while you were rocking out to the opening act, and I said that I was going to go call and see how Finny was, I pulled some strings, got backstage for a moment when he was back there and asked for an autograph for you."

Chris scooped up Stephanie in his arms, forgetting for a moment they were no longer together. Stephanie let herself fall into his embrace, ignoring the feelings that surged through her with his touch. He hadn't touched her in two weeks, hadn't looked at her or been near her, and it killed her. This was just too much now, the feelings overwhelming her. She kept her mantra up and remembered herself. She pulled away before she got completely lost.

"I'm glad you like it," she whispered.

"Thank you so much," Chris whispered back, "This is one of the best gifts I've ever gotten, besides Finn, I think this might be the best gift I've ever gotten."

"Well, I'm just, I'm glad you like it." Chris wanted to kiss her. He wanted to give in and just take her in his arms again and say, "forget it." He wanted her, and he didn't care about marriage, he didn't care about anything. She had gone to so much trouble. But…then he remembered that he couldn't have her the way he wanted and resolved himself.

"I love it, again, thank you. Thank you so much."

"It's the least I could do…you let me have you for six years."

"And you let me have you for six too," he said, running his hand over her cheek.

"I um…I've got to go, you and Finny have a great time, and don't let him stay up too late and stuff. Just…have a good birthday," Stephanie said quickly, wanting to make her escape as soon as she could. She raced to the door and struggled with the locks.

"Finn, sit right there," Chris said, going over to Stephanie and helping her with the locks.

"My brother was talking the other day about moving on and dating other people, I think we should start doing that," Stephanie said quickly as Chris unlocked the last lock, letting his hand fall by his side.

Before he could process what she had said, she was gone.