AN: Bonus chapter for my readers. Happy Holidays…

Chapter 11

The next morning…

Matt stumbled grumbling into his kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. As he started downing it, he noticed a the giggling girl at the stove.

"What's so funny Kar," Matt asked putting his mug on the counter.

"Nothing Mattie," she answered with a smile. "I was just marveling at what a morning person you are."

"Shut up," he groused. He looked over her shoulder with interest. "What are you making?"

"French toast," she replied.

"Yummy," Matt said grabbing plates out of the cabinet.

"Who said you get any?"

Matt leaned over her and whined like a puppy. Karen laughed and smacked his reaching hand with the spatula. "If you're a good boy and you sit down, I'll share with you."

Matt jumped into a seat at the table and waited somewhat patiently for Karen to finish. Beth sauntered into the kitchen.

"Yummy," Beth said as she sniffed the air appreciatively. She thanked Karen as she was handed a plate.

"Hey," Matt protested. "How come she just gets handed a plate and I have to wait?"

"Sorry Mattie," Karen said handing him his plate. "I love her more." Karen leaned down and gave Beth a smacking kiss on the lips. A whistle from the doorway made the girls turn their heads.

"Can we take that back upstairs," Jeff asked kissing both girls on the cheek causing them to giggle. "Matt close your mouth."

Matt closed his shocked mouth. "Dude, you two kissed again!"

Jeff smiled as he secured his seat between both girls as a plate was placed in front of him. "Be jealous Matthew cause they are both mine."

"In your dreams Jeffro," Karen said with a snort. She winked at Beth. "What Beth and I have shared is special and just between us."

The room went silent as Jeff's fork clattered on his plate. "What do you mean by shared? Shared as in something already happened?"

Beth got up and sat in Karen's lap. She caressed Karen's cheek as both Hardy Boys looked on in shock. Both girls fought to control their laughter as Beth continued torturing them.

"Well," Beth said as she ran a hand across Karen's collar bone above her tank top while Karen gripped her ass. "While you guys were gone we had to entertain ourselves someway."

"If there is a God please tell me this is on tap," Matt asked as he reached down to adjust himself.

Jeff and Matt held their breaths as the girls leaned it as if they were going to kiss. Karen finally broke out in laughter as Beth joined in.

"You guys are too easy," Karen said as she wiped tears from her eyes. Before she could blink, Jeff was out of his chair. He grabbed Beth and threw her over his shoulder with a growl. Beth laughed as Jeff flew out of the room.

Karen laughed as she looked across the table at Matt. "You okay?"

"I'll be back," he replied. Karen laughed again as she heard the bathroom door shut and lock. "Those boys are too easy."

Minutes later…

Karen was at the sink washing plates and pans as Matt came back into the kitchen.

"Feel better," she asked with a giggle.

"You girls are lethal," Matt said having another cup of coffee. He groaned as a bang was heard overhead as well as a moan of Oh Nero. "Leave the pans. Let's go sit outside."

Karen smiled as she followed him out to the back deck.

"How are you feeling this morning," Matt asked as they sat down.

"Better," Karen said slowly. "I thought about everything Beth has said to me. Yes its been hard having Shannon home and at work all the time but I love that idiot. Am I happy about the way everything went down last night, no. I plan on going home today and really talk to him. Hopefully I find him sober and willing to listen."

Karen looked at Matt who was looking over her shoulder. Turning around she sucked in air as she saw Shannon standing in the doorway with a huge bouquet of flowers in his arms.

"I'm going to leave you two alone," Matt said getting up and kissing her on the head. "I have some errands to run." As Matt walked past Shannon, he whispered. "Make her cry again and I will hurt you." Shannon just nodded.

Shannon walked out onto the deck and took the seat next to Karen. He noticed how she couldn't, no wouldn't, look at him.

"Karen I am so sorry," Shannon began passing her the flowers. "I handled everything wrong yesterday. Getting that drunk and arguing with you was not the smartest thing I've done. Not hearing the whole conversation or just listening to it to begin with was wrong as well. If possible, I would love for you to forgive me."

Shannon sat and waited for her to speak. It seemed as if they sat there in silence for hours when really it was only a few minutes.

"You hurt me yesterday," Karen said sadly. "I never thought you would hurt me. It was worse than walking in on Joe." Karen held a hand up when he went to speak. "Let me finish. I was wrong too. I should have come to you to begin with to let you know how I was feeling since you've been home. It was my fault that I didn't want to rock the boat."

"I want you to feel like you can say anything to me Bane," Shannon said grabbing her hand. Karen smiled at the use of her nickname. "You are my world."

Karen sighed as he caressed her hand. "I do love you Shannon. What made me sick was how fast it felt like it was happening. You being home has been great but we do need our space to adjust to this."

Shannon pulled Karen into his lap and cuddled her towards his chest. "Bane, I love you so much it makes me crazy. I just wanted to make up for all the time we lost while I was wrestling." Karen smiled as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "If it makes you feel better, I won't be around as often in the next few months."

Karen looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Where are you going? Are you running away to join the circus?"

Shannon laughed and began tickling her causing her to squirm in his lap. "No. I am scheduled for some independent dates. So I will be on the road one or two weekends a month." He laughed as she pouted. "Why the sad face?"

"No reason," she said with a giggle. She leaned over and kissed him heartily and pulled back. "So lets recap, you love me and I love you."

"Yep," Shannon said pulling her into another deep kiss. They only broke apart when they heard the "Awww!" behind them.

"Oh look Ma," Jeff said wrapping an arm around Beth as Matt looked on and laughed. "The kids have gone and made up."

"Shucks Paw," Beth said accentuating her drawl. "It's about time."

Karen laughed as Shannon ducked his head. "What can I say, I love my Reject!"

"So no more threatening to kill him," Beth asked.

"Not for the rest of this week," Karen said with a smile. "So Jeff, did you release your stress?"

Jeff nodded happily as Beth smacked his arm and Matt groaned. Karen couldn't help laughing.

"What I miss," Shannon whined.

"Let's just say breakfast with our women is very interesting," Jeff said sitting down pulling Beth on his lap.

"That's not telling me anything," Shannon said with a pout.

"I'll tell you," Matt said with a warning tone. "But it's not as good as seeing it in person." Karen and Beth laughed as Matt adjusted his pants just from thinking about it.

"Tame that thing," Beth added as Jeff shifted in his seat.

"Sorry, I just had the visual again in my head," Jeff said with a wiggle of the eyebrows.

"Stop it both of you and tell me," Shannon whined yet again.

"Well sweetie, what happened was," Karen began. Shannon's eyes got bigger and bigger, along with something else as Beth and Karen told him of their kitchen escapades.

Just as they finished, Shannon popped up almost dumping Karen to the ground. Luckily he caught her just in time.

"Got to go," he called dragging Karen through the house.

Matt, Jeff and Beth all laughed as Karen hollered her farewell.

"Good to know things are okay," Matt said.

"Things are great," Beth added as she kissed Jeff.