CHAPTER SEVEN
"Hey, honey-" Shawn stopped when he seen the expression on his wife's face, immediately rushing the last few steps to her. "River? River, what's wrong sweetheart?"
"Shawn…" She hesitated, staring at him; trying to understand why being called 'Rivvie' had bothered her so much. "Have you ever called me Rivvie?" She asked quietly. Maybe he had a long time ago and Mark saying it reminded her or something; frowning when his eyes narrowed. "Mark called me Rivvie during our session and I- I don't know; felt kind of like deja vous. I figured it must be something you used to call me and I'd forgotten about it." She laughed, checking her hair playfully for greys. "I must be getting old."
"Rivvie, eh?" Shawn stroked his chin thoughtfully; finally shaking his head. "Nope, never called you that, honey." He had to keep calm, cool and collected about this. "If it bothers you that much, I'll talk to him about it, how's that?" He could see how bothered she was about this, even with her attempt at a joke.
"No, no point in making a big fuss over something stupid like a nickname." Though why in the hell Mark would give her a nickname was beyond her; frowning as she recalled Shawn telling her how he assumed new women were the 'other' River. "Maybe that's what he called that woman who disappeared all those years ago."
Now the creep factor on Mark had gone right back up.
His eyes suddenly narrowed, pulling River against him and kissed the top of her head. "I'll take care of it." Shawn promised, deciding to have another chat with the Dead Man. He knew it was pointless but if Mark didn't stop scaring his wife, he was going to wind up beating the shit out of the man.
River just nodded, arms going around his neck. It was amazing how he could make her feel better and erase any fears she had; smiling and kissed his throat. "You're amazing." She whispered, looking up at him; sighing at the anger in his eyes. No doubt, angered with the resident psychotic. "I love you."
It was astonishing to see how those three words could totally change him into another person in mere seconds.
"I love you too." He murmured; next kissing her passionately, always acting like it was going to be their last kiss. When she was gasping for air, he pulled away; pressing his forehead to hers. Every time she said those words, his heart skipped a beat and he had to remind himself that she really was his; that they were a family, a happily married couple.
That's the way it would stay too.
"You had better." She teased, happy to see his smile; cupping the back of his neck with her hand, leaning forward to kiss him again. "It'd break my heart if you didn't." She murmured, feathering kisses along his jaw line.
"Get a room!"
"Don't you have another show to be on Glenn?"
"This one is more fun, especially with the backstage peep shows."
"Glenn…" Shawn growled warningly, his eyes flashing a silent threat before turning his attention back to his wife. "Tonight, you're mine." He whispered huskily, watching as her pink tongue darted out to wet her lips. With another groan, he kissed her, again. "Okay, I'm really going this time."
Giggling, River pressed against him.
Slapping his face, Shawn walked away before he did something drastic. Like make love to his wife right there in front of everyone.
***
"Momma, Daddy!" Hope screamed excitedly when she seen her parents, running towards them. Her green eyes lit up as they both caught her, lifting her between them to smother her in kisses. "I'm ten, put me down!" She impatiently pushed her strawberry-blond hair from her face. "So ya'all missed me, huh?"
"You are cocky. Just like someone else I know." River shot her husband a look.
Shawn chuckled as he bent down, staring into his daughter's green eyes before pulling her back into his arms. "Of course we missed you, angel." He grinned, blowing raspberries on her neck. Hearing his baby girl giggling was music to his ears. "Okay, okay, enough." Grunting, he set her down and took River's hand, watching as River took Hope's. "Ready?"
"Sure." Hope shrugged, swinging her mom's hand; trying to mask her excitement. She was ten. She was too cool to get excited over baby things; like going on the road with her superstar father. "I can walk by myself."
"Big airport, Hope. You'll hold my hand until we're in the car." River said gently, hearing Shawn laugh. "You will too, honey."
"Dad, you were just owned."
"Where'd you hear that one?"
"TV."
Shawn was trying so hard not to laugh, raising his eyebrows as he looked down at their daughter. "What exactly does owned mean?" He asked curiously, ignoring her protests of being 'ten' and lifted her onto his shoulders. "Don't worry angel, I got you." He assured her, feeling Hope clinging to his head, smiling when she relaxed; acting cool. She was just like her father.
"Drop me and I'll let mom hurt you." She joked, not feeling her dad's shoulders tense under her; laughing when she realized how high she was, all fear gone.
Sometimes River had to wonder where Hope got her attitude from, then shrugged it off. Shawn had been cocky when they'd first gotten married: like father like daughter.
***
"Hope..." Shawn groaned, watching her running down the arena hallway. He could only watch as she went to round the corner only to fall back onto her butt, cringing and knew she must have plowed into one of the guys.
"Whoa there, darlin." Mark smiled, extending his hand to the girl. He cocked an eyebrow when she immediately took it; seeing no fear in those eyes. By the strawberry blond locks, this had to be Hope. "You alright?"
"Get away from my daughter, Callaway." Shawn ordered, already pulling Hope away to stand behind him. "River, take her to your office." He ordered, shooting her a stern look when she began protesting. "River..." His tone held a warning, letting her know this wasn't up for debate.
"Dad! Chill out, it's the Undertaker!" Hope was not like her mother, she didn't obey and had a horrible habit of questioning everything. Especially after spending the summer with her grandparents who spoiled her rotten. "I see yuo all the time on TV, my grandpa watches wrestling." She said proudly.
River seen the vein throbbing in Shawn's forehead and inwardly cringed. "Hope, c'mon baby girl, you're coming with me and I got to get to work." She didn't look at mark as she took her daughter firmly by the hand and pulled her away.
"MOM!"
"That's alright little darlin', listen to your momma." Mark said wtih a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. Once the girls were gone, he rounded on a pissed off Shawn Michaels. "Problem, boy?"
"You better stay away from my family, Callaway. I'm warning you-"
"Warning me?" Mark challenged, begging the man to just slip ONCE. That's all he would need. "Your daughter bumped into me, maybe you should watch your kid a little more closely."
"You mother-"
"Is there a problem here?" Paul demanded, walking up to join Shawn. It didn't take a genius to realize the two were ready to beat the shit out of each other.
"No, not a damn thing." Mark grunted, shoving past the pair.
***
"Mom, I love you but this is boring." Hope complained halfway through the night. "This building is jampacked full of wrestlers and I only get to see the ones you work on and who wants to see Kelly Kelly's nasty feet anyway?"
"Hope, be nice before I turn you over my knee. You best remember your butt is padded for a reason."
"You wouldn't."
"Want your daddy too?"
"That's not fair!"
"Now what's all this bickering in here?"
Hope spun around, a grin lighting her face.
Mark stepped through the doorway, ducking his head and inwardly sighed at the expression on River's face. It reminded him of a deer stuck in the headlights. "I'm here for my knee, again." He said, dropping down on the table and smiled at Hope; taking in her clear green eyes. He briefly wondered if River had had an affair considering her eyes were ocean blue and Shawn's were hazel.
Hope smiled impishly at him, revealing a toothy grin. "Hi, I'm Hope."
River just prayed Shawn didn't decide to come checking in on them, watching as Mark arranged himself before straddling his calves; keeping an eye on her daughter as she got to work.
"Uh, mom?" Hope said hesitantly. "I thought you only did that on daddy?"
River fell off the table in shock.
"Mom!"
"I'm okay." She said weakly, not believing her not so apparently innocent baby just said that.
Mark was laughing so hard his entire face was beet red; not believing what just came out of this kid's mouth. "Darlin', you alright?" He asked in between snots, peering down at River. He cleared his throat when River shot him a dark look, immediately clamping his mouth shut; though he couldn't keep his shoulders from shaking. He was definitely telling Steve about this one, knowing the man would get a kick out of his potential niece.
Hope watched curiously as her mother got to her feet and glared at Mark, arching an eyebrow. Then she seen a thumb move and Mark let out a yelp. "I want to learn how to do that!"
"When you're older." River shakily got back onto the table. "You laugh one more time Mark and I'll have to hurt you, badly."
"I'm sorry darlin, but the look on your face was priceless." Mark groaned when she did it again, growling softly. He wanted to take and bend her over his knee but refrained. He didn't want Hope having nightmares of her mother getting spanked by the Undertaker. Now THERE was a thought. Chuckling, he watched as she resumed her work. "So... have you ever turned that shade before?" He quipped, green eyes glittering wickedly.
"If I had it wouldn't be any of your business."
"Wow mom, you're going red again." Hope leaned against the table, her mouth open as she stared; giggling slightly when Mark snorted.
"Hope, see how I'm working on his knee?" When Hope nodded, River smiled. "This is where the pain is." She pressed her thumb and middle finger against his inner thigh, watching as Mark grabbed his shoulder. "And now it's there."
Deciding it was best to keep quiet and endure the agony before she killed any vital parts, Mark just stifled his groan of pain. When River had finished torturing him, he said goodbye and then patted Hope's head when she demanded he come back to see her. "You can count on it, little darlin'." He rumbled, flashing her a smile before walking out.
***
"Dad, that was soooo boring!" Hope said at the end of the night, hyper and tired all rolled into one. "Mom did nothing but work! Except when she fell off of Mark's lap, that was pretty funny." She began giggling, waving her arms in the air and mimed falling.
River paled at the look on Shawn's face. "I wasn't on his lap, I was straddling-" She groaned when he arched an eyebrow. "His calves!"
"For what reason?" He was keeping the anger out of his tone, though his eyes were another matter entirely. "River?" Shawn watched as she began turning red, shaking his head and wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders. "Tomorrow I'm talking to Stephanie." He stated, his tone final as he watched their daughter running ahead of them. "Hope! Stay with us."
A bright side though, Hope would report everything River did.
"Talking to her about what? Me doing my job?" River sighed, knowing there was no changing his mind. "Shawn, I've been -Hope, put that down- working on the guy since I got here and his knee has improved, I don't think she's -HOPE!"
"I was just looking..." Hope trailed off guiltily, closing the door she had been about to peek through.
"That's the BOYS locker room."
"Eww."
"You let me worry about it." He said flatly, watching Hope backing away from the door. Next he was sighing, Paul was jogging towards them. "Where's the damn fire?"
"Shawn, I-"
"Sweetheart, there you are." Stephanie's deceptively sweet voice rang from behind him. Smiling, she took his forearm. "Come with me, I need to talk to you." Winking over her shoulder at Shawn and River, she shoved her husband into her office. "What the HELL do you think you're doing?"
"Telling Shawn that Austin is coming on the road?"
"That information is confidential, Paul. You will keep it to yourself or find a new wife." She threatened, blue eyes cold. "Are we clear."
He could only stare at her.