"Are you happy to be here tonight?"
"Of course," Stephanie said, looping her arm through Chris's as they walked. "I'm just glad the show was close enough to come tonight. I've missed it around here."
"It's missed you," Chris told her affectionately. "I think you still have your fingerprints all over the place though."
"I do still work here," she said, pressing her hand to her stomach. "I just work from home. But man, I have missed this buzz around here. There's really nothing like it, but I guess for the people watching this, they kind of get it since they're probably fans since they have this channel, unless we somehow become wildly popular."
"Speak for yourself," Chris interjected with a smarmy-looking smile. "Some of us were already wildly popular even before this show airs. Maybe you need it to boost your popularity and the kids have none so they might need the boost."
"I just hope neither one of these two inherit any of that," Stephanie threw her thumb in Chris's direction. "I don't think I could handle three egos in my house."
"Excuse me, look who's talking," Chris said as they turned into their private locker room for the evening, the cameras following them inside. "She acts like she's just the most perfect person the planet, but I know that's not true."
"Do you really want to get on the bad side of the woman carrying your two children?" Stephanie asked jokingly. "Because if I were a betting woman, I wouldn't take that bet, just a thought, you know."
"Duly noted," Chris made a face towards the camera. "Okay, I've got to pick up a schedule and a script, you going to be okay here by yourself?"
"Yeah, because I'm by myself with all the cameras pretty much up my nose," Stephanie gestured towards the cameramen, who looked around their camera and made a face at her. "Not like I don't appreciate the company, guys, but seriously, you don't need to get up in my face."
"Well, I'll see you later then," Chris gave her a short wave and then left the room. No cameras followed him and instead focused on Stephanie, who wasn't doing anything at the moment.
"I'm guessing this shot is going to make the cutting room floor," she said as she examined her nails. "I'm not really doing anything, guys, you could cut out the cameras and go get something to eat or something. I'm not going to spontaneously combust if you don't have the cameras on me and I swear I'm not really a figment of your imagination."
"We're at the show, we have to," Greg, one of the cameramen told her. "Just in case."
"Just in case what? I'm not about to go into labor, I'm barely six months pregnant, though I keep having people ask me when the babies are due because I'm so big. It's hard not to be self-conscious a little, don't film this, great, now everyone is going to know that I'm all self-conscious."
"We won't show it."
"Thank you," she said, "I'm kind of thirsty, I guess since you guys have to film my every move that I'll go get something to drink. Not that any one of you would actually help me, right?" Nobody responded, "That's what I thought."
"What have people's perceptions been about the babies?"
"Like people in general?" Stephanie asked.
"No, like the people in the company, the people you interact with on a daily basis at work. Have they said anything, done anything?"
"I think they know better," Stephanie chuckled. "I mean, when you're the boss's daughter, you're afforded some luxury, like not being talked about to my face or anywhere I can hear. I'm not entirely sure what people are saying since I'm not around much, but I have to imagine they've said stuff about us behind our backs. It's the nature of the business, any business really. I dare you to find anywhere in the country where people work and don't gossip."
"What kind of things do you think they're saying?"
"Hopefully nothing against my kids. They can talk about Chris and me all they want, I don't really care about that, but my kids are innocent in all of this. I guess they'd be talking about how Chris and I aren't together and how we insist that it wasn't some drunken one night stand, but that it probably was, but that's our business so it's no business of theirs."
"This is catering," Stephanie outstretched her arms in both directions. "I'm not sure if Chris took you here when you came to work with him, but this is probably the hub of activity before shows. You can see it right now with everyone pretty much in here. It's a place where people can talk and hang out and eat and so it draws everyone in. During shows, it's not a ghost town, but pretty close because everyone is doing something else."
Stephanie walked over to the big bucket of ice that held the water bottles. She plucked one out and then opened it. Before she could even get one sip, the Bellas and Barbie came up to her and nearly squealed in her ear.
"Oh my God, Stephanie, you look beautiful!" Nikki said.
"Um, thank you," Stephanie said slowly, looking at the cameras.
"I mean, you've got that like pregnant woman glow," Brie added, finishing her twin sister's thought. "You just look really good. Chris has been telling everyone that you're having a little boy and a little girl, that's so exciting."
When it came to her kids, Stephanie couldn't help herself. She and Chris were so excited now that they knew what they were having. It was like they became something tangible and names could now be freely discussed (though they hadn't touched extensively on the name issue yet). She was so proud of her babies and they hadn't even been born yet. She just hoped she didn't become one of those overbearing parents that her kids ended up hating.
"Thanks, it is pretty exciting. So Chris has been going around telling everyone?" Stephanie couldn't keep the smile off her face. She knew Chris was excited, but she like hearing about things like this.
She would never confess this to the cameras or to Chris, but she'd be remiss if she didn't sometimes fear that things would get too overwhelming for Chris. She knew that it was a conscious choice on his part to take the chance that night, that he said he would deal with what happened, would be there for her, but saying and doing are two totally different things. She'd been especially scared after the revelation of twins. It was one thing to have one child together, but then to have two thrust upon them, just like that. Chris had proven her wrong time and time again, but sometimes she wondered if the other shoe would drop.
She and Chris were both technically single and Chris was eventually going to want to be with someone and with two kids with another woman, would that make things difficult. Would he decide that his own happiness was more important and leave her with two children? She knew everyone saw this relatively ideal picture they put out, but there were still fears there, not that she would ever voice these fears.
"Yes," Barbie laughed, "I don't think anyone hasn't heard about it. He keeps going around announcing it to people who have already heard it, but it's endearing."
"I think he's more excited for the boy and worried about the girl," Stephanie joked, feeling a little more at ease.
"Well, he shouldn't, boys get into trouble too," Nikki said. "I bet Chris is going to be adorable with a little girl. Have you guys thought of any names yet?"
"Not really, no," Stephanie said, "I guess we're just waiting a little bit, coming up with names before we really discuss what we want to name them."
"You should let us throw you a baby shower," Barbie told her. "At least with the divas. We can do everything and hold it here when we're around or something, I mean, you can still travel, right?"
"Yeah, sort of, not very far though," she said. She was touched by the gesture, but, "I don't really need one though. It's really sweet of you to offer, but Chris and I-"
"It doesn't have to be because you need to get stuff or anything," Barbie said, "just because we like you and Chris and you're having twins, hey, it could be for anyone who wants to come, it could be open to everyone. Maybe we can tell everyone to just buy diapers, that's what my sister did for her second child. She already had everything she needed for the baby, but you can never have too many diapers and with you guys having twins, you'll need double the diapers."
"You guys…"
"We're going to do it," Brie nodded. "All you have to do is show up."
"Thank you," Stephanie said, feeling special right then. She knew that it could be considered sucking up because she was the boss, but they did seem genuine in their intentions and it was something nice to do and she couldn't begrudge them if they wanted to do something nice. Barbie was right too, they could never have enough diapers for the babies so at the very least, they'd get a lot of those and she'd read that the first couple weeks you're pretty much holed up in the house anyways and with twins, it must be even worse. It'd be nice not to have to worry about one thing during that time.
"Great," all three of them said in unison, obviously excited over the prospect of throwing a party. They all hugged Stephanie and she shrugged at the cameras when they were gone.
"I think it's really cool they want to hold a party," Chris said as he looked at Stephanie. "It's sweet of them."
"It is, I agree," Stephanie nodded. "I just don't know when they plan on having it because I'm not real big on the traveling thing right now."
"Even if you can't go, I can go in your place," he told with a wink.
"Don't you think that's kind of weird?" she laughed. "I mean, there you are, pretending to be me or something, cooing over baby things?"
"I can do that, they're my babies too," he patted her stomach. "Man, I wish they would kick you harder though. I want to feel them more."
"They don't have a lot of room so they can't move that much."
"Well, they should anyways."
"My insides are thankful that they don't. I can't wait for them to get out of there even though I know that I still have months left, but still, my stomach feels like a bowling ball is sitting in it. Wait, how did we get so far off-topic?"
"I'm not sure," Chris laughed, "but yes, a party would be great."
Stephanie walked back down the hallway and saw Chris talking to a woman he didn't know. She was young, younger than Stephanie it seemed and she was pretty. Stephanie didn't dwell on it because the cameras were there and so she just turned and walked back to her locker room for the evening, drinking her water and sitting around. "Really, you guys, I'm not going to be doing anything, you can turn the cameras off and take a break, you must be hungry, right?"
"I am a little hungry," Barney said.
"Go get food," she insisted, "I swear, if anything even remotely interesting happens, then I'll recreate it when you get back, I promise."
"Okay, but don't do anything while we're gone," Greg said.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," she told them and watched as they left. It was only a few minutes later that Chris came back in, his head down and reading the script in his hand. "Hey there."
"Oh hey," he said, looking up at her. "I was just reading this promo they wrote for Ted DiBiase, hilarious. I don't even know who comes up with this…unless it was you, in which case, brilliant."
"No, not me," she said, then furrowed her brow, "Chris, you know, if you want to date you can. We're not together so you can go out with whomever you want."
"Yeah, I know, what's that got to do with anything?" he asked.
"She's really pretty."
"Who is really pretty?" he wondered confusedly.
"That girl you were talking to just now, I went to get water and saw you talking and she's really pretty and if you want to go out with someone, I won't be angry with you or upset or anything," she told him and she was being mostly truthful. Part of her hated him because he could go out and not look like he swallowed a beach ball. Evidence of their coupling was written all over her.
"You mean…the girl that was asking where she could find the bathroom?" Chris laughed.
"Oh," Stephanie said awkwardly, then laughed at herself. "I'm sorry, I just…I figured…I don't know, you haven't been out with anyone since before we were even together and I just thought maybe you were…I don't know, needing…um, stuff."
"Where are the cameras when you need them?" Chris kidded. "The one time Stephanie McMahon could be totally rendered speechless, this is something that needs to be documented."
"Shut up, I'm just looking out for your well-being."
"My well-being is well looked after, thank you."
"Have you thought about dating?"
"I guess, but right now, I really don't feel like it," Chris interviewed. "I don't know, I guess it would make me feel bad because Stephanie would be stuck at home with the babies and everything. It just feels selfish."
"She doesn't seem to mind though, she's said that she doesn't mind if you did."
"I mind though," Chris shrugged. "I don't know, it just doesn't feel right, right now. Maybe after the babies come or something, but then I'll probably be too busy…someday, I guess."
"Have you ever entertained the thought of you and Stephanie together?"
Chris chuckled, "Don't tell her, but occasionally it makes sense, what with us having a baby. But then, getting together just because we have kids, that's not the way I want to live or the way either one of us deserves to live."
"So you're absolutely ruling out the idea of you and Stephanie."
"Well, I guess I am."