Not much happens once Mike and AJ return home from Ricardo and Alicia's. They spend a quiet day at home before he has to fly out for Smackdown and the rest of WWE's holiday tour, which sees him getting harassed by Renee Young and Dean Ambrose and wrestling Ziggler more times than he'd care to admit, before he returns home, sore and a little grumpy from the repetitive matches and too often losses- thankfully in non-title matches, but still. Cage matches are no jokes either.
A nap and some thick sandwiches full of ham and turkey later and he feels more like himself, amazed to find that it's almost half way through New Years Eve already. He lifts Sara and shows her the TV, where Times Square is hosting tens of thousands of people all eagerly waiting the ball to drop and a new year to begin. She waves her little hands and stares wide eyed at the picture before her eyes, gnawing lazily on her teddy bear's paw until Mike notices and finds her teething ring, gently pressing it into her mouth and saving the stuffed animal.
AJ joins him with glasses of sparkling grape juice and he smiles at her, sipping at it while they snack on crackers and dip, Sara's eyes fluttering shut as she falls asleep in his arms. "Aw, she came so close to making it to midnight," he pouts, smoothing her shirt down and kissing her soft cheek. When AJ reaches for her, he shakes his head and stands up, baby held safely in his arms. "I've got this, I don't get to put her to bed often enough as it is." He leans over to kiss AJ before walking into the nursery. Pressing a button to play music softly, he lays the baby down on her back and smooths his hand through her soft, thick brown hair. "You're gonna be as stunning as your mommy, aren't you?" he asks, smiling. "My eyes, her hair. Yeah... you're gonna be such the looker, I'm gonna have to clothesline anyone who comes near you." He rests his hand on her tummy and rubs gently, watching her sleep on peacefully. "I love you, Sara Lou."
He returns to AJ's side and wraps an arm around her, drawing her into his warmth. As soon as the ball drops, she shifts and straddles him, cupping his face and kissing him slowly. "I love you," he tells her, eyes gleaming in the faint glow of the TV. "And I can't wait to make this year even better than the last."
"I'm not sure how you're planning on managing that," she giggles. "Considering we had Sara last year, and my book came together, and everything's been so perfect, but..." She presses a finger to his bottom lip, staring at his mouth intently. "I can't wait to see what you do..." She kisses him anew, teasing him with her tongue, and he groans, hand splayed along her lower back as he holds her close. "I love you so much. Happy New Year, husband."
He sighs, fingers massaging against her warm skin, and he smiles. "Happy New Year, sweetheart."