"Have you settled on a name yet honey?" asked Linda, pouring Steph a glass of water. She nodded. "Christina Rose."

"Oh, I like that!" exclaimed Shane. "What if it's a boy?"

"I haven't actually thought about that." Stephanie confessed with a laugh. She glanced down at her belly. "I'm certain that it's a girl."

"But you should still think of something, just in case." insisted Marissa.

"Personally I think Vincent McMahon the 4th has a nice ring to it."

Stephanie looked at her father with a smile. He'd reluctantly given in, realising that nothing would be able to change his daughters mind on this. Until a few days ago, he'd avoided referring directly to Stephanie's pregnancy and had ignored his daughter as much as possible, an arrangement that suited them both. A few days ago however, Vince had come into the room where Stephanie was playing the video of her latest ultrasound for Marissa and Shane. Since then, he had become the model figure of an excited grandfather to be.

Shane laughed. "You're dreaming Dad. Kids these days have trendy names, like Turbulence or Rainbow."

"Stephanie you cannot call my grandson that!" cried Linda in horror. Stephanie laughed and rested a hand on her belly. "I hate to disappoint everyone, but I don't think it's going to be a boy."

"You don't know that for a fact." pointed out Vince. Linda smiled at her daughter. "I bet she's right though. I knew when I was pregnant what sex these two were gonna be. So how have you been feeling lately?"

"Mainly tired. My back's a little sore so I'm glad to lay down at night and go to sleep, but then this one decides she's getting claustraphobic and wants to get out. She doesn't realise that she can't claw her way out through here." Stephanie patted the front of her stomach. Linda laughed. "You were exactly the same way. You think it's bad because you've only gotten a few hours sleep this week? You're not going to get a decent nights sleep for at least 6 months."

"Thank you Mother. Very reassuring." Stephanie's yawn turned into a wince as her stomach tightened. She stood up gingerly. "I think I may go lay down for a bit. Excuse me."

She slowly made her way up the staircase, pausing halfway to catch her breath. Linda watched with a smile and leaned over to Vince. "We're going to be grandparents fairly soon."

"No kidding. She is at eight and a half months Linda." Vince replied, rolling his eyes. Linda laughed. "I mean within the next few days."

~~~~

Stephanie shifted uncomfortably. Her back had been sore for at least a week and her ankles were swollen. To top it off, she was dying for a large plate of apple slices covered in mozzarella. She winced as her stomach tightened again and the realisation came to her - her labour had started.

~~~

In L.A. Chris Jericho tossed and turned restlessly. He should have been tired. His back had been sore for the past two weeks without relief and now he was getting severe stomach cramps.

He thought about Stephanie and as he did came the knowledge that where ever she was now and whatever she was doing, she was thinking of him and needed him at her side.

And it cut him to shreds that he couldn't be there.

~~~

"How far apart are the contractions?"

"20 Minutes." replied Stephanie, settling herself into the bed. Dr Shaw nodded. "Get comfortable there honey, cause you'll be here for a while. Is this your first child?"

"Yes." A searing pain ripped through her. "And last."

Dr Shaw smiled indulgently, having heard the same sentiments from first-time mothers before. "Will the father be here for the birth?"

"No." Stephanie said quietly shooting an angry glare at her father. "We're no longer together."

~~~

Chris searched frantically through his bags. At last, his fingers closed around what he was searching for and he gingerly pulled out a small box the size of a petty cash tin that Lydia had given to him not long after his WCW debut.

"It's a memory box." She'd explained noticing the confused look on his face. "You put things in it that have special memories. Like stuff that cheers you up and then when you get lonely on the road, you can look through it and feel better."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Chris had protested at the time, but now it made perfect sense.

Opening the box, the first thing he saw was a picture of him and Stephanie, sitting in Big Bertha. They were laughing at something and with a sigh, Chris remembered those holidays.

Unfortunately, his reminiscing was cut short as another cramp hit his body.

~~~

"Contractions are down to 3 minutes!" shouted a nurse. Dr Shaw smiled. "Ok, Stephanie this is what the past 9 months have been leading up to. Who do you want to stay with you?"

Linda looked at the death grip her daughter hand on her hand. "I think I will be."

"Ok, Mr McMahon, you'll have to join your son and daughter in law outside." ordered Dr Shaw. Vince left gratefully. It was one thing to watch your wife go through childbirth, another thing entirely seeing your only daughter go through it.

"She's at 7cm!"

"Mom..." moaned Stephanie quietly through the haze of pain. "Where's Chris? He should be here... I need him here with me now.. Get Daddy to find Chris.. if anyone can do it Daddy can."

"We've got 8 centimetres people! Stephanie can you hear me?

"Uh-huh."

"Good. How you feeling?"

"OH MY GOD!" cried Stephanie in pain as another contraction hit. Dr Shaw hid a smile. "Ok, I need you to do something for me. PUSH!"

~~~

Chris groaned in pain. The stomach cramps had steadily increased until there was constant agony. He curled up in the foetal position, still thinking of Stephanie through the haze of pain.

"I'm with you baby." he whispered. "What ever it is, you're not alone ok?"

He got the distinct impression that she'd somehow received the message as a white hot pain took over his body, then there was nothing.

~~~~

"Congratulations Stephanie. It's a girl."

~~~~

"You have no idea."

~~~

Stephanie woke with a start. The dream had been so real, she could almost feel Chris in the room with her. She smiled sadly, then with a sigh, turned towards the crib that had been placed next to her bed. It was empty.

"Mom?" She asked in confusion. "Where's Christina?"

"Oh baby." Linda said sadly, leaning forwards and taking Stephanie's hand in hers. "I think it's best if Dr Shaw -"

"Stephanie." Dr Shaw stepped into the room. Steph sat up. "Where's my daughter?"

"There were some complications. You lost concisness shortly after delivery. While you were being treated, it was noticed that your daughter had stopped breathing and was turning blue. We tried to revie her, but..." She trailed off. "We discovered a large hole in her left lung. Stephanie, I'm sorry, but..."

The doctors words didn't sink in for a long minute. Linda clutched her daughter's hand as it registered and an anguished scream filled the room.

~~~

On the other side of the country, Chris Jericho awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed, his heart pounding. A deep sense of grief and sorrow settled over him and for reasons he didn't understand, his eyes filled with tears.