Stephanie woke early, filled with nervous butterflies. What if Chris's parents hated her? What if his friends hated her too? She wouldn't fit in, everyone would hate her. She'd never done the big family get together before. Vince, Linda and Shane usually slept late as the result of some Christmas Eve party, so Stephanie had the morning to herself, then they had lunch together and unwrapped presents. During the afternoon, Shane would either head off to hang out with the Posse, while Vince and Linda prepared for some charity Christmas event. Stephanie usually had friends around for a small get together, or watched old movies on TV. Last year she and Joey had done something special Christmas Night - funny, now she couldn't even remember what it was. It had never bothered her before, growing up in that kind of world, she had thought it completely normal.

There was soft knock on her door. "Steph." called Chris gently. "You awake?"

"Yeah, I didn't sleep well." Stephanie replied. Chris heard the nervousness in her voice and called "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Stephanie replied. Chris came in and sat on the bed, looking dishevelled. "What's wrong?"

"Chris, I can't do this. Go home for Christmas and leave me here." She said, fidding with the hem of the blanket. Chris covered Stephanie's hand with his own. "No fucking way. Steph, I know you've probably never experienced like this before - actually I doubt many people have ever experienced anything like a Jericho family Christmas. But don't be afraid of either my friends or family. If nothing else, my family will treat you civilly and be polite out of respect to me. My friends will do the same - their girlfriends are another matter."

"Oh joy." muttered Stephanie. She turned the puppy dog look on Chris. "Any chance of me staying here?"

"No chance in hell." Chris replied. He grabbed Stephanie by the wrists. "Now hustle into the shower, or we'll be running late and have to share one."

Stephanie was saved from having to reply by a loud knock on the front door. "Yo, Christopher! Let us in!" A male voice called. "We need coffee! Urgently! Unless you want an unconscious couple outside your front door."

"They're here." observed Chris with a smile. He dragged Stephanie out of bed and pushed her in the direction of the shower, before unlocking the door. Two blonde men and a young woman with bright red hair entered the house. One of the blondes and the woman sat at the table. "Edge, Christain, Lydia."

"Urg. Euh, aurg gluh." Lydia grunted, putting her head on the table. Chris raised an eyebrow at Christain. "What was that?"

"I think it was 'Hi, Give me coffee." Christain explained with a smile. "Either that or 'Screw this, I'm goin back to sleep.' Is the coffee ready?"

"Yeah, first thing I did when I woke up." Chris laughed, getting out 5 mugs. "Where's Integra?"

"She's sleeping in the car." yawned Edge. "She slept in her clothes last night, so instead of waking her I just carried her down to the car and strapped her in." A grin crossed his face. "So where's the little Princess you've been raving on about?"

"In the shower." Chris answered. Lydia took a sip of coffee and raised an eyebrow at Chris. "Um... Whaer?"

"Why aren't you with her?" translated Christian. Chris made himself some pancakes. "Cause it's not that kind of relationship."

"Bummer." Edge remarked. I'm not going there, not right now! thought Chris urgently. Lydia smirked at the expression on his face and spoke her first coherent sentence for the day. "I can talk to her if you want?"

"I've heard about your legendary matchmaking skills Lydia. But no. This is one thing I have to do on my own. Got it?" Chris said sternly. She nodded. "Got it."

"I mean it!"

"So do I!" They glared at each other, standing nose to nose. Christian pulled Lydia onto his lap. "Settle down. Just keep your nose out of this one ok? It's not gonna kill you."

"DAMNIT STEPHANIE WILL YOU GET OUT OF THE SHOWER ALREADY?" yelled Chris storming down to the bathroom.

"Think I pissed him off?" Lydia asked worriedly. Edge shook his head. "He'll get over it. He's just a little.. you know."

"In love?" Lydia asked with a smile. Edge shrugged. "I was gonna go with sexually frustrated, but that works too."

"I HEARD THAT!" Came a yell from the bathroom. Stephanie came into kitchen, heading straight for the coffee. "Hey."

"Hi, you're Stephanie?" stated Lydia with a smile. Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, I am. And you are...?"

"God, the dumb oaf didn't even bother.." muttered Christian. Edge slapped him over the back of the head. "Be nice. I'm Edge, this is my little brother Christian and this is his girlfriend Lydia."

"Hi." Stephanie smiled at them. They grinned back and Christian shook Stephanie's hand. "Nice to meet you."

The women talked while Edge & Christain loaded up the car, which they'd left the still sleeping Integra guarding. By the time Chris was done with the shower, they were ready to leave. The car was an old mini van, originally black but now with splotches of different colours. Stephanie stared at it in astonishment. Chris just laughed. "Where the hell did you get this?"

"It was leant to us by a friend of Lydia's." explained Edge, grinning. Stephanie had never met anyone with such an amazing grin or who grinned so much. "Vanessa left it at a paintball place for a few months, rather than just painting it herself. She's a weird one that's for sure."

"Hey, can I insult my own friends please?" Lydia threw one of her shoes at Edge. He reached up and placed it on the roof of the car. Christian rolled his eyes and took it back. "Are you two gonna fight the whole trip?"

"Yeah more than likely." replied Lydia, jumping on Edge's back. "Now piggy back me bitch."

"Who are you calling a bitch, bitch?" Edge grabbed Lydia's legs and spun her around in circles. "I'm calling you a bitch, bitch. Now bitch, Did you just call me a bitch?"

"Yes, bitch, I did call you a -"

"Cut it out! If you two are going to do this the whole way, then one of you will have to find another mode of transport." Christian glared at them with his arms crossed. Stephanie was a little concerned, but Chris winked at her and rolled his eyes, giving her the impression that this sort of behaviour was quite normal for Edge and Lydia. Edge poked his tongue out at his brother's girlfriend. "See? Be nice or you're walking to Toronto."

"Excuse me?" Christain wrapped his arms around Lydia's waist. He jokingly glared at his brother. "You'll be the one without a ride. If Lydia goes then I have no one to make out with things get boring."

"No making out before midday!" Chris laid down the law as he shut the back of the van. "Now can we get on the road? Cause you guys have to get home after you drop me and Steph off. And I doubt your mother will be impressed if you tell her that Lydia and Edge were fighting again."

"Then who's driving?" Stephanie asked curiously. She looked in one of the windows. A dark haired woman was leaning against the window on the other side, sleeping. Edge grinned again. "That's my woman, Integra. 'Not a morning person' doesn't even begin to describe it. Watch."

He climbed into the van, shook Integra's shoulder and said "Wake up babe, we're at Chris's place and there's someone for you to meet." She muttered something and turned away from Edge, who shook her again. "Babe, wake up!"

This went on for about 5 minutes. Suddenly, she sat up, looked Edge straight in the eye and screamed "PISS OFF IT'S TOO EARLY AND I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" then gave a Edge quick kiss, before curling back up and going back to sleep. Lydia cracked up laughing. "You shoulda known better. Your brother does."

"I should've. And why would he be waking up my woman so early?"

"Don't start bitch." Lydia looked ready for a fight. They were interrupted by a shout from Neesya. "Lionheart! Is that your ride?"

"Lionheart?" snickered Christian. Lydia placed her hand over his mouth and glared at Edge, who wisely decided to remain silent. Chris grinned at Neesya. "It's a piece of shit I know. And it doesn't belong to any of us, I'm pleased to say."

"Hey!" Lydia got offended on behalf of the absent Vanessa. Stephanie tried not to laugh as Neesya looked offended by the mirth of the others. "Well there were some thugs hanging around, looking like they were ready to steal it -"

"Who'd want it?" muttered Christain under his breath. Lydia hit him on the arm and then decided the best way to keep him quiet was to kiss him into silence. Chris rolled his eyes. "No making out before midday! What happened Neesya?"

"Sable somehow figured out that these three were friends of yours, so in true Sable fashion offered to give away for free what we make everyone else pay for." Neesya rolled her eyes. "Paulie's gonna kick her ass."

"Thank her for me and tell her I owe her one." Chris said gratefully. Stephanie clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes at Chris, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Neesya or Lydia. They shared a grin, then Lydia shrieked as Christain lifted her into the air. "We've gotta get going. I bags the back seat!"

"You can't!" replied Edge, climbing into the van. Christain glared at him. "Why not?"

"Cause Integra's asleep in there!" He grinned at his little brother. Lydia jumped into the fray. "But she's asleep!"

"And you two have to keep your mitts off each other till midday!"

"That does it!" Lydia lunged at Edge, but Christain grabbed her around the waist and warned "OK OK, you two get the back seat till Integra wakes up, but after that it's ours and believe me, you'll regret not letting us have it earlier."

"I take it that means I'm driving the first leg? And Stephanie's riding shotgun?" Chris asked as Edge settled in next to his sleeping girlfriend. Lydia laughed. "No offence Chris, but I'm looking forwards to this New Years Party. And I'd like to get there in one piece. No offence Steph."

"None taken.. I think." Stephanie laughed as she climbed into the front passenger seat. Grumbling, Christain and Lydia climbed into the middle seats, where Lydia fell asleep almost immediately. Christain laughed at Stephanie's look of amazement and explained "Caffine's worn off."

Laughing, Stephanie swung herself up into the van next Chris. He looked over and grinned. "Ready for this?"

"Not really." She replied honestly. "But it's not like I have a choice is it?"

"Not with me behind the wheel you don't." Chris laughed, pulling out of the no parking space Christain had parked the van in. Stephanie felt the butterflies again. There was no turning back now.

"38 bottles of beer on the wall, 38 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around -"

"Godamnit Lydia will you shut up!" shouted Integra. Lydia grinned at her smugly. "Can I have a smoke stop?"

"No." Chris said firmly. "We're running late as it is."

"In that case - take one down pass it around, 38 bottles of beer on the wall. 37 bottles of beer on the wall, 37 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around 37 bottles of beer on the wall, 36 bottles of beer on the wall, 38 bottles of beer -" Lydia's singing was cut off by the squeal of brakes as Edge pulled the van over. "I know we agreed that we weren't gonna stop just so Lydia can work on getting lung cancer, but I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

"Thank you Edge." Lydia replied smugly, climbing out of the car. Christian stood beside her. "Honey, you know I hate watching you do that."

"Yeah. And you know I hate watching you wrestle, but I still do that too." retorted Lydia as she inhaled happily. Stephanie looked from Christain to Edge to Chris with a raised eyebrow. Wrestling. Of course. She wasn't surprised, but at the same time she was shocked. Wrestling training. She should have know. She noticed Chris was watching her worriedly. She grinned at him, but he could tell it was a strained on. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We'll talk about it ok?" He whispered, stepping close next to her. Stephanie glanced at him quickly, mind spinning. This was a new development and not neccesarily a positive one. She watched blankly as Lydia and Christain took over the back seat and Edge climbed back into the drivers seat. Now, more than ever, she wished she'd convinced Chris to let her stay at home.

"Coming Steph?" Integra called as she settled into her seat after giving Edge a long passionate kiss that had even Lydia and Christain ready to throw a bucket of water on them. Stephanie snapped out of her thoughts and got into the van, kicking Chris out of the window seat, before they got back on the road. Chris was the last person in the world she wanted to talk to right now. Conversation with Lydia and Christain was out of the question, judging by the noises coming from behind her and Edge and Integra were in the middle of planning chaos for Christmas Day.

Stephanie stared out the window, not seeing the landscape as she leaned back in her seat, barely noticing that Chris had stretched his arm across the back of it. So, he wanted to be a wrestler? She could help him, that much she knew. Go back to Sabine's, call Vince, mention that she'd been to some wrestling matches with a couple of friends and that she'd seen someone with some real potential. But knowing Chris as well as she did, she knew that he'd probably never speak to her again if he thought that she'd had any influence over Vince's decision to hire him.

Did Chris have any idea who she really was? All she'd told him about herself was that she'd come from a wealthy family who had sent her away to live with her aunt after getting accused of smoking pot at a party. She couldn't handle living with her aunt and had taken to the streets. Luckily for her, Sabine had given her a valid reason for wanting to run away. Did he know that she was the only daughter of the man who had made pro wrestling the business it was today? Was that why he had taken her in so readily? Stephanie's mind was spinning. She closed her eyes and fell asleep instantly.

Chris smiled as he watched Stephanie sleep. God, she was amazing. It couldn't have been easy leaving a privileged background to go onto the streets. He wondered what had happened at her aunts place to make her leave. He hoped that nobody had hurt her or threatened her. If they did and Chris found out who it was he'd kill them with his bare hands.

A smile crossed his face as Stephanie shifted in her sleep, moving so that her head rested on his shoulder. He moved his arm from the back of the seat so that it was wrapped around her shoulders. Chris wondered about Stephanie's reaction to Lydia's wrestling comment. She had looked a little shocked, then resigned. He hoped she wasn't one of those people that had a prejudice against wrestling and wrestlers. Hopefully they could work it out if she was. If they couldn't then... Chris didn't know what he'd do if Steph walked out on him because of his ambitions to be a wrestler.

~If Steph walked out on me?~ he thought in some confusion. ~She can't walk out on me cause... oh who am I kidding? I'm not fooling anyone else, I may as well stop trying to fool myself.~

"Denial isn't just a river in Egypt you know Chris." A cheerful voice broke into his thoughts. Chris spun around to see Lydia grinning like the cat who ate the canary. "You two finished?"

"Well, I've no problem with PDA's but you can only go so far when you've got a car load of people listening. Especially when one's your older brother." Christain laughed, as Lydia snuggled up to him. Chris rolled his eyes. "If you have a point than get to it, quickly."

"When are you gonna tell her?" Integra turned around from the front seat and looked at Chris. He looked back in confusion. "Tell her what?"

"Oh god." Integra and Lydia shared a look. Christain laughed. "Now you're in for it!"

"In for what? What have I done?" Chris was confused. Edge started laughing in the drivers seat. "Go easy on him babe. Remember - if it can be done, blame Lydia."

"I'll deal with you later. There's more important matters to deal with." Lydia said as she threw an empty can of Coke at Edge's head. "Chris, why don't you just tell her you love her?"

"Because.." Chris's voice trailed off. He really couldn't think of anything to say. Lydia and Integra swapped another look. "For what it's worth, I think the feeling is mutual."

"What the hell makes you say that?" Chris exclaimed, looking shocked. Integra grinned. "A woman knows these things."

Chris was saved by answering by a cheer from Edge. "Thank god, we're at the airport. We'll pick you up here on New Years Eve, we'll party and the day after New Years we'll do the road trip thing again to get home."

On the Plane

"Steph, are you ok?" Chris asked for what seemed like the millionth time. Stephanie rolled her eyes and snapped "I'll be fine as soon as you stop asking me that!"

"Jesus, I'm just worried about you!" Chris replied, offended. "Can't I worry about someone I lo- care about?"

There was a silence in which Stephanie mentally berated herself for being such a bitch and Chris mentally kicked himself in the ass for nearly saying 'Someone I love." Luckily Steph was too preoccupied to notice the near slip. After a few minutes, Chris felt Stephanie's hand cover his. "I'm sorry. I'm just nervous about meeting your parents."

"Don't be." Chris turned his hand over and squeezed Stephanie's. "Mom is wonderful. I know I made her sound like a bitch, but that's just cause she's worried about you ripping off her little boy. Dad'll either spend the whole day sleeping or just sitting in the corner watching the madness."

"You've referred to Christmas Day at your place as an asylum, then you told me I had to wear that outfit of leggings and the shirt because it will be comfortable." Stephanie looked at Chris with a little smile. "Now fess up. What's going on?"

"Well, we do the big family get together... there's me, my brothers, Anthony and Michael, my sister Louisa, Mom and Dad, Mom's sister's Julia and Simone, Julia's husband, the kids, plus Dad's brother and sister, and their families. It's a madhouse. I think you'll enjoy yourself." Chris said with a grin. "Last year there was a food fight and then we played in the snow for a few hours. I ended up with Jonathan and Sam - they're my cousins - pinning me to the ground and stuffing snowballs down my pants."

"Wonderful." Stephanie rolled her eyes. "I can imagine what's gonna happen to me then. So how should I act?"

"Steph! This isn't an audition! Just be your usual charming self!" Chris exclaimed. "Look, my brothers and I have brought friends home for Christmas before and there have some worse characters than you involved. One guy that Anthony brought home one year got busted trying to steal the Christmas presents on Christmas Eve."

"That's gotta suck." Stephanie said sympathetically. Her face lit up. "We're about to land. This is one of my two favourite things about flying."

"What's the other?" asked Chris curiously. Stephanie grinned. "Take off."

Chris laughed and grabbed the bags from the overhead compartment. "Ready?"

"No. Can I just stay on the plane?" Steph pleaded. Chris shook his head. "Come on. Michael's meeting us at the airport McDonalds."

~~~~~

"That was great Mom." Louisa complimented his mother, Janelle Jericho. She smiled. "Thank you honey. Has everyone had enough? Michael? Anthony? Christopher? Stephanie?"

"I couldn't eat another bite, thank you Mrs Jericho, that was an amazing meal." Stephanie replied with a smile. She hadn't had a meal like that since before the party. She and Chris had eaten decent meals, but they had always been cheap and easy to prepare, due to lack of money for gourmet cooking and equipment to make anything fancy. Chris started to say something, but Louisa kicked him under the table as Steph added "Would you like any help cleaning up?"

"That would be wonderful thank you." Janelle looked at her four kids sternly. "She's only been in the house for 3 hours and already she's doing more than any of you lot who live here do."

Laughing, Stephanie cleared the table and under Janelle's guidance, scraped the plates clean. As she was drying up, Stephanie said "Thank you so much for having for Christmas. I really do hope that I'm not intruding or causing any inconvenience. I told Chris that I didn't mind spending Christmas back at the flat alone, but he wouldn't hear of it."

"The Jericho trademark is stubbornness, but Chris has it the worst. Tell him he can't do something, and he just become more determined to do it." Janelle told Stephanie with a smile. Despite herself, she had warmed up to the young brunette, especially after noticing the way Chris looked at her when he thought nobody was watching. Stephanie laughed as she put some clean glasses away. "I've noticed that over the past couple of months."

"I have to admit, I wasn't keen when Chris asked if he could bring an extra for the holidays." Janelle confessed as she passed Stephanie a plate. "When the boys were children, we didn't mind have extra kids around, it just made things more fun. But that was back when people were a lot more trusting and had better reasons to be. Unfortunately the change of that hasn't curbed Chris's tendances to - no offence dear - take in a stray."

"None taken." Stephanie reassured her, wondering if Janelle knew the circumstances under which she and Chris had begun flatting together. Janelle sighed, and sat on the bench watching Stephanie finish up the dishes. "Chris has been ripped off a few times by those he's attempted to help. I'm very protective of my three boys and my daughter. Too protective if you ask Louisa. But just by watching you this evening, I can tell that if you wanted money, all you had to do was go back to whatever you ran from. I'm not sure why Steph, but I like you. Call it a mother's instincts. I think you're good for Chris and hopefully, you won't break his heart. Of course, if you do, Louisa will be after you with whatever weapons - legal or illegal, definitely fatal she can get her hands on." Janelle patted Stephanie on the shoulder and laughed. "So, tell me honestly - can Chris cook, or does he microwave?"

Meanwhile, in the lounge room, Louisa and Michael were putting Chris through an interrogation on Stephanie. "So are you two a couple?"

"No!" said Chris in exasperation. "Why does everyone keep asking that?"

"Because there's definitely something between you two." Louisa said knowingly. Michael smirked "Your not a couple. Bonking buddies?"

"No! Damnit man, show a little more respect for a lady than that!" Chris advanced on his older brother, ready to hit him. Louisa grabbed Chris's arm. "Settle down."

"Since when did you associate with ladies?" teased Anthony, coming into the room. "I mean, no offence bro, but you live in a shitty area. Mom would have a heart attack if she knew what kind've people you associate with."

"Tone, their just people who live in the same apartment block I do. If your talking about the girls out the front, they're not necessarily the most reputable characters, but some of em are nice enough." Chris thought of Modina and Neesya. Nice women who'd gotten caught up in the wrong game and couldn't imagine any other way of living now. Michael and Anthony shared a glance. "Chris, I know you wanna wrestle man, but is it worth it?"

"Yeah." Chris replied without hesitation. Louisa looked surprised at his conviction. "How?"

He answered his sister without thinking. "Because I wouldn't have met Steph otherwise."

~~~~

Janelle watched as Chris and Stephanie tiptoed up the stairs after seeing a late movie with Louisa and her boyfriend. They stood outside the door of the room Stephanie was sharing with Louisa for the holidays, talking quietly. Janelle smiled as they hugged, then grinned as Chris brushed a lock of hair off Stephanie's face. It was all she could do to keep from cheering when Stephanie leaned up and kissed Chris on the cheek, before saying goodnight and slipping into the bedroom.