Alyssa walked briskly behind her father as he stuffed papers into his briefcase to head off for work. It was Thanksgiving Day and of course they were in the hotel. Ever since her parents had split nine years earlier holidays were sparingly spent together if even celebrated. Her dad turned to kiss her on the forehead as he walked out.

"No, wait!" The short haired teenager attempted to stop her father one last time. "James!" Her father turned and glared at her. Sighing. "Dad, you know what I mean. Just stay, please?" The flurry of words came out louder than she wanted but it worked. James Sullivan's eyes narrowed and closed the gap between he and his daughter.

"Stop whining, I'll be back later," he said looking around before his blue orbs began blazing down into his daughters green ones. She went to open her mouth to protest but was halted. "You do this every time! Ever-single-time! You know I have to work!" Alyssa shrunk back, she wished she didn't still feel like she needed her father, but she did. She really did. James turned and walked away.

"I just want you to stay." Ugh, she felt pathetic saying that. James turned around one last time, but this time she retreated, he was pissed. He moved his face close to hers.

"Look, one more word and I'm sending you back to your mother for the break. Now can it, and go back to the room." Alyssa looked at him.

"It's 8 in the morning, you want me to stay in the room all day?" James was losing patience. He took his credit card out of his wallet and shoved it into her hand. Bending down he quickly kissed her forehead and ran into his limo before either of them could say another word. Alyssa stared at the door where her father had exited and sighed. He was always doing this to her…promising her the world and then bailing for work. "Jerk," she spat out bitterly.

"That must suck." Alyssa jolted back from the surprise of someone else talking.

"Huh? Uh yeah, but I'm used to it." John looked into the eyes of this indifferent girl. There was something about her that was off, he just couldn't place it. She was about 5'6 with short brown hair that came down just to her shoulders.

"So do I get a name?" Alyssa's mind was wandering.

"Uh yeah it's Alyssa. You?" John chuckled no one had asked him that in quite a long time.

"It's John, John Cena." Alyssa's eyes narrowed, could she be talking to the 'the' John Cena?

"Are you? Well um, him?" John smiled, she was really a cute kid.

"Yeah, I'm um him." Alyssa smiled.

"Well it was nice meeting you Mr. Cena, I better be going." John smiled.

"It's John and actually if you wouldn't mind I was just about to get some breakfast would you mind joining me?" Alyssa's mind took off. It did that often when a question required her to add in several pros and cons. Finally after a few delayed moments she answered.

"Um don't you have some family or someone else to have breakfast with?" Sadly he didn't, his flight was delayed due to weather and he wasn't going to be making it home for the holiday.

"Actually no. So?" Alyssa looked at her watch and shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" They walked into the hotel restaurant and were quickly seated. John shook his head, she looked so hurt by her lonely nature. They both ordered quickly and an awkward silence clouded over the table. Alyssa looked at John quickly and then looked down. John sensing this was going nowhere quickly decided to speak quickly.

"So was that your dad earlier?"

"Yup, sadly." Alyssa smiled as she didn't feel at all badly about how that came out.

"Um, I don't mean to pry, but is he always like that?" She scoffed.

"Only on a good day."

"Yikes."

"Yeah. So uh what about your family?" John shrugged.

"Four brothers a mom and a dad."

"You close with them?"

"Yeah I am. I love my brothers to death." Alyssa sighed. John shook his head, she clearly wanted what he had. Their food came out and they ate mostly in silence except for a few words here or there. Alyssa stood up.

"Well I um thanks for breakfast I um have some work to do." John looked at her curiously.

"Work? It's Thanksgiving." Alyssa shrugged sadly.

"Well you know how prep schools are." John raised his eyebrows.

"You go to a prep school?" She nodded.

"Yeah it's my parent's idea. Parents are too busy to mess with a kid year round." John sighed her words were laced with such pain. All he wanted to do was help her. Alyssa shook her head, he didn't need to know the details of her life.

"I went to prep school too." He was too late by the time the sentence was out Alyssa was away from the table and headed out the door.

"Well thanks though," she said as she dashed out of the restaurant. John paid and got up and walked out the very door she had just come. John sighed as he looked at the floor she dropped her dad's credit card on the ground. He smiled, that was how he'd find her.

It was nine thirty at night and Alyssa was losing her mind. She'd lost her dad's credit card. Oh man he was going to lose his mind. This would be bad and she didn't have anyone to run interference for her. She knew that he would probably be mad from earlier. She wanted to cry. The door opened and she took a deep breath.

"Hey sport."

"Hi Dad." Her dad walked over and kissed her forehead.

"How was your day?" Alyssa shrugged she knew James really didn't care. He was just making conversation.

"You have fun?" James looked at her like she had three heads. Alyssa shrank back, it seemed like nothing she ever said was the right thing. Seventeen years and she still hadn't got it right. "Yeah that was stupid sorry."

"So where's my card? You didn't max me out did you?" Alyssa paled. James's eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong with you?" Alyssa lowered her glare. "You better not have?" She took a deep breath here it comes.

John walked down the hallway towards room 624. It took about five minutes of flirting to get the attendant to give him the Sullivan's room number, but he had gotten it. Now to return this card. He went to knock on the door only to hear yelling.

What is wrong with you? Can you ever do anything right? He didn't hear any responses and assumed she was probably trying to wade these waters as best as she could.

You know what? Pack your bags your spending the rest of the break with your mother. I don't want to even look at you! Be ready to leave when I get back. John heard furious footsteps and before he could move the door burst open. He stared at a slightly shorter man with paler blue eyes than his own.

"What do you want?" Before John could speak James rolled his eyes and walked off. He didn't even bother to close the door behind him. John looked disgustedly down the hall and then timidly looked in the room. He found Alyssa sitting on the ground in the midst of a basically wrecked hotel room around him. She was crying slightly. John didn't know what to do in his life he'd had very few dealings with crying girls and he never wanted to deal with it. Now he was walking right into it.

"Alyssa?" She looked up timidly and groaned. Great he was standing their watching her cry. Quickly she wiped her tears and gave him her best smile. Neither one of them wanted to confront the current situation so John did what he does best…act like a man.

"So you wanna go get something to eat?"