Enjoy x - author's note below

There was a light in A.J that just drew people to her, almost like moths to flames, it was a unique light that made her seem so cheerful, fearless, innocent. And yet, slowly and very subtly that light was dimming down and becoming nothing but a pit of darkness within her. Some would say that her work was probably catching up to her, the long nights and the early morning flights in and out of places, but those people where they idiots. Those people knew nothing of what was really going on why she seemed so much different then when she had started out in this company.

The perceptive ones (Kaitlyn) knew the truth behind the dimming brightness in her eyes and heart, it came in the form of Daniel Bryan. Most would never have guessed the not-so-tall man would be able to treat anyone the way he was treating A.J, mostly because they never saw it with their own eyes.

Inside the ring it was an act, outside it was a reality, Daniel was harsh, cruel and content with making her suffer because he knew that she'd never turn her back on him. After all, she was A.J Lee a girl with her head in the clouds, an innocent little girl who no one wanted to be with. That's all Daniel ever said, that she was very lucky to find herself in his arms because surely no one would want someone as worthless as her, right?

Now here she was, weeks away from wrestlemania and ready to help Daniel keep that title of his. The one thing Daniel truly loved, and not some shallow washed-out love like the one he shared with A.J, his love for that title was on the brink of obsession. He'd treat it with more care than her, if she was pushed during a match she'd better make sure she didn't let the title drop to the floor or she'd hear from him afterwards.

Tonight was no different, she pulled her headphones out and into her ears as she walked towards the divas locker room. She had managed about an hour of free time before Daniel would get angry for leaving for so long so she told Kaitlyn and the girl had squealed and told her she had something special for her in the locker room, it was her birthday after all. As she shut her eyes and listened to the music she smiled brightly like she wasn't in pain and danced for a bit not even noticing the person who she was about to bumped in to and when she finally hit that certain object and fell back she squeaked and looked up slowly.

A fellow wrestler, judging from the yellow kicks the person was wearing, as her eyes traveled up she met the very green eyes of a former friend. Her eyes widened slightly as she struggled to apologize and when he reached out to her she flinched mistaking the action for something else, something Daniel had gotten her used to. She hoped he didn't see the slight flinch but he was after all a very perceptive human being, she wrapped her small fingers around his hand and when his hand closed down on hers he pulled her up with no real force.

"Well then," he chuckles, "you're a little too happy aren't you, princess?"

She almost blushed at her old nickname, the one he gave her out of pure fun, she remembered it well. She nodded slowly and he smirked, she looked around hoping Daniel wasn't lurking around waiting to catch anything that he could accuse her of.

CM Punk was one of her close friends, they almost started dating once and then things didn't get there after a few incidents. She remembered him well, however, a very smug and witty man with a smile that can charm your pants right off -not that she'd tell him that- and a smart mouth to boot. He was very generous and kind and just a very fun person to be around, his friendship was one she missed dearly.

"I've got to, um, well I gotta' go," she squeaked out

He narrowed his eyes and she coughed as she tried her best to slip past the too-smart man, and she knew the moment his hand caught her wrist he'd caught a glimpse of a bruise. The one on her jaw line to be exact, that bruise wasn't covered up for a purpose, she'd just gotten it minutes before leaving the locker room. His fingers ran over the bruise and she flinched slightly her eyes closing at the contact.

"Who?"

She didn't need to ask what he meant when he said that but she was a smart girl too and telling him the truth would make the situation far worse than it really was. With a shake of her head she dared to look at him in the eyes and lie.

"No one, I fell on my own, you know me," she gives a nervous laugh, "always a klutz."

"This mark seems far too big for it to be something made when you fell," he growls back

"It's nothing!" she hisses backing away from his touch

He seems startled but surely he didn't think he was still the same A.J as before. She had scars to prove just how different she was from before and if he needed proof well she had plenty of it. She mentally kicked herself for not grabbing her make-up bag on her way out because now she was being questioned by someone who could read her all to well.

"Daniel, huh?"

His bitter voice made her feel scared, she couldn't let Daniel get hurt or get caught, after all this bruise was for a reason. Daniel always told her that every bruise that formed on her once perfect skin was for a very good reason and knowing Punk he wouldn't understand it one bit.

After a long silence she frowned, "no."

"You don't have to lie to me about Daniel, look I can hel-"

"Stay out of this," she sneers, "I don't need your help, I was a klutz and this happened, I'm fine, and even if there was something going on it's not any of your business."

"It became my business the minute I saw this damn bruise," he snarls

She pushes past him without another word and heads towards the other way, she's sure her time is up and if it is Daniel is going to make her regret showing up late before a match of his. She curses Punk once more as she dashes towards the man she (thinks she) loves.

CM Punk is many things, impulsive, witty, strong, careful, perceptive, the list can go on but if there is one thing he is not then it'd be stupid.

And A.J seems to think otherwise, she had the nerve to lie to his face about the bruise forming on her once clear skin, he knows where it came from. He's known Daniel Bryan for too long and putting the idea past him would be quite stupid of him, and as he's said before, he's not stupid.

A.J was someone he cared for on a level he's never cared for any one else and yet she seems to not take notice in it. Dating Daniel Bryan was a testament to that, and dating Daniel Bryan was also one of her biggest mistakes. He's seen the way her chocolate-brown eyes seem bottomless and empty now as opposed to the happy glow they once had in them.

His princess he'd call her, she was once a spunky little spitfire and now she was nothing but a shell of her former self. During segments and interviews she pretended that Daniel Bryan was the perfect prince charming and honestly, he was nothing but a sleazy asshole. He'd watched from afar as she sometimes cried at Daniel's words, and he had a hunch that he hit her but always let it dwindle down but now that he actually had proof he had to do something.

"You okay there?"

He looked towards John and gave a nod, "fine."

"You seem lost in thought, something happened back home?"

John was a very perceptive man as well, despite his general carefree demeanor, the man always knew how to read you as if you were an open book. Sometimes Punk wondered if that's how people felt when he did the same, annoyed that is.

"Nothing I can't fix on my own," he states

John merely shrugs, "so you say, but sometimes it's good to have someone to rely on."

"I don't need anyone," he grunts, "that's a foolish belief."

"Is it really?" John asks, "I mean humans weren't made to spend their lives alone, you know what they sa-"

"Your little talk isn't making me feel better," Punk told him dryly

This is where John smirked, "so you are upset about something then."

Punk curses and looks away, "a friend has some boyfriend troubles."

"Oh, but why does that make you upset?" John asks

"I care for her," he speaks low

John smiles, "so you like her?"

"No, I said I-"

"It translates to love," John chuckles

"Love?" Punk looks at John as if he's sprouted a third head, "we were talking about me liking A.J, not loving her."

"So it's A.J and you like her?" John smirks as he stands up

"Damn you," Punk growls

"Hey, if you really care about her situation with Daniel then help her," he sighs, "I know the girl is stubborn but I also know Daniel isn't a good guy."

"I know that," Punk sighs

"I trust you'll fix her up in no time," he chuckles, "you'll have our spunky little spitfire in tip-top shape soon, no?"

"Yeah," Punk smiles, "if it's the last thing I do."

A.J groans as she sits up from the medical bed she was laying upon, Daniel is giving her a nasty glare from behind the medic and she feels scared. She screwed things up again by the looks of it, she was in pain her legs felt like jelly and she was sure her back had a small injury, perhaps a bruise.

"You should be fine but A.J try not to interfere in a match like that again," he smiles

A.J wants to tell him that she didn't that everything wasn't like it seemed. She had kept her distance from the fray and then out of no where Daniel runs up to her and Kane practically runs her off, the impact wasn't too horrible but it was still something to knock her down. She faintly remembers Daniel yelling, she's not sure if he was yelling at her or at Kane for what happened, she hardly doubts he'd play the protective boyfriend.

When the doctor leaves the room Daniel gets up and snarls, "useless."

Her head falls in defeat and she tries to suppress the tears that want to form, "I apologize, Daniel."

"Whatever," he scoffs, "get a ride somewhere else 'cause I don't want to be seen with a loser like you."

His words sting more than she'd like to admit but when she leave she feels a little more relieved that he didn't add to her physical pain. She could hear his grumbles as he left the room, the "stupid girl" and the "she's lucky I'm still with her". She sighs softly and runs a hand through her messy locks, she wants nothing more than to take a break from wrestling but with Daniel that's practically impossible.

"Princess?"

Her head snaps up and she gapes slightly at Punk standing there looking agitated. She was shocked to see he'd come all this way to see her, after all he should be heading out now since he was done with his segment. She feels relief wash over her as he steps towards her and she really wants him to wrap his arms around her but she can't really come out and ask that, now can she?

She notices his eyes have a different look in them and she feels a lecture coming on, but now she wants nothing more than to head to the hotel and just sleep until tomorrow.

He quickly slips his arms around her and drowns in the familiar scent that is A.J, a mixture of vanilla and lavender making her all the more addicting. He wants so much to bury his face into her neck but he can't do that with where they stand. She speaks low after a while and he feels that had he been farther away he probably wouldn't have heard it.

"Take me to the hotel, please."

"Anything, princess," he mumbles

He pulls away and watches her lips tug into a smile, the first real smile he's seen on her since Daniel took a turn for the worst. It may have not been her regular beaming but it was something, something that just made his heart warm up. After a while he helped her get off the examination bed and she quickly ran to get her things and met him back at his car.

They got in the car but the minute he slipped inside and closed the door he hear her sniffle. She looked away and buried her face into her hands as she cried softly, her shoulders shaking as she did so. Never being someone to go to for consolation he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do for her, how could he comfort her when he didn't know exactly how to do that.

"He doesn't love me, does he?"

Her voice sounds so weak and it's nothing like the voice he's used to, it lacks the energy and spirit that he knows A.J to have.

"No," he answers bluntly after a few seconds

"Why?" she whispers, "I love him, isn't that enough?"

"Someone like him can't love because he's just not worth of being loved, he's a waste of time and honestly A.J, he doesn't deserve you," he speaks low

"I wish he'd change, for me," she cries

And his heart can't help but ache at the sight of her, the way her shoulders are shaking with her crying, her hair messy and some of the smaller strands sticking to her face she tries to wipe the tears away desperately. She looks completely broken and a mess, and even if it isn't the right thing to be thinking now he finds her to be all the more beautiful.

"But he can't, he's selfish and incredibly stupid," Punk tells her, "he doesn't deserve shit from you, not even forgiveness."

"Well I forgive him," she wipes more fallen tears

"Why?" he frowns, "why go so far for someone who won't even meet you halfway."

"You don't know how it feels to not have a single person in this world," she cries softly, "he's all I've got now."

"You have me," he tells her and when looks up he clears his throat, "Kaitlyn, your parents I'm sure, your brother."

She shakes her head, he's far too kind for someone like herself, a broken unstable mess. He treats her like they didn't lose the contact and friendship they once had, she tells him they can leave he nods before starting the car and soon driving away from the building. She wanted nothing more than to just be done with Daniel but she doesn't really have someone to fall back on, now does she?

Now Punk was all the more determined to mend that broken heart of hers, he wanted her to see Daniel for the asshole that he really was. He didn't want her to live in denial about how she truly felt about Daniel, so he'd give it his all and make her see reason. He noticed A.J looking out the window and gave a small smile before clearing his throat, she turned to him and he smiled.

"Happy birthday, A.J," he told her

And he swore that seeing her beautiful smile was one of the best things in his life.

Your eyes do not deceive you, I'm rewriting this and taking stuff out. Bare with me though because it might take a while to get up to speed with this one but nonetheless I decided to not let this story go to waste, I've brainstormed and I have an ending for it now so I want to rewrite without all the nonsense in between and hopefully you guys will love it more than the first.