Disclaimer: NellyLove owns Aurora Holt and Gwen. I own the random OC's and the story. After that we own nothing else.

Author's Note: Why New Year's in June? Well, it's because New Years signifies a new chapter. At this time of year, that's an important theme for a lot of us. If you like Aurora, go check out NellyLove's awesome fic Nothing Left To Lose. You'll be happy you did.

Enjoy! :D

New Year's Eve

…14 minutes to midnight…

On the final night of the year, Aurora Holt was dressed to wow.

The gown she wore was worth the cost that was for sure. Shiny, slinky, silver. Gorgeous. Sparkly. All the things that made up the perfect knockout gown. And it made her feel like she was Queen of the World.

Looking across the room, she spotted John Cena, the guy she had once thought she was meant to be with, at the bar of the hotel ballroom. He raised his champagne flute to her, and while she raised hers- which was filled with Sierra Mist- to him, she did it only to be polite. She wanted nothing to do with him now.

Turn out to be a pig who cheated on your wife with Nikki Bella- and also thought that I was another cheap floozy like her- and suddenly you're nothing to me. She thought, turning away again to resume her conversation with her coworker, Gwen. Her feelings for him had stopped a long time ago, the moment she had found out who he truly was. She deserved better than him.

Gwen's hands were flying as she told an exuberant story about her Christmas vacation. A cruise in the Bahamas was a nice break from their city-to-city schedule.

Next to her, with a look that indicated that he was torn between bolting or burning his suit where he stood, Matt Cardona stood. He held both of their champagne flutes, since she needed both hands to explain the story. Nobody wanted champagne flying through the air towards their expensive outfit.

"So, there I was, face to face with this GIANT manta ray. I mean it was huge…" Rory started to tune Gwen out, since she'd heard that part of the story before. The others listening to it paid more than enough attention to Gwen's theatrics to allow Rory the freedom to excuse herself.

She wasn't even sure why she was there, "there" being the gorgeous hotel that the WWE had- seemingly- rented out half of for the New Year's Eve celebration. Everyone who could make it was there. Current superstars, up-and-comers, legends who rarely made appearances anymore, along with crew members, writers, costumes designers, and just about anyone else who made up the WWE family, was there. There was even the occasional family member of someone, though most people with families had chosen to go home to ring in the New Year with them.

And yet she didn't see the one person that she was hoping would be there tonight…

He's going through a loss. He needs time; I mean... If I had lost the person I loved like he had... I wouldn't be here either... She told herself, yet she couldn't help but wish he was there. There was something about him that made her both want to help him and also feel so delicate and… Like a princess.

Rory smiled at Phil Brooks as she passed him, the Straightedge Superstar happily enjoying his Pepsi while sitting with a small, quiet group of friends. He waved her over, trying to get her to join in the group, but she smiled and shook her head, pointing to the doors leading out into the hotel's gardens. The nod he shot her and the grin said it all: If you didn't want to be surrounded by a bunch of people you may or may not know, the garden was the perfect place to be.

Upon stepping onto the patio, Rory inhaled deeply the cool December air. It was like a whole other world out there. The garden, while muted because of the winter status, still held an ethereal, almost mischievous feel to it, if gardens could be that. The old fashioned lanterns, hung at convenient locations to add mood lightning, almost made Rory feel like she had been taken back in time. Couple with that an old fountain with four swan heads all trickling water and, well, the garden was the perfect place to be when ringing in the New Year.

If you didn't want to be surrounded by a crowd, that is.

Sighing, Aurora looked up at the night sky as she stopped at the edge of the stairs leading down into the garden. Even though it would have been cliché, she had hoped for a full moon that night with some bright, sparkling stars. Not the overcast night sky above.

Shrugging, Rory took a sip of her Sierra Mist-filled champagne flute. Well, a girl can hope.

For the New Year, her resolution was to achieve her dreams. That meant she was going to increase her salary, buy the house of her dreams just fifteen minutes from where she grew up, and get the guy…

She closed her eyes, blocking out the image of John. No- not him. What a jerk.

There was someone else though… Someone she never thought that she would love so much… He was the one she wanted to be with.

But he needed time. And he needed to find himself, first, before trying to be with someone again.

Behind her, the laughter grew muted as people moved further away from the doors, heading towards the projected image showing Time's Square's ball drop. Eight minutes to midnight, it seemed.

For some reason, she just didn't feel as enthusiastic as them this time. Usually, she was at home at this moment, seated with friends and family in her comfiest pair of sweats and an old college sweatshirt, eating popcorn. When it came time for the ball to drop, everyone would cluster together in the room with the TV, shouting the countdown.

No designer dress with super cute heels. No fancy champagne flutes and phony smiles. Just true happiness and joy as you shared another amazing moment- a new year, with more potential and wishes and surprises than you could count- with your loved ones.

It's because you wanted to ring in the New Year with him. A small voice told her.

"Somebody get me the hell out of here." She mumbled into her champagne flute before she drank the last of her soda.

"You too?" she almost started coughing when the man behind her asked her that.

He's here… He's really here.

Suddenly the night looked a little brighter.

Mike "The Miz" Mizanin watched as Rory stiffened, stifled a cough, and then whipped around to face him, her brown eyes wide. She was the image of beauty in a stunner of a gown, her red hair swept back in an elegant updo. Unlike the Divas in the ballroom behind him, Rory's beauty didn't come from layers of jewelry and makeup and a plastic personality. She was beautiful- right to her very soul. And he loved that about her.

She deserves the Prince Charming from storybooks. He told himself as he stepped further onto the stone patio.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Just wanted to get some fresh air." He said with a sheepish grin. For the first time in months he was sober when surrounded by alcohol, happy when he could've been sad. Rejoicing when he could've thought that he had nothing left.

Must be because of the upcoming plot twist with me as the World Heavyweight Champion again that's got me in such a good mood, he reasoned as he caught Aurora smile at him. The look in her eyes, though, surprised him. She looked almost… Relieved to see him there.

"You're awfully chipper this evening." She said, almost reading his thoughts.

Caught off guard, all he could do was nod jerkily as he tried to think of a good response to that, because, "I have no idea why, I should feel like crap right now," just didn't seem right.

One look in Rory's expressive brown eyes and he knew that she already knew what he was thinking.

"Yeah, I don't know why." He said with a world-weary sigh. Stepping forward, because he felt like a lurking vampire standing behind her, he moved to stand next to her, hands in his pockets, as he stared out over the garden. "It's beautiful out here, tonight." He said, hoping to change the subject.

He looked as Rory as she turned to stare out at the garden as well. "Yes, it is."

They were quiet, content, as they stood there, just enjoying the fresh night air. In the garden below them, a stray couple or two wandered, grinning, laughing, and holding onto each other as they admired the sleeping landscape.

Mike's throat constricted for a second, as momentary panic gripped him. Was he forever doomed to be the person on the outside, looking in? Never happy, never free in his actions… A prisoner of his own heart.

He looked at Rory as she looked at the night sky, her expression revealing no emotion. She's got a bright future; you can tell with just one look. He thought as he studied her profile.

A future that, he feared, he would never have if he didn't pull himself out of the rut he was stuck in. He wanted the storybook life: Kids, family, love… Hope.

Just as he was beginning to feel jealous of the lucky guy who'd sweep her off of her feet, she looked at him. Quirking her eyebrow, she turned to face him as someone barked out the French doors, "2 minutes!"

"So, this is it." He said, feeling like he was shrinking further into his suit coat. "End of a year. Did you make it the year to remember, or the one you want to forget?" he asked her, thinking he was making small talk, but knowing in his heart that he was asking her about her life.

Rory shrugged as the party got wound up again, people rushing around to find who they wanted to kiss at midnight or drinks or cameras or whatever. "It's hard to sum up one year in a little over a minute, so I'll just say this: As a year as a whole, it was a challenge. I never saw some things coming, I felt like my life was over at others… But, I was so happy for every moment."

Mike nodded, meeting her eyes. Ok, so if we're being honest with ourselves here... I want to be that guy who's there for her. I want to have the happy ending with her.

He had to tell her then- he feared he wouldn't have another chance to do so if he didn't right there and then. So, he swallowed sharply and said, "Aurora, I-"

"Twenty seconds- wooooh!" Paul Levesque could be heard shouting, startling them both as Phil stuck his head out the door and repeated the message. Then, the look he gave them indicated that he was surprised to see them there, with each other. Before they could say anything though, he grinned and winked at them, pulling the doors shut so that they could have some privacy.

Rory chuckled as the crowd began chanting. "Random." Was all she said as the countdown began.

Mike nodded and then blurted out, "I've got to tell you this now before I chicken out. I'm not all right- not by a long shot. But, someday- and I want that to be sooner rather than later- I want to be that guy." Her eyes grew wider, but... He could see the hope there. "I want to be with you. I lov-"

"THREE, TWO…"

Rory reached out just as the shouting hit ONE and pulled him by the suit coat close to her. She kissed him at midnight exactly. And it was a kiss that told him what he hoped to know: She wanted to be with him to.

While drunken congratulations were exchanged and a few people cried- some about spilled booze, and others about memories- Mike and Rory were breaking the kiss and looking at each other. She met his blue eyes with her brown ones, and, after a moment of studying him, she smiled a smile that left him speechless.

"I love you too. I'll be here for you, Mike, whether you're 100% OK or not." She said softly. "And, when you're finally ready… I'll be here, waiting." At his stunned expression, she grinned. "Just… Don't leave me hanging forever, all right?"

He nodded, and then pulled her in for another kiss.

Ok… I did not see this start to the New Year coming. the fleeting thought echoed in the back of his mind.

Neither had she…

A new year meant two very important things for the future couple: A new life and new, written in the stars, love.

Thanks for reading. ^_^

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