Okay, I really had to get this thing off my mind, so here goes!

Let them know that I'm the reason there's a little skip in your step. Tell them, tell them that I'm the best in the world.

Now to be honest, he had no idea why he said that, why he decided to embarrass her publicly in front of hundreds of people standing in the audience, as well as millions watching on TV. It had been a few weeks already and he still couldn't get the guilt he felt to leave him alone. She had done nothing to deserve that and yet, he did it. He had seen her eyes watering, the way she struggled to manage her tears from falling, to keep a strong mask. He had seen the way her small body stiffened as the words escaped his mouth, the look of utter shock, pain, then anger adorned her angelic face. At that moment, he had too much fun displaying their private relationship to care. He was angry that she didn't give him the respect he so much deserve, so he stoop low and embarrassed her.

I'll forget the hundreds of text messages and voicemails, that are not fit to air here on the USA network, that you would leave me.

Yeah, that was low.

As he laid on the bed in his bus, the man known as the best in the world spent another restless night, nothing out of the ordinary for him, but it wasn't his insomnia that kept him awake, it was her. The mere image of her standing in the ring, completely at loss haunted his mind every night since that fateful moment. Heck, he didn't even feel like reading comics or playing on his X Box with Kofi, well, even he was disappointed with the way the Straight Edge superstar had acted. Not that he could blame him, he was just as disappointed.

He had even tried to get in touch with AJ to apologize, but each time he called her or knocked at her hotel room door, Kaitlyn was always the one to answer, telling him to fuck off or to get lost. She was very protective of the geek goddess, just like a lioness would snap at any danger coming towards her cub. After a few times, he gave up.

Even if he didn't get to see or talk to AJ hadn't prevented him from knowing how she was holding up. He heard colleagues talk about her, how she was a mess, how she would lock herself in her hotel room and would only let her fellow chick buster in, how she would not always eat…how she wouldn't be skipping like usual.

Skipping. He had seen her doing that a lot in the previous months; how she would skip to the ring to either encourage him or just circle the ring and go back behind the stage just for the heck. He even remembered when she was dressed like Kane, successfully both shocking everyone in the ring and in the arena, and make Kane follow her away from the ring, making his team win the tag team match.

But what he remembered the most was when she would dress up like him, his shirt that she would design herself that let patches of skin for his eyes to see. He had to admit it was hot to see her like that. And even if he wouldn't want to admit it to the world, to her and himself, he wanted her. So badly and he had her at Summerslam as well as the few days of their secret relationship.

She's a little firecracker in bed with more stamina than it would take to satisfy him, which made their love making longer round by round. Her vanilla scent always driving him crazy, the way her soft skin would caress him like a little sunny morning breeze. Her lips, the way her eyes would look at him with pure lust…and love. Yeah, that's cheesy, but that's the only way he could describe it.

But it was all gone now, he did it, he pushed her away and squished her heart like it was a vile piece of paper.

It's for the best though. You're the best in the world, you don't need her, she's just a distraction.

Ah! Who was he kidding? He was miserable and as much as he wanted to believe Paul Heyman's words, he couldn't anymore. He didn't feel like himself anymore and he know understood why everyone asked him where their friend is. He didn't recognize himself even as he looked in a mirror. Sure, on in the outside, it was the same Phil Brooks, but inside…who is it? Did Paul Heyman poison his mind so badly that he became someone else? Someone he didn't want to be?

He even recalled the conversation he had with John Cena, well, more like the intervation he had. Yeah, they weren't the best of friends, but both respected each other as competitors and to Punk, it was enough.

"Punk, what's going on with you? You changed man, and for the worse that is."

"I've got nothing to say to you, Cena, get out of my way" Punk tried to push the cenation leader out of the way, but he wouldn't move.

"Not before you explain yourself. I don't know what AJ could have possibly do to make you believe she deserved this, but that was uncalled for. That was low man."

"I'm the best in the world, I've been champion for over 300 days and I don't get the respect I deserve. She put me in matches where I shouldn't be, she's mocking me."

"You don't get the respect you deserve? So tell me, what would you call the fans standing up and chanting your name when you make an appearance? And Punk, you can't please everybody and trust me, I know. I have people chanting my name and others booing the hell out of me. But you know what? I don't let that bother me, I keep going for those who believe in me".

"Bravo, bravo Cena, what a speech" Punk said with heavy sarcasm.

"Look Punk, what I'm trying to say is that haters are gonna hate, always. And the way you are going right now, you'll get more hate. Whatever road you follow, it won't lead you to respect, but to disrespect."

"Whatever…" Punk said, rolling his eyes at Mr. Goodie too shoes. He turned on his heels and left, intent on continuing where he was going before being interrupted.

Sighing deeply, Punk turned on his back, facing the ceiling.

"Poster boy always have to be right" Punk scoffed, admitting half heartedly that Cena was right. His quest for respect was only making the fans turn their back on him, some of those he called friends did too, not please with the champion's new attitude.

He turned his head to his right, where his wwe championship rested on the night table. He sneer at it, realizing that gold did get to a person's head. Just like it did with his old friend Daniel Bryan. Once he had won the World Heavyweight championsip, he became power hungry, bitter, aggressive…heck, he even put his girlfriend in harms way as a human shield more than once…AJ, her again. First Daniel, then him. The girl had coexisted with the violent and tyrannical Daniel Bryan and Punk had been there to help her once she got dumped. He had told her many times that Daniel Bryan wasn't good for her, that she should stop trying to get him back.

And it worked, because after that, she had her eyes on him, the best in the world. And in the end, he became like Daniel Bryan, he had publicly humiliated her, just like Bryan did when he broke up with her live on Smack Down. He had become what he hated. On these thoughts, his mind finally stopped tormenting him to allow Punk to get some rest.

~xXx~

The next day

Punk made his way to room 403 in the hotel the superstar were staying for the show in Arizona. Getting the room number was quite easier, seeing as the person gave him personally. Standing before it, he breathed deeply then knocked 3 times, loud enough to make his presence known. He heard shuffling and the lock being loosen. The door opened and the person stood, a bit surprise by Punk's presence.

"Well, hello Phil. You're here to talk about what we should do next?"

Punk shook his head no and pushed himself in, without waiting for an invitation to enter. He took a place on the couch and looked at the man who helped him get in the company when no one wanted anything to do with him.

"Well then, why are you here?" Paul Heyman said, ignoring the lack of manners his protégé was showing at the moment.

"To talk" Punk said, looking at the man with annoyance. He gestured him to sit on the chair in front of the couch.

"I'm listening" Heyman said, unsure and visibly nervous about why Punk would want to talk face to face since they normally did that over the phone. He wondered, worried about what Punk wanted to discuss with him.

"It's over" the tattooed man only said, looking into the eyes of the man he trusted, hard. Paul's surprised reaction almost made him fall off the chair.

"Bu…but, what do you me…mean by that?" The business man stuttered, visibly shaken by the tone in which Punk spoke into, it left no place for joke nor arguing, his mind was made. But that didn't stop Heyman from trying.

"Phil, we're almost there! The respect you deserve is soon to be within reach, this can't be over yet!"

"Shut up" Punk said, glaring at the man, his face hard with anger. Heyman immediately stopped with a gulp.

"You're still a failure Paul…you brought ECW to it's downfall, you took Brock into his…and I'm not letting you bring me into mine. Since you and I started to collaborate for the past few months, the only thing you've made me earn is hate and disrespect. I was too blind to see it, but now I'm not. You just wanted to ride along my success because let's face it, as Mick Foley said, you will do what is good to you, not what is good for me."

"It's not true Phil, I want to see you rise to the top, to get what you deserve for all your hard work" Paul said, trying to calm the straight edge savior.

"Bullshit Paul, and that's why you wanted me to get rid of AJ, huh? You thought she was an obstacle to your rise, so you've fed me lies that I was stupid enough to believe and I got rid of her."

"She was a distraction, Phil, how many times has she come to ring side and without meaning it, cost you matches? I only want to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I don't care, she didn't deserve what you and I said, and now I've lost her" Punk said, angry with both himself and Heyman.

"Phil, you can get any girl you want, I know quite a few divas who would die for a night with you, if you'd hear everything they talk about backstage…" Paul rambled, smirking.

"I don't want them" Punk said, shutting up Paul. "Like I said, it's over. Don't ever bother showing up this monday, because if you do, I'll kick your ass out of the building, got it? I don't need you anymore, you're done poisoning my mind".

By the menacing tone Punk used, Heyman found himself quickly agreeing and Punk, satisfied with the certitude he wouldn't see Paul at the show, left the hotel room and slammed the door.

One thing done. One left…

~xXx~

Much later, Punk managed to caught a conversation between Alex Riley and Kaitlyn, who had decided to go on a date. About time, everyone knew they liked each other and it was only a matter of time before they get the courage to talk to the other. But what interested him more, was to learn in which room Kaitlyn was staying, because AJ was surely gonna be there too. So when the NXT season 3 winner told him in which room to pick her up and the time, Punk left, going back to his room to make the time pass faster.

Once it was nearly 7 pm, Punk had just finished eating the last slice of the pizza he ordered when a knock was heard at his door. His imagination ran wild and he was hoping that he would find the geek goddess on the other side, even thought it was unlikely to happen. It was Kofi, telling him he would be at the bar with Zack. He also asked if he wanted to tag along, but Punk dismissed the invitation, giving the excuse that he didn't like bars, which was the truth. Kofi wished him a good evening and left.

Looking at his watch, he saw it was 7:15 pm, which means that Kaitlyn and Riley were off to their date by the time, so he grabbed his keys, cellphone and wallet then left the room. He walked in the halls, looking briefly at the doors checking their number. Once he found room 487, he stood in front of it, seriously wondering if he should do that or not.

Gathering his courage and his will to see her, Punk knocked firmly on the door and waited. He passed a hand through his recently shorter hair nervously, knot forming in his stomach. He had to make things right….it just had.

The door opened quietly and a wave of comfort rushed through his body, making a small smile form on his lips at the sight of his geek goddess. But as soon as the door opened, it was halfway on it's way to be closed. He quickly pressed a hand on the door, making the small brunette grunt with the efforts of trying to close the door in the face of the man who broke her heart.

"AJ…please, I just want to talk" he pleaded, pushing a bit more on the door to open it.

"Go away…I don't want to see you or talk to you" her voice was broken and she gave her all to press the door shut, but her strength was nothing compared to the Chicago native's.

"AJ" Punk sighed, pushing the door all the way open and ignoring the way she glared his way, he entered and closed the door behind them.

"Didn't you said enough weeks ago? Didn't you embarrassed and hurt me enough already?" Her tears were streaming down her delicate face.

He lowered his head in shame for putting tears in her eyes that should never be put there, much less by him. Her heard her sobs and he fought back to not break at the sight of the woman he love, hurt and broken hearted.

"Just…hear me out, then I'll leave. I just need you to listen, please" now, Punk wasn't much for pleadings, but when it came to her, he would. He looked at her, hopeful. She nodded and motion him to sit on the couch while she sat at the extremity, as far from him as she could.

"I know what I said a few week ago cannot be forgiven, I shouldn't have said that, it was a low blow on my part. Truth be told, Paul Heyman convinced me you were a distraction to me and I believed him at that time and I was convinced I had to get rid of you. He's been feeding me those thoughts. I'm not putting the blame on him, because I decided to believe his words and took action." Punk said, looking at her. She wouldn't look at him, her eyes were locked on some decorative painting of a flower. She couldn't face him, she didn't want to break even more.

"I've thought about what Heyman did for me since he became my associate…I realize he didn't do a thing…he helped me sink low, to distance myself from my friends…from you." Punk said in a low voice, noticing how she flinched at the last words.

"AJ, this is not what I wanted…it wasn't supposed to be like this…I was wrong all along. I shouldn't have trusted him when many advised me otherwise. I don't know what came over me, but I've caused you too much pain since then." He admitted, hoping she would look his way. He wanted to see her smile, see her eyes shine with the giddy happiness that always seem to consummate her all the time. He missed that.

"I…I dismissed Paul Heyman. I don't want him to tell me what's good for me or what I should do…" he looked briefly down to his hands, then looked back up. "AJ, I wish I could take it all away, I don't like seeing you hurt…I don't know who I am anymore…"

The distressed tone of his voice startled her and for the first time since he started to speak, she looked into his eyes. She saw the eyes of a man who felt remorse, a man who seemed lost…a man whose heart still beat for her. The pain was still to fresh, the walls she had build stopped her from taking this man in her arms and make him remember exactly who he used to be…she was frozen on spot.

"AJ…I hope someday you may forgive me, just like I wish I could forgive myself for loosing you" he admitted, slowly getting up. He had said everything he wanted to say, well, except from the thing that burned in his heart, but it was either too soon to say it, or too late in the way you look at it.

As he reached the door, he grabbed the handle and started to twist it when two pair of arms hugged him from behind, making him stop on the spot. He didn't know what to say, so he leaned his forehead on the door and brought his free hand to rest upon one of AJ's. He lightly grasped it, smiling sadly as he felt the familiar warmth. For a minute, they stayed like this, until AJ pronounced those few words that gave him hope for the future.

"I'll save you"

~xXx~

Fin

Cheesy, huh? Yeah, I know, lol. But I hope you still liked it anyway. Reviews would be very nice to get :)