Please insert excuses here.


"So, are we going to do the entire angle the same, then?" Nikki Bella's brow furrowed, not hiding the disdain in her voice. "Seems to me like the WWE is constantly regurgitating ideas from the past."

John Cena shot her an annoyed glance, and she knew she'd struck a nerve with him. He hated when anyone, including her, talked ill of the company. She was certainly grateful that she was able to become as successful as she had. She truly could not have done it without the WWE. However, the creative team as of late was anything but. They were often throwing some of her friends in horrific storylines and embarrassing matches. This was not the Women's Revolution that she had helped create.

Seth Rollins now sat to her other side, and for the most part, had kept to himself since entering the room.

"Well, we'll obviously draw in hundreds of viewers by televising your wedding on the WWE Network. It will be something nobody wants to miss. Yes, we'll do the fancy invitations and all that jazz. Let's have John announce it to the world that you're going to tie the knot in the same place it started," Mark said thoughtfully. "And yes, in true WWE fashion, Seth Rollins is going to crash it. We really need a strong heel, and this is the moment that Seth will be just that."

"Right, but is it going to be revealed that I'm already married to Seth because I was drugged and we went through a drive-thru wedding chapel? Because to be honest, that doesn't sound very PG-friendly," Nikki made a sour face.

Mark laughed heartily, and John chimed in. Seth didn't, and Nikki had to respect him for that. She hated that she was feeling as though the other two men were belittling her, making her feel stupid for asking such an outrageous question.

"Well, how do you think it should go, Seth?" Mark finally stopped his annoying chuckle, speaking to Seth for the first time in a long while. "No drive-thru weddings for Nikki, of course. She's better than that."

Now, Nikki couldn't tell if that was a jab at her. It seemed like it had been; after all, the upper management had accused her in the past of being too high-maintenance. Sometimes, she could see that. But in this case, she really didn't want to mimic a complete storyline from twenty years ago.

Seth gave a sideways glance at Nikki, giving her a small smile. "Actually, I've got the perfect idea."


Nikki and John left the meeting quietly, neither of them speaking. The tension between them was clear, and the last thing they wanted was to begin an unnecessary argument. They had been able to hammer out some serious details about everything. They could go on with their daily life for awhile, barely seeing each other as usual. Next week, John would fly to RAW as a "free agent" to make the announcement that the Undertaker would not be able to wrestle him at WrestleMania.

From there, though, he'd make the announcement that he was able to find something for himself to do at the New Orleans show, and that was marry Nikki Bella.

After that, it was all downhill. At least in Nikki's eyes, anyways.

"So you're not going to speak to me, then?" John finally asked her coolly as he opened the door of their vehicle for her. She scooted in, trying to avoid his eyes. She would certainly begin crying. This was definitely not the WrestleMania moment she'd dreamed of for herself.

"It will be fine," she managed to mumble. "I just don't like that we won't be able to travel or anything together. What does that mean for our wedding in May?"

John halted, eyeing her up. "You know, we could always consider pushing it back," he said slowly, clearly watching how he used his words.

And instantly, Nikki felt like she'd been punched in the gut. It was exactly as she'd suspected. She'd known it, deep down, for a while now. He was so detached in the wedding planning process because he really wasn't ready for the wedding at all. Hot tears welled up in her eyes, and quickly, rolled down her face and straight down on to her new Chanel purse.

"I...I don't really know what to say," she sobbed, the tears choking her as she spoke. "This isn't...really the time or place to be discussing this, John," she quickly used her index finger to wipe her eye, trying to peek out the car door window to ensure that no paparazzi would catch them at such an awful moment.

"Well, it's hard for us to be married and work separately, Nicole. Besides, with the wedding in May, we still have far too much to do but not enough time. Between our schedules and that, it might actually be best for us to hold off."

"Best for who? You?" Nikki accused, trying really hard to keep her emotions in check. "Why don't we just break up for real, then, if this isn't what you want?"

John looked at her, shock taking over his handsome features. His squared jaw grinded for a moment. "I never said I didn't want this. I just said, maybe this timeline does not make any sense right now."

"Can we please talk about this at a more appropriate time?" Nikki reiterated, concentrating on her breathing. She felt like she could puke.

"I'm not sure when would be more appropriate, to be frank. You know I won't be home until next week."

Actually, she didn't know that. He hadn't told her he was going to be jetting off to wherever.

"What's the point of having a big, beautiful home when you're never there?" she muttered to herself, crossing her arms over her chest in a standoffish sort of way.

"Nicole, knock it off. Everything I do, I do it for us. For our future. You know that."

She did know that. At least, she thought she did. But this all was coming crashing down around her quickly, and she was really beginning to wonder how things could ever work out for them in the long run.

"To the airport, Ben," John announced to the driver, who tipped his cap in response.

The ride to the airport was quite somber. Nicole played with scenarios on how to change John's mind on a May wedding in her head. She also considered how she'd announce to her family that they'd need to push it back.

John took a business call, and after that, she was largely ignored by her fiancé. Wanting to keep her mind busy, she scrolled through her social media accounts. Finding she couldn't engage herself in any activity right now, she texted Brie, asking if it was alright if she could stay with her and Birdie for the next few days. Although the idea of going back home sounded fantastic, she knew that without John there, it would be empty and lonely. Plus, she would overthink everything. Brie was excellent at giving her John-related advice, and maybe she could offer insight on how to break the bad news to the family.

Her phone buzzed, and she opened the text quickly, expecting it to be her sister. Instead, it was Seth. She made a face, wondering why he would want to talk to her. They hadn't really spoken since his girlfriend, Sarah, had accused him of having a tiny crush on Nikki.

Nikki had been understanding of their dissolve in friendship. Seth really wanted a low-profile relationship after how things had gone with Zahra Schreiber. Besides, Sarah was sweet, and Seth deserved to be happy.

Do you really think that the story sucks that much? Your face said it all...

Nikki chewed her lip, wondering how to respond. She would be forced to partner with Seth for most of April and on until whenever the creative team pulled their heads from their asses. Perhaps honesty was the best policy.

No. It's hard to plan a real-life wedding when you can't be with your husband. Harder when work shoves a lot of money your way to do it.

John still rattled on to his agent, going through the week's itinerary. Nikki glanced at him. John had not liked Seth in the past, but would never admit that to anyone else but her. If he had not been the third wheel in the story, John would have questioned why she was texting him at all.

"He's a talented guy, but he can't stay out of trouble. Remember, the kind of company you keep is a direct reflection of yourself..." John's words from a few years back rolled through her head.

Don't worry. I can help plan. Not as well as Brie, but it looks like we'll be spending plenty of time together. :)

Nikki held back from a giggle. It was nice to have someone make a point to make her smile, given the shitty situation. She was glad that she was given a normal person that she already knew to crash her faux wedding. She could use a good friend right now, and Seth had always been that.


The next day

"What do you mean you're postponing your wedding?" Brie's jaw had dropped, looking at Nikki like she'd grown a second head. Her gaze shifted immediately to Nikki's abdomen, suspicion in her eyes. "You're not...?"

"Oh my god, Brie. You know that John's fixed!" Nikki replied, rolling her eyes. No, her woman cave would be empty forever.

"I know that...but things can happen. It's not always a hundred percent."

Nikki shook her head, brushing off her sister's words. Yeah, she'd heard that vasectomies weren't always a hundred percent effective. But judging by how often she'd been in John's bed in the early days of their relationship, she was pretty sure there'd be no accidents. Of course, to have babies, even accidental babies, they'd have to sleep together more often than once a month...

She quickly shamed herself for thinking that. It wasn't fair.

"With the storyline, we can't see each other anyways. John was more than happy to accept the astronomical amount of money that they pushed at us," Nikki recalled.

"What does outer space have to do with anything? You guys should be planning your damn wedding!" Brie argued. It took Nikki a moment, but she quickly burst out laughing. She wished she could have recorded that, because Daniel would've gotten a kick out of Brie's response.

"How are you seriously laughing right now?" Brie demanded. "You're joking, right? This is all for Swerved or something. Cameramen are about to pop up from behind Bird's crib."

"No, nothing like that," Nikki said, still through giggles. "Outer space," she continued to laugh, and then laughed harder when Brie's face showed that she still clearly did not get it.

"Okay, Nicole. I'm concerned. You're acting like a psycho," Brie got up from the chair she'd been sitting in, making her way over to the kitchen. Nikki could hear Brie tinkling around in there, when after a few moments she re-emerged carrying two wine glasses. Their signature wine, Belle Radici, was tucked under her arm.

"I'm going to get everything out of you one way or another," she spoke up, acknowledging Nikki's questioning gaze. "And I know that wine is my best bet."

"To be honest, I have no problem with that," Nikki said. "It's been a long, awful week."

Brie poured her a glass, passing the drink over across her homemade wooden table. They clinked their glasses, each sipping. Both let out a small sigh of appreciation, and they smirked.

"We nailed this," Nikki commented, swirling the contents of her glass once before taking another sip.

"Yeah, we sure did," Brie smiled. "Couldn't have done it without you. Now, let's get talking. Why are you guys calling off your wedding?"

"We're not calling it off, Brie," Nikki huffed. "John's been adamant about pushing it back, though. He told his parents already that we're going to wait until the summer."

"Oookay," Brie drawled. "But you don't have a specific date? You know, maybe something I can work with?"

"I mean, not yet, no. But we still have a long time until it's summer. I'm not too worried. I just worry about what mom is going to say."

"She's going to be the voice of reason," Brie pointed out, quirking her brow. "She's going to tell you that you guys either do it, or you don't."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nikki asked, slightly offended. Brie had, in the past, made it clear that she didn't think that John was her sister's soulmate.

"Obviously, you and John love each other very much. And I love John, too. He's a fantastic person, both in and outside of the WWE. He's done amazing things for you. But...what if that isn't enough?"

"What if what isn't enough?"

"Love? What if love isn't enough to make your relationship work?"

"Brie," Nikki scowled.

"Seriously, Nicole. You have done everything to cater to him. You've put your life on hold. You've rearranged schedules, your timelines, your...beliefs. Your wants and needs. But really, what has he done for you? As far as I know, he hasn't really been compromising with you. Sure, he's agreed to marry you. But when? That's on John's terms. Don't you think this is an issue?"

Nikki shrugged. "We love each other very much, and that isn't going to change. As much as I'd love to walk down the aisle, I can respect that John thinks it's best to wait."

Brie sighed. "Okay, but you remember when I was about to get married? Daniel and I were literally counting down the days. There was no hesitation. And I understand that you and John are different people, but you really need to consider that maybe you're simply not meant to be together in the long run."

Nikki flicked her wrist over in Brie's direction, a signal for her to shut up. She took a long drink from her wine, choosing not to reply. She was afraid that if she did, she'd end up laying into her sister and upsetting her further.

"John and I have a lot of figuring out to do," she stated after a long pause.

"Okay, fine. One last thing, though. Remember when Total Divas wanted a rating out of rekindling you and Dolph? And obviously, we knew it was just for the show. But John was very serious and unaware. He was okay with you getting back with Dolph! Does that honestly sound like someone who wants to get married at all, despite what he says?"

"Okay, Brie, I get your point," Nikki responded, more annoyed now than ever. She could feel her patience diminishing, and she reached for the bottle of wine to top off her remaining liquid.

"I'm just looking out for you, Nikki. You can't tell me that you haven't wondered if John proposed to you last year simply because of the money and the ratings. We both know his first love is the WWE. He'll do anything for them."

"I highly doubt he would have done it if he didn't want to," Nikki pointed out. "I mean, it wasn't romantic because I knew it was coming, but we'd had a long discussion before that. So no, I don't think he did it because of the money."

Brie sighed once more. "Okay, but he's willing to pretend break up with you for money," she remarked.

"You're so annoying," Nikki spat back, keeping her temper in check. She knew Brie was trying to help her, but this felt like the "I Hate John Cena" fan club right now.

"I just want you to have everything you want in life. And that includes a wedding, a husband, and babies," Brie's tone softened, and so did her features. "The last thing I want is for you to miss out on something so wonderful because you're with someone who has highly different values than you do."

"Work comes first," Nikki recounted the very thing John had said to her a million times.

"Maybe in John's world, but not in ours," Brie gave a sad smile. "Don't forget where you came from."


RAW, the next week

John smiled at the camera as he whipped out his lime green towel, heading down to the ring.

"What's this big announcement that John Cena has?" Michael Cole wondered out loud.

"I'm guessing we're going to find out, Cole," Jonathon Coachman replied with ease.

"The hottest free agent is here, and nobody seems to care," Corey Graves pointed out the dead crowd, who were only giving John Cena a lukewarm response during his entrance. "Maybe it's time for John to realize that his time is up?"

"That's where you're wrong, Corey. We all know that John's time is now," Cole replied.

"Wow, you're hilarious and original," Corey deadpanned.

"Do you think he's out here to call out the Dead Man once again?" Coach had ignored their banter, reminding the audience that John Cena had been on a quest to challenge Taker to a WrestleMania match. Except the week prior, it was Kane who answered. Not the Undertaker.

"You think he'd give up by now," said Corey.

"John Cena never gives up," Cole kept up, and Corey Graves audibly groaned into his headset.

"Maybe you ought to, your comedy act really sucks," he aimed back at Cole.

"Will you two knock it off? I'm actually interested to hear what Cena has to say," Coach interrupted them.

John Cena stood in the ring for a moment, smiling like a goon as the crowd began a "let's go Cena/Cena sucks" chant. He even pointed the microphone in the crowd's direction, amplifying the noise.

After a few moments, the audience had quieted. John brought the microphone to his lips, only to be met with a "we want Taker!" chant.

He smiled, allowing the fans to have their moment on television.

"Believe me, I want Taker, too," John finally spoke. This caused a cheer to roar through the audience, but John looked down at the mat, and it seemed to quiet the WWE Universe quickly. They knew that he was about to deliver some bad news.

"The only problem with the Dead Man is that after his royal ass-kicking by Roman Reigns last year, he isn't ready to show his face in the WWE," John spoke calmly. This was met with a huge jeer of boos, and John shook his head in approval.

"Trust me, I know. But if I lost to Roman Reigns at the biggest show of the year, I'd be embarrassed to show my face, too." Joh gave a small laugh when the crowd seemingly agreed with him, cheering his statement.

"In all seriousness, though, I have been informed that The Undertaker will not be able to wrestle this year. So my problem really is, where does John Cena fit into WrestleMania?" John paused. "I could look to RAW, and see what the Beast Incarnate is up to...but he's busy taming a little puppy dog.

"Or perhaps I can see if AJ Styles is back from his injury. But no, he's got a match against Shinsuke Nakamura!"

Of course, with each mention of the championship matches, the live crowd grew restless. He knew they would, and that's why he plugged them. He was no rookie at giving a good promo.

"I've thought about this through and through. And I've come to a final conclusion. John Cena WILL be at WrestleMania this year!"

After the crowd died down once again, John put the microphone back to his mouth. "Except...this year, he won't be there to wrestle. John Cena will be there to marry the love of his life, and it would be my honor to invite each and every one of you to the biggest day of our lives."

With that, a terrible Microsoft Word invitation showed up on the titantron, reading:

You are cordially invited to the marriage of

Nicole "Nikki" Garcia-Colace and John Felix Cena, Jr.

On the 8th of April, 2018

And as expected, the crowd went ballistic. Rather than wait for them to quiet down and drag the segment out further, though, John cut off the commotion.

"Yes, it's truly exciting for all of us. Obviously, Nicole and I wanted to exchange our vows in the same place that our story begins," he gave another boyish smile to the camera.

"With that, I suppose, I'll see you guys at WrestleMania! Nicole, I love you, and I'll be the guy in the tux!" giving a wink, John put the microphone down in the center of the ring, winking into the nearest camera before his music started, signaling his exit.

"Did you hear that, Cole? We've got an invitation for the biggest wedding of the year!" Coach exclaimed, not hiding his excitement.

"We have ears," Corey replied dully.

"All I know is that this is going to be some wedding!" Michael Cole beamed as the camera panned to him. "We want to offer our sincere congratulations to the future Mr. and Mrs. John Cena."