A/N – This idea has been stuck in my head and just won't go away, no matter how much I try. For the purposes of this fic, everything that will happen within the story has already happened on the shows Smackdown! and RAW, but this is under a totally different time frame, with little twists thrown in there too.

Feedback and reviews are a bonus, not begged for. Flames welcomed, if they're going to help me. Thanks to Kiora Storm, and LULUCENA7 for reviewing, this chapter is for you two!

Disclaimer – I still own nothing. If I somehow come into the possession of some WWE Superstars, you'll be the first people to know.

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Drying off his hair John walked out of the bathroom, flopping down on the bench beside Billy and Rey Mysterio. His head hurt, his bones ached and all he wanted to do was crawl up into a ball and go to sleep. The past week had been hell. He'd been distracted while he was in the ring, and he had just had his backside handed to him as a result. Smackdown! tapings were almost over for another week, and just like the week before, John had been on the receiving end of a brutal beat down courtesy of Heyman and the freak who should be kept on a leash, Brock Lesnar.

Glancing up from the television Billy smirked at John out of the corner of his eye. "Dude, you're girl's on television," he teased, having purposely made sure that the Diva Search segment from last night was playing in their locker room. Thumbing his head in the direction of the television he grinned, thinking that John would be stoked to see Maria again.

How wrong could he be?

The West Newbury native groaned out loud. "She's not my girl, she never was, never will be."

Rey perked up at the sound of gossip. "A girl? Have you been holding out on us John?"

Billy snickered, pointing the remote control in the direction of the TV screen. "John's after one of the Diva Search contestants. We were watching this with Torrie last week and now John can't stop thinking about this girl."

Standing in protest, John moved away from Billy. Grabbing a chair, he spun it around and straddled it, resting his head on his forearms. "That's a lie and you know it Kidman. I haven't thought of her once."

Bullshit, a little voice inside his head whispered. Maria had been on his mind all week. When he closed his eyes, she was there. If he dreamed, it was about her ... it would take him all ten fingers and all ten toes to count off the amount of times he had watched the Diva Search segment in the last week ... he had to admit, the more he saw of her the more he wanted to know. Somehow, she'd worked her way into his heart and she didn't even know it. He had to find out more about her, he had to! But how?

"Guys ... "John began hesitantly. "If I tell you something, can you keep it a secret?" At their nods he continued. "No laughing either," he warned them. "I don't know what what it is ... but this girl is haunting me! Every time I watch television I find myself channel surfing stations for glimpses of her .. an interview, photo, anything. I close my eyes and she's all that I see ... She's in my dreams for crying out loud! It's like we're connected, I feel so drawn to her!"

His friends looked at each other blankly, then looked at John, then looked at each other again, before bursting into bouts of hysterical laughter. John's face fell, he knew he shouldn't have said anything.

Rey and Billy rolled their eyes at each other. "Cena, there's no shame in liking the girl .. "

"Rey-Rey, I'm telling you! I don't like her!" John's face was bright red, it was clear to them that he did. It seemed that denial wasn't going to work here, they didn't believe him. Man, what was their problem? So he liked her, did everyone have to know! Just because he liked her didn't mean that anything was going to happen, because it wasn't. " I just can't get her out of my head! All I did was say she was kind of pretty ..."

Snorting indignantly, Billy cute in. "Pretty?" He clasped his hands together and batted his eyelashes, over exaggerating John's little performance. "Oh she's gorgeous! I wonder if she has a boyfriend," he gushed in a high falsetto voice. "Oh I have to have her!"

"Dude, I did not say that!" John protested.

"You said she was gorgeous!" Billy smirked. "And you wanted to know if she had a boyfriend."

"What! I was just saying." She IS gorgeous ... but what would she want with a guy like me?

"No, you were asking," Billy said flippantly, correcting him. "You wanted to know, because you want her ..."

The guys were finding it hard to contain their laughter. John always got up on the defensive in regards to his personal life and this was no different. He really had his eye on this one it seemed. John was looking guilty, like a little kid who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The confident figure he maintained in the ring had been replaced by a little boy who scared to ask out the most popular girl in school.

"John and a random Diva Search girl sitting in a tree," Rey sing-songed. " K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

If it was even possible, John's face flushed a brighter shade of red. Okay, so he liked her, and they knew it. But did the whole world have to know about it? Inwardly he groaned, knowing that he was in for the third degree now. He closed his eyes, hoping that if he did Billy and Rey would disappear and this conversation would be over. Unfortunately, no such luck. Closing his eyes he was met with a vision of Maria, giggling and smiling for the fans. She was waving to the crowd, and as she walked up the ramp into the Gorilla position she ran over to John and kissed him ... He shook his head quickly, opening his eyes and praying for the vision to go away. He was so far gone already that it wasn't even funny.

"Alright, alright. So I might like her," he admitted. "MIGHT."

Rey decided to press his friend a little further, figuring he could have some fun with this. It wasn't often that the infallible John Cena was flustered.

"They are very gorgeous girls John," Rey broke in cheekily."Which one is it? Joy Giovanni? Christy Hemme? Amy Weber?"

Sighing heavily with resignation, John moved next to the television. "Rey-Rey, if I tell you, this doesn't leave this room. I'm serious."

"Okay, okay," Rey laughed. "You make it sound like some sort of secret mission. It doesn't leave the room bro, I got it."

Mumbling to himself, John reached up and stabbed a finger in the general direction of the girls on screen. "Her."

Rey squinted, trying to figure out which girl he meant. "Johhhhn. You're pointing at like three beautiful women. Which one?"

"Maria Kanellis. The brunette in the green mesh shirt." Billy supplied, knowing that John would never give Rey an honest answer if he could get away with it.

Rey raised an eyebrow, not that you would ever notice as his face was obscured by his mask. "The beauty queen?"

Billy and John both spun to face him, speaking in unison. "What? How did you know about that?"

"You after her as well hey, Rey-Rey?" Billy kidded.

The small Mexican shrugged his shoulders. "I was sitting within earshot of the Divas in catering. What else would they be talking about? They feel pretty threatened by these girls you know."

Billy groaned. "Yeah, and I bet Torrie was the cause of that." Shaking his head, he grinned softly. Damn his wife was incorrigible at times. But then again, that was why he loved her. Back to the matter at hand though. "Sooo Johnny-boy. Now we've established you want the girl what are we going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

The two former Cruiserweight Champions glanced at each other in confusion. He wanted the girl, but he wasn't going to do anything about it?

"Okay. Um ... please explain," Billy said, a bit puzzled.

John gestured toward the screen once again. "Just look at them. They'll all beautiful girls! I don't have a chance with any of them, let alone Maria."

"Man, how do you know that? Do you even know anything about her?"

"I don't need too!" Though I really really want too, he thought."All I know is that she would never look twice at a guy like me."

"Then how do you know you don't have a chance?" Rey burst out.

"She probably has a boyfriend, a jealous one at that." John said sourly.

John was ready to admit defeat. He didn't know what was wrong with him, he was usually pretty straight forward when it came to women; he never had a problem finding a girl, that was for sure. There was something about Maria though, the prospect of even trying to talk to her, not that they were on the same show - made him nervous and he didn't know what to do about it.

"Dude," Billy whistled, shaking his head. "What is up with you lately man? You used to be so confident and in your face, and now you're scared of a girl? You're letting this Heyman/Brock Lesnar rubbish get to you, that's it, isn't it?" He asked incredulously. "You know, just because she's a beauty queen doesn't mean that you shouldn't go for it."

"I'm not scared," he practically snarled. "I just know that I have no chance in hell with this girl." He wanted her. There was no questioning that. Yet every time they mentioned her, it felt like his heart was breaking more and more. She seemed further away than ever, and it hurt.

Crossing his arms across his chest, Rey smirked. "Give us three reasons why."

"Gee, let me see. Number one, she's on RAW. Number two, she's not an employee, she could be gone next week and I could never see her again. Number three, my life is messed up enough as it is .. why drag someone else into it!" John sucked in a big breath as he finished his tirade. Strangely enough, he felt a little bit better having got that out into the open. Lately, it seemed all of his problems were crashing down around him, and he was being suffocated. His friends knew it, and they knew that somehow they had to snap him out of it.

"Number one," a voice spoke up quietly from the doorway. "Being on RAW was never a problem for Trish and I when I was sent here. Distance was not a problem, is never a problem if you love someone. If this Maria girl is worth it, then nothing else matters. Number two, you'll never know if you don't do anything about it. Sure, she might not get hired, but if there is something there – which, I might add, you'll never know if you don't try and find out, then you'll make it work. Number three, if your life is so damn messed up then god knows you could use a girl to take your mind off things. Get over this Heyman rubbish, suck it up and then maybe you'll make something of yourself in this business. It's time to start taking control of your life Cena."

The trio turned, hearing the gruff voice of Bubba Ray Dudley. Who knows how long he'd been standing there listening to them; yet as soon as he'd said his piece he was gone. Billy, Rey and John simply stared at each other: they really weren't friends with Bubba, so that piece of advice he'd offered was slightly unexpected. As the door banged shut behind the former tag team champion, John looked to be lost in thought. Was all that Bubba was saying true? Should he take a chance? He winced, his last relationship had ended in disaster, did he want to go through that again? Had Bubba even seen Maria? She was perfect! Did he want to risk getting his heart broken all over again, by such a beautiful lady? A weird sensation overcame him, and he suddenly felt compelled to do something.

"Bubba's right" he murmured to himself incoherently. "Gotta do something, get noticed, keep her on RAW. Can't let her get voted off, have to find a way to see her ... Superstars can't vote, wonder if she likes flowers? Could be a start ..."

Thinking out loud John continued to ramble. What Bubba has said had struck a cord in him. There was no point sitting here being miserable when he could be figuring out how to solve his problem. He'd never been afraid of a challenge before, why start now. A buzz started to run through his brain, and he felt like he was ready to take on the world again. He didn't know what he'd been thinking, saying that he didn't like her. Must have been one of those nasty chair shots he'd received from Brock that night .. he was beginning to feel a heck of a lot better. He was warming to the idea of chasing Maria. Maybe he DID have a chance. No doubt she was gorgeous, it was obvious he couldn't get her off his mind ...That's it, he decided. He had to have her ...

"Maybe she likes chocolates, I could give her chocolates?"

The boys looked at their friend as if he was delusional. What on earth had gotten into John? And what was he talking about? Cena continued to ignore them as he racked his brain for ideas. He had to keep Maria on RAW, in the contest, and he had to get her to notice him ... the question was how exactly.

Suddenly, he knew what he had to do.

Rushing over to his bag he pulled out his phone and pressed speed dial five. The other two sat and watched him curiously as he paced back and forward, waiting for the phone to ring. Rey cocked an eyebrow in Billy's direction, yet Billy just stared at his friend. For someone who had seemed so down a couple of minutes ago, John seemed very animated and ready to go. A grin spread over his face as the phone was answered on the other end.

"Hey Boog!"

Billy and Rey just stared at each other. Boog? Who was Boog?

"I know, I know, it's been a long time. Entirely my fault little man ... The big leagues? Nah, not likely," John snorted into the phone.

"Not right now, sometime soon ... Hey, I got a favour to ask ... No, it's not the only reason I rang .. I wanted to talk to you ... okay, okay you got me. I need a favour, and I really need you guys to pull through for me ... A girl? What makes you say that?"

John's face blushed a deep red again. His brother knew him pretty well it seemed.

"No, I did not meet her in a sleazy bar, thank you very much! The Diva Search ... you've been watching? Great ... Alright, this is where I need your help. Superstars can't vote, and there's this beautiful girl ... I need you guys to vote for me ... yes I've course I'll reimburse you guys for the calls, gee how cheap do you think I am?"

Rey coughed lightly, bringing it to John's attention that he was still in the locker room. He needed to finish his phone call, he realised, and explain to the guys what was happening.

"I don't have much time to talk, I just need you to promise me that you'll get the guys on board on this one and help me out ... Maria, you need to vote for Maria ... Kanellis, not Giovanni ... why? All in good time my friend, all in good time, I 'll let you know. You've gotta stop her from being voted off first."

Intrigued, the boys leaned forward, trying to hear the other side of the conversation. John finished his call and put his phone down on the bench, smiling all the while.

"Well," he grinned."That's step one of our master plan set in motion."

"Master plan?" Rey echoed. "Wait, what just happened here?" he asked Billy.

Billy smiled. "I think what our boy is trying to say is that he's ready for anything, including Maria."

"Damn right I am!" John exclaimed. "We're gonna do this, and do it right!"

"We're?" Rey frowned. "When did the 'we' come into this?And the whole time I've been in here you've been against the idea of even going after Maria? Now you want her? What have I missed?"

"You said you'd help didn't you Rey-Rey?" John asked excitedly, not waiting for an answer before he continued. "It's going to be great, that girl won't know what hit her! This is going to be a great plan! Are you guys in?"

Kidman nodded, watching as John virtually bounced off the walls. He chuckled silently to himself. This kid was crazy, but at least things were never boring when he was around.

Rey moaned out loud. "I don't have a choice do I? Fine, I'm in."

A massive grin spread across John's face. "Great! Well gather around guys, this is what we have to do!"

Thanks for reading, hope you all enjoyed it! There won't be any updates for a couple of days because I have a philosophy exam to study for ... but after that you're looking at least 2/3 updates a week ...