A/N: Wow, I am so amazed by the reaction this new story has gotten! Thank you all so much! You have no idea how happy it made me and it just made my Memorial Day that much more amazing! I hope you enjoy this second chapter and it lasts you for a bit. Still working on the next chapter of LOVE and will be focusing on that for a few days but will try to update soon! Again, thank you all for reviewing and alerting!

"They're not talking, Daddy. This is weird and it's making me sleepy," mumbled Alanna as she turned into John's embrace, burying her face in his chest. John smiled and bent to place a kiss on her head. "It's an old cartoon, baby. Tom and Jerry didn't need to talk as much as the cartoons of today do. It's like that Spongebob. He never shuts up."

Alanna smiled sleepily up at him and relaxed back onto the pillow when John slid out from under her. He reached over to the nightstand next to the bed and grabbed his cellphone off the top, quickly dialing the number for Randy's cell. John passed the phone to Alanna and smoothed her hair back. "Say goodnight to Daddy before you go to sleep, sweetheart."

Alanna nodded and pressed the phone to her ear, a smile spreading on her face as she heard Randy's voice. "Hi, Daddy."

John slid out of the bed and walked over to the open balcony doors. He rested his body against the open door and stared out at the blinking nights that lit up the New York City night. Stepping further out into the balcony, John stared down at the people still crowding the streets, the filtered sounds of their laughter and chatter reaching up to his hotel room.

"Daddy John, here. Daddy wants to talk to you."

John turned at the sound of Alanna's voice and took the phone she held in her outstretched hand. John nodded and replied, "I'll be inside in a few minutes, baby."

Alanna smiled and headed back inside the room, climbing back onto John's bed. John turned his attention back out to the city lights and slowly lifted the phone to his ear. "Hey, how's it going?"

"It's going. I'm a little bored."

Randy's voice sounded tired and strained but the soft drawl never failed to put a smile on John's face.

"I can imagine. It gets lonely on the road. I'm glad I have Ally with me this week."

Randy sighed in John's ear. "Lucky. I should've kept her with me so I could at least have someone to talk about cartoons with."

John laughed softly. "You can get dressed and go out with the boys, Ran. There's no reason for you to be cooped up inside a hotel room in LA..."

"Well, I did go out. I went to a meeting earlier after the show. You know I can't go anywhere else for at least a couple more months. Temptation and all, remember?"

Randy's voice sounded amused but John groaned loudly and lowered his head to his hands. "God, I'm such a moron. I can't believe I forgot."

"It's OK. It's not something I want to talk about much anyway." The amusement quickly faded from Randy's voice. "I just wanted to ask you where you were going after Raw on Monday. Are you coming back to St. Louis or to Tampa? I need to know what plane ticket I'm booking."

John frowned and quickly lifted his head up. "What?"

"Is the question so difficult, Cena?" responded Randy, some amusement coming through once more.

John smiled. "Well, yeah. You just said like 2 things I can't believe you said. You actually want me to come back to St. Louis? You would actually go to Tampa? I just can't believe it..."

"Well, didn't we agree to try to work things out again? I gave you 7 months, John. I don't want to waste a minute of it but if you do then by all means you go to Tampa and I'll stay in St. Louis."

John's eyes widened and he quickly answered. "No! No, come to Tampa, please! I didn't realize you wanted to start working on things so soon. You just seemed so mad at me the other night even though you agreed to work things out..."

"John, I am still mad at you. I'm also mad at myself for my mistakes. I do want to try to work on things, though and I know it's going to take some time so maybe it's best if we start soon." Randy sighed in his ear once more. "I don't even know if this is going to work but I'm willing to try."

"So am I, Ran. I want nothing more than to work things out no matter how hard it will be." John smiled slowly turned back towards the room.

"OK, then. I'll talk to you tomorrow and see you in Tampa in a few days."

"OK. Have a good night." John closed the balcony door and walked back to his bed, smiling when he saw Alanna already asleep. He placed the phone back on the nightstand and slid into bed beside his daughter, shutting the television off as he threw the covers over both of them. The smile remained on his face as he played the end of his conversation with Randy over in his head. It seemed too good to be true that he and Randy were both open to give their relationship another try.

As quickly as the happiness spread over John's body, another phrase from the conversation made it all fade away.

"Well, I did go out. I went to a meeting earlier after the show. You know I can't go anywhere else for at least a couple more months. Temptation and all, remember?"

John closed his eyes tightly, fighting the images Randy's statement reminded him of from entering his mind. A loud sigh escaped John's lips at the familiar tightening of his chest and his heart began to race as he lost the battle. John's hands subconsciously tightened into fists as the events from only a few months before replayed in his head.


Months earlier...

John's jaw clenched as he clutched the note from Randy in his balled up fists. His strides grew longer as he walked through the hotel lobby, headed for the bar in the main room. The woman at the Reception Desk smiled over at him but John ignored it and headed for the large door leading into the bar. Even at the late hour of almost 1 AM, the bar was packed, mostly with his fellow WWE co-workers. A quick scan of the tables and he spotted Randy, laughing loudly with a beer in hand, surrounded by the few men he considered close friends. John's eyes moved over them quickly, his gaze choosing to settle on the one friend that had been gone for years and only recently returned; the one friend John wished would've chosen to stay away forever.

John's legs slowly carried him closer to the table, the anger that had turned into momentum now fading away slightly. "Hello, everyone."

All eyes turned to John and greetings were quickly thrown his way but John's eyes had now locked on Randy's. The younger man stood up and walked around the table, pulling John in for a tight embrace and leading him away from the table. "Hey, baby. I'm so glad you chose to come down with us. Want a beer?"

John pulled back from the hug and stared into Randy's face. "I didn't come down to be with you guys. I came down to get you and bring you upstairs, Randy. I'm sick of coming back to an empty room every night. I'm tired of your attitude lately. You're a grown man with responsibilities but you haven't been acting like it since your little buddy came back. It's time to grow up and rejoin me back in the real world."

Randy frowned and removed himself from John completely. "What the hell are you talking about, John? I'm just relaxing a little bit after work. Can you go back to acting more like the hubby and not like my dad?" He laughed softly and turned away, intending to walk back towards the table with his friends but John's hand clamped around his wrist and pulled him back. Randy's body crashed into John's and he stared at the older man in shock, his eyes widening. "What the fuck are you doing, John?"

John stared into his eyes and frowned. "Are you doing something again with Brock?"

Randy's eyes widened even further and he pulled his hand away angrily. "What?"

John's gaze continued boring into him, his jaw clenched tightly. "Are you two getting stoned together again...or taking something even stronger?"

"No, asshole! We've only had a couple of beers tonight and every other night we've hung out together! Do you really think I'm so weak I would give up 4 years of being clean because Lesnar is back?" Randy desperately tried to keep his voice level in an effort not to draw attention over to him and John.

"I would hope not, Randy but I don't really know. I'm not as sure of Brock's good intentions as you are. I don't trust the guy, I never have. He's a fuck up and he wants everyone to fuck up along with him." John shook his head. "You've changed since he came back and I don't think you would be able to resist him offering you something."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, Cena but he hasn't offered me anything. Besides, I'm not so gullible that I would take it if he did." Randy glared at John defiantly. "It's nice to know how much trust you have in me. Why don't you just go back upstairs because you're the last person I want around me right now."

John sighed and shrugged. "Look, I'm sorry, all right. You've just been acting different and I worry..."

"Well, stop then. I don't plan on falling back into my old routine like when I used to hang out with Brock or Dave. I've changed since then, for the better. I also have something I didn't have back then. I have a family that I love, John. I don't plan on giving you or Al up just for some fun with the boys. Nothing is going to change, baby. Why can't you see that?" Randy tentatively reached for John's hand but the older man took a step back, moving away from him. John shook his head and lowered his gaze to the floor. "And why can't you see things have already changed?"

Randy frowned and shook his head but before he could utter a response, John turned on his heel and walked out of the bar.


Thousands of miles away, Randy sat in his hotel room alone, the evening news playing on the television a few feet away from him. His eyes focused on the images playing before him but he didn't hear a word they said. His mind spinning, disturbed by memories he'd try to suppress and the constant what if questions he'd had since that night. It was something Randy never let get the better of him. He tried to live his life in the moment, with no regrets and no questioning of his decisions. That one night, though; that one night changed his way of thinking forever and made him wonder how his life would be different had he'd followed John out of that bar.


Months earlier...

Randy's mouth dropped open in surprise as he watched John walk away from him and out of the bar. Before he could make the decision to either follow him or go back to the table full of his friends, a heavy arm clamped around his shoulder. Randy looked to his side and met the smirking face of one his oldest friends and the man causing the tension between him and John.

"What's up with your boy, Ran?"

Randy shook his head and pushed the thoughts of John's anger out of his mind, choosing to go rejoin his friends at their table. "I don't know."

Brock shook his head and looked towards the door John had exited from. "Cena will never change, will he? Still playing Dad to all of us. If he's not in for some fun, he damn sure doesn't want us to have any either. Especially you."

"Of course he's gonna be extra crazy when it comes to keeping Randy on a short leash! He knows everyone who lays eyes on his man can't help but wonder if they could ever get a piece of him," spoke up Cody Rhodes, a smirk on his lips as he lifted his beer up.

"And it's so fucking obvious who's at the top of that list, Rhodes," replied Brock, his eyes rolling.

"Hey,God gave me eyes to see and I just happen to like what I see so..." Cody shrugged and laughed, setting the beer down.

"Can you two just shut the fuck up?" Randy's eyes narrowed and he looked at both Cody and Brock. "Let's forget about John and get wasted. I need to tonight more than ever."

Brock smiled and motioned to their table, yelling at the bartender to bring over a couple of bottle of vodka and tequila. He turned towards the table and held up a glass. "Let's get wasted, boys."

It was hours later when Randy looked up at the clock and realized he had drunken the night away. The sun was less than an hour from rising and he hadn't heard from John since he'd stormed out of the bar earlier. His eyes, glassy and unfocused looked around the table to see his friends still going strong. A sudden rise of nausea made his eyes close and Randy suddenly stood, clutching the back of his chair as he rose.

"You OK there, buddy?"

Randy nodded and walked around Brock's chair. "I need to get some air. It's been a long time since I go in this hard."

Brock stood and wrapped an arm around Randy's shoulder. "Let go outside then. Can't have my buddy quitting on me so soon."

Randy laughed as he was led outside to the hotel patio, grateful for the support of Brock's arm as he stumbled numerous times. He shook his head and looked up at the sky. "So soon? We've been drinking all night and all morning! I can't believe I'm still standing."

Brock led Randy further out and let him lean against a tree. "A couple more days with me, Ran and you'll get back to how you used to be and shake this boring ass man you've become."

Randy closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "No, I can't. I'm not like that anymore. I have John and a kid and I can't..."

"Just because you have a family doesn't mean you're dead, Ran. You could still have some fun, bro. Thank God I came back so I can save from becoming into even more of a bore." Brock stood in front of Randy and shook him by the shoulders. Randy groaned and pushed him away, opening his eyes slowly. "Stop or I'm gonna puke all over you, man."

Brock laughed and dug into his back pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "All right, Ran. You're seriously killing me here. Come on, let's at least share a smoke."

"Nope, I don't smoke any more, either." Randy laughed softly. "Anything!"

Brock rolled his eyes as he stuck the cigarette in his mouth and lit it. "Seriously, you're killing me. Will you please stop?" He took a puff and passed held it to Randy, who eyed it warily. "One won't kill you, Ran."

Randy sighed and extended his hand, taking the cigarette between his fingers. He stared at it for a few seconds before bringing it to his lips and inhaling deeply. Slowly letting out the smoke, Randy closed his eyes once more. "God, that feels so good. I missed that."

"I know. And the world isn't going to end just because you're having one." Brock quickly lit another one when Randy extended the stick back to him. "Nah, you keep that one. You need it more than I do."

Randy nodded in agreement and continued smoking, letting the sensations wash over him. The men smoked in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the silence of the night. Once done, Randy stubbed the butt of the cigarette out on the tree and stood up, leaning off the base. The sudden movement caused another bout of nausea and he quickly collapsed back on the tree as the ground started to spin beneath him. "Whoa, what the hell..."

Brock looked over at him, an amused grin on his face as he watched Randy struggle. "Just relax. It'll get better."

Randy frowned and tried to stand up again, slower this time. "What will get better? What are you talking about?"

"Promise you won't get mad at me? Just remember I did it for your own good." Brock moved over to him and held up his half gone cigarette. "These aren't just smokes."

Randy shook his head and tried to focus on Brock and the words coming out of his mouth, despite how blurry his mind felt. "What? What did you give me?"

Brock held up his hands. "Don't go crazy. They're still cigs. They're just laced with a little something extra for when you need to calm down and forget your worries so you could have a little fun. Just embrace it, bro."

Randy shook his head from side to side before reaching up to grasp it in both hands. He hurried away from Brock, struggling to keep his balance as the alcohol and drugs mixed in his system, causing him to stumble as his mind spun. "Oh my God,"

"Relax, bro. You're freaking out over nothing," Brock frowned in annoyance and followed after Randy as he stumbled over the patio. "It's not even that strong and no one will find out. It'll be out of your system in a few hours."

"I've been clean for almost 4 years, asshole! Add that to the fact that I've been drinking all night and I'm fucked!" Randy eyes were wide in his face and he headed for the patio door. Brock quickly grabbed his arm and held him back. "Where the hell are you going?"

"I need to get to my room. I can't do this again. I can't...I stopped this a long time ago...4 years and I haven't...I need to go..." Randy stopped when he realized he was rambling and took a deep breath. He reached for Brock's hand and tried to pull it off his arm. "Let go of me,"

"No, not until you calm down! You're freaking out right now and I get it. You're scared John's gonna find out but he won't if you just let me get you through this. We can all go to my room and just ride it out. It's gonna get more intense before it gets better but I can get you through it. Just trust me, bro. This isn't my first time," Brock spoke slowly and calmly, trying to get Randy to understand.

"You're the last person I want around me right now." Randy finally pulled free and stumbled backwards from the force. "John was right about you. I should've listened to him."

"Yes, John is a saint. He's so fucking good, isn't he?" Brock rolled his eyes. "Fine, then go with him and let him see you high off your ass. If I recall correctly, he used to love seeing that, right? It was one of the best times in your relationship, right?" He laughed loudly, the sarcasm in it evident.

Randy's heart began to race and he didn't know if the cause was the drug or the truth behind Brock's words. It was a well-known fact that John had practically cut all ties to him during the worst of his drug abuse period. Numerous people had tried to help Randy get better but no one more than John. When the older man had seen it was all being done in vain, he'd chosen to leave and let Randy hit rock bottom, which he had when he almost overdosed in front of his wife. It took him months to get John back on his side but he had made it clear; one more round of messing with drugs and there would be no more forgiveness.

"Shut your fucking mouth," growled Randy in Brock's direction. Brock laughed loudly, the sound echoing around the empty patio. His eyes suddenly swung over the patio door as it swung open. Cody walked out, a frown on his face. His eyes darted back and forth between Brock and Randy.

"What's going on, guys?"

Brock tossed his now finished cigarette to the ground and headed back towards the bar. "Your boy is fucked up real good over there. That's what's going on. I trust you can take care of him since he doesn't want me or his man around him right now."

Cody's frown deepened and he hurried over to Randy, lifting him up slightly and immediately noting the dilated pupils. "Holy shit, Ran. What did you take?"

Randy shook his head and collapsed onto Cody's body, unable to answer. Cody wrapped his arms around him, holding him up. "It's all right, Ran. I'll take care of you. Let's just go up to my room, OK."

Randy lifted his head to meet Cody's eyes, the younger man smiling tentatively. He nodded and wrapped an arm around his waist, following him out of the patio and through the bar and leaving Brock and the table full of men behind.


The bright sunshine had awoken Randy the following morning and he'd come to with the worst headache of his life; a headache that had only intensified when he'd seen a naked Cody lying in bed beside him and the discarded condoms on top of the rumbled bedsheets.

Randy groaned loudly and shut off the television, pitching the room into darkness. He lowered his body further into the bed, throwing the covers over his head and willing sleep to take him away from his thoughts.

A/N: Many more blanks to fill in this relationship and I promise I will continue filling them with the upcoming chapters. REVIEW and let me know what you think of this one!

A/N 2: GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS; PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE!