Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with WWE. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination. This story contains various scenes that are for people 18 years of age and older ONLY.

Chapter 11

"Remember, the sales people will try to sale us a really elaborate phone, but I can only afford a basic one, so don't get all excited when they pull out an iPhone, okay," Sharlotte cautioned Noah as they entered the cell phone store. She immediately saw a sales lady heading toward them.

"Okay," Noah agreed. "I'm fine with just a tracfone, really."

"Well, I can do a bit better than that," Sharlotte smiled as they neared the sales woman. "I want to be sure you have a reliable phone and plan."

"Hello, I'm Susan," greeted the slightly older brunette sales woman as she indicated her name tag. "How can I help you today?"

Sharlotte put her hand on Noah's shoulder. "We need a somewhat basic cell phone for my nephew to use in an emergency, in the price range of about fifty to a hundred dollars."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like something a bit more…state-of-the-art," Susan chuckled almost condescendingly.

Sharlotte was prepared for the snobby attitude and returned the rude behavior with a fake smile. "Yes, I'm very sure. I am on a meager budget and I believe the newest iPhone is extremely out of my league. I'm thinking a Smartphone."

"Yes, ma'am," Susan replied, her face flushing slightly at being put in her place. "I believe I have some Smartphones in the back. Give me a moment." She then went through a door and disappeared.

Ding-Ding-Ding!

Sharlotte jumped as her phone alerted her to a text from John. Quickly, she fished the phone out of her purse and read the text message.

"At work?"

Smiling, she texted him back.

"Nope. Call me if you want. :-)"

A few seconds later, her phone rang. She couldn't help the quick little giggle which escaped her lips as she pushed the button to answer the call.

Noah gave her a funny look.

"Hi!"

"Hi, beautiful," she heard John say. "What are you up to?"

She nearly gasped at his calling her "beautiful", but quickly decided he probably called all of his female friends some similar name like that. "Helping my nephew play hooky, and getting him a cell phone. What about you?"

"Not much going on right now. Just about to go for a run, but wanted to hear your voice first."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Really." Sharlotte could hear a smile in his voice. "I was also wondering…Do you use Skype?"

Her breath caught in her throat at the thought of actually seeing John as she spoke with him. "Y-yeah…I do sometimes."

"How about we add each other as contacts, and we could actually see each other when we talk?"

"I'd…I'd love that," Sharlotte smiled happily as she glanced over at Noah. He had a strange look on his face, as if he was wondering why she looked and sounded so giddy.

"Great. So would I," John told her. "I'll text my ID to you later."

"Okay, and I'll send you mine."

"Looking forward to it."

"Me too," Sharlotte smiled dreamily and nervously fiddled with her watch.

"Okay, well I'd better go. Talk to you later."

"Okay, talk to you later," Sharlotte agreed, as she saw Susan returning from the stock room. She disconnected the call and turned her attention back to the sales lady.

"Here we are," Susan said, setting a few different colors of the Smartphones on her counter. "Do you like a particular color, hon," she asked Noah.

"I like the green," Noah said, pointing at one of the phones designed in green camouflage.

"Okay, now that that's settled, let's figure out a phone plan," Sharlotte said, ruffling Noah's brown hair.

}i{}i{}i{}i{

"Okay, Noah," Dr. Chandler said, after looking through the boy's x-rays. "I see no fractures of any kind, and no signs of concussion. Just some bad bruising. I recommend getting some rest today, and using ibuprofen for any pain."

"So he's okay," Sharlotte asked with relief. She had worried the boy would have some sort of fracture or head injury.

"He's absolutely fine," Doctor Chandler smiled. "Will you need a note to take to his principal?"

"Yes, please," she answered. "And can I pick up a copy of the x-rays and record of this visit?"

"Yes, of course," the doctor replied. "Is it for your own records, or for legal action?"

"For now, just my own records. I'm hoping it won't come to my needing to take legal action."

"Well, if it does, I'll be happy to get involved. I can attest to Noah's bruising, and I'm of course willing to testify on his behalf should I need to."

"Thank you so much, Doctor Chandler. I really appreciate this," Sharlotte smiled kindly as she patted Noah on the back. "I'm so glad he's okay and that he wasn't seriously injured."

The doctor returned her smile and began washing his hands at the examination room's little sink. "I'm happy to help. If you have any more problems be sure and bring him here and let me check him over." Sharlotte nodded and he added, "You should be able to pick up the copy of the x-rays and visit record in a couple days. Other than that, you two are good to go."

"Alright, thanks again," she said, standing and picking up her handbag.

"No problem at all. Bye, Noah. Take care, Sharlotte."

"Bye, Doctor Chandler," Noah smiled and left the room behind his aunt.

As they headed out to the car, Sharlotte proposed they eat lunch since the x-rays had taken a while to get developed and read. A short while later, they were seated at Noah's favorite pizza parlor and sharing a medium pepperoni pizza with extra cheese.

"Today was so much fun," Noah said, smiling. "I wasn't happy about going to see the doctor, but the appointment wasn't bad at all," he bit off another piece of his pizza and continued. "It's so nice having a day free of bullies."

Sharlotte swallowed past some tears, and stroked Noah's hair back. "I'm glad you've had fun. I did too. And I'm glad you've not worried today. I just wish I could make all your problems go away with a snap of my fingers. But even though I can't, I will work hard to make the bullying stop. I promise."

Noah nodded. "I know. Don't worry, Aunt Sharlotte. I'll be okay."

She smiled warmly. "I know you will. You're a strong kid. Stronger than you know." She forced a bravery in her words she did not feel. She loved her nephew more than life itself, but there was only so strong a nine-year-old could be. She couldn't shake the fear she was next to powerless in his battle.

They finished their lunch, and—spur of the moment—Sharlotte decided to stop at the mall and to buy Noah the newest WWE video game. She knew he'd been dying to play it since he first saw the advertisement on television, but they didn't have the funds for such frivolous purchases.

Except, Sharlotte thought, the little bit of money I was saving for that dress I wanted.

The dress was a beauty too. It was ankle-length, and had different shades of red swirling throughout the silky material. The front had a keyhole neckline and the back had crisscrossed straps. What Sharlotte liked most about the garment was, it could be a casual dress for work if donned with a feminine blazer or bolero, and it could also be a great holiday party dress.

But, I can always save up for it again, she thought, or even decide on another dress if I have to. Noah needs a little spoiling. He's had it so rough for the past few weeks.

Wordlessly, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the mall.

}i{}i{}i{}i{

Tired, though happy she was able to give Noah just one good day, Sharlotte unlocked the front door and they both entered the house quietly. It felt as though they'd been gone all day long, but it was only 1:30 in the afternoon.

"Be sure and keep the volume down on the game for now," Sharlotte said quietly as they both headed for the stairs. "I know we're taking a stand on the wrestling but I don't think it would be wise to wake her up to a wrestling video game just yet."

"Okay. Thanks so much, Aunt Sharlotte," the boy exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "I can't believe you bought it for me! It's not even my birthday!"

Sharlotte chuckled and returned his hug, "Well, what are aunts for if not for spoiling?" At his smile, she ruffled his hair. "Go on and play your game. Enjoy!"

With that, Noah hurried up the stairs and headed into his room. Sharlotte too, headed up to her room to check if John had messaged her yet. She booted up her laptop before she pulled off her shoes and opted for a light pair of flip flops. Then she was sitting at her desk and logging on to Twitter. Sure enough, John had sent her a direct message with his Skype ID about an hour earlier. Quickly, she logged into her account and typed his ID into the "Add A Contact" box, and sent him a contact request. She had pulled up Facebook in a new tab when she got an alert that John had accepted her request. Then the next thing she knew a Skype window popped up and John was greeting her.

"Hey gorgeous!"

She felt her face burning and managed a shy smile, trying to hide the fact that she was a nervous wreck.

"Hey you," she greeted back. "How are you?"

"Doing great," John answered, smiling ear to ear. "And I'm glad I finally get to actually see you rather than just a photo."

"Well, I'm glad to see you and talk with you at the same time," Sharlotte said happily. "You're a sweetheart and I've really enjoyed our talks."

"So have I, Sharlotte," John returned with a flash of his dimples. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought he was blushing. "You've really helped me by just being there for me." He bashfully glanced downward and then continued. "I never thought when I tweeted you back for the first time, you'd be anything more than a fan just trying to show your support for me." His eyes met hers through the webcam then. "But you're a lot more than that. You've been a friend. You really have. A lot of the people I've been friends with for years haven't really asked me how I've been doing for quite a while. Cesaro's about the only one who's cared. And then I meet you online and have only known you for a few weeks and you've shown more concern than most of the people I call my friends."

"I'm so sorry," she said softly. "That must have made you feel so alone."

"A little bit, yeah," John admitted. "I didn't let my feelings be known, though. I've always tried to keep my private life private, and I tried not to discuss personal problems, but Cesaro really tried to get me to open up one night. When I did…"

"I think I can figure out what happened," Sharlotte interrupted. "You confided to Cesaro, and were overheard by someone who gossiped about your problems, and word got back to Dwayne Johnson who decided to use it against you in his promos."

John froze for an instant, and she thought either Skype spazzed out, or she was out of line.

"I'm sorry," she said worriedly. "I didn't mean to bring up a bad situation with a co-worker. I just felt-"

John shook his head. "No, Sharlotte. Don't be sorry. I'm not mad or upset. I'm just amazed. You totally…you hit the nail on the head. Only it wasn't that someone gossiped and the information got back to Dwayne. Dwayne is actually the one who overheard it."

"Oh, wow," she replied, shaking her head. "So, was he spying? Or did he just sort of hear by accident?"

"Eh, I'm not sure. I didn't mind so much that he'd heard. It was the fact he decided to work it into his promos for the whole world to hear. I mean, no one really knew Jasmine and I was having problems, so they probably just took it that Dwayne was only cracking jokes. But then news of our breakup came out, and while I don't usually care what people think…"

"You didn't want to look like a cheater," Sharlotte interjected.

"Exactly," John nodded. "People can say what they want about my gimmick, wrestling skills or my acting. And I don't let it bother me. But at the end of the day I hate being portrayed as something I'm not, in reality."

"Well, for the record, you've never struck me as the cheating type," she told him. "I sort of felt like…" She halted suddenly, not wanting to insult the woman whom John had loved at one time.

"What? What is it," John asked.

Sharlotte shook her head. "I can't. It's none of my business."

"Okay, now you know you can't say something like that, and then expect me to forget it, right?"

She slumped. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Fair enough. Hit me with it."

"I just… I always kind of had the feeling Jasmine would be more likely to cheat, than you."

To her surprise, a smile threatened to spread across John's handsome face.

"Okay, I didn't expect that response," Sharlotte chuckled nervously.

John shrugged slightly. "I like your honesty."

He looked as though he wanted to add more to his statement, but he apparently lost his nerve. Before she could coax him to talk more about it, there was a knock at her door.

"Yeah," she called out.

"Aunt Sharlotte…Can I come in," came the reply. "I wanted to tell you about the game!"

Sharlotte smiled and looked back at John. "Would you like to meet my nephew?"

John grinned back. "I'd love to."

Her smile broadened and she invited Noah to come in. A second later, her bedroom door opened and Noah stepped inside.

"Come here, kiddo," Sharlotte said to him. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Puzzled, Noah approached her and looked at the screen on her laptop.

"Oh, wow! John Cena!"

John laughed and gave Noah a salute. "Hi, Noah. I've heard quite a bit about you."

"You have?"

"Yep. I hear you're quite the wrestling fan, and I also heard you're a great kid."

Noah looked over at Sharlotte and grinned from ear to ear, then returned his gaze to John. "I've watched wrestling for as long as I can remember," he said. "You're my favorite!"

"Well, thank you Noah," John said. "I'm truly blessed to have fans like you."

Noah started to reply when the land line phone in Sharlotte's room rang.

"Shoot, I need to get that before it wakes Julie. Back in a minute," she told John. Then she hurried to her bed-side table and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"If you cause any more trouble, expect to pay the consequences," came a rasped threat.

"What? Who is this," she asked, her voice trembling. What with having a great day with her nephew, she wasn't prepared for the sudden turn of events. She was aware of Noah and John's chatter hushing to silence, and she knew they'd caught the nervousness in her voice.

"You'll find out who I am soon enough, if you don't do as I say."

It's the same man who called and asked about Noah enjoying his black eye, she realized. "Leave me alone," Sharlotte said firmly and hung up before giving the caller a chance to reply. Then, trying to hide her apprehension she sat back down at her desk and glanced over at her nephew. "Noah, I need you to go play your game or watch TV, okay? I need to talk to John in private."

"Is everything okay, Aunt Sharlotte," the boy asked.

She nodded and patted his head. "Everything's fine. It's just a wrong number, don't worry. And try not to wake your mom, okay?"

Noah nodded and looked regretfully back at John. "Bye, John. It was awesome to meet you!"

John smiled back at him and waved, though Sharlotte caught the look of concern on his face a split second before. "It was awesome to meet you too, kiddo. How about we talk again soon?"

"All right! That'd be great!" Excited, he reached over and kissed Sharlotte's cheek. "This has been the best day ever!"

Sharlotte hugged him close and kissed the top of his head. "I'm glad, baby. I'm really glad."

Noah turned and left the room then, and she faced John once the door closed behind her nephew.

"What's happened?"

John's face was now devoid of any humor or lightheartedness. He seemed to be able to read her as well as she read him.

Sharlotte hesitated, not sure she should lay it all on him when they'd only known each other for a few days. But she didn't know what else to do.

"Sharlotte, come on," he insisted. "I confided in you and trusted you, now it's your turn to trust me."

"I know, but it's just…I don't feel right burdening you with it."

"What are friends for," he countered. "I know we've not gotten to talk much and really get to know stuff about each other, but we have a connection. And you know it. Now, I heard your side of the conversation. And I saw you on the phone. You looked scared…are you being threatened?"

Reluctantly, she nodded.

"And it's about Noah, isn't it?"

Again, she nodded.

"Tell me what the person said to you."

She took a deep breath and met his gaze.

"This morning, I threatened Noah's principal—with going to the Be A Star alliance, and the news media. I also said I'd look into pressing whatever charges I could against the parents. And just now, a guy told me if I cause any more trouble I'd better be prepared to pay the consequences."

"You asked who he was…What did he say to that," John asked. His face was so intent she could have sworn he was filing the details away in a mental file cabinet.

Sharlotte rubbed her temples as she felt the beginnings of another bad headache. "He said I'd find out if I didn't do as he said."

"Okay," John nodded. "I'm going to call Stephanie McMahon. She's more involved with Be A Star than Vince is, and I'm sure I can get her help and advice. I'm going to let her know what's going on, and we'll figure out how to approach this. Don't say another word to anyone about any publicity or pressing charges. No one, okay?"

Sharlotte nodded. "I won't."

"Good. Let whoever threatened you think they scared you off. Then, once we get this on the news and all over , they'll be highly unlikely to do anything because they'll be afraid of being caught."

She nodded again. "Makes sense. Since they're being a coward in trying to frighten me, stands to reason they don't really want to do anything. They're hoping I'll back down."

"Right," John said. "So let them think you are. I'd call the principal myself, but that may just cause more trouble. I think you should lie as low as possible till we get a solution on the roll."

"Thanks," Sharlotte smiled softly. "Thanks for helping me not to panic."

"Don't worry," John smiled back. "It will be okay. Now you need to be prepared for interviews, and a lot of media coverage."

"I know. We can handle it."

"You've got a great nephew," John said, lightening the subject. "He loves you very much."

Sharlotte nodded happily. "Yes, and I love him very much in return. I hate that he's even got to go back to that horrible school. I wish he could go to a better one."

"Is there not another one he can attend?"

"There's another elementary school, but it's even more notorious for bullying. And I shudder to think about him going to the middle school in a few years. The place is a nightmare. And the high school is even worse, if you can believe it. There's a private school near here that I'd love for him to attend. It's a Christian school for grades K through twelve, and I've heard nothing but good things about it. It's an amazing school, but its cost is pretty amazing too."

"Yeah, I know. I went to a private boarding school for my high school years, and it was pretty pricey."

Sharlotte nodded. "It's a shame too. Though if it were free or even affordable, I suppose the private schools would be over-filled." She sighed softly. "Maybe if Be A Star can do something, Noah won't have as hard a time at school though."

"Try not to worry, Sharlotte," John told her gently. "Just keep your chin up, and remember what you showed me: And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us."

She smiled. "You memorized it!"

John nodded and flashed his dimples at her. "Yeah, I did. They were helpful words, and I want to remember them."

"I'm glad," she said softly. "They're wise words to live by."

John smiled and nodded in agreement, but then said regretfully, "I probably should get off here for a while and try getting a hold of Steph. Okay? I'll try to reach you later and let you know what I find out."

"Okay. Thank you so much, John. You don't know what this means to me. And to Noah."

"I'm glad to help in any way I can," he replied sincerely. "I'll talk to you after a while."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye sweetheart."

Sharlotte closed out her Skype and sat for a moment, deep in thought.

"God, please help me. I think I could fall in love with John Cena."

And she had a feeling nothing but heartache would come of that.