The strength to pull away had been long in coming. Shawn didn't know how long they had stood on the sidewalk in each other's arms. Finally, after many contented sighs and a few tears, he managed to lift his face from John's chest and look him in the eye.

The sweet smile he saw caused his knees to weaken and there was an answering wettness in Layfield's eye. They stood with their fingers joined for a few moments longer, then, mutually, their hands slipped away.

"I'll call...when I can." Shawn sniffed back his tears. Why was this so hard?

"I'll wait for that." John's voice was quivering. "I'll see you Sunday, okay?"

The big hand clapped him on the shoulder as Shawn turned to pick up his bags.

"See you then, John, I..." Their eyes met again and Shawn bit back the words that threatened to spill from his mouth. How had this happened? He couldn't really...not this fast.

He saw Layfield's hand tremble on the door.

"Me too. I..."

They nodded at each other simultaneously then the car door pulled closed at the same time that Shawn walked away.

Every step across the terminal was like walking in sand. The world seemed to shift beneath Shawn's feet. Everything that was happening was so confusing yet it felt so right.

How had it happened? When had it happened? When had John come to mean so much?

Shawn was so introspective at this moment, that he didn't notice his collegues from work waiting in the lounge, whispering as he walked by. He went through the motions of checking his baggage, staring off into the world vacant, wrapped in his own mind.

It was all he could do not to weep in public, to run back out the door after John. Shawn couldn't stand even these few minutes apart, he couldn't imagine how he would make it the next few days.

He slumped in a chair in the lounge, with his head in his hands and wiped his tears before they could run. A shadow passed over him and when he looked up, Hunter was standing in front of his chair.

"What has he done to you?" Hunter was speaking too loudly. " I swear if he....I saw that little scene outside."

Shawn rose up from his chair and drew nose to nose with the massive man.

"If you saw it, then you know he hasn't done anything. It was me."

The tense confrontation was drawing attention from others in the lounge, Shawn backed away and eased his posture with a meaningful look. Helmsley did the same.

"I don't want to fight with you about this, Hunter." Shawn whispered. "Not now or here. Just call me when I get home.
This is private, okay?"

"Not anymore, Shawn." Hunter's tone was baiting. " I wasn't the only one who saw you. Half of the Wwe is here and they are all talking."

Shawn lowered his head. What had he done to John, to himself? How would he ever explain?

"They are saying that he pays you for more than help in the ring, Shawn. Do you expect me to stand by and let him make you look like a whore?"

Shawn's temper ignited, the old resentment, the blame, boiled away inside him.

"If I am a whore, its because of what I did for you. You don't know John, you don't know anything about this. Away from the business he is a different man."

"This is all still that isn't it? You just can't get over what happened." All of Shawn's concerns about Hunter's morals were realised in that moment. Hunter was so sick that he truly didn't understand.

"This is just guilt," Helmsley continued his tirade. "He's making you feel guilty, isn't he?"

Shawn was incredulous. How could any of this be John's fault? How could John possibly make him guilty?

"I know you're angry and I know you think you care about me, but Hunter this is way out of line. I will always feel guilty,
because of you....and me but John has nothing to do with this."

Helmsley's shoulders visibly relaxed and his head dropped gently.

"So he hasn't....I mean...things are still alright."

"He hasn't hurt me. He won't hurt me. I was crying because of me, not John. Call me later, I will try to explain."

With that Shawn turned and walked away across the building, if he hurried, he just might make his flight.