A/N: Update! New chapter for you guys. Thank you for the PM's and reviews for the last chapter, the response was massive, and thank you all so very, very much. It was truly touching. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much, and as ever I would love you read and review!

Matty1 - Thank you for your review, and am very sorry I missed you out on the last chapter! You've been with me for a long time! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

SRC - Thank you so much for your review and welcome you to the family. It means a lot when a fellow slash writer comments on my work, and I hope you stick with the story.

I dedicate this chapter to Rae, my biggest source of guidiance and inspiration. Your words recently have really helped me centre myself and made me realise what I wanted to create when I began this story. Thank you so much for time and friendship, it really does mean a lot to me.

Vera - to get a shout out from you in your story was the most amazing thing ever. So, in my own way, I thank you and return the support in this chapter. Thank you very much!!

I disclaim!!

John Cena, you are turning into such a fucking girl!

Grimacing at his own vicious critique of himself, the professional wrestler delved the metallic silver spoon deeper into the tub of 'Cookie-Dough' flavoured ice cream. With a mound of the softening solid lumped precariously on top of the spoon, John shovelled the cold ice cream into his mouth, swallowing it down with an audible 'gulp'. John bared his teeth at the icy cold biting at this throat at the ice cream sliding thickly down past his oesophagus. It was a singular sensation, but it didn't stop him from repeating the same movement again. This was his third tub of the sinful treat, and he doubted he would stop anytime soon.

He half wondered to himself if the cold was acting as some kind of numbing force against his own feelings of guilt and remorse. He had been such an ass when he had spoken to Morgan earlier on in the day. He had said some pretty low, hurtful things that he knew should never had been given a voice. And now, there was no way to take them back. He had most likely ruined whatever friendship he could have had with Morgan, simply because he'd tried to push the singer too far.

John wanted Morgan, there was no denying that, but his selfish need had cost him the only one thing he had cared about in a long time. Life had gotten so hard after his break up with Ashley. He had really loved that girl, from the tip of his toes to the swell of his heart. Every single part of his existence had been to make her happy. And she had left him from someone else, tearing his heart cleanly from his chest in the process. John knew there was no way he could ever forgive her for what she had done, no matter how much he wanted her back.

And it wasn't as though he hadn't had the chance. Ashley had been hanging around like vulture, offering herself on a plate to John. She said she had made a mistake, that it was John she truly loved. Cena wanted to believe her so much, and he almost took her back willingly. But that nagging hurt, constantly resting in the deep of his chest just wouldn't let him take that final step. He would always love Ashley, John wasn't stupid enough to think otherwise. But like his father had once said to him, sometimes you live, love and let go. Even if you do fall for someone in a big way, it didn't always mean you were going to spend the rest of your lives together. It could last three years, three days or even three weeks. It didn't make the love you shared any less important that a thirty year marriage. It was just that this relationship wasn't meat to last forever. You just had to be thankful for the time you had together, didn't you?

Even if it was just one night?

For the very life of him, John just could not figure Morgan out. He had honestly led himself to actually believe that Morgan had feelings for him, that he wanted him back. How could I have read him so wrong? John didn't pretend to be an expert on emotions, or human behaviour, but he was certain he knew enough about love to see when someone felt the same way about him. Did he really get it wrong with Morgan, or was the younger man simply denying his feelings? Whatever the reasoning behind their argument or why they couldn't be together, John knew he had blown any chance of figuring things out.

That look of hurt in Morgan's eyes…John knew that image would stay imprinted on his mind for a good long while. What was that line about there being a fine line between love and hate? Maybe it was true. Maybe John did love Morgan so much that it was all too easy to hurt him. Did that make him any better than Ashley? It was the same thing essentially, hurting the one you loved to be with someone else.

Shaking his head at the comparison, John carefully placed the empty ice cream carton on the seat next to him. Glancing up from behind the peak of his baseball cap, he saw he was very much alone in the terminal. The rows of metallic grey seats sat empty, with only a sparse handful of other travellers in visible sight. It was just John and the terminal workers. Speaking of which…

"Excuse me sir…" Glancing to his side, John noted the attractive younger woman leaning next to him. She was beautiful, with a soft bob of brown hair hanging around her face, set off with a genuinely warm smile, and stunning brown eyes. The colour was so rich, it gave John the image of silk. It was pure and intoxicating, "will you be flying with us to Oklahoma? I don't mean to rush you, but we are calling for the last of our travellers for tonight's flight."

"Can I ask you something," John stopped mid sentence to read the name emblazoned on a gold tag pinned to the woman's chest, "…Vera?" A look of interest flashed across her face as she seemed to consider John's question. Gently nodding her head, she relaxed herself into the seat to John's immediate left. "Is love enough to make a relationship work? I mean, if you love someone with everything you are as a person, shouldn't that be enough to keep two people together, no matter what the obstacles?"

"I hope so," Vera smiled warmly, raising her hand to flash a diamond engagement ring resting there, "if love isn't enough to keep two people together, then what else could? I mean, what's the point in anything?"

"Right," John readily agreed, sitting up in his seat, "isn't love what everyone wants, what everyone is basically searching for? I know it's not always simple, and there are good times and bad times in every friendship and relationship. It's a lot of hard work and sacrifice, plus it won't always be plain sailing. But surely your love is worth all that. What else is there in life other than love? That has to be all that matters."

"I agree." Vera nodded her head again, sending her hair cascading around her head in soft arcs of mahogany.

"But then again, love comes hand in hand with hurt. Maybe the point of love isn't for two people to necessarily stay together forever, especially if you're hurting as a result. Maybe it's more than you learn from the experience, and grow from being involved with someone. Even if you think you can a relationship work, it's better to love them and let them go. Wouldn't you just be making them miserable otherwise?"

"Perhaps. But if it's real love, like 'Gone With The Wind' kinda stuff, why would you want to give that up? I know I wouldn't, and god help my boyfriend if he ever tried to leave me because he thought he was doing right by me. That wouldn't be his decision to make." John stopped at Vera's words. Turning his head, he focused intently on her eyes.

"What did you say?" John leaned closer, as if straining to listen to Vera's words again.

Looking a little uncomfortable at the sudden scrutiny, Vera hesitantly repeated what she said. "That…that it wouldn't be his decision to make?"

The look in her eyes showed her uncertainty, but it seemed to set alight something in John, as though he had gained another level of understanding. She was so right. It wasn't Morgan's decision to make, that them being together was a mistake. But was it really that simple? "But what if you know the world is against you? Like you know that being with this person, even though you know it's what you want, that your life…and your entire world just wouldn't accept you being in love with them? If society is basically against you, is it right to jeopardise everything you ever known for the love of someone else?"

"If you don't, well then what would be the point in being in love at all?" Vera's features creased into a heartfelt smile, "if you're not willing to take the risk on somebody you're crazy for, then why bother feeling at all? If you don't get burned once in a while, how would you know what love is at all? If people don't accept your love, then screw people. What they and the whole god damn world shouldn't matter. It's supposed to be about what you feel, right?"

"Right." John agreed. For some reason, Vera had reached a level of understanding with John, which was on a shared wavelength, even though they had no idea of each others' personal circumstances.

"I don't know," Vera added, tucking a wave of hair behind her ear, "all I know, is that love it worth any price. If you love somebody that much that you couldn't bare to live without them, then you have duty to your own heart to at least try to make it work. If you're meant to be together, then things will work themselves out. If not, well at least you'll know you made sure you weren't passing up your chance at true happiness. All I know for sure, is that true love doesn't come around everyday. You need to grab it and hold it close and never let it go. If you let that slip through your fingers because you're 'trying to do the right thing' then you're a fool. I risked a lot to be with my man, but I don't regret the decision at all. What I've gained by just basking in his love far outweighs what I've lost because of it."

Reaching out, Vera grasped John's hand in her own. "Seriously sir. If you love whoever it is that much, take the risk. Don't let them go because you think you're doing right by them, fight for them. Claw and bite and sweat and cry…whatever it takes for you to be together. You know they are worth it."

John nodded his head slowly. Vera was making a lot of sense. If ever he felt sure of his feelings, it was now. He couldn't let this go, he could not leave Morgan without trying one more time make things right. John loved Morgan, and he wouldn't let Morgan's fear get in the way of it.

Getting up from her seat, Vera nodded softly. "I'll leave the gate open for fifteen more minutes' sir. If you want to board the flight, I'll be waiting. But I think it's time for you to take the risk." Smiling over John's shoulder, Vera turned on her heel and scurried towards the desk at the opposite end of the lobby.

Craning his neck to get a better view of what Vera saw, John felt his heart turn over. Standing just a few feet away was Morgan. His eyes looked tired, and he could easily see the singer had been crying. John felt a wave of guilt wash over him. The tears were his fault. He had hurt Morgan, and he had to make it right. Slowly, the WWE Champion rose from his seat, standing to face Morgan. His heart pounded so violently in his chest, John was sure it was going to burst straight through the muscle and bone. It didn't help matters that there was a deep look of sadness embedded in Morgan's eyes.

Opening his mouth to speak, John was cut off as Morgan raised his hand to silence him. "Don't talk John…I really need to get this out." Shuffling his feet, Morgan took a deep breath before continuing. "You were so wrong in what you said to me today. I don't have a fear of commitment, and I am certainly not messed up. It's just I'm tired. I'm tired of being used, I'm tired of being hurt. But mostly, I'm tired of you and me. We never had a future, and we can never be together, not in the way you want. However much you want it, it just will not work. Whilst you might be ready to sacrifice your life and career for me, I'm just not ready to do the same for you. As hard as it is for you to hear this, I do not love you. I'm sorry, but I just don't. If I did, maybe things would be different…"

Morgan stopped, noting the hurt expression marking John's features. It was as thought the mountain of muscle was crumbling before his very eyes. "I'm not saying this to hurt you. Please don't think so low of me that I'm doing this to make you hate me so you won't want me anymore...that's not it. I'm doing this because you're my friend, and I care about you so much that I honestly think you deserve the truth. Maybe I am being selfish by not taking a chance on you, but that's my prerogative. Why can't I be selfish and do something for myself? Is that so wrong, to want myself to be happy instead of wanting to make sure someone else is? I don't know, that's for you to decide."

Reaching into his pocket, Morgan retrieved a CD. With a measure step, he moved closer to John, holding the disc out to the wrestler. "This CD will explain me better than I can right now. Listen to it, and maybe you'll understand why I'm doing this. I really want us to be friends John, and I understand if you don't want that. But please don't forget that I care about you, and I don't want you to be hurting anymore. I wish there was someway I could make this simple, and just make is easy for you, but I can't, and I really am sorry for that. If I can assure you of anything, is that you will be okay. You're a different guy from that heartbroken man I met all those months ago. You're so much stronger that you realise, and one day someone is going to come into your life and make you so happy. But for now, I think you just need to remember what it's like being John Cena, and not have someone else in your life. Learn to be by yourself for a while."

John accepted the CD from Morgan, studying the blank white surface to keep from showing the tears pooling in his grey blue eyes. "Learn to be lonely, I think you mean." The bitterness in his voice was evident, but John made to attempt to hide it. Morgan had done so much to fix his broken heart, and know it was almost as though the singer was crushing it beneath his heel. Raising his gaze to meet Morgan's, John's eyes narrowed into a glare.

"I wish I had never gotten involved with you at all. I risked so much to just let myself feel for you, and for what? So I could get my heart broken again. Are you happy? Are you pleased that I've admitted it? Yeah Morgan, you've crushed me. I knew it was wrong to the chance on you, but I honestly went with my heart instead of my head…I'm such a fuckin' loser for ever believing in you…"

"John…" Morgan tried to stop this before it got any further, but the broken wrestler would not allow it.

"I am so stupid. I let myself get hurt again. I opened up to you in ways I have never done with anyone else in my life…" John stopped himself mid sentence, as he took in the true weight of his words. "…I really hope to God that I never see you again for as long as I live."

Morgan's eyes widened at the statement. It was easily the most hurtful thing Cena could ever have said to him. But John clearly wasn't finished. "I wish…I just wish… I wish never met you." Shaking his head, Cena couldn't stop the single tear rolling down over his cheek, but he brushed it away as quickly as it appeared. Spinning on his heel, he gripped his duffle bag from the floor by his seat. Without a single word, he marched towards the desk at the opposite end of the terminal.

Morgan watched as he stopped for a moment. It became evident all too soon why he had done so. With a single flick of his wrist, John threw the CD Morgan had made into nearest trash can. Shrugging his bag onto his shoulder, John approached the desk, handing his ticket over the desk to the glum faced Vera.

"Just get me out of here." He forced through gritted teeth. His face falling into a stony mask, John marched down the corridor connecting the plane, fighting back the tears burning in his eyes. Symbolically, he was burning a bridge. He was done making a fool of himself, and he was certainly done with feeling anything at all for Morgan. He would just push the pain somewhere where it couldn't hurt him anymore, no matter what the cost.

But however much he would convince himself he was over their relationship, John didn't know which he would regret more. That he told Morgan he never wanted to see him again, or that he walked out of his life without ever turning to look back. Whatever the reason, to John it didn't matter. He had done what he felt he had to do. As far as he was concerned, he would never see Morgan again as long as he lived.