DAMN! Okay, from now on, I'm saving my stuff on my flash drive! Last night, I had 15 pages done and when I pulled it up this morning, only the first two pages were salvageable! So, I had to start over from scratch! Luckily, I remembered what I did the night before and I did it over from memory. And It's time for another CENATION SHOUTOUT! I forgot to do this one in my last chapter so I'm doing it now. LILYGIRL95… this one's for YOU and I'm so sorry for leaving it off last chapter! Thanks for leaving me some love! :D Let's hope all my hard work was worth it! Shall we?
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing WWE related and I also don't own the song "Feels Like Tonight" by Daughtry. Don't Sue! Thanks! Now… ON WITH THE FIC!
LAST TIME...
"AAAAHHH!" THUD!
It sounded like… Oh, God! Please, no! I look over and I see Gwen laying on the floor unconscious. That snaps me out of my rage completely and I run over to her. I kneel by her side and I gently shake her.
"Gwen! Wake up!" I beg. "Come on, baby girl. Talk to me; please!" I don't get a response and fear overtakes me. What have I done? What if I… what if she...
"John, get back!" I hear Doc Sampson run over to check on her injuries… that I caused. I run my hands through my hair as a tsunami of regret washes over me. I'm the reason Gwen's getting put on a gurney and taken back to the hospital. I let Dolph get in my head and the woman I love paid the price.
"I'm going with her." I say, and that's when I feel a small hand hold me back.
"I think you've done enough, John." A.J. had a look on her face that could turn a man to stone and I didn't argue with her. I watch as she got into the back of the ambulance and when they closed the doors and drove away, I feel like this could close the door on my relationship with Gwen. God, I hope not. I wouldn't blame her if she never wants to talk to me again, but I hope this isn't the end for us.
-Later that night-
A.J.'S P.O.V.
I still can't believe what happened backstage after Elimination Chamber ended. Seeing John get to that point, no thanks to Ziggler, is one thing. But him snapping at Gwen and then… I know he didn't mean it; he'd never hurt Gwen intentionally. John's one of the strongest guys in the WWE and seeing her bounce off that production trunk made me and everyone else there cringe. He wanted to ride with Gwen to the hospital… but that wasn't happening. Not tonight. I think he's the last person she wants to see when she wakes up. I hate hospitals. I don't think anybody likes them, honestly. The employees see blood, gore and death every day, the visitors are made to wait on news of their loved ones and the patients get the worst end of it… they come here and get poked, prodded and who knows what else and sometimes… again, I HATE HOSPITALS! Once we arrive, they take Gwen to get her head examined and now I'm stuck in the waiting room. Joy. I spend that time answering calls from everyone asking how Gwen is and I have to tell them that I'm still waiting for the doctor to come out and give me some kind of diagnosis. I mean what if she ends up with amnesia and forgets who everyone is? Of course, forgetting Dolph would be the one bright side to this fiasco; forgetting everyone else… not so much. An hour passes and FINALLY, a nurse comes out and she looks right at me. I hope she has some good news about Gwen.
"Is she alright?" I ask.
"She's stabilized. The doctor will come out to provide you with more details." She tells me. Why can't you? Don't nurses work alongside doctors? Doc McStuffins runs a more organized hospital!
"Can I see her?"
"I'm afraid only family members are allowed to see the patients at this time." IS she fucking serious!? We're in the WWE! We're away from our families for most of the year!
"Nurse, she's part of the WWE; her family is miles away and I'm the closest thing to a sister she has right now so either you let me see Gwen… or I'll prove to you that not everything about the WWE is fake." I give her my "crazy chick" look and I'm not kidding. If she doesn't let me see Gwen, people are gonna think this is a MENTAL hospital when I get through! I see beads of sweat forming on the poor nurse's face and she knows I'm serious. Either she watches the WWE or she knows not to mess with the crazies. Either way, I get what I want.
"I'll take you to her." She relents.
"Thanks." I knew she'd see it my way. I flash her a grin that would scare the shit out of the Joker and follow her into the E.R. where they put the stabilized patients before admitting them into regular rooms. Once there, the doctor tells me that Gwen has suffered a concussion and needs to stay in the hospital for about a day meaning she's gonna miss RAW tomorrow night. That might be for the best, considering.
"If you'll give us a few minutes, we're about to admit her into a regular room so you can visit properly." The doctor says to me.
"Alright." More waiting… yippee. I hope this doesn't take too long; if there's one thing I hate more than blood in hospitals, it's the smell. It's like living in a bottle of Pine-sol! A few minutes later…
"Come on. I'll take you to her new room."
The attending doctor and I use the elevator to go up to the second floor where Gwen's new room is. He leaves me alone and as I walk into Gwen's hospital room, I find her lying in her bed with her eyes closed and her head bandaged up. She's either asleep… or still unconscious, I can't tell at this point. I know John's crushed over what happened, but right now, I'm more worried about Gwen's state of mind… and heart. I walk over and sit next to her bed and I mentally debate whether to shake her awake or just let her lie there. I get my answer when Gwen opens one eye and looks at me with it… and scares the crap outta me!
"AAAAH! Geez, give a crazy chick warning first!" I shriek and I nearly fall out of my chair.
"I would laugh, but I think it would make my headache worse." She grumbles. She's not wearing her glasses. I think they had to remove them so they could examine her properly. "Can you pass me my glasses? The nurse put them in the drawer."
"Sure." I find her glasses and hand them to my best friend and as she puts them on, her eyes cross for a moment. I guess her eyes need a minute to adjust. "Is everything good?"
"I'll tell you when I stop seeing five of you." She replies. After a few minutes… she looks up at me and says: "Okay, we're back to one. The world couldn't handle clones of you, A.J." I let out a chuckle and a sigh of relief. If she's joking, that means she's alright.
"I don't think I've ever been happier to hear you joke about that." I smile, but it falls soon after. I'm about to ask the stupidest question you can possibly ask anyone who is injured. You all know what it is. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I was just slammed into a production trunk by the man I love. I'm just peachy." Her words ooze sarcasm, but she's justified. If Punk did that to me, I wouldn't be a happy camper, either. "You wanna know the truth? This lump on my head doesn't hurt nearly as much as John's words." I can see her holding in her emotions, but her eyes tell the story clear as a bell; her heart's in just as much pain, if not more. Damn it! Dolph kept pushing John's buttons until he did the one thing I know he never wanted to do. I wish I could get out of this storyline with him, but we're in too deep as it is. Thank goodness for Punk... and for Gwen hooking us up. Speaking of, I hooked her and John up, maybe I can help patch things up between them. It would suck big time if they split over something Dolph instigated.
"Gwen, it's not all John's fault. Dolph's mostly to blame for this." I say. "Okay, Dolph's 99.999999 percent to blame." I wish I knew the whole story, but I can guess what happened. "Exactly what happened before the show?"
"Well, I was with John as he warmed up for his tag match and Dolph comes up to us being… his usual Dolph-iness." Gwen explains. "He was going on about how I was happy he wasn't even on the card and how John seemed to like playing my protector, but that was about it before I left to get ready." Okay, then that means if Dolph DID say something, it was after she left. That would explain John's performance tonight; his mind seemed preoccupied.
"Oh, wow. Gwen, the only thing I can tell you is that this has Dolph's name written all over it. He must have said something to John after you left." I reassure. "I mean, he has no problems about getting to John through you and he'll say and do anything to make that happen."
"Even make John snap at me?" Gwen asks softly.
"Love can make people do crazy things." I remind her and I see her look at me. "Don't use me as an example. Breathing makes me do crazy things." I laugh and I let out a sigh of relief when I see her laughing, too. "John had tunnel vision. He was so focused on keeping Dolph away from you that everyone and everything around him just melded together. All John concentrated on was making Ziggler leave you alone and it clouded his brain so much, he thought anyone who tried to stop him was his enemy. He most likely thought you were Big E. Speaking of Big E… I'm still on the fence about him. That dude doesn't say much."
"He doesn't have to. His actions do that for him." Gwen says. Yeah, she has a point. And since all of his actions are geared towards helping Ziggler… "I'd love to go to sleep right now, but they want me to stay awake so they can check for any signs of internal injuries. 8 hours. Ugh!"
"They want to make sure you don't slip into a coma." I tell her. That would kill John if she did. "The doctor told me they did an initial scan on you before putting you in this room and they'll do another one after the 8 hours passed."
"What did he say?"
"I can take it from here." And here comes the doctor. I hope he has some good news. We could use it. "Miss Turner, I'm Dr. Saroyan." He introduced himself. He kinda reminds me of that doctor from CNN, San-something. I can't remember. "We did an initial scan of your cranium and brain and there is some slight bruising, but thankfully, no bleeding." We both let out a sigh of relief with that one. "We do want to keep you for the next 24 hours for observation which means, no Raw for you, unfortunately."
"I kinda figured that." Gwen sighs.
"It's rather amazing. Most people who take a blow to the head that hard usually come out of it much worse."
"That's a Turner for ya, doc. Our family's hard-headed by nature." I'd laugh more, but I'm too full of concern for my friend.
"I can imagine." He chuckles. "Also, as a precaution, it would be a good idea to return to your normal life gradually. Don't get back into the swing of things too soon."
"So, that means dancing's gonna be put on the back burner until you heal." I tell Gwen. I don't even need to look at her to know that's gonna suck for her.
"Crap!" Gwen whines. Yup… I knew she'd hate it.
"We'll make sure she takes it easy." I vow with a smile.
"Thank you. Well, I'll check in on you in a few hours. Try not to fall asleep." The doctor tells her.
"Oh, we have a remedy for that." I smirk. "She won't be nodding off anytime soon tonight."
The doctor shoots us a smile before leaving and I look back at Gwen who has a cringe on her face.
"No dancing? He might as well tell me not to breathe."
"I know. But it won't be forever, just until your head heals." I reassure her.
"What about my heart?" She asks me and I don't have a good answer for that because I know that'll take more time to heal.
"I wish I could answer that, Gwen." I put my hand on hers in a show of moral support and that's when I hear her phone ring. I go to her purse and grab her phone and I let out a sigh when I see John's picture appear on her screen. I give Gwen a look and she lets out a sigh as well. I guess it was inevitable that he'd call. I inhale and exhale sharply before I answer. I'm gonna need a vice grip to hold my tongue in front of Gwen. I'm still pissed.
"Hello?"
"Hey, A.J." I hear John speak and his voice is thick with worry. "How's Gwen? Is she awake? Is she alright?"
"She's fine, John." I tell him. "She's awake and talking."
"Can I talk to her?"
I pause for a moment before talking again.
"I… I don't think that's a good idea."
"Please, A.J. I need to talk to her." John begs. Damn! What is it about him that he can get people to do what he wants? I look at Gwen and hold up the phone letting her know that John wants to talk to her. She nods and when I hand her the phone, her hands start to shake. Oh, man! I hold her left hand tightly in a show of support as she talks to John.
"Hello?" She says softly.
"Hey, baby girl. I'm glad you're alright. How are you feeling?"
"I'm good." She answers quietly. "The doctor says it's just some bruising and there's no bleeding, so I'm alright."
"Gwen, I am so sorry for hurting you-"
"And you didn't mean it. I know, John." Gwen lets out another sigh and I can feel her squeeze my hand a bit tighter. "John, I really don't feel like talking right now."
"Oh… well, that's fine. I can come visit you and-"
"I don't want to see you, either." She says. Her voice is shaky and her hand tightens even more. She acts like she's almost… afraid of John. Poor girl.
"Gwen-"
"John… please. I need some time to sort things out. Get my head straight." She doesn't sound like her usual confident self when she speaks. She sounds more like… how she did when we first met her. Quiet, timid. I think John realizes this, too. What he did, accident or not, is inexcusable.
"Alright. I'll give you all the time you need." He says softly. "When you're ready to talk, I'll be here for you. Until then, I'll honor your request and leave you alone."
"Thank you." She whispers and she hands me the phone. I still have something to get off my chest.
"John, don't hang up yet." I look at Gwen and let her know that I'm gonna be right outside her door and that I'd be right back. She nodded as I left her room and closed the door behind me. "John, I didn't want to upset Gwen by letting her hear me but I have to tell you that when I handed her the phone, her hands started shaking. I don't think her concussion, and yes, she's suffered one, has anything to do with it."
"I-I had no idea, A.J."
"Look at it from her standpoint, John. She had the person she loved the most in this world snap at her and slam her into a production trunk knocking her unconscious. She's going through physical, mental AND emotional trauma. And, I hate to say it, you calling her didn't help." I held it for as long as I could, but he needs to wake up! "You need to take this time to figure out how you're gonna fix this otherwise you're gonna lose the best damn thing in your life!" I tell him.
"You're right, A.J. She didn't deserve what I did to her."
"Damn right, she didn't!"
"Could you do me one more favor?" He's got some nerve to ask that.
"Depends. What is it?"
"Could you tell Gwen that no matter what happens, I still love her and I always will? Please?"
"Okay, I'll tell her. But, keep in mind, I'm doing this for Gwen; not you."
"I understand. Thank you, A.J."
"No problem." With that, we hang up and when I go back into the room, I see Gwen… with tears running down her face. I run into her bathroom, grab a washcloth and wet it for her so she can clean her face. "Oh, my… Gwen! What's wrong?" I ask as I hand her the damp cloth.
"I think I know how battered wives feel now." She whispers as she wipes her eyes. "Whenever I'd watch a movie where the girl is abused by her boyfriend, I'd always get so pissed and I'd tell myself that it would never happen to me. Well, guess what? I feel so stupid!"
"Gwen, no! You shouldn't feel that way."
"I can't help it. When John called just now, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking." I give Gwen a tight hug and I can feel her shoulders shake against me. I stroke her hair, taking extra care not to injure her head further.
"Hey, you're gonna bounce back from all this and be stronger than ever and you have me and the girls behind you." I reassure her. "But, for now, let's concentrate on getting your head better. Is there anything you want?"
After a few moments of thinking, she looks at the t.v.
"Do they get Boomerang, here?" She asks. I love how she thinks! When I doubt, lose yourself in the Flintstones! I'll do whatever it takes to help keep her mind off of… you-know-who. Speaking of, he better hope Gwen doesn't decide to end it, not that I'd blame her. But… I dunno. They need each other. They've been through so much and I'd hate for something like this to ruin it for them both. I have to leave in the morning because I'm scheduled for Raw that night so Kaitlyn's gonna take over staying with Gwen. I'm not even sure if Gwen's even gonna watch tomorrow night and if she does, I hope she doesn't go through any tremors. I don't want anything to derail her recovery, physical or emotional. I hope Cupid has a degree in medicine!
-MONDAY NIGHT RAW-Cajundome, Lafayette, LA-
C.M. PUNK'S P.O.V.
I don't have to say how hectic the night after a major pay-per-view is. Tonight… has even bigger implications for a number of reasons. For one thing, Gwen's not at the announce table tonight. Stephanie sent a tweet out to the WWE Universe letting everyone know that Gwen had an accident backstage and that she was in the hospital. She left John's name out of it to avoid any kind of scandal. He better kiss her feet because she didn't have to cover for him like that. Also, tonight begins a prequel of sorts regarding the main event at WrestleMania. Tonight, I challenge John for his title shot. If he wins, he goes, but if I win, I go. Although, John doesn't look like he's in any mental shape to do anything. After Gwen's accident, he's been withdrawn and for a guy like him, that sends a lot of red flags. Those of us who know him best knows how expressive and outgoing John is and seeing him so… out of it… I'm not sure how he's functioning. Ever since Gwen came into his life, he's been more vibrant and I've never seen him so… alive. Now, he looks dead inside. We're all backstage warming up and I can see John pacing back and forth. He's been doing this for the last half hour and every once in a while, he looks at his dog tags with Gwen's name embossed in the metal. He rubs the tag with her name with his thumb and the events of last night hit him even harder. I think there's something else to it; I just remembered where we are and something tells me he does, too. This is where Gwen stopped Ziggler from taking of the turnbuckle pad in his match with John and they shared their second on-screen kiss. It also gave the Cena'sHero trend new life. That's a powerful memory for anyone, let alone John. I hope this makes John realize what's really at stake here and it's not a title shot. It's almost time for the show to begin and John psyches himself up in his usual way. He kisses his dog tags and the one with Gwen's name gets a longer one than usual. I think he's subconsciously letting Gwen know he's thinking of her. You better do more than just "think of her" if you want her back, dude! Anyway, he has to put last night behind him for now and not let this affect his performance.
"Welcome, everyone, to Monday Night Raw!" Cole announces. When John's music hits, I see him go into his persona as he walks out onto the stage. To the WWE Universe, he's the John they all know and love… and some hate. On the surface, he's his usual, excitable, extroverted self, but everyone in the back knows that it's all a mask. He's masking all the pain he's feeling over what happened last night. For someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, I guess he has to be good at hiding things.
"It's heatin' up!" John gives the crowd a salute and runs to the ring as Cole does his commentary. I know the topic is WrestleMania's main event, but I'm gonna let him know the real deal when it's time for me to come out. When he asks for the mic, I notice that he glanced at the announce table and he almost hid the disappointment he felt because Gwen wasn't sitting in the middle of Cole and Jerry. Yeah, let it all sink in. When I come out, I'm gonna twist the knife even more. I have a knack for relaying a hidden message in my promos and I have a huge one for John. I just hope that he's not the typical jock with hamburger for brains and can read between the lines.
"Here we are in the heart of Cajun country!" The crowd cheers loudly as John continues. "We're in the right place because the road to WrestleMania is heating up! It was a year ago that we announced WrestleMania 29 will be in the shadows of New York City at MetLife Stadium and for 10 months, that sign was nothing more than two cities, some words and a building. That sign, after last night, finally means something because you can see what I can see; WrestleMania is taking shape. After last night, we now know two of the championship matches at WrestleMania 29. Jack Swagger will challenge Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship." Personally, I'm not crazy about either guy holding the title, but, it can't be helped. Either one's better than Ziggler being champion. "And on April 7th at MetLife Stadium, John Cena tries his hand to become WWE Champion when he faces The Rock!" He looks right into the camera and I know he's not looking at the camera at all. He's looking through it in the hopes that Gwen's watching. Whether she is or not is anyone's guess. The crowd cheers for the announcement but that's all gonna change because my music hits. I'd rather not have fatso Paulrus with me for this, but again, it's part of the angle. I walk towards the ring and I'm ready to do what I do best-cut the best damn promos in the WWE! This promo's gonna be different, though, because it's gonna serve a dual purpose… hopefully. John and I stand in the middle of the ring and stare each other down. I can see in his eyes that Gwen's still on his mind. She definitely will be after I get through.
"You're fighting the Rock in the main event of WrestleMania for the WWE title? You-are you sure about that, John?" Because something more important's on the line for you. "Are you positive that's the way you want to go because that's the easy way out if you ask me. But, of course, I expect nothing less from you than to take the easy way out." In other words, a simple apology isn't gonna cut it! You're gonna have to do something bigger. "Lemme clear the air, here, ladies and gentlemen; and I'll clear the air with you, too. The Rock beat me last night fair and square." The crowd cheers loudly for that. I have nothing against The Rock; I respect the guy big time. But… I am a heel and one of the perks is being a jackass. What can I say? It's fun. "If you wanna go ahead and ignore the fact that I had him pinned for about an 18-count and, just prior to that, he struck a WWE official which, as per the match, should have immediately disqualified him bringing the title back to where it rightfully belongs. But yeah, sure; The Rock beat me fair and square last night and he beat you fair and square last year; but when you're talking about wins and losses, you have never beaten me." Both valid points. I made sure to stress the word "losses" and I hope John gets the message. I look into his eyes and I think it's sinking in. Thing is, John's also pretty good ad hiding messages in his promos.
"I'm not talking about wins and losses, I am talking about WrestleMania. I won the Royal Rumble; I deserve the right to go and sorry you didn't get the job done. Rock is the WWE Champion. You'll have to sit this one out; for once, it's not about C.M. Punk." John rebuts. He's right. It's not about me or the Rock. But for the sake of the promo… it is about me.
"But it is! But it is about C.M. Punk. Because it's about the WrestleMania main event and you're talking about you earned your right, the Rock earned his right to go on to WrestleMania? What about me? For 434 days, I was the WWE Champion, best in the world. I took on all comers and I single-handedly bested the best in the business." I know, I know! It's all a boldfaced lie… but… heel; remember? "And what did you do? How did you earn your title shot at WrestleMania? You enter yourself in a circus-like-30-man-over-the-top battle royal and, you what, you stroll in somewhere around number 25 or something like that and you throw a couple of ham-and-eggers over the top rope and you think that earns you the- no; you're lucky! That was the biggest luck of the draw match I have ever heard in my entire life. And besides, the Rock vs. John Cena is déjà vu. I've already seen that television show. It's a rerun. The Rock beats John Cena because you can't get it done! You can't win the big one, John!" John pauses for a moment. He's never been one to let someone tell him he can't do something and just let it go.
"Typical C.M. Punk. Come out here and state your grievance. What do you want from me? What do you want me to do?" I want you to man up and win your woman back before you lose her forever!
"What I want you to do is just walk away." I begin. "You have something that doesn't belong to you." You also have something you're taking for granted and she's laid up in a hospital bed because of you. "Just turn around; leave the ring. Leave the WWE. Get out of my life; just walk… away." John's mulling over what I told him and he slowly walks over to the ropes. He puts his hand on the tope rope and it looks like he's about to leave the ring and that's when the crowd chants "Cena, Cena!" He goes for the ropes again… but at the last second, he moves away.
"No." The crowd cheers loudly. "I'll give ya credit. I admire your honest; you got a hell of a set of stones." You need them in this business. "And I bet if you sift through all the excuses and the B.S., there's a halfway decent human being under there." There is. But this isn't about me. "But regardless of if you like me or you don't like me, you're intelligent enough to know that I'm not just gonna hand away a golden ticket to the main event of WrestleMania. But with all your skewed history and your lackluster points, you actually-you actually have some merit. I haven't beaten you and I haven't beaten the Rock. So, I have my critics just like you who are like 'ah, he doesn't deserve to be in the main event of WrestleMania.' Looks like we have a problem: you want to go to the main event of WrestleMania and I would like nothing more than to shut those critics up." And he has a lot of them. "So… I have a solution. I'm not gonna give you a golden ticket… but I'll letcha earn it." The crowd seems to like that idea. "A match… the big one. John Cena vs. C.M. Punk. If I win, you shut your mouth, crawl back in the hole you came from and go away." The crowd cheers again. They seem to like that idea, too. "If you win, then you're right. I don't deserve to be in the main event of WrestleMania. If you beat me, you deserve it. My word; you beat me in a match, right here, right now and I will give you my WrestleMania title shot!" The crowd goes nuts at the announcement. "You see there's a problem with calling me out, Punk! You talk business; I handle business. I say we do this, right here, right now and see who's traveling the road to WrestleMania!"
Paulrus pulls me over and whispers something in my ear. Why I even have to be associated with this tub of lard, I'll never know. After a few minutes of discussion, I give my response.
"Your word; you just made the stupidest decision of your life. And I'm gonna take you up on it, but I'm not gonna do it here." Okay, it's not a popular decision judging by the crowd's reaction. "Because I'm gonna do it on my terms and after I got screwed again last night and considering how, because I was screwed I shouldn't even be in this position, we'll do it next week." I walk out of the ring with Paulrus in tow and I let John stew over that for a moment. He has a lot more to think about now and I hope he takes this week to do something. He already has two demons to exorcise-never beating me and never beating the Rock. But if he doesn't make things right with Gwen before then, he isn't gonna be in any shape; physically or emotionally to fight me next week, let alone fight rock at WrestleMania.
"Let him go. Let him go. It's official. Next week, C.M. Punk faces John Cena. Winner goes to WrestleMania to face the Rock for the WWE Championship." The crowd goes ballistic because John might lose his shot if he's not careful. "He wants a week to rest? I say take your week. Get your beauty sleep and bring your best to Monday Night Raw. You say I can't get the job done. I don't agree with you! I want everyone who stands behind this to know that next week, I will beat you. Next week, I will go to WrestleMania and at WrestleMania, I will beat The Rock and you and all of you will know that the CHAMP IS HERE!" He looks into the camera again and I know he's subconsciously sending a message to the one person that matters the most to him. He better hope this one doesn't get marked "return to sender".
-Meanwhile-
KAITLYN'S P.O.V.
Raw starts off with a bang as John does his promo at the top of the show. I'm sitting next to Gwen's bed and Thunder is in her lap on top of the covers. When the nurse came in earlier, I thought she was gonna tell me he couldn't be here, but she said "I don't see a dog and if I did, I'd have to send the cute little thing out of here." Thunder's puppy charm strikes again. As the promo goes on, Gwen strokes Thunder's fur and she shifts uncomfortably when John looks into the camera. Earlier, she looked down at her dog tags a half hour before the show aired and her eyes focused on the tag with John's name. I didn't know why and I figured mentioning it would trigger something, so I left it alone. When they get closer to the end of the promo, John goes into the climax of his speech.
"Next week, I will go to WrestleMania and at WrestleMania, I will beat The Rock and you and all of you will know that the CHAMP IS HERE!"
He looks into the camera and Gwen shifts in the bed again. She's barely looking back at the screen and I can't imagine what's going through her mind.
"I can feel him." She whispers.
"What?" I ask her confused. Her voice is barely above a whisper. It's almost as if she's become afraid to speak her mind.
"John. I can feel him… through the screen." A.J. was right. She is quieter than usual. "The connection we have freaks me out sometimes."
"Speaking of… you were looking at your tags before the show came on." I prodded. "Did you feel him then?" When she nodded, I was amazed… and a little freaked out. I've heard of people having a strong connection, but this is unreal.
"I think he kissed his tag that had my name on it."
"That means there's still something there." I tell her. "If you can feel that, I'm sure you can feel how much he's hurting without you and vice versa." Even Thunder's trying to convince her because he puts his paws up on her chest where her tags lie. If there was ever a time for John's motto to sink in, it's now. Never give up, Gwen. It would kill John if you did… and I know it would kill you, too.
-Later-
Tonight's show didn't skimp on the surprises but the best part of the show was Ziggler losing his match to Del Rio after all the crowing he did last night. Seeing him submit is like milk-it does a body good. Now, it's time for Rock's celebration and he's got the University of Louisiana Lafayette marching band to play him in. This entrance has all the pomp and circumstance of something you'd find at WrestleMania! This celebration isn't just to acknowledge the Rock beating me last night; it's also to unveil the new WWE Championship belt and I have to admit that it looks really cool. It has the WWE scratch logo covered in diamonds and rubies and instead of a plate with the superstar's name, it can be customized with nameplates with our signatures. Right now, the plates have Rock's Brahma bull logo. As the crowd shows their love for the new belt, John's standing by the gorilla waiting for his cue to come out. During the show, he kept to himself and didn't do much talking. The Cajundome holds a special memory for him and it's not something you can easily escape. Now, the time comes for Rock to wrap up his celebration.
"But here's the thing, considering what happened tonight, the bottom line is this; who is the Rock gonna face at WrestleMania? Is it going to be… C.M. Punk?" The crowd boos and boos loudly. I kinda saw that coming. "Or John Cena?" The crowd erupts. We have a winner! "There is one man who the Rock wants to face at WrestleMania. Between those two, there is one man; one man who brings out the very best in the Rock. For professional reasons, for personal reasons, that man is…"
Before Rock can finish, John's music hits and a hush falls over the crowd as he walks out. I mean, it's so quiet, you can hear every detail of John's song. The staredown between the two is intense and people are wondering if we might have a little taste of WrestleMania right now. They get their wish… kinda. John blows on his knuckles like he's ready to shoot craps and just as he takes a step forward, I mutter the words "sorry, John" and I blast him in the back of his head with the old belt. John's laying face down on the ramp barely moving and I toss the belt onto the floor and point to the Rock.
"I want that one." Meaning I want that new belt. The Rock begins hopping inside the ring like a frog on a hot plate and he's ready to throw down… but it ain't happening tonight because I turn and walk back up the ramp. The show ends with John struggling to get up and Rock pacing inside the ring like a hungry lion. I didn't want to hit John that hard, but I wanted John to feel what Gwen felt when her head hit the trunk last night. Hopefully tonight knocked some sense into him.
-Meanwhile-
KAITLYN'S P.O.V.
For the most part, Gwen was able to watch Raw because John was only on during the top of the show. Now, it's close to the end and during Rock's celebration/belt unveiling, John comes out again and Gwen actually watched. Just as John looks like he's gonna go to the ring, Punk bashes the old belt upside the back of John's head. I saw Gwen cringe at the impact and I'm not sure if she feels like John got what was coming to him or if she feels concern for him. I haven't known Gwen long, but I don't think a grudge against someone will keep her from caring about them. As the show goes off, I hear her whisper…
"Be okay."
A glimmer of hope shines through all this drama. Maybe this time apart will make them both see that they need each other.
-Friday-
GWEN'S P.O.V.
I was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. It would have been that morning, but Thunder made such an impression with the nurses, I had to stick around until they all had the chance to say goodbye to him. I don't know where I'd be without the girls. They were my rocks all week while I'm on my road to recovery. Yesterday, Dee called worried sick about me when she read that I was in the hospital. The girls wanted me to keep the fact that John caused it a secret, but I couldn't lie to Dee. Our friendship is built on trust… besides, she can tell if I'm lying so… I told her the truth. And we spent nearly all day pleading, persuading and convincing her not to come up with her Glock… and her .38… and her .45… you get the picture. I don't know HOW we did it, but she promised not to book the next flight and smuggle a gun on board with her. Dee agrees with the Divas that John needs to do something to apologize to me. She said "A simply apology ain't gonna cut it and if he doesn't do something big, I'm gonna cut him!" Uh… let's hope it doesn't come to that. Today, we're all coming back from a group workout and we're spent. I've been rooming with A.J. so we all hang out in her room.
"Oh, man! I could a nice long soak in a hot tub right about now." Layla said as she flopped backwards onto A.J.s bed.
"Or a massage." Naomi smiled.
"Or both." Kaitlyn added.
"A massage sounds like a good idea. I might give Punk one before his match with Jo-" A.J. stops mid sentence and I see her eyes go wide. We sort of made an unofficial pact to not mention his name while I'm healing. Now, you see why the pact is unofficial. "Oh, Gwen! I'm so sorry! I-"
"It's fine, A.J. I'm alright." I tell her quietly, but my body language betrays me. I'm not alright, far from it. The second she began saying John's name, my mind flashes back to the end of Elimination Chamber and I relive everything that happened. I start shaking again and I feel like a veteran with PTSD! All of my emotions are in hyperdrive and I can't control any of them. The next thing I know my right hand goes to my dog tags and I grip them tightly. I get ready to rip them from my neck and I'm so conflicted, I don't even hear my friends shouting at me.
"NO!"
"STOP!"
"DON'T DO IT!"
I have every fucking right to just pull these tags from my neck and throw them in the Mississippi, but… I can't do it. Damnit! My hand won't move. I feel like something's stopping me from going through with it. My hand shakes violently, but that's the only motion it makes. Why can't I just… throw these things away? I can't do it because a memory cuts through my violent flashback and reminds me of why I keep these dog tags so close to me. The memory… the moment John said those three words: I love you. I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes and one falls onto my right hand. My grip softens and I slowly let go of my tags, much to the relief of the Divas and little Thunder. My hand falls to my side and I feel myself get swallowed up in a group hug.
"Damn it! What's wrong with me?" I ask in a shaky voice.
"Nothing, chica. You're just a woman in love." Rosa tells me.
"Why does it have to hurt so much?" I ask.
"We're still looking for the answer to that one." Natty says.
"Well, it sucks." I sigh as I sit on A.J.'s bed. I feel someone sit next to me and when I look to my left, I see Tamina. Thunder's sitting by my feet and looking up at me.
"Gwen, lemme ask you something. After everything you two have been through, do you really think John would intentionally throw it all away like that?" She asks me and… she does have a point. "We've known John for years, some longer than others and since he's been with you, he's never been happier. You may not know this but Monday night, John was so distraught. He tried to hide it, but we could all see it. He's miserable without you and I know you are without him. That has to be why you couldn't pull off your tags."
There is another reason why I couldn't do it, but since this isn't the X-Files, I won't freak anyone out.
"You owe it to yourself to at least hear him out." Cameron replied. "Give him that much."
"I guess it can't hurt, huh?" I ask softly. I look up and all the Divas are shaking their heads in unison. Even Thunder shakes his head. I let out a chuckle as I bend down to scratch his ears. "You agree, huh?" Thunder answers with a cute bark.
"Alright. I still need to work up the nerve to talk to him." I say.
"We got your back." Alicia nodded.
I'm glad I made so many good friends here. I never would have gotten through this without them.
-Meanwhile-
JOHN'S P.O.V.
My year-long funk is nothing compared to how I feel right now. When Gwen said she didn't want to see me, I felt like I was hit with a fleet of Mack trucks. We've had house shows every night this week and I just didn't have the same… zeal as I usually do. I faked it well enough for the crowds, but everyone in the back knew I wasn't feeling it… and they knew why. If I could go back in time and stop myself from yelling and hitting Gwen, I would. I would in a heartbeat. I pride myself as a man of my word… and I broke it to the one person who means the most to me. I hope she finds it in her heart to forgive me and give me another chance, but I wouldn't blame Gwen if she never wanted to speak to me again. I'd deserve it. Since Gwen has been rooming with A.J. since the incident, I've been booking single rooms for myself. "Single". I never knew that word could feel so lonely. I'm in my room and I hear a knock on my door. I light up thinking Gwen's decided to talk to me again so when I open the door, my face falls because the person on the other side is too tall, has tattoos and he's male. And the last time I checked, Gwen isn't of Samoan descent.
"Hey, Dwayne." I say as I let him in.
"For the record, the brooding look doesn't work for you." He tells me. I know he's trying to make me feel better, but I feel like I'm inconsolable.
"I'll let Randy know his persona's safe." I say glumly. I guess that struck a nerve with Dwayne because he exhales sharply.
"Look! You need to get your head out of your ass!" He stresses. "You yelled at Gwen!"
"I know."
"And you shoved her into a production trunk knocking her unconscious!"
"I know!"
"She ended up in the hospital because she was trying to protect you!"
"I KNOW!"
"So what the Hell are you gonna do about it!?" I was about to yell back… when I realize that's how this mess started. I sit down on the foot of my bed with a deflated look, I mutter:
"I don't know."
"Well, golden boy, you better figure it out and fast. As it is, Gwen has every right to just say 'fuck it' and leave you and the WWE without a second glance!" Dwayne tells me like it is. He's right. "She probably thinks that her life would be better without you… but would yours be better without her? If the answer's 'no', you need to man up and win her back! A woman like her doesn't come around every thousand episodes!"
Just as he says that, I feel something near my dog tags and I grab them. It feels like something's pulling at them and I need to keep them from being yanked off. Why do I feel like this? That's when it hit me… I think Gwen's trying to yank them off. Is she that distraught? The next thing I know, I close my eyes and I say in my head: "Please, Gwen. Don't give up on us. Don't give up on me." Then, my mind goes to the first time I told Gwen I loved her. That was a turning point for the both of us… and that was when we became… "us". A few minutes pass and that pulling sensation finally stopped. I look up and Dwayne is giving me a look that was a mix of worry and "do I need to call an exorcist".
"Are you alright?" He asks me.
"Yeah… and no." I tell him. "I just got a huge wake up call. I have to make this up to her somehow."
"Ya think?" Dwayne replies sarcastically. "You better hope that when you finally figure it out, it's not too late. And one more thing. The slogans on your shirts, 'Never Give Up' and 'Rise Above Hate'? You need to follow those pieces of advice a little more closely when Dolph's concerned. You might not be so lucky if this happens again."
"It won't happen again. I'll make sure of that." I promise myself. I realize it'll probably take the rest of my life to earn back her trust in me. If that's what it'll take, I'll do it. She's worth it.
"See that it doesn't." Dwayne nods. "And if it does… tell me so I can buy a plane ticket. I don't want to be in the same hemisphere when her friend comes gunning for you." If that's not motivation enough to make things right with Gwen, I don't know what is!
"Deal… and thanks."
"No problem. And good luck." He shoots me a smile before leaving my room. I'm gonna need all the luck I can get because I don't even know where to start! I lock my door and I flop back onto my bed. The clock radio is playing in the background and as I go over every possible thing I could to do apologize, I hear a song play and the lyrics… the lyrics are saying everything I want to say to Gwen. Music brought us together the first time; here's hoping it'll help me win back the love of my life.
-Sunday Night before Raw-
GWEN'S P.O.V.
Ever since that experience of feeling John holding my hand as I tried to pull off my dog tags, I've been kinda freaked out. I've heard of people having deep connections with each other, but I don't think any of them felt this… intense. I'm not kidding; it felt like he was in the room with me holding my hand in place pleading for me to not go through with it. Can you love someone so deeply? Is it even possible? I look down at Thunder and he's not as jovial without John around. Poor guy. He misses him, too. I'm not gonna lie; that feeling of resentment is still there. You shouldn't hurt someone you love… ever. But… I still love him. I think I should give him a chance and just as I pick up my phone, I hear someone knock at the door. A.J. left a minute ago to talk to Kaitlyn about something; I guess she locked herself out. When I open the door… it wasn't A.J. standing on the other side.
"John…" Can you say Twilight Zone?
"Hey, Gwen." He says. I miss him calling me "baby girl", but he still has to earn that right again. When I look at his face, he looks so sad. John and I have been apart for a week… but it doesn't feel like we've ever been apart.
"I was just about to call you."
"Really?" He asks me and I nod. "May I come in?"
"Yeah." I let him in and Thunder comes over. He puts his paw on his leg and John bends down to scratch his ears.
"Hey, little man." He smiles. Thunder lets out a small yip and John looks back up at me with those blue eyes. Those eyes… I swear they have some kind of hold on me. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. I don't get headaches anymore and the swelling's gone." I tell him and I wrap my arms around myself. I'm not ready for his arms just yet.
"Gwen, I can't tell you enough how sorry I am for hurting you. I've been so miserable without you." He tries to touch me… but I pull back. I've been feeling the same way, but how do I know it won't happen again? I guess I'm having some trust issues. "I can't really blame you. I said that I'd never do anything to hurt you… and I broke my promise. If I could do last Sunday night over again, I would. I just wish… I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
"I want to, John. But it's going to take more than just words to make that happen. I need to know that this will never happen again. I don't want spend my life being afraid of someone I love." I'm serious. I don't want to give someone my heart and receive a fist in exchange. I slowly turn my back to him and I see him out of the corner of my eye. He walks towards a table and he sets up his iPhone with a small speaker like the one I use. The net thing I hear is the sound of a ballad playing throughout the room. I know this song… and I like it.
(A/N: I don't own this song… DUH! I'll post a link in my profile. I had plans to use this somewhere in this story and… BOOM! Perfect spot! Enjoy! By the way, I listened to the song as I wrote this part and I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a few tears.)
You, you got me
Thinking it'll be alright.
You, you told me,
"Come and take a look inside."
You believed me,
In every single lie.
But I, I failed you this time.
As I listen to the first verse, I feel the warmth of John's body as he stands behind me. He tries to put his hands on my shoulders and I flinch as if someone dragged their feet across the carpet and hit me with a static shock. I did believe John. I put every bit of trust in him and I got yelled at and hospitalized for it. How can I trust him again?
And it feels like tonight.
I can't believe I'm broken inside.
Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do,
But try to make it up to you?
And it feels like tonight,
Tonight.
I feel John gently put his hands on my shoulders and give them a slow, gentle rub. My arms that were wrapped around me slowly unwrap and my hands find their way up to his. Slowly, very slowly, my fear ebbs away and I turn back around to face him.
I was waiting
For the day you'd come around.
I was chasing,
And nothing was all I found.
From the moment you came into my life,
You showed me what's right.
I feel John's hands slowly travel down my arms and my sides until the wrap around my waist as I listen to the second verse. Is this how he felt before the night we met? It had to be. This song has too much meaning behind it to be something trivial.
And it feels like tonight.
I can't believe I'm broken inside.
Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do,
But try to make it up to you?
And it feels like tonight.
I can feel him want to pull me in closer, but he's hesitating. He wants to hold me so badly… and I want him to hold me so I let go of more of my fear and wrap my arms around his neck. When I do that, I feel him holding me tighter. I do miss this; I'm not gonna lie.
I never felt like this before.
Just when I leave, I'm back for more.
Nothing else here seems to matter.
In these ever-changing days,
You're the one thing that remains.
I could stay like this forever.
I listen to the words and I feel something dripping on my shoulder. I turn my head slightly and I know what it is… they're tears. John's tears. He's crying. He really was miserable without me. So was I and I feel myself tearing up, too as my arms wrap around his neck even tighter and I bury my face into the crook of his neck.
And it feels like tonight.
I can't believe I'm broken inside.
Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do,
But try to make it up to you?
And it feels like tonight.
Tonight.
Tonight.
'Cause there's nothing that I wanna do,
But try to make it up to you.
And it feels like tonight.
Tonight.
The song ends… but our embrace doesn't. I don't want him to ever let me go again. When we lift our heads to look at each other, the tears make John's eyes the most beautiful crystal blue. Tears really don't suit him, though and I use my thumb to wipe them away as he did with me so many times before.
"I forgive you, John." I whisper.
"I'm so sorry, baby girl." I missed that so much, but not as much as I missed his hugs. "I don't care if I have to spend the rest of my life making it up to you; I'll do whatever it takes."
"This is a good start." I smile as we hug again.
"Baby girl, I promise to never ever raise a hand to you… unless it's to do this." He gently strokes my cheek and gives me a tender kiss. I missed that, too.
"I'm gonna hold you to that. Because if you even think about hitting me again, I'm gonna strap you to a chair, peel your dick like a banana and force you to watch." I have a smile on my face that would make A.J. beam with pride. Poor Thunder curls up in a ball and lets out a puppy whimper. John eyes bug out and he gulps so loudly that it almost echoes and then I hear from the other side of the door…
"DAMN!"
I roll my eyes and go to open the door. I turn the knob and when I swing it open, I see A.J., Punk, Dwayne and Kaitlyn standing their looking like someone put the fear of God in them. Maybe this'll teach them to eavesdrop… Oh, who the hell am I kidding?
"Mine went in when you said that." Punk says bluntly and poor Dwayne… HAHAHA!
"Uh… how far did you say you and Dee went back?" He asks me.
"We've been friends since 1st grade."
"And you basically think the same?"
"Pretty much. She's more proactive than I am." I reply.
"And I invited her to WrestleMania?"
"Yup." I smirk.
"You've doomed us all. I just want you to know that." Punk tells Dwayne and the girls just laugh.
"Who cares about that?" A.J. asks with a smile. "The important thing is you two are back together!" And she hugs the two of us tightly.
"It's about time, too. The last thing we need is two Randy Ortons." Punk smirks. "One brooder per wrestling promotion; that's the rule!"
"Now that I have Gwen back, my brooding days are long gone!" John smiles. I missed that smile… and yes, I missed the dimples.
"So does this mean you're mindset is back on track for tomorrow night because I refuse to wrestle someone who isn't at 100% physically and emotionally." Punk asks John.
"Better believe it. I'm bringing my A game."
"Plus, I should be cleared to work the announce table tomorrow night." I smile.
"Good, because that table needs your feminine flair." Kaitlyn chuckles. "It's boring when it's just dudes."
"HEY!" John, Punk, Dwayne… even Thunder lets out an arf in protest.
"Thunder would be the only exception." A.J. giggles as she picks up my fur baby and nuzzles his nose. It must be embarrassing for guys to know that they can be upstaged by a 7-pound Yorkie.
"Okay, knowing that I can be upstaged by a dog… even a cute one… that's my cue to go." Dwayne laughs. I'll see you tomorrow night and I'll look forward to seeing you back at the table, Gwen."
"Thanks, Dwayne." I smile as he, Kaitlyn and Punk leave to go back to their rooms. A.J. comes in and she has a knowing look in her eyes. "Would you be upset if I went back with John?"
"As long as I can puppy sit." I knew that was gonna come up. "Of course not. One week apart is enough." She smirks.
"You rock." I give her a hug before I gather my things. Thunder stays with A.J. for the night as I go back where I belong… with John. I enter his room… and it feels like I came back home. After a hot shower, I dry off, put on my pajamas and walk into the bedroom where John is waiting for me. "I can only imagine how that bed felt these past few days."
"Empty." He answers softly and pats a spot for me. "This whole week felt empty without you."
"I felt that way, too." I tell him as I slide under the covers. "You wouldn't believe what I felt this week."
"Tell me." I feel him pull me towards him and I never realized how much I missed his warm body.
"To be honest, some it kinda freaks me out. Take last Monday. While Kaitlyn and I were waiting for Raw, I felt something near my dog tags. When I looked at them, I focused on the one with your name on it." I feel John sit up and look at me with a shocked look in his eyes.
"When was this?"
"I think it was a half hour before the show."
"No way." He gasps. "A half hour before the show I kissed my tags for luck… and I gave the one with your name on it the longest one. You really felt it?"
"Yeah… I did." I whisper. So, I wasn't imagining it. Does that mean…
"At any time, did you try to rip your tags off?" He asks me… and I nod.
"Friday." I admit. "I tried… but my hand wouldn't move. It felt like something was stopping me."
"It was me. I was stopping you." John says to me. "I felt everything, the pain you were going through… not knowing whether to end it or not, all of it. What finally made you stop?"
There's no way it'll be the same. No way.
"The day you told me you loved me."
"I was thinking of that, too." Okay, this is WAAAAAY too weird! "Do you know what this means?"
"We could bring back X-Files?" I ask with a small chuckle.
"No… well, yeah. But, no." He chuckles. "It means we truly were meant to be together. From the moment that I saw you, I felt a connection with you that I've never felt with anyone else and this proves it. And to think I came close to losing you forever."
"You almost did. I know you didn't mean for what happened to happen, but, John… you need to control your rage when it comes to Ziggler. Dolph's gonna be a pain in the ass regardless, but we have friends to watch our backs. Even Superman can't do it alone; sometimes he needs Lois Lane to save him from himself." I tried to keep the comic book references to a minimum… but I couldn't do it. I look up and John flashes me that 100-watt smile as he snuggles closer.
"You saved me so many times since we met, I lost count." He chuckles. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Let's never find out."
The two of us share a tender kiss before we settle in for the night. This is the closest we came to breaking up for good, no thanks to Dolph. He almost succeeded, but it's gonna take more than that to split us up. After the nightmarish week we had a apart, we're looking forward to nothing but good dreams from here on out.
END OF CHAPTER 38
HELL YEAH! Our favorite couple are back together and how about John's use of music to ask for forgiveness. Special thanks to the band DAUGHTRY for the song! Anyway, lemme know what you think of this chapter! As always, read, review and pass it on! Till next time… Love, Peace and HAIR GREASE!