Disclaimer: I do not own anyone you recognize. I only own Charlie and my friend owns my other oc Elizabeth.

Note: I don't know if I'm spelling the names right of the guys that are John's friends, but if they're misspelled I'm sorry. I don't know if John has a dog or if it's named what I named it. Remember ITS FICTION! Also for clarification if it says Mark…with a K then it means Mark Jindrak. If it says Marc…with a C then it means Marc Predka or as everyone else calls him Trademarc.

Chapter 6

Charlie thanked him for the ride and soon found herself standing in front of a hotel room door. She knocked on it and waited for the person to answer it. Since she'd seen the video she'd tried really hard not to cry. Darla had called her while she was in the cab that brought her to the hotel. She'd apologized for not sending the CD sooner, but she'd been too busy. It was then Darla told her something she least expected.

"I don't know if he was actually listening to me when he signed your CD or what, but John signed your CD to CC instead of Charlie. I hope you're not mad."

Charlie felt her breath catch in her throat. The tears started falling. When the door to the hotel room opened she'd told Darla she'd call her later and flipped her phone shut. When she noticed the concern look on her friend's face she just collapsed into his open arms.

"Little bit are you ok?"

"No Randy I'm not."

Meanwhile Marc was on the phone with John.

"What do you mean she left?"

"She got on a plane and left. She was on the verge of tears and I knew she wasn't in condition to drive so I took her to the airport."

"Well where in the fuck did she go?"

"She said she was going to Columbus, Ohio. I don't know why though."

John felt his heart drop when he heard what his cousin said. He knew why she went there. Marc heard his cousin mumble something.

"Say what?"

"I know why she went there."

"Well why?"

"Smack Down is there tomorrow night."

"Why would she go there? She doesn't know anyone on there does she? I mean her stepbrother Mark isn't wrestling on there anymore."

"She knows someone else on there besides him."

"Like who?"

"Randy."

"Like your friend Randy?"

"Yeah. She met him when she first met Mark. Dammit!"

"Calm down man. She ain't gonna do anything with him."

"It's not her I'm worried about. It's him."

"What?"

"Yeah he's got something for her."

"He's your friend though man. He wouldn't do that and you know it. You're just talking out your ass cause your angry."

"I'm not angry. I'm mad as hell. I fucked up and now I've lost her."

"Maybe not. She said if you were home when she got back she'd talk to you. She said yall need to talk face to face not over the phone."

"Did she say when she was comin back?"

"She's comin back tomorrow night. She said she'd be leavin after Smack Down was over."

"Ok. If you can try to find out what time her flight gets in."

"What are you gonna do man?"

"Nothing for you to worry about. Go back to your girl man. Don't fuck it up."

John flipped his cell phone shut and began forming a plan. The next night after Smackdown, John waited some time and then went to Charlie's apartment and sat on the stairs leading up to her door. He noticed headlights pulling in and saw her in the passenger seat.

'Why would she be in the passenger seat if she was getting a cab? Wait is that Randy?'

"Um little bit?"

"Yeah?"

"You have a visitor…"

Charlie looked up and felt her breath catch as she saw John sitting on the stairs. He had a look that was a mixture of tiredness, anger, and sadness on his face.

"Do I need to make myself scarce? I don't want him getting the wrong idea."

"You can come in and settle in the guest room. I'll talk to him out here or on the balcony."

Randy nodded and followed her up the stairs. He told John hi and was surprised to hear the greeting back. John followed the two into the apartment.

"What do you want John?"

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah. Randy you know where the guest room is. I'll come talk to you before I go to bed ok?"

Randy nodded, hugged her, and placed a kiss on her temple. Charlie led John out to the balcony. John sat on one of the chairs she had out there while she leaned against the railing.

"I don't really know where to start CC."

At hearing his special nickname for her, Charlie felt her insides melt. She hated feeling like that but loved it at the same time.

"Usually people find the beginning the best place to start."

"Still a smart ass."

"Well not everyone changes John."

"Ouch ma."

"Look John if this is just gonna be some kind of game then I'm not stickin around for it."

Just as she began to walk inside, John grabbed one of her belt loops and pulled her to stand in front of him. He pulled her in between his legs and placed his forehead against her abdomen. Out of reflex Charlie placed one hand on his shoulder and one on his head running her fingers through his short brown hair.

"I'm willing to put my pride aside and admit I'm a jackass who fucked up."

Charlie sighed as paused. She honestly didn't expect to hear all of this. She'd been told by one of John's friends, Nicole, that he was too full of pride to admit when he was wrong. She'd also told Charlie not to hold her breath on him coming around.

"You're quiet."

"I'm not sure on how to reply to that. That ain't what I expected to come outta your mouth."

"What do you mean?"

"Somehow your friend Nicole heard what had happened. She called me and told me that I was right on being mad at you. She told me you were too full of pride to admit you were wrong and not to hold my breath on that. She also told me that things were pretty much over between us and to find someone else."

"Is that why you went to Randy?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"I ain't gonna lie to you. A small part of me wanted to hurt you as much as you hurt me. I mean I've fallen in love with you completely in the short time we've known each other and you broke my heart. But that wasn't why I went to Randy. Randy is someone that I know I can trust to give me an honest opinion. Some of your friends have been known to cover for you and I didn't want that. I wanted the honest truth. I wanted to get an outsiders point. Your friends are around us all the time…Randy isn't."

John nodded against her abdomen and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Nicole isn't someone you should put complete trust in."

"Because she's not only your friend but an ex?"

"How'd you know?"

"Lizard and Marc."

"Ah. You know you should buy him something."

Charlie couldn't help but laugh at his suggestion.

"Why me?"

"Cause he's been kicking my ass verbally for you. I needed that. I needed someone to do that even though I really didn't."

Charlie pulled back a little and kneeled down in front of him. She looked up into his blue eyes and saw all the emotions held there. John noticed her eyes mirrored his feelings and pulled her into his arms.

"God baby girl I'm so sorry. I've been trying to call you because I wanted to tell you that two versions of the video were made."

"Why two?"

"One for the public to see…and one for just us. The one for just us is the one that you're on."

"Why'd it take so long for you to try to call me?"

"Well as you know I was a little busy…but honestly because I was scared. Don't think I didn't hear your declaration young lady because I did. I've fallen in love with you just as quickly. I've never felt this way this fast and I was scared."

"Wow who'd thought…John can be sweet and caring. He's not always a smart ass…"

John smirked and placed a quick kiss to her lips. Well it was a quick kiss until Charlie's arms wrapped around his neck keeping him from pulling away. Just as John felt her fingers sliding underneath his shirt, Randy's voice interrupted them.

"You two ok?"

"Yeah why?"

"Just wondering. I'm goin over to Elizabeth and Trademarc's. They said to come over whenever you two were done."

John nodded and motioned to Randy that he could leave already. Charlie lightly smacked his shoulder.

"What was that for?"

"No need to be rude. It's because of him I came back tonight. He told me that he knew you were still home and we needed to talk."

"Ok I'll thank him later. Now where were we?"

Charlie smiled and pulled his lips back to hers. As John's fingers reached her skin underneath her now unbuttoned shirt, the kiss's passion grew. John knew that the balcony was way too public for Charlie's liking so he picked her up after he told her to wrap her legs around his waist. Charlie smiled knowing why he was carrying her to her room. The next morning John awoke and glanced down to his chest where Charlie's head was rested. Her reddish brown hair was starting to tickle him from where it was sprawled around her face. The breeze from the fan in her room had been softly blowing it. Right now he really didn't want to wake her up, but it was needed. He had to get home and pack so he could go to the airport tomorrow to fly out for an appearance and wanted her to come with him.

"CC?"

"Yeah?"

"So you are awake…"

"Yeah. I could feel you movin a little. What's up?"

"Me."

Charlie playfully swatted his chest before lifting up the sheet and soon agreed with him. Later that night John walked into her apartment with Elizabeth and Marc. She'd given him a key earlier when he went to leave to go to his place.

"She is here right?"

"Yeah. She's probably in her room or taking a shower."

John walked into her room and noticed she wasn't there. He then heard the shower and walked into that bathroom.

"Baby?"

"Yeah John?"

"Lizzie and Trademarc are in the living room. Just wanted to let you know we're here."

"Ok I'm done. Can you get my bathrobe for me? I forgot it in my room."

"Yeah."

John smiled as she wrapped herself up in her bathrobe. He leaned in for a kiss and wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you baby girl."

"I love you too."

"Max!"

Charlie sighed in frustration as Elizabeth called out to her.

"Yeah?"

"You might want to come out here."

When John and Charlie made it into the living room, Charlie froze in shock. Standing there was none other than Connor Mason. She noticed Connor turn and a smirk appeared on his face as he noticed John standing behind her.

"Hello honey."

Charlie felt John tense up as he held her in his arms.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

Charlie felt anger running through her veins. She knew when she went home to pack all her stuff and had a run in with Connor that he'd be one to pull this.

"Are you serious? Please tell me this is some sick joke. I wouldn't be with you Connor if you were the last man on Earth. Remember the boyfriend I told you about? This is him. John this is my Connor. Connor and I have never been dating and will never be dating. Hell hasn't frozen over and it's sure as hell not time for my snowball fight with Satan."

"Come on honey…don't lie to the big Neanderthal now…"

John felt Charlie's body tense in his arms. He didn't know what happened when Charlie went home to pack her stuff, but obviously Connor had done something. He stepped in front of Charlie blocking Connor.

"I'd advise you to stay the fuck away from my girlfriend."

"You think you scare me?"

"Stay the fuck away from Charlie."

Connor looked over his shoulder to see quite a few men standing in the doorway. One was a man he recognized as Randy Orton and another was recognized as Mark Jindrak. The others were dressed the same way as John so he figured they were friends of his.

"Charlie you weren't raised to hang out with these kind of people."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"John as much as he deserves to get his ass beat down…Charlie doesn't want you to go to jail."

John looked at where all his friends stood. He slowly nodded at Mark. Charlie walked right up to Connor and punched him.

"That was for showing up here trying to fuck up my life here."

Next she brought her knee up to collide with his groin.

"That was for hitting me and trying to rape me while I was back home packing my stuff."

John stood frozen in his spot, anger running through him at hearing what she said.

"I'd advise someone to get him outta here before my cousin blows his fuse."

Mark and Randy agreed with Marc and picked Connor up and took him outside. Mark heard the younger man mutter the words it wasn't over to Charlie. He reached back and soon his fist connected with Connor's jaw.

"Fuck yeah it is. Stay the fuck away from my stepsister or we'll let John handle your ass. He'd do far worse than what I just did. And don't even think about pressing charges cause there's a room full of people in there that will claim it was self-defense. And even if that wasn't said you still wouldn't win when Charlie's dad would be the one to represent her."

Randy stood at the door with his friend and made sure Connor left. When they walked back in their faces fell at seeing Charlie curled up in John's arms crying.

"It's ok baby girl he's gone. Don't worry I didn't believe a word he said."

Randy and Mark looked at John's cousin and their friends amazed. Charlie had definitely changed John for the better. He was still the same John, but he wasn't so hurt from the past anymore. Later that night Marc sat next to Elizabeth on the couch while they watched a movie with John and Charlie. Marc didn't know how to tell his cousin who he'd seen earlier that day, but he knew it needed to be said. John needed to know and Marc couldn't hide it anymore.