A/N: I'm so glad you guys liked the first chapter. Sorry there was such a delay in getting the next chapter up, but if you read Without The Mask I tried to let everyone know that with school and everything, my updates are gonna be a little more scarce then they were. I am very excited about this story though, so I'll try to update as often as I can. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 2
"Get her and her damn ring out of my face!"

Stacy giggled, and Trish rolled her eyes. Two people in 24 hours who had a serious problem with the leggy blonde's engagement. She wedged herself between the two ladies, playing referee as she pushed them apart.

"I'll tell you what I told my equally bitter boyfriend. Smile and be happy," she said cheerily, sending her a toothy grin.

Lita scowled as she backed away. Trish was far too chipper about the whole thing. It wasn't that she was not happy for Stacy. The prospect of one of her closest friends getting married to a man who adored her was exciting. But at the moment - and given her current situation - she was not in the least it interested in having a diamond ring waved in her face.

"I'm sorry, Stace," the redhead apologized genuinely. She shook her head, "I just don't like being reminded of how pathetic my life is."

Trish frowned, taking a hold of her hand. She gave it a consoling squeeze, shaking her head also.

"Oh, shut up. Your life is not pathetic," she quipped, rolling her eyes slightly.

Lita's brow raised, "Oh yeah? She's 25, gettin' married to the perfect man. I'm 30, and currently involved in the most sordid love triangle since Angelina screwed up Brad and Jen." She paused to pout, letting go of Trish's hand. "That, my friends, is quite fuckin' pathetic."

Stacy stopped admiring her ring, her gaze filling with concern as she eyed her friend curiously. Trish's gaze matched hers, and they each placed a hand on either of her shoulders.

Lita's love life had become rather dramatic over the past months. When Rob Van Dam left for Smackdown a year before, the strain of being apart became too much for them to handle. They eventually had to break up, and Lita found herself rebounding with an ex by the name of Matt Hardy. But rekindling her old romance with the older Hardy brother did not make her any happier. In fact, their relationship was even more miserable the second time around.

As her relationship with Matt began to crumble, she lost faith in their partnership. Once he went out of action with a knee injury, she lost hope. And somehow, during the midst of all the drama… she fell in love. Lita fell hard, for the last man she expected. And when Edge confessed that he'd harbored an intense crush on her for years, it was impossible for her to resist. She finally found a man who made her feel happy, and who made her feel complete.

…Only problem was, she didn't tell Matt about their relationship.

Of course, when Matt did find out about the affair, the shit hit the fan. For months now, she had been barraged with accusations, interrogations, and a whole lot of pressure; from management, from the fans, from Edge and Matt. The anxiety caused by Matt leaking news of the ordeal to the fans via his website took its toll on her new relationship with Edge. Their red-hot affair cooled, but the flames had not completely burned out. They were slowly trying to make things work.

"Cheer up," Stacy said after a long silence. "It'll get better. Besides, you've got us no matter what. We're here for you."

"Yeah," Trish gave her an assuring nod. "We're like the best boyfriend you can have… minus the sex, of course."

Lita's eyes filled with amusement, and her sour demeanor quickly faded. She tossed her head back, her shoulders shaking as she succumbed to laughter. She shook her head, pushing the two girls away.

"Okay, now this is just fuckin' weird," she said. "Time for a subject change." She eyed the two women steadily, debating over who she should shift the attention to. Stacy would undoubtedly turn any questions asked into a discussion about the multi-carated rock on her finger. Her eyes settled on Trish. "Speaking of boyfriends and no sex," she smirked, a twinkle in her hazel eyes, "do you miss yours yet? This is the first I've seen you apart in months."

"He's downtown doing an appearance, I'm not pining over him just yet," Trish replied with a giggle. "And as for the outrageous 'no sex' comment, you must be forgetting that my boyfriend is the easiest man alive. Sex is not something our relationship is lacking."

"Yet," Lita responded quickly. She glanced over her shoulder, estimating the distance between herself and the couch. Without another word, she leapt onto it, sinking into the cushion.

Trish raised an eyebrow, sending each woman a confused look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, puzzled.

"She's right, Trish," Stacy answered for her. She bit her lip before continuing, "The busier John gets, the less time he'll have for everything."

"And the less time he has to eat and sleep, the less energy he'll have. That's energy that would be driving the easiest man alive to keep you satisfied," Lita added.

Trish backed away, sending them looks of disbelief. She wondered how the conversation managed to turn on her so quickly. So much for that positive energy Stacy was always rambling about.

"What is this, 'make Trish feel like shit' day?" she quipped curiously. "'Cause to me it sounds like you're sayin' that my relationship is doomed."

"I didn't mean anything by it," Lita defended herself honestly. "Just an observation. I know what a busy schedule does to a relationship – I just want you to be careful."

Stacy nodded in agreement. She headed to the armchair opposite from Lita, taking a seat as well.

"Just don't let John get so far in the music thing that he forgets what you two have," Stacy said.

Trish shook her head, unable to prevent a snort of laughter. "I don't envision him selling millions and going on a world tour if that's what you're talkin' about." She had faith in John, but she knew his talent would only take him so far.

"I don't think that'll happen, but it doesn't hurt to watch out. Sometimes having a passion for something blinds you, ya know?" she replied.

Trish nodded, but said nothing. She and John had been having this talk for months. He vowed multiple times over not to let his music career interfere with their relationship.

"Doesn't matter," she spoke finally. "I'll complain, but we'll get through it. We get through everything."


"I'm tellin' ya man, this shit is crazy," John called into his cell phone as he hopped into the backseat of a limo. Having just dodged another sea of loud fans, he let go of his ear, finally able to hear the other line. He breathed deeply, "These people are fuckin' whacked."

From the other end, Marc laughed. He had been along John's side, laughing, listening, and rapping with him from day one. Seeing his cousin's reactions to his rising success was surprisingly amusing.

"You're the whacked one," he said. "These people line up to see you, and you giddier than they are."

John couldn't disagree. There was nothing in the world that got him more pumped up then an autograph session. Performing in the ring in front of thousands was a dream, but it didn't touch the feelings he had leaving an in-store. The intimacy of having a one on one conversation with a fan – someone who actually paid to see him – was amazing, and slightly mind-boggling.

After a twenty minute radio interview, and a two hour signing, John was more psyched than ever about his future.

"People want to hear us, man. They want the CD – our CD. Isn't that the weirdest thing you've ever heard?" he asked incredulously.

"No, it's not," Marc feigned a groan. "One day you're gonna have to grow up and admit you're famous. People are gonna be askin' for your autograph for a long time."

John's mouth hung open in awe. You'd think after doing his job for three years, he'd get used to it. But the truth was, he still got a little confused when people stopped him on the street. A "who me?" was not uncommon when girls started screaming his name. He shook his head, focusing back on business.

"You know once the album drops I want you on signings wit' me," he said. "This disc is as much yours as it is mine."

"Yeah, you can almost see my name on the CD cover!" Mark replied with a wholehearted laugh. From the second John showed him the cover design, he took every chance he got to complain about the miniscule size of his name. It was all good-natured, though. He didn't expect to be the main attraction of a WWE-produced CD.

"Sorry bro, but Tha Trademarc just isn't on par wit' Da Franchise," he teased, reclining back in his seat. He rubbed a hand over his tired eyes, a yawn escaping his lips as the adrenaline finally started to wear off. "But seriously, you gotta come out with me once this drops. It won't feel right without you."

"All right, Jesus. Don't get all fuckin' emotional on me. I'll do it… I need some excitement in my life," Marc replied.

John smiled to himself, resting his head back. He stared up at the roof of the limo, yawning again.

"You only been at this for a day and you already wiped out?" Marc asked him after a brief silence.

"Getting three hours of sleep is kickin' me in the ass now," John admitted. He hoped they reached the arena soon, or he would probably fall asleep.

Marc nodded from his end of the line, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. If John was tired after one long day, he couldn't wait to see how he felt in another month or two.

"I bet," he agreed. "And it's only gonna get crazier."