Thank you so so much for you all your wonderful reviews! I am so excited about this story! I a so for all my editing errors - I have to type it in notepad since our Word is currently out of sorts! Also I have to add in a timeline...totally forgot! The first part on February 6, 2012 takes place in the hotel room and then we jump to present time. Thanks again!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything associated with the WWE or Seether lyrics

I AM FILLED WITH RESERVATION AND YOU WITH SHAME
A COMPULSIVE NATURE AND A HURTFUL MOUTH

SEETHER, Hard

MONDAY: February 6, 2012
2:56 P.M.

He leaned back against the hotel room door, his broad shoulders stretching against the white fabric of his tee-shirt, the strong line of his back tapering down to his lean hips, his eyebrows arching in amusement at her confused expression.

"Punk...hey..." AJ stammered slightly, wringing her tiny hands together before once again checking the gold lettering of the room number. "I'm sorry...I thought this was..."

"Lita's room?" he interjected, referring to the former extreme diva who was Raw's special guest host for that evening. "It is."

"Then why are you...oh god..." her voice trailed off as she took in his bare feet and casual attire and her cheeks flushed a vivid red, realizing she may have interrupted the former lovers. "Please tell me...she was still clothed right?"

"My, my, Ms. Lee, what a dirty mind you have," he teased, laughing at her mortified expression, shoving his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans. "Relax, she just ran down the street for some coffee. Although aren't you a little overdressed for a visit?"

"Lita said she wanted to see what the dress looked like so I figured why not model it. No one else was interested," she muttered, her tone slightly hurt. Since dating Daniel she had experienced a fall-out with almost every diva in the locker room.

"Fuck 'em,"Punk suggested as AJ smiled softly at him. "Besides you look beautiful."

"Really?" She sounded hopeful as she smoothed a hand down the satin material of her fitted mermaid style wedding gown.

"Really," he mocked her wistful tone. "But that's an interesting choice for a glass slipper."

" Oh I wish," AJ giggled, noticing how he stared at her red Converse sneakers peeking out from underneath the hemline. "Daniel definitely does not approve. He choose some heels I am probably going to bust my ass in."

"Of course he did," Punk muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes as she took a step back. "Why don't you come in and wait for her."

"I don't know..." she stammered, his palm curved around her upper arm, the texture of her skin silky smooth against his calloused palm. She had not been alone with him since she had cost him his title at Survivor Series. "Daniel..."

"Doesn't have to know," His grin formed, slow, devilish and she become engrossed in the captivating power of it. "I've had all my shots. I can behave like a good boy. Boy scout Cena's honor."

NOW I MAKE THIS OBSERVATION TO CLEAR MY NAME, YEAH

TUESDAY, February 14, 2012
2:56 A.M.

She awoke in darkness, her vision fractured, her head sharply throbbing even against the gentle sound of the soft, steady patter of rain rapping on the hospital window. She moaned, gingerly shifting her bruised body as pain ripped through her like fire. Hot, burning spears of agony radiating through her head and temples, down her back and wrapping her compressed ribs.

The multiple machines monitoring her progress chirped and beeped as she weakly pushed herself into a sitting position, noticing for the first time that she was alone. For hours doctors, nurses, Hunter had drifted in and out of the room, poking, prodding and murmuring about her.

AJ lifted her left hand, examining the bandage wrapped around her two outer fingers. Convulsively she swallowed, barely containing the bile burning the base of her throat at the mangled site, tears threatening to spill down her cheeked as reality reassembled itself in her mind.

Her memories were vague, slow black and white sequences flashing through her mind. Daniel's snarls of rage, the punishment her body absorbed at the burnt of his fury, the snapping of her finger as he wrenched the engagement ring from her fallen form before her saviors had taken her embittered groom to the ground.

And then there had been blissful silence. No pain, no regret just peace.

But here, now, sitting in the darkness of the room with no one to judge her actions, AJ was forced to accept one fact.

She was the pawn in their game.

That was all she had ever been. Nothing more, not really.

Daniel had used her to win Punk's gold and Punk had used her to humiliate Daniel.

Daniel.

She shuddered at the mere thought of him. His anger. His jealously. His desire to change everything that she was.

She has loved him, the man he once was.

He had been her prince. He had dazzled her, flattered her, she had been in love for the first time.

And then he had screwed Punk out of his title at Survivor Series.

It was subtle at first. The digs, the demands he made, the little ways he found to punish her.

His snide comments on how she needed to upgrade her nerdy glam look to something sleeker, sophisticated, something more polished.

They now had an image to maintain. She would be the wife of the WWE champion.

Self-ridicule clogged her chest.

She had taken whatever he chose to give her and was grateful for it. It humiliated her to think of it now, to remember how she had rushed in his arms, trusting his promises of love, trusting him.

Bleakly she wondered how she could have been so blind. How could she want to be with someone that had made her feel small, until she had curled inside herself and almost disappeared.

And Punk...Punk wanted his revenge for her part in his loss at Survivor Series, no matter how unknowing of accomplice she may have been.

She should have better. He did nothing without a motive.

But everything felt different now. Everything had changed in a matter of a few moments.

And for AJ Lee waking to the truth was bittersweet.

YOU'RE A BLACK CONSTELLATION WITH THE STARS

TUESDAY: February 14, 2012
3:16 P.M.

He stood, his fists clenched in the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt, watching as she aimlessly flipped through the pages of the X-Men comic that Cena had brought her during his visit.

He knew that she had no idea of how fragile she looked. Her thin hospital gown clung to her frail body, the deep exhaustion shadowed her bloodshot eyes, her skin a pastly white. He winced at the damage Daniel had inflicted on her, the black and purple blemishes of her forehead and chin, the five fingerprints that stained her neck.

Punk didn't want to admit the unease, the almost terror like quality he felt twist through his stomach when she had been pushed past him on the stretcher so still, unmoving, clad her blood soaked wedding gown.

And Hunter had warned him before entering the ambulance.

One step near AJ's hospital room and he would fired. Both he and Daniel.

Punk shrugged. He had waited, barely, like a caged animal, pacing the length of his hotel room until the middle of the next day.

But his job be damned. He had to see her.

Punk cleared his throat, pushing away from the doorframe, stepping into the room to make his presence known. Startled, AJ jerked slightly at the noise, her wide eyes meeting his, panic and fear lurking in the dark depths.

Time hung suspended, her breath catching in her throat as she lost herself in the gold of his eyes swirling together with a dark green in an unusual mixture of lightened darkness, both magnetic and dangerous, holding her captive. Reminding her of what had been.

She kissed him with fire and delicacy, offering herself simply to him. His mouth lifted a fraction of an inch above her, his breath irregular.

"Why can't you be what I expected?" he muttered.

AJ blinked rapidly, slightly dazed at the intensity the memory still held even weeks later.

Cold, emotionally detached, manipulative was Punk's nature, but every moment, every movement was done with a purpose, embedded with some sort of sensuality and masculinity.

Something that women desired and men despised.

Why had she believed she would be able to penetrate any reaction from him that was real.

Why had she believed she was any different.

His powerful body was relaxed, all long bones and hard muscle, confidence radiating in his movements as he walked towards her bed, his gaze lingering on the daisies Sheamus had left in a crystal vase.

She needed distance, she needed him not to be there.

She wasn't strong enough yet.

"You could lose your job by being here," she warned, her eyes sparkling with bad temper. "What in the hell could you possibly want?"

"You," Punk said simply, his voice raspy. "To see how you are."

Make sure you're still breathing, he thought silently.

"How charming," her tone was cold, unyielding to his concern. "Well you've seen me all bruised and bandaged and now you can show yourself the door."

"I'm not done talking." Punk said wryly, rubbing a hand over his head in frustration, holding onto the control of his temper.

"Really? Now why doesn't that surprise me," AJ sneered as she gazed at him with cool disdain. She wanted to scream at him, pound her fists against his broad chest. "Please don't act like you actually care. It insults us both."

"Jesus, have you always been this big of a drama queen or is the attitude saved specifically for me."

"Seriously? You really want to go there right now. I'm the one in the hospital bed. That has earned the right for a dramatic or two," AJ closed her eyes, breathing in sharply, attempting to preserve her calm. "You humiliated Daniel. You'll get your title shit. You got exactly what you wanted."

"I won't apologize, if that's what you're reaching for."

"Wow," she said dryly, rolling her eyes. "How shockingly unoriginal of you."

"Look I didn't expect Daniel to lose his ever fucking mind," Punk rubbed his forehead. "I just want back what's rightfully mine."

"Well I guess seeing the woman who had just promised to always be faithful to him kissing the man intent of ruining his life may have impaired his judgement some."

"Don't fucking defend him AJ," Punk's tone was furious at the mere idea of it. "He was choking you. It took Cena and Hunter to stop him."

"Believe me when I say I have no intention of ever defending him for his actions. I was just wondering if you ever plan to take responsibility for your part in the grand scheme of it."

"Have you?"

"I should have never gone into that hotel room. I was foolish for thinking you could actually act like a decent human being. My mistake."

"Boo-hoo, cry me river. " He was tired of being labeled as the bad guy. "I never told you to act like a slut."

With little thought as the delicate control she held snapped, she grabbed the water pitcher next to her bed and flung it at his head. He ducked at the last moment and it hit the wall, splitting in two and water covering the floor.

"Temper temper," he chimed as she eyed the crystal vase, debating on its weights and its chances of smashing across his head. "And here I use to think you were such a sweet natured little flower."

"Fuck you," she hissed, breathing harshly holding her aching side. Maybe throwing items when she had two fractured ribs was a foolish idea considering every breath sent waves of nauseating agony through her system.

"You would have. If Lita wouldn't have walked in, you would have been clawing at my back in minutes," he countered. "I don't remember you pushing my hands away. Hell even struggling for that matter. I felt every little whimper."

AJ closed her eyes, desperately containing her tears and she wasn't able to contain her whispered words.

"You're no better than him." Shocked Punk whipped around. Her words were hurled at him like a bitter accusation that had him staring. "A bully."

Punk snarled, stalking toward her as she stiffened on the bed. He leaned his body over her, his palms flattening besides her shoulders on the mattress, imprisoning her between the cage of his arms.

His face was close to her, the skin pulled tautly over his features, muscles coiled and rolled beneath tanned skin, telling more clearly than words the emotions seething in the man above her. Desperate for distance, she turned her head to the side.

"Listen to me and listen well. I will allow it once." Punk jerked her face back towards his, his fingers tightening of her chin, his tone purring. "I am nothing like him. Never mistake that."

Silence stretched between them, taut and heated.

Slowly her eyes on him, she brought her hand to his chest, spreading it over his heart feeling the beat. Strong and wild. Tempting her. Tempting fate.

His mouth was a breath away from hers, and her sigh was already filling him.

"What exactly did you not understand?" A voice cut through his intention. "That neither you or Daniel was suppose to enter this room. And from the looks of it, yourself and AJ seem to have an issue with distance. Between your lips more specifically."

And Punk softly cursed.

IF YOU KEEP TALKING THAT WAY

Punk straightened, smirking confidently at Stephanie McMahon who stood with her arms folded across her stomach, tapping the tip of her heel against the ground almost as if she was the teacher scolding the misbehaving child.

"I was never good with orders. Especially from a McMahon."

"Yes, I am well aware of that fact." Stephanie gestured to the open doorway. "Although, Ms. Lee is required to rest and from the looks of the broken pitcher you're testing her limits. Leave now before I have security escort you out. You have a show in two hours."

"Bitch," Punk muttered under his breath, before he bent down his lip brushing over her cheek, lingering for a moment and sauntering to the doorway. "I'll go look for Hunter. Maybe he took his balls out of your purse and is begging a doctor to reattach them."

"Always a pleasure, isn't he." Stephanie laughed, collapsing into the chair next to her bed. "Nothing like a man who looks yummy in a jeans to confuse you which I think he has managed to do perfectly over the past few weeks."

"Excuse me?" AJ eyebrows rose almost to her hairline. "You think he's yummy?"

"What? I'm married, not dead. Besides he needs some sort of redeeming qualities or I'd want to stab him with something sharp on a daily basis. His just happens to have a great ass to go along with being an ass."

"So that's why you never stop him when he walks away."

"Yeah, I just let him think he's had the last word." Stephanie ran a shrewd eye over the injured diva. "I'm sorry to say AJ, but you look like shit. But I suppose a concussion, fractured ribs and bruising on top of bruising can do that for you."

"And being subtle was never your strong suit."

"Its overrated and irritating. It looks like you had some other visitors though besides the charming Punk." Stephanie peeked into the pink bakery box but frowned at the lack of contents. "Only one cupcake?"

"Zack said they got hungry in the elevator," AJ shrugged. "Are you here to fire me?" Her voice was small.

"What? No!" Stephanie insisted. "The entire company really thinks I am the wicked bitch, don't they? Is my reputation so bad that you believe that I would fire you while you are recovering in the hospital."

"Maybe you it would soften the blow and if I decided to throw a temper tantrum and plead for my job then you could have them sedate me."

Stephanie failed to fight the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Oh please, I have three daughters, a husband who spends more time on his hair than I do and I was witness to the Hulk Hogan era of the company. Trust me, there is no temper tantrum I couldn't handle."

"Then why are you here?"

"I wanted to know, face to face, woman to woman, all the politics of the business be damned, I need to know if you want to continue with this storyline that Punk decided to create last night." A sinister glint shadowed her blue eyes. "Personally I have been fighting the urge to have Daniel fired and re-arrested for assault and battery. You know, spend more than just last night in a cell."

It was her choice, her decision. To stand up and fight for everything that she was and that had been lost or simply slink off into the corner and continue to be Daniel's punching bad.

No! The word erupted from her subconscious, reverberating through her entire body. The savagery of the instinctive reaction shook her.

She would never be that weak girl again.

"Yes," the geek goddess answered quickly with no hesitation. "I want in on the storyline. Granted though, if Daniel thinks to touch me again, I will have him arrested."

"Good," Stephanie smiled in satisfaction, impressed at AJ's fortitude. "Then the decision is yours. How do you want the storyline to end?"

"Me? What do I want?"

"Yes."

"I want him to pay."

"Who would that be?"

A smile curled at the corner of her lips.

"Both of them. They both have to pay."

NOBODY'S GONNA FIND IT HARD
IF YOU KEEP PASSING THE BLAME, YEAH
YOU DIE WITH A LONELY HEART