Yes, here is a new chapter! No, I did not give up on this story! You don't realize how close to the end we are, but we are almost there, people! Thank you for staying with this fic. I love you guys. ENJOY!

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Pinky Promise

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Chapter 30: Nothing to Lose

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Throwing the last of his clothes into his luggage and closing it, John Cena straightened up from where he was crouched on the floor. Adjusting the hat on his head, he reached for the handle of his luggage and headed out of his hotel room for the last time. Goodbye, Houston, he thought to himself as he headed into the lobby. He would be headed to the airport with Randy soon. However, they wouldn't be on the same flight. They had three days off; John was headed back to Florida as usual. As for Randy… Well, John couldn't remember where Randy was headed.

"Hey, man, I checked us out already," Randy said, walking towards John from the reception desk. "The taxi's outside. You ready to go?"

John nodded, following the taller man out the hotel.

"So…You excited to go home?" Randy asked, as they got into the taxi and pulled away from the hotel. He would do anything to fill the awkward silence in the car.

"Yeah," John said softly as he gazed out the window. He sounded dead. He turned to look at Randy and gave him a quizzical look. "And where'd you say you were headed again?"

"Oh.. Uhh.." Randy hesitated, slightly caught off guard with the question. Dare he tell the truth? "Um, California. Sam's there."

"Oh," John said, with a slight frown. "I thought she lived in St. Louis with you?"

Randy shrugged. "She wanted to try something new, you know?" He brushed it off, hoping John would too. For the rest of the taxi ride, Randy avoided the topic and did his best to keep John distracted. As much as he wanted to tell John about Bianca, he knew it wasn't his place….yet.

…

It seemed like just another lazy day at home, but Bianca was on a mission. With a laptop on the dining table and a newspaper in her lap, her head moved back and forth between the two, in search of something.

"What are you doing up so early?"

Bianca's head turned towards the stairs and snorted. "It's 9:30am, Sam. That's not early," she teased, as her friend descended the stairs and took a seat across from her at the table.

When Sam said she was going to help Bianca, she wasn't kidding. Soon after their last visit, Samantha showed up with a suitcase full of clothes. Bianca inquired about Samantha's job, but the younger brunette simply waved it off. "Don't worry," she had said. "It's not dance season anyway." Bianca didn't even know there was a particular season for dancing, but she didn't mind. She could use all the help she could get.

Having Samantha live with her was very pleasant. It was like having a sister, something that Bianca never had the chance to experience growing up. She was also getting used to the occasional visit that Randy would make. It was as if Sam and Randy had suddenly become a part of the Evans household.

Samantha rested her head on the table and closed her eyes. Bianca glanced at her and laughed softly before turning back to her computer screen. "There's hot water if you want coffee or something," she offered, but Sam only shook her head.

"What are you doing?" The latter asked again, turning her head to observe her friend.

Bianca sighed softly as she turned to face Sam, a blush creeping onto her face. "It's kinda stupid," she warned before continuing, "but I'm hoping I could find a job before I start showing. I doubt anyone would want to hire a pregnant woman though," she grimaced.

Sam pursed her lips in thought, trying to think of ideas. "Well, what do you want to do?"

Bianca shrugged. "Beggars can't be choosers. But I would like a job that would pay me well, but also let me stay at home. I need to be able to take care of this baby, physically and financially." She folded the newspaper and pushed it away. "I got nothin'."

"Aww, Bianca," Samantha scooted over to hug the older brunette. "We'll figure something out."

"I hope so," Bianca said, leaning into the hug. "I really do hope so."

…..

A few hours later, John Cena was finally home. "Thanks," he said, paying the taxi driver before heading towards his front door. Once in the house, he set his luggage down and headed straight for the couch. He sighed as he lay down, pulling his hat forward to cover his eyes. John Cena was exhausted, but not from the flight.

He didn't like being at home anymore…not since Bianca left. He was hoping Randy would have come home with him so he wouldn't feel so lonely. He needed a distraction from the emptiness. The house wasn't the same anymore. No more laughter, no more playful bickering, no more barking…

A mixture of clean and dirty clothes covered the living room. The cars in his garage were hardly touched. He never slept in his room anymore. John Cena just wasn't happy. He didn't have it in him. And all these heavy feelings left him fatigued and apathetic.

He was lonely. He missed Bianca and Gizmo too. He missed hearing her voice, seeing her smile, watching her sleep. And deep down inside, he knew he still loved her; but he would never admit that out loud.

…..

A knock sounded from the other side of the front door, and before Bianca could even get out of her seat to answer it, Sam was already halfway there. "That's for me!" The latter yelled as she dashed forward.

Wrenching the door open, Samantha beamed widely and jumped into the arms of her fiancé. "Baby!"

Randy chuckled, stepping inside and closing the door behind him, Samantha still in his arms. "Hey," he kissed her lightly. "Hey Bianca," he greeted, looking up towards the other brunette.

"Hey," Bianca nodded towards him. "How was Houston?" The last few hours were still spent in front of her laptop, halfheartedly job searching. With no luck yet, she was starting to lose hope.

Randy shrugged. "The usual. Kicked some asses, won some matches.. And what are you two ladies doing today?" Randy asked as he and Samantha headed towards the dining table.

"Ooh!" Samantha said excitedly, suddenly getting an idea. "Maybe you can help us find Bianca a job!"

"No, you don't have to," Bianca interjected, a blush of embarrassment creeping up on her face.

"What are you looking for?" Randy asked, ignoring Bianca's embarrassment.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Bianca said, minimizing her windows on her computer screen. She didn't want to look bad in front of Randy. She didn't want to seem like she couldn't help herself. She was about to shut her laptop closed, but Randy stopped her.

"Hold up," he said, staring intensely at her computer screen.

"Yes…?" Bianca hesitated, slightly anxious.

"How'd you do that?" He asked, pointing directly at her screen.

Bianca raised an eyebrow in question. "My background?" She waited for Randy to nod. "I made it," she simply responded, shrugging it off as if it was no big deal.

"Really?" Samantha piped in. "It looks so cool!"

Bianca smiled shyly. "Thanks. I made it a while ago," she said. Her desktop background featured an intricate design of curves and twists and other organic shapes. "I got my bachelor's in graphic design."

"Why didn't you tell me that!" Samantha was surprised at the new tidbit she learned about her friend. "Maybe you can get a job at a graphic design firm or something."

Bianca shrugged, a small pout on her lips. "I don't know. I'd have to build up my portfolio again, and I wouldn't be able to work from home."

"Freelance?" Sam suggested. "You can work from home that way."

Bianca shook her head. "Not stable. I don't wanna take any chances."

"Hey, can you design a t-shirt?" Randy had been quiet up until then.

Bianca was caught off guard by the question, but regained herself quickly. "Yeah, I guess." At this, Randy grinned, an idea forming in his head. "What's that face for, Randy?" Bianca questioned skeptically.

"Well," he started, and Bianca wasn't sure if she could trust the confidence in Randy's voice. "I know for a fact that McMahon is trying to get a new set of t-shirt designs out for me. But so far, none of the designers have created anything visually appealing," he emphasized the last words. "Wanna give it a shot?"

"Hmm…" Bianca's head tilted to the side in thought, but it didn't take long for her to make a decision. "Sure," she grinned. "Besides, I have nothing to lose."

Randy smirked, nodding in approval. "Now that's what I wanna hear!"

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