Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people employed by the WWE, the WWE itself, nor do I make any money from anything. I am po'!

Summary: One phone call completely changes John Cena's life in ways he couldn't imagine. How is the WWE superstar going to cope with all the new things being thrown at him now?

Walk the Line

Chapter Five: Introductions and Endings

John sat in the blue cavalier as Rachael traveled at speeds that were highly dangerous and would kill them both. Who knew the guy who owned seventeen muscle cars and loved to drive would die in a Chevy Cavalier at fifty five mph's? Still these curves were deep and there were drop offs and cliffs and John knew his time was coming to an end.

"John, relax!" Rachael told him as she glanced at the large man in her passenger seat,

"You're such a city boy."

John glanced at Rachael, who was completely calm and unfazed, "How can I relax when you're trying to kill us both?"

Rachael laughed at John and shook her head, "its fine really, stop worrying," she reassured him, "We're almost in town anyways."

John was thanking God and anyone else who would listen to his prayers when the car turned onto a dusty looking little town. The buildings looked older, but still in good condition, and there were plenty of cars going up and down the road.

"I hate when they let school out early. I can't ever get through the traffic," Rachael complained to herself as she maneuvered her car through the street and the kids cruising around or parking and talking to one another.

"Can't we just take another street?" John asked her watching the teenagers hanging out.
Rachael laughed, "This is the only street," she answered him as she stopped the car as the truck in front of them suddenly stopped and a boy jumped out from the passenger seat, ran across the street and jumped into another car.

John gave Rachael an incredulous look and shook his head. Only one street? John was pretty sure he was in some kind of 'Twilight Zone' episode; he just didn't get what the twist was yet.

They moved on down the street finally and Rachael switched her blinker on and parallel parked the car, "Be careful opening your door, they won't stop just because you might die or take out my car," Rachael told John as she hopped out onto the sidewalk.
John looked back towards the road and had to wait a minute for the traffic to clear before he could open his door. When it was finally cleared he quickly jumped out and shut the door. He walked to the sidewalk and stood beside of Rachael and looked at the buildings front glass. It read in large yellow letters, "Anderson Pre-School" and had pictures of blocks and toys below it. The inside of the front windows and the door was decorated in paper chains and drawings. John wondered if Gracie had helped make any of those.

"Are you ready?" Rachael asked him.

John looked away from the building and at Rachael. The wind was blowing her hair and her eyes seemed to be bottomless. There was a quiet confidence about her that shown through everything else and John for the first time, started to relax a little with this whole Gracie situation. This was still the Rachael he had known before. She was still the same girl he had been best friends and more with. She could have told him to go to hell and this whole thing could have became really ugly, but instead she was sticking herself out on a limb (with a little help from John) and allowing him to meet his daughter in a much more natural and happy way then say at a courtroom.

"Yeah," John said still looking at Rachael.

Rachael nodded her head and took a deep breath and opened the door. John's ears were immediately blasted by all the noise that came out of the building. Rachael stepped in first and John followed behind her. He let the door shut behind him and looked past Rachael to see that all the pre-schoolers were dancing in a circle to some kind of Simon-Says song that was blasting from a CD player. They were jumping around like frogs and then spinning in circles and then barking and then hopping on one foot. It was obviously grand fun as all of them were yelling and laughing.

John smiled at the scene, but his eyes searched for her, for Gracie. There were probably around twenty to twenty five kids in there, but other than being a girl, John didn't know which child was his own. "Mommy!" a squeal was suddenly let out and John watched as a little girl suddenly bolted from the circle and almost toppled Rachael over in her attempt to hug her. "Mama I missed you," the little girl said, her small arms not even able to go completely around Rachael's small waist.

"I missed you too baby," Rachael said smiling down at her daughter and being reminded again just how blue John's eyes were, "Are you ready to go home?"

"Yeah!" the child squealed and then ran from her mother and picked up a few pieces of paper from a table and ran back to Rachael, "I made these for you," she said giving them to her.

"Thank you sweetie! There really great," Rachael said looking through them.

The little girl then noticed John standing behind her mother, "Hey, who are you?" she asked the big man.

John just stared at her, so this was Gracie. She was tiny in every way, her short stature, her short little bob hair cut that framed her little face with its little nose and mouth. Well, John had been a little wrong, not everything about Gracie was small, she had the hugest eyes he had ever seen on a child, and they were so blue John wondered if he was looking into a deep part of the ocean. She reminded him of one of those anime characters in manga books.

"Mama, is something wrong with that guy?" Gracie asked looking away from the man and back to her mother.

Rachael stifled a laugh and glanced back at John, "No Gracie, he's just surprised to see you is all," Rachael told her.

"Oh, okay then!" Gracie said not needing any more of an explanation and turning a dazzling smile on John.

John swallowed the emotions down; this wasn't supposed to be so emotional. He wasn't that emotional. So why did he suddenly feel like crying his eyes out just by looking at a little girl? He took a deep breath through his nose and concentrated on Gracie, "Hey," he said.

"Hello," Gracie replied, "You're really big! But not fat," she told him.

John couldn't help but laugh, "No I'm not fat, I have big muscles," he told her.

"Why?" she asked him.

"Because I like to work-out a lot," John replied.

"Oh, cool taters and beans," she said and looked back at her mom, "Can we go home now?"

"Yes we can," Rachael told her and waved at the pre-school teacher as John backed out of the door and keeping it open for Rachael and Gracie.

Rachael opened the back door of the cavalier and helped Gracie inside and into her booster seat. As she buckled her child up and nodding her head as Gracie jabbered all about her day, Rachael couldn't help but think of John and what he was thinking. Did he like Gracie? He had obviously been surprised by her. Was it a good thing or a bad one? She didn't know and she wanted to ask so badly, but knew she couldn't in front of Gracie. This was going to be hard enough explaining to her.

John managed to dodge the teenagers and their road rage and got his butt into Rachael's car and the door closed, all intact and safe. He let out a sigh of relief and strapped his seat belt on when out of no where that little voice came to him, "What are you doing in mama's car?" Gracie asked him.

John turned in his seat to look at the little girl, his little girl. "I need a ride," he told her, not knowing what else to say. It hadn't really struck him until Gracie and Rachael had been talking in the pre-school that John didn't know what to say to the kid. It was sufficient to say that, "hey I'm your dad, okay?" wasn't going to cover it nor would Gracie believe it. Hell, he wouldn't have believed it then if some strange guy had said that to him, he would have thought they were nut jobs.

Now the problem was though, was what to say to Gracie; how to tell her that he was her father. That he wanted to be apart of her life like only a father could be to his daughter. It was a huge change and John didn't know if he was completely ready for it, but he knew he was willing to try.

"Mama don't give rides to strangers!' Gracie scolded her mother as Rachael got into the car and started it up.

Rachael smiled a little, even though it seemed a little strained, "He's not a stranger Gracie. This is, this is," she seemed to stumble over her words and not know what to say either.

"I'm an old friend of your mom's from Kentucky. I know Uncle War and Aunt Amanda," John finally said, saving them both from that innocent stare.

"I love Uncle War and Aunt Amanda," Gracie said smiling broadly, "And Aunt Amanda's pie!"

John laughed at that and so did Rachael. It was a good tension breaker and it had seemed to satisfy the kid's curiosity about John for the moment. Rachael let out a small breath and pulled out onto the street and drove all three of them back home.

When they had arrived back at Rachael and Gracie's house, John was still thanking God for allowing him to live another day and Gracie was out of her booster seat in less then a second.

She was bouncing around the front yard and picking up her toys and playing with them. John watched still in the car and was just amazed by her.

"Amazing isn't she?" Rachael said and startled John; he had thought that she was already out of the car too.

"Yeah," he said nodding his head and still watching their daughter as she kicked a soccer ball at the house and narrowly missed one of the living room windows.

"Gracie, you had better not be kicking anything else at my house or you'll be in trouble young lady," Rachael yelled at her daughter as she finally got out of the car.

Gracie looked at her mom a little guiltily, but smiled nonetheless, "It was a good shot! Goal!" she yelled and ran from her mom as fast as her little feet could carry her.

"Goal? Goal! I'll show you goal young lady," Rachael said and the chase was on.

Rachael chased Gracie around the front yard and all the way around the back and they were coming back to the front when Gracie looked back at her mom to see where she was and ran right into something that was really solid and really not movable in the least. She fell over and looked up with big eyes at the man her mom's friend and stuck out her lip, "You ran me over," she said.

"I didn't mean to, I'm sorry," John said. He truly was too, he had just walked around the side of the house to see what they were up too and the kid had come out of no where and barreled into him head first.

"Jerk," Gracie called him, wrapping her arms around herself and still pouting.

John looked at a loss as to what to do, he couldn't believe he had already hurt her feelings and made her mad at him.

"Gracie! It was an accident and he apologized. Don't call people names," Rachael scolded as she picked Gracie up from underneath her armpits and set her up standing, "Now apologize to John for calling him a name and running into him," she told her.

"Fine, sorry about all that stuff I did," Gracie said and looked up at John, "You're tall."

John smiled, "It's okay and you're short," he told her.

"Am not!" Gracie replied indignantly.

"You are short stuff," John said and grinned at the infuriated look on Gracie's face.

"I am not!" Gracie said narrowing her eyes at John.

"What I couldn't hear you from way down there, what was that short stuff?" John said as he put his hand to his ear and bending down to Gracie trying to 'hear' her.

"I'M NOT SHORT!" Gracie yelled at the top of her lungs and John realized the kid was little, except for her eyes and her lungs.

Gracie charged him then, intent on teaching John a lesson no doubt, but he was ready for her and when she got close enough, John scooped Gracie up into his arms and just held her there. She thrashed about for a minute and then stopped, "You're really strong," she announced.

"I know short stuff," John said and made Gracie wiggle a little more and frown, "Ah now don't frown. I know, how about," and John started tickling Gracie.

It was obvious that Gracie was very ticklish from the squeals that were escaping her as John continued his tickle assault. She continued to giggle and then said, "Stop! Please stop," and she laughed some more, "You win! You win!" she yelled and laughed more.

John finally stopped his tickling and looked at Gracie who fit so tiny in his arms. She didn't weigh anything, but he definitely knew she was there with him. He liked the feeling of Gracie in his arms. He just looked at Gracie and Gracie looked back at him, not saying anything.

"I think I'm going to go in the house and leave you two for a few minutes. Come on in when you want a snack," Rachael said and quickly escaped into the house.

She made her way into the kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator door. Rachael pulled out some mayonnaise, ham, cheese and a couple other things and put them all on the counter. She grabbed for the bread and started to open it up, but couldn't see the twist tie properly for the tears that were in her eyes.

Rachael hadn't known that seeing Gracie and John together would be so hard. She didn't know that their resemblance to each other would hit her so hard when they were together. She didn't know that when Gracie smiled at John that she could be so jealous of John. Rachael knew it was dumb to feel this way, she had had Gracie all to herself for years and John hadn't even known about her, but still, it just felt like the end of something and that was what was making Rachael cry.

She didn't hear the door open and close, she just felt the little hand touching her arm and the little voice asking what was wrong. Rachael quickly wiped the tears from her face and smiled down at Gracie, "Nothing sweetie," she told her.

"But mama, you were crying!" Gracie insisted.

"Uh, mama just got a boo-boo, okay? It's alright now though," Rachael said and at Gracie's still dubious look, "It's all better now, I promise," she said and that finally seemed to satisfy the kid. "Now why don't you go watch some T.V.?" she suggested.

Gracie seemed a little reluctant to go at first, but finally went and sat down on the couch and turned the T.V. to Nickelodeon.

Rachael was still fussing with the bread when another hand, a much larger one, also touched her arm, "What's really wrong?" a deep voice asked her.

"It's nothing John. It's dumb, don't worry about it," Rachael tried to play it off, but John would have none of it.

"Rachael, did I do something wrong with Gracie? What's wrong?" John asked just as insistently as before.

Rachael laid the bread down and smiled sadly at it, "I just, this is just a lot harder then I thought it was going to be and we haven't even told her who you are yet," she finally said.

John nodded his head and maybe he did it because he knew somehow that Rachael needed it, or maybe he needed it, or maybe it was because he was feeling nostalgia for their old friendship, but John wrapped his arms around Rachael and hugged her the best he could.

Rachael let out a little surprised note, but stayed in John's embrace and letting his comfort seep into her slowly. She closed her eyes and just let the world stand as it stood and tried not to think of anything for a moment.

"We'll make it through this okay," John said lowly, "I don't know how, but we'll all make it through."

Rachael nodded her head and looked up at John, "Thanks," she said and he nodded his head a little, "Hey what happened to your jaw?" she asked seeing the underside of it that was turning a nasty shade of purple.

"Hard punch," John said smiling regretfully.

"You're okay?" Rachael asked.

"Yeah, you okay?" John asked her back.

"Yeah," Rachael said as John's arms finally dropped from around her.

"What is going on you two?" Gracie asked from the archway of the living room; her eyebrow up in the air, demanding answers. John wasn't sure if that was his kid or Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's with that eyebrow.

"Everything's okay Gracie, don't get upset," Rachael tried to sooth her daughter.

"No!" Gracie said stomping her foot.

"Now Gracie," Rachael started, but it was too late. The little girl had already upset herself and had started to cry.

Rachael quickly scooped her up and walked over to the living room and sat on the couch. She petted on her daughter, stroking her hair and back. John lingered behind for a minute, but finally stepped into the living room and also sat on the couch beside the two girls. He turned the T.V. off and waited to see what would happen.

"Gracie, are you okay now?" Rachael asked looking down at her and when she nodded Rachael sat her a little straighter on her lap, "Gracie, mommy's going to tell you something very important okay?" she asked.

Gracie nodded her head and stared at her mom, "Is this why you were crying?" she wanted to know.

"A little, yes," Rachael admitted, "Just listen okay?"

Gracie nodded her head and watched as her mom took a deep breath and looked at her, "This is John," she said indicating the guy who called her 'short-stuff' and had played with her outside. "John is a," Rachael stumbled over her words a little, "He is mommy's special friend and he is very important to you too," Rachael told Gracie.

"Is he my special friend too?" Gracie wanted to know. Friends were great, but if they were special too? Awesome!

"Well no he's not. John here is something much mo re important to you and he wants to be apart of your life from now on," Rachael said emphasizing the last part as she glanced at John.

"Huh?" Gracie said not really getting any of that.

Rachael smiled a small smile at her daughter, "Baby, John here is your father," she told Gracie. She couldn't believe she had done it. Rachael had actually said it out loud for the first time ever. Either people had no idea who the father to Gracie was, or they had just assumed it was John and Rachael hadn't denied it; but she had never actually said John is Gracie's father.

Gracie blinked at her mom and looked over to John, "You're my daddy?" she asked him.

John didn't know what to do; he didn't think this was going to happen so fast. He had just met the kid! What if she hated him? What if she loved him? What if, what if, what if. "Yeah short stuff, I am," John finally said.

Gracie looked at John and then at her mother, and then back again, "I have to pee," she told them and climbed out of her mother's lap and walked to the bathroom and shut the door.

John and Rachael both looked dumbfounded. "That's it?" John asked looking at Rachael, "She's not going to throw herself on me or kick me or something?" he asked her.

Rachael shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, "She seemed to just take it in like a pro," Rachael said, "She wasn't upset anymore."

The two were still on the couch when Gracie came back out, "I'm hungry," she announced and looked at her mom who just looked back at her. Gracie made an aggravated sound and then turned to John, "If you're my daddy then make me a sandwich," she said and from the look of her mother she added, "please."

John stood up and went into the kitchen to finish the sandwich that Rachael had started, Gracie right behind him. He finished it up and stuck it on a plate that was sitting there and handed it to Gracie who wrinkled her nose at it.

"What?" he asked.

"I can't carry plates, I'm too little," she told him.

"Oh, yeah I should have known that," John said and walked through an archway into the small dining room and sat the plate on the table and helped Gracie onto a chair.

Gracie looked pleased until she looked at her sandwich and again scrunched up her face and looked up at him, "What now?" he asked her. He had done everything right he thought.

"It's not cut up," she told him.

"Oh!" John said and realized there was no way the kid could pick that up and eat it whole. He quickly went to the kitchen and got the butter knife and came back and cut the sandwich into fourths. He was very pleased with himself.

"Squares are for squares," Gracie announced and laughed at John. John didn't know what she was talking about, except that his four year old was making fun of him.

Rachael had snuck up on them and let out a small laugh, "You cut the sandwiches in squares instead of triangles. She likes triangles because squares are for squares," she explained.

His kid had not just called him a square! John looked down at Gracie who had already taken a big bite out of one of them and was smiling up at him, ham hanging in her teeth, "It's okay, you made it for me so I'll eat the squares," she said and continued eating her sandwich.

John looked to Rachael who only shook her head and smiled and John wondered if her was already over his head.

To Be Continued!