Wow, so Raw tonight...very sad to see that happen to Lawler, it was a legit scary thing to see on TV and I hope he pulls through...I'm not as big of a Lawler fan as I once was, but he's still good at what he does, hope to see him back soon...

Despite the somber mood of the show with a shell shocked crowd and a silent commentary table, I think the talent and crew did a good job continuing on with the show...that final promo with Punk, Cena and Bret was woah...Punk brings out the best in Cena both in the ring and on the mic and I look forward to their match on Sunday...however if Super Cena defeats Heel Punk, I will not be a happy girl haha

Anyway, the real reason why I'm on here, a new update! This chapter is one that a lot of you have been waiting for, the one-on-one interview...thanks for the reviews, even the one that I found annoying, I appreciated the rest :) Enjoy!

As fun as shopping with the girls seemed, it wasn't required for her feature, so she cancelled instead opting for a few hours of sleep. Granted now she didn't have a clue what to wear, but it was the least of her concerns. She just wanted to get through the weekend and Monday's Raw. Her completed feature, was due on Tuesday; she just needed to make it until then. After Monday she'd never have to see Punk again and after Tuesday she'd never have to think about the WWE…she could move on with her life, go on to bigger and better things, maybe even start dating again. While all those thoughts were circling in her head, she managed to push them aside and give into sleep.

Gabby woke up at 2:45 feeling refreshed until she saw the time. "Fuck! I slept through my alarm and missed my meeting with Vince McMahon…I am so fired!" Gabby quickly grabbed her phone and felt a sense of relief. Luck was on her side when she read a text from Mr. McMahon himself apologizing for cancelling their meeting, but something had come up. Just as Gabby caught her breath, she remembered her interview with Punk was due to start in fifteen minutes and groaned. Doing a quick once over in her full length mirror, she slipped on her shoes and hightailed it to the car driving fifteen miles over the speed limit to make it to the arena on time. Once inside, she ran as quickly as she could in four inch heels, praying she wouldn't fall on her face. She was supposed to meet Celeste, but seeing she didn't have a clue where Vince's office was, or even what Celeste looked like, she had to call in reinforcements. Slowing to a fast paced walk, Gabby was too busy rooting through her bag so that she could call Adam, that she wasn't watching where she was going and ran right into what felt like a wall. She stumbled almost falling, but a hand reached out to steady her.

"I'm so sorry…" Gabby looked up seeing Punk's hazel eyes looking slightly concerned. "Never mind…well I'm still sorry for running into you, I should have been paying attention to where I was going, but nevermind because…" Punk smiled at how frazzled she appeared.

"It's fine Gabby, you were just the person I was looking for anyway. I finished my appearance early and decided to come meet you myself, though I didn't expect for it to happen this way."

"Yeah, again my apologies, but my afternoon has been a little hectic. I woke up about twenty minutes ago freaking out because I thought I slept through my meeting with Vince, but luckily for me he cancelled. However, before I could breathe a sigh of relief, I was reminded I needed to be here for our interview."

"I'd say you could describe that as hectic…don't you live like 30-40 minutes from here?"

"I may have broken the speed limit a few times…pushing 80 in a 65, but I couldn't risk being late…wait, how do you know where I live? Are you stalking me?"

"No, absolutely not…I might be interested in learning about your life in Atlanta, but not so much to be a creep. I was talking to Adam the other day and he mentioned you had a cute little condo, which is odd, I never saw you as the condo type."

"Well it was available and in my price range…besides I figured there's no reason to get something long term because I don't plan on being here forever…"

"Why is that?"

"I have dreams beyond Atlanta." Their surprisingly friendly conversation took a turn into the awkward relm as Punk took her statement as a jab at him and she realized it too late. Wanting to recover the relaxed conversation and avoid it becoming bitter like it had earlier, Gabby decided to get things underway. "Umm…anyway, what do you say we get this thing underway? I have a can't miss hair appointment so that I can get dolled up for the Hall of Fame…" She gave him a big smile and was surprised when he returned the sentiment.

Punk led Gabby down a long hallway before stopping at a door with his name on it. Being the gentleman that he was, he held open the door and made sure she was comfortable before things got underway.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"No thanks, I'm fine…"

"Are you sure? They just stocked my mini fridge…" Gabby laughed before pulling out her notes.

"An assistant and a mini fridge, you really are coming up in the world! I'll take a water please." Punk smiled at her friendly banter making him think maybe this interview wouldn't be laced with animosity and awkwardness. Perhaps by the end of it, he could convince her to be his Hall of Fame date…Don't push it Brooks… Punk handed her a bottle of water before taking a seat across from her. Gabby was still rooting through her bag getting things she needed and didn't notice him staring at her, admiring just how simply beautiful she was. One of the main things he loved about her was that she was simple; granted she looked hot with make-up and her hair prefected, but he found her even more attractive with her hair in dissaray wearing her watermelon lip gloss…god he missed the taste of that.

Gabby looked up catching Punk staring at her and the awkward vibe that they were trying so hard to avoid had returned showing no signs of leaving. Gabby cleared her throat as she silenced her phone and turned on the tape recorder. "Let's get started shall we…" Punk gave her a simple nod feeling like a fool for getting caught staring. He should have known better though because she always caught him staring even when they were together, the difference was then she thought it was adorable, where now he was sure she found it creepy.

Gabby started out asking the usual questions, gathering information on his wrestling background and just what possessed him to become a professional wrestler. For the most part the interview was strictly professional, the little bit of playfullness that existed earlier was now gone, and he cringed every time she called him 'Mr. Brooks,' but he could see there was a reason for it. She didn't want to let down the guard she'd spent the last three months building and he couldn't say he blamed her. After all he had left her once, who is to say he wouldn't do it again…I have to convince her that won't happen…for as long as I live, I won't hurt her again… His thoughts were interrupted by a rather interesting question, the million dollar question that it seemed every reporter had asked him.

"What exactly does CM stand for? In my research I've read everything from Chick Magnet to Cookie Monster, but I don't buy those answers…" Punk gave her a smile before answering the question.

"I'll tell you, but it's off the record…there's a reason it's a secret, besides that it's fun to keep people guessing." Gabby rolled her eyes before nodding her head agreeing to his request and clicking off the recorder, "Chicago Made…that's where I was born and raised, and Chicago is a big part of my life. She, the city, has given so much to me, so I felt it was only right to give a nod back to her."

"Clearly Chicago is where your heart is then?" Punk took a deep breath before shaking his head.

"Nope…"

"Of course, because wrestling is where your heart is, it's your passion." Punk gave her that smirk and she swore her heart and stomach flip flopped at the same time, but she stayed focused staring at her notebook instead of him.

"Wrong again Gabby…"

"Mr. Brooks I requested that you call me Miss Copeland, for professional purposes."

"Okay fine, Miss Copeland, my heart is not in Chicago, nor did I give it all to the business that I love, hell it's not even in my chest anymore…" Gabby had a sense of where he was going, but tried to ignore it, block it out; she'd been doing so well in taking charge of this interview and ignoring his blatant passes, adorable smirks, gorgeous smiles, the way he chewed on his lip ring when he was thinking, which made her focus on his lips. For a tough guy, he had the softest lips; the reminder sent a slight chill down her spine as she remembered the many times those lips explored her body. Gabby knew at the moment that she needed to get out of the small room and as far away from Phil Brooks as possible before she gave into him forgetting about the turmoil that was her life over the last three months. Gabby started to gather her notes on the table but stopped when she felt his rough, calloused hand on hers. In a moment of weakness she looked up and found herself staring into the deep hazel eyes, the ones that she remembered from the happy times and not the blank ones she recalled from the day he took her to the airport. Gabby swallowed suddenly feeling her throat becoming overly dry.

"My heart is yours Gabby…I gave it to you months ago and even though you're trying to forget about us please try to understand why I did what I did. I thought I was doing the right thing and I realized too late that I couldn't have been more wrong. Please Gabby find it in your heart to forgive me, to accept my apologies. I swear to you I will spend the rest of my life trying to make the last three months up to you if you'll just give me another chance…please." Gabby was speechless, but her thoughts all resonated to getting the hell out of that room.

"I…umm…I have to go, but thank you for everything Phil…" Gabby quickly gathered up her stuff not even bothering to put it in her bag instead just cradling it in her arms so that she could get the hell out of there. It was all too much, his words, those eyes, his touch and she couldn't take everything all at one time. Though she thought she could handle everything with taking on this story, she was quickly finding she couldn't.

Running down the corridor, her focus being on the door that was ten feet away, she didn't anticipate her heel breaking sending her to the ground and an armful of papers flying everywhere. You have got to be fucking kidding me… Tears gleamed in her eyes as she quickly got to her feet and started picking everything up, but Punk was by her side within seconds.

"Gabby are you okay?" Gabby nodded her head keeping her eyes focused on the ground as she frantically picked up her story notes shoving them in her bag. As big of a headache as it would cause to sort everything, she just needed to get out of the arena before she completely lost it, it being the last of her dignity, strength and self-respect. "Okay, well you won't talk to me, but at least let me help…"

"No I've…" Before she could fully object, Punk was picking up her scattered odds and ends. It was completely silent in the two minutes it took for them to pick everything up causing Gabby's anxiety level rising to what seemed like one thousand percent. Punk handed over the stack of papers and Gabby knew she needed to say something, at least thank him, because she didn't want to come off as a total bitch. "Thanks for helping…"

"Yeah…listen Gabby, about what I said…" Gabby lifted her gaze to meet his giving him a small smile.

"It's not a big deal…anyway I need to go, but thanks again…good luck tomorrow." With that Gabby walked away taking deep breaths to try to hold herself together, but she was teetering on a breakdown. She knew walking into that interview that it wouldn't be easy, but she'd convinced herself that she could face him and get through it, which she did, barely.

Punk watched Gabby walk away before punching a nearby water fountain. He felt a pain in his hand and knew he had broken it on impact, but rather then getting it checked out, he slid down the wall he'd been leaning against and stared at the door Gabby had left through hoping something would make her come back, but after ten minutes he was still staring.

Taking a deep breath, he got up heading to the trainers room trying to think of a story to feed to them about how he broke his hand because they never took it well when the talent got pissed off and hit things, which he was famous for. Once he entered he sat down with Kevin who got to work taping it up while Punk replayed the conversation he'd had with Gabby. Everything had been going great, playing in his favor; she was relaxed and comfortable shooting him that bright smile he loved so much, but with one stupid statement he'd sent her running. Punk let out a sigh figuring he'd just blown his last chance at getting back with Gabby. He could see the fear in her eyes when he poured his heart out, clearly she was afraid to get hurt again and there wasn't much he could do to convince her otherwise. Though it was obvious she wasn't over him, Punk didn't know what he could do to change her mind. He took a deep breath and briefly contemplated giving up, but shook his head. Phil Brooks wasn't a quitter, he fought like hell to get to where he was professionally and he was ready to fight like hell to get Gabby back.

Sorry I just couldn't wrap it up here...next chapter is extra long though :)

Chapt 28 preview: The aftermath of Punk and Gabby's one on one with some pre-Hall of Fame thrown in...