John and Alyssa were on the couch. After she calmed down she stared to clean and John started helping her. He hated cleaning but he didn't know what else to do. She wasn't so sure about him, but he hadn't done anything to hurt her so she figured she might as well let him stay. Only problem was she had no idea when her father was getting back. Maybe he wouldn't send her back to her mother, after all she had the credit card right? Rather than sitting there and hoping she decided to suck it up and go pack.

"Um thanks for your help with everything but I have to go and pack." John got a stubborn glint in his eyes, there was no way that he would leave her there to deal with her father alone, not after what he'd just heard.

"I'm not going anywhere." Alyssa looked up at him slightly frightened and shrugged. Maybe he be helpful when her dad came back to drag her to the plane.

Soon they were packing, well Alyssa was packing and John was sitting in the chair in the corner trying not to be a nuisance. He couldn't help but to notice how sad she looked. Shaking his head he started to talk but stopped. What would he say?

"So um what's your mom like?" Alyssa stopped packing and looked at John. Shaking her head she shrugged and went back to packing.

"Eh."

"So where do you live?"

"New Jersey." John nodded. Alyssa finally zipped her bag and set in on the floor.

"So do you have any siblings?"

"Nope." John sighed he couldn't imagine his life without his brothers.

"None at all? What about cousins?" She shrugged and started staring at her hands. John saws uncomfortable this was making her and attempted to change the subject. "Have you eaten?" Alyssa giggled leaving John confused. "What what's so funny?"

"You say that a lot." John was in the dark.

"What?"

"If I want to eat. I take it I'm making you uncomfortable and don't know how to deal with this so you're trying to get out of this weird situation." John smiled and stood up.

"You know you're not dumb by any means." Alyssa looked at him and smiled shyly.

"Thanks." John looked at her and through his head towards the door signaling 'let's go'.

"I'll go but only if you let me buy this time." John raised his eyebrow.

"You buy or your dad's credit card buys?" Alyssa's eyes narrowed.

"Mine Jerk, I have my own money." John nodded.

"Sure you do." Alyssa narrowed her eyes and pushed John out of the door. "Feisty one aren't you?" She brushed him off and walked past him. He shook his head smiling and closed the door behind him. This would be interesting.

Alyssa was walking through the gate for her flight to her mother. She couldn't believe that her dad actually still sent her home. It wasn't fair. She had given him the credit card back but he still wanted nothing to do with her. Great, just great. Anyway, she was about to board the flight back to Florida where her mom and her boyfriend of the month lived. She shook her head, if her dad was an overzealous jerk her mom was a neglectful gold digger. Alyssa knew for a fact that she'd only been born to ensure her mother a lifelong stipend of money. She shook her head, why would someone have a kid they didn't want? As she sat down in her seat she was dreading this long flight. At least her dad did the noble thing and got her a first class ticket. She got settled and pulled out her new MacBook pro. It was straight out of the box and yet another 'I'm sorry I yelled at you for no reason' gift. Whatever, she would have at least three hours to swap out her old stuff to her new laptop. Sticking in her headphone she got to work. The task wasn't daunting at all, just tedious and mind numbingly boring. Just like her life.

Twenty minutes into the task she felt a tapping on her temple. She attempted to ignore it but got more irritated by the minute. Finally after having enough she ripped her earbud out and glared at the assailant. It was a small boy with brown curly hair smiling evilly. Alyssa wasn't in the mood. "Hey little kid, do you want me to open that window and throw you out of it?" The boy rolled his eyes.

"Windows on planes don't open," he said sticking a lollipop into his mouth. Alyssa looked around and then got close to his face.

"I wouldn't need to open it to throw you through it." The boy paled and ran away. Smiling happily Alyssa returned to her work. Soon after though her peace was disturbed yet again. This time she didn't wait to get irritated. "What?" She noticed it was the flight attendant and she sighed. "I'm sorry, can I help you?" the lady gave a small smile.

"Here's the dinner you requested." Alyssa smiled at the lady and took her food off of the tray.

"Thank you ma'am." The lady walked off. Alyssa sighed, this life of being shuffled back and forth was old. All she wanted was stability. To know she was loved by people who didn't see her as someone to carry on the legacy or a cash cow. Whatever, in about a year she'd be eighteen and on her own then she'd find someone or something to love. Maybe she'd get a pet that neither of her parents would let her have. That'd be really cool. Really cool.

Alyssa woke up to someone poking her shoulder she chose to ignore the person. Rubbing her eyes she glanced at her computer. It wasn't quite done transferring all the music. The person poked her shoulder again, but this time she was surprised…John Cena.

"So were you going to just ignore me?" Alyssa glared at him.

"Stalker." She said as more of a venomous statement than a question. John chuckled and shook his head.

"No, I'm not stalking you. I didn't even know that you left let alone were on this flight." Alyssa rolled her eyes.

"Sure." She and John had gotten to know each other better for the brief dinner. Her mind was beginning to flip on its protective mode. She knew better than to get attached to someone strictly because she knew that there was no way anyone would stick around with her hectic lifestyle. No way. None at all.

"So whatcha doin?" Alyssa rolled her eyes and moved her hands in front of the laptops still syncing. "Ah, gotcha."

"Yup." John shook his head this kid was ridiculous.

"So where ya headed?"

"Mom's house in Orlando." John nodded making mental note of where she was living.

"How long you're gonna be there for?" She shrugged.

"Considering Thanksgiving break is over in two days probably then. No way she'll keep me any longer." John shook his head, she kept saying how her parents sucked. No kid deserved to live like this. "So why are you here following me?"

"I'm not following you."

"Sure you're not." John rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I live in Florida so yeah." Alyssa nodded. Although she gave John a hard time, he was starting to grow on her. That's what's scared her. John looked into her eyes, they were beautifully green twinkled under the fluorescent lights of the overhead compartment.

"You live alone?" John raised an eyebrow. "I was just wondering, if your family is so close how could let you move all that ways a way. Doesn't make sense to me."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, shouldn't families stay together?" John thought for a moment.

"Yeah, they should. But just because they're far away doesn't mean that they don't keep in contact." Alyssa nodded although it still sounded like crap to her, she should humor John just for the sake of him being a rather large man sitting next to her.

John and Alyssa continued to banter for a while until he dozed off. She was relieved when he finally did stop talking, boy could he go! Anyway she closed her computer and hoped to just be done with him and this horrendous Thanksgiving. Finally as the plane landed Alyssa thought she'd get away from him. No such luck. He followed her to the baggage claim and then continued to follow her as she looked for the driver. He was mobbed by fans and yet still had the determination to keep tabs on her as she tried to slip away. Alyssa was dumbfounded as to how someone she'd only met hours earlier could be that determined to care about her wellbeing more than her own parents had in the seventeen years she'd been alive. "Where's your driver?" Alyssa shrugged and pulled out her cellphone.

"Gloria Sullivan's phone." Alyssa sighed, of course her mother couldn't be bothered to answer her own cell phone.

"Can I speak to Gloria please this is her daughter?"

"Um, she never mentioned a daughter." Alyssa sighed, stupid temp workers.

"Look, I'm her kid so just put her on the phone!" John watched as Alyssa's usual calm demeanor turned to fire. Finally after what seemed like forever on pause Gloria picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Mom, it's me Alyssa."

"Who?"

"You know your daughter Alyssa."

"Oh, well what do you want?" Alyssa sighed.

"Dad sent me to you for the rest of Thanksgiving."

"He what? He has you, not me."

"But Mom—"

"No, we have an arrangement it's every other holiday. Call him and go back. I'll see you for Christmas."

"Mom!" The phone line went dead. Alyssa felt tears rising in her eyes. She shook them off and called her dad. John watched on in utter confusion.

"James Sullivan."

"Dad, it's me Alyssa. Um Mom doesn't want me so…" She heard James sighing he knew his crazy ex-wife would do this.

"Well you have your emergency credit card, catch a taxi and go to a hotel." Alyssa shook her head. Was it was too much to ask for some love, just a tiny bit?

"But Dad it's Thanksgiving." James sighed, his daughter's weakness was not appealing.

"No it's the day after Thanksgiving. You had me for Thanksgiving and it's your mother's turn. I love you but I have to go to work. Bye." The line went dead. Alyssa couldn't stop the tears this time. Most kids parents fought over them for holidays, hers were fighting to not get her. John watched on in horror, the bits of the conversation he'd gotten was terrible. He shook his head, how could parents treat their kid like that? He edged closer to Alyssa.

"Um, what are you going to do?" She looked up with tears on her cheeks and shook her head silently. She had no idea what to do. John took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her frame. It was the only thing he could think to do at the time. Alyssa appreciated the gesture but it made her highly uncomfortable was he accepting her weakness? That's what crying was wasn't it? That's what she'd always been taught…criers were weak and not tolerated. Quickly stopping she pulled back and wiped her tears. John was thrown off guard by her sudden change, but didn't say anything.

"Well um thanks but I should go find a hotel or something." John's eyes narrowed, a seventeen year old girl alone at a hotel in one of the biggest cities in the country? Yeah right. He shook his head.

"No, I'm not going to let that happen." Alyssa frowned, great a knight in purple and yellow armor.

"Well you can't stop me." John raised his eyebrow.

"Oh somehow I think I could." Alyssa noted the stubborn glint in his eyes and conceded. He was twice her size and could easily overpower her. She wasn't in the mood to make a scene so she might as well. It'd be better than spending the next two days sulking alone in a hotel room. John grabbed her bag and they followed his driver out of the door. Once they got to the car, John opened the door for her. She was surprised, she honestly didn't think people were really that nice. This was unusual that's for sure.

Soon they were rolling down the road towards John's home. Alyssa had her headphones in and John was apparently on the phone with his family. She sighed, her headphones were in, but they weren't playing any music. It was interesting what you could hear when you pretended to be doing something else. This time was no different. Alyssa found herself thinking way more than she should. She was complicating and confusing things in every manner.

"Alyssa!" She was jolted out of her daydream by John's suddenly raised voice.

"What?" Yelling had always made her defensive.

"I'm sorry, you just didn't seem to hear me."

"Well?" John smiled, at least she hadn't let her circumstances make her the devil.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to go to dinner or something. I know that plane food wasn't amazing." Alyssa smiled, he seemed nice enough.

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks." John smiled.

"So what school do you go to?"

"Lakeshore Preparatory." John nodded, he knew it well.

"Ah, upstate New York."

"Yeah."

"You like it there?"

"No, not really." John was shocked, no one ever went there and said it wasn't the best school to be at.

"Why not?"

"Eh, I don't have very many friends and I don't play sports. I'm mostly a history nerd who likes to keep to myself. Besides, I've been there since I started school it gets old after a while." John shook his head, who'd put their kid in boarding school so young? Before he could answer the next question, she passed out on his shoulder. John looked at her. She looked so peaceful, but still had this sad look on her face even in her slumber. He made it his mission to see her happy, no matter what. Somehow he knew even before anything got started that this would be complicated. Complicated indeed.