Alaina eyed the clock on the nightstand by her bed. It was three a.m. and everything was far too quiet for her liking. It had been an exceptionally long day at work. More big shots coming into the office; more organizing, and making things just so for whoever it was coming in the next day. Now all she wanted was to sleep and rejuvenate her overly tired body. However her mind had different plans for her that night as thoughts of how far off track her life was barreled through her mind, keeping her awake.

At twenty five years old this wasn't supposed to be her life. There was supposed to be a home, a pet preferably a dog, and a happy husband snoring softly by her side in bed. Alaina sighed and threw off the covers. Another sleepless night, making it a week straight that she had barely slept. Maybe she needed a new bed; one that every time she looked at it didn't make her feel lonely or betrayed. Maybe she needed a new place, one that only belonged to her. Free from memories of happier days. In the middle of the night though, all Alaina truly needed was some rest.

Bleary eyed she made her way to the kitchen to grab a drink. She twirled the glass in her hands as she thought over her life. When she slipped on a wedding band five years earlier this was not what she had expected. Not that she had expected a happily ever after; she wasn't sure she even really believed in them. She just never expected that, that man would walk away taking a large piece of her heart, and soul, along with him. There was nothing that would shake him from her thoughts; and the long, cold winter nights only served to make the dull ache in her chest worse. The pain had grown to such epic proportions that Alaina could not say his name without tears falling down her face. Yet, there was not a day that went by that she did not think of him.

With another sigh Alaina climbed back into her bed after finishing off her drink. Her hand moved over the now empty space beside her. Her eyes fixated on the large vacant spot across the bed as she fell once more into a light fitful sleep trying to prepare for the day that lie ahead of her.

The normally confident and high spirited John Cena found himself dragging his feet as he approached the Iron Tower. He knew that there was no real reason for him to dread the meeting he had that day. He reasoned with himself that all of it was normal business, and there was nothing to fear. Reminding himself that simple meetings about new storylines always happened. Yet somehow as he drove his old beat up Jeep Wrangler the closer that he got to WWE headquarters the harder the feelings of uneasiness fell upon him.

He had had a hard week personally and professionally. Now he dreaded losing the only thing that was hold his life, and his sanity in tact, his championship reign. This business was everything to him, and he had just proved that this past week. He had chosen the business over his personal life just one too many times. Although he was hurting from what had happened in his personal life, he couldn't seem to regret what had happened. This business engrossed every bit of him, and he loved it. Losing his belt, along with the one woman who had been his everything for the last year would drive him off the deep end.

As hard as he tried to portray the man that everyone was expecting him to be, today he could not manage it. There was no playfulness in his words, no energetic bounce in his step. Maybe it was because he hadn't had any time off in nearly three months and he was tired. But more likely than not, it was because his spirit had finally been broken.

For now though, there could be no more stalling as he stepped inside headquarters. He would have to deal with whatever creative had decided to do with the championship belt.

He smiled at the familiar faces he had seen many times, yet knew none of their names. He knew what they were all expecting from him, and for the first time in his career he found himself becoming exceedingly irritated by it. Today he did not want to be John Cena the wrestler, or the rapper, or the movie star. Today he simply wanted to be John Cena, a man who was tired and lonely. He wanted to be left alone, just for a day, so that he could begin to deal with the massive weight of his life, or lack there of depending on how it was viewed. He could not remember the last time that he had a day alone with no interruptions, no business that needed tending to. He could he deal with the pain that coursed inside his chest if he wasn't able to simply be weak, even for a day? He loved his career beyond compare. He found it exhilarating, and a fabulous life; albeit weary and over demanding.

The sight of dark, wavy hair sprawled across a desk stopped John in his tracks and pulled him from his thoughts. Being in a different mood, he might have done something intentionally to make the person in the chair jump. As it was though, he was hardly in the mood to be in public. With a small cough and a tap on the door he walked in the office and watched the woman pick her head up off the desk.

"If this is a bad time I can come back," John said smiling and breaking the silence. "I'm John- "

"I know who you are Mr. Cena. I'm sorry, you're waiting for the big bosses right? I'll go tell them that you're here." She smiled politely and pushed the chair back from the desk.

"No, please, sit for a minute. It looks like you could use the rest." John sat in one of the chairs across the desk and watched with amusement as the woman before him seemed to become a bit embarrassed.

Alaina felt the blood rush to her cheeks as her face heated up. She said silent thanks for her Latin roots that were hiding the small amount of blushing that she knew was occurring.

"I'm sorry," she quickly made apologies. "I was just trying to find a few papers for a file I have to finish, but as you can tell," she motioned to the papers that were strewn across the desk. "It's pretty disorganized. I got so fed up with looking that I just threw my head down on the desk."

John laughed at the explanation that had just been rambled off to him. He had to concentrate just to understand the words that were flying from this woman's mouth. His spirited lifted a bit as he stared at this woman in front of him. He wasn't sure if it was because he saw another person just as vulnerable and frazzled as he was, or because her honesty was a refreshing change from the political games that he had to play along with backstage.

"Everyone is entitled to having a bad day," he said as nonchalant as he could. As much as he did not want to be the wrestling superstar at the time, he was more uncomfortable showing his own vulnerability to a total stranger.

Alaina could see a shadow pass over John's face as he commented. She wondered if she had imagined it, because as quickly as it seemed to appear it had vanished leaving no trace on his relaxed, handsome features. She shrugged at his comment and began to sift through the papers on the desk once more.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said coolly. She concentrated even harder on finding the necessary papers to stop herself from letting out an extremely sarcastic remark about a bad day lasting for nearly two months.

"Do you need any help? You seem to be running yourself ragged and I'm just sitting here watching," John said. He found it hard to stop smiling as he watched her rummage through papers.

Alaina waved John off with her hand before she held up her hand in victory. "Ah ha! I found them." She stood up from the chair and smiled at the look on John's face. She had seen that look one too many times not to know what it meant. "I'm not even five feet. It's what you want to know right?" She asked as she smirked at the look on his face. "Everyone I meet wants to know that. I know I'm small, and I used to hate it. But as I got older, I got used to it. Eventually even love it. It's a big part of who I am. I'll let the creative team know you're here," she said leaving the office before giving John any opportunity to reply.

Alaina walked into her small office and once more threw her hand on her desk. Her life was spiraling out of control at the moment, and rambling on to one of the top wrestling superstars only served to make her feel even more ridiculous.

She had yet to tell anyone what was happening. Even her own mother, her most trusted confident and advisor did not know that Alaina was about to file for divorce. Alaina barely believed it herself. Each and every day she felt a piece of her die all over again knowing that her most beloved was not going to walk through her door every again. If she were smart Alaina might just accept it as a sad but true fact of her life. She could give in to the overwhelming feeling of loneliness that was encroaching upon her no matter how hard she fought it. But that was the problem, she, Alaina, was a fighter. The idea of losing what she considered to be the best part of her life did not sit well with her.

She jumped as she felt her cell phone vibrate against her life. She sighed seeing that the call was from her mother. No doubt to ask when the "happy couple" would be visiting once more. "No time like the present to tell her the truth. At least I have a reason to rush her off the phone," she said to herself as she flipped her phone open and braced herself for the conversation to follow.

John sat in the conference room barely able to concentrate on what was being said. Something about a feud with Rated RKO giving way to a small feud with Shawn Michaels. This was the future of his career, and he knew that he should have been trying harder to concentrate on the details, but his mind was elsewhere.

John had walked into the building in a foul mood not wanting to talk to anyone. Now though, as he sat in one of the large leather chairs he found himself wanting another conversation with the woman that he had come across. It occurred to him as he sat there, trying to act as if he were paying attention, that he never went out of his way to learn her name.

No matter what anyone could say, or think about him "ladies man" was not of those terms that applied to John. Sure, now that he was famous he had women bowing before him begging to be in his bed. That still did not make him any better at wooing women. When he was a nobody he had only managed to sweep one woman off her feet, and like all the rest of his relationships that one didn't work either. He may not have been suave with women but he knew better than to end a conversation without knowing her name.

"Smooth John, real smooth," he mumbled softly to himself, angry at his gross oversight.

He was too busy lecturing himself about not asking for his mystery woman's name that he failed to notice the meeting was over and creative was filing out of the room. It barely mattered to him, the meeting was fairly routine anyway. As always it was a quick, brief overview of the next big story line change that was happening. He looked around shocked that he was the last one out. Normally he was the first one to rush out of the door after these kinds of meetings. He stood up and walked out the door determined to find the woman he had run into, once more. The best idea he could come up with was to simply walk by all of the creative team's offices and hope to spot the wavy dark brown head of hair once more.

It didn't take John too long to find the office that his mystery lady occupied. Although the sight that greeted him as he walked into the office made him want to laugh. His mood lightened just a bit more as he studied the dark brown hair once more sprawled out across a desk. He hardly knew this woman and yet he was intrigued by her. Something about her caught John's interest and he wanted to know why, and what exactly it was that held his interest.

He leaned against the door frame watching the same mane of dark hair move around on her desk as she mumbled something that John couldn't quite make out.

"Mom, I have to go now. I know Mom," her voice was agitated and tired. And John knew the feeling. "Momma yo se, pero- " she was cut off and let out a frustrated sigh. "Ok mom. Mom necesito ir. No puedo hablar ahora." There was a pause before she spoke again. "No, yo trabajando." There was another pause, and John was even more fascinated listening to the exchange in Spanish. "Si mom, si. Ok, adios."

John saw the phone slam on the desk and hands work their way through long thick waves.

"How come every time I see you, you're napping?" John asked finally making his presence known.

"Huh?" Alaina looked up to see who was talking to her. "I wasn't napping, I was talking to my wonderful, loving, but extremely over bearing mother. She drives me up the wall. How is it that two words from that woman can make me want to kill myself?" She threw her head back onto the desk not truly paying attention to the way she was acting. Too annoyed by the conversation with her mother, and the state of her life, to care. She knew that the superstars had a lot of pull. Make a bad impression on one of them and it could be the end of your career with the company.

"Parents can certainly do that to you," John said thinking back to his own confrontation with his family earlier in the week.

Suddenly as if Alaina remembered where she was, and who she was talking to she snapped her head up and apologized to John once more.

"I must look so unprofessional right now. I am so, so sorry. Did you need me to do something for you Mr. Cena?"

John cringed at her words. Nothing made him feel old like someone calling him mister. "Please, call me John. My father is Mr. Cena."

"Alright," she paused thinking over how odd the entire situation was. "John. Did you need me to do something for you?"

"Yupp, your name."

"Excuse me?"

"Well we've talked twice now an I don't know your name. Now- you know who I am so I figure it's only fair."

"Yes but there's a difference here. See you are plastered absolutely everywhere. Me, I'm just the executive assistant for the creative department."

John sighed and felt the familiar weight drop back on his shoulders. That was what everyone seemed to think. He couldn't place why, but this woman brought out an honesty and sincerity that few saw. "Today I don't want to be. In here I'm no more than a simple every day man from Massachusetts. I'll even begin the introductions as such. I am John Cena, and it is a pleasure to meet you- " he paused, waiting expectantly to hear the woman's name.

Alaina eyed him suspiciously wondering what this was all about. Unable to find anything other than a smile and an outstretched hand in the gesture she smiled and shook his hand. "Alaina. Alaina Vasquez." She felt a pang of sadness and hurt break over her as she used her maiden name once more. The first time that she did not have to remind herself to use it. The first time that she did not have to remind herself that her marriage had crumbled.

John smiled and took off the Boston Red Sox baseball cap that he had on. "Nice to meet you Ms. Vasquez."

She shook her head and broadened her smile. "Alaina will do. I'm not old enough to be so formal."

John let out a soft chuckle and nodded. "Ok. Nice to meet you, Alaina."