I started writing this back in 2008, and for the longest time, I just couldn't find it in myself to finish this story (you'll see why when you get towards the end of it). But anyway, this is a beautiful song, and I wanted to write a beautiful story to go along with it. I hope you enjoy it. And just to warn you, I bawled my eyes out trying to finish the story. So it might be a tearjerker, or I just might be a wimp :P Anyway, I hope you like this super long one-shot songfic. ENJOY!

Disclaimer: John Cena belongs to the WWE, and "Who Knew" belongs to Pink

...

Who Knew

...

You took my hand, you showed me how

You promised me you'd be around

Uh huh, that's right

"God, this place sucks." John Cena kicked a rock off of his front porch. He lived in the New all his life, but never until now did he realize just how deserted this town was. It was summer time, school had just ended, and he had made the biggest plans, but they were all shot to shit when all of his friends conveniently left for the summer. Rob had left for football camp, and Chris was traveling Europe with his family. It just wasn't fair that John was stuck at home for three whole months. Even his own brothers made plans for the break, and they were out and about.

Maybe if you didn't start that whole water balloon war on the last day of school, you wouldn't be sitting here, his own conscience told him. John groaned, sitting on the porch steps; this summer officially sucked. The 18-year-old sat with a pout on his face, waiting and watching for something interesting to happen.

As his luck would have it, he heard the sound of an engine coming up the road, and he turned to see a large U-Haul van followed by a small sedan park at the house directly across from his. He looked on curiously as a middle-aged man stepped down from the van and opened the back of it. He couldn't help but wonder why anyone would want to move to West Newbury. He continued to observe.

The car door opened and a middle-aged woman, obviously the man's wife, stepped out from the driver's side. And finally, the passenger door opened to reveal a girl of around John's age. She was tall, probably about 5'8", with straight black hair and the fairest skin. He couldn't really make out her face, but if it was as beautiful as the rest of her, then she was definitely a knockout.

John watched as the family hauled box after box into the house. He felt stupid just sitting on his porch, debating whether or not he should head down there and offer to help them. They hadn't even noticed him sitting there, so he didn't budge. He sat until the family had unloaded everything from the truck. He watched as the man and woman exchanged a few words before the man headed back into the van and the woman headed into the car. As the van pulled away, the car followed after.

He saw the girl standing at the door, watching her parents drive away. She finally turned to look across the street and noticed John sitting there. John straightened up just as he noticed the girl crossing the street towards him. As she headed closer, John became mesmerized; she was absolutely gorgeous.

"Hi, I'm Addison Lewis," the girl stuck her hand out for John to shake, but he was too caught up in her bright green eyes to notice. He didn't know eyes could even be that shade of green. Addison looked down at John expectantly and giggled softly when he didn't move. "Here," she said, reaching for his hand and putting it in her own. She shook his hand for him. "Nice to meet you…"

"John Cena," John finished as he finally snapped out of his gaze and shook back. He grinned up at her sheepishly. "Nice to meet you."

They let go of each other's hands, and Addison put a finger to her chin in thought. "Cena, huh," she started. "You must be Italian."

"Yeah," John confirmed, staring at the girl curiously. His ethnicity usually wasn't the first topic of discussion. "How'd you know?"

Addison shrugged and took a seat next to John on the porch step. "Lucky guess, I guess."

"So where are you from?" John decided to ask, if only to keep the conversation going.

"California. Los Angeles to be exact," Addison smiled proudly.

"That's on the other side of the continent," John pointed out. "Did you drive all the way up here?"

"Well, yeah," Addison nodded. "How else were we supposed to get here?"

John raised an eyebrow at her. Was she serious? "Ever heard of an airplane?"

Addison snorted and giggled. "If we flew on a plane, then how would all of our stuff get here?"

"I don't know?" John shook his head. This conversation was weird. This girl was weird. "So what brings you all the way to the New?"

"The New?" Addison tilted her head, assuming that was the name locals gave the town. "I don't know," she shrugged uncomfortably. "Got sick and tired of LA, I guess," she laughed weakly. John noticed her change in demeanor, but he shook it off. "Have you lived here all your life?"

"Yep," John answered promptly.

"So how do you like it here?" Addison asked. She might as well learn more about this place from a local.

"It's a'ight," John shrugged nonchalantly.

"A'ight?" Addison chuckled in amusement. "So why were you sitting here by yourself? Don't you have friends?"

"Of course I have friends!" John said defensively. How rude, he thought in his head.

"Well, then where are they? It's the summer. Shouldn't you be hanging out with them?" Addison asked, looking at John innocently. John mumbled something incoherent. "What'd you say?" Addison perked her ears and leaned closer to hear him better.

"I said they're not here," John said loudly. Addison was a beautiful girl, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't annoyed at the moment.

"Where are they?" She asked.

John sighed in exasperation. Was this 21 Questions or something? "One is at football camp and the other is out of the country," he explained briefly.

"Oh," Addison replied. "Well, don't worry, John, I'll—"

"Bear! No!" Addison was cut off and they both turned to see a younger boy yelling frantically as a brawny rottweiler raced towards them.

"Uh-oh," John immediately stood up, but Addison didn't get the memo and just sat in place. John watched in horror as the dog tackled her. "Sean!" He yelled at the boy.

"Sorry!" The boy yelled back as he started towards them.

John heard giggling and looked down to see Addison giving the dog a full-body massage as it licked her face. "I am so sorry," John said in embarrassment as he pulled the dog off of her.

"No, it's okay," Addison reassured, smiling brightly at the dog as she continued to pet him. "What's his name?"

"Bear," John answered, and watched as Addison played with the dog.

"Well aren't you just the cutest doggy I've ever seen," Addison cooed at him and John couldn't help but smile. Most girls would have run if Bear ever came close to them.

"John, I am so sorry," the boy, Sean, finally made it towards them. "I thought she was Liz," he said, taking a good look at Addison.

"No, I'm Addison," she said obliviously as she stuck her hand out towards the younger boy. "What's your name?"

"Sean," the boy replied, shaking her hand. He looked at John curiously but John only shrugged in reply.

"You must be John's brother. You guys look alike," Addison observed. She stood up off the porch step and dusted off her jeans. "Well, it was nice to meet the both of you," she said, smiling at the two brothers. "As I was saying before, John, I'll be around. So if you ever get bored, you know where to go," she offered.

"Thanks," John nodded, although he knew he wouldn't be taking up on that offer any time soon. Addison bid them goodbye and petted Bear one last time before making her way across the street and into her house. John didn't know what to make of her; she was just a little too weird for him.

I took your words and I believed

In everything you said to me

Yeah huh, that's right

John had discovered that night that his parents had invited the new neighbors over for dinner. "Great," he said sarcastically as he helped to set up the dinner table.

"I'm sure they're nice people, honey," Carol Cena told her son.

"John already met the girl," Sean burst into the kitchen with a big grin on his face. "He said she was really weird."

"John!" Carol raised an eyebrow at her son. "That's not very nice to say."

"I didn't say she was weird," John defended. "I just said she was a little different. Besides, Sean sicced Bear on her," John pointed accusingly at his younger brother.

"Sean!" Carol turned to her youngest son and placed her hands on her hips. "You did what?"

"I thought she was Liz," Sean said, but his mother ignored him.

"The poor girl must have been scared," Carol commented, knowing how intimidating Bear could be.

"Actually, no," John replied. "She was playing with him like he was her dog. She called him cute," John furrowed his eyebrows as he thought about it. "Bear's not cute. He's ferocious. It was weird."

Carol smiled at her son. "I like her already."

John snorted, "whatever, mom."

They all turned their heads when they heard the front door open. "Cenas, our guests are here!" John could hear his dad, John Sr, call out.

They all made it out to the living room, where Addison and her parents stood smiling. The rest of John's siblings trampled down the stairs to meet them.

"Everyone," John Sr started, "meet the Lewises: Michael, Katherine, and their daughter Addison; our new neighbors." Each of the Cenas went up to them and introduced themselves. Within the few minutes, Addison and her parents had acquainted themselves with Carol and the rest of John's siblings, Steve, Dan, and Matt.

During the dinner, while John's parents had gotten into a deep conversation with the Lewises, John noticed how all his siblings couldn't take their eyes off of the teenaged girl. He rolled his eyes at them and shook his head; if only they knew how odd she was.

John sat on the porch step once again after dinner was over. Inside, his parents were in deep conversation with Addison's parents in the kitchen, and Addison was in the living room with all four of his siblings. He snorted to himself; there was now doubt that his teenaged brothers were trying to score a date with her. Throwing a ball, John watched as Bear chased after it and came back to him with the ball in his mouth. He continued to play fetch with the dog and rolled his eyes when he heard Addison's laughter from inside the house. He wondered what his brothers did to make her laugh.

He heard the door open and saw Addison take a seat next to him once again. "Hello," she greeted cheerfully. Bear ran directly to her and she started to play with him.

"What, are you tired of my brothers already?" John didn't know where the attitude came from, but he immediately felt bad for it.

"No?" Addison tilted her head in confusion. John sure was an interesting character. "They're quite amusing. I love that you have a big family. I wish I had a sibling or two, but it's just me."

"You're welcome to borrow one of mine anytime," John offered sarcastically. He smiled when Addison laughed.

"Thanks," she grinned at him.

"Honey, it's time to go," they both turned to see Addison's father stick his head out the door. Addison nodded and stood to go into the house to say her goodbyes. She came out a few minutes later with both of her parents.

"Bye John, see you later," she waved at him before she and her parents made their way across the street.

…..

Addison had become an unwanted part of John's everyday life. She was always there, everywhere, and although John was always decent to her, sometimes he just wanted to be left alone. Every time she saw him, she always had something unusual to say. "Who thought up the shape of a football?" "Did you know that clouds act as a magnifying glass to the sun's rays, and that's why you could still get sunburned on an overcast day?" "If Bear could talk, what do you think he'd say?"

John glanced across the street and shook his head as he noticed Addison's attire. "Hey,I doubt it's gonna snow anytime soon," he joked.

Addison turned at the sound of his voice and grinned. "Hi, Johnny!"

John cringed at the sound of that name. He hated it, but Addison insisted on calling him that. "I thought I told you not to call me that," he reminded her. "And what's with the outfit?"

Addison shrugged and headed towards him. Although it was 8:30 at night and the air was cool, there still wasn't a good reason for Addison to be dressed in a thick, heavy coat that was big enough to fit even John, a scarf, a beanie, jeans, and furry boots. "I get cold easily," she explained. "I don't wanna get sick."

"It's 75 degrees out," John raised an eyebrow at her. "Aren't you sweating in that thing?"

"Nope," Addison shook her head. "So what are we doing tonight?"

John snorted. "I don't know about you, but I've got a date," he smiled arrogantly.

"Ooh," Addison applauded him. "So who's the lucky lady?"

"Liz," John answered. "Well, I better get going. Don't wanna keep her waiting."

"Okay, Johnny, have fun!" Addison smiled at him and watched as he retreated into his house.

…..

The date with Liz had gone perfectly. They had gone to a little restaurant in Boston and spent half the night talking. By the time John pulled into the driveway, it was nearing midnight. He got out of the car and was about to head towards his front door when something across the street caught his eye.

"What are you doing?" John asked curiously as he made his way towards Addison's yard. Addison was seated on a bench at a small table on her porch with Bear resting next to her, his head on her lap. There was a single lit candle on the table, and John raised an eyebrow at her.

"Since you went on a date," Addison started, "I figured I might as well go on one too."

"Right," John only nodded. "So where's the lucky guy?" He gazed down at her and the dog.

"You're looking at him," Addison giggled, as she patted Bear's side, causing him to sit up immediately.

"You went on a date with Bear?" He stared down incredulously at the dog, whose stub of a tail was wagging with happiness.

"Yep," Addison grinned proudly. "Don't be jealous."

John chuckled, shaking his head. Trust, me, I'm not, he thought to himself. "Mind if I join in on this date?" When Addison nodded he moved to sit on the other side of her. He sighed peacefully and closed his eyes, the natural silence of the night relaxing him. He could hear Addison playing with Bear, and he cracked an eye open to see her grinning as she ran her hands through his fur. "Ever had a dog before?"

"Nope," Addison replied, not breaking her focus with Bear.

"You allergic?" John asked, gazing at her quizzically.

"Nope."

"Your parents don't want pets?" He asked again.

"That's not it at all," Addison started. "We love animals. I'd get a pet for myself, but it wouldn't be fair."

John scrunched his face in confusion. "How so?"

"Well, when I'm gone, my parents would have to take care of it. That wouldn't be fair to my parents or my pet," Addison explained logically.

Wait a minute, John thought. "When you're gone? Are you going somewhere?"

"Huh?" Addison's eyes widened and she shook her head. "N-no, I mean, like if I go away to college or move out or something," she said quickly.

"Ookay," John glanced at Addison skeptically. She sure was acting strange, but then again, when was she not acting strange?

If someone said three years from now

You'd be long gone

I'd stand up and punch them out

'Cause they're all wrong

Dating Liz had become a regular thing, and John knew that they'd be a couple any day now. He was just waiting for the right moment to ask her. He pulled into the driveway and got out of his car. There was a bounce to his step as he headed towards the front door, but he stopped short when he saw his youngest brother sitting on the porch step, resting his head on his arms. John observed as his brother's shoulders shook and he could hear tiny gasps. "Hey, little bro," John greeted as he seated himself next to the boy. "Why are you crying?"

Sean looked up at John with tear-streaked eyes. "John, I—I… I killed her…"

"Huh?" John stared down at his brother in confusion. "Who?"

"Addison!" Sean said frantically. "I killed Addison!"

John was skeptical. Of course he knew his brother was exaggerating, but still… "What happened?"

Sean sniffled and tried to compose himself as he started his story. "We were tossing the football to each other to see how far we could throw it and if we could catch it. We were doing pretty good, so I decided to throw it really really far. It landed across the street, so Addison ran to get it… And then… And then…" John could see his brother start to cave in again, and he mentally started to finish his sentence. Did she get run over by a car? Did someone pop out of the bushes and grab her? Did a wild animal attack? What? He needed to know.

"What happened, Sean?" John calmly tried to urge his brother to continue, but Sean only shook his head. John started to worry and grabbed Sean by the shoulders to face him. "Tell me what happened," he urged more forcefully as he shook him by the shoulders. But Sean only continued to cry. "Sean!"

"She ran across the street," Sean continued on, wiping his nose. "Then she picked up the football…" He hiccupped slightly. "And then… And then…"

"And then?" John stared wide-eyed at his brother. The suspense was killing him.

"And then she fainted!" And with that, Sean burst into another round of sobs, covering his face with his hands.

John let out a sigh of relief and frustration. He glared at Sean. "Is that it?"

"What do you mean, is that it," Sean yelled angrily at him. "I thought I killed her!"

John snorted. "Come on, Sean. Stop being over-dramatic. People don't just drop dead out of nowhere. She fainted, big deal," he shrugged, earning him an angry glare from his brother. "She probably forgot to eat breakfast or something. Or she got a heat stroke. That's what she gets for wearing all of those jackets in the summer," John laughed.

Sean immediately got off the porch and towered over his older brother. "I can't believe you," Sean shrieked furiously. "And to think that Addison actually likes you. Well, I hope she realizes how much of an asshole you are." And with that, Sean stomped into the house.

John frowned. There were two things wrong with that statement. One, Sean just said a bad word. Two, Addison liked him. He couldn't have weird girls liking him. Imagine what that would do to his reputation.

Just as John's parents pulled into the driveway, the Lewis's pulled into theirs. John watched as only Mr. and Mrs. Lewis got out of the car, and he frowned.

"The doctors wanted to keep Addison overnight to run more tests and to make sure she's alright." John looked up at his parents as they answered his silent question.

"Oh," was all John said as he tried to fight off the worried feeling that he had in the pit of his stomach.

I know better

'Cause you said forever, and ever

Who knew

The second oldest and the youngest Cena siblings sat on the porch step, silently staring across the street and waiting. The Lewises' driveway was empty, and the two boys sat anticipating their return. They both straightened up once they heard the sound of a car heading down the street, and they glanced at each other hopefully when the Lewises' car finally pulled up.

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis first came out of the car, and John held his breath as the backseat opened. But the person getting out was not Addison; it was an older woman, probably Addison's grandmother. John started to worry. Was Addison not well enough to be released?

"Look, John," Sean nudged him and pointed. John followed with his eyes and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Addison step out from the other side. So she was okay after all.

Addison nodded towards her parents before making her way across the street towards them. "Hey guys," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hey," the boys greeted back. John couldn't help but to eye the plastic hospital band that she still wore around her wrist.

"Are you okay?" Sean asked, quickly embracing her.

Addison giggled softly and ruffled the 12-year-old's hair. "I'm fine," she told him, smiling down at him.

"Are you sure?" John couldn't help but to ask with concern.

Addison turned her attention towards the older Cena sibling and nodded, smiling brightly. "I'm sure. It's gonna take more than a faint spell to keep me down," she told them confidently.

John nodded at her. If Addison said she was fine, then he believed her.

Remember when we were such fools

And so convinced and just too cool

Oh no, no no

Ever since that day Addison fainted, John couldn't help but to check up on the girl everyday to make sure she was okay. And little by little, Addison and John had become close friends.

To John, everything was perfect. Summer wasn't so boring anymore. He had Addison to hang out with everyday, and his relationship with Liz was going great. What could possibly go wrong?

"Bye, John! See you later!" Addison called out from across the street.

"See ya, Addy," John replied loudly, waving at the girl as he watched her get into the car with her parents and her grandmother—whom Addison explained would be staying with her family for a while. John was seated on the porch with Liz on his lap.

As they watched the car drive away, Liz turned to John with a scowl. "She's so weird," she commented without a care. Liz had met Addison a few times and decided that she didn't like her. She especially didn't like how close Addison was to John.

"Nah, she's nice," John replied. "I like her." When he saw the dangerous look on Liz's face, he chuckled and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "But don't worry. I like you more."

Liz smirked. "How much more?"

John kissed her again. "Way more," he assured her.

"Enough that you'd be willing to do anything for me?" Liz pondered innocently; however a scheme was forming in her head.

"Anything," John repeated, gazing at her through heavy eyes.

"Would you stay away from Addison if I asked you to?" Liz asked in a way that was so casual, that John almost missed it.

His eyes widened and he pulled away slightly. "What?"

"I mean, look at her, John. She's weird," Liz scoffed. "If anyone at school ever finds out your friends with the neighborhood weirdo…" Liz shook her head dramatically. "Imagine what that would do to your reputation."

John shook his head and stared at Liz in disbelief. "Since when did Addison become the 'neighborhood weirdo'? She just moved here."

"It's so obvious, John," Liz tilted her head at him. "I mean, she wears jackets like it's the dead of winter. She talks to everybody like they're her best friend. She's just so…creepy. What if she's one of those psycho killers? Friendly on the outside, but deadly on the inside," Liz continued her tirade on how eerie Addison was. "Like seriously, you should drop her."

"She's my friend," John defended. "I can't just drop her."

"If you like me as much as you say you do, you will," Liz threatened sweetly. "Come on, John. You're gonna drop all your other friends for her? Your reputation is on the line. Football players don't hang out with weirdos. It just doesn't go that way. Drop her."

John inwardly groaned. Addison was his friend. But Liz had a point—he spent years building up his reputation. What would his friends say when they find out about Addison? She wasn't like them. She wouldn't fit in to their crowd. He weighed the pros and cons of being Addison's friend. One outweighed the other by a long run, and John had made his decision.

…..

The day was coming to an end, and John kissed Liz one last time before she made her way down the driveway towards her car.

As if the timing couldn't be bad enough, Addison's car had pulled up across the street. "Now's your chance, John," Liz reminded with a smile.

As the Lewises headed straight into the house, Addison made her way across the street again. "Bye, Liz," she greeted the blonde girl with a wave.

"Buh-bye," Liz replied and turned her head with a roll of her eyes before driving off.

Addison, oblivious to it all, headed straight towards John. "Hey, Johnny," she beamed at him.

"Addison, I told you not to call me that," John said a little too harshly.

Addison pouted. "But I like calling you that," she tilted her head innocently.

"And I don't," John replied with the same harsh tone. "So cut it out."

Addison frowned. She could tell something wasn't right. "Are you okay?"

John took in a deep breath. It was now or never. "Can I be honest with you, Addison?"

"Okay," Addison nodded with a soft smile.

"I don't like you," John bluntly said. "You think you're so funny, but you get on my nerves. I tried to be nice to you because you're new here, but I can't stand it anymore."

"I thought we were friends?" Addison asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Sorry," John shook his head, but his voice held no remorse. "We can't be friends. So if you could please just leave me alone, I'd greatly appreciate it," he frowned down at her.

Addison knew something was up. Despite the harsh words John had told her, his eyes held a different look—as if they were pleading with her not to believe him. "Oh," She simply cast her eyes down to the ground and nodded. "It's okay, I guess. I understand." She looked up at him and shrugged, giving him a weak smile. "Sorry," she whispered before turning around and heading back to her house.

John nodded to himself as he watched Addison walk away. It had to be done, he kept telling himself. He turned around to walk into his own house.

"Why'd you do it?" John turned to look at his brother just as he closed the door behind him. Sean was seated on the couch, staring out the window. He probably heard everything.

"I have a rep to protect," John simply answered, heading towards the stairs.

"Asshole," Sean whispered, and although John was halfway up the stairs, the word rang loud and clear in his head.

I wish I could touch you again

I wish I could still call you a friend

I'd give anything

To John's surprise, Addison had listened to him—for the past three weeks, John had neither seen nor heard from the girl. However, that didn't mean that he was happy about it. He honestly missed her. The laughter, the jokes, the silly games…everything. He was starting to wonder if he made the right decision, and deep down inside, he knew he hadn't.

Even with Liz currently sitting on his lap and talking away, John wasn't happy. Hell, he wasn't even sure if Liz or his friends were worth the loss of Addison anymore. He really missed her.

John saw the familiar sedan pull into Addison's driveway and he watched on with interest. He hoped Addison was in that car, even if she wasn't going to speak to him anymore, just seeing her would give him some sort of comfort. At least it would let him know that she hadn't locked herself away in her room. However, Michael Lewis was the only one who exited the car. John felt disappointed and worried. Where was she? She couldn't isolate herself for this long, could she?

John briefly made eye contact with Mr. Lewis and gave him a weak smile. However, the look on Michael Lewis' face was not happy. It seemed almost sad. John immediately felt guilty. Of course the Lewises probably knew what John had told their daughter. Maybe they were sad because their daughter was hurting, and it was all John's fault.

John was disgusted with himself. He wanted to push Liz off of him and head straight into the Lewises' house. He wanted to kick down Addison's door and apologize a million times over until she would forgive him. He would do anything just to have his friend back.

When someone said count your blessings now

'fore they're long gone

I guess I just didn't know how

I was all wrong

The Cenas held hands over the dinner table as they prayed for their food and their families. It was something they did every night. But something was different this night, something that had John wondering what was going on.

"Boys, I think we should take this moment to just be thankful," John Cena Sr started. "Thankful that we're all alive and healthy. Remember not to take life for granted, for there are others who are less fortunate and are fighting for their lives as we speak.."

John, head still bowed, frowned. What was that all about? Was someone in his family going to die? He didn't want to think about it. He couldn't imagine someone close to him dying. As they finished reflecting and started on their dinner, John could only worry over what exactly his dad meant.

After dinner was over, the Cena boys had settled into the living room just in time to watch that night's segment of professional wrestling. It was John's favorite show, but he couldn't concentrate. Standing up from the couch, he headed towards the kitchen to get something to drink. However, he stopped dead in his tracks when he passed by the office and heard his mother's voice mention something about Addison. Curiosity taking over him, he headed towards the office and peeked in. His mother was on the phone.

"How is she doing?" John heard his mother ask the person on the line. "It's worse?" Carol gasped, and John immediately tensed. What got worse? It was silent for a while as Carol listened into the phone. "Yes…Yes, I'll be sure to tell him… Okay… You take care… Our prayers are with you…" And with that, Carol hung up.

John immediately made his way to the kitchen so his mother wouldn't catch him eavesdropping. As he poured himself a glass of water, he watched through his peripherals as his mother pulled his father aside to talk. The looks on their faces were very serious, and for the first time in a long time, John was actually scared.

After the rest of his brothers went upstairs to go to bed, John's parents pulled him aside. "Son, we need to talk," John Sr solemnly said as he sat at the dinner table. Carol followed, and John sat across from them.

"What's going on?" John tried his best to hide the worry in his voice.

Carol reached across the table to take her son's hand in her own. "John," she started, almost sympathetically, "the Lewises wanted us to tell you that…" She trailed off as if what she would say next would hurt her son deeply. "You can't see Addison right now."

And Carol was right; it did hurt John. "What? Why?"

"Don't ask why, son. Just do as they say," John Sr answered.

John's hands clenched into fists. "That's not fair," he said with a raised voice. "You can't tell me what to do without telling me why. Addison's my friend. Why can't I see her?"

"It's…complicated," Carol replied, and by the way she hesitated, John could tell she was hiding something. "You just can't see her right now." She winced when John let out a hiss of frustration. "Just trust us, son. It's better this way."

John shook his head, not wanting to hear any more. Pushing away from the table, he stomped his way up the stairs and into his bedroom. He sat at the edge of his bed and covered his face in his hands. What the fuck is going on?

They knew better

Still you said forever, and ever

Who knew

John hadn't remembered the last time he was up so early, but it was 7am and the sun was just behind the trees. He had business to take care of today. He didn't care that his parents warned him to stay away. He was going to see Addison, and he didn't care if he had to sneak out early to do so.

Silently making his way down the stairs, he was relieved to find the kitchen still empty. Good. It meant his parents hadn't gotten up for breakfast yet. John slipped out the front door and sprinted across the street to Addison's front door. He rang the doorbell twice and waited, constantly checking his back to make sure no one from his house was peeking through the windows.

It didn't take long for Addison's grandmother to answer the door. "John, you're up early." Gram was surprised to see John standing there. "What brings you here?"

John looked at the woman pleadingly. "Gram, please. I need to see Addison."

"Oh," Addison's grandmother said with a frown as she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, John. I can't do that."

"Please," John pleaded again. "I have to talk to her."

Gram's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at John's pathetic state. "She's not here," she said, finally deciding to help.

"Where is she?" He asked, hoping that she hadn't moved.

"She's at the Beth Israel Medical Center—" was all Gram could say before John nodded once.

"Thank you," he said hurriedly as he turned around and ran into his house.

John burst through the door, startling both his parents who had just come down the stairs. He said nothing as he reached for the keys to his beat up jeep.

"John, where are you going?" John Sr asked skeptically.

"Out," John sharply replied before heading outside. His parents could do nothing but follow. They watched as he got into his jeep and sped off, worrying over what would make him rush like that.

They caught glimpse of Gram, who was leaning against her doorframe, a worried look on her face. It was then that the Cenas realized where their son was headed to. They hurried into the house. "Grab the keys."

…..

John took the first open parking spot he could find and sprinted towards the building. "I'm looking for Addison Lewis," he told the receptionist at the front desk.

"She's in 3rd floor ICU." The receptionist said, and John took to the stairs—waiting for the elevators would have taken too long.

Dodging patients and hospital staff, John ran faster once he saw the sign that directed him towards the ICU. He turned into another hallway and started searching the doors for Addison's name. "Lewis…Lewis…Addison Lewis…" He mumbled as he raced past numerous rooms. He didn't care that half the ICU staff were hot on his tail.

John's eyes widened when he found the door he was looking for at the end of the hall. Without warning, he busted into the room. "Addison…."

Michael and Katherine Lewis were leaning over the hospital bed but immediately straightened up at the sound of John's voice. "John…" Addison spoke weakly as she stared at him in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

John raised his hands in defense towards Addison's parents. "I know I'm not allowed to see her," he said before turning to face Addison. "But I need to talk to you, Addy…Please…" John pleaded with all three.

"Sweetie?" Michael Lewis turned to his daughter, awaiting her answer. She nodded at them once and smiled reassuringly. "Okay," Michael and Katherine both kissed their daughter on her forehead before leaving her alone with John.

Once the door was shut, John stood awkwardly, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry, Addison," he whispered softly.

"For what?" Addison's head tilted to the side.

"For being an asshole," John replied. He slowly walked over to kneel at the side of Addison's hospital bed. Taking her hand, he pressed it against the side of his face. "I should never have said those things to you. I'd take it back if I could. I don't think I can stand another day without you… Please forgive me…" He ducked his head, waiting for Addison to give her two cents.

"It's okay, Johnny. I forgive you," Addison simply said, and John let out a sigh of relief. She was calling him Johnny again, so she really must have forgiven him. "I honestly didn't think you'd come here," she said more to herself. "I mean, I told them to tell you to stay away."

John pulled away slightly. She wanted him to stay away from her? "Why?" He stared at her with sadness and disbelief.

"Because of this," Addison motioned to herself.

"What happened?" John asked, his eyes studying her face intently.

"I'm sick," she said softly, averting her eyes.

John didn't want to ask, but a part of him was dying to know. "How sick?"

Addison grimaced. "Johnny, this is why I didn't want you to know."

John frowned at Addison's answer, panic quickly building up inside of him. "How sick?" He persisted.

"I have something called AML," Addison explained. "It stands for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia—"

"No," John shook his head, refusing to believe it. "No..no..no.. You can't tell me that!" He looked up at her with fierce eyes. "You're only seventeen…" He shook his head again, refusing to believe it. "…How long have you had this?"

"I was diagnosed about a year ago…" Addison answered.

John lowered his head and closed his eyes. It all makes sense now. Wearing coats in the middle of the summer, fainting, the reason why her grandmother suddenly moved in with them… "Are you dying?" It was so soft, that Addison could barely hear him.

"The doctors are doing everything they can," Addison assured him weakly.

But that still did not answer John's question. A look of determination crossed John's face as he stood up. Addison looked up at him questioningly. "You have to get better," he said. "You have to…" he trailed off before turning around and running out.

Down the hall and into the waiting area, John found Addison's parents talking to a doctor. "Doc," John called out, hurrying towards them.

The three adults turned to face him. "John?" Michael Lewis questioned worriedly.

"Doc, please. You have to help her get better," John begged. Before the doctor could say anything, he continued on. "What does she need? Blood? A bone-marrow transplant? Then take mine. I'll sign the papers. Just please… She needs to get better.."

"Son," John felt a hand squeeze his shoulder reassuringly, and he didn't need to turn around to know that his parents were behind him.

"How bad is it?" John looked to the Lewises, then to the doctor for answers.

The doctor hesitated, glancing at Addison's parents for permission, then answering him once it was granted. "Like other forms of cancer, AML can be treated with chemotherapy. But even with successful treatment, Addison has a 40% chance that she will survive through this in the next five years."

Everything seemed distant to John. And it was his father's hand squeezing his shoulder again that brought him back to reality. "Does she know this?"

"Yes. Addison is well aware of her condition," the doctor answered as Addison's parents nodded silently.

John nodded in defeat, slowly backing away from the adults to sit down in one of the chairs. He lowered his head into his hands. Addison was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"John," this time it was the Lewises who sat on either side of him. "I know this is hard for you…it is for everyone.. But Addison is a strong girl. You need to be strong for her," they told him. "Can you do that?"

John slowly lifted his head to stare at them, a resolute look on his face. "Yeah," he nodded. He had to be strong to help Addison get through this.

…..

Addison looked up from her hospital bed when the door opened slowly. "Hey," John greeted her as he walked in, more composed than when he left.

"Hey," Addison smiled softly at him as he made his way back to her. "Are you okay? You kinda freaked out back there," she tried to joke.

John smiled painfully. Addison was the sick one, yet she was trying to make him feel better. "Sorry. It was just a lot to take in. But I'm fine now," he said, mentally reminding himself that he had to be strong for her. "Besides, I should be asking you that. Are you okay?"

Addison nodded. "Mmhm." And she really did look okay. Nothing had changed, except maybe her complexion was slightly paler than normal.

John sighed in relief but shuddered at the thought of her getting weaker and weaker. What would she be like then? John refused to ponder over it and pushed the thought out of his mind. He reached for her hand and idly ran his thumb up and down the back of her palm. "Are you scared?"

Addison's lips formed into a pout as she thought about it, then shrugged. "Not as scared as before, I guess." She studied John's face before returning the question. "Are you scared?"

"Yeah," John admitted, resting his head on the bed. He turned his face towards Addison's. "I don't wanna lose you."

Addison smiled sadly, and squeezed John's hand reassuringly. "I'm not going anywhere, Johnny."

"Then I'm not going anywhere either," he replied. "I promise."

Yeah yeah

I'll keep you locked in my head

Until we meet again

Until we, until we meet again

And I won't forget you my friend

What happened

John Cena ignored the stares that he received in each of his classes and in the hallways. He kept to himself as he entered the locker room. All he could think about was Addison, and now that school was done for the day, he would get to finally see her again.

"Yo, Cena, what's with the hair? Or lack thereof?" Out of all the years in Cushing Academy, John Cena was never bald—clean cut, yes, but never bald—yet there he was, in all his hairless glory, throwing his books into his bag. John ignored his friends as they surrounded him. He zipped up his bag and headed out.

"Cena, where ya going?" Rob asked, but John pushed past him, not answering. "We got football practice."

"Coach knows where I'm going," John finally turned around to face his friends. "I'll see you guys later."

"Hey, Cena. Is it true you been ditching us for some weird chick that you got obsessed with over the summer?" Chris asked jokingly. "Liz said—"

"Do you always listen to what Liz says?" John quickly advanced towards Chris, causing the latter to back away slowly. After finding out about Addison's condition, John immediately left Liz, who was still bitter about it. "You guys don't know shit about what's going on," he hissed through his teeth before straightening up and leaving.

"Well, then maybe you should tell us!" Rob called out, but John was already gone. The two friends were worried; John was never one to be serious, but since the new semester had started a month ago, John had kept more to himself and often left right after school. Rob and Chris needed to know what was up, and they were going to find out right away.

…..

"Knock knock," John tapped on the door before stepping into the hospital room.

Addison looked up excitedly at the sound of his voice. "Johnny!" However, her face fell once she caught sight of him. "You're bald!" She exclaimed, horrified.

John took a seat next to her. "You too," he pointed out with a side smile. He reached out to run his hand over Addison's bare scalp. She had started her chemotherapy a couple months prior. Once she started losing patches of hair, she opted to have her head shaved completely.

"You look like a skinhead," she joked.

"I did this for you," he replied sincerely.

Addison frowned. "Why? You shouldn't have…"

"I wanted to," John reassured her.

Addison reached up to touch his cleanly shaved scalp. "I'm gonna miss your hair," she pouted.

"I miss yours too, but I got over it," John smiled with raised eyebrows.

"But you said I still look pretty," Addison reminded him with a grin, and John's smile widened.

He wasn't lying when he said she looked pretty, even without her usual dark locks obscuring half her face. Without it, every feature on her face—her bright green eyes, her long lashes, her full pouty lips—everything was highlighted; 'pretty' was an understatement. "You're not pretty," John told her, causing Addison's jaw to drop in horror. "You're beautiful."

Addison's jaw immediately closed and she studied John's face for any hint of a lie… She found none. "You're only saying that because you're my boyfriend." Since Addison was hospitalized, John had spent hours every single day visiting her. They drew closer to each other, and eventually, they had become a couple.

John cupped Addison's face with his hands. "I'm saying it because I mean it. Nothing else," he reassured her, kissing her forehead.

"Thank you," she whispered. When John pulled away, a bright smile graced Addison's face. "I got good news," she said excitedly.

"What," John asked, trying not to hype himself up.

"The doctor said I've been doing really good with the treatment and everything," Addison started and squeezed John's hands, causing him to look up at her. "Do you know what that means?" She didn't wait for John answer. "I get to go home."

The smile on John's face was so wide as he leaned forward to wrap his arms around her. "That's great, baby." He was truly elated. After spending months in the hospital, Addison would finally get to come home. John would finally get to hold her in his arms properly. "How soon?"

Addison grinned brightly. "I could get cleared tomorrow."

…..

John was thankful that it was a Saturday. It meant that he didn't have school; it meant that he could go straight to the hospital. Most of all, it meant that he would be able to take Addison home. The Lewises had agreed that John could take Addison home while they prepared the house for her. The papers were signed; all John had to do was head down to the Beth Israel Medical Center.

He pulled up to the front of the hospital, where Addison was waiting with a nurse. He quickly got out of his jeep and headed towards them.

"Hey," he trailed off, gazing at Addison curiously.

Addison giggled softly at his expression. "I'm fine," she reassured him. "This is just hospital protocol," she said, motioning at the wheelchair that she was seated in.

"Okay," John smiled softly, and led the nurse and Addison towards his jeep. "Up we go," he said as he helped Addison out of the wheelchair and into the passenger seat. He thanked the nurse before climbing in behind the steering wheel.

As they drove off, John silently observed her through his peripheral vision. She was sitting there quietly, a content smile on her face. "You excited?" John asked casually.

Addison immediately turned to face him, a bright smile on her face. "Yup! I have been waiting for this day since forever."

John smiled at her answer. "Me too, baby." He reached over to playfully run his hand over her scalp. "So what do you want to do when we get home?"

Home.. That word alone made Addison feel warm. "I don't know. What do you wanna do?" She turned towards John curiously.

"I'll be fine as long as I'm with you," John answered with a dimpled smile.

Addison pursed her lips in an attempt not to smile. John was so cute sometimes. "What if I just wanted to stay in bed all day?"

"Then I would be right there with you," John replied naturally.

"Wouldn't you get bored?"

At this, John turned his head and raised an eyebrow at her. "Was there ever a time that I have ever been bored with you?" He had to ask.

"I guess not," Addison giggled softly.

"You're silly," he said, reaching over to run his hand over her scalp again and making her laugh louder. They continued to play and bicker all the way home.

As soon as John pulled up to the curb just outside of Addison's house, he quickly got out of his jeep and made it to the passenger's side before Addison could open the door herself. Pulling the door open, he extended his hand towards her, grinning playfully. "M'lady.."

Addison allowed John to help her down. "Thank you, sir," she replied back with her own sly smile.

John turned to escort her into her house, but stopped short when he noticed a familiar car pull up behind his jeep. He instinctively pulled Addison closer to him as he watched his friends exit from the car. "Hey guys," he greeted warily.

"Hey man," his friends nodded towards him.

"What are you guys doing here?" He hadn't expected to see Rob and Chris; especially not after the way he blew up at them the day before.

"We miss you, dude. Wanted to see if you could hang out?" Rob spoke and Chris nodded.

"That's sweet of them, Johnny," Addison looked up at her boyfriend and finally spoke. She squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Rob and Chris finally acknowledged her with awkward smiles. "Chris, Rob, this is Addison," John introduced. "My girlfriend."

Addison immediately walked up to them, extending her hand to give them handshakes. "Nice to finally meet you both," she said with a genuine smile on her face. "John talks about you two a lot, so it's nice put a face to your names."

"Nice to meet you too, Addison," the two boys greeted.

"We just got back from the hospital. Addison has cancer," John said, sensing the questions that his friends held in their eyes.

"Hence the baldness," Addison added with a laugh, as she reached up to rub both her and John's naked scalps.

Rob and Chris laughed awkwardly, clearly not used to Addison's personality. "Is everything okay?" Chris asked carefully.

"I'm fine," Addison reassured. "We're just going to hang out at my house. You guys are more than welcome to join us."

"Yeah," John added, before his friends could decline. "Join us. It'll be fun." It was nice to be with his friends again, and from that day on, Rob and Chris had grown fond of Addison too.

…..

6 months later…..

"Johnny?"

John looked up from the textbook that he was concentrating so hard on to see Addison laying on his bed, reading her own textbook. Her body had responded well to her chemotherapy treatments, and she had just gone into remission. "Hm?"

"It's already February. Have you thought of where you're going for college?" Addison asked seriously. John shrugged indifferently. He was already struggling to get through high school and football, why should he even think about college right now? "The semester is going to end before you know it, John. You should choose a college before then," she said, as if reading his mind.

"I'll just go wherever you go," John answered plainly.

Addison frowned. Her medical bills didn't leave much for her college funds, so she had decided to start at the nearby junior college before heading into a university. "But there's no football team where I'm going. You love football, Johnny. You should go to a college with a good team."

"I do love football," he admitted. And he was good at it too. Recruiters had been scouting him since the beginning of senior year. "But I love you more."

Addison gave a sad smile. "I love you too, but that doesn't mean you have to go to the same school as me. You should go somewhere far; see the world; experience something out of the New."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" John asked, a hurt expression on his face. He didn't like the direction the conversation had headed towards.

"Not at all, Johnny!" Addison pouted. She lifted herself off the bed and made her way over to John. Settling into his lap, she nuzzled his neck. "You already do so much for me. I don't want you to think that you have to stay here to take care of me; I'm doing much better now."

"I know, Addy." John wrapped his arms around her to secure her to him.

"You need to be playing college ball somewhere far away. You need to show the world who John Cena is. They'll love you," Addison said confidently. "Then after college," she shrugged, "you could be an NFL player or something."

John snorted. "Yeah right."

"You're the only person I know who works as hard as you do," Addison continued. "You could do anything you want. I believe in you, Johnny." She pulled back to stare at John directly. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Honestly?" John glanced at Addison warily, and the latter simply nodded her head, encouraging him to continue. "I think it would be cool if I became a professional wrestler or something."

"Then do it!" Addison urged. "That would be so cool! You'd get to travel the world, earn lots of money, and meet lots of cool people."

John couldn't help but laugh at Addison's enthusiasm. "Okay, I will."

"Promise me, Johnny," Addison suddenly said, cupping his face in her hands. "Promise you'll do as you say. You'll go and play college football and become a wrestler."

John grabbed Addison's hands and intertwined them with his own. "I promise, Addy." He kissed both her hands as if to seal his pledge.

Addison leaned forward to give him a soft kiss on the lips. "Good."

If someone said three years from now

You'd be long gone

I'd stand up and punch them out

Cause they're all wrong

To John's pleasant surprise, he had adjusted to college quite well. He had ultimately decided to attend a university on the west coast to play college football, and he was loving it. He was keeping his grades up in his classes, he made new friends, and he was even helping his football team win games. John was on a roll. Although he was far away from home, his nightly phone calls to Addison helped him ease his worries. Before he knew it, the end of the semester had finally come, and he was ready to go home.

"My flight's tonight," John balanced the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he tried to finish packing. Winter break would only be a few weeks. "So I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yay, I can't wait," Addison cheered weakly over the phone. John frowned.

"You okay, baby?" He asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine," Addison reassured, but it still did not ease John's concern. "Just a little cold." The New had received heavy snowfall after all.

"You know I'd be keeping you warm if I was there," John said.

"I know," he heard Addison say. "You can keep me warm tomorrow," she teased, and John laughed softly.

"Hey, I gotta finish packing. Flight's in a few hours," he begrudgingly said.

"Okay, have a safe flight," Addison replied. "See you tomorrow."

As they hung up, John still could not kick the worried feeling from the back of his mind. If Addison said she was fine, then she was fine, right? Maybe he just really missed her, and he would feel better as soon as he got home.

…..

It felt like John had been stuck in an airplane for half the day. Regardless, he still made it back to the New on time. "I'll be back for dinner!" John raced out of the car as soon as his dad put it in park. Before his parents could protest, John had already made it to Addison's front door.

"John, it's good to see you! How's school?" The Lewises greeted him with hugs.

"It's great," John beamed. "Where's Addison?" He had expected her to be the first one to greet him, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"She's upstairs, sweetie," Katherine Lewis said with a soft smile. "She's been waiting for you all day."

With a quick nod, John sped up the stairs. He reached Addison's door, and without a moment's hesitation, he opened it, a big grin on his face.

"Hey, Johnny!" Addison greeted from where she lay. "Welcome home."

The grin on his face slowly disappeared as John took in the scene before him. Addison's bed had been replaced with a bulky hospital bed, and she sat in the middle of that bed, her pillows propping her upright. Although Addison's hair had started to grow back, her skin had turned a sickly gray color, and her physique had wilted. John frowned as he made his way towards her, sitting at the chair right next to her bed. He stayed silent as he continued to observe. The frown deepened when he noticed the IV connected to her arm. "What's this for?"

"Nutrients," Addison simply answered. "I guess my food intake isn't sufficient."

"Are you eating enough?" John asked worriedly. She had lost so much weight from the last time he saw her.

Addison shook her head. "It's hard to sometimes. My body is telling me that I'm hungry, but then I don't really have an appetite. I just can't bring myself to eat. I don't know how to explain it," she shrugged.

"What's happening to you?" Addison's condition hadn't been this bad even when she was in the hospital. John dreaded hearing her answer, but he had to know.

"It came back." She spoke softly. She gazed at John to see his reaction.

"What?" John hissed in disbelief. "Why? How? But you were in remission.. When did this happen?"

"Just after you left for college," Addison replied, knowing her answer would upset John. And it did.

"Why didn't you tell me?" John demanded, a permanent frown on his face.

"Because you needed to focus on school, John," Addison explained. "I didn't want you to worry over me."

John shook his head, trying to clear his mind from the words she just said. "I knew it.. I knew I should have stayed. I shouldn't have left."

"John, it didn't come back because you left," Addison tried to comfort. "Some remissions aren't permanent. It just happens that way."

"What about chemotherapy? It worked the last time. Maybe it will work again," John suggested desperately, but Addison only shook her head.

"It won't work," she replied. "My body is too weak for it now. It'd probably kill me before the cancer does," she tried to joke, but it fell on deaf ears.

"So what now?" John reached for her hand and held it in both of his. He waited for an answer.

"Now we just wait," Addison shrugged. She had already accepted her fate a long time ago.

"No," John shook his head again. He wouldn't accept that answer. He didn't want to give up. He ducked his head towards the hand that he still held and started to silently cry.

"Johnny…" She reached her other hand out and ran it over his scalp. She pouted, resisting the urge to cry herself, but her own tears had started to fall anyway. "Baby, please don't cry," she pleaded. It was heartbreaking to see her boyfriend this way. She leaned over to wrap him in a hug. "Look, I'm still here, okay?" She tried to counsel him. "Let's just make the best of it… I'm still here.."

…..

To John's relief, Addison seemed to be getting stronger. By the time Christmas came, she was able to climb out of bed and head down the stairs on her own. The living room was crowded with presents and people—the Cenas had decided to spend Christmas morning with them.

They spent most of the morning eating breakfast and exchanging presents. Addison handed John a small box. "Merry Christmas, Johnny!" She gave him a light hug.

"What is it?" He asked, shaking the box. Whatever was in it made a clinking noise. John wasted no time in opening the box as everyone watched him. He pulled out a chain with two dog tags dangling from it.

"Do you like it?" Addison asked eagerly. John slipped the chain over his head and examined the tags in his hand. One tag listed the names of his family. The other tag listed just one name: Addison. "It's so you'll always have us with you even though you're far away. Whether you're playing football or wrestling on national TV, we'll always be with you," Addison explained.

John turned to her and smiled lovingly. "I love you," he said, and he leaned forward to kiss her. As they pulled away, John smirked. "My turn," he said, and he handed Addison a medium sized box.

"Ooh, what's in here?" She asked, shaking the box. It made a muffled noise. "Clothes?" She guessed, but John didn't say anything. Addison ripped the wrapping off the box and pulled the top off. It was a blue and yellow football jersey with the number 54 printed on it and 'CENA' printed right above it.

"It's the jersey I wore when we won our first game," John explained. "I want you to have it to remind you of the promise I made to you."

"Thank you, Johnny," she said sincerely, and John opened his arms to wrap her in a hug. It was one of the best Christmases either had ever had.

That last kiss I'll cherish

Until we meet again

And time makes it harder

I wish I could remember

But I keep your memory

You visit me in my sleep

My darling, who knew

John spent every day of his winter break with Addison, and before long, his vacation was coming to an end. He would be leaving the next day but not without spending one last night with Addison. The bed was made to fit just one person, but John still managed to squeeze himself in. He sighed in content, spooning his body against Addison's. He could feel her shiver against him, and he immediately secured the blanket over her. "Better?"

Addison nodded. "Better," she confirmed, snuggling against him.

"Good night, Addy," John whispered, placing a kiss on the back of her neck.

Addison sighed happily. "Good night, Johnny."

While Addison rested comfortably against him, John just couldn't seem to fall asleep. There were too many things going through his mind. He was mostly afraid of what would inevitably come. He knew Addison was dying, but what would happen when that day finally came? He couldn't bear to think about it. He couldn't imagine living without her; Addison had become such a huge part of his life.

John closed his eyes in an attempt to will himself to sleep. It was quiet—a little too quiet. He cracked an eye open and stared at Addison's sleeping form. "Addy…" He spoke softly, but there was no response. "Addy," he said more forcefully. Still no response. John started to panic. He couldn't even tell if she was breathing or not. He reached an arm out to shake her shoulder. "Addy..! Addison!"

"Hm?" Addison woke up and turned to face him, a tired pout on her face. "What's wrong, Johnny?"

John breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her into him. "Nothing," he said as Addison snuggled into his chest. He waited for the panic to ease and his heart to calm down. "Just…Don't leave me yet, okay?" He whispered.

"I'll never leave you Johnny," Addison yawned sleepily, holding onto him tighter. "I'll always be with you."

"Good…" John pulled away slightly to gaze down at her face completely. He leaned forward to kiss her, and Addison smiled as their lips touched. "I love you, Addison," he murmured and kissed her again, this time more passionately. Addison reciprocated, putting as much effort as she could into that kiss. When they finally pulled away, she was breathless.

"I love you too, John," she sighed in content, resting her head on the pillow. She reached her hand out to stroke his face softly.

John closed his eyes as Addison's touch slowly lulled him to sleep.

…..

"How are you feeling?" It was only one week into the spring semester, but John was already missing his girlfriend. He winced when he heard her cough loudly over the phone. "Are you okay?" He asked once there was silence on the other line.

"I'm fine, Johnny. Don't worry about me," Addison assured. "How's school?" She asked in return, diverting the subject from herself.

"It's manageable," John sighed. "For now at least." He smiled when Addison giggled weakly.

"You have to do good in school, okay?" Addison started. "No matter what happens, just stick with it. I know you can do it."

"I know, baby, don't worry," John reassured. "You believe in me, so I won't give up."

"Thanks, Johnny," Addison said, and John could only imagine the smile on her face. "Thank you for everything. I'm so lucky to have you in my life. But you don't have to worry about me anymore, okay?"

By the serious tone in Addison's voice, John knew what she was trying to do. "Okay…" Was all he could say. He couldn't trust his voice to say anything more.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Johnny, but I'm going to be okay now," Addison said again, and John understood her underlying meaning.

"Okay," his voice cracked, and he raised a hand to wipe the tears away. "I love you, Addison," he managed to say before sobbing into the phone.

"I love you, John," Addison replied, stifling her own cries.

The two remained on the phone, both silently crying. They didn't want to hang up, knowing that it would be the last time they would hear each other's voices. "I don't wanna say goodbye," John finally admitted.

"We don't have to say goodbye," Addison comforted. "Because I'll always be with you. I promise."

"Good," John said. "Don't leave me.."

"Never," Addison whispered. "So… I'll see you later, Johnny," Addison finally said. The dreaded time had come to hang up.

"Yeah," John said. "See you later, Addy," he said casually, although he knew there wouldn't be a 'later'. He waited for the line to hang up before covering his face with his hands and crying freely.

…..

That night, Addison made sure to tell her parents and her grandmother that she loved them very much. She smiled happily as they tucked her in, and when they left her room, she settled comfortably into her pillows. She was truly happy with her life. She had a loving family, great friends, and a caring boyfriend. What more could she have asked for? As she thought of her loved ones, it gave her peace. She would sleep easy tonight; and for the very last time, Addison Lewis closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

…..

A few months later…

John had miraculously survived his first year of college. As much as he loved the west coast, he found himself flying back to the New.

"Hey," he spoke as he settled himself onto the ground. He idly played with the grass near his feet. "I'm back," he said, as if expecting a response. He simply stared at the cement tablet that he sat next to. It clearly read 'ADDISON LEWIS'. "So I finished my first year in college. It wasn't so bad after all," he shrugged.

"You know," he started, more seriously now. "I used to wonder why you decided to leave when you did. Why did you wait for me to go back to school? But I understand now. You knew that if you left while I was still at home, I wouldn't have gone back to school. I wouldn't let myself leave the New." He allowed himself to smile then. "I guess you knew me better than I thought. Thank you for that." He stood up and gazed back down on Addison's grave. "I miss you, you know. You're still with me, right?" He asked. He waited a few moments, and a soothing summer breeze brushed past his face as an answer. John smiled. "Good."

My darling

My darling

Who knew

My darling

I miss you

My darling

Who knew

John Cena kissed his dog tags before removing them from his neck and placing them in the nearby hands of the stagehand. "Please take care of these," he said before making his way to the stage. The crowd cheered as soon as they spotted him, and John paused to take in that moment.

After training for a few years, John Cena had finally made it to the WWE. Addison was right: he could do anything he set his mind to. And thanks to her advice, he was able to push through and make it to the big leagues. Tonight, he would be making his debut on RAW. He was ready to show the world who John Cena was.

He looked up and pointed a finger towards the sky in gratitude. He knew she was watching him. Without a moment's hesitation, John bolted towards the ring, and the crowd roared along with him. "This one's for you, Addison."

Who knew…

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