The energy at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts was unreal. It was a Sunday night and the WWE was in town for the classic Royal Rumble pay per view, one of the most anticipated events of the year. The card consisted of the normal few championship matches but the real highlight of the evening would be the eagerly anticipated battle royal where 30 Superstars would enter the ring, one every 90 seconds, elimination coming only in the form of being thrown over the top rope and both feet hitting the floor. It was anybody's game, every man for himself, and in the end only one Superstar would stand victorious.

"You okay?"

John turned and saw his wife looking at him with concern. He'd had a lot on his mind. The nervous energy had consumed him and he had spent the majority of the night holed up alone in his locker room. But it was a metamorphisis he could neither explain nor comprehend when he changed into that tee shirt, sneakers, hat and jean shorts. He could hear the crowd and it did something to him.

"Hey babe," he leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips.

"How do you feel?"

John shrugged.

"Like I might puke my guts out at any given minute but other than that, I think I'm okay."

"Well that's good to know…I think," she smiled. "At least you look good. Purple and yellow suits you."

"Thanks. You headed to your seat?"

"Yeah. Your dad is saving it for us. He's pretty excited. Everybody is."

"What about you?" he asked.

"Absolutely thrilled. I know this is what you want. This is your destiny, John. This is what completes you. I accept that and I respect it."

"Thank you," he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Ava balanced the baby on her hip. "Besides, this little guy gets to see his daddy wrestle for the first time tonight. What do you think about that, Tristan?"

The parents looked down at their ten month old son who was happily chewing on his little fist. John briefly took his son and sighed proudly as a wise pair of blue eyes stared into an innocent pair set of grey ones.

"I love you, Little Man. Tonight is for you," he kissed the baby's cheek.

He returned the baby and hugged his wife, seeing her out to the security personnel who escorted her to her ringside seat. The show had already started and the surprise return had been carefully guarded so television cameras had been careful not to show any footage of the Cena family or when Ava and Tristan had taken their seats. The excitement grew as the Rumble began. Backstage near the Gorilla, John Cena stretched out his muscular arms and legs. Tonight was the night. The prodigal son, the fan favorite would make his shocking but nevertheless eagerly anticipated return to the place where he had made his home.

John had missed it. Wrestling had always been a huge part of his life and it had been devastating when it all had been taken away. He had a lot to reflect on. So much had happened in his young life, especially the last few years. John Cena's rise to the top in the WWE had been nothing short of a fairytale. For years he had been the face of the company, the franchise itself. He was the king of his world, living the life of fame and fortune doing what he loved four or five times a week. In that time, he had lost who he thought was the love of his life and then met the woman who turned out to be his soul mate.

John had lived, learned, done good deeds, and made his fair share of mistakes. He had gotten married and learned that he was going to be a father. When he was on top of the world, something ugly and unthinkable had been there to pull him down to a dangerous rock bottom. In the blink of an eye he had lost nearly everything and stood a man on his own, dejected and broken, falsely accused of the worst imaginable crime. He had been humilated and crucified, arrested and vilified. He had nearly lost his marriage and he had lost a part of himself. He had lost his career as well but when the going got touch, he had held true to the motto that his larger than life WWE character had made famous. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect. His will to fight, to not give up or give in, his desire for the truth and to get everthing back that he had lost had been the force that had driven him.

When all was said and done and the smoke had cleared, John Cena had stood victorious and vindicated. He had been hurt, his heart and soul shaken to the very core but that wasn't what had affected him the most. The worst part of it all was what had happened to his wife and child. Ava and Tristan were everything to him. They were the air he breathed, the very reason he got out of bed every morning. When they hurt, he hurt. The unneccesary pain and stress that Ava had been put through had killed a little part of him. And coming so close to losing Tristan forever had been unbearable. The thoughts still haunted him but every time he looked into their eyes, every single time he saw their smiles, he could only thank the good Lord above that he had his family back and that they all were going to be okay. Life had almost been perfect but something was missing. And now he had his chance to get it all back.

The future looked bright and John looked forward to it. He was realizing a dream come true by returning to the WWE. And more importantly he had done it on his terms. He was making more money and the schedule and travel had been reduced significantly. He would still be an integral part of the RAW brand but have enough time off to be the dedicated husband and father that he loved being. Ava and Tristan would be able to travel with him often as well although her time as a stay home mom kept her busy. She had received mutliple offers to work at some of the best interior designing firms in all of Florida but she had declined. Her place was at home with her son and besides, she and her husband had been flirting with the idea of having another baby. The spare time she did have, she accepted an offer with a top Atlanta based design firm that specialized in Southern décor as a consultant. She traveled once a month to Geogria for work but most of her job was completed at home via her Blackberry and laptop. Life had never been so normal or so happy.

The men chosen to wrestle in the Rumble had been an impressive list of Who's Who of the WWE elite. Chris Masters had drawn number, one. Husky Harris, number two. Dolph Ziggler had entered at number three followed by JTG with the fourth entry. Sheamus was five, Drew McIntrye was six. Cody Rhodes was sevn, R Truth was eight, with Vladimir Kozlov at number nine. Lord William Regal was the tenth entry as Ezkeiel Jackson debuted at number 11 and Captain Charisma himself, Christian, was the 12 spot. CM Punk was 13, Ted DiBiase, 14, and Justin Gabriel 15. Kofi Kingston entered at 16, Jack Swagger at 17 and Evan Bourne at 18. Wade Barrett came in at 19 followed by Heath Slater at 20. The Miz was 21, John Morrison, 22 and Triple H 23. Mark Henry was 24 and Rey Mysterio was 25. The colossal Kane and Big Show entered at 26 and 27 respectively. Alberto Del Rio was 28. The matchups were intense and exciting and the fans were way into it. After nearly two hours, it had come down to The Miz, CM Punk, and Triple H. As the fans began the countdown, to the 29th entry, the TD Garden arena exploded as the Voices theme song played and an ice hearted Randy Orton sauntered his way down the ramp. For nearly 90 whole seconds the four men battled it out. The crowd had gotten so into what was going on in the ring that they had almost forgotten that there was one more Royal Rumble participant left.

Ava's heart pounded as she held her son close and exchanged a nervous and excited glance with her father in law. The seconds were counting down and there was a dramatic pause after the fans had counted down to one. Then it happened. The beat sounded off and every single person in attendance stood to their feet. There was a moment of disbelief as My Time Is Now played but the minute the purple and yellow was visible, the sold out crowd erupted. The reaction was explosive and the minute John heard the pop, he could barely contain his grin. He ran out to the block but there was little time to bask in the glory of his triumphant return. Instead he took off on a dead sprint to the ring, sliding in. CM Punk waa gunning for him but John stopped his momentum on the spot and easily tossed him over the top rope like a ragdoll. The Miz would be the next to fall, leaving only three remaining competitors. It was the ending that WWE matches were made of. For five solid minutes, in a Triple Threat like atmosphere, three of the greatest WWE Superstars who had ever graced a ring, fought back and forth. In an inadvertent surprise, a double clothesline from Cena and Orton took HHH right off his feet and onto the floor.

For a few intense seconds, the arena fell eerily silent before the fans again stood to their feet and loudly cheered. John Cena and Randy Orton were standing face to face. They locked up and wrestled for eight minutes, putting on a valiant effort for those who watched in Boston and at home. With Cena struggling, it was the perfect opportunity for Randy Orton to go for his signature finisher, the RKO. If he hit it, it would be over and the support of the CeNation willed their returning hero to make it to his feet and counter. Summoning all his strength, John Cena lifted his formidable six foot four inch 245 pound in ring adversary into his signature Attitude Ajdustment. One of WWE's most popular pay per views ended with John Cena winning the Royal Rumble in his hometown of Boston.

The fans went crazy and John couldn't help but feed off their neverending energy. He celebrated in the ring and was soon joined by various members of the Cena family. His father and stepmother and mother and brothers and their wives climbed inside the ring along with the high school and college friends who had always had his back. Even Christina Carter, fresh out of the uptight business suits and happily in jeans and a John Cena tee shirt joined the fun. The men hoisted John on their shoulders as he soaked in the moment and just enjoyed his time back with the WWE Universe. Then in the ultmate showing of respect, every single wrestler in the back, made their way down the ramp and in the ring where Cena was greeted with hand shakes and hugs. Randy Orton walked up to him and the two men slapped hands before hugging, much to the audience's delight. Then Randy walked over to the steps of the ring where Ava was waiting. He took baby Tristan from her arms so he could hold the ropes for her then gave him back. A teary eyed Ava walked up to her husband and was swallowed in his embrace. As John held his wife and son, it was one of the most emotional moments of his entire life. The whole world was watching but in that instance it was just the three of them. The night culminated as Vince McMahon, the WWE Chairman himself made a surprise entracnce to the ring. He stepped between the ropes and walked up to his star. He gave Ava a kiss on the cheek before grinning proudly at John then raising his arm high in the air. It was a sign of a new era but for John Cena it was still a homecoming. He had his family, his livelihood, his fans, and his life back. He had survived what would have destroyed most and vindication had never felt so good.

The End!

Author's Note: I cannot believe that this story has finally come to an end. It was an amazing journey and if you're reading this, thanks for riding along with me on this fictional rollercoaster. I thank John Cena for being an incredible wrestler and an even more amazing muse. Thanks to all those who read whether you lurked or reviewed, each hit is much appreciated. I thank all my reviewers but special shout outs to Kimmie and Jody, Haley and Tiff my Tweet fam. Thanks to Christina for your abusive reveiws and even more abusive texts and phone calls but I love you to death and you made a great lawyer in this story, lol! To Jenn who faithfully reviews any and everything I write, and who I secretly don't post the next set of updates until I see her reviews, lol, thanks girl! And finally to Tabs who has been not only a great reader and reviewer but an inspriation as a talented writer and also a pretty good friend. Thanks a bunch again, everyone. It was a great ride! As always, join me on Twitter and stay tuned for more fics.

Mal