Title: Ride Of Your Life
Author: Adrian Jade
Summary: One day you wake up and realize that everything you thought mattered to you doesn't. John Cena has a girlfriend who he thinks he loves and a best friend who he knows he will always love. What happens when on a random pit stop to a Walmart they find something that could change all of their lives. John needs to choose where his heart belongs.
Disclaimer: I own all the people that you don't recognize. Everyone else own themselves and their characters belong to the WWE.
The next morning Ashley was sitting cross-legged in a booth across from John. It was about 8:30 and Ashley and John had been up since 6 but that was normal for them. They wake up spend about an hour to an hour and a half in the gym, then breakfast and then check out and back on the road. Randy and Kelly would be up sometime before check out usually about noon.
"I don't see why you need to work out Ash you are perfect the way you are and it's not like a script writer is seen on television" John remarked.
"How about this script writer stabs you in the eye with her fork ... or better yet hmm ... John Cena being the 6th member of the Spirit Squad that could be interesting" she said smiling smugly at him.
John shuddered at the thought "You are a manipulative bitch" he said in a good natured way.
"And to think I was a good little collage student who never did anything wrong till I met you in California working at Gold's Gym" she said.
"Oh you loved being corrupted" there was a double meaning to his words. Ashley knew he was referring to the fact that she was a virgin till she met him.
"You are an ass" she replied.
"Oh what was that I have a sexy ass yeah you've said that many times before"
"Your ego is smothering me"
"So what's on the agenda for today Tripmaster?" John asked taking a bite of his omelet.
"Well I thought we'd stop by and check on the baby and then go from there" she said gaining excitement "I wanna go see him"
"Ash we have to leave" John tried to reason with her.
"Please John" Ashley begged.
"Fine lets hurry up and do this" John said standing up and placing some money on the table.
"So do you think # 56387654 will like the stuff we got him?" John asked as they walked into the hospital.
"First of all don't call him that ... that is not a name it's a serial number"
"But it is his name Ash" John said in a calm tone "we can't can't call his anything different"
He ran his hand through his hair trying to think of a way to get through to his hard headed best friend. His frustration was running thin and it took all his self control not to snap at the one person who he knew always had his back no matter what. Ashley was the one person that wasn't related to him that he trusted completely.
"Ash I know you care about this baby I really do but we aren't his parents we are just two people who helped him survive"
"His name is Phinnigan" Ashley said.
"You actually gave him a name?" John asked amazed and a little creeped out.
"Phinnigan means fair" Ashley explained "this baby gets a fair chance at living why not have his name represent that, it was also my grandfather's name"
"But you named him ..."
"Just shut up while you are ahead" she said.
"I love you too"
The elevator bell dings and the doors opened. Ashley and John stepped out of the elevator. They saw the doctor from last night.
"Hello Dr. Burke" Ashley said brightly.
"You have 5 minutes because the people from The Chestnut Hill Orphanage are on the way" he said.
"You are giving him to an orphanage!" Ashley exclaimed outraged "why?"
"Because he is property of the state" Dr. Burke said.
"He's not a piece of land" Ashley fumed.
"Look do you want to see him or not because I'm doing you a favor by letting you see him"
"She'll be fine" John said clamping his hand over Ashley's mouth before she could say anything else.
"Ok then follow me" the doctor said "we moved him to the normal nursery this morning"
"That sounds promising" John said trying to improve Ashley's mood. His hand was still clamped over her mouth.
"Here we go" he said stopping at the door "just remember they will be here soon"
"Thank you" John pushed Ashley into the room.
"Which one is him?" John asked.
"He's the last one on the left" Ashley replied.
"How can you tell?" John asked.
"Well he is the only one who doesn't have a name tag on his bassinet thing" Ashley said giving him her famous 'you are an idiot' look.
"Hey Phinnigan" Ashley said in a baby voice.
John just rolled his eyes. Dr Burke was standing there watching them. Ashley picked up the baby and held him close.
"We bought you some things" she said to him.
Dr. Burke looked on with pity it would be such a touching sight if he didn't have to remember that the baby was abandoned.
"John show him what we got him" Ashley said.
It took John a few minutes to register what Ashley asked him to do. He removed the blanket and bear from the bag and held them out to Ashley.
"Now lets get rid of this nasty uncomfortable blanket and get you wrapped up in this nice soft blue one" she put him back in his bassinet and switched the blankets before picking him back up again.
"See that is so much better"
John smiled at Ashley, he liked seeing this maternal side of her, it seemed so natural. He came to stand next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist and gazed at the baby.
"I wonder why his mother just left him there" John said not understanding how anyone could do that to a child they carried for 9 months and then went through all kinds of pain to bring into the world just to leave them in a Walmart parking lot.
"He is so beautiful" Ashley said looking into his unusual pale green eyes.
"Ahem" Dr. Burke cleared his throat "they are here"
"No John we let him go to that place" Ashley said starting to get upset.
"Ash we can't do anything about it" John said removing his arm from around her waist.
"No John ... we can't"
An older looking nun walked into the nursery. She smiled at John and Ashley.
"The doctor has informed us that you are the people who saved his life you should feel really good with yourselves"
"John please" Ashley begged.
John just looked on helplessly as the nun removed the baby from Ashley's arms. The minute she did he began to cry, Ashley looked like she wanted to as well. John led Ashley from the nursery and back into the elevator. She said nothing to him and stared moodily at the ceiling.
"There was nothing wer could have done for him sweetie if there was something I would have done it in a heartbeat" he said trying to hug her but she wasn't in the mood for it and shoved him away.
"Maybe this orphanage won't be so bad" John said trying to make her feel better but it did just the opposite.
"Don't tell me about orphanages John I spent 3 weeks in a group home after my mother died and it was hell ... not enough food or beds and the people were cruel, they didn't like kids and the only reason they took them in was because they wanted the money" Ashley spat violently at him "so don't you dare tell me that this orphanage could be nice because there is no such thing"
"Why were you in a group home?" John asked.
"After my mom died Chris lost it and threw himself into his work so he put me in a group home because he felt it was to painful to even look at me but then he came back from whatever mental trip he decided to take and brought me back home but the damage was already done ... no child so have to know the horrors I had to go through those 3 weeks, hell Chris doen't even know everything" she said. "John I may never have children because of that place"
"Ash I'm sorry" John said trying once again to hug her. She let him this time.
"I had never once in the entire 14 years of living ever gotten hit before and it wasn't like a slap on the hand they were full blown punches and it was always somewhere people couldn't see ... I went to the doctor's about a month after it happened and they told me the chances of me ever having children of my own are slim to none"
"Why haven't you ever mentioned this before?" John asked still hugging her.
"It's not exactly dinner conversation ... oh by the way I can never get pregnant or carry children to term because of the damages about 300 punches a day did to my abdomen" she said.
"The doctors never said you couldn't have children they just said it would be hard to concieve a child and carry it to term but with all the medical things they have now I wouldn't be surprised if one day you were able to give birth to a baby of your own"
"Keep dreaming John I gave up on that thought a long time ago" she said pulling away from him.
"Ash this side of you is scaring me you never seem this lost"
"So, what John I can't have a bad day for once" she snapped "it isn't everyday that I have to relive the worst time of my life ... I swear if you tell anyone about this I will kill you myself"
"Why would you even think I would hurt you like that?" he asked offended "I thought we could trust each other"
"I'm sorry John I know you would never do that to me but you are the only person who knows about this not even my dad knows it would kill him, he already carries enough guilt around for leaving me in that awful place"
"It'll be ok Ash" John said.
The 5 minute elevator ride seemed to take forever for the friends. Ashley had gone back to staring moodily at the ceiling and John just needed time to process what Ashley had told him. The doors finally opened and John took Ashley's hand to show her that he was right here for her and wouldn't be going anywhere"
"I don't know what I would do without you" John remembered her saying the night before.
"I love you Ash" he said.
"Luv you too Johnny"
But she didn't understand what he was saying so he just dropped it for now. There would be a time he would have to tell her how he felt.