And now, the end is here...
My final rec of the month -- and the rec I've been waiting all month to post. This is the story that prompted me to propose reccing WWE fanfic on the Crack Van.
I hope you've enjoyed the ride; I know I have. :)

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/Randy Orton
Length: long (11 chapters + an epilogue)
Author on LJ: coisceim
Author Website: This is the LJ where she posts her WWE stories.
Why this must be read: because this is, hands down, the best amnesia!fic I have ever read. In any fandom. Period.

WWE Superstars are constantly getting hurt; not just the occasional cut or bruise, but serious injuries. The WWE often has more than a handful of wrestlers unable to compete due to injury, and it isn't unusual for a Superstar to be 'out' for months because of surgeries and rehab.
For obvious reasons, head injuries are particularly problematic -- and it is a head injury that coisceim explores in her heart-wrenching, laugh-inducing, scream-at-the-screen amazing story.
I literally couldn't stop reading this (if I'm remembering right, I stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish it), and had to wipe away tears more than a few times. This story is told from Randy's point-of-view, and it is his emotions coisceim drops, bomb-like, on her readers, just as Randy experiences them.
Well plotted, well researched, and extremely well written, with an excellent supporting cast, this is a story you're going to want to read, even if you have no interest in the WWE at all. I promise you won't regret it.

In Memory of Me
And In Memory of Me's prequel, the Deny 'Verse, in which Randy falls in love with his best friend in five (not so) easy steps.

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/Randy Orton
Length: 1, 011 words
Author on LJ: lady_tavington
Author Website: Marciana's fic journal is marcianafics
Why this must be read: because real men cry at TV shows too, dammit.

So, last August, Cena showed up to present at the Teen Choice Awards wearing a tracksuit.
The following day, on Cena's Twitter...
Nimesh Sagar ‏(@NimeshMSagar): Saw you and Miz at the Teen Choice Awards; out of curiosity, are you a Glee fan?
John Cena (‏@JohnCena): yes. Love j. Lynch that was inspiration behind track suit. Wanted to wear blonde wig...they said no

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen... John Cena's a Gleek.
How could you not love a story about that?

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/Randy Orton
Length: 9,516 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: AuntJackie on FF.net
Why this must be read: because being the nicest guy on the WWE's roster can't always be a good thing.

For the past few months, the WWE has been pushing Zack Ryder, who, up until recently, appeared on television mostly as a low-card jobber. Ryder's push was helped along by Cena, who even went as far as giving up a shot at the WWE Championship so Ryder could have a chance at the US title -- all because Ryder is his friend.
This character-based story (meaning it keeps kayfabe) explores a potential downside of Cena's predilection for always seeing the good in people -- he never considers that others might have ulterior motives.

AuntJackie does an excellent job of keeping Cena in character (his in-ring persona is particularly tough to get right), and her twist on Ryder's goofy character is fantastic. The story clips along nicely, too, with just the right balance of drama and porn.

Friendship Betrayed

Aargh! I only have a week left! And so many more awesome fics to rec! *glares at the calendar* Just where has this month gone?

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/Randy Orton
Length: 3,601 words
Author on LJ: imyourheaven
Author Website: Ria's fic LJ is lilypad_fiction
Why this must be read: because this fic is brain-meltingly, heart-stoppingly, I need a cold shower Right. NOW. hot.

Oh. My. God.
If you're in need of porn in your life (and who isn't?), I would run, not walk, over to Ria's LJ, and enjoy the awesomeness that is "I'm Sexy and I Know It", dominant Randy and "I Can't Stop Staring", submissive John.
Ria's writing has a haunting, lyrical quality that makes her scenario seem almost dream-like; it's easy to get sucked right into Randy's kitchen, and become mesmerized, along with John, by Randy's hands.
I promise you won't regret it.

Pistol

In honor of Mr. John Laurinaitis getting (kayfabe) fired -- we hope! -- on RAW this evening, here's a fic about Management behaving badly.

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/Randy Orton; past Randy Orton/Triple H
Length: 22,549 words
Author on LJ: unknown Author Website: Ada15 on FF.net
Why this must be read: because it's, according to the author, "a different take on Randy Orton's face turn".

One thing you need to know about Randy Orton: in my Fandom Overview, I described Randy Orton as an "arrogant, sadistic loner who takes great pleasure in RKO-ing his opponents' heads off".
Randy Orton as a face, ladies and gentlemen!
This improved Randy is a relatively new development; prior to the spring of 2010, Randy was an evil, manipulative, ends-justify-the-means, egomaniacal tyrant. Even Cena (the nicest guy on the WWE's roster) called him an a$$hole.
So, then, the question becomes -- what causes a guy like that to change his spots virtually overnight?

( click for more reasons why )

In My Place

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/Randy Orton
Length: 1,424 words
Author on LJ: ohh_honeybee
Author Website: ohh_honeybee's fanfic Master List
Why this must be read: because this one just hurts.
While I generally prefer my fics more lighthearted (there's enough angst in everyday life!), this story just grabbed me and would not let go.

( more under here )

Nuclear
And the two (slightly happier) sequels:
Redemption
Genesis

So, while perusing the list of fics I compiled to rec this month, I suddenly realized I'd unconsciously created a theme: John Cena is Human, After All!
In honor of this discovery, I bring you a fic about one of Cena's very public human moments.

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/OC
Length: 49,679 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: shannygoat on ff.net
Why this must be read: because on October 11, 2006, John Cena paid a visit to The Howard Stern Show. The following is an excerpt of their conversation.

Howard Stern: Would you ever do a fat chick?
John Cena: Absolutely. Believe it or not, there was an instance not too long ago, where I hit the 280 mark.
Several minutes later...
Stern: Did you have to lift up the flaps of skin to get to the vagina?
Cena: You gotta know your way around.
Females worldwide: *headdesk*

( More reasons under here! )

Body Image
The sequel, View Askew, is also worth a gander, though it seems to have been abandoned 14 chapters in.

Wow. I can't believe it's been an entire week since I posted my last rec; time has definitely gotten away from me! So, in order to make amends for falling down on the job, I offer a whole slew of quality fanfic this week. ^_~

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/Evan Bourne
Length: 17,990 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: fms-fangirl on ff.net
Why this must be read: because fms-fangirl has taken an old fanfic cliche and woven a fresh tale that features a "heroine" (Bourne) that doesn't need rescuing, thank you very much, and a slightly tarnished hero (Cena) with a kinky side.

The summer of 2010 saw the rise of the Nexus, a stable of WWE rookies who wanted it all, and wanted it right now. The quickest way to do that, apparently, was to go through (literally, in some cases) every other Superstar on the roster.
That fall, Evan Bourne had to take a few months off for shoulder surgery. This story is one explanation why.

( ... more details under here! )

With My Last Breath

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/CM Punk
Length: 68,830 words; 251k including the two sequels, and there's a third in the works!
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: slaygirl190 on FF.net
Why this must be read: because it's a fun-filled, drama-filled, slashy take on the events that occurred during the summer of 2011.

The Summer of Punk officially began on June 27, 2011, after CM Punk put John Cena through a table, grabbed a microphone, and cut a promo that blew the roof off the WWE.
“John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me... I don’t hate you, John. I don’t even dislike you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back. I hate… this idea… that you’re the best… because you’re not. I’m the best. I’m the best in the world.”

Another thing you need to know about CM Punk -- this promo was his face turn. Prior to the summer of 2011, Punk was the top heel in the WWE, and was very, very good at being very, very bad. Cena and Punk spent the better part of a year beating the sh!t out of each other.
No wonder CM Punk's opening salvo sounds more like a love letter than a character assassination.

( This way for CM Punk's epic promo, and the rest of the review... )


The Summer of Punk
And its two sequels:
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
A Hazy Shade of Winter

Fandom: WWE
Pairing: John Cena/CM Punk
Length: 3,502 words
Author on LJ: amethystrocks
Author Website: Dulcinea on AO3
Why this must be read: Because it's a short, snappy, sexy fic with spot-on characterizations and an ending that makes you go "d'aww!"

Two things you need to know about CM Punk: One -- he's Straight Edge. That means he doesn't drink, smoke, do drugs or promiscuous sex. (He's Straight Edge in 'real life', too... an example of the blurry, blurry lines between fantasy and reality in the WWE.) Two -- he never sleeps. Like, ever.
Two things you need to know about John Cena: One -- he's been having a rough couple of months. (Don't even get me started on this year's Wrestlemania.) Two -- he's a nice guy, but that doesn't mean he can't think outside the box.

( The rest of the review's under here... )

One Night Only