Chapter 1: Intro

Right now is one of the proudest times in my life. See, about 20 years ago Rebecca and I had twins. One boy named after me: Michael Shawn Hickenbottom Jr. and one girl named Crystal Marie Hickenbottom. Why am I so proud? Well it started about 6 years ago when Mike and Crystal came to us and told us that they want to follow in my footsteps. So on my days off and when they weren't busy with school I would train them. They were pretty easy to train, they're naturals, they're gonna do great things in this business. Add on to that, they sign their contracts soon.

While they were growing up I was surprised to find out that they hardly had any friends from school. The only real friends they had were guys and girls in the business. Not just from WWE but TNA too. Some of the people I trained ended up getting TNA contracts. Mike's best friends are Jeff Hardy, Ken Anderson (better known as Ken Kennedy) and Tracy Brookshaw (better known as Traci Brooks). Crystal's best friends are Allen Jones (better known as AJ Styles, which is what we all call him) John Cena and Beth Kocanski (better known as Beth Phoenix). One thing I'm glad I haven't had to worry about yet is relationships. Both of them have always been so dedicated to working on their careers that it's one of the last things on their minds.

"Hey dad" Mike said as he walked into the living room.

"Hey Mike, what's up?" I asked

"I need to talk to you"

"Alright" I said and patted the spot next to me on the couch.

"You know how I've always said that I don't care where it's at, I just want to wrestle?"

I don't know if I like the sound of this "Ya" I answered

"Well I got an offer from TNA and I want to go there instead. It's a company on the rise and I don't wanna get top spots just because you're my dad, I wanna earn them"

I'm not quite sure what to say. It's not like TNA is overtaking WWE so he's not going to the enemy. "Whatever makes you happy will make me happy. But this means that YOU have to tell your Uncle Vince why you're not gonna sign with him"

"Awww, do I have to?" he whined

"Yes, you have to. Why don't you go up to your room and call him before he starts making any plans for you" I suggested

"Alright" he said and left the room.

You wouldn't believe how many 'Aunts and Uncles' they have. I brought those kids with me all the time; a lot of these guys have seen them grow up. There's Vince and Linda, Paul and Stephanie, Shane and Marissa, Dave (Bautista), Ric (Flair), Mark (Calloway aka Undertaker), Glen (Jacobs aka Kane), Kevin (Nash), Steve (Austin), Dwayne (Johnson), Oscar (Gutierrez aka Rey Mysterio) and Eddie (Guerrero) and Chris (Benoit). Crystal was really close with Chris. She was so devastated. She literally didn't talk to anybody for weeks. She couldn't believe he could or would actually do that. After hearing everything and seeing the proof/ medical analysis stuff she realized that something in him just snapped, that mentally it wasn't really him. It sucks but what can you do?

"Daddy" Crystal plopped down next to me on the couch. I know that tone, she wants something.

"What do you want?" I asked

"Well I just got off the phone with Jeff and…"

I cut her off; I know where this is going. "No! Why do you want to anyways? What are the chances that Vince will ask you to do a ladder match?"

"Oh gee I don't know. Maybe cause me dad was in the first one" she replied in that sarcastic tone.

"That wasn't the first one" I said obviously

"OK. The first one in the company. (A/N: I DON'T KNOW IF IT REALLY WAS THE FIRST IN WWE BUT I KNOW IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST) Plus I want to, plus Uncle Vince will put me in more spots if he knows I can do it all and that's the last thing I have to learn. Please dad, if you won't then Jeff said he would as long as you're OK with it… Please" she begged. So I thought about it for a couple minutes as she sat there giving me those puppy dog eyes.

"I guess you're right. And I'm getting too old for stuff like that so you can go ahead and call Jeff back and tell him he can go ahead with the training"

"Thank you Daddy" she said as she gave me a hug.

"No problem princess, just be careful"

"I will" she smiled and grabbed her phone. "Hey Jeff, guess what… I said guess… No, apparently Mike don't know if he really likes her like that, guess again… No, I'm not gonna comment on that, he's my best friend… I didn't say that… Just stop. Do you give up? … Dad said you can train me cause he's getting too old for that stuff… ya" she laughed

"What did he say?" I asked

"Nothing Daddy" she smiled. So I grabbed the phone from her.

"Jeffrey Nero Hardy what did you say about me?" I asked him

"What are you talking about Pops?" he asked innocently

"Oh come on. Right after Crystal said that I was getting too old for that stuff you said something that made her laugh"

"Ohhh, that" he said, acting like he was totally oblivious.

"Ya that" I mocked

"I just said that you're right, next thing you know you'll be coming down to the ring in a wheelchair"

"Oh really? Mr. Extreme-ly insane"

"That hurt Shawn, really it did" he said in that fake hurt voice.

"Love ya too kid. Here's Crystal back" I said and gave her the phone. Jeff's a good kid.

"Dad, you're a goof" Crystal said then walked off.

Mike and Crystal have some great friends. Sure AJ, John and Beth are Crystal's best friends and Jeff, Ken and Tracy are Mike's best friends but they are ALL friends. The 8 of them are pretty much inseparable. Despite some of their characters, they are all great people. I guess I'm like a second father to the rest cause believe it or not; some of them call me Dad. But I don't mind, it makes me feel… I don't know… more important to them. I guess it shows that they actually value my opinions and they really do care for me.

"Shawn!" I heard Rebecca yell from the other room. That's how we decipher which Michael people are talking to, everybody just calls me Shawn.

"Yes honey"

"Phone's for you"

"Thanks" I said then answered the phone. "Hello"

"Do you know who I just got off the phone with?" I was dreading this.

"No Vince, I don't" I said, although I'm sure it was Mike.

"Your son. And you wanna know what he just told me?"

"What?"

"That he's gonna sign with TNA instead"

"OK"

"You don't see a problem with this?" he asked me like I was insane.

"No Vince, I don't. He's 20 years old; he can make his own decisions. I'm not gonna punish him for it. As long as he's happy then I'm happy, and you should be too" I told him. There were a couple minutes of silence as he thought about what I said.

"You're right Shawn"

"I know. You didn't yell at him or anything did you?" I asked

"No" he sighed "I just wished him the best"

"Good, cause that's all he wants from us, our support"

"I know… and he's got mine 100 percent. Wait, Crystal's still signing with us, right?" he panicked

"Yes Vince she is" I laughed "And she's even gonna work with Jeff and learn ladder match stuff"

"Really?" he asked. Sounds like he has an idea.

"Yes really"

"Shawn, do you think you could still pull off a ladder match?"

I don't know if I like this. "If I had to. Why?"

"Nothing. I'll see you on Monday" he said and hung up. Now I'm wondering what he's concocting in that mind of his.

A/N: SO WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK OF THIS ONE SO FAR? IF YOU HAVENT READ 'BETTER OFF?' YET THEN I'LL TELL YOU NOW. I CHANGED MY PROFILE AROUND AND I HAVE A POLL ABOUT IT SO I WOULD OF COURSE APPRECIATE IT IF YA'LL WOULD CHECK IT OUT AND TELL ME WHAT U THINK IN THE POLL :D