Title: I've Lost My Smile

Characters: Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and others mentioned

Pairing: Shawn/Bret

Warning: Obviously slash

Summary: Shawn had always been a happy, go lucky type of guy -that was until an event that happened back in 1997, changed all of that.

Note: This is my first slash fic….so please be nice

Note II: Based on the speech done in 1997-except the reasoning behind it has been altered, of course

Once upon a time there was a wrestler named Shawn Michaels who had everything going for him. He was involved in a company clique, partied all his heart could desire, and had plenty of friends. Not to mention, he was now WWF Champion. He was enjoying the very essence of life, until one fateful day in mid January of 1997, when his boss, Vince, called him into his office.

"Yes, can I help you, Vince?" Shawn asked as he peered through the doorway.

"Yea Shawn, come in and close the door behind you." Shawn did as he was told and pulled the door closed. Shawn then strung his fingers through his long, blonde, wavy locks as he sat down, waiting for what his boss had to say.

"Listen, Michael," Vince said as he pulled his reading glasses off of his face; Shawn knew instantly that when he was referred to by his real first name that it was never a good thing. "We have been having an issue backstage…Mostly with Bret Hart." Shawn rolled his eyes at the very sound of that name, and Vince caught his drift immediately. "I know, I know how you feel, Michael, and I don't blame you-I would be feeling the exact same way if I was in your shoes, but please just listen to me. As you know, Wrestle Mania 13 is coming up very shortly. You do realize that, don't you?"

"Of course I do." God! How oblivious could this man be? Shawn thought to himself.

"Okay then. So, just to let you know, we have been having an issue with Bret backstage-he demands that you drop the belt to him at the Pay per View, and unfortunately, he won't take no for an answer." Shawn looked straight into his boss's eyes before gazing down upon the title belt wrapped around his shoulder while shaking his head. There was NO WAY he was going to drop the belt to that scum bag…and he was going to make sure Vince and everyone else knew that from the start.

"No way, Vince…I won't do it! I hate him! And he hates me. What makes you think he is going to let me get it back?"

"Nothing is for certain, Michael, and that's the problem," Vince said, placing his glasses down upon the mahogany desk in front of him. This was going to be no easy task. Vince knew damn well that Shawn didn't care for dropping the belt to anyone who didn't care about him in return, and Bret was definitely no exception to this. So, how to break the rest of the news to the initial outlaw gently? He thought for a moment as Shawn glanced around the room, looking as pissed off as ever.

"So I have to drop the belt to him? Is that the thanks you're giving me for me busting my ass night in and night out for this company? HUH? Answer me, Vince!" Shawn stood up out of his seat and glared down at the Chairman looking up at him, and gritted his teeth; he couldn't believe this was even happening.

"I'm sorry, Michael, my hands are tied. There is nothing I can do." Vince proclaimed. Silence filled the room for a mere five seconds before Shawn began talking again.

"Oh really? Is that so? Well then, you can at least do one thing for me then, Vince. Just call me Shawn from now on. I hate it when you call me Michael!"

"I'm sorry, Shawn. There is something else as well." Vince let out a loud sigh before standing up from his seat to face his employee.

"Something else? What do you mean, 'something else'? What else could there possibly be?"

"Before you go on a rampage, Shawn," Vince inclined, "I hate to tell you this, but you'll have to be…..uhh….stuck with the Hit Man tonight…."

"WHAT?" Shawn wanted to die. He wanted to punch something. This could NOT happening to him!

"I'm sorry, Shawn, but when making reservations for the hotel rooms tonight, we ran into a problem. You see, we ran out of rooms to put wrestlers in, and uhh….We had to put you two together. I'm sorry, I will make this up to you Shawn, I promise." Bret and him….together? No! Shawn gritted his teeth and clenched his fists; if he could have killed Vince right at that moment, he would have. But his conscious told him not to.

"You know what?" Shawn thought thoroughly before continuing because he didn't want to lose his job; at least not right now during the peak of his career. "…Fine, you want to put us together, that's your choice. Just don't be surprised when you learn that tomorrow morning Bret is lying in a hospital bed with all of his bones broken! Because if he does one small thing to piss me off, that is exactly what is going to happen!"

"Don't worry, I understand. But I will make this up to you….."

"You better!" And with that, Shawn grabbed his title belt and made his exit, making sure to slam it behind him on the way out.

A/N: this is only the prologue…so what do you think?