Title: HBK Has Left The Building
Author: JeffroMattyHardy
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Alexis Michaels and the tears I shed writing this and watching Shawn's goodbye speech. Nothing else.
Summary: March 29, 2010. After Wrestlemania 26, Shawn Michaels came back to RAW one final time to say his goodbyes. And the few goodbyes he can't stand to say. Because some goodbyes are harder than others. Slight mentions of slash, OC included
I don't know about any of you guys, but the moment Shawn's music hit on March 29, 2010 and he came walking down the ramp, I started crying. And I didn't stop throughout his entire speech. And I don't cry that much. I've watched Shawn all my life, since I was 3. I'm 16 now. When I was 4, he brought me into the ring from the audience and I had the chance to dance with him, getting a kiss on the cheek. Watching Shawn leave was one of the hardest things I've ever had to watch and even when I think about it today, it makes me want to cry. (on a lighter note, I now have another way to cry on cue)
Oh, and Lilian Garcia is always gonna be my announcer 'cause I liked her and miss her.
~.**.~
1 day.
It had been 1 day, 24 hours, since Shawn Michaels lost to the Undertaker in a Streak vs. Career match.
1 day since Shawn's career had ended.
~.**.~
"Ladies and gentlemen," Lilian announced, "please welcome, the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels!"
Oh, oh, Shawn!
I think I'm cute
I know I'm sexy
I've got the looks
That drives the girls wild
Shawn came walking out onto the stage in brown boots, blue jeans, a red button-down shirt, and a tan cowboy hat, his hair tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He clapped his hands as his music continued to play, smiling around at the fans in the arena. He headed down the ramp, running his hand along the fans that held theirs out on both sides before finally climbing up onto the apron of the ring. He waved, still smiling, before climbing in. He looked around again, bringing the microphone in his hand up when his music faded away.
"HBK! HBK! HBK! HBK!"
The chant rang throughout the arena, fans on their feet and clapping with their signs held high.
Shawn was about to speak when a gong rang through the arena, immediately looking over at the stage. The lights went out and the music started playing, a gothic sound echoing around the building. Shawn made no move, his expression never changing, watching the stage as the Undertaker walked through the smoke billowing around the stage. The Undertaker stopped, locking eyes with Shawn from the stage. And the Deadman himself reached up, grabbed the brim of his hat, and tipped his hat to the Showstopper, walking back backstage without another word. Shawn couldn't help but grin slightly at the gesture, his eyes on the stage until the lights came back up and the music faded away.
"HBK! HBK! HBK! HBK!" The chant started up again.
"Now, I, uh," Shawn started to say as the crowd died down, "I don't really know what it is I'm gonna say to you tonight, um. I, uh…"
"Please don't go! Please don't go! Please don't go!"
A new chant rang through the crowd, the Heartbreak Kid stopping mid-sentence to look around, grinning a bit when he realized what they were chanting.
"You know when I was 19 years old," he started again, "I started doing this stuff and at 23, I started comin' to each and every one of your homes every week. And…the idea of now being 44 and," he shook his head, "I dunno, not, uh, not comin' in to your homes on that TV set every week is gonna be…it's gonna be a little tough to get used to. Um…"
"Thank you, Shawn! Thank you, Shawn! Thank you, Shawn! Thank you, Shawn!"
One by one the fans joined in, the Showstopper's eyes starting to water.
"You know something," Shawn said, "I appreciate you saying thank you, but I have to tell you something. I have to thank you. Because…" He paused, a tear running down his cheek. "You all may not understand this, but for the longest time, this ring and all of you was the only thing I had in my life. It was the only place that I ever felt…good about me. And, I did a night out…you guys were the only ones in the world that ever made me like me." He smiled. "And…" He stopped again, running a hand over his face.
"You know, I would, I would like to, you know there's so many people I'd like to thank that I'm…so afraid of doing that for fear I'm gonna forget somebody. But…I'm just gonna, there's one guy, you know, Hunter…" Cheers started up again as he paused. "I gotta, I gotta thank Hunter for being my friend when absolutely nobody else in the world wanted to touch me. Um, there are a lot of people that didn't like me many many years ago. I was not an easy person to be around. And, and Hunter, buddy, you never once left my side, and," a couple more tears fell.
"You know in this line of work, I mean it's a tough line of work and everybody talks about how it's tough to have real friendships in it, it is. But I tell ya…Hunter, I thank you so much for the real friendship that I have been able to share with you the last 16 years."
"And another one, uh, and this one is really gonna sound strange to you guys, but there's a whole lot of people in those big old trucks out back, there are these guys here holding the camera, Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and of course, the greatest announcer of all time, Jim Ross."
"But I wanna thank, I wanna thank all you guys. You guys, um, you guys always made me look so much better then I ever really was. And I so appreciate that. Um, and there is a, uh, there's a crazy redheaded kid in Sanford, Connecticut that I also have to thank. You know, his name is Adam and he is the guy that puts together so much of the videos that you've seen of me over the years and I'm telling you he's the most talented boy I've ever met, and Adam, thank you for making me look…like a superstar."
"And then of course…"
"One more match! One more match!"
A single guy chanted this one phrase, making Shawn laugh just a bit and bow his head when everyone else joined in. He wiped tears off his face as he looked around.
"You know, can I tell you something?" he asked. "I, uh…you know, I know, I know how a lot of people feel about career-ending matches and…and I know that there are a lot of people that are gonna be skeptical of my decision and I understand that, but I do wanna tell ya. I don't. I think about it, but I don't wanna, I don't wanna go back on my word to you, I don't wanna go back on my word to the Undertaker, and…" He paused as the crowds cheered.
"For 20 plus years, I have, I have done my best to be a pretty open book in front of all of you. I don't hide a lot from you when I come out here because, it's just easier for me to be who I am and I don't, uh…I wanna honor my word to you, I wanna honor my word to you, I wanna honor my word to the Undertaker, so I appreciate the one more match, but I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen."
"Thank you, Shawn! Thank you, Shawn! Thank you, Shawn! Thank you, Shawn!"
Once more, the chant rang through the arena, making the Heartbreak Kid smile just a bit more.
"And there's one other guy I gotta thank and I gotta thank Bret Hart," Shawn said, pausing as cheers sounded again. "I cannot tell you how much back in the 90s I drove that poor guy crazy. And everything he's ever said about me, you know, he had every right to say it and I…wanna thank him for forgivin' me, for understanding, accepting, and believing that I knew that I made the mistakes, I was changed, and I would forever honor his friendship if he ever took the chance and give it back to me and I thank him for giving me that opportunity."
Shawn seemed to get a little lighter in his mood as he continued. "And then there's Vincent Kennedy McMahon." He smiled and laughed a bit at the boos/cheers that started at the name of the chairman. "Now I honestly don't know if I get in trouble for mentioning his name or not but I'm going to anyway. It's my farewell speech and I'll say what I wanna say." He smiled again. "But there is absolutely no way I can work for anybody else. After you have worked under that crazy son of a gun for 20 plus years, there's no way I'll be able to do a regular gig ever again. I gotta thank him for his patience with me because the only guy I drove more crazy than Bret Hart was Vince McMahon. You know and I know that he, he gave me the opportunity here to do what I love to do, but I have to tell you, I have to thank him for not allowing me to make even bigger mistakes than I made. I was on a, uh, I was on a crash course goin' nowhere and I know sometimes it was ugly, but I tell ya. If that guy had not kept me on course, I would not be here today so Vince, thanks for puttin' up with me, man."
"And last but not least, there is each and everyone of you." He looked around at the crowd as he spoke.
"Thank you, Shawn! Thank you, Shawn! Thank you, Shawn! Thank you, Shawn!"
Shawn started to speak when the chant started up again, smiling as he waited for it to die down again.
"And before I forget, Alexis, baby, come here." He stood and smiled as Alexis walked out from backstage in jeans and one of the oldest HBK shirts, walking quickly down to the ring and getting in beside her brother. "Lex, you were probably the only member of the family that I've been able to spend most of my time with. I know you're a great wrestler and I…and I know I'll be watching you every week. I'm so proud of you, little sister." He brought Alexis into a tight hug, feeling her shake slightly as she cried. He kissed her forehead when he pulled out of the hug, helping her over and helping her sit on the top turnbuckle to wait for the speech to end.
"I have got to travel all over the world," the Showstopper continued. "I have got to meet millions of people. I have got to listen to each and every one for the majority of my life. I have spent more of my adult life with each and every one of you than I have my own family. And I tell ya, I don't…I don't say that with regrets. I thank you all so much for giving me the honor and the privilege to come out here and let me show off in front of you every night of my life."
"HBK! HBK! HBK! HBK!"
The HBK chant started up again, Shawn waiting for it to die down before speaking again. "And of course," he continued, "my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I thank you my King for saving me."
"This is how we started and this is how we're gonna end. Ladies and gentlemen, the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, has left the building," he finished. He dropped his microphone. He helped Alexis off the top turnbuckle, holding the ropes open for her so she could climb out. He looked around at the arena and waved before climbing out of the ring, wiping away a tear and starting up the ramp with Alexis under his arm.
The HBK chants started up again as he stopped on the stage and turned toward the fans, waving his goodbyes to the WWE Universe, clapping when his music started up for one final time.
Cheers got louder as Hunter walked up behind Shawn in jeans and a gray Triple H shirt without him noticing. The Game wrapped his arms around the Heartbreak Kid from behind in a hug, scaring Shawn a bit. Shawn just smiled as he took his hat off, kissing the side of Hunter's head. He turned around and gave the younger a proper hug, Hunter leaning their foreheads together when they pulled apart before starting another hug. As Shawn put his hat back on his head, Hunter pulled the green glowsticks he'd had in his pocket out, making the DX cross with them and setting them on the stage. He pulled Alexis into a hug of her own before taking her under his arm, the two of them walking back backstage and leaving Shawn to say goodbye.
~.**.~
Now, technically, there was a line that I left out because…well, I just didn't put it in there because…well, I just didn't.
"And to Rebecca, Cheyenne, and Cameron, babies, Daddy's coming home."
This still made me cry the entire time watching the video to get the speech right. And of course, I added the Alexis stuff 'cause she's an OC.