The next morning, Leon woke up and started to get ready for day. While he was getting ready, Leon notices that there was a message on his cell phone from Rita. The message stated, "Thank you for looking out for my kids, Leon. About what we were discussing yesterday with their punishment just disregard that. The kids told me what you had them do once they got settled in last night." Leon replied back by stating, "Sure thing, Sis. It's the least that I can do for you and Lynn." Rita replied stating, "Well it made us feel relieved to hear from the kids though and the fact they apologized for causing a ton of trouble. I know that once they first see you they'll probably be in a happy frame of mind. Besides, what are you doing on this special trip of yours?" Leon answered by stating, "It was a promise that I had made to Nicole originally to take her to the place where some of my fondest wrestling memories came from such as the place where I trained, an arena where an early career highlight of mine occurred, and so on. You could it a reflection trip, Sis. Now with your kids added into the trip's agenda, I suppose they'll learn a whole lot about me as well." Rita answered by stating, "That is a unique trip, Leon. Also, I agree the kids will learn a whole lot about you and could tell me once they return home. Well I better get off here since I'm getting ready for work."
After reading Rita's response is when Leon placed his cell phone in his pocket and started to head for the breakfast lounge on the main floor of the hotel. Upon walking past the front desk, Leon notices that out of his nieces and nephew that Luna is the only one in the breakfast lounge. So, Leon decides after fixing his breakfast plate is to sit across from Luna who had a down look on her face.
"Luna, what's wrong?" Leon asked out of concern.
"Oh, hi, Uncle Leon. I'm a little down because I feel upset for letting Mom and Dad down with the actions from yesterday." Luna said in a gloomy tone.
"Luna, it's not your fault, ok. To be honest with you, I had a talk with your Mom already this morning right before I came down here." Leon said in a calm tone.
"Yeah, what did she have to say?" Luna said as her mood was gradually getting better.
"Well she told me that she felt happy to hear from you guys last night and all she wants you guys is to be happy. So, will you cheer up for me, Luna?" Leon said with a smile on his face.
Luna nodded with a huge smile on her face before she got up to get a breakfast platter of her own.
"So, what are we doing today, Uncle Leon?" Luna asked out of curiosity.
"Well we will wait to see on how long it will take for your sisters, brother, and cousin to get ready first. Since there a couple of places that I have planned to look around for today." Leon answered after taking a sip of his coffee.
"That makes sense, Uncle Leon." Luna stated after taking a bite of her platter.
A couple of minutes had passed before Leon and Luna noticed familiar faces now entering the breakfast lounge-Nicole and the rest of the Loud Children. Once Nicole got her platter, she placed it on the table where Leon was at before giving him a hug and kiss.
"Good morning, sweetie. It looks like you're already to go." Leon said upon looking at Nicole who was wearing a t-shirt and jeans.
"Yes, I sure am Daddy. Lori and Leni helped me out with the clothing choices for today." Nicole said before taking a bite of her breakfast.
Leon then proceeded to thank Lori and Leni for helping Nicole out. Noticing that the rest of the Loud Children were all dressed and ready, Leon just told them to eat a breakfast platter and stay at the lounge once they got done eating. While everyone else was eating, Leon took this opportunity to walk up to the front desk and before he could talk to the receptionist he noticed that Bret was coming inside the hotel to greet him and they stepped into the main seating area away from the front desk.
"Morning, Bret." Leon said his greeting to Bret Hart.
"Morning, Leon. So, how did it go last night?" Bret asked out of curiosity.
"Well, my nieces and nephew apologized to both me and my daughter once they made it to the hotel. After that realizing the change of heart they had gone through, I had my oldest niece contact my sister so that everything would be resolved." Leon answered in a calm tone.
"So, how did your sister react to all of this, Leon?" Bret asked.
"Well, she seemed to be very relieved and happy that her children were safe with me and that they apologized to her for what they did. This led her to asking why I came up here and figured it would do an amount of good for my nieces and nephew to a certain point of view. I mean they are going to benefit from this as much as my daughter will." Leon answered honestly.
"I knew as much, Leon. So, it shouldn't be much longer before the limo I asked to pick you guys up in will arrive in and it will take you anywhere you need to go while you're here in Calgary." Bret said with a calm demeanor on his face.
"Thanks, Bret. I really appreciate it." Leon said after shaking Bret's hand before Bret was about to leave the hotel.
Then Leon walked back into the breakfast lounge area to see that Nicole and the Loud Children had just finished eating breakfast. So, this prompted Leon to escort his daughter, nieces, and nephew to stand outside a few feet away from the hotel entrance.
"What are we waiting on, Daddy?" Nicole asked as she tapped on Leon's arm.
"We are waiting on our transport... Speaking of which it's here." Leon answered as soon as the limo pulled down to the hotel parking lot.
Once the limo driver came around and opened the bottom door, Leon could see the exactment fill up in Nicole and the Loud Children's faces before they stepped inside. However, Leon requested if he could sit up in the passenger's seat and the limo driver didn't mind that at all. After getting his seat belt on, Leon told the limo driver to drop him and his party off nearby the Hart House and gave him his number once he's ready for pick up.
The drive from the hotel to spot near the legendary Hart House was stable on terms of commute. Once the limo driver found the right spot to drop off Leon and his party is when they got out of the limo. "There it is, the legendary Hart House which housed the famed Dungeon. Brings back so many memories. I called this place my home away from home for so long and now here I am many years later." Leon thought to himself looking at the front gate which surrounds the Hart House.
It took a couple of minutes before Nicole and the Loud Children to reach where Leon was standing at. Suddenly, a calm wind sailed right through them and noticed a car just parked about twenty yards from where they were standing. Then Leon had a smile on his face which bewildered the children.
"You felt that breeze too didn't you, Leon?" Bret said as he was coming out of his car and coming into his direction.
"Yes, Bret. It was like a sign that brought me back here even thought it's been so long." Leon said with a sigh.
"Where exactly are we, Daddy?" Nicole asked out of curiosity.
"Yeah, Uncle Leon. I mean we recognize that guy from the hospital on the day that Pop-pop passed. Care to explain?" Lola asked.
"Ok, here is the reason I planned this trip in the first place. As you can recall in my Hall of Fame speech when I thanked the Hart family for training me. Well, the city that we are in right now is where they are originally from. So, I've known for a while now that you guys wanted to know what my wrestling days were like. My training all started right in this house that is behind this gate. To answer your question, Lola, the person standing right next to me is Bret Hart, he was one of the people who was very instrumental in my training along with his father. Fun fact-this was also Bret and all his sibling's childhood home despite his father training wrestlers in the house." Leon answered honestly.
"That's cool, Uncle Leon. So where was the training held in the house?" Lynn Jr. asked out of curiosity.
"Good question, Lynn. Well, much of the training was done in the basement of their house which most people refer to it as the Dungeon and on some occasions there was a hill that some of the trainees had to endure if they slipped up." Leon said with a smile on his face.
"So, Uncle Leon. Did you ever have to endure the hill you were talking about?" Lori asked.
"I came close to it about twice but those were days when Bret's father wasn't around surveying the training. Yes, there were some of the trainees that tried to come into the program who I had mixed feelings about but had to let cooler heads prevail at the time." Leon said in a calm tone.
"Is this place used as a training school now?" Nicole asked out of curiosity.
"No. It hasn't been for almost twenty years. You see back in the mid 2000's, hold on a sec...Bret, is it ok for me to explain why the Hart House is the way it's at now." Leon said before looking at Bret.
"I am fine with it, Leon. Besides I better get going." Bret said before waving goodbye to everybody.
"Ok, now where was I. Oh yes, in the mid-2000s, Bret's siblings had sold the house to city of Calgary for it to be a protected property and they had done some renovations in an attempt to make it into a hotel but who knows how that would turn out. However, one of the aspirations that led to this though is a sad one though was back in 2003 when Bret's father, the person who mentored me the most passed away. So, before all of that happened the property was in Bret's family for around fifty years." Leon said in a natural tone.
"Wow, that is a very interesting tale you told us about this place, Uncle Leon." Luna said with a calm look.
"Yeah." Nicole and the rest of Luna's siblings said in unison.
Then Leon, Nicole, and the Loud Children walked back down to the limo. So, Leon then told the limo driver to take them to the Saddledome which was on the other side of Calgary. Once the limo had reached to the Saddledome, Leon and his party got out to see the sight of the magnificent stadium.
"Twenty-one years...wow. It's all coming back to me now." Leon said before a tear started to appear in his eye.
"Daddy, what's wrong?" Nicole asked out of concern.
"It's nothing sweetie. Just remembering an iconic memory that happened for me the last time I was at this building. Ah...yes. The WWF as it was called version of homecoming of those who trained and brought up here in Calgary. July 1997." Leon said upon looking at the building again.
"Excuse me, sir. You mean the famous WWF Canadian Stampede PPV event that took place here? I remember watching that event as a child." The limo driver asked out of curiosity.
"The one and only. You probably didn't recognize me at first due to the little bulky frame I have now." Leon answered the question.
"Oh my god, you're him. You're the Brute. I mean your legacy is great around here in Calgary and what you did on that event is what inspired me to become a wrestling fan." The limo driver said in an excited tone before heading back to the limo.
"Thank you, I really appreciate those words." Leon said with a smile on his face.
"So, what is it that you guys were talking about?" Luna asked out of curiosity.
"Ok, it was the summer of 1997. I had been in the WWE or WWF as it was called at the time for two years. However, I was almost done nursing up a torn biceps injury I had sustained earlier that year on an international tour. So, I had learned from my boss that he wanted to turn me 'heel' or a villain character. Right around at that same time, I was watching some of the wrestling programs where Bret had turned into the villain and it was working great for him alongside recruiting some of his family and family friends to form a stable. Anyways, I told my boss how I appreciated the idea for me turning villain would work since it's working for Bret. Then he tells me about the pay per view event being held in Calgary and since other than the Hart family at the time, my boss knew my training background so I figured that would be the perfect spot to do it. Since my arm injury was healed completely about two weeks before the event, so I walked into my boss's office and laid out when the turn would happen. The meeting lasted for about a couple of hours with him, some people on creative, and me. The spot was for me to help Bret's team out during a run-in at the final moments of the match when one of his siblings throws water at their opponents. Once they agreed with the proposed spot it was all up to the boss to tell Bret once he got the arena that day." Leon said in a honest tone.
"So, did Mr. Hart like the idea then, Daddy?" Nicole asked out of curiosity.
"Yes, as he told me later that he needed to relay that information to his siblings and father as well so they wouldn't get confused about what was going on at the time. Anyways, once I heard the ovation for Bret's team coming out for the main event on that night it was pure pandemonium and that is what Calgary is like with their celebrities. So, while the match is going on I am standing behind the curtain which is known as Gorilla Position and don't ask me why it's called that. Once it comes time for the spot when Bret's brother to throw water at one of the opponents that is when I got my cue to head down to the ring. While I was making my down to the ring, I noticed that there were some mixed reactions from the fans even though I was making my return. However, once I punched the opponent that tried to attack the Hart family even after the match was over with, that was when the crowd went nuts. The reason for that match also was to celebrate the accomplishments that Bret's father made in the wrestling business and for the city of Calgary. Sadly, for that family it was the last time they would all be in the ring together at the same time which is why it brought me tears a little when I stepped out earlier." Leon said with a calm voice.
"So, what was it like backstage for you after that match, Uncle Leon?" Lori asked.
"Well, besides the Harts shaking my hand for obvious reasons. My boss came up to me and told me that the spot was perfect. So, I had a little decent villain turn which lasted through the rest of that year since they were not only testing waters with me as a bad guy but the company had done a heinous act of letting go Bret in a controversial way which left him very bitter for years and where I had to watch my back a little even though they still kept his youngest sibling, Owen under contract despite it all." Leon said in a clear tone.
Leon then signaled for the children to head back into the limo and started to look at the time on his cell phone. "Hmm...there still is time for me to visit Owen's gravesite. Doing the key things, I wanted to do up here all in one day wow. Still, it's been a long time though since I visited the gravesite maybe far too long. Well here it goes." Leon thought to himself before going back into the limo.
"There is one final place I want you to stop at." Leon said to the limo driver in a calm tone.
"Where to?" The limo driver replied.
"The cemetery where Owen Hart is buried at. Is there any way that you can make sure the kids don't get out at this stop?" Leon said in an honest tone.
"Yeah, anything for the Brute." The limo driver said before changing the limo's gears.
It was a long drive from the Saddledome to the cemetery where Owen Hart was buried at. Once the limo got closer to the cemetery, Leon notices that Bret was standing there waiting for him. Then the limo parked opposite where Bret's car was parked.
"I knew that you would come here, Leon. I already went over there since I didn't know how much time you would take at the Saddledome. So, the kids in the limo?" Bret said once Leon walked in his direction.
"Yes, Bret. I don't know how long I'll be so can you keep an eye on them in limo for me." Leon said before walking up into the direction of Owen's gravesite.
"I understand, Leon. Take your time." Bret said in response.
Meanwhile, Nicole and her cousins are stumbled on why the limo stopped. That is until they see the front visor being lowered to show Bret Hart. This raised the confusion on the children even more.
"Mr. Hart, how come you're in here?" Nicole asked out of curiosity.
"Your father asked me to watch you guys while he is out paying respects to my late brother who is buried at the cemetery you're in now and he didn't want to be bothered." Bret answered out of honesty.
"Why would he do that?" Luna asked.
"Ok, your uncle for most of you or in Nicole's case your father, was very close friends with my youngest brother, Owen. You see Leon during the final phases of his training had formed a good friendship with Owen and whenever he come by home from a tour or something he would teach your uncle some moves that he picked up on the international circuit. There were times that your uncle would help Owen out in what some wrestlers call ribs or pranks. One that I would never forget involving your uncle and Owen was right after your uncle signed his first WWF contract and they put him on the same European tour as me and Owen; well we had gone to the Vatican which was a holy place and one of the agents had told us to watch our mouths because of it being a holy place. So, I guess your uncle had whispered into Owen's ear to swipe someone's 100-dollar bill that they just placed and give it to somebody else. Then your uncle walked by me with a grin once Owen did the rib and suddenly the same agent who reminded us not to cuss at the Vatican well he did the opposite. I mean Leon and Owen were inseparable. After the incident that left me out of WWE, Leon was furious about the situation but chose to stay since Owen ended up doing so out of loyalty for both me and him. Their friendship got closer afterwards and then about a year and half after I left that company, Owen died due to an accident on a live pay per view show." Bret said in an honest tone.
"What happened to my Daddy on that night, Mr. Hart?" Nicole asked out of curiosity.
"It changed him completely. He told me that at the night of the pay-per view, something was off about Owen and it felt strange to him being his closest friend. Thing was your father was supposed to be the match after Owen's. However, when he heard that Owen fell and saw the stretchers carrying him past by he knew that something was wrong and went with the EMTs and did not go back to the pay per view. So, when he saw his boss that night right after they gave the news that Owen was dead, your father requested to give him some time off or else he was going beat the crap out of the boss right in front off the hospital staff. So, his boss told Leon that he will have the night off. However, Leon went straight to Calgary from Kansas City so he could help console my family. Once the funeral came, your father was like a wanted man for not showing up the RAW tribute show for Owen and missing the pay per view. So after the funeral was done with and Owen's widow said some indigenous words to Leon's boss, he decided to give your father a harsh punishment for threatening him at the request of time off but was labeled as a scapegoat which took him about seven years to pay his dues." Bret said in an honest tone.
"Wow that was a harsh thing for Uncle Leon to go through." Luna said.
"Yeah, I can see why he's trying to be a better person." Lori said.
Meanwhile, Leon has made it to Owen's gravesite and the same gentle breeze that he felt back at the Hart House came back to him. Before he could say anything, Leon took in a couple of deep breaths.
"I know it's been a long time since I last came here. I still think about you every single day and some of the great memories that we did on the road. But I would know that you are proud of the legacy that Martha and your children are still carrying on to this very day. So, I thought about the time you told me how wonderful a family man can be at times. Well, it turns out I have a young daughter named Nicole and have also a few nieces and one nephew who like you did at one time appreciated my wrestling work. They are with me today is to not only show them where your father trained me but the place where our friendship began. Thank you for being my friend on the road and for life, Owen Hart." Leon said before kneeling back up.
Suddenly, Leon noticed that Nicole was standing right behind him.
"Sweetie, where are your cousins?" Leon asked out of curiosity.
"Well, we were surprised with a random car while you were here, and it had Aunt Rita and Uncle Lynn in it. So, they got to reunite with them and convinced them to stay at the hotel." Nicole replied with a smile on her face.
"Uncle Leon?" Luna asked.
"Yes, Luna." Leon answered.
"Is it alright if we come by you?" Luna said.
"Yes, it's fine." Leon said.
Then Luna along with her siblings and parents walked up to where Nicole was standing. Leon turned around to see Rita and Lynn Sr., he was surprised to see them there. Then Leon kneeled backed down again and this surprised everyone around him.
"I knew there was one last thing I forgot to tell you, Owen. Well remember those times on the road when you told me that one day I get to reconcile with my sister again. That is the moment when you truly told me so and never gave up on me. I think it's time for me to say goodbye for now, old friend." Leon stated as he got up and kissed his hand to touch on Owen's headstone.