Paper Connection By Cold-Zephyr
Rating: PG
Genre: Angst/Drama
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Timeline: The moment after Backlash ends.
Description: -slash- Shawn Michaels receives a heartfelt and painful letter in his locker as the Backlash PPV ends, and finds out a lot of things he should've known before. It's no longer a one-shot, R and R please...
A/N: Here's the third installment! By the way, it might look like an ending, but this story ain't over by a long shot!
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Chapter 3: White Rose
Shawn awoke sometime around midnight to the loud sound of knocking at the hotel room door. Still feeling tired as hell, he trudged sleepily towards the door.
"Not another fan," he mumbled as he opened it.
Standing outside the door was a UPS delivery man. "Are you Mr. Hickenbottom, sir?"
"Yeah," Shawn grunted.
The delivery man handed Shawn a long, white box with an envelope attached to it. "A special delivery for you, sir," he said placidly. "I'll be on my way now, good evening, sir."
"You too." Closing the door behind him, Shawn set the box on the table and opened the envelope.
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Dear Shawn,
First of all, I'm sorry. Sorry for causing you all that shit you described in your letter, sorry for making you feel so bad...I seriously didn't expect-- -it was the absolute last thing on my mind---that you felt that way about me. I really didn't know at all. I hope you understand that I only wrote so that I could get a few things off my chest, and I wasn't anticipating this kind of a response from you...I was expecting that you'd toss it in the trash bin, actually. I don't know whether I should laugh or cry now knowing what I do.
"Where do we go from here," you ask? Well, Shawn, my answer is: I have no idea at all. That letter you wrote me really threw me right off track. We could brush it off, you know...it's the easiest way out. We'll just forget everything and pretend it never happened. No fuss, no frills. I'd like to think I'm fairly capable of moving on, now that everything that needs to be out of the way is out of the way.
But hearing from you was actually nice. It put the smile back on my face...and yes, I did smile for you on that Raw show, just like you asked me to. I still care about you, Shawn, I care very much, and if it's okay with you, I'd love it if you could write back again so I'll know how you're doing. I really hope you're alright.
So if it's okay with you, please write me back. But if you feel you're better off just forgetting about that letter I wrote and moving on with your life, then just do so. As long as you're fine, I'll get on alright by myself somehow.
I'm actually doing quite well myself right now, at least compared to back then. I've managed to move on a little bit, going about my business without such heavy and painful heartache dragging me down. The sun's shining brighter nowadays in my life. As for what thoughts have been flooding my head now, well surprise, surprise...it's still you. But at least I do so now with a smile on my face instead of a scowl or a look of despair or depression. That's certainly an improvement, if I may say so myself.
Anyway, you're probably wondering what's in the box I sent you. It's a white rose, actually...it's said that they symbolize friendship, so if anything, I'm hoping that you and I could be good friends. As anyone could tell, things were always a bit...iffy between us, and although I don't have the chance to talk or hang out with you anymore, this right here is the only chance I have to finally clear up all the shit between you and I. Point is, I'm asking you now, 'cause "never" might come too soon: can we be friends?
Whether or not you reply, I think I have a better chance of living on happily all on my own now. I still feel awful for making you feel so bad, but all in all, I'm glad I wrote that letter, 'cause then I finally got to deal with all my emotions properly. But, Shawn, there's one fact that's for certain and it's set in stone: I'll always be in love with you.
Take care of that white rose...let it be a reminder that there's someone, somewhere who's thinking fondly of you. And more importantly than taking care of that flower, take care of yourself.
'Till next time,
Bret
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Shawn carefully took the lovely white rose from the box, twirling it between his forefinger and thumb as his lips slowly curled up into a smile...the first real, genuine smile he had in weeks. This was something he would definitely cherish.
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Bret sat idly on the couch as he was watching Raw on Monday night. Chuckling to himself as that awfully cheesy theme song of Shawn's played, he stopped, and noticed something interesting on the TV screen as Shawn jiggled and danced his way to the ring. Pinned onto Shawn's T-shirt was...the white rose.
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A/N: End chapter for now. Like I said, it might look like an ending, but it ain't (provided, of course, that people still want to read). It ain't over by a long shot, baby! LOL ...Cold-Zephyr