Part VI of I've Lost My Smile

Note I: sorry for being so abrupt in the last part, and sorry for those of you who thought Shawn was going to die or whatever, don't worry, he's not dead.

Note II: took me a while to come up with this part-due to working on other stories like "The Wrestling Version of the Underworld" and "His Biggest Regret".

Note III: this part dedicated to all of my readers! Thanks you guys! You ROCK!

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Shawn slowly opened his eyes for the first time in what felt like an eternity to see none other than Bret sitting on the hospital bed beside him, slowly stroking his hair.

"Bret……you've, you've come back, but why?"

"Shhhh….Shawn, its ok…..I'm here. And I am never going to leave you ever again, not for as long as I live."

"Awe, you really mean that?" Shawn asked, with tears in his eyes clouding his vision.

"Yes, I do…..Shawn, I love you, in fact," Bret turned around to grab something off of the floor, "I brought you these." He smiled and handed over the huge bouquet of yellow roses he had bought just the night before. Shawn's smile broadened as he looked at the bouquet in his hand; he then slowly hugged and kissed the Hit Man as best as he could manage. And about that time, the nurse came in to check on Shawn.

"Ah, so the handsome young stud is awake this morning, I see." The hefty nurse bellowed, walking in unannounced. Bret turned to face her.

"…..Yea, he is….." Bret smiled once again.

"Awe, and don't you two just look so darn cute with one another! Tell me," she winked, "how long have you two been together?"

"Uh….well, although it hasn't been for over 48 hours, it seems like we've been together forever….." Bret responded almost gleefully. Shawn smiled back at him faintly.

"Awe, well that is so nice! You know, Shawn," she beckoned, "you are so lucky to have found a man like Bret Hart here, he would do anything for you, and don't you forget that!" She pointed to him, and abruptly left as fast as she had arrived. Shawn laid there as Bret planted another kiss on his left cheek.

"Bret, but I was so scared you would never return…..I thought I could just die last night…"

"Shhhh! Shawn, please, don't talk like that. I am telling you, I could never leave you now….you mean so much to me, so please, will you forgive me?" He said, placing his hand on top of the Icon's.

"Of course I will forgive you, Bret," Shawn responded, blinking his eyes slowly. They looked into each other's eyes for a long time after that, and for all it was worth, they knew that what had happened the night before had been a test of their relationship, and they secretly knew that they passed with flying colors.

Bret's POV-

I almost lost him last night, had I not come back, he would have died! But he's here, and he's mine, all mine; and no one and nothing is going to change that, ever! Look at him, he looks a hell of a lot better since last night when I found him, my god, I got so scared, he has no idea what I was going through while those doctors pumped his stomach and removed those drugs from his body! But he's with me now…..and as I said before, nothing is going to change that. I continue to stare calmly into his eyes, until he begins to talk to me once again.

"Bret, you know, for the first time, in my whole life, someone has showed general interest in me without just wanting a piece….and I'm grateful for you doing that, really, I am."

"I know," I mutter, "I'm grateful for you Shawn. These past few nights have surprisingly been the greatest nights, I believe I have had, in my entire life…."

"Really, you really mean that?"

"Of course I do……last night made me realize that….." I hope he can see through this and really get off of those pills, because secretly, he scared the crap out of me last night! Maybe I should tell him how I really feel. "Shawn…."

"….Yes?"

"Promise me, and I mean promise me, you will get off of those pain pills! I demand you! I care too much about you, please, will you do that for me; above all else, of course?" He goes silent before answering me, gosh I hope he will.

"Ok….for you, I promise, no more pills…."

"Promise….?"

"Promise." I kiss him gently on the lips and give him a gentle hug for his effort to compromise with me. But I have known all too well in my life's experience, once a drug abuser, unless of course stopped, will always be a drug abuser. Its unfortunate, to say the least, but I pray to God that Shawn is an exception to this very rule. I continue to hug him, as I hear the soft ticking of the clock, pass time by.

Shawn's POV-

Wow, to be honest, I have NEVER ever had someone care for me so much in my entire life! Not even Hunter would be so willing to get my drug abuse off of the table, but now here I have someone who does care enough to do so: Bret Hart. Would you imagine, my long time enemy, my worst nemesis, actually cared enough about me to save my life last night! Wow, that means an awful lot to me too. I can almost cry I am so thankful! So thankful to be alive still, so thankful even, that Bret cared enough to come back to me, otherwise, I might not be here. I softly cry to myself as he continues to hug me, gosh I hope he doesn't hear me, but of course, being so in tuned with me as he is, he does so anyways.

"Shhh….Shawn, please don't cry, I'm here."

"I know….I'm just so thankful you care so much about me, that's all." A single tear falls down my cheek as I glare down at him.

"I know…." He whips the tear softly from my cheek and kisses me once more, god how I love it when he does that!

"Bret….will you promise me never to leave me again?" Usually a person would not make this promise, but he catches me off guard when he actually does.

"….I promise…."

And I finally smile one more time……just feeling so happy to have this man by my side no matter what. Maybe that nurse had been right after all: maybe I should be damn thankful to have found a man like that of Bret Hart.

A/N: Ok that is the end of Part VI, so what do you think? I know this part was more romantically based than most, and trust me, this is my very first time writing something quite like this, so sorry for making you all wait so long. Please R and R! Thanks!