Part 12 of I've Lost My Smile

Note I: Sorry for the long delay…I've been working on other projects such as The Terrible Discovery. Hope this part is satisfactory.

Note II: I don't claim to know these wrestlers personally-so take that as you will. Thank you.

Owen be darned if he was going to allow that sleaze ball to take advantage of his brother!

Once he was further down the hallway, he spotted Bret standing next to the coffee container while talking to some other wrestlers. He jogged toward him at a heart pounding pace.

"Bret, BRET! Listen man, I need to let you know about…." Bret turned around to face him.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Shawn-he's…" He saw his brother quickly looking around as if he was worried about the Prima Donna. Wow, was he ever in for a surprise!

"What? Is Shawn hurt? Where is he?" Owen placed his hands around his brother's shoulders to calm him down.

"Bret….no, he's not…in fact, Shawn isn't who you think he is! Listen to me, please. Just hear me out." Bret suddenly looked at the other men surrounding him and hesitantly waved them off. Owen, feeling relieved, finally let the words come out. "Bret, I think I should warn you. Shawn is taking advantage of you!"

"What do you mean-taking advantage of me?" Bret questioned smartly. "He's not taking advantage of me-he cares about me, Owen." Bret brought his voice to a whisper as he came closer to his brother. "Look, I don't know what you are talking about-but what ever it is…"

Frustrated, Owen did the only thing that could convince his brother he was not playing around with his emotions. He pulled the tape recorder from his coat pocket. Bret looked down at it, stunned.

"What-what is this? You have to be kidding me, right? You, you tape recorded someone's conversation? Owen-I…"

"Just hear me out!" Owen begged. "This conversation isn't just any ordinary conversation, Bret," he tried to reason with his brother, "this is a conversation that just occurred between Hunter and Shawn…." Suddenly, Bret grabbed the tape recorder from his hands and pressed the 'play' button; and listened to the recorded conversation intently.

"Shawn-this is just an act right? You don't really have feelings for the guy." "Ok, good, keep it that way. Now, I just bumped into Bret a few minutes ago, and he said that he had heard our conversation on the phone the other night-mind telling me how he found out it was me?"

"Hunter, I can explain, really-he must have been awake when I was talking to you-and well, he had the volume on high in the phone's speaker for a reason I suppose… So, what all did he say?"

"He told me that if I came near you, that he would have to deal with me PERSONALLY. You believe that? This guy actually thinks you are in love with him or something! How sad is that? Hell, the trick you've pulled, is the oldest trick in the book-what AN IDIOT!"

Bret felt himself wanting to lash out as he continued to listen.

"Yea, I cannot believe that; Bret-actually fell for it…" As he heard Shawn's voice finishing off that last statement, Bret began to clinch his fists in frustration. How could Shawn do this to him? Throughout the previous week of being together, Bret felt as though he had been betrayed. After everything that had happened, this is the thanks he was getting from the Heart Break Kid? He couldn't believe it. He pressed the 'stop' button and handed the recorder back to his brother.

"I'm sorry, Bret-I just thought I should warn you…." Bret looked at his brother and felt as though his world had just shattered into a million pieces. He was thankful Owen was concerned enough to do this for him; but at the same time, he wish he didn't have to know. Maybe everyone had been right after all. Maybe Shawn was a manipulative bastard that so many claimed him to be; and just when Bret had thought he was finally getting to intimately know the younger man.

"It's….it's alright. Here…" He handed over the recorder. "Take this." Owen looked up at his brother and could tell there was hell to be paid. He was just thankful he wasn't going to be on the receiving end. "Keep it for later…I think it may come in handy here soon…." With that, Bret placed his hands inside his jeans' pockets and walked away.

----Ten Minutes Later----

Shawn headed back to the locker room to prepare for a match later that night when Bret suddenly filed into the room.

"Hey Shawn….can I ask you a personal question?" Shawn stood up from his seat and stared into his lover's dark brown eyes with curiosity as well as apprehension.

"Sure Bret, what's up?"

"Shawn, I just want you to be honest with me, ok?" Shawn nodded his head, as Bret placed his hand upon the younger man's shoulder. "Do you really care about me?"

Shawn kept a serious expression planted upon his face. "Of course I do, what would make you think otherwise?"

Bret couldn't believe it; he shook his head slightly and turned away for a moment to regain his composure.

"Are ya ok, Bret? Is somethin' wrong?" Shawn asked kindly, wrapping his arm around the Hit Man's shoulders.

"No, I'm fine, really. Want to head back to the hotel after the match?" He watched as Shawn scanned his surroundings for a second, as if making sure the coast was clear before drawing out a response. Odd, he found himself thinking suddenly.

"Uh, yea sure; meet me here after my match and we'll get goin'." He stated. Bret then headed for the door, wishing he could escape from the locker room before doing something he might later regret. He still didn't have the proof he needed, but the information he did have, gave him enough incentive to withdraw ever so slightly from Shawn. Before Shawn could say anything else, Bret found himself walking out the door, clinching his fists in a frustrated manner.

Once he cleared from the locker room, Bret couldn't help but think something hadn't been quite right about this whole situation from the start. Was Shawn really as injured as he claimed to be? This question and many others like it began to fill his thoughts as he continued walking down the hallway. And just to think, Bret only had a few more weeks before the Heavy weight Championship was to become his; if only he would have known that what would be taking place on the following week's show, would change everything in an instant.

A/N: I know it has been a while since I've posted on this site and I have no idea when the next update for this story may be. Reviews are appreciated, and if you have any requests as to what you would like to see happen in the following parts of this story, feel free to send them along as well, thanks!