Hey everyone. This chapter is super short compared to what you've been getting as of late and maybe a bit boring and I'm sorry for that. I am currently working on the next chapter as we speak.
Thanks to morrowsong, Idcam, and Ember for the reviews.
June 3rd had come in the blink of an eye and before anyone knew it, the big day of Shawn's return had finally arrived.
Kevin and Sean had met their friend at the airport the day before so the men could spend time together and catch up. Kevin grinned like an idiot when his long-time buddy had practically jumped into his arms upon seeing him. He embraced the smaller man with a giant bear hug and pulled Kid in as well. To unknowing passersby, it was probably quite odd to see three grown men such as themselves locked in an outwardly affectionate embrace, not that they ever gave a damn what others thought.
"Already feels like we never left," Shawn said in his deep voice, beaming up at Kevin when he released him.
"Well, there may have been a change or two," Kevin warned him, although he kept his lighthearted enthusiasm.
"Yeah, Paul's been keeping me informed," he replied. "Look at this, Kid. He still hasn't grown any, has he?" Shawn lovingly ribbed Kid and he patted his head as they began to walk out of the airport.
"Hey! We're the same height, ya jerk," Sean retorted but started laughing in spite of himself.
At the mention of their friend Paul Levesque, Kevin couldn't help but wish that he and Scott were there to complete their little circle. As it were, Scott had been kicked to the curb and Paul was coming off of an injury, but at least he would likely return soon.
As if he knew exactly what the larger man was thinking, Shawn asked, "So how is Scott?"
Kevin heaved a sigh. "Well, he checked into a rehab center two days after getting the news. So hopefully he'll be turning himself around here." He tried not to sound as despondent as he felt.
"I know you don't like hearing this man, but he's gotta want it for himself. Try as we might, no one else can really want it for him. We all just gotta go through the valley to get to the mountain sometimes," Shawn said as gently as possible.
"I know," Kevin responded, shaking his head, "I just, I wish he would get it through his thick skull." Had those words come from anyone else, Nash would have told them that they had no idea what the hell they were talking about when it came to Scott Hall. The fact was Shawn did know. Probably better than anyone, too. He had been down in the dark recesses of Hell with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. "How've your talks with Vince been going?" Kevin changed the subject after a few seconds.
"About as you would expect," he answered. "Shawn my boy, you know I've got all the faith in the world in you. Go out there and make me proud," Shawn imitated McMahon's gravelly voice.
Until it's time for you to get fucked, Kevin thought, even though he knew that wouldn't happen. He wasn't even the slightest bit offended by it though. Shawn had always been a favorite of Vince, even back in the day.
On the morning of Raw, Vince had called another meeting to go over the storyline with everyone and introduce Shawn to the Calaway sisters. Kevin noted the look of recognition that came over Shawn's face as they had entered the room. Of course, he had watched at home so he had known of them, but as it were, actually, they had already met previously.
The sisters' first encounter with the infamous Heartbreak Kid was at Badd Blood in 1997 where Shawn and the Undertaker had squared off inside Hell in a Cell. That had been one of the rare instances where the sisters had attended a show, as usually it was only their brothers tagging along backstage.
After being introduced, Shawn took the teenagers in for another couple of moments. "Aren't you the little scamp who kicked that stagehand?" he asked Reves with an air of amusement.
Reves certainly hadn't expected anyone to remember that, least of all him. His question caught her off guard but her smug grin never faltered. "He threatened to call security and I didn't even do anything," Reves replied, blamelessly.
Shawn gave a half-grin while Nash rolled his eyes in annoyance. That may have been a cute story had he not known what a coldhearted little witch she could be.
Shawn surveyed the other girl up and down. She seemed quite reserved and timid but sweet. He could even see that on television. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what Vince's reasoning for bringing her on was, but Vince always had his reasons. Whether those intentions were benevolent or not ( knowing Vince, they probably weren't) was another story.
Shawn drummed his finger's against his mouth. "Huh, you know if my memory serves - but definitely don't trust it - you were wearing an HBK shirt that night," Shawn chuckled blithely at the irony of it considering that her own father was his opponent for that particular Pay-Per-View. "Guess we know you weren't rooting for Daddy Deadman, eh." Shawn then winked at Mark who was outwardly fuming.
"Told you she was a mark. Ahh, Sexy Boy!" Reves jeered.
Mortified by both Shawn's recollection and her sister's jesting, Heather's countenance burst with color as she stared at her sister crossly. "I was twelve," she muttered in a defensive tone, arms folded over her chest as if it would shield her from humiliation.
Twelve. Twelve years old. Nash tried to hammer it into his brain. It was not that long ago; merely five years. The thought alone should have been enough to dissuade him from his lecherous desires. Yet, when he looked upon her, God damn him, he wanted her like a vein wanted a needle.
"Huh, like that matters. You still wear all those damn wrestling tees like a mark," her sister continued.
"Shut the hell up, Reves. You're always runnin' your mouth with nothing to say," Mark scolded her, but she didn't seem to be concerned.
Frowning, Heather hung her head, the shame seeping in even further. She could only imagine how pathetic everyone must think she was. She was nearly at her wit's end in suffering the insensitivity of everyone around her. Heather knew her father wasn't defending her from her sister's taunting. He merely wished not to hear her speaking as he was already infuriated with the whole ordeal.
"Well, I mean who wouldn't want to wear an HBK shirt. I mean really, come on," Shawn grinned smugly as he gestured to himself.
Heather glanced at him through the curtain of her hair, with a slight smile curving her lips. Shawn Michaels always had a certain charm that made him somehow endearing even for his blatant arrogance.
Mark of course had never been too taken with him and he was none too happy that he was back now to muck things up. "Can it, Michaels. I don't want to have to kick your ass on your first day back," Mark practically snarled, earning glares from both Nash and Waltman.
"You two can kill each other later on if you like, but for now let's get back to business," Vince commanded sternly.
As Vince continued to yammer on about things that didn't seem all that important, Sean would occasionally glance at Heather. She looked so sad. It really sucked that they weren't going to do that angle between them. He wondered if she was upset about that too. He would have loved getting to possibly kiss her. He bet she tasted so sweet and innocent…all over. Sean's face went blank. Oh shit, he was probably about to pop a woody right here in front of everyone. He needed to stop thinking about her like that, but it was really hard – and it was almost making him really hard too.
Kevin's eyes flickered momentarily to the little one. He attempted not to scowl as he watched Kid watching her. She looked as if she wasn't reconciled any further to the notion of this angle due to all the jesting she had received. He didn't know whether she was truly fixated on Shawn or not, but Kevin didn't see him as a threat - as far as he could tell, anyway. Unlike Kid, who he could tell by the way he was ogling her that he was practically undressing her in his mind's eye and that left Kevin feeling agitated. He wasn't at all keen on the way he knew Kid was thinking about her and he didn't even care anymore that he had basically become a complete hypocrite. Not that he was so damn holy, but Kid just wasn't right for her. End of discussion.
With the plans laid out, they were dismissed, and once again the little one dashed away in the blink of an eye. Kevin couldn't hold it against her, enduring all the mocking and ridicule. He longed for just a few moments alone in her presence, however, he had yet to be afforded that as she was always flinting off or Mark was keeping close tabs on her.
"Is she always like that?" Shawn asked with a passive curiosity as he stared at the doorway she had just run through.
"What's it to you?" Mark sneered suspiciously.
"Jeez, man. You haven't even given me a chance to offend or piss you off, but somehow, I already did. What gives?" the other man complained.
Mark simply glowered at the collective of men comprising the nWo before moving to exit the room. "C'mon girl," he called out to Reves.
"Nice to see you again too," Shawn wisecracked once he had left the room.
Reves lingered behind for a few moments. "What can I say. He's a dick. But you already know that, so…" she shrugged her shoulders in a flippant manner.
Mark summoned her yet again and she and Nash exchanged glances through narrowed eyes before she scoffed and trudged off.
Shawn cocked his head to the side. "Lovely family," he quipped.
"Pain in the ass family," Kevin retorted offhandedly, flipping his long hair as they began to leave the room.
The rest of the day passed rather quickly until it was nearly showtime and once again, Heather found herself in the loathsome makeup chair.
"What's with you?" Reves asked apparently only mildly concerned.
Heather sat tight-lipped. As of late, that particular inquiry was merely the precursor to ridicule and she was not keen on providing ammunition to her sister's arsenal.
"You've been really weird lately," Reves continued, either not reading the cue of her sister's closed-off body language, or simply not caring.
"Aren't I just so?" Heather grumbled bitterly.
"Duh. But more so than usual," Reves actually looked at her this time and noted how even in her irritation she looked like a grumpy kitten who couldn't have any cream after dinner. It was kind of hilarious in a way, but something else seemed to be digging at her. Sure, Reves had jerked her chain about the Michaels thing, but her little mood seemed to have been there prior to that. "What, did you and your little friend have some kind of falling out?"
"I would hardly call him little," Heather heard herself responding before she found a moment to ponder her sister's words. Only then did she realize the Reves had to be speaking of Jeremiah. She sucked in a breath and her face burst with her signature crimson mantel. She supposed it was in her favor that Jeremiah was a good deal taller than her, but still not as tall as the goliath that had been occupying her thoughts for quite some time now. "But to answer your inquiry, no, there are no dilemmas concerning Jeremiah and myself."
Even as she uttered the truth about her friendship with Miah, Heather's heart swelled with a dull ache due to all that she could not speak on. She wasn't certain that she even wished to divulge any part of her quandaries to her sister – no of course she didn't. She had suffered enough grief at her jeering. She undoubtedly couldn't disclose any of these sentiments to Reves. Unfortunately, there was no one to which she could reveal her conflict. She had never been open or unguarded, therefore she had no one whom she could confidently confide in.
"So, what's your malfunction, then?" Reves asked growing impatient.
For her part, Heather too had outgrown her patience with the conversation and merely answered in an uncharacteristically snappish manner, "It's nothing. Really. I do wish you to cease with your querying,"
Reves glared at her for a long moment as though enraged that she would dare withhold her innermost feelings. When the makeup lady asked her to look up so she could apply her mascara she seemed resigned. Her sister was not being forthcoming - that much she knew and it was pissing her off. Even Heather had at least enough socialization to be well aware that "I'm fine" was universal code for There's a shit ton going on inside. I'm just too stubborn to talk about it.
Something was stewing inside her sister. They may not be joined at the hip as they once were, but after seventeen years, Reves, better than anyone could still see beyond the mask. She was determined to find out exactly what it was that was eating away at her sister. Reves may keep secrets, but people didn't keep them from her. That wasn't how it worked.
On Raw, Nash had been alluding to a big announcement half the night. One which to his chagrin led to being pestered to the point of insanity, particularly by the two little mites he had been forced to reckon with. Well, mainly it was Reves, as Heather still seemed to be in a catatonic state. He continued to wonder why the hell Vince insisted on putting her in front of the camera, but far be it from him to question any plans set forth by the evil genius.
When the time finally came, he was glad it was to be only him and Shawn out there; no annoyances and no distractions. Just him and probably his best buddy of all time (aside from Scott, of course). Kevin made his way to the ring alone. He made a short and sweet promo about billings not always living up to the hype but assured everybody that this one certainly did, and with that, he introduced the newest member of the nWo.
Shawn came out to huge fanfare and an enormous pop as he danced and promenaded around as only Shawn Michaels could do. As shocking as it was to see the Heartbreak Kid on WWE programming at all after a four-year absence, it was absolutely surreal to see Michaels parading on stage entrenched in nWo black and white. Some marks may have even described the choice as ridiculous, but for Kevin, the only thing that mattered was the pure joy his buddy had from being back on WWE television, as well as for himself getting to be back with his boy, like old times. Shawn got in the ring and after a warm embrace and a Too Sweet hand gesture, they posed for the benefit of the crowd until going to commercial break.
The Showstopper was back and looking better than ever. Exactly why he was back and what his plans were in regards to the New World Order was still anybody's guess, but fan hoped things would get very interesting.