Kliq Oneshots (And Friends!) [WWE]

Something That Matters More

Shawn Michaels x Katherine McMahon (OC)
***

Shawn and Katherine sat at their dinner table, after the kids had gone to bed. Shawn was leaving in the morning for work, so this would be their last chance for face-to-face communication for a while.

Katherine held a cup of tea, looking out the kitchen window. Beyond their yard was the great outdoors, filled with woods and a creek back through there somewhere. They lived in the middle of nowhere in Texas, which made her worry about the kids playing outside.

"Andie's been playing down in the creek. She brings back frogs and cups full of puddle water. I don't like it at all. She could drown."

"She's fine, Kat. I did worse than that at her age. Kids play outside."

"She is your child, for sure." She rolled her eyes. "Maybe since you aren't the one that has to deal with it every day, you should stop teaching her these things. I raised Princess Scottie; I can't deal with Tomboy Andie."

She hadn't meant for the conversation to be the reason he thought about retirement. When they went to bed that night, her words swam through his head.

He loved what he did, but be loved his wife and kids more. His wife was right when she said he wasn't there every day. It was sometimes a long time before he saw them again.

He didn't want to miss Andie playing in the mud and catching frogs. He didn't want to miss Scottie's sure-to-be-crazy teenage years. He didn't want to miss Cam's sports games.

He didn't want to miss their lives, flashing before his eyes.

***

"I think I'm done," Shawn spoke suddenly, while the two were washing dishes.

Katherine gave him a confused look. "What do you mean? There's a whole other stack of dishes."

"No, I mean wrestling. I think I'll do 'Mania this year, and next year. After that... I'm done."

Katherine stopped what she was doing. "You're serious? I mean, you love it."

"I want to enjoy the kids' lives while they're young and don't hate me for missing everything."

"They could never hate you," Katherine assured him. "If this is really what you want, do it. I could use some help around here." She shot him a playful smirk.

***

Sitting ringside for Shawn's last match was taxing on Katherine and the kids. The kids had only watched a few of his matches from that position, notably his Wrestlemania match from the year before.

Katherine knew how nerve-wracking it was to be so close to a loved one and unable to help them. The year before had particularly made her anxious.

She didn't want the kids ringside. She wanted them in the back. They could be there for their dad but not have to see the action so painfully close.

Shawn insisted on having them there, and the kids themselves protested at being restrained to the backstage area.

So, Katherine had no choice but to sit with them and comfort their fears.

Scottie was especially worried. Every bump her father took made her more anxious for his well-being. Her Uncle Mark being the other guy didn't make things any easier.

It was honestly no surprise to her parents that Scottie was so full of emotion. The two of them could be dramatic, especially in their younger years.

The girl stood for most of the match, looking over the barricade. Tears slid down her face as she watched both men take so much punishment.

She couldn't be more relieved when the match was finally over.

When Shawn slid out of the ring, the first person he greeted wasn't his wife. It was his eldest daughter, because she needed him.

He wrapped his sweaty arms around her, over the barricade, while she clung tightly to him. He whispered to her, trying to get her to calm down.

"It's okay. I'm okay. Look at me. Babygirl." He pulled away, taking her face in his hands and pushing her hair out of her face. "Look at me, sweetheart. I'm fine. It'll take more than that to kill your dear old dad."

Scottie finally nodded, but the tears still flowed down her cheeks. Shawn wiped them away with his thumbs and kissed her forehead.

Andie and Cam wanted attention too, so he ruffled their hair. That was enough for the time being, since he was coming home with his family. They would have plenty of time with their dad soon.

Katherine pecked him softly on the lips before they let him go on. "We'll see you in the back."

***

Backstage, it was difficult to even get close to Shawn, due to everyone congratulating him. Some were hugging him and saying goodbye, including Paul.

His family waited semi-patiently for their turn. Katherine brought Shawn into my arms as soon as she could.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked softly.

"That you have to leave all this. I know how much you love it. Wrestling has always been your first love."

He pulled away so he could look her in the eyes. "There's something that matters more to me now." He nodded at the kids, who were annoying the hell out of Mark with all their questions. Andie, in particular, wanted to climb all over him and ask about being a deadman. "I don't want to miss one more second of their lives. Not one more birthday, or Christmas. I want to be there."

"You need to talk to Scottie," Katherine told him. "She's been so emotional; you know how she gets."

Shawn nodded, motioning to his daughter to follow him as he walked.

Katherine distracted the other two. "Cam, Andie, leave Uncle Mark alone. He's tired. Let's go bug Papaw."

***

Shawn brought his daughter to a quiet place in the hall, where it was just the two of them.

"Okay, kiddo," he started, "I know your mom thinks you're being dramatic, but you get it from me. It's okay to have emotions and express them. But you would benefit from learning to control them."

"I don't know how."

"I didn't either, for a long, long time. You know who helped me?"

"Mom?"

Shawn chuckled. "Her too. But God helped me rediscover who I am. I don't need to worry when I know He's on my side. Everything happens for a reason, on the path He has for you."

Scottie took a deep breath. "...Okay."

"Come on," Shawn said, pulling her close. "Cheer up, Daddy's finally coming home."

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-A/N-
Here's some Shawtherine + kiddos for y'all while I'm on vacation.