Title: An Honest Plea
Rating: G
Characters: Stone Cold/Trish Stratus... cameos by Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Batista, and Vince McMahon.
Summary: Trish Stratus finds out that Steve's leaving the WWE... for good. Can she convince him to stay?

Disclaimer: Chances are, anything recognizable to you in this story, does not belong to me. Most of which I do wish I owned, but sadly don't. So, because I can't claim ownership of anything/anyone, I have to write down all these crazy ideas that I come up with in my mind and turn them into a work of art for your enjoyment. Which I hope you all actually do enjoy.

Stone Cold sat on a chair in the Green Room, slouched forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped together. He searched the room with his eyes, observing the other Superstars and Divas - many of whom were his close friends. Looking around the room, he wondered if the decision he made was the right one. He had done this many of times before, but never to this extent. All the other times were just temporary… this was the real thing.

- FLASHBACK -
"Steve, it's nice to see you. How are you?" Vince McMahon greeted, shaking the Rattlesnake's hand, before taking a seat behind his large mahogany desk.

"I'm doing pretty good," Stone Cold said as he took a seat in a chair on the opposite side of the desk.

"What can I do for you?"

"Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I came to the decision that I've had my final ride here in the WWE. I think my time's up, as much as I hate to say it."

"I knew this day would come, I just didn't think it would be so soon."

"Yeah, well, neither did I. But things like this are unpredictable."

"You're right."

"My body's not like it used to be, and wrestling is only gonna wear it down more than it has to be. I'm not in the physical condition for wrestling anymore, and quite frankly, it kinda sucks," Steve admitted. "Actually, it really sucks."

"I see," Vince apprehended. "So, this is the real thing?"

"This is the real thing," Steve confirmed.

"Well, you know that there's always a home for you here in the WWE if you were ever to change your mind; you know that."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Well, Steve, I can't say that I'm not disappointed. We're going to be losing a true talent and family member in you," Vince replied, honestly. "I do, however, ask that you keep in close touch… if it's not too much to ask."

"Not a problem at all," Steve reassured, with that ever-so-famous grin of his.

- END FLASHBACK –

As he thought about his final decision, his gaze rested upon someone across the room chatting with two members of Evolution… Trish Stratus. The day before WrestleMania XIX, when Trish heard about Steve being in the hospital because of some kind of 'physical breakdown', she had immediately gone to see him. She had been by his side almost every minute and has been there ever since, to this very day. They had formed a very close relationship, and these days, the two were feeling much more than friendly toward each other.

As his blue eyes rested upon the Canadian Beauty, he soon began to question now more than ever, whether he was making the right decision. She had been there through so much for him, and vice-versa, and Steve didn't really know how she would react to his departing the WWE; especially now that their friendship seemed to be becoming more than just so. It's not like he wanted to do this, he had to; his body was broken down and just wasn't in good physical condition for wrestling anymore. Steve was brought out of his thoughts when someone rested a hand upon his shoulder. He looked up to see Shawn Michaels standing beside him, a knowing look etched on his face.

"Second thoughts?" The Heart Break Kid questioned, looking at the same woman Steve had been only seconds before. Steve hadn't told everyone about his leaving yet, but Shawn was one of the few who knew already.

Steve nodded, shifting his gaze back to Trish. "Telling her is gonna be harder than I thought," The Texas Rattlesnake confessed.

"I, personally, wish you would reconsider your decision, but at the same time – I know where you're coming from. If you remember correctly, not so many years ago, I was in the same boat as you, my friend."

"But you never had to do this," Steve retorted, his eyes still on Trish.

"You're right," Shawn acknowledged. Most would say that this kind of behavior was a little out of character for Stone Cold, but truth be told, it really wasn't. Not too many people saw this side of Steve – only the people who knew the vibe between him and Trish. In all honesty, Steve could be the world's biggest S.O.B., but Trish always brought out the soft side of the Rattlesnake.

"I'm gonna feel the most guilt about all this when it comes to telling her."

"Why's that?" Shawn inquired.

"I've been contemplating this for a while now, and she's gonna be the last to know – which is wrong because the most important person in my life shouldn't be the last to know," Steve replied, the guilt already beginning to set in.

"But that's almost always how it pans out," Shawn stated. "The most important people in your life are always the hardest to tell the cold hard truth to, so you try avoiding it for as long as humanly possible."

"I'm beginning to get that…" Steve trailed off.

"Whatever you may choose to do, just know that I respect your decision whole-heartedly," Shawn made clear. "Even if it is the decision to depart from the company."

"Well, thanks, man. That means a lot coming from you."

"I'm gonna get going and let you be alone. I'll talk to you later," Shawn said, extending his hand to shake Steve's before going off in another direction.

After a few more moments alone, Steve stood up, leaving the green room himself.

"That's too bad about Steve, you know?" Randy Orton broke the silence that had seemingly begun to gather between he and his friends.

"Yeah," Dave Batista agreed. "I'm sure gonna miss the guy."

"What?" Trish Stratus asked, a quizzical look on her face.

"You mean you didn't hear?" Randy asked, looking over at the Canadian Diva.

"Apparently not, because I haven't the slightest clue as to what the two of you are talking about."

"Well, do you think there's a reason she doesn't know? Maybe he didn't want to tell her or something?" Randy asked, looking over at the burly man that sat across from him.

"I don't see why."

"What? Tell me already!" Trish said, becoming impatient.

"Alright, alright," Randy said, putting his hands up in defense. "Steve's leaving."

"Oh. For how long?" Trish asked, figuring Steve requested some time off.

"Permanently," Dave responded.

Trish did a double take. "What?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Randy said. "He told Vince today, and a few other people."

"How could he not tell me?" Trish asked, obviously upset as she lowered her head, and closed her eyes.

Randy and Dave shrugged their shoulders, and tried to give Trish a reassuring look. Both men knew of the strong bond that Steve and Trish shared, and they felt sympathy for their friend. It had to be hard on her being one of the last people to know about Steve's departure.

"Talk to him," Randy suggested, putting a comforting hand on top of hers. "I'm sure he's got a reason for all this."

Trish lifted her head, looking at Randy, then at Dave, and then back at Randy. "Yeah," She whispered.

Stone Cold sat in his locker room, so many different thoughts crowding his mind. He had contemplated his decision numerous times that day, but held firm to it. He knew that he had no other choice than to take his leave, because in all honesty, it was the best thing for him to do. He still hadn't brought himself to tell Trish about his decision, but he was slowly progressing to that level. He was brought of his reverie when he heard a sudden knock at the door. He stood up, making his way to the door and opening it. There on the other side stood Trish Stratus.

"Trish… come on in," Steve said, stepping aside so that she could enter.

"Steve, what's going on?" Trish blurted out, turning to look at him.

Steve slowly shut the door, and stood with his back to Trish. He rested a hand on his hip and brought the other up, tracing his goatee with his index finger and thumb. Apparently someone had tipped her off to the fact that he was leaving. No one knew that he didn't want her to know yet, so it was obvious that it wasn't intentional.

"Steve… please talk to me," Trish pleaded with the man in front of her and at her request, Steve turned to look at her. "It's true isn't it?"

Steve's gaze dropped to the floor and slowly nodded. "Yeah," Was all he managed to say.

"Why?" Trish asked simply, pain and confusion written all over her face. Noticing so, Steve couldn't help but blame himself for putting it there.

"I don't really have much of a choice here, Trish."

"You have every choice."

"What more do I have to offer this company? Not much, considering I'm not able to wrestle anymore without seriously hurting myself more than I already have."

"Steve, what are you talking about? You have so much more to offer this company aside from your wrestling abilities."

"Trish, this is World Wrestling Entertainment. The keyword there being wrestling," He stated. "After a given amount of time, you're not gonna be as respected as you once were, without the wrestling aspect of your career."

"You're wrong," Trish said firmly. "You're Stone Cold Steve Austin. You're one of – if not the greatest Superstar in WWE history. It's not going to matter to your fans whether you're wrestling or not… as long as they get to see you every week."

"Granted, that may be true, but I think it's time that I take my leave."

"What about your fans... don't you think they should have a say in this?" Trish asked, trying all possible things she could think of to keep him from walking out that door.

"I value my fans' opinions more than anything, but I honestly don't think that they have a say in this," Steve replied. There was a momentary silence between the two before Trish finally spoke up.

"What about me... don't I have a say in this?" She asked, looking up at him as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Steve moved in closer, bringing his hand up to wipe the tear away with his thumb. He then looked into her hazel eyes, meeting her gaze. "Look, I know this is hard. It's been hard for me too. That's why I was so hesitant to tell you about all this," He explained.

"But you didn't," Trish stated. "I had to hear it from Randy and Dave… and you can't be mad at them because they thought I knew. And why wouldn't they?"

"I'm not mad at them."

"So why didn't you tell me?" Trish asked, searching his blue eyes for an answer.

"I didn't have the courage to tell you just yet. Truth is, I'm not ready to leave this place… and I'm surely not ready to leave you," Steve admitted.

Trish stood, looking up into his eyes for a moment before pulling him into a passionate kiss. Steve voluntarily wrapped his arms around her small frame, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. It was true that their relationship was blossoming into much more than just a friendship lately, but they had never really acted on such feelings. However, they both knew how the other felt. But if it were up to them, they'd stay this way forever. They both pulled away breathlessly, looking to meet the other's gaze. Realizing what had just happened, Trish pulled away from his grasp, turning her back to him.

"Steve, why are you doing this to me?' She questioned, turning to look at him again.

"You kissed me."

"You can't kiss me back like that and expect me to just let you go."

"Would you rather I pushed you away?"

"No."

"Well, then what, Trish? I didn't realize I was doing anything wrong," Steve replied, confused.

"You're not," Trish stated. "I'm just so confused and hurt right now."

Steve stepped closer and pulled the smaller woman into a hug. "I'm sorry," He whispered, as tears began to fall from Trish's eyes. They stood there for a good while, before Steve broke the embrace, pulling back to look at her a last time.

"I love you, Steve," Trish whispered, the tears still falling down her cheeks.

Steve used his thumb to wipe away her fallen tears. He then leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers ever so lightly in a sweet, gentle kiss. The kiss ended as quickly as it started, and before she knew it, Steve was slowly walking past her, headed for the door. He turned to give her one last look before walking out the door, and seemingly… out of her life.