DISCLAIMER: I do not own the wrestlers that appear in the following story. They are the property of the actors and actresses that portray them, as well as the WWE.

Pre-Story Author's Notes: Hello all! I was reading stories by Sweet-Steffie and Normalchick and was inspired to write this one-shot. Don't get me wrong, I love Trish and Christian together, but once I have an idea in my head, I'm powerless to do anything but type it up. The lyrics at the end are taken from Hoobastank's song "The Reason", which I also do not own. I know this song has been used over and over, and you're all probably sick of it, but heck, it works for me. Enjoy!

LESS THAN PERFECT

Trish was running as fast as possible through the hallways, desperately looking for a particular dressing room. Even with her guest pass from GM Kurt Angle, she was not welcome by most wrestlers backstage at Smackdown; Chris Jericho still had a number of friends on this brand. She longed to talk to those that openly hated her, wanting to explain her actions, but she needed to get something off her chest first.

If she didn't, she might suffocate.

As she hurried, she tried to collect her thoughts, to figure out what to say to a man that had every right to spit in her face. The truth was rather unbelievable; he wouldn't hesitate to call her a liar. Whatever names he called her she most likely deserved, she would let him say his fill and then make him understand. And then… she didn't dare hope that he would give her a second chance. She didn't deserve that gift.

She spied her destination and skidded to a halt. Her heart leapt into her throat as she realized that her opportunity was here, he was behind this door. Taking a deep breath, she ran a hand through her windblown hair and knocked on the door.

D-Von, unfortunately for her, was the one who answered. Looking down at her, she could see the hatred emanating from his eyes. At least, she thought to herself, it is not because of what I did to Chris. This hatred was much older, much more personal to D-Von, and on his behalf he wanted nothing more then to assist his half-brother in putting her through a table. "What do YOU want?" he snarled at her, hiding his surprise. He didn't expect to see her on the other side of their locker room door; he wondered dismally if she had been traded.

Placing her foot in the doorway, Trish looked up at D-Von with pleading eyes. "Please, D-Von, I need to see him," she begged.

"And why should I let a snake like you near my brother again, huh? Go back to your little flamer." D-Von attempted to close the door in her face; Trish's sneaker prevented him from doing so. "You've picked the wrong year to mess with us, Trish," D-Von warned, ready to take physical action against her.

"Trish?" A voice echoed behind him, causing D-Von to frown. He didn't like where this was going.

At the sound of her voice from his lips, Trish's heart sped up happily. Ducking under D-Von's arm, she entered the dressing room, immediately locking eyes with the man sitting on a bench. "Bubba…" she breathed, drinking in his presence.

Bubba jumped to his feet, disbelief clearly etched across his features. "Trish?" he repeated, drinking in the sight of her. He couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she looked, with her hair askew and her face flushed. And yet, looking at her twisted the knife already lodged in his chest. He shifted his gaze to his brother, unsure of what to do or say.

D-Von gave him a slight nod, understanding his dilemma, and grabbed Trish by the arm. "You're not wanted here," he bit out as he pulled her towards the door.

"No!" she cried out, desperately trying to pull away from his grip. Her eyes were still locked with Bubba's; his eyes held a swirl of conflicting emotions. "Bubba, please, I have to talk to you," she begged him, "Please, for the love of God, hear me out!"

Something in Bubba stirred; she was looking at him… he dared not believe what he saw in her eyes. But he was hypnotized by her presence alone. Knowing he would most likely regret his next words, he sighed deeply and fell back onto the bench. "Let her go, D-Von," he requested.

D-Von looked at him in disbelief; he couldn't believe that this bitch had gotten her way again. Dropping her arm, he smashed his fist into a nearby wall. "You better watch what you say," he threatened before storming out of the room.

Watching D-Von leave, Trish breathed a sigh of relief. She was terrified of D-Von, only because she knew she deserved any action he took against her. "Thank you, Bubba," she said, forcing her voice not to tremble.

Bubba shrugged in reply. "You said you wanted to talk to me," he reminded her gruffly. He was still clueless as to why she was standing before him. "How did you even get in here?"

She gestured to the seat beside him. "May I?" she asked quietly; at Bubba's nod she tentatively sat down, suppressing a shiver at their close proximity. "I got Christian to call Kurt and get me a guest pass. They are still friends from the days of Team ECK."

At the mention of Christian, Bubba froze, waking up from the dream of seeing her again. He had nearly forgotten about her recent betrayal of Chris Jericho. "How nice; how is your little boyfriend anyway?"

Trish winced at the title. "I broke up with him yesterday," she murmured, her eyes focused on her hands.

Bubba let out a short, barking laugh. "Big surprise; Trish Stratus uses another guy to get what she wants," he commented bitterly.

She hung her head at his harsh yet words. She had played her little games and gotten one last thing out of Christian; however, at the time, she knew that it was the last time she would use any of her old tricks. "I was wrong to use Christian like that; I just couldn't figure out any other way to see you. Your cell phone number isn't the same, and…" she trailed off piteously.

"It's been almost two years, Trish!" Bubba couldn't believe she had tried to contact him; he immediately suspected the worst. "What did you want with me, perhaps another fling while you're on the rebound?" he hissed, memories of their last affair flashing before his eyes. "Well I'm not the sucker that I used to be."

"Bubba, please," she pleaded, unable to stand the pain and hurt that filled his eyes. She placed her hand on his arm; he jumped from the contact as if burned. Still, she forced her hand to remain in place, her fingers massaging his forearm. "Let me explain, and then you can yell and scream at me and kick me out." Please, she begged him with her eyes; I need this chance to fix things.

Bubba nodded curtly, permitting her to speak. If he was being honest with himself, he would admit to how curious he was at her behavior. She sat beside him, a quiet, desperate thing, with no visible trace of the girl who had broke his heart.

She wasn't sure where to begin; she wished she had taken the time to rehearse what to say to him. "I guess I should start back when we fell apart…"

"You mean, when you cheated on me," he inserted. If she is going to sit here and dredge up the past, she might as well get the facts right.

The words hit her like a slap in the face. "I didn't mean to."

Bubba snorted, somewhat amused by her feeble statement. "Oh, you didn't mean to? You didn't mean to have sex with a guy you met at a bar? You didn't mean to walk into my dressing room the next day and tell me that you had found someone else to satisfy you?" He pulled his arm away from her touch; he couldn't even bear to look at her. "You broke my heart. I gave you everything and you broke me," he choked out, a lump in his throat.

Trish moved to kneel in front of him, tears pooling in her eyes. "Bubba, look at me," she whispered, tilting up his chin. "I did all of those things, but not because I wasn't happy with you. God, never that." She paid no attention to the tears that now trailed down her cheeks. "I was falling so fast, Bubba. I had never been with a guy like you, a guy who respected who I was and cared about what I wanted. You were perfect, and I wasn't. You deserved someone perfect, but I couldn't be that," she sobbed, her emotions getting the best of her.

Bubba stared down at the crying woman in amazement. He couldn't believe that she had thought he wanted perfection. Hell, she was everything he always wanted. "Trish, calm down, I never wanted you to be perfect," he tried to explain. His hands itched to wipe away her tears; he forced himself to remain still.

She shook her head furiously. "You don't understand! I became so afraid of you, of the power you held over me, that I decided that I had to push you away before you realized that I wasn't the perfect goddess you made me out to be. So I did what I had to do." Backhanding a few tears away, Trish leaned her head on his knee, unable to meet his eyes during her next revelation. "I was devastated after we broke up, although I hardly acted like it. I convinced myself that I didn't need you, I didn't need love. I started going from guy to guy, taking what they had to offer but never giving anything in return."

"What about Jericho?" Bubba heard himself asking. His mind was buzzing from her words, the explanation that he had longed to hear.

Trish sighed; the wound she carried from Chris had yet to heal. "Chris… when Chris showed an interest in me, I decided that I was tired of my games and seriously pursued him. Even though he had his faults, I thought he seemed honorable enough. Of course, then I found out about the bet," she shuddered in remembrance. "I was hurt, but I was also furious. He didn't know about us, about how fearful I was of getting hurt by anyone. I decided he had to pay; therefore, when Christian came on to me, I saw the opportunity for revenge. His eyes… when I kicked him at Wrestlemania, his eyes had the same look that yours did when I told about the other guy," she whispered, swallowing back bile at the memory. "It scared the hell out of me. I thought I had driven you from my mind for good. And then, of course, you were traded to Smackdown that very week."

"I thought," Bubba swallowed, his mouth dry. "I thought you would have been happy I was gone."

"So did I," Trish snorted bitterly. "Or that's what I kept telling myself when I cried myself to sleep that night. It was then I realized that my fears had ruined me. I was... I still feel dead inside. For a few weeks I thought maybe Christian could fill that void; I desperately wanted him to." She gulped, and then looked at Bubba directly. "He can't. He doesn't care about me… like you did."

Bubba's heart, an organ he believed to be long dead, throbbed at her words. He felt both excited and sick to his stomach at the time. Grabbing her hands, he pulled her upwards until they were both standing. "Trish… what are you saying?" he asked, his voice revealing the conflict he felt inside.

Reaching up to stroke his cheek, Trish gave him a sad smile. "It's okay, I'm not going to ask you to take me back. I don't deserve that. You don't deserve that. I just wanted to come here and thank you."

"Thank… me?" Bubba Ray was reeling. How does she know what I do and don't deserve?

"You inspired me to change who I am. I'm done with being afraid of love; I'm ready to stop the games and start living my life again." The tears were back, trailing lightly down her cheeks, and she laughed at herself for being an emotional fool. "You're my reason, Bubs," she stated, using her old nickname for him.

This time, he did not hesitate to wipe her tears away. The more she spoke, the more his chest fluttered with a forgotten feeling, and he found himself smiling back at her. "You're welcome," he said, immediately cursing his stupidity. She poured her heart and soul at his feet, and he was acting like a buffoon.

Trish gave him a smile that nearly blinded him. The weight on her chest had disappeared the instant she had called him her reason. She nearly lost herself in his soft gaze, and suddenly recognized the desire that surged in her belly. She knew she couldn't stay strong for much longer, not when he stood this close to her, his hands cupping her face gently. "Bubs," she whispered, removing his hands, "I should go."

Both his mind and his heart screamed for her to stay. "Don't," he pleaded, crushing her to him in a hug. "I'm sorry… I don't know what to say, or to do," he admitted, resting his cheek on her scalp. "But I know I don't want you to leave."

She almost melted into his embrace; God how she loved the way his arms were wrapped around her. She knew she couldn't remain in this safe haven, she had to leave. "Bubs, I have to," she whimpered, pulling away from his arms. "One confession from me does not change the past between us. And I can't bear to hurt you again."

As she tried to escape, Bubba tightened his hold on her. Part of him feared that if he let her go, she would disappear forever. And while he used to think that would be a good thing, he now knew he couldn't bear to lose her again. "And I can't stand you running away right now, not after everything you've said to me." He tipped her chin up to look at him; while gazing into her chocolate eyes, he finally knew what he wanted, at least for the moment. "Don't try to be noble and give me space to think about the right thing to do, Trish. There's only one thing on my mind right now." With that, Bubba closed the space between him and pressed his lips to her.

Both were lost in the sensations when D-Von burst back into the room, startling both of them. "Oh hell no!" he cursed, catching the end of their embrace. Stomping over to the pair, he forced them apart, keeping a firm grip on Trish's arm. "I can't believe you are trying to put those claws of yours back into my brother! It isn't going to happen this time; I won't stand back and watch you destroy him again." Glancing at his star-struck brother, he frowned and yanked her towards the door. "It's high time you left, bitch."

Dazedly, Trish looked back at Bubba, wondering why on Earth he kissed her. D-Von's words rang in her ears, and she cringed at the thought of hurting Bubba again. Perhaps he is right; this could be a game that I don't even know that I am playing, she woefully thought. She couldn't be sure, now that she had left behind the life that caused her and so many others pain. So she allowed D-Von to drag her to the door and literally throw her out. She fell on her backside, but the pain of her landing was nothing compared to the wrenching of her heart at leaving Bubba. Picking herself up, she took one last look at the locker room door, and then quietly made her way towards the parking lot.

"And don't come back!" D-Von yelled through the door before turning back to his brother. "You better start thanking me for that, bro."

Bubba shook himself from his stupor, rage taking over at his half-brother's actions. "Thank you?! What the hell is wrong with you?" he sputtered, making a beeline for the door. D-Von wordlessly crossed his arms, blocking his path. "Get out of my way, D-Von," he warned.

"No. We have a match in fifteen minutes. Let her go." It was clear to D-Von that Bubba had once again fallen into her trap.

Bubba stared him down, knowing that he'd never get around D-Von without an explanation, and that he had an obligation to wrestle. "Don't you ever lay a finger on her again, got it?" he enunciated, poking his brother in the chest simultaneously.

D-von blinked, unimpressed by his brother's threat. "I should say the same thing to you. How could you let her get under your skin again, huh?"

Bubba shook his head; things were better left unexplained until later. "Let's go get this match over with bro," he said, gesturing towards the door. Afterwards, he vowed to himself, I will hunt her down and tell her exactly what she deserves.

D-Von shook his head at him. "You're already planning on seeing her again, aren't you?"

Bubba nodded slowly, not surprised that his brother could read him so well. "I have my reason."

"I'm not a perfect person

There's many things I wish I didn't do

But I continue learning

I never meant to do those things to you

And so I have to say before I go

That I just want you to know

I found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And the reason is you"

THE END

Last Author's Note: I am probably going to get flamed to high hell for breaking up Trish and Christian, but I don't care, I loved writing this. Once I got the idea for a Trish/Bubba fic, I immediately thought of this song and the story wrote itself. I apologize for the abundance of sap and melodrama, but I still hope y'all enjoyed reading it. Review and let me know what you think. Thanks!