Persona and Personal

With Chyna finally making a return and getting into the mix, the dynamic of the storyline accelerated into a brawl between the three women.

Chyna was not happy when she returned, knowing that what could've been her moment for the title was turning into a childish game of cat and mouse. And now the Champion was nothing more than a Petty Thief from the slums that always cowards behind the crowd. Chyna swore she would take what was hers to begin with.

At one point Lou Smith found herself between a rock and a hard place; already caged by Ivory and her band of RTC after a humiliating defeat in No Way Out, and walled by The Ninth Wonder of the World.

Being the Lou Smith that she was, she just laughed it off, with the gold belt raised above her head.

Reading at the new storyline design, Lou pursed her lips. The idea of Joan's returning, although welcomed with open heart, meant that there was a possibility that Lou would lose her championship to her. By design, wrestlers knew what was going to happen at the end of a story. It was part of the performance and matches had predetermined outcomes. Chyna's return and winning the match at Wrestlemania was already a possible outlook that even the WWF Universe might have seen coming.

Lou had known this result for a while. But she couldn't help but feel a slight disappointment knowing she had to lose a title in such a big PPV match. However it was scripted, it was after all a prize possession; the achievement of being the best in the division–for the crowd to see.

Then again, Lou Smith was a mere replacement to fill the empty cast.

Oh well, adding another thirty-day reign in her character's CV.

Shoving the papers in the envelope and later in her bag, Lou left her locker room and took a quick walk to the cafeteria. So she grabbed a quick snack and made comfort in sitting amongst people with the same idea.

The backstage cafeteria was always a low-key but vital part of events, tucked away in some corner of the arena, just out of sight of the roaring fans. It wasn't glamorous; it was purely functional, a temporary, practical setup meant to keep everyone fueled for the night ahead. Despite its humble appearance, the cafeteria held an undeniable sense of energy as a social spot. Wrestlers, production crew, and staff members all share the same space, making it an area for mingling and lighthearted conversations over a plate of pasta and roasted chicken.

Cafeteria was also a common place for a random promo or segment to take place, done prior to the live event itself. When a staff member yelled: "The BoD is shooting here, make way!" and the stage crew quickly prepared the camera and audio and built up a pathway and the wrestlers who were not supposed to be in shot, scrambled to the corner of the room.

"I thought they had done this one already." Standing beside Lou, a fellow wrestler commented.

Another one, Jericho, quipped. "They did in the hallways but they retake it here since the audio clashed with the other segment."

Lou felt an arm snaking around her shoulder. "Hm, alright." Said Jeff, taking a spoonful of her Greek yogurt.

She elbowed his rib. "Oi!"

They, along with other people in the cafeteria, quieted down when the staff gave another cue for action and soon enough a pair of brothers of The Undertaker and Kane walked in and walked out. Lou watched as the Brothers made their way across and disappeared behind the corner turn. The staff said cut, and they walked back into the cafeteria. The stage crew already disbanded.

"This is the first time I saw those two mingling here." Jericho pointed out to Taker who was already finding a comfortable seat by the TV and Kane who now had a protein bar on his hand, red mask already off the face, revealing only make-up in a form of black smudges over his lensed eyes.

"Well there's still a few hours left to spare before the gates are open and the big dogs go into hiding." She told him.

"Shouldn't you be talking to Lita about your match tonight?" Jeff, ignoring the woman's glare, took another scrape of her yogurt snack.

"Yeah but she's still in the wardrobe, last time I checked. I could wait there but I want to grab a bite. Can you stop it Jeff? This is mine!" She replied quickly, pulling the cup away from him.

Jeff just grinned and licked the spoon. "I know."

For the most part Lou Smith stayed there and shared a conversation with Jericho and Jeff Hardy, mostly about their build-up matches. Only then Lou learned that Jeff just had a new set of tattoos on his back, unknown by the officials, requiring him to wear a t-shirt or a sheer top for his appearances. If not talk about work-related matters, then they brought up some everyday happenings.

When his brother Matt came with rather annoyed Amy—as her match pair went missing for a bit—it was her cue to leave.

Walking arm in arm, Amy suddenly spoke. "You know, Jeff seems like a nice guy to be around with. Don't you think so?"

Lou pursed her lips together. "What does it have to do with anything?"

"Nothing in particular. But you two should hang out more, outside of the arena I mean."

Lou shot her a look, catching the mischievous glint in Amy's eye. "What exactly are you getting at?"

Amy shrugged again, a little too innocently. "Well, he's single, you're single…nothing wrong with that."

"What are you even talking about? There's nothing going on between me and Jeff." The brunette pressed on. "It's not a date. We just hung out like everyone else."

"I never said anything about a date." Amy teased, grinning wider. "But if that's where your mind went, then maybe you should go for it. Who knows, you might end up sharing more than just a yogurt…maybe a bed?"

Lou's cheeks flushed instantly. "Oh my god. Shut up."

Amy laughed. "Aw, you're blushing, boo! Anyway, come on—we're almost late for the ring."

The redhead had been bothering her with the power of matchmaking, ever since she figured out that Lou and Jeff had a drink at the bar the other night, and some other nights as well. It wasn't necessarily romantic, nor were they alone. But when they sat down next to each other, perhaps a bit too close to everyone's comfort, it stimulated enough assumptions. Lou had to admit, though, she didn't mind Jeff's company at all. Other than being a superb athlete with a wild attractive look, she found him equally charming and a tad funny.

Lou reminded herself to kick Lita a bit harder tonight.

The center stage was already occupied by the time they walked in. In the middle was Hunter, Stephanie, Steve, Rock and Kurt—the main-eventers—setting up their promos and camera placement; all of them were scheduled to start the show by a segment and ended the show with a match. At the other corner sat down Big Show and Al Snow for Hardcore Championship.

Above them the lights flipped and switched in multi colors and the Titantron was simulating a bunch of videos, including various entrances, promo cuts and pre-recorded backstage segments. Lou had to frowned when her own video entrance played on the big screen.

I should ask the creative to add a new mix of stuff in there.

By then the main-eventers had finished and one by one they walked out of the ring, taking turns with the others.

Steve Austin cleared his throat and moved away from the rope. "Ladies first, lil missy." He offered, lifting the rope up.

"Thank you, Austin." Lou Smith grinned and stepped in.

There was a different kind of thrill, one that didn't rely on hard-hitting punches or risqué moves. Instead, simple moments behind the action, little words and laughs before and after the intense fights—another world beyond the Gorilla.

Funny thing about backstage, when the show ended, the backstage became more chaotic.

Steve enjoyed his time backstage as much as in the ring, where he would walk around and see how the other side operated. He would stand back and sit down and only watch as everyone else wandered around, going through here and there. Backstage crew calling out milestones on their headset, wrestlers making their way to wherever they were supposed to be. People moving about and staying behind, all the same.

"Mr. Austin," a staff member called him. "Just wanna let you know that Mr. McMahon was looking for you for a while ago. Thought you may want to see him now."

Steve walked towards the direction, greeting some people along the way to the Boss' office. Assuming he was already expected, he barged in without a knock on the door, a habit he had when dealing with Vince. Usually, Vince would curse the shit out for making a fright of the old man and Steve would just laugh it off.

"Oh fucking Jesus Christ. That scared the crap out of me."

This time Vince wasn't in the room.

"Uh, hold up. Where's Vince?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked around the room.

"Damn it, it's just you." Lou Smith let out a sigh, the dead grip against the armchair loosened. She turned around at the intruder. "Did you see Vince outside?"

"If I saw Vince out there, I wouldn't be comin' in here, would I?" Steve shot back with a sneer. "So where the hell is he?"

"Vince excused himself out, hasn't returned yet - what are you doing here?"

"Dunno. A staff sent me." He told her. "Could ask you the same thing too. What're you doin' here?"

"Oh, I was talking to Vince. Before he took off, anyway. Said he's taking a personal call. Should be back soon."

"Alright." Steve said. "Guess I could do it another time."

"Well, I mean, you could wait here, if you want. My business is done. I'm just waiting to leave. Can't go nowhere 'til the Boss says so, right?"

Steve thought about it for a second. Running up and down the stairs again sounded like a pain in the ass. He plopped himself down on the couch, kicked his legs up on the table, and grabbed a mint candy from the bowl. He glanced around the room before his eyes landed on Lou, who was already back to her phone.

"So, what were you and Vince talkin' about?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"I have media appearance later this week. Like an interview. But I want to sort out the list of questions first." She told him. "You know how the press these days."

"Smart move. I'd do the same." Steve nodded, popping the mint in his mouth.

He saw a nod, before she went back to the phone.

Not long after that the door opened again and Vince strutted in. "Oh, you're already here Austin? Just a bit, will ya—Louisa, sorry I kept you waiting." He skipped past The Rattlesnake. "Where were we? Oh, yes. About the interview, I'll see what I can do about the agenda. Hopefully we can have it before the weekend."

"That's alright, Vince. I appreciate that, thanks." Lou stood up. "Looks like you have another patient, Sir. I guess I'll leave you guys to it then."

Vince smiled. "Mind to close the door behind ya? Thank you."

Steve watched the woman disappear behind the door, before Steve turned back to the old man. "Didn't know her name was Louisa."

"Louisa, Louella, Loucile, I don't actually know. I keep changing it and she never corrects me." Vince shrugged. "Her real name, however, is so French that I can't even pronounce it. So we just stick with Louie—that's what she wanted her ring name to be. She thought it sounded better than Lou Smith. Writers didn't like it though, said it sounded too much like a guy's name—like Lewis Smith. What the hell am I even ramblin' about? Come here."

Most of the conversation mainly discussed his match and his storyline, and also other inputs for the others storyline as well. Steve was never born to be an actor or a writer, but he loved the planning as much as the action itself. He watched matches whenever he could and that included audience reaction too. If needed, he would spend many hours sitting with Vince, JR and the writers, brainstorming some ideas, even throwing in a bit of "Stone Cold" wisdom here and there—for he knew the WWF Universe didn't just resolve around him.

At one point Steve had thought of diving into a career as a ring booker or road agent to spend his retirement days.

"By the way, Austin. I wanna talk about somethin' else." Vince moved on to another topic. "How's the situation between you and Debbie?"

The sound of Steve cracking a piece of candy echoed in the room, the sharp snap like a bell tolling in the silence.

Steve immediately stood up. "I ain't talkin' about this with you."

"No. Sit your ass down for a sec, Steve." Vince caught his arm, pulling him back into the chair. "I don't wanna talk about it either, but you and Debra are still under my employ, and I need to know what's goin' on between you two," he said slowly, his voice turning serious. "Now, sit your ass down, boy."

Exhausted, Steve dropped back into the chair, rubbing his face, not in the mood for another conversation about his personal life.

Vince took the cue and kept going. "Look, your business is your business, and I'm not tryin' to get all up in it. But there are things you gotta share with me, for the sake of the business and for y'all's well-being." Vince let out a long sigh. "I know you two don't talk, but you gotta know, she's comin' back to work this month."

Steve shot a glance at Vince. "What do you want from me?"

Vince looked him in the eye. "The writers know she's comin' back, and they've got an idea. They wanna put her in your and Rocky's storyline. Nothing romantic, just have her manage Rocky."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "And you're tellin' me this how?"

Vince leaned against the table, his face serious. "I was against it, Steve. I knew what's been goin' on between you two. But from a business perspective, the idea of having the number one contender's wife manage his opponent—that's good mind games. You and Rocky are both babyfaces, so it's tough to make a rivalry work between you two. This could heat things up. That's their idea."

Steve rubbed his temples, frustrated. "And you're tellin' me all this 'cause you want me to just accept it, right?"

Vince straightened up. "I'm telling you this now 'cause the script's gonna be done soon. The final decision's up to me, and I'll be honest, it's not a bad idea. But I'm not pulling the trigger until I know what's goin' on with you two."

Steve growled and rubbed his face harder, like he was trying to scrub away the frustration. He hadn't seen Debra in over two months, not since November. He never expected his personal life would end up back in the business like this.

Steve and Debra got married back in 1998, after one too many alcoholic dates and hook-ups after post-event parties. What looked like a whim turned out to be a steady relationship, with Debra cheering behind the curtain for Stone Cold and at the same time sitting by him when he was hospitalized, especially during his vulnerable time dealing with his neck issue—and his second divorce. They started to move in and spend the rest of his recovery together.

Unfortunately, good times never last and life didn't work out the way it was.

"We're fine. We've sorted things out." Steve said, his tone flat.

"Sorted out how? Tell me."

Steve took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "We've talked it through. We've come to an agreement. We're livin' separately now, like you know. We ain't botherin' each other, it's all settled."

Vince eyed him carefully. "Is this…resolved around the divorce settlement?"

Steve's teeth clenched at the word. "Don't like that word, Vince."

"Alright, alright." Vince said, nodding. "How many people know about the split?"

"No one." Steve snapped. "I haven't told anyone."

Vince gave a nod. "I won't bring it up to anyone else. You have my word."

Steve felt a brief moment of relief. He knew Vince would keep his word. But he also knew Vince got what he wanted, no matter what.

Vince paused before asking, "Does this change anything for you? Working with your ex-wife?"

"Are you kiddin' me Vince?" Steve's face tightened again, the anger rising. "Did she even agree to this? Have you talked to her about it, goddammit?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Vince said, holding his hands up. "And she was…receptive to it, as long as there's no direct contact between you two."

Steve scoffed. "Pfft, how's that gonna work? You want me to pretend she don't exist while I'm standin' next to her at ringside? During a promo, I'm just supposed to ignore her like she's part of the damn stage crew? The crowd ain't stupid, Vince. They'll see right through that."

Vince waved his hand, trying to clarify. "Let me rephrase: no physical contact. She's willing to put the differences aside and be professional if you are."

Steve glared at him, his jaw clenched. "Oh, so it's my fault now?"

"You said you didn't wanna talk about that," Vince shot back, his voice a little sharper.

If Vince were not a good friend, he would have knocked the teeth out of his gum. "Fuck you."

"I didn't mean it like that." Vince pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're my boy and I want nothing more than to let you have the peace of mind you always wanted, but not at the expense of others—hey! Don't you dare leave, Austin! Get your ass back here! Damnit!"

Funny thing about the behind the scene of Stone Cold Steve Austin; unfolded the muddling personal life of Steven Williams.

A/N:

Just wanna clear the air (my air, at least):

From what I gathered, the whole plot of Debra managing Rocky started as a way to address Debra and Austin's marriage, which at the time was a spreading rumor after they got married in 2000. So eventually they decided to have the marriage made it part of the in-ring drama.

But for the sake of this story, I'm pulling back their relationship, and so was their divorce. Here, they got married in 1998.

Now, I'd always assumed the public wasn't made aware of the relationship, not until that Debra/Vince segment on RAW after No Way Out where Vince said it himself (Source: RAW March 5th). So, I concluded the period before X7, they kept the marriage private, at least from the fans. I could be entirely wrong, but this is the idea I'm going for.

We shall see what happened when Lou Smith walked into frame (*wink wink).

Lemme know what you think. Cheers!