A/N: OK, so after reading so many wonderfully written Jeria stories on here (especially by unwrittenx3 and cherrycokerocks), I decided to see what I could do with the pairing. I've become quite a fan and I hope to write Jeria in the future…that is, of course, assuming that you guys like this.

A HUGE hug and my eternal thanks go out to And (cherrycokerocks) for helping me brainstorm, giving me ideas, and just generally giving me the encouragement to write this. I don't think I could have done it without her. Thanks, hon.

"Broken Hearts, Bitter Enemies"

Chapter 1

"I was willing to spend forever with you….."

Those words haunted Maria as she made her way down the small cobblestone driveway, the clickety-click of her stilettos, mixed with the pounding of her heart, echoing in her ears as the redhead shoved her final suitcase into the back of the tiny taxicab. She paused for a slight moment, almost debating whether or not she wanted to go through with this decision, before finally seating herself in the backseat and slamming the door behind her. No turning back now.

Maria wasn't a quitter; this had nothing to do with quitting. But after John's confession the previous day, she just didn't know whether or not she could stay in the same room with him, let alone the same house. She felt like a fool for giving her heart to the man, only to end up finding that he didn't feel the same way and hadn't for a very long time.

But to cheat on her with Candice, the Diva that she'd entrusted with every personal secret, every embarrassing moment she'd encountered, everything, was the lowest thing that John could ever have done, in Maria's opinion. It stung. What made matters worse is that John hadn't even had the guts to admit to his indiscretion…she'd practically dragged it out of him.

Just as Maria was about to inform the taxi driver of her destination, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway filled her ears, catching her attention. She looked up, a bit surprised, and groaned inwardly when she realized who it was. Hadn't she made it perfectly clear to John that she didn't want to see him? It was hard enough having to pack up and leave the house that she'd called her sanctuary for so long, and humiliating because even though she didn't want to leave her house, she just could not stay in the same house where Candice had committed that horrible act with John, and she'd be damned if she slept in the bed where the two of them had had their liaison. The redhead cursed under her breath and quickly ran a hand through her hair. She didn't want to stay here any longer than she had to, but she also knew John, and he wouldn't let her leave until he'd said his piece. So, reluctantly, she stepped out of the cab and motioned to the driver that she'd just be a minute.

"Where are you going, Ria?" John asked, as he bounded over to where Maria was standing, her arms folded over her chest and her expression stony. He tried to capture her eyes with a questioning gaze, but his former girlfriend wouldn't look at him.

"I already told you, John, I can't stay here," she responded, still not meeting the Champ's eyes. "Please, John, don't try to stop me. You know how I feel….."

John nodded slowly, and, with a sigh, shifted his gaze downward also. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled around a bit, trying to think of the perfect phrase to say, the right words to convince Maria not to go. Right now, though, he was coming up empty. Maria was nothing if not determined; once her mind was made up, there was no convincing her otherwise.

"Yeah," he replied awkwardly. Never in his worst nightmares had he imagined that this situation would ever occur, but it had, and now he was standing in front of the woman he'd loved with all his heart, trying to convince her not to go. As soon as the word passed his lips, he wanted to kick himself for even saying it. You cheated on her for months with her best friend…you're gonna have to come up with something better than 'yeah', if you want her to stay...

"I left you a note on the kitchen table," Maria said, interrupting John's thoughts. She bit her lip and looked at John for a brief second; trying to gauge the emotions hidden in those eyes she'd once loved to stare into. For once, she had absolutely no clue what John was feeling, but then again, why was it her concern? He'd cheated on her and broke her heart, so why should she care how he felt? "I told you that I'd be leaving, this shouldn't be a surprise."

"You don't have to do this, Ria," John said softly, as he stepped forward and reached for Maria's wrist. "Please, I told you I'm sorry…how many times do I have to apologize before you forgive me?"

Maria squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to fight back burning tears. She picked at her nails uncomfortably as John spoke. Why was he making this harder for her? Why couldn't he just let her get in the cab and leave? Maria was a strong-willed person and was usually very firm in her decisions, but when it came to John, it was an entirely different story. He had the power to melt all her anger away with just one look, one smile, and damn it, she hated it. Maria hated how she could never stand her ground when it came to John. But this time was different. She was going to get in that cab, and she wouldn't be stopped.

"Look, I have to go," the Illinois native said sharply. She picked up a small overnight bag, which contained her makeup and a few extra essentials, opened the taxi door, and tossed it into the front seat. Without another word, she settled into the back seat and slammed the door behind her, leaving John still standing there with his mouth open in shock as the car sped away.

"Where to, miss?" the cab driver asked, as he adjusted his rearview mirror.

Maria bit her lip yet again. Mickie was staying at the hotel just down the road, and had told her that if she needed a place to crash, she had an extra bed free. Maria contemplated the idea and decided that it was really the only option she had. She couldn't spend another minute in that house, and although she really wasn't in the mood for 20 questions from Mickie, it was the better option.

"Um, the Doubletree Hotel on 54th," she replied, her voice a bit hesitant. The driver simply nodded, and the car began to slowly make its way further and further away from the small house where Maria had just been. Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. Part of her was fighting with her decision, telling her that she should go back. John loved her, his apology was sincere, and he wouldn't make the same mistake again, right?

"Damn it," she hissed. Now was not the time for her heart to cloud her judgment, but she couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, she should allow her heart to overrule her head and give John one final chance. This would be his final chance to show that he really loved her, and that the cheating had been a temporary act of insanity.

Before she even realized it, she was yelling at the driver to turn the car around, and now she was right back where she started. John's face had taken on an extremely surprised expression at first, but quickly changed to one of confidence. He doesn't think I'm going to go through with it, she deduced. John had the cockiest look she'd ever seen on his face, like he knew she would come running back to him. He didn't think Maria had the courage to stand on her own two feet. Time to prove him wrong. You don't need him.

The Chain Gang Soldier approached the car slowly, his walk confident. He knew that Maria would realize the severity of her decision and come back. As he stepped off the curb, the driver turned to Maria and asked,

"Well, miss, what's it gonna be? You staying or going?"

"Going," Maria replied, not missing a beat. "Definitely going. Drive on."

"You sure about that?" The driver glanced at John, who was only a few inches from the car. His steps were becoming quicker and quicker as he tried to reach the car before Maria made her decision. But after seeing that small glimmer of cockiness in John's eyes, Maria knew what she had to do. Maybe that was the whole problem; John had been able to get away with his indiscretions for far too long. Not anymore.

"Yes, go on," Maria insisted. The driver nodded, and sped up, leaving John in the dust behind them. Maria quickly sneaked a look out her window and was quite pleased to see the shock and the hurt on the face of the man she'd once loved. Now he knows how it feels, she said to herself, smiling.

Each new day brings new possibilities and a new beginning, and while Maria had once been afraid of a new beginning without John, she was now quite confident that she'd do just fine without him, and was ready to face the new day and its possibilities. She was ready to embrace independence.

Wow, that turned out to be longer than I expected. Please take the time to review and let me know how you felt about this…it's kind of a new territory for me, LOL. I worked hard on it, and I really hope you enjoyed this. More drama will ensue in the following chapters, including a meeting with a certain Rainbow Haired Warrior :)