Author's Note: Thanks to AniLuLu, rhysus, huntersgirl, Jay Lesner and Latisha C for the reviews. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story itself! Well…and Mina, Tracy and Connie.

Everything you say to me

Takes me one step closer to the edge

And I'm about to break

I need a little room to breathe

'Cause I'm one step closer to the edge

And I'm about to break

I find the answers aren't so clear

Wish I could find a way to disappear

All these thoughts they make no sense

I find bliss in ignorance

Nothing seems to go away

Over and over again

-One Step Closer by Linkin Park

Inside of Me

Chapter 13

Matt Hardy sighed to himself as he walked through the halls of the hotel alone. He had convinced the person at the desk to give him the number of Mina's hotel room. After what had gone down tonight…well, he wasn't taking any chances. Matt respected her privacy, her emotions, her space, but for Christ's sake, he wasn't going to hand her over to some psychopathic monster on a silver platter. His steps quickened as he rounded the corner.

"She's not going to want to see you." Matt turned at the deep voice and stiffened immediately at the sight of Kane standing directly behind him, his cool eyes focused on Matt.

"She is my daughter," Matt said steely.

"Is she?" Kane prompted, mirth in his glittering eyes. "Is she really your daughter?"

Matt stepped up near Kane, his lips curling into a snarl. "It may be your genes inside of her, Kane, but I am her dad. You didn't spend a minute of her life with her up until now. You didn't care about her until now. So what's the big deal, huh Kane? If you really were the slighted but loving father you're trying to convince Mina that you are, where were you during those years?"

Kane smirked. "As far as Mina is concerned, you were hiding her from me," Kane told him. "And as far as I am concerned…" the smirk left his look, replaced by a deathly stare. "You've always had what I wanted, Matt," he hissed. "I couldn't take Lita from you."

"So you're going to try and take Mina from me?" Matt asked, anger boiling within him.

"I want to hear you beg for mercy, Matt," Kane growled, "I want to see you wither in pain. And the best way, the easiest way, to make a man break down…is to take away everything he loves."

"You're using Mina for revenge against me," Matt said, appalled.

"And he finally sees the light," Kane whispered, the smirk tugging at his lips.

"You bastard," Matt hissed, barely able to keep his fists at his side.

Kane smiled and turned his back on Matt. He walked down the hallway, headed back to his own room. Matt Hardy watched him go: the man who had the very potential to ruin everything that he had worked so hard to attain.

Mina Hardy sighed to herself softly, rubbing at her eyes. Turning to her other side, she peered through the darkness and saw that Randy was sleeping soundly on the other bed. Despite her total exhaustion from the day, there was a pent-up frustration building inside Mina that was making it impossible to sleep. With a heavy sigh, the redhead pushed herself out of bed. Taking cautious steps in the dark, she made her way to her duffel bag and put on a pair of sweatpants over her soccer shorts. After palming one of the room keys on top of the television, Mina slipped out of the room.

Mina yawned widely as she used the keycard to get access to the exercise room inside the hotel. Her eyes focused in immediately on the only other person in the room. He was benching weights in the back corner of the room, blatantly ignoring the sign that said it required a spotter. Mina ducked her head and turned her eyes away before he could notice her stare or her presence. She walked over toward the treadmills and quickly hopped on one, clipping the safety to her pants. As the belt beneath her started, increasing its speed until it got to the speed she'd set it to, Mina felt a shiver of adrenaline go through her body. Her bare feet fell lightly on top of the speeding black belt.

As she ran, she thought about what had happened tonight. Or was it last night? She hadn't checked the clock before she left. Sure, Gail's little groupies had interfered and yes, Kane and Mina had lost because of it…but did Gail deserve to get hit by a chair? Yes, the thought was tempting (and the action even sweeter), but what should Mina have done? 'Maybe a better question is "What would the old Mina do?"' Mina thought to herself.

The anger and frustration so tightly bound within her, directed randomly throughout her life, pounded through her brain directly to her legs, pushing her to run at the rapid speed until the digital read-out read seven miles. With a sense of relief, Mina slowly brought the pace down, walking for a few minutes to make sure her muscles wouldn't tighten before she shut the treadmill down completely.

With a sigh, she sat down in one of the chairs, drained. The muscles in her legs were shaking from the workout and her body was drenched in sweat…but it felt nice. She pushed her hair away from her face and sighed softly. Mina tilted her head back, letting her eyelids fall.

"That was quite the run." Mina opened her eyes at the male voice, and saw the guy that had been there earlier sitting down across from her. He wasn't bad—his chin was square and chiseled, his black hair about two inches long and spiked on its own, giving him a messy but cute look, and his eyes were a captivating green.

"Thanks," she replied, sitting up in her chair.

He extended his hand to her. "I'm Duane," he introduced. Mina reached forward to shake his hand, a light bulb going off in her hand. Kane had mentioned his name before.

"I'm Mina," she told him, smiling graciously as she shook his hand.

Duane broke the silence after the lingering handshake. "You surprised me last night," he said finally.

Mina squelched the grimace forming on her face. This was the topic she least wanted to talk about, but he couldn't have known. "Mmm…" was all she said, hoping that he would change the topic from her lack of answer.

"I wasn't expecting it from someone like you," he told her. Mina's eyes snapped to his, narrowing slightly.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice guarded.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said, referring to her response. "I'm good friends with Mike McMahon. He can't say enough about you," Duane said, smiling.

Mina couldn't decide if it was Duane's infectious smile or the mention of Mike that made her smile. Mike was one of those all-around good guys that you could never forget. "I doubt he had enough good things to say after thirty seconds," Mina stated.

Duane smiled again. "You'd be surprised," he told her.

"I think you'd be surprised at how I really am," she said, her eyes falling on the clock behind him. "I have to go," she said and it was true. It was nearly 3 in the morning.

"Take care," Duane said. Mina nodded. She felt his eyes on her back as she left the room.

Mina watched her steps in the dim hallway as she approached the door to the hotel room she and Randy were sharing. Something Randy had said was running through her head at the moment. He had told her that she would be able to find friends easily here, and she was starting to believe it was true.

Mike, Randy, Christy, Duane… People were beginning to gravitate toward her, and she could imagine being friends with all of them; trusting all of them. Deep down, she wanted to trust them, to be friends with them. And deep down…she needed it.

But part of her, that unstoppable side that ate subconsciously at her, let itself be known. Trusting, in the end, always led to pain. Yet…not trusting was pain.

Mina pushed the thoughts out of her head. For now, she just needed to concentrate on getting enough sleep for the autograph signing tomorrow.

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I hope you guys like this one. :) Please review!