Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Thirty

She dragged her teeth over her bottom lip, the diva eyeing the listing of matches for that night's live event. Jeff would be facing CM Punk... Something that she found to be quite unsurprising. After all, given the disqualification ending to the world heavyweight title match the week before, not to mention the continued interaction between the two men on SmackDown, it was obvious that things weren't over between the two men. Which meant... A non-title match between the two at the live event. With her scheduled to walk out with Jeff, of course. Personally, Eve would have rather ended up with a match of her own again, maybe another shot at Maria, but as it turned out, Melina would be the one facing the other diva tonight.

"You know... I walked you out last night," a voice that Eve immediately recognized said from behind her. "It only seems fair that you would walk me out for my match tonight. You know, reciprocity or whatever it's called. And I don't even know if I used the word right."

Eve smiled slightly at the older woman. "You did. And if you want me to walk you out for your match, then I will. I don't know if we need to check and make sure that it's okay, or something-"

"Well, I did check to make sure that you weren't banned or anything. Teddy Long said it's fine for you to be out there. He said that I behaved myself when I was there at ringside for you, and that he expects you to do the same if you're out there for me." Melina shrugged her shoulders. "I think that he knows you'll be out there just to make sure that I don't end up getting a few whacks with a tire iron like Kelly did. He knows that there's something off about Maria right now; it's why he was okay with me being at ringside for you. He just isn't sure what it is."

"She's a nutjob?" Eve offered, feeling a bit guilty over the fact that she wasn't being entirely honest with Melina - after all, she had a pretty darn good idea of why Maria was acting the way she was - but knowing that she couldn't just spill the beans. Sure, she liked Melina, and the woman so far seemed trustworthy, but she couldn't be entirely sure... Definitely not sure enough to tell her what Jeff had done, or the fact that she was really on CM Punk's side in this thing. She definitely wasn't ready to tell the older woman that a big reason behind why Punk had cashed in on Jeff back in June was because the man had ditched her on the side of the road and Punk had been the one to find her.

Melina eyed Eve for a moment, her gaze penetrating, but then the woman sighed. "I know that you're not telling me everything."

"Melina-"

"No; it's cool. We're friends, but we're not tight like you and Kelly are. You don't know if you can totally trust me with the major stuff yet. I get it. I get that there's something going down... And I'm pretty sure that this all has something to do with Jeff Hardy."

Eve jerked slightly at that, unable to stop herself, the woman pressing her lips together with a frown. "I... I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Somehow, I think you are. It's okay, Eve," Melina told her, enunciating each word carefully, the older woman watching her closely, then heaving out a sigh. "I know there's stuff I don't know. I know that Maria has gone off her rocker and, for some reason I can't really pinpoint, I know that I don't really trust Jeff Hardy. He definitely seems to be on Maria's side in whatever is going on, and I'm not sure if that's because he doesn't like Kelly... or for some other reason."

Eve averted her gaze. "I... I can't just... Damn it."

"Something big is going on. Something that you feel you can't talk about. I get it. I'm guessing that Kelly knows what's going on?" Melina questioned and, this time, Eve turned her head, looking the other woman in the eye. This much, at least, she could answer honestly.

"Yes. She does."

"Which probably explains why Maria went after her. Does Maria know what's really going on? Or is she just a pawn?" Melina continued, nodding slightly when Eve stayed silent. "I'm guessing pawn. I get your hesitance, Eve. But you need someone. Kelly is out with an injury. If she's the only one-"

"She's not," Eve broke in. She wouldn't tell Melina that CM Punk was the one that knew, but she wouldn't let the woman think she didn't have some sort of backup, either. "There's someone else."

"Can you trust her... or him?" Melina wanted to know, and Eve nodded. Even if she wasn't sure of much else these days, one thing she was sure of was that she could trust the world heavyweight champion.

"I can. I know I can. He's... I trust him," the woman said, aware that she'd just given away the gender of the other person that knew, but also aware that there were enough men on the roster that it wouldn't necessarily be easy for Melina to figure out who the man was... Especially since she and CM Punk had been very careful not to be seen together. As far as she knew, only Kelly had any idea what was going on between them, and that was just because Eve had told her.

Melina gave a sharp nod. "Good. You need someone you can trust. Especially with Kelly out with an injury," the woman said, and Eve heaved out a sigh.

"Melina, it's not that... There's more going on than just... my stuff. If I tell, I can't just..."

"I understand, Eve."

"Yeah, because I'm explaining it *so* well," the younger woman said, rolling her eyes. She was usually a little more well-spoken than this. "Look, Melina, you don't need to feel that you have to involve yourself in this... Facing Maria tonight and all of that."

Melina shrugged. "I want to. I mean, just because I don't know what all is going on doesn't mean I don't care. Kelly's not just your friend; she's my friend. And even if I don't know the reason behind it, I do know that Maria hurt my friend. I want her to pay for that, even if she just pays by having to get into the ring against me."

"Yeah, well, that can be pretty big 'payment'," Eve said after a moment, looking over at the older diva. "I've seen you in the ring before. You can be pretty brutal."

Melina smirked. "That I can. And since Maria hit one of my friends with a tire iron, well... I don't care if she's a pawn in whatever is going on," the woman said. "She deserves to get knocked around a bit. Because pawn or not, she hurt someone that didn't deserve it, because I know damned good and well that Kelly didn't do anything to her."

"Kelly sided with me. That was enough," Eve stated, and Melina nodded.

"Apparently. She sided with you instead of Jeff Hardy," the diva said, watching as Eve stiffened slightly at that remark. "Before your match on SmackDown... I said I saw there was tension between you and Jeff. You brushed it off, but... Eve, please. I know as well as anybody just how much of a crush Maria Kanellis has had on Jeff Hardy for... ages. She may be dating Dolph Ziggler right now, but I'd bet money that when she's in bed with him, she's pretending he's Jeff."

Eve made a face at that. "That's... gross. And wrong. And not fair to Dolph. Even if Dolph is a jerk."

"Well, maybe he's pretending she's someone else, too. You never know," Melina countered. Shaking her head, the diva sighed. "Maria may have been playing your friend for awhile now, but... She's been jealous of you for a long time, Eve," the older diva said, watching as Eve blinked in surprise.

"What? Why would she-"

"I said before, she has had a crush on Jeff Hardy for... ever. As long as I can remember. Probably since before he even came back to the company a few years ago. And instead of asking her to be his manager - which I'm sure she saw as an easy step away from being his girlfriend - he asked you to be his manager. of course she's jealous of you. You have the spot she's always wanted. Or close to it, anyway," Melina said, and Eve made a face.

"Yeah, well, it's not all it's cracked up to be," she muttered, and Melina heaved out a sigh.

"I'm kind of getting that. Clearly there's... Something. You're not happy. He's using Maria as some sort of a pawn to take out your best friend. And don't try to tell me that Jeff's not the one that pointed her in that direction, because we both know that the only person Maria would do anything for is Jeff Hardy. She wouldn't even go that far for Dolph."

"Melina-"

"Please tell me that whoever else knows what's going on - whoever he is - please tell me that he can handle Jeff Hardy. That he can protect you in this mess. Because you're my friend, and I don't want to see anything happen to you," Melina said, and Eve looked over at her, meeting the older woman's eyes. She hated not telling Melina the truth... Not telling her that Punk was the man that knew it all, but she couldn't. She just couldn't. Not without CM Punk giving the all clear... And even then, she wasn't sure she would. She was too afraid that, the more Melina knew, the more danger she would be in. Of course, Melina was already putting herself in the middle of this thing, what with the way she was challenging Maria to a match at the night's live event and all.

Eve let out a sigh, the diva tucking her hair behind her ears. "Look, Melina-"

"I'm not asking for names. Just peace of mind."

"You probably won't get that without a name," Eve replied, then sighed again. "I don't know which is safer for you... Knowing the truth, or not knowing it."

"I can handle myself."

"Not against someone blind-siding you with a tire iron," the younger woman retorted, then shook her head. "I can't give you more information until... Until I talk to someone. But please believe me when I say that the person I trust? The person that knows? He can handle himself."

"And protect you if needed?"

Eve nodded, though she hated the thought of having to be protected. "And that, too. I trust him. And if either of us'd had any idea that Jeff went point Maria in Kelly's direction, that she would..." Eve trailed off, shaking her head, and Melina sighed.

"I know. I never would have thought... But Maria's always been kind of... not all there," the diva said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sometimes I think it's an act. That she's smarter than she lets on. And sometimes... Sometimes I think she's lucky to get her shoes tied in the morning."

Eve snorted at that. "Maybe that's why so many of her shoes are knee-high boots that zip," she stated, drawing a laugh from Melina.

"Maybe so. But the thing is... If Maria is just playing the fool, then that means she knows exactly what she's doing. Jeff isn't so much manipulating her as she's working with him. We may not ever find out which one's true... Him manipulating her and using her naiveté against her... Or her playing the fool while really knowing what's going on. But either way... She's dangerous, Eve. If you and Jeff are locked in some sort of game or power struggle or... something... And she's on his side? Whether he's working alongside her or just using her? She's dangerous to you."

"I know. But not just to me. She's dangerous to all of my friends, too. Anyone she thinks may side with me," Eve said, and Melina nodded.

"I know. But that doesn't change things. I'm still on your side. No matter what."

"I'm glad."