Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Fifty-One

"You want to be there for the TLC match? Sweetie, I know it's a big deal and really important to you, but I'm not so sure it's a good idea," Melina stated, the older woman's concern coming through loud and clear even over the phone, and Eve heaved out a sigh... Then tried not to wince at the pull that caused in her injured ribs.

"Why did I know you would say that?"

"Because you're smart and you know what's best for you... Even if it's not what you want. Have you talked to Punk about it?"

"Not yet," Eve admitted, and Melina snorted.

"Kind of figured that. I mean... You already know that, after what happened at Night of Champions, he's not going to want you at ringside for a dangerous match like TLC," the woman said. "And I can't say that I blame him. I mean... Typically speaking, women are not at ringside for matches like that. They're dangerous. You've seen matches like that before. People get hurt, and if you were at ringside... We don't even know if you'd be cleared to be at ringside yet, with the ribs and all."

"I still want to be there."

"And maybe you can be backstage; I don't know. But... I'll put it to you this way, Eve... I'm not injured, not even close, and *I* wouldn't want to be at ringside for a TLC match. It would be too much of a risk, and I wouldn't want to chance getting hurt and distracting whoever I was out there for-"

"Which is exactly what I did at Night of Champions."

"I didn't mean it that way. I mean... It's not like you got in the way and Jeff did a dive out of the ring on you or something. You were attacked - from behind, I might add - by some psycho bitch that ran out from the back. It's a little different. And if I'd been paying better attention, then I would have been able to stop her."

"If it's not my fault, then it's definitely not yours, either," Eve reminded her friend, then sighed. "Have you seen Punk?"

"Since he went ballistic and collared Jeff with that chair at SmackDown? No, I have not. I figured he needed his time and space. I also figure that with every hit he delivered to Jeff Hardy, he was seeing those bruises you've got right now. And even if watching him go nuts like that was a little freaky... I can understand it. I mean, Jeff hurt you, and he treated you like dirt, and we all know that whether he explicitly told her to attack or not, Jeff didn't exactly disapprove of what Maria did to you... or what she did to Kelly. And then Matt screwed Punk out of the win, which sucks. I thought Matt and Jeff hated each other."

"They did. For awhile. But as for now... I can't say for sure how it is, seeing as I avoid Jeff Hardy as much as humanly possible," Eve said, shaking her head. "All I can say for sure about Matt Hardy is that I've never liked him."

"That makes two of us. Although... Maybe he and Jeff really haven't made amends yet. He didn't come back when Punk went after Jeff like he did. You would have thought he would have," Melina stated, and Eve nodded slightly.

"That's true. Which makes it seem like maybe not all is well in Hardyville... Even if Matt did pretty much make sure that Jeff won the match at SmackDown. He still didn't help Jeff when Punk went nuts on him. He was probably afraid of what Punk would do to him, which really... Seems like a Matt Hardy-type attitude. Yeah, he helped Jeff win, but when it came down to it, he was more concerned about his own well-being than that of his brother, so he stayed in the back when Punk went to town on Jeff," the diva said, pausing for a moment before speaking again. "Have you heard anything about Jeff's condition?"

"Why? Because I kind of doubt you care if he's okay. I mean, this is the guy that shoved you out of a damned car and drove off without you... Leaving you in the middle of nowhere. *Anything* could have happened that day, Eve. Just because it didn't-"

"I'm fully aware of what could have happened that day. It's why I'm forever grateful that CM Punk was the guy that showed up that day. No one needs to sell me on what an ass Jeff Hardy is. I'm the one that he stranded and tossed around and treated like dirt," Eve tossed back, and she heard Melina sigh on the other end of the line.

"I know. I'm sorry. Obviously, you're the last person I should be attacking. I just... You see all this shit where women who are treated like crap just excuse it or something and... It sucks and I hate it. And yeah, okay, Punk went completely batshit insane on Friday, but... He's also totally gone for you and you're hurt and he hates it and, on some level, I'm pretty sure he blames himself."

"Nothing that happened to me is his fault. He's the one that's been helping me out," the younger woman replied. "Although I know... I'm pretty sure he keeps trying to figure out some way that he could have stopped it from happening. At least the thing at Night of Champions with Maria. Like he should have been able to reach me before... But Jeff stopped him and attacked him and... He lost the title because of it."

"I think he cares more about the fact that he couldn't get to you when you needed him. That's what is really driving him right now, I think... Which... I get where he's coming from. I mean, I'm mad that I wasn't closer and didn't realize what was happening and that Maria was there and... Hell, I'm pretty sure that even Dolph Ziggler feels guilty."

"He didn't know Maria was there that night... Not until she ran out there. She hid it from him," Eve said quietly. "And when it happened... He came out there, too. Parts of that night aren't too clear for me, but I remember enough to know that Ziggler came out there, and he was the one that carried me to the back."

"That he did. Which, just a warning, was enough for to post an article wondering what was going on there," Melina stated.

"Please don't tell me that-"

"But isn't it better that you know?" the older woman tossed back. "And besides that... Dolph Ziggler was quoted in the article as saying that he only went out there because it was the right thing to do, and that if he'd known Maria was there, then he would have tried to stop her from going out and attacking you... And then he turned it around and asked why the questions weren't focusing on Maria's actions instead of his since she was the one that had attacked both you and Kelly with a weapon and without provocation. When the interviewer tried to say something about Maria being out of action for a couple of weeks, he reminded them that she attacked Kelly first and that *I* was the one that had put her out of action, not you... And that when you challenged her in a match, you'd done it because Kelly couldn't. Basically, no matter how the interviewer tried to take it, Dolph came off as respecting you and feeling bad for what Maria had done. It pretty much made it seem like he and Maria are over, too."

"Good. Because even if I was never a big fan of the guy - though I obviously don't have any problems with him now after he tried to help me... It just really sucks for him that Maria went for him when she really wanted Jeff, and then she went and lied to him and told him that Jeff and I were together. Which... Ew," Eve said, making a face, and then sighing. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if Maria told him that she was hanging out with me and Jeff sometimes and she was really just hanging out with Jeff or something. I really don't like that she used me to lie to him."

"I really don't like a lot of the things she's done," Melina said, then paused for a moment, making it clear that she was contemplating telling Eve something, but wasn't sure about it.

"What is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can practically hear you debating telling me something. What gives?"

"It's nothing... I mean... Kelly really wants to have a match with Maria now, you know? Which she totally deserves to have and all, but... Part of me worries about it. I think Kelly can beat her one-on-one and all, but after everything Maria's done, I'm really worried that she'll just haul off and pull a weapon from beneath the ring and attack her again. Kelly just got back from injury-"

"Couldn't you be at ringside for her, try to stop something like that?"

"I could... Normally. But Maria's declared that she'll only wrestle Kelly if the two of us are banned from ringside. Because, you know, obviously you're going to show up with cracked ribs and all-"

"I just might if it meant I got my revenge on that bitch. I can't believe I used to be friends with her. I can't believe that I tried to talk her out of dating Ziggler because I thought he wasn't good enough for her... And now I think it's the other way around!"

Melina heaved out a sigh. "Yeah... Ziggler seemed surprisingly human at Night of Champions. He also seemed worried about you. Honestly, from some of the stuff he said in the article... I think he plans to keep a bit of an eye on Maria, make sure she doesn't run around attacking anyone else. It was almost like he felt guilty for not seeing she was a nutjob."

"Hey, we didn't see she was a nutjob at first, either. And it's not like he's responsible for her actions," Eve replied, then sighed. "Although I guess I get how he feels. I mean, I kind of beat myself up for not seeing how Jeff really was until he literally left me on the side of the road. I knew he had issues, but I didn't... I made excuses for his behavior or was somehow blind to it... I don't know. I'm not blind to it now, but... Part of me still feels like I should have known. The two suspensions for Wellness Policy violations should have been a big clue-"

"Yeah, but you thought he'd cleaned himself up. I mean, you gave him a chance and became his manager not too long after he came back from the second suspension..."

"He said he'd cleaned himself up, that he wanted to change. I think, for awhile, maybe he had. But then... He slipped up. I thought it was drinking at first, not that he... He kept coming back clean in the Wellness tests, so I thought... I didn't realize he'd found a way around them. Or maybe someone warns him when they're coming. I don't know. Part of me thought maybe he was smoking pot, because the way the policy is, that's a fine, not a suspension. But now... He's figured some way around the tests, whatever it is. He's probably violating the policy left and right and somehow managing to come back clean. Makes you wonder, you know?"

"Definitely," Melina said, and Eve started to say something else, then frowned when there was a sudden beeping in her ear - another phone call was coming in. Quickly, she pulled the phone away, glancing at the read-out, then brought the phone back in close.

"Mel? I've got another call. Do you mind-"

"Tell him hi for me."

"I didn't say who-"

Melina snorted. "Please, girl. It's either Kelly or Punk, and I know she had plans with her mom today, so I'm guessing it's him. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. And Melina?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for calling."