A/N: NEW CHAPTER! For the record, I'm not that happy with this chapter. It's just one of those that, you know, didn't speak to me, and it's sort of a placeholder, a connecting point between A and B. But, I did try my best, and I can't do any better than that, so I hope you enjoy. Peace!

Thank you to xAleciax, extremist, Lucy Grayson, Jyessie Abbey McMahon Hardy, nightmarelover, i luv hardy, TheSystematicSmackdownDiva, Esha Napoleon, m-yaz, Syco's Path, TheEnglishRejects, darkangelmel, and hardyLuv for reviewing the last chapter! WOW! Love yas all very very much!

Chapter 14: Except For Me

No one cares...except for me...

Melina slowly ran her fingers over her lips, Jeff's words echoing in her mind. It didn't seem possible that a week had gone by since Johnny had lost his Intercontinental Championship. Back when MNM had still been together, the whole of her existence had been dedicated to keeping tag team gold around her boys' waists, and every day, every second, that went by without them being champions, she had counted as an unacceptable loss.

So it didn't make any sense that she had let seven entire days slip past her without once giving thought as to how she was going to get Johnny's title belt back. More than that...that try as she might, she just couldn't bring herself to care.

All she could think about was Jeff Hardy.

Melina closed her eyes, though it was unnecessary--even after seven days, the memory of that kiss still hadn't lost its clarity. Instead of diminishing over time, her recollections of those few moments--Jeff's hands on her body, his lips devouring hers--had sharpened, gradually pushing everything else into insignificance.

In some ways, she felt like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole--all the tangible elements of her life, everything she could count on to be real, had taken on the hazy, surreal quality of a dream, while the one thing that didn't make sense, the one event that couldn't possibly be true...was the only thing that seemed real.

Melina exhaled, letting her breath out in one long shuddering sigh. Kissing the Charismatic Enigma had been stupid. No, more than stupid--it had been downright insane. Jeff Hardy was her enemy--had been since the first day they had met--and as long as he held onto a championship that was rightfully Johnny's, he would continue to remain so. She didn't love him; hell, most of the time, she couldn't even stand him...but yet--

But yet...for some reason, she wanted him more than she had ever wanted any man before. Even more...than Johnny.

For some reason...I care a lot...

The paparazzi princess slumped against the wall, staring dully ahead of her. Why had she done it; why had she complicated her life even more by kissing the Rainbow-Haired Warrior? Had it been to tease Jeff, taunting him by giving him a taste of what he could never have? Or maybe to get back at Johnny, to exact a little payback of her own by making out with his nemesis?

The Dominant Diva shook her head, negating the notions. Maybe it had been spite that had first compelled her to chase after the younger Hardy brother, but once her lips had touched his, another emotion entirely had taken over, and once again, she'd experienced the dizzying sensation of not being in control.

Maybe that was the reason she'd kissed him. This confusion, this yearning, this gnawing ache inside of her that she felt whenever she looked at the Charismatic Enigma--maybe she'd been hoping that kissing him would somehow burn those feelings out of her. As though kissing him could somehow purge the festering cancer of dissatisfaction from her life and return things to the way they had been.

Melina laughed, a soft bitter sound in the back of her throat. Fat lot of good that had done. So far, all kissing Jeff Hardy had done was intensify the ache within her, the void of emptiness and loneliness inside her that begged desperately to be filled. A void which Johnny couldn't even come close to filling.

Jeff had awoken something in her; something which she hadn't even known was lying dormant. But now it--the need, the want--was awake, and all she had to assuage it was a handful of stolen moments, a few seconds' worth of memories that she clung to greedily, like a junkie hanging onto his drug of choice.

All those times that she had derided the younger Hardy brother for his past addictions--wasn't it ironic, then; wasn't it poetic...that she was the one who had become the addict--

A muffled CRASH from the adjacent General Manager's office made the paparazzi princess jump, forcing her back to the present. She'd been standing out here for a while now, waiting for Johnny to finish protesting his Intercontinental Championship defense--and subsequent loss--the previous week to Shane McMahon.

And if the shouting from within was any indication--things were not going well.

Melina caught a few words--"This is bullshit!"--followed by the door being thrown open, almost hard enough to tear it off its hinges. Nitro stormed out, running both hands through his highlighted hair, his expression livid. "Fucking prick!" he snarled through gritted teeth; Melina was unsure whether he was referring to his arch-enemy or to the Chairman's son.

The former Intercontinental Champion seemed to have forgotten his girlfriend's presence; he continued his furious pace down the corridor, and the Dominant Diva practically had to jog to keep up. Nitro gestured with both hands as he talked. "First, he tells me that he's going to let last week's match stand. Even though fucking D-X made it, even though they forced me to wrestle--he's still going to let it count."

The self-proclaimed A-lister sucked in a breath before continuing. "Then, when I demand my rematch, he tells me no, he's not going to give it to me because--get this--the WWE fans might be getting a little sick of Johnny Nitro vs. Jeff Hardy." Nitro shook his head in disbelief. "I don't believe this--that burnout gets as many shots at the title as he wants, but I can't even get my fucking rematch!"

The former Intercontinental Champion halted so abruptly that Melina almost ran into him. His lips pulled back from his teeth in a humorless, slightly maniacal grin. "Tonight...during Hardy's match with the Big Show...I'm gonna fuck him up. If that giant doesn't tear him apart, I'll fucking finish the job..."

His voice trailed off, and Nitro turned, staring down at Melina as though noticing her for the first time. "And where were you?" the self-proclaimed A-lister demanded, accusation creeping back into his voice. His demeanor and tone were so unlike anything the paparazzi princess had ever seen before that she took a step back, mouth moving as she struggled to form words. Nitro went on. "Where were you when Shane-O-Mac was cutting my balls off in there? Oh, yeah, that's right--out here daydreaming, thinking about God knows what--"

"Excuse me?" The Dominant Diva finally regained her voice, and sarcastic incredulity dripped from every word as she stared up into her boyfriend's face. Melina indicated herself. "In case you forgot, I've got my own match tonight." She paused, laying deliberate emphasis on the words. "A qualifying match for the Women's Championship? So forgive me--please, forgive me--if I'm not thinking about you and your needs for once."

Normally, at this point in the conversation, Johnny would back down, or at least apologize, his girlfriend's tone alone enough to cow him back into obedience. But the former Intercontinental Champion did neither, and Melina felt the first faint slivers of unease prickle her insides. Finally, Nitro looked away, running another hand through his hair, tugging at his locks impatiently. "Fine," he snapped.

Melina wasn't even aware that she had been holding her breath until she felt it escape from her in a low sigh of relief. The paparazzi princess had turned to go when, without warning, Nitro grabbed her arm, forcing her back and shoving her against the wall. Melina let out a surprised yelp, almost biting her tongue in the process. Johnny had never, ever, manhandled her like this before, and she looked up at him, vitriolic words ready on her lips--words that died the instant she saw the expression on his face.

Nitro was barely recognizable, his handsome features twisted in a look of rage and hatred that she had never seen before. It was as though the former Intercontinental Champion had had a demon locked up inside of him, and only now, in the wake of his championship loss, was allowing it to break free. Nitro leaned down until his face was level with hers. Melina swallowed hard, feeling fear clamp down on her insides. "But remember this, Mel," the self-proclaimed A-lister hissed. "You better start thinking how to get my championship back." He didn't add Or else...but nevertheless, it hung there in the air between them. "Without that title...I'm nothing."

Nitro paused for a second, gesturing between the two of them. "We're nothing." With that, he suddenly released his hold on her arm, turning away and stalking down the hall without so much as a Sorry or Good luck.

Melina remained there for a few moments, unable to move, her breath tearing in and out of her lungs in panicked gasps. Her arm was still sore where Johnny had grabbed it; she wouldn't be surprised if she noticed bruises later on.

The look on his face...that man had been neither her clueless boyfriend or the confident Superstar she accompanied to the ring. That man was crazed, dangerous--and she never would have imagined that he could have been residing inside Johnny, her Johnny.

The Dominant Diva slowly pushed herself off the wall, her body still shaking. Already, she could hear the familiar voice inside her head, the same voice that had convinced her not to dump Johnny two weeks ago--a voice that, even now, was trying to tell her that she had nothing to be scared off.

That's not him. You KNOW Johnny, and he's not like that.

And then:

It's just because he lost his title, that's all. Once he gets his championship back, he'll go back to the way he used to be...

Melina shook her head. Maybe this IS him...she told herself silently. Maybe...this is who he's always been...all along...

Melina rolled her shoulders a few times, cracking her neck back and forth. Her bout against Torrie Wilson was up shortly, occurring fairly early on in the show for a Divas match--toward the end of the first hour. Melina wasn't too concerned about her ability to beat the Boise Belle--she had defeated Torrie more than once when they had been on SmackDown together--but she had arrived at the Colonial Life Arena late today, and any chance she might have gotten to practice in the ring beforehand had been swallowed up by waiting outside the McMahons' office for Johnny.

Besides, less than an hour ago, she had witnessed her boyfriend go nearly psychotic right in front of her--and it was hard to focus on wrestling holds and moves when the memory of Johnny throwing her against the wall kept replaying over and over in her brain.

Melina quickly shook her head, temporarily dispelling the recollection. She had to move past this; somehow, she had to get her head back in this match--or else Torrie was going to walk out of Columbia the victor.

And the only thing worse than seeing the Boise Belle's arm raised in victory would be listening to that insufferable Mickie James gloat about it later on. The Dominant Diva could still remember what the former Women's Champion had said, the utter contempt and mocking in her tone as she spoke...

Deep down...you're not a Diva...you're just a trophy...

The paparazzi princess squatted down into a deep knee bend, pressing both hands against the wall. She did this for her left leg and had just switched to her right when she sensed a presence hovering beside her. Melina ignored it, continuing with her workout; it wasn't until she heard the familiar Southern drawl that she froze.

"Getting ready for your match, princess?"

Melina felt the bottom of her stomach drop out, and she swayed a little before grabbing hold of her equilibrium once again. She didn't move for a second or two; only stared straight ahead. It was hard enough keeping her expression neutral, let alone locked into one of dislike. Eventually, the Dominant Diva looked up, glaring at the new Intercontinental Champion. "What does it look like I'm doing?" she growled irritably. She swept her gaze up and down his body, her eyes lingering just a few seconds longer on the blue-and-gold Championship belt draped over his shoulder. "Don't you have somewhere you have to be? You know...somewhere other than right next to me?"

Jeff shrugged, an easy smile touching his mouth. "I don't know about that, princess--I'm very partial to this particular stretch of hallway." Had he taken a step toward her, or was that just her imagination? The Charismatic Enigma continued. "Besides...I didn't see you in the ring earlier, and I wanted to make sure you're taking this match seriously."

Melina tilted her chin up, her lips curving up in a smirk. Slowly, she straightened up, standing and facing the Intercontinental Champion. "What, you think I can't beat Torrie Wilson?" she challenged.

Jeff slowly shook his head. "No...no, I think you can." Silence followed his answer, and for a few minutes, the two of them stood there, staring at each other. Jeff never moved, his hands never left his title belt and his pocket--and yet Melina still felt the mood between them shift, becoming something deeper, more intimate. It was as though...they were still back in that hallway, their arms wrapped around each other, low sounds of pleasure escaping their throats as they briefly relinquished themselves to their darkest urges.

Melina quickly averted her eyes, her cheeks burning. There was something about the intensity smoldering in the younger Hardy brother's emerald irises--something that made her feel as though she wasn't wearing anything.

She heard the soft scrape of boots on cement as Jeff moved toward her. His body wasn't quite touching hers, but yet, he still managed to crowd her against the wall. His mouth was next to her ear, his warm breath caressing her skin. "So...are we ever going to talk?"

Melina kept her gaze straight ahead, swallowing hard. Her mouth had inexplicably gone dry. "About what?" she managed to reply, grateful that her voice sounded more or less normal.

She heard a low sound that could have almost been a chuckle, followed by: "About what happened."

Melina didn't answer at first; merely reached up and tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear. It turned out to be a mistake, the light brush of her finger against her skin only brought forth the memory of Jeff's hand on her face, of the heat that had burbled up inside her when he had done the same thing. "And what exactly did happen?" the paparazzi princess replied, trying desperately to keep her voice low and disinterested.

This time, Jeff leaned closer, until his lips actually grazed her ear. "Don't you remember, princess?" the Rainbow-Haired Warrior whispered. She could feel his voice vibrating against her skin; there was no laughter in his tone this time. "You kissed me--"

Melina abruptly pushed herself off the wall, spinning away from the Charismatic Enigma. "I don't have time for this," she remarked. She kept her gaze averted; she wasn't sure what would happen if she met Jeff's eyes once again. "I have to get to gorilla."

She started down the hall, and had only gone a few steps when she heard Jeff's voice behind her once again. "If all else fails, princess, you could always just do what you do best."

At this, the Dominant Diva glanced back over her shoulder, her expression questioning. "And what's that?" she asked cautiously.

Jeff shrugged, his countenance once more full of sardonic amusement. "Cheat."

For a moment, Melina didn't react. Then, her dark eyes narrowed, her pretty face twisting into one of profound disdain. Tossing her red-brown curls back over her shoulder, she strode down the hall, her hips twitching bewitchingly from side to side.

Jeff watched her leave, his mouth still curled in a wry smile. "Good luck!" he added.

The paparazzi princess never turned around.

1...2...

With what felt like an extreme effort, Melina wrenched her shoulder off the canvas, breaking the referee's count. Above her, Torrie let out a little grunt of irritation, but instead of arguing, merely grabbed two handfuls of the other Diva's hair, hauling her ungraciously to her feet. Melina pawed weakly at her, trying to break her grip. Torrie had no sooner let go of her hair, however, then she grabbed the paparazzi princess's arm, Irish-whipping her into the corner. Melina's spine connected painfully with the unyielding turnbuckle post, and she felt all the breath WHOOSH out of her lungs.

As the Dominant Diva sagged against the ropes, attempting to will oxygen back into her body, she wondered vaguely how everything could have gone so wrong so quickly. To begin with, Torrie was proving to be a lot tougher than she'd anticipated--apparently, she'd picked up a move or two in all those months she'd hung around with Victoria.

Second, she had learned once she'd gotten in the ring that the bout had been changed to a Lumberjack match--or a Lumberjill match, if you wanted to be gender correct. There were six other Divas surrounding the ring, all of them participants in that Extreme Strip Poker nonsense taking place tomorrow night. Melina had ignored them at first--she wasn't intimidated by a horde of useless eye candy--but then she had heard that familiar Holla holla, followed by Lillian Garcia's voice ("Representing ECW: Kelly Kelly!"), and the paparazzi princess had paused, her attention glued to the petite blond prancing down the ramp, clad in a mint green top and skirt that barely covered anything at all.

The bell had rung, but Melina's focus had still been on ECW's exhibitionist, which proved to be a mistake--Torrie had wasted no time taking her down with a couple of arm drags. After the third one, Melina had rolled outside the ring to take a breather--an even bigger mistake, as she quickly learned when Candice Michelle grabbed her by the hair and threw her back into the squared circle.

In a sense, she wasn't wrestling a normal bout; right now, she was pretty much in a handicap match. Torrie on the inside, Torrie's friends on the outside--and at this moment, the Boise Belle was kicking her ass. If the Dominant Diva didn't find some way to build momentum, and soon, her time in the tournament was going to end here, tonight.

Melina quickly shook her head, and as though by magic, her vision cleared. She looked up to see Torrie rushing toward her, arm outstretched to deliver a running clothesline. More out of instinct than strategy, Melina brought up both of her booted feet, catching the blond Diva right in the gut. Torrie staggered back. Pushing herself out of the corner, Melina reached out and grabbed hold of the Boise Belle's long golden tresses with both hands, lifting her bodily off the mat and throwing her face-down onto the canvas. Torrie hit hard and didn't move. Immediately, Melina dropped down beside her, grabbing her leg and hooking it for the pin.

1...2...

The paparazzi princess screamed in frustration as Torrie's shoulder shot off the mat. Her expression warping into one of annoyed determination, Melina got to her feet, grabbing Torrie by the hair and pulling her up as well. As she did so, her eyes locked onto the diminutive form of Kelly Kelly at ringside. The two Divas' gazes met, held--and although she couldn't be sure, she thought she saw the corners of Kelly's mouth curve upward in a satisfied smile.

The Dominant Diva hesitated, an all-too-familiar high-pitched voice chirping in her ears, one of the handful of sensations she'd managed to salvage from that drunken night several weeks ago...

Sure thing, Johnny!....After all, I AM an exhibitionist...

Melina abruptly dropped to one knee, the breath leaving her body in an agonized gasp as Torrie's boot caught her in the gut. The Boise Belle grabbed her by the neck, twisting both of them around and down onto the mat in a neckbreaker. Referee Marty Elias quickly dropped down, slamming his hand against the canvas.

1...2...

Melina stretched her hand up, reaching toward the blinding lights above her, lifting her shoulder off the canvas. A collective disappointed wail emanated from the Divas surrounding the ring. The paparazzi princess had to bite back the smile that rose to her lips. Sorry to disappoint all of you, bitches...she thought to herself.

Torrie impatiently pulled the Dominant Diva to her feet, Irish-whipping her toward the ropes. Melina quickly reversed the momentum, swinging the Boise Belle toward them instead. Torrie hit the ropes, but instead of bouncing back toward the center, stumbled and almost fell to her knees. The blond Diva reached over the ropes, exchanging harsh words with someone on the floor. Melina quickly spotted the source of her ire: SmackDown Diva Kristal, who had finally decided to get with the program and show off her heel stripes. As the paparazzi princess watched, Torrie launched her lower body through the ropes, catching Kristal in the jaw with a low mule kick.

Melina immediately saw her opportunity. Running over, she locked her arms around Torrie's waist, somersaulting both of them over backward, and rolling Torrie up in a pin. She could hear the referee behind her, dropping down to the mat, and for good measure, grabbed a handful of the Boise Belle's pink boy shorts, disregarding the loud protests of the 'Jills at ringside.

1...2...3...

Melina leaped up, quickly backing away from Torrie. The blond Diva had popped back up into a sitting position, her mouth a perfect "O" of surprise. The Dominant Diva rolled out of the ring, circling cautiously around the flock of eye candy Divas gathered at ringside.

Incredibly enough, not one of them was paying attention to her; they were all too focused on grabbing Kristal and throwing her into the ring, where Torrie would no doubt make her pay for her treachery. Melina trudged up the ramp, clutching her sore abdomen, the shrill guitar wail of her and Nitro's theme music blaring in her ears.

Even though she had won the match, even though her victory had earned her a spot in the semifinals of the tournament for the Women's Championship, Melina felt nothing but a deadening numbness. No one had supported her out there--not the fans, not the other Divas at ringside--hell, Kristal had probably just tripped up Torrie because it was what was expected of her. And in the end, who were they attacking? Kristal. She had won the match, had cheated to win the match--and they had responded by punishing Kristal.

She was the winner--and no one cared. As far as anyone else out there was concerned, she was still JAD.

The paparazzi princess bit back a grimace of pain, telling herself that it didn't matter, that none of them mattered, that the only thing that counted was the victory...all the while wondering when she would actually start believing it.

Gorilla was crowded; as usual, Melina had to elbow her way through a mob of Superstars, road agents, and backstage personnel before she even glimpsed the hallway. As she reached the mouth of the corridor, she paused, her attention captivated by a lean figure standing silently off to the side.

Jeff smiled, his expression full of its customary bitter amusement. For a few moments, neither one of them spoke. Then, the Charismatic Enigma nodded once in her direction, putting his hands together in a slow show of applause. "Congratulations, princess."

Melina said nothing; only advanced toward him. She halted just before their bodies could touch, tilting her face up toward his. Jeff felt his smile fade. He could feel the heat rising off her body, could smell the scent coming off of her skin, and just standing here, in her presence, was intoxicating. Melina leaned closer, and for one heart-stopping instant, the younger Hardy brother was sure that she was going to kiss him, but the Dominant Diva merely replied: "Thanks,"

"You're welcome," Jeff whispered, the words almost catching in his throat. Instead of walking away, however, Melina continued to stare at him. Her expression was unreadable, and there was something about the intensity of her gaze that was unsettling. It was as though she was challenging him, determined to locate something in his face or in his voice that would satisfy her.

Jeff leaned down a little, halving the distance between them even more. He heard a soft gasp, and realized that it had come from Melina. Looking into her eyes, he saw confusion in there.

Confusion...and yearning.

The Rainbow-Haired Warrior reached up, touched her face, cupping her cheek against his palm. "Melina..." he murmured.

For a moment, he saw her eyes drift closed, saw her lean into his touch--and then she was pulling away, words tumbling out of her mouth almost too fast for him to understand. "Johnny's on the warpath tonight." Her dark eyes lifted, fastened onto his. "During your match--watch out for him."

Jeff was so stunned that for several seconds, he couldn't do anything except stand there and blink. "Thanks--" he started to reply, but the paparazzi princess was already walking away, her mane of reddish-brown curls tumbling down her back, walking past a pair of headset-clad technicians, disappearing from his view.

The Charismatic Enigma was too busy watching her departure; he never noticed the diminutive figure that was standing only a few feet away, an unwilling witness to the exchange between him and the Dominant Diva. Maria slowly reached up, her fingers playing absently at the chunky necklace adorning her neck, a troubled expression marring her beautiful face.