A/N: OMG, NEW CHAPTER! Yes, really--I swear to God I'm not dead! The end of this semester was BRUTAL--I actually took a hiatus from FF just so I could get work done. Right now, I am SO BEHIND with my stories, so I decided to update this one, because I'd let it go the longest, and the chapter was the clearest in my mind. I apologize for this chapter being short--I'm praying that what it lacks in length, it makes up for in intensity--but the good news is, I'm going to be posting Chapter 18 in the next couple days. I powered through this one in an evening, so I apologize for any typos. Hopefully, y'all will enjoy it. Peace!

Thank you to Esha Napoleon, Anonymous, extremist, i luv hardy, Lucy Grayson, Syco's Path, darkangelmel, hardyLuv, whatagleek, m-yaz, itsaviolentworld, nightmarelover, cherrycokerocks, and BigRedMachineUK for reviewing! WOW! Way to make me feel guilty about not updating, lol. Love yas!

Chapter 17: Face Down

Melina folded her hands over her chest, staring at the darkened ceiling above her. The paparazzi princess let her breath out in a long sigh, her eyes drifting closed for a second. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally; she could feel the weight of her fatigue pulling her down into the mattress. But despite her overwhelming weariness, sleep still refused to come to the Dominant Diva.

Melina turned her head, peering vacantly at the other side of the bed. It was unnecessary--she already knew it was empty. She hadn't seen Johnny since he had left the U.S. Bank Arena earlier this evening in a fit of rage. The paparazzi princess didn't need to ask why--she had seen the results of the voting for the Intercontinental Championship along with the rest of the world. Johnny had earned less than a quarter of the fans' votes; a measly thirteen percent.

When the self-proclaimed A-lister had burst into their shared dressing room a few minutes later, emanating fury and spewing obscenities, Melina had wisely stayed silent, watching mutely as her boyfriend changed into his street clothes, grabbed his suitcase, and stormed out without so much as a goodbye, not even sticking around for the remainder of Cyber Sunday.

Right now, she had no idea where Johnny was--and truthfully, she didn't much care. The dark wrath she had seen in his eyes...it had been dangerously close to that almost-insane rage she had glimpsed in him once before, the night he had thrown her against a wall. The last thing Melina wanted to remember was how powerless she had felt during those few agonizing seconds when Johnny had nearly lost all control. Better, then, that he take his frustrations out on someone else, somewhere else.

Besides, the Dominant Diva welcomed the solitude; those rare moments without flashbulbs going off in her face, where she could drop all of her facades and just be...herself. Here, in the dark, far from any prying eyes or ears, she could allow her mind to wander, mulling over her triumphs, her dreams...her regrets.

She used to think that betraying Mick Foley had been her worst mistake in life, the one thing that would haunt her for the rest of her existence.

How wrong she'd been. Hitting the Hardcore Legend with a low blow--that paled in comparison to the act of betrayal she'd committed on herself.

Jeff Hardy had offered her a way out. Her worst enemy, a man she claimed to hate, had offered her a chance to escape the stagnant quagmire her life had become, and follow her own heart once again. But instead of accepting it, instead of taking Jeff's hand and allowing him to lead her down that new path...she had fled, run away like a scared little girl.

In that moment, Melina had realized that her self-dubbed nickname was a misnomer. She wasn't dominant, or confident, or any of the things she claimed to be--she was afraid. She was afraid, and as much as she hated herself for giving in to the fear, she always would be--as long as she remained with Johnny.

Her relationship with the self-proclaimed A-lister was fucked-up, dysfunctional, and, as she was beginning to learn, one-sided--but it still scared her less than the possibility of heading down a different road with the Charismatic Enigma. Being with Jeff was like diving out of an airplane without knowing whether or not your parachute was going to open; it was exhilarating and terrifying, horrible and wonderful, all at the same time.

There is something between us...something that neither of us can understand--or ignore...

Every time that the Rainbow-Haired Warrior kissed her or touched her, she could feel it for hours afterward, as though the mark of his fingers or lips had been burned into her skin. And every time she pulled away from him, her whole body ached with the pain of unfulfilled desire, as though every nerve, every fiber of her being, was begging for her to relent, to relinquish herself to him.

I feel it...and so do you...

Thirteen days had passed since their encounter in the stairwell; thirteen long, slow, agonizing days. And not a second had gone by without her wishing that she was still back in that stairwell, letting Jeff peel the clothes from her body, push her up against the wall and take her--

Since then, Melina had done everything she could to avoid him; she stayed in her dressing room as much as possible, leaving the safety of it only when she had to go to the ring. But it was impossible to prevent all interactions with the Charismatic Enigma, and every time they crossed paths in the hallways or the parking garage, she could feel the weight of his gaze on her.

Whenever that happened, Melina always kept her eyes on the floor, afraid that if she looked up into those probing green irises, her haughty mask would crack, exposing the miserable soul hiding beneath. Because she was miserable; her heart was like a stone within her chest, incapable of feeling anything except unhappiness.

Her life used to be perfect--but somehow, it had gone straight to hell.

The paparazzi princess rolled over onto her side, pressing her face against the pillow. A tear leaked out of the corner of her closed lid, rolling down her cheek. The one man who made her feel...anything...was the one man she couldn't possibly have--yes, karma had indeed come back to bite her in the ass in a big way.

The sound of the door handle jiggling jolted Melina out of her self-pitying reverie, and the Dominant Diva sat up, tensing, looking toward the door. Muffled curses followed, uttered by a familiar voice, and she relaxed somewhat.

Johnny had returned.

The paparazzi princess quickly flopped back down onto the bed, turning her back to the door and pretending to be asleep. The door opened, and Melina glimpsed yellow light at the edges of her vision as the illumination from the hallway briefly spilled over her. She heard Johnny take one step, then another, shutting the door behind him. He stumbled suddenly, crashing against the wall, and Melina winced. Either Johnny had tripped over a suitcase...or else he was drunk.

And considering that it was pretty much a clear path from the door to the bed...it was most likely the latter.

The self-proclaimed A-lister eventually made it over to the double bed, though not before colliding with the wall two more times and the bedside table once. He practically dived onto the mattress, the momentum almost bouncing Melina up into the air. The Dominant Diva gritted her teeth, but didn't react; merely lay there as though lost in a deep slumber.

Johnny remained where he had fallen for a few minutes, before rolling over. Melina felt the mattress give as he crawled toward her. The self-proclaimed A-lister curled up against her, draping his arm over her waist. The paparazzi princess had to swallow the urge to gag--her boyfriend fairly reeked of alcohol. She squeezed her eyes tighter shut, hoping that Johnny would pass out long enough for her to roll him back to his side of the bed.

The former Intercontinental Champion, however, did not seem to hear her silent prayer. Melina felt his boozy breath wash over her cheek, followed by the light brush of his lips on her ear, her jaw. His hand, resting on her hip, slowly slid up her body, coming to rest on her breast. He snuggled closer, and Melina knew by the way he was pressing against her leg that he was...turned on.

Normally, in a situation like this, the Dominant Diva would have felt nothing except mild annoyance at her boyfriend's audacity. But now...in her current state...she felt outright revulsion at the feeling of Johnny's hands on her. Her stomach was churning; she actually thought she was going to throw up.

Lazily, as though she was still half-asleep, Melina pushed her boyfriend's hand away. "Johnny...stop it..." she murmured drowsily.

Instead of backing off, however, the self-proclaimed A-lister only intensified his explorations. His hand closed over her breast again, squeezing it, and Melina felt his tongue lick the curve of her ear.

The paparazzi princess's eyes snapped open. "Johnny--" she repeated, her voice no longer sleepy, but laced with a deadly warning. The former Intercontinental Champion didn't seem to hear her; she could feel his hand trailing down her body, heading for the juncture between her legs. "Johnny, stop!"

Twisting free of his embrace, Melina shoved her boyfriend away as hard as she could, pushing him to the other side of the bed, where he landed with a surprised grunt. The Dominant Diva sat up, groping to her right for the lamp switch, locating it, and turning it sharply. There was a click, and the room flooded with golden light, momentarily blinding her. The paparazzi princess's eyes quickly adjusted to the change in radiance, however, allowing her to glare at her boyfriend.

Johnny's clothing was rumpled, as though he'd slept in it, and he was still wearing his sunglasses--no wonder he'd been bumping into every piece of furniture in the room. The self-proclaimed A-lister struggled to sit up, matching his girlfriend's scowl. "Jesus, Mel!" he exclaimed, his voice slurred. "What's your problem?"

The Dominant Diva blinked. "My problem?" she echoed, her voice full of disdainful incredulity. "Johnny, it is--" She paused, shooting a quick look at the red numbers of the digital alarm clock. "--almost 1 in the morning...and you're drunk. Could I be any less in the mood?"

Silence greeted her retort. Even though Melina couldn't see Johnny's eyes, she still got the distinct impression that he was glowering at her. The paparazzi princess rolled her dark irises in exasperation. "Whatever..." she muttered. She reached over to turn off the lamp, and her fingers had just closed around the switch when Johnny spoke, his voice low and bitter:

"Fuckin' tease..."

The Dominant Diva froze, arm still outstretched, wondering if she had just imagined those last two words. "What?" she snapped.

"You heard me!" the former Intercontinental Champion shot back. He finally succeeded in pushing himself up to a sitting position, reaching out to point accusingly at his girlfriend. "It's always 'Not tonight, Johnny, I have a headache' or 'Not now, Johnny, I'm tired' with you!"

The self-proclaimed A-lister cocked his head to the side. "What is it with you lately?" he asked, his tone still scornful. "You won't sleep with me, and you haven't gotten me back my title--Look at me when I'm talking to you!" These last words were uttered in a harsh growl, and faster than Melina would have expected anyone so inebriated to move, Johnny reached over, grabbing her arm and jerking her toward him.

The Dominant Diva gasped at the contact. Johnny's grip was painful; she could almost feel the bones in her wrist grinding together. Melina slowly lifted her head, looking up into her boyfriend's eyes--and saw only her scared countenance reflected back at her in the shadowy lenses of his sunglasses. She swallowed hard, trying to quell the small node of dread growing in her stomach. "Let go of me," she whispered.

Johnny didn't comply; only stared back at her with faint derision. It was as though he hadn't even heard her; when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper: "If I'm not the Champion...and if you won't put out...then what good are you to me?"

The paparazzi princess went totally, completely still, her eyes widening in stunned surprise. She could feel Johnny's words hanging above her, like needle-sharp icicles, ready to fall and pierce her skin with their icy jabs. Her face sagged, her jaw dropping open of its own accord, her mind unable to process what it had just heard.

A mocking grin touched the corners of the self-proclaimed A-lister's mouth; apparently, his girlfriend's reaction had not been lost on him. "What?" the former Intercontinental Champion sneered, leaning closer, his breath hitting Melina's face like a foul wave. "You honestly thought that you were something special? That I kept you around because I loved you?" Johnny shook his head. "You...you're just another pair of tits that talk--the only reason I kept you around is because unlike all those other clueless bimbos out there--" Nitro paused, flicking his index finger hard against his girlfriend's forehead. "--you actually have enough of a brain to help me win matches."

The self-proclaimed A-lister's handsome features abruptly twisted into something resembling disgust, and he tightened his grip on the paparazzi princess's arm. "But if you can't even do that--then you're worthless to me--"

His words ended in a startled yelp as Melina slapped him as hard as she could. The Dominant Diva tore her arm free from his grasp, rising to her knees, her breath escaping her in furious pants. "I'm worthless?" she repeated, her voice teetering at the edge of full-blown rage. Without warning, she grabbed hold of Johnny's shirt with both hands, jamming her face into his, her voice rising to a shrill scream. "I'm worthless? Maybe you'd win more matches if you weren't busy screwing other women behind my back!"

At this, she saw Johnny's expression falter for a moment in shock. The paparazzi princess let out a humorless laugh. "What? You thought I wouldn't find out? About Kelly? About all the others? You thought I'd just accept your lame excuses and pretend that nothing's going on?"

Melina slowly shook her head. "You think I'm nothing without you? Well...you're nothing without me! The only reason you were even Intercontinental Champion was because of me! Without me--" The Dominant Diva was livid now, her voice reaching the "primal scream" decibel range. "--without me, you're just a loser wannabe poser who can't even keep it in his pants! You're pathetic, a fucking disappointment--"

Nitro hit her.

The blow knocked Melina to the edge of the bed, where she teetered for a moment or so, arms pinwheeling frantically for balance, before gravity kicked in, sending her tumbling to the floor. Her legs were tangled in the sheets; half of the bedcovers were dragged down with her.

The Dominant DIva lay motionless on the floor, her cheek pressed against the thin carpet. For a moment, a heartbeat, she felt the world surrounding her slow, and then stop--she could even feel the molecules in the air hesitate. It was as though the entire universe had sucked in a shocked breath, as unable to comprehend what had just happened as she was.

Then, with a nearly audible groan, existence lurched back to life again, snapping the paparazzi princess's paralysis. The entire left side of her face was throbbing; the pain too widespread to trace back to any one source. Melina moaned softly, pushing herself up slowly to her elbows. She could feel something trickling from her nose, and touched it tentatively.

Her fingers came away red.

The Dominant Diva rolled over, staring up in utter disbelief at the man she used to trust, the man she used to love--the man who had just backhanded her across the face like a seedy character in a bad movie.

As soon as she did, she felt her stomach plummet into the abyss.

Johnny's handsome face was twisted in an expression of crazed fury, a mirror image of the rage he had shown several weeks ago. He was barely recognizable; the beast, the demon, the monster--whatever it was--had been unleashed.

Melina wasn't even aware that she was moving; her entire body had gone numb. It wasn't until she saw her feet kicking that she realized she was propelling herself backwards, trying to escape the cocoon of bed linens, trying to put distance between her and Johnny Nitro.

The self-proclaimed A-lister's arm moved, and Melina flinched, certain that he was going to pounce onto her and wrap his hands around her throat. But Nitro merely removed his sunglasses, blinking in the dim light. His eyes focused on her again, and as she watched, his countenance shifted, the wrath draining away and bewilderment taking its place. "Mel?" he whispered, his tone just as confused as his expression. "Mel...I--"

"Don't touch me!" the paparazzi princess hissed. She finally succeeded in kicking herself free from the tangled sheets, and scrambled to her feet, backing away from the bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her coat and oversized purse sitting on a nearby chair; without taking her focus off her boyfriend, she reached down and snatched them up.

The former Intercontinental Champion twisted around, fastening his gaze on her again. He seemed to be trying to fathom what had just happened--in some ways, that made two of them. "Mel...wait--"

"Go to hell!" Melina cried, and without waiting any longer, she dashed for the door, wrenching it open and sprinting out into the hall. She didn't bother with the elevator; instead, she headed for the stairwell, flinging the door open and vaulting down the steps two at a time.

For a few terrifying seconds, she could have sworn she heard Johnny's voice, roaring her name--or maybe it was just the panicked thud of her own heart.

Melina sank down onto the curb, drawing her knees up to her chest. It was deserted on this side of the hotel--no cars were parked nearby, and the one streetlight had gone out, casting everything in a shadowy dimness.

The paparazzi princess touched her face gingerly, wincing. She was pretty sure that her nose had stopped bleeding, but her face still hurt and her left eye was starting to swell shut--she was going to have a hell of a shiner in the morning.

Melina shivered, hugging her knees with both arms. Her feet were freezing--she hadn't even paused to grab a pair of socks before fleeing. But then again, her boyfriend, the person she was supposed to trust, had just belted her across the face--footwear had been the last thing on her mind.

The paparazzi princess reached over, digging into her bag and extracting her SideKick. Raising the electronic device to her face, she started to dial 411, but her fingers were trembling too much to hit the buttons, and the glowing numbers smeared into streams of glowing color as tears filled her eyes. Letting go of the SideKick, Melina covered her face with both hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

What was the point? Even if she found another hotel, even if she washed the blood off her face and covered the bruise with a pound of concealer--it wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't fix it. Johnny had hit her--that couldn't be erased or covered up. He had crossed a line, one he couldn't come back from; neither of them could.

Melina knew that in fairy tales, this was the part where the fairy godmother appeared, ready to wave a magic wand and make everything all better. But that wasn't the way things happened in real life. There was no fairy godmother, there was no happy ending, and Prince Charming certainly didn't ride up on a white horse to save the day--

"Princess? Is that you? What're you doing out here?"

Melina's head shot up, her heart fluttering to a stop as the Rainbow-Haired Warrior emerged out of the darkness. "What--" The Dominant Diva struggled to speak; her tongue seemed incapable of forming words. "What're you doing here?"

Jeff nodded over his shoulder. "I'm staying at the Holiday Inn across the parking lot; I came out to get some air. Didn't expect to find you here, though." His gaze flickered downward. "What happened to your shoes?"

The paparazzi princess averted her eyes, covering her face with her hands. "Go away, Jeff," Her voice held no anger; only a dull sadness. "Just...leave me alone."

She heard the younger Hardy brother's footsteps approach her, followed by the light pressure of his hand on her knee as he knelt down in front of her. "Hey," Jeff murmured, his tone sympathetic. "What happened?" He took hold of her hands in both of his, gently prying them from her face. As he did, Melina looked up, watching the Charismatic Enigma draw his breath in sharply as he saw her bruised face.

Jeff swallowed hard. "What happened?" he asked again, his voice more insistent than it had been the first time. Unconsciously, his hands tightened around Melina's. "He did this...didn't he?"

The Dominant Diva looked away, but she didn't need to; she could tell by the way Jeff's body was quivering with pent-up rage that he had already guessed the truth. The Rainbow-Haired Warrior looked off to the side, inhaling and exhaling furiously through his nose. "Fucking piece of shit..." he muttered to no one in particular. "I'm gonna kill him--"

Melina gasped. "No!" she cried. Without realizing it, she slipped her fingers through Jeff's, gripping his hands even tighter. "Don't! Please! You'll only make it worse!"

Jeff tilted his face up, peering critically down at her. "Worse than what he did to you?" he replied bluntly.

The paparazzi princess winced a little. "Please..." she repeated after a long moment of silence had passed. "Please...just...don't get involved."

Jeff stared at her for a few seconds more, before letting his breath out in a reluctant sigh. "Fair enough, princess," he answered, his tone grudging. It wasn't really a promise, but at this point, Melina could have cared less--so long as Jeff stayed away from Nitro tonight.

The two of them sat there in the dark for several minutes before the younger Hardy brother spoke again. "So...where're you headed?"

The Dominant Diva lifted her shoulders up and down in what might have been a shrug. "I was going to call a cab--" She paused, glancing up at Jeff. Her beautiful face was filled with a sort of piteous amusement; her teeth were clattering from the cold. "--but I don't know where to go."

For a moment, the Charismatic Enigma didn't respond; then, with a faint creak of joints, he rose to his feet, extending his hand toward her. Melina looked from it to him, her expression uncomprehending. Jeff's mouth curled in a half-smile, but there was nothing mocking about it. "If you want, princess...you can crash with me for the night."

The paparazzi princess blinked, as unable to process this offer as she was Johnny striking her in the face. "You?" she whispered, her voice tentative. Her full lips curved in a bitter smile. "Won't your girlfriend mind?"

The Rainbow-Haired Warrior nodded. "Probably." His green irises locked onto Melina's brown ones, and she felt her smile fade. "But to be honest...I really don't care...I just don't want to leave you sitting out here in the cold."

The Dominant Diva didn't answer, and Jeff sighed, glancing down at the ground. "Look, princess, it's your choice. I'm not going to force you to do anything, not after what you've just been through. But..." The younger Hardy brother hesitated, his gaze swinging up to meet hers once more. "I just figured...the one thing you need right now...is a friend."

A low strangled sound escaped Melina's throat, but she still didn't speak. Jeff bowed his head, nodding a little. "I get it. Just thought I'd make the offer." Without offering a goodbye, he turned on his heel, moving back into the darkness.

He had only gone a few yards when he heard Melina cry: "Jeff, wait!", followed by the rapid beat of her footsteps. Her hands closed over his, and the Charismatic Enigma turned, his breath catching in his throat as he gazed down at the paparazzi princess.

Melina gulped, her breath escaping her in a shuddering gasp. "I'm coming..." Her voice abruptly trailed off into silence, as though words had failed her.

Without tearing his eyes from hers, Jeff reached up with his free hand, pushing a lock of hair back behind her ear. As he did so, his fingertips brushed her temple, and he felt her skin instantly infuse with heat. "All right, princess," the Rainbow-Haired Warrior murmured. He slipped his fingers through hers, holding her hand tightly--a grip which Melina returned with equal ferocity.

"All right..."