Title: Once Again I Lead Myself To This Betrayal

Author: Cat Lea Ravensgurl41@aol.com

Rating: R because it might get dark being it is a Raven Story

Disclaimer: Scott Levy owns Raven and He works for the NWA-TNA. Don't own anything or any one other then my children. Don't get anything from this story other then enjoyment or maybe a few reviews.

Story Summary: This is most likely Dark and Angst as it is about Raven and the Gathering after they betrayed him on Dec. 17, 2003

Chapter One: A Man Left Broken To Trust "Nevermore"

Chapter Rating: PG implied M/M liking.

Author Notes: Be nice am all that I ask. Flames are fine but remember that this is at least part angst as my muses are pissed off at what the writers at NWA-TNA had The Gathering do on Dec. 17, 2003. I am writing this for two reasons one is that if I don't my Raven muse will never leave me along and Two that if I don't get this out of my system I will never be able to love Julio and CM Punk again. Sorry Raven is my first love over at NWA-TNA. I am also writing this in hope of giving some sort of reason to this madness and hopefully in the end have it ending well. I am also writing this for three really great Raven writers who inspirer me to write. They are SpyElf, Hearts Desire, and RavensEnigma who keeps me going when I am in a Raven and the Gathering mood. Which is always. Will it ever end? (My Obsession with Raven!)

Well to Quoth the Raven:

I think you hear me knocking,

I think I'm coming in,

Quoth the Raven,

"Nevermore"

Please read and review.

Chapter One

A Man Left Broken To Trust "Nevermore"?

* Raven slowly starts to come back to reality almost a half hour after Julio and CM Punk take their leave of the asylum following Jarrett, Don Callis and the Red Shirts up the ramp. After totally betraying him and ruining all chance of him getting a chance at the belt they taunted him before leaving with the enemy. Raven finally takes his head out of his hands and looks up. He has been sitting in the center of the cage and crying the whole time after they left him. Left him a bloodied and broken man who's destiny is unknown right now. His eyes are red and swollen and he has tear streaks running down his face. He sees that a battered Wildcat Chris Harris and even more battered Cowboy James Storm along with Erik Watts are sitting quietly on a couple of chairs right outside of the cage. They are watching him closely but not daring to come into the cage by him. Which right now was the smartest thing that they could do because with Raven they never knew what he would do when he was this upset. Hell not that they ever really seen him this up set. They had seen him one time beat the hell out of Sandman and it was over a lot less then any one part of this mess. Raven finally gets himself to his feet and slowly makes his way toward the door of the cage. As he reaches it Erik Watts stands up and opens it up so that he can step through it. Wildcat and Cowboy both stand up waiting for Raven to step out. As he does his knee that Abyss decided to kick about a dozen times gives out causing him to stumble almost causing him to go falling down the steps. He would have hit the ground at the bottom of the steps but for the fast moves of Wildcat who grabbed his arms just in time to stop him. Raven looks up and silently nods his thanks. Wildcat can see that he is hurting and hurting badly but not just physically from the beating that he took in the ring. He can see the deep sorrow in Raven's eyes that goes all the way down to his very soul. But even more then that Wildcat and the other two men there can see the unmistakable confusion as to why Julio Dinero and CM Punk would betray him like they did. They were all shocked when that had happened as the two of them did it just as it looked as if Raven was going to finally start to full fill his destiny. He had the win in the bag and after that in just three weeks he was going to have his title shot at Jarrett and the belt. Something that they all knew that Raven would have won. But now the chances of that ever happening were gone. Gone and at the hands of the two people that Raven trusted and loved the most. Maybe even the only people that he trusted completely since coming here to the NWA-TNA from the WWE. The WWE where he was also betrayed by the people that he trusted and loved the most. Just like the WCW and the ECW. All Wildcat could think of to do was to gently wrap Raven in his arms. Still neither of them saying anything at all. All Wildcat could do was just try to give the comfort that he knew Raven was in bad need right now. He then gently hands him to Cowboy who does the same thing wrapping him in as if he could some how take some of the hurt away. Both men notice that Raven puts up no fight as if he doesn't have any fight left in him. After a few minutes a sob tries to break its way free from the heart that feels lost and broken in his chest. Raven quickly pulls free of Cowboys embrace and looks over at Erik who is still standing with the door in his hand. Erik goes to open his mouth to say something to make some promise that they can fix this but he slowly shuts his mouth because he doesn't know how to fix this one. Or even if he can fix this one. Sure he could go to the board and see if there was some way of changing the final out come. To see if there is some chance that Raven could still get a shoot at Jarrett and the belt. Hell he would bet that there was. But he can't fix or change the most important part of the out come tonight. And that was what the Gathering did to Raven. Not just costing him his shot at the belt but the betrayal of his heart. More importantly was the betrayal of his heart. For one look at the hurt and broken man in front of him and he knew that he never seen it coming. Hell none of them had seen it coming. Raven looks down at the ground and way from the three men who still have said not a word because what words do you use in a case where your friend and colleague starts the day happy go lucky and then ends it broken. A lost soul in so many ways. And in Ravens case what does he say to his friends when just an hour ago he felt like the luckiest man on the earth. When he felt that for once he was where he was finally going to get everything that he deserved. Hell isn't that even what Punk had said in their post match interview? So finally all the bad that he have gone through in your life was finally going to end or at least have a meaning. That with the love or in this cases the loves Julio and CM of his life he was going to make it to the top. He was going to be someone that they could be proud of not the old Raven that didn't do any thing to make anyone proud. But now it was gone but what hurt him even more was that they were gone. In just a blink of an eye the turned there back on him, hurt him in the worst possible way and then left him there to be alone. The chances at the belt gone because he trusted his own loyal partners. Hell not just his partners but his...Lovers. Raven shakes his head and as the tears once more starts to make tracks down his face he slowly turns to makes his way up the ramp towards the back. Back towards the Raven's Lair, which just a few hours ago was a happy place to be because it was their room. Their place to be along and away from the world but also to be with each other. But then a few hours ago any place that all three of them were together was a happy place to be. Wildcat, Cowboy and Erik all watch as Raven reaches the top of the ramp and then slowly turns back toward the ring. He slowly lifts his head and stares down and into the ring not seeing them but seeing the hell he went through there tonight. Replaying every hit and word said in that ring. He has a look on his face that scares all three men for it is one of angry, hate, lose and even death. He stares so hard that it looks like he is looking down into the depths of hell for a soul that he lost. Or worst yet for a soul that he was trying to lose once more. After a few moments he turns and slowly heads behind the big black curtain and out of the sight of his friends. The three men look at each other and then back up the ramp to where Raven was just stand not two seconds ago. After a second they look at each other and without talking they can read the looks in the others eyes. For all three of them knew that Raven was going to need three things right now if he was to survive this. To make it past these gates of Hell. One if Raven is going to make it through this without going back to his old vices of pills and alcohol and darkness he is going to have to have friends around to help and to watch over him. Something that for the last year no one but Julio and CM have been allowed to handle. Keeping him clean and on track for his destiny was their job because they made it their job but yet now there was no one to do it. Because the two men who took that job and wouldn't let anyone else in to help just up and walked away. Two that they were going to have to find a way for Raven to get that shoot at Jarrett and the belt some how because he deserved it. He followed all the rules and all the dumb ass things thrown in his way. And he would have had it if he were not betrayed right there in the center of the ring by his own Gathering. And three, which was in their minds the most important thing for Raven and his survival, was the answer to why? Why did Julio and CM betray him and not only in the ring but also in love. How do you hug and kiss someone one second and tell them that you love him? And then in the next second hit him in the head with a chair just as his destiny is about to be full filled. And how if any way could they fix it? How do you mend a heart that was so full one minute and then empty the next because the people that you give it to break it in half? How do you mend it or even begin to mend it? *

Author Notes: Please Read and Review. Being as Raven is my new Obsession or maybe I should say an old one returned you will be seeing more. This will not follow exactly what is happening but will have some parts. If you love Raven then catch him on NWA-TNA, as that is where his home is now.

Thanks,

Cat Lea

Ravensgurl41@aol.com

Legalities: Scott Levy (Raven), Wildcat Chris Harris, CM Punk, Julio Dinero, Cowboy James Storm, and any other mentioned characters are property of NWA -TNA. I claim no knowledge of each of the characters sexual preferences or lives. This is a story of fiction; none of these events are real which means I made them up. I received absolutely no profit from this story except for my ego in reviews.