-I do not own any of the established WWF stars in this story, nor do I own their real families, so please don't sue me!-
~BLOODLINES~
~PART ONE~
I yawned and stretched my arms. It felt good to finally be out of the car. Six hour drives are one thing, but when your eyes are sensitive to the light and you forgot your shades, they really suck.
"Where are we again?" my brother asked, looking at the outside of the arena we had arrived at. After awhile they all look the same.
I squinted as I turned to face the building. "Staples Center. I think." Then I hurried to get my eyes out of the direction of the sun.
He nodded. Jeff had slept the entire way to the Staples Center from San Jose, where we had been the night before. I gave him credit though, he had had a long night the night before.
We went inside, and I relaxed immediately. We put our stuff down in our dressing room, and went to find Vince, so we could go over our match for that night's taping of Smackdown.
It was then that I saw her. And for the first time in a long time, I recognized one of my own. Jeff and I looked at each other, both of us slightly bothered by the presence of another, especially when you consider that in our hierarchy Jeff and I were at the very top. However, we decided to keep our mouths shut Around a bunch of friends that had no idea who Jeff and I really were was no place to start a turf war.
Jeff and I found Vince, and he called the girl over. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Raychele Valens."
"Pleasure," I said, allowing myself a slight bow. "I'm Matt Hardy."
Jeff also allowed himself a slight bow. "And I'm Jeff Hardy." A formal introduction that clued her in on our status.
Raychele smiled, and curtsied in such a way as to not let anyone know she did. I started to size her up. She was gorgeous. Dark, almost pitch black hair, black eyes, and the pale skin that is rather common with us. She was tall, and terrifically built.
"We're going to try and work her into an angle with you two and Amy," Vince continued, interrupting my train of thought.
"Sounds good," Jeff lied. Vince didn't notice the lie, however, and went on with the plans for the night. Amy was going to lose a match with Raychele while I was out at ringside, and was later in the night going to attempt to put the moves on Jeff. As the angle went on, it would put a wedge between Jeff and I, eventually leading to the split we'd been fighting for months.
"Well," Vince said, checking his watch, "I have to go find Dwayne and Steve, and let them know what's up tonight. I'll leave you guys to plan things out."
"Later, Vince," I said as he left. Then, I turned to face Raychele.
She looked Jeff and I over, then pointed down the hall towards our dressing room.
Being curious, we agreed. As soon as we closed the door, she said "So you're the two princes."
Jeff and I nodded.
"What are your full names?"
"Matthew Moore," I replied with unintentionally regal overtones.
"Jeffery Nero," Jeff said, with the same overtones.
Raychele thought for a minute. "How old are you two?"
Jeff answered. "I'm 23. He's 26."
She was surprised. "You're a lot younger than I expected."
I could help but smile. The last time we had attended a court my father had held, the nobles reacted the same way. It was as if they automatically expected us to be elders, like our father. But it had taken him years to finally meet someone with the bloodlines to become his wife.
"How old are you?" I asked. Jeff looked at me and nodded just enough for me to see. I was trying to get an idea of her power, and he wanted to know as much as I did.
"21."
Young one. Not a threat in the least.
After a small silence, Jeff spoke again. "Why have you come here?"
Raychele took a deep breath. I immediately got the feeling that something was very, very wrong. "I was sent by your father. There have been numerous threats made to the nobles. Hunters have found out where King Gelbahr has been living, and are preparing a strike."
I was shocked. King Gelbahr is my father. He has been living under the name Gilbert, so no one would figure out his true nature. He is the eldest living member of the oldest, most powerful, and strongest bloodline in the entire Vampire community, a direct descendent of Amaylia, the first of our kind. After more than thirty years in Cameron, North Carolina, someone had caught on.
Raychele continued, her tone graver than before. "I am another Guardian. Your father wants you two to be under the utmost protection. If anything happens to him, he wants to be sure that you two are ready to take over."
I sat down and rested my chin on my hand, her words echoing in my head. "Ready to take over." I could only imagine how difficult that would be. One, it meant that I would become King, being the eldest son. That was something I had already accepted. Two, it meant that I would have to attempt to maintain order through out the community while simultaneously maintaining my WWF career. Third, it meant that I would have to deal with my father's death. I didn't think I could handle all that.
Jeff sat down next to me, and I could tell from his vibe and his scent that he, too, was uncertain. He would be my Second, not only by blood, but by my choice. I would need his help. I don't know if his free spirit would be able to adjust.
Raychele interrupted my thoughts. "I'm going to go find Adam and Jason, and talk to them. Walk wisely," she said, using a parting message for royalty that I hadn't heard in years.
"Walk wisely," Jeff and I replied in unison.
I turned and faced my brother. "This could get very interesting," I said, allowing a touch of nervousness in my voice.
"Oh yeah," Jeff replied, running a hand through his multi-colored hair. "We have to get used to being treated like royalty again."
"And I was beginning to enjoy being a normal person."
Jeff looked at me funny. "Person?"
"You know what I meant." He smiled. "Smart-ass."
~PART TWO~
I was still in shock when Adam Copeland and Jay Reso came in. They were somber, and I could tell that they had been talking to Raychele for a long time.
Adam and Jay are our Guardians, strong Vampires who were supposed to protect nobility, kind of like the secret service. But, the four of us don't even think about it. We're close friends, and the thought of Jeff and I supposedly being above them never entered my mind. Until now.
"Well, I guess things might change a little now, huh?" Jay asked, the tone of his voice letting us know that he was a little upset.
Jeff stood up and walked over to the bench, where he'd put his water. "I was hoping they wouldn't, but Raychele's treatment makes that hard to believe." He, too, was upset.
"This sucks." Adam had accidently slipped into his character, Edge, again.
This time, I was too stressed to call him on it. "Yeah, it does."
I was about to say something along the lines of "don't change your behavior" when Amy Dumas and Trish Stratus came in. Although the two of them are very close to the four of us, they don't know our secret, and the topic changed immediately.
"So, what do you guys think of Raychele?" Trish asked.
After a moment of thought, Jeff answered. "She's okay. A little too formal, but nice."
I nodded my agreement.
Amy sat down on the floor. "She seems a little distant to me. It makes me a little nervous to get in the ring with her." She had no idea how distant from humanity she really is.
I yawned slightly and checked my watch. 6:45 pm. They'd start letting the fans in any minute now. It also explained why I was tired. No sleep for twenty-four hours. I'll have to remember to feed earlier, so I can get a little rest in before we take off again.
"Well, I hate to end the gathering, but I need to get ready for my match." I was up first during Smackdown, and had to be ready by the end of Heat. That gave me fourty-five minutes.
Everyone left except Jeff. The two of us still needed to talk. We had a lot of planning to do, which we should have done when I turned 18, about what to do if worst came to worst and our father was killed. Neither one of us wanted to, and that's why we put it off until it was absolutely nessesary.
When we had finished talking, we went down to the staging area. Time to get ready for action. I was going to put Scott Taylor over for my WWF European Championship. His character, Scotty 2 Hottie, had been out for awhile, and was ready for a title reign. While I talked to him about the match, I noticed Jeff talking to Raychele. When I was finished, I joined them.
"...sorry. Trained habit," she was saying, blushing slightly.
"I understand, but here, everyone thinks we're human, and treats us like regular people. Adam and Jay treat us that way, too. We prefer it, it makes things a lot easier."
I put my two cents in there. "We both know that you've been told all your life to treat us differently than you would another Vampire, but here, we just want to be normal. Be our friend first, Guardian second." I smiled at her. She definitely was attractive.
She smiled back. "Okay. I'll try. But if I slip up, don't pounce on me."
Jeff and I both laughed. "You got it," I replied, and then I had to go for my match.
Despite how preoccupied I was, I actually had a pretty good match, and when I got back behind the curtain I was exausted. Jeff gave me a pat on the back, and Adam said it was the best I'd looked out there in a few weeks. Raychele told me I did good, too, and I could tell that she really meant it. I began to wonder if she would be interested in me.
Adam and Jay went out next, and had a pretty impressive match against the Acolytes, but lost in the end. Our group was on a real "losing" streak.
Finally, it was time for Raychele to make her WWF debut. She would be using her real first name, since it seemed to convey her character and attitude perfectly. Lita's music hit, and Amy and I went out on stage to play girlfriend/boyfriend.
We got down to the ring, and I took my place at ringside and waited the arrival of Raychele. Her music hit, a kind of Depeche Mode thing with a stinging guitar line, and ring announcer Tony Chimel announced her stats and name. I was surprised to find out that she was from Raleigh, awfully close to where Jeff and I were raised. But, I stayed in character and became Amy's cheerleader.
Raychele was extremely talented. I mean, simply amazing. She and Amy had a hell of a match, Pay-per-Veiw quality. Raychele ended the match with a terrific 450 Splash, and covered Amy for the 1-2-3.
I jumped into the ring to comfort Amy as Raychele left it, and when I looked up at Raychele she shot me a look that I can only describe as pure evil. She definitely deserved to be in the WWF. She also looked erotically appealing in her tight ring attire and that evil look on her face.
That was when I realized that this might get more complicated than I had ever imagined.
I "helped" Amy up the ramp and through the curtain, and then turned and gave her a hug. "That was amazing," I told her when we seperated.
All she did was blush. We joined up with Raychele, Jeff, Adam, Jay, and Chris Irvine, who were standing over at the monitor. "That was definitely one of the best women's matches I've seen in a long time," Chris said, taking his turn at giving Amy a hug. Then he turned to Raychele. "Welcome to the family," he told her, giving her a hug as well.
She smiled, and said thank you. Then, Chris ran off to get ready for his match, and the rest of us made our way towards Jeff and my dressing room, where we were going to shoot their bit.
It was a classic segment. Raychele, still in her ring attire, went into our dressing room, and found Jeff getting ready for his match. She said something about looking for Lita, to compliment her, and Jeff responded with "She and Matt are probably hiding out somewhere." He purposely made his tone a little bitter. Then, she got a little seductive, and said she'd try again later. She left, and Jeff followed her out of the room with his eyes, smiling brightly.
"Cut!" As soon as the segment director said that, everyone started laughing. Jeff left to go take on Raven for his Hardcore title, and I laid on the floor with my headphones on, listening to "Alive" by Pearl Jam, allowing all the events of the day to sort themselves out in my head.
~BLOODLINES~
~PART ONE~
I yawned and stretched my arms. It felt good to finally be out of the car. Six hour drives are one thing, but when your eyes are sensitive to the light and you forgot your shades, they really suck.
"Where are we again?" my brother asked, looking at the outside of the arena we had arrived at. After awhile they all look the same.
I squinted as I turned to face the building. "Staples Center. I think." Then I hurried to get my eyes out of the direction of the sun.
He nodded. Jeff had slept the entire way to the Staples Center from San Jose, where we had been the night before. I gave him credit though, he had had a long night the night before.
We went inside, and I relaxed immediately. We put our stuff down in our dressing room, and went to find Vince, so we could go over our match for that night's taping of Smackdown.
It was then that I saw her. And for the first time in a long time, I recognized one of my own. Jeff and I looked at each other, both of us slightly bothered by the presence of another, especially when you consider that in our hierarchy Jeff and I were at the very top. However, we decided to keep our mouths shut Around a bunch of friends that had no idea who Jeff and I really were was no place to start a turf war.
Jeff and I found Vince, and he called the girl over. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Raychele Valens."
"Pleasure," I said, allowing myself a slight bow. "I'm Matt Hardy."
Jeff also allowed himself a slight bow. "And I'm Jeff Hardy." A formal introduction that clued her in on our status.
Raychele smiled, and curtsied in such a way as to not let anyone know she did. I started to size her up. She was gorgeous. Dark, almost pitch black hair, black eyes, and the pale skin that is rather common with us. She was tall, and terrifically built.
"We're going to try and work her into an angle with you two and Amy," Vince continued, interrupting my train of thought.
"Sounds good," Jeff lied. Vince didn't notice the lie, however, and went on with the plans for the night. Amy was going to lose a match with Raychele while I was out at ringside, and was later in the night going to attempt to put the moves on Jeff. As the angle went on, it would put a wedge between Jeff and I, eventually leading to the split we'd been fighting for months.
"Well," Vince said, checking his watch, "I have to go find Dwayne and Steve, and let them know what's up tonight. I'll leave you guys to plan things out."
"Later, Vince," I said as he left. Then, I turned to face Raychele.
She looked Jeff and I over, then pointed down the hall towards our dressing room.
Being curious, we agreed. As soon as we closed the door, she said "So you're the two princes."
Jeff and I nodded.
"What are your full names?"
"Matthew Moore," I replied with unintentionally regal overtones.
"Jeffery Nero," Jeff said, with the same overtones.
Raychele thought for a minute. "How old are you two?"
Jeff answered. "I'm 23. He's 26."
She was surprised. "You're a lot younger than I expected."
I could help but smile. The last time we had attended a court my father had held, the nobles reacted the same way. It was as if they automatically expected us to be elders, like our father. But it had taken him years to finally meet someone with the bloodlines to become his wife.
"How old are you?" I asked. Jeff looked at me and nodded just enough for me to see. I was trying to get an idea of her power, and he wanted to know as much as I did.
"21."
Young one. Not a threat in the least.
After a small silence, Jeff spoke again. "Why have you come here?"
Raychele took a deep breath. I immediately got the feeling that something was very, very wrong. "I was sent by your father. There have been numerous threats made to the nobles. Hunters have found out where King Gelbahr has been living, and are preparing a strike."
I was shocked. King Gelbahr is my father. He has been living under the name Gilbert, so no one would figure out his true nature. He is the eldest living member of the oldest, most powerful, and strongest bloodline in the entire Vampire community, a direct descendent of Amaylia, the first of our kind. After more than thirty years in Cameron, North Carolina, someone had caught on.
Raychele continued, her tone graver than before. "I am another Guardian. Your father wants you two to be under the utmost protection. If anything happens to him, he wants to be sure that you two are ready to take over."
I sat down and rested my chin on my hand, her words echoing in my head. "Ready to take over." I could only imagine how difficult that would be. One, it meant that I would become King, being the eldest son. That was something I had already accepted. Two, it meant that I would have to attempt to maintain order through out the community while simultaneously maintaining my WWF career. Third, it meant that I would have to deal with my father's death. I didn't think I could handle all that.
Jeff sat down next to me, and I could tell from his vibe and his scent that he, too, was uncertain. He would be my Second, not only by blood, but by my choice. I would need his help. I don't know if his free spirit would be able to adjust.
Raychele interrupted my thoughts. "I'm going to go find Adam and Jason, and talk to them. Walk wisely," she said, using a parting message for royalty that I hadn't heard in years.
"Walk wisely," Jeff and I replied in unison.
I turned and faced my brother. "This could get very interesting," I said, allowing a touch of nervousness in my voice.
"Oh yeah," Jeff replied, running a hand through his multi-colored hair. "We have to get used to being treated like royalty again."
"And I was beginning to enjoy being a normal person."
Jeff looked at me funny. "Person?"
"You know what I meant." He smiled. "Smart-ass."
~PART TWO~
I was still in shock when Adam Copeland and Jay Reso came in. They were somber, and I could tell that they had been talking to Raychele for a long time.
Adam and Jay are our Guardians, strong Vampires who were supposed to protect nobility, kind of like the secret service. But, the four of us don't even think about it. We're close friends, and the thought of Jeff and I supposedly being above them never entered my mind. Until now.
"Well, I guess things might change a little now, huh?" Jay asked, the tone of his voice letting us know that he was a little upset.
Jeff stood up and walked over to the bench, where he'd put his water. "I was hoping they wouldn't, but Raychele's treatment makes that hard to believe." He, too, was upset.
"This sucks." Adam had accidently slipped into his character, Edge, again.
This time, I was too stressed to call him on it. "Yeah, it does."
I was about to say something along the lines of "don't change your behavior" when Amy Dumas and Trish Stratus came in. Although the two of them are very close to the four of us, they don't know our secret, and the topic changed immediately.
"So, what do you guys think of Raychele?" Trish asked.
After a moment of thought, Jeff answered. "She's okay. A little too formal, but nice."
I nodded my agreement.
Amy sat down on the floor. "She seems a little distant to me. It makes me a little nervous to get in the ring with her." She had no idea how distant from humanity she really is.
I yawned slightly and checked my watch. 6:45 pm. They'd start letting the fans in any minute now. It also explained why I was tired. No sleep for twenty-four hours. I'll have to remember to feed earlier, so I can get a little rest in before we take off again.
"Well, I hate to end the gathering, but I need to get ready for my match." I was up first during Smackdown, and had to be ready by the end of Heat. That gave me fourty-five minutes.
Everyone left except Jeff. The two of us still needed to talk. We had a lot of planning to do, which we should have done when I turned 18, about what to do if worst came to worst and our father was killed. Neither one of us wanted to, and that's why we put it off until it was absolutely nessesary.
When we had finished talking, we went down to the staging area. Time to get ready for action. I was going to put Scott Taylor over for my WWF European Championship. His character, Scotty 2 Hottie, had been out for awhile, and was ready for a title reign. While I talked to him about the match, I noticed Jeff talking to Raychele. When I was finished, I joined them.
"...sorry. Trained habit," she was saying, blushing slightly.
"I understand, but here, everyone thinks we're human, and treats us like regular people. Adam and Jay treat us that way, too. We prefer it, it makes things a lot easier."
I put my two cents in there. "We both know that you've been told all your life to treat us differently than you would another Vampire, but here, we just want to be normal. Be our friend first, Guardian second." I smiled at her. She definitely was attractive.
She smiled back. "Okay. I'll try. But if I slip up, don't pounce on me."
Jeff and I both laughed. "You got it," I replied, and then I had to go for my match.
Despite how preoccupied I was, I actually had a pretty good match, and when I got back behind the curtain I was exausted. Jeff gave me a pat on the back, and Adam said it was the best I'd looked out there in a few weeks. Raychele told me I did good, too, and I could tell that she really meant it. I began to wonder if she would be interested in me.
Adam and Jay went out next, and had a pretty impressive match against the Acolytes, but lost in the end. Our group was on a real "losing" streak.
Finally, it was time for Raychele to make her WWF debut. She would be using her real first name, since it seemed to convey her character and attitude perfectly. Lita's music hit, and Amy and I went out on stage to play girlfriend/boyfriend.
We got down to the ring, and I took my place at ringside and waited the arrival of Raychele. Her music hit, a kind of Depeche Mode thing with a stinging guitar line, and ring announcer Tony Chimel announced her stats and name. I was surprised to find out that she was from Raleigh, awfully close to where Jeff and I were raised. But, I stayed in character and became Amy's cheerleader.
Raychele was extremely talented. I mean, simply amazing. She and Amy had a hell of a match, Pay-per-Veiw quality. Raychele ended the match with a terrific 450 Splash, and covered Amy for the 1-2-3.
I jumped into the ring to comfort Amy as Raychele left it, and when I looked up at Raychele she shot me a look that I can only describe as pure evil. She definitely deserved to be in the WWF. She also looked erotically appealing in her tight ring attire and that evil look on her face.
That was when I realized that this might get more complicated than I had ever imagined.
I "helped" Amy up the ramp and through the curtain, and then turned and gave her a hug. "That was amazing," I told her when we seperated.
All she did was blush. We joined up with Raychele, Jeff, Adam, Jay, and Chris Irvine, who were standing over at the monitor. "That was definitely one of the best women's matches I've seen in a long time," Chris said, taking his turn at giving Amy a hug. Then he turned to Raychele. "Welcome to the family," he told her, giving her a hug as well.
She smiled, and said thank you. Then, Chris ran off to get ready for his match, and the rest of us made our way towards Jeff and my dressing room, where we were going to shoot their bit.
It was a classic segment. Raychele, still in her ring attire, went into our dressing room, and found Jeff getting ready for his match. She said something about looking for Lita, to compliment her, and Jeff responded with "She and Matt are probably hiding out somewhere." He purposely made his tone a little bitter. Then, she got a little seductive, and said she'd try again later. She left, and Jeff followed her out of the room with his eyes, smiling brightly.
"Cut!" As soon as the segment director said that, everyone started laughing. Jeff left to go take on Raven for his Hardcore title, and I laid on the floor with my headphones on, listening to "Alive" by Pearl Jam, allowing all the events of the day to sort themselves out in my head.