PACING

Pacing…

Pacing alone in a corridor, in a hospital…

Fear fills his heart and eats away his soul…

Because of a choice, a decision made for him a very long time ago.

He looks through the glass window inside a room.

There lies Rey, his best friend, his partner, and with a strange twist of fate, his soul mate, his love.

There he lies, alone, in a dark room with a machine keeping him alive, doing the breathing for him.

He looks inside, at the small man lying in bed and he expects every breath he takes to be his last. He knows the pain he is in, he should know…he is the only one Rey told about. Yet in all this fear and death, he cannot go inside and sit beside him.

He looks away from the room. He expects the others to arrive soon… and then he will have some explaining to do, because of their choices, their actions and their emotions.

If he could go back to the beginning of it all, he still is not sure if he would or could change something. Everything has happened so fast, so suddenly. One thing he knows is that in all this madness, they had managed to find each other, something that proved to be the best and the worst thing that has ever happened to their lives…

The best and worst… by far.

Edge and Rey had been tag team partners a couple of years ago. They had met in the WWE and immediately something had clicked between them. It was like they knew each other for a long time. When they had decided to become tag team partners, everybody was amazed because of their size and technique differences. For Edge to become partner with such a small wrestler was a mistake for a lot of people. They thought he ought to have chosen somebody larger, somebody to match his own size and thus become invincible in the ring. Of course the people who knew Rey very well, like Billy and Eddie, they thought it was a good idea. Rey was a great partner to have. His highflying maneuvers had managed in the past to break down even the biggest of the wrestlers and make them have a run for their money. It was a great idea! In the ring, they completed each other's moves, they communicated perfectly. Edge's grounding power matched perfectly Rey's aerial moves. They looked after and protected one another. For a while everything looked and worked perfectly. But then Edge was traded to Raw, and that decision changed everything. Their ways had parted and it seemed that each wrestler was on their own again.

Until the night they saw each other again for the first time in two years.

Rey had lost that night, and his defeat was ugly. He had hurt his stomach and groin after the last illegal kick from D-Von Dudley, a blind kick that the referee did not see since he was distracted from Bubba Ray. That kick had cost him the match since it left him breathless on the ring mat. Paramedics came to assist him but he refused their help. He was too proud to do that. Instead he sucked all the pain inside and tried to stand up. The first time he tried to, he fell on the ring right on his knee. The pain surged though his body and he felt vomit coming, surfacing up to his throat. He took a breath and the sudden pain made him fold in two. He crawled outside the ring. The shouts of the fans moved him. They shouted out loud giving him their love and support and he could not fail them since in their eyes Rey was the true winner of the match. He sucked all the pain again, took another deep breath and stood up straight. He lifted up his fist and waved the crowd while making his exit.

In the corridors backstage none approached him and he didn't show them how much he suffered. He passed them by and headed for the locker room.

As soon as he entered, seeing nobody there, he let himself fall on the floor with a loud thumping sound. He removed his mask still clutching his groin. The damage was not so big. It would be better after vomiting. That thought send him to the bathroom coughing out saliva and blood.

The door opened suddenly and a well known but terribly missed figure entered.

"Hello, is anybody here?"

Edge came in the locker room and spotting Rey's white mask lying on the floor, his heart skipped a beat. Rey would never throw away his mask like that on the ground; he was too neat and tidy with his wrestling gear, not to mention how much he treasured his 'heritage'. He hadn't time to think what had happened, since almost immediately, he heard Rey spitting out the last drop of liquid left inside his body.

"Hey Rey are you in there?"

Nothing…

He knocked on the bathroom door and asked again.

"Hey man, is everything OK? It's me, Adam."

He began to worry and thought of knocking down the door, but sighed in relief when he heard Rey gasping in response.

"I think I just puked every meal I had the entire weak… along with my stomach."

"Do you need any help?"

The door opened and Rey came out.

"No, I am fine thanks." he said and headed to the bench. He was very pale, and he looked really tired. Edge sat beside him and looked him in the eyes. Rey hadn't removed the contacts yet and his eyes when filled up with tears from the strain and the pain he felt still in his groin and stomach.

"Are you feeling better?"

Rey nodded.

"That's a rhetorical question, right? What are you doing here anyway?"

"I came to meet Vince. We are making the last arrangements for the next pay-per-view."

Edge lowered his voice.

"Rey… what happened?"

Rey turned slightly his head facing Edge. "The Dudley's… I tell you; sometimes I think there is nothing under that thick scull of theirs. Too many head butts made them lose the last brain cells they had left. But I am fine. It was just a match; it is not such a big deal. It just took the wind out of me. I will be fine… as soon as a catch my breath…" Rey's last words came out almost like a whisper. He folded again in two, gasping from the pain. Edge put his arms around Rey's torso and helped him sit up straight. Rey looked paler and weaker. He kept his eyes shut. He seemed to be thinner from the last time he had seen him on TV. Edge slapped Rey in the cheeks to wake him up.

"Hey buddy, come on wake up… Rey come on stay with me…"

Rey opened his eyes slowly and looked at his friend's face, mumbling.

"…can't…" and almost fainted. Edge held him, this time more firmly. He felt Rey's body giving up from the exhaustion. The last days were especially difficult for Rey because of his difficult schedule, the shows, the hard matches, the beatings, the public appearances, the training, the constant traveling and the bad sleeping. But it wasn't something he hadn't done before. He put his arm around his shoulder and lifted him up.

"Come on now, we are taking a cold shower to wake us up… come on now, help me, walk with me…"

Rey gathered every last drop of strength he had left and managed to stand up and take a few clumsy steps to the shower. Edge opened the cold water flow and held Rey under the shower. Rey's eyes opened wide and gasped violently as soon as he felt the water falling hard and cold on his already shivering body. He looked at Edge. He too was under the shower in his street clothes, all wet and shivering, but not willing to let his friend fall. Their eyes locked. They both breathed heavily. Edge felt Rey's muscles under his firm embrace tighten up and his tattoos stretching. He had a weird feeling in his stomach holding Rey like that in his arms, like a bird, shivering, so small, so dependable and so unprotected. The feeling he had was new, and for the first time he didn't feel like protecting him, but kissing him. Their breathing became heavier and an electrifying feeling ran though their bodies as they approached their wet lips closer in their first kiss. The water poured down hard on them, but they didn't stop. Their kiss became more passionate, more violent as the cold streams of water ran fast from their faces lower to their wet bodies. Their tongues started a sexual dance, and for a minute they forgot everything around them. Their hands met and clasped tightly. Edge put his other hand on Rey's shoulder and let it slip all the way to the down to the small of his back sending more shivers up his spine.

Rey looked up at Edge. This was the first time he was looking at his partner this way. The desire he felt growing inside him was consuming him, but it was something more than physical, something beyond their bodies touching. It felt natural, not wrong; it didn't feel weird or out of place. Looking into the eyes of the man opposite of him made his heart beat faster.

Edge was looking back at him. His hands caressed Rey's cheek's and ended up resting around his neck. Rey felt that if his friend removed his hands away from his neck, he would fall down. He kept looking at Edge intensely, his breathing heavy and his desire mounting with every heartbeat.

"What is it?" Edge asked softly, while caressing Rey's cheek.

"Don't let go" he replied shivering, "Just don't let go"

"I will never let go, never again." Edge replied and he felt drowning in the eyes of the man facing him. He stretched to kiss him again and Rey kissed him back. He kissed his neck and let his hands down to his t-shirt. Edge removed it with a single thrust, leaving himself half naked before the white eyes of the luchador. Rey kissed his bare chest and it was Edge's turn to feel shivers. He leaned on the cold wall behind him unable to move. The tongue of Rey licking his nipples, and tracing its way lower to his stomach sent him in the most extraordinary plane of existence, a place of trance, unworldly and deliciously numbing. None of them wanted to stop but a sound coming from outside the shower made them do so. Rey looked Edge in panic. The voice of Eddie came from outside the shower's glass door.

"Hey Holmes, are you in there?"

Rey pulled Edge in front of him and hid. Edge's fast thinking was the only thing that saved them from the embarrassment. He took Rey's arm and put it around his shoulders. He winked at him and responded to Eddie.

"Yeah… I am here with Rey" and opened the shower door.

Eddie was surprised to see them together but Edge continued.

"Rey wasn't feeling well after the match with D-Von. I found him throwing up and soon after he passed out. I thought a cold shower might wake him up."

Eddie took Rey's other arm and helped him to the bench.

"Yeah, I saw the match man… that was nasty. I never thought it was that serious. When I came in and saw the mask lying on the floor, you know… I got worried bro…"

"I think D-Von got a little carried away tonight…"Rey said. "That last kick knocked the wind out of me and for a second I blacked out, out there. Man, I threw up every lunch I had that this week. Thank God Adam was there to help me…" he said turning to his friend.

"You ought to see a doctor." Eddie added but Rey refused.

"All I need is some rest. That's all… and some food."

"Are you sure? Can I get you something?" Eddie asked. Rey nodded his head refusing.

"Um… Eddie, since I am all wet, can I borrow some of your clothes?" Adam asked.

"Sure man, help yourself. My bag is right there. Ok then, if you don't need me anymore, I'm going. I have a match tonight… Nice to see you again man" said turning to Edge. "Don't be a stranger Holmes, OK?"

"Cuidado amigo. Gracias" Rey said watching Eddie leave the locker room.

Edge sat beside him. He took a deep breath.

"Rey what happened in there? "

"I have no idea." He hesitated… "This is the first time something like this happens to me, this is the first time I feel this way…"

"Being with you in there made me feel different too, Edge replied. All I know is that holding you in my arms, made me want you with every part of me… I still do… It is something… I can't describe it. It doesn't feel weird, it feels right… it feels…"

"Natural?" Rey asked lowering his voice and his head. Edge took Rey's chin between his fingers and turned his head to face him.

"Rey, you must understand. I don't regret what has happened. To tell you the truth, somewhere deep inside I'm glad it happened… I…"

"No… don't…" Rey begged. "Don't say anything… please." He lifted up his eyes and looked straight at his friend. "Why are you really here? Why did you come here after all this time? Why now?"

All these questions filled Mysterio's head. The events of the last few minutes began to sink in and he realized what had just happened between them.

He got up and stood away from Edge. He rubbed his face with his hands.

Edge got up and started putting some clothes he had found in Eddie's bag. They didn't fit him too well, but they would have to do.

"God, I am so tired I cannot even think straight anymore. I don't even know what I am doing." He heard Rey saying.

"Rey… you are very tired. Please let me take you to the hotel and get some rest. There is time for this. We don't have to talk about it tonight."

Rey was unable to argue. He suddenly felt very tired. All he wanted to do was sleep. He nodded positively and looked again at his friend who was done dressing up.

"I have to go see some old friends and some other people about this pay-per-view coming up but it shouldn't take too long. Should I come back here?"

"No, I'll wait outside in the back parking lot of the arena."

"OK. My car is there anyway. I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Edge squeezed slightly the shoulder of the luchador and then caressed his chin. Rey didn't twitch or moved away to avoid it. He just looked at him sadly. Edge started to go and while he was at the door, Rey said with a sad tone of voice:

"Hey, Adam. I am happy you are here with me tonight. I wouldn't want to be alone."

Edge looked back from the distance at his friend. He couldn't figure out what these last words meant. But the sadness and the fear he saw for a moment in Rey's eyes scared him. For a single heart beat Rey looked as scared as no man he had ever seen before. He tightened his grip on the opened door and with a face of concern, he heard him add:

"We'll talk about it when we are alone. This is not the place or the time to do so."

Edge was so surprised with what he heard that he could not do anything else but nod and whisper softly:

"I'll meet you outside."

Edge left the locker room leaving Rey behind alone. The last words they had exchanged really troubled him. Rey seemed bizarre in more ways than one. First there was the scene in the shower that had come out of the blue, and then those cryptic last words. He promised himself that he would talk to his friend about it tonight.

He found Vince McMahon in his office. They spoke for a while about the pay-per-view coming up, his match with Chris Jericho about the Intercontinental Championship and about some significant details. Edge thought of asking him about Rey, but then he remembered that while Vince cared about him, he didn't really know Rey and that talking about him wasn't a good idea. Perhaps somebody else would know.

He left the office half an hour later. He walked in the corridors fast. Damn, Rey was probably waiting for him outside and he didn't want to leave him alone, not after his strange behavior tonight. He passed outside the locker rooms again, and stopped just to make sure that Rey wasn't still inside. He found Kurt Angle, Billy Kidman, RVD and John Cena, all inside getting ready to leave. The show was almost over, and most of the wrestlers had already left. When they saw Edge, they were happy to see him again. They exchanged the casual greetings and as Edge started to leave, he remembered that Rey and Billy were good friends; in fact they knew each other since the days of WCW.

"Hey, Billy, can I talk to you for a second out here man?"

Billy followed Edge outside the locker room in the corridor. Edge whispered softly to make sure that no one listened.

"Hey, I saw Rey a while ago and he didn't seem to do very well. Is there something wrong with him? I know you are friends and all, and I am really worried about him, so I was wondering… Did he tell you what is wrong?"

Billy starred at the blond man. He remained quiet for a while, thinking and finally he said:

"What happens in Rey's life is his business…"

"What?" Edge asked perplexed. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"Those were his words… Well, you know how secretive he is about his personal life. For some time now, he has been very distant with everybody, including me. He has changed. What you saw tonight is something going on for a while now. We all noticed but he didn't want to speak about it to anyone, not even Eddie. I tried talking to him, but he wouldn't open up."

"Do you have any clue what it is? Is it his family? His work?"

Billy shrugged.

"I really don't know. Last time I tried to talk to him, he warned me to stay away from his personal life. He told me that it was none of my business, so I gave up trying. He wasn't angry, he just brushed me off saying that he was just tired, but I didn't believe him. Look, if he is not willing even to talk about it, then there is not much I can do… Did he tell you anything?"

Edge bit his lower lip. He wasn't sure if Billy was the right man to talk to after all, but under the circumstances he had no other choice.

"Listen, I don't have much time, but when I saw him tonight there was something about him that bothered me. Then there is something he said to me…"

"What did he tell you?"

"He said he didn't want to be alone. Something has Rey spooked. He seemed terrified of something or somebody…" he paused. "I will drive him to the hotel and I hope he'll talk to me…"

Billy shook his head.

"Call me if you need anything OK? I believe Rey needs a friend right now, but don't push him into anything. From my experience if you push him the wrong way or too far, things will only get worse… for him and for you…"

"Alright… I will call you…"

With these words they parted. Edge headed towards the exit. He was sure that the luchador would not have taken the front one. Something told him that he wouldn't want to see any fans or any sort of crowd tonight. He turned left at the next crossing corridors and after a while he found the side door to the back parking lot.

The air was cold outside and made his breath freeze. He stood still right in front of the door and scanned the area to find Rey. It took him a while to adjust to the darkness and the cold, but he soon saw Rey at the far left corner of the parking. He was sitting on the hood of Edge's car wearing a black bonnet and a black leather jacket, his hands in his pockets, looking away into the city lights and the darkness of the night.

"Hey…" Edge saluted him… "How did you know that this car was mine?"

"Easy… Ι just looked for the oldest car in the parking." He smiled…

Edge gave out a sincere laugh…

"Besides, the license plates were a dead give away."

Edge looked at his license plates that read THE EDGE… and lifted his eyebrows. He sat beside Rey. Only then he saw that Rey was holding in his hands a photo of his wife and his two kids. The photo was recent but looked used from the constant traveling and carrying around in Rey's pockets and bags.

"How are they?" he asked softly.

Rey didn't answer the question. He kept looking away into the night. He shivered and then turned to look at Edge.

He felt that the simple question he had paused had hit the problem or part of the problem that troubled him. He remembered Billy's words not to push him and he decided to lift the uncomfortable silence he had created.

"Come on, let's go. Eddie's clothes aren't really comfortable. I need to change. Then we can grab a bite" Edge suggested before Rey could answer.

They got into the car and drove off.

They didn't speak a word on their way to the hotel. Edge wasn't staying at the same hotel as the rest of the Smackdown wrestlers, and seeing Rey's condition he knew that driving him to the hotel with the others wasn't such a good idea.

Rey looked out from the car window. The city lights glowed so bright. The neon signs flashed so vividly that burned his eyes and the people seemed to stand still locked in a movement that lasted forever. Time outside the car seemed to be inexistent. It was like looking a photograph or a painting. He rested his head on the window letting his dark brown eyes wonder and his body relax.

They arrived at the hotel soon enough. Rey didn't complain seeing that he wasn't at his hotel. It didn't matter to him anyway. Edge noticed that his friend still held the photo of his family tight in his hand but he still didn't say a word. They entered room 309. It was quite big, with a double bed and a balcony that looked over to the avenue in front of the hotel entrance.

As soon as they entered, Rey sat on the bed and looked again at the photo.

"Would you mind telling me what's wrong?" Edge asked.

"It's…" Rey sighed…"It's my family."

"What about it? Is everyone OK? I see the photo in your hands. Rey what is going on? Everybody is worried about you. Billy told me…"

"NO…" Rey shouted interrupting. He stood up from the bed and approached the balcony. "I need you to be here for me. YOU… no one else. Billy would not understand."

"What is it? Rey I don't understand. Please tell me. I can see how scared you are. I hate to see you in such pain and fear. I am your friend… and… and…I love you."

He fell silent. He couldn't believe that he had actually said those things to Rey. He had been fighting with these feelings for a long time now. Deep inside he knew that this was part of the reason why he went to Raw. With every day he passed near Rey, his passion grew stronger and in the end he left not wanting to destroy his partner's family life. But today, after all this time, seeing him again and in such distress, made his heart break. Rey needed him in more ways than simple friendship. The truth is that he probably wouldn't have expressed his true feelings if they hadn't kissed in the showers.

"I am sorry…I shouldn't have said that… I know that it is wrong for me to say it to you now but today when I saw you like this, I just knew that I had to tell you. I understand it is not fair, but after everything that happened in the locker room and the shower, I… Rey… I love you… "

"No…stop it… just stop it…" Rey said interrupting again his friend. He was facing the window, and all the time that Edge kept talking he dare not face him. Only after having heard these words, did he turn around.

Edge then stopped in mid sentence. Rey was crying. Tears ran down his face for a while now but he hadn't shown them earlier. His tears had reached down to his neck and the sobs were violently surfacing.

He took a deep breath trying to calm down.

"Please don't… you don't understand…"

"Please Rey don't cry. I can't stand to see you like this in pain, please…" Edge begged. He approached Rey by the window. He took his face in his arms and whispered softly again:

"I hate to see you suffer. I love you so much that it hurts me to see you like this"

"You still don't get it do you? Adam… I think I am falling in love with you too…"

"Then why the tears?"

Edge kissed Rey's eyes. The salty tears wet his lips and with his fingers, he swept the rest of them.

"I am not crying for us" Rey whispered. "You are the best thing that's happened to me. Being with you feels so good. My heart stops every time you touch me. And I don't understand why I feel this way after all this time. Seeing you tonight stirred inside me unknown feelings. Your presence is so soothing for me… Adam, I need you… I need you to hold me close to you."

Edge embraced the luchador. He put his arms around Rey and held him close.

Having his arms around the small man and holding him so close, their bodies touching, made Edge shiver. He was surprised to feel Rey kissing his neck. He never expected to see him make the first move, not after the shower scene.

But Rey knew what he was doing and he knew exactly what he wanted. Tonight he needed to feel Adam close to him. He needed to feel loved by him and none other. There was no point any more in denying the newborn feeling inside. All the problems had vanished the minute Edge touched him right there in that room. All the troubles were gone because he was there holding him, loving him and that was all that mattered… for the moment. He knew he loved the blond man, he just hadn't realized it yet. And now there they were. Having his hands around the bigger man, feeling him so close, he could almost hear how fast his heart was beating. The tears were gone and so were the fear and the pain. Instinctively he turned his head and kissed Edge on the neck.

His hot breath made Edge's skin crawl and he began to breathe heavily. He turned Rey's face around and kissed him passionately. Their tongues met once more tonight and this time their kiss deepened marking the point of no return.

Edge slipped his hands on Rey's shoulders and let them caress their way down. He didn't resist. He slipped them under Rey's black blouse and touched his smooth skin. Immediately he heard a soft moan as Rey tilted his head backwards. Edge grabbed the blouse and took it off leaving the Mexican half naked. His superb tanned body was the sexiest one he had ever seen. He touched his chest again and kissed Rey at the base of his neck.

Rey held him tight. The electrifying surge of Edge's touch, of his amazing kiss awoke inside again emotions never existing before. He couldn't resist him, he didn't want to. All he needed was Adam. He needed more than a kiss.

Adam lead Rey on the bed, still kissing him. He pushed him down gently and took off his own clothes.

Rey was lying on the white clean hotel sheets looking at the blond wrestler undress. His tall well built muscular body and his two strong arms sent shivers through his body as he saw Adam, completely naked, leaning above him slowly. He was breathing faster, unable to think. He opened his mouth to speak but only a gasping moan came out. Adam's hands were touching him, having already taken his pants and underwear off. They didn't feel ashamed because they knew each other for such a long time. So when Adam asked him:

"Are you sure about this?"

Rey only shook his head, grabbed him from the waist and pulled him down on him.

Adam leaned over and kissed Rey's lips. The beauty of the small man underneath amazed him. He was so fragile, and yet so strong. He was like a rare wild bird, exotically delicate, wonderfully beautiful and yet tremendously strong. His dark brown eyes glowed brightly in the dark and showed nothing but love and passion. All signs of fear or pain were vanished. Adam could see inside the love, the passion, the lust.

He let his hand slip over Rey's abdomen, even lower, between his thighs. He looked back at him, at the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his life; a creature that trembled in his every touch, like a soft feather, a flower, so beautiful, so precious and so deliciously exceptional. He leaned and kissed him again, and with a single thrust he entered his finger into him sending powerful vibes into Rey's body. He wanted to taste him, taste every inch if his body. He continued to move his finger inside his anus and hearing Rey moan in pleasure, he put in a second one. Rey hissed, his voice sending out a cry, something between pain and pleasure. Adam seeing the small luchador toss and turn under his caresses felt his own passion growing rapidly. He put his fingers deeper, reaching Rey's prostate, sending once more wild waves of desire. He saw Rey's penis growing. His moaning was getting wilder and harsher, as Adam continued to thrust his fingers. Adam felt he couldn't hold himself any longer. He removed his two fingers from Rey's anus and licked them, savoring the strong taste it left in his mouth. God, he needed so much to taste him, give him pleasure. He bent down and took Rey in his mouth. He traced his tongue from the bottom to the top of his penis, feeling it twitch in excitement. He took it inside his mouth and licked its top with circular moves savoring the pre-cum. His tongue embraced it with wild and hard moves, as his hand traced their way to his testicles and found its way back to Rey's anus. Adam let it fill his mouth with its luscious taste. Rey's breathing became faster and harder, his body went completely numb. Adam's hot mouth taking his penis deep into his throat while his fingers worked madly his anus made him want to scream. He wanted this so much; his body was so much plunged into the lust his mind barely had the time to register the moment he came into Adams mouth letting a moan almost like a whimper.

Adam found there was nothing sexier than the soft moan Rey had left when he had come. The taste of his semen dripping into his mouth and the constant shivering of Rey's body of only made him hornier. He came up and kissed Rey deep, exchanging a passionate kiss, mingling their tongues, not allowing Rey the time to recover from the strong experience. His own body was shaking from the anticipation, from the yearning.

"I want you…" he managed to whisper, gasping vividly.

"Then be with me…be one with me" Rey answered back.

And he wanted it too.

Slowly, like slipping into a hot bath, he entered the beautiful Mexican body. To his surprise, Rey didn't stiffen. Yes, for him, this feeling was new. And there was pain, but it was sweet and welcome. He felt Adam inside him, his movements patient, careful, passionate, his breath hot and so flamboyant, his body rubbing against his own.

For Adam it was a moment of pure ecstasy. Being inside the man he loved secretly all those years, being engulfed by him, existing in that particular moment inside Rey, a warmth spreading in every inch of his body, it was the most amazing, exhilarating and rousing experience of his life. It was incredible. Despite Rey's small size, Adam felt completely dominated, consumed, enthralled; like a spell was put on him. With every passing second, he fell more and more under the small luchador's power and found himself unable to remove his gaze away from Rey's own dark chocolate eyes.

Rey moaned under the blond wrestler. He welcomed him inside him, the sweet pain at the beginning of their sexual union. His breath was rapid, short and passionate since he hadn't fully recovered from the orgasm a few moments ago. With every new thrust Adam gave, the burning in his stomach grew. He found himself loving this new feeling, wanting it more, wanting it faster and faster until his mind went numb. As the strikes of Adam became more rapid and more passionate, Rey couldn't control himself any more from the sheer pleasure he was receiving. He closed his eyes, arched his body back and let out primal scream of ecstasy.

At the same moment, Adam was reaching the highest point of their ecstatic joining. He saw Rey arching backwards and felt his hands gripping his waist, his nails sinking deep into his flesh showing him he wanted more. New waves of lust and passion surfaced and Adam began to move faster. He leaned over and let his body touch Rey's.

Their sweats mixed, their bodies rubbed together, their hands clasped.

Rey kissed Adam, and bit his lower lip. For the second time since the beginning of their love making, Rey felt he couldn't contain himself anymore. His cries became louder, almost animalistic, his grip tighter, his breathing faster. His kiss was more passionate this time, it was utterly dominant. He had claimed Adam for his own.

And that only made Adam thrust harder. Rey let out one more loud moan, followed by another and another.

Adam was so deep into their love; he existed solely in that moment, only for Rey. He looked again at the luchador, the way he trembled in his every movement, his moans. The violent kiss he had given him seconds before roused even more. Now hearing him moaning loudly, crying out, he took the initiative and made his movements faster and more violent.

That only made Rey cry out harder, moan more passionately and want more.

Their movements became one, their bodies united in this single moment in time, their souls touched…

Their sweats ran down, their hands joined, their lips touched and together, they let out a cry.

Waves of passion and ecstasy traveled through their bodies, as their union completed. Warmth spread inside Rey's body, chasing away the last ounces of pain and fear that existed before.

Adam shivered. He came hard inside Rey. His body arched, sending more shivers through his body, but not losing Rey's eyes for a single second. He wanted to get lost for ever into those deep dark eyes. He wanted to remember that look for as long as he lived.

For a few moments he stayed like this, immobile, above Rey, locked in the same position, like frozen in an everlasting embrace. Their dance had reached its end but neither wanted to be separated. So they stayed this way. Rey accepting, wanting Adam to stay inside him, keeping him safe, and loved. And Adam wished this moment never ended. He had no strength to pull himself away, he didn't want to. It felt warm. The emotion of love was still there, but there was also something else. His heart pounded harder, this time not from their intense lovemaking, but from the sight of Rey. He lifted his head and looked at the man below. He was just as flushed as him. Rey looked eagerly back at him. For the first time since he had seen him earlier tonight, Rey looked calm, peaceful and happy.

Rey closed slightly his big dark eyes and looked Adam.

Adam kissed them and then kissed his cheek and his lips.

Rey opened his mouth to speak but Adam stopped him.

"No…whatever it is that troubles you, you don't have to tell me if you don't wish to."

Rey's voice came out hoarse.

"Adam…I love you…" and clasped his face in his hands and pulled him down again to a long kiss.

Adam kissed him back. He got off Rey and lay to his side. He looked at the Latino next to him. He was calm and relaxed now. It was like all the fear and pain he had seen on the locker room was gone, like a bad dream.

Rey turned his head and looked at the wrestler lying close to his body. All he could manage was a soft smile. He had no strength to do anything else. Adam caressed his face and got out of bed deciding to take a shower.

When he got back, Rey was in deep sleep. He was lying on his side, having his naked tattooed back turned on Adam. He approached him silently and covered him with the soft hotel sheets. His family photo was thrown on the carpet near the feet of the bed. Adam picked it up and looked at it. At first sight, it was a regular family picture, with Angie sitting on the lawn having Dominic and Aaliyah close in a tight embrace. Taking a closer look, he noticed that she wasn't smiling and her eyes were somewhat angry. He set the picture with Rey's bag.

He looked again at the face of the small man. He was heavily sleeping and looked so cute lying like that immobile. The sound of his breath was for while the only thing that was heard inside the room. He went and laid down, taking him into his arms, holding him close, feeling himself very tired but very happy.

Outside, dark clouds gathered and hid the late night stars. A lightning lit up the sky revealing the grey clouds above the city, and a couple of seconds later a loud thunder cut the silence.

Rey startled, woke up, his body twitching from the sudden thunder. It was very late, or very early, depending on how one looked at the time. For one moment he couldn't gather his thoughts and come around. Where was he? Then he smiled turning his head and looking at Adam sleeping next to him.

Adam… his friend, his partner… and with a strange twist of ate, his lover. His long blond hair covered his serene face. The tranquility covering the sleeping man was in complete contrast with the wild extreme emotions burning inside Rey.

He got up and approached the window. Heavy rain was falling on the glass and the temperature outside had drop dramatically. How could he have so many different feelings inside, invading him all at once? He couldn't bare them all, it was too much to handle. With every breath he took, he felt different, opposite things. He felt so much love and so much hate, he felt wanted and abandoned, guilty and innocent, imprisoned and free. His breath became more rapid as he fought back the tears. The bad feelings were stronger and Adam was not awake to help him, pull him back to the surface.

A silent cry ripped his mind into pieces and burnt his heart down to ashes.

Adam was awoken by cold air. The room was freezing cold and he opened his eyes wondering where it was coming from. He didn't have to look much. The balcony window was wide open, letting cold air and rain come inside wetting the curtains and the thick carpet. Rey was not in bed and nowhere inside the room. Adam got up and put on his boxers.

"Oscar…" he cried out.

Then another lightning and a loud thunder showed him where his love was.

"Oh my god!" he whispered to himself…

Rey was standing outside on the balcony, naked, under the heavy cold winter rain. His hands were clasping the balcony railing tightly and he was shivering violently. Adam came closer to the balcony, his eyes sad and teary.

"Oscar" he said, but the rain covered his voice. So he yelled louder.

"Oscar… what are you doing?"

Rey didn't seem to pay attention to him. Adam stepped also out in the rain and approached closer. Only then did he see Rey's face. He was sobbing and the rain pouring down on him made him shiver. Another thunder pierced the night making the rain and the wind stronger. Adam touched Rey's shoulder. Rey turned and looked back. In his face was imprinted an expression of fear, of sadness… of guilt.

"Please Oscar come back inside. I beg you. Come out of the rain. You are going to freeze to death… please." And squeezed gently his shoulder.

Rey only looked back, crying. His tears mixed with raindrops and his fists still clinging to the railing. His breath was fast and the sobs more violent. Adam heard him mumble between his breathes

"Help me… I can't stand it any more…help me" and then letting go of the railing, he fainted.

Adam barely caught him preventing his head from smashing against the wet hard floor. He took him in is arms,

'Like a child' he thought,

and carried him inside the room.

Rey was unconscious, but his shivers had not died down at all. Adam put him down at the bed, took a dry towel and started to wipe down the rain. He covered him with a blanket trying to make the shivers disappear. But Rey couldn't stop shaking. He opened his eyes with much effort and the first thing he saw was two dark eyes filled with concern and sadness looking down at him.

Rey could not stop the new tears beginning to fill his own. Adam caressed his forehead and kissed his lips softly.

"You scared me you know… For a moment I thought you had gone mad… that you were going to jump, do something crazy… what were you thinking?"

Rey buried his face inside his hands and he began to sob.

"Adam… I am so sorry… so sorry."

"No my love, don't be… why are you crying? Please tell me for I can not bear to see you tormented like this. I see your tears running down and it tears my heart apart. I love you too god damn much to let you suffer. Please, Oscar, tell me what is making your heart bleed like this."

Rey lifted his head up. His sobbing had stopped but tears still burned his cheeks. He sat up and covered himself with the blanket, feeling the shivers growing. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

"It is because of them" he said and pointed at the photo of his family lying on top of his bag.

"What about them? Are they OK?"

"Two weeks ago Angie took the kids and left me."

Silence…

"Left you? I don't get it."

"Two weeks ago, I came home and found a note saying that she was leaving me. She had taken the kids with her… you can read the note yourself, I don't have the heart to tell you anymore… it is in the side pocket of my bag." And slid back into bed.

Adam looked perplexed. He took the folded note from the bag, opened it and began reading it silently.

"Rey,

If you are reading this note then it means that I have finally made up my mind to leave you. It's been a long time since I stopped loving you… how can I love you? You are a stranger in our home. The kids don't know who their father is anymore. All they see is this man on television, a stranger…

So I decided to go away and leave you to the thing you love most, your work. I left you for another man who loves us and most importantly is always there for us anytime we need him; for a man that is more than a voice on the telephone or a masked face on TV.

Will you really miss us?

We won't. You never gave us the chance to know you. I hope you have a nice life. Please try to forget us.

Angie"

Adam stood still at the back of the room reading the letter. So much bitterness and anger! It was not like the Angie he knew, even a little. The woman he knew was always smiling; she was friendly and loved Rey more than life itself. It just didn't make sense. He sat again by Rey and gave him the letter.

"I am sorry. I didn't know…"

Rey broke down in tears.

"So now you know. This is my big secret. No great mysteries, no enigmas… just this letter… and I don't know what I am doing anymore. The last few days, I do nothing but exist in an empty house, inside empty walls filled with things that remind me of them… and I don't know what to do… I am at a loss. I feel so many things at once. I felt anger, hatred, but those feelings went away. I can't hate them, they are my family… a part of myself… how can I hate them? They ARE me. I feel so alone, abandoned, so miserable without them! My life has no meaning anymore. Everything I did in my life, I did it because of them… and she knew it…she really fucking knew it…When I came to WWE, it was our decision… we made that decision together… why didn't she say anything then? God Adam…"

Adam just starred at him. He didn't know what to do when Rey continued to weep. He could only imagine what it would be like to feel so abandoned by your family. He took him in his arms and let the tears wet his chest.

"I feel so alone Adam…"

"No my love… you are not alone. Not anymore." Adam replied and stroke Rey's hair gently, squeezing him in his arms tighter.

"Don't let go… promise me that you won't let me go…"

"Never…" Adam said let a single tear run down his face. "I love you … I love you…"

Rey looked at him, his dark eyes red from the crying.

"I know… I think I am falling in love with you too. Does that make me a bad person? I mean, a few days ago my family left me, my kids are gone and here I am… making love to you… I feel guilty… Did I betray them?"

"No, no… don't say that again… ever… Oscar, our love has nothing to do with your family. It is a different thing, it is something new and it is normal to get mixed up. What we share doesn't mean that you are a bad person or that you don't love your family."

"I just don't want to see you go away too. I don't want to drive you away the way I did with them."

Adam clasped Rey's face and brought it close to his own.

"Oscar, I am going to tell you one thing, and I am going to say it only once. I am never going to leave you… never again… Don't you get it? I left Smackdown because I loved you. All this time away from you, you can't imagine how I suffered. At first I thought that being away from you would make me forget about you… but I didn't. I couldn't. But now, being here with you, I really don't know how I even survived without you. I love everything about you. I love your face, your dark eyes, your body, your heart, your beautiful mind… even your pain… everything that makes you who you are."

Rey hugged him tight. His embrace was so tight and full of love. Adam squeezed him back and closed his eyes, not wanting this moment to end. They were together.

Adam felt Rey shiver between his embrace.

"Oscar, are you feeling alright? Why are you still shivering so badly?"

"I don't… know… I can't stop…shaking… I am so… cold…."

Adam put his hand on Rey's forehead.

"My God Oscar, you have a fever. How long have you been standing in that rain? I thought by now you would know better than to stand naked out in the cold! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't… I wanted the pain to go away… The only way I knew how to chase it away… was by inflicting another kind of pain… a stronger, physical pain…"

He got deeper under the covers and Adam put another blanket above him rubbing him to make him warmer.

"Is that some kind of new age logic or is it just an old Mexican traditional remedy?"

Rey actually smiled while his lips shook.

"Did it work at least?" he asked

"No" Rey replied his smile fading. He closed his eyes. "I can't stop shaking."

"What else do you feel?"

"My body hurts everywhere. My chest burns."

"You are sick. We can't stay like this and do nothing. I will go down at the reception and see if I can find something for the fever or a doctor. You stay here and wait for me alright?"

Rey shook his head keeping his eyes closed. His respiration was faster than before and his face was very pale. For a moment Adam saw his eyes. They glowed so bright from the fever and small red veins marked the white area surrounding his pupils. He kissed his forehead and left the room.

He went down at the reception. It was very late and only a sleepy clerk was behind the desk. He was in his late sixties, with short white hair and well trimmed beard, wearing a blue hotel outfit. Adam approached him silently.

"Good morning sir, how may I be of assistance?" he politely asked.

"Um… I have a friend upstairs in my room and he has a high fever. Is there a doctor in the hotel?"

"A doctor? No I don't think so. I am sorry. It is still very early. All we have available at the moment are some painkillers, but if his fever is that high then perhaps you should go to a hospital. Other than that, I can call for a doctor but this early I doubt that anyone will come before 8 in the morning."

Adam looked at his watch. Damn! It was still 4.30. He really didn't want to move Rey. The rain outside hadn't receded, in fact it was worse. He didn't know what to do. He hated to see his love suffer any more than he had to. But then again, maybe he should wait a little. Perhaps it was nothing to worry about. Perhaps the fever would go with a painkiller and some rest.

"Sir…should I call for a taxi?"

"Um… no. That won't be necessary. I will wait until morning. In the meantime, would you mind giving me that painkiller? Will it work against the fever?"

"Well it is just a painkiller, it is not much but it depends on the case. I will get it for you immediately."

He went at the back and a few moments later he returned with a small box of painkillers.

"Like I said, it is not much."

Adam started to leave when he heard the clerk asking

"Do you want me to check with you in the morning?"

"That won't be necessary, thank you. If by eight o'clock the fever is not down, I will call you here and see if we can find a doctor. I really don't want to move him with this weather, you know?"

"Certainly sir." He said professionally.

"Listen, Adam said and approached the reception again. I would appreciate it if this incident stayed between us. My friend is very vulnerable right now and the last thing we need is any publicity"

"No need to mention that again sir. This is not the first time we have special guests here at our hotel. "

"Perhaps in the morning a couple of guys might drop by. Let them up alright?"

"Yes sir… sir? Perhaps you and your friend would like something to eat? This painkiller shouldn't be taken with an empty stomach."

Adam smiled at the old man pleasantly surprised by his sincere and unexpected kindness.

"That would be very nice… thank you very much."

"I will go the kitchen and see if I can get you something."

Adam returned to his room. Rey was still in bed sleeping. Adam sat in a chair not wanting to disturb his friend. He needed the rest. Besides he would wait for some food to be brought up and after he would give him the pills.

Rey's sleep was restless. In his fever and the constant shivering, he kept mumbling words in Spanish that Adam could not understand. He was sure though that he heard his children names. He looked at the small Mexican shaking from the fever; he took his coat out from the closet and covered Rey with it. It was better than nothing… then he saw that even in his feverish and restless sleep, Rey was still crying. His fists had gripped the covers so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

Adam leaned over and kissed his forehead. He was surprised… his fever was getting worse.

He sat back at his chair waiting for the food to come… the silence inside the room and the rhythmic sound of the rain falling on the windows made him sleepy. He fought it for a while, realizing that he ought to stay awake, but after a while he unwillingly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

He woke up by the distant sound of voices… there were people walking in the corridors outside the room. Adam popped quickly out of his chair anxious. He looked at the time…

'Fuck' he said to himself. It was already 7.00! He had fallen asleep!

'How could I have done such a thing?'

He turned and looked at Rey. His form was immobile in bed.

"Rey" he called out softly.

Rey didn't answer. He just laid there.

"Hey, wake up… come on wake up" he said again and put his hand on Rey's shoulder to wake him up.

As soon as he placed it there, he froze… Rey's body was so warm, it burned. He touched his face and he felt like he had put his hand in a fire. He ran into the bathroom, took a towel and soaked it with cold water.

"Come on Oscar, wake up. Open your eyes… look at me, please." He pleaded.

He put the wet towel on his forehead. He shook again, this time with more strength, but Rey didn't respond. Adam heard that his breath was coming out harder, almost asthmatic. His body was limp and his hands weren't clasping the covers any more.

He took a deep breath not wanting to panic. Maybe a cold shower would help again. But he crossed that thought. He didn't want to take any chances. He picked up the phone and called the reception. A young female voice answered,

"Good morning sir. How may I help you today?"

"Hello I am Adam Copeland. I am staying in room 309. Could you please call an ambulance? This is an emergency. Please hurry."

The woman was taken aback by this statement but then calmed down.

"Right away sir" she answered.

They hung up.

Adam looked back at Rey. He didn't know what to do. He cursed himself for falling asleep in that chair. If only he had acted sooner! That moment, his eyes fell on the small box of pills.

That clerk never came up! It was strange since he seemed almost eager to help out.

Adam didn't have the time to think about that now. For the first time in a long while, he felt scared, helpless. His heart was aching and new waves of fear crashed against his soul taking the form of warm salty tears. He sat in bed and took his love in his arms.

Rey's burning limp body held closely against his own. Adam's hands touched his love's chest, and slipped to the side of his heart.

"Please Oscar, please open your eyes. Stay with me…" he mumbled.

He had no idea how long he stayed like this, holding him in his arms. It seemed like hours but it was only a few minutes! Suddenly he realized that inside the room there was complete silence, not even the hard asthmatic breathing of the smaller man. Terrorized, he looked at his hands resting upon Rey's chest.

Rey wasn't breathing anymore.

"NO" he cried out and shook him. "NO"…

At that moment a knock was heard on the door.

"Mr. Copeland please open up. The paramedics are here."

Adam rushed to the door and opened.

"Please hurry… he… he stopped breathing."

Two male paramedics wearing green uniforms rushed inside towards the bed where Rey's body rested. Adam approached them. They had already put the oxygen mask and began CPR. One of them said:

"We must transport him to the hospital ASAP."

"What's wrong?" Adam asked but neither gave him a response.

They ignored him and just like that they put him on the stretcher.

"Where are you taking him? Which hospital?" Adam asked

"St Joseph County general" one of them cried out as they took Rey outside the room.

"Can I come with you?"

"I am afraid it is not possible. Only members of his family are allowed." the older from the two men stated.

They entered the elevator and left leaving Adam numb and speechless in front of his bedroom door. For a second his mind went completely blank. The distant sound of a door closing woke him up. He hurried inside the room, got dressed, grabbed his car keys and left running.

The road to the hospital seemed endless. It was morning and in every street Adam turned there was a huge traffic jam. Finally after one hour, he arrived at the hospital.

The Emergency Room was so crowded, that it took him a few seconds to find his way to the reception. A young Chinese nurse was there talking with a doctor when Adam came to her and interrupted.

"Hello, excuse me miss…"

The Chinese woman looked at him and smiled.

"Yes…"

"I am looking for my friend. The paramedics told me that he would be transported here. He had very high fever and this morning he stopped breathing. His name is Oscar Guttierrez; he is about 5.3' and 165 pounds…"

"Yes, he is the examine room with the doctors. You have to wait until they come out. Are you a member of his family?" she asked hesitantly.

Adam looked at her and responded somewhat quietly.

"No, but right now I am the closest person he has to a family."

"If there is someone you can contact that is in fact a real member of his family please contact them."

Adam sat down at the waiting lounge for a few minutes. He tried to think of someone to call… but who? No one came to mind. Rey's family had left him and his parents where too far away in Mexico. Besides he didn't know their number.

'I should call someone… Billy? Or perhaps Eddie?' he thought. 'Shit' not knowing what to do. He decided to call Eddie. After all, he would tell the news to those who cared for Rey.

He soon found a pay phone and asked the operator to connect him with the Embassy hotel, where the Smackdown wrestlers were staying. A soft gentle female voice answered on the line.

"Embassy hotel good morning"

"Hello, could you please connect me to Mr Guerrero's room."

"I am sorry, it is not permitted."

"Listen, my name is Adam Copeland. He knows me. Tell him it is an emergency."

"Please sir I told you, I can not…"

"No, listen, he interrupted. Just call him and tell him who I am. Tell him something happened to Oscar. Just tell him that. If he doesn't want to speak to me then, that's fine but please hurry."

She hesitated but a few seconds later, he heard Eddie's voice on the other line.

"Adam? Is that you? What happened to Rey?"

"Eddie, you have to come to St Joseph hospital. Rey is here. Last night he had high fever and this morning… he stopped breathing…"

"I'll be right there" and hung up.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there alone. There were other people also waiting for the doctors to come about their own friends and relatives. A doctor came inside, and everyone just turned and looked at him straight in the eyes silently.

"Is there someone here for Mr Oscar Guttierrez?"

Adam stood up and approached the doctor.

"I am here, but I am not a relative. Oscar is my friend. His family is not coming I'm afraid."

The doctor sighed and taking him a little further from the waiting lounge, he started.

"Mr Guttierrez is in serious condition. He was transported here in a comatose state due to an unusual form of pneumonia. We managed to stabilise him. He hasn't woken up from the coma yet and his condition is critical."

"When you say unusual, what do you mean?"

"Well… there was a lot of damage done inside his respiratory system. The unusual part is the extension of the damage. I have seen that only in patients with a long term respiratory problems or pneumonia, and when I say long term, I am talking in years."

"No Oscar has never had any such problem… never before. What can we do?"

"I have to keep him here for treatment and observation. He might be stabilised, but he is still in a coma. Until he wakes up, I can not let you see him. His immune system is down and it is sensitive if exposed to other organisms."

"Doctor, would it have made any difference if I had brought him sooner?"

"I really can't say. The development of the sickness was so rapid I doubt anyone could have predicted its course. He will be transported in the Intensive Care Unit on the second floor. I suggest you go there. You will be able to see him there even if it is from outside the room."

Adam stuck around for a while and waited for the others to come, but he couldn't wait too long. He went on the second floor and searched for Rey's room. When he found it, he was unable to move closer to the window and look inside. His body didn't obey to his will. His mind was telling him to stop feeling guilty, but as soon as he found the courage to glance inside the room, his heart shattered into a million pieces.

Rey was inside a dark lit room, with tubes hanging from his veins and a respirator helping him breathe. He looked so pale and so thin and…

'So alone…'

Adam hated to see him alone. He felt a small pinch in his heart, almost like a small internal voice, a soft whisper. Looking at him lying like that, he knew that his love was scared. He was afraid, lying there alone, afraid of the darkness surrounding him on the inside of his soul and on the outside. Adam couldn't understand how he felt those things. He just knew Rey was feeling those terrible things. He couldn't understand how he knew, but he embraced them, accepted them inside his heart and soul as his own. He felt it was the least he could do for Rey, for his love, his soul mate.

Yes, that is how he felt. Like their souls were the two halves of one. He understood that Rey would not blame him for this; he loved him too damn much.

A faint smile formed on his lips as he continued to stare inside to the small figure on the bed. He could not stop looking at the respirator, going up and down, indicating the rhythm of Rey's breathing. He prayed it wouldn't stop.

Adam knew the pain Rey was in. How much energy and force every inhalation and exhalation consumed from him, how everything inside his body and his mind hurt. A tear rolled down his cheek and he soon whipped it with the back of his hand.

He touched the window with his palm.

"I love you. Come back to me."

Adam saw Eddie and Rob Van Dam walking out from the elevator.

"How is he?" Rob asked

"He is inside the room, but we can not enter" he said. It took him a while to explain what the doctor had told him.

"How did this happen? I mean yesterday he seemed fine." Eddie asked looking Adam in the eye.

Adam didn't respond immediately. He wondered if he should tell them everything that had happened in his room earlier.

"Tonight when I saw him, he seemed a bit strange, he began. It wasn't the match but something else. I asked Kidman about it, but he knew nothing. I could see Rey was tired and…"

"And what? Come on man don't hide anything. Rey is like a brother to us" Eddie pressured seeing Edge falter.

"I thought he was scared of something. I took him to my hotel thinking I could have him talk to me about it…and he did."

"And?" Rob asked anxiously.

"Angie took the kids and left him. She also left him a goodbye letter dripping with poison. She left him for another man saying she didn't love him and that neither she nor the kids would really miss him…"

Eddie and Rob were speechless and just blinked, looking at Edge and each other. He wasn't looking at them anymore. He had kept part of the truth out. They didn't need to know about it now; he wanted to keep their moment together for himself. He needed at least that, he owed it to Rey. He wasn't sure if they would understand anyway. Eddie's voice woke him up from his distant thoughts.

"Say again? Angie left him?"

Adam nodded.

"He showed me her letter. He was a wreck. He had hardly eaten or slept since that day… so I put him to sleep. I was awoken by a cold breeze inside the room. I searched for Rey and found him outside, on the balcony. He was standing in the rain for god knows how long, shivering from the cold and crying like baby. I took him inside but I think by that time it was too late. He already had a high fever. I waited since this morning but when I saw that it didn't drop, I called an ambulance…"

"Why didn't he say anything before? We are his friends; we would have understood… we would have done something…" Rob wondered almost to himself.

They approached the room window. Eddie looked inside. He felt so sad watching his dear friend helpless and connected to those machines. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the window whispering

"Oh Oscar… por que mi hermano?"

Eddie having lost his family once in the past understood the pain it caused. It was a pain he didn't wish for anyone, not even his enemies. The feeling of loneliness was unbearable, mind shattering. He remembered how hard it was for him. If it hadn't been for his friends, friends like Rey and Chris Benoit Eddie would have perished maybe died. He really wished there was something he could have done for his dear friend, for his 'little brother' as he liked to call him. Like Adam, he wanted to go inside and be there for him, help him, support him. But he couldn't. All he could do was pray.

And he did it, silently.

Adam sat in a chair a few feet away from the room. He felt exhausted. Rob came up to him and asked:

"Does anybody know about Rey?"

"I don't think so."

"I will go and notify Theodore, Vince and the rest about it. I suppose he won't be coming back for a while."

He left to find a pay phone. Adam closed his eyes and rested his head back against the wall. He heard Eddie's voice.

"There is one thing I don't understand in all this…"

Adam opened his eyes and looked at Eddie facing him.

"He hasn't seen you for a really long time. Rob and I are like brothers to him. Billy is there too. We are with him every single day, we work together, we train together, we are his family… "

Adam felt a knot forming to his stomach and rising to his neck. He knew what was coming up next.

"So why did he open up to you? Why not us?"

Adam felt his body numb.

"Um well… sometimes it is hard to talk about your personal life with your family…"

But Eddie didn't buy that. And when Adam didn't look at him in the eye, Eddie realized there was more than the Canadian admitted. He grabbed him by the arm and made him look at him.

"Don't lie to me esse. Not about this, not about Rey."

"I can't tell you… because I am afraid what it might do to Rey. I am afraid what it really means for him."

Eddie sat next to him silently, letting him continue.

"Something else happened last night, something I would rather have nobody else know about… and Eddie, I mean nobody"

Silence

"Rey and I… we… we made love."

He stopped. Waited for the Latino Heat explode to his face. Eddie didn't say anything. He was too surprised by the facts to react. Adam continued.

"It was something we both wanted… something neither of us had planned…"

"You idiot!" finally Eddie exploded raising his voice dangerously. "You made things worse. I don't believe it… Rey is a mess and you take advantage of his frailty in order to sleep with him. Do you know how much this has confused him?"

"Eddie calm down… I didn't know about it. He told me after we made love. If I knew before, then I wouldn't have done anything. Don't you think it kills me too to even think about it? I love Rey, more than life itself, Eddie… and I am so sorry…" he broke down. He hid his face in his hands sobbing quietly. "I am so sorry…"

Eddie hadn't realized until now how much Edge cared for the small Mexican. Seeing him cry like a baby broke his heart. He hugged him.

"I know esse… I didn't mean anything by it. I am sorry to accuse you. We all love Rey. Let's just help him get through this. We have to be strong for him, to bring him back to us… de acuerdo?"

Two sets of eyes looked at the two wrestlers from a distance. They stood in a dark room and nobody else could see who they were. They spoke quietly. One of them, with a soft almost musical voice asked

"Is it time?"

The answering voice was old, hoarse, low and angry.

"Soon. Tell the others to prepare. Our chance will come soon. We must be ready to take it."

"Why don't we do it now? He is weak, he is an easy target."

The older man grabbed him forcefully from the neck.

"Because I say so, because it is MY plan and because he is of no use to us dead. If we take him now, he will die on us… and he is not worth anything to me dead. I want him alive… I NEED him alive."

He let him go. The younger man took a step back inside the room. His short blond hair was hidden under a green nurse's cap. He looked at the older man standing still next to the door. Even after all this time, the older man scared him some times. He was huge, well built and his white hair and well trimmed beard was a complete contrast with his dark black suit. His pale complexion was anaemic but the younger man was never fooled by it.

"Step away from the window… they will see you." He advised but the older man didn't flinch.

"Why do you want him anyway? Money?" he asked hesitantly.

The older man turned around. His grey eyes pierced him. He smiled evilly and licked his dry lips. His hands were clasped behind his back. He took a step towards the younger man as he backed one step.

"No… now go and tell the others to start preparing."

Hours passed by, and Rey's condition hadn't changed.

The hours turned to days. His health improved slowly but steadily. Rey hadn't regained his consciousness. Adam barely moved from the hospital ad Rey's side, so did Eddie. They had agreed to keep the story secret for now. It wasn't Eddie's business, he admitted.

People came to visit but nobody was still allowed inside. Almost every Smackdown wrestler came or called to show their support, even the Big Show. Adam was especially touched by Kurt. He had come one afternoon with a bunch of red roses almost teary. He was uncomfortable holding them, and he certainly wasn't prepared for the site of Rey connected to all those tubes and weird beeping machines. Eddie saw that he would brake into tears and decided to lighten up the air.

"Hey esse… are you going on a date?"

Kurt gave him a "what?" look. Eddie pointed the flowers.

"I know they are not allowed. I brought them anyway… I am not that stupid!" He said ironically.

It was obvious; the air could not lighten up at all.

"So how is he?"

Eddie lifted up his shoulders to show that he didn't really know.

"The doctor said he is getting better… it is hard to believe it though with all these things in that room." Eddie looked at Kurt standing in front of the door window looking inside intensely. "It is nice of you to come. Rey would have liked that… even the roses."

"I can only imagine what he is going through!"

"You have no idea." Adam said and left the two alone in the corridor. He couldn't stand anymore to see the pity in their eyes. Rey was lucky not to see them. He sure didn't need this on top.

"What's up with him?" Kurt asked perplexed.

"Let's just say, he feels a bit responsible. Rey was with him when he fell sick…"

Kurt sat with Eddie, still holding the roses.

"Thanks for coming" Eddie said again.

Kurt only put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.

One week later from that fateful night, a nurse came early and woke up the two sleeping wrestlers in the lounge.

"Excuse me sirs…"

They both stood up anxious.

"We have removed the respirator form Mr Guttierrez. You can go see him if you wish but only for a little while and only one at a time. He is still very weak."

"Is he awake?" Eddie asked.

"Yes"

Adam felt that knot rising again to his neck. He looked at Eddie.

"You go first" Adam said.

Eddie walked inside the room. Rey had his eyes still closed but Eddie still smiled. He looked a little better, although his colour was still very pale. It was nice to see him without the respirator. He came closer to the bed. Rey opened his dark brown eyes and looked at him. He managed to smile faintly.

"Hey…" he whispered, his voice coming out croaky.

"Hey raton poderoso (mighty mouse)!" Eddie gave him his classic Latino Lover smile. "What's up? How are you feeling?"

Rey opened his mouth to speak, but an ugly cough came out instead.

"Hey don't speak man…" he said caressing his front. "Is there something you need?"

Rey managed to calm down and suppress his cough. He looked towards the door as if looking for something. Eddie understood what his friend was searching.

"He is right outside. He hasn't left your side… he flew to New Jersey for Raw and came back the same night… You know… he feels guilty"

Rey frowned to show his surprise. Eddie had taken him by surprise. He didn't expect waking up to find Eddie knowing about him and Edge.

"Don't worry… I know my place… nobody else knows… I will go get him. Take it easy my brother…"

He kissed his forehead and exited the room.

Adam stood a few feet away, his head bent down. He saw Eddie come out nodding at him, urging him to go inside. He took a deep breath.

He opened the door and stuck his head inside. Rey's eyes shone at his sight. Adam came inside and sat beside Rey. He caressed his cheek, then bent over and kissed his lips. They were dry and Rey welcomed the kiss. He felt like a man tasting water for the first time after spending days in the desert. Adam's lips tasted good and his cool hands were refreshing to his burning body.

"Adam… I am sorry." He articulated roughly.

"What for?"

"For doing this to you."

"Don't say such things… please… you should know by now how much I love you. I am the one who should be asking your forgiveness. I never meant to harm you or confuse you in any way." Adam said, Eddie's words coming to mind.

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to be sure that this is what you want. Oscar… I love you with every fibber of my existence, with every breath I take. But I want you to be sure that US is really what you want. If you wish some time alone, away from me and all of this, to think things through, to think about your family and us… I will understand… I will wait for you. We don't have to rush into anything you are not ready for."

Rey lifted his hand with the little strength he had in him, and brought it up to Edge's face. He touched his thin face and the strands of hair that fell to his shoulders.

"Do you know what it feels like when you are in a coma? It feels like sleeping, like dreaming… do you know what I dreamt about?"

"What?" Adam asked tearfully.

"You" he said, his eyes starring in Adam's. "Nobody else but you. That is how I knew. That is how I know. I am still in pain for her and my children, I still hurt inside. But now there is another person there for me, someone I care deeply about… someone I am falling in love with…"

Adam smiled. Rey looked tired.

"Go to sleep Oscar. You need all the rest you can get. We'll talk again tomorrow. The doctors might let your fellow thugs visit you."

Rey laughed but it pained him to do so. Adam kissed him on the lips, slowly deepening his kiss and letting his tongue mix with Rey's. Even at his condition, Adam still felt the excitement in his stomach lowering down to his groin. Their kiss became more passionate and Adam barely found the strength to cut it off.

"I should let to your beauty sleep."

He turned to leave, when he heard Rey speak.

"Thanks…"

"For what?"

"For not letting go…"

"I will never let you go… ever… not even when your mouth tastes ammonia…"

Rey laughed, his eyes shining.

"See you when you wake up my 'King of Mystery'!"

Eddie was sitting in the chairs outside the room waiting for Edge to come out. Looking at the Canadian's smile once he exited the room, he knew everything was fine, considering.

"How is he?"

"He… he still hurts, but he should be able to recover with a little help form his friends."

"Come on, let's go get some rest. Rob is here. He will stay with rey rey!"

They left as soon as Rob appeared.

Rob wanted to go inside and talk to Rey but seeing that he was sleeping, he decided to grab a chair and sit at the far corner of the room, and not disturb him.

"What now?" the blond nurse asked the older man. They stood again in the same dark hospital room. "He is never going to be left alone now. There is always someone there with him. He has many friends…"

"Don't worry, Jason. He will eventually stay alone. Besides, it is because he has so many friends, my plan will be sweeter." The older man looked behind him at the young nurse who answered to the name Jason. "I want pain not only for him, but also for the others, especially for Mr. Copeland. Their pain will be a little different in nature…" and turned his gaze back outside at the empty corridor.

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Copeland will come to know that to love, means to suffer… the other one however… oh yes…the other one…"

"What about the other one?"

"The other one is a different story. That one is so beautiful, he is made to suffer… he is made for pain… that one is mine…"

"I called the others and told them to prepare. When will we proceed?"

"When is he to be released?"

"The doctor doesn't know yet. He said within two weeks probably."

"Keep a closer look on Mr. Guttierrez. Tell them we will proceed sooner than planned. I want him to be in perfect condition. I want all the pleasure for me. Go now. You know what to do."

Jason left the room, his lips forming a faint smile. True, the old man gave him the creeps and he was scared of him. He had seen him in past do some unspeakable things, and he could only imagine what he would do to these people… his smile grew wider… besides, he himself was not much different than the old man… he would have some fun too with the sexy Latino when the time would come.

For now he had a job to do.

Adam came back to the hospital a few hours later. He was unable to sleep again in that same hotel room. Rey's things were there, along with that damn letter and his family photo. He packed everything in the bag and brought it to the hospital.

Rob was inside the room, asleep snoring in a chair while Rey was awake.

Adam went inside amazed by Rob's noise. He smiled evilly looking Rey. He walked over to Rob and used his fingers to close his nose. Rob continued to sleep for a few seconds only to find himself unable to breathe normally. He woke up violently, shaking himself…

"Wow…, Adam began, when I heard a noise from outside, I could have sworn that the midnight express was passing right through Rey's room… now I know! Remind me never to share a room with you… man, your snoring is loud enough to wake the dead or kill the living!"

Rey laughed at Rob's expression. He was surprised, a bit startled and angry! He looked at Adam and was ready to jump at him but when he remembered where he was, he contained himself. Adam, seeing the amused Rey, took the chance and continued.

"You are supposed to be looking after him, not keeping him awake."

"I don't snore…" Rob protested.

"Oh really?" Adam said lifting his eyebrow imitating the Rock. "You should have heard yourself then. From a distance you sounded like you were fighting with a lion! Rey here can tell you."

Rey smiled.

"Did you kill the lion then Rob?" Rey asked weakly.

"Right…keep laughing at my expense then…, he smiled himself. At least I made you laugh."

"True!" Adam noted.

"I am just glad it wasn't Rikishi here snoring!" Rey said smiling again.

"Or worse, the Big Show! I shared his room one time… man, I was scared! The room shook like the LA earthquake! I am telling you… never AGAIN"

"Which brings to mind, Adam said turning to Rey. A lot of people came to visit while you were taking your beauty sleep the last few days. Kurt came too and brought some flowers."

"So where are they?"

"You weren't allowed any flowers or visitors, so he gave them to the nurses who looked after you… One of them fell in love with him… You can't imagine what happened next… Eddie didn't let it just pass by without a comment. He will never hear the end of it form the others!"

"Precious!" Rob commented. "His face becomes red like his shorts!"

Rey laughed. A violent cough rose to his neck…

"Stop making me laugh…." He choked.

Then the uncomfortable silence came. Rob approached Rey seriously.

"Rey you scared us bro… don't do that again OK?"

"I'm sorry…" he apologised.

"I didn't tell you this to hear your apologies… but because I care. You are not alone! There are a lot of people who love you rey rey! Now I will leave you two. My shift is over…, he smiled comically. I will see you soon…"

Adam was left alone with Rey… he was silent for a while. He saw immediately that Rey's face became very serious. There was no sign of a smile or happiness anymore. Pain had taken again its rightful place in Rey's heart.

"Were you faking it?" Adam asked

"What?"

"I asked if you were just faking your laughter with Rob!"

Rey lowered his gaze away from Adam.

"No… he whispered. It is just…" he hesitated.

"What?" Adam sat on the bed.

"I can't forget them."

"Nobody said you have to. They are a part of you. They will always be. They are part of what makes you who you are."

"But it hurts to think them away from me. It hurts me to know they don't love me."

"Hey… don't say that. Just because Angie wrote that in a letter, that doesn't mean that your children don't love you. She might not love you anymore, but your kids do. They will always love you because you are their father no matter what. OK?"

Rey nodded.

"Please do me a favour. Get rid of that letter for me will you?"

"Do you really want to do that?"

"Yes, I do. It only brings bad memories."

"So how do you feel today?" he tried to lighten up the atmosphere. "Did you get any rest or did the elephant man kept you awake?"

Rey yawned rubbing his eyes.

"I see! I will leave you then to rest."

"Adam… don't go… stay with me." He said grabbing his hand.

"Ok… whatever my king wishes!" He smiled.

Rey closed his eyes and almost immediately fell asleep. Adam brought the chair next to the bed and sat there looking at the small lump inside the covers. His breathing was still a little hard and his colour was still pale, but the respirator was not there only an oxygen mask was hanging above the bed. Some tubes were still connected to Rey's veins, but fortunately the beeping and weird respiratory sounds had stopped; he could only hear the sound of Rey sleeping peacefully. Inside the room, there was a comfortably sleepy heat. The lights were dim and soon Adam began yawning too. The last week was exhausting for him. He had to leave three days ago and fly for a Raw show and fly back here the same night. He barely had any sleep at all, but he had no regrets. He was happy to be here with Rey, this unique person, his soul mate, the other half of his heart. He would rather be nowhere else in the entire world. Looking at the sleeping man made him sigh and smile. Yes, he was happy because he knew that Rey loved him too. He leaned over and kissed Rey's lips. From amidst his dreams, Rey smiled back.

Outside the room, Jason was struck with surprise. He didn't expect to see that… he never would have suspected it. He knew how mad the old man would be… and deep inside he smiled, his black heart rejoiced. The old man didn't like to share his possessions.

He marched away into the bathroom, took out his cell phone and dialled. The spooky old voice answered.

"Yes Jason!"

"Well, sir… I just found out something that puts another spin to our plan."

"For the best I hope. Tell me."

"I found out that Mr Copeland has a very intimate relationship with our subject"

No one answered on the other side of the line. Jason continued.

"And when I say intimate, I mean sexual… I saw them kissing… sir? Are you there? How do you want to proceed?"

"Call the others and have them come downtown tonight. We will move ahead with our plan."

"Shall I prepare our patient for the transportation?"

"Yes. Bring Mr. Guttierrez to the cabin unharmed and unspoiled. I will wait for you there."

"Sir, do you want to proceed also with Mr. Copeland as planned?"

"Yes."

They hung up. Jason was inside the men's room, alone. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, pleased with himself. The perspective of what would follow roused him. He licked his dry lips. He would have to be patient. It was still early. They would have to wait until nightfall to go ahead. For now he had a phone call to make to the animals, as he liked to call them, and a few minor bureaucratic details to forge.

Rey woke up late that evening. Adam was awake and reading a magazine.

"Hi!" he whispered. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. Did you stay here all this time?"

"Well… yes. To tell the truth, I dozed off for a couple of hours but woke up from the incessant noise of my stomach complaining! Are you hungry?"

"Not really… I am thirsty."

Adam gave him some water.

"Adam, go home and sleep. You look worse than I do."

"Now that is a scary thought! Nah… I am fine. You look a little better though but still need a little work."

There was a knock on the door. A young blond nurse entered the room.

"Sorry to interrupt you. I need to take Mr. Guttierrez for some tests. They might take a while, but you can wait here."

Adam was nervous. The nurse had found them in a somewhat compromising position since Adam was a little closer to Rey's face than a simple friend would have normally been. He wasn't sure if Rey or himself wanted every one else to know about their relationship. It wasn't wise from their careers' point of view either. So when the nurse came in and gave them a bizarre smile, Adam took a step away from the bed nervously.

Rey had a little difficulty getting up sitting down of the wheelchair but the nurse seemed strong enough to lift the wrestler.

He gave the blond wrestler the peace sign and smiled as happily as he could.

"See ya later"

Adam saw them disappear behind the door. He wasn't sure if it would be wise to hang around, so he decided to wait outside the room.

Rey was pushed in a wheelchair into the elevator. The nurse looked awfully young and muscular but then again Rey had seen weirder things. The nurse pushed the silver button with the indication -2 and came behind the wheelchair. They stopped on the ground floor. An old couple asked if they were going up, but the nurse told them that they were heading down on and advised them to take the next elevator or the one across the corridor. The doors closed and Rey suddenly had a bad feeling. He turned his head to look at the nurse one more time. There was something wrong with him; he just couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"What tests I am doing?"

The nurse didn't answer. He grabbed Rey behind from the neck. He felt the air in his already weakened lungs leaving. He brought his hands up to loosen up the grip that was choking the life out of him. He struggled to release the noose and take a gulp of air when he felt something sticking him at the back of his neck. The needle pierced his skin and the translucent liquid penetrated into his system. Rey managed to scream only once. Then his eyesight became a blur. He blinked a few times, but it didn't get any better. The nurse's breath stinking of cigarettes invaded his nostrils as he approached his ear whispering.

"Sshhh… don't fight it… you're gonna need your strength for later."

He felt his tongue licking his ear and ran across his cheek. The hands around his neck didn't loosen up. Rey felt loosing control of his motor functions, his eyesight was becoming as dark as the starless night and he couldn't react when the nurse slipped his tongue in his mouth into a long morbid kiss. His hands fell limp and he was almost grateful to feel at last his consciousness abandoning him. At this time of need, even at this weakened state, only one person came to his mind.

Adam.

The last thing he heard was the sound of the elevator doors open.

Finally darkness.

Finally… Sweet slumber!

Jason looked at the helpless body of his victim on the wheelchair. He smiled. He pushed it outside in a hurry and turned left. He was in the hospital's garage, for staff use only and it was mostly deserted, since it was pretty late. There was a black van parked a few feet away. On the side, the white letters read "Fleur de Lys – Flower Supplier". He knocked on the side three times. The side door opened and a white man appeared. He wore grey overalls and a name tag 'Henry'. His hoarse voice echoed inside the parking concrete walls.

"You are late"

Jason frowned in anger.

"Just help me load him up"

"Is everything in order?" a second voice from the driver's seat asked.

The two men froze for a second to the sound of Anderson's bass voice. The black man was 7 feet tall and weighted 450 pounds, all of which were muscles. Jason swallowed hard.

"Of course Andy." He responded nervously.

"Then get on with it."

The two other men nodded to the black man's authority. Jason however promised himself that he would have his fun; after the old man had his ways with the small Mexican… it really was something to look forward to. They put Rey inside the van, closed the door and drove off unnoticed.