A/N: I started getting song happy around this chapter, sry!
CHAPTER EIGHT
Fallon watched as Gavin murdered his omelet, knowing her son had no appetite. She didn't either. Instead, she sipped her orange juice, her own plate pushed away, untouched. Across from her sat 'Taker, watching them as he enjoyed his breakfast. Somehow, she had dragged herself out of bed to make breakfast. She had been allowed run of the house since she wouldn't leave without her son. Not that she would leave with him either. She had no idea where they were.
Different house, same scenario. Middle of nowhere. The house was smaller though. Modest, actually. And lived in. If she wasn't mistaken, this was Mark's house.
Who the hell would look for them here? Everyone would assume he had taken them to some remote location, never guessing to look in the most obvious of spots.
It was kind of pathetic actually. 'Taker was one smart son of a bitch, she would never deny that. She hated him for it as well. He could play the game, making someone look in one direction while he was actually in the opposite.
The ultimate master of the mind game
"I want to go home." Gavin said for the third time that morning, looking pleadingly at his mom. "Why can't we go home to dad?" It was all too obvious that he didn't understand any of this. "Mom, please, I want to go home."
She stared at him desperately, only reluctantly looking at 'Taker when he cleared his throat. "Why can't we?" She whispered, hating him for putting her in this position. Hating herself for not being able to protect her baby.
"You know why."
Gavin frowned, his head turning to glare at this freak, green orbs wild with hate. "I don't like ya and when my dad gets his-"
"Jeff Hardy is NOT your father, Gavin." 'Taker interrupted with a frown of his own, eyes narrowing at Fallon, silently accusing her. After all, if she hadn't lied to him all those years ago, none of this would be happening. Now would it? No. "Don't you think it's time you told OUR son the truth?" He demanded coldly.
Fallon was more than aware that Gavin was now staring at her, his expression panicky. She shook her head, refusing to look away from the man who seemed bent on destroying her life. "Please, don't do this, Mark." She whispered pleadingly.
"Mark…" He hissed, inhaling sharply. "You know better, Fallon." The deep timbre of his voice left no doubt as to who he was.
"MARK." She insisted with a shake of her head. "He is-"
"My son, tell him the truth or I will." He threatened, knowing Gavin was hanging on every word that passed between them.
"Momma?"
***
Jeff sat on the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands. He didn't even look up when he heard his brother come into the room, staring down at the bottle of whiskey that sat on the floor in front of him, the bottle was already half gone. "Go away." He mumbled, not wanting to see or talk to anyone right now. Not even his brother. All he wanted to do was wallow in his misery.
Every time he closed his eyes, he seen Fallon. He seen how she had looked when she realized what 'Taker was going to do. The desperation in her eyes. He could still feel her kiss and how desperate that had been as well.
"Jeff…" Matt sat down next to his baby brother, for the first time in his life afraid for Jeff. Jeff had always been the one going out and doing the wild things. Matt would follow to keep him safe. Jeff was the one who'd had the bright idea to start diving off of ladders. Matt went along with it because if Jeff was going to risk it all, so was he. He had always protected Jeff. From everything. He was the sane one. The one who took care of things when Jeff got into something that was completely over his head. He had been the one to calm Jeff down when things with Fallon had been rocky, thankfully those times very few and far between. He had always been Jeff's rock.
And now Jeff was dying inside, wasting on the outside and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He simply didn't know what to do this time. It was a feeling Matt wasn't familiar with and it scared him. It was helplessness.
"Fallon and Gavin -he won't hurt them, Jeff." Matt said reassuringly.
"He might."
"He won't." Matt repeated, firmer this time, trying to force Jeff to look at him. "Kane was right, in his own twisted way, Mark does love her."
"She's MY fiancee!" Jeff whispered harshly, coughing and sobbing at the same time. "I love her, Mattie. Fal and Gavin are my life."
"I know, bro, trust me, I know. Look, Mark won't keep them. He'll send them back, I promise. They'll be back before you know it."
"He knows, Mattie." Jeff's head swung from side to side, tears freely falling now. "He knows Gav is his. We couldn't hide it forever."
"Look, you legally adopted Gav- didn't you?"
"My name is on his birth certificate. I didn't need too. But… what if 'Taker decides to do a DNA test without us?"
Matt knew what his brother was thinking, how would they alter the results? Raking a hand through his brown locks, he exhaled slowly. "I don't know." He finally admitted. When Jeff's shoulders began to tremble, he wracked an arm around his brother. "We'll figure this out."
Jeff inhaled raggedly, his green eyes unfocused. "She's never comin' home. He'll never let her. She's his obsession." He whispered, pulling on strands of his graying hair frantically.
Matt could only sit and stare as another wave of that dreadful helplessness crashed over him, his own brown eyes widening.
***
Jalyssa was back home in Texas sitting on her living room couch watching the news. Her blue eyes widened when the announcement came on, grabbing the remote to turn up the volume, not believing what she was seeing on the screen.
Then the newscaster said:
"Fans all over the world mourn the passing of WWE superstar Jeff Hardy."
"Oh my god." She whispered, a hand flying to her mouth.
***
Fallon was sitting on the edge of Gavin's bed, watching him sleep when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. Turning her head to look back, she frowned when she realized there were tears in Mark's eyes. "What?"
"Jeff…"
Getting to her feet, she slowly pivoted until they were face to face. "What about Jeff?"
"Fallon… I…" Mark shook his head, stepping away from her, head down.
Gavin woke up a second later to his mother's screams of pain, watching wide eyed as she hunched on his floor, keening and tearing at her hair.
***
When I woke up this morning
Wiped the sleep from my eyes
Found a new day dawning
And suddenly I realize
You're gone
"Jeff… he… he hung himself." Matt whispered, holding a crying Fallon against him, hearing Gavin screaming from another room. "He hung himself…" He couldn't even look down at her, just stared at the wall over her head.
"Why?" Fallon sobbed, burying her face in her childhood friend's chest. "Why, Matt? I was coming back to him, I promised!"
Only that morning, she and Gavin had shown up in Cameron. Mark had instantly sent them home as soon as he could.
"I know honey, I know you did." Matt was on auto-pilot, still in shock. He had walked into Jeff's bedroom to find his brother hanging from a hook in the ceiling. Usually the hook held one of Fallon's plants… He couldn't get the image from his mind, Jeff's body just swinging limply, blinking back tears. How he had any left to cry was beyond him.
"Jeff…" Fallon moaned, gripping Matt's shirt in her fists. "Jeff…"
Tell me I was dreaming
That you didn't leave me here to cry
You didn't say you don't love me anymore
And it was just my imagination telling lies
Tell me that you didn't say goodbye
Fallon held tightly to Gavin's hand, both of them still as statues as they watched Jeff's casket being lowered into the dark, cold earth. She knew Gavin was crying silently, she was doing the same. How could she explain to her son that his daddy had killed himself out of desperation and fear? Especially when she couldn't even wrap her mind around it herself. Jeff simply could not be dead, he couldn't. It wasn't possible.
"Jeff…" She whispered, clenching her eyes shut.
***
Jalyssa stood across from Fallon beside Steve, her blue eyes narrowed. How could this woman stand there and mourn? Like she even had a right too? And people were patting her on the shoulder, whispering words of comfort to her. Jalyssa snorted, ignoring Steve's questioning look. If Fallon had ever loved Jeff, she would have fought harder.
I'm in a state of confusion
I hope things aren't what they seem
If this is really happening
Just let me go back to dream
You're home
She sat on her bed. Her and Jeff's bed. Gavin had returned to school. She had tried telling him he didn't need too, he could stay home and grieve but he had refused. Fallon knew this was Gavin's way of dealing with Jeff's death. If only she had a distraction.
She lay down, inhaling Jeff's scent, tears falling once more. Everywhere she looked, she seen Jeff. Heard his voice. Smelled him. Could feel him. His memory haunted her dreams. That beautiful smile, those laughing green eyes.
Fallon tried to think about something else, feeling like her heart would explode from the pain of it all. The sheer agonizing pain.
She could remember Jalyssa exploding on her after the funeral, cheeks burning in shame.
"You killed him, you bitch!" Jalyssa had screamed angrily, being restrained by Steve who was shouting apologies. "If you would have had the balls to stand up for yourself, none of this would have ever happened! You killed Jeff! You are yer own damn victim, Fallon! You hear me you coward, your own victim!"
She was right. Jalyssa had been right. Maybe if she would have said enough was enough, Mark would have left her alone.
Fallon knew deep down that wasn't true, even though she refused to acknowledge the fact. She had fought him time and time again, only to wind up knocked back down. He had broken her on more than one occasion. Twisted and shaped her until she could barely remember her own name, let alone stand up for herself.
How did she explain that to the woman who seemed to hate her so vehemently?
Maybe she was her own victim.
Tell me I was dreaming
That you didn't leave me here to cry
You didn't say you don't love me anymore
And it was just my imagination telling lies
Tell me that you didn't say goodbye
Gavin sat alone outside, ignoring the other kids as they enjoyed their recess. Small town meant everyone knew everybody else. He couldn't take anymore questions about his dad. If one more-
"Hey Hardy, is it true your pops shot himself cause my mom said he hung himself." One curious boy asked, totally disregarding the pain on Gavin's face. The next second, he was on the ground screaming at the top of his lungs.
Gavin had snapped and attacked.
Tell me I was dreaming
That you didn't leave me here to cry
You didn't say you don't love me anymore
And it was just my imagination telling lies
Tell me that you didn't say goodbye
"Fallon, you have to eat." Shadow urged, trying to coax her best friend into sampling the soup. "Fal, please. You have to eat something."
"I'm not hungry." Fallon whispered, laying in bed, she had barely moved for weeks, refusing to even change the sheets, needing to feel the last place Jeff had lain beneath her. She couldn't wash him away, she just couldn't.
"Fal, please, Gav is worried about you."
"Gavin?"
"Yes, he wants you to eat." Shadow encouraged. She hadn't told Fallon that Gav had also come home with his third black eyes in as many weeks.
Gav had begun fighting in school, attacking anyone who even mentioned Jeff's name in passing. He was failing, in constant trouble. He needed his mother. Shadow had a feeling however, Fallon would sink even further into her depression if she knew all this. "Eat, just a little bit, okay?"
Nodding, Fallon slowly sat up, taking the spoon and fed herself. After just a few bites, she pushed the bowl away. "I can't eat anymore, Shadow." She whispered, pulling Jeff's pillow into her lap, bending down to inhale the almost faded scent. "Jeff…" She moaned, her frame wracked with pain, hunching over.
Tell me that you didn't say goodbye…