A/N: Poor Jeffy. Gangrel treats him like shit. But in this chapter, there are going to be events set in motion that could help him out. And Lord knows he could use a little help right now… :P
Thanks to all who reviewed, favorited, or alerted! It's always super-mucho appreciated. :)
Jacobluver113, thanks for sticking with me through the craziness! I have to agree with you; there's just something very appealing about Gangrel lording over a scared and submissive Jeffro. It never gets old. :) And yeah, Matty's clueless, but I can promise you, that'll be changing sooner or later. ;)
Takers dark lover, it's true, Adam and Jay don't listen. But I suppose they ignored all of Jeff's pleas to leave him alone because they were so eager to kick some vampire ass. :)
Slashdlite, Gangrel acts like a big man when he is standing over Jeff, but how would he act if he were forced to face the Council? I have a feeling he'd pee his pants. Everyone has a weakness; I suppose the Council is his.
Animal Luvr 4 Life, Jeffy will be okay…. eventually. };)
Neroanne, LOL. "He mindfucks him and assfucks him." Oh, how true. I think Gangrel needs a hobby; maybe cross-stitching. Maybe then, he'd chill out a little. Thanks for your review; it made me happy! :)
Rhiannamator, I originally was going to write Matty as the cliché, overprotective older brother. And then, I immediately said to myself, "Every story you read has Matty running after Jeff, trying to save him from whatever evil is plaguing him. Let's do something different." Therefore, I ended up going the exact opposite route. Matty is utterly oblivious to his brother's predicament. It's not that he's stupid, it's just that he's a little bit self-absorbed. Thank you for your compliment. I wanted the rape scene to be dirty and fast-paced, and to truly reflect Gangrel's rage. (sigh) Poor Jeffy. The things I do to him. :) As for Jeffro's return to the hotel, upon reading it again, I do agree that Jeff could've used a bit of comforting from the Canadians. After all, everyone needs a little E&C love every now and then, right? :)
Seraphalexiel, oh yeah, it's definitely gonna take some planning and some doing to get Gangrel away from Jeffro. He likes his sex slave a little too much and, I suppose I can empathize with him on some level. After all, if you had Jeff Hardy as a sex slave, wouldn't you beat the shit out of anyone that tried to take him away from you? :)
The WWE owns almost everything in this story. TNA is lucky enough to own Mr. Jeffro Nero Hardy and Monsieur Matthew Moore Hardy (not in a vampire/human slave kind of way, but then again, one never knows how Dixie Carter actually treats her wrestlers behind closed doors.) Gangrel, just in case he's feeling sue-happy, owns himself.
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here…. };)
Jeff looked around at his surroundings, fear written plainly upon his face.
He was standing in the wilderness, half-naked and freezing. He had no idea where he was. An empty, desolate field surrounded him, its flat and barren landscape broken only by the sight of an abandoned car and a dirt road lying at its far-distant border.
Jeff froze when he suddenly heard the vampire creeping up behind him. Gangrel leaned down, his ice-cold lips brushing up against the younger man's ear.
His cruel, velvety whisper seemed to echo dimly in the silence, long after the actual words were spoken.
"Get on your knees, Jeffrey", the vampire commanded softly, "It is time for you to be reminded of who you belong to."
Jeff dropped to his knees before the vampire, not hesitating, not thinking. He bowed his head submissively, long, tangled hair falling into his eyes and hiding his pale face.
He knelt, staring at the floor, waiting for something to happen. He could feel Gangrel's cold eyes roaming over his body, appraising every inch of him.
Frigid hands began to caress his skin. Impossibly strong arms encircled him, trapping him in a bruising embrace.
He endured the lustful touches, the burning eyes. And when the fangs finally tore into the tender flesh of his throat he, as always, tried desperately to ignore the searing pain.
Warm blood spilled out, running from the gaping wound in his neck down onto his chest and stomach. Slowly, ever so slowly, his mind penetrated the veil of pain that had imprisoned it. He suddenly came to realize that Gangrel had consumed far too much.
A sick feeling of dread washed over him. He could feel himself dying, inch by inch, his lifeblood draining with every breath he took.
Gangrel stood over him, watching him die. The vampire watched him struggle for each breath, his smirk widening, his teeth growing sharper…
The young Hardy's eyes slid open.
He blinked several times, trying to wake, trying to dispel the remnants of a very unwelcome and unpleasant dream.
Rolling over, Jeff burrowed deep into the thick hotel comforter. He glanced over at the bedside clock, registering distantly that it was just before 1:00 in the afternoon. He shut his eyes against the daylight, not caring to see it. Thinking back to his dream, he wished bitterly that he could find some way to stop last night's ordeal from playing over and over in his head like some type of macabre theatrical production.
Jeff rolled over and threw the covers over his head. He lay still and silent as death.
It didn't take long for him to find sleep again.
He saw himself, lying naked on his side in the fetal position, surrounded by darkness. He was ragged and beaten down, and filthy. A soft voice spoke to him from a distant place and, though he could make out no words, he knew that it offered no comfort.
"Ah, but you deserve no comfort", said the voice suddenly, its tone matter-of-fact. It was a soft-spoken male, one whom Jeff did not recognize. "You deserve nothing, Jeffrey, because you are a bloodsucker's whore. You do not try to save yourself; you simply languish in prolonged agony, assuming that you are beyond redemption."
The voice paused. When it sounded again the speaker was much closer, though Jeff still could see nothing in the surrounding darkness.
Jeff gasped when he suddenly felt ice-cold fingers brush across the back of his neck. "Once you willingly give into his desires, Jeffrey, you belong to him. There is no going back. Remember that."
"Who the hell are you?", Jeff asked, looking around wildly, his hand rubbing at the skin on the back of his neck.
Quiet laughter filled the darkness. "No one you know."
The young Hardy woke with a start.
He gazed around the room, taking it in, trying to clear the cobwebs from his sleep-addled brain. The last vestiges of sunset were playing across the walls, bathing everything in a red haze. God, how long had he been asleep?
Groaning, Jeff sat up. He was weak and aching, and soaked in cold sweat. Tearing the blankets off, he let the processed air of the heater run over his clammy skin.
Jeff tried to rally himself, knowing that he should rise and make himself presentable. He had to find his brother, and make some mundane excuse for disappearing last night. Matt would be worrying over his unexplained absence, after all, and if he didn't tie up this loose end, it could come back to haunt him later.
The simple fact was, though, he'd have rather lay here all night, undisturbed. Here, alone, he wasn't forced to face up to his own reality. He could simply… pretend that Gangrel didn't exist. Pretending was the only thing that kept his sanity in tact, at times.
Jeff hated facing his brother, lying to him, pasting fake smiles on to convince him that everything was normal and as it should be. He hated Edge and Christian's weighty glances just as much, their knowing looks that said, "We know what you've been through, Jeff. We know." He hated having to avoid them, when they were the only people in the world who actually understood his pain.
He hated the mask he was forced to wear, but more than that, he hated the sadistic bastard who forced him to wear it. Gangrel had stolen everything good from his life, piece by piece.
Now, Jeff had little left, except a career he cared nothing for, and a brother who barely knew him.
The young Hardy lay down again, willing sleep to once again overtake his troubled mind. These days, it was the only escape he was afforded-
Suddenly, he let out a sharp gasp and sat up, his eyes blindly roaming his now-pitch black surroundings. He heard nothing, and saw nothing, though he could definitely feel that there had been a shift in the room, palpable as electricity in the air before a storm.
Jeff's stomach clenched in fear.
"Good evening, Jeffrey", Gangrel said smoothly from somewhere near the foot of the bed.
The young Hardy scrambled blindly away from the sound of the unearthly voice, panicked. He hit the wall and reached out, trying desperately to find the bedside lamp. The last thing he wanted, after all, was to be trapped in the darkness with the sadistic vampire… again. Panting in terror, knowing that any second Gangrel's hands could be wrapped around his throat, Jeff finally located the light and flipped the switch.
He was horrified to find Gangrel sitting on the edge of his bed, watching him with an amused expression upon his pale face.
Jeff gasped and recoiled, clambering backwards into the corner. He hugged his knees to his chest protectively, bracing himself for another painful assault.
But Jeff quickly came to realize, upon further observation, that his blonde tormentor was calm and sated, in direct opposition to the previous night. He sat, unmoving, watching Jeff with a tiny smirk upon his pale features. If the young Hardy didn't know him better, he would swear that the man was only here for a casual chat.
There was a long, drawn-out moment of strained silence.
"Why the hell are you here?", Jeff asked weakly, his voice shaking, "Didn't you drink enough last night to tide you over for at least a few days?" He rubbed at his neck, recalling the painfully sharp teeth penetrating his vein, the unrelenting flow of his blood.
Gangrel threw his head back and laughed. Jeff glared at him, his green eyes filled with hate.
"Silly boy", he said, leaning forward, "I could drink your sweet blood until this world comes to its end, and still, I would not have had my fill of it." Jeff watched his tongue push out of his mouth and slowly run across his upper lip.
Jeff swallowed nervously, backing away. He was suddenly feeling very trapped, and very alone.
"You promised to let me heal, Gangrel", his voice sounded so small to his own ears, "You know as well as I do that my body needs a few days to rest itself. My blood will taste thin if you try and drink from me tonight-"
"I have no intentions of drinking your delectable blood tonight, Jeffrey", Gangrel murmured distractedly. He was staring at Jeff's lips with an intensity that both alarmed and repulsed the young Hardy.
Jeff blinked. "Then- why are you here?"
The vampire grinned. He picked up a strand of Jeff's loose, messy hair and let it fall back to its place. "Do I need a reason to see my lovely pet?"
Jeff sat there, tense as a taut bowstring, watching the vampire. He hated when Gangrel got into these moods. If he had learned one thing about the vampire, it was that he was a creature of habit. He had specific preferences, specific appetites, specific kinks. So when Gangrel showed up for no apparent reason, and began saying unpredictable things that kept you just off balance enough to wonder what was going on, it was cause for major concern, as far as Jeff saw it.
He was, after all, usually the one in the path of the fallout.
Suddenly, Jeff realized that Gangrel wasn't sitting on the bed anymore. As usual, he heard the vampire coming before he saw him. A whoosh of air preceded a mass of moving darkness, faster than Jeff's human eyes could ever follow. Within a second, the vampire had landed atop his prey, straddling Jeff's pelvis and holding his wrists together over his head.
Jeff struggled half-heartedly in the firm grip, knowing escape was impossible.
"Please don't do this", he begged, hating himself for sounding so weak, "Please, not after last night-"
"Hush, Jeffrey", Gangrel replied, leering over his weaker captive, "You shouldn't beg. It's rather… undignified."
"But-"
"Silence", the vampire said quietly. Jeff stared up at his captor with wide, terrified eyes.
Gangrel's grip around Jeff's wrists tightened, eliciting a small, pained whimper that satisfied the vampire's malicious sensibilities. He smiled down at his slave.
"I have given thought to last night's… unpleasantness." He caressed Jeff's cheek with his free hand. "I realize now that I may have overreacted, given my history with Adam and Jay and the circumstances at the time I saw you. I am willing to forgive you for your disobedience and start anew. But I must make it clear, Jeffrey, that my forgiveness is contingent upon you never speaking to either one of them again. This is most important. Do you understand me?"
"Yes", Jeff answered quietly, a dull note to his response, "I understand."
"Good", Gangrel said agreeably, releasing the younger man's wrists, "Good boy."
The vampire moved off of Jeff's lap, allowing him to sit up. The young Hardy immediately scooted back into the corner again.
Gangrel, sitting on the edge of the bed, was straightening his clothing and smoothing the wrinkles from his jacket.
"Unfortunately, Jeffrey, I have no time to play with you tonight", he said, "I have some business that will call me beyond the city limits, and I'll not return by morning. But tomorrow night-" He grinned widely, revealing his fangs. Jeff looked away, disgusted. "Tomorrow night will be different entirely."
He gestured for the young Hardy to come sit next to him on the edge of the bed. Jeff reluctantly obeyed, praying that whatever business Gangrel had was truly pressing.
"It is time for me to leave", the vampire said softly, staring over at his young slave, "You wish to see me off in the proper manner, do you not?"
Jeff nodded half-heartedly.
"Good boy." The vampire smiled his sharp-toothed, predatory smile. "Kiss me goodbye, Jeffrey, so that the taste of you shall linger fresh upon my lips while I am away."
The young Hardy could not prevent a look of pure revulsion from crossing his wan features. He immediately covered it under an emotionless mask, however, as was expected.
Jeff leaned forward, his deadened green eyes fixed upon the expectant vampire. The young Hardy's lips crashed upon Gangrel's with false fervor, his tongue probing the corpse-like recesses of the vampire's mouth, exploring every inch of it.
"He tastes like…blood", thought Jeff,"It's disgusting."
Gangrel pulled back, licking his lips in satisfaction.
"I must go!", he said, rising, "I've already stayed on for far too long; I shall be late for my engagement." The vampire grinned down at Jeff, his sharp teeth showing. "But you, I know, shall think of me while I am away."
"Of course, Master", Jeff replied quietly.
Gangrel bent over and whispered in Jeff's ear, "I shall see you tomorrow night, then."
Jeff bowed his head. "Yes, Mas-"
He looked up sharply. The door had just closed. Gangrel was gone.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at the closed portal.
Bastard…
Jeff looked around at his silent hotel room, his sweat-stained sheets, his messy suitcase with clothes spilling out onto the floor. This room which, just hours before, had been such a refuge, now felt unwelcoming and cold.
He had to get out of here.
Standing slowly, Jeff made his way to the bathroom. He would be going out tonight, with or without Gangrel's permission.
He would deal with the consequences tomorrow night, when the vampire returned from wherever he had gone.
He just needed to walk away from this, even if it was only for a few hours.
He needed to find a way to forget.
[xxxxxxx]
"So, I may have a workable plan for getting to the Council", Adam said thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on his lips.
He and Jay were sitting in Adam's room, drinking beer and munching on Cheetos.
Jay raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You're kidding me. When did you come up with this?"
Adam took a long swig of his Molson.
"This is a plan that's actually been years in the making."
"And you never mentioned this plan of yours because-?"
Adam sighed. "Well, to be truthful, I honestly didn't think there was the slightest chance in hell that it could work."
"That's reassuring", Jay said dryly, "So what changed your mind? Why do you think it could work now?"
Adam grinned. "I don't. But it's all we've got, and Jeffy needs our help, so-"
Jay groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Orange Cheeto dust was rubbed into his blonde hair and forehead, much to Adam's amusement. "Look, why don't you just tell me what exactly it is you have in mind, Adam. Then I can tell you how fucking crazy you are, and we can move on with our lives."
Adam smiled. "Alright. Well, as you know, our biggest roadblock in getting to the Council has been finding a vampire in good standing with them that would take us there and vouch for us when we spoke against Gangrel, right?"
"Right", Jay agreed, "Vampires don't exactly hang on every street corner."
"Well, that's where my plan comes together. I know where one of their hangouts is. There's a bookstore, in Chicago; the vampires meet in an upstairs room or at least, they did a few years back. I know about it because Gangrel sent me there once, on an errand."
Jay stared. "You never told me about that."
Adam looked away. "Gangrel had you serving him in, uh, another capacity the night that I went. By the time I got back, you were in no condition to talk."
"Oh", was Jay's quiet reply. He took a deep breath, as if to steady himself.
"There wasn't much to tell anyway. We were staying in Chicago, and one night he just handed me an envelope, rattled off an address, and told me to deliver it. As soon as I got there, I handed the envelope over to the bookstore clerk. He took one look at it and dropped it on the desk, like he wanted nothing to do with it. He never even said anything, he just pointed to the stairs leading up to the second floor. So, I went up and found a room full of vampires, sitting around, talking. I thought they were gonna kill me when I walked in."
Jay's eyes widened. "What happened?"
"I told them I was Gangrel's slave, and that I'd been sent to deliver an envelope for them. They didn't fuck with me after that. After a minute, I just quietly backed out of the room and left."
"Vampire etiquette", Jay said bitterly, "Thou shalt not eat thy brother's human pet."
"It'll be different this time, though", said Adam grimly, "When we approach the vampires, we won't have the backing or protection of a vampire master. If we decide to go in, we'll be basically defenseless."
"Christ, Adam! Are you out of your mind? Going in there would be fucking suicidal! Hell, walking by the building would be suicidal!", cried Jay, his face pale, eyes wide, "We could end up dead! Or, worse, we could end up being taken as slaves again! Is that what you want? To suck vampire cock for the next ten years of your life?" He paused, his gaze darkening. "I don't fucking trust vampires, and I never will. And neither should you! They only care about furthering their own agendas, and they'd as soon make you their next meal than listen to a word you've got to say."
"They won't attack us", Adam replied confidently, "After all, we've got valuable information to barter with. Every vampire in that room will know about the missing exile Gangrel. We know his whereabouts. When we tell them that, I'm sure they'll take us to the Council."
Jay sighed. "I don't know, Adam. It seems way too risky…"
"It's our best and only shot to help out Jeff."
Jay thought about it for a moment. "I swear to god, if you get me killed, I'll fucking make sure you suffer for it."
Adam smirked. "You worry too much."
He took a large bite out of a Cheeto, savoring its taste. The cheese-like flavor lingered on his tongue long after the insubstantial puff was swallowed and gone.
Jay studied his friend's face, trying to gauge just how serious he actually was about this. "You really believe that we can do this without getting ourselves killed in the process?"
Adam's light-hearted demeanor vanished abruptly. He frowned, shrugging noncommittally. "I honestly… don't know. But if we don't try something soon, we're either gonna be visiting Jeff in the nuthouse, or attending his funeral. This has to end, Jay, one way or the other. Jeff's on the edge, ready to snap any day now, and Gangrel's one mistake away from being captured by the other vampires. Something has to give. All we have to do is make sure that Gangrel's the one who goes down first."
Jay looked at his friend for a long time, his blue eyes swimming with some impenetrable emotion.
After a few moments, he released a long, heavy sigh.
"So", he said, tilting his head questioningly, "when do we leave for Chicago?"
[xxxxxxx]
Jeff walked down the empty city street, hugging himself against the frigid winter chill. His eyes scanned the dark and unwelcoming shop fronts, trying to locate a bar, tavern, or pub. He badly needed a drink, and he would continue to trek through the frozen city until he located an establishment that would sell him one.
Hope blossomed when he suddenly saw a light up ahead. Quickening his pace, Jeff moved towards it.
A carved wooden sign moved with the wind, its letters obviously chiseled with crude hand tools. "The Aftermath", it read, words emblazoned on a large, fine piece of dark, mahogany wood. The edges of the sign boasted carved flames, painted in fading reds and oranges.
Jeff stared at the workmanship for a moment, always one to appreciate interesting artistry when he came upon it. He immediately decided to go in and see what this place was like.
The door was made of heavy, dark wood, and someone had painted the ornately-carved door handle red in an effort to match the sign, perhaps. "Nice touch", thought Jeff, smirking appreciatively.
He entered and stood in the doorway, looking around at the intriguing establishment.
It was very small, only one room, in fact. But they had made excellent use of their limited space; the room was beautifully decorated, all in dark woods, and red and black accents. Tea lights flickered restlessly on the bar, in sconces on the walls, and on each of the tables, casting a strange glow about the place.
The Aftermath was not nearly full yet, which was not surprising, considering it was only 9:30. In fact, Jeff noticed, there were only five or six patrons there, besides himself. That suited him just fine. He was in no mood to drink amongst rowdy partying college kids.
The young Hardy grabbed a seat at the almost-empty bar, and ordered a beer. He peeled his black trench coat off, and let it rest on the seat behind him. Sighing, he ran a hand through his wind-blown hair, and took a long, deep drink of the Guiness he'd ordered.
"Pardon me", inquired a soft, slightly-accented voice at his shoulder, "But may I sit here?"
Jeff turned around. He stared, dumbfounded into utter silence. The man before him was the very definition of beautiful, everything that Jeff might have found attractive before Gangrel completely decimated his sex drive, and wrecked his ability to form normal relationships with other people.
Pale blue eyes studied Jeff boldly, never blinking, never straying from their target. The young Hardy found that brashness to be incredibly mesmerizing.
Long, flowing black hair, worn loose, fell in waves down below the man's slim shoulders. Jeff was struck by how flawless his skin appeared to be, pale and porcelain-white. He had a Roman nose, high cheekbones, and full, defined lips. Jeff thought to himself that this man looked like one of those carved marble statues from Greece or Rome, come to life.
Jeff forced himself to stop staring, and replied, "Um, sure. Sit wherever you want to."
The other man sat down in the seat directly next to Jeff's, though the bar was largely empty. The young Hardy shot him a look, though the stranger did not seem to notice. He was busy ordering his usual drink, which turned out to be an exotic beer imported from India. Once he'd gotten settled, he turned to Jeff.
"So, it occurs to me that you are at a distinct disadvantage, in this moment", said the stranger, watching Jeff with his ice-blue eyes.
"What do you mean?", Jeff asked, looking back at the other man warily.
"Because I know your name, Jeffrey Hardy", he smiled, giving nothing away, "And as far as I am aware, you have yet to learn mine."
Jeff stared. "Funny, you don't seem like the average wrestling fan."
"Oh, I've never seen a wrestling match in my life", he replied, a grin splitting his handsome face, "I heard the college kids over in the corner discussing your presence a few minutes ago, right before they left. They were going to come over and ask for an autograph, but they decided that if you were out drinking alone, you must be having, as they put it, 'female problems'."
Jeff laughed. "Awful nice of them. Apparently they didn't realize that I'm gay."
The man smirked. "Indeed."
"So, as you say, you have me at a disadvantage. Are you going to tell me your name?", said the young Hardy, eyebrow raised inquisitively.
The man smiled, a secret, strange smile. "I've had several. But I prefer Gabriel."
"Gabriel", Jeff repeated, a soft grin upon his face, "You kind of look like a Gabriel. It fits."
Gabriel smiled his quiet, charming smile. "May I ask you a question, Jeffrey?"
Jeff nodded, his eyes rapt upon the other man.
Gabriel's smile faded as he gently touched the young Hardy's ruddy cheek. "Who is hurting you?"
Jeff drew back as if he had been burned. "What?", he hissed, staring at the other man with wide, frightened green eyes.
"There is no need to deny it, Jeffrey, I could tell from the moment you walked through the door. You are in pain. Terrible pain." He reached for Jeff's cheek again, but the young Hardy pulled away from his touch. "Tell me, Jeffrey. Tell me who is doing this to you, and perhaps I can help-"
Jeff stood and threw his coat on, readying himself to run out the door.
Gabriel took hold of his arm, gently, and pulled him around to face him. "Jeffrey, wait-"
"No! You can't help me, Gabriel. Just… leave me alone, alright?"
And with that, Jeff was gone, slamming the heavy wooden door open, and running out into the frigid winter night.
Gabriel collapsed back down into his chair, and ordered another of his spicy Indian beers. He stared down at the fine mahogany wood of the bar, pondering. Pondering.
Jeffrey Hardy was a rare beauty, and damaged at his core. He could see it plainly, though Jeff vehemently denied his pain.
"It would truly be an evil thing", he mused to himself, "to allow such a creature to languish in agony, his silent screams unheeded."
Yes, Gabriel looked forward to ridding Jeff of the demons that plagued him.
He would look into this matter without delay.
Alright! So, another chapter of "Dry" is in the can, and there's still more questions than answers!
1.) Why wasn't Matt in this chapter, and is he ever coming back?
2.) Are Adam and Jay going to survive their trip to Chicago?
3.) What's going to happen when Gangrel gets back from his little field trip?
4.) Is Jeff clinically depressed, and should he be on medication?
5.) Most importantly, who the hell is this new guy Gabriel, why the hell was he all over Jeff, how will Gangrel react to his presence should he ever find out, and why is he bound and determined to free Jeff of his "demons"?
Find out next time!
The author loves REVIEWS…. :)