Disclaimer: All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, Ashley, Edge...

NOTE: The description of the seventh layer of hell, is based on the ancient poem, "Dante's Inferno".

000

Jeff finished toweling off the sweat from his hair and debated whether or not to take a shower in the locker room or wait till they got back to the hotel. The big draw back of taking the shower now in the locker room was by the time he got out most everyone would have gone home and he would be left practically alone. In the week following his abduction, he had taken great care to make sure he was never by himself, in addition to putting no trust in the security guards anymore.

"Hey, Hardy!"

Jeff groaned when he heard the unmistakable voice of his nemesis Edge, he was in no mood for the "R-rated" superstar's comments at the moment, or ever for that matter.

"Yeah?" Jeff answered, though he continued to towel off his hair as if Edge were not there.

"You had a good match tonight." Edge smiled good-naturedly.

"Yeah?" Jeff raised his head, and placed the towel over his shoulders, waiting for the inevitable crusher snide comment that was to come at his expense.

"No. I mean it the crowd was with you all the way man," Edge assured him enthusiastically.

Jeff blinked, starting to seriously wonder if Edge meant what he said or not. "Uh...Thanks, Edge, I appreciate that."

"You're welcome." The smile broadened on Edge's face. Then suddenly it morphed into a sneer. "Yeah, the crowd was especially with you when you fell on your ass trying to nail a 'Whisper in the Wind.'"

Edge guffawed at his own humor, with his Tag-Team partner Randy Orton joining the jeering laughter as he walked by, and a few chuckles echoed around the locker room.

Jeff rolled his eyes and went back to drying his hair. He knew it was coming, but still it pissed him off to be reminded of just how off his game he had been lately.

"Nothing gets by you, Edge..." Jeff grumbled. "But at least I actually stay and fight my own battles."

Jeff grinned under the towel, that quip should wipe that stupid grin of the "R-rated" superstar's face. He waited for Edge's response, but none came. Jeff pulled the towel off his head and discovered the entire locker room was empty.

"Oh shit!" Jeff did not take time to ponder how the room had emptied itself within the last five seconds, the fact remained the room was empty and he did not want to be left alone again. He hurriedly threw his stuff into his duffel bag and raced to the door. However, when he opened it, instead of seeing a hallway, he stared into a pitch black abyss.

On impulse he reached out to the blackness, but his hand flattened against an invisible wall which rippled at his touch. Suddenly the black nothingness faded into a scene, a scene of horror that made his heart jump into his throat.

Jeff stood on the bank of a large boiling river with people immersed in the hot waters; writhing and screaming. His heart went into his stomach and he felt it churn sickeningly as he realized the boiling liquid in the river was blood. He covered his mouth as his stomach threatened to rebel and automatically he took step back. As he did so, his pant leg caught on something. He looked down and saw his feet surrounded by thorny bushes. His eyes traveled up so he was looking over his shoulder, but instead of seeing the locker room he thought was behind him, there was vast forest of gnarled thorny trees, some towering as high as redwoods.

The young Hardy's jaw dropped and involuntary shudders coursed through his body as he turned fully around and gazed upon the primeval woodland. He stepped back, breaking some of the thorns off the brush that had grappled onto his pant leg. A scream that made every hair on Jeff's body stand on end, erupted from the bush, and blood flowed from the broken thorns.

Jeff backed quickly away from the bleeding bushes, only to run into something behind him. Too terrified to look around, his own blood ran cold as two pale arms with sharp black nails reached out past his shoulders, as if welcoming Jeff into an embrace. However, the arms made no move to enfold him in them.

Shaking, Jeff slowly turned around. His frightened eyes were greeted with the sight of a lithe human-like being with ghostly pale skin, red eyes, and sharp metallic like teeth. Blood colored the being's face across his eyes and forehead like a grotesque Mardi Gras mask. However, those were the only distinguishing features on the ghastly shadow of a human. The being opened his toothy mouth and spoke in a voice so deep, Jeff could feel it resonant in the very core of his body.

"Welcome to the seventh layer of hell..."

000

Jeff Hardy woke up in cold sweat, glancing frantically around at his surroundings. The river was gone, the thorny forest was gone and so was the pale being. The seventh layer of hell had turned into a hotel room. Seeing these comfortingly familiar surroundings, Jeff calmed his breathing and slowly his heart began to ease up its pounding against his ribs.

However, he was still shaken. He felt his stomach roll over as the memories of the horrible nightmare raced through his memory. The face of the pale being and his voice seemed to burn in his brain like a branding iron on flesh. Suddenly a sharp pain coursed through his stomach, causing him to fold his arms over it and bend over. He nearly jumped when a hand touched his shoulder.

"You okay, Bro?" Matt Hardy sat up.

A wave of nausea replaced the pain in Jeff's stomach; he could only manage a simple "no," before leaping out of the bed, and making for the bathroom. However, just as he got his head over the toilet, the nausea passed. At that moment, Matt poked his head in.

"Want me to come in?" Matt asked softly, knowing from personal experience that people preferred to throw up alone.

Jeff closed his eyes and waited for a moment, just in case the nausea or the pain came back. When he was sure he was not going to puke up his guts he slowly nodded, however he remained by the toilet just in case his stomach decided to rebel again.

Matt turned on the water faucet and ran a hand towel under the water. After wringing out the excess water he folded the towel and carefully placed it on the back of Jeff's neck.

"Thanks, Bro." Jeff murmured, resting his head in wearily in his hands.

"No problem man..." Matt gently squeezed his brother's shoulder. "Everything okay?"

"If everything was, you think I'd be in here like this?" Jeff groaned not looking up.

Matt sighed patiently. "That's not what I meant. Anyone can throw up from eating bad food or nerves... but you, you looked like you stared death in the face. I was just giving you an out in case you didn't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry Matt," Jeff looked up at his older brother apologetically. "My head's just been messed up lately."

"I can't blame you for that, but don't think you have to deal with on your own, okay?" Matt patted Jeff reassuringly on the back. "Did you have another nightmare?"

Jeff sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, except this one was different from the others."

"Yeah?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"It wasn't about the abduction like they normally are," Jeff began. "It started out with me in the RAW locker room like any other day, Edge was being an ass as usual."

Matt laughed, but tried to contain it when his little brother gave him an incredulous look. " Sorry... but I can't see how that would be a nightmare..."

Jeff smiled lightly then frowned. "Then everybody disappeared, I ran to the door to see where they'd gone to and I ended up in this, this horrible place. There was blood everywhere," Jeff's eyes grew more and more distant. His eye brows furrowed and he looked about to cry. "A bloody river, bleeding thorn bushes and trees, and people screaming all over the place..."

Matt scooted toward Jeff and wrapped his arms around him. Jeff rested his head against his older brother's chest, taking comfort in the soft thump of Matt's heartbeat. "And then there was this guy, some sort of monster and he spoke to me. Something about being in the seventh layer of hell..."

"Really...?" Matt murmured into the top of Jeff's head.

"What's it all mean man..." Jeff whispered hoarsley. "I can't take much more of this, I need sleep..."

"I wish I knew..." Matt's frustration at his inability to help his brother was apparent in his voice. Just then a light bulb went on in his head, and he uncurled himself from around Jeff. "Hey, I bet I know who would know about this kind of stuff."

"Who?" Jeff furrowed his brow.

"The Undertaker."

"The Undertaker?" Jeff wrinkled his nose. "What makes you think he'll help us? He's been all creepy and cold and standoffish to everyone since his reincarnation in 2004."

"I know." Matt nodded wearily. "But it's worth a try right?"

Jeff nodded back. "Well if I have another dream tonight we'll go talk to him tomorrow."

"Okay. And I'm going to hold you to that." Matt grinned and patted Jeff on the shoulder.

Jeff nodded. "You should go back to sleep Matt, you got a match tomorrow."

"Don't remind me... " Matt yawned. "Aren't you coming too?"

"I'm just gonna hang out in the bathroom a couple more minutes," Jeff rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Just in case my stomach decides to act up again."

"Okay. I'll leave the light on for you," Matt got up and exited the bathroom.

After Matt left, Jeff got up and closed the door. He looked into the bathroom mirror for a moment, then pulled up his black tank top. On his abdomen was the symbol the leader of the cultists had drawn on him with blood as paint. Jeff closed his eyes and the image of the pale being flashed before him as vivid as if he were still in the dream. Only this time the white skin of the apparition was broken by black lines forming the same symbol on his abdomen, that Jeff now had on his.

Jeff opened his eyes and pulled his shirt over the symbol again. He opened the bathroom door and headed back into the bedroom. He flopped down on the bed and buried his head in the pillow. However, when he shut his eyes the image of the pale being appeared again. He sat up, and bit his fist, silencing a scream of frustration. He was so tired, but now he couldn't even close his eyes. He looked over enviously at Matt, already asleep.

After some hesitation, Jeff awkwardly crawled over and curled up behind Matt, resting his head against his older brother's back. He closed his eyes again, this time there was only darkness behind his eyelids. No blood, no thorns, no monsters.

Jeff smiled and snuggled a little closer, burying his face into the space between his older brother's shoulder blades. The scene was reminiscent of younger days, during thunderstorms and fears of beasts living under the bed and in the closet, of bullies inflicting pain on the schoolyard and tears wept for their mother's passing...

000

Matt Hardy awoke to the feeling of something pressing against his back and something else encircling his waist. He looked over his shoulder and found Jeff to be the source. Matt chuckled internally at the cute sight. This hadn't happened since they were kids, when they ran to each other's beds during thunderstorms and nightmares. Matt was glad to finally see his brother sleeping peacefully and didn't want to disturb him, but he really wanted to get up and shower.

He reached up and gently scratched the top of his little brother's head, and said softly, "Jeff, wakey-wakey."

Jeff mumbled and reached up with one arm to swat away the offending hand. This was just the reaction Matt was looking for. He quickly slid out of his little brother's broken embrace and replaced the empty spot with one of his pillows. Before entering the bathroom, Matt chuckled at the sight of his little brother snuggling up to the pillow like a puppy.

After a quick shower Matt was drying his hair when there was a knock at the bathroom door. "Yeah?"

"Can I use the shower, Matt?" Jeff called from outside.

" Yeah." Matt threw a towel around his waist and opened the door. "I don't know how much warm water is left..."

Jeff stepped in as Matt stepped out to get dressed. "It's okay, cold water might wake me up a little more."

The cold water felt strangely soothing on his tired body, and it did help him to wake up a little. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, he gritted his teeth and pressed his forehead against the tiled wall until the pain passed.

He shut off the water and reached around the shower curtain for a towel. After wrapping it around his waist he stepped out of the shower. Matt was just brushing his teeth and caught Jeff's reflection in the mirror.

"Mmph, whmphs wrmg wmit enr shomach?" Matt mumbled around his toothbrush and toothpaste.

"Sorry Matt I don't speak toothbrush mumble," Jeff chuckled.

Matt finished brushing and washed out his mouth , then repeated his question in plain English. "What's wrong with your stomach?"

"Hurts a little bit." Jeff shrugged, trying to make it nonchalant.

Matt turned around to face him and get a closer look. " It looks all red. Maybe we should take you to the doctor, you could have some internal bleeding or something. "

Jeff looked down and traced the red lines, his heart beginning to race. "Oh God...It's back..."

"What's back?" Matt quirked an eyebrow and took a closer look. "What the hell is that?"

Jeff swallowed hard. "Remember when I told you that guy drew something on me. That's it. It went away for awhile but then it came back when I started having those dreams."

"That's it," Matt grabbed Jeff's arm. "We're taking a trip to see the Undertaker."

"Can I get some clothes on first man?" Jeff dug his heels into the carpet.

Matt stopped and laughed in spite of himself. "Sorry," Matt tossed Jeff his clothes. "But you know if it were going to see a diva then I'd say keep the towel."

Jeff couldn't keep from laughing along with his brother.

000

Poor Jeff is having nightmares now. Looks like Matt needs to take Jeff to see Dr. Undertaker, hehehe!

The part with Jeff snuggling with Matt was fun to write, it was so cute! They were just like puppies!

Please review, I'm curious to know what you think.