Disclaimer : I do not own any of the characters mentioned herein. This is pure fiction, written for entertainment only.

Thank you to all the faithful reviewers! You know who you are! I'm grateful that you're sticking with me through this.

Adam/Jeff/Randy – a delicious threesome! But, who will win him in the end? And will Mark make his impromptu appearance somewhere in the story and steal Jeff under their noses? I don't know, yet. *muahahahaha*

Chapter 5

Rob watched as Adam downed another shot of tequila. It was his sixth within half an hour. Adam lifted the bottle and was about to refill his glass when Rob stayed his arm. "I think you have enough to drink," he spoke in a firm tone.

Adam snorted and tried to pull his arm away but it was held firm. "We came here to drink, so, lets drink! Now, let go of my arm!" he told Rob just as firmly. His demeanor indicated that he didn't like Rob telling him what to do.

Rob hesitated before withdrawing his arm. "Fine, drink all you want then! But, just remember this, the last time you drank yourself into a stupor, you caused grievous hurt to someone close to you and lost him. I hope you know what you're doing," and Rob got up and left.

Still seething with anger at what Matt had said earlier, Rob's words didn't seep through his consciousness immediately. It was only when he downed another shot that the impact of his words hit him. The sudden realization shook him up. "Oh my God, he knew! He knew what I did to Jeff!"

Adam started to fear the repercussions if his heinous deed was made public. He pulled out his phone, intending to call Rob and ask him how he knew. On second thoughts, he decided that it was not something he wanted to discuss over the phone. He decided to go and look for him instead. Rob might still be outside. Throwing some cash on the table and leaving behind a generous tip, he quickly got up and exited. He glanced around anxiously, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rob but he was nowhere in sight. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he contemplated going back in to drown himself in more drinks, but what Rob had said unsettled him and he decided to go for a walk instead to clear his head.

Turning his collar up to ward off the chill, he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and started walking. His mind went to the confrontation earlier on between him and Matt. He had tried to mend the fences but was uncivilly turned away and told to get lost! He started to fume again. Who gave Matt the damn right to be his judge, jury and executioner? He admitted he was at fault for stealing his girlfriend but Matt shouldn't be absolved of all blame either. Amy strayed because he took her for granted and she was totally unhappy in the relationship. All three of them were fully responsible for what happened. So, why was it that he was made to look the bad guy, the guilty one, the one who was wholly to blame for the mess in the public eye? No one is perfect and he had made his fair share of mistakes, but damn it, why must he keep paying for them? People judged him on those mistakes but never thought of seeing the good in him.

And that started him thinking of what he did to Jeff. His anger cooled instantly and shame and remorse overtook him. So many years had passed and he never once, even after Jeff had left, attempted to right his wrong. He could have called Jeff, made the time to go and see him and set things right but he didn't, and all because he was too self-centered to think that it mattered. He recalled how Jeff had intervened to allow him a chance to speak and was actually taken aback by his action. In spite of what he had done, Jeff had shown that he was willing to bury the past by imploring to his brother on his behalf. It offered him a gleam of hope that maybe, just maybe, that he might be able to reach out to Jeff and set things right between them again.

Adam looked up startled when he heard the sudden screeching of brakes as vehicles skidded to a stop and horns blared furiously whilst shouting was heard. In the midst of the confusion, he caught a glimpse of a familiar face. "Jeff!" he breathed out the name in a whisper as he dashed forward, his heart thudding hard against his chest. To his relief, he saw that he wasn't hurt but there was something wrong. He appeared to be dazed and in great distress as tears ran down his cheeks.

"Where the hell are Matt and Randy?" Adam thought furiously as he pushed his way forward to go to the younger Hardy's assistance.

"Jeff, are you alright?" he asked anxiously as he reached his side and to his surprise, Jeff turned to him and buried his face against his chest as loud sobs escaped him. Wrapping his arms protectively around him, Adam whispered into his hair, "What's wrong?" He could feel the sobs wracking the small body. "Sshh… it's going to be alright," he comforted him as he guided him to safety.

He realized why Matt and the others weren't with him then. Just a few feet away, they were engaged in a brawl outside a club. Adam's eyes narrowed with anger as he recognized a face. He was tempted to join in and beat the holy shit out of Scott but he didn't want to leave Jeff by himself.

"Please take me away from here. I … I can't face any one right now, especially Randy," Jeff managed to choke out.

Adam frowned but he didn't question him. Instead, he flagged a taxi and after giving the driver's instructions to head to their hotel, turned towards Jeff. He had put some distance between them and Adam was sorely tempted to close the distance and comfort him.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" he spoke to him in a gentle tone but Jeff just shook his head silently, his tears falling unchecked. Adam shifted closer to him. He hesitated before saying, "Come here" and pulled him gently into his arms. To his relief, Jeff didn't fight him. He leaned against him, hands clutching at his jacket as he tried to subdue his tears. Without thinking, Adam leaned down to kiss his forehead and brushed some fallen locks back behind his ear. Jeff let out a shuddering gasp and closed his eyes. He was too exhausted to fight any more. He remained in Adam's arms until the taxi pulled up in front of their hotel. Adam paid and helped him out. He took Jeff to his room and waited as he unlocked the door and entered. Adam hesitated to follow, wondering if Jeff would object if he did.

"Please come in," Jeff said in a small voice before disappearing into the bathroom. Adam closed the door behind him and looked around. He sighted Randy's carrier on the floor and felt his jealousy rising. The bathroom door opened and Jeff came out, looking a tad better. He looked awkwardly at Adam, unsure what to say to him. He jumped when his phone rang and Adam realized that his nerves were shot.

Jeff answered his phone in a shaky voice. His tears started again as he listened to the caller. He finally said, "I … I'll be alright, Matt. I'm in my room. Tell him …" and Adam saw that he was fighting desperately to hold back his tears, "tell Randy that he can send someone to collect his bag" and he broke down, his tears falling hard and fast. Adam's heart wrenched at the sight. He took a few tentative steps forward and waited.

"You don't have to stay with me. I just want to be alone by myself tonight. I'll call you in the morning, okay?" Jeff whispered as he dashed his tears away before moving to sit on the bed. He listened to his brother and apparently, his words were calming him down. "I promise to call if I need anything. I'll see you in the morning" and he ended the call.

Taking a few deep breaths, Jeff composed himself before facing Adam. "Thank you for bringing me back," he whispered and Adam nodded.

"C...can you do me a favor?" Jeff asked in a quavering voice and Adam thought he was going to cry again.

"Sure, what is it?" Adam said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Jeff swallowed several times and finally whispered, "Can you bring Randy's bag to him?" and bit down on his lip, trying hard not to burst into tears.

"I can do that," Adam assured him. He hesitated before moving forward and squatted down in front of Jeff. "Hey, are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?"

Clutching his pillow towards him, Jeff nodded silently but evaded looking at Adam. When Adam didn't move, he spoke quietly, "It's late. You better leave before Matt decides to come here."

Adam wanted to tell him that he wasn't worried about facing Matt but was worried about him. However, he didn't want to aggravate matters and decided to leave quietly. Getting up, he picked up Randy's bag from the floor and said, "I'll see myself out. Try to get some rest and … if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me. Night, Jeff."

Jeff waited until the door closed before burying his face into the pillow and let the floodgates open. He cried his heart out. He should have known better. He should have known that his past would catch up with him. It had been such a long time since he had been loved. Randy walked into his life and made his world right again. He was beginning to fall for him and now, in less than a day, he had lost him.

Sobbing into his pillow, his thoughts went back to the past hour when Scott confronted him outside the club ~~~

"Hello there, Jeff. Miss me?" Scott asked, wearing a sneer on his face.

"Stay away from him!" Matt placed himself between them, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Cool your jets, Matt. I just want to catch up with Jeff, for old times' sake, you know," Scott spoke calmly with a smirk on his face. His friends behind him snickered. Apparently, his words were not in character and they knew he was leading on to something.

Matt balled his hands into fists and was visibly shaking with rage.

"I don't think Jeff wants to renew your acquaintance, Scott. So, why don't you just turn around and go back where you came from," Chris intervened. He knew that if he didn't do something fast, a fight would break out between Matt and Scott. But, he didn't expect Scott to ignore him. Instead, the man seemed to enjoy courting trouble and took a couple of steps forward, his eyes locking in on Jeff.

"You take one more step and I'll break your fucking face!" Matt spoke vehemently.

"What do you want with Jeff?" Randy decided that it was time he stepped in. He could sense the dangerous vibes flowing off the man and judging from Matt's reaction, Scott posed a threat to Jeff.

Scott raised his eyebrows and studied Randy from head to toe. "Why, it's Randy Orton! You sure know how to pick them, Jeff," Scott said with a huge grin. He took pleasure in seeing Jeff's fear. He fed off it and continued his torment.

"So, you two are together," he said it as a matter-of-fact as he addressed Randy.

"What business is it of yours?" Randy hissed. He disliked the man for what he was doing to Jeff. He could feel Jeff trembling under his arm. He was terrified of him.

"Well … just say I'm just a tad curious to know how my old flame is doing," and smirked at Randy's stunned expression. "So, Jeff didn't tell him about us!" he thought to himself with glee.

"I should just punch you in the face right now for what you did to my brother! You treated him like shit and beat him up! I warned you that if you ever come near my brother again, I'll kill you with my bare hands!" Matt snarled. "Stay the fuck away from my brother or you'll answer to me!"

"Fuck you! You were so caught up in pursuing your singles run that you weren't there for him when he needed you! You left him to fend for himself! I was the one who took him under my wings and taught him how to take care of himself! We were together for more than a year until you poisoned his mind against me!" Scott bellowed out his rage.

"You self-righteous prick! You didn't take care of him, you abused him! He ran away from you because you put him through hell! You got him into drugs, booze and forced him to …" Matt suddenly clammed up. He realized that he might just have walked into Scott's trap.

Scott sneered. "What's wrong? Why don't you finish what you were saying? It's no big secret. All of us have needs and some of us help each other out to assuage those needs. Jeff here was very willing to share his body in the locker room. Everyone wanted a piece of his fine looking ass!"

Randy released Jeff from his hold like he had been stung. He backed away from him, staring at him with shock and disbelief. Jeff looked down with shame and hurt. The joy and love that he had seen in Randy's eyes when he looked at him had wilted away. With tears running down his face, he broke away from the others. Running blind, he didn't know he had run into the streets until he was almost hit by a car. And then, Adam was there.

Shuddering with sobs, Jeff wished he was dead. He couldn't face anyone after this, especially Randy. It felt like his heart had been torn out when he recalled the way Randy had looked at him. He could never love him now that he knew what he did.

Scott had whore him out during his stint in TNA. Initially, he had treated him well when they were in WWF but started to change when they went over to TNA. He never laid a finger on him until then. It started with a simple slap when he disagreed with him and that escalated to hits and punches and soon, he was taken against his will. Scott would handcuff him to the bed and force himself on him to punish him for his disobedience or when he displeased him. And then one day, while he was in the shower in the dressing room after a match, Scott brought two others with him and had their way with him. It became a routine week after week until he couldn't take the abuse anymore. When Scott went out with his friends one night, he had packed hurriedly and hitched a ride to the airport. He didn't have enough money to buy a plane ticket to Cameron, North Carolina. Scott held all his money and credit cards, making sure that he didn't have the means to run away. With what money he had secretly stashed away, he had managed to call Matt. Crying helplessly, he told Matt of his predicament, who made the arrangements for him to fly back. He was there to gather him into his protective arms when the plane touched down. It took three months before Jeff dared to venture outside their home. He was afraid that Scott would be lying in wait to take him back. Matt eventually coaxed him to reveal what Scott did to him and wanted to press charges but Jeff pleaded with him to let it go. He didn't want his dark secrets to become public knowledge. Matt had reluctantly agreed but was uncertain if Scott would contain his secrets. He was right. It looked like Scott wasn't done with him yet.

Jeff got up quietly to his feet. He walked into the bathroom and looked into the haunted eyes of his own reflection in the mirror. He couldn't escape his past. He was foolish to think that love was tolerant and forgiving, that it could surpass all obstacles.

"He can't love me now, not after what he had just learned. No one will ever see me the same way again!" He bowed his head in shame. "I've never given Matt a moment of peace. Even now, he is still fighting my battles for me. This has to stop. I don't want to burden him with my problems anymore."

Coming to a decision, Jeff opened the cabinet and took out the bottle of sleeping pills. They were prescribed by his doctor to help him sleep when he was under stress. There were some thirty pills left. Filling a glass of water, he brought the bottle of pills out to the bedroom and sat on the bed. Placing the items on the table, he took the note pad and started scribbling a farewell note to his brother.

My dearest brother, Matty,

Please forgive me for what I'm about to do. I'm so sorry to disappoint you and Daddy by leaving this way. There are so many things I want to say but I'll just be brief.

God knows the mistakes I've made in my life. They were caused by my own hands and I've never expected you to shoulder the burden for me. It is mine to bear alone, not yours, nor Daddy's. Please don't feel that you've failed me for you haven't. I'm the one who is the failure. I've failed miserably as a brother and as a son. I hope you'll find it in your hearts to forgive me for causing all of you so much pain and grief.

Please tell Daddy that I love him. I wish I had been a better son to him and I regret that I won't be around to take care of him in his old age. You know that I love you too, Matty. I've never told you this before but you have been my pillar of strength since Mom died. I always look up to you! Thank you for taking care of me all these years. You are the best brother anyone could ever ask for! Please take care of Daddy and yourself too.

I need you to do me a last favor. Please tell Randy that I understand how he feels and I really do not blame him. I'm really glad I had the chance of knowing him, albeit for a short while. He makes me feel whole again and for that, I'm really grateful.

That's all I have to say. I've to go now. May the Lord watch over you and keep you safe. I love you all.

Your loving brother,

Jeffrey

He glanced at what he wrote before leaving the note on the table. Popping the bottle open, he poured the pills onto his palm and one by one, fed them into his mouth and downed them with sips of water from his glass. He finally swallowed all the thirty pills before opening his duffel bag to pull out his comfort toy. He curled up on the bed and hugged cookie monster tightly to him. "Please stay with me to the very end, Cookie. I don't want to be alone." He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him. Soon, he found himself drifting into the darkness.

~*~

"Are you alright?" Matt asked as they entered the hotel and made their way towards the lifts. Randy had been quiet since they left the brawling scene. Except for some scrapes and bruises, none of them were really hurt. But the same couldn't be said for Scott and his two friends. Matt and his friends had pummeled them to the ground and left before the police turned up.

Randy stopped and turned to Matt, his face a mixture of conflicting emotions. "What do you think? Should I be after what I've just heard?"

Matt let out a deep sigh and said, "Before you pass judgment, just listen to what I have to say first. Lets talk over there," and he led Randy to the sitting area in the lobby. The others left them alone and headed back to their rooms.

After they had settled on the couch, Matt said, "First and foremost, I need to make it clear that you shouldn't believe everything Scott said. Jeff would never willingly submit himself to that kind of abuse. He was coerced into it. If anyone is to be blamed for his predicament, it's me. He is my responsibility and I've failed him all those times he needed me."

He paused to gather his thoughts before speaking in a voice filled with emotion, "I've been taking care of Jeff since he was nine. It was really hard back then. Both us were so young. Dad took two jobs to support us and wasn't home much. So, I had to be father, mother and brother, all rolled into one. Jeff depended on me to take care of his needs. As we grew up, I failed to recognize that he didn't know where to start when it came to looking after himself. I made a big mistake by leaving him to cope by himself at the most crucial point when he really needed me. I wasn't there, so he turned to Scott for that support. Things went downhill from then onwards. I had no idea that he was on drugs until the company released him. When I questioned him, he said he was only experimenting. He didn't look like he was addicted to it so I left it at that. After all, almost everyone is doing coke or something or other in the locker room in those days. A few weeks after his release, Jeff told me that he was going to go up to Detroit and stay with Scott for a while, just to get a feel of living on his own, he said. I thought it would be a good experience for him. He called home time to time and sounded cheerful. But, when he signed up with TNA, the calls stopped suddenly. I thought he was busy with his schedules and all that. But after several months and no news from him, I tried calling him but he didn't answer. At that time, I was facing some personal issues myself. It was no excuse for neglecting my duty as a big brother but I actually thought Jeff was doing well on his own. It never dawned on me that he was held captive and abused by the very same man whom he had placed his trust in."

Letting out a slow heavy sigh, Matt continued. "You and Jeff have just met and you hardly know each other. It takes time to know a person and I really don't know if what the both of you have shared is enough to overcome this obstacle. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not asking you to stay with him, if you really don't want to. I just want you to understand the whole situation before you come to a decision. If you haven't noticed, Jeff is a trusting soul, he's gullible. He's loyal to his friends and loved ones and that makes him vulnerable. Scott took advantage of those qualities. He used their bond to hold him and made him a victim of his fiendish acts. Jeff finally had enough and managed to escape his clutches but Scott had done irreparable damage. He is hesitant to trust anyone since it backfired on him."

There was a moment of silence before Matt spoke in a gravely quiet tone, "You do know that if you turn your back on him now without giving him a chance to explain himself, you would have proven to him that he was right not to trust anyone. He would perceive that you held a low opinion of him and that is going to crush him! I think I've said enough. I'll leave it to you to decide what you want to do. I'm going up to check on Jeff, see if he's alright." Matt got to his feet while Randy remained seated in deep thought.

As Matt was making his way towards the lift, the lift doors opened and Adam rushed out, a frantic look on his face. He was carrying Jeff in his arms.

"Jeff! What the hell did you do to him, Copeland?" Matt shouted his anger as he sought to remove Jeff from Adam's arms. On hearing Jeff's name, Randy looked up and gasped at the sight. Quickly getting to his feet, he ran towards them. "Oh God! What happened to him?"

But, Adam was too busy engaged in a tug of war with Matt to respond. Finally, Adam snapped and shouted his fury, "Damn you, Matt! I'm trying to get him to the hospital! I found him in his room with an empty bottle of sleeping pills beside him!"

Matt froze and turned ashen. Randy quickly stepped in and took charge. "Bring him to the front while I drive the car around! Come on, move it!" Matt came to life and led the way out with Randy, while Adam followed them from behind with Jeff. All wore grim looks on their faces.

Randy drove like a madman. Matt sat at the back, holding his brother close. He wept silent tears as he brushed the locks away from Jeff's face and whispered a prayer, "Dear God, please don't take him away, not like this!" He choked back his sobs as his emotions overwhelmed him. Adam glanced at them from the rear view mirror and urged Randy to step on it.

Soon, they arrived at the emergency entrance and Adam was the first one out of the car. Opening the back door, he looked over at Matt who reluctantly relinquished his hold and allowed him to take Jeff from him. They dashed into the building, shouting for assistance. A doctor and some nurses hurried towards them and Adam told them about the sleeping pills. Jeff was immediately taken to the emergency room.

The three men waited anxiously outside. Matt finally composed himself to ask Adam quietly, "What happened?"

"I'm just about to ask you the same thing," Adam said. "I went for a walk about half an hour after you guys left. I heard tires screeching and saw that Jeff was almost knocked down by a car. I went to his aid and that was when I saw you guys brawling nearby outside a club. Jeff was upset so I brought him back to the hotel. I was with him when you called him on the phone earlier. He was in tears and didn't want to tell me what was wrong. Finally, he asked me to take Randy's bag to him and I left soon after. But, I was really worried about him and decided to check on him. When I knocked, he didn't answer. I had the instinct that something was wrong and so, I broke my way in and found him unconscious on the bed with an empty bottle beside him. I rushed down with him and that was when I met you guys," Adam gave them a brief rundown of what he knew.

"Fuck! This is my fault!" Randy spoke in a vexed tone. "I should have gone after him and stayed with him, then, this wouldn't have happened!"

"It's too late for regrets," Matt spoke quietly and then his face suddenly contorted with fury, "I swear that if Jeff doesn't make it, I'm going to make that son of a bitch pay for what he did!"

Adam looked at both of them with some uncertainty. "I assume you're referring to Scott Levy? I saw you guys beating him up outside the club but what has he got to do with this?" he finally asked.

Randy took a deep breath and letting it out slowly, revealed the truth to him. "We were beating him up because he told everyone that, while in TNA, Jeff consented to letting the others have their way with him. And … and I wasn't sure whether to believe him and it must have shown because Jeff got upset and ran off." He swallowed hard and turned to Matt and whispered, "I'm really sorry, Matt. I didn't expect Jeff to take it so hard."

Matt leaned the back of his head against the wall and said in a weary tone, "Neither did I. I would have stayed with him if I had known. We can only pray that he survives the suicide attempt. God knows what I'll do if he doesn't!"

Both men were so absorbed in their own thoughts that they didn't see Adam's reaction. His eyes were fuelled with murderous rage at the knowledge that Scott was, once again, responsible for causing Jeff's predicament. He swore quietly to himself that he was going to pay Scott a visit and take care of him himself. No one got away with hurting Jeff, not if he had anything to say about it!

Jeff's feelings of despair are aptly described in this music track, "Tonight I Wanna Cry" by Keith Urban. When I listen to this song, I can feel his loneliness and pain as he drifted off to an eternal sleep.

Reviews are greatly appreciated.