Title: Forever
Part 18
Author: SlasheR
Rating: NC-17
Warnings(in no particular order): M/M, Rape, Graphic Sex, Violence, BDSM,Angst
Characters: Matt Hardy, Christian, Gangrel, Edge, and Jeff Hardy Disclaimer: I don't own any of these wrestlers, and none of this ever happened. I'm sure that in real life, Gangrel is very nice.

Part 19

Why are you so mad at me, Shane?"

"Why do you think? I know Gangrel didn't request to change the format of the Brood. You went to his room, and you convinced him, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but--"

"But nothing, Matt! You promised me you weren't gonna do anything stupid!!! Gangrel is a sick, sadistic son-of-a-bitch, and I don't want to see you get hurt. You mean too much to too many people to get hurt--you mean too much to ME, Matt."

There were tears running down his cheeks again, but Shane didn't acknowledge them, keeping a stoic face though his voice was cracking. Matt went over to him, crouching on the floor in front of his chair. He reached over and tilted up Shane's face, looking at him questioningly.

"What do you mean? Shane, I thought we knew that the sex wasn't gonna turn into a relationship."

"That's not what I meant, Matt. I love you...like a brother. You mean more to me than the rest of my fucking family...at least you care about my happiness. If you get hurt badly enough, Jeff will have no one, Christian will essentially have no one, and I won't have anyone. And if you get hurt, I have to live with the guilt of giving you the monster's room number, because you lied to me, and I believed you."

"Shane, I--I'm sorry. I have to do this. Christian's suffered enough, and God knows Edge isn't gonna save him...it's up to me, Shane. How guilty do you think I'D feel if one day they found Christian beaten to death in Gangrel's room because I was too scared to help him?"

Shane looked straight at Matt, brown eyes locking with brown.

"Matt, what about Jeff? Everyone here knows how much Jeff loves Michael--why did you have to drag him into this?"

Matt looked away, unable to meet Shane's imploring gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of saying anything, he started to cry. Shane pulled him up, holding Matt in his lap, gently rocking him.

"Matt, shhh...I didn't mean to make you cry, sweetheart...shhh..."

Matt clung to Shane, shaking with sobs.

"Sh-shane?"

"What, sweetie?"

"W-will you l-look out for them..J-jeff and Ch-christ-tian?" He could barely talk, but he needed to ask Shane this. Those two were the most important things in the world to Matt, and Shane was the only one he trusted.

"Of course, Matt."

"Let them stay in your room? Grel's is a real shithole..."

"Of course, I have plenty of room."

"T-thanks, Shane. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"You don't have to, sweetie." Matt curled tighter against Shane, letting his tears subside. Shane rubbed his back, a little amazed. He'd known Matt since before the Hardys came to the WWF, and he'd never seen him cry--never seen him show too much of any emotion, really. Matt had OBS--Older-Brother Syndrome, the idea that showing any kind of weakness will rub off on the younger sibling.

Matt finally stopped crying, grabbing a couple of tissues and wiping the tears from his face. He stood up.

"I'd better get back out there--don't wanna make Gangrel angry."

Shane nodded, taking Matt's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I'll call Christian and have him bring his stuff up to my room. You can send Jeff over anytime. Tell him I got some tapes of the ECW talent. There's a particularly good one of Rob."

"Why do they keep sending you tapes if you can't have any of the talent?"

"He never said we couldn't have them--he just wants us to pay jacked-up prices for them."

Matt nodded. "I'll see you--whenever."

He left, going out to the hall towards his imminent doom.

Gangrel.