Title: The Liberator

Part 6

Author: Angel Eterno

Rating: NC-17 - slash

Content: Slash, Romance, Abuse

Part 7

In a clouded daze Rob Van Dam unlocked the door. He had barely opened it a crack when it was pushed violently aside, admitting a dishevelled and wide-eyed Christian who virtually fell inside.

"Door - lock ....." he gasped before collapsing on the bed.

A speechless Rob turned back to the door, locking it securely before returning his concentration to his unexpected visitor.

"Christian ...."

Christian raised his tear-streaked face, barely visible through the long blond hair tangling untidily around it.

"You said if I needed you ... if I needed to talk ... oh god I'm sorry! I shouldn't come here in the middle of the night - wake you up ... I'll go ..."

Wretchedly he jumped up and made for the door. Rob put out his hands and led him firmly back to the bed.

"And where would you go?"

Christian's whole demeanour collapsed as his body visibly sank in utter dejection.

"I haven't got anywhere else to go ..." he whispered.

Rob sat beside him. He could barely believe he had the most gorgeous man of his dreams here in his room, sat on his bed. He wanted nothing more than to enfold his body in his arms, hold him tight and never let him go. But he didn't - remembering his previous encounter with the younger Hardy had made him extremely wary of initiating any intimate moves on anyone - however much they seemed to need it. Christian would have to be the one to make the first move, but now wouldn't be the right time. Instead he reached out, taking one of the blonde's hands in his.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" he kept his voice soft and gentle. "It's Edge, isn't it?"

Christian nodded dumbly, unable to speak. The hair was still tousled around his face. Hair hanging round his own face always irritated Rob, who kept his tied neatly back. So it was with concern that he reached out to lift some of the golden tresses aside to reveal Christian's face. He gasped his horror at the sight before him. Compassion and engulfed him as with a gentle finger he stroked the largest of the newly-forming bruises. Christian flinched at the touch.

"What the fuck has he done to you? And why?"

Christian shrugged and turned away.

"Why did he do it?" Rob insisted.

Keeping his back to him, Christian's reply was so soft Rob had to strain to hear it.

"Because he saw me talking to you."

"Talking to you?" incredulously.

"And you - you - touched me. You put your arm round my shoulders just before you left walked off."

Rob couldn't believe his ears - he would almost have burst out laughing at the ludicrousness of the situation if it wasn't so serious. He flung his arms out in an 'I give up' manner.

"You are kidding, right?" as he said the words, Rob realized Christian wasn't kidding at all.

Christian made no reply, just continued to stand there keeping his back to the other man. Rob walked over to him, turning him round slowly to face him.

"But this can't go on - he can't be allowed to get away with this. Christian - have you looked at yourself in the mirror?" his tone held an enforced evenness.

"I know what I'll look like ..." Christian started

".... because it's happened before ..." Rob finished in a whisper. "Christian - why do you stay with him?"

"I've been with him forever - we grew up together - went to school together - trained together. We've hardly ever been apart ... it's always been the same. If I left him he would never forgive me ... he hates me even looking at anyone else."

"You mean this has been going on for all these years?" incredulously.

Christian nodded sadly.

"It can't change now ..."

Rob squeezed Christian's shoulder encouragingly.

"It CAN change - life can be different if you want it to be - just let the past go. Break away from it ... let HIM go ..."

"But he can't - he can't let me go ...."

"And you can't go on like this - with him abusing you whenever he feels like it - it's not normal, Christian."

Quick as a cat Christian leapt up, an abrupt change of mood and fire in his eyes

"Well it's normal for us!" he snapped, gesticulating wildly. "If all you're gonna do is try to persuade me otherwise, I might as well just go now!"

Rob's head was starting to ache.

"I thought you just said you have nowhere else to go ..." he tried to stay calm and reason with him.

"I'll find somewhere!"

"What? In the middle of the night? You do realize it's 3 o'clock in the morning ..."

"I don't care - I know when I'm not wanted! All that shit about offering help if I needed it - that's all it was, wasn't it? Just a load of shit!" Christian's voice had started to rise as he flung his hair back in frustration.

"You're wrong - I did mean it ..."

"No you didn't! You're just like all the rest - nobody gives a fuck about me!" Christian spun round and knocked the table lamp crashing to the floor, shattering the glass shade.

Rob felt he couldn't take any more of this, the whole situation was doing his head in. Exasperated, he flung his arms wide in defeat.

"Go then!!" he fixated his eyes on Christian challengingly before continuing in an enforced even tone. "But understand this: Edge isn't just fucking up your face and body - he's fucking up your mind too. You came to me - I try to reason with you and you just won't listen - I don't think you even want to be helped. In fact - do you know what I think? I think you really enjoy it - and especially all the fuss and attention. So why don't you just get the fuck out that door and go back to him?"

To accentuate his point he marched over to the door, unlocked it and flung it open, gesturing to the dumbstruck blonde who was gawping at him open-mouthed.

"Well what the fuck are you waiting for? For God's sake just go!"

End Part 6