"FAUST 1997" --Ghosts of the Past Part Two -- 9809.03 by Nytshaed. ©1998 Chaotic Works Inc. No part of the manuscript may be published, posted or reposted without explicit written permission by the Author. This story is of an Adult nature and is intended for persons over the age of 18.

"Ooof! You need to lose some weight love." Nyt grunted.

"Huh! I've already lost 15 pounds since joining this band and working out."

Nyt crawled out from under him, and slowly getting to her feet, looked around as she saw the odd lighting and the music playing.

"Queen? I haven't heard this in years..." She said walking to the rear of the bus. "AJ? You still up?" She called out. Not getting an answer, she went over to the light controls and turned the lights up a bit. Rik flopped down on one of the couches, and groaned.

"Damn. I hate breaking in new boots." He grumbled, kicking off the $1000.00 custom made Tony Lamas. Nyt walked to the back of the bus, and found the rummaging mess left behind by AJ.

"Rik? Come here and look at this. Someone's been into your stuff."

"What?!" Rik yelled and got up, storming to the back of the bus. He looked at the ransacked locker and swore as he picked things up, putting them away and taking inventory as he did so.

Swan woke from a deep slumber as a tearing pain ripped though his whole being. Sitting up and grabbing his glasses from the night stand, he tried to orient himself, and all at once felt sickened to his very core. He looked at the clock, it was nearly six in the morning. Something was wrong, very wrong. He sat there for several moments, unsure what had happened or was happening. Suddenly the pain and fear focused in his mind. AJ. Reaching over to his night stand he picked up the phone and placed a call.

"Anything missing?"

Rik fumed and didn't answer her.

Nyt shrugged and went farther back into the bus. She checked the bunks and found Jackie's empty, and then knocked softly on AJ's door.

"AJ?" You up?" She called out. After again getting no answer, she timidly tried the door. It opened at her touch, highly usual, and she cautiously peered inside. She wrinkled her nose as inhaled the stale air. It smelled of incense, sweat and stale sex. "Yuck." She muttered, waving her hand in front of her face. "AJ?"

Rik finished putting everything back in place and after going over everything, he shut the locker door. Hearing this and after not seeing AJ in his bed, Nyt turned to him.

"Anything missing?" She asked again.

"I don't think so...." He said voice trailing off as he suddenly stopped in mid sentence and touched his hand to his throat, it was devoid of any jewelry.

"My cross. My fucking Celtic Cross you gave me!!" He yelled. "Fucking bastard."

Nyt laughed.

"What would HE want with a cross for God's sake?"

"I don't know!! Why does he need anything? Why does he do anything that he does? Who the fuck knows?" He ranted.

Nyt placed her hands on his chest and tried to calm him.

"We will find it Rik, I promise. He, or the cross couldn't have gone far."

Rik brushed her aside, and turned for the front part of the bus. Feeling nature's call, he stopped at the bathroom and stepped inside. Flipping on the main light he had his jeans unbuttoned and dick halfway out of his pants when a glance over to his left revealed a gory site.

"Holy shit!!" he yelled, quickly back pedaling out of the bathroom, and colliding with Nyt as he did so.

"What?" She growled, quickly losing patience with him.

She looked at Rik's white face as he fell back onto the couch, and pointed to the bathroom with a shaky finger. Nyt turned and looked inside, and screamed at what she saw.

Just then the Red Phone on the wall began to ring.

"AJ!!!" She screamed as she covered her mouth with her hand and stared in disbelief at what she saw. AJ was slumped down in the bathtub, it was half full with reddened water. His chin rested on his chest, his long black hair obscuring his face, and she could see Rik's cross hanging around his neck. Blood was smeared all over the edge of the tub near her, and his right hand hung limply outside the tub, covered in clotting blood. She tried to scream again but this time it caught in her throat.

The Phone Rang, unanswered.

Shaking, she reached for his wrist, and pressed her fingers to it, checking for a pulse. She felt movement but wasn't sure if it was her own pounding pulse or his. Quickly she turned to Rik.

"Call 911!! NOW!!"

Rik nodded blankly and grabbed the nearest phone, the Red Phone. He picked it up not even noticing this stilled the ringing and placed the phone to his ear. There was no dial tone.

"Rik." Came a stern male voice. "Swan here, what's happened to AJ?"

Rik blinked, trying to grasp hold of what was happening, nothing was making sense.

"Swan? How did you?.."

"Shut up you idiot!! What has happened to AJ.?!" Swan growled into the phone wrapping his own will around the weaker unshielded mind.

"He uh... Jesus.. He's cut his wrists or something. He's in the tub and oh fuck! There's blood everywhere! Nyt and I just found him."

"Where the hell is Jackie?"

"He uh... I dunno, it's his night off."

"Fuck!!" Swan swore, Rik shuddered with the intensity of his anger, since his mind was still locked on his.

"Call an ambulance, NOW."

"Right." Rik nodded.

"What is Nyt doing? Is she there?"

"Uh yeah... She's in there with him. Nyt!! It's Swan!!"

Nyt ignored him as she frantically tried to find a pulse then gave up doing that and began tearing up towels to bind his wounds with.

"Call her again you idiot!" Swan hissed.

"NYT!"

"What?!" She sobbed in reply, as she tried to apply pressure to AJ's wounds with the strips of towel.

"It's Swan."

"Will you get off the fucking phone with him and call 911 already?!"

Rik nodded and slammed the phone down, then picked it up again and dialed 911.

"No no... You are not going out like this AJ.... You will NOT die in my bus asshole... Not tonight..." She muttered as she wrapped towels over his arms then bound them tightly into place with ace bandages she had found under the sink. Rik, having reached 911 explained the situation to them, and assistance was dispatched.

Swan looked up at the blackened video monitor and turned it on with the remote sitting on his night stand. Flipping through various channels, he at last stopped at the live feed from the FAUST tour bus. The camera position from over the driver's seat looking towards the the back of the bus told him very little. He could see Rik leaning into the bathroom door, watching whatever was going on in there, talking on the phone. Changing channels again he arrived at the camera hidden in the tile of the shower. Hardened against all horrors as he was, he gasped at what he saw. AJ, his beloved star was slumped over in the tub of his bus, bathing in his own blood. He watched, powerless to do anything as Nyt finished tying makeshift bandages around his slashed forearms, and then grabbing him under the armpits, dragged him out of the tub and laid him out on the floor of the tour bus. Fumbling with the remote, he switched cameras again, and watched as Nyt dragged him to the front of the bus and Rik helped her to lift him to the couch. He saw Nyt order Rik to do something, and he left for the back of the bus. She then again checked him for a pulse, putting her head on his chest to listen.

"Dammit." Swan swore. Only the camera in the sleeping quarters of the bus had microphones, so he watched the drama play out in silent black and white.

Rik returned from the back of the bus with a blanket which he covered AJ with as he continued to talk on the phone, presumably to emergency services. He was touched by the way she seemed genuinely concerned for his well being. Tending to him with almost a lover's touch. He would have to find a way to reward her, if he survived. Reaching over to his intercom he pressed a black button.

"Prepare the jet, we are leaving for Atlanta, NOW." Rising from his bed, his eyes never left the screen for more than a second or two as he got dressed.

After covering AJ, Nyt then lifted his arms up and placed as many pillows under them as she could, lifting them above his heart to slow the blood flow. Swan was transfixed as he watched her. If anyone could save his most prized possession, it would be this young girl. Again she returned to checking his vitals, and then he saw a look of relief wash over her face as she turned to yell to Rik. She patted AJ's chest as she called to him.

"I found a pulse!" She said as he read her lips easily. Breathing a measured sigh of relief, Swan quickly dressed and left to join the waiting car. If only he wasn't too late.

Rik sat on the couch opposite the one where Nyt was tending to AJ and relayed the information to the operator on the other end.

"Yeah, she said she found a pulse, and she's raised his arms up. Yeah... on pillows. OK we will. We will. Bye." He said getting up to hang the phone back up. "They should be here soon."

Nyt nodded, and again laid her head on AJ's chest. She gently stroked his chest with her hand and talked softly to him.

"AJ... You mean thing. Don't do this... Don't leave us... Whatever it is... Talk to me... I will listen... Just come back to us... Don't go." She pleaded, surprised at the emotions stirring in her as tears filled her eyes.

Rik watched, filled with his own turmoil of emotions. Trying to put aside childish jealousy, he went to the front of the bus, and unlocked the door, then opened it and stepped outside to flag done the help when it arrived.

Nyt watched him go, and continued talking to AJ.

"Help's on it's way AJ... You're gonna be fine. Just fine." She said as she rubbed her hand over his heart, coaxing him to hang on.

Suddenly, he moaned. Nyt raised her head to look at him and for just a second his eyes opened. They were devoid of their usual sparkle and mystery. They looked hollow, empty. Slowly he opened his mouth, to speak. Finding it difficult to do so, he paused, catching a labored breath.

"Let me die." He whispered, eyes fluttering shut.

"No!! You will NOT die!! Not on my bus you bastard!" She yelled at him. Her tone caused him to open his eyes slowly again.

"Why not?" He sighed.

"Because I care about you, you mean son of a bitch! I think you are worth saving." She sobbed, then pressed her lips to his in a rash moment of impulse.

Too weak to resist, and not that he would, AJ softly returned the kiss. Nyt moved her mouth from his only when she heard the bus door open and Rik rushed in with the paramedics. Stunned at what had happened, she touched the fingers of her right hand to her lips, and stood up, backing away from him as the EMTs rushed to tend to him. Judging her to be in shock, Rik embraced her and walked her to the far couch and sat her down. There was nothing else to do but watch, and wait.

The activity around the buses, both inside and outside escalated as the minutes wore on. Roger was woken up and advised of the situation by Swan, and he made sure the crew and the rest of the band were sequestered on their buses. Jackie was still not to be found and since he was not due to be on duty for another three hours, he most likely would not show up until that time given his moods as of late. After changing buses, so AJ's bus could be sealed as a possible crime scene Rik tossed his duffel bag into an empty bunk and yawned. It had been a long night, and he was bushed. Nyt agreed, and while the rest of the crew and band were up mulling over the torrid details, Rik's stripped down, and crawled into a bunk to get some sleep. Nyt had just started to take off her dress, when Roger appeared behind her.

"Keep yer shirt on, they're getting ready to move him to the ER and Swan wants you to go with him."

"Huh?" Nyt replied slowly, physically and emotionally drained.

"Say WHAT?" Rik growled.

"He wants you to go and keep an eye on his since Jackie is a no show. Come on." He said taking her by the arm, and leading her out of the bus.

"Nyt!" Rik called after her.

Nyt looked over her shoulder at him, and shrugged as she was escorted outside.

"Fuck!!" Rik yelled and flopped down on his back alone in the large bunk, and angrily pulled the curtains shut.

Sitting in the Ambulance, Nyt watched as the EMTs worked on AJ as they rushed to the hospital only minutes away. He looked terrible, so pale and weak, but they had been able to slow the hemorrhaging, and had two different IV's going into him to rehydrate him and to keep his veins from collapsing from the loss of blood. An oxygen mask was over his face helping him breathe, and his arms were tightly bound with white gauze and tape. Looking at him trussed up so made her feel sick to her stomach and she looked away. She had never had much of a warm spot for him until this evening. She could only wonder what sort of pain had driven him to do this to himself. She supposed all the fame, riches and high life must be a pretty stressful thing to have to deal with. When they arrived at the hospital, she was ushered out of the ambulance, and into an exam room where a trauma team was waiting for him. She noticed the pair of Death Records Guards that had obviously followed in one of the cars as they stood guard outside the room. After AJ had been moved from the gurney to the table, more IV's were added, and they started giving him whole blood to replace the large amounts he had lost. Wrapping her arms around herself as she sat in the frightfully uncomfortable chair, she watched as they fought to save the life he had tried to throw away.

Hours later, his slashed veins sewn and cauterized shut and his skin fused back together with special surgical tape that eliminated the need for scar causing stitches, he slept, heavily sedated. Nyt sat patiently by his bedside holding his hand until she fell asleep.

Later that day, Swan entered the room silently and saw Nyt as she slept. Her hands folded under her head as she leaned on the side of AJ's bed from her chair. AJ's left hand was clasped under hers, and IV's were dripping into his lesser damaged right arm. Swan smiled. Plans were already formulating in his head, but those would have to wait for AJ's inevitable slow recovery from this. He had severed more than flesh with his little stunt, the consequences of which were just now beginning to be felt.

***

"Do you have any idea what you've done?! Do you know what this means?!" Swan snarled angrily the next day as AJ sat up in the hospital bed. He looked at Swan with an empty stare and did not reply. Swan reached into his briefcase and tossed a volumous stack of paper bound with a black cord at the top onto AJ's groin. AJ winced when it landed, staring at it distastefully.

"It's useless now. Do you realize that?! YOU are useless to me. Less than that in fact." He sneered.

AJ cleared his throat, but did not answer. Swan looked from him to the contract on the bed, and with a wave of his hand the pages magically flipped until a specific page was reached. AJ glanced at it while Swan recited the paragraph in the middle of the page aloud.

"Should AJ himself, ever seek to harm himself in an intentional way that could be fatal, or cause death or dismemberment, keeping him performing his stated duties to Swan, weather he succeeds in this attempt or not is inconsequential, this Contract shall become Null and Void immediately."

Swan snapped his fingers, and in a flash of unnatural blue flame, the stack of paper went up in smoke and vanished without a trace. AJ closed his eyes, keeping then shut for a long time, still remaining silent.

"How does it feel to be mortal again?" Swan hissed in AJ's left ear. "You... are... NOTHING!" He spat then turned and left the room. AJ sat there motionless, too shocked to move. He had never considered the consequences of failing. That had not been an option. If Swan did not return with an offer, he was out, own his own. After all he had done, and been through, without the golden road under his feet to walk on, the future was a very scary place to be. He wasn't sure how long he sat there lost in his dark thoughts until he saw the room to his door open. Looking up he saw Nyt. She smiled shyly at him, and hovered at the door. She was waiting for an invite in. How quaint. AJ slowly raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you looking for an autograph little girl?" He asked in a hoarse voice, before reaching for a cup of water nearby.

Nyt smiled and stepped into the room.

"I thought I had the wrong room."

"Why is that?" He asked, lavender eyes watching her over the rim of the cup.

"No guards outside." She said coming over to stand beside his bed.

AJ tried to appear nonchalant about that fact.

"Really? Well, not much of a threat to life and limb here, unless you count the food." He sneered. Setting the cup aside he reached out and took hold of one of her hands resting on the edge of his bed.

"I'm glad you're here. So far you are the only friendly face I have seen since I woke up in here."

There was a long awkward silence. AJ finding his limitless gift of gab suddenly absent. Instead of speaking, he stared into her eyes for a long time, not saying a word. Nyt returned the gaze, and noticed for the first time, when he looked this deeply at her. She didn't get that chilling, creepy feeling. She squeezed his hand and finally looked away.

"I am glad you're gonna be OK. They said it was close, you arrested in the ER. Scared me half to death. And... well anyway. I just about have Rik calmed down too." She said changing the subject.

"Calmed down?"

"He's pretty bent you took his cross and tried to off yourself with it. I gave it to him as a gift, and now the cops have it."

"I'll try to get it back for him. Tell him I'm sorry."

Nyt looked over at him again.

"I do believe you mean that."

"Indeed I do. I hear I owe you a lot. The kiss of life as it were..." He said quietly.

Nyt blushed at the word "kiss" and looked away from his heavy gaze, remembering her stolen kiss.

She startled when she felt, his soft touch on her chin turning her face to look at him. His eyes sparkled as he smiled at her.

"I remember what you did... I remember what you said..." AJ purred as he slowly drew her closer to him, his eyes never leaving hers.

"You said that you would listen... You said that you cared..." He said softly as she was so very near to him now, and slid his hand along her jaw to softly cradle her face in his hand. Slowly he moved his face closer to hers.

"You called me a mean bastard." He sneered, but continued speaking softly.

Nyt blinked, but was unable to break his gaze.

"You said I was worth saving... So save me..." He said moving his mouth to hers, and covering it in a slow, deep kiss.

Nyt closed her eyes, and lost herself in the soft touch of his lips. She shivered as his hand slid behind her head, pulling her mouth tighter against him as his tongue slipped between her lips to mingle with hers. His kiss and touch was so gentle, it took her by surprise, and swept away any resistance she had banked in case of an aggressive assault, which is how she always pictured it would be with him.

The late afternoon shift change was obviously the right time to do wrong in the hospital. As Nyt straddled AJ's lap, he reclining against the raised head of his bed, his hands framed her face as the slow, deep kisses went on. Naked under the thin hospital sheets, she could feel the hard heat of him building beneath her. Breaking the kiss she turned away from him, and as she did so, AJ placed a trail of kisses down her neck to her collar bone. Pulling her tee shirt down off of her shoulder, he nipped at the bare flesh, eliciting soft sighs from her. AJ reached a hand around to her back and slid it up under her shirt, stroking her smooth skin, then crushing her tighter to him. Hungrily his mouth again sought hers, and this time, she returned the kiss with equal fire. Her hands slid gently under the flimsy gown and around his waist. Limited in movement by his injuries and the equipment he was hooked up to, AJ cradled her as best he could, then broke the kiss once again, and stared deep into her eyes.

"I'm here if you want me. Like I know you have..." He whispered in a husky voice as he leaned over to douse the lights in the private room. Nyt answered silently by stripping off her shirt, and dropping it to the floor. AJ leaned forward, covering a nipple with his mouth and sucked at it, urging it to arousal while his hands slid to the front of her jeans to unbutton them. Nyt moaned, and wrapped her arms behind his head, holding him to her, then rising off of him onto her knees as he peeled her jeans and underwear downward. AJ let loose of her nipple with a final nip of his teeth, as she rose to quickly discard the last of her clothing. When she returned to his embrace to straddle him once more, the gown and sheet had been pushed aside, and his cock stood ready. AJ's hands slid to her hips and guided her as she slid down over him. AJ moaned behind the deep kiss and rocked his hips beneath her as he pulled her down onto him. Burying himself tightly in her. Nyt gasped, his size and angle of penetration, forcing cries with each of his movements in her. Urging her into a rhythm with his hands, Nyt took over the motion, and using her thighs for leverage, lifted herself up and down his length, AJ sighed contentedly, feeling her move her body up and down him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her until the pain from the damage he had caused, made him ease. Raking his hands down her sides, he kissed her hungrily, as she continued to ride him. Wanting more, he moved his hands back to her hips suddenly pulling her down hard to take all of him deeper inside of her. She spread her legs farther, feeling his hardness pound savagely inside of her, making her ache with each thrust of his hips. Nyt moaned his name near his ear as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and pumped her hips against his.

"I know.. I know..." He purred, feeling her tight slot glide up and down him. Short of breath and stamina he let her do the work, and listened to her moans as he filled her with each stroke. He had never heard her moan like this when Rik fucked her, and he smiled. Feeling himself already nearing a climax, he gripped her hips tighter and drove himself painfully deep into her. Nyt shifted, trying to ease the depth of his stabbing penetrations, but he held her fast, making her feel his size with each thrust. Suddenly she gasped aloud again, and he felt her tremble, and thrust her hips against him in several short spasmed movements. Her pussy tightened around his throbbing cock as her orgasm washed over her, and she clutched tightly to him.

"AJ... Oh AJ... Mm...." She cried out as she came, digging her nails into his back. He was not far behind in his passions and griping her hips for a final deep thrust, he pumped himself deep inside of her, filling her with his juices.

"Oh yes... yes... fuck me... fuck me...." He grunted as he felt himself spill into her, until lightheaded and weakened he fell back against the head of his bed panting. Nyt leaned against him, burying her face in his hair, and inhaling his delicious scent. Gently he wrapped his arms around her back and hugged her to him.

"That's what I call Heath Care..." He whispered.

Nothing else was said, and only a short soft kiss was shared as she collected her clothing and left the room in a silence more awkward than the one that had been there when she entered.

AJ watched her go, and after she had, pressed the nurse call button to request more pain killers. A nice fast fuck, some nice drugs and he would be ready to nod off for the night.

Copyright 9809.03 Chaotic Works Inc. All rights reserved. No parts may be reproduced, forwarded or reposted without written explicit permission from the Author.

Smiling to himself he walked down the street, and looked around at the city surrounding him, it had changed quite a bit since he had last tread upon these streets.

Later that day, he sat in a cafe, nursing an RC cola and piece of peach pie. The novelty of being on his own was starting to wear thin, and the fact that he only had two hundred dollars on to his name, and no more of the limitless credit cards at his disposal made him realize he would have to greatly alter his style of living. Unless, he could find a way of maintaining his exquisite tastes, or having someone maintain him. Fighting and fucking were two talent he had before Swan, and now he had more experience at both having been trained, and bedded by the best in the world. He knew he would do alright.