I Will Never Be the Same

By Gabs

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, don't own the WWE, don't own the song. Basically, don't sue me, cuz I do bite.

*So you walked with me for a while
Bared your naked soul
And you told me of your plan
How you would never let them know
In the morning of the night
You cried a long lost child
And I tried oh I tried to hold you
But you were young
And you were wild*

Jeff looked around his room. It looked so empty now. Not because it actually was, but because it no longer felt like home. He had talked to Matt and their father, his family. He had talked to Shane and Shannon, his best friends. And he had asked Trish to go with him. She was the one constant in his life, and he loved her more than anything. Glancing at the empty street through his window, Jeff held back the tears. He had seen no sign of her or her white Dodge Stratus since he had talked to her yesterday. Jeff sighed and headed for his garage.

Kneeling next to his motorcycle, he smiled. "I'll miss you, you have no idea how much. But Shannon's going to take care of you, and Matt promised not to let him hurt you. I'll be back sometime, I promise. Patting the seat affectionately, Jeff stood. Hearing a car pull up outside, he quickly opened the garage door. His excitement grew as he saw the tail end of a white car. Moments later, a face appeared. "Saying goodbye?" Jeff nodded in disappointment as Matt came all the way into the garage. "What's wrong?" the elder Hardy asked, noticing the sadness in his brother's eyes. Jeff looked up at him. "I asked Trish to go with me," he said evenly. Matt stared at him for a moment. "You really do love her, don't you?" Jeff nodded miserably. "I'm sorry bro." Jeff sighed. "For what?" Matt sat next to him. "For not accepting that fact before. For making things so hard for you two. And… I'm sorry that she didn't show up." Jeff shrugged. "I had to take the chance. I knew there was a possibility that she wouldn't love me as much as I do her, and that she wouldn't want to come. But if she did love me enough, and I never even gave her that choice…" Matt nodded. "I understand." Jeff picked up one of his bags, and Matt grabbed the other. They walked out to Jeff's Corvette, tossing the bags into the back. "Call soon," Matt said. "I will. I love you bro. Tell Amy I said bye, and that I'll bring her something… maybe a hat from New Orleans…" Matt nodded, feeling confused but knowing there was a reason for his brothers statement. They hugged quickly and Jeff got in. "Later." The door was shut, the engine started, and the car backed into the street. With one last wave, Jeff disappeared.

*But I, I will never be the same
Oh I, I will never be the same
Caught in your eyes
Lost in your name
I will never be the same*

Matt stood in the driveway for another moment before pulling the garage closed and walking into his brothers house. Just as he started up the stairs, he heard a car pull up outside. "What did you forget Jeff?" he asked himself, walking back to the door. Before he could grab the handle, the door flew open, narrowly missing his face. Matt stumbled back. When he recovered, he looked up to see a frantic Trish. "He's gone," she stated. Matt nodded, starting to feel angry at the woman who had broken his brother's heart. "He waited for you. He left here not five minutes ago." He was more than a little surprised when she leaned against the door and slowly slid to the ground. After a moment of eerie silence, Trish burst into tears. Matt stared at her for a moment, not sure what to make of the display. "What happened?" he finally asked softly. "My car broke down on the way here. I had to call my mom to come get me. It took her a long time- she doesn't live all that close- and I tried to call Jeff, let him know I was on the way, but there was no answer." Matt reached a hand down. "Try again. He's got his cell phone." Trish stared at him for a moment before taking his hand, getting up, and running outside. She soon returned. "No answer." Matt looked at her sympathetically. Trish put her head in her hands. "I screwed up. Royally. I just lost the best thing in my life."

*Secrets of your life
I never wanted for myself
But you guarded them like a lie
Placed up on the highest shelf
In the morning of the night
When I woke to find you gone
I knew your distant devil
Must be draggin' you on*

Matt suddenly grabbed her arm and started pulling her outside. "Let's go, we might be able to catch him." Trish grabbed the door, shutting it as they ran to Matt's car. She waved to her mom and a moment later they were flying down the street. "Can you catch him?" Trish asked. "I don't know," Matt replied. "You know how fast he drives." After 15 minutes of driving around Cameron, Matt slammed on the brakes on a side street. "Damn it! Trish… I'm so sorry." She stared at a mountain in the distance. "You tried," she whispered.

Later that night, she sat next to a Cameron city limit sign. The brothers had once posed for a picture there. Knowing that good memories of Jeff were all she had left, Trish leaned against the sign. She thought back to the things he had told her when asking her to go with him. "Glasses in Texas… Barbara in Nashville… hat in New Orleans… Barbara! Maybe Matt knows her!" Excited by her renewed hope, Trish called Matt. "Do you know Barbara in Nashville?" she asked as soon as he picked up. "Trish? What? Who's Barbara?" She pounded the sign. "I don't know! Jeff mentioned her as a destination!" She clenched her fist around her cell phone, waiting for the answer. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who that is…" Matt finally said. Trish slid to the ground. "It's ok," she whispered, hanging up. "That was just my last hope."

*And you swore that you were bound for glory
And for wanting you had no shame
But I loved you
And then I lost you
And I will never be the same*

Well, what about this one? Leave it there or what?