Title: Nothing Stays the Same.

Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)

Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Nidia or Dawn Marie - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.

Summary: Change happens all the time in the WWE. In fact, both Jeff and Lita are going through some major changes. But how do they deal with what's happening around them? What are the consequences of their actions?

Rating: PG. It's nice and clean. For now.

TimeLine: Now. Starting from January through to right now - July 2003.

Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.

Feedback: It's what makes me happy! And we all want a happy Cathie, don't we? So go on, send those reviews! It's for a good cause!

Author's Note: You all know by now that I'm creating my own little world now for this fic. Jeff's gone, and Lita's still unable to wrestle.. but not in my world! Well, Jeff's still gone in my world but - Oh, just read the fic! Also, this chapter was quite difficult for me to write. I had a bit of trouble getting it down. Things are getting interesting though, and for those who are complaining about the lack of Jeff - he should be making an appearance next chapter.

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Lita's gaze quickly fled from Matt, as she focused on the floor beneath her feet. It was then that the redhead realised she hadn't looked Matt in the eyes since they had broken up. And that was over three months ago. For over three months she hadn't looked into those deep brown eyes. And now that she had, she realised going another three months without doing it again would be a good idea.

Matt kept his dark eyes focused on Lita as he stood, unmoving, in the door way. Lita's head was still bowed, so she had no real way of knowing that the elder Hardy was still watching her. But somehow, she knew. She could feel him looking at her with confused and curious eyes. She could feel it.

The room stayed silent, as the redheaded diva sat still on the couch, unable to move or speak. Matt kept quiet as well, and it seemed as if neither of the two could find anything more to say to each other.

Torrie soon bounded back over to Matt, and immediately hooked her arm around his waist. "Found my lipstick!" She waved a bright red tube in front of the divas and Matt, and smiled brightly. Realising that the mood in the room had darkened dramatically, the smile slipped off the tall blonde's face. "Is everything okay?"

Matt glanced quickly at his girlfriend, before returning his gaze to Lita. "Um, we uh... well, things are just..."

"Fine." Lita looked up, a glassy appearance taking over her hazel eyes. "Things are just fine, Torrie." She stood from her position on the couch, and moved over to the two standing in the door way. "Matt was just welcoming me to Smackdown."

Torrie's smile slid back onto her lips, and she looked warmly at Lita. "Well, then that goes for me too. It's great to have you here. And I can't wait to get into the ring with you."

Lita gave Torrie a gentle smile in return. "Thanks. I can't wait either." She slowly locked eyes with Matt, the soft, genuine smile still on her face. "You better go get ready for your match."

He nodded, a slightly bewildered expression on his face. "Yeah, you're right. We better get going." As they made their way out into the hallway, Matt turned back to Lita. "Good to see you again, Li." He sent her a quick smile before closing the door behind them.

Dawn Marie and Nidia didn't move from their place in the corner of the room. They hadn't said a word during the tense moment since Matt Hardy had entered the locker room. And now that he had left, they weren't sure of what to say to Lita. They weren't even sure how seeing him - with Torrie - had affected her.

The diva sat back down on the couch, letting out a deep breath of air. She ran a hand through her hair, tucking it behind her ears quickly. She sat silently, staring at the locker room door with a glazed look coated over her eyes.

It was Dawn Marie who stepped forward towards Lita first, still a little cautious of what to say to her and how to say it. But she knew that Lita needed to talk about what had just happened. And Dawn Marie wanted to be there for her as much as she could. Whether the redhead had something good to say, or something bad - Dawn Marie wanted to give her support and hear it.

"What are you thinking about?" The brunette diva sat beside Lita gently, her question soft. Lita sent her a quick glance before drawing in a deep breath and concentrating on the floor once more.

"I'm thinking about Jeff."

Nidia stepped closer towards the couch, Lita's comment arousing her curiosity. "Jeff? But... you just saw Matt again for the first time in quite a while. I know that it was difficult and awkward for you. I could feel it."

Lita nodded, looking up and over at Nidia. "Yeah, you're right. Seeing Matt like that was kind of difficult. And it was slightly awkward. But not for the reasons you think it was." Lita paused, wondering if she should continue. She reached up, rubbing her temples and closing her eyes briefly before returning to what she was saying. "I've seen Matt since we broke up. A few times, actually. But all of those times, I've had Jeff with me. This is the first time I've seen Matt or been around him since the break up that Jeff hasn't been with me." She looked over at Dawn Marie. "It was painful, seeing Matt just then."

"It was?" Dawn asked, her brows rising in question. She shook her head slightly. "I mean, I understand that it would be uncomfortable, awkward.. but painful? Lita, I was under the impression that you were over Matt... and that you didn't care about him being with another woman --"

Lita shook her head. "I don't care about that. And I am over Matt. That wasn't what was painful about seeing him again." She gave a quiet, almost bitter chuckle. "It has absolutely nothing to do with Matt Hardy, or Torrie Wilson."

Nidia and Dawn Marie exchanged glances, looking at each other curiously, wondering if the other had some sort of idea what was going on in Lita's head. They were both hearing what the redhead was saying, yet neither of them really understood what she was trying to say.

Not waiting for another question from the other divas, Lita continued to explain her feelings. "It was painful because it was just another reminder that Jeff isn't here with me anymore." She bit her lower lip, willing herself to keep her strength and be calm as she spoke about the youngest Hardy brother. "With each passing day, it seems there's something new around to remind me that I'm here and Jeff isn't."

Dawn Marie and Nidia sat down on the couch, both the women sitting on each side of Lita. Nidia rubbed Lita's shoulders comfortingly, and Dawn Marie reached out for her hand. "It's hard, when you're missing someone so close to you and you're reminded every day that they're not here with you..." Dawn trailed off, watching as Lita's form began to shake.

Sucking in a gasp of air, Lita tried to force her rising tears down. Why was all of this hitting her so hard? All this pain, all this loss... it was horrible. "I just miss him so much. I didn't even realise how much I missed him. He just used to always be there. Always. Whenever I turned around, he was standing there beside me. And even when he couldn't be with me, he was always a phone call away. Always." The redheaded diva reached up, wiping a stray tear away. "It's just hard. It's hard living without him."

Nidia ran her hand up and down Lita's back slowly, as Dawn Marie held her hands tightly within her own. The two divas were saddened by Lita's confession, and yet didn't quite know what they could say to her to try and make it better. So instead, they stayed quietly, hoping that their presence would let her know that they cared, and wanted to be there for her.

Lita rubbed at her eyes, desperately forcing the tears and sorrow back down. She gulped quickly, her breathing erratic from her short breakdown. As her breaths began to calm down, she tried to speak once more. "I've been looking forward to coming back to the WWE since the day I was injured." She looked up at the two women surrounding her, a hollowness apparent in her eyes. "All I've been able to think about for the past year is being back here. Wrestling, travelling... whatever."

She stopped quickly, holding a hand to her chest, and biting her lip fiercely. She could feel her throat constricting, and the wave of tears sweep over her once more. Her vision grew blurry once more, and she felt drops of moisture underneath her eyelashes.

"Now I'm finally back. I'm here, where I've wanted to be." A choked sob escaped her lips, and she felt the hot, salty tears run down her cheeks. "And I've realised that being here without Jeff here beside me is just not worth it."