Title: Nothing Stays the Same.

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

Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Christian, Matt Hardy - 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 - October 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: Yep, still creating my own world here. Lita's still on Smackdown, and Jeff has still quit. Don't know if I mentioned this in an earlier chapter, but in my world Smackdown is live to air like RAW. And that's about all you need to know! Go and enjoy the chapter! Go!

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"Why are we watching this crap?"

Jeff Hardy glared over at the blonde canadian who sat beside him on the couch. "Because, Christian, it's the only good thing on at the moment." He brought his attention back to the sitcom that was playing on the screen. "Besides, I thought you liked 'Will & Grace'?"

Christian rolled his eyes at his friend as he picked up another piece of pizza that was set on the coffee table in front of them. "I admit, I may have a soft spot for a good comedy about gay guys." He glanced at the clock across the wall. "But not when Smackdown is on at the same time. Come on Jeff, you know that Smackdown started fifteen minutes ago."

Finishing off his piece of pizza, Jeff grabbed a napkin from the table and wiped his hands, his eyes not leaving the television screen. "Do we really have to watch it tonight? I mean, it's probably going to be all about Vince - like it is every week now. Why don't we just skip it tonight?"

"Nah, come on!" Christian kept his gaze firm on the younger Hardy brother. "I hardly ever get to watch Smackdown live, Jeff, you know that. Don't deny me that pleasure on my first night off in months!"

"Yeah, what's up with that anyway?" Jeff questioned, turning to the blonde. "It's your first night off in like, forever, and you're spending it here... with me... AND you want to watch wrestling? Don't you ever just want to get away from it? Take a break? Forget about the business for a while?"

Christian shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I guess I could be out partying at some nightclub with a hot chick right now, instead of sitting here with you but --" He paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "Actually come to think of it, why AREN'T I out doing that?" His hardened features melted into a joking smile, and he reached over to ruffle Jeff's hair. "I'm here cause I miss ya, buddy! It's weird not having you on the road with us anymore."

A small smile found it's way onto Jeff's lips as he pushed Christian's hands away, running his own fingers through his now faded blue and green hair. "Alright, enough of that mushy shit." He sat back and took in a deep breath. "I miss being on the road with you guys too."

"So let's watch Smackdown!" Christian proclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "Come on Jeff, I know you want to!" Receiving nothing from Jeff, the blonde canadian turned to begging. He got up from the couch, and knelt down on the floor beside Jeff, his hands in a praying position. "Please Jeff! Please, please can we watch Smackdown?"

Jeff looked down at his friend, one eyebrow raised. "Do you know how pathetic you look down there?"

Christian rose up to his feet, a frown forming on his face as he let out a sigh. "Shuttup Hardy, and just change the freakin' channel!"

"Alright, alright." Jeff picked up the remote, and flicked channels until landing on Smackdown. Christian sat back down on the couch beside Jeff, focusing his attention onto the television screen. They watched the proceedings in silence, speaking up for a short while to discuss how much Stephanie McMahon had changed over the past year or so since taking on the General Manager role on Smackdown. Then they returned to silence as they watched Tajiri match up against Ultimo Dragon.

Taking a gulp from the beer bottle in his hand, Christian stole a glance at his friend. He couldn't be sure, but since Smackdown had been on the screen, he sensed a change in Jeff's demeanour. The youngest Hardy had tensed up, his whole body had gone rigid and stiff. He was sitting on the edge of the couch, and he watched the television with a frown that Christian thought had a mixture of worry and discomfort laced throughout his features.

"Hey, Jeff. You okay man?"

Jeff looked over at his friend. "Yeah, I'm fine." He turned his attention back to the screen. "What makes you think that something is --" Jeff yelped out a small squeal suddenly, jumping up from the couch and practically running into the kitchen.

"Jeff? What the..." Christian watched as he fled from the room, and curiously looked toward the television. It was then that he realised what made Jeff so damn agitated. There, on the screen, was Lita. The redheaded diva was making her way to the ring, matching up against Dawn Marie. He shook his head to himself. "Damn.."

Walking into the kitchen after him, he spotted Jeff leaning on the counter top, a glass of water clutched in his hand which he drank down greedily. He kept his gaze on the tiled floor, not wanting to look up and see the look of pity on Christian's face.

"Are you alright?"

Jeff placed the glass down in the sink, his back to Christian. "I'm fine. I just --"

"No, don't feed me that bullshit. I know something's wrong Jeff." Christian made his way closer to his friend. "I'm not stupid, and I'm not blind. I saw what just happened out there. And I know you left because Lita came on the screen." At the sound of her name, Jeff closed his eyes tightly, wishing that this conversation didn't have to happen. Christian continued. "What I don't know, is why."

There was no answer. Christian studied the man in front of him as Jeff raked a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. He finally looked up, his eyes locking onto Christian's. He opened his mouth slightly, starting to say something. Then a cloud passed over his eyes, and he simply shook his head, and cast his gaze down to his feet.

"Jeff, just tell me. What's wrong?" The blonde canadian stepped closer to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to show his support. "It's okay. You can tell me anything, you know that."

Green eyes were immediately thrown up, looking at Christian once more. Only now they were narrowed, the weight of the frown on Jeff's face causing his features to harden. "It's hard."

"What is?"

"Seeing her. There." He cleared his throat, his voice small and scared. "Without me."

Christian's eyes widened in shock as he realised exactly what was bugging his friend. He knew he was missing being in the ring, travelling with the boys, and he even knew that he missed her. But to this extent? "You miss her alot, don't you?"

Nodding slowly, Jeff answered, leaning on the kitchen counter. "Yeah. A damn lot. But I miss her every day, you know. From the moment I wake, until the moment I sleep. I miss having her with me." He jerked his head towards the living room. "Seeing her wrestling though, is even harder. It makes the pain ten times clearer and stronger. She's there without me. I'm not there to watch her back, or tell her she did well. I'm not there to give her five when she wins, or comfort her when she loses." He looked at Christian, his eyes questioning. "I've let her down, haven't I? I let her down when I walked out of that company. She was back, and she needed me, and I just walked out on her."

"No, Jeff, no. You didn't. Don't talk like that. She went over to Smackdown, remember? She left RAW. She walked out on you."

"I should've gone with her. I should've made her stay. I should have and could have done SOMETHING, besides leaving. Besides quitting." Jeff let out a bitter snort. "Matt said it all along. And I always told him he was wrong. But he was right in the end. I'm weak."

"Jeff..."

"No. Don't give me sympathy." He shook his head. "You need to understand why I can't sit there and watch her. I can't watch her be there without me. I walked out on her, I QUIT on her... and it's so hard to see her there, alone. It's so hard..."

Christian grabbed Jeff by the arm, and dragged him back to the living room, placing him on the couch. "Sit down, shuttup, and listen to me." Sitting beside him, Christian turned to him. "I know you're feeling bad for leaving. I know you feel like you let Lita down. And I know you wish you were right there by her side right now."

Jeff nodded along to Christian's words, admitting how he felt. His head was lowered, his gaze on his feet.

"So why don't you just come back?"

Suddenly, Jeff's head whipped up. "Come back? Christian... I can't just come back!"

"And why not?"

"Because... well, because..." He sighed. "It's complicated."

Scoffing loudly, Christian grabbed his friend by the shoulders and shook him. "Complicated? How complicated could it be? You miss her, she misses you. You both want to be by each other's sides. So you go back. Re-join the company. Get placed on Smackdown. Bada-bing, bada-boom. You're together again and everybody's happy. I don't see anything complicated about that."

There was a silence as Jeff soaked up everything Christian had just said. Return to the WWE? After he had just walked out and given up and quit? How could he? .. It wasn't that he didn't want to come back, or didn't miss it, because he did. So much. And it wasn't that he didn't want to be around Lita... because he wanted that too, more than anything else. But how could he just waltz back in, like nothing had ever happened? What would Lita say to that? Would she welcome him back with open arms? Or tell him to get lost?

"Wait a minute." Jeff rose an eyebrow, glancing over at Christian. "Did you say before that Lita missed me? That she wanted to be 'by my side'?" The blonde hesitated, and then nodded. Jeff continued. "Did she tell you that?"

"Well, not exactly." He winced under the glare Jeff was sending his way. "Okay, not at all. But come on! You can see it in her eyes, Jeff! Everything she does, she's thinking of you as she does it. Every word she says, every move she makes, every breath she takes..."

"She'll be missing me?" Jeff broke in, a sarcastic smile slipping onto his lips.

"I swear, I wasn't going for the whole 'steal-from-song-lyrics' kind of speech, but yeah!" Christian threw his hands up in the air. "She misses you, just as much as you miss her. So stop being a stubborn ass and just go back to her!"

The two men gave in to silence for a while, each thinking over what had just been said. It wasn't until they heard the familiar music blasting from the television screen that they returned to the attention to what was happening on the show.

Lita had been victorious over Dawn Marie, and as they watched the replay they saw how. With a stunning DDT and powerbomb. The brunette diva hadn't had a chance going up against that fiery redhead. She climbed up the turnbuckles, signalling to the crowd as they went crazy for her. Hopping down, she slid out of the ring and made her way to the back.

"Look at her. She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Jeff said, unable to tear his eyes away from her form as she walked up the ramp.

Christian didn't reply, knowing that Jeff might have said that comment out loud, but it wasn't for him to hear. He looked over at the youngest Hardy, and took in the glassy look in his eyes, and how he sat right on the edge of the couch. It was almost as if he were under some sort of spell, transfixed to Lita's image. Oh yeah, he missed that woman badly.

The canadian was still watching his friend when he saw Jeff draw in an abrupt breath, and his face fold into a tight grimace. Confused at the sudden change, Christian turned his attention back to the screen. "Oh, damn..."

"Yeah, I'm sure she's missing me Christian. Looks like it a whole lot."

Christian shook his head as he watched the screen in front of them. Lita was shown in a locker room backstage, talking with Matt Hardy. The eldest Hardy brother was smiling at the redhead, patting her on the back and then he gave her a high five.

"Something had to happen between the two of them." Christian said, desperate to make Jeff feel better. "You have to know that. As soon as the fans knew Lita would be coming to Smackdown, they were wondering what would happen between her and Matt. The writers would've had to do something with them sooner or later." Receiving no response from Jeff, Christian added. "It's what the audience wants to see, Jeff. They want to see it."

Jeff stood up from the couch, leaving Christian alone in the living room as he made his way into the hallway, towards his bedroom. As he left, he shook his head. "Well, I'm part of the audience now. And I sure as hell don't want to see it."