"The thing is Jeff, we've been friends for such a long time, why put that in jepordy with a relationship?" That was, of course, what I had ment to say, but it came out as a simple. "I don't love you." His hand slowly pulled from mine and hurt filled his eyes along with tears. He lowered his vision. "But what...what about the other night, when we.." "It was...just one of those things that happen. It all went to fast for either of us to realize what was going on." "I knew all along. I told you I had wanted it." His eyes rose and looked towards mine while his hand slid down my cheek. "I love you Carrie, ever since we were kids I had this dream we'd get married. You know, the two kids, the dog, the white picet fence. I know...I know that I don't have it right now but I would give you anything you're heart desired to be with you." "Oh Jeff..." I said softly, a tear sliding down my cheek. I reached out and touched his face and he nuzzled my hand. "I just want to be with you..." "I'm sorry Jeff, I can't be with you. I'm in love with some one else." "Who?" he quickly asked, hurt slowly leaving to be replaced with jealousy and hate. I bit my lip and seen Matt standing in the doorway, eyes pleading for my answer. I looked back to Jeff, his eyes giving off the same look. What was I doing? If I told him then his and Matt's relationship would be forever ruined. I couldn't do it, even if I did love Matt, I couldn't come bewteen them. I stood from the bed and walked past Matt. "Carrie!" Jeff yelled and chased after. Matt stood there, hurt in his eyes.

The next morning Matt found a note laying next to his bed on an intable. He picked it up and chewed his bottom lip as he read.

Matt,

I hope you can forgive me for not telling Jeff the truth, but believe me, it's better this way. I do love you, but I love Jeff enough not to hurt him. If he knew then he would never forgive either of us, you know that.

Matt nodded; it was true.

We can't forget what's happend, there's too much there. But we got to go on. Don't worry about me, I have family in Charlette that will take me in. Take of Jeff please, I love him so much. I love you Matt.

Carrie

Matt looked up to see Jeff in the doorway. "She's gone." "I know." Jeff sighed and sat next to him, not noticing him slip the letter under his pillow. "What did I do wrong?" he asked, head bowed. Matt only gave him a comforting hug. "You didn't do anything wrong bro, it just wasn't ment to be." Jeff nodded slightly and looked up, keeping his gaze away from Matt's. "Yeah, I guess maybe you're right. Think we'll ever see her again?" "I don't know, we'll just have to see."

Five years later

"The winners of this match, and new WWF Tag Team Champions, the Hardy Boyz!" The ref raised both Matt and Jeff's arms in victory, their new titles in hand. The brothers quickly went back to their locker room to celebrate the win. "About time we got the titles." Jeff said and plopped down on the bench, exausted. Matt nodded with a huge grin on his face. "I agree, but man, it was worth the wait." The celebration was cut short with a knock on the door. "Probably wanting to do a photoshoot." Matt said and opened the door, finding a young woman there. "Uh, we're having an autograph session tomorrow morning..." She laughed softly, "I'm not here for an autograph." "Who is it Matt?" Jeff asked, standing to peek over his shoulder. She smiled, "I guess I'm glad you don't remember me." "Matt, who is it?" Jeff asked again. Matt gave no answer at first, but her name finally rolled off the tip of his tongue. "Carrie..."

"After I went to live with my aunt and uncle they sent me back to school. I went to college, got my degree, all that good stuff." She paused and looked at them, a small grin on her face. "At frat parties the guys would watch wrestling, needless to say I was shocked to see you guys on T.V. I thought...I thought I could come and see you." Her gaze went to Matt's. "Does that explain everything?" He nodded while Jeff's arm around her waist tightend in a hug. "You're always welcome to come and see us, I just can't believe you're here!" She smiled softly, "Only for a little while, I got to be going soon." "What's the rush?" Matt asked. Her smile faded somewhat, "I uh, I have to pick up my son." Instantly, both the Hardys stopped breathing. "You're son?" Jeff asked, a hint of hurt in his voice. "Yeah, um, my son. I was, I was going to tell you about him, he really wanted to come and meet you, he's your biggest fans, it's just I thought this time I would come by myself." She pulled her wallet from her purse and showed them a picture of a little boy with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. "He's adorable, like his mother." Jeff smiled and handed the picture to Matt. Carrie nodded and watched Matt's face as he look at the picture. "Yeah, but he takes after his Daddy." Matt looked up at her in an instant and she smiled, giving him a little nod. "That's right, you're his father Matt." Jeff looked at the both of them in shock, "What?"

"So it was Matt that you were in love with." Jeff frowned at the both of them. Carrie nodded. "It was, now you see why I had to leave, I couldn't come between you." "Well great, just fucking great. For five years I thought I did something wrong to scare you off and come to find out you just didn't want to tell me you screw my brother." "Jeff..." Matt said softly, trying to keep control over the matter. "And you!" Jeff yelled, pointing a finger at Matt. "You knew how I felt about Carrie and you went off and fucked her anyway!" "Jeff please..." Carrie whimpered. "And now you come back into the picture, tell Matt he has a kid, and for what? That you can finally get married and not have to worry about how I feel in all of this?" She lowered her gaze, hurt. "I didn't plan on this to happen so fast." Jeff's anger started to slowly leave as he saw he had really hurt her. He ran a hand into his blue and purple hair, "Look, I'm sorry." Carrie looked up at him, tears spilling from her eyes as she ran from the room. "Carrie, wait..." Jeff said softly, shame filling his body. "Chris Jeff, what did you have to go and do that for?" Matt said, keeping the same tone in his voice. Jeff looked at his brother, betrayal in his eyes. "I can't believe you. Matt, my own brother, you took her away from me." "She never wanted to be yours Jeff, she told you that." Matt sighed and sat back. "You don't realize what she gave up for you though." "You?" Jeff spat back. Matt shook his head. "She left so that nothing would come in bewteen us. She couldn't bear knowing the two of us could have ended up hating each other. What we had, if it was real love, she gave it up because she cares for you. You can't damn her for what she felt Jeff, none of us have control over our feelings." Jeff gave no reply, only a simple sigh. "I'm sorry." "I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

He found her not to far away, sitting with her knees brought up to her chest on the stairway. Jeff sat down beside her and sighed. "I'm sorry." She sniffed and kept her gaze from him. "No, you were right, I shouldn't have slept with Matt, or you. Sometimes I wondered what would happen if I hadn't ran away from home. Hell, he had raped me before, I could have...I could have..." Jeff's gaze soften, "Don't say that, you know you're better then that. Besides, this had to have happen for some reason." He put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a tight squeeze. "But I was wrong Carrie. I did kinda take advantage of the situation, you just don't know how much I loved you. But..." he paused and lifted her chin with his fingers so her eyes looked into his. "But you had as much control over your feelings as I did. Hell, I put our friendship in danger." "So did I." He smiled softly, "But you cared about me enough to give up what you and Matt might have had. I'm always going to be in debt to you for thinking about our relationship as brothers. I don't know what I would do without Matt. I don't know what I would do without you." He squeezed her hand and kisses her forehead softly. "I'll always love you, I know you'll always love me. It's just a different kind of love." She nodded and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him. "Thank you Jeff for forgiving me.." He returned the warm embrace, "Thank you too."

Matt stood back watching them, a smile on his face. If him and Carrie ever were together again, only time would tell. But what mattered at the moment was the three of them together, friends again. They had been to the end and back and had survived he tears and hurt and anger that littered the path. He looked at the picture of the small boy and smiled. Yep, only time would tell what really would happen to the four of them.


The End!