It's over - I did it, Matt thought to himself as he stood in the dressing room, looking at the empty locker in front of him. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but it was one he had thought about long and hard before making his move. Growing up, he had been forced to make decisions way too early, but there was one thing he had learned from all that - always go with your gut. There were some who would say he had lost his mind, but in truth, he had found his heart. And right then, his heart was 500 miles away.

He walked out of the dressing room with a knowing smile. A few of the guys were standing around outside, waiting to leave the arena. They waved to him and said goodbye, or that they would see him later. Yeah, much later, he thought as he neared his rental car. Shannon came up to him and stood there, staring into the eyes he had come to know so well over the last 10 years. Matt smiled and hugged him, holding Shannon closer and tighter than ever before. When they pulled away, there were tears in the blonde's eyes, and Matt had to take a deep breath to keep from crying himself.

"It's been fun, ain't it?" Matt asked softly, his voice choked with emotion. Shannon nodded, not trusting his voice to speak. "You'll call me, right?" Shannon finally asked and Matt nodded before pulling Shannon close once again and kissing him on the forehead. Without another word from either man, Matt opened the car door and threw his bag in the back, climbing behind the wheel.

Closing his eyes, Matt took a deep breath and let it out slowly. For so long, he had denied himself so many things - a childhood, a life of his own. When the roster split happened and he got sent to Smackdown, Matt was sure he would be the one to fail. Without Jeff, Matt had no purpose. He had no meaning, no task to fulfill. But, Matt had gone on to shine, taking Shannon on the joyride with him. Shannon. Just the sound of his name rattling around in Matt's head made him smile. The boy that had spent his childhood following them around had somehow turned into quite a man.

Matt took one last look behind him and saw Shannon wave slightly. Matt started the car, watching as the arena and everything around it grew smaller in his rearview mirror. As he neared the entrance ramp for the highway, Matt cranked up the radio, singing along as he headed east. He was almost thirty years old, and for the first time in his life, Matt Hardy was doing something totally selfish, totally self-serving, and totally insane.

~*~

Twenty cases of aluminum foil. That's what the stock boy at Sam's helped Jeff load into the back of the truck he had bought recently. More room to haul his art supplies and instruments, he rationalized. More space for Liger and the puppies to play around in when it was parked in the driveway. But deep down inside, he knew the real reason he bought the truck. It reminded Jeff of something, a far off memory that kept resurfacing a lot lately.

Jeff had had a vision. It came to him in a dream, like all his masterpieces did. That's why he left the quiet sanctuary of his home and ventured into town. Jeff wasn't a total recluse, but he avoided crowds if at all possible. He wasn't sure why, because he had always loved people, just in small doses. As he headed toward home, the dog stuck his head out the window, enjoying the feel of the wind on his face.

Jeff smiled. Life was less hectic now. Unstructured. Just the way Jeff liked things. He had always had a problem following the rules, the crowd, his heart. But none of that mattered now. Since his `release' from wrestling, Jeff had concentrated on his music and art. But, he still had trouble dealing with the one thing he wanted the most. It was a foolish dream, in his mind. Jeff knew he could never have what he wanted, what he truly wanted. But that never stopped him from thinking about it.

Jeff was the master of the elusive dream. When he was a young boy, he dreamed about anything and everything-what kind of job he would have, where he would live, even who he would love. As the years passed, his dreams changed, but there was one he still chased, one he still longed for day after day. As he pulled off the highway onto the road leading to his trailer, Jeff promised himself that he would not let that dream die.

Pulling into the driveway, Jeff opened the door and let Liger out, smiling as the dog ran to his pups. As the dog played with his babies, Jeff sighed. At least one of us has someone to love, he thought as he unloaded the truck and put the cases of foil in the art studio. Jeff looked over at the sketch he had made this morning, detailing his latest work of art, before he headed to the house to rest for a moment. Grabbing a glass of lemonade, he sat on the couch and quickly fell asleep

~*~

After awhile, every town you drive through starts to look the same. The buildings, the houses, the people - cookie cutter images floating by as you rush toward something else, something different. Matt kept the radio at full volume and tried to balance the bag of fast food and the cup of coffee he had just bought. He could have stopped last night, slept somewhere along the way, but he was in too much of a hurry. It was almost as if he HAD to get there now, or else everything would disappear from his sight forever.

Matt wasn't really a believer in destiny, at least not the kind that someone else deemed appropriate for you. He had always thought you made your own destiny, made your own choices, and learned to live with the consequences if things didn't go your way. His daddy had taught him about responsibility, and Matt took his responsibilities very seriously. A little too seriously, if you asked some people.

But, Matt no longer wanted to be serious, or responsible, or even sane. There was only one thing Matt wanted to be, only one place he had to be, and right now, it was another hour and a half away. Just 73 miles and Matt would be home. The mile markers were rushing by as the speedometer climbed higher. He couldn't wait to see the lush green grass of his lawn, the carefully selected gravel of his driveway, the ornate oak door that led into his new home.

For so long, that house had been his dream - his sign of maturity and responsibility and even stability. As his giddy laughter echoed through the car, Matt realized that at that moment, if you asked anyone who knew him, they would tell you he was as far from stable as he could get. This just wasn't like Matt. But, what they didn't know was that was the precise reason he did it.

As soon as the large green highway sign came into view, Matt started singing to himself - "50 miles to go, 50 miles to go!" Checking his rearview mirror for any sign of the highway patrol, he eased his foot down on the accelerator and sped on, knowing that the faster he got there, the better off he would be. He knew - and at the same time, he didn't - precisely what was waiting for him. His hope. His dream. His destiny.

~*~

A smile played across Jeff's lips as he slept peacefully on the couch, dreaming of his latest creation. Had anyone been there to watch him, they would have thought that he had reached his paradise, his own private Utopia. The carefree lifestyle he had begun to live was agreeing with him. His hair, no longer blonde or any color of the rainbow, was longer than it had been in years. The stress lines had disappeared and he had actually gained a few pounds.

For the first time in years, since the ladder matches and table bumps had begun to take their toll, Jeff was almost 100% healthy, and he looked it. But more importantly, he was happy, and he looked it. He came and went as he pleased, answering to no one but himself. He had his art, his music, his dogs. The only thing missing was…his brother.

It wasn't that Matt didn't love him, because nothing could have been farther from the truth. Jeff knew that his brother was completely, totally devoted to him, as he had been his entire life. Matt was the rock to Jeff's stormy sea, the ground to his air. They saw each other whenever they could, making the most of Matt's two or three days home each week. And though he never said it, Jeff longed for something more.

Sighing in his sleep, Jeff shifted on the couch and wrapped his arms around the pillow there. It smelled like Matt, even days after he had left it. These were the things that kept Jeff going when he was lonely. The smell of Matt's cologne on the pillow, the softness of his favorite shirt against Jeff's skin as he folded the laundry, the taste of Matt's favorite food.

Again Jeff stirred in his sleep, his dreams filled with images of his brother's smile, his hands, everything about Matt that made him…well, Matt. There was nothing that could ever change what Matt was - what they were. The whole debate about morality and legality had long since faded from their minds, because they both knew they had to do what was in their hearts if they were ever going to be happy.

~*~

Matt was grinning like a lunatic as he turned down the road leading home. For the first time since he had left the arena the night before, it hit him - he was finally home, where he belonged. Knowing no one else would be on the road, Matt raced down the road and turned sharply into the drive, barely missing the mailbox. Jeff had knocked it over so many times doing that same thing that Matt couldn't even begin to calculate the number. Matt would yell, Jeff would pout, and together they would replace the pole until the next time it happened.

Gravel flew from the back tires as Matt screeched to halt inches from Jeff's truck, again narrowly missing the side - another of Jeff's habits. He yanked the keys from the ignition and bolted to the house, realizing that he was becoming more and more like his brother every day. A normal person would blanch at that thought, knowing that some Freaky Friday switch of the Hardy brothers' personalities would signify the end of the universe as we knew and loved it.

The door flung open, bouncing off the wall behind it as Matt rushed through. He kicked it closed behind him, then turned, seeing Jeff sleeping on the couch. Walking over quietly, Matt smiled at the angel before him before gently lying down beside his brother and wrapping his arms around him. Matt breathed in the scent of Jeff's hair and softly kissed his temple. In his sleep, Jeff whispered Matt's name, and tears formed in the corner of Matt's eye.

In his dream, Matt was there with him, holding him tightly. This truly was nirvana, the ultimate in Jeff's personal bliss. He was warm. He was safe. He was loved. Jeff tried to roll over but something was in his way. He tried to push it off the couch, thinking it was the dog again, but whatever it was, it wasn't moving. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked straight into the warm, loving gaze of his brother.

"Whatcha doin' here, Matty?" he asked quietly, his voice heavy with sleep. Matt just smiled and kissed him softly. Jeff decided he liked this dream and didn't want to wake from it. Matt was with him now, not a thousand miles away. Matt would take care of him. Matt would protect him. When Jeff felt the warm wetness of Matt's tongue tracing his lips, he realized he wasn't dreaming at all, and slowly opened his eyes once again.

Matt smiled and kissed the tip of Jeff's nose. "Hey, sleepyhead," he whispered and Jeff's face lit up. "You're really here, ain't ya?" he asked as he stroked Matt's cheek, feeling the stubble there. Matt nodded. "But, I thought you had a show to do," Jeff said, his face wrinkling with worry. "You ain't hurt, is ya?" Matt pulled Jeff closer, then softly whispered, "I was, but it's all better now."

Matt allowed Jeff to sit up, then took his hands, gazing deep into his eyes. "I couldn't stand bein' away from ya anymore," Matt said. "I had to be with ya, to hold ya, to see your beautiful face." Jeff nodded, snuggling into Matt's chest. "When ya gotta go back?" he asked. When Matt heard the sadness in Jeff's voice, he smiled. "I don't." Jeff sat up and looked at Matt, the worry taking over again. "I quit," Matt said before kissing Jeff softly.

"You did what?" Jeff asked. Maybe he was still dreaming, because he swore he just heard his brother say that he quit. "Ya heard me, baby," Matt replied. "I quit. Resigned. Hung up my boots. Walked out. Whatever you wanna call it, I did it." Jeff shook his head and stared at his brother. "But…but…" he began. "That's insane. That's…irresponsible. That's so totally not you!"

Matt smiled and pulled Jeff closer. "I know," Matt said. "That's the same thing Vince said when I told him. It's the same thing Shannon said. But that was my point. It wasn't me. That's why I did it." Jeff looked at him, confused. "All our lives, everybody told you to get serious, and they told me to lighten up. I finally decided to take their advice." Jeff smiled and put his head back on Matt's chest. "This means you gonna be here forever?" he asked quietly. Matt nodded and kissed the top of Jeff's head. "I'm home, baby."



~*~ You know I'm a dreamer, but my heart's of gold
I had to run away high so I wouldn't come home low
Just when things went right, it doesn't mean they were always wrong
Just take this song and you'll never feel left all alone
Take me to your heart, feel me in your bones
Just one more night and I'm comin' off this long & winding road
I'm on my way
Well, I'm on my way
Home sweet home
Tonight tonight
I'm on my way
I'm on my way
Home sweet home
You know that I've seen too many romantic dreams
Up in lights, fallin' off the silver screen
My heart's like an open book for the whole world to read
Sometimes nothing--keeps me together at the seams
I'm on my way
Well, I'm on my way
Home sweet home
Tonight tonight
I'm on my way
Just set me free
Home sweet home


*Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue*