Gabrielle wrapped the five-hundred dollar shawl around her head. It was cold here on the docks, and the three-thousand dollar dress that she stole from the Silver Moon Boutique did not offer very much warmth. She stood on the ledge and looked down at the water; it glittered with the moonlight and the reflection of the sequins on her dress. Then again, her vision was inhibited by a veil of bright, shining tears. This was it; there was no hope for her in a town where no one would hire her, no one would talk to her, no one would even look at her – not even her own son.

She slipped off her shoes. The cold winter-night air stung her feet in the sudden absence of protection. She curled her toes over the edge of the docks. Her stomach gave an existential jerk. She felt terrified; not because she feared falling, but because she feared her own power to throw herself in. But after weeks of humiliation, being rejected for jobs completely beneath her abilities, it pained Gabrielle to even imagine enduring one more day of it. Every day for the foreseeable future held that in store for her, unless she put an end to it now. If there was only one thing in her life she could control, it was this.

She took a step back for a moment. Her mind became hazy with thoughts of all the things she thought she could accomplish for herself. She seemed to let go of those dreams as she blinked her eyes closed and released the tears from underneath her eyelashes. With a deep breath freshly in her lungs, she stepped up to the edge once more, relaxing her fingers from the shawl. It dropped from her head and shoulders, sliding down to her feet. She was ready. Nothing was holding her back.

Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears, she didn't even recognize when heavy footsteps were behind her, until suddenly a voice spoke.

"Gabrielle, don't!"

She whirled around, nearly losing her balance sooner than she anticipated. Her eyes had contracted from staring into the brightness of the lights off the water, so her eyes did not focus on the face in the shadows for a few moments. As the figure stepped cautiously forward and her eyes dilated, she could see that it was her roommate; it was Bo Buchanan.

"Bo, what – what are you doing here?" she stammered, trembling a little now that she realized just how cold she was without the shawl.

"I was looking for you," he said. "Gabrielle, why are you standing so close to the edge?" he asked, sounding a little frightened because he already knew the answer.

"Bo, please go," Gabrielle whispered. "Just go home."

"No, I'm not leaving you," he said, starting to panic a little now that he recognized that she was serious.

"There's nothing you can do for me," she insisted, her teeth chattering slightly. "Please, just pretend you never saw me here."

Bo took a slow step forward, not wanting to scare her into jumping. He raised an open hand, inviting her to grab hold. "Gabrielle, please, take my hand. We can go home and talk about this."

"No!" Gabrielle cried, stepping backwards so dangerously she almost fell. "I mean it, just leave without me!"

"Gabrielle, please," Bo pleaded. "Please, trust me."

And for a moment, Gabrielle believed him. She wanted to believe him. But suddenly, his voice and his words from the day she moved in assaulted her.

"Hey, look, don't read too much into this... This doesn't mean that I approve of what you did. Doesn't mean I necessarily even like you."

Gabrielle let go of one last tear. "Good bye."

Bo's terrified shout coincided with the splash.