I awoke with a mild headache. The light from the window streaked my face. I pulled the covers over my face and felt a slight tugging. "Stop." My voice was muffled by the pillow that I shoved to the side. Another tug, I felt my toes exposed. I smiled when i realize it was just licking my feet. I pushed back the blanket and shoved him to the side with my foot to sit up. He moved closer to nuzzle my leg and then circled a spot to finally lie down. I took that as a welcome back gesture and stroked his fur.

As I tried to kick back the blankets to get up my foot had gotten stuck in the sheets, making it hard for me to stand. It seemed like falling was going to be my new thing this year. When I had finally become able I headed out of my room for the kitchen. I was starving and I swear I could hear my stomach speaking to me. I walked in to find Peter reading the newspaper while drinking a cup of coffee. He was leaning on the counter with his pajamas still on.

I reached the fridge to find something to eat. I could hear the crinkle of the paper as Peter turned the page. I grabbed a bagel and closed the fridge to lean on the door. He cleared his throat; I looked up to find him watching me wearily. I smiled as I took a bite of my bagel, "Late for work?"

He shook his head, "No, took the day off, I thought maybe we could spend some time together. Ya know, since I've been so busy and all." I shrugged."I guess, what do you want to do?" He opened his mouth then closed it as he took a sip of his coffee. He smiled halfheartedly, "I was hoping you had something in mind?" I nodded as I began picking with my bagel. I looked towards the table. I wondered, vaguely, as I stared, when was the last time all three of those seats held each of us at once? My mother, Peter, and I haven't spent time together in three years; ever since my mother decided to move on with her life to travel and work. She hasn't skipped out on us it was more like a vacation for her.

"Gem?" I snapped my head up to find Peter watching me, "Are you okay?" I was confused until I realized what he was referring to: last night. "Yeah, I'm fine." I lied. My voice was higher than usual but I'm sure he believed me. I'm a good liar, when it comes down to it I could lie myself out of anything. He took a deep breath, and then blew into his coffee mug, "Okay." and took a sip. "How about a movie?" he asked bluntly.

"ummm, alright."

"There's this new movie that I think would be pretty cool to see, cause ya know, I thought you might like it."

I smiled at that, "What movie?"

He grabbed the newspaper from the counter and flipped to the entertainment section. "The ugh, Gaudy Gun, it says here that it is an action packed thriller with a whole lot of ummm, action." He chuckled as he set the paper back down. I shook my head, "Okay then, The Gaudy Gun it is."

"What time do you want to go?"

"Well it takes a while to get to Port Angeles from here so whenever you're ready."

"Alright then, just let me finish up here." I finished off my bagel and then headed towards my room to grab items for a shower. I began to look through my drawer when I heard a faint knock. First I looked towards the door only to realize there was no one there; thinking I had imagined it I went back to getting my things together. Another knock, this time it was harder than the last. I knew it couldn't have been my bedroom door so I looked towards the window. I shook my head at the sight. Talin, he was smiling as he pointed to the latch on the window. I grimaced as I went over to let him in.

"hey." He flashed a smile as he climbed through, "ready to go?"

I stared as he jumped down and landed near the edge of my bed, "To go where?"

He frowned, "the beach, remember? I asked you yesterday if you wanted to go." I looked towards the clock to shift my gaze away from him. He crossed his arms, "You forgot didn't you?" he accused. Before I could even defend myself he was in front of the bed room door. "Where are you going, if you're not going with me?" It was meant to sound playful but it came off as arrogance.

"I don't need you around to have friends," I hesitated, "or a life." He sighed as he cracked his knuckles on his left hand. He spoke glumly, "sorry, it was just that I planned for us to hang out today." I waved it off, "don't worry about it." I began to continue my search for clothes as Talin sat quietly on my bed. I could hear him bouncing on it.

"Where are you going?"

"Where are you going?"I could imagine him rolling his eyes at that.

"I asked you first."

"I asked you second." He laughed, "Fine you win. I'm not going anywhere anymore, since you bailed and all." I pretended I didn't hear his last statement and told him my plans.

"Whoa, you're going to see The Gaudy Gun," he paused, "without me." My face shriveled in distaste, it wasn't like I'd go somewhere behind his back. He made it sound so wrong. "You have to let me go." I turned to see his eyes begging pleadingly. My answer was short and curt, "No."

"Awww COME ON!"

"Be quiet!" I whispered as I moved close to him, "Peter doesn't know you're here, remember!"

"Sorry", he stood from my bed and dropped to his knees as he grabbed my hands, "please, please, please! Let me come with you, I haven't seen you in a year. I haven't even had the chance to spend any real time with you," he continued before I could speak, "and don't say us hanging over my house counts because it doesn't." He squeezed his eyes shut as he buried his face in my hands. I could make out footsteps coming down the hall, "Talin!" I whispered hurriedly, "let go before Peter comes!"

His grip tightened, "Not until you say yes."

"It's not up to me I have to ask Peter."

"Then ask him." I could feel him smiling in my hands.

"Okay, okay," I said in defeat, "now leave before he gets here!" He let go of my hands as he rushed to the window, within seconds he was gone.

"This movie is going to be so awesome!" Talin said excitedly, Peter had offered to stand in line to buy the tickets since it was a long wait. Talin and I waited by the door. "I've been waiting to see this movie for months ever since it came out; wait til the guys hear I was the first to see it, Quil's gonna –''

"Talin!" He looked baffled, "Shut it, it's just a movie!" he glared as he stared me down, then crossed his arms to begin his questioning. "Whats up?" his face grew serious as he turned to best friend mode. I turned to watch as the line grew longer and longer, wondering will Peter ever get out of it. "Hello?" he waved his hand in front of my face, "Earth to Jennifer?" I pushed his hand away. "You haven't been here." It was a random statement that I was unprepared for.

"What?"

"You're," he tapped his fingers against the side of my head, "not here. Not physically but mentally; get it?"

"What are you saying?" he sighed as he stepped closer, "I'm saying, you haven't been yourself lately. Are you okay?" and then he grabbed my hand, "Don't lie," he spoke slowly, "I know you like a book so it wouldn't be any use of trying anyways."

I rolled my eyes as I began to pull away, his grip was firm, "I wasn't going to lie, I just wasn't going to tell you." He pulled me closer as his voice grew low "Are you okay Gem?"

"Yes." I answered too quickly, he sneered, "I told you not to lie Gem." His face was suddenly inches from mine, "You don't have to lie to me." His voice was soft; I could feel his breath brush my skin as he spoke.

"I'm not." It was barely a whisper. He sighed in exasperation, "Why do you have to be so complicated? I'm your best friend; I've known you my whole life." I didn't say anything; from a distance I could see Peter walking in our direction. "Are you mad at me or something? If you didn't want me to come I would have stayed home, you know that." Deciding that I had enough of him I began to meet Peter half way.

The ride home was silent. Talin had offered to drive home so Peter could rest; he was asleep in the passenger seat. I sat in the back, trying to get as far from Talin as the old Honda would allow me to. So far we had gone throughout the whole movie and half the drive home without speaking to each other. That is a record for Talin. I scooted closer towards the front and leaned on the center console.

"I saw him the other day." His eyebrows rose as he realized I was speaking to him, he grinned as he spoke, "Who?"

"Paul." His eyes cut into slits as he stared forward. "And?" he asked with malevolence.

"And," I continued, "He was huge! I thought you were kidding when you said he grew."

He shrugged, "I don't know, It could have been someone else."

"How'd ya figure that?"

"I don't know he just seemed different, like another soul had replaced his and took his body," he smiled, it didn't reach his eyes, "I would have thought he was someone else if I didn't really looked at him." It grew silent again.

"He's an ass."

My face fell, "You didn't think that when you guys were friends."

"Yeah, well, we're not so he's an ass." I shook my head, "What makes you think that?"

He leaned his head back on the head rest; I began to graze my fingers through his scalp. "He has a temper; I mean he's always had a temper before but now its worse." I listened as I ran my fingers over his hair, "He's always angry. Remember when I told you I tried to talk to him, well he snapped on me. I'm saying he just lost it out of nowhere." My fingers paused as I looked to him in concern, "What did you do?" he shook his head, "Nothing, his friends," his voice turned acidic at the word friends, "took him into the woods. I wasn't going to follow them." I nodded my head in agreement. Talin would never back down from a fight, but he'd never go looking for one either.

We had finally arrived at Talin's to drop him off, he was waiting by the car, "Just give me a hug before you go." I sighed out of annoyance and climbed out of the Honda. His long arms wrapped around me. I could smell the burley scent that engulfed his clothes: pine needles and burgers. I smiled, "Still work at the cabin?" I could feel his head nod.

As I tried to slip away his grip tightened. I could feel his head burrow deeper into my shoulder. "I really, really missed you." His voice was soft, quiet. Then he let go.

"Tell me what you're thinking." He whispered. My brow furrowed in confusion. Whose voice is this? It was sweet and soft with a melodic tune; it was deep and sounded as if it belonged to a man. Afraid to open my eyes I squeezed my eyelids tighter. "Bella?" I slowly, hesitatingly, opened my eyes, surprised to find a bright light cascading down upon me. It was a glow that was yellow and it surrounded the small field. I looked around to find wildflowers covering the ground. It surrounded every inch of the field and I could hear the bubbling of a stream nearby. I smiled as I let the sun shower over my skin. "Bella." I looked to the voice to find something beautiful.

He was beautiful; his bronze hair turned burgundy in the sunlight and his skin, white as alabaster, sparkled, like millions of different crystal's had broken into millions of shards to form him as a living being. He lay perfectly still in the grass, his sculpted arms bare from the sleeves pushed up to his for arm, his eyelids closed as he lay still; a perfect statue. I sat there staring wide-eyed at him. I wanted to touch him, to feel his white placid skin. I don't know why but I reached out to feel him, maybe I needed proof that he was a living thing. I glided my hand to examine the contours of his skin. Hesitantly I pointed out a finger to stroke the side of his face. "I don't scare you?" I quickly pulled my hand back; his voice was angelic and light. His eyes were still closed, he smirked

I hesitated not knowing how to answer, "No more than usual." I gulped. He smiled wider; his teeth showing in the sun. He raised his free hand and placed it gently on the side of my neck. I sat very still, the chill of his touch a natural warning; a warning that told me I should be terrified. My blood was racing, and I wished I could slow it. The thudding of my pulse in my veins and I was sure he could hear it.

"The blush on your cheeks is lovely." He sighed. He gently freed his other hand and softly brushed my cheek. "Be very still." He whispered. Slowly he leaned toward me. Then abruptly he rested his cold cheek against my throat. I listened to the sound of his breathing; watching the sun play in his bronze hair. With deliberate slowness his hands slid down from the sides of my neck to my shoulders. His face drifted to the side, his nose trailing along my collarbone, until he came to a stop where my heart was. And then he was gone. I looked around, alarmingly, the meadow to find no sight of the beauty. He was gone, as if he escaped from my grasp.

I began to panic as I headed towards the edge of the meadow. I reached the edge only to look back to find nothing. The beautiful meadow I had once laid was gone. The grass was yellow and the wildflowers were gone. The trees around it were leafless and dried out. I couldn't hear the stream anymore and the sun had cast upon the moss with disdain. I began to run, I tried to run as fast as I could but it felt like the world was slowing me down. So I tried harder, and harder; until I ended up on the cliffs of La Push. And then the faintest whisper: "jump."

Adrenaline was the first thing that woke me to consciousness. I could feel my heart beating rapidly. My t-shirt and shorts drenched in sweat. I sat up in my bed to place my hand over my heart. It was breaking through my ribcage. What kind of dream was that? Who was that guy? It disturbed me so much I didn't want to sleep so I laid in bed awake for the rest of the night; holding onto my heart trying to clutch the pain that made me feel so wounded. I was petrified from the deep emotions that coursed my soul.