A/N: New chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed reading the previous chapter. I wasn't really sure how to continue the plot from that point but last night, I saw the light! Enjoy. Read and review? -AniaCrimsonWolf

Gabby's POV:

My sleep was fitful; haunted by thoughts of Jacob and the familiarity of his warm, chestnut eyes, so I was glad when I heard that familiar howl, flooded with sadness. I jumped out of bed, still in Jake's oversized hoodie, and ran down the stairs with my plate of cold stake in hand. Stepping out into the backyard, I let out a low whistle and waited.

Wolfy came faster this time, less hesitantly. He stopped about two steps ahead of me, bowed his head down and let out a low whine. An apology.

"Hey buddy, its fine…I'm not mad Wolfy" I said in my best comforting voice. I reached towards him with an outstretched hand and cupped his muzzle so I could look into his eyes. They stared into mine; filled with more raw, honest emotion than any human eyes I had ever seen. They reflected my confusion and loneliness with eerie accuracy and they shone with sadness I had seen somewhere else.

He looked away then and started sniffing at the plate of stake in my hand. I offered him a piece which looked surprisingly tiny in his enormous mouth. He finished the second one the same way before sinking down on the ground. I sat down beside him and leaned against him, reveling in the warmth of his fur. He smelt like the woods, like mud after heavy rainfall, like the smell of wood in a fireplace…he smelt familiar for some reason. I tried to recall where I had smelt it before but drew a blank. He let out a defeated sigh and gently laid his head down in my lap. I gingerly placed my hand on his head and buried my fingers in the deceptively soft fur.

Jacob's POV:

What am I doing? I thought to myself. I had my head in Gabby's lap and it shocked me how comfortable I was…how right this felt. She had her cold fingers buried in my fur and was gently stroking my head. I could tell she was seconds away from dozing off. I hadn't wanted to wake her up and I almost didn't come but then I remembered the look of abandonment in her eyes when she spoke about being left alone and I couldn't stop myself.

A light in the hall went on, probably Sam getting ready for his shift, and suddenly Gabby sat up, her eyes wide with alarm. She pushed my head off her lap gently and stood up, pushing my shoulders with as much force as she could. Why was she doing that? Did she want me to leave? I felt my heart crack a little more…

"Wolfy you have to get out of here. Sam's a fairly nice guy if not a little too serious but he is definitely not crazy and I swear to you, he will shoot your brains out if he sees you here" she said, in a frantic whisper.

The new cracks disappeared as abruptly as they had come, replaced by warm feeling. She was worried about me.

"Go Wolfy, before Sam gets his shotgun out!" The thought of Sam carrying a shotgun was so hilarious I snorted a laugh. Not the right move around Gabby since she was one of the few people who could actually understand I was laughing. I felt something connect with the back of my head, making a THWAK sound and realized it was her palm. Jesus, there was something severely wrong with this girl. She didn't know I was human and she had absolutely no reservations about slapping a wild, potentially dangerous animal's head.

"This isn't funny Wolfy. Shotguns are scary. They can severely maim or even kill!" She said, her eyes widening adorably at the word 'kill'.

Sam was at the door now, his silhouette visible through the widows of the kitchen. Gabby's shoves became stronger, more persistent.

"Go wolfy, get out of here" she urged.

Sam could hear her. He stopped at the door, probably waiting for me to go so that he wouldn't have to fake an appropriate reaction.

She gave me one last shove and I yielded, running towards the woods. From the safety of the forest's shadowy cover I watched as Sam came out to the yard and a few minutes later, Gabby walked into the house and the light in her bedroom went off. I waited in the cover of the trees for a few more moments, looking up at her window.

Sam acknowledged my presence with a curt nod and disappeared into the forest to phase.

As I lay in bed that night I thought about Bella and how hurt I'd been when she chose that stupid bloodsucker over me. I thought of her eyes,the planes of her forever red cheeks, the way she held her mouth just so when she was upset. I thought of Bella and suddenly I realised something that abruptly jerked me into a state of absolute, unrelenting shock.

Thoughts of Bella didn't make me sad anymore.

Don't get me wrong, it still hurt but that empty, hopeless black void was no longer there. Instead it was replaced by a kaleidoscope of thoughts, each so different from the other but at same time similar. They flitted through my mind like a movie on fast forward. Thoughts of happiness and hope.

I was getting drowsy now and the thoughts were slowing down, gradually slipping away.

Smiling, I closed my eyes and just before giving in the numbness of sleep, I reached out in my mind, grabbing one last thought, a single word.

Gabby.