With out further adu here is the next chapter thanks for your support by reading and reviewing :) EnJoY

I get back up to the top of the cliff it is all swirling around in my head and it is all so unbelievable that I almost accused him of joking with me. I may have believed it possible when I first came here but now seeing the genuine look in his eye, I don't doubt him, I think. I have to get this all sorted out in my head, he wouldn't have told me any of this crap, that is if it is true, without trusting me.

I pull out my cell phone and scan the countless numbers I now have to choose from but in the end I flip it closed and sink down against the side of the car. I can't do it to him, give him the very reaction that he expected from me. I pick up a pebble from the side of the road and roll it between my fingers…nobody gave me that chance to explain, they just tossed me aside because I was different all of a sudden. Cast out of the normal and into the same place Collin was afraid I would send him—freak.

I close my eyes and will my racing heart to slow because I don't need to have a heart attack when he actually finds his way back up here. The side of the car is warm against my back, I try and keep my mind on the tactile sensations around me because I hear all the questions lingering and trying to work to the surface. Questions I know I am not ready to ask. It takes him a good thirty minutes to emerge from the trees, but I can't bring myself to look at him for fear of what I would see or think/

"Sorry, I though you just walked away, I'll ummm, leave."

"Don't…" Is all I can manage as I fight against the hurt I hear in his voice, the very hurt that I caused. I hear his feet stop on the gravel and I peek up at him as all my courage dissolves into consternation.

"Do…do you think you could give me a ride home?" I ask, yeah I know it is a lame start but I can't exactly blurt out that I don't care if you go furry sometimes right now.

"Yeah, sure…couldn't you get a hold of someone?"

"I never tried, I would rather you take me home and maybe stay for dinner."

I hear his breath trail past his lips and into his mouth as he starts to round the car towards the driver's seat. I quickly pull myself up and into the car trying hard to ignore the fact that the guy next to me is a wolf, well not right now but he has the ability to be.

"So what changed your mind?" He asks as we pull a U-turn and head back to my house.

"Please," I let out a breath, "No questions right now, I'm not trying to ignore anything but first home then food and then we can talk about serious stuff, okay." I look at him for confirmation and am satisfied by his timid smile.

We say nothing what so ever until we get to my house, I watch him hesitate slightly before getting out of the car to follow me. I completely understand hell; I probably created one of his worse nightmares minutes ago, rejections over who he is. At least my rejection stemmed from my actual actions, choice I had a choice unlike him he was born to be what he is. I realize we both have stopped walking due to my slight stare I have going, directly at him.

I take a deep breath grab his hand and start pulling him towards the front door. It seems like days ago that we stood here grumbling about where to go, when in fact it has only been a couple hours at the most. His hand still feels too hot against mine and it starts my brain wondering through the whole genetic thing once again, Oh, My, Gosh…. It hits me halfway up the front steps and I drop his hand like it is diseased before I can stop myself. My feet stumble and my hands collide with the stairs wooden planks. I land with an ommph which is enough for me to gather my thoughts and adjust to the idea. I may not want to ostracize Collin from my life but little things I realize might have an itsy bitsy impact on my sanity from time to time. Calm has never been one of my virtues and it isn't about to start being one just because Collin happens to not be all human. Yeah, I can't say it yet.

"Are you Okay?" Duh, stupid question from my point of view down here on the ground, but I guess from his perspective it would seem like the logical thing to ask.

I take in some oxygen hoping for a suppressing feeling to be drawn in with it, "I'm fine, sorry, just had a slight miscalculation there both inside and outside of my body." I say with what I hope is a reassuring smile.

His hand is outstretched for me to grab onto, the very hand that I just shot away from, I can do this my internal monologue screams as I grasp it again allowing the warmth to flood me once again.

"So what do you want to eat? I need to cook something…or do you not really like things cooked…gawh I didn't mean it like that its just that, well…" I scramble for something intelligent to say and fail.

"Relax…cooked food is wonderful," He chortles, "Not to keen on the vegetarian perspective on food but anything works." He smiles and slides up to onto the counter along side the stove.

"Sorry…never mind, I'll uh see what we got."

I open the fridge and freezer and stare into the monstrous thing, the only thing that looks semi-easy to cook is the pre-made pre-seasoned hamburger patties. The lucky winner ding, ding you got that right hamburgers and French fries it is.

I set to work concentrating on the food all the while he is just sitting there plain as day next to the stove; maybe he is hoping proximity will make it easier for me to take it all in, in the long run. I don't know if it is working, we aren't talking as per my request, but I didn't think that meant no conversation what so ever.

The food makes it into our bellies and the dishes to the sink but my mouth still has yet to open to utter a word and my eyes have yet to meet his since I started cooking. Tensions are high but the reason isn't so simple.

"Should we go up to my room or into the backyard?" I ask as I whirl around not wanting to be out in the downstairs due to my father coming home sometimes in the near future.

"Where ever you feel more comfortable?" He says softly while eyeing me warily.

My mouth opens to reply, my teeth zero in my bottom lip as my mind draws a blank…what was the question again?

"Come, on lets just go upstairs." He comes to my obvious rescue seeing as somewhere between leaving this afternoon and coming back I appear to have had a lobotomy. Funny how my internal reason still seems to compute but I am at a total loss of how and when to respond externally.

He leads me up the stairs which seems totally backwards since it is my house but I am in no state to argue right now as it is, am I in shock or something. No, no, no, I take another of those supposed to be calming breaths and I feel a frown grace my face, a frown at my actions not at the situation. He is being patient, how commendable.

I feel the chill as my hand leaves his and I flop down on my bed, "Grrrrrr, this sucks it seems like I can't get any words or thoughts to come out right," I squeeze my eyes shut against the comforter of my bed as I feel the tears start to force their way through my lids.

"I don't want to do this to you, I've gone through what it feels like to be cast out and just because you are a little different I was ready to do just that, it would be like turning into the epitome of everything I fear." I turn my head and look over my shoulder at him, my eyes wet, his image blurred, but still he hasn't left. I feel like I betray him and he still stands there hoping that I will come around.

"Please don't cry." He says taking a step forward only to retreat just as quickly.

"Don't hate me for not accepting you from the start, don't stay here if at the end of the day you are gonna push me away, please don't…" I mumble through my tears and this time he doesn't retreat or stop himself. This time his too warm arms wrap around me and pull me close to him.

Some how contentment seems to rush past the tension, sorrow, and fear before I can even drop one tear upon his shoulder.