"You said you had to talk to me?" Matt asked.

"Oh. Yeah...I kinda do," Gabby said.

"Want me to come down there?"

"Sure. Come sit by the fire," Gabby said, patting the spot next to her. Matt climbed down the stairs and sat by the fire. Jeff walked over to lie down next to Lily. She rested her head on his chest, and took a nap. Gabby took a deep breath and poked at the fire. Matt sighed. Gabby turned to Matt. "All right...all I wanted to say was that I'm sorry for being a bitch. Very sorry."

"S'alright...everyone can be like that from time to time, yes?"

"Yeah but...I was really mean."

"I forgive you," Matt said.

"I promise I'll be just as nice to you as I am to everyone else."

"Thanks..." he replied with a smile.

"But...I still feel bad."

"Don't....I'm so used to it by now."

"You shouldn't get used to a thing like that though..." Gabby started.

"Well...I did..."

"That’s...kind of sad..." Gabby said.

"Doesn't usually bother me anymore...but I'm glad you decided to apologize...makes me feel much better. And it’s not as sad as what some people have had to deal with," he said glancing up at Lily. "If you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know...kind of. But I am glad you feel better now."

"Me too," he said with another smile.

"I'm glad this didn't turn into one of those long 'lets talk about everyone’s feelings' type of things," Gabby stated.

"Me too...I hate when that happens..."

"When I'm up for it, its not so bad. And Wow, look at us carrying on a conversation," Gabby observed.

"Interesting...it should go down in Guinness," he added, laughing. Gabby laughed.

"Kinda scary." Matt nodded.

"Oh...and in case you're wondering, Lily's feeling much better.

"I'm glad she's better. She's gonna be happy that we're getting along and such."

"Yeah...should make her happier and less depressed. That was one of the things that made her such a wreck the other night...she had a lot on her minds...and I'm using a lot lightly...it isn't even the right word," Matt informed her.

"Poor girl. At least if we can make her happier for a little while, its good."

"Yeah," Matt said in agreement. "I see where she's coming from though, and why she keeps it all locked up inside. She's odd...very deep and mysterious...she won't let anyone inside of her...not even me. 'Cept the other night, and I think that was a rare occasion."

"It must have been...she really hasn't told me anything."

"She's afraid too...can't really blame her though. Years of one thing doesn't just change over night I guess," Matt pondered.

"No, you can't really expect it to either. She's lucky you're so patient."

"Yeah...I suppose she is. Jeff can be patient...when he wants to be," Matt informed her.

"It’s not his style though. If he was patient all the time, he just wouldn't be Jeff."

"Basically. Thanks for helping him the other day...with the flowers and such."

"I got ripped off with my two...patience is an unknown thing with them. Oh, no problem. I had to. He's too sweet not to help."

"Heh. My brother's got the cute and innocent, "I'm lost can you take me home with you?" look? I’m impressed." Matt laughed.

Gabby smiled. "And he uses it to his advantage all the time."

"Yeah...he does. Except with her...she doesn't buy it all the time. Why you think he's so grumpy in the morning sometimes?"

"Oh, I figured that out quickly. Everyone gets grumpy in the morning when they've gone without the night before," Gabby explained.

"Well...he's not always grumpy...but when he's not grumpy it's not because he got some...it's usually cause he thought of something really inventive the night before."

"Yup. I figured that out too. I just hope for his sake he gets some soon," Gabby resolved.

"Wait then...why is Chris always so grumpy?"

"Lately, or all the time? Because lately...I just haven't been with him because...of punishment I guess," Gabby reasoned.

"All of the time, I meant."

"I guess because he knows he can get away with it...or he could at least." Matt laughed. "He's an evil little man."

"Jeff can be wicked in the morning...you're lucky...you don't have to deal with him until he's fully awake."

"Though...sometimes I wish I could see him first thing in the morning, if ya take my meaning." Matt shook his head, laughing.

"I don't know if Lily would let you get away with it. She might though...but if she does then he wouldn't....ya know?

"I know. I don't think its even worth trying, I'd feel so bad." Matt nodded.

"You've seen that movie...Cruel Intentions?"

"Nope, but I've heard about it."

"Oh...then nevermind," Matt said.

"Awww, don't nevermind me. What?" Gabby pestered.

"You know that girl...uh, Reece Witherspoon? And how she was like "not until I'm married" and Ryan was sooo insistent till she finally fell in love with him and then screwed him? That's what it's like with Jeff and Lil, now that I think about it...it's kinda funny."

"True. I never thought of that, but its true."

"Yes...yes it is...it's kinda funny though. Oh...why was Edge so friggin grumpy the other morning?"

"Oh...cause I didn't sleep with him, I guess. I didn't sleep with anyone that night, come to think of it."

"And why was he so messy? What the hell did Jeff do this time?" Matt asked. Gabby laughed.

"Oh god, that was funny. Jeff just wanted to wake him up, and I suggested something funny...so I poofed up some shaving cream and such."

"Oh god..." Matt started. "Duck!" he cried.

"Duck?" Gabby reiterated, confused. Matt pushed her out of the way as what appeared to be the amount of hay in one bale came flying off the loft. Matt was buried under the loose hay. He stuck his head out.

"Damn it Jeff! Grow up!"

"What the hell? Geez..."

"It wasn't me! It was Lily's idea!" Jeff called down.

"She's asleep right there you moron! Can't you see?" Matt asked, shaking his head at Jeff. Gabby laughed.

"That was kinda funny though..."

"Yeah...I suppose so," he agreed. "You are soooo dead," Matt called up. He jumped to his feet and climbed up into the loft as fast as possible, tackling Jeff into the closest hay pile he could. Lily climbed down the ladder and sat before the fire, picking bits of hay out of her hair.

"Good afternoon Gabby."

"Afternoon Lily. Have a good sleep?" Gabby asked.

"Yes...until Jeff almost knocked me out of the loft trying to nail you with a hay bale."

"Yeah, why was he trying to do that anyway?"

"Cause he's out of his mind...he’ll be back in ten minutes," Lily explained. I honestly don't know how I put up with it. Oh...did you ever talk to Edge about why he took so long the other day?" Gabby shook her head no. "What should we do today Gabby? Any ideas?" Gabby looked down, deep in thought.

"Well...what haven't we done?"

"Umm...I know what I haven't done...but that's not exactly a "group" activity..." Lily started.

"Some people might consider it a group activity...but something wholesome and nice would be more appropriate."

"Basically. That was the point. So...any ideas?"

"Oh. So we've already been to the mall, the movies, a hospital...we can...Ummm...I really don't know."

"And the burning...don't forget that," Lily added. Gabby smacked her head.

"Can I PLEASE forget that? That was when Edge friggin forgot me."

"Did you ever figure out why?"

"Probably just because I slept by myself the night before. He's petty."
"He'd let you die because of that? I think he deserves a beating. But wait...weren't you two in the shower...then we went out to play in the snow...and then we were tied up? What about that whole shower thing?"

"What about it?" Gabby asked.

"Why would he still be peeved?"

"Who knows? He...he kinda gets like that sometimes. So does Christian," Gabby explained to her.

"Oh. What ever shall we do?"

"We can go to the beach," Gabby suggested.

"We could...sure...let's go." Lily called up to the loft. "Boys! We're going to the beach....care to join us girls?" They came down to the bottom floor.

"Sure...let's go," Matt agreed.

"Umm...can we leave the brooding boys of mine at home? I know I won't have fun if they come."

"Sure...want to bring Shan or Shane?"

"Tempting...but nah. I wanna fly solo today," Gabby said.

"Kay-o then...I'm sure my boys'll keep us company...won't ya boys?" Lily poofed the four to a deserted beach. Gabby put down a blanket and lie down right away. Lily stretched and turned around. "Jeff! Pull up the zipper of my wet suit...I can't reach it." Jeff pulled up her zipper, and then turned around as Lily pulled up his.

"Wet suit?" Gabby asked.

"Yeah...I'm going surfing!"

"Ooooh. Sounds like fun." Lily grabbed her surfboard with the blue clouds and ran out to the wavy waters, paddling out into the waves. Lily caught a wave and surfed a huge wave. Gabby sat up and watched Lily for a second. Lily surfed into the shore. Gabby waved. Lily stood up, pushing her wet hair back. She waved back, heading back into the water. She swam out and caught another wave. She rode it in gracefully. Gabby opened the cooler and grabbed a diet coke. Lily lie down on her board and floated into the shore. Gabby sighed, laying back down and looking at the clouds. Lily dragged the board in and stuck it in the sand, walking over to a towel and drying her hair. "Have fun?" Gabby asked.

"Yeah. Why don't you try it? It's really fun."

"Naah, I just wanna chill here."

"You sure? You'd love it...it's kinda like flying..."

"So's staring up at the sky when the clouds kinda float by...its calming." Lily shrugged.

"Come on Jeff." He grabbed his black board with the moon on it and followed her out to the water. Matt plopped down on the blanket next to Gabby, taking his shirt off and lying in the sun to tan. Jeff and Lily paddled out and surf beside each other

"Look how cute they are together..."

"I agree, they do look very cute together," Matt said. Gabby sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fiiiine."

"Don't lie to me Gabrielle."

"I'm not...I think I'm fine."

"I don't believe you...I know that "I'm a girl and I'm depressed but gonna lie to you anyway" sound. Lily makes it all the time."

"Am I that predictable?"

"Do you want me to tell you what you want to hear? Or the truth?" Matt grinned, being a smart-ass. Gabby shook her head.

"There shouldn't be a difference, should there?"

"Sometimes you can be predictable...sometimes you can't be. I just know there's something wrong because little one does it all the time...so I've learned to pick it up in all people."

"Well...I don't know what it is. Just something bugging me, but I can't put my finger on it."

"Does it have something to do with Edge? Or Christian? Or is it that two certain people remind you of two other people who aren't the same as they used to be?"

"Can you read my mind or something?" Gabby asked.

"Call it the knowledge of a big brother, and the ability to tell by the way you're looking at them, and what you're saying. I've been piecing it together for the past couple of days now," Matt admitted.

"They've just totally changed...so fast too. Both of them. Like, they don't care about literally anything...but sex."

"Want me to talk to them? We guys listen to each other better than we do to you girls, no offense."

"I don't think there’s a point...I really...really don't feel the same way about them that I used to."

"So try talking to them. It might help. Look. We're talking again," he said with a reassuring smile. "That's twice in one day...a new record."

"Tell me about it. Heh. And big important talkie stuff too."

"Smile Gabs, it'll do you good."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you," Gabby said.

"I don't have to think, I know." Matt put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her. "Now smile...and just trust me...you’ll feel better...much better." Gabby smiled.

"There. Happy?"

"No...not unless you are. Question is...are YOU happy?"

"I really wish I knew."

"Stop wishing and starting knowing," Matt commanded.

"Well, I don't know, all right?"

"Well why not?"

"Because...I don't even know what happy feels like..."

"Yes you do. Think about all the times you helped Lily, or Jeff, or me...or anybody. Didn't it make you feel happy to know that we were happy?"

"That’s a different kind of happy. I mean the kind of happy that makes me want to cry because I can't believe it." Matt thought.

"I don't know what I can tell you, other than I'm here for you if you ever want to talk to me," Matt said. "And I'll talk to them if you want me too, and see what answers I can get from them."

"Have you ever really felt that happy?"

"Happy I can't believe this is happening happy?"

"Yup. That kind of happy. It’s hard to come by, isn't it?"

"Yeah...but I remember feeling it once. Twice...actually."

"Wow. When?" Gabby asked.

"Well....the first time was the time when you and little one showed up in my life, and the second was when you apologized...I felt like maybe there actually was some reason for my existence..." Matt began explaining. Gabby looked away.

"So...I made you get all happy-happy."

"You could say that." Matt removed his arm from around her shoulder and grabbed a fistful of sand, letting a few grains of sand fall from between his fingers. Lily stormed back to the encampment, throwing her board in the sand and storming out to the jetty, jumping rocks until she's far out and sits, staring out into the water.

"Umm...wasn't Jeff with her?" Gabby whispered. Matt looked out into the water and saw Jeff wading ashore with his board. He pointed to him.

"Yeah....there he is." Gabby nodded. Jeff placed his board against the tree and went back to sit on the shore, looking the other way. "What the hell was that all about Jeff?" Jeff shrugged and threw a rock out into the water. "I guess we should leave them both alone...sound good?"

"Yeah...trouble in paradise, it seems,"

"They'll get over it."

"They better."

"More then likely they will...Lily can't stay mad at anyone for more then 10 minutes."

"I doubt Jeff can either," Gabby commented.

‘He can...it all depends on who it is. Me, you or her...no. When he got into that fight with Shan and Shane....that was ugly man."

"I musta been preoccupied...but no doubt him and Lily will be all smiles in a little while again."

"Hopefully it wasn't something too bad."

"How much bad stuff can happen in the middle of the ocean, really?" Gabby said.

"You'd be surprised."

"Matt dear...nothing surprises me."

"I see.....I'll remember that...and you'll be forced to smile when you get surprised....promise?"

"All right, all right. I promise." Matt looked out at the jetty a moment and then at the shore, noticing them both still sitting there. "Hmm.."

"That's odd," Matt said.

"I know...I hope everything’s okay with them.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Matt said.

"But if this goes on for longer than 15 minutes, can we worry?"

"Yeah."

"So what do we do for 15 minutes?" Gabby asked.