"What?" Christian said as quietly as possible.

"I need to talk to Gabrielle. " was the muffled response from the other side of the door.

"Jeff? You can come in then." Christian said, gently shaking Gabrielle's arm, in an attempt to wake her up. She just rolled over. Jeff walked in the room and stood, resting his head against a bedpost at the end. "Gabrielle? Get up, love." Christian said softly, leaning over to her.

"Why?" Christian glanced over at Jeff, who sighed.

"There's something downstairs you need to see, Gabrielle." She raised her head and looked at Jeff.

"I heard the door shut. Did Edge leave?" she asked slowly.

"Please, you have to come downstairs before I tell you anything." His eyes pleaded with her, and Christian's forehead creased in thought. Gabrielle reluctantly drew back the covers and tossed on the first clothes she could find on the floor, following Jeff downstairs. Upon reaching the kitchen, Jeff pointed to the letter on the table, and with a questioning glance, Gabrielle walked to the table and picked it up. Her eyes devoured the text once, then again before letting it slip out of her hands and fall with a soft rustle to the floor.

"Oh…" she remarked, pain constricting her throat, preventing her from saying more as she sank down to her knees beside where the letter had fallen. Christian watched from the doorway, unable to understand what was happening, until he walked over and picked up the letter. He stared at it as the words began to form and take meaning, then stared down at Gabrielle, who had no visible reaction. She stared back at him, a shocked look beginning to take form on her face.

"I didn't know…" she said, quietly. "Why didn't he let me know?" Christian sank to his knees beside her, and looked at her face. She had quickly passed on from the shock to a blank, stoic look. Jeff moved closer, pulling a chair out from the table and sitting before them.

"Gabrielle, he wants you to know he loves you. It was the last thing he said to me." She shook her head, unable to comprehend the thoughts. If he loved her, why did he have t go? Surely, she could have helped him get past the darkness and rage within. Blankly, she felt Christians arms reach around and gather her close, trying to comfort. But she couldn’t feel anything at all. Not for Edge's departure, and nothing for Christian. She couldn’t react because she didn't know how.

Gabrielle remained silent for the better part of the remaining night, but she had moved off of the kitchen floor. She sat on the bench seat, looking out the window at blackness. It seemed that’s all there was. Christian had patiently tried to explain to her that Edge had a tendency to run off for a while on his own, and he would come back. Gabrielle still hadn't responded.

"He's done this before, and he's always back. He just needs time to himself." Christians hands were wrapped around an almost blisteringly hot mug of coffee as he sat beside her. He had set down a mug for her, but it remained untouched. It was black.

Jeff had sifted through the house restlessly, unable to commit himself to doing anything. Once again, he found himself in the kitchen, looking at a worn out Christian, and at Gabrielle, the same as she had been before.

"She's not responding to anything. She's not hearing me." Jeff thought for a moment.

"Well, she could be in shock, or something like that. I know how you must be used to your brother leaving, but she's only ever been away from him for 2 days, if that." He glanced at Gabrielle. "Its so final, the way he left."

"But he will be back. He always comes back." Christian said, with hope in his voice more for Gabrielle than himself. A look of uncertainty grew on Jeff's face.

"I don't know…"

"He won't." came a ragged worn voice, out of the brief silence. The boldness and stark truth in Gabrielle's voice startled Christian. "Did you read the letter? He's gone." Her eyes fixed themselves into the deep black pool of coffee before her.

"He said the same of you once, " Christian said sharply, "And you came back."

"But he won't. You know, don't you Jeff?" she asked, cocking her head and looking at Jeff, who lowered his gaze. "See? And it doesn’t matter anymore." Christian glanced sideways at her, astonished by her words. "I want to go out."

"But - "

"I'm hungry. I want to hunt." She ignored Christians interjections, and protest. He sighed and rose not wanting to let her out, but knowing there wasn’t much he could do.