Christian had taken it upon himself to scout out the nights meal. Gabrielle was quite pleased with the results. A twenty-something male with, from what they could tell, as wasted existence, who welcomed death. They had taken him into an alley, their usual custom, Christian drinking first, followed by Gabrielle, who finished off. She let the body fall slowly to the ground and gazed up at Christian. He had neglected to wipe a single drop of blood, falling slowly from the left corner of his mouth. She walked closer and ran her finger where the blood dripped, pressing it to his lips. Staring at her, first in confusion, then in acceptance, he quickly cleaned her finger of the blood before she leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth where a trace of blood still ran. Christian closed his eyes, enjoying the new-found attention from Gabrielle as he felt her teeth catch his lower lip, and her hands slide up his back. Neither of them realised what was happening. The present alcohol in the mans blood had dazed them both more than normally. As Gabrielle's mouth closed over his, he felt something wasn't right, but didn't want to stop, loving the feeling of her tongue sweeping the crevices of his mouth. Christian ran his tongue over her still developing fangs, wrapping arms around her waist and turning her, pushing her back against the wall. Gabrielle's hands shifted to run up and down his chest, finally resting on the waistband of his dark jeans, attempting to delve further. Christian was lost in the kiss, ever increasing in passion and heat when something in him realised it was wrong. Mustering up strength from an unknown place, he tore himself away from her embrace, removing her hands from their precarious position. She attempted to kiss him again, but he grabbed her wrists and forced her back. As his own daze wore off, he sensed that hers was going to last a great while. Sighing, and knowing there was no point in talking, for anything he said would fall on deaf ears, he let one of her wrists go, and walked out of the alley. As they walked back to the car, Christian did his best to spurn her advances and remain emotionless, proving harder than he expected. Gabrielle was still dazed, and apparently, had only one thought, trying to get a response out of Christian, nipping his neck lightly, toying with the buttons on his shirt, and other not so subtle movements. Finding the car, he opened the door for her, and almost dreaded the lengthy ride back. She hadn't spoken, not even when he had to literally pry her off him and push her down into the car. Christian slid onto the bench seat in front of the wheel and closed his eyes before starting the car, not wanting to guess what Gabrielle was going to try and do to him next. To his surprise, all she did was put her arms around his waist, and rest her head on his shoulder, her energy apparently spent on her advances. Smiling to himself, Christian began the long drive home.

Edge was practically waiting to pounce on her when she came home, but Christian carefully explained what had happened, as Edge look blankly at him.

"But you didn't actually.." Christian shook his head,

"No. I'd never." Edge nodded.

"Good. Thanks for taking care of her, Christian. And thanks for not taking advantage of the situation." He smiled and decided to take Gabrielle from Christian.

"Edge….just let her sleep." He called out after his brother, who was carefully helping Gabrielle upstairs.

"I had no other intentions." He remarked, sighing as they reached her room, and the set her on the bed pulling up a chair, creating an all too familiar mockery of her first night feeding.

"Edge.." she said, voice shaking. He took her hand and answered.

"Yes, Gabrielle?"

"I'm so tired…"

"Lay down Gabrielle. Go to sleep." She shook her head slowly.

"No. I don't want to. I want to stay up with you."

"Please, just sleep. I'll stay right here, beside you. You need to sleep." His eyes pleaded with her, but she gazed back almost unaware.

"I want to stay up. I was thinking about something.."

"About what happened with Christian?" she mouthed his name and shook her head again.

"No, you. I realised that I don't know anything about you. Can you tell me? All of it?" Gabrielle asked, hope in her voice and eyes. As Edge stared into those eyes, he felt pain well up in him. He had been over this moment in his mind so many times, and was somehow not prepared for it. So he just sat, staring down at her hand enclosed in his and prayed they both forgot. He opened his mouth not knowing what to say, but hearing something Jeff had told him. You owe it to her. Jeff's voice rang through Edge's head. of course he was right, and he owed Gabrielle that and so much more. But if he couldn't accept his past, how could Gabrielle?

"Gabrielle…" he began, "I'm not ready. I can’t tell you."

"Why?" her voice had the curiosity of a child.

"Because I need to face it first. I need…I need a release from it before I can tell anyone."

"Oh." She lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I'm really sorry. But there are things I can't even understand myself, and I just - Time. I need time." She nodded slowly, and squeezed his hand. "Thank you." He said, trying to smile.

"Its okay. I owe it to you." She remarked, before letting his hand fall, and turning over to sleep. Edge pondered her words, and couldn’t help but notice her bitterness in her last phrase, but he never left her side.

Jeff nodded wordlessly, listening to Christian tell him about the night's events.

"And you're sure it was just the alcohol in the blood? Maybe you both slipped…"

"No, because even after I knew what was happening, she kept trying to get at me." He sighed.

"So you feel like you can't trust yourself around her anymore?" It was more of a statement rather than a question.

"Exactly. I mean, I would do anything with her, in a second. But I don't know if I can take her out hunting anymore. We could have easily gone further."

"But you didn't." Jeff pointed out.

"That’s hardly the point."

"But it could be, Christian. You showed restraint. You respect her relationship with Edge too much to let anything happen. You should be happy."

"Then why don’t I feel happy? Why do I feel like I'm being torn up every time I see them?"

"You love her too much. You may have been with her in the past, but you're not now."

"But I can be. In a second, I can be. I could have been tonight, but I wasn't. And I don't understand why." Christian sighed, and looked at Jeff who was deep in thought.

"Don't ask questions, Christian. Not too many. Just accept it. You cannot have Gabrielle." Christian's eyes hardened towards Jeff, and he abruptly left the room.