Jesse slowly and gently closed Petra's door behind her, careful to not wake Petra. She had finally fallen asleep, and Jesse didn't want to accidentally wake her again. She was reluctant to leave Petra now, but she knew Lukas and the others needed an explanation.

It was already dark outside, and Jesse wondered if they were still awake? Her question was immediately answered as they all swarmed her the minute she stepped into the main hall. She was instantly thrown with a million questions; why wasn't Petra a wolf any more, what was wrong with her, what happened?

"Enough!" Jesse hissed holding up her hands. "Keep it down, or you're going to wake her." She whispered loudly.

Everyone quieted down. Jesse sat down heavily on the couch, careful not to crush a sleeping Rascal in the process.

"Jesse, what happened?" Lukas asked, being the first to speak again.

Jesse took a deep breath, explaining best she can, how Petra transformed back, then broke down.

"It must have been quite traumatizing for her." Lukas said softly, a bit of guilt edged in his own voice.

"But it's cool!" Axel said, making Jesse and Lukas both glare at him. "What? It is cool!" Axel said, grumpily folding his arms.

"It's not cool, it's awful." Jesse snapped. "I don't think you realise how much pain she goes through when this happens."

Axel looked down at his feet.

"What I'm trying to figure out, is why." Lukas said, shaking his head. "The cloaked figure said he wanted you-" He gestured towards Jesse. "-to destroy yourself. How would turning you into a wolf, accomplish that?"

"I don't know." Jesse admitted. "Maybe it was supposed to have different affect on me?"

They were quiet for a bit, before Lukas got up. "Well, I for one won't let Petra go through any more of this." He said firmly. "I'm going down to Order's Library. And I'm not stopping until I find something on the spell he cast on her."

"Thanks Lukas." Jesse said, giving him an appreciative smile. "I would come and help, but I kind of promised Petra I'd be there for her if she needed me. I don't want her to wake up and find I'm not there." She explained.

Lukas shook his head. "No, no, it's good, of course I understand. She needs you more right now."

He turned around to leave for the library, when he stopped and turned back again. "Radar, come and help me out will you?"

"What, why?" Radar asked, looking annoyed.

"Because we need to figure out what the hell that guy cast on Petra." Jesse said matter-of-factly, giving Radar a stern look.

He might not be working for her any more, but just like in the old days, that look instantly made him gulp, and nod. He quickly jogged after Lukas.

"What do you want me to do?" Axel asked Jesse eagerly.

She sighed, waving her hand dismissively. "Whatever you want, Axel. Go raid the kitchen or something." She said.

"OK!" Axel said excitedly, instantly darting off into the next room.

Jesse just sighed again, for once too tired to appreciate Axel's humour. She slowly turned around, walking up the stairs again.

She slowly pushed open Petra's door, stepping inside. Petra was asleep, but the faint stains of tears were still visible on her face. It felt very unusual to see Petra like that.

Almost frightening. Jesse thought to herself.

She sighed, and sat down on the window seat, pulling her knees up to her chest. It was cold, and Jesse regretted not bringing a blanket with her. But she didn't want to get up now and go get one, in case she accidentally woke Petra.

Jesse leaned her head against the cold, frosty glass, looking out at her town. Beacontown's usually busy streets were quiet, as snow gently fell. It was a horrible sight, and Jesse knew – they haven't even begun to fix the mess.

Jesse felt her eyelids getting heavier. She didn't fight it, and simply closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift off.

---------------------------

When Jesse woke up again, it was much later. It was much darker and the temperature had dropped even lower. Jesse found herself stiff, her body aching slightly from the uncomfortable position, as well as the bitter cold. She shivered violently, wrapping her arms around herself.

Then she heard it again, the sound that had woken her up in the first place. It was soft crying. Jesse blinked a few times. Was she imagining it? But she certainly wasn't, as the soft, heartbroken sobs continued. Whoever was crying wasn't simply upset, they were genuinely sad.

Jesse looked around her, starting a bit at the unfamiliar surroundings. Then she remembered, she wasn't in her own room, she was in Petra's. That's why she was in the window seat in the first place.

Jesse instantly turned towards Petra's bed, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Her first instinct, was that Petra was dreaming. After everything that happened that day, it would only be natural for Petra to have nightmares, wouldn't it?

She could just about make out her friend's shape. Petra was lying on her stomach, her face buried into the pillows and her shoulders shaking with every soft sob. She was very clearly, awake.

Jesse shook her head. That didn't look like a reaction Petra would have to a bad dream. In fact, it didn't look like the reaction Petra would have to anything. When Petra was upset, she tend to handle it very differently.

Jesse stood up from the window seat, dull pain pulsing through her cold, stiff legs. She walked over to the bed, reaching out to gently touch her friend's shoulder.

"Petra?" She asked softly as she did so.

Petra jolted at the touch. She looked up with wide, horrified eyes.

"It's just me." Jesse said softly.

"My god, Jesse... what are you doing in here?" Petra breathed, still sounding shocked, but almost relieved.

She quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve, hoping Jesse couldn't see her tears in the dark. But Jesse already knew.

"Petra, what's wrong?" Jesse asked, as she leaned over to turn on the light that was positioned on the bedside table. Petra immediately turned away to avoid eye-contact.

"You don't have to hide anything from me, Petra." Jesse said softly. "What's wrong? You know you can tell me."

Petra looked back at Jesse. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen, like she's been crying for a very long time. Jesse felt awfully guilty for not waking up sooner.

"It's nothing." Petra said, although she couldn't even bring herself to fake a smile.

"It's gotta be something, Petra." Jesse whispered, reaching over to wipe a stray tear off Petra's cheek.

Petra instantly pulled away.

"Is it about what happened today?" Jesse asked softly, sitting down beside Petra.

"No..." Petra whispered.

"Then what's wrong?" Jesse prompted again.

Petra looked up at her, frowning. "Jesse, you don't have to know everything. Just forget what you saw, OK?"

Petra hated to be caught in a moment of weakness, and Jesse knew that. Still, she felt felt taken aback by the steel in Petra's voice.

"But I want to help you." Jesse said softly.

Petra bit her lip, like she was trying really hard to stop herself from bursting into a fresh set of tears. Jesse wasn't used to seeing her like this.

"Jesse..." She said softly. "I don't want to talk about it."

Jesse knew she couldn't force Petra to speak. Heck, neither did she want to force Petra, into anything. But she couldn't possibly just ignore it.

"Petra, I know you." She said softly, reaching out to touch Petra's hand.

Once again, her friend instantly pulled away.

"You wouldn't be acting like this, unless it's very important." Jesse said, looking at Petra with sympathetic eyes.

"Maybe not, but I told you. I don't want to talk about it." Petra said, her voice wavering slightly. She blinked hard, before avoiding eye-contact once more.

"I hate to see you like this." Jesse whispered. "I don't want my best friend to be sad."

"Well neither do I!" Petra unexpected snapped at Jesse, more tears dripping down her face. She wiped them away in frustration.

"What?" Jesse asked uncertainly. Petra bit her trembling lip as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "Jesse I..." She said, only to have her words choke in her throat.

She lowered her head into her hands, her shoulders sinking.

"I'm an awful person." She muttered, her voice muffled by her hands.

Jesse was utterly confused.

"Jesse, when we first got back to Beacontown..." Petra wiped her eyes on her sleeve again. "..that first night, I came over to your room to hang out. But when I stopped outside the door I heard you talking to Radar."

Petra was now just looking down at her bed covers. Her voice dropped to a low whisper.

"I heard what you told him. I realised.." She closed her eyes. "I pulled you away from everything you loved Jesse. And no matter how happy you pretended to be in those years of adventuring, you missed Beacontown. But I was too... too blind to notice that you were unhappy!"

She clenched her fists, causing her knuckles to turn white.

"I'm overwhelmed by this guilt and... fear. Fear of what happened in the past would repeat itself."

She looked over at Jesse, trying to keep her expression straight. Still, her eyes were desperate.

"I can't force you to come with me again. You deserve to be happy, you deserve to stay here. I have considered staying here as well, but in the past...

When I'm cropped up in one place for too long, I change. I was mean to you in the past Jesse. This wouldn't be fair to you, I don't want to hurt you. I don't want become like that again. You deserve better.

But honestly... I can't bare the thought of losing you.... It's the admin's cabin all over again, Jesse."

During all this, Jesse just sat there, her eyes wide. She never knew Petra felt this way. Then she realised. Petra who was tired every morning, blaming it on her so called "uncomfortable" bed, Petra who didn't sleep at all that night they slept in the main hall... Was this keeping her awake every single night because of what she heard? She couldn't believe that. 

As if Petra could read her mind, she explained.

"At first I did what I always did." She whispered.

"I broke things. I sat here at night, just cursing to myself, tearing up pieces of paper, hitting things.."

Her voice trailed off slightly.

"But it's all just gotten too much. It didn't felt like I was getting anywhere. And after everything that happened today, all the fear and pain I felt, I just kind of... broke. I didn't know you were in here."

"Petra..." Jesse said softly.

Petra didn't say anything, she just once again covered her face with her hands. Jesse gently reached over, lifting Petra's chin. Petra removed her hands, looking Jesse in the eyes.

"You didn't hear the whole conversation that night, did you?" Jesse asked softly.

"I heard you telling Radar that leaving Beacontown was the hardest thing you ever did." Petra said in her shaking voice.

Jesse gave Petra a warm smile. "I did say that. But I also told him, that no matter how hard it was, it was the best decision I ever made."

"But you didn't do it out of free will." Petra said softly. "You did it, because you're Jesse, you always put others before yourself. You were thinking of how I felt, not of yourself.

And I was too blind to notice that-"

Jesse didn't let Petra continue.

"Petra this isn't where I belong. Running Beacontown was great while it lasted, but I don't want my life to end with me sitting behind a desk. I'm happy when I'm out there, exploring... with you."

Petra looked Jesse in the eye, new tears starting to form. "Are you sure that's true? Are you sure you're not just doing this for... for me?" She asked softly.

Jesse shook her head. "I promise." She said.

Petra leaned forward, tightly embracing Jesse.

"I wouldn't be happy alone." Jesse said softly. "All I want is to be with my friends, to be with you. Your happiness is important to me."

"I've never had a friend like you." Petra whispered softly. "Everyone always left me. It's why I've never opened up to anybody... except for you. I guess I was just too afraid of being let down."

"You don't have to worry." Jesse whispered. "I'll never leave you. You mean too much to me."

"Why?" Petra whispered, as she rested her head on Jesse's shoulder. "What have I ever done to..." she choked slightly on her words. "..to deserve this?"

Jesse smiled warmly at her. "How are you even asking me that? The fact that you've been tearing yourself up inside, just because you thought you made me unhappy... doesn't that prove what a great friend you really are?"

She pulled Petra into another tight hug.

"I just don't want to loose you." Petra whispered. "I don't want to be alone."

"And you never will be. Not while I'm around."

Pfft, can't believe I updated already again :') I'm going to fly through this book at this rate, but I just can't help myself. I'M TOO MOTIVATED-

So, I tweaked this chapter a lot, it's actually completely different to how it was when I first wrote it. But I wanted to adjust it so it matches Petra's character a lot more. Over all what happened here is way out of character for her - as Jesse mentions several times - but everybody has a breaking point. Considering the circumstances, I don't think we can blame Petra for reaching hers.

We also finally discovered that it was Petra all along who was listening in on the conversation in the (what was it? Third?) third chapter. One person actually guessed it XD Congrats, you were correct! XD

That's all I think I have to say for now. Slightly less active chapter, but WE GOT FRIENDSHIP MOMENTS, SO IT'S OK.

And I'm already dying to post the next chapter, kill me now.