new

by lifeonflames

new

She stood in the rain, water droplets camouflaging her tears. April had just gotten a call from her now ex-boyfriend about how he had fallen for a new woman. She was a painter, he told her. His voice when he described her was like something she had never heard before. According to him, she had a beautiful name Veronica which totally suited her personality. She was sophisticated, beautiful and most importantly, she wasn't boring. Apparently, April was boring. He had the guts to cheat on her and then call her boring and all of it over a phone call.

But there was a certain truth to his words. She was just a kindergarten teacher. Although she used to be a gymnast and a ballerina, all of which she had stopped doing to pursue a stable life. And a stable life for her meant boring for her boyfriend. It broke her heart to hear those words, and even more when she realized that they were in fact true.

In fear of ending up like her father, she had shed her rebellious nature. Or maybe it wasn't fear. It was an effort to please her mom, to ease her worries. But where had that left her? What had she become? Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a horn and April quickly stepped away from a speeding car. Ignoring the yelling of the angry driver she called a taxi and shuffled inside.

Her mind and heart were painfully numb when the taxi arrived at her house. April paid the driver and left the car before he could return the change. Her movements felt mechanic as she opened her mailbox and fished out a few letters without really looking at them. The keys jingled in her hand as she opened the door and closed it behind her. Once she was in the safety of her bedroom, the tears returned, this time tenfold.

April wasn't one of those clichéd girls who would gorge on tubs of ice creams after a bad break up and which was why she didn't have a coping mechanism for these things. She plopped down on her bed, a headache already forming. Soon enough she had dozed off, her eyes puffy and red.

When April woke up the next morning it was due to persistent knocking on her door. Her eyes stung as she yelled at the person who had broken her slumber. "I am coming." Her rather loud statement effectively silenced them.

Her friend Emma stood in front of her with an annoyingly wide smile on her face. "What is it?" April asked letting her in. "Good morning to you too," she spoke in her distinct British accent. April rolled her eyes as she started her kettle. Emma plopped down on the couch looking at her in concern. "Though, your morning doesn't look too good."

April scoffed as she fetched two mugs from her cabinet. "What gave it away?" Emma shook her head at her friend. "Ryan called me and asked me to check up on you. He told me about the breakup."

Taking a seat beside Emma as she handed her the steaming mug, she deeply concentrated on hers not yet ready to face her friend of seven years, the only voice of reason in her life after her father's death. "Ems, I am fine really. I just need some time alone. Maybe I'll take a small vacation, go back to my mom's place." It was pretty obvious that she found April's suggestion quite ridiculous because Emma was barely able to control her laughter. "Your mom? You hate her. And you are running again."

She sighed heavily in response. "I don't hate her. We just have really different opinion about how I should be living my life. I mean maybe this time we could really connect you know."

"Keep dreaming child," Emma mocked her, "I am the daughter of my mother. You know that she is a complete psycho. But when I met your mum, she managed to surprise even this estranged daughter." She pointed towards herself with her thumb. "Trust me; all you need is a few drinks inside your belly and some crazy good time with me."

April smiled at her. "Alright we can do that tonight but tomorrow I am leaving to see my mother." She knew her friend wasn't entirely convinced. And it was for good reason too. To put it simply, April's mother hadn't been the same after they lost her father. It had affected her deeply and she became a paranoid woman, never letting her one and only daughter out of her sight. It was nothing short of a miracle that she had allowed April to leave Lawrence and come to live here in New York. It had surely taken a lot of convincing on her part. Emma broke her chain of thoughts as she spoke, "How about I pick you up at 5? We can go shopping and then we can directly go clubbing."

April nodded as she sipped her coffee. "That sounds great."

It was already 3 in the afternoon and April was staring at her laptop screen in despair. She wasn't sure whether this would be a good idea or a complete disaster. She hadn't seen her mom since over a year. Surely they would talk on the phone now and then but their conversations would never last for more than two minutes. Guilt took over April and she decided to call her mother to confirm her plans for her visit so that she couldn't back out of it.

Saying that it was a strained talk was a gross understatement. Her mom had sounded happy to learn of the forthcoming visit. But after hearing of her breakup, she had forgotten all of her happiness, instead focusing on the point that April was only visiting her mother because she needed some time away from the wretched place that New York was.

Nonetheless, by 5 pm April had booked her flight ticket and was ready with her small sling bag to go on a shopping spree.

Emma, being the punctual Englishwoman, was outside her door within a few moments. The day went by swiftly with both of them walking from this store to that, trying dresses and shirts and skirts and whatever else they could get their hands on. It had been quite long since April had actually spent money so leisurely. But today she was going to indulge herself come hell or high water.

Soon enough they were at Emma's apartment, getting ready for the crazy night they had planned.

It didn't take them too long to get ready as Emma was good at selecting their outfits from the pool of the new clothes they had bought. Going with a crimson shirt with a black leather skirt for herself, she chose a violet number for her friend. April was quite impressed with her choice as she checked herself out in the mirror. "It makes my ass look way better than it actually is."

Emma grinned at her.

The club they had chosen was packed with sweaty bodies grinding and dancing at every corner.

Emma quickly guided them towards the bar and they both took a seat on the metallic stools. "Two whiskeys on the rocks," she ordered and the bartender nodded as he retrieved two glasses. What started with a couple of drinks became something else entirely as April downed the alcohol nonstop. Emma felt concern rise in her but she let her friend get drunk because this was the only time she wasn't being completely uptight. Within an hour, April found herself weeping about Ryan and his absolutely mean comment on how boring she was.

"He's right, you know. He's totally right about me being the most fucking boring girlfriend to ever exist. I can't believe how long it took me to realize that." April tried to gracefully slide down the stool but almost tripped only to be saved by a handsome man catching her by her elbow.

"Are you okay, Miss?" he asked and she melted right away. His eyes were a color of the greenest grass she had ever laid her eyes her on. They matched her own. But he had sandy blond hair whereas she was blessed with a head full of thick brown locks. "Yes, I am fine," she spoke trying to keep her balance. His hand didn't leave her elbow and she could feel the warmth shooting up her arm.

Emma caught the googly eyes they were giving each other and decided to excuse herself. The stranger smiled at April as he let her sit back on the stool taking the seat beside her. "My name is Matt." He extended his hand and she shook it gently. "Mine's April."

He was wearing a classy grey suit on a crisp white shirt. It made him look out of place in this club which seemed to be full of horny teenagers. April was glad that she didn't feel the urge to cry anymore as they talked. She learnt that he was a manager in some bank and told him about her teaching profession. After a few drinks, she felt him leaning closer to whisper softly in her ear, "Wanna get out of here?"

April tried not to be too eager as she nodded. His smirk told her that she wasn't really successful but she didn't mind because as soon as they stepped into his car, his hands found her face and he pulled her close to plant a rough kiss on her lips. He was definitely very eager. It was heated, reckless and everything that she wasn't. A small pang of guilt formed in her chest as his big hands began roaming her body to find the zipper on her dress. She just wasn't drunk enough to do this.

She tried to be gentle as she pried his hands away from her body. They both were heaving and she found genuine concern flash in his eyes when he looked at her flushed face. "Did I do something wrong?"

April shook her head. "No you were great, I just," she stammered a bit, looking for a way to say what she wanted to say without embarrassing herself or him. "I don't do this much." He gave her a confused look. "I just had a breakup through a goddamn phone call and I think I will regret it later if we go any further."

Matt pulled away from her instantly and she tried not to wince. "I don't want to be a rebound." His voice and his eyes weren't warm anymore as he leaned over and opened the car door. "You should leave."

Ashamed and a bit angry at herself, April let herself out after mumbling an apology. After finding Emma inside the club and narrating the whole ordeal, she decided that it was time to call it a night.

She was tired and just wanted to fall on her bed and sleep because she knew if she stayed awake for too long, she'd just loathe herself indefinitely. The only thing she was thankful for was the fact that her flight was not too early and she had time to recover from the inevitable hangover that she was sure would greet her in the morning.

The Lawrence airport was still the same after all this time. But then she had only been gone for a little over a year. Her mother was already waiting for her with a smile that told April that their previous argument had been conveniently forgotten and she couldn't be more thankful about it. She mimicked her smile as they embraced each other. April looked a lot like her mother from her brown hair to her petite frame. But her eyes were a gift from her father. "How was your flight?" her mother, Lorraine asked as they began walking towards her car.

"It was good," April replied. Lorraine nodded and she unlocked the car. After the luggage was kept in the trunk, they slid inside and April turned the radio on.

Nina Simone's voice filled the car and her mother was humming along with the song. April looked over at her and was pleasantly surprised to see a relaxed woman instead of a jittery one. This was new.

"Mom," she exclaimed, "you seem different." Her mother chuckled and raised her eyebrows at her quizzically. "I hope it is a good different."

"It is, yeah." She agreed. "Are you seeing someone?" she asked as the concept popped in her head. It could be that her mom was finally getting out of her shroud. She wasn't too old and she looked younger than her age. It could be a possibility.

Her mom shook her head, as a loud laugh escaped her lips. "God no. Why would you even get that idea?"

April shrugged, her smile faltering. "I don't know. There's nothing wrong with you seeing someone anyway." Lorraine smiled at her just like an old person would smile at the young ones while imparting valuable wisdom.

"I have only ever loved your father and even with him gone I still have you and countless other memories to remember him by. I don't need another man to complete me."

It was truly a statement that April couldn't have expected her mother to make. She stared at her, awestruck. Lorraine looked at her and laughed. "Why are you so shocked?"

April didn't try to hide her smile. "It's not shock mom, I am just really glad to see you like this. And all I was trying to say was that if you ever choose to marry again, you will have my support."

Her mother grinned at her. "Looks like some time apart really helped us, didn't it?"

She nodded in agreement. The remaining car ride was silent with Lorraine breaking it occasionally as she softly hummed along with the song playing on the radio.

Once they were inside the apartment, April called Emma to tell her she had landed safely and was back at home. "So you really did want to go and meet your mum?" she asked, clearly not able to accept the fact.

"Yeah, I told you already. And guess what, mom seems so different. She's all smiles and I really think this will be good for me."

Emma sounded genuinely surprised as she questioned her, "So she hasn't mentioned her disapproval for your lesbian friend aka me yet?"

"No, that's what I am saying. She hasn't said anything to piss me off. I don't know what's going on but whatever she is doing, it's helping her."

April bid her friend good bye when she heard her mom call her for dinner. "Who were you talking to?" she asked as she placed the plate in front of her. "It was Emma." April observed her mom to see her reaction but only received a nod.

They didn't talk about anything particularly important, even though she was dying to ask why her mother was acting so different. She refrained as she wasn't too sure about what she was supposed to expect from her.

The next morning after breakfast, April decided to check out her attic where she had hidden all the memories of her childhood. She sat down as she rummaged through countless photographs of her and her father. April was much closer to him than she was to Lorraine. It was obvious, as they both had a knack for adventure. It was something she had lost after his death.

Her slender fingers glided over her old fishing pole. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she recalled those times when they would go canoeing together. She picked up the small hat that she used to own as a little child and touched the small purple satin ribbon on it. Her head was bigger now and to be honest she had outgrown the hat long ago but she couldn't ever throw it. Her father had gotten it for her when they were in a fare.

She remembered clearly how she had come home after having a silly fight with her silly friend and her father had taken her there to cheer her up. He was always away for work and had only arrived a few hours earlier. But it didn't matter. "My little princess is crying and that just isn't acceptable," he had spoken the exact words as he cradled her in his arms.

A tear finally fell on her lap and she placed the hat back inside the box where it had been. As April began closing the box she heard her mother come in and she smiled at her.

"April?" there was worry written all over her mom's face. "Why are you crying?"

Her mother sat beside her and took her hand in hers. "I was just going through some old stuff and," she sniffled and her voice began faltering. "Mom, I really miss him." Lorraine took her daughter in her arms and let her cry on her shoulder. "It's alright," she cooed as she stroked her hair. They spent a few minutes like that before April pulled away but their hands were still clasped.

"You never told me what happened to him. We never talked about it. I need to know everything." April rambled, her words coming out in between sobs. She was crying too much and her vision was a bit blurred.

Her mother shushed her. "Your father was a good, brave man. That's all you need to know."

The answer didn't satisfy April at all. She wasn't looking for sweet words. She was looking for the truth. "Mom, that's what you told me four years ago. I am old enough to handle this now. Just tell me what happened. I deserve to know. He was my father." Her volume was louder than she had intended it to be. But this was the most desperate she had ever felt.

Lorraine closed her own eyes as tears began forming. She took a deep breath and April felt her heart beat quicken as she saw the dilemma her request had put her mother in. She immediately began dreading the answer but didn't speak anything.

"Your father worked for the CIA." And that was it. April roughly pulled her hand from her mother's grasp. "What?"

She took in her mother's sympathetic expressions and realized that she was being serious. It had caught her off guard and now there were a thousand more questions forming in her head. Yet, a few things like how her father was almost never home now completely made sense.

"When did you find out?" she found herself asking. April really hoped that it was just recently and that her mother hadn't been hiding something this big from her for too long.

But the guilt on her mother' face quickly shattered all her hopes. "I knew before I married him. He didn't want to start a relation with lies."

April's head was swimming at this point. The small attic seemed to look smaller. She needed space, especially from her mother. "I think we should get out of here," her voice was cold and she could see that her mother had already sensed the shift in her demeanor.

Downstairs, April pulled a chair and sat on it and her mother sat across her. Lorraine opened her mouth to speak but she cut her off. "Why did it take you so long to tell me this?"

There was silence for a moment before she finally got her answer. "Because I was hoping that your father wasn't really gone. I was hoping that he would come back and he was just missing and the authorities were just not able to find him."

"How'd he die?" April asked; her voice harsh as if she was accusing her mother of something. Maybe she was.

"He was on a mission. There was a fire and your father was in that building at that time. He didn't come back. They never found a body. We assumed that," she paused. April understood and didn't need her to continue.

"So you didn't tell me anything for four years. You let me believe that my father was just dead without any kind of explanation. I tried so hard to reach out to you but you shut me out every time. You wouldn't even let me visit his grave."

Lorraine winced at her daughter's words as if they were stabbing her. "Do you think it was easy for me?" April was shocked as her mother stood up abruptly, anger clearly flashing in her eyes.

"I saw you suffer but I had to keep this secret from you because there were people looking for any blood relations your father had." The words were like a splash of icy cold water on her face. It sobered her and April swallowed as the gravity of the situation sank in.

"We were all in danger and I was trying to protect you in whatever way I could."

April sighed as she buried her head in her hands. When she finally looked up, Lorraine was sitting right beside her, one hand gently squeezing her shoulder. "I know you feel it was unfair. But even the CIA was rattled. I really didn't know what to do."

"Mom," she looked dejectedly at her mother. "We could have shared the burden. I am not stupid and I would've been careful."

They were interrupted by the doorbell ringing and Lorraine opened the door to take a parcel. When she turned around, April was already retreating to her bedroom. "I'll be in my room. I just need some time alone," she announced and didn't wait for any kind of reply.

Hidden beneath the covers, she could finally think again. Her father was in CIA and had died for them. And she got to know about it four years after he was taken from her. No, she didn't deserve to be in dark for so long. Her mother was wrong to let her live in the uncertainty. Yes, she had lost her husband, but April too had lost her father.

Her tired brain couldn't keep it up for too long, and soon she was dreaming about her father and the canoe. She was a little girl again. The hat was on her head as she laughed and giggled at something he had just spoken. And then she heard a gunshot and looked at him, horrified. There was blood oozing out of a hole in his chest and April woke up with such a force that the bed creaked under her.

Her ears registered the sound of television and laughter. She covered herself in her blanket and walked out of her room to see her mom watching a wedding. Her mom and her dad. They looked so happy. Her mom was beautiful in her white gown. And her dad looked so strong and young in the tuxedo.

She quietly sat beside her mother, her eyes fixated on the screen but she didn't fail to notice the sobs coming from beside her.

"You look really beautiful in this gown." Lorraine looked at her daughter as she wiped her tears. "He said the same thing."

April smiled. "I bet he did. Do you still have it?" she looked at her mother, her eyes softer. She nodded in reply. "Can I see it? I really don't know why I never asked before."

Lorraine smiled and took her to the spare bedroom. She took out the carefully packed gown and as soon as April saw it, she was mesmerized.

The white color was still sparkling like it was new. And the silk was so smooth beneath her fingers. There was something so pure about this gown. Something that April just couldn't place. Maybe it in a way symbolized the love that her parents shared.

"You should try it." her mother offered. April shook her head. "I can't. It's yours. It is so important to you-"

"Not more than you." Lorraine cut her off and it made her daughter smile. "My face is so messed up right now," April countered. "There's no way I can look even half as good as you did in it."

Her mother gave her a reassuring smile and got up so the gown could flow down to its full length. "How can you say that without trying?"

The white gown fitted April well. She was a bit taller than her mother but the trail was long enough so that it didn't matter. When she turned around to look at herself in the mirror, she couldn't believe what she saw. The green color of her eyes stood out brilliantly against the white.

It was an off shoulder gown which was fitted only till her midriff and then flowed freely. There were tears in her mother's eyes. "I am so happy that I saved it. You look so beautiful."

"I look just like you." April smiled at her mother. "I am sorry for earlier. I didn't know how to react. It wasn't something I was expecting."

Lorraine nodded understandingly. "I know that. But nothing could have softened the blow. I am just glad that things are clear now."

April looked down as she smoothed the fabric of the wedding gown. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Since we are being honest with each other, please tell me what is it that has gotten you so happy all of a sudden?"

Her mother didn't hesitate to answer this time. "I got a call from one of your father's colleagues. They found the man who killed him. He confessed to it and now we are not in danger anymore."

It felt like a huge burden had lifted of her chest. "That's great news."

She smiled and as April moved in hug her the gown came in between. It was too puffed up and they laughed as Lorraine helped her out of it.

The next few days were slow and were spent baking or shopping. April didn't ever stop thinking about her father. But the pain was mostly bearable. And she was truly enjoying this time with her mother. She couldn't let anymore sadness take this away from her.

But then an idea popped into her head and she couldn't stop herself from voicing it as she and her mom were watching an old movie with a huge bowl of popcorn.

"Mom, what if I joined CIA?" Lorraine looked over at her daughter to see whether she was joking. When there were no teasing smiles on April's face, she frowned. "No," she replied.

April was taken aback by the blunt answer. "That's it?" she asked, the movie completely forgotten.

"Your father died because of it. I am not going to let the same happen to you." Her mother's voice was sharp and it left no room for any argument. But April wasn't anything if not persistent.

"Mom, I don't want to be a kindergarten teacher anymore. You said we are safe now. I could do something else. I could be something better."

Lorraine refused to listen to her words or even look at her. "If you want to do something else then do something else, just not this."

April huffed in annoyance, "But I really think I should. They might not even make me a field agent. Even if they do, they will train me. I will learn how to defend myself and I'll be okay."

"And do you think they didn't train your father?" Now her mother was furious. April could see in the way she was holding the remote a bit tighter. Before she could counter, her mother spoke again.

"Is this because your boyfriend called you boring?"

The question was so random that it rendered April speechless for a few seconds. "No," she finally spit out, ridiculed. "I don't even think about him or what he said anymore."

"Then why do you want to do this?" Lorraine asked, her voice turning frantic.

April pondered a few seconds before she answered. "I just want to be close to dad in some way. Maybe living the way he lived would do that for me. I already have the required qualifications."

Her mother didn't seem to like the answer as she got up from the sofa. "How do you know what is required? Did you already research it?"

A frown formed on her face as she answered. "Well, I didn't want to bother you with the thought if I wasn't even eligible for it."

Lorraine took a deep breath and April knew she was almost convinced. "Fine, you can do it if you want to. I cannot believe you are as stubborn as your father."

There was a huge grin plastered on April's face. "I take that as a compliment."

Her knee was bouncing up and down. April was trying to appear patient but in reality she was nervous and excited at the same time. She wiped her slightly sweaty palms on her pencil skirt. It had been a long process. Joining CIA was difficult; it was something she had expected.

But all the psych evaluations and meetings were tiring her out. Once they got to know that she was a daughter of a previous employee, it definitely piqued their interest in her. And after that they asked her more about her life and how she and her mother were holding up instead of the technical questions.

And now this was the final interview, just to determine her major field. After her physical tests, they were sure that she was moderately strong in her muscles but had quick reflexes.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a man and a woman entering the reception area. April instinctively studied them. The woman was wearing a black blazer and pants along with a black shirt and the man who was exceptionally tall was clad in a brown leather jacket on a white t-shirt which clung to him like a second skin. His hair was dark blond. His face was sharp, jaw chiseled and the muscles of his neck looked strong. But those eyes were the most brilliant blue she had ever seen. April found herself spending considerably more time observing this man than she had spent for the woman.

Their eyes met for a brief second and April broke her stare, clearly embarrassed.

Gabriel Ross was a stoic man. He was handsome too, just as he had been told countless times. Which was why when he entered the reception area, it didn't faze him how many feminine eyes turned towards him and stayed there.

But one pair seemed to stand out, maybe because she was looking directly into his eyes. She hadn't checked him out yet like most ladies here had. Even Selene, the receptionist who had been working here for quite long and was used to him, couldn't stop herself today.

And yet, this girl, with her innocent green eyes looked at him with such coyness that she caught his attention. When she realized that he was looking at her too, she immediately averted her gaze from him, with a rosy blush coating her cheeks.

The sound of clearing of a throat pulled him back to reality and his partner, Amy began addressing the new recruits.

April kept her eyes fixated on the woman as she spoke in a clear stern voice. "Now most of you are here for your final interview. Or as far as you know, all of you. But the names on this list," she showed them the paper, "are going to come with me and Mr. Ross now."

Shockingly, April found herself hoping that her name was not on the list. It wasn't something she had foreseen and the uncertainty of working under the intimidating pair was something that scared her.

"April Davis," her name was called and she stood up abruptly, clutching her folder in her arms. There were few other candidates whose name had been taken and they were all men. She looked around herself to see that all the female candidates were still sitting, well except for her.

"Alright, my name is Amy Richards, this is Gabriel Ross. And you are going to be coming with us." April blinked once and all the chosen candidates began following the two superiors. She fell in line with them. Why were they being separated out? These giants and she had nothing in common. There had to be some reason why she had been chosen for whatever this was.

Gabriel had balled his fists tightly as he walked. He was tensed and a bit angry. When the girl's name had been taken, he had to take a peek at the list to make sure that he had heard it right.

And to his dismay, he had heard the name accurately. She was April Davis, daughter of Robert Davis, the agent who went missing and was finally declared dead. There was no way he could have guessed it.

All the candidates were taken to a bus which took them to a big villa with a beautiful field in front of it. They called it The Farm. Once everyone was inside Amy turned to them.

"This is where you are going to live," she spoke as one of the attendants at the villa began handing them a key with a room number written on it. "All your belongings are already here. You will report back here in exactly three hours in your training gear which you will find in your respective rooms. So, we'll meet at 5."

Everyone nodded and began searching for their rooms. Luckily for April, her room was on the ground floor. She found it quickly. She unlocked the door and found herself in a spacious room with single bedding. There was a table and a couple of chairs at one side, and across from it there was a wooden cupboard. The other end of the room had a moderately sized bathroom and toilet. Well, it was big enough for her since she wasn't very tall.

A black colored bag was lying on the table and she unzipped it immediately. The sound of repeated ticking registered her ears and she soon realized that she was looking at a bomb.

Her mind went blank for a moment. What was this? Had they been separated out from rest of the candidates to be massacred? It didn't make sense. Maybe she was being tested. April picked up the bag quickly but carefully and walked out of her room to see panicked looks on the faces of all the men who had been chosen. They had their bags in their hands too, which obviously meant that they had found a bomb inside their room as well.

"Does anyone know how to disarm this bomb?" one of the men asked but no one answered. "God," he complained. "I am stuck in here with a bunch of fools."

His comment made a few others angry and April realized that there was going to be too much testosterone here. A small argument broke out and she decided that if she was going to think, she needed some space from all the yelling. Her eyes locked with one of her fellow housemates. He turned to look at the fight and then her again clearly thinking what she was. She quickly moved over to him. "Maybe we should check the bags for some sort of clue."

He nodded and they crouched down on the floor and carefully began searching in the bag for any paper, or tool, or really just anything that could help them. Looking at them, a few others decided to check their own bags as well. Finally they all had a sheet of paper in their hands with a bunch of numbers printed on it.

There were just thirty minutes on the timer and they were desperately trying to guess what these numbers meant. The guy who April had spoken to tapped on her shoulder. "Look at this keypad on the side of the bomb. I am sure this number is some kind of code to disarm the bomb."

April nodded with a smile and decided to inform the group of the idea. They all tapped the numbers in the keypad but nothing happened. That was when she realized that the keypad had an alphabetic code on it too. And the alphabets didn't exceed the letter 'I'. She converted all of them to numeric codes and punched it in the keypad. A small beep sound was heard and the timer stopped but then they heard a faint explosion in room number 4564 which was the number written on her sheet. It all made sense now.

"So do we blow up the whole villa?" Teddy, the one to tell them about the keypad asked. "No way. We can't do that," someone replied.

"It doesn't matter. This bitch already blew up my room." April looked at the man who had spoken and found him looking at her already with an expression that she could only describe as blatant hatred. She gulped. Teddy came to her rescue at once. "C'mon man, because of her we know what this bomb actually does."

"I say, let's throw all the bombs inside the already blown up room and let it explode," someone else spoke up. There were a few agreeing nods while the others were looking at the owner of 4564 room, who was pretty sour about the whole ordeal.

"I say it's better than blowing up the whole villa." Teddy agreed.

"But how do we know that this single bomb will not just blow up the whole villa even if it is in the room?" April countered.

A blond man with dark eyes looked at her and smirked. "It doesn't have the capacity. I believe Adam's idea is the best. Let's throw all the bombs inside 4564."

After the decision is made unanimously, the group goes upstairs and places the bombs inside the room and closes it with whatever is left of the door. And then they all run to the farthest corner from the aforementioned room waiting for the explosion. Just as it was predicted, the bombs didn't damage much outside of the room. For a moment, there was absolute silence. And then, a hand clapped on April's back and then everyone was cheering. She caught herself laughing along with Teddy and Adam and few other men. Of course there was one guy who didn't want to laugh or smile. She simply shook her head when Teddy pointed it out to her. Once he gets a new room, he'd be just fine.

They all stopped when Amy and Gabriel entered the villa. While Amy had a proud smile on her face, April could only see disapproval written on Gabriel's. A frown formed on her face. So he was going to be the strict one.

"Who blew up the room first?" he asked and it was the first time he had spoken. His baritone voice was smooth and yet somehow harsh. April took a step towards him. "It was me."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "So were you sure the room was empty before you blew it up?" She frowned. "Well, yes. There are twelve of us and all of us were downstairs."

He took a step closer to her and their height difference actually registered to her. He was at least a foot taller than her, "Did you count?"

April's throat hitched, his tall frame intimidating her. But she didn't budge. "I wasn't expecting one of the rooms to just blow up. And there were twelve bombs, so I assumed that all the twelve people were down here."

He smirked slightly. "And what if you were wrong? Your assumptions could have led to someone's death." April was speechless. She didn't know what to say anymore because she had clearly not thought about the whole incident from that angle. And she was ignorant enough to actually expect some sort of praise for her presence of mind.

"Gabriel," Amy called from behind him, sensing the tension in the room. "It was just the first test, they did well." She turned to April with a stern face but her eyes weren't as severe, "You have learned a valuable lesson now. Always be sure about the consequences of your decisions, don't base them on assumptions. Do not leave anything to chance."

April nodded and stepped back from Gabriel to stand in line with her friends. She took deep breaths to slow down her heartbeat and kept her eyes downcast. There was no way she could look at anyone right now, especially Gabriel, who was standing right in front of her. She could still feel his eyes on her.

After being excused for the day, all the recruits were back in their rooms. April lay in her bed after having changed from her formal suit into a tank top and pair of shorts. She pulled the covers around her, the warmth making her feel safer.

This was not what she had expected when she had decided to join the CIA. She had honestly expected to be placed behind a desk in research and analysis. But as it turns out, she was a part of this group of twelve who were being tested without their knowledge and being trained for something they didn't even know.

It all hadn't mattered till she had been questioned by Gabriel Ross who she had found out was going to be her mentor along with five other recruits. But he had managed to intimidate her like no one else had. And from what she could guess, she had made a bad first impression on him.

April turned and looked at the time on her table clock. It was already late and she had to get up early in the morning to report to her mentor. She didn't want Gabriel to have any other reason to humiliate her.

When April made in into the hall the next morning, only three other recruits were there. There was Teddy, Adam and the guy who had answered her doubts regarding the capacity of the bomb. She introduced herself to him. His name was Dale. He seemed to be some sort of science nerd. But he wasn't lanky or wore glasses or anything like that. In fact, he was actually a good looking guy. And he was always smirking as if he knew something that you didn't and it unnerved her a bit.

Two other men stepped in and to April's despair it was the same guy whose room she had blown up. Teddy had already told her a few things about him. His name was Lance and he was from military background. He had been given a room beside his and they had gotten a chance to talk last night. Teddy informed her that he had some sort of superiority complex but April had already guessed that yesterday.

His friend was Andrew, another man with military training. But he didn't look as smug as Lance. She smiled at them, hoping that all the bitterness from last night would be forgotten but Lance's ignorance made it clear that this was far from over.

They didn't have to wait too long before Gabriel Ross walked into the hall. He was dressed in clothes similar to their training gear - black cardigan with black cargo pants. He kept the bag in his hand down on the floor and commanded the group to stand in a line. They complied.

April stood in between Lance and Teddy as he slowly walked in front of them observing the whole group carefully. "You all should know that you are here to be trained for a very special mission. Not all candidates get this opportunity," he paused when reached Lance and looked directly at him. "So, don't screw it up."

Lance, who was obviously a strong man, shuddered slightly at Gabriel's words. It amused April a bit but she didn't smile or show any similar emotion. After all, Lance already didn't like her and well, Gabriel was her mentor and she didn't want to appear wrong in front of him nor did she want to be on his radar.

Nonetheless, he turned to her. "You are the only girl in this group, right?" he asked looking down at her.

"Yes sir." April replied surprised at how steady her voice was. "In fact, you are the only girl among all the twelve recruits." She nodded in reply.

He stepped closer just like he had yesterday and she felt her heartbeat quicken. "I want you to remember one thing, Miss Davis." So he knew her name. Of course he did.

"Don't believe that you will receive any type of special treatment from me or anyone else here just because you are a girl. Do you understand?"

April wanted to snap at him so bad. This was utterly ridiculous. She obviously wasn't expecting any such thing. Maybe he knew her dad when he was alive. Maybe his problem was with him. But there was no way of asking him if he was always mean to her because her father had screwed him up at some point.

"I won't accept any kind of special treatment anyway. In fact, if yesterday indicated anything, it seems people here would need my help." she spoke after taking a deep breath. April could hear the gasp that Teddy swallowed beside her. When Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him, she knew that he hadn't missed it either. His glare turned to her. "We will see that," he gritted. She knew that even though his reply had been short, he wanted to shout at her. The veins of his neck were pulsing and his jaw clenched but he stepped back from her. He didn't hide his emotions very well.

When he moved on from her, April took a breath of relief. Even though her words might have been a bit rude, she was proud that she stood her ground. He had no right to target her the way he did.

A few more "motivational" words from their mentor, and the group had begun their training. The first phase was sparring. April was glad that Teddy was her partner. He was surely taller than her and much stronger. But she had recently discovered that she was fast. She was able to dodge his punches and kicks easily, although landing any impactful blow of her own was proving difficult.

From afar, Gabriel watched the small woman holding her ground against Teddy. She obviously was trying her best and any amount of hatred he had for her couldn't change that. What was she doing here anyway?

Gabriel knew what lies the CIA had spun about her father. He also knew that the truth was far more troubling. Clearly, she had no idea about it. But she was still that man's blood, his family and that was enough for his mind to go irrational whenever he laid his eyes on her.

Yes, he was being irrational, absolutely irrational. She was still his student. And he couldn't behave this way with her if he was to keep his professionalism. And if anything, she had proved that she could think and act under pressure which was more than he had to say for a few others. His eyes fell on Lance.

Sweat glistened on her forehead as April drank some water, utterly exhausted. Teddy seemed to be in the same condition. He smiled at her as her as he fished out a towel from his bag, wiping his face.

They were interrupted by Gabriel informing them of their next task. They were going to a gun-range. Dale grinned as he walked towards April and Teddy, "This is great, we'll be shooting guns."

"No, you won't," Gabriel spoke and they all turned to him. His arms were crossed over his chest just like they always were. "Do you really think I'll be handing guns over to you kids so soon?" His lips curled into a smirk and April found herself in something that could only be described as complete shock.

Did he just call them kids? And what was the deal with that smirk? She smiled to herself. It definitely suited him.

Apparently, the gun-range was situated right behind the villa. It looked like a secluded building from the 90s. But it was modern and elegant from inside. There were various guns and rifles and a few other kind of weapons that they could see.

Gabriel asked them to observe as him as he took a revolver and shot a few rounds. April sighed. He was just perfect. Or well, his aim was. He explained how his stance was important when shooting and how his hand was completely steady. He spent another half hour explaining them about different types of guns they would be using and then they were dismissed.

April didn't waste a single second when stepping into a cold shower. It was hot outside and all the training made it worse. She let the cold, icy water run down her back. Her eyes closed in pleasure and a pair of blue eyes flashed in front of her. It shook her and she opened her eyes realizing that she had just pictured Gabriel while taking a shower.

It was strange. She was attracted to him, of course, because he was very attractive. But that was it. Maybe, she just missed human touch. It had been long since she had broken up with Ryan and had an almost one night stand with a man at the club whose name she couldn't remember anymore. With all the preparations for CIA, the thought never really crossed her mind.

Sighing, she stepped out and wrapped a towel around her body. Dressed in comfortable clothes April checked the time. They were supposed to go for lunch and just thinking about it made her stomach growl. She didn't realize how hungry she had been till now.

Most of her teammates and even the ones under Amy were already at the table. There was a constant chatter; apparently all the training couldn't tire them enough to stop gossiping. When April reached there, she could easily hear that they were talking about what had happened in the morning between her and Gabriel. She ignored it simply concentrating on the pasta in front of her.

A hand clapped on her shoulder and she looked above to see Dale take a seat beside her and Teddy in front of them. "You clean up nice," he commented as he slid on the bench. She smiled in response. "So do you."

Her eyes met one of the other guys who were being mentored by Amy to find that he was already looking at her with an expression that she couldn't really place. Yet, she knew the reason for it. A tired sigh escaped from her lips. Teddy noticed it and frowned at her. "Hey, what is it?"

"Everyone's talking about what happened in the morning with Mr. Ross," April replied. "And I thought gossiping was a girls' thing." Dale turned to the guy who had been staring at her and smirked. "I don't think it's a bad thing if they know what happened. Now, they know not to mess with you or think that you are weak."

April shrugged, his statement did make sense but she didn't feel very comfortable being the center of a scandalous situation.

Dale stuffed a bit of pasta in his mouth as he spoke, "Hey, let's go to that gun range while no one's watching." Teddy sniggered as April violently shook her head, God he was just like an oversized kid. "No, what if we get caught? It's just our first day."

Teddy agreed, "Ross will let us use the guns when he thinks he can. Plus, I don't want to piss him off. He is already pretty scary," April laughed as he shivered as if he had imagined the consequences of doing just that.

Just as her thoughts drifted to him, Gabriel walked into her line of sight. She looked at her bowl, suddenly embarrassed when her impure thoughts rushed to her. If her friends noticed her sudden discomfort, they didn't comment on it and she was thankful for that.

Gabriel didn't really want to join the new recruits for lunch but he had because Amy had insisted. It wasn't that he considered them below himself. He just wasn't in a get together mood, which Amy seemed to be in constantly. She was still a great friend and he decided to accompany her. It was a good way of knowing the recruits, according to her, which was true but Gabriel knew where this was going.

Amy had been his partner long enough to know what pushed his buttons. And she had realized it on the first day itself that April Davis did just that, albeit unknowingly. He hadn't tried to hide the fact from her anyway. He was seething with rage when he got to know her name. And then he wanted to punch a wall when he read her file. She was the daughter of his mentor, the one man he respected enough to want to be like him. And the same man who betrayed him and his country.

A hand touched his forearm he looked on his right to see Amy standing there with a smile. "If you are going to stare, Gabe, at least try to be subtle. It might give her the wrong idea."

Gabriel scoffed. "I wasn't staring; I was thinking something and didn't know I was looking at her." Amy quirked her eyebrow at him not quite convinced, "Just be easy on her, she doesn't know the truth."

They slid on the benches across each other. "We should tell her." She looked at him with a quizzical expression. "Are you serious?"

"Am I not always?" he questioned quirking up an eyebrow.

Amy leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. "You want to tell her about her father just…like that?" Her face told him that she couldn't even fathom the idea. "Do you know what it will do to her?" her eyebrows were raised in concern for the unfortunate girl.

"It will do what truth does to people. It will hurt her, in the beginning. But it will also help her," Gabriel spoke choosing his words carefully.

"No," Amy declared, "We can't do that. Our seniors won't allow it and I won't allow it."

Gabriel bit back his anger as he whispered. "But she is going to be a part of the CIA. Don't you think she deserves to know what actually happened with her father? My mentor?"

"He was my mentor too Gabriel."

Taking deep breaths, Gabriel calmed himself down. Amy never took his actual name, preferring to call him Gabe instead, unless she wanted the conversation to be over. And it was over. But the thought wouldn't leave his mind. Yet, he didn't voice it anymore and let the silence settle over them as they had their lunch.

The days of training were endless. April wasn't as tired as she was bored. Even the prospect of actually using a gun failed to cheer her up. Surely, there were Teddy and Dale to keep her company, but she missed Emma and their girls' nights. She missed her mom and her unnecessary paranoia.

It was late at night and she was sitting at the stairs of the entrance, looking at the dark sky with its tiny, twinkling stars. It was something she and Emma used to do whenever one of them was being emotional. They'd talk to each other for hours, just sitting like this on the porch of April's house.

The sound of metal clanking came from inside the villa, disrupting her peace. April got up on her feet and peeked inside to see a figure crouching in the dark. "Hey, who is it?" she questioned trying to sound intimidating.

The figure, who she guessed was a guy, got up and turned to face her. It was still difficult to make out his face. "That's no way to talk to your mentor."

She recognized that voice, it was Gabriel's. April quickly found the light switch and flicked it on. He stood in front of her in a white t-shirt that was a bit too tight, not that she was complaining and a pair of pajamas. This was the most casual she could have ever hoped to see him.

There was a metal spoon in his hand and she looked at it and then back at him questioningly. "I was hungry," Gabriel spoke sheepishly.

April's mouth made an 'o' as she nodded slowly. He shook his head, embarrassed at himself. "I didn't think anyone would be awake at this hour. And by the way, you should be sleeping."

"I couldn't, and you are pretty noisy for a CIA agent. Even if I was asleep, all the noise would have woken me up," her voice was cheeky.

Gabriel tried to be mad at her, but a small smile broke out on his face without his consent. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

April easily picked up on the change of subject but she didn't mind. She was lucky as it is that he didn't hold her bold remark against her. "I was just thinking about my old life."

When Gabriel didn't say anything but continued to look at her, she added. "Will we ever meet them again, the people we left behind, our families?" He pulled a chair, sitting down, and gestured her to do the same. "You could, but that can very well mean putting them in danger."

Disappointment flashed in April's eyes. "Just say that we can never see them again. You don't have to twist your words."

Gabriel smiled at her. "When have you ever known me to twist my words? All I am saying is that you and your group will be different from other CIA agents. You have to lead a much more secretive life than them."

April cocked her head slightly, "My father was also a field agent. But he still had time to see us." Her words caused him to look away from her. "Your father and you are going to be different. As I said, we are training you away from everyone else because you are going to be our most trusted squad. You will never fail and you will never betray the CIA."

She noticed how Gabriel's eyes had turned a deeper shade of blue when he looked back at her. This really meant something to him and she found herself asking the question that was plaguing her. "Has anyone ever done that?" He looked at her, a bit confused. "Betrayed the CIA, I mean," she clarified.

The question caught him off guard and he turned away from her gaze, afraid that the emotions in his eyes would betray him. "It's not relevant." April chuckled humorlessly. "It obviously is."

He didn't reply, instead checked the wall clock. "It's late. Go to your room." The chill in his voice felt like a slap on her face. She was probably getting too comfortable with her mentor and she quickly got up from the chair. "Good night, Mr. Ross," she muttered in a low voice.

Gabriel sat there as April disappeared in her room. He was so close to telling her the truth about her father. It wasn't even because he wanted to convey his hatred for that man. He genuinely believed that April deserved to know what had really happened to her father, or what he had done. Whatever pain she would face later; he would be there to endure it with her.

Surprised at where his train of thoughts had led him to, Gabriel stood up and switched off the lights as he went back to his room, his hunger forgotten.

There had obviously been quite a few changes in what he felt for the young recruit. At first, anger. Then slowly that morphed into pity and when he began to see her strength, it changed into admiration and respect. He couldn't be harsh to her anymore, even if he wanted to. It was as if she was breaking his strict façade brick by brick. And he was letting her.

April didn't look at Gabriel the whole time they were training. She just couldn't after last night. It was stupid on her part, she knew that now but she had really begun to believe that they were reaching at the point where they were friends or at least a bit more than just a mentor and a student. The previous week had been a clear indicator of that, or that was what she had thought.

But, as usual she was wrong. And so, here she was, ignoring his constant stare on her. He was probably just observing her progress as she hit the wooden dummy harder and harder but that didn't stop her from feeling slightly exposed as she had ditched her cardigan today and was only in her tank top. The skin of her hands and wrists was broken and bleeding but she didn't care. As long as it kept her occupied, she didn't see why she should.

A large hand encircled her wrist halting her movements. Green eyes met blue ones as her chest heaved. "Don't you think you are going too hard on this poor wooden log," Gabriel smiled at her slightly.

"You once said that I lacked strength. So I was fixing that," she replied pretending that that smile didn't make him at least ten times more enticing. He shook his head, "I didn't mean that you should hurt yourself for that. You have bruised yourself pretty bad."

Voice a bit shaky, April spoke, "It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Looking down at her slender wrist wrapped in his hand, he began running his calloused yet gentle fingers over the bruises. Her voice hitched in her throat when their eyes met again. The point where his fingers touched her skin was warm and yet she could feel the goosebumps rising up her exposed arm. Her heart was hammering so loud in her chest that she couldn't hear anything, yet when he spoke she heard it clearly.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked in a voice so soft that only she could catch it, but before she could reassure him that it wasn't pain that she felt but something else entirely, someone swore loudly.

"You bastard!"

Gabriel dropped her wrist immediately and it fell to her side. They turned to see Lance and Dale in some kind of brawl. As he went to resolve it, April quickly turned away, sure that her cheeks must have been burning red. She took slow breaths trying to calm her heart down. Her mind was still not ready to comprehend what had just transpired between her and Gabriel.

"Stop it both of you," she heard him yell. April had totally forgotten about the reason that they had been interrupted. Gabriel was standing between two extremely angry Dale and Lance. "He started it," Lance shouted back.

"Yeah well go cry to your mama, you giant cry-baby!" Dale hissed in reply. She had never seen him this angry. Teddy rushed in putting a hand on his chest as if to keep him from attacking again, "Man, calm down," he whispered to him harshly.

"Both of you back off," Gabriel commanded once again and the whole hall became silent at once. "What happened?" he asked in a voice not as loud but still stern. He turned to Dale for an explanation but was only met with silence. Even Lance refused to answer. April herself walked closer to the three men. As soon as she and Teddy made eye contact, he mouthed, "We need to talk," she nodded slightly.

"We are done for today," Gabriel declared. He narrowed his eyes at Lance and Dale, "When you both decide to act like grownups, come and meet me." With that he left the hall.

April walked over to Teddy and Dale as they received a sour look from Lance. "What happened?" she questioned.

Teddy eyed Dale, nudging him to answer her question. After a long breath, he spoke. "Lance said that you must have slept with Ross to get into CIA. So I punched him."

Shock - that was the only way April could describe her current state. Slept with Gabriel, really? What could have even put that ridiculous idea in his head? She stared at Teddy and Dale with a puzzled look, "That's absurd. What the hell is he on?"

Dale shook his head, "I don't know but this is why I didn't say anything in front of him." April gave him a small smile. "Thanks for defending me Dale, but you shouldn't put your career at risk because of that idiot. I really don't understand what goes on inside his peanut sized brain but we shouldn't be concerning ourselves with it."

He nodded, but there was still anger visible on his face. Teddy clapped a hand on his back, "C'mon man, let's go and freshen up and then we will do something different today. Maybe, we can go somewhere." April's eyes lit up at the suggestion, "They might allow us to go to the gun range this time."

The signature smirk curved Dale's lips, "I thought you both were terrified of Mr. Ross," he spoke imitating her, speaking Gabriel's name in a shrill voice. She punched him on the shoulder as a laugh racked her body, "I don't speak like that."

"Of course you do," Teddy teased her, joining in.

April curled her right hand into a fist as she brought it close to the door of Gabriel's room. Just thinking about him made her remember the small moment they had while training. Her reaction to his touch had been so embarrassing because she never seemed to have any effect on him except for him getting mad at her occasionally. However, he wasn't exceptionally harsh with her anymore.

She knocked once and waited. Gabriel opened the door a moment later still in his training gear. His eyes studied her subtly but she picked up on it. "Can I come in?" April asked in a low voice, not sure if her throat would cooperate.

He nodded once and shifted to give her some space. She walked in and he closed the door, but didn't lock it. Before April could say a word, he asked, "Are you here to plead for your friend?"

"I don't understand," there was a puzzled look on her face. "I was here to ask for your permission to use the gun range. What do you mean by pleading for my friend?" she asked with her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

Gabriel crossed his arms, letting her see his muscles ripple beneath the sleeve of the cardigan. "Well, no. You can't use the gun range, and secondly, your friend Dale has been suspended for two weeks."

"What? Why?" April hadn't registered the volume of her voice till she had pretty much shrieked.

"Because he punched Lance while training and in case you didn't know already, that is against the rules," he answered matter-of-factly. Shock written on her face, she questioned, "Who told you that? Lance?"

"No, not him. It was Andrew."

April shook her head, suddenly very angry. "It was Lance's fault that he got punched." Gabriel dismissed her statement. "I am not going to listen to this. Dale broke the rules when he started the fight. And for that matter, Lance didn't hit Dale at all."

Feeling bold enough, she walked close to him, looking up at him with her eyes narrowed dangerously. She hissed, "That's because Dale is a better fighter than him. Lance probably wasn't able to land a punch on him. And if you really knew what happened then this wouldn't be your decision. And how can you punish Dale without listening to his side of the story anyway?"

Inside her head, April was trembling in fear. She was talking to her mentor, no, arguing with him. And Gabriel had only now started treating her the way he treated the others in her group. She was defending her friend, of course; but she was risking something big here. All the progress she had made with him these last few weeks could be lost after this.

"So you know what really happened, right? Then tell me," he asked leaning forward slightly as he towered over her.

"I….he…" she stammered, suddenly feeling very small and very stupid. How was she supposed to tell him the truth without sounding completely cringeworthy?

Gabriel waited patiently as he supported himself on the table behind him. She was embarrassed, he knew that. He had no idea why but he realized that he thoroughly enjoyed her state. Even as his fingers had massaged her wrist, he could feel her softness, her fragility. But she tried so hard to be tough. And most of the times she was. Right now as well, he could see how she racked her brain to form a proper response, lost in thought, caught off guard. Yes, for some reason he liked her better when she was a bit flustered and vulnerable. He didn't ponder over the reason.

He watched her as she took a deep breath. All the traces of anger and defiance were gone from her eyes as she finally spoke, "Lance told everyone that…" April paused, casting her eyes down, "I could join CIA only because I slept with you."

Now the words were out there in the open. There was no way she could take them back. Still avoiding looking at Gabriel she pressed into her elbow with her other hand waiting for him to say something.

The images that flashed in Gabriel's mind were less that appropriate. And they were definitely uncalled for. She was his student. And this was a serious situation. "I didn't know that," he spoke in a grim voice while she still tried not to look at him. Nevertheless, he continued, "I'll see what I can do about this. You should go and let Dale know that he isn't suspended anymore."

April nodded silently and began walking towards the door. She was stopped when Gabriel took her name again, "April," she turned to look at him to see the apologetic look on his face. "Also tell Dale that this was his first and last warning and never to repeat this. It's still against the rules."

"Yes Mr. Ross," she replied as she slipped outside. There was maybe a hint of a smile on her face but Gabriel couldn't be sure. He let his mind wander to the person who had dared spread the ridiculous rumor. Lance had to be taught a lesson and he was going to make sure that it was one that he remembered.

It was almost dinner time and it wasn't too long before April, Teddy and Dale would encounter Lance and Andrew again. Even though it was April who didn't want any of them to retaliate, she was still disgusted profusely by how Lance had spoken those untrue and repulsive words and how Andrew had very conveniently left the extremely important detail out of the story when he had spoken to Gabriel about it.

She wanted to do something, get back on them maybe. But she didn't know how. And now that everything was clarified with Gabriel through an awkward albeit important conversation, she didn't know if she should be taking any action against them or not. She finally decided to wait for him to do something about the two men. And if their punishment doesn't seem enough, she would take matters into her own hands.

Speaking to Dale about the whole situation had been pretty difficult too. He didn't approve when she told him that Gabriel knew the truth. But after listening about Andrew's lies it took some effort to stop him from punching another man.

They were quietly having a halfhearted meal when Lance and Andrew entered the hall with smirks plastered on their faces. April could easily sense the discomfort in Dale's demeanor. He held his fork tighter and she placed a hand on his to loosen his grip. He complied knowing that he was already walking on thin ice.

Gabriel observed the scene from far. He and Amy were supposed to meet their superiors today to brief them about the progress they had been making with their individual groups. But he canceled the plan, instead deciding to stay back to confront the two incorrigible members of his squad. His eyes fell on April's hand on Dale's and the slight tug that he felt in his chest confused him. There had been more times than he would like to admit when he had thought about the little spitfire of a girl named April. And yet never before it had occurred to him that she could have eyes for someone else, for someone like Dale who had jumped in to defend her in a single breath.

But now that he had realized it, the theory seemed more and more plausible – how Dale had punched the man who had spread ridiculous lies about her and how April's temper had skyrocketed on hearing of his suspension. His thoughts drifted to the events of the morning. The effect his touch had had on her hinted towards something else entirely. He simply could not forget the look of ecstasy he elicited from her, the way she had looked at him with her innocent eyes and still made it all feel so sensual. He could still feel the tingles in his finger when they came in contact with her soft skin. What was she doing to him, he had no idea. But if there was something between April and Dale, then she was probably just toying with him, which was cruel on her part.

But then she had never actually said or done anything to make him feel that way, at least not until this morning. Nonetheless, he was here for a purpose. His eyes found Lance sitting, chatting with others and he called a nearby recruit, "Tell Lance to see me immediately," he ordered.

April had just finished her dinner when she saw a guy she didn't know whisper something to Lance. He got up, his expressions half angry, half scared. Her eyes followed him as he walked inside Gabriel's room. The door opened and he went in quickly and she found herself desperately wanting to find out what was going on. It took Teddy to call her a few times before she broke her stare.

The sunlight streamed in coaxing April to open her sleep filled eyes. She scrambled up when it hit her. She was late.

April had never before gotten ready so fast before. Her limbs seemed to be working without her consciously doing anything. By the time she reached the hall Gabriel had already began lecturing them on how they would be finally be practicing with real guns. He raised an eyebrow when he saw her but didn't say anything.

Dale seemed happy, since the day before had been pretty bad for him. It didn't escape April's notice that Lance was nowhere to be seen. Gabriel must have suspended him this time. Too bad he would miss the guns.

Gabriel handed them the guns and they began putting the bullets in the magazines. Apparently they were required to be quick about it. "Most of you will fail because your guns will run out of bullets and you will spend more time refilling it than using it," he told everyone.

Out of all the people, April had to say that she was pretty good. Her aim wasn't half bad for someone who used to teach kids before this. She didn't hit the center every time but her bullets didn't hit outside the dummy. She felt Gabriel walking closer to her and readjusted her hold on the gun. It was downright ridiculous how much he affected her.

He slowly lifted his hands and removed her earmuffs. Her arm trembled but she kept looking ahead. "You aim well," Gabriel bent to whisper in her ear. What was the point of whispering? No one could hear them anyway. His hands rested on her waist as he moved her slightly almost picking her up. "But your stance needs improvement. Now shoot again," he spoke and covered her ears again. This time the bullets hit closer to the center. April turned to look at him out of excitement only to find him standing closer to her than she had expected.

She had to crane her neck significantly to meet his eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but didn't trust her voice. If he was going to keep touching her like this all the time, she might as well just melt into a puddle. He didn't wait for her as he nodded in approval once, all the while smiling at her and then simply moved on.

Gabriel didn't know what had taken over him but wanting to be close to April became some kind of an addiction, as if one taste was all he needed and now he just couldn't stop. But he enjoyed watching her squirm. It, in a strange way, gave him hope that maybe she and Dale were just friends after all.

The session ended too quickly for everybody's' liking. But it was still fun. Dale seemed like he had just won a lottery. April saw his dummy and she could bet on her life that he'd had training before. He was the perfect shot. Gabriel acknowledged it too and then there was no wiping off the smile from his face.

Before Gabriel could disappear April called him. "Hey, I just…" she paused; now even talking to him was going to be difficult for her. "What is it April?" he asked slowly. It was so obvious, even to her that Gabriel enjoyed this way too much. But then there must be countless women who would lose their grip around him. It was difficult not to.

"It's my mom's birthday today," she spoke after a moment. He began to protest but she cut him off. "I know you said we can't meet our families. But can I at least call her? Please. I won't tell her anything about this place and I'll do my best to keep the conversation short. Please let me call her. We haven't talked since so long and she is completely alone. I lost my dad and now…"

"Ok alright," Gabriel stopped her rant as he chuckled. "You can call your mother. But from a phone booth, okay?"

April nodded enthusiastically. But then her brows furrowed in confusion. "There's no phone booth here."

Gabriel shook his head as he opened a cabinet nearby, "Not here. We are going out." His statement surprised her a bit. "You are taking me to the city so I can wish my mother," she spoke in disbelief.

He smirked at her as he raised one eyebrow, "Do you want to go or not?"

"Yes, yes I do," she answered quickly before he could change his mind. Gabriel gestured her to follow him outside and they were soon standing in front of a bike at the end of the large field. April looked at it appreciatively. "I have never seen this here before."

Holding out a helmet for her, he fixed one on his head. "It's mine. I brought it here just a week ago." The pride in his voice didn't elude her. She hopped on the bike and they took off.

The speed was quite high. But April realized that she didn't mind it at all. In fact it was exhilarating. Not having much of a choice, she held on to Gabriel's shoulders for support feeling the muscles beneath his cardigan. If it had been a year ago, she wouldn't have even sat behind him on a bike, let alone actually enjoy it.

Gabriel had first tensed up at her touch. But then he relaxed. And then he felt undeniably smug. He knew he was a good looking man. He also knew that April knew it and it had quite an impact on her. Moreover, he was a strong man. His job required him to be fit and that obviously made him much more attractive to women. So if he could, he would use it on her.

A phone booth appeared in his vision and he hit the brake way too suddenly so that April jerked forward. She tightened her grip on his shoulders involuntarily but then released him when she saw the booth. And then before Gabriel could register, she was inside, dialing a number.

The conversation didn't last long, just as she had promised. But when April came out, there were tears in her eyes. Gabriel removed his helmet as she walked up to him. "Hey are you okay?"

She wiped away a tear, a laugh escaping her lips, "Yeah, I just….we got a bit emotional. That's all."

He smiled at her yet there was concern in his voice, "We could stay out for a while, talk if you want." April studied his face carefully, not sure what to say. She sniffled, "You could get into trouble for this. We shouldn't be out even for a second."

"It will be worth it," the words left his mouth without his consent. She gaped at him, surprised and he knew there was no going back from this. And yes, it would be worth it. For her, he'd take a few mocks from Amy and well, he knew that his superiors won't do much. He was far too valuable to them.

April nodded and he took her to a park which seemed secluded enough. It was the place he would visit when life at the farm or agency would get tad bit difficult. There weren't too many visitors except a few senior citizens who only visited in the morning. As far as he knew, they were safe.

They sat on a bench and she stayed quite for a few minutes. Gabriel gave her the space and time she needed. Then she suddenly asked him, "Did I ever tell you about my father?"

He nodded, "Once, when you caught me snacking at midnight."

She laughed remembering the incident. That was probably the start of whatever this thing they had was. "How can I forget that!" she smiled at him. "Well, he worked for CIA. Maybe you knew him, maybe you didn't. I don't know," she paused collecting her thoughts.

Gabriel swallowed as guilt overtook him. Every time she mentioned her father, the need to tell her the truth grew stronger. But he kept quiet knowing that right now, she needed someone who would listen to her. Everything else could wait.

"His name was Robert Davis. Five years ago he went missing on a mission. And then later we got to know that he died in a fire. His body was burnt to nothing. We buried an empty coffin. And just last year I got to know that he was working for the agency. My mother, she had been going through so much all alone. I wanted to honor him when I joined CIA, but now I feel like I too have left her alone. And I know I can't go back from this. But I want to be there for her."

She looked at him pleadingly. But she didn't even know what she was asking of him. April shook her head as she furiously wiped her tears, "I am so sorry. I don't even know why I am saying all this. We should go before someone realizes that we are missing," she spoke standing up from the bench. Gabriel stopped her as he caught her wrist in her hand.

"Hey, I know how it feels. You don't have to be ashamed of this," he tugged on her arm slightly making her sit next to him. "You love your family just like I love mine." His hand took hold of hers and he squeezed it comfortingly.

"Let me tell you something. Some days will be easy. You will love your job and your team. Some days will be hard and you will miss your mother. You will regret your decision. But you should know that your mother will understand. She's counting on you to be strong, alright? Because that's how she will know that you are okay. And you have to remember that she too is your strength. Whatever you are learning here, you are learning so that you can keep her safe."

This was probably the first time that Gabriel's touch had calmed April down. His words sunk deep into her and she realized that he had said exactly what she had wanted, needed to hear. Before she could chicken out, she pulled him close and wrapped her arms around his neck. Now that they were sitting, their height difference wasn't as noticeable. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

It took Gabriel some time but then he slowly gave himself up as he let his hand rest on her waist and then he pulled her closer without intending to. It was incredible how perfect she felt against him, like she was the only puzzle piece missing and now he was complete. He tried not to indulge too much but his fingers could still feel the softness of her skin beneath her training gear. He was tempted to explore a bit more, but he did know his limits.

So, instead, he let his hand get lost in her chocolate colored hair. A few moments later and too soon for him, April pulled away. But the sight of her rosy cheeks had his heart thudding in his chest violently.

"I am sorry," she looked down and he tried to catch her eyes, "That was greatly overstepping the boundaries." Gabriel smiled at her as he put a finger under her chin so she would look into his eyes. "It's okay. I didn't mind it at all."

She stared at him speechless. This man was too good for her to be able to believe it. She inhaled slowly, looking at his lips and then those ocean blue eyes, praying to God that he'd just damn all the professionalism to hell and kiss her like the world was going to end. And he would have, if it wasn't for the damned car that hit his bike.

It was a Sunday and normally even on this day they would have training sessions. But Gabriel had announced in the morning that they were going to have the day off. April had been happy to hear that. She became happier when she got to know that they could go out to the city if they wanted. But no one was supposed to go alone. And most importantly, they weren't supposed to make contact with anyone.

Teddy, Dale and April decided to go out together. They could just stroll around in the streets. She was desperate to be somewhere other than this cursed villa. Gabriel hadn't spoken to her since their conversation in the park, but then the week had been quite busy and she didn't blame him. He had probably permitted them to go out only because he knew how much she enjoyed it.

And if there had been any doubt regarding what he felt, it was all clarified when he pulled her away from Dale and Teddy, "You will be careful, yes?" he asked her softly, his large hands cupping her cheeks delicately.

"Yes," she answered looking into his eyes and letting him know that she had every intention of coming back to him.

The trio roamed the city aimlessly for about an hour before they came across a theatre. They unanimously made the decision to watch a movie named Spy. There was something tempting about the irony of three future CIA agents watching a movie about another CIA agent. During the interval, Teddy and Dale left April to get popcorn. As she waited for them, she felt a man sit beside her. She began to ask him to leave as the seat was for her friends but he spoke before she could, "I know who you are."

April's went wide. His voice was horrifyingly familiar. But it couldn't be true. It couldn't be possible. The stranger continued as he slipped a paper into her hand, "Do not look at me and open this when you are alone." And just like that he was gone.

The rest of the movie was forgotten as she could only concentrate on the paper that was clutched tightly in her palm, feeling as if it was burning her skin.

Teddy and Dale were pretty happy after the movie and thankfully, they were also tired. They didn't question April's sudden silence, instead opting to retreat to their bedrooms for the night. She knew they meant well and didn't ignore her on purpose. But as she had always known, they were just oversized kids.

Once she was in the safety of her room, April opened the paper.

Meet me near the bench in the north-east side of the field at midnight. Do not bring anyone.

The note felt cryptic and it could very well be dangerous. But she knew well that her curiosity would still make her go and meet this stranger. That was how she found herself on the field waiting eagerly and at the same time nervously for the stranger.

April had one hand in her pocket in which she had hidden a fork that she had stolen from the kitchen. She looked back at the villa contemplating whether she should wait more since it had already been fifteen minutes past midnight. "April," a voice startled her.

The face that she saw in front of her was one she had known very well. He was the man who had helped her through so much when she was young. And after he was taken from her, it was his memories that kept her going.

It was her dad.

April stared at him without blinking till her eyes began to burn. Her father seemed cautious if not scared of her. "How are you, my little princess?" he asked, a small, sad smile appeared on his face.

"How is this possible?" she whispered. "You were dead. You've been dead for almost five years now." The hand that she had been clutching her fork was suddenly raised up. She pointed it at him, "Who the hell are you?"

He took a step towards her, but she moved away from him, fear showing on her face. "It's me April, your father." She shook her head, still trying to get away from him. "You can't be. You can't."

The stranger seemed to ignore her denial as he continued, "You shouldn't have joined CIA. It is full of moles. Your mother, she is in danger. You have to go to her." Somehow the words seemed to register to her. She calmed down enough so she could talk to him without alerting anyone, if she hadn't already done that, "What do you mean? Why is my mom in danger? What did you do?"

She could bet on her life that what she saw on her father's face was guilt, "That's it. I didn't do anything. I wish I had. You should go back to Lawrence. Please April, go back."

Gabriel stopped the bike outside the field and removed his helmet. He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. To say that he was being restless was an understatement. Call him intuitive or paranoid; there was something that he didn't quite like about April roaming about the city without him protecting her. Just a few days ago, he had been informed that her father was back in America. It was quite doubtful that he would find his way to the farm and to his daughter, but Gabriel feared the worst that day.

Commotion from the other corner of the vast field caught his attention. April was standing there and talking to someone, but he couldn't see the face properly. But he seemed to be a man, older than her. Gabriel was sure it wasn't one of her friends. They weren't supposed to meet anyone and April was lucky only he had seen her talking to this stranger. Anger shot in his body at the thought, how could she be so careless. He tried to sneak up closer to the duo so he could see who she was talking to.

"Why did you only come back now? It's been five years," April hissed at her father, a treacherous tear escaping her eye. He began to answer, but she beat him, "Do you have any idea what your lies have done to mom?"

Robert stepped forward to put a consoling hand on her shoulder. Movement behind her caught his eye and he halted. "Someone is here, watching us." April froze in her place. Someone had been spying on them? How long had it been? What if it was Lance? He'd berate her in front of Gabriel for breaking the rules. She was screwed.

Gabriel was breathing hard. His gut feeling about today had been right. It was him. Robert Davis had found his daughter, no matter how much he tried to protect her. He hid behind a bush, his black clothing camouflaging him well against the dark. Suddenly instead of talking to her, Robert was looking directly at his hiding place. He probably didn't spot him yet, but he was close. After all, all his feats were taught to him by Robert. He was a good spy, but not a very good man.

He stayed still, waiting for them to resume their conversation, but instead he heard Robert directly speak to him, "Whoever you are, come out in the open. I know you are there."

April whispered harshly as she heard her father, "What are you doing? Do you want me to get in trouble?" He replied with a finger to his lips, motioning her to stay quiet. His eyes fell behind her and lightened up in recognition. "Oh, it's you. It has been so long." She turned around and her eyes met with a furious looking Gabriel. Her heart stopped. "Mr. Ross?"

She was ignored completely as he stepped forward. "How did you find this place?" Robert smiled, "For how long did you think you could hide my daughter from me?"

Utterly confused April looked between the two men, "Wait, you know each other?" her eyes turned to Gabriel and she wasn't unable to mask the pain in her voice, "Did you know that he was alive?"

The words cut him, and then when he looked at her eyes and the betrayal in them, Gabriel felt broken. She was frantic, in so much pain, "Tell me!" her voice was like a desperate, yet angry plea.

"April," Robert spoke but was stopped when she turned to him, her eyes red, "Leave. I never want to see you here again." And so he did. He knew he had hurt his daughter but he didn't obviously know whatever it was between Gabriel and her. But it seemed like his student had caused more pain to his daughter than he himself had. "I am sorry," he muttered softly as he disappeared in the forests that surrounded the farm.

Gabriel felt April's eyes on him, but he didn't look at her. Yet, he could feel the burn in her gaze, the hatred. She didn't speak a word, instead began walking swiftly towards the villa. He eyed her retreating figure and felt something tug at his heart. It was guilt, he knew. He should have told her, he really should have.

April felt herself being followed by him, but she didn't stop. Her anger wouldn't let her. A sob shook her body and the next moment Gabriel pulled her back to him. He held her by her upper arms but she refused to face him as she struggled in his hold, albeit in vain. "I am sorry."

She shook her head. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. His hand found her face and he made her look into his eyes, "I wanted to tell you, for so long. Since the day I came to know who you were, I wanted to tell you the truth," he spoke enforcing every word.

"Then why didn't you?" she asked him, standing still, watching him squarely. "I told you about my mom and how scared I was for her. I bared all my fears for you to see. And you still hid the truth from me? Why?"

Gabriel raised his voice unintentionally, "Because your father is a traitor. He defected from CIA to join a goddamn terrorist organization. He was my mentor and I had to fake his death so that your family won't face the consequences of his choices." His words seemed to have some effect on her. All the anger in her eyes was now replaced by shock. He continued, loosening his hold on her arms, "But I am sorry. You trusted me. I should have trusted you to handle this."

April looked away, unable to comprehend the intensity in his gaze. She slipped out of his grip, wrapping her arms around herself now that she was devoid of the warmth that came in his proximity. "It's late. We should go back."

Without waiting for Gabriel to reply, she turned around and walked away.

The pale moonlight entered April's room illuminating her table clock. It was 3 am and there was no way she could sleep tonight. Its tick tock was the only sound that disturbed the otherwise silent room. Irritated she sat up on her bed kicking away the duvet. Her mind was a tangled mess of emotions and doubts. Her father had been alive all this time, letting her and her mother believe otherwise. And now he had done something terrible enough that they were in danger. The man who had been the only hero in her life, her father had put their lives in jeopardy.

Furthermore, she was disappointed in Gabriel. He could have told her because he clearly knew the truth. But then did she really have any right to be disappointed in him? After all, he was doing what he believed to be right. And he had protected her and her mother without ever knowing them. The warmth that spread through her body at the thought was hard to ignore. She wanted to punch him then out of anger but didn't, because that would have probably only hurt her. How could she really ever be angry with him anyway? He had done nothing to deserve it. He didn't share a lifetime of memories with her like her father did. And yet, he had helped her and wanted to keep her safe. If all the feelings that rushed through her heart when he held her in his arms were any indication, she'd do the same for him, or maybe even more.

The sudden need to see him tugged at her and April left her room. With any luck he might feel hungry again and be outside. But he wasn't. She looked up at his door to see that the lights of his room were still on. So maybe he had trouble sleeping too. Of course he did. Her father's appearance had been a shock for both of them.

The moments that passed staring at the wooden door felt like a lifetime. April gingerly brought her fist up and softly knocked on the door, panic coursing through her. The door opened to reveal an exhausted looking Gabriel whose blue eyes lit up when they fell on her. Suddenly, she felt extremely conscious in her pajama shorts and loose t-shirt. To make matters worse, she had only realized that she wasn't wearing a bra.

Gabriel had noticed it too, she knew because his eyes had passed over her chest in one smooth movement. But he had been subtle enough that it didn't look vulgar. She herself too examined him only to realize that he was almost as covered in his night clothes as he would be in his training gear. "Hi," he whispered in a voice a bit hoarse. Perhaps, she was wrong and he had been asleep. "I'm sorry," she spoke softly. "I didn't want to disturb you."

He gave her a sad smile in return. "You didn't. I just…" he swallowed thickly. Her appearance was a bit of a distraction for him tonight. "I wasn't expecting you. I didn't really think that you'd want to see me again after what happened."

April felt a pang of guilt at his words, "I was wrong to blame you. I am sorry about that."

Shaking his head, he smiled. "I would have acted the same way if I was in your position." His words brought some kind of comfort to her. He opened the door wider. "We can talk about this if you want to."

"It's late and you must be tired," she countered, suddenly feeling strangely scared of talking about her father. The betrayal and pain left her feeling emotionally raw. Her arms wrapped around her shivering form on instinct.

"Are you cold?"

Gabriel looked at her with concern in his eyes, "C'mon inside," he insisted. They needed to discuss this, he could practically see the pain rolling off of her and it was hurting him. He didn't want her to suffer for the mistakes she didn't make. April took a deep breath before nodding and walking with him inside. She had a déjà vu as she scanned the room. Only last time she had been furious, this time she was scared.

Last time she didn't feel this sting of betrayal that she was feeling now. Last time she was nervous because she had been accused of sleeping her way into CIA. This time was different, her dead father was alive. And her mother was in danger. Gabriel motioned her to sit on the couch. She complied, looking down at her hands, lacing and unlacing her fingers. A cashmere shawl draped over her shoulders and she looked up to see Gabriel walking around the sofa and pull out a chair for himself. He sat with his elbows on the knees. She understood that he was waiting for her to say something.

For the longest time, they sat in silence, neither of them able to start the impending conversation. It hurt Gabriel that she was deliberately avoiding making eye contact with him. April was nervous as she tugged at the shawl for more warmth. She knew she had to clarify what had just happened with Gabriel. She needed answers from him. And he must have some questions too. For instance, why was she there at the first place meeting a stranger when they were clearly ordered to have no contacts with anyone outside? She was really lucky that it was Gabriel who found her and not someone else. And yet, her mind was a tangled mess which she simply wasn't able to sort through.

How was she supposed to ask him anything when her own thoughts were so out of order?

April took a deep breath and Gabriel looked up at her expecting her to say something. The silence was practically driving him insane. She decided that it would be good to start with the most basic of all the questions.

"How do you know my dad?" she voiced out.

He swallowed as the question registered in his mind. "He was my mentor," he answered and only received a nod from April. God, when she tried she really could be difficult to read.

"I just want to know the truth Gabriel, what did my father do?" This time when he faced her he could see the pain in her eyes as clear as day.

"Your father began working for CIA a long time before I joined. What I know is that he was sent on a mission from which he didn't come back and then we found out that he had joined a terrorist group named Lava."

April scoffed, "That's a ridiculous name." She nodded for Gabriel to continue when he looked at her with an amused expression.

"We didn't believe our sources at first so we started tailing you and your mother. But you both were completely devastated. It was obvious that your father hadn't tried to make contact with any of you. We only realized that you could be in danger. So we decided to keep an eye on you till we were sure that no one suspected you of knowing anything."

April cocked her head as a reaction. They were following her and her mom. That was ridiculous. She did remember noticing some suspicious looking men follow her around about three years ago. But her mind had been so distracted with all the fights her mother had with her about her father's death that she did not give it a second thought. Maybe she should have.

"And then a year ago, he resurfaced. Your father. He sent us a video of him telling us what a failure we were. He taunted us. We traced the video back to a warehouse where it had been recorded. It was completely empty. There was just a dead body there,"

"Wait." April cut him off, her eyes narrowed as if things didn't add up in her mind. And they didn't. "You're saying that we were in danger but then someone from CIA told my mom that the man who had killed my father was dead. So we were safe."

Her words caught Gabriel off guard. "You were never safe," he spoke, his voice turning deeper and much more grim than usual. The words sent a shiver down her spine. "Are you sure someone from CIA gave you this false information?"

She nodded, anger bubbling inside her. "I am positive. This means that either it was someone from this Lava that told my mother about this, or you have a mole in the CIA." She suddenly remembered the short and strained conversation she had with her dad. "My dad said it too, he told me about the mole. He told me that there is a mole in the CIA and that my mother is in danger."

Before Gabriel could comprehend her statement, she was standing in front of him, the shawl draped over the couch. There was a frantic look in those green eyes. "Dad told me that I have to go back. I have to go and see my mother," she whispered.

"No," he hissed, "you are not going anywhere. We will send someone to Lawrence to watch your mother's back, but you are going to stay right here."

She began shaking her head in protest but he stopped her before she could voice her opinion on the matter. "I have protected you and Mrs. Davis this long. Trust me. I will keep her safe this time too."

Tears welled in April's eyes. His heart clenched. "I can't. I have to go. She is my only family. I can't lose her too. She is alone Gabriel, completely alone. And how can you trust the people who you will send to look after her. It could be the mole. It has to be me, I have to go."

In all her crying and rambling, she didn't realize she had called him by his first name. But Gabriel had noticed it. And god did it feel good to hear her say his name. If only the situation had been different, he might have kissed her senseless.

He settled for taking her in his arms instead, because he understood. He understood her need to protect her own blood. "Alright, but you trust me, don't you?"

April shuddered once in his hold, and then stepped back to look in his eyes. "I do," she said, her voice coming out choked. And she did. She really did trust him. As he had said, he was the one protecting her family long before she even knew her father's true profession. If he wanted to harm her or her mother, he already had a thousand opportunities. But he didn't and that was all that mattered.

"But I have to go," she pleaded, fearing he might not understand. But then he smiled. "I know you have to. I know you want to protect your mother. But you can't do that alone."

She looked at him, slightly confused. "I'll come with you. You need someone with experience on your side."

Her heart swelled. Gabriel was ready to come with her and help her. God, could this man be any kinder. But she was still skeptical. "But wouldn't that raise suspicions too. I mean if you come with me to Lawrence, someone at the agency might doubt something."

Gabriel nodded as a sense of pride filled him. She was smart, so much like her father. He was glad that they weren't similar as far as morals went. "Yes, it would raise suspicions. But with your dad here, whoever this mole is must already be on alert. So I don't see how this could be the worst decision for us to make."

April smiled, a gleam appearing in her eyes, "I thought I wasn't going to get any special treatment," she mocked referring to their first day of training. Good times. He chuckled. "I believe that statement has been irrelevant for quite some time now, don't you think?" They only noticed then that he was still holding her in his arms. They were standing way too close and it didn't seem like Gabriel had any intention of letting her go. She didn't think she would mind it anyway.

He leaned forward a little and she closed her eyes instinctively. She felt a slight press of lips on her forehead. "We have to leave," he said with a small smirk. April agreed as she slowly, but half-heartedly pulled away from his hold. But they couldn't afford to waste any time.

Packing a bag with only a few essentials, Gabriel knocked on April's door. It opened the next moment, and he realized that she had been expecting him. "I got us some guns from the gun range," she whispered, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. This was her first mission. And it wasn't against wooden dummies or stupid boys like Lance. It was against a true enemy. There would be real firing. Real fighting. And she didn't want to be unprepared when the time finally came.

Gabriel, on the other hand wasn't exactly amused on hearing her words. "You stole those guns?" She tried not to wince at that word but kept her voice steady, "I borrowed them. We will need weapons, won't we?"

He nodded, "Yes we will. And I have got them with me." A smirk appeared on his face as he motioned her to follow him. They went in his room as he ran his hand across a wall and then pushed a brick inside. The wall slid revealing a small opening. "What the fuck!" April was gaping. Gabriel turned to look at her with a stern expression. "No cursing."

April tried to keep the sounds of her shoes as low as possible as she walked into the garage with Gabriel. He walked slightly ahead of her with a duffel bag in his one hand and her own hand in his other. It was difficult for her to ignore the way his hand felt against hers. The way his warmth spread through her from the slightest of touches. She wondered what it would feel like if he would touch her a bit more.

The lights flicked on causing April to suddenly look around herself. She hadn't even noticed that they were in the garage. Gabriel looked back at her dazed form and she felt a blush creep up her cheeks at the thoughts that had been swirling in her mind.

If there was anything more beautiful then April, then it was when she was blushing. Her pale cheeks tinted a faint pink and her lips curved in a shy a smile. Gabriel had to remind himself of their mission as he stared at her standing in her white cotton shirt and jeans, her hair pulled up in a messy bun, no wonder a result of haste. She looked nervous too, which he completely understood. This was not just any mission. It was personal for her. And if he was being honest with himself, it felt personal to him too.

Realizing that she needed a distraction, Gabriel motioned towards his car and April followed his gaze to a silver convertible. Her eyes grew wide as she walked near it. "Is this yours?" she asked although it felt like it was a stupid question. Of course it was his.

"Yeah, it's my personal. We can't use the agency car because they will be able to track us," he replied as he opened a door for her. She nodded to him and slid inside the beautiful car. Her eyes scanned the luxurious interiors as Gabriel took his place in the driver's seat. Her hand found his and she stopped him from starting the engine, "I am scared Gabriel."

He let their fingers interlock and squeezed her hand gently. "I'll be there with you. I know it's your first mission but you'll have me." April nodded knowing that she had to see this through, that there was no escape and yet Gabriel was right here with her.

The drive to Lawrence was going to be a long one. Even though they started early in the morning, they were only halfway and already the sun was setting. April offered to drive so that Gabriel could get some rest and was surprised when he didn't refuse. She had half expected him to deny the offer fearing she would damage his precious car or cause an accident.

Gabriel's phone vibrated and April turned to him nervously. It was Amy. He touched his finger to his lips asking her to keep quiet. She nodded and swallowed thickly. She could hear Amy's voice as soon as he picked up the phone. She was yelling something frantically. All April could understand, though, was superiors and action.

"Amy," Gabriel said in a gentle voice, "we had some urgent business and I need you to take care of the situation there."

April averted her gaze from him and concentrated on the road ahead. Her hands shook out of nervousness. She didn't care for once what would happen to her but she feared for Gabriel who had dedicated the better part of his life to the agency and now was doing all this for her.

"Yes, she is with me." She heard him say into the phone, his voice growing impatient. April knew they were talking about her and her grip on the wheel tightened. Gabriel noticed the shift in her demeanor and covered her hand with his own, squeezing her fingers. Even though he knew that she was capable of staying calm in this situation, he still felt an undeniable urge to be there for her.

"Please Amy," he spoke again, his voice losing the agitation from before. He was pleading. "I need you to be my friend right now." April assumed that Amy must have been convinced when Gabriel took a deep sigh of relief and thanked her.

"I knew I could count on Amy," he spoke with a smile on his face after disconnecting the call. "She never lets me down." April responded with a tight smile. She didn't know Amy well. They were just acquaintances and she obviously didn't trust her as much as Gabriel did. Her heart was still beating loudly in her chest as if she was being chased by a beast and had only now managed to escape.

"I know that you trust Amy but she is an agent just like you, what if she sells us out?" April asked after a long silence. Gabriel turned to look at her with the most incredulous expression she had seen. "April," he said her name almost as if scolding a child. "She would never do that. I trust her with my life. We have known each other too long and have gone through so much together. She would never betray me."

April opened her mouth to retort but changed her mind a moment later. A heavy tension settled between them and she felt a weight on her chest. She was worried about more than just how much Amy meant to Gabriel. Her eyes stayed trained on the road even though she stole glances at him willing him to speak something.

Gabriel turned to her with a smirk. "Are you jealous of her?" The words caught her off guard but she refused to face him. "I don't know what you mean."

"I think you do," he answered without missing a beat, his smile growing wider. They both knew there was something between them. Something that they never mentioned but they both felt. His voice grew softer and he dropped his teasing tone, "Amy is a friend, like a comrade. Nothing more, nothing less." April smiled slightly at his words. She knew he was soothing her worries even though she never voiced them.