A/N: Ahhh, another multi chapter. This one has taken me 2 weeks just to perfect the first chapter. I think I know where I'm going with it though. I work a lot coming up this week, so updates could be sporadic at best. Basically I'm intrigued by the idea of Gabriel and Riley each dating (other people) after something disrupts and makes them question their "just friendship" and they try to move past it. Whose jealously will show first? Tracy is mine, but all the other characters are not. I hope you guys enjoy! And it's set about two years into the partnership. "Where To Now" lyrics by Cider Sky.

Pressure Points

Tell me where to now

'Cause the lights are up

And the covers

And the gloves

Are off

There's no win or lose

So go ahead make your move

Let's just pray that it's good enough…

XOX

It wasn't something they intended to happen.

The alley behind the club their fallen politician frequented when he went about his shadier business dealings was dark to be sure, but well placed streetlights weren't doing Gabriel and Riley any favors in looking for cover. They waited impatiently around the corner for him to emerge from the backdoor with the jump drive containing state secrets he was supposed to sell to his foreign contact.

Riley kept glancing at her watch in irritation.

"You know, we could have sent you in as an exotic dancer and been done with this three hours ago," Gabriel chuckled, half serious. She rolled her eyes, shooting him a dark look.

"Bet you'd love that," she said coyly, eyebrow raised as she nudged him. "Keep dreaming."

He opened his mouth to respond that he would, in fact, keep dreaming, when the door they'd been watching finally swung open. "Is it Carpenter?" Gabriel asked instead, all joking aside as their target came into view. Riley nodded.

"Looks like," she whispered, and they maneuvered around the corner they hid behind, their backs following along the wall. "We need proof he has the drive, I can't see from here."

"There are three men hidden, like us, shadowing the buyer. Can't tell who they are though. Too dark," Gabriel whispered back. "We need to get closer."

Riley huffed. "We can't get closer, Gabriel. Not without blowing our position. Any ideas?"

He hesitated a moment. "Maybe, but you're not gonna like it."

"Try me," she answered back, straining her eyes trying to get a better view.

"Hide your gun, and follow my lead," Gabriel commanded, hiding his own gun in his waistband, under his jacket.

Riley reluctantly followed as they grew closer to the meet. He put a hand out, stopping her movement when all that separated them from the buyer and Carpenter was a dumpster. Gabriel grasped her upper arms, backing her against the brick wall. She had a half a mind to demand what the hell was going on when he kicked the dumpster, the sound echoing in the alleyway. Riley looked at him like he was insane.

"Laugh," he whispered. She pressed her lips into a thin line, shaking her head stubbornly. "Just do it."

Having sparred with her on more than one occasion, he knew which spot to hit to give him the reaction he wanted. He pressed his thumb right above her hipbone, eliciting the sound she refused to make by force. She looked like she wanted to punch him, and he knew he'd pay for this later.

Carpenter and the buyer's attention swiveled to focus on the sounds they made, and Gabriel used infrared from the satellite positioned from above to detect how many men were being sent to investigate. Two of the buyer's men that initially hid emerged from the shadows to seek them out.

When the men grew near, no more than six feet from their positions, Gabriel pulled her close, offering a sorrowful smile and prayed she wouldn't slap him and ruin the cover he'd chopped together in a matter of minutes. He leaned down to her level, grasping the back of her neck and pulling her lips to his roughly. Riley froze, hands coming up to his chest to push him away when she heard the men round the corner where they hid. She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt instead, leaning into him and responding to the kiss. She found herself rapidly sinking, teeth clashing against his as a real, almost desperate passion took over her movements

He felt the strange shift between them first, when the kiss went from a quick cover to something deeper, all-consuming. Their mission slipped from his mind as the kiss grew hungrier, more urgent, and she couldn't pull him close enough, hands traveling under shirts, uncovering newfound skin.

No one would worry about a lust driven couple in a back alley. Not here, of all places.

The laughing and cajoling in a foreign language pulled him back to their reality first, regret filling him when she made a small noise of protest at the loss of contact. There was a question in her darkened green eyes he couldn't answer when she opened them, lost and confused and dazed by what had transpired. He released his hold on her as if she'd burned him, nodding to the men that surrounded them and watching as Carpenter handed the drive to the buyer.

They still had a job to do.

XOX

They couldn't look at each other.

The kiss and all of its implications went unspoken. A silent agreement they made with each other. No one would ever know. But they knew, and it was tearing them both apart. They were friends. Just friends.

Just friends didn't kiss like that.

Both partners pretended it never happened, leaving it out of their reports and debriefs, despite the havoc it played on their nerves. Riley forced herself to bounce back easier from it than Gabriel. She eschewed it as a cover, nothing more; something meant to keep them safe while they staked out their target; something meant to distract the buyer's men while their plan fell into place.

But Gabriel saw it, felt it, for what it was, and he couldn't get past it. He didn't want to let it go, try as he may. And she refused any attempt he made in trying to bring it up. It frustrated him to no end.

It was straining their partnership.

Riley was almost relieved when Lillian pulled her aside, telling her she'd been requested for a special detail.

Gabriel did not take kindly to the news.

XOX

They fought before she left.

It was trivial and petty, and looking back he wasn't sure how it started.

Well, that wasn't entirely true.

Riley was being loaned by request to the Secret Service; a request made by Stanwick Finnegan himself, a fan of both Gabriel and Riley after the events in Syria. But this time, they'd needed only her to Gabriel's disappointment. A week, two at the most she told him gently. She was the real Secret Service Agent after all.

That wasn't what started their childish fight though. Gabriel knew with Riley's impeccable record and qualifications it could happen, but he'd shrugged it off as a miniscule possibility a long time ago. He knew she still strived, still wanted in her heart of hearts, to be a Detail Leader. She'd already lost that chance once in actually doing her job.

When she casually threw in the fact that Charlie Griffin would once again be spearheading the team, that's when the bell clanged and they both stepped into the proverbial boxing ring. She expected he wouldn't handle that news well, but as their voices rose and the fight escalated, Riley realized she should have known better.

Gabriel was not inherently a possessive or jealous man, unless it involved Charlie Griffin. Something about the guy irked him to no end; whether it was his betrayal of his partner's trust or the simple fact she'd been involved with someone so…despicable, he wasn't sure.

As it was, Riley's green eyes blazed angrily as she crossed her arms, fed up with his obnoxious name-calling and pointed observations. "Let it go, Gabriel. How do you think I was able to warn Governor Cameron someone was trying to kill her all those months ago? I got Charlie fired from her detail because of that. He's lucky they didn't demote him; the only reason they didn't was because we turned out to be right. That would have been on me!"

"But him stealing your promotion to begin with is totally fine?" Gabriel yelled back, throwing his arms in the air, a dark sarcasm coating his voice. "Leader of your own team. I thought that was something you wanted? Admit it, if you hadn't have been assigned to babysit me, that's where'd you be right now. That's still what you want..." he trailed.

She was taken aback for a moment, startled by the offhand assumption and the way he said it. Did he think that was something she still mourned the loss of? A silly promotion? Sure, it was something she'd wanted once upon a time when she was protecting the president. She was more than qualified. Deserved it, by all rights. But it wasn't something she dwelled on anymore. She was comfortable here, guarding Gabriel, making the world just a tiny bit better with him.

"It was," she answered him quietly, a bit put off. "Not anymore."

Her answer surprised them both.

"Why you?" he demanded, but it came out weak, almost tired. "What makes them think they can have you? That's not your job anymore!"

The lethal spark in her lit again at his presumption. "Gabriel, they can do with me as they see fit! I'm not yours! I never was, and I never will be!" she yelled, far harsher than she needed to. The startled hurt in his blue gaze told her all she needed to know. "That's not how this works."

Their kiss flickered in her mind, and she knew he was thinking the same thing. Best not to dwell on impossibilities. She shook her head, swallowing hard. "Jameson is going to be your protector in the interim. Try to afford him some respect," she bit out sharply, jarring Gabriel's shoulder with her own as she slammed his door behind her.

Gabriel stood frozen for a long moment. How had they gotten here? Tiptoeing around each other after that stupid kiss in the alley. She pretending it was nothing when it was everything to him. He turned, hand on his doorknob, half a mind to go after his partner, to make it right. Make her understand him and his undeniable fear.

He feared she'd regret protecting him one day, having given up a promising career to cover his reckless ass. He feared Charlie Griffin would convince her she was better than this. Hell, he feared Charlie Griffin could convince her of a lot of things.

Maybe that was for the best. They couldn't be involved. Weren't supposed to be partners, let alone friends.

He dropped his hand. Words were their enemy at the moment, and anything he said would only make it worse.

Something told him, deep down, he'd regret not going after her later.

And he would.

XOX

Riley had become accustomed to simple jeans and a tee shirt as her new uniform in the past two years, so the stiff black suit and starched white shirt made her uncomfortable in her own skin, the tight, slicked back ponytail making her head hurt. It all felt off.

She plucked at imaginary lint on her pants, staring blankly out the black Sedan's bulletproof window. Charlie spoke animatedly beside her. She assumed he was filling her in on the security parameters, but she couldn't concentrate. He'd forgiven her rather easily, she thought, despite getting him fired.

They were even now, she supposed.

Riley chewed her lip viciously, wincing when her cell phone buzzed and she bit down too hard, drawing blood. Gabriel's name flashed on the screen. She hit ignore before she could think, and her hasty action didn't go unnoticed by Charlie.

"Trouble in paradise, Thriller?" he smirked. Smug satisfaction wasn't nearly as attractive a look on him as it was on Gabriel. Riley rolled her eyes.

"We have a job to do. I can't afford to multitask clients," she answered smoothly, professionally. "He has a replacement agent for the time being. He can go to him."

"I didn't think you thought of Gabriel as your client?" Griffin quoted a bit tauntingly, remembering a discussion they'd had awhile back, after he'd been let go.

"Tell me about the security measures we'll need to take at this charity event," Riley demanded, taking the topic and turning it hard left.

Griffin blinked, raising an eyebrow. She used to be better at deflecting. In the entire time they'd dated he hadn't even learned her favorite color. Clearly she was more open with Gabriel; lying, and even feigning disinterest, was becoming difficult for her. "Yeah, sure," he acquiesced.

For the next hour Riley sat silently, pretending she heard every word Charlie said, all the while worrying about Gabriel. She wanted nothing more than to hit the speed dial on her phone and hear his voice, but she restrained herself, clutching the device with white knuckles.

She couldn't be at his beck and call.

She couldn't be that girl.

Couldn't be the one that fell for her charge.

XOX

Gabriel sighed miserably, staring at the silent, black screen. Riley had never ignored one of his calls in the two years they'd been partnered together.

Well, in the time that she'd been assigned to watch over him. He thought, quite bitterly, that was the proper phraseology. Despite her intentional, placating use of the word "partner" he sure didn't feel like that's what they were lately. He wanted his friend back. He wanted to apologize and she wasn't having any of it.

Two could play that game.

He shook his head, shoving the phone into the pocket of his jeans and pushing the grocery cart forcefully out of the aisle and into the next, colliding it roughly with another. A few of the items in the cart he'd hit slid off the top, falling to the floor with a loud clatter.

"I'm so sorry, that was all my fault. I was distracted, wasn't watching where I was going," Gabriel jumped in, crouching down to pick up the fallen items. He glanced up when the person joined him, grabbing a box and a plastic bag of fruit as well.

His next words died on his lips.

"It's okay," the woman smiled at him shyly. Her long, dark auburn hair curled elegantly down her chest and her bright hazel eyes met his with a quick wink. "I always make it a habit to run into cute guys at the grocery store."

He smiled crookedly, dimples and all, at her smart remark. "Oh, really? Giving away your moves already? Shouldn't we exchange names first?"

She shook her head, curls bouncing as she held out the hand that didn't have a bag of limes in it. "Tracy Moore. I'm a caterer," she indicated her overflowing cart. "Not an End of Days hoarder."

He took the hand she offered, pulling her up with him once everything was gathered. "Gabriel. Not usually this forward," he responded honestly.

"Me either," she laughed prettily, pushing a strand of red hair behind her ear. "Maybe I can make it up to you, make you dinner sometime? It's kind of my job?"

"Make it up to me? I hit you," Gabriel countered, amused.

She shrugged, biting her lip. "Are you really turning down a free meal?"

Gabriel ran a hand through his hair. "Definitely not. Wouldn't want to offend a chef."

"Good," she nodded, pulling a small case from her purse. "Here's my card, my number's on the back."

"Be seeing you soon," Gabriel replied, a small, strange smile touching his lips. Tracy grinned, giving him a slight wave as she turned the corner. He'd have to come to this grocery store more often, he decided.

Gabriel glanced over, meeting Jameson's equally interested, if wary, gaze. He held a basket in his arms under pretense of shopping as well, though his taste skewed more towards the organic section than potato chips and processed juice concentrate. "What?" Gabriel asked, holding his hands up in question.

Jameson raised his eyebrows, suppressing a laugh. "Nothing. It's about time you started dating again. It's been awhile since Amelia…" he trailed, clearing his throat. "Sorry."

For the first time in a long time, Gabriel didn't flinch or crumble or get defensive at the mention of his dead wife's name. "It's…okay," he told the younger agent.

"You gonna call her?" Jameson asked.

"Not now, don't wanna look desperate. Geez Jameson, subtlety," Gabriel commented, looking over the business card's gold script. "I have to wait two days, three tops."

Jameson scoffed. "Oh, please. In the age of instant information and technology overflow you want to wait three days to call a girl that gorgeous? How long have you been out of the dating pool again?"

"Funny," Gabriel said sarcastically, pushing his cart down the cereal aisle. He was chipping Tracy Moore before he realized what he was doing. It wasn't fair, but he couldn't help it. He still had to be careful.

Tracy Moore was thirty-four years old, from rural Pennsylvania. She was close with her two older sisters according to her Facebook traffic, loved dogs, and talked to her mother daily. She'd attended a small culinary school outside the city. She started her own catering company in 2009, and it managed to be moderately successful. She was still waiting for her big break, but was able to keep afloat. Her father helped fund the business, quite supportive of his youngest daughter.

She was so…normal.

There was no chip in her head, no violent history, no CIA background with intent to blow people, or herself, up. No one was trying to kill her. She was close to her family, she had a steady career, and he was 99% sure she hadn't ever touched a gun in her life.

She was also stunningly beautiful, the hardest fact to overlook.

Gabriel sighed, placing the card in his wallet. He was a bit sad he had to wait two days to call the pretty redhead.

XOX

Riley paced the ballroom of the grand hotel, having scoured the building for potential security threats twice already. Charlie was going over protocol with the staff and the rest of the team walked the floors.

She straightened when Finnegan approached her, escorted by two agents, one she vaguely recognized from Syria.

"A moment," he muttered to the agents. They nodded, hanging back a few feet. "Agent Neal, pleasure to see you again."

"You as well, Sir. If you don't mind my asking, why request me? You have a perfectly capable team of agents here," Riley asked, genuinely curious.

"Your record is impeccable. I feel you are a trustworthy asset to have in my pocket; you protect Clockwork well. I keep tabs on how you're both progressing, and I'm impressed. That's why I requested you. You and I have much in common, Agent Neal," he answered quietly, so as not to be overheard.

Riley saw Charlie shoot her a look out of the corner of her eye. Jealously also wasn't a good look on him. She knew he was remembering Syria.

"By the way, tell our friend I'm still waiting for that golf game," Finnegan smiled broadly. Riley had to squash the laugh that bubbled up.

"I'll make sure to convey the message, Sir."

"Wonderful. Well, I have business to attend to. I have faith you'll be a solid Detail Leader tonight," Finnegan said, professional tone back as he nodded to his escorts. Riley opened her mouth, ready to ask what he meant by his comment, but it was too late.

Griffin approached her, having dismissed the staff. "I find it odd he requested you, of all people, to take lead tonight."

Riley looked at him in surprise. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" She shook her head, and Griffin sighed. "You and I are his right hand men tonight. Rubbed a lot of agents the wrong way with that one. That would be the reason they're all giving you the cold shoulder, if you were curious."

Riley shrugged. "I hadn't noticed."

She had. The agents she'd called friends long ago had been shooting daggers in her back all day, and she hadn't been able to pinpoint why, exactly. Now she knew.

Finnegan put an out of commission Secret Service agent in charge.

"Shall we get started then, Thriller?"

She nodded, shoulders back, holding herself confidently.

"Let's get to it."

XOX

"Did you call her yet?" Jameson asked the next morning, waiting for Gabriel to get ready. He'd stopped to get coffee for both of them, per Riley's extremely detailed list of instructions. He wondered, perusing the extensive list, how much of a life the woman had outside of watching over Gabriel. They seemed to spend most of their waking lives together, not that he was one to pry…or assume.

"No," Gabriel called from his bedroom, grouchily. Jameson was late, upsetting his morning routine. Riley was always on time, he thought, wanting to scold the man. But Riley's command that he offer Jameson some respect and room to adapt reined in his frustration. "It's only been a day."

Jameson shook his head, stifling a laugh. "Girls that pretty don't wait around, Gabriel," he intoned.

Gabriel scoffed. He could think of one that did.

"Then she didn't really like me in the first place, did she," he threw back.

"Touché," Jameson agreed, handing him the coffee specified on the list when he emerged from his bedroom, fully dressed. "But seriously, call the girl. Have some fun. You of all people deserve it, after everything."

Gabriel shrugged, locking his door. It had been a long, long time since…well, since he'd done anything with a woman. He'd remained loyal to his wife in every way in the six years she'd been missing. The vows he took meant something to him, and to his friends it was admirable, but foolish. To him the vows weren't just words pieced together to paint a pretty picture though. And despite the fact that death had parted them, he hadn't gone out of his way to meet women, to date, in the two years that followed her death. He had…he had Riley.

Gabriel paused. He found himself wondering if he'd subconsciously vowed a loyalty to Riley in the same vein as he had with his wife. She was the first woman to come into his life after Amelia, even if they weren't involved on that level. She was the first woman he'd kissed since Amelia, his render with Mei Chen not something he considered real in that regard.

But Riley wouldn't cross the line he imagined crossing over and over again. She was too professional, too dedicated. And he was too much of a coward to admit what he wanted. Tracy seemed genuine, safe, normal.

Still, it seemed like a betrayal, inviting a new woman into his life when he had another.

Jameson saw the perplexed look on his face before he could hide it. "You're not betraying her, you know?"

Gabriel looked at him sharply, wondering what he knew. What his expression revealed.

"She's gone, Gabriel. Amelia would want you to move on. It's…time." Gabriel only nodded, afraid to say anything. "Promise me you'll call this girl tonight?"

"Promise."

XOX

Riley fell into the role of Detail Leader like an old pro. It came naturally, and everything went off without a hitch.

Charlie smiled over at her once the charity ball had ended. "Nicely done, Thriller."

Riley ducked her head, not wanting to seem too proud. "Thank you."

"You know, I thought I'd ask if you wanted to get coffee, maybe, once this tour is over?"

Riley went to turn him down, as she'd turned down the audit guy, turned down the trainer at her gym, and turned down the lawyer she met on one of her morning jogs not more than two weeks ago. But she paused uncertainly, suddenly not sure why she couldn't bring herself to accept any of the offers she'd received.

She was attractive, barely thirty, smart, and skilled. With an unfortunate job that required her almost constant attention. Never off the clock, she'd told Gabriel once.

And of course, there was Gabriel.

How would that look to any man in her life? She could see the conversation now.

What do you do for a living?

Well, I basically babysit a full-grown man. Gotta make sure billions of dollars in government tech doesn't die walking down the stairs. And you?

He'd tease her relentlessly about it too, though he'd asked her several times why she didn't date, or if she had friends. She wasn't even close with her brother. It was too complicated to maintain relationships with a job like hers.

She had Gabriel. Usually that was enough.

Except he couldn't be everything to her. She couldn't let that happen. Couldn't afford too.

So why did she sabotage any other potential relationship?

"Let me…think about it," she answered Charlie. He nodded.

"No problem. No pressure, no strings. I'll see you in the morning," Charlie said breezily.

Riley gave him a small smile. She pulled out her cell phone. No missed calls. A flutter of disappointment washed over her. Her thumb hovered over the speed dial one on the device, but she shut it off instead. She'd call him later.

It was going to be a long week.

XOX

Gabriel's blue gaze flickered between the white business card with Tracy's number and his cell phone, hearing Jameson echoing in his head that it was time to move on.

For a half second he thought about calling Riley instead. He wanted the familiarity, the camaraderie they shared before it all went to hell. He wanted her advice, her opinion. Much as it pained him, he'd take the kiss back if it meant they were on a level playing field again.

You can't have her though, his mind teased him cruelly. That's your own fault.

He tapped the number on the card into the phone, listening to the resounding ringtone.

"Hello?" her voice came over the line like honey.

"Tracy?" he asked by way of greeting, suddenly feeling ridiculous as he paced the length of his kitchen.

"Yes, this is she."

"It's Gabriel, the forward guy who hit you with his cart," Gabriel answered, realizing how awful the sentence sounded once he said it. Smooth, real smooth. He ran a hand over his face nervously. God, it had been a long time. "And also says terrible things on the phone, and should be stopped immediately."

She laughed, and he felt himself smiling despite himself. At least he could make her laugh, that was something. "How could I forget? The guy with the dimples. My friends think I made you up."

"Really? Telling your friends about me already. Didn't realize I made that much of an impression," he added, a bit of pride coating his tone.

"Well you did. Plus they're just jealous they never meet handsome strangers in the grocery store. Especially ones that actually call them back," Tracy replied slyly.

He was going to kill Jameson. He knew it was too soon. Gabriel shrugged. "What can I say, I probably made a bad call listening to a friend of mine but he had a point. I didn't want to let a girl as pretty and interesting as you slip away. Grocery store romance doesn't happen every day. And, you know, that you cook for a living doesn't hurt."

She giggled, and he felt his heart skip a beat. This was fun, he decided. It was light and carefree, no strings dangling. Utterly uncomplicated.

"How about I cook for you Friday night, say seven o'clock?"

Gabriel smiled. "Sounds perfect."

The broad grin on his face faltered when Riley's name lit his screen when he ended their conversation.

This time, he got to ignore her call.