Gabriel?

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: True story of the Snuggle Bunny- My nickname given to me when I was seventeen by a fourteen year old guy I had a big sis/little bro relationship with. Short version- in a foreign country exhausted from heat, he shared his air mattress (not an aero bed) with me for an afternoon nap. When I woke up my head was in the crook of his neck and I was being cuddled for all I was withand he said, My very own Snuggle Bunny.' For the rest of the trip that was my nickname and until I graduated that guy still called me that. Thus being why you never sleep next to fourteen-year-old boys in foreign countries no matter how hard the cement floor is.

A/N2: Back by popular demand.

Sara yawned at her desk wearily. Less than four hours of sleep was not conducive to a good day at work. "I want coffee. Anybody need anything?"

"I'm good," Danny said with a nod. "Now eventually you will tell me what kept my partner up into the wee hours of the morning right?"

"How do you know that something" she started to say. Danny raised his eyebrow. "Whatever. When I get back you and I can have a heart to heart."

Jake watched as she left their office. He had been avoiding eye contact and talking for fear of putting his foot in his mouthbesides Danny seemed to wish him ill. This undercover crap was severely getting in the way of dating Sara. Jake leaned over and said, "Do you know what's up with her and that Bowman kid?"

Danny smiled big. So that was it. Gabriel had called him not that long ago. The two men had compared notes on the events that had transpiredthus being why Gabriel presently couldn't stand the blond one.

Danny ceased the opportunity to drive home a few nails in Jake's too cool' manner. He shrugged, "Gabriel and Sara were already tightbut it changes things when your life is on the line. Gabriel was willing to die for Sara and Sara was willing to do the same. Both didn't know if the other one was safe or even still alive." Danny decided to embellish a little but it served its purpose. "Gabe got what? Seven stitches in his head from the feds working him over." Jake shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "In a decisive moment you never know what people are capable of until they do it I guess that is what love and partnership really break down tothe absolute trust in another when your life is at stake." The Asian man's eyes met Jake's; "I have no problem calling Sara partner none at all."

"What the hell does" Jake's statement was cut off by Sara's reemergence in the room.

Sara took in the heated glare that Jake was tossing at Danny. Either Danny had given approval of Gabriel and Jake didn't like it or the whole trust and partnership issue came up again. She yawned huge. "Man, I don't know that coffee is going to help me out now."

Both men went to say something when the knock at the door came. "Pezzini A box for ya just arrived No explosives or anything," the officer said with a smirk.

"What?" she questioned.

"Nothing I just was the one to run it through the x-ray. I'm not leaving till you open it. I have to see the look on your face."

Sara shut her eyes Oh Gabriel what did you do?' she thought. It was a normal brown box, no markings. She cut into it carefully. Wrapped in bubble wrap she couldn't quite tell what it wasuntil she unrolled it. There before her sat a sixteen inch tall velveteen rabbit with a card attached.

A Snuggle Bunny for my Snuggle Bunny,

A little token of my unrelenting urge to embarrass you at every turn. I expect my little sadist to punish me properly later On the sweet boyfriend side its just something to hug when I'm not aroundespecially when I'm not your personal mattress.

Gabriel'

"Pez?" Danny questioned. "What is that?"

Sara looked up beat red and certain she was not about to let anyone read that notewell maybe Danny. "Uh" She looked at the two other men in the room slid the note into her pocket and said, "We'll have a private lunchokay?"

The officer at the door turned away saying, "Never thought I'd live to see the day when Sara Pezzini would be getting love notes and gifts at work from a guy that looks at least five years her junior."

"Wait," Sara snagged the officer. "Describe the guy who dropped it off."

He shrugged, "Your height, dark hair kind of floppy, dark eyes Too many rings for a guy."

Sara was out the door and down the precinct steps in seconds. She scanned the street in either direction as people milled by.

"Under five minutes," Gabriel said from behind her. "For a detective you don't notice your surroundings. Flew right past me," he said with a smirk.

"Why you little" All words ceased as they kissed on the sidewalk in front of the precinct. Gabriel held her hip and the side of her face and head as he plundered her mouth vigorously. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and came at him with the same ferocity. She leaned her forehead to his, "This is the way we're gonna be, isn't it? Hot and fast."

Remembering her absolute love of his attention to her ears from that morning he nibbled at one, "Except when we're going sloooower than molasses." He changed their embrace so he was holding her to him with his face buried in her hair, "I promise I can make slow just as hot as fast," as he traced his tongue on the outside of her ear.

Sara panted for a second; "You shouldn't have this much effect on me already."

"Why? I've known you for a while. I know your secrets," Gabriel whispered caressing her wrist with the Witchblade on it. "And I am one of your best friends I think I have earned the right to turn you on."

Sara attacked his lips again eager to share the heat of his mouth. "Hey! Get a room!" a friendly voice yelled from the steps. Gabriel looked up to see about five cops, Danny and Jake included, watching them from the steps of the station.

"We're busted," he said quietly.

"I hate you," she pouted.

Gabriel laughed lightly kissing her forehead, "Dinner tonight out or in?"

"Out," Sara answered, "And extracurricular"

"Will wait for a while," he said with a smile. "I like this time in a relationship where you talk and tease. It makes later that much better. Never heard anyone say they were sorry they waited to have sex." Gabriel looked up again. Jake was staring him down. "Surfer boy hates my guts Give me a little kiss and I will let you face the firing squad."

"Thanks dear," she growled.

"No problem Bunny."

"I am never getting out of that am I?"

Gabriel smiled and gave her a quick kiss, "Not in this lifetimeReady?"

"No," Sara pouted.

"Stop it. You face down criminals and the forces of darkness on a regular basis. You can handle five cops."

"Says you."

"Here we gothree," Gabriel counted, slipped his arm around her waist and turned them around. Sara looked down sheepishly. "Hi DannyHi Jake. Just came by to see my girl." Danny smiled like there was no tomorrow. "Keep the razing to a minimum please or I will never be allowed in the building again."

"No problem," Danny replied. "I'll protect her."

"Hey!" Sara snapped. "No protection needed!" She huffed, "See you later."

"Bye," Gabriel said with a self-satisfied smile before turning toward the crowds of people and disappearing.

The five cops watched intently as Sara stared after Gabriel's dark head. "Sara Pezzini in loveanother first," the screening cop muttered taking the other two casual observes inside.

Sara received a large smile from Danny and a frown from Jake, which she expected. "So tell me about the Bunny?" Danny inquired.

Sara looked at her partners and said, "Private lunchRemember Woo."

"Right," he muttered taking them both inside leaving Jake to trail behind.

This mornings attack on Sara's work went better than expected Gabriel thought. Now as long as Nottingham didn't kill him he would be fine. "Talismanic," he answered the phone.

"Hi," the soft female voice on the other end was definitely his MIA ex.

"What's up?" he said coolly.

"The hold on my visa has been removed somaybe I can come by tonight?"

Gabriel chuckled. Jake works fast,' was his only thought. "Look With everything that happened I realized It doesn't matter I'm glad about your visa You took everything of yours sothanks for at least calling to say goodbye." He was impressed at himself. This was not the way he ever pictured life going down. He had the choice between a girl that was gorgeous, into him, he had an incredible sex life with and absolutely no threat of danger on the horizon or the wielder which meant constant danger and very likely an assassin breathing down his neck, yet he still chose Sara, hands down. "That's it," she snipped. "That is all you have to say."

"You leftno way to find you or talk to you. All my attempts were cut off at the kneesthe least you could have done was left a note with your roommate or here for god sake," he snapped.

"So this is my punishment?"

Gabriel's mind immediately went to his note to Sara. "No no punishment. Just game over. I really do hope you have a better time in NY than the last couple weeks."

She cursed, "Fine," then the line was dead.

A little computer hopping and a quick dial of numbers got him, "Danny Woo."

"Danny, its Gabe. Don't say anything to either of your partners."

Danny's smiled faded, "What's up?"

"Remember my theory that Jake was probably a fed?"

"Yeah."

"I think I have the closest thing to proof I'm going to get," the hacker informed looking at his computer screen.

"That would be?" the detective asked.

"Phone records and bio plus an interesting phone call of my own. Jake is a surfer from Californiano joke. An award winning one at thatCan we say Point Break' want to be? Anyway Jake sends emails every week to a friend' in California that are then bumped several places until they hitdun dunt dunan FBI field office."

Danny's eyes went big; "You are kidding?"

"What's up partner?" Sara asked.

"Nothing need to take the call" Sara shrugged.

"Next interesting fact. Several and I mean several phone calls were placed on the day of our lovely chase to Washington and Langley. And of course the most personal touch was the call that was placed this morning that to my old girlfriend's apartment who then called me to let me know her visa wasn't frozen anymore and could she come by tonight. I'd say our little surfer boy is"

"So do I," Danny stated before Gabriel finished. "Thanks Oh, sorryI have a lunch appointment with my partner. You remember Sara. Yeah"

"Yeah I remember Sara. Watch your back. Brutus is lurking."

"Bye."

"What was that?" Jake asked.

"Informant. Just giving me an update on a little thing," Danny said with a nonchalant shrug. "Ready for lunch?"

"Yeah Bye Jake."

"Bye Jake."

Jake typed a few quick keystrokes only to find that the call Danny had received was not from Gabriel's shop. "Damn!" he muttered.

Gabriel laughed in his shop as he watched Jake's meager attempt at hacking. "Small mind for a small man."

TBC

Probably not that long a series. My Buffy readers will be pissed if I don't get back to work on the three on going series I have there.