Chapter 2 Temperatures Rising
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own it, only wish I did. I'm not making money off of this, only wish they were paying me. * Sigh * Guess that's how it is. Huh?
Note: Sara's point of view at least to start this chapter out. I think that we need to get into her head. after all I think our angel needs a break for the moment. but only for the moment ;)
**
Sara sat there studying the young man before her. He looked so young just then. so innocent and so - sad, and she herself was at least partially to blame. How could she not have noticed that Gabe had been falling for her? Ever since she had acquired the Witchblade, some of her senses were indeed getting sharper, but other senses seemed to have dulled. Her sense of men seemed to have dulled. She used to know them better than she knew women, and now here was one before her that had just puzzled her. There seemed to be a few of those these days..
There was her rookie partner Jake. There was something that he wasn't sharing with her. He was hiding something. There was just something that didn't sit right with her about the surfer cop. There was Kenneth Irons who even though he was dead, was still haunting her through his connection to the Witchblade and through Ian. Ah yes, Ian. What was wrong with him? One moment he was himself and the next he's too much like his dead boss. Sara didn't like it. She wanted it to stop. Even Danny, her partner and best friend seemed a little off. As if there was some dark cloud hanging over him - haunting him. And now there was Gabriel Bowman. Someone who she had first seen as odd. who had turned out to be a better and more reliable friend than anyone she knew. even Danny. Though Danny was partially her fault, for some reason she couldn't bring herself to tell him about the Witchblade. Maybe that was because he had a family and she didn't want to possibly endanger them.
Gabriel. young, sweet, smart, funny, eclectic.. interesting Gabriel. How old was he anyway? She didn't think that he was too much her junior. He had to be in his mid twenties. After Gabe had let his secret truths pour out to her from his very soul, Sara decided that she needed to re-evaluate him. She looked at him. Studying him with all the training of a homicide cop and all the compassion of a woman. Soft, kind eyes that were deep and intense at the same time - so warm and inviting that it could be quite possible to get lost in them. That silken, always disheveled hair of his. it made him look forever tousled and yet, at the same time it fit him. It was pure Gabriel. she couldn't picture him with any other hairstyle. That pale skin the color of fresh cream. it made him look almost otherworldly. Funny that she should choose that term after all, hadn't Gabe said that she herself was 'not of this world'? That five o'clock shadow that forever seemed to be there, never a beard, never clean shaven. just a perpetual ghost of shadows on the planes of his face. He wasn't a big guy per say, oh he was tall. but he was thin. though surprisingly strong. He wasn't an intimidating figure, but there was an iron will within that body that made him more than what he seemed. He was also somewhat possessive of the people he cared about. He felt things deeply, a very sensitive soul. All in all, Sara could see how he came to be named after an angel. It fit him. He had the innocence of an angel and yet he could also have the wrath of an avenging angel when those he cared for were threatened.
'I sure have underestimated him all this time.' Sara thought to herself. 'I wonder what else I've overlooked.' She wasn't sure that she should pursue something with him, but she also wasn't sure that she should just turn him away either. This was a fragile soul in danger of slipping through the cracks. of slipping through her fingers. This could be a chance for something. well she wasn't quite sure what it could be. There was no denying that she cared deeply for him. She'd always dismissed it as feeling like a sister to him. but was that entirely true? She was fiercely protective of the fragile looking boy before her. More so than she could recall being for anyone. 'Perhaps what I feel is more than what I have let myself believe it to be.' Suddenly, Sara was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of the door opening.
"Just where do you think you're going?" She called out.
"I thought the Witchblade had you in visions again. * Sigh * I was going to leave you to them."
"The Witchblade hasn't been active since your arrival here. I was just thinking."
"About what?"
"Shut that door and get back over here, and I'll tell you." She said softly. He shut the door and returned to his place on her couch. Sara got up from her chair and sat near him on the couch, though maintaining enough distance to avoid entering his personal space.
"I was thinking about you. I realized that I haven't really thought about how I feel about you or where you stand in my life. You've always been a friend, but I never looked deeper than that, and I should have. I'm sorry Gabe." Sara said, it was her turn to study the carpet. Gabe was struck silent. He didn't know what to say now. But he didn't have to talk, Sara was speaking again.
"You've always been there for me. You've stuck your neck out for me even when no one else would. You've never turned me away. Always ready with information, smart quips or just funny antics. You've been a better friend to me than anyone else in recent memory. Things with Danny are tense. he seems haunted. and I think I'm to blame for that in some regard. All this time that you've been there, I don't think I ever really looked into it. I never looked into myself. I just went with what was on the surface. And that isn't fair to either of us, but it especially unfair to you. You don't deserve it Gabe. You deserve more."
"Do I?" He said softly, so softly that the Witchblade had to echo the words back to its Wielder.
"Yes, you do. Now I'm not saying that we're going to be lovers or anything like that right now. What I am saying is, that if you're willing. If you want to. I'd be willing to re-evaluate how I feel about you. Our relationship. I'm a little afraid of endangering the friendship that we have. But I have to admit, I do care about you quite a bit Bowman. I'm more fiercely protective of you than I am of anyone else, even Danny. I don't want to hurt you Gabe, I need you to know that, to understand that. I'm in a dangerous line of work, I'm in a dangerous line of destiny. I don't know if this is going anywhere, but I can't say that it isn't either. So what do you say?"
"Um.. * nervous laugh * I'm not sure I mean I'm not sure I caught all of what you just said."
"I'm saying that if you would like, I would like to try and see what's between us. Bearing in mind what we already have and the fact that I don't want to hurt you." Sara said softly. Gabriel could only sit there with his mouth open. Had he just heard what he though he just heard?
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own it, only wish I did. I'm not making money off of this, only wish they were paying me. * Sigh * Guess that's how it is. Huh?
Note: Sara's point of view at least to start this chapter out. I think that we need to get into her head. after all I think our angel needs a break for the moment. but only for the moment ;)
**
Sara sat there studying the young man before her. He looked so young just then. so innocent and so - sad, and she herself was at least partially to blame. How could she not have noticed that Gabe had been falling for her? Ever since she had acquired the Witchblade, some of her senses were indeed getting sharper, but other senses seemed to have dulled. Her sense of men seemed to have dulled. She used to know them better than she knew women, and now here was one before her that had just puzzled her. There seemed to be a few of those these days..
There was her rookie partner Jake. There was something that he wasn't sharing with her. He was hiding something. There was just something that didn't sit right with her about the surfer cop. There was Kenneth Irons who even though he was dead, was still haunting her through his connection to the Witchblade and through Ian. Ah yes, Ian. What was wrong with him? One moment he was himself and the next he's too much like his dead boss. Sara didn't like it. She wanted it to stop. Even Danny, her partner and best friend seemed a little off. As if there was some dark cloud hanging over him - haunting him. And now there was Gabriel Bowman. Someone who she had first seen as odd. who had turned out to be a better and more reliable friend than anyone she knew. even Danny. Though Danny was partially her fault, for some reason she couldn't bring herself to tell him about the Witchblade. Maybe that was because he had a family and she didn't want to possibly endanger them.
Gabriel. young, sweet, smart, funny, eclectic.. interesting Gabriel. How old was he anyway? She didn't think that he was too much her junior. He had to be in his mid twenties. After Gabe had let his secret truths pour out to her from his very soul, Sara decided that she needed to re-evaluate him. She looked at him. Studying him with all the training of a homicide cop and all the compassion of a woman. Soft, kind eyes that were deep and intense at the same time - so warm and inviting that it could be quite possible to get lost in them. That silken, always disheveled hair of his. it made him look forever tousled and yet, at the same time it fit him. It was pure Gabriel. she couldn't picture him with any other hairstyle. That pale skin the color of fresh cream. it made him look almost otherworldly. Funny that she should choose that term after all, hadn't Gabe said that she herself was 'not of this world'? That five o'clock shadow that forever seemed to be there, never a beard, never clean shaven. just a perpetual ghost of shadows on the planes of his face. He wasn't a big guy per say, oh he was tall. but he was thin. though surprisingly strong. He wasn't an intimidating figure, but there was an iron will within that body that made him more than what he seemed. He was also somewhat possessive of the people he cared about. He felt things deeply, a very sensitive soul. All in all, Sara could see how he came to be named after an angel. It fit him. He had the innocence of an angel and yet he could also have the wrath of an avenging angel when those he cared for were threatened.
'I sure have underestimated him all this time.' Sara thought to herself. 'I wonder what else I've overlooked.' She wasn't sure that she should pursue something with him, but she also wasn't sure that she should just turn him away either. This was a fragile soul in danger of slipping through the cracks. of slipping through her fingers. This could be a chance for something. well she wasn't quite sure what it could be. There was no denying that she cared deeply for him. She'd always dismissed it as feeling like a sister to him. but was that entirely true? She was fiercely protective of the fragile looking boy before her. More so than she could recall being for anyone. 'Perhaps what I feel is more than what I have let myself believe it to be.' Suddenly, Sara was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of the door opening.
"Just where do you think you're going?" She called out.
"I thought the Witchblade had you in visions again. * Sigh * I was going to leave you to them."
"The Witchblade hasn't been active since your arrival here. I was just thinking."
"About what?"
"Shut that door and get back over here, and I'll tell you." She said softly. He shut the door and returned to his place on her couch. Sara got up from her chair and sat near him on the couch, though maintaining enough distance to avoid entering his personal space.
"I was thinking about you. I realized that I haven't really thought about how I feel about you or where you stand in my life. You've always been a friend, but I never looked deeper than that, and I should have. I'm sorry Gabe." Sara said, it was her turn to study the carpet. Gabe was struck silent. He didn't know what to say now. But he didn't have to talk, Sara was speaking again.
"You've always been there for me. You've stuck your neck out for me even when no one else would. You've never turned me away. Always ready with information, smart quips or just funny antics. You've been a better friend to me than anyone else in recent memory. Things with Danny are tense. he seems haunted. and I think I'm to blame for that in some regard. All this time that you've been there, I don't think I ever really looked into it. I never looked into myself. I just went with what was on the surface. And that isn't fair to either of us, but it especially unfair to you. You don't deserve it Gabe. You deserve more."
"Do I?" He said softly, so softly that the Witchblade had to echo the words back to its Wielder.
"Yes, you do. Now I'm not saying that we're going to be lovers or anything like that right now. What I am saying is, that if you're willing. If you want to. I'd be willing to re-evaluate how I feel about you. Our relationship. I'm a little afraid of endangering the friendship that we have. But I have to admit, I do care about you quite a bit Bowman. I'm more fiercely protective of you than I am of anyone else, even Danny. I don't want to hurt you Gabe, I need you to know that, to understand that. I'm in a dangerous line of work, I'm in a dangerous line of destiny. I don't know if this is going anywhere, but I can't say that it isn't either. So what do you say?"
"Um.. * nervous laugh * I'm not sure I mean I'm not sure I caught all of what you just said."
"I'm saying that if you would like, I would like to try and see what's between us. Bearing in mind what we already have and the fact that I don't want to hurt you." Sara said softly. Gabriel could only sit there with his mouth open. Had he just heard what he though he just heard?