Ending #2- Lost Causes
A/N: As I said before, lots of big-sister fluff. What, you think Gabriel could look that bad without Sara reacting?
"Do you have my book?" he demanded.
"No, I'm sorry, dear," Ms. Jacobs answered.
Gabriel groaned. "Great. This is just fuckin' great," he mumbled angrily as he let himself be pushed out the door. "All this, and I *still* didn't get the book."
"What are you mumbling about?" Sara asked.
Gabriel sighed. "Lost causes." He turned to face her when they reached the parking lot. "Thanks for getting me out of that, Pez. I've got work to do, but maybe I'll talk to you tonight." He started to leave for his car, when a hand reached out and jerked him back by his collar.
"Hold it." Sara turned him around and stared at him with that motherly/sisterly gaze that always made him feel like he was taking an X-ray. "When's the last time you slept? Or ate, for that matter?"
"Uumm..." The look changed. Now, instead of critical, it was chastening. This was the one that made him feel like shrinking into his shoes.
"Well?"
Gabriel looked anywhere but Sara. "I dunno..... couple days, maybe?"
"A couple *days*? Gabe, what the hell is so important you forget to eat and sleep for a couple *days*?"
"I received the death mask of an ancient Egyptian chancellor that supposedly held the directions to a secret family tomb that was never discovered. I've been trying to decipher the hieroglyphs for days now, and I've almost got it," Gabriel informed her somewhat proudly.
Sara rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, the key to solving it all lies in those books you were trying to take out," she said.
"Well..... yeah."
"Then because they don't have the books at the moment, you'll have no problem with going home and going to bed." Sara smiled sweetly.
"But I've got other work to do..... I'll be fine, Sara. I just need a little coffee." Gabriel knew this was a lie, that he would need at least a pot to be able to get the paperwork done, but Sara didn't need to know that.
"Gabriel, if you think I'm buying that crap you're more tired than you look." Sara placed her hand on the small of his back again and started guiding them both to his car. "I'll drive you home and you can sleep." Knowing it was pointless to protest, Gabriel handed over the keys and fought to stay awake on the ride home. He let her make him some tea and put him to bed. Once he heard the front door close, he counted twenty seconds before sliding out from under the covers and heading for his closet to slip on some clothes. Before he was halfway there, the phone rang. He detoured, grabbing the phone first before opening the closet door. He had just pressed the 'receive' button on his phone and picked out a pair of pants when he heard Sara's voice come over the line.
"Don't even think about it, Gabe. Put the pants down and go back to bed." Gabriel stared at the phone. How did she *do* that?
"I said go to bed, Gabriel," she repeated firmly. Gabriel made a face at the phone and climbed back into the bed.
"That's better. Good night, sweetie."
" 'Night, Sara," Gabe replied, defeated. He was asleep before she hung up.
Finis
Aaww, so cute. Maybe I'll be Witchblade fanfiction's "plotless fluff" expert.