Tension knots

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: I was wondering if anyone would see the Anita Blake parallel. Ian is definitely a Jean-Claude type, though I must say I HATED Richard in the last book and I love Gabriel so I'm not quick to make that comparison. If you've never read a Laurell Hamilton book especially one of the Anita Blake series you don't know what you're missing.

A/N2: Story point: There is a reference to Gabriel's girlfriend. In Tension Released she is mentioned as Jessica. I'm taking the approach that the whole government chasing thing didn't happen so we never actually saw the girl. Who knows? Maybe they were supposed to be two different girls anyway.

Gabriel sat behind Sara on her bed kneading her shoulder muscles. "Ya know this is how we got in trouble in the first place?" he commented.

"Ya saying it's a chore to be with me Bowman?"

"Not at all." He leaned forward and kissed her temple.

"Cause if you are there is an over grown boy scout with a sword that wants me. OW!" Sara fussed.

Gabriel smirked, "Sorry," having pinched the nerve instead of rubbing it. "Besides he's the reason you're all knotted up and we both know it."

He planted a soft kiss on her other temple. She leaned back so her head was on his shoulder and she sat between his legs. "A girl could get used to this sort of treatment."

"Yeah?" She nodded. "Well good. I was kind of hoping you would like having me around," he murmured running his hands down her arms and intertwining both sets of fingers.

"Remind me again why this didn't come up before now?" Sara questioned.

Gabriel thought a minute and said, "I guessI guess because I thought you saw me as a little brother rather than a guy."

"Okay that didn't make any sort of sense." They turned their heads to look at each other. Sara continued, "I asked you"

"Reaction to finding out I had a girlfriend."

"Which by the way, what happen to Miss 'I love you' anyway?"

He shook his head, "When that guy bought those drums I was jealousit ate at me. Then once the whole backrub thing happened She pretty much dumped me for non-interest. Not enough attention paid."

"Soyou didn't dump her for me?" Sara asked playing with his fingers.

"I can't tell by the way you said that if you are happy or sad about it."

She chuckled, "Neither am I. Major ego stroke to know you dumped a presumably younger girl for meat the same time if you dumped one girl for me, then who's to say someone won't come along to make you dump me for them."

"Sara"

"What?"

"Don't go into a relationship looking for it to end," Gabriel said hugging her closer. "Does it stroke your ego to know that it was you that got me so distracted I wasn't interested in my girlfriend?"

Sara smiled, "Now that is a happy medium." She turned in his arms and gave him a kiss.

She settled back into his arms as he began to run his fingers through her hair. "How was your lunch?"

Sara was almost non-verbal at the sensations she was feeling. She LOVED it when guys played with her hair. Gabriel's fingertips would gently caress her scalp then pull straight down. She said nothing as she slid down his chest and put her head in his lap so he could have more access to her head and scalp.

Suddenly Gabriel gulped. "Sara!" he squeaked.

Opening her eyes she became all too aware of what she had just done. Her head wasn't merely in his lap; her face was turned into his body so that when she moved her cheek to get comfortable she was making Gabriel uncomfortable.

His eyes were clamped shut breathing heavy when she sat straight up. "Oh godI'm sorry. I I'm an idiot," she growled at herself. "I was just enjoying the fingers in my hair soI got comfortable"

Gabriel chuckled hesitantly, "I'll remember your nuzzling reflex laterI was also assume I will be richly rewarded for washing your hair." He still had his eyes shut breathing in and out rhythmically.

Sara was a nice shade of salmon when Gabriel gazed upon her. She was biting her lip looking anywhere but at him. He grabbed a pillow and laid it in his lap, then urged her to lie down. Reluctantly she moved herself into his lapwith less friction this time. Gabriel ran his fingers through her hair again. "SoHow was your lunch?" he said with a laugh.

She laughed as well, "Weird. I hate it when he comes dressed like Irons. I much prefer him looking like the assassin over the psycho."

"Well the assassin is who came to visit me," Gabriel commented briefly. "I think I would prefer the guy without the knife cutting himself so I could see the blood then the one with the threats."

"Honestly if you had to sit I'm trying to help him bemore human, and its just not working. Something simple like not wearing gloves all the time is this big struggle. What I'd really like is to get him to a therapist that specializes in adult children of abuse and get him the hell out of thatmanor. I refuse to call that place a home," Sara vented.

"Ya know this is going to work backwards right? I will be the love and he will be the little brother," Gabriel commented.

She sighed, "My big dilemma is not encouraging the whole idea of romance but there are so many things that if I'm gonna help him will send him the wrong message."

"He didn't ask for help. He didn't even ask to see youhe wants to be with you and that means he is taking whatever he can get," Gabriel reminded. He swallowed knowing he was about to stick his neck out, "Try just being his friend. Don't try to fix him. Don't try to mold himjust be his friend. Without Irons to mimic you will be the strongest force in his life."

Gabriel's hand ran down Sara's hair and then continued down her back caressing her spine. Slowly he massaged back up the taught muscles on either side. When he reached the area between her shoulder blades Sara's feet to began to scissor at the sensation. "Like that?" She nodded rapidly. The tank top she was wearing allowed Gabriel to be touching smooth skin. He let his fingertips tease the area for a long while before Sara started to whimper.

Moving her from his lap Gabriel positioned himself long ways behind her. Soon warm breath, soft kisses and the tip of his tongue replaced fingertips. Sara arched as his breath teased her skin.

Neither was speakingmainly because the quiet made it slightly unreal. And since they weren't facing each other all actions were 'anonymous' to some extent. Gabriel was acting out the fantasy of teasing Sara to distraction while she was embracing the dream of being seduced.

"Oh god" she panted quietly. Too quietly and not really in a good way. Suddenly it occurred to him that her call wasn't to him as the man causing these feelings but more a far off image. She groaned louder when he gave her THE MASSAGE. It was a fantasyjust a fantasy. It was as if he had caught her pleasuring herself. "What are you thinking?" he finally whispered at the crook of her neck. She didn't respond.

Gabriel turned Sara's form only to realize the Witchblade had her. He fumed with anger. Grabbing the phone he dialed the 'enemy's number. Not waiting for a greeting Gabriel snapped, "Let her go Ian."

"I don't have her."

"I mean from the dreamI know you help control that." Gabriel could practically see Irons face shine through Nottingham's.

"She has been ignoring or agreement. Sara has not been spending time learning," Ian said causally.

"LET HER GO!" the younger man said through gritted teeth.

"No harm will come to her."

"Like hell it won't. She'll feel like she's been rapedwas being raped Like she's felt in the past when you've pulled this stunt. Why do you think it's so hard for her to go back in, huh? You pushed the first one on her and every time since it has been the same thing."

The phone was silent. Gabriel realized he had hit an open wound. "Can you imagine how it must feel to be trapped in the body of a past self who is sleeping with someone that appears to be the man who hired killers to exterminate you? I don't know a ton about your life but I know enough to know things were inflicted upon you beyond your control"

The silence became almost deafening. "Ian she gets no pleasure from feeling your body in hersnot that in her past life you weren't the lover she wanted It's just now, in this place and time; she has no controlno say. Its not like just some hot sex dreamit's a violation."

A dial tone filled the receiver. Gabriel sighed deeply and shook his head.

"Gabriel?" Sara whimpered from the bed. Ian had broken the connection immediately. He hadn't a clue what had really been happening to Sara. It also eased Gabriel's mind to know Ian wasn't dreaming too. He really didn't want to think Ian would consciouslyif you will Sara mentally.

"Hey," he said sweetly crawling up next to her gently bringing her into his arms. Sara worked her jaw to keep from crying. "You're allowed to get upsetI know you're the tougheststrongest woman around. I'm not one of the guys on the force you have to prove yourself to." She sniffled as he kissed each of her eyelids closed. "I'm Gabriel, remember? The boyfriendthe one that came to tears just telling you how I felt about youNo stiff upper lip right now." Sara clung to him and cried. Gabriel held her through the night and prayed this would be the last time he would feel the need to protect her from her dreams.

"Ian?" Sara questioned as she opened the door to her apartment the next day. "What are you do" The sight of him entering her apartment and falling to his knees before her cut off her words.

He looked awful. His hair was strewn everywhere, his clothes obviously slept in and the disturbing brief looks of pain and panic she would catch in his eyes. "Help me," he pled and wrapped his arms around her calves and ankles.

For a moment Sara just stared down at him, "What do you need help with?"

A choked groan emitted from Ian made her ponder further. "I have hurt you," he whispered hanging his head low. "I caused you pain and tears I am your protector and I have injured you." He was breathing shallowly.

Sara got down on her knees with Ian. "The Witchblade injured me."

"I helped."

"How?"

His eyes could not meet hers; "I got tired of waiting for you to seek the Witchblade so I caused it to seek you. I did not know the pain it caused you I did not know you felt you felt" Ian couldn't bare to say the word. "Do with me what you will. Punish me, kill me, beat me I must serve my penance."

Sara was horrified and confused by what she was hearing. "You prompted"

"I didn't know" he murmured. "I didn't know you were an active partI thought you were just remembering. Oh my lady Saraplease believe I" He swallowed and met her eyes brazenly, "End my life. End it now. Release me from this bondage that next lifetime I might be worthy of you." She shut her eyes to what was happening.

"Pezzini, Go!" the answering machine sounded.

"SaraYou home? Well when you get this call me I just have this very strong feeling something bad is happeningI have my cell soI'll be out looking for you. Bye," Gabriel's voice rang through the apartment. Sara and Ian just sat on the floor.

"Who is he?" Sara asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head; "He is always one step around of everyone else in my life. He is always there when I need him to be. It's more than a coincidence."

Ian stared down at the floor; "I don't remember my lady. I only remember you from lifetime to lifetime."

Sara reached over to Ian's hands and began to tug at his gloves. "No!" he insisted.

"This is not going to continue," she snapped. "Ian! I don't believe you have ever touched anyone nor had anyone touch you Now you knowYou know after what's been happening with the Witchblade" She cut herself off and breathed deeply.

Slowly she removed the gloves from his hands and said, "I haven't said anything because it wasn't your fault and I wasn't going to punish you for what was happening." Sara lay her right palm to Ian's left and said, "What I have learned so far is we mirror each other at our best and at our worst."

Ian hung his head; "I am sorry Sara."

"I know IanGive me a little time and space."

"We will not continue with our agreementI am unworthy of your attention."

She sighed, "Now look, cut it out. We're not quitting anythingI mean we are but we aren't. You and I will still see each other for lunches and Well I don't know. What I do know is things are going really well with Gabriel and I'm happy. I also know you may be the wielder's protector but the past has shown it to be reciprocal. Thereforewe'll figure something out."

She moved to get the phone when Ian, still kneeling on the floor whispered, "I love you Saramaybe there is no worse punishment for me than that. To watch you love another and know I lost my chance"

She grieved for him on the floor. "Move out of that place IanGet away from him. I know he's not all dead He is gone far enough though that you can escape. LeaveUse the money, buy a house, but leave or he will haunt you forever."

"I will take my leaveof you," he muttered rising from the floor head still down.

"Don't even think about leaving me in this crummy city to defend it by myself," she warned.

"No my lady."

When she turned to say something he was gone.

"Sara?" was the first thing Gabriel said when his phone rang.

"Good guess."

"Not really. First thing I've been saying when the phone rang for the last half-hour. Are you okay?"

Sara smiled softly, "Yeah Thanks for the worry but I'm alright."

Gabriel was confused, "Nothing's happened at all?"

"Oh no. I didn't say that. I just said I was fine."

"Well what happened?"

"Ian came over and begged me to kill him over the dreams I've been having. He had been triggering them somehow."

"Yeah I knowI called him last night once you were in it and told him you felt violated."

She nodded to no one, "That would explain it."

"I'm on my way over."

"Gabriel you need to keep that store open," Sara insisted.

He groaned, "It's already shut and I'm about a block away. I'm coming over."

"Yes sir."

"Oh don't give me that I love" Gabriel's words broke off. "I need to know you're alrightI need to see it for myself."

Sara was slightly taken aback. "YeahFine."

"Fine."

It took only a few minutes for Gabriel to arrive. There was no 'Hi Sara' or 'I'm glad to see you're okay.' No there was only a panicked look in his eyes and then his mouth devouring hers. Sara had to admit this was not a bad way to have someone show his care and affection. Part of her knew he had cut himself off from saying he loved her, not because it wasn't trueHell he loved her before they started dating He knew her well enough to realize it would freak her out.

Gabriel's lips and tongue kept connecting with Sara's over and over as one hand gripped her head to him and the other lay at the small of her back. "So" Sara panted leaning her forehead to his. "Was that the litmus test for my sanity?"

He smiled softly, "NopeJust my desperate need to show you how I feelhow badly I needed you to be okay."

She threw her arms around his neck and said, "Maybe I'm not okay after all"

He smirked down at her, "Oh yeahYa know something that will make it all better?" She nodded and brought his lips to hers.

TBC

A/N: Okay Ian fans: I'm sorry about the whole middle dream thing. BUT the season finale REALLY messed up my view of Ian. I needed to make him pay penance for forcing himself on a womanno matter how sleazy she was. And don't even get me started on the tainting of Gabriel by him being inhabited. It is the entire reason why this hasn't come out sooner. Loved the kiss, hated the interlocking circles. You have no idea the whimpers my husband heard as I proceeded to think of every bad thing that could imply for my favorite hacker. Just thinking about that little evil glint in his eye at the end mad my skin crawlIan and the chick in the hall made it worse. Alright enough of my commentary.

Am I still on the right track?