Anger

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: You probably will get confused this chapter but hang in for the next Think of it as Confusion Tolerance training.

Ian and Gabriel walked silently next to one another for a long while Gabriel's jaw set. "Aren't you going to say something? Ask what happened? Something?" Gabe gripped.

"Only if you wish me to. I assumed that we would walk and you would speak if you felt like it," Ian responded. Gabriel glowered further. "Go ahead and yell at me. I know you are desperate to."

"Why do you have to do that huh?!" Gabe fussed. "I just want to be alone and Why did you come with me?"

Gabriel stopped walking which prompted Ian to stop as well. "I can feel Sara you know this. She was going over and over your words when I arrived. She may have missed what you saidbut I did not. That is why I am here You are angry and feel out of control. Yelling at Sara will not help that."

"Yeah well oh wise one what will?" the young man snapped bringing a smile to Ian's face.

"What happened?" Vicky asked after about fifteen minutes of utter silence.

"I don't really know" Sara replied stunned.

"OkayLet's start with why did you leave the room in the first place?"

Sara bit her lip, "Gabriel said he wasn't going to take care of my tonight, so I dragged him into the other room to explain."

Vicky raised an eyebrow, "And what did he say?"

The detective furrowed her brow, "There is some stuff I'm not really up for telling you yetbut the net effect is the 'altered state of consciousness' you mentioned has sort of stepped things up with Gabriel."

"And he's not comfortable with that?" the coroner clarified.

"I guess not."

"Sara, Gabriel doesn't strike me as the type of guy who would screw around for screwing around's sake. Did he say he was uncomfortable with the way things were headed?" Vicky observed Sara's eyes stare at her hands. "He said he didn't want to push things and you pushed anyway?" Sara's head dipped lower. "Doesn't sound to me like you don't know what happened. Sounds like you know exactly what happened."

"But he got so mad," Sara complained suddenly.

Vicky stared at her in disbelief, "If your boyfriend started to push you toward something physical that you said you weren't ready for you would deck him. Of course Gabriel's pissed off."

"But he's a guy." Sara knew it was a lame excuse but

"You didn't just say that," Vicky hopped up and went to the fridge. She grabbed a soda and stood away from Sara for a while.

"Is this normal for you? Do you normally rush into the physical side of your relationship?" Vicky asked.

"That's none of your business!" Sara snapped.

"FineWhatever," the coroner bounced back. "How far did you push?"

"I'm not talking about this with you," the detective gripped.

Vicky shook her head, "Do you even think you did something wrong?"

"I upset Gabriel!"

"So your actions weren't wrong just the consequences to them?"

Sara was pissed off by this time.

"Hey look at that. Better than a mood ring," Vicky observed pointing to the Witchblade. Sara looked downit was red, bright red, and hot.

Sara fell to the ground as she was given images and then the voice, " We'll have fun"

"Why am I here?" Gabriel complained having boxing gloves strapped to his hands.

"You are going to use this bag to display a healthy form of aggression," Ian informed him. "You can be silent, or yell, or talk Whatever you want."

"Why are you doing this?" Gabe asked.

Ian trained cold eyes on the young man, "Because I know something of having no control over one's own body I know what it feels like for another to take pleasure in one's suffering."

Gabriel stood up straighter and hit the bag squarely. Then again. And again. Soon low grunts and frustrated groans accompanied as he put his whole body into hitting that punching bag.

Ian stood silently out of the way watching as Gabriel beat out the anger he kept bottled up most of the time. The young man's body tightened with tension and frustration. The sudden image of a knife entered his mindof plunging it into the bag and watching the filling spill out on the floor. He hit the bag harder and harder until he knew he was damaging his hands but he didn't care. Ian did not intercede. He merely stood and observed.

The activity was physically tiring but more than anything the memories that were ebbing and flowing over Gabriel were wringing him dry. He would be washed with sorrow, then hatred, pain, and then bitterness Eventually hitting the bag was not good enough.

"I want to make something bleed," Gabriel announced calmly.

"That I cannot allow," Ian stated quietly. "What is the image that you want to act out?"

"Stabbingrepetitive stabbing."

Ian considered him a moment. "That is a very violent image Gabriel. You are not a violent man."

"But I can be," he said with almost a sadistic smile.

"I know that," the protector sighed.

"I will replace the bag," Ian muttered handing over a hunting knife to Gabriel.

"How do you know I won't stab you with it?" the young man asked without taking the weapon.

"Because you are not a violent man."

Gabriel didn't accept the weapon, "If I start down that road"

"It will be difficult to stopI know," Ian muttered. "I'll be right back."

Vicky moved Sara's body over on the coach. She wondered what Sara was seeing. In fascination she observed the Witchblade extend tentacles into the wielder's skin. "That thing is alive," Vicky muttered to herself.

Sara stood alone in the dark and smoky room with no walls. "What now?"

You know why you're here.

"To understand what I saw."

That is comical young one. You understand what you saw; you just don't like the implications. You don't like to regard yourself in such a mannerhe is a guy.

The Witchblade was mocking her. "How was I supposed to know? He didn't tell me!" Sara stated indignantly.

That is neither here nor there. You knew you were pushing to get what you wanted. You were not listening to what he was saying.

Sara said nothing for a long time.

I imagine you have questions.

"No."

No.

"No. No questions. I can't fix anything from here, so I have to wait until you release me."

Then you will be here a very long time. As long as you believe in your heart that if it hadn't been for Gabriel's childhoodif it were another guy, your behavior would have been okay, then you will remain.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. All guys wait for girls to give them the signal to proceed."

But that isn't what you did, is it? You prompted and he declined. You prompted and he said enough. You pushed again and he left You have no argument to stand on Sara. You violated the trust between you and Gabriel.

Sara remained silent.

Why do you suppose Gabriel was so quick to inform Ian about the visions of you and he? Why do you think he would contact a man that had threatened to kill him? Why do you think he was so angry at the situation and so gentle with you? He gave you space and time to be comfortable in your body again. He was the one you clung to. And now

Something gave is Sara's chest. She had screwed up beyond the pail.

At least he was angry with you instead of scared. If he had been scared you wouldn't have many options of smoothing things over. Anger means he's worked through enough to protect himself and others. You can get through his anger. Your protector is with him now doing just that.

"Ian isn't hurting him is he?"

Of course not. Ian is allowing Gabriel to vent his frustration and pain Remember Sara you saw but images. You do not know what they mean.

"I don't understand."

You will.

Sara opened her eyes and looked at Vicky who appeared quite concerned. "I'm an idiot," Sara confessed.

"Glad we agree on that point. Now you want to explain to me why that thing can sprout little arms and borrow into your skin?" Vicky questioned.

Sara sighed deeply.

"What is that?" Gabriel asked looking at a very strange looking piece of equipment.

"It is the body double, so to speak," Ian explained. "This padded section is for blows to the face, this section for the torso, hands, legs, groin You get the idea."

"And what am I supposed to do? It looks like it will fall right over."

"It won't It is meant to train on for certain defense techniques on certain parts of the body. In your case it's just a stand in. You picture who ever you want; myself included, and take your frustrations out on it. Kick it, bite it, punch it, knock its head off. It is very replaceable. You are not despite my attitude in the past."

Gabriel gazed at Ian for a long time. "I don't know what Irons told youbut your life is worth something separate from him and Sara." The assassin's jaw clenched. "I know what you said to Sara earlier todayand it would be a waste. There is so much more to life than that man or that woman."

"You would die for that woman," Ian countered.

"As would youbut she isn't in danger. You can live your life."

"I have no life to speak of."

Gabriel took in the taller man's appearance turning back to the attack dummy, "I don't know. You seemed to be doing okay today. You argued with Sara quite well, provided friendship to me, and managed to completely entrance one very attractive coroner That sounds like the makings of a life to me." He began hitting the head of the dummy as he spoke.

"Entrance?" Ian questioned.

"She likes you. She got Sara to set up dinner. I know somewhere in your brain you know that's true."

"Dr. Po does seem to enjoy my presence."

Gabriel smiled hitting the chest repetitively, "And you? Do you like her presence?"

When no words came from Ian, Gabriel looked up at the dark man. "Do you like her to?"

Ian shifted uncomfortably, "I am incapable of such emotions."

"That isn't true. You love Sara. I know that."

"I was designed to protect the wielder. Any emotions I feel towards her are a natural combination of that objective and our past lives together."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, "Soya really don't even like Sara; you are just bound to her through obligations and history?" Ian gave a slight nod. "Bull I touched Sara and you sounded like a wounded animal on the fire escape. That has nothing to do with obligation and history. That is pure unadulterated jealousyone of the many byproducts of love."

"Why are we even discussing this? Sara has no feelings for me," Ian snapped.

"But Vicky is attracted to you and you are attracted to Vicky And that is scaring you to death. You aren't supposed to be human enough to feel things like other peoplebut Ian that's a lie. Whatever Irons may have told youhell whatever Sara may have said you are a person. Vicky sees that person. Vicky likes that person."

"I don't know howto be."

"You don't know how to what?" Gabe asked.

"I don't know how to be with otherstalk to others I I was not allowed to have friends," Ian confessed.

"I know. That is one of the reasons its real important for you to keep spending time with SaraTouching people is allowed too. You don't have to avoid all personal contact."

Ian thought for a moment more. "I will spend time with Dr. Po"

"Vicky!" Gabriel interrupted.

"I will spend time with Vickyif you will teach me what I need to know todate," the assassin said uncomfortably.

"Louie, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Gabriel said with a smirk.

"What?"

"We need to work on your humorand movie line trivia."

TBC

A/N: I have decided that my stories don't work if Gabriel and Ian aren't friends. Weird huh? I went back and watched an old episode of WB last night. Can I say John Hensley looks like five to seven years older this season than last? I now understand why people kept writing him at like twenty.

A/N2: So you know the gargoyles have stayed on their perches in my room. My husband will not debate the point. They were put on cathedrals to protect it from demonic spirits therefore they will sit in our bedroom to protect us. Got to love a man that knows his art history?!