Distance

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: I don't know how many of you care about the new rules and structure that FanFic.net is employing but I am rather annoyed. I have never before taken up any sort of First Amendment stuff because I think a lot of times it is misused but I will be honest, I'm really tired of them removing types of writing. Why do I care if people use Chat room type dialogue or write about Boy Bands? If I don't like it I don't read it. If anyone wishes to discuss this at length or would like to know what others are doing in protest drop me a line.

"Hello?"

"Sara?"

"Ian? Where are you? Is Gabriel with you? Is he okay?" she said with a rush.

"He is fine more or less If we were to return for dinner would it be too terribly awkward?" he questioned.

Sara looked at the phone, "No Come back. Uh we'll heat up the food."

"Is Vicky still there?" Ian asked quietly.

"Yes."

"May I speak to her?"

"He wants you," Sara said with a sigh to her friend.

Vicky sort of shrugged and took the phone. "Hello?"

"Vicky?"

"Hi Ian. Everything alright?"

"For the most part." Ian looked over his shoulder at Gabriel who was signaling him to continue. "Dr. Po" Gabriel shook his head. "Vickywould you care to accompany to dinner tomorrow night?" Gabe smiled big.

Vicky grinned to herself, "Ian that sounds lovely. Are you coming back over for dinner?"

"Yes."

"Then we can discuss time and place when you get here," she said playing with the edge of her shirt.

Sara mouthed absolutely shocked, 'He asked you out on a date?' Vicky nodded. Sara looked sad for a moment; 'I need to talk to Gabriel.'

"Ian, can you give the phone to Gabriel?"

"Will you be speaking with him or will Sara?"

"Sara."

"Sara wishes to speak to you," Ian said to his friend.

Gabriel rolled his eyes but took the phone. He was still too mad to deal at all well with his girlfriend. "Sara?"

"Yeah?"

"What's up?" he said too blandly.

"I was hoping we could talk some," she said quietly.

"Not over the phoneand not yet. I need to speak to someone first. Can we just table the talk for dinner at least?" Gabriel said with a sigh.

Sara was taken aback. "Sure See ya soon."

"Yeah."

"He's going to break up with me," Sara moaned dejectedly when she hung up the phone.

"Now why do you think that?" Vicky asked.

"He doesn't want to talk to mehe wants to prepare. Prepared talks normally imply a goodbyeits not you its me speech."

Vicky tilted her head, "Or it could mean there is something he's not ready to tell you or wants to get together in his mind. Sara if you hit a major nerve, it may take some time for him to cool down enough to be able to get into words what happened."

Sara took a deep breath major issue. It was a major issue. She knew the major issue. No matter if things went perfectly Gabriel wouldn't be trusting her any time soon. There are just some things you can't take back.

Gabriel sighed and hung up the phone. "You will speak to her after dinner?" Ian questioned.

"After I speak to my sister," the younger man stated grinding his teeth a bit.

"Shared confidences" Ian said quietly.

"And adviseshe's married. Covered this ground. My older brother, Michael, just likes to pretend nothing happened to him. Elizabeth and I have tried to get him to talk about it. Hell my dad even has gotten on him about it but he just says it was a long time ago and it doesn't effect his daily life. Amusing statements from a man that will not let anyone outside of family care for his children Anyway Elizabeth can give me advice on what to say and how to say it."

"You have never shared this with another?"

Gabriel laughed, "Nono. Not that. Its just I've never told a girlfriend before. I've never had a girlfriend this 'large and in charge' before."

Ian stared at Gabe; "Sara is quite slim."

"It's a figure of speech Ian To be honest normally it comes up dealing with guys that are controlling or a bully" Gabriel let the statement hang.

"Like myself."

"Like yourself."

"I am sorry," Ian hung his head in shame.

"Stop it okay." Ian nodded slightly. "I don't need you getting weird on me now. If I'm going to sit in a room with Sara when I'm this frazzled I can't have my only real ally freaking out next to me."

"I don't understand."

"Dinner tonight will be awkward. I would rather we be cool when we walk in than be uncomfortable too," Gabriel explained.

"Would it help if I distracted you?" Ian inquired.

"Possibly."

"You need to tell me how to behave with Dr Vicky."

Gabriel smiled at his new friend. "Okay pointers on datingor at least dinner tomorrow. Avoid topics like the Witchblade, death, and formerly being an assassin. Ask plenty of questions about her and her life, work, hobbies, intereststhings like that. If she asks about Sara, say you met through your employer and leave it at that. There are far too many complications on that topic," he advised.

"I do not know modern media," Ian observed. "I do not know the rules to such interactions."

"Well you can't base yours off of Sara and I since we were good friends first. In a relationship that develops out of a friendship you skip the 'get to know you' phase because you already know the person The beginning of dating is sort of like buying a suit. It may have all the right measurements but once you put it on you realize it doesn't hang right "

"That is a strange analogy Gabriel," Ian contended.

"Yes but it works. Right now you and Vicky seem to be a good fit. Once you spend some time together you will either 'tailor' to fit each other better or you will decided the suit is wrong for you."

"I do not like being compared to fabric."

Gabriel completely cracked up, "That was funny."

Ian just stared at him. "Why?"

"Because you were serious I don't know really it just was."

"Explain to me the Shirley joke again. I still do not follow how that is amusing."

"You said to me 'Surely you would like blah blah blah'. So I said something 'and don't call me Shirley.' It's funny because you didn't call me by the woman's name but it sounds like you did. Get it?"

"Partially" Ian commented thinking that humor was an odd and twisted way of looking at the world. Then again he did understand some forms of it just not humor that the figurative meaning was different then the literal one. He after all was a very literal guy.

Sara had begun to pace around her apartment ten minutes prior and was continuing to do so when Vicky finally snapped. "You are giving me a headache. Now sit down," she ordered finishing the place settings that Gabriel started.

"I have never felt shy of Gabriel before," the wielder said sitting down with a thud. "He's always been my comfort zone. I meanone of the first times I saw him he was standing on his head meditating."

The coroner pictured Gabriel in such a position and laughed lightly. "You've taken it for granted that solace," the coroner observed. "This is one of those times you have to be the grown up and accept responsibility. Trust issues are always tricky. Sometimes you don't see them until you've fallen flat on your facethat's kind of where you are now."

A short knock indicated Ian's arrival. Sara stayed seated afraid to get the door. Vicky just looked at her, shook her head, and answered the knock. "Hi guyscome on in. Dinner's ready and waiting to be served." Her face showed joy at seeing Ian and sadness at seeing Gabriel. Vicky tugged at Gabriel before Sara could see and whispered, "She's terrified you're going to break up with her."

When the door shut Gabriel saw Sara all curled into herself. Her knees were drawn up close to her chest as she sat. She was worrying her lip as her eyes slowly drifted to his clear and wide. There was grief in her eyes. Sara would take this posture after the dreams/nightmares she had of her past life with Ian. Gabriel could feel her pain from a few feet away. It somehow soothed his mind to know she regretted her actions.

Ian and Vicky busily went about filling cups while Gabriel and Sara still stared at each other. Sara blinked slowly fixing her gaze on Gabe's. 'I'm sorry,' she mouthed. 'I was wrong.'

Gabriel's jaw tightened. 'Not now,' he mouthed back.

'Please,' she pled silently.

'I'm not ready to talk about this,' he stated with unheard words.

Sara stared at her feet, clinging her legs to her chest. Gabriel sat down next to her without a word. Slowly Sara became aware of the warmth of his hand lying atop hers. She looked up unexpectedly gazing at Gabriel for some clue. He gently prodded her fingers part and laced his with hers. He didn't smile or laugh, he just reached out to her. Sara knew she had no right to ask for more.

This simple act ofno kindnessmade two tears fluttered from her eyes. She gripped his fingers tightly and grinned a little. Gabriel saw light resurface in her eyes and somehow it brought him joy. It was then that he realized they were passed the point of separateness. The 'you hurt, I hurt' stage of their relationship was already established.

Ian went to set things on the table but Vicky steered him back to the counter. "Let them be," she whispered. "They need this time."

"But they aren't even saying anything," he whispered back.

Vicky was about to mention touching as a form of speaking when she realized she had never seen Ian without his gloves on. "He's saying he still trusts herat least a little."

"How?" Ian asked almost mystified.

"Do you trust me?"

Her words took Ian entirely by surprise. "Isuppose."

Lightly she reached for his arm above the wrist and met his eyes. Slowly she began to tug at the leather bound hand. Ian's breath picked up as she continued to gradually remove the offending glove. Even softer she whispered, "I can stop."

Ian couldn't take his eyes from Vicky's. They were so large and deepand caring. He gulped a deep breath and remembered it had not injured him to have Sara touch himbut she was not his. This contact might prove to be too much. "Not yet" he answered in an equally hushed tone.

Vicky gave him a slight grin and pulled the glove back up. "I can wait."

Ian faltered at that moment. No one had ever wanted him before. No one had ever been willing to wait for him. He was always the servant and submissive onenot that Vicky was being submissive in any way but it was the principle.

Vicky reached in front of him to get the salt and pepper shaker bringing her body closer to Ian's. He took the opportunity to lean in and kiss her forehead. As her eyes met his in slight shock he murmured quietly, "Thank you."

"Your welcome."

Sara watched the small endearment pass between her friends. She turned to Gabriel who was watching the interaction as well and kissed his hand. Breathing deeply he let go some of the stress he had been holding. Looking at one another Sara knew they would be all right. She didn't know when they would really talk things out but at least Gabriel felt like home again.

TBC

A/N: I knowI knowI still haven't explicitly explained what happened. For a heads up Gabe will have a talk with his sister that might appear disjointed but you have to remember they know what they're discussing. Gabriel's conversation with Sara will be concise. I decided to write it this way because I feel it's accurate. When people have pain in their lives it normally takes a while for others to get the full picture.

A/N2: Part of the sadness in this chapter ironically is because I am watching author's I enjoy leave FanFic.net. Since there is such a small group of us that write for WB I would like to make a plea that no one leave just yet. The site managers are getting a lot of backlash about their decisions.