Hello everybody,

I am so sorry for the lack of updates, my life as gone to...well you get the picture. But fear not! Chapters are coming at a fast pace (Thanks to FictionWriter91 who is doing an amazing work, as always).

Enjoy your reading!

Pavs.

Chapter Four: A Long Night

[Gabrielle]

Life had been good for the past couple of weeks, sort of. The guys were great, and I found myself more and more comfortable around them. Tool kept giving me drawing and painting lessons, and there wasn't a day that passed without Toll giving me a new book recommendation.

It was nice talking to Toll. He knew so many things about authors, books, music and history that it made me wondered how his head didn't explode. He'd promised me to take me to one of the local museums, and I was looking forward to it. I hoped that I would get to know him better too, all of them, really. I knew what they liked and some of their habits, but the fact that they still hadn't opened up more than that to me after almost two weeks made me feel uneasy.

I knew that I wasn't in danger with them, but there was something…off. Christmas kept looking at me like I was a threat, and Toll hit Hale on the shoulder to shut him up whenever he was about to talk about their jobs. And then, there was Gunnar.

I wanted to trust him, but I also needed to protect myself. Some part of me knew that it was beginning to look like a losing fight, that my defenses would give up so that I could talk to him. I looked at the clock and sighed. There was no way in hell that I'd be able to sleep, and it was 3 a.m.

I took a vest and went downstairs. I was about to go outside when I decided to leave a note for Barney. I had my phone and would be in my car, so I highly doubted that something would happen, but still. I opened the garage door and got into my mustang.

[Gunnar]

The bar was too crowded, even for a weekend, but he'd came here to make sure that the guys wouldn't see him like this. He drank vodka from the bottle and closed his eyes, the one person who'd been on his mind ever since he first saw her appearing almost instantly as always.

Gabrielle.

She was so broken, fierce, vulnerable, complicated and just plain fucking beautiful. He'd loved her response to Christmas's attitude. And then she got attacked and fucking thanked them for saving her. He got up and stayed there for a moment, waiting for the room to stop spinning.

''Fucking hell,'' he said before he tried to get to the door.

The fresh air hit his face, and he thanked God that they were in January. Louisiana was just way too hot. He'd loved Sweden for that. Too bad that he wouldn't be going back. He wasn't that ready to face how much he had fucked up. Plus, he had the guys, and Gabrielle…

She hadn't been scared of him. She treated him like he was normal, and it was refreshing. He remembered her scars and sighed. That girl deserved better. He took one last sip from the bottle before he threw it in a trashcan. She was different; he liked it. A lot.

Gunnar then searched his pockets for a cigarette and found meth instead. He looked at the bag for a long time before he heard Gabrielle's car. He threw it away and walked up to her.

[Gabrielle]

I was lost. Again. At least this time I was in my car. I'd just stopped at a red light when someone knocked on my car window, making me screech like a fucking dinosaur. I heard Gunnar's laugh and unlocked the door for him to get in.

''That was unladylike,'' he mocked, and I looked right in front of me, trying not to smile.

''That smell is not one of a gentlemen either,'' I commented, and he snorted.

''Do I look like a gentlemen to you?'' he asked before adding: ''Besides, what are you doing here princess?''

I didn't respond right away, and he sighed.

''Turn right at the next stop. I am tired, and you need to sleep,'' he said, and I did as instructed.

We fell into a comfortable silence, save for the few other directions he gave me. Before I knew it, we were back at Tool's. I turned off the engine, and he took my keys.

''You know I need those, right?'' I said as he got out the car. He didn't respond, so I followed him inside, all the way up to his room.

''There are shirts and shorts somewhere in there,'' Gunnar said, and I looked at him without even bothering to hide my surprise. ''The bathroom's over there.''

He turned on his TV and took off his boots. I went on to look in his drawers and found a t-shirt that would do. The shorts were too big, and the shirt fitted like a dress, so that was good enough. I went to change in the bathroom and took some time to wash my face. By the time I was done, I could hear Gunnar snoring.

I opened the door and looked at him. He didn't even look peaceful while he slept. I lay down next to him and before I knew it, I was caressing his scar with the tip off my fingers. Gunnar put one of his arms around me and pulled me closer to him while mumbling some non-sense in a foreign language.

I was waiting for my brain to scream at me that this was a bad idea, that I should get up and go to one of the empty rooms at least. But my mind was unusually quiet, and I fell asleep.

[Barney]

The second he woke up he had a feeling that something had happened. He took the handgun hidden under his pillow and went to Gabrielle's room, only to find it empty. He called out to her and ran downstairs when he heard nothing. Everything was right where they left it, except for a note on the door. He read the message and sighed. It was only four and a half (not sure what this is in reference to...4:30 am?), she would probably be back soon. He made himself some coffee and sat on the couch.

He looked at his gun and took a deep breath. Then another. He knew it was only a matter of time before she would find out about their jobs. All it took was a word, a simple misplaced gesture, a surprise cleaning gone wrong… He wasn't ready for that. Gabrielle had only been with him for a little more than two weeks, and he had seen how much she loved being in a simple routine, how at ease she was with them. Perhaps this was exactly why he couldn't bring himself to tell her. Barney loved this life, and the guys seemed to like it too, not to mention the never-ending smile Tool had on his face since he'd start teaching Gabrielle how to draw and paint.

Barney closed his eyes and sighed again. At their ages, they should all have families, steady jobs, maybe a house, and, in his and Tool's cases, grandkids. He went to his computer and did another search on Gabrielle.

He found pictures, most of them from the media and Facebook posts. He saw Gabrielle when she was a baby, sleeping in her mother's arms. Then she was a bit older, singing, dancing and counting on her fingers. He saw every candle on every birthday cake and hunting trip pictures where she had looked so proud of herself.

He could see himself being in the forest with her, answering her million questions. He saw another picture of Sarah, and for the first time in weeks, he felt anger. She'd kept him from this life, her life. Gabrielle was an adult now, and he hadn't seen her growing up.

He kept looking at the pictures and noticed that she'd gradually traded the hunting trips for formal social events, that she had less and less friends and that her smile was fading over the years. The memory of her scars came back at full force in his mind, and he turned the computer off. He was there now, and that smile would stay there, he'd make goddamn sure of it.

He heard his alarm go off and realized that Gabrielle still wasn't back. He got dressed and went to Tool's.

[Gunnar]

Gunnar had woken up an hour after he'd fallen asleep. Gabrielle was crying in her sleep and was reaching for her scars. He took her into his arms and tried to talk to her. It took him about two minutes to calm her down, and he kept looking at her. He knew that inviting her into his room wasn't one of his brightest idea, but he knew what it was like to have your mind being too loud for your own good, and he'd figured that he could make sure she wouldn't be hurting herself.

He sighed, wondering when the hell he'd become that fucking sensitive, not that he was completely heartless, but well…the guys could testify that he wasn't completely harmless either. She started snoring softly, and he smiled. He couldn't, wouldn't harm her. Never. He closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

.

He woke up again to the sound of something falling on his bathroom floor. He then heard Gabrielle cursing, and he got up to see if she was all right. She was sitting on the counter, trying to redo her bandages. He got closer and took the matter in his own hands. They didn't say a word throughout the whole process. He was about to leave when she took his hand.

''Thank you, Gunnar,'' she said, and he gave her a small smile.

[Gabrielle]

I left Gunnar's room in the morning, not really seeing anything as I went to started coffee. I opened the fridge to see if there was anything to eat. I was about to put the eggs on the counter when I heard a voice and accidentally dropped them on the floor.

[Tool's]

''Hey brother, you never sleep?'' asked Tool while Christmas was looking at Barney.

It was about 8 a.m., and they'd just had their first coffee. Lee saw the worried look on Barney's face and got up from his chair, going over to him.

''Got a problem with Gabrielle?''

Barney showed them the note, and Tool frowned.

''It's been a couple hours. Have you tried her phone?'' Lee asked.

''Of course, he did," Tool retorted before Barney could speak. ''Let's ask the guys if they have heard something.''

They went up the elevator, just in time to see Gabrielle preparing breakfast, wearing only one of Gunnar's shirt.

''What the fuck?!'' Barney exclaimed, and she dropped the eggs on the floor.

Toll got out of his room as quickly as he could to see what was happening and found himself at a loss of words when he saw what Gabrielle was wearing. The fact that a shirtless Gunnar came out right after him wasn't helping either.

''Well, I should go get something to clean this up,'' Gabrielle said, trying to escape this awkward moment as fast as she could.

''Stop! Don't. Move,'' Barney ordered. When Gunnar tried to speak, he added: ''Sit!''

Both Gunnar and Gabrielle took a chair to sit on while Toll and Lee were wondering if they should stay or not. Gabrielle saw the amused smile on Tool's face and only then did she seem to understand why her father was angry.

''Oh. Oh shit! Look, Dad, it really isn't what you think!'' she yelped.

''Of course it isn't,'' Tool said with a mocking tone, and Gabrielle glared at him.

''It really isn't,'' she insisted. Feeling panicked, she tried to hide her arms behind her.

Toll was the first one to notice.

''You've done it again?'' he asked, and Gabrielle looked at Gunnar.

''You fucking knew?'' Barney asked, outraged.

''So, what if I did? She wasn't ready to talk. I asked her to, and she said she wasn't ready. Nothing happened last night. Nothing she didn't wanted at least,'' Gunnar added, and Barney took a step forward.

Toll's eyes widened in shock, and Lee and Tool shared concerned looks. Nobody noticed Gabrielle's state until she was on her feet, running for the stairs.

''Shit!'' Toll cried. '' I'll talk to her. Try to keep Barney from killing him.''

Then he took off after her. Gunnar and Barney looked at each other for a long time before Gunnar sighed.

''Look, I really didn't do anything inappropriate. I am not that fucked up, you know,'' Gunnar indignantly.

''Why then?'' Tool asked.

''She was lost in the city. It was a coincidence that I found her. She looked like she needed to not be alone,'' Gunnar explained.

''You'd know the feeling,'' Lee pointed out, and Gunnar sneered at him.

''Fuck off Christmas. We don't all have a crazy woman to make us forget that our life is shit,'' he snapped.

''That what she is to you?'' Barney demanded.

''Fuck no. I just…I care ok? Is that all?'' Gunnar asked, sarcastic as possible.

''Yeah, you're good,'' Tool said, and Gunnar went back to his room.

Barney was about to tell him that they were, in fact, not done when Toll came back.

''She went back to your place to take a nap. I am going back to sleep. She's ok Barney.''

Tool and Lee went back downstairs, and Barney looked at the eggs. He cleaned up the mess, looking at Gunnar's door every five seconds. There was something going on with Jensen, and he didn't like it, at all