Hello everybody!

I forgot to mention it, but the pairing(s) of this fiction were actually the results of a challenge. Since I won't be changing them, I was wondering what were your guesses as to with whom Gabrielle will end up with at the end of this fiction.

Be careful, nothing is always as it seems and this fiction is quite the novel (so there is much more to see). I might also give you some fun/interesting facts throughout the author's note at the beginning of each chapter. The first one having a clue as for the non-pairing.

Fact #1: Did you know that the original pairing was between Gabrielle and Toll when I first started to write the story line 7 years ago?

Thank you for following this story and don't hesitate to leave a review if you have any comment/question/suggestion.

Enjoy your reading!

Pavs.

Chapter Six: After the Storm

[Gabrielle]

Hospitals always smelled the same, and I hated it, not to mention the food. I'd been kept there for about a day and a half, and I couldn't wait to get out. Barney was the only one who could visit, and we didn't talk much, not about what happened anyway. The doctor had called in my therapist to make sure that I would talk to someone I knew, so at least they give a damn.

[Tool's]

Christmas kept throwing his knife at the target, and Tool was looking at the bottom of his glass. Toll kept looking at the door to see if Barney was coming, and Hale was staring at them all. Toll got up and started pacing.

'' He's got to tell her,'' he said and, Christmas threw his knife again.

''It's not our decision,'' Tool reminded him, but even he didn't seem convinced.

''Yeah, well it affects us too,'' Lee said. '' Barney's not deaf. He heard her apologies. Shit hits the fan, and the man acts like it's not raining on our heads.''

''He's our friend,'' Tool tried.

''Well then explain to me who in the bloody hell is supposed to tell him he's got his head up his arse if not us?'' Lee retorted.

Tool couldn't argue with that, and he honestly didn't want to.

''She won't talk to us until she's sure she can trust us. We've already said it many times, but in the meantime we're gonna have to find another way to at least get her to talk to us,'' Hale chimed in.

''Fucking brilliant. Want me to ask Gunnar?'' Lee asked as sarcastic as possible.

Nobody answered. Jensen was chaotic in his good intentions at best, but he cared… He cared. Tool and Toll shared a look. They both knew that Gabrielle cared too. This was going to be as comfortable as running in a mine field when Barney would find out.

[Gunnar]

He could feel his stomach in his throat. That hangover was particularly rough on him, but he had to forget, forget the smell of her hair and the feeling of falling asleep with her. He didn't want to fall for her, and he knew just how easy it could be. He didn't care that she thought she was broken; she was still beautiful. But he couldn't help her if he got murdered by Barney first.

And that was if she was interested. Why would she be? He was Crankeinstein, the giant toxic fucker. She deserved better. But if she did like him…

Damn, he was fucked.

He heard his ringtone and looked at the screen to see Gabrielle's name.

''Yeah,'' he said, silently cursing himself for the way his voice sounded.

''I didn't want to bother you, but would you mind bringing me more cream?'' she asked, her voice shaking.

His heart stopped.

''Where are you?'' he asked.

''Home…Thank you Gunnar,'' she answered, her voice so low it was almost a whisper.

''I'll be right there,'' he said before he hung up.

He had to help her.

[Barney]

She'd been home for less than a day when he heard her call Gunnar. It still bothered him that Jensen knew things about her that he didn't. But the way her voice sounded…it made him kind of glad that Gunnar was there for her. He knew the man had a good heart despite having a talent for getting himself into deep shit.

[Gunnar]

The first thing he noticed while coming into her room was the smell of bleach, making him wonder what the fuck had actually happened. He'd been gone three days tops. He looked at her and saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. Her blankets where covering her. He sat on the bed beside her, and she adjusted her position to lean on him. He took her in his arms, and she cried harder.

He said nothing at all. He just held her, thinking to himself that he should have been there. She finally calmed down and tried to sit up. Gunnar saw that she was in pain and got up to help her, making his way to the other side of the bed. He then noticed the emergency kit on the night stand and opened it to see that a lot of stuff was missing.

Gabrielle took the blanket off of her, and he felt his heart stop. She was wearing short shorts and her legs were covered in bandages. All of them stained. He proceeded to remove them, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach.

''I…'' Gabrielle tried before stopping herself.

He could see that she was as terrified as she felt guilty. He took the cream and applied it as softly as he could. He then changed her bandages, knowing that Gabrielle still was looking at him. He finished the last one and looked up, only to find himself looking straight into her eyes.

''Gabrielle,'' he whispered, and she sighed.

''I know. I need to stop. I am sorry,'' she replied with a shaking voice.

He took her hand in his, and she took the opportunity to help herself up. She then gave him a hug, and Gunnar returned the embrace, closing his eyes as if he would feel her more this way.

''I know you've already done a lot for me but…would you mind staying?'' Gabrielle asked, and Gunnar felt his heart beat faster. ''I…You're right, I can't lie to you and I…I just need someone to talk too…If that's ok with you?''

''Always,'' Gunnar answered before he let her go so they could both sit on her bed.

[Tool's]

Barney had tried really hard not to lose it for the past couple of days. Sitting beside Gabrielle at the hospital had been hard on him, but seeing her being this close to Gunnar…he might be old and socially awkward, but he wasn't fucking blind.

He'd got out of the house as fast as he could or he would've thrown Jensen out of the window. But she needed to talk, didn't she? He almost turned around at least a dozen time on his way to Tool's.

''How is she?'' his friend asked as soon as he stepped in the tattoo shop.

''With Gunnar,'' Barney answered curtly, visibly pissed off.

''Well, that explains all the joy,'' Tool retorted.

''How else should I take it? He got in her room and... I know I shouldn't have, but I watched them. She asked him to talk…she hugged him.''

''She did?'' Tool asked, surprised, and Barney sighed.

''As soon as he got there. I got the feeling that it ain't the first time. I just don't get it. She trusts him, I mean him.''

''He gets her in a way that we don't. You know as well as I do, probably even more, that she's been judged all her life by people. He never will,'' Tool started.

''We won't either!'' Barney exclaimed, and Tool sighed.

''But he tells her the truth. She ain't stupid Barns, she knows there's something going on, and she also knows that Gunnar isn't afraid to talk to her. There's also the fact that Gunnar has had his fair share of problems. They both are addicts in a way, and they understand each other.''

''Yeah, about that…''Barney began before Tool interrupted him.

''Don't go there. I am not saying the man's harmless. Fuck, he really isn't, but I highly doubt he'd ever hurt her. You know what he's been through to get and stay here,'' Tool argued.

''And what if he goes Crankeinstein again? You know we can't risk it. As much as I care about the guy, God knows we can't risk it,'' Barney said with a worried look.

''I know," Tool admitted.

God, did he know.

Then the phone rang, and Tool knew that this day wasn't going to get any easier.

[Barney's]

Gunnar had listened to Gabrielle talk about how, why and when she'd started to self harm, and it made it that much easier to hate her family. She then talked about better, happier times with her friends, and he liked the way her face lit up when she was sharing about the things she loved.

He was fucked.

He was about to tell her about him when his phone rang. It was a text message telling him they had a meeting.

''What's wrong?'' Gabrielle asked, and he looked at her.

He was so, so fucked.

''Gotta get back to work, princess,'' he replied, and he could hear the sadness in his own voice.

He hated to not be able to tell her. It made him feel that this whole trust thing was fake, and he wanted it to be real.

''Alright then, I guess we're gonna have to see each other later?'' Gabrielle offered, and he nodded.

It had been a while since he'd hoped or even cared that nothing would go wrong on a mission. He did now.

''You won't even have time to miss me,'' he joked half-heartedly.

The smile she gave him in return made him hate himself even more.

[Tool's]

Barney was putting the plans away while the others looked at him. Somebody had to talk to him.

''You forgot about an important part of the plan,'' Christmas pointed out.

''Why, go ahead Lee,'' Barney said, sarcastic as possible.

''Don't get all high and mighty on me Ross. You know damn well what I am talking about,'' Christmas growled, and Barney got closer to him.

''None of your business,'' Barney told him.

''Really? What if one of us gets hurt or doesn't make it?'' Gunnar asked, and silence followed his question.

They all were thinking it, but the fact that Gunnar was the one to mention it made them feel uncomfortable. Jensen was more of the shoot first, ask questions later type of guy, and he might have been unstable and often demented, but doubtful? If something scared that man, you better run fast cause it ain't pretty.

''And if something happens to you, what should I tell her?'' Jensen added. ''You might feel good about lying to her, but I don't. She trusts me, Barney, whether you like it or not, and she trusts you too, all of us in fact. I don't want her to hate us if this goes south.''

Barney could feel himself giving up.

''And I am not saying that it will, but if shit hits the fan, we're going to have to make sure that she's safe. I don't want her to find out like that or by herself cause what do you think will happen if she does?'' Gunnar pressed.

''She's not ready to…'' Barney tried.

''To be lied to,'' Lee interrupted, agreeing with Gunnar for once.

''I'll talk to her when we get back,'' Barney promised, and while it wasn't ideal, they knew it was the best they would get from him. ''I wrote her a letter in case something happens.''

''Well, make sure that we don't have to give it to her,'' Tool said before they left the office.

[Barney]

He found her asleep on the couch with the TV still on. He smiled before he sat down to wake her up.

''Hey,'' she said with a tired voice.

''Sorry to interrupt your nap, but I thought your bed might be a bit more comfortable.'' Barney explained, and she laughed.

''Probably,'' she answered. "How was work?''

''We, uh, have to go away for a while. A week or two at the most, nothing that will stop us from celebrating your birthday,'' Barney answered, and she tried to hide her surprise.

''You don't have to plan anything,'' she said sincerely.

''I missed all the others, so…'' her father trailed off, and she offered him a sad smile.

''Ok then, but we keep it simple, yeah?'' she asked, and he smiled back.

''We can do that,'' he agreed, and she kissed him on the cheek before she went to her room.

He stayed there for a while before turning off the TV and going to his office to get another drink. He had to talk to her before it was too late. He couldn't lose her.