Hello everybody!

I am back.

I wanted to thank you all for taking your time to read this fiction. I know that I put a lot of effort on the relationship side of the story, but I felt like it was important to establish the characters for the rest of the fiction to make sense. In short, I didn't want to rush things.

But fear not! The action is coming soon.

And that also means, that I highly recommend, for those of you who haven't read it or if you don't remember it, that you go back and read the warnings in the Author's note. (Right before the prologue).

The story was rated M for reasons that will be more and more obvious from now on. I will, however, put specific warnings for each chapter that may need it, like this:

(Rated M for nudity)

(Which does apply to this one)

Enjoy your reading!

Pavs.

Chapter Eleven: But Can I Trust You?

[Gabrielle]

I was walking towards a small grocery store to get something to drink. I hadn't seen Lee since my birthday party two days ago, and it kind of bothered me. Tool had a lady friend over; Yang had gone to do God knows what, and Hale and Toll were working at the hangar with my Dad. As for Gunnar, well…it was more my fault than his if we hadn't talk much.

I could still remember his questioning eyes whenever I refused to look at him. But if I did, I'd get lost in his eyes all over again and I couldn't do that to myself. It was hard for me to get attached, but once I did, it was even harder to let go, and Gunnar meant a lot to me. I didn't want to get hurt by him not loving me in return. I didn't want things to get awkward between us. This was too fast, it was…

I saw him in front of the fridge at the back of the store, and I froze.

[Gunnar]

He was tired of listening to Tool and his girl, so he went out to grab something to eat. He was just about to get something to drink when he felt like someone was watching him. He turned around and saw Gabrielle looking at him with a surprised, then worried, look on her face.

He was still wondering what had possessed him to react that badly to Christmas. He had put Gabrielle's reaction on her realizing that he was attracted to her. But looking at her now, he could see the blush on her cheeks, her trying to hide the fact that she was looking him over, and he just got that much closer.

Maybe he'd misread her reaction, maybe…

[Gabrielle]

My heart skipped a beat when I realized that he was getting closer. I felt myself getting closer as well, like I had no control over my body at all. I tried to talk, but no sound came out of my mouth.

[Gunnar]

He followed his instincts and held her. She tensed at first, then he felt her relax in his arms. He kissed the top of her head, letting himself getting lost in her perfume. He then started singing a song that he learned as a child.

[Gabrielle]

I felt like the whole world had vanished and there was only us left. I could hear his voice and felt much calmer than I did earlier. I missed him. I missed him so much. How did he do that in such a short time? I didn't know. I didn't want to know. I just wanted to feel him, to hear his voice, to see his eyes.

I looked at him without letting him go, and he stopped singing. Before I knew it, I could feel his lips on mine, and I was in heaven.

[Hale & Toll]

They'd just came back from the hangar when they heard Tool and his friend. Well, no wonder Gunnar was nowhere to be seen. They decided to go grab some lunch and ended up at the grocery store. Hale went for the food and Toll went for the beer. He took a pack and was about to go and join Hale when he saw Gunnar kissing Gabrielle passionately against the fridge.

He hadn't saw that coming. Well, not today at least. He was about to let them know that they were in fact in a public space when he heard Hale behind him.

''Well, how do we explain that to Barney?'' Caesar asked, and he dropped his pack in surprised.

Gunnar and Gabrielle stopped and took a step apart, looking guilty as hell.

''Oh please, don't stop for us. We wouldn't want to interrupt you,'' Hale mocked, and Gabrielle blushed.

Toll laughed, and Gunnar smiled. Gabrielle looked at Jensen's satisfied expression and slapped him on the arm.

''Well, it looks like you finally got someone to keep you in check,'' Hale said to Gunnar, and it was Gabrielle's turn to smile.

''Damn right I will,'' she nodded, and Gunnar looked at her with a wicked smile.

''So, you're going to punish me?'' he asked with a low voice that made her shiver.

''I…. um...'' she tried, and Gunnar's smile grew bigger. ''Fuck you''

''You will,'' Gunnar agreed, and Gabrielle shut her mouth.

''Well, we better get out of here while the beer is still cold,'' Hale suggested, and Toll followed.

They didn't need any more details, and Gunnar was so far from the subtle type of guy that it was a wonder he'd survived this long in their line of work. Gabrielle took her stuff and followed after them with Gunnar walking right behind her.

Hale let her pay first and waited for her to be outside before he and Toll turned to Gunnar.

''I'll say this only once Jensen: Barney won't be the only one after you if you hurt her, hear me?'' Hale warned, and Gunnar knew he was being dead serious, so he nodded.

''Good, because you may be our friend, but that is a shared feeling alright?'' Toll added, and Gunnar looked at him straight in the eyes.

''If I ever hurt her, I'll let you hurt me,'' Jensen promised, and they all knew they had an understanding.

[Tool's]

Hale and Toll were drinking in silence since Lee and Barney had made their entrance. They felt like Gabrielle wouldn't appreciate them not waiting for her to talk to her father.

''You are both are way too quiet. What's happening?'' Tool asked once he joined the others in the tattoo parlor.

His lady of the moment had gone somewhere else, and he hadn't felt like being alone.

''It's nothing,'' Hale denied, and Barney frowned.

Now he was sure that something had happened.

''Nothing that is our business to talk about anyway,'' Toll specified.

''All right then,'' Barney conceded, still suspicious. ''Did you hear anything about Gunnar? He isn't answering his phone, and we still got work to do.''

The look on both Hale and Toll's faces alerted him that it was indeed Jensen's business. The fact that Gabrielle was probably with him didn't comfort him at all.

''Did that fucker use again?'' Lee demanded, fearing for Gabrielle if he did.

''No, of course not!'' Hale replied, sincere.

''Then what is wrong with you both? Did he hurt her?'' Christmas pushed, and Toll had had enough.

''No. He wouldn't do that. He promised it to us and you know him better than that.'' Road insisted.

''Why would he promise that to you?'' Tool asked, curious.

''Because they saw us kissing,'' Gabrielle interrupted, making them turn to look at her. ''So, they gave him the talk.''

Nobody had heard her coming in with Gunnar. Barney looked at Gunnar like he was about to kill him while Lee's expression was unreadable. Tool was smiling though, which was comforting to Gabrielle.

''I am sorry to tell you this way, but I want to be honest with you,'' she told her father, and he looked at her.

''Let's go home, we need to talk,'' Barney said, and Gabrielle looked confused.

''Look, Dad, I am…'' she tried.

''Now!'' Barney ordered, and she felt like she was about to cry.

Gabrielle noticed that Gunnar was about to say something and put a hand on his arm. He looked at her and stopped himself. She then followed her dad outside, not noticing the more than worried look on Gunnar's face.

[Barney's]

He didn't say a word until they were home. Part of him was feeling guilty when he saw Gabrielle on the verge of having a break down, but he was pissed off. He closed the door behind them, and Gabrielle turned to look at him.

''Look, I get that he is your friend and I am sorry about that, but why are you all acting like he's dangerous?'' Gabrielle asked, and Barney felt his anger fade a bit.

She was so innocent. He sighed.

''Gunnar has had some serious problems in the past, Gabrielle, enough so that we can't ignore them,'' Barney explained.

''It can't be that bad…'' Gabrielle tried.

''He is…was unstable. For fuck's sake we are mercenaries! I am experienced, Gabrielle, don't get me wrong, and even I wouldn't want to go after Gunnar if he was in a good mood, let alone a bad one,'' Barney admitted, fear replacing his anger.

''He won't hurt me,'' Gabrielle insisted, stubborn. ''I just know it. He doesn't…he doesn't hurt children nor women now does he?''

''No,'' Barney shook his head, ''but we can't know for sure that his past really is behind him.''

''I refuse to think that he's a bad man,'' Gabrielle said, and Barney felt his patience running out.

''He almost killed Yang and betrayed us for meth!'' Barney exclaimed, and Gabrielle looked like she'd been slapped in the face.

''Is that how you talk about your friends after you 'helped' them?'' Gabrielle asked, and Barney felt himself at a loss of words.

He knew he'd gone too far the moment he said it. But still, it had hurt to see Gunnar throw his life away. He just wanted to protect her.

''I can't believe that I am the one saying this, but maybe you should try and trust him again. He isn't the same as he was on drugs. I…I know it,'' she said, and Barney looked at her like he'd never seen her before. ''I think I'll go now. I'll call you when I am ready to talk. If you still want me around after knowing this, that is…''

She walked out, and he didn't look at the door until he heard her driving away in her car.

[Gunnar]

Gunnar was looking at the ceiling, thinking about his day. Tool had congratulated him on not being blind anymore, and Hale and Toll had laughed at that. Christmas had gone into his room without saying anything. Gunnar couldn't care less though. He could still feel her lips against his, her hand in his as they walked and her smile…

He heard someone knocking, and he sat up while a very emotional Gabrielle entered his room, locking the door behind her. He was about to ask her what was happening when she sat on his lap and kissed him. He responded to her with passion for a moment until he felt her tears.

''Gabrielle, wait,'' he said softly, and she looked at him.

He helped her undress and gave her a shirt before they lay together in his bed. He took her in his arms as she faced him, and she caressed his cheek with the tip of her fingers.

''What happened?'' Gunnar asked, and Gabrielle hesitated.

''My father he…he told me you were unstable. He told me about…Yang, the betrayal and the meth,'' Gabrielle answered, and she could see the fear and hurt in his eyes.

''What did you think about it?'' he whispered.

''That we aren't ourselves on drugs,'' she said, and Gunnar couldn't hide his shock. ''And that he ought to understand that people can change. I think…. I know that you aren't perfect but I…I love you Gunnar, and you might just be perfect for me.''

He felt like his heart was going to explode. She loved him. He kissed her again, this time softly, lovingly. He caressed her, he loved her and he wanted to show her. The fact that she allowed him to, that she returned his affection. Her soft moans, his name on her lips, the bliss that came with their love making.

He was in heaven.