Hello again,

Enjoy your reading,

Pavs.

Chapter Eighteen: It's All About Survival

[Gunnar]

Gunnar was watching her sleep. The sun was reflecting on her beautiful dark brown hair, and she looked peaceful. He caressed her back with the tip of his finger, and she smiled.

''I love you,'' she said before she opened her eyes to look at him. ''And I would kiss you if my breath didn't smell like shit.''

Gunnar smiled and kissed her anyway.

''I love you too,'' he said, and she got closer so they could cuddle.

He took her in his arms and stroked her hair gently until she fell back asleep, and even then he didn't let her go. He could never let her go again. Of course, part of him didn't want her even more involved in their line of work, but when Tool had told them what she'd said to convince him to train her, he'd understood that there really wasn't another option.

He sighed. There was a difference between understanding and accepting. He loved her smile and her expressive eyes. He didn't want them to be tainted by the dark side of their life.

''You think too loud,'' she said with an exaggerated sigh, startling him. So she hadn't been asleep after all. ''I guess it's breakfast time then.''

She kissed him before she got up. She was almost in the bathroom when she turned to him with a smile.

''You know, I could use a hand in the shower…'' she said, and he got up to join her.

He could never say no to her.

[Tool's]

''What's the plan for today?'' Tool asked as Barney was smoking his cigar.

''Well, Yang is still looking for the guy. No news yet, so that means we're being extra careful without being obvious,'' he answered, and Lee nodded.

''At least she's staying here with us,'' Toll added. ''Yang also took up a room, and we can use Hale as a way to do rounds between his place and here."

''I can help for that too,'' Billy offered.

''Thanks, Kid,'' Barney said.

''Does that mean I have to go do my morning run or is that not recommended?'' Gabrielle asked as she entered the shop. ''I kind of go every day, but I am pretty sure he saw me looking at him.''

''It will be more suspicious if you take the same road. Don't go through the park, and maybe he'll think that you believe him to be just another stalker,'' Yang said, and Gabrielle nodded.

''So, I guess that means we're going jogging?'' Lee asked, and Gabrielle smirked.

''If you can keep up,'' Gabrielle replied, and Christmas let out a small laugh.

He went to his room to change clothes and came back to see Gabrielle waiting for him. He'd taken more time than necessary, trying to ignore the fact that she'd been changing clothes too, only she was in Gunnar's room.

''You ready?'' she asked him, and he nodded before he followed her outside.

[L&G]

He had to admit that she was much more in shape than he'd thought. They'd stopped to sit on a bench in a park not too far from Tool's.

The same one from where she'd been followed.

''Are you ok?'' Gabrielle asked with a worried look.

''Yeah, I am,'' he answered.

''So, you're just getting old?'' she mocked, and Lee laughed.

''I could show you some, young one,'' he said with a smile before he saw her hesitating. ''What?''

''Would you? Show me I mean…'' she trailed off.

''Yes,'' he said without hesitating, and she looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

''Yes?'' she repeated.

''Of course. I would like to tell you that I'll be there to protect you no matter what, but the truth is…this is one hell of a world we're living in. And I don't want anything happening to you…'' he explained.

''What am I to you?'' Gabrielle interrupted.

She'd asked without thinking, and he was looking absolutely speechless.

''Why do you want to know that?'' Lee asked with a soft voice after a moment.

''Because you were there while no one else was…at least not like that. And now that Gunnar's back you're…I am not mad at you; fuck I am grateful for all you've done for me. It's just…I don't know if you only did that because you're my father's friend or if…I, I have no idea how to tell you that…I kind of miss you,'' Gabrielle finally finished.

The more she talked, the faster Lee's heart beat in his chest. And she was so beautiful, so close…

She sighed in resignation and was about to get up when he grabbed her hand to pull her towards him.

''You're everything,'' Lee whispered before he kissed her.

And she could feel all the softness of his lips, the affection, the love. It was delicate, passionate, different. Different. Gunnar. She pulled back, and Lee looked at her straight in the eyes. She could see so many emotions, but the main thing she saw was sincerity.

''And I never could've abandoned you. I never will, no matter how you want me in your life,'' Lee promised before he got up to walk.

Gabrielle felt the tears in her eyes, only then understanding Lee's reactions. But it wasn't until she arrived at Tool's and saw Gunnar that the echo of Lee's word transformed into a repetitive song in her head.

[Barney's Hangar]

''Alright, so I take it Trench showed you the basics?'' Barney asked, and Gabrielle nodded while all the others looked at them. ''Good. Now, the man might know his stuff, but I want to assess your skills myself.''

''Yeah…no pressure at all,'' Gabrielle said while looking at the guys, and Yang smiled.

''No, there isn't,'' Yang said. ''We are trained and have practiced for years now. We want to help. There is no shame in beginning.''

''Thank you,'' Gabrielle replied sincerely, and Yang nodded.

She then walked up to a table with two hand guns, one assault rifle, and a shotgun. Or at least that's what was she thought the parts belonged to.

''Assemble one,'' Barney explained while looking at his watch. ''Then shoot. Or do them all. Then shoot them all. The time won't stop until there's no more bullets.''

Gabrielle looked at him with a determined look on her face.

''Now!'' Barney exclaimed, and she began.

She began with the closest one, which was the first handgun. Then the second. Then the shot gun. Then the assault rifle. She finally stepped away from the table and turned to look at her father.

He was looking at his watch. Then at her. Then at his watch again.

''Wow,'' Toll finally said after a moment of silence.

''Yeah, I know. My aim was off on the rifle, plus it took me too much time putting it together, and the shotgun wasn't liking me that much but…'' Gabrielle began before she saw his face. ''What?''

''I don't think they thought you would be able to assemble all the guns let alone be that fast and accurate,'' Trench said before he looked at Barney. ''It hurts my feelings, you know?''

''So, I did good then?'' Gabrielle asked with a hopeful smile, and Barney laughed.

''Yeah, you did more than good, kid.'' Barney said ''A little too much maybe.''

''Thank you!'' she exclaimed before she hugged him. ''I really wanted to make you proud, you know?''

Barney felt his heart melt and hugged her a little harder.

''I am always proud of you, Gabrielle,'' he said, and she kissed him on the cheek.

''So, what's next?'' she asked, and Trench shook his head while trying to hide his amused smile.

[Gunnar]

He wasn't feeling well, and for once he thought he wasn't the only one. Lee was looking lost in bad thoughts, and Hale was almost looking tense. Gunnar also suspected that there was more behind his reaction than just surprise. There was, somehow, something wrong in seeing her prepare for war, and it wasn't just the fact that she was much younger than them (even though he didn't think about it that much in general). No, it was more along the lines of the fact that they were the reason she was doing this.

She may not have judged them or even thought to put the whole situation on them, but Gunnar felt the pressure nonetheless. He looked at Barney, and the man looked right back at him. And they both knew what the other was thinking.

They could lose her to their world, and they weren't ready for that.

At all.

[Gabrielle]

I looked at the road in front of me, and I sighed. The past few days had been pretty intense in many ways. While my father, Tool, and Trench were pushing me to train more and more, I could feel that their hearts weren't that much into it.

Gunnar was more protective of me than ever, and both Hale and Toll seemed hell bent on focusing on anything but the problem at hand. Yang was always looking for the man following me with Billy's help.

Then there was Lee.

He still ran with me every morning, only now we hardly spoke. It was both awkward and a relief, because at least Lee wasn't trying to pretend: he just was. And I loved them all to death, but the fake smiles, the tension, and the over protectiveness was about to drive me crazy.

I entered my father's hangar to see Christmas put the training mattresses away. Maybe I saw red, or maybe it was the anxiety, the accumulation of tension. I didn't care. I ran to him and tackled him to the ground.

''Bloody fucking hell, Gabrielle! Are you crazy?!'' Christmas all but screamed, and I got up.

''You said you'd show me! Well, I am here now!'' I retorted back, and he got up too.

I grabbed a pair of boxing gloves before I started to try and hit him.

''And I am not fucking helpless. And this situation is fucking shitty. And I am sick and tired of the bullshit. And I won't be held back by that fucker. And. Certainly not. By. You!'' I exclaimed between punches.

He took in every single one of them.

''I want to fight. I want to win. I want my fucking life back!'' I finally screamed before I fell down on my knees.

I was sobbing, I couldn't breathe. I felt his arms around me, and I screamed. I was so tired of feeling like shit. So tired of not having control over my own life. So tired of not being who I wish I could be. So tired of being weak.

''You are so strong Gabrielle,'' Lee said, and I realised that I had spoken out loud.

''No, I am not. I shouldn't be crying. I shouldn't feel this way…'' I said, and he kissed my forehead.

''You have every right to feel the way you do. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise,'' Lee said. ''I know it's scary. I know everything is different, but we still love you, even if we're not showing it the same way we used to. But the fact that we could lose you, the idea that you're involved against your will, or before you, or even us, were ready…it is scaring the fuck out of us too. But I meant what I said, I will be there.''

''And I will be too,'' Toll said, making both of us looking his way.

He then took his own pair of gloves and threw me a mouth piece.

''So, get up girl. We're owning up to our promises,'' Toll concluded, and I stood up with Lee's help, feeling more grateful than ever to have them in my life.

[Toll]

''Oh my God, you're killing me,'' Gabrielle said while she was lying on the ground, trying to catch her breath.

''Quite the opposite in fact,'' he mocked, and she flipped him off, making him laugh.

''Good thing you're my best friend then. I wouldn't want to be your enemy,'' she joked, and he smiled.

''I could never not love you,'' he said with a bit more emotions in his voice than expected.

''And I love you too. You are always there for me, even when I am a pain in the arse who can't express her emotions for shit, and I want to thank you for that. You truly are my best friend,'' she said, and he gave her a bear hug while she laughed.

''Alright, let's go home,'' he concluded, and she took his hand to walk with him.

[Barney]

He was watching Gabrielle train with Toll. He still didn't know what had made both him and Lee begin a couple of days ago, but he was glad that they were helping. It was part of their special skills after all. Well, Toll was also a bomb expert, but they didn't need to teach her that.

Fuck, they shouldn't have to teach her any of this.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice they'd resumed training until Gabrielle laughed in Toll's arms. She then took his friend's hand, and the smile on both their faces made Barney's heart ache a little less.

[Tool's]

''You look like shit,'' Hale said, and Gabrielle scoffed.

''Happy to see you too,'' she replied, and he laughed.

''Don't beat yourself up. You are getting better, you know,'' Toll said, and she smiled at him.

''Still have a long way to go, but thank you,'' she answered.

''You are aware that it's only been a week since we started hands to hands combat right? Give yourself a chance, darling, it doesn't really compare with years of hard training,'' Christmas said, and Gabrielle rolled her eyes.

''Of course not, my lord,'' she agreed, making Gunnar almost choke on his beer.

''Would you look at that,'' Gunnar said while getting closer to Gabrielle. ''Not only does she always look sexy, but she is fast as well.''

She let out a short laugh before she kissed him.

''So, what are we doing tonight?'' she asked, and Gunnar was about to reply when both Barney and Tool came in from the office.

''A plan,'' Barney said with a concerned look on his face.

He then turned to Gabrielle, and she could see that her father was worried.

''We got called for a mission we can't refuse. We're leaving tomorrow,'' Barney said before he looked at Tool.

The man nodded, and Barney sighed.

''Gabrielle, you are welcome to the meeting that will take place as soon as Billy arrives. I don't want you to get involved, but he'd…we…I want you to know what's happening and were to find us if something…or well, it can teach you about strategy in case you need it. Anyway, you are welcome to assist.''

''Thank you,'' she answered with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

She couldn't explain why, but she had a bad feeling about this. Like no matter how that meeting would turn out, something bad was going to happen. She felt Gunnar's hand in hers, and she tried to relax. At least he was still here, they all were.

For now.