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Chapter Thirty-Two: Broken Glass

[Gunnar]

Thorn had indeed proven to be more than useful, so much in fact that he kind of felt bad for scaring the fuck out of him. But he needed to do this alone, just like Gabrielle had been through everything in the past six months. Alone. He felt the pain coming back. All he wanted to do was to take her in his arms, to tell her that she was going to be ok.

He remembered how Gabrielle had reacted to his touch, how Stonebanks had convinced her so easily…Of course he wanted the men responsible for her torture to suffer, but there was also a part of his anger, more than he cared to admit, that was directed towards himself.

He had failed her. He had failed her in so many ways. He knew that she would have followed him if he'd just gone after Isaacs, so he'd written her a letter. A break up letter. Every single word of it felt like he was being stabbed in the heart with a hot iron.

But he needed her safe, and for that she had to believe that he couldn't be with her anymore. He felt the tears coming back as he remembered the moment her lips had touched his after so many months thinking she'd been lost forever. Then there had been pain.

It had thrown him back to when he hadn't been able to ease her nightmares, to when he'd lied to her, abandoned her, made her doubt herself about who she was becoming. He knew deep down that he had been selfish, that at some point he should have put a stop to this before she became what he wanted instead of who she could be.

But when she kissed him, touched him, told him she loved him, his head became a whole fucking mess, and he just needed more of her. He couldn't stop himself. She was everything.

She deserved better, but he wanted more, needed more, of her love and happiness with him. She had trusted him first, loved him first.

Fuck.

He downed a quarter of a bottle of Vodka before he packed his things into his truck, telling himself that this would be the last time he'd run from her for her own good…hoping that once again, she would forgive him.

She always did, didn't she?

[Trench]

He was looking at her every thirty seconds as if she would simply vanish from the face of the earth. He couldn't help the nostalgia that came from bringing her with him after her stay at Parish Hospital. But both the neurosurgeon and Doc had insisted on her not going back to a too familiar place, so they were heading to Booker's instead.

Even thought her memories were back, she was still reacting very badly to any stimulation, which meant he'd had to fight back his anger at Stonebanks for forcing him to yet again watch Barney beg to just have his daughter back with him.

He looked at Booker, who was, thankfully, driving them through the last hundred meters to his house, which looked more like a glorified shack than anything else. Gabrielle was asleep, again. She seemed more and more tired as the time passed. He felt his chest tighten.

''Don't go there,'' said Booker, and Trench sighed.

''How can I not? She looks so…fragile,'' he replied, and Booker smiled a little.

''Well, that's not the word I'd use after seeing her fight back there you know?'' Booker tried to cheer him up, and Trench nodded with a questioning look.

It wasn't every day that Booker acknowledged someone's skills. He looked into the mirror again to see Gabrielle opening her eyes. She looked at Booker's house, then at the lake beside it, and smiled a little.

''Are we here?'' she asked, and both the men confirmed with a nod.

She waited for Booker to turn off the engine, got out of the truck, and took in a deep breath while closing her eyes.

''I've missed this,'' she said to herself, and Trench smiled a little, remembering her talking about her fishing and hunting trips when she was a child. ''Do you happen to have a boat and some fishing gear?''

''How about we settle in, then we go on the lake tomorrow?'' Booker suggested with a warm smile.

''I'd love that,'' Gabrielle replied before taking her bag from the truck.

Trench could see how happy she was to have found something so familiar and couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, they were going to be ok.

[Gabrielle]

I unpacked my things quickly, which made sense considering the fact that I had close to nothing with me to begin with. I made a small tour of the room, seeing some souvenirs of Booker's brothers-in-arms while he'd been in the military. I frowned at one of the pictures and then smiled.

''Found something you liked?'' Trench asked from the doorway, and I turned to him.

''You know you actually looked good a couple of years back,'' I teased as he entered the room to look at the picture.

''I still look good, you know,'' Trench retorted, offended.

''I think you hurt his ego a little,'' Booker mocked from the doorway.

''I didn't mean to,'' I said while looking at Trench. ''You know you're handsome, you just like to hear it.''

Both the men laughed, and I smiled. He was good looking after all. It had been one of the million things we'd talked about back when I was working for him. That and the countless jokes, songs and weird or fun facts…

''It's good to be back,'' I said to him without thinking about it.

''It's good to have you back,'' said Trench while he smiled sincerely at me.

''I'll go get dinner,'' Booker said with a small knowing smile that made me frown as he left.

[Parish Hospital]

Hale opened his eyes only to close them back again. He hated hospitals and their neon lights. He turned his head to the side and opened them back to see Barney's lucky ring on his bedside table. He smiled a little. He heard movement on his other side and turned to see Toll asleep in a chair.

He frowned, noticing the bruises and wounds. What had happened? How long had he been out? He tried to speak and coughed instead, effectively waking up Toll.

''Holy fuck, Hale, you almost gave me a heart attack…'' Toll began, still half-asleep before he did a double take after realizing what he'd said and was seeing. ''You're awake!''

''Yeah, still alive too,'' Hale joked as Toll was reaching out to give him some water. Hale took it and drank before handing it back so Toll could set it on the table again.

''So, how long have I been like that?'' Hale asked.

''A couple of weeks,'' Toll replied carefully. ''Enough for you to heal quite a bit.''

''Oh,'' said Hale. ''Good, so not long enough for anything too bad to happen then?''

Toll froze, and Hale felt his heart skip a beat.

''What happened?'' Hale asked, and Toll looked at his with tears in his eyes.

''Barney just left the hospital with Tool and Doc,'' Toll began.

''Is he alright?'' Hale asked, seriously worried.

''He will be…'' Toll trailed off, and Hale sent him a questioning look. ''Listen you just woke up, how about we get you checked out by a doctor and then we'll catch up?''

''Alright,'' Hale agreed, not liking Toll's attitude at all.

Something big had happened, he could tell. It took about three hours to get everything in order, but he would still be on watch at the hospital until the day after to ensure nothing else would happen. Toll was about to head out to get him some clothes and food when Hale stopped him.

''I need to know. Now,'' Hale insisted, and Toll sighed, feeling much older than he was right at this moment.

''I need you to take a deep breath, because what I am about to tell you is really intense, and I don't want to risk you going into shock.'' Toll warned, and Hale nodded. ''Gabrielle is alive.''

The only sound they could both hear was Hale's rapid heartbeat as he looked at Toll in complete shock.

''Say what now?'' Hale asked, and Toll repeated himself slowly.

"Gabrielle. Is. Alive."

''WHAT THE FUCK?! SHE DIED!'' Hale shouted seconds later, alerting the nurses.

He was hyperventilating. Toll stepped back so the nurses could take over. They shot him a dark look when he told them Hale had been given some bad news and warned him against saying anything else in that fashion. Hale finally seemed to calm down, and the nurses got out with one last glare in Toll's direction.

''Look, we should continue this discussion later before the nurses ban me for life,'' said Toll, but Hale was having none of it.

''Do you know how many nightmares I had about losing her? She's my friend!'' Hale replied, and Toll took a seat close to him.

''What do you want to know?'' Toll asked, already knowing the answer.

''Everything,'' Hale answered, and, after checking the door to make sure the nurses weren't watching, Toll did just that.

[Booker's]

Booker had woken up before Trench, which wasn't anything new, but the smell of coffee was. He looked through the window to find Gabrielle sitting on the dock. He poured himself a cup before he went to join her.

''Morning, Booker,'' she said to him without turning to look at him.

''I could have been anyone,'' Booker commented, and she turned to him with a smile.

''Somehow, I highly doubt someone would get past you or Trench,'' she said, and Booker laughed a little. ''Thank you for taking me in.''

''Of course, you're family after all,'' Booker said, and she smiled. There was a moment of silence before they heard Trench stepping out on the porch.

''Good morning,'' Trench said as he got closer, and Gabrielle frowned.

''What happened?'' she asked as she noticed the phone in his hand. She could see Toll's name on the screen.

''How have you been feeling this morning?'' Trench asked, dodging the question, and Gabrielle grew impatient.

''Good. Now, what happened?'' Gabrielle asked as she heard Hale's voice on the phone. She snatched it from Trench and pressed it into her ear while Hale was talking.

''Oh my God, it's really her,'' Hale said with awe as Gabrielle felt the tears in her eyes.

''Hale?'' she asked with a trembling voice. ''You're ok?''

''Gabrielle you're alive! I'm so much more than just ok!'' Gabrielle heard his voice through the phone and from the front of the house.

She looked at Trench, who nodded with a smile, and she gave him back his phone before she ran to what happened to be Toll's truck parked in the driveway. Toll and Hale were waiting for her with warm smiles, and both Hale and Gabrielle were crying from all the feelings. She stopped just in front of Hale, assessing his wounds before the man gave his cane to Toll to hug her properly.

''Oh my God, you're really here!'' Gabrielle cried as Hale was shaking from the tears.

''And I am not going anywhere. Fuck, I missed you so much,'' Hale replied as Trench and Booker were joining them.

''Good to see you back in shape!'' Trench said as Hale finally let Gabrielle go.

''Thanks, man, I appreciate it,'' Hale said before Booker smiled at them.

''We were about to have breakfast, if you'd care to join?'' Booker offered, and they all went to the house.

[Tool's]

Hale and Toll had ended up staying with Gabrielle until late the night before and had give the rest of the team news about her. She was doing well under the circumstances. Still, Lee hadn't slept that much because of everything that had happened in the past week, and to be honest, he doubted he would for a while. Yang had been right. Gabrielle torture was haunting him. He didn't even dare try to imagine what it was like for Barney, Tool, or even Gunnar. Any of them, really.

How had they fucked up so badly? He tried to shake himself mentally to focus on making himself breakfast. He sighed. He was way too tired for anything, which could explain why he had to pass by Gunnar's door about three times before he noticed that it was completely empty. He frowned, noticing that even Gabrielle's picture on his bedside table was missing. The door was open. He entered and began to open cabinets and drawers. Nothing.

Lee took out his cell phone and called him. He went straight to voicemail.

''What the fuck are you playing at Gunnar?! You're leaving again! Where the fuck are you?'' Lee screamed before he hung up and got to the parlor.

''Well, someone's been in a bad mood.'' Tool commented, and Lee looked at him and then at Barney, who was sitting right beside him. Both the men looked like they hadn't slept in a year.

''Gunnar's gone with all his stuff, and his phone is going straight to voicemail,'' Lee said, and they both looked a bit shocked.

''What the hell?'' Tool asked.

He had not seen that coming. Gunnar had looked so scared of losing Gabrielle again; he'd looked so angry at what had happened to her…this didn't make any sense. Lee felt his phone buzzing in his pocket and took it out to read his message.

Please take care of her. I already sent her a letter explaining everything. I am sorry, but this might be goodbye. Gunnar.

Lee felt anger, then confusion and sadness.

''What?'' he half-whispered before Barney took his phone to read the message out loud. Then Lee felt the blood drain from his face. Gunnar had sent something to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle.

''Fuck!'' he exclaimed before he took back his phone to call Booker.

[Trench]

He heard her muffled scream from outside and got up so fast that he didn't even bother with a shirt, only bringing his gun with him. He found Gabrielle crying on the porch while holding a piece of paper in her hand. He sat beside her, and she looked at him with one of the most heartbroken expressions he'd ever seen. He felt his chest tighten.

''I can't do this anymore,'' she said before she looked at him with pain in her eyes. ''I'm sorry.''

''Gabrielle. Please, mein Schatz, just tell me what happened."

Gabrielle gave him the letter, which he read, and he felt his anger rising the more he read. How fucking dare Jensen did something like this to her? He remembered both Barney and Lee's anger at Gunnar when the man had first disappeared. Gabrielle had talked to him about their reaction to Gunnar coming back too. This was fucked up.

''He's gone,'' Gabrielle managed to say before she started sobbing.

Trench took her in his arms, not bothering to ask who. He didn't need too. He heard noises coming from the house, and Booker appeared beside them a couple of seconds later, phone to his ear. Gabrielle hadn't stopped crying.

''He shouldn't be gone. Because if he is, it means…'' Gabrielle managed to say before she went back to sobbing.

She hadn't needed to finish her sentence; they both knew she was about to say that Gunnar being gone meant that Stonebanks had been right. It broke Trench's heart to see her hurting like that.

''You there?'' Lee asked through the phone, and Booker sighed.

''If Gunnar replies to you again, tell him I'll kill him with my bare hands,'' Trench replied loudly before Booker hung up.

.

Gabrielle had gone back to sleep, leaving both Trench and Booker sitting outside. They waited there in silence, not really knowing what to say until they heard the front door open. They both looked at each other before they got up and went around the house. Gabrielle was walking to Trench's truck with her bag over her shoulder.

''Where do you think you're going?'' asked Trench with a hurt look on his face. She turned to him with a sad look on her face.

''I don't know. I just need to go. There's too much pain; I don't want that for any of you,'' she said, and Trench couldn't help the urge to keep her close to him.

''Let me go with you,'' he said, surprising them all, including himself.

There was a moment of silence before Gabrielle put down her bag and moved closer to him.

''Where would we go?'' she asked, and Trench felt his heart skip a beat. He kissed her forehead, picked up her bag, and walked to his truck with her following. Trench opened the door for her and turned to Booker.

''I know,'' Booker said, and Trench nodded before he went to take the wheel.

[Tool's]

The first thing both Toll and Hale noticed was the tension. The second thing was the broken glass on the floor near the entrance. Then, it was the opened door that led to the office. They could hear Tool, Lee, Yang and Doc. They got closer and saw them all looking at each other with somber looks on their faces.

''You guys alright?'' asked Hale, and they all turned to him.

''Hale! Good to see you on your feet!'' Tool exclaimed before he went to give him a brief hug.

''You scared us for a moment there,'' commented Lee with a small smile and a friendly tap on Hale's good shoulder.

''I'm glad you're ok,'' added Barney with a sincere smile.

''Guess you could put that on the lucky ring,'' joked Caesar before he gave the ring back to its owner.

''You still got that thing?'' asked Doc, eyeing the ring before turning to Hale. ''Anyway, hope you're feeling better.''

''Yeah, I am. You don't look so good though,'' commented Hale as he looked at Yang, and Yang sighed.

''Well, we are happy to see you back, but I am sorry to say that the timing isn't as happy as it should have been,'' Yang explained.

''Yeah, Toll told me about Gabrielle and, well, everything really. I am so fucking glad that I got to see her…'' Hale said before he saw them all exchanging looks.

''What?'' Toll asked, worried.

''Gunnar's gone. Nobody knows where he is. He dropped his cell phone somewhere along the way and left only a break up letter to Gabrielle,'' Barney explained. ''Before you ask me, no, she isn't doing well according to Trench's death threats against Gunnar.''

''I am going to fucking kill him,'' Hale said while Toll silently agreed.

Barney felt the same as them. He'd warned Gunnar way too many times about this. His phone rang, and he saw Trench's name on the screen, so he put it on speaker.

''Hey Trench, how is she doing?'' Barney asked before he heard the sound of a plane. ''What the hell is that? Where are you?''

''It's my plane, Barney,'' Trench admitted, and Tool felt his heart lurch.

''Are you in danger?'' Barney asked, and Trench sighed.

''No…but Barns….'' Trench began, and they all could hear the sadness in his voice. ''She wants to go.''

''Where?'' asked Lee, clearly hurt.

''Away from us,'' Trench said with a slightly shaking voice. ''She said she didn't want us to feel her pain, and I felt like no matter what we had to say about it, she would have been gone.''

Tool felt his heart shatter as Barney struggled to come to terms with what he was hearing. Toll, Hale, and Lee barely held back their tears.

''She still wants to die,'' Yang said as they all felt a pang of sadness.

''I believe she does. That's why I convinced her to let me go with her. We will go to Austria. She wanted to travel; this was the first place she could think of that wasn't related to Gunnar,'' Trench explained.

''When will you be back?'' Tool asked before he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He already knew the answer.

''I don't know. I made arrangements accordingly,'' Trench replied with a heavy heart. ''I will call you and Barney soon. Just know that she loves you all very much. I'll bring her back when I can.''

''Why can't she just stay!?'' Lee exclaimed. ''She doesn't have to protect us anymore!'' Trench sighed.

''Because if Gunnar is gone, it means that Stonebanks was right about him…'' Trench explained.

They all knew he was quoting Gabrielle. There was a long pause as they all understood exactly what Trench was implying. This was bad, very bad. Barney barely managed to stop his tears. He'd just gotten her back, and he was losing her again.

''Take care of her, will you?''

''Always,'' Trench replied before Barney hung up.

[Gunnar]

There was a lot of blood on that floor. Most of it was already dried, probably hers. She'd been back to New Orleans for five fucking days. He tried to take a deep breath, but coughed instead when a sharp pain made its way to his chest.

It had been seventy-two hours since Thorn had found what he'd asked. Seventy-one hours since he'd left his letter in her bag with a brochure from a rehab center. Thirty-six hours since he'd set foot into Russia.

Twenty-five minutes since his last torture session.

He heard steps behind the door, then it opened and he saw Isaacs coming to him with a needle.

''You know, I'm not Stonebanks. He was way too soft for me. However, I did believe his plan was somewhat viable. So, how about we try again, but with a twist?'' Isaacs proposed, and Gunnar felt himself panicking.

He didn't care if he died for her, but that was…

''NO!'' he exclaimed with a begging tone to his voice.

Isaacs smiled.

''No need for us to look for her anymore, you will,'' Isaacs said before Gunnar felt like liquid fire was running through his veins.