Hello everybody!
So, I hope you'll like this chapter.
Enjoy your reading,
Pavs.
Chapter Thirty-Three: Shadows of Death
[Gabrielle]
I woke up to the sound of Trench's voice calling the tower for safe landing. I looked at him, and he smiled at me.
''Welcome to my country, mein Schatz,'' he said, and I nodded with a small smile.
I helped him with the last checkups before we finally touched the ground. I shivered all through the after landing checkup routine, having somehow forgotten how cold winter could get without proper clothes. I felt a jacket being put on my shoulders, and I turned to see Trench with only his long sleeve shirt on.
''Should have thought about that before we went,'' he said with an amused smile, and I snorted.
''Well, thank you for freezing your ass for me,'' I retorted back, and he laughed.
I couldn't help the smile on my lips. It felt good to be somewhere my own mind wasn't attacking me. Even though Booker's house had been a new place, it still was within reach of my family.
I felt my heart drop. I missed them so fucking much. I barely had time to see them again before Stonebanks had shot me with another dose. Only this one felt different, stronger. There was an everlasting pain going through my whole body whenever I focused too much on my memories, not to mention the nightmares.
And with Gunnar gone…my vision became blurry as tears started rolling down my cheeks. I loved him so much, had fought so hard to come back to him, to forgive him, to believe in us…he was gone. I felt a hand on my back and turned to see Trench looking at me with sadness in his eyes.
''I'm sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you with this, I…'' I began before he took me in his arms.
I cried harder. I couldn't help it. I was hurt, angry and sad. After all I did for us to work, after all we'd been through, he'd abandoned me after talking to me about a wedding. I felt a headache forming as I thought of that moment when I had looked at Christmas and hesitated. Maybe even then I had begun to understand what my father, Tool, Christmas…everyone really had tried to warn me about. Unstable they'd called Gunnar. I felt like an idiot. I trusted him so fucking easily.
''You're not an idiot,'' Trench said, and I realized I had been ranting out loud. ''You were in love. We believed him too, you know?''
I was. Was. I looked up at Trench while taking a step back. I was in love with Gunnar. Before I died. I hadn't run back into his arms. Would I really have married him? I loved him…It was Villain's mission all over again.
I dried up my tears with my hands and took a big breath. I was in Austria with Trench now on my first real vacation in years. Free for the first time in months. I smiled a little.
''Gabrielle?'' Trench asked, and my smile grew bigger.
''Let gets wasted,'' I suggested, and I saw the surprised look he gave me. ''I deserve it.''
He kept looking at me for a moment longer before he laughed.
''Fuck it. I deserve it too,'' he concluded, and we went to call a cab to our hotel.
[Trench]
He couldn't help the smile he made at the pure look of awe on her face. He'd made reservations in a small hotel facing a frozen lake and a spectacular view of the mountains. It wasn't too far from downtown either. They arrived at the desk, and the young lady at the counter looked at them with a warm smile.
Trench gave one of his aliases and heard Gabrielle laugh. He shot her a questioning look before she got closer to him and whispered.
''You all set there, Mister Bond?'' she asked, and he rolled his eyes. He was still very amused, though. He looked at the keys and frowned when he saw they were for the same room.
''I know you asked for two bedrooms, but we only had a suit to fit your needs. There is a shared bathroom and common area," the woman explained. "Is that okay?" Trench nodded before he took their stuff.
At least she would be close in case anything was to happen.
[Gabrielle]
The room was beautiful and the bar full. Perfect. I threw my bag on the bed before opening the first bottle on my way to the couch.
''You can judge me or join me, your choice,'' I said when I felt Trench's eyes on me. ''I need to mourn my relationship properly. My shit ass year too. I'll be responsible tomorrow.''
Trench scoffed but took another tiny bottle and sat on a chair facing me.
''So, is that all you want to do?'' he asked, and I smiled.
''I don't know. I haven't had the choice for a long time. I just want to have fun and not be crying for once,'' I admitted, and Trench took my hand.
''Well, I guess we're going out tonight then,'' he replied, and I felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders.
[Trench]
He'd been watching her dance in a happy drunken state and couldn't help but worry about the day after. He knew she used to self harm and take drugs, and this was looking a whole damn lot like she was trying to forget her pain.
He heard the last call and paid the bill before bringing her stuff to her. They went out the bar and walked slowly to the hotel.
''I can hear you think from here you know?'' Gabrielle said, and Trench offered her a sad smile. ''I don't want to worry you.''
''I'll always be worried for you, Gabrielle,'' Trench said. ''I told you when you found me. I care a lot about you, and I hate to see you in pain.''
Gabrielle stopped walking, and he faced her.
[Gabrielle]
''How did you manage to get away from here?'' I suddenly asked as I unconsciously got closer to him.
''A cage made of gold is still a cage,'' Trench said, and I felt my heart skip a beat.
How many times had I felt that growing up with my mother and Matthew? I held his hand, and he looked at me with a surprised look.
''Let's get back to the hotel,'' I whispered, and we kept on walking.
I didn't let go of his hand, and I was about to ask myself why it didn't exactly feel like the way it used to when I held Toll's or Hale's hands when I noticed that he hadn't let go either.
[Trench]
It was about four in the morning when he suddenly woke up from a nightmare that he couldn't quite remember. He shook himself mentally before he got up and saw Gabrielle with another small bottle in her hand while watching the night sky through the window.
''You shouldn't be drinking so much,'' Trench half-whispered as he got beside her, and she put the bottle down.
''I think we both know that it doesn't matter now,'' Gabrielle said while turning to face him.
''Gabrielle,'' he said while taking her hand.
''Trench, I think I'm dying,'' she whispered, and he felt his heart jolt.
''Don't say that. I don't want to lose you,'' Trench admitted, and before she even understood why, she kissed him on the lips.
He froze, completely in shock. Then he felt her move against him and returned the kiss as all his feelings were turning to complete chaos in his head. The more he could feel her against him, the more he felt a rush of adrenaline going through his body. He could taste her, touch her. He was going completely insane.
He shouldn't be wanting more; he should have stopped. He wasn't that drunk; he couldn't blame it on that. But he'd cared for her, he'd lost her, missed her. He felt her lips leaving his, and she looked at him straight in the eyes.
He'd loved her. He was in love with her.
Fuck.
FUCK.
[Gabrielle]
I couldn't stop. It was as if my body just wouldn't listen to my brain anymore. I waited for the hallucinations to come back, for my judgement to kick in, but I felt safe, in control, loved.
Loved.
I loved him.
FUCK.
When the fuck did that happen?
It didn't make any sense. Did it? I looked at him and could see the confusion on his face as well. I was about to apologize when he kissed me again. Only this time it was softer, longer.
[Trench]
He couldn't help it, he had to make sure. Her lips were driving him mad. He needed more. It was as if the taste of her was a fucking revelation. He loved her.
How the fuck had that happened?
Then he tasted her tongue and decided he wasn't about to question it.
[Gabrielle]
I passed my hands through his hair as he got as close to me as possible. Any notion of time flew out the window.
If you don't believe me, remember the way you called Trench while lying in the back of your father's plane after Stonebanks's death. Gunnar's letter echoed in my mind.
There had been something in there about Christmas too, but somehow, this felt different.
''You already said your goodbyes to Lee. You'd chosen Gunnar no matter what,'' I thought to myself suddenly as Trench slowly stopped kissing me. We both were out of breath, looking at each other like we'd never seen ourselves before.
All the time spent together. The good, the bad, the ugly. Never once had we failed each other. Never once had there been any doubt about how much we cared for one another.
You are everything, and you mean everything to us, to me. From the moment I saw you in your hospital room at Parish, ready to fight from your hospital bed, to the moment I almost fell to my knees while seeing what I thought was your dead body: I loved you. I am not your father or Tool. I am not Gunnar either, but I do love you in my own way. You are a very dear friend of mine... and it broke my heart to lose you.
He'd never tried to see me as what I could become or what I'd been. He only saw me as me. Just as I did saw him for who he was. I caressed his cheek with one of my fingers as he closed his eyes.
''I love you, Gabrielle,'' he whispered, and I felt a wave of emotions flowing through my entire body. It wasn't the first time he'd said it, and yet, I felt like I heard it for the first time.
''I can't promise you anything…'' I began, and he caressed my arm with a sad look in his eyes, ''but fuck, I love you too.''
Just like that, the sadness was gone, and he was smiling. I found myself smiling too.
Then his phone rang, and he laughed.
''Looks like I'm dying too,'' he said while I saw my dad's name on his phone screen, and I slapped him on the shoulder. He shut down his phone and threw it on my bed, and I looked at him with a questioning look seconds before I felt his lips on mine.
[Barney]
He couldn't focus on anything. He looked at his phone and was about to call Gabrielle when he remembered Doc's advice.
He called Trench instead, and it went straight to voicemail.
''You know it's four in the morning there, right?'' Doc said, and Barney scoffed before he left the couch to get a beer.
Then Doc's phone rang, and he saw Trench's name on the screen. Tool sent him a questioning look as Doc answered. He was confused for a moment before he pulled his arm back and looked at his phone with a shocked face.
''What the hell?'' asked Tool irritated before he went to take the phone.
Doc hung up quickly and put it in his pocket before Tool could grab it, and he told them this had been a butt dial and that he was going for a walk. Everybody looked at him with a confused look, but no one followed him, assuming he would have told them if it had been an emergency.
[Austria]
Gabrielle woke up as she felt a feather light kiss on her temple. She opened her eyes and saw a plate of food with coffee on her bedside table. She turned to face a half-dressed Trench lying on the bed beside her.
''Morning,'' he said, and she offered him a shy smile.
''Morning,'' she replied, her tone a bit off, and Trench frowned.
''Is everything alright?'' he asked, scared that he'd gone too far, and Gabrielle's face became as red as a tomato.
''Yeah, I, um…Everything is fine. Thank you for breakfast,'' she stuttered while sitting up. ''Fuck, sorry. I didn't mean for this to be awkward I just, um, have much more courage when I'm drunk.''
Trench couldn't help but laugh a little at that.
''You were much bolder than expected,'' he replied with a soft tone.
''I knew I was safe,'' Gabrielle admitted as Trench took her hand. ''Thank you for letting me take control. I kind of needed that. And well, sorry for not being able to uh…you know? Go all the way…''
''You never have to apologize for that,'' Trench reassured her, and she got closer to him. ''I will never force you or pressure you into anything you don't want to do. I am just worried you are having regrets.''
''I'm not,'' Gabrielle said, surprised at how true that was.
''Good,'' Trench said before he slowly moved in to kiss her.
She barely felt his lips on hers when they heard a knock at the door.
''Fuck the maid,'' Trench said before he resumed kissing her.
She laughed softly against his lips as neither of them noticed the lock being forced open.
[Doc]
He was almost back at Tool's when he saw Thorn looking absolutely panicked outside the parlor.
''What's wrong?'' Doc asked as Thorn looked at him.
''Gunnar has gone after Isaacs, and now he's nowhere to be found,'' the kid said, and Doc heard all noises coming from inside the shop stop.
''Just get inside,'' Doc told him before he closed the big garage door behind them.
[Barney]
It had taken a few hours of preparation and extreme patience on Barney's part to get them on the plane to Russia. The kids shared the space in the back, glancing toward the empty space where Gunnar, Hale and Toll should have been. Lee was simmering in the seat next to him.
How the fuck hadn't they seen that coming? He'd first ask himself why Thorn hadn't said anything, but then again Gunnar probably had scared the kid to death. He'd already called Drummer and knew that both he and Yang were on their way while Hale, Toll and Tool were on a flight to Austria to get Gabrielle and Trench to safety.
Neither of them had answered his calls, and it both pissed him off and worried him to no end until he'd received a text saying, ''Alive''. Then he'd been mad.
[Hotel, Austria]
''Still not answering,'' Hale said while going to Gabrielle's voicemail for fifteen times in a row.
The three of them arrived at the door and knocked. No one answered, yet they could hear movement inside.
''Fuck this,'' Toll said before he picked the lock.
Tool entered the room only to find himself facing the butt off Trench's hand gun between his eyes while Trench was covering a very naked Gabrielle with his half-dressed body.
There was a moment of silence as Tool, Toll, and Hale stood there in shock while Gabrielle was putting Trench's shirt and her underwear back on. Trench put his gun back on the bedside table.
''Well, you didn't tell me about THAT,'' Hale said accusingly to Toll as Tool still was trying to process what was in front of him. "I said everything, remember?"
Toll slapped him on the shoulder. Doc's face the night before made much more sense now. Butt dial indeed.
''He didn't know about that,'' said Gabrielle before she saw Tool's expression.
''Look, Tool I'm so sorry…I….'' she began before Tool interrupted her.
''You know he's going to kill you right?'' Tool said to Trench, and the man nodded.
''I know,'' Trench replied with a calm voice.
''I mean he will kill you slowly at first,'' continued Tool with a small smile while both Hale and Toll looked at the scene with an amused expression on their faces. Gabrielle looked absolutely mortified.
''Alright, enough!'' Gabrielle exclaimed, and they all turned to her. ''Why are you here?''
''I wanted to see you,'' Hale admitted in a small voice, and Gabrielle felt the tears clouding her vision.
Hale went to give her a hug, and she held him as hard as she could.
''I missed you too,'' she replied, and he squeezed her in his arms a little bit harder before letting her go.
''And I you. Don't ever do that shit to me again,'' he said with a smile, and she nodded.
''Well, there's also the fact that neither of you answered your phones since last night,'' Toll pointed out. His expression had turned from tears, to amusement, and then anticipation.
''And?'' asked Trench.
''Gunnar has gone after Isaacs,'' Toll said while Gabrielle became as pale as a ghost.
''Tool, where is my father?'' Gabrielle asked while feeling like throwing up.
''He's gone to Russia with the new recruits. Drummer and Yang are supposed to meet us there,'' Toll replied, and Gabrielle got her bag before she threw all its content on the floor.
''Gabrielle?'' Hale asked with a worried voice before he saw her reaching for a pocket knife.
She cut through the bag, and they saw a burner phone, money and a passport fall out the bag. She then took her cell phone and smashed it against the wall until she could open it up to destroy the SIM card.
''Gabrielle, stop,'' Trench said, but she emptied a metal trash can and began to put anything she wasn't going to wear in it.
''Was ist mit der Liebe? (What's wrong love?)'' Trench asked her while gently stopping her.
''Any of you going after Isaacs is what's wrong!'' Gabrielle exclaimed, and he could see pure terror in her eyes as well as anger. ''Stonebanks controlled only one part of the weapon empire in Russia, Isaacs the other. Guess who's got it all now and probably started a war?''
Trench slowly nodded as realization seemed to wash over Tool, Hale, and Toll. Gabrielle lit a fire before she took the burner phone to call her father.
[Barney]
They'd just arrived at a safe house close to Moscow when Barney heard his phone ring. Unknown number. He frowned before putting it on speaker.
''Hello,'' Barney said carefully before he heard Gabrielle.
''Please tell me you haven't done anything yet!'' Gabrielle exclaimed, and Barney sighed in relief.
''So, you are alive!'' Barney retorted back.
''Of course, I am! Did Trench not text you?'' Gabrielle asked, and Barney groaned.
''Yeah, he did,'' he admitted. ''You still haven't answered your phones. What were you even doing?''
''Nothing relevant to the situation at hand,'' Gabrielle said, and Barney heard Hale snort in the background.
There was a moment of silence following Hale that told them Gabrielle probably was glaring at the man. Barney and Lee sent each other a questioning look.
''Anyway, I've been able to track down your location, which means get the fuck out of there and kill anything that can be tracked. Ask Yang to bring you where he was supposed to bring me with Maggie if we were compromised. And call her. We'll join you there,'' Gabrielle said with an irritated tone. ''And I can't stress this enough: do not under ANY circumstances answer your phones. Don't even play Packman on them. Assume you are being spied on and followed. I love you.''
Barney was about to answer her when she disconnected the phone. He looked at the screen and saw that the call had lasted under a minute. She was making sure not to be traced.
''Fucking hell,'' Barney swore while Lee nodded.
''You don't say,'' Lee commented before they moved as recommended. "And Packman? How old does she think our phones are?"
[Trench plane]
They'd packed what they could and had moved as fast as possible given the fact that Gabrielle insisted on checking every part of the escape route, the hangar, the plane and their equipment.
''You're putting Yang to shame you know?'' Toll told her as she was changing the card on her burner phone, and she looked at him.
''Maybe on the paranoid part,'' she replied while looking at the cockpit where Trench was.
''What's that supposed to mean?'' asked Tool.
''That I am far less honorable than I should have been,'' Gabrielle muttered, and Hale frowned.
''Why on earth would you say that?'' he asked, and she sighed.
''Because Gunnar just left me, and I got to another country with Trench and we…'' she began before she interrupted herself.
''Gabrielle, you just said it: Gunnar left you,'' Toll said. ''Now don't get me wrong, he's our friend too, but what he did was reckless, hurtful and selfish. And we know why you froze when you first saw him again. The mental torture Isaacs and Stonebanks put you through was stronger on him because Gunnar did abandon you.''
Gabrielle felt tears running down her cheeks.
''I still love him. I am still so mad that he's gone. And yet…He'd asked me to marry him right before I died you know?'' Gabrielle admitted, and Toll took her hand. ''And I almost said yes until I saw Lee behind him. When Christmas admitted his feelings for me back then, I'd turned him down, and he accepted it. Only he told me that he would have never abandoned me… I never could get it out of my mind…''
''Gabrielle, I want you to answer this question without thinking about it. Would you have married him if you hadn't died?'' Hale asked softly.
Gabrielle felt her heart drop when she whispered, ''No.''
''I was too scared he'd just be gone again,'' she admitted before she started sobbing. ''Oh my God. He's going to die because of me.''
Tool got up and took her in his arms as she cried.
''It's ok, sweetheart. Dada's here,'' he whispered into her ear as she held onto him.
Both Hale and Toll were looking at them with a sad look on their faces. It took a moment for her to calm down. Then they heard Trench getting u,p and Tool looked at her with a questioning look.
''It's ok,'' she whispered as Tool and Trench exchanged positions.
Trench looked at her with sadness in his eyes. She was about to talk when he got closer until he caressed her cheek.
''Don't,'' he said softly. ''You've loved him hard for a long time. I understand that. It's going to take time. I'm not going anywhere.''
Gabrielle closed her eyes and sighed in relief.
''Thank you,'' she said in a low voice as both Toll and Hale watched them with interest.
Tool couldn't help but to smile a little to himself as he listened and watched them through a small mirror. Then Trench came back to join him with a map, and he looked at his friend.
''You love her, don't you?'' Tool asked, and Trench nodded. ''How long?''
''Probably longer than I even realize,'' Trench admitted, and Tool waited for an explanation. ''I always knew I loved her, cared for her. I used to wonder why she meant so much to me until she kissed me, and I realized I actually am in love with her. It was quite the shock, but I like it.''
Tool put a hand on his shoulder.
''I get it,'' Tool said, sincere. ''I mean once the shock of seeing you both in bed passed, I started to think about all the time you used to spend with her before she died, and the way she called for you after Stonebanks. It all started to make sense.''
Trench suddenly felt tears in his eyes at the mention of her being gone and in pain. Tool felt his heart drop.
''I never realized…'' Tool said with a shocked voice as he remembered how Trench had been the one to support them all, to help her.
That's why he'd been safe.
''It's ok,'' Trench said. ''It has to be.''
.
''So, um…I know this is very emotional and all, but um…I think I speak for everyone here when I ask what the fuck happened between you both?'' Hale said and Toll smiled, visibly amused.
His friend had zero filters.
''God, I missed you, you know that?'' Gabrielle told Hale, and the man smiled at her.
''And I missed you too, so much,'' Hale said with a sincere tone before he laughed. ''But that still doesn't explain why I'll have to wash my eyes with soap.''
They all laughed at that.
''I don't know what to tell you. I just…it just happened. It made sense in a way I wasn't expecting to,'' Gabrielle replied, a bit lost in her thoughts.
''So, you both had no idea you liked each other before you went to Austria, is that it?'' Hale asked.
''I can't say for him, but I didn't,'' she answered with a small smile. ''We went for a night out, and I held his hand on the way back. Only it didn't feel the same as when I do that with either of you. I tried to go to sleep, but I couldn't, so I drank and watched the snow falling through the window. I didn't even notice he'd woken up when I felt him stand beside me…''
Toll frowned at the very sad look on her face as Hale held his breath.
''I told him I think I am dying. This poison doesn't feel like it did at Stonebanks manor. He didn't want to hear it. He told me he couldn't lose me, and I just… I didn't have the words to tell him I couldn't lose him either, or see him in pain. I just kissed him,'' Gabrielle explained as a single tear rolled down her cheek. ''Like somehow it was the most logical thing to do. I wasn't prepared to feel the rush of feelings it gave me. It was like time had no meaning, there was only…''
''Him,'' Toll finished for her, and she nodded.
''And love. So much of it that it almost scared me. But then I remembered everything we've been through since we met, and I could only feel safe, loved and accepted,'' she went on. ''He has never tried to keep me from him or his world, never asked me to change or stay the same. He's always been there, just like I've always loved, supported, and accepted him for who he is, no matter what. Like I just realised we are perfect for each other.''
Both Toll and Hale found themselves smiling softly as Gabrielle's explanations made sense to them. She was loved and in love. She had a real chance at happiness.
''Then don't let your guilt or anything, or anyone, get in the way of you both,'' Toll told her.
''That's easier said than done,'' Gabrielle said as she thought about Gunnar being in danger for her.
''I know, but Toll's right. You've done enough for us. Do something for you. We just want to see you happy,'' Hale said, and she nodded, speechless. ''And as for Gunnar, I know you still love him deeply and that you are worried. We all are. We'll get him back to safety, and we'll access the situation then, alright?''
''Ok,'' Gabrielle said, still not able to let go of the guilt that threatened to eat her alive.
[Hale]
He watched Gabrielle looking at the cabin with a faraway look in her eyes and felt his chest tighten. They'd both been asked to just watch the truck they'd stolen while Tool, Trench, and Toll unpacked.
He could see her pale skin, the bags under her eyes, and how thin she'd become. He was worried. He knew what she'd been through and couldn't forget Toll's pained expression while he'd struggled to tell him how Stonebanks and Isaacs had tortured her. He also couldn't get Gabrielle's sadness and pain out of his mind.
''Do you really think you're dying?'' Hale found himself asking, and she turned to him. ''Or do you want to?''
''I honestly don't know anymore. I am just tired of the pain,'' Gabrielle admitted, and Hale passed his good arm around her shoulders. ''I am scared to not be able to save Gunnar. I love him so much…And I fucking hate myself because even if he hadn't meant to broke up and used it as a ruse…''
Trench turned to them and waved them inside. Gabrielle took in a deep breath and waved back.
''You won't go back to him,'' Hale finished for her as she started crying.
''Why is this happening again?'' Gabrielle asked through her tears. ''Why is he gone again and fucking why does my heart always split in two?''
''It's not, Gabrielle. I know it feels like it, but it's really not,'' Hale said. ''You may have liked Lee and his promises, but you loved Gunnar, so you chose him. And you may have loved Gunnar blindly, but…''
''I'm in love with Trench with my eyes wide open,'' she whispered, and Hale nodded. ''Why does it hurt so much then? Why does everything hurt to the point where I just fucking want to die?''
''You promised me you would always be there for me, for us. You can't do that if you're dead,'' Hale told her, and Gabrielle looked at him intensely for a couple of seconds before she sighed.
''I love you too,'' she said before she started walking towards the cabin, and Hale smiled to himself, satisfied with her answer.
[Woodsman's cabin]
''They should be here in about six hours,'' Tool said after having another look at their info. They all nodded. ''And I hate to say this, but how are we supposed to all fit here?''
''We're not,'' Gabrielle replied, and they all looked at her. '' If you would all follow me.''
She got up, slid the refrigerator way too easily and pushed on the wall behind it.
''What the fuck?'' asked Hale as that part of the wall opened to reveal a reinforced metal door.
Gabrielle entered a code and then turned the handle to reveal a staircase. They followed her into the basement.
''Holy shit!'' Toll exclaimed as he realized they were in a huge underground bunker.
They could see a big kitchen and a dinner space big enough for at least ten people. There was also a sitting area next to a door identified with a communication center sign. They followed Gabrielle into a small hallway with a training room and weapon storage on the right and a shared dormitory and bathroom on the left. They also noticed a few emergency exits.
''How long are we supposed to stay here?'' asked Toll.
''I don't know, but I am glad we at least won't be walking on each other's feet,'' replied Hale.
Gabrielle rolled her eyes before she began to tour the bunker in search of what they had and what they would need.
[Barney]
''Do you think we'll ever stop being in deep shit?'' Lee asked him, and Barney sighed.
He was feeling the same thing right about now. Maggie and Yang had given them directions and were currently preparing material with Doc, Galgo, and the kids.
''I mean, why would Gunnar would even do something like that? I get the revenge part, I do. But Gabrielle was scared for a reason. A very valid reason,'' Lee continued, and Barney frowned.
''Because he thought she was scared like she'd been before she could defend herself,'' Barney said, and Lee stopped talking. ''I fucking hate to say it, but she is not that woman anymore. I barely recognize her since she's been back. I mean, she still has the same kind heart and her values haven't changed, but there's something darker going on. I hate it. This is why I lied to her when she came to New Orleans.''
''I know, I get it now. I hate that too,'' Lee admitted. ''I am still scared that Gabrielle really died that day. I mean, I looked at her, and I saw myself kissing her before we went to get rid of Vilain. But now I look into her eyes and there's so much pain…I miss her laugh, her smile. I miss her drive and her sarcasm. It's like she's there and she's gone at the same time, and I want to bring her back for good," Lee said, and Barney felt the tears in his eyes.
''I don't even care if she wants to be a mercenary like us or if she wants to go back to art with Tool. I even made my peace with being just her friend. But I love her with all my heart, and I want to see her smile,'' Lee said with much more emotion than intended.
Barney felt tears threatening to fall as he felt the same way Lee did, only he couldn't shake the guilt of failing his own daughter, not to mention that he'd failed Gunnar too in a way. He'd always been so careful around him right up until Gabrielle died. He was mad against himself and could only remember his daughter shaming him for the way he'd handled her death.
He'd listened then, but now he understood. By failing himself, he'd failed his family.
''I am scared I didn't just fail her,'' Barney admitted, and Lee closed his eyes.
''We'll bring them both back, even if it's the last thing we do,'' Lee promised, and Barney finally let a tear roll down his cheek.
P.S: I was really scared of the reactions I would get about this pairing. If you doubt it, I am asking you to please read further into it regardless, so you'll have a better understanding as to why and how this pairing was the final one.
Thank you for reading!
Pavs.