The smell of coffee and bacon greeted Patrick as he awoke from his slumber. There was a time when it was an everyday occurrence. No matter how early he had to get up, Anne would be up early as well, to fix him breakfast before he headed out. As her arthritis had progressed, more and more, she did not feel up to it and Patrick would get his own breakfast or even cook breakfast for the both of them.
Opening his eyes, Patrick took in the unfamiliar surroundings. It didn't take him longer to remember that he was in Brookfield and not their home in Union City. He was also relieved that Anne was apparently feeling better. She had been tired last night after their trip, going to bed soon after they had eaten the dinner Gabriel had arranged to be sent over from the hotel.
Patrick got up and got dressed in his uniform. Stepping out of the bedroom of the living quarters, he found his wife at the stove. She looked over at him as he walked toward her.
"Good morning," Anne greeted him.
"Good morning, Sweetheart," Patrick echoed. "How are you feeling?" he asked, leaning in to give her a quick good morning kiss.
"Well rested," Anne told him, finally answering his question after the kiss.
"Do you need help with breakfast?" Patrick asked her.
"No," Anne told him. "Just get your coffee and have a seat. Breakfast is almost ready."
Patrick did as his wife instructed. Soon the two were sitting at the small table together, enjoying the quiet moments before Patrick left for work just like they did when they were home. After eating, Patrick took care of the few dishes while Anne retreated to the arm chair with a novel. Finishing the dishes, Patrick gave his wife another kiss and then headed out to the office.
Patrick unlocked the office door and then settled behind the desk to wait for Gabriel to show up. He had only been waiting for about ten minutes when the door opened. Looking toward the door, the Super Intendant was surprised to see Constable Peterson walk into the office.
"I thought you were leaving for Hope Valley first thing this morning," Patrick commented as the younger Mountie removed his hat as he came toward the desk and saluted him. Patrick returned the salute, and then both men sat down.
"That was the plan," Brian admitted, picking up the conversation seamlessly. He launched into a brief explanation of the incident from the afternoon before. "Apparently Constable Kinslow had a restless night was well. His wife was insistent about letting him sleep in this morning."
"Probably a good idea," Patrick admitted.
"I can stay longer if you need me, sir. I may not know the people and the area as well as Constable Kinslow, but I have learned quite a bit these last few days."
Patrick chuckled. "I am sure you have. However, we have delayed your leave long enough, Constable Peterson," he told the young Mountie. "I will muddle through until Constable Kinslow finds his way into town. Safe travels, Constable."
"Thank you, sir," Brian said, putting his hat back on before leaving the office.
Alone in the office, Patrick elected to stay put while he waited for Gabriel. He figured that by being in the office, if something requiring immediate attention came up, people would be able to find him. Looking around the office, Patrick found maps of the area. He spent the hours getting an idea of the lay of the land from the maps as well as going through some of the reports.
The sound of the door opening caused Patrick to look up. Though he was expecting Gabriel, it was a brunette who walked into the office.
"Super Intendant O'Reilly?" the woman asked as she came toward the desk.
"I am," Patrick replied. "How may I help you?"
"Ruth Tradeau, sir," the woman replied. "My husband and I run the post and telegraph office. A message came in for you sir. A rather lengthy one asking for your orders at the end so I brought it right over."
"Thank you, ma'am," Patrick said reaching out for the message. Though headquarters in Union City had its own telegraph machine, and the officers who ran it waited for a reply, Patrick was a bit surprise to find that Mrs. Tradeau stood patiently as he started reading the message. He had assumed he would be seeking her out to send a message back to whoever the message was from.
Scanning the message, Patrick found that it was from the officer in charge of the search for the gang that had abducted Gabriel and others officers in order to carry out their crimes. It seemed as though the group had finally made a mistake that had led to two of the four members being taken into custody. A third had been killed attempting to flee after shooting a store owner that had recognized the men. Though two had fled after the shooting, the one man had put down his gun when cornered while the man who had been shot pulled his gun. The man had fired his gun at an officer, but had missed and another officer had shot him. The other gang member had not run from the store, electing instead to try to slow the blood from the gun shot wound the store owner had suffered. The fourth guy had not been seen in town, much like during their crimes, but was thought to be somewhere nearby. The two in custody were not talking at all, including about the whereabouts of the last member. Constable Serres was requesting orders on how to proceed.
Patrick looked up from the message to find Mrs. Tradeau standing with a paper and pencil ready.
"Your reply sir," Ruth asked when she saw that Patrick's attention was on her.
"Tell him that I want him to select a few officers to escort the two men in custody and the body of the other man back here to Brookfield. I will sort things out from here. I want a search conducted in the surrounding area for the fourth guy, however if no definite signs of him are found within the next twenty four hours, they are to call off the search and head back to Union City."
"Got it," Ruth said, as she finished writing the message.
"Can you send a second message for me?"
"Of course," Ruth said, drawing a line across her notepad before looking up. "Whom am I sending this one too?"
"To Judge Avery in Hope Valley," Patrick replied. "Tell him that his presence is requested in Brookfield to deal with the prosecution of two members of the gang responsible for the robbery at the Royal Brookfield."
"All right," Ruth told him. "I will let you know when I have responses."
"Thank you, ma'am," Patrick told her.
Ruth turned to leave, passing Gabriel who was on his way in. Gabriel greeted Ruth even as he held the door open for the departing woman.
"Did I miss something?" Gabriel asked letting the door shut behind him as he came into the office. He made no comment about his superior making himself comfortable at his desk.
Patrick held out the paper containing the message. He kept a close eye on Gabriel as the younger man read the message. Seeing the color fade from the younger Mountie's face, Patrick moved to get up though he paused when Gabriel spoke first.
"I am fine," Gabriel told him though he did take a seat in one of the chairs facing Patrick. "Do we know which gang member was shot?"
Patrick shook his head. "No. I doubt anyone could make any identifications other than you and the other officers abducted. The gang also obscured their features when seen in public and the only reference to names we have are from the sheriff and the other Mounties abducted." He was watching Gabriel carefully as he continued. Given the report of the panic attack and restless night he had gotten from Constable Peterson, he was worried this might be too much for Gabriel to hear right off. "I instructed Constable Serres to bring the three that have been accounted for to Brookfield. Giving that you are still dealing with the emotional trauma of what you went through, I will request one of the other Mounties who are a bit further removed from the situation to come make an identification, if you are not feeling up to it, Gabriel. However, the last crimes of the men still alive took place here. Judge Avery is the judge for the area. I plan on letting him handle the prosecution."
Patrick watched as Gabriel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was glad to see that despite his pale features, the hand holding the telegram was steady.
"It will take a few days for them to get here with the prisoners. I do not need an answer right away."
Gabriel finally looked up. His gaze held Patrick's steadily as he spoke. "I will identify them. I need to. Maybe then I can finally put a stop to them haunting my dreams. I also need to know which one is dead and which one is still out there."
"You need to know what happened to Walter," Patrick said knowingly.
Gabriel nodded.
"All right then," Patrick said. "I will have you do the identification and hold off having any of the other Mounties come here for now. Know that you are allowed to change your mind, Gabriel. You are already going through a lot. My goal in coming to Brookfield was to help you through all this, not make things worse."
"Understood, sir," Gabriel replied.
"Good," Patrick said. "Speaking of me coming to help you sort through things, I think you and I need to start with a long talk. Would you like to do that here or would you feel more comfortable talking while we do rounds?"
"I think riding might put me more at ease," Gabriel admitted.
Patrick picked up the hat he had placed on the desk when he had come to the office and stood up.
"Let's go then," Patrick told Gabriel, intending to keep a close eye on the younger man while they rode.
Lillian finished brushing her hair and looked toward the door to the bedroom. Giving recent events, both she and Gabriel had been tired this evening. Both Eleanor and Grace, who had returned from Clearwater, had noticed it. They had suggested that Lillian and Gabriel call it a day early and so when the boys' bedtime had arrived, Lillian had retreated to the bedroom while Gabriel had gone with the boys. The intention had been for Gabriel to read a chapter of a Sherlock Holmes story they had started and then come join her.
Lillian felt that was taking longer than it should, having spent some time reading her Bible before getting ready for bed. Curiosity winning out, Lillian tied the robe she wore and slipped out of her bedroom. Before continuing down to the bigger room that Christian and Vincent shared, Lillian checked the smaller bedroom that Billy was using. Finding it empty, she continued down the hall.
Though she heard Gabriel's voice as she approached the room, it did not sound like he was reading to the boys. As Lillian stepped into the doorway, she caught what Gabriel was saying and realized that he was talking to the boys about his panic attack the day before. She remained quiet as she glanced into the room. All three boys were sitting on Vincent's bunk. Gabriel was standing next to the bunk, leaning against the railing as he talked with the boys. Lillian admired the fact that he was being forthright with his answers, trying to help the boys understand the situation rather than brush it away as if they were too young to understand.
Lillian only remained a short time. Satisfied that she knew what was going on, Lillian returned to the room that she shared with Gabriel. Shedding her robe, she climbed into the bed. Reaching for her sketchbook and the color pencils she had left on the table on her side of the bed, she flipped open to the sketch she had started of Gabriel and Apollo the day before.
She worked until she heard footsteps entering the room. Looking up, she saw Gabriel walking into the room. He had gotten home right as they were sitting down to dinner tonight and had looked weary then. He had been quiet ever since. As he shut the bedroom door, Lillian set her things aside. Though he had removed the jacket earlier in the evening, Gabriel wore the rest of the uniform. Coming over to the bed, he sat down on the edge of the bed so he could remove the high boots.
"Are you upset with me that I let you sleep this morning?" Lillian asked softly. He had not said much to her when he woke up that morning when she explained her reasoning. Gabriel had simply nodded when she had told him she had Brian tell Super Intendant O'Reilly that Gabriel would not be in until later and why.
Gabriel paused in his task and looked back at her. "Of course not," he replied. "Whatever gave you that impression?"
"You have been quiet all day and you look weary."
"I guess I have been lost in my own head today," Gabriel replied. Reaching out, he placed his fingers under Lillian's chin. "I appreciate having a wife that is looking out for me," he told her before leaning over and pressing his lips against hers.
Though Lillian had intended to get her husband to talk to her, the kiss got drawn out. Though she could not say exactly how, Gabriel did manage to remove the rest of his uniform. All thought of conversation soon left Lillian's mind as she felt the heat of his body against hers. As his hands found their way under her nightgown and against her skin, Lillian wrapped her hands around his torso, her fingers feeling the strong muscles of his back and shoulder as their lips explored one another.
The lovemaking was slow and tender, and afterwards, Lillian found herself wrapped in Gabriel's strong arms. She lay pressed up against his side, her hand resting on his bare chest. She could hear his heart racing underneath her head as they both tried to regain their breath.
As her mind cleared from the fuzziness of passion, Lillian remembered the conversation that she had wanted to have with her husband. Taking a few minutes more to catch her breath and let her heart slow a bit, Lillian tried to figure out how to broach the subject.
"Are you still awake?" Lillian asked, when her heart rate had returned close to normal. Remembering how weary Gabriel had looked earlier, she knew there was a chance he had fallen asleep.
"I am," Gabriel replied quietly though he made no movement beneath her.
"Did you talk with Super Intendant O'Reilly?" Lillian asked, trying to broach the subject that she wanted to discuss without pressing too hard. Though she wanted Gabriel to talk to her, she also did not want to push him too far.
"I did," Gabriel replied. "I told him about how I felt when the boys grabbed my hands. I told him about the nightmare and the recent changes to it. We even tried a few things to see if they provoked any type of reaction."
"What type of things?" Lillian asked, shifting her head so that she could look up at Gabriel.
Her husband opened his eyes, and shifted his own head so he could meet her gaze. "Are you sure you want the details, Lillian?" Gabriel asked softly.
"Yes," Lillian replied without hesitation. "Yes, seeing you suffer a panic attack is scary. Yesterday, I wanted to go to you not Billy but I also knew that in that moment, Billy needed me more as Brain was there with you."
"I am glad you saw that," Gabriel told her.
Lillian reached up and placed a hand against his cheek. "Despite that, I still want to know what is going on with you. I want to know what you are going through. I want to know what is on your mind. It is the only way I will be able to support you the way I should be supporting you. Protecting me from the hard stuff is not going to benefit either one of us."
Gabriel reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. "You make a good point," he told her. "So, Patrick and I figure we needed to figure out what actions are triggers for me. So far, I panicked when the jacket trapped my arms and when the kids grabbed both my hands at the same time. Patrick put handcuffs on my wrist both in front and then behind my back. When that did not cause a reaction, he repeated the process with rope. Again, I was fine."
"Then why did our actions affect you?"
"I am not sure. It could be because I was in a place I felt safe and not anticipating anything. Or, Patrick thinks it may be that the issue is my arms being immobilized than just being restrained," Gabriel told her. "When I walked into the apartment from the office, two men grabbed either arm and held me that way. The jacket trapped my arms. I have had no problems with one of the kids taking my hand but yesterday both of them did, just like that night when both my arms were grabbed. It could also explain the other change in the nightmare. Before when it was just Randy shooting Walter I was restrained in the cabin, lying on my side in the dream. Last night, my arms were being held by something or someone I did not see."
"Much the same way the kids grabbed each of your hands."
"Yes," Gabriel said. "Patrick wants to try restraining my arms tomorrow to see what reaction that gets. Just the idea of it has me nervous, Lillian. I do not want to experience another panic attack, even though I know I am safe with Patrick. However, I also want to get past this. I cannot keep scaring those kids. I do not want you worrying about your actions when we are alone together, causing a panic attack."
"It will be okay," Lillian told him. "I know this is not easy, but I am here for you. Whatever you need."
"Tonight I just need you near me," Gabriel told her.
"I am not going anywhere," Lillian replied,
Slipping the hand on his cheek behind Gabriel's head, Lillian gently moved his head closer to hers. Gently, she pressed her lips against his for another brief kiss.
"I am grateful that we are already married, so I can be with you like this without anyone whispering."
"I am just grateful that you married me," Gabriel told her. "I do not know what I did to deserve to have you in my life."
"You were willing to open that big heart of yours not only to me but to my calling and the children that come with it."
Gabriel smiled. "You had me the day I saw you carrying the leaking grain bag."
"Somehow, that does not seem like it should sound romantic, but it is to me. Finding love in the simple, everyday actions."
Gabriel response was a yawn which caused Lillian to laugh.
"I think you need some sleep," Lilian told him softly.
"I wish I could argue but I can't."
"Go to sleep," Lillian told him, letting him settle his head against the pillow. "And if there are any nightmares tonight, I am right here. Don't go sneaking outside so you don't wake me. I want to be here for you Gabriel."
"I promise," Gabriel told her sleepily, his eyes closed as he was already drifting off to sleep.
Lillian watched him for a few moments before settling her head against his chest. Listening to the sound of her husband's heartbeat, Lillian let sleep claim her as well.