Adriana's hand hovered over the handle to her mentor's apartment. She watched her fingers shake and she knew that the winter chill wasn't the cause. She bit her lip and yanked her hand back from it, turning and walking back down the steps before pausing and looking back at the door guiltily.

She didn't want to skip out on training or patrol, but she also didn't want to have to explain anything to Gabe. Even worse, she didn't want to lie to him. He would look at her with that piercing gaze, the one that made her feel like he could see into her soul, and she would crumble like she always did. It would be just like that time she tried to tell him she lost her bō staff in the ocean when really some punk had managed to snatch it from her. All he had to do was raise his eyebrow at her and she broke.

"Adriana?"

She froze. She hadn't even heard him open the door. No, no, she hadn't made her decision yet. She didn't want him to see her. He couldn't see her.

She half turned so that only the right side of her face was visible to him. "Hey, Gabe. Um, I'm not feeling so good? So, I'm just gonna head home, okay?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him standing in the doorway, his brow knit and his lips pulled down in that thoughtful frown. Not good.

"You came all the way here just to say you didn't feel good?" he asked. "You could have called."

"Yeah, well, I felt okay until I got here and then I suddenly felt super bad, so…" Not a lie. "I'm just gonna… I'm gonna go now. Bye!" She turned completely away from him and began to hurriedly walk away.

"Adriana."

Shit. That was his commanding tone. The tone that said 'you better do what I say or there'll be consequences.' She stopped and turned slightly.

"Yes…?"

She could hear him walking up behind her, and she wondered how he could walk out onto the frigid ground in his bare feet before he placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Turn around and look at me."

So she did. Slowly, and with her eyes cast downward so that she didn't have to meet his gaze. The left side of her face came into his view and she heard him suck in a quiet breath. His hands reached up to her face and his fingers tilted her chin up so he could see her face better. Specifically, so he could see the ugly purple and yellow bruise overlapping her temple and her eye.

"You didn't get this on patrol last night," he stated.

Adriana sheepishly lifted her eyes to meet his and felt guilty at the concern in his expression. He looked just like her mom had when she came home to find her with the bruise last night. Eyebrows drawn together and empathetic pain in their eyes. She hated making people worry.

"Yeah, I didn't. I…" she bit her lip and went for the lie she had told her mom. "A kid at school hit me today."

Gabe's hand paused in its examination of the bruise, then fell to his side. He narrowed his eyes at her. "...Really?"

She nodded, but he began to stare at her with that searching gaze, the one that made her feel like he had x-ray vision, and she looked down at her feet, unable to look him in the eye.

"Adriana…" he said, and she knew by the tone of his voice that she had just blown it.

"Okay, look, just promise me you won't freak out, okay?" she said emphatically, reaching out to grab his arm, "I can't have anyone messing with things right now, so you can't do anything if I tell you!"

He stared down at her with wide-eyed concern. "Adriana-"

She shook his arm. "Promise me!"

He paused, then placed a hand on her shoulder and said calmly and quietly, "Alright. Let's go inside. It's cold out here and I can fix you some hot cocoa. And then you can tell me."

She wrapped her arms around herself nervously and looked at her shoes again, allowing herself to be guided into the apartment.

Gabe's place wasn't fancy or big, but it was nice. It had just enough room for him to live and train, and she felt immediately comfortable when she stepped into the space. It was cozy and it felt like Gabe. She felt… safe here.

Her mentor was in the process of boiling water and pouring cocoa into a couple mugs. She had learned early on of his firm belief in the power of hot cocoa. "Hot cocoa makes everything better," he had said on more than one occasion. She worried her fingernail and hoped he was right, because she wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

After a few minutes of silence, he set down a mug of the steaming chocolate drink in front of her and sat across from her with his own. She wrapped her fingers around it and let the warmth seep into her skin, drawing comfort from it.

"Are you ready to tell me who gave you that bruise?" he asked quietly, his tone not accusatory at all. In fact, she had never heard him sound more patient and gentle. Willing to listen.

She took a deep breath. "My… my mom's boyfriend did it."

Gabe didn't even flinch, his brow didn't crease in anger at all. His expression was almost eerily neutral and he just sat and waited for her to continue.

"My mom started dating Lucas about five months ago and he moved in with us. She said it would be good to have a father figure, or something, I don't know. And he's mostly cool, yanno? He talks to me about school and he lets me have sips of his beer sometimes. And uh…" She peered up at Gabe, realizing what she had just said, but he just sipped his cocoa and nodded for her to continue.

She stumbled on without knowing where she was going or when she would stop.

"He just has a really bad temper, especially when he thinks you're lying to him. And recently he's been questioning me about why I've been out so late and… I haven't really been able to give him a straight answer all the time and last night he just…" Her voice had trembled, and she had to take a breath. She took a sip of her cocoa without blowing on it and the heat burnt her tongue. She ignored the pain and continued. "Anyway, he sort of lost it, but he only hit me once!"

She glanced up at Gabe and went on hurriedly at his continuously blank expression. "And Lucas was really sorry after, he apologized over and over again! He even cleaned it up and got me ice and…" She bit her lip, then reached out and gripped Gabe's arm. "It was my idea to lie to my mom about it. If she found out, she'd never forgive him. And he's the best thing that ever happened to her, he makes her happy! And he helps us pay the bills and I know that he would never do it to Isabel."

Gabe was still as a stone through her desperate speech, but finally he raised his hand and placed it over the one Adriana had on his arm, squeezing it.

"Adriana. I'm glad you told me about this." His voice was soothing, calm, but also controlled, as though he was keeping his emotions in check. "I know you think this was a one time thing, but I've seen many cases like this, and usually, if a person is willing to hit someone once, they're willing to do it again."

Adriana felt like she was going to cry, and Gabe's grip on her hand tightened.

"I strongly, strongly urge you to tell your mom about what he did. She's your mother, and from what you've told me about her she cares more about your safety and well being than she does about her boyfriend. She would be happier if you told her. And Adriana."

She had looked back down at her cocoa, but his voice caused her to glance back up at him. He was looking intensely at her, and she realized that the emotion he had been holding back earlier was fury.

"If he ever does anything like that again, if he so much as makes you feel unsafe, I want you to tell me. Immediately. And I'll take care of it. Do you understand?"

She couldn't find the words to argue, so she nodded her head. It seemed to appease him.

"Good." He gestured to her mug. "Drink the cocoa. Hot cocoa makes everything better."

She couldn't help but smile a bit at that, and she lifted her mug and took a sip. It was the perfect temperature now.

"Thanks, Gabe." she murmured, glancing up at him.

His smile was warm. "No thanks necessary. You can always talk to me. Always."

When Adriana came home that night, she found her mother sitting at the kitchen table, staring into a cup of tea.

"Mom?" she said, slightly worried. "You're home early, is everything okay?"

Her mother lifted her gaze and Adriana realized with horror that she had been crying.

"Mom! Are you alright?" She rushed forward and reached out to her, but the minute she was within reach her mother stood and enveloped her in a hug so tight Adriana couldn't breathe.

"Adriana, I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry I let him into our home, I am so sorry you had to go through that," her mother rambled in between sniffles, "Please forgive me."

Adriana could hardly process what she was hearing. Had Gabe… but he made it sound like he wouldn't! She had begged him not to do anything! And when would he have had the time…?

"Did he tell you?" she asked, barely a murmur.

Her mother's voice hardened. "Yes. He did."

Adriana gripped the back of her mother's shirt, feeling betrayed

"He told me about it this morning after you left for school," her mom continued, "and I told him to leave, that we were through."

Wait, what?

Adriana pulled back and looked at her mother's tear-streaked face. "You mean… Lucas told you?"

"Yes. He said he felt so badly about it… but I didn't care. He's gone now, alright?"

Adriana realized what had happened and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as she wrapped her arms around her mom's waist and squeezed her as tight as she could. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I know how happy he made you."

"No, Adriana. You make me happy. Alright?" Her mother kissed her hair and sniffed again. "No man I bring into our lives is ever going to matter more than you. Or your safety. Do you hear me?"

Adriana nodded. It didn't seem to be enough for her mom.

"I need you to know you can talk to me, Ana. I had to hear it from him, but if anything like this ever happens I want you to be able to talk to me!" She pulled back and cradled her daughter's face. "Do you understand?"

Adriana smiled. "Yeah, I understand, Mom. I will. I promise."