Chapter XVII

Three days before Christmas, Gabrielle found herself entertaining her mother-in-law alone as Enjolras worked furiously on his case. He had been stuck in the office incessantly for the last two weeks and said he was making progress in the defense of his client. He was very secretive about it all, however, and never said much. Gabrielle was glad she had a distraction in trying to make a good impression on his mother rather than worry about him over-working himself. He constantly looked exhausted.

Madame Enjolras, or Marie as she insisted Gabrielle call her, had arrived the day before and Gabrielle was desperate to try and make the woman like her. Usually, Gabrielle didn't care what anyone thought – her years at school had given her a thick skin – but this seemed important, no matter what Enjolras said.

Madame Enjolras was quiet, but observant, a trait Gabrielle quickly recognized since she saw it so often in her husband. Her eyes flickered over everything, from Enjolras' hand resting on Gabrielle's waist as they were introduced to the way his gaze lingered on her face before leaving for work in the morning. Gabrielle wondered what exactly Marie was looking for, but suspected that the intelligent older woman hadn't quite believed all of her son's written declarations of love for his new wife. It was uncharacteristic of him, and Gabrielle had warned him of that from the start.

Gabrielle and Marie had just eaten lunch and were now relaxing in the library before a warm fire. Even though Marie had been nothing but kind and gracious, she still made Gabrielle rather nervous. She was an intimidating woman - tall, confident, and beautiful. Her son had gotten his blue eyes and curls from his mother, as well as the ability to seemingly look straight into your soul. Marie Enjolras' gaze was direct and unwavering, no matter what they were talking about, and Gabrielle found it a bit unnerving, especially since she knew Marie was there to judge whether or not she was a fit companion for her son.

It had begun to snow a few hours before and while Gabrielle found it beautiful, she expressed her sadness at how cold it would be for so many with no shelter that night.

"Antoine mentioned your charity work in a letter, Gabrielle. He is rather impressed with it, and I am intrigued, as well. May I go with you this evening and help? I'm willing to do whatever you need."

"Of course! I'm afraid it won't be very fun to get there in this snow, but I would love for you to be there, Marie. Genevieve Durand, who is the wife of the lawyer Antoine works for, is really the one behind it all. She's now talking of starting an orphanage. I don't know how we could possibly raise enough money to do something like that, or do it well, but she's confident it can be done. She wants me to teach there, but I don't really know if that's a good idea..." Gabrielle blushed when she realized she was rambling, her nervous habit appearing in full force.

Marie's deep blue eyes studied Gabrielle. "How old are you, my dear?" she asked suddenly. "You seem quite young. You are younger than my son, are you not?"

"I just turned nineteen, Madame; I am not that young to be married." Gabrielle straightened unconsciously in an attempt to make herself taller.

"No, I suppose not. I was married at your age. You do look young, though, Gabrielle, except for your eyes. They seem older, much like my son's, like you have seen and experienced too much in your young life. And his look much older than the last time I saw him." Marie leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand and coming to her point. "I suppose what he has seen since he left home has put an indelible mark on his soul."

"Yes..." Gabrielle glanced away uncomfortably. She knew Enjolras hadn't told his mother of his role in the barricade, and she wondered how much Marie already knew instinctively. She was obviously fishing for information. "Antoine is the most serious person I've ever known, though, naturally so. I don't think I saw him smile for months when we first met."

"He was always that way, even as a boy. He would rather sit with his nose stuck in a book or discuss philosophy with his father's friends than run around outside, playing games and rough-housing with the other boys his age. He was too smart for his own good, and his father encouraged it. Not that I minded."

Gabrielle smiled and said reassuringly, "Well, he turned out just fine. In fact, I think he's the most amazing man in the world."

Marie smiled slowly. "When did you meet him, Gabrielle? He never mentioned you in his letters in all of the years he has been living in Paris, and then, seemingly out of the blue, you were married."

"I know – our wedding was quite sudden, even for us. We decided there was no sense in waiting once we became engaged." Gabrielle smiled nervously, afraid to say something she would have trouble explaining without giving away her husband's secrets. She realized she was wringing her hands and stopped. "I met Antoine almost two years ago, though, so he was no stranger to me. He was a friend of my brother's."

"Was a friend?"

"Oh...well. My brother recently passed away." Please don't ask questions, Gabrielle thought.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know, dear. Antoine never mentioned that you had a brother...when did it happen?" Gabrielle could tell the wheels were turning in Marie's head. She suspected something, and was trying to put two and two together.

"In early June," Gabrielle said cautiously.

Marie stared at Gabrielle a moment before sighing in understanding. She turned to the window and said quietly, her voice strained, "Would that be around the same time that Julien Combeferre died, as well?"

Gabrielle winced and wondered how Marie knew about Combeferre at all. "Yes, it would. How did you know Monsieur Combeferre, Marie?"

"His mother wrote to me after it happened. Antoine and Julien were childhood friends, did you know that?" Marie's eyes were sad as she turned back to Gabrielle. "Were they involved in the uprising? Your brother and Julien? The barricades we all heard about?"

Gabrielle hesitated, trying to think of a way to get out of answering these questions. Other than lying, which she wasn't willing to do, she didn't think she could.

"Yes," Gabrielle admitted, her head spinning a bit. She didn't know that Enjolras and Combeferre had known each other since childhood. Her brother had never mentioned it that she could remember. That made Enjolras' loss seem even worse, somehow.

"And my son? He was there, too?"

"I can't really say, Madame. I don't think that it's my place..." Gabrielle didn't want to tell secrets that were not hers to share, and she would never betray Enjolras' trust.

"You're his wife, Gabrielle. It is your place. Was he involved in the uprising?"

Gabrielle was silent and looked at the rug uncomfortably, refusing to say anything more.

"He was. Your silence is all the confirmation I need. Why didn't he tell me?" Marie's voice was calm and controlled, and Gabrielle wondered what was in her head. Her face was unreadable, though she had grown quite pale.

"He didn't want to worry you, Marie. And it...it was so hard for him. He didn't just lose Combeferre and my brother, but almost all of his other friends. They were all incredibly close and he felt such guilt for so long. He still does." Gabrielle desperately wanted to change the subject, but didn't know how.

"Was Antoine hurt?" Marie's voice wavered, and Gabrielle could see the emotion she felt at the thought of her son in danger.

Gabrielle nodded slowly. "Yes, but...Marie, I really can't say any more. You need to ask him these questions yourself."

"Do you love him, Gabrielle?"

"I do," Gabrielle said without hesitation. "I love him with everything I am." She held Marie's gaze confidently, and realized it was the first time she had ever admitted her feelings aloud to anyone in such a candid way.

Marie finally nodded her approval, and abruptly changed the subject to lighter things for the rest of the afternoon. The two women made their way through the snow to the church in the early evening, and Marie Enjolras worked as hard as Gabrielle. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy making herself useful. When they arrived home later, Enjolras was still absent, however, and Gabrielle was disappointed that he wasn't making more of an effort to spend time with his mother. It had been years since he'd seen her and she thought he could at least manage to give her a few days. And after their conversation earlier, she knew his mother had much to speak with him about.

Marie bid Gabrielle good night and retreated to her room, and Gabrielle did the same soon after when she grew tired of waiting for Enjolras to get home. She had just climbed into bed, shivering from the cold, when she heard the front door open. He soon entered the bedroom, rubbing his hands together in an effort to get them warm. He sat on the edge of the bed and Gabrielle reached out to touch his back.

"You're home late. Your mother and I missed you today."

He glanced over at her, dark circles under his eyes, and smiled apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Gabrielle. I swear that I'm staying home tomorrow and Christmas day. I won't even think of work." He leaned over and kissed her quickly.

"Good. Your mother wants to spend time with you, you know."

He didn't respond, but finished undressing and climbed under the covers to escape the frigid air. Gabrielle yelped when she felt his cold hands slip under her nightgown and caress her stomach. "You're freezing!" She squirmed and he chuckled, kissing her nose.

"But look, I'm already getting warm." His hands moved to her breasts and Gabrielle shivered, this time not from the cold.

"Antoine," she scolded, "Your mother is in the next room. We really shouldn't. What if she heard? It would be mortifying..."

"We can be quiet," he whispered, and moved one hand to her leg, lifting it over his hips. She could feel his arousal already pressing against her thigh. "We haven't been together in days. I miss you, Gabrielle." He pushed her nightgown up and over her head, kissing along her collarbone and neck.

Gabrielle didn't protest anymore, and let him gently tease and coax her body into submission. He took his time, and when they were both eventually spent, he kept his arms around her, still trailing kisses along her neck and shoulders.

Gabrielle was almost asleep when she remembered the conversation she and Marie had had earlier. It seemed as good a time as any to warn Enjolras about the uncomfortable and emotional questions that would soon be coming his way.

"Antoine? I did something today you may not like."

He looked at her questioningly.

"Your mother was asking questions about us and what you've been doing, and...and I couldn't lie. She asked outright about the barricade, so she must have suspected for a while. She knows about what happened and that you were hurt. I didn't tell her anything else, though." Gabrielle bit her lip, afraid he would be angry.

Enjolras only sighed and nodded. "It's fine. I knew she would find out, eventually. I just hoped she would ask me and leave you alone. I'm sorry if you felt uncomfortable. I should have told her myself."

Gabrielle frowned. "You're apologizing? I'm the one who told something I knew you wanted to keep secret. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have put you in that position. I promise I will talk to her about it tomorrow."

He sounded anxious already, and Gabrielle reached out to run her hands through his hair, a gesture she had noticed he found soothing. She tangled her fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck and said quietly, "I just want you to be happy, Antoine. I hate thinking that you're not."

He smiled thoughtfully. "Why would you think I'm not? I am happy, Gabrielle. Obviously, there are things I would change. Many things. But I am as happy as I can be, under the circumstances."

"I didn't know that you and Combeferre had known each other since childhood," she said abruptly. "Your mother has known all along about his death, Antoine. His mother wrote to her."

Enjolras met her eyes, his jaw tightening. He didn't speak.

"I knew you were closest to him, out of everyone. I just didn't know you had known him so long..." Gabrielle was embarrassed to find her throat tightening, tears close to the surface.

"They were all my friends; best friends. But he was more like my brother," Enjolras said, gritting his teeth. "Combeferre always kept me in line."

Gabrielle managed a smile, quickly wiping away a tear as it trickled down her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, surprised.

She shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know. It just...it's so sad. It's just been a strange day, knowing your mother has been worrying and wondering all these months, but respected you enough to not ask questions. And..." Gabrielle didn't know how to tell him how much his pain affected her. She would do anything to take it away from him, but it seemed so foolish to say so aloud.

"Does it make you miss your brother?" Enjolras kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Well, yes. I miss him every minute of every day. I always wonder what he would say if he were here, or what advice he would give me. But...Antoine, I hurt for you. I wish I could take your pain away, or take it all upon myself."

Enjolras studied her thoughtfully. She could tell he didn't know what to say.

Gabrielle didn't know why it was suddenly important for her to know or where the question had come from, but unexpectedly the words were on her tongue. "Would you change us, Antoine? If you could go back, and make your revolution succeed and all of your friends live? France would become a nation of equality and all of the ideals you love...but would I still be there with you, even under those circumstances?"

"Yes." He didn't even hesitate, meeting her gaze squarely. "No matter how this started between us, Gabrielle, I can't imagine any life without you anymore." He looked a bit astonished at his admission.

"Really?" Gabrielle caressed his jaw and he turned his head to kiss her palm.

"Yes, really." Enjolras kissed her, and Gabrielle felt it from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. He may not have said the words, but every second made her feel more sure.

He loved her.

The next morning, Enjolras awoke before Gabrielle and gently scooted to the edge of the bed, trying not to wake her. Just because he usually rose with the sun didn't mean she needed to, especially after the late night they had had. He reached out and grabbed his watch, swearing when he saw the time – half past eight. He couldn't even remember the last time he had slept so late.

He jumped when he felt Gabrielle's hand on his arm.

"Don't get up yet," she mumbled. "Didn't we just fall asleep?"

"Well, yes. But it's already past eight o'clock." Despite his protests, he settled back down under the blankets and closed his eyes, Gabrielle's head resting on his arm.

"It doesn't matter. Your mother didn't rise until nine yesterday."

"Or we could do something besides sleep..." Enjolras ran his hand over her stomach suggestively.

Gabrielle opened her eyes and laughed, looking at him in disbelief. "Really?! Aren't you tired yet?"

"Exhausted. But I like being with you more than I like sleep." He grinned and pulled the covers over his head, lowering his mouth to her breast. Enjolras knew he had completely lost his head, and acted more like a ridiculous school-boy when he was around Gabrielle than a grown man, but the last few days he had spent away from her had made him even crazier now that he was back in her arms. He couldn't get enough of her.

She had just started making those soft, satisfying, and extremely attractive sounds from low in her throat when there was a knock on the door. Enjolras groaned and emerged from the covers, glaring at the source of the offensive sound. He didn't say anything, hoping his mother would go away if they didn't respond.

Instead, she took it upon herself to open the door a few inches and her voice floated into the room.

"I know you two are awake. I can hear you, you know."

Enjolras glanced at Gabrielle, who was trying very hard not to laugh, though she looked horrified. He pulled the blankets up higher to make sure she was appropriately covered should his mother decide to completely invade their privacy.

"Good morning to you, too, Maman," he grumbled.

"I want to speak with you, Antoine, before you run off to work again. Please?" His mother's voice was softer and more apologetic and he immediately felt guilty for neglecting her in favor of his own pleasurable pursuits with Gabrielle.

"I'm not going to work today, Maman, you'll have me all to yourself. I promise I will be right out."

"Alright. And good morning, Gabrielle, dear."

"Good morning, Marie," Gabrielle replied laughingly as the door shut with a click.

Enjolras sighed, and covered Gabrielle's hands with his as he felt her arms snake around his waist from behind. She kissed his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I guess that's the end of our fun," she said. "You should go bathe and join your mother. I'll give you two some time alone this morning."

"Alright." He turned and kissed her once more before slipping out from beneath the covers. Enjolras bathed and left Gabrielle to do the same before joining his mother in the kitchen, where she had taken it upon herself to make breakfast.

"I'm surprised you aren't rising with the sun anymore. You always got up before the chickens." His mother smirked at him and said knowingly, "Or maybe it's just the late night that you had with your wife?"

Enjolras blushed furiously, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "Maman! That is none of your business!"

Marie laughed and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Do not be embarrassed, Antoine. I'm reassured by it. I have to admit that I didn't know what I would find in coming here, or what unknown reasons you had for marrying the girl. But she obviously makes you very happy. I suppose all of your declarations of love in your letters were true?"

Enjolras squirmed as he sat, letting his mother pour him a cup of tea. "Yes..." he said uncertainly. "I suppose. I care for her a great deal."

"Care for her? You are crazy about her, you can't fool me. The way you look at her, Antoine, like she makes the sun rise every day? I can see it. Don't you remember Marguerite St. Onge? She chased you mercilessly when you were no more than sixteen and you never even gave her a second glance, as attractive as she was. I have never seen you in love before, my son, and it is quite interesting."

Enjolras didn't respond. This topic was making him distinctly uncomfortable.

"But I do think you are working too hard. Gabrielle said she has barely seen you in the last two weeks."

Ah, work. That he could discuss. "Well, I need to prove myself, Maman. This case I've been given is important; a man's life hangs in the balance, and his wife has already lost hers. I want to make sure I am doing everything I can to prove his innocence."

Marie smiled and took his hand. "I see you are still fighting to help those who need it most. I hope that never changes."

Enjolras smiled and squeezed her hand. "I don't think it will, Maman. In fact, some friends and I are about to publish a newspaper. Hopefully it will spread the word about all of these social injustices we see every day, and educate those who don't know about the virtues of a Republican state. It could help to bring about change if more people become devoted to the cause."

Marie smiled sadly. "I'm glad your defeat in June has not made you give up."

Enjolras winced and drew his hand away. "Gabrielle said she told you."

"She didn't say much," Marie admitted. "She was very loyal. Everything she said I practically had to drag out of her. I wish you would tell me everything, Antoine. You know I will not judge you. I don't understand why you haven't shared it with me, considering you know I share your hopes and dreams, as did your father. Surely you aren't afraid of being judged?"

"No," he whispered. "I just don't want you worrying."

"Antoine. Maybe when you become a father someday you will understand," Marie explained patiently. "No matter what you say, good or bad; whether you tell me everything or tell me nothing, I will always worry about you. It is what parents do over their children, whether they are mere hours old, a rambunctious teenager, or a grown man of twenty-three years."

"That sounds horrible."

Marie laughed. "It is the way of the world. And everything that comes with being a parent is worth the worrying. Now..." His mother narrowed her eyes. "When do you plan on becoming a father?"

Enjolras rolled his eyes and sipped his tea. "Never, if I can help it."

Marie glared at him. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want to, Maman. I don't want a child. I don't want the responsibility of raising another human being, I don't want the worry, I don't want...any of it. And I don't want to bring another person into a world such as this. What would happen if I were to die? Or Gabrielle? Or both of us? There's too much uncertainty."

Marie shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "I am not going to try and convince you. Gabrielle is very young, anyway, so you both have plenty of time to change your minds. But...back to what happened in June. How bad was it, Antoine?"

Enjolras looked down at the table instead of at his mother. He knew she would be able to see it in his eyes, and he didn't want her to know how much it still affected him, how his dreams were still haunted by the faces of his dead friends and the fallen soldiers, how sometimes every loud bang made him jump, thinking it was the sound of gunfire. Gabrielle was the only one who knew, and even she didn't know the half of it. He supposed only Marius and Joly could really understand the terror that sometimes overcame him. Only someone who was there could know.

"Please tell me," Marie pleaded. "Or tell me as much as you can."

Enjolras began to talk slowly, starting at the very beginning with the formation of the Les Amis. His mother listened, making soft sounds of understanding every once in a while. Only when he got to the very end, speaking of the way the soldiers had looked before firing at him and Grantaire, did she look away and hold up her hand for him to stop. He had said more than he'd intended and frightened her.

"You could have died," his mother said in horror. "And I never would have known! I wouldn't know where you were, or where your final resting place was, just as Julien's mother doesn't know. Oh, Antoine, how could you do that to me?"

"I didn't die, Maman, I made it through. There were times I wished I didn't, and I still feel guilt that I'm alive and they are not." Enjolras moved his chair closer to his mother to wrap his arms around her shoulders comfortingly. "I'm fine, Maman. I'm alive...thanks to Gabrielle."

Marie raised her eyebrows and cupped his face, waiting for him to go on, so he told the story of how Gabrielle had found him at the barricade, leaving behind her own brother's body to save his life, and the way she had nursed him back to health with patience and kindness.

"And that is how you fell in love with her? And why you married so quickly?"

"Yes..." Enjolras supposed that was as good a story as any. As honest as he had been, he still didn't want his mother to know that he had married Gabrielle as basically a business arrangement. And it had turned out so well, who cares how it had begun?

Gabrielle chose that moment to enter the kitchen, but stopped when she saw the look on Marie's face. "I'm sorry...do you need more time alone?"

"No!" Marie quickly rose and embraced Gabrielle, kissing her cheek. "Antoine has just told me everything, including how you saved him. Oh, Gabrielle, I can never thank you enough for what you did."

Gabrielle looked at Enjolras over Marie's shoulder, her eyes showing surprise. He smiled and shrugged.

"It was nothing, Marie..." she said quietly.

Marie pulled away and looked at her. "You are my daughter now, Gabrielle. And you make my son very happy. Please, call me Maman," she said sincerely.

Enjolras saw a million emotions flicker over Gabrielle's face as she slowly nodded. "Of course." They were interrupted by a soft knock on the front door and Enjolras rose.

"Are we expecting anyone today?"

"Not that I know of." Gabrielle and Marie followed him through the house, Marie's arm around Gabrielle's waist.

Enjolras opened the door to find Marius and Cosette on the other side, shivering in the snow, but absolutely beaming.

"Merry Christmas!" The friends greeted each other and Enjolras immediately built up the fire in the parlour to help Marius and Cosette warm up. They were introduced to his mother and all settled down to visit.

"I had no idea you were coming today," Gabrielle said, squeezing Cosette's hand. "It's been weeks since I've seen you. How are you?"

"Quite well, although I've been a bit ill," Cosette admitted. She grinned and glanced over at Marius. "But I'm feeling much better now. We actually have some news..." Cosette looked like she was bursting at the seams, and Marius had never worn a bigger smile.

Enjolras looked back and forth between them and had a feeling he knew what was coming. "Oh, Lord..." he mumbled. What a bumbling idiot Pontmercy was about to become.

"What?" Gabrielle asked curiously.

"We are expecting a baby," Cosette said happily, and Gabrielle squealed, immediately embracing her friend.

"Oh, Cosette! That is so wonderful!"

Enjolras was a bit surprised by Gabrielle's reaction. It was just a baby – what was there to be so excited about? He realized Marius was looking at him and plastered a smile on his face, reaching out to clap Marius on the shoulder.

"That's excellent, Marius. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Enjolras. We're thrilled." Marius was grinning stupidly, and reached out to wrap an arm around his wife's waist once Gabrielle had let go of her.

Enjolras' mother offered her congratulations, as well, and then the women began to dominate the conversation. Cosette smiled happily the whole time, even when talking about how sick she had been for weeks previously.

Eventually, Marius rose and gestured to Enjolras, and they left the women alone to talk in the library.

"Thank you for acting excited for us," Marius said over his shoulder as they entered the room. "I know that having a family isn't something you necessarily understand, but it does mean a great deal to Cosette, having never known her mother, and just losing her father. I'm sure Gabrielle would feel the same way."

Enjolras started. Would she?

"I am happy for you, Marius, I'm not pretending. I'm not heartless, you know."

"I know, don't worry. But I also wanted to come today to talk to you about the paper."

Enjolras nodded for him to go on.

"Joly and I think it's time to print. We have enough for the first issue, especially if we use what Gabrielle wrote a few months ago. Do you agree?"

Enjolras settled into an armchair. "Yes, I think there's no better time than now. We are all going to use pseudonyms, yes? I don't want this connected to you, or your growing family, in any way. Or to Gabrielle."

"Of course. I think we've learned our lesson. We'll all be more cautious from here. When do you think we should print?"

"The beginning of the new year seems an appropriate time. Although, Marius, I don't know how big of a help I can be right now. This case is taking up a lot of my time. I've barely been home since I started."

"It's alright. Joly and I can shoulder this responsibility for now. How is the case coming, by the way?"

"Well..." Enjolras hesitated, but wanted to share his burden. He hadn't been able to talk about it to anyone so far. "It was a soldier my client killed. But there was another soldier there, too. I tracked him down the other day, and I recognized him," Enjolras admitted. "And you can't breathe a word of this, Marius."

Marius leaned forward. "Of course. How do you know him?"

Enjolras looked at him pointedly and realization dawned on Marius' face. "From the barricade?"

Enjolras nodded. "Yes. More specifically, he shot me."

Marius let out a low whistle and winced. "This could be bad, Enjolras. Maybe you need to give this to someone else. What if you're recognized? What would they do to you?"

"I don't know."

"Are you going to tell Gabrielle?"

"No. Not yet. Not unless I have to. There's no reason to worry her. But, Marius, if something should happen..."

Marius held up a hand and looked at him sternly. "Stop it. Nothing is going to happen. You're going to give this case to someone else, Enjolras, and do the sensible thing. You have Gabrielle to think of now."

Enjolras nodded, and dropped the subject, letting Marius think he'd won, but inside, he was still battling with himself.

This soldier deserved to be prosecuted – he had stood by while an innocent woman was violently raped, and known exactly what was happening. And, of course, there was more than a bit of a personal vendetta involved. The man had shot him, after all, at point blank range, and ordered others to fire, as well. He had killed Grantaire, too, though he hadn't acted alone. But still, just thinking of it made Enjolras' blood boil.

But what if the solider did recognize him? Even before Enjolras had seen him on the street the other day, his face had often haunted his dreams. Enjolras wondered if the soldier felt the same about him, the man he had thought he'd killed in cold blood. Did he see Enjolras' face when he closed his eyes, as well?

And if he did recognize Enjolras, what would he do about it?

Oh man, y'all, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I wrestled with this chapter BIG TIME. I'd write five pages, then delete it all, then write more, and delete...it took forever. I'm not completely happy with it, either, but I hope you enjoyed.

Anyway. Please review and let me know what you think! THANKS!

OH. And so strange and random, but...I found an actress that is exactly how I've been picturing Gabrielle. When I saw her in this particular production, I was like, WHOA. How weird. I'm not saying who unless you ask because I think everyone can picture her exactly how you want to, but if you want to know, just PM me. :) And I'm also obsessively listening to Ryan Adams, "Desire" and it finally helped me get this chapter out. LOVE THAT SONG.