Gabriel's Hope

Obliviously unaware that half his thoughts this afternoon and evening were on her naked, Deidre melted into his arms the moment he touched her. Her vulnerability shimmered around her in a way that left him unable to leave her alone, until he was certain the worst was over. The last part of her world shattered with Wynn's confession. She was mentally tough but fatigued by the events that occurred since they inadvertently met on a night similar to this one. He was enjoying the sensation of her in his arms as much as he was there to comfort her.

"The deal," he said, redirecting his thoughts. "Give this option we figured out a go. If it works, you define our relationship."

"Not bad," she allowed. "I notice that there's only a one percent chance I get to make the decisions."

"It was zero this morning," he reminded her. "Positive steps."

"Gabriel …" There was too much pain in her voice. "Maybe you should just take this thing out of my head and be done with me. Start over with someone who doesn't look like your ex. The woman you were kissing was gorgeous."

He grunted.

"I'm gonna have to train you, aren't I?" she said and elbowed him. "When a woman says something like that, she's waiting for you to fill in the details."

"So it's like a question, but the complete opposite," he replied.

"Yep."

"Her name is Harmony. Yes, I was sleeping with her before we met. No, I'm not anymore," he said, thoughts growing dark. "She betrayed me to the demons. Another of my issues."

"Oh. How do people mess with you? I mean, me, I'm tiny and blonde. But you're … kinda scary, Gabriel, even if you weren't Death."

"One of life's growing pains. Trusting people you shouldn't."

"Can I trust you?" Her question was hushed.

"I haven't killed you, have I?"

"Your standards are low."

"You can trust me. I'm flawed, but I will do my best."

Deidre was quiet. It was not a good silence. He resisted the instinct that told him he needed to peek into her thoughts. She was thinking, which was good. She hadn't rejected him, and he already glimpsed what issues he was going to have to overcome.

Assuming he was able to do what he and Andre planned. The alternative was that they killed her when they retrieved the soul in her head. The idea infuriated him. He wasn't about to murder this Deidre to fetch the soul of past-Deidre. No, his predecessor wasn't going to win this round.

Andre had another idea, one that might increase the chances of success, based on ancient myths from the time-before-time. When they left Deidre's apartment, Andre was headed to ask his half-brother, Tamer, for help researching histories for more information. Gabriel wasn't getting his hopes up, let alone encouraging hers.