Language Disclaimer: But of course! The main character in here has a bit of a mouth, just to warn you. She doesn't hesitate to use four-letter words.

Sexual Disclaimer: No subtext. Seeing as this is alternative fan fiction, this would definitely make it main text. There're two women in here that are very much in love with each other, and not afraid to show it. Nothing is too graphic, promise.

Violence Disclaimer: Hm… combine a six-foot tall Amazon with some very annoying people and you're bound to end up with at least a little bit of anger, and quite a few bruises. There's some definite violence in here, and even a little description of the aftermaths of rape, but, as usual, not too graphic.

Author's Note: As always, a thank you to my best friend and beta-reader, Amber, and Charlene and Tina, for their support. You guys are great.

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.

- Maori Proverb

Y02Mustang@AOL.com

Part 3

An hour passed and I was still antsy. Well, antsy is a mild word; I guess frantic might be better. I was pacing again, which was driving everyone nuts, and any little thing set me off, to the point of Gabby letting Apollo outside so he wouldn't accidentally bump me.

The phone rang and I literally jumped for it, nearly forgetting to check that the officers were ready before I picked it up. They nodded, and I brought the receiver to my ear.

"Hey, did you miss me?" hissed Dylan, and I seethed.

"Is Nicholas okay?" I demanded.

"I don't know," he said, suddenly mockingly calm and innocent, "how much blood is in a seven-year-old body? I'm up to about a gallon, I think."

"You little shit!" I screamed, and he laughed.

"Okay, enough," he said, sharply. "Bring the money to the border, to Blythe. I want it just outside the Fireside General Store at five o'clock tonight. That gives you twelve hours to get the dough, and still make it to Blythe on time," he calculated. "Oh, and Dakota? Come alone. You bring anyone else, even a fucking plain-clothed cop, or you screw up any of my plans, and your little boy won't be the only blonde I kill, know what I mean?" he chuckled, and then the line was dead.

I know what he means, CJ, I said, closing my eyes and hanging my head for a moment, despite the officers' shouts that they had finally been able to trace the call, and Officer Harper's order to print out the information. God help me, I know who he's talking about…

"Lieutenant!" called an officer, and Lt. Harper turned to him. "He's calling from a cell phone. We can call him back, but we can't trace it to his location."

"Are you saying you can't track him?" I demanded, towering over the commanding officer.

Officer Harper met my gaze, and while he looked a little wary, he didn't look the least bit intimidated, which ticked me off. The Look was supposed to scare people into doing what I wanted, damn it! I noticed with irritation that it bothered everyone but Gabby. She'd just sit there and stare right back at me. Of course, she also knew I'd never hurt her.

"We have his number," he said, "so we can keep in touch with him."

"But can you find my son?"

"We're searching," was all he said, as he turned back to his men.

Now I had to come up with $50,000. I had a little more than $8,000 in Nick's savings account, but that was it. I could pinch together $10,000 if I tried, but no more. I began to get desperate - how much could I sell in 12 hours?

Suddenly, I felt Gabby's hand on my arm. "Don't worry," she said. "It's all taken care of." I glanced at her, warily, wondering what she had done, but she refused to tell me. So, I resigned my search for an explanation, and thanked her.

"You didn't rob a bank, did you?" I joked, and she laughed.

"Not in the last ten minutes, no." I smiled, gave her a hug, and thanked her again.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I opened it, with a uniformed officer right beside me. When he saw it wasn't Dylan, he went back to his post.

It was George. "Hi," he said. "I heard someone ordered a $50,000 briefcase."

I eyed George and his daughter carefully. I knew Gabby had called him. "George," I said, noticing the large gray case in his hand, "don't do this. I really, really appreciate the offer, but I can't ask you do this. Not for me."

The man smiled. "Oh, I'm not doing it for you, Dakota," he said, and I looked confused. "I'm doing it for Nicholas."

"But, sir, you don't even know my son," I protested. "You've never even met him! For all you know, he could be a rotten little kid, and you're dishing out fifty grand."

George shook his head, and smiled at me, again. "I don't have to meet him to know he must be a very nice young man. Gabrielle has told me a lot about him. He's important to you, and you're important to my daughter, and my daughter is important to me," he explained. "That's all I need to know."

"I'll pay you back, somehow," I said, drawing the surprised man into a hug. "I don't care how long it takes me."

"That's if we need to use this, Dakota," said Gabby. "If we can give him the money, get Nick, and then let the cops arrest him, Dad may get all his cash back." I grinned, and pulled her into the hug as well.

"I love you both!" I said, squeezing them tightly, before pulling back. "Well, that takes care of the money part. Now I need to see if I can't arrange a little party of Amazons to go with me."

"Dakota, he said to go alone," reminded Gabby, and I nodded.

"I know. But, if he's been watching me like I think he has, then he should know that I hardly go anywhere without you," I explained, and she smiled. "So, you're going with me, and he probably expects me to bring a few others, anyway. Dylan knows I'd never go completely alone," I added, to reassure both myself and the blonde that what I was about to do was right.

Picking up the phone, I dialed seven digits, and waited, a little uncertainty resting in my stomach.

"Hello?" answered the sleepy voice, and I realized too late that it was very early in the morning.

"Hey, Cardinal," I said. "Sorry to call so early, but I need to call in that favor."

"Shit, Raven!" she exclaimed, now fully awake. "What kind of trouble are you in?" She knew I'd never call in the debt unless something was really wrong.

"Dylan has Nick," I explained, "and I need you to go down to Blythe with me later today. We're going to make an exchange, money for Nicholas, and I figured you'd want to be there. I don't want you getting too involved, C. He's got a gun, all right? We'll have to let the cops do the dirty work," I added, and she agreed.

"No problem," she said. "Just remember, I still owe you."

I sighed, and thought back to the day, about eleven years ago, when I had unintentionally made an Amazon friend for life…

I was walking home from the gym, my duffel bag in hand. I went three or four times a week, using the various forms of equipment, plus my everyday run, so I was in pretty good shape. Even I was proud of myself.

I rounded the corner, and nearly passed the alley, when I heard a strange noise. Frowning, I was going to walk on by, but something told me to go investigate. Honing in on the sound, which I finally placed as whimpering, I followed it to a dark corner of the street.

I could barely make out the silhouette of a woman. "Are you hurt?" I asked, dropping my duffel bag on the ground to kneel next to her. She scampered away from me, trying to meld in with the wall, apparently, since she had nowhere else to go.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," I soothed, and slowly reached my hand out to her, like an injured and frightened animal. "It's okay. Can you stand?" The woman nodded, and hesitantly took my hand. I helped her to her feet, and then slipped an arm around her waist when she nearly fell. She was draped on one shoulder, and I took my gym bag over my other, walking slowly and carefully.

She was badly injured, and I thought I spotted a bullet wound in her shoulder, but I couldn't be sure. She was scraped up and had bruises all over her face, neck, and arms. The woman walked with a limp, and I wondered if she had any blood left in her at all, or if it was all on her clothes, since the garments were soaked in the woman's red, sticky, life substance. My breath caught in my throat for a moment when I noticed the bulge of her stomach - she was pregnant!

We hadn't taken more than a few steps, when seven burly looking men boxed us in. She immediately cowered behind me, and I knew they were the ones who had attacked her.

"Hey, Fox, I thought you said we finished her off," said one man, twirling a large chain length in his hands.

The man named Fox shrugged. "Guess not," he said. "But we could finish them both off now!"

"Now, boys, you really don't want to do this," I warned, ushering the woman over to the safety of the wall. Fox didn't listen, and ran towards me. I sidestepped him, and followed through with a straight-arm to his back that sent him sprawling. "You really, really don't want to do this. Trust me."

"And why not?" shouted another one, before charging at me, a metal pipe in his hands.

"Reason one," I said, kicking the pipe from his hands, and kneeing him in the groin. "Reason two," I continued, whirling around to catch two thugs in the face with a roundhouse kick, which I reversed to the other direction, hitting the other side of their faces.

"Reason three." I went to hit one in the gut with a sidekick, but he caught my foot, and smiled confidently as he held my ankle tightly. I smiled right back at him, and pushed up with my free leg, spinning around so fast my leg was twisted out of his grip, and I landed in a crouched position on the pavement. One swift uppercut between his legs, and he was out like a light.

"I don't often get to reason four, but when I do, it gets real messy!" I exclaimed, picking up the discarded pipe and holding it in my hands for a weapon, and the few who were left standing dragged their unconscious buddies away, eyeing me with terror as they fled.

"You still there?" I called to the woman, who came to me, quietly.

"Thank you," she said. The woman was not short, she had hazel eyes and was nearly as tall as I was, but I noticed a feather in her brown hair.

"You're welcome," I said. "Can I take you to the hospital or something?" She nodded, and we walked the few blocks to the hospital, chatting little along the way.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"My name is Jessica Fowler, but everyone calls me Cardinal," she said, and I smiled, putting my hand out to her.

"Nice to meet you, Cardinal," I said. "I'm Dakota Miller." I asked her about the feather in her hair, and she told me all about the Amazons, and even asked me if I wanted to become one. She said I would always be respected and have a place of honor among the women for saving their leader, and, as I found out later, the unborn child in her womb, as well.

Since then, Cardinal had been indebted to me, but I never called it in. I got special treatment, and anytime I needed… release, all I had to do was call Cardinal, and she'd have dozens of women lined up, who were ready and willing to share a bed with me if I so desired. Cardinal herself had been one in that line more than a few times…

"Raven?" asked a voice, and I suddenly remembered I was still on the phone.

"Oh, sorry," I said. "What'd you say?"

Cardinal chuckled. "Well, I've told you that you could have all the Amazons you needed, that I can be there whenever you want, and that little green aliens from Mars have just abducted my dog, Fluffy," she said, and I chuckled.

"Cardinal, you don't have a dog," I pointed out.

"Oh my god! They did take Fluffy!" she wailed, and I laughed at her antics. "You think it's funny, don't you, Raven? See what the government has done? I don't have a dog anymore!"

"Well, thanks for your help, C," I said, and prepared to hang up.

"One question, Dakota," she said, and I froze.

Dakota? She called me Dakota? She's never called me Dakota! I thought, and began to panic. I knew I probably wouldn't like what she had to say.

"Sure," I gulped.

"There's a rumor going around that you're in love with that woman you saved a few weeks ago," she said. "Is it true?"

"Yeah," I said. "With all my heart."

I could feel the woman smile. "I'm happy for you, Dakota, I really am. I guess this means I shouldn't be expecting anymore calls from you requesting any time together, huh?" she asked, and I sighed.

She misses you, said CJ.

I know she does, I replied. I miss her, too, but I don't really miss that.

"Cardinal," I began, "I haven't done that in a long time."

"I know," she said, and the smile I felt across the line was forced. "And I know how you always felt about it. But I'm here if you need anything, even if it's just to talk. We all are. You know that, don't you?" she asked, and I smiled, sadly.

"Yeah," I whispered, "I know that. Thanks, Cardinal. I'll see you over at my house in a few hours, okay?" She agreed, and we said our good-byes. Gabby glanced at me as I hung up the phone.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and I nodded, a little hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm all right," I said, and pulled my angel into a tight hug. Gabby played hostess since I was too nervous and worked up to do anything but wait for Cardinal to arrive, and hope I was doing the right thing. She gave everyone coffee and offered them bagels for breakfast, making sure I ate something, and she threatened me with an orange juice IV if I didn't get some liquids in me.

"Thanks," I said, kissing her forehead. She smiled, and simply nodded. It was just over an hour later when there was a knock on my door, and I opened it, to reveal two dozen Amazons, Cardinal in the front.

"Hey, guys," I said, giving Cardinal a strong hug. "I thought I said I only wanted you here," I pointed out, and Cardinal shrugged.

"I had to tell a couple people where I was going, and before I knew it, I had a whole damn posse behind me," she grinned.

I sighed. "Thanks for coming."

"Don't worry about it," she said, returning the embrace. "So, Dylan came back, did he?" I nodded. "We'll finish him off, this time."

Gabby came up beside me, quietly. "This time?" she asked, and I sighed, motioning the women inside.

"When I became pregnant with Nick, that's when I left the Amazons," I explained. "Cardinal and the others found out about what Dylan did to me, and said they'd take care of him for me, but I wouldn't let them. I knew the cops could find him in no time, so I pressed charges, and he was sent to jail. Now you guys want a second chance at him, don't you?" I asked, and Cardinal nodded.

"Damn straight," she said. "We'll take him down and then the cops can do it the right way."

"Well, let's go on down there," said Officer Harper. "Since we have everything we need, it'll be best to go down and set up my men, and scout out the area." I agreed, and soon a dozen vehicles were all heading on the freeway towards Blythe. Gabby and I were in my truck, the cops took three cars of their own, and then Cardinal and an Amazon named Hawk drove two vans with the rest of the Amazons.

It took us five hours to drive down there, nonstop. Once we arrived, Officer Harper and his men did a thorough check of the area, and discussed strategic plans of where to position themselves around the general store, and technical things like that. They even called in the SWAT team and a hostage negotiator… that didn't up my hopes any, believe me.

I spent my time talking with the Amazons.

"What do you want us to do, Raven?" asked Cardinal, and I was startled that she was turning the leadership over on me. "You're in charge, now."

I held back a grin. "Well, in that case…" I began, but Cardinal raised an eyebrow at me, and I smiled. "No, seriously. Okay, I want most of you doing what you do best - milling around and blending in with the people. I doubt that Dylan will be stupid enough to do the exchange where there's a lot of people around, so you may have to hide once the time comes," I said, and a few of the women bobbed their heads in agreement.

"Let's say ten of you mingle with the folks around here, and ten more will stay with the cops. Those who are with the cops, I want them to be extensions of the police, okay? Do what they're doing, and follow their orders. I'll inform Officer Harper that he has more backup than he thought," I added.

"That leaves four, plus Cardinal," I calculated. "Those four…" I sighed as I thought about what would be best, and felt Gabby's hand go to the small of my back, in support. I smiled down at her before continuing. "Those four will keep an eye out for Dylan, and let us know when he's coming. I don't know how he'll get here, if he'll drive all the way or find a place to park his vehicle and then walk with Nick, I don't know for sure. But the four who watch for him need to know what he looks like, and Nick, too," I added.

"Cardinal, you're going to stay with me," I said. "When Dylan comes to get his money, I want him to see only me, however. Gabby and C, I want you both safe in a cop car somewhere. I don't want either of you anywhere near Dylan, for obvious reasons.

"Now, all of you should know that Dylan Martin is a very crazy man, and I mean that in every sense of the word. He's been known to have schizophrenia, and he won't hesitate to do something if it will benefit him." I remembered my former friend, and the way he used to have his disorder under control with the use of his medication… but if he didn't take it, any emotional situation could bring it back full force.

"The only thing that matters in this entire thing is Nicholas, do you understand that? I don't want any of you getting hurt, but if you have to hurt him, or if getting to him means putting me in danger, don't hold back," I told them.

When they all agreed, and I made sure they knew what to do, I said, "Okay. Let's do it, then." Pulling Officer Harper to the side, I told him that he would have ten loyal Amazons on his side as well, and he thanked me for the help, and almost tried to refuse. "Mr. Harper," I said, evenly, "these women are my friends, and they want to help. They are all very willing, and will obey your commands. Don't tell me you couldn't use the extra backup."

With a heavy sigh, he said, "Mrs. Miller, I'm sorry you brought them out here. There's nothing they can do - the SWAT team has to do its job, and the crisis negotiator. I can't have civilians interfering, do you understand?"

"This is my son we're talking about, Officer," I said. "I'm not going to hold back when it comes to his safety. And I don't want you to, either." That said, I walked away, leaving an annoyed policeman behind me.

The hours dragged by, but I kept busy, checking in with the Amazons and the officers every chance I got, to see if they had any new ideas or new plans. No one did, but they didn't seem to get tired of my asking. At least, they didn't say anything.

Finally, it was time. I was standing on the sidewalk, with Gabby and Cardinal sitting safely in a police cruise just ten yards away, the suitcase of money in my hand, when an Amazon came running up to me. I didn't know her real name, but her Amazon name was Robin.

"Dylan's walking over here, and he parked his truck on the other side of the block," she reported. "He's got Nicholas right next to him, and he's got a gun." I nodded, and she went back to her post. I didn't know how she had managed to keep a look out with the officers swarming the area, having forced all of my friends back safely behind the scene, but it didn't matter right then.

I prepared myself for the confrontation.

The blonde man came walking around the corner, looking very smug, and very insane. He was tall, 6'1'', but he was wiry. Prison life had done nothing to improve his looks, and his dark brown eyes looked much too calm for my liking.

"Hey, honey," he called, and I forced myself not to cringe. I didn't want to make any reaction until I knew what he was up to, because he held my son at his side, a black pistol pointed at his temple. The SWAT team was in place, and the negotiators were talking to him on a bullhorn, trying to get him to release my son, but he paid them absolutely no attention.

"Well, aren't you going to say hello?" he added.

"Hello, Dylan," I said, knowing I had to do what he said until I knew what he wanted.

"And who did you bring with you? I asked you to come alone," he snarled.

"I assume you've been following me, Dylan, so you know I don't go anywhere alone." I chose against coming right out and telling him Gabby was with me. "And do you really expect me to come to a transaction like this without some kind of backup?" I asked, and the man laughed.

"I knew you'd do it, Dakota," he said. "I had it all planned out from the beginning. You come here with those damn cops and Amazons running all over the place, and I know exactly where they're at, too," he added, but I remained impassive. "You give me the money, I make sure it's all there, and we're done!"

"After you give me my son," I said, tonelessly.

"No, he's my son, too, Dakota," he pointed out, and I winced. "Oh, you don't like that fact, do you, bitch? He's my son and I have every right to see him. Look, he's got my hair!" he exclaimed, tugging on Nicholas' hair, roughly.

"Don't hurt him!" I said, taking a step forward.

Dylan moved the barrel of the gun in my direction. "Not one more step," he growled. "You don't move unless I tell you to, got it? Yeah, you don't move unless he tells you!" I mentally rolled my eyes as his "other-half" kicked in, after a slight pause.

"Got it, Dylan. Just don't hurt Nicholas," I said.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please," he spat. "I see you brought the money. Very good. Have the blonde bring it over," he ordered, and I balked. Gabby? He wanted Gabby to walk over there to him? "I know she's here, goddamn it, so send her over! Now! "

"I've got the suitcase," I said, trying to be logical, "so I'll bring it over."

Logic does nothing on an illogical man, said CJ, and I was forced to agree.

"The blonde bitch will bring it over because I said she'd bring it over!" he screamed, placing the gun once again at Nick's head. "If you bring it over, you'll try something. If I have both bargaining chips, I have all the power."

That's what I'm afraid of, I thought, swallowing the lump of fear in my throat.

Gabby calmly took the case from my hand, startling me, as I hadn't heard her approach. "It's okay," she said, giving me a small smile, before sobering up as she walked the ten yards to the madman. As soon as she was within reach, Dylan grabbed her arm and, aiming the gun at her, pulled her to his side.

"Hmm…" he said, as he took the suitcase in his hands, "I hope for your sake it's all there. Open it!" he ordered Gabrielle, who did it, slowly. She knew as well as I did, that the cops were moving in from behind, and wanted to give them more time.

"Hurry up!" he cried.

When the case was opened, he said, "Either of you moves a muscle and I'll blow you away, got it?" Gabby nodded, and he knelt down to casually flip through the bills. Satisfied, he closed the case again, and placed it between his feet, so he still had his hands free.

"Hey, Dakota," he called. "I've got a question for you." I raised an eyebrow at him, and he grinned, ludicrously. "Which one do you love more?"

The maniac began waving the gun between Nicholas and Gabby, between my son and my heart, as if he couldn't make up his mind.

"Don't hurt them, Dylan," I pleaded. "It's me you want. It's me you're angry at, not Gabby or Nicholas; I'm the one who turned you in, remember?" I was trying to get him to stop focusing on them, and to concentrate on me, so maybe the cops could move in and do something while he was distracted.

"You're right," he said, and aimed the weapon at Gabby. "But I know you, Dakota. It'll hurt you more watching one of them die, slowly. Or, hell, even both of them," he added, giddily.

I saw him put the barrel of the gun against a blonde head, and sprinted forward, screaming, "No!" He abruptly fired four shots at me, each missing by only a few inches. Then, noticing that the cops were quickly closing in behind him, he put the gun against Nick's head, and spun around to face them.

I could almost hear the snipers taking aim.

That left Gabby free to go, but I noticed she made no attempt at moving. I realized she wouldn't put Nick's life in danger by leaving, and startling or angering the man. My fear for her increased, as did my love.

"I know him, he doesn't care if he kills the kid!" he shouted, talking about his other personality. "You guys don't come any closer, or he'll do it!"

"Dylan!" I shouted, and he glanced back at me, quickly firing one more round. I felt a white-hot pain go through my thigh, and glanced down to see blood already staining my jeans. I collapsed to the ground, but refused to stay there. Pushing down the pain, I got back up, and called to the man again.

I smiled when he shot at me again. It missed, but I wouldn't care if it had gone through my heart - he had a six-shot pistol. He was out of bullets. Gabby knew this, too, because she elbowed him in the stomach. When he doubled over, she grabbed Nick and shoved him towards me, running after him. The cops and Amazons swarmed in, and the man was in cuffs in no time.

Nicholas ran at me full force, and I wrapped my arms around him, tightly. Pulling back, with tears in my eyes, I asked him if he was okay. He nodded, and other than a split lip, said nothing was wrong with him.

Officer Harper came up to me, and said the ambulance was on its way. I just nodded, and shakily got to my feet, hugging both Gabby and Nick for all I was worth. Dylan was yelling inanities at me as he was loaded into the cop car, but I ignored him. I had managed to get Nicholas back, and Gabby, relatively unharmed. That was all that mattered.

The paramedics were quick to put me on medication, but they wouldn't allow Nick in the ambulance with me. Gabby promised me we'd meet up at the hospital, since I asked her not to leave Nick, and I succumbed to the pain when I was sure the ambulance doors were closed.

The next time I opened my eyes, I saw Gabby, Nick, and George, all staring at me.

"Hi," I croaked, and Gabby kissed my forehead, while George kissed my cheek, and Nicholas wrapped his arms around my middle.

"The doctor said the operation went well, and you should be home in a few days," George said, and I nodded.

"I'll be home tomorrow," I said, and Nicholas agreed when I translated.

"I'm going to stay with you for a while," he said. "Grandma said I could, because we're not doing anything in school. Can I, mom?"

I grinned. "Sure, Nick," I said. "But I'm not gonna let you out of my sight for a minute!" He nodded, and hugged me again. George took him by the shoulder, and led him out of the room to get something to eat, leaving Gabby and I alone.

"I got something for you," she said, pulling out a small bag. Reaching in, I watched as she withdrew a beautiful necklace with a horse pendent on the chain.

As she fastened it around my neck, I asked, "What's this for?"

"For being you," she said, kissing my lips. Never one to disagree with a response like that, I shrugged, and kissed her back. "Do you really think you'll be home tomorrow?" I nodded. "Good, because Jessica said she could come over and keep Nicholas entertained so you can recuperate."

I raised an eyebrow. Jessica had become a fairly good friend since she accepted Gabby and I, but I didn't expect this. "Jessica said she'd take care of it, huh?" Gabby nodded. "Well, that was nice of her." I yawned, as the medication kicked in, and Gabby wished me a good night as she left to find her father.

Just as I'd said, the doctor said I was fit enough to go home the following day, providing I didn't do any heavy lifting or a lot of walking, so I wouldn't tear my stitches. Gabby took me home, and made me go right to bed. She wouldn't even let me get up to go the bathroom without telling her.

"Hey, Dakota," said Jessica, as she peeked her head in my bedroom.

"Hi, Jessica. How are the boys doing?" I asked, and she smiled.

"They're fine," she replied. "I think Nick is teaching Billy some new moves he found on his computer game. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," I responded. "How long do you plan on staying?" The woman said she'd sleep on the couch, while Billy shared Nick's room. The boys liked the arrangements, and Jessica insisted she wanted to help, so it all worked out.

"As long as I'm needed," she said. "I'll probably leave the day after tomorrow." I agreed, and she left me to my rest, which the medicines made me do a lot of. At least when I was sleeping I didn't feel any pain.

Gabby slept in my bed with me, and didn't seem to mind my being so tired. By the second night, however, I was feeling much better, and much more alert. I wrapped my arm around Gabby as we prepared to go to sleep, and slyly slipped my hand underneath her shirt, frowning when she caught my hand and withdrew it.

"Gabby?" I asked, wondering if I had done something wrong.

"Dakota, we have company," she said, and I rolled my eyes.

"So? The boys can't hear us, and I'm sure Jessica won't know, either," I said, and nuzzled her neck.

"And what if she hears us?"

"What if she does?" I countered, kissing the edge of her jaw. "It's not like she doesn't know how much we love each other. I think she assumes we've done it before."

I kissed her neck, and the hollow of her throat, as I slipped both hands under her shirt, running my fingers along her sides. I was extremely surprised, and hurt, when she said, "Dakota, stop."

I did as she said, and pulled back, trying to meet her eyes, but she averted my gaze. "Gabby, what's wrong?" I asked, worried. "Are you mad at me?" She shook her head. "Then what is it?"

"John," she said, and it was explained in that one word. She still didn't feel ready to be intimate, because John had raped her.

I sighed. "Gabby, sweetheart, it's been almost three weeks. I know you're scared, but please don't shut me out," I said. "I love you, Gabby, and I've missed you. I've missed loving you," I admitted. "We have to work through this, together."

I began kissing her face, and then moved down to her neck. "Just concentrate on me, sweetheart," I urged. "Think about how you know it's me. I'll never hurt you, Gabby, and I think we both need this." I gently removed her shirt, all the while telling her, "It's me, my angel. It's Dakota."

As I moved to unclasp her bra, and kissed my way down to her breasts, I said, "I'm the one who's kissing you. I love you, Gabby, and you're safe." By the time I removed her shorts, she had considerably relaxed, and even began to respond to what I was doing.

I'm usually more the silent type during intimate relations, but this time, I talked to Gabby during all of it, letting her know she was safe with me. I rode with her as she climaxed, twice, whispering softly as she came back down.

"Thank you, Dakota," she said, kissing me after regaining her breath. It had taken her a while to relax, but I think it helped her to know I still loved her - even after what had happened.

Raising an eyebrow, she said, "Now, it's my turn…"

I limped to the breakfast table the next morning, letting Gabby sleep in. Jessica was already there, sipping a cup of coffee, and she eyed me with a knowing expression. I raised an eyebrow at her. "Got something to say?" I asked, and she smirked.

"No, but I've got something to ask you," she replied, and I knew I wasn't going to like it, just by the devilish look on her face. "How many times did you see God last night? I lost count."

I about choked on my coffee, as I tried hard not to spit it out across the table, while Jessica laughed at my embarrassment.

Gabby was right about company, sighed CJ, as she laughed.

Yeah, I think I ought to listen to her more often, I thought.

An adorably sleepy looking blonde stumbled into the kitchen then, groping for the coffee pot, pouring herself a strong cup. Seeing the look on my face, and Jessica's, she said, "What? Did you think I'd be walking funny this morning or something?"

It was Jessica's turn to choke on her drink, and I smiled proudly at Gabby as she walked by. She had said it with such a straight face that I nearly lost my composure. "Don't start something you can't finish," she told Jessica, before walking into the bathroom to take a shower.

"That's my girl!" I exclaimed, smiling.

"I didn't expect her to say that," said Jessica, regaining her poise.

I shook my head. "Neither did I, Jessica. Neither did I." But it was a pleasant surprise.

As soon as I could go back to work, I went. George had somehow intercepted the hospital bill for my leg surgery, and I told him I'd reimburse him. Luckily, I only had to pay him back ten grand, rather than the fifty I would have if Dylan had taken the cash.

Paying him back meant longer hours, which meant a more irritable me. Coming home each night at almost 8:00, wolfing down dinner, and collapsing into bed with a quick good night to Gabby was not my idea of fun.

I've never been particularly fond of Mondays, but one really affected me. First thing in the morning, my truck decided it was going to misbehave, so I had to find my jumper cables, and a friend's car, to jump-start it. Then, Joe put me to work at the front desk, dealing with the most obnoxious people I've ever met.

One woman who came in was so stupid it drove me nuts. "Excuse me, miss," she said, and I decided to be polite.

"Can I help you?" I offered, smiling sweetly.

"I'm here to get a spare tire," she said, and I nodded.

"Okay, I can show you to our tire department. What brand do you need?"

"It's for my '95 Dodge Ram," she said, and I nodded, again.

"But what brand of tire do you need?" I repeated.

"The kind for a Dodge," she replied, as if it was obvious. After nearly ten minutes of going around like that, I finally had her lead me out to her truck, where I found they were Good Year. That taken care of, I eagerly helped her with her purchase so she could leave.

And from there, my day just got worse.

God, I hate Mondays, I thought, and CJ said the same, as I drove home.

I parked my truck against the curb, and stepped out slowly. After the day I'd had, I was ready to explode at the littlest thing, and I hoped Gabby's smile would calm me down. Just as I was at the front step, the door opened, and I stopped in my tracks. An Amazon, who I knew as Eagle, and Gabby, were laughing hysterically over something, hanging all over each other as they giggled.

I took a few steps back where I could watch, unnoticed.

"Thanks, Nicole," said Gabby, their laughs dying down enough for her to speak. "I really appreciate it, that was fun! Especially the dancing," she added, making them laugh again.

Eagle nodded, and agreed, before turning more serious. "Listen, Gabrielle," she said, "don't worry about anyone finding out about this. I won't tell the Amazons, unless they already know, and I hardly talk to Dakota anymore, so…"

"Thanks, Nicole," repeated Gabby, and gently kissed the woman's cheek.

I couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm sure the pleasure's all hers," I growled, coming into sight.

"Dakota!" exclaimed Gabby, looking surprised, and, I thought, a little guilty.

"Oh, shit," muttered Eagle, deer-in-the-headlights look overcoming her features. "Hey, Raven," she gulped.

"You've got ten seconds," I warned.

"Right," said Eagle, and with one last look at Gabby, the woman bolted. I didn't say a word as I coldly brushed past the small blonde who stood, too shocked to move, in the doorway.

"Why did you do that?" I asked, going straight to the cupboard, and taking out a dusty bottle of scotch. I almost never drank, but, boy, did I need one then.

"And just what do you think I did?" asked Gabby, firmly.

"Don't answer my questions with a question!" I shouted. "I feel like shit, my head is pounding, and I am not in the mood for anything less than the truth!" I took my first swallow of the bitter drink, downing the entire glass in one gulp.

"Nicole is a friend of mine, and she just came over to talk," she explained.

"And to dance," I added, pouring my third glass, as I eyed the blonde, angrily.

"Dakota, I don't know what you think went on, but I can guarantee you that Nicole and I have never been, and won't ever be, anything more than friends," Gabby said, and I could tell my doubt was upsetting her.

I hadn't been drinking in a while, so the liquor was starting to affect me already, and I was a little tipsy. Now, some people are happy drunks, and others are angry drunks. Unfortunately, I belong to the latter group. After my sixth glass, I started pacing around the house, ranting and raving like… well, like a drunk.

In a wild gesture, I threw my hands up in the air to prove my exasperation, and the half-full bottle that I held in my hand flew into the air. Turning end over end, it shattered on the kitchen counter, spilling sour liquid on the stove, the counter, and the floor.

"And in my own damn house!" I cursed, upset by my idea that Gabby had cheated on me with Nicole - in my own home, no less!

Gabby came up behind me, softly, a rag in her hand. "I'll clean this up if you go lay down," she said, quietly. "Please, Dakota, calm down. You're scaring me."

I started; those words cut through my alcohol haze, straight to my heart. "I've got to go," I said, suddenly, and walked out the door. I needed to clear my head, and I wouldn't go back until my thoughts were straight, so I wouldn't scare Gabby anymore. That was the last thing I wanted to do; drunk or sober, I never wanted to hurt my angel.

I had enough sense about me not to drive, and I walked a mile down the road to one of my Amazon friend's house. Her name was Jaybird, and I knew I could crash at her place until I got the hangover I deserved, without having to worry about doing something I'd regret. Not only was Jaybird straight, she was married.

"Jaybird!" I called, knocking on her door.

To my surprise, Jaybird's ten-year-old daughter Susan answered my knock, rubbing her eyes tiredly. The youngster's shoulder-length blonde hair was mussed from sleep, she was walking around in her pajamas, and guilt struck me as I realized I probably woke her up.

"Hi, Dakota," she said, her tired little gray eyes looking up at me.

"Hey, sweetheart," I said, doing my best not to let my words slur. "Is your mom home?"

She shook her head. "Mom's out dancing with dad," the young girl said. It was not unusual for Amazons to have a life outside of the gang, so that didn't surprise me. "Do you wanna come in? You look sick," she added, worriedly, and I smiled.

"I'm all right. Go back to sleep, Sue. I'll talk to your mom later, okay?" The girl nodded, and closed the door softly as she told me good night. Knowing I was still too drunk to go home, I took a shortcut through a few backyards, and arrived in Amazon territory in fifteen minutes. I waited patiently, and, as I expected, a few Amazons came out of the shadows to greet me.

"Raven?" asked one, and I recognized the woman as my close friend, Dove.

"Hi, Dove," I responded.

"You're drunk," she said, wrinkling her nose. "Cardinal said you've got a girl now, and Falcon said you love her. What's going on?"

I shrugged, and kicked the ground. "Listen, I've had a really bad week, I'm drunker than I have a right to be, and I feel like shit. I need a place to crash," I hinted, and Dove nodded.

"You can stay with me, if you don't mind sharing a room with Eagle." At the sound of that name, I shook my head.

"Not Eagle. I'll stay somewhere else," I said. "I don't trust myself around her at the moment."

Dove didn't ask any questions, she simply snapped her fingers. A young, new Amazon came to her side immediately. "Sparrow," she said, as all the new Amazons were called, "you'll share your room with our friend and sister, Raven." The girl nodded, and I followed her to what was known as The Palace.

"The Palace" was just a few apartments that were still standing, and had enough walls to be called a shelter. The rooms looked in better condition than I had last seen them, and I was glad the Amazons had fixed up the complex.

The apartment Sparrow led me to was small, but comfortable. A bed, chair, and small table were the only furniture, save a single lamp without a shade. The girl attempted to tell me she would sleep on the floor, so I, the warrior and guest, would have the bed.

But I wouldn't hear of it.

"I'm fine," I insisted, laying a blanket on the hard floor. "All I need is a roof over my head. Thanks, Sparrow," I added, and the girl nodded, beaming as she climbed into her bed. I closed my eyes, and was asleep quickly.

The next morning, I woke up, and knew instantly that something was wrong. First of all, I had a pounding headache, but from what I could tell, a hangover was the least of my worries.

I had fallen asleep on the floor, fully clothed, but I was now completely nude and lying on my side in a soft bed. I had my right arm slug over a woman's middle, and a blonde, at that. But I could tell that it was not my blonde, not Gabrielle. I didn't even have to open my eyes - the hair tickled my bare neck and chest, so it was too long.

Not only that, but my bedmate did not snore adorably like my angel; nor did she feel or smell of my love.

Yes, I knew her scent - don't laugh. When you're in love, you'll know what I mean.

It all came down to one horrible conclusion: I was in deep shit. The woman I was in bed with was not Gabrielle.

Slowly opening my eyes, I prayed it was all a dream, or maybe I was the only one nude. Maybe I, in my drunken state, got undressed and climbed in beside the Sparrow who had lent me her floor, my body craving Gabrielle. Yeah, maybe I would look and only have to face an embarrassed - but fully clothed - young Amazon.

You're grasping at straws, Dakota, warned CJ, and I swallowed, hard.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes, and immediately felt my stomach churn. There, as naked as I was, hickeys covering her body, was Blair! I glanced down at my own body, hoping it wouldn't give me the proof that I didn't want - that I had betrayed Gabby. The red bite marks, visible on numerous parts of my skin, screamed at me, and I rolled to the side of the bed, retching violently although nothing came up.

Blair awoke at the noise, and ran her fingers through my hair, sneering as I shuddered and tried to get farther away from her. "Told you I was a better lay," she said, and I was sick with the dry heaves for a while longer after that comment.

"Blair," I said, trembling as I slowly moved to my back, "please. Please, I'm begging you, tell me the truth. Tell me we didn't…" I couldn't bring myself to say it. I felt I'd just be sick again.

She grinned. "Oh, yes, we did. Four times," she added, and I moaned. I looked around the room for my clothes, which were strewn every which direction. I didn't even want to ask how my shirt ended up in the far corner, and my bra under the bed. I just didn't want to know.

I had been too drunk to remember anything past my time in Sparrow's room, but the marks on my body made it painfully obvious. The red patches were like a bad rash, and a few of them hurt. I pulled on my underwear and jeans without a word to Blair, who I had to keep moving away from, as she constantly tried to kiss me.

I was pulling on my shoes and socks, still topless because my breasts were sore, when the door burst open.

"Blair, I'm looking for…" Dove's voice trailed off as she saw me. "Never mind. I found her!" she called out the door. "Raven, you'd better get dressed."

I eyed her with thinly veiled anger. "I'm working on it," I stated, raising an eyebrow at her from my seat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm not even gonna ask how you got those," she said, meaning the bite marks, "because it's none of my business. And what you do with whom doesn't concern me, but there's someone here who does care, which is why I suggest you put your shirt on," she explained, and I frowned, wondering who she was talking about.

Dear God, tell me Gabby's not here, I prayed.

"Jeri Dakota Miller!" a voice rang out, and my eyes got wide as the woman stormed into the room, Dove moving out of the way just in time.

There was only one person who could make my heart stop by saying my full name. "Mom?" I exclaimed, and, as her eyes fell upon my naked torso, the hickeys, and the still nude woman beside me, I watched as those eyes filled with disappointment.

"Oh, Dakota," she said, and came to sit beside me. Taking my hand in her own, she looked pointedly at Dove.

Dove took the hint and grabbed Blair by the arm, not caring that she was still naked, dragging her out the door, saying, "Come on, Vulture. Let's go."

"Hey, don't call me that!" protested Blair.

"You're on Amazon territory, and you'll be called by your Amazon name. Now, let's go. Don't make me pull rank on you," warned Dove, still trying to pull Blair out of the room.

"Rank? Ha!" laughed Vulture. "I outrank you, Dove!"

"Not when Cardinal's out of town. Now, come on!" said my friend, closing the door behind her, leaving me to deal with my mother.

I wasn't sure who I would have preferred to be in the room with - my mother, or Blair. "Mother, what are you doing here?" I asked, slipping my shirt over my head, after gently fastening my bra, which, as I suspected, brought pain to my sensitive flesh. "Where's Nick?"

"Nicholas is with my next-door neighbor," she said, her voice even. "Gabrielle called me early this morning, when she realized you weren't at home. She asked me if I knew of anywhere you might be, since I told her you weren't with me. Dakota, she was in tears," my mother added, and I hung my head.

"Now, the first place I thought of was the Amazons, so I came looking for you, because Gabby said she wanted to stay there in case you decided to come home. She's worried sick, Jeri. I want to know what's going on," she finished.

I sighed. My mother hadn't called me by my first name in years, and I knew it was bad. "I've had a really bad last couple of days," I began. "Ever since Nick's been back, I've worked on repaying George, since he paid the hospital bill. Last night I got home, and found Gabby with my friend Eagle. They were laughing and cutting up, not knowing I was watching. Nicole said something about not telling anyone, and how Gabby didn't have to worry about me finding out. I decided to put an end to whatever was going on when I saw Gabby kiss her cheek.

"Once I made my presence known, Nicole took off, and I went inside for a drink. I guess I overreacted, and Gabby tried to assure me nothing had happened between her and Nicole. Somehow, the bottle broke, and Gabby said she'd clean it up if I'd calm down, because I was scaring her. God, Mom," I said, covering my face with my hands, "she was afraid of me!

"I knew I had to leave before I ended up hitting her or something. You know how I am when I'm drunk," I said.

My mother nodded. "So you came to Blair," she said, and I shook my head.

"No!" I said, a little too loudly. "No. First, I went to Jaybird's house. I knew I could stay there for the night, and not have to worry about, well, this," I said. "But she wasn't home, so I came here. Dove offered me her place, but I'd have to share a room with Eagle, and I wasn't sure what I'd do if I ran into her while I was drunk, so I said no.

"Dove didn't question me, she just put me up for the night with a Sparrow. I went to sleep on her floor, and woke up here," I finished. "That's all I remember."

"Are you telling me you don't remember how you got those?" she asked, gesturing to the red spots. I nodded. "Well, this might have something to do with it," she said, reaching down to withdraw a nearly empty bottle of Absolut - something that could get me wasted faster than any other liquor. "I noticed it when I came in."

"I was drunk when I got here, and I must have had a few more drinks with Blair," I sighed. "It's a wonder I can talk this morning."

"Just because you were drunk is no excuse for what you've done," said my mother, and I nodded; I knew it was the truth. "Come on, Dakota. I'll drive you home," she said, standing.

I looked up at her, shocked. "No! I can't go home, mom. Gabby will see the marks, and I'll lose her forever," I said, tears in my eyes at the idea.

"I came to take you home, Dakota, and that's what I intend to do. You have never been one to shirk from responsibility, and you've never been one to lie. Just talk to her, and tell her the truth," added Patricia, and I nodded, sighing as I got to my feet.

My mother merely dropped me off, claiming she had to go check on Nicholas, so I was on my own. I came in the house slowly, scared out of my mind. Gabby was sitting on the couch, looking very upset. I cleared my throat, and she jumped to her feet when she saw me.

"Dakota!" she exclaimed, and gave me a hug; I stiffened. I didn't feel right that she should be so happy to see me after what I had done, but she misunderstood my reaction. She thought I was in pain. "Are you okay? You look like you were in a fight!"

Fight? I thought. Fight? Yeah, that'll work. Maybe I won't lose her, after all!

Dakota, sighed CJ, remember what your mother said. Tell her the truth.

And risk losing her? Since when did you become the poster-girl for honesty? I sneered. Besides, what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?

The voice had no reply.

"Uh, yeah," I said. "I was too drunk to remember much, but I think I ticked off a few teenage punks. I woke up with the Amazons," that much was true, "so they must have found me, or rescued me, or whatever," I shrugged. My head pounded, and I brought my hand up to my temples, wincing with the pain.

"Hey, you must be tired," said Gabby, kissing my cheek. "Why don't you go lie down, and I'll make some tea for your headache." I nodded, walked towards my bedroom, and turned back when she called my name.

"Did they take your necklace?" she asked.

My hand automatically went to my neck, only to find that the necklace was indeed gone. I cursed Blair in my mind, having no doubt that the charm was somewhere in her possession. "Must have," I shrugged, and turned back around, but not before I caught the look of disappointment on her face, and felt the pang of guilt in my heart. I decided I would have to tell her the truth, just as soon as my headache toned down enough for me to handle the trouble that was sure to follow.

I had just lain down, when there was a knock at the door. Gabby answered it, but I stumbled to the doorway of my bedroom to see who it was. I nearly fell when my knees suddenly got weak - it was Blair!

Oh, shit, I thought. This isn't going to be good.

"Can I help you?" asked Gabby, politely, although it was clear she recognized the woman, and was a little cautious.

"Oh, on the contrary. I should be asking you!" said Blair, chuckling maniacally. She brought something out of her pocket, and held it up for Gabby to see. I craned my neck, and saw my necklace dangling in the light.

It just got worse, said CJ, grimly.

"You found Dakota's necklace!" exclaimed Gabby, and she reached for the charm.

Blair laughed. "Found it? Oh, sweet girl, I didn't find it," squealed the Amazon. "I fixed it. You see, it was torn off during the course of, oh, it must have been the third time around. The clasp broke when it was tossed under my bed," she added.

Gabby frowned. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, in a voice that said she really didn't want to know.

"You mean Dakota didn't tell you about us?" she asked, and when the look on Gabby's face told her that I had not, Blair threw her head back and laughed, clapping her hands wildly. "Oh, Raven, you are rich! You see, dear, I told you she'd come crawling back."

The small blonde refused to believe her. "What are you saying?" she asked, fingering the necklace.

"Where do you think Dakota spent the night?" hinted Blair. "Not that we got much sleep. Being around you seems to have increased her need for real pleasure," laughed the woman, evilly.

"That's not true!" said Gabby, and, any other time, I would have been glad she trusted me. But when it was ill placed, I felt horrible. "Dakota didn't cheat on me, she got into a fight."

Vulture giggled. "A fight? Where do you think I got these?" she demanded, pulling down the collar of her shirt to reveal a few red marks, similar to my own. "Well, it was nice talking with you, but I really must be going. See you soon, Raven!" she called, and walked away, smugly.

Gabby closed the door behind her, and waited for a few moments, before turning to face me, tears already evident in her green eyes.

I was still standing at the doorway, and she walked right up to me. "There was no fight, was there?" she asked, and I shook my head, looking down. "Were you with Blair last night?" I could hear the emotion choke her voice as I gave her a nearly imperceptible nod, and then there was the pain.

The slap wasn't that hard, barely enough to move my head, but I have never been hurt more in my life.

My eyes turned back to her, and I was instinctively angry, but as I looked at the hurt on her face, guilt overtook my anger. "Gabby," I said, and reached for her as she cried, but she backed away, and wouldn't let me touch her. She walked into my room, and began packing.

"Gabby, honey, please," I tried, begging for her to let me apologize, but she shook her head.

"No," she said. "I trusted you, Dakota. I trusted you and you lied to me." Wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, she continued to put her things in her bag.

I wanted desperately to hold her one last time, but I knew she wouldn't allow it. "I love you." That stopped her for a moment, but she said nothing, and I knew I deserved the silence. "At least let me drive you home," I said, as she headed for the door, patting Apollo on the head as she passed.

"I'll call a cab," she said, "or catch the bus. Dakota, I don't want to hear from you again, do you understand? Don't call me, don't come over, nothing," she clarified.

I looked into her eyes, beseechingly. "Please, Gabby, let me apologize, or beg, or," she cut me off.

"It won't do any good, Dakota," she said. "It's over."

I didn't know until then that two words could make your world stop turning. Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to crawl under a rock and die - I knew it was more than I deserved.

"I'm sorry," I called, as she walked out the door.

"So am I," she said, quietly, before walking out of my life. I heard the door click shut, and the tears sprung forth, and I sank to my knees, crying as my angel disappeared. I have never felt so alone.

I don't know how long I stayed like that, but eventually, I moved to the couch. I was sitting there, feeling sorry for myself, when I happened to glance down at the coffee table. What I saw there caused fresh tears to flow - my necklace. Gabby had left the charm, but that just made me miss her all the more.

No matter how much it might feel like it, the world doesn't stop for a broken heart, and soon my growling stomach was too insistent to ignore. I munched on a piece of toast, but loneliness gets to every part of your body, and I wasn't sure I could hold much more food down, so I settled for a can of lemon-lime soda. Turns out I wasn't as hungry as I thought.

It was dusk before a knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. "Come in," I called, not bothering to look up. The way I felt, I couldn't have cared less who came in my home, unless it was Gabby.

Which it wasn't.

Eagle took a cautious seat next to me. "Hey," she said. "What's wrong?"

"Gabby left me," I responded, choking back a sob.

"Oh, Raven. I'm sorry," she said, sincerely. "I just came to tell you that I hope you know nothing went on between Gabby and I. I guess I can tell you what we talked about, since it doesn't really matter, now. I ran into her a few days ago, and we talked for a while. We hadn't seen each other since high school, and she invited me over yesterday night, and we got to discussing your birthday gift," said Eagle, and I felt my heart stop.

Gabby had been talking about hiding a gift from me, and I had accused her of cheating!

"She asked me not to tell anyone, but she was going to set up a small surprise party for you," Eagle told me. "She wanted to have a lot of people, but we decided you'd probably be more comfortable with a small crowd, so she figured it'd be a little easier to do that if I didn't mention it to the other Amazons, because they'd be sure to invite themselves.

"I promised her I wouldn't, and we started going over who was going to be invited," she concluded.

"That's what she was thanking you for," I voiced, and Eagle nodded. "So what was all that about dancing?"

She sighed. "Years ago, we used to hang out at each other's houses all the time," she explained. "Being alone, we'd crank the stereo system, and just dance to whatever was on, not caring how stupid we looked. We used to unwind like that after a big test, or a bad day.

"We did that last night," the Amazon said. "We danced for about an hour, before kicking back with a few glasses of lemonade, and telling old stories and jokes. Until you came home."

She glanced at me, worried, before continuing. "Blair's going around saying that you were with her last night. Several times," she added. "Is it true?"

I nodded. "I was drunk when I got there, and I guess I had a few more drinks with Blair, so I don't remember any of it, but I can't ignore the marks," I said, and pulled my shirt a little to the side when she gave me a quizzical look.

"Are you telling me you were drunk enough to completely forget an entire night of what must have been extremely passionate sex?" I nodded, but Eagle shook her head. "I don't believe it."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you mean?" I growled, and she put her hands up, defensively.

"Hey, take it easy," she said. "I'm not calling you a liar, Raven, I'm just saying that something doesn't seem right."

"I cheated on the one woman I swore I'd never hurt," I sighed. "Blair had hickeys all over her body! Of course it doesn't seem right."

"Well, even though we had a falling out a few years back, I don't doubt your nobility to Gabby," she said, standing to leave. "If you're one thing, Raven, you're loyal. I've never known you to cheat on anyone, and I don't expect you've started with Gabby. Blair's always had a hidden agenda for you, and I plan to find out what it is," she finished.

"Thanks," I said, surprising the hell out of her by giving her a hug. "I'd invite you to stay, but I'm afraid I'm not very good company right now."

"That's okay. Hey, you know what I'd do, if I were you?" she offered, and I raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Beg," she said.

"Gabby said she didn't want to hear from me again," I said, sadly.

"That's why you have to apologize," she insisted. "Do everything in your power to make up to her. Apologize so much she tells you to quit apologizing, and then apologize for apologizing. Just do whatever you can to tell her your sorry," she said. "Call her, go to her house, write her a note, send her flowers, do anything."

I nodded. "I guess it's worth a shot," I sighed. "I'll try anything at this point." Grinning, she placed her right fist over her heart, giving me the Amazon salute. I cracked a smile, and gently shoved her.

"Don't salute me," I protested, "I don't deserve it."

"You're right," she said, and dropped to one knee in front of me.

I rolled my eyes, and hauled her to her feet. "Will you stop that? If Cardinal hears that you're bowing to anyone but her, you'll be in trouble," I said.

Nicole just smiled. "Yeah, well, I've always respected you both as leaders," she admitted.

"Get outta here," I smiled, "before I take you up on that and start ordering you around." The Amazon dodged my halfhearted punch with ease, and laughed as she walked away. I didn't feel as bad after her visit, but when the door closed, the silence settled around me once more.

I decided it was too late in the evening to start groveling, so I climbed wearily into bed, and tried to get some sleep. Unfortunately, I ended up staring at the ceiling all night, thinking about how empty my bed was and how much I missed my angel.

The next morning, bright and early at eight o'clock, I picked up the phone and dialed Gabby's number. Stacy answered the phone.

"Hi, Stacy," I said. "Can I speak with Gabby?"

"Miss Johnson does not wish to talk to you, Miss Miller," replied the woman, and I sighed when I heard her hang up the phone. I hit re-dial.

"Johnson residence," answered Stacy.

"Stacy, don't hang up," was the first thing I said. "Now, listen to me. I'm going to keep calling until I talk to Gabby, so why don't we just cut to the chase?"

"Miss Johnson told me directly she did not wish to speak to you if you called, Miss Miller," insisted Stacy.

"Stacy, please," I begged. "If I can't talk to her over the phone, I'll drive to the house and talk to her. Please, I need to apologize to her."

"I'll tell her she has a phone call," sighed the woman, and I waited patiently for Gabby to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" asked Gabby, and I was glad Stacy hadn't told her who it was.

"Gabby, please listen to me," I began, but was cut off by the dial tone. I sighed. "She gives me no choice," I told Apollo. "I guess I'll have to make a visit to the Johnson residence." He whined disapprovingly, but I ignored him.

I climbed in my truck, and drove the few minutes to Gabby's house, but I was a nervous wreck. My gut told me she wouldn't listen to me, and I was afraid George would throw me out. But I had to try; I couldn't go on like I was, with no food or rest.

That, and I think I just needed to hold her again.

Gathering my courage, I walked up to the front step, and knocked on the door. To my surprise, George answered almost immediately, as if he had been expecting me.

"She's not going to talk to you," he said, and I hung my head.

"She doesn't have to talk to me, sir," I said, and he looked startled. "All I want her to do is listen to me."

"I don't know if she'll do that, Dakota," the man said, and I sighed. "You hurt her, very badly." I nodded. "She tells me you cheated on her, and you expect her to forgive you for that?" he demanded.

"No, sir," I said, "I don't expect that she'll ever forgive me. But, I think I just need to see her again. Or talk to her. I feel horrible, George, honestly, I do."

"You look like you got just about as much sleep as she did last night," he said, and I knew he wasn't saying that to comment on my health, merely to dig at me that I had caused Gabby a restless night.

Like I didn't feel bad enough already. Great.

"I'm sorry, George," I said. "Can I see her?"

He shook his head. "No, Dakota," he said. "After what you've done… I'm going to ask you to leave my property."

I hung my head. "I'll be back, sir. Until I get a chance to see her," I said, as I walked away.

Well, you were right, said CJ. He threw you out.

I sighed, and sat in my truck, thinking. Well, that's strike two. Only thing left is writing her a note. Like she'll read it, I thought, sadly.

Come on, Dakota, urged CJ. You're not going to give up after just one let down, are you? Go back up there and tell him you have to see her!

"I did tell him I'd be back," I said, aloud, as I climbed out of my truck, again. I walked back up to the door and knocked loudly.

"Dakota, I thought I told you to leave," Mr. Johnson said, as he answered the door. He didn't look very happy to see me back so soon.

"And I told you I'd be back until I could see her," I replied, meeting his gaze. "Please, sir, I love your daughter with all my heart," I began, but he cut me off.

"You should have thought of that before you went to bed with another woman," he said, and slammed the door in my face. I knocked on the door again, and we went on like that for at least an hour. He'd answer the door, we'd say a few words, and then he'd order me to leave. About the seventh or eighth time, he threatened to call the cops, so I drove home. I knew there was no way I'd be able to explain myself to the officers.

Once I arrived back at my house, I called for Gabby every hour on the hour, until they, apparently, unplugged the phone. In between phone calls, I was busy trying to come up with the right words to put in a letter. Try as I might, nothing sounded good to me, and I threw away a bag full of rejected notes.

I ate very little, and drank mostly water, so by the time dinnertime rolled around, I felt I could eat a horse. But, it was one of those times when you're too hungry to eat, so I nibbled on some crackers, still pondering over what to write.

I wanted the letter to be something that would let Gabby know how sorry I was, how much I missed her and how much I loved her. Also, I had to figure out how to get it to her, so she would read it. I didn't know if she'd accept it or not.

I fell asleep that night, and found the second night without my angel was not any easier on my heart. I woke up the following morning and forced down some cereal, nearly jumping out of my skin when there was a knock on my door.

"Hey, Bonnie," a voice called through the wood, "open up." I opened the door, spied my friend David, concern written all over his face, and couldn't help it. I drew him into a tight hug, which he returned, once he recovered from his surprise.

"What's going on, Dakota? When you didn't show up for work yesterday, or this morning, and didn't call, I figured I'd come by and check on you," he said. "And I find you with bags under your eyes, ready to crack."

I led him to the couch, and said, "Gabby left me."

The man gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Dakota. But why didn't you call to say you wouldn't be coming in? Joe's just as worried as I am," he said.

"I just didn't think about it," I admitted. "I've been too busy trying to apologize to Gabby."

"What happened?"

"I cheated on her with Blair," I said. It was the first time I'd said it out loud, and I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Blair?" he asked, remembering the name. "Your ex?" I nodded. "But, why, Dakota?"

"I was drunk," I shrugged. "I don't remember it, but Blair and I both had hickeys all over our bodies, and I woke up in her bed, so there's not a lot of room for doubt."

David put a hand on my shoulder. "I've got to get back to work, but give me a call if you need anything, all right?" he offered, and I nodded, giving him another hug before he left.

"Thanks for stopping by," I said, "and tell Joe I'll be back as soon as I can." He nodded, and walked out the door, calling, "Take care, Dakota!" Once I was alone again, I sat down at the kitchen table, and tried to get the words I wanted down on paper.

Finally, I settled on this:

Gabrielle,

I decided to use her full name, in hopes of letting her know how serious I was.

I should start out by saying I'm sorry. I know there's no excuse for what I've done, and I hurt you horribly. I can never forgive myself, and I don't expect you to, but I'm asking for a second chance. A second chance to love you, and to show you how much you mean to me. I miss you so much, my angel, and all I can think about is how badly I want to hold you in my arms again.

I'll do anything if it will bring us back together. I'll stand and fight, or even get down on my knees. Please, if I can fix what's wrong, than I'll do it - whatever it takes. I can't stand not having you by my side when I go to sleep, or seeing you when I wake up in the morning, and it breaks my heart to know that I'm the reason you left.

One stupid overreaction - Eagle told me that you were only talking about hiding a gift from me - and what have I done? You had every right to walk out, I know I would have done the same thing had the positions been reversed, but please know that I never, ever wanted to hurt you. I was extremely drunk, too drunk to remember anything, and had I had any sense about me whatsoever, I wouldn't have allowed it to happen.

Please, I'm begging you. I love you with all my heart, and I know it will take some time, but I hope we can get through this.

I'm hoping you've read this far, assuming you accepted my letter at all. I'll be in the den, if your father hasn't kicked me out, or in the garden if he has. I need to know your answer.

With all my love,

Dakota

That was the best I could come up with, without sounding like I was trying to make excuses for what I did, or demanding that she take me back. Signing my name at the bottom, I folded the paper, and tucked it into my pocket.

Then, I figured that if I was going to go back over to the Johnson residence, that I had better take a shower, since I'm sure I stunk to high heaven by that time. I took a long shower, letting the warm water run over me as I thought about what I would do if Gabby refused to read my letter, or didn't accept my apology. In the end, I came to the conclusion that I had no idea what I do without her. I was in bad enough shape already, if she refused to ever talk to me again… I didn't want to think about it.

I dressed quickly, and drove the few miles that were beginning to feel like a familiar route to me, until I reached the large mansion. Taking a deep breath, I fingered the piece of paper, and walked boldly up to the front door.

I could have given the butler a hug right then and there when he answered the door, instead of George. "Can you give this to Gabrielle, please?" I asked, handing him the note.

"Yes, miss," he said, and I stepped inside before he closed the door.

"I'll wait in the den," I said. He eyed me strangely, but said nothing as I wandered into the room. I waited anxiously as I sat on the couch. Ten minutes passed, fifteen… After twenty minutes, I was really starting to fidget. Finally, I heard someone call my name, and I stood.

There was my angel. She looked beautiful, as always, but still very angry. She motioned for me to come closer, and I went to give her a hug, but she stepped back, so I just stood in front of her. I guess she still didn't want me to touch her.

"I read your note," she said, and I met her eyes, pleadingly. "Put out your hand." I did so, without hesitation, wondering what she was doing. I felt my heart crumble as she placed a crumpled ball of paper in my hand, and closed my fist. "You are not welcome in this house, Miss Miller, and I asked you not to come over. I also asked you not to call," she added. "Your disingenuous words would be of better use upon Blair, I'm sure." With that, she left.

Ooh, that's gotta hurt, said CJ, and I was too upset to pay any attention to her.

Her words were sharp, and they went straight to my heart. In short, she told me she never wanted to see me again, she resented me for trying to contact her, and she thought my letter was nothing but bullshit. Determined not to cry where I could be heard, I walked out to my truck, my composure betraying the wreck I was inside. Once I closed the door, and I was sure no one was around, I bawled my eyes out.

I hadn't cried that hard since my father died; not even when Gabby first walked out the door did I cry so violently. My world had just come crashing to the ground, and I had watched it splinter into a million un-fixable little pieces.

I went home, and cried myself to sleep, something I hadn't done since I was a child, and managed to get about six hours of on-and-off sleep. When I woke up around six in the evening, I decided I had slept enough of the day away, and forced myself to eat something, which turned out to be two pieces of toast.

Then, I did something I knew I shouldn't do, feeling as depressed as I did - I drove down to La Roc. I felt all eyes upon me as I walked in, but I didn't care if they watched me drink myself into oblivion.

I sat down in the far corner, and ordered the strongest drink they carried - appropriately named a Suicide. Laura came over to me, and sat down beside me, looking concerned.

"Dakota, what are you doing here without Gabby?" she asked. "And why on earth are you ordering a Suicide?" I simply shrugged; I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. "Oh, so now you're not going to talk to me, is that it?"

My friend sounded hurt, and I sighed. "I'm sorry, Laura," I said, quietly. "I'm just not in a real good mood right now, but I shouldn't take it out on you."

"What's wrong?" she asked, taking my hand in her own.

"Gabby walked out on me, and I tried to apologize, but she threw it in my face and basically told me she never wanted to see me ever again," I said, wiping a tear away with the back of my hand; I refused to cry where others could see me.

"What did you do?"

"I got really drunk, and when I woke up the next morning, I was in bed with another woman." That seemed to be explanation enough for me, and I took a long drink of the liquor when it was placed in front of me, appreciating the burn it caused in my throat and the pit of my stomach.

"Did you sleep with her?" Laura asked, and I half-shrugged, half-nodded.

"I had hickeys all over me, and so did she," I said. "I was too drunk to remember any of it, but what excuse did I have for the hickeys?" Three more large swallows and the glass was empty. Raising my arm, I ordered another, which Laura took away from me.

I glared at her, but she returned my stare. "Dakota, one Suicide is enough. I don't care what you did, I will not sit here and watch you drink yourself to death!" she exclaimed.

My vision was already blurred, and my speech a little garbled, but I grabbed my drink from her, and said, "Then don't watch."

She took it right back and I watched as she made the waitress take it away. "I'm taking you home," she said, but I was suddenly rooted to my seat. I picked my jaw up off the table, but did not stop staring at the woman who had just come in the bar - it was Gabby! The blonde hair, the small frame but strong build, the way she moved… there was no doubt about it, it was my angel!

Laura followed my gaze, and started fidgeting. "Come on, Dakota, let's go," she said, pulling on my hand.

"You know something," I stated. Laura didn't squirm for no reason, and the fact that she had only started when Gabby walked in the door raised my suspicions.

"Dakota, please, let's just go," she pleaded, but I refused to budge, and just stared at her until she cracked. She sighed. "This is the second time I've seen her here; she was here last night, too. She and Danielle are, uh, rather public with their display," was all she said.

I frowned. I didn't know a Danielle… Glancing around the bar, I saw Gabrielle walk right up to a blonde, the same one who had hit on her during our first visit. My blonde angel wrapped her arms around the woman's waist, and kissed her soundly on the lips when she turned around. I fought to keep the Suicide in my stomach, when it threatened to come back up.

"Hey, you don't look so good," said Laura.

Yeah, no shit, Sherlock, I thought, bitterly. I'm watching the woman I love prostrate herself in front of some blonde whore, and it's a wonder I haven't thrown up all over the bar room floor.

"They're… together?" I asked, when I found my voice, and was sure it wouldn't betray me.

Laura shrugged. "I'm not sure," she said. "To tell you the truth, it's been heard through the grapevine that Gabby still has feelings for you, but I've seen them both with other women. So, to answer your question, I don't think so," she finished.

Gabby looked right at me as she sat on Danielle's lap, and, for a moment, I know I saw a flicker of regret in her eyes. Excusing herself, I watched as the small blonde made her way to the restroom. Despite protests from my friend, I followed her.

I peeked in the bathroom, and saw Gabby standing in front of the sink, just staring into the mirror. I noticed the hint of a bruise on her jaw, and my anger immediately flared. But I held it down, because I knew, in the depths of my heart, that it wasn't welcome, and my concern would only fall upon deaf ears.

"So, what, are you stalking me now?" she asked, and I jumped. I didn't know she knew I was standing there. She smirked at my reaction. "I can see your reflection in the mirror."

"Did she hit you?" were the first words out of my mouth, and Gabby flinched.

"Why does it matter to you?"

"You said you read my note," I said. "You should know exactly why it matters to me, Gabby. I love you."

"I thought you did," she said, and I closed my eyes at the pain in my heart. "And I used to love you. But now I love Danielle," she sighed.

My eyes opened wide at this statement. "Don't," I pleaded. "Don't do this. Gabby, please. I know I hurt you terribly, but don't run into the arms of the first woman you see because of what I did. I already hate myself enough, I don't want to know that I pushed you into a meaningless relationship," I said, and Gabby finally turned around to face me, her green eyes blazing with hurt, and anger, and something else.

"Meaningless? Who are you to judge my relationships, Dakota?" she demanded, and I winced.

"That came out wrong," I said. "All I'm saying is that you're vulnerable right now, and I don't want you getting hurt because you weren't looking at the prospect with your eyes open."

"So you're saying that I don't know what I'm doing, is that it?" she asked.

"I'm saying I don't want to see you get hurt," I sighed. "I know you're angry with me, and you have every right to be, but I don't want that anger to affect your judgment. You never answered my first question," I said, quietly, after a moment of silence. "Did she hit you?"

She nodded, slightly, and I clenched my fists. "Things got a little rough," she said, and I placed a hand on the sink and closed my eyes to keep the wave of nausea at bay. The thought of my angel with someone else made me sick, but I pushed down the feeling, and stormed out of the restroom before Gabby could stop me.

I walked right up to where Danielle was standing, with her back to me, and tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned, I met her jaw with a strong right hook, knocking her to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded, and Laura and Mary, along with a few other patrons, restrained me from striking her again. Laura kept Danielle away, while the others held me back.

"You touch one hair on her head, and I'll beat the living shit out of you," I spat, loosing my arms from their bonds, but everyone kept an eye on me.

"And what do you care? You drove her away," she said, and the words stung, but I didn't give her the satisfaction of knowing it. "So, things got a little rough in bed, so what? It's not like she didn't enjoy it."

My eyes clouded with anger, but Gabby stepped in. "Stop this, both of you," she said, and I took a step back, but Danielle did not. She continued, unwisely, to taunt me.

"How does it feel, knowing she screams my name now, since you fucked up with Blair? No pun intended," she jeered, and I snarled at her, angrily. I noticed a feather in her hair, and realized she was an Amazon - a Sparrow, but an Amazon, still. If I thought it would do any good, I'd report her behavior to Cardinal before kicking the crap out of the whore.

"What are you gonna do, hit me again?" she urged.

I briefly considered it, before locking eyes with Gabby as I said, "No, you're not worth it, Danielle. But let me tell you something," I continued, meeting the woman's gaze as she leered at me, "she is. And if I hear of you hurting her again, like I said, I won't hesitate to fuck you up."

As I walked away, I turned back to the blonde one more time, having decided to let her know I knew who she was. "One more thing, Danielle," I said, and she raised an eyebrow at me. I mentally rolled my eyes at her attempt at intimidation - Gabby could do better than that! "You know I'm an Amazon, and I could easily pull rank on you, but I won't. Because if you make me come after you again, no amount of rank will save you."

Laura rushed to my side as I walked out the door. "Are you sober enough to drive?" she asked, and I shrugged.

"Who gives a fuck if I'm not?" I asked, sourly.

"Listen, Dakota, I know you're angry about seeing Gabby and Danielle together," she said, but I shook my head.

"No," I said, "that's not it. I'm pissed because of the way Danielle treats my angel." I had never used the term around anyone else, and didn't notice Laura's surprised look. "She hit her, Laura. Whether it was in the course of passionate sex or not, it doesn't matter. That whore doesn't give a damn about her," I spat.

"I figured Gabby would find someone else, but not this soon, and not someone like Danielle," I admitted. "She might hate me, but I still have to protect her. I still love her, Laura, and I always will. Do me a favor and keep an eye on her while she's here, will you? I've got to go home before I do something I'll regret," I finished, and my friend nodded, allowing me to start my truck only after I had assured her I could drive home safely.

It was almost nine by the time I arrived home, and I went straight to bed. I slept through most of the next day, Friday, sleeping off an enormous hangover. One that I rightly deserved, but it hurt like hell, nonetheless, and sleep was the only way to wear it down.

I woke up Saturday morning, and called my mom first thing, to let her know what was going on and that I didn't know if I was up to a weekend with Nick just yet. She said that was fine, since Nicholas was planning to go over to Billy's house anyway, and spend the night. My mother gave me her best wishes, told me she loved me, and then hung up.

Once that was over, I realized I was starving. I was actually willing to eat, so I fixed myself an egg sandwich for breakfast, and followed it with a glass of milk. I was just rinsing out my glass when there was a knock on the door.

Although I stood in my boxers and a T-shirt, I didn't care, and opened the door to greet whoever felt the need to talk to me.

My eyes just about popped out of my head, and my mouth must have been open, because the woman said, "Pick your mouth up off the ground, Dakota. Can I come in?" I nodded, and quickly moved to the side so she could come inside.

"Please, sit down," I said, motioning to the couch, while I hesitated a moment, before sitting beside her, but not too close, for fear she'd leave. "Are you okay? Did Danielle hit you again?" I asked, but she shook her head.

"No," said Gabby, "but I did have a long talk with Nicole last night." I raised my eyebrow, and she proceeded to tell me what happened.

Stacy knocked on Gabby's door, feeling bad for disturbing the young woman who had clearly expressed her wish not to talk to anyone.

"Miss Johnson?" asked the woman.

"What is it, Stacy?" sighed the blonde.

"There's an Amazon here to see you, miss," she said, and Gabby rolled her eyes.

"I told you I don't want to speak to Dakota, Stacy. Don't let her in," she said, tired of having to tell the woman that Dakota Miller was no longer welcome.

"It is not Miss Miller," said Stacy, and Gabby frowned. "She calls herself Eagle, miss, and says she needs to speak with you."

"Let her in," said Gabby, immediately, and her door opened soon after.

Nicole walked in and gave her a hug, excitedly. "Gabrielle, I did it!" she exclaimed, happily, bouncing around in her seat.

Nicole's smile seemed contagious, and Gabby couldn't keep the smirk off her face. "What? What are you talking about, Nicole?" asked the blonde.

"I told Raven I didn't believe that she could get drunk enough to forget an entire night of passion, and I was right!" she said, and Gabby eyed her, carefully.

"What are you saying?" she demanded.

"Okay, let's start from the beginning," said the Amazon, sensing that her friend was a little on edge. "I've known Blair for a while, and I know she can't hold her liquor. If she gets drunk, she spills everything and anything, and can't keep her mouth shut. I used that to my advantage, and got her drunk off her ass," said the woman.

"She spilled the beans to me about everything that went on that night with Raven," she said. "It turns out that Raven didn't do anything wrong. It was true, she was very drunk, but Blair had her drink some more, so she wouldn't remember anything.

"It was enough to make her pass out, and the woman placed hickeys all over her body while she was out, to make it look like they had had sex when she woke up in the morning," explained Nicole. "Then, she took off her necklace, and threw her clothes all over the place, to add substance to her story."

"But, Nicole, Blair had hickeys all over her, too. How do you explain that?" she asked, the doubt fading away, but not completely.

"Blair had… 'company' the night before, and her lady friend put those marks on her. If you'd look closely, you could tell they were fading when she saw Raven," added Eagle. "Look, I'm telling you that Raven really didn't cheat on you, Vulture set it all up as a way to break you guys up because she hates Raven," finished Nicole.

"You're serious?" Eagle nodded. "How do you know Blair's telling the truth?"

Nicole sighed. "Gabrielle, look deep down inside your heart. Now, tell me, do you really believe that Dakota would cheat on you? Even dead drunk?" asked the Amazon, and smiled when Gabby shook her head.

"God, I was so horrible to her yesterday," she said, covering her face with her hands. When Nicole urged her to continue, she told her all about the letter I had written and how she thrown it back in my face.

"That wasn't your fault, Gabrielle," said Eagle, kindly. "You didn't know she didn't cheat on you. She didn't even know she didn't cheat on you! And she still doesn't. I haven't talked to her yet," said the Amazon.

"Let me tell her," said Gabby. "I need to talk to her." Nicole nodded, and then told the blonde good night, wishing her good luck, before walking out the door, as Gabby pondered how to tell me she was wrong.

"So… you mean Blair did it all to be a bitch?" I asked, and Gabby nodded. "Damn her!" I swore.

"Dakota, I'm sorry," said Gabby, and I looked up at her, surprised.

"What are you apologizing for?" I asked. "I'm the one who was acting like a fool. I can't believe I accused you of cheating on me with Eagle. And don't even apologize for walking out," I said, before she had a chance to do just that.

"You had no way of knowing I didn't do it. I didn't even know I was innocent, so you have nothing to apologize for. Me, on the other hand…" my voice trailed off, and I couldn't help myself anymore. I pulled her to me in a strong hug, nearly crying at the feeling of having her in my arms again.

"God, I missed you," I said, and felt her put her arms around me. "I've been a total wreck since you've been gone," I admitted, and was surprised to hear her crying. "Gabby? Sweetheart," God, it felt good to be able to call her that again, "what's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about how, even after how I treated you, you still managed to be concerned about me," she said, and I knew what she meant. "I'm sorry, Dakota, what I said to you on Thursday was cruel, and I had no right -" I cut her off.

"You had every right," I said. "Gabby, we've been through this. I wrote you that note, not expecting you to really come down at all. I was surprised when you even talked to me. Now, I won't sit here and tell you what you said didn't hurt, because it did," I felt her flinch, and she looked away, but I hooked her chin with my finger and brought her eyes back up to my own. "But it was nothing less than what I deserved.

"You didn't tell me anything I hadn't already told myself," I said. There was silence for a moment, and then I said, "Gabby, I have to ask you something. Danielle… did you… I mean, did she…" I couldn't find the words to finish my question, because I didn't really want to know.

"I think you took what I said a little wrong," she said, and I raised an eyebrow at her smirk. "The most Danielle and I did was kiss. When I said things got a little rough, I meant she got a little rough, but I didn't want to tell you that. I wanted to hurt you," she admitted, tears forming again, but I brushed them away. "In fact, I wouldn't let her go any farther, and that's why she hit me.

"She just said those things to get to you," she said. "It meant a lot when you stood up for me, even though it was over between us."

"Laura said you were with other women, besides Danielle," I said. I had to know everything; I needed to make a list of women to watch out for the next time we went to La Roc, to make sure they knew we were back together.

Gabby sighed, and nodded. "You were right when you said I didn't know what I was doing. I just wanted to get back at you, and I guess I wanted to try and fill the emptiness that I felt," she admitted.

"I'm kind of glad you showed up that night," I said, and she gave me a strange look. "If I hadn't been distracted by Danielle, I don't think Laura would've been able to keep me from drinking the entire bar." Gabby smiled, but her grin faded when she saw I was serious.

"Gabby, I was so lost without you, and when you refused my note, I knew I'd just lost my entire world. I had no one waiting for me when I got home, and I had no plans to walk out of the bar that night," I told her, and she looked a little frightened.

"Well, maybe it's a good thing you saw me with Danielle, then," she said. "Can I ask you something?"

I nodded. "Sure," I said, albeit a little hesitantly.

"What happened between you and Blair that makes her hate you so much?"

I sighed. "It's a long story," I warned, and Gabby got comfortable. "I met Blair not long after I joined the Amazons. She was still a Sparrow, but had been in for about a year, compared to my two months. She just wasn't progressing very fast.

"I was attracted to her right away, but only out of lust, I think. I found out she was the type who only cared about herself, despite what she said. She was always telling me how special I was and how much I meant to her, just so I'd get close.

"Then, usually after we'd had sex, she'd tell me I was worthless and would never amount to anything," I admitted, quietly. "Later that same day, she'd come back, begging me to forgive her, that she really did love me, she was just afraid to show it. She'd ask me to help her, and I'd take her back, just because I felt sorry for her.

"It took me a long time - too long - to realize she was being abusive. It just seemed to come about gradually, and I didn't notice, until I talked to Cardinal about it one day. C told me to leave her, that she was only in the relationship for her own gain, and I did, much to Blair's protests.

"She's been angry with me ever since, because I would dare to go against her and do what was right for my own happiness," I explained, nearing the end of my narrative. "She's worked on getting me back for humiliating her, seeing as I dumped her in front of the whole gang when she was supposed to get promoted. I don't know if she'll ever quit, but if she ever does something really stupid, I know she won't have Cardinal's protection anymore," I finished.

"Wow," voiced Gabby. "I'm so sorry she did that to you, Dakota."

I nodded. "Yeah, I am, too," I confessed. "But, that doesn't matter anymore. Because she's a bitch but she's out of the picture. I'm just sorry you had to meet her in the first place."

"Dakota, I really don't want to talk about this anymore." I agreed. "I think we've both apologized and forgiven enough. I've missed you," she said.

"I love you, my angel." She smiled, and kissed me, softly. I nearly melted right there, as I became a six-foot puddle.

God, less than a week without a kiss, and I turn to mush!

I grinned down at her as I laid her down on the couch, and held myself over top of her with my arms. I actually had no intentions of making love to her; all I wanted to do was kiss and hold her, but one look into her deep green eyes changed my mind.

Yeah, well, the road is paved with good intentions, chuckled CJ.

She eyed me amusedly. "What are you smiling at?" she asked.

"You," I said. "I thought I'd lost you forever," I said, kissing her forehead. "Remind me to tell Eagle I owe her."

"And just what do you owe her?" she asked into my ear, making me shudder as I felt her breath on my skin.

"My heart," I responded, kissing her lips. "I love you so much. God, I want to spend the rest of my life with you," I mumbled, as I nuzzled her neck. I felt her grow rigid, and pulled back to look into serious green eyes.

"I could take that as a proposal, you know," she said, and then grinned, to show she was only joking.

I thought about it for only a moment, and then asked, "Well?"

She frowned. "Well, what?" she asked.

"If that was a proposal, what's your answer?"

She blinked a few times, processing the fact that I was serious, before breaking out into a smile so bright the sun would have been jealous, hugging me for all she was worth, and laughing happily.

I chuckled as I pulled back. "So, I'll take that as a yes?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, joyfully. She kissed me, passionately, and the next thing I knew, I was on my back on the couch, and she was over top of me. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she just smiled. "I love you, Raven."

A surprised smile spread across my face, upon hearing her use my Amazon name. I was about to ask her why the sudden change, when the phone rang. Kissing her quickly, I picked up the receiver, and said, "This had better be good."

My mother laughed. "Sorry, Dakota. Didn't mean to interrupt you," she said, and then paused. "Wait a minute. What am I interrupting? Dakota, who's there?"

I laughed at her tone. "Mom, relax. It's Gabby. Who else would I be with?" I asked, and looked down at the said blonde as she smiled at me. "To make a long story short, we're back together, and I'll talk to you more about that later. But, why did you call?"

"Nicholas said he wanted to make sure you were okay, so Jessica said she'd take he and Billy over to your place. They should be there pretty soon. Oh, before I forget, Nicholas is very excited because he's made the school baseball team, so don't be surprised if he's got a ball and glove with him," she said, and I was glad to hear she was as proud of her grandson as I was.

"Okay. Thanks, mom," I said, told her I loved her, and then hung up. "Nick should be here pretty soon," I told Gabby.

She suddenly looked a little nervous. "Do you think he'll be okay with it?" she asked, and I knew she was talking about the engagement.

I smiled. "I'm sure he'll love the idea," I said, kissing her forehead. "I've got something for you. Stay here," I said, and went to my bedroom. Opening the drawer, I retrieved the small box. Inside was a gift I had gotten for Gabby, but hadn't found the guts to give to her yet. I figured now was as good a time as any, since we were to be married.

"I got this for you a while ago," I said, as I came back into the living room, where she was sitting patiently on the couch. "In fact, I bought it for you just before everything with Nick, but things got so hectic after that, I didn't get a chance to give it to you. I, uh, I know you're not an Amazon, but I just thought you'd like it," I said, and gave the box to her before I could lose my nerve.

She opened it, and I saw her eyes brighten. Inside was a necklace, a silver chain, with a sterling silver pendant. The pendant was a sword crossed with a feather - the Amazon symbol. I had discussed it with Cardinal, and she said she didn't mind.

"Oh, Dakota, it's beautiful," she said, and met my eyes. "I love it. Can you help me fasten it?" she asked, and I obliged. Slipping the chain around her neck, and maneuvering the clasp, I stepped in front of her to see how it looked. The charm rested softly on her chest, just above the swell of her breasts, visible through her light blue shirt.

I smiled. "So, my little Amazon, when do you want to be married?" I asked, drawing her onto my lap. I stretched out on the couch, and she laid in my arms, getting comfortable before she answered.

"Anytime," she replied. "How are we going to go about it, though? I mean, the average church priest isn't going to be real receptive to marrying two women."

I nodded. "I know," I said. "It'll be a small ceremony with the Amazons. One of my friends, Dove, is a priest, and I'm sure she'll be glad to do it. You don't have to worry about a thing," I said, and kissed her cheek.

I was about to move for another kiss, when there was a knock at the door. I grinned. That could only be Jessica; since the first time she almost walked in a kiss between Gabby and I, she was sure to get to the door first, and knock.

Getting to my feet, I said, "Come in," and let Jessica come inside while I intercepted my son. While Gabby and Jessica talked, I found Nicholas, who was in the front yard, playing catch with Billy.

"Hey, kiddo," I said, and he gave me a quick hug, before turning back to his game. "Hold on a second, I need to talk to you." He told Billy to wait, and then looked at me, a mixture of curiosity and exasperation at interrupting his game visible on his face.

"Nick, what would you say if I told you that I asked Gabby to marry me?" I asked, and he broke out into a grin.

"That'd be great, mom!" he exclaimed. "So, did you ask her yet?"

I nodded. "She said yes, Nick," I said, and he gave me another hug.

"Cool!" Without another word, he took off into the house. I followed right behind him, making it to the door in time to see him wrap his arms around Gabby in a tight hug. "Gabby, can I call you mother?" he asked, and I saw tears in her green eyes as she nodded.

Jessica was the first to congratulate us, and started planning the floral arrangements for the ceremony. When Nick realized that the adults were discussing formal things, he went back outside to finish his game.

Two weeks later, in Cardinal's room in The Palace, Gabby and I were joined. Dove did the honors, with Gabby's father, my mother, Nicholas, Jessica, William, and Billy all present. The rest of the Amazons, besides Dove and Cardinal, too many to fit in the room, were waiting outside.

When the vows were said, and we had sealed it with a kiss, we were ushered outside where dozens of Amazons showered us with congratulations and hugs. Everyone noticed Gabby's necklace, and Cardinal pulled her aside for a moment, tying a white feather in her hair.

"The white feather means you're related to an Amazon," she explained, placing a small kiss on my wife's forehead. "Welcome, Gabrielle. And congratulations. If you ever need a hand with her, let me know," she added, with a wink.

I crept up behind the brunette, and scared her out of her skin when I said, "Are you trying to borrow me already?" She jumped, but smacked me in the arm as she walked away.

We went to the La Roc that night, to celebrate. I took great pleasure in walking right up to Danielle and putting her in her place, telling her if she so much as looked at Gabrielle the wrong way, I was going to tear her up something awful. She stayed on her side of the bar the whole night.

Laura was busy congratulating me, when I heard the sound of Gabby once again trying to politely back out of an offer. I raised an eyebrow, and grinned. The woman was about my height, but she had brown hair and dark blue eyes.

"Come on, honey," said the woman. "Just let me buy you a drink. Then, we'll have a dance, and I'm sure you'll change your mind."

I slipped my arm around Gabby's waist, as I demanded, "You wouldn't be trying to hit on my wife, now, would you?" The woman gulped, and bolted to the restroom without even bothering to shake her head.

"I love doing that," I said, kissing her, softly.

"And I love you," replied Gabby, kissing me back.

I realized we were right in the middle of the bar, when Laura yelled, "Hey, you two! They have honeymoon suites for that kind of thing!" I led a blushing Gabrielle back to the table, and eyed Laura, irritated. The woman just smirked at me.

I didn't care, though. Gabby grasped my hand under the table, and leaned against me. I glanced down at the pendant around her neck, and knew life couldn't get any better.

It's been five years since that day, and I think I have to amend that last statement - life did get better. My wife is standing over my shoulder as I write this, holding our daughter on her hip. Yes, that's right, our daughter. Just six months ago, Gabby gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, with green eyes and dark hair.

I reminded Gabby of what she told me when we first met; how she wanted to have two children one day, a boy and a girl. I told her I wanted her to be happy, and since she thought of Nicholas as her own son, that only left a daughter. I mentioned it to her without realizing right away what that involved: sex. And the fact that she wanted to be the one to give birth, and I didn't have the right equipment for that job.

Following careful consideration, we decided that artificial insemination would be the best way. I knew I'd disembowel any guy before he could even touch my wife, much less get his pants down, and Gabby admitted to me that, even though it had been so long, she didn't want to have any flashbacks to what John had done to her. I readily agreed, and a few days later, I took off work to go with her to the gynecologist.

The doctor was very kind, and eager to help us. I knew it was just a minor procedure, and the doctor had explained everything to us both, but I was there with Gabby every step of the way, through the hospital visits and all. The doctor being a woman was a big help, and she even let me insert the sperm - Gabby happily teased me about being the father figure for the next week.

Luckily we didn't have to do it again, I say lucky because me and hospitals still don't mix, and a few weeks later, Gabby went to the doctor's while I was busy at work, and called me with good news - her pregnancy test came back positive. I'm sure all occupants of Joe's Auto Shop heard my whoop of joy as it sounded throughout the building.

Gabby said she was sure it was a girl, she could feel it, and I wasn't about to doubt her. That lifted my spirits a little - a girl was what Gabby wanted, and while I'm sure we both would have loved another son just as much, I would have been thrilled if the woman I love could get the child she longed for her first pregnancy.

Despite her small size, my wife carried our daughter well, and the pregnancy, I'm glad to say, was not a difficult one. Although Susan Amber Miller was born a few weeks early, she is the healthiest and happiest baby we could ask for.

Gabrielle tells me I've been writing for long enough; seems she's had to remind me to go to bed since I've started this little story. I meant to write it for Sam, (Susan's nickname - it's her initials) so she'd know how her mothers met, but I know I'll cherish it just as much. An everlasting testament to my life with Gabby.

My wife has just threatened me with a week of changing Sam's diapers if I don't stop writing, and while I don't mind taking care of my daughter, who I now hold in my arms, Gabby usually takes care of the diapers. I just do playtime.

Nicholas is on summer break, so he's staying with us at our house for a month, and he just retrieved Susan from me, saying, "Mother wants to feed her, and she says if you don't come to bed in five minutes, she's starting without you. I don't even want to ask what that means." It's amazing how much my son has grown. He's a very intelligent teenager.

I take one last glance around my home before I join my wife, and think back to what I said in my first few pages. I was wrong. My "small apartment" suddenly seems just the right size - for my family.

The End

Let me know what you think! Y02mustang@AOL.com. Plans for a sequel are in the works, but it's up to you if I post it! Thanks for reading!