(no subject)
Title: I'm With You
Pairings: Carlos/Gabrielle
Chapter: Part III
Rating: G/PG
Disclaimer: Gabs, Carlos and Zach are not owned by me, unfortunately.
Warnings: Contains spoilers for episode 3.11 onward
Summary: Gabrielle has a secret admirer, and Carlos wants to protect her from him.
The intensity in Carlos' dark honey eyes as he made his way up to the mansion was so much that he was surprised that security had let him in. Gabrielle had arranged for him to meet Zach as a potential business partner, and the teenage admirer, caught up in his obsession for her, fell for it hook, line and sinker. If only Zach knew what Gabrielle really arranged for him.
He turned to his escort, and shrugged. "Well, you know I'm not a terrorist."
"I'm required to still accompany you into the esquire's residence, Mr. Solis."
A hard knock to the burly man's jaw ensured that Carlos would make this visit accompanied only by his ex-wife. Once he was out cold, both set out to tie his arms behind his back with his tie For extra measure, his feet together with his shoelaces. Now that there was one down, there was only one more to go.
"Surveillance cameras?" Carlos asked, suddenly cautious as he followed Gabrielle towards the back of the mansion. The eyes that could have burned Satan's soul were now darting here and there as they ventured behind the, knowing that there could very well be one hidden somewhere.
"Not on this side!" Gabrielle reassured, gesturing him for her to follow her as she went around the corner when he warily held back. "Trust me, I've checked. I wouldn't've taken you back this way if I knew there were any." .
She had jumped to conclusions, and came onto the defensive as he started to follow her again. "You don't trust me, do you? You still have those trust issues!"
"Gabby, it's not that!" Taken aback by her tone, Carlos took a small step back and threw his hands up as if defending himself from being whacked by one of her designer purses. "It's just that . . . If we got caught, of I got hauled off, how would I be able to defend you from him? I want to make sure that this goes according to plan."
She sighed, patting his arm. She had to admit, if even to herself, the painful honesty in his voice was something she didn't also expect to hear. "Forget it . . . "
"Will do," Carlos kissed her on the top of her head as she continued to lead him towards the back, acknowledging the apology she wanted to say, but couldn't say it. "I have to say, it's easier to forget an misjudgment than it is to forget you."
Likewise, she wouldn't soon forget Carlos.
Gabrielle felt a lump in her throat. She knew he could very well end up spending the rest of his days dating woman after woman, but ultimately coming home to an empty house, all because none other than Gabrielle were for him. As an old man, he would still be thinking of her, and what he should and should not have done. Even after she had literally shoved him out the window, and let him walk in on her with another man in the bedroom, he wanted nobody else. Nobody in Gabrielle's life had ever been as forgiving as Carlos.
She softly touched his arm, and lead him through the back entry. "Same back at you, tiger."
At the sight of Zach descending from the staircase from his office, Gabrielle's heart thumped. She gave Carlos a reassuring pat to the shoulder, all to make it look more realistic. "Good luck on your meeting."
"I'll need it! Anything has got to be better than that mail sorting job!" He snuck her a wink and flashed her his charismatic smile when the young man wasn't watching, and off he went to his 'meeting' with .
"So, you've said you've had a good numbers of years in the business?" Zach asked,
"I've spent a good ten years in Mergers and Acquisitions, before -- "
Halfway up the stairs, and out of view of a magazine reading Gabrielle, Carlos felt the cold, hair-raising sensation of metal being brought to the back of his neck. "Don't think I don't know what is going on, Mr. Solis."
No, no time to panic . . . This isn't it. You will win this round, Carlos. You damn well better win!
Carlos was going to make damn sure of it. Without a word, he whirled around and gripped hold of Zach's hand with surprising calmness, and forced it away from him. As Zach resisted, the gun went off, sending the bullet into the ceiling.
"I know Gabrielle more than anyone does, if you took my life, you would take hers."
There was silence, and then there was Gabrielle.
She yanked Zach's hair back, inadvertently causing the gun to go off again. The bullet grazed Carlos' earlobe, and this -- combined with his protectiveness over Gabrielle -- flew him into full rage, Solis style. As she grabbed the gun, Zach was grabbed by the throat and violently slammed to the floor and grimaced in pain as a rib cracked. He reached for the pocket to retrieve a pen knife, but for him, it was a hopeless cause. Carlos had clamped his free hand around his wrist while the other tightened around his neck, and brought his face an inch within his.
"Let me tell you, kid . . . If you ever hurt Gabrielle, so help me, they will find your head at one end of your mansion, and the rest of you? If you're lucky, in the next state."
As a last ditch effort as he felt himself lose consciousness, Zach reached his free arm around to the pocket. Through blurred vision, he was Gabrielle pointing the gun at his direction. Nonetheless, if he died fighting for what he wanted so desperately, it would be worth it.
The situation for Gabrielle had gone a complete turnabout. It was now her turn to be protective of him. It was nearly a year ago that Gabrielle's mind was so clouded with anger that she could have let Zach do whatever he wanted to Carlos. Hell, if her shedule wasn't filled for the day, she might have even helped helped him take care of that thorn in her side. She even dreamed that he had died of a broken heart after she kicked him out of the house. While everyone else had attended the funeral, she sat back at home, practicing her yoga, reading the latest issue of Vouge.
Thinking nothing of her own safety, Gabrielle brought the gun down hard on Zach's head. She could've pumped him full of lead, but what if she missed? It didn't matter now, Zach was out cold, and Carlos was safe. Nonetheless, she kept the gun aimed at him.
"Carlos . . . .It's okay. He's out cold. He can't hurt me now." She reassuringly touched him on the shoulder as she noticed his arm was trembling.
With great reluctance, Carlos released Zach of his strangling hold and proceeded to give him the kicking of his life. As far as he was concerned, Zach was still a threat and needed to be dealt a harsher blow, and he gave it to him in the form of one final hit to the groin which sent the stalker tumbling down the stairs. He would live to see another day -- cracked and broken ribs, bruises, bleeding nose and all -- but if he had half a brain, he would lie low for a while before striking back. Two men before him were put in neck braces and another's nose had been broken, all on behalf of Carlos' wrath.
Carlos slowly sat down, throughly winded and light headed. Single life had not been kind to him, and even though much of his strength was lost to lack of sleep and proper nutrition, he still wanted to do this all for Gabrielle. The enemy still needed to be vanquished, even if what all he was saving her from was just a bad kiss. He knew damn well that Zach would be back, it would only be a matter of time, but for now, they had won won this round.
"You saved me . . . " The realization had humbled him like nothing else had ever in his life. "You didn't have to, you know. I mean, I've --- "
Gabrielle didn't want to hear anything after the 'I mean, I've.' She knew what he was going to say and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him up to her eye level. "Enough with the self-loathing, Carlos. I love you, damn it!"
Carlos was a little taken aback by her fierce retort -- and a little turned on.
Pairings: Carlos/Gabrielle
Chapter: Part III
Rating: G/PG
Disclaimer: Gabs, Carlos and Zach are not owned by me, unfortunately.
Warnings: Contains spoilers for episode 3.11 onward
Summary: Gabrielle has a secret admirer, and Carlos wants to protect her from him.
The intensity in Carlos' dark honey eyes as he made his way up to the mansion was so much that he was surprised that security had let him in. Gabrielle had arranged for him to meet Zach as a potential business partner, and the teenage admirer, caught up in his obsession for her, fell for it hook, line and sinker. If only Zach knew what Gabrielle really arranged for him.
He turned to his escort, and shrugged. "Well, you know I'm not a terrorist."
"I'm required to still accompany you into the esquire's residence, Mr. Solis."
A hard knock to the burly man's jaw ensured that Carlos would make this visit accompanied only by his ex-wife. Once he was out cold, both set out to tie his arms behind his back with his tie For extra measure, his feet together with his shoelaces. Now that there was one down, there was only one more to go.
"Surveillance cameras?" Carlos asked, suddenly cautious as he followed Gabrielle towards the back of the mansion. The eyes that could have burned Satan's soul were now darting here and there as they ventured behind the, knowing that there could very well be one hidden somewhere.
"Not on this side!" Gabrielle reassured, gesturing him for her to follow her as she went around the corner when he warily held back. "Trust me, I've checked. I wouldn't've taken you back this way if I knew there were any." .
She had jumped to conclusions, and came onto the defensive as he started to follow her again. "You don't trust me, do you? You still have those trust issues!"
"Gabby, it's not that!" Taken aback by her tone, Carlos took a small step back and threw his hands up as if defending himself from being whacked by one of her designer purses. "It's just that . . . If we got caught, of I got hauled off, how would I be able to defend you from him? I want to make sure that this goes according to plan."
She sighed, patting his arm. She had to admit, if even to herself, the painful honesty in his voice was something she didn't also expect to hear. "Forget it . . . "
"Will do," Carlos kissed her on the top of her head as she continued to lead him towards the back, acknowledging the apology she wanted to say, but couldn't say it. "I have to say, it's easier to forget an misjudgment than it is to forget you."
Likewise, she wouldn't soon forget Carlos.
Gabrielle felt a lump in her throat. She knew he could very well end up spending the rest of his days dating woman after woman, but ultimately coming home to an empty house, all because none other than Gabrielle were for him. As an old man, he would still be thinking of her, and what he should and should not have done. Even after she had literally shoved him out the window, and let him walk in on her with another man in the bedroom, he wanted nobody else. Nobody in Gabrielle's life had ever been as forgiving as Carlos.
She softly touched his arm, and lead him through the back entry. "Same back at you, tiger."
At the sight of Zach descending from the staircase from his office, Gabrielle's heart thumped. She gave Carlos a reassuring pat to the shoulder, all to make it look more realistic. "Good luck on your meeting."
"I'll need it! Anything has got to be better than that mail sorting job!" He snuck her a wink and flashed her his charismatic smile when the young man wasn't watching, and off he went to his 'meeting' with .
"So, you've said you've had a good numbers of years in the business?" Zach asked,
"I've spent a good ten years in Mergers and Acquisitions, before -- "
Halfway up the stairs, and out of view of a magazine reading Gabrielle, Carlos felt the cold, hair-raising sensation of metal being brought to the back of his neck. "Don't think I don't know what is going on, Mr. Solis."
No, no time to panic . . . This isn't it. You will win this round, Carlos. You damn well better win!
Carlos was going to make damn sure of it. Without a word, he whirled around and gripped hold of Zach's hand with surprising calmness, and forced it away from him. As Zach resisted, the gun went off, sending the bullet into the ceiling.
"I know Gabrielle more than anyone does, if you took my life, you would take hers."
There was silence, and then there was Gabrielle.
She yanked Zach's hair back, inadvertently causing the gun to go off again. The bullet grazed Carlos' earlobe, and this -- combined with his protectiveness over Gabrielle -- flew him into full rage, Solis style. As she grabbed the gun, Zach was grabbed by the throat and violently slammed to the floor and grimaced in pain as a rib cracked. He reached for the pocket to retrieve a pen knife, but for him, it was a hopeless cause. Carlos had clamped his free hand around his wrist while the other tightened around his neck, and brought his face an inch within his.
"Let me tell you, kid . . . If you ever hurt Gabrielle, so help me, they will find your head at one end of your mansion, and the rest of you? If you're lucky, in the next state."
As a last ditch effort as he felt himself lose consciousness, Zach reached his free arm around to the pocket. Through blurred vision, he was Gabrielle pointing the gun at his direction. Nonetheless, if he died fighting for what he wanted so desperately, it would be worth it.
The situation for Gabrielle had gone a complete turnabout. It was now her turn to be protective of him. It was nearly a year ago that Gabrielle's mind was so clouded with anger that she could have let Zach do whatever he wanted to Carlos. Hell, if her shedule wasn't filled for the day, she might have even helped helped him take care of that thorn in her side. She even dreamed that he had died of a broken heart after she kicked him out of the house. While everyone else had attended the funeral, she sat back at home, practicing her yoga, reading the latest issue of Vouge.
Thinking nothing of her own safety, Gabrielle brought the gun down hard on Zach's head. She could've pumped him full of lead, but what if she missed? It didn't matter now, Zach was out cold, and Carlos was safe. Nonetheless, she kept the gun aimed at him.
"Carlos . . . .It's okay. He's out cold. He can't hurt me now." She reassuringly touched him on the shoulder as she noticed his arm was trembling.
With great reluctance, Carlos released Zach of his strangling hold and proceeded to give him the kicking of his life. As far as he was concerned, Zach was still a threat and needed to be dealt a harsher blow, and he gave it to him in the form of one final hit to the groin which sent the stalker tumbling down the stairs. He would live to see another day -- cracked and broken ribs, bruises, bleeding nose and all -- but if he had half a brain, he would lie low for a while before striking back. Two men before him were put in neck braces and another's nose had been broken, all on behalf of Carlos' wrath.
Carlos slowly sat down, throughly winded and light headed. Single life had not been kind to him, and even though much of his strength was lost to lack of sleep and proper nutrition, he still wanted to do this all for Gabrielle. The enemy still needed to be vanquished, even if what all he was saving her from was just a bad kiss. He knew damn well that Zach would be back, it would only be a matter of time, but for now, they had won won this round.
"You saved me . . . " The realization had humbled him like nothing else had ever in his life. "You didn't have to, you know. I mean, I've --- "
Gabrielle didn't want to hear anything after the 'I mean, I've.' She knew what he was going to say and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him up to her eye level. "Enough with the self-loathing, Carlos. I love you, damn it!"
Carlos was a little taken aback by her fierce retort -- and a little turned on.