Change Your Mind {TABLE 13}

[katelynelaine]

Summary: Armageddon/cobra AU { table}
Disclaimer: Only owned in Katyland.

"Gabe!"

Gabe's immediate response to that was, "Oh, fuck." Nate pressed a kiss to his collar bone before pushing out of the bed so he could, at least, get his boxers on before the voice came in while Nate ducked under the covers and concentrated solely on being still and invisible. Aaron rushed in just as Gabe picked himself up off the floor.

"Gabe, you in here?! Oh, that's just perfect. You're not even up yet!"

"Hey, you need to talk to me, sir?" He tried to sound casual.

"Yea, I wanted to talk to you, Gabe! You know I shut down number five last night, right?!" Aaron is one of those people who talks with exclamation points almost all the time. It's from being on the oil rig all the time. It's pretty loud up there.

"Yea, but I had a hunch-"

"I don't care what you had, Gabe. Until it's your name of the label with a hundred million dollars of your own money behind it - and as long as you're living on my rig - you will do as I say! You hear me?!" Gabe nodded furiously.

"Yes, sir."

"Now, Gabe. There's only four words I want to hear from you right now. It won-"

"It won't happen again," Gabe reiterated. "And it won't. I was dumb. I was stupid. You told me number five was shut down, I should of-"

"What's going on here?" Gabe was trying to get Aaron out, that's what.

"What's going on? Nothing, nothing-"

"How long you been working for me, Gabe?"

"Six wonderful years." Suck up.

"In six years you have never apologized to me this quickly."

"No-"

"Something’s going on here and I'm gonna find out what."

"But, there's nothing- I'm turning over a new leaf-" Aaron's eyes focused on something behind Gabe. Gabe shut his eyes & prayed it wasn't something of Nate's.

"Those are Nathanial's shoes . . ."

"I'm at a loss for words," was all he could muster out. Aaron stared expectantly. "I can explain," Gabe was lying. He couldn't. Aaron took a step over to the bed and pulled down the comforter. Nate's face was blank. He would of bolted up and ran if he wasn't stark naked beneath the blanket.

"Nate," Aaron sighed disappointedly.

"Hello, Aaron."

"I have told you repeatedly to call me Dad."

"Sorry, Aaron." Aaron stood up.

"Get your clothes on," he ordered Nate. "You- You just stay right there. I'll be right back," he told Gabe. He turned and left the door he entered through while Gabe turned and dashed out the back door. Aaron went straight for the store room while Gabe ran, naked except his boxers. He didn't have a destination really. Yes, he did; away from Aaron. Nate grabbed Gabe's large jacket & flung it on over his boxers, chasing after his father to stop him.

"You knew about this, Ryland?" Aaron unhooked his rifle from the wall as he asked.

"N- no, I had no idea," he'd answered to quickly.

"You knew."

"Well, we all-" Aaron walked out, gun in hand. Alex walked in, and then scampered after Aaron. He'd been the one to tell Aaron that Gabe had turned number five back on last night; he felt a bit guilty. Gabe dashed into the control room and ducked.

"Aaron, listen!" He shouted as Aaron cocked the gun. There was a glass window and a few shelves between them but Gabe didn't feel safe.

"He's gonna shoot ya!" Pat laughed.

"Na- No, he's not." Gabe had spoken too soon. Aaron fired a shot, shattering the window. Gabe took off again; this time up a ladder so he was above Aaron.

"Aaron, you can't do this," He reasoned.

"Aw, I ain't gonna kill 'em; maybe take off a foot! You remember old Jim Haynes, worked with one hand all them years!?"

"Yea, but he wasn't very good," Alex mumbled. Gabe ran through the outside walk way and passed Zack, who happened to be carrying a giant wrench on his shoulder.

"Zack, Zack, Zack! You see Aaron, you stop him with that wrench, you got it?!" He called as he ran.

"Alright," Zack said calmly. He stepped into the center of the walkway as Aaron rounded the corner with Alex at his side and Ryland behind them.

"Gabe's one of your best men!" Alex reasoned.

"Yea, but he's not real smart! I think we'll be okay!" Aaron was serious. "Get outta my way, Zack! You don't want none of this!" Aaron had his gun pointed forward.

"Just trying to give my boy a head start," He smiled and stepped out of the way.

"When the boy’s father died, you promised him you'd take care of Gabe. I don't think shootin' him is the best way to do tha-"

"Aaron, stop it! You're acting insane!" Nate screeched. Ryland chuckled as Gabe hopped away from a bullet. "This is not funny!"

"We can talk about this!" Gabe screeched in protest. "Just stop!"

"I'm not gonna hurt him, honey! Now, go put some clothes on!" Nate let out a yell of frustration as Gabe took off again down a flight of large spiral stairs.

"You can't control my life!" Nate knew he sounded childish but it was true. He was over eighteen, well over.

"Fine! Clothes! Now!" Nate ignored his father’s order and began moving towards them.

"Alright, Aaron, stop it!" Gabe tried to sound serious & not terrified. "It was funny for a minute but it's not funny anymore!" A bullet whizzed past his neck.

"Aaron, man, this isn't legal!" Ryland protested as Gabe parachute slid down a wire.

"Na, it's alright, Ry! I'm temporarily insane!" Aaron cocked the gun and took aim again as he stomped towards the landing Gabe currently occupied. Ryland followed dutifully as Nate took the stairs and jumped wires, trying to get to them in his clothes less state. They had Gabe basically cornered now.

"Aaron, listen to me, okay?! Man to man, I'm serious!" Aaron held his gun up but let his finger off the trigger. "I love him!" Gabe tried to reason with the truth.

"Way wrong answer!" Aaron shot again and it hit a tank, bouncing off into Gabe's shin. He let out a shout of pain as he began hopping on one foot.

"You shot me!" He gasped.

"You shot him?! You shot him!" Nate appeared behind Alex & Aaron. "Move," he grumbled, pushing Aaron's gun to the ground

"Aw, I didn't shoot him. It was just a ricochet!" Aaron defended.

"Buckle up, guys! We've got customers!" Ryland announced as a helicopter circled over them. Nate sent Gabe to get a first aid kit and fix up his leg and went to change before following his father onto an open platform.

"Listen, Aaron; Gabe is my choice! My choice and not yours!" Nate was terrified Aaron would somehow prevent he and Gabe from being together but he kept his voice sturdy.

"He's the only one in your age bracket, Nate! It's not a choice; it's a lack of options!" Nate was getting mad now. He stomped towards the office.

"I don't know what in the world gives you the idea that you have the right to tell me what to do anymore!" he shouted.

"I suppose being your father doesn't count, huh?!"

"Not really!"

"Since when?!" Aaron screamed as they entered the office.

"I don't know, Aaron; since I reached the age of five and became older than you, since Mom split. Why don't you take your pick?!" Aaron's face fell a bit. "Listen, I understand that you were handicapped by a natural immaturity, and I forgive you," Nate was only half joking as he said this. Aaron really was rather immature, kind of like Gabe but not as extreme.

"I may be an immature father but I'm still your boss and, as your boss, I want you on that ferry and back in the office by Monday," he explained calmly.

"Fine, then I quit." Nate grabbed the papers he needed and exited the door that lead to the landing pad.

"Nate, you can't quit! Now, I need you!" Nate ignored his father as he greeted the Japanese customers in their own language.

"Aaron, say hello," Nate ordered quietly. The customers didn't speak English at all. He ignored her and continued his reprimanding.

"What are you smiling at?" he snapped at Nate.

"I've been seeing Gabe for almost six months, Aaron!" he replied calmly before leading the client into the first building.

"You little hypocrite! Have I ever held you back once from doing anything?!

"What about having a life, Aaron?!"

"Now, listen, Grace, I don't-" Nate instructed the clients to take a look at the pipes and rounded on his father.

"No! You listen to me, Aaron! I was raised by rough necks by you and, now, you get all shocked and shaken when I fall in love with one! So, who's the hypocrite, Aaron?!" Nate's voice was desperate, very desperate for his father to understand.

"Aaron, we're taking a hit!" Zack shouted from rig five.

"It's an air pocket! You better get up here!" Ryland called as the rig got louder from the shaking drill.

"I told you! I told you! Am I a genius or am I just lucky?!" Gabe gloated as he, Aaron and Alex rushed onto the drill platform. Nate led the customers towards the stairs, letting them see the crew in action. The whole rig was yelling, - of course, the place is so loud that everyone is always yelling. Gabe was excited beyond belief, and Aaron was instructing everyone with his megaphone-like voice.

"Nate, get the clients out of here!" he ordered as the drill shook even more violently. Nate moved them away but ended up having to duck below a row of pipes because a fallen pole was blocking their path. This wasn't safe. At all. Nate couldn't have told you what was going on. He didn't know what the orders Aaron was yelling meant and all he could do was try and keep the clients safe.

"We struck oil, baby!" Zack cheered after Aaron & Gabe had worked to pull the lever and shut down the drill. Oil was spurting up out of the ground and landing on everyone but no one cared. This was the first mine they'd struck and that was damn good. The clients were ecstatic they'd gotten to see it happen. Nate wanted to watch, he could see Aaron & Gabe talking lowly, both still holding onto the shut down lever. He had to get the clients back onto their helicopter, though, and he did just that.

"Gabe, you could of killed any one of us out here today. Do you understand that? Do you want that on your conscience? I shut it down for reason." he glared angrily and Gabe would of let himself shrink away from the hate if he wasn't so damn proud. "You're fired," Aaron practically sighed. Nate set the aircraft off and returned to drill five. Gabe was there, still standing beside the shut down lever. He rushed over, grabbing a towel on his way, and sort of nudged his way under Gabe's arm. Gabe instinctively slid his arm around Nate's waist as Nate began to wipe the oil off his boyfriends face.

"He fired me," Gabe said disbelievingly. Nate had no idea what to say. Absolutely no idea. He leant up & pressed his lips to Gabe's now clean cheek.

"It'll be okay, babe." Gabe shook his head slightly.

"You can open your own rig. You've always wanted to."

"It won't be the same."

"I know," Nate sighed. Gabe's father had been Aaron's best friend; he'd died of cancer. Suarez had taken over the position of Aaron's best friend.

"Crazy Willie put you up to this?" Aaron laughed, wiping his face clear of all the oil.

"I'm afraid I don't know 'Crazy Willie', sir. I'm serious." Nate turned back to Gabe and pulled their lips together. It was soft, sweet.

"Alright, I'll go on one condition." Nate wrapped his arms around Gabe's neck and held on to him.

"I love you, Gabe." Gabe nodded his reply against Nate's head. "I'll see you soon," he assured.

"I take my daughter along." Nate closed his eyes; he'd known this was coming but it was, damn well, unfair.

"What did I do?" he whined as an official led him towards the helicopter after his father. "I- I'll see you soon, Gabey." he called back.