Christian tried to wriggle free from her grasp without making eye contact. She edged closer to him forcing him to look into her eyes. "You look so familiar. Do I know you?"

Christian felt his body tense up; sweat trickling down the back of his neck. This is what he was waiting for. For some sign from her, and now she was here. Standing before him was the woman he’d loved for so many years, and he was too frightened to say a word. She let go of his jacket, still gazing at his image. "Were we friends?"

Christian nodded as he took a look at his surroundings. There was no sign of Raven. Where the hell was he?

Kael joined Spider at their table, both of them watching Christian and Gabrielle. Kael handed her a drink, moving closer to her. "Well now, seems as though the spiders been caught by the prey… so to speak."

Gabrielle went to stroke Christians face but he pulled away. Gabrielle stepped back for a moment; too frightened to ask why he pulled away, why he was so scared.

Christian turned to her again, a dull smile on his face. What was he waiting for? This was his chance to be with her, to speak to her for the first time in months. "I…" he stammered. "I thought you were dead."

She followed the man to a nearby barstool and watched as he whipped away his tears. "When you didn’t come back…"

"Come back?" Gabrielle repeated softly.

"I woke up one day and you were gone, after that, I’d never heard from you."

Gabrielle whipped away one of his fallen tears, not knowing how fake it all really was. "You’re like me?"

Christian nodded looking up into her eyes. "We were made from the same."

"Who?" she asked, even quicker than expected.

"It doesn’t matter, not right now anyway. It was no one you knew…"

Gabrielle stopped her questioning when she saw an image come closer into view. She watched as Raven came into the Black Out, taking a seat at the other end of the bar. She didn’t want Raven to see her with her companion, not yet anyway. After all, if Raven could have secrets, so could she. "I have to go…" she stroked Christians face once again, looking into his big blue eyes. "Meet me here tomorrow."

Christian agreed and watched as she ducked through the crowd, showing up at Ravens side. He smiled; it was all going as planned. It couldn’t have been better than this. In a day or two he’d have Gabrielle at his side, be rid of Raven and Kael… what could be more perfect?

His thoughts stopped abruptly, a strong hand clamping down on his shoulder. "So how was the reunion?" Kael questioned.

Christians smile vanished without even having to face Kael. He took the envelope from his pocket, sliding it to Kaels willing hands. "There’s your money, were done!"

"That we are," he laughed handing the package to Spider. "That is till it runs out, then we will be back."

Christian ignored Kaels comments as the two left joyfully. Nothing was going to ruin his moment now. Nothing could. Gabrielle wanted to know everything about her life and what had happened. He had counted on that. He knew nothing that would bring them together quicker than Gabrielle’s past, and her willingness to want to know what happened. The only thing was decided what version he wanted to tell her.

**

Gabrielle hurried around the street corner, making sure no one was following her before she headed into the Black Out. Raven had lectured her enough last night; she wasn’t planning on having it repeated tonight. He had told her that he had become worried when he awoke and saw that she was gone. Who knows, maybe he was. Maybe deep down inside all that angry gruff exterior he actually did care about someone.

Gabrielle wasn’t worried about tonight though. Raven had emptied his sorrows in a couple bottles of whiskey and was still out cold when she woke up. She knew he’d be passed out for hours, which gave her plenty of time.

She took a seat at the bar not recognizing any of the faces. It was still early thought, and the night was still young. The bartender placed a napkin down in front of her, polishing the bar with his free arm. "What can I get ya?"

"Bourbon…"

Gabrielle placed a hundred dollar bill on the bar as the bartender poured her drink into a chilled glass, placing it on the napkin. The Bartender whistled to himself, holding it out to the light to make sure it was real. "Don’t know if I can break this bill this early in the night lady."

Gabrielle smiled wryly. "That’s ok, just keep the drinks coming."

"That I can do" He folded up with bill, shoving it into his apron, as he continued to prepare the bar for the nights guests.

Gabrielle shook the glass a little, watching the ice clatter against the glass melting slowly onto the warm bourbon. She drank it down quickly and when she put it down, there was already another waiting for her.

Gabrielle jumped a little feeling a hand coming down on her arm.

"Sorry…" Christian stammered awkwardly.

"That’s ok," she laughed, whipping the splatters of bourbon from her shirt. "You’re early."

"So are you…"

"Can we go somewhere?" Gabrielle cut in. "To talk I mean… Can we?"

Christian led Gabrielle into one of the Black Outs back rooms, opening the storage door to let the soft breeze in. He walked up to her, watching as she took a seat on one of the small packing crates. "It’s been so long…"

"Has it?" Gabrielle looked up at him. "I don’t remember."

"What do you remember?"

"You, us…" she stammered softly looking down at the ground. "Just being together, and knowing it felt right." Christian nodded not knowing what to say and she continued. "I have visions sometimes… like flashbacks. Your eyes, your blond hair, but your face is usually blurry."

Christian brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, pulling it back behind her ear. He didn’t know what to tell her. He knew she wasn’t remembering him, she was remembering his brother. But as long as she didn’t remember, everything was still great. She could go on thinking it was him, and thinking they were together once. And Christian could go on loving her hoping for the day that it would be returned.

Gabrielle felt his warm touch on her face, flinching when a vision had come into her head. Her and Christian were on the couch, watching television. He had grabbed her, tickling her and holding her close. She laughed wildly trying to wriggle from his grasp, but he lay her down next to him, kissing her passionately. She shook her head, looking into his light eyes. "We were together?"

Christian nodded. "For years… we were as happy as any two people could be. I was happier than ever, till the night you left…" he looked past her into the night sky trying desperately to produce some fake tears, just as the night before. "I had woke up late that night, and when I came into your room it just felt cold, and you were gone. I knew something was wrong so I got dressed and went out looking for you but I couldn’t find you. I had to come back when the sun started rising but I went out every night for weeks after that but I never heard from you since that day."

Gabrielle looked up at him, placing a hand over his not knowing what to say.

"Do you remember home?" he asked her, squeezing her hands softly.

She shook her head. "I don’t remember a lot about anything."

"I can take you one day…" Christian offered, making her smile slightly. "That is, if you want…"

Gabrielle traced his fingers with hers. She felt warm inside for the first time in a long time. She had finally been reunited with her lover and slowly everything was coming into place. It would only be a matter of time till she remembered everything that had happened to her. "Can we go now?"