Chapter 16

I was healing. Surprisingly fast. Too fast. It was weird, I noted the third day after the 'battle'. Don't know if it qualified as a battle since you know, it ended in less than an hour. It was so sad that we had lost six fighters but from what I learnt the hunters had lost more than we did. But still, I hated that anyone got hurt let alone die.

I was in my bathroom removing my bandages. The formerly open wounds were more covered in new skin and the pain was completely gone by now. How was this even possible? Cedric could heal in a matter of seconds but I was a Guardian not a werewolf. Fabio had explain to me that Guardians could muster the ability to heal faster only if they learned. I hadn't learned that yet but here I was almost completely recovered after three days.

Tossing the used bandages in the bin, I opened the shower tap and let the water run until it became warm. Dropping my rob to the floor, I got under the warm spray of water.

I did my best thinking in the shower. Was that weird?

Finn. My brother, Finn. They still hadn't found him and while everyone was annoyingly calm, I was freaking the hell out with each passing second. I would really love to think that Lucas won't hurt him but from what I had heard, blood relation meant nothing to him. Calling him Dad was now kind of inappropriate for me. I really couldn't bring myself to doing it.

Next time I saw him, he was going to explain to me me why he was such a monster. As much as I had made up my mind not to cry the tears just came anyway. Everyone I knew and loved wasn't as they seemed and it was hard to deal with. I could have just curled under a rock and had a pity party but I needed answers and answers I was going to get. But that didn't mean that I couldn't cry about it.

In the last two days, Fabio had been my constant companion as he continued our training sessions in my room. He had been relentless and poked and probed until he was satisfied with my progress. I had to be ready, he said. Lucas would try to play mind games with me for sure so I had to be ready, he had told me. I was becoming pretty good at it and it might be just a little premature but I felt ready.

I closed that tap and made a fuss of drying up and payed particular attention to my supernatural wound. After I was done with drying and moisturising, I put on my regalia: shorts and a vest. It was too hot to wear anything else.

Without bothering to tie my hair, I headed downstairs.

"Santana. Good morning." Fabio greeted me from the breakfast table as I entered the dinning room.

I smiled at him. We had sort of become friends. "Hie."

I reached over and took a piece of toast. There were other people in the room who I also greeted.

"How is the arm?" One of the girls, Kylie asked.

"Completely healed. So weird." I replied with a frown as I sat down next to Fabio.

"You'll get used to it." She said with a sweet smile. She startled when a jug of orange juice rose on the air next to her and came slowly towards my outstretched hand. "Looks like you are already used to it."

I grinned as I poured the juice in a glass. "Just practising." I mumbled setting the jug back down.

Fabio was smiling next to me. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly for my ears only.

"Fine. Just getting restless." I replied adopting the same quietness.

"Good." He drawled.

"How is that good?" I asked tensely.

"Gabriel might have good news." Fabio disclosed.

I almost shrieked loudly. "Good news? Tell me they found him!" I whispered urgently.

"Calm down, cara. He has told me nothing yet. He-"

"He asked you not to tell her yet."

We looked up and a disapproving Gisele stood there hands on hips appraising both of us with something close to disgust.

"Eavesdrop much?" I retorted.

"I don't eavesdrop." Gisele rolled her eyes. "I was keeping an eye on Fabio. " she squinted at him.

"Ah of course. How kind of you to let me know." Fabio remarked sarcastically.

"I knew you would go against Gabriel's orders because you are such a sneaky little rat man!" Gisele spat elegantly shifting her weight to one leg.

"And you!" She turned on me. "What's is it about you?"

The piece of toast I had been chewing on fell to my plate. "Wha' " I mumbled my mouth full of toast.

Gisele rolled her eyes. "Come on, Gabriel wants to see you two."

I jumped out of my chair before Fabio could even swallow spit. To find my brother, I'd do anything - including seeing Gabriel whom I had been carefully avoiding for the past three days. I followed Gisele as she stalked out of the dining room. I could hear Fabio following behind at a slower pace.

"Are you Gabriel's assistant?" I asked in the mockiest tone I could muster.

"Do I look like anyone's assistant?" She snapped increasing her pace.

Over revealing clothes, overly exaggerated sexy foreign accent, the desire to mock, ridicule and belittle others. Check, check and check. "Yeah, you totally look like someone's assistant." I told her jogging up the chairs to keep up with Miss Glamorous.

She whipped back. "And you look like someone's fifteen year old maid from some poverty stricken country." She smiled sweetly then turned to continue up the stairs.

The insult might have stung if it had come from someone else but from Gisele? I didn't care.

Now that we were almost at Gabriel's office, I was nervous. My hands got all clammy and I wasn't sure all this anxiety was Finn related.

We entered the office with Fabio not far behind.

Gabriel was standing by a filing cabinet looking down at something on a paper. He looked up when we came in. Then his gaze fell on me and followed me until I stopped by his desk and stood next to Gisele.

I swallowed hard. Sweating was suddenly the least of my problems as my heart pounded erratically in my chest as if it was about to burst.

"Santana." He drawled in greeting his eyes sweeping over me. The last time he had seen me properly I had a sling and I winced at each step. "You look fine."

"Excuse me?" Gisele interjected before I could say anything.

"Your arm." He added in explanation.

"Yeah it healed." I responded subconsciously rubbing my arm.

"In two days?" He raised an eyebrow.

I sighed. "You have news?" Don't fraternize with Gabriel. I repeated the mantra over and over.

Gabriel pursed his lips and resumed his cold and detached expression. "Yes. We may have located Finn."

I sucked in breath through my teeth. They found him. "Where? Where is he?" I asked urgently.

"He's at a hunter's base about about 200kilometers from here. The keep changing his location because they know we are watching." Gabriel supplied.

"Okay but he's at that base now?" I asked.

"We believe so." He replied walking to his desk and sitting down. "At least for now."

"So then let's go and get him!" If they were moving him then we had to go now. Excitement and anxiety levels in me were high.

"We are still trying to study their security because in sure they wouldn't leave the base vulnerable." Gabriel said turning on his laptop. "There should be at least four armed groups securing the region outside of the base. Let me not even mention security cameras. Even if we get through the firearm barrier outside, how do we find Finn without getting caught?"

He had a point but I was beyond reasoning. All I wanted was to make sure Finn was safe.

"Why can't we just go and bang on the door and demand for him?" I asked running my hand through my hair.

"You are a genius! Why didn't we think of that before?" Gisele put in sarcastically.

All three of us glared at her for a second then turned attention back to Gabriel but it was Fabio who replied.

"We can't. They will want us to make deal." He told us walking forward and perching himself against Gabriel's desk.

"What kind of deal?" I frowned. "Whatever it is let's do it!"

"They will want you in exchange for him."

This wasn't exactly news to me. Gabriel had told me before but could I do it? Could I sacrifice myself for my brother? Absolutely. Without a doubt I would. Besides I wanted to talk to my father and maybe I could reason with him. Another question; would Gabriel allow it? One way to find out.

"Fine. I'll give myself up." I conceded with a shrug of my shoulders.

"No way in hell." Gabriel had clearly been prepared to say that. I knew he was going to say no.

"No let her do it. I'll finally be rid of her. Maybe they'll kill her if I'm lucky." Gisele said with a laugh.

I had also know she would say that.

"Gisele, excuse us one moment please." Fabio said with a hint of annoyance.

She looked offended. "This is my house."

"Please leave us, Gisele." Gabriel snapped at her coldly.

She pouted then turned and left the office closing the door behind her.

"Cara, don't put yourself in danger. Let's sit down at work out a way to get the boy back." Fabio said putting his hands on my shoulders.

"You said they keep moving him. By the time we finish planning he would have disappeared again! I can't take that risk." I was almost in tears of frustration.

"Everyone working on this case is professional. We know what we are doing and you need to sit back and let us do our job." Gabriel put in.

"Oh, the same team that was looking unsuccessfully for Shelly for five years? I will put all my faith in them." I spat sarcastically. I started pacing up and down the length of the room.

"We try to avoid war and bloodshed." Fabio said solemnly watching me.

"We are already in war! They want to fight us and we are doing nothing to retaliate or stop them. I don't want bloodshed either but I also don't want anymore people abducted." I cried. "Are we going to continue living fear because we are 'peacemakers'? " I paused and looked at the two Guardians one after the other. "The hunters need to be stopped. My father needs to be a father not a hunter."

Silence followed my rant as they gazed at me with slightly surprised expressions. I continued pacing up and down the room my mind racing. I knew exactly what I had to do. There was no other way around it.

"Fabio, can you excuse us for a moment please?" Gabriel was saying.

My eyes widened in panic. "There is no need for that." I held my hands up as if to stop Fabio who was already getting up. The last thing I wanted was to be alone with Gabriel.

Fabio merely smiled at me then he exited closing the door behind him.

I refused to look at Gabriel but his hot gaze was on me, I could feel it. He stood up and started walking towards me.

Oh no.

For a moment, I had a flashback of our kiss so naturally, I blushed shoving the memory back in its place. This wasn't the time to think about it.

When Gabriel got closer to me, I backed away causing him to frown and stop abruptly.

"Santana." His voice saying my name was like a caress.

I closed my eyes briefly willing the inappropriate butterflies in my stomach to go away. "Gabriel." I breathed and my voice sounded stronger than I thought it would.

"I promised I'd bring Finn back home." He said.

"It's been three days. Who knows what daddy dearest is doing to him right now?" I replied.

"He won't hurt him. Finn is just a pawn because it's you he wants." He said as if it was a painful subject for him.

I sighed. I wasn't going to fight a losing battle with Gabriel. "Okay. Let's do what he wants and save Finn."

Gabriel's gaze narrowed as if he had read my mind. "Don't do anything stupid, Santana." He warned.

I shrugged. "What you call stupid I might call genius." I said with a small humorless smile.

He said nothing as he crooked his head slightly to the side and studied me.

After what seemed like minutes I lifted my hands in surrender. "I won't do anything stupid." He continued looking at me the same way. "Or genius by my standards."

Clearly that's what he had been waiting to hear because he relaxed slightly.

"You have been avoiding me." It wasn't a question.

"Have I?" I shifted uncomfortably on my feet.

"Yes." He said and did he look slightly uncomfortable?

"No, I haven't. You have been busy and so have I." I waved my hand dismissively even though my heart was pounding hard. Did he miss me? I know I missed him.

"We made a deal." He moved closer to me the mood heated up drastically.

I swallowed hard. "A lot...lot has happened since then. I'd like to get out of the deal." We both knew I was talking about the kiss but I'd be damned if I was the one to bring it up. The tension hiked up a notch.

His gaze was intense as he gazed down at me, his face set determinedly to show zero emotion. He was probably regretting kissing me because I was a pain the ass that wouldn't shut up. If he was going to regret it then he shouldn't have kissed me. I didn't get why he would try to get close to me only to push me away and hurt my feelings. By now though, I knew his game so I was prepared. Though that didn't mean i had sorted out these crazy emotions he was stirring up in me. I hadn't. But...I had to be strong Santana right now.

"Well, it's entirely your choice." Gabriel finally said taking a few steps back.

Wow. So much for 'I can't leave you alone.' . He had let me go quicker than swallowing spit.

It fucking hurt so bad.

I nodded curtly at him then I pushed past him towards the door.

"Santana." He called.

I paused without turning around.

"I'll still keep my promise of bringing Finn home." He said. "Just relax and let me do it."

"Do you have siblings, Gabriel?" I asked my voice sounding choked.

"I'm an only child." He replied.

"That's what I thought. So I don't expect you to understand how I'm feeling." My voice broke at the last word and that was my cue to bolt.

I ran all the way to my room. I wasn't even aware that someone was following me until Cedric burst into my room right after me.

"What are you doing?" I cried clutching my chest. The tears on my cheeks are forgotten.

"Why are you crying?" He asked softly closing the door and coming towards me. He pulled me towards his broad chest and hugged me. "Is it Gabriel?"

I resisted the urge to break down and cry on his shoulder. No one should ever see me like that again. "I...I er it's complicated." I whispered brokenly.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." He whispered back brushing my hair with his hand. "Just... Please don't cry." He pulled away so he could look at my face.

I sniffed.

He smiled. "You are still so cute when you cry."

"Cute?!" I scoffed drying up my tears with my hand.

"Okay, you are gorgeous. Is that better?" His smile widened.

"Much." I sighed pulling out of his arms.

"You are definitely the best crier I have ever seen. You don't even cry. You just look like you are about the cry and then you don't! That's pretty great."

I smiled at his handsome face. "I am a pretty good crier." I conceded.

We laughed lightly together.

"Fabio told me Gabriel found Finn." He said as soon as he sobered up.

I tensed. "Yeah. They did." I didn't want to give too much away in case he figured out my plan.

"I know what you are planning." His words made me jump.

How did he know???

"Yeah?" My voice was all squeaky.

"Yeah." He confirmed. "You are planning to let Gabriel formulate a plan for rescue." He said with a nod.

Ohhh. I almost knelt down in relief.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Gabriel knows what he's doing so I'll just let him handle it." I turned away from him so he wouldn't see my poker face. Finn always said I was a horrible liar.

"Bullshit." Cedric yelled causing me to jump back to face him. "There is no way you are going to do that! I know what you are really planning."

Oh no!!

"I don't know what you are talking about." My face was burning. Could he actually know?

"You are planning to go and rescue him yourself." He said slowly coming closer to me pointing his finger at me.

"Shhhh!" I jumped up and covered his mouth with my hand. "Keep your voice down!"

Cedric's eyes sparkled excitedly. He took my hand of his mouth. "I knew it!" He whispered excitedly.

"How did you...?" I was bewildered. There was no way he could possibly have known. I had come up with this plan about fifteen minutes ago! And I didn't even have detail yet.

"I wasn't sure until just now. When Fabio told me they found Finn I knew you would want to take matters into your own hands." He explained looking at me like I was crazy.

"Oh." I had given myself away. Damn it! But in my defence, Cedric tricked me. "So are you going to snitch on me?"

"No I won't snitch. I want to help you." He grinned.

"What?! No way! Are you out of your mind?." Was he insane?

"Are you? You can't do this alone." He stated.

"It's too dangerous."

"Oh and it's safe for you?"

"He's my Dad! He won't hurt me!"

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you are not."

"I believe I am."

"I believe you are insane."

"I believe you are insaner!"

"That's not a word!"

"It is now."

"Okay but you are not coming."

"If you dont let me I'll tell on you."

I paused. "Well, that's a game changer." I said drily.

"I want to help you. I know exactly where the base is and you don't. You can't do this alone." He said taking my hand and leading the to the bed to sit down.

"I know you can help but I don't want you getting hurt because of me. Or because of my father." I finally voiced out what I had been so afraid of. I couldn't let Lucas hurt anymore innocent people and that's one of the main reasons I was going to get Finn myself.

"I don't want you getting hurt either. Remember I told you I'm responsible for your safety? I won't let you go by yourself. Otherwise you won't go at all." He stated stubbornly crossing his arms.

I sighed. "You are starting to sound like Gabriel."

"Hey, what's the deal between you guys." He asked suddenly.

I tensed. "Wha...? Er...I er...n...nothing." I stammered. Oh I might just for as well just have told him the whole gist.

Cedric raised his eyebrows. "Something. But now is not the time."

Sigh of relief!

"What's the plan?" He asked getting all serious.

"I didn't say you could come." I protested.

"What's the plan?" Cedric insisted.

I sighed again. I guess I could use an extra head. I didn't know the place and I was physically incapable considering someone had cut off my training. I didn't want to but maybe I should just let Cedric come.

"Alright." I said nodding. "Alright, you can come but I don't have a plan yet."

He grinned broadly then jumped up to his feet and started pacing as if he was giving a presentation. "I was hoping you'd say that. We will sneak out of here after midnight and we will head towards Eastlea. We will probably get there just before the sun comes up. That time is the time that sleep is most difficult to fight so it will be easy for us to take out the guards at Eastlea and entrance will be easy. We get in there, take out anyone in our way and we take Finn and get the hell out of there."

By the time he finished, my furrowed eyebrows were so furrowed they made one conjoined line. "I have several concerns."

"Lay them on me." He ceremoniously pointed at himself.

"I'm assuming Eastlea is the base?" I asked he nodded. "Okay, how will we sneak out of here without being detected?"

"I have the midnight watch at the gate so that should go smoothly." He responded.

"Okay. How are we leaving here? On foot?" I raised my second concern.

Cedric scoffed. "We are not cavemen!" He reached into his pockets, pulled something out and threw it at me. I caught it then looked at what it was...

"My car keys!" I shrieked. I hadn't seen them in forever.

"Shut up!" He shushed me.

I continued my celebration with a hand covering my mouth. Finally I calmed down enough to continue. "Okay okay. That's enough. Umm...okay, how about the guards at the base. What if they are not sleepy at that time because I'm sure they have shifts too."

"Then we will make them sleep. I have a can of nitrogen gas. They will be out like a light. And after that really we just hustle our way through." He explained with a shrug at the end.

"What? That's a stupid plan! It will never work!" Seriously? Nitrogen gas? Did that even make someone drowsy? And the hustling? Seriously?

"It will work, Santana. There's nothing else we can do since we are not following protocol. This is called improvising. If you can come up with a better plan please do share."

I had no plan. I didn't even have a pla. But I was a good thinker on my feet so maybe Cedric's plan wasn't so bad as long as we got to the base I would know what to do.

I smiled. "I accept your plan."

"Good. I will load your car with the necessities during the course of today and twelve thirty, you take the car and drive as fast as you can to the gate." He recited.

He had been planning this for a while, hadn't he?

Nonetheless I nodded and stood up to shake hands with him and the left my room without another word.

I took a deep breath.

We were really doing this.

Gabriel would be so furious if he found out. Good.