Chapter 23

Gabriel turned Pandora slightly and kissed her, hard. "God, pet. That was ... that was wonderful."

She didn't respond, just kind of hung there in his arms, limp and helpless, still shuddering slightly.

Gabriel sat down on the bench, pulling her onto his lap sideways. "I love you."

Pandora tucked her feet up, curling up tightly on his lap, and shuddered again as the latex tightened against her crotch. "Ohhh!"

He chuckled. "Want me to unlace the gloves for you?"

She shivered against him, turning her head to tuck it against his chest, and didn't answer.

The feelings radiating from her were complex, and thoroughly unfamiliar. She lay shivering in his lap, and he realized with a bit of a shock that even though her orgasm was past, her mind was still in much the same state that it was when she was trembling on the edge of coming ... he could still have whatever he wanted from her without even the tiniest thought of protest. She couldn't answer his question, because thinking about it was too complex an action, and even if she could she couldn't make the decision; she was so completely focused on his will that her own was so deeply suppressed as to be non-existent. It didn't seem to be an unwillingly inflicted feeling, though ... frightening, overwhelming, more intense than anything she'd ever felt ... but willingly embraced.

Gabriel held her, stroking her hair, and didn't ask her anything else. Instead, he simply cuddled her as closely to him as possible, perfectly content to wait until she felt like moving or Chris or Angel asked them to let them have their fitting room back.

Slowly, very slowly, she calmed, her whirling emotions coming closer to her normal state, her breathing growing more regular and her trembling easing up. But still she said nothing, just lay against him, quiet and still.

Once she was still and calm, Gabriel began to gently undo the laces on her gloves, loosening them in slow, easy amounts until he could remove them completely. Then he reached for the blindfold. "I love you, pet," he said. "But it's time to come back now. Come on back to me, love." He removed the lock from the hasp, and held the blindfold by the straps. "Cover your eyes so it doesn't hurt."

She whimpered slightly, and he could feel the pang of fear and the strange sadness that filled her. But she obeyed.

Gabriel gently removed the blindfold from her eyes, sliding it out from under her hands. "I love you, pet. Thank you."

She shuddered and collapsed against him, her hands over her eyes. "Ohhhhhh..." She moaned, then sobbed, curling up in a little ball on his lap.

Gabriel pulled her against him, tightly. "It's okay, love. I'm here. It's okay."

"Oh god ... oh ... oh god," she whispered, shuddering again and again, and reached for him, burying her face against his chest.

Gabriel stroked her hair, holding her close. "It's okay. I love you."

"I ... I ... I couldn't stop!" She moaned, the sound one of complete confusion. "I couldn't stop, couldn't ... couldn't come out of it."

"I know. But it's okay. It's okay, love."

"Only b-because you ... you didn't ... you were careful. B-but I c-couldn't have told you no." She shivered convulsively. "No matter what. Y-you could have done anything, and ... and I couldn't have said a word."

"I know. I don't understand what happened ... but I'll take care of you, no matter what. I promise." He held her close. "I promise. And if ... if you don't want to do that sort of thing again, I understand."

"No! That's not what I meant! Oh god, I do. I do. So much. It's just ... I ... I don't understand at all, and when I think of what could h-happen..." She tightened her arms around him convulsively, terrified. "I ... I want to go home," she whispered brokenly. "Please ... please can we go home?"

"Of course, love. If that's what you want, we can go home." He kissed her gently. "But nothing could happen. I wouldn't let it. I'm fairly sure I could have jerked you out of it, but I was afraid it would be ... jarring. But if I'd needed to, I would have. You're safe."

"I ... I know you wouldn't let me get hurt on purpose," she said. "B-but if I can't tell you, how could you know you were hurting me?" She drew up tightly on his lap. "I'm scared," she whispered, "scared of what I might be. And ... and I need to ... to be somewhere safe right now. Please?"

"Of course, love," he said. "Let me pay for our stuff, and we can go. Just ... tell me what you think you might be?"

"I don't even know," she said quietly. "Just ... not what or who I thought I was."

"Okay, love." He kissed her again. "You okay by yourself while I go pay?"

She shivered again, but nodded. "m'k."

Gabriel hugged her, then carefully set her on the bench beside him before walking out to the counter to pay.

Chris was nowhere in sight, but Angel was behind the counter, still looking a bit uncertain himself.

"Visa okay?" Gabriel said, pulling out his card. "Listen ... lemme give you my number in case something comes up, okay?" He handed the card to Angel, and wrote his number down on the offered piece of paper. "There. If we don't make it tonight, give me a call." He hesitated. "She's a little freaked by how much she enjoyed herself. I don't think she expected that."

Angel ran a hand through his hair. "I know how she feels."

Gabriel gave him a wry look. "Believe me, I know ALL about suddenly discovering you aren't necessarily who you thought you were."

Angel rang the clothes up and swiped the card, handing it back to Gabriel. The total revealed on the screen was quite high ... the cat-suit alone had been $200.

Gabriel tucked the card away and signed the slip. "Thanks."

Angel smiled weakly. "You, too."

Gabriel walked back to the fitting room. "Ready, love?"

Pandora looked up at him, still looking small and lost, and tried to smile. "Yes," she said softly, reaching out for him.

Gabriel took her hand. "Come on, love. We'll go home."

She stood and pressed against him, wrapping her arm around his waist and staying close as they left the store. She didn't say a word, and seemed to want to hide more than anything else, keeping her face turned down and towards him.

"Love ... there's nothing to be ashamed of. You have nothing to hide," he said.

She flushed guiltily. "I'm not ashamed," she said, but there was little conviction in her tone.

Gabriel stopped, looking down at her. "Aren't you?"

"I..." She dropped her eyes. "Okay, maybe I am," she admitted reluctantly.