Breaking up...

"I need your help."

That got Blake's attention instantly. Foster's tone on the phone was breathless and frightened. "Of course. What- what's happened?"

"Gabri …" There was such a long pause on the other end that Blake shifted his cell phone, glancing at the screen to see if he'd dropped the call. Right before he was going to say something, Foster continued, "You knew we were together, didn't you?"

Blake blinked. He'd been surprised when Gabriel had moved in with Foster, but Blake had believed what he'd been told. Besides, Blake really wasn't all that wild about Gabriel becoming a permanent fixture in Gabriel's apartment, so he'd been happy when the man moved out. He'd thought Gabe would couch-surf a while at Foster's no differently than he had at his own apartment. Guess it wasn't the couch he was sleeping on. "Uh, yeah. I guess. I- I knew he was living with you."

"Well, we're not together anymore. I need you to...I'm worried he might try to kill me, Blake. He was really angry. He...I left. He was wrecking the place."

Shit. But on the other hand, if Gabriel wanted Foster dead, then it was well within his capability to effect that. That he had not was a very good sign. "O-okay. Where are you now?" Blake put away his breakfast. He wouldn't get a chance to eat it. He'd have to call work, too, and tell them he wouldn't be making it in today.

"I'm," Foster sighed, sounding exhausted and on the verge of breaking down. "I'm at a coffee shop. Blake...I just want him out of our house for a few hours, so I can get my things and...I'll move back into my apartment. This was all a huge mistake. I've ruined everything I've ever touched..." And then he broke down into tears.

Blake stared up at the ceiling, listening to Foster sob brokenly about how he'd caused all the misery in Gabriel's life. Blake's mind wandered to when Foster was beating Gabriel up his twisted demented experiments. It sort of limited his sympathy. He interrupted, "Okay, okay. Listen, I'll go by your place and I'll get D-Gabriel out of there. I'll call you when the coast is clear, okay?"

Foster sniffed loudly. "Okay."

Blake hung up and shook his head. Great. Just great. He was not keen on the idea of being stuck between the two men, forced to intervene, but Gabriel was too powerful to risk leaving him to work it out himself and Foster was too incompetent. Blake raked his hair out of his face, sighed and headed out.

XXX

He knocked on the door of Gabriel's (and apparently Foster's) cabin. There was no answer. He tried the knob. It was unlocked. He pushed it open, calling out, "Hey? It's Blake. Anyone home?" He was met with more silence, so he pushed the door the rest of the way open. He wasn't too surprised to see Gabriel sitting on a stool at the kitchen bar, glaring daggers at him. Blake held up his hands in surrender and after a long, sullen pause, Gabriel looked back down and continued what he was doing. He had a cellphone or something similar disassembled and was doing something with the pieces. Blake had enough long association from being in Gabe's life to know that he often buried himself in devices when he didn't want to deal with the world.

He looked around the apartment. The walls were slashed, things had been smashed to fragments against them and much of the furniture was askew. The floor was littered with papers, broken glass and other items. He picked his way through them carefully. Gabriel ignored him pointedly. Blake stopped next to him.

His nightmare was being alone. He so wanted someone to love him, support him. He must have felt so special to have someone like Foster forgive him, or at least be willing to be with him. Blake looked back across the destroyed apartment, thinking about Foster's sobbing. Blake knew Gabriel and Foster had found love, even if they'd only been together for a few months. If they hadn't, Gabriel wouldn't have been so violent; Foster wouldn't be so shattered. The two had nearly as many issues between them as Blake and Dexter had, but without years with one another to work them out.

He reached out and put his hand on the back of Gabriel's neck, feeling the man instantly tense all over and hearing his breath catch. It was like Blake's touch was scalding hot or ice cold. Gabriel twitched a few times and slowly hung his head. Blake rubbed slightly. "Come on. You can work on that later. Let me get you out of here."

Gabriel turned his face away, breathing faster. "No. He might come back." There was a shred of hope in his voice, and an edge of misery that rent at Blake's heart.

He sighed. Maybe they'd just argued; maybe they could get back together. It didn't really matter though - both men needed a chance to calm down. "You need to see some different scenery. Come on." He tugged on him.

Gabriel's head snapped around, a snarl on his face. "He sent you, didn't he? To get me out, to make me leave?"

Blake's mouth opened and he hesitated, considering what to say.

"I can tell if you're lying, Blake," Gabriel growled, tilting his head. He shook off Blake's hand, sliding off the stool and looming over him.

Blake's eyes narrowed resentfully at the attempt to intimidate him, then he looked away. Gabriel was allowed to be angry, especially if he was in the process of being dumped. It would be like if Blake suddenly went back on his own forgiveness of Gabriel. Gabriel was different now and as proof - he might threaten, he might posture, he might even break things, but no one was hurt and it was so, so easy for him to hurt people. Blake swallowed. "Yes, he asked me to come. But I agreed because it was you."

Gabriel snorted and curled his lip. "Yes, of course. Can't have me off my leash, can we? I need a fucking chaperone and here's Blake Spencer to the rescue. See a chance to be a hero and you leap at it."

"That wasn't why," Blake said, tight-lipped. Gabriel knew which of Blake's buttons to push, that was for sure.

Gabriel snorted again and paced away into the kitchen, getting a cup out of the cabinet like he had a sudden need for a drink, and wasn't just trying to get some distance from the potential exposure of one of his weaknesses. "I don't believe you," he sulked and slammed the cup down too hard against the counter.

Blake frowned and leaned his back against the bar. "You said you can detect lies. Or is that only when it's convenient to you?"

Gabriel shot him a narrow-eyed, sidelong glance while he fussed with the cup and a teabag. He said nothing.

"Gabriel, it took me months to come to terms with what happened-"

"It's been months!" Gabriel burst out in agitation. With his words, the cup flew across the kitchen and smashed into the wall, pieces flying everywhere. Gabriel scowled at it and curled his fingers into fists, looking down and trying to breathe normally. His brows drew together in concentration.

He didn't mean to do that. Blake was both calmed and frightened by that. A flash of memory ran through his mind of all of his own emotions activating all at once, it was out of his control. Gabriel loved control. He thrived on it. He was obviously teetering on the edge here. Blake walked forward slowly and put his hands on Gabe's shoulders. Once again, the man responded strongly, but this was to sag and look away, his eyes glistening.

Blake drew in an uneven breath and pulled Gabriel into a hug. "I'm so sorry."