I am done with love

Where did you sleep last night?

A/N: Okay, on more, because I know how it feels, to wait for the next part!

Gabriel stayed for each of the following twenty songs. Even after the barkeeper told him, that he couldn't keep the bar open for just one guest.

The designer stared at him for a moment. Then he asked:

"On whose order?"

"My boss's!", was his short reply.

Gabriel scoffed.

"Let me take a guess. The man's name is Bob Roth, and he did not only order you, to not leave this 'establishment' open for just one customer, but also, to not pay the young lady over there, if she couldn't finish her songs, before you forced the last paying guests out of here. Care to explain, what you will get out of it?"

The man didn't dare to look into his face, when he answered:

"I get to keep my job and get paid, Sir!"

The middle aged man looked at him with disgust. Then he inhaled deeply, to not punch this one too and suggested:

"You've seen my friend, the one with the bloody nose, right? Let's just pretend, he is still here. Wouldn't be good for you, if your boss found out, that his personal friend didn't stay until the end after his invitation. I will convince my friend, that he stayed the whole night and I will order a drink for him, each time I have finished my own. If you serve it or not, doesn't matter. I'm going to pay for it anyway. And here, this is your tip for tonight", he showed him a hundred dollar bill, but pulled it back as the younger man reached for it. Chuckling Gabriel said, "you'll get this as soon as the lady has been properly paid. Do you understand that?"

The young man nodded and went to clean up the tables in the back and started wiping the floor. Now, that he was the only remaining guest, Nathalie did something, she hadn't even considered during those few weeks, she was singing here every night. She used all her courage and stepped out of the dark and into the dim lights so he could see her face. He could see her trembling, when she started her next song.

Of course he knew that one too. She sang Cher's 'Strong enough' almost better than the diva herself. At least for him she did. When she sang the part, 'I hear your reasons why, where did you sleep last night', he kept wondering, where she spent her nights, if her payments came too irregularly to buy enough food.

Gabriel decided to ask her about that later. For now, he was just glad, that she obviously didn't seem to know, who he was, though she had recognized André. As long as she didn't know about him, being 'the' Gabriel Agreste, famous fashion designer, he had no reason, to be afraid, she would try to make any money out of him.

Now he heard Nathalie speak into the microphone, with her deep, calming voice:

"Well, this will be my last song for tonight. And though I was planning on a rather rocky one, I am going to change it because of the kind gentleman, who has been listening to my singing for the whole night. I had the feeling, that you need to hear a song like this one."

As the music started to play, Gabriel swallowed hard.

'Seems like it was yesterday, when I saw your face,
you told me how proud you were but I walked away,
if only I'd known, what I know today,

I would hold you in my arms, I would take the pain away,
thank you for all you've done, forgive all your mistakes,
there's nothing I wouldn't do, to hear your voice again,
sometimes I wanna call you, but I know you won't be there,

I'm sorry for, blaming you, for everything, I just couldn't do,
and I've hurt myself, by hurting you'

Her voice began to break, as she started the second verse and Gabriel, who had just wiped his own eyes, so nobody would notice, could see tears running down the singer's cheeks.

He knew, there was nothing, he could do to help her right now, but he couldn't stay in his seat either. So he stood up, placed some money on top of the counter and reluctantly walked towards the stage.

She was standing right on the edge of it, only the microphone stand parting her from him. They were just standing there, looking at each other.

Somehow she made it to the end of the song. When the last notes of the violins echoed through the empty room, the barkeeper called towards her:

"I'm off. Don't forget to lock after you've cleaned up!" And then he was gone and they were alone.

Nathalie inhaled deeply. She kept her eyes on the floor, when she mumbled:

"Well, usually I lock the doors, 'before' I start to clean, but there's no need for him to know, that I spent the nights in the storage room on an old mattress", she said in a bitter tone while she tried to suppress the sob's, that where emanating her throat.

"Nathalie", he softly begun, but she shook her head.

"Don't", she said, "if I start to cry now, I don't know, if I will ever be able to stop!"

He obeyed to her pleading and didn't say anything else. But he made that last step, while he lifted the metal stand out of the way, and laid his arms around her, to pull her against his chest.

Feeling her whole body tense immediately, while she tried to push herself off of him with all her strength, he instantly knew, that something really bad had happened to her and loosened his grip, without letting go of her completely and whispered into her ear:

"I don't know, what happened before, but I promise you, that I just want to hold you until you feel better, okay? I'll let go of you now, and you decide, whether you want that hug or if you don't. I won't hurt you in any way!"

Before he could let go, she had wrapped her arms around him tightly and was sobbing into his chest.

The designer himself was so shocked, from how desperately she was clinging on to him and how heavily she was crying, that he couldn't do anything but press her taut against him and rub her back soothingly. At least until he felt her legs give in.

She quickly tried to straighten herself again, mumbling something like:

"Sorry for that, I should rather leave now", but he didn't let go of her still visibly swaying body.

He stared down at her, when she lifted her head up to speak, but the words stuck in her throat, as she saw the look, he gave her.

Gabriel brushed a loose strand off her forehead and tucked it tenderly behind her ear, before he handed her the glasses, that had fallen of her nose and had hooked into his shirt somehow.

"When was the last time, you ate?", he questioned.

Nathalie shrugged. "Yesterday, I think. It's not important. I..."

"Shush", he interrupted her. "It is important. You can hardly stay on your feet. We're going to get you something to eat and then you'll come to my hotel room with me...."

"I knew it", she yelled, trying to push him back. "I knew, you just wanted to..."

"Will you please stop yelling at me? I told you, that's not, what I have in mind. I just want you to feel save for one night. Maybe take a shower, sleep in a real bed, while I take the sofa. How does that sound?"

Hesitantly Nathalie let him pull her back into his embrace.

"I still don't trust you. You haven't even told me your name yet."

"I don't like saying my name. But if you accept, that I just tell you my first name for now..."

"You've been here with the Mayor of Paris, so that probably will have some reasons. Just spill then!"

"You know what? I asked you to trust me, so I guess I should try to trust you too. I am Gabriel Agreste!"