ramblin' man

"we do, life throws enough at us, it's important for us to remember the good things" a private investigator sniffing around the town was interesting to say the least, it wasn't something he's ever seen around. "this town does have a habit of finding itself in trouble or drama"

"exactly right, my friend." gabe let out a soft laugh at victor's warning about the town. "trouble i can handle, drama i might need some back up to navigate. is there anyone i should look out for, do you think?"

"oh no, this town loves a good party and always plans great event to do just that. mr guzman, i have every bit of confidence that you're going to find incredible people here that you'll form lifelong relationships with. this is a town that everyone talks to everyone, you're part of that now" she beamed a bright smile

"i may have to buy a few more suits in that case. that is incredibly kind of you to say, miss la bouff. please know i appreciate your well wishes and i'm sure with your optimism in my corner, i'll achieve it all in good time. i will consider myself thoroughly welcomed," he smiled. everyone knowing everyone was exactly what he was banking on. the looser the lips the better in his line of work.

he had been a welcome breath of air in her life since her split with victor. sure, the breakup had been on her mind but thanks to gabe it hadn't been all-consuming. "i don't think you could shy away in this town even if you wanted to. i have, it's taken time but i'm glad that i made the move out here. the appeal can creep up on you and catch you off guard, it did with me."

"duly noted," he half smiled. gabe had never been one to fear jumping into something with both feet. he could swim, but he had a feeling that anything with babette would have him in dangerous waters. he wasn't sure he minded. "i'll have to be extra vigilant then. it would be unlike me to have a permanent address so redwood will have to do its best. when did you decide to move here?"

Alright, Colt definitely could not argue that point. He shrugged. "Yeah, ok, I can't argue wit' that." At least it sounded like the reason Gabe was there had nothing to do with him. He also could not argue that there had been some weird happenings in town, so it was probably good someone was looking into it. "That'd be nice. I hope so too." He did rather doubt that, though. "You seen or heard anythin' so far t' make you think otherwise?"

Gabe considered his question carefully. He didn't get the sense that Colt was involved with the poisonings but instinct wasn't evidence. Nonetheless, it couldn't hurt to throw a few thoughts out there and see if any struck a nerve or inspired an idea. "I find the conclusion to the whole situation a little convenient. A suspect tied with a bow, thrown in a cell before you could blink and the Mayor declaring all is well practically before the ink had tried on the papers. The police department, the press and the mayoral office. That's where I have my attention now. How about you?"

it was one of the first genuine laughs mary had since everything has happened between adam and herself. her friends were piecing her back together. "you say that but one day i'll check on you and you'll be tangled up in red string" red string to gabe was like green glitter to tina. "are you in the mood for anything specific?"

"i'll always keep a spare pair of scissors nearby, just in case you need to cut me loose." there was much truth to mary's concern however joking. the years he spent on the road, the years he spent alone... it was easier than ever to become obsessed with a case. "i could do italian if you know a good place around here?"

"i think as long as you're approaching the police with some sort of evidence that is worth them evaluating then i think they'd hear you out. they'd have to. they can't ignore something that would change their case" she offered. it sounded so simple to run into the sunset and live the rest of their lives in peaceful bliss. it would be lovely. they wouldn't have to worry about these poisonings. "a good shock to the system, i hope" she smiled "i take it you're calling them as suspects for now until you can rule them out?" wait, a woman? there was a woman? interesting "and how are you feeling about said woman? clearly she's standing out compared to the rest in your eyes. would i know who she is?"

"that would be the best possible case scenario. i've made the hit list of a few precincts over the years, i'm afraid. you're right though, i need to give redwood pd a chance before i cast any judgements. i'll come bearing gifts and see if i can't charm them into cooperation." gabe smiled kindly back at her. "yes, a good shock, i think." he chuckled at her question - how quickly his sweet belle could see through him. she had always been a smart kid. "you're exactly right. the important thing is that i am ruling them out and you know, i try to keep my expression neutral and mysterious at all times. i am intrigued by her and somewhat out of my depth. i've no doubt you would, she doesn't strike me as someone you'd forget in this town." he waited a beat before sighing and giving up the goods- "babette dust."

"there's nothing to be forgiven for" she smiled with a wave of her hand "carl and i did some travelling when we were younger and we intend todo it again when we're a bit older, but right now we're more than happy with building our home here." ellie intently listened to him, but hearing that his ex-wife was lorelai hart was a shock. of all the names he could've mentioned, lorelai wasn't a guess she wouldn't have made. she wasn't sure why. "oh wow, she is a formidable woman. an inspirational one for all of us around town. she's built a great career and business for herself."

"ah, that sounds like a wonderful way to spend your golden years. i've never settled anywhere for too long so i would hardly know anything about it." gabe felt entirely relaxed around her now, quickly content that if any of the residents were responsible, it wasn't her. and more than likely by extension, her husband. they were all clear. gabe chuckled at ellie's response to the lorelai of it all. "formidable is certainly an appropriate word. i don't think anyone could fault lorelai hart's work. i'm not sure she'll be particularly pleased to run into me, though. we might want to keep a lid on it a while longer."

a whimper escaped her while her face was pressed into his jacket. there was nothing that a hug from her stepdad couldn't fix. the tight sweeze she was experiencing was already making her feel better. she felt stupid that one encounter with her mother could nearly send her over the edge, she was supposed to be stronger than that.

"i know," he said softly, reaching out to wipe the tears from her face. gabe had spent many years trying to understand lorelai hart and sometimes, he had succeeded. he had loved her without lines or boundaries, passionately and all consumingly. and sometimes, he was sure she had loved him back. "well, p.i or not, not even i am so good an investigator to give you an answer to that question."

"it's an admirable thing that after all you've seen and experienced that you still have hope that there's something better. it would be easy enough for you to be cynical and turn your back on anything good but you remain optimistic." she answered, mirroring his smile. "it was my choice and i have to live with that." she explained before she was spun around, returning to him "i will admit you have made the evening much easier and it has been fun, so thank you for that. i don't think i would've had the same experience without you"

"it can be hard work, i'll admit. i much prefer it this way, though." gabe wasn't perfect and he'd had his share of dark days. he smiled sympathetically as she explained. it was difficult being the one who left, he knew that well. "taking a risk for yourself is always scary but you'll never know if you don't find out."

"is it? it's just my small town life" she smiled, not thinking much of the information she had divulged. "it is, everyone i adore is right here in this town with me. i do enjoy it here. the town has it's ups and downs and we've all been worried about the poisonings but with the person now behind bars, i hope we can all breathe a sigh of relief and put the worst behind us" ellie fredricksen, ever the optimist. "oh really? i hope your ex wife is okay. would i know her?"

"forgive me, i'm very much on the outside looking in here. yes, all the unpleasantness aside... i've heard nothing but wonderful things about redwood hollow. it sounds like anyone could make a home here, if they wanted to." gabe nodded at her conclusion. after all, he didn't have the evidence to back up any contradictions to her analysis. he hoped he would, before anyone else could fall victim to these mysterious circumstances. "yes, me too. she's very formidable, i don't think anything could truly win against her. oh, probably..." although, she seemed very nice and lorelai wasn't exactly a fan of making friends. "lorelai hart?"

she hadn't even considered the holidays until she had mentioned them to gabe, and now the sudden realisation of it all had hit her like a brick. "you don't even know how much i'd love that" she laughed, trying to shake off the sadness in her bones. "just do me a favour and don't actually go mad on this one, no case is worth your sanity." hearing the juice was pulp free did make the option a little more appealing. mary thanked the nurse who finished up the donation and smoothed the plaster down on her arm. "gabe, i'm always hungry" she laughed, poking the straw into her juice. "do you want to go grab some food?"

"well, you never know what might be coming your way," he winked. gabe's expression soften at her words though, kind as ever. they weren't without their merit, of course. it wouldn't be the first time gabe had lost months of his life to a case. "i promise to do my best, miss mary. you won't have to worry about digging me out from a pile of red string any day soon." he nodded to the nurse too, satisfied mary was okay. at least, plaster-wise. "i would love to grab some food."

"yeah, especially when it happens to good people." victor had a lot of time for ray and jane. evangeline's had cost them their relationship in the long run but it looked like a large portion of town were going through their fair share of relationship casualties. "i hope so too" he sighed "good to meet you gabe, i'm victor" he introduced himself and shook the others hand "victor lumiere. you been in town long?"

gabe nodded in agreement. "we have to hold onto memories like this, don't you think? good to meet you too, victor," he smiled as they shook hands. "no, i just rolled in a few days ago. i'm a private investigator and i have a penchant for the unexplained. the weirder the better. this town checked a few boxes, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view."

"i'm starting to think that i'm the lucky one" there wasn't any reason to why she would put up any protest to running into gabe. "this town has that quality about it. there's always something to keep you on your toes. personally, i like the community and the slower pace in life instead of the big city. there are always interesting characters around town to chat to"

gabe tried and failed to fight off a smile when she said that. he'd be lying if he said running into babette again wasn't a welcome surprise. "well, i've never shied away from being kept on my toes. it sounds like you've made quite the home for yourself, here. i think i might be beginning to see the appeal of it all myself."

"Yes. Uneventful," she replied, averting her gaze out toward the sleepy little town. In the grand scheme of things, the things that happened here were merely drops in an ocean. For now, at least.

This story wasn't over, Gabe felt that more now than ever. If Mirage was here, then nothing good could be brewing. Why would she stay here, though? He had never known her to be stuck anywhere. "Is that what you're looking for now? Somewhere to settle down and sit on the porch?"