Niles calmed a little when Gabe seemed to let go of his anger. And the words helped. He was able to let go of that panic, and to stop trying to chase that memory that seemed to elude him. Maybe it was just a bad dream he'd had that he couldn't place. He'd certainly had plenty of those in the past.

"I promise," he said, his voice far less tense now. He brought his hand up to rest it against Gabe's cheek, leather pressing to that familiar face. "You do help me, just by being here. Knowing that no matter what you'll be sa--" He cut off. There it was again. That terrible sense of a memory he couldn't place. His hand flinched back from Gabe's face, just slightly, before he slowly pulled it back. "...be safe..." he finished, distracted.

"Just don't go after them," he snapped, suddenly stern. He pulled away to return to his desk.