Putting her sneakers on, she let out a relaxed sigh as her feet were relieved of the heels she'd been wearing all night. Her eyes fell on her reflection in the mirror and she was considering changing out of her dress before going home when there was a small knock on the door.

"Come in." she said as she took her hair down.
Peter's face appeared reflected in the mirror when he entered behind her. He said nothing, watching her hair fall along her shoulders as she took the pins out of it one by one.

"I thought you were leaving." She said as he walked in and stood closely behind her, uncertain of how he should act around her now.
"Hiro had to leave." He said. No doubt he was reporting to Claire.
"He's so cute." She smiled and the final section of hair came down, "I'm glad you both came."

For Ellen, the evening had been quite successful – the club had been almost filled up which included the creepy man who sometimes came and sat in the corner. She couldn't be certain but Ellen felt that his eyes were always on her.

"You're tired." Peter observed, looking concerned.
"Thanks." She said sarcastically. "Yes, I am."
They were both hesitating, avoiding the one thing that was on both of their minds.

"Why is it I feel you know me much better than you're letting on?" she said, raising her eyes to his own reflected in the mirror.
Peter approached her until she could feel the warmth from him on her back. "If this is about what I said earlier – "
"I don't know what it's about." She sighed, rubbing her fingers on her cheeks, underneath her eyes. "Something is just strange about this – about you and me. It seems so out of blue – like you suddenly fell out of the sky and here we are." She sighed, "I don't think I'm making a lot of sense."

Peter followed every word and understood it perfectly even if she didn't but he still remained silent, his hands twitching to touch her.
"You're right, I am tired."

He rested his hands on her hips and she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck, "I'll walk you home."
Ellen moved away and threw her coat over her shoulders as he held the door open for her.

----

The street was deserted for the most part – a few passersby walked around him, giving him a wide birth as they did so. He felt incredibly relaxed, his mind quite clear. Experience and his self taught patience had made him calmer, his thoughts more focused and less frantic, obsessive.

He stood in the darkness and breathed in the chilly air through his nose. When he had decided to come he had been a little wary of what seeing her again would do to him. In all honesty he did love her for that short while when they had first met, and she had looked so clear to him, so trusting and alive. But he had allowed his unfocused thoughts, his obsessions and anger to interfere, which caused him to lose both Ellen herself and her powers.
It seemed though, that his task wouldn't be as easy as he had originally considered. Peter Petrelli, even now, after so many conflicts, stale mates, and losses, still remained the only obstacle to him. The words Peter had spoken to her still echoed, rattling around in his head like a pin ball machine – I believe that I love you, Ellen. Even in that instance, he reeked of uncertainty.

Sylar could tell she had been shocked by his sudden confession yet she still accepted him. But that was only her nature. Ellen Warren was the kindest person he had ever known and Peter was quite undeserving of her in any time – especially after spouting out that maddening conversation afterwards.

He brushed his hair out of his eyes, buttoning his long coat that went down to his ankles – the air was getting colder. He could almost see his breath mist into a cloud in front of him. His eyes were tired and he rubbed them. He'd been away for so long he believed his internal clock to be broken, ironic as that would sound. He wasn't as young as he used to be either.

They were coming out finally – he was still with her.
"It's gotten cold." Ellen said, pulling her coat closer around her.

Shadow crept up about him and he followed as noiselessly as possible.

Peter agreed with her and they started down the sidewalk together – the very place where they had met the very first time. But to Peter, that was history that would not happen. As Hiro had pointed out, time had already changed, events would be different because of Peter.
They walked side by side, Ellen's sneaker's squeaking on the pavement. The silence was palpable, even Sylar could feel it between them.

He loves me. But how could he love me? He doesn't know me hardly at all.
Peter disagreed in his own mind.
Do I love him?
He tensed and let out a slow breath.
I don't think so. I like being with him. I like how he makes me feel when he looks at me. I like his scent and his smile…But love?

Peter had to hold his tongue to keep her from telling her to cut it out.
"It's true, you know." He said instead.

"What is true?" she put a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn.
"If I tried denying how I feel about you I'm actually afraid of what would happen."
Sylar's eyes narrowed.

"I believe you, Peter."
I couldn't tell you why, though.

I just – it's hard to know how to react," Ellen continued and shivered, "It caught me off guard. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."

There was a rush of air and Peter looked ahead of them, stopping her with him. He glanced behind and saw nothing.
"Did you hear that?" he whispered.
"Hear what?" Ellen looked around them as well but the street looked as ordinary as it ever had before.

There was another heart beat but it was slower than most he'd heard. It was probably an old drunk somewhere close by. Peter relaxed for a second and looked behind them again. He blinked and blinked again. The shadows seemed to be moving but there was no breeze and Peter doubted any type of climate change could have caused what he'd just seen. It looked as thought the shadows melted into each other and then stopped quickly when he was looking.

"Peter, what is it?" Ellen hissed.
Peter shook his head, his eyes still on the street behind them. "Someone is here." He said slowly and heard her take in a breath quickly.
"Where?" Ellen looked around frantically.
"He's following us." Peter could only think of one person capable of doing anything remotely close to what he believed he saw. But how could he be there? He didn't have the ability.

"Peter, you're starting to freak me out – come on." She took his arm and tugged at him until he reluctantly started walking with her.
To his own surprise, he didn't feel afraid. He was angry. Heat was building up inside of him at the thought of Sylar actually being there. How dare he come back there to see her when it was he who had taken her life in the first place even after Peter had tried and tried going back over and over again to stop the event from happening.
He had watched her die so many times.

Peter pushed the thought from his mind as his logic kicked in. He must have only seen something that wasn't really there. It couldn't have been him. Impossible.

They walked the rest of the way without incident though Ellen seemed to be a little twitchy. Sylar watched calmly as Peter went into her apartment building with her. She had asked him to stay though she could not love him. Sylar still knew it and no matter what he did she would never look at Peter as Sylar remembered the way she looked at him. Indeed, it would be more difficult and he would not make the mistake of underestimating Peter again.
He stood quietly, staring up at her window on the second floor as the light came on and listened.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." She said from her bedroom as Peter came into the living room.
What if someone was following us? Please, please let him stay. She thought.

Peter smiled to himself, "I told you not to worry about it."
He sat on the couch next to an orange ball of fur that seemed to be breathing. Stewart raised his head at the sudden disturbance of his couch cushion and looked blearily at Peter who put his fingers to the cat's nose. Stewart sniffed and gave Peter a lick on his finger tips, signaling his approval and lowered his head as he closed his eyes again.

Ellen came out wearing an old T-shirt and a pair of cut off sweat pants. Peter looked up and saw her as she entered the living room – she still struck him even with the simple clothes she wore and her face clean of makeup.
"I have some sweats that I think might fit you if you wanted to change." She was saying.

Peter gripped the arm of the couch and stood, his eyes focused as he walked to her. Ellen moved to hand him the folded pair of sweats but in one swift movement he came up to her, placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her firmly, not allowing her any room for protest or denial.
Ellen widened her eyes but then relaxed as his hands moved to her neck, then her waist. She closed her bright eyes and slipped into his kiss.

On the street below, Sylar could hear them – Peter believed he was in love with her, no doubt, no amount of convincing would sway that stubborn man from it now. Perhaps he wasn't as indecisive as expected.
No matter. Sylar continued to linger there even after the first breaths of dawn could be seen in the city.
He would be patient.