AN: I'm loving those crazy Petrelli brothers!! -dies- Anyway, here is my take on the scene from last weeks eppy
Major Spoilers: Eris Quod Sum
Major thanks to Val for the amazing betaing!
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The clock ticked in the corner. He had always been hyper aware of that sort of thing. Even back in his childhood, he just hadn't known why.
Tick.
He was worried.
Tock.
Peter could normally handle himself.
Tick.
But Gabriel had touched his brother, knew instinctually that Peter had lost his power.
Tock.
It was so strange, going from being alone to having a family in an instant.
Tick.
His mother, his brothers…his father.
Tock.
It was confusing. On one hand was Angela, who had shown him nothing but love.
Tick.
And Peter, who he had known was inherently good from their earliest meeting.
Tock.
And Nathan, who was ferrous and strong.
Tick.
People he knew.
Tock.
And on the other hand was a man he had never met.
Tick.
His Father, who came in with wild claims, expecting him to just believe them.
Tock.
It scared him to hear those words. To finally have a family and be told it was just an illusion.
Tick.
He wondered if Angela would use him like that. His own mother?
Tock.
He didn't know enough about Nathan to judge him.
Tick.
But Peter? Peter wasn't capable of such a low thing.
Tock.
He hoped Peter was safe. It had scared him to see Peter tied to that table, a syringe full of unknown substance inches from his arm. Gabriel shuddered, if he had been a few seconds later…
Tick.
It was so strange to be alone basically all of his life and suddenly have someone to protect. Someone to care about.
The door opened quietly and he shifted. His consciousness instantly recognized the familiar presence even as his eyes tried to catch up.
"Peter?" he gasped, "You stayed?" The younger man hurried toward him.
"I couldn't leave you."
As foreign as caring about someone was, it held nothing to the feeling of that concern returned.
"Why are you just sitting here? Did he take your powers?" Peter asked, worried. About him. Gabriel told him, everything. He laid out his concerns, his confusions and doubt. He hadn't meant to, but somehow Peter just had that effect on him.
"He's dangerous, I grew up with him…"
"And because I didn't I don't get to know him?" He spat out, old insecurities escaping into his words. Gabriel instantly knew he hadn't meant it. He had touched Peter, reached out to him in a way only his power would allow him to. Gabriel knew the fear inside his brother's heart. Saw the anger but also the hurt. Arthur had done something horrible when he took Peter's powers leaving the young man scared, broken, victimized. Raped, metaphorically.
And Gabriel knew exactly what he wanted to do to the man who had made his brother feel that way.
"The world you saw doesn't exist Peter," Arthur drawled, his eyes fixed on the younger Petrelli. Gabriel felt Peter's fear rise at the man's presence, it wasn't powers that told him this time. He was starting to realize it was a brother thing.
His power allowed him to see how things worked. Little things at first, clocks, the television set. Then it had moved on to people. How their brains worked. Now he had started to see how the more intrinsic parts of a human worked.
Gabriel may not have been able to read minds, but he knew how the mind worked. He knew how powerful people worked. When he saw the cold, calculating look in Arthur Petrelli's eyes he knew without a shadow of a doubt what the man was about to do.
He was going to kill Peter.
Gabriel called on a skill he had learned when he was still Sylar. Not a true ability more of a knack. The same knack that convinced Mohinder Suresh that he was Zane Taylor so long ago.
"I'm not going anywhere Peter, you are," he hissed, flicking his fingers. As his brother's body hit the glass he forced himself not to shudder. Not to show any sign of the pain he felt on Peter's behalf. He focused all of his strength on slowing the fall, praying it wouldn't be too rough on the now powerless Petrelli.
He watched through the shattered glass as Claire ran to the younger Petrelli, screaming out Peter's name. He sighed with relief as his brother responded. Claire would take him to Nathan. Nathan meant safety, at least for now.
Gabriel didn't know how or when it happened, but somehow Peter's safety was all that mattered.
He slowly turned to Arthur, his act fully in place.
"How do you think he survived a seven story drop?" Arthur questioned. Gabriel turned to him, smiling sardonically.
"I don't know," he responded. Touch him again and I will kill you.
Arthur turned and left just as he had come, leaving Gabriel to stare out the window and listen to the clock on the wall.
Tick. Tock.