I do not own Heroes, etc.

Thanks to everyone for your patience and I hope you enjoy.

Pain.

Pain radiated up Elle's arm as Gabriel pulls her into the hall. One strong hand held her wrist, while the other encircled her arm above the elbow. Their combined grip is bruising. Elle knew she was saying things, telling him it hurt, telling him to stop. She attempts to pull away as they enter his room. For a brief second it felt like he was letting her go. He releases her arm, and then he shoves her. Unexpected, uncontrolled momentum pushes her toward the bed. Spreading her arms out Elle collapses on his bed her limps entangled by his rumpled blue comforter. Laying half on the bed Elle began to pull herself across it toward the wall on the far side. Her hands pull her quickly across the bed that they shared only moments before. As she crawls across the bed she could smell him. It smells like Gabriel, like her, like sex. Reaching the far wall, Elle turns to push her back against it. Her small hands grip the comforter, wrapping it around her shaking nude body. Only then did she look at Gabriel.

Dressed in last night's boxers he stands in the doorway. His eyes are different. An intensity that once only flashed across his features now radiates outward with a fiery intensity. Elle knows that look, that intensity. The mirror had shown it to her when she wanted so bad to hurt someone. Seeing it on Gabriel scares her, thrills her. He is like her. She knew he understood her, if only she could tell him, convince him.

'Gabriel, I-',

'Quite,' his tone cutting her off sharply. 'I asked you not to go in there, to leave it alone. It was personal, Elle. That was the only thing I asked of you last night'

'Yes, Gabriel, but I understand. If-'

'Quite,' again the interruption. 'It was a matter of trust, Elle. That I could have you here and you would leave it alone.'

'NO, Gabe,' anger mixing with her fear and arousal. 'You said it was unimportant. That it was a closet. What the FUCK, Gabriel? It's not important that you use blood to write on the walls and that you are the most famous New York City serial killer in fifty years? And you hurt me, Gabriel, you hurt me.'

He stands unmoved. His posture agitated, animalistic. Elle sees only a slight twitch when she said he hurt her. Even then it was fleetingly, quick.

It was in that moment Elle realizes that her Gabriel offered more than she originally thought. That his special room offered her an opportunity. He could become more than her lover. He could do something for her. Give her something she really wanted. If only she could make him understand.

'I understand you,' her tone quieter, pleading, the need to convince him suddenly overwhelming her anger, her fear.

'No, you don't.'

'Gabriel, listen for just a moment. When I was sixteen, there were these girls at my school. Daddy paid for a private school with all these other rich kids. They all hated me. I didn't fit in with them. Every day I ate my lunch alone, because these girls spread lies about me. They told people that I was a slut, that I was crazy and about how I accidently killed me mom. It wasn't fair and it made me angry. There. . .there was this one girl. Debbie Marshal. She was a cheerleader and everyone loved her. She was the worst. Every day at lunch Debbie walked by and said something. Always about how I had crazy eyes or would sleep with anybody or something like that. People always talked about how pretty she was, with her long legs, big breasts, and stylish blonde hair. Then one day we were in the bathroom together and she started in on me. There was no one else there, but she told me I was a 'slut' and that I was 'ugly', and that I would never be pretty like her, and, and. . . It was years ago at a private school so. . .'

She stops, while her blue eyes dart searchingly across his face. Trying to find the words to make him understand, worried that he will not. That he may be like Adam after all. That he may start calling her crazy. Please, Gabriel listen, understand, Elle pleads inside.

'So,' he probes.

'So, we were all alone, and the school did not have any metal detectors or anything. I had this knife, not that I always have a knife or anything, I just did that day. . .and she was looking in the mirror going on about how pretty she was. When she called me a slut again, I took the knife out of my purse. She was so intent putting on her make up that she didn't notice me move closer to her. I pushed her. See fell over and I pinned her down. She started screaming, but I had my knife. I. . .I made her less pretty before someone pulled me off. I wanted to kill her. I would have if they didn't stop me, but I just wanted to hurt her first. To make her fell ugly. After that, Daddy sent me to the hospital.'

'What hospital, Elle?'

'It is this place upstate, Hartsdale. There were doctors that gave me tests. They made me take these pills that made it hard to think, hard to stay awake. Also, I had to live in this dorm and wear a uniform like all the other girls. The worst part was the therapy sessions. We had to sit together in a big circle and tell everyone what we were thinking. Those other girls were all scared and sad. They didn't understand. They all wanted to hurt themselves or drink too much or something like that. None of them were like me. None of them knew what it was like to actually do something. I hated it there. The doctors told me I was a sociopath with paranoid and obsessive tendencies. They told me I was crazy, just like Debbie always did. Daddy kept me there until the doctors said I could leave. Then he made me live with this psychologist lady when I started at NYU. It took forever to convince them to let me live with Sarah.'

Elle stops for the first time she raises her eyes from the bed to met his dark gaze. 'So, you see my Gabriel. I understand. Really I do, please don't leave me, not now.'

He walks across the room. Gabriel looks at her with that searching dark intense stare, before sitting on the bed. Leaning back he rests against the head board. Tentatively Elle reaches out toward him. The movement slow, cautious like someone reaching out to pet a tiger. A desire for contact mixed with fear that the predator may strike out lighting quick, maiming, inflicting pain. Delicate fingers slip between powerful ones. His gentle grip reassures her.

'Why?' Elle's voice sounds hesitant, quite even in her own ears. She did not know which why she was asking. Why do you do it? Why do you want me?

'Trust me, Gabriel,' she whispers. Gently she squeezes his fingers, while her thumb rubs little circles on the back of his hand.

'Because I like it. Because their bad people…because it's fun and I have this desire inside me that and it's the only way to get it out,' his words whimsical with the memories.

'Bad people?' Elle asks. She understands the other parts. What does the person have to do with anything?

'They're cheaters, adulators, drug dealers, all unworthy people. One of them sold tests to NYU students. Another was cheating on his wife with prostitutes,' a righteous disgust sounds clearly in his voice.

'What about Candice? I knew her from a class. We didn't get along but what did she do?'

'She sold hallucinogenic drugs,' Gabriel responds. 'A student took her drugs and jumped out a window thinking he could fly or something. He died, so she deserved to.'

Elle sat watching him. Biting her lip she felt uncommon emotions swirl within her. Gabriel was like her. He would do it, if only she could convince him. Could she ask him? Fear, anxiety and hurt overwhelmed her. What would he think if she told him about Adam? Would her Gabriel still want her?

'Gabriel,' a slight quiver sounding in her voice. She could not look at him anymore, her cyan eyes fixated on their interwoven fingers, while her free hand pulls the comforter tight around her bare shoulders.

'What, Elle?' his response gentle.

'Can I tell you about, Adam?' her tone sounds pleading. Elle hates that tone. She cannot help it.

'If you want.'

Quietly she begins, 'Adam was my first boyfriend. He seemed great at first but things changed. We were a few weeks sort of our one year aniversity, when I went over to his apartment unannounced. I had a key so… Sometimes I went over to surprise him. I unlocked the door, and. . .and I thought it was like before. . . when we first started dating. Candles covered the living room. Also, he had some music on.'

Elle stops clinches her eyes closed, tries to breath. To not feel the sickening hurt seeping outward from her chest.

'I, uh, I thought it was like before he asked me to do things, dirty things. That he was surprising me for our aniversity. Then I heard voices. I walked towards the bedroom. The door was open,' a hiccup interrupts her. Then another.

Elle feels Gabriel twist her hand gently. He pulls her away from the wall. Keeping her eyes closed, she lets him guide her across the small bed. She feels his free arm slide across her back. He pulls her against his chest, with the comforter between them. Slowly his large hand rubs warm circles on her bare back. Elle hears him make gentle shushing noises trying to calm her.

Swallowing against a lump in her throat Elle says, 'I could hear them talking. Adam and another woman. He was talking about me. Adam said I was crazy and possessive. That I was the one who wanted to do those things. That I made him do it, when he didn't want to. S-hiccup-she said that he was telling the truth because of her dad's file. The girl said her dad left his work laptop at home one day and she found me on it. She read about how I was a sociopath and obsessive an-and paranoid. The girl kept going on about how crazy I was.'

Elle felt tears leak through her clinched eyelids. She tried to push herself further into her Gabriel, tried to crawl inside him.

Sniffling Elle concluded, 'I walked a little further down the hall. They were lying naked on the bed facing away from me. She was curled up on his chest like I used to. She was looking out his bedroom window. He was looking outside too. The girl had blonde hair like me, she was young too, like I was when I first met him. I could see her in the mirror above his bed. She was my psychologist daughter. I-I didn't know what to do. They kept talking about me. He lied about breaking up with me. He said he never loved me but. . .but he always told me he did and then he was with her and I and I. . . I fantasized about walking in and beating them to death, but he's always stronger than me. There was a can of mace in my purse but it wouldn't kill them. I thought about using a knife, but he's so strong and they would send me back to the hospital if I did that again. After watching them for a few minutes, I walked back to the living room, where I picked up some candles. I set the furniture and drapes on fire before running out.'

Talking about it did not make her feel any better. Doctor Bennet made her tell him about it a few weeks ago. She had lied about who she saw with Adam, saying she did not recognize the woman. Also, she lied about setting the apartment on fire. Telling Gabriel made it hurt again, worse even because he might not want her now. Elle wanted to curl up until the pain went away, but she had to tell him. Only then would he do something for her.

'Gabriel,' raising her head from his chest Elle meets him intense dark gaze, 'Would you do something for me? Something only you can do?'

'Anything,' he responds.

Blue eyes pleading she asks, 'Would you kill Adam for me?'

'Yes.'

Then she kisses him. His lips soft, warm push against hers. She feels his hand slide off her back. She lets the comforter slip from her shoulders and then shoves it away. Elle presses herself against his bare chest, deepening their kiss. Straddling his lap she feels that he is already erect.

He breaks the kiss. Then his mouth is on her neck, slowly it travels down kissing, biting. Griping his hair with one hand, Elle slides the other between them. Her slim fingers travel across his taunt stomach until they find the hem of his boxers. She tugs at them. Aside from stretching the elastic, nothing happens. Their combined weight too much to remove them.

'Gabriel,' she pants, 'your box-AHH.' Her words cut off as she feels him take a nipple in his mouth. He sucks at it gently before teasingly biting. Elle grips her hand into a fist pulling his hair. She pulls his head away from her breast. Sounds of protest escape his lips, which she ignores.

'Boxers,' she says husky, breathless.

Pushing herself up on her knees, Elle feels his hands move between them. A moan escapes her lips as his hand brushes against her sex. Then his boxers are gone.

Suddenly his hands cup and fondle her ass, causing her to press against him. Reaching for him again, she feels his smooth member trapped between them. Gripping it with her hand, Elle leans forward. She feels him kiss her neck, her chest, while she rubs his tip against her wetness. Bucking his hips against her hand, he tries to slip inside her. Elle grips his member hard and pushes it against his stomach.

Pressing her mouth to his ear she whispers to him, 'What do you say?'

'Elle.'

Gripping him hard, she wrenches her hand, which causes him to grunt painfully.

'No, Gabriel,' Elle whispers. 'What do you say?'

'Please.'

Loosening her grip, Elle rubs his hardness against her clit. Then she guides him inside. Once her hand lets go, she feels her Gabriel thrust his hips against her. Shifting herself a little Elle grinds down on his hard member.

His hands fondle and lift her butt as she starts to slide up and down the length on him. Elle reaches for the wall trying to use her out stretched arm to steady herself. Pleasant warmth builds inside her as she rides him. Leaning forward Elle tries to increase the friction on her clit. Then Gabriel's warm mouth closes over her hard nipple sucking, nipping, teasing. Elle says his name again, and again.

Suddenly his trusts stop and he releases her nipple. Whimpering she looks down at him. He smiles predator confident up at her, while his dark eyes hint at something.

'Gabriel?' she mummers half question, half plea.

'Elle, did you think I would let you get away with that?' his tone polite yet confident.

'What?' confusion mixing with her arousal.

His hands slide up her back and grip her shoulders. She feels his taunt muscles push against her. Disorder movement and grappling ensue as he pushes her away from him and then pulls at her shoulders. Suddenly Elle feels the cool apartment wall pressed against her back, while his warm breath mixes with hers. Adjusting herself a little Elle realizes that he is kneeling on the bed, while pinning her against the wall above it. His hands grip her ass painfully tight as they support her weight a few inches above the bed. Elle shifts her feet on the bed, which lets her take some of her own weight. Elle feels his hard member still inside her.

Dark eyes study her light ones only inches away. She wraps her arms around his neck trying to pull him forward, leaning back he resists her. Elle tries to buck against him, however his strong hands pin her against the wall.

'What do you say?' his tone light, mocking.

'Please,' she whimpers.

Then he slams into her. Her small body is trapped between the wall and his hard muscular exertions. The friction on her clit with each trust is incredible. A warm pressure sparks in her stomach like the building of a summer storm hard, wet, and electric. Elle rakes her nails down his back marking him as he thrusts against her. She hears him grunt as his hot breath tickles her neck.

'Gabriel. . .my Gabe. . .harder…hard-' her last word cut off as he slams her vigorously against the wall. Elle feels something explode inside her. Lighting travels down her veins searing, burning, freeing. Her hands clutch his back, scratching the skin beneath.

Vaguely she is aware of his chest pressed tightly against hers. His muscles quivering he thrusts against her. A strangled cry that sounds like fuck and her name escapes his lips as he stills against her. Slowly she feels herself sliding down the wall, until she is seated on the bed, with her Gabriel leaning against her. His head nestled against her neck. Elle presses a kiss to his cheek.

After cleaning themselves off, they lie naked on his bed. Elle rests her head on his chest, letting his body hair tickle her cheek. Elle feels her Gabriel running a hand through her long golden locks, while the other sidles comfortingly across her back.

'Elle,' he says, 'I have to call in to work. Even if I left now, I'd be late.'

'Hmm, but I'm comfortable,' Elle responds.

'What about work?'

'Oh, sometimes I just don't go in. . .,' she says.

Surprise coloring his voice, 'They don't mind?'

'No,' somewhat reluctant to reveal how pointless her job really is, Elle continues, 'Daddy yells sometimes but nothing happens and it's not like I do anything important. No one even misses me.'

'I would.'

Smiling internally, Elle presses a kiss to his chest before responding, 'I know my Gabriel.'

Gabriel asks, 'Would you spend the day with me then? I'll show you my watch shop.'

'I'd love to,' Elle says. The thought of spending the day with her Gabriel increased her post- coital glow.

Shifting her head Elle looks up at her Gabriel's dark features. He looks down at her questioningly, while he slides his hand away from her back to stroke gently at her cheek.

'Gabriel,' Elle inquires, 'why do you want me?'

That other nerdy Gabriel flickers underneath his features. His hands grip her sides lightly. Confused worry causes Elle to frown. Did he not want her now, after. . .after. . .sex.

Something most of shown because he starts shushing her again.

'Elle, it's OK. I want you,' Gabriel asserts.

'Why do you want me?' her tone insentient hurt.

'Because I know Claire.'

Hatred, revulsion course throw Elle. Disgust that her Gabriel could say that name. That name she avoid for nearly a month. Elle tries to push away from him, struggles against his arms. He grips her hard, holding her to him like Adam did sometimes.

'LET GO. FUCKING, LET GO, GABRIEL,' the words thundering from her.

This causes him to grip her harder, crushing her against his chest.

'Quite,' Gabriel commands.

'NO' Elle screams thrashing useless against his hold. He rolls them over pinning her to the bed. Elle slides a hand up his chest try to scratch his face. Shifting his hands from her back, Gabriel grips her hand tightly before pinning it above her head. Then he does the same to her other hand.

'Listen, Elle,' his exasperation clear.

'NO,' her response angry petulant.

'You know I am friends with Peter?'

'That's how we first met, bastard,' her tone venomous.

'Yeah, and did you know that Peter and Claire had a thing for awhile?'

Hearing that name again makes Elle stiffen in his arms.

'No,' her tone resigned. Elle could not get this Gabriel off of her, so would have to listen to his lies.

'I was there when she talked to Peter about you. All about your problems and about what she found on that computer. I didn't believe it was true not about someone like you. I thought she was making it up to keep Peter away from you or from Sarah.'

Elle lays there looking up at his dark eyes. They seemed less intense, less powerful. She thinks it looks like they are almost pleading.

'I asked Sarah about it,' Gabriel states. 'She said you had some issues but wouldn't give my any details, regardless how much I pressed. Elle you're so beautiful, so vibrant, so alive. What Cl-what she said couldn't be true. Still, some part of me hoped it was because then. . .then you might be special like me. . . I just. . .I didn't think anyone one could ever know what it feels like, especially someone like you. And you seemed so happy with Adam . . .I didn't know . . .'

Blue eyes search his face. Gabriel's normal confident features retreating to show something vulnerable, something human.

'Didn't know. . .,' her words quite, hopeful, searching. Perhaps she judged Gabriel too quick. He might still be hers.

'When you split with Adam, I wanted to see you, but. . .there was only one other girl before you and her brother kept getting in the way. I fixed that, but she turned out to not be who I thought . . .so I was reluctant to approach you. I didn't think you would want someone like me and. . .then we met at the coffee shop. The way you were looking at me after that mugger attacked us, I thought it was true. That you are special like me but. . .but I need to know for sure.'

'Gabriel,' Elle mummers, 'it is.' Thoughts about how he was hers, and she was his pranced merrily about Elle's head.

'I know,' he says. Then he kisses her. Slow. Deep. His tongue slips inside her mouth, touching, enticing hers. After a time they break apart panting. Clear faux innocent eyes explore dark passionate forceful ones. Elle feels him release her hands. She slides one hand around his back, while the other cups his face. Twisting his head Gabriel kisses her wrist before nipping at it playfully.

'Gabriel.'

'Hmm.'

'You need to call your work,' Elle reminds him.

'Yeah.'

Smilingly wickedly Elle says, 'Afterward I'll let you take a shower with me.'

'Where's the phone?'

Did I pull off the whole Adam/Claire thing? They make an interesting couple and provide both Gabriel and Elle a logical adversary. The Elle vs. Claire thing is pretty common, however Adam makes a good foil for Gabriel, which the show inexplicable refused to take advantage of. . .

Anyway, the only explanation I can offer for Syelle's behavior is that they are both crazy. While they are crazy, did I articulate their reasons for being together well enough?

Any comments welcome.