AN: So this was written for heroes_bigboom on Livejournal. There's art and a fanmix to go along with it over at my LJ (livejournal . com / b_dsaint) and thank you Annie for betaing and listening to me whine... here's part 4!...

Thank you for everyone who's reviewed! It's nice to hear feedback from people :-) A bit longer scene this time... quotes are directly from Heroes.

Disclaimer: Heroes belongs to NBC and Kring... and I suppose maybe other people? I have no idea. I wish I owned Sylar though... and Elle. YUM

Gabriel appeared soundlessly in the hallway at Pinehearst. He tilted his head, trying to focus his hearing to locate Arthur. He frowned a bit as he heard Nathan. What was he doing there? Before he could focus on Nathan he picked up the traces of Arthur's voice, coming from down another hall and he sounded annoyed. Forgetting Nathan for the moment, Gabriel hurried towards the voice, dialing down the hum of his power as he did to hide his presence.

He stopped short as he rounded the corner. There in the hallway, right in front of him, Peter and the Haitian stared down Arthur. He frowned at the sight of the Haitian and quickly crackled a bit of blue electricity in his hand. No, his powers were still working. The Haitian was completely focused on keeping Arthur in check. He studied the scene and tilted his head thoughtfully to the side.

"...Creating abilities like this? Giving them out? You'll destroy the world." Peter finished. He sounded angry and desperate.

Gabriel felt the slight tingle he'd quickly come to associate with someone telling the truth. Not only could he tell Peter was telling the truth, as far as he saw it, but Peter had complete conviction in the words he spoke. There were nuances to the truth that Gabriel hadn't expected. It was turning out to be an interesting power.

"In your opinion," Arthur scoffed. He looked cautious but calm. It was as if he wasn't taking Peter seriously, despite the gun pointed at his head. Gabriel narrowed his eyes. Of course, Peter was currently powerless. Did that change Arthur's opinion of his son? It shouldn't.

"I've seen it," Peter insisted. Gabriel put a hand to his temple with a wince. The truth was a funny thing. Even as they disagreed, they both told the truth, the version as they saw it. The conflicting echoes created a strange cacophony in Gabriel's head.

"This ends now." Peter's voice was strong, but the tone changed, and he was again amazed at the intricacies of his newest power. Peter wanted to be telling the truth, believed he was telling the truth, but there was an undercurrent of uncertainty in his own words that tainted the echo.

"I don't believe you have the nerve to kill me, Peter." Arthur stepped forward confidently. His tone echoed without falter in Gabriel's mind. He was serious. He truly didn't believe Peter had it within him to pull the trigger and kill him. He had no faith in his son's ability to face a threat.

The realization chilled Gabriel. If Arthur couldn't even believe in the son he didn't give up, how could Arthur believe in the one he did? Was Bennett right, and the Petrellis weren't really his parents? Was it all just a lie? Even if they were his parents, did he really want them to be? All he had wanted from his adopted mother was her to accept him the way he was, and in the end she had been unable, unwilling, to. If his real parents, whoever they were, couldn't do that either, then did he want to know them?

In front of him the Haitian faltered. His entire focus was on Arthur, but Arthur was proving too strong for him. Too many powers condensed in one person for the Haitian to contain them all for long.

"Listen to me son, there is another way. The formula is ready, Nathan is here. I can give you your abilities back. We can start over." Arthur was stalling, Gabriel could tell. Oh he spoke the truth, the formula really could give Peter his abilities back, but the sickening dissonance that echoed in his head told Gabriel that Arthur had no intention of giving them to him. The manipulation dug at Gabriel's soul. Was this what they had been doing to him? Had they given him false promises so that he'd do what they said without question? Was he so desperate for a family that he'd believed all their lies?

"No." Peter rejected the offer without hesitation and Gabriel raised an eyebrow, impressed despite himself. He could feel the desire radiating off Peter, the yearning for his powers back, but he refused to be selfish. Gabriel doubted he would do the same.

Gabriel stepped forward as sweat started dripping from the Haitian's face. He wouldn't be able to hold Arthur back much longer. Peter's resolve was weakening, Gabriel could see it in every line of Peter's body. "Just... wait..." Peter whispered.

"That's your problem son. Too much thought, not enough action." Arthur's voice was laced with contempt. "How could you be my son?" The truth rang in Gabriel's head, and it made him sick to his stomach. How can someone hold their son in such disregard?

The gun startled Gabriel as it went off and he threw his hand up in reflex, catching the bullet inches from Arthur's head. He held Arthur in place as well, even as the Haitian recovered and returned to dampening Arthur's powers. Peter pulled the trigger. He was a little shocked Peter had actually gone through with it, though Peter was radiating a fair bit of shock himself. He mentally rolled his eyes as Peter pointed the gun at him and he pushed it out of his hands. Bullets couldn't hurt him, not permanently anyway, but they could prove to be an irritating distraction. Gabriel had important things to focus on at the moment.

"Hello Arthur." He tilted his head slightly as he walked and stared at the man claiming to be his father.

"Gabriel," Arthur drawled. "You're here."

Gabriel felt the unease radiating off Arthur and he smirked. That he, the unwanted son, could break the confidence of this man was a heady feeling.

"I am. No place I'd rather be than with family." In a way, it was true. All he'd wanted, ever, was a complete family. Despite his misgivings after witnessing Arthur's contempt of Peter, he still wanted a father. A mother. Hell, he could even deal with having brothers if it meant he was part of a family. He didn't know Nathan, but he had found himself actually liking Peter.

He felt Peter looking between them uneasily. Suddenly he was glad that Peter was powerless, no on could tell how nervous he was. Gabriel raised an eyebrow as he stared at Arthur. "Are you really my family?" He held his breath.

"Of course." Arthur sounded hesitant, unsure. "I'm your father."

The truth rang in Gabriel's head. It twinged with an undercurrent of distaste and loathing. His heart sank as he realized what Sue meant when she said he really didn't want to know the truth. Arthur was his father. But he was certainly not happy about it.

"Now I know the truth." Gabriel hid the pain the realization caused under a smirk. He'd finally found the family he'd been yearning for, and they didn't want him. He felt abandoned twice over.

He turned to Peter, his brother. Disbelief and confusion radiated from him as he looked from their father to Gabriel and back again. "You're not a killer Peter." It was amazing how protective he felt for the younger man, knowing the truth, knowing that their parents had lied to him his entire life. He knew what killing could do to you, what it had done to him, and he wasn't going to let Peter go down that path. Not when he could easily prevent it. "I am." He growled the truth and didn't even look at Arthur as he flung the bullet into his brain.

Peter flinched, breathing hard, as Arthur's body fell to the ground. Disbelief, shock and a tiny bit of gratitude reflected in his eyes. He looked at the gun on the floor then up at Gabriel. "It's not true then?" he asked hesitantly. "He's not your father?"

Gabriel smirked, confidence restored as he eliminated Arthur from his life. He lowered his hand. "Actually he was," he said nonchalantly.

Peter gaped at him. Gabriel contemplated asking what he was thinking. How did it feel, to have it confirmed you had an older brother your parents never told you about? Especially when said older brother killed your father so that you wouldn't have to? He decided it was probably something Peter wouldn't want to talk about. Or that he'd want to hear.

Gabriel studied Peter for a moment. Disbelief and shock were fading fast into a feeling of sadness and confusion. It tugged at him, at his new found feelings of brotherhood, and he cast about for something to say. "Nathan's here," he suddenly remembered.

Peter nodded, still looking lost. "He was helping Dad."

"Interesting." Gabriel ignored the feeling in his chest at Peter's quick acceptance of their familial connection. He started to back away towards the door before hesitating. "Arthur wasn't lying," he said finally. "The formula is ready."

He turned abruptly, feeling uncomfortable, and opened a side door. He looked back over his shoulder at his brother. "You can get your ability back," he said, speaking in a softer voice than he'd ever used around anyone before except for Elle.

Peter was still staring after him as he closed the door.

more to come!