"So, the extra room is the first one on the left." Gabriel explained as he handed an extra blanket to his mother.
She smiled at her son. "Thank you, Gabriel. Especially for letting me stay here."
"No problem. We have an extra room, and, you're my... well, your my mom." Gabriel said.
Rebecca smiled wider. "And you're my son." she said, almost in wonderment.
Gabriel smiled back at her as she walked to the extra room.
After she closed her door, Gabriel exhaled deeply and walked over to the couch, collapsing next to Peter.
"Stressful finding out a parent you thought was dead isn't."
"At least she didn't take away my powers." Gabriel said darkly. Peter laughed.
"Always better."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching TV and eating chips.
"So, hows your mom? I mean, whats she like?" Peter asked suddenly.
"She's... not like my dad. Or my mom. The other one, I mean."
"That's a good thing, right? Seeing as your father tried to kill you and your mother... well, tried to kill you."
Gabriel chuckled. "Yeah. As long as she doesn't try to kill me, she's a better parent that any other one I have."
"Your dad? Or, uncle I guess?"
Gabriel frowned. "He bought me from his brother to fix his marriage. Then he left. When I finally see him again, years and years later, he wants me to leave. Actually, you know what, he pointed a shotgun at me."
Peter shook his head. "So, your dad tried to scalp you, your adoptive mom tried to kill you with a pair of scissors, and your adoptive dad/uncle almost shot you with a shotgun. A experience I would avoid at all costs, by the way, Gabe." Peter's face crinkled with the memory.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Peter sighed again. "So, what did you and Claire talk about?"
Gabriel groaned. "Nothing. I was asking her what it was like meeting her birth mother."
"What did she say?"
Gabriel recounted his conversation.
"Interesting," Peter began.
"Its not interesting."
"Yes, it is. She almost seems to want more things to add to the list of things you two have in common."
"She was being sarcastic, Peter."
"Are you sure?"
Gabriel groaned.
..
"So, what were you and Calipsa talking about today?" Claire asked Gretchen as they were getting ready for bed.
"What were you and Gabriel talking about?"
Claire pushed her brows together. "Deflecting?" she asked.
"No. We talked about hurricane Katrina."
Claire blinked. "Okay. Why?"
"I don't know. It came up in conversation."
Claire sighed. "Right."
"So what were you and Gabriel talking about?" Gretchen asked.
"Adoption. We were actually talking about it for a reason, too."
Gretchen nodded, sitting down on her bed. "Uh huh. You know, you guys actually have a lot in common."
Claire made a noise of protest. "You two have things in common. Like, you both stalked me."
Gretchen burst out laughing.
"I have to admit, though, he isn't the same person as Sylar. Its like Sylar was his evil twin. Looked like him and everything, but Gabriel is nothing like Sylar." Claire said softly.
Gretchen smiled. "I didn't know him when he was Sylar,"
"Be grateful."
"But from the stories, yes, he seems different."
A ringing came from Claire bedside table, where her phone sat. She frowned at it, the answered.
"Hello?" she listened. "Hey, dad." listened. "Who?" listened. "Seriously?" listened, a smile spreading across her face. "Yeah, me and Gretch will be right over. See you soon." she hung up.
Gretchen watched her warily. "Where are we going, Claire?"
Claire smiled. "So, remember I told you the last good friend I had was back Texas?" Gretchen nodded. "My dad just ran into him."
..
Noah stood from where he was sitting across from Zach to answer the knock on his door. Claire pushed past her father with a 'hi', and walked over to where Zach sat. He stood when he saw her, a smile on his face.
"Hey Claire." he greeted her.
"Zach!" she hugged him. He laughed.
"So, how have no been?" Zach asked, then grimaced at the question. "Well, I mean besides the healing thing and outing people with ability's."
Claire laughed again. "I've been good." Gretchen cleared her throat. Claire turned to her. "Oh! Zach, this is my roommate and friend, Gretchen."
Gretchen shook his hand. "Hi."
"Hey."
The three teenagers turned to Noah, who was still standing behind them. He sighed. "I'll be... not in this room." he excused himself.
As they settled down on the couches, Claire asked, "So, Zach- how have you been?"
He smiled. "I'm pretty good. I'm getting my degree in cinematography, and, ah, I have a boyfriend..."
Claire smiled. "That's good."
"You're gay?" Gretchen asked.
"Yes." Zach said, looking her in the eye.
"Me too." Gretchen told him.
Claire rolled her eyes.
"Anyways," she started.
"What have you been up to, Claire? I haven't seen you since your house exploded."
Claire grimaced. "Yeah. A radioactive man looking for revenge broke into my house and held my family hostage with a police officer who killed me."
A dark cloud passed over Zach's face. "Speaking of killing you, Brody's dead."
Claire froze. "How?"
Zach shook his head. "He attacked a girl. She- well, she had a knife. Self denfense."
"Good for her. I'd like to thank her." Claire told him.
Zach looked down. "Three girls already did."
Claire stomach flipped. "Three?"
"Yeah. Just in Odessa."
Claire closed her eyes.
"Who is this we're talking about?" Gretchen asked.
"A boy that we went to high school with. I- I don't remember-"
"His memory was wiped." Claire added.
"Yeah. But Claire told me everything that happened that was erased. Brody- he..."
"Tried to rape me. Ended up killing me instead. I woke up on the autopsy table." Claire finished.
Gretchen's face contorted in anger. "Well its a good thing he's dead."
"I drove him into a brick wall after. At the hospital, my dad had the Haitian wipe everything. I guess he went back to his true nature." Claire said bitterly.
"We all have our true nature. And there's no escaping it." Zach pointed out.
And Claire couldn't help but think about Gabriel.
Why did I bring Zach back? I have no plans for him. I don't know what to do with him now.
I really hate how I don't actually make the characters do things, the characters make me write.