The weeks flew by as Peter tirelessly searched for Sylar and the missing agent. Unfortunately, since he had lost the majority of his abilities, the task was proving to be more daunting than he had anticipated. They seemed to have vanished without a trace, and Mohinder refused to let Peter use Molly to locate them. He insisted that the "boogey-man" still haunted the young girls' dreams and that he would never ask her to think of the wretched man ever again. The little girl needed to forget, to put the scarring memories behind her.

After a month of fruitless searching Peter was ready to give up, but then something happened. He received an email signed only as Rebel; it had attached the records of a Rachel and Mathew Brighton a young couple living in a small suburban town in Ohio. Peter's blood turned cold as he looked at the face of the husband. It was Sylar, meaning the woman had to be Agent Martin. He had found them… now all he had to do was rescue the girl, and kill the beast.


Gabriel awoke to the smell of bacon, as he slid out of his bed; he heard sounds coming from the kitchen. He pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and shuffled down the hall way. Sarah smiled at him as she sat a plate of pancakes on the table.

"Good morning!" She said brightly. Gabriel found himself amazed by how beautiful she looked as she slid into one of the chairs. Her dark hair was thrown up into a messy bun and she wore a pair of blue jeans and a loose fitting white blouse.

"Morning." He replied as he sat down across from her, and then gestured at the meal. "What's the occasion?"

"Just wanted to do something nice for my husband." She answered jokingly. Gabriel couldn't help but smile at her. She was enjoying playing the stereotypical suburban housewife a bit too much. The more time he spent with her the more he found himself liking his part as well. He felt as though he was slowly forgetting himself, and even though they slept in separate rooms, every day he spent with her he felt more like he really was her husband. What scared him most was the he couldn't find it in him to mind.

"Don't go turning into a Stepford wife on me." Gabriel requested as he grabbed a pancake.

"You know you like it." Sarah countered with a chuckle. Gabriel looked into her eyes for a long moment before looking back down at his plate. She was such a gentle soul, he felt so at ease around her, she made him feel as though his past no longer mattered. He could be who he wanted to be starting from this moment on.

"I do." Gabriel whispered, staring firmly at his plate. What he didn't see was the blush that coursed into her cheeks as she looked at him hopefully. After a long moment she cleared her throat.

"I was going to go to the store today. Get some groceries you know…" She informed him. "Is there anything you want me to get?"

"Nothing I know of." Gabriel replied as he continued to eat his pancakes.


Peter watched Agent Martin as she left the house and he followed her as she drove to a grocery store and he followed her in, keeping a safe distance so as not to make her aware of his presence. He was confused by her actions; she didn't seem to be being held against her will, but then again, there was no telling what powers Sylar may have acquired since he had last seen him. Perhaps it was some sort of mind control. If that was the case, Peter knew he needed to tread carefully, if he tried to rescue her there was no telling what she might do. He couldn't risk her harming herself.


Sarah knew she was being followed almost as soon as she stepped out of the house. She continued on her way cautiously, knowing her best chance of getting out of this was to make sure her pursuer did not realize that he had been made. So she kept her cool and proceeded with her plans as though nothing was the matter. As she returned to her house she carried in the groceries and locked the door behind her. She couldn't understand how they had been found so quickly. She covered their tracks so carefully… but they had been discovered and there was only one thing to be done. They had to run.

"Gabriel?" She called as she walked towards his office. The dark featured man opened the door and looked out at her.

"Yes?"

"We've been found, we have to make a run for it." She whispered calmly, concern filled Gabriel's eyes.

"No." Gabriel corrected. "I have to make a run for it. You can play innocent; pretend I held you captive against your will."

"No." Sarah refused. "You're not leaving me behind."

Gabriel glared at her harshly, the stakes had been upped, if she got out now she could get away unharmed, why couldn't she see that? As much as he hated to admit it to himself, he had been emotionally compromised and the idea of something happening to her shook him more than anything else possibly could.

"I don't want you to come with me!" He growled at her. "You'll slow me down."

"You need me." She insisted, her intensity matching his own.

Gabriel threw her across the hall into the opposite wall. She was too stubborn, words would not change her mind, but maybe actions could. He pulled her up from the floor and kissed her for the first time. It was a hard, angry kiss, his more experienced lips brutalizing hers. He had to make her understand… He had to hurt her, because that's what he did, he hurt people. He was a monster, and eventually he was going to hurt her. The only question was how bad. He slammed her against the wall again, so hard that she gasped in pain. It was like a dagger in his heart, but he continued his assault of her lips. She turned her face away, and then looked back into his eyes. Her own were full of tears. He looked remorsefully at her face… at what he had done to her. She didn't look scared or angry… just hurt. So he had finally succeeded at hurting her. He still held her pinned against the wall. He didn't release her and she didn't try to escape. She just stared into his eyes. Slowly she leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his. So tender, so loving, her forgiveness soothing him, he gently responded to her touch, releasing his grip of her. He brushed her hair from her face with tender caresses. She pulled away for a moment looking back into his eyes. He wanted forgiveness, so badly. She was the only one who could give it to him. She reached up, lightly stroking his face with her fingertips. She softly pressed her lips to his. He pulled away this time and rested his head against her neck. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, and he felt his guilt begin to slip away. He had suppressed so many feelings for so long. Ignoring the hurt, the remorse, all of it. It had finally caught up. For the first time in a long time, he cried. He cried in the safety of the arms of the one woman who had and would always stand beside him. He cried and he felt as though maybe it all went away in her arms. His shelter from the world. His shelter from himself.

"You need me." She whispered tenderly into his hair. "And I need you too."


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Midnightfarie