AN: Thank you everyone for reading and pushing me to keep doing this story. I've been taking summer classes and working, but luckily, school's out for summer (well for a month) and I hope I can get a few more chapters up between now and then.
Elizabeth, I'm glad I could convert to the wonderful world of Sylaire/ Clabriel (I think I made that one up... lol). I never thought I would like them together either, but then I read a few and got hooked myself!

Although the shower was refreshing, Claire still had a gnawing feeling in her stomach. Two days ago, she was cursing Sylar with almost every breath she had, and now... All she could think about was Gabriel. Not Sylar. Gabriel, the man with his shorter hair and dreamy eyes. The clean-shaven face and incredibly dorky—but sexy—glasses. His acute awareness of how to make her blush and pry out things she had either completely forgotten or had never wanted to share with anyone aloud. She wondered if it was at all possible that he was able to manipulate her into telling the truth somehow. That would make more sense. She didn't want to think that she could be this open with someone. Anyone. Particularly him.
She brushed her hair as she stared into the mirror. For some reason, she kept expecting him to walk in behind her and say something witty. She finished with her right side and started on her left when she saw him leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Never fails, she thought with a smile.
"You know, if you brush your hair too much, it'll make you go bald," he grinned.
"That's a lie, and you know it!" she laughed. "Lyle told me that when I was younger, so I looked it up. It's a myth." She scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out.

He laughed with her before settling on just watching her. Her face had straightened out, and he could actually see a difference between the girl he met six years ago, and the woman in front of her now. He could still see the fire in her eyes, but he knew that he was the reason her smile didn't reach her eyes as he had seen her do before. He was the reason she wasn't as innocent as she appeared. He was the reason why she hated him
He sighed internally and left her alone in the bathroom as she finished her morning ritual. He sat down in his favorite chair in the living room and began to pick up where he had left off in one of his many books. One of his favorites, The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy. Douglas Adams was a pure literary genius. He read to himself, laughing aloud as Marvin tells Arthur that the main computer hates him. "I love that robot," he chuckled as he continued to read. He failed to notice Claire as she bounced into the room.

She almost laughed to see him reading. She could see his eyes shift between the book in front of him to her to the book again.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked, not moving.

"No," she said sweetly. She sat on the opposite couch and stretched out, putting her arms behind her head. With a smirk, she continued to watch him. She wondered what he was thinking. How many powers does he have? Is he able to absorb powers like Peter?

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked, pushing his book further up to cover his eyes.

Is he blushing? She wondered. "I'm just thinking." He remained quiet. In her mind, she was doing a checklist of everything she wanted to ask. How many powers do you have? What are they? How many books have you read? Have you ever had a girlfriend? Are we dating? "Have you ever had sex?"

She didn't realize she had actually asked that last question until his book hit the floor and he was staring at her with giant eyes. She blushed profusely and started stammering her apology. "I—I'm sorry! I didn't—I mean... I was just—oh, God!" she said, covering her head with her hands. After trying to take several breaths to calm down, she gave up when she started laughing uncontrollably.

"Clare... are you alright?" he asked, rising from his seat a little.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said through laughs. She was able to calm herself a bit after her sides and stomach started hurting. She wiped the tears from her eyes, but the smile was still on her flushed face. Gabriel found himself entranced by her. "I'm sorry," she said again, trying her best to look serious. "That was inappropriate of me."

"It's fine, Claire. Really," he said, picking up his fallen book.

"So... have you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ahem... yes. I have," he said as he stood and walked to the fridge to get a bottle of water.

"With who?" she asked, keeping the jealousy out of her voice.

"Elle Bishop... and Maya Herrera."

"Oh," she said, lying back against the couch. She turned her head away and tried to keep the scowl off her face.

"Have you?" he asked, returning to his seat and taking a sip from his water. He wondered what she was thinking.

"No," she said quietly. "I haven't. God," she scoffed with a coarse laugh, "you must think I'm a prude."

"I don't," he said honestly. "I've never thought of you like that. You were just... Claire."

"I just haven't found the right guy. I know how cliché that sounds, but it's true. I'm not the kind of girl that will just jump into bed with a guy," she scoffed and he could see her eyes glaze over as she remembered something. "When I was in high school, before I knew about you, and before I knew about myself, I was at this party. We were hanging out after a football game, and we were celebrating their victory. We were drinking, and I think it was my second one before I realized that it didn't have an effect on me.
"Anyway, there was a guy that I had a crush on, and he started flirting with me. We were just talking and having a good time. We sat on some nearby bleachers, and we started making out..." Her voice started cracking, and he was curious to what happened. "It was great until he kept trying to put his hand under my skirt. I got mad and told him to stop, but he got mad, too. He pushed me down... and got on top of me... He was stronger than me, and it was easy for him to hold me down. I begged him to stop, but he wouldn't... When he reached for his belt, I kicked him off and I tried to crawl away, but he grabbed my foot. When he turned me over, I hit my head on a rock, and a stick got stuck in that spot...."

He was at her side instantaneously, and he wrapped his arms around her and waited for her to continue her story. "I woke up hours later, on a cold, metal slab. I looked down, and my chest was cut open. The coroner had just finished my autopsy. She pulled the stick out and I was able to heal again. I heard the woman say I was found, naked, and washed up at the river. I was so confused, but I knew I had to get out of there. I remember thinking that I had to get home before my parents knew I wasn't home. I grabbed a coat and walked home. Dad thought I was gone all night. I couldn't tell him. I had just come back to life, and I was terrified. What was I supposed to say?" She gasped for air.

"When I saw the guy at school the next day, he looked like he had seen a ghost. That's what he thought I was, a ghost or—or a zombie. I almost laughed at him. Then this girl, Lori, came to talk to me, and I realized I wasn't the only one he had... forced."

Gabriel was fuming. Some stupid boy thought Claire was easy... thought he could just jump into her pants.

Idiot,Sylar whispered. You should go find him. Make him pay for what he did to our Claire.

"I got back at him though," she said, breaking through his thoughts. There was malicious smile on her face, and he realized she didn't wear the look well. "That same day, after practice, I told him I needed a ride home. I'm still surprised he let me drive. And I did drive. I drove us straight into a brick wall going 65 miles an hour. I was fine, of course. While we were in the hospital, I told Dad roughly what happened, and he had Rene, the Haitian, wipe his memory. Completely."

Gabriel's grip on his own hands relaxed some as he heard about her revenge. Good... Now I don't have to do... something. "So that—that prick—thought he could rape you, kill you, and get away with it?"

"Not really. After that, I convinced Lori along with some of the others, to go to the police. He's currently serving for six rapes, two attempts, and destruction of public property. Oh, and underage drinking, a few DUIs, and physical assault on a minor."

"But you said the Haitian wiped his memories... He doesn't remember—"

"No, Gabriel. That's all he remembers. He only knows what he's done and tried to do. He's on constant suicide watch..."

Gabriel chuckled darkly. "Remind me never to get on your bad side..."

"Been there, done that," she replied.

He rubbed her arms gently, holding her against him. He looked down and saw the small tears falling from her eyes. He used his free hand to wipe them away, causing her to look up at him. The look in her eyes caught his breath in his throat. How could she be here, with me? How can she stand being in my arms? I've tried to kill her. I've stalked her, practically tortured her... And yet, here she is. "Claire," he breathed, holding her closer. "It's alright now, Claire... I'm sorry. You should never have experienced something like that... I just have to ask—"

"You know, I've never told anyone that before," she said, still looking up at him. He eased down and captured her lips with his own, slowing moving his mouth lightly with hers. He was happy, and surprised, that she didn't pull away. After just a moment, he lifted his lips from hers and whispered his name.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, backing away from her. "I shouldn't have done that."

"No, you really, really should have," she said, pulling herself to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips back to his. They moved their mouths together, each allowing the other to guide them. Her hands were in his hair, on his shoulders. His were running along her back, in her hair, on her neck, on her hips. Everywhere.

It was the happiest he has ever felt. His Claire was kissing him, holding herself against him. A moment of clarity hit him, and he pulled away. "Claire," he gasped as she attacked his neck.

"Hmm?" she asked, not stopping her ministrations.

"You've got—got to stop," he stuttered out, trying to control his breathing.

"Why?" she asked, nibbling on his ear.

"Why?" That's a good question. Why does she need to stop? What's wrong with this?"Please," he gasped. When she didn't, he tried to focus. Almost immediately, he felt the relief of her not crushing against him, and he looked up to see her suspended in the air, glaring at him. "I'm sorry," he said, lowering her to the ground gently. He moved back to his previous seat and allowed her to sit as well.

"It's not your fault. I'm sorry. I should've controlled myself..." Her face was beginning to turn that brilliant shade of pink again.

Control? Oh, yeah. Need some more of that... he thought. He cleared his throat, and looked away from her.

"So, you gonna tell me what happened? With Elle and Maya?" she said, looking at the ground.

"Oh... I was with Elle the first time... She was staying in my building. We started talking, and then we sort of started dating," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought she really liked me. That was years ago. Long before I met your dad, but after I met Dr. Suresh, I met Elle. She seemed like she genuinely liked me, that she wanted to be with me... Then, she brought a guy over. His name was Trevor. She kept calling him 'special,' and it just... it made me so angry. That was the second time I killed someone. She did it on purpose. She was—working with Noah, under The Company's orders. They wanted to know how I was able to see how things work. I wish they would have just taken me. Strap me down and do experiments. That would have been better than transforming into him..."

This time it was her turn to comfort him. She sat beside him and rubbed his back in small circles. He had his head in his hands, and she was worried he was going to start pulling his hair out. "I'm—I'm sorry, Gabriel. I knew Dad did some bad things, but he's been trying to fix it. I know it's not the same, but he's trying..."

"After I started 'working' for The Company, I met up with Elle again. She liked that I was like her, that we were both outcasts. It was after the Level 5's had been released. We followed you to Stephan Canfield's house. He was the one who could manipulate gravity, you know, create the wormhole?" She nodded. "That's where it happened. I was trying to shut her up, and one thing led to another..." He sighed and shook his head. "I swear, she's killed just as many people as Sylar did."

"It was a few months before that that I was with Maya. I had woken up in Mexico, with no idea how I'd gotten there. But she and her brother found me, told me they were headed to New York. I told them I was headed there, too. Right after it happened, I killed her brother." Gabriel was shaking now. Claire was scared. She didn't know if he was angry, or upset, but she knew it wasn't good either way. "She didn't believe I was a murderer until I told her, and even then..." he sighed deeply. "She's a good person. She sees the best in everyone, even if they don't deserve it. When we first met, after I told her my name, she said I was God-sent." His voice was filled with remorse. "I never wanted to be like him. I just wanted to be special, to be the man Mother wanted me to be. But then again, she wasn't really my mother."

Neither of them said anything as they sat there. Claire was rubbing his back, and his head was still hung.

"Gabriel," she said lightly. He didn't move. She lightly brushed his hand back and stroked his hand. "Gabriel, look at me... please..." He finally did, and she was a little surprised to see his reddened, puffy eyes. "I know you're not a bad person, and I know Sylar did some unthinkable things... But just because you share the same body, doesn't mean you're the same person. I—I wish I could explain it. Sylar is at the worse end of the spectrum, and you seem to be on the best. He took all the risk, while you only take the necessary ones. He used his powers for selfish reasons, but I really don't think there's a selfish bone in your body."

She smiled lightly and racked her brain for the words she wanted to say. "Sylar was evil, and manipulative, and bloodthirsty. He went after people because he was jealous that they had something they had and he wanted. But you—you really are special. You're a great person. But... just like my dad, you have to make up for the bad things he did."