Chapter Ten: Realization

"And I'd give up forever to touch you 'cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be and I don't want to go home right now. And all I can taste is this moment. And all I can breathe is your life. And sooner or later it's over. I just don't wanna miss you tonight." - Goo Goo Dolls

A knock came at the host's office door. After a moment of silence, the individual entered. "M'am?"

"Yes," the woman answered.

"He hasn't checked in."

"He will."

"It's been over 24 hours."

"Send an extraction team in. I want this wrapped up."

"Yes, M'am." When the individual didn't move, she raised her eyes from her desk, her gaze menacing.

"Was there something else?"

"How do you want to handle the others?"

"Eliminate them."

"Excuse me, M'am. Won't that cause complications?"

"Eliminate them all," she seethed. "If you ask again, I'll add your name to the list. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes."

Sylar enjoyed flying. It was his favorite ability, next to telekinesis. The air brushed past him, whipping his hair back and causing his clothes to flutter. In his arms, Claire was watching the carnival disappear below them in awe. He knew she had flown before with both Peter and Nathan, but this would be a new experience for her. He wanted it to be memorable.

She was quite while they flew, her eyes watching the tiny lights below and the cities and towns that appeared to be no more than miniature replicas. The silent distraction gave him the opportunity to watch her. Shards of light from the stars and moon illuminated her smooth skin. He liked how her hair was pulled up and braided, especially the small wisps that had come undone in the wind, tickling the sides of her face.

Since Paris was eight hours ahead of Snake River, it was dark when they arrived. He hoped she didn't notice how he had leveraged Hiro's teleporting ability once they were above the clouds. He had to take a short-cut in order to arrive on time for what he had planned. He touched down in Champ de Mars, making sure to keep Claire's back toward his surprise. She had been so amazed by the lights of the romantic city. Gabriel set her down, sliding his hand over her eyes.

"What are you-."

"Trust me," he told her, guiding her and turning her around. He waited a few moments, while she nervously leaned from side to side, under his hold. No one was around. The park was empty, except for a few sleeping pigeons and them. There was some traffic on Quai d'Orsay, but the noise didn't seem to bother Claire. Then, seeing the beginning of the show, he removed his hand. "Viola!"

Claire didn't say a word. Her eyes were on the twinkling blue and gold lights that covered the famous Eiffel Tower at the end of the park. The lights were set to go off every hour on the hour and caused the metal monument to look as if it was sparkling in the night. Claire's face blossomed into a large smile as she took in the sight. Gabriel's eyes never left her.

"Impressed?" he asked, when the lights returned to their normal gold gleam.

"When you said Paris, I thought you were joking."

"Didn't we already go through this?" he teased. "It doesn't fit with my character."

"I can't believe we really flew all the way," she remarked, walking away down the park's sidewalk to get close to the Eiffel Tower. "Isn't it normally an eight hour flight by plane?"

Gabriel deadpanned. He should have figured Claire wouldn't let a detail like that go unnoticed. "I haven't ever had the luxury," he responded, not lying but not answering her either.

"It's my first time too," she gave him a shy smile. "Europe wasn't in the Bennet family budget. Even if it had been, my dad would have never approved. Too flashy."

"Not on Noah Bennet's list of safe, acceptable family vacations?"

Her face fell a little, as she recalled living with her father. "No, even when Angela suggested I go, he wasn't thrilled with the idea."

"Not surprising."

"No," she smiled again, "But this is." She stood still, admiring the site. Suddenly, she turned around and faced him. "Why me?"

"Excuse me?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, obviously knowing he had heard her clearly. "Why me?" she repeated. "You said it was because we have the same blocks and because you needed a connection to survive immortality." He stayed silent, watching how animated her face became as she spoke. Her hands were at her sides, but they were beginning to twitch, as if she would rather be gesturing. "If that was it, if that was your reason, then why do this? Why go through all this trouble?"

He paused, unsure with how truthful he could be with her. Being open about his level of affection for her could backfire horribly. She hadn't had the time to know him the way he knew her. She hadn't been waiting the past five years for this chance. He needed to tread carefully. Their interactions were more frequent and growing more positive, but one wrong step and he knew his relationship with her would be over.

Claire would see through him if he lied and although she didn't have the ability to decipher truth from fabrication, he knew she understood him well enough to be able to tell the difference. The building blocks were the same and Samuel had proven to him years ago that he required another person to be close to.

Peter was his salvation, in a manner of speaking. The time they had spent together locked in Parkman's prison had illustrated all of his fears to him. Once Peter arrived, he understood how vital it was to have a friend, someone to keep him grounded. But friendship had it limits and it hadn't taken him long to realize that his connection with Peter was not the full commitment he had been searching for. That was something only Claire could achieve.

"I'll answer your question, if you answer mine." He offered.

Nodding, she said. "That's fair."

He answered bluntly with no extra finesse. "I care for you."

Her face was unreadable. The smile was gone, but she wasn't frightened or skeptical, as he had expected.

Gabriel didn't give her time to ponder over his answer. He didn't want her to overthink it. "Why did you vote in my favor?"

Her gaze shifted. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

The mood became serious. He could see her thinking about things, possibly reliving memories of their past encounters, before Peter and Emma's wedding. If their roles had been reversed, he didn't know how he would feel. Losing his biological father wouldn't have been an issue. Samson Gray hadn't been particularly loving or compassionate. He had turned out to be a cold-blooded killer. Like father, like son, he mused, bitterly. Gabriel couldn't remember his real mother, only Virginia, and she had been terrified of what he could do.

Forcing himself not to think about that, he found himself recalling the day he had visited Claire at her college. She had been so angry with him, so full of determination. He knew she was a fighter, but she had still caught him off guard when she shoved the pencil in his eye. He found himself holding back a chuckle. She could be unpredictable. It was one of the reasons he loved to toy with her. The outcome was always amusing.

He felt his face break into a grin. "I might be on my third or fourth by now."

"Nobody's perfect." She shrugged, matching his grin. Her eyes came to focus back on his face. The tension dissipated. "So, what's next?" she asked, the last of the nerves gone.

"We are in Paris," he commented, causing her to roll her eyes at his obvious statement. "I say we make the most of it and our powers." She raised an eyebrow. "At least for one night," he added. "We have these powers for a reason. It would be a shame for them to go untapped." He watched her smile grow, as she began walking towards the Eiffel Tower. "And as an added bonus, I'm fairly certain Noah Bennet wouldn't approve of any of this."

She laughed. "I like the way you think."

Claire found Gabriel fell in step with her rather easily as they walked around the Eiffel Tower. The light show had ended. They were left standing alone under the great structure, marveling at how such a piece had been constructed with the limited tools and technology. It was inspiring to see. She imagined how proud the builders must have been when they saw it come full circle. Stealing a quick glance up at Gabriel, she realized in their own way they were coming full circle too.

They strolled across the Seine river to the Champe Elysees and to the Louvre. Though the museum was closed, they were able to walk around the stone courtyard, admiring the brilliant design of the glass pyramids, which gave them a glance into the underground collection. Claire had always wanted to go inside and see the famous Mona Lisa painting. There was a fine line between using their powers for fun and doing something illegal. She opted against voicing her desire to see the painting. After all, she had eternity to return and go inside during normal viewing hours.

When they reached Notre Dame cathedral, the structure was more detailed and elaborate than Claire had anticipated. The sun was coming up now, lighting up the different depths of the carved stone. Pictures didn't do it justice. The architecture was far more grand than the churches in New York city. She had been inside large churches before, but none that compared to what stood before her now. They walked around the entire monument. Claire especially liked the back of the cathedral, where the flying buttresses came out.

Gabriel had remained silent while they wandered through the city, hitting all the major attractions. He had allowed her to lead, only breaking the quiet to help her avoid traffic or point out a feature she might have otherwise missed. He stood next to her now, admiring the chapel. Unlike his normal stance, which reminded her of a predator lying in wait, he appeared relaxed and approachable. A normal guy out in the middle of the night for a stroll.

"What do you think?" he asked, his eyes looking up at the top of the towers. When she didn't answer right away, he pointed up. Since she had passed up the Mona Lisa, Claire considered flying to the top of this Paris monument a worthy swap.

"I'm game."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth, then he was hoisting her up and they were in the air. He had no problem with initiating contact with her. There was no hesitation on his part. Claire had to admit she liked being held. When she had flown with her father or Peter, it had been fun. Flying with Gabriel was more intimate. She was more conscious of how her body felt against his, the heat radiating off of him, his scent.

As he set her down, she once again realized how easy it was for her to relax with him. It seemed surreal, considering the short time in which they had been together, working towards this friendship, though she wasn't sure how to classify what they were. It was a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The underlying characteristics were still the same, but overall, he was a different person. Maybe it was just how she saw him.

From the top of the cathedral, she could see out around the city. Certain spectacles, such as the Eiffel Tower, stood out prominently, while others, like Sacré Cœur were harder to recognize in the distance. The lights on the gargoyle's faces were meant to be scary, but seeing them up close the were almost comical to her. Their features were over exaggerated, with a hint of loneliness. They were stuck here for eternity. She understood the beauty and pain in that.

They were situated amongst some of the most exquisite food, fashion, and architecture in the world. They could partake from afar, but they were limited in their experience. Despite their limitations, they would outlive any restaurant, fashion trend, and several buildings. They would still be sitting here when the end of the world arrived, with a front row seat. Claire felt much the same way. The pain she felt wasn't from physical injury. The mental stress and emotional downward spiral that came with her situation was the human factor. Gabriel had that factor as well.

"Thank you for this," she said. He inclined his face to look at her. "This was the perfect way to do this."

"No crowds."

She nodded. "It's like my own personal tour of Paris. Everything is so peaceful, like it's frozen in time. There's just one thing I don't get." He raised an eyebrow. "Why did we need to dress up?"

He grinned. "I got us a reservation."

"For dinner?" she scuffed. "I think we may have missed it."

"No, breakfast," he corrected her. "The most important meal of the day."

He navigated them from the cathedral back across the river to Breizh Cafe. It was a warm establishment, very elegant. Claire was glad she had worn her red dress, as he had suggested. The other women in the restaurant were dressed to perfection. Some had magnificent jewelry, while others had woven expensive silk scarves around them. She felt a little out of her league watching them. Interestingly enough, they were watching her, or more specifically, who she was with.

All the female eyes were on Gabriel, as he gently placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her forward to an empty table in the back corner. One lady, even lowered her sunglasses and peered over at them as they passed by. Claire gotten used to the looks he received at the carnival. Part of her had assumed it was because he was so powerful, like a caged tiger, but seeing him out amongst regular people, she realized it was more than that.

Gabriel was attractive. That much hadn't changed. He was also confident and that confidence was a different type of power. Claire envied him in a way. She had tried to be tough, learning how to fight from her bio-mom and taking kickboxing classes had helped, but she still felt like that little cheerleader from back in Texas some days. The world seemed so huge, so full of opportunity, but also pain and fear. It was a see-saw of her ambition and her cautious nature.

When the waitress came over to take their order, she never once looked at Claire. Her attention was solely on the ex-serial killer. She wanted to laugh about the strange series of events leading up to this moment. Instead, she felt annoyed. Maybe it was the lack of sleep catching up with her. She gave her order quickly and crossed her arms over her chest as she sat back in her seat.

"Sweet tooth?" Claire had decided on the chocolate with fresh berries crepe. She merely nodded, not sure why she felt so irritated. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she replied, softly, feeling silly. She forced herself to lower her arms. The women in the restaurant had mostly gone back to their meals and drinks. This was one of her small-town cheerleader moments. She couldn't believe she was getting flustered over some strangers and their fascination with Gabriel Gray.

"Jealous?" She refused to answer. He began to smirk. "Let's have some fun," he whispered, sliding his arm around her and leaning in close, his back to everyone else. He brought his other arm up on the table in front of her to hold her hand. Then he moved closer, only inches away from her face. Now the eyes in the cafe were on her. Claire felt herself blushing at the spectacle he was purposely making.

"Did you ever think you'd be here with me?"

"No," she breathed, her eyes locked on his.

"Damn," he feigned annoyance. "I thought the stalking would have had a better return on investment."

She laughed.

"Guess the cutting open your head didn't work either."

"Nope."

"I must be losing my edge."

By the time the waitress returned with their order, Claire didn't recall why she had been mad. Gabriel continued in his charade, cutting up her crepe and feeding it to her. When the chocolate sauce dripped off onto her chin, he brought his mouth right up to her skin. Claire inhaled sharply, unsure of what he was doing. He raised the pad of this thumb and wiped it away. It was in that moment that she became aware that she had wanted him to kiss her.

The blush on her cheeks burned furiously. She pulled back. There had been times she had done things just to prove a point. She wanted to believe that was why she wanted the kiss. She wanted to convince herself it was to make these other women jealous. She wanted to be in control and to have the power for a change. She wanted to show them that he was here with her, not them and prove it to herself at the same time.

But she wasn't being honest with herself.

Gabriel had noticed the change in Claire instantly. The light in her eyes disappeared and her smile fell. He relinquished his hold on her fork, watching her finish off her crepes quickly. She kept her eyes down on the table. He shifted back in his seat, removing his arm from her. He asked for the bill when the waitress came back to check on them. Claire barely noticed.

She led the way out of the cafe, holding her arms around herself. There was no clear direction to her wandering. She was deep in though, not conscious of where they were or what was going on around them. He tried to understand what he had done wrong to derail their game. Claire had been all for it and he had been more than willing to keep it going. Now, he felt as if he was grasping at straws to get back to where they had been.

The weather was slightly chilly in the early morning. "Here," he shrugged off his jacket, laying it over her shoulders. She thanked him, smiling and fell in step with him as they continued walking. Her pace was slower than before. He recognized how late it was. Possibly, that explained her mood, but he wasn't holding his breath.

He indicated a park bench near the river. She welcomed the opportunity to sit down and watch the boats. There were ducks on the river as well. Remaining in silence, they watched the dance of the man-made vessels shifting across the water, while the smaller animals darted in between and around. Behind them, shops and cafes were opening up and the streets were becoming busier with people waking up. The city had it's own unique sounds as it came to life. The peaceful nighttime setting had dissolved into a busier, crowded capital.

Claire leaned into him. The weight of her head falling on the upper portion of his arm. She had fallen asleep in his presence, obviously comfortable with him. He hadn't been expecting it. He wanted her trust and her acceptance, but he didn't anticipate it would happen so suddenly. Her breathing was slow and deep, signaling she was out.

His mind went utterly blank and he sat there dumbfounded for a moment. In his experience, moments like this didn't last. They were either a trick, pre-manufactured for an underlying purpose, or they were a dream. The reality of the situation was that she trusted him. It was a high-point for the evening. Despite the fact that she wasn't awake, he had succeeded in taking their relationship further. Whatever issue had arose earlier was obviously gone now, or at least it wasn't prominent enough to keep her from letting herself fall asleep.

He shifted slightly, wrapping his arms around to lift her up. Flying would wake her up. He began walking down the street, noting the lack of passerbys, as he rounded the corner into a narrower alley. After a quick check, he teleported back to the carnival grounds.

It was very quiet for once. There were no game sounds, no vendors calling out to potential customers, and no animals rustling around. Everyone was either asleep or powering down for the night. Gabriel made his way to Claire's trailer, using telekinesis to open the door. He had been surprised by how homey she had made the mobile home feel. The shelves had pictures of her with her carnival friends and pictures of her with her mother and brother and even their small dog, Mr. Muggles. He had noted there were no pictures of Noah anywhere.

Gently, he placed her down on her bed, keeping his jacket wrapped around her. He decided to leave it there. Smell was a powerful scent tied to memory. He wanted her to remember being taken care of, being safe, because he wanted more nights like this. Being able to share an experience with her, alone, away from this place where it was all about being a Special made him feel unique. It made him appreciate his abilities more, because it gave him the chance to show her places and things she would otherwise be unable to take part in. It gave him purpose.

He wrestled with the idea of staying. The attack was still unaccounted for. No one had taken responsibility for the assault. It concerned him. The couch would have been comfortable enough for him to sleep on. He had, at times, slept on much worse. After Claire's mood change in the cafe, he decided against it. He let himself out of the trailer, making sure to lock it behind him.

Peter Petrelli saw the noise of his cellphone before he recognized the sound of the ringtone. It was early, or late depending on his EMT schedule, but today it happened to be early. He figured it would be Gabe, following up on Claire and the attack. Though he was correct about the caller, the reason for the call was not what he was expecting.

"Did you find any leads?"

"Hello to you too," his friend responded sarcastically. "Guess we're skipping the pleasantries today."

"Someone is hunting Specials, my niece in particular."

Peter had been riding a wave of anxiety and over-protectiveness since Gabriel had given him news of the attack at the carnival. As unsettling as it was, the fact that he hadn't been able to identify where the attack originated from was even more puzzling. He was concerned for Emma's safety, as well as Claire's. His mother hadn't seemed surprised by the turn of events, which had made him dig deeper into the Company, but he had discovered nothing. He was beginning to feel lost.

"No one will hurt Claire on my watch," he assured his friend. "She's actually the reason I called."

"Did she remember more?"

"No." Gabriel paused on the other end. "We went on a date. I took her out last night."

Peter tried to process the last two sentences. His mind had been focused on the attack. He had not spent any time wondering how his friend was doing with his other mission. Though Gabriel had changed, Peter understood the time it took to heal the wounds left from his prior rampage. He had had years to think through the actions and forgive. Claire had only had weeks. "Voluntarily?"

"Yes."

"Where did you take her?"

"Paris." The youngest Petrelli didn't know how to respond. When he had finally had time to take Emma out, he had taken her to a nice restaurant in the city with a decent Zagat rating. It was the best his minimal EMT salary could provide, but she liked it. After that night, they had gone on seeing each other regularly until they decided to take it to the next step. "Peter?"

"I hope you don't mean the city in France."

"That's the one."

"Aiming a bit high aren't you? Where are you going to take her next? Venice?"

"Possibly."

"Be serious."

"I am. You know how I feel about her."

"But how does she feel about you?"

"I guess we'll see," he answered, his voice becoming softer. "I'll let you know if I find out anything more about the attack. Say hi to Emma for me."

"Sure. Gabe?"

"Yeah?"

"One more thing."

"You don't have to tell me to be safe, Peter."

"I wasn't going to," he chuckled. "But I was going to remind you about Matt's vowel renewal."

"Parkman is doing what?"

"Didn't you see the invite?"

"I haven't really been checking my mail," he admitted. "Just bills and important stuff."

"This is important to Matt."

"Fine," Gabriel sighed. "When is it?"

"Saturday in California." Peter waited, then added. "You could bring Claire. The invitation said 'plus one'. At least that's what Matt told me when he called to see if you were coming yesterday."

"Tell Parkman to keep his pants on. I'll be there."

There was a click and the call ended. Peter put the cell down, replaying the conversation in his head. He was happy for his friend, but still concerned. He knew Gabriel. After spending five years together, he knew more than he cared to. Gabriel regretted his former actions. He had been working to right the wrongs since he had had his epiphany. Peter knew his feelings for Claire are sound. He was worried that Gabriel was trying too hard, offering grand dates, large gifts, and anything else he deemed worthy of Claire as a way to compensate for the pain he had caused her.

But Peter knew Claire as well. At her core, she was simple. She valued integrity, her family, and honesty. She may have been delighted for an extravagant night out, but if Gabe kept taking her to European cities, she was eventually going to question his motives.

He had seen it happen countless times before with Noah and Nathan. They wanted to control Claire, please her, and mold her. They had showered her with expensive and lavish gifts, but it had backfired. She had eventually found out about their lies, their cover-ups, and plans for her. It had made her resent them. She no longer trusted Noah, to the point she had stopped speaking to him. Peter was afraid if Gabe didn't learn to contain his opulent attempts to please Claire, she would begin to look further into his actions. If she found out about any unseemly activity, she would not be able to forgive him.

He'd lose her trust and potentially the entire relationship he was attempting so desperately to build.