CHAPTER 10: His and Her
There were moments in life where all someone could do was stare. No words for the impossibility that was the moment a person was facing. Every emotion could be felt in the blink of an eye. All the pain, sorrow, happiness, and anger. Elle Bishop was experiencing such a moment.
Two seconds ticked by staring at each other. Both wide eyed. Both surprised by one another. Elle felt her body tremble at the sight of him. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
"You're not real." She muttered for the first time. She stepped back wondering why her imagination would conjure Gabriel when all this time she had been seeing Sylar. She could tell this was different from the other times. His face was too full of emotion to be the monster she made. He took a steady step forward.
"Elle," He whispered her name raw and full of the man she loved. "I-"
"Stay. Away." She lifted her hand looking down at her feet. "You aren't real." She wanted him to go away. At least Sylar didn't pretend he was real. Didn't pretend to try and say things. Luke took a spot next to Elle's side.
"Elle." Gabriel repeated her name again. "Please. I thought-" Luke stepped between them causing Gabriel to notice the teen.
"She said stay away." Elle suddenly looked up. Luke was in defense mode and she saw the man was getting annoyed giving him a sharp back off look. She nudged Luke's shoulder.
"You can. . . " She looked into Luke's eyes first then Gabriel's for a split second. "See him?" The boy pulled his face into a ray of confusion then looked back at the man. He slowly nodded.
Her face turned taking him in. The dark button down shirt and dark pants. His face a bit confused looking at the boy for a moment before he looked into Elle Bishop's eyes. She searched his face for the answer. An odd fear that he wasn't standing in front of her washed over her. Maybe it had been Bennet and she was dead right now.
"Elle," Again her name. Again it was becoming real. "I'm so sorry. I thought . . .Bennet had killed you. I was told Bennet found you after I was killed. If I knew you were alive I would have come for you. Elle," He stepped closer about to touch her hair when she flinched. "I wanted Bennet dead so badly after I realized he caused your death. You don't know how much it hurt. Or maybe you do." It wasn't long until she realized she was crying. Just a little.
"I'm going to assume this is the boyfriend." Luke stated bluntly.
"Shut up, Luke." Elle responded shoving her hand toward him. She stepped an inch closer feeling Gabriel's body heat. Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her. She wouldn't be convinced until she touched him.
Her fingers reached up toward his forehead. He closed his eyes as if waiting for her touch. The tip of her index finger connected with the hot skin allowing a gasp to escape her mouth. As each of her fingers met the soft flesh Elle felt the pain drift away. He was alive. He was real. He was standing right in front of her. Most importantly he loved her.
"Ouch." She quickly pulled her finger from his closed eye realizing she accidently poked his eyelid. She let out a soft laugh. Figments of imagination couldn't feel pain. He was real.
"Gabriel." Her voice must have sent him into some kind of overdrive because the next thing she knew she was feeling his lips on her lips. She kissed him triumphantly. She held his face to hers making a soft moan. It felt good to have him again. Kiss him, love him, want him.
She always wanted him, but now her lips were doing the talking. Her heart could stop from grieving and start loving. Her mouth explored his realizing they hadn't had much time before. She'd make sure they had time. He wasn't ever leaving her again.
"Not to interrupt this Hallmark moment, but can someone explain what the hell is going on?" Luke was out of the loop. Gabriel was the first to pull away. He planted a haunting peck on Elle as he looked at the boy.
"Who's the kid?" He asked looking between Luke and his love. Elle scrunched her nose still unable to believe this was all happening.
"Oh, um . . ." She wondered if she should start explaining now or on the way to the hotel room. She smiled at Luke who just looked a bit peeved. Apparently from being lost in the whole thing. "I'll explain on the way to the hotel." She stated grabbing Gabriel Gray's hand. He nodded.
"There is a lot to explain." He laughed and the three of them left the Bennet home. For now.
--
"So let me get this straight," Gabriel proceeded to ask as he sat at the sturdy desk in the corner. He was still in his dark clothes, the ones Elle always imagined him in, well Sylar, but it was hard to decide who was present, killer or watchmaker. He picked at the remaining pieces of the microwave burrito they had picked up on the way to the hotel. He plucked a piece of stray chicken from the wrapper. Every little bite was a sign he was alive. "You filed a police report on Bennet, confronted Arthur on my parentage, went on a killing spree to New York, found out where my father was, tortured a small family, then came back here with Luke to seek revenge on Bennet before going to kill my dad?"
"Well I hadn't decided whether I was going to kill or torture your father." Elle stated with a shrug as she drained her Slusho. Luke laid on the mattress watching the pair aimlessly then looking back at the talk show on the TV. Gabriel let out a soft chuckle enjoying her lively behavior.
"Anyway what about you Mr. Hotshot." She quipped watching as he shifted in the seat. "You get brought back to life by Pinehurst after they bring Claire in only to be told Bennet killed me to which you respond by going to kill him who tells you I'm alive and that Arthur Petrelli isn't your real father. You then go to find the truth from Arthur and show him no misery when he responds by telling you he and Mama Petrelli used you. You kill him. Go to New York to find out what they all know only to burn down the Company. Come here to seek a little revenge and I show up."
"That's about right." He responded. Luke gave a needed glance at the couple. "Claire's blood has brought me back more than enough times. Makes me feel bad I'm going to steal that pretty ability from here." An evil grin plastered his face.
"I don't. I mean besides the fact that she sent me to Pinehurst to begin with she's not the best kind of person. Whiner." Elle pouted crossing her arms. Again Gabriel chuckled.
"So what's next for this wacky gang?" Luke asked absent mindedly as he flipped a playing card in his hand. Gabriel looked over at Luke who was grinning to himself. He then looked over at Elle.
"Pen." He called for. Elle tossed the clicky topped pen toward him which he caught victoriously. He flipped the back of a business card over scribbling down the phone number. Luke sat up on the edge of the bed. "Here" He handed Luke the card to which he responded with a raised eyebrow. "Call this number to see if they're home. Ask for . . .I don't know anyone. From the hotel phone."
It didn't take the teen long to figure it out. He moved his position to the other side of the bed toward the phone. He picked it up and began dialing.
"You know if she's there I'm coming." Elle insisted moving herself on the other bed close to Gabriel.
"I've taken that into consideration." He quipped quietly.
"Yeah, is . . . um . . .Mary there?" Luke responded wrinkling nose. It was a stupid response, but he knew he had to get some name out. He listened. "Oh sorry." He placed the phone down.
"Well someone's home." Elle snapped her look from Luke to Gabriel.
"Question is was it Claire?" Gabriel asked with a raise of his brows.
"If we're looking for a cheerleader I think we found her. Light and full of air. Also shaky sounding. I think she's alone." Luke concluded and Elle had to be impressed. She had found the trashing they inflicted no doubt.
"Let's go get the cheerleader." She said standing to her feet and pulling her hair into a ponytail.
"You guys are leaving me here again." Luke concluded seeing Gabriel stand next to his woman.
"You'd only get in the way Luke." He told the teenager. "You know we have to come back for you. You know where my father is." Luke tried to give a reassuring smile. Before they left Elle turned.
"Hey Luke," He shifted his focus toward the blonde woman. "Thanks for sticking around." He smiled trying to show her he was better off with the two serial killers then his own mother.
"Just go get the cheerleader and hurry back." Luke told them. Elle gave a weak smile and with that they were off to knock off a cheerleader.
--
"You know if you keep that up we are going to get caught." Gabriel Gray responded to Elle's need to show off her spectacular power by sparking the dumpster close to the Bennet home.
"Just letting off some steam, Mr. Gray." She cooed biting her lip. She focused her attention forward as he sighed beside her. He had thrown in the towel. No sense in trying to tame the untamable. Besides he liked her sparks.
"You know I missed you." He told her as they approached the neighborhood.
"Missed you so much I went crazy." She laughed manically. "Literally. I could have been committed. Seeing things, hearing voices, having nightmares that were actually dreams." Gabriel glanced at her, but she shrugged. "It's all over now. I have you. You have me. We're a happy family." She singsonged the last couple sentences remembering the tune from Barney. One of the few shows she had glimpsed at in her younger days.
"Well I want to make sure it stays that way." He responded looking as she moved closer to him so she could link their arms. It was hard not to go back to her old ways. She had always been a playful girl.
"Hence the going to kill the cheerleader part of the plan." She smiled happily seriously glad he was next to her. Really next to her. They were close to their distantion. The two rounded the back of the house for a little surprise attack. Elle suddenly remembered something as Gabriel released from her grasp. "Oh, I have presents for you." He looked at her a bit surprised from her sudden outburst and confused. "People like us. In comas. All really powerful abilities." She gave him a pleasant grin. The kind she gave her daddy when she knew she had done a good job.
"Why'd you do that?" He wondered knowing Elle thought he was dead. She only had to think for a moment.
"Because I was unstable. Insane. Thought you'd somehow come back and sweep me off my feet, which I wasn't far off." Her finger sparked as they touched the lock. The door creaked open.
"Thank you for that then." Only Gabriel would ignore the part where she could have been committed and go straight to the idea of more abilities. All he really needed was Claire's, but it never hurt to get some more.
The home was dark and nearly empty as the two entered. Both cautious as they came into the kitchen. Gabriel turned back giving her a look that said stay by the door. She nodded looking in to see if it was clear for them to start looking upstairs. She watched staying close to the exit.
"Looks like Bennet left his work here." Elle snapped her head to see Gabriel going through Company files. Well former Company files as they were debunked at the moment. Elle found it amusing at Gabriel's excitement, but that amusement only lasted seconds.
Claire really came out of nowhere stabbing him so fast Elle had no time to react before the cheerleader was running like a bat out of hell. Gabriel fell to the ground quickly. Panic overwhelmed the blonde. Probably both of the girls as Gabriel managed to struggle up. He pointed a finger at the girl. Elle knew the sound of the thud and struggle to scream.
Elle kept her position by the door only listening to him. Elle hoped the tearing of the brain would kill the cheerleader once and for all. She knew it was unlikely though. Someday she would kill Claire. At some point in her life. Once she heard the sound of cheerleader hitting the wall Elle came into view. She grinned at Gabriel who smiled back letting Elle's heart flutter, though it wasn't a heart fluttering grin. It was more of a heart stopping grin.
"Elle." It sounded like a plea. Claire was pleading with her. To make him stop. For a moment Elle felt a twang of guilt. In another life they could have been friends. Two ambitious young women out on the town. But then again in another life her and Gabriel could be going to the movies instead of spending her day proceeding to pluck the brain out of a once spunky cheerleader.
"Sorry Claire," She was surprised of how unsorry her voice sounded. A couple weeks on a killing spree could sure make someone not care. "No help for you. The bitch is back and she brought a friend." A soft chuckle came from Gabriel as he lifted his finger to Claire Bennet's forehead.
Her favorite part followed. The screaming.
--
"What are you doing?" Much to Elle's disappointment Pom-Pom's chest slowly rose and fell. Not to mention the question. Elle was watching curious in the corner as Gabriel picked at the cheerleader's brain on the dining room table. She found it all wrong only because it reminded her she was to blame for the monster.
"Looking for answers before I bleed to death." Only Gabriel Gray could say something like that as a kitchen knife stuck out of his chest. Elle made a soft chuckle.
"Why . . .is she here?" The soft question escaped the girl's lips almost frozen in fear, not for death, but for pain. That it would come soon. Elle glanced at Gabriel wondering the answer herself.
"Because she's mine." The last word was said to make it clear to Claire that she belonged to only him. His girl gave a soft smile as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Yours." Claire's lips trembled as the top of her head was being explored. "How?" Elle rolled her eyes.
"Just enjoy the free brain massage, Pom-Pom." Elle shifted from her corner coming so she could look in the girl's eyes. Almost dead, but still a hint of life. "It's not every day someone survives the treatment."
"Elle," Gabriel declared glancing up at the woman. "You're in my light."
"Sorry, babe." She merged back into her corner waiting for the thing to be over with.
"How did you get so screwed up?" Claire wondered as Gabriel paused. It was a question he asked himself as well, though he knew part of the answer.
"You know the usual way girls get screwed up." Elle told the both of them. "My daddy never loved me." Claire took a breath in.
"There it is." He declared taking his finger toward the area. He breathed in slowly. Elle didn't like how they were breathing in time. Her fingers buzzed with energy.
She watched as he struggled to stand up. She came over to help him. She half expected him to push her away, but he steadied himself on her shoulder. He pulled the knife out slowly. Elle's heart quickened hearing his groaning. She watched as the cheerleader's ability worked its magic on Gabriel. After the healing Gabriel placed a one armed hug around Elle and kissed her forehead. She was glad it was real this time. She smiled happily as they held hands going for the front door.
"Oh," She said quickly letting go of his hand. She picked up the top of Claire's head placing it on the girl's exposed brain. "There you go Pom-pom. Don't say I'm never nice to you." She winked going back to Gabriel, though she wasn't really sure who he was anymore either.
"Wait," Claire said before the couple could even grab the handle. "Aren't you going to kill me?"
"Isn't it obvious Claire?" The man beside her asked. "You can't die. And now, neither can I." The two smiled leaving the cheerleader with that thought to go on to new ventures.