Chapter 10- Atonement

The next morning, Gabriel looked like a lost puppy as he watched Peter carry his meager belongings from his room and he pondered why he was being moved. Didn't he already get his revenge by shocking him and making him serve Noah Bennet, perhaps the only person he hated more than Mohinder? Maria walked over to him and ran her hand down his arm in an effort to reassure him. He turned his baleful eyes to her and quietly asked, "What did I do? Whatever it was, I'm sorry. Please don't send me back to Tipton. I can try harder, I promise."

Her heart broke at the implication. She could never send him back to suffer at the hands of that monster, especially not after what Peter told her in the barn. "You didn't do anything, Ga…Sylar." She smiled sadly. "This is just the way it has to be and I hope you understand."

He nodded slowly and lowered his eyes. "You can call me Gabriel. It's your right to call me anything you want, really."

"What do you prefer?" She asked with a small smile. "I can't change the fact that you are forced into this situation, but I can try to make it as easy as possible by giving you choices when I can, starting with how you would like to be addressed."

"Gabriel is fine." He shrugged. "It was the name I was born with."

"Gabriel it is, then. Once you get acclimated, I will deactivate your chip." She faltered when she noticed the clear flash of pain in his eyes and the way he lowered his head as though she had personally wounded him deeply. It reminded her of a small boy being teased on the playground. She lightly grasped his elbow and asked, "Didn't Peter tell you? While you're here, I turn your chip off. It wasn't meant to be a taunt or an insult. Chips send out a low level of current when they're active even if they aren't being used." She gently reached for his hand and positioned it palm down to hover over her own and together they watched it tremble. She frowned as she quietly observed, "Yours seems particularly high for some reason. You must feel terrible. Have you had any headaches, dizziness, nausea?"

He swallowed and sheepishly answered, "I usually feel light headed, and it feels like I'm being stabbed all over like pins and needles."

"Oh, Gabriel." She patted his hand sympathetically. He did seem to be suffering and she couldn't stand it, not when she could do something about it. "I have noticed you aren't eating as much as you should. Maybe I put you to work too soon."

"I can work." He nodded bravely, gently placing a hand over his bruised ribs. "I want to. I want to prove myself and do what it takes to earn the privileges." He paused and cautiously asked, "But if you deactivate my chip, won't that stop the suppressant?"

"No." She sighed. "The drugs are a backup in the unlikely event of a chip failure. I can turn it off to make you more comfortable, but you still won't have your ability."

Abilities- plural. "I see." He seemed disappointed and she understood. It was like taking an average person and blindfolding them to rob them of their sight because you didn't like their eye color.

"I do have to tell you, though, that any time you leave the property I have to reactivate it and it does hurt." She warned. "But the consequences for having a non-functional chip are very severe."

He remembered seeing Peter do a faceplant at the tent and if it felt anything like being shocked did, the thought of going through it multiple times seemed daunting. At the time he thought Tipton was right about it malfunctioning which was what he based his own experience on until Peter fessed up that he was shocked on purpose for his indiscretion. He glanced at the stairway to keep an eye out for his return least he get caught again. That was one mistake he was determined not to make again.

"You'll have your own room in the quarters with the others. The kitchen is shared, but Mohinder usually does the cooking so let him know if you have any allergies or preferences. Work is generally between 9 and 6, but as you saw last night sometimes that can vary. The afternoons and weekends are yours to do whatever you like- hobbies or side projects. Peter tells me you were a watchmaker?"

He nodded earnestly. "I used to be." In reality it was so far removed from his everyday experience it almost seemed like he was talking about someone else entirely. Those long days crouched over the desk using tweezers and magnifying glasses to reassemble timepieces felt like a different lifetime.

"Was it something you enjoyed or was it more of a job?" She asked intrigued.

"Both, I guess." He shrugged. "It made money and it satisfied a need to understand. I guess I just like complex projects."

She broke out into a wide smile. "So what you're telling me is that dusting will only hold your attention for so long."

He gave a small grin and stated, "Well, I'll do what you tell me to. As I said, I would like the chance to prove myself." He jumped slightly when he noted Peter's return up the stairs and he looked annoyed. Peter may have been a lot of things, but he wasn't one to hold a grudge.

"Ms. Siegel," he said in a low tone, indicating they should all be on their best behavior, "Ms. Jessup is here to see you."

"Why?" Maria mouthed. Peter shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Peter." She said in a louder voice so her visitor could hear. "Please take Gabriel and begin your day."

"Yes, Ma'am." Peter nodded as he gestured for Sylar to follow. The two walked past Hiro who was always uneasy anytime a member of the Jessup family darkened his doorstep and filed out the door past Emily. She let Peter out easily with only a passing glance, but shifted ever so slightly to block Sylar's path. He took a step back and the expression on his face made it clear he thought she was being childish. Peter tilted his head slightly to give him a warning glare- he knew very well how Sylar felt and he couldn't disagree in principle, but now was not the time to play chicken. Sylar lowered his eyes and turned sideways to squeeze out the tiny crack she left between herself and the doorframe, trying but failing to avoid brushing up against her as he passed. Being taller, it was difficult to look down as he was supposed to without still looking her in the eye. She made it a point to lean in just a bit to sniff him like a dog would to pick up his scent and she liked his particular brand of masculinity- it was subtle yet incredibly pleasant.

"Emily?" Maria asked with her arms folded. "Did he not shower today?"

The young woman snapped back to attention and let her prey go with a congenial smile. "Hi, Ms. Siegel. I was just…" Maria raised her eyebrow and frowned. "Anyway," she continued rocking back and forth on her heels under her withering gaze, "my dad sent me over here…"

"Let me guess, you need to borrow more help." She said flatly.

"Big gardening project." She smiled. "Any chance…"

"I will send who I have available and it will only be for the day. At 6:00pm they will be returned if I have to come pick them up myself." She slowly announced. "If that arrangement doesn't work for you father he will have to ask someone else."

"That should work." She nodded eagerly. "Thanks, Ms. Siegel."

Maria smiled and waited for the little parasite to leave the property before she headed to the quarters to speak with Peter. If he needed so much help, why didn't he buy more slaves instead of using hers?

"So this is your room."Peter announced, showing Sylar to the last bedroom in the hall off the main dining area. The room itself was furnished with a cherry wood dresser, desk, chest of drawers, and sleigh bed. There were ample shelves for books and a large walk-in closet. The bathroom was a little small, but neat and clean. Overall the room had good sun exposure and the windows looked out over the garden and into the woods beyond. His belongings were placed in a neat pile on the bed for him to sort through and he was very relieved to know that all of the rooms were air conditioned. "You do your own laundry down the hall. If you need something dry cleaned, give it to me. The office is just off the kitchen- there's a computer and TV in there for everybody to use. Make a list of the toiletries you use and I'll add them to the grocery list. Any questions?"

Sylar looked around the room numbly and shook his head no. He never went to college, but he imagined dorm rooms to be much the same- or retirement homes. The structure itself had a very earthy log cabin feel with exposed beams and hardwood floors. Although he didn't like the idea of living so closely with others, it was better than the overpasses and sleazy motel rooms he had occupied while he was running. But perhaps the most important thing of all was not having to share a bathroom with anyone.

"We get up at 8:00 and eat here unless we are allowed to eat in the kitchen at the main house. You aren't allowed to be over there unless you're working, Maria's not you pal, she's your owner and although she bends the rules quite a bit for us, we have to follow them."

"Laying down the law?" Maria's voice playfully chided from the doorway.

"Trying to get him oriented." He corrected.

"He'll pick it up." She smiled as she leaned against the doorframe. "Something tells me he's a smart man." Sylar beamed at the compliment, but Peter frowned. The last time he saw him smile like that was when he was pounding the stuffing out of him at Kirby Plaza. It was creepy because the harder he hit him, the more blood ran into his mouth, staining his teeth red and yet he found it hilarious. He wondered if he did that to Tipton… "Anyway," her smile faded as she turned to Peter, "guess who needs a favor?"

Peter hung his head as he sighed. "I can't send Matt or Ando. Not again."

Sylar locked his fingers in front of his chest as though he were anxious. "You need me to do something?"

Peter gave him an odd look and slowly said, "You have no idea what you're volunteering for."

"What is it?" He implored. "I'll try."

"Gardening." Maria said clearly amused with his eagerness especially given what happened at the doorway.

He gave a slight shrug. "Dig a hole, put the plant in and bury it. How hard can it be?"

"It's not that." Peter squinted. "It's the fact that you have to leave here and go work at the Jessup's. Things at his farm aren't like they are here. You didn't seem to like Emily earlier, but she sure liked you."

He let his eyes fall to the floor with a shy smile. "Peter, she isn't the first woman to make eyes at me." Maria broke out into a smile and chuckled at his modesty. "It's probably just a passing fancy. I can handle it."

"Are you sure?" He challenged. "You know that once you get over there, she can do anything she wants and you can't do a thing about it. ANYTHING." He stressed.

That seemed to give him pause, but he blinked slowly while he nodded. "I have to carry my weight sooner or later and who else would go? Hiro's probably not any good at gardening and Mohinder is likewise busy. You probably have a long list as well. I'm the only one that's free. It's what, 8 hours? I will be fine."

Peter looked at Maria for her opinion and she looked skeptical. "I don't like it either given the way she almost ate you alive at the door. But," she let out a mighty resigned sigh, "I suppose you have to get your feet wet. I just hope you'll be ok over there. Put sunscreen on so we don't make the same mistake Matt and Ando did. No matter what, you will be coming home promptly at 6:00."

"Yes, Ma'am." He grinned.