Disclaimer: Tim Kring is raking in the big bucks. Me? Not so much.. or, at all.

A/N: Another update! So soon? Why of course! Please R&R - Note: I'm trying sooooo hard to stay away from spoilers! Stupid Ep. 19 spoiler pics. There's only one spoilery thing in here, but it's kind of one of those things that you can pretty much expect... I guess. I have a guess of what is going to happen in the episode so I changed the storyline around to not match up with that one and be completely different :) Only twenty more days to go...!

CHAPTER 10

"SOME FAMILY"

ISAAC MENDEZ

NEW YORK CITY

There was a loud rapping on Isaac's door and he nearly pulled the trigger of the gun he was holding. It's probably just Peter, he told himself, dropping the gun onto his work table. Simone is dead but killing Peter isn't going to change that. Isaac crossed the apartment and opened the door.

"Isaac Mendez?" the man on the other side asked. He was dressed in all black, clean shaven, his hair cropped short.

"Yes, you are?" Isaac countered, suspicious.

He smiled politely and offered a handshake. "I'm Gabriel. I saw some of your artwork in a gallery once and was intrigued."

Isaac ran a hand through his hair, and although he knew it felt wrong, invited the man in. "Can I get you anything?"

Gabriel examined some of the new paintings as Isaac made for the kitchen. "No, no, that's all right. These paintings, is this you?"

"Um, yeah, it's something I'm working on for a new project. Kinda weird huh?" Isaac replied.

He pointed to the man standing over Isaac's corpse. "Is this a character you plan on introducing in '9th Wonders!'?"

"He's been in the works, yes. So you're a fan?" Isaac ventured.

The man smiled widely. "Oh, yeah, definitely. I've read every single one!"

Isaac had the vague feeling that he was lying - perhaps it was because he'd noticed that this Gabriel and the figure in his latest painting shared certain similarities, or perhaps it was just because he knew that he might soon be dead.

"He was in the latest issue, did you happen to catch his name?" he asked.

"No, I've been busy, I might not have caught that one," he replied. "I'll have to pick up a copy."

"No need," Isaac replied, walking to his work desk and picking up a copy of the comic book and the gun, keeping it out of view. "Here, have a look now."

Gabriel opened the book and by the time he looked up, the barrel of the gun was pointed at his forehead. He let out a sigh and let the book fall shut. "Sylar. You don't think that I'm him, do you?"

"I can paint the future. These paintings, they're all of me dead, and that" - he pointed to the dark figure - "that's you! So Gabriel, or Sylar, or whoever the hell you are, you might want to think twice."

Sylar smiled cruelly. "If you can paint the future you also know that the gun that you're holding isn't going to do much, as you've painted it next to your own body."

He made a flicking motion with his hand and Isaac let out a yell as, for the second time, he was being hurled telekinetically across his own studio. Isaac fell to the ground with a thud, skidding across the painting of the apocalypse on his floor, the gun clattering just out of reach.

This is it, Isaac mused, smiling to himself as Sylar towered over him. I am going to die.

THE PETRELLI FAMILY, MOHINDER SURESH, THE HAITIAN

HYDE PARK, NEW YORK

"Did he leave?" Nathan asked as he bumped into Claire on the stairs.

Claire nodded. "He said he'd be back soon."

Mohinder joined them only a second later and they all walked downstairs. Angela, Heidi, and the Haitian were all sitting in the large living room, each with a cup of coffee. Claire smiled to herself - she couldn't picture the mind-wiping Haitian doing something as normal as drinking coffee. Nothing is normal anymore, she reminded herself.

"Peter went back to the city - he's got this delusion that the painter, Isaac, is in danger."

Angela nodded. "Isaac Mendez, yes, I know. And your brother is right."

He narrowed his eyebrows. "How do you know all of this, Mom?"

She sighed. "Well, I guess it's about time that you knew the truth, Nathan, but I'll save the full version for when Peter comes back. With the exception of Heidi and Dr. Suresh, we are all... talented. I suppose the easiest way to describe my power is Omniscience. I discovered that I have a knack for seeing things as they happen and for having an understanding of people and what to expect from them.

"It's how I knew that Claire was going straight to Peter's apartment before she had deserted my friend in the airport. And, for the record, your new friend, Hiro Nakamura, he has indeed stolen Mr. Linderman's sword."

Claire flushed at what was said about her. It really was horrible what she'd done, but she didn't regret it - if she had been obedient she could have been half way around the world for all she knew.

"Si quelqu'un avait prêté plus d'attention…" her grandmother's French broke her reverie.

The Haitian responded in rapid fire, "Nous avons été par ceci ne nous avons pas ? Je ne peux pas l'aider qu'elle a été placée sur l'évasion."

She'd had enough. "Je parle française!" -Everyone in the room turned their attention to Claire. "I know exactly what you're saying about me! If you want to think I'm a problem child, go ahead and think it, but I'm not. I've been lied to and deserted by everyone who should care about me and I've decided to make a stand and take control of my life."

Her new family looked stunned at her sudden outburst, but it was to be expected. Claire was not seen as a "problem child" to these people. They all knew what she was going through and could relate - even Heidi and Mohinder who had both faced life altering experiences within the last several months. Claire had been leading a normal life up until recently and now she had to adjust to new surroundings, a new ability, and to meeting her real family. It was all a bit overwhelming.

Angela stood up and walked to where her granddaughter stood beside her father and the geneticist and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry about that, Claire. I know this is a difficult time for you - you're just going to have to learn to trust us, ma chère, d'accord? "

Claire nodded, feeling that she'd be better off not to speak again. In the back of her mind she wished that she could receive another of Sandra Bennet's hugs again. Why am I thinking of her as Sandra now? Claire mused. I may never see her again, but she's still my mom.

"Ok, I hate to break up this nice family moment and all, but shouldn't we be concerned about what Peter is up to?" Nathan interrupted. "I mean, this guy is clearly dangerous and Peter is well, he's Peter. He's still convinced he's going to save the world."

"Save the cheerleader, save the world - he saved me, didn't he?" Claire replied. "I think that maybe you should have a little bit more faith in him, Dad."

And Claire stopped in her tracks - she'd just called this man "Dad," something that had been reserved for the man who had raised her. She knew that Nathan was just as surprised as she was by the look on his face. She smiled for the first time before speaking, "Some family, huh?"

Meanwhile...

Peter Petrelli looked in through the windows of Isaac's apartment. There was Isaac, lying pinned to the floor, the gun that had killed Simone just beyond his fingertips. And there, kneeling beside him, was Sylar.