Author's Note: Noah and Elle bonding will be featured in the next chapter. Wanted this one full of fluffy goodness.

CHAPTER 12: Out In The Open

"You take it on faith, you take it to the heart. The waiting is the hardest part." – The Waiting, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

It was a park. Children so they couldn't talk dirty. No comfortable places to make out or touch. The benches were hard and cold. She wore a purple top and jeans. Nothing out of the ordinary. Sandra had said nothing about her long grocery trip. Elle had gotten so many groceries it seemed like she was starving. Today she had claimed nothing. Just a little walk in the park. It was half right. It was a nice day. Spring had just come so the leaves on the trees were coming back.

Elle sat trying to search for through her purse. Claire had somehow managed to text her during her fifth period class. Something about a boy on the football team asking her out. Elle told her to be weary. Boys were dangerous.

"Good morning." Speaking of dangerous boys. Sylar stood holding up two cups of coffee. One for her she assumed. Though she didn't like coffee. She thought he'd remember. "It's chi tea. I know you like that." She smiled so he did know her . She flushed a little as she examined him hoping her attraction to his body had faded. No still there.

Wrinkled black button down shirt and dark black jeans. The two top buttons missing showing off his chest hairs. She tried to hide her smile taking the cup offering up her thanks. He sat beside her on the cold metal bench. She took a deep sip remembering the first time she drank tea with him. In his apartment on the floor.

"It's a nice day isn't it?" He said in a moderate yet interested tone. She nodded tugging at her purse straps. He sat a good two inches from her. She was glad for it. Any closer and she would probably try and take him like yesterday, maybe not, but she wasn't sure what her body could do anymore. "Do you like living with the Bennets?" She peered at him fluttering her lashes. She saw him swallow down his coffee trying to hide the fact he was licking his lips.

"Yes. They're great people. I even warmed up to the dog." Sylar flickered a smile across his face upon hearing it.

"It's good to hear you're happy." She unintentionally moved closer to him. She dipped her head down knowing she had to talk about the clipping she saw this morning.

"You went to LA." She commented enough so that no one would actually know the meaning behind it. "A family. A little girl. Why?" Worry and disappointment crossed her face.

"Something . . ." He paused. He was done making excuses. "I'll get better. I swear I will for you." He said it out loud and for the first time in a long time he believed himself. "Elle," He reached for her hand. "You know I love you. You it's hard to understand what I can do. I'm going to get help. I'm going to be a better man. Someone who you can be proud of to love." His eyes coursed with worry. She pulled her hand away not sure if she should believe a man who took parents from a child.

"How?" It sounded harsher than she meant.

"Annie gave me a name of a rehab center. She thinks I'm doing drugs." He almost laughed. Elle did too. "In a way I am. They're like drugs to me. Once I have one I have to have more." He closed his eyes shaking his head. "I'll go there. I'll get better and once they say I have a clean bill of health I'll call you. You decide what to do from there." She tried to look away, but he grabbed her hand. She was forced to look into those eyes. "Hey," His fingers tickled under her chin. "I don't want to lose you ever again."

She couldn't help it. She leaned forward kissing him softly. Like two little birds would. Like she often saw old married couple do. A kiss that was so harmless it was beautiful. She tipped her head forward.

"Me neither." She admitted. Never again did she want to forget how he made her feel. Never in this life time. She took his hand deciding it was harmless. She was seeing children holding hands bonding toward the swings.

"You are so beautiful." He mused as she leaned against his shoulder. The cup between her legs. He had thrown his coffee out already. She smiled letting the moment take her. They'd be alright. She knew they would be. She kissed his neck almost by accident as he leaned to the trash beside him to throw her tea out. He rubbed his fingers through her hair.

"I guess you weren't happy with Candice." She mused as if it were a joke.

"Candice isn't you, but she was there so I could see something walking around looking like you. She wanted to be you, but she never could be. If she wasn't there I was afraid I'd lose your memory." Elle understood all that.

"So you never actually slept with her?" Elle asked in order to clarify. He stiffened a little. She didn't like that.

"I never wanted to." She spun to look at him.

"What?" She had been dead. What did she expect? Him to pleasure himself every day?

"It's not like that. There was this time . . . I was dreaming about you. Going on our honeymoon. Hawaii like we talked about." She remembered. She remembered dreaming about hot sex on the beach. "The dream got me hard. Got me excited. When I woke up she was on me. Riding me." Elle balled her hands up into fists. "I flung her off me. I nearly killed her, but she had your face so I couldn't." Elle looked at him cocking her head. He had been raped like her. Ah so they were both vulnerable during that two month period where they had not seen each other.

"Well if you somehow slip up during rehab, slip up around Candice." Elle was basically giving him permission to kill Candice.

"If I ever find her I will." He put his arm around her waist. "I didn't enjoy it you know. At least she was good enough to put a condom on." That was good wouldn't want Candice's germs or getting her . . . "Um," He stated softly. "We haven't used protection in a long time." Not that he would mind if she were to have his child. In fact he would probably be very excited by that fact.

"I'm not pregnant." She clarified softly. "I just got my period today." He was both relieved and disappointed. "Which reminds me I have to buy some tampons." She hated getting her period. When she had been under Eden's care her body had been all out of sorts. She had gotten her period four times in her stay there. Not like that stopped Eden from touching her. Mostly her breasts.

"Don't spend three hours there." He laughed softly, but Elle was busy debating whether or not to tell him about her own unpleasant sexual rape. "Something on your mind?" He was very observant in situations like this. She nodded. "You can tell me anything Elle."

"Well okay." If he put it that way. "Well . . .um . . .I was with Eden those two months. Claire came to rescue me because I physically couldn't leave . . .she told me not to leave." She held him softly. "In those months I was locked away from anyone, but her . . . " He held her close as if trying to brace himself for it. "It was innocent at first. Stroking, hugging, but then she started touching me . . .down there. I flinched, but she told me to hold still. Every time she told me to hold still. Sometimes it was just touching. Breasts, privates. Than she was on top of me. On me . . .humping. I couldn't move. I . . ." She wasn't crying she just couldn't talk anymore.

"Don't be ashamed." He assured her knowing she wanted him to tell her that. "She has power. It's not your fault." He pressed her close and she allowed it. "Is that why when I touched you you . . .?"

"I didn't mean to." She tried to explain he shook his head.

"You should have told me then." He explained. "I would have done something to help you." He couldn't do it now. Too many people. "When I get better we'll work it out. I actually used it on myself when I couldn't get the feeling of being in that disgusting create off of me." Elle smiled up at him.

"Give me a preview." She tickled under his chin finding her confidence suddenly. "Maybe some at home exercises."

"It involves touching yourself." He mused knowing when they had spoken of it yesterday she couldn't even say the work. "Not with a vibarator."

"I just don't like the word, silly." She smacked his cheek lightly. "Not the action." He laughed softly feeling a little sting on his flushed cheeks.

"Well when you touch your special area just imagine it's me. My hand. Different from what you hated." He couldn't say Eden's name. If he found her he'd kill her for destroying his little toy. No. Elle wasn't a toy. She was a person. A woman. She was everything in life he loved in human form. "Imagine the whole scene. Me touching you." He pressed her hand against his. "So much bigger than hers." She giggled a bit.

"I'll practice." She promised. "Next time we meet," She leaned in close to his ear. He knew it'd sound loud to him, but no one would hear it. "You can eat out of me like it's going out of style." When she leaned back her nose wrinkled. Like a dirty little Catholic school girl.

"How long until that?" He wondered swallowing hard.

"Let's go with a month. That's the longest we've gone without sex. Not counting when you thought I was dead." He laughed when she spoke.

"Deal." They leaned into kiss each other at the same time. "You know I'll miss you."

"You know I'll call you." She kissed him again. "Maybe some phone sex." She kissed him softly again. "Does that sound good Mr. Gray?" He approved of the plan greatly.

One month meeting with other drug addicts. One month away from Elle. He could handle it. If all he needed was to quite his hunger for her he could do it. Then he could stay with her forever. Marry her. Love her. Give her babies if she wanted them. All he needed to do was be a good man. All he needed to do was not kill someone for a month and he could have the life he wanted.