AN: So this was written for heroes_bigboom on Livejournal. There's art and a fanmix to go along with it over at my LJ (livejournal . com / b_dsaint) and thank you Annie for betaing and listening to me whine... here's the end!

Thank you to everyone who's put this story on their favourites/left a review. I love hearing what you guys think. Now that it's over, I hope you all let me know how it was?

Disclaimer: Heroes belongs to NBC and Kring... and I suppose maybe other people? I have no idea. I wish I owned Sylar though... and Elle.

Elle saw the smoke while she was still a mile off from Primatech. Her heart clenched in her chest and she gunned the engine, pushing the bike to its limit as she raced down the road. She almost threw herself off the bike as she slammed on the brakes in the parking lot. The bike skidded sideways in the gravel before coming to a rest. Elle's eyes raked frantically over the smoking building.

"Gabriel!" She screamed.

She fumbled in her pocket for her stolen cell phone, pressing the buttons frantically with shaking hands. She held it to her ear, breathing heavily as it rang once... twice... before switching over to voicemail. She growled in frustration, throwing the phone across the lot where it bounced off the downed Ducati.

Clumsy in her panic, Elle pulled off her t-shirt, holding the bundled fabric up to her nose and mouth. Taking a deep breath she ran towards the entrance, flinging the door open. She darted inside, moving easily through the familiar halls despite the thick smoke. She coughed heavily into her t-shirt, trying to keep her breaths even as she breathed through the flimsy fabric.

Her feet knew the way to the security room. She pushed her way in, ignoring the faceless body of a security guard in the chair. Her eyes moved over the screens, landing quickly on Angela's office. In the corner of the screen Gabriel lay unmoving. Elle raced back out of the room, heedless of the smoke and bolted down the hallway.

She burst into Angela's office, heart pounding. "Gabriel!"

Tears filled her eyes as she nearly tripped over Gabriel's prone form. For a moment she was back in the storage room, kneeling over Gabriel's body as he bled out from his neck. The same feelings of despair and hopelessness washed over her. It had been in that moment, as she'd watched her dreams of a normal life with Gabriel shatter into a million blood-drenched pieces, that she'd realized how much she'd loved him.

She sniffed, trying to pull herself together as she yanked her t-shirt back on over her head. Gabriel had come back to life in her arms once before, he could do it again.

Elle knelt quickly and rolled Gabriel's body over into her lap. She blanched at the bloody piece of glass sticking grotesquely from the back of his head. She gripped it tightly, ignoring the pain as the sharp edges cut deeply into her hand, and yanked as hard as she could. The shard slid out of his head with a slick, wet sound and she gagged as she threw it across the room.

She coughed, the smoke burning her lungs and eyes, as the wound in Gabriel's skull knit itself back together. His body surged as he took a breath, letting it out in a deep cough. Elle smiled through her tears as Gabriel rolled on to his back with a groan. He blinked up at Elle, touching two fingers to her tear and soot streaked face.

"Elle," he said roughly. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

Elle laughed, leaning down to press a kiss briefly to his lips. She struggled to her feet, pulling on his hand. "Come on, we've got to get out of here."

Gabriel let her drag him upwards, looking around in bleary confusion. She tugged on his hand, dragging him out into the hallway. Suddenly the smoke seemed to register with him and he cursed.

"Meredith," he growled. He grabbed Elle's hand and pulled her close to him. "Hold on," he ordered. They teleported before Elle could form a protest.

They reappeared in the hallway of Level 5. Smoke poured out of the cell in front of them and flames crawled across the walls. Elle looked around in horror as Gabriel walked straight into the cell. She clambered after him.

"I told you to focus, Meredith!" Gabriel scolded the woman huddled in the corner.

Shaking with adrenaline and fright, Meredith scowled at him. "You did this to me! You're a monster!"

Gabriel dropped to the ground in front of Meredith, gripping her shoulders tightly. He ignored the flames burning his shirt and focused on meeting Meredith's eyes. "Listen to me! You are letting your power control you! It's your power! You control it! Now focus!"

"I can't!" Meredith cried as another fireball erupted from between her clasped hands.

Gabriel rolled his eyes as his skin knit itself quickly back together, healing the burns on his face and neck. He shook Meredith roughly. "Come on, Bio-Mom! It's a good thing you gave up Claire, otherwise she'd be as spineless as you! Focus your breathing, calm down and control your power!"

Meredith's eyes met his full of defiance, panic and hope. She tried to take deep breaths, focusing on the dark gaze in front of her. Elle watched in amazement as Meredith's breathing deepened and slowed. Gabriel kept his gaze fixed on Meredith's, matching her breath for breath. He could feel her muscles relaxing under his hands.

The flames became smaller; shrinking in on themselves until they were concentrated in Meredith's hands. She looked at the small cup of flame in wonder before staring back up at Gabriel in amazement.

Gabriel smirked, releasing Meredith's shoulders. He cupped his hands over hers briefly, trapping the flame between their hands, before turning his hand over with a flourish. A small flame sparked in his palm. "Thanks." She stared at him in bewilderment.

He climbed to his feet, looking around as Meredith rose shakily. Smoke still filled the cell and Elle could feel her eyes stinging. She moved quickly to Gabriel's side and he pulled her close. He looked back at Meredith, sighed heavily, and grabbed her shoulder again.

A brief moment later they were standing outside the building next to Elle's stolen bike. Elle coughed in the suddenly fresh air, even as she took deep gasping breathes as. She scowled at Gabriel and Meredith, both unaffected by the smoke because of their powers. Gabriel rubbed her back soothingly, turning to face her, ignoring Meredith completely.

Meredith stared at them, incredulous, before turning and walking away, shaking her head. Elle watched her go through blurry eyes.

"Where's she going?"

Gabriel looked back over his shoulder briefly before turning back to Elle, Meredith dismissed from his mind. "Don't know. Don't care." He cupped Elle's face and thumbed her cheeks. "Are you OK?"

Elle nodded, swallowing back another cough. "Yeah I'm fine." She smiled up at him. "So are you."

Gabriel smiled tenderly, thumbs tracing the lines of her face. "You saved me, Elle."

She shrugged bashfully. "It was nothing." Her face fell, remembering the terror she felt at seeing his lifeless body at her feet for the second time in a week. "You scared me. Who was it?"

Gabriel shook his head as he dropped his hands from her face. "No one important." He glanced over at the building, still smoking. "They're going to think I'm dead..." he realized. "My mother, my brothers..."

Elle scowled. "So what? You don't need them." Bitterness rose in her at the thought of Angela Petrelli.

Gabriel brushed a kiss across her forehead. His hands rubbed her arms soothingly, trying to calm her. "They're family, Elle."

"So what? Family isn't so great," she scoffed. She smiled sadly as thoughts of her dad filled her mind. "Didn't you tell me that once?"

Gabriel arched an eyebrow. His brows knit together in confusion as he searched his brain. "Did I? I don't remember."

She shrugged with small grin. "Maybe not. It's true though. Besides, if you're dead, Angela can't try to tell you what to do."

Gabriel fell silent. A million thoughts raced through his mind. Thoughts of Angela and her visions, of Peter and his powers. He stared at the smoke rising from the building, contemplating.

After a long moment Elle touched his arm lightly. "Gabriel?" She questioned.

"My mother said I'd be the end of one of my brothers." He turned his face to look at her and Elle's breath caught at the bleakness in his eyes. "Why would I do that? Why would I kill my brother? With Arthur it was to save the world, but Peter? Nathan?"

Elle rested her hand along the side of his face. "Hey. Angela thinks your dead, right? Her visions can't control you. You won't kill your brothers."

Gabriel's eyes slid past her back to the building, even as he covered her hand with his own. Variables clicked together in his brain as he watched the smoke rise into the sky. "I hope you're right..."

Another long moment passed and Elle felt a chilling realization wash over her. Gabriel's eyes moved back to hers, full of conviction, and Elle's heart sank. Pasting a smile on her face she forced the tears back, sliding out of Gabriel's arms.

"Go on. It's the only way."

Gabriel nodded, moving back towards the building. Elle walked quickly toward her bike, tears that had nothing to do with smoke stinging in her eyes. So much for her happy ending.

"Elle?"

Gabriel's soft tone stopped Elle in her tracks and she spun to look at him. He had taken a half-step in her direction, arm raised out to her. She smiled tightly, ignoring the tears on her cheeks. "No. We'll have to split up, it's the only way to stay under Angela's radar. You know that." She nodded at the building. "Besides, you've got stuff to do, things to figure out."

"Will you be OK?"

Elle laughed harshly, but there was no amusement in it. "Me? Of course I will, I'm Elle Bishop. Places to go, people to see." She gestured behind her at the Ducati. "I've got to return that to a friend."

Gabriel nodded slowly, face impassive, and she shooed him off. "Go! I'll be fine. It's you who should be worried. I know who I am, but who is Gabriel Petrelli?" She teased gently. "You're going to have to figure that out."

He gave her a half-smile she returned before spinning on her heel and lifting the bike. She straddled it quickly, turning the key. The ignition grumbled slightly before refusing to turn over. Elle rolled her eyes and sparked the ignition with a quick tap of her finger. The engine purred to life and she kicked off, speeding away and refusing to look back. If she spent another moment with him she'd lose her conviction and beg him to stay with her. He'd left her at the hospital, this time she got to do the leaving.

Behind her, Primatech exploded.

and... scene. ;-)