I do not own Heroes.

Thanks for all the reviews.

The family - that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to. ~Dodie Smith

Mirror.

Elle examines her reflection in the mirror. What she sees displeases her. The black dress did not fit like it once did. It is a little tight across her stomach. She realizes that it would go unnoticed by most people, but Elle notices.

For what feels like the millionth time already, Elle rubs at her stomach. Baby. Elle takes a deep calming breath. Critical blue eyes scrutinize her reflected self. She looks good with her long blonde hair down past her shoulders and with her black dress accentuating her small breast. Her fingers pick at the thin material covering her stomach. Elle knows that picking at it will not do any good. After a few more half hearted attempts, she sighs. Turning to the open bathroom door, Elle walks out into her room.

Her spiky haired Gabriel lies sprawled across her bed, right where she left him. He is still reading some neurological journal. She manages to walk within a few feet of the bed before he looks at her. Then a dark hungry smile spreads across his face.

Elle stops. She twirls around slowly, modeling the dress for her Gabriel. She moves her slender hips suggestively. When she faces him again, he has discarded the magazine. Her Gabriel has pushed himself into a seated position.

His large hands grab her small hips. He pulls her towards him. Elle stumbles. She tumbles to the bed. Her Gabriel positions himself above her. His brown eyes fill with need.

Her body is reacting to his presence. Elle feels her heart rate increase and her skin flush. Already her slim legs are wrapped around her Gabriel, while she runs a hand through his lush dark hair. She asks, 'I thought we had to meet Peter?'

He kisses her neck as a response. Slowly her Gabriel kisses his way up to her jaw. Elle tries to suppress the lustful noise that escapes her lips. His hands slide up her legs. When they reach her dress, her Gabriel slips them under the hem of the material and starts pulling her dress up.

She wiggles against him. Her fingers tug at his belt buckle. 'We'll be late,' she gasps.

'I'll finish quickly.'

'What about me?' Elle whines. She slides his pants and boxers down past his butt. Her small hands stroke his already hard member.

'Not my problem,' he mutters the words against her mouth. Then he crushes his lips against hers. Elle opens her mouth to him. His tongue slips inside. He starts exploring her mouth. Suddenly he stops. Her Gabriel pulls away.

'What's wrong?' she asks, with the hem of her dress is pushed up above her hips, exposing her sex.

Her Gabriel responds, 'You're not wearing underwear?' The question incredulously like he could not believe she would go to kill a man without underwear.

Elle smiles wickedly up at him. Gently she cups his cheek. 'Tisk, tisk, my Gabriel. I knew you couldn't resist me. Why do you think I'm wearing a different dress, hmm?'

He looks at her dumbfounded. A black dress was probably only a black dress to her Gabriel. Maybe he did not even notice that she switched them. Silly, Gabriel.

Elle kisses his soft lips. He returns the kiss after a second's hesitation. When she pulls away, Elle smiles. With one hand, she strokes his hardness. 'Gabe?'

'Yes?'

'We have someone to kill.'

That really confuses him. She feels his body stiffen a little. His head tilts to the left. Elle releases his hardness, which lets her grip his shoulders and readjust herself beneath him. Slightly exasperated that he is being so dense, Elle says, 'Either fuck me or get off.'

Elle realizes what she just said. She giggles. She thinks that was kind of funny.

Her giggles change to a throaty moan as her Gabriel pushes his hardness inside her. Elle clutches at his shoulders. He still has on his shirt, the bastard. That consideration is quickly forgotten as he starts to move against her.

His hard member thrusts inside her. Her slender hips buck up to meet him. Warmth starts to build inside her. Her need for release burns through her petite body.

Elle slips two slender fingers between their joined bodies. She rubs quick hard circles against her clitoris. She feels her Gabriel's large body moving above her. His hips thrust his hardness deep inside her again, and again, and again.

Her Gabriel's erratic rhythm means he is nearing his climax. Squeezing her eyes shut, Elle tries to finger her own release. She feels burning warmth spread through her small body. The sensations burn her nerves raw, until they are tell her nothing except the warmth of her lover's body, and her own pleasure. Her Gabriel is chants her name as he trusts against her.

Release. Her body shakes as lighting courses through her veins. Her senses temporarily overwhelmed by bliss, Elle is only dimly aware of her Gabriel. She feels his thrusts take on the shorter, even more erratic pace. Then he squeezes her hips hard, mutters her name one last time, and stills, with his back arched, face contorted and muscles tensed. Then he collapses exhausted beside her. Her Gabriel's breath comes in deep ragged gasps.

As her bliss slowly fades, Elle smiles contently. Gabriel was so hers. She could do anything she wanted with her Gabriel.

He touches her arm. Blue eyes find his dark gaze. Her Gabriel asks, 'Did you…you know?'

Elle thinks this could be fun. 'Did I what?' she asks with a fake innocence.

Her Gabriel flushes a little. A giggle threatens to escape her mouth. Elle has to look away from her lover. His clueless befuddled expression reminds of the other Gabriel.

He stammers, 'Umm…did you umm-.'

Elle can't stand it. How can he fuck her like that and then be hung up talking about it? She rolls over to slip her arm over his chest. 'Did I orgasm, my Gabriel?'

'Yes, that's it,' he answers sheepishly.

Elle teases him, 'Did you mean ever or just now?' That causes her Gabriel to start a little. This was obviously not the response he expected, poor Gabriel. She continues, 'Well, with Adam and Peter and Sarah too, especially with her because she really knows how to touch a girl just right.' Her Gabriel's dark intense eyes narrow, while his features take on a falsely indifferent look. Elle asks, 'Oh, you were asking about you?'

'Hmm,' he growls in response.

Elle smiles brightly. She has pushed this as far as she probably should. Her slender hand cups his stubbed check. This draws his gaze down to her from their slit eyed stare at her bedroom ceiling. Softly she asks, 'Did I organism with you, my dear sweat Gabriel?' She pauses letting him wonder for just a second more, 'Always.'

That causes his hungry confident smile to return. Elle leans over and kisses his supple warm lips. After a few seconds she pulls back and untangles their intertwined limbs. 'We're really going to be late now,' Elle notes as she slides off the bed. With a seductive strut, she walks slowly to the bathroom.

Returning a few minutes later, she sees her Gabriel sprawled across her bed, not unlike how he was moments before. Elle tosses her dress at him. A large hand swats it to the floor. It lands beside a small pile of clothes that Elle managed to accumulate despite her Gabriel's insistent cleanliness.

Elle slips on a pair of vary skimpy lingerie. Then she wiggles into the black dress he wanted her to wear. As she dresses, Elle feels her Gabriel's eyes roam her body.

He probably did not even notice that she switched dress. Earlier she gave her Gabriel a little fashion show. It was an excuse to wear some of her favorite clothes, before Baby made her too big for them. During the little importune viewing his dark hungry eyes roamed all over her body. Her Gabriel's lustful glances told her that she had little chance of getting dressed and leaving the apartment without him trying to have sex with her. It was probably because she performed a striptease each time she changed dresses. Still, Elle could have dressed then fought off his advances. Arguing that he would mess up her hair, or her dress, or something else. Elle figured her excuses would mean very little to her Gabriel.

Elle thought of a much better solution. Why fight with her Gabriel, when the alternative was so much more pleasurable? Leaving the dress for tonight in her closet, Elle took the black dress she wore one their first date to the bathroom. After her shower, Elle slipped on the alternate dress. When she went out to seduce him, her Gabriel did not even seem to notice the change. Typical man.

Finally dressed to go out, her back protests with a dull muscle tense ache when she bends over to rummage through her closet for some shoes. She is bent over with her head in the closet, when she feels those familiar large hands on her waist. Grabbing a pair of black pumps with one hand, she straitens up.

Elle turns to face her Gabriel, while he encircles her waist with his large muscular arms. He is giving him a crooked half-smile. His head tilts slightly. She kisses him gently. After she pulls away, blue eyes watch him. His large hands rub her bare arms.

She smiles, 'No, time for funny business now, Gabe.'

He tells her, 'I know. You'll need a coat.'

Elle responds, 'There's one in the hall closet I'll wear.'

He nods. Then says, 'Give me a minute and I'll be ready.'

'Sure.'

He turns toward the bathroom. Elle manages to cram her feet into the crescent toed pumps. Their heels make click, click sounds as she walks out of her room. Wondering down the hall to the coat closet, Elle sees Sarah in the living room.

Her roommate turns away from the window with a hesitant expression. She pushes herself off the loveseat seat. In a worried voice, Sarah asks, 'You got a second?'

No, not really, Elle thinks. That is probably a bad answer. Sarah has been very understanding considering Elle told her that she killed Adam. Maybe taking a moment to keep her friend happy would be a good idea. Elle stops in front of her and responds, 'Yeah, what do you need?'

Sarah looks down. Her brown eyes study the throw rug like its random geometrical patterns hold the answers she needs. With obvious discomfort Sarah says, 'Elle, you're a really good friend, and I like living with you. This place is amazing. Plus, you set me up with Peter, and helped me get my job at the station.' Her friend stops. Sarah is looking at her now, while biting her tongue like she always does when she is worried about saying something.

Elle has heard this speech from 'friends' before. The whole 'Elle you're really great, but I don't want to be friends anymore,' or 'Elle you're cool, but too crazy.' Elle never suspected that Sarah would do this to her. How could her best friend kick her to the curb like this?

Elle bites out the inventible, 'BUT?!'

Sarah flinches like the word slapped her. She responds, 'But Peter asked me to live with him, and I said yes.'

Oh, opps. Elle hates it when she over reacts. She knew that at some point Sarah might want to live with Peter. This was probably a good time for her roommate to leave. Elle could have her Gabriel move in with her to help take care of Baby. The whole process would be so much easier with Daddy gone. Did her Gabriel get rid of Daddy so he could live with her? That was something she had not considered.

Sarah watches her pensively. Elle smiles. She is happy for Sarah. This is a big step for her friend and Peter. 'I'm so happy for you,' Elle says excitedly.

Her soon to be ex-roommate gives her a tight smile. Sarah probes, 'You're not angry?'

'No,' Elle responds immediately. Sarah leaving would work out perfectly for her. Now, she could live with her Gabriel for ever and ever. 'It actually kind of works out because Gabe and I have been talking about him moving in, and I didn't know how to tell you.' That was a lie, however, Elle knew her Gabriel would move in with her, right?

Relieved her friend says, 'I'm glad you understand. I was worried about how you'd take it.'

Elle assures Sarah, 'It's fine, really. At first I thought you were like unfriending me or something, but the Peter thing is total cool.' She steps forward and wraps her short arms around Sarah's elfin body. Her friend is a little stiff, but she does return the hug. Breaking the hug, Elle asks, 'Umm…are there any peaches left?'

Sarah laughs airily. With a mocking tone, 'Like in that second peach pie I made a few days ago?'

Elle does her best to look innocent. 'What pie?'

Sarah laughs again. 'The pie I never got a piece of? Hmm, I think there're some fruit cups in frigid.'

'Thanks,' Elle responds.

As she turns toward the kitchen, her Gabriel calls to her. 'Elle, let's go.'

She continues on unabated. Causally she calls out, 'Get my coat, the long black one from the closet.'

Elle enters the kitchen. She opens the fridge and spots a fruit cup on the door. The fruit cup feels cold, just the way she likes it. After grabbing a plastic spoon from a drawer, Elle begins to eat. Peaches make Baby happy.

Her Gabriel joins her in the kitchen. His expression is a mixture of exasperation with yet another delay and anticipation with the possibility of killing Linderman. He holds the coat out to her. 'Come on, Elle.'

'Peaches,' she mumbles between bites.

'Yes, well, you can eat and walk at the same time,' he responds. 'We're late.'

Elle munches another peach slice. Then she responds, 'If you kept your hands to yourself, we wouldn't be late.'

Her Gabriel clears his throat. With his brown eyes dueling with her blue, he says, 'If you kept your clothes on, we would be there already.'

Finishing her last mouthful of peaches Elle says, 'A few minutes ago, you seemed happy to take my clothes off, or were you doing an underwear check and get confused?'

Sarah's laugher rings out from someplace in the living room.

Her Gabriel blushes a little. He asks impatiently, 'Are you done?'

Elle tosses the empty fruit cup and plastic spoon in the trash. Then she saunters slowly to her Gabriel. She spins around in front of him, while raising her arms. He slips the coat over her still petite body. His lips brush the back of her neck. Elle smiles happily, he was so hers. She turns to face him, placing her hands on his chest. On her tippy toes she kisses his cheek, before taking his hand and leading him into the living room.

Sarah sits on a loveseat, scribbling on a notepad. That annoys Elle. She knows Sarah is prepping for her show, but notepads are bad. As she leads her Gabriel to the front door, Elle calls out, 'Don't wait up.'

Sarah responds, 'I won't. Have fun tonight.'

'We will,' her Gabriel responds as they close the door behind them.

Kirby Plaza-Later Thursday Night

'You're late,' Peter says in way of greeting from the driver's seat of her Gabriel's van.

Elle slips into the back, where she collapses in the only chair. She is so glad to sit down again. Dull aching pain radiates from her back. She should have picked shoes with shorter heels.

Elle notices her Gabriel slid into the passenger seat. He tells Peter, 'Sorry, we're late. She couldn't decide what to wear.'

Peter chuckles at that. 'Women.'

'Hey, I'm right here,' Elle protests. 'Besides it wasn't like that.'

Peter turns in the driver's seat to look at her. Curiously he asks, 'What was it like then?'

Elle smiles bright and innocently at her Gabriel. 'My Gabriel kept insisting that my clothes were too risqué. I can't tell you how many times he made me change.'

'Elle,' her Gabriel scoffs.

She continues, 'But the worst part was he couldn't keep his hands off me. Peter, it was terrible having him paw at me. It made me feel like such a piece of meat.'

Her Gabriel defends himself, 'I seem to remember you doing a striptease each time you changed dresses. Also, I recall something about a lack of underwear.'

Elle ignores his interruption. With a scandalized tone, 'When I got out of the shower, he threw me on bed and-.'

'Enough, Elle,' her Gabriel interrupts harshly.

Peter and Elle laugh at her Gabriel's obvious distress. Her boyfriend's obvious annoyance was so worth it. As their laughter fades Elle asks a more serious question, 'Has Arthur left yet?'

Peter refocuses his attention on the street. After a moment's evaluation, he responds, 'No, his town car is still here.'

Elle sighs. Her small body wilts into the seat. They had to wait for Arthur to leave before going up to Linderman's office. After Linderman's late night meetings with Arthur, he often uses the office for something or other. Elle really did not care and paid only casual attention as Peter lectured her about his extensive research on Linderman.

Her part in her Gabriel's plan, aside from getting them in the building, was to deal with Linderman's bodyguard Emile something. He was some ex-military, ex-police guy. Peter told her that the bodyguard was really good, except he had a problem. The man had a weakness for women, especially those of the professional variety. With her long haired blonde and short black dress Elle knew she could easily distract the bodyguard. She sighs, again. She adjusts herself to find a position that takes pressure off her back.

Her Gabriel and Peter remain silently watching the street. Blue eyes roam around the back of the van. By their second circuit around the interior she is bored.

'So, you and Sarah are moving in together,' she calls out suddenly.

Peter mumbles a response, 'Yeah, umm…she told you about that?'

'Yep,' Elle responds. 'It's good, after all I did get you guys together.'

Peter hesitates. His brown eyes remain focused on the street beyond the front window. With reluctance in his voice, 'Elle, we've always avoid talking about how I first started seeing Sarah.'

Elle knows whose fault that is. Not such a good boy Peter chose her roommate over Elle. She had kind of talked about it with Sarah. Talking about it with Peter, especially with her Gabriel sitting next to him, was not something Elle wants to do. She probably should not have brought it up.

Before Peter can continue, Elle stops him. 'It's okay Peter,' she tells him even if his betray used to hurt so much. 'You made it up to me.'

'I did?' he asks.

'Sure, you helped me meet my Gabriel,' she says.

Peter contorts his body around the steering wheel to look at her. His handsome face confused. He probes, 'When did I do that?'

Before she responds, Elle notices something about her Gabriel. His posture has stiffened. Also, his darkly handsome face has a tightly controlled expression.

With her curiosity peeked, Elle says, 'Remember when your sink was stopped up and Gabe was fixing it? I brought Sarah by your apartment, and before we went out I met my Gabriel.'

Peter looks at her blankly. He shakes his head. 'Elle I don't know what you're talking about. I've never had any trouble with my sink.' Peter turns to look at her Gabriel. He asks, 'Do you know what she's talking about, Gabe?'

Without turning to look at either of them, he answers, 'No idea.'

Anger flashes lighting quick through Elle. Incredulously she demands, 'YES, you do Gabe. Remember what you told me in your shop, about-.'

'Arthur's car is leaving,' her Gabriel interrupts.

Elle continues, '-seeing me at Pete's apartment and knowing we should be together.'

Her Gabriel grabs his black tool bag, slings it over his shoulder, and opens the van door. Halfway out he turns to her, 'You coming?'

Anger races through Elle. Why was her Gabriel being mean to her? Why did Peter have no idea what she was talking about?

'Gabriel Gray, you stay right here,' Elle commands.

'It's time to go, Elle,' he replies from the door.

'NO.'

'Yes.'

'GABRIEL.'

'NOW, ELLE, or do not want to do this?' her Gabriel demands.

She stares icy daggers at him. His brown eyes regard her with an inky darkness. Their gazes remain locked as the silence stretches.

Peter interrupts, 'Hey, guys. I don't know-.'

'Shut up, Pete,' Elle snaps.

She is furious with her Gabriel. He is lying about something. That much Elle knows. The what or why eludes her. The anger is causing her small body to quake. She wants to yell and scream and throw things so bad. If she does, her Gabriel will not let her kill Linderman.

'This isn't over,' Elle warns.

His dark eyes give her a mocking disinterested look. Elle pushes free from the chair and walks to the van's backdoor. It opens with a metal on metal squeak. She steps awkwardly out in her heels. The door makes a reverberating boom as Elle slams it behind her.

Short angry strides carry her across the plaza. She does not look to see if her Gabriel and Peter are following. Their softer footfalls barely register against the loud click, click of her heels.

She leads them into the warm and ornately decorated lobby that houses both the Primatech and Godsend offices. A bored looking overweight security guard laboriously pushes himself free of his swivel chair and to his feet. Dull green eyes squints at the approaching trio. After a moment he quires, 'Ms. Bishop?'

Waving a hand dismissively at the man, Elle walks to the elevator. She tells the man, 'My boyfriend and his friend are helping me get something from my office.'

'Oh, okay,' the guard answers.

Elle pushes the elevator call button. She sees her Gabriel in the reflected elevator door. Anger ripples through her.

'Ms. Bishop,' the guard calls out from the desk. 'Your guests need to sign in.'

Elle whirls to face guard. There must have been something in her expression because the color drained from the man's face. He stammers, 'Ahh, or not.'

'Thank you,' she bites out with a nasty smile.

The elevator dings. She follows Peter and her Gabriel inside. Her slim finger mashes the button for the forty-second floor. The elevators door close.

Her Gabriel stands behind her. His expression hungry and eager for the kill. Beside him Peter's scarred face is cold and focused.

Blue eyes flick up to the floor indicator. The numbers quickly increase. Slim fingers unbutton her coat. Elle slips it off her slender frame. She gathers the material in her hands and then tosses it behind in her at her Gabriel. Her boyfriend curses. Peter laughs.

The elevator dings. Elle walks into the empty Godsend waiting room. Quickly she moves down the hall that leads to the attorneys' offices. Linderman has a small office at the very end of the hall.

Elle hears Peter and her Gabriel duck into the conference room. She continues on down the hall. When she reaches the last corner, Elle stops. She runs her hands down her dress, then brushes out her long golden locks and forces a fake smile on her lips.

She walks around the corner. The bodyguard stands by the door to Linderman's office. He is short, thin, with close cropped gray flecked hair. What she really notes is his dead shark eyes. His hand moves under his black leather jacket as Elle draws closer.

'Hey, sexy,' she says in her best imitation of Sarah's radio voice.

He responds warily, 'Ms, what are you doing here?'

Elle does a very thorough job checking him out, while leaning forward just a little to extenuate her small breasts. Breathily she tells him, 'Mr. Linderman sent me to keep you company while he works.'

The bodyguard hesitates.

Elle tilts her head down a little to look up at the short man through her golden bangs. She gives him her best blue eyed innocent look that works so well on her Gabriel. Seductively she whispers, 'Please, I'm so lonely.'

He brings his empty hand out his jacket. Quickly Elle grabs it and starts pulling him down the hall. He follows her. Elle tells him, 'The conference room has a big scary table you need to look at.'

'Do I?' he asks.

He hand is sweat and cold. Yuck. 'Oh, yes,' she responds, 'I'm such a small girl who's afraid of big, hard, wood.' Elle tries not to wince at her terrible small talk. She wonders how those working girls do this. They round the corner. She spots the double doors to the conference room.

He says something about giving her wood. Elle tells him she cannot wait. As she reaches for the door, the man pinches her butt. She wants to turn around and punch him in the face. Instead she yanks the door open a little too hard, which throws her off balance for a second. Recovering she leads him inside the dimly lit room.

A large wood conference table with a dozen chairs dominate the room. Elle keeps a firm grip on the bodyguard's hand as she leads him to the table. Her heart thunders in her ears.

Suddenly the man releases her hand. Elle spins around to find the bodyguard slumped on the floor. Elle looks down at the limp glassy eyed body, and then up to her Gabriel. His familiar frame is silhouette by the open door as he stands over the unconscious man. She barely makes out the smile on his face.

Peter stands by the door impatiently hopping from one foot to another. Elle looks around the room. A series of dark wood cabinets with a counter top are built into the far wall. Her short legs carry to the cabinets. An empty stainless steel ice bucket rests on the counter top. Slender fingers pull a pair of stainless steel ice tongs from the bucket. She presses the tongs together and pushes them against her hand. Elle smiles at the result.

As she walks over to the unconscious man, her Gabriel looks at her quizzically. The rage she felt for her Gabriel boils within her. Besides, this will be fun. Reaching her Gabriel, she smiles politely. 'This is for you, my Gabriel.'

'Elle?'

She ignores him. Elle kneels down by the bodyguard. Adjusting her grip on the tongs, Elle brings jabs them at the man's throat. The make a shallow puncture. She brings the tongs up over her head, and then brings them down with greater force. They slide several inches into the man's neck. Blood spurts round the tongs. It splatters on her hands. Blood quickly weeps from the wound and creates a pool around the man's head.

Fascinated by how good she feels, Elle sits watching the dying man. Blood soaks into the carpet. She smiles, that was fun. Her anger with her Gabriel starts to fade.

Her Gabriel leans down with a tissue and wipes her prints from the tongs, while leaving them half stuck in the man's throat. Then he hands her the tissue to wipe her hands clean. He asks knowingly, 'Enjoy that?'

Elle's back is starting to protest from sitting on the floor. She pushes herself unsteadily to her feet making sure not to touch anything. 'I'm not talking to you,' she informs her Gabriel.

He laughs.

'That wasn't part of the plan,' Peter blurts out from across the room.

'Yeah,' her Gabriel responds. He reaches inside the dead man's jacket. After a second he pulls out a big shinny gun, which he then toss at Peter. 'Catch.'

Peter manages to catch the gun, while looking like he is going to have a heart attack. The plan was to knock out the guard, then kidnap Linderman and kill him at her Gabriel's shop. Oops, did she change the plan? Elle struggles unsuccessfully to contain a wicked laugh.

'What are we going to do now?' she asks.

'I though you weren't talking to me?' her Gabriel responds.

'I'm not,' she responds. 'I was asking Peter.'

Peter looks bewildered. His brown eyes dart from her Gabriel to Elle and back again. Confused he asks, 'Gabe, what now?'

He reaches into the bag. Her Gabriel pulls out a can. The strong nauseating smell of gasoline permeates the room as her Gabriel pours it over the dead man. Emptying the can, he places it back into the bag.

'Gabe?' Peter questions.

Her Gabriel turns to face him. With an authoritative tone, 'Simple, you shoot Linderman, we get rid of the gun and I set this guy on fire.' He gestures to the body sprawled in a still expanding pool of blood.

Something moves under Peter's face. He looks uncertain. His gaze drops to the gun in his hand. Brown eyes contemplate it. Peter looks up at her Gabriel, 'Okay, let's go.' Peter turns and walks into the hall.

She focus on her Gabriel. He smiles hungrily at her. Sincerely he tells her, 'I love you.'

'Humph,' she walks towards the door, careful to avoid the blood. As she passes her Gabriel, Elle tosses the bloody cloth tissue at him. He catches it smooth discards it into his bag, and follows her into the hall.

They catch up to Peter outside Linderman's office. He takes a deep breath. Then he adjusts his grip on the gun. Peter shoves the office door open.

Halfway through the door he stops. Her Gabriel stumbles to a halt behind Peter. Then he pushes past him. Elle strains to see over the two taller men. Turning sideways she slips between them and stops.

She recognizes the thin man sitting behind the desk with white hair and a beard as Linderman. Beside him stands a more familiar figure. The tall, wide shouldered and dark haired bulk of Arthur Petrelli stands by the liquor cabinet.

'Peter, Gabriel, so good to see you,' Arthur's deep voice rumbles from his chest.

'Arthur, what's going on?' Linderman quires from behind the desk.

Peter remains frozen in place. He seems unable to adapt to the situation. Blankly he looks at his father.

'I never forgave you, Daniel,' Arthur says.

'What?' Linderman's voice sounds panicky.

Arthur's dark gaze moves to Peter. An exasperated sound escapes his lips. He turns his attention to her Gabriel, 'Gabriel, help you brother.'

His father's disapproval seems to shake something loose inside Peter. He grips the gun with both hands and points it Linderman. The white haired man reaches under the desk. He pulls out a gun and starts to bring it up towards Peter.

BANG

BANG

BANG

Elle's ears ring. The gunshots in the confined space are deafening. She shakes her head trying to clear the ringing in her ears. It does not help.

She sees her Gabriel take the gun from Peter, who remains transfixed in the doorway. Linderman is slumped over his desk. His small gun tumbled to the floor.

'Father?' Peter croaks.

Arthur smiles as he walks over to Peter. He wraps his son in a large hug. After a few seconds, Arthur steps back and says, 'I'm proud of you son.'

Elle is very confused. The entire evening felt like she was in an episode of the twilight zone. Her eyes dart to her Gabriel. He smiles his knowing superior smile at her.

'Gabriel,' she demands.

Instead, Arthur turns to her, 'Elle, so good to see you again.'

Keep her eyes on her Gabriel, she responds, 'You too, Arthur…umm, what the hell?'

His laugh sounds like her Gabriel's loud and menacing with a slight hint of superiority. 'Yes, I suppose you're confused.' He turns back to Peter, 'Help Gabriel take care of this.'

Peter questions, 'You said something about Gabriel being my brother.'

'Yes, well,' Arthur looks dark eyes examines the floor for a moment. Refocusing on Peter, 'When I was a young man…I committed an indiscretion. Luckily it has given a most remarkable son. Gabriel is your half-brother.'

Peter seems even more confused. His brown eyes shift to her Gabriel. His new brother nods and smiles at him. Arthur squeezes Peter's shoulder. Peter looks back at his father.

The older man tells him, 'Help your brother clean up.'

Arthur turns his attentions to Elle. A fatherly smile on his lips, he slips a large protective arm around her shoulder. He leads her out into the hall. Calmly he explains, 'This is no place for someone as delicate as you, Elle. Gabriel told me I'm to have another grandchild?'

Elle mumbles an affirmation.

'Good, family is important.' He leads her around the turn in the hallway. His long legs make Elle take awkward uncomfortable big steps to keep his pace. 'You're happy about being part of this family, right, Elle?'

'Yes,' Elle responds. This evening is becoming even more bizarre. Was she being offered a position in the Petrelli family hierarchy?

Her Gabriel's father instructs her, 'That's good. I'm sure you're aware that Nathan is running for office. While he is doing well, people don't know how much he has overcome since Heidi's tragic death. There is only so much money the family can commit to his campaign.'

Elle wonders what Arthur is driving at, and then she has it.

'If he could have some help getting his message out, I'm sure Nathan would be most appreciative.'

'Of course, Arthur,' she responds, 'I just happened to have some money.'

There at the elevators now. He pushes the call button. Immediately the elevator dings. Arthur lightly pushes on her back, which causes Elle to step into the elevator. He pushes the button for the ground floor and then steps back into the lobby.

'It's good to know you can count on family,' he tells her.

'Yes,' she responds.

Arthur's cultured voice tells her, 'After Nathan's campaign is over, things with Gabriel will change.'

'I understand.'

He smiles that familiar knowing hungry smile. The elevator doors slide close. Smoothly the elevator begins its descent. Elle realizes that her Gabriel is more like Arthur than she imagined. Idly, Elle picks at the dried blood on her hands. Damn, her Gabriel still has her coat.

Elle and Sarah's Apartment-Early Early Friday Morning

Elle had a great deal of trouble falling asleep. Thoughts about her Gabriel, about Baby, and about Arthur circled around her mind for hours. Tired eyes watched the shadows shift across her bedroom ceiling. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep.

She was awake now. Elle awoke with someone in her room. She hears clothes rustle on the other side of the bed. Her pulse kicks up. Slowly she slips her hand across the bed. Leaned against the nightstand is one of those mini-baseball bats Elle made Daddy buy her at a Yankees game. Elle feels a sudden weight on the bed. With a death grip on the bat, Elle whirls around to face her attacker.

A large hand catches the bat.

'Gabriel?' she questions.

'Nice to see you too,' he responds.

She pulls back on the bat. Her Gabriel releases it. Elle brings it up over her head and swings at him again. Her Gabriel blocks her arm, and then he wrestles her for the bat. His strong muscles pry her fingers from the handle. The bat clatters to the floor. Elle jumps off the bed, before he can grab her.

His tone angry, 'What the hell are you doing?'

'That was for scarring me to death,' she replies. The floor is cold on her bare feet. Elle shivers a little. 'Did Sarah let you in?'

'No.'

That confuses her. When she finally got home, Elle made sure to lock the door. 'Do you break in?'

Her Gabriel laughs. He is dressed in a white T-shirt and boxers. His large frame sprawls across her bed. His brown eyes have that pleased intense aura they acquire after sex or killing. Smoothly he answers, 'I have a key.'

'WHAT?! Since when?'

He shrugs. His large hand pats the bed beside him invitingly. 'Elle, I've been up all night. Can we please do this in the morning?'

Elle responds sarcastically, 'It is morning. How did you get a key?'

He takes a deep breath. His closes his eyes and rubs them with his strong dexterous fingers. He mumbles, 'When we first started dating, I made a duplicate key when you were sleeping at my shop.'

That makes her even madder at her Gabriel. He was being so difficult. With an annoyed tone, 'You could've asked. I would have given you one. Wait…why did you want it anyway?'

'Encase I needed to get in and you weren't here. I love you, now come to bed,' he responds. His expression remains neutral. He pats the bed beside him, again.

Elle shakes her head. 'You should have asked,' she informs him.

'You're right. Now-,'

Icily she asks, 'How did we met, my Gabriel?'

He snaps his mouth closed. That hungry, intense expression flashes across his face, while he remains silent.

Elle taps her foot against the cold floor, as she wraps her arms over her stomach. She tries for her best offended debutant look. 'Didn't I get some long speech about not lying?'

He sighs audibly. 'I didn't expect you to find those photos so quickly, or I would've taken them down. When you asked about how I first met you, I had to make something up. At least until I could talk with my father.'

'Wait,' she interjects, 'I thought you said you never met your Dad.'

'Elle sometimes you don't listen,' he agrees. 'I said I never met Arthur up until I became Peter's roommate. Once I moved in with Peter, dad couldn't ignore me. I said my relationship with him was 'complicated.' I never said we hadn't met.'

Elle demands, 'So Arthur set us up?'

Her Gabriel nods. 'He knew you were seeing Peter, and…my father didn't think you were a good match. Arthur asked me to…look into you background. I found some stuff about your…treatment history. None of the documents I found had a picture. The first time I saw you was when you took Sarah over to Peter's apartment…I was waiting on the street eating some ice cream. You came down with Peter. You had black boots, tight black pants, and a black jacket over a red shirt. The wind whipped your hair into your face. I had no idea you were so beautiful. From the first time I saw you, I knew had to have you. You've always been more aggressive than I expected. When you found those photos, I worried you'd leave me. Instead it seemed to turn you on.' He chuckles softly to himself. 'When you asked how I first saw you, I didn't know if I could trust you. My sink had backed up a few days before and…it was the first thing that came to mind. I was protecting my father, my family.'

She was still angry with him. Her Gabriel should not have lied to her. His explanation raised and the night's events raised more questions. Elle asks, 'What's Arthur's part in all this?'

That causes her Gabriel to smile. He seems proud of his father. He answers, 'Dad and I talk about almost everything. I told him about my hunger. He gave me some advice, and provided some encouragement. Dad arranged my work-study in London. My time there provided a chance to perfect my techniques. The Slayer was me indulging my appetite. My real work has always been for dad.'

Elle is stunned by the depth of Arthur's involvement. She sputters out a question, 'What about Peter and Linderman and all that?'

'Yes,' suddenly he looks every tired. 'Pete's accident was part of some political stun for Nathan. Linderman's guy botched the job. Dad was furious, but Linderman was too well connected with different organized crime groups for him to just disappear. Dad noticed the change in Peter after the accident. He asked me to help my brother. It took almost a year for Dad to set things up for Peter and I to kill Linderman. We had everything arranged to look like a mob hit, until some blonde stabbed the bodyguard to death.'

Elle shrugs, 'Don't be jealous I got to kill someone tonight and you didn't.'

Her Gabriel scoffs. 'I had to burn down half of my dad's office, steal security tapes, and get rid of that fat guard to clean up your fun.'

Elle shrugs, again. She did not care what her Gabriel had to do. After all, if he had not lied, she would have been a good girl. Making her Gabriel clean up the bodyguard was punishment for his dishonestly. She asks another question, 'Before we went in, I thought you said Arthur left?'

'His car did. Dad wanted to stay and watch the show. Peter was nervous enough, if he knew dad was going to be there…it would've been harder for him.' Her Gabriel yawns. His large hand pats her bed. With fatigue in his voice he asks, 'Will you please come to bed now?'

Elle shakes her head. She tells her Gabriel, 'Two more things.'

Her Gabriel rubs at his closed eyes. Exasperated, 'Yes, Elle?'

'Do you love me?'

His brown eyes open. He answers, 'This again, Elle?'

She gives him an annoyed superior look.

'Yes, I love you.'

'You're moving in,' she informs him.

Immediately he asks, 'What about Sarah?'

Elle starts to crawl up the bed to her Gabriel. She answers, 'She's going to live with Pete, and I'm not living alone. Besides you need to help take care of Baby.'

'I'll live with you,' her Gabriel answers.

She kisses his soft lips. Then she cuddles against his warm, muscular body. Her Gabriel pulls the comforter over them. Almost immediately she feels his breathing steady as he slips off to sleep. Elle hugs her Gabriel close. The wicked witch falls asleep cuddled with her black knight.

Next Time: The epilogue will feature some fun Elle/Gabriel scenes and little...

Arthur: I hope his characterization was alright. Arthur's inclusion was a bit of a twist that fit the show, and offers a decent end. Basically, Arthur gets his wish from the show and can use Gabriel as a 'weapon' against those who oppose his family. He set Elle/Gabriel up, just like in the show, because he thought it would offer him great control over Gabriel. Also, it would permit him to 'weaponize' Elle. Or at least that was what I was going for.

I'd love questions and will answer them in a reply or in the epilogue.

Reviews and comments are appreciated.