Epilogue: Three Years Later

Claire laughed as Gabriel fumbled with the keys. "Are you that excited?" she asked as she took the keys away from him and easily slid the right one into the lock.

"Yeah, I am," he grinned as he scooped her up and pushed the door open. "This is our first house, Claire. Aren't you excited?" he asked as he stepped over the threshold, keeping her in his arms even as she squirmed.

"Of course I'm excited!" she agreed before giving him a soft kiss. "You didn't have to pick me up," she chuckled as she pressed her forehead to his.

"But it's customary for the groom to carry his bride into their home," he said with utter sincerity.

"I know, but we've been married for two months. You did it then, too," she reminded him.

"But this is our house," he said, placing her onto her feet in front of him. "It's different. And it's supposed to be good luck."

"Since when are you superstitious?" she laughed. He just shrugged. "But yeah, you're right. It is different." She looked around and smiled. It felt good to be back in Odessa.

"What are you thinking about, Mrs. Gray?" he asked, leaning down to press a kiss onto the top of her head.

"Just how good it feels to be back, Mr. Gray," she grinned, turning to give him another, more heated kiss.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of calling you that," he told her, grinning widely.

"Good. Now come on. We've got to start unloading everything," she encouraged.

"I can do it…"

"Let's get it inside first. Then you can use your powers however you want, however much you want," she promised. He was about to disagree when she spoke again. "Look, Gabriel, I know it's been years since we came out, but I don't think people are ready to see it in their neighborhoods, okay? I'm not saying we hide. I just think we have to be careful."

"You're right. I know you are," he agreed. They continued to walk out and started unloading the boxes and furniture. If he mentally helped Claire on some of the larger items, neither of them said anything. It made Gabriel think about when Claire first came to him about telling the world about them. About the Specials.

…

[Flashback]

"Claire, you're crazy! These people aren't ready yet," he exclaimed.

"We need to explain to them what's going on. What happened with Ted and Samuel and Kiera! Too many people have seen too much, and they don't believe what the government is telling them! Renee can't wipe everyone's memories." She grabbed his hands and he looked into her sparkling green eyes. "Angela is already talking with Senator Richardson about making a public statement, and to introduce some 'special friendly' laws. But they need me, too. We're creating new laws and rules here. We need you to help, too. We have physical abilities. People can our powers, and we need to show them we're not harmful."

"But Kiera's already hurting people, Claire. She's making them sick. How are you going to stop her?" he asked, his anger slowly rising.

"Kiera's being dealt with. Renee and Hiro are going to find her, and take her to The Company. Right now, it's a containment facility for those who are intentionally being dangerous. If they can't control their powers, or don't want them, then we're going to offer the Serum," she explained. "Don't look at me like that! I'm not hurting anyone! I'm not hunting them down. We're helping them, I swear. Please, Gabriel. Help us."

"Okay," he sighed. "Who's going to be showcased?"

"You, me, Peter and Hiro. No one will see your faces. No one will know your real names. You'll use pseudonyms."

"Won't people think it's fake? An illusion? Just another Criss Angel show?"

"People already know me. I'll show them. Just a cut on my hand or something," she said, completely uncertain if she wanted to become the face of the specials.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," he whispered, as they sat on his couch. He brought her into his lap as he began to rub soothing circles on her back with one hand, and he held her hands with his other.

"I want to," she relied, just as quietly. "I need to do this. If I'm going to represent these special people, then they need to know that I can…"

"Can what?" he cut in. "Put yourself in danger? Be reckless?"

"That I can be strong."

"Oh Claire," he said, wrapping his long arms around her and held her against his chest. "You're the strongest person I know. Really. You're just… amazing. If this is something you need to do, then I'll support you."

"Really?" she asked, tears forming in her eyes.

"Of course, sweetheart. I'll always be there for you." He kissed her forehead and waited for her to calm down. "I love you, Claire."

"I love you, too, Gabriel," she said, looking back to him. She kissed him lightly before snuggling back against his chest.

Several minutes passed before Gabriel spoke again. "Claire?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you marry me?" He heard her gasp, and he held his breath. What on earth had provoked him to ask that? Suddenly her face was in front of his. Her eyes were wide, but she looked uncertain.

"Are you serious?" she finally asked after gaping at him.

"Completely."

"Of course I will!" she exclaimed, grinning widely before she started hugging and kissing him.

…

Their wedding had been significantly smaller than Peter and Emma's had been. Gabriel didn't have any living relatives, and Claire's had been relatively small anyway. It was only about fifty people in a small church in New York. Peter's two-year-old twins, Nathan and Gabriella, had been ring bearer and flower girl, respectively. Peter was the best man, and Emma was Claire's Matron of Honor.

It was a beautiful spring day, and it was the best day Claire had ever had. Noah had even cried.

Claire was snapped out of her reverie by a box hitting the ground in front of her. She had taken a break as Gabriel finished the last of the few boxes and had called a local pizzeria to get her favorite pizza. Luckily, they delivered.

"Are you okay?" Gabriel asked with a smile as she jumped.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Why don't you go ahead and take a shower? I'll start getting things squared away while we're waiting for dinner," he offered.

"You're amazing."

An hour later, after searching for her overnight bag, which had what she needed for the evening, Claire was walking down the stairs feeling refreshed and starving. "Food just arrived," Gabriel announced as he placed the boxes on the coffee table. Claire was in awe. The furniture that they had just placed haphazardly was organized exactly as she had envisioned. The boxes of their knick-knacks were placed in the corners of each room, knowing they'd get around to it eventually. All the essentials—plates and giant glasses of sweet tea—were out, and Claire could only imagine what else he had done in that hour.

"Maybe I should have let you get everything out of the trailer," she gawked.

"I told you," he smiled.

"Yeah, and you were right. I'm sorry," she smiled. "Ooh, is that my Hawaiian pizza?"

…

That night, as they lied in the bed, even if at the moment it was just a mattress on the floor, Gabriel wondered how it was he was able to get so lucky. To have Claire actually love him was his greatest treasure. He loved her more than he could ever say. Life was pretty damn good. He was going to be a Company man again, starting the next Monday, but it was going to be so different. He was actually excited.

Claire had been working hard the past few years. She had passed the Bar exam and began working for a law firm that was very progressive. As per usual, Angela knew the head of the firm, and of course, the man was a special. He was similar to Sue Landers. He could tell when others were lying, but he could also make them tell the truth just by phrasing his question the right way. It only helped their cause.

Specials weren't discriminated against. Several companies actually wanted to hire those whose abilities were of "great value." He had heard that term several times before he agreed to work with Angela again. He shuttered to think about how much his or Claire's blood would be worth. Thankfully though, there were laws that prevented certain activities like that from happening.

Claire had shifted next to him, breaking his train of thought to turn and throw her arm across his chest and a leg across his own. He wrapped his arm around her, and listened to her breathe and her slow and steady heartbeat. It took him a moment before he began to hear a quicker, more rhythmic beating. Mentally, he counted days since their honeymoon and gasped.

"Claire," he whispered, carefully waking his wife. "Wake up, honey. I need to talk to you."

"Whasit?" she mumbled.

"Come on, Claire, wake up. This is serious," he begged.

"I'm up, I'm up," she said, as she sat. "What?"

"When was your last period?"

"What? Seriously? That's what you woke me up for?" she asked angrily. "Couldn't it wait 'til morning?"

"No. Please just tell me when it was."

She was quiet for a moment while her brain tried to remember. "Umm… The week before our wedding… Oh."

He grinned and placed a hand on her soft stomach. "Yeah, oh."

"I'm… We're gonna have a baby?" she smiled.

"We're gonna have a baby!" he laughed.

…

Nine months later, Noah Theodore Gray was born.