Title: Have It Your Way
Author:emily64cooper
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/Characters: Sylar/Elle, Luke
Prompt: 25. Have it your way
Summary: AU after The Eclipse, Pt. 2. What life would have been like had Sylar not killed Elle.
A/N: Originally, this was split into two parts. But since I'm putting these stories up at once, I figured it would just be easier if I combined them.

Elle turned the radio on. Finding nothing on the preset channels, she went to every other channel. She repeated the process again when she found nothing decent on, on any channel. After the fifth time, Sylar finally reached over and turned the radio off. Elle glared at him, but said nothing.

Then, she put her arm on the armrest, and tapped her fingers, one by one, from left to right, a few times. Luke, however, quickly put a stop to that.

"Elle, I swear to God, if you don't stop that..." he warned.

"Did you just threaten me?" She turned to Gabriel. "I'm pretty sure he just threatened me."

"Luke," Sylar said, glaring at the kid through his mirror. "I told you not to threaten her."

"But she was being annoying!"

"And you're not?" Elle asked back.

"Elle..." Gabriel warned. He pulled into a hotel parking lot, then turned to his bickering companions.

"Now, listen. I'm going to rent two motel rooms, Luke. You are not to leave yours unless I tell you to. Understood?" Luke nodded, then Sylar continued. "You two are going to stay here while I go talk to the people at the front desk."

"Luke," Elle whined a few minutes later. "Entertain me."

"Um, no?"

"But Lukie!" Elle turned in her seat so she was facing him.

"If you ever call me that again..."

"Oh! There you go again, Lukie. Threatening me. Gabriel's not going to like that."

"I wish he'd just killed you on that beach."

"Well, he didn't. He couldn't do it because he loves me too much."

Not that Elle would ever let anyone know it, but Luke's last statement hurt. All of her life, people had treated her that way. No one ever wanted her around. But when she teamed up with Gabriel again, no one dared treat her like that, in fear that Sylar would take them apart. He probably would, if Elle asked him to. Then Luke came along. And he was an asshole to her.

Elle spun back, so she was sitting correctly in her seat.

Luke, who could tell that his comment stung, tried again.

"Why don't you just leave, Elle? It's obvious he doesn't want you here, and I certainly don't."

Elle's eyes narrowed, tearing up slightly. "What the hell?" she thought, "How can this kid make me cry? Bennet, my father, the doctors, even Sylar when he tried to kill me, none of them made me cry."

"Fine," Elle said, grabbing her jacket, "have it your way." She slammed the car door and walked into the lobby, looking for Sylar. After a few minutes, she spotted him coming out of one of the elevators.

Elle ran to him, almost knocking him over when she clung to him. After he collected himself, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling her away enough to look at her face.

She pushed herself back into his body and mumbled, "I hate that kid."

"Why? What'd he do?" Gabriel gently stroked her back, hoping to comfort her. If Luke wasn't so vital to Gabriel's plans, the kid would be dead.

"He said you didn't want me here, and that's why you killed me."

"Elle, I'm sorry I tried to kill you. But I already explained this to you. I love you. Which makes you my weakness. And that means when people want to come after me, to kill me, they're going to try to take you. Maybe even try to hurt you. And you don't deserve that," he said quietly.

Elle smiled and pulled away enough to kiss him soundly. "I love you too."

Gabriel handed her a plastic card labeled B-12 and a few dollars. "That shop over there," he pointed to the left of then entrance, "has a Slush-o machine. We'll meet-" he began. Elle however, had already made her way to the store. Gabriel smiled and shook his head in disbelief.

"Luke!" Sylar pounded on his car door. Luke got out and leaned against said door.

"You rang?"

Sylar handed him a key-card, sticking the second one in his pocket. "Room B-14."

"Sweet!" Luke said. He walked into the building and Sylar followed behind.

"Look," Luke pointed, "there's Electra-Girl."

Sylar hit him over the head. "Stop that."

Luke shrugged and rubbed where his head was hit. Elle spotted the two of them, and joined them quickly, jumbo-sized Slush-o in her hands.

Luke rolled his eyes and kept walking toward the elevator. Gabriel smiled and kissed Elle on the head. She snuck an arm around him, then they followed Luke into the elevator.

After making sure Luke was thoroughly entertained in his room - Gabriel had set it up so he had a Playstation 2 and a few fighting games - Gabriel and Elle went to their own room. Elle immediately plopped down on their bed, a smile on her face.

"Now this" - emphasis on this - "is comfy."

Gabriel carried in their single suitcase - filled with clothes and other necessities, most of which was stolen borrowed - then laid next to Elle. She turned on her side to curl into him.

"I'm so tired," she said. A yawn followed shortly after.

"Take a nap," Gabriel suggested, "I need to figure out what we're going to do anyway." He tried to get up from the bed, but Elle pulled him back down.

"Stay here. I can't sleep without you."

Gabriel smiled at her antics. "Let me get a map and some paper first, okay? I'll be right back."

Elle nodded and rolled off of him, so he could get up. When he did, she rolled back onto his pillow. It smelled better than hers.

He came back to their room ten minutes later. He had a map, paper, pens, and chocolate - all lifted from the hotel gift shop. He'd also checked on Luke, who was too engrossed in his video game to even notice.

"Elle?" he called. She was curled on her side, on his pillow, with one hand on her head, and one over her partially exposed stomach. He smiled at the sight. Quietly, Gabriel set his things on his nightstand and crawled into bed next to Elle.

"Gabriel?" she asked sleepily.

"Ssssh," he quieted her. "Go back to sleep, Love."

"Okay," Elle mumbled. She adjusted her position so it was more comfortable for both of them.

Gabriel smiled and went back to work on his plans.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After Elle was thoroughly rested and new plans had been made, Gabriel gathered up all their things. Elle was sent to Luke's room to take care of him.

Using Gabriel's key, she entered Luke's room without a knock. He was sleeping on the foot of his bed, surrounded by candy wrappers of all sorts. The results of his last game were splayed across the tiny television screen.

Elle smiled at him. For all the grief he caused her, Luke really was a cute kid.

She padded softly across the carpeted floor, and picked the wrappers up from the floor. She moved to the bench at the end of the bed next, then to the actual bed. Gently, Elle shifted Luke so a more comfortable position and retrieved the wrappers from underneath him. She threw them out in the hotel's garbage, then moved on to the Playstation. Elle ejected and put away the disc, wrapped all the cords up, and turned the television off.

Elle looked over at Luke before making her way out of the door. "Our little friend was tired too," she said to Gabriel once she was back in their room.

"Did you wake him up?" He called from the bathroom.

"No. Knowing you and your plans, Luke's gonna need all the sleep he can get."

"Hey!" Gabriel said, playfully tossing a towel at her.

She picked it off of it's spot on the floor and brought it back over to him. Much to Elle's disappointment, he was already partially dressed - pants, but no shirt - from his shower. His wet hair hung into his eyes from the lack of gel. From her spot in the bathroom doorway, Elle admired his perfect body.

Gabriel smiled when he noticed. "Like what you see?"

Grinning devilishly, Elle ran her bottom lip through her teeth. She sauntered to him before answering, "I've seen better." Before he could respond, she went to work nibbling on his ear.

"Elle, we, uh," he tried to protest.

"Kid's sleeping. We've got time." Elle moved on to kiss his neck, sending small sparks of electricity as she went.

Rational thought nearly gone, Gabriel picked her up and brought her to their bed.

A few hours later, the fully-rested Luke and the worn-out Gabriel and Elle left the hotel, heading for Northern Pennsylvania. They were currently in Southern PA. Luke had finally told them where they were going - Buffalo, New York. They were going to stay in a hotel in North PA before making their way to Buffalo.

This time, Elle was smart enough to take Luke into the store before they left. His complaining had seriously pissed her off the last time. He got a few candy bars and a couple of bottles of Mountain Dew, with the warning that "If you have to piss, you're doing it on the side of the road." Elle, once again, got a jumbo-sized cherry red Slush-o. She also got a sub and water for later. Elle bought Gabriel his favorite drink - iced grande Caramel Macchiato - and a hoodie. Elle had lived near Buffalo, for a little while. And it could get cold at this time of year, so she wanted to be prepared. (The hoodie was really for her, and she fully intended on taking it from Gabriel once she deemed that it smelled like him.)

As a result of their shopping spree, Elle and Luke were civil to one another. Luke, as promised, got to go on the side of the road. When Gabriel pulled into a rest stop for Elle, he got an earful.

"What the hell, man? Do you know how cold it is out there? Why the hell would you stop for her and not me?"

Sylar shrugged and said, "I like her better."

"Geez, thanks," Luke groaned. "The least you could do is buy me lunch," he tried.

Sylar rolled his eyes. "You shoulda picked something out at the hotel."

"What about you? You're not gonna eat?"

"There's no way Elle's gonna eat her entire sub. I'll eat what she doesn't."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding? I've seen the way that chick eats."

"Watch it, kid. 'That chick' is my girlfriend."

"I'm just saying. She's gonna finish that sub."

"Don't count on it."

"Let's make a deal."

Sylar turned to him, amused. "Okay."

"If she eats the whole thing, you owe me lunch."

"And if she doesn't?"

"I owe you ten bucks."

Sylar thought about it for a second. "You're on," he nodded.

The three of them hopped back into the car and made their way upstate.

Elle began to munch on her sub near one o'clock, and Luke watched with bated breath. When she finished the final bite, Luke cheered triumphantly and Gabriel huffed.

"Am I missing something?" she asked, confused.

Gabriel huffed again, and rolled his eyes. "We have to make a pit stop for food."

"We could of gotten food the last time we stopped," she reasoned, "Are you sure you wanna do that again?"

"We made a bet on if you'd finish your sub or not. I won," Luke cheered.

"You're pushing it, kid, you're pushing it." Sylar glared back at him as he pulled into the rest stop.

Elle raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You made a bet on how much I'd eat?" she screeched.

"This is why we don't make bets," Sylar reminded himself.

"Who bet what?"

"Well, uh," Luke said, "he bet that you wouldn't finish it."

Elle turned to Gabriel with a smile. "You're so sweet," she said, running a hand down his face.

She turned to Luke, anger written all over her face. "Which means you bet that I'd finish it."

Luke nodded.

"So, what? You think I'm fat?"

"No! Not at all! I-uh, I just have been with you when you've eaten lunch before."

"So, you're saying I eat a lot?"

"No! I, um." Luke looked to Gabriel, pleading for help.

"You're on your own, kid," he said with a grin.

"I'm sorry, Elle," Luke tried. "I wasn't trying to insinuate anything, honestly."

Elle nodded in acceptance. "Let's get you your food."

Within twenty minutes, they were back on the road. Luke was content with his Happy Meal, and Gabriel was pretty giddy with his slice of apple pie. (It was his second favorite, behind peach.) Elle was just as happy about her Mickie D's chocolate milkshake.

They got to the hotel around seven, with no further stops.

Elle made the room arrangements this time, leaving Sylar with Luke in the car.

"I wonder if she's pregnant," Luke said suddenly.

Sylar turned to him. "Let's not joke about that."

"I'm not joking! It would explain a lot. Her hunger, her tiredness, her moods."

"You know that talking thing you're doing? Stop that."

Comprehension dawned on Luke. "You're thinking it too!"

"Shut up."

"And you're scared of it, aren't you? Cause you think she is pregnant and you're not ready to be a Dad."

"You do remember that I'm a serial killer, right?" Sylar questioned.

Luke brushed it off. "If you wanted to kill me, you would've done it already."

Sylar shrugged. "True enough."

Luke looked through the front window. "Look," he said, pointing to the entrance, "here comes your baby mama now."

"I swear to God, Luke, if you mention even the tiniest bit of this conversation to her, you'll be missing a limb next time you wake up."

He mimed locking his mouth and throwing away the key.

"C'mon, boys," Elle called. "I'm tired!"

Luke laughed silently as he followed Sylar into the hotel. Oh, life just got ten times more fun.