A/N: Ok, Ok, I know these past few chapters aren't exactly my best work. I've had SEVERE writer's block on this for a while now. But it's getting better, don't worry. So PLEASE review, because I REALLY want to know what people think! THANKS!

Kate took a deep breath. Noon. That's when her father said it would happen. And it was only five minutes away.

"Ready?" Jamie asked.

"Heck no." She replied.

"You can always back out, you know."

"Not gonna happen." Kate looked at Sylar, who was standing a couple of feet away, pretending to have nothing to do with either of them.

So…What? What's happening?

I hate to say it, but we're going with your plan, Sylar.

Which one?

You know… "Accidentally hurt someone…"

Ah…

Jamie looked at Kate. "There's gotta be another way."

Kate shook her head. "This is what the future has to be." She sighed. "Look. I don't pretend to know anything about your world. I'm not…special. I'm just an ordinary human, shoved into this world when I answered the door for the wrong person. And I regret that. But it has to be done. And if I have to force the future to come into existence, then I will."

Jamie looked at Kate. "You are a strange little girl, you know that? Anyone else would be freaking out by now."

Kate shrugged. "An adult, maybe. But I've always believed in things outside of the world's box. Most kids do."

Jamie's eyes locked on hers. "But even most eleven-year-olds would be running scared. Why are you different?"

Kate shrugged. "I guess I've heard my parents talking about this stuff so often, it became natural. I mean, at least in the subconscious."

Jamie shook her head. "I guess. But even then…"

Kate smiled. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just good at accepting stuff like this."

Jamie nodded. "Maybe…"

Kate looked at her watch. Two minutes left.

You ready? Kate felt Sylar's mind enter hers.

No. She thought. He would hear it. She was sure of it.

Sylar walked over to her. His eyes were cold, his expression hard. This would end here. Then he could do what he originally came for. He could still kill Kate.

But what no one realized was that the bullet was never intended for Sylar. Kate was never meant to block the bullet. She wasn't meant to save his life.

He was meant to save hers.

Tom Terronson had always hated Isaac Mendez. He hated Sarah Mendez for choosing Isaac over him. He hated their children for simply existing.

He was blinded by hate, by anger, by rage. Tom had no idea what he would become in just three years time. Right now, he didn't care.

He was sure that Kate had always made fun of him. He wanted her to stop. Wanted everyone to stop. Everyone was laughing at him. Everyone. No one could stop him. Not now, not ever. And he was going to stop their laughter. One at a time. Starting with Kate.

He aimed the gun at Kate's head, and pulled the trigger.

Kate saw the bullet come in slow motion. It was exactly noon. She knew what she should be thinking. Ok, this is where it happens. I have to do this. For the future.

But what she was really thinking was different. I have to give him a chance. I have to save him.

Likewise, Sylar knew what he should be thinking. Kate has to take this bullet. Then I can kill her. It will be easy.

But, like Kate, his thought differed from what he should be thinking. Not here. Not now. NOT HER.

And so, it wasn't Kate who took the bullet for Sylar.

It was Sylar who took it for Kate.

He was a blur, racing as fast as he could, in front of Kate. The bullet landed in the back of his head. His mouth opened. Shock? Fear? Pain? Surprise?

Searing pain raced through him, and he blacked out.


Sylar looked at Kate, the world around them white. Kate was smiling.

"What?" Sylar asked. He couldn't think of anything else to say.

Kate's smile widened. "You took the bullet for me. Not the other way around."

"But…I wouldn't…"

"And yet you did. Seems to me you're more human then you care to admit."

"But… Kate, your own thoughts contradict what you've said."

Kate looked at him, annoyed. "What thoughts?"

"You… when I saw you're mind…before that… you thought that three years ago, you'd saved my life. Because you thought I could change…"

"You were LISTENING?" Kate punched his arm, more annoyed then angry. "I KNEW it! Dang it, Sylar! Stay the heck out of my head!"

Sylar just looked at her. He was too shocked to respond. He'd saved Kate's life. Why? Why would he DO that? She was Kate Mendez, one of the few people in the world who actually could hurt him if she tried. She hated him, and he hated her. Why? Why would he save her life?

"But… You're thoughts…" He stammered, hoping that would take away this reality, take away the fact that he'd saved Kate's life.

"I said I knew you were listening. I hoped you weren't, but…" She shrugged. "You can't be too careful."

"But… you said that you took it for me. You didn't want to show me this!"

Kate smiled. "And that's exactly what I wanted you to think."

Sylar looked at her, his eyes wide. "What happened?"

Kate looked back at him. "Do you want me to tell you, or show you?"

Sylar's eyes met hers. "Show me."

Kate nodded, and the world went black.

Kate looked at the unconscious Sylar. "Is he going to be ok?" She asked.

Jamie, who had taken care of Tom by snatching away his gun before he'd had a chance to react, nodded. "It's just a bullet. We take it out, he'll be fine. If it was a knife, however…" She whistled. "Well, he'd be dead. But, as is, he's just unconscious. Bullets do that to healers like him."

Kate looked back at Sylar. They'd taken him back to Kate's house, virtually disappearing in the confusion the gunshot had made. Jamie had helped there as well, carrying Sylar back so no one saw WHO had been shot.

"I'm confused."

Jamie smiled. "I know. Bullets will make a healer, like him, unconscious, but only if it hits a spot on the back of their head. Knives will kill them. At least, until they're removed."

Kate shook her head. "Ok, never mind. I don't want to know. I'll figure it out when everything else makes sense. Like why he wanted to kill me in the first place."

Jamie smiled. "You'll figure it out. That's what your father says, anyway."

Kate kept her eyes on Sylar. "Yeah. I guess I will…"

She reached for the back of Sylar's head. Her hand felt something metal, and she pulled it out. Her hand was covered in blood, but she didn't care.

Sylar's eyes blinked open after a few moments. "Wh…What happened?" His eyes squinted in the light.

"Oh NO! IT'S ALIVE!" Jamie shouted in her best fake scary voice before bursting into laughter. "Welcome back…hero."

Sylar winced at the word. "Shut it, speedster."

Jamie smiled. "And somehow, I knew that would be an insult."

Kate ignored their comments and looked at Sylar. "You ok?"

Sylar looked at Kate. There it was. That look in her eyes. He looked away. "Fine."

Kate looked at him, her eyes wide and innocent. She hadn't seen battle yet. She hadn't been in a fight. She hadn't been betrayed. She hadn't been killed.

It's not because you're broken.

What do you mean?

That look in your eyes. It's not because you're broken. It's because of that coldness. You're eyes…you seem to hate the world. And, of course, back then, you wouldn't. You wouldn't have a reason to. But now you look like…

A monster.

Interesting choice of words.

It's what Jonathon always calls that part of me. The monster. He won't admit it, but it's there, in his mind. He's become scared of me. Says I'm more like you then anyone should be. That there's a monster that comes out every time I see you.

That's one way of putting it.

I suppose.

Sylar stood up slowly. He looked at the eleven-year-old Kate in front of him.

And, slowly, he walked out the door. He couldn't face this. What he'd done…He couldn't face her…

An hour later, Isaac smiled.

"I had a feeling you would come." He called out.

A single shadow separated itself from the darkness. "You knew this all along, didn't you?"

Isaac's smile widened. "Of course." He turned to face Sylar. "The future is rarely hidden from me."

Sylar glared at him. "And yet, you lied to me. I'm curious as to how you did that."

Isaac shrugged. "You wanted to accept what I said. And, as far as I can tell, it's harder to tell the difference between truth and lie when it's a matter of telepathic contact."

Sylar's eyes narrowed. "Do you know what Kate will become?"

Isaac nodded. "Of course. My wife happens to have a very useful ability in that respect. She knows what ability someone will have, past, present, and future. She's fully aware of who will have what power."

Sylar shook his head. "That isn't what I meant."

Isaac smiled. "I figured as much. Yes. I know that Kate will become…your worst enemy. Your best friend. You make the call."

Sylar's eyes narrowed into slits. He took a single step towards Isaac. "Do you know how you die, Isaac?"

Isaac nodded. "Indeed I do. Nasty piece of work. Not pleasant." His eyes met Sylar's. "And I know how my wife will die. I know how Kate will die. I know she dies quite a few times, as a matter of fact. I know that I'll have a son named Jonathon. I know when he'll die at your hand."

Sylar raised an eyebrow. "I haven't killed Jonathon yet."

Isaac met his stare. "But you will."

"Tell that to Kate."

"Ah, yes. Kate. Another lost cause, some might say."

Sylar looked at him. "Do you know why I wouldn't kill Kate?"

Isaac smiled. "And now we get to the point. You desperately want to know your own mind. You want to know why you would save your worst enemy. Or, as I said, your best friend."

Sylar glared. "Get to the point."

"The point is, you and Kate are too alike. You don't really understand how much you need her. I don't even understand it." Isaac's eyes met Sylar's. "But I know this much. It will make sense when you meet Rosa."

Sylar looked at him, confused. "The fake name Kate used? I already have."

Isaac smiled. "I think it's something quite bigger then that, Sylar. By far."

Sylar glared. "Who is Rosa?"

Isaac's smile widened. "Well, that's the real question, isn't it? Even I don't know the answer to that." His eyes met Sylar's. "That's something you'll have to figure out on your own."

Isaac turned around, walking away from Sylar, who was left, once more, with more questions then answers.


Fourteen-year-old Kate Mendez looked at Sylar, a smile on her face. "My dad never told me what that meant. He just showed it to me. Through telepathy, of course."

Sylar looked at her. How COULD he save her? Why would he DO that? And, of course, who was Rosa?

He turned around and started walking, ignoring Kate behind him. He needed to think. He needed to figure out what had happened…


An hour later, Sylar came over to Kate. He sat down on the ground next to her.

"Fine." He whispered. "I'll help you."

Kate looked at him. "You'll what?"

Sylar looked down. "I'll save the city. I'll stop you. Just get me out of here."

Kate kept her eyes on him. She didn't gloat. She didn't say that she was right, and that Sylar could change. She simply looked at him and said two words, her voice barely more then a whisper.

"Thank you."