Author's Note: Glad how much you guys loved last chapter. It was good to get some comic relief after all the drama.
Hope you enjoy the aftermath.
CHAPTER 37: Waking Up In Vegas
Gabriel felt his head pound before his eyes opened up. He groaned fluttering his eyes back closed. The bright lights curled under his eyelids and smashed into his brain. He tightened his eyes closer shut. Something moved beside him. Elle gave a soft sigh. He raised his eyes just a bit to see her content face mushing close to his chest. His bare chest.
What had happened last night? Why was he barely wearing any clothes? Why was Elle wearing barely any clothes? He peered back up seeing that the lights above them weren't on, yet bright blinding lights seeped in. He groaned again seeing that the source was the sunlight coming from behind the drawn blinds.
"Elle," He groaned squeezing her shoulder lightly. "Why are these lights so bright?" The woman curled a little smile before opening her big eyes peering up at the man.
"Sorry," She whispered softly. She leaned up to hold his face as she kissed him. "You feeling okay?"
"No," He groaned pushing his palm to his head. "What happened last night?"
"What do you remember?" She sighed pressing her chest to his chest. She crawled on top of him reminding her of the time they had been in Stephen Cauldfield's house.
"Poker." He said wrinkling his face. A soft throb curled his head at his own voice. "And tequila." He groaned pressing his head to the pillow. "Oh I got drunk." He realized. He closed his eyes. "I have a hangover." He didn't like this feeling one bit. How many drinks had he had anyway? "Wait," He paused. "You said sorry." She tried to look innocent biting her lip. "For what?"
"Taking advantage." She lifted her right hand to his face. A flash of silver curled across her right ring finger. He eyed her ring as it catch the light. His head throbbed. As his thumb touched his own ring.
"Did we get hitched last night?" He groaned. "Please tell me we didn't get married."He looked at the ceiling, his eyes half open.
"What's the big deal?" Elle asked rolling off him. If he was going to throw a fit she was not going to be in the line of fire. "Not like you dressed up in an Elvis suit." He looked down at her. "Swear you didn't. It was a sweet little ceremony. I'd show you the marriage certificate, but you'd rip it up."
"We need to get this annulled." Gabriel stated as he felt something shock his thigh. He turned to the woman who pouted angrily.
"Are you serious?" She crawled from out of the bed picking up the dark gray t-shirt Gabriel had been wearing last night. "You don't want to be married to me?" Gabriel sat up in bed as she threw his pants at him.
"It's not that I don't want to be with you Elle." He stated sitting to the edge of the bed as he put on his pants. "It's just complicated."
"Well enlighten me." She folded her arms looking at him stubbornly. "Our lives are complicated. I thought our relationship was the only thing I actually understood. Tell me why on Earth you would not want to marry me."
"Because!" He shouted causing a crack in the dark end table down its side. She stared at his face as it seemed frustrated. "Marriages end Elle. All it takes is some paperwork. All it takes is time apart. Putting to people together legally like that ruins them. Divorces are number one in this country. I just don't want to lose you." He stood up grabbing her shoulders. "I don't want us to end." She looked into his eyes and smiled.
"Gabriel," She whispered softly. "You naïve idiot." She started slapping his cheek playfully. "We love each other. We're too crazy to get anyone else. Hell if I somehow up and leave you you'll murder the human race. We're too screwed up for any other person of the opposite sex. We were basically made for each other." She put his hand to her chest. "Crazy father," She put his hand back to his chest. "Crazy mother." He smiled lightly touching her cheek.
"I guess you got what you wanted Mrs. Gray." He grabbed her face kissing her lightly. She smiled looking up at him as he held her chin.
"I like the sound of that." She breathed. He took her hand smiling gently at her. Even though he was still a little peeved about not actually being sober for his own wedding. He quickly found a shirt from the drawers. Elle found herself a black tight fitting shirt.
"I need to go yell at Peter." Gabriel stated.
"I actually yelled at him a lot last night." Elle told her husband. She looked down at her ring recalling she had a husband. An actual husband.
Gabriel soon patted his pants' pockets. No money. He could have sworn he had money in his pockets last night. Then again he had been not married last night.
"You wouldn't happen to know what happened to all my money last night?" He asked Elle tugging on a plaid button down shirt.
"I wasn't with you all last night. Most, but not all." Elle peered at the door. "Petrelli is to blame for all this."
"Want to help me kill him?" He wondered feeling his hang over get better. Claire's healing ability may have just decided to kick in.
"I'll bury the body." Elle offered up. He smiled evilly at her as he grabbed her hand to go across the hall to Peter, Luke, and Daphne's room.
Elle knocked loudly on the door knowing the knock would hurt Peter, though Gabriel winced just a bit at the noise. She merely mouthed sorry to him. A soft thud was heard inside followed by a bit of cursing. Elle hid her smile as Peter opened the door wearing an old worn white undershirt and plaid pajama shorts.
"What happened to my money?" Gabriel asked pushing Peter's shoulder.
"Hey not so loud." Peter whispered rubbing his head.
"Peter, we're not yelling. We can if you won't corroborate with us." Elle told the dark haired man. He winced attempting to shut the door. Gabriel used his power to keep it open as he and Elle pushed themselves into the room.
The room had beer bottles all over the coffee table. A blanket laid across the couch. On the counter was a dark coffee pot half way full. Coffee filters were scattered about as well.
"Again Peter. Where is my money?" He held out his hand as if Peter had stolen it from him.
"Don't be a baby." Peter groaned collapsing on the couch. "Remember what you told me?"
"I was drunk last night Peter. I didn't even know I got married." He explained leaning against the counter as Elle admired her ring. Just a plain silver band, but it symbolized so much more.
"Married eh?" Peter said with a devilious smile.
"Why do you sound Canadian?" Gabriel asked almost ready to kill this man. He knew somehow Peter Petrelli was behind his drunken rampage.
"It's the funniest thing," Luke stated coming out of his and Peter's room. He was wearing a Green Day shirt and jean shorts. He was the only one in the room who looked like he was ready to take on the day. "When Peter gets drunk he starts talking with a Canadian accent for absolutely no reason."
"I can't believe the youngest boy in the bunch actually knows how to handle his alcohol." The young blonde laughed loudly allowing the two men to wince. Gabriel rolled his eyes turning his attention back to Peter as Luke went for the coffee.
"What did I tell you last night?" Gabriel wondered.
"Well first you told me we had to gamble cause we were in Vegas and every time I said maybe you should stop you choked me. You're an angry drunk whenever Elle isn't around."Peter laughed to himself. "Luke they got married last night." Luke peered over at the couple grinning.
"Really?" Luke was grinning as well. It didn't take Gabriel long to figure it out giving the boys evil looks. "Spare me your dirty looks, don't blame me. You're the one who started drinking so much." All Gabriel could do was push him lightly.
"That's what you get for waking up in Vegas." Peter laughed giving himself a headache. Elle just smiled lightly.
"Is Daphne up?" She wondered looking at the room behind her.
"She had a few drinks last night." Luke explained. "Then she got talking with Claude for a while." She lifted her head to the bedroom. "Go wake her up we were going to go to breakfast anyway." Elle smiled going toward the room. Once she was gone Gabriel was alone with the two men. "You mad Gabe?"
"I'm broke and married. Do I look okay?" Gabriel asked with a stern tone. Peter winced again.
"Not our fault you're such a bad gambler." Peter explained chuckling. Gabriel just shook his head. "It was my fault so I'll pay you back somehow."
That's all Gabriel needed. Money for his wife and child. He still couldn't believe he was a husband now. Somehow it felt good to be a real family.