(Spoken words in italics are said in Hebrew.)

(14) Love & Mirrors

Sylar didn't see Ariel again until she returned to the Kabbalah office almost two weeks later. Jessica didn't need her telepathic power to feel the tension immediately spring up between them. Even when they were in the same room together, they seemed to be so completely separate from each other that they might as well have gone to different groups. It was hard to focus on learning to not constantly read everyone's minds when she was around either of them.

Ariel kept it strictly professional now. She felt as if Sylar was somehow secretly pushing her away & she wasn't far from the truth. She was mortal. He wasn't & he didn't want to risk another episode of almost killing her, so he avoided her as much as possible.

Despite the split, Ariel did manage to do something of a sweet gesture for Sylar when she rewrote his profile, explaining how his first power had worked & turned Gabriel Gray into something more of a victim. It was only accessible by the Kabbalah for any international update would alert unwelcome parties from America.

René was the only link to the outside world. Sylar kept going back & forth about the guy, unsure if he should trust him or not. But Shlomo had & Sylar did trust Shlomo's instincts, so he kept René close but allowed the man to do his own thing to keep Noah safe. So long as René took charge of the boys, Sylar left Noah & Jason together. The Haitian was also keeping an eye on anyone with abilities outside Israel in case they came in & especially if they went near Noah's school. No more surprise substitute teachers from his past! If they knew about Sylar, he or René could take those memories. But for the most part, those of Sylar's past didn't even consider Israel & the only ones with abilities passing through were other Jews returning home.

Noah, it seemed, had finally stopped trying to pry into his father's past. His memories were intact for he healed too fast, but he had dropped the subject ever since their summer long trip through 'the black' & seemed content to hang out with Jason. He still had yet to start bringing anyone home or talk about coming out. Sylar had been so sure his son was gay & maybe with Jason, but it had been over a year since he & Tirzah had taken a guess about their boys' seemingly non-existent love life, he was starting to worry if something was wrong.

During the Passover week the following spring when there was some free time from both school & the Kabbalah, Sylar attempted to broach the subject but without teasing. He knew few things escaped his soul-searching power & the ones that did usually weren't good.

He brought Noah out to a restaurant in Haifa. They sat outside near the back of the deck. Sylar ripped a piece of the matzo bread (for the usual challah braided bread or any regular bread was hard to get during the Unleavened bread festival), gave half to Noah, then asked, "So how's school going?"

Noah ate his piece before answering. "Fine. Wish Jason could be in more classes with me as before but his rabbinical studies are putting him in different classes from me now & it doesn't help that I'm a grade ahead. Worked better when we were younger but now we only have P.E. together & lunch break."

Sylar leaned back in his chair. "You have plenty of friends besides Jason."

"Of course," Noah said. "But Jason & I grew up together. He's just my best friend is all."

The air warbled. A lie? Noah rarely lied to him & NEVER about Jason. Until now. "Jason is just your friend?" Sylar asked.

"Yeah," Noah nodded, making the ability his father had go off.

Sylar had a piece of lamb while he came up with a way to present his next question without alarming Noah. "Has Jason ever, uh ... " It was rare Sylar would be lost for words. Noah stared at him, waiting. Sylar decided to treat him like how he treated Claire. Just be straight with him & get it over with. "Noah," He leaned forward, keeping his voice low so others wouldn't overhear. "You can tell me anything, ok?'

"Ok," Noah shrugged.

Sylar hesitated before asking, "Did Jason hurt you?"

"What? No!" exclaimed Noah. "We're very close. He wouldn't hurt me. Why would you ask such a thing?"

Sylar looked very confused for a while. Noah did not lie, not this time. "Because you lied when you said he was a friend. I can sense lies remember?"

"Dad I—I just—Ugh! Never mind."

"Never mind?" Sylar echoed. "Noah, what is going on? Are you two friends or not?"

"N—yes. It's complicated."

"There is nothing complicated about it," Sylar said. "Did he or did someone, did ... " He got up & went around the table. Leaning close to Noah's ear, he whispered softly, "Noah, were you ... raped ... or something?"

There was a long, long pause of an eternity of silence. Sylar slowly pulled away. In a rare moment, he almost seemed to be near tears. Noah just stared in shock at him. "W-what?" He finally laughed nervously.

"Noah, talk to me," Sylar pleaded in a whisper. "I will kill whoever hurt you. I mean literally kill them!"

"No. NO! I'm still a virgin!"

The relief in Sylar's face was instant. He dropped back into his chair. "Virgin." He stared at the leftover lamb in his plate. Noah didn't lie. "Alright, virgin." Sylar sighed. "Ok, I'm glad that part of the conversation is over with."

"So am I," Noah laughed. "Why the hell would you think something like that?"

Sylar was still trying to relax. He finished off the lamb before being able to look directly at Noah again. "Because, uh, well, you just don't seem to behave like a teen boy your age would."

Noah looked his father over. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No. Well, you lied about Jason a few minutes ago," Sylar began. "But I'm serious here. Why have you not started bringing home a girlfriend or a boyfriend yet? I'm not teasing you this time. It's just, you're fifteen now but, it hasn't happened yet & I was really starting to think someone had hurt you in a certain way that might have turned you off."

Noah stared at his own lamb dinner. "There is something a little different than just friends going on with Jason & I, but it isn't that."

"So you are gay, then?"

"Not exactly."

"Trans?"

"No, it's something," Noah leaned sideways a bit & pulled something out of his pocket. He held it out of sight for a moment before slipping on a shiny completely black band around his right middle finger. "We don't wear these in public. It's a symbol of what we are," he all but whispered, then held up his hand to show it off. "Jason & I picked out each other's black rings."

"Great," Sylar sat back, letting both hands clap into his lap. "So you two are practically married?"

Noah swore in French, Hebrew & English before finishing with, "Good grief! Just kill me now."

"Yeah, don't say things like that around me," Sylar flicked up one brow for a moment.

"It's something everybody seems to hate," Noah said. "Even the gay community seem to spurn people like us."

"Noah, I'm not going to hate you for being different," Sylar tried imploringly. "Now, just say it. Get it over with like how I just asked if you had been mistreated. You'll feel much better after. I certainly did."

"Fine," Noah muttered. "Jason & I are ... ... we're um," He looked at his father, sitting back in his chair again, arms crossed & waiting expectantly. "Jason & I are homo-romantic, but Asexual." Noah blinked.

Sylar blinked. Noah blinked again. Sylar pinched the bridge of his nose. Though he tried hard not to, for he realized he had just forced his son to come out before he was ready (& he sincerely did feel a little bad about that but too late now)—come out as what?—he still choked on a laugh when he finally found his voice. "What the freaking hell does that mean?!"

"I knew it!" Noah angrily thumped the table with a fist. "I knew it would turn out like this. Just like everyone else, laughing at it & hat—"

Sylar had silenced him with his force power. "Would you calm down? I don't hate you. I just don't get it. I never heard the first word before in my life & as for the second one, last I checked, that was a biological term for the reproductive cycle of lower lifeforms."

Noah rubbed his face with both hands. "Thank Aviv I didn't throw in the word Demisexual, which is also another label for Jason & I."

Sylar groaned loudly. "Holy Mother of God, help me with this child!" He grumbled under breath, then looked at Noah who was still glaring at him. "Alright. Start from the beginning."

"That's it," Noah said in a lighter tone. "It's something like that, in fact."

"What? Which part?"

"Mary stayed a Virgin in the Catholic faith, right?"

"Ok."

"Asexual folks aren't ruled by hormones. A lot of them stay virgins for life not by choice but just 'cause they have no physical desire."

"That is not possible."

"Thanks, Dad," Noah replied in a condescending tone. "You just wiped out my existence by saying that & it's rather offensive. Shut up, please."

Sylar stared in surprise for a moment. "Very well. I'm sorry. Please continue."

Noah glared at him. "I don't want to." He began eating the rest of his lunch.

"Noah," Sylar watched him for a moment. "I just need time to adjust to this. I don't like not being able to understand things. It's not good for me. Please just ... try again?" Noah stubbornly shook his head. Sylar tried something else. "What was that first word you used?"

"Homo-romantic," Noah ground out.

"Alright, homo meaning same," Sylar spoke slowly. "So it is gay-like then?"

"There are romantic & sexual orientations & no, they do not have to match which makes things more confusing," Noah replied somewhat tersely. "This is why Jason & I didn't want to come out yet. We're still figuring things out for ourselves."

"That's okay," Sylar was once more whispering, hoping he wouldn't scare Noah off again. "One word at a time. So you do like boys, right?"

"Pretty much," Noah answered. "I prefer to love a guy instead of a girl."

"Jason?"

"Yes, Jason."

"Alright then," Sylar's voice was almost back to normal. "That's easy. So ... you don't want to have sex with him, or anyone, ever?"

"Probably not for a long time," Noah said.

Sylar took a moment to think that over. "So you DO want sex?"

"Not for a long time," Noah repeated. Sylar rolled his eyes. Noah went on. "That's the Demisexual part of it. Still considered Asexual since sex is not important in our lives as much as you sexual folks who are controlled by it. I need to know my partner for a very long time, years, before allowing him to get that close. I wouldn't be able to do one-night stands or short summer flings. If I don't know you, I won't be interested in you. Same for Jason. We talk about it a lot, but the talking phase will take years."

"Taking things slow," Sylar tried. "So in three or four years, you'll try something more?"

"Uh," Noah hesitated before saying, "More like three or four decades."

"Decades."

"Yeah," Noah said. "Now Jason & I often hold hands, we have been in the same shower together a few times & yes we have kissed occasionally, but that will last a long time before we try anything more. We still talk about it for now."

"Wow," Sylar breathed in awe. "You do know Jason will be slightly, I am NOT being indelicate here, just saying he will be, uh, seasoned a bit by the time you get around to having sex if you wait that long."

"That's fine," Noah shrugged. "Our attraction is not physical but intellectual. Besides, the forties aren't that bad anyway. Still young."

"I suppose so," Sylar let it go for now. "So once you start, then you'll go at it like rabbits?"

"No," Noah shook his head. "We don't need it often. Maybe once every five or six years, whenever we start."

Sylar desperately fought off the urge to say 'that remains to be seen' for he knew it would make Noah mad again. Usually when people started that stuff, they couldn't stop. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about teen sex any time soon," he said instead.

Noah laughed quickly. "No, not really." He finished off the last bit of his plate before asking, "Are you alright?"

"It's a very difficult concept to grasp," Sylar admitted. "But ultimately, so long as you're happy, it's fine."

"You should go onto the AVEN," Noah said. "It's the Asexual website & explains a lot. Jason & I are on it a lot."

"I'll look it up when we go home," Sylar replied. "Can I ask you something about Jason now?" Noah gave him a 'really?' kind of depressed glare. Sylar decided to brave it & pressed on. "When Jason gets old & dies, what will you do?"

"Well, of course I will mourn that," Noah answered. "Don't know how long it will take. I'll deal with it when it comes to that."

"You think you'll find a new partner?"

"Well yes, seeing as how in a million years from now, I might not even remember Jason," Noah pointed out. "Downside of being immortal I guess. But, whenever I do find a new partner, the process will start over from the beginning, take years to develop." After a moment he added, "Know what? I think that would be a part of it. All my partners are going to be mortal men. I want time to get to know them, before I give myself to them, before they die on me." He looked up at his father. "I can only ever be a Demisexual. It's the only way to have some type of half-normal meaningful relationship while ignoring the fact I'll still be here lost to the expanse of time."

"You know," Sylar started slowly. "Somewhere down the line, it's possible that other immortal people could be born."

"You think so?"

Sylar looked his son over before answering, "There was one other immortal person I knew about a long time ago."

"What?" Noah gasped.

"He lived for a long time, almost four hundred years old."

"But, he still died?"

"He lost his power," Sylar explained. "Remember I told you I knew some scientists who were screwing around with genetics? Well, that caused problems, gave abilities to some, took abilities away from others & one ability somebody had could also drain you of your powers if they touched you. So he lost his power & died; otherwise he'd still be here today."

"An ability that drains powers. Isn't that what you do?"

"Not quite," Sylar now had to come up with a way out of this conversation. "I'm a mimic & can have plenty of abilities. There's one I have that makes me feel your deepest desire if I just put a hand on you. Got it off a girl I fooled around with. She still had her power afterwards. My power is different. I don't have the one that actually drains the ability out of another person & renders them devoid of power."

"Deepest desire," Noah mused. "So it's like the mirror of erised then?"

"What's that?"

Noah stared at him. "Never read Harry Potter?"

"No."

"Really?" Noah asked in surprise but Sylar just shook his head. "So, if I told you I'm in House Ravenclaw, my wand is seven inches holly with a mermaid's hair, my Patronus is a snow leopard & my Animagus is a Canada goose, you would have literally no clue what I'm talking about?"

"Who's kid are you, mine or Ariel's?" Sylar complained. He sighed heavily before half-retorting, "What house would you put me in?"

"Oh Gryffindor, definitely."

"Ariel says my house would be Slytherin."

"No way, not even close!" Noah disagreed. "You're most certainly Gryffindor. They hate Slytherins by the way."

"How many houses does Harry have?"

"Hogwarts School has four," Noah said. "The others are Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw." He shook his head & laughed. "You don't even come close to being a snake. What is Ariel thinking?" Sylar wondered what being a snake meant in Harry Potter terms, but he knew he could certainly be a devious little snake in real life. Ariel knew him better than Noah did, after all. "By the way," Noah went on, forcing Sylar back to reality. "Where is she? You used to hang out with her a lot."

"She's still around," Sylar said. "We're just both busy at work. She's often with her God-daughter since Jessica moved here."

Noah considered him for a moment. "You guys broke up, didn't you?"

Sylar glared. "We were never together!"

"Bullshit."

"Noah!" Sylar admonished. "We're just friends, both busy. I see her almost every day."

"Like I said," Noah put his empty dishes together on the tray. "Bullshit."

"You're a virgin, what do you know?" Sylar scoffed.

"I know enough by seeing," Noah said. "It's just how people like me are. It's ok, Dad. You're just afraid of leaving Mom behind. But you can't die, either. You should find someone again. It will be temporary, of course. I've already accepted that with Jason. One whole life time, his. I think you need to accept that as well."

Sylar rolled his eyes but didn't push the subject further. On the way home, all he could think about was a phrase from the old good Book, 'out of the mouths of babes'. Noah was simply reiterating what Sylar had told Claire many years ago. He parked the car in the garage. They got out & headed for the house, with Noah hurrying ahead to get Aviv. Sylar suddenly stood still. Somewhere up ahead in time, Claire was waiting. Noah would need to know what was coming. Once he turned twenty, he would find out through their group of the Kabbalah. One way or the other, in five years or less, Noah was going to know everything. There wasn't a whole lot of time left.

Sylar wavered a little on his feet. He took the glasses off with one hand & pushed his free hand through his hair. "Oh God!" He looked up at the sky. "God, how do I do this? I'd rather he hear it from me, but how do I tell him?" He saw Noah come out with Aviv, taking the dog to the beach behind the house. Sylar moved forward towards the house. Some day, Noah will discover it all. He would learn that his father was a killer. Mass murderer. Killed over a hundred people, if not more. Not exactly him, but his power made him do things. Oh sure, it stopped when he joined the Kabbalah; he was basically retired from murdering now, but that's how it started. Oh yeah, let's not forget the fact that Noah would find out how his own parents had truly met, how his father literally ripped his mother apart but she can't die & someday they would get her back in five thousand years. Sylar silently mulled it over as he stopped in front of the door & pressed his forehead to it, as if fighting off a headache, even though he couldn't get one thanks to Claire. "He would hate me the moment I say murderer." He whispered aloud to himself. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about Noah's eighteenth birthday coming up soon. "That's not the best present for any birthday, let alone a coming of age one." But his power said otherwise. "New York! I am not bringing my son to New York for his—but then again, why not? His biggest desire is to go to New York." He sat down on the loveseat bench, leaned forward & put his face into both hands. "That could work. I bring him there. I show him. I will explain it properly to him. But that's only three years instead of five." He stood up again & looked at the sky once more. "So that's it, then? I lose my son in three years?" There was of course, no answer, no matter how long he waited. "Ok then." He finally entered the house.

From then on, Sylar was more openly tender with Noah. He had always been soft-spoken around his son. Others had noticed his very voice would change when directed to Noah. He could count the times he raised his voice at the child on one hand & he had never once gotten physical with him except in jest. Now, whenever he had Noah close, he would try to hold on just a little bit longer. A hand shake would be firmer. Leaving him at school would take longer for he would watch the door several minutes after Noah had gone in. Sylar was silently saying goodbye. Kids change a person. Noah had been proof of that. But he worried if he would change back once Noah left the nest; for he would surely fly fast & far when the truth came out. His only hope rested in the fact they were both immortal & maybe some day, in the epochs of time, they would reconcile.

Noah's eighteenth birthday was all Sylar could think about now, fret over. He needed a distraction before he went even more crazy than he already was & by the end of the Feast Of Tabernacles in late September, he finally did it. He got the entire set of Harry Potter books & began reading in earnest, hoping to forget he had less than three years to go.

Even while at the office for his group, on the top floor of the children's school, or when they were at the small synagogue Shlomo had once owned; while others practiced their abilities, or worshipped with their Torah, he would be in a corner, reading.

Ariel had caught him in the act once. "About time!" was all she said, laughing.

"Noah thinks I'm Gryffindor," Sylar said.

"Nah, you're definitely a Slytherin."

"How do you find out?" asked Sylar. "Just pick & choose?"

"No, you literally take the test online."

"There's a test?"

"Yeah," Ariel nodded. "Just get online & look for Wizarding World. It used to be called Pottermore but it's been upgraded."

"I'll check that when I get home."

"You do that," Ariel laughed as she walked away.

Sylar put the Goblet Of Fire aside & got up to walk around a bit. He quietly passed by some who were at prayers so as not to disturb them. He observed others trying to use abilities, sometimes stopping to help them like how Elle had once taught him. Some of the members referred to him as rabbi for this, which Sylar both liked yet found odd at the same time. He was not a religious leader by any means, but the term was also designated as teacher or master as well, used to express honor or respect. Being appointed by Shlomo had also given Sylar some status.

Sylar eventually took the test & then for the first time in a long time, he called Ariel for something other than work. "So apparently, I'm a Hufflepuff."

Ariel let that sink in for a moment. "No, no. You would work well in Slytherin."

"Nope, it says Hufflepuff," Sylar said. "It kind of explains me when I was younger. You know, before all this stuff got into my head. I was the nerdy shy guy hiding at the back of class most of the time, then."

"I guess that makes sense," Ariel said. "That would be a good thing then. Maybe it means you've found yourself again."

"Maybe."

"How's Noah?" Ariel asked after nearly a minute had gone by without either saying anything.

"Fine. I think he's out with Aviv & Jason right now. He came over for a visit."

"Oh nice," Ariel sat down on the edge of her bed. "Well, goodnight Gabriel."

"Goodnight," Sylar closed the phone, then held it to his chest as he lay back across his own bed. "What am I doing?"

He was staying away from Ariel because she was mortal & he wasn't. He had almost killed her twice now. Third time's the charm, right? Sylar went to the balcony section at the back of the house it wrapped around. He could see Noah & Jason down on the beach, just standing close together & holding on to each other, one immortal, one not. Another thing Sylar realized was that he could not wait five thousand years. He would end up with Claire again some day, but at the moment, she was technically dead to him.

Let Ariel take care of him, Shlomo had said a few moments before Sylar had put him down. There were few people in the whole universe that Sylar trusted, the old dead rabbi being one of them, yet he continued to avoid her. His main worry right now, was confronting Noah about his dark, bloody past. Would Noah's reaction break him & drive him to blood once more? Sylar did not want Ariel to be his first victim after a long dry run. He didn't want her to be yet another statistic of his if it came to that in about three years, so he pushed away. If he could make it past Noah's eighteenth birthday, then perhaps he could be with Ariel.

Sylar finished the Harry Potter books in time for the Hanukkah/Christmas season, or so he thought. "There's more?" He exclaimed after opening Noah's present to find Cursed Child & the Fantastic Beasts set.

"Fantastic Beasts is a prequel," Noah explained. Ariel called him at that moment to wish them both a Happy Hanukkah.

Sylar scolded her. "You didn't mention anything about Cursed Chi—"

"DON'T READ THAT ONE!"Ariel shrieked so suddenly, Sylar fumbled with the phone for several moments before catching it & bringing it back to his still-ringing ear, albeit upside-down.

He quickly put it the right way. "What the HELL is wrong with you, woman? I don't scare easily but damn! Pretty sure I lost a few eons of eternity from my life after that one!"

"Sorry," Ariel gasped. "Ohh I should flip that boy over my knee!"

Sylar put the book down on the sofa next to Noah. "Is this bad?"

"Yes!" Ariel replied breathlessly. "Fantastic Beasts is fine, but stay away from that fake book!"

"Noah says he liked it."

"Noah is a kid! What does he know?" Ariel snapped, still grumpy.

"I'd rather not take sides," Sylar said carefully, glad that Ariel was on the other side of Haifa from him at the moment.

"Just don't read it," Ariel ordered. "See you at work." She then hung up without waiting for a reply.

When next he saw her randomly in Haifa on a frosty afternoon, Sylar slowly asked, "Are we ok?"

"Did you read it?"

"I haven't had a chance to read anything yet."

"Then we're ok," Ariel walked away without so much as a backwards glanced.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Sylar said to himself.

Apart from dodging Ariel's wrath over the accursed book (her words), things seemed to settle for awhile until Noah's next birthday. For a present, Sylar handed over the keys to their newest car as Noah began working through his driver's course, hoping to finish in time for summer. Driving was a major milestone of life, but it only reminded Sylar that he had just two years left to figure something out. He could stop time, but that would be a miserable existence. If only someone from any of the Kabbalah groups out there could maybe slow time down. It was all going by too fast.

The stress was making him difficult to be around as time went on & he slowly became withdrawn, often remaining in the large office above the children's school by himself. He was seen less & less among the others & it was up to Ariel to invite the last two people with powers they had found before summer.

Sylar wasn't heard from for most of the summer, either. He had retreated back into the beach house with Noah & Aviv. It was almost as before, when he had been slightly wild, when Noah was a baby or small child. When things were simple.

But things weren't so easy anymore. It would be the second last summer & Noah didn't stick around like before. He was often out on his own, with Jason. He had certain needs now that a parent had no business trying to fulfill. He was growing up.

It caused Sylar more worry than he cared to admit & made him a danger to those around him. Both his attendance & his attention to the group went down. Neither did he answer or return Ariel's calls when she tried to check up on him, which caused even more strain on their already fragile friendship.

Finally out of frustration, Ariel all but threw her Talmud hard onto the desk, startling others around her. It slid down the entire length of the table to fall off into the chair at the end. Barely noticing, she stood up & marched to the door behind which Sylar hid on one of the rare times he was there with them in the Kabbalah temple. René blocked her way. She tried to push him aside but he shook his head.

"Oh it's going to be like that, is it?" Ariel fumed. "Step aside now or so help me!"

"He wishes to be alone."

"I don't care!" Ariel puffed up like a prickly porcupine. "I'm going in to talk to him."

"It's too risky."

Ariel narrowed her eyes. "I liked you better when you're on mute! Now, in the words of Queen Esther, I'm going in & if I perish, I perish. STEP ASIDE!" She shoved him but he stood firm. She yelled at him in Hebrew.

Midst her tirade, Sylar opened the door. "You're this close to giving me a headache, which should not be possible for me. As you were, René." He moved aside to let Ariel in.

Ariel snarled at the Haitian. "As YOU were!"

"That is quite enough," Sylar ordered, closing the door. "What do you want?"

"I want to know two things," Ariel started. "First, am I talking to Gabriel or Sylar right now? Second, what is going on with you?"

"I've got my glasses," Sylar answered. "Not that it does anything really. It was more of a game to keep Noah in line when he was younger."

Ariel immediately softened a bit. "How's he doing?"

"Uh fine," Sylar replied sarcastically. "Considering who he has for parents. We both slept around a lot. I don't know where he got it from."

"Aces are rare," Ariel laughed. "Does it really bother you?"

Sylar dropped into the armchair by the window. "No. I don't really understand it, which is very unusual for me. I must have read through that AVEN website a million times. But if he's happy, he's happy. Who am I to interfere?"

Ariel moved a chair closer & sat down across from him. "You know, I remember the time you dyed part of your hair blue * for him, around the time you let him paint his nails. Both of you got a lot of strange looks for that, but neither of you cared."

"It was a phase he went through."

"Why did you put some blue in your hair?"

"I didn't want to do my nails," Sylar laughed quickly. "So I compromised with that. It washed out in a couple days."

"You're a very supportive father," Ariel said. Sylar merely scoffed under breath. She watched him for a moment. "Alright, what's really going on?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

Sylar got up from the armchair & walked by her. "I said it's nothing."

"Where are y—oh no, no. You aren't walking away this time!" Ariel quickly turned to light, blinding him for a moment. While he recovered, she reappeared. "You're avoiding everyone lately. Used to be just me, but now you're pushing us all away."

"I'm not avoiding anyone."

"Liar!"

Sylar glared at her. "Are you asking me to kill you?"

"There you go again," Ariel ignored the threat. "Pushing me away, like you've been doing for over a year."

"Ariel!" Sylar shouted at her, making her jump. In a lower voice he said, "Fine. Yes. I am avoiding you. I almost killed you twice, already. I'm trying to avoid an accident. If I can just make it through this next year & a half without hurting you, or anyone else, that would be great. But I don't know if I can."

"Why?" Ariel asked. "What happens in a year & a half?"

Sylar gazed at her for a long time. "Noah's eighteenth birthday." He glared at the table before adding, "I'm ... going to take him to New York." Ariel gasped, putting both hands over her mouth. "I'm going to try—but God! I don't know how! I don't think I can but if I don't, he's going to find out anyway when he turns twenty & joins us. There is no stopping it & it's coming at me faster than I can blink!" He turned away from her. "It is killing me inside."

"Gabr—"

"Sylar! I am Sylar!" He took the glasses off & dropped them onto the table. "Noah is going to find out about me & there is nothing I can do to prevent that! I only hope he is as supportive of me as his own father was of him."

Ariel was very careful with her words so as not to set him off more than he already was. "You're right," She stated simply. He looked at her with that terrible predatory gleam in his eyes. "You're right, you can't stop it from happening. But you can decide how it happens. Do it properly, he'll stay with you."

"Exactly how do I do it properly?" Sylar whispered, his eyes following her every move. He didn't even blink.

"I don't know," Ariel admitted. "But now that I know what's going on with you, let me help you."

"I am well beyond help," Sylar retorted. "Unless you can erase the entire past, there is little you can do."

She moved close to him despite how he was still eyeing her. "Give me some time. We have over a year. We have some time left. Give me some of that to try." She knew she would either die in a moment, or he would offer her a sceptre in the form of time. Just like Xerxes the king of old, he also did not believe in her God, even if he did have any faith, it still wasn't quite the same as hers. She waited for a reply. Where was her sceptre? Did he even understand what was happening right now?

Sylar shook his head. "If that God of yours can work any miracles, now would be a really good time." He turned away from her & picked up the glasses again. Ariel slowly walked to the door & left. Never ever run from a predator, especially when they were in the mood to hunt. Once the door was closed, she ran for it before he changed his mind again.

It was Ariel's turn to avoid Sylar now, taking advantage of the time given her. The only time she allowed herself near him was when Noah would be around for she knew he wouldn't release his inner demon with his son there. She often watched Noah from afar, usually seeing him with Jason in Haifa, sometimes at the school or out on dates. The pair were becoming more open now since Noah had come out to his own father. Both now wore their black rings permanently. Both still innocent. She wondered how he would handle it when he found out what his father really was. But how to tell him without scaring him off?

By the time his seventeenth birthday came, Ariel was sharing the same feelings as Sylar. She had come up with part of a plan but it was still in the works. She called Noah in the afternoon after school to wish him a happy birthday, then after a short hesitation, she asked for his father.

"Yeah, what is it?" Sylar began in a gruff voice.

"I'm still figuring it out but," Ariel sighed before adding. "Let me go with you to New York next year."

Sylar looked out the window over the glistening sea. "That's an idea," He finally said.

"We can face him together," Ariel went on. "We just have to be gentle about it."

"I'm hardly that," Sylar said.

"You are with your son," Ariel disagreed. "We've all seen it countless times."

Sylar glanced around to see Noah in the kitchen with Aviv. He moved far away, into the living room. "Ariel, I don't usually get like this, but I'm starting to feel about as lost & scared as I was on September 11."

Ariel went to the table & pulled off a piece of challah bread. "We're doing this together & we still have a year to come up with a way to tell him. Two heads are better than one, right?"

"I hope so."

After a long silence in which Ariel ate her piece of bread, she said. "I know you're atheist but why don't you come over for Shabbot dinner this week?"

"I do not think that would be wise," Sylar replied softly.

"You don't have to join in the prayers."

"It's not the religion," Sylar said quickly. "In fact, I quite admire your Jewish culture & rituals. I don't have to believe in it to appreciate it. I find it quite beautiful. I'm just not myself right now."

"Alright," Ariel gave up. "I just thought we could talk things through maybe."

"I'll think about it," Sylar relented. "But certainly not this week." He let another silence go by. "I can hear shofars on your end. You back in Jerusalem?"

"Yeah," Ariel stepped outside for a moment. "They've sighted the New Moon."

"I tried blowing one once," Sylar said, almost laughing. "If I didn't have Claire's ability, I would have ripped a lung out & gone permanently cross-eyed." Ariel burst out laughing for a full minute. "I won't be doing that again," Sylar went on when she shut up. "But I do love that sound!"

Ariel held the phone up high in the air as the blowing of the horns resonated through Jerusalem for a few moments. "There are quite a few of them this time," She said once the horns were quiet. "A bit of a cease-fire going on right now."

"Oh yeah?" Sylar stretched out on the sofa. "Want to bet on how long this one will last?"

"Sure. Shabbot dinner."

"That's blackmail."

"Made you laugh again, didn't I?" Ariel snapped playfully.

"Whatever," Sylar complained. "Give it a week."

"I say two days," Ariel said. "You know how to cook right?"

"Yeah but I don't have Claire's rabbit recipes yet," Sylar lamented. "That's not for a few millennia."

"Gabriel," Ariel all but whined. "Rabbits are unclean. I can't eat those."

"They chew cud!" Sylar exclaimed. "Sort of. It's similar."

"But they don't have split hooves, or any hooves at all."

Sylar took a moment to look up Leviticus. "Oh," He stared at the screen for a moment. "Chapter 11 verse 6 literally says no hares. Shows how much I read this thing."

"You better have that chapter memorized before I come over," Ariel ordered.

"That's only if I lose."

"You will."

"I get cranky when I lose."

"So do I."

"Oh it is ON, girl!"

"Goodnight Gabriel."

"Goodnight," Sylar ground out.

Needless to say, Sylar did lose. A large volley of rockets was fired at Jerusalem the day after the New Moon. Most were taken out by the Iron Dome but a few still sent civilians running to the bomb shelters. It still took him a few weeks before inviting Ariel over for her prize. He had waited until summer when he had been away from others for a while in the hopes of getting his killer side to settle down after being alone for a bit.

On the other hand, Ariel would be hard to catch since she could turn into a beam of light & just shine until he got bored. Might be interesting to play cat & mouse with her. Wait. He wasn't supposed to be thinking like this.

"DAD WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Noah's yell knocked Sylar back to a reality filled with smoke.

"The challah bread!" Sylar gasped, yanking open the stove to find a nice black braid smouldering under the flames.

Noah opened every window in the house before sauntering back into the kitchen. "Dad, if you're trying to impress your girlfriend, you're doing it wrong."

"She's NOT my girlfriend," Sylar snapped. "How many times do I have to say that? She's just coming here since I lost a bet to her."

"Lucky I bought some bread yesterday but haven't used it yet," Noah pulled out a large challah loaf from the fridge.

Sylar sighed in relief. "Maybe there is a God out there after all. Gave you to me for this moment!" He put the bread on a plate then put that on the table while Noah laughed.

Noah looked into the pan. "What's that stuff sizzling in here?"

"Just some lard to stop everything from sticking."

"So pig, right?" Noah raised a brow at his father, grinning widely. "What are you trying to do, have sex with her or offend her?"

"Neither!" Sylar groused as he swore under breath, grabbed the pan & dumped it out, then washed it thoroughly. "It's habit, ok?" He glared at Noah. "I realize she can't have that!"

"Olive oil's in the cupboard," Noah offered.

"I KNOW!" Sylar retorted, pulling it out.

"Do you want me to help you with this?" Noah asked. "Perks of being Asexual. I can think clearly since I'm not hormone driven like you."

"I'm not hormone driven," Sylar defended. It was so much more than that. He was worried he would have another episode. He was worried about telling Noah the truth & that's what Ariel was coming for so they could work something out. Nothing about what this kid had in mind! "But I could use some help. She'll be here soon."

"Well, since you basically killed everything," Noah began. "Let's just use my Jordan Amnon fish." He pulled out a pack of two fat fish. "Fins & scales. Should be fine."

"Those tilapia were the first thing I was going to do," Sylar said without thinking. "But I knew they were yours."

"You can use them," Noah replied, watching as Sylar set about cooking them. He continued staring until he was noticed.

"What?" Sylar managed a smile.

"Tilapia is what America calls them."

"So?" Sylar shrugged. "They have several names. Saint Peter's fish is another one."

"Mhm," Noah moved away & picked up the bread.

"Hey, no touching!"

"I'm putting it in the microwave for a bit."

"Why?"

"You were trying to make homemade bread, right? So you want this warm."

Sylar snickered evilly. "Boy, I like how you think."

"Thank me later." Noah lit up a few sticks of incense. "That's to kill the scent of smoke. You should probably clean up the oven as well."

"Good idea," Sylar agreed. With the two of them working on it, the oven looked normal within a few minutes.

"You should have done most of this yesterday," Noah said, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Why?"

"Not supposed to do work on Sabbath remember?"

"I couldn't care less," Sylar said. "We're not Jewish, remember?"

"But she is," Noah pointed out. "She would have been extra impressed if you thought of that."

"For the last time, I'm not trying to impress her."

"Ok, boomer," Noah made a quick wanking motion as he left the kitchen.

Sylar yanked off his glasses as he gaped at his son's retreating back. "Oh that's cold!" He finally called out in surprise. "Get ba—oh! I will find a way to kill you for that!"

"Consider it payback for all the times you picked on me about sex," Noah said from the top of the stairs.

"Come down here, you brat!"

Noah leaned on the railing, chin in one hand. "How old are you, anyway?"

Sylar glared at him. "I'm getting around fifty. Never will show it though, since I'm immortal."

"You look good for your age," Noah said. Sylar was in the process of thanking him before he realized what was going on. "I'm sure she will notice that, too."

"Go to your room."

"I'm trying!" Noah turned away, laughing his head off. He whistled for Aviv before closing his door with the dog inside.

Sylar rolled his eyes shut for a moment before returning to the kitchen to set the table at last. He was just on time too, for Ariel's car turned into the driveway a few minutes later. He quickly slipped the glasses back on, shot another dark glare up the stairs & then opened the door to let her in.

"I'm going to murder my son one way or the other," Sylar said as he told her about the boomer comment.

Ariel doubled over in laughter. "He called you a boomer?"

"I'm not that old," Sylar complained. "It would clear up our problem next year, though."

"So why did he call you a boomer?" Ariel asked.

"'Cause my OLD MAN!" Noah grinned at his father as he came back down stairs, carrying Aviv. "is an idiot." He then proceeded to tell Ariel what actually happened much to Sylar's horror.

"Go back to your room!"

"I need to feed Aviv."

"Ok, feed the damn dog, then go back to your room."

"I'll help you, Noah," Ariel was crying from laughing too hard. "We can gang up on him."

"I, uh, I wouldn't recommend that," Sylar tried but was ignored.

Noah filled up a plate for himself while Aviv finished what was in his bowl, then put the leash on. "I'll leave you two alone. Hey Dad? Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"You're Asexual," Sylar pointed out as Noah & Aviv left. "Whatever the hell that means." He added under breath as he turned to the table where Ariel was waiting for him, still laughing.

"He is a brat, isn't he?" Ariel said.

"Yeah, he is," Sylar sighed as he sat down. "Takes after his mother. There is so much of Claire in him."

"I dunno. There's quite a bit of you in him as well."

"Like what?"

"Well, when one of you answers the house phone, I don't know who I'm talking to half the time since you two have the same voice," Ariel began. "He carries himself the same way you do as well & now that he is basically as tall as you, it's sometimes hard to know if it's him or you from behind unless the light shows Noah's paler hair."

"Do you think he could turn into a killer?" Sylar asked after a short hesitation. Ariel just looked at him. "He comes from a bloodline dripping with the blood of others. The entire family have killed people. I just happen to be the worst of the bunch."

"He knows nothing of that life, right now," Ariel answered. "He grew up away from all that. It isn't just blood that affects people, it's also the environment. I don't think he would do that."

"But some things get passed on," Sylar insisted. "His family are all crazy people. I am legally criminally insane back in America. Sometimes I see it in him."

"What are you saying?"

"The way he set up his room," Sylar said. "It's an ordered chaos that's a bit hard for me to figure out, sometimes. Come, I'll show you." He quickly finished the last piece of his fish & got up from the table.

When they started up the stairs Ariel teased, "Leading a gal up to the bedroom, are you?"

Sylar turned on the top step to look down at her. "You & Noah today!" He groaned. He opened the door to Noah's room a moment later.

Neither went in but Ariel did see the strange set up. The paths laid out on the floor. How some were placed in groups together as if telling some story. "Wow, he has a lot of plushies."

"Yeah & he's still collecting them," Sylar replied, closing the door. "I thought he'd grow out of it a few years ago. It's like an unsatisfied desire. Just like me."

"Well, not quite like you," Ariel pointed out. "His obsession has a softer edge to it."

"For now," Sylar replied. "I didn't start until I was around thirty & my collection," He lifted a finger & tapped the side of his head. "Is all in here."

"I still don't think you have to worry about him," Ariel said as they headed back down stairs. "While children do inherit a lot from both parents, they also develop their own individuality. You & Samson Gray are nothing alike, for example."

"I am EVERYTHING my father was," Sylar disagreed. "I've probably killed more than he did by now."

"Shlomo said otherwise."

"He did?"

"Yeah," Ariel sat down on one side of the couch & waited for Sylar to join her. "You have his Vision power now, right?"

"Yes," Sylar nodded. "But it only works on major events, not day to day life. I'm using it to look ahead to when the planet blows."

"You are controlling it," Ariel stated. "Shlomo didn't. He let it tell him what was to come. He saw other people with the Aptitude, like you have & told us another was coming to take his place some day. We all looked to your father at first but Shlomo was adamant it wasn't him, which we were kind of glad about, considering how Samson Gray killed people before you were born. Shlomo kept saying another is coming. When Hiro tried to take you down with his sword in the Kirby Plaza, Shlomo told us it was you." Ariel looked Sylar over. "We didn't want you either, naturally, but Shlomo insisted. We expected you to come over right away, but he never said when you'd show up & soon the matter was dropped when you never did come. Then about seventeen years ago, he started on it again. You were back, this time in Israel with an infant son. Shlomo said you would be different from Samson & was very keen about getting you into our group. It was almost like an obsession."

"He had Intuitive Aptitude as well," said Sylar. "It is basically an obsessive disorder."

"Yeah, I can see that," said Ariel. "Shlomo kept going on about how different you were, not only from Samson but from your own self. To us, you had changed over night. But for you, it was because you had spent a few years in a different time. It changed you & your son changed you & to keep that change, Shlomo took you in to make sure you wouldn't revert back like your father did."

"My father said it comes & goes when he tried to attack me to get Claire's power."

"That is because your father never had any help like you did," Ariel said. "It won't be the same for you."

"Why didn't Shlomo try to save him like he did for me?"

"Because Samson was too far gone," Ariel said. "Unlike you, he didn't get caught. So by the time any of us knew about it, he had already killed more than you did before you were sent to the future & all his powers destroyed his mind beyond repair. It isn't that Shlomo didn't want to. It's because he couldn't. It was too late for him, but not for you."

Sylar turned away to look out the window at the glistening water. "I got caught because I accidentally killed the woman who raised me. Left finger prints everywhere. I had just taken another power, Isaac's painting skills & instead of trying to fix the mess & get rid of the evidence, that power took over & made me paint with her blood on the floor, leaving a lot of finger prints & ever since that day, everyone knew the name Gabriel Gray. I still had my Sylar alias but that's the day things really started falling apart. My cover was blown." He looked at Ariel & said softly. "If that accident didn't happen, I wouldn't be here today. Noah wouldn't exist & no one would have known my face or true name. I would be just like my father before me. I didn't mean to hurt her. We were having an argument. I just wanted her to back off. But like Elle, they called it a murder & they had evidence pointing to me from then on." He got up & went to the shelves built onto the wall along the back of the living room. He pushed aside a few things, then brought down a small box & opened it. "I still have the snow globe I was supposed to give her that last time I saw her. I went back for it for some reason."

Ariel came over to watch the swirling snow inside the ball. "I'm glad you have Noah. I just don't like the circumstances, but you have to look ahead, beyond that. We have Noah to worry about now & I think I know how to tell him."

Sylar put the snow globe away. "How?"

"Tell him a story," Ariel said. "Put yourself in third person. Tell him about Sylar & the power that made him do that, but don't mention any names. Let Noah bond with the character, feel as if Sylar is also a victim. While you show Noah around New York, you can mention some of the things the character did. Set up some prompts. Let Noah guess at who it could be."

Sylar ran one hand through his hair. "That might work."

"I think it will work out quite well," said Ariel. "Do it slowly. Let him come to you without him even realizing it right away."

"Yeah & then drive him completely away once he figures out it's me."

"He'll have to get by me, remember?"

Sylar moved closer to her until they were barely a few inches apart. "Thank you for offering to come with us. I don't think I could have done this alone."

"It'll be okay," Ariel said. They gazed at each other for a moment before Ariel's phone started chiming. She turned away from him to answer. Sylar stretched back into the armchair while he waited. Ariel suddenly yelled, "What? No no! That can't be!" She dropped her phone & started running for the door, then turned back. "Gabriel, sorry. I ... I have to go."

"What happened?" Sylar got up from the chair & moved toward her once more.

Ariel was in tears by now. She mumbled something in Hebrew before answering him. "Something just happened in Jerusalem. You remember the two adopted nieces I mentioned from my other family? They've been ... "

"They're dead?"

Ariel gasped in a breath. "I only wish they were. It's worse! They've been taken captive during a raid." She caught Sylar's eyes. "We both know what will be done to them. I need to get home!" She opened the door.

Sylar pulled her back by power until he could grab her with one hand. "You plan on driving back to Jerusalem? That's almost two hours away on a good day. I expect some blockades will be up when you get closer to Jerusalem. You'll never get through!"

"I have to get home!" Ariel rubbed her face with both hands for a moment.

"What do you plan to do when you get there? The girls are gone already," Sylar said. "How do you plan on getting them back?"

Ariel stared at him. She knew he was right but she felt so helpless. "I don't know!" She finally gave up in a wave of tears.

Sylar held her close for a moment. "Let me tell Noah I'm going out for a bit. I can teleport us both into Jerusalem. We'll figure something out there." He left her at the door & ran to the beach where Noah was lying back in the sand while Aviv ran after waves.

Ariel closed the door behind her as she stepped out onto the deck to wait. Sylar soon returned, took her by the hand & the next thing she knew, they were on the streets of Jerusalem. It was chaos in the streets. People running to & fro & several cars were on their sides along the roads. Ariel led Sylar to her home just a few minutes away. It was still standing.

They both went in without knocking. Ariel looked around & soon found her sister crying at the kitchen table.

Ariel ran to her side. "Devorah! What happened? Our house is fine!"

"It wasn't here," Devorah said. "They were still close to the synagogue. I had stayed home today since I wasn't feeling well, but they went. Suicide bombers drove a bus into it. The explosion killed a lot of people. Any survivors got picked up. Gissel & Nechamie were outside when it happened. They got taken along with several others."

Sylar stepped in towards the women at the table. "Any idea where they would have gone?"

Devorah gasped in surprise & glanced around at the stranger who had come with Ariel. Going by the business suit he was wearing, with a smoky blue-gray shirt, she assumed he would be her sister's boss. She felt a sense of not only excitement but also dread. Something vaguely familiar tugged at her memory in spite of everything. ** "Who are you?"

Taking a moment to put the glasses aside onto the table he said, "Sylar."

Devorah stared before jumping in her seat but Ariel held her down. She glared at Sylar. "What are you doing?"

"If you want those girls back, you need me," Sylar replied. Ariel silently shook her head, sharing a short glare with him before he turned his attention to Devorah. He spoke in Hebrew. "If anyone can get them back, it's me. You both know it."

"You would do that for us?"

"I'm a retired serial killer, never a rapist," Sylar replied. "Let me bring them home. I'm probably the only one who can right now."

"It's too late," Devorah said through tears. "They're heading to the border. Should be there soon. You'd have to get ahead of them to stop them."

"I can move really fast," Sylar beamed himself to the other side of the table.

Devorah suddenly had a slight glimmer of hope. "They're heading to Madaba in Jordon. There's an airport just past there for them to fly out. They have to cross the River Jordan which is about a two hour drive from here. It might be easier to stop them before they cross."

Ariel was already scanning a map before showing it to Sylar. "This is the main route."

"Which means they'll be taking the lesser used one," Sylar said. "They're most likely posing as a transport bus by now before word gets out of what their intents are." He folded up the map & teleported out. He landed on the top floor of a half-built complex close to the road & nearly jumped, feeling pressure on his right arm. "Ariel! What the hell are you doing?"

"I knew you were planning to beam out. I grabbed on at the last moment."

"I'm bringing you home. Now!"

"No."

"You can die."

"I can also kill," Ariel pulled out a gun from under her jacket. "I've put down several terrorists when I was in Jerusalem before." She leaned back against a beam where a wall would go. "You need me. You don't know what the girls look like & they don't know you. They won't come to you willingly. You also need someone to keep an eye on you so you don't completely lose it."

"Ariel," Sylar glared at her before shaking his head. "Fine, but you stay close to me so I can make sure you don't die."

"I don't intend to die today," Ariel said. "I'm with one of the best hunters right now."

Sylar had to laugh in spite of himself. "This is true." He looked at their surroundings & began moving through the framework into the next area that would eventually be another room. Several large mirrors lay on the floor, *** reflecting the sky above. They saw planes whiz by overhead by looking into the reflection. "This building is abandoned, I think," Sylar said. "The mirrors are left out in the open. No covering. No one's here."

"It happens sometimes," Ariel said, watching Sylar sit down on one of the large reflective panes. "Terrorist groups. Bombing. Probably drove the people off for a bit. Someone else will eventually start to rebuilding again."

"You'd think they'd run out of stuff to bomb after a while," Sylar lay back a bit & looked up at the sky before rolling over to lie on his stomach. He looked at her.

Ariel slowly walked out onto the mirrored floor towards him. She almost used his true name, but that primal look gave her pause. "Sylar," she finally said. She knelt down in front of him.

"What?" Sylar raised one brow at her.

"Do not kill in your traditional way," Ariel said. "You'll be found out & it will get back to Noah before you do."

Sylar raised himself up on his palms so that he was almost nose to nose with her. "I don't plan on getting caught this time," he said, dropping his voice a little. "Besides, for once this isn't exactly murder. We're getting rid of some terrorists."

"True," Ariel replied breathlessly.

Sylar moved in swiftly, not to kiss her but towards her ear. He whispered softly, "I can see how living in Jerusalem could be beneficial for someone like me, though. I can literally get away with murder there & few would care." He moved back a little to look her in the eye. "Change my target from people with abilities to people with no love for Jews."

Ariel gasped softly. She understood now, just how twisted his mind could be, like the pathways in his son's bedroom. Shlomo had said he would never kill for abilities again, not that he would never kill again. "Think of your son."

"I do," Sylar replied. "He is registered as an Israeli. He doesn't know he was born in New York & neither does anyone else besides you, except Shlomo who's dead now. If anyone from the ISIS or Hamas get their hands on Noah, not even I can imagine what they would do to an immortal being like him."

"I suppose so," Ariel said shakily.

"Perhaps this is my purpose," Sylar went on, still staying close to her. "With all my powers, I could probably win this war single-handedly for your people. If I knew where their headquarters are out there." Ariel's breath caught in her throat. Fact was, he probably could. Was he the one her people had been waiting for since time began? "Shouldn't be too hard to find, not for me anyway."

She slowly raised a hand & rested her fingertips on his cheek. "You could," She managed to say in a hoarse breath. She searched his eyes for a long moment. "My G-d! Is it you? The one we've prayed for?"

"Hey now," Sylar half-smiled. "Don't get all religious on me. I admire your faith, but it doesn't exist for me."

"I know," Ariel dropped her hand away & looked down from his piercing gaze. She saw their reflections under them in the mirror. "Shlomo saw something in you. I know it! Do you have any Jewish background by blood?"

"Not that I know of," Sylar answered. "I just like Jews, your culture. That's all it is."

"That's all?"

"Mhm," Sylar never took his eyes off her. "Well," He kind of half-shrugged, still holding himself up on the mirror. "Maybe not quite all." He lingered a moment longer. "It's high time I took that power of yours, don't you think?" Ariel's eyes went wide for a moment. He was going to kill her! Now, of all times? Sylar smiled softly at her surprise, then attacked her, by moving forward onto her, tipping them both over.

Ariel found herself flat on her back with him on top of her, pinning her down like a panther holding it's prize kill. She barely had time to think straight before feeling one of his hands slide under her belt into her pants. She relaxed for a moment, realizing he wasn't going to kill her. It was something else he was after. Her body involuntarily moved to his groping fingertips until he found that one special spot to play with. For the next few moments, she lost all sense while he rubbed her. He seemed to know exactly how to touch her & she wasn't sure if that was due to experience or some ability he had but was not in a position to care at the moment. Her head only cleared a little when he pulled his hand away.

Sylar tossed his shirt aside as he sat over her hips. He looked at himself in the reflection under them before pulling her up to sit under him & started to help her undress. He was in the process of undoing her bra when she put her hands over his, stopping him.

"Wait," She gasped. "What about Claire?"

"That's five thousand years from now," Sylar said. "Does anyone really expect me to go for that long of a dry run? I'm not Noah!"

"Well," Ariel sighed. "When you put it that way." She lay back.

Sylar covered her with his own body. "Been a long time since I've done this already, Over seventeen years." He began working his way in between her legs until he could push in with one firm thrust, earning a loud groan in his ear.

He started gentle but became more aggressive as he lay with her. They rocked back & forth for a while, Sylar pressing harder into her every time he bore down. He soon rolled over, pulling her on top as he put his fingers through her long, thick hair. She ground against him. Her hands were on his pecks, holding herself up a little. He let the heat fill him as she had him pinned under her. She bent her head down to kiss him. It made him release, long & hard as he shoved up into her, sending them both into a seizure of satisfaction.

She still lay on him, her hair spread over his chest. He softly stroked it for a few minutes, watching the long shadows creep into the framework as the sun set. Lifting a hand, he suddenly added a burst of brilliance that bounced off the mirrors they lay upon. He had soaked up her power. He put that hand on her bare shoulder.

"We have to get up," Sylar said at last. Ariel moaned softly. She had been about to sleep. "Come on. They'll be driving by soon."

Ariel sat up in his lap. "This was a long time in coming, wasn't it?"

"In more ways than one," Sylar laughed lightly. Then he went serious. "I was trying to stay away from you. I don't want to kill you."

"I don't think you will," Ariel said as she began reaching for random clothes until she found some of her own.

"I hope not," Sylar began doing the same. "I've got your power now. Hopefully mine will shut up around you."

Ariel paused, midway from putting her bra on & looked up at him. "Was that all it was for you?"

"There's more to it than that," Sylar shook his head. "Mostly my fault. I'm immortal. You aren't. I was afraid of killing you but also of getting attached. We've been dancing around each other for years. I tried ignoring it, but it didn't work. So here we are now. Gaining your ability is merely an added bonus." He stepped behind her & slid his hands under her half-exposed breasts but not to feel them. Sylar pinched the underwire in the bra, pinning something inside. "Don't lose the bra. I put a tracking device in it in case we get separated." He held up his phone & connected it to his tracker, then turned away from her & bent to pick up his shirt. He remained silent while he finished getting dressed & avoided watching her do the same.

"Are you alright?" Ariel asked at last.

"I do not know," Sylar replied so low it was hard to hear again. He finally looked at her. "I'm about to kill again, but not as a sport. I've only ever murdered people, not warfare like this. But it's still a killing zone. You're about to see me at my worst."

"Gabr ... " She stopped short as he simply looked at her. "Sylar. Whatever you do, promise me you won't kill in your usual way. If that gets out! Just think about Noah."

"I know." Sylar sighed. "Do not change in front of them. If people of that sort knew about what really goes on in our Kabballah chapters, they could come after any of us to try gaining abilities to use against Israel. I will use the force to flip aside some of those vehicles from afar, but once I'm up close, I will make it physical instead. If any of them do happen to figure out we're special, killing them first is a top priority. They could destroy everything if they start getting their hands on people like us."

"Ok, sounds like a good idea," Ariel stood up, pulling on her jacket. "There. I think that's them." She pointed to a line of trucks coming down the road.

"Yeah," Sylar watched it come. He was ready for it. One lust now satiated, it was time to quell the other more deadly one.

* Yes, there is a picture of Zach Quinto going around with a streak of blue bangs he apparently did recently!

**/*** This is based on a photoshoot Zach Quinto did on a mirror on the floor. I can no longer find them online though I have copies of them in my own pictures. There are about 10 of them in a series.