DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!
... Amber slowly crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb Sylar's peaceful slumber. After talking to Claire on the phone moments before, she couldn't help but feel her old wounds open again after her recollections.
Sighing, she crept into the television room, sitting on the soft leather couch with her knees hugging her chest. Gently rocking herself back and forth, she absently wished she could talk to her old friends. She felt so alone in New York and, save for having Sylar around, she wondered what her friends were doing back home in Edmonton. She wondered if Victoria still wanted her at her lavish birthday party.
Almost as if on cue, her cellular phone came to life, vibrating on the coffee table where it lay charging. Suppressing a shriek of delight, Amber picked her phone up to see that she had received a text from Victoria herself. The message made Amber's loneliness disappear for the moment:
Hey sis...hope you'll still come to my party. I know things are rough for you with Jason's murder but I uwant you there no matter what.
"There you are" a familiar male voice said from the doorway. Amber dropped her phone in surprise.
"Gabri, you startled me" she exclaimed, sighing in relief as she bent to pick up the phone.
"I went to go get myself a glass of water and found your side of the bed empty" he said, sauntering over to the couch, clad only in boxers. "So what's with your phone?"
"Victoria texted me" Amber exclaimed happily as he sat next to her "She still wants me to come to her birthday party"
Sylar raised a questioning eyebrow at her.
"She's my best friend in the entire world, Gabri" Amber explained, pouting slightly "I have to be there for her. I'm sure it will be safe. She would never get the cops involved"
"It's not just the cops" Sylar sighed, yawning "If Noah Bennett gets a lead on you, it will be very difficult to escape him"
"Please" Amber begged, giving him her version of the puppy dog eyes "I'll be careful...I promise"
Without warning, Sylar burst out laughing.
"If it means that much to you, we will go" he said, chortling "But, if I sense one iota of danger, we're out of there. Do you understand?"
"Yes" Amber said, grabbing him and hugging him "You're the best, Gabri"...
... Victoria Ramirez sat at her desk in the small bungalow's den, hoping she would get a reply from Amber as quickly as possible. She knew what Amber had gotten herself into lately, and despite everything, she missed her friend and wanted her to be at her birthday party.
"Are you sure she will text back?" A male voice asked from across her desk. Victoria gazed at the ruggedly handsome man sitting there.
"I'm sure she will" she replied, wiping her sweaty palms on the front of her skirt "She and I are like sisters"
As if on cue, her phone vibrated. She picked it up and read the message.
"Looks like the party is a go" she replied, sighing "She also mentioned bringing a date"
"I appreciate your cooperation, Ms. Ramirez" the man replied, gazing at the Filipino girl coolly "If she comes through, we will drop all your sister's theft charges and give her a clean slate"
"What do you plan on doing with her?" Victoria demanded, remembering all of the trouble Amber had with the local authorities over her volatile relationship with Jason.
"She will be arrested and charged with counts of Murder, Arson and Manslaughter" he replied "I was hired by Julian Buchanan to track her down and bring her to justice"
"Didn't Julian tell you of the countless reports that Amber tried to file with the Police and the RCMP?" Victoria snapped, glaring at him "They basically refused to help her"
"It doesn't matter" the private detective replied, smirking arrogantly "She is a lying slut who will get what she deserves in the end"
Victoria's eyes widened in anger as she reached across the desk and slapped him across the face. He laughed, grabbing her wrist quickly and savagely so that her body was halfway across the desk.
"I'd be careful if I were you" he warned her, his eyes narrowing "You wouldn't want to get on my bad side, love"
Victoria kept her mouth shut and averted her eyes as he took her hand and kissed it. His fingertips trailed up her arm, to the undersides of her small breasts.
"Now, love" he said, in a low voice as he smiled slyly "Give me some of that sugar that you gave me last night"
Victoria closed her eyes and surrendered to the detective's touch...
... "What do you think of this one?" Amber asked, flouncing out of the dressing room at Macy's in a beautiful short black cocktail dress with a slit up both sides.
Sylar gave her dress an appraising gaze and then shook his head.
"It's not you" he said, eyeing some dresses on a nearby rack "Try on the blue pixie dress and I'll see if I can find something more suitable"
Rolling her eyes, Amber flounced back into the dressing room. They had been at the dress department in this store for nearly an hour and a half and they still couldn't find anything. Sylar was beginning to get irritated being in the women's section for so long, but he didn't want her to go by herself so he stayed with her.
Sylar let his eyes roam through all of the racks until a flash of red caught his eye. It was a deep red halter dress with a slit up one side. It was a little longer than the ones they had originally picked out, but it looked much classier. He quickly found her size and waited patiently for her to come out of the dressing room in the light blue dress that looked like something Tinkerbell would have worn.
Moments later, Amber emerged from the dressing room, shaking her head no.
"This dress is not for me" she said, trying to smooth down the puffy fabric "I'm not fond of all the poof"
"Me neither" he replied, holding up the red halter dress "How about this one?"
He couldn't help but smile at the way her eyes widened in wonder. She quickly grabbed it and flounced back into the dressing room to try it on. As an added measure, he crossed his fingers for luck.
She quickly came out of the dressing room and struck a few sexy poses in front of him. He loved the way the dress fit her lush curves just right...and how it showed just the right amount of skin to make his temperature rise. He knew this had to be the dress.
"I like it" he said immediately, smiling at her "It looks great on you"
"I agree" she said, beaming "I am going to be the sexiest woman at that party"
Sylar glowered at that comment, wondering how many unwanted suitors he would have to fend off on her behalf.
"Lighten up!" she exclaimed, giggling "You know I'm going to that party with you...nobody else...so you better enjoy it"
"Oh I will" he murmured, flashing his trademark smirk as he advanced on her...