Making his way out of Noah's room he heard the water running in the bathroom, Claire had evidently decided to take a bubble bath. Quickly he made his way across the landing to the stairs.

"Hey!" Claire's voice rang out with mock anger as he passed the bathroom door. Noticing the door was ajar he wondered what the protocol was for this situation. Gingerly he hovered outside the bathroom door, "Hey..." he dug his hands deep into his jeans pockets.

"Is he asleep? " Claire cooed.

"Yeah, out like a light" Sylar shrugged speaking into the wood grain of the door.

"Typical! Two weeks of me chasing him around the house until he falls asleep on his feet and Daddy comes home and it's like switching off a light!"

He heard her splash around slightly in the water.

"I guess you've either got it or you haven't " He grinned drumming his fingers lightly against the wood.

"Yer right! That's you on bedtime duty until he's sixteen then!"

Sylar could only sigh at her remark; he wouldn't mind that one bit. He paused for a moment realising that somehow he was a little jealous of his future self.

"Honey why are you stood out in the hallway like a freak? Come in already!"

Swallowing hard as though to compose himself, he couldn't help but feel like a fraud. This woman thought he was her husband; he was her husband, just not quite yet. Was he really going to do this? Go sit in the bathroom as Claire Bennett took a bath? Of all the strange and surreal things he had ever encountered he never thought he would be faced with this particular scenario.

"Gabe...what's wrong?" she prompted, his silence must have seemed strange to her.

"Err, nothing! Sorry, just thought I heard Noah that's all" he fidgeted on his feet, still unsure about stepping into the bathroom.

"You know him, once he's out he's out! Come on in would you, I've not seen you in like two weeks!" Claire's voice was insistent.

This was it; he'd have to do it. Feeling like he was about to jump off a cliff he took a deep cleansing breath and entered the bathroom.

And there she was, her hair was still up but small curls had escaped and framed her beautiful make-up free face. The bathroom was dark save for a few scented candles she had lit about the place. He thanked whatever God he was preaching to these days that she was covered almost head to toe with bubbles and only her tanned damp shoulders were visible.

"So you wanna join me?" She asked kicking a toned slender leg out of the water in a playful gesture. His breath caught in his throat at the thought of what she was insinuating.

"Oh...errr.. I don't think there's room for me in there Claire" his voice was shaky as he tried to cross his legs to hide the effect she was having on him.

Claire gazed at him with a sultry smile,"It's never stopped us before has it?"

Hasn't it? Great another thing to hate his future self for, bubble baths with Claire Bennett!

Sensing his hesitance Claire's face fell into a frown, "What's wrong with you?" she asked returning her leg to the water with a frustrated huff, "You're being weird. Have I done something wrong?"

He found that the look of hurt on her face nearly broke his heart.

"No, no of course you haven't. It's just been a long few days that's all...I'm still jet lagged." he tried to reassure her just wishing that he could come clean about this whole situation. His fear that she would turn him away if she knew the truth was the only thing stopping him from doing just that.

Claire nodded in acknowledgement of his explanation but the look of sad dejection didn't move from her features. Resigning himself to his fate he felt a warm smile creep over his face, he'd not smiled that genuinely in years.

"Ok, budge up!" he sighed,tugging his vest over his head in one fluid movement.

He soon found himself chest deep in bubbles. Claire had somehow wrapped her arms and legs around him so that she was holding him completely and the back of his head rested perfectly on her collar bone. He had never felt so helpless or contented in his whole life.

"Claire" his voice was full of curiosity as he watched her delicate fingers making idol patterns in his damp chest hair.

"Hmmm?" her fingers never faltered.

"When did you start loving me?" Sylar instantly felt her head lift up questioningly and he wondered if perhaps this was the entirely wrong thing to ask.

"I'm sure I have told you this story before Gabriel...you're just fishing for compliments!" she chuckled and nipped his shoulder lightly with her teeth.

Relieved he grinned, "AM NOT!"

"YOU ARE TOO!" Claire smacked at the water to punctuate her words. Capturing her hands in his own and holding them still on his chest he continued.

"Tell me again...please? Humour me?" he looked up at her, craning his neck round and hoping that his puppydog eyes would get him his way.

Claire sighed heavily letting her head drop to place a kiss between his shoulder and his neck. This simple act of affection sent a shiver through him.

"Ok, ok...where shall I begin?" she teased, he could feel her grinning against his wet shoulder.

"Well, I was trying my best to hate you like I promised I always would. Even when Peter had forgiven you and you guys were flatmates I still didn't want to admit that I liked you. Occasionally you would try to do something nice for me and I would be a total bitch and throw it back in your face like a spoilt brat."

He felt the flicker of her eyelashes against his ear as she wound her arms around him just a little tighter.

Ever impatient Sylar couldn't resist prompting her further.

"So what changed your mind?"

"That day, the company finally got to you." her tone changed instantly, she was more sombre now, "You'd not been Sylar in two years or more and yet they still couldn't leave you be. You'd proven you had changed, you saved everyone and still they hounded you. Even though there were villains with abilities cropping up all over the place, you were the prize. Everyone wanted to bag and tag Sylar. They shot you full off the new antidote and pumped you full of bullets"

Claire spat out the words that were still so full of bitterness and anger that the emotion just seemed to radiate off of her. Instinctively he held tightly to her hand, offering his comfort for whatever good it might do.

"When Peter and I got to you, you were dead. I couldn't believe it at first, I beat my fists on your chest, cursed at you and told you to quit playing. Ordered you to wake up. But, there was nothing, for so long...just nothing. Peter tried to drag me away, but I clung on to you and begged you to come back. To my great surprise I felt like the my heart had been ripped out, it was the first real pain I'd felt in years. Eventually I just collapsed down on to you and told you I loved you. Told you that you had to come back because I loved you."

He didn't need superpowers or extrasensory perception to know she might just burst into tears any second now. There was a pang of guilt as he considered maybe he shouldn't have pushed the issue. He had one night with her, for the next few years at least and already he had made her cry. Some husband.

"...and then..."

Claire composed herself.

"...and then you woke up"

Thank God, she was smiling again, laughing almost.

"The first words you uttered to me were,"You meant it" ...you jerk!" she chuckled slightly beneath him at the memory of it.

"Even when you were half dead and barely conscious you were checking that I wasn't lying to you...unbelievable"

He kissed the back of her hand momentarily, "I can't switch it off, it's just there all the time" he spoke in barely more than a whisper.

"I know baby, I was just kidding." she kissed his neck once more; if he wasn't mistaken he would never tire of that.

"Must have been scary, thinking you were the only immortal person left in the world" Sylar mused.

"No, wasn't that.I mean eternity alone would suck...but it wasn't that. I was scared I'd lost you. Just you."

Sylar tried to stifle the broad grin that threatened to spread across his face.

"What?" Claire nudged his ribs playfully.

"Nothing...just you meant it"