Peter's shoulders sagged and he dumped the other drawings on the bed. He watched her carefully as she looked through them, knowing every lift of her mouth; every thin line at the corners of her eyes; the way her hair fell away from her face when she brushed it away. "I've seen your face so many times, Ellen." he said as she paused on one; her hair was down and went over one side of her face as she seemed to be looking over her shoulder. "Before I even met you I knew everything about it until I actually believed you didn't exist. I only wish I could have gotten one of you smiling."

Ellen looked up at Peter, his eyes were soft and kind as he looked at her. She turned and sat on the bed with the drawings in her hands. She was exhausted yet the day was still not over – and this only added to the lead weight that seemed to be hanging from her shoulders. Her head still hurt so badly.

"What does all this mean?" she said looking helplessly at him.
"It means that you're important, at least to me. I wish I could tell you more than that." He replied softly.

Ellen stare at the drawings of her in her hands and thought of Gabriel. He had always been what she had just seen, cold and out of his mind. She never would have known had it not been for Peter.

"You make me look pretty." She said, wiping her eyes with her hands and trying to steady her breathing, but it came to no good.
She had managed to hold her emotions for the most part during the turbulent afternoon but couldn't keep them any longer. They poured out of her as she put a hand over her face.
Peter sat next to her and held her to him, feeling a pain in his chest at witnessing her sadness.
He seemed so perfect…and I even kissed him!

Peter wiped her tears off her cheeks but allowed her to cry. Even he couldn't tell for certain what she had gone through that day.
"I'm sorry." She said, "This is really very flattering." She indicated the drawings.
"It's alright." Peter said as she allowed him to look into her eyes again. "You're a strong person, Ellen. You can get through this and I swear I'll help you in any way I can."

She didn't answer but continued to look at him.
He felt his body tremble slightly being under her gaze for so long, "You will be alright, Ellen Warren." He said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"You've been so sweet Peter and I've just been horrible – "
Peter shook his head, "We've gone over that already. It doesn't matter."

He felt himself falling into her gaze and before he could stop himself he leaned over and gently kissed her lips, his hands holding her face to him. Peter caught himself and pulled away, feeling her warm fingers on his hands, and quickly moved off the bed.

"I shouldn't have – " he said, his thoughts fragmented in his mind, "I'm sorry for – " he stopped and tried again, "That shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away from her.

Don't – it felt like I needed it.
Her eyes remained sad but she wasn't angry, "You don't have to apologize, Peter." She said, shuffling her feet on the floor and searching for a subject change.

"So, he's going to keep after me?" she said lamely.
Peter nodded, still in attempt to control himself after that kiss.
"He didn't follow us though." Ellen said as though to herself. She looked curiously at him as Peter's brain seemed to stop all of its thought processes at once.
"No," he said slowly, "he didn't."

They looked fully at each other then as the thought occurred to them at the same time.
"Oh no!" Ellen said, her eyes as wide as plates.
"Claire!"
Ellen leaped off the bed and took his hand, "Let's go then!" she said, her fatigue forgotten.
Peter hesitated as he looked at her. Though she was running on a fresh batch of adrenaline she still looked very pale. "Are you sure you want to come?" he said raising his eyebrows at her.
"She was trying to help me right along with you. I need to do the same for her if I can."

Peter nodded and closed his eyes.
"This is mostly my – "
Ellen's voice echoed in Peter's room for a second after they had disappeared.

"– fault anyway." Her voice pierced the room they stood in and she stopped herself from saying anymore. Peter squeezed her hand tightly and walked slowly into Claire's living room. The lights were dark and a cool light came in through the windows as clouds blocked out the sun in the sky.
There was no sound to be heard aside from the noises outside, which made them both more anxious.

Ellen's eyes darted about the dim room as they entered and she saw it first. A pair of feet lay on the floor, sticking out from the front of the couch. They shoes that were on them were neatly polished and shined at her.
She clawed at Peter's arm and pointed at the spot on the floor. Peter led Ellen around to the front of the couch, his blood pounding in his ears in anticipation of what he would find.

Nathan's body lay along the floor, his arms flopped over to one side and the top of his head was missing, a pool of blood soaked into the carpet where it should have been. His face was permanently frozen in an expression of fear and surprise. The glassy eyes were wide and stare blankly past them to the ceiling.
Rage, hatred, sadness, and depression flowed through Peter. He didn't feel the hot tears on his face as his emotions ravaged through him. He had died as well, his mind was completely blank as he look at the body of his elder brother.
Nathan was dead.

A helpless cry burst from Peter and he sank to his knees next to the body, putting his shaking hands to his face as he despaired, shaking his head and staring at the empty eyes.
Ellen saw the blood and Nathan's eyes but she didn't react. She couldn't. The horror and perversity of what was before her paralyzed her thoughts and instincts until she looked at Peter who was rocking back and forth on his knees, staring at Nathan's body and shaking his head.

She knelt down next to him and put her arms around him. He didn't push her away but he didn't react to her either.
"I'm so sorry Peter." She said in his ear.
"I had always thought he could fix anything, solve any problem." Peter said. "I can't do it alone. I never could! Nathan - !"

Ellen hushed him, her hands to his face, "Peter." She said quietly, "Look at me, Peter."
He slowly dragged his eyes away from Nathan's body and obeyed her. Ellen took the tears away from his face with her fingers, "It's your turn, Peter." She kissed him on the cheek and took his hands shakily, "We've still got to find Claire. It's what he would want."
Peter's hands lay limply in hers until she tugged a few times. He got to his feet reluctantly and held onto her as though she was the only thing keeping him above water.

"That's very sweet."
The two of them jerked around for the source of the voice as Sylar stood and allowed the shadows to lighten around him. They both looked at what he'd been crouched next to and Ellen let out cry.

Claire's eyes matched Nathan's and stare blankly past them, her face mangled from Sylar's work. No matter how long they waited, she wouldn't heal and blink up at them.
"Hello, Ellen." Sylar smiled genuinely at her, "I've missed you."

Ellen choked on her words, she could barely stand seeing him there. Peter yanked her back towards the entry way, his eyes on Claire's body. Everything he cared about had died in that room.
"How disappointing, Peter." Sylar said though his eyes would not leave Ellen, "All of the years of protecting her, of trying to save the world," he let out a chuckle, " leaving you only to fail now – because of a woman."

"NO!" Ellen screamed.

"I admit," he said, closing in on Ellen, "I was also in danger because of you – sweet, kind Ellen." He reached at hand towards her and touched her hair.

Seething with hatred, Peter pulled Ellen away and lifted a desk chair in the air without touching it and pushed it at Sylar as fast as he could. It shattered and splintered in front of Sylar, wood slivers cutting into his face as it fell to the floor in pieces.

Sylar faced him again, the cuts were deep in his face and bled down his cheek but then they didn't look so deep. Peter and Ellen watched with widened eyes as Sylar's skin mended itself. The bleeding stopped and the skin closed up leaving only stains on his now whole face.

He saw the expressions of shock on their faces and laughed mirthlessly, "Did you think you could hide something so precious as that forever? It would get rather tiring, I think." His eyes fell on Ellen again. She wasn't angry or surprised any longer. He couldn't read her face.

"What is it, Ellen? Do you still want me to leave? Leave you after being so close to you?"
His hand shot out at Peter who grasped at his throat as he began to choke.
Ellen yelled at him to stop but Sylar moved to her instead, putting his hand to her face. "Would you really want me to leave?"
No, Peter heard.
"You wouldn't stop." She said, moving her face away from him.
Peter gagged and spluttered next to them until Sylar pushed him away.

"For you, you mean?" Sylar said.
"For anything! If this is all you are then you have proven that you can't love, not the way another person can." Her eyes went to Peter. He lay still on the floor a few meters away.

"I can feel more than you know." Sylar said and held her at the back of her neck as he pulled her into a kiss.
Ellen put her hands to his chest and allowed her white light to come alive. Peter raised his head and looked at them groggily, Sylar embraced her in a kiss as a light came between them. Sylar's body was blasted away from her.
Peter watched him be flung away from her like a child's toy as Ellen came to help him up.

Sylar recovered easily and moved towards them again, looking as though they were playing a friendly game. The burn marks on his neck and face seemed to shrink up and fall back beneath his skin, "I'm sorry you have to watch this, Ellen." He said. "But I'm afraid I would rather keep you alive longer."
He pointed a finger at Peter who braced himself as Ellen closed her eyes and held her hands out slightly to her sides allowing her power to course through her as it always had without her controlling it.

Peter could feel heat coming from her and looked as a ripple of energy danced in front of her, deflecting Sylar's contact so it ricocheted and hit a picture on the wall, shattering the glass.

"Peter," she said, "Peter! Take us back!" she said as Sylar tried again and a slice appeared in the fabric of a chair behind them.
Sylar roared in frustration as Peter roused himself from his surprise and took her arm leaving an angry Sylar alone in the room, facing nothing in front of him but the front doorway.

Ellen opened her eyes. They were back in Peter's bedroom. She checked her watch and the clock on the nightstand. The time was the same; it was the present time.
"No, no, no!" she said, turning to Peter. "I meant take us back! We can still save them." Her eyes were wild but focused on him.