Here it is... Chapter 2

Might be a strong T, or weak M.

I haven't changed Gabriel's character completely, I promise. Alcohol makes people do stupid things though, and it felt right. Too much too soon?

There is much more to come; as far as the plot goes, I haven't even gotten started yet. There will probably be as many twists as the show has (or so I hope).

I fixed the line overlaps that I missed in chapter 1, thank you for letting me know anonymous reviewer!

Also a thank you for all who reviewed, you saved it from being another "Tbc?" I'd reply individually but I'm worried that you would not look too kindly upon my filling your inboxes with praise.

Enjoy (:

Claire sat in awkward silence as her and Gabriel waited in the hospital lobby. She had no idea why she had even agreed to come along with him; the entire time they had been there, he had hardly said a word to her. Claire supposed she just felt bad for him.

But maybe, just maybe she saw something in his moment of honesty that excused his tactless behavior. Claire was a sucker for honesty; she was one in constant pursuit of the truth, and for as much as she loved her dad, she couldn't stand the way he kept so many secrets from her.

Strange things had been happening close to home in the recent months. Mysterious deaths and murders were seemingly everywhere at once. Claire had not exactly ignored them before, but this time she was curious; this time it wasn't just her life that had gone awry.

First it was Jackie, and now Gabriel's mother. She was bewildered as to why anyone would bear so much ill will toward these perceptibly innocent people. True Jackie might not have been the easiest person to get along with, but her overbearing personality surely did not warrant this… this monstrosity of an event. Claire idly wondered what Gabriel's mother was like.

The killer's targets seemed to be random to the blind eye, but Claire was suspicious. She had tried to ask her father for more information on the matter, but he merely told her that they didn't have anything to do with her, and that he wasn't at liberty to discuss the matter. Claire knew otherwise though, that she was somehow involved. Point of fact, Claire had only narrowly escaped death herself on homecoming night. The murderer seemed to have set eyes on her, even if he did settle for Jackie.

Claire hadn't fled as her friend was caught in the clutches of death, she watched with eyes that demanded vengeance. Claire would have traded places with Jackie if she could; for a friend she would do almost anything, though before she could convince the killer to take her life instead; it was too late. Jackie had begged Claire to run and save herself; it figured that the first time she showed compassion for any person besides herself, she was about to die.

Perhaps the worst part was that her friend's life ended in excruciating pain. The killer had not merely attacked her; he had cut off the top of her head. Ever since that night, Claire vowed to hold every person she met in higher respect than herself. The fact that it should have been her never escaped her mind, and still it woke her up in the middle of the night; the echo of Jackie's screams piercing violating her subconscious.

Claire scanned the room for anyone who could give them an update on Gabriel's mother. The two college students had been waiting for at least two hours and had yet to receive any news on Virginia's status. Her eyes fell upon Gabriel. The poor guy was a mess; his usually pale skin had taken on a color much closer to green.

"Are you ok?" she leaned over to quietly ask Gabriel.

From what little Claire had determined about Gabriel's personality, he didn't seem the type to let just anyone know what he was feeling, and she respected his wishes for discretion. If it was as he said before, and he didn't really have friends; then he probably wouldn't feel that there was reason for any persons not directly involved to know about the situation. Upon considering her question, Gabriel inhaled deeply as he brushed back his hair with his fingertips.

"I've been better," he replied. Then recognizing that he had let on too much, added "I'm a little tired."

Claire nodded slowly. She needed to get up and stretch her legs a bit; to get away. "Do you want me to get some coffee?" she asked him.

"No. Stay!" his words leapt forward with urgency, but almost instantaneously Gabriel withdrew into himself again; not seeing Claire's deer in the headlights expression.

"Alright," she finally appended her statement when she managed to catch a firmer grasp on things, "I'm not going anywhere."

He visibly relaxed at that statement. Claire had no idea what to do; Gabriel still wasn't talking, and the only attention they had received since they checked in was coming from all of the bored male employees who were busy casting looks of appreciation at Claire.

A particularly handsome doctor actually stopped in his tracks when he walked by, and turned around to approach her. "Is there anything I can do for you miss?" he asked with more than just a hint of suggestion. Gabriel tensed upon realizing the man's obvious play. However Claire being her usual self, was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and took the opportunity to try and get some information out of him.

"Ah yes, I was wondering if you could tell me anything about a patient who was admitted this morning," she smiled sweetly. "Her name is Virginia Gray." The doctor mistook her kind approach for flirtation, and doubled his efforts to charm her; clearly not seeing Gabriel as a threat.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he frowned insincerely, "I'm not familiar with that name. She must not be one of my patients." He jotted down something on the back of a business card that he pulled out of his front pocket. Claire caught what he was doing that time, and blinked; not knowing what to say to the noticeably older man. "Anyway, here's my private number if you need anything… else. Please. Don't hesitate to call." He smiled crookedly and gave her a look.

At that Gabriel leapt up from his place next to Claire and nearly growled at the doctor for his coarse behavior. The man looked as though he wanted to run, but stood his ground and tried to appear confident for Claire.

"Do you make it a habit to come on to emotionally fragile teenage girls?" Gabriel seethed as he backed the man up against the wall.

He merely gaped at him in return and began to stutter slightly, "No… no I just…"

Gabriel cut him off when he picked the man up by the lapels and slammed him into the wall. "I suggest you leave," he nearly threw him down the hall when he roughly released him.

The doctor managed a short "thank you," and hastily made his exit without a backward glance at Claire. Even after he left though, Gabriel remained facing the wall; his shoulders were tense and his back rigid. Claire was genuinely worried about him; she had never seen anyone act like that.

"Gabriel?" she called weakly. His stiff position remained absolute, so she got up from her chair to stand next to him. "Gabriel?" she tried again with a little more clarity. His eyebrows were furrowed when he tilted his head slightly toward her. Claire immediately took a step back when she saw his murderous expression. There was not an ounce of recognition in his eyes, and that scared her. Gabriel looked positively dangerous.

Claire was resolute; she had to bring Gabriel back before anyone got hurt. It might not have been the best idea, but she decided it was well worth the effort. She ripped the card she had been given in half and threw it over her shoulder. "Come walk with me," she told him, and turned to walk away. She wasn't leaving any room for argument.

Claire didn't look back, but instead waited to hear his footsteps fall behind her. When she heard none, she stopped and glanced around; only to find Gabriel standing right behind her. Her heart gave a start when she realized he must have been there the whole time.

'Ok!' she thought, 'that was weird.' She shook her head in disbelief but continued to make her way down the labyrinth of industrial and sanitized white hallways.

Claire opened up a somewhat hidden door with access to the roof; it occurred to her that she had spent a lot of time at that particular hospital. It was the one Jackie had been admitted to during Homecoming. His silence allowed Claire to think as they ascended several flights of concrete stairs. When they reached the top landing, Claire led him outside.

The view was breathtaking. Claire sighed as she approached the half wall near the side of the roof, and leaned over the edge. She turned around to give Gabriel a sad smile before she spoke. "I used to come up here when I needed time alone," she said. Then she looked at him meaningfully, "When I wanted things to just… stop."

Gabriel didn't say anything in return; instead he moved to join her at the edge. The clear night air did nothing to stop the chill that blew over the top of the hospital; Claire shivered.

"You're cold," Gabriel's tone was somber, but Claire was simply happy that he was speaking again; even if he still seemed a bit lost in his dark side. She turned toward him to deny his observation, and saw that he was already removing his jacket. "I'm fine," she insisted meekly as she tried to stop shivering, but Gabriel wasn't listening; he thrust the garment at her and looked away.

Claire would have found it odd how uncomfortable Gabriel was with the gentlemanly manners he was adamant about using, but it actually suited him and his personality. Claire carefully pulled her arms through the sleeves of Gabriel's jacket; she was grateful for the extra layer as she had been regretting not having time to grab a heavier jacket from her room. The loose garment actually hung on her though, and for the first time; Claire actually noticed that Gabriel wasn't as slight as she had initially thought him to be.

Gabriel looked at her then, and she became momentarily lost in his eyes; they were the most lovely shade of brown she had ever seen, almost gold even. Before she could get too carried away with her assessment, Claire tried to thank the man next to her, but instead was compelled to say the first thing she could think of.

"Beautiful…" Claire blurted out, still staring at him.

"Excuse me?" He raised an eyebrow at her random statement.

"Oh!" Claire exclaimed, realizing what she had just said. She hastily scrambled for an explanation or at the very least a cover-up. "Um… the sky," she started nervously, "It's a beautiful night out isn't it?"

Gabriel gave her another critical look and just shook his head. "I've been thinking about something," he told her. "How exactly does one become you, Claire Bennet?"

Claire turned bright red, "I imagine in the same way any other person would." Her reply didn't come out nearly as confident as she had intended; Claire was still reeling from mistakenly telling him that he was beautiful.

"I don't believe you." Claire looked up at him, unable to place his tone, but his expression was equally vacant.

"Sorry…" she murmured. She didn't know what else to say to him at that point. So he spoke for her.

"You're not like the others Claire. You're different. You're… special." Claire kept her eyes on his face; waiting for a sign that could give her a clue as to what he could possibly mean by that. Gabriel looked almost hungry; like she had something that he wanted.

"Oh," she simply replied, unaware of whether or not he had meant to compliment her. "Well what makes one Gabriel Gray?" she asked.

"I might tell you some other time; not now." His tone held a sense of finality, but Claire refused to let the ball drop then. Who knew how much longer they would be waiting.

"Ok then… why don't you tell me about your mother?" she prompted.

Gabriel's expression darkened, "The last time we spoke… we got into a fight." Claire realized the insinuations that would be made about him if that kind of information was given to the police.

"May I ask about what?" she questioned him further.

"She wants me to do more; to be more." He looked at her and added, "To be special."

"I think you're special too Gabriel…"

"You don't even know me," he snorted derisively.

"Then I guess it's pretty obvious." Claire nervously wound her hands together and stared at them, "and hey… thanks for before."

"What do you mean before?" He asked while he turned to gaze out toward the stars again.

"For… you know, defending my honor."

"I take care of what's mine."

Claire froze, 'Woah woah woah, stop right there,' she thought. 'His?'

"Yours," She repeated questioningly; hoping she had heard him wrong.

"You are my friend right?"

"Well…" Was she? She guessed that they were having a moment. Though the hospital wasn't exactly an ideal bonding site, she supposed that's where a lot of relationships started. "Yeah," she decided, and then restated her declaration with more conviction, "Yeah I guess I am."

Claire woke up in the lobby again, still snuggled in Gabriel's jacket. 'It smells nice,' she thought. Unfortunately her rousing was decidedly unpleasant. The hallway was alive with noise as the hospital staff ran around wildly.

Claire looked up in horror when she caught what they were saying, "the woman in room 236 went into cardiac arrest, she didn't' make it." '236' was the number of the room Virginia was in. "Time of death?" The severe-looking doctor asked; the nurse handed him a clipboard, "It's all there," she told him.

Claire immediately turned, ready to comfort Gabriel if necessary, but much to her surprise; she found him sleeping soundly. He must have been exhausted; Gabriel looked so innocent and peaceful when he was asleep; it was something she hadn't seen in him before. Claire hated to wake him, but she knew he wouldn't forgive her if she didn't at least attempt to wake him.

"Gabriel," she whispered in his ear. He groaned a little bit and nestled into a more comfortable position. "Gabriel you need to wake up now," she said a little louder. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked when he found her so close to him.

"Claire?" he asked, "What is it?"

"Your mother…" before she could finish, the doctor approached them. He took off his glasses and wearily looked at Gabriel, "I'm sorry Mr. Gray, but your mother didn't make it." He handed a slightly stunned Gabriel a thick stack of papers. "I'll need you to fill out some paperwork." Gabriel's eyes grew hard as the doctor turned and walked away.

"I'm sorry," Claire tried, and reached out hand to comfort him; debating on whether it would be appropriate to touch him or not.

"I'm fine," he told her, but his tone betrayed the words.

Claire made her decision. She took the papers from him and enveloped him in a warm hug; he stiffened for a moment, but then broke down and buried his face in her neck. "No one's left to love me Claire," he breathed. Gabriel was close to tears. "She's gone, because she didn't love me anymore." Claire didn't understand what he meant by that; he was babbling incoherently. "I didn't mean it Claire."

"Shh…" she gave in return and held him. "It's going to be alright, I'm here," she reassured him and held him tighter in the awkward embrace. "I'm here Gabriel."

They stayed like that for awhile a long while as Claire did her best to comfort him. Her eyes were wide as she gazed over his shoulder and allowed the intimidating man who had seemed so intimidating to her cry on her shoulder.

While Claire was driving back toward campus, Gabriel asked her to stop at probably the shadiest bar they had seen on the route. Claire did as he asked, but looked at him oddly. "You drink?" she asked with surprise.

"Never before tonight."

"You do realize I can't drink… right?"

"Sure you can," he insisted.

"Ok…"

"Do you really think a place like this would turn a girl like you down?" he explained as if she were missing the obvious.

"Oh." Claire thought about it, and he was right. She pocketed her keys and followed Gabriel through the front door.

A few people stared at Claire and Gabriel; clearly they were the odd ones out in this group. Most people however, couldn't be bothered to look up from their private conversations or their glasses; whichever they thought to be more suitable company at the time.

"So Claire, what can I get you?" asked Gabriel. He put his arm around her, obviously making his claim evident to everyone else; neither of them wanted a repeat of the last night.

"Hmm…" she pondered his question. "Well I've always wanted to have 'whatever's on tap,'" she told him, her face was uncertain, but Claire was nevertheless satisfied with her thoughtful answer.

"Beer?" Gabriel blatantly laughed at her. "Come on Claire! It's your first time at a bar. Live a little!"

Claire felt the need to redeem herself, and idea struck her. "Alright big boy," she started, "Why don't you get a bottle of tequila, worm in, and a couple of shot glasses?"

Gabriel made a face, "Worm in?" he checked with her.

"You heard me." He still looked hesitant, but gave her a crafty smile when he caught that she was challenging him. Gabriel Gray wasn't one to let some tiny little girl beat him at anything, especially at a drinking contest.

"Ah what the hell, It's college right?" he ceded.

Claire gave him a flirtatious look and ran a single finger down the front of his shirt, following the path of the vertical opening. Then she smiled and pushed him away, "Alright! Off with you then. I'll be waiting." Gabriel took a moment to gather his wits, and inhaled deeply before turning to walk toward the bar.

When Claire found a table in a dark corner, she smiled to herself. Her thoughts were wound around how sexy and spontaneous it was for Gabriel to think of a thing like bringing her to a grimy dive so they could drown their sorrows together.

True it wasn't a conventional date, but she appreciated the imagination that went into it. Also, she couldn't deny that Gabriel looked good when he was all scruffy and freshly woken up.

At first Claire had thought that Gabriel was just an awkward albeit overgrown little boy, but with the two days worth of stubble that suited his deceptively dark demeanor, and his apparent sense of impulsiveness; she was seeing him in a completely different light.

Claire was startled when a dirty bottle of mezcal was slammed down on the table in front of her. Gabriel carelessly poured them both shots, spilling a little around the edges. The strong scent of the alcohol wafted around them; it smelled like freedom.

"This isn't Tequila," Claire noted when she examined the label.

"No it's not. It's mezcal," he smiled at her slyly. "Tequila doesn't have 'the worm.'"

Claire covered up her moment of embarrassment, "I was testing you," she remarked, and chose a glass while Gabriel sat down across from her. "To…? To what?" she asked.

"Arriba, abajo, a la derecha, izquierda y pa´dentro," he offered.

"I have no idea what you just said to me," Claire gaped at his flawless execution of the foreign language.

"I'm still your tutor," he told her, "Up, down, right, left, and in," he explained.

"Arriba, abajo, a la derecha, izquierda y pa´dentro," she agreed and deftly pounded back the liquor. She watched as Gabriel choked a little on his; it was almost cute.

It wasn't long before they had downed half the bottle. The bitter, smoky flavor of the mezcal was welcome to Claire; she was at that point absolutely resolved to feel the effects. Still though, she figured that she must have an amazing tolerance, because she felt fine really.

Gabriel on the other hand, had only then stopped gagging when he took his turn; that probably had something to do with the fact that he was well on his way to being completely shit-faced.

Claire's suspicions were proven correct when he nearly threw himself over the table to tuck her hair behind an ear, and missed. Claire was stunned, it was the first time he had taken the initiative to touch her. She probably would have appreciated it more if he wasn't so drunk.

"Beautiful," Gabriel slurred; his face was only inches from hers. "Claire! You are the most beautiful girl I've ever met; with your eyes, and this… this hair… I think I love you," he said happily.

Claire just laughed, "Alright," she said, "I think you have had enough." At this rate she was going to get second-hand intoxication and embarrassment from Gabriel alone. Claire pushed him back into his chair, and he almost fell on the floor. Claire's laugh grew louder.

"No!" he protested loudly after he had managed to steady himself somewhat on the table. Gabriel picked up the bottle and swish around the contents, a little bit splashed out onto his hand, "We're not done!" He brought his face lower so he could take a look at the bottom of the bottle. Claire was hysterical.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked between gasps. He tutted her, "Claire, language. Our friend here needs to be handled delicately!" He tapped on the glass as if the tiny little worm was a goldfish.

"I think he's dead Gabriel." He frowned at that. "Come on, give me the bottle," she ordered, "You've had too much already."

"Nooo!" he yelled loudly, causing everyone in the bar to look their direction. Claire suddenly found herself grateful for the relative privacy of the corner she had chosen. She shushed Gabriel.

"No Clairrre," her name was hopelessly muddled, but it still sounded like the most beautiful song she had ever heard. "I made a commitment! I have to get that worm." Claire giggled at that as he shook the bottle around again, the worm flopped limply against the side. She decided to help him out; Claire grabbed the bottle from him and took a few long pulls.

"Mmm… that was hot Claire," Gabriel growled as his eyes followed the stream of mezcal that had escaped the bottle and ran down between her breasts. They both burst into fresh bouts of laughter as Claire poured them two more shots.

"Ok," she said, "We'll get to the bottom!" Then she gave him a serious look that could sober anyone up a few notches, "but I'm totally maintaining the right to cut you off."

Gabriel held her look and managed to keep a straight face for a few long moments before bursting into an uncontrolled fit of laughter and giggling. The unusual high-pitch of it made him sound like he had genuinely gone of the deep end.

By time they had gotten to the bottom of the bottle, Gabriel could no longer do anything on his own. He gazed at the near empty bottle longingly, and tried to snatch it off the table; he knocked it over a few times before finally getting a grasp on the neck.

Claire watched him in amusement when Gabriel tried to pick the worm out of the bottle without turning it upside down. Clearly he was too far gone to notice that his hand wouldn't fit past the neck. "Claire…" he groaned huskily, "Claire help me!" The sound sent shivers down her spine; she was actually worried that she would end up taking advantage of him in his drunken state.

Claire reached to take the bottle from him, but his grip tightened at the perceived assault upon his efforts, so she slapped his hands away and took it regardless. It was only a few seconds before she pulled the dead worm out and poured their last shots. Gabriel was a hilarious and good-humored drunk, but his IQ must have been cut at least by half.

"You got it Claire!" Gabriel praised her as if she had just finished a triathlon. "Now feed it to me."

"Haha… like a bird?" she laughed at him.

"Now you're getting the picture. Come on! Do iiit!" he demanded and leaned back across the table; his mouth was hanging slack and he made an ahh sound. Claire slowly lowered the tiny pink larvae into his mouth and immediately followed up by dumping his last shot into his mouth to wash the slimy little thing down. Gabriel gagged as he forced it down and tried to stand up in triumph; forgetting that his legs were wrapped around the backward chair.

Claire nearly forgot to catch him as she cracked up into hysterics at his over-zealous display. Of course Gabriel wouldn't know how to drink a bottle of mezcal the right way; but she had to give him points for creativity.

Gabriel was nearly slung across her back as Claire led him back up to her room. He had made a weak attempt to give Claire directions to his apartment, but his efforts failed miserably besides. After his stunted swallowing of half the bottle, Gabriel couldn't even walk on his own, let alone actually complete a sentence.

Somehow Claire had managed to get him into her bed though; she figured she would just watch some television or maybe even do some studying while her tutor slept in her bed. She laughed at the implications such a statement would have if spoken aloud. Unfortunately for all senses of propriety; when Claire had started to remove the outer layers of Gabriel's clothing for him, he pulled her down on the bed with him so that he could hold her body against his own.

Claire concluded that he either had no idea where he was and what he was doing, or that he wasn't nearly as drunk as she had initially thought him to be. Gabriel pressed his hips into her backside and snuggled closer into her neck like she was a full length pillow. Claire would have thought it was more pleasant if he was actually half aware of his actions. "Gabriel…" she started to protest and made an attempt to remove herself from him.

"Mmm… Claire," he groaned lazily in return; the vibrations of his deep voice sent a fresh wave of heat toward her loins. She flushed, clearly in his half-conscious state, he enjoyed her much more than when he was sober. "You're still here," he murmured against her skin and brought her closer, winding his arms around her waist.

"Of course I'm still here," she told him in desperate exasperation. "This is my bed!"

"Are we going to sleep together?" He asked and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. Claire was shocked and offended that he would even ask.

"No Gabriel!" she exclaimed, but didn't move from her position. She had taken off his liquor soaked shirt before, and his broad naked chest did little to dissuade her from her current placement on the bed with him. Boy was she wrong before. Gabriel was all man underneath the awful clothing that hid his body; all hard muscles and smooth skin.

Despite her state of comfort, Claire was still angry with him; she opted to remind him why he was there in the first place before she fell asleep and forgot all about it. "You're only here because you were too drunk to tell me how to find your apartment."

"Oh…" he breathed, and in the usual way that drunken people overreacted to criticism, started to apologize. "I'm sorry Claire…" he murmured in a tone that pleaded for acceptance, still his hands stroked the skin on her waist where he had pushed up her top slightly; Gabriel was a misleadingly hands-on kind of guy. "Claire… God you're so perfect." He paused for a moment, "why won't you sleep with me Claire?" he whined. His husky half-asleep voice made the question sound like the most seductive thing she had ever heard.

It took a lot of self-convincing for Claire not to take him up on the offer as she felt the full-hard size of him pressing insistently against the apex of her thighs through the thin fabric of the underwear she had left him in. He was so warm, hot even, and Claire was starting to sweat. She shrugged off her sweater and was forced to wriggle against him, still caught in the tight circle of his arms.

Claire froze when Gabriel let out another long moan before he flipped her over on her back and hungrily descended upon her mouth. Claire thought he tasted wonderful when he slipped his tongue deep inside her mouth; the spice of the mescal still lingered on his soft lips.

There was nothing gentle about Gabriel's kiss; he was proud and insistent when he wound his hands through her hair and released her mouth. Claire gasped, she was panting as she felt Gabriel splay kisses from her neck to the tops of her breasts. When the fabric of her shirt prevented him from touching her the way he wanted though, Gabriel growled again and ever so slowly pulled the thin straps of her tank top down her shoulders.

Claire hardly had the opportunity to think when a last errant thought pushed itself to the front of her mind. Gabriel had been under the impression that she was in the middle of undressing herself when she removed her sweater. She stopped him when she realized what he was intending to do.

For as ready as she was to have him right then and there, Claire knew he would have never touched her that way while he was sober. This was the same guy who cleaned his hands with a wet wipe after shaking her hand for god's sake. The man who had made her cry for the entire night after she had met him because she thought she disgusted him.

She put her hands on top of his to prevent him from going any further. "Gabriel stop… stop," she told him. "You're drunk."

"Doesn't matter," he grumbled. "I want to fuck you Claire." He kissed her hard, "and I bet I can change your mind." Gabriel grinned at the girl underneath him and slipped a hand into her jeans. He continued to kiss her as he worked at her with his long and slender fingers. Claire's senses were on overdrive; every nerve ending on fire as Gabriel Gray's elegant and habitually clean hands brought her closer to the edge.

She fought back against the pleasure-filled moans he was eliciting from her body, trying her hardest to convince both herself and him that it wasn't what she wanted at all; it was hard while he forced the most wonderful feelings to rise up from her core, still breathing lustfully and laying kisses upon her exposed breasts. But before she could find the words to get him to stop, Claire screamed his name with pleasure. She faintly thought that she heard a few people out in the hall applauding and yelling his name, but she was too far gone to care; lost in enjoyment of the afterglow.

She meant to tell him off for going against what she had said, but when she looked over at a now unconscious Gabriel who still had his hand tucked between her thighs, she merely sighed. Claire was exhausted as well, and promptly fell asleep, surrounded by the most terrible and wonderful man she had ever met. It would be an awkward morning-after, but she would deal with him then.

Tbc.