Hey sorry it took so long to update guys. I haven't had a lot of time for writing lately. You're welcome to take it off my hands and finish though if you want. (:

As usual please read and enjoy. Reviews are always appreciated.

"What the hell is this?" A young woman's voice sounded angrily from the doorway.

The last thing Claire wanted to do in that moment was to peel herself off of Gabriel, but her body reacted on instinct as she immediately snatched the closest article of clothing off of the floor. She fought the urge to laugh as she realized she had picked up Gabriel's trousers, leaving him completely exposed and vulnerable. She discarded them again, and instead slipped on his t-shirt; wishing she could take a moment to savor his scent.

"Who are you?" Claire asked with more than a little defensiveness. She took this girl to be Gabriel's current girlfriend, but he was hers first, and she wouldn't let this waif of a girl take him away from her.

"That's exactly what I would like to know," the girl snarled and looked accusingly at the man Claire was still straddling. "Gabriel?" she asked snidely. "Who is this?" recognition set into her face and her anger only seemed to worsen as she realized who she was looking at. "Who are you?" she asked in an unnaturally high voice. "Are you…?" She turned back to Gabriel, "Is this Claire?" She was clearly amused.

"That would be me," Claire answered the question that wasn't directed at her with a saccharine smile.

"Elle…" Gabriel breathed as he slipped on his pants. He tried to mediate her, not knowing if he was to break down and beg for her forgiveness or call the whole thing quits. Not yet anyway.

Elle leveled him with a deadly stare and raised her hands to empty as much energy as she could muster into him. Gabriel screamed in agony as his skin crackled with electricity and his flesh began to separate itself from the bone. Elle let off then and advanced upon him.

"Was that good for you?" Elle screamed at Gabriel, "I bet she can't do that. She's not special."

Gabriel panted as he managed to heave his torso upward into a sitting position, weakly supporting himself with shaky arms.

"Claire is more special than you will ever be," he spat through tightly clenched teeth.

A look somewhere between hurt and blind fury crossed Elle's face as she set another stream of energy into Gabriel's chest. Claire began to worry, 'why was he letting this woman hurt him? Did he feel remorse about what they had done?' She didn't have time to dwell on the thought as Elle's voice pierced through the room again.

"Say that again!" she demanded screeching. "Tell me I'm not important Gabriel. Tell me you don't love me." She slapped him then, and Claire didn't know whether to laugh or to beat this girl to death. It reminded her of when she had struck Gabriel at the coast, and once again Gabriel was allowing it to happen.

One thing was different though; he seemed to be letting her hurt him out of guilt, not out of love and perseverance. This girl was just watered-down Claire; no wonder he had been keeping her by his side. A fresh bubble of anger rose up in Claire's chest as she lost control over herself and leapt on the girl, throwing her off Gabriel and taking the bursts of electricity into her self.

"How dare you hurt him," Claire growled dangerously as she drove the girls face into tile floor repeatedly, not bothering to stop when her blood began to spill out. Claire's attention was caught though, when the girl's body seemingly began to charge up. That couldn't be good, even for her; survival instincts were messy.

Claire looked around the room for anything that could be of use to her in that moment, there was little left intact, but she found exactly what she was looking for. She took a moment to jump up and reach for a miraculously unbroken vase on the window sill, deftly tossing the contents on the girl still bleeding on the ground.

Elle's bloodcurdling scream filled the room as her own explosion of energy was misdirected into her own body. When she managed to recover slightly, still wheezing from the painful shock she had received, she turned fearful eyes on Claire.

"You're not going to kill me?" she asked.

It was Claire's turn to be surprised as she took a step back and looked upon what she had done.

"I'm not a killer," she protested weakly as the memory of the man she had accidentally killed only three hours of her life before sprang to the front of her mind. Claire's eyes grew wide with horror. "I… I'm sorry," she uttered and ran out of the back door.

The soles on Claire's feet repeatedly tore themselves apart against the hot Odessa pavement as she ran as fast as she could; she was trying to find a place to go, somewhere she could escape to. She didn't know how long she had been running or to where, but truthfully she didn't rightly care.

Claire ran until she reached the edge of the only wooded area in odessa, seeking shelter from the changed world. It didn't occur to Claire that this is where she would go if she needed to be alone. She often frequented the spot as a child when her parents were fighting and she desired an out.

"Peter," she turned around and bellowed into the city behind her. "Peter get your ass back here. Get me out of here!" her cries were muddled by tears, becoming more unintelligable the more she thought about it. "Why did you bring me here?" she choked out, asking no one in particular. She knew she wouldn't get any answers; she never did, not until it was too late for her to change anything. Claire allowed her legs to carry her into the small forest on the Southern side of town.

"Claire," Gabriel's voice sighed in relief behind her. Her heart sank as she realized she wasn't getting out of here. Claire reluctantly turned around to gaze at him with a hollow expression.

"How did you find me?" her voice was sad and empty.

"It's a pretty small town," Gabriel explained, "and I can hold my own."

He held up a set of car keys as if to explain how he had caught up to her. Claire scoffed at that. The all powerful Sylar driving to pursue a stupid little girl lost in the woods; it was an entertaining thought, but he wasn't Sylar anymore, was he?

"I want to go home," Claire finally resolved herself to explaining.

"Where is home?" he asked. I can make sure you get there.

Claire sobbed loudly upon registering his statement. Gabriel had no intention to stay with her. She was sure that she would never see him again, and when she finally had they chance, and they had shared a wonderful time together; she had to face the fact that they still couldn't be together.

"I don't know," Claire whimpered; she hated the fact that she sounded like a lost little girl. Maybe that was what he liked about his new love, Elle seemed to have everything figured out.

"You don't know," he reiterated, clearly trying to make sense of things himself. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"I told you!" she insisted. "I don't know! Claire fought back another set of tears that threatened to spring forth.

"Claire," Gabriel breathed and enveloped her in his arms.

"You have to stop doing that," Claire told him.

"Why would I do that?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Because you're going to leave," she stated as if it were an irrefutable fact. Gabriel had to pull back a little bit at that.

"I used to tell you that," he mused aloud.

"I know," Claire replied sorrowfully. "Every time I told you that I loved you, but even though you wouldn't say it back; I knew you did. Even he did."

"He did?" Gabriel asked in surprise. Claire was taken aback that he still didn't know anything about Sylar.

"He saved me… a lot," Claire filled him in. "I… I couldn't love him though," she admitted.

"What I wasn't good enough for you?" some anger crept into Gabriel's tone and his grip tightened in a way that she would have expected pain if she could feel it. Claire didn't give into his childish outburst though.

"You're being weird," Claire said simply. He realized that she spoke the truth and loosened his grip on her a little bit. She brought up her hand to gently stroke his cheek with the back of her hand, her eyes remaining locked with his as her hand continued to trail down the front of his shirt. "I couldn't love him, because I was already in love…" she explained and took a step closer to him to press a chaste kiss against his lips, "with you Gabriel."

"Claire I…" he stammered.

"Do you love her?" she asked.

"No," his eyes shifted to the side as he fumbled with his hands; trying to figure out what to do with them. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?" she asked.

"Me… and um… you. The reason I live—where I do. Claire, we had a son. Her mouth gaped open in a lack of response.

"You mean you and Elle?" she checked, anger coloring her voice. Gabriel looked at her pointedly.

"Who do you think I mean Claire?"

"A son?" she finally managed. "What? No! How?" she sputtered in a series of questions. "I can't have kids though right?"

"You can with someone who is also able to rapidly regenerate—someone who holds the same characteristics in their DNA" he explained.

Claire's eyes grew wide as the truth set in. How could she have allowed this to happen? Obviously she didn't, but apparently future Claire didn't seem to have such a problem with unprotected sex. Where did she go wrong? She wasn't old enough to have a baby. Despite her better judgment, Claire's maternal instinct jumped in.

"Where is he?" she demanded breathlessly. "I want to see him," she said. Claire felt the need to keep this little boy safe. This boy that was half of her and half of the most amazing man she had ever met; he was invaluable, and if he was anything like his father; potentially dangerous. Gabriel seemed to catch the look in her eye as a look of understanding washed across his face.

"That's what the other you thought too," he explained.

"What?" Claire was sure she hadn't said anything aloud.

"The other Claire… future Claire as you call her, thought the same thing. She took him."

"And you haven't gotten him back?" Claire growled menacingly. Before her stood the most powerful man in the world, at least in her time, and he had allowed their son to be taken from him.

"She's his mother too Claire," he replied defensively. Claire knew he was angry about the whole situation from the spark his eyes held, but there was more to this story.

"I don't give a damn. You let some woman take my child?" she began to sound hysterical; everybit taking on the role of an overbearing mother.

"Let's get something straight Claire," he started as he gave her a measuring look. "Me and you are not together anymore; not in any sense, what happened in the kitchen was a mistake. Future you… well you're a cold hearted bitch and if I so much as make any attempt to get my son back, you've promised to kill him," he growled. "So don't come here and tell me that I'm not good enough when clearly you're the one who's too unstable to act human."

Claire took a step back with hurt all over her face. Gabriel really didn't love her anymore… not that she could blame him. Hell if she was him, she would probably hate her too. Maybe that was why Peter put her here. In any case, she was determined to find out.

"I'm going to get him back," Claire vowed quietly.

"Yeah? And how are you going to do that princess? You could barely handle Elle." Claire almost snarled at the name. Sure things changed over time, but how could Gabriel have ever settled for her? He was right, future Claire did have some experience on her, but she had a plan. "A plan," Gabriel repeated back to her doubtfully.

"What can you read minds or something?" she grumbled impatiently.

"I spent a little time with the NYPD… met a cop with a pretty spectacular gift."

"You killed him?" Claire murmured disapprovingly. Of course he did, after all he was Sylar when she left him last, and Sylar didn't give a damn about anyone or anything but himself… except her that was. He had told her that Gabriel didn't love her; now she had reason to believe him.

"No I didn't kill him," Gabriel answered in an annoyed tone. "Now let's hear this grand plan of yours."

"Can't you just pick it from my brain?" she returned his snide behavior. He turned his head to the side just fractionally and appeared to focus. He relaxed with a nervous laugh and a raised eyebrow, but he looked more impressed than doubtful now.

"You're okay with dyeing your hair?" he teased.

"What?" Claire responded with some residual irritation at his behavior, but it was so Gabrielesque that she almost had to smile. He reminded her of the first time she had met him. Still… what the hell was he talking about?

"You look a little bit different than the other Claire," Gabriel explained amusedly. "We have to go get you some new clothes, and fix your hair."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Claire whined slightly.

"It's not brown," he explained.

"That's so not my color," she sniffed in distaste. "I didn't even know I could dye my hair."

"But you can bleach it?" he ragged on her.

"What?" Claire wore a slightly bemused expression. The smile she expected from him never came, instead he just seemed to disapprove of her for whatever he was about to reveal.

"Come on Claire. We both know you're not a bottle blonde."

Claire wore nothing but a towel as Gabriel helped her evenly cover her hair with the dye they had bought from the store. She remembered her mother doing her hair countless times in this bathroom; it was full of memories. It seemed odd that Gabriel lived her now… even if they had lived there together at a time. The thought wandered away in her mind though as she focused on the sensation of Gabriel's fingers gently massaging her scalp, he was so good with his hands.

He immediately removed them upon catching her inappropriate thoughts and began to work the color evenly through the rest of the strands. He wasn't aware of the fact that she could see him in the mirror though, or that she could see the almost smile he wore on his face; not that she would ever say it aloud, but he wasn't a very good mind reader—intelligent men never were.

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you have just undermined my telepathic abilities because you also unintentionally gave me a compliment," he grinned slyly at her and gave her a look. "But I know your thoughts better than you do, and I also know where your mind went when you were thinking about my hands."

Claire flushed red mostly out of embarassment, but also from the anger that set in upon realizing that he really was giving her no privacy at all. Gabriel seemed to take the cue as he removed the gloves he had been wearing and opened the door to leave her there with her own thoughts.

"Wait!" Claire protested, "You're leaving me alone here?" she mumbled. "I still have another twenty minutes."

"Eighteen actually," he corrected, "and do you really want me to know what you're thinking about that shower?" he asked warily.

"No," God yes... please.

"Ugh... I look ridiculous," Claire grumbled after she tried on the clothes her and Gabriel had picked up for her; or rather her costume. It appeared to her that future Claire fancied herself a sort of super villain if her choice of dress was any indication. She looked in the mirror and shook her head, disapproving of her appearance.

Claire was clad head to toe in black leather and denim. Her hair was slicked back into a severe but undeniably practical dark ponytail, and her feet had been shoved into a comparatively ridiculous pair of high-heeled boots. She looked like an action figure, she thought.

"This is never going to work," Claire noted as she opened the door to meet a very distressed looking Gabriel on the other side.

His expression was that of a man who wanted revenge, but also of one that had been broken by life. Claire had the overwhelming desire to reach out and comfort him, to build him back up again into the man she once knew, but she was fully aware that her efforts would be useless, especially when she looked like this.

The whole situation was still very surreal to her, and she had no doubt that the knowledge that she had birthed a child with the love of her life had not fully set in yet. Most of her was doing this for Gabriel; trying to make him happy and making a feeble attempt to earn his love again. Sure it wasn't the only reason, but it also wasn't the worst. Claire hoped that maybe a child would give Gabriel a reason to be with her.

"Is that all you care about?" Gabriel asked, obviously disgusted.

"Sorry. I don't think my motherly instincts have had the chance to kick in. Given you know—I'm not even supposed to have children," she spoke slowly and clearly as if explaining herself to a small child. There was no apology in her tone. Gabriel scowled at her in return.

"I know that you're a smart girl Claire," he started angrily, "that was the excuse that the other Claire used as well." He took a step closer to her, and menacingly pushed her up against the wall; pinning her to the surface with his forearm firmly pressed against her throat. Gabriel brought his face close to hers. "You and I both know that you're not the monster. I am," he growled.

"You're not a monster," Claire growled in return. For the first time since she had met him though, she was actually angry with Gabriel. "He's the monster, but that's just your excuse isn't it?" Gabriel's angry expression faltered a little bit and he let go of her.

"You're missing something," he said upon looking her over. Gabriel held out a substantially thick handful of holsters and belts for her; she had no idea how she'd missed that he was holding them.

"I have no idea what to do with these," Claire admitted wide eyes; she hadn't bothered to even take them from him.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and started with the shoulder holster; physically putting his hands on her to turn her around, and more rough than was absolutely necessary; Claire noted. He must have still been angry with her. She shivered when he moved to brush her hair away from one of the straps and his fingers grazed her neck every so slightly.

Either Gabriel wasn't concerned with her thoughts at the moment, or he couldn't make out what she was thinking, because he didn't seem to react in the slightest. Claire wished she could say the same when he fastened the belt around her hips; god what she wanted him to do with those hands instead. She inhaled deeply and tried not to focus on what he was doing, but she was drawn out of the moment when he placed something heavy in her hand.

The cold metal felt foreign in her hands as she opened her eyes and looked down at the largest handheld firearm she had ever seen. "It's um… it's really big," she murmured, her eyes wide.

"It's called a Desert Eagle," Gabriel pointed out. "It's Claire's favorite."

Claire clicked the safety off and cocked the giant weapon, jokingly aiming it at Gabriel; it only served to unnerve him further.

"If you could please not point that thing at me," he requested sharply.

"Oh come on, it's not like I can accidentally kill you or anything," Claire said flippantly as she lowered in response to his asking.

"Yes, but getting shot still stings like a bitch," he said as he placed his hands over hers and guided it back into the holster on her hip.

He picked up a smaller Berret and fitted it into the other holster. He continued to strap on a knife to her thigh. Claire fought back a groan as his hands tenderly brushed up against the inside of her thigh. He had to be doing this on purpose; he was messing with her.

"So you're sure you've got the plan down?" Claire checked as they stood at the back door of a seemingly innocent corporate building in Midland, Odessa. Claire knew it to be the headquarters of a successful paper company, but it appeared to be abandoned.

"I'm sure I can pick it out better from your head than you could explain it to me," Gabriel chastised her.

"Who says I trust that you have this ability down?" Claire teased.

"We've talked about this. Now be serious Claire, this is important. I'm going to go in from the front and cause a distraction. You come in from the back. When I take down the other Claire, you're going to go in and take her place." He looked at her stonily. "This is extremely important; you do whatever you must to convince them that you are her."

"Yeah I've got it," Claire tried not to sound as nervous as she was. When Gabriel began to walk away from her though, she panicked. "WAIT!" she yelled and ran after him. Claire threw her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss; trying to pour all of her emotions and promise into the simple gesture.

Gabriel pulled back with less distaste th an before, they seemed to have an understanding.

"What was that for?" he asked more for her benefit.

"In case I never see you again. I wanted you to know—" he held up a hand to stop her.

"I know."

"But you don't?" Claire finished sadly.

"Be safe."

Tbc.