I Can Fix You

Previously on Heroes

"Sylar's powers are starting to develop," Noah says.

"What should we consider doing now?" Nathan asks of the group. "We said that once his powers start re-manifesting, we would tell him the truth."

"Should we wait?"

"Yes," Angela says. "He won't be ready until he accepts what happened the other night."

"I live with three other girls," Claire says. "We're all missing some of our stuff, and something is always broken and we always have to put up with Manny the Martian Maintenance Man, who is super creepy."

"I am pretty good at fixing stuff."

"This clock," Gabriel says. "It is running head, but something is making it run a second ahead, then only a half-second ahead…." He reaches to slip the clock of its hook, and upon closer inspection, he discovers something disturbing.

"Someone placed these cameras in the wall clocks. And I'm betting these are in working condition."

"What do you know of this in room 2D?" Gabriel growls.

"It is just that, I had never felt so angry about anything before this."

"I have a feeling that they are going to need each other more than ever."

Chapter 5: For A Pessimistic I'm Pretty Optimistic

"Dad!" Claire says, exasperated, "I am not moving back home." It is the following Wednesday, after Gabriel discovered the hidden cameras in the wall clocks, and Claire was helping Noah fill in the holes and re-grout the bathroom tiles where additional cameras were later discovered through out the apartment. "I can't keep running back home after every problem pops my way, and there've been a lot of problems popping up the last couple years. The problem of a pervy old man peeping on me is actually the least of my worries."

"But what was he doing in your room?" Noah asks. He still has trouble calling Sylar by his given name. "I thought he was only supposed to be over to fix the showerhead."

Claire rolls her eyes, "Of course, you're more upset about him being here than the fact that a creepy old man is peeping on your own daughter. Dad, I've tried so hard to hate him for what he's done to me, to this family, and for what he's done to those people. But let's face it: Sylar is gone. It is only Gabriel now. I can't hate someone that doesn't exist anymore. Gabriel and Sylar are two different people."

"His powers are re-manifesting, he'll get his memories back," Noah reminds her. "What makes you so sure that he won't give all this up? Go back to being a killer?"

"Because he didn't have people like us in his life before," Claire says. "He is not going to want that life anymore, because Gabriel can be a good person."

Across the country, a tall man wipes his hands clean of blood. Discarding his oxygen mask, he steps over a young girl-the top of her skull haphazardly sliced off-and walks away.

In the circular drive of a pre-built housing addition, Gabriel lays in the bed of his re-acquired truck, staring at the night sky and its blanket of stars. In the distance he hears a car pull up. As foot steps approaches the truck, Matt's voice calls out, "Gabriel?"

"Don't worry, I'm still alive," Gabriel calls out.

"Saw your truck on the way back from the station," Matt says, leaning against the truck as he peers at Gabriel. "After awhile, I was worried. You've been here all this time?"

"Yeah."

"What's up, Gabe? Is it about what happened last week?"

"Yeah, I just, I don't know, want to know what's happening to me. I was so angry, I felt something inside of me that I didn't know existed before," Gabriel explains.

Matt is unsure of what to say and how to say it. "Well, you never really had anyone to care about before. Claire and her friends had been in a compromising situation, and you reacted the way any red-blooded male would."

Gabriel sighs, "I wish I could remember Elle better. I just remember the small stuff: favorite films, foods. The way she dabs lotion on her neck, and sometimes, I think I can still hear her laugh. But when I was hanging out with Claire, I hadn't thought of Elle until I saw her favorite movie; and I realized, I had been thinking of her less and less. I had let her go.

"But I can't remember ever worrying about her."

"Maybe you never had a reason to," Matt tries to reason. "C'mon, it's getting late."

"Ok."

"And give Claire a call; she's been worried about you."

Gabriel does not come back for another hour. Pulling his truck into a spot, he sees Claire sitting on the stairwell leading to the second floor, where his apartment is. "Claire?" he calls out, getting out of the truck and locking it. "How long have you been sitting out here?"

"A few hours," Claire says. "I haven't seen you in almost a week, I've been worried."

Gabriel looks down at his feet, "I'm sorry, I just had trouble clearing my head."

"What are you trying to clear your head of?" Claire wants to know.

"The anger I felt, Matt said it's nothing out of the ordinary to feel that way when someone's in that kind of situation," Gabriel says. "This anger, I felt dangerous. Like, I could have actually killed him that day."

Gabriel shakes his head, as if to rid himself of the bad thoughts inside his head. "It's late. I'll walk you back to your apartment." He reaches a hand out and helps Claire up. They slowly walk to the corner and wait for the light to change. They are silent up until Claire looks over and sees Gabriel looking at the clear sky.

"Do you know any of the names of the constellations?" Claire asks.

Gabriel shakes his head. "I know the names, but other than Orion, I can't pick them out." Once the two Heroes reach the entrance to Clear Vista, Gabriel places a hand on Claire's shoulder and he points to the Orion constellation. "What I do know of Orion is that it contains two of the brightest starts in the sky. Betelgeuse, that bright red star; and the bottom right one is Rigel. Also, one of the stars in Orion's sword is actually not star, but a nebula. True story."

"Wow," Claire says. "I'm impressed." Gabriel gives her his trade mark shy smile and they continue to the stairs that lead to her own apartment. Claire takes a few step and turns to face Gabriel so that they are eye to eye with each other. "I never got to say thank you."

Gabriel quirks a brow. "For what?"

"For finding that camera when you did," Claire tells him. "He had keys to our apartment, and he already broke in to raid our panty drawer. God knows when he would have plucked up the courage come into the apartment when one of us is home alone."

The corner of Gabriel's lips lifts to a small smile. "Like I'd let anyone hurt you."

"But not only that- you jumping over the couch they way you did and finding the cameras prompted Violet into deciding that 'this wasn't the best place for her'. So it was pretty much like killing two birds with one stone. You are so my hero, Gabe!"

He shrugs, "I do what I can." Gabriel turns to leave, but is taken by surprise when Claire suddenly hugs him.

"I know this last couple of weeks' been the most we've seen each other since we came back from DC," Claire whispers, "but I just want you to know that you can talk to me about anything, ok?"

Gabriel just pats Claire on the back, awkwardly. "Sure, I will."

Claire lets go of her embrace and quietly heads up the stairs. At her door, Gabriel calls out her name. "Yeah?" Claire asks, leaning over the railing.

"There's a little carnival at Port Harbor. Do you want to go Saturday?"

"I can't, Gabe," Claire says, apologetically. "I've got a date this Saturday."

Gabriel shrugs, "Ok, maybe some other day, before they pack up."

"I'll look forward to it."

"Great," Gabriel turns to leave, but then says, "Claire? Thanks for checking up on me."

Claire smiles and walks into her apartment. Her room mates are not home yet, and she turns the television on to the local news with a news break: three murders across states linked together by scalps torn off the victims.

"Oh, no!" Claire's phone goes off, making her jump. She digs the phone out of her pocket and it is her dad, Noah.

"Are you watching the news right now?" he asks.

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"There's something you need to know," Noah says. "Sylar inherited his ability from his biological father, and I have a good feeling that is who is killing those people."

Claire starts to pace, "Back in DC, when it was just me and Sylar in the suite, he told me he met his real father, and that his father was dying. Do you know what their powers were? The people that died?"

"The last two were unknowns."

"And the first victim?" Claire prompts.

"She had the ability to heal others, like Linderman……I see where you're going," her father says. "Sylar was trying to find answers about his parents, and if he found his father, Sylar might have told him about his acquired abilities."

"Including the one he got from me; and if his father's dying…" Claire trails off.

"His father is going to come after his own son," Noah finishes, "and he's going to collect powers along the way until he finds him."

"Or if he finds me first," Claire mutters. "Or find someone with the same ability as me."

"No," Noah disagrees. "There was only one other person that the Company knew of that was naturally born with that ability, and he's dead, dead."

"So he's going try and find us, huh?"

"It looks that way," Noah concludes. "We might have some time, though. The murders are months apart, Mr. Gray doesn't seem to be as perceptive as his son at locating specials. Just, be careful, Claire-bear. Mean while, Peter and your grandmother are going to keep trying to get Suresh into letting us use Molly."

Claire stops pacing and sits down on the couch, "Molly! Of course! But why won't he let her help us?"

"Suresh never agreed that Angela's plan was going to work, and there's no way in hell he's going to get Molly involved," Noah says. "Claire? Everything's going to be fine. But you'll need to keep an eye on him. He's already able to prevent Matt from reading anything, and he's not even aware of his abilities."

"Ok," Claire whispers. She hangs up her phone and she heads to the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Gabriel tosses around in his sleep. He's in an enclosed, metal room. At the end of the room, he sees a blonde woman, chained to the floor. She looks up at him, and it is Elle! Gabriel wonders why he is dreaming of the woman he had loved chained to the floor, dirty and unkempt.

"You!" Elle says, her voice full of hate and disgust. "You murdered my father!"

"Yes," Gabriel hears himself saying in the dream. "I did."

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?!?!?!?!?!" Elle shrieks, before shooting a high voltage of electricity from her hands aimed at Gabriel, killing him.

But now they are at the beach, and it is night. Blood is dripping from Elle's leg and Gabriel's shirt is drenched his own blood, but neither of them cares as they embrace. Elle lovingly looks up at Gabriel, and her eyes widen in fear as Gabriel raises his hand and slices Elle's forehead, killing her.

Gabriel bolts upright in his bed; he is soaked with perspiration. He gets out of bed and silently makes his way to the bathroom. At the sink, he splashes his face with cold water, as if it could wash away the dream. He reaches to turn off the faucet, but freezes it in mid-air. He brings his hand to his face and his eyes widen in horror as tiny blue sparks emit from his hand.

"What is happening to me?"

A/N: Yes, I am a Sylaire shipper. I was trying to avoid that but I was heading in that direction and didn't realize it so I caved and made Sylar's dad a secondary plot line. And a special thanks to all those who have been reviewing, they're such sweet words that keep me motivated and my over-active imagination on over drive.

So until then, farewell and good night.