Author's Note: I'm not sure if I'll ever finish this. I have an idea of where it's going but if I ever stop, and someone wants to take over, feel free!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Better", Elle replied.

What else what she supposed to say? Yeah, things were better. When you've already died things can only go up, right?

Dr. Saltzman gave her a weary look and cast his eyes down towards the note book. Before the doctor could write anything down, Elle opened her mouth and gave him what he wanted. She knew that as much as she hated to be here, as much as she hated the shrink, this was only going to end when she started to try. She needed to have some improvement on her "report card" to show Glasses.

So with a sigh, she added, "It's… yeah, well it's better. The nightmares are less frequent, and I guess it helps knowing that he's never going to hurt me again." It was difficult trying to open up when there were certain things she had to keep her mouth shut about. Like the fact that she could send enough voltage of electricity through his body to kill him in an instant. Or maybe the fact that she had remarkably risen from the dead after the man, whom she once believed she loved, sliced open her head with his mind. Yeah, things like that.

"This relationship has to be built on honestly", Dr. Saltzman had once said.

"Honesty my ass", Elle thought, as she once again reminded herself why she hated these sessions. "As long as he gets paid, he'll go home happy to his loving family."

But Elle supposed she could get through the tedious session with the truths (or half truths) that she could tell.

"You know, since I entered the witness protection program."

Not completely true, but true enough. The change of name wasn't so much to keep her hidden from Sylar. She couldn't really hide from him, if he was ever compelled to find her. No, it was more necessary because once you've been declared a dangerous threat to national security it was smarter just to start off fresh. She couldn't understand why Bennet had shown so much kindness to her in the past few months. She guessed it had to with his degenerating relationship with his precious cheerleader, so Elle had suddenly become the surrogate daughter. But whatever the reason, Bennet had given her a place to stay, some fake documents (which stated that her name was Elle Rains), and an order to see a shrink twice a week to help her "sort through her issues". The downside to the change of name was that it made it very difficult to collect inheritance money, especially when the devil-incarnated-herself was the last known head of company. Mama Petrelli had done everything in her power to make sure Elle got the short end of the stick, and so far, Elle was loosing.

Dr. Saltzman cleared his throat. "So you know that logically it makes no sense to still have this fear-"

"I'm not scared." Elle stated simply, because she wasn't. The nightmares were just there. It didn't mean that she couldn't handle herself.

The doctor let that one slide. "Okay then. So why do you think you still have these recurring dreams?"

"I don't know." Elle spit with the least amount of venom that she could muster.

Dr. Saltzman saw that Elle was reaching her breaking point and decided to change direction.

"This has been very productive today Elle. I think we're almost done. Just one last question."

Elle sat expectantly, waiting for the doctor to continue.

"Can you give me another word?"

Elle felt the stinging in her eyes, but refused to let the tears fall. She should have saw this coming. Dr. Saltzman usually asked this once every two weeks. A word association of how she was feeling, since she couldn't yet bring herself to talk about the "incident" in coherent sentences. Dr. Saltzman knew this and Elle was thankful that he wasn't like the other doctors who had pushed her again and again as a child. Elle raked her brain for a word. All the other words she had used up until now consumed her thoughts: nothing, angry, depressed, desolate, alone, numb, tired, despair.

Elle looked calmly into the doctors eyes and muttered, "Dead."

Glasses was waiting outside the room when Dr. Saltzman and Elle returned to the waiting area. Bennet walked briskly over towards the doctor and they began what looked like a serious conversation in hushed tones. Elle could have cared less. She turned away from the little meeting and walked over to the fish tank. While she watched the fish swim around she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass. She saw a crease appear between her eyebrows and rubbed her forehead where a huge red scar should have been a constant reminder.

"Elle." She heard Bennet call from behind her.

She turned around to see that he and Dr. Saltzman had finished whatever conversation that they had. She turned her gaze on the doctor and gave him a small smile.

"Thanks Doc. See you later." She said with a mocking salute.

He smiled ruefully and then turned back to his office. Elle liked him. Well, as much as she could like any shrink. She turned and followed Bennet out of the building. It wasn't until they reached the apartment that he was renting for her, that Elle finally breached the subject.

"So what were you and the doc talking about?" she questioned him.

Bennet took off his glasses and started to wipe them. "You have to move Elle."

Elle laughed before she saw the serious look on his face.

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to work for the government."

Elle's hands became alit with a small blue ball of electricity. "Are you out of your mind?" she asked baring her teeth.

"Calm down Elle. I need the inside scoop, and to be honest, some of you do deserve to be locked up. What's so different between this operation and The Company? Bag and tag. That's all I've ever known. It's what I'm good at."

"Some of you deserve to be locked up? And am I included in this? What about Claire-bear?" Elle overdramatically thrust her now non-alit hands towards him. "Should I just let you cuff me now and save you all the hassle?"

Bennet rolled his eyes. "No. That's why I'm telling you to move. I'm going to have to prove that I'm on their side and keeping specials hidden isn't going to go over so well. Claire gets a free pass because of Nathan, but I don't think they'll be so kind in your case, especially with you're record. Listen, on paper, you're a threat. You're dangerous and catatonic and a sociopath."

"Wow, Bennet. You really know how to get on someone's good side."

He looked seriously at Elle. "But, I think you've changed, at least a bit. Keep under the radar, move to a quiet little town, get a job, and I'll try as hard as I can to keep the search focused on Sylar and other noteworthy criminals. In the mean time, I'll also keep looking into the legal stuff for you. I'll keep you posted if I find a way to get you your money."

Elle felt grateful for everything that Bennet was offering to do for her. She also felt uncomfortable having someone do something like this for her, so she responded in the only way she knew how: sarcasm.

"Would you look at that? Bennet has a heart after all. Are you turning soft?"

Bennet laughed at her defence mechanism but took it. It was the closest he would ever get to gratitude from Elle.

"Maybe so."

Elle opened up her car door and started to get out. She had a lot of things to get in order. Before she left, she turned around.

"So I'll see you around?"

"I hope you take no offence Elle, but I sure as hell hope not."

They both laughed.

"Yeah, same to you. Thanks Noah."

And with that Elle closed the car door.

Two weeks later Elle drove her cheap old 1981 Cavalier past the town sign that welcomed her to the quiet, quaint town of Mystic Falls.