5 Years Later

"If you just walked away, what could I really say? Would it matter anyway? Would it change how you feel? I am the mess you chose, the closet you can not close. The devil in you, I suppose, 'cause the wounds never heal." - Staind

Gabriel Gray stood outside the large wood doors of the building. He couldn't remember the last time he had stepped foot in a church. Knowing what he did know about faith, he half-expected to be struck down by lightning or burst into flames the second he stepped inside. Instead, he was enclosed in a tight hug by his closest friend.

"I'm getting married today," Peter said, running a hand through his unruly, dark hair. "I'm getting married in a few hours."

His smile was larger than normal. Gabriel was happy for him. Emma was kind, beautiful, and smart — making her a clear match for Peter. The only living Petrelli son had asked her out only days after the Samuel Sullivan arrest. After that it was, as the saying goes, smooth sailing. Only six months later, Peter had moved in with Emma, leaving Gabriel alone in the apartment they had been sharing.

The space was comforting in a way. Though originally Peter's apartment, Gabriel had furnished it, stocked the pantry, and kept it clean. It had become his sanctuary. He smiled to himself, realizing the irony of that thought, considering he was currently in a true sanctuary. He blamed his twisted childhood for appreciating the beauty of quiet solitude to the over-dramatic decor of the church with the aggressive organ music.

"I can't believe today is the day."

"If you proposed when I told you to, you wouldn't have had to wait this long," Gabriel reminded him.

"Waiting makes the heart grow fonder," Peter quoted, still smiling.

"Alright, Romeo. Let's get you suited up. We're late."

While they joined the other groomsmen in the back room, Gabriel did a mental checklist of all the items he needed for the remainder of the evening. Rings, check. Speech, check. Wedding gift for the happy couple, check. Date for the reception, no check.

He considered himself an attractive man. Despite his handsome looks and charming personality, when he wasn't attempting to commit cold-blooded murder, he hadn't found anyone. There had been a few dates over the years. Some were Specials and some weren't. He had a strong inkling that most of the Special suitors were just curious to see what he was like now that he had resigned from world domination and collecting powers. Not one of them gave him the goofy grin Peter wore every time he saw Emma.

As the prelude music began, Gabriel let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He shifted back and forth on his feet as he stood in the alcove, waiting. Standing up front next to his friend would put him on the spot. He wanted to be happy for Peter and Emma. If his unease was caught on photograph, he'd have an eternity to regret it. He forced himself to focus on happier times. The pastor motioned to the groomsmen to step forward. The first of five began the walk out, when Gabriel noticed the side door had opened.

Peter hadn't mentioned his niece was attending. Her hair was longer than the last time he had laid eyes on her. It was well past her shoulders now. It was still the same lovely shade, but not as straight. There was a natural waviness to it that worked with her dress. It was a floor length white gown with golden leaves imprinted on it. There was a mini gold corset at the top with matching straps. She looked radiant, a sun goddess visiting the night. As if she sensed his intense gaze, she turned and looked directly at him. For a split second their eyes locked. Just as quickly, she broke it and hurried over to Peter.

She still sees the monster.

"Hey, you made it." Peter's face lit up when he saw her. He pulled her into a tight hug. "It's good to see you, Claire."

She paused to take in the warmth of his embrace. He looked older. There was gray in his hair line and small wrinkles under his eyes. He was happy. The same positive grin was plastered on his face. Always the optimist, he didn't mention her absence or ask how her life among the carnies was. He just enjoyed the moment, glad she was present. He smelled like Nathan. Knowing Peter, he had probably put on a splash of his brother's cologne in honor of him.

Peter had always idolized Nathan. Even after what he had done to his own kind, Peter had always saw the best in his older brother. Claire had wanted to see that. She had wanted to meet her biological father since she first discovered her ability. Nathan had not been what she had expected. It had been more disappointing then the day she had met Meredith and hurt worse. The constant lies and betrayals reminded her too much of her life at home with her real dad.

"Wish me luck." He gave her arms a quick squeeze, before walking out.

Claire watched him join his friends on the altar steps. She realized she needed to take a seat out in the crowd, but she hesitated. Her place in this world had never been clear. For most teenagers, New York City was thrilling and help promises of so many "could-be" fantasies. To Claire the city served as a harsh reminder of battles fought, friends lost, and the life she had chosen to abandon.

It had been five years almost to the day since she had left. In that time she had barely spoken to Noah. He had remarried. Always a company man, he worked closely with his new wife, Lauren at the CIA. She was sure on some-level he knew her whereabouts. He had attempted several times to track her down and visit, in an effort to confront her and force her back to "civilized society." Claire had turned him down on each occasion or avoided him completely.

Edgar had transitioned into the new leader at the Sullivan Brother's Carnival. Having been around almost as long as Lydia, he was one of the remaining originals of the family. Though Edgar appreciated what her dad had done to over-throw Samuel, his allegiance was to the carnival family. With Claire as the newest member, he was dutifully bound to maintain keep her safe and protected. Surprisingly, Eli had also taken to Claire, assisting Edgar by offering himself up for guard duty. His ability made him the perfect watch dog and his distrust of her father made him a difficult adversary for Noah to get past.

Peter hadn't reached out. He had waited her out until she reached out to him. In a way only he could, Peter understood her hurt and how betrayed she felt. While he couldn't honestly support her idea to reveal their secret to the world, he hadn't condemned her for it either. She had held out for over a year before she had felt the overwhelming need to call him. When he answered his phone, he had acted as if nothing was wrong.

She had spent two hours catching up with him. He had never rushed her or questioned her too deeply about where she was or hinted at the idea of her coming home. He merely listened. After a couple of weeks, she called again. And so it went on. She continued to check-in with him every one to two weeks. He had mentioned Emma early on and Claire was happy to finally have the chance to meet the woman who had won Peter's heart. Though she did feel bad about the mother-in-law Emma would be inheriting.

That thought brought her back to the problem at hand. Weighing her options between her dad and Angela Petrelli, Claire opted for an empty pew a few rows behind both of them. She noticed how her father's face immediately tightened when she walked past. Angela, in contrast, remained poised, unflinching with a classy smile on her lips. The old Claire would have felt guilty, but she barely had any feelings toward them anymore.

As she slipped into her seat, she spotted Hiro Nakamura who was waving spastically at her. He was seated next to his friend Ando and the woman Claire presumed was Ando's wife. The way she kept tilting her head towards the Japanese man and softly touching him, made Claire happy and sad at the same time. It was wonderful to see Peter and her friends happy in their lives. They had fulfilling existences in the world. There were no more company plots, no more "let save the world" moments, and no more Samuel Sullivans to worry about.

At the carnival, Claire was popular. Once she had dedicated her life to living as one of them, she had been accepted without question. Each day more and more of the family came to know her until she greeted each as warmly as she would Sandra or Lyle. A few of the man had asked her out and even one of the women, but Claire had turned them all down. After her failed relationship with West and her flirtation with Gretchen, she had decided she needed to figure out who she was before she could be with someone else.

The decision had seemed mature at the time, but now Claire felt the familiar pang of loneliness. She noted Matt Parkman with his wife on the other side of Hiro, with their son and a baby girl. Suresh and his wife were sitting in the same pew along with a few other people Claire didn't recognize.

The organ music changed to the traditional "Here Comes the Bride" tune. Claire rose to her feet, turning to see her future aunt. Emma was dressed in a long-sleeved, v-neck white gown. The sleeves and back of the dress was lace. The pattern was a larger version of the lace that made up her veil. Through the thin fabric, Claire could see the tears in her eyes as she glided past, moving to the front towards Peter. She was undeniably happy.

Claire couldn't fathom that grade of happiness. Though her parents had been married for almost twenty years, she had never seen Sandra look at Noah the way Emma was smiling at Peter. Peter also looked the portrait of perfect groom. She could see the sheen in his eyes, sparkling at the corners where the tears were forming. He had always been the more emotional of the two Petrelli boys. She was glad. Genuinely, she felt thankful that after all they had been through Peter was able to connect with someone. Even if Emma had been normal, Claire would have been grateful her uncle was settling down. He had sacrificed so much to preserve the good in the world. She knew he deserved all the happiness the world could grant him.

Watching how carefree and pleased he was made the pang of loneliness a tad easier to bear. It also reminded her that one day in the not so distant future, he would be gone. Everyone in this room would be gone. She would linger on this Earth far longer than any of them cared to know. They would all eventually pass on, all except her.

And Sylar, she thought bitterly.

She didn't understand how Peter could make his brother's killer his best man. Isn't that taboo? She shook her head. When Peter had shown up at the carnival with Sylar, she hadn't believed it. She thought she was in some weird alternate universe or it was an illusion brought on by the shock of what she had attempted to do. Even once her uncle had tried to explain, she had rejected the idea. It seemed that no one else shared her opinion anymore. They all saw the reformed murderer as a friend.

She only saw a monster.

After the ceremony concluded, the photographer asked everyone to leave the chapel. He demanded to be left alone with the wedding party and close family for the sake of his artistic sense. It had been all Gabriel could do not to roll his eyes. The only thing artistic about the photographer was his price tag.

As the shots were snapped one after the other, he found himself checking the exiting guests for one blonde. Claire wasn't anywhere to be found. Given the exasperated expression on Noah Bennet's face, Gabriel figured she had left right after the ceremony concluded in order to avoid her father. He smirked. After all the years Noah had attempted to confine her, control her, Claire had gone out and done what she had wanted to do anyway. Whether she cared to admit it or not, they truly did have many things in common.

"To the park!" The photographer shouted, signaling the end of their time in the chapel. "Quickly, quickly my little muses."

Gabriel noticed how the women in Emma's bridal party all laughed. Their faces were flushed, tipping him off to the amount of champagne they had consumed before the ceremony. All around people were rushing, hurrying to get every action, word, or idea into each moment of their lives. As the group left the church and hurried into Central Park, he realized how preciously short their lives would be in comparison to his. He had no reason to rush through his day to day actions. Time meant nothing anymore. The only meaning it held was the harsh reality that he would be alone. Once his friends were gone, he would remain. His connection to his former life, his true self would cease to exist. He feared that day more than anything else.

Losing himself had awakened the humanity in his soul. He had had an epiphany after his closet discussion with Claire. Giving up the power he had killed to obtain forced him to relinquish his control. Once he had stopped attempting to control all aspects of his life, he finally found his true purpose. He could be a hero.

Peter had provided him the opportunity to fulfill the role. After he had saved Emma, he couldn't deny the hunger. He already had Doyle's power, but the need to cut open the man had come upon him. He felt the familiar twitch in his pointer finger, could almost smell the blood pouring out from his skull cap. Then he thought of Claire. The look on her face when he had let her live after he had stolen her power. He pictured how shocked she had been when he had saved her from the vortex. He saw himself sitting next to her in the darkness of the janitor's closet at her college. She had stared at him, annoyed at his trickery, but impressed he hadn't hurt her or Gretchen.

And his finger fell.

Alternative methods for dealing with the Puppet Master had been taken. His resolve had been rewarded when Peter had emerged, clearly expecting the worst. Peter's approval gave him hope. With the carnival disbanding due to Samuel's betrayal, he figured Claire would return to college. He was seriously considering applying. If he was on campus with her, she would have to see him in a different light. Soon she'd grant him the same approval as Peter. Besides, he never got to partake in the college experience. It would be fun.

His plan crashed and burned the instant she had jumped off the Ferris wheel.

What had occurred afterwards had done nothing to resuscitate it. Claire had felt ambushed by them all. Like any teenager, she took their criticism to heart and ran off. He thought she would return home after a few weeks, unable to stay mad at her father. She had proven him wrong. Her stubbornness rivaled Noah Bennet's in every way. She went off the grid, giving up her cell phone and her pampered life. He learned later through Peter she had gone off with the carnival.

After the weeks turned into months with no word from her to anyone, including Peter, he had given up on both college and the opportunity to prove himself to Claire.

"You ok?" Peter put an arm around his shoulder, pulling him aside for groom and best man photos. "You seem distracted."

"Just thinking."

"This isn't the time to think," Peter laughed. "We're almost done here and then we can finally eat something." Gabriel forced a smile. "And drink too. I need something to calm me down."

"You are jumpier than normal," he agreed.

"Wedding jitters."

The photographer finished up, sauntering over to the giggling women to usher them over to the reception. "Are you sure you're ok?" Peter asked. "Mom didn't say something again, did she?"

"No," Gabriel chuckled.

"Good." Peter ran a hand through his hair. "Is it hot? I thought October would be cooler."

"Wedding jitters," Gabriel reminded him.

"Right." Peter nodded. They missed the light to cross the street. The rest of the wedding party was already entering the Petrelli home, when they stopped on the corner. "Did you see Claire made it?" The enthusiasm in his voice was not missed.

"Yes."

"I didn't think she'd get the invitation. Its not like they have a P.O. Box out there."

"You're her hero. She wasn't going to miss your wedding."

"Yeah," Peter's smile grew.

Gabriel understood how fond his friend was of his niece. She was the first person to have encouraged Peter's ability. Saving her had given him purpose. It wasn't until later he uncovered the truth about her connection to him. He had confided to Gabriel how angry he had been at Nathan for hiding her away. His friend's frustration was how Gabriel also felt in regards to the situation. Claire was special. Nathan had never appreciated her for who she was and it had always irritated him.

He could almost hear Chandra's voice in his head telling him it was from his suppressed childhood anger at his own father walking out on him. Technically both of them walked out on me, he thought grimly. It hadn't been long after he had met his biological father that he had passed. Gabriel had been waiting for the news. The man felt nothing for anyone. He was selfish, cruel, and detached. Seeing him had been part of Gabriel's wake-up call.

The light changed and they crossed. Angela had certainly outdone herself. Petrelli mansion was decorated as if the President was coming. The irony of that thought caught him as he walked into the foyer.

"Peter," the hostess came over, hugging her son. "Emma is upstairs having her makeup touched up. Can you get her? I want shots of you both on the staircase. It will be lovely."

"Sure, Mom."

"Sylar," Angela greeted him, curtly.

"Angela." He nodded to her. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." She waved toward the dining room, which spilled out onto the back patio. "Make yourself comfortable. Dinner will be served in an hour in the ballroom."

As he entered the room, he noted Noah Bennet storming across the floor to where Claire was talking to Parkman. Gabriel recognized the look of determination on his ex-partner's face. It would be poor manners to interrupt.

He made his way over to the bar. Alcohol had a limited effect on him, but he had a feeling he would need whatever he could in order to get through the evening. He had given up on the idea of Claire years ago. Her absence from his life and the lives of those around him made it an easy decision. There were few calls to Peter and no surprise visits to Angela's house for dinner to tempt him with her smile or her scent. At first he had dreamed of her, coming back and forgiving him, but those hopes washed away with time. The tattoo on his arm never faded, but the hurt and the loneliness did. The dull pain was becoming sharper now. Her presence brought back the longing, his desperate need for her approval and forgiveness.

Over the years he had grown closer to Peter. Emma was accepting of him, as well. Though he cautioned her about his past, she only saw him as the hero who had freed her from Doyle's torture. It took longer for Angela to come around. She no longer called him Sylar in a way that sounded like she was spitting out a bad taste in her mouth. She couldn't bring herself to call him by his birth name, but he didn't bother to correct her anymore.

Peter and Emma's engagement party had been the first occasion to bring the entire gang back together without the threat of the world ending. Gabriel had been pleasantly surprised to reconnect with Parkman, Mohinder, Hiro, and Ando. Peter's word had granted him a second chance with them all. He was able to express his sincerest apologies. It was tense at first, but after months of reaching out to them, assisting wherever and whenever he could, trust formed. At the time, he had regretted not having the chance to redeem himself to Claire. Peter had promised the day would come eventually, but even he agreed that it would take her awhile to come around. She hadn't been ready to face any of them yet.

Apparently, that had changed. She was ready to face everyone. Everyone but him. He couldn't blame her. He remembered what had happened that night.

He slid to the side of the bar, telekinetically sending a bottle of Pinot into his open hand. Unnoticed, he made his way to the kitchen, cutting through the servant's passage upstairs to the roof access. By the time he reached the roof, the memory was rolling through his mind, like a movie.

"My name is Claire Bennet. This is attempt number…guess I've kind lost count."

She snapped her arm back in place, walking forward towards the others. When she had begun her climb they were all separated, but she could still see them. Hiro and Ando off to the side. Her dad and Lauren in front of them a few yards. Peter and him on the other side of the carnival. Now that she was back on the ground she could see who he was. The second she did, she stopped.

The reporters took her hesitation as an invitation. They launched a full blown attack on her full of camera flashes, microphones, and some where even reaching forward with tablets for her autograph. People were shouting to her from all angles. From where he was, watching her, he could barely piece together what they were saying. She looked flustered and lost. He started to push through them, when Peter grabbed his arm.

"We need to talk to Hiro. We have to fix this."

"What?"

"Claire understand what she did."

He disagreed with his friend, but he followed him over to where Noah Bennet was already speaking with Hiro and Ando. As he neared them, their conversation was easier to pick up. "We have to end this here and now," Noah was saying. "Go back in time and I'll stop her from doing this. Then I'll call Renee and he'll wipe her memories of the carnival. She'll go back to college and this whole thing will be over."

"Wipe her memories?" That part of the plan didn't sit well with Peter.

"If we don't get rid of her need for disclosure, a need Samuel gave her, then she'll try this again." Noah gave them all a pointed look. "You know she will."

"Yeah, but I don't want to erase her memories."

"I agree," he stated, stepping forward. "What the Haitian erases another memory by accident?"

"He won't."

"And if he does?"

"I'll deal with it."

"I don't like it."

"No one asked you." Noah fixed him with a cold stare. "Sylar."

Peter stepped between them. "She's my niece," he began, as if that gave him a level of jurisdiction over the matter. "I don't like the idea of us messing around in her brain."

"She's my daughter," Noah argued. "I know what's best for her."

He hadn't been able to help himself. He was enraged at the idea of Bennet using his authority over his own child. "Like lying to her and leaving her alone to die in a hospital aren't enough?"

"Stay out of this!"

"Fine," he held up his hands. He move away from the group, but as he left, he brushed Hiro's side, briefly making contact with his hand.

When Hiro went back in time, he went with him. Peter never noticed. He had predicted Claire would run off when her father confronted her. When she did, he shifted into Hiro Nakamura's form and waited at the entrance to the park. "Cheerleader! Cheerleader!" He jumped up and down, waving his arms wildly, trying to get Hiro's body language down. Her eyes had lit up upon seeing him. "Escape?" He had asked.

"Yeah, can you take me where you took everyone else from the carnival, please?" Her words were coming out in short breaths.

He put one hand on her shoulder, bowed his head, and poof they landed in the middle of no where. At first he was nervous because he didn't see anyone. Touching another person granted him access to multiple powers: shape-shifting, replicating the power, understanding the history of the person, etc. Sometimes it was hard to decipher everything at once. He was afraid he had seen the wrong area to land.

Then he saw Edgar. "Claire?"

She had run to him and Gabriel backed away, sending himself back to Central Park. She would cool down. She'd come back to New York and one day he'd tell her what he'd done. Then they could start building bridges.

"Claire." Her father maneuvered through the crowd of people mingling inside of the Petrelli mansion. She inwardly groaned. She knew eventually he would corner her. "I didn't know you were coming to the wedding." She saw Matt shuffled away, out of the corner of her eye. Even though they were all old friends, no one messed with Noah Bennet when he was on a mission.

"Hi Lauren." Claire forced a smile, purposely avoiding her dad.

"Claire." The woman nodded with a tight smile. It was no surprise Noah had married her. She was the exact same person. "How are you?"

"Fine. And you?"

"Great. Did your dad tell you he just got another promotion?"

"No." Claire shook her head, still wearing her fake grin. She could play nice for as long as she had to. Her father had trained her well.

"It's not important. Lauren, why don't you find our seats. I just want a moment to catch up with Claire." Lauren nodded with a smile. She planted a quick kiss on Noah's cheek before stepping away. "I see your still not a very good liar." Maybe not as well as she had thought.

She shrugged. "What can I say? Some traits you just can't inherit from your parents, biological or adopted."

He didn't miss the intended jab. "Are you staying in New York for a while?"

"No, I'm heading back after the wedding."

"Your mother would like to see you."

"I call her."

"You don't call me."

"I don't have anything to say," she responded quickly. "You made it perfectly clear that you'd rather wipe me than deal with me."

"Claire, just because I-."

She held up her hand, cutting him off. "I've heard all of the excuses before, Dad. You've been lying to me my whole life. I have the speech down by now. I can even mimic that desperate tone, if you want."

"I was trying to protect you." He insisted, reaching forward to place his hands on her shoulders. Claire anticipated it. She backed away before he could make contact. He sighed, removing his glasses to check for dust, which they both knew wasn't there, then replacing them on his face. "I don't understand why you won't come back home."

The last word was like a trigger. It sent Claire back to that fateful night.

"Miss, you look like you want to say something."

A report stuck his microphone in her face. She glanced up at her dad. She wanted to tell the truth, wanted to be free of living this life built on lies and deception. Her father knew her too well. He put his hand on her shoulder, directing her away from the crowd. She tried to pull away, but he held onto her with his other arm.

"We're done here, Claire." His voice had a sharp tone to it.

"Dad." She pulled again, trying to move away. This time Lauren came over, joining them on Claire's other side. She pressed something against Claire's hip. It felt like a gun.

"We're leaving now," she said.

Claire looked up at her father, then at Lauren. She walked with them until they were away from the crowd. Hiro, Ando, Peter, a woman she hadn't seen before, and Sylar were waiting off to the side. She noted the serial killer was keeping a very close eye on the time-traveler.

"It's all over with. I'm taking Claire home. Thank you for your help."

She shoved out of his and Lauren's hold. "I'm not going home," she hissed.

"Claire," he reached out his hand, sounding disappointed and tired. "Come on."

"No," she swatted his hand away. Everyone was giving her a strange look. Everyone but the serial killer. "What did you do?"

"Nothing."

She shook her head, knowing in her gut he was lying. She backed away from him. "How can you keep lying to me?" Her eyes were burning with tears. He had nearly died tonight, but he survived. Instead of taking that as a sign, as a second chance to start over, he had gone back to his old ways. She felt sick. "I'm not going anywhere with you." Before anyone could say or do anything, she took off running.

Navigating through the exiting crowds and tents, she managed to get to one of the park entrances. She was surprised to find Hiro waiting for her. She was more surprised when he offered to take her to meet up with the carnival residents. She had always like Hiro, but they hadn't spent much time together. He seemed to be the only one supporting her and she was in no position to refuse help. She never even got a chance to thank him.

"There's a reason I haven't been back," she growled, focusing on the present. "You!"

She turned on her heel and left the ballroom. It was so like him to start something, egging her to rise to the occasion. She didn't want to continue to fight with her father, not on Peter's wedding day. The house hadn't changed. She climbed the spiral staircase to the third floor, where her room had been at one time. She slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind her, twisting the lock in place.

When she turned on the light, she noticed Angela hadn't change a thing. The bedspread, curtains, and rugs were all the same. There were even a few college brochures still sitting on top of the unused desk. Claire sat down by the window, wondering if things would have been different if she had gone off to school, never asking questions about what either of her fathers were doing. Maybe her dad was right. Maybe she had made her life difficult on purpose.

Time and time again, she had fought against him. Every time he asked her to keep quiet or follow his instructions, she deliberately disobeyed and got herself into trouble. There were occasions when it paid off in the end, such as the time when she helped Alex escape or when she had gone back in time to remove the catalyst from herself. She hadn't seen or heard from Alex since that night. She hoped he was alive and had found a way to live out in the world, the way she had.

The room felt small all of a sudden. It had been years since she had so much space to herself. Despite the amble area available, she felt as if she couldn't breathe. She unlatched the window, crawling out onto the fire escape. Peter had showed her how to climb up to the roof, when she had lived here. She still remembered how.

Her fingers curled over the ledge, as she pulled herself up and over the top. She stood there for a moment admiring the open night air, surrounding the city's skyline. It was a glitter of dazzling lights. For a moment, she missed living here with Peter and her grandmother, even though she felt the same way about Angela as she did her father. Both were cold, calculating, and lied constantly. Manipulation was their game and she was tired of it. She moved to take a seat on the corner of the building, when she noticed a figure out of the corner of her eye.

She wasn't alone.

"Claire, what a nice surprise." He emerged from the shadows, walking over to her. He held out the nearly empty bottle of Pinot.

She made a disgusted face at him. "Are you stalking me?"

"I was here first," he pointed out. He finished the wine, placing the bottle down. "But if you're offering your company, I accept." His lips turned up in a wicked smile. He had forgotten how much he liked to toy with her. It was so easy.

"That wasn't an invitation."

"Still angry about that kiss?" he teased, burying his hands in his pockets.

"That wasn't a kiss," she cried, defensively, muttering something under her breath that he couldn't make out.

"What?"

"Don't think you'll get that chance again," she said to him in a biting tone. "I'll find a way to put you in the ground. I have forever to figure it out."

He sighed, surveying the city, as he leaned back on the ledge. "Eternity is a long time, Claire."

She rolled her eyes, obviously not caring. He had to admit, being stuck as a seventeen year old was probably not the way anyone envisioned lasting eternity. Raging hormones were annoying the first time around, but having to permanently live through it was a different kind of hell. He could forgive her for the dramatic outbursts. She wasn't even legally old enough to drink, not that that would stop her. He had no issues being as he was. He was old enough to acquire what he needed legally. The things worth having can't be bought. He was sure he had seen a cross stitching of that saying in his mother's home at one time.

"I don't want to be alone."

"You're a psychopath," she hissed, backing away from him.

"If I am, it's because that's what my powers have made me." He hated how desperate he sounded, even if what he said was the truth. "When Chandra Suresh first found me, I only had my ability to understand how things work and decipher how to fix them. It was new and exciting. After a lifetime of wishing to be special, I finally had something of my own that truly made me unique."

She didn't comment on his story, but she didn't retreat back inside either.

"I felt as though I had a purpose beyond my watch shop and taking care of my mother. I wanted to explore my ability and the abilities of others. The excitement became intoxicating. After I killed the man who had telekinesis, I lost myself. The excitement was replaced by guilt. It ate away at me, until I decided I couldn't live with it anymore. After I closed the store one day, I attempted to hang myself."

Her head snapped up, as she stared at him with confused, wide eyes. "Elle stopped me." Claire's expression was still unsure, but her attention was held.

"If I know then that it was the Company's doing, I would have told her to leave. I thought it was a sign. I believed she had saved me. In reality, your father and her were sent by the Company to see how many powers I could accumulate before putting me down. I was just a lab rat. They brought me Specials and pushed until I did what they had expected me to do. I tried to resist at first, but part of my initial power, the one I inherited from my father comes with a hunger. After the first few kills it had grown and it became unyielding."

Claire was listening, but still not speaking. She turned away, looking out onto the city. He considered telling her more, but then thought better of it. She understood what her father was capable of. There was no reason to put her through anymore pain on that subject. "I've never lied to you, Claire. Not once. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry." She bite back her bottom lip, nodding slightly.

"I'm not that person anymore."

Her voice came out soft, laced with a deep sadness. "I want to trust you."

"I can prove it." He felt as if he was begging her. Five years ago she nearly changed the entire world. All he had wanted to do was change her world. He could see his opportunity for redemption within his grasp. "Just give me a chance."

She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted when Noah joined them. He came charging out through the roof fire escape door. "Claire, what are you doing out here?"

"I needed space." She grumbled, her demeanor changing instantly. She crossed her arms over her chest. It was obvious she still hadn't forgiven him.

Noah ignored her immature stature and turned to give him a cold glare. "Sylar."

"I was just leaving," he stated, heading for the exit. "Enjoy the rest of the party."

As he passed through the door, he glanced over his shoulder at Claire. He was surprised when his eyes met hers. She had been watching him. She didn't drop her gaze when he caught her. He gave her a wink and watched the boiling anger take over her features as the door shut behind him.