When Elizabeth woke up, she realized with a shiver she didn't have the faintest idea of where she was. The last thing she remembered was that strong energy wave that hit her and Gabriel, making her lose consciousness. How much time had passed since that moment?

Elizabeth frowned and sat up on the bed. She thought she would wake up in her cell at Level Five, but this place looked nothing like that. It looked more like some incredibly fancy hotel suite, with expensive furniture and a really huge, comfortable bed. She couldn't feel anyone around her, and that didn't help her calm down. And where was Gabriel?

She wouldn't get her answers by sitting in bed, so Elizabeth decided to stand up and look for clues in the room. She was prepared to feel dizzy and weak… but that feeling never came. Elizabeth wasn't expecting to feel that good. Better, actually, then she'd felt in years. No dizziness, no confusion in her head… It was in that moment that she realized there was nothing wrong with her ability. Her power was still there, but it wasn't no more as overwhelming as it always had been. All the people in that place were still in her head, but she had space for herself too… and that was new.

Elizabeth scanned the room for clues about her location, but her knowledge of the world was too limited to understand where she was just from looking at the view from her window. She tried to open the door of her room, but it was locked from the outside. Again, she began to feel scared. A prison was still a prison, even with fancy furniture… but if she wasn't a Company prisoner, then who was holding her there?

Elizabeth heard some noise in the corridor, and stepped back when she realized someone was going to get inside. Someone she already knew…

***

Grace couldn't help but smile at the young girl and her confused expression. Not too many years earlier, she had been in her place, with the same mistrust in her eyes. But Mrs. Linderman could be very… persuasive, when she wanted something. Her, in that case. Grace never regretted starting to work for her, and did whatever she could to repay a woman crazy enough to make a former thief and grifter head of security of the Corinthian Hotel.

"I believe you've many questions to ask. I'll try to answer them. Grace Sinclair," she added then, outstretching her hand. "Nice to meet you, Elizabeth."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know many things about you. But don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you… quite the opposite."

Elizabeth was testing Grace, searching for anything that could indicate a lie… but Grace was sincere. Still, Elizabeth wasn't inclined to trust her.

"I met you before."

"A couple of days ago. When I took you here. Sorry about that, I couldn't risk you to go away… not after all this time!"

"What the hell are you talking about? And where is Gabriel? What have you done to him?"

"Sylar is fine. We did nothing to him, except keeping him sedated. The way he behaved with you… it's unusual for him. We don't like to gamble around here… bit rich, huh?"

Elizabeth frowned. Clearly Grace had just made a joke, but she didn't get it.

"Anyway, now that you're awake and clearly well, why don't we sit and have a little talk?"

"Take me to him. Now."

"I will, but we have to talk first. It won't take long, I promise. Can I get you something? We have the best room service of the entire town."

"I'm fine," Elizabeth said, sitting on the couch. Grace sat opposite her, and crossed her legs.

"Good. Then let's get started. First question?"

"Where am I?"

"Las Vegas. Nevada. Other side of the country."

"Why am I here?"

"It's not for me to tell. But my employer spent a lot of time and money in order to find you, so you must be important to her."

"Her?"

"Mrs. Lindeman. Widow of late Daniel Linderman, businessman and owner the Corinthian hotel and casino, where we're currently at."

"I don't know anyone with that name."

"But she knows everything about you."

"I can tell there's more. What are you not telling me?"

"Mrs. Linderman wants to have a private chat with you. She will explain everything."

"Is she… with the Company?"

"We worked with them in the past, but not anymore. My employer is not happy with the way the Company was ran by the founders and detached from them many years ago. She went back briefly one year ago, but it's over now."

Sincerity. Nothing but sincerity. Elizabeth couldn't believe it. No one was that sincere with another human being. Even if her power was giving her all reasons to trust her, her brain was screaming her to find Gabriel and run away. Grace didn't seem to know her ability, or that whatever they did to her gave her all that control over it. It was time to test projection.

"Grace, now I really, really want to see Gabriel. Do you think I can meet him alone?"

Elizabeth was trying her best not to start laughing. All the pain, the fatigue she felt when she tried to do that to someone was completely gone. It was like all of Grace's emotions where in front of her, like strings of an harp. The woman was completely in her power, and she didn't suspect a thing. In fact, after a few minutes, Grace was convinced it was her idea all along.

Elizabeth was sorry – Grace seemed a nice girl – but she didn't escape the Company to end up in the hands of someone else. And this time she would've been the one to save Gabriel.

"Grace, where is Sylar exactly? You clearly must have more important things to do than babysitting me, I can go there by myself," she said with a sweet tone, boosting all the positive things Grace was feeling towards her. Grace wasn't sure if she had to tell Elizabeth – it was confidential – but when Elizabeth took her hand and one again projected her emotions into the woman, something weird happened. Grace's face went blank for a second, and when she looked at her she began to tell her exactly what she needed to do to find Sylar and how to not get caught by security.

"You can use my pass, you can go everywhere with it!" she finished with a big smile. For a second Elizabeth saw herself with her mother, when she was little. It was like Grace was doing whatever she could to please her… Well, whatever that thing was, it would have to wait until she took Gabriel out of there. She thanked Grace – she looked a little heartbroken when Elizabeth ran away – and using all the information she gave her, Elizabeth moved smoothly along the corridors, avoiding the omnipresent cameras and personnel. Elizabeth's heart threatened to jump out of her chest, but she ordered herself to stay calm. Keep a low profile, she repeated to herself while accessing a wing of the hotel that was forbidden to guests. And it wasn't that difficult to understand why… that place didn't look like an expensive hotel. It looked like the Company, and it gave her the impression that A., that collaboration between Mrs. Linderman and the New York facility never really ceased, or B., Gabriel and she were in bigger trouble than Elizabeth first imagined.

She sort of smiled at that thought. She couldn't believe that just a few days ago she was a terrified, pathetic creature that just wanted to die because she couldn't handle life. That girl would've never done willingly what she did to Grace a few moments earlier. It was like that brush with death changed something inside of her and took away that part of herself. Elizabeth wasn't the one that had to be afraid of her ability. Now she knew what she was able to do, and most of all, she could control it. She wouldn't have any problem with breaking Gabriel out of that place. She found it ironic she felt safer around a killer like him than around normal people. Even more ironic was that it took someone like him for her to truly start considering her power something to treasure and not to hate.

I'll make sure to tell him that once we are out of here, she thought, and once again used Grace's pass to enter Room 204, where (according to Grace) Sylar was held. She couldn't have known that Grace had been found a few moments earlier, in a altered state of mind and without her magnetic card. Luckily for her, the Haitian was still around: a second in his presence, and all the effects of Elizabeth's mind control vanished like snow in the sun.

"Unbelievable," was the only thing Grace could say. Tricked by that girl like that was her first day!

"Go check Sylar. Now!" she shouted to the other agents once she regained a little control. "We underestimated their connection. And Elizabeth is not the helpless child Mrs. Linderman believes her to be!"

She couldn't still believe what had happened to her. One second she was in control, and the next she would've done everything to please Elizabeth, everything. They had to act quickly— otherwise, no one would be able to stop the girl and Sylar from getting out of there without anyone raising a finger to catch them.

***

It took Elizabeth less than a second to realize what kind of sedation was given to Sylar, and she immediately tore the tube off his nose. Even if she had been one of the quietest, low-profile residents of Level Five, there had bee a few times when she was put under inhibitor, when her panic attacks couldn't be sedated by normal medicines. She hated that stuff, but the good thing was that if it kicked in fast, it wore off even faster. After a minute Gabriel was himself again, and tried not to look at Elizabeth with surprise. Did he really have to thank the little empath for his freedom?

"Hey, that's not nice!" she said, slightly peeved, hitting him in the shoulder.

"How did you find me?" asked Sylar, getting back on his feet.

"I… I don't know exactly. I asked a woman and she told me. Period."

Sylar stopped a second to gave Elizabeth a confused look. "You just asked and she told you?"

"I touched her, for a second she went blank and then she did everything I asked her. Can we please analyze this freaky power of mine once we're out of here?"

Emotion manipulation, projection, and now the ability of taking over a person's mind through empathy. For a second the hunger came back, yearning for power, taunting Sylar with a million ways he could've used those abilities… but he had already decided the toll for taking Elizabeth's power was too high to pay, and he would've kept his word. She was a fast learner, he could see that clearly… Maya could've been a shiny toy to use and discard, but Elizabeth was different. And it would be interesting to keep her around.

"Lead the way," Sylar said with a smirk.

Elizabeth smiled back at him, but her it soon faded when she felt a familiar sensation of numbness spreading inside of her.

"It's happening again. Like at the apartment. We have to run, now!"

Sylar opened the door, and at Elizabeth's signal they both rushed in the corridor. Elizabeth used that weird feeling she'd had earlier to move in the right direction; however, soon what was left of her power disappeared as well, leaving the girl completely blind. Elizabeth started to feel dizzy again, but she ignored it; they had to get out of there, everything else could wait…

Suddenly, the door in front of them opened and Grace appeared in the corridor, along with the Haitian and a few guards. Sylar unconsciously stepped in front of Elizabeth. The girl grasped his shoulder, half for support and half for protection. She didn't need to turn to know that other guards were coming from the opposite direction. They were trapped.

Grace sighed. "Clearly I underestimated your connection. My bad. But really… Elizabeth, you've nothing to fear in this place."

"Why did you give him the inhibitor?"

"Because we value our lives, darling. We couldn't know how he would react… so we acted on the worst case scenario. We have no intention to harm you either, Sylar… so we really, really hope the feeling will be mutual."

Sylar was going to make a snarky remark when he heard Elizabeth moaning behind him and turned just in time to catch her before she fell on the floor.

"Elizabeth?"

"My head… it's like it was before…it hurts, there are too many people in here!"

Grace motioned for two of her men to get Elizabeth, but a glare from Sylar was more than enough to freeze them.

"She's not going anywhere."

"She must. We gave her a blood transfusion, but the effect is wearing off. Elizabeth needs medical attention right now."

"He's coming with," Elizabeth whispered against Sylar's chest.

"It'd better if…"

"I'm coming with," Sylar repeated with a tone that admitted no reply. Grace, that knew when it was wiser to admit defeat than to keep fighting, lifted her eyes to the ceiling and gave her approval.

"At least we'll be certain she won't try and escape again. Come on, you two. Back to your room."

All of a sudden, the mere prospect of lying down in that huge bed became extremely tempting to Elizabeth, especially when her knees once again threatened not to sustain her. Sylar resolved the problem by carrying the girl in his arms, ignoring her faint protests, and watched her like a hawk until the doctors came in her room and started the blood transfusion.

"This is just a patch," Grace said. "You will need to do some more exams, so we can understand how to help you. I know, the idea isn't tempting at all, but it has to be done. Ah, after you're done with this, if you're feeling better… I'm sure Mrs. Linderman would love to have a chat with you."

"It's not like I have a choice, is it?"

"Don't make it sound like we're the bad guys; we are not."

"You will excuse our disbelief, I hope," replied Sylar.

"Whatever. I'll see you in an hour, Elizabeth. Rest," said Grace, and she went out of the room closing the door behind her. Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes, while Sylar walked to the window to watch the sunset.

"I just don't get what they want from us," Elizabeth said quietly.

Maybe this Mrs. Linderman can tell us," replied Sylar, without turning.

"Everyone knows more about me than myself. I hate it. What's so special about this blood? I was given a transfusion once, but I didn't feel that good after…"

Those words were enough to make Sylar move away from the window and to Elizabeth's bedside. He observed the blood bag for a second, and then looked at Elizabeth.

"My guess is that blood belongs to a blonde cheerleader from Texas I've met some time ago. She wasn't that easy to find… but her ability was too rare, I had to take it."

Elizabeth grimaced as the dark feelings she came to associate with Gabriel's lust for power and blood invaded her head. But there was something else… something different about that girl.

He didn't kill her either.

"She didn't die. Right?"

"That's her ability. It's also how I survived your rage outburst."

"Considering what happened, I'm glad you had that ability. Does that make me a bad person? That I'm not sorry for that girl?"

"I'm probably the last person you should ask that question, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth smiled. "Probably. Anyway… that stuff's good. I'm already feeling better."

"Good. Next time we'll try to get away, we'll make it."

"I'm not sure of that, Gabriel. They seem to know a great deal about my ability, and you. I don't think we'll be so lucky to have a second chance," said Elizabeth, sitting on the bed. After a second, she decided she was feeling good enough to stand, and using the IV pole as support she slowly walked to the window to give a good look to Las Vegas' skyline.

"It's so beautiful. I never saw something like this in my entire life!"

Elizabeth pressed one hand against the glass, and closed her eyes. Sylar wondered what she was doing, but it took him a glimpse to her face when she opened her eyes again to understand. She was ecstatic.

"Oh. My. God. It's incredible! All this excitement, and lust, and joy… all bottled in this city. So many shades, and they're all intoxicating! It feels so good, Gabriel," she said, with a little laugh and an expression on her face Sylar never saw before. Ok, correction… she wasn't ecstatic. She was as close as high a person could be without actually taking drugs. Or maybe, as he thought while he took Elizabeth back to her bed, those emotions were like a drug to Elizabeth. Like she said earlier, nothing was dangerous, until you had too much of it…

"Elizabeth?"

"I'm ok, Gabriel. Just a little overwhelmed… but in a good way!" she laughed. Sylar took her hand, and told her to focus.

"You need to stay concentrated. Enough fun for one day, don't you think?"

"For one day, probably. What about the twenty years I've spent locked up in a madhouse?"

"Baby steps, Lizzie. Baby steps. How are you feeling now?"

"Bored. This transfusion is taking forever."

"Maybe you should rest."

"I'm too excited to sleep," she said, eyeing the flatscreen in the living room. "And I haven't seen a movie since forever…"

He could feel her in the back of his head, pushing and trying to make him say yes. Sylar sighed, wondering again how Elizabeth could change mood so fast. It was like there were a myriad different girls, and he still felt like he never get a hold of the real Elizabeth. Not the stoned one, or the sick one, or the terrified one. Just Elizabeth, the way she was supposed to be.

Since Elizabeth had no idea of what to watch, Sylar chose for the both of them an old black and white comedy with Clark Gable, fun, witty and easy to follow, just what they needed to unwind. Elizabeth frowned at first – as she said, she had never seen a movie like that in her life – but she soon get caught up by the story and stopped feeling so restless. She couldn't help but think Gabriel chose that movie on purpose: it was the story of a journalist and a young heiress obliged by circumstances to travel together and to pretend they were a couple. Sounded incredibly familiar... minus the ending, of course. The couple in the movie got together in the end, and Elizabeth knew that even if she had grown to trust Gabriel with her life, she would never feel comfortable enough to get intimate with a man ever again. The mere thought was enough to give her shivers.

Grace came back with a doctor just a few minutes before the movie ended, and after he detached Elizabeth from the tubes he also gave her another quick check up.

"I'm fine," protested Elizabeth, but the doctor just ignored her. After he declared her perfectly healthy, he excused himself and left the room, leaving Grace with Elizabeth and Sylar.

"Good. Ready to go?"

"To meet this mysterious Mrs. Linderman," commented Elizabeth. "But what does she want with us?"

"Just a little more patience," Grace said with a smile, and motioned the couple to follow her to the personnel's area, and then in the kitchens. Elizabeth and Sylar exchanged quite the perplexed look when Grace excused herself and left them there, surrounded by cooks and waiters. One of them, an elderly woman, was taking out of the oven a batch of fresh cinnamon rolls, while asking to one of the cooks if the other dishes were ready.

"When everything is ready, send the food in the suite," said the woman, unbuttoning the uniform. The clothes she was wearing underneath are too expensive for a simple employee. "I'm hungry… and so are my guests," she said, greeting Elizabeth and Sylar with a smile. "Aren't you?"

"Who are you?" asked Sylar.

"That's a good question. I had many names in my life. Right now, I'm Daphne Linderman, and you have no idea how pleased I am to see you both here, alive and well. It's a miracle."

Elizabeth frowned. "Stop talking in riddles. What do you want from us?"

Daphne left the jacket on a metal table, and moved closer to Elizabeth.

"You tell me, Elizabeth. Take a good look."

Elizabeth didn't let her ask twice, and carefully analyzed every feeling and emotion she could sense in the woman, enough to make her knees shake. Sylar wrapped an arm around her waist to sustain her, but Elizabeth kept looking at Daphne in complete shock. Sylar shot her a death glare; he was ready to use his abilities – he could feel them finally coming back – but Elizabeth stopped him.

"Gabriel, I'm fine. I'm fine, everything is okay," she whispered, and suddenly she was crying and smiling at the same time. She gently removed Sylar's hand and moved a couple of steps towards Daphne. Sylar didn't understand what was going now. Elizabeth's behavior was unpredictable, but this was something different.

Daphne looked at Elizabeth with a proud look in her eyes, and then engulfed her in a tight embrace that Elizabeth fiercely returned. For a few minutes it was like the two women just forgot about him, then Daphne let the girl go, and extended her hand to Sylar.

"I'm very sorry for my manners, Gabriel. But I hope you understand… it's been a long, long time since we've seen each other."

Sylar's eyes slowly shifted from Daphne's face to Elizabeth's. Daphne was still holding her close, and Elizabeth was smiling, happier than he'd ever seen her. Elizabeth nodded as she felt his confusion, and said they really had nothing to worry about, that they were really safe there.

"And how do you know this?"

"Because I know her," replied Elizabeth. "She would never hurt me."

Sylar could feel her joy and excitement in his head. Elizabeth looked straight in his eyes, and her smile grew bigger.

"Gabriel… meet my grandmother."