Sylar and Elle

I just wanted to see if this picture came out ok... Oy! What the heck happened to the color?

Part Twenty-Seven

"Peter. What a surprise."

Peter walks closer to Sylar and holds his hand behind his back, gripping a small box tightly.

Sylar notices that his hand is hidden and grins. "Whatcha got there, Pete?"

He takes his hand out and reveals the box. "So I can tell on you," he admits.

Sylar raises his eyebrows and laughs. "Why are you being so honest? You're making this too easy."

Peter smiles and his eyes focus on the men standing behind Sylar, holding guns. Sylar's smile slowly fades and he turns around just a few seconds too late. The men all shoot him at once, each tranquilizer piercing him right in the neck and back. Sylar turns back to Peter and falls to the ground.

The men pick Sylar up and move him to a truck where they tie him up and shove a tube up his nose, which keeps him unconscious. Peter meets up with Noah and Mohinder back at the building where they're being held.

"Nicely done, Petrelli," Noah says after placing his hand on his shoulder.

Peter doesn't smile back, but looks guilty for what he's done.

"Is something wrong, Peter?" Mohinder asks nicely.

He shakes his head, still frowning. "I feel wrong... keeping them away from each other."

Noah laughs condescendingly, and looks at Peter. "You feel bad for a supervillain and an immature little girl? You did your job. Now go home."

Mohinder looks sadly at Noah. "Should I go, too? Am I of no use to you?"

"No, Mohinder. We could use you here. You're a good doctor." He nods at Mohinder and walks away.

"Geneticist." He says under his breath.

Noah goes to Sylar's cell and laughs when he sees him asleep and belted down. "What a relief..." he says to himself. "Now to torture that little crybaby."

He walks back to Elle's cell and turns all the lights on, shocking her. She stands up and frowns at Noah.

"Guess who we found?" he teases.

Elle gasps. "No! What did you do to him?!" she yells.

Noah laughs. "Oh, he's just haevily sedated and strapped down to a metal table. He won't be

leaving anytime soon."

She walks up to the window and slams it. "Noah, let us go! Let us GO!" she demands.

Noah smiles and walks away, hitting the light switch on his way out. Elle screams for him and zaps the window furiously. She continues using her ability until she's worn out, and she sits back down. She looks back at the metal table and grunts.

Peter, still nearby, stands sadly under an awning. He looks back towards the building and frowns. "Why do I have to be so good?" he whispers to himself. Claire Bennet walks around the corner and smiles.

"Peter?" she grins.

He turns around and smiles. "Claire." He laughs and hugs her tightly. "What're you doing here?"

She laughs. "My dad... My... Noah," she mumbles. "He told me to meet him near here. Do you have any idea what he's doing in Jersey?"

Peter shakes his head. "I... I can't..." he stops himself. "I don't know."

She frowns. "You can't what? Is something wrong?" She puts her hand on his arm.

"I did something bad, Claire. Well... sort of. I just feel awful about it."

She nods. "Me, too."

Peter raises his eyebrow and frowns. "What did you do?"

She laughs. "I... went to dinner with Elle Bishop. And... Sylar. I told them you were in New York."

Peter places his hand on Claire's shoulder and laughs. "Noah didn't tell you...?"

"Tell me what?"

"That was part of his plan to catch Sylar and Elle. That's what I feel bad about. I was in on it. And now they're apart-- separated."

Claire's face goes from confused to angry. "Plan? I was part of that plan? I helped my father do something as awful as separating two people... in love?"

"You didn't know, Claire," he says.

"I should've!" she yells. "I mean, I know I don't like them, but they're in love! And I pulled them apart!" She pauses for a moment. "What does he want with them?"

"He wants to do some testing on Elle, and doesn't want Sylar in his way," Peter explains.

"Testing? What kind of testing? Why does my dad want to do that?"

"Didn't you...? Elle's pregnant. He wants to see if the baby has-"

Claire interrupts, shocked. "She's pregnant? With Sylar's baby?"

Peter nods. "Yes. And Noah wants to know if it'll be born with abilities."

She covers her mouth. "That's AWFUL!"

"Claire... Do you want to help me..."

"I'm in."

He laughs. "I didn't ask you yet."

"I know you want to free them. So do I. Let's go." She takes Peter's hand and starts walking until she realizes she has no idea where they're going. She stops and looks at Peter. "Um, Pete, where are we going?"

He laughs and grabs her hand, walking briskly to the building. When they arrive, Claire gasps and looks up at the building.

"Pinehearst? This is where I took Elle to get her powers fixed... this is where Sylar worked!"

Peter smiles and takes Claire inside. They run into Noah on their way down the hall. Peter keeps walking and Claire stands with her dad.

"Clairebear?" he says, and turns around to look at Peter. Claire grabs his shoulder and spins him back aroung angrily.

"Dad! How could you?" she yells.

"What are you talking about Clairebe-"

"You're testing on Elle! You've got them separated! How could you do that to them?" she continues furiously.

As their conversation goes on in a very angry tone, Peter is searching for Sylar's cell. Mohinder walks into the hall and they slam into each other.

"Peter? What're you doing back here?"

"Sorry, Mohinder. No time to talk." He starts to walk away again, until Mohinder grabs his shoulder.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

Peter nods. "Find me Sylar's cell."

Mohinder frowns. "Sylar? Why do you need to find him?"

"I can't tell you my plans at the moment, Mohinder. Just point me in the direction of his cell."

Mohinder signals Peter to follow him and starts walking towards his room. He stops at the window and flicks on the lights. "There he is..."

Peter looks at the key hanging around Mohinder's neck. "One more thing..."

Mohinder looks at him and smiles. "Sure."

"I need your key," Peter says.

Mohinder shakes his head. "I'm afraid I ca-"

Peter punches him in the nose, knocking him out. His eyes widen as Mohinder falls to the floor. "Sorry, Mo..." He rips the key off of his neck and unlocks the cell. He walks in and pulls the medicine tube out of Sylar's nose. Sylar, unable to move his arms and legs, opens his eyes and squints at Peter. "You," he growls.

"I'm trying to help you. And Elle." He starts unstrapping Sylar's arms when he sits up and grabs his neck.

"You brought me to this place. How can I trust you?"

Noah runs in with a gun and shoots at Sylar's forehead, but he stops the bullet in midair. He gives an evil grin and uses telekinesis to unstrap his legs. Still recovering, Sylar stumbles when he attempts to stand up. Peter catches him and holds up his hand to Noah.

"Don't," he demands.

Sylar looks up and uses Elle's power to send Noah flying across the hall. Claire runs in after her father lands and walks up to the still-drowsy Sylar. "I'm sorry about how I was before. I had no idea I was part of the plan."

Sylar smiles. "It's okay. We need to get to Elle before your daddy wakes up."

They walk down the hall, Sylar's arm wrapped around Peter's shoulder. Peter notices that Mohinder is gone and start walking faster. Suddenly, Mohinder walks out from behind a filing cabinet, holding a gun.

"I'll shoot... I will," he says shakily.

He aims at Sylar and drops the gun.

"You want to turn around and forget this ever happened," Sylar says, using Eden's persuasion ability.

Peter smiles and they keep walking after Mohinder walks into an office. They arrive at Elle's cell and Sylar picks himself up. He takes the key from Peter and runs in, and she jumps up to hug him. "I was so scared," she whispers.

Sylar kisses her and puts her back on the floor, taking her hand. They run out with Peter and Claire and hurry away from the building.

"Does anybody have a car?" Sylar asks.

"My dad's..." Claire responds.

Claire runs to the parking lot and breaks the car window, filling her hand with shards of glass. They all slide out and she unlocks it quickly. "Can anyone do that weird car-starting trick?"

Sylar runs over and gets in the driver seat, then leans under the steering. "I'm a watchmaker. I can fix anything," he jokes. Claire and Peter get in the back, and Elle hops in the passenger seat. Sylar gets the car started and they pull out quickly.

Meanwhile, Noah is knocked out on the floor, and Mohinder is doing work in the science lab.

"This is not something I ever imagined doing," Claire laughs. "I'm in a car with my uncle, the man who sawed my skull open, and the girl who tried to kill my father."

Part Twenty-Six

Noah walks away from Elle's cell and she sits on the floor, hoping that Sylar will show up soon. The lights flicker back off as Noah shuts the door.

Meanwhile... Sylar is hunting down Peter, and uses his incredible hearing to track him down. Everything comes to him as static, but he can make out Peter's heartbeat. He sprints down the street and follows the sound of his heart all the way to a tall building that's heavily guarded.

He throws the guards at the door to either side of the side walk using TK, and storms in, smiling widely. "Petrelli? I know you're here," he yells.

Peter walks out from behind a wall, frowning.

"That was easier than I thought it would be..."

Shades of Gray (Part Twenty-Five)

... THE NEXT DAY...

Elle sits on the bed in her PJ pants, twirling her hair, as Sylar gets dressed in the bathroom.

"Don't wear anything fancy, sweetie. You're just going to get beat up anyway." She laughs.

Sylar walks into the room wearing his signature black coat and looks at Elle. "You're wearing that?" he snaps.

She stands up and points at her stomach. "I won't fit in any of my normal clothes, remember?" she snaps back.

Sylar smiles and kisses her. "Time to go to Mohinder's. Get on your shoes and I'll get you a cab."

She smiles, walks to the door, and puts on her shoes. "I'm a little nervous." She turns around. "Should I be?"

Sylar shakes his head and grabs a gun from inside the dresser. He shoves it in his pocket and takes Elle's arm. They walk outside and she gets in a cab, waving sadly back at him. He stands on the sidewalk, smiling, and walks the opposite direction.

When Elle gets to Mohinder's lab, she walks in to find it completely silent and eerily empty. "Mohinder?"

He walks out from a corner and smiles. "No Sylar today?"

She squishes her eyebrows together and tilts her head suspiciously. "How would you know that?"

He laughs nervously and walks over to Elle. "I figured he'd be more comfortable here now... I, uh, thought he would walk right in," he lies. "Come right over here to the table."

Elle hops on the cold metal table and lays down, frowning. Mohinder straps her arms and legs down and gives her a faint smile.

"You didn't do this last time...?" she says worriedly.

Mohinder turns around and takes out a syringe, squirting the liquid into midair. Elle sighs nervously. "It's just in case you jump... I don't want to hurt you."

She smiles as he puts the needle into her arm. 

"Used to it, I see?" Mohinder grins.

She smiles back and nods. "It doesn't bother me as much as flying, that's for sure."

As Mohinder leans down to inject her with the medicine, all of the doors slam open. She looks around and starts yelling, until sparks of electricity form in the palms of her hands. "You LIED!" she screams. Several men in uniform walk closer as Mohinder injects the liquid into her arm. The sparks calm and her eyes close slowly...

A few hours later, Elle finds herself trapped in a dark, cold room. She covers her eyes as the lights flicker on. 

Noah walks up to the glass window and smiles down at her. "Bishop. Welcome back."

She stands up and looks at him. "Why are you doing this? What did I do?" she yells.

Noah smiles wryly. "I thought you were smarter than this, Elle. Getting pregnant with a supervillain's kid? Not the smartest thing you've ever done."

"What are you going to do to my baby?" Her voice gets softer and she starts to sound terrified. "You're not doing any tests on my baby." Tears start rolling down her cheeks.

"I always knew you had a little crush on Gabriel. But I never thought you'd go this far," he teases.

"Gabriel will save me. And he'll destroy you. I promise you that," she threatens.

Cat Types

Okay, so, when I'm older, I want to own a cat named Gabriel. I'm just gonna list some cat names so I don't forget. Maybe some pics, too. But I'm not sure!

Bengal (Wow, adorable!)

Egyptian Mau

Munchkin (Tiny!)

The first two really look like Gabriels, but the Munchkin is absolutely adorable! Hm... Now I'm going to do some research on them.

Shades of Gray (Part Twenty-Four)

Elle's jaw drops and she grabs Claire's arm when she starts walking away. "Why does Peter Petrelli want me?"

Sylar holds out his hand and turns her around. "Tell us," he demands.

Claire can't resist, and shakes her head. "Peter... he wants to get you away from him." She tilts her head at Sylar and tries to free herself from Elle's grip. "Are you going to kill him?"

Sylar laughs and takes Elle's arm as he leaves the table. Claire watches them walk away together and sighs in relief. She takes her phone out her pocket and dials a number. "Dad?"

"Yes, Clairebear?"

"I told them everything. He forced it out of me," she says, ashamed.

Noah gives a grim smile. "It's alright, Claire. I'll handle it." He hangs up and looks to the other side of the room, where Mohinder is standing, with his hand on his mouth. "So?" he says quietly.

Noah smiles. "Mission accomplished. Sylar will go after Peter and Elle will go to you. I can't believe it was that easy!"

Mohinder rubs his forehead nervously. "I have to... take care of her?"

Noah laughs. "No! Well, not for long, anyway. She'll be put away once you've got her. And Peter will return to us with Sylar," Noah explains.

Mohinder smiles. "I can do that." He nods. "I can do that," he repeats.

Sylar and Elle go back to the apartment and she sits on the bed. "What're you gonna do now?"

He paces back and fourth across the room and she watches him. "I'm going to find Petrelli." He stops and looks at her. "And you're going to stay with Mohinder. You're supposed to see him tomorrow anyway, right? You have to stay with him."

She shakes her head in disagreement. "No, I'm coming with you."

Sylar leans down and places his hands on her shoulders. "Don't do this to me, Elle. You know you can't risk hurting yourself."

She nods sadly. "I'll do it. But only for a day. If you don't come back I'm going to come and find you."

He laughs. "I'll be back. I promise."

Shades of Gray (Part Twenty-Three)

... ONE MONTH LATER...

Elle stands in the bathroom with jeans in one hand and sweatpants in another. "Do you think it would be rude of me to wear sweatpants? My jeans don't really fit right anymore."

Sylar is brushing his hair in the mirror, and smiles. "Sweatpants are fine, sweetie. She'll understand."

"I can't believe Claire agreed to see us... She hates me. And you," Elle laughs.

Elle attempts to pull up her jeans, but fails when they get stuck on her stomach. She smiles and pulls them back off. "I was right. Jeans don't fit. God, this is weird..." She puts on her sweatpants and drapes a loose shirt over them.

"She wanted to see you... She knows what's going on between us."

She walks out into the room. "She's just curious, I guess," Sylar continues. "She's young. She has the right to be."

"You look great." Sylar drops his brush and kisses her, placing his hands on her hips. She smiles and kisses him back.

They take a taxi to a restaurant nearby, and walk in to get their table. Elle kisses Sylar's cheek before she sits down. "I'm glad she's meeting us here."

Sylar nods and smiles. "I wouldn't have let you fly, anyway."

Elle looks at the door as Claire walks in and takes off her coat. She walks over and sits down next to Elle. "Hi."

Elle smiles. "It's nice to see you, Claire."

She grins and smiles, then looks at Sylar. "Sylar..." she says in a disgusted tone. 

"Claire," he grins.

She turns back to Elle. "So, I heard you guys are... um... dating?"

"Yes. We have been for quite a while." She takes Sylar's hand and smiles.

Claire gives a grin but both Sylar and Elle can easily tell she's revolted at the thought of them dating.

"That's... great," she says. "Are you guys, like... gonna get married?"

Elle laughs. "I don't know. Maybe someday. But I doubt it."

Sylar smiles as Claire's face goes pale. A waitress walks over and smiles at everyone. "Drinks?"

"Water."

"Water."

"Um... water?" Claire says nervously.

Sylar smiles grimly at Claire and tilts his tead. "How's Peter?"

She gulps and gives a farce smile. "I think he's good."

Sylar gets the strange tingly feeling and raises his eyebrows. "What's he really up to, Claire?"

"I haven't... seen him in a while."

He tingles again, now getting angry. "Claire?" he growls. "Where's Peter?"

She pushes her chair away from the table and frowns. "I should get going. My dad's... waiting for me."

Sylar stands up angrily and stares at Claire. "I didn't need my power to know that was a lie." He leans against the table and slams his hands on top of it. Claire stands up and looks at him, terrified. Elle sits there, smiling at how angry Sylar has become.

"Tell me where he is." He uses his power of persuasion to get Claire to spill the beans.

"He's here. In New York. Looking for..." She trails off and closes her eyes. She turns to face Elle. "You. He wants you."

Shades of Gray (Part Twenty-Two)

Mohinder, frightened by Sylar's furious stare, begins testing on Elle. She gets nervous as Mohinder takes out a syringe, and asks for Sylar's hand.

"It'll be okay, Miss Bishop. It won't hurt: I promise," Mohinder says confidently.

She nods nervously and squeezes Sylar's hand. "I'm not good with needles," she squeaks.

A couple hours later, Mohinder finishes his testing. Elle sits up and stretches her arms. "So...?" She rubs her arm and looks at the clipboard in his hand.

"I'm sorry... it's too soon to tell," he says quietly.

Elle shakes her head and frowns. "I need to know," she demands.

"In about four more weeks I'll be able to tell you whether it possesses special abilities or not," he assures.

"How come you can't tell?" Sylar snaps. "How do we know you're not lying?"

"You're just going to have to trust me. The baby isn't developed enough."

Elle stands up and grabs Sylar's hand. "Thank you anyway. We'll be back in a month." She drags him across the room and out the door. They go back to the apartment and Elle sits on the bed. Sylar stands with his back to Elle and rests his hands on the dresser.

"Gabe, it's alright. We can wait."

He shakes his head. "I'm not... upset. I'm not always upset."

She stands up and puts her hand gently on his back. "Then what's wrong?"

"I'm sort of... nervous. I'm nervous to find out." His voice gets quieter as he goes on, and his head drops. Elle wraps her arms around his chest and squeezes him.

"It's okay. I understand. I'm nervous, too."

Elle listens to his tears hit the dresser, and she spins him around. He closes his eyes and hugs her tightly. "I'm sorry..." he sighs.

She closes her eyes and rests her chin on his shoulder. "Gabe... everything is gonna be fine."

He continues crying and Elle starts rocking him gently. "I've never seen you like this," Elle says quietly.

Shades of Gray (Part Twenty-One)

...ONE MONTH LATER...

"Honey, where are my shoes?" Elle yells from the hall. Sylar and Elle have moved into a small apartment and are just unpacking. Sylar's standing in the bathroom looking at his beard. "Elle, do you think I should shave?" he asks as he walks into the hall.

She smiles and rubs his chin. "No. I love your scruff."

He smiles back at her and goes back into the bathroom. "Your shoes are in the box by the door."

Elle walks over and takes out her shoes, sliding them onto her small feet. "Thanks. So, where are we going again?"

"To see Dr. Suresh," he replies.

"Wait, he knows you're coming? He knows it's us? How did you convince him..." She trails off. "What did you do?"

Sylar laughs. "It's me he doesn't like. He actually cares about you," Sylar explains.

"Why do we have to see him?"

"We need to ask him about your health... and the baby's health. We need to see if it'll have..."

She interrupts him, frowning. "Abilities? Do you think it will?"

"Well, we both have them... it's very possible."

"I don't want it to. I want it to be normal," she says sadly.

Sylar walks over and kisses her. "Don't worry. As long as it's healthy, it'll be happy."

They take a taxi to Mohinder's lab and Elle walks in ahead of Sylar. He stays in the hall behind the door as she says hello to Mohinder.

"Mohinder..." she sighs as she hugs him. "It's so nice to see you again!" She pulls away, smiling.

"Is Sylar here?" he asks nervously.

"You don't trust me?" she frowns.

Mohinder watches as the door opens and Sylar walks in, smiling widely. "Hello, Mohinder."

"No, no. I won't do anything for him. Why do you need my help, anyway?"

Elle smiles. "I'm pregnant."

Mohinder's eyes widen and he swallows hard. "With his baby?" He tilts his head at Sylar.

"Of  course. I need you to tell me if it's healthy... and if it's superhuman."

"I... I'm afraid I can't do that," Mohinder apologizes.

Sylar walks closer and his smile disappears. "Sure you can," he grunts.

Shades of Gray (Part Twenty)

After getting sick for nearly half an hour, Elle picks herself up and gets dressed. She unlocks the door and Sylar hops up and turns around. As she's opening the door Sylar slowly pushes it inward, and a he holds out his hand for her to take.

"Are you alright?"

She walks out, taking his hand. "I'm fine. I guess I have to get used to this," she responds.

Elle walks into the room and sits down on the edge of their bed, frowning. Sylar sits next to her and looks sadly at the floor. "What can I do for you?" he asks quietly.

"I don't want to do anything today. I want to be with you and that's it," she requests.

Sylar looks up at her and grins. "Of course." He takes her hand and they lay back on the bed, holding each other's arms. Sylar kisses Elle on the cheek and she twists her tiny fingers through his tangled hair. She giggles and he smiles at her. "What is it?"

"Your hair's a mess. It's never a mess," she says as she tries to remove some of the knots at the bottom.

He laughs at her and admires her pulchritude as she stares at his hair. She drops her hand next to his face and rests her head on top of it. Her eyes slowly start to close along with his, and they fall asleep in each other's grasps.

When they wake up, hours later, Sylar sits up and wraps himself up in a sweatshirt. Elle opens her eyes and rubs them. "Why are you getting up?" she asks.

Sylar stands up and kisses Elle's forehead. "I'm starving. Don't you want something to eat?"

She sits up and pushes a strand of hair out of her face. "Yes..." she moans.

He grabs a bathrobe out of the bathroom and wraps it around her. "Do you want me to get you some food or would you rather come down and get it yourself?"

She smiles. "I want to come with you. We both deserve a nice meal together."

They go downstairs (leaving the sweatshirt and bathrobe behind) and get a table at the hotel's restaurant. Sylar quickly picks up his menu and skims the pages. "Geez, could they have any more options?" he jokes.

The waiter walks over smiling and stands next to Elle. "Would you care for something to drink? Perhaps some wine?" he offers.

"I'll just take a water, please," Elle frowns.

"And for you?" He smiles at Sylar.

"I'll have the same. And some calamari to start, please."

"Yes, sir. Coming right up." He walks away from the table and into the kitchen. Sylar watches him place their order and then looks back at Elle.

"Why are you suspicious?" she asks.

"What're you talking about?"

"You're always watching people... even nice people like him. You're so untrusting."

He laughs. "I've always been that way. I'm very... paranoid."

She smiles and looks back at the menu. "This is nice, Gabe. Thanks for taking me out."

"No problem. I felt like you needed to get out of that tiny room."

"You were right. I'm getting tired of hiding," she says sadly.

"Is there anything else you want to do after dinner?"

"Let's go dancing," she grins.

"Dancing? Are you kidding me?"

She giggles. "Of course not. I want to go dancing with you." she says as she places her hand on top of his.

"Um, okay... We'll go dancing," he says with a disgusted look on his face.

The waiter returns with their waters and takes out a small pad of paper. "Have you decided what you would like for dinner this evening?"

"I'd like to try the shrimp pasta, please," Elle requests.

He writes it down on his pad and smiles at Sylar. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll have... the steak," he responds.

Elle raises her eyebrows at him.

"Please," he growls.

The waiter nods and walks back to the kitchen, and Sylar's eyes remain locked on him.

"Please, stop doing that," Elle begs.

He shakes his head and looks at her. "Sorry. I can't help it. I feel like I've met him before... I recognize his..." He looks around and quiets down. "I recognize his heartbeat." 

"Calm down. It's probably just similar to someone else's. And nobody can shapeshift but you," she tries to convince him.

"Petrelli. Petrelli can shapeshift. And that's the heartbeat it sounds like..." he says suspiciously.

"Peter? You think it's Peter?" she asks worriedly.

Sylar stands up and throws his napkin on the table. "It's him. I know it is."

"Sit down, Gabriel," Elle demands.

He ignores her and heads towards the kitchen.

"Gabe!" she yells as she stands up. She runs up to him and spins him around aggressively. "We're leaving."

He looks at the kitchen and notices that the waiter is missing. "He's gone. We lost him already."

Elle puts her hands on his cheeks and looks up at him. "We're leaving."

Sylar shakes his head and takes Elle's hand. They go back up to their room and she packs all of her things back up. "Do you just want to get room service?"

Sylar sits on the bed angrily and ignores her question.

"You need to get over it, okay? He's gone. There's nothing you can do about it. So stop being a crybaby." 

Sylar's eyes almost look like they turn a shade darker, and his eyebrows shift slightly closer together. He continues staring at the carpet as Elle watches him get angrier. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean it," she promises.

Fear spreads across Elle's face as she feels herself losing control of her body. "Gabriel..."

He holds up his hand and directs it towards Elle, forcing her to take a step forward. He looks up angrily, and his piercing eyes cause Elle to begin shivering. A tear rolls down her cheek and she closes her eyes. "Please... I didn't mean it," she squeaks.

Sylar takes a breath and lowers his hand, releasing her. She drops to floor and starts crying. Sylar stands up and walks over to her slowly. "I... I don't know what happened, Elle. I couldn't control myself. I promise: it'll never happen again."

She refuses to look him in the eyes, so she stares at his hand instead. He kneels down next to her and starts rubbing her arm gently. She looks at him and shakes her head. "I'm not right for you. I should leave," she says quietly.

"No, no, don't leave, Elle. You can't be alone. And I don't want to be. I love you."

She sniffs and leans forward, wrapping her arms around him. "I love you, too."