WHO: Angela Petrelli & Gabriel Gray WHAT: Angela goes to check up on Gabriel. Gabriel proceeds to be confused and suspicious. WHEN: November 24th; Early Evening WHERE: The Hyperion; Gabriel's Room RATING: PG STATUS: Narrative; COMPLETE
Angela had stood outside the room, looking up at the door with a heavy look in her gaze. Knowledge might have been power, but it was also a heavy weight to bear when one felt that they couldn't pass it on. No more secrets. She never should have made that promise when she knew just how many plagued this family. She never should have when there was so little that she could do about so many things that had already happened, things that she hadn't had any control over, things they might never forgive her for keeping from them.
But with all of that control out of her hands, there was something that she could do right now. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Knocking briefly on the door to alert Gabriel of her presence, Angela pushed the door open and peeked into the room. The look on his face was evidence enough to her that he, if he had been expecting anyone, hadn't been expecting to see her. "Can I come in?"
Can she...what? Of all of the people that Gabriel had figured would knock on his door, she was at practically the bottom of the list. While she had been tolerant of his presence in group settings as of late, she had still made every effort to avoid being alone with him before now. And now, she was asking whether or not she could come into his room, on her own, and... And what?
"I suppose," Gabriel said, a clear hesitation in his voice as he watched enter. She didn't look as though she was carrying anything. She was moving...well, there was a hesitation in her own movements, as though she wasn't really sure about what she was doing. She didn't seem very set on keeping a distance between them, however, as she closed the door almost as soon as she entered the room and sat down onto the bed next to him with less hesitation than she had entered with. "If you're having a computer issue, I'm sure Peter can help you with it."
It was the only reason he could think that she'd want to talk to him.
Angela smiled sadly as his last words. Was that all she could possibly want as far as he was concerned? She knew she had put the distance between them necessary when assessing just how dangerous he was. She had only just started to believe her boys' faith that he was safe before all of this had happened. They were still so assured even after what had happened. So who was she to think differently?
"It's not that," Angela said, reaching out and settling a hand lightly on Gabriel's arm. "How are you?"
Gabriel flinched at the contact, suspicion blazing in his eyes as he looked over at her. How was he? How was he? Why did she care? His mind twinged, and Gabriel dragged his eyes away from her, staring down at the floor and disengaging himself from her but making no move to dislodge her arm from his. "As well as can be considering the circumstances," Gabriel said quietly.
"You're stronger than you realize," Angela said, her hand tightening briefly on his arm before her grip relaxed and slid down to take his hand. It was hard to say whether he would believe her or not, but she wasn't about to stand aside and do nothing. She was responsible, and she couldn't rely on others to do the hard work for her anymore. "I know it's all so very overwhelming right now, but you'll understand when you really need to."
What? Gabriel turned his gaze from where it was focused on the floor to look up at Angela, his expression hardening as he did. "Understand what?" The words were practically spat at her. This was almost as bad as if Hiro had came into the room and tried to tell him that he could fight this. While she might not have shown him the same type of outward disdain, she had never shown him any type of support before now. And now she was expecting to just waltz in and say things like this, and he was just supposed to accept it?
Like hell.
"Understand that I'm a stone's throw from turning into a psychotic killer? That I killed someone who has been like family to me for no reason other than because my mind wanted to? That everyone in this place, including you, is in danger just by my being here? What am I supposed to understand, Angela? You can't just say something like that to someone and then let the subject drop! God, no wonder they don't trust you."
He didn't need to slice her head open to hurt her. Those words had been like a dagger right through her hair, a well deserved one, but a dagger nonetheless. Her hand gripped his tighter, only to have it yanked from her grasp and another glare shot in her direction. "You're not," Angela said, a hint of desperation in her voice as she insisted upon the point. "You're not. You're not what he turned into. Not yet. And you don't have to be. But there some things I can't just tell you. It doesn't work like that."
"Says who?! You were one of the people making the rules," Gabriel growled, his eyes locked on Angela. "If you're making the rules, you can change them. The only reason you're not telling us things is because you're afraid. You're afraid of how they'll make you look. You're afraid people aren't going to understand how youwant them to. You can't control how we think, so you're controlling what we know," Gabriel said, tears forming his eyes as his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
That buzzing was escalating in the back of his head, telling him that she knew what he needed to know, that she had the secrets of his ability locked up in her head, and that if only he could get at them...
"Get out," Gabriel said, his voice strained with anger and distress.
"Gabriel, I'm only trying..."
"GET OUT!" Gabriel growled, his ducking as his hands raised out and clutched his head in his hands. He didn't want to hurt her. He couldn't hurt her. They'd never forgive him if he did. "Just...leave," He said, the anger dying on his lips, nothing but distress and desperation remaining.
Angela didn't argue again and merely stood, moving towards the door backwards, her eyes not leaving Gabriel until the door had been closed back behind her. She had wanted to help, and she'd only made thing worst.