The fact was, Nathan had no idea what Maya had truly suffered at the hands of Sylar, not entirely – he was certain what had been public on the boards was only the beginning of it. But there was a common element that he could use, because anyone who had been subjected to anything because of Sylar's actions understood how difficult this initially was, some more than others.
"None of us are unaware of what Sylar," there was a barely perceptible pause as he said the name, but it was important, the distinction. Sylar and Gabriel were two different men, Nathan had come to understand that more and more over the months. It wasn't just about one choice made, but about far more, "was capable of doing. In our own ways, all of us have had something to come to terms with in a similar struggle between what we knew before we came here and the reality that is Gabriel."
Giving his friend, as Gabriel was certainly that, a brief smile, he turned back to Maya. "Gabriel's dealt with all of us going through that, stuck through it even when it wasn't easy, and he's made friends at the end – not just us," he said, gesturing to include everyone gathered. "But others as well. People who all learned the difference, because he gave them time to do it in. I feel absolutely secure in saying it's because Gabriel is a good person, not because he can act well. I don't have any special way of knowing that, except my gut instinct, but I believe it." Well, knowing Peter was able to see through any subterfuge helped, but that wasn't Nathan's place to offer that knowledge up.
Sarah cleared her throat slightly, seeing a place to jump in, even if it did turn this conversation a bit toward a 'Gabriel Appreciation Society' bent. "He's too genuine to have acted that way this long," she offered from her spot. "I didn't come into my friendship with Gabriel with past history of my own, but I can tell you Gabriel Gray is one of the nicest, sweetest people I've ever known in my life. Genuinely so, not affected in any way."