Title: Once Upon A Time
Recipient:
rain_sunsetsCharacters/Pairings: Sylar/Elle
Rating: NC-17
Wordcount: 3627
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Slightly dark and twisted, dub-con
Disclaimer: Heroes belongs to Tim Kring, NBC et al
A/N: A modern day interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood with two other of the requested prompts thrown in. So definitely AU. Much thanks to my awesome beta,
dragynflies because she listened to me moan and complain about how I didn’t think I could write this story. Written for
heroes_exchange Summary: Once upon a time, in a certain Greenwich Village, there lived a girl and her parents. The girl was one of the prettiest girls in the borough. Bright blue eyes, silky straight blonde hair, and a smile that lit up her face.
Once upon a time, in a certain Greenwich Village, there lived a girl and her parents. The girl was one of the prettiest girls in the borough. Bright blue eyes, silky straight blonde hair, and a smile that lit up her face. Her parents were excessively fond of their daughter and her grandmother doted on her.
One day, her grandmother bought the little girl a fabulous capelet. It fit her perfectly and the dark red color perfectly complimented her golden blonde hair. The girl's family even gave her the nickname of Little Red because the girl loved her capelet so much and she always wore it.
Present Day
Little Red is now grown up, a woman of 24. No longer does she live in Greenwich Village with her parents. She lives on her own, in a renovated loft in Tribeca and her parents have moved to the Upper East Side while her grandmother now lives on Long Island. And while she's long grown out of that capelet, she still keeps it in the back of her closet as a keepsake.
She wakes up one morning to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Grumbling, she rolls over and picks the phone up off the nightstand to answer.
"Hello?"
"Elle? It's your father."
"I figured that much when I saw the caller ID was labeled 'Daddy'."
Her father sighs. "Elle, there is no reason to be sarcastic. Listen, your mother and I want you to do something."
Elle rubs the sleep from her eyes. "What is it?"
"Go visit your grandmother. It's been awhile since you've visited and I know she's been asking about you."
"But Daddy, she lives all the way out on Long Island!"
"Elle..." Bob warns.
"Alright, I'll go visit her today."
"Good girl. Stop by here first before you go, we have some items for you to bring over."
"Yes, Daddy," Elle answers. "I'll be over in a few hours." She hangs up the phone and drops it onto the bed beside her. Yawning, she slowly sits up and stretches. Her head is slightly throbbing from the abrupt awakening and from the effects of a long night of clubbing.
Fighting back her headache, she pushes the covers off and slips out of bed. The sun is peeking through the curtains on her window. Padding over to the window, she draws back the curtain and is temporarily blinded when the bright sunlight hits her face.
"Too early," Elle mutters as she shields her eyes and backs away from the window. She stumbles out of her room to head towards her bathroom to take a much needed shower.
The shower does its job. It awakens her and when she steps out, she feels utterly refreshed. Elle takes her time getting dressed, finally deciding on a pair of dark blue boot cut jeans, a black silk lace trim pleated top, and a pair of black suede boots with a 3 inch heel. To finish off the outfit, she selects a red cropped cotton jacket, somewhat reminiscent of the capelet still hanging in the back of her closet.
Awhile later after a nice long stop at a corner coffee shop for a cappuccino and a giant blueberry muffin along with the latest gossip rags, she's nodding at the doorman of her parents' apartment building. Sauntering past him and heading straight for the elevators, she punches the button for the 7th floor.
Once off the elevator, she makes a beeline for her parents' apartment and knocks loudly. Her father answers, his normal stoic if almost slightly disapproving expression marking his face.
"It's about time you showed up, Elle."
"I said I'd be over here in a few hours. This is early for me."
"Here's some money for the train."
"The train? But Daddy..."
"Elle, do you remember what happened the last time we let you drive our car?"
Elle pouts. One little minor fender bender and he wasn't going to let her forget it. Okay, maybe not minor when the other car had about $5000 worth of damage, but their car was fine! Barely any scratches or dents. "But the train..."
"You'll be fine. It's perfectly safe," Bob dismisses. "Now, take these bags with you for your grandmother. Give her your mother's and my regards."
"Yes, Daddy," Elle complies.
---
Once safely ensconced within the LIRR after the transfer at Jamaica, Elle looks around distastefully. She settles into a seat next to a window and stares at the moving scenery. Her mind starts wandering and she doesn't notice the handsome stranger that's settled in the seat across from hers.
"Hi...do you have the time by any chance?"
His question stirs her out of her daydream. She turns her head to him, her eyes looking him over. "You have a watch."
The man looks down at his wrist. "True...but unfortunately, I just realized the battery died so it's stuck on 11:53."
"Oh." Elle looks down at her watch. "It's about half past 1."
"Thank you," the man flashes her a grateful smile. "So what brings you to Long Island? You don't seem like a Long Islander."
Elle laughs lightly. "That obvious? I'm visiting my grandmother. Haven't seen her for awhile so I figured a visit was long overdue."
Her companion nods thoughtfully. "That's very nice of you."
"What about you?"
"Oh, just a little business that I can't take care of over the phone," he shrugs with an easy smile. "What's your name?"
"It's Elle. Yours?"
"Elle...that's a beautiful name," he murmurs. "My name is Gabriel."
"Like the angel?"
He pauses, taking in her question. A look crosses his eyes that she isn't sure of but it's gone just as quickly as it entered. "Yes, like the angel."
Elle smiles. "Cool. So where are you headed?"
"Oyster Bay."
"Really? That's where my grandmother lives."
"Well, what a great coincidence. I'm glad this means we get to spend a little more time together." There's something in the way he looks at her that makes her blush. Despite all the guys she's met in her times out on the town, this guy was different.
They quickly become engrossed in conversation and the normally long train ride seems to go by in a blur. Elle's surprised when she hears the announcement for their stop.
"Oh wow, we're here already," she looks up, a slight look of wonder on her face. She gathers her bags together and makes a motion to stand up and get near the doors. Gabriel follows her and once the train stops, they exit. Elle turns to face him but he disappears quickly among the crowd of people exiting. Shrugging, she descends down the stairs and manages to catch a cab on the street.
Gabriel stands behind the pillar, watching Elle get into the taxi. A slow dark smile crosses his face as the taxi takes off. He has big plans for her. She just doesn't know it yet.
---
He checks out the neighborhood as he walks up the steps of the house. The houses are more upscale and the distance between homes are wide. "Perfect," he murmurs. He smoothes down his hair and pastes on a friendly smile before he knocks on the door.
When the door opens, Gabriel sees a short, thin, older woman. From what he gathers at a quick glance, she's dressed in expensive clothes and she exudes confidence.
"Yes?"
"Hello. Is it true that I can find a Miss Bishop here?"
"Miss Bishop? Oh, you must mean my granddaughter," the woman's eyes slightly narrow. "Well, she hasn't arrived yet. What did you need her for?"
"I'm an old friend of hers and I tried to look her up and I got the address to this place. Does she not live here?"
"No, she lives in the city but fortunately for you, she's visiting today. Why don't you come in and wait in the foyer?"
"Thank you very much," Gabriel steps into the house. "What a lovely home you have here."
The older woman softens. "Thank you...what did you say your name was?"
"Gabriel," he answers. He holds out his hand towards her. "Gabriel Gray."
She takes his hand and shakes it firmly. "Gabriel, lovely name. Please wait here. Would you like a drink?"
"Oh, no thank you. I'm fine."
"Very well," the woman nods. She walks away and Gabriel waits until the sound of her heels clicking against the tile floor fade away before he makes a move. He follows the woman's path, his footsteps barely making a sound on the floor. When he reaches the kitchen, he finds his target with her back towards him. He smiles widely as he realizes this will be easier than he thought.
---
Elle slams the door on the taxi and walks across the lawn and then up the front stairs of her grandmother's house. The cabbie had apparently decided that taking the scenic route to get to her grandmother's house was the best idea. Unfortunately for Elle, she had only realized it too late because she was lost in her own thoughts.
She sets her bags down before she goes to ring the doorbell. Turning her back to the door as she waits, she scans her surroundings. Perfectly manicured expansive lawn and the nearest neighbor a good distance away. It's picturesque. But Elle can't help but shiver a little bit at the isolation.
Just then, she hears the door being opened behind her. Turning around, she sees her grandmother and a smile breaks out on Elle's face. "Nana!" she calls out as she wraps her arms around the woman for a hug.
When the hug is over, Elle looks at her grandmother, trying to figure out if there is anything different about her. But she can't find anything physically wrong, so she figures it might be due to the fact she hasn't visited in awhile.
"What are you looking at?"
"Oh, nothing," Elle waves off. She points towards the bags on the ground. "Daddy wanted me to bring out a few things for you and he and Mom send their wishes."
"How nice," the Bishop matriarch remarks. "Well, come on in, don't just stand there."
Elle bends down to gather up the bags and walks into the house. It's a little different than what she remembers from the last time she visited. But then again, her grandmother liked to change up her decor every six months when the whim hit her. Still, she can't help but get a weird feeling as she walks down the hall.
"Do you want me to put these in your room, Nana?"
"Go ahead."
Elle goes up the staircase and towards her grandmother's bedroom. She turns around for a second to check and make sure her grandmother is still following her. When she reaches her grandmother's room, she finds the door open and walks in. The room is magnificent in size with a large window opposite the bed and overlooking the expansive back yard. Silk curtains hang from the window and dark red sheets cover the dark mahogany poster bed. Walking up to the bed, Elle places the bags down and turns around, expecting to find her grandmother.
Instead, she gasps out loud at what she sees.
"Hello, Elle."
"You! How did...what...I..." Elle stutters.
Gabriel smiles darkly as he takes a step towards her. "Surprised to see me?"
Elle takes a small step backwards. "You could say that. What are you doing here?"
"Well, this is the business that I had to take care of. Your grandmother is a wanted woman."
"Wanted? Are you with the police?"
Gabriel lets out a harsh laugh. "Oh please, do not insult me like that. Let's just say your grandmother needs to watch her business dealings more carefully."
"Where is she?"
"Around and alive...for now."
Elle's eyes widen. "You're a killer?"
"Something like that. Pity that you have to show up. I just might have to kill you as well."
Elle tries to take another step backwards but ends up falling back onto the bed. Quickly, she scrambles to get off of it but finds her face at chest level with Gabriel. Biting her lip, her mind screams at her to think.
"I have a proposition for you."
"Excuse me?" He's dangerously close now and he could probably kill her in a second if he wanted to.
"If you let my grandmother live, I'll...," she pauses as she looks up at him. "I'll do whatever you want." Her hands reach out and touch his chest. "Anything."
Gabriel smirks. "You think I can be so easily swayed by sex?"
Elle's hands reach up towards his shirt collar and she tugs on them, bringing his head down to hers. "I've been told most guys can be."
He studies her, eyeing her up and down. Her sky blue eyes, her flawless complexion, and her cherry red lips...it's not that he doesn't find her attractive. Gabriel unconsciously licks his lips and Elle takes that as a sign of him wavering.
Quickly, she presses her lips against his, her hands still firmly gripping the collar of his shirt. Gabriel almost pulls away but the touch of her soft lips on his is intoxicating. And he can still kill her and her grandmother afterwards if he wants to. His hands reach up and cup her face gently, a direct contrast to roughness of their kissing.
Elle falls backwards onto the bed, pulling Gabriel on top of her. Without ever breaking their kiss, his hands reach out towards the bed to brace his fall. He ends up straddling her and once steady, he pulls her hands away from his shirt collar and pin them back against the bed. Gabriel moves his mouth away from hers and to her neck, finding a spot that makes her gasp loudly. Her body arches upwards into Gabriel's in response.
He lets go of one of her hands and his hand skims over the side of her body until he reaches the bottom of her shirt. He pushes it up her body, exposing her bra. It's a front snap bra and his hand slides in between the snap and her skin and makes quick work of the bra. Gabriel reaches and cups one of her breasts, giving it a slight squeeze.
Elle's breath hitches as she then feels the rough pads of his fingers tweak her nipple before he wraps his hot mouth around it, teeth scraping ever so slightly against her pebbled nipple.
His hand moves down to the top of her pants. Gabriel makes quick work of the button and zipper and Elle clenches her eyes shut when she feels his hand pushing past the opening of her pants.
Her head is swimming, thoughts she shouldn't be having are appearing in her mind. Also, her body seems to be acting on its own, having unexpected reactions. There's fear like there should be, but there's also something else tingling beneath the surface. It's excitement. Fear and excitement, a different kind of combination.
Elle opens her eyes and finds Gabriel's face in front of hers. His eyes are dark and hazy with lust. She bites down on her lower lip as her mind tries to reconcile the idea that maybe she actually wants this. That maybe it isn't just merely a deal to keep her grandmother alive.
His fingers tease her through the sheer fabric of her underwear and her hips buck up when he pushes the underwear aside. Elle lets a low moan escape her lips when he lightly fingers her clit and she can feel herself growing wet. She turns her eyes upward because she's not sure if she can watch.
Gabriel lets go of her other hand and uses both of his hands to tug her pants and underwear down and off her body. Elle shivers slightly even though the room suddenly feels hot and the sheets are no longer cool to the touch. He spreads her legs apart with one hand while the other fumbles to undo the button and zipper on his pants.
Next thing Elle does is gasp as Gabriel pushes in deep and his hands are clamped onto her hips. He grunts as he thrusts in and out of her roughly. Elle's initial pain and surprise slowly give way to something else, another feeling that's burning deep and low in her abdomen.
Damn
A part of her enjoys it and that alone fascinates her and sickens her at the same time. But she can't seem to think anymore when he seems to find that one spot that makes her vision go white. Her hands clutch the sheets on the bed tightly as she feels him stiffen before he comes into her.
Gabriel lets go of Elle's hips and he places his hands on the bed on both sides of Elle to brace himself. Looming over her, Elle can see that his eyes are trying to focus, trying to remember his purpose in being here. On a whim, she reaches up and grabs his face with her petite hands. Bringing it down to hers, she kisses him and surprisingly, he responds.
Slowly, Elle's hands slide down to around Gabriel's neck. As they kiss, Elle begins to squeeze. Gabriel's eyes open and he pulls away from her slightly. She's a lot stronger than he had thought and her hands tighten around his neck, cutting off his air. His vision starts going black.
Elle watches his eyes roll up into the back of his head as her fingers press against the pressure point in his neck. He slumps to the bed, unconscious, and Elle scrambles to tug up her pants and smooth down her shirt. She runs out of the room, trying to figure where her grandmother might be.
As she runs down the hallway, she thinks she hears something behind one of the hallway closet doors. She stops and frantically opens the door. There, in the closet is her grandmother. She's bound with rope and duct tape covers her mouth. Elle quickly rips off the duct tape off her grandmother's mouth.
"Shh, don't speak," Elle warns as she starts to work on undoing the knots in the rope. "We don't have a lot of time and we just have to get you out of here."
Her grandmother looks at her sharply. "How do you know that person?"
Elle shakes her head. "You’re welcome, by the way, and I'll explain later. You just get out of here and call Daddy. I'll take care of things here."
"Elle-"
"Just go!" Elle demands as she finishes undoing the knots. She steps away from her grandmother and watches the woman leave the house. When the door closes, she runs back up to the bedroom.
Gabriel's still unconscious and Elle takes the opportunity to use the rope she has in her hands and tie him up. She binds his wrists together and then ties the rope around one of the posts on the bed. She isn't sure when he'll gain back consciousness but she wants to have the upper hand when he does.
She sits at the foot of the bed, watching him carefully. After a few moments, she can see his eyelids begin to flutter open and she braces herself for what might happen next.
"You bitch," he growls as he realizes he's tied up.
Elle shrugs. "A girl needs to protect herself somehow."
Gabriel glares at her as he struggles against the bindings.
"My, my, what big eyes you have."
"The better to watch and track you down with."
"And big hands too."
"The better to kill you with once I'm free."
Elle merely smiles, putting on a fake bravado. "No, you won't kill me. You could have killed me plenty of times already but you haven't. So I think there's something about me that you actually like."
Gabriel doesn't answer, just narrows his eyes at her while his hands try desperately to slide loose from the rope.
"In any case, my grandmother's free. I found her and let her go," Elle starts leaning forward, getting onto her knees. Crawling over him, she stares deeply at him, an expression on her face so unreadable that it almost unnerves him. "And in order to keep her alive, I'm willing to do anything." She reaches out and traces a line down his cheek. "You fascinate me," she murmurs.
Gabriel eyes her suspiciously. "What are you playing at?"
Elle smirks as she straddles his chest. "I could kill you and claim self defense. I could also call the cops and have them take you away. Instead, I'm offering to go with you."
"What?"
"Go with you," she repeats. "Like I said, you fascinate me. And I want to see how you work." She then laughs a little, a dark laugh that seemed out of place. "Really, I just don't want to have to kill you. I'm not a fan of messes." She leans over so her face is hovering just inches away from his. "Besides, you're too good looking to kill. So what do you say?"
Gabriel stares at her, trying to make sense of her words. "You're...crazy."
"That's what the shrink said," Elle nods. "But Daddy said to not worry about it and I never saw him after that." She stares at a spot on the wall behind him for a moment before looking down at him again. "So Angel of Death, how about I be your messenger?"
He really should have just killed her when he had the chance.
"Fine," he reluctantly agrees. Anything to get out of the bonds that were chafing his wrist.
Elle smiles widely as she leans over and starts undoing his bonds. "This will be interesting."
Gabriel couldn't disagree with that.
-END-