Picking up her book bag and walking over to the couch, Claire plopped herself down next to Sylar, hoping she could ease him back into a friendlier mood with some quiet time. Currently, he was furrowing his brows and scooting away from her ever so slightly. "I have some homework to do, are you all set reading for awhile? Want a snack or something? I brought some board games for later, if you want."

Claire kept her eyes on what she was doing, trying to give Sylar some time to adjust to her being there, finally pulling out her chemistry book and notebook. Finding the correct page in each, she kicked off her shoes, grabbed a pen from the front pocket of her bag and settled in to work.

Sylar still mad about the private pow-wow between Claire and Peter and being made even more mad by the comment Claire had made slapped his book shut and tossed it onto the coffee table before turning his glare onto Claire and growled, “Listen, I don’t know what Peter told you in there, but I think it’s a little rude that you two didn’t include me. And while we’re putting things on the table, let’s get one thing straight, I’m not going to play board games, and I don’t eat ‘snacks’ like some little kid okay? Just because I’m in a child’s body doesn’t mean that I am one!”

Feeling suitably happy with his venting, he hopped off the couch grabbing his book on the way and went into the bedroom Peter and he shared slamming the door behind him and crawling up on top of his bed to read his book in private.

Claire sat gaping at Sylar during his tirade, completely taken by surprise, and only snapped to when he slammed the door shut. As she sat, looking at the door, she mentally went over everything that had happened since her arrival. Sure, she could see where Sylar could be irritated when Peter pulled her aside for a talk – but he really should have expected that to happen, considering the circumstances. She honestly had no idea that she had been anything but polite and friendly with what she'd said. Even her dad still liked to play board games, and who didn't like snacks? As far as she could see, there was absolutely no reason for him to be that angry, and even if there was, it was still no excuse for such behavior!

Feeling her anger already brimming not even a full five minutes since Peter left, Claire took a few deep breaths to calm herself before dealing with Sylar. Once suitably calm, she walked to the door and paused, unsure whether to knock, but after a moment she simply walked in the room.

"Gabriel, we need to talk. I know this sucks. I really was trying to make it easy and fun for the both of us, and I'm sorry if we don't like the same things, but you gotta know that acting the way you just did is not ok. Not at all. There's no excuse. Next time just talk to me. Now, unless you have anything you want to say about things in a nice way, you need to put that book down and come with me, I'm giving you a ten minute time out. After that, if you want to read in here, you can – but it'd be nicer if you read out on the couch with me." Claire began to turn towards the door, keeping an eye on Sylar to make sure he'd do what she said.

Sylar’s face turned from a scowl when she’d appeared in the doorway to gaping open in surprise at her words, “What? Are you serious?” stumbled out of his mouth.

Claire jerked back to face him fully, her mouth pressed thin in irritation as she tried to remind herself how strange this situation must be for him. "Yes, Gabriel, I am. Now c'mon."

Sylar was taken aback by Claire’s demand. It was one thing for Peter to treat him like this, but some sixteen year old? Oh hell no! His eyes crackled with rage piercing hers as he spat, “I don’t think so. I didn’t do anything wrong by simply coming in here to read my book by myself! This isn’t working out, you just need to call Peter and tell him to come back because there’s no way some teenager is going to put me in a time out!”

Claire couldn't believe the audacity – 'simply coming in here to read my book', who is he trying to kid? If he couldn't see what he did wrong, she was sure going to tell him. "You didn't simply come in here, now did you? No. You blew up in my face, stomped in here and slammed the door. You want me to call Peter? Tell him what you're doing, make him miss work and leave poor Mrs. Landers without her care? Not gonna happen. I'm not doin' that to him. You keep making a point of the fact that you're an adult. Act like one, face consequences. Now get moving."

Sylar thought about what Claire had said, he really didn’t want Peter to have to leave Mrs. Landers, and having him come home under such circumstances could work out to be a lot worse for him than simply dealing with Claire. He still didn’t want to be put in a time out though, so he back pedaled, “Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have slammed the door on my way in here. But you have to admit, you can’t blame me for being mad about how you two came in here to talk about me, and then you condescending me with the snacks and board games comment, I just lost it. So, I’m sorry I over reacted. Let’s just call it quid per quo and start over. Sound good?”

Claire almost – just almost – grinned at the look on Sylar's face when he realized what he'd demanded, especially since she knew what Peter would likely do to him if she did have to call him back home. Sylar's big brown eyes almost bugged right out of his little face and his mouth gaped open. It was adorable, and she felt some of the tension leave the air. It was good that at least he was admitting some of his misdeeds and apologizing, but if he thought he was getting off scot-free, he had another thing coming!

"I wasn't being condescending. ...I'm not here to be mean to you," Claire sat next to him on the bed and gave him a smile like she was letting him in on a secret, "Board games are fun, and who wouldn't want a snack now and then?" Then fixing him with a sincere look, "I can see how Peter and I talking in here could irritate you, but you should have known he'd need to go over a few things with me – it IS my first day. I'm sorry it hurt you, but you should have talked to me instead of blowing up. I appreciate the apology, but you're still getting a time out. C'mon, no more fighting me, ok?"

Sylar frowned still quite disagreeable with the idea of the suggested punishment responding, “I apologized, why can’t that be enough for you? Do you just want to humiliate me because of all the bad things I did? I’ll come out there with you, but I’m NOT going into a time out! Are we clear?”

Claire took a deep breath, torn between really getting fed up with Sylar's attitude and sadness that he'd think she was trying to humiliate him. "If I wanted to humiliate you, I'd pick a much less irritating way to do it! Why would I even try to make you feel better if that was what I was doing? You're trying to make me feel bad and control the situation, and I don't like that. Now, I'm thankful and proud of you for your apology, but you Are going in that time out, and you're doing it now. I don't want to hear another word about it, do you understand me? I've had enough.”

Sylar had hoped Claire would give up her pursuit if he persisted long enough as he spat, “You’ve had enough? Well that makes two of us! You’re not going to boss me around just because you ‘think’ you’re in charge here. As far as I’m concerned you can take a flying leap if you think I’m going to willingly ‘take a time out’ because you got your feelings hurt!”

Claire licked her lips and sighed, she really wished it hadn't come to this but there was just no reigning him in. "Gabriel, I gave you every chance to avoid this. You wouldn't listen."

She grabbed Sylar by his elbow and tugged him over her lap. Never having been spanked, or given someone else a spanking, she was a little unsure of herself. The thought of pulling down a man's pants was embarrassing, even if he was in a kid's body, and she decided to first see if she could make enough of an impact leaving them up.

"You need to accept the fact that I am in charge," she said as she landed the first swat to the curve of his bottom, "and that I'm not going to put up with you acting like this," she landed five more swats to the same area before moving on.

Sylar was utterly shocked that Claire would have the audacity to pull him over her knee. This new revelation was quickly solidified by a stinging swat as her words sunk in. He squalled out in both astonishment and anger, “Wha..? No! Claire! This isn’t funny! Let me go!” He then bucked in furious abandon to get off her lap.

"I'm not laughing! I told you I'd had enough, now you be still!" She scolded, holding him tighter as she spanked harder, leaning her weight onto his back to keep him in place.

Sylar gasped at the strength behind her swats and already having been down this road with Peter, he definitely didn’t want it to continue with Claire as he yelled, “Okay! I got your point! I’m sorry alright! I’ll do your stupid time out if it’ll make you happy!”

"That's right you will!" Claire ground out, not slowing the spanking in the least. "You're also gonna watch that mouth. You've been so rude since I got here. I was so looking forward to getting to know you, too. I can't believe I have to do this! You should be ashamed, imagine if Peter saw you acting this way!"

Sylar cringed at the thought of Peter seeing him acting in such a manner, and he was sure he would be getting about the same results. He had just assumed that Claire wouldn’t go to such extremes. He was sorely mistaken! After his squirming had no effect of getting his ass out of the target range of her rapid fire palm, he hoped for pity as he pouted and whined out, “You’re hurting me Claire! Please just stop!”

After all the games Sylar had played in the short time she'd been there, Claire wasn't about to fall for this one – no matter how pathetic and adorable he looked – and even though it did take the edge off her anger, she kept her hand falling just as hard as before. "I don't want to hurt you, Gabriel, and I don't like doing this, but this is what happens when you won't listen. I gave you plenty of chances. You know you were out of control."

Seeing this new tactic wasn’t working and those swats Claire was raining down were really starting to hurt he let out a scream of frustration, “Arhh!! Let me go! You… you can’t do this to me! I’m like almost twice your age! Damn it!”

"I know how old you are! I also know you need this; you're acting like a child! Don't you think this makes me feel weird, too?! ...And I thought I told you to watch your mouth!" Her anger coming back tenfold, Claire stopped for a moment, pulling down his pants one handed as she said, "This obviously isn't getting through to you enough with these up." Readjusting herself, she resumed spanking his already pink butt, focusing on his sit spots when she noticed it got the biggest reaction out of him.

The color drained out of Sylar’s face at feeling his pants pulled down, and he immediately screamed out, “No!” as he reached back desperate to regain some form of dignity by covering his bared flesh. He couldn’t reach them and instead opted to shield his ass from Claire’s onslaught twisting his back so that he could turn his dark chocolate eyes on to her as he whined out, “Okay! Okay! Enough! I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! I’ll be good now! I promise!”

Impeded by Sylar blocking her spanks with his hand, Claire grabbed his wrist and held it in the small of his back, looking him in the eye she said, "Good, then the rest of the day should go much better after we're done here." Then she continued the spanking, still focusing mostly on his sit spots, but moving all around his butt and even working the tops of his thighs.

Realizing that he would be going nowhere anytime soon and having his only means of delaying the punishment any longer taken away, Sylar turned away gritting his teeth to ignore the pain as best he could. He did his best to contain any telltale signs that she was hurting him by only letting out small grunts at Claire’s heavy hand. This of course was only momentary, and Sylar knew this as a sense of hopelessness overtook him and his eyes glazed over the tears beginning to swell and finally silently spill down his cheeks. He prayed Claire would finish soon before he was unable to hold back the sob caught in his throat. It was bad enough that she was doing this to him; it was ten times worse if she knew it was making him cry.

After all of the trouble she'd already had with Sylar, Claire wanted to hear him confirm aloud that he understood that no one was out to upset him and that he accepted that she was in charge, figuring it'd keep any more problems from arising if he said it himself. After a few moments of solid spanking, she slowed her pace a bit and asked "Now Gabriel, do you understand that Peter taking me in here to talk wasn't meant to hurt you? That it was just a normal, first day run down sort of a thing?"

Sylar’s voice broke as he responded, “Ye…yes! I understand!” With this admission he let go of the sob he’d been holding back unable to keep it locked inside any longer.

Claire's heart almost broke in half, but she knew she had to keep going, even though her anger was completely gone at this point. "And you understand that I wasn't being condescending?" she asked, her hand still landing hard spanks.

Sylar cried freely now as he whined, “Claire please! No more! No more! I know I was wrong! I just… I just couldn’t stand the fact that everyone has authority over me now. And… and you coming here to…to babysit me was the icing on that cake!”

Claire slowed down her spanks considerably, "I can understand that. I know it’s gotta be hard on you, but I need to know that you do accept that I'm in charge. We're only trying to do what's best for you, and I promise you that I'll never abuse being in charge of you, ok?"

Sylar lowered his head as he sobbed, “Yes! Ow! Ow! I… I accept that you’re in charge! And…and I know you will be fair! Please stop! I’m really sorry!”

Claire stopped immediately, relieved, letting his wrist go as she began rubbing his back as he cried. "Oooh good. Ok. It's ok now, it's all over." After a moment, Claire pulled up his pants for him – trying her best to ease them gently over his red bottom - and then pulled him into her arms like she couldn't get him there fast enough as she kissed the top of his head and snuggled him tightly to her.

Sylar continued to cry out of embarrassment more than pain, but he didn’t pull away from Claire feeling comfortable in her arms surrounded by the apples and cinnamon scent she gave off. The kiss on top of his head made more tears trickle down his face, and after another moment in her embrace, he sat up and wiped away the streaked tears that had began to dry with the back of his sleeve. He looked down into his lap as he stated in almost a whisper, “I’m sorry I was such a jerk to you; I shouldn’t have let myself act in such a manner.”

Claire gave him a sad smile as she rubbed circles on his back. "Thank you, Gabriel, I appreciate that. Everything's going to be ok, alright? If you're ok now, we should go get that time out over with. Or we can sit here for a few more minutes first if you need it."

Sylar frowned at the fact that he’d still be getting a time out after the spanking, but not wanting to argue anymore he instead sighed heavily and responded, “No, I’m fine now. We might as well get it over with…” he then turned his red rimmed eyes back up at her as he asked with slight worry covering his face, “You’re not going to tell Peter about this are you?”

Claire was relieved to hear that he was finally agreeable, sighing and patting his back without really even being conscious of doing so. She hadn't thought about whether to tell Peter or not, her thinking hadn't gotten that far, but she really didn't see any reason to bring it up to him herself. Sylar had been punished and he was listening to her now, what would be the point? "If he asks me directly I can't lie. But otherwise I don't see why I need to – unless this becomes a habit, you know?" Patting his back to signal that it was time for him to get down, she said, "Alright, let's go. I'm guessing the chair in the kitchen facing the corner is where you do your timeouts then?"

Sylar groaned and nodded yes as he slid off her lap. He was getting slightly pensive at the thought of Peter’s reaction to Claire feeling the need to spank him. He had a good feeling Peter would definitely ask how their day had gone being it was the first, and that might mean another spanking to come for him. He walked wordlessly with Claire as she pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and placed it in the corner. Sylar climbed up into the chair shoulders slouched as his stomach tightened when his already sore bottom made contact with the chair’s hard surface and the thought of Peter coming home later and finding out what happened swirled in his mind. This was turning out to be quite a bad start to his day.