Chapter the First
Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes, although it is on my Christmas list.
I don't own Charmed...at least not yet.
Somewhere in New York...
"Peter?"
"Mmn?"
"Peter, it's your turn to let the cats out."
Peter mumbled incoherently then fell out of bed. He did this so frequently that even the cats paid no attention. He grumbled incomprehensibly under his breath but opened the bedroom door. The cats rushed out in the direction of their litter boxes.
He climbed back into bed and twined himself around Gabriel. "Why is it always me that has to let them out?"
Gabriel snapped his fingers with a grin. "You promised you'd get a cat door installed if you complained again. Snap!"
"Shut up," Peter grumbled, burying his face in Gabriel's chest.
There was silence for a moment, and Peter began to believe that Gabriel had fallen asleep. He sighed, relieved.
"Why haven't you told anyone about us?" Peter felt Gabriel's chest vibrate as he spoke.
He groaned. He'd known Gabriel would get to this eventually; he'd just hoped he wouldn't.
Peter pulled away from him so as to have a better look at his face. It had that determined look on it, the one he both loved and hated at the same time. He sighed noisily.
"I haven't told anyone because...because they just wouldn't understand."
"Wouldn't understand what?"
Peter looked at Gabriel. "Are you stupid? Am I in love with an idiot? They wouldn't understand why I'm sheltering a murderer I once hated. They wouldn't understand that I love you, that I couldn't live without you – "
Gabriel stopped his mouth with a kiss.
Peter seemed dazed afterwards. Gabriel looked at him tenderly. "You know, sometimes I don't understand it either."
Peter smirked. "You don't understand why I love you? Well, you're a really good kisser; you have this really nice chest...and a really nice body, overall. I wouldn't even trade your eyebrows."
"So it's really just a physical attraction...wait. What's wrong with my eyebrows?" Gabriel asked indignantly.
Peter smiled. He kissed one. "Absolutely nothing." And then the other. "They're perfect."
The door crashed in. "Peter!" Nathan yelled. He saw what position Peter was in. And stopped.
"Peter?"
Somewhere in San Francisco...
Paige sipped her coffee and gazed at the newspaper thoughtfully. She frowned and twirled her hair around her finger. She thought about calling for Piper and Phoebe but then remember that both had said not to wake them since they were having well-deserved breaks from demon-hunting. Maybe she should call Leo... And then she remembered that he was with Piper. It was up to her then.
She quickly finished her coffee, washed it out and set it back in the cupboard. Then she headed towards...she glanced at the newspaper...the Butler Institute for Homeless Children.
An hour later she arrived at the aforementioned institute, having got stuck in traffic on the motorway. She'd forgotten it was Monday.
She walked up the gravel path to the bright blue door of the institute and opened it cautiously.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Where was everybody?
The place was deserted, just as the newspaper had said. An institute which had once been bustling with the noise of children now felt like a ghost town.
Even though she knew it was useless Paige nevertheless called, "Is anyone in here?"
Of course, no one answered. She ventured deeper into the house that, by itself, was the equivalent of a ghost town. She expected to see dust devils fly past at any moment.
"Hellooo?" she asked the empty air. She heard a scrabble and turned around quickly...but it was just a rat.
Wait, she thought. What is a rat doing in a place that has only been empty for two days? So she orbed it to her. "Rat!"
The rat did not like being orbed. It squeaked furiously in her hand and she had to try and stop herself from dropping it. She turned her mind to the problem of interrogating a rat. She decided to be blunt.
"Show yourself, demon!"
If the rat was a demon he was keeping quiet. All it did was try to bite off her pinkie.
She was just about to throw it on the floor in frustration when a young boy's voice penetrated the silence. "Stop!"
Out of the shadow under the stairs crept a young boy. He looked about ten years old, with dark eyes, skin and hair. He also looked terrified.
"That's my rat. Please don't hurt him." The expression in the boy's eyes went to Paige's heart. But she knew that demons could come in all shapes and sizes, even as cute ten year old boys. She kept the rat, which seemed to have fallen asleep after all the stress, near her.
"Why are you here?" Paige asked. "I thought they couldn't find anyone in here."
The boy flinched and his eyes filled up with tears. "I don't know!"
He began to ball his eyes out and Paige, for a moment, felt awkward. But her motherly instincts took over and, keeping a tight hold of the sleeping rat, took him in her arms and tried to comfort him.
"What's your name?" she asked softly.
He sniffled. Paige let him wipe his nose on her blouse, even though it had cost her $550 after months of saving. "I'm Pegasus. His name's Roger. What's yours?"
Paige knew that she had his trust. "I'm Paige Matthews. I've come to take you away from this awful place. Do you want to come with me?"
He nodded tearfully. She took his hand and gave him the rat to hold. It was still asleep.