HEROES - Recruitment : Prologue
Characters: Matt P, Mohinder, Janice, Daphne, and Molly W.
Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!
A/N: basically a repost of "Visiting Ours" ch6, with a few edits. This new prologue probably takes place immediately before "Duality" ch5-7, with following chapters shortly afterward. As this was written well before v4 and the revelation of Matthew being born some time before v3's "The Eclipse", it obviously doesn't jibe with anything since, esp as I decided "Duality" is my v4 (post 3.13 anyway) and "Recruitment" will be my v5 instead of "Redemption." Subsequent chapters will feature numerous XOs and OCs. I'll try to credit the XOs as I go along. (and yes, you can add "Heroes:WHO" somewhere into this mix, as it does also lead into a"Company Matters" chapter!)
Chapter : RE:birth
Molly and Mohinder never mentioned it to him, but they could see it happen. Matt had been regaining all the weight he had lost the last few months with a vengeance. Molly had even taken to swiping snacks away from him as they watched television. Mohinder had tried the lowest calorie recipes he could, but Matt would always eat more. He shuddered to think what Matt consumed while at work all day.
It wasn't just the weight, his mood swings had become almost intolerable, too. Finally, Mohinder had had enough. Something had to be done. He and Molly were discussing it again as Mohinder prepared dinner before Matt arrived home one Friday evening.
"If there were only some way we could hypnotize him into eating healthier," Molly noted, throwing her arms out, zombie-like.
"Well, unless you suddenly develop the power to push...people." He stopped, realizing what part of the problem may be.
"How can we do that, when he's already developed that power, Mohinder?" she asked. "Mohinder? Hello?" she waved her hand in front of his face.
"I'm sorry, Molly, I just had a realization. What if it's a space issue?" he asked.
She laughed. "You mean, he's taking up too much of it? I'll agree with that!"
"Not just that, but you know how cramped it is with the three of us in this apartment? Five of us, really, with my lizard and now Matthew's tortoise?" She nodded. "Next door is a perfectly good empty apartment that the company rented out for Eden to spy on my father and I bet that no one is living there!"
"You're going to kick Matt out?"
"Well, yes and no, Molly. Like I said, this apartment is too cramped for us, and with Matthew dating Daphne, it is certainly more cramped when she is over. If he were to move next door, he would still be close for you, while maintaining the privacy a person requires when, um, dating, you know, when it comes to that," he tried to explain, suddenly embarrassed.
"So, we're not really kicking him out, just expanding our living area?"
"Precisely! I'm sure he would have no problem giving you a key to the apartment, just in case, but he and Daphne (and Elvis? Yes, and Elvis.) would have their own privacy without having to worry about disturbing us or us them!"
"Sounds like a plan to me!" she agreed, and stuck out her hand to shake on it.
"Of course, we just have to get Matthew to agree to it!" He pondered it a minute more. "Maybe we can talk the Company into footing the rent, while we're at it?"
Mohinder called his landlord to confirm that, yes, the neighboring apartment was still available, and he would consider it a done deal if Mohinder had a possible new tenant.
When Matt finally arrived home (late again) that night, Mohinder quickly ushered him to the kitchen table and a plate full of reheated food.
"So, how was your day, Matthew?" he inquired, leaning forward over clasped hands. Molly came out of her room and hugged him hello.
"Hi, sweetie! Same old, same old, Mohinder, why do you ask?" he said as he devoured another mouthful of the other man's cooking, whatever it was.
A shared glance between the conspirators before he answered. Matt raised an eyebrow.
"We want you out of here, Matthew."
Matt found himself choking and sputtering on his food. Molly patted his back as he caught his breath. "OUT? What did I do? You're the one who let a chick who cries death in here and--"
Mohinder held up his hand. "Matthew, it's not what you think. It's for your own good. You can still come over any time you want but this apartment is too small for three people, an occasional fourth, and two reptiles."
"Well, where do you suggest I go?" Matt retorted.
Mohinder smiled. Matt frowned at his thought.
"It's all been arranged, Matthew--"
"You're kicking me out on my ass with barely a goodbye, and say 'it's all been arranged, Matthew'?!" he mocked.
Mohinder sighed. "Yes, Matthew, we're kicking you so far away, that you won't even get to see Molly off to school in the morning, or come home at night to tuck her in, much less miss another meal with us."
"Waaaait a minnit, here, you're pulling my leg, aren't you?"
"Nope!" Molly chirped. Matt gave her his best 'evil eye'. "You're taking up too much room, Matt, it's time you got your own place!"
"And you're staying here with Mohinder? Is that it?"
"Yup!"
Matt pushed his plate away. "Fine, I can see where I'm not wanted. First Janice, now you two. At least I still have Daphne!"
"She already helped us move your stuff out this afternoon, Matt."
Matt looked between the two of them. Molly's chin trembled from trying to hold in her laughter. Mohinder sat back in his chair, one hand over his mouth.
Matt decided he had had enough and went to his room, only to find it bare. Not even Elvis had been left behind. "What the hell?" he shouted. "You guys are really serious?"
"Matthew, please sit down and we'll talk."
"Talk? TALK?? You're kicking me out after all this time because why? I'm late to dinner? I almost got shot again with Nathan down in Texas? Peter sent me away to Africa of all places?? My father was in league with Arthur Petrelli?"
"Because we all need our space, and we all agree, Daphne included, that you need some room to yourself, away from us."
"So it's a conspiracy, is it? You talked her into leaving me, too?"
"Exactly!"
"Molly!" Mohinder chided her as Matt did a double take. "Matthew, if you calm down, would you like to see your new place?"
Matt crossed his arms. "Not really, I like it here!"
"Well, that's too bad, as my father is the one who originally rented this apartment, and my name is on the lease, not yours. I've been a gracious host, but enough is enough, Matthew, it's time you had your own place!"
Molly grabbed Matt's arm, tugging him toward the door. "Time to leave the nest, Matt, you can't stay here forever!"
Matt was fuming. "Fine, I'll be on my way, then. If you need me, I'll either be crashing down at the office or over at Nathan's!" he bellowed as he turned and stormed out the door, nearly knocking Molly down.
The pair followed him out into the hall.
"Where are you going, Matthew?" Mohinder called after him.
"I just told you--"
"Your new apartment is this way," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.
"What?"
"I told you, we already made new arrangements for you."
Molly ran down to the next door and opened it up, "C'mon Matt, don't you want to see your new home?"
Matt was dumbfounded as Mohinder grabbed his arm, leading him back down the hall. Molly ran back and grabbed his free hand, pulling him into the neighboring apartment.
He entered and looked around. Outside of the silver banner taped across the wall, declaring "WELCOME HOME!!" in various colors, the room was pretty spartan. "What the--?"
Daphne came out of the bedroom. "Sorry, we're still getting things arranged, but we could still hear you 'discussing' things next door."
"We?" Matt asked, still dumbfounded.
A sweaty Nathan Petrelli stepped out from the bedroom as well. Matt's fists clenched. "Man, is your new girlfriend bossy, Parkman! First she wants it over here, then over there, then back over there! Bad enough when your dating a normal girl, but when she thinks as fast as she moves? I almost don't envy you, Matt."
"What? What's going on, here?"
"We're moving you in, silly!" Molly declared.
Daphne came up to him, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss. "Welcome home, Matt!"
"So...this is it?"
Mohinder and Nathan sighed. "Of course not, this is just your stuff from next door," Mohinder explained.
"Relax, Parkman, my housewarming gift to you is some new furniture. Daphne helped pick some out, already." He clapped Matt on the back, before leaning in conspiratorially. "You know us bullet-catchers gotta watch out for each other, right?" he winked.
Matt laughed at this, finally relaxing as Molly drug him around the place at a speed which Daphne would have been hard-pressed to keep up with.
"It's amazing how 'useful' Daphne found me when trying to hang the new curtains," Nathan quipped along the way.
After they had finally gotten Molly calmed down and off to bed next door, Matt pulled Nathan aside. "You know, Mohinder told me Eden had been spying on him from this apartment, before?"
"Relax, Matt, we already swept through the place, so unless you want to get your jollies spying on Mohinder--?" Nathan raised a mock eyebrow at the thought.
"Dude! I told you, we're not like that! Why does everybody keep saying that!?" Matt yelled.
"Because we like teasing you about it?" Nathan said, clapping Matt on the back, again. "You and Daphne can go over the place again if you want, but we're pretty sure it's clean." He looked around, grimaced. "Relatively speaking, of course."
"We can't all live in expensive, immaculate mansions, Petrelli," Matt chided him.
"No, you just wanted to crash at mine, didn't you?"
"Well, you've got the room, why not?"
"I'm not a hotel, Parkman."
"A-HEM!" Daphne said from the bedroom door. "I'm sure we've all had a long day, why don't you get home to Hotel Petrelli, Fly-boy, and let me take care of things here?"
Nathan and Matt looked at each other. They both had been married long enough to know when not to argue with the lady of the house.
"At least Hiro calls me 'Flying MAN.' I'll see you later, Parkman."
"Whoosh! Good night Nathan, and thanks!" he chuckled.
Matt closed the door and locked it behind his friend. "Now, you were saying?" he asked her as she slowly strolled to him, took his hand and led him to the bathroom.
"First a hot shower, to warm up those muscles," she teased as she began removing his clothes.
"And then?" Matt asked, all smiles.
"I'll put them to some good use!" she smiled back.
--
"Did I miss anything, yet?"
"No, the show's just starting."
"You know he might be able to 'hear' us, right?"
"Oh please, Nathan. We're the last thing Matthew wants to think about."
"No shit, check out those tits and that ass! And Daphne's not too bad, herself!"
"Shh! You'll wake Molly!"
--
Matt woke the next morning very tired but very happy. He looked over at Daphne and smiled.
BANG! BANG! BANG! "Matt, get up! You're going to miss breakfast!"
"Give it a rest, Molly, you'll wake the whole building!" he thought at her as he reached for his underwear, and came up with Daphne's lace bra. He smiled. "Aren't there any cartoons you should be watching?"
"Molly! Don't bang on the wall!" Mohinder chided her.
Sorry about that Matthew! He thought toward his new neighbor.
Matt grumbled and fished for his own underwear. His stomach grumbled even more. Ugh, what did Mohinder feed him before kicking him out?
While Matt was happy to have his own place again (okay, the fact that he had another adult who gave him sex! was a definite bonus!), his stomach rumbled all day. He directed Nathan's deliveries as Daphne saw fit. He didn't agree with her choice of locations for everything, but hey, she was giving him sex! Yay, sex!
He also couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something, today. Okay, it was Shabbas and he didn't go to Temple, but still, he knew he was forgetting something he couldn't put his finger on. His upset stomach wasn't helping matters, either.
When he had finally accepted the last furniture delivery and Mohinder had helped him move everything exactly where Daphne and Molly decided it should go for what seemed the tenth time, everybody called it a night and Daphne rushed him into the shower again.
He didn't mind showering before sex, but was this going to be her habit? He shrugged it off as something she had gotten used to doing as a speedster, working up a sweat with her power. Still, his stomach cramped again.
It almost put him off for the night, but he was a trooper and tried not to let her down. He suddenly felt an old, but familiar tickle in the back of his mind. What the hell? Whatever (or whoever?) it was, he tried to push it away again, and fought it off while trying to please Daphne.
No sooner had he finished than the tickle became grating, he clutched his head as his gut cramped again.
"Matt, if you're not feeling well, we can stop for the night?" Daphne asked him.
"Unh, I'll be fine in a moment," he lied. His gut cramped again.
She became concerned, now. "Do you need to go to the hospital or something?"
"No, I'll be fine," he lied again. Something was going on, but what? His head was splitting.
Matt?
"I'll be fine," he said again, dozing off.
Matt, where are you?
"Jan?"
Matt, the baby's coming, where are you?
Matt sat up. "Janice?" He looked around. What the hell? He was in a hospital, wearing scrubs.
MATT!
"Janice? Where are you?" He looked around, saw a doctor and several nurses run into a room. He followed.
Janice was in there, her feet up in stirrups. What the hell?
Matt went to her, grabbed her hand. "I'm here, Jan, I'm right here!"
AHHHHHHHGGGKKKK! It hurts! Matt, where are you?
"I'm right here, Janice! I'm here for you!"
"Where's your husband, Mrs. Parkman?" the doctor asked.
"Uhn, New York! uhn, MATT!"
"Janice, I'm right here, I'm with you! Right here!"
"Where? Matt, I can hear you, where are you?"
"Ma'am? Who are you talking to?" one of the nurses asked.
"My husband! He's here, let's go! Uhn!"
The nurses exchanged glances with the doctor. "What is she on? Is she having problems with the medication?"
"NO! I'M! NOT!" she panted. "Let's do this! Matt, stay with me, or so help MEEEEEE--!!"
"It doesn't matter, the head's crowning! Here we go, ladies!"
Matt hugged his ex-wife as tight as he could in his dream. He had the feeling someone else was there, as well, but he didn't care, right now, Janice was having her baby!
"One final push!"
"MMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT!!!"
"I'm here, Jan! I'm right here!"
"It's a boy!"
"It's a boy! You hear that, Jan, it's a boy!"
Mazel Tov, Matty!
Janice gasped in exhaustion. "Where? Can I see him?"
"Just a minute, ma'am, they're cleaning him up for you."
"Congratulations, Jan, I'm so proud of you!" Matt told her. "You did it! It's a boy!"
"I know! We did it, Matt, we made a baby!"
"Ma'am, are you okay?" the nurse asked again. "Who are you talking to?"
"No, I just had a baby, of course I'm not okay!" she snarled back. "I'm talking to my husband!"
"The one in New York?" she asked.
"Trust me, you wouldn't understand, but I'm glad he made it!" She reached up as if she could feel Matt hovering by her shoulder, and tried to put her arm around his neck.
The nurse was hesitant, "o-kay, if you say so, ma'am."
The other nurse came up to her. "Are you ready, mom?"
"More than ready," she answered holding out her arms. "Ohh, look at him! Hello, my little man! Can you see him, Matt? Isn't he gorgeous?"
"Yes, he's just adorable, Jan! I can't believe it, we made a baby! We made a baby!" he shouted ecstatically.
She looked down at her new life. "We did, didn't we? I love you, Matt. I'm sorry about--"
"No. Remember, don't be sorry. What happened, happened. I love you, Jan. I'll love you forever for this." He hugged her again, wanting so much to be there for here, to kiss her and comfort her this night of all nights.
Congratulations, Matty, you're a father! I love you, boy.
"What?"
"Matt? What's wrong, is something happening to you back there?"
"Jan, did you hear that? It sounded like, no, it can't be, he's dead."
"Matt? Who's dead? Who are you talking to?"
That wasn't Janice. That was...Mohinder? NO! "Jan! Jan, I'm here for you, just keep thinking about me, and we'll stay together!"
"Who's he talking to Mohinder?" Daphne asked. "What's going on?"
"I don't know, dreaming something about his ex-wife, I would guess?"
"WIFE?!? He's married?!?" she stormed out, angry.
"EX-wife, Daphne, ex-wife!" Mohinder corrected, calling after her.
"Jan? Jan, don't let go! Jan, I want to see him again! Jan? Janice!?"
"Matthew, wake up, you're dreaming! Matthew!" Mohinder hesitated, then slapped his friend, lightly.
"Mohinder?" Matt asked groggily. "What? Where? Where's Janice? Where's the baby? Where's the baby??"
"There's no baby, Matthew. At least, not here, there isn't," he informed his still naked friend.
"But--but, the baby?!" Matt insisted.
"Matthew, are you saying Janice had the baby? Is that what you dreamed?"
"No, it wasn't a dream, I was there, I saw her give birth! I saw him!"
Mohinder leaned back. "Are you serious? Matthew, you have a new girlfriend crying in the other room, do you seriously think she wants to hear you dreamed of your ex-wife giving birth moments after you had sex with your girlfriend?"
"What? What time is it?"
Mohinder hesitated, but checked his watch. "Just after nine, almost quarter after, why?"
"So I can call her and confirm what I saw, That's why!" Matt shouted, grabbing the covers and trying to get up before he realized he was still naked. He waved Mohinder out towards the door.
Mohinder quickly got up and left the room, giving Matt a moment of privacy to get dressed.
"Where's my phone?" he called out as he left the bedroom. "Mohinder? Daphne? Where's my damn phone?!"
He entered the kitchen to find Mohinder sitting alone.
"Where's my phone, Mohinder?" he asked, still pulling his t-shirt down.
"If I were you, I'd be more concerned about where my girlfriend is, Matthew."
"After I call Janice, I promise," he said, fumbling through his coat jacket and pulling out the cell.
Suresh grabbed the phone hand. "Matthew, please. Daphne was very upset when she came to get me, and you've made her more upset by dream-ranting about your ex-wife having a baby. Stop and think for a moment, man."
"I just need to call and see if that was a dream or real, Mohinder," Matt argued. "You don't understand, this is the first time she was able to carry full--"
"NO, Matthew," Mohinder interrupted. "You have a sobbing girlfriend in my apartment, right now. One who is very upset with you. Right Now. Go to HER and talk to HER. RIGHT NOW."
Matt didn't move. "Mohinder, have you ever been married?"
"No, but I don't see--"
"Have you ever gotten a girl pregnant?"
He blushed. "No, but--"
"No buts, this is the first time Janice was able to carry a baby full term," Matt informed him. "I should have been there, regardless if it was mine or not. Can you understand that?"
Mohinder hung his head. "I'm sorry, Matthew, I didn't know."
"This was the third time since we were married, Mohinder. The first time, I proposed. We had given up trying after almost fifteen years, but neither one of us wanted to take the chance of-of stopping trying, of getting snipped. Can you understand that?"
Mohinder chewed his thumbnail. "No, Matthew, I guess not. I'm sorry, my friend."
"No, don't be sorry, what happened, happened, that's what we said, each time. Don't be sorry." Matt felt his eyes water. "I couldn't be there in person tonight, but luckily, heh, luckily for my powers, I could still be with her when she finally had the baby she's wanted all these years." He was beamng again, the brief glimpse of the newborn in his mind's eye.
He turned to his friend once more. "Mohinder, I hope you can experience that joy someday, but until then, don't tell me I can't even call her to share."
"A bit of advice, Matthew?" Matt glared at him. "Tell Daphne it was a dream, at least for now. She's very upset."
"Fine, whatever," Matt said as he scrolled through his phone list. "Come on, Molly, what did you file her under?" he grumbled. 'wkd stp-m' Wicked step-mother? Sigh. He would have a conversation with Molly about this, later. He hit the dial button.
He half-expected the voice on the other end. "Hello, who is this?"
"Karen, it's Matt. Is Janice okay?"
"She's fine without you, Matt. Not that you care," she replied.
Don't fight, not tonight, Matt. "Karen, may I please talk to her for a minute?"
"She's turned in for the night, Matt, she'll have to call you back."
"Karen, please, may I speak with her? Two seconds?"
"Who's that on the phone, mom?" he heard in the background.
It's me, Jan! I'm on the phone! he projected, fingers crossed that she would still hear him. "Karen, please! I'm begging you! two seconds!"
"Mom! Give me my phone! Matt?! Ma--" Matt I'm fine! We did it! He's beautiful!
Matt was sure this last bit he hadn't heard through the phone. "Jan? Janice!?"
Matt held the phone away from him, staring at it as if it were some hideous growth that had just appeared on his hand.
"Dammit, Karen! Two seconds was all I asked for."
"I'm sorry, Matthew." Mohinder put a hand out on the table.
"Mothers-in-law." Matt grumbled. Hanging his head in his free hand. He fought the urge to throw the phone. Again.
"So what are you going to do, now?"
"Keep trying to call, send her flowers. Karen can't stop those, can she?"
"Aren't there stalking laws in California? Especially Los Angeles, Matthew?"
"You're right, I need an assumed name, one which she'll know is from me. Anything else, I'll ask Tom to deliver them. He owes me that much, at least."
"Tom?"
"Guy I used to work with on the Force, out there," Matt grumbled. "Too bad my cousin Seth can't fly me out for a couple days, he still owes me a trip. Not really looking forward to a full cross-country on Nathan's back. Here to West Texas was bad enough."
"What about Peter or Hiro?"
"That reminds me, I owe Peter a new pair of shoes," he mumbled.
"Can't you contact him? Is he on an international route?"
"Who, Seth? He was in an ocean crash a few years back, never recovered the plane, much less any bodies."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Matthew, I didn't know."
Matt waved his hand, "Don't be, it happened before any of this-this craziness started, back when everything was normal, or at least, normal for LA."
"Ah. In the meantime, then, I suggest you go next door and talk to your young lady friend, Matthew."
"Are you speaking as my doctor or as my friend, Professor?"
Mohinder smiled. "Both, Matthew."
Matt sighed. "Even the President has to follow doctor's orders, right?"
"Yes, I believe so."
Matt smiled. "You hear that, Nathan? Just follow the good doctor's orders, right?"
"W-what are you t-talking ab-about, M-Matthew?"
"Please, I know when I'm being eavesdropped on, Prof."
Matt wasn't entirely sure Mohinder could blush before, but he was sure his friend was red, now.
Matt stood up and stared at his phone. He turned the ringer off and tucked it back in his jacket pocket. "Yep, time to go kiss some ass, so I can get another shot at it, if I'm very, very lucky."
--
"Have you decided on a name, Mrs. Parkman?" the nurse asked.
Karen leaned forward, ready to argue her daughter's choice.
"It's Ms. Parkman. I'm divorced."
"But I thought you said in delivery, your husband--?"
With a side glance to her mother, Janice cut her off. "--is not the father. Sorry."
"So what name are you going with, Janice?" Karen asked.
Janice huffed and glared at her mother. "Albrecht, okay? Is that fine with you?"
Karen beamed. "Of course, dear, whatever you want, it's your baby, after all."
Janice glared at her mother as she wrote the name down on the nurse's clipboard and handed it back to her.
The nurse looked down to see what she wrote. "Oh, 'Hiram', that's a name we don't see to often, even for a middle name. Where did you get that from?"
"From his father."
"But you marked 'unknown', here?"
"Trust me, we agreed upon it, earlier."
The nurse hesitated, ready to argue the point.
"So you named him, Matthew, Junior?"
"No. I told you, Matt's not the father, mom. Drop it."
"Then who is, Janice? It hasn't been nine months since you kicked his sorry ass to the curb, if he's not the father--"
"Mom, just shut up. We--I know what I'm doing."
"But isn't Matt's middle name, Hiram? I seem to recall that's what he said at the wedding?"
"Guilty conscience, okay, mom? Happy now?"
"Then why name the baby after someone who's not the father?"
"BECAUSE, MOM!"
The nurse quietly excused herself to let the two women argue. She knew the name battle had been won by the right person, and didn't care to witness another mother-daughter fight today. God bless the Maternity Ward Nurse, they always said at the nurse's station.
Meanwhile the argument continued.
"Do you know how many times you were almost a grandmother before this? Do you know how many times Matt held me as I cried over losing another child? DO YOU?"
"I named my son after the man who was there for me every time I lost a child, and I'll be damned if I let you sully him to this child. If you don't like that, there's the door!" Janice fumed at her mother as she pointed the way out.
Karen was shocked to learn this. She knew about the 'college incident', as she referred to it, but never that it had happened again and again over the years. She had long ago blamed Matt for causing her daughter grief and trapping her in a loveless marriage. She couldn't have been more wrong.
--
The next day, a bouquet of roses arrived, signed "All My Love, E. Clapton." The nurses joked that Janice had Eric Clapton's love child. Janice only smiled and hugged her nursing son tight.
He really did care.
She hoped their plan would work, for their son's sake. Only time would tell.
--
To be continued...