Title: Time Is Running Out
Author: milolover
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General, Drama, Romance
Fandoms: Lost, Heroes
Characters/Pairings: Ensemble with Nathan, Peter, Jack, and Sawyer as major players.
Spoilers: This is AU but just to be safe: up to "How to Stop an Exploding Man" (Heroes) and "Through the Looking Glass" (Lost)
Summary: AU Crossover! What happens when a private detective, his partner brother, a doctor, and a con man get caught up in the murder case of a billionaire? Can they solve the impossible case, even when the FBI and CSI can't?
A/N – Ok, this is just a little plot bunny that I had to try out. I've never done Lost before, and this is a different Heroes story than my high school fics. Yet, it's still AU, cause that's my favorite genre. It gives me a lot of freedom to play around and be creative with characters I love. So give it a chance, you might find it enjoyable (or terrible!)
Chapter 1 – Not The Average Tuesday
Tuesday, May 7 – 9:00 AM
The Petrelli Brothers Detective Agency, Downtown NYC
Nathan Petrelli thought today was going to be like every other day. He would wake up, get dressed, and leave for work, his briefcase in one hand and the morning paper in the other. After he'd taken the subway, he walked to the building where his office was. Then he takes the elevator up to the 12th floor where his office is located. He heads straight to his desk, takes off his jacket, sits down and enjoys the news and the coffee.
Nathan waits for that phone call, the one that might actually give him something to do, but it doesn't come. So day after day, he waits, passing the time with crossword puzzles. He waits for the day he can tell his father that he actually has a case to work on, that he's not wasting his life on this dream of being a detective. Nathan doesn't realize that today is the day that will prove his father wrong.
Nathan takes a sip of his coffee and buzzes his receptionist. She comes in, prepared to tell him the message. She sighs and walks closer to the desk, her brown curls bouncing as she walks. And it's not a far walk. The office is small but it is the biggest compared to the rest of the apartment, which has little room to move in since it has to accommodate two more desks, one for Peter, Nathan's brother and partner, and the other for the receptionist.
"Any messages?" Nathan asks, still sipping his coffee.
"When was the last time we had any messages?" she answered back.
"Just checking," he said grinning. His salary wasn't huge (in fact it was so small, it was a miracle they were all 3 people in the agency were able to get money) but Nathan was living his dream. He always wanted to be a detective and now he was. He was living his dream. She was about to walk back to her desk when Nathan caught her attention again.
"Kate!" he said loudly. Kate turned around and stared him down, her green eyes blazing.
"What?" she said impatiently. She had no work to do and no need to be impatient but sometimes it was too much, dealing with Nathan Petrelli that is.
"Is Peter here yet?" he said still grinning. Kate's impatience melted away. She couldn't resist the Petrelli grin.
"He said he'd be here in a few minutes," Kate said, looking at her watch. He was only a few minutes late. They both looked at the door, as though they expected him to be there, but there was no one.
Kate returned to her desk, opened up the latest issue of Cosmo, and began to read. This was her daily ritual, reading fashion magazines and watching Peter as he attempted to search for actual cases for them to solve. She knew it was pointless but she wouldn't want to break Peter's spirit. He was a fragile guy and she didn't want him to lose hope.
Nathan and Peter were the only friends she had in New York. When they opened the agency 2 years ago, they had been in need of a receptionist and she had needed a job. He employers were still unaware of her past. She had told them that she was from Iowa and that she had come to New York for better opportunities. It wasn't a lie, but Kate didn't want to give anymore details. They didn't have to know what she had done in Iowa. No, Kate wasn't going to tell them cause simply, she didn't want to lose her friends.
It had been at least an hour after Kate had finished reading her magazine, that Peter came through the door. He was holding a newspaper in his hand and he seemed out of breath and excited.
"Just finished the marathon, I see," Kate said smiling. Peter grinned, tried to say something, but he was panting too much to speak.
"Easy there Pete. What's going on?" Nathan said, getting out of his office after spotting Peter come in.
"It's…it's…!" Peter started still panting.
"It's what?" Kate said, very amused. Peter took a seat at his desk and breathed in deeply. He sighed and composed himself.
"I'm sorry I'm late. My alarm clock brock," he said.
"Ok, but is that the reason you're out of breath?" Kate asked. Peter shook his head.
"No, look at this!" he said pointing to the paper. Nathan and Kate bent over the paper and their eyes widen at the headline that read "Billionaire Found Dead in Home." Nathan scanned the article and looked at Peter in shock.
"Linderman? The Austin Linderman is dead?" he asked, very surprised.
"Don't you know him?" Kate asked looking at the two brothers.
"Yeah, he was friends with our father," Peter said.
"Jeez, shot dead in his own home," Nathan said shaking his head. "Who could have done it?"
"Exactly! That's what we've got to figure out!" Peter said excitedly.
"What! You think you guys can solve this. This is going to be huge. The FBI might be involved This guy was famous!" Kate exclaimed.
"Yes, but we knew Linderman, we can do it," Peter said grinning.
"I don't know Peter," Nathan said.
"Come on Nathan! This is the break we've been waiting for. I mean, we know Matt and Ana will be at the scene," Peter said.
"Matt and Ana? They're only local police. They'll bring in the big guys, like Kate said," Nathan argued.
"Yeah, but I'm sure at least one of them will know. It's worth a shot," Peter said.
"I think I'm starting to agree with Peter," Kate said.
"You're just saying that so you can actually get paid," Nathan said. Kate shrugged.
"Hey, a girl's gotta make a living. Besides, this is what you wanted to do. This is it. You've gotta take the chance, Nathan," Kate said. Nathan sighed.
"I don't know…" he said, still unsure.
"Please?" Kate said, shooting him a pleading look. Peter gave him the same look.
"You two are children," Nathan said.
"Don't you think we know that?" Peter said smiling. He knew Nathan was on the verge of caving in.
"We'll try to find a way to the Linderman mansion, but if we can't, I'm giving up. Deal?" he said, officially caving in.
"Deal," Peter and Kate said at the same time. This was the opportunity they'd been waiting for. They just had to make sure they didn't screw it up.
Background Info for Chapter 1:
Nathan Petrelli 32 – A private detective hoping to actually solve a case.
Peter Petrelli 28 – Nathan's partner and brother.
Kate Austen 25 – The Petrelli's receptionist and friend.