Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes. This is just for fun.

Summary: For some reason, I was really struck by Peter's partner in A Clear And Present Danger. I thought he was very interesting and started speculating what it was like for them to get to know each other. Also, my husband immediately pounced on the fact that Peter is greatly overqualified to be working as a paramedic. I countered with Peter probably thought working out in the streets would be the best way to truly help people and that worked its way into the story as well. So, the story is working its way out. In my mind, a partner doesn't just say, "Hmm, Peter's gone missing." He tries to figure out what's going on. I have no idea how this will end and think that the upcoming episodes will have a lot to do with how it evolves.

SPOILERS for A Clear And Present Danger and possibly other episodes following it.

First Day

"Hey, Hassan."

Hesam Siddig sighed heavily. "Hesam."

"What?" The grizzled and emaciated looking shift supervisor asked irritably.

"My name." Hesam pressed on. "My name is Hesam, not Hassan."

The supervisor rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You're new partner's starting today."

Hesam frowned.

"I thought it would be another three days."

"Yeah, well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, okay? Kids eager and he's an RN to boot, so…" The supervisor gestured to the ambulance bay and looked back down at the neat yet massive stacks of papers that seemed to be consuming his desk.

Hesam realized this was his dismissal and, stifling another sigh, walked toward the locker room to gather his gear.

"Hesam!" A voice yelled cheerfully. "How's it hanging?"

Hesam couldn't resist, "Past my knees, you know, same old same old."

Tony's cackle of amusement was joined by several other voices and Hesam was pleased to hear Jerry pronounce his little quip the, "Best howsithangin response EVER!"

After several rough shoves and pats on the back, Hesam found himself sitting on the bench in front of his locker next to Tony's.

"It's not though is it?" Tony said.

"Past my knees?" Hesam smiled, "You wanna check it?"

Tony smiled. "Wouldn't you just love it if I did. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the other part. It ain't same old same old today. I heard you're gettin' the rookie."

Hesam could almost feel the interest of the room centering on his and Tony's conversation.

"Yeah, don't know how much of a rookie he'll be though. He's a freaking R.N. for crying out loud."

"Seems weird don't it?" Mack chimed in then. "I mean, there's a nation wide nurse shortage and this guy decides to start riding a bus? Why'd he wanna do that? If I could score the kind of salary he could, I'd be outta here in a heartbeat."

Sam chimed in, "Yeah, we all know how long it's been since you scored, Mack."

Mack took a threatening step forward but with a smile on his face and Sam, laughing, ducked behind a row of lockers.

"He's cracked!" Jerry called out then. "Wacked in the head. Don't you know?"

Blank stares all around.

"Sheesh, you guys don't read the papers much do you? You know that Senator? The miracle guy got burned and shot up and what not? Who you think the rookie's big broski is?"

Hesam felt a cold stone forming in his stomach. He knew who Senator Petrelli was alright. The man was disconcerting in the least and downright frightening sometimes. That was all Hesam needed: to be partnered up with an ignorant fear mongering "towel head" hater.

Jerry wasn't done though.

"Yeah, seems baby brother ain't exactly the cream of the crop."

Jerry held up his hand and started ticking things off on his fingers.

"Tried to wack himself. I mean, proper wack himself. Nose dived off a building."

"How'd he walk away from that?" Sam breathed. He, like many of his colleagues in the locker room had seen the results of such suicides.

Jerry shot Sam an irritated look. "I'm telling the story. Seems he got lucky and hit a fire escape on his way down. Anyway, not long after that he got arrested…and not just some upper class possession thing, no, this guy gets arrested on suspicion of murder. Murder most fowl, my friends. Chopping off the skull of some cheerleader in Texas, man, crazy slasher movie stuff…"

"Actually,"

The strange voice in the familiar setting of the room created instant silence. An unfamiliar face was smiling a bit sadly but good naturedly in the doorway.

"I wasn't arrested. I was just questioned and then released."

Hesam could tell that most of his coworkers, like him, were embarrassed to have been caught gossiping. He had to hand it to the new guy though; he seemed to be taking it okay.

"No offense, man." Jerry said then, his hands up placatingly.

The new guy smiled. Hesam noticed that he only smiled with one side of his mouth…odd.

"Hey, I'm the screw up black sheep of a political family." The guy said disarmingly. "You can't possibly say anything about me I haven't read in the papers."

This got a few chuckles from the room and a relieved smile from Jerry.

The rookie's dark eyes started to scan the room then.

"I'm looking for Hesam Siddig?"

Hesam raised his hand. "Over here."

The dark eyes focused on him and Hesam felt for a strange moment that he was being tested or judged. But then the crooked smile appeared again and Hesam felt almost foolish about his feelings. I'm getting paranoid. He thought and sighed.

The rookie picked his way across the locker room and, smiling that crooked smile, held out his hand.

"Hey, I hope I got your name right. I'm Peter Petrelli. I'm your new partner."