Synopsis: We were on the run for a while. Me and my surrogate mom. We moved around so much that I could hardly tell one place from the next. Everything was just one big blur. The schools, the people, the neighborhoods, everything. So when I started attending Pinehearst High School I wasn't expecting much. As a matter of fact, I wasn't expecting anything. And I, Timmy, or Tommy, or whatever stupid name I'm going by now, especially wasn't expecting to fall for Emily, my classmate from school.

Author's Note: This story is completely AU, though it does have some events/elements from the aired episodes. However, in this universe, Gabriel Gray a.k.a. "Sylar" is Tommy/Nathan Bennet's dad.

Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes Reborn.

School wasn't the first place I saw her.

I had first seen her at the ice-cream shop in town.

Moe's Ice Cream Shop, to be exact.

I had ordered a double fudge sundae and she brought the dish to me with a smile.

And not just any smile. A genuine, sparkling smile. When she handed me that sundae, as dumb as it sounds, I knew that I had fallen head-over-heels for her.

I'm not sure why, and I can't explain it, but her and I just had this sort of connection. This understanding of each other, you know (kinda like you and mom, huh?)? I felt as if she would accept me, even if she were to find out that I was an Evo. It sounds stupid saying it to myself now, but really, that's how I felt.

When she did discover my power, it wasn't by choice. I had a run in at Moe's with some man that had stalked me from the previous night, and an armed lady.

They'd taken me outside to off me when Emily came out to intervene. I'm admittedly not a fighter, and probably wouldn't have resisted too much had she not been there in the middle of it. But I couldn't let them hurt her too, so I had to use my power.

I told myself I just didn't want them to hurt her because she was innocent, but that wasn't true. I didn't want them to hurt Emily because I liked her.

And I hoped that maybe, if she saw the real me, she might like me too.

Wrong. I regretted it immediately after she saw me use my power. She looked at me with shock and hurt on her face. I didn't want to stick around for her to yell or tattle on me, so I ran.

I'm pretty fast for a runner (kinda like you, huh? Sorry, that was uncalled for...), but I wasn't sure how long I could keep my energy up. Soon enough she caught up to me (not because she was faster than me, mind you, but) because she hopped in her beetle car and flagged me down. Then I was forced to face her and admit my having powers.

I was kinda upset because I knew that meant me and surrogate-mom would have to relocate again, but she promised that she wouldn't tell a soul. I wanted to believe her so badly, but surrogate-mom said not to trust any normals other than her. Still, my crush on her got the best of me, and I allowed my trust to be put in her.

After she found out a little more about my power, she and I started experimenting with it a little. I had expected her to be scared of me, or a bit fearful, but she wasn't.

Instead, she met up with me often before and after school to talk with me about it.

Once, we met up in the school's toolshed, and she held a pink flower out for me to touch. I reluctantly did so, causing it to vanish into the air as soon as it made contact with the tip of my finger.

I didn't know where it would go. Didn't know what would happen to it. Or if anything really did or would happen to it at all. Truthfully, I didn't know anything about my power. Other than the fact that I could seemingly make any object I wanted to disappear into thin air.

Now what kind of a power was that? Something that did nothing for me other than take things away. It's too bad my power didn't work for my feelings, because afterwards, my crush on her multiplied by ten.

To be honest dad, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I figured that since I've spent my whole life away from you, that you should at least know what's been going on with me for the past year.

Anyway, I know you're a bit held up at the moment (in Evo prison, is that right?), so I'll try to make this quick.

Emily and I have been dating ever since, but I wanted to ask you something a bit personal. How do you know that someone's the right one? How did you know about mom? I heard that you and her had a long checkered history with each other. Is that true? Grandpa Bennet won't tell me too much about it, but he says that you and her didn't always see eye-to-eye. If that's true, then when did you start? And how did it happen?

Well, that's the end of this message. I don't know how data-transferring works, but Micah says that you should get this soon. I gave it to him to pass on, because he seems to have a way with technology. Anyway, I'm looking forward to meeting you when you get released this Spring. See you then. Your son, Nathan.