Title: "Questions and Answers"

Summary: Spoilers for "Hysterical Blindness" and "Tabula Rasa" promo. Emma thinks Peter sent her the cello. She thanks him the next day, only to have Peter deliver some news of his own.

Notes: I actually wrote a little more beyond this about Emma visiting Hiro, but then got stuck, so I decided to cut it off and share the piece I do have finished. Thanks if you R&R!

Emma entered her apartment and switched on a lamp. Her eyes fell on the cello propped up against a wall next to its latched case. She looked around, wondering if someone was still inside her apartment.

How had this cello gotten here? Who had sent it?

As she looked at the instrument again, her face softened into a smile. She knew of only one person who was a likely candidate. Someone who knew about her new ability, who had seen her play a cello in the park last night, someone who perhaps felt guilty about upsetting her with his off-hand remark about getting her out of the file room.

He could have gotten her home address from another file clerk at the hospital, then asked the landlord to let him in.

It was really too much. He must really want her forgiveness. She would thank him tomorrow.

-*-*-*-

The next day, Emma sought out Peter within Mercy Heights Hospital to thank him for her unexpected gift. She didn't have to go far in her search. He was visiting a patient on the same floor as her office.

Peeking in through the open doorway, she saw the dark-haired paramedic talking closely to the bed-ridden patient, an Asian man.

She decided to return to her office to wait for him to finish his visit, but as she was walking away, Peter came out of the room. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turned to find the young man behind her.

"Hey," she read from his lips. "I was just coming to see you."

"What is it?"

"I need to ask you a favor," he explained. "I'm going to try to find someone who can help my friend." He jerked his head in the direction of the hospital room he had just left. "I thought, while I was gone, maybe you could keep him company. He's a great guy. His name's Hiro. He's like us."

"Can he fly?" she asked, a bemused smile on her face.

Peter grinned back. "Teleport," he informed her. "And time travel."

"Why is he in the hospital?"

His expression sobered. "He has a brain tumor. It's interfering with his ability to use his power, and it's too risky for him to go back and try to change things."

"I'm sorry." After a moment, she added, "I'll visit him while you're away."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. He doesn't know many people in New York." Peter turned away to leave, prompting her to speak again.

"I should thank you too," she said quickly.

He looked back at her. "For what?"

"For the cello. You had it put in my apartment last night."

The paramedic smiled, but a puzzled frown creased his brow. "It wasn't me."

"Then, who was it?"

Peter scratched his forehead with his thumb, at a loss. "I'd love to help you figure that out, but with Hiro here, I just don't think I can afford to right now."

"You're right. Go. Your friend is more important."

"We'll figure this out," he told her. "Promise." Then he vanished into thin air.

Emma stared at the spot he had just been, marveling at seeing an ability she hadn't even considered could be real until yesterday.

Her momentary wonder was replaced by fear that a stranger had been inside her apartment, and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She hugged herself for comfort, then continued the walk back to her office.

-fin-