The Two Sides Of The Same Coin
The young woman took one last look at her Mum waving frantically at her, before stepping through the barrier into the departure lounge.
Rubbing a hand across her eyes to prevent tears from falling, she strode past the security, dragging her weighty hand-luggage behind her.
Taking a deep breath, Sky let out a pent-up breath and gazed at her surroundings. The airport lounge was typically busy and noisy, with a collection of expensive, flashy displays advertising anything from food to clothes. She glanced disinterestedly through the polished glass windows, before eventually turning, bored, towards the restaurant in a search for a decent seat.
A few bored passer-bys glanced at the young woman as she walked confidently through the crowd towards the café. Sky ignored the vaguely curious onlookers, she wasn't bothered by the strange looks and simply pretended not to notice.
Sighing deeply, Sky pulled out a chair and dumped her luggage by her feet before leaning back to relax into the seat.
Sky watched wistfully as a couple with a young child entered the restaurant and sat on a nearby table. The child's laughter rang out merrily through the room as its mother stroked its hair gently.
Sky once again thought back to her own family, her mother who was probably still waiting in the airport to see if her daughter would change her mind. But Sky knew deep down that she had made the right choice. She had lived with her parents all of her life, and she had jumped at the chance to finally get off their backs and start her own life.
Reaching into her rucksack, Sky took out the job application once again, carefully smoothing out the crinkled, grubby piece of paper. She still remembered the feeling of elation she had felt when her boss had decided to give her the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to America.
Flashback:
"Sky, of all the people in this office, you are one of the most skilled and impressive people I have had the privilege of working with. You have exceeded my highest expectations and deserve this more than anyone." Her boss told her with a kind smile as he handed her an envelope.
Sky looked down at the life-changing letter, then back up at her boss who nodded reassuringly.
Tearing open the envelope, Sky was stunned as a one-way ticket to New York fell from the ripped envelope, onto her outstretched hand. Her fingers trembling in excitement, she looked up to meet her boss's sparkling eyes.
"But…Steve…surely not…?"
"Sky, this job was originally assigned to me – as one of the most well-known reporters in our area. But honestly, I am happy to stay here, and I know how much you've always wanted to travel – but instead you're stuck in our office writing for our local newspaper. We all know you're meant for greater things, and that's why I'm asking you to take the job." Steve enthused.
"I-I really do not know what to say... except, well, thank you!" Sky replied, thrilled. "But, there is one thing… I mean, what about my family? Will they be ok without me? And how long until I'd be able to return?"
"You haven't even gone on your assignment and you're already thinking about returning?" Steve asked in amusement, his eyes twinkling.
"No! That's not what I meant!" She protested quickly, before sending him a small smile, "I just want to make sure my family's alright with this too… I want to do it – I really do, but my family matters too."
"I know Sky, but sometime you must leave and take care of yourself. Anyway, as for how long… well, it's currently an indefinite period of time… really, it's until you find out enough about what you came for. Enough to write a decent article anyway!" He joked.
"Thank you Steve – thank you so much… I won't let you down." Sky promised before giving her boss a friendly embrace.
Present:
Sky remembered the feeling of unsinkable happiness she had felt for the last few months counting down to her assignment. She remembered how her mother and father had been so overjoyed to hear her news, but she noticed their sadness of having to finally let their daughter go. Sky still felt guilty as she remembered her mother's brave face when she had hugged her daughter tightly, kissing her cheek affectionately before whispering a strained goodbye.
Dragging her mind back to her present situation, Sky stretched leisurely then glanced down at her watch. She swiftly jumped to her feet as she realised her plane was only minutes away from leaving and cursed herself for being so careless.
Snatching her bags up from the floor, she sprinted hastily towards departures as a woman's clinical voice rang through the lounge.
"Flight 709 to New York will depart in 5 minutes." The voice announced.
"Damn, damn, damn!" Sky cursed, resisting the temptation to utter ruder oaths as she ran to join the end of a large, rowdy queue.
"Come on!" She muttered under her breath, shifting impatiently as the queue gradually moved forward inch by inch.
Her heart pounded impatiently as Sky hastily shoved her passport and flight ticket into the flight-assistant's hands before finally emerging out into the cool, open air of the airfield.
Breathing a sigh of relief as the refreshing breeze ran gently fingers through her long hair, Sky followed the line towards a large, powerful-looking aeroplane.
She smiled briefly at the air hostess as she boarded the plane, once again flashing her ticket.
Sky instinctively turned in surprise as the hostess reached out to grab her shoulder gently. "Excuse me miss, but I believe you're in first class."
"What? No way!" Sky exclaimed in disbelief before checking her ticket. "Oh yeah!"
The air hostess gave an amused smile before pointing towards the first class area of the plane.
"Thank you." Sky said happily, before bouncing cheerily down the isle of luxury until she found her perfect, comfortable seat next to the window and carefully laid her bag by her feet. "This is what I call travelling in style!"
"Couldn't agree more." A soft American voice concurred.
Sky's head jerked up abruptly, cricking her neck as she acknowledged a tall, rather handsome man standing next to her seat.
"Hope you don't mind, but I'm supposed to be sitting here." He explained, in the same gentle voice as he sat himself on the adjoining luxury seat with a charming, crooked smile.
"Sure, that's no problem." Sky replied with her own small smile as she glanced him over quickly.
He was quite young, but a few years older than Sky herself. He wore a long cream coat over a sweater and jeans, and as he removed his sunglasses she met a pair of beautiful, deep brown eyes.
Her smile turned into an amused grin as he ineffectively tucked a lock of his silky dark hair behind his ear, which stubbornly sprang back to its original position.
Grinning back cheekily, his eyes sparkling, the man discreetly returned the young woman's curious glance. She was of average height and was wearing all black clothing, but in contrast, her waist-length hair was naturally dark blonde streaked with lighter shades of gold. She had unfathomable, mysterious, greyish-green eyes, and her dark eyebrows gave her a serious look.
"I'm Peter by the way." Peter introduced himself politely, holding out his hand.
"Sky. Nice to meet you." Sky replied, shaking his hand firmly, before looking back towards the window.
Sky had taken a degree in psychology a few years back, but she still felt awkward around strangers. Unsure how to act, she tried to be pleasant towards other people but preferred to remain quiet, reserved and safe.
Sky's skin tingled slightly as she realised Peter was watching her with interest, his eyes shining with a caring concern. Shifting uneasily in her seat, the young woman decided to make an attempt at conversation, hoping to distract him from his staring.
"So do you come from New York then?" She asked, causing the young man to jump at her unexpected question.
"Yeah, my brother sent me to Britain to run an errand for him, but to be honest I think he was just trying to get me out of his way." Peter replied.
"Sounds like a charming guy." Sky commented sarcastically.
"Nathan's got good intentions really, and he is my brother." He paused for a moment, "What about you? You're English right?"
"Yep. I've just been assigned a job in New York – thanks to my boss."
"Really? What do you do?" Peter asked, sounding genuinely interested.
"Heh, me? I'm a reporter. I was writing for our local newspaper, but my boss was asked to do this assignment, he decided he didn't want to leave England and offered it to me." Sky smiled at Peter.
"Wow! Lucky!" Peter beamed at her, "So, what's this assignment?"
"Er… well, this is where it's difficult… cause it's sort of hush-hush – sorry, but basically I'm writing a long, detailed report about something which, depending on its success, may, or may not be published."
There was a moment of silence as they listened to the woman's voice announce that the plane was about to take off. Within moments, Sky felt the usual exhilaration of flying into the air at a high speed and her insides somersaulting, before the plane gradually evened out to drift dreamily through the cloudy mountain peaks.
"So Peter, what did you say you do?" Sky asked as the engines faded to a dull throbbing.
"I didn't." He said with a crooked smirk before continuing, "I'm a nurse in New York but my brother gave me some leave so I could do his errand."
"Oh. A nurse… well, I wouldn't have guessed, but I suppose it fits."
"Fits?" Peter inquired, raising an eyebrow in query.
"Yup. So tell me, what is there to know about New York?"
"Well," Peter began, once again brushing his unruly, dark bangs out of his face to little effect. "Where to start? It's a dark, fascinating, unpredictable place to live in, but full of danger and excitement."
"Ha, well what's life without danger?"
"Boring I s'pose. But you still gotta be careful." He stopped again, gazing out the window at the cloudy landscape; another world, untouchable and beautiful.
"It doesn't look real does it?" Sky asked as she followed his gaze.
"No. But in a way, it isn't,.." Peter trailed off, before suddenly turning around to look straight into Sky's curious eyes. "Do you ever get the feeling that you're meant to do something… incredible?"
Sky's frowned slightly at his eccentric question. "I'm not sure I quite understand what you mean." She said slowly.
"Just… doing something, something that would make a difference…"
"Mmm. Not really, I'm just normal - your average 20 year old reporter!" Sky replied evasively, but she couldn't help remembering what her boss had said: You're meant for greater things, and that's why I'm asking you to take the job.
Her frown deepened as she pensively bit her lip, oblivious to Peter's enquiring gaze.
Peter raised his eyebrow at Sky's unusual reaction before shrugging it off and cursing himself for mentioning his foolish hopes in front of her, but he was quickly broken out of his thoughts as the young woman began to speak again.
"I don't know really. Depends what you call making a difference."
"Yeah." He gave a soft chuckle. "When I was a kid, I always wished I could do something extraordinary – fly, help people… my family always thought I was a dreamer and here I am, a nurse."
"There's nothing wrong with being a dreamer – trust me, I'm an expert!" Sky announced, causing Peter to laugh. "But don't all people wish that they had super powers sometime? I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to be able to fly?"
"Well, my brother Nathan for starters."
"He sounds like a right bundle of fun!" Sky said sarcastically.
"He's a politician."
"Ahh! That's why!" She said with dawning realisation, making Peter chuckle again.
Their conversation was interrupted as an air hostess came over with a trolley and offered the pair beverages and food. Sky politely declined, whereas Peter bought himself a cheese sandwich.
"So," He continued through a large mouthful of his sandwich, "Where are you actually staying in New York?"
"Er… wait a sec…" Sky said, before reaching into her rucksack to produce an information leaflet. "I'm in Ohio Ave, Long Beach, New York – apparently."
Peter raised his eyebrows.
"What? Do you know where it is?"
"Roughly, yeah. It's near Queens, but it sounds like you're living right near the beach."
"Yay!" Sky said in a surprising outburst, causing Peter to give the usually composed young woman a curious glance before laughing. She blushed slightly, embarrassed at her own unusually relaxed behaviour.
"I live on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, so it's not that far away." Peter told her, once he had stopped laughing and replaced it with a friendly grin once he saw her baffled expression.
"Sorry, I hardly know anything about Geography – much less New York! But I tried to brush up a bit before the journey, so exactly how far away is Ohio Ave from Manhattan?"
"About 45 minutes, maybe more, maybe less." He shrugged, as he put the remains of his unwanted sandwich aside.
"Well, I've never been to New York before, I think I'll probably need some help to find my way around." Sky said without thinking, then, realising how it might have been interpreted she blushed self-consciously. "Anyway, I think I'll sleep for a bit now. I had to get up really early this morning." She gushed in an attempt to avoid any awkwardness.
"Oh. Sure, okay." Peter replied, puzzled. He had been planning to suggest that he could to be her guide, but her sudden change in attitude prevented him from offering. "Here, you might want to use this." Peter offered kindly, handing her an aeroplane sleeping mask.
"Pink?" Sky queried with a small smile.
"Yeah, sorry. Not your colour then?" Peter apologised, unable to stop a crooked grin spreading across his face.
"Nah, I'm more of a blue person."
"Me too. Anyway, have a good sleep, it's a long journey."
"I will." Sky said with a softer voice, before placing the sleeping mask over her head.
She declined her seat, laid back, and in a random action, lifted her thumb and index finger into a diver's 'ok' sign causing Peter to chuckle with mild amusement.
Yawning, Sky turned over towards the window and squirmed into a more comfortable position before closing her eyes.
"Oh, and Peter, thank you." She murmured, loud enough for him to hear.
"That's ok." He whispered in response, a smile still fixed to his face as he watched the girl's normally serious face, gradually soften to a gentler, more vulnerable expression as she fell asleep.
"Sky, we're almost there." A soft voice broke through Sky's fragmented dreams, but she chose to ignore it.
"Sky, come on. Wake up!" The voice said, laced with amusement.
A warm, comforting feeling engulfed her hand as the young woman gradually began to open her eyes.
Giving a giant yawn, Sky curiously lifted the face mask to find her other hand enclosed in a comforting, warm and gentle grip.
"Sky! I thought you'd never wake!" Peter exclaimed, releasing her hand once he released she was awake.
"Yeaaaahhhhhh." Sky replied as she stretched leisurely, her head was still slightly fuzzy from sleep, but clear enough to wonder why Peter had been holding her hand. "What time is it?"
"About 11.45pm in New York, so you'll get back to your apartment in about… 30 minutes - do you have a ride?" He asked in concern.
"Not yet, I'm going to get a taxi back but I should be getting a vehicle of some sort sometime tomorrow." Sky smiled at his sweet manner.
"I'm not sure about this… things can get a bit… rough, this late…" Peter frowned, seeming as if he was going to say more, but decided against it.
Sky continued to feel tired and jetlagged as the plane landed then Peter accompanied her to the baggage carousel. She swayed with fatigue as the machine aggressively spewed suitcases and boxes onto the conveyor belt.
Peter noticed that Sky was still unsteady on her feet, and moved forward cautiously to prepare for any possible incidents. However, Sky stubbornly refused to let the dizziness affect her and persisted in trying to find her suitcase as Peter hovered around her edgily.
"Sky, do you want some help?" He asked in concern.
Sky glanced up at him unsteadily and gave him a stern, kind, but meaningful look. She didn't want to be considered weak and incapable; she was an independent adult now.
"I'm fine Peter. Just a bit tired." Sky said firmly, holding back another yawn.
Eventually, they emerged, exhausted, from the baggage carousel with Peter pushing the luggage trolley to his insistence.
"Finally! Fresh air!" Sky exclaimed running through the automatic doors like a small child and twirling around happily in the pleasantly cool, evening air.
Peter chuckled, his eyes sparkling as he watched the young woman run back towards him before wrestling the trolley from his grip.
"Hey!" He protested as the recently recovered Sky pulled away quickly as he tried to grab it back.
"Haha! Now I have the trolley!" She announced, grinning mischievously as she drove the baggage trolley towards the taxi area.
Peter sighed with mock weariness, brushing his unruly hair out of his eyes before smiling widely and running after the cheeky girl and his luggage.
"Wait up!" Peter called, sprinting after the young woman and joining in with her infectious laughter.
Other passengers from their flight watched them with disdain, obviously assuming that the pair were drunk as Peter proceeded to chase the young woman around the taxi waiting area.
As he gained on Sky, Peter noted with interest how she had seemed to change from a restrained, solemn, serious individual into a carefree and mischievous little girl.
Reaching out his hand, he finally managed to grab hold of the teasing Sky. He gently moved her aside with his hands on her waist, then proceeded to gain control of the trolley, steering it away from the kerb at a more sensible pace.
Sky giggled breathlessly, holding her sides from the running as Peter smirked triumphantly, but the moment was soon ruined as a loud car-horn blasted and a long, sleek black limo pulled up next to the trolley.
Lifting his hand to unsuccessfully push his dark bangs away from his eyes, Peter's face fell abruptly as his eyes fell on the dark limo.
The young man turned to Sky with a glum expression on his face, his eyes no longer twinkling, but darker and more serious, his eyebrows drawn together in a worried frown.
"I've got to go now." He muttered gloomily, diverting his eyes from Sky's.
"Oh, your brother I presume?"
"Yeah. Nathan." Peter said, even quieter as his eyes flicked reluctantly towards the waiting limo.
"Ok, well, I hope you have a good journey!" Sky said, quickly covering her disappointment of his sudden departure.
Peter sensed her pretence, and dragged his eyes from the shiny paint on the black car to Sky's deep, shadowed eyes.
"If you ever need anything, just ask-" Peter began with a kind seriousness before the horn blared again, causing the pair to jump and the onlookers to frown disapprovingly.
Taking a step towards the limo, Peter turned back quickly to Sky and handed her a small, torn piece of paper from his pocket. Sky unfolded it to find his mobile number and smiled to herself, realising that he must have written it down whilst she was sleeping – just in case.
"Thank you Peter. I'll see you around." Sky said with a grin, amused by his kind considerateness.
"Sure will. This is New York, so everyone runs into each other sooner or later." Peter replied with a strained smile.
Sky started slightly, her heartbeat increasing as Peter tentatively took a step towards the young woman, entering her area of personal space. She watched, tensed, as he tenderly laid his hands on her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes with an intensely caring expression.
"Goodnight Sky."
"Goodbye Peter." Sky responded quietly, her eyes unusually soft.
Peter sent her one more charming, crooked smile, and gently lifted his hands from her shoulders, letting one briefly cup her cheek – but what would've happened next would always be a complete mystery as they were rudely interrupted by a car door slamming loudly and sharp, brisk footsteps approaching rapidly from behind.
Sky turned instinctively to see a tall figure in a smart suit grab hold of Peter's arm, swinging him around to face him.
"Pete! What the hell do you think you're playing at?" Demanded a cold, brusque voice.
"Nothing Nathan. I'm just coming." Peter replied with a hint of annoyance, removing his arm from his brother's vice-like grip.
Peter turned and sent one last look at Sky, before turning back to the waiting limo and climbing in reluctantly.
Peering through the dim glow of airport lights, Sky managed to make out a few of the notorious Nathan's features; he had a strong jaw and a straight nose, his hair was dark and ruffled by the night-time wind, his eyebrows were creased into a frown not so unlike Peter's and his eyes held a determined intensity as he sent her an icy, scornful glare before turning back to his limo, without a word.
Sky watched in a sad silence as the sleek limo pulled away from the kerb, its engine purring softly like a fireside cat.
As the limo passed under a glaring orange streetlamp, the number plate reflected the light like a miniature mirror and Sky briefly glimpsed the registration.
'N PETRELLI' she read, her mouth falling open in disbelief as the name flooded back to her – surely it couldn't be the Nathan Petrelli? Candidate for New York Congressman?
She stood dumbly by the side of the road, not able to believe that she had just made friends with the brother of one of the most devious men alive.
Sky was broken out of her reverie as an available taxi pulled up alongside her, and a tall, handsome, Indian-looking man looked out with his arm casually rested on the open window.
"Do you need a ride?" He called in an intelligent, but slightly accented voice.
"Yes please." Sky replied as she walked back towards the trolley to retrieve her suitcase, but found, to her surprise, that the driver was already dragging it towards the taxi and shoving it into the boot.
Sky smiled at him gratefully before clambering into the back of the car where he sent her a dazzling white smile in return.
"So where to my friend?" He inquired with a warm, Indian accent.
"Er…" Sky pulled out her new address again and read it to the driver. "Ohio Ave, Long Beach, New York, and apparently it's near a place called Queens." She added in an attempt to be helpful.
"Yes." The Indian man confirmed with a quick nod, before pulling out onto the road. "So my guess is that you're not from around these parts?"
"Could say that! It's my first time visiting America, so it's all new to me."
"How long are you hear for?" He asked out of interest.
"Oh, erm, an 'indefinite amount of time' according to my boss." Sky said, using her fingers as quotation marks.
The driver chuckled softly, before clearing his throat and looking left and right for any traffic as they stopped at a junction.
"What about you? Are you from around here?"
"No, I came back from India when I heard about the death of my father." He suddenly turned quiet for a moment, making Sky feel somehow guilty for his pain.
"I'm sorry." The young woman said sincerely, but the driver simply looked into his rear-view mirror and sent her a small smile.
"Don't be, he hardly knew me."
Sky didn't know how to respond to this, so the remainder of the journey was spent in a mutual silence as the driver brooded thoughts about his deceased father, and Sky wondered how a person like Peter Petrelli could have such an awful, cold-hearted brother.
Finally, they arrived outside her new apartment, the sea air refreshing and cool on Sky's face.
"How much?" She asked, reaching in her pocket for US money.
The handsome driver stepped out, revealing his perfect physique as he towered above her with another perfect smile and removed her suitcase from the boot, carefully handing it to the pink-cheeked young woman.
"$25." Sky wordlessly handed him the money with a small smile, "I hope you enjoy your time in New York."
"Thank you, and I hope everything turns out for you." She replied politely, before taking a step towards her temporary new home.
Sky spared a moment to wave at the driver as he drove away, before turning to her apartment.
The young woman felt a rush of excitement as she strode up the drive to her new apartment. Glancing around briefly, she noted that the area seemed quite pleasant in the dim light of the street lamps and the ominous glow of the silver moon. The sea gushed gently, barely audible over the swish of night traffic as Sky paused outside her front door, rooting around in her coat pocket until her hand closed around the cold metal of her keys. Carefully inserting them into the lock, she twisted them easily before firmly pushing the door open to take her first step into her new house.
Sighing, the young woman smiled contentedly as she dropped her baggage by the door and walked slowly into the moonlit lounge, her tired eyes attracted to the comfortable looking sofa. Without warning, Sky swayed wearily, falling limply onto the soft couch, exhausted, and before she could protest, she had fallen into a deep sleep.
Behind a nearby house, a dark figure watched the girl jump out the taxi, talk to the driver, before waving as the vehicle drove away. He watched, as still and silent as a panther observing its prey, as the young woman unlocked her door then shut and carefully locked it behind her.
After a few moments, he strode purposefully across the deserted street, the dim lamps sending threatening shadows onto the ground as his black coat flapped eerily in a nonexistent breeze.
The figure trod silently across the drive until he reached the front window. He peered through the murky glass at the girl's exhausted form slumped carelessly on the sofa. Then withdrew, a dark, self-conceited, satisfied smirk fixed beneath the shadowed peak of his cap.
"Sleep well Sky – for now…"
I know basically naught about America, so sorry if my Geographical locations etcetera are a bit off… I did try using Wikipedia to help me – so hopefully it's ok.
Anyways, hope the story's alright, I'm thinking that when I get writers block on this, I'll move back onto the Doctor Who story, and vice-versa.
Please tell me what you think.
~ TheMastersDaughter