Rain wasn't something odd in spring in New York. It was normal weather.
But what happened in the rain that day was anything but normal.
As the rain fell down to earth, Peter held the umbrella over his head and Claire's. She was sobbing quietly beside him, not wanting anyone to see the weakness. Automatically, Peter reached out and draped his arm across her shoulders, pulling her to his side.
Mohinder watched from his side beside Matt. They had left Molly at home with a babysitter, making Mohinder nervous about her safety. Gabriel had showed up once before at their house, and leaving Molly alone wasn't Mohinder's first choice of action.
i But a funeral was no place for a little girl. /i
Mohinder glanced at Matt as the priest droned on in front of the grave. It was obvious Matt was second guessing their decision to leave Molly at home, too.
There were only about twenty people at the gravesite. The actually funeral ceremony had been crowded, nearing 200 people because of the deceased's role in politics.
Angela was frowning, but her eyes were dry. She wasn't allowing herself to even mourn her son. It was disgusting to Mohinder. The woman had no shame; she was disgusting. Her demeanor was cold and strong, yet her son was being put into the ground.
Heidi had the gall to bring the children to the gravesite. The two little boys were beside themselves with grief, crying for their loss.
i A gravesite is no place for children. /i
But a gravesite was no place for a scene either. Mohinder had to force himself not to go over to the woman and say something about her inappropriate company. The children should have been taken home after the funeral ceremony had been done. They should have been given time to grieve on their own. They were crying as they stood there. They had been screaming earlier, but Angela and Heidi had quieted them.
Mohinder turned his attention to the casket. It was being lowered in the ground already, blocking Mohinder's name on the tombstone.
Matt leaned toward Mohinder. "After this, we should take Claire out to lunch. After we stop by and pick up Molly."
Mohinder nodded, his eyes flickering over to Claire. She was leaning against Peter, sharing his umbrella and visibly trembling. He shook his head. She had finally met her biological father, found out where she came from, and now she had lost it again. She had Peter, of course, but he could only go so far. And the pair had always been too close for Mohinder's comfort. The last thing Claire needed was so cling to the person closest to the man being buried.
What she needed to was to cling to her family. Her real family that had raised her, and loved her. This wasn't her real family. Most people here at the grave who were his family would not even claim Claire as part of the family.
i Disgusting. /i
Mohinder's eyes snapped back to the gravesite when the casket finally dropped into the earth completely. The words etched on the stone were clear as day now.
i "R.I.P. Nathan Petrelli" /i
For some reason, seeing the words on the tombstone solidified the fact Nathan was now a fallen hero in Mohinder's mind.
