Disclaimer: I don't not own. If I did, I think I'd have fun though.


Need

He isn't sure what to do when Daphne tells him she loves him. Part of him isn't even sure it's really her. After all, Arthur Petrelli had been pretending to be her only moments before. What was to say he wasn't tricking him again.

When he leaves Angela Petrelli's mind and finds that it really was Daphne, he is more confused than ever.

They had seemed so happy together, in the future he had seen.

But now…

He holds her close when they're together. She loves him and he knows she really means it. He doesn't have to read her mind.

He does though. He doesn't need to, because he knows, but he still does it anyway.

And he realizes…

He's known it for a long time, but he's always denied it before now.

But when he enters her mind, just to be sure, he realizes…

He can't hide anymore.

He is lying to himself, he is lying to Daphne, he is lying to everyone around him.

And he can't do it anymore.

He knows it will hurt Daphne, because he's seen how much she cares.

But he knows that not telling her, will hurt the both a thousand times more in the end.

He realizes that chasing after had been a lie. That the only reason he fixated so tremendously on her, was because it was the only way to keep lying to himself.

He knows that, deep down, he never really wanted her to fall for him. He wanted her to be a distraction. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he never expected things to go this far.

And he knows this has to end. Because he doesn't love her and pretending he does will only make things worse.

He needs to go home.

And he needs Mohinder and Molly to be there waiting for him.