Hello guys. Don´t be confused. The story Fallen Heroes is finished just as you read it. But someone on the Psychfic website asked me for a showdown between Shawn and Sylar and since the original version of the story didn´t provide that (at least not in the wished way) I decided to write this alternate ending, just for fun. And when I post it on Psychfic, I figured I can post it here as well. Maybe you have fun with it too.
Disclaimer: Of course I don´t owe it.
Fallen Heroes – Alternate Ending
Juliet pulled into the parking lot of her appartement house and stopped the car. After that she just sat behind the wheel for a moment, not saying anything. Next to her, Shawn was quiet as well. It was already dark and the silence that surrounded them was not soothing at all, the way it should have been with only the two of them in the car. It was tensing. Because they didn´t know. Too many questions had remained unanswered and even now that everything that had happened today was over, it felt as if nothing was over. Nothing at all.
After they had brought the catatonic Roth to the mental hospital, they had reported to the chief that there had been a break in at Electricon in Durham Street. A bunch of thiefs had tried to steal from that Company and when they had tried to arrest them they had started to shoot. A few of the culprits had been killed in the following shooting, that at least was the official report they´d wrote. Or would write as soon as they´d slept. But Juliet wasn´t sure if she would be able to sleep. Not after what had happened. Not after those nightmares they had lived this last night. Not with the knowledge that Sylar was still out there.
After everything had been over, the supernatural murderer had been gone without a trace. Bennet and Carlton had searched the building but he was just gone. Of course. He had had to face the possibility of getting arrested. If not from the regular police then from those people who knew how to handle someone like him. Of course he wouldn´t risk that. It was highly possible that he had left town already. Surely he wouldn´t stop too soon and risk that the Company would catch him again. Sure he was long gone by now. He sure was. Then why did Juliet feel so strange? As if he was waiting for them right behind the next corner.
„You all right?" Shawn asked next to her.
She turned her head to look at him and faced his concerned eyes. A rare sight in this usually so light hearted features. Juliet looked at him and recalled how he had looked barely twenty-four hours ago, lying on that stretcher in the hospital, declared dead after being shot in the back. For a moment, the tiredness in his eyes reminded her on that sight and her heart started to tighten in her chest.
So fast that she almost wasn´t able to realize it herself, she leaned over to him and kissed him, desperately trying to convince herself that the feel of his lips was still reality and not only a memory. That he was still there and still alive, still a part of her life and that he would remain a part of her life for many more years.
„I guess that was a yes?" he asked her, after she released him again.
She looked at him startled for a moment but then just laughed. „Yes." she said and nodded, her eyes filling with tears of relief. „Yes, I´m all right. I´m fine."
He smiled at her gratefully for that good answer and she almost couldn´t believe that they were both still here after all these terrible things that had happened. It was impossible but they were. God, they must have had a guardian angel that had protected them. It had to be like that. Otherwise she was not able to understand how they had survived that. How went the old saying? Cats, drunks and small children were always lucky. The only question was, under which of these categories did they fall? But if she was honest, she already knew that too. Didn´t she?
In this moment, she wondered why she hadn´t told him earlier. She´d known for at least a week now but she had kept her mouth shut so far. Why she wasn´t sure herself. She´d told herself that she wanted to be sure, that she couldn´t be a hundred percent sure so far and if she would tell him and it turned out to be a mistake, it would be a disaster. But all that had been just an excuse. The truth was that she had been afraid of telling him. Because she didn´t know how he would react. If he would be able to handle that new development. She would just wait a little longer to think about how to tell him. Just a week or two to think about it. There was plenty of time after all.
But yesterday she´d seen him dead on a stretcher in a sterile room of a hospital and all the sudden she realized that maybe there wasn´t plenty of time all the time. Maybe they couldn´t know how much time they really had. Maybe no one could. And if he had died yesterday he would have never known and that was something Juliet would never forgive herself.
„I´m pregnant." she blurred out as if she had to get rid of that information before she choked on it. The gaze she gave him was probably fitting that feeling. She knew that but she couldn´t help it.
He looked at her baffled for a moment. Then he started to blink in his try to compute. „What?" he asked remarkably calm.
She just stared at him, scared to repeat it. But then she forced herself to open her mouth. „I´m pregnant." she said, never leaving his eyes to not to miss his reaction. Was he happy? Was he shocked? Scared the way she was scared but happy all the same? Was he?
„You mean with a baby?" he asked.
She chuckled one time and when his face still didn´t change she just couldn´t hold herself anymore and she started to laugh. „Yes." she giggled. „That´s usually the way it works."
He just sat there and watched her laugh, still unable to fully digest this news. Did she really just tell him that she was pregnant? That she was carrying? That she was with a child? That she was knocked up? That she had a bun in the …? „Shawn?" she asked and dragged him out of his thoughts. Her asking eyes were so big.
„You´re pregnant?" he asked her again.
Her eyes were expecting. She obviously waited for a reaction from his side. Damn, if he just knew what kind of a reaction was called for in this moment. How had Vincent from "Explosión Gigantesca de Romance" reacted when his girlfriend had told him that she was pregnant? All the sudden his photographic memory seemed to have abandoned him.
„What do you think now?" she asked him.
„I … I don´t know." he answered honestly. „I love you?"
She smiled and that was a good sign. Maybe his reaction hadn´t been that wrong after all. She leaned over to him and kissed him again. Briefly. „Let´s get inside." she said. „We can talk about everything over a cup of coffee."
„Sounds great." he said and together they got out of the car.
Shawn was still feeling light headed. Juliet had just turned to head for the front door and he hesitated. All the sudden he felt reluctant to go in immediately. He needed time to let this information sink in. At least a few minutes. Just that much time before he could go on. After that he would be able to think properly again.
„You go ahead." he said therefor. „I´ll be right there."
She looked at him for a moment and her eyes were worried. Was he trying to run off? He could see that fear clearly in her eyes.
„I just need a moment to think." he told her to ease her mind. „I´m happy. I am, I just need to … manufacture this … into my system. All right? I´ll be right there. It won´t be longer than a few minutes. I promise, I´ll be right there."
At last she nodded and gave him the time he obviously needed. Shawn watched her vanish through the door and then he was alone in the parking lot. For a moment, he felt like a sleepwalker. The cool nights air was blowing around him. It was cooling his forehead and that was a good thing. His face was glowing with heat. Was that a good sign? She´s pregnant, she´d said. She was carrying his child. He was going to be a daddy. He. She was going to be a mommy. She. Jules. His Jules. His kid.
Was that really happening? Or was he dreaming again? Roth was defeated, wasn´t he? Or had that been an illusion as well? But no, Roth would have created a nightmare not such a great scenario that so perfectly sounded like the classic happily ever after. This couldn´t be Roth´s creation. But did this mean that it was true? It sounded too good to be real.
Shawn reached for his own arm and pinched himself. Really hard. It hurt and he cursed when he realized how stupid it had been to do that again. The shot wound in his shoulder seemed to sympathize with his arm and started to hurt as well. Shawn´s eyes teared up and he was sure that this was no dream anymore. But that had to mean that this was real. Jules was really pregnant. She would really have his child. And just thinking of that, his face started to feel hot again. So he either was suffering from an infected shot wound or he was happy. Considering his rapidly beating heart and the light feeling in his head, he guessed he was indeed happy. He was going to be a daddy. He.
„Shawn." Juliet called him.
He looked around and saw her standing at the corner. She was smiling as if she was planning something really funny and waved for him to come. He immediately hurried over to her, curious what she had there for him. His head was still spinning. When he was at her, he immediately hugged her, finally embracing what she had told him.
„God, I love you." he breathed and looked at her with glowing eyes. „This is so great. I mean … we´re going to be mommy and daddy."
For a moment there was an expression of surprise on her face, her smile vanished. But then she smiled again. Only that her smile didn´t quiet look right. It wasn´t her usual smile, so sweet and innocent. It looked mischievously and almost … evil.
„And are you happy about this, Shawn?" she asked him.
He wanted to answer but somehow his words just refused to come out. Something was wrong about her all the sudden.
„You should be." she went on. „You are very lucky guy, Shawn. What man would not want to have that kind of luck? A good life with good friends, people that respect you … and most of all … a beautiful girlfriend that loves you and cares for you. Some people would kill to have such a life."
Shawn stared into the eyes of the woman before him. His muscles had tightened and even if his mind screamed for him to swirl around and run, he was just unable to move. The overload in his mind was expressed by his impossibility to speak. At last he managed it to press out the only word that seemed to be left over in his mind.
„Sylar."
Juliet´s evil smile increased one more time. She took one steps back as if to allow him to see her in her full glory and then her face was gone and Shawn looked into the dark and sparkling eyes of the killer. Sylar lay his head askew for a moment, looking at Shawn as if he were a cute child.
„You really are one lucky guy, aren´t you?" he said. „Sure you are. One only has to look at you. Think you´re going to be lucky again?"
For a moment, Shawn could only stare into those dark eyes like the rabbit would stare at the snake, paralyzed with fear. But then his voice was back and he could speak again.
„What are you gonna do?" he asked, his voice shaking.
„What I foretold you three months ago." Sylar told him, now sounding really demanding. „I´m going to take what I deserve. Something that you have and that I want for a very long time now. A life."
„Please." Shawn begged, desperately trying to move but unable to in the killers telekinetic grip. „You can´t do that."
„Oh, I can." Sylar assured him. „And I will. It´s an evolutionary imperative." He looked at Shawn with a kind smile. „I know that´s a big word that´ll probably not tell you anything. Don´t worry. It won´t hurt too long."
„What are you gonna do with Jules?" Shawn cried when the killer raised his hand to point at his head. Sylar hesitated.
„What do you mean?" he asked.
„When she sees you …"
„She will not see me." Sylar talked over him. „She´ll only see you. Her loving boyfriend. The father of her unborn child." The killer smiled again. „Don´t worry. I´ll take good care of them."
„Promise." Shawn brought out and made Sylar frown. „Promise that you´ll take care of them. Promise that they´ll be save. From you, from the Company. Whatever. But promise."
Sylar lay his head askew again, this time studying Shawn´s face with curiosity. „I promise." he then said.
Shawn nodded, the tears that had swelled up in his eyes finally dropping down his face. He knew that he had no chance anymore. That there was no way out of this. Not this time. He was alone back here and this man before him would not hesitate to kill him. Not this time. The odds that someone was going to come for his rescue in the last second, were slim. Very slim. Not existent. Shawn had never thought that the day would come when he was facing death and he would know without any doubt, that he wouldn´t be able to talk his way out of it. But now it happened. He had survived him once, but no one survived Sylar twice. He´d told him and now it happened. Sylar raised his finger to point at his head and Shawn closed his eyes.
„Shawn?" Juliet´s voice called out from behind the corner and then her footsteps were coming closer very fast.
Sylar swirled around, an expression of distress on his face. But only a second later he seemed to have found a solution for this unexpected interruption. He immediately let go of Shawn and threw himself to the ground, dragging Shawn down with him. When Shawn looked down on him, the killer´s face changed into his mirror image, just the way it had happened three months ago. Only back then he had been lying on the ground and Sylar had been standing over him.
Now the killer in disguise placed Shawn´s hands around his neck. Shawn felt like a puppet that was moved around instead of moving on its own. Why didn´t his arms obey his commands anymore?
Beneath him, Sylar struggled against his grip, as if he truly tried to strangle him. „Jules!" he cried out in a croaked voice. „Jules, watch out!"
Shawn turned his head when he saw the movement in the corner of his eye. Juliet was standing at the corner, her eyes wide in shock, her mouth open.
„Jules." Sylar croaked with his false Shawn voice beneath him. „Be careful. Jules."
Shawn wanted to say something, to tell her that what she saw wasn´t real, at least not completely, but his vocal chords were like his arms, not under his control. He could open his mouth but there was no sound coming out. The man beneath him, jerked him around so he couldn´t look at Jules anymore. Sylar struggled with him, seemingly trying to get him off himself, but somehow holding him in place above him. He wanted it to look as if he, the real Shawn, was the wrong one that tried to kill the real one. And damn, he was successful.
Juliet pulled her gun and aimed at him. „Let go of him." she cried, her voice shaking. „Let go now or I´ll shoot."
Shawn tried to let go but Sylar wouldn´t let him. Only a heartbeat later as it seemed, a shot rang out and Shawn felt a hot spot in his back. The struggle stopped for a moment. Shawn could feel the warm liquid running out of his wound and down his back. He wanted to scream but he couldn´t. Sylar was not allowing it. Instead he made him bow forward again with only one movement of his finger to let it look as if he tried to attack again.
Again Juliet shot and this time she aimed higher. Shawn could feel the impact right between his shoulder blades. Beneath him, Sylar finally let go of him and threw him to the ground. Even with the pain of the impact when he hit the ground, it was almost a relief. At least he was free of that invisible grip.
For a moment he just lay there on the ground, trying to make his lungs work again. When he´d managed that, he opened his mouth to call out for Jules, that the Shawn that was standing next to her was not the real Shawn. But instead of words, there was only blood coming out of his mouth. He coughed and tried to breath but his lungs were already decreasing their natural function. His eyes started to blur.
„Are you all right?" Juliet asked Shawn, aiming at the imitation on the ground.
„I don´t know. Are you?" he asked her back.
She nodded and then kept looking at the bleeding shapeshifter that was still looking like Shawn. He was looking up at her and, oh god, it was convincing. He really looked just like Shawn. If she hadn´t seen what had happened and that he had tried to kill Shawn just before, she would go mad with the question if she had shot the right man.
But she had seen what had happened and this time there was just no way for her to show mercy with this murderer. She had considered it but he had shown his true colours once again. He´d tried to kill Shawn and this time there had been only the one question. Sylar or Shawn. And of course she´d chosen Shawn. Sylar could not have expected anything else. She was a cop and sometimes cops had to shoot a suspect in the line of duty. It was terrible but sometimes there was just no other way.
The murderer before them, looked at her with pleading eyes. He seemed almost desperate, but didn´t he have every reason to be desperate? He´d lost and he knew that. Juliet wouldn´t allow herself to feel compassion for him. Not anymore. Not after this. At last he closed his eyes and then he lay still.
Juliet kept looking at him, unsure if she could really believe that it was over. At last a hand touched her shoulder and made her jump. When she looked in Shawn´s eyes, they were soft and gentle.
„He´s dead." he told her. „It´s all right. It´s over."
Slowly he let his hand wander down her back until he pulled her in for a comforting hug. Juliet allowed him to hold her, desperately trying not to cry over what had just happened. She didn´t want to cry over that murderer. Not after he´d tried to kill Shawn.
„Thanks." she heard him say, his voice muffled against her shoulder. „You saved my life, Jules."
She looked into his eyes and sniffed, smiling gratefully. „Of course I did." she managed to bring out. „Our baby needs a father."
He smiled at her brightly and then she embraced him again. Finally, she thought. Finally it was over.
Behind her back Shawn/Sylar was smiling.
Well, you have been warned. Sorry that I couldn´t let this end with a happily ever after. But that´s an alternate ending for you. Please ignore this version in the next story of this series though. Juliet won´t be pregnant, Shawn won´t be dead and nothing else that was written above this will matter in any way. This one shot was just for fun.
The next one will be up in a few days from now. Hope you´ll come back for that to read and find out what will really happen to Shawn, Juliet, Sylar and all the others. See you then.
And thanks for reading.