HEROES: Perspectives - The Ride

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!

Characters: Noah/HRG, Matt, Ted, Niki/Jessica(+Gina?) and DL.

Implied slash. Set between s1 eps, .07% and Landslide

--

November 5, 2006

Matt hadn't been on a road trip since...forever. He knew the last time he drove for an extended time was his honeymoon with Janice in Vegas. Yeah, classy. Still....

The memories of that long weekend flooded back to him as did the blood into his--

"What'cha thinking about, Carnac?"

Matt groaned. "Go away, Ted."

"This car isn't big enough for the two of us, cowboy," he shot back in possibly the worst drawl Matt had ever had the misfortune of experiencing. Weekend night shift for a cop was the worst for this, what with all the drunks, so he had heard plenty. And it was Los Angeles, so he had everybody topped outside of New York and San Francisco. Okay, maybe New Orleans, but only during Mardi Gras.

He glared at the nuclear man. Ah well, at least he had been enough of a distraction to keep from being embarrassed for the moment. He glanced back to Bennet. "Wanna trade?"

Bennet looked up from the map. Not on your life. "No thanks, I'm just double-checking our route."

Matt didn't buy his excuse. "Isn't it pretty much a straight shot through to New York?"

"It could be, Mr. Parkman," he said slyly. "If we were going straight there, which is what they expect us to do."

Matt and Ted looked across the seat at each other. Uh-oh.

Ted spoke up. "Um, if you're changing our route, you might want to tell, I dunno, oh maybeeee...the driver?"

Bennet smiled. "Don't worry, Mr. Sprague, I'll tell you when and where we need to turn. Basically, follow Route 66 here up to St. Louis, then we take I-70 to Pittsburgh and--"

"How long is that going to take us?" Matt interrupted.

"Almost a full day, straight through" he answered matter of factly. "You have somewhere better to be, Mr. Parkman?"

"Geez! Will you stop with the Misters?" Matt yelled. "We have names, you know! I'm Matt and he's Ted! Why can't you call us that?"

Bennet sighed. "Keeping my distance, in case things get hairy." Ted looked up at him in the rearview mirror. "No offense, Mr. Spr--Ted." He glanced at Matt, who was glaring back at him. He smiled knowingly, winked. Or you, Matt.

Matt fumed. "We are not driving straight through, Bennet," he said, fighting his anger. "We've got to take breaks for food, gas, and sleep!" He emphasized this last item.

"We'll also have to switch off cars on the way."

"What? You do know I'm a police officer, right?"

"A police officer on suspension, planning potentially terrorist activities." He smiled. "I think we've all broken the law by now, what's a stolen car or two?"

Matt fumed and turned back to face front again. Worst. Road Trip. Ever.

Ease up, Parkman. By the time this is all over, it won't matter one way or the other. We'll either be dead or wishing we were.

"I've got a pregnant wife back home in LA, Bennet," Matt retorted.

Bennet smirked. Ted rolled his eyes. "Not this again!"

Matt sulked. "I'm sorry, but it's true. I-I just want to be there for my wife!" he explained again. "It's--"

"Alright, we'll crash for the night along the way," Bennet informed him. You're bunking with me, Matt. We're going to have a discussion, whether you like it or not.

Matt got the intent, and looked back to Bennet, nodded.

"Probably won't make it to New York until the seventh, but hey, it's not like it's going to blow up or anything, is it?" he informed them.

Ted spoke up. "You guys aren't going to make me sleep in the car, are you?"

"Why not Ted? It's not like you can freeze or anything," Matt chided him.

"Ha and ha. Yes I can. I'm not sleeping in the car."

"Fine, Ted," Bennet answered him. "But you're getting your own room." He glanced at Matt again and they shared a grin.

That night, they crashed at a cheap motel just west of St Louis. Since they were making a slight change in direction, any way, they might as well crash at the small hotel there before proceeding into the city. Ted had his own room, while Matt and Bennet took turns showering before turning in in their shared room.

"What? It's not like I haven't seen you stripped down, before, Matt," Bennet teased him. "And don't forget your department locker room. All those tough guys getting naked together...." His voice took on a longing quality.

Matt was not amused by the man's antics tonight. "Don't start," he warned, grabbing the less grungy towel from behind the curtain. He did a double-take and rolled his eyes as he saw Bennet had stripped to his boxers while he brushed his teeth.

Matt was trying to drift off to an exhausted sleep when his roommate came out, clad only in a towel and his glasses. Oh please, god, don't tell me he had something else in mind!

"You didn't make any calls, did you Parkman?"

He sat up. Oh crap. He was so tired, he missed his chance to call Janice! He slapped his forehead.

"I take it that's a no?" he smirked. "Good. Radio silence, remember?"

Matt glared at him. "You said you wanted to talk. Talk."

Bennet smiled and sat on the other bed across from Matt. Matt wasn't sure what to think, any more. Luckily, the towel was big enough to reach the man's knees, so he wasn't exposing himself. Matt focused on his glasses and only his glasses.

"You said you're going to be a father, right?"

Whew! He's not hitting on me! Still, better play this right. "What concern is it of yours, Bennet?" he asked, defensively.

"This stays between us."

"W-what?" Oh god, he is hitting on me!

"What I'm about to tell you. It stays between us."

"uh, sure. I won't tell Ted a thing." Okay, I'll let him blow me, but I won't return the, uh, 'favor'.

"No, Parkman," his voice softened, insistent. "Matt. You tell no one, do you understand me? No one."

"Y-you're not gonna come on me--I mean, come on TO me, are you?"

Bennet rolled his eyes. Matt blushed.

"No, Matt. We're talking man to man, father to father-to-be."

Whew! "ah. Yeah, go ahead." His curiosity was piqued, now.

"There was a file on you before we took you."

Matt's face blanched. "What?"

"The Company knew about you, already. Watched you."

"What? Why? How?"

"They're going to keep a file on your child, too."

"What? H-how do you know that? Why would they do that?"

"Company policy."

"What?"

Say what again, motherfucker.

Matt shut up.

"They know about you. They've always known about you. It was just a matter of time before they came after you, Matt. It's just a matter of time before they come after your child."

"No! No way in Hell will I allow my wife and child--!" He started to get up, grabbing the covers to throw them off...and do what? Throw a tantrum? Get real, Matt!

Bennet held up his hand. "You got lucky, Matt. You have an out."

"Wh--?" he started, Bennet raised an eyebrow at him. His face scrunched as he realized what Bennet meant. "Tom."

"Tom?"

Matt hung his head, looked away. "Janice, she, um, cheated on me. With my former partner on the Force, Tom McHenry."

"That's the reason you two were in counseling?"

"one reason. yeah. She also kinda implied...."

"The baby is his."

Matt frowned, not wanting to think about it. "yeah."

"Go with that."

"What?"

"Use that, go with that," Bennet leaned forward, insistent once more. "As far as everybody, and I do mean every. body. is concerned, that child is his. Do you understand me?"

Matt looked at him a minute. "Claire?"

"Claire," he repeated. "She's not really mine, but she is, in every sense of the word, my daughter."

Matt gave him a confused look.

"She was given to me, years ago, as a baby. I was ordered to raise her as my own." He sighed, looked away. "And to give her up to The Company if she ever manifested."

"The healing thing?"

Bennet nodded. "I'm not sure when it started, but, six, seven months ago, she cut her hand badly. It was fine two days later, as if it never happened."

"So she knew she would survive when I shot her?"

Bennet shrugged. "I don't know. She took a gamble to protect her family, to get you and Ted out of there." He smiled to himself. "She really is my girl," he said proudly.

Matt nodded. He looked up at Bennet. "If they did get her, what would happen?"

Bennet frowned, his face darkened. "One of my superiors is a man named Bob Bishop. Does that name sound familiar?"

Matt thought a second, shook his head. "Why, should it?"

Bennet pressed on. "He's an alchemist." Matt raised an eyebrow. "He can change things from one element to another, common aluminum to gold," Bennet explained. "He bankrolled The Company for years out of sheer boredom. I'm surprised he didn't upset the world gold market," he chuckled.

He looked at Matt again, dead serious. "He has a daughter, too. Elle. She can throw lightning. And she's psychotic."

Matt leaned back in shock.

"Her own father pushed her so hard, so much, she snapped. She barely has a grip on reality on her good days." He paused, caught Matt's eye again. "You don't want to know about her bad days."

Matt gulped. "So-so if they ever got Claire...?"

"She can heal. You saw her walk out of the shambles of my house after Ted went nuclear, blew it up. They would flay her alive on a daily basis just to test the extent of her ability." His voice ached with a pain of someone who had seen too many battles. Someone who feared for the life of their child one too many times. Someone who was scared to the core of their soul. "I can't let that happen to another child. Mine. Yours. Anyone else's."

A look of horror had spread across Matt's face. He nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry, Matt."

He locked eyes with his former captor.

"If you ever gave a damn about your wife. You have to let her go. Deny your child. To save them."

Matt laid back down, turned away from the other man. The tears burned as they flowed. Never! He didn't know what he was asking! He would never, ever, EVER give up...her only hope of a normal life. Oh god, Janice. I hope you can forgive me.

Bennet stared at the slowly shaking shoulders of his new friend. Honesty is definitely not always the best policy. He hoped the man would understand and, one day, forgive him for what he was asking. He rose, threw the wet towel back in the bathroom, slipped on a pair fresh underwear he had bought in Oklahoma, earlier, crawled under the grungy covers, set his glasses on the bedside table, and turned out the light.

He looked at the dark silhouette again. I'm sorry, Matt. If you love her, you have to deny her. He rolled away and forced himself to sleep.

--

"Didn't I throw you out a window?"

Matt gulped.

The ride up was in silence. Bennet and her boyfriend (husband?) acted like nothing was wrong. Bennet ignored the other three, concentrating on the mission. The husband, however, shot him a dirty look.

I know you can hear me.

He looked at his shoes. Up at the flashing numbers. Anywhere but her.

If I could throw you out a window, just imagine what I could do to you in bed!

Ogodogodogod! You're a married man, Parkman!

....

He felt her thinking something toward him. Had to be images. He already knew that didn't work from testing his powers with Janice. That's right, think of Janice. Your wife. The mother of your--oh, that's not right!

He shot her a dirty look. Her husband noticed and glanced back at him, trying to ignore him. Good, if you only knew what your wife was thinking at me!

Only Niki's married to DL. I'm not. Just because we share the same body, doesn't mean we like the same things. I like lots of things. Lots. Of. Things.

Married Man. Janice. Married Man. Janice. M--oh lord, where does she come up with this? How is that even humanly possible?

Too much for you?

Matt tried to ignore her. Was it him, or was it extremely hot and stifling in here? Breathe, just breathe. Concentrate on breathing. In. Out. In. Oh yeah, that helps.

I spent some time in LA. Learned a lot of tricks there one summer. Would you like to hear about them?

NO! no-no-no! Married Man! Pregnant wife back home in LA!

Have you ever...?

Matt stifled a cough. DL bumped her elbow, scowled. She ignored him. Bennet ignored them all. He glared at her, stop it!

Oh god! He had busted his share of 'trade', both sides, had grown blasé about it; and some of the guys at work had bragged about the kink they tried. (okay, he and Janice tried the handcuffs and used his nightstick, but--!) He blew most of it off as stuff they had seen in videos or spank mags. But to have someone describe things that made all that pale in comparison?

He was glad his mind reading was just that, mind READING. He could die a happy man if he Never Ever saw what she was describing to him in horrid, glorious detail. Especially the part about him bound and gagged in a swing and her sporting a double-sided strap-on! No! Thank! You!

Note to self: Apologize for thinking Bennet was coming on to you the other night. If it's the last thing you do. Right before you jump in the Antarctic Ocean to cool yourself down after this elevator ride!

DING!

"This is our floor, Parkman." Bennet stepped out. "Coming?"

Oh god! Forget that apology. As soon as we stop the tracking system, you are so dead! Matt stepped out, turned back to the couple. "I, uh, I hope you find your son."

She smiled. I hope you find your balls, cop.

Well! That was certainly uncalled for! He nodded and followed Bennet down the hall.

A minute later, he felt a cold gun barrel pressed against the back of his head.

"What am I thinking now, Parkman?" came a familiar condescending voice behind him.

Matt was tempted to answer, "I have no idea! I'm still trying to get over the extremely perverted extremely sexual mental assault I just experienced in your elevator, spank me very much!"

Too bad Bennet answered for him. At least Thompson's finger didn't seize up in a dying convulsion, putting Matt out of his misery.

Following that, he was almost glad to get knocked upside the head. Maybe those images she had formed would leave with his amnesia? No such luck, he thought as he groaned from his injury. At least he didn't hurt himself when he landed on his--

"Officer Parkman?" came the tiny voice from the other side of the bed.

Suddenly, Niki/Jessica/Sybil/whoever was the farthest thing from his mind.

"Molly?"

Matthew Hiram Parkman had never been so glad to see another girl in his life.