Chapter 3

Peace making

Nathan lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, allowing his new puppy to do the same across his stomach. He was still upset about the idea of giving the animal away so fast, though when he tried to channel his feelings towares his little brother, his anger disapated. Peter's miserable face filled his mind, and he felt a pang of guilt stab through his heart. He was just about to sit up when there was a knock on the door, and Nathan frowned a little.

"It's Dad. Can I come in?"

Nathan sighed, scratching Bullet behind the ears, and permitted his father to enter.

"Hi," He greeted in a quiet voice, and Mr. Petrelli sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Nathan, your mother and I were not pleased by your reaction towards our dilemma tonight with your brother. I thought you would handle the situation in a more mature manner."

"I'm sorry, Dad," Nathan sighed. "I didn't mean to take it out on Pete. I just wanted a dog so bad."

"I know, son," Mr. Petrelli replied. "but this is something that can't be helped, and Peter is innocent."

"How is he?" Nathan asked, and Mr. Petrelli watched as his eldest son stood, clasping his hands behind his back as he paced back and forth across the bedroom floor.

"Your mother's sitting with him at the moment," Mr. Petrelli replied. "he's still very congested."

Nathan sighed, and asked if it would be all right to peek his head in. "I think that would be a very good idea," his father said, and Nathan shuffled out of his room. When he entered the hallway, he could hear Peter coughing, and his mother's muffled voice in the background.

Nathan peered eased his brother's bedroom door open, and caught both Peter and his mother's attention.

"Hey buddy," Nathan greeted, and Peter frowned a little, turning his head away. Mrs. Petrelli smoothed her youngest son's hair away from his face, and kissed his cheek.

"I'll let you two have a few minutes," she announced, and gave Nathan's shoulder a squeeze. When she closed the door behind her, Nathan sat down on the desk chair, looking down at the floor.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, and Peter looked at him.

"Why do you care?" he asked, and Nathan sighed.

"I'm sorry, Pete," he insisted, and Peter glanced at him with one eye. "I know you couldn't help what happened."

Peter drug his hand across his nose, and Nathan grimaced at the motion, immediately pulling a couple of tissues from the box on the night stand. "These might work better," he announced, and Peter blushed, taking the tissues and burrying his nose in them. Nathan made another face when his brother gave a rather messy-sounding blow, and immediately fetched a couple more tissues as back up.

"Ugh." Peter sniffed once he finished, and threw the tissues into the trash can Nathan held up. "I don't feel so good," he admitted, and Nathan smiled.

"I'm sure you don't," he agreed. "Pete, I'm really sorry."

"Mom said you have to get rid of Bullet," Peter whispered, and Nathan chewed on his lower lip.

"Yeah, but at least I got to have a dog for a little while."

Peter managed a faint smile, before his expression changed and he sneezed a moment later.

"You really should get some sleep," Nathan suggested, and Peter stuck his lower lip in a pout.

"Will you stay with me for a while?" He whispered, and Nathan felt his heart melt. His little brother was so forgiving, so sweet and so good. It was hard to believe he hadn't sprouted angel wings yet, and in fact, Mr. Petrelli often made a comment along that line.

"Sure," Nathan promised.

"Can you tell me the story of what it would feel like to fly?" Peter had a fascination with the sky in daylight and darkness, and for hours sometimes the two brothers would imagine out loud how flying would feel.

"I think when your feet come off the ground, your heart starts beating superfast, like when you're on a rollercoaster going towards the very top," Nathan began, and thought for a moment. He imagined flying so many times that he swore he could almost do it for real. He was tempted to stand on the rooftop of the house one day and jump, just to see what would happen. "and you feel weightless, like the slightest breeze will blow you in any direction. The houses and people look like little black dots on the ground the higher you go."

Peter sighed happily at the description, closing his eyes a short time later. "How to the clouds feel? Can you see heaven when you fly high enough?"

Nathan swallowed past a lump in his throat, wishing his brother wouldn't talk like that. "Do you want to go there already?" he asked, and Peter cracked open one eye again.

"No," he replied. "but d'you think we could see it?"

"I dunno," Nathan admitted. "Probably not. Only dead people can see heaven."

"Yeah." Peter sniffed, and turned over on his side, curling into a little ball.

"Just do me a favor, Pete," Nathan continued, and Peter looked at him. "Don't go to heaven without me."

"I won't," Peter promised, letting out a loud yawn.

When Nathan was sure his brother had fallen to sleep comfortably, he pulled the covers up to the younger boy's chin. He met his mother in the hall after turning out the light, and the two of them stood facing each other for a couple of moments.

"Is Pete going to be okay?" he asked, and Mrs. Petrelli hugged Nathan, placing a kiss on top of his head.

"I'm going to take him to the doctor tomorrow, but I do think he'll be all right."

"I'm so sorry what I said, Mom," Nathan whispered. "I didn't mean to get mad at Peter."

"I know, love." Mrs. Petrelli squeezed Nathan's hands. "you were upset."

"Peter is just..." Nathan sighed shakily. "So good, Mom. I get scared when he's sick, because I'm afraid I'll wake up one day and he'll be gone forever. I don't know what I'd do without him."

Mrs. Petrelli smiled, and smoothed his forehead.

"That's why you need to protect your brother with every ounce of strength you have," She planted a kiss on his cheek. "Your father and I won't always be around to do so. Promise me you will always look after him."

"I promise, Mom," Nathan replied, and sat down on the steps after she recommended he come downstairs and open the rest of his presents. "I don't want to open them without Peter," he explained, and Mrs. Petrelli nodded in understanding.

"Well, all right, dear. Good night. Another year older." she winked, before heading downstairs.

"Another year older," Nathan repeated, once his mother was out of earshot, and glanced over his shoulder at his brother's bedroom door. "I promise, Pete," he added, before going into his own room for the night.