Chapter rating: pg Chapter warnings: none Chapter Summary: This is a Peter and Noah centric installment. While Gabriel is at work, Peter watches Noah. Noah tries to get the story of Peter's back tattoo and the boys learn of Noah's ability.

Why the Dragons?

Peter was inside the kitchen making lunch for Noah and himself while the kid was outside playing. He looked out the kitchen window to see Noah on the wing set. He smiled before going back to the task at hand.

He finished and brought the sandwiches outside, setting them on the table. "Noah come here, I made lunch."

Noah jumped off the swing and made his way up to the porch. On his way up the steps he tripped over the last step and landed hard. He let out a surprised shriek before his eyes began to well up. "Ow. Ow. Owwww."

Peter knelt down beside him. "Where does it hurt?"

"My knee," Noah replied.

Peter frowned as he saw the small cuts covering Noah's knee. He stood up and held out a hand. "Let's go get you fixed up ok?"

Noah took his hand. "Ok."

Peter led him to the bathroom and had him sit on the edge of the tub while he searched the medicine cabinet for what he needed. He knelt down beside Noah and opened up the peroxide bottle. "Put your leg inside the tub, so I can pour this on your knee ok?"

"But that stuff stings!"

Peter set the bottle down for a moment. "I know, but it will only be for a second. Besides, don't you want your knee to get better? This will help, I promise."

Noah pouted but did as he was told. He started to squirm when the liquid hit his knee. "It burns! It burns!"

Peter grabbed a washcloth and washed off the peroxide. "Calm down Noah, you're fine."

"You said it was only gonna hurt for a second!"

"Noah, you are fine," Peter replied grabbing the band-aids. "Look, we've got Batman band-aids. That should make you happy."

Noah frowned. "No. Batman does not make me happy when my knee I burning!"

"You are definitely you're father's child."

"What?"

Peter looked up at he finished bandaging up Noah's knee. "I mean you're a very stubborn child."

Noah looked even more confused. "But daddy said I learned that from you."

Peter smirked. "Come on, let's go finish our lunch."

As they walked back outside, Noah spoke up. "Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you get the tattoo on your back?"

"That would be a long story."

"Can you tell me it anyways?"

"Did I hear you're dad's car outside? I should go check."

Noah tugged on his arm. "Peter!"

Peter sighed. "It symbolizes something your father and I went through."

Noah tilted his head. "You turned into dragons?"

Peter shook his head with a chuckle. "This is really a story that you father should tell you."

Noah frowned. "Why?"

"Because, we both have a different perspective of the event."

"Well can I hear your side of it? Please?"

Peter sighed. "Fine, but I can't tell you everything. Some things are up to your father. Ok?"

Noah nodded. "Ok."

"Well, there was a time when your dad and I hated each other. We couldn't even be in the same room."

Noah made a face of pure horror. "Why?"

"That's not something for me to tell you, but there was an event where your father and I wound up alone for a long time. We had to work together to get out through a brick wall to save a friend of ours. The thing was the only way we could get out to save her was for me to forgive your father for what he did."

"What did he do?"

"I can't tell you."

"Then why the dragons?"

"Ever notice how the dragons are snarling at each other?"

Noah nodded. "Yes."

"It's because we fought all the time," Peter replied. "A reminder of the past."

"If it was so bad, why would you want to remember it?" Noah asked.

Peter looked away, not knowing what to say. "I-I don't know."

Noah reached out and took hold of Peter's hand. "Daddy hurt you in the past, really badly."

Peter took his hand back. "A long time ago, yes." Noah reached for his hand again, but Peter kept it out of reach. "What are you doing?"

"Can I see you're hand, please?" Noah asked.

"Why?"

"Please?"

Peter hesitantly held his hand out and Noah took it again. Noah frowned. "He took someone away that was important to you. That's why you had to forgive him. And you're terrified of what he would say if he saw you now."

"Noah, how do you know all of that?"

Noah let go of his hand. "I can just tell."

The front door opened and then closed. "Noah, Peter, I'm home."

"We're in the backyard," Peter replied, his eyes not leaving the child.

Gabriel came out and hugged Noah before coming over to Peter and kissing his cheek. "Did you two have fun while I was at work?"

Noah nodded. "Yep."

Peter stood up. "Gabriel, can I talk to you in private?"

Gabriel picked up the slight concern in Peter's voice. He nodded and Peter lead him back into the house. "Something happen while I was gone?"

"I think Noah has a power."

Gabriel's eyes widened slightly. "Power?"

Peter nodded. "I think he has empathy, he grabbed my hand and could tell everything I thinking about and feeling."

"Are you sure?"

Peter pointed towards the door. "Go see for yourself."

Gabriel frowned. "This is going to be interesting. I had no plans on telling him about abilities, and I had hoped he would develop them much later. He's only five."

"Well, what do we do?"

Gabriel sighed and walked outside, sitting next to his son. "Noah, can I ask you a question?"

"I didn't mean to do it," Noah said out of nowhere.

"Do what?"

"Tell what he was feeling," Noah replied. "It just happens sometimes."

"So I don't need to tell you to be careful with it?"

Noah glanced at his dad. "What is it?"

"We think that it is probably empathy, which means that you know what someone is feeling, and their dreams and so on," Gabriel replied.

"Am I the only person to have it?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I have it."

Noah let out a gasp. "You have superpowers too?"

Gabriel nodded and smiled at him. "So does Peter, but we can't use them. You need to promise me not to use yours ok?"

Noah frowned. "Why?"

"Because there are people out there that don't like people with powers," Gabriel replied.

Noah nodded. "So I just need to be careful then?"

Gabriel nodded and pulled his son into a hug. "Very, very careful. What you have is called empathy. You can use it around the house, but don't use it at school or around anyone other than Peter or I ok?"

Noah nodded. "Ok, daddy."

Gabriel kissed his forehead. "So are you both ready to go see that movie?"

Noah jumped out of his chair and went running inside for his coat. Peter took Gabriel's hand. "You dealt with that better than I did."

"What did you do?"

"I was on the verge of freaking out."

"What did he read?" Gabriel asked as he stood up and pulled Peter into his arms. "Was it bad?"

"I was explaining to him why I got my back tattoo and he took my hand and he just knew about Nathan. I haven't talked about Nathan for years, how would he know that?"

"Does it still hurt? To think about him? I never ask you, but I want to know."

"Sometimes," Peter answered, before letting out a laugh. "Today was the first time that I had thought about him in months. I wonder what he would think, do you think he'd be upset?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I think that he would be happy that you have moved on. He wanted you to be happy and you are right?"

Peter leaned in and kissed him softly. "Yeah, I am."

"Eww!" Noah called out from the doorway. "Get a room!"

Gabriel chuckled and stepped away from Peter. "I think that's our cue to get going."

/lj-cut