Reviews:
superlc529: Thank you so much and yes Nathan will be fine, he's my favorite too! I'm so glad he's still alive.
syelle: Yeah Sylar kind of will be the kinght in shining armour :)
optimistic_girl94: I'm glad you noticed the chapter title, those are important. Thank you for the compliments, and, as I'm assuring everyone, Nathan is going to be ok.
marinawings: Eveyone loves Nathan??? That's cool with me I guess since he is one of the main characters of this story. I'm glad you like the pace and all that stuff. (personally, I'm concerned for the characters too.)
Johnnymommy19: I'm glad you like it and I hope you give the story a chance :)
Chapter Ten
Always Forgive, but Never Forget
Elle woke to far too much sunlight. Her little apartment had windows about the size of vertically challenged pygmy shrimp, saving the one in the main room which opened to the fire escape. However, the amount of light in this room was consistent with the windows in the living quarters of the company building. Upon putting two and two together, Elle bolted upright and let out an agonized cry. How did they get her? She was a very light sleeper; very light.
"It doesn't make sense," she said in a small voice that vaguely resembled her own.
"Yes, curious, isn't it?" said a disturbingly familiar voice.
"Drew?" Elle exhaled, trying to see him, to no avail. He laughed that sickening, condescending laugh of his. Then she saw, the shadows on the wall weren't shadows at all. They congregated at the foot of her bed to form the very hot, but mostly evil Andrew Lawrence. He came around to her side and reached out to touch her face. She slapped his hand away and a spark lit his face for a split second. Elle recoiled, wrapping her arms protectively around her knees. Drew smiled, wickedly.
"You used to like that," he said, cocking his head.
"I used to like a lot of things," she said, contemptuously.
"People don't change that much."
"Then why haven't I killed you yet?" Drew raised his eyebrows, but didn't miss a beat.
"Because you're in love with me."
"Ha! Not, bloody likely!"
"Whatever." Drew headed for the door. Elle suddenly remembered something.
"Where is Sylar?" She demanded. Drew stared at her.
"How should I know?" Elle relaxed slightly. Drew tilted his head curiously. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason," Elle loved teasing Drew, "he's just going to rescue me."
"Rescue you?! Sylar?! From what? You belong here."
"I belong where people love me, not here."
H
Nathan Petrelli sat nervously in an ominous room on the third floor of the company building. Every good memory he could think of, he brought to mind. His eleventh birthday; the day Peter was born; the time he thought he might have a family, before the fire; the day he met Heidi; his sons' births; Peter's graduation; Heidi's healing; Claire… everything about her.
The future is not set in stone, she said…
It's not set in stone! Nathan thought, they can't force these memories from me! I'm stubborn enough if anyone is!
The door opened. Nathan faced his destiny, ready to fight.
HeidiPeterSimonMontyClaire! Don't ever forget them!
HeidiPeterSimonMontyClaire!
HeidiPeterSimonMontyClaire!
HeidiPeterSimonMontyClaire…
H
When the old Chevrolet arrived at Nathan Petrelli's home, everyone was on edge. In the living room, Peter took charge,
"First things first," he said, "we have to save Nathan and Elle, but we need some kind of plan. I hate to say it, but… the reason Nathan is there, is because he went without telling anyone or any extensive thought."
"He told me," Sylar said with audible guilt. Peter stared at him. "That's why I brought them back." Peter was having a hard time not strangling Sylar, when Caitlin touched his arm.
"Nothing can change what happened," she said, "but we can prepare for the future." She looked everyone in the eye when she spoke. "We have to build trust. We have to do everything for the good of the group. We have to be a family… a sort of mafia." Everyone thought on what Caitlin had said. Some agreed with her while others felt an ominous chill accompanying her words. The mood was broken though, when the doorbell rang. Peter went to answer it, but Heidi stopped him.
"It would make more sense if it was me," she said. He nodded, but followed her as far as the hall. When Heidi opened the door, she was greeted by four unfamiliar faces. A woman and three teenagers were standing on the front steps. The girl bore a striking resemblance to someone, but Heidi couldn't think of whom. Perhaps the strangest thing, though, was the woman was carrying a little Pomeranian dog under her arm.
"Can I help you?" Heidi asked, bewildered. The girl spoke,
"Is Peter… or Nathan Petrelli here?" Heidi opened her mouth, but Peter answered for himself.
"Claire!" He exclaimed.
"Peter!" Claire pushed past Heidi and ran into her uncle's arms. There was a long string of conversation-like words that no one, least of all the estranged relatives understood. Then Claire asked,
"Where is Nathan… where is my dad?"
H
The darkness exuded fearsome claustrophobia.
I seem to have forgotten something, a man in the darkness thought, I know my name… I think. My family… HeidiPeterSimonMontyClaire! His thoughts screamed and his head throbbed. Who are they? He felt his surroundings; a cold, dark, empty room. Like me… I need to find a way out of here.
"Nathan Petrelli!" Light accompanied the voice and Nathan saw a man on the other side of the room next to the light switch. Nathan knew him and he knew he hated him. "My name is Drew. Do you remember me?"
"Not particularly," Nathan decided to appear more confused than he actually was which was quite a feat.
"What do you remember?" Nathan pulled himself off the floor and winced as the blood rushed to his head.
"I work for the company," he began, "I have a family… how long have I been here?"
"Since early this morning." Drew opened the door and gestured for Nathan to follow him. "Come on, I'll show you around. Your head will feel better in a few minutes."
H
"Your dad?" Heidi was shocked by Claire's query. "What do you mean?" Peter and Claire were silent, trying to find the best way to explain. Finally, Claire said,
"My mom and I were supposed to have died in a fire about 15 years ago. She survived because she's… fire resistant, and I survived because…" Claire looked around, and then slammed her fist into the wall as hard as she could, startling everyone. Then she held out her hand with broken fingers and ugly bruises appearing.
"Oh, my—" Heidi thought she might be sick as Claire's hand righted itself.
"It almost doesn't hurt anymore," Claire said.
"You're Claire?" Heidi said breathlessly. "The one Bob said was taken care of?"
"What?"
"Nathan wanted to be sure you and Peter were safe from the company. He said you were taken care of."
"My… other dad, he practically sold hi soul to protect me from them."
"Claire!" Sandra scolded.
"Now I understand why," Claire continued as if no one had spoken.
"Well, you should meet your brothers," Heidi said.
"Oh!" Claire exclaimed. "I forgot. This is my mom, Sandra Bennet, my brother, Lyle, and… my friend, West." All nodded in greeting and Heidi said,
"I'll go get Simon and Monty." She disappeared upstairs and Peter said,
"There are a few things you need to know. Sylar is in the other room."
What?" Claire looked at him accusingly.
"It's ok. He saved a friend's life and he wants to help us destroy the company."
"Yeah, and then he's going to kill us all! Are you crazy?"
"No, he won't need to."
"What do you mean?"
"I let him copy my DNA. He can do what I can do, now." Claire stared.
"You are crazy! This has got to be the stupidest thing you have ever done, on top of telling me to shoot you last November."
"Claire, I can read minds. He's not going to hurt anyone." Claire glared at him, but didn't argue any further. Heidi came back down the stairs.
"Alright," she said, "Simon, Monty, this is your big sister Claire." Claire stared at the two boys. They looked just like Nathan.
"So, where is he?" She looked to Peter for an answer. The young boys looked ready to cry. "Is he…" Claire didn't want to ask, "Dead?"
"No," a voice came from the doorway to the sitting room. It was Sylar. "I can tell you what happened."
H
Angela Petrelli glared at her computer screen. E-mail was convenient, but the content of the message she had received infuriated her. She typed a reply.
Bob,
You're treading on thin ice. First you have him shot, and then you forcibly recruit him? You are affecting more people than you know. There are many better ways to keep him quiet. He can't be that useful to you, and don't think you can use the 'Denise Lawrence' excuse, either. He will never be what she was and you know it. Was this Drew's idea? Is it his pitiful attempt at some semblance of love? I've always said love is overrated. Now do you believe me? Perhaps you need to rethink your objectivity.
~Angela
She sent the message and sat back to wait. A few minutes later, a reply arrived.
Angela,
No it was not Drew's idea, it was Noah's. This may shock you, but I think he believes Nathan to be capable of more than any of us suspected. Of course, we have lost our star geneticist, so there is little chance we will ever know the full potential of any of us. Objectivity is relative.
~Bob
Angela frowned and exited her e-mail. Sometimes there was no talking to that moron.
H
Drew guided Nathan down the hallway, pointing out interesting sites. The bathrooms, offices, vending machines, et cetera. After exploring a few floors, they came upon what looked like a break room. In essence, that is what it was. . Sitting at the table was a tall, broad shouldered, but otherwise unassuming man. He looked up from his newspaper when Nathan and Drew entered the room.
"Hello," he said, smiling, but Nathan could tell he wasn't particularly pleased. Drew was thrilled about something.
"Well, here he is," Drew gestured at Nathan, dramatically, "your new partner." The man stood and a disapproving expression crossed his face. He turned to Drew and said
"That will be all." Drew backed out of the room, smiling. When he reached the hallway, his sturdy form melted away into a wispy shadow and floated out of sight. Nathan stared in shock.
"Soon that will annoy you as much as it does the rest of us," the other man said, closing the door, "do you remember me?"
"No," Nathan replied.
"Well, that's probably a good thing. My name is Noah Bennet, and I'm going to help you learn to fly."
H
After everything had been explained and everyone was introduced, it was decided that Peter, Olivia, and Sylar would go on a rescue mission. Meanwhile Heidi found room for everyone to sleep. After which, she found herself alone in Nathan's room, her room. The bed hadn't been made in several days and everything was dusty, but nothing had changed. Heidi sat down on the bed and pulled the blankets around her knees. She took a deep breath and she could still smell him. Memories came flooding back to her, all the good times they had in this house. Monty and Simon running into their bedroom in the middle of the night, afraid, but sure Mommy and Daddy would protect them. Now Daddy was gone and Mommy was in no condition to protect anyone. A wave of nausea interrupted Heidi's thoughts and she rushed to the bathroom to bid a not-so-fond farewell to last night's dinner. Coming out of the bathroom she heard a knock at the bedroom door.
"Come in," she called, weakly. Claire appeared in the void left by the open door.
"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned, as she crossed the room.
"It's nothing," Heidi said, as Claire held her by the shoulders and searched her eyes, "something I ate." Heidi's eyes widened. Realizing what she was doing, Claire lowered her arms and looked away. "Nathan used to do that."
"I know," Claire said, sitting on the bed, "they're going to bring him back, aren't they?"
"I don't know," Heidi sat next to Claire, "after everything I've seen since last night, I will be surprised at nothing."
"Tell me about him."
"What do you want to know?"
"Everything."
A/N: so, can you guess all the surprises to come from the generous foreshadowing I gave you? Here's a clue it involves Nathan and Drew, and Heidi.