Apocalypse by SLynn

Summary: Three years have passed since the explosion and life has drastically changed for everyone. This isn't the world they imagined they'd be saving.

Spoilers: Up to 'Fallout'

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and will return them all when I'm done, virtually untouched.

Notes: Thank you for all the reads and reviews. Thank you Tripp3235 for the help. That's about it for now.

Chapter 21: Deception

Claire woke up the next morning refreshed. She'd slept longer than normal, a good five hours, but she'd obviously needed that extra time.

The last few days had been an emotional rollercoaster.

She was one of the first in the kitchens and tried to make herself useful by setting up tables with a few others, Hiro among them.

Hiro was an early riser like herself.

After they'd both eaten a light breakfast they sat and talked for some time, Hiro very interested in what Peter did and did not remember; if talking with her had been helpful or not.

"I'm not sure," Claire answered. "I think it was. I hope."

"He may just need some time," Hiro suggested.

"I know you're right," Claire said. "It's just hard. He hasn't changed, not at all. I mean, even without knowing he's Peter he's still him. Do you know what I mean?"

Hiro smiled and gave her a nod.

"Good morning," Jacobs said, joining them at their table. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well," Hiro answered. "You've all done an extraordinary job here. It must have taken a lot of work."

"Some things were easier than others," Jacobs returned. "But the lights are a new addition. Last time I was here the lights would hardly stay on at all. I don't know who fixed that but I've been meaning to thank them."

Claire smiled at him and Hiro even laughed.

"I've wanted a word with you," Jacobs said, turning to her with a bit more serious expression. "About your friends. The ones still in D.C."

"How did you know about them?" Claire asked. "We never…"

"We were talking about Audrey and Mohinder yesterday," Hiro supplied. "Before you and Niki arrived. D.L. would like to help them if we can, he would like to bring them up as planned."

"If they got out then they'll head to Trenton," Claire said. "That was the plan. But Matt thought that they might not be coming. That they'd probably been taken."

"That's why I wanted to talk to you," Jacobs said. "Who knew these people best?"

Claire and Hiro looked at one another as if mentally conferring.

"Well actually," Claire said, "Peter, um Jonah, knew Mohinder best and Matt…"

Claire trailed off, shrugging and giving the older man a weak smile.

"Oh," he said, sounding dejected.

"But I guess out of the rest of us," Claire went on, "I knew Audrey best. We didn't get to meet with either of them very often, but I guess it would be me."

"It's worth a try," Jacobs said with a nod.

"I'm sorry, what's worth a try?" Claire asked.

"Beatrice."

Fifteen minutes later Claire found herself alone with Beatrice in a rather small and dark room that smelled strongly of pine. It had probably once been a storage room as it was lined with shelves. Now it was stocked with candles and two easy chairs that faced each other in the very center of the space.

"I'm not sure I understand exactly what it is you do," Claire admitted.

"It's not easy to explain," Beatrice said in a friendly tone. "I'm not entirely sure myself. I guess it could be called astral projection."

"So your soul leaves your body?"

"In a way," Beatrice said.

Beatrice motioned for Claire to sit down before sitting in the chair opposite.

"I've found that if I concentrate hard enough on a person I can travel to them," Beatrice continued. "I can see what is happening to them."

"Like seeing the future?"

"No," Beatrice said with a shake of her head, "only the present. I can only see what is happening at that moment."

"So you can see where our friends are? Right now?" Claire asked, growing excited.

"Maybe," Beatrice answered. "The problem is that it only works well on people I have actually met, whom I actually know. But sometimes I am able to work with someone else to reach out to others."

"What's it like?" Claire asked, profoundly curious.

"It's very dreamlike," she returned.

"Can you actually talk with them?"

Beatrice shook her head.

"No," she answered. "Not yet at least. Wouldn't that be something?"

Claire smiled in agreement.

"So what do you need me to do?" Claire asked. "How do I help?"

"First I need you to shut your eyes," Beatrice instructed. "Shut your eyes and clear your mind."

Claire took a deep breath and did as she'd been told.

"Now," Beatrice said, shutting her eyes as well. "Your friend's name is?"

"Audrey."

"I need you to think about her," Beatrice continued. "Only think about her. Picture her in your head. Any memories you may have of her. That is the only thought you should have right now. Just Audrey."

Claire nodded slightly and tried to do as she'd been told, but it wasn't easy. Thinking about Audrey automatically led her to Matt. About how Audrey, if Audrey was even still alive herself, how she probably didn't know yet that he was not. How she dreaded telling her the news. How important they were to one another. How awful, how very awful it was.

Claire tried to just think of her, but couldn't do it.

Still, she wouldn't give up. Beatrice hadn't said anything to her yet, hadn't told her to stop, so Claire kept it up. She tried picturing Audrey in her head. Tried to see her there, her attitude, her demeanor but it all ended in failure. She just couldn't keep focused. Not on Audrey alone.

"I'm sorry," Claire said, opening her eyes.

Beatrice's eyes snapped open at once; she gazed at the other woman in surprise.

"I couldn't do it," Claire went on, shaking her head sadly. "It's harder than I thought. Audrey, this woman, she was…"

She didn't know how to explain it. Wasn't sure she wanted to. It all felt very suddenly very private and personal. Like telling Beatrice about Matt and Audrey's relationship was somehow like telling a stranger all your secrets.

"Are you okay?" Claire asked as she realized Beatrice hadn't spoken, hadn't responded at all.

"Fine," Beatrice said after a pause.

"You didn't… did you see her?"

Beatrice fixed her with one last look before shaking her head.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Like I said, sometimes it doesn't work."

"He lied to us."

"I told you, I'd have seen…"

"And I'm telling you he lied. That girl, that woman he brought in is the one they've been looking for. She's the one Nathan Petrelli is after. Jacobs knew that, he had to have known that."

"There's no deception…"

"Stop already. We both know that with Jacobs' ability, the heat he emits, his aura is harder for you to read than anyone else's. He could have easily…"

"Why though? Why would he lie?"

"Because he's on to us. He's been suspicious since Samuel's death. They were close. He knows something more is going on."

"So what do we do?"

"This could work to our advantage. We both know Petrelli has no use for her, that he must have made some deal with Primatech, just like we have. We could give her to them instead. It might buy us some more time."

"They didn't ask us for her. They asked us for Jonah."

"Jonah's worthless to them if he can't access his powers."

"That was your job."

"It's difficult. I can only do so much."

"Maybe if he gets his memories back…"

"If he gets his memories back the first thing he'll do is go back to his brother. We both know that. You know what I've seen from him."

"And what did you see from her?"

"That man, the telepath. The one she thinks is dead. He was with Petrelli."

"Talking? About what?"

"I don't know; she broke my concentration before I could hear anything significant."

"Did you tell her?" Albert asked, concerned that they'd been found out.

"Of course not," Beatrice answered. "He'll be dead soon enough if what I did hear was correct. He's not important. The only important thing is that we keep Jonah from remembering who he really is and that we keep Claire here. At all costs. Primatech may not have asked us for her, but they certainly won't say no if we offer her up."

"What about Jacobs? If he really is on to us then…"

"Then it will be a two for one special."

Micah had just finished setting up all his equipment. He had several laptops he never went anywhere without. He had routers and cell phones, modems and any and every type of hardware equipment he could get his hands on.

Typically when they stopped it was the first thing he did. He set up. But, given everything that had been going on, there hadn't been much opportunity for that until now.

Plugging everything in, completely unconcerned if the outlets and phone jacks actually worked, Micah was ready.

No matter the situation, Micah could always make it work.

It took a few minutes, a few minutes of concentration and a bit of energy, but the laptop was soon alive with information.

Micah knew that Claire, with Beatrice's help, hadn't been able to find out what had happened to either Audrey or Mohinder; now it was his turn.

The Order had limited internet capabilities but a fairly solid intranet; a good working internal network that took Micah all of five seconds to hack.

"Got anything yet?" D.L. asked, unable to keep up with the rapidly scrolling pages and shifting information that his son could comprehend with ease.

"This can't be right."

"What is it?"

Micah frowned at the screen and rehashed the information he'd retrieved.

"This… maybe it's old."

D.L. didn't question him again; he knew his son was busy. That Micah was concentrating and didn't need the added distraction.

"Get Claire," Micah said as he accessed three individual records; new records.

D.L. got up and hurried to the next room where Claire was sitting with Niki.

"Micah needs you," D.L. said from the doorway, eager to get back himself and see what he'd found out.

Claire and Niki both joined them, standing behind Micah as he continued his work.

"Look at this," Micah said, showing them the screen. "That can't be right, can it? Claire, you said… you…"

"No," Claire said shaking her head at the image. "That's… why would they…"

"I found Audrey and Mohinder too," Micah went on. "They were both picked up three days ago, the day we left Baltimore. But Matt's says…"

"He's dead," Claire said in a near frantic voice. "That can't be right. He was dead when I left him. I wouldn't have left him if… I wouldn't have. No. I… I…"

Claire covered her mouth and turned away from the screen in complete disbelief. Niki wrapped an arm around her protectively and tried to calm her as much as she could but it wasn't easy.

"Oh my God," Claire said in complete shock. "He must think I just left him to die. And I did. I did. I just left, but I swear I didn't know. I really didn't."

"Claire, calm down," Niki urged. "I'm sure he doesn't think that. No one thinks that. It's okay. The important thing is he is alive, right?"

"Right," Claire repeated, but she didn't sound convinced. Nothing short of seeing him in person would truly convince her. "That's right."

Niki nodded at her, looking her in the eyes to ensure she really was alright.

"Good," Niki said as Claire continued to nod.

"So what are we going to do?" Claire asked, stiffening her resolve. "When do we go? We have to bring them back. That was always the plan, right?"

"Right," D.L. agreed. "We just need to think this through and…"

"Dad," Micah interrupted. "Whatever we do, we'd better hurry."

"Why's that?"

"It says here that they're going to be executed at sunset on Friday."

"That's in five days," Niki said in a hushed voice. "Is that enough time?"

"It will have to be," D.L. answered.