Heroes - Rise of the Phoenix
Chapter nine - I don't want to wake up

Peter Petrelli drew one leg underneath the other and rested an arm on his knee while he looked at his mother in disbelief. The two small children lay beside him covered in splatters of their own blood, but they were breathing once again. With the last few minutes of stress trying to heal them now over, he could only stare at his mother with astonishment. The girls hospital gowns barely covered their small frames, torn with bullet holes from Angela's gun. "You shot them! You tried to kill them!" Peter shouted at her in furious anger. The floor was wet with blood and it covered Peter's hands, and pant legs in a sticky film. He pointed at the empty space where the opening of the vortex had been, "Molly and Hiro are in there now, I cannot save them." With barely controlled rage Peter swung his fist against the hospital floor, beside where he sat next to the children, and felt with satisfaction the cement and plaster crumble under his blow. "What am I supposed to do now?" Peter pleaded with Angela as she looked back him with fear and panic shadowing behind her cold ice exterior.

"I saw them in my dreams!" She tried to reason with him. "Those children destroy us all. We all die Peter, if they live!"

"So your dreams are evidence enough to execute them? They are only children mother!" Peter roared back, "They are innocent. They could not control what they were doing. They are only 6 years old!"

"But I saw you die, in my dream you die!" Angela pleaded as real tears escaped her carefully controlled composure and rolled down her face. "Fire, horrible pain; how can any mother live with that?"

"How can a mother live with losing three of her children in less than one hour!" Peter stood to his feet watching the pain in his mother's eyes, "First NJ, then Claire, and now Molly? Not to mention and Hiro! His Sister is expecting him home in Japan tonight; he starts school again on Monday!"

Peter watched his mother intently. Only a few minutes before he had been willing to kill the same children to save his own life. He had been willing to kill. He had had the same thoughts as Angela, only she had been willing to follow through. They had approached the same line, but he did not cross it and she did.

"Technically, Hiro is not Tracy's child." Angela stammered as Peter rose to he full height and glared her down, "but I see what you are implying."

"How am I supposed to save them now?" Peter shouted as he waved back at the vanished vortex.

Angela had rarely seen Peter so angry. His eyes glowed a bright red and made her spine feel like a hand had gripped it and was twisting it, hoping it would snap. Her son that she had tried to save, was now standing before her with raw hate exposed in his anger toward her. "Have you ever in your entire life, ever thought of anyone else outside of your own precious existence!" Peter shouted as he clenched his fists tight and visibly forced himself to calm down.

"I thought of you...I could not let them kill you, I had to try and save my son." Angela gasped in shame.

Peter closed his eyes and took a slow long and deep breath. Then he placed his powerful hands on Angela's shoulders. He could feel the nervousness and tense worry built up in her muscles. He looked deep into her eyes, "I know that I am going to die." Peter shook his head in exhaustion as she wiped away the tears from her face. "I have known for months. These girls will kill me, but they are only part of the picture. They are not the complete story!"

"I'm sorry Peter. I let my emotions get a hold of me and I messed things up. Just like before with Nathan, I let my fears control me." Angela whispered as she lowered her gaze from his piercing stare. "You will fix this, I know you can. You always do. You will figure out a way." Peter drew his mother and held her tight. He tried to think as he looked back at the vacant spot where the vortex had been. "I will try..." he whispered faintly under his breath. "God help me!"

Peter remembered the note that Hiro had shoved into his hand and he looked down in his clenched fingers at the note while still holding his mother tight in an embrace. He opened the envelope and read the bold words printed on the card stock paper. "Read this! Hiro gave it to me before he tried to save Molly." Peter told her as he left the embrace and put the card in her open hand.

Angela opened the note with fingers that trembled with worry. Her entire being was shook to the core. What had she done? Had she just destroyed their only chance to live? Had she doomed them all? Would she be the cause of all life to end? Had she just sealed the fate of her only living son? Had she just killed the boy she loved? Had she just killed Hiro and Molly to save the world? Her heart beat like a freight train in her chest as her eyes scanned the words in the note. "Please, NO!" she gasped with real fear in her voice.

"You get to tell Tracy." Peter said as he motioned the gurney and medical attendants into the room to help with the children. "And frankly once she reads that note there will be hell to pay."

"Peter, please you need to tell her." Angela pleaded as the children were placed on the gurney and Peter turned to follow them. "She is going to kill me!"

"I know." Peter said as he walked out the door.

X-X-X

Gabriel unlatched the large door to the hospital cooler, and waited for a moment, to be sure the worse was over. The room was destroyed and most of the floor above had collapsed down crushing all below. Cement and re-bar, was all he could see through the dust and water of the broken pipes that used to be the emergency sprinkler system. The windows that used to let in the day light high in the walls, were twisted and shattered amongst the cement and plaster of the destruction he could see. The medical table that Claire's body had been laid upon was smashed below a mountain of plaster, and cement blocks. "It looks like it is safe now." He spoke behind him as Claire and Tracy cautiously looked around the doorway and saw the destruction for themselves.

"Thank you!" Claire gasped as she once more wrapped her arms around Tracy's body and kissed her on the cheek. She then gently placed her hands on either side of Gabriel's face and planted a tender reward on his lips that he would remember for the rest of his mortal life. "Thank you for saving me."

Gabriel stood there smiling at Claire, as words seemed to evaporate from his mind. He could only think of one thing. His heart raced like he was a cheetah on the open plains of Africa. His mind was a blank and refused to form connected thoughts or words. He had never been kissed like that before. Claire had kissed him more than once, but never with such raw emotion. He turned as the girls led the way, his mind in a fog, and fell immediately to his hands and knees as he stumbled over the rocks of plaster and cement that littered the floor. "I'm okay!" he proclaimed as he quickly stood back to his feet.

Claire took his hands, in her own and watched the blood pulse out of the fresh cuts in his palms. "No you're not okay, you're not healing."

"Something about her is blocking our powers." Tracy confirmed, pointing at the limp body of the attacker, now mostly covered in plaster and rock.

"But Claire healed while we were all in the cooler." Gabriel thought out loud. "The cooler doors must block whatever she is doing that inhibits our powers."

Claire squatted down to look at the woman now broken in the rubble, before her, "I think this might be the same woman that attacked me in the abandoned house."

Gabriel knelt down beside her and the pile of debris lifting the wilted and blood arm of their attacker out of the dust. He placed his fingers at the wrist and felt for a pulse, "Dead." he confirmed.

"If she is dead, then it is not a power we are dealing with, it must be something on or in the woman." Tracy questioned.

Gabriel nodded his head as he understood and lifted the body out of the rubble and threw it over his shoulder. With determined strength he opened the morgue cooler and tossed the body through the doorway and slammed the large door shut. He then took the chain that hung from the door and locked the handle from the outside. As soon as the door latched he could feel something deep in his heart. An ember of flame catching hold and the furnace of power lighting back up. It was like a tidal-wave of raw emotion and power was building in his soul and drawing nearer and nearer to the shore.

"Let's go find Peter!" He commanded as Claire joined him in the climb toward the exit.

"I want to check on Molly first," Tracy demanded as they climbed rock and made their way toward the door, "and I promised to have Hiro port home before dark tonight. He has school starting soon and his sister wants him to get a back into a good sleep pattern."

"Poor boy, I don't envy him having to live through puberty all over again," Claire smirked as they hurried over the rubble.

X-X-X

Detective Sam Beckett waved at the Pilot of the New York City Patrol helicopter as it ascended back high into the afternoon sky. "Remind me to send him a Christmas card next year," he called out to Noah Bennett as they dashed through the Southside Hospital parking lot, passing injured and ambulatory patients stationed throughout the open area, with dozens of doctors and nurses busy attending to their needs. The Parking lot was broken and in several places the asphalt was cracked and shifted out of place like two tectonic plates that had collided and created a new mountain range. The Hospital was scorched and in several places still burned with remnants of a great fire. What had happened? Claire? Molly? Tracy! where were they? was all that Noah could think as he ran past Sam and grabbed the broken door and pulled it open. He had to find his little girl.

The door would not move easily. The frame was twisted and bent under the pressure of the building surrounding it. He pulled with all his strength. He had to get in there. Claire was in trouble. He needed to make sure she was safe. "Sir, may I assist?" a clear voice spoke from behind him. Noah looked over his shoulder into the eyes of Alfred, Peter's adopted son from long in the past. "Alfred, we are family. Stop calling me Sir," Noah spoke as he took a new grip on the stubborn door. "Now get over here and help me!"

"Yes, sir!" Alfred responded as he grabbed the opposite door and together they pulled. The Glass was bullet proof and unbreakable as all standard doors of this type throughout the city hospitals. Alfred looked ragged. His clothes disheveled. His hair was bloody and matted against the left side of his face. His left side of his face was bruised and a dark shadow was growing below both eyes that foretold of two deep black eyes by morning. There was blood on his white shirt adding to the dirt and sweat that stained his front.

"Alfred, where is Angela?" Noah demanded as he threw his back into the opening of the door.

"I am not able to say at the moment, sir." Alfred spoke in his dignified butler tone, "But I would conclude, that wherever chaos has assembled the most, she would not be far behind."

"Bad day, too?" Detective Becket asked with just a slight hint of humor laced throughout the words.

"A seal in the jaws of a Great white shark, would have be having a better day, than I am at this moment, Detective." Alfred spoke with an attitude dripping with sarcasm. "Each day she gets harder and harder to manage."

Sam placed a hand on Noah's shoulder as he pointed through the closed doors at three figures that walked through the destruction within and toward the front doors. Noah's heart skipped a beat with relief as Claire and Tracy, walked hand in hand behind Gabriel. Gabriel stopped just behind the doors and with a wave of his hand the doors flew off on their hinges and to the pavement beyond. Tracy threw herself into Noah's arms and finally let herself cry. Allowing her emotions of the morning to finally release.

Claire smiled as she waved at Detective Beckett, "Good Afternoon Detective."

Sam staring as Claire buried her face into the massive chest of her father and he wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a deep hug. "You, young lady are full of miracles." He gasped. "She is that and much more," Gabriel retorted as he stood back with his arms crossed and allowed the family a moment to re-gather.

"Have you seen Peter?" Tracy asked as she wiped her tears from her face. "The room is caved in, the children are gone. We need to find Molly!"

"Have you heard from Hiro about NJ?" Noah asked, "It has been more than an hour."

"I am going to kill that boy when I see him." Tracy spat out in anger, "Then I am going to ship him back to Japan, with a nasty note to his Sister. He better find NJ, or his days of popping over to see Molly are over."

X-X-X

"Peter, please tell me what your doing?" Angela pleaded as the attendants loaded the children into the medical transport. The wind from the rotors played havoc with her hair and clothing. The force of the rotors pushed the breath back into her mouth making it near impossible to speak without shouting. "Where are you taking the girls?" Peter looked at his mother with a face devoid of emotion. His eyes still radiated anger. His outward demeanor though was one of calm impassiveness. "Somewhere safe, far away."

"Please don't make me have to face Tracy!" She shout even loader as the rotors of the helicopter engines spun up to speed for take off. "I'm sorry Peter, I made a mistake. I need you to help me fix it."

Angela reached out and grabbed Peter's hand, "Take me with you! Don't leave me here with this blasted note."

Peter gently lifted his mother's hand off his own, "I will call you soon!" he shouted back as he spun his hand in a circle motion and the Pilot understanding the signal, lifted the airship off the pavement and away from his mother. Peter pointed behind her and directed her attention, as he waved and smiled. "Enjoy." he chuckled to himself as he put his head back and closed his eyes. Maybe he could slip a nap in, before they reached their destination. It felt like it had been years since he last closed his eyes in sleep; even though it had only been a few weeks.

X-X-X

Angela turned toward the direction that Peter had indicated and saw the group running towards her as the leaving helicopter lifted higher into the sky. She dug deep into her soul and resigned herself to her fate. She had stepped over the line. She needed to show penance and prove to Peter once more that she could be trusted. He was not longer the young boy that she could manipulate and craft into her own image. He was older and wiser, far beyond her experiences. She was now the child and he was the parent. She looked at Alfred as he hurried across the parking lot with the rest of the group. Peter had a son that was only a few years older than her! She needed to fix this. She needed to be in control and prove her faithfulness. She lifted a hand and smoothed back a lock of hair that had escaped her hair style of a bun and bangs.

"Angela!" Tracy demanded as she looked up at the departing helicopter, "Where is Peter going? Is Molly with him? Have you heard from Hiro?"

Angela took a deep swallow, as Tracy looked her in the eyes. This was going to hurt. She prepared herself for the worst, as she opened her mouth to speak.

Claire squeezed past Tracy and took Angela's hand, "Where is NJ?" her pleading eyes showed a worry, that proved Claire's love for the child.

"Peter has taken the children to a safer location," Angela informed as the group gathered about her.

"Is Molly on that helicopter?" Tracy asked

"No." Angela replied

"Are Hiro and NJ on the helicopter?" Claire asked still clasping her grandmother's hand.

"No." Angela replied while lowering her eyes from their stares.

"What are you not telling us, Angela?" Noah asked as he saw the note envelope in Angela's hand. Then with swift movement of his arm, he grabbed the note and held it up before her face, "What is this?"

X-X-X

Hiro awoke and stretched his arms high above his head as he opened his eyes. He could feel the coolness of the morning still hovering in the room and pulled the bed covers back over his bare chest. He rubbed his fingers over stubble along chin and thought that it was getting close to when he would need to shave again; he pondered shaving that morning when he finally gathered the effort to get out of bed. Day two of his vacation, it was wonderful. Last night had been a late one with the travel and getting settled into their Hotel bungalow. He could hear the water outside gently crash against the sandy shore. It was the perfect paradise! The sounds of the lazy morning filled his ears. He could hear the birds outside begin to sing welcoming the rising sun, and the coffee maker in the small kitchenette started to gurgle and pouring out his favorite blend.

This was going to be a wonderful time. He could not think of when the last time he had time off from work and took a vacation. It had been years. His sister now that she ran the family corporation never let him take time off. This was the first time off since his wedding day more than seven years ago. She was relentless; but she kept the company afloat, even in the economic down turn of the last few years. He rolled over on his side and closed his eyes as he enjoyed the fresh morning breeze that came in from the open window. A warm slender arm draped over his shoulder and he could feel the radiating heat of a sleeping body snuggle up to him. Her body pressing against his for warmth and comfort, as reddish gold hair cascaded over his shoulder and into his face. Ever so carefully he twisted and rolled toward his mate and with a gentle finger lifted the locks of hair to see her sleeping face. She slept so peaceful. Her face looked angelic as she lay there, trying to sleep despite his clumsiness at trying not to wake her.

With a quick movement she twisted and curled her back, placing it against his strong chest, as she drew his arm over her and rested her chin on his hand, while looking out the large windows toward the sea on the opposite side of the room, with large dreamy eyes. Their bungalow was situated at the end of a long jutting of the beach, with ocean waters lapping on both sides of the building. They had two private beaches all to their-selves. He sighed with contentment. Soon he would have to get out of bed, but just for a few moments he would relish the feelings, of hold his wife in his arms. The sun glinted off the diamond ring on the wedding finger of the woman that lay at his side, as he absentmindedly played with his own ring and smiled. This would be like the honeymoon they never had.

Hiro slid his legs out from under the soft silky sheets and rested his feet down into the plush white carpet of the throw rug at the edge of the bed. He stretched once more and felt the warmth of the sunlight cascading through the window. With a smile of comfort he shifted his body into the ray of sunshine and allowed the warmth to awaken his muscles and joints. With one last sigh of resignation to his fate of the morning needing to begin, Hiro stood and with a scratch to his lower back he made his way to the bathroom attached to master suite. This was a first class resort. They thought of everything he pondered as he opened the towel steamer and pressed a warm wash cloth to his face and eyes. He stood there for just a moment enjoying the comfort when he felt a small hand grab his pajama pants and give a gentle tug.

Hiro lowered the towel from his eyes and pressed it firm against his jaw and neck as he returned the smile to the beautiful blonde child that beamed up at him with eyes so blue they invited one to take a dive into the ocean depths of emotions contained within. "Hurry Daddy, you promised we would go to the beach this morning and hunt for star fish." the child eagerly whispered with excitement that made her whisper barely a contained shout.

"I know baby girl, let me finish getting dressed." Hiro replied as he tossed the towel aside and wrapped his arms around the small child and lifted her up into his embrace. "Don't wake up Mommy, she had a long night and she needs her sleep."

The little girl raised a finger to her mouth and nodded her head in understanding, as she leaned forward and planted a huge morning kiss on his cheek, "What shall we have for breakfast?" the child asked as she looked over Hiro's shoulder toward the woman sleeping in the bed behind them. "I vote for waffles!" she squeaked out with glee and then hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands realizing her outburst was too loud.

"Why don't you go to the phone and call room service and order waffles for both of us." Hiro smiled back as he put the child back on the floor. "Tell them we will eat in the resort dining hall in about 15 minutes." The Girl giggled and rushed off to make the call. "And I think you might want to change into something more appropriate for breakfast, I don't think they will accept a Cinderella nightie as acceptable dress code in the dining hall."

The girl stopped and looked down at her favorite night gown and looked back at him, "Why not?" and then rushed off.

Hiro quickly got dressed and bent over to plant a kiss on the woman in his bed. Her reddish golden hair covered most of her face as she opened one eye to respond to his sign of affection. "Have fun hunting star fish." she said as she grabbed Hiro's neck and pulled him to her for a real kiss.

"Will you be alright without us?" Hiro asked with a quiet voice as they embraced. She pushed him away with a playful shove and raised her left hand and placed her right hand over her heart. "I, Molly Nakamura promise to be just fine without you, now get out of here and go have fun!"

X-X-X

Molly lay in the warm bed as the silk sheets surrounded her body. It had been years since she was a little girl and had the joy of sleeping in; and let the day pass by in a lazy sun filled peace. Hiro and she had never managed to get away from the company and get a proper honeymoon. This was such a dream come true. She closed her eyes and thought back over the last fifteen years of her life, since her first saw Hiro as a child. He had been so afraid. His whole world shattered, she had felt an instant connection to him. From that day it felt like he would be forever a special part of her life.

Their years in school had been rough, spending most of their teen years on opposite sides of the globe. Hiro would call and they wrote hundreds of times. He had such a romantic heart. She smiled as she remembered the first time he told her he loved her. It had taken hours to fly from Japan to New York, he had planned it all. His sister being in charge of the company was traveling to New York with him for a special engagement, and he had asked her if she would be his date to the event ball and banquet.

He had been so nervous standing at the door waiting as she finished getting ready. He was so dashing in his tailored tuxedo. When she came out of the room, her parents gasped in wonder as she twirled in her new dress. The evening sunset rays of light glinted off the material in a mirage of pure joy, and made her hair glow a radiant reddish gold. She had felt his hand shake as he pinned the rose on her dress, near her shoulder trying carefully not to touch her growing chest, in any way that would seem inappropriate. Noah and Tracy had beamed with smiles as they dashed out of the apartment hand in hand; it had been a beautiful night.

He had proposed less than three months later, the night she graduated high-school. She wrapped her arms about her body and hugged herself tight. That had been such a long time ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Now Hiro was a high executive in the company, and she was an ambassador of sales traveling all over the country, that they hardly had time to rest, and be a family. He was such a great father. He was gentle and kind to the girl.

Molly sat up in the bed with a start, what was their daughter's name? She could not remember! How old was she? What school did she go to? She gasped in fear. She could not remember. Maybe it was just the jet lag. A good cup of coffee would jog her memory. That was what she needed.

Molly slid out of bed and had a rush of glee as her new silk nightie stretched out and hugged her form. She left the bedroom and looked out the window as she opened the cabinet door above the coffee maker. Hiro and the child were skipping down the sand path to the beach; each with a small bucket in hand. Yes, she needed a nice cup of coffee. She turned to the open cabinet and there were no cups, no nothing. Behind the cabinet door was a brick wall. She opened the next door, and it was the same. Each door she opened had nothing behind it except wall of red bricks. Her heart started to race as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. She opened the hotel bungalow's refrigerator and once more faced a solid brick wall.

She rushed back to the bedroom, to get dressed. This was scaring her. She hated enclosed spaces. She swung open the closet door to grab a summer dress and once more faced a wall of red bricks. In panic and fear she raced to the front door. She didn't care anymore. She would run out to the beach in her night gown. She had to get out of this room. She needed her husband! She was scared. What was happening? She grabbed the handle and swung open the front door of the bungalow. The entire door way was sealed off with more red bricks. She ran to the sliding glass door, it was locked and would not open.

She banged on the glass trying to get Hiro's attention, they didn't hear her. Then she screamed with all her heart!

X-X-X

Hiro turned as something deep in his heart warned him of danger. He looked back at the bungalow nestled amongst the palm trees and sand. Had he forgot something? Did he forget his keys? His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as Molly shouted at him from behind the glass doors. She was pounding on the glass trying to get his attention. The look on her face was one of pure fear. "Come on little one!" Hiro raced toward his wife. "Mommy is in trouble!"

As each step brought them closer to the bungalow, he could feel that time was running out. His feet shifted in the sand of the path and made it almost impossible to run as fast as he wanted. Like a dream, he felt time slow and the distance between them and Molly stretched out like a 100 mile tunnel. His heart raced in his chest and it was so hard to breath. He could see Molly slump to the floor behind the glass, when suddenly he was at the glass and crashed into the closed door.

He could feel his skin against the warm surface as he desperately tried to open the door. It was locked from the inside. The door would not open. Molly rolled over on her back her eyes staring blankly at him like he was not there. She was still breathing, He could see her chest rise and fall with each breath; but it was like the life in her had fled from her soul. "Molly" Hiro shouted in desperation. He grabbed a deck chair and swung it at the door and it bounced off making not a mark in the glass. Suddenly his legs felt like they could not hold his weight and he dropped to the deck on his knees. His throat felt like someone had their fingers around it and squeezing tighter and tighter. Everything began to spin...

"Molly, I will save you..." Hiro whispered as his vision went dark and he felt a small hand touch his face and heard his child's voice say in perfect Japanese, "it will be okay, Daddy. I got you."

~ Heroes - Rise of the Phoenix ~

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