Chapter 8:
Sylar scared her. He scared her bad. He was the monster as he had said, and she was just a monster. She did the one thing that made sense out of all of this. She ran. She ran especially when Peter and his friends had begun to walk through the motel, looking for her. She didn't want to kill. She needed to kill, but she wouldn't do it for Sylar. If she did, then she would be his monster.
Stepping off the bus, Bailey shuddered. This was where it had all begun. First, that man had abducted her. She had just arrived into town, ready to surprise her family when he grabbed her. Then, the motorcyclist dropped her off here, and she first took off in this new life, if you could call it that. She should never have come home. If she never had come back, none of this would be happening right now, and now, she would be hunted but not only by Sylar. She would be hunted by HRG and his organization. Was she ready for this?
The ten minutes felt like eternity as the cab took her home. The neighborhood remained the same. She smiled at those memories. Her smile faded as the cab stopped. She was home, and a knot formed in her stomach. She forced herself to move and paid for the cab. As it took off down the street, she wished that she had remained inside.
Her feet felt like lead as she readied herself. She knocked on the front door. Part of her hoped that the knocks would go unanswered, but she knew that they were home. They were waiting for her to come back to them.
The door flew open. Bailey found herself in the arms of her father, a man that never hugged her. His grip tightened, and her mother let out a loud cry of relief. Then, she joined the hug, and Bailey was gripped tightly once more. They remained like that for a long time, but finally, finally did her parents release her from their grip, leading her into the house. And the front door closed behind her.
"I don't remember anything." Bailey was now sitting on a couch in the family room. "I'm sorry. I don't."
"But you were shot. Weren't you shot at that robbery," Bailey's father asked, and she shook her head in response. "We were going to come out there, but then you disappeared from the hospital. Where did you go?"
"I don't know," she replied as her parents exchanged looks. "It's okay. I'm okay," she lied.
"Yes, you are," her mother finally said. "You're a hero. Our hero."
"I'm no hero, mom."
"Yes, you are. You are because you led the FBI to that serial killer and all his victims." Bailey flinched. "I shouldn't have mentioned that. I'm sorry, Bailey." She fell quiet for a long moment. "Did that man… Did he hurt you?"
"I don't want to talk about it." She looked away for a moment. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm back. I'm home."
"That's right. You're back," and Bailey's mother hugged her. "My baby's come home, and I should let your siblings know. They'll be so happy to know that you're back," and she hurried out of the room.
Bailey's father waited a beat and then said, "You're not staying, are you?"
"No."
"Your mother and I don't fight anymore. We've patched things up."
"That's good, dad."
"But that's not why you are leaving, is it?" Bailey didn't answer. "Is it because of what had happened to you?"
"That's part of it."
"And the other part?"
"It's complicated, dad." Bailey moved over to him and surprised him with a tight hug. "This has nothing to do with you or mom. This is something that I have to do."
"You're so grown up." Her father returned her hug. "What made you grow up," but then he realized. "I'm sorry, Bailey." Bailey responded by placing her head against his chest.
A little while later, she stood inside her old bedroom. There were posters on the walls. Movies and cds cluttered on the floor. Books were scattered along the bookshelf, books about monsters and heroes. They did not anymore. This room did not matter because that girl was long gone now. All that remained was this Bailey Winters, and she could not stay too long. Someone would come looking for her, and she did not want them to find her parents especially Sylar and HRG. Her parents would never have the chance, and she could not live with that. "I'll stay the night," she said to herself. "But just the night."
The next day came quickly. It would break her parents' heart to say good-bye. Again. It was morning, and she slipped out. Her father knew. Maybe, he could soften the blow to her mother, but she wasn't leaving town just yet. There was one spot that she needed to go. She had to go there because that's where everything really changed. That's where she had changed.
Now, Bailey stood over the grave of where that serial killer had met his end. She knelt down, taking a handful of dirt into her hand. She could still smell the blood, her blood. It was forever entrenched in dirt, this dirt. The empty hole met her gaze.
"Bailey."
"Sylar?"
"Sylar!" She was wrong. It was Matt, Nathan, and Peter that stood behind her. "Where's Sylar?"
"New York, and you were all stupid for coming here." She dropped the dirt that she was holding. "Don't you know what I could do to you? All of you?" Peter took a fighting stance as Matt and Nathan remained where they stood. "Get out of here. Only warning."
"No," Matt responded.
"I don't know you," she screamed at him.
"You're coming with us," Nathan said. "One way or another." He glanced over at Peter. "You are coming with us."
"No." Her eyes flickered white. "I'm not."
"Matt. Nathan. Get out of here," Peter said as his eyes started to glow blue. "Now!"
"Bailey." She stared hard at Matt. "You do know me. Try to remember. You know me."
"I don't," she growled. "And I saved your life," she snapped at Peter. "Don't make me take it back." Peter inched closer. "Don't."
"Bailey."
"What!"
Matt held her gaze. Then, he closed his eyes, searching for a memory, a memory with her. He pushed it into her mind, hard. She doubled over, grabbing her head, but she was receiving it. She was remembering him, and as she did, a bolt of white lightning flew from her hand and struck him in the chest, sending him flying backward and onto the ground.
She forced herself toward Nathan. Her hands glowed white hot, so did her eyes. She aimed her hands at him, but just as she readied herself to attack, Peter stepped in with his hands glowing blue. And he zapped her, and bolts of white and blue danced between them. He was too strong, and she fell back. As she hit the ground, she finally remembered. She remembered Matt Parkman.
She crawled over to him, ignoring Peter and Nathan. Matt was slipping fast. Like with Peter, she placed her hands on his chest, closed her eyes, and zapped him again with white light. She didn't care or stop to wonder why Nathan and Peter were not doing anything, and she was losing consciousness. She had to save Matt first, and she finally did.
"Bailey? Nathan, no," and a gunshot rang out.
Blood trickled down Bailey's neck. Coldness seized her. She tried to look at Nathan, who was holding Matt's gun in his hand. Darkness fell over her, and she gasped one last time before falling over Matt.
"What have you done!"
"I filled my end of a bargain. She was too dangerous, Matt. She was more dangerous than Sylar."
"But you didn't have to kill her!" He now held Bailey in his arms.
"Yes, I did."
"Nathan, what did you do?"
"What I had to, Pete. What I always have to." Nathan dropped the gun and moved away from them. He froze at a sudden white flash. "What the hell?"
Bailey opened her eyes. She gasped for air. She looked up at Matt, who seemed relieved, and then Matt saw Nathan reaching for the gun. But Peter beat him to it.
"No, Nathan," he said. "No."
"Bailey?" She slowly nodded. "Do you remember me?" As tears slipped down her face, she nodded again.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Matt."
"Don't be," he responded. "You're okay. Everything's okay."
"I'm sorry, Matt." Peter now stood behind him. "Everything's not okay." He looked over at Nathan as he said that. "Everything's far from okay."