Title: Down My Road
Chapter: Two of Four
Rating: PG13
Characters/Pairings: Peter, Elle, minor Claire, Cody (OC) - mentions of Peter/Elle
Summary: For nearly four years, Peter has been searching for an answer he's feared. Instead of the expected answers, however, he finds an Elle that has opened up an entirely new road for herself, one she has chosen to walk without ever looking back. But before their roads diverge once again, another old face reemerges in Elle's life to threaten that which she loves most, forcing Elle to remain in the cross of Peter's path longer than she would like.
Note: Flashbacks are in italics & (-¤-) indicates where a chapter would break so you know there's a pause/shift in the storyline. Feedback rocks. Thanks to those who reviewed--gojira jones in particular as it's an anon. review & as such I cannot personally reply, thanks for the feedback. And in regards to your last inquiry, well you'll see how that 'daughter' thing plays out right now! Enjoy. ;)
"She's my daughter. Maybe not biologically, but she is my daughter," Elle quickly added.
Peter's heart resumed beating when she said that, because if she was Elle's daughter biologically that would mean they--
"So she's not yours Peter. No need to worry your pretty little head over child support or anything."
She had caught the flash of worry that had crossed him, and he jumped to correct her.
"That's not what I would be afraid of."
"I wasn't asking," she shrugged nonchalantly, "now I have the day off and I've already wasted enough of it talking with you, so if you wouldn't mind."
She waved her hand to the door, pointing his way out or rather, hers.
"Elle, why--Jeanne, if she's not yours…"
"It's Kelly. And she is mine."
It didn't deter him from wanting to know, but she did not want to answer anything more. She had already tried to end this encounter with words and violence, and still he wouldn't relent. Then again, she hadn't tried her other weapon.
She brought her hands in front of her and sent him a glare, before blue sparks began revolving around her hands.
There was something that was the same, and he found it strangely comforting. He concentrated on the electricity forming in her hands. The blue sparks so perfectly controlled in their home environment. Controlled. That part differed. She had been working on her powers when…before, everything came to blows, but it seemed as though she kept working on it because she definitely had control now. She never had trouble using her powers as best as she could, but this was a different type of control. One that surprised him, but one he was almost glad to see.
"Right--isn't this what it all came down to, Peter? I know you're thinking it. Control. So you really want to know if it worked? If by kicking me out of your life, I managed to get my shit together?"
He drew his eyes up to meet hers, and even from there, jolts appeared to be daring him.
"We don't have to do this."
"You can't tell me that, Peter, because I'm more than matured to know what I do or do not have to do. I don't you need for that, or anything anymore."
That hurt, and he could tell that she said it in that manner for that reason alone; she meant to hurt him, because he had hurt her four years ago. He wished he hadn't now.
He used to be able to feel her emotions, like waves rolling off her, because she wasn't one to be tamed. She loved feeling anything, and wanted nothing more than to feel everything. But her emotions always stopped short somewhere--sometimes it was due to certain pain she was adamant on blocking, and other times it was because she did not know how to grasp the love she wanted to feel completely. Along every emotion however, he was able to feel it alongside hers. Until he decided to put a stop to it, and he left her--or rather, he pushed her out.
"I was wrong, Elle. Maybe not completely, but I did it wrong. I could have helped you, been there without being a crutch…"
"Too late."
The electricity grew, spread out from her hands, but they did not shock him. Instead, it became a surrounding wall, one that encircled him to the point where he could not see her.
"Elle!" he screamed, and for millisecond he heard her giggle, but just as that small giggle died, so did the electricity.
"Relax, Peter. I know better."
She shrugged, and that's when he saw that her hand was at the knob, and he sighed realizing she meant to distract him for a second.
She pulled the door open, smiled tightly, and said in a low voice.
"I'm going to walk out of this place, take my daughter out for a walk, and when we get back, you're not going to be here."
She wasn't asking him, neither was she demanding something from him in a loud voice or through violence. She was sure, and somehow he understood that, although he couldn't manage a nod or a yes. He watched her walk through the frame, almost precisely as he had those years ago.
--
"You let them get away!" Peter screamed
"Whatever, there's always a next time," she shrugged off her jacket and attempted to hug him. But he moved away.
"Oh, come on puppy, no need to be so spiteful."
Peter closed his eyes, all the frustration from the last two weeks about to burst.
"Elle, this isn't some joke."
"God, so how often do we lose? Not often enough for you to be so damn touchy," she pulled her jacket back on and made a move for the door.
"We're not finished," he blocked the door.
Gritting her teeth, she licked her lips and rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, and having to hear you yell and fume is really going to end this topic."
"You were being careless! You're being careless--and that's all it'll take for someone to take advantage of us and hurt our plans."
"I'm not perfect, Peter, and I hate having to worry so damn much! You knew that from the start so don't start calling me out for who I am!"
Her hands began glowing, and as Peter looked from her bolts to her eyes, it hit him how much of an influence Elle's so-called daddy still had over her.
"That's not who you are, Elle. So stop acting out--"
"I'm not acting out!" her eyes screamed otherwise.
"Elle, if you don't stop listening to Bob, and if you can't see that you really are a good person, this can't go on!"
"I am who I am, and if you can't accept that--"
"It's you who doesn't accept that Elle, so just stop--" his voice hitched, not able to let out the next words.
Elle's electricity blew out, and she said coldly. "Or you'll leave me? Just like they all do," she spat, "well not this time--I'm leaving; it's over."
She took the last four steps to the door, and without a look back, she slammed the door behind her.
In his eyes, she moved slowly, the scene surreal and unrealistic. He blinked to drive himself out of this incredulous vision, only to come to the realization that Elle had in fact just said 'it' was over and left. He ran to the door and swung it open, screaming her name, but she was long gone.
He stood transfixed, thinking that perhaps he should let her go, just give her a few hours to fume. Thinking on it though, he decided that they had to define this once and for all. Sure, they had been dating only six months, but considering how he had known her for over a year, and that she had learned who he was, she should have known better by then. If not, it was time she not only began learning but applying.
He ran from the door, to across the trail she so angrily blazed out of the condo complex. He cleared his head, and adjusted his senses, only to attune them to her. Once he could clearly feel her, he transported to the street corner where a cab she had hailed stopped.
He sprinted to her, and pulled her arm when she prepared to step inside the cab. As a reflex, she jabbed her elbow into him, and he caught a glance of electricity glowing in her other hand.
"Elle!"
She only looked at him for a second when he said her name, then continued into the cab, and slammed the door. When the cab began rolling away, she sighed and leaned back into the seat, but she hadn't gotten rid of him yet.
"Elle."
He was still stern, but he didn't scream. She took in a deep breath and flared her eyes open. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and leaned halfway on the passenger seat, distancing as much as she could.
Peter turned his body to her, and before she knew what was happening, she felt the cab literally freeze, and as her eyes scanned the almost empty street, she saw the few people who were there stop in their steps, and stray trash also stopped mid-air.
"Dammit Peter!" she exclaimed and pounded her hand against the headrest of the seat in front of her.
"We have to talk."
She sat upright, pushed herself up by the palm of her hands, and turned to him.
"Fine then. Talk."
"Elle, your father…"
"Fuck my father," she stopped that conversation, but he didn't push it further either.
"Fine then. Let's talk about you Elle! You who hears everything your fucking dad tells you, you who still believes every damn thing he tells her! It's like you're a little girl that rebels for amusement, but then backs down when her dear old daddy doesn't pay attention to your new little trick!"
"Oh so what, everything I do is just form of rebellion?!"
"You tell me! Killing Ricky--that was your doing!"
"You said you'd let that go!"
"You let Maya get taken to the Company once your dad said that no matter the outcome you still shouldn't have gone after Sylar."
"But--"
"You told your dad it was Mohinder who saved Noah when he threatened to strip you of your powers."
"I--"
"And when he told you that you didn't really love me, that it was just a pastime, you were so convinced that he was right and you'd end up going back to you, you began pushing me away!"
"So you think you're one of my rebellions?!"
"No, I--"
"Then tell me Peter, because this just sounds like you telling me that my dad was right about you and me."
"I'm saying that you believe him, even when it's not true. You let him control you Elle, and you need to control yourself, but you let him stand in your way. And maybe…maybe I'm standing in your way too"
"I know damn well how to control myself. But if you really think that, maybe you should get out of my way."
"Alright."
"Wha--alright? That's all you have to say?"
"Elle, if you can't stand on your own two feet…"
"No, I get it Peter. You think I need to stop using you as some crutches, both you and my father. I can do that. I'm strong, I'm a big girl."
He remained silent, even averted his eyes from her, and maybe he was right. He sent her signals, but still did not say what she really wanted outright. She wanted his help, but she was too damn proud of a girl to admit that. Fine, she could be without him.
"Goodbye then, Peter."
He couldn't even bring himself to say it, and only moved when her door slammed shut, with her walking in some unknown direction, as he sat numb. But he convinced himself that this was the right decision. She needed to grow on her own, and she said she could do it, didn't say otherwise. Who was he to stop her from walking away?
--
He had made a mistake by pursuing her. Maybe if he had just let her be, things would have been different. She only needed some fresh air that night, needed to gather herself because she would have returned, maybe not immediately, but at least eventually. As it was, he followed her, insulted her, and told her to leave whereas before it had been her decision. So now, he was letting her decide. He wouldn't follow her, he would leave. She looked happy, she appeared content, and God she had her own life now. Wasn't that what he wanted from the start? For her to find her way, regain control of herself, and just live for herself?
There was no question in that, so when he could no longer hear her feet within the building, he took it upon himself to no longer remain there.
-¤-
"Claire?"
To that day, she and Elle weren't what one may call the best of friends. Yes, they were co-workers. Yes, they were friendly towards one another. And yes, they relied on each other. But their differences remained and could not be permanently deleted. They only were able to bond sufficiently enough to understand each other and know they would need to be partners to manage through life.
--
"So are you going to tell me what happened?"
Elle sat at the kitchen table, slowly sipping on the bottled water she had requested. It had taken Claire 40 minutes to ask Elle this, Elle whose eyes had been bloodshot red when she knocked on Claire's apartment door. Initially, she stomped into Claire's apartment mumbling some obscenities intermixed with Peter's name until she took a seat and asked for water. Claire had let her bide her time, but enough was enough. She needed to know what happened for Elle to be behaving this way.
"Nothing. We just broke up."
The way Elle shrugged, Claire knew it was not as simple as that. Although she would rather not admit it, she had seen how Peter and Elle functioned, and if they were to break up, something massive would have occurred. That's the type of couple they were.
For Peter to become involved with a person such as Elle, he needed to really love her, really comprehend the type of person she was, and be aware that he would really need to work with her. The fact alone that Peter and Elle functioned signaled how deeply invested he was in her, and how much she wanted to commit to a relationship and to herself.
So as Claire declared, there must be more to the story, and through some persuading Claire got Elle to open up some. Through hiccuping tears, Elle let it spill out and it all made Claire somewhat uncomfortable, but it was necessary.
"Peter would not say those things."
Claire stared in confusion at Elle. It was so unlike Peter to say those things, to just deduce his own relationship to being that of a rehabilitating addict and their aide was incomprehensible.
"So you're going to take his side? Fine, I don't need to be here anyway!"
Elle stood up hastily and headed towards the door, but she paused and turned on her heel. She licked her lower lip, and pointed her eyes at Claire.
"You know, I was headed to a bar, wanted to get drunk off my ass, just forget everything. But what Peter said…I hate what he said. I hate him for thinking that of me, but dammit if I'm going to prove him right. I'm NOT going to forget. I'm not going to let my problems solve themselves. I can handle my own life, and I don't need a babysitter to help me. When you see Peter, tell him anything you want, I don't care. Because I don't need his, yours, or my dad's attention."
Elle smirked and began walking back towards the door, but Claire stopped her.
"Wait!"
Claire jogged to the door, and faced Elle.
"Where are you going?"
"Why? So you can tell on me?"
"No--I want to go with you."
--
Claire didn't need a babysitter either, but leaving with Elle immediately was too conspicuous. So they formed a plan, and Claire stayed behind for three months, setting up different checking accounts and whatnot while Elle remained far and out of contact. Anything they needed so that at least for awhile, they couldn't be found. Sure, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out that she and Elle were accomplices, but if anything that was something good. Nathan wouldn't be worried thinking Claire was on her own, and Peter wouldn't think Elle was on her own either.
Then at one point, they took on a facility too soon, and Elle almost lost her life. Ironically, she ultimately gained one, but the rumor spread like wildfire and no one knew for sure if the little electric blonde lived or not. It was essentially the perfect escape, so neither she nor Elle ever cleared up the rumor for the sake of the life gained.
They were accomplices, and as time passed, they got to know each other better, so much so they could detect what their voice's tones indicated. Such at that moment right then, when Claire answered her phone, before it went to voicemail, to hear Elle say in a crushed voice, "Claire."
"Elle?"
She checked her cell phone screen again, as it didn't read Elle's number much less her name.
"What's wrong, Elle?"
"They…they took her, Claire. It was her, Claire."
"Elle, are--where are you, Elle?"
"I'm…I'm across the park, at a payphone," she paused, and in a bitter laugh, "I may have fried my phone in the process of trying to get her back. I wasn't in control, Claire."
"I'll be right there."
Claire shoved her phone back into her jeans and took off her apron. She scanned the row of working employees until she found Cody and marched towards him.
"Cody."
She pulled on his arm and at her worried voice, he turned to her immediately.
"Hey," he smiled down at her and upon seeing her furrowed eyes asked, "everything okay?"
"They kidnapped Jeanne, and Elle, she's a mess, I--"
"I'll go with you," he moved his hands to the strings of his own apron but she stopped him.
"No, we'll figure out what to do when I get back with her. I'm just going to get Elle and get us both back here to think up some plan of action."
He was hesitant, but he nodded.
"Alright, just be careful," he stressed and bent down to plant a kiss on her forehead.
"It's not like they'll come back to the scene of the crime--all they've ever wanted is Jeanne. God, I just can't believe--but we, we'll find Jeanne, we have to."
Cody nodded solemnly, and through his tightening throat managed to let out a "yeah."
He swallowed hard, still worried, probably just as worried as her, although she hid it better. Claire had grown attached to that little girl, maybe not as instantly as Elle, but she did. That girl represented a part of her, a part of Elle, and even a part of Cody. She was the life they gained in exchange for pursuing the company and among other things, in exchange of helping rid the world of men like Bob Bishop.
-¤-
Elle had heard the word "blessing" used many times, but she never really knew what it meant. Not that she really ever sat herself down to grasp its full meaning, but the word did come to mind once when Peter served her breakfast a couple of weeks after they began dating. From there on, she thought about it a few times more, and she would call his presence in her life a blessing. But even then, she didn't know exactly what to make of it. She could call him a blessing, but then what? It was not much more than a word, or was it?
It would be a year later, as she laid face down on a thin mattress, finally drifting off to sleep, when a little toddler came to poke Elle's arm that Elle thought more of the word. It was then she knew its depth because the dictionary gave the word no justice.
Geez, justice. She thought it had been achieved to a great extent. Probably not completely because so long as good existed, the bad would refuse to die out completely. Still, they had managed to infiltrate a surmountable amount of facilities, and those they couldn't torch down on their own, they gathered information about or did simple tasks for others like them to do the job. She, Claire, and eventually Cody went on to look like a team doing things on their own, but indirectly they were affiliated with anyone with abilities that could and would help 'the good fight.'
They didn't know that the facility in Minnesota would be the last one that she, Claire, and Cody would tackle. Just another one that they figured they could handle and no one had done just yet. Maybe the fact the location was not the grandest secret, and the security was not the best should have indicated that it was too convenient.
It turned out that Bob had gotten fed up with his daughter's antics, and having heard that she was in the northeast, took reins of the company in Minnesota. Maybe he counted on her being a little stronger, but he also counted on his effect on her, albeit with a bit of resistance. Elle was more than able to stand her ground against him, however, and she managed to take all control from him. The strange thing was what the battle came down to, however.
Elle was furious with Bob for everything he'd done to her, and as she held him against a wall with electricity coursing from her body to his, she suddenly felt herself being thrown to the ground.
Her head pounded, and sluggishly she pushed herself off the ground. When she made it up, she stood face to face with a woman only slightly taller than her, and dark brown hair that came down in waves to below her shoulders. She stared at Elle menacingly, and instinctively Elle balled her fist as electricity bore from her.
She was thrown again though, this time against the wall when that woman waved her hand in front of her. A telekinetic, Elle realized. Those were Elle's last thoughts before she felt herself suffocating, and the last thing she heard before passing out was the laughter of her father overhead.
What happened then grew to be the secret legend between her, Claire, Cody, and someday Jeanne. As Claire came to tell her, the lights from the facility completely turned off, so she ran towards the sound of Bob's voice to find the brunette woman slowly falling to her knees as Bob looked on in confusion. Meanwhile, Cody discovered a baby in the main office during his final sweep through of the facility to ensure all prisoners had made it out. And just when he and the baby caught each other's eyes, the baby's eyes flickered before the light bulb in the office burst.
It was their moment, and each one of them acted on instinct. Cody picked the baby up and ran outside. Claire bum rushed the brunette, and Elle's vision cleared enough to see the rim of Bob's glasses, but unlike her eye vision her purpose remained more than intact. That would be the last of Bob's moments, and they would all escape before Claire lit a match and threw it into the gas-soaked building.
"What happened?" Elle asked as the building burned.
"I…don't know. The light's just went out," Claire answered.
"I think it's the kid. She looked at me, opened her eyes all wide like she was saying 'hey stranger, who are you and why are staring at me?' and her eyes did this weird thing for a second before the lights in the office went out. When I picked her up and began running, everything else blacked out too."
Claire walked up besides Cody and tiptoed to look at the baby, who was looking at Cody intently. "Well, she would have to have a power to be in the company, but it's a little out there…"
"Yeah, and how does that explain how that stupid lady fell down and didn't fight?"
Cody and Claire looked at Elle with blank faces, and they all shrugged. Elle rolled her eyes and went over to look at the baby, to whom she guessed she kind of owed her life. She had to tiptoe as well, until Cody got a clue and lowered the baby. Elle pulled down the blanket to see her better as the baby turned her eyes to Elle. She reached for Elle's index finger, which made Elle's face contort in perplexion.
She had never been this close to a baby, they just weren't her thing. But the baby's small, warm hand curled into a fist around Elle's finger causing Elle to smile involuntarily. That was the instant Elle witnessed the same look in the baby's eyes as Cody had. The lampposts by the side of the road sure wouldn't light anyone's drive that night.
"I like her," Elle declared.
"Then you can carry her!"
Cody awaited no answer, and positioned the girl in Elle's arms.
Four months later, as Elle, Claire, and Cody left their hotel rooms in Canada, the girl would be sound asleep in Elle's arms when they were attacked by the same woman. They thought she had perished in the fire, but it was no grand surprise to see her alive. Unless there was a corpse, and said corpse was cremated directly in front of them, no one was ever truly dead.
Claire was the first to be distracted, as the woman threw her across the parking lot. Cody tried his hand at her, but his power of invisibility proved useless when she slammed him against the base of the stairs, making a steel rod hit him just over the head, and he was left unconscious.
Elle fought of course and made use of her electricity, but she only had one use of her hand and couldn't course her body with electricity without hurting Jeanne.
"God it feels good to have all this energy back with my powers!" the woman exclaimed. Elle ignored her, and threw an even stronger bolt at her, but the woman diverted it and inched closer.
"She's not yours. Hand her over. She won't do you much good, anyway. The only good thing my dear little accident of a daughter is good for is making these powers stronger."
Elle looked down at Jeanne who had slowly been waking up, and she felt herself being filled with an all too strong fear.
"Look, it took me enough time getting used to my old minimal powers without her, so let's not waste anymore time."
Elle's drew her focus back to the woman, but kept Jeanne in mind.
"You're nothing without her?"
"No, not nothing. Just more. And she's more with me. We have a sort of mother daughter bond, you see. Sure, sometimes she's difficult and decides to use her energy on something else than me, but it's nothing I can't work on."
Elle's blood boiled, and her chest rose with that frustration. But she smirked and said one last thing before Claire, who had pulled herself back together and crept up behind woman, jabbed her with a piece of metal from the same rod that Cody had been hit with.
"It must suck that she'll grow to be more without you, then."
Jeanne completely awoke with a start when her mother was stabbed, but before soothing her Elle took to electrifying the woman, only to find that it increased Jeanne's cries.
"What's wrong?" Claire demanded when Elle stopped.
"She said that Jeanne gives her energy, increases her powers--when they're nearby anyway and her energy's not being transferred elsewhere."
Claire paused and looked from the fallen woman to Jeanne.
"But her mom's nearby, and her energy's not focused on anything but her dying mother."
So they took off, pulled Cody out as quickly as possible although it meant him coming out scarred a bit, and got away from the dying woman as quickly as they could before Jeanne would be overwhelmed by the energy. In the back of their minds, they always knew she lived, and their temporary hiatus from being extraordinary heroes to look after this little kid turned into an indefinite hiatus to give this little kid more of a life. It was time to get away from that life anyway, they thought.
Jeanne became Elle's quickly enough, and not because Elle was older. It would have made more sense for her to go to Claire and Cody because they were a couple. No, it was because Jeanne entered their lives when she was 14 to 16 months old, and at the age of 26 Elle came across a girl that she could help avoid a road like hers simply by being there. Elle wouldn't leave it up to chance and that one similarity, to the girl they would come to name Jeanne, would lead to a dozen other oddities of the girl that she would fall in love with.
--
"We knew she was alive, and still I couldn't take care of her!" Elle exclaimed.
Claire nearly jumped from her seat when Elle yelled. They had closed the place for the night and taken a seat at a table, and Cody and Claire began formulating plans as Elle sat quietly, numb. Until now.
Claire gathered herself and leaned over to Elle.
"It's not your fault. We've been careful. We've all but burned our fingertips to avoid being detected and found. We've changed our names so much, no one blinked when I kept my first name. And we've kept out of the heroic stuff."
"It wasn't enough, and I should have known that!"
She jumped up from her seat and grabbed Cody's keys from Claire's purse.
They jumped up after her, and blocked her from the door.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Claire pushed her back.
"I'm going to find my daughter--move!"
She tried making her way around, but Cody held her in place.
"We have to go out there--talking never did anyone any good!" she protested as she squirmed in Cody's grasp.
He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her, trying to calm her. She screamed, tried jabbing him, but he wouldn't budge.
She had half a nerve to electrify him, fry him, but that sort of energy seemed to dissipate as soon as she shed her first tear. There was no stopping her then, and the tears came hard. And she would have collapsed were it not for Cody's strong grip.
Claire sighed and moved behind the counter so she could prepare Elle a cup of tea. By the time it was done, Elle was no longer crying, but she still held onto Cody. He loosened his hold enough for her to wipe her eyes, and when she didn't look like she was going to hit him or yell, he let go. She stepped back, and her eyes scanned the room. It was all so blurry, and everything was so confusing. She eyed Cody, then turned to look at Claire who watched on sympathetically. She also saw a cup of tea in front of Claire, a cup which was pushed forth in Elle's direction to indicate that it was hers to drink. No doubt dosed with a pill or something, which she wouldn't really blame Claire for. But Elle wasn't one to take a pill and just forget the world, at least not anymore.
She shook her head 'no' in defiance, which caused another sigh to escape Claire.
"No," Elle said outwardly after several moments. "No, I'm not going to relax. I'm going to find Jeanne. We all are."
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and rubbed her forehead.
"And Peter, he'll help us."
Claire, glad that Elle's eyes remained shut, half-smiled at that. She didn't want to bring it up, at least not immediately, knowing it could cause Elle to overreact. Peter was the best choice, though, and the sooner he was contacted to help, the sooner they could find their girl.
"Elle, you two haven't seen this guy in what? Over four years? I'll help you guys get him, but where and how do we start?"
"Cody, you know that guy who asked for me to personally attend him this morning? That was him."
Cody looked to Elle for confirmation of this. She opened her eyes, and bit her lip.
"Yeah, he was here today. All I'm hoping for is that I'm still enough for him to hear me."
Claire looked at Elle momentarily, then walked towards her. As she walked over besides Cody, she asked, "Wait, is that why you were closing your eyes? Have you already tried--"
The answer was futile, because at that moment Peter appeared in a flash. His face was threaded with confusion, but when he saw Elle's pained expression, his gaze softened.
"Elle, are you alright, I heard…"
"They've taken Jeanne from me, Peter, and we need your help."