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.

Chapter 16: Negotiation

Jenny had left the room as quickly as she could, giving Matt Parkman no further explanation. She felt bad for him, she really did. Especially considering what was going to happen next. As soon as she exited the room, two men entered it. She was their cue.

She didn't want to think about it, but Jenny was only doing what she had to. She needed this. She needed to remind herself of that.

Opening the door to the monitor room, she slipped inside and waited.

"I want the reconnaissance team back in a week," Nathan Petrelli was saying to one of his flunkies. "They go in, observe, and get out again. No contact is to be made if they find anyone. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well," he said, turning suddenly to Jenny, "are you done playing kiss-y face with Parkman?"

"Sir…" she started to say, but his glare stopped her cold.

"That was a complete waste of time," he barked. "And your, what is it, fourth failure now? Is that right? Four in a row?"

"But he…"

"Although, threatening him with Hanson was a good idea, I will give you that. A good idea wasted, because now even if we do bring her in, he's not going to believe it. He's going to think it's you again and we'll get nowhere."

"Sir, I…"

"I'm sorry," Nathan snapped, "were you saying something?"

"I know where it is," she nearly whispered. "He told me. He…"

Nathan looked at her incredulously.

"Jenny," Taylor said from the back of the room, "we were watching the entire time. We know he didn't. We were listening in."

Jenny couldn't believe she'd been so stupid. Of course they hadn't heard. He'd purposely told her in a way where they couldn't hear.

"I can explain," she began, more eagerly. "He told me telepathically."

Mac shook his head, clearly not trusting her. Even Taylor looked a bit doubtful. But the only person that mattered, Nathan Petrelli, did not. He looked almost pleased.

"So?" he asked, his voice much more pleasant than before. "Where is it? Where am I sending the second team? The first one is already on their way to Allentown, just in case."

Jenny felt the anticipation in the room. The excitement. She'd done it, she'd finally done it. It was the first time she felt secure in her place.

Looking up at the monitors, to the only one still on, her elation deflated as she saw what was happening.

Matt Parkman was being beaten by two men while still handcuffed and he wasn't even putting up a fight. He wasn't even trying to defend himself.

She'd done that too.

"Jenny," Taylor said tentatively, "don't keep Mr. Petrelli waiting."

"If I tell you…"

"If?" Nathan asked with a sharp laugh.

Jenny didn't back down. She knew her situation was, at best, tenuous, but right now she had the upper hand.

"If," she repeated with resolve. "If I tell you, I want some assurances."

"Jenny," Mac said, joining the conversation, "what in the hell do you…"

But Nathan waved him off without ever turning his attention from her.

"No, I'm intrigued," he said. "At least someone in this department has some backbone. Let's hear it then, what do you want?"

"Don't kill him."

"No," Nathan said, shaking his head slightly and with no hesitation. "He's going to die. He'll be our first public execution, an example. That's not going to change."

"And the other two? Are they negotiable?"

"Why do you care?" he asked her.

Jenny didn't say anything. Couldn't explain it. She wasn't sure why herself.

"Fine," Nathan agreed after a pause. "Suresh and Hanson live. Satisfied?"

"I want to talk to him," Jenny said. "Alone. I want to talk to Parkman. No cameras, no microphones. Just us."

"Fine," Nathan repeated, this time a bit more tersely.

Jenny nodded and to her surprise Nathan held out his hand to her.

"I always shake on an agreement," he said to her.

Jenny reached out to do just that when suddenly she found he had taken hold of her hand and pulled her right up next to him in the blink of an eye.

"I'm going to let you get away with this this time," he whispered in her ear, "but don't try it again. Do we understand one another?"

"Yes, sir," Jenny said quickly as Nathan squeezed her hand once tightly and then let her go.

"So, the colony?" Nathan asked. "Where is it?"

Audrey and Mohinder stood on opposite sides of the cell they'd been placed in; staring at one another and equally suspicious.

After everything that had happened how could they trust what they saw?

The room was bigger than her last cell they'd kept her in and even larger than the interrogation room had been. It looked more like a holding cell except it was entirely concrete; no bars, just a few cots, a sink and a single metal door with a small window made of security glass.

And no surveillance.

Audrey was fairly certain of it. She'd checked all the usual places, and a few of the more unusual ones as well, and she had yet to find a camera or microphone.

If anything that only made her more suspicious of the man with her.

"Listen," Mohinder said with a sigh, "I don't know who you are. If you are really who you look like, but…"

He stopped mid-sentence as the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard.

Both of them moved towards the door to see what was happening and immediately saw a man's face in the window.

"Move back," he shouted at them.

Mohinder complied immediately, but Audrey hesitated.

"Don't be stupid," the man said to her and she finally relented.

She knew there was nothing to gain, that he was likely not alone and more than likely armed.

Once she was back against the far wall, next to Mohinder, the door opened.

The man in the window stepped inside, gun raised and held the door open for a different man who, to both of their surprise, was half dragging Matt with him.

"Got a visitor for you," the man with the gun said as the other man dropped Matt on the floor.

Audrey was already moving towards him when the door was slammed shut, locking them all inside once more.

"Wait," Mohinder said, the urgency in his voice stopping her. "You don't know if that's really…"

She paused, considering it, before ultimately deciding that it was a risk she'd just have to take.

"Matt?" she called out, kneeling down to turn him over and cringing as she did. He was fairly beaten, but more disturbing than that, covered in dry blood. His shirt was soaked in it, but it looked old.

"Is he alive?" Mohinder asked, having joined her despite his own warning.

"I think so," Audrey answered. "I don't think…"

Audrey stopped as Matt opened and blinked his eyes several times.

"Matt?" she called out again, hoping he was coming to.

His eyes finally seemed to come back into focus; as they did he took one hard look at Audrey hovering above him and shut them tight once more.

"Not you," he said, shaking his head slightly. "Not again. I'm not… I'm not talking anymore. Just go away. Leave me alone, I'm done. I'm done with you."

Audrey was mortified.

"Help me move him," Mohinder said, taking Matt by the arm.

"Don't…" Matt began to protest, but was too weak.

Audrey reluctantly took hold of his other arm and helped hoist him to his feet. Together they lay him on the nearest cot.

"Don't take it personally," Mohinder said to her. "I think, whatever they did to us, they did to him as well."

"What?"

"The woman," Mohinder continued. "Didn't you see her?"

"I saw you," Audrey answered, looking from one man to the other.

Matt looked as if he'd passed out again and she couldn't say she was sorry for it. She'd rather he didn't talk right now, not in this state. Not when he didn't even believe who she was.

"And I saw Peter," Mohinder said.

"What?"

"Yes," Mohinder answered. "At first, it was Peter in the room with me. Telling me… well, all sorts of things. I'm not sure how much was true and how much was just said to get me to cooperate. But after awhile, I couldn't believe it. I knew it wasn't him and…"

"It changed," Audrey said with a short nod. "Did you get sick?"

"Very," he answered, "but not before I got a look at her. The real her. She must be able to incite hallucinations, but I don't think she's very good at it. I don't think she's very strong."

"She did a good enough job on Matt," Audrey stated. "He believed her. He still thinks I'm…"

"Of course he believed her," Mohinder said. "He thought it was you. Matt would believe anything you told him."

Right now Audrey found little comfort in that sentiment.

"So what now?" Audrey asked. "You know if they have Matt that Claire…"

Matt stirred on the bed beside them, catching both of their attention. His eyes were open again, but this time he looked more lucid.

"They don't," he answered. "They don't have her. Not yet."

Audrey tentatively sat down next to him.

"It's you, right?" he asked. "Really you? I'm not…"

"No, it is," Audrey said quickly.

'Tell me something only you and I'd know.'

"Um," Audrey hesitated, "I don't know… 'Old Yeller' is the only movie that's ever made you cry?"

"I didn't mean out loud," he said as Mohinder gave an involuntary laugh.

"I'm sorry," Audrey said, but Matt only smiled and grasped her hand tightly.

"It's fine," he said. "And for the record, I was eight."

"Are you okay?" Audrey asked, full of concern and running a hand tentatively across his forehead.

"No," Matt answered truthfully. "I'm not. I told them where to find her. After all this time of trying… it's going to be my fault. It's going to be my fault if they… Whatever happens now, it's on me."

"You didn't know," Mohinder said quietly. "No one will blame…"

"I blame me," Matt said flatly.