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 18: Visitor

Matt had drifted in and out of sleep after his brief talk with Mohinder and Audrey. He had no way of telling what time it was or how long he'd been with them, but he assumed it was sometime late in the next day.

His whole body ached, but other than that Matt found he'd managed to escape any major injuries. True, those guys probably cracked a few of his ribs, but that wasn't going to kill him.

No, Nathan wanted to do that himself.

"You're awake," Audrey whispered, catching his eye.

"Just barely."

"Mohinder fell asleep a few hours ago," she continued, casting a look over her shoulder.

Matt leaned up a bit and could see the other man in the cot on the far side of the room. Mohinder was facing away from them using a blanket to block out the light.

Audrey had pulled her own cot as close as she could get it to Matt's and showed every sign of having not slept a wink.

"I think he wanted to give us some privacy," Audrey said in a near laugh.

"That was nice of him," Matt said, choking down a laugh as well. "Oh man, I think I'm delirious."

"Me too," Audrey said. "Maybe I just want to be. It would be easier to think this was all some insane dream than admit it's really happening."

"Yeah," Matt agreed, sobering up with that thought.

"What do you think they're going to do?" Audrey asked in a hushed voice, squeezing his hand.

"I'm not sure," Matt lied.

It wasn't a complete lie. He really didn't know what Nathan was going to do with Audrey or Mohinder.

"You'd tell me, right?" Audrey asked, sensing he was holding back something. "You'd tell me if you knew. I'd rather…"

There was a loud rap on the door that caused all three of them to jump.

The guard that had helped bring Matt in was back and once more motioning for them to stand against the wall.

Mohinder, still sleepy, yawned and nodded in an almost annoyed manner. Audrey got up as well, ready to help Matt if he needed it, but as soon as they started to move there was another series of taps on the window.

"Parkman over there," the man yelled, indicating the wall closer to the door.

"No," Audrey said, looking concerned.

"It's alright," Matt said, breaking her hold on his arm and moving to where the guard had wanted him.

"Come on," Mohinder said, gently pulling Audrey with him to their appointed spot.

As soon as they were all in place the door opened. Once more the guard held a gun on them as another man came in and put a pair of handcuffs back on Matt.

'I can't believe we're wasting our time just because she wants to see him.'

"Where are you taking him?" Audrey asked, moving forward without realizing it.

"Step back," the guard warned.

"Audrey," Mohinder urged, pulling harder now on her arm.

"It's alright," Matt repeated. "Really. I'll be back."

The guard looked briefly at Matt, surprised, and then back at Audrey.

"Listen to the man," he said to Audrey. "Don't do anything stupid."

"They're just taking me to meet someone," Matt said as the other man began to usher him out of the cell. "I've got a visitor, that's all. I promise."

Audrey tried to be assured by that, but wasn't.

Matt knew she wouldn't be easy until he was back with her again, but he was telling her the truth. He hoped she knew that.

He let the guards lead him out of the room and down to another cell, smaller this time, where they placed him in a chair and redid his handcuffs behind his back.

'I hope Jenny knows what she's doing.'

Matt hadn't formed any expectations of what was about to happen. The guards had probably been warned to watch what they thought around him, and the few vague clues he had managed to glean out of them weren't very useful.

But whoever was coming to talk to him was obviously named Jenny. Matt just hoped she didn't want to kick his ass too. He wasn't sure how much more of that his ego could take.

Finally the door opened and Matt laughed when he saw who walked in.

"I was wondering who Jenny was," he said to the young Asian woman he'd last seen in the interrogation room.

"The handcuffs aren't necessary," she said to the guard.

"Are you sure?" the man asked her, surprised.

"He's not going to hurt me," Jenny answered with complete confidence. "Besides, I can protect myself."

"Alright," the man said as he took them off. 'It's your funeral.'

Matt didn't move, stayed seated as he was expected too, until the guard left. Once they were alone he made to stand but Jenny quickly shook her head.

"No," she said uneasily, still standing near the door. "Keep sitting. I wasn't lying, I can hurt you, but I don't want to."

"Don't you trust me?" he said sarcastically.

"Is that what did it?" she asked in return. "That seemed to convince you I was real. Does she think that a lot around you? Do you have trust issues in general or…"

"Why am I here?"

"I want to help you."

"And?"

"I'm curious," Jenny admitted. "About you. About what you do. I've never met anyone else like me."

Matt shook his head, finding it extremely hard to believe.

"It's true," she continued. "I'm the only one here. At least, I think I am. They might be keeping us separated, afraid…"

"That you'll overthrow the government?" Matt provided.

"Something like that," she said with a smile. "Anyway, I didn't realize what I could do until after… but you've known for some time, right?"

Matt nodded.

"How do you control it?" she asked. "I still struggle, every day. Sometimes I just know the right way to do something, like with you, but other times…"

"Wait, are you serious?" Matt asked. "You are, aren't you? You want me to help you… you actually want me to help you figure out better ways to interrogate people? Torture people? People like me; like my friends?"

"I can help you, too. I already have."

"How have you helped me?" Matt asked angrily, getting to his feet despite her previous warning.

"Sit down," she said sharply, taking a step backwards.

"Answer me first."

"I got him to spare your friends' lives," she said in a rush. "He was going to kill all of you, but I made him promise…"

"Nathan? You made him promise? Nathan's promises don't mean anything."

Jenny sighed.

'I know.'

Matt acknowledged the thought with a nod and returned to his chair.

"All I really wanted from him was to get here," she continued, breathing easier now that Matt had seemingly calmed down. "I knew that if I could just talk to you…"

"But did you really expect me just offer up any advice I might have? Give you some helpful tips and pointers on manipulation? After what you've done?"

"Don't you get it?" she said, stepping forward without caution. "You and I working together…"

"That's not going to happen."

"So you'd rather die? I'm talking about getting you out of here. Right now."

'What's wrong with him? Doesn't he understand what I'm offering?'

"Exactly what is that?" he asked. "What are you offering?"

"A chance," she said eagerly, coming even closer to him. "I don't want to be here any more than you do. I'm only an asset as long as I can provide what they need and what they need is your…"

She stopped and gave Matt an odd look, a scrutinizing one.

And this time he felt it.

It was almost like a tug, but gentle. Whatever Jenny was doing, it wasn't an overtly invasive act. It was like she'd said, curiosity.

"Is she your daughter or…" Jenny said with a shake of her head. "I can't… usually I can tell but it's confusing. There's so much…"

"Stop it."

Matt felt his stomach jerk as the connection broke.

"I'm sorry," Jenny said. "Like I said, sometimes I can't control it. I could just see her there… It's easier with you. Why do you think that is?"

"I'm not a science experiment."

"And when people fight," she continued, ignoring what he'd said, "it's worse. For them and me. This is exactly why I need your help. Some days I'm completely overwhelmed with these images. And other days there's nothing at all."

"I'm not sure what you want me to tell you. Even if I wanted to help you, I can't."

"Well, can't you at least tell me how you learned to control your power?"

"I'm still learning."

Jenny smiled at him oddly, like she'd caught him in a lie.

"What did she do?"

"I don't know…" Matt started to say, but he did.

"I saw her again," Jenny said with more enthusiasm. "Is that it? Were you thinking of her just now? She did something, fixed something, yes?"

"Stop it," Matt said, louder than before. "Get out of my head."

"I can almost… it's like I can read your emotions. Exactly how you feel about her, all written down for me to use."

Matt struggled. He could actually feel her in his head, picking apart his memories. Rifling through his head as if it was a filing cabinet. There was nothing gentle about it this time.

It was overwhelming and dizzying sensation. He could barely lift his head anymore. He was certain he was going to be sick any minute now, but he couldn't make it stop. He couldn't make her stop.

Matt was doing everything he could to keep her out but nothing was working. The harder he tried the more accretive she became.

"Hopes and fears," Jenny said, ecstatic now. "This is what… this is the thing I've been trying to figure out. This what I've been trying to do. It's one thing to know how you feel about someone, but what you fear…"

Matt looked up and cringed.

Jenny wasn't with him any longer; it was Claire.

"This is it," Jenny said to him in Claire's voice. "This is what you're afraid of."

"No," Matt said, shaking his head but strangely unable to look away. "Stop. Stop doing this."

It was like a nightmare, a waking nightmare. Part of him knew it wasn't real, that it was only Jenny somehow tricking his mind, but that didn't make it any less terrifying.

Claire was there, in front of him, hanging from the ceiling. Her skin was gray. Her head was tilted to one side at an unnatural angle. Her hair hung over her face.

And still, she was talking to him.

"This isn't real," Matt said weakly. "This isn't happening. This isn't…"

"Then why do you keep seeing it? If it isn't real, why isn't it going away?"

"Stop it, Jenny. Stop doing this…"

"If it wasn't real it would disappear."

"Get out of my head!"

"You're not afraid of dying, are you? You're just afraid of the people you love…"

'Stop!'

Matt had screamed it at her, had shoved the thought at her with everything he had left.

Jenny gasped, stumbling to the floor.

Everything was back to normal. Matt could breathe again; he no longer felt nauseous. The image still lingered in his mind, but it was controllable now. Definitely no longer real.

"How did you…" she asked, eyes wide with fear.

"I can protect myself, too."

Jenny hesitantly brought a hand to her nose, wiping it quickly and looking at the blood she'd found there in shock.

"What did you do to me?" she yelled, hurrying to her feet.

Jenny rushed to the door, throwing frantic looks over her shoulder as she banged on the door for the guard.

"I was going to help you," she said in a near whisper. "I was. I did help you. And this is how…"

Matt said nothing. Just sat perfectly still in the chair and waited. Still uneasy about what had happened; not really knowing what he had done.

Jenny hit the door again with the palm of her hand, wiping her eyes quickly afterwards.

'I was just curious.'

"You were hurting me," Matt replied. "I had to do something. You didn't expect me to just let you…"

"It wasn't real," Jenny argued.

"It was to me."

The door opened behind her as the guard returned.

"Everything alright?" he asked her.

Jenny shot Matt one last contemptuous look.

'I was going to get you out of here. I was going to help you escape. But now…'

"I'm ready to go," Jenny said with an air of indifference. "He's just what I thought he was; nothing special."