Heidi Petrelli

Peter's Apartment, New York

She didn't trust him not to pass out on her again, so she stayed would stay with him through the night. She decided to as she helped him into the elevator. Now, Peter sat on a chair in his kitchen as she cooked a quick meal. This was her chance to pick his brains about why Nathan was so secretive about the explosion.

"I can't believe it," she heard Peter talking to himself behind her. She turned, and to her amazement, there was a glowing blue circle in front of him.

"What is it?" she asked, all thoughts of exploding wiped from her mind.

Peter shrugged, moving his hand around and staring at the circle following him. "I haven't seen anything else use an ability like this," Pete said. "Try throwing something at it."

"What? Why?"

"Well, we can't know what it is without testing it out." She mulled it over and, thinking it sound true, she tossed an egg at him. The blue thing shined brighter for a moment as the egg crashed into. It was solid. Peter looked down at the bracelet he wore since he came back. It had a digital readout, and it seemed fine, but he shook his wrist as someone who was trying to fix a watch. "How did he do it?" he asked himself.

"Who did what, now?" Heidi asked. She knew that Peter was more complicated than Nathan suggested, but this was ridiculous. A flying blue shield of light? Come on, this isn't a comic book.

He dropped the little force field with his hand. "This guy came by, earlier," Pete said, hesitantly. "He said a bunch of crap about the final battle for the world. Then, he threw electricity at the bracelet, and I passed out. Some crap swirled around in my head, like I knew that I'd absorbed powers and something about the extent of the heart is the strength of a hero. And now, boom!" He threw up the shining blue shield again, nearly making her jump. "I wonder if I got the whole electric thing, too," he asked himself, looking at his hands.

Heidi stopped thinking about the powers he may or may not have gotten. "You said the final battle for the world. Do you have any idea what he meant by that?" Peter looked at her, and she could tell what he could tell her, what Nathan told her.

"What did Nathan tell you about Toronto?"

Heidi shook her head, confused. That happened already, and she figured everybody would know about the final battle for the world. "That you were attacked by some loony person with sup-ed up abilities. What's that got to do with anything?"

"That loony was a guy I spent time with up in Nome, after the explosion. He's kind of like me…"

"You mean Sylar?" Heidi asked.

Pete shook his head. "I mean like me. He doesn't kill to gain powers like Sylar, he absorbs them, only he takes the people with them, too. He, I don't know, merges with people with abilities. He tried to do it with me. The guy who stopped by today said I'd have to fight him one last time, to save the world."

Heidi gave him her disbelieving look, like when Monty or Simon tell her a tall tale about where they were or why they didn't finish their homework. "Why you, Pete? Why is it always you?"

"Because I can do them all, if I'm exposed to them." He turned away from her, trying to do something with his hands.

"Pete, leave this to the Agency. You don't have to do this," Heidi said, nearly pleading. The job had taken Nathan from her, and she'd be damned if she let it take Peter, too. She was the last adult she had contact with, other than people Nathan hired to help around the house. He was the last bit of family she had. She would cling, tooth and nail to him, forcing her way back to Nathan, back to the world, and nothing would ever stop her. Not even sup-up loony's from Toronto or Timbuktu.

Sparks flew up from his open hand. "Maybe I do," Pete said, smiling. "Maybe it was what I was meant to do. I just have to learn control, first."

Hiro Nakamura

Hart Center, Tokyo, Japan

Hiro teleported into his father's old office. He immediately jumped when he saw that the whole place had been cleaned up, and his notebook was gone. The notebook from the future with all the answer in it. He had yet to stop one of them from happening, and now, without the book, how would he stop the rest?

(Looking for something,) Ando asked. He sat behind the desk, turning as Hiro entered. He held up the notebook. (Just why is it that you don't want me coming with you, Hiro? Tell me that, and I'll give it back.)

Hiro sighed. The truth was to hard for poor little Ando. How could he tell his friend how he ended up in the future, one-eyed and one-handed, all because he helped out Hiro? How could he face the responsibility for Ando's madness? And he was mad in the future, completely nuts.

"Tell me, Hiro," Ando demanded.

So, Hiro told him about the future Ando, complete with injuries and madness. Bit by bit, Ando's face fell.

When he stopped, silence feel between them, heavy and suffocating. Then, Ando's face broke into a smile. (We're going to stop the future, right? So why is it a big deal if come with you?: We just stop it from happening,) he said, making Hiro wonder why he didn't get that from the beginning.

Hiro nodded, grinning himself. It was just like their first journey all over again.

"There is one problem, Hiro," Ando said, killing the jubilant moment. "We have to bring Sakura with us. She can actually help you in a fight with other people with abilities. Besides, it's one more step into changing the future."
"No," Hiro said. "I will not endanger her and you. If this is the way it must be, fine." He shut his eyes, freezing time. Ando sat there, frozen with a shocked look on his face. Hiro walked over, took the notebook, and then teleported out.

When time came back from a standstill, Ando smiled. What Hiro didn't know was that Nathan's secretary had called to confirm the meeting for tomorrow. He and Sakura already had plane tickets to New York, and we're leaving for the airport in five minutes. They might be late, but they would be there.

Will Stone

Hershey, Pennsylvania

He sat in the car while Gavin dealt with hotel clerk. Mackenzie and Teagan had gone with him, at Will's request. He wanted a moment to himself.

He'd already made up his mind before they hit Pennsylvania. As soon as he had a chance, he was leaving. They'd draw less attention that way. Without him, they wouldn't be in as much danger, and he could return to his midnight fights with street thugs, or whatever path he decided to take.

With some mastery, Will thought, he might soon be an Agent, fighting the big boys alongside Parkman or Tisdale, or some new rookie like him. The thought made him happy, but most of all, he knew he had to get away from Mackenzie. He'd decided somewhere in Kansas. Teagan was right about him. He wasn't good enough for Mackenzie. She deserved so much better than an alcoholic or a failed writer. She spent so much time with him, that she nearly believed the lies that one day, he would make it, that his first book would reach the best sellers list, and he would sell like Stephen King.

Some dreams never come true, and some were never meant to. It was to forge a new dream, in New York. All he had to do was cut that last line.

Claire Bennet

Odessa, Texas

She waited for Nathan to pick up the phone. She'd been trying figure out what she needed to do with her life, ever since Seattle. She couldn't stay in New York anymore, not with Peter there, the way he was now. Nathan seemed determined to keep her separate from him. With Noah's death, there was no real reason to try anymore. It was time to forge out a life of her own, on her own.

"Claire, it's good to hear from you," Nathan answered. He'd told her to call anytime, night or day, and she took him up on that. "How are you doing?"

"Nathan, I'm not coming back," she said, quickly, forcing it out before she thought otherwise.

"If you want to stay in Texas, that's fine, Claire. I'll come down to visit when I can, and you can come up here for vacations and what-not, and…"

"I won't be staying in Texas, either." This was the part she knew Nathan would have a problem with.

Silence seemed to ring out from the other end of the phone. Finally, he spoke again, all his soothing voice gone. "What do you mean, you won't be staying in Texas?"

"Exactly that," Claire said. "I need to find my place in the world, on my own."

She knew that on the other end of the line, Nathan was struggling for words; not just any words, the right ones. He must have finally decided, because he spoke. "Claire, can we talk about this later? I have something going on here at the house."

"Sure," Claire said.

"Just don't do anything until we talk again, okay?"

It wasn't no like she thought it would be. "That sounds fair."

"Alright, I have to go. I love you, Claire," Nathan said, before he hung up.

It wasn't a mistake. Claire heard what she thought she did. It was such a strange move for Nathan; she didn't see it coming. She supposed it could be true, but he didn't even give her a chance to respond. What the hell was he playing at?

She hung up, waiting for the answer to come to her.

Nathan Petrelli

Petrelli Mansion, New York

"You look like you've just seen a ghost," Parkman said. "Something up?"

Nathan shook his head. "Let's just get this done before Heidi gets home. I don't want her to know what we're planning to do. I've got a way to get her out of the house tomorrow for the meeting. Thanks to Peter, that is."

He sat down with Parkman, talking about tomorrow's meeting on Prometheus; about how Matt wanted to question Peter about his time in the All Gift program; Hiro's weird connection to the group; the connection with Company; whether or not to show off the flash drive to Hiro, since he wasn't technically part of the Agency. All the time, Nathan thought about what he said to Claire.

He really wanted to mean it, but he didn't know if he did, yet. It was only a matter of time he supposed, but now that he said, time was no longer a luxury. Oh, god, what had he done?