Chapter 2: Good News

Joy Marshall hovered nervously at the gated entrance to the school's baseball field where the boy's baseball practice had run late. After three years of admiring Nathan Petrelli from afar she had finally gathered the courage to invite him on a study date, without actually calling it that. She had always shied away from asking him in front of his ever-present posse of friends and teammates, recognizing that he was more likely to say yes without an audience. After doing a bit of research she learned that as captain he was expected to stay after practice and put away the equipment while his friends went home, providing the perfect opportunity for an ambush.

'Its not an ambush,' she mentally corrected herself. 'I'm asking a friend to study, no big deal. Why am I so nervous?' Just as she checked her watch once more, hoping practice would end before it got to be too late, she saw the players begin to slowly trickle out of the locker room and through the gates. She tried to make herself look inconspicuous, which was hard considering that she was wearing a plaid uniform and standing against a chain link fence, and most of the boys walked right past her. A boy from her science class stopped to say hi but she made it perfectly clear that she didn't want to talk. Imagine if Nathan had walked out and seen her with another boy! All her plans would have been for naught. After about ten more minutes of anxious waiting she saw Nathan begin to walk in her direction. The girl made a truly valiant attempt at conjuring an air of nonchalance but she couldn't seem to stop repeatedly smoothing the pleats of her skirt or dusting nonexistent fluff from her shirtfront.

"Hey Joy," said Nathan as he drew closer. She could smell his freshly washed hair and she had to bite her lip to stop from giggling, which she considered silly and juvenile. "What are you doing here after four?"

"French club had an end of the year party that went a little long," she lied. "Our driver is picking me up at 4:30."

"In front of the baseball field?" asked Nathan incredulously. "Doesn't the French club meet on the other side of the school?"

"Umm, yeah…" said Joy, her hands tightly grasping her backpack straps as she quickly though of an explanation. "I guess this is just more of a direct route from my house. How did practice go?"

"Great!" he said enthusiastically, effectively guided off the topic of Joy's presence on the field. "I think we have a really good chance of winning. You're going to the game, right?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it," she said as she fought a rising blush, her hopes for an affirmative answer rising with his every word.

"Terrific, we could use all the support we can get."

The two stood in silence for several moments, Joy trying to form the decisive words while Nathan wondered why she was acting so strangely. As the silence became rather awkward Nathan shifted his backpack and said, "I guess I should be going."

He was walking away when she said, "Nathan, wait!" He turned and watched as she ran toward him. Throwing all caution to the wind she crossed her fingers behind her back and said, "I was wondering if you might be interested in coming over to my house to study tonight."

Nathan, who was truly confused by the normally staid Joy's out of character behavior, responded by saying "Study?"

Joy, who knew it was too late to back out, said, "Yes, you know for our history final tomorrow."

Nathan raised an eyebrow and said suspiciously, "You, Joy Marshall, need help studying?" Joy's pride in her sterling academic reputation refused to let him think that she actually needed his help, so she said, "Well, not really. I just thought it would be beneficial to have someone to review with. Mom and dad are too busy and my nanny leaves at six, so…I just thought you might…you know…want to?"

The boy stared, watching as she grew steadily redder with every stammer. He began to consider the possibility that she just might be asking him on a study date. 'Date?' he thought. 'Oh man…' He was flattered, naturally. He had always thought that Joy was kinda cute. She was definitely smart. And funny. He was about to say yes when he remembered something that spelled doom for Joy's high hopes. 'Dad.'

"Joy, that sounds like a really good idea. We would definitely review well together," he said, not realizing how crushing a blow his next words would be for the young girl, "but its just…today is a really bad day and I don't think…oh, no…no, Joy don't cry," he said in a frightened voice as the girl's chin began to quiver and her eyes grew moist.

"I'm not going to cry!" she protested with a sort of strained warble. "Why should I cry," she continued in an unnaturally high voice, trying desperately to compose herself until she could run far, far away. "There's nothing to cry about. I just invited you to study at my house. And today's not a good day. No big deal." She attempted a laugh, though it sounded more like a choked sob, at which point she turned and ran praying that she would never see Nathan again.

Nathan watched in horror as she sprinted across the field. He had no idea what to do about the situation. His mother scorned women who became weepy messes at the drop of a hat, calling them weak and disgraceful; so he had absolutely no experience with the consoling of crying women. Should he go after her and apologize for whatever it was he had done? Or should he give her space until she calmed down? Was he now obligated to buy her flowers?

Still unsure exactly what was happening, Nathan dropped his bag and ran after the girl, shouting for her to stop. Joy was pretty far away by the time Nathan was moved to action and he wasn't sure if she had heard his call. She hadn't stopped so Nathan assumed that she was out of hearing range. Though Joy was surprisingly fast on land Nathan knew that he could far outstrip her by taking to the skies. So, pushing his feet against the short grass, Nathan projected himself into the air.

He flew higher and faster than the situation truly called for, but he figured that it couldn't hurt to wow the girl a bit. He soared directly over Joy, the soft rustling of the wind against his blazer drawing the girl's attention. She gasped and immediately stopped, her eyes round in amazement. The teen boy smirked at the obvious affect he had on her. Forcing himself downward he landed soundlessly about two feet from where Joy stood.

Joy, her eyes still huge, said, "That was really cool."

"Thanks," replied Nathan coolly, his smirk verging on cocky before he remembered why he had flown over to her in the first place. "Joy, I wanted to tell you that I really meant what I said…that is, I do seriously want to study with you." He was talking quickly so that he could have his say without interruption from the notoriously vociferous Joy. "When I said it was a bad day I only meant that my dad is coming home tonight after being gone for a month and he's going to expect me to be home when he gets there. I swear it's the truth."

Joy's hope somewhat restored, she simply said, "Oh. I understand." She smiled weakly and actually managed to look Nathan in the eye. "My dad travels a lot too. Maybe another time then."

"Actually, I was thinking…" said Nathan hesitantly. "We eat dinner pretty early and my dad locks himself up in his study after that, so maybe you could come over to my place then. We have plenty of room so no one will bother us. Plus, Cook makes the best chocolate torte you've ever tasted." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "What do you think?"

"Well," she said before silently counting to five. Her older sister had advised her never to answer a boy too quickly or he'll think you're desperately pathetic and lose interest. "Yeah, that sounds like it could work."

"Great," he said with a relieved grin. "Do you know where I live?"

"Of course," she said, the knowledge that she kind of had a date suddenly making her feel very discomfited. "Everyone knows where the Petrellis live."

"Right. So, see you around seven?"

"Okay. Well, bye," said Joy with a nervous laugh.

Nathan said his own awkward farewell and jogged over to get his backpack from where he had dropped it earlier. Ensuring that Joy was at a safe distance, Nathan shouted "Yes!" and pumped his fist in the air. He knew none of his friends had been on a date before and he was feeling like quite the man. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Nathan pushed off the ground once more. He technically wasn't supposed to fly in his uniform as the sky is a surprisingly moist place and many of his outfits had been ruined in-flight, to his mother's great annoyance. Yet, at the moment, even the threat of his mother's wrath wasn't enough to dampen his high spirits. He spiraled into the clouds until the dizziness became overwhelming and, laughing happily, he took to floating through the atmosphere.

He loved flying. It was an incredibly freeing experience for the boy, who had more burdens and expectations on his young shoulders than was fair. On the ground he was constantly aware of his position as a Petrelli and the heritage that was inherited along with the name, meaning he was expected to work hard and succeed in all he did. He had to be popular at school and respectful at home. Petrellis had to be top athletes and top of the class. No failure. No complaining. No exceptions. In the air, though, he was just Nathan. The clouds didn't expect anything of him. The birds didn't remind him of his many obligations. It was just the clear blue expanse and Nathan, the boy who could fly.

Honestly, he was always surprised by how much people were awed by flight. Every time someone asked him "How do you do it?" he felt at a loss for words. He'd been at it since he was six years old, only about five years after he had learned to walk. He just…flew. He had best explained it to his physician, Dr. Suresh, by saying: "I feel like I have this internal energy that's trying to escape and it forces everything inside me to kind of push out. The next thing I know I'm in the air. From there on it's like walking or talking or swimming. When I want to get up from a chair I don't consciously instruct my legs to extend or straighten. It's the same when I'm flying."

Nathan was jolted from his pleasant musings by the loud beeping of the alarm feature on his watch warning him that it was 4:30. Recalling that he had to be dressed and ready for dinner by five, Nathan did a few more loops and barrel rolls and then sped through the air with an immense burst of energy, directing himself towards home.

Angela Petrelli put down her hairbrush as she finally heard the front door of her home open and slam shut followed by a noisy clambering on the stairs, signaling that her son was home. "Nathan," she said loudly as she heard footsteps in the hallway outside her door.

"Yeah, ma?" inquired her son without opening the door.

"You know better than to shout from the hallway," she scolded as she continued dressing for dinner. Nathan reluctantly pushed the door open, knowing that he would receive the usual harsh reprimand for his drenched clothing. Angela surveyed his appearance and with a long-suffering sigh said, "I don't have time to deal with this Nathan. Your father will be home in fifteen minutes. I expect you in the drawing room, showered and dressed, in ten."

Nathan expected brusqueness from his no-nonsense mother, but the especially severe set to her shoulders along with the worry lines in her usually smooth brow told him that something wasn't right. Besides, she always had time to lay into him when he had behaved inappropriately. "You okay, ma?" he asked from the door, knowing better than to trod her fine carpets with wet shoes. The woman pursed her lips in such a fashion that Nathan could tell she was considering whether or not to confide in her son. However she must have decided to hold her tongue because she just said, "I'm fine" and told the teen to go and change.

Fifteen minutes later Nathan and his parents were seated at the dining table. When he arrived at precisely 4:55 Arthur Petrelli pecked his wife on the cheek, gave his son a hearty hand shake, listened to the brief summary of events that had taken place in his absence and then ushered his family into the dining room just as the clock struck five. Arthur Petrelli lived for punctuality, a sad fact that gives great insight into his character. Petrelli senior was a brilliant lawyer but demanding and rather unaffectionate as a husband and father. No doubt he loved his family in his own unique manner, but he was a hard man to live with. Nathan wasn't even exactly sure what his father's ability fully entailed. The few times that Nathan had broached the subject he was told: "It's my burden to bear. Don't concern yourself." Dinner was always a quiet affair, as Mr. Petrelli believed table talk was an indecorous display of poor upbringing. Tonight, however, Angela had an announcement that was destined to rock her husband's perfect Petrelli world.

After taking a few small bites Angela realized that she couldn't harbor her secret for another minute. So, she pressed her napkin to her mouth, took a breath and said, "There's something you both should know."

Nathan, who was mid-bite, lowered his fork and after observing his father's curious yet wary look he turned his attention to his mother, who appeared slightly nervous yet determined.

"I'm pregnant," she said calmly, her head held high and a defiant gleam in her eye as she met her husband's bewildered expression. Their son's first reaction was to laugh, thinking that his mother couldn't possibly be serious. When his laughter was met by a fearsome glance from his mother he quickly sobered.

The older Petrelli pinched the bridge between his eyes as if staving off a headache. "You're sure?" he asked in a low voice.

"Very," replied Angela, her expression unreadable. "According to the doctor I'm at least four months along." The room was quiet as Arthur sat back in his chair, looking at his wife through enraged eyes.

"This could not have come at a worse time," he said as he stood and began to pace the room.

"Well, Arthur, I'm very sorry about the timing," his wife answered sarcastically.

"How could you be so stupid?" He stopped right beside her chair, looking down at her with his hands at his waist, communicating very aggressive body language.

"I'm stupid?" she asked, her mask beginning to slip. "I didn't realize I was solely responsible for the procreation of our children. This was a joint effort, Arthur and I couldn't be happier."

"You're actually happy about this disaster? Angela…" he said threateningly as he took a step toward her. Angela stood and met his glare. "What Arthur?"

The man glanced at Nathan, who had focused his stare on his dinner plate in an effort to escape the angry scene, and said, "I'm going to the office. We'll discuss this later." He was out of the house in less than two minutes.

"Well," said Angela when it was just she and Nathan. "Do you have anything to say?"

Nathan's egocentric thirteen-year-old brain could only consider the adverse affects that the introduction of a baby would inevitably have on his life. Thusly, he made the following unfortunate reply: "I think its gross and embarrassing."

"Really," she replied shortly.

"Come on, ma, you're too old to have a baby! Do you know how much my friends will make fun of me? This is so unfair." He sat hunched over his plate, violently stabbing his food. Mrs. Petrelli inhaled deeply and without looking at her son dismissed him from the table. Nathan stomped away and marched loudly up the stairs never considering that his mother, the strong, resilient, unemotional woman who had given him life, might be crying into her napkin in the silent dining room.

An hour later Nathan was immersed in a mind-numbing video game when he was disrupted by a knock on the door. "Yeah?" he shouted from his position in front of his television.

"Nathan? It's Joy. We were going to study, remember?" Nathan cursed and jumped up. He had completely forgotten Joy in the excitement of the evening. "Yeah of course, just a second." He straightened his shirt and checked his hair in the mirror before sprinting to the door.

"Is everything okay?" asked Joy after they had exchanged greetings and he had invited her into his room.

"Unh…why do you ask that?" he inquired uncomfortably.

"I don't know," she answered, "It just seems really tense here."

"Yeah, well, my mom kind of dropped a bomb on us at dinner," he replied as he threw himself into a chair.

"What happened?" she asked, perching on the edge of his bed.

"She announced that she's pregnant," he answered, figuring that his friend would find out eventually anyway. "Can you believe that?"

"A baby?" Joy squealed. "Oh my gosh, I am so jealous. You must be so excited!"

"Are you kidding me?" asked Nathan, a little put off by her zeal. "If you want it you can have it."

"You're not glad?" asked a disbelieving Joy. "Who doesn't like babies?"

"Why would I want some little kid wandering around here messing everything up? I like my life the way it is, sans baby. Its going to be noisy and smelly and sticky. Plus it'll need all kinds of attention and time."

"Does your mom feel the same way?"

"She said she's happy about it, but she's a girl. All girls like babies."

"You didn't tell her that you didn't want the baby, did you?" asked Joy hopefully.

"I said exactly what I think, that the whole thing is gross and embarrassing," replied Nathan proudly.

"You didn't."

"I did."

"Nathan Petrelli," she stood clutching her book to her chest, "that's horrible!"

"What's so horrible about speaking my mind?" asked Nathan as he too stood to he feet.

"She's having a baby and you, her son, said to her face that it's gross and embarrassing. Ugh, you disgust me," she said as she moved towards the door. "I can't believe I actually liked you."

"What?" shouted Nathan, not understanding how his first date had deteriorated so quickly.

"I thought you were different, Nathan," she said as she crossed the threshold to his room. "I thought you were a nice boy, but I guess I was wrong. You're just a spoiled, selfish, rich brat like all the other boys at school and I feel so sorry for your mother and that baby. See you around." Nathan didn't try to follow her.

Much as he was loath to admit it, he was both hurt and convicted by her harsh words. He considered going and talking to his mom but apologizing did not come naturally to Nathan. Besides, he still didn't want the baby and he still thought it was gross, he just wished he hadn't told his mom. Nathan decided he would talk to her the next morning, opting instead to do some last minute studying at his desk. The boy, emotionally and physically exhausted, fell asleep with his head in his history book about twenty minutes into his study session. He probably would have stayed there all night if he hadn't been awoken at about midnight by loud voices from his parent's room a few doors down.

Nathan knew that he shouldn't eavesdrop on his parent's private conversation but he rationalized that they were undoubtedly discussing the baby, which in turn affected him. He crept down the hall and knelt in front of their door, straining to hear every word. Though his father's voice would have seemed steady and sober to a casual observer, Nathan's years of experience with a heavily drinking father allowed him to hear the nuances in the man's speech that betrayed the alcohol he had imbibed. And he was a mean drunk.

"Nathan will be fourteen in a few months. Four short years of high school and then he's off to college. That means only four more years till you're free to do all the things you put off doing when Nathan was born. You know how upset everyone was when you abandoned your post in our community and you know how badly everyone wants you back. This child would mean at least 18 more years before you could do any of that. By that time you'll be nearing sixty. I know you Angela. That's not the life you were meant for. It's not the life you want."

"You can't honestly believe that I haven't considered all of that Arthur. I can do simple arithmetic, thank you. You're acting as if I planned this pregnancy and even though I did not, it doesn't have to be the end of all our goals. I'm more experienced as a mother now; I know I can handle more responsibility among the APs and raise this child at the same time. Besides I guarantee you that I am pregnant. This baby is coming in less than five months so why do you insist on talking as if there's something you could do to change that?"

"There is something," he said so quietly that Nathan had to put his ear to the crack at the floor in order to hear. "Get rid of it."

Absolute silence followed.

"Are you suggesting…"

"You know what I'm suggesting," he interrupted harshly.

"No, I want to clarify," said Angela angrily. "You're talking about abortion."

In the moments that Arthur was silent Nathan felt a chill run down his spine. He knew what that word meant and he was horrified that his father could consider doing that to Nathan's brother or sister.

It was at this moment that Nathan's mind fully registered the magnitude of what was happening and the realization left him breathless. That wasn't just some kid. That was his brother.

He brought his attention back to his parents in time to hear his father utter a low "Yes." There was the sound of quick footsteps followed by a sharp cracking sound, which turned out to be Angela slapping her husband across the face.

"I hate you for that, Arthur," she said calmly. "I really do."

"I wouldn't expect any less from you, my dear." A heavy tread walking towards the door alerted Nathan to duck around the corner and he watched as his father stormed from the house for the second time that day.

Nathan felt an incredible sadness pressing upon him. His father, controlling and harsh as he may be, was his hero and the boy was disheartened by his behavior. This was the first in what would become a series of disillusioning scenes that would later force Nathan to see his father for the man he truly was.

He knew his mother would need him so he entered her room and asked if she was all right. Without asking how much he had heard Angela told her son to sit beside her at a cushioned bench under a large window. "If you fly high enough, Nathan, can you escape all these lights and see the stars?" she asked. It was a strange question and Nathan answered honestly, telling his mother that he had never tried.

"Try, Nathan," she said in an oddly urgent voice, "Promise me that you'll try."

He promised.

Her eyes regained their flint-like quality but she took his hand in a rare maternal gesture and said abruptly, "Your father will never love this baby, Nathan. Not like he loves you. He's already determined that this experience will be a spectacular mistake for which I will be completely at fault, and you know how stubborn your father can be. I'm prepared to accept that. The baby will always have me, of course, but he'll need you too Nathan. You'll need to fill that space in his heart reserved for his father."

"He?" asked Nathan after a few moments of considering his mother's words. Angela smiled and rested one hand on her only slightly swollen abdomen, the other holding Nathan's softly.

"Yes," she answered. "It's a boy."

Wow…that took me a long time to write. I'd love to hear your thoughts on my humble offering. Thanks for reading.