Laney woke up to Peter once again running around getting ready, "my mom is going to be here soon you should get dressed."
Laney sat up and stretched looking around the room a bit to adjust then hopping out of bed and digging through the pile of clothes she had bought, finding a sheer sleeveless tunic blouse with embroidered patterns on it and a bandeau top and another pair of blue jeans. She quickly slipped her outfit on and ran her fingers through her hair sleepily as she put on some roman style studded sandal she had bought. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth while Peter answered the knocking at the door. "Hi mom." He said embracing Angela Petrelli and letting her in the apartment.
Laney stepped out of the bathroom bouncily and kinda surprised at the site of Angela who had never understood why Peter found so much interest in an orphaned middle class girl that dressed as if she was spit out of the past and into the future. "Hey, Ms. Petrelli!"
Angela looked her up and down for a minute and shook her head, "hello Laney. I never thought I would see you again."
Peter went in to go pour a cup of coffee for his mother as Angela remained standing staring off into though and Laney sat down at the table.
"I think this whole focusing on work thing is getting to me. I've been told by more than one person I've closed myself from human connection." He said walking back in and handing Angela a mug, "here, mom. Mom, careful. It's hot. It's hot. So this is me, trying to connect again. Starting with you my family. The half that showed up at least."
"You did call Nathan right?" Angela began to study the wall of newspaper clippings Peter had collected but was still lost in her thoughts.
"Yeah a couple times, mom. So I'm thinking if-."
"You didn't just talk to the aide, that Elizabeth woman is a phone message black hole."
"Could we just focus on me for second, mom?" Peter said as he came back carrying a cup of coffee for himself. They joined Laney at the table and Peter set down a glass of water for her, smiling at her a bit as they began to try to enjoy breakfast, "I thought being a paramedic, saving the most people possible. That would fill that hole, but I—Mom."
"Yes, yes you're right, Nathan will be fine. Let's just um, go on with what you were saying, start over."
Laney felt Peter's aggravation in his voice as he spoke, "I'm not starting over, mom."
"I thought you said it was important?"
"I got to go, got to get to work." Peter said getting up and heading to get his jacket.
"I think I'll stay for a little while." Angela announced as he put on his coat. "Maybe Nathan is running late."
Laney stood up in aggravation and walked over to put on her jacket as well. Peter raised a brow at her and saw the same aggravation on her face that was plastered onto his. She widened her eyes at him as she adjusted her jacket and mouthed the words, 'I'm not staying here with her' to him and watched the smirk come across his face, he kissed her forehead and then went back to his mother, "Good seeing you." He kissed her on the cheek and made his way to the door with Laney close behind.
"Hey, hey!" Angela called after them and held out her hand for Peter.
"Yes?" Peter said walking back over to her and taking her hand.
"You work to much." She said grabbing his face. "You know that."
"I do. Bye." Peter said as he walked back over to the door and sped off, with Laney scoffing a bit as she left to behind him. Laney found herself walking towards the place she never thought she would find herself at ever again. That apartment building was condemned soon after what had happened to her there. She walked up the steps of the building and into the breezy broken foyer. Folding her arms across her chest and pulling her jacket closed a bit more. She walked carefully through the bottom floor of the building and found herself in her own personal hell. She stared around the vine and graffiti covered walls of the small room that had for the longest time been the birth place of all her nightmares. Her eyes became wet with tears and her sobs began to fill the room as she fell on her knees to the floor. Remembering it as if it was just yesterday that it happened.
Thirteen year old, Laney sat in the back seat of her grandma's car as they headed in the direction of her uncles. She always hated going over to his booze soaked apartment more than grandma Ivy hated leaving her there, but she had very important doctors appointments to handle and couldn't have Laney there. Laney sketishly walked in the door as her uncle opened it adjusting her fedora and pulling her oversized coat back up on her shoulders. Her uncle's eyes watched every step she made in his tiny apartment, but today was different. He followed her to the couch and sat down beside her, the whiskey in his breath made her want to vomit as she kept her attention directed at the TV. He leaned down and inhaled the scent of her hair and neck causing her to squirm in her seat.
"Uncle Brad, I think I'm gonna go outside now." She stood up to walk out but was stopped by his grasp around her wrist.
"Laney, you're looking more and more grown up everyday." He said standing up and taking another sip from his bottle, tightening his grasp as Laney struggled against it.
"Let me go." She said slamming her fist and feet into his chest and legs. He set down his bottle and swiped his free hand across her face causing her fedora to fall from her head and her long brown locks to fall a bit more freely but motionless as she was at that point. He pushed her down to the ground and climbed on top of her, she whispered to herself, "No stop," several times but after he placed himself inside of her all she could do was whimper and let the tears roll down her face as she continued her pleas against him, her eyes never leaving that fedora.
Laney's memories brought her so much anger she let go she watched as everything in the room began to float around banging into the walls and then became surprised when the ground began to shake and that room began to sink into the earth before her, the vines pulling it deeper and deeper until it was gone completely and green grass and beautiful flowers began to bloom it's place. She scooted away from where the doorway once stood and where a small garden now was, staring at it in amazement and then staring at herself in a broken piece of glass beside her. She stood up and looked back to the garden with smiling as she wiped the tears from her face.
"Laney, what did your grandma say when you told her?" A young Peter asked.
"I didn't tell her." The same young Laney hung her head trying to hide her face from her dearest friend, who only grabbed her hand and began to walk.
"Come on, we're going to tell her."
"Peter, Peter we can't!" Laney protested tugging against his pull.
"Why can't we, she deserves to know, Laney. She's the only one who can help keep him away from you."
"Peter, it'll kill her we can't. I can't, I can't do that to her."
"But he did worse to you!" Peter said beginning to drag her again.
"Isn't there something else we can do?"
"The Police."
"That's not much of a difference, either way grandma is gonna get hurt."
"Not as hurt as you are now." Peter said staring at Laney, whose bus was pulling up now. They hugged before she climbed on and Laney whispered to him, "Peter please don't, don't tell anyone."
"Alright."
"Promise me!" She said squeezing him harder.
"I'm not promising." He said releasing her and watching as she made her way to the back of the bus.
Laney smiled as tears of happiness fell down her cheeks. She walked through the tiny garden brushing her fingertips on the leaves and petals of the plants, and suddenly stopped by a familiar sight. She knelt down and dusted off the old black fedora running her fingers along it and adjusting the feather in the side before putting it on her head and walking out of the building and in the direction of the hospital.
Laney finds Peter with Emma playing the piano, she silently watches them and listens to their conversation realizing he is helping her with her ability. She becomes saddened when Emma leaves but takes a seat next to Peter. "Hi, Pete."
"Hey Laney." he said wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing her head. She pulled away from him and smiled grabbing his hand.
"I have something to tell you." She said adjusting herself and showing great enthusiasm about what she was going to share, "I went back."
"You went back, where?" Peter said with a confused smile on his face.
"To the apartment building." Peter pulled away from her confused and slightly angered by the thought of returning to that place.
"Don't, it's not like that. I don't know why I went back but I did and I discovered something." She got up, noticing a dying plant across the room and brought it back over where they were sitting. "Just watch." She relaxed and held her hand over the plant and stared at Peter watching his reaction as the dead plant became green once more and sprouted a flower.
"Well, gravity and plants. You sure you aren't mother Earth?" He chuckled kissing her forehead. "Pretty awesome, Lane. You ok?"
"I wasn't at first, everything came back to me. The memories, what happened, what you did. But then it was all ok." She smiled at him nodding her head. "Just like it was back then after everything was out and in the open."
"That's good. I'm done here so let's go back home." Peter said pulling her up from her seat and placing the plant back where it was sitting before.
Peter was discouraged walking into the empty apartment, "So much for human connection."
Laney had already made her way to the bedroom at had begun removing her shoes, "Well, you still got one human hanging around." She said hinting to herself then screaming at the sight of the little Asian man that appeared behind Peter.
"Peter Petrelli?"
"Hiro." The man fell the ground and Peter quickly jumped into action as Laney sat frozen on the bed unable to move.