AN: Here we are at another chapter! Woohoo!! So many kind reviews too! I hope you all like this chapter, I really enjoyed writting it!!
Review replies, along with a Hero High FAQ after the chap. enjoy!
This chapter is dedicated to RBDFAN, my ever loyal reviewer, and the inspiration for this chapter!!
Chapter 7: Everything
"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you," the soft voice apologized. Peter looked at the young girl who was sitting on the steps a few feet from him. She had big blue eyes and a fair face. Her hair was a soft golden color.
"I just didn't see you at first," Peter replied, chiding himself for being so paranoid…but after a dream as vivid and terrifying as the one he had earlier it was hard not to be jumpy.
"It's alright," She said with a smile. "I mean people aren't normally at the school this late."
"Ya," He agreed. "Are you with…"
"I'm waiting on my father," She confirmed. "I'm Claire."
"Peter," he replied smiling at her. "And I'm waiting on my brother." She patted the step beside her.
"Have a seat Peter, it's not exactly a 'lazyboy' but it does the job," She bid him. He grinned. Something about this little girl calmed the parts of his soul that had been going crazy for weeks now. As Peter took a seat beside her, his hair fell away from his forehead.
"Aww what happened?" Claire inquired brushing away the remaining locks and gently touching his bandage.
"I fell," he replied lamely. She gave him a skeptical look and Peter found himself wondering if everyone in the world could read him like a book.
"It looks pretty bad," She commented.
"It feels pretty bad," he replied. "…or at least it did." He realized that it had stopped hurting when she touched him. The dull ache was gone from his shoulder, and the agonizing throbbing gone from his head.
Claire didn't seem bothered by the unusual response. Peter knew this to be one of the wonderful qualities of kids. Sometimes they saw right through you and sometimes they could be completely oblivious. So instead of picking up on Peter's confusion, Claire merely seemed annoyed.
"Something wrong?" Peter asked softly. The little girl's smile had turned itself upside down. This look of utter frustration was actually quite comical on her young face.
"Yes. Daddy said he'd be quick. We haven't had dinner yet and I'm hungggggggrrry!" She replied, dragging out the last word for emphasis. Peter couldn't help but chuckle, which made the girl look more indignant.
"I'm sorry." I raised my hands in defense. "Why don't you go see what's keeping him?" Claire perked up at the thought.
"Good idea!" She replied excitedly. "Bye Peter!" With that she frolicked off happily. Peter smiled after her, letting her warmth rest with him a little longer. But inevitably his mind reeled back to the horrifying dream.
"It's just a dream Peter," he whispered. But somewhere in the deeper reaches of his soul he had learned a long time ago the difference between dreams and…whatever this was.
He suppressed a shuddered and turned to watch the cars passing by. The headlights cast shadows about the trees. Shadows that reminded him of the darkness that crept around his mind when the strange feeling of pain hit…
Peter shook his head in a desperate attempt to cast out the memory of that dream. He rested his forehead against his hands. His dreams used to be a solace, his hiding place when the world became too much to bare. But now they were as cold and unfriendly as the world he used them to escape from.
Slowly the youngest Petrelli boy opened his eyes and felt his breath hitch in his throat. He was standing in the crowded hallway of school. Students—both familiar and new—passed him by unnoticed. Peter watched as they seemed to blur together until he could not make out a single distinct feature. He felt removed from their laughter and conversations like listening to sounds underwater.
Peter reached out to the nearest student, but even his hand could not reach them. He tried to cry out but the sound caught in his throat. A clear mirthless laugh rang out. It was not muffled like the other sounds, but clear. He whipped around and saw a figure at the end of the hall.
A shadow cast across the man face, hiding his features from sight. Peter stepped forward.
"Who are you?" Peter asked breathlessly. His only response was another laugh, somehow even colder than the first. The person pointed a finger and pain shot across Peter's forehead. It was the same as before, only worse…more real.
Peter screamed out.
----
Nathan pulled into the school parking lot. He had broken dozen traffic laws to get there, but at that moment he did not care. He had searched everywhere for Peter when he discovered the younger boy's absence, and Peter's terrified voice on the phone had done little to calm his nerves.
He got out of the car and was instantly met with a sound that chilled him to the very bone. A horrific scream rang out across the parking lot. Without a second thought Nathan ran toward the stairs of the school.
Nathan saw his brother sitting on the stairs letting out the deathly cry. The older Petrelli grabbed Peter's shoulders and shook him hard.
"Peter!"
Wide brown eyes flew open and stared up at him in terror.
"Na…Na…Nathan," The younger boy stuttered. Nathan grabbed his shoulder and pulled Peter into a tight embrace.
"I'm here Pete, I'm here," he whispered reassuringly. He felt the tremors running through Peter's slender frame. "Are you ok?" Nathan asked, pushing Peter away enough to check him for any new injuries. The younger Petrelli gave a shaky nod.
"It was a…dream," Peter replied without conviction. He looked pleadingly into Nathan's eyes. "Can…we go home?"
"Ya," Nathan responded, trying to make his voice reassuring as possible. He helped his brother up and led him to the car. They got in the vehicle in silence. Nathan pulled out of the parking lot, all the while casting worried glances his brother's way.
Peter's eyes stayed focused on the window, conveniently keeping the revealing brown orbs out of Nathan's view. Shudders continued to rack his body. Peter pushed a lock of black hair away from his face. He could feel Nathan's eyes piercing into him.
Peter heard his brother let out a sigh and suddenly Nathan pulled over to the side of the road.
"What's wrong? Why are we stopping?" Peter asked, finally looking up.
"Look Pete, I've been patient. I haven't pushed you," Nathan's voice trembled as if trying to suppress something—though what it was, Peter couldn't guess. "But dang it Peter! I think I deserve answers." Peter gave a resigned sigh.
"What do you want to know?" He asked.
"Everything!" Nathan replied empathically. Peter turned his gaze to Nathan.
"Everything?"
----
Peter walked into the kitchen and sunk down onto a stool. Gran rushed over as soon as he entered and hugged him tightly, almost knocking him off his precarious perch.
"Oh Peter! We were so worried about you! Where have you been?" Her tone switched from concern to scolding in record time.
"At school," Peter replied honestly. Nathan stormed inside the room and over to them without a word. Peter found some amusement in imagining that you could cook rice on Nathan's head since he was steaming so much. Gran had to have noticed this as well, but if she did she did not show it. She put on a more pleasant expression and scurried out of the room muttering something about changing Peter's bandage to a clean one.
Peter looked back at Nathan and sighed again. Nathan had asked for everything and that was what he got. Peter started with the strange dreams he had on the night their father ended up in the hospital. He told about the first few confrontations with Brody. He hesitated slightly when he got to the bleachers but a subtle prodding from Nathan spurred him on. He watched as Nathan turned red with angry as he described how he got the injuries and still he continued.
Finally he reached the closet and the horrific dream. He told about Mr. Bennet waking him up and then walking outside just to meet Claire. Peter left out the warm feeling Claire gave him, and how he felt miraculously better, though he was not sure why he omitted these details.
His voice shook as he went on to the dream he had on the steps. Nathan remained silent the whole time, and for the rest of the way home as well.
Peter looked into his brother's intense gaze.
"Say something," Peter begged, unable to take the silence for a second longer.
"Brody will die," Nathan said with a bitter seriousness that caused Peter to let out an unexpected laugh.
"Imagine what that would do to your class presidency campaign," Peter replied, gladly letting the tension slip from the room. Nathan smirked just slightly.
"I can't be the first politician to have someone…'done away with'," Nathan jested, relieved by Peter's light hearted remark.
"Awww you would kill for me Nathan?" Peter playfully teased. Nathan kneeled down and took his brother's arm, looking up at him with unnerving sincerity.
"I would die for you Peter," he promised.
FAQ: First off I should say that chapter 8 is the last chapter!! So I thought before this story ended I would answer the questions I've got about the series and some info that you might be wondering
Q: Is this going to be a Paire (Peter/Claire) Story?
A: No. Sorry but I'm not crazy about that pairing, and even though this story is AU I'm trying to stick fairly close to the actual plot line of heroes. Obviously because of Nathan's age Claire isn't his daughter her...but there will be some plot twists ahead. Keep reading!
Q: How long will it take for all the characters to come in?
A: The main characters will come in pretty quickly over the course of the next few stories, but I will space it out a little because there are lots of stories to be told and I don't want to overload a story with a lot of characters.
Q: Will Micah and Claire be in the series even though they are some of the character's kids?
A: Some things have been changed around making this story heavily AU (Alternate Universe), however every Hero will at least enter in breifly, most will play an important role.
Review Replies:
GreenLeofiend: Thank you for all your reviews, your constant support...and helping me make sure I don't go insane with these stories. LOL! You're a great friend Stef. A true blessing in my life! -hugs-
RBDFAN: Thank you so much for your review! You seriously inspired me for this chapter!!!
TJtrack99: Sorry no, but great guess though! Zane will definatly be showing up soon...though not in this story, maybe the next one! Thanks for your review! I'm really really glad you like it!
lonely-dreamlover: Why thank you friend! I'm glad you like it! Will Nathan and Brody have a showdown? Tune in next time to find out! lol. thank you for reviewing!
Outlaw Pygmy: Claire is in this chapter. No this isn't paire. I do have an interesting twist ahead, that even show watchers won't be expecting! But as to the blonde in the dream? Well lets just say nothing has been revealed yet. Please keep reading. and thank you for the review!
supernaturalfan16: Thank you! I really apperciate that! Sometimes I worry about if I'm staying in character or not. It's always so nice to get feedback like yours!
Nekeli Makilo: Thank you!! I hope you like this chapter too! thanks for reviewing!
Icewolfblackheart: Thank you!! You don't know how much these reviews mean to me!! I get all excited everytime i get one, and they help me stay inspired! thank you much!
catgirl789: thanks a ton!! please keep reading.