Nathan's apatment, Saturday night
They had survived graduation. Much as one could call Dean's speech and an invasion of naked Jamies surviving. Oddly as far as the latter was concerned Nathan was actually glad Madrox had gone with naked. That meant there were very good odds that Angela hadn't been looking at the kid's face. At least he assumed that was why she hadn't asked about how it was possible for one family to have so many identical siblings.
Now there were less than 24 hours to go. For Angela and Nathan both. Sure Nathan could stay a little later, but it didn't make sense when he could go back home with Angela. He had a campaign he needed to be working on. Besides, having Angela with him as he hit the ground running with that increased the odds that she'd be more focused on him than on Peter.
Or at least that she'd be that way once they got home. Now? Not so much.
"I don't see what this summer is going to gain for you," Angela said to Peter. She was sitting on Nathan's couch and sipping red wine as she watched her sons pack up the final parts of Nathan's apartment. "There are ample volunteer opportunities for you at home. Particularly with programs that would ease your late entry into college."
"I'm not going to college," Peter said, ignoring Nathan's muttered suggestion of Pick your battles, Pete. "And I already have something lined up for my summer. Staying here. With Sam."
"Yeah, that's an argument that'll help," Nathan said, rolling his eyes.
Angela's lips thinned as she attempted to keep her composure. Taking the problems one at a time, she said, "What do you imagine you are going to do with your time if not college? Even if you aren't the scholar that Nathan was there are still advantages to be had by getting a college education."
"I want to help people," Peter said. He and Nathan shared a quick glance. They'd debated what sort of cover story to tell Angela. "I don't need to go to college to do that. I just need training. The kind of training that I'm getting here."
"If you wished to take on charity work there are plenty of organizations that I could introduce you to," Angela said. Then, by way of an attempted bribe, she added, "What about nursing? You know I never disapproved of that the way your father did."
"I'm not sure if nursing is for me anymore," Peter said. He concentrated on taping up a box so that he didn't have to meet Angela's eyes.
"Unemployment is?" Angela asked, her eyebrows quirking upward. "Peter, I know that I have often indulged you more than I should, but I will not allow any child of mine to become some sort of parasite upon this family or society."
"I'm not becoming a parasite!" Peter raked a hand through his hair, unable to hide his annoyance. "I'm going to have a job, I'm going to help people."
"We have his friend to thank for this," Angela told Nathan, as though she had spoken of this to him before. Which she had.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Peter demanded.
"Don't start," Nathan told him.
"Me?" Peter turned his pissed look on Nathan. "She's the one - "
"Go into the other room," Nathan said. He made sure Peter could tell he wasn't kidding. "Now."
Peter wanted to protest, he really did. But something in Nathan's look asked for Peter's trust. So Peter threw his roll of packing tape on the floor and stomped off towards Nathan's room.
"Drama queen," Nathan couldn't resist saying, though mostly for his own hearing.
"He's as emotional as ever," Angela observed.
"He's seventeen," Nathan said. "He's a walking hormone and he's Peter. What do you expect?"
"You indulge this?" Angela asked.
"I put up with it," Nathan said. He held up a hand to forestall potential arguments. "Not saying he doesn't need to grow up. But this thing? This pushing him? It's not going to work. He's only gonna sulk more."
"As his mother I don't see why I should agree to put up with that," Angela said.
Nathan sighed. In so many ways this would be easier if they weren't dealing with powers - especially Peter's. But because of that one huge secret in many ways Nathan's hands were tied. But he was a Petrelli. He could lie and manipulate with the best of them. "How about as my mother, then?"
Angela gave him a long look. "What do you mean?"
"I'm starting my campaign," Nathan said. "My first time out, I've been away from my district for about a year - don't you think I've got enough disadvantages without Pete getting in the way? I love him, Ma, but come on."
Nathan didn't mean that. He didn't totally mean that. But it would be a lie if he said that a summer of Peter in New York meant less stress for Nathan than if Peter was safely tucked away in Fandom.
"I thought he was going to work on your campaign once he returned home?" Angela asked.
"Sure, in September," Nathan said. "Only two months for me to make sure he's too busy to embarass us. Plus it's just enough time for him to help make me look more human. Win/win."
Angela looked skeptical. "You believe that will happen after he's had an entire summer with him?"
"Pete's a kid," Nathan said. He shrugged it off. "It's a miracle he's been with a single person this long. Let him have a summer to get it out of his system."
"You think so?" Angela asked.
Not really, but Nathan was willing to sell the lie if it helped them all get through the weekend. "Absolutely."
Something flashed in Angela's eyes, but she quickly hid it. "I suppose keeping him out of the limelight for now would be a wise idea."
"Good." Nathan knew when to accept a deal before it got away from him. "It's settled."
"I still don't approve of the company he's keeping," Angela warned.
Nathan was tempted to ask when Angela ever had, but he wisely kept it to himself. Instead he went to his bedroom to talk to Peter, closing the door behind him so that they could have some privacy.
Peter looked up from sending text messages to Sam. "I'm not going home."
"No, you're not," Nathan agreed. He sat down next to Peter. "No thanks to you. Jesus, Pete. Are you trying to convince her to try packing you off to military school?"
"I graduated high school," Peter reminded him.
"You're not legally anything," Nathan retorted. "She could have you committed if she wanted to."
A flash of fear went through Peter's eyes. "She doesn't think - "
"We're not there," Nathan said. "But we could be if you don't try being smart. I've got her on board with you staying her but she'll change her mind in a second if you keep pushing her."
"She was insulting Sam!" Peter was back on anger again. "I'm supposed to just let her?"
"Like she's letting you stay here, yes," Nathan said. "It is one freaking day. Shut up, smile, then enjoy your summer."
"It's not fair," Peter muttered.
Nathan reached over to put an arm around Peter's shoulders. "Welcome to life, Pete."
[establishy!]
Now there were less than 24 hours to go. For Angela and Nathan both. Sure Nathan could stay a little later, but it didn't make sense when he could go back home with Angela. He had a campaign he needed to be working on. Besides, having Angela with him as he hit the ground running with that increased the odds that she'd be more focused on him than on Peter.
Or at least that she'd be that way once they got home. Now? Not so much.
"I don't see what this summer is going to gain for you," Angela said to Peter. She was sitting on Nathan's couch and sipping red wine as she watched her sons pack up the final parts of Nathan's apartment. "There are ample volunteer opportunities for you at home. Particularly with programs that would ease your late entry into college."
"I'm not going to college," Peter said, ignoring Nathan's muttered suggestion of Pick your battles, Pete. "And I already have something lined up for my summer. Staying here. With Sam."
"Yeah, that's an argument that'll help," Nathan said, rolling his eyes.
Angela's lips thinned as she attempted to keep her composure. Taking the problems one at a time, she said, "What do you imagine you are going to do with your time if not college? Even if you aren't the scholar that Nathan was there are still advantages to be had by getting a college education."
"I want to help people," Peter said. He and Nathan shared a quick glance. They'd debated what sort of cover story to tell Angela. "I don't need to go to college to do that. I just need training. The kind of training that I'm getting here."
"If you wished to take on charity work there are plenty of organizations that I could introduce you to," Angela said. Then, by way of an attempted bribe, she added, "What about nursing? You know I never disapproved of that the way your father did."
"I'm not sure if nursing is for me anymore," Peter said. He concentrated on taping up a box so that he didn't have to meet Angela's eyes.
"Unemployment is?" Angela asked, her eyebrows quirking upward. "Peter, I know that I have often indulged you more than I should, but I will not allow any child of mine to become some sort of parasite upon this family or society."
"I'm not becoming a parasite!" Peter raked a hand through his hair, unable to hide his annoyance. "I'm going to have a job, I'm going to help people."
"We have his friend to thank for this," Angela told Nathan, as though she had spoken of this to him before. Which she had.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Peter demanded.
"Don't start," Nathan told him.
"Me?" Peter turned his pissed look on Nathan. "She's the one - "
"Go into the other room," Nathan said. He made sure Peter could tell he wasn't kidding. "Now."
Peter wanted to protest, he really did. But something in Nathan's look asked for Peter's trust. So Peter threw his roll of packing tape on the floor and stomped off towards Nathan's room.
"Drama queen," Nathan couldn't resist saying, though mostly for his own hearing.
"He's as emotional as ever," Angela observed.
"He's seventeen," Nathan said. "He's a walking hormone and he's Peter. What do you expect?"
"You indulge this?" Angela asked.
"I put up with it," Nathan said. He held up a hand to forestall potential arguments. "Not saying he doesn't need to grow up. But this thing? This pushing him? It's not going to work. He's only gonna sulk more."
"As his mother I don't see why I should agree to put up with that," Angela said.
Nathan sighed. In so many ways this would be easier if they weren't dealing with powers - especially Peter's. But because of that one huge secret in many ways Nathan's hands were tied. But he was a Petrelli. He could lie and manipulate with the best of them. "How about as my mother, then?"
Angela gave him a long look. "What do you mean?"
"I'm starting my campaign," Nathan said. "My first time out, I've been away from my district for about a year - don't you think I've got enough disadvantages without Pete getting in the way? I love him, Ma, but come on."
Nathan didn't mean that. He didn't totally mean that. But it would be a lie if he said that a summer of Peter in New York meant less stress for Nathan than if Peter was safely tucked away in Fandom.
"I thought he was going to work on your campaign once he returned home?" Angela asked.
"Sure, in September," Nathan said. "Only two months for me to make sure he's too busy to embarass us. Plus it's just enough time for him to help make me look more human. Win/win."
Angela looked skeptical. "You believe that will happen after he's had an entire summer with him?"
"Pete's a kid," Nathan said. He shrugged it off. "It's a miracle he's been with a single person this long. Let him have a summer to get it out of his system."
"You think so?" Angela asked.
Not really, but Nathan was willing to sell the lie if it helped them all get through the weekend. "Absolutely."
Something flashed in Angela's eyes, but she quickly hid it. "I suppose keeping him out of the limelight for now would be a wise idea."
"Good." Nathan knew when to accept a deal before it got away from him. "It's settled."
"I still don't approve of the company he's keeping," Angela warned.
Nathan was tempted to ask when Angela ever had, but he wisely kept it to himself. Instead he went to his bedroom to talk to Peter, closing the door behind him so that they could have some privacy.
Peter looked up from sending text messages to Sam. "I'm not going home."
"No, you're not," Nathan agreed. He sat down next to Peter. "No thanks to you. Jesus, Pete. Are you trying to convince her to try packing you off to military school?"
"I graduated high school," Peter reminded him.
"You're not legally anything," Nathan retorted. "She could have you committed if she wanted to."
A flash of fear went through Peter's eyes. "She doesn't think - "
"We're not there," Nathan said. "But we could be if you don't try being smart. I've got her on board with you staying her but she'll change her mind in a second if you keep pushing her."
"She was insulting Sam!" Peter was back on anger again. "I'm supposed to just let her?"
"Like she's letting you stay here, yes," Nathan said. "It is one freaking day. Shut up, smile, then enjoy your summer."
"It's not fair," Peter muttered.
Nathan reached over to put an arm around Peter's shoulders. "Welcome to life, Pete."
[establishy!]