(no subject)
Title: Retreat. Part 3.
Characters: Sylar/Heidi
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 1, 336
Disclaimer: Do not own.
Summery: "Nathan" wants his wife to take a break after a bad experience. AU 5YG 'verse.
Note: Gift!fic for fifmeister. I hope you like it! WIP. Heidi visits Meredith in prison.
Part: 1, 2, 3, 4
“I could have been in your place. Those oyster spits around my neck.”
Heidi sat across from the blonde woman, her fingers left the pearls and she settled her hands together on the table. She was a figure of composure, face only holding traces of distaste. Meredith watched her closely, shifting in her orange jump suit.
“Why should I believe you? Everything you have told me… I only have your word for it.”
Meredith nodded her head. “That’s true but you wouldn’t have come here, to this place, if there wasn’t a wriggle of doubt in you.”
Heidi looked around the cell, the guards at the door a security at her back. “At fist I thought you were all crazy, maybe you are but I know you risked a lot to talk to me. You all did.”
The other woman snorted. “Lord I wish I was crazy, wish I didn‘t have this knowledge. Wish I was in the dark in this place.” Her voice wavered.
Heidi swallowed convulsively. She was talking to dead woman, not only her but others, punished for her sake. “You kidnapped me, you and others. You broke the law.”
“But this isn’t a normal prison is it? Yes I broke the law but I’m in a minority in this place. How does it feel being married to a man that would lock up people for no reason?”
Heidi flushed with anger, a prickle of shame. “They are not here for no reason. They pose a risk to national security-”
“Bullshit! There’s a man here that can remember things. A woman that can float. What harm would they cause anyone?” Her back was ramrod straight with anger. Heidi felt her stomach wither. “Does he even know you are here?”
Heidi didn’t answer, just gave a short shake of the head. He had been called away and Heidi had taken her chance. He wouldn’t have let her go without a fight otherwise. He’ll find out eventually.
“We can’t take the risk…” Meredith snorted and sat back. Heidi raised her head “I came here to ask why? Why did you write to me? What is it you want?”
Meredith relaxed, shoulders lowering and reached for the cigarette box on the table. “Thanks for these, I’ve missed the little cancer sticks. Got a light?” She smiled at Heidi’s sharp look as she stood up and warily lit the cigarette, never taking her eyes off the other woman. “Relax, I’m not gonna do nothing to you. They’ll have my ass.” Her gaze flicked to stare at the door and then back again. She smiled in reassurance and Heidi felt sick. She nodded and sat back down.
“Ms Gordon-”
“Meredith.”
Heidi paused before nodding. “Meredith. I want it made clear to you that I think it’s wrong, unlawful, what is being done to you. I want you to believe that that, no matter the reason that brought us here. I’m sorry.”
The other woman was quiet for a long time, staring as the ash fell onto the table top. Finally she spoke, voice above a whisper. “I tell myself not to be scared, to not think about it because there’s no point. I’m going to die. But sometimes I loose it, sometimes I just can’t-” She stopped and inhaled shakily.
Heidi held her breath, the back of her throat choked and itchy. Then she was speaking in a rush, voice low and pleading “What do you want? I’ll try, I swear I’ll try.”
Meredith looked up at last, eyes over bright. She smiled. “I knew you were the right sort. You’re a good person Heidi.” She placed the white stick to her lips and dragged in deeply before she leaned forward, eyes cautiously looking at the door and back down again. “Talking to you in the warehouse I could see you were listening to what I told you about Nathan. I could see that you knew about him.” Heidi remained silent, face stone. Meredith strained forward, voice softer. “Honey I know you don’t want to think about it. I told you the truth then and I’m telling you now. Me and Nathan had a child.”
The blonde sat back and watched Heidi closely as she sat silent. Heidi released a sigh and nodded, unable to look at the woman. “I’m not blind, I knew there were women, before and after. Especially after the accident-” She paused as the other woman made a noise of disgust, shaking her head. Heidi ignored her and carried on, she had never shared this with anyone, how could she? It was a strange siphoning. “But I felt sure, sure that he would never leave me or our children. After the bomb he changed, whatever he did in the past stayed there. He cares.” Heidi raised her head to Meredith. “He cares about me more than ever.”
Meredith shook her head and looked around the cell. “Don’t I believe it. You and no one else. Because he certainly doesn’t care about Claire.”
Heidi stiffened slightly at the name. Their daughter. His and Meredith, the reason she risked her life.
“Claire, this is about Claire?”
“Yes. I’m not asking you to save me because I know that you can’t. But there is someone you can. You must save my daughter.” She stared at her with eyes bleeding hope.
Heidi frowned. “How? What can I do? You told me before that Claire was in one of the special prisons.”
Meredith nodded, face going red. “Her own father captured her. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it.” She shook her head. Heidi knew that Meredith had been pushed into action when she had seen her daughter on TV, disguised but still recognisable, being put into a police van after a raid. “I just want my daughter free and safe. I’ve been a terrible mother to her but I can do this. I’ve got to. Please, please do this for me?”
Heidi stared at her pleading face and felt her stomach swirl and her skin prickle. She was a mother, she was a mother. Heidi nodded. “I’ll try, I promise. I’ll do everything I can.” Meredith sat back, smiling with wet eyes, nodding in relief. Heidi frowned, hesitating before speaking again. “But I can’t believe that Nathan has any knowledge of Claire’s predicament. I won’t believe he’d do that to his own flesh and blood.”
Meredith’s smile faded and she stared at Heidi hard. “I never thought he’d imprison innocent people, tag them and tear families apart. So is doing the same to Claire any different? She‘s a freak like the rest of us, in this place.”
Heidi couldn’t answer and had to look away. She had to believe he was doing what was for the best. They sat in silence before it was broken by a soft tap on the door. Heidi stirred and looked at her watch. “I have to go.”
“Yeah, time for the experiments.” Heidi shot her a shocked look but the other woman smiled. Then she grew serious. “Don’t go to Nathan about this, please. There’s a man, a man in Odessa. If you get that far he’ll help you.”
“Who?”
“Noah Bennet.”
Heidi nodded, standing up. “But I need to find Claire first. How do I find her?” But the answer came to her as soon as the words left her mouth.
“Molly. Poor crazy kid…”
Heidi tilted her head at her, considering. “You don’t believe her, do you? About what she said about Nathan?”
Meredith snorted. “No, I don’t. I fully believe that Nathan is capable of doing this himself, not some child’s bogeyman.”
“The others did.”
“Well then they’re just as cracked she is.” She stubbed her cigarette out on the table as Heidi reached to pull the door open. “Thank you, I hope you never know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of your husband’s rage.”
Heidi left, walking into a cloud of unease. She stopped the guard.
“I want to see Molly Walker. Now.”
Characters: Sylar/Heidi
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 1, 336
Disclaimer: Do not own.
Summery: "Nathan" wants his wife to take a break after a bad experience. AU 5YG 'verse.
Note: Gift!fic for fifmeister. I hope you like it! WIP. Heidi visits Meredith in prison.
Part: 1, 2, 3, 4
“I could have been in your place. Those oyster spits around my neck.”
Heidi sat across from the blonde woman, her fingers left the pearls and she settled her hands together on the table. She was a figure of composure, face only holding traces of distaste. Meredith watched her closely, shifting in her orange jump suit.
“Why should I believe you? Everything you have told me… I only have your word for it.”
Meredith nodded her head. “That’s true but you wouldn’t have come here, to this place, if there wasn’t a wriggle of doubt in you.”
Heidi looked around the cell, the guards at the door a security at her back. “At fist I thought you were all crazy, maybe you are but I know you risked a lot to talk to me. You all did.”
The other woman snorted. “Lord I wish I was crazy, wish I didn‘t have this knowledge. Wish I was in the dark in this place.” Her voice wavered.
Heidi swallowed convulsively. She was talking to dead woman, not only her but others, punished for her sake. “You kidnapped me, you and others. You broke the law.”
“But this isn’t a normal prison is it? Yes I broke the law but I’m in a minority in this place. How does it feel being married to a man that would lock up people for no reason?”
Heidi flushed with anger, a prickle of shame. “They are not here for no reason. They pose a risk to national security-”
“Bullshit! There’s a man here that can remember things. A woman that can float. What harm would they cause anyone?” Her back was ramrod straight with anger. Heidi felt her stomach wither. “Does he even know you are here?”
Heidi didn’t answer, just gave a short shake of the head. He had been called away and Heidi had taken her chance. He wouldn’t have let her go without a fight otherwise. He’ll find out eventually.
“We can’t take the risk…” Meredith snorted and sat back. Heidi raised her head “I came here to ask why? Why did you write to me? What is it you want?”
Meredith relaxed, shoulders lowering and reached for the cigarette box on the table. “Thanks for these, I’ve missed the little cancer sticks. Got a light?” She smiled at Heidi’s sharp look as she stood up and warily lit the cigarette, never taking her eyes off the other woman. “Relax, I’m not gonna do nothing to you. They’ll have my ass.” Her gaze flicked to stare at the door and then back again. She smiled in reassurance and Heidi felt sick. She nodded and sat back down.
“Ms Gordon-”
“Meredith.”
Heidi paused before nodding. “Meredith. I want it made clear to you that I think it’s wrong, unlawful, what is being done to you. I want you to believe that that, no matter the reason that brought us here. I’m sorry.”
The other woman was quiet for a long time, staring as the ash fell onto the table top. Finally she spoke, voice above a whisper. “I tell myself not to be scared, to not think about it because there’s no point. I’m going to die. But sometimes I loose it, sometimes I just can’t-” She stopped and inhaled shakily.
Heidi held her breath, the back of her throat choked and itchy. Then she was speaking in a rush, voice low and pleading “What do you want? I’ll try, I swear I’ll try.”
Meredith looked up at last, eyes over bright. She smiled. “I knew you were the right sort. You’re a good person Heidi.” She placed the white stick to her lips and dragged in deeply before she leaned forward, eyes cautiously looking at the door and back down again. “Talking to you in the warehouse I could see you were listening to what I told you about Nathan. I could see that you knew about him.” Heidi remained silent, face stone. Meredith strained forward, voice softer. “Honey I know you don’t want to think about it. I told you the truth then and I’m telling you now. Me and Nathan had a child.”
The blonde sat back and watched Heidi closely as she sat silent. Heidi released a sigh and nodded, unable to look at the woman. “I’m not blind, I knew there were women, before and after. Especially after the accident-” She paused as the other woman made a noise of disgust, shaking her head. Heidi ignored her and carried on, she had never shared this with anyone, how could she? It was a strange siphoning. “But I felt sure, sure that he would never leave me or our children. After the bomb he changed, whatever he did in the past stayed there. He cares.” Heidi raised her head to Meredith. “He cares about me more than ever.”
Meredith shook her head and looked around the cell. “Don’t I believe it. You and no one else. Because he certainly doesn’t care about Claire.”
Heidi stiffened slightly at the name. Their daughter. His and Meredith, the reason she risked her life.
“Claire, this is about Claire?”
“Yes. I’m not asking you to save me because I know that you can’t. But there is someone you can. You must save my daughter.” She stared at her with eyes bleeding hope.
Heidi frowned. “How? What can I do? You told me before that Claire was in one of the special prisons.”
Meredith nodded, face going red. “Her own father captured her. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it.” She shook her head. Heidi knew that Meredith had been pushed into action when she had seen her daughter on TV, disguised but still recognisable, being put into a police van after a raid. “I just want my daughter free and safe. I’ve been a terrible mother to her but I can do this. I’ve got to. Please, please do this for me?”
Heidi stared at her pleading face and felt her stomach swirl and her skin prickle. She was a mother, she was a mother. Heidi nodded. “I’ll try, I promise. I’ll do everything I can.” Meredith sat back, smiling with wet eyes, nodding in relief. Heidi frowned, hesitating before speaking again. “But I can’t believe that Nathan has any knowledge of Claire’s predicament. I won’t believe he’d do that to his own flesh and blood.”
Meredith’s smile faded and she stared at Heidi hard. “I never thought he’d imprison innocent people, tag them and tear families apart. So is doing the same to Claire any different? She‘s a freak like the rest of us, in this place.”
Heidi couldn’t answer and had to look away. She had to believe he was doing what was for the best. They sat in silence before it was broken by a soft tap on the door. Heidi stirred and looked at her watch. “I have to go.”
“Yeah, time for the experiments.” Heidi shot her a shocked look but the other woman smiled. Then she grew serious. “Don’t go to Nathan about this, please. There’s a man, a man in Odessa. If you get that far he’ll help you.”
“Who?”
“Noah Bennet.”
Heidi nodded, standing up. “But I need to find Claire first. How do I find her?” But the answer came to her as soon as the words left her mouth.
“Molly. Poor crazy kid…”
Heidi tilted her head at her, considering. “You don’t believe her, do you? About what she said about Nathan?”
Meredith snorted. “No, I don’t. I fully believe that Nathan is capable of doing this himself, not some child’s bogeyman.”
“The others did.”
“Well then they’re just as cracked she is.” She stubbed her cigarette out on the table as Heidi reached to pull the door open. “Thank you, I hope you never know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of your husband’s rage.”
Heidi left, walking into a cloud of unease. She stopped the guard.
“I want to see Molly Walker. Now.”