Heroes FanFic - Apolgize (Nathan & Angela)
Title: Apologize
Characters/Pairings: Nathan Petrelli, Angela Petrelli
Rating: PG
Spoiler alert: Only pertaining to the first season, up to about 1x22
Summary: This was inspired by a real life election scandal in my area - so I put a Heroes spin on it. Another candidate threatens Nathan's campaign, and Nathan wonders if Lindermann factors into any of the happenings.
Word Count: 1,133
“Nathan, you have to listen to me. It’s a very close race.”
“I know, Ma,” Nathan replied, barely glancing up from the paperwork on his desk. “I’m trying my best.”
“Well your best isn’t good enough,” Angela Petrelli said frankly. Nathan raised his eyes towards her, a grim expression on his face. His mouth twitched as he considered yelling at her, but he couldn’t berate his mother. Not now. She only had his best interests at heart. “There are people out there waiting for you to make one fatal mistake. You’re not planning on ruining this campaign, are you? Your brother has already caused you enough trouble with his interfering.”
“Ma,” Nathan began as calmly as he could. “Peter isn’t trying to ruin my campaign. He’s just--”
“Trying to save the world, I know. He should be locked up and kept away until all this is over.” Angela stopped fidgeting with the gloves in her hands, pausing from the path she had been pacing across the room to glance over to her eldest son and gauge his reaction. It wasn’t at all supportive. Eager to win him over to her side, she prompted with a distasteful tone “Do you even know where your brother is now?”
Uncertainty crossed Nathan’s face, but he tried his best to hide it, shrugging it off and averting his eyes back to the paperwork on his desk. “Roaming the streets of New York, hopefully placing a vote for me. I could use it.”
“Especially since you’re backsliding.”
“Wasn’t it Lindermann’s grand plan to get me into office?” Nathan snapped, glaring accusingly at his mother. “At all costs?”
Angela slowly walked towards the desk, placing her hands on the edge and crushing the white gloves beneath her palm as she leaned towards him. Nathan stared up at her, his gaze shifting to the tv behind her as he saw the flicker of a familiar image. Slowly he leant to the right to see around her. There were images of him walking the streets through a frenzy of cameras, flashing lights and prodding microphones. Intermingled with images of the press were pictures of Peter. The headline blazed beneath them “terrorist activities”. His brow creased and Angela turned to see what he was looking at. Picking up the control at the far end of his desk, Nathan increased the volume.
“Election contendor Daniel Doyle, who is running a close second alongside local district attorney Nathan Petrelli in the race to catch up to the electorate favourite Dena Allen, has uncovered a hidden truth to Mr Petrelli’s campaign. Whilst Daniel struggles to hold onto his seat, it appears Nathan has been fending off rumours that his brother is involved in terrorist activities. It’s just come to light that hard evidence has been discovered by Daniel Doyle’s team that Nathan Petrelli’s much younger mentally-disturbed brother Peter is threatening to blow up New York City tomorrow following the election announcement. It is also believed that Nathan Petrelli knew about this and has been involved in the intricate co-ordination of the plan…”
Angrily, Nathan depressed the mute button, ceasing the sound coming from the small box, and re-placed the control on his desk.
“You’ll have to call a press conference. Clear your name,”
“And tell them what, Ma? It’s all true,” Nathan said, sighing in defeat.
“What hard evidence could they possibly have?”
“Oh, I don’t know. How about a few hundred copies of the exploding man picture? The one that’s meant to be Peter. Or maybe Lindermann had a few taped conversations about destroying zero point seven percent of the world and that managed to find its way to the opposition.”
“Nathan, be realistic about this…”
“I am, Ma,” Nathan said, standing. “Perhaps a little more than you.”
As he made his way to the door, Angela retrieved his jacket and held it out to him.
“Put this on,” she instructed as he took it from her. She lifted her hands to his face, squeezing his head tightly between her palms as she pulled his face towards her and kissed his forehead. Pushing his face back into position, she gave him a hard stare. “And put on a brave face. You need to please your public. Don’t you dare back down like your father.”
Nathan bit his lip as she let go. Rolling his shoulders back, he thrust his arms through the sleeves of his jacket, adjusting the collar as he walked through the door.
“We’re going to need to call a press conference,” he called out to his campaigners as he entered the wide room.
“Why?” Tony asked.
“Didn’t you just hear…?”
“The load of crap they just came up with five minutes ago to use as a scare campaign? Yeah, I did. But they’re reverting their statement now. Look.” Tony pointed to a small tv screen that a collection of workers were huddled around in the corner of the room. Creasing his brow, Nathan made his way over and gently pushed them aside. On screen now was Daniel Doyle, running through the press like a wanted criminal, jumping into his car and trying to make his way out of the swarm of probing reporters who crowded around the vehicle asking for statements. Across the bottom of the screen were two words blazing in their intensity “Breaking News”.
“Daniel Doyle’s campaign looks to have been ruined only hours after the polling booths have opened with revelations now that it was his very own family who had been spreading around fake leaflets and creating the fabricated tale that the Petrelli family are supporting a non-existent terrorist organisation. Support has already turned for the state controller with voters disgusted at the low depths the reigning congressman took to create the scandal in an effort to retain his seat in congress. In a move that has completely backfired on the Doyle campaign, voters hearts are now going out to the wrong-done district attorney who has risen in the exit polls by six percent to just overtake area favourite Dena Allen. It’ll be a close battle of the sexes come closing time when votes are counted and the decision will be made on just which man or woman finds their way into congress.”
Nathan glanced back towards his mother, wondering if any of this factored into Lindermann’s plan. Angela Petrelli stood at a distance like a woman of prime stature, her hands clasped before her and her expression blank. She did not look at all surprised with what had been revealed on the news. Unlike Nathan who felt his world was spiralling far out of his control, Angela Petrelli did not flinch at all. Nathan retreated into his own thoughts. If his mother wasn’t reacting, this may have just been part of Lindermann’s plan all along.
Characters/Pairings: Nathan Petrelli, Angela Petrelli
Rating: PG
Spoiler alert: Only pertaining to the first season, up to about 1x22
Summary: This was inspired by a real life election scandal in my area - so I put a Heroes spin on it. Another candidate threatens Nathan's campaign, and Nathan wonders if Lindermann factors into any of the happenings.
Word Count: 1,133
“Nathan, you have to listen to me. It’s a very close race.”
“I know, Ma,” Nathan replied, barely glancing up from the paperwork on his desk. “I’m trying my best.”
“Well your best isn’t good enough,” Angela Petrelli said frankly. Nathan raised his eyes towards her, a grim expression on his face. His mouth twitched as he considered yelling at her, but he couldn’t berate his mother. Not now. She only had his best interests at heart. “There are people out there waiting for you to make one fatal mistake. You’re not planning on ruining this campaign, are you? Your brother has already caused you enough trouble with his interfering.”
“Ma,” Nathan began as calmly as he could. “Peter isn’t trying to ruin my campaign. He’s just--”
“Trying to save the world, I know. He should be locked up and kept away until all this is over.” Angela stopped fidgeting with the gloves in her hands, pausing from the path she had been pacing across the room to glance over to her eldest son and gauge his reaction. It wasn’t at all supportive. Eager to win him over to her side, she prompted with a distasteful tone “Do you even know where your brother is now?”
Uncertainty crossed Nathan’s face, but he tried his best to hide it, shrugging it off and averting his eyes back to the paperwork on his desk. “Roaming the streets of New York, hopefully placing a vote for me. I could use it.”
“Especially since you’re backsliding.”
“Wasn’t it Lindermann’s grand plan to get me into office?” Nathan snapped, glaring accusingly at his mother. “At all costs?”
Angela slowly walked towards the desk, placing her hands on the edge and crushing the white gloves beneath her palm as she leaned towards him. Nathan stared up at her, his gaze shifting to the tv behind her as he saw the flicker of a familiar image. Slowly he leant to the right to see around her. There were images of him walking the streets through a frenzy of cameras, flashing lights and prodding microphones. Intermingled with images of the press were pictures of Peter. The headline blazed beneath them “terrorist activities”. His brow creased and Angela turned to see what he was looking at. Picking up the control at the far end of his desk, Nathan increased the volume.
“Election contendor Daniel Doyle, who is running a close second alongside local district attorney Nathan Petrelli in the race to catch up to the electorate favourite Dena Allen, has uncovered a hidden truth to Mr Petrelli’s campaign. Whilst Daniel struggles to hold onto his seat, it appears Nathan has been fending off rumours that his brother is involved in terrorist activities. It’s just come to light that hard evidence has been discovered by Daniel Doyle’s team that Nathan Petrelli’s much younger mentally-disturbed brother Peter is threatening to blow up New York City tomorrow following the election announcement. It is also believed that Nathan Petrelli knew about this and has been involved in the intricate co-ordination of the plan…”
Angrily, Nathan depressed the mute button, ceasing the sound coming from the small box, and re-placed the control on his desk.
“You’ll have to call a press conference. Clear your name,”
“And tell them what, Ma? It’s all true,” Nathan said, sighing in defeat.
“What hard evidence could they possibly have?”
“Oh, I don’t know. How about a few hundred copies of the exploding man picture? The one that’s meant to be Peter. Or maybe Lindermann had a few taped conversations about destroying zero point seven percent of the world and that managed to find its way to the opposition.”
“Nathan, be realistic about this…”
“I am, Ma,” Nathan said, standing. “Perhaps a little more than you.”
As he made his way to the door, Angela retrieved his jacket and held it out to him.
“Put this on,” she instructed as he took it from her. She lifted her hands to his face, squeezing his head tightly between her palms as she pulled his face towards her and kissed his forehead. Pushing his face back into position, she gave him a hard stare. “And put on a brave face. You need to please your public. Don’t you dare back down like your father.”
Nathan bit his lip as she let go. Rolling his shoulders back, he thrust his arms through the sleeves of his jacket, adjusting the collar as he walked through the door.
“We’re going to need to call a press conference,” he called out to his campaigners as he entered the wide room.
“Why?” Tony asked.
“Didn’t you just hear…?”
“The load of crap they just came up with five minutes ago to use as a scare campaign? Yeah, I did. But they’re reverting their statement now. Look.” Tony pointed to a small tv screen that a collection of workers were huddled around in the corner of the room. Creasing his brow, Nathan made his way over and gently pushed them aside. On screen now was Daniel Doyle, running through the press like a wanted criminal, jumping into his car and trying to make his way out of the swarm of probing reporters who crowded around the vehicle asking for statements. Across the bottom of the screen were two words blazing in their intensity “Breaking News”.
“Daniel Doyle’s campaign looks to have been ruined only hours after the polling booths have opened with revelations now that it was his very own family who had been spreading around fake leaflets and creating the fabricated tale that the Petrelli family are supporting a non-existent terrorist organisation. Support has already turned for the state controller with voters disgusted at the low depths the reigning congressman took to create the scandal in an effort to retain his seat in congress. In a move that has completely backfired on the Doyle campaign, voters hearts are now going out to the wrong-done district attorney who has risen in the exit polls by six percent to just overtake area favourite Dena Allen. It’ll be a close battle of the sexes come closing time when votes are counted and the decision will be made on just which man or woman finds their way into congress.”
Nathan glanced back towards his mother, wondering if any of this factored into Lindermann’s plan. Angela Petrelli stood at a distance like a woman of prime stature, her hands clasped before her and her expression blank. She did not look at all surprised with what had been revealed on the news. Unlike Nathan who felt his world was spiralling far out of his control, Angela Petrelli did not flinch at all. Nathan retreated into his own thoughts. If his mother wasn’t reacting, this may have just been part of Lindermann’s plan all along.