Title: Second Chance
Challenge: 21, Second (
heroes50)
Word Count: 548
Rating: PG
Notes: I am the biggest sap for the sad love story. Case in point: Mohinder. Sure, Eden was a spy, working for a man who may or may not have been trying to kill Mohinder at the time, but I think they honestly cared for each other. And when she tried to make things right...
Really, I just want their happy ending. even if I have to butcher hinduism and reincarnation to do it
--
Years from now, after the New York City explosion is just another bullet in a list of American disasters, after President Nathan Petrelli is nothing more than a chapter in a child’s history book, Mohinder Suresh gets a second chance.
In this life, he looks different-pale skin, blue eyes, dark hair, from his mother’s American family-but his essence is the same. His father is a geneticist, cutting and pasting chromosomes and strands of DNA to create new life; Mohinder follows in his father’s footsteps.
In this life, his father lives, prouder of his son than words can say. His stepmother is just as proud, and his older sister smiles behind her hand, knowing that he wouldn’t approve of her approval.
Mohinder studies at Chennai University, to work with the top geneticists in the world. His family stays in New York.
On a trip to a Gandhi memorial, he steps into the water and feels a shock of self-awareness. There is a Mohinder, and a Mohinder, and they are different but they are the same, but which is he-
The sensation is overwhelming-amazing-nothing he has felt before. He decides to stay.
Mohinder meets her while at the beach one day. He steps into the water, and feels the pull stronger than ever before. She is not wearing the mourning clothes most people wear here. She stares pensively out at the water, waves lapping at her toes. She turns, and their eyes meet.
It’s her, Mohinder thinks, amazed. He has seen people he recognized before, but this is the first one that he was really surprised to see. It’s really-
“Eden.” He says it without thinking.
“What?”
He remembers himself, and chooses to not answer her. Instead, he looks at her. This woman is different from him. Dark skin, long hair (would look nicer short), deep black eyes watching him curiously from the beach. But the him inside says no!, crops her hair, bleaches her skin, until she looks so unbelievably familiar he wants to run up to her and wrap himself up in her, in the memory of her, of them.
Then he realizes she is still staring. “Nothing, it’s nothing. I just-”
She smiles, and he is certain-she is Eden. He believes him; the familiarity is overwhelming.
“It’s alright. You’re Mohinder, aren’t you?” He nods. “I’m Devidan. I live next door to you in the city.”
She walks to stand in the water next to him, and the feeling is almost unbearable. Devidan reaches for his hand, and he takes hers without a second thought.
They watch the sun set.
“Did you know,” she breathes, decidedly not facing him, “that some people think you can reconnect with one of your past lives here, if their ashes were spread at this spot?” She steps closer.
His mouth is dry. “No, I didn’t know that.”
“Mohinder…”
He turns to face her, and thinks her eyes are the most beautiful he’s ever seen. They always were, he knows.
“I may not have had my ashes spread here, but I remember.” She squeezes his hand as his mind goes blank.
“I’m sorry last time…ended like that.” Her voice is a whisper. “Can we…?”
He is kissing her before he can think, and knows this is right.
--