justprompts prompts 12/22-1/5 [quote prompts]
I have been known to lie to serve my own agenda. -Dr. Gregory House
Claire knew that Sylar would be displeased because he had already stated that there was no reason she should be making the call. Doing so would put them in danger after all but she found herself unable to listen. She wanted to believe that the person she was calling wouldn't turn her over to Nathan or his goons, she wanted to believe that he was one of the few she was safe with. So she snuck out to be on her own, under the guise of getting some stuff at the nearby store, and she made the call.
As soon as she heard the other end pick up, she started to speak. "Hi, it's me. I know we didn't really part on the best of terms the last time we saw each other but ... I need your help."
There was silence on the line for a long moment, and then, "Your father has been worried about you, Claire."
Letting out a sigh of relief at the fact that Rene didn't just hang up on her, she nodded her head. "I know," she murmured, nibbling her bottom lip a bit. "I just ... can't." She didn't really clarify what she couldn't do because she had a feeling he would get it.
"I did not think that my words would change your mind," he said, biting back a sigh, "but he asked me to mention his worry, should you contact me. And I will have to tell him you called, whether or not I can help you."
"I kind of figured that you would." Now that she was talking to someone from her past, an old connection, she found she couldn't resist asking. "How is he?"
"Worried about you." There was a soft shuffling noise on the other end of the phone as the Haitian moved around where ever he was. "He does not approve of your present company -- he fears he will change his mind about keeping you at his side."
"What do you mean?" She frowned a little bit at that, not at all surprised though.
"Your father is not a forgiving man. It is not in his nature." And they both knew what Sylar had done to her once upon a time, even if it had been more than five years. "Peter, he may trust, but ... "
"He'll never forgive Sylar," she murmured, nodding her head in understanding before she shrugged. "Which is fine because it's not up to him, it's up to me. We've gotten past it." Sure, it came up once in awhile but she had forgiven Sylar for what had happened. She just didn't think about it.
"You asked how he was." He'd simply been the bearer of the news.
"Right," she replied softly. For a moment she seemed to hesitate, like there was something more she wanted to say or ask but she just couldn't bring herself to. "Back to why I'm calling. We're in ... trouble."
"I did not think you would call, otherwise."
"You never know, I might be calling to say hi." She tried to make light of the situation but they both knew it wasn't true. So she sighed after a moment. "It's other people like us this time, strong people. We don't know what to do but I had an idea of Peter borrowing your ability. If that was okay with you."
The Haitian was silent for a moment, considering it. "It would be fine, but are you sure you do not need more help than my ability?"
It was her turn to pause for a moment before deciding to be honest. "We had thought of finding someone who could give abilities or something. Maybe someone who could fix what happened to Peter, give him his empathy back. Then we'd be able to protect ourselves better." She wasn't going to admit that she had thought about asking for abilities for herself.
"I cannot say I have ever known anyone like that." Bennet, on the other hand, maybe he knew of someone -- he had files on everyone, after all, even after the fall of Primatech -- and if it could give Peter his empathy back, it might be worth asking. Whether Claire's father would let Sylar get anywhere near that kind of power was another story, though. "Your father may know someone with that gift, but I do not know if he will be willing or able to lead you to them."
Claire nodded her head again because she could definitely understand the apprehension. "Peter could go to this person."
"Alone?" If he could give her father her word, then perhaps he would be more easily convinced.
Claire wasn't sure how to promise that but she would try. "Alone. I just want Peter to get his ability back if he can."
"I will ask him, then." He paused, cradling the phone between his cheek and shoulder. "How should I tell him to contact you, if he is able to find who you are looking for?"
"I'm sure that he has Peter's phone." She paused again, nibbling over her bottom lip. "I have a disposable one." Another pause and then she rattled off the number quickly. "Tell him to text us with a city or something."
"I will let him know." A pause, and then he said, "And if you still wish me to come, all you have to do is say so, Claire." He may have shared Bennet's opinion on Sylar, but he would not refuse Claire help, no matter who she was with.
Her mouth curved slowly into a soft smile as he reassured her that he would still come to help her and that meant more than she was sure she could convey. "Thank you, Rene." She nodded her head. "I'll let you know once we know where we're going. Maybe if Peter gets his empathy back, I'll call you so that he can get it too." A slight pause before she went on. "I wouldn't let Sylar do anything to you."
She could practically hear him smile grimly. "I do not think he could even if he wished to."
"That's not the point," she murmured.
The smile clearly turned to something softer if his tone was any indication. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." She smiled almost shyly, glancing over her shoulder before looking around. "Will you tell him I am actually okay? Despite the whole being in trouble thing?" Because, seriously, when wasn't she in trouble?
"I will tell him," he promised. And while he said nothing else following, it almost seemed as though he was waiting to see if she had anything else she wanted her father.
The silence thickened between them for a moment or two as there was more that she wanted to say but the words never came. Instead she gave up after a short bit with a sigh. "I'll call you again after I know what's happening. Okay?"
The nod that followed was almost audible, despite the fact that she couldn't see it. "Take care, then."
"You too, Rene," she replied. "Wait, you're not going to get in trouble with the government for talking to me, are you?" She didn't know if he was still being tapped by Nathan and his crew. Or watched by them.
He made a soft, amused noise. "Your father has kept me from Nathan's path of destruction. I have faith in his ability to continue to do so, and I am grateful for his help."
"He's good like that." She chuckled faintly before nodding in relief. "I just wanted to make sure."
"Again, thank you."
"I will call you soon." She smiled a little.
She could hear him smiling back. "I look forward to it. Be safe until then."
"Goodbye, Rene." She flipped her phone closed then, glancing over her shoulder once more before hurrying off to finish the task she had said she was going to do. She felt better after talking to Rene but she felt nervous as well, because there was a chance everything could still go terribly wrong.
[Cowritten with heroslayer mun, and the use of the Haitian isn't aimed at any specific journal]
Claire knew that Sylar would be displeased because he had already stated that there was no reason she should be making the call. Doing so would put them in danger after all but she found herself unable to listen. She wanted to believe that the person she was calling wouldn't turn her over to Nathan or his goons, she wanted to believe that he was one of the few she was safe with. So she snuck out to be on her own, under the guise of getting some stuff at the nearby store, and she made the call.
As soon as she heard the other end pick up, she started to speak. "Hi, it's me. I know we didn't really part on the best of terms the last time we saw each other but ... I need your help."
There was silence on the line for a long moment, and then, "Your father has been worried about you, Claire."
Letting out a sigh of relief at the fact that Rene didn't just hang up on her, she nodded her head. "I know," she murmured, nibbling her bottom lip a bit. "I just ... can't." She didn't really clarify what she couldn't do because she had a feeling he would get it.
"I did not think that my words would change your mind," he said, biting back a sigh, "but he asked me to mention his worry, should you contact me. And I will have to tell him you called, whether or not I can help you."
"I kind of figured that you would." Now that she was talking to someone from her past, an old connection, she found she couldn't resist asking. "How is he?"
"Worried about you." There was a soft shuffling noise on the other end of the phone as the Haitian moved around where ever he was. "He does not approve of your present company -- he fears he will change his mind about keeping you at his side."
"What do you mean?" She frowned a little bit at that, not at all surprised though.
"Your father is not a forgiving man. It is not in his nature." And they both knew what Sylar had done to her once upon a time, even if it had been more than five years. "Peter, he may trust, but ... "
"He'll never forgive Sylar," she murmured, nodding her head in understanding before she shrugged. "Which is fine because it's not up to him, it's up to me. We've gotten past it." Sure, it came up once in awhile but she had forgiven Sylar for what had happened. She just didn't think about it.
"You asked how he was." He'd simply been the bearer of the news.
"Right," she replied softly. For a moment she seemed to hesitate, like there was something more she wanted to say or ask but she just couldn't bring herself to. "Back to why I'm calling. We're in ... trouble."
"I did not think you would call, otherwise."
"You never know, I might be calling to say hi." She tried to make light of the situation but they both knew it wasn't true. So she sighed after a moment. "It's other people like us this time, strong people. We don't know what to do but I had an idea of Peter borrowing your ability. If that was okay with you."
The Haitian was silent for a moment, considering it. "It would be fine, but are you sure you do not need more help than my ability?"
It was her turn to pause for a moment before deciding to be honest. "We had thought of finding someone who could give abilities or something. Maybe someone who could fix what happened to Peter, give him his empathy back. Then we'd be able to protect ourselves better." She wasn't going to admit that she had thought about asking for abilities for herself.
"I cannot say I have ever known anyone like that." Bennet, on the other hand, maybe he knew of someone -- he had files on everyone, after all, even after the fall of Primatech -- and if it could give Peter his empathy back, it might be worth asking. Whether Claire's father would let Sylar get anywhere near that kind of power was another story, though. "Your father may know someone with that gift, but I do not know if he will be willing or able to lead you to them."
Claire nodded her head again because she could definitely understand the apprehension. "Peter could go to this person."
"Alone?" If he could give her father her word, then perhaps he would be more easily convinced.
Claire wasn't sure how to promise that but she would try. "Alone. I just want Peter to get his ability back if he can."
"I will ask him, then." He paused, cradling the phone between his cheek and shoulder. "How should I tell him to contact you, if he is able to find who you are looking for?"
"I'm sure that he has Peter's phone." She paused again, nibbling over her bottom lip. "I have a disposable one." Another pause and then she rattled off the number quickly. "Tell him to text us with a city or something."
"I will let him know." A pause, and then he said, "And if you still wish me to come, all you have to do is say so, Claire." He may have shared Bennet's opinion on Sylar, but he would not refuse Claire help, no matter who she was with.
Her mouth curved slowly into a soft smile as he reassured her that he would still come to help her and that meant more than she was sure she could convey. "Thank you, Rene." She nodded her head. "I'll let you know once we know where we're going. Maybe if Peter gets his empathy back, I'll call you so that he can get it too." A slight pause before she went on. "I wouldn't let Sylar do anything to you."
She could practically hear him smile grimly. "I do not think he could even if he wished to."
"That's not the point," she murmured.
The smile clearly turned to something softer if his tone was any indication. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." She smiled almost shyly, glancing over her shoulder before looking around. "Will you tell him I am actually okay? Despite the whole being in trouble thing?" Because, seriously, when wasn't she in trouble?
"I will tell him," he promised. And while he said nothing else following, it almost seemed as though he was waiting to see if she had anything else she wanted her father.
The silence thickened between them for a moment or two as there was more that she wanted to say but the words never came. Instead she gave up after a short bit with a sigh. "I'll call you again after I know what's happening. Okay?"
The nod that followed was almost audible, despite the fact that she couldn't see it. "Take care, then."
"You too, Rene," she replied. "Wait, you're not going to get in trouble with the government for talking to me, are you?" She didn't know if he was still being tapped by Nathan and his crew. Or watched by them.
He made a soft, amused noise. "Your father has kept me from Nathan's path of destruction. I have faith in his ability to continue to do so, and I am grateful for his help."
"He's good like that." She chuckled faintly before nodding in relief. "I just wanted to make sure."
"Again, thank you."
"I will call you soon." She smiled a little.
She could hear him smiling back. "I look forward to it. Be safe until then."
"Goodbye, Rene." She flipped her phone closed then, glancing over her shoulder once more before hurrying off to finish the task she had said she was going to do. She felt better after talking to Rene but she felt nervous as well, because there was a chance everything could still go terribly wrong.
[Cowritten with heroslayer mun, and the use of the Haitian isn't aimed at any specific journal]