[Heroes] [Gen] [K] Always
Originally posted as part of the Family_Haven (Incest-free) Family Ficathon.
Title: Always
Rating: Safe for all
Spoilers: Set between season 1 and season 2
Word Count: 840
Written For: triciabyrne1978
Prompt: Claire Bennett and her fathers (both of them) together. Nice angst and awkwardness.
Author's Notes: Massive thanks to my fabulous editor friend, sailorcelestial for a last minute beta and for shooting from the hip. Hey, I picked a POV!
Summary: Noah takes Claire to say goodbye.
Noah stopped Claire outside the hospital room door, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. “Honey, let me go in first, okay?”
Claire grimaced. “Dad, I know he’s in bad shape. I can handle it.”
“It’s not that,” Noah assured her gently. He knew, after all she’d been through, she would not react well if she thought he was treating her like a child. “Just trust me, okay? I just need a minute.”
Claire relented with a sigh. He gestured to the bench just across the corridor and she took a seat.
He opened the door slowly and silently, making sure there were no other visitors before slipping inside. The lights were dim and the blinds drawn; Noah couldn’t tell whether the man was conscious.
“Mr. Petrelli,” he said quietly, stepping near the bed. When there was no response, he pulled the chain to the small light over the headboard. It clicked on just in time for him to see Nathan’s hand reach for the call button.
Lightning quick, his hand closed over Nathan’s wrist. “Don’t,” he said sharply.
“Figured out I can’t fly away from you now?” Nathan rasped, twisting his arm in Noah’s grasp.
“I’m not here to hurt you.”
“It would be a little late for that, don’t you think?” Nathan turned to fully face him. Despite everything Noah had done and seen in his days with the company, it took a lot not to flinch. “What the hell do you want from me?”
“Nothing,” Noah said evenly. “I’m here for Claire.”
Nathan’s other hand, bandaged but still surprisingly strong, came up to grasp Noah’s throat. “If you’ve hurt her…”
“Relax, Mr. Petrelli,” he said, jerking back out of Nathan’s grasp and letting loose his own grip. “She’s fine. She’s right outside.”
“Who are you?” Nathan demanded.
“I’m Noah Bennett.” He paused, unsure which claim to loyalty would be more effective at the moment. In the end he chose both. “Claire’s father, and a friend of Peter’s.”
“Peter,” Nathan whispered, the anger seeming to go out of him. “Do you know where he is? If he survived?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know any more than you do. In fact, I think Claire was hoping you’d know.”
Nathan turned away. “I don’t want to see Claire. I don’t think she needs this image of me in her head.”
“Mr. Petrelli, if you know Claire at all, you know there’s nothing that you or I can say that’s going to convince her of that.”
“Somehow, I think you can be pretty persuasive when you want to be,” Nathan growled.
“Look,” Noah said, trying his skills at persuasion on Nathan, “I’m taking Claire away, somewhere we can start over. Somewhere our family can be safe. That will be a lot easier if she knows it’s what you want for her.” Nathan’s head fell back on the pillow and he stared up at the ceiling. Sensing he was on the verge of agreeing, Noah pushed the point. “Just let her say goodbye.”
Nathan nodded slowly. Noah waited a moment to make sure he wouldn’t change his mind, then opened the door and motioned to Claire. She walked in and stood next to Nathan’s bed. “Hi,” she said softly.
“Claire, I…” Nathan seemed unsure of what he wanted to say. “I don’t like you seeing me like this.”
“I’ve seen worse, Nathan,” Claire said with a roll of her eyes. “Usually on my own body.”
“Claire,” Noah chided softly. Claire glanced at him, then turned back to Nathan.
“So, you’ve met my dad,” she said with forced cheer. “My other dad.”
“Yes.” Nathan caught Noah’s eyes bitterly, but didn’t reveal any unwanted truths. “We’ve met.”
Claire caught the edge of Nathan’s blanket between her fingers and began to twist it absently. “I’m going back home.”
Nathan nodded, his tone hard-edged with bitterness. “It’s for the best. There’s no one here to take care of you now.”
“And… Peter?” Claire asked hesitantly. Nathan only shook his head.
Claire looked down at the blanket balled in her fists. “It’s just not fair, you know? I have this ability, but what good is it? I couldn’t help Peter, and I can’t help you.”
Seeing the pained look on the other man’s face, Noah decided it was time to put an end to the visit. “Claire,” he interrupted, stepping to her side and placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. “I think Nathan’s getting tired. We should probably go.”
She nodded. “I’ll call you, okay?”
“Yeah,” Nathan agreed. “Okay.”
“Could you just wait outside for me for one minute, Claire?” Noah guided her toward the door. “I just want to have one more word with Nathan.”
Noah followed her to the door and closed it behind her. He stood with his hand on the knob. “She won’t be calling, Mr. Petrelli. We need to stay under the radar. You won’t see her again.”
“I know.”
As Noah turned to go, Nathan’s strained voice stopped him. “Just take good care of her, okay?”
Noah nodded solemnly. “Always.”
Title: Always
Rating: Safe for all
Spoilers: Set between season 1 and season 2
Word Count: 840
Written For: triciabyrne1978
Prompt: Claire Bennett and her fathers (both of them) together. Nice angst and awkwardness.
Author's Notes: Massive thanks to my fabulous editor friend, sailorcelestial for a last minute beta and for shooting from the hip. Hey, I picked a POV!
Summary: Noah takes Claire to say goodbye.
Noah stopped Claire outside the hospital room door, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. “Honey, let me go in first, okay?”
Claire grimaced. “Dad, I know he’s in bad shape. I can handle it.”
“It’s not that,” Noah assured her gently. He knew, after all she’d been through, she would not react well if she thought he was treating her like a child. “Just trust me, okay? I just need a minute.”
Claire relented with a sigh. He gestured to the bench just across the corridor and she took a seat.
He opened the door slowly and silently, making sure there were no other visitors before slipping inside. The lights were dim and the blinds drawn; Noah couldn’t tell whether the man was conscious.
“Mr. Petrelli,” he said quietly, stepping near the bed. When there was no response, he pulled the chain to the small light over the headboard. It clicked on just in time for him to see Nathan’s hand reach for the call button.
Lightning quick, his hand closed over Nathan’s wrist. “Don’t,” he said sharply.
“Figured out I can’t fly away from you now?” Nathan rasped, twisting his arm in Noah’s grasp.
“I’m not here to hurt you.”
“It would be a little late for that, don’t you think?” Nathan turned to fully face him. Despite everything Noah had done and seen in his days with the company, it took a lot not to flinch. “What the hell do you want from me?”
“Nothing,” Noah said evenly. “I’m here for Claire.”
Nathan’s other hand, bandaged but still surprisingly strong, came up to grasp Noah’s throat. “If you’ve hurt her…”
“Relax, Mr. Petrelli,” he said, jerking back out of Nathan’s grasp and letting loose his own grip. “She’s fine. She’s right outside.”
“Who are you?” Nathan demanded.
“I’m Noah Bennett.” He paused, unsure which claim to loyalty would be more effective at the moment. In the end he chose both. “Claire’s father, and a friend of Peter’s.”
“Peter,” Nathan whispered, the anger seeming to go out of him. “Do you know where he is? If he survived?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know any more than you do. In fact, I think Claire was hoping you’d know.”
Nathan turned away. “I don’t want to see Claire. I don’t think she needs this image of me in her head.”
“Mr. Petrelli, if you know Claire at all, you know there’s nothing that you or I can say that’s going to convince her of that.”
“Somehow, I think you can be pretty persuasive when you want to be,” Nathan growled.
“Look,” Noah said, trying his skills at persuasion on Nathan, “I’m taking Claire away, somewhere we can start over. Somewhere our family can be safe. That will be a lot easier if she knows it’s what you want for her.” Nathan’s head fell back on the pillow and he stared up at the ceiling. Sensing he was on the verge of agreeing, Noah pushed the point. “Just let her say goodbye.”
Nathan nodded slowly. Noah waited a moment to make sure he wouldn’t change his mind, then opened the door and motioned to Claire. She walked in and stood next to Nathan’s bed. “Hi,” she said softly.
“Claire, I…” Nathan seemed unsure of what he wanted to say. “I don’t like you seeing me like this.”
“I’ve seen worse, Nathan,” Claire said with a roll of her eyes. “Usually on my own body.”
“Claire,” Noah chided softly. Claire glanced at him, then turned back to Nathan.
“So, you’ve met my dad,” she said with forced cheer. “My other dad.”
“Yes.” Nathan caught Noah’s eyes bitterly, but didn’t reveal any unwanted truths. “We’ve met.”
Claire caught the edge of Nathan’s blanket between her fingers and began to twist it absently. “I’m going back home.”
Nathan nodded, his tone hard-edged with bitterness. “It’s for the best. There’s no one here to take care of you now.”
“And… Peter?” Claire asked hesitantly. Nathan only shook his head.
Claire looked down at the blanket balled in her fists. “It’s just not fair, you know? I have this ability, but what good is it? I couldn’t help Peter, and I can’t help you.”
Seeing the pained look on the other man’s face, Noah decided it was time to put an end to the visit. “Claire,” he interrupted, stepping to her side and placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. “I think Nathan’s getting tired. We should probably go.”
She nodded. “I’ll call you, okay?”
“Yeah,” Nathan agreed. “Okay.”
“Could you just wait outside for me for one minute, Claire?” Noah guided her toward the door. “I just want to have one more word with Nathan.”
Noah followed her to the door and closed it behind her. He stood with his hand on the knob. “She won’t be calling, Mr. Petrelli. We need to stay under the radar. You won’t see her again.”
“I know.”
As Noah turned to go, Nathan’s strained voice stopped him. “Just take good care of her, okay?”
Noah nodded solemnly. “Always.”