(no subject)
TITLE: Distortion
AUTHOR: dragynflies
RATING: R
DISCLAIMER: Heroes cast is not mine.
SUMMARY: Arthur’s good at getting what he wants, no matter who gets in the way. But sometimes, things still don’t go the way they are planned.
A/N: Merry Christmas lizzyrebel! Written for the Heroes Secret Santa Exchange. Sorry it got a little long and out of control, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! I ended up sort of blending the “Noah storyline” with bits and pieces from other timelines…but I did my best.
Six weeks earlier…
Arthur had his suspicions about what would happen when he sent his son into the cell with the girl. He remembered Elle; knew all about her history and her ability, had seen her as a little girl…doped up and locked in a glass room. Still, he couldn’t fault Bob - as a child, Elle had shown extraordinary potential and it was vital her ability be tested. Besides, most of the really damaging incidents had been wiped from her mind, and she would never need to know anything different.
Her arrival at Pinehearst had caught him off guard. Arthur Petrelli was not a fan of surprises and did not plan to let Elle surprise him again. While Gabriel had played his own cards in the cell, Arthur had watched on his television and made plans of his own.
The drawings had happened later - a collection of four sketches that showed just how important Elle would be. A drawing of his son, Elle’s slim face cupped in his palms…another of the two of them on a broken floor, covered by a shirt. The third showed Elle, her palms covering her rounded belly.
The fourth showed Gabriel cradling a tiny baby. It was this future that Arthur was committed too. His grandchild would have real power; a third generation evolved human…who knew what sort of ability that child would have, given its genetic background. What sort of abilities this child could have.
When Elle demanded to go after Claire along with Gabriel, her eyes bright as she gazed at him, Arthur realized that perhaps things were coming together sooner than anticipated - all the better for him, really.
What he hadn’t counted on were the drawings that appeared after the two had left the facility. Elle, pinned to the beach under Gabriel, eyes closed in pain; his son standing over Elle’s burning corpse.
It would simply not do, not at all. At least not until after Elle had delivered the child. It was no good to lose the chance to bring in Claire either, but Gabriel could be sent on further missions once Elle was sufficiently contained.
It was clear his phone call had interrupted the two of them. He could hear Elle’s angry voice in the background while he spoke to his son, asking them to please return to Pinehearst without Claire. There was a scream from Elle, gunshots, and then the phone went dead.
The drawings revealed what would occur only hours later - a disheveled and angry Elle brought back to Pinehearst with Gabriel. Arthur had shown the two of them to the room he’d meant for only Gabriel and left them alone…observing by video surveillance would be easier than talking to either of them, anyway. He’d settled down in his office and turned on his television.
“Bennet attacked us!” she shouted, “and we’re not supposed to do anything?”
“We’re supposed to do our jobs, Elle. The Company didn’t have those same expectations of you? Your father didn’t have those same expectations?”
Elle bit her lip, then raised her hand back to slap Gabriel. He caught her hand in his and she glared at him, “He tried to shoot us!”
“And my father thought it was time for us to come back. We’ll get Claire another day, Elle. For now…” Gabriel flicked his eyes towards the bed, and Elle followed his line of vision, her temper clearly softening.
She let Gabriel twine his fingers with hers, let him press her into the bed as he rested over her, his knees on either side of her thighs.
“You’re so pretty when you’re angry,” he brushed her hair back from her face and deftly unbuttoned the black dress shirt that covered her body, “There’s always electricity in your eyes even if you don’t let it out.”
Elle melted like butter as he touched her, arched into his touch. Her frown eased into a happy smile as she reached for his face.
“See? We can still be us,” he murmured, as Elle brushed her thumb over his stubbly cheek.
“Even with powers…” she went silent, like she meant to say more, but decided not to.
“My dad will get better,” Gabriel said, kissing her lightly, “We just need to work with him. We all want the same thing, right?”
Elle’s smile faltered but returned quickly, “Let’s not talk about your father right now,” she whispered, and kissed him hard.
He pressed against her, trailed little kisses down her neck until she giggled and then blew a playful raspberry on her bare belly.
She reached for him, tugging his bloody shirt over his head and chucking it straight to the garbage. It missed, hit the wall, but her intent was still clear. Her little hands worked at the button of his fly, trying to open his jeans and work the zipper down.
“Let’s talk about you, instead,” Gabriel mumbled, lips pressed against the soft skin of her neck, “about how pretty you are, and how good you taste…” he bit her neck and Elle threw her head back in a gasp.
They were both still inexperienced, fumbling as they undressed each other, but it didn’t matter. He was anxious for her, and she curled against him, pressing her hot core against him.
“Better than a floor?” Gabriel teased as he worked a hand between them, rubbing her belly before sliding between her legs. Elle moaned and spread her legs wider as his fingers worked at her.
“Anywhere with you,” she panted, and Gabriel stared down at her, his fingers stilling. She opened her eyes, reaching down between them to grasp his hand, then shoved it out of the way she could guide his erection into her.
He rose up, met her eyes and rocked his hips, sheathing himself in her deeply. She cried out his name, her fingernails digging into his arms.
He came first, pressed his lips against Elle’s to silence his shout. He laid his damp forehead against hers, panting as he came down. He slowly pulled out of her, ignoring her whimper as he tongued her nipple. He lapped at her hard nipple, pushing her hand between her thighs and circling her clit until she was begging, clutching at his hair, his neck, until he finally pushed his thumb over her clit and she came with a scream.
She curled up in his arms after, already fighting sleep, and his arms wrapped around her almost automatically as they fell asleep together, for the first time.
Present…
“I can help!” Elle is angry, electricity crackling between her fingers.
“Elle, it’s not necessary for you to come with me,” Gabriel says, closing his hands over her electric palms until the sparks went out, “you haven’t been feeling well, and I can take care of this on my own. Besides,” he smiles, “I had a great teacher for my own electricity.”
Elle relaxes a little, and sighs, “I’m sorry. I want to be useful…I want to help…”
Gabriel pets back Elle’s hair and kisses her forehead, “I know, and you will, as soon as you kick this flu. I’ll be back before you know it, I promise.”
Elle grumbles lightly and lies back in bed, letting Gabriel tuck her back in. He picks up his suitcase and kisses her once more before leaving the room. She’s fallen asleep before he even closes the door.
xxxxxxxxx
Elle mopes around the hallways of Pinehearst, uncharacteristically emotional. She stops in Arthur’s office, and when she sees he’s there, stalks inside.
“He was supposed to have been back by now,” she says, hands on her hips. Arthur puts his papers down and motions Elle into his office.
“Gabriel will be back momentarily,” he assures her, then pats her shoulder lightly,
“Elle…pardon the intrusion…you and my son. Are you in a relationship?”
Elle shifts uncomfortably. Thus far, she and Gabriel have avoided labeling what they have... but it’s true enough. She nods hesitantly at Arthur.
“Have you considered having a child?”
Elle’s forehead crinkles at Arthur Petrelli, shock clearly written over her features. The question seems to have come from nowhere, and she is stunned, “I…no, of course not,” she says firmly, “What would I do with a child?”
“You might entertain the thought,” he says, instead of answering her question. “That will be all today, Elle. I’ll notify you when I hear from Gabriel, let you know when he’ll be back.”
Elle finds herself outside of Arthur’s office…effectively dismissed without her consent. As she walks back to her room, she mulls over Arthur’s words. A child…
It’s not until much later, when she’s sitting in bed with her dinner, alone, that it hits her.
Arthur wasn’t suggesting she think about the future. He was suggesting she think about the present.
She stumbles out of bed, staggers to the little bathroom in the dark. There is a pregnancy test sitting on the counter, mocking her, and suddenly she wants to be anywhere but this tiny room in Pinehearst.
She pees on the white stick and stares at it while the control lines appear. She’s nearly ready to breathe a sigh of relief when the second line shows up. She’s frantic for a minute, stares at the back of the box and the stick in horror. Pregnant.
She snaps the stick in half, throws it into the trash and then ignites it. It smolders and smokes until she pours water over it and chucks the whole mess into the sink to be dealt with later.
The knock on the door startles her, and she opens it without thinking twice - Gabriel must be home, and his hands are full.
“Congratulations,” Arthur tells her, extending his hand. Elle’s eyes narrow even as she steps back to allow him into the room.
“You…you have the whole room wired,” she gasps out, glancing around the room like she’ll see the cameras now that she knows about them.
“Of course. Elle…you didn’t think you were important, did you? That Gabriel liked you?”
Her jaw works up and down, her eyes wide.
“Elle, this child is the reason you’re here. The only reason you’re here, the only reason Gabriel’s spent any time with you. It’s been hard on him, having to go away so much just to obtain a break from you…but once the child is born, you’ll be free to leave. We’ll give you money, a house, whatever you want. All we’re interested in is the infant.”
Elle doesn’t know what to think, no idea who’s telling the truth and who’s lying. Her hands cover her flat belly as stares at Arthur in shock.
“Please,” Arthur says, gesturing to her bed, “go back to sleep. We shall finish this in the morning, when Gabriel returns.”
Elle doesn’t have anywhere to go, so she sits on the bed and stares at the wall. She doesn’t want to be at Pinehearst anymore, doesn’t want to be with Gabriel anymore and most certainly doesn’t want to have anything to do with the parasite growing inside of her.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
“Elle’s a liability,” Arthur says as Gabriel paces his office. “She’s playing for the other side, trying to avenge her father. I can’t have her doing anything to damage what we’ve worked so hard for.”
“She won’t,” Gabriel insists, “She was ready to come on this mission with me, ready to back me up…”
“Of course she was. Ready to back you up right into the hands of your mother.”
Gabriel frowns, “Where is she?”
“In your room. She might have some…interesting news, for you. Play your cards wisely.”
xxxxxxxxxx
“Elle.”
“You’re back,” she says, her voice flat. She doesn’t even glance up at Gabriel as he enters the room.
“I am.”
They’re suspicious of each other, speaking carefully. Elle asks her question first, “Have you spoken to your father?”
“I have. He said you have something to tell me.”
“You can stop pretending you care about me,” she says, crossing her arms, “Your father told me what you wanted. You’ll get it and I’ll be gone.”
“What I want?”
“A child.”
“You’re lying to me. You’ve been playing me…are you working for Angela?” He doesn’t move closer to her on the bed, stands across from her and looks at her.
Elle shakes her head, “Of course not. Gabriel, stop it. I’ll have this baby and then I’ll go. I don’t want it anyway.”
Gabriel’s jaw drops, “You’re pregnant?”
Elle scoffs and rolls her eyes, “Like your father didn’t tell you. Look, Sylar, I’ve no desire to play this game any longer.”
Arthur flips the television off; everything is working out perfectly.
Only a few hours later, Elle comes to him with her offer. The child in her womb for one lump sum of money and a promise that they won’t contact her again. She has no desire to parent this child and no desire to see Gabriel.
Arthur will pay for her to live off Pinehearst’s campus, and she will check in regularly with him. Gabriel is to know nothing of the arrangement.
He’s a little surprised at how easily he was able to manipulate Elle, but it makes sense. Her entire life has been laid out for her by older adults, and she responds well to authority figures. Besides, she’s clearly not fit to be a mother.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Elle lives in a little apartment outside of the city, hidden by an associate of Arthur’s. She sees a doctor Arthur has selected and the doctor acts as a go-between, passing information about the child to those at Pinehearst who need to know.
“You have to know where she is!” Gabriel shouts, slamming his fist down on his father’s desk. Arthur is not even flustered by his son’s angry words; he sits back in his chair and waits for Gabriel to stop yelling.
“Elle has returned to the Company, to Angela, just like we suspected,” he says, when Gabriel stops, and that sets him off again.
“You let her go, you said something. She…we were…she wouldn’t have left without talking to me, not without some influence on your part.”
Arthur raises his hand, palm up, towards Gabriel. “Do you care to test my temper further, son, or will you do your job?”
Gabriel backs down to few people, but he’s well aware of Arthur’s powers, and he’s no fool. He can figure things out for himself.
Seven months later
Elle’s doctor notifies Arthur when she begins labor, and he arrives soon after. He has no desire to see Elle, and instead observes through a one way mirror when he needs to update himself on her condition. She’s alone in the bed, wearing a standard hospital gown, and there’s a grounding wire wrapped around her wrist that runs to the earth outside, and every so often he can see a blue spark ignite in her hand. She’s a tough little girl, clenching her teeth and fists when it’s clear she wants to scream. There’s no one holding her hand, no one offering encouraging words, but it doesn’t matter.
All her life Elle’s done things on her own, and this is no exception. She endures labor mostly alone, save for the nurses who check in periodically, until she begins demanding to see the doctor, saying she needs to push. Arthur checks his watch. Nine hours…it won’t be much longer.
The doctor places himself between her knees and Elle clenches her teeth and tips her chin to her chest, pushing on his command. She lets out a little groan, the first noise he’s heard from her, and bites into her lip so hard he sees a spot of blood.
“One last push, alright?” the doctor says, and Elle listens, tucking down her chin and straining.
The infant is born seconds later, and the doctor hastily clears its nose and mouth before wrapping it in a blanket.
“Can I see it? Can I see my baby?” Elle asks weakly, but the nurse has already trundled the screaming child out of Elle’s room and into another to be cleaned.
It was part of the deal. Elle will not meet her child.
A few minutes later, the nurse delivers the infant to Arthur. When she tries to hand it to him, he brushes her off.
“It’s healthy?” he asks, and she nods, “APGARs of 9 and 10, sir. Six pounds, ten ounces, and 18 inches long. It’s a boy.”
“Wonderful,” Arthur says, “I’ll have him loaded into the car downstairs. We’ll return to Pinehearst immediately.”
He sees Elle only long enough to pass her the cash. She’s pale and sweaty and he feels only a momentary pang of sympathy for her, this half-woman who will never be anything more than a pawn.
“And my baby?” she asks, tiredly.
“Returned to his father,” Arthur says, “I did warn you…getting attached to the child would be foolish.”
Elle bites her lip and looks away. She hadn’t meant to.
xxxxxxxxxxx
Gabriel is a surprisingly adept parent. Meeting his son pushes all thoughts of Elle from his mind - clearly, if she wanted to be with them, she would be. It was only lucky that Arthur was able to find the child after Elle abandoned him in the hospital.
He names the baby Noah - not after Noah Bennet but because the name means Peace. Something he’d never had, and something he has always desired.
Noah is a happy baby and Gabriel loves his son. The baby has no ability, shows no talent, but then Gabriel’s did not manifest until later in life.
Still, Arthur had hoped the child would take after Elle.
xxxxxxxxx
Elle returns to the Company because she has no place else to go, and no desire to find a place for herself. Angela allows her to return but sends her on no missions, lets Elle bide her time in her cell and do stupid, menial tasks around the building.
Elle grows tired of feeding prisoners, of exchanging their dirty clothes for clean ones. This is not like taking care of Peter, she doesn’t get to have any fun or spark anyone.
It doesn’t really matter. Her belly feels empty where her baby used to be, and she dreams of a faceless child that cries for her. It takes her two weeks to get her breast milk to dry up, and another month after that to get some semblance of her waist back. When she’s nearly back to the Elle from before she pushes all thoughts of the infant out of her mind and begs to go on assignment.
Angela sends her after Knox, expecting an easy kill for Knox and the end of her problems with Elle.
She didn’t realize that Elle has nothing left to be afraid of. Nothing matters anymore, anyway, and she returns with the man only two days later. She’s anxious to prove herself, trying to make Angela proud like her Daddy never was.
Daphne’s caught next, easily brought in by Elle with the help of the Haitian. No one is loyal to anyone, anymore, but now Elle is Angela’s shiny new toy.
xxxxxxxxx
As the Company grows in power, and Arthur becomes increasingly angry, Gabriel takes his baby son and leaves. He’s done fighting for his father, done fighting for things he doesn’t care about and done playing games with people who don’t matter to him.
He ends up in the Bennet house - Claire and her father have taken off to fight their own battles, and Sandra and Lyle have been relocated to a secret safe house, away from the city. It doesn’t matter to Gabriel - he can handle himself and take care of Noah alone.
He doesn’t care to be around people who aren’t Noah anyway. He loves watching his son grow up, celebrates the little milestones - the first time Noah rolls over, the first time he sits up.
The first time Noah smiles at him is probably the best day of Gabriel’s life.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Elle has yet to fail a mission - something that would have absolutely stunned Angela two years ago. Angela suspects the reason for Elle’s continued success is that Elle no longer cares what happens to her.
The only time Elle feels anything is when she’s taking someone else down, locking them in a cell and throwing away the key. Elle likes to walk through the hallways, staring into the cells, counting the people she’s brought in. She’s good, knows her Daddy would be proud, and doesn’t make stupid mistakes like falling for prisoners now.
Which is why it catches everyone off guard when Daphne and Knox make their escape. It’s less of a surprise to find they’ve allied themselves with Pinehearst - and Claire.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When Angela finds out where Gabriel is, she sends Elle and the Haitian without telling them about their target. She’s hoping between the two of them, her son can be contained.
Elle knocks in his front door with a burst of electricity. She recognizes the house, of course, but knows the Bennets no longer live there. They’re more than likely chasing Peter - from the stories she hears around the Company, he’s gone rogue. Nathan’s been trying to bring him in, but with no luck.
It really doesn’t matter one way or the other to Elle which of the Petrelli brothers wins. She’d prefer them both dead.
She enters the house ahead of the Haitian. Everything is quiet and she cocks a confused eyebrow at her partner until she hears the hum of a CD player upstairs. She follows the sound to a room decorated in cheerful yellows. There’s a crib in the room, with a young child in it. The toddler is standing, clinging to the bars of the crib, and Elle feels a momentary pang for what she’s going to have to do to whoever is here with the child.
The child - a boy, judging by its blue outfit - coos happily, smiles at her, and Elle is struck by a sense of familiarity that vanishes as quickly as it comes.
“What are we going to do with it?” she asks, and the Haitian shakes his head slowly. They weren’t counting on an infant.
The bursts of electricity from the door catch Elle off guard, and she whirls around to see Gabriel standing in the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” he demands, and it’s only then that the little boy starts to cry.
“You.” Elle’s jaw sets and she lights up her hands. She throws an energy ball at his face, expecting a hit, but he waves his hand and throws it aside; the ball of lightening explodes away from him.
“I cannot…” the Haitian begins, and Gabriel smirks.
“I’ve picked up a few tricks,” he says, “You have no power over me. What are you doing here?”
Elle look alarmed but is covering well. If the Haitian cannot affect Gabriel’s power, then they’re the ones that need to be running.
And yet he doesn’t appear to want to kill them.
“Move away from my son,” he orders, and Elle is stepping aside before she even realizes what she’s doing. He picks up the crying baby and whispers to him until the tears slow.
The Haitian is not stupid; he knows when to retreat, but Elle’s feet are rooted to the ground.
“He did give him to you,” she whispers, staring at the baby. The electricity in her hands dies out and she shakes her head as the Haitian leaves.
She’s not surprised. Loyalty is hard to come by.
“My father saved him after you abandoned him,” Gabriel snaps, his voice hard, “You ought to follow your partner’s example before I start demonstrating just how well I’ve learned your power.”
“What’s his name?” Elle asks, as though Gabriel hasn’t spoken at all. She can’t find any trace of herself in the child’s face, but his little head is covered with a tuft of white blonde hair that she knows Gabriel can’t claim.
Gabriel just stares at her, his jaw set. When Elle makes no move to leave, he finally answers her.
“His name is Noah.”
Elle works her jaw up and down, like she wants to talk but has no idea what to say. The child in Gabriel’s arms is the personification of the nightmares that she’s had for more than a year; the nameless, faceless baby that cries in her dreams suddenly has a face, a name, a cheeky little grin.
She was right to have given the child away. A baby would never cling to her the way Noah is clinging to the fabric of Gabriel’s shirt, would never want her for a mother.
She never wanted to be a mother, she reminds herself. The baby that she imagined is not the same baby that is in front of her.
He’s better. Maybe not a burden, maybe someone good.
Elle turns on her heels and bolts from the house. She has to find the Haitian before he returns to Angela…somehow, she’s got to convince him to corroborate on a story with her so that Gabriel’s child remains safe.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Gabriel doesn’t know why seeing Elle again makes him so crazy. He knows she’s working for Angela, watched her throw a ball of lightening at his face without a second thought. And now she knows where he and Noah are, and that makes her even more of a threat.
He can’t bring himself to kill her. Can’t bring himself to kill anyone while he has his son, because he doesn’t want his son to know what exactly his father is capable of. He moves Noah’s crib into his bedroom and feeds the baby lunch, keeping a wary eye on his front door.
If they come back, he might not have a choice.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
It doesn’t take Elle long to realize that Angela knew exactly who she was sending Elle and the Haitian after. Worse, there’s not a whole lot they can tell her - lying to a woman who can dream the future is sort of a stupid plan.
Still, the Haitian does his best to make Angela believe that Gabriel is no threat and that perhaps leaving him alone will allow for a future alliance if the need arises. Gabriel is powerful, and if things continue the way they are going with Arthur, he and Peter might be strong allies with the Company in the future.
Elle’s even a little impressed by the Haitian’s story - he’s made all the pieces fit together, and Angela just might buy it…
The woman laughs, “And your new protection of Gabriel has nothing to do with your son?” she asks Elle, and Elle’s stomach knots.
“It’s not my child,” Elle tells her, even though it hurts to say it, “and the baby has no bearing on this. You know Daphne and Knox have joined forces with Arthur…we may need outside help in the future. Gabriel will be more likely to help if he knows we mean him no harm.”
Angela seems far too at ease with the new development and Elle begins to suspect they’ve been played. “Fine. Send word to Gabriel that we do not intend to attempt to bring him in. We have biggest things to worry about anyway. Pinehearst’s released the formula…they’re selling powers to those who can afford it. Gabriel may not be so much more powerful for long.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Elle knocks on the repaired front door. When Gabriel opens it, Noah is cradled against his chest and he looks ready to fight.
“Why are you here?” he asks, blocking the entrance to his house and glaring down at Elle.
She shakes her head, “I came to talk to you…to tell you that we won’t be back.”
“You came back to tell me you’re leaving me alone?” he mocks, “Tell my mother she continues to have faulty logic.”
Elle bites her lip and looks at the baby. She doesn’t know why seeing Noah hurts so much - she doesn’t even know him. Has never fed him or changed him or held him while he cried, but she can’t help feel drawn to him.
“Can I see him?” she asks and Gabriel’s laugh hurts her ears.
“So you can take him? You can tell my mother he doesn’t have an ability. Make him less interesting to your people…my father was certainly disappointed.”
“If all you wanted from me was a child, you could have told me in the beginning,” Elle says softly, “You didn’t have to pretend with me.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrow, “You lied to me,” he accuses, “working with Angela while living in my father’s building, sleeping in my bed. You left my son alone...abandoned him at the hospital so you could run right back to Angela.”
Elle shakes her head, “I…I didn’t. Your father took him, I didn’t leave him alone…I didn’t go to Angela until he was born. I didn’t have any place else to go.”
There is no lie apparent in her words, nothing untruthful in her gaze. Gabriel shifts and turns Noah so she can see his face, but makes no move to hand him to her.
“I don’t want him anywhere near Pinehearst or the Company,” he says, “and I won’t have you around him either, not while you work for my mother.”
Elle looks lost. She reaches for Noah, and Gabriel lets her touch his little hand and the soft skin of his cheek.
“I don’t know how to be anything but an agent,” she finally says, “and I don’t know how to be a mother.”
“Elle…” Arthur played them both, Gabriel knows that now, but the difference is that only one of them is strong enough to leave it all behind.
She shakes her head and touches Noah’s hair one last time, “I have to go. I’ll do my best to see that you are left alone.”
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Elle keeps her word. No one from the Company comes to Gabriel’s home. It isn’t until Peter enters his life again that he starts to worry again, but months pass quietly for Gabriel and his son. Noah adores Peter, lights up like a Christmas tree when he sees his uncle, and Gabriel starts to think that Noah’s going to be able to have that normal childhood he always wanted for him.
He misses Elle sometimes, dreams about the future they could have had, but it’s not enough to make him jeopardize what he has for Noah.
What Elle helped to give Noah…a normal childhood, free from manipulative parents and powers.
User Name: lizzyrebel
As a Reader
Things I Want to Read: usually something angsty, but maybe with a sorta happy ending. Smut would be excellent.
Things I Donʼt Want to Read: kind of how I don't want to write non-con, I don't want to read it either
Ratings I Want to Read: T and up, please. XD
Characters I Want to Read: the whole extended Petrelli family
Characters I Donʼt Want to Read: Mohinder, Maya, Hiro
Three Prompts For Author: (can be a song lyric, phrase, word, situation)
1. alternate timeline thing, giant ass war between Pineheart and The Company, Sylar and Elle are on opposing sides, but still the parents of Noah Grey
2. Arthur finds out Elle's pregnant before Sylar does
3. "it's not the years, honey, it's the mileage"
AUTHOR: dragynflies
RATING: R
DISCLAIMER: Heroes cast is not mine.
SUMMARY: Arthur’s good at getting what he wants, no matter who gets in the way. But sometimes, things still don’t go the way they are planned.
A/N: Merry Christmas lizzyrebel! Written for the Heroes Secret Santa Exchange. Sorry it got a little long and out of control, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! I ended up sort of blending the “Noah storyline” with bits and pieces from other timelines…but I did my best.
Six weeks earlier…
Arthur had his suspicions about what would happen when he sent his son into the cell with the girl. He remembered Elle; knew all about her history and her ability, had seen her as a little girl…doped up and locked in a glass room. Still, he couldn’t fault Bob - as a child, Elle had shown extraordinary potential and it was vital her ability be tested. Besides, most of the really damaging incidents had been wiped from her mind, and she would never need to know anything different.
Her arrival at Pinehearst had caught him off guard. Arthur Petrelli was not a fan of surprises and did not plan to let Elle surprise him again. While Gabriel had played his own cards in the cell, Arthur had watched on his television and made plans of his own.
The drawings had happened later - a collection of four sketches that showed just how important Elle would be. A drawing of his son, Elle’s slim face cupped in his palms…another of the two of them on a broken floor, covered by a shirt. The third showed Elle, her palms covering her rounded belly.
The fourth showed Gabriel cradling a tiny baby. It was this future that Arthur was committed too. His grandchild would have real power; a third generation evolved human…who knew what sort of ability that child would have, given its genetic background. What sort of abilities this child could have.
When Elle demanded to go after Claire along with Gabriel, her eyes bright as she gazed at him, Arthur realized that perhaps things were coming together sooner than anticipated - all the better for him, really.
What he hadn’t counted on were the drawings that appeared after the two had left the facility. Elle, pinned to the beach under Gabriel, eyes closed in pain; his son standing over Elle’s burning corpse.
It would simply not do, not at all. At least not until after Elle had delivered the child. It was no good to lose the chance to bring in Claire either, but Gabriel could be sent on further missions once Elle was sufficiently contained.
It was clear his phone call had interrupted the two of them. He could hear Elle’s angry voice in the background while he spoke to his son, asking them to please return to Pinehearst without Claire. There was a scream from Elle, gunshots, and then the phone went dead.
The drawings revealed what would occur only hours later - a disheveled and angry Elle brought back to Pinehearst with Gabriel. Arthur had shown the two of them to the room he’d meant for only Gabriel and left them alone…observing by video surveillance would be easier than talking to either of them, anyway. He’d settled down in his office and turned on his television.
“Bennet attacked us!” she shouted, “and we’re not supposed to do anything?”
“We’re supposed to do our jobs, Elle. The Company didn’t have those same expectations of you? Your father didn’t have those same expectations?”
Elle bit her lip, then raised her hand back to slap Gabriel. He caught her hand in his and she glared at him, “He tried to shoot us!”
“And my father thought it was time for us to come back. We’ll get Claire another day, Elle. For now…” Gabriel flicked his eyes towards the bed, and Elle followed his line of vision, her temper clearly softening.
She let Gabriel twine his fingers with hers, let him press her into the bed as he rested over her, his knees on either side of her thighs.
“You’re so pretty when you’re angry,” he brushed her hair back from her face and deftly unbuttoned the black dress shirt that covered her body, “There’s always electricity in your eyes even if you don’t let it out.”
Elle melted like butter as he touched her, arched into his touch. Her frown eased into a happy smile as she reached for his face.
“See? We can still be us,” he murmured, as Elle brushed her thumb over his stubbly cheek.
“Even with powers…” she went silent, like she meant to say more, but decided not to.
“My dad will get better,” Gabriel said, kissing her lightly, “We just need to work with him. We all want the same thing, right?”
Elle’s smile faltered but returned quickly, “Let’s not talk about your father right now,” she whispered, and kissed him hard.
He pressed against her, trailed little kisses down her neck until she giggled and then blew a playful raspberry on her bare belly.
She reached for him, tugging his bloody shirt over his head and chucking it straight to the garbage. It missed, hit the wall, but her intent was still clear. Her little hands worked at the button of his fly, trying to open his jeans and work the zipper down.
“Let’s talk about you, instead,” Gabriel mumbled, lips pressed against the soft skin of her neck, “about how pretty you are, and how good you taste…” he bit her neck and Elle threw her head back in a gasp.
They were both still inexperienced, fumbling as they undressed each other, but it didn’t matter. He was anxious for her, and she curled against him, pressing her hot core against him.
“Better than a floor?” Gabriel teased as he worked a hand between them, rubbing her belly before sliding between her legs. Elle moaned and spread her legs wider as his fingers worked at her.
“Anywhere with you,” she panted, and Gabriel stared down at her, his fingers stilling. She opened her eyes, reaching down between them to grasp his hand, then shoved it out of the way she could guide his erection into her.
He rose up, met her eyes and rocked his hips, sheathing himself in her deeply. She cried out his name, her fingernails digging into his arms.
He came first, pressed his lips against Elle’s to silence his shout. He laid his damp forehead against hers, panting as he came down. He slowly pulled out of her, ignoring her whimper as he tongued her nipple. He lapped at her hard nipple, pushing her hand between her thighs and circling her clit until she was begging, clutching at his hair, his neck, until he finally pushed his thumb over her clit and she came with a scream.
She curled up in his arms after, already fighting sleep, and his arms wrapped around her almost automatically as they fell asleep together, for the first time.
Present…
“I can help!” Elle is angry, electricity crackling between her fingers.
“Elle, it’s not necessary for you to come with me,” Gabriel says, closing his hands over her electric palms until the sparks went out, “you haven’t been feeling well, and I can take care of this on my own. Besides,” he smiles, “I had a great teacher for my own electricity.”
Elle relaxes a little, and sighs, “I’m sorry. I want to be useful…I want to help…”
Gabriel pets back Elle’s hair and kisses her forehead, “I know, and you will, as soon as you kick this flu. I’ll be back before you know it, I promise.”
Elle grumbles lightly and lies back in bed, letting Gabriel tuck her back in. He picks up his suitcase and kisses her once more before leaving the room. She’s fallen asleep before he even closes the door.
xxxxxxxxx
Elle mopes around the hallways of Pinehearst, uncharacteristically emotional. She stops in Arthur’s office, and when she sees he’s there, stalks inside.
“He was supposed to have been back by now,” she says, hands on her hips. Arthur puts his papers down and motions Elle into his office.
“Gabriel will be back momentarily,” he assures her, then pats her shoulder lightly,
“Elle…pardon the intrusion…you and my son. Are you in a relationship?”
Elle shifts uncomfortably. Thus far, she and Gabriel have avoided labeling what they have... but it’s true enough. She nods hesitantly at Arthur.
“Have you considered having a child?”
Elle’s forehead crinkles at Arthur Petrelli, shock clearly written over her features. The question seems to have come from nowhere, and she is stunned, “I…no, of course not,” she says firmly, “What would I do with a child?”
“You might entertain the thought,” he says, instead of answering her question. “That will be all today, Elle. I’ll notify you when I hear from Gabriel, let you know when he’ll be back.”
Elle finds herself outside of Arthur’s office…effectively dismissed without her consent. As she walks back to her room, she mulls over Arthur’s words. A child…
It’s not until much later, when she’s sitting in bed with her dinner, alone, that it hits her.
Arthur wasn’t suggesting she think about the future. He was suggesting she think about the present.
She stumbles out of bed, staggers to the little bathroom in the dark. There is a pregnancy test sitting on the counter, mocking her, and suddenly she wants to be anywhere but this tiny room in Pinehearst.
She pees on the white stick and stares at it while the control lines appear. She’s nearly ready to breathe a sigh of relief when the second line shows up. She’s frantic for a minute, stares at the back of the box and the stick in horror. Pregnant.
She snaps the stick in half, throws it into the trash and then ignites it. It smolders and smokes until she pours water over it and chucks the whole mess into the sink to be dealt with later.
The knock on the door startles her, and she opens it without thinking twice - Gabriel must be home, and his hands are full.
“Congratulations,” Arthur tells her, extending his hand. Elle’s eyes narrow even as she steps back to allow him into the room.
“You…you have the whole room wired,” she gasps out, glancing around the room like she’ll see the cameras now that she knows about them.
“Of course. Elle…you didn’t think you were important, did you? That Gabriel liked you?”
Her jaw works up and down, her eyes wide.
“Elle, this child is the reason you’re here. The only reason you’re here, the only reason Gabriel’s spent any time with you. It’s been hard on him, having to go away so much just to obtain a break from you…but once the child is born, you’ll be free to leave. We’ll give you money, a house, whatever you want. All we’re interested in is the infant.”
Elle doesn’t know what to think, no idea who’s telling the truth and who’s lying. Her hands cover her flat belly as stares at Arthur in shock.
“Please,” Arthur says, gesturing to her bed, “go back to sleep. We shall finish this in the morning, when Gabriel returns.”
Elle doesn’t have anywhere to go, so she sits on the bed and stares at the wall. She doesn’t want to be at Pinehearst anymore, doesn’t want to be with Gabriel anymore and most certainly doesn’t want to have anything to do with the parasite growing inside of her.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
“Elle’s a liability,” Arthur says as Gabriel paces his office. “She’s playing for the other side, trying to avenge her father. I can’t have her doing anything to damage what we’ve worked so hard for.”
“She won’t,” Gabriel insists, “She was ready to come on this mission with me, ready to back me up…”
“Of course she was. Ready to back you up right into the hands of your mother.”
Gabriel frowns, “Where is she?”
“In your room. She might have some…interesting news, for you. Play your cards wisely.”
xxxxxxxxxx
“Elle.”
“You’re back,” she says, her voice flat. She doesn’t even glance up at Gabriel as he enters the room.
“I am.”
They’re suspicious of each other, speaking carefully. Elle asks her question first, “Have you spoken to your father?”
“I have. He said you have something to tell me.”
“You can stop pretending you care about me,” she says, crossing her arms, “Your father told me what you wanted. You’ll get it and I’ll be gone.”
“What I want?”
“A child.”
“You’re lying to me. You’ve been playing me…are you working for Angela?” He doesn’t move closer to her on the bed, stands across from her and looks at her.
Elle shakes her head, “Of course not. Gabriel, stop it. I’ll have this baby and then I’ll go. I don’t want it anyway.”
Gabriel’s jaw drops, “You’re pregnant?”
Elle scoffs and rolls her eyes, “Like your father didn’t tell you. Look, Sylar, I’ve no desire to play this game any longer.”
Arthur flips the television off; everything is working out perfectly.
Only a few hours later, Elle comes to him with her offer. The child in her womb for one lump sum of money and a promise that they won’t contact her again. She has no desire to parent this child and no desire to see Gabriel.
Arthur will pay for her to live off Pinehearst’s campus, and she will check in regularly with him. Gabriel is to know nothing of the arrangement.
He’s a little surprised at how easily he was able to manipulate Elle, but it makes sense. Her entire life has been laid out for her by older adults, and she responds well to authority figures. Besides, she’s clearly not fit to be a mother.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Elle lives in a little apartment outside of the city, hidden by an associate of Arthur’s. She sees a doctor Arthur has selected and the doctor acts as a go-between, passing information about the child to those at Pinehearst who need to know.
“You have to know where she is!” Gabriel shouts, slamming his fist down on his father’s desk. Arthur is not even flustered by his son’s angry words; he sits back in his chair and waits for Gabriel to stop yelling.
“Elle has returned to the Company, to Angela, just like we suspected,” he says, when Gabriel stops, and that sets him off again.
“You let her go, you said something. She…we were…she wouldn’t have left without talking to me, not without some influence on your part.”
Arthur raises his hand, palm up, towards Gabriel. “Do you care to test my temper further, son, or will you do your job?”
Gabriel backs down to few people, but he’s well aware of Arthur’s powers, and he’s no fool. He can figure things out for himself.
Seven months later
Elle’s doctor notifies Arthur when she begins labor, and he arrives soon after. He has no desire to see Elle, and instead observes through a one way mirror when he needs to update himself on her condition. She’s alone in the bed, wearing a standard hospital gown, and there’s a grounding wire wrapped around her wrist that runs to the earth outside, and every so often he can see a blue spark ignite in her hand. She’s a tough little girl, clenching her teeth and fists when it’s clear she wants to scream. There’s no one holding her hand, no one offering encouraging words, but it doesn’t matter.
All her life Elle’s done things on her own, and this is no exception. She endures labor mostly alone, save for the nurses who check in periodically, until she begins demanding to see the doctor, saying she needs to push. Arthur checks his watch. Nine hours…it won’t be much longer.
The doctor places himself between her knees and Elle clenches her teeth and tips her chin to her chest, pushing on his command. She lets out a little groan, the first noise he’s heard from her, and bites into her lip so hard he sees a spot of blood.
“One last push, alright?” the doctor says, and Elle listens, tucking down her chin and straining.
The infant is born seconds later, and the doctor hastily clears its nose and mouth before wrapping it in a blanket.
“Can I see it? Can I see my baby?” Elle asks weakly, but the nurse has already trundled the screaming child out of Elle’s room and into another to be cleaned.
It was part of the deal. Elle will not meet her child.
A few minutes later, the nurse delivers the infant to Arthur. When she tries to hand it to him, he brushes her off.
“It’s healthy?” he asks, and she nods, “APGARs of 9 and 10, sir. Six pounds, ten ounces, and 18 inches long. It’s a boy.”
“Wonderful,” Arthur says, “I’ll have him loaded into the car downstairs. We’ll return to Pinehearst immediately.”
He sees Elle only long enough to pass her the cash. She’s pale and sweaty and he feels only a momentary pang of sympathy for her, this half-woman who will never be anything more than a pawn.
“And my baby?” she asks, tiredly.
“Returned to his father,” Arthur says, “I did warn you…getting attached to the child would be foolish.”
Elle bites her lip and looks away. She hadn’t meant to.
xxxxxxxxxxx
Gabriel is a surprisingly adept parent. Meeting his son pushes all thoughts of Elle from his mind - clearly, if she wanted to be with them, she would be. It was only lucky that Arthur was able to find the child after Elle abandoned him in the hospital.
He names the baby Noah - not after Noah Bennet but because the name means Peace. Something he’d never had, and something he has always desired.
Noah is a happy baby and Gabriel loves his son. The baby has no ability, shows no talent, but then Gabriel’s did not manifest until later in life.
Still, Arthur had hoped the child would take after Elle.
xxxxxxxxx
Elle returns to the Company because she has no place else to go, and no desire to find a place for herself. Angela allows her to return but sends her on no missions, lets Elle bide her time in her cell and do stupid, menial tasks around the building.
Elle grows tired of feeding prisoners, of exchanging their dirty clothes for clean ones. This is not like taking care of Peter, she doesn’t get to have any fun or spark anyone.
It doesn’t really matter. Her belly feels empty where her baby used to be, and she dreams of a faceless child that cries for her. It takes her two weeks to get her breast milk to dry up, and another month after that to get some semblance of her waist back. When she’s nearly back to the Elle from before she pushes all thoughts of the infant out of her mind and begs to go on assignment.
Angela sends her after Knox, expecting an easy kill for Knox and the end of her problems with Elle.
She didn’t realize that Elle has nothing left to be afraid of. Nothing matters anymore, anyway, and she returns with the man only two days later. She’s anxious to prove herself, trying to make Angela proud like her Daddy never was.
Daphne’s caught next, easily brought in by Elle with the help of the Haitian. No one is loyal to anyone, anymore, but now Elle is Angela’s shiny new toy.
xxxxxxxxx
As the Company grows in power, and Arthur becomes increasingly angry, Gabriel takes his baby son and leaves. He’s done fighting for his father, done fighting for things he doesn’t care about and done playing games with people who don’t matter to him.
He ends up in the Bennet house - Claire and her father have taken off to fight their own battles, and Sandra and Lyle have been relocated to a secret safe house, away from the city. It doesn’t matter to Gabriel - he can handle himself and take care of Noah alone.
He doesn’t care to be around people who aren’t Noah anyway. He loves watching his son grow up, celebrates the little milestones - the first time Noah rolls over, the first time he sits up.
The first time Noah smiles at him is probably the best day of Gabriel’s life.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Elle has yet to fail a mission - something that would have absolutely stunned Angela two years ago. Angela suspects the reason for Elle’s continued success is that Elle no longer cares what happens to her.
The only time Elle feels anything is when she’s taking someone else down, locking them in a cell and throwing away the key. Elle likes to walk through the hallways, staring into the cells, counting the people she’s brought in. She’s good, knows her Daddy would be proud, and doesn’t make stupid mistakes like falling for prisoners now.
Which is why it catches everyone off guard when Daphne and Knox make their escape. It’s less of a surprise to find they’ve allied themselves with Pinehearst - and Claire.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When Angela finds out where Gabriel is, she sends Elle and the Haitian without telling them about their target. She’s hoping between the two of them, her son can be contained.
Elle knocks in his front door with a burst of electricity. She recognizes the house, of course, but knows the Bennets no longer live there. They’re more than likely chasing Peter - from the stories she hears around the Company, he’s gone rogue. Nathan’s been trying to bring him in, but with no luck.
It really doesn’t matter one way or the other to Elle which of the Petrelli brothers wins. She’d prefer them both dead.
She enters the house ahead of the Haitian. Everything is quiet and she cocks a confused eyebrow at her partner until she hears the hum of a CD player upstairs. She follows the sound to a room decorated in cheerful yellows. There’s a crib in the room, with a young child in it. The toddler is standing, clinging to the bars of the crib, and Elle feels a momentary pang for what she’s going to have to do to whoever is here with the child.
The child - a boy, judging by its blue outfit - coos happily, smiles at her, and Elle is struck by a sense of familiarity that vanishes as quickly as it comes.
“What are we going to do with it?” she asks, and the Haitian shakes his head slowly. They weren’t counting on an infant.
The bursts of electricity from the door catch Elle off guard, and she whirls around to see Gabriel standing in the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” he demands, and it’s only then that the little boy starts to cry.
“You.” Elle’s jaw sets and she lights up her hands. She throws an energy ball at his face, expecting a hit, but he waves his hand and throws it aside; the ball of lightening explodes away from him.
“I cannot…” the Haitian begins, and Gabriel smirks.
“I’ve picked up a few tricks,” he says, “You have no power over me. What are you doing here?”
Elle look alarmed but is covering well. If the Haitian cannot affect Gabriel’s power, then they’re the ones that need to be running.
And yet he doesn’t appear to want to kill them.
“Move away from my son,” he orders, and Elle is stepping aside before she even realizes what she’s doing. He picks up the crying baby and whispers to him until the tears slow.
The Haitian is not stupid; he knows when to retreat, but Elle’s feet are rooted to the ground.
“He did give him to you,” she whispers, staring at the baby. The electricity in her hands dies out and she shakes her head as the Haitian leaves.
She’s not surprised. Loyalty is hard to come by.
“My father saved him after you abandoned him,” Gabriel snaps, his voice hard, “You ought to follow your partner’s example before I start demonstrating just how well I’ve learned your power.”
“What’s his name?” Elle asks, as though Gabriel hasn’t spoken at all. She can’t find any trace of herself in the child’s face, but his little head is covered with a tuft of white blonde hair that she knows Gabriel can’t claim.
Gabriel just stares at her, his jaw set. When Elle makes no move to leave, he finally answers her.
“His name is Noah.”
Elle works her jaw up and down, like she wants to talk but has no idea what to say. The child in Gabriel’s arms is the personification of the nightmares that she’s had for more than a year; the nameless, faceless baby that cries in her dreams suddenly has a face, a name, a cheeky little grin.
She was right to have given the child away. A baby would never cling to her the way Noah is clinging to the fabric of Gabriel’s shirt, would never want her for a mother.
She never wanted to be a mother, she reminds herself. The baby that she imagined is not the same baby that is in front of her.
He’s better. Maybe not a burden, maybe someone good.
Elle turns on her heels and bolts from the house. She has to find the Haitian before he returns to Angela…somehow, she’s got to convince him to corroborate on a story with her so that Gabriel’s child remains safe.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Gabriel doesn’t know why seeing Elle again makes him so crazy. He knows she’s working for Angela, watched her throw a ball of lightening at his face without a second thought. And now she knows where he and Noah are, and that makes her even more of a threat.
He can’t bring himself to kill her. Can’t bring himself to kill anyone while he has his son, because he doesn’t want his son to know what exactly his father is capable of. He moves Noah’s crib into his bedroom and feeds the baby lunch, keeping a wary eye on his front door.
If they come back, he might not have a choice.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
It doesn’t take Elle long to realize that Angela knew exactly who she was sending Elle and the Haitian after. Worse, there’s not a whole lot they can tell her - lying to a woman who can dream the future is sort of a stupid plan.
Still, the Haitian does his best to make Angela believe that Gabriel is no threat and that perhaps leaving him alone will allow for a future alliance if the need arises. Gabriel is powerful, and if things continue the way they are going with Arthur, he and Peter might be strong allies with the Company in the future.
Elle’s even a little impressed by the Haitian’s story - he’s made all the pieces fit together, and Angela just might buy it…
The woman laughs, “And your new protection of Gabriel has nothing to do with your son?” she asks Elle, and Elle’s stomach knots.
“It’s not my child,” Elle tells her, even though it hurts to say it, “and the baby has no bearing on this. You know Daphne and Knox have joined forces with Arthur…we may need outside help in the future. Gabriel will be more likely to help if he knows we mean him no harm.”
Angela seems far too at ease with the new development and Elle begins to suspect they’ve been played. “Fine. Send word to Gabriel that we do not intend to attempt to bring him in. We have biggest things to worry about anyway. Pinehearst’s released the formula…they’re selling powers to those who can afford it. Gabriel may not be so much more powerful for long.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Elle knocks on the repaired front door. When Gabriel opens it, Noah is cradled against his chest and he looks ready to fight.
“Why are you here?” he asks, blocking the entrance to his house and glaring down at Elle.
She shakes her head, “I came to talk to you…to tell you that we won’t be back.”
“You came back to tell me you’re leaving me alone?” he mocks, “Tell my mother she continues to have faulty logic.”
Elle bites her lip and looks at the baby. She doesn’t know why seeing Noah hurts so much - she doesn’t even know him. Has never fed him or changed him or held him while he cried, but she can’t help feel drawn to him.
“Can I see him?” she asks and Gabriel’s laugh hurts her ears.
“So you can take him? You can tell my mother he doesn’t have an ability. Make him less interesting to your people…my father was certainly disappointed.”
“If all you wanted from me was a child, you could have told me in the beginning,” Elle says softly, “You didn’t have to pretend with me.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrow, “You lied to me,” he accuses, “working with Angela while living in my father’s building, sleeping in my bed. You left my son alone...abandoned him at the hospital so you could run right back to Angela.”
Elle shakes her head, “I…I didn’t. Your father took him, I didn’t leave him alone…I didn’t go to Angela until he was born. I didn’t have any place else to go.”
There is no lie apparent in her words, nothing untruthful in her gaze. Gabriel shifts and turns Noah so she can see his face, but makes no move to hand him to her.
“I don’t want him anywhere near Pinehearst or the Company,” he says, “and I won’t have you around him either, not while you work for my mother.”
Elle looks lost. She reaches for Noah, and Gabriel lets her touch his little hand and the soft skin of his cheek.
“I don’t know how to be anything but an agent,” she finally says, “and I don’t know how to be a mother.”
“Elle…” Arthur played them both, Gabriel knows that now, but the difference is that only one of them is strong enough to leave it all behind.
She shakes her head and touches Noah’s hair one last time, “I have to go. I’ll do my best to see that you are left alone.”
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Elle keeps her word. No one from the Company comes to Gabriel’s home. It isn’t until Peter enters his life again that he starts to worry again, but months pass quietly for Gabriel and his son. Noah adores Peter, lights up like a Christmas tree when he sees his uncle, and Gabriel starts to think that Noah’s going to be able to have that normal childhood he always wanted for him.
He misses Elle sometimes, dreams about the future they could have had, but it’s not enough to make him jeopardize what he has for Noah.
What Elle helped to give Noah…a normal childhood, free from manipulative parents and powers.
User Name: lizzyrebel
As a Reader
Things I Want to Read: usually something angsty, but maybe with a sorta happy ending. Smut would be excellent.
Things I Donʼt Want to Read: kind of how I don't want to write non-con, I don't want to read it either
Ratings I Want to Read: T and up, please. XD
Characters I Want to Read: the whole extended Petrelli family
Characters I Donʼt Want to Read: Mohinder, Maya, Hiro
Three Prompts For Author: (can be a song lyric, phrase, word, situation)
1. alternate timeline thing, giant ass war between Pineheart and The Company, Sylar and Elle are on opposing sides, but still the parents of Noah Grey
2. Arthur finds out Elle's pregnant before Sylar does
3. "it's not the years, honey, it's the mileage"