Heroes fic: Exodus 2/4. PG-13
Title: Exodus
Author: Eustacia Vye
E-Mail: eutstacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Kring et al owns them all. I just like playing with other people's toys.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers/Warnings: Post "How to Stop an Exploding Man." Eventual mentions of Sylar activities and violence. The idea for this came after the Season 1 ending, but Real Life is hectic, and it's not complete until now. No spoilers to Season 2.
Summary: The Boogeyman isn't dead, but Molly may have found someone that can help them get away from the Boogeyman.
Exodus
Part 1 - Setting the Stage
"I don't like this."
Madison was rubbing her face, avoiding Brian's pointed gaze. He had black hair, which only made his pale blue eyes look more piercing than they already were. He was tall and lanky, a runner's build. He could bench press her weight, and that had nothing to do with powers. A little stray lightning... that was better left unmentioned.
"Maddy..."
"Annika's Dream had us helping them," she explained tiredly. "You know how that works."
"Yes, I know. She's the one that told me where to find you," Brian pointed out. He crossed his arms over his chest. "But right now, there's five people I don't know in one of my safe houses. They're apparently refugees from a Sylar attack and lived through it. And how do I know that he's not following them here? We have enough on our plate as it is. The network is going to be overloaded if he comes here and they have to flee..."
"I know, Brian," Madison said, looking up tiredly. "God, don't you think I know how important this is? But at the same time, we have our jobs to do."
Brian pulled Madison up from her seat on the couch. He folded her into a tight embrace. "She's not telling us something," Brian murmured. "This isn't like her."
"The girl... She's seen some awful things..."
"Uh oh. I know that tone..."
"What? It's what I do! You couldn't feel the pain she was trying to hide, Brian... Oh, God, it hurt to feel it."
"Maddy..."
"I can't not do something about it."
Brian closed his eyes as he nodded. "Yeah, I know." He pulled back and gave her a wan smile. "I do know that. C'mon. Let's at least have dinner together before the storm hits, all right?"
Madison laughed. "The little monsters return from Stamford in three weeks, Brian. We've got three more weeks of peace and quiet." She shook her head. "And for the record, I'm not doing the turkey this year. I've learned my lesson. Your mom can have the honors."
Brian laughed with her. "Let's go over to Ginger's. I think she told Ben that she's making lemon meringue tonight." He patted her stomach gently.
"Yeah, I'm not in the mood to cook, either." She smiled brightly at Brian.
"Can't you make yourself get in the mood?" he teased.
She swatted his arm. "Watch it, buster. I'll turn you into a 'fraidy-cat faster than you can blink."
"Promises, promises," Brian said, cheerfully grabbing their coats from the rack near the front door. He sobered as his hand fell onto the front doorknob. "Just... if you do take them on as patients, be careful. I don't... Something's not right about this."
Madison sobered as well, and caught his hand in hers. "I know. But I've got to do something."
"Yeah." He gave her hand a squeeze. "We both do."
***
"Mommy hid me when the noises started," Molly said in a hushed tone, stacking blocks in Madison's office. It was terribly juvenile, but it was something to do with her hands. Also, she didn't have to look at Madison's face or hair, which for a split second had reminded her of her mother. Molly could remember the concern that masked the fear. They had been well off, and her mother was always a worrier. She had always worried that there were going to be break ins, that Molly would be kidnapped coming off the school bus, that there would be fires and the entire family would be trapped inside.
"You didn't see it," Madison guessed.
"I could hear it." Molly whispered, a block tight in her fist. "I still can."
Madison slowly uncurled her fist and removed the block. "Tell me about them." Molly looked up, biting her lip. "Tell me the things that made them your parents. The little things nobody else know about them."
Molly found herself smiling and laughing as she talked about her father's model trains in the basement, the visits to the park and the beach, her mother's quirky habit of getting cookbooks she never opened but always said she wanted to read. Her father would play softball with her, and they would look at the video games at Best Buy. Her mother liked to garden while she was at school, and there were always fresh cut flowers on the dining room table. Even so, her father liked to sit in the living room and watch TV during dinner, and Molly liked doing her homework on the living room floor with her parents talking about work or the news. Molly looked up at Madison, and somehow it didn't hurt so much that Madison reminded her of her mother anymore. It was almost comforting to know that somewhere was someone that looked just like her mother who was looking after little kids.
"Tell me about the boogeyman," Madison said in a hushed tone. "What are we fighting against?" she asked. "What's he like?"
"He's made of shadows," Molly said, stacking the blocks again. Her face tightened, and her hands shook slightly. "He moves things with his mind. He threw the lady against the wall, and he likes to show off. He has a tight grip when he grabbed me the one time. He wants people scared of him. He wants their powers, and he wants people afraid of him."
"Why do you think that is, Molly?"
Molly shrugged. "Dunno. I know he wants to do what I can do. I hear the people talk around me, and I know that's what he does."
"Maybe," Madison agreed. "But why do you think he wants people afraid of him?"
"So he can take their powers?"
Madison smiled. "Ever get teased in school?" Molly nodded. "Well, why do you think they do it to you?"
"'Cause they're mean."
"Yes, but sometimes it's because they don't think they're very good kids themselves. Sometimes they're jealous. Did you know that?" Molly shook her head. "I think the boogeyman is the same way. He wants people scared of him, right? Sometimes people like that think if they're scary, they're stronger than you. They're more important if they're scary."
"That's just silly. If you're scary, people run away from you. How can you be stronger then?"
"Well, I didn't say the boogeyman wasn't silly," Madison replied, smiling. "But sometimes, people do things or say things to put down people in order to make themselves feel better. They don't like who they are, and they want you think they're somebody different. I like how you call him the boogeyman."
"Really?"
"Yup. You know the boogeyman in the closet usually isn't something scary. And he's just a man, even with his scary powers. He still feels, still gets afraid."
"He didn't look afraid."
"It's a different kind of fear. He's afraid he'll never be important, never be somebody good, never be someone that people would like. So if he makes you afraid of him, it's okay that he's all alone. He's better than you, anyway."
"I get it," Molly said with a solemn nod.
"Do you get nightmares?" Madison asked, pulling out paper and crayons. Molly nodded, looking at Madison with shining eyes. "How about we draw a little?" Madison sat down across from Molly at the low play table. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"I remember Mommy screaming," Molly said, reaching for a brown crayon. "I heard the stairs cracking, and Mommy was screaming. And then she just... stopped... and that was worse than the screaming was."
"You knew."
Molly nodded. "Officer Parkman didn't scream," Molly whispered. She drew a circle on the paper in front of her. "He fell, but he didn't scream. Not like Mommy did."
"Sometimes people like that know it's scarier to scream." Madison picked out a pink crayon. "And people like police officers or doctors or nurses or things like that... Our job is protect people and take care of them the best as we can." She drew a heart on her piece of paper and began to color it in. "Sometimes caring people like that, we give our lives to protect others. It's part of what we do."
Molly felt her fear drain away. It was almost as if it was running down a drain. There was still the ache when she thought of her mother, of the screaming and the stopping, the awful silence when she knew that mother's fears had come true. There was still the awful gaping hole in her chest when she thought of Officer Parkman falling to the ground, the boogeyman smiling his evil smile of triumph. Still, there was a sense of calm about her. It happened, but it didn't hurt the same way, and she could think about it without wanting to crumble to pieces.
"We do what we can," Madison was saying, finishing her pink heart. "Whatever we can, however we can." She pushed over the heart. "They wanted you to be safe, Molly."
"Will I be?" she asked in a small voice.
Madison's smile was assuring, and Molly found herself smiling back. "Of course you will."
Molly nodded. "Niki was screaming last night. She had a bad dream. You should talk to her about her dreams, too. I think she had a nightmare about her husband, since he was the only one to get her to calm down."
"Is she afraid of the boogeyman, too?"
"She didn't know about the boogeyman. She didn't know until after, and she hit him across the head with a parking meter. It's kinda funny, but I didn't laugh when she did it. She looked kind of scary, actually. Like... Like you know, she would've hit him until his head exploded and kept going. She looked really mad."
"Huh. She must be really strong, then."
Molly nodded and looked down at the brown circle on her piece of paper. "I'm not a good artist."
"S'okay. Neither am I. I'm a better talker. You're a good talker, too."
Molly beamed. "I feel better now. Mohinder promised me ice cream afterward."
"Tell him to go to Ginger's Diner off of Baker Street. They have lemon meringue pie, too."
Molly laughed, then sobered. "Mom tried once. The meringue fell down. Dad was better at baking pies and cakes than Mom, but she made really good lasagna."
"She's a good Mom," Madison said softly, patting Molly's hand. "I'll bet she's real proud of you."
The girl nodded, looking up. "Said I was her bestest girl ever."
Madison smiled at her. "Go on, bestest girl ever. Tell Niki I'll meet her tomorrow."
After Molly left the office, Madison cleared away the toys and blocks and crayons. She closed her eyes, still feeling the essence of panic beneath her skin. She pushed it away, into the ether, and opened her eyes. There were still three more patients that afternoon, and then she would be able to contemplate Sylar and the Hiding Business, as Brian put it. Madison sat at her desk and looked over the family photo on her desk. If Sylar had come after her twins, she would have acted just like Molly's mother. Hell, if he came anywhere near her patients, she would do the same. She had found this tiny little town and fell in love with it. She had fallen into medicine by accident, but it had fit, and she took it seriously. She had met Brian by accident, and they had fit; he had even adopted her children as his own. And now she met more gifted people by accident, and there had to be a point to it somewhere.
Destiny was calling, and she would follow its path wherever it led.
***
Niki waited until the last possible moment to head to Madison's office. Molly had insisted, loudly, and then Micah had chimed in. Niki had managed to rebuff most of their efforts, but then Micah played dirty and involved DL. She had wound up promising DL that she would at least talk to the psychiatrist, but she refused to promise anything further. She didn't know if it would serve as a trigger to make Jessica come out; Jessica didn't seem to like psychiatrists very much. Hell, Jessica didn't like anyone coming close to them at all. Lately, that had become a good thing. As much as Niki had hated being trapped inside her own body and unable to act, Jessica had been able to do the things that she couldn't. At least, Niki had always thought she couldn't be the strong one. That had been Jessica's job. Her sister had been the strong one, hiding Niki and taking the blows for both of them. She was older by six minutes, and it was her job to protect her little sister.
The secretary at the front desk was just locking up her desk as Niki walked into the building. "I have an appointment."
"Oh, yes. Dr. Vincent mentioned she would have a walk-in today. Nicole, I think she said?"
Niki wanted to shout that it wasn't her name, wasn't anything like her name anymore. Instead, she nodded and walked down the hallway that the secretary pointed to. She could hear voices down the hall, and she rose to the balls of her feet. She moved quietly down the hall, just in case.
"Oh, come on, Doc. I'll be fine..."
"No, Cassidy, I mean it. Control first."
"You don't understand! It's just... I didn't mean it." The girl named Cassidy sighed. She sounded young, probably teenaged. Niki remembered being sixteen; it had involved lots of alcohol, lots of pot and lots of messing around. Maybe if she'd had a psychiatrist back then, she wouldn't be more comfortable with a stripper's pole than an office desk.
"If they catch you, they'll kill you." There was an edge to Madison's voice that Niki didn't recognize, a hard and commanding tone.
"You're telling me to never use my powers!" Cassidy raged.
"You're not listening, Cassidy," Madison sighed. "I didn't say never, I just said not to do it out in the open."
"Well, isn't that the same thing?"
"Of course not. How do we practice here?"
Cassidy made a humming sound as she thought. "Well, those incense thingies..."
"Exactly. You can still practice and get control if you stay in your room. Use incense, candles, paper in a safe garbage bin... You have to think smart. You don't want to let the entire world know what you can do, and you still need to learn how to control it."
"No one saw me at the deli..."
"Not good enough. One day, someone will notice, and you'll find yourself missing."
Niki shivered at the grim tone of Madison's voice. What in the world was going on here?
"All right, doc. I promise. I have a few candles in my room already. You know, it's hard to get them lit just right? I never thought about trying to put them out."
"Well, there you go. Until next week, then."
"Aw, man. I wanted to go to the beach."
"You still can."
"Not in Florida. Marcy and Trevor were going to take me with them this summer."
"Well, we'll see how you do. Try practicing for another two or three weeks. If it works out well, then we'll have you come in every two weeks. How does that sound?"
"Sounds like a plan, doc. Thanks!"
Niki stepped back as a redhead with gray eyes bounced out of the room in a belly shirt and short shorts. The redhead stopped short. "Oh. You're the next victim, huh? Go on in, she's all done torturing me." The girl smiled sweetly, then bounced out of the office.
Madison stood in the doorway, shaking her head. "Just ignore that. She has an odd sense of humor sometimes." They went into the office and she shut the door. Niki sat at the proffered chair. "Thanks for coming in so quickly."
"Well, you wanted to see me," Niki replied, her tone almost sullen. She looked around the office, taking in the details she missed. There were the diplomas, certificates and large bookcase stuffed to the brim with texts and journals. There was the desk, the shut closet, a low table with toys and crayons and paper. This was a far cry from a prison conference area, and there was no mirrored metronome in sight. Jessica might have taken a step back, but Niki didn't trust her.
Madison asked the usual questions about her background and psychiatric history. The moment she asked about a history of abuse, Niki felt herself being pulled back into a foggy ether. She opened her mouth to protest -- No, Jessica, don't! -- and it was already too late.
"I don't think you should be asking about that," Jessica said, voice laced with an unvoiced threat.
The psychiatrist's lips quirked into something like a smile. "Oh? It seems I've touched a nerve there. That's quite the change that's come over you."
"We're leaving," Jessica hissed. Niki wanted to scream that she made a mistake, she shouldn't have come out.
Jessica froze mid-rise. She was terrified suddenly, choking on the fear that she was going to be broken in two by her own sister, the one she wanted to protect. Her sister didn't need her, didn't want her, and thought she was a burden. Niki didn't love her, not the way she loved Niki. Niki's family didn't even like her, and she knew it. Everything she had ever done was for Niki, to protect her from the world, but no one understood the sacrifices she had to make in order to get things done. They would turn on her, they would rip her to ribbons.
Niki took in a deep breath as she was pushed back to the surface. "Oh. You shouldn't have done that," she warned Madison. "Whatever just happened, you shouldn't have done it."
"Who was that, Niki?" Madison asked, voice soft.
"You don't want to mess with her," Niki warned. "She'll hurt you without even thinking twice."
Madison's grin was slow and almost malicious. "I can handle myself, Niki. Who was she?"
For a split second, Madison's grin looked like Jessica's in the mirror. For a split second, Niki almost thought that Jessica had leapt out of her body and into Madison's. Then the moment passed, and Madison looked like a psychiatrist again, dressed in a button down blouse and dress pants, notepad in hand.
"Jessica," Niki said finally. Tension that had collected in her chest uncoiled. She felt safe here, as though maybe someone would finally understand. "She was my sister. And... I don't know how, but now she's with me all the time."
"Do you get missing time?"
Niki nodded slowly. "It's her. It's when she's out and I'm locked up. But sometimes it's like I'm watching her do things, but I can't do a thing about it. I can't push her away unless she wants to leave. I'm not as strong as her."
"Is there anyone else with you?" Niki shook her head. "Are you sure?" After a long moment, Niki shrugged. "All right. Tell me what it was like. Tell me why she has to be here."
"She doesn't, though. She needs to leave."
"She serves a purpose, Niki. She can only leave if you don't need her anymore." Madison put her notepad down on the desk and leaned forward slightly in her chair. "Why did you need her, Niki? Why did she have to be there?"
To her shock, Niki began to cry. Suddenly she was a child again, and there was her twin sister standing next to her. I'll always take care of you, Niki. Don't you worry. Dad won't ever get a chance to hurt you. I'll make sure of it.
"Our dad," Niki began, her throat closing up in pain. "He was an alcoholic." Madison made some kind of soothing noise, and Niki sucked in a breath. Her throat seemed to ease somewhat. "Why am I even telling you this? This isn't any of your business."
"Have you ever talked to anyone about this before?"
"I was in AA..."
"I meant Jessica."
Niki fell silent. After a moment, she shook her head. "I don't want anyone to know about her. She's dangerous. She's killed people."
"Maybe you need to ask her why. Maybe you need to figure out why she's there."
"I told you. She just is."
Niki's panic drained away, leaving her numb. It was hard to feel anything anymore, but it was almost comforting. It was nice not to have to worry about everything.
"Why don't we start at the beginning?" Madison asked, her voice soothing.
Niki found herself nodding. "Okay." She looked up at Madison, looking her most vulnerable. "Will you tell anyone else?"
Madison shook her head. "Patient confidentiality. Unless you tell me you're suicidal or planning to kill someone, nothing leaves this room."
"All right," Niki murmured. She tried to feel upset about something, but it was hard to even find that emotion anymore. She looked at Madison quizzically. "You did something."
"Maybe you need a little time without the worry. Maybe when you're calm, things will make more sense to you."
Niki was aware that it wasn't a clear answer, but it seemed to be the only reply she was going to get. Somehow, she wasn't upset by that. If Madison had a power, if she could do something, then maybe she could help Niki figure out this strength thing. It didn't happen all the time, and it scared her when it did.
More at ease, Niki began to talk.
***
they took a car and took the bridge the girl told them where to go but there were no directions i could hear where would they go and why wouldn't she tell them where? why would they trust a little girl to lead the way? if wishes were fishes my sight would be as sharp as my ears and i could find them and take what is rightfully mine and i'll be the only one the only special one in the world and i could even be president
but first to find them to tell a tale none would suspect to find them?
Fingers coated in slime skipped across concrete, beginning to sketch. When his eyes opened, he could see the make and model of the car in question and part of a license plate.
His lips stretched in a rictus grin.
we'll be together really soon...
***
***
Author: Eustacia Vye
E-Mail: eutstacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Kring et al owns them all. I just like playing with other people's toys.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers/Warnings: Post "How to Stop an Exploding Man." Eventual mentions of Sylar activities and violence. The idea for this came after the Season 1 ending, but Real Life is hectic, and it's not complete until now. No spoilers to Season 2.
Summary: The Boogeyman isn't dead, but Molly may have found someone that can help them get away from the Boogeyman.
Exodus
Part 1 - Setting the Stage
"I don't like this."
Madison was rubbing her face, avoiding Brian's pointed gaze. He had black hair, which only made his pale blue eyes look more piercing than they already were. He was tall and lanky, a runner's build. He could bench press her weight, and that had nothing to do with powers. A little stray lightning... that was better left unmentioned.
"Maddy..."
"Annika's Dream had us helping them," she explained tiredly. "You know how that works."
"Yes, I know. She's the one that told me where to find you," Brian pointed out. He crossed his arms over his chest. "But right now, there's five people I don't know in one of my safe houses. They're apparently refugees from a Sylar attack and lived through it. And how do I know that he's not following them here? We have enough on our plate as it is. The network is going to be overloaded if he comes here and they have to flee..."
"I know, Brian," Madison said, looking up tiredly. "God, don't you think I know how important this is? But at the same time, we have our jobs to do."
Brian pulled Madison up from her seat on the couch. He folded her into a tight embrace. "She's not telling us something," Brian murmured. "This isn't like her."
"The girl... She's seen some awful things..."
"Uh oh. I know that tone..."
"What? It's what I do! You couldn't feel the pain she was trying to hide, Brian... Oh, God, it hurt to feel it."
"Maddy..."
"I can't not do something about it."
Brian closed his eyes as he nodded. "Yeah, I know." He pulled back and gave her a wan smile. "I do know that. C'mon. Let's at least have dinner together before the storm hits, all right?"
Madison laughed. "The little monsters return from Stamford in three weeks, Brian. We've got three more weeks of peace and quiet." She shook her head. "And for the record, I'm not doing the turkey this year. I've learned my lesson. Your mom can have the honors."
Brian laughed with her. "Let's go over to Ginger's. I think she told Ben that she's making lemon meringue tonight." He patted her stomach gently.
"Yeah, I'm not in the mood to cook, either." She smiled brightly at Brian.
"Can't you make yourself get in the mood?" he teased.
She swatted his arm. "Watch it, buster. I'll turn you into a 'fraidy-cat faster than you can blink."
"Promises, promises," Brian said, cheerfully grabbing their coats from the rack near the front door. He sobered as his hand fell onto the front doorknob. "Just... if you do take them on as patients, be careful. I don't... Something's not right about this."
Madison sobered as well, and caught his hand in hers. "I know. But I've got to do something."
"Yeah." He gave her hand a squeeze. "We both do."
***
"Mommy hid me when the noises started," Molly said in a hushed tone, stacking blocks in Madison's office. It was terribly juvenile, but it was something to do with her hands. Also, she didn't have to look at Madison's face or hair, which for a split second had reminded her of her mother. Molly could remember the concern that masked the fear. They had been well off, and her mother was always a worrier. She had always worried that there were going to be break ins, that Molly would be kidnapped coming off the school bus, that there would be fires and the entire family would be trapped inside.
"You didn't see it," Madison guessed.
"I could hear it." Molly whispered, a block tight in her fist. "I still can."
Madison slowly uncurled her fist and removed the block. "Tell me about them." Molly looked up, biting her lip. "Tell me the things that made them your parents. The little things nobody else know about them."
Molly found herself smiling and laughing as she talked about her father's model trains in the basement, the visits to the park and the beach, her mother's quirky habit of getting cookbooks she never opened but always said she wanted to read. Her father would play softball with her, and they would look at the video games at Best Buy. Her mother liked to garden while she was at school, and there were always fresh cut flowers on the dining room table. Even so, her father liked to sit in the living room and watch TV during dinner, and Molly liked doing her homework on the living room floor with her parents talking about work or the news. Molly looked up at Madison, and somehow it didn't hurt so much that Madison reminded her of her mother anymore. It was almost comforting to know that somewhere was someone that looked just like her mother who was looking after little kids.
"Tell me about the boogeyman," Madison said in a hushed tone. "What are we fighting against?" she asked. "What's he like?"
"He's made of shadows," Molly said, stacking the blocks again. Her face tightened, and her hands shook slightly. "He moves things with his mind. He threw the lady against the wall, and he likes to show off. He has a tight grip when he grabbed me the one time. He wants people scared of him. He wants their powers, and he wants people afraid of him."
"Why do you think that is, Molly?"
Molly shrugged. "Dunno. I know he wants to do what I can do. I hear the people talk around me, and I know that's what he does."
"Maybe," Madison agreed. "But why do you think he wants people afraid of him?"
"So he can take their powers?"
Madison smiled. "Ever get teased in school?" Molly nodded. "Well, why do you think they do it to you?"
"'Cause they're mean."
"Yes, but sometimes it's because they don't think they're very good kids themselves. Sometimes they're jealous. Did you know that?" Molly shook her head. "I think the boogeyman is the same way. He wants people scared of him, right? Sometimes people like that think if they're scary, they're stronger than you. They're more important if they're scary."
"That's just silly. If you're scary, people run away from you. How can you be stronger then?"
"Well, I didn't say the boogeyman wasn't silly," Madison replied, smiling. "But sometimes, people do things or say things to put down people in order to make themselves feel better. They don't like who they are, and they want you think they're somebody different. I like how you call him the boogeyman."
"Really?"
"Yup. You know the boogeyman in the closet usually isn't something scary. And he's just a man, even with his scary powers. He still feels, still gets afraid."
"He didn't look afraid."
"It's a different kind of fear. He's afraid he'll never be important, never be somebody good, never be someone that people would like. So if he makes you afraid of him, it's okay that he's all alone. He's better than you, anyway."
"I get it," Molly said with a solemn nod.
"Do you get nightmares?" Madison asked, pulling out paper and crayons. Molly nodded, looking at Madison with shining eyes. "How about we draw a little?" Madison sat down across from Molly at the low play table. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"I remember Mommy screaming," Molly said, reaching for a brown crayon. "I heard the stairs cracking, and Mommy was screaming. And then she just... stopped... and that was worse than the screaming was."
"You knew."
Molly nodded. "Officer Parkman didn't scream," Molly whispered. She drew a circle on the paper in front of her. "He fell, but he didn't scream. Not like Mommy did."
"Sometimes people like that know it's scarier to scream." Madison picked out a pink crayon. "And people like police officers or doctors or nurses or things like that... Our job is protect people and take care of them the best as we can." She drew a heart on her piece of paper and began to color it in. "Sometimes caring people like that, we give our lives to protect others. It's part of what we do."
Molly felt her fear drain away. It was almost as if it was running down a drain. There was still the ache when she thought of her mother, of the screaming and the stopping, the awful silence when she knew that mother's fears had come true. There was still the awful gaping hole in her chest when she thought of Officer Parkman falling to the ground, the boogeyman smiling his evil smile of triumph. Still, there was a sense of calm about her. It happened, but it didn't hurt the same way, and she could think about it without wanting to crumble to pieces.
"We do what we can," Madison was saying, finishing her pink heart. "Whatever we can, however we can." She pushed over the heart. "They wanted you to be safe, Molly."
"Will I be?" she asked in a small voice.
Madison's smile was assuring, and Molly found herself smiling back. "Of course you will."
Molly nodded. "Niki was screaming last night. She had a bad dream. You should talk to her about her dreams, too. I think she had a nightmare about her husband, since he was the only one to get her to calm down."
"Is she afraid of the boogeyman, too?"
"She didn't know about the boogeyman. She didn't know until after, and she hit him across the head with a parking meter. It's kinda funny, but I didn't laugh when she did it. She looked kind of scary, actually. Like... Like you know, she would've hit him until his head exploded and kept going. She looked really mad."
"Huh. She must be really strong, then."
Molly nodded and looked down at the brown circle on her piece of paper. "I'm not a good artist."
"S'okay. Neither am I. I'm a better talker. You're a good talker, too."
Molly beamed. "I feel better now. Mohinder promised me ice cream afterward."
"Tell him to go to Ginger's Diner off of Baker Street. They have lemon meringue pie, too."
Molly laughed, then sobered. "Mom tried once. The meringue fell down. Dad was better at baking pies and cakes than Mom, but she made really good lasagna."
"She's a good Mom," Madison said softly, patting Molly's hand. "I'll bet she's real proud of you."
The girl nodded, looking up. "Said I was her bestest girl ever."
Madison smiled at her. "Go on, bestest girl ever. Tell Niki I'll meet her tomorrow."
After Molly left the office, Madison cleared away the toys and blocks and crayons. She closed her eyes, still feeling the essence of panic beneath her skin. She pushed it away, into the ether, and opened her eyes. There were still three more patients that afternoon, and then she would be able to contemplate Sylar and the Hiding Business, as Brian put it. Madison sat at her desk and looked over the family photo on her desk. If Sylar had come after her twins, she would have acted just like Molly's mother. Hell, if he came anywhere near her patients, she would do the same. She had found this tiny little town and fell in love with it. She had fallen into medicine by accident, but it had fit, and she took it seriously. She had met Brian by accident, and they had fit; he had even adopted her children as his own. And now she met more gifted people by accident, and there had to be a point to it somewhere.
Destiny was calling, and she would follow its path wherever it led.
***
Niki waited until the last possible moment to head to Madison's office. Molly had insisted, loudly, and then Micah had chimed in. Niki had managed to rebuff most of their efforts, but then Micah played dirty and involved DL. She had wound up promising DL that she would at least talk to the psychiatrist, but she refused to promise anything further. She didn't know if it would serve as a trigger to make Jessica come out; Jessica didn't seem to like psychiatrists very much. Hell, Jessica didn't like anyone coming close to them at all. Lately, that had become a good thing. As much as Niki had hated being trapped inside her own body and unable to act, Jessica had been able to do the things that she couldn't. At least, Niki had always thought she couldn't be the strong one. That had been Jessica's job. Her sister had been the strong one, hiding Niki and taking the blows for both of them. She was older by six minutes, and it was her job to protect her little sister.
The secretary at the front desk was just locking up her desk as Niki walked into the building. "I have an appointment."
"Oh, yes. Dr. Vincent mentioned she would have a walk-in today. Nicole, I think she said?"
Niki wanted to shout that it wasn't her name, wasn't anything like her name anymore. Instead, she nodded and walked down the hallway that the secretary pointed to. She could hear voices down the hall, and she rose to the balls of her feet. She moved quietly down the hall, just in case.
"Oh, come on, Doc. I'll be fine..."
"No, Cassidy, I mean it. Control first."
"You don't understand! It's just... I didn't mean it." The girl named Cassidy sighed. She sounded young, probably teenaged. Niki remembered being sixteen; it had involved lots of alcohol, lots of pot and lots of messing around. Maybe if she'd had a psychiatrist back then, she wouldn't be more comfortable with a stripper's pole than an office desk.
"If they catch you, they'll kill you." There was an edge to Madison's voice that Niki didn't recognize, a hard and commanding tone.
"You're telling me to never use my powers!" Cassidy raged.
"You're not listening, Cassidy," Madison sighed. "I didn't say never, I just said not to do it out in the open."
"Well, isn't that the same thing?"
"Of course not. How do we practice here?"
Cassidy made a humming sound as she thought. "Well, those incense thingies..."
"Exactly. You can still practice and get control if you stay in your room. Use incense, candles, paper in a safe garbage bin... You have to think smart. You don't want to let the entire world know what you can do, and you still need to learn how to control it."
"No one saw me at the deli..."
"Not good enough. One day, someone will notice, and you'll find yourself missing."
Niki shivered at the grim tone of Madison's voice. What in the world was going on here?
"All right, doc. I promise. I have a few candles in my room already. You know, it's hard to get them lit just right? I never thought about trying to put them out."
"Well, there you go. Until next week, then."
"Aw, man. I wanted to go to the beach."
"You still can."
"Not in Florida. Marcy and Trevor were going to take me with them this summer."
"Well, we'll see how you do. Try practicing for another two or three weeks. If it works out well, then we'll have you come in every two weeks. How does that sound?"
"Sounds like a plan, doc. Thanks!"
Niki stepped back as a redhead with gray eyes bounced out of the room in a belly shirt and short shorts. The redhead stopped short. "Oh. You're the next victim, huh? Go on in, she's all done torturing me." The girl smiled sweetly, then bounced out of the office.
Madison stood in the doorway, shaking her head. "Just ignore that. She has an odd sense of humor sometimes." They went into the office and she shut the door. Niki sat at the proffered chair. "Thanks for coming in so quickly."
"Well, you wanted to see me," Niki replied, her tone almost sullen. She looked around the office, taking in the details she missed. There were the diplomas, certificates and large bookcase stuffed to the brim with texts and journals. There was the desk, the shut closet, a low table with toys and crayons and paper. This was a far cry from a prison conference area, and there was no mirrored metronome in sight. Jessica might have taken a step back, but Niki didn't trust her.
Madison asked the usual questions about her background and psychiatric history. The moment she asked about a history of abuse, Niki felt herself being pulled back into a foggy ether. She opened her mouth to protest -- No, Jessica, don't! -- and it was already too late.
"I don't think you should be asking about that," Jessica said, voice laced with an unvoiced threat.
The psychiatrist's lips quirked into something like a smile. "Oh? It seems I've touched a nerve there. That's quite the change that's come over you."
"We're leaving," Jessica hissed. Niki wanted to scream that she made a mistake, she shouldn't have come out.
Jessica froze mid-rise. She was terrified suddenly, choking on the fear that she was going to be broken in two by her own sister, the one she wanted to protect. Her sister didn't need her, didn't want her, and thought she was a burden. Niki didn't love her, not the way she loved Niki. Niki's family didn't even like her, and she knew it. Everything she had ever done was for Niki, to protect her from the world, but no one understood the sacrifices she had to make in order to get things done. They would turn on her, they would rip her to ribbons.
Niki took in a deep breath as she was pushed back to the surface. "Oh. You shouldn't have done that," she warned Madison. "Whatever just happened, you shouldn't have done it."
"Who was that, Niki?" Madison asked, voice soft.
"You don't want to mess with her," Niki warned. "She'll hurt you without even thinking twice."
Madison's grin was slow and almost malicious. "I can handle myself, Niki. Who was she?"
For a split second, Madison's grin looked like Jessica's in the mirror. For a split second, Niki almost thought that Jessica had leapt out of her body and into Madison's. Then the moment passed, and Madison looked like a psychiatrist again, dressed in a button down blouse and dress pants, notepad in hand.
"Jessica," Niki said finally. Tension that had collected in her chest uncoiled. She felt safe here, as though maybe someone would finally understand. "She was my sister. And... I don't know how, but now she's with me all the time."
"Do you get missing time?"
Niki nodded slowly. "It's her. It's when she's out and I'm locked up. But sometimes it's like I'm watching her do things, but I can't do a thing about it. I can't push her away unless she wants to leave. I'm not as strong as her."
"Is there anyone else with you?" Niki shook her head. "Are you sure?" After a long moment, Niki shrugged. "All right. Tell me what it was like. Tell me why she has to be here."
"She doesn't, though. She needs to leave."
"She serves a purpose, Niki. She can only leave if you don't need her anymore." Madison put her notepad down on the desk and leaned forward slightly in her chair. "Why did you need her, Niki? Why did she have to be there?"
To her shock, Niki began to cry. Suddenly she was a child again, and there was her twin sister standing next to her. I'll always take care of you, Niki. Don't you worry. Dad won't ever get a chance to hurt you. I'll make sure of it.
"Our dad," Niki began, her throat closing up in pain. "He was an alcoholic." Madison made some kind of soothing noise, and Niki sucked in a breath. Her throat seemed to ease somewhat. "Why am I even telling you this? This isn't any of your business."
"Have you ever talked to anyone about this before?"
"I was in AA..."
"I meant Jessica."
Niki fell silent. After a moment, she shook her head. "I don't want anyone to know about her. She's dangerous. She's killed people."
"Maybe you need to ask her why. Maybe you need to figure out why she's there."
"I told you. She just is."
Niki's panic drained away, leaving her numb. It was hard to feel anything anymore, but it was almost comforting. It was nice not to have to worry about everything.
"Why don't we start at the beginning?" Madison asked, her voice soothing.
Niki found herself nodding. "Okay." She looked up at Madison, looking her most vulnerable. "Will you tell anyone else?"
Madison shook her head. "Patient confidentiality. Unless you tell me you're suicidal or planning to kill someone, nothing leaves this room."
"All right," Niki murmured. She tried to feel upset about something, but it was hard to even find that emotion anymore. She looked at Madison quizzically. "You did something."
"Maybe you need a little time without the worry. Maybe when you're calm, things will make more sense to you."
Niki was aware that it wasn't a clear answer, but it seemed to be the only reply she was going to get. Somehow, she wasn't upset by that. If Madison had a power, if she could do something, then maybe she could help Niki figure out this strength thing. It didn't happen all the time, and it scared her when it did.
More at ease, Niki began to talk.
***
they took a car and took the bridge the girl told them where to go but there were no directions i could hear where would they go and why wouldn't she tell them where? why would they trust a little girl to lead the way? if wishes were fishes my sight would be as sharp as my ears and i could find them and take what is rightfully mine and i'll be the only one the only special one in the world and i could even be president
but first to find them to tell a tale none would suspect to find them?
Fingers coated in slime skipped across concrete, beginning to sketch. When his eyes opened, he could see the make and model of the car in question and part of a license plate.
His lips stretched in a rictus grin.
we'll be together really soon...
***
***