[Fic] There's No Place Like Home [2/?]
Title: There's No Place Like Home
Author: Jen - ladybug218
Fandom: hearts_andminds RPG - Future canon
Characters: Claire Bennet (Heroes), Cameron Mitchell (SG1) and Jon O'Neill (aka, clone!Jack, SG1)
Rating: PG-13, I guess
Author's Notes: I totally blame dontwantmeback and kymscrazy for this. It's a companion piece to their EPIC FIC, I Don't Think We're in Oz Anymore and Kym's sequel, I Won't Be Coming Home Tonight. There are also a number of ficlets and a soundtrack for this universe, which can all be found here.
Previous Chapters: Part One
The phone call came the day after Claire returned from spending a year in a place that time and space forgot.
Nathan was alive. And he and Peter needed her help to bring the Company down.
She left a note for her mother, got in her car and started driving.
When she arrived in Texas, she immediately went to the abandoned house that Peter, Nathan and Matt had commandeered to use as Command Central. Claire found out that they were being joined by several other people who had abilities and Nathan had a plan.
While she listened to his ideas, she tried not to think about how nice it would be to have Cam and Jon there to help.
*
Peter cornered her a week after her arrival.
"What's up, Claire? You're acting like you hate the world."
"Being nice isn't going to get us anywhere," she pointed out.
"I know that," he said. "But we have to work together. You've been sniping at Elle, questioning Matt and generally being unpleasant. What gives?"
Claire sighed. "Nothing. You wouldn't understand."
"I'm an empath, Claire. Try me."
She closed her eyes and focused on her memories of the village: the warmth of the bakery, playing video games with her boys, lazy Sunday morning brunches. She knew that Peter would pick up the images with his telepathy and it was easier than trying to put things into words.
When she opened her eyes, he was giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Claire. I know what it's like to lose someone you care about."
"Oh, right," she said. "No luck trying to get back to where Caitlin is?"
Peter shook his head. "No. Hiro's trying to find her though."
"Well, if you're lonely, I think Elle's interested." Claire teased.
"Stop," he groaned. "I know she's interested. And I'm not."
*
Everyone in their group looked to Nathan as their leader. His plans were solid and she was proud when she realized that she was more like her biological father than she ever could have guessed. She sat and listened intently as he outlined their final plan.
"Nathan, no," Peter argued. "It's not fair to make Claire put herself in danger like that. Let me do it."
"Peter, I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions. And I'm fine with doing this," Claire argued.
Peter folded his arms. "You're not even eighteen yet!"
Claire started to argue, but realized that she didn't want to explain the village to everyone in the room. "That doesn't mean I can't handle this!"
"Pete, trust me," Nathan said. "I need you with me. Claire will be okay. She and Matt will stay here in Texas. You and I will go to New York with Elle. It needs to be a simultaneous strike or it won't work."
"Fine," Peter huffed. Claire appreciated that he cared, but she was grateful for the action. She still hadn't adjusted to being back in her real life and she missed the village. Hopefully this mission would help her get past it.
*
It went off without a hitch. They managed to bring down The Company and protect the people like them from harm without any casualties. Nathan insisted on a victory celebration at his New York home. Claire was hesitant to attend; the house still made her uncomfortable, even though Angela Petrelli was long gone. And as much as she loved her new, extended family, she missed Jon and Cam more than she could possibly express in words.
Peter convinced her to attend, if only to protect him from Elle's advances. She chuckled, but she understand that he felt he needed to be loyal to Caitlin, even if the chances of them finding her where growing slimmer every day. Claire understood how he felt; when West showed up and told her that he was happy she hadn't exposed them but was glad that The Company would no longer be a threat, she shrugged and gave him monosyllabic answers to his questions. She had no interest in rekindling their relationship; she was in love with someone else. Two someone elses that she might never see again.
*
Going back to school was so much harder than she expected. She had spent the summer with Peter; traveling through time and space to try to locate Caitlin. They had also searched for Jon and Cameron. And both had come up empty. It was a depressing time, but they tried to keep each other's spirits high and they both still had slim hope that maybe some day they would be reunited with the people they loved.
Her senior year passed by in a blur. She went to classes, stayed on the cheerleading squad, and avoided all the school dances like the plague. After graduation, her parents (all four of them plus Peter) encouraged her to go to college. She had no interest in higher education though, and elected to stay in Costa Verde and get a job at the bakery on the boardwalk in town. She moved into a cozy apartment on the beach and made a new life for herself. She loved meeting all the tourists who came through and every day it got a little easier for her to push aside the memories she had of that one incredible year.
At least until the day the marines came in. They were cheerful and friendly and reminded her so much of Cameron and Jon that it was physically painful. She told her boss that she was getting a migraine and since she had never taken a sick day in the year and a half she had worked there, he let her leave early. She went back to her tiny apartment, made a cup of tea and sat on the window seat, staring out at the ocean and crying her eyes out.
Author: Jen - ladybug218
Fandom: hearts_andminds RPG - Future canon
Characters: Claire Bennet (Heroes), Cameron Mitchell (SG1) and Jon O'Neill (aka, clone!Jack, SG1)
Rating: PG-13, I guess
Author's Notes: I totally blame dontwantmeback and kymscrazy for this. It's a companion piece to their EPIC FIC, I Don't Think We're in Oz Anymore and Kym's sequel, I Won't Be Coming Home Tonight. There are also a number of ficlets and a soundtrack for this universe, which can all be found here.
Previous Chapters: Part One
The phone call came the day after Claire returned from spending a year in a place that time and space forgot.
Nathan was alive. And he and Peter needed her help to bring the Company down.
She left a note for her mother, got in her car and started driving.
When she arrived in Texas, she immediately went to the abandoned house that Peter, Nathan and Matt had commandeered to use as Command Central. Claire found out that they were being joined by several other people who had abilities and Nathan had a plan.
While she listened to his ideas, she tried not to think about how nice it would be to have Cam and Jon there to help.
*
Peter cornered her a week after her arrival.
"What's up, Claire? You're acting like you hate the world."
"Being nice isn't going to get us anywhere," she pointed out.
"I know that," he said. "But we have to work together. You've been sniping at Elle, questioning Matt and generally being unpleasant. What gives?"
Claire sighed. "Nothing. You wouldn't understand."
"I'm an empath, Claire. Try me."
She closed her eyes and focused on her memories of the village: the warmth of the bakery, playing video games with her boys, lazy Sunday morning brunches. She knew that Peter would pick up the images with his telepathy and it was easier than trying to put things into words.
When she opened her eyes, he was giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Claire. I know what it's like to lose someone you care about."
"Oh, right," she said. "No luck trying to get back to where Caitlin is?"
Peter shook his head. "No. Hiro's trying to find her though."
"Well, if you're lonely, I think Elle's interested." Claire teased.
"Stop," he groaned. "I know she's interested. And I'm not."
*
Everyone in their group looked to Nathan as their leader. His plans were solid and she was proud when she realized that she was more like her biological father than she ever could have guessed. She sat and listened intently as he outlined their final plan.
"Nathan, no," Peter argued. "It's not fair to make Claire put herself in danger like that. Let me do it."
"Peter, I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions. And I'm fine with doing this," Claire argued.
Peter folded his arms. "You're not even eighteen yet!"
Claire started to argue, but realized that she didn't want to explain the village to everyone in the room. "That doesn't mean I can't handle this!"
"Pete, trust me," Nathan said. "I need you with me. Claire will be okay. She and Matt will stay here in Texas. You and I will go to New York with Elle. It needs to be a simultaneous strike or it won't work."
"Fine," Peter huffed. Claire appreciated that he cared, but she was grateful for the action. She still hadn't adjusted to being back in her real life and she missed the village. Hopefully this mission would help her get past it.
*
It went off without a hitch. They managed to bring down The Company and protect the people like them from harm without any casualties. Nathan insisted on a victory celebration at his New York home. Claire was hesitant to attend; the house still made her uncomfortable, even though Angela Petrelli was long gone. And as much as she loved her new, extended family, she missed Jon and Cam more than she could possibly express in words.
Peter convinced her to attend, if only to protect him from Elle's advances. She chuckled, but she understand that he felt he needed to be loyal to Caitlin, even if the chances of them finding her where growing slimmer every day. Claire understood how he felt; when West showed up and told her that he was happy she hadn't exposed them but was glad that The Company would no longer be a threat, she shrugged and gave him monosyllabic answers to his questions. She had no interest in rekindling their relationship; she was in love with someone else. Two someone elses that she might never see again.
*
Going back to school was so much harder than she expected. She had spent the summer with Peter; traveling through time and space to try to locate Caitlin. They had also searched for Jon and Cameron. And both had come up empty. It was a depressing time, but they tried to keep each other's spirits high and they both still had slim hope that maybe some day they would be reunited with the people they loved.
Her senior year passed by in a blur. She went to classes, stayed on the cheerleading squad, and avoided all the school dances like the plague. After graduation, her parents (all four of them plus Peter) encouraged her to go to college. She had no interest in higher education though, and elected to stay in Costa Verde and get a job at the bakery on the boardwalk in town. She moved into a cozy apartment on the beach and made a new life for herself. She loved meeting all the tourists who came through and every day it got a little easier for her to push aside the memories she had of that one incredible year.
At least until the day the marines came in. They were cheerful and friendly and reminded her so much of Cameron and Jon that it was physically painful. She told her boss that she was getting a migraine and since she had never taken a sick day in the year and a half she had worked there, he let her leave early. She went back to her tiny apartment, made a cup of tea and sat on the window seat, staring out at the ocean and crying her eyes out.