FIC: The Road Not Taken, Ch 14
Title: "The Road Not Taken"
Rating: PG-13 probably.
Pairings: Claire/Elle, Claire/Gretchen
Summary: When Claire goes back in time to save Elle, her relationship with Gretchen is threatened.
Disclaimer: I do not own the television show "Heroes" or "Imma Be" by the Black Eyed Peas.
Note: Takes place after "Brave New World." The past takes place after "The Butterfly Effect." Thank you Lied and She-Hulk from the BAM Board.
Chapter 14
Claire groaned as she awkwardly fell on her elbow. It had been a good month since she had made out with anyone. It had been years since she had made out with anyone other than Gretchen. As for Elle, Claire was extremely sure that Elle had never made out with anyone ever. That explained her strange tenseness and how she would occasionally shock Claire whenever she moved and held Claire so hard the former cheerleader bruised.
Claire was also sure that her hair must have looked crazy with the continued electrical charge being pumped through her but she could not deny the appeal of the tingling sensation through her skin even if it was so overpowering she was falling all over herself and Elle. It did not help things that Claire was working hard to keep every part of her body away from Elle, knowing that Elle was naked under the blanket. Claire could feel said blanket slipping unintentionally or possibly intentionally underneath her palms as things got more heated.
Unfortunately, when Claire’s cellphone began ringing to the tune of "Imma Be" by the Black Eyed Peas, Elle let out a frightened blast so powerful it knocked Claire off the bed and into the wall.
Claire heard a crack and things went black for a moment. When her eyes fluttered open once again she instinctively reached for her head even though she knew no injury would be waiting for her there. She wondered fleetingly if the walls were soundproof as her eyes settled on the bed where Elle was looking at her with a rather annoyed expression.
"What was that?" Elle snapped as she angled her head to look at Claire on the floor.
Claire tilted her neck from side to side and blinked a few moments before responding. "It was my cellphone."
Elle huffed and bounced her legs on the bed impatiently. "No, not that. The song. What was the song?"
Claire shrugged as she began to push herself up on her hands as she straightened up against the wall until she was finally standing. "It’s just some song."
Elle’s eyes widened as a smile stretched across her face. Claire was never one to see little birdies fly around her head when she got a head injury but she could almost see a lightbulb form over Elle’s head at that moment.
"You should tell me every hit song that came out. That way I could be ahead of the times. Run with all you cheerleader cool kids with your rock music," Elle suggested teasingly.
Claire rolled her eyes. "I already told you; no stepping on butterflies."
Elle repositioned herself until she was sitting on her knees and clutching the bedspread to her chest. Claire quickly turned her eyes up to the ceiling before she could do something less than noble.
Elle ignored the younger girl’s obvious discomfort as she spoke. "First of all, that’s a stupid expression. I don’t know why. It’s just annoying. Second of all, you keep saying it but you’re kind of awful at not revealing the future."
Claire thought about how to answer that when something more pressing occurred to her. "I have to take that phone call."
Claire walked outside the hotel room and shut the door behind her as quickly as possible. She glanced both ways in the apparently empty hallway. With a deep breath she pulled out her phone which she hoped did not have a fried or crushed battery from what just took place. She swore if healing were not her power she would have been dead a long time ago.
She was relieved when the phone screen lit up. She hoped her brain would start functioning along with it since Elle had the mysterious power of stupefying her.
Claire pressed a familiar order of buttons and within a moment Rene was on the line. "You called me?"
"You did not answer right away. Is everything all right?" Rene asked with genuine concern painting his voice. Claire was touched and instantly forgave the interruption.
"No, it’s fine. Everything’s fine. You know Elle," Claire said as she shoved her hands in pockets.
"Yes, I do," Rene said. He was silent for a moment and Claire had a strange feeling he knew Claire too and knew what they were just up to and it sent a weird feeling up her spine and a tightening to her muscles. Just as she was about to break the awkward pause, Rene beat her to it.
"I was just concerned. Gretchen was asking after you and I just wanted to make sure all was well," Rene said. It was an innocent statement but there was still an underlying implication that he at the very least suspected what they were up to. She did not know if he was trying to send her the same message he sent earlier but she did feel that point.
"Yes, all is well," Claire confirmed.
"Very well. I assume you will be staying there for the night. Be back before dawn. Bring Elle with you. Good night," Rene said and before Claire could respond the call was ended.
Claire took a moment to look at the phone before she ended it on her own end. Claire opened the door and gazed in without looking at Elle. ‘Be professional,’ she thought to herself over and over despite how hard it was hard to be professional with Elle who could always push her buttons. She had to try.
"I’m going to sleep outside tonight, okay? I’ll be here. I’ll just be watching from outside. You’re safe with me," Claire said.
Elle was silent for a moment and Claire heard the rustling of sheets before Elle uttered a simple, "Okay."
"Okay," Claire said quietly as something began to crumble inside of her because Elle actually did sound okay with Claire’s suggestion. Claire closed the door and slid down it, trying unsuccessfully to find a comfortable position. As Claire eyes fluttered closed, she was unable to see a person fly past the hallway window.
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Everything was formulaic the next morning. Claire wondered if her moment with Elle was all a dream. It was not like she could feel any pain and her life was far from what most people considered normal. How could she tell the difference between dream and reality really?
However, it was almost too calm the next morning. The girls barely said two words to each other from the moment the woke up until they were almost back to the mansion. When Elle finally did speak Claire wished she had not.
"So, do I need to buy Gretchen something?" Elle asked.
Claire finally turned her head in Elle’s direction. She gnawed her lip thoughtfully before asking, "What?"
"I watched a lot of movies when people cheated on who they were with they bought them something. Since Gretchen is my girlfriend now, shouldn’t I buy her something?" Elle asked without a hint of irony.
This stumped Claire even more as she came to the realization that Elle was being silent all morning because she was thinking this subject over before she ever voiced it. Claire did not know if she should point out that Gretchen had enough money to buy anything her heart desires. Or if she should mention that if anyone was cheating on Gretchen it was her. She then realized that perhaps they were both equally culpable for cheating on Gretchen and they were cheating with each other.
Finally she said, "You’re her fake girlfriend so I don’t think it matters."
Elle seemed satisfied with that response as a smile crossed her face again. It had been an hour and a half since her last unintentional electrical outburst and if Elle was centering all her worries on how to nonviolently handle Gretchen Claire supposed it was good day for them.
Claire folded her hands together and thought about how to approach the next subject without unintentionally egging Elle on to do the opposite of what she was about to say. She finally decided to bite the bullet.
"Just to be on the safe side, I wanted to ask you not to say anything about what happened last night in front of Gretchen, seeing as she is your girlfriend and my boss," Claire pleaded.
Elle instantly frowned and looked at Claire as if she wanted to give her a shove. "Oh, what happened last night, Claire?"
"You know what happened," Claire said.
"Yeah, I do but apparently you think I’m an idiot who might not know," Elle snapped with her eyes trained on Claire.
Claire could not handle the intensity of Elle’s gaze as she walked but they needed to be back before dawn and she could not look away. "Look, I don’t think you’re an idiot. You’re smarter than me in a lot of ways."
"Really?" Elle asked.
Claire smiled. "Really. It’s just that if anyone found out about us it could be bad like..."
"The end of the world?" A voice asked.
Claire spun her face forward so she could see the figure standing right next to the Berg mansion. She froze in shock. It was Elle that moved first.
"You?" Elle asked.
Claire spoke with her voice thick with emotion for someone she had not seen in years. "Zach?"
Chapter 15