Unholy Plastic
Title: Unholy Plastic
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Claire had survived falls from bridges, jumping out of high-story windows, car crashes, fires, the list went on. It was some cruel twist of fate that a five inch piece of plastic would be the death of her.
Spoilers: Minor 3x04
Disclaimer: Heroes is not owned by me, but by Tim Kring. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
~~
Claire had been in her bathroom now for almost an hour. She kept trying to blink away the result that seemed to mock her as it stared up at her from the counter, refusing to disappear.
She had survived falls from bridges, jumping out of high-story windows, car crashes, fires, the list went on. It was some cruel twist of fate that a five inch piece of plastic would be the death of her.
No it wasn’t imbedded in the back of her head, no it hadn’t severed a vein. Instead it had a little, yet very distinctive pink plus sign in the center that had confirmed her worst fear.
She was seventeen and pregnant. With Sylar’s baby.
She wanted to tell him first, of course. But where he was right then she could only guess. Wherever he was she knew it was safe to assume scalps were coming off.
For a week she waited. Waiting for him to come to her again, to figure out where he was, trying to decide if she could or would keep the baby. She knew there was no use in telling him if she was just going to get an abortion. He would only be even angrier. About which aspect though she could never be sure.
Still, she knew she would have to tell her parents something soon. No matter what she decided, she would need their help in one way or another.
“Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked when she finally found him alone in the kitchen another few days later. Yes, she had been trying to stall but she knew the time for that was through.
“Can it wait, Claire-bear? I’m already late and I have a thousand things I have to do.”
“Actually it’s kind of waited too long already,” she nervously told him. She knew he reaction wouldn’t be good and the more she waited the more afraid she became.
Noah sighed, but turned his attention onto his daughter. “What is it, Claire?”
“Um,” she started, trying to finding the words.
“’Um?’ Claire you’re going to have to do better than that. I really have to go.”
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out. She knew he had heard her when his blue eyes bulged. For a moment she wasn’t sure if was about to have a heart attack.
“You’re what?” he asked, praying that she was kidding, that this was just some sick way for her to get his attention. Next she would tell him she crashed the car or flunked math or something, anything that to him would be a lesser shock to make him almost relieved that what she had said wasn’t true.
“I’m pregnant,” she repeated, her voice calmer this time as the words were somewhat easier to say now that she had already said them once. Though her heart still raced at what he would say or do next.
“Who’s the father?” Noah heard himself ask next. No, he wouldn’t shoot the boy on sight, he decided. He would hear his Clairebear out and they would go from there. And then if he felt the boy still deserved it he would make said boy wish he had only been shot.
Now came the hard part, Claire knew. If it had been Zach, she had an idea her father would go easier on her and be more forgiving. They were both young and had been close for a while, she could blame it on peer pressure or something of the like. But she hadn’t seen him in so long and it would be wrong to claim anyone who wasn’t the father was. Especially if the actual father found out and also if the child was born with black hair and brown eyes to a blonde haired, green eyed mother. And that was even before whatever powers the baby could have came to light.
She couldn’t even look Noah in the eye as she answered, “Sylar.”
His heart stopped. The blood in his veins ran cold. “Sylar?” he asked through mostly clenched teeth.
“Yeah, tall guy, dark hair, real knack for -” she motioned with her index finger across her forehead. It was all she could think to say to keep from crying while her father continued to stare at her like he was about to kill someone.
It was nearly another month before anyone saw Sylar again despite the hunt for him that had ensued. Noah had demanded nearly every team be sent out after him. Nearly half the men sent after him had returned. Without Sylar.
Finally it was Noah himself to catch up to him, the following day no less. Running on pure adrenaline, hatred and fury could do that to a man.
Noah hadn’t even been able to form words when he saw him, or even as he drove with Sylar in the backseat, The Haitian riding in the passenger seat to be sure Sylar couldn’t use any of his newly gained powers to escape.
“You know I won’t be here for long, Noah,” Sylar stated as he locked him in a cell.
“You will this time if I have anything to say about it,” he fired. And you will never, never see Claire or that baby, he thought to himself.
Baby? Sylar wondered as he had heard the older man’s thoughts. What baby? He was in a cell, what harm could it do to ask?
“What baby is that, Noah?”
The look on his captor’s face said it all. He didn’t know mind reading was one of his new powers. After all Matt Parkman was still alive and there were few others known for having that power. Even so Sylar had found someone. And had quickly made use of them.
You son of a bitch, Noah thought next. But before he could think of anything else or risk Sylar getting even further into his head, he stormed off.
Noah didn’t speak to Claire when he got home, still too furious she had let his greatest enemy even touch her. The fact he had heard from Sandra that she was choosing to keep the baby didn’t make him any happier.
Meanwhile Sylar found himself pacing in his cell, still wondering what Bennet had meant. Had there been a baby born with powers comparable to his own? Was that even possible? No. But he had thought of Claire too. “Claire or that baby,” he remembered.
How long had it been since that night? A month? Maybe two? Plenty of time for her to know if she was pregnant. And Noah had more than implied it was his. Why else would he even think it? Why else would he say he would never see either of them? Unless he had been afraid he would go after her child for its powers. But then he already had Claire’s power and if it was his baby then he wouldn’t need to.
His cell door went flying off its hinges seconds later with no more than a flick of his fingers, the handful of guards on Level 5 were soon unconscious or dead, he really didn’t care which and after getting hold of some new clothes he was on his way to see his favorite former cheerleader.
“You can’t stay mad at her forever,” Sandra tried to soothe her husband.
“That man is a killer and she let him into his house. She let him into her bed, into - What am I supposed to do? Raise that demon spawn while she’s off at college and or realizes she’s not ready to be a mother?”
“You don’t think you’re being just a little too hard on her? She’s a teenager, teenagers make stupid choices and this was hers. It’s up to us to be the adults and try to help her through this,” Sandra went on. “This is our grandchild we’re talking about. You may not be fond of its father, but that baby’s mother is your daughter.”
“You don’t know the things he’s put her through,” Noah sighed.
“Who do you think found her after he attacked her here?” she reminded him. “If she’s capable of forgiving him even after that then we should at least be able to pretend to.”
“For all we know he raped her,” Noah shook his head.
“You know that’s not true. If he had she would have told us. I know, I asked her if touched her that night, she was telling the truth when she said no. She hasn’t shown any sign of him hurting her and she’s happy, or at least she is when she thinks of him and what he’s given her.”
“More trouble than it's worth, the biggest mistake of her life that we’re going to be stuck with. And now it sounds like he’s brainwashed her,” Noah argued.
Claire could hear their fight despite how quiet they were trying to be. Though no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t consider it a mistake. She didn’t know how or why, but she loved Sylar. She had let him into her that night and it wasn’t just out of a desperation for company or to feel wanted. She wanted to be owned by him, claimed by him and it was obvious no one would ever want her or be able to make her feel more than he could.
“I’m glad to hear you think that, Princess,” Sylar stated, having heard her once again think that their baby wasn’t a mistake. Perhaps not planned, but still she was thankful for it.
Claire didn’t jump, she knew the hunt had been on for him and had a feeling he would show up again sooner or later. She was glad he had chosen sooner.
“I guess you know then,” she sighed, now fearful of his reaction.
“I don’t know what I know,” he admitted. “Your father thought something when he was locking me back into that cell. I came here to see if it’s true.”
“That I’m pregnant?” she asked.
“Are you?” he asked, keeping his tone emotionless. He wouldn’t let her see or hear his own want, not more than he already had at least.
She nodded, keeping her head down. Partially in embarrassment and shame at not having been able to tell him first and partially in fear that he would tell her to get rid of it. Or worse, that he would rip their child out of her himself.
“How could you think that?” Sylar asked, suddenly horrified she could think that of him. Maybe he was a killer and known to most as a monster, but not even he could imagine himself capable of that. Not with her at least and certainly not when it was his child inside of her.
“You can read minds now?” she asked, now staring up at him almost frightened as she had been the first time she saw him in her bedroom.
“A new acquired power,” he quickly replied. “Claire, I could never -”
“My dad wants me to -” she couldn’t even finish the sentence. It wasn’t what she wanted and right then she couldn’t bear to hear him agree with her father.
“Tell me you won’t,” he breathed, searching her green pools for any sign that she wouldn’t do that to him. Granted he had never envisioned himself as the fatherly type, but ever since Peter had come back from the future, telling him about his son, he knew he was willing to try.
“You want this baby?” she asked, unsure what to feel right then. He could still say no. He could still want it for his own personal gain, it may have nothing to do with having something to share with her or wanting a family with her.
“I do,” he heard himself admit.
“And what about me?”
“You don’t want it?” he asked, suddenly pained and confused. Neither of which he was used to feeling anymore.
“No, I do. I just mean, do you just want this baby or do you want us both?”
“If I considered you secondary I would’ve kept to the shadows, watching you and waiting until after he was born to take him. But I’m here, now, for both of you, I want a family as much as you do, Claire and I want it with you.”
“Him?” she asked, the barest of smiles beginning to appear.
He almost laughed. “Peter, when he came back from the future, he told me that when he saw me I had a son. And given this, I’m guessing this is him,” he replied as he brought his fingertips to her barely noticeable bump.
Claire knew she didn’t have to say she felt the same. She knew he could see it, that he could feel it. After all that was part of their undying bond. No secrets, no lies, just the absolute truth no matter how hard it was to take at times.
This time they wanted the same thing, a family with each other. And they got it.
The End
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Claire had survived falls from bridges, jumping out of high-story windows, car crashes, fires, the list went on. It was some cruel twist of fate that a five inch piece of plastic would be the death of her.
Spoilers: Minor 3x04
Disclaimer: Heroes is not owned by me, but by Tim Kring. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
~~
Claire had been in her bathroom now for almost an hour. She kept trying to blink away the result that seemed to mock her as it stared up at her from the counter, refusing to disappear.
She had survived falls from bridges, jumping out of high-story windows, car crashes, fires, the list went on. It was some cruel twist of fate that a five inch piece of plastic would be the death of her.
No it wasn’t imbedded in the back of her head, no it hadn’t severed a vein. Instead it had a little, yet very distinctive pink plus sign in the center that had confirmed her worst fear.
She was seventeen and pregnant. With Sylar’s baby.
She wanted to tell him first, of course. But where he was right then she could only guess. Wherever he was she knew it was safe to assume scalps were coming off.
For a week she waited. Waiting for him to come to her again, to figure out where he was, trying to decide if she could or would keep the baby. She knew there was no use in telling him if she was just going to get an abortion. He would only be even angrier. About which aspect though she could never be sure.
Still, she knew she would have to tell her parents something soon. No matter what she decided, she would need their help in one way or another.
“Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked when she finally found him alone in the kitchen another few days later. Yes, she had been trying to stall but she knew the time for that was through.
“Can it wait, Claire-bear? I’m already late and I have a thousand things I have to do.”
“Actually it’s kind of waited too long already,” she nervously told him. She knew he reaction wouldn’t be good and the more she waited the more afraid she became.
Noah sighed, but turned his attention onto his daughter. “What is it, Claire?”
“Um,” she started, trying to finding the words.
“’Um?’ Claire you’re going to have to do better than that. I really have to go.”
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out. She knew he had heard her when his blue eyes bulged. For a moment she wasn’t sure if was about to have a heart attack.
“You’re what?” he asked, praying that she was kidding, that this was just some sick way for her to get his attention. Next she would tell him she crashed the car or flunked math or something, anything that to him would be a lesser shock to make him almost relieved that what she had said wasn’t true.
“I’m pregnant,” she repeated, her voice calmer this time as the words were somewhat easier to say now that she had already said them once. Though her heart still raced at what he would say or do next.
“Who’s the father?” Noah heard himself ask next. No, he wouldn’t shoot the boy on sight, he decided. He would hear his Clairebear out and they would go from there. And then if he felt the boy still deserved it he would make said boy wish he had only been shot.
Now came the hard part, Claire knew. If it had been Zach, she had an idea her father would go easier on her and be more forgiving. They were both young and had been close for a while, she could blame it on peer pressure or something of the like. But she hadn’t seen him in so long and it would be wrong to claim anyone who wasn’t the father was. Especially if the actual father found out and also if the child was born with black hair and brown eyes to a blonde haired, green eyed mother. And that was even before whatever powers the baby could have came to light.
She couldn’t even look Noah in the eye as she answered, “Sylar.”
His heart stopped. The blood in his veins ran cold. “Sylar?” he asked through mostly clenched teeth.
“Yeah, tall guy, dark hair, real knack for -” she motioned with her index finger across her forehead. It was all she could think to say to keep from crying while her father continued to stare at her like he was about to kill someone.
It was nearly another month before anyone saw Sylar again despite the hunt for him that had ensued. Noah had demanded nearly every team be sent out after him. Nearly half the men sent after him had returned. Without Sylar.
Finally it was Noah himself to catch up to him, the following day no less. Running on pure adrenaline, hatred and fury could do that to a man.
Noah hadn’t even been able to form words when he saw him, or even as he drove with Sylar in the backseat, The Haitian riding in the passenger seat to be sure Sylar couldn’t use any of his newly gained powers to escape.
“You know I won’t be here for long, Noah,” Sylar stated as he locked him in a cell.
“You will this time if I have anything to say about it,” he fired. And you will never, never see Claire or that baby, he thought to himself.
Baby? Sylar wondered as he had heard the older man’s thoughts. What baby? He was in a cell, what harm could it do to ask?
“What baby is that, Noah?”
The look on his captor’s face said it all. He didn’t know mind reading was one of his new powers. After all Matt Parkman was still alive and there were few others known for having that power. Even so Sylar had found someone. And had quickly made use of them.
You son of a bitch, Noah thought next. But before he could think of anything else or risk Sylar getting even further into his head, he stormed off.
Noah didn’t speak to Claire when he got home, still too furious she had let his greatest enemy even touch her. The fact he had heard from Sandra that she was choosing to keep the baby didn’t make him any happier.
Meanwhile Sylar found himself pacing in his cell, still wondering what Bennet had meant. Had there been a baby born with powers comparable to his own? Was that even possible? No. But he had thought of Claire too. “Claire or that baby,” he remembered.
How long had it been since that night? A month? Maybe two? Plenty of time for her to know if she was pregnant. And Noah had more than implied it was his. Why else would he even think it? Why else would he say he would never see either of them? Unless he had been afraid he would go after her child for its powers. But then he already had Claire’s power and if it was his baby then he wouldn’t need to.
His cell door went flying off its hinges seconds later with no more than a flick of his fingers, the handful of guards on Level 5 were soon unconscious or dead, he really didn’t care which and after getting hold of some new clothes he was on his way to see his favorite former cheerleader.
“You can’t stay mad at her forever,” Sandra tried to soothe her husband.
“That man is a killer and she let him into his house. She let him into her bed, into - What am I supposed to do? Raise that demon spawn while she’s off at college and or realizes she’s not ready to be a mother?”
“You don’t think you’re being just a little too hard on her? She’s a teenager, teenagers make stupid choices and this was hers. It’s up to us to be the adults and try to help her through this,” Sandra went on. “This is our grandchild we’re talking about. You may not be fond of its father, but that baby’s mother is your daughter.”
“You don’t know the things he’s put her through,” Noah sighed.
“Who do you think found her after he attacked her here?” she reminded him. “If she’s capable of forgiving him even after that then we should at least be able to pretend to.”
“For all we know he raped her,” Noah shook his head.
“You know that’s not true. If he had she would have told us. I know, I asked her if touched her that night, she was telling the truth when she said no. She hasn’t shown any sign of him hurting her and she’s happy, or at least she is when she thinks of him and what he’s given her.”
“More trouble than it's worth, the biggest mistake of her life that we’re going to be stuck with. And now it sounds like he’s brainwashed her,” Noah argued.
Claire could hear their fight despite how quiet they were trying to be. Though no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t consider it a mistake. She didn’t know how or why, but she loved Sylar. She had let him into her that night and it wasn’t just out of a desperation for company or to feel wanted. She wanted to be owned by him, claimed by him and it was obvious no one would ever want her or be able to make her feel more than he could.
“I’m glad to hear you think that, Princess,” Sylar stated, having heard her once again think that their baby wasn’t a mistake. Perhaps not planned, but still she was thankful for it.
Claire didn’t jump, she knew the hunt had been on for him and had a feeling he would show up again sooner or later. She was glad he had chosen sooner.
“I guess you know then,” she sighed, now fearful of his reaction.
“I don’t know what I know,” he admitted. “Your father thought something when he was locking me back into that cell. I came here to see if it’s true.”
“That I’m pregnant?” she asked.
“Are you?” he asked, keeping his tone emotionless. He wouldn’t let her see or hear his own want, not more than he already had at least.
She nodded, keeping her head down. Partially in embarrassment and shame at not having been able to tell him first and partially in fear that he would tell her to get rid of it. Or worse, that he would rip their child out of her himself.
“How could you think that?” Sylar asked, suddenly horrified she could think that of him. Maybe he was a killer and known to most as a monster, but not even he could imagine himself capable of that. Not with her at least and certainly not when it was his child inside of her.
“You can read minds now?” she asked, now staring up at him almost frightened as she had been the first time she saw him in her bedroom.
“A new acquired power,” he quickly replied. “Claire, I could never -”
“My dad wants me to -” she couldn’t even finish the sentence. It wasn’t what she wanted and right then she couldn’t bear to hear him agree with her father.
“Tell me you won’t,” he breathed, searching her green pools for any sign that she wouldn’t do that to him. Granted he had never envisioned himself as the fatherly type, but ever since Peter had come back from the future, telling him about his son, he knew he was willing to try.
“You want this baby?” she asked, unsure what to feel right then. He could still say no. He could still want it for his own personal gain, it may have nothing to do with having something to share with her or wanting a family with her.
“I do,” he heard himself admit.
“And what about me?”
“You don’t want it?” he asked, suddenly pained and confused. Neither of which he was used to feeling anymore.
“No, I do. I just mean, do you just want this baby or do you want us both?”
“If I considered you secondary I would’ve kept to the shadows, watching you and waiting until after he was born to take him. But I’m here, now, for both of you, I want a family as much as you do, Claire and I want it with you.”
“Him?” she asked, the barest of smiles beginning to appear.
He almost laughed. “Peter, when he came back from the future, he told me that when he saw me I had a son. And given this, I’m guessing this is him,” he replied as he brought his fingertips to her barely noticeable bump.
Claire knew she didn’t have to say she felt the same. She knew he could see it, that he could feel it. After all that was part of their undying bond. No secrets, no lies, just the absolute truth no matter how hard it was to take at times.
This time they wanted the same thing, a family with each other. And they got it.
The End