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quirkysmuseFandom: Heroes
Title: Petrelli Land
Rating: R/M
Chapters: 4/17
Characters/Pairings: Mainly Peter/Claire, others to be determined
Warnings/Spoilers: AU and Canon Paire, Season One Spoilers, turns AU from "How to Stop an Exploding Man", will not follow Season Two storyline.
Notes: This fic is inspired by the Marvel comic series, "House of M". The inspiration belongs to Marvel, and the Heroes characters belong to NBC and Tim Kring, but the story is entirely mine. Thank you to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
karathephantom for the beta job!
Edit: 8-12-2008
FFnet Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3735029/1/
Summary: After Peter encounters someone with a dangerous ability, his lack of control causes him to shift reality to the desire of others, where most are happy except one, who vows revenge. Paire.
[Previous Chapters]
Chapter Three
Peter and Rena stood motionless, staring out his bedroom window, stuck in an aching silence. Entranced by the surreal billboard in front of him, Peter tried desperately to think of a world where such a display was possible.
“I can’t believe I changed the whole world,” Peter said softly, turning to her. “What kind of powers are these?” His voice rang of frustration and confusion. “What kind of God gives someone such powers?” He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing dejectedly. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do. What did you do with you powers, Rena? Did you help people?”
Rena’s lips tightened and she turned her gaze away from him and looked to the gray washed sky. “I will admit, Peter, that I never had your noble sense when using my powers.”
Peter furrowed his brow as she continued, “I gained my powers when I was in high school. Of course, I was raised on the poor side of Los Angeles, just on the fringe of Compton. I grew up in fear, being a young black woman and trying to avoid the rampant gang wars and violence that stirred within my neighbors and peers.” Her eyes watered with residual memories. “If anything, when I realized my powers, I used them only selfishly to keep me alive and away from danger. And as I used them more, the only way I did know how to use them was through my own selfish desires.”
“But Rena, you had no choice,” Peter stated emphatically.
Rena chuckled, her wrinkled face lighting up with a tender smile. “Of course, you would think so, Peter Petrelli.” Her eyes were shining. “But there were many things I did with my powers that I regret.”
Peter turned away, his eyes hardening. “I know how that is. I made a lot of mistakes too.”
Rena made a light noise of affirmation, and she put her hand on Peter’s arm soothingly. “I do know this, Peter. What you’ve done with these powers is something I could never accomplish.” She dropped her arm and placed her hand on the glass of the window. She watched in wonder at the Petrelli billboard and smiled. “I struggled a lot and even before my death, I still didn’t have a full grasp of my powers. I wish I could have been stronger, like you, and taken Sylar down with one thought.”
“We saw you struggle, Rena, but in no way did I think your powers were limited.” Peter eyed her curiously. “You couldn’t have helped it anyway. Sylar is very powerful.”
“You don’t have to comfort me, Peter,” Rena said jubilantly. She lifted her chin to him. “I can live with my regrets.”
“It’s not about comfort, Rena. It’s about truth. Look, I’ve faced Sylar and failed, just as so many others with abilities have too.” Peter looked away, crossing his arms and watching the people bustle on the streets below. “I never knew he could be stopped with just one thought. It’s incredible.”
“Well,” Rena said, moving away from the window to face him. “Now you have a different problem. You have to figure out if you want to live in this new world or change it back.”
Peter frowned. “I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right.” Rena gave his arm a motherly pat. “I don’t know if I can live in a world in which I know deep inside is not right.”
Rena cocked her head at him. “How do you know it’s not as right as any of the others? Can you fathom that maybe there are more than one possible world out there?”
Peter gaped at her, not sure of her direction. She chuckled.
“Listen, that’s what you have to figure out about my powers. When you see what they have done to the ones you care about, then come back to me and tell me if this world is any less real than the one you already know.”
Peter nodded, but he looked away from her, focusing sternly the floor. Thoughts were abuzz inside his brain, and he started to take in the message of Rena's words. His thoughts immediately went back to Claire, and the squeeze in his heart suddenly returned. Soon, he heard a light knock on his door, and he looked up in surprise. Glancing to his right, he realized Rena was gone.
The knocking continued, and Peter finally answered. “Come in!” Though, his voice was choked with emotion and confusion on Rena’s sudden disappearance. Claire walked timidly through the door, instantly reading his emotions.
“Peter, are you okay?” she asked quietly.
Peter looked away, nodding lightly and pacing the room. “I’m still… confused about everything.” He shot her an expectant look. “Did you call Nathan?”
Claire nodded, and Peter noticed some light returned in her eyes. He hoped that she picked up on his emotions to be more cooperative with her. He only wished he could still accept her as his fiancée, not his niece, in this new world.
Claire played with the ends of her sleeves nervously, and he couldn’t help but inwardly warm to the sight. ‘She always does that when she’s worried.’ The intimate thought was comforting and hardly felt as strange as he feared.
“Yeah. He’s in Japan right now talking to the Prime Minister. He says he’ll come right home, but won’t make it for dinner.” She lifted her eyes to him, gauging his reaction. “He should be here by dessert.”
“He’s going to catch a flight from Japan tonight? How …?”
“Peter, Nathan doesn’t fly in planes anymore,” Claire said, a little irritated he’d forgotten. Her green eyes were clear and unwavering. “He flies all on his own to his meetings.”
“What?” Peter hollered, and Claire flinched at his tone. “How? Doesn’t someone see him? Does he care about being spotted? What about the press?” Peter started to feel dizzy. If there was one thing he knew about his brother, it was that Nathan tried his absolute damndest to not use his power in public. If anything, Nathan wanted to deny his powers altogether.
“Peter, Nathan isn’t like that anymore. Don’t you remember?” Claire moved closer to him, and it was obvious she yearned for physical contact. Peter wasn’t sure that’d be a good idea, so he moved back against the foot of the bed.
“I … The Nathan I know never wanted to use his powers. He’d sooner get rid of them than use them so casually,” Peter intoned seriously.
“Well, he used to be like that, but after he used his powers to save the country, he’d been proclaimed a hero and has used them ever since.”
“Saved the country?” Peter’s mind boggled. What was going on? “Just how did he do that? Was it from the explosion?”
Claire shook her head. “Most people didn’t know Nathan had anything to do with that. Peter, when you were slipping in and out of comas those couple of years, the world changed a lot. After the explosion, many people thought it was a terrorist attack; so much that they blamed it on the terrorists, and America was prepared to step up the conflict in the Middle East. Middle Eastern countries were so outraged from the accusation they dropped all alliances with the U.S. and banded together using weapons from Iran.
“When the first missile was hurled at New York, Nathan stepped up and deflected it all on his own. The country was so shocked and confused; he had to make a press conference. That’s when Mohinder revealed his theory about special people. Soon after, many people all over the country who saw the press conference stepped up and revealed their abilities.” She paused, concerned for Peter’s surprised and dumbfounded face.
“Peter, your brother Nathan banded all of us together to protect our country. Soon after that, the world changed. It was crazy.” Her voice lifted with hope, and he couldn’t believe such words came out of Claire’s mouth. “The election for presidency was coming up, and Angela urged him to run. He was given the ticket and won in another landslide.” Claire smiled prettily. “And when Nathan became president, you woke up and your health finally started to improve.”
Tears began running down her face, and she sobbed, trying to wipe them back with her long sleeves. Instinctively, Peter reached a hand out and caught her tears, wiping them away and comforting her with soothing words. “Shhh…. It’s okay Claire. It’s okay; you don’t have to cry.”
“But I can’t stop crying, Peter!” She continued to whine. “I’ve told you this story so many times, and each time, you’re just as surprised as the next.”
Peter drew her into his arms, and she cried against his chest. “Shh… Claire, I have a feeling that you won’t have to tell me this story anymore.”
“Really?” Claire’s eyes dazzled with hope. “What makes you think that?”
“I don’t know.” He laughed. “I just know I’m getting stronger.”
Claire chuckled, the sounds of her laughter vibrating against his chest.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” she said, and lightly he pushed her away as she untangled from his arms. She sniffled and beamed at him. “Are you hungry? I made your favorite dish.”
Peter arched an eyebrow. “Oh, really? And what do you know of my favorite foods, Claire?”
“I know that even though you pride yourself at being Italian, you do have a weakness for my Southern cooking.” She curled her lip, and Peter saw mischief in her eyes. She was flirting with him! She had never done that before, and Peter became jarred by it. He felt the blood already rushing to his cheeks.
In a bizarre way, Claire was good at it. She licked her lips, and Peter continued to quell his dirty thoughts – though, it was getting a bit harder than usual. The Claire in this world surely didn’t act like his niece, and even though the Claire of his world did confess to him, this Claire was very open about her attractions.
Peter realized already that this world’s Claire was going to be dangerous for him. He would be lying if he said he didn’t have some feelings for Claire in his own reality that he’d successfully pushed to the background.
“Well?” Her alluring tone danced over his ears. “Are you hungry or not?”
Peter nodded, his expression sheepish, and he suddenly felt like a dope for being so easily flustered. “Lead the way, chef,” he said good-naturedly, and Claire shot him one last esoteric glance before leading him into the kitchen.
Peter trailed behind her, trying to halt his eyes from trailing over her curvaceous form.
‘If there’s one thing I’ve already learned about this world, it’s that Claire is a whole lot happier here not being my niece,’ Peter thought.
And soon he guessed that granting Claire’s wish was probably only the beginning of his problems.
Chapter Four
[mood|
sick]
Title: Petrelli Land
Rating: R/M
Chapters: 4/17
Characters/Pairings: Mainly Peter/Claire, others to be determined
Warnings/Spoilers: AU and Canon Paire, Season One Spoilers, turns AU from "How to Stop an Exploding Man", will not follow Season Two storyline.
Notes: This fic is inspired by the Marvel comic series, "House of M". The inspiration belongs to Marvel, and the Heroes characters belong to NBC and Tim Kring, but the story is entirely mine. Thank you to
karathephantom for the beta job!Edit: 8-12-2008
FFnet Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3735029/1/
Summary: After Peter encounters someone with a dangerous ability, his lack of control causes him to shift reality to the desire of others, where most are happy except one, who vows revenge. Paire.
[Previous Chapters]
Chapter Three
Peter and Rena stood motionless, staring out his bedroom window, stuck in an aching silence. Entranced by the surreal billboard in front of him, Peter tried desperately to think of a world where such a display was possible.
“I can’t believe I changed the whole world,” Peter said softly, turning to her. “What kind of powers are these?” His voice rang of frustration and confusion. “What kind of God gives someone such powers?” He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing dejectedly. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do. What did you do with you powers, Rena? Did you help people?”
Rena’s lips tightened and she turned her gaze away from him and looked to the gray washed sky. “I will admit, Peter, that I never had your noble sense when using my powers.”
Peter furrowed his brow as she continued, “I gained my powers when I was in high school. Of course, I was raised on the poor side of Los Angeles, just on the fringe of Compton. I grew up in fear, being a young black woman and trying to avoid the rampant gang wars and violence that stirred within my neighbors and peers.” Her eyes watered with residual memories. “If anything, when I realized my powers, I used them only selfishly to keep me alive and away from danger. And as I used them more, the only way I did know how to use them was through my own selfish desires.”
“But Rena, you had no choice,” Peter stated emphatically.
Rena chuckled, her wrinkled face lighting up with a tender smile. “Of course, you would think so, Peter Petrelli.” Her eyes were shining. “But there were many things I did with my powers that I regret.”
Peter turned away, his eyes hardening. “I know how that is. I made a lot of mistakes too.”
Rena made a light noise of affirmation, and she put her hand on Peter’s arm soothingly. “I do know this, Peter. What you’ve done with these powers is something I could never accomplish.” She dropped her arm and placed her hand on the glass of the window. She watched in wonder at the Petrelli billboard and smiled. “I struggled a lot and even before my death, I still didn’t have a full grasp of my powers. I wish I could have been stronger, like you, and taken Sylar down with one thought.”
“We saw you struggle, Rena, but in no way did I think your powers were limited.” Peter eyed her curiously. “You couldn’t have helped it anyway. Sylar is very powerful.”
“You don’t have to comfort me, Peter,” Rena said jubilantly. She lifted her chin to him. “I can live with my regrets.”
“It’s not about comfort, Rena. It’s about truth. Look, I’ve faced Sylar and failed, just as so many others with abilities have too.” Peter looked away, crossing his arms and watching the people bustle on the streets below. “I never knew he could be stopped with just one thought. It’s incredible.”
“Well,” Rena said, moving away from the window to face him. “Now you have a different problem. You have to figure out if you want to live in this new world or change it back.”
Peter frowned. “I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right.” Rena gave his arm a motherly pat. “I don’t know if I can live in a world in which I know deep inside is not right.”
Rena cocked her head at him. “How do you know it’s not as right as any of the others? Can you fathom that maybe there are more than one possible world out there?”
Peter gaped at her, not sure of her direction. She chuckled.
“Listen, that’s what you have to figure out about my powers. When you see what they have done to the ones you care about, then come back to me and tell me if this world is any less real than the one you already know.”
Peter nodded, but he looked away from her, focusing sternly the floor. Thoughts were abuzz inside his brain, and he started to take in the message of Rena's words. His thoughts immediately went back to Claire, and the squeeze in his heart suddenly returned. Soon, he heard a light knock on his door, and he looked up in surprise. Glancing to his right, he realized Rena was gone.
The knocking continued, and Peter finally answered. “Come in!” Though, his voice was choked with emotion and confusion on Rena’s sudden disappearance. Claire walked timidly through the door, instantly reading his emotions.
“Peter, are you okay?” she asked quietly.
Peter looked away, nodding lightly and pacing the room. “I’m still… confused about everything.” He shot her an expectant look. “Did you call Nathan?”
Claire nodded, and Peter noticed some light returned in her eyes. He hoped that she picked up on his emotions to be more cooperative with her. He only wished he could still accept her as his fiancée, not his niece, in this new world.
Claire played with the ends of her sleeves nervously, and he couldn’t help but inwardly warm to the sight. ‘She always does that when she’s worried.’ The intimate thought was comforting and hardly felt as strange as he feared.
“Yeah. He’s in Japan right now talking to the Prime Minister. He says he’ll come right home, but won’t make it for dinner.” She lifted her eyes to him, gauging his reaction. “He should be here by dessert.”
“He’s going to catch a flight from Japan tonight? How …?”
“Peter, Nathan doesn’t fly in planes anymore,” Claire said, a little irritated he’d forgotten. Her green eyes were clear and unwavering. “He flies all on his own to his meetings.”
“What?” Peter hollered, and Claire flinched at his tone. “How? Doesn’t someone see him? Does he care about being spotted? What about the press?” Peter started to feel dizzy. If there was one thing he knew about his brother, it was that Nathan tried his absolute damndest to not use his power in public. If anything, Nathan wanted to deny his powers altogether.
“Peter, Nathan isn’t like that anymore. Don’t you remember?” Claire moved closer to him, and it was obvious she yearned for physical contact. Peter wasn’t sure that’d be a good idea, so he moved back against the foot of the bed.
“I … The Nathan I know never wanted to use his powers. He’d sooner get rid of them than use them so casually,” Peter intoned seriously.
“Well, he used to be like that, but after he used his powers to save the country, he’d been proclaimed a hero and has used them ever since.”
“Saved the country?” Peter’s mind boggled. What was going on? “Just how did he do that? Was it from the explosion?”
Claire shook her head. “Most people didn’t know Nathan had anything to do with that. Peter, when you were slipping in and out of comas those couple of years, the world changed a lot. After the explosion, many people thought it was a terrorist attack; so much that they blamed it on the terrorists, and America was prepared to step up the conflict in the Middle East. Middle Eastern countries were so outraged from the accusation they dropped all alliances with the U.S. and banded together using weapons from Iran.
“When the first missile was hurled at New York, Nathan stepped up and deflected it all on his own. The country was so shocked and confused; he had to make a press conference. That’s when Mohinder revealed his theory about special people. Soon after, many people all over the country who saw the press conference stepped up and revealed their abilities.” She paused, concerned for Peter’s surprised and dumbfounded face.
“Peter, your brother Nathan banded all of us together to protect our country. Soon after that, the world changed. It was crazy.” Her voice lifted with hope, and he couldn’t believe such words came out of Claire’s mouth. “The election for presidency was coming up, and Angela urged him to run. He was given the ticket and won in another landslide.” Claire smiled prettily. “And when Nathan became president, you woke up and your health finally started to improve.”
Tears began running down her face, and she sobbed, trying to wipe them back with her long sleeves. Instinctively, Peter reached a hand out and caught her tears, wiping them away and comforting her with soothing words. “Shhh…. It’s okay Claire. It’s okay; you don’t have to cry.”
“But I can’t stop crying, Peter!” She continued to whine. “I’ve told you this story so many times, and each time, you’re just as surprised as the next.”
Peter drew her into his arms, and she cried against his chest. “Shh… Claire, I have a feeling that you won’t have to tell me this story anymore.”
“Really?” Claire’s eyes dazzled with hope. “What makes you think that?”
“I don’t know.” He laughed. “I just know I’m getting stronger.”
Claire chuckled, the sounds of her laughter vibrating against his chest.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” she said, and lightly he pushed her away as she untangled from his arms. She sniffled and beamed at him. “Are you hungry? I made your favorite dish.”
Peter arched an eyebrow. “Oh, really? And what do you know of my favorite foods, Claire?”
“I know that even though you pride yourself at being Italian, you do have a weakness for my Southern cooking.” She curled her lip, and Peter saw mischief in her eyes. She was flirting with him! She had never done that before, and Peter became jarred by it. He felt the blood already rushing to his cheeks.
In a bizarre way, Claire was good at it. She licked her lips, and Peter continued to quell his dirty thoughts – though, it was getting a bit harder than usual. The Claire in this world surely didn’t act like his niece, and even though the Claire of his world did confess to him, this Claire was very open about her attractions.
Peter realized already that this world’s Claire was going to be dangerous for him. He would be lying if he said he didn’t have some feelings for Claire in his own reality that he’d successfully pushed to the background.
“Well?” Her alluring tone danced over his ears. “Are you hungry or not?”
Peter nodded, his expression sheepish, and he suddenly felt like a dope for being so easily flustered. “Lead the way, chef,” he said good-naturedly, and Claire shot him one last esoteric glance before leading him into the kitchen.
Peter trailed behind her, trying to halt his eyes from trailing over her curvaceous form.
‘If there’s one thing I’ve already learned about this world, it’s that Claire is a whole lot happier here not being my niece,’ Peter thought.
And soon he guessed that granting Claire’s wish was probably only the beginning of his problems.
Chapter Four
[mood|
sick]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
on 2007-09-12 03:39 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2007-09-12 03:51 pm (UTC)Yeah, things are just going to get weider. ;)
no subject
on 2007-09-12 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2007-09-12 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2007-09-12 06:03 pm (UTC)