Heroes, "Beyond Dreams" Niki, Micah

[quirkysmuse]

Fandom: Heroes
Title: Beyond Dreams
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters/Pairings: Niki Sanders, Micah Sanders, Jessica
Genre: Angst/Genfic
Spoilers: Season 1
Rated: PG
Word Count: 287
Notes: Written for the "Dreams" theme at heroes_contest.

Summary: Niki knows she's not dreaming.



Dreams – that’s what they had to be, but Niki knows she’s only fooling herself. She doesn’t want to admit it.

In the back of her mind she hears a cackle, a threat, and the sound of a satisfied sigh. She clenches her teeth and opens her eyes and dreads the morning. Will there be blood on her hands? Will she wake up in an unknown place, and will Micah wake up alone and wonder where his mother is?

Blocks of her memory are gone. She’s not sleeping – not dreaming; Niki only wishes it were that simple, that memory is that easy to transform.

Her head hurts, her thighs ache, her arms burn, and on every morning like the others, she wonders what the other one has done in her body. Has she killed anyone? Has she betrayed her husband and son again?

Niki knows there’s a monster inside her. She’s not ready to take the blame yet for creating her, so she blames her father.

Yes – it’s all his fault. If he’d been a better dad. If Jessica hadn’t died...

She cries and lurches forward from her sleep. A soft touch is shaking her shoulder. Her son looks up at her concerned, and Niki hates how messy she appears – so unlike how a strong mother should behave.

“Mom, are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?” Micah asks quietly. Immediately, Niki looks at her empty hands and slumps back in relief.

“Yeah, sweetie, but it’s okay now. It was only a nightmare,” she says reassuringly, but she’s just deluding herself again.

She may have escaped the night unscathed this time, but Niki Sanders knows that as long as Jessica controls her, this nightmare will never end.

Comments

[commen-sense.livejournal.com]

you know im laughing at the perfect timing of this fic beacuse i was really missing nikki today and then you came up with this... aw, now this just makes me super sad that nikki's gone. i remember thinking her story was the most intriging after watching the piolt. she was an amazing character and the sanders family were the best familial figures ever. i really hope micah gets some screen time this season. i love that kid.

[commen-sense.livejournal.com]

in my whining over nikkis death, i forgot to mention how much i LOVE this fic. really great look into nikkis mind, you do character fics BETTER than shippy ones IMO :P

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thanks, darlin! Glad you liked it.

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Yay! Perfect timing then. I was this close to writing a Hiro-fic, but like you, I missed Niki enough to write about her.

I agree about Micah. He, Monica, and Molly would just add a kick to the show. I miss them all.

[bellonablack.livejournal.com]

I liked this one b/c I didn't think of how much of a living nightmare this would be. So. Wonderful. It's really the lack of control, the fear of sleep, all of it, that ties it in...

I enjoyed this one. :-)

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :)

[razycrandomgirl.livejournal.com]

big yes to this!

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

[eternal-moonie.livejournal.com]

totally awesome!!

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thanks!