Starring:
Summary: Kate crashes one of President Petrelli's benefits.
Dark Future Date: April, 2008
Being for the Benefit of Mister Petrelli
Ballroom
Cameras went off, applause erupted, and President Petrelli smiled once more, lifted a hand in a still wave, and left the podium and stage. Rebuild New York, was the point of this benefit, and it only made sense that he made an appearance. One lengthy speech, making sure to build parallels between the reconstruction of the city and what he was trying to do with the country as a whole, reinforcing that belief that was so important. And so continually drawn into question by those that weren't invited to such an event. Every time something was broken, exploded, destroyed, was a stab at his rule, and Logan didn't even have to make a speech to work that one out.
For now, these events gave him faith, and he was happy to give faith right back.
The evening is now loose, most press has been ushered out now that the speeches and donations were over, and Logan can't catch a break. It's rare that the President gets a moment to himself at these things, but finally, he manages to break away from a conversation, walking with some purpose to avoid interruption. He avoids the drinks offered entirely - in fact, he hasn't had a real drink all night.
Kate Petrelli was nearly sick when she heard the surprise keynote speaker announced. Damn. The presence of Nathan - No, not Nathan. The presence of Logan was going to make this mission just a little more difficult. Only one or two people put two and two together to realise the sister-in-law to the president was making her own appearance at this little benefit. She tries to have a 'representative' at every benefit related to Logan's objective, regardless of his attendance.
Damn.
Fortunately, the reporters know the drill at this point. Kate is happy, she's proud, and she's thrilled to support her husband's brother. He has a great vision for the future and she hopes the world will bear with the adjusting period to see it through. What she never mentions is that she disapproves of his methods. And she's gotten very adept at keeping the look of illness off her face as she gives these interviews. Someday, she's going to find herself on a magazine cover with some cute little headline about how she's the perfect sister-in-law.
And then Peter will be on suicide watch to make sure she doesn't jump off the roof of their apartment complex.
Perhaps Nathan was, at least, somewhat right about alcohol. It did make certain things flow by all the more smoother. It was a shame that circumstances dictated that Logan couldn't follow that example, at times. Not just because he was the head of state, because even leaders are allowed the occasional whiskey or wine glass. Hell, some are even famous for it. But no, it was too much like sedation. Too dangerous. But ah, these sacrifices.
He spies one journalist speaking to a woman that's too recognisable. Tempting, too tempting. He muses over a few ideas - one of which is ignoring her for the rest of the night, something he's sure she would appreciate. Instead, he finds himself waiting until she moves away from the reporter, before he ghosts up to her side, picking up a glass of champagne, which he holds out in front of her before she can keep walking. "Didn't think I'd see you here," he says, quietly, with an amicable, public smile.
Damn.
Kate's expression stays pleasantly neutral even as she internally cusses a blue streak that would make her husband stop reading her thoughts, lest he get a headache. "That would make two of us. What a pleasure to see you, Mister President. I was just telling, ah.. I think her name is Chloe? And she may or may not work for Vanity Fair or Vogue or… Hell, maybe it was Victoria's Secret. I don't know. I thought it started with a V. Time's stopped bothering me for interviews." By the end of her tangent, she's forgotten what she was just telling Chloe, and so she lets the subject drop. He didn't care anyway. The woman accepts the champagne glass with a gracious - and false - smile, bringing it to her lips for a sip before tipping her head to one side. Blonde hair spills over her pale, bare shoulders. Her dress isn't so much a dress as it is two pieces that happened to work together to create a good ensemble. A dark pink bustier hugs her slight form, decorated with black silk rosettes of varying sizes. The skirt is black and full, layers of silk and organza and other materials to create a shimmery effect to make the attire befitting of the elite in society… A part so rarely played by her. He's seen this top before, and she's only ever paired it with black jeans. Somehow, it works both ways.
"Paying the world a surprise visit?"
"I wouldn't miss an event like this," Logan says, easily. "Some things are too important to not show up to." He doesn't leave. He's not giving her a graceful excuse to walk away. In fact, he wants to know a few things, it seems, so stays where he is, hands coming to clasp behind his back. "Now you, on the other hand, I'm sure have far better things to do."
"Not really. Peter's in Madras or someplace silly like that and I was so very lonely. So, I figured I'd get all dressed up and come see what this was shaping up to be." Kate smirks almost sardonically as she takes another sip of champagne. Why she avoided this stuff all night, she'll never know. "It's terribly hard to feel lonesome when you're being accosted by reporters."
"If there's one thing I'll never feel, it's lonely." People are watching them standing there, talking pleasantly, but no one is quite near enough to pick out words quite yet. Logan shrugs minutely. "I'm sure I could find time in my schedule to make room for family, should you ever feel lonely enough. I'm interested to know what Peter had to say, after all."
It's very, very difficult to keep the smile in place as she chats with Logan. For a moment, she feels her throat get tight and the beginnings of tears cause her to blink. A deep breath and there's not even a glint in her eyes to betray the moment. "Was that a request or an order? I'm never sure which with you." Kate's posture stays casual, though one foot steps back as though to appear more relaxed.
"You can take that as an order," Logan says, very simply. Almost politely. Out here, there seems to be very little of the man that attacked her - only in his gaze and his words is he evident. But there is also very little of Nathan. It might not be supernatural, but this is also a new kind of ego - the public representation of both men.
"I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request." Kate replies sweetly. "If you can ever get Peter to speak to you again, which you won't, you can ask him yourself what he said. It isn't my place to speak for my husband." She glances quickly to gauge just how many eyes are on them. Too many, to be sure. "How long do you suppose we'll get away with standing here, looking picture perfect, before somebody comes up to bother us?"
Smoothly, Logan takes the glass of champagne out of Kate's hand. "Good point," he says, looking around and— there we go, a helpful employee moving closer to take away the drink at a beckon. Logan puts his hand on Kate's arm. "Considering my wife's unfortunate circumstance and your husband's absence, perhaps it's in our best interest to take comfort in each other." His voice is chilled, his smile is warm. "Dance with me." That's not a request either.
"Certainly." The smile remains fixed firmly in place, though there's no warmth in Kate's eyes. "I would be honoured to dance with the President of these United States." If only he were an honourable man. She allows him to lead her out on the floor to dance, looking every bit the adoring sister. "Are you as good as your alter ego, I wonder?"
Logan let's out a sigh, that's somehow exasperated, but amused and brotherly, as if they were teasing each other. "Or rather, was he as good as I," he corrects, placing a hand on Kate's waist, taking her hand into his other. "Not that it matters anymore."
"Oh, it matters." Kate rests her free hand on Logan's shoulder and allows him to lead. As much as she would absolutely love to embarrass him by leading him around the floor. She leans in with a smirk, looking to the world as though she's whispering some sort of secret in his ear. She is, in a way. But not the kind her expression implies. "However do you groom yourself, Logan? What with your fear of mirrors and everything."
No doubt, people glance their way, smile in amusement. Hell, maybe some gossip about the two. Either way, it's a deception, as he leads her through a simple dance. Logan lets out a low chuckle at her words. "You think I feel fear?" he murmurs back. "No room for it, Kay." The hand that covers hers begins to squeeze and tighten.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kate warns. "I would hate to have to scream in front of all these people. What would the press say? Your supporters? It would be very embarrassing for you, don't you think?" Her smile grows tight with the effort to keep up her charade.
"So reactive," Logan says, but that grip lessens, thumb brushing over her knuckles, mock-soothing. "You'd scream. Then they would ask you why. What would you say?" He raises an eyebrow at her. "What /can/ you say?"
"That you were hurting me, of course. I certainly wouldn't lie." Kate's smile becomes easier again. What a wicked game they play together. "I thought you always liked how reactive I am."
"I'd never hurt you," Logan says, with almost believable sincerity. "Why would you tell them a thing like that?" He smoothly turns her, then - it's a slow and tame dance, but there's always room for embellishment, hands open to accept her once she faces him once more. "They'd think you were crazy."
"Perhaps." But seeds of doubt, once sown… The corners of Kate's mouth are beginning to hurt. She clearly would never have been cut out to be Nathan's wife. Far too much smiling for those who have to be seen on the arms of politicians. "How do you keep your affairs out of the public eye, Logan? Surely there's a different woman warming your bed every night. What are they, I wonder? My first instinct was blondes, but… No. I think you bring home women with brown hair. Chestnut. Hazel eyes."
"And if I'm very lucky, there's a gap in their smile?" Logan finishes, his smile taking on a smirky quality more and more. "My, you do think highly of yourself. What about the men you occupy yourself with? When my brother is drinking himself into delusion, of course, I'm sure he finds some use of you when he's sober." All of this still slipped through that make of congeniality.
"It isn't that I think so very highly of myself." Kate laughs, all for show. "It's that I know what you like. What Nathan likes. And if there's one thing Nathan's good at, it's picking women. I know he's still in there. Still hovering in the back of your mind. Little whispers in your own voice. Thoughts you aren't sure you thought."
Another turn before she twirls back into her dance partner's arms, closer than before. "Whether you choose to believe me or not, Peter is the only man in my life now. It's been that way since you took office." Kate's eyes hold a certain sort of warmth and maybe even happiness. Her husband is the love of her life and it's a shame that it took her so long to realise he was all she needed.
"You think this hurts me?" Logan murmurs, just a little quieter. "Perhaps it frustrates me." Their dance quickens just a little. "Perhaps I know that Peter deserves very little in life, least of all things I consider my own." His grip tightens again - not to the point of pain this time, just commanding. "But who you are hurting… no. That's not me."
"I don't stay loyal to my husband to hurt anyone." Truer words have never come out of Kate's mouth. "I don't belong to you. Or Peter for that matter. I choose who I give my loyalty to." Needless to say, he does not have it. "Shhhh…" She moves her hand from his shoulder to place one finger over his lips. "Do you hear it?"
He doesn't like this game when he's unsure of what comes next. Logan's hand draws hers away, if both because the intimacy of that might be a little questionable, as well as it bothering him. However, he takes the bait. "Hear what," he says, patiently.
Kate will chalk the perceived intimacy up to the champagne if anybody asks. Surely he'd do the same. She leans in to whisper again. "Nathan. C'mon, love. I need you. Try for me. Try for Heidi." It's quiet now, Logan. Can you hear his voice?
Retreat. Logan steps abruptly back, forcing an even brighter smile, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze before releasing it. "Thank you for the dance," he says, a little louder. "It's nice to see you again."
Except Kate doesn't release his hand. "I'm just so awful lonesome without my husband. It would be terribly impolite of you to leave me all alone." Her grin is wicked. "Nathan," she coaxes sweetly. "Come out and play."
"Doesn't work like that," Logan says, that smile quickly disappearing. He suppresses the urge to yank his hand away - that would be too obvious - but he keeps his distance all the same. "Let go of my hand. He's of no consequence."
"If that were true, you wouldn't be so bothered, would you?" Kate's grin turns devilish as she laces her fingers with his firmly. "You would have merely laughed in my face and gloated about how you had him under control. But the truth is that you don't, do you?"
Okay, only so long you can stand here, awkward holding your sister-in-law's hand. Logan tries to keep that smile up, and pulls her again into the dance, but he barely concentrates on it. "You don't know the first thing about it," he says, quietly. "You think he likes being awake to watch this? I keep him under for both our sakes. You wanna try messing with that?" The cold, formal tone he usually adopts slips as they speak.
"Yeah. I do." Kate falls easily back into step, dancing with him. "You keeping him under doesn't do him any favours." And besides, he shouldn't be allowed the bliss that ignorance brings. Allowing Logan to win isn't what should be. Nathan needs to take charge and change things. Save the Congressman. Save the World?
"Then you try and imagine standing aside, because you can do nothing else, and watching someone live your life for you," Logan says, always keeping his voice to a murmur. "He's happier not knowing."
"So you're doing him some sort of amazing favour by stealing his life from him, is that it?" Kate doesn't even try to pretend to be sweet anymore. Fuck what the reporters think. "You know I'm not going to stop trying until I get him back."
"This is what we've always wanted, Kate," Logan says. He, too, is dropping something of the facade, aside from their dance. "He was just too weak to do anything about it." His eyes narrow as he regards her. "And what will you do, when you somehow get him back?"
"What we've always wanted?" Kate actually looks surprised. Maybe even a little hurt. "I tell the papers I support your goals. And I do. I want to see us united with the humans. But I don't support your methods. This is not what I've wanted. I know things that you'll do and you haven't even thought of them yet." Save Nathan, and all that will change.
Logan seems to be listening, almost carefully, and when she's done, he leans in to speak just next to her ear. "I wasn't talking about you," he murmurs. Then, harshly, he turns her again, and speaks once she faces him once more. "But it's a shame. You could have had such a good place in this, if only you wouldn't be quite so weak, just like Nathan."
"A place in this." Kate actually laughs in Logan's face. "You have got to be kidding me. And what place would you have had for me, Mister President?"
"By my side," Logan replies, smoothly, apparently ignoring her laughter. He doesn't truly expect her to buy into this, but it's a diversion, all the same. "I can do this alone, of course, so it's truly your loss. I know you don't see it that way, but things could have been so different, Mara."
"By your side," Kate echoes. "Leave my husband and be what? Your wife? Or just your mistress? I gave that up for a real life. For something real."
"If you say so." And now, Logan tries to finish the dance. "You'll quickly come to learn you're on the wrong side of the fence, and there's no way back."
"Peter is a good man." Kate says with a somber expression. "A good man and he loves me. You can offer me the whole world and it will never be enough." Finally, she releases his hand and she steps away. "Good night, Mister President."
"Have a good evening, Kate," Logan says, and he's the first to turn away. There's a certain amount of relief, there, but he manages to conceal it well. Remind him to just ignore her… or have her kicked out from these things… from now on.