Starring:
Summary: Peter finally goes to see his boss and her fiancee. He brings news from the future, good and mostly bad. Also he gets to tell them that It's a Girl.
Date It Happened: September 6th, 2007
Congratulations! It's a Girl
Lachlan's Apartment
Behold the late-afternoon day. In the habitat of a certain Scotsman, the world has turned upside-down. Evidence of this phenomenon includes: Lachlan not being naked or even half-naked (he's dressed in a tanktop and black jeans), George actually existing in the apartment and even being shown affection, and most of all Lachlan is reading a book. Yes, that's right: Lachlan is reading a book. And it's not a comic book or a children's book, it's a thick hardcover book. About the connection of sex and spirituality, but hey, it's a book. He's even deeply engrossed in it, sitting on his couch with the kitten curled up in his lap, book open before him, face contorted in concentration and lips moving silently as he squints at the text (and pictures, there are pictures).
—-
It is a strange day in the Deatley household. At least for Lachlan. Cass is in the kitchen and is baking. Why not. She's been meaning to brush up on cooking and it seems like a cake would be the perfect way to go about this. Scorning an apron, she has flour on her shirt and on her shorts, too. This, she doesn't seem to mind. Hair properly pinned back to not get it in the batter, she breaks eggs over the edge of the bowl and starts to stir them in. Bonnie, ever hopefully, sits with a happily wagging tail, hoping that (as she always does) Cass will purposefully drop something for her. Everything properly mixed in, Cass gives a glance over to the living room and then ducks down to allow Bonnie some peanut butter chips that are left over. "Sit. Good girl. Aren't you just a good girl. Yes you are. Shhh, don't tell Lachlan."
—-
It's a strange day that might get stranger as there's a knock on the door. Peter Petrelli's wearing his usual dark colors, looking put together and nervous as he stands in front of the door. This might be his second stop for this trip. He's been back in this timeline for a couple days, and still hasn't called either of them. Not that they aren't important to him, or one of the first people he wanted to see, but he needed to gather himself before this happened. And there's things he couldn't tell them over the phone.
—-
Since he's so engrossed, Lachlan doesn't immediately pick up on Bonnie's sudden shift from "plz plz plz pllllllzzzz plllllllllllllzzzzzzzzz plzplzplzplz?" to "OMGOMGOMG YAAAAAAY!!!" The dog has already made quick work of the peanut butter chips and gone back to "plz plz plz pllllllzzzzz plzplzplz?" when the Scot raises his head and peers at the far wall. "'Re ye feedin' the dog somethin'?" he calls to the woman in the kitchen. Telepathic Lachlan saw what u did thar. At the knock on the door, he sets aside his book, relocates George to the couch (very gently so as not to wake the little feline) and rises to go answer. Spotting Peter, he adopts a surprised sort of expression that soon turns into a grin. "Oh, hey Peter, c'm in" he states, stepping aside to allow the other man admittance. "Dinna know ye were back from the future."
—-
As Cass slips Bonnie more peanut butter chips, the woman is not in sight to the Scotsman. Which shields her from judgement from feeding the dog people food. She likes peanut butter, okay! "No! I'm just baking! Cookies!" Right. She'll most likely eat the dough and call it a day when it's all said and done. Covered in flour as she is, she lets Lachlan get the door. It /is/ his apartment after all. Done with pampering Bonnie (after another hand full of peanut butter chips) she stands and goes to start washing off her hands. The conversation at the door isn't heard over the running water. Raising her voice, she shuts off the tap and wipes her hands off on her already flour covered shorts. They'll need a washing after this, anyway. "Who is it, Lach?" She'll head over to peek once she puts some plastic wrap over the bowl and puts it in the fridge.
—-
Whoever it is, as soon as the door's open and Lachlan gets to finish what he says, that person is hugging him. Good thing he was clothed. Peter's hugging to him, with just his carrier bag hanging from his shoulder making that the least bit difficult. When he lets go, so that the door can be closed and locked, he drops the bag from his arm and without a word, walks over to Cass and hugs her too. Just as strongly. Not minding any dampness on her hands, or flour on her shorts. When he lets go of her is when he can finally say, "I'm back. Sorry it took so long." And… do not mind the tears in his eyes. He thought he could avoid it, but he failed.
—-
"?!?!?!!!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?"
That pretty much describes Lachlan's thoughts, expression, body posture, and every other sort of reaction there could ever be to Peter's hugging him. This does not change when the man lets go and moves to embrace Cass. The Scot simply stands there, bewildered, speechless, and a little slack-jawed.
—-
Brushing off her hands from putting her bowl of dough in the fridge, Cass still didn't get an answer from Lachlan or Peter about who's at the door. Instead, she just sees Peter standing there, safe, back, not dead in the future. It's such a relief and a weight she had been feeling ever since Peter left slides off of her shoulders. When Peter comes to hug her, she throws her arms around him and pulls him in tightly. "Peter!" While Lachlan is speechless and bewildered by the man's sudden appearance, Cass is giddy, ecstatic. "You're back! We were so worried that something happened to you. It's fine! You're back now!"
—-
Turning away, Peter rubs his hand over his eyes, getting rid of the excess moisture so that he can smile more genuinely at them. "I'm back." Not dead. Totally back. And— happy to see them. Just ignore the tears. "I really didn't mean to be gone that long, but— here I am now." The future wasn't bright. He wishes it were. "I really missed you guys." Both of them. Even if he wasn't really that close to Lachlan in this timeline. His future self saved his life. "I have some things— from the future. A letter and… information on stopping things from going wrong. Stopping the tornado. Fixing everything." And a letter about the things that might not need to be changed.
—-
After recovering from his shock, Lachlan closes and locks the door behind Peter and then watches the man as he speaks. Roused by all the commotion, George is awake and curled up on the back of the couch, watching everything with big kitten eyes. Bonnie bounces around Peter joyfully with tail a-wag, even though she's not sure why everyone's so happy. Who cares? Happyhappyhappyhappy!
"Letter?" Lachlan raises an eyebrow. "Fer wha'?"
—-
Letting Peter go, Cass just beams at him. And moves to wipe some stray flour that she managed to transfer onto his clean clothes. "Sorry about that. Baking." Then, she just waves a hand. "The important part is that you're back now. Does Elena know you're back yet?" Because the girl definitely was worried about him and should know. It's a silly question, she doubts that Peter wasted much time in seeing her, but she also knows they weren't on best terms when he left on his mission to the future. So, they could still be doing the strange teenage dance that happens sometimes. "We'll get to fixing everything. We've been trying to keep things going while you're gone, but I've gotten nowhere with trying to find out who unleashes the tornados on New York. Nor have I been able to find out where in Texas that girl from the ER went to, yet. But now that you're back, you'll be able to help." Blink, head tilt. "A letter?" (repose for Lach)
—-
"I don't know anything about the girl from the ER, but— I did find out who the torando happens around— though we'll have to figure out what made her lose control of it," Peter says, moving away towards the carrier bag that he dropped on the floor and pulling out an envelope. One he hands to Lachlan. The one to Lachlan is the letter, unread by Peter, from his Future self to his Present self. There's something else held in his hand, though, not handed over yet. It's a picture, by the look of things. "We'll change things, but— there's some things that… Well— a lot of people I met in the future gave me things to give to themselves when I got back. That's what Future Lachlan gave me."
—-
A letter for him? From him? Lachlan stares at the envelope, then at Peter. He feels very weird holding an envelope that is apparently from the future. It doesn't look much different than an envelope from the present. After some hesitation, he opens it, then unfolds the piece of paper inside and squints at it. Then he moves over to stand next to Cass and holds it out so she can read it too, muttering, "S'fer both o' us."
The letter is written in what is obviously his handwriting and reads:
To me and Cass,
Peters probly going to tell you about everything thats' happend. The tornados happend and everything else happend that everyone thot would but lots happend that nobody thot would. I got shot in the nee becuz of some bad things I did a long time ago. But there are good things like are baby. We have a baby named Abby. We didnt' do it on purpose but it happened and she is everything to us. I hope it happens again for us. Its the one thing in the wurld that shouldnt' change.
If things still happen that make the future like this never leave Cass on her own. Cass dont' go off on you're own without me. And we didnt' get marryed till to late becuz of all the shit that was happening so you better marry her real soon.
Lachlan
P.S. I love you too Cass.
—-
For both of them? "Isn't this…" Cass trails off as Lachlan comes over so she can read whatever it is that Lachlan wrote for the both of them from the future. She shoots a look over at Peter. "We shouldn't be reading this, should we? I mean, isn't this a butterfly effect sort of thing? Or does that only work for the past?" But as Lachlan pulls out the letter and opens up, she finds herself drawn in. She can't help but read. Her eyes grow progressively wider as she reads what is in store for her future. The tornados happen? They have a baby? Don't go off on her own? By the time she reaches the end of the letter, she just takes a step back to steady herself against the wall. "Oh." It's not just the shock of learning she's a mother in the future. It's that Lachlan must have read the letters. Her Just in Case letters. Which means…she looks over at Peter, searchingly afraid to ask if he actually met her in the future. Was she still alive then?
—-
"I honestly don't know how it works, but there's— I honestly didn't read it," Peter admits, looking at the two of them. He still isn't trying to read it. It wasn't his place to. The letter was given to him by Lachlan and he didn't feel right reading it. Once he's sure they're at the end, even with Cass looking at him, he turns the picture around and holds it out to her. The picture that made him cry the first time he saw it. "Some things have already changed," he explains softly. "Elena didn't go to MIT— she's here. And… and we're dating now." So that answers the question of if she knows if he's here. She'd been one of the first people he went to see. "Even if we only change small things— it'll change everything. I know it will. We'll keep the bad things from happening, but— your daughter…" Is? Was? Will be? "…Will be beautiful. Though I'm hoping I'll be invited to your wedding again— I was there for the one in the future. It— wasn't exactly the ideal wedding." Potato ring.
—-
A baby? The idea horrifies Lachlan. What the hell ever possessed him to keep a baby? But even in his heart of hearts, he knows that if Cass were to accidentally get pregnant, he wouldn't want an abortion. It's one thing to say it, it's another to actually follow through. He stares at the letter for some time and then glances up at Peter when he holds out the picture. Then the picture gets stared at. Picture. He looks different — older, and he's not growing his hair and beard out like he is in the present. He looks so happy too. It's strange to be looking at a picture taken of himself … that he doesn't remember having been taken. And there's a baby. Lachlan glances to the flesh-and-blood Cass, blown away.
—-
The idea of marriage, of a baby, of future Lachlan knowing about her emergency letters, it's a crash of knowing that floors Cass. She knew hypothetically in the future that tornados tear apart New York and that she might die at some rally of unknown origin. But, 'knowing' that and seeing proof from that future is too totally different ideas. There's a picture of her, exhausted looking but beaming holding a child. They have a baby. Named Abby. And she dies. Her eyes are transfixed on the picture, but she slowly looks over at Lachlan when facts start to settle in. "We have longer hair." It seems like such a silly thing to latch on, but it's the little things, right? Peter just said that. They have a beautiful daughter, Elena and Peter are dating. What in the world is going on? Finally, her eyes find Peter. "How far into the future did you go?"
—-
"Two years, just like I'd planned on. Felt like it should have been five with how much everything had changed," Peter says, looking over at them quietly. "The tornado happened, after that there was a war between Evolved and humans. They called us Evolved." He's not sure he'd ever heard that name before he went to the future. "The war ended, but— they knew about us— and since we're the ones who won… humans, normal people, got… a bad deal. They got segregated into camps, like something out of World War II." It wasn't pretty. "I'm not sure how you avoided it, Cass, but you did. And you were both members of a resistance group, fighting against the government. Which… during the war my brother snapped— my nephew, the younger one, died in a bombing. A second personality took over, like with Niki Sanders. Logan— that personality— he's the one who was leading the country."
—-
Baby. Marriage. War. Segregation. Lachlan runs a hand through his hair, then over his scruffy face and goes silent, trying to absorb it all. All that happens in the course of two years. Two little years.
—-
This is a lot to take in. Cass remains silent as Peter explains what he saw, what he experienced. There's disbelief written on her face clearly. Not disbelief about Peter, but about how the world could turn into something so resembling chaos in two short years. She just talked to Nathan the other day. He helped her out at the store. And he seemed perfectly sane. Not someone who would lead the country into such a dark time. A hand reaches out to take one of Lachlan's in her own. "But you said you found out about the tornados. We can fix it."
—-
"We can fix it— If we stop the storms, it changes everything," Peter says, agreeing with Desiree on that. It'd seemed to be the catalyst that caused everything that happened after. It's difficult to know how much things will change— or if it will even be BETTER necessarily, but— it will definitely change. "It's a girl. And innocent girl, probably around sixteen. She has the ability to control the air, but she… loses control of it all of a sudden and creates the tornados." More than one. He moves back over to his bag and pulls out a flashdrive. One that holds quite a bit of information. "I have a bunch of files that Future Elena and Future Gene put together. I haven't had a chance to go through all of them, but they're pretty important. Future Cass helped with some of them, too." While she was alive. He hands it over. "One of the important things I learned is that Bat Country might already be compromised by the Company, but that's also in here."
—-
Lachlan's hand is easily findable and holdable, and the touch seems to pull him out of his thoughts. He glances at Cass and gives her hand a squeeze, but then his attention returns to Peter at that last bit. "S'wha'?" he grunts, the bewildered expression giving way to a cold and rather displeased scowl. Already compromised by the Company? How?
—-
Well, Cass was at least around long enough to help with some of this, at least. That's a relief. Not that there's much more relief in that. At least they'll be changing that. "Okay. So we know who she is? That's good, at least. So, we talk to her, possibly ask her to move to a desert for a couple of months and train her to make sure she doesn't lose control. We can handle that." Hopefully. Taking the flashdrive in her free hand, she palms the little device. Will she even be able to work it so that she can read what the future people have given her to help? Who knows. There'll be plenty of time for figuring that out. For now, she's just trying to digest all this information. Especially now about Bat Country. "What? What do you mean? How?"
—-
"Mr. Winters," Peter says simply, pushing the flashdrive deeper into her hand. "It's all supposed to be in there— everything that Elena learned about it— and everything that she learned about what the government was trying to make you do, too. I can't really explain it better than she can— I'm not the one who heard all of it. I'll handle the tornado. You guys handle the files— or— Cass'll handle the files, but you take care of her. And don't just go attacking Mr. Winters. If he's working with the Company it's probably just to protect his daughter." And once this man's a father, he's sure he'll understand. "I also need to know if I still have a job…"
—-
Winters. Who is Winters? It takes Lachlan a moment to put a face with the name, but once he does, his expression hardens. Don't just go attacking him? Like hell he won't. If Benjamin's a mole, then he deserves a good beating. None of this is said aloud, however. It's there in the man's eyes and the set of his jaw, the sudden tenseness of his shoulders.
—-
The attacking Mr. Winters must be directed at Lachlan, since Cass wouldn't attack anyone. She doesn't actually look that surprised to learn that Benjamin is part of the Company. It's more of a confirmation of something that she already had suspicions on coming from Ramon. "I had hoped not," she sighs. "But, I already know how to handle Benjamin." And it's not to beat him up, either. And she's not about to let Lachlan if she can help it. "Wait. What the government tried to make me do?" She glances down at the flashdrive in her hand. "They tried to make me do something?" A curious tilt of the head and then, she shakes it to clear it of thoughts of them putting her to work on the next nuclear bomb or something. "Of course. I had a few people fill in for you - even Nathan one day -" to hilariously bad results, "but the intention was always that you'd come back to work."
—-
"Yeah— the government was looking for a way to make normal people into us. I don't think they were having much success," Peter says, looking down at the hardrive. It's all on there— more than he could understand. Most of it he hasn't scene. "That's just a copy— I have the original in a safe place. And I'm making another copy for Elena, so you don't have to figure it all out on your own." But— he still has a job. "…Nathan?" he repeats that, blinking with surprise. In retail. …He'll have to ask about that later. "In that case… do you want me to work tonight? I could use something normal to get my mind off all of this."
—-
"Yeah," Cass gives a soft laugh. "I was in a bind." Otherwise she never would have thought Nathan helping out for a day would be a good thing. It's certainly a story to be told later. The conversation weaves back to the serious topics when she thinks of the application of trying to turn humans into Evolved. What that means for the species, what that must have said about the future. "Wow." It's enough to make her reel. "And they wanted me to help with that. Whoever thought that was a good idea needed a serious kick to the head." The woman nods her head. "That'd be great, actually. The store was going to be a little short staffed. Thanks, Peter. It's really good to see you home safe."
—-
"Well— they weren't exactly the smartest people, and I don't think you helped, so much as spat in their faces," Peter says with a smile, showing her future self's stubbornness is the same as this one. But. He's going to work tonight. "All right. I'll head on over. I honestly can't answer any questions you might have about those files— what little I read of them while I was making the copies went over my head." So they'll just have to figure it out on their own. Between her and Elena, they should be able to do it. He moves closer to hug her again. "It's good to back. I missed you. And I might need to borrow Lachlan for some weapon training in the future— I might need it this time around." Bullets to the brain stopped Sylar, but he'll tell them about that later. With that said, he'll pick up his bag, leaving the letter and the files, and go ahead and leave. Work to be had.
—-
When Peter moves to give Cass a hug, Lachlan takes a reflexive half-step back, just in case Peter tries it with him again too. He raises an eyebrow at the mention of weapon training. He's pretty average with a gun, and the only other things he's wielded with any competency have been … potatoes. And chairs. "Sure," he utters in response. "Take care o' yerself, Peter." And then the other man is gone. Lachlan moves to sink onto the couch again, still holding the letter and picture.
—-
That does make Cass smile again. Good to know that her morals didn't go downhill along with everything else. Nor her stubbornness. "That's fine. I'll look them over. See what we can do." Because this is certainly a future they want to stop. Now more than ever. Letting go of Lachlan, she returns Peter's hug. She doesn't mind them. "Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing. Fighting lessons. So I can defend myself better." Since she keeps on managing to get herself into crazy situations, it'd be good to know she could handle herself to get out of them again. "I missed you, too, Peter." And they'll discuss things more when she's had a chance to digest all this information that he told her. "I'll see you soon."