2007-10-30: Prayers Answered?

Starring:

Cass_icon.gif Elena_icon.gif Heidi_icon.gif Peter_icon.gif Ramon_icon.gif

Summary: Still in quarantine (or at least loose quarantine), the Petrelli mansion sits down for a taste of dinner, starting with some prayers. Prayers that may have been partially answered by a phone call moments later. Whether it's a true answer, though, depends on whether Halloween decides to Trick or Treat.

Date It Happened: October 30, 2007

Prayers Answered?


Petrelli Mansion

Heidi can't cook that well. She can make fun sandwiches like grilled cheese, and she can make stuff in the microwave, but when it comes to preparing fancy meals, she's terrible.

However, it doesn't take a genius to make soup in a pot, from scratch, which she's been working on for most of the day, and the smell is filling the house with scents of vegetable and barley. It's hot, it's healthy, and Peter will eat it when he discovers it's finished. With her house full of sick people, it's really the least she could do. And later, there'll be warm milk and cookies. This isn't out of kindness, this is to make them nice and tired and cozy so they sleep through the night. In turn, Heidi will be able to sleep because she won't be so worried.

Also, the bag full of Nyquil will probably help.

Seated on the floor near the stove in the kitchen, she's paging through a magazine, with her feet propped up on Caesar's back. Sitting on the tile may not be the most comfortable place in the whole world, but it works when she needs to keep an eye on dinner. There's also some chicken boiling, in case anyone wants to add it to their supper. And by 'boiling' it means it's slowly drying out in the pot, but… It'll be in soup, so that's okay.
Ramon has spent the last week and a half on the phone, obsessing. He's been calling every expert and everyone who might know an expert who might have encountered this virus thing. Its not that he doesn't trust Cass. Its that he's the type of man who goes nuts if he feels like he can't /do/ something, and maybe he'll shake something loose. So far, no dice. When Elena calls him over though, he gets there. In his new car, that he registered under the name George Smith, because apparently being a Ramon Gomez on a car means you get your car blown up. He rings the doorbell and shoves his phone firmly back in his pocket when it starts leaving. The latest useless expert on the list can leave a message, the stockholders can leave a message, his secretary can…leave a message.

Something smells good and she's starving. Heidi must be cooking. When the doorbell rings, however, Elena is there, opening the door. Her eyes are bloodshot, and she's lost some weight given by how prominent her collarbones are looking, where her mother's crucifix was resting. Seeing her father in a suit, and the shiny new car parked outside the mansion, she couldn't help but smile. "Papa," she greets. It was a relief to see him. She also looks like an exterminator, with a surgical mask on her face, and gloves on her hands. She decides to chance it, because Ramon won't be deprived of a hug even when she's sick, so she gives him a hug. A little weak in body, she hugs him as tight as she can. She missed her Dad, it shows. Pulling back a bit, she smiles. "I think Heidi's in the kitchen, you wanna go say hi?"

Ramon stares at his daughter. He should have been /here/, not making phone calls. She looks like hell. He continues to stand there, staring, as he enfolds her into his arms. "Si," he says roughly. The urge to scoop her up and carry her like she's five gets written all over his scarred face. His fingers flex on his left hand, back and forth, into useless fists.

She smiles, though it's hidden in her mask he can tell by the way her eyes crinkle on the sides. The door closes once Ramon steps inside, and the young woman turns around to lead her father to the kitchen. "Heidi's been taking care of us while we're here. Dr. Aldric, Cass's dad…he stopped by two days ago to get us more samples and let us know more about what we have. We went to get further tests done, but we haven't gotten the results yet." She steps into the kitchen. "Heidi? Papa's here…is that okay?" She hasn't seen her dad in a while, but this was Heidi's house, of course she was going to ask. She also grins faintly when she sees her feet propped up on Caesar, who was the slightly smaller of the two rottweilers in the house.

She's reading a very informative article on this winter's upcoming fashion that she finds completely boring. The point is, it's something to read while she's watching the soup and the chicken, and that one shirt was kinda cute, and—

She looks up from the floor when Elena enters the kitchen, and smiles. "Always, of course," she answers, reaching up so she can set the magazine on the counter above her. That means her hands are free so she can push herself to her feet! Caesar looks disappointed, and flops his fat head against the floor. "I'm making vegetable soup. Hopefully it'll help all of you sleep tonight. Hello, Ramon." Somewhere along the line, she stopped calling him 'Mister Gomez.' She can't remember when. "You can stay for dinner. There's plenty."

Because that big pot on the stove is way full.

"Gracias," Ramon says awkwardly. "Smells good." He sort of trails behind Elena as if afraid she'll blow away in the wind if he does not. "Thank you for taking care of my chiquitia while she's not well." He sort of comes to a stop in the centre of the kitchen, staring again at his daughter like he has no idea what to do, at all.

"It smells really good, Heidi," the young Gomez girl tells her with a small smile. "Soup sounds really good. It's getting colder…" She shifts a bit from where she is, and finally decides to hunt for a chair. "Did Nathan tell you Cass's dad visited us?" Elena tells Heidi, moving on so she can take a seat by the kitchen table. "He came to take more samples so we could be tested. He also told us….a little more about what we're looking at. It wasn't much but we at least know what to expect in the next…couple of days. Sort of." She looks a little hesitant. She's hopeful, but they don't look like they're not getting any better. "They found another person in the quarantine we were all in…I don't know when. But he's….Dr. Aldric said they were going to look into it." She doesn't mention that the man's dead. "But since the strain we have has two parts, and apparently the second part was introduced later, if the other guy has the original strain, the docs can compare them and find out more."

"Ah, it was no problem," Heidi assures, waving a hand. "Think I picked up some pointers from her about cooking while she's been here. You wouldn't think it'd be possible to burn water, but I think I've done it." At least she hasn't failed today! …Yet.

If Heidi's worried about everyone here - and she is - she does a good job of not showing it. It wouldn't help, after all, and while she's expressed her worries to her husband, she's been all smiles and comfort with her guests. It's like having a whole lot more kids to take care of. Heidi likes kids.

Things that happen in the house generally come to Heidi's attention, and she knows who's been in and out. The details, though, haven't been discussed. Sensing Elena's hesitation, she heads over to put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We're due for some good news soon." Either something to fight the virus or … well, something. Heidi has faith. "Besides, I'm making soup, and I'm going to be stuffing you full of Nyquil tonight. You have to get better."

All this talk about strains and things shoots right over Ramon's head like a 747 on a one way trip to Hawaii with a dissatisfied Donald Trump on board. He stares blankly at all that talk, but /Nyquil./ /Nyquil/ he understands. "Does Nyquil help?" he asks. "Maybe Tussin too?" He doesn't mean Robitussin. He means Tussin, the cheap poor guy's alternative that he fed his kids all his life.

"I hope so," Elena says. "The more we know, right?" She leans back against the chair, and looks down at her hands. "Dr. Aldric says whatever we have, it's advancing," she remarks bluntly. "Or at least he fears advancement soon. It's starting already, I think. I….it's starting to become really hard to access my abilities. Peter's having difficulty too. His telekinesis isn't working so well, and he's…not regenerating the way he always does. He tried." Before she could stop him. "If it's happening to the two of us it'll probably happen to Nate and Evelyn too. Hopefully he hasn't tried to fly lately…" He's been in the house, right? Or so she hopes. Though when Heidi insists that they all have to get better, she smiles at her gratefully. "I know. We will. Cass is looking into it and she's one of the smartest people I know, so." To her father, she gives him a small smile. "…a little," she admits. "It helps me sleep at least. And it kills the coughing sometimes."

The slightest hint of worry is visible on Heidi's face. Advancing. They have no idea what this thing is, only that it's bad.

Having studied - as much as she can - the abilities that her friends and family have, Heidi had to admit one thing, at least. "That's odd." It might make a little sense, but why would a regular illness affect abilities? Because it's not so regular, right. It's also long-lasting… Too long, and Heidi's getting physically tired. She doesn't have it, the boys don't seem sick… If they are getting it, they'd have it by now, at least dormant.

"I don't know much about medicine," she goes on, and starts to add more to that, but just shakes her head. There's nothing more worth adding.

But, little bits are coming together. It affects abilities. It's like the flu. Only people with abilities have it, or that's how it's been so far. Heading over to the stove, she gives the soup a stir. It'll be cooking still for awhile yet. "How about some good news?" Elena might have heard about Nathan's proposal, but has she seen the ring yet?! "Nathan asked me to marry him. You know, again."

"Congratulations," Ramon says gravely. Those sorts of things are very important in his estimation. Something is clicking along in /his/ mind too, something which causes his mouth to draw down into an even tighter, grimmer line. But he keeps it completely to himself.

She looks over at Heidi, blinking a little bit. "….he did?" Elena says, lifting her head from where it was listing slightly onto the table. And when she smiles, she looks genuinely happy. "Really? That's…." She pauses. "…really sweet." She says it in a way that sounds rather surprised since…well. It's Nate. And she can be a little bratty when Nate's concerned. They've been getting along really well lately though, so. But she walks over so she could hug Heidi, though she's careful to make sure she's not handling the soup when she does it. "Congratulations! You must be so happy…and did he get you a new ring? Can I see?" IS IT PLATINUM?

"Thanks," she says to Ramon. They're already married, sure, but… The reason behind this proposal would be clear to Elena, at least. To Ramon, perhaps a re-affirmation of vows, which people do on occasion. This is different, though. Smiling, wrapping Elena in a tight hug, Heidi then holds her hand out to show off the ring. It's white gold, instead of platinum, but still very pretty. And there are lots of diamonds!

The old wedding ring is on a chain around her neck. It's still important to her, even if it's the sign of a broken promise. Maybe she's just sentimental. "It was very sweet. He made waffles and proposed." She may or may not have gotten teary! Ruffling Elena's hair, she adds, "You guys make it hard to plan a wedding."

Ramon rubs the back of his neck guiltily. Some very Catholic streak in him puts a few more numbers together, and comes up with: Your daughter is taking ill because you should not be remarrying Desiree and dishonoring your dead wife. So he does not announce his own impending engagement. Instead, he sits there, making sure Heidi doesn't squeeze his frail chiquita too much and break her.

"Waffles, huh? For some reason they do seem to make things a little better on occasion," Elena says, her hair ruffled. But she does smile at Heidi. "That's great, Heidi. I'm sorry! We'll all try to get better soon, I promise. Did you tell anyone else yet?" She looks over at Ramon, and Heidi, and then she laughs - the dark mood dispelling for the moment in favor of the happy occasion. "Papa just recently got engaged too," she says. "To Dez— Desiree. Desiree Russo. The one who helped Monty when he broke his arm?" They were all connected. Or something. But when Heidi holds out her ring, Elena peers at it. "It's beautiful," she says. And then? She groans. "This is so stupid," she grumps, frowning a little bit. "Cass is engaged. You're re-engaged. Papa's remarrying. This year should be a HAPPY YEAR." She drops on a chair, sulking. "I don't wanna be sick anymore," she mutters under her breath.

"So that's why the waffle iron looked recently used," Peter says as he enters the kitchen. He looks like a wreck, honestly. Skintone completely off, fluctating between deeply pale and flushed in various places. Of course Elena and Heidi have seen him enough times the last month to know this is how he's been looking for a while now. Though his hair has started to grow out, curling at his forehead slightly. "You know, Heidi, I had a present for you… I kept waiting for a birthday party, but…" In a few days he may not be able to do this at all, so he closes his eyes and holds out his hand. It takes a moment, but suddenly a small box appears there. He lets out a ragged breath. "I should have grabbed this last time I was at the apartment."

Heidi will smack Ramon if she ever finds out about his thoughts. And since she broke Peter's jaw, she's totally like she-hulk. Catalina wouldn't want him brooding for the rest of his life. It's not good for someone to be alone.

"Hey, I'm not blaming you. Can't help it if you get a cold, right? Don't worry, you'll get better soon." And that's her mantra, and what they all need to believe.

Heidi definitely remembers Desiree! It does seem like this year is a year for weddings, even if Heidi's will probably be somewhat quieter than most. Leaning over, she gives Ramon a quick hug around the shoulders. PETRELLIS LIKE TOUCH.

Ah, Peter has been drawn to the kitchen by the scent of food! That worried look returns when Heidi sees her brother-in-law, but doesn't last too long, because he's got a gift. "I don't think the party's happening. That's okay. I think we should wait 'til next year anyway, since it's surviving forty that's the real accomplishment." Reaching for the gift, she's torn between yelling at Peter for exerting himself, and thanking him for the present. As she reaches for it, she says, "Thanks, but it could have waited until you were better. Really, Pete." And she starts to open it curiously.

Ramon looks very very startled as this woman just up and hugs him, but he hugs her back and pats her back awkwardly. "Gracias," he rumbles. He nods gravely to Peter. And then he looks at his daughter. His single eye blinks rapidly, then he digs into his suit. He produces an object which turns out to be a slightly rumpled dum dum sucker. Coconut flavor. The type the doctors always give out when the little kids are being good. He offers it to his daughter, because…this is all he can think to do.

When Peter enters the room, Elena smiles at him, though he lets Heidi and him talk. She peers at the box handed to Heidi curiously, but when she feels Ramon's hand on her shoulder, she looks up. Blinking at the sucker, she gives him a small smile, and takes it. "Thanks, Papa," she tells him quietly. She'll take it anyway - because she eats everything. She tries to curb it when sick though, but candy can't hurt. She unwraps the candy, and pops it in her mouth. She reaches out to take her father's hand and squeezes though. "(How are the other kids?)" she inquires of her father in Spanish, while Peter and Heidi converse. Her dark eyes move upwards to focus on her dad. She can't help it, she hasn't seen him in a while.

It's a simple set of stud earrings, but not so simple that they'd be cheap. White gold with blue topaz, it matches her eyes fairly well. Peter probably spent some time picking them out. "No, I'm okay, really," he says to his sister-in-law, resisting touching her even if she's been exposed to this disease enough that she probably's as much at risk as anyone ever was. "Next year's party should be pretty big. I promise not to take a trip to the future this time," he says, a hint of a smile tugging on the corner of his mouth. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Gomez," he adds to the older man, moving a little further in so that he can sink into a chair. He looks exhausted, in all definitions of the word. Physical, emotional… all of it.

Sorry Ramon. Heidi loves you because Elena loves you, and Elena is a very good friend. You're part of the family, because Heidi has very few moments of distrust, and this is not one of them.

In any case, she opens the box, smiling softly at the gift inside. It's very pretty, very considerate, and it does match her eyes, which are impossibly blue and weird. Christmas tree lights! "Thanks, Piglet," she says, giving him a hug even if he doesn't want to touch anyone.

It's at that moment that the buzzer on the stove goes off, which means that the soup and the chicken are done cooking. Time to eat. Patting Peter's back, she heads over to the sink to wash her hands so she can serve a bowl of soup to everyone, and a piece of chicken, too, for those who eat it. Looking over her shoulder at Peter, Heidi bites her lip - again, displaying the worry that she doesn't want to show. She can't help it, though, and finally… That positive attitude breaks, just a little. "…What am I going to do with you, Pete?"

Ramon stares at Peter for a moment, his lips twitching. "Piglet?" he mouths. "/Piglet?/" His shoulder shake with some welcome laughter. But he only mouths it. And the laughter is short lived. ("They're good, chiquita,") he murmurs to his daughter. They aren't sick, and Juanita hasn't turned Planet Earth into a jungle. He's winning as far as he's concerned, on the other-kids front.


When her father laughs, Elena looks up at him, and then at Peter. She flashes him an apologetic grin. "Papa," she chastizes mildly. But it was good to hear her father laugh, so she doesn't really have the heart to say something like 'don't tease him' or anything like that. "Do you need any help with the food, Heidi?" she asks - but it's Heidi's dish, she'll let her do her own thing with it if she wants. When Ramon responds, her eyes soften. "(I'm glad to hear it)," she says softly. "(Hopefully I'll be able to go home soon. I haven't even seen Dezi yet to congratulate her)." She folds her arms on the table. But with Peter sitting near her, she reaches out to ruffle his hair gently. It was getting longer, at least. Not so severe. It was starting to get to the length she liked on him.

Piglet. That nickname honestly doesn't bother him near as much as it should. "You're welcome. I'm glad I could get you something," Peter says, though he doesn't smile that much. It's too tired to be full, even at the hug that vaguely alarms him. Not that he doesn't want the physical contact, it's just— does Heidi even know they're dying? This isn't just a flu… But he can't say that outloud, he just tries to settle into the chair, not even looking at the food. He's not hungry, to be perfectly honest, which isn't good for him. And he's not going to eat the chicken anyway. "I dunno. Just don't throw me off a roof." Cause enough people do that already.

After a moment, he looks between the two Gomez's. There was laughing. He heard it. And Elena chastizing. And a lot of speaking in Spanish. And then said girlfriend reaches over and muses up his hair. "Nice to see you too, sunshine," he says, trying to smile more genuinely. And not quite suceeding. But he's trying. Though it isn't like they don't see each other all the time right now. He can't help but reach out to take the hand that she ruffled his hair with, briefly.

Heidi knows more than people give her credit for, but the only thing that outright worrying is going to do is make everyone upset. She knows this is bad, and while she may not be aware of the fact that they're dying, the thought has crossed her mind in a 'what if' sort of capacity. "I think I'm okay," Heidi says to Elena, as she dishes out the soup into colourful bowls that she usually reserves for the boys. The room could use a little colour, though.

Putting each on the table, she returns to the oven so she can put the chicken on a plate, too. It's for the soup, so the fact that it's so dry that it kind of falls apart isn't that much of a concern. Oops.

"The name fit," she says to Ramon, devending Peter's honour, and the nickname she gave him. She won't, however reveal that it fits because his brother is Pooh Bear.

Heidi makes sure that she puts a bowl of the vegetable soup in front of Peter. "You. Eat," she says, taking his hand and putting a soup spoon into it. "I made vegetable soup so you'd eat it, and you better." Bowls are set in front of the others, as well, before she brings a bowl over to the table for herself. There's a certain awareness in her eyes as she looks over all of them - especially Peter and Elena. What if she loses her family? "I'd like to say a prayer," she says, out of the blue.

"I'm all for prayer," Ramon says, his shoulders momentarily shaking again as Heidi feels the need to /defend/ this nickname. Piglet. Oh boy. /So/ ammo for later. But he quickly lets go of Elena to make the sign of the cross. "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…" Then he'll let Heidi continue.

With her hand taken, Elena gives Peter a small smile. "Hello to you too," she says. Despite everything, she at least looks cheerful. Then again she always looks cheerful at the prospect of food. Under the table, however, her hand squeezes his tightly - a gesture that's meant to be reassuring. She also leans in and pecks him lightly on the cheek. It was a little weird, still, doing this in front of her dad. But she has to get used to it eventually.

When the table is set, Elena dips her head a bit to take a breath of the bowl. It smells delicious. She could feel her stomach growling already. When Heidi calls for prayer, she glances over at the older woman, an underlying current there. She knows Heidi is smart. She probably knows - but she's being optimistic for all of them. It was relieving…she can't do it on her own. She can believe everything's going to be alright a little more readily if someone does too. When her father begins, however, she uses her free hand. She doesn't let go of Peter yet, but she will later once they start eating. Eating, for her, requires both hands.

The peck on the cheek earns yet another hint of a smile, just a bit more genuine— though not quite as cheerful. Even with her around, his happiness is more in a reflection of hers at the moment. Even if— yes— he's going to have to eat. "I'll eat," Peter says to his sister, giving her some assurances, but he doesn't reach up to grab at the spoon, if only because he's holding the hand of his girlfriend under the table, and they're calling for prayer first. Though not crossing himself like some people, he does watch Heidi for a moment before lowering his head and closing his eyes. Under the table his fingers tighten around the hand that he's holding onto. The ammo that her father could get on him could be so much worse than Piglet, too.

Once everyone's settled at their seats, Heidi takes another look around before focusing on the steam rising from her soup. Having always been fairly religious, she believes in the power of prayer, and she thinks a lot of people can use a little divine help right now.

Taking a deep breath, she goes on. "Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing us together this evening. Thank you for giving everyone someone to care for them and be there for them during this hard time. We understand that you have a plan, but we ask that if it's your will, you guide the research of the doctors and help them find a cure for this illness." There's a pause, before she adds again - "Please." After another moment of silence, Heidi concludes the prayer with, "In your name we pray."

When she looks up, she's smiling. God always answers prayer as far as she's concerned, whether it be with a negative or a positive. All she can do, really, is ask. "So, y'all ready to tell me how badly I messed up this soup?"

Ramon ducks his head and nods a gruff, "Amen." But his fingers tighten on the spoon. He takes a deep breath and takes a bite, then nods. "Its good," he says. He's learned, really, no matter what it tastes like, the appropriate response to a Woman Who Cooks is, without fail: Its good. Or else she might stop doing it, and then he would never, ever, ever be able to eat. In this case he even thinks its more or less true.

"Amen," she says softly. Elena squeezes his hand in hers, and lets go of his fingers slowly so she can help herself to some of the chicken. It might be a little dry, but not if she soaks it in some soup! She takes a sip of the vegetable-barely mixture and she smiles over at Heidi. "It's great, Heidi. I'm starving. And it's been a while since I've had homemade soup." And she means it. They practically subsisted out of the cans of chicken or vegetable soup Peter Jack'd out of his cupboards at home while they were being held in Bat Country labs. "How's things at work?" she asks her father, craving, really, of any word outside of the mansion. Sure she has the news, the Internet, TV…but she wants to hear how her father is doing. "….and what happened to the Mercedes? When did you get a new car?"

"Amen," Peter says, though no one could claim he's the religious type. There's a reluctant sound as his hand is freed up to eat, but he does do the eating thing— or more like the drinking thing, since it is soup. "Yeah— it's pretty good," he says in response, though his voice could hardly be considered enthusiastic. Not that it's a bad soup, it honestly isn't. He's just so tired… and not hungry at all. "I'll have to cook for you guys next time— when I'm not sick anymore." Because Mr. Gomez? He's a man who cooks.

"Thanks," she says. It's just soup, but it's soup that took hours to cook! And so the compliments are appreciated, and as she takes a spoonful, she discovers that it is good, and they aren't just being nice. Yay, she used a stove without burning down the house! "That'll be soon, Pete," Heidi assures, because she's certain that something has to happen soon, one way or the other. Either they'll all get better, or… "You'll all be feeling fine soon."

Ramon shovels in more soup, looking more like the working class man he is and less like the CEO someone went and made him in a moment of insanity. He even gets the title wrong. All the time. He looks up, and, terminal honesty kicks in. "Someone blew it up," he says. He takes another bite of soup, like this is normal dinner time conversation. "Right before I went to get Applebaum. Don't know who did it. Wasn't in the car. Didn't get very hurt. A little pissed off about it." That's an UNDERSTATMENT. "That was a good car."

While sitting at the dinner table, with soup and everything, Peter's phone starts to ring. It takes a moment for him to shift back and out of the chair to answer it, "It's Cass— I should take this," he says, giving everyone an apologetic look before he starts to move away a little and answer the phone. "Hello?"

PHONE: Cass says, "Peter! It's Cass! Do you have a moment?" Though trying not to sound rushed, she's almost breathless. "It's important."

When Ramon finishes his story, Elena is gaping at her father, the soup spoon poised in mid-air. "Someone…….WHAT? Papa why didn't you tell me? Gene could've checked the security cameras no problem." Now on top of everything else, someone wants to kill her father?! Why? Was it because of the Chairman of the Board debacle? She's still staring at her father slack-jawed, her face a little gray even if her father talks about it like a walk in the park. When Peter gets away from the table and says the phone call is from Cass, she falls silent, her eyes following her boyfriend away from the table. She takes a sip of soup, finally, but… good news? Please say it's good news.

PHONE: Into his phone, Peter sounds a little distant, because cars blowing up is important topic, but so is getting cured. But Cass doesn't know what's going on in the Petrelli house. "Yeah, I have all the time in the world. What's going on? Have you found anything?" Please say she's found something.

Heidi's pale eyes fix on Ramon as she sets her spoon down on the table. "…" is her response to his car exploding, because she has a whole fear thing when it comes to cars and … what is it that Ramon does for a living? What is it with his family and exploding cars? Or just cars in general! She hasn't forgotten when Elena jumped into that van and Jack and Trina were nearly killed. Of all the things she could say, though, eventually she settles on— "…L— Language at the table…" Though she doesn't seem to be scolding so much as at a loss for words.

When the phone rings, she's tempted to tell Peter to wait, but he didn't seem too interested in the soup, anyway. Maybe a call will cheer him up a bit, huh? And it could be good news.

PHONE: Cass says, "It's…well…it's some—-" There's a loud buzzer in the background and the storeowner gives a quiet yelp of surprise. A little more distant as she pulls the speaker away from her mouth, she calls out, "Just a second!" Then, she's back to the phone, "It's…it's not a cure. Not exactly. But I met someone. Someone who might be able to stop the advancement of the virus. I want you to meet her."

PHONE: Into his phone, Peter seems to be a little distracted by his phonecall, though he has to pull it away from his ear for a moment. There's a loud buzzer of some kind, barely audible to those at the table. "Are you calling from the bookstore?" he has to ask, though her next words cut off all other questions. "Someone who might be able to stop it? Sure. Whatever you think is necessary. I'm not exactly busy right now." That's for certainly. In fact he looks hopeful, just as Heidi had hoped he would. "But Cass— my abilities are starting to mess up. Elena's too. I'm not sure about Evelyn or Nathan, but probably them… It started last night. I can still do things, but not— as reliably as I should."

"Sorry," Ramon says. He pats Elena on the shoulder. "Gene's a good idea honey. Now shhh. I want to eavesdrop on Peter's half of the conversation so I can hear him when he finds out Cass has the solution."

"S…sorry?" Elena protests as she's patted on the shoulder. However when Peter keeps talking to Cass, she falls silent. She's eavesdropping as well, but that doesn't stop her from eating Heidi's food. Because it's delicious and she was hungry and she needed her strenth. She looks up slowly, however. While Ramon's stoic face doesn't betray anything….she knows her father's tense. She reaches out to touch her father's arm. "Everything's gonna be fine, Papa," she tells him simply. She glances over at Heidi, perhaps for back-up. She's spent most of last night reassuring Peter.

Heidi also stops eating to listen in on Peter's half of the conversation. The words 'might be able to stop it' are especially encouraging, especially considering the fact that they just prayed for that. The timing's too perfect for it to simply be coincidental. As she listens, she reaches for a piece of chicken so she can break it apart and drop it into her bowl. There's a small smile on her face now. She knew everything would turn out okay.

PHONE: Cass sighs as the pounding and buzzer continues. "One second." She calls out, but there's shifting as she gets up from her chair. "Sorry. No. I'm at Bat Country. And someone seems to need to get in very badly." She sounds annoyed at that. "Not right now. She's…resting. It takes a lot out of her. I told her we'd aim for tomorrow. But, I wanted to let you know that I'd found…something." Then, what Peter reveals to her makes her pause on the way to the door. "They are?" There's a swear under her breath. "Okay. Well. Tomorrow. Tomorrow we're going to see if we can stop it from progressing. Maybe even cure it. But…don't tell anyone yet. Please. I don't want to get their hopes up if this turns out not to work. Something on such a larger scale may be too much for her to handle." Just the fact that they have this, though, is something. There's the sound of her juggling the phone from her hand to resting against her shoulder and her ear as she opens the door.

Ramon looks over at Elena and presses a kiss to her brow. He hugs her close and continues to look very, very grim as he listens. Not because of the promising thing that was said, but because of other, darker thoughts that are tumbling around in his brain. His fingers clench on his napkin, deforming it.

PHONE: Into his phone, Peter continues to move away a little, but doesn't get much further. The people at the kitchen table can still hear him. "All right." He takes a deep breath, the hope shifting away a little, but it's still there. He can't help but feel a little hopeful. And people who know him well? There's definitely something good going on. "Do you just want me to come in?"

PHONE: Cass says, "Yes. Just you, please. I…I want to make sure we can do this before I let the others know." And then the door is fully open and she's staring Mohinder right in his sleepy face. "Mohinder!" Yes, she sounds surprised. He didn't call to say that he was going to be here. Then again, reception in the basement can be fritzy. "Tomorrow. It's something, Peter. It may not be permanent, but it's like a band-aid. It gives us more time."

PHONE: Into his phone, Peter nods, even though he's on the phone and the person he's nodding to can not see it. The others can, though. "All right. I'll be there tomorrow," he says, sounding tired, but there's definitely something in his eyes. This is something he can do. Maybe. "I let you talk to Mohinder. Call if there's anything new, okay?"

PHONE: Cass says, "No, just…yes. One second. Come in." There's more shuffling as Cass moves around to let Mohinder in and still talk on the phone. "Okay. Great. Thank you, Peter." This is something both of them can do. "I will. Of course. Keep me updated with Nathan and Evelyn. Stay rested and keep everyone hydrated. I'll talk to you soon, okay?""

The telepathic message is received. Thanks to having trained her father, or at the very least instrumental in discovering a few things he can do with his abilities, Elena knows how to handle his telepathic messages even if she's not prepared to receive them. At the silent communique, her dark eyes move over to her father, even as Peter continues talking to Cass, and Heidi's busy eavesdropping on Peter. She abandons observing both, for a moment, in favor of paying attention to her father. "(I know, Papa)," she tells him softly. The rest is silent, and she looks back at Peter. It seems like good news.

PHONE: You overhear Peter saying, "I'll do that, Cass. Thanks for calling." into his phone.

With that, Peter hangs up his phone call and comes back to the table, putting his phone away. "Sorry about that— um— your car blew up, Mr. Gomez?" Like he wasn't just on an important phone call.

"So?" Heidi asks as Peter sits back down. She wants to know what was going on in that call! And… is otherwise totally oblivious to the conversation going on between Ramon and Elena. after all, she doesn't know Spanish, nor is she telepathic.

Ramon wants to know too, and he himself is going to sit and listen to find out. When Peter asks about his car he says, distracted, "I got another one," as if that was the biggest concern. He rolls his wrist at Peter: SPEAK BOY. He's going to go very silent at the table, to soak up details.

Oh man. Curse Cass and her 'don't tell the others'. And curse himself too for not walking out of the room to take the call. Peter looks down at the soup for a moment, then says, "It's just a test of something. I don't know the details, but Cass wants me to stop by Bat Country tomorrow and see. It might not be anything at all, so she didn't want to get anyone's hopes up yet." Though honestly, right now, they need hope. "Mohinder'd just stopped by, so maybe he found something out that'll be more conclusive."

That was understandable. Elena seems content to let it go, and trust that Cass knows what she's doing. She takes a quiet sip of her soup, and she nods. "Good luck," she tells Peter softly and gives him a small smile. It was all up to God now, and she watches her father a little concernedly, knowing how tense he actually was even if he doesn't show it. Finally, once he's done with dinner, she stands up from the table. "I'll walk Papa out," she tells the two Petrellis. After letting her father say his goodbyes, and a thank you to Heidi for the wonderful meal, she leads him out of the kitchen, talking in quiet, soothing Spanish. Just a bit, before quiet. They were probably conversing telepathically…..which was a good thing.

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