Illusions

Participants:

gillian_icon.gif kaylee2_icon.gif peter7_icon.gif

Scene Title Illusions
Synopsis Despite clinging to the illusions of a normal life, Peter Petrelli finds himself drawn by coincidence into illusions of a different kind.
Date March 10, 2010

Lower East Side

Peter's Apartment


A day off from work hardly means a day off from being busy. For Peter Petrelli, life never stops moving forward now that he's settled in to something more comfortably resembling normalcy. Standing by the mirror in his living room, come running thorugh dark hair, he's carefully primping himself for what clearly is an important meeting of some sort. But the casual dress he's in implies something outside of the formality of work, and more in line with the struggle for personal life he's having.

The clock on the wall behind Peter reads half past three in the afternoon and the cloudy city viewed outside the apartment windows are mercifully not dropping snow down on the city. Satisfied with his hair comed neatly to the side, Peter straightens and begins adjusting his button down shirt, tucking it in to his slacks, fixing the collar, trying one button loose, then buttoned all the way, anxiously fidgeting with his appearance.

It's not every day he manages to set aside time for someone special, and right this very moment he's waiting for her to walk through the door. Perhaps it's subtle guilt that had Peter arrange a late afternoon out on the town, with drinks and an early dinner at the Orchid Lounge reserved for that special someone in his life. Not that he'd ever let her know it was guilt that inspired it, even if it's not guilt that motivates the crooked smile on his lips now.

This is the normal life Peter has always wanted; a steady job, reconnection with his family, and someone to care for that isn't a terrorist. It's as if Gabriel Gray wasn't the one who had taken Grigori's powers of illusion back on that aircraft carrier, but Peter himself.

Because somewhere deep down inside, he knows all illusions are only temporary. Even the wonderful ones.

Busy… busy is right. Between work and Ferrymen doings, Kaylee has been non-stop herself. Of course, in the last several days, she has had almost no energy by the end of the day to do anything but fall into bed. Shes pretty much chalked it up to just overworking herself. So when she had a chance to go out with Peter, to just enjoy an evening with him. No work, No Ferrymen. She jumped on it.

The woman Peter has been waiting for, slowly opens the door, glancing in as she slips into the room. She once threatened him with that red number and that was before they started dating. Its what shes wearing tonight. At least its not as bed as he would have though, it hugs her form, but not in a bad way.

And she spared him heels, though it always looked better with then, tonight she keeps it to matching flats. Her hair is partially swept back from her face in a stylish clip, only a few curls brush across her cheek, the rest tumbles down her back.

"Hello, Peter.." She offers softly, when gaze finds him there primping in front of the mirror. There is a content look on Kaylees face when she looking him over. The young blonde hasnt been disappointed yet, in the path shes taken. Though… she knows that may change anytime.

An affectionate smile touches her lips as she looks back up, though it doesnt quite reach her eyes, cause she knows it might change after she breaks a bit of news to him. Her expression turns a touch wistful — she hopes not.

Hastily undoing the top button, Peter turns from the mirror and offers a crooked smile to Kaylee along with a moment of silence before he learns how to put words back together again. "W— Wow that, you look…" There's a slow and repeated nod of Peter's head as his brows rise up high on his forehead and lips move to mouth words he isn't properly forming. "That's— very red." He huffs out an awkward laugh afterward, a hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck. "You look wonderful, really you— " he nervously laugh again, clearing the distance between himself and the blonde, "You look amazing."

He's quick to slip an arm around her waist, lean in and press a kiss to her cheek along with a brush of his nose before leaning back, keeping that hand at her waist as he looks her up and down. "I'm really glad we both had time to do this tonight, I've got some bad news though." Peter creases his brows and looks over to the clock, "Eve's show got cancelled, my mother just called a few minutes ago to tell me. Says she might've come down with a cold or something, I didn't hear details yet. So— it's just dinner, I'd hoped you two could meet, but…" Peter lifts his other arm up, wraps it around Kaylee's shoulder and sways from side to side. "Maybe we can find somewhere to go after dinner… dancing?"

As his arm slides around her waist, her arm slides up and around his shoulder, leaning slightly against his frame once he's had a look, "Mmm.. I could definitely say the same about you." Manicured nails… something she had never really done before she started dating him, slide along the edge of the buttons, her eyes following it, before she glances back up at him coyly, her cheeks a touch flush.. Not that she blushes often.

The lips on her cheek can feel the warmth there as she leans into it a bit, eyes drifting shut for just a moment, maybe it's just from the flush of her cheeks that is heating her skin. There is a soft sigh, agaisnt his own cheek before he pulls away. When her eyes open again, there is a touch of disappointment."Cancelled? Really?" Touch of worry shows through as well, "Is everything alright with her?" She remembered the woman from the Gala, liked her really. "Not that I am against dancing." Which she enjoys, "I had looked forward to hearing her singing."

"Mom says she's sick, don't know if it's sick, sick yet. Probably better that she's staying home in that case. I kind've want to go out and see her, but if she's got that virus, I can't risk getting infected and not realizing and spreading it where I work." Peter lifts his hand up from Kaylee's waist, threading a lock of blonde hair behind her ear with a delicate brush of his fingertips. "But, we don't have to worry about that right now. We've got the dinner, maybe some dancing, and then the whole night to ourselves."

Smiling, Peter rises up and presses a kiss to Kaylee's lips, his nose gently brushing hers before he slowly disengages, letting his arm slide from around her shoulders and hand away from her face. "We've got about an hour before our reservations, and the roads look pretty clear so we should be able to take some time to relax before we head out. Hey, I've been meaning to ask, what do you think about throwing a party here some time? Maybe in the spring once the weather warms up? I— haven't had one in a long time…"

A whole night to themselves, the telepath could definitely get on board with that plan, letting him know that as she lean into the kiss, fingers curling into the edge of his shirt like she wants to pull him even closer. Letting small sound of disappointment escape her as he disengages from that kiss. Fingers unwinding slowly, arm sliding from his shoulder. "A party?" She asks once her tattered mind drifts back together and she can think clearly. "I like that idea… something fun…" Her words trail off as she studies him, realizing something.

"I — you know what." Kaylee says softly, her smile fading a touch. "Maybe it's a good thing we have sometime, cause I need to talk to you." The blonde expression slowly falls into something more serious. Her tongue touches her painted red lips briefly, she's nervous. "Before I — become too attached too you." A ghost of a smile pulls gently at her lips, as she admits. " — cause the way things are going, I very well could. You're a very — " She gives a small laugh, as she steps away from him," You are almost too good to be true."

"But I need to get something off my chest," There is an apology in her eyes, as she adds softly. "before I let myself get too attached, just in case you don't like it. " Reaching up, Kaylee's fingers brush along his cheek, her eyes on what she's doing, afraid for the moment to look at him, "I won't be able to relax till I do."

Peter's expression immediately sags when Kaylee asks if they can talk about something. Admittedly in the grand scheme of things, relationship speed-bumps are less of a concern than terrorists or serial killers or God knows what other supernatural threats he's had to handle for much of his life. Dealing with something as simple as Kaylee needing to confess something can't be that hard, right? When Peter offers her a nervously supportive smile, he starts weaving around her and into the kitchen.

"Okay, I'm all ears…" The comment comes with a look over Peter's shoulder as he moves towards the island and settles up on a stool, hands folding in his lap and one brow raised. "You can talk to me, there's probably not a whole lot I haven't heard before. So just— " Peter waves a hand, almost dismissively to the notion indirectly, "What's on your mind?"

Please don't have anything to do with the Vanguard please, please, please.

"No.. nothing about the Vanguard… but…" Starting to reassure him, Kaylee stops herself and takes a deep breath, her shoes click softly as she follows him. "I know you want the whole normal life, I understand that. I — really want it too…" And that's perfectly true, but she grimaces. "Unfortunately, life isn't exactly letting me and I want to give you a chance to… walk away if you need too." She doesn't want him too… but he was so adamant about not hear about what went out with the Ferrymen.

Taking up the stool next to him, Kaylee brushes her skirt smooth underneath as she settles and crosses her legs, which may or may not be a distraction for the poor man. She doesn't make things any better, when she pulls the collar of her dress out enough to dip two fingers in, flashing a bit of lace, and pulls out a small worn photo. Fingers obscure the single word on the back of it, and the face of it is kept from him.

There is a touch of worry when she looks at the photo and back at him, "For one, I recently found out my father didn't die in Midtown like I thought and after talking to Cat, I am pretty sure he would be familiar to you." Teeth catch her lip as she slowly offers the photo to him. "This is the only photo I have of him." In other words, don't hurt it.

Reaching out to take the picture, Peter's brows furrow as he turns it over and stares silently down at the image of the man depicted there. A few decades can't change Edward Ray very much, there's less wrinkles on his brow and less of a haunted look in his eyes, but those expressive blue eyes and sharp angles to his long face and high hairline have never changed. Swallowing dryly, Peter can see why Kaylee had been guarded about this particular bit of revelation.

"This— " Peter's voice hitches, "this is your dad?" She may have handed him a photograph of a tyrannosaurus rex for all the disbelief that's in his voice. Blinking a few times and just looking down at the picture with a vacant expression, Peter shakes his head back and forths lowly. "You know… I actually don't know him very well. I know his name, but we wer never properly introduced. I know… I know he was a family friend of Cat's father, I know he… went insane. Something about time travel or— I really don't know entirely."

Brown eyes lift up to Kaylee as he offers the picture back. "I don't know what you've heard about me from other people, Kaylee, but— I don't have a lot of ground to stand on and judge someone by their family. Yeah, Edward— Edward was a crazy bastard and he did some terrible things, but my father was just as bad. My father was responsible for Pinehearst, for— doing so many terrible things to people."

Slowly shaking his head, Peter offers Kaylee a mild smile. "Just because— " he glances at the photograph again, "just because this is your dad, doesn't mean you'll turn out anything like him. I… " he breathes out an awkward laugh, "I'm not going to push you away for that. Have you seen my family?"

"Yeah — well — " Kaylee gives him a nervous smile. "Cat told me he shot you, so I wasn't sure how you'd react…. and honestly, I'm no angel." She nods at the photograph, before taking it back. "Even he knew I was dangerous." The words are softly spoken as she looks at the image of her father thoughtfully. "I had a repressed memory drug up by a dream walker, of him. Told my mother she had to move, get me away from Boston, cause I was going to hurt some one." She sets the photo on the counter with a sad expression. "Fat lot of good that did." She murmurs softly, before looking back at him.

She gives him a gentle smile, "So we both have rather nasty fathers, but…." She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. She gives a small humorless laugh, leaning enough to rest her elbow on the counter, fingertips run along her forehead. " Here is where it gets worse. Couple days ago.. someone came to me. Told me my father is alive." Her eyes flick to Peter. "Cat told me his body had never been recovered from Pinehearst." Her other hand gives a little dismissive flick, before she continues to the important stuff.

"Seems, he and a few other scientists are in the hands of the government. Some guys named Gregor… and I think Zimmerman." She looks thoughtful, "I think Richard mentioned a Doc… Doc what…" Eyes narrow a bit as she looks off into the kitchen scouring her memories. "Doc Carpenter."

"Z— Zimmerman?" That gets a sideways look from Peter and he latches on to it more than anything else. Swallowing awkwardly, Peter's brows furrow. "Zimmerman was a scientist at Pinehearst, helped me stop my father. If he's with the government than it's by his own choice, he left before the raid that happened, maybe he cut a deal with them? If so, good for him, because he's a brilliant man and deserves to do good with his research. If my father hadn't— hadn't lost control he could've made the world a better place, Kaylee, for all of us."

Running his tongue over his teeth, Peter stares down at his lap. "All this other stuff, Gregor, whoever that Carpenter guy is? It's not our business. I don't work for the government, I'm not my brother. What they do, that's their call or someone else's. If you— if someone you're talking to is worried about them, for whatever reason, have them go to the authorities. You can't live your life trying to fix problems like that…"

Sliding off of his stool, Peter sets one foot down on the floor and steps over to Kaylee, wrapping both arms around her to draw the blone into an embrace. "You have so much potential, Kaylee… don't waste your life getting wrapped up in everyone else's problems. Cat, Raith, all those people… they'll make sure you're never happy, they don't know how to live a normal life." Reaching up to rest a hand on her cheek, Peter's thumb strokes gently beneath her eye.

"Bad parents, complicated lives, whatever's gone on in the past, Kaylee… none of that matters. If I can put behind me what I've been through, and focus on what's good in my life so can you." Peter's lips creep up into the ghost of a smile. "I love you, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

She was ready to protest and counter his argument, but Kaylee was not ready for those three little words. It leave her staring at him, not sure want to think. Her mouth opens to say something, then stops, brows furrow slight. Breaking eye contact, Kayle glances down focusing on her hand on his chest. Swallowing, she takes a deep breath and asks ever so softly, "Do — you love me? Or the ideal of me and a normal life?" Her eyes flick up to look at him, it hurts to question him like that, but it's important. "Know how I feel… and I don't want to get hurt. My father hurt my mother badly."

"I need to know about my father." She continues softly after a moment of concideration, eyes dropping again as one hand slides up from his chest to touch his jaw, warm fingertips playing along it lightly. "I need to know he's okay… that he's safe. I — I want to meet him." She's never met him and Kaylee wants answers.

Thumb brush along his chin, her expression sad, "Richard Cardinal when he told me about this, he wanted me to give you a message." Strange how she mentions a man who swallowed up a nuke with shadows. There is a moment before she says softly, "Both of your died that day, but only one of you returned alive. You owe him one." Her eyes lift to meet his, "What did he mean by that?"

"I talked to him telepathically, he wouldn't show himself, his mind was… odd like there was an echo in his thoughts. There was a sense of being dead.. and yet not."

"I want a normal life, and you, is that really so impossible?" Peter's brows furrow together, a hand coming out again to lightly brush over her cheek, that psychic static of a telepath's ability feels so unusual behind his eyes from the touch. "If your father's out there somewhere, he'd find a way to talk to you if he wanted to. All I ever heard about is how everything Edward Ray ever did was some big plan. It's like he knows everything that's going to happen before it does… so don't worry about trying ot find him, I'm sure in time he'll come to you, and you'll get all the answers you want. If he's not alive… then— then I'm sorry." Peter's thumb lightly moves to brush over Kaylee's lips before hand hand comes down to settle on the side of her neck.

Worry covers Peter's features next, worry and anxiety when she starts speaking about Cardinal and Peter brings a hand up to rest a finger on Kaylee's lips again. "Kaylee… Kaylee Richard Cardinal's dead. He— I saw him die, Kaylee. I was there, nobody— nobody could've— " Francois suddenly pops into Peter's mind, and his brows crease together. Abby had said the ability had lived on in Francois, maybe— maybe somehow he'd saved Cardinal?

"Even if he was alive, Cardinal— Cardinal should've told someone. He got a pardon from the government for whatever he did. No one owes him anything except a heroes welcome… if it is him, then he should come out and tell us. The only people who hide are ones who have something to hide. I don't owe Richard anything, but— but if he's alive and he wants to come visit me, I'll share a drink with him."

Brows lifted and a worried look on his face, Peter watches Kaylee quietly, his head giving a slow shake. "Kaylee, this— you're letting these people manipulate you because of your problems with your dad. Whatever Cardinal's doing, whatever— whatever's going on outside of a simple life, it's not your problem. If you really, honestly want to find your dad I can see if my mother can help us locate him. You don't need to do this— this clandestine stuff."

"Peter." Both of her hands lift to cradle his face, to make sure she can look him in the eye. "I know I don't have too." Her voice is so gentle, eyes move between his as if she is trying to read him, though she isn't. "It, unfortunately, keeps finding its way to my doorstep." There is frustration there as she tries to find the right things to say. "I want you to have both.. a normal life and me…. but I can't help but wonder how long it will be until I can't ignore the rest of it." Her hands slide off his cheeks to rest on his shoulders, "Before either us can't ignore it."

Her head tilts forward, letting her forehead rest against his, eyes closing for a moment, swallowing against the emotions that are starting to seemingly, gather at the back of her throat, "If you truly love me, Peter?" Eyes slide open and she pulls her head away some to look at him, arms sliding behind his neck, trying not to let too much of what she's feeling show, he's at least not telepathic at the moment, "I need you to love all of me, not just the normal parts, cause if you can't… no matter what comes our way…. We are both going to get hurt."

"I am genetically, unable to be completely normal, but I'm trying." A small smile tugs at the corner of her lips at her mild joke.

Leaning forward, Peter rests his forehead against Kaylee's, feeling the dull static tingle of her ability behind his eyes and inside his brow. "You can only get pulled back in if you let them, Kaylee. You're a whole lot stronger than that. If you want a normal life, you can have one. You just have to learn when to say no to people who try and pull you in to ridiculous things, like whatever it was Raith wanted you to do. Ther's nothing they're doing that can't be solved by going to someone in a position of authority… If you want to help find your father, I'll see what I can do, and we'll do it legally."

Leaning back just a little, Peter looks at Kaylee with a hesitant smile, palm brushing over her cheek before he pulls her head forward and presses his lips to her brow. Nose resting there against her forehead, Peter whispers against her skin. "You just have to trust me, Kaylee… you'll be happier the more you pull yourself away from their world. You won't like where it takes you…" he leans back, stroking another stray lock of hair from her face. "I wasn't ever really happy with my life, until I started trying to have a normal one… until I met you."

For all he wants to piss on the good name of Edward Ray out of spite of being shot, it was that gunshot to the chest that led Peter to becoming Kazimir Volken, and leading the charge to stop the Vanguard and Munin. In a way, it was that very blue-eyed curse that had led him to Kaylee too. Maybe in some way, this was Edward trying to ensure a better future for his little girl.

It's a nice thought, anyway.

Lips press tightly together as she considers what he says, her head tilted down, eyes closes at she listens to his voice… to the hum of his mental thoughts. He will find her forehead warm, maybe it's just being close to him, that warming her skin when some one effects you a certain way. "Okay… " Kaylee whispers, sighing softly, head tilting back up to look at him. ".. I'll trust you, and let you do this your way." There is a serious tone to her words, "However, there is a girl staying with your mother, Molly. She's a friends and she offered to see where he is. I'd like to have her do that. Her ability locates people."

"Just this one last thing, beyond the small stuff I help the Ferry with — food runs and stuff like that — then I'll let you deal with things your way, but… if it doesn't work." Her tongue wets her lips, before she says, "I need to do what I can.. Especially, if he is in danger. Wouldn't you do that for your own family?" A blonde brow lifts slightly, the question an honest one.

"Mm— Molly is with my mother?" Both of Peter's eyes kind of bug out of his head at that dizzying prospect. He'd been trying to find Molly Walker for two years now, and of course Kaylee is best friends with her and that makes total sense because Peter's life is nothing but a running joke. He breathes out a laugh, slides his arms around Kaylee's shoulders where she's seated on the stool and just leans his weight against her a little.

Nodding his head once, Peter offers an askance look at the blonde with a crooked smile. "We'll take this one step at a time. I… I'm uncomfortable with the whole Ferrymen thing, but I understand if that's important to you, and stuff like food runs and like what you guys did at Summer Meadows is great. Just, I don't want to see you getting arrested, god I saw that video of the riot in downtown Roosevelt Island the other day and I was so worried you got caught up in it."

Reaching back to thread fingers through Kaylee's hair, Peter offers her a more earnest and gentle smile. "Family's important, though, you're right. But I want you to know, if you ever need my help or my family's help, all you have to do is ask. You know my mother likes you, so if you need to go down there to see Molly you're more than welcome to."

"Thank you.." There is relief in her voice, as those words are said quietly, emotion showing in her eyes, a smile touching her lips. ".. for understanding. The Ferry… family… everything." A true smile graces her lips as she looks up at him, "I still say you are too good to be true." The words teasing, as manicured fingernails catch at the fabric of his shirt, pulling it into a light grip, which she uses to pull him closer. Lips brush at the edge of his, before moving past along his cheek, before she turns her head, a breath sighed against his skin, enough to press a gentle kiss to his jaw. Lips then lightly slide along his neck, as she let's her hand unwind from his shirts so she can arms slide around him.

There is not need for telepathy, to know what is going through Kaylee's mind as she whispers against his neck, lips brushing warm against his skin, "You sure you want to go out to dinner?" He can't see the impish twist to her smile, to know it's there.

Cracking a smile, Peter breathes out a soft sound and looks up to Kaylee with raised brows. "You…" he starts to laugh, bringing his hands to either side of her cheeks, fingers curling gently against the line of her jaw and nose brshing softly against hers, "seem to have a one-track mind…" he teases with a coy smile, leaning back as he moves his hands away from her chin and motions down to himself. "ook at me, I got all dressed up to go out…" Brown eyes level up to Kaylee, one brow raised, "… look at you."

Peter pauses on that thought, tongue rolling across the inside of his cheek as his brows come together and nose twitches to one side, a single dark brow creeping up slowly as he leans back towards Kaykee, sliding an arm behind her to press a hand at the small of her back, urging her off of the stool as his other arm wraps around her shoulders, lifting her off the seat and down onto her feet.

Staring at Kaylee with a crooked smile, Peter considers the clock, and then looks back to the blonde in red in his arms. His answer pretty much sums everything up nice and clearly.

"Look at you."

As if fate decided to swoop down and ruin the moment— or at least make things interesting?— there's a set of sloshy footsteps coming down the hall from the elevator. The footsteps go directly to a door, and there's a solid knock. A brunette stands in the hallway, still bundled up from the cold, with a bag hanging from one shoulder as if she might be planning to stay the night in the city. Gillian's jaw is set, lips pressed together and dimple visible in one cheek, even if she's not at all smiling.

Once again, she didn't call.

"As if you haven't been thinking similar thoughts deep in that male brain of yours." Kaylee says with a breathy chuckle, words teasing as her head comes up from where it's pressed against his neck. Arms moving too curl around his neck, she lets her nose tough his as he pulls her off the stool to her feet, a mischievous smile on her lips.

Her nose wrinkles a bit as she leans into him, letting her body mold against his. "We don't need no stinking dinner." Giving him a bright flash of a teasing smile, before moving to press her lips to his….

Except mere fractions of an inch away from his lips and an evening and night of promising things, the knock completely breaks the moment, a harsh sound against the ears. Her head turns away towards the door, a brow lifting. "You — expecting company?" She asks softly, so it doesn't carry to whoever is on the other side of the door.

Motherfucker. Peter doesn't swear often, verbally, a few mental rebukings to the world every so often keeps him from climbing a clock tower or turning into Sylar. "No but, it might be Abby or… Christ I think I had my phone turned off— Coming!" Peter slides his arms off of Kaylee's shoulders, brows furrowed and lips pursed as he backs away from the kitchen and makes the short trip across the hardwood floor towards the door. Without so much as a check through the peep hole, Peter's undoing the chain, sliding back the latch and opening the door with brows raised and looking a little toussled for his effort.

"Gillian." Is breathed out in the same way someone in Star Wars might proclaim Darth Vader when finding that particular Sith Lord standing on the other side of the door. Throat tense and eyes wide, Peter looks— like he's doing well. Dressed up in a buttoned down powder blue shirt and pinstripe slacks, it's clear he's either just getting in from going out or just planning to leave for somewhere. The fresh hint of cologne indicates the latter.

"H— Hey I ah, Kaylee it's Gillian…" Peter projects back into the apartment, gingerly backing away from the door to let her in, politely if not timidly. He very well could be dealing with a ferocious wild animal for all that he seems a bit startled by her presence. "How— How're you doing?"

With the door open to let her in, the first things out of Gillian's mouth are, "Oh good, she's here. I was afraid I'd have to just leave a message." Surprise of surprises, she sounds relieved. "It's so hard to get here from Staten right now with the fucking snow…" She spends a few seconds trying to wipe off her boots on the doormat, before she gets fully inside. Then she looks up at him, jaw still stubbornly set, despite her words. "You smell pretty good."

With her shoes wiped off, they still squeak as she moves deeper into the kitchen to look through the apartment to find the face of the elusive woman that she's been trying to find in person. A message or two left with the Ferry has likely been lost in the other problems. Super flus are more important than a lesser member of the Ferry wanting to talk to a telepath. That and she hasn't had a chance to get off of Staten often. Thanks snow.

"So you're Kaylee? Good. I work with the Ferry and I was told you were the person to go to if someone needs a mind reader." She's pointedly not looking at Peter anymore.

"Who? Oh!" It takes Kaylee a moment to remember the woman from the Gala, brushing at the red number she's wearing, she moves to stand by Peter. A hand lifts to wipe red lipstick off of Peter's cheek, more then likely the culprit that clued in Gillian, her eyes moving to watch the other woman curiously. "I remember seeing you at the Gala."

"But — ah — Yes, I'm Kaylee." Brows furrow a bit, her head tilts slightly as she studies Gillian, "I'm guessing there isn't a whole lot of mind readers in the city," Her tone is kept light, but there is a touch of caution too it. "What can I do for you?" A glance it given Peter, since they had just talked about all this, hopefully finding out what doesn't get disapproval.

Terrorism is happening in his apartment! Peter huffs out a breath as he slips away from Kaylee and slowly closes his door with a pointed clack at the end, hand staying pressed up against it to rest his weight on it. "Nice to see you too…" Peter admits in a murmur as he leans off of the door and rubs a hand over his face, moving into the living room slowly with a scuff of socked feet on the hardwood floor. He ducks down by the television, rummaging for something before coming up with an open DVD case. A hiss of a breaht slips out, and he settles down on his knees on the floor, fiddling with the DVD player.

"Remember what we talked about," Peter offers to the air as the DVD tray slides out and a disc is taken, pressed into the case and snapped closed. Peter's clearly talking about the saying no option. "I guess it's good you showed up when you did, though, Gillian…" Rising up to his feet, Peter turns slowly and taps the DVD case against the palm of his hand, slowly walking towards where the two are talking.

"I heard from my mom that Eve had to cancel her last show at the Orchid because she's sick, have you been out to her place to see her? I was wondering if you knew if she just had a cold, or if it was the five-ten." Seems the nickname is sticking, Abby's been lording it around the Ambulance and the media's latched on to it too. "If you've heard anything…" Peter holds up a peace offering, the DVD case for the Adventures of Baron von Munchausen, clearly he watches it, probably not alone. Awkward.

That strong set to her jaw suddenly seems to shatter as she hears certain news. About her friend Eve, but also… There's that hum of energy that flows subtly into the room, for an instant. Not very long, but long enough for a thought to break through. I asked him to watch that with me…

Gillian closes her eyes, inhaling slowly. This time there's no tears that fall down like the last time she was in here, but it's easy to tell she's hurt. For some reason or another. The knot gets tied back in place. She doesn't really want this woman in her mind. Figures she'd be blonde.

"I haven't really talked to Eve in a while," she manages, through a very tight throat. "But I can try to find out. If it is the 'five-ten' then I probably shouldn't meet her in person. I have kids to take care of." This would go better if she could look away from the case… Oh, right. Telepath.

"Um— I…" she shakes her head, finally looking back toward the tall blonde. "Basically I need someone who can tell me why … someone …" her eyes direct downward for a second, like she wants to glance at someone else. "Why someone is pretending to be my dead sister. I know they're not. And I have an idea who it is. But I want to know why."

Her head turns slightly at Peter and what he says, a small flicker of a smile on her lips, but she doesn't comment back, following him for a moment, until Gillian's thoughts broadcast loudly. A glance at the DVD, Kaylee moves away from them both, maybe putting distance between her an Gillian. Suddenly feeling somewhat guilty. "I — ah."

Another glance goes to Peter, any other day she might have said yes without hesitation, but she promised. However, she can't seem to make herself say no.

Baby steps.

"I — " Kaylee sighs a bit, turning her back to both, eyes going to the window. "Why do you think it's not her? There seems to be a lot of people that should be dead, but are not."

"Jenny… was murdered." Peter breathes out in quiet response, "it was all in the newspapers a couple years ago. There— really wasn't much room for debate on this. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to trick Gillian into thinking she was around too, I think my father had used a telepath to manipulate Gillian into thinking she saw her ghost or— or something." Furrowing his brows, Peter glances to Gillian with a worried expression. "Do you think it's Maury? I mean— he helped us get away from Pinehearst in the end but, nobody's seen him since. I don't know many other people who'd… who're alive that could pull off a trick like that."

Glancing to Kaylee, Peter furrows his brows, suddenly more worried about her than before. "I could go." Oh, Peter. "I've… got Wendy Hunter's ability right now, all I'd need to do is shake her hand or touch her shoulder to be able to tell if she was your sister. I don't think an illusion can fool it, and I'm not sending Kaylee out if Maury's around, he's too strong for her to handle."

"Believe me, no one wanted it to be Jenny more than me," Gillian says softly, still avoiding looking over at Peter, even as he says so much in support of her. "No, Peter. You… You threw me out of your life. Just cause…" She bites back the words, but this strain is compounded on top of the words she spoke while looking at the DVD case. "I came here to ask Kaylee for help, or to give her a message if she wasn't here. I don't…" At least she's not throwing things this time.

Inhaling through her clenched teeth, she looks back up at Kaylee, eyes hurt and angry, but…

"I don't need to know it's her. I need to know why. You of all people should understand that, Peter. It's the question I keep asking that people don't fucking answer. And I need to know… why." Just like she needed to know why Kazimir used her. Like she needed to know so much. Some answers were given. Some weren't. But her persute for those answers didn't end, even if they never came.

"Not tonight, you're obviously…" She bites back the words again. She knows she can't say them without sounding… like something she doesn't want to be right now. "Not tonight. But sometime this tomorrow or this weekend, if you can come out to Staten, I…" She reaches into her bag and pulls out a piece of paper. It's the note she'd wrote ahead of time in case she needed to shove it under the door. "My number and directions to the Lighthouse are on here," she says, holding it out to Kaylee.

Her head moves a bit, "Maury…." That name brings back memories of Pinehearst into sharp relief. The way he manipulated her mind so easily, she was in awe and jealous of that power. Seems so damn long ago. "You… think it's him?" She turns slowly on the ball of one foot, to look at Peter, it isn't fear, it's curiosity in her voice.

A look goes to Peter, eyes narrow slightly. Somethings should not be said in front of the other woman, so the telepath goes to a mental rebuke. Oh… it's okay for you to risk things? There is a sharpness to her mental voice, regretting it almost immediately, as it echoes in his head. Eyes flicker away from him briefly to look at the paper and then back to Peter. Those blue eyes stay on him as she moves to take the paper and says softly, "I'll be there." I won't do double standards, Peter. But…. Her chin tilts up a bit, a brow arches slightly, her mental tone gentling some, … I'd like you there to watch my back. Please?

Gillian has been around telepaths long enough to know when they're having a conversation she's not invited in on. Peter's subtle nod to Kaylee and eye contact with the blonde in silence, mixed with silent tells of twitching facial features is enough to tip her off. "I was upset…" Peter offers to Gillian, reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck slowly, "and I'm sorry, for what I said to you, for— a lot of things. Look, if someone's trying to pull something over on you, there's no harm in us checking it out. If it turns out to be something… dangerous, we can take it to the authorities to sort out."

Brows lifted, Peter looks to Kaylee, offering something of a smile at the compromise. "Look Gillian I…" brows furrow and dark eyes angle back to her. "I didn't mean what I said that day, I just— " he holds up one hand slowly, exhales a sigh and nods his head once. "Kaylee and I will check it out for you, if you want us to. I don't feel right sending her into a potentially dangerous situation alone, and if something goes wrong I know a few numbers for people in the Company I can call."

"You don't mean a lot of things, do you," Gillian says softly, in the form of a question, but without the question mark at the end. The telepathic conversation may go over her head, but she does see that it's happening. There was once a time when she had telepathy— whether she knew how to use it or not.

"It's not Maury. Or a telepath or an illusionist," she does say, sorting har bag back together and beginning to back away toward the door. "He acts like Jenny, he sounds like her, he knows things I never even mentioned to anyone… Even if the memories are swiss cheese it doesn't… Maybe they talked to her more than I thought they did before…" Before he killed her. Before they dumped the body.

"It potentially is dangerous, but I didn't want you involved in this because you…"

History. The history will always be there.

Finally she looks back at him, some of the pain and anger faded. Apologies can go a long way. It's not all gone, though. "If you have to be there, then you have to promise me that you won't do anything… except find out why."

The ever important question… Why?

"Because I think it's Gabriel."

The name Gabriel snatches Kaylee's attention, brows lifting. "He's dead isn't he?" She asks out loud before she can remember what she just said earlier about people not staying dead. "That's what Rai….." Her mouth snaps shut, teeth clacking together as she stops from blurting out what Raith and Eileen had wanted her to dig out of Aviator's head.

Chewing her lips, Kaylee glances between them, "We'll still do this and Peter will let me find out Why and only why."

"No." Immediate and sharp is Peter's response, a hand slammed down on the kitchen island. "No, he— Gabriel is dead. I saw him die with my own two eyes, Eileen watched him die, she held him in her arms until his heart stopped beating. No, there's— there is no way Gabriel could have ever survived what happened in Antarctica, it's impossible. It could be a telepath reading your mind, or— god, maybe someone who read Gabriel's. He was prisoner in Pinehearst for months, Maury could've plumbed the depths of his skull more times than— "

Holding one hand up in the air, Peter just breathes in deeply and shakes his head slowly. "No. No I felt Gabriel's life-force slip out of him, I felt him die. It has to be someone else, or— I don't know— maybe Hiro made some sort've mistake and brought one over from another timeline, I don't know. But I know what I felt, what I saw, I know how ruined Eileen looked. It can't be him."

"You don't think I know that? You don't think I cried over it and empathized with Eileen on never seeing him ever again?" Gillian's eyes sting a bit, but she doesn't cry. Not this time. She's cried enough in this apartment, and she's stubbornly refusing to now. "It could be a time travel thing. It could be some funky other shit. If it is, maybe he's actually Tavisha. Cause… When he was Tavisha he told me about these… ghosts. In his head. He had voices. They were almost like people, talking to him. He heard my voice and saw my tattoos before he saw me."

There's a pause. "And I know Jenny was one of the voices. Maybe he has amnesia. Maybe he thinks he's Jenny. It might not the Gabriel in Antractica. She has his tattoo. The one that we got right before five minutes to midnight." Before they were going to leave together. Before they were going to fight the two Peters…

Before she found out he murdered her sister.

There's a pause, she looks at Kaylee, "Thank you— I'll go now. Sorry for interupting." A glance at Peter, and a tighter and raspier voice adds, "I hope you enjoyed the movie."

The one she gave to him, the one she wanted to watch with him, because it was one of her favorite movies as a kid. Because it meant a lot to her…

That he watched with someone else.

Kaylee actually jumps as the hand slammed down on the island, giving him a surprised look. Her hands comes up as she says to Peter, "I never said he was. They wanted to know who gave the kill order on Gabriel in Antarctica." A glance goes to Gillian, and she takes a deep breath. "The answer will be in getting into Jenny's head for a peak. I can do that."

She looks at Peter, studying him for a long moment. "If he's dead, well then… simple answer, nothing to worry about. Let's find out who it is then." A hand motions to Gillian, Kaylees voice is soft and calm.. there is a lot this woman doesn't know. "At least for her. For peace of mind."

"When do you want to do this?" Peter pushes everything else aside, calling out to Gillian before she turns for the door, jaw tense and brows furrowed, dark eyes settled on Gillian. "Where is she anyway? Does she just come and go as she pleases or is she settled down somewhere, that'll help make things easier if we go to take a look, know what to expect, the territory…" there's a wave of Peter's hand slowly in the air, brows creased in consideration.

"If you don't know when… just call me and I'll make time, I have Thursday, Friday, and Saturday off of work, and I'm on duty from six to six otherwise."

"She's staying with me at the Lighthouse," Gillian explains quietly, looking toward Kaylee as she says most of this, even if she's answering questions of Peter's. For her sake. After everything she keeps losing, she wants something… But a lie is never what she wanted. And if a lie is what she's got, then she wants to know why she's getting this lie. Why this illusion. So many others left unanswered. This one she wants answers to.

"I can't call you. I lost your number. And mine's different too. It's on your note though, Kaylee, so you can give it to him." If he wants it. Does this mean she isn't evicted from his life anymore?

Does she want to be back in his life?

A glance at the DVD case may answer that question, but if only things were so simple as yes or no.

"Tomorrow or Saturday should be fine. It's hard to get to Staten, but I'm sure you'll find a way. You should remember where it was. If we need to meet somewhere not the Lighthouse, let me know. If not, she has a map with directions, including all the plowed routes." Turning to the door, she turns the doorknob and actually locks the knob, as if removing any temptation to open the door once she closes it. "Good night," she says, not looking back.

"I know where the Lighthouse is. I've been there and I know Brian." Having been there before on a couple of different occasions, Kaylee is very familiar with it and the man that runs it. They even dated… or something like it, all one sided. There is a soft sigh, "We'll get your answer." The telepath offers to Gillian, before turning to Peter, with an apologetic look.

It's always showing up on their doorsteps.

"Have a good night, Gillian." Kaylee calls to her, eyes still on Peter, her expression saddening somewhat, before her eyes drop down and her head turns away, back to the door, blond hair sliding over her shoulder. She waits quietly for the door to close behind the other woman.

Slouching down onto the stool he had been sitting at earlier, Peter leans to the side and rests his arms back against the island and hangs his head. Brows furrowed and eyes in his lap, the defeated tone of his voice explains just how much he liked that surprise addition to his day:

"I don't feel like going out now."

The illusion of normality is something that's pretty easily broken.

No matter how hard you try.


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