Pot, Kettle

Participants:

f_elisabeth_icon.gif trask_icon.gif

Scene Title Pot, Kettle
Synopsis Liz and Trask have a conversation about Elle and some other topics.
Date May 7, 2019

Elisabeth's apartment


Trask remembers that Liz mentioned getting a baby sitter tonight because she has a night shift. Cameron is at school, and he shows up knocking on the door out of the blue. Somewhat ironically he has donuts.

Night shift is more of a misnomer than anything — she works whenever there's a case, and Felix asked her to take care of some things tonight on cases she's had pending. It's actually the agent she expects to see when she opens the door; she's already talking to him as she does. "Geez, Fel, I told you that…. oh!" Her smiles is genuine, though perhaps a little guarded. The time that she and Norton have spent together has generally been buffered by their son since their…. rather surprising relapse into the bedroom. And Cameron has been basking in the attention of his father, understanding that Norton will not be able to stay more than a few weeks. "Hey, Norton, c'mon in. Sorry about that." She gestures him into the apartment.

Trask sets the donuts on the counter in the kitchen, and then settles into a seat on the couch letting her finish up on the phone, he closes his eyes and leans back face toward the cieling.

Liz closes the door as she talks. "Nah, I just thought you were knocking on the door — not like it's the first time you've called me from outside the door." Elisabeth grins at something Felix says and nods though only Norton sees it. "Yep. Okay, I'll be in shortly." She hangs up her cell and looks at him. "So to what do I owe the pleasure, Norton?" Because in spite of the pang it gives her heart every time she lays eyes on him, it is a pleasure to see him again.

Trask looks over and smiles, "Do I need a reason?" He shakes his head, "Actually I am not going to have any false pretenses…someone said something to me recently, that made me want to talk to you."

An eyebrow quirks upward, and Elisabeth replies mildly, "Oh good… I'm going to need a stiff drink for this, aren't I?" She's mostly kidding. Moving to sit near him, she studies his face calmly. The younger Elisabeth might have been worried, but the more mature woman she's become, the things she's lived since his death… She's a woman secure in her own body, in her own place in life. And he's not an enemy, so she has nothing to worry about. "What's on your mind?"

Trask takes her hand, "I have been told you have issues you havn't told me about…that…you have questions about my loyalty, and about whether I have been compromised. I… I know it's been a long time for you, but…if you have doubts I want to hear them. "

Elisabeth moves to adjust her position, pulling one leg up beneath her on the couch so she's facing him, her elbow propped on the back of the couch with her hand propping her head. It's a very familiar position, and no matter how old she's gotten, it hasn't changed. "Your loyalty? That I don't think will ever be in question. Never implied any differently to anyone either," she says. "Do I have some doubts about you…. attachment? Yes. And yes, I realize that's a little like people in glass houses." She smiles faintly. "Alec Bonder immediately springs to mind when I find myself wondering what the hell you're doing…. but Alec was a thief and turned out to be a huge asset to Phoenix. Elle? Will never be that," she says seriously. "She's too unstable, in my opinion."

Trask says, "Elle…has become disillusioned with the Company, I won't say how or why because she asked me not to. But she has. She also…well lets just say that I think there is something there, that she could be a good person, if it wasn't for her situation. And there is a chance she could be still dispite it. I know you don't agree, and you don't see it, and I am sorry…"

Elisabeth watches him quietly. "It's not like you to attach yourself to someone so quickly, or to trust them so readily, Norton. You've been here not even a whole month yet, and you've imprinted on a woman who could quite literally destroy you when you go back…. and you know that you're eventually going back to the past or going to wind up dying trying. Forgive me, but I do in this instance feel like I have to question your judgement here. It's completely out of character for you to take these kinds of risks." She pauses. "And part of it might even be somewhat selfish. Have you told her about us? Or about… the past us, rather? It paints a pretty big target on my back, if she decides you've done her wrong somehow."

Trask looks down and away, "Your right of course, I could be wrong…completely wrong. Before I left….I was worried I was growing soft…that I couldn't do my job any more…that I was losing that part of me that was Sergei, because…I had something to come back to. When I got here I felt lost…and alone…and Elle was lost and alone too. The old me would have put her in a corner and sat on her. He wouldn't even have talked to her, or let her get in a word edgewise….

Elisabeth looks surprised at that. "You never mentioned that you'd been feeling like you couldn't do your job," she says quietly. "But then… I never really met 'Sergei' before you and I were involved. I saw glimpses of how cold and unemotional you could be, certainly. Even when your ID was outed and you stopped using the name Sergei, you always had your eye on the goal when we were 'working'. I never had doubts about your ability to do what needed doing…." Elisabeth hesitates. "Until now. If it requires a bullet to the brain for her, can you still do it?" she asks, her expression gentle.

Trask covers his eyes with his hand, leaning on the arm he sighs softly. "If your asking me if I could shoot her in cold blood without remorse if it was asked of me, no I couldn't…Killing her because of what she /might/ do seems highly…illogical to me…but…6 months ago…" He smiles at the time reference, "I would have done it without question. If your asking if it comes down to a fight between Elle and Helena…or you…or me…yes I could take the shot and take her out.

With a slow nod, Elisabeth looks away from him. In truth, she's not sure she could take the shot either…. today. Ten years ago, when shit was hitting the fan? "If you go back and any of us in the past find out that she's a Company agent, you won't have to," she tells him quietly. "I'm not entirely sure I could do it, but I know Gabriel or Alex would be able to." She looks back at him. "If you want the truth, Norton… the idea of sending her back scares the shit out of me."

Trask says, "And if Gabriel went back with us, what would Alex or you do to him? The old Alex….the old You? If you can redeem Sylar….you can redeem anyone. I think if we go back, no matter what else happens…she is not going to be going back to the company…."

Elisabeth nods slowly. "Can't argue that logic," she replies with a smile. Her blue eyes remain worried, but she nods a bit. "Just…. for God's sake, if you make it back… watch her. So much hinges on the fall of the Company. And she knows so much that could derail that."

Trask says, "I don't think she wants to derail that….I can't say why…but her faith is shaken…when we getback, I have a feeling her father is going to find a very different Elle…and he is not going to like it…the only real question is whether or not he will live to find out."

Blowing out a breath, Liz nods. "All right. Just…. watch her." She shrugs a little. "It's not like I can cast too many stones at you. My taste in men pretty much sucked back then too." A chuckle erupts from her. He hasn't commented on her current living arrangements — which, though they maintain separate residences, appears to be as one of an old married trio with Leland Daubrey and Felix Ivanov with the occasional night out on a date with someone else she's interested in. Cameron has delighted in filling in his birth father on how often he's a Uncle Felix's place and just the way he talks about his own life, it's clear that the two men are a huge part of it. It's a bizarre arrangement, but it just seems to flat out work for both Cameron and Elisabeth. (Maybe it's the built-in babysitters — between Delilah, Fel and Lee, Abby, etc, there are a tone of them, but Liz hasn't appeared to have a huge social life this past month.) "Not entirely sure my taste in men these days is all that much better, they just don't stick around long when they find out about Cam."

Trask smiles, "We all know how bad you taste in men is, otherwise I wouldn't be here having this conversation. any man who is afraid of Cam is a moron….he is the most wonderful kid I have ever met, and that isn't just bias talking."

Elisabeth grins a bit. "There is that, certainly," she quips back. "Cam's…. I can't even take as much credit for that as some parents claim. He was born a great kid, Norton," she says more seriously. "He's going to miss you fiercely when you're gone."

Trask says, "I'm going to miss him too…." He sighs softly, "I don't know much about Temporal Physics, but from my understanding…there is little chance this future will ever happen exactly this way now."

"I know," Elisabeth replies quietly. She isn't sure what he's been told, so she says quietly, "The precogs don't see a future for us anymore. They just see… blackness." She has to fight a lump in her throat. "I'm told that … when you're dealing with temporal things, the end is painless. You never even know that it happens, things just … shift. Or cease altogether. That's the theory, at least." She forces a smile for him, her jaw clenching. "It's one of those times when I sort of wish I was in the ignorant majority, you know? I wonder 'what if' a lot…. what if Cam's not there, will I feel that something's missing? Those kinds of things." She waves it off, hiding her tears… or at least trying to… by moving to get up. "Would you like some coffee? Water?"

Trask says, "Maybe something stronger…." He sighs, "They say it could be alternate world…that you will continue to exist…just…seperate…." He sighs and swallows himself, "Or….you could come with us.""

Elisabeth smiles at him, bringing two cups of coffee… she hasn't forgotten how he takes it after all these years. Handing him one, she says softly, "You know that's not possible. It's bad enough that Arthur Petrelli has sent a team back in time… or is sending one. Not sure how far he's progressed on that point."

Trask says, "Arthur Petrelli has sent a Team back in time?" He sits up rather fast."

"That's his plan — whether it's happened yet or not, we aren't entirely sure." Elisabeth grimaces. "Yeah… it's not going to be pretty."

Trask says, "What exactly does he plan to do with sending them back there?""

Elisabeth shakes her head. "Honestly, Norton? I haven't got a clue. I do know that he's told Helena to make herself comfortable here — he doesn't want any of you to go back, and there's a chance he'll try to stop it. More than a chance, if Helena and Gillian are to be believed. So why'd send his OWN team to make sure history happens the way it should when you all have a vested interest in doing so? I really don't know."

Trask says, "See…what you can find out about who is in this team, and what thier goals are…because this could be something much worse then anything else."

With a smile, Elisabeth comments, "Gillian might be able to find out. We'll see." She sips from her coffee with him and comments, "You're welcome to stay around and spend the time with Cameron, Norton. Mary Grace has instructions that if you want to have time with him, she's free to have the time you want off. She should be bringing Cam home shortly. But I should head to work so I can get back quicker."

Trask smiles and nods, "I think I would like that, maybe take him to the park or the movies." He leans over to give you a little kiss. "You take care of yourself, ok?"

Elisabeth returns the kiss softly. Aside from their one night of intimacy since he popped up here in the future, she has made no real effort to draw him into a deeper relationship. Perhaps just to protect her heart, which was broken when he died the first time, or perhaps because of his choice in other bed partners or something — she's keeping their relationship on affectionate but platonic terms. She looks up at him and smiles, studying his face. "He looks more like you every day," she murmurs, stroking his cheek. And then she quickly gets up and leaves for work.


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