Peter recognized her instantly as she was being lead
towards them by a police officer, a black trench coat draped over her arm and held tightly against her--the only thing they'd
taken that she had insisted come home with her.
After Nathan pulled some strings, Autumn Levine was getting
to go home with nothing but the possibility of a court date in the near future, although the cops were keeping everything
they'd found in her bedroom and were still waiting on results from the fingerprinting process. "I know you." Peter said as
she walked up, "You're the one I found in the supply closet!"
"What?" Melony stared at her sister incredulously, resisting
the urge to slap her. Peter nodded, "Yeah, she said she was visiting a friend and thought the closet was the bathroom."
Autumn shook her head, hugging the trench coat even tighter,
"Can we just go home please? Atleast I'm not the one plastered all over the tabloids." Her eyes downcast, she shoved past
Melony and Peter, who looked at each other with disdain.
---
The car ride home was silent--Peter was at the wheel,
Melony in the passengers seat, and Autumn sitting silently in the back. Peter couldn't help but feel like he and Melony were
her parents, bringing her home after a long night of illicit partying. When they arrived back at the house, Melony couldn't
control her outburst. Her sister had screwed up, and Melony was worried--not just for their safety, but their sanity.
"What the hell were you thinking?!"
The door slammed loudly and Peter stepped back as Melony
stomped towards her younger sister, "Have you completely lost it? Explain to me what the hell happened!"
Autumn turned, looking up at Melony, "He was hurt. I
had to help him!"
Melony scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief, "So you
did do it! He followed you home and you wanted to keep him, is that how it happened? Did he tell you his name or-or what he'd
done?!"
"Yes."
"Autumn!" Melony screamed, "Stop acting so damn calm!
If you were going to rebel at twenty-five, you could've chosen something a little less extreme! This is dangerous! What if
he comes back and kills us both?!"
"He won't!" Autumn snapped back, "He won't hurt me. You
don't know him, he's..."
"Oh, and you know him?!"
"No, I..."
"How long ago was it? How long had he been here, huh?"
Autumn looked away, "Since Tuesday."
"Oh, so he was the raccoon in your room, then?"
They continued to argue, but Peter's mind was elsewhere--it
all clicked. He stepped in between the two sisters, "Autumn--he told you his name was 'Sylar' didn't he?"
She froze, scowling in order to hide the look of shock
on her face, "Could've been something like that. I don't really remember."
"You're lying."
"Stay out of it, Petrelli! Get the hell away from us,
and go back to being your brothers crooked lapdog!" Without another word, she turned around and stormed back to her bedroom,
slamming the door behind her. Peter looked at Melony, who was noticeably shaking and afraid, and smiled smiled as he enveloped
her in a tight hug, "It'll be ok."
She nodded slowly as she leaned into him, slipping her
arms around his waist and holding on tightly.
---
Holding back tears as she sat down in her desk chair,
kicking the fallen crime scene tape at her feet, Autumn shook her head and stifled a scream, wondering how her life had turned
out like this. Every day was the same. Her life was stuck in a time loop, completely repetitive. Even worse, her sister treated
her like a child, and lashed out at her when she chose to act like one. She treated her like she couldn't take care of herself.
When Sylar had come along, she'd felt needed, appreciated,
even excited. It was a change, that was for sure. Nothing she'd ever experienced before. Then he'd revealed his power
to her, and she to him--the only time she'd ever done so, and she'd felt something else. Familiarity, likeness. They were
alike. Something else she'd never experienced.
Wiping away a single tear, she shook her head once again
and draped his trench coat neatly over the back of her chair, just in case he came back. But where was he? She wondered. And
was he alright?
She hadn't had time to truly let it sink in that he was
gone. He'd left without a word, and she didn't have a clue where he'd gone. Even worse, he still wasn't completely healed--in
fact, he was far from it, and that made her fidget with worry.
He had been quiet. He had been secretive. Hell, he had
been a complete and total mystery. But now that he was gone, she felt lonely. She missed his presence, she missed having someone
to take care of, to take up her time, make the days pass faster.
She simply missed him.
---
Peter had made the decision to stay the night at the
Levine's home, despite Melony assuring him he didn't have to, and that she and Autumn would be fine. He called Mohinder, who
was en route, and gave him the address.
Tossing the cell phone aside, he sat down on the couch
beside Melony and looked at her, "Are you ok?"
She smiled, "You don't have to keep asking me that, Peter,
I'm fine." She sighed, shaking her head, "It's just, my sister...this whole situation is so unlike her. I just don't understand
why she would break down now." Her gaze met Peter's, "And who is this 'Skylar' guy, anyway?"
"Sylar." Peter corrected, and shook his head, "And I'm
not even really sure how to explain him, or where to begin. Just that he's dangerous. Crazy. I thought he was dead, but..."
"Well, how do you know him?"
"Um...it's kind of a long story." Peter laughed nervously,
running his fingers through his hair as he leaned back, "I think we should wait until Doctor Suresh gets here. He'll be able
to explain everything better than I..."
"Suresh?" Melony sat up straight, staring at Peter, "Chandra
Suresh?"
"Hm? No, he died a while ago. It's his son, Mohinder."
Melony rubbed her forehead, trying to remember where
she knew that name from, when it hit her. "Autumn--she has a book by Chandra Suresh. Activating Evolution. I remember
she stood in line for it the day it was released, and I didn't get why she was so crazy about having it."
Everything seemed to fall into place in Peter's mind,
and he shook his head, laying his hand gently over Melony's, "We really should wait for Mohinder."
---
Standing outside in the dark, he'd heard the entire argument
between her and her sister, and he knew he could trust her. She protected him. She defended him.
Now it was his turn.
His body was stronger, though strained from the run he'd
had to endure, but he managed to silently pull himself up and jump in through the window.
Her room was dark, and she was asleep. He heard voices
in the other room, and knew he had to be careful waking her up. The slightest noise would attract the attention of the other
two, and frankly, he wanted to be out of there--with Autumn--before sunrise. Or before Suresh showed up. Whichever came first.
"Autumn." He barely whispered, and she awoke with a start.
Sitting up and turning on the lamp, she stared up at him with wide eyes and smiled, "Sylar!"
"Shh!" He held up a hand, listening, not hearing any
approaching footsteps, "Get whatever you need and come on."
"What?" She crawled out of bed, walking over to him,
"Sylar, what are you talking about?"
"I want you to come with me." He stared down at her,
his brown eyes pleading, "I can't leave you here. You're sick of this life, we both know that. I have to fix it--I have to
fix you. Come with me."
She bit her lip, eyes averting to the floor as her mind
whirled. Soon, she had pulled a messenger bag from under her bed and began packing. Nothing but a few clothes, her laptop,
her wallet, and a toothbrush. She was still wearing the jeans and sweater she had been wearing earlier, and only had to slip
on her boots before she turned around and looked at him, "Ok."
He turned around to face the window, when he felt her
hand on his arm. "Wait." She removed his jacket from the chair and handed it to him, "I stitched this up. Kept it for you
in case...well..." She shut her mouth and looked at him, "It's chilly tonight."
Sylar took it from her, a small smile playing on his
lips as he slipped it on, "Thank you. Now, come on--we have to go before he knows I'm here."
She nodded and obeyed, unsure of what he was talking
about when he said 'he'(was he talking about Peter? She wondered...). She jumped out the window, landing swiftly on her feet
and mumbling a quiet 'ow' as her arm scraped against the side.
With one last glance back, and Sylar making sure no one
was coming, he scurried out the window, and he and Autumn ran.
---
Melony stirred slightly on the couch, and Peter rushed
to answer the door before the frantic knocking woke her up. It was, of course, Mohinder Suresh, his trusty messenger bag slung
over his shoulder with papers and files sticking out of it, which Peter found odd considering how organized the scientist
usually was. "Mohinder, hey--I'm glad you're here."
"Peter. It's nice to see you again."
"Yeah, well," Peter stepped aside, allowing Mohinder
to enter, and then he closed the door, "I just wish it was under better circumstances."
Peter lead him into the kitchen, where they took a seat
at the table and Mohinder's hurricane of questions began.
"How do you know for sure he's still alive? What even
makes you think it's Sylar? How did the Levine's get involved in all this?"
Peter explained everything, from the reports of the blood
trail in the sewer, to the black trench coat Autumn clutched so tightly in the police station. And of course, her charges
of harboring a criminal, and the used medical supplies she had stolen. "I know it sounds crazy, Mohinder. But..."
"I don't know, Peter. Are you sure you're not just...imagining
things?"
Peter shook his head, "No, Mohinder. I know it's
him. The blood trail in the sewer? It lead from Kirby Plaza to here. Do you think that's just a coincidence?"
Mohinder shook his head, rubbing his unshaven chin thoughtfully,
"No. I don't believe so."
"Peter?"
Both men looked up as a clear-eyed Melony walked in,
arms crossed over her chest. Peter nodded and stood up, "Mel, this is Doctor Mohinder Suresh. Mohinder, this is Melony Levine."
"It's nice to meet you, Doctor." Melony smiled softly
as she shook his hand and took a seat next to Peter.
"Likewise. And please, call me 'Mohinder'."
She nodded, glancing at Peter and then back to Mohinder
before cutting to the chase, "Alright, Mohinder. Who is Sylar? And what's so special about him that Peter had to call you
in all the way from Boston?"
Mohinder sighed, "Sylar is a very dangerous, very unstable
man."
"I get that, but why? How? What makes him so dangerous?
Is he a killer?"
"Yes. But not an ordinary killer. You must understand,
Sylar is a very advanced human being."
Melony raised an eyebrow, "Advanced? How?"
"Well, if Sylar has shown interest in this family, surely
you or your sister know what I mean."
Peter shook his head, "Melony doesn't have all the face,
but Autumn has read Activating Evolution."
"My fathers book..." Mohinder's eyes grew wide, "Then I must speak with her immediately."
"Wait a minute!" Melony growled, "What facts don't I
have? What the hell does this book mean? What's wrong with my sister?"
"No, no--nothing is wrong with your sister!" Mohinder
said, holding his hands up in defense.
Peter layed a hand on Melony shoulder, trying to calm
her down, "There's nothing wrong--with her or you. Let's just wake her up and then Mohinder will explain, ok?"
Melony stared at him a moment, blank and lost, before
standing up, "Alright. I'll go get her." She smiled apologetically at Mohinder and walked out, leaving the two men alone to
talk.
"Peter, has either sister shown any signs of..."
Peter shook his head, "No. I haven't seen or...absorbed
anything."
Mohinder shrugged, "Maybe her sister is merely interested
in my father's research, and nothing more. She's rather bright, I'm sure. She's a psychologist?"
"Yeah. I dunno Suresh. The way Mel told it, Autumn seemed
pretty..."
"Peter!"
