chapter three | one giant leap

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When evolution selects its agents, it does so at a cost. It makes demands in exchange for singularity. And you may be asked to do something against your very nature.
Suddenly the change in your life that should have been wonderful comes as a betrayal.
It may seem cruel, but the goal is nothing short of self-preservation.
Survival.

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Gabi was sitting on a desk in Nathan's office, she was wearing black skinny jeans, white singlet and maroon cardigan. One of his men was holding up two different colour ties. One blue, one red. He was trying on both, trying to decide which one looked best.

"It'll work. We'll have the fundraiser here, not the ballroom. Makes me look fiscally responsible." Nathan was talking about his campaign 'party' tonight.

"Yes it does, sir," The man spoke.

Nathan turned around and looked at her. "Get off the desk, Gabi."

She sighed and stood up.

"What looks better?" He held up the blue one up to collar then the red one.

"The red, makes you look smart, like the president, he wears red." She smiled. Nathan looked at his tie.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true," He turned around to one of his man and handed him both ties. "The red one," and he walked away. Nathan turned back around and faced her.

"Don't you think we should at least talk about last night?" Gabi spoke quietly.

"There's nothing to talk about, Gabi," Nathan sighed.

"Are you kidding me right now?" She scoffed.

"Now's not the time, okay?" He turned around. "Pete! Just the man I want to see." Gabi looked behind him and Peter comes walking over quickly.

"I need to talk to you –" He looks at me. "Oh, hey Gabi,"

She smiled "Hi Pete," and they all started walking.

"So, are you going to come tonight? Gonna break out the suit, have a couple of drinks?" Nathan asks with his hand on his back. Gabi was walking behind them.

"Yeah," Pete replied softly.

"Maybe rebuff the advances on one of my cute interns?" Nathan smiles. "Emily," Nathan looks over to blonde woman who's carrying some files. He walks over and signs a couple of papers.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna be there. Listen, I tried, again." Peter spoke.

"Tried what?" Gabi asked.

"What do you think I mean?" Peter looked at her, She sighed. "I – I tried to fly," He spoke softly.

"Would you keep your voice down?" Nathan put his arm around his shoulders as they continued to walk.

"Both of you were there, last night, I could fly. This morning? Nothing. I nearly broke my neck trying."

"Excuse me?" Gabi spoke in disbelief.

"Well, that would have solved one of our problems," Nathan spoke.

"Nathan!" She scoffed.

"Yeah, so a few days ago, I found this book, its called 'Activating Evolution', and It has some things on human flight. Listen to this, 'Genes determine obesity, blood pressure. Out of the 30 billion possibilities one might contain the potential for human flight.' This guy knows what's going on. Chandra Suresh."

"No, Pete. What did I say!" Gabi took the book from his hands. "This man - is not who you think he is, okay?" She spat, Peter looked at her.

"Wait, you've met him?" Peter spoke in disbelief.

"6 months ago, yeah," she sighed.

"So, he's here? In New York?" Nathan asked.

Gabi sighed. "Yes," Nathan looked at Peter.

"I have to find him," Peter looked at her.

"Peter –"

"We've got a more immediate problem here." Nathan looked at the book as Gabi handed it to him.

"What?" Peter asked.

"It's this woman reporter. She's poking around into why you jumped off the roof." Nathan sighed.

"Look, Nathan, we flew. Aren't you curious on how this happened?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, I mean, I want answers, just like everyone else. I mean, just like you. Okay? But right now, today, I'm trying to find a way to put a spin on this so it doesn't look like crazy runs in our family." Nathan whispered loudly.

"I need to figure out why this is happening to me. To us." Peter spoke.

"Responsibilities, Pete. Okay? I got an election to win and a family to feed, okay?" Nathan turned around.

"All right, so what do you want to tell that reporter?" Peter followed Nathan.

"I know one thing we can't tell her," Nathan finished his cup of coffee and we walked to his desk, and he threw the book down. "The truth."

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Gabi let her hair down with two braids wrapped around the sides of her head, she put on slim fit burgundy long dress, and some white strappy heels. She grabbed her hand bag and made her way over to Nathan's party.

There were quite a few people at the party, she grabbed a glass of champagne and stood around, then she found a familiar face. Peter, looking handsome as ever, a lovely black suit, hair slicked back. Gabi started walk over but he was already talking to someone else. She sighed when she who saw it was, Simone Deveaux, a gorgeous lady, she's the daughter of Charles Deveaux who was a close family friend of the Petrelli's. Then she saw the look on his face, he had that look, the one he used to give Gabi. She took a sip of her drink, which turned out to be the entire glass, then she walked over to find another one.

"Excuse me," Nathan spoke aloud on the microphone. "Everyone excuse me," Everyone shushed and looked over. "I'd like to apologize for the rain. If you elect me I promise I'll do something about it" He smiled, everyone chuckled. Gabi looked up at Nathan, with a soft smile.

He looked so handsome.

"I'd like to welcome you all here, on behalf of my family, my entire campaign staff. I'm sure you know my brave wife would be here by my side, were she able. The life-altering event of my father's death is really what prompted me to run for congress. My father hid, a deep, depression, an illness, really. Up until the day he died. His loving wife, his attentive children, his loyal friends, we all knew about it, yet he suffered alone. As many of you might have read, my brother Peter had an accident. But what I have kept from the press thus far is that, Peter, barely survived a suicide attempt." Gabi almost choked on her drink, then she looked over at Peter who was quite taken back. Everyone started murmuring, and started looking at him. "My first instinct was to, keep his illness hidden. But no one should suffer alone, because we're all connected somehow. Everyone in this room. You, me, everyone in this city, and we need to look out for each other." She heard more murmurs in the crowd and looked over at Peter who was leaving the room. She sighed and finished her drink and went after him.

It was pouring rain outside and she called out for Peter. He turned around.

"Gabi," He walked over. "I didn't – I didn't try to kill -"

"I know, I know," she spoke aloud over the rain.

He looked down at his feet.

"Look, I don't know why Nathan said what he said, but just remember that," Gabi put her hand on the side of his face. "That I still care about you, and I that I believe you, okay?" She pulled her hand away.

"I need to find Nathan," Peter spoke, and she nodded.

"He'll be in the car park after the party," Gabi sighed. He grabbed her hand and took her there.

After a short while, Nathan and his men were making their way over to his car.

"He turns around to the other one and says, 'Holy cow, a talking a dog," Nathan laughed, then Peter walked up to him and right hooked him in the face.

"Pete!" Gabi covered her mouth.

"You son of a bitch!" He yelled. The body guards through Peter up against a pole and held him there.

"Let him go," Nathan said covering his nose. They did so. "Easy Pete, that's our mother you're talking about,"

"Oh you're good! There was no reporter on Pete's story," Gabi spoke aloud.

"There would have been eventually." Nathan walked over to them. "Look, I had to take care of things before something happened. Do you underst –"

Gabi cut Nathan off with a slap across his face. His body guards held her arms back.

"You get it, right?" Nathan pointed at Gabi, then looked at Peter and the guards let her go and Peter walked away. "Yeah, yeah, I get it,"

"Good man," Nathan did a thumbs up. Gabi scoffed and flicked her hair back and walked after Peter. Gabi was walking in the rain, not caring. She was across the street from Peter, and she saw him talking under a red umbrella with Simone. Gabi didn't need to look any further to understand what was happening, she took a breath and a taxi pulled up in front of her and she got in and drove away.

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This force, evolution, is not sentimental. Like the Earth itself, it knows only the hard facts of life's struggle with death.
All you can do is hope and trust that when you're served its needs faithfully, there may still remain some glimmer of the life your once knew.