(no subject)

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie turns away from the little kitchenette's counter, and carries the two mugs of cocoa over to the couch.

"So you think it's helping, then? Cumulatively?"

Comments

[ladyfirestarter]

The abrupt rise in intensity startles her for a moment, but she answers it with a lift of her head and a smile.

"That's about the size of it."

[thisfatefulhour]

(and my, but it's a grand and exciting battle)

"And what are you protecting? These two things?"

[ladyfirestarter]

"One of them's a person. And ... I don't think I can explain why he's important, but ... let's just say a lot depends on him, even things he's not consciously aware of."

[thisfatefulhour]

Leaning his elbows on his knees, he nods for her to continue.

[ladyfirestarter]

"The other ... this might make even less sense," she says, half to herself.

"Do you believe there's a center to the world?"

[thisfatefulhour]

"You don't mean a physical center, do you."

He taps his fingers against his mug, considering. "I'm not sure. I've seen more than one world. I don't know that I ever saw a single center to any of them."

[ladyfirestarter]

"Someday," she says with quiet certainty, "someday I'll take you to see the Rose. The other thing we protect."

[thisfatefulhour]

". . . It's a rose."

His eyes are alight again.

"Someone told me once -- roses have the most purifying flame of all."

[ladyfirestarter]

(and the fire and the rose are one)

"You could look at it that way," she says softly.

[thisfatefulhour]

"All Heaven with its power," he murmurs, leaning back.

"Those are heavy tasks."

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie nods calmly.

"There's a lot of us helping to bear them. Lot of good people."

[thisfatefulhour]

"Here in 2007." A grin. "Good. I'm glad."

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie takes another long sip of cocoa.

"It's like," she starts, and then tries again. "Have you ever done something that you look back on later and say to yourself, I must be an okay person, if I did something like that?"

[thisfatefulhour]

"I think I know what you mean."

[ladyfirestarter]

She nods.

And her smile fades a little, to something more sober. "I didn't want to ask before, with the other kids around..."

[thisfatefulhour]

He sobers in response, eyebrows lifting. "What is it?"

[ladyfirestarter]

"And if you don't want to talk about it, we won't, but --

"What happened with this guy Sylar?"

[thisfatefulhour]

"Ah."

Frowning, he leans back. "He sounded -- he -- echoed. I think that's the only way I can say it. I could hear him -- sensing something? Seeing something?" He shakes his head. "He ticked."

A beat; another.

"I told him I was staying in Milliways by choice, because the alternatives might be worse, and he was furious."

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie frowns. Well, she's been frowning slightly since Charles said the word echoed, but it deepens.

"Furious how?"

[thisfatefulhour]

"He called it imprisonment. And he came towards me -- physically, I mean."

He brushes his hair out of his eyes. "He asked who's hunting me."

[ladyfirestarter]

"Furious ... on your behalf, then?"

Perceptive, Charles said before, but not sympathetic.

[thisfatefulhour]

"No." Slowly -- "More that I would -- give up freedom. That I'd stay at a crossroads. Or maybe that anyone would."

[ladyfirestarter]

She sits back. "Huh."

A pause, and then very gently: "What did you answer him?"

[thisfatefulhour]

He smiles slightly.

"I told him the truth. Nothing."

[ladyfirestarter]

"...By which you mean," she says slowly, "something other than what it sounds like you said."

A beat.

"And the more I think about that, the more disturbing it starts to sound."