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Brother's Keeper	By : Bloodylocks Category: G through L > Heroes Views: 3679 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes or the characters, and no financial gain is made from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Brother's Keeper
- 2-Ch. 2
- 3-Ch. 3
- 4-Ch. 4
- 5-Ch. 5
- 6-Ch. 6
- 7-Chapter 7
- 8-Chapter 8
- 9-Chapter 9
- 10-Chapter 10
- 11-Chapter 11
- 12-Ch 12
- 13-Ch 13
- 14-Ch 14
- 15-Ch 15
- 16-Ch 16
- 17-Ch 17
- 18-Ch 18
- 19-Ch 19
- 20-Ch 20
- 21-Ch 21
- 22-Ch 22
- 23-Ch 23
- 24-Ch 24
- 25-Ch 25
- 26-Ch 26
- 27-Ch 27
- 28-Ch 28
- 29-Ch 29
- 30-Ch 30
- 31-Ch 31
- 2
- 3
- 4
Chapter 3
"Oh, fucking hell!" he exclaimed when the vehicle, after a few hundred yards of shaky, unsteady movement forward, came to a slow halt by the roadside. He shut off the engine and tried turning the ignition key to restart it but for no use. Besides a series of weary coughs, the engine seemed completely dead. Peter was staring at his brother, eyes wide open. There was already obvious fear in them.
"Nathan...?"
"Hold on, buddy. I'll go check what's wrong."
The lawyer exited the car and walked over to the hood, afraid of what he might find in there... as well as what he might not. He knew next to nothing about cars, although that was not what he wanted his already frightened baby brother to believe.
As Nathan attempted to scrutinize the inner workings of the vehicle, Peter stayed within the safety of his seat, doors closed and locked. Looking around nervously, he realized being alone and unsettled made his hearing all the more sensitive. He could have sworn he heard a twig snapping in the woods next to the car. A bird taking flight several feet away made him jump, startled at the sight of movement. He was about to tell Nathan to hurry up and fix the car when he heard the approach of another vehicle.
"Nathan, someone's coming!" he called out, though he knew his brother could hear the noise as well.
The rusty pickup truck which could have once passed as red years ago came to a squealing halt when its driver spotted the brothers and their car. Nathan waved to him and approached the truck, ready to ask for help when he soon recognized him as the gas station attendant.
"Some sorta problem, mister?"
"Our car's suddenly stopped on us."
"Uh oh, I�ll be damned," the man said, clicking his tongue. "I was just heading home, but I can take a look, if ya want. No charge," he added, flashing Nathan his almost toothless grin.
Peter looked away and suddenly wanted to sink through the seat, painfully aware of his revealing outfit. While the gas station attendant had not been among the group of men who assaulted him, Peter figured that he would not house such guests unless he got along with them.
"Thank you, that's very kind of you," Nathan replied politely, accepting the offer and standing aside to let their new acquaintance inspect the damage.
"No problem. Name's Jeff, by the way." He held out a filthy, oil-stained hand to the lawyer, who took it without hesitation.
"Nathan Petrelli. This is my brother, Peter."
The man known as Jeff bent over, thumbs in his belt loops, and peered through the window at Peter, who only stared back at him. He could not even manage a nervous little smile, but the shaggy dirt-faced creature inspecting him from the short distance gave a gappy grin.
"Hi there, junior," Jeff said before he turned back to Nathan. "Well now... let's take a gander at your fancy car."
Peter turned his gaze away, disgusted at the way the local looked, and the way he looked at him. Instead he glanced back at the truck which the attendant had shown up in.
In the carriage of the pickup was a bright blue tarp, covering something unknown, most likely junk for cars. Peter was about to look away once more when the tarp moved, and he hoped to god the shift had been caused by a breeze.
Nathan surveyed the inspection of his car with a critical look. Most certainly the man knew more about cars than he did; he also hoped that the wrinkle between Jeff's eyebrows meant that he was on his way of figuring out what the problem was.
"Well...?" the lawyer finally asked.
"I think the battery's the problem," the unkempt local replied in his drawly accent. "I can't do anything about it out here, but I have a car repair shop at home. I could bring you there and have your car fixed."
Nathan's troubled frown eased somewhat but did not fade entirely. "And how much would that cost, mister? I have limited cash, and exchanging the battery sounds like an expensive"�
"I wouldn't have to exchange the whole battery," Jeff interrupted. "The separators will do."
He grinned again, winking at Peter through the windshield, as though they shared some kind of secret.
"I won't charge much. Besides, you're not from around here, so you can have a discount."
A minute later, Nathan was leaning through the open driver's side door. "He said he'll fix it for us at his shop nearby. Just a battery problem."
Automobile work was just as much a foreign language to Peter as is was to his brother, so he only stared at Nathan, who gestured him to get out of the car.
"He can tow our car by a chain, so come on out and we'll hitch a ride with him."
Opening his door and scooting to the seat's edge, Peter still looked hesitant. Nathan could tell why.
"I'll stick with ya, bud. This guy seems okay, but if you get nervous, just let me know."
Resisting the urge to bite his bottom lip, Peter finally nodded and opened his door, removing himself from the car and following his big brother to the truck.
It being a pick-up truck, Peter realized that they would have to sit in the front seat with Jeff. He did not look forward to it more than the idea of hitching a ride to his house. Judging from the way the local looked and smelled, cleanliness was not one of his top priorities. Also, judging from the looks Jeff had given him, Peter did not rule out the fact that the man fancied him. A thought, ridiculous though it was, popped up in his head. What if their new acquaintance demanded sex as payment rather than money?
Peter's insides constricted at the idea. No, Nathan would never allow it. His big brother was here with him, and he always took care of Peter, made sure to keep him safe.
Nathan, having noticed Peter's uneasiness, chose the middle spot next to Jeff so that his brother would at least be spared from physical contact with the local.
As they took off in the vehicle, their own car in tow behind them, Nathan smiled reassuringly at his little brother, and Peter managed a smile back. The space in the truck was tight with all three men riding, but Peter didn't mind when it was Nathan this close to him. He was hardly in the mood to enjoy the contact on a more intimate level, but their touch made him feel safe. It reassured the little child within, and even though he was nearly an adult and capable of rational thought, somewhere inside him Peter felt that Nathan could always protect him no matter what.
The ride was quiet, but thankfully this also meant that Jeff did not speak. Fifteen minutes later, just when Peter began to feel uneasy about the duration of the ride, Jeff's truck made a turn into a gravel road. Ahead in the distance the two brothers could see an ancient looking house. As they came closer, they noticed a variety of old dead cars, their models and layers of rust depicting their individual ages.
The truck came to an abrupt halt when Jeff slammed on the breaks and the two brothers were thrown forward, nearly crashing into the glove compartment. The local merely laughed, his breath washing over Nathan, who had to fight not to gag at the smell or at least turn in face away.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Jeff announced mock-solemnly and left the vehicle.
The Petrelli brothers figured that they should do the same, although at this point Peter started wishing that they'd simply stayed at the car and waited for someone more civilized to drive by. Hell, the house even reminded him of the set from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It only lacked a deranged maniac killer swinging a chainsaw...
Nathan nudged at Peter to open the door and his brother would have complied if he had not been startled out of his mind at the large fellow leaning into the open window. His brutish frame and doughy face which was hardly present of any emotion gave his mental capacity away instantly.
Sticking a cruddy finger into his mouth, he pulled his cheek aside and grunted loudly as he showed off a slobbering maw. Peter winced, visibly repulsed.
"Amos, leav'em alone," Jeff barked at the hulking figure. "Go play."
As the large man eventually ambled away, Jeff approached Nathan as the two brothers got out of the car.
"He just got a tooth removed and he wants to show everyone. My tools are in the shop. You'uns go inside and make yourselves at home. I'll see what's wrong with your car."
Looking toward the house, Nathan finally stepped forward, taking Peter by the arm to lead him. Peter of course followed, but he hoped that he would not have to come across the young man known as Amos again.
"Nathan, I don't want to be here..." he whispered to his brother, feeling out of place and exposed in his low-cut denim shorts and snug, revealing tank top. If he'd been properly dressed at least he would not have to fear getting pawed at, Peter thought, his brother's lecture on acceptable behaviour fresh in mind.
"We can't go anywhere without my car," Nathan replied in a low voice. "Granted, these people are not city folks, nor are they friends with soap, but Jeff offered to do us a favour, and it would have been rude not to accept."
He wrapped an arm around Peter's slender shoulders and pulled his baby brother close. "You cold, little buddy?"
"A little," Peter confessed.
"Then let's go inside the house. I'm sure it's warmer in there."
Even though his feeling of dread continued to grow, Peter had no valid reason to refuse and cringed when the old wood in the stairs creaked beneath their steps. Lord, what if it broke and they stepped right through the floor?
When Nathan knocked on the rickety screen door, something with thousands of legs scurried into the door jamb. Shuddering, Peter wondered how anyone could sleep in this house without getting covered in all forms of creeping creatures.
"Hello?" Nathan called out as he carefully pushed the door open with a painfully audible creak. "We were told by Jeff we could come in to sit down for a bit..."
Lord, the interior smelled worse than Jeff himself. Any foul smell possibly made by a human being was present, wafting in the air and no doubt saturating the furniture. Tobacco added to the far from charming odor.
"Well come on in," a gravelly voice who clearly enjoyed that smell of tobacco growled in the darkness. "Don't be lettin' the flies in."
Closing the door behind them, the two young men obeyed the offer and eventually found the source of the voice. The man looked to be in his thirties if one could manage to peer past the ten layers of dirt and grease. The wretched-looking fellow sat at an uneasy table, drinking whisky and smoking a homemade cigarette. His first finger on his whiskey hand was half missing.
He scrutinized the two brothers for what seemed like an eternity, and then finally asked, "This is yer boy, I take it?"
"No, no, we're brothers," Nathan quickly replied while Peter continued to cling to his arm. The kid was as stiff as a board, and the lawyer wondered if he looked as terrified as his body language suggested.
"My name is Nathan Petrelli. This is my brother, Peter."
"Mick's the name," the man said with a grin, exposing teeth that were yellow from both tobacco and over three decades of poor dental care. "So you guys know Jeff, huh?"
"Yes, we had car trouble, and he was kind enough to give us a ride here and have it fixed," Nathan explained. "We really appreciate it. It takes a lot of trust bringing a complete stranger to your home."
Mick's grin did not fade. "Jeff's mah big brother. He's always been good with cars. Have a seat while you wait. I'm sure Ma could bring you something hot to drink..."
Obliged to be polite, the brothers sat down at the table, though the wood creaked and the seats were uncomfortable. Peter hardly wanted to touch the table as it looked to be covered with countless stains and sticky substances.
"MAMA! Mick shouted as he turned his head, causing the Petrelli brothers to jump in surprise. "We got guest, come make somethin' for 'em!"
An incredibly large woman hobbled up the stairs and into the kitchen, soon followed by a girl who looked to be in her late teens, though her age was difficult to determine from her face. Underneath oily brown hair, her eyes were much too far apart, and her nose lay flat on her face as though she had been thrown into a wall too many times.
"Who are they?" the lady known as �Ma� asked with no sign of hospitality in her voice.
"Jeff's fixin' their car," Mick said as she spat something dark onto the floor. "Make 'em some tea or somethin'?"
Without another word, the woman shuffled off to find a tea kettle. The young girl stared at Peter and Nathan as though their hair was alive.
"Don't mind her, she's retarded," Mick said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. Facing the girl, he then shouted, "Kitty! Didn't Mama ever teach ya not to stare?!"
"Really, it's alright. We don't mind," Peter said immediately, feeling bad for the odd-looking young woman who shied away from the man's wrath. She bore some similarity to a dog that had been kicked all too many times.
Mick merely snorted and spat out some more of the runny, dark substance - Peter figured it was some kind of chewing tobacco - on the floor by his feet. He failed to hold back a shiver of disgust, hoping none of the house's inhabitants noticed. He was practically counting the seconds until they could leave. How long could it take for that stupid redneck to fix the car battery, anyway?
"Here ya go, good folks." The lady of the house so far only known as "Ma" waddled back into the kitchen, carrying a tray with three filthy teacups against her huge bosom.
"Help yourself." She set the tray down with a resounding bang on the table in front of the two brothers.
"Thank you," Nathan replied, sounding polite as ever, while Peter timidly echoed his sentiments.
Mama only inhaled something within her sinuses and turned to go back downstairs. The girl known as Kitty began loudly mumbling something incoherent while pointing at the teacups, but was taken by the arm with a chubby hand and shoved towards the steps.
"I TOLD YA STOP GETTING IN THE WAY," all three men heard before the door to the basement slammed shut.
Peter stared at his cup for a moment and looked to Nathan for advice, but his brother was already sipping down the drink. Holding back a gagged look, the young man chugged down the tea as quickly as possible so that the taste may be fleeting. For the life of him he did not know how Nathan could hide his thoughts and feelings so effortlessly.
The taste itself was not as bad as he'd imagined; slightly bitter with an aftertaste of minerals, indicating the water originated from a private well. It was the fact that the cups looked like they hadn't been washed for years that gave him the creeps.
Nathan drank his more slowly, making trivial small talk with Mick while continuously sipping on his drink, as though the situation was no different from what he did regularly at the DA's office. Peter really envied him. Though Nathan was surely in as much discomfort as his brother, he didn't let anything show outward.
Nathan was conversationally asking Mick just how much longer it would take the have their car fixed when Peter felt the first wave of dizziness washing over him. He blinked a few times, hoping it would pass, but no such luck.
"Nate..." he asked, his voice low and drawn out.
"What?"
"I wanna leave... I don't feel so good."
Turning to regard him, Nathan noticed the confused, unfocused look in his brother's eyes.
"What's the matter?" he asked, standing up and taking the boy by the arm. Peter moved to get up as well, but Mick held out a mangled hand.
"Hey, careful there," he said. "Don't wanna make him worse. Maybe he should lay down."
"Nathannnn I wanna leave..." Peter managed to croak out as his legs lost their strength. As his brother collapsed against him, Nathan looked up at their host, feeling lightheaded as he did so.
"What's wrong with him?" he said in an accusatory tone. "What have you done?!"
"No, no," Mick said as he stood, holding his whiskey bottle by the neck in a threatening manner. "Just relax... like yer brother here."
"We're leaving. Right now!" Nathan stated, trying to keep his gaze focused despite the dizziness threatening to overcome him. Peter had gone completely lax against his chest, and the boy was on his feet only due to his brother's support. Trying to make him walk was no use, Nathan figured, so he used his remaining strength to pick the boy up and head for the door while there was still time.
//The tea... They put something in it. Something to drug us//
Nathan came to this ill-fated conclusion as he staggered onto the porch, wavering even under his brother's slight weight. He mustn't fall. Even in his drugged mind, he had a heading. The car. There was a gun in the glove compartment. Peter didn't know anything. He had to get there, get the gun, and�
Suddenly a massive weight slammed into him from behind, and the older Petrelli went to his knees, no longer standing upright but still holding tightly onto Peter, who he knew would be lost without his big brother's protection. He had to protect Peter... That was all that mattered now.
Nathan screamed when he felt someone pulling his brother's body from his arms, but in his drugged state he hardly heard what he was saying. His grip on Peter was released only when he heard the shattering of glass and felt his body collide with the dirty floor.

TBC...
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Brother's Keeper