Chapter Fifty-Three

Burn

"Hey," Peter greeted as Diana called him back. He'd been waiting anxiously for her after she went into Fowler's office, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

"I'm headed to the garage," she told him. "I've got everything on Mentor. You're not gonna believe it."

"Is Nora involved?"

"Heavily. There's another file, but it's encrypted."

"See you in a moment." He hung up and started for the garage to meet her. As he walked, Peter could just make out the sound of speaking.

"I'd like it back," he heard Fowler's familiar cadence say, calm as anything. Peter ran. As he came around the corner, he saw Diana, arms raised with Fowler's gun pointed at her. "Burke."

"Fowler. What the hell are you doing?" Peter hissed, raising his hands in front of him slowly.

"Of course you're involved in this," Fowler sighed. He waved the gun toward Peter. "Stay where you are."

"Lower your weapon," Peter warned him, voice low. He wasn't going to be intimidated.

"You have no idea what you're getting-"

"Lower your weapon."

"You just stay where you are." Diana's arms raised just a little higher, tugging up her jacket enough that Peter could see her a second gun holstered behind her back.

"Why are you doing this?" Peter demanded, arms still up in front of him, inching closer to Diana. "We're on the same team."

"Stay where you are," Fowler spat. "You're out of your league." Peter inched closer still, hand going out of Fowler's sight behind Diana's back. "You have no idea what you're getting involved in."

"You don't want to shoot an agent." Peter's fingers grazed the butt of the gun. In a swift movement, he drew it and took aim at Fowler, who followed suit. "Put your gun down."

"Drop the weapon," Fowler ordered.

"Put your gun down!"

"Drop the weapon!"

In a flash, Diana drew her other gun and trained it on Fowler. Fowler rounded on her, and in the moment of confusion, Peter shot. Twice.

Fowler lurched back against his car, gasping for air. Peter and Diana rushed over. There was no blood spreading on his shirt. Peter popped the buttons to see a bulletproof vest underneath his shirt. He helped Fowler up so the man was in a position where he could breath easier. "Breathe, breathe. Breathe Fowler." Fowler coughed and sputtered, desperately drawing in breath.

"How'd you know he was wearing a vest?" Diana asked, impressed.

"I didn't," Peter admitted with a small, guilty smirk. He pulled Fowler, now breathing easier, back up. "What the hell is Mentor?"

"Mentor is legit," Fowler panted. "Caffrey works for us now." Peter's brow furrowed. That didn't make any sense. "She and Kyle are deep undercover for OPR."

"OPR doesn't have deep cover agents," Peter argued. "You are helping her disappear."

"She wants to go," he hissed.

Peter's heart sank. "You met with her again." He shoved Fowler out of the way and peered into the car. Sure enough, a beautiful gold and amber music box rested in back seat. Somehow, she'd managed to get it back from Alex. Peter turned back to Fowler. "Nora's gonna disappear. I need to know where she is." Fowler said nothing, and Peter grabbed him by the front of his jacket. "Tell me where she is!"

"Why do you care?"

Peter turned to Diana, in no mood for games. "Give me the drive." She fished it out of her pocket and handed it over. He held it in Fowler's face. "You want me to upload this to DC? Or do we have something to talk about?"

Fowler sighed. "Airstrip by the Hudson. Hanger four."

Thankfully, Peter wasn't too late. He ran as Nora headed toward the airplane ready to take off. He could just make out Kyle standing at the top of the stairs, his chocolate brown hair the only distinguishable feature visible from that distance. He was waving at Nora, and she was enthusiastically returning the gesture.

"Nora," he called. She froze in her tracks, her hand falling limply to her side as she turned back to face him. Her face was crestfallen, big blue eyes swimming.

"Are you here to arrest me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light.

Peter laughed, offering a broad shrug. "Still a civilian," he reminded her. "And I know about Mentor. And I know you can walk away, and it's all legal."

She didn't look convinced. "Then what are you doing here?"

He smiled sadly. "I'm here as your friend."

She sighed. There was conflict in her eyes as she met his evenly. She crossed her arms in front of her, whether from the cold or defiance, Peter couldn't be sure. "You understand I'm getting on that plane."

He started walking slowly toward her. "I also know you're making the biggest mistake of your life."

She drew in a deep breath. "This is what's best for everyone, Peter," she said, though he couldn't help but wonder if she even believed it herself. "You go back to your life, I get to have one of my own."

"You already have one," he corrected her. "Right here." She turned away, biting her lip. "You have people who care about you. You make a difference." Her eyes flicked back to him. "You do."

She looked down for a moment before digging through her purse. He stepped forward to take what she held out to him. She struggled for words for a moment. "Thank you for this," she said softly, and it felt genuine, heartfelt. He looked at it, a slim black wallet, and flipped it open. Her smiling face looked up at him.

Her CI identification.

He shook his head, at a loss for words. "I gotta go," she finally said.

She had gone maybe twenty feet before Peter found his voice. "You said goodbye to everyone but me." She paused, turning back again reluctantly. "Why?"

"I dunno," she lied.

"Yeah, you do. Tell me."

"I don't know, okay?" she insisted, stamping her foot on the ground like a child.

"Why?" he demanded.

"You know why."

"Tell me."

He could see the tears streaking down her cheeks. "Because you're the only one who could change my mind," she huffed.

"Did I?"

She didn't answer. He could hear the engines of the airplane starting to whir, and she glanced between it and him, torn.

For a second, Peter thought he had her. Then she started walking again. Stubborn as a mule.

For a second, Peter thought she was gone. The she stopped again. Make the right choice, Nora.

She turned around, and Peter dared to hope. "Peter."

Nothing could have prepared him for what came next.

It seemed like the world had caught fire. Noise and heat and light flared up all at once, and he watched as the shock wave sent Nora sprawling to the ground. Peter ran forward as she clamored clumsily to her feet.

She turned slowly, eyes locking on the fiery wreckage that lay before them, pieces of metal raining down around the blaze. "NO!" she shrieked.

She started to run, but Peter moved in a flash. His arms wrapped tightly around her middle. "No! No!"

"No," he shouted. "Stay here. Stay back."

"No!" she wailed. "Let me go, Peter! Let me go!" She strained against his grasp with everything she had. She continued to scream in agony, stamping at his toes with her heels and scratching at his hands with her long fingernails. Desperate, she began beating her elbow against his chest with all her strength, each blow punctuated by a cry of "Let me go!"

Peter gritted his teeth against the pain and did not let go.

Slowly, her heart-rending screams started to quiet into sobs. She slumped against him, completely and utterly defeated, every ounce of fight drained from her lithe body. If he let go, she would have crumpled to the ground with no resistance. Peter turned her around gently. She wobbled unevenly on her feet for a moment, then buried her face against his chest and sobbed. Peter held her for what seemed like an eternity, numb from the cold, snow and ash mingling in the air and falling lightly around them. He held her long after she'd cried herself out, her fingers still clinging tightly to the back of his jacket. He held her until the cry of sirens cut through the air.

End of Part Two

Credit song:

Numbers - Daughter

A/N: And that's part two done. Thanks so much for reading. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Haven't quite decided if I'm gonna keep on going with season 2 or not. I'm still having fun with it, though, and season 2 is my favorite season, so I guess we'll see. Thanks again.

-Selkie