Of Pancakes and Waffles

A heroes fanfic,

featuring,

Molly Walker

Mohinder Suresh

and

Matt Parkman.

It was a dreary Saturday morning. Molly awoke, blinking her eyes open to squint at the clock. 7:32 am. Not wanting to get up, Molly squeezed her eyes shut, burrowing deep under the covers to get away from the early morning chill and the sound of rain pelting against her window. The same window that she'd left open the night before. Molly flung the blankets off, and hopped out of bed, shuddering in the cold. She rushed across the room to the window, and rain sprinkled her through the screen as she slammed it shut.

Shivering violently, she returned to her bed, curling in a ball, hoping Matt and Mohinder hadn't heard her up, and that she could gain another hour's sleep. It was Saturday, after all, and the 15 year old would sleep all day if her fathers would let her be. They all still lived together, Mohinder, and Matt, and Molly, even though the days of having to protect her were over. They both loved her, and wanted to take care of her. Matt scared the boys away, and Mohinder helped her with homework. When they did these over-fatherly things she'd roll her eyes and call them 'Dad', but really she never minded. And neither did they. They had moved out of Mohinder's apartment, into a small farmhouse in the country.

Molly eyes were shut tight, her thoughts falling back into the hazy depths of sleep. She barely heard the bedroom door open, and even then the sound didn't register. What she did register was the dip on the edge of her mattress as someone sat down, and a moment later, that same someone's hand gently ruffling her hair. She groaned and buried her face in the pillow. What could he possibly want with her this early on a Saturday?

"Aw, come on sleepyhead." Matt's voice said. "If I've gotta be up, then so do you."

"Why're you up?" Molly asked, keeping a barrier of sheets between her and Matt.

"Mohinder." Matt said, and Molly could pretty much hear his eyes rolling. "He's got this crazy notion that no one should sleep past 7, even if if is Saturday."

Molly sighed. This much was true. While Matt and Molly would both sleep the day away with no complaints, Mohinder insisted at being up at the crack of dawn every morning. What he got out of it, neither Matt nor Molly could figure out, but there wasn't much they could do about it.

"C'mon, get up." Matt urged, poking her through the blankets. "'Mo made pancakes, and he won't let me touch 'em until you come down."

"Ah ha!" Molly cried, poking her head out from under the covers. "I knew there had to be another reason. You never let him wake me on Saturday's. I should stay right here."

"Blueberry, Molly." Matt pleaded, standing up.

"Blueberry? The ones with the cinnamon?" Molly asked, all teasing put aside. Pancakes were a matter of total seriousness.

"Yeah!" Matt nodded, gesturing towards the door frantically.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Molly threw her covers away, immiediatly shuddering in the cold that Matt had yet to notice, most likely due to his Saturday attire of jeans and sweatshirt. Molly tried to hide her shivering as she crossed the room to her closet, but in her thin cotton pyjamas, it was next to impossible. Matt frowned at her, and then immiediatly his eyes flew to the wet windowsill.

"You left the window open again, didn't you?" he asked seriously.

"Maybe?" Molly answered sheepishly, as she tugged a sweater on over her head.

"Molly." Matt sighed, leading the way out of the room. "You've got to stop that. Honestly, you're going to catch your death. Are you trying to kill Mohinder? You know what he gets like-"

"I know, I know." Molly rolled her eyes, following Matt down the creaky steps. Mohinder who was usually the calm one in a crisis, went into panic mode every time Molly showed any sign of illness. "I won't forget it again."

"You had better not," Matt said. "We don't need him on another one of his paranoid frenzies."

They entered the kitchen, which smelled heavenly. On the table there was a plate of pancakes, in stacks ten high. Mohinder was waiting for them, drinking his tea calmly, skimming through the morning paper.

"I've got her!" Matt exclaimed, pranicing over and plopping down in his seat. "Can we eat now?"

"Yes, Matthew." Mohinder sighed and then turned to smile at Molly as she sat down, lifting her feet of the cold hardwood floor. "Morning, Molly."

"Good Morning, Mohinder." she grinned, inhaling deeply. "God, these smell so good."

"They taste better." Matt said, already digging in.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Molly said, pouring syrup on her pancakes.

"What?" Matt asked, looking at her intently.

"Mohinder's pancakes are insane, right?"

"Insane." Matt nodded in agreement, as Mohinder smirked and rolled his eyes.

"So, why don't we try something different?" Molly suggested. This was usually the breakfast chatter between Matt and Molly; the next insane dish they could get Mohinder to cook up. "Because, you know, there's only one thing better than pancakes."

"Okay, you've got me." Matt said, laying down his fork, giving Molly all of his attention.

"Waffle Maker."

Molly paused to let her idea take effect. When it does, Mohinder chuckles as Matt cheers loudly.

"We'll get one." Matt said. "Tomorrow. You're rubbing off on her, Mohinder. Girl's a genius. Now, if only we could get her to close the damn window at night-"

"Matt!"

"Oops."

"Oh, now you've done it." Molly growled menacingly. She turned to Mohinder who put his tea down and was staring at her critically.

"You can't keep doing that, Molly." He said, still calmly looking at her.

"I know, it won't happen again-"

Mohinder reached out and put a hand to her forehead, to see if she had a fever. She was about to squirm away from him when Matt's thoughts entered her mind.

Just sit still. Let him see you're okay.

Mohinder still had his hand on her forehead, and the whole kitchen was silent, waiting for the explosion.

"Daddy, I'm fine." Molly said in her most convincing good-girl voice.

Mohinder's hand left her forehead to run through her hair once, and then back to his tea. He went back to reading his newpaper with a sigh, but nothing more.

That was close. Matt thought to her.

Oh, if he had made me stay in bed all weekend, I swear- Molly thought back visiciouly.

What, MollDoll? Matt gave her a mocking smirk across the table.

Nothing. But, Matt, see what you did? You worried him for no good reason.

Alright, fine, that was my fault. What's my punishment?

I get the first batch of waffles. Molly glared at him over the pancakes, and he sighed.

"Fine." Matt said out loud. He reached across the table and shook her hand.

Mohinder never noticed a thing.

finis