Summary: The Big Battle is over, so Claire goes on a trip and discovers something new about herself. Crossover with 'Highlander'.

Notes: When I started writing this, the series was only up to the episode 'Run!', so I had no idea what was still to come. So any changes from canon will just be considered AU. Hey, it's a good excuse, right?

Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine. Wish it was. Then rolling in dough would I be. But rolling in dough I am not, so the suing thing? Soooo not worth it.

THE IMMORTAL CHEERLEADER

By screaminheathen69

Chapter the First

So, Claire Bennett thought to herself, this is Paris. Hmmph. Who'da thunk it'd rain this much...

She had decided that she wasn't impressed. Although, to be fair, it probably had a lot to do with the fact that she'd been robbed just two days after arriving, leaving her with almost no money, no passport, no ID, no cell phone, and just the clothes on her back. Not to mention a less than perfect understanding of the French language.

And Hiro wasn't due back to pick her up for another month. Great planning there...

She'd been unable to get ahold of her father. Nathan had been very generous, giving her the $100,000 he'd promised her mother, but it was all done under the table. Even after everything that had happened, he was still keeping up the family man routine. It had helped him get elected to congress after all. Go with what works, right?

She pulled her sodden sweatshirt a little tighter and ducked under a bridge. And sneezed. Great. Swell. I suppose I'm going to catch a cold now. Don't suppose my freakazoid ability will stop that from happening. Couldn't get that lucky, now could I?

All she had wanted was a little vacation. Just some time away from her old life to absorb everything that had happened over the last few months. Discovering her abilities, finding out about her adoptive father's secrets, finding her birth parents, meeting her uncle Peter, meeting all the other Heroes (Hiro still insisted on calling their little band of misfits that, in spite of everything).

Time to deal with losing her adoptive family and her mother to that bastard Sylar. To deal with the insanity in Las Vegas and New York. Strong as she was, she was still just seventeen. There's just so much a person can take, you know?

So, when she mentioned that she'd always wanted to see France, her surrogate family (Peter, Zack, Isaac, Hiro and Ando, as well as Matt, Niki and their families) had all banded together to work out the trip for her. Peter had even managed to persuade Nathan to get her a passport. And, to save time, Hiro had teleported her there, promising to meet her on top of the Eiffel Tower six weeks later.

She'd had a marvelous time, doing the tourist thing, able to forget her troubles for a while.

For two days, anyway.

The trip had kind of gone downhill from there. The cab she was in had been stolen, along with all her luggage, even her handbag. And, due to the events in Vegas and New York, she was supposed to be keeping a low profile, which ruled out going to the police or the American consulate.

Dammit, Isaac, isn't it about time to have one of your visions?

After a while the rain slowed to a drizzle. Claire dug the last of her money out of her pocket and counted it. "Well, I hope it's enough for a burger and fries." Shrugging, she stuffed the bills into her hip pocket and started walking along the river bank, hoping to find a cheap cafe somewhere close by.

As she was walking past an old barge, she felt... something. It was like electricity crawling up and down her spine, an even creepier feeling than when Sylar had her by the throat. She stopped in her tracks, looking around nervously, trying to figure out what was going on. Her roving eyes finally settled on a man standing on the barge, who was staring right back at her.

He stared at her for a long minute, then made his way down the gangplank, stopping a few feet away from her. He gave her a curt nod, his face stiff. "I'm Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod."

Claire drew in a shuddering breath. "Umm, I'm Claire. Claire Bennett," she stammered out.

Duncan's expression softened as he realised the girl was terrified.

"You have no idea what you are, do you?"

To be continued...

'To thee no star be dark...'