A/N: New Paire story from me. It's a little different from the others and I hope you like it as well. I also hope for reviews. They always make me feel better and inspired my muse fr more. Thanks to all who'll take their time and share their opinion with me. I'm gonna be grateful. Also - please, please let's make it clear once again. English is not my first language. The reason I'm going without beta here it's because I want to learn from my mistakes and get better. Thanks for your understanding and please let me know what you think of the story. Thank you!

Story: Claire works as a stripper in a night club. Peter distance himself from his family and goes to see her. He inherits his father's fortune, but he's not happy. He's hunted from memories of the night he resorted his powers. Night, spent with Claire.

Few notes: It's AU Paire. Spoilers up to the "Brave New World", but without Claire's jump. Peter and Sylar are enemies. Claire is distant from her family, same as Peter. Isaac is alive. His girlfriend name is Kay (a fictional character, created by Valor95 - thanks for letting me use her); Zack is in New York and is Claire's and Isaac's roommate. Claire is working as a stripper in a night club. Peter can't forget the night he spent with her and goes to see her every night. How they reached to here - read and you're gonna find out. "winks"

Enjoy and review, please!

Loves, Arinna


Chapter 1 (Prologue) New life pt.1

Claire stormed off her room and slammed the door behind her back.

Isaac followed her with concerned look. She was holding a smocking cigarette in her left hand and her warm black coat in the other. Her sandy blond hair had tied up on her neck. Her black mascara and purple lips made her look older than she was.

"Stop staring at me! I'm getting late!" She snapped and he winced in her thick voice. Claire frowned and stuck the cigarette in her mouth. She sucked in the smoke and then exhaled it deeply. "I don't know when I'll come back. I think Zack is already sleeping." She nodded at one of the closed doors. "You have to be quiet." She nodded at the tall brown-haired girl, standing next to him. "Hey, sweets."

"My name is…" The girl tried to talk, but Claire just open the door.

"Be back in the morning… some time. Bye!" She nodded and walked out of the loft.

The darkness of the night embraced her in the moment she stepped on the street. Claire put the cigarette between her lips. She sucked in and then exhaled the smoke for one last time. She threw what was left of the cigarette and stomped it with her foot, before she could put on her coat.

Claire sighed and rummaged into her small purse. She pulled out a gum and shoved it in her mouth. It was little pungent after the cigarette and she wrinkled.

"Damn!" She cursed and lifted her hand up for a cab. She got lucky and the first one she saw was empty. "Bitter taste." She told the address to the driver and got in.

"Right away." The driver nodded and the cab drove off.

Claire leaned back on the seat and looked through the window. That was her life now and it had nothing in common in the way she had imaged it. Her life had to be different, better. She had to have the power to control her future. But it was not that simple. It was not as she thought it would be.

"Thanks." She paid the driver when they reached the address and left him some tip. He nodded and drove off as soon as she got out the car. "Okay." Claire crooked her face and looked at the lights before her. She sighed and rounded the building. The staff's entrance was on the back of the club.

"Claire!" She almost bumped on her boss and frowned, spitting the gun in the near trashcan. "You are late!"

"I'm not late, Barry!" She passed by him and went in the small room. There were few more girls inside and she nodded at them. "Hey!"

"Claire!" The blond one smiled. "It's a good night so far."

"Really?" Claire threw her coat onto her chair and looked at the big mirror. She undid her hair and blond curls fell over her shoulders.

"Yeah." The red-haired one added and sat on her chair, opposite Claire's. "It's black tonight?" She threw a look at Claire's tight black dress.

"Yup!" Claire nodded and fixed her make up. "Do you have my list, Molly?"

"Sure." The blond one nodded and handed her the small piece of paper. "Here you are."

"Hum." Claire sighed and threw a look. "Three rooms – the black and the red ones?"

"Only the elite ones."

"Some of us are lucky." The red-haired one tilted her head.

"Yeah, Mandy." A short sparkle of pain passed through Claire's eyes. "Very lucky!"

"Claire!" Barry called her again and she rolled her eyes.

"Coming!" Claire yelled and threw a one last look at the mirror. "Time to work!" She murmured and walked out of the room.

That was her life now – a stripper in a nightclub. The good thing was that she could not see the faces of the men there. She just walked in a room and created her own world for 10 minutes. That was the maximum. Then she was paid and walked back home to sleep all day or just kill her time in some other way. Why she was doing that… it was her little secret.

Two rooms later, she was in the black one. They called her the "Elite" only because, the clients here paid well and the tips were high. Claire sighed and walked in the small room. The light was small and she closed her eyes from the moment she leaned on the wall. There were something different in this room tonight. The air was thick and she looked at the mirror in front of her. She knew that there was the client. It was not a mirror at all, it was a window, and the person could watch her show from the other side of it.

Claire took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She took off her shoes and her hands reached to her hair. Her eyes closed and she created her own world again. The hands, touching her body weren't hers. She could almost feel his scent, his hands touching her face and his smile. Claire smiled at the memory and then moaned when she imagined his hands on her waist. He reached to the back of her dress and unzipped it. The cold air brushed her skin and she shivered. But his smile warmed her up again. Claire sighed and her hands slid on her body, almost feeling his touch. His hazel eyes… His forbidden kisses…

The sound of the ten minutes alarm pulled her out of her dream. Her eyes opened with a shock when she heard the knocking at the other side of the mirror. She looked at the small box under it and rushed to there. Her eyes widened when she saw the amount of money there. It was huge. But that was not everything. There was a small note as well.

I want to see you.

Claire sighed and looked at the mirror. Her head shook and she took the money on her way out. It was not for the first time. She received notes almost all the time, but she refused them all the time. It was not forbidden, but she did not want to see the faces. It was better in this way.

"All right!" She sighed when she walked in the dressing room. "Why are you still here Molly?" She looked at the other girl in the room and reached out to her coat. "I thought you finished?"

"One more." Molly lit up a cigarette. "And I have a cigarette time."

"Hm." Claire nodded and turned her back to Molly. She gathered her hair on the nape of her neck and tied it up again. "And I have to go."

"Cool!" Molly smiled and her eyes peered over Claire's shoulder, starring at the door. "And I think you'll have a company here."

"What?" Claire fixed her make up, without even looking at the door. "No. I have to get back home or hit some bar maybe."

"Sure." Molly murmured and sneaked out the room. Claire sighed and took her purse.

"You want some company?" A deep voice echoed close to her and made her shiver. The purse fell off her hands. Claire did not even notice it. She was afraid to look back. "Claire…" His whisper caressed her ear.

"Go away!" Her breath hitched. "Please, go away…"

"No." His hands lay on her arms and squeezed them lightly. "We have to talk."

"Let go of me." Claire tried to talk, but it was only a whisper.

"I can't." She felt his head rested on the back of hers. "I can't." He repeated and his breath tickled her neck. Claire closed her eyes and felt nice shivers down in her belly. She clenched her jaw and tried to get free of him, but his grip tightened.

"Peter, please…" Claire moaned when his hands slid down on her arms and wrapped around her wrists. "You have to stay away. You have to!"

"I can't!" His lips touched her shoulder. "I can't do this, Claire…"