Peter emerged in Claire's new apartment (that Nathan had bought her and Noah and the rest of the family helped with) as if he had no idea who she was or even himself. The truth was, he didn't.

"Your not dead?"

"No, I don't think. Who are you?"

"Peter, it's me, Claire." Claire muttered, near tears, "I missed you."

"Claire?" The name meant something very deep he couldn't decipher, "Are you okay?"

"Of course not! I thought you were dead! The only one whose really cared about me, trusted me and I thought you were dead."

"I'd tell you if I knew."

"Sorry."

"It's fine, how were you to know?"

"You really don't remember?"

"Not a thing."

"Come with me." She said grabbing his wrist and pulling him into the next room, and sat him down. She grabbed out a disk from a pile and put it into the DVD player, turning on the TV and sitting down beside him.

"I need you to really think. Try and remember." She pleaded, looking him in the eyes, he nodded and turned his head to the TV. She pressed play. The video was so happy that it made her want to cry, everyone was there: Hiro, Ando, Peter, Angela, Matt, Nathan and his family, her mother, her, Noah and the family, JD, the Haitian, everyone. It was a collection of clips put together like a slide-show. Everyone was happy, not like now. A tear slipped onto her cheek and as she looked back at Peter she saw something change, innocent concentrating to guilt.

"I remember now, Claire. I'm so sorry for leaving you like that. You know I would've told you if I'd ran away. I probably took you with me."

"To keep each other safe." She gave her signature sad smile.

"No one else would've got that but your right. How long has it been since I left?"

"I'm 18 tomorrow so, 1 ½ years next Sunday."

"18? Any new information I need to know?"

"Loads. 1) You're not my uncle, 2) Gab…Sylar has fell in love and gone good, 3) No one smiles anymore and 4)……I just noticed your half naked with the Haitian's necklace on."

"Ohh…" He said looking down, "One minute, I'm not your uncle?"

"Oh, yeah." Claire exclaims getting up for some spare clothes, "Umm, Dad and his first wife, before she died, couldn't have kids so they did the operation putting his sperm and someone else's eggs and put it in Nathan's ex-girlfriend and he got the wrong idea. Only sorted it out 2 months ago." She put the clothes beside him and turned the TV and DVD off.

He looked at Claire. How come he felt protective of her?

"I know how you feel but I have no idea why I still feel that way. I still feel that you're the only person who could truly understand me and can protect and trust me at the same time."

"That's 'cos I do." She turned to him and laughed thoughtfully. Then there was an awkward silence as they exchanged glances.

"What are you doing for the big 1-8. Getting ready to drink alcohol?"

"Yeah, a big party, everyone's invited. I was so convinced you'd come back I made you a invitation."

"Thank you. At least you kept the faith, the others didn't."

"You looked into my…"

"No, I looked into their minds." What he didn't tell her was that it made him feel disrespectful to look into her mind so he daren't.

"Oh." She said as he got a shirt on.

**********************************************************************************

The next morning she got woke by a gentle shake. She mumbled and the shaking started again.

"Happy birthday, Claire." Peter's voice whispered, "I got you a present. I wasn't going to wake you but it's 12."