His daughter.
He was still getting used to that one, and it would be a long time before it stopped feeling weird. He was finding it difficult to reconcile the tiny baby girl he had known for only a few months 17 years ago with the gorgeous blonde bombshell currently staring down at the body of his brother from her perch on the stairwell with tears welling in her eyes. The obvious devastation in them unnerved him slightly, as did the pain in her voice when she whispered his name.
In an odd way it reminded him of the way peter had talked of Claire when he had regained consciousness after saving her in Odessa, of course peter hadn't known they were related-still didn't for that matter- when he had gushed; sounding almost like he was talking about some goddess as he had recounted to Nathan the brilliance that was the Texan cheerleader. Nathan being his usual populace conscious self had scolded peter like a father and reminded him that she was underage and clear across the country so he had better not go getting any ideas about the two of them.
Despite the current situation Nathan felt slightly sick as he remembered the conversation and the light in peter's eyes when he had been talking about the mysterious cheerleader who was now his daughter. Peter's niece.
The feeling only intensified when he risked another glimpse at Claire's face while she silently descended the staircase. Shock and agony were written clearly across it and a single tear was slowly weaving its way down the side of her cheek. She was dazedly approaching the doorway to the drawing room where peter was sprawled out on one of the chaise lounges- his eyes glazed over and his head covered in blood, his (as usual) messy hair flopping in his eyes.
Without thinking Nathan automatically moved to stop Claire entering the room; whether out of self preservation or a need to stop her seeing the grisly sight he wasn't quite sure, but the thought of his daughter and brother being in the room together- despite peter being dead- unnerved him for some reason he couldn't quite place. It was only his mother's hand on his arm and her hiss of "let the girl have her moment" that allowed Claire into the room that currently housed his dead brother.
He watched as she crept slowly- reverently- into the spacious room and with agonisingly pain filled steps moved towards Peter's lifeless body. Angela, with a sharp sniff left the room, both out of contempt for the girl in it and to have a small moment where her emotions could be seen and the grief for her youngest son expressed. Nathan remained in the doorway watching.
Claire finally reached peter's side after what seemed like an eternity to Nathan, his breath caught as he saw her fall to her knees at peters side and begin to weep, shuddering heart wrenching sobs that shook her whole tiny body. Her hands clutched tightly to peter's body, one in his hair and the other wrapped around him while she continued to sob. Curiously, Nathan noted that he felt no real need or longing to comfort this girl who was supposedly his own flesh and blood and just as he contemplated going into the room anyway and trying to be a father to the girl she seemed to pull herself together.
Her sobs stopped and she wiped her tears away harshly with the back of her hand before leaning back slightly from peter's body and gently stroking his hair out of his eyes, Claire whispered something quietly to him that Nathan was too far away to hear and leant forward to place a kiss softly on his forehead, the breath that had been caught in his throat the whole time released suddenly at this tiny comfortable display of affection. Claire was still stroking peter's hair reverently and didn't seem inclined to move any time soon. Nathan was becoming more uneasy by the second, there was just something about the way she was acting that screamed out to him that this was not the way a niece treated an uncle.
Just as he was about to enter the room to ask Claire to leave her head jerked up from where Nathan has not noticed her resting it on peters chest as she began to run her fingers over his scalp frantically. From his limited side view of the scene from the doorway Nathan could not see exactly what she was looking for, however he did see the way her face had lit up with hope as she raced her hands through peter's unruly hair. He took an intrusive feeling step into the room just as Claire pulled a giant piece of glass from the back of peter's skull and peter suddenly sat bolt upright gasping while his eyes filled with colour and his skin returned to its normal pale hue rather than the dead grey-ish pallor it had taken on.
Nathans own slight chocking gasp was unheard as peter glanced up and his darkened eyes landed on Claire kneeling on the floor in front of him, Nathan was filled with dread as he heard the breathless/disbelieving/hopeful exclamation of his daughters name that left peter's lips and momentarily closed his eyes as he saw the amazement and adoration that filled peter's. He opened them again cautiously when he heard Claire give a small laugh but instantly wished he hadn't when he saw peter's hand resting against claires cheek gently stroking it and Claire happily leaning into her uncle's touch gazing up at him with a happiness in her expression that Nathan hadn't witnessed even when they were first introduced to each other. Claires husky voice whispering "i guess we're even now" to peter reached him across the room as she reached up to once again to gently brush the bangs from his face and smile radiantly when peter answered "i guess so" and softly caressed her cheek once more.
The moment was broken when peter finally tore his eyes away from Claire's and refocused them on the doorway where Nathan was standing watching them, he forced his lips into a smile at peter's joyous cry of "Nathan" and allowed himself to hug his back-from-the-dead brother for a few seconds, the relief t his return to life momentarily overshadowing the sense of growing dread that had built as he watched his brother and daughter interact, the instant he let released peter from the hug and saw his eyes connect with Claire's however it all came rushing back.
There was something there, something undeniable in the way they stared with such intensity at one another; he could practically feel the heat of it scorching him even now. Peter would try to fight it for a little while once he found out the two were related of course, but even Nathan could see that it would be useless. Peter and Claire would be together, he knew it for a fact. He didn't even need the confirmation that his memory dutifully brought him when he recalled another of that painters portraits he had spied upon leaving the offices of Linderman several weeks ago.
Two people kissing: a small blonde with a riot of curls pouring down her back and a taller, messily dark haired man- his arms securely around her waist, head bent while hers was angled upwards and her arms looped around his neck. Both of them flying high above a house that looked distinctly like the Petrelli's did from above and surrounded by stars that shouldn't have been visible in the constantly muggy New York.
It seems I'm on a roll here people, yet another one shot paire fic, the second in two days. It appears being sick triggers my creativity or something lol...either that or the recent halo split has caused me to need some for of hope for those two....but anyways you all know the drill by now right?? I don't own it, wish i did and you're all very welcome to send angry letter to the actual owners demanding that I'm given instant ownership...at least then there would be some decent paire stuff happening in there :P hope you all like this, it's pretty easy to figure out that its set in season 1 in the episode where peter dies. Review if you have the time or can be bothered, all feedback means so much to me, i even have a folder in my emails where i have them all stored lol. Sad i know but..... Anyway, ENJOY!
XOXOX
Becca