DISCLAIMER- I do not own Heroes or anything related to it! This disclaimer goes for ALL chapters of this story!
Holding Out For a Hero - by Smallvillegirl92
Chapter One:
A small gust of wind blew by, causing Claire to shiver. She pulled the blanket closer to her body and gazed back up at the sky.
Two weeks. It had been two weeks since it happened and every night she came out onto the small balcony, which came off of the hotel suite they'd been staying in, and she'd watch the dark sky, hoping that he'd return. But, he hadn't. She didn't want to give up, but she knew deep down that she might never get the chance to see his handsome face again.
Claire sighed audibly. Him. Peter Petrelli. Her hero. She hadn't realized just how much she had gotten used to seeing him. She cared about him so much and she had never gotten the chance to tell him so.
Claire closed her eyes and remembered the day before the explosion. She could still feel his gentle touch as he wiped away her tears. She remembered how his hand had felt so warm against her cheek. She was positive that there had been a spark. And, though she knew that she shouldn't have, she had fallen for Peter Petrelli.
Claire's eyes fluttered back open and she saw something move in the sky. She jumped up from her chair, but was disappointed when she realized that it was just an airplane.
There was a sound behind her and she spun around, finding her brother eyeing her queerly.
"What's your problem lately? Do you have some new, stupid obsession for UFO's?" Lyle remarked.
Claire just sighed. Feeling a hot tear roll down her cheek, she turned back around.
"Lyle, leave you sister alone and go see if you mom needs help with the dishes," HRG said from behind his son.
"But, Dad-"
"Now, Lyle."
"Fine." His shoulders slumped and he disappeared into the suite.
"Claire," HRG started.
"He's really gone, isn't he Dad? He's……he's not coming back?" Her voice cracked and she dropped her head.
"I don't know, Claire-bear."
"I……I just felt like we had bonded. In a way, it seemed like he knew me better than anyone."
Claire turned towards him and he saw the tears streaming down her face. "I miss him, Dad."
HRG wrapped his daughter in a hug. "I know." He put his hand on the back of her head, pulling her close as she cried.
"I-I keep thinking that there was s-something that I could have done to stop him-them from exploding," she whispered through her tears.
"But there wasn't, Claire. There wasn't anything that anyone could have done."
Claire pulled away, wiping her wet cheek with the back of her hand. "I have to make sure he's actually gone. I have to know."
HRG's eyebrows furrowed.
"I want to go back to New York," Claire stated quickly.
"That's out of the question, Claire."
"But, Dad-"
"I said no. It's not safe there. Sylar could still be alive."
"Then it's not safe anywhere!" she objected.
"Claire," HRG said, his tone warning her not to push the matter any farther.
Claire's jaw tensed and she started for the door. "I'm going to help Mom, I'm sure Lyle will be happy to be relieved."
HRG nodded. "Okay."
Claire began to step inside the suite, but stopped when her dad spoke.
"Claire?"
She turned her head back to look at him. "Yeah?"
"Everything's going to be fine."
She hesitated before nodding slowly. "I know."
As Claire walked inside she replayed her father's words in her head. Everything's going to be fine. She had a feeling that he was right, but not in the way that he meant. She was going to find Peter, whether her dad wanted her to or not.
Claire listened until she heard her parents go to bed before she slipped out from under her bed covers. She glanced over at her brother and his steady breathing told her that he was sleeping. Claire stepped onto the floor and crouched down so that she could reach under her bed and grab the duffle bag that she had packed earlier that night.
Claire stood back up and turned towards the door quickly, causing her to trip over the bed frame. To her dismay, it made a loud "thunk" and she stopped abruptly, desperately hoping that she hadn't woken her brother up. No such luck.
"Claire?" came her brother's groggy voice.
Great. "Yeah, Lyle?" she whispered.
"What are you doing? It's like one o'clock in the morning." He paused, frowning. "Do you have your coat on?" He sat up, peering though the dark to scan his sister's outfit.
"Lyle, be quiet. Mom and Dad will hear you."
"So? Where are you going?"
She approached Lyle's bed. "Please don't tell them, Lyle."
"Tell them what?"
Claire glanced towards the door cautiously, before replying, "I'm going back to New York."
"What?!?"
Claire clamped her hand against her brother's mouth, silencing him. "Lyle! I said be quiet." She held her hand there for a couple minutes, listening for any sign that her parents had woken up. When she didn't hear anything, she pulled her hand away. "I'm begging you, Lyle, please don't wake them up. I'll give you a note to give them. I just….I have to do this."
Lyle hesitated noticeably, but finally sighed and nodded. "Fine, I won't wake them up, just give me the note."
Claire's face creased with a relieved smile. "Thank you so much." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. "Here it is." She began to walk back to the door, but Lyle stopped her. "Claire, wait." He hurried over to her. "Be careful, sis." Lyle hugged her quickly.
Claire was surprised by the gesture, but she smiled and hugged him back. "I will, Lyle, I promise."
Hey! So, I just got the urge to do this story the other night. I LOVE Paire and I'm desperately hoping that they'll un-relate them. But, while I'm waiting on that(and for season two to come), I'm going to write this story to satisfy me and all you other Paire fans out there! Please review! And ANY flames that say, 'Ew, you're sick, they're related' or anything of that sort, will be ignored. I have just as much right to my opinion as you do to yours!
Smallvillegirl92