When there was no grey.
She was in college. Again. 5Th time in the row, to be exact. It was a perfect place for Claire Bennet. People coming and going so fast, nobody had a time to think, that their cheerful blond classmate was not changing
Hey guys, it's my first fanfic ever, so be gentle. Heroes happened to be my latest obsession,Sylar, to be exact. Though I enjoyed this show for years, something after Star Trek and my love for Zachary Quinto just clicked inside my head. So I wanted to spill something on the "paper".
I do not own Heroes, or any of the characters. If I did... well the show would be slightly different. *sigh*
This story takes place some 25 years after the show
Well - on with the story.
Chapter 1
Except for one.
She was in college. Again. 5Th time in the row, to be exact. It was a perfect place for Claire Bennet. People coming and going so fast, nobody had a time to think, that their cheerful blond classmate was not changing. And it is true. Claire stayed the same, like 25 years had not passed by. She had all the time in the world, and what is the best way to cure one's boredom? The Company, with the death of her 'beloved' grandmother, was destroyed, those who knew about it, decided to forget about it like a bad bad dream. To many lives were sacrificed: her parents, Matt Parkman, Mohinder. She lost contact with Peter, the only person, who has ever been her safe harbor, her hero. He was so devastated, when he learned about his brother's death, that he chose to hide himself from the ghosts of his past.
People with abilities were not hunted anymore, files burned. Building 26 no longer a prison with cold grey cells. Nothing to remind of those dreadful times was left, except for the pictures of blood, screams, running and fear in her head. But it was also the time, when Claire felt, that she was alive, that she could make a difference, to help, to be a hero. It was a happy time, when she had her family and house in sunny Costa Verda. When she was loved, protected, understood. When she could make muffins with her mum, play with Mr. Muggles, brag with Lyle. Now she only had herself and memories of her glory days.
Sylar disappeared. She has not heard from her personal boogeyman for almost a decade now. Not that she was complaining, but deep inside she knew, that Gabriel Sylar could never be totally gone, never would he stop haunting her life. She still woke up at nights covered in sweat, heavily breathing, with his soft voice in his ears and dark eyes that burned like coals before hers. She was terrified to meet him again, to see his towering black figure, feel total helplessness, that destroying desire to kill him, to rip him into pieces.
But most of all she was scared to feel that doubt."We are the same"- he told her during their last meeting. He never lied to her, she was thankful for that. She only laughed at him and promised to spend her life trying to kill him. But it was that dark doubt that kept her from going back to sleep after her nightmares. Was she a good person, she always claimed to be? Or has the lines blurred after so many years? She knew he is out there, somewhere, lurking in shadows, collecting, waiting. In some ways, though she would never confess it to herself, it was comforting to know, that some things in a life never change no matter what.
So she was alone now, and college life suited her just fine. Provided she was a Bennet and Petrelli heir, she did not need to think about money, so she studied and hung out with her friends at day, and sought a company of total strangers at night. With men her biological age, she felt treated like a dumb college cheerleader. Though she was never against a one night stand. She loved the thrill and excitement of the darkness and neon lights of the club, where she did not need to be Claire Bennet, where any name would do, where she could put any mask she wanted. Where in the thick smoke and sways of heated bodies on the dance floor she forgot, who she really was, and the sad prospects of her eternal life of loneliness
She tried to date guys of her "own age", but hormone-crazed youngsters rarely got her attention for a long period of time. She usually got them where she wanted from them, batted her eyelashes, swung her hips and wrapped them around her little finger. No man among her acquaintances was immune to her charms. Except for one boy.
James Cliefield. He was a student at her year and she was friends with her roommate's brother. At first he seemed to her that he was this tall-dark mysterious geeky type, who preferred the company of his books than living people. But after she saw him at her friend's party, dressed elegantly in black, he handled himself smoothly and managed to charm everybody around with a ready joke, a smile and a flash of his eyes. Something about his aura and dark eyes was familiar to her.. but she thought she was just paranoid.
She had always had a thing for dark-eyed guys after all.
They rarely communicated at first, but after a couple of parties and a couple of drinks, they started hanging out. She was fascinated with James. He was highly intelligent and mature, far more for his own age He as always his charming self, but never tried to make a move on her. He respected her, but never lost an opportunity to tease her about her cheer-leading history. They talked about books and their favorite movies, about hopes and dreams, but never about each others past.
It was easy for Claire this way. Easy to the point, that she felt like she was in this far innocent time, when she was Claire-bear and everything was painted black and white.
When there was no grey.
Read and Review. Next Chapter coming soon