Characters: Peter/Claire/Others. Summary: Romance/Angst: Claire/Peter/Simone/Isaac in a Love Quadrangle. Peter is consumed by a power he has never used before. Mostly Paire. Rating: K+. Timeline: New York, the future. Claire is in her early twenties at least. Nathan is not her father. Disclaimer: I own none of the familiar characters; they belong to NBC & the show's creators etc. Anything else might just be of my own creation.

Shadows

Part One: Choc-mint Milkshakes

New York: December.

Out of the shadows and into the light. A petite waitress watched the group stumble into the brightly lit diner and move towards their regular booth. Her blue eyes stared as they attempted to squeeze into one booth. She saw them laugh as they struggled to make room for one another. The group would return every few weeks; the get-togethers had become a common occurrence over the last few years. She did not know what brought them together, but assumed they were ordinary customers. The group was, in fact, anything but ordinary. Heroes, some had mused, Freaks suggested others. Jointly, they had succeeded in saving the world. Steadfast allies in times of uncertainty. Now, they were simply friends. Meeting at the diner was a simple pleasure that they all enjoyed. Straightening her apron the waitress strolled over, mind elsewhere as she waited for their orders.

A small Asian man spoke first. "Cheeseburger and fries. Please." Hiro Nakamura had excellent English, considering he still spent much of his time in Japan.

Niki Sanders ordered a generous serving of chocolate mud cake, which Mohinder Suresh offered to help her eat. Isaac Mendez glanced at the pretty waitress then shook his head. NYPD Detective Matt Parkman asked for an omelette and an orange juice.

"What no donuts?" asked Peter Petrelli. He smiled as he ordered a coke.

Claire Bennett's stomach did a flip-flop. Hastily, she distracted herself with the menu. Her dazzling green eyes narrowed as she searched for something appetising. "I'll have …" she started.

"A choc-mint milkshake!" Everyone else chorused before she could finish.

A feigned look of shock crossed her face. "C'mon I'm not THAT predictable am I?"

The waitress let her thin lips curled into a smile. "Will that be all?" she asked, as familiar laughter erupted from the table.

She spun her heel after a silent nod from Matt. The laughter continued, following her as she headed for the kitchen.

"Claire, even if I couldn't paint the future, I would still have known what you were going to order!" Isaac Mendez joked.

Beneath the table Peter placed his hand over hers, giving it an affectionate squeeze. The warmth from his hand surprised her and suddenly she felt queasy.

"Okay, fine." Claire smiled sweetly to cover the nausea she held inside. "Niki, how's Micah doing in school?" she asked, changing the subject. Beneath the table she withdrew her hand from Peter's.

Niki smiled proudly. "So far so good. I can't believe I'm helping him with college applications!"

Claire glanced across at Peter. He met her gaze, frowning at her rebuff. A pang of guilt stabbed at her heart.

Matt Parkman sensed their disquiet, but said nothing.

"Colleges. Time flies," Mohinder stated and began pressing Niki for more details.

Claire let her mind wandered absently until the waitress returned. Realising the topic of conversation had changed, she tuned in.

"So, where is that brother of yours, Peter?" Niki asked, taking a mouthful of cake.

"Nathan is working. Some things don't change."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of working, Simone has been putting in some long hours at the gallery. Things are shaping up nicely for the opening next month," Peter announced.

Claire went cold inside at the mention of Peter's girlfriend Simone. "Damn it, why is this so hard." She stared at the table.

"Yes." Isaac was visibly uncomfortable. "The project is coming together nicely."

Claire felt eyes on her. She looked up at her companions and noticed Matt staring at her. "Of course you're reading my mind. Why wouldn't you?" she thought angrily. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean . . . It's just . . . tough listening to him talk about her."

Matt sympathized with his eyes.

"I'm going to bring everyone from the office." Claire tried to ignore the looks from the others. "It's quite rewarding knowing a famous artist."

Isaac smiled at her. "I'm hardly famous. It's good exposure, having my work shown at a new gallery."

"Looking . . . forward to it," Hiro said between mouthfuls.

"Yeah, and I'm looking forward to getting my girlfriend back. The long hours are killing me," Peter confessed.

They all went quiet again before Matt started telling them a funny anecdote about a guy who did a runner from the scene of an accident only to vault a small fence, not realising there was 15ft drop on the other side.

Everyone was focused on the story, except for Isaac who stared blankly out the window into the darkness.

Later, Claire and Niki stood side-by-side outside. With their golden blonde hair outlined by the glow of the street lights, they could easily have been mistaken for sisters. Niki sucked deeply on a cigarette before exhaling into the cold night air.

"One of these days I'm gonna give these up." She smirked.

Claire smiled weakly. "Yeah, and one of these days I'm gonna have to take up smoking."

Niki laughed softly in the knowledge that Claire had the ability to heal thereby nullifying the harmful effects of cigarettes.

"Is everything okay? You seemed a little quiet tonight."

Claire sighed, but didn't say anything. Her head hurt and her heart ached.

"Are you seeing anyone at the moment?" Niki continued.

"I've been on a few dates," she said thoughtfully, before adding "But, things never go according to plan." An image of The Haitian, wiping the memories of an ex-boyfriend who discovered her ability by accident, flashed through her mind. "Secrets make it hard to be in a normal relationship." She watched as her breath dissipated into the cold night.

Niki's eyes drifted back to the diner where the others were still deep in conversation. "Because you can't let someone in, or because you can't let go?"

Claire followed her eyes. She knew where this conversation was going. She gazed back at Peter. He looked so happy as he talked with Hiro and Matt. She couldn't help herself. All she could think about was how sexy he looked as she watched him run a hand through his soft dark hair. She blushed and looked away when she noticed Niki was watching her intently with a raised eyebrow. She curled her arms around her and sighed again.

"It's just a little crush," she said meekly.

"Sweety, crushes aren't supposed to last years like this."

"God, this is embarrassing. Everyone knew, except Peter. Why can't I just get past this?"

"I know." She said firmly. "I'm trying."

Edited: Oct 2010. Thanks for reading - Pip.