Like You 6
Title: Like You
AUTHOR: obisgirl
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Claire/Adam, Peter
Summary: Post-Season 2. Claire finds out about Adam.
Spoilers: Powerless 2x11
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, just borrowing. All NBC's and Tim Kring's. Please don't sue!
Claire winced a bit as Mohinder extracted her blood. She didn't like being prodded at but this was a special situation. She'd been distracted before when the reporter recalled the shooting at an Odessa police station. She lost her dad again, grieving with her mom and brother and even Mr. Muggles.
It was only later when she heard her cell phone ring that she found about Nathan being shot. It was an even bigger shock to hear it from her dead uncle. All Claire remembered him saying was that Nathan was shot and that she needed to come to New York immediately. Claire hung up quickly, crying to her mom that Nathan had been shot and that she needed to go to New York right away.
Sandra didn't want to let her go but she gave in, realizing that if Nathan died, it would kill Claire to lose another father. Claire called back Peter, saying that she was coming. Less than a minute later, Peter was standing in front of her. She hugged him tightly, closing her eyes as he teleported them out of there.
That was 24 hours ago.
Now, she was sitting in a loft, watching Peter and Angela as they stared at Mohinder. Nathan was in another room, resting and waiting for the blood that could save him.
Mohinder finally extracted the syringe from her as the skin around the place where he'd injected her, healed itself. Claire quickly rolled up her sleeve, looking at Peter.
"How long will this take?" Angela asked him.
The doctor shrugged. "Sometimes it takes awhile to take effect," he said, looking at Claire, "It took some time before Noah was able to recover and Ms. Herrera,"
"But it should work right?" Claire asked, "It has to,"
He smiled partly. "Hopefully," he said, excusing himself.
"Well," Angela said, smiling, "It's a good thing my dear that you can heal, otherwise we'd have to find Adam and force him to give Nathan his blood again,"
Claire frowned, staring at her grandmother. Angela smiled at her mischievously before taking leave of them, seeing to Nathan.
"Who's Adam?" Claire asked Peter, watching her leave.
She already knew that her blood had amazing healing characteristics; it brought her dad back to life but shortly after reuniting with him, she lost him again to the company. Maybe even for good this time. They wanted him to work for them again, tracking more people with abilities. In return, they promised to leave Claire alone, giving her a chance to have a normal life.
Except that she would never be normal. Claire had accepted that fact a long time ago but now her curiosity was piqued by the mention of someone who could do what she could do. Peter could copy her ability; it saved him that night at Kirby Plaza but at the end of the day, Peter was an empath. Not like her at all.
"He was in the cell next to me," Peter said, "He said if I helped him escape, he could save Nathan,"
Claire sighed, looking at Nathan as he slept. "He healed Nathan? He's like me?"
"He can heal," he mused, "but he's not like you, Claire,"
She frowned, crossing her arms and studying him. "But you said that he can heal…last time I checked, that's something we have in common," she said.
He looked at her pointedly. "That's the only thing you have in common with him," he said, "Trust me Claire, you two are nothing alike,"
"Who is he? How long has he had his ability? Where is he now?" she questioned, eager to find out more about this stranger she oddly felt a connection to.
Peter shrugged. "Forget it," he mused.
"No Peter, I want to know," she protested, "I've been walking around for months, trying to be someone that I'm not and now I found out that there's someone else like me out there…I want to know about him,"
"You're better off not knowing about him," he said, touching her cheek but she pulled away, scowling. "Adam Monroe was a dangerous man Claire…he wanted to kill a lot of people…the only reason he partnered with me was to finish what he started," he said.
"So what? Like he's old or something?" she wandered.
"Adam…was old,"
She shrugged. "How old is old?"
"Four hundred years, give or take a century," he said.
Claire's eyes widened, stumbling as she found a table to steady herself. "That means I can…" she realized, "His ability made him immortal,"
"He wanted revenge against the company for locking him up for over a decade," he said, "He used me Claire. He killed a lot of people to help him achieve his goals,"
Claire didn't say anything, trying to understand the madness. The Company had taken so much from her, forcing her to live a normal life in Costa Verde as Claire Butler. They took her father from her and as far as she knew, were also responsible for Nathan's assassination. If this Adam wanted to take them down, then he definitely had the right idea. Execution was questionable but she understood.
"Where is he now?"
Peter shrugged. "I don't know," he mused, "When I got to the vault, Adam and Hiro were gone. I think he killed him,"
Claire choked back a cry. "He's dead?"
"I don't know for sure actually," he mused, "but if Hiro didn't kill him…"
"Do you think that I could ever become like him?" Claire asked suddenly.
"Like Adam?" he countered, crossing his arms in concern.
"Disillusioned with the world," she continued, "I mean, he can heal like me...he's lived so much longer than all of us because of what he can do. He's seen the world at its worst...Could I become like him?"
Peter didn't know what to say. He hadn't even considered it a possibility. Claire could heal; that made her invincible and in a couple of years, she would also stop aging and remain the way the way she was. She'd suffer, watching her family, friends and loves die around her and there would be nothing she could do to stop it. And this war -- with the Company and Sylar -- if it continued -- she would have to keep on running, changing her name and forced to adapt to new situations.
For Claire, that was an even worse fate than being buried alive.
"Claire," Peter started, taking her hands in his and looking into her eyes. "That'll never happen," he soothed, wiping away a tear from her face, "I won't let it happen to you,"
"But it could," she continued, "I could become like him,"
"You won't,"
Claire looked at him curiously. "How can you be sure Peter?" she cried. "Maybe I already am that way and you don't want to see it…how do I know that if I ever became like him one day that you, Nathan or Angela wouldn't lock me up?"
"We'd never do that to you," he assured her, "you're family,"
"Because I'm sweet, innocent Claire?" she shot back, "I wanted to expose the Company and I can, Peter. My father left all of his company records with us. I can do it…I can become like him,"
Peter didn't say anything.
"Adam had the right idea," she muttered, "He wanted to take down the Company and I want to do the same thing. I want to stop running,"
"You don't have to run Claire…"
"Why? Because Bob says that he'll leave me alone?" she cried, "They could have killed Nathan, Peter and they could have twisted you into believing anything when you were under their care,"
"I could become like him," she repeated.
"You won't become like him Claire," he said, "You know how I know?" She didn't say anything, staring into his eyes. "Because the moment I saw you, I could see into your heart and it was pure and beautiful. Untainted. After Sylar came after you, all I wanted to do was to protect it from being hurt again,"
"That's comforting Peter but if his ability made him immortal…"
"You won't," he promised.
"Peter, think about what I've gone through this past year…think about what I've seen and experienced," she said, "I've seen my dad be shot twice…my limbs grow back..I've had to hide who I am because of what I can do…"
"Heal your memory too," he muttered, "If you focus hard enough,"
Claire blinked her eyes, staring at him. "See! I didn't even know about that," she cried, "I know what he did was horrible but he's had centuries of experience with his ability…I can learn from him,"
Peter nodded. "No, you can't because he's gone Claire," he countered. "Just forget I ever mentioned him,"
"I can't do that now," she reasoned.
"You have too Claire," he pushed.
"But…" she said, her lips trembling, "You're not like me Peter; you're only an empath," Her implied meaning was clear – even if he managed to live for a long time, there would come a day when he wouldn't be strong enough to sustain his ability and he'd die, leaving her alone.
"Hey," he soothed, "I will not leave you alone. Ever…you won't have to spend eternity alone,"
Claire smiled solemnly as she hugged him. "You can't promise that Peter," she cried, "You could still die one day and I would be alone…maybe if…Adam were here…I wouldn't be,"
"You'll never be alone Claire," he soothed, "I won't let that happen to you,"
He smiled at her, "Hey, come here," he whispered, taking her into his arms.
Claire didn't say anything else as she hugged Peter; although in the back of her mind, the thought still lingered. And she had a feeling that one day she would cross paths with Adam Monroe and maybe then, she could have the solace she desperately sought.
The End
