1Hello all! I have another Paire oneshot!! This one is for a challenge on the Tubealicious911 board challenge. The theme was a modern fairytale. Enjoy!
Even Angels Fall
The rain was pouring all around, thunder sounding and the only thing lighting the road was the lightening as it streaked through the sky. He'd been trying to navigate the roads for the last two hours in the rain, but it had progressively gotten worse. Now he couldn't see any more than two feet in front of the car and wasn't honestly sure if he was even on the right road any longer. It was dark, pouring and he was lost. He knew that he should pull over to the side of the road, but also knew that he wouldn't. He couldn't just wait it out, he'd rather tough it out on the road.
A flash of lightening revealed a deer a few feet in front of him and he knew that there was no way that he would be able to stop in time. His foot hit the break and the tires locked, the car spinning out of control. There was a loud thud as the side of the car barreled into the deer and then ran over the carcass, the car still spinning. As it spun out of control he saw flashes of his wife and children, knowing that they would be devastated if he died.
It all happened in a blink of an eye and the next thing he knew his car was slamming into a tree. His head shot forward, slamming into the steering wheel before the seat belt locked causing him to slam back into the seat. He sat there for a moment, trying to catch his breath. This is what he got for not pulling over. This was just his luck. He grabbed his cell phone. "Shit." Of course there was no signal. He was in the middle of nowhere and there was a storm raging on around him.
He glanced out his windshield just as a flash of lightening revealed a mansion through the trees. "Thank God." He grabbed his bag and phone, taking the keys out of the ignition. He would have to make a run for it and probably end up completely soaked, but it was the only chance that he had. Hopefully someone would be home.
He jumped out of the car, running through the trees and up the lawn. By the time he reached the porch, he was soaked to the bone and shivering. He looked at the windows, noticing that they were black. But he thought he saw a faint light in one of them. Hopefully someone was home. He lifted his hand to knock at the door when it swung open.
In the doorway stood a petite blonde with wide, innocent eyes. He'd put her at a few years older than his Claire so probably about 21 or 22. "Can I help you?"
"Hi, my name is Noah Bennet. I got lost and just wrecked my car." He waved behind him, in the direction of his car. "I was hoping that I might be able to come out of the rain, maybe use your phone?"
The girl tilted her head to the side. "The phone's not working."
"Oh well do you think that I could maybe come in and wait out the storm? Until the phones come back up or until my cell works again?"
"Ummm..." The girl shrugged. "This isn't really my house. So I'd kind of need to ask the owner. Wait here please." She shot him a grin before skipping off.
Noah looked after her, his confusion building. She looked older than his daughter, but she acted so much younger. It made him wonder about her and as she skipped away he saw blue sparks randomly flashing after her. He shook his head to clear it and when he looked back up again the hallway was empty. He stepped inside, assuming that the owner of the house wouldn't mind if he stood in the hallway instead out of outside. He swung the door shut quietly behind him.
"Who the hell is he and what does he want?" He glared at Elle as she skipped into his view.
"Noah Bennet. He crashed his car and wants to wait out the storm." She grinned as she sat on the corner of his desk. "If you let him stay, can I play with him?" She laughed as she shot little sparks of electricity into the air.
He rolled his eyes. "No, and he can't stay."
A throat cleared from the couch by the fireplace. "I saw the crash. The car is totaled. Are you really going to force him out into the rain?" Niki lifted an eyebrow.
"Fine. He can stay. Feed him and give him a room, but keep him the hell out of my way. I'm putting the two of you in charge of seeing that he doesn't bother me." With that he turned away, attention back on his computer.
As Elle began to skip away he called out to her again, "Elle?"
"Yes?"
"He's not a toy. Do NOT play with him. We don't need any accidents happening."
Elle pouted for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Fine. He's not a toy." She turned and headed back to their houseguest, Niki on her heels.
Niki beat her to him, her hand extended. "Mr. Bennet? Niki Sanders."
"Hello Ms. Sanders. Is this your house?"
Niki shook her head with a laugh. "No, it's my employers. I stay here often though. This is Elle." She gestured to the blonde who had answered the door. "My employer is willing to offer you a hot meal and a warm bed to sleep in for the night. Then in the morning we'll call a tow truck to help you out with the car."
"Well, that's very generous. When can I meet this boss of yours? I'd like to thank them."
Elle shook her head, her face suddenly very serious. "He doesn't want to be disturbed. It's best that you don't bother him." In a blink of an eye her expression had changed again, the smile back in place. "Come with me. I'll get you some food and then show you your room."
With that she spun on her heel, not even bothering to be sure that Noah would follow. Niki laughed, rolling her eyes at Noah before nodding after Elle. "Sorry about her. She's special."
"I can tell." He shrugged as he walked after her. The two women got him a warm meal and bed as promised before leaving him for the night.
Noah didn't usually sleep well in strange places so when he awoke the next morning he was shocked that he hadn't awakened a single time throughout the night. His head had hit the pillow and he'd been out. He wasn't even sure what had awakened him until he heard a light knock at the door. "Yes?"
The door opened hesitantly and he saw Niki's head poke him. "Mr. Bennet? The phones are back up now so I called a tow truck. They should be here in about 20 minutes tops so if you'd like to shower or anything I have some clothes that should fit you." She held them up. "And we can get you some breakfast."
"Thank you so much Ms. Sanders. I appreciate the hospitality."
"It's Niki and it's not a problem Mr. Bennet. I'm glad to help out someone in need."
"Well, Niki, it's Noah and I'll just get changed and head down." After quickly dressing he grabbed his bag and headed down to the kitchen where Niki was whipping up a breakfast fit for a king. They ate in silence and just as they were finishing there was a knock at the door.
"Must be the tow truck." Niki stood and shook her head. "Just leave the dishes there. Elle will clean them up in a bit." She led him from the room and as she spoke with the tow truck driver he noticed the beautiful rose bushes that were spread all over the grounds.
"Claire would LOVE one of those roses,' he thought to himself. Maybe he could snag one on his way out. He was sure that no one would notice. His attention was suddenly brought back to Niki when he realized that she was speaking to him. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
Niki laughed. "They just need your information so that the car can be towed."
Noah quickly completed the necessary forms and smiled at Niki one last time. "Thank you again Niki." He turned and headed after the tow truck driver, stopping to admire the rose bush that he'd seen from inside. He glanced around, not seeing anyone. They wouldn't notice if he took one would they? He pulled his pocket knife from his pocket and quickly cut one of the roses from the bush.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Noah spun around, trying to find the source of the voice. A small movement in the shadows drew his attention. "I'm sorry...I was just cutting a rose-"
"Destroying my property is what you were doing!" The voice was angry as he spoke, the rage apparent in the shaking. "I allowed you to invade my privacy, eat my food and sleep in my home. But that's not enough for you? You have to vandalize my property, taking one of my prized possessions without permission. Who do you think you are?"
"I was just getting it for my daughter. I'm very sorry."
"I should kill you now." He stepped from the shadow and Noah couldn't help the gasp that slipped from his mouth. "I know, it's terrible isn't it? That's why I don't let people in my home except for those that I trust." He stepped closer, rage jumping in his eyes. His face was a ruin of scars, reminders of a unhappy past that he longed to forget.
"I'm sorry - I -" Noah didn't know what to say as he averted his eyes.
"Yeah I'll just bet you are." He laughed. "I think I shall kill you."
"What? Over a rose for my daughter?"
"Oh that's right. You said daughter. Why don't you tell me about her?"
"Why in the hell would I do that?"
He waved the gun in front of Noah's face. "Because it'll keep me from killing you right now."
"Her name's Claire." Noah could hear his voice shaking, but he would do what he could to try and keep this deranged man from killing him. "She's 19. Beautiful and kind. She's always trying to save people."
"Tell me more." Noah continued talking, telling him everything about his daughter. He didn't know what made him spill so much, but it might have just been his survival instinct. Finally the man held up his hand, waving him to stop. "Bring her to me and I'll let you live."
Noah shook his head. "Never."
He laughed. "You will. Otherwise I'll kill you and then kill your family."
"You wouldn't know how to find them."
"Oh, but I would Mr. Noah Bennet." He nodded to the awaiting tow trucker driver. "He works for me."
Noah thought hard. "Fine." He'd agree for now and then find a way out of it. He had to.
"Good choice Mr. Bennet, but I can see those wheels in your head turning. There won't be any way to get out of it. I'll be sending along some of my employees to make sure of it." He paused for a moment. "One year of her time in exchange for your's and your family's lives. Seems like a fair trade to me. Be smart about this." With that he stepped back and headed for the house. "I can't wait to meet Claire."
Noah sighed as he looked at the man in the driver's seat of the tow truck. According to his name tag his name was Matt. "Look Mr. Bennet, my orders are to drop you off at home. Niki and Elle are back there to make sure that you do whatever it is that you're supposed to be doing. I recommend doing it though. You don't wanna mess with those two girls."
He nodded as he opened the door, sliding from the truck. "Thanks for the ride." He glanced at the car parked behind the truck and the two women leaning against it, waiting for him.
"Noah I'm sorry," Niki said as she and Elle approached him.
"Yeah whatever." Noah turned his back on them and headed for his house, trying to figure out how to keep them from taking his Claire from him. "Claire," he called out to her as he swung the door open.
"Yes Dad?" She walked out of the living room. When she noticed the two women with him, the confusion was apparent on her face. "What's going on?"
"Are your mom and Lyle home?"
"Yeah they're upstairs." Claire's face became drawn as she realized that something was wrong. "What's going on?"
"Let's go to the living room and talk for a few." He led her into the room, but when he went to shut the doors behind them Niki shook her head.
"I'm sorry Noah. Those have to stay open. We have to keep an eye on her."
"Fine." Noah shook his head as he sat down on the couch next to Claire. "Claire you're going to have to go with these two young ladies, Elle and Niki."
"Why? Dad you're not making any sense!"
Noah held out the rose to Claire, having gone unforgotten until that moment. "I had an accident last night and had to beg for a place to stay. I was able to find one and when I was leaving this morning I thought to pick a rose for you. The girls' employer caught me and they threatened us all Claire. Said that he would kill me and when I explained to him about you and that I was just picking it for you he demanded that I bring you to him. You have to live there with him for one full year otherwise he'll kill us all." He pulled her close. "I'm so sorry Claire Bear, but I didn't know what else to do. But I'll find a way to get you out of it. I swear I will."
Claire pulled back, looking into his eyes. "No Dad. If they've threatened the family then I will go and I'll spend my one year there. One year's not so bad."
"I'm so sorry Claire. If I'd only known." Noah shook his head.
"Dad stop it." Claire gave him a small smile. "You did what you had to do to keep the family safe. It's the same thing that I'm doing by going with them." She looked over her dad's shoulder. "Do I have time to get some stuff together and say goodbye to my mom and brother?"
Niki nodded. "Yeah, but we need to hurry."
"I'll tell your mom and brother while you pack." Noah kissed Claire's forehead with a resigned sigh. "Then you can say your goodbyes.
"This is it." Niki stopped the car and looked over at Claire who had remained silent for the entire car ride over. "Look Claire, I need to tell you a few things before you go in there."
"What?" Claire rolled her eyes, arms crossed over her chest.
Niki laughed, glancing back at Elle. "She reminds me so much of you."
"Whatever." Elle rolled her eyes, but gave Niki a smile. She reached between the seats. "'xcuse me." She reached across Claire, grabbing a her pocket knife from inside. "I hate to leave this thing in there. I always forget it. Shit!" She fumbled it and it opened, flying through the air and landing in Claire's bare leg.
"Elle!" Niki yelled as she reached over, swiftly pulling it from Claire's leg, grabbing napkins from the glove compartment to try and staunch the flow of blood that was running from the wound. She pressed the napkins to the wound, her eyes wide with worry. "Claire, I'm so sorry."
Claire shook her head, pushing away Niki's hands. "If I'm going to be around you guys for the next year it's something that you're going to find out anyways." She pulled away the napkins, revealing that the wound had already closed.
"Oh my God! You're like us!" Elle squealed.
"What do you mean? How am I like you guys?" She looked between the two girls.
"Probably better to show you." Niki shrugged, stepping out of the as Elle jumped out as well.
"Me first!" Elle opened her hand, throwing a bolt of electricity into the ground.
Claire's eyes were wide as she stared at the scorch mark in the grass. "What was that?"
"Electricity. See?" She leaned over, catching Claire's hand in her own and sending a shock through her arm.
"Ow!" Claire jerked her arm back.
Niki shook her head. "Elle, what did I tell you about that? Anyways Claire..." She leaned over, lifting the corner of the car off the ground. "Super strength. It comes in handy."
"Wow, I didn't realize that there were others out there like me. I thought that I was just a freak."
"Nope, not at all. Or at least not any more than the rest of us." Niki laughed. "But there's one other thing that I need to warn you about. Our employer...he was in an accident. He's badly scared and I just wanted to give you a heads up before we go in there."
Claire's chin came up. "Well good then his face matches his personality. It's only fair that someone so cruel as to threaten a man and his family be ruined physically."
"I wouldn't recommend letting him hear you say that." Elle shook her head. "It's never a good idea to make him mad."
"Whatever, let's get this over with." She straightened her shoulders and began marching towards the house.
Niki and Elle shared a look before hurrying after her. They made their way inside of the home, showing Claire the house as they made their way to his office. They stopped outside of the closed double doors and Niki knocked lately. When she heard his muffled response she swung one of the doors open, sticking her head inside. "Claire Bennet is here."
"Good send her in." Peter looked up from his computer, mentally preparing himself for the response that he knew was coming. It happened every time he met someone for the first time which is why he'd stopped meeting people. He did most of his business via the internet and phone, but when he couldn't he would send Niki or one of his other trusted employees to take care of it for him.
The door swung open and he was dumb struck for a moment as Claire walked into his office. Noah had said that she was beautiful, but Peter knew that parents often exagerrated. But Noah hadn't exagerated. She was even more beautiful than Niki and Elle and all he could do was stare for a moment. Her jaw was jutted out, her eyes full of anger. But he could tell the moment that she actually saw him.
When Claire saw him her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Niki had warned her, but she hadn't realized. His face was a ruin, scars covering every inch. The only thing that hadn't been affected were his eyes. She set her jaw again, meeting his eyes. She wouldn't let his appearance affect her resolve. She glared at him with everything that she had in her.
Peter smirked as he watched the shock fade from her face and the anger appear in her eyes once again. This one was full of spunk and the next year was going to be very interesting. "Claire Bennet?"
Claire shrugged. "Maybe."
Peter let out a laugh. "My name's Peter Petrelli. And I think that I'm going to like you very much Ms. Bennet."
"Kiss my ass." Claire gave him a saracastic smile.
"Yes, I'm going to like you very much and who knows, maybe you'll even find a way to like me one day."
"Yeah when pigs fly."
"Maybe." Peter gave her another half smile before turning back to Niki. "Show the grounds and her room. Make sure she gets the other master bedroom. We want her to be as comfortable as possible over the next year."
Niki knocked lightly on the door before sticking her head in the door. "Claire honey? What are you doing? It's time for dinner. Remember Peter's joining us tonight."
"I'm not going." Claire sat on her bed in her pajamas, staring at the television.
Niki sighed. "You are going. Claire you've been here for a month now and all you've done is sulk. There are so many things that you could be doing to keep yourself entertained besides sitting locked in your room, staring at the television. You're going to be here for a year. Why don't you get used to it? Have some fun?"
Claire glared at Niki. "I don't want to." She turned her attention back to the television.
"That's it." Niki stalked over to the television, pulling the plug from the wall. "The television is gone." She spun around, her face ablaze. "I won't allow this anymore Claire!"
"Who the hell are you besides my damn jailer? Fuck you! Get out!" Claire screamed as she jumped off of the bed. "Get out! Get out! I don't want to be here anymore! I want to go home to my family! Why can't I see them!" Tears were streaming down her face as she stalked over to the dresser grabbing a glass figurine and throwing it against the wall with all of her strength.
Niki's face softened. "I'm sorry Claire. I know that it's hard for you, but can't you make the best of it?"
Claire slid to the floor as the sobs overtook her body. "I just wanna go home."
"I know honey, I know." Niki sighed as she slid to the floor beside Claire, wrapping her in her arms. "I know."
Elle slipped in the door, eye dancing around the room. "Is everything okay? What happened?"
Claire buried her head into Niki's shoulder and she felt the sobs begin to subside. "Claire's a little home sick."
"Oh." Elle gave her a sad smile. "I understand Claire, but it does get better. I'll go run a bath. That'll make you feel better. And then we'll pick you out something pretty to wear to dinner." She skipped off to draw the bath.
Claire pulled back and looked up at Niki. "I'm sorry. I just miss them so much."
"I know." Niki gave her a small smile. "What do you say about making the stay a little more bearable? Tomorrow I'll show you all the fun things we can do."
"Okay." Claire nodded, the sad smile on her lips again as she stood.
"Go ahead and shower. Elle and I will pick you out something to wear and help you with your hair and makeup once you finish."
"Alright." She gave Niki one more sad smile before turning and walking towards the bathroom.
In just over an hour later when Niki delivers her to the dining room where the table was set lavishly. "Wow, it's so beautiful."
"It is. Enjoy." Niki gave her a smile.
"What? You're not eating with me tonight?"
Niki laughed and shook her head.. "No honey. Tonight you and Peter are going to have dinner just the two of you. So that you can get to know him a little better."
"NO!" Claire shook her head. "He's the one keeping me captive here. Why would I want to get to know him better?"
"Claire he's not a bad man. Please trust me on that. Have dinner with him and I'll be here after dinner. You can end the evening then if you want."
"Fine." She sighed as she walked further into the room.
"I'm sorry to put you out Ms. Bennet. I just thought you might want to get to know the man whose house you were living in." Peter was frowning from the corner of the room.
"Mr. Petrelli! I - I -"
Peter held up her hand to stop her. "I know. I'm not the best thing to look at." He pulled her chair out and gestured for her to sit. "Why don't we get started so that you can get it over with?"
"I didn't mean it like that." Claire rolled her eyes as she sat. "It has nothing to do with how you look. It has to do with how you act and your attitude. I don't like it in general. I honestly don't give a crap what you look like."
Peter nodded, a small smile sliding onto his lips for just a moment. "Touche. That's fine. Well let's eat some dinner and you can get to know the nicer side of me."
"If it exists." Claire snorted.
"It does." And just as he sat Elle came in with the salads. "Thank you Elle." After she set them he turned back to Claire. "So why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"
Claire bit back a sarcastic remark, taking a deep breath. "I'm 19, the oldest of two children and I was in a pre med program before you kidnapped me for a year. I was about to start my junior year when I had to come here."
"Junior year? Aren't you a bit young for that?"
"No." Claire shook her head. "My birthday is in a few days."
"Really?" Peter looked up, meeting her eyes.
Claire nodded. "I wasn't going to mention it." She laughed. "I still don't know why I did."
"Who knows, but now we'll have to plan something special for it." He smiled, the first full smile she had ever seen on his lips. Although one corner still didn't turn all the way up. It was a nice smile.
Claire felt her own lips curl up in response and despite herself she began to enjoy his company. The rest of dinner went well and once they were finished Peter turned to her, his eyes alight with mischief. "So I know that you're homesick so I got you a present."
"Really?" Claire tried to smile, but the mention of home diminished the good time she'd been having.
Peter nodded as he reached until the table, pulling a bag out. "Open it."
Claire reached inside, pulling out a box. "What is this?" She focused on the writing on the box before looking up at him, the confusion apparent on her face.
"I sent one to your family too." He gave her a small smile. "I know that phone calls aren't the best way to keep you from missing them so I thought that since you could see them with a web cam that might work better."
"Thank you Mr. Petrelli."
Peter shook his head. "No, it's Peter now."
"Okay. Well then thank you Peter." She gave him a big smile.
"I was going to ask you if you'd accompany me on a walk through the gardens, but I can see that all you want to do is go set that up so go away." He laughed at the torn expression on her face. "It's okay. I won't hold it against you."
Claire shot him another grin before standing up and heading for the door. "Thank you so much Peter."
"You're welcome Claire," he whispered as he watched her retreating figure. He would do anything to see that look on her face again. She'd been radiant, her smile making her face glow. Even when she was sad she was beautiful, but when she was happy she was breath taking.
The months passed and the two grew closer, learning more and more about the other. Claire even began to trust him and look forward to their time together. He always went out of his way to make her smile and to make sure that she was as happy as she could be away from her family.
On her birthday he, Elle and Niki had thrown together a party. They'd had a dinner of all of her favorite foods, cake and presents. She didn't know how they'd known, but they got her everything that she'd wanted and had even delivered the presents from her family. Peter had surprised her with a beautiful diamond necklace that she had at first tried to refuse, but he wouldn't hear of it. He'd said something about how he had all this money and no one to spend it on as he'd gotten around her neck. Once she saw herself in the mirror with it on she knew that she'd never give it back.
Peter had stood behind her, staring at her in the mirror. Even she realized what a big event it was as she met his eyes. In the month she had been staying there she'd never seen him go near mirror and Niki had explained to her that he never went near mirrors because he was revolted by the sight of his own face. He'd smiled at her once before stepping back into the shadows, leaving her to admire the necklace.
Every few days or so he would have dinner be just the two of them, but he made sure to be there every night so that he could hear her laugh. He could feel himself falling and knew that it was a mistake, but he couldn't stop himself. She was an addiction that he didn't want to give up. She was the reason that he got up every morning and she was his last thought as he slid into sleep at night.
A few weeks after her birthday he had taken her for a walk through the gardens, teaching her about all of the flowers. During that walk he'd explained to her a little about his past. About how he'd once been like her, Niki and Elle with a power of his own. He'd been an empath who could duplicate any power that he came into contact with. But then he'd been taken by a place called The Company. They'd experimented on him and he couldn't remember much from that time. There were flashes of memories, but he didn't know what was real and what was his own imagination. When she'd asked about his scars, he'd shied away and they'd changed the subject.
He continued surprising her with gifts and she would berate him for buying her things, but she honestly loved the attention. Peter was a much nicer person than she had originally thought and she'd grown to love Niki and Elle as sisters. She still missed her family, but it was bearable now. They would all have a weekly movie night where they'd each pick a movie and they'd watch them all before collapsing into bed. One night they'd all fallen asleep in the living room and when Peter had awoken at dawn he'd found Claire cradled in his arms. He'd stared for hours, afraid to move and awaken her. She'd looked so peaceful in her sleep and he didn't want to disturb that.
When she'd finally began to stir he'd pretended that her movements had awakened him. He'd given a big stretch and smiled at her before leaving the room. He'd so badly wanted to kiss her and knew that would have been a very bad idea. And knowing this he kept his thoughts to himself, but couldn't help staring every time she was in the room. Both Niki and Elle had caught him staring on multiple occasions and knew that they were worried, but he'd avoided the topic. If they didn't talk about it then it could be ignored. That was his reasoning anyways.
One night Claire had surprised him, asking him to help her make dinner. They'd made a mess, but they'd had a great time. Niki had been pissed when she'd seen the mess they were making, but as soon as she'd seen the smiles on their faces she'd forgiven them. The two of them brought out the best in each other and this was the happiest she'd seen Peter in years. She worried that he was setting himself up for heartbreak, but she wasn't willing to bring his happiness to an end.
Then he'd surprised her with a sunset picnic. They'd shared a bottle of champagne, a carton of strawberries and bologna sandwiches which had made her laugh. He'd made sure that they were included since they were her favorite even though it didn't necessarily fit with the rest of the menu. They'd stayed out there for hours after the sun had set, talking and staring at the stars. He'd told her about the fire that Niki and Elle had started to get him away from the company, but it had gotten out of control and he'd been caught in it. They'd drug him out of the fire, barely alive and nursed him back to heath. That was when they'd discovered that The Company had somehow taken his powers from him.
The Company had been coming after them for the last few years, but Elle and Niki stood by him. They protected him from the men that would love to do nothing more than to kill him. When he'd finished telling the story he was almost afraid to look at her, but when he did he found that her eyes were on him, tears sliding down her cheeks. She'd reached up with her hand, flipping his hair out of his eyes as she'd given him a small smile. The sprinklers had come on and they'd made a run for the house, their laughter spilling behind them.
She'd completely knocked the breathe out of him one day when he'd gone for a walk outside and he'd found her in the pool, wearing two scraps of material that barely covered anything. He'd stared for a few moments, desperately trying to breathe as she made her way up the steps. The water ran down her body and he watched as she reached up to push the hair back from her face, leaving her body for him to gaze at with nothing in the way. When he'd gotten back to her face she had a smile on her lips and laughter in her eyes. She'd asked if he liked what he saw and he'd been so embarrassed he'd turned away, not even saying a word to her. It was another thing that went unmentioned in the house.
They'd realized that they also shared the same passion for football and if there was a game on you could be sure that they were watching. They rarely agreed on teams, but could be heard throughout the house as they yelled at th television and the players who couldn't here them. At times Niki had actually heard them end up arguing after one of them began telling at the television. Both she and Elle got plenty laughs from the two of them watching football games.
Niki had even once gotten the bright idea for them to have a game night one night. That hadn't gone over as well as she would've planned. Four competitive people playing together wasn't good. They'd tried playing about ten different games before giving up. Each game had ended by someone throwing something at someone else and as entertaining as that was it wasn't exactly safe. They'd all ended up mad and had decided to work off the stress by working out in the gym. There hadn't been any more game nights after that night.
When the snow had started to fall everyone found themselves playing in it. And that was when things started to change. On Christmas Eve Peter and Claire found themselves outside playing in the snow. Claire was making snow angels when Peter got an idea. "Hey Claire!"
She'd sat up, turning around to find him and a snow ball hit her square in the face. "I'm going to kill you!!!" She wiped the snow from her face and glared at him. She quickly made her own snowball, but missed when she threw it and he ended up hitting her again.
Claire hissed as she wiped away the snow, trying to figure out how to get him back when her aim was so bad and he was so good at dodging. Suddenly it hit her. She made a snowball and ran towards him, pretending that she was throwing it at him. When he jumped out of the way she launched herself at him, knocking him to the ground. With a grin she crushed the snowball in his face.
When she'd tried to get away he'd pulled her back down and they'd wrestled around in the snow. When Claire shivered Peter jumped up. "Oh no! Are you cold? How stupid! I bet you have so much snow in your clothes."
"Calm down Peter." Claire rolled her eyes.
"Come on, let's get you inside." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he led her towards the house.
Niki was waiting at the door when they made it to the house. "C'mon Claire. Let's get you in a warm bath so you can warm up and then you can make some cookies." She shook her head at Peter. "You too. Get a bath and then cookies."
Claire lingered over her bath for longer than she had meant to and when she made her way downstairs she found Peter in the kitchen. "Where did Niki and Elle go? I thought we were making cookies?"
"Apparently we needed some more ingredients, but we have the first batch mixed already. I was just waiting for you so that we could start cutting them out." Peter grinned as he held up the cookie cutter in his hand.
Claire grinned as she grabbed a cookie cutter and they went to work at cutting out the first batch. Once they had them in the oven she grinned as she grabbed some of the dough and threw it at him. She laughed as it bounced off of his forehead.
"Oh you think that's funny do you?" Peter grinned as he threw a piece of dough at her. In minutes there was dough flying all over the place. Claire ducked through the doorway leading to the living, peeking around the corner. "Boo!"
She jumped six feet in the air as he appeared beside her. "Damn it Peter! You scared the crap at me."
"That was the plan." He glanced up and realized that they were standing underneath the mistletow. He suddenly sobered up as his eyes met her's. "Looks like we have to kiss. It's a tradition you know."
Claire's throat was suddenly very dry and she couldn't breath as she looked into his eyes. "And we don't want to break tradition right?"
Peter gave her a small smile as he closed the distance between them, their lips just barely meeting. Sparks flew and they both pulled back, eyes wide. Peter searched her eyes, looking for something in them. He got his answer when she gave him a small smile and he leaned down, capturing her lips again. This time the kiss was deeper as his tongue slipped between her lips, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her closer.
"Claire! Claire!" Elle's voice was high with worry as she came barelling down the hallway, almost running into them. Her eyes widened as she saw them jump apart guiltily. She grinned for a moment before her face soberred again. "Claire, it's your dad! He was in a car accident. It's bad. He's in a coma."
"What?" Tears filled Claire's eyes as the happiness that had just filled her was replaced with dread.
Niki suddenly appeared behind them. "He was hit by a semi truck. They're not sure if he's going to make it."
Claire turned to Peter, eyes pleading. "I know that I'm not supposed to leave, but Peter...If he dies..."
"I know." Peter stroked the side of her face. "Go, but promise me you'll come back to me."
Claire smiled. "Of course. Thank you." She squeezed his hand before turning to Niki. "Can you take me?"
Niki looked to Peter who nodded. "Please. You and Elle take her. Keep her safe."
"But Peter. There's no one else here. All the guards went home. You'll be alone. What if-"
Peter cut her off. "Go with Claire. Keep her safe. Make sure that nothing happens to her."
Niki nodded before turning and the three left the room. Peter walked to the window and watched them run to the car, tearing out of the driveway. He sighed as a sense of dread filled him.
"Noah Bennet's room?" Claire asked, the tears running down her face.
"And you are?" The nurse looked down her nose at her.
"His daughter. Where the fuck is his room?"
The nurse rolled her eyes. "There's no need to use foul language. It's room 402, the third on the left down that hallway."
Claire took off down the hallway, Niki and Elle close behind her. She slammed into the room, her arms wrapping around her mother. "Mom! How is he?"
"Oh Claire. My baby." Her mother kissed her head. "I missed you."
"I missed you too Mom. But how is Dad?" She turned to the bed to see Noah's eyes on her. She launched herself into his awaiting arms and cried. "I thought that you were going to die."
Noah laughed before moaning in pain. "I couldn't die when my baby girl was with that mad man."
"Oh no Dad! Peter's not a mad man." Claire pulled back, meeting her father's eyes. "He's one of the kindest people I've ever met."
Noah glared over Claire's shoulder at Niki and Elle. "What did you guys decide to brainwash my daughter?"
Niki shook her head. "No Noah. She's just gotten to know him."
"Whatever." Noah shook his head. "I'm just glad to have you back Claire Bear."
"Oh I'm not staying. I promised that I would go back. I have to go back." Tears slid down her cheeks. "But let's not talk about that now. What happened?"
"I was driving and this semi truck came out of nowhere. It had to have seen me, but it was like it was aiming for me. It never slowed down or anything. And after it hit me the driver jumped out of the truck, abandoning it."
"What?" Niki's face turned white as she turned to Elle. "Do you think?"
Claire gasped. "The Company? Niki tell me this couldn't be them! Please tell me that they didn't set us up."
"I don't know Claire, they could've. We need to go back."
"Not without me." Claire turned back to her parents. "I'm sorry. I have to go. I have to be sure that Peter is okay. I'll call you." Without another word she took off after Niki and Elle.
They drove as quickly as they could from the hospital and when they got there they heard yelling and gunshots from the backyard. They ran full out and the scene that they found was not a good one. There were three men, their guns on Peter as he dropped the gun in his hand. He looked pleadingly at the men around him. "Please don't do this. Mohinder. Adam. Bob. Please don't. I'm not a threat. I don't even have my powers anymore."
"We can't take that chance Peter. I'm sorry." Mohinder sighed as raised the gun and pulled the trigger.
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!" Claire screamed as she launched herself across the yard, knocking the man who'd shot at Peter to the ground. But it was too late. Mohinder's shot hit home and the other two men fired as well.
Niki and Elle chased the men off as Claire took Peter into her arms, blood spilling from his wounds all over her clothes. Tears slid down her cheeks as she leaned her forehead against his. "Peter, you can't die."
Peter coughed and he could hear the blood in his lungs. "I'm sorry Claire." He stroked her cheek gently. "You're free now."
"Damn it! I don't want to be free! I love you! Do you understand that? I'm in love with you. I can't live without you Peter!"
"I love you too," he choked out as his eyes began to roll back in the back of his head.
"NO!" Claire screamed as the tears poured from her eyes, sobs overtaking her. "Fight it! Fight it! Absorb my power! Heal! Do NOT die on me! I will hate you for the rest of my life if you die on me!" She lowered her head, brushing her lips across his.
Niki and Elle looked on, their hearts breaking. This wasn't something that they could fix. What could they do besides stand there and watch as Claire held him close for his last few moments on Earth.
"I can't," he whispered.
"You can and you will! Fight it! Find a way!" Claire sobbed. "They couldn't have taken your powers away. They have to be there somewhere. Find them! Don't you dare die."
Peter shook his head. "I can't-"
"Stop saying that!" She shook him as her anger overtook her.
"I'll try..." He closed his eyes, face determined. After a few moments his face went lax and his chest stopped moving as he stopped breathing.
"No!!!!!!" Claire screamed at the sky. Suddenly she felt a movement in her arms and she looked down to see Peter staring up at her again. She watched in amazement as the bullet holes closed and the scars on his face began to fade. "Oh my God." Her hand reached up to trace the now perfect skin of his face.
"What?" Peter sat up, looking around him. "I thought that I was dying."
"You were!" Claire threw her arms around her neck. "But you must have found your powers because you healed yourself. " She pulled back. "Even your face."
Peter's hands shot up to his face, feeling the smoothness. He let out a laugh as his eyes met Elle and Niki's over Claire's shoulder. They both gave him a smile before walking away, leaving them alone. "So you love me?"
Claire nodded. "I do. I love you with all of my heart." She laughed. "Especially now that I see that you're hot."
Peter laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm glad because I love you too." And with that he lowered his head, their lips meeting.
And they lived happily ever after.
The End.