Two Worlds, One Family

Raise your head up
Lift high the load
Take strength from those that need you
Build high the walls
Build strong the beams
A new life is waiting
But dangers no stranger here

--Phil Colins

Chapter 1

A Grand Entrance

"Come on, Claire, let's go!" I heard my Uncle Peter call from the living room of his apartment in Los Angeles. It was noon on July first, and our flight to New York City would be departing at two thirty. I spent the night over their place, which made sense as they were coming with me. It made for one less stop along the way, and with how anal Peter was with timeliness this morning, I'm grateful for this decision.

"Let's hurry, quickly now…before your Uncle throws a right fit," Caitlin begged, rushing into the guest room to make sure I was moving along.

"I'm just about ready," I promised. "Just putting my sneakers on." I quickly did so, tying them in haste, and grabbed my bags. "Sorry…I'm sorry," I apologized as I stumbled into the living room, finding Peter waiting for us. "I set my alarm for pm instead of am, and of course overslept…"

"That would figure, today," Peter grumbled, and Caitlin shook her head with a frown.

"Dear, you're lashing out at her for a mere mistake," She pointed out, and Peter looked at her before turning his attention to me.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"It's okay," I insisted. "You're a little stressed out about spending three weeks with Nathan."

"Yeah," Peter muttered, and Caitlin insisted he hug me and start fresh.

"I love you, Munchkin," Peter promised. "But we're really running late, and the last thing I want is to screw up Nathan's already planned schedule."

I shared an amused look with Caitlin, and the two of us hoisted our bags and rushed after him through the apartment door. We arrived at the airport, with Peter cursing traffic, and it was a whirlwind of activity for the next hour and a half.

We had lunch in the airport, and had about twenty minutes of leisure time before the boarding call. I brought plenty of reading material, and of course text messaged West, who pitied me for getting the brunt of my Uncle's current neurosis.

The flight to New York was long, and I couldn't imagine how Heidi felt when she flew alone, worrying about her husband while he was sick in the hospital. It was long enough for me, and I wasn't worrying about anything more than meeting my two brothers.

At one point, Peter gave my arm a comforting squeeze, and promised it was going to be fine. "I'm really sorry for how I acted earlier, Munchkin," he apologized. "Forgive me?"

"Always," I replied. "I'm nervous, too."

"You'll love Monty and Simon…they're good kids," Peter insisted. "It's a shame their Dad's hardly home."

"I hope they like me," I said. "I'm used to Lyle, though, who's not exactly the most mature. In fact, it'll be nice to get a break from him this summer."

Peter laughed. "I don't know if Nathan's told the boys about you, to be honest," he admitted.

"Why wouldn't he?" I asked.

"Nathan's usually a pretty private person…I doubt his kids even know he can fly. Heidi doesn't, of all people."

"Great," I leaned my chin in my palm.

"Hey…don't do that," Peter begged. "You're going to have a great time this summer. Nathan wouldn't have invited you if he didn't think you would."

"Yeah," I agreed, leaning against him with an arm around his waist. He kept me close until we landed, and I was just starting to doze off when the plane hit the ground.

When we got into the terminal, Nathan was waiting for us. I ran to him, avoiding a man in an electric wheel chair, and he wrapped me in an embrace.

"You made it," He said, and I nodded. "Hi, Pete…and Caitlin." He hugged each of them, and brought us to the baggage claim. "Did you have a good flight?"

"Yeah," I replied. "It was long, though. Have you been feeling okay since you got home?" I added.

"Oh yeah," Nathan replied. "I've been great. Just tired, but that's because they've been working me like a dog as usual."

"Are you working tonight?" I asked, hoping he didn't have to.

"Nope…that's why this past week was so busy. I wanted to make sure I was home to see you," He explained, and I beamed, looking at Peter who seemed surprised.

"Great!" I exclaimed.

"Don't look so shocked," Nathan told his brother, who set his teeth, clearly not wanting to be part of this at all."All right, then, my car's parked in the lot, so let's hit the road."

"We should start looking around for hotels," Peter started, and Nathan looked at him, startled.

"You and Caitlin can stay in the guest house," Nathan insisted. "Save your money for the wedding."

"No, we can't intrude…" Peter protested, and I looked at him.

"You need to be close to Claire while she's here," Nathan explained. "You don't have to stay with her every second, but I want you within the vicinity of the house at least. A hotel isn't appropriate at this point."

Peter nodded, though I could tell he would rather hang himself from the rafters. I squeezed his hand as I had on the plane, and he smiled at me.

We did take separate cars, however, and I sat in the front seat of Nathan's Porsche. "This is nice," I complimented, and he smiled at me.

"How's your convertible coming along?" He asked. "It's a shame you won't get to drive it very much this summer."

I had to admit, that was one of the downsides to having come to New York for three weeks; my new baby would be sitting all by itself in the driveway.

"Great," I told him. "I really love it. West is jealous, though he wouldn't be caught dead with a purple car."

Nathan laughed.

"Do the boys know about me?" I asked suddenly as we pulled to a stop at the red light. "Sorry, I just…I want to know if I should treat them as my brothers or something else."

"They do," He replied, and I couldn't help but raise my eyes. "But you can blame Heidi for that. She was so excited when we got home, that she told them everything about you. She's always wanted a daughter, so she went out to buy stuff for your guest room last week."

"She didn't have to do that," I whispered, a little embarrassed. "Why didn't you want to tell them about me?"

"They're young," Nathan explained. "It would be a little traumatic. Forgive me, Claire, I'm just…"

"Trying to protect your family," I sighed, knowing the phrase all too well. "Yeah."

Nathan gave me a quick hug and kiss on the forehead before the light turned green, and we pulled forward again.

I don't know what kind of house I was expecting to come to, but nothing like what met my eyes as we pulled into the long, windy driveway.

"Holy crap," I gasped, and Nathan laughed at the expression of utter shock on my face. "I didn't even know these kinds of place existed in New York! Especially not this close to the city," I added, and wondered how many rooms it had.

"It's right on the outskirts. There's a subway within walking distance, so you can get to Manhattan if you wanted."

"This is so cool! I'll probably get lost trying to get from my bedroom to the bathroom," I teased and we came to a stop at the triple car garage.

Nathan helped me with my bags just as Peter and Caitlin pulled in behind us, and we stepped through the front door together.

The house was quiet, so I wondered if the kids were playing outside due to the weather being so nice. If I thought the outside was large, the inside made me feel like a midget. I couldn't help but stare at the ceiling, nearly running into the side of the doorway when we made it to the kitchen.

Heidi was there, making lunch, and she turned around when Nathan came up behind her.

"Claire!" She exclaimed, and immediately pulled me into a hug, kissing the top of my head. "Welcome to our house. I'm just getting some lunch together for everybody—I'm sure you're starving."

"Yeah," I agreed, and looked at Peter, who also greeted his sister-in-law with a hug and kiss. Caitlin did the same, and when Peter inquired where his nephews were, Heidi explained they were playing ball in the yard.

"Come on," Peter encouraged, and I felt suddenly shy.

"It's okay," Nathan promised, and after Caitlin volunteered to help Heidi in the kitchen, the three of us walked towards the sliding doors that led to the spacious back yard.

I could hear the sound of yelling and occasional laughter, and saw two boys standing about ten feet apart from each other. They had set up a small baseball field, and were in the middle of an inning.

"Monty, Simon!" Nathan called, clapping his hands for attention, and both of my brothers stopped at once. "Your Uncle Peter and Claire are here."

I got a good look at the children for the first time. They were adorable, and looked very much like their father. One had a short buzzed cut, and the other had longer hair that covered his ears.

"Uncle Pete!" The boy with the shortest cut exclaimed, leaping into Peter's arms, and my Uncle swung his little nephew around, stating how big he'd grown.

"Mommy said I'm probably gonna be as tall as Daddy," He said with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Claire? This is Simon," Peter announced. "And this little rascal grabbing onto my leg is Monty."

Both boys were quiet as they stared at me, and I felt my cheeks grow warm.

"Guys? Would you say hello to your sister?" Nathan asked, and both Monty and Simon did as their father told them, though shyly. "Claire, for now, let's get you up to your room so you can start putting your things together," He suggested, and I nodded, grateful to have some time to myself.

I heard both of the boys beg Peter to play baseball with them, and my Uncle obliged without hesitation.

"Sorry about that," Nathan apologized. "I hope you didn't take offense."

"None," I promised. "They are really cute, though. Simon definitely looks like you."

Nathan smiled at the comment, thanking me, and told Heidi what we were going to be doing.

"Oh good," She breathed. "Claire, sweetie, I set up your room so I hope you don't mind. I tried to avoid pink, since your Uncle told me it's not a favorite color of yours."

I laughed, remembering how Peter and I painted the guest room in his old New York City apartment.

"Let me bring her up, Nathan," Heidi begged, and Nathan didn't object…he stepped back and let his wife do the honors. "Come on, honey." She took my hand, and I followed her up the long staircase, my mouth widening further with awe.

"I can't believe this place," I gasped. "It's like a miniature version of the white house in DC!"

Heidi chuckled at my comment. "It's been in the Petrelli family for years," she explained. "I kept telling Nathan we didn't need all of this space, but he wouldn't hear of moving. Ah, here we are." She pushed open the second door on the right hand side, and let me walk in first. The bedroom was larger than either of the ones the Bennett's gave me. It had two large windows overlooking the front yard, and plenty of sunlight came through. The walls were a neutral cream color, and Heidi picked out a dark purple comforter and lavender sheets. "Nathan said you liked purple," She explained the color choice, and I smiled, remembering my convertible.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"You should have plenty of space in your closet and your dresser for your things. You probably won't need much of it since you'll only be here for three weeks, but I know how much living out of a suitcase stinks."

"Thanks, Heidi," I told her. "I really appreciate everything. You didn't have to go to all the trouble."

"I'm just so glad to have you here, finally," She said, giving me a hug. "I've always wanted a daughter. Not that having two sons isn't wonderful, of course," she added quickly, and I knew her comment was absolutely genuine. "But sometimes it's hard being the only woman in the house."

I smiled, and then she gave me a brief tour of the upstairs, showing me where the bathroom was, and how to work the shower.

"There are a bunch of towels in the linen closet, here, and don't hesitate to ask if you need anything else," She encouraged, and I nodded. "Well, lunch will be in a little while, so I'll have Nathan call you down when it's ready."

"Okay," I agreed, and watched as she gave a small wave, shutting my bedroom door quietly behind her. When she was gone, I sat on the edge of the bed, gazing around. I sighed, laying back on top of the comforter, and couldn't believe I was actually here. When I first told my Mom I wanted to meet my real parents, she looked as though I'd shot her with a bullet through the heart. Of course, the first set they brought in were fake, which I always found interesting.

I was glad I discovered the truth, and wanted to start my life with my blood relatives as quickly as possible.

I started to unpack my suitcase, and barely got halfway through when there was a small knock on the door.

"Come in," I called, and it opened slowly, revealing the small figure of Simon, who looked embarrassed. "Hi," I greeted, smiling at him. "Is lunch ready?"

"Not yet," He admitted, and I encouraged him to come in the rest of the way. "I wanted to come and say I was sorry. Mom let me," He added quickly, as though I were planning to scold him for intruding.

"What are you sorry for?" I asked, and Simon shrugged.

"Dad said I wasn't real nice to you, and I should have set a sample for Monty."

I fought laughter at the attempt to use adult language, and promised it was fine. "Well, it was very nice of you to come and see me," I told him. "I have a little brother at home, a few years older than you, actually."

"Really?" Simon asked. "Does he like baseball?"

"He loves all sports," I admitted, and it was true. Lyle must have tried everything from baseball to ice hockey, never sticking with one thing for very long.

"Do you like video games?" Simon added, and I smiled.

"I've played a few, but I'm not very good," I warned.

"I can teach ya!" Simon exclaimed, excited, and I was just about to respond when Nathan's voice called us down to the kitchen for dinner. "C'mon," he told me, and grabbed my hand, practically dragging me into the hall.

Nathan looked pleased when he saw the two of us side by side, and encouraged Monty to come and say hello. Just as he had with Peter, the youngest of the Petrelli son's embraced me, and Peter began to laugh at the expression of surprise on my face.

"There we go," he announced. "The ice is broken." He gave me a wink, and I shook my head.

Heidi and Caitlin served platters of lunch meat, cheese, bread, rolls, and mixed vegetables on the large patio table. It was so nice she thought an outdoor meal would be best.

"Such lovely sunshine," Caitlin complimented, sitting next to her fiancé, and squeezed his hand. He leaned over to peck a kiss on the cheek, and Heidi inquired about their wedding plans.

"Caitlin wants to get married in the fall," Peter explained, "we're looking into late September, early October."

"Are you looking for a big ceremony or going to city hall?" Nathan asked, and Caitlin finished putting her sandwich together, smiling at him.

"I've always wanted to marry in a Catholic church," she replied, "and it would have been my parent's dream. They're no longer living, though, God rest their souls."

"I'm sorry," Heidi said, and Caitlin gave a shake of her head.

"Please…don't be," she insisted. "But I'm very lucky to have found such a wonderful man as this one right beside me. He was a Godsend," she added, and Peter blushed crimson at her compliment.

"It's so wonderful to here that," Heidi told her future sister-in-law. "I'm sure you'll have a beautiful ceremony. But I would get started on booking the church and the reception hall, as those things fill up quickly."

"Don't get them too riled up, Heidi," Nathan chuckled at his wife's enthusiasm.

"So do you have a boyfriend, Claire?" Heidi asked, changing the subject on a whim, and I took another bite of my sandwich.

"Yes I do, actually," I replied. "West Rosen. We met at Costa Verde High School when I first started going there two years ago."

"Do you have a picture?" Heidi wanted to know, and I pulled my cell phone from my pocket, showing her the wallpaper I'd chosen. It was West looking very handsome on the beach, during one of our many casual walks. "Ah, he's a looker! And what is he doing this summer while you're in New York?"

"I don't know, to be honest," I admitted. "Probably hunting for colleges."

"Have you given anymore thought to the matter, Claire?" Nathan asked, and I shook my head.

"I have a few ideas in mind, but nothing definite, yet," I admitted, and could tell he was a little disappointed by my answer.

"Maybe you should look into filling out a few applications while you're here," he suggested, and Heidi looked at him.

"Nathan," she warned. "She's here to enjoy herself. Don't put pressure on her."

Nathan cleared his throat, and I promised it was okay. "I just would rather discuss this with my Dad, first," I explained, and Monty looked at me.

"Isn't our Daddy yours, too?" He asked, and I stared at Nathan.

"I am, Monty, but Claire was adopted as a baby," He explained, and Monty looked very curious about the whole matter.

"Does Claire have a real Mommy, then?" Simon asked, and Nathan nearly choked on the sip of iced tea he'd taken.

"Boys, that's enough," Heidi told her youngest son, and glanced at Nathan uncomfortably.

"Sorry, Mama," Monty and Simon apologized in unison. The rest of lunch was a bit tense, and I wondered if my coming to spend a summer with them had been a mistake.

"No, Claire," Nathan insisted as we were cleaning up, and he gave me a hug. "Don't ever think that."

"I just don't want to cause them any trauma," I sighed.

"They've probably already forgotten about that conversation," Nathan said. "Remember…Heidi knows about Meredith, so it's not as if we're keeping a big secret here."

"Yeah," I agreed. "I'm just nervous, that's all."

"Don't' be," Nathan begged. "Listen, while I'm here, I wanted to go over a few ground rules."

Here we go, I thought bracing myself for the inevitable.

"You have free range of the house, though my study is off limits to everyone. I usually keep that locked, though, so it shouldn't be an issue. Second, if you are going to be out, I would prefer you be home before midnight, and make sure Peter knows where you'll be."

"Got it," I promised.

"And I'm sure Heidi has told you this already, but please don't feel embarrassed if you need anything at all. You're our guest, and we want to make you feel comfortable. All right?"

I nodded, giving him a hug. "Thank you for everything," I whispered, and he promised it was nothing.

"I'm glad I can give you this, sweetheart," he whispered. "It's probably not nearly enough."

"It's perfect," I said, and Nathan pulled me into the bedroom for a moment, encouraging me to take a seat on the bed while he used my desk chair.

"Listen," He began, "I remember a question you asked me out in California, and I've given the answer a lot of thought."

"What's that?" I asked, confused, and Nathan looked at his lap for a moment.

"You asked, if I had known you were alive, would I have taken you in."

I bit my lip, shocked that he'd remembered after everything he went through.

"Nathan, I…" I began, and he held up his hand, encouraging me to give him a hug.

"Well, my answer is yes. I absolutely would have taken you in, had circumstances been different than they are," he explained, and I felt my throat choke up with tears. "I love you, Claire. I never want you to forget that." He tapped my nose, and I smiled.

"I love you, too," I replied, and Nathan promised to give me some alone time.

"Remember what I said," he added as he stood in the doorway, and I nodded.

"I will," I promised, and when he left, I felt as though I could explode with happiness, This, I thought, was the life I'd always wanted.