A.N: I'm back and with a new story ...YAY (major problems with word ... lost everything).

This story is more angst then my other fics, so be warned. Anyways now lets see how it goes.

"Last night was different" Claire mumbles, Peter's unsure if he is even supposed to answer. He does anyway.

"I know"

Claire shifts beside him. The clothes covering her suddenly feel needed.

"You can stay, we can…"

"No we can't. Things will never be the same, you know that", Peter can feel her slowly pulling away from him, beneath the covers. For the first time; he doesn't try to feel the gap between them.

"I know"

Claire moves further away, his losing her; and his not saying anything to stop it from happening.

'Say something, anything', But Peter pulls a blank and he feels her get up and leave.

Peter's alone, and he knows it's partly his fault. But then again, would have saying anything have helped in this situation. Peter doubts it.

"Peter!!"

Peter turns around alerted by Claire's sudden scream, he races up the stairs towards her room; in the Petrelli mansion.

Nathan sighed, he had seen this happen all throughout the week, since Claire had moved in. Taking in the teenager wasn't his idea of fun. But once Peter had told him about how Slyer had tried to kill her again after homecoming, and how the young girl had come to Peter to keep her family away from danger, he didn't really have a choice.

However once he heard of his brother's plans to move her into his one bedroom apartment, he simply wouldn't here of it. So he invited her to stay in the Petrelli mansion, and of course Peter moved straight back in. In away you could say he got what he wanted; Away to check on his brother's behaviours, without being too obvious.

"Peter!!"

"I'm coming what room are you in?" Peter screamed back.

"The bathroom"

"Which one?", Nathan laughed as he watched his brother run up and down the house in search for the screaming cheerleader.

"I think it's the one opposite my study Peter" Nathan answered for Claire, he too now making his way to the bathroom, where Claire's screams were still coming from. Nathan was chuckling to himself before he felt himself being slammed into the wall next to him, as Peter pushed frankly past him; in a desperate run, towards Claire's screams.

"Peter!! It's over there"

Nathan heard Claire scream, picking himself up, he moved towards the bathroom. What he saw before him, was nothing at all what he had expected to see. There standing on top of the toilet lid, was Claire with only a towel; wrapped around her, as Peter tried to slam the small spider with his shoe.

"I know Claire I just don't want it to run towards me… Ahhh" Peter let out a little shout as the small spider made a final dash towards freedom. Nathan who had already taken off one of his shoes, while Peter was trying to work out the best way to kill the small thing, slammed his shoe on top of it.

Everyone was quite staring at the mess left on the bathroom.

Then out of no where Claire began to cry.

Nathan watched as Peter moved towards the still crying figure of Claire, reaching out his arms, he pulled Claire into them; while whispering words, that Nathan couldn't quite make out.

Claire smiled burying her head deep into his chest.

"It's ok Nathan got him, his dead"

"He was so scary"

Nathan noticed as Peter moved one of his hands so it was now caressing her back.

"I know, come on I'll take you to a 'spider' free bathroom"

Claire must of mumbled ok because, Nathan watched as Peter picked her up into his arms and carried her out of the bathroom.

Nathan was left in the bathroom, with only a crumbled up dead spider and his thoughts; to keep him company.

For the first time Nathan realised, his brother was in love with the cheerleader from Texas.

Peter made his way into the kitchen, fully aware that Claire isn't singing happily as she makes them her mom's special pancakes.

He hears the shower turn on. Looks like its cereal for breakfast.

Peter opens the cupboard and takes out a box of Cheerio's; he questions the dust on top of it, then he realises he doesn't really care. Opening the box he pours some into a bowl, along with some milk; which would have been used to construct the pancake mixture, he sighs and takes a spoonful.

Halfway through Peter's spoonfuls of stale cereal, he hears the shower being turned off, he pauses waiting for her to come out. She takes longer then usual, eventually coming out fully dressed for work. Peter knows he shouldn't be disappointed that she didn't come out just in a towel, like always. He gets a sick feeling in his stomach and knows fully well it's not from the cereal.

He feels her come over and take the seat across from him; he chooses not to look up, and continues to chew down his breakfast.

After a while Peter looks up at Claire, who isn't looking at him; he turns back to his cereal.

Claire gets up after a few minutes and walks over to where Peter is sitting. For a moment Peter thinks she is going to kiss him goodbye like old times. She doesn't.

"I think its best I stay at Niki's tonight"

Peter doesn't look up.

"Ok"

Claire turns around and walks out the door.

Peter realises, that this time it isn't just for the day, she is walking out and he may never see her again.

Peter moves with great haste towards the door. But once there he remembers what is stopping him from opening the door.

His outstretched hand loosens its grip on the door knob, and Peter feels himself loose it as he tries to fight against wrong and right, it seems futile; especially since the wrong in this case, only yesterday felt so right. Peter crumbles to the ground in one pathetic heap, the strong man he was yesterday gone in an instant.

He felt his body begin to shake as, the tears he had been trying desperately to hold back, began to full.

Peter's sobs echoed through the dreary walls of his apartment building, blocking out the sobs of the only other person who could possibly know how he was feeling. Claire, who had lost it the moment she had walked out of the door, was crying; her back was pressed so hard against the door she, was sure it had snapped a few times. That didn't matter all other pain inflicted on her seemed numb compared to the pain she was going through this instant. It was at that moment in time that Peter and Claire, loss whatever it was that was holding them together and fell apart. Never to completely heal again, even for two people who were invincible.

Peter watched as Claire stirred her spoon around in her soup bowl. Something was wrong and it pained Peter that he didn't know what it was. After thinking it over for a couple of minutes and crossing off birthdays and holidays, Peter drew a blank. Claire got up from her chair and leaving Peter with a only a sad smile, left. It was then that it all came back to him, homecoming, Sylar and of course the girl with the sad smile, tonight was the anniversary of that very night; the anniversary that Peter first met Claire.

Peter wanted to slap himself for being so stupid, how could he have forgotten that today was the day he had rescued the cheerleader, who turned out to be much more then a canvas painted, stereotypical cheerleader.

'What now' Peter thought to himself, he had to think of a way to make it up to Claire, and after a minute or two, Peter had thought of the perfect way.

"Claire?" Peter said softly as he opened her door slowly.

Claire dressed in her pyjamas, looked up from her position on the huge queen size bed, her head bent slightly to the side; as if questioning Peter why he was here, in her room.

Peter took this as a queue to continue.

"Get dressed I want to take you somewhere"

"Peter, its 12:00 where could you possibly want to go at this hour?"

Peter laughed and chucked her, her jacket.

"You'll see"

After about half n hour and a dozen outfits later; Claire kept arguing that she couldn't find an outfit if she had no idea where she would be going, they were ready to go.

Claire stepped out, in a simple blouse and quarters and after much debate eventually decided to let her down, Much to Peter's pleasure.

"See I told you, you look beautiful, it doesn't matter what you're wearing".

Claire tried desperately to hide a blush which was beginning to appear upon her cheeks.

"So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, come here", Claire gave Peter a quizzical look when he outstretched his hand towards her.

"Peter?"

"Just hold on tight", And before Claire had a chance to say anything else she felt the wind be ripped right out of her, burying her head into Peter's chest she closed her eyes and let any doubts she had about tonight go.

Peter laughed as he stared down at Claire, who had her head still buried in his chest.

"Its ok Claire we are here"

Claire seemed unsure or reluctant to let go of Peter and look around at her new surroundings, but eventually curiosity got the better of her and she stepped out of Peters grip.

Peter smiled as he watched Claire look around at her surroundings with a shock and astonished expression.

"It's exactly like…how did you? I thought you forgo…"

"Claire I could never forget the day I met you"

Claire smiled up at him but almost as soon as her smile had appeared it disappeared.

"Oh my god that's you"

Peter looked around and saw himself walking straight towards them and the memorable trophy cabinet; displaying the newspaper clippings of Jackie.

"Oh yeah forgot about this, ok just one second" Peter pulled Claire's shocked body towards him, "Ok there we go"

Claire looked frantically between the other Peter and her Peter.

"Peter what are you talking abo…" Peter raised one of his fingers to her mouth to silence her.

"Shhh we're invisible" Peter removed his finger as soon as he was sure Claire wasn't going to start shouting again. "I thought I would take you back to the real thing, not create some phoney illusion.

"Peter this is…" Claire was silenced once again as she saw herself enter the scene laid out in front of them.

Claire watched her past self crashed straight into the other Peter, she cringed at how clumsy she had been.

"Ooh sorry"

"Sorry" Peter replied as he handed Claire her bag.

"That was my fault I wasn't looking where I was going"

Peter watched as the other Claire began to walk off and he couldn't help but wished he had said something other then, "Hey, do you... know this girl, Jackie Wilcox?"

But then again she didn't end up walking away, "Uh, yeah, half-time show starts in about five minutes. She'll be out on the field. She's a cheerleader. Are you a reporter or something?"

"Alumni. I'm just curious."

Peter felt himself cringe again, yeah I'm sure she had fell for that, he looked down at Claire who seemed entranced by what she was watching, he decided now wasn't the best time to ask her.

"You know, between you and me, she's not that special. Just your average teenage girl."

"She rushed into a fire and saved a man's life, sounds kinda special to me." Claire shifted in her place; next to Peter, 'oh god he must have thought I sounded so self centred'.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm jealous. She's our town hero. Me? I don't win too many popularity contests."

Peter watched as she walked away from his past self. He wasn't sure why, but at that point he felt like he needed to be nearer to Claire, trying not to make it to oblivious; Peter closed the gap between them. Claire feeling his arm rub against her own, felt like the wind had be taken from her, she was breathless much like her past self when the past Peter had smiled at her and said, "Hey, it gets better"

"What?"

"Life after high school. It gets a lot better." Past Claire smiled and for the first time Peter questioned it, had she really meant to give that smile to him. Looking down at the Claire standing only inches from him, he realised it didn't matter because the smile she was giving him now, meant so much more.

Peter was in love with Claire Bennet.

Claire decided it was best not to go to Niki's that night, and with one last glance back at the apartment she knew she would never be able to enter again, Claire got into a cab and headed off to the airport.

After eventually pulling himself together enough to get of the floor and move towards the phone, once there Peter dialled the only number he would never forget, Claire's.

No answer.

Peter pressed his next speed dial number, Niki.

She hadn't heard from her.

After an hour and a half of ringing all of his and Claire's friends, Peter decided it was best to leave the apartment; too many things reminded him of Claire, Picking up his jacket Peter left in search of anything right now that might help sooth his pain.

It was around 1 when Peter got a home, alcohol reeking from him. He pressed the flashing button on the machine and collapsed on the couch. 'Hey it's Peter and Claire and we just wanted to say we are sorry we missed your call and we'll get back to you as soon as we can, leave a message after the beep. Hey Peter you said I could have after the beep, No I didn't. Yes you did. No I didn't. Yes you…', the message coming to an end, followed shortly by a beep and then a voice Peter had been yearning to hear, Claire's.

"Peter I don't think I should stay in New York, I just need to get out and try to work all these things out, something I think you will be able to understand, tonight I brought a ticket out of New York (Peter noticed how she didn't mention where too) and I don't think I will be planning to come back anytime soon. Peter I want you to know that I Love… (There was a long pause, Peter had thought she had hung up)…Bye Peter"

Beep.

Peter grabbed the phone from its stand and unplugged it, walking towards their room, he set it upon the bed and grabbing the cord plugged it into the socket next to his bed. Peter slowly felt his body give way as he collapsed onto the bed. Peter felt the tears begin to come to his eyes again, this time though Peter allowed them to fall. Peter reached out using his last bit of strength to pull Claire's pillow towards him, breathing in her scent Peter pressed play on the machine. 'Hey it's Peter and Claire and we just wanted to say we are sorry we missed your call and we'll get back…" Peter closed his eyes as he felt the lump in his throat pressed tightly against his skin yearning to escape. "I love you, Claire, so, so much…" Peter broke down into sobs. 'Hey Peter you said I could have after the beep, No I didn't. Yes you did. No I didn't. Yes you…'.

Beep.

A.N :thanks everyone who read this. Love to hear from you all.

And to all major paire fans out there, lets hope Kring finally gets a clue in season 3 :)