Title: Masks That Hide Us

Rating: PG (for now)

Spoilers: Season I finale (but specially Five Years Gone)

Short Summary: What if New York didn't blow up…but things turned out almost exactly as in Five Years Gone? Peter is a broken soul – believing he killed Claire. Claire is alive but running from her true identity to get away from the memories of Peter – who she believes is dead. AU (find out inside why)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…except maybe this computer I'm writing on…

Full Summary: What if New York didn't blow up…but things turned out almost exactly as in Five Years Gone? Peter is a broken soul – believing he killed Claire. Claire is alive but running from her true identity to get away from the memories of Peter – who she believes is dead. Nathan – not Sylar – is president. It's almost exactly like Five Years Gone (they all look the same) except Sylar is dead, New York didn't blow up and Nathan didn't reveal them to the world. AU – Nathan is not her dad.

Chapter 1 – Making of our masks

Claire Bennet smiled at the customer as she poured him another cup of coffee. He laughed whole-heartedly, thanking her by her new name, before he turned away and talked to the owner of the small diner. She turned back to the counter and stared at the mirror behind her. An unnatural – well for her - brown color covered her once golden locks, her emerald eyes were still the same but now lacked the spark they had contained all those years ago and at 21 she felt like she was at least 30.

"Sandra?" she heard the male voice behind her and she jumped at his voice. Turning she found her boyfriend – Andy – standing in front of her and looking worried. It took Claire a spilt second to realize he was talking to her and she smiled at her new name.

"Yeah?" Claire replied in her quirkiest voice and even as he prattled on about something Claire let her thoughts slip away to her diary entry she had read a few days ago. She wrote it the day after the near destruction of New York.

"My name is Claire Bennet and yesterday my whole world changed.

Yesterday Peter Petrelli – the love of my life – offered his own life to save the world. He wouldn't let me save him...wouldn't let me go with him. We fought about it – him standing with the radiation pouring from every piece of his body – me with the gun faced at him. Peter kept yelling that I had to shoot him, that I was the only one that could stop it. But I couldn't...there was no way that I could shoot my love. Before I knew it Nathan was standing in front of me – forcing me to lower the gun. He whispered that to me that there had been a mistake – he wasn't my father – and even before I could reply he had grabbed Peter and flew into the sky. Soon after they exploded – taking away my only hope for living. There was an explosion down under where I was. Noah – my adoptive father – had saved me just in time. It was Sylar that had had a mini-explosion. Luckily it was contained but not before it had taken three victims. Sylar. Micah. DL. It would have taken me too... it should have taken me.

My name is Claire Bennet and the reason for my living died yesterday."

Nathan had survived – by all other hopes it had been the congressman that had survived – but Claire never received any word of Peter. And with every day that passed she came to realize that Peter hadn't made it.

Nathan had gone on to become president. She and Nathan hadn't talked since that faithful night and she didn't know if he knew she was alive. Noah had done a great deal to keep her safe after that day – the day she had become destructive – and she guessed Noah had not told Nathan she was alive...or even told him she was dead.

"Sandra?" Andy asked again as he waved his hand in front of her face. Claire looked up at him – smiling sadly, guilt lining her eyes.

"Sorry about that Andy...I was deep in thought." He smiled happily – making her feel more guilty for thinking about Peter – as he kissed her forehead.

"What were you thinking about?"

A pause followed as she looked up into his eyes.

"Just wondering...how heaven is."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Niki Sanders marched over towards the bar as two glasses waited for her. She took one, gulping down the cold liquid, before she set her glass back down. The other glass moved away from her and in an instant Peter Petrelli materialized next to her on the seat. He took the glass – keeping his gaze on her – as he lifted it to his lips.

"You don't have to be here Peter." She spoke softly and he nodded in understanding as he drank some of the liquid. He watched her as she turned from him, her long blonde hair swinging from the ponytail high on her head.

"You don't have to protect me." He moved closer and grimaced.

"What if I want to?" he whispered into her ear as he kissed right below it. Niki moved to give him better access – losing herself in the passion – before she pulled away.

"I have to go onstage now. Will you be here when I get back?" she asked quickly and he shook his head. She nodded and walked away from him.

Peter stared at the bar as he picked up his drink again. At 32 he looked much mature than he had five years ago. His dark hair was smoothed back and the scar across his face – the only physical reminder of that horrible day – made him look more manly. He looked tough and that was how he acted around everyone else.

But inside Peter was a broken man.

After the explosion he had amazingly regenerated himself and had fallen on the ground miles away from New York. He had no more energy left – being spent from the explosion – and had lain there for what felt like years. Hiro had saved him a few days later and taken him to a heartbroken Niki who nursed him back to health. There he was told another explosion – they were blissfully unaware that it was he who had exploded – from Sylar had killed Micah, DL and Claire.

Peter's heart had died that very instant.

Though it was never supposed to happen, he and Claire had fallen in love and it had been him who had begged her to leave before he killed them both. In the end he really had killed her. The old Peter died that day – after he had smashed everything in his way and cried until he felt his body couldn't take it anymore. And then he was gone – in his place came the hard, no nonsense Peter who didn't show any more emotion than was needed... though in his mind and heart he kept trying to wish her back.

He found out later that Nathan had survived...and become president. Peter knew his brother thought he was dead and that was why he never contacted him again. He wasn't going to be able to see Nathan and not think about Claire. And thinking of Claire hurt. A while after that he and Niki started seeing each other...and here he was.

Because Peter fully believed that his heart had died along with Claire.