A/N: this was originally written in Spanish so I had to use a translator; now is beta'ed for my sidekick Purple_Lex!
Disclaimer: Heroes belongs to NBC and Tim Kring.
They all reunite together to see his body burn, like they all did that fateful day in the past.
Only, this time, it wasn´t a façade or a lie; it was for real.
He was dead.
Claire would know; she had been there when it happened.
Now the flames completely soaked him, not an impostor.
It was always like this, the story of her life.
Save the cheerleader, save the world.
It was her mantra. She wanted to laugh.
She should have known better.
Of course when she exposed her ability to the world, she would become a target. And of course, when the next Arthur Petrelli appeared, he would come for her. It was pure logic.
She was trapped. She should have seen him coming.
But then he appeared, all words and heroic poses. Always a lover for the dramatic.
He, the most powerfulof them all.
Only this time it wasn´t enough and it cost him all of his powers. At least he had killed the other man. Or so she had thought. Because before the evil power absorber gave up his doomed fight completely, he fired the gun she had brought for herprotection. How innocent she was.
Hereceived the shot for her.
A bullet in the heart.
Claire fought the tears that threatened to fall. The memory was too strong.
She had knelt beside him, one hand on his wound, and asked the only thing she could think of.
Why?
He took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth, kissing her open palm. Then with his last breath, he said, "Because I´ve always loved you."
She had cut her hand, the same that he had kissed, and put it over his body hoping that it would burn like him.
But it was of no use. He already wasin her system, burning in her veins.
So as she saw his remains burn to ashes, she finally understood.
And then, at that moment, the tears began to flow freely down her cheeks, a vain effort at trying to extinguish the fire within her. But it was too late.
Her heart was ashes, just like him.