Chapter Two

Claire Petrelli

age three months to three years

As you can see my first Christmas was eventful and I slept through most of it, Anyway, to continue the story. Dad finished his sophomore year with a just getting by GPA, but he was making it and that was all that mattered to him. My first summer dad got a nice summer job at a New York office as a mail boy. I got to spent most of the days with uncle Peter and Grandma at our place, dad come home at two and then went to night school at four until seven. At night it was just me and dad, it was easier now though, I was sleeping through the night and dad was able to study and sleep. My first birthday was on a Monday and dad not only had to work he had school too, but he didn't let the stop him from having a party for me, here I'll tell you about it...

Flashback....9-12-1991

Nathan opened the bedroom door and walked over to the crib that was in the corner of it, bright green eyes looked up at him, "Well, look at that you're waiting for me, how are you this fine morning birthday girl?"

"Da," Claire babbled reaching up for him.

Nathan smiled and reached down to pick the one year old up, "Okay, lets get you dressed, Grandma will be here soon."

"Gam," Claire said grabbing a fist full of Nathan's hair.

Nathan winced and pulled Claire's hand out of his hair, "Aw, Claire lets not pull daddy's hair."

Claire laughed and Nathan smiled.

"Nathan!" Nathan jumped as he finished putting on Claire's dress as his name was called from down the hall.

"Claire's room ma, we'll be right there," Nathan called picking Claire up and putting her on his hip and hooking his free arm through the shoulder strap of his backpack that he had left on the other side of Claire's door.

As Nathan reached the kitchen he saw Angela already getting some food ready for both of them. Nathan put Claire in her high chair and reached for a bagel, "I gotta go ma, thanks for coming over early."

"Your father is out of town anyway, but why did I have to be here at six thirty anyway? You don't have to be at school until nine thirty right?" Angela asked putting some cut up fruit and bread on Claire's tray.

"I'm going into work early" Nathan said slipping on his work shirt over his school shirt, "I'm going to skip my morning classes so I can get six hours in at work, then go to my afternoon classes, that way I can do a little party for Claire in the afternoon when schools out."

"Nathan, who will pass out the mail in the afternoon, isn't that your job?" Angela asked not wanting her son to get into trouble at the best job he had ever had.

"Ma, I'm not the only one in the mail room, I can do the sorting and some one else can pass it out, my boss knows I'm coming in early, I got it all clear don't worry," Nathan said as he kissed Claire on top of her head, "See you later birthday girl, have fun with Grandma."

Nathan's eyes were glued to the clock, not only had work dragged for him, his three afternoon classes were being even worse, he knew he should be grateful that he could still go to private school at all, his mother was secretly paying his tuition unknown to his father and he was grateful to her it was just today it was driving him insane. He wasn't even paying attention to the history class he was in. He was to focused on counting the minutes until he could go home. Five minutes and counting.

"Nathan Petrelli," Nathan jumped when he heard his name and his eyes snapped o the direction where the voice had come from, he swallowed, it was his teacher.

"Yes Mr. Dannie?" Nathan asked throwing a forced smile on his face.

"Am I boring you?" Mr. Dannie asked pointing at the board with several things written on it that Nathan didn't remember him writing down.

"No, sorry sir, I've got a lot on my mind," Nathan said rubbing at the back of his head with one hand and loosened his uniform tie from around his neck with the other.

Mr. Dannie sighed, he knew about Claire, in fact his own son was a teenage father too, "Just try to pay attention Nathan alright, we're almost done."

"Yes sir, I'm sorry," Nathan said for the last three minutes of class he focused on the class, but as soon as the bell rang Nathan was out the door going down to the younger level just to grab Peter, they had one place to go before heading home.

"Ma!" Nathan called out as he and Peter walked into the house.

"Sh, you'll wake Claire, she's still taking her nap," Angela said coming into the room wiping her hands on a towel.

Nathan looked at the clock and realized that Claire would most likely be asleep for at least another twenty minutes, "How long has she been asleep?"

"Her normal time about an hour," Angela said then she noticed the small bags that her each of her boys held in their hand, "So what did you get her?"

"I got her a new dress, Nathan helped me pick it out," Peter said with a smile, the eleven year old's crooked smile was even wider then normal.

"Well, that sounds just fine Peter, what about you Nathan?" Angela asked looking at the older of the two standing in front of her.

"Nathan's hand tightened around the bag in his hand, "I'd rather wait to give it to her before I tell anyone."

"I don't even know what it is, while I was looking at the dresses he went off and come back with the bag," Peter said with a small smile as he pulled his math book out of his backpack.

"I just want it to be a surprise alright," Nathan said as he put the bag down on a chair.

"Okay, that's fine," Angela said with a smile knowing that it had to be something special for Nathan to be acting like this, "I made some donuts for the birthday girl some meat loaf for her father and uncle."

"What the birthday girl doesn't get any meat loaf?" Nathan said looking at the monitor as noise began coming from it.

"Well, I guess she gets to eat with us after all," Angela said with a smile.

"I'll get her," Nathan said and darted down the hall.

"Whoa, no Claire you're not suppose to eat the candle," Nathan said as he grabbed the candle out of his daughter's hand before it made it to her mouth, "The donut sweetie, you eat the donut."

Angela laughed at her son and granddaughter interaction, just like a one year old to want to eat the candle more then the food. Without the candle, Claire took a handful of the soft donut and stuffed it in her mouth making the other three at the table to laugh.

"I think she likes it ma," Nathan said with a smile.

After dinner Nathan helped Claire open the presents from her uncle and her grandmother. Peter had indeed gotten her a dress, it was white with little lady bugs all over it. Peter had said that it had reminded him of Claire because of the lady bugs, so far his niece's favorite bug. Angela had gotten something for Claire and for Nathan, a gift card for a toddler shop for fifty dollars along with a stuffed puppy.

"Thanks ma, Pete, this is all great and Peter I think Claire really likes that dress look," Nathan said pointing to the floor.

They looked to see Claire pointing at the dress and poking at it, "La bu," she said still poking at it.

"That's right Sweetie, Lady bug," Nathan said picking her up, "Uncle Peter knows you well."

"What about your present Nathan?" Peter asked as Nathan sat down with Claire in his lap.

"I was just about to do that Pete," Nathan said as he picked the bag up and pulled out the box that was inside it, "Claire, sweetie this isn't much but I just hope that you'll always use this to remember how much I love you."

Nathan put Claire's little hand into his own to help open the box. Once open Nathan pulled out an expandable bracelet. Claire's full name was engraved on the front of it, and on the back in small engraved letters said, "Love you forever Claire Bear, love daddy."

So, there's my first birthday, and yes I still have that bracelet. The only times I take it off are to expand it, other then that I have never taken it off, ever. Dad finished school that year and then took his GED to graduate a year early. By the time I was three, dad was able to start college courses. The college had child care so I was able to go with him most of the time, sometimes grandma wanted to watch me.

My favorite times were the times we had at home even though I don't remember everything completely I remember it enough. Dad would play with me and read to me before he did any of his homework and he tucked me in at night, turned on my night light and as he left my room he would always turn around and say "love you Claire Bear," before turning out the light.