A/N: Five yeas later everything looks good, but only on the surface. They can never be the same again. Claire is living in the Petrelli Mansion. She's trying to have a normal life and she's about to graduate from the University. The dark side in Peter rises and their lives are about to be changed forever.

Note: It's AU Paire fic. It's not the typical Paire fic you're going to read. The dark notes here are highlighted. I've never written such Paire fiction before. It's dangerous and it's a challenge for me to write it, but I'm going to try it.

Rated: M

Couple: Peter/Claire

Warnings: Again, it's AU. I don't own Heroes, sadly. The dark themes here are highlighted.

Enjoy reading,

ArinnaVal


Chapter 8

By the end of June the days got warmer and Claire thought she could use the pool for the first time this year. Moreover, she needed relax from the studying and her nerves were stretched to the braking point because of Peter. His game of cat and mouse looked endless.

It was warm day and Claire had checked the Mansion carefully. He wasn't there. So, she put on her swim suit and went out, grabbing a towel on her way. When she got there, she threw the towel onto the nearest lounge and dove into the pool. The water was so refreshing and she felt real pleasure only doing rounds in there.

When she finally got out, her heartbeat was fast and she lay on the lounge, stretching her arms over her head.

"It looks good, doesn't it?" Peter's voice startled her and she opened her eyes just to see a small engaged ring right before her eyes. The stone above it was small, but sparkled under the sunlight.

"What?" She blinked just in time to see Peter's face instead of that ring. He was grinning.

"Andy thought that you'd like it." Peter tilted his head to the side and sat close to her on the lounge. Her hips were touching his. "Now he doesn't know were to find it." He laughed. "Poor puppy."

"Give it back to him!" Claire scoffed.

"Why should I do that?" His brows went up.

"Because it's his and he wants to give it to me. That's the right thing to do."

"No."

"No?"

"Yes." Peter didn't look upset even. "I told you that you won't have that ring. Besides, you don't really want that."

"For the last time – I'm gonna marry him!" Claire glared at him. "With or without that ring!"

"Hm." Peter took her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. "The stone could be seen only with a microscope." His thumb skimmed back and forth over her fingers and she winced. "You deserve something bigger, my love."

Claire looked at her hand. The ring shone there and she swallowed hard. Peter's words made her shiver again and she felt the ring as something cold touching her skin. She felt a sudden need to take it off. Peter did that instead of her as if he had read her mind. When she saw the smirk on his face, Claire frowned. He had done it of course. She couldn't have any secrets from him. That started to annoy her.

"I need some privacy in my thoughts at least!" She scoffed, but that only made him laugh. He leaned forward, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her skin was burning everywhere he was touching her. Claire clenched her jaw, hoping she didn't blush too much. What she felt for him was wrong. It was so wrong that she couldn't even think about it, but yet she did. Her self-defense was almost gone under his touch. She could swear he could feel it too.

"Yes, you could." Peter whispered, leaning even closer. "But I don't want to…"

"Peter…" His eyes captivated her and she could only whisper.

Peter didn't answer. His hands lay on a side of her face and he watched her for a long moment before his lips could touch hers. Claire couldn't breathe right now, but somehow she felt like she was waiting for that kiss for too long. His lips moved over hers, patiently until she parted them.

Claire had been kissed before, but never like this. She'd never felt week in her knees or like she was flying. She had never felt these butterflies in her stomach like when his tongue started playing with hers. Her hands had never felt so heavy when she reached them out to put them at the both sides of Peter's face. That kiss was intoxicating. It filled her with so many emotions that her mind had completely blown away.

Her breathing became erratic and she suddenly felt his arms slid around her middle. She didn't protest. She practically melted in his embrace, holding onto him like the only secure thing in her life right now. Nothing else was important right now. Only Peter and she… and that kiss.

"What are you doing?" Angela's voice pulled her out of her haze, but not completely. Yes, she pulled back, but her eyes were still on Peter's lips.

"It's not of your business, mother!" Peter scoffed and just then Claire woke up completely.

"No!" She hissed and lifted up her arm, only to see how Peter grabbed her wrist.

"No?" He looked at her with amusement. "I thought you liked it."

"Peter!" Angela was walking to them, but he didn't even look at her. "Let her go!"

"Leave me alone, Peter!" Her voice cracked. "Please…"

"Never, my love." He slid his fingers under her chin and lifted her face up. "I've never done that in my life. I won't do it now." He bit the edge on his lower lip and with a blink of his eye, he was gone.

Claire touched her lips with her still trembling hand, still unable to think clear. Peter had consumed her life. He had turned into the Earth and she was his Moon. Her world hard turned upside down now. How she could look Andy in the face now? What she had to tell him? That she was in love with Peter? Peter who turned out to be her uncle, but she desperately hid that from the world. Angela wanted to present her as a part of the family, but Claire refused that. She was Bennet through her whole life and she wanted to stay in that way. But now she had to be honest before herself and admit that the part of the reason was Peter. He was a Petrelli… and he was something she never wanted to be. She didn't want that name, tying her up with him. She wasn't from his family. She was a Bennet.

"Are you okay, dear?" Angela's voice surprised her. Claire had almost forgotten about her being here.

"Yeah, why?" Her voice was kind of distant. Claire was still lost in her thoughts.

"Because of Peter?" Angela asked her carefully. "What he did was…"

"You couldn't stop him." Claire interrupted her quietly and picked up her towel. "I couldn't stop him." She got of the lounge and looked at Angela. "Not even if I wanted to."

"Claire…" Her words sank into the silence, left after Claire walked into the house.

Angela looked after her with pensive face. Her eyes narrowed when she remembered what she had seen just few minutes ago. Claire was right. Nobody could stop Peter now. Moreover, Angela hadn't seen Claire protesting against that kiss. It was absolutely the opposite. They looked like they both wanted it. Angela winced. Why her dreams had to come true every time? Why all this had to be such mess? She only wanted Peter and Claire happy, but now she wasn't so sure. The only thing she was sure was that Peter wouldn't give up on Claire. She was his everything. Even Angela knew it. And Claire… Claire still looked at him as her hero. She had never changed her opinion, even when Peter had changed his attitude towards her. She had never stopped believe in him. It was too hard to break such bond. Their bond was simply unbreakable.

"You have way too many wrinkles already, mother." Peter's voice didn't surprise her actually. She turned around to face him. He was smirking. "Oh yeah, I've read your mind."

"It's not something you don't know already." Angela sighed and tried one more time. "Please stop it!"

"No!" Peter simply shook his head and the word hung between them.

"Let her be happy, Peter!" Angela insisted.

"She can't be happy when she's lying to herself." Peter said simply and his smirk faded.

"Yes, she can! She can try and have a normal life! That man loves her and he's a good one for her and…"

"…she's gonna watch him dying while she still looks like 21! Is that what you want from her?" His voice lowered and his eyes narrowed dangerously towards her. "Tell me!"

"You can't have her!" Angela answered instead. She couldn't deny the truth in his words. "It's wrong, Peter!"

"It's destiny, mother." His voice was almost a whisper now.

When Angela couldn't answer anything to this, he simply turned around and walked into the Mansion.