CHAPTER 10

Mira awoke in a dark room. She sat up in bed, taking in her surroundings. It was very quiet. She laid back down for a moment, wondering if she should bother to get up and figure out where she was. She wanted to trust Noah, but he hadn't given her reason to yet. She knew, deep down, he was right about Sylar, but she still clung to hope that he could change. He could be better.

She slowly pulled herself out of bed, and traveled towards the window. She pulled up the blinds to let some light in. She was in a large bedroom, very ornately decorated. She tried to open the bedroom door, but it was locked from the outside.

"Hello?!" she screamed as she pounded on the door. She could hear the latch pop and the door opened. She slowly peered out from the door. No one was in the hallway. She stepped out and walked towards an opening. She entered the kitchen, where an older woman was sitting at the dining table, across from Mr. Bennet.

"Good morning, Mira. Did you sleep well?" Noah asked. She nodded. "Come sit down, have some breakfast." She slowly took a seat, between the two. A maid sat a plate of food in front of her.

"Mira, this is my colleague, Angela Petrelli," he began.

"Petrelli? Peter-" she trailed off. She thought about her run in with Nathan. Angela smiled.

"Yes, dear. I am Peter's mother." She stuck out her hand to shake, and Mira ignored it.

"I'm your grandsons' nanny," Mira confessed to her. Noah looked up in surprise.

"I know, I've heard a lot about you," Angela said with a smile. Mira ate a little, and pushed the plate aside.

"There are some clothes in the closet in your room. The bathroom is down the hall. I suppose you'd like to shower and then sit down and talk. I know you have a lot of questions," Angela noted.

"Thank you," Mira acknowledged as she stood up from the table. She started back towards her room.

"You didn't tell me she knew Heidi and the boys," Noah lectured Angela.

"Nathan told me. I called Heidi, and assured her that Mira is fine. We found her, and she's safe."

"So why did I bring her here?" he asked.

"I think it's time to keep our friends close, and our enemies closer," she suggested. He nodded as he thought about it.

As they continued their quiet discussion, they heard the front door open and slam. Claire came storming into the room.

"Dad!" she whispered as she stood in awe.

"Claire-bear!" He got up and she ran to him for a hug. "Claire, what are you doing here?" Noah asked as Nathan followed her into the room.

"Nathan brought me here. I'm so happy to see you," she cried. She pulled away and looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to speak with your grandmother. Why did you two come back here? It's not safe yet…"

"I had business to tend to," Nathan argued. "It was safer for her to come here, with me, than to leave her somewhere by herself." Noah was silent.

"Hey, mom," Nathan greeted his mother.

"Took you long enough to get here," she lectured her son. He gave her a hug, and kissed her cheek.

"Well, we're here now," he countered. Claire began down the hall.

"Claire, where are you going?" Angela asked with agitation. She raised an eyebrow.

"Uhm…to the bathroom?" They watched her turn the knob – it was locked.

"Hey, who's in the-" Claire was interrupted as the door opened. She came face to face with Mira. "Who the hell are you?" she asked, defiantly.

"Who are you?" Mira fired back, taking a step towards her. Noah intervened.

"Mira, this is my daughter, Claire," he introduced her as he led Claire away from her. Claire sat at the kitchen table.

"Who is she?" Claire asked as Mira followed them into the room.

"She's Sylar's girlfriend," Nathan answered as he slipped into Mira's line of sight. She gasped. "She tried to make him kill me."

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Mira defended.

"You tried to kill Nathan?" Claire asked as she lunged at her. Noah stopped her.

"I'm also a friend of Peter's," Mira noted.

"How can you be a friend of Pete's, and try to kill his brother?" Claire asked, flabbergasted.

"Sylar said Nathan sent men to kill me," she defended.

"I told you it wasn't me," he argued.

"Sylar told me you were lying." She looked down in shame.

"Can you really trust the words of a murderer? Just because he said I was…it doesn't mean I was. He didn't kill me because he knew I was telling the truth. He's setting you up." She contemplated what he was saying.

"I know," she admitted. "He told me the truth when you disappeared. I'm sorry I lost it." Nathan stared at her, vindicated.

"That's enough, for now," Angela intervened. "Nathan, Noah…I need to talk to you in private," she said as she left the room. Nathan kept his eye on Mira as he walked past her, following his mother. Noah looked at Claire and left the room. Mira was left alone with Claire.

*

Mira went back to the room she awoke in. Claire followed her into the room. Mira tried to pretend she wasn't there.

"So you're with Sylar?" Claire finally blurted out. Mira sighed heavily.

"Sylar and I have a connection I can't explain. He and I are like…kindred spirits."

"Are you a killer too?" Claire whispered. Mira hung her head.

"No. I've never killed anyone. I don't feel the urge too either, if that's what you're asking." Mira thought about her father, but held back. Claire sat down next to her.

"I don't get it," Claire stated, shaking her head. "How do you know Peter?"

"He was the paramedic that treated me when I passed out in a pizza shop. I told him I'd been shot. I tried to tell him about Sylar, but I guess I passed out. He took me to a friend's house, and came with me to try to find my mother a few days ago."

"So where's Pete now?" Claire wondered. She shrugged.

"Last time I saw him, there was kinda an altercation…" Claire stared at her, worried. "Sylar had him. I stopped him from killing Peter, and told Peter to leave. I stayed with Sylar."

"So Peter was okay?" she asked, her head reeling with Mira's story.

"He left all in one piece."

"Why did you try to kill Nathan?"

"I thought Nathan was trying to kill me. Sylar told me he was behind the agent shooting me."

"Someone shot you? Why?" Claire paused for a second. "Do you have powers?" she asked in awe.

"I don't really want to get into this discussion again," she started. They stopped talking as they heard footsteps in the hallway. The door to the room opened and they both stared in disbelief.

"Peter, what are you doing here?" Claire asked as she got up to greet him. She hugged him and turned to Mira. He was staring at her.

"Hello, Peter," she said as she stood up to greet him. She reached for his hand, and he pulled away.

"Mira, I'm surprised you're still alive," he said, impressed. She could sense his concern for her mixed with anger.

"Nice to see you too," she stated sarcastically.

"What happened to Sylar?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Your thug grabbed me while I was alone."

"Thug?" Claire asked.

"My mother asked your father to help," Peter told her. "I talked to her, and she went behind my back and asked Noah to intervene."

"What does your mother want with her?" Claire questioned.

"Yeah, what the hell does your mother want with me?" Mira chimed in. Peter shrugged.

"Sylar's a bad influence," Peter countered. She couldn't argue with that.

"Like I told Mr. Bennett, I don't need a babysitter. I can make decisions for myself," Mira retorted.

"Did Noah tell you?" Peter asked. "They found another victim. Another person with their head sliced open; happened within the past week." Mira shook her head.

"No, he couldn't-" she tried to reason.

"Couldn't what? Kill someone? Wake up, Mira. He's a MURDERER. He is going to find a way to kill you too," Noah informed her as he walked into the room. He shook Peter's hand and stared at Claire. "You're just another pawn on his chessboard."

She refused to believe the people that surrounded her. Claire stood up and joined her father. Mira stared off into space, facing the other wall. Peter sat beside her.

"Please, Mira. I don't want to hurt you. You can trust me, I've told you that before." Peter ran his hand over her hair.

"I don't trust anyone," she whispered. Noah led Claire out of the room.

"I'm not out to hurt anyone," Peter directed at her. "I just want to help you."

"Help me what?" she asked.

"Get your life back."

"I don't want to go back to that life." He sighed out of frustration, and left her in the room, alone.

*