Come What May - Chapter 10
By obi's girl

Claire found Peter leaning on the hallway wall upstairs, waiting for her. Claire sighed, falling into his arms, crying. All the trust Nathan had had in her was gone because of the current situation, and Claire felt like she had lost a valuable ally and friend. Still, she couldn't argue with Nathan and tell him that all of this wasn't her fault, because to some degree, it was. If she hadn't run away, then the company her father worked wouldn't have become suspicious of her. If she'd hung on for a while longer, then none of this would have happened. There were so many 'ifs' in Claire's mind.

"It's not my fault," she cried. "I didn't ask for any of this."

Peter shushed her, holding her in his arms. He knew that none of this was Claire's fault, but now that it happened, they all had to deal with it. If his brother wanted to be cold to Claire, there wasn't anything he could do about that, either.

In Peter's mind, a confrontation between good and evil was inevitable at this point. He had no doubt of that. But he could also understand Nathan's point of view in all of this. His priority was protecting his family, and now none of them were safe. They needed to get in contact with Hiro, Ando, Matt, Isaac and Mohinder, and at least tell them about what they knew so they could prepare.

Until five months ago, Claire believed that her father worked as a paper salesman, and now she knew the truth: that he worked for the people responsible for bringing her into his dad's life. Her father could have easily turned her over to them years ago, but he hadn't done that because he loved Claire. As twisted as the situation was, Peter could see that Mr. Bennet loved Claire and would do anything to protect her—including wiping her memory.

Peter sighed and looked down at Claire. She had fallen asleep on his chest, clutching his t-shirt. Peter gently picked her up, carrying her to her bed. He found her covers, and fixed them and backed away. She had been under so much stress, and Peter couldn't help but be responsible for some of that stress.

Five months was a long time to be separated from the one you loved. It didn't help matters that he had still been in the city but forbidden to make contact with her and his family. That was one of Claude's rules. No attachments, no distractions. But now he was back. And Peter was determined to make things work between him and Claire. He loved her, after all, and he couldn't leave her again.

Never again.

Heidi Petrelli studied her husband from afar; he was already making calls to Hiro Nakamura, Ando, Isaac and Matt about their "new problem." Hiro and Ando weren't in, but he left messages, hoping that Hiro would have the sense to check them when they got back in from wherever they were. He wasn't able to reach Isaac either, but he was able to reach Matt.

Nathan told him everything he knew about their current situation, and although Nathan stressed that he didn't need to come to New York, Matt still wanted to make sure Claire was okay. After Nathan made all the necessary calls, that only left Claude on his list, but he didn't know how to get in contact with the invisible man. And he doubted that Claude had a permanent, reachable address in the city.

Peter would know how to contact him, but Nathan didn't feel like going upstairs and barging in on him and Claire. Tomorrow, he would talk to Peter about reaching Claude.

Exhausted and annoyed, Nathan dropped onto his chair, rubbing his forehead. Heidi came in and went to her husband. "You know none of this is Claire's fault..." she started, only eliciting a groan from him. "Nathan, it isn't her fault."

"So she says," he mused, "but if you think back, all of this trouble in our lives began when that little blond came running to Peter. Claire's presence was a problem then and still is now."

"She was scared, Nathan," Heidi defended. "She didn't know who her father was, or why he ordered the Haitian to wipe her memory."

Nathan glared at his wife. "You're on her side now? You're supposed to be on my side, you know. Protecting the boys should be your priority."

"And it is my priority, and you should also know that if you stay angry at Claire for something she has no control over, then the boys are going to know that something is wrong," she reasoned. "Look, Nathan, Monty and Simon don't know about yours, Peter's and Claire's special abilities, and it's better that they don't know. Your mother is always saying that you need to keep up appearances, and I'm telling you now that tomorrow morning, you need to be nice to and understanding of Claire. We don't know much about this organization and their resources, but with Claire and Mr. Bennet's help, we can fight them."

Nathan studied Heidi carefully; even though she'd arrived late to the meeting, Nathan knew that she was right. As much as Nathan wanted to stay angry with Claire, he knew that in order to fight this enemy, he was going to need hers and Mr. Bennet's help.

Claire awoke around eleven p.m., and the last thing she could remember before passing out was the feel of Peter's arms around her. She still couldn't believe that he came back to her. Before Peter came back, she'd all but lost hope that he would, and now he was once again in her life. At least now he felt comfortable with his ability, and he could sleep in the same room with her.

Peter stirred and looked sleepily in Claire's directions. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Around eleven," she said and looked at him dreamily. "I'm really glad that you're here, Peter. It's silly, but I feel safe when you're around."

Peter blushed, embarrassed by the compliment. He still didn't know if he was completely in control of his ability, but he was grateful that when Claire looked at him, she didn't see a walking time bomb. "Thanks," he mused and looked at her. "Are you feeling better?"

"From before?" she asked and then shook her head. "I still feel guilty, if that's what you mean. You know, if I hadn't run away, then the people my dad works for wouldn't have known about me."

"I wouldn't worry about Nathan…he's just worried about his family; protecting his boys and Heidi…it doesn't mean that doesn't include you, though," he said, smiling.

Claire blushed. "You think he thinks of me as family?" she asked.

"I know he does," Peter mused. "He cares about you. I know it probably doesn't seem that way right now, but he does."

"So, how do you think of me?" she wondered. "Your brother thinks that I've become a problem...do you think the same thing?"

"Oh no, Claire," Peter cried. "Oh God, no, of course not. While I was away, thinking of you gave me focus. If I was having a rough time with Claude, all I needed to do was think of you -- your blond hair, your eyes and that beautiful smile -- and I'd remember what it is I was fighting for. I was fighting for you, Claire. And to stay alive."

"How did that work for you? Do you have better control of your ability?"

Peter shrugged. "I can fly when I need to, become invisible at will, and heal myself. Painting the future still requires a lot of focus, and bending time," he said, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know how Hiro does that without giving himself a headache."

"Well, Hiro still needs to practice from time to time," Claire joked, looking at him thoughtfully, "but I'm proud of you, Peter. You're a good man with a good heart, and I love you for keeping it all together."

"You're a part of my strength too, Claire," he said. "I wouldn't have been able to focus my ability without you. I know you weren't there, but sometimes I could sense you thinking about me."

Claire sighed. "You're my hero, Peter," she said. "You'll always be my hero."

tbc