Chapter 25 She is my love

Claire was sitting in the couch of their apartment with legs, folded over it. She looked at Peter. He walked around the room with frowned expression on his face. His eyes had narrowed and he had not said a word since Nathan had gone away.

'Peter?' Claire spoke quietly and he shot her one look.

'Not now Claire!' His tone was rude and meant for hurt her, but she was not afraid of him.

'We have to talk!'

'I told you to shut up now!' His face went angry and he laced fingers at the nape of his neck. 'This is so fucked up! I have to think about!'

'What do you have to think?' Claire got of the couch. She still wore her white towel. 'We knew that this is about to happen someday.'

'This is my brother, Claire!' He stormed out. 'Do you realize that?'

'This is my father, Peter!' Claire frowned and crossed arms before her chest. 'We both knew that when we started this!'

'This is bad…' He murmured under his nose and turned her back on her.

'What?' Claire rushed to him. 'And you realized that just now?'

'This was a mistake Claire.' Peter sighed with frowned face. 'One huge mistake!'

'Really?' She got angry. 'You felt sorry about this? You're feeling sorry about us?'

'It's wrong!'

'Well, fine!' She grabbed her towel, unwrapped it with one single move. His eyes slipped down on her figure and she saw the well-known flames glowed in them. 'Are you feeling sorry about this?'

'We are screwed!' Peter murmured as he grabbed her in his arms.

'Totally.' Claire agreed wrapping arms around his neck.

Peter teleported them back into the house just in time for the traditional family lunch. All looked happy and that was normal, considering Nathan's landslide. Angela talked about some meeting with the press later that day. Heidi wanted to spend the day with her children. Monty and Simon were back for Christmas and only Mel looked sad. Claire rubbed her arm and her friend looked at her.

'Hey. How are you?' She asked her and Mel sighed with annoyance.

'I miss my family.'

'Yeah, right.' Claire rolled her eyes and Mel frowned.

'What do you mean?'

'You're missing Sean and don't try to lie to me.'

Mel opened her eyes, but then bent her head down and Claire smiled with understanding. They both got off the table and went into living room.

'I'm right?' Claire asked and Mel nodded with sad expression this time.

'I haven't heard with him since two weeks. I think, he's trying to ignore me.'

'I think you are right.' Claire nodded. 'However, Peter has an idea.'

'What idea?' Mel frowned and Claire gave her one knowing smile. 'Oh no! Tell me! Don't be such a teaser.'

'How about New Year in Paris?'

'Paris, France?' Mel's jaw almost dropped on the floor and Claire laughed.

'Yeah. Peter is going to suggest that to my father.' Claire shrugged. 'Although, I'm sure that he's going to need something extra for saying 'yes'!'

'Okay and why's that had to have something to do with me?'

'Sean.'

'Sean?'

'Peter is gonna invite him to come with us.' Claire shrugged.

'Us?' Mel's eyes widened. 'You mean – four of us?'

'Yeah.' Claire nodded.

'You are the best guys!' Mel shinned against Claire and she laughed.

'Hey wait! We don't know if it's going to work.'

'We're going to France for New Year.' Peter walked into the room with these words. He looked happy and that made Claire happy too.

'I told Mel.' Claire said and Peter nodded.

'I'm gonna call Sean. He's gonna need a little convincing.'

'Wait!' Mel's face faded. 'I promised him not to use my ability on him.'

'You promised.' Peter rose up his eyebrows. 'I don't.'

'But…' Mel tried to argue, but Peter was already gone. He shrugged and the smile came back to her face. 'Whatever as long as I'm going to be with him.'

'Oh yeah.' Claire laughed.

It turned out that Peter did not have to use his special talent over Sean. He missed Mel too and was glad that he could spend some time with her. Therefore, they gathered in the mansion one day earlier. Peter had told Sean to bring his bags with him. He asked about the plain, but Peter only laughed. Now Sean would understand why.

Mel, Peter and Claire were waiting for him in the middle of the foyer with all their bags. Sean went to them with confused expression.

'Hey.' He greeted and saw Mel's face shone against him.

'Hey there.' She sang happily. Sean stared at her eyes for one long moment and then looked at Peter.

'So, when I asked you about the plain I…'

'Just touch my arm and close your eyes.' Peter said and Sean listened to him. Seconds later, he heard Peter's voice again. 'Now you can open your eyes.' Sean listened to him again and almost fell on the ground from surprise. They were just in front of their hotel in Paris. 'Welcome to France!' Peter laughed and they walked in. Soon Sean realized that there was something wrong.

Peter and Claire shared one room as he and Mel. The next disturbing thing was when he saw Peter and Claire lacing their hands and sharing looks. They were relatives. He was her uncle. They were not supposed to do that. Sean thought.

'Hey.' Mel's hand slipped over his forearm. 'We are ready to go upstairs.'

'Upstairs?'

'Yeah, in the Penthouse. Peter booked two apartments here.' Mel shrugged and they followed Peter and Claire in the elevator. Their luggage was already in their rooms.

'So, any plans?' Sean asked Peter and saw him smiling widely.

'Yeah.' He looked down at Claire. 'I'm tired and I'm planning to sleep.'

'You are tired?' Sean had seen something not very familiar in Peter's look towards his niece.

'Yeah.' Claire looked back at Peter. 'I'm tired too. We should sleep.'

'Sleeping is good.' Peter nodded and then he saw something that shocked him even more. Claire wrapped arms around Peter's neck and lifted up to kiss him. It was not a peck on his cheek. It was a real kiss. It was a kiss they should not share.

'What are you doing?' He asked and Mel's hand rubbed his forearm. Sean looked at her and saw her smile.

'They need this.' She whispered under his shocked look.

'They need this?' He exclaimed just in the moment when the doors of the elevator opened. Peter and Claire quickly passed them and went straight into their apartment. Mel and Sean could hear Claire's giggle, while Peter closed the door. 'What is going on here?'

'Come and I will tell you.' Mel sighed and they went to their apartment. Sean sat on the near armchair and looked at Mel executively.

'I'm waiting.' His face darkened. 'You know that this is wrong, right? Their little escape.'

'It's not an escape.' Mel frowned and crossed arms before her chest. 'They truly love each other.'

'And you support all this? Are you crazy?'

'You are talking about things, you don't know, Sean!' Mel looked at him. 'You don't know anything about them or their relationship!'

'But…'

'Damn! You are my brother and we still have feelings to each other!'

'We are not related, Mel! There is the difference!' Sean got off his chair. 'We could be together, they couldn't!'

'We could be together?' Mel rose up her eyebrows. 'Boy, you are really slow!'

'What?' Sean looked at her with confusion.

'Did you notice that the love of your life is most of the time the one you can't have?' Mel asked him instead. 'You know how many couples just run away from each other, because they are scared? Peter and Claire didn't run. They stayed and admitted their feelings.'

'But it's wrong, Mel!' He said, watching her as she walked towards him. 'It's sick and you know it!'

'Maybe.' Mel wrapped arms around his neck, looking at his eyes. 'Who says that forbidden loves has to be normal?'

'Why I'm feeling that we aren't talking about peter and Claire anymore?' His look fell over her lips.

'Because, we don't.' Mel whispered and felt his hands wrapping around his waist. She was sure that Peter and Claire were the last thought in Sean's mind now. In the next moment, his lips covered hers. Yeah, Paris was wonderful in that time of the year.

That was the first New Year, Peter and Claire spent as a couple. They celebrated it close to the Eiffel Tower among with Mel and Sean. It was magical night, because just when the clock counted the first seconds of the New Year, snow started falling from the sky. Claire squalled like a child and snuggled in Peter's arms. He laughed at her enthusiasm and hugged her closely, as if he never let her go.

Mel and Sean finally gave in to their feelings and kissed under the snow. That was the first snow in Mel's life and she was excited. Everybody laughed at her enthusiasm.

They spent the night not as relatives, but as two young couples, refusing to think about tomorrow. Peter gave Claire one special present – golden medallion with two crossing hearts.

'The one is yours and the other is mine.' He said and Claire kissed him. His hands shook as he put it the medallion around her neck.

'So how am I looking?' Claire turned around, touching the golden hearts.

'Beautiful.' She laughed and pulled one small box out of her coat. The happy people rushed around them, celebrating the New Year. However, Peter and Claire felt that they were the only people on this planet now. Claire passed him the small box and Peter looked at he quizzically.

'Open it.' She insisted and Peter listened to her. It was one golden ring with blue gem on top of it. Then Peter's eyes widened. He saw the same crossing hearts in the middle of that gem. They were barely noticeable, but not for him.

'How?' he asked her, looking at her eyes.

'I just wanted to be something special.' She said, touching the crossing hearts. 'I never thought that you're going to give me something similar.'

'Wow!' Peter exclaimed.

'So you like it?' She asked, but it was unnecessary. She had seen the glow in his eyes. Peter put the ring immediately. It fitted perfect and Claire's eyes shone. 'I think I have the right eyes about you.'

Peter wrapped arms around her waist and lifted her up, twirling her around. Claire laughed and placed hands on his shoulder.

'I think you have the right eyes about me.' He uttered when he put her back on the ground. Their lips met and that was the first time they kissed under the Eiffel Tower.

Peter had booked the apartments for three days so they could relax properly. He was still sleeping when somebody knocked on the door in the next day. It was later afternoon and he just had fallen asleep. Claire did not give him to much time for that this morning, Peter thought with pleasurable smile. He still wore his pajama pants when he opened the door and saw Sean standing there.

'Morning.' He said.

'Morning.' Peter growled. 'What do you want?'

'We have to talk.' Sean looked straight at him and Peter sighed.

'Ok. Come and sit until I get dress.' He said and Sean followed him into the apartment. He saw Claire, standing at the doorframe of her bedroom. She wore one white towel, wrapped around her body. Her hair was messy and she looked tired. Seeing her pleasurable face, Sean could have guessed why.

Peter walked towards her and his hand touched her waist lightly.

'Are you leaving, baby?' Claire asked sleepily and Sean could swear that she had not even noticed him.

'Sean wants to talk with me.' Peter said softly. 'You could sleep if you want to.'

'Mhm..' Claire smiled and just then noticed Sean in the room. 'Hi and good night again.' She said leaving the room. Sean just shook his head. That was weird.

Twenty minutes later, Peter and he was eating their afternoon breakfast in the restaurant downstairs – fluffy croissants with strong coffee.

'So, you wanted to talk with me?' Peter took a sip of his coffee. 'Talk!'

'She is your niece, Peter!' Sean blurted out and for his surprise - Peter just smiled.

'Mel is your sister.' He shrugged as if he did not care.

'Step sister.' San murmured. 'And this is not the point…'

'Claire and I…' Peter interrupted him. 'You don't know anything! We are connected!'

'But…'

'I know that this is sick, okay? I know that it's wrong, we both know it!' Peter lowered his voice. 'But this, this is something you can't understand.'

'I think I can.' Sean frowned.

'No.' Peter shook his head. 'Claire is something special in my life. She is something that helps me through all this. She makes me whole.'

'She is your niece, Peter.'

'She is my love.' Peter spoke quietly. 'I don't expect you to understand that, but she is!'