Chapter 36 Defects

New York

Nathan rubbed his eyes. He was tired. Today he had done lot of work. Some interviews, publicity meetings, lunch with some party members… As he thought, lot of work! Moreover, he had more to come. His work never finished.

It was midnight and his cabinet was probably the only lightened room in the mansion. Nathan leaned back on his chair. Peter's call came totally out of nowhere yesterday. He sounded almost like before… Claire. Nathan frowned and looked through the window. Claire… Was he with her? Nathan was almost sure that his brother was with his daughter and they both played a family. He chuckled bitterly. His brother and his daughter were impossible to deal with them. They were rebellious and stubborn. Peter was easy to control for some time, then Claire also. When she was in her depressive condition… She was like a puppet in his hands.

Ah… good times. Nathan thought about them with regret. Maybe if he was smart enough, he could have used Peter and Claire's relationship for his purposes. However, he had reacted instinctively. So now, they probably were laughing in his face. Nathan frowned even more.

'Oh, what is disturbing your sleep, senator?' The sound of his mother's voice made him rose up his eyebrows.

'The usual... Good evening, ma!' Nathan said and watched her as she took her place opposite his desk. Angela sat down and looked at his face.

'The usual?' she asked sarcastically, although they both knew what he meant.

'The usual – my stupid little brother and my daughter.'

'Don't think about them! Think about more useful things…' Angela said and leaned back on her chair.

'Such as?'

'Such as your party's gathering…'

'Ma, we both know that I'm thinking about that! However, Peter is the main problem here!' Nathan hissed.

'Why?' Angela looked at her son without even a blink.

'Claire!'

'I thought you meant…'

'I meant Peter and Claire. I think that they are together now!' Nathan said quietly.

'You are kidding me!' Angela did not smile. She just looked at him. 'Why did you think about that?'

'Peter called yesterday… He sounded… sober!'

'You preferred him drunk?'

'Stop it Ma! You know that…'

'I know! Still! I think that you are overreacting!'

'Why?'

'You kept thinking about Peter and you said that you don't care about him! That meant that you still love him as a brother!'

'This is not true!' Nathan protested. 'I told you I…'

'Better talk with Heidi! She heard about…'

'I talked to her!' Nathan sighed and rubbed his eyes. 'She won't say a word! She is shocked, but who would not be?'

'We I suppose?' Angels crossed her ankles.

'What? Why?' Nathan almost yelled. 'My brother slept with my daughter and for you that was not a big surprise?'

'We should've seen the signs, Nathan! They were there! All of them!'

'You think that we could have prevented all this, if we…'

'No!' Angela shook her head. 'They would've done that no matter what!'

'Then what? What are you talking about?'

'I'm just telling you that we shouldn't be surprised! That's all!' Angela nodded and got off the chair. 'Now excuse me, but I need my sleep now! Good night!' She said and leaved the room, left him thinking.

Odessa, Texas

Pete's room

Pete was sleeping in Peter's arms. He had spent one sleepless night and he calmed only in his father's arms. So now, he slept peacefully. Peter sat on his bed, leaned back on the headboard. Claire sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

'He is okay, Peter…' Claire spoke. She placed her hand over Pete's sleeping body.

'I know.' Peter said quietly.

'Then why are you still worried?'

'I failed, Claire…' His voice was full of pain. 'I failed to protect my son…'

'No, Peter!' Claire looked at him. Peter gazed his son's face. 'You saved him!'

'I was the one caused all this!'

'No! You are not! Look at me!' Claire demanded. His eyes found her face and stopped there. 'Why are you hurting yourself? This is not your fault! This is Andy's fault! If we need someone to blame, it has to be him!'

'But he did this, because of me, Claire…' Peter crooked his face. 'I provoked his anger! It was me…'

'Stop! Stop it already!' Claire hissed. She just could not look him suffering like that. Peter was noble, good man. It was crazy for talking such things about himself. 'You're hurting me and you hurting yourself! Everyone should take the responsibility for his actions!'

'Claire, if I wasn't here, none of this would've happened!'

'If you was not here, Pete wasn't gonna know you!' Claire said quietly. 'Would you prefer not knowing your son?'

'Of course not!' Peter crooked his face. 'You know how much I love him, Claire!'

'I know, that's why I'm telling you! The only one we should blame is Andy! He poisoned our son! You saved him! Remember that!'

'He probably wanted me, Claire!'

'He didn't know who is going to drink that.' Claire said. 'It could be me…'

'Did they tell you where the poison was?' Peter asked. 'In the food or…'

'Mom brought them everything Pete ate or drunk previous day.' Claire answered. 'They found the arsenic in the juice!'

'Oh my…' Peter leaned his head on the wall. Pete shifted in his arms and grabbed his shirt. 'Sh-sh…' Peter's voice was barely a whisper.

'Strange how quick he loved you!' Claire smiled softly.

'He saved me first, now I have to return the favor…' Pete looked at her. 'Thank you…' He said with cracked voice.

'About what?' Claire looked at him confused.

'About him. You fought for him and… Just thank you!'

'Oh…' Claire touched Peter's face. 'You are welcome! But… you also took a part in that!'

'Yeah…' Peter chuckled bitterly. 'Then I left you, without any protection! Big help!'

'No, Peter! You did not know about him! I didn't know about him! I found out that I'm pregnant two months after that…'

'You must've been scared!'

'At first… yeah!' Claire shrugged. 'I was scared not because I'm pregnant, I was scared about his life! Your family insisted for abortion and I had different opinion, so… I came back home to my family! Then I got scared not to loose him again! I told you about the miscarriage attempt here…'

Peter nodded.

'After that, I was glad to have him! When he was born… that was one of the happiest days of my life! The only thing missing there was you.'

'I'm sorry…' Peter said with sad voice.

'You don't have to be sorry!' Claire caressed his face again. 'You are here now!'

'You never mentioned about the genetic defects.' Peter said quietly and looked back at Pete. 'Don't tell me that you didn't think about that! We are relatives, Claire, he…'

'Call me crazy, but I knew that he is alright!' Claire said and her eyes shine from the memory. 'Despite that, I gave his blood for examination… They told me that he is completely healthy with no defects!'

'I'm glad about that. I'm glad that he is okay!' Peter said with eyes gazed in his son. 'I never thought about children, before I him!'

'Really?' Claire looked at him strangely. 'I thought that in your age…'

'No! Even my mom was worried, that I'm more concerned about the others than of having a family!'

'It's hard to believe that Angela thought like that and she almost killed your son!' Claire said angrily, but then looked at his face. 'I'm sorry, Peter! I know that she is your mother and I'm probably stupid, but…'

'No, it's okay! I know…' Peter gave her his half smile. 'I know her. I know what kind of person she is. If she were not my mother, I would hate her too… I think.'

'No! You cannot! You can't hate anybody!' Claire shook her head. 'Is that who you are!'

'You are wrong! I can hate!' Peter frowned. 'I hated one man…'

'Sylar? Yeah! He was capable of that!'

'Now I hate one more…' Peter said and saw how his son opened his eyes. They shined against him.

'Andy…' Claire said quietly.

'He's gone too far!' Peter said and smiled at his son.

'We should be careful now! You know that!' Claire smiled at her son too.

'We should protect our child, Claire! Andy probably knows where we're living.'

'If he just came closer…' Claire narrowed her eyes. 'I'm prepared already!'

'I'm too!' Peter whispered and hugged his little boy.

Odessa, Texas

Barb's Apartment

They were in the bed again. Barb exhausted him constantly. Andy wondered what she was thinking. Her life now had dedicated on him. Not that he was complaining of that. Still, it was annoyed sometimes.

'Claire is going to be at home whole week!' Barb said and that took his attention.

'Why's that?' He asked carefully.

'I think that something about her son…' Barb shrugged. 'I think he is sick or something.'

'What about Peter? She is still with him, isn't she?' Andy knew that Claire and Peter lived together, but Barb did not know that.

'Yes, she is still with him! He seems to be nice guy!'

'Hm… nice…' Andy snapped the last word and Barb looked at him with surprise. 'I thought I told you that he was trying to shoot me!'

'Yes! I know and I believe you, but… he doesn't look like that kind of a guy!' Barb looked at him and Andy frowned. That girl really frustrated him.

'I don't wasn't to argue about Peter, Barb! He isn't worth it!' Andy tried to smile.

'You are right!' Barb said and reached to kiss him. 'You are so much better!'

Andy gulped the annoyance and gave her what she needed. He needed her and her money right now. Otherwise…

Odessa, Texas

Parker's House

After two days in the hospital, coming home was good thing. Claire sighed with relief, when she finally was able to lie on her bed. It was late at night and Peter had put Pete to sleep.

She heard him walked in the room. He stepped quiet, did not want to wake her up. Claire knew his steps. She knew them well already.

'I'm awake!' She said and heard his quiet laugh.

'I thought that you're sleeping!'

'I know! I wanted to wait for you!'

'Well, I'm here…' Peter said and slipped in the bed, beside her. Claire snuggled in him.

'It's good to have you here!' She mumbled.

'It's good to be here!' Peter buried face in her hair and inhaled deeply her scent.

'Is he sleeping?' Claire asked him with sleepy voice.

'He slept when I walked out of his room…'

'That's good!' Claire murmured and fell asleep. Peter smiled.

Odessa, Texas

Burn Toast Coffee

One week later, Claire was ready to come back to work. She felt ready, but she felt tired also. Barb told her that she did not look good, but Claire ignored that. Having a baby at home was exhausting and Claire thought that this was the reason for her tiredness and pale face.

'You need some rest, Claire!' Barb told her by the end of her shift.

'I'm fine!' Claire smiled and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

'Claire…' Barb screamed as she saw her collapsing on the floor.