*Some foul language will have to force this chapter into rated M. Sorry*

Five Years Later: Chapter Eight

"Finding Peter will not be easy," Rene reminds Claire, who is still standing with her defiant chin out, her chest heaving in and out with even but heavy breaths. Gretchen also notices that Claire's nostrils are flared. And, her green eyes are narrowed beneath her furrowed brow.

Finding Peter may not be easy, Gretchen thinks to herself as she watches Claire, but she's not going to rest until we do.

"You know where we have to start," Claire tells him. "It's the only way."

The Haitian shakes his head, obviously aware of what she's talking about, but dubious of it.

"No, Claire," he says. "We mustn't go to your grandmother. If we do, we will only be compromising her safety."

"Fuck her," Claire growls, giving him an almost murderous look in return. "She's the whole reason this mess started! If she had not forced Matt Parkman to ..."

Stopping in mid-sentence, she shakes her head and says, "It doesn't matter. All that matters right now is finding out the truth ... and we'll never find that without Peter."

"The truth?" Gretchen asks, stepping forward. "What do you mean?"

Claire looks at her as if she'd almost forgotten she was there. "I mean, I want to know everything. Don't you? About this government project ... about the evolve army ... everything! We've been living with our heads in the sand for five years ... hiding and isolating ourselves, and hoping it would all just go away. But, it's not going to go away. They are hunting us one by one. Are we just supposed to sit back and take it? Wait for them to find us? Uh, uh. I don't think so. We are going to turn the tables on them and hunt them right back! We are going to dismantle their entire operation ... piece by piece! Until there isn't a trace of them left!"

Gretchen doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry. She's never seen Claire quite like this ... so fired up over something. On the one hand, it's hard to deny the fact that passion looks good on her, even an angry passion. Perhaps especially an angry one ...

But, on the other hand ... it almost sounds as if Claire is ready to start a war. And, war usually means dead bodies. Gretchen doesn't really care for that idea.

Neither do the others.

"Claire, we mustn't do anything rash," Rene warns. "We are weaker now than ever. We must proceed cautiously."

"Rene is right," Hiro agrees. "If you come after them now, you will be falling right into their trap. It's what they're counting on. You must see that, Claire."

"They don't know about Peter," she reminds them. "They think he's dead."

"How can you be so sure he isn't?" Rene asks her. "He hasn't contacted us in two years."

"He is our only hope," Claire asserts. "And my grandmother will know where to find him ... if he's still alive."

"Your grandmother is in hiding," reminds Rene again. "What makes you think she would know where Peter is?"

"Because," says Claire, "Peter is more forgiving than I am. Even after all she's done, he would never turn his back on her. He would never stay away from her for long ... even if he wanted to."

"I can take you there," says Hiro, suddenly changing his mind. "But ... I cannot stay, Claire. You will have to fight this battle on your own. If you fail, someone must stay behind to pick up the pieces."

Claire nods in agreement. "If I fail," she says, "you may have to pick up my pieces."

"I will do my best," promises Hiro.

Claire looks up at the Haitian with a silent plea in her eyes. "You with me on this?" she asks him.

After a sigh, Rene says, "Of course. If I cannot change your mind, then I have no other choice."

Claire nods and comes to stand next to Hiro, pulling Rene along with her. Gretchen watches on, waiting to be invited into the circle. But, Hiro only closes his eyes in preparation.

"Wait!" Gretchen cries out, just as Hiro is getting ready to do his thing and make them all disappear.

Hiro opens his eyes again and waits for her to speak.

"What about me?" she asks indignantly. "You're not just going to leave me here? Are you?"

"You wouldn't be safe with us," Claire immediately tells her. "I don't even know what we'll be facing. I can't take a chance that something might happen to you."

"Screw that!" exclaims Gretchen, coming closer. "You're not going without me, Claire. Not after all that's happened already."

Claire steps out of the circle and grabs Gretchen's arm with a hard yank. She pulls her away from the others, looking impatient and desperate.

"Do you think I want to leave you here? I don't. But I can't take another loss today, Gretchen. I just can't. If I know that you are safe here ... waiting for me ... then it will be easier for me to do what I need to do."

"And, what is that exactly?" questions Gretchen, just as impatient, and just as desperate. "What if you don't come back? What if you get captured? Claire, I can't let that happen ... don't you get that? I'm a cop now! Let me help you!"

"You're not a cop anymore, Gretchen," she reminds her. "That ended the minute your apartment exploded."

"Fine. So, technically I'm not. But, I still have the skills, Claire! I'm not totally useless when it comes to things like this! And ... I ..." She trails off, unsure of whether or not to voice her next sentiments out loud.

Claire's expression changes from impatience to curiosity. "And you what?" she asks, still holding tight to Gretchen's arm.

Gretchen takes in a deep breath, deciding that she had better tell Claire something of what she's feeling ... before she loses this argument, and never sees her alive again.

"And I ... care about you," she finally says, locking eyes with Claire and holding her gaze. "If you leave me here with Hiro, I'll only worry about you the whole time. I won't be able to sleep, or eat ... I might even forget to keep breathing! So ... you may as well take me with you because ... I'll be in danger either way."

"You're only exaggerating," Claire says, blushing a little and giving her a tired smile. "You'll be just fine here."

"How do you know for sure that I'm exaggerating?" Gretchen asks her. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Claire Bennet. And, if you leave me here and end up dying, then you'll never know any of it! ... Don't you want to know?"

The last question, Gretchen realizes, comes out sounding almost like a plea. She wishes at once that she could stuff that one back in, but ... it's too late.

Claire let's go of her arm slowly, but does not break their gaze. "You're not going to give up until I say yes ... are you?"

Gretchen folds her arms, trying to look just as stubborn as her counterpart. "Got that right."

Claire considers it, then nods her head slowly with a deep breath. "Fine. But ... you've got to do everything as I say, got it? If I tell you to stay back or get out of the way, you'd better do it."

"Not a problem," Gretchen agrees.

"And, even if it looks like I might be in trouble, you can't come running to try and save me if I've told you to stay put! Got it?"

"What kind of trouble?" asks Gretchen.

"Gretchen!" warns Claire, "I mean it! It doesn't matter what kind of trouble! You promise you'll listen to me, or there's no deal!"

"Fine," says Gretchen begrudgingly. "I will follow orders, Sarge. Does that make you feel better?"

Claire takes another deep breath. "Not really. But, I guess you're not really giving me a choice."

"Not really," agrees Gretchen.

"Okay, then," says Claire, taking her by the hand. "Let's not keep Hiro waiting."


Hiro drops them off, so to speak, in front of a retirement center in southern Florida. The temperature is scorching, and palm trees line the walk up to the center. Having gone in just one day from New York City, to a ghost town in the desert, to Nebraska in 1954, and now this ... Gretchen is starting to feel a little woozy in the stomach. Clearly, traveling with Hiro is just as bad as having jet-lag. If not worse.

"Please, be as careful as you can," Hiro says to them before taking off. "Coming here may endanger not just Angela, but all of us."

Claire nods. "We'll be careful, Hiro. I promise."

"I will be back to check on you," he assures them. "Until then ..."

He gives them one last smile, then blinks away, leaving Claire, Rene, and Gretchen to find Peter on their own.

"Stay here," Claire tells the Haitian. "Gretchen and I will go in alone."

"I will come if I sense any danger," he tells her.

She smiles and gives his arm an affectionate squeeze. "I know you will. Just ... be careful."

He nods solemnly and turns away, already watching out for danger.

Claire looks at Gretchen and raises her brows. "Ready to meet Grandma?" she asks.

Gretchen shrugs. "Ready or not," she replies.

Claire takes her hand, and they walk towards the center together. It is a long sidewalk, so Gretchen clears her throat and hesitantly begins asking more questions.

"So, um ... why did the Haitian say he had no choice when you asked him to come with you?" she says first.

"He promised my dad a long time ago that he would always keep me safe," Claire explains, still holding tight to her hand. "And he always does."

"Why?" Gretchen wonders aloud.

"Because ... he's one of the good guys," she replies simply.

"And your grandmother? Is she one of the good guys?" Gretchen continues.

Claire lets out a cynical laugh. "Depends on the day," she tells her. "My grandmother always thinks she has good intentions, but ... she's too impulsive."

Gretchen cannot help smiling at this. "Hmm ... Sound like anyone else you know?"

Claire stops walking and looks up at her with exasperation. "Don't start ... okay?"

"Okay," promises Gretchen, still suppressing a grin. "I'm sorry."

Claire begins walking again, pulling Gretchen right along with her.

"Look, let's just focus on what we came here for, and you can make fun of me all you want later, okay?" she tells Gretchen.

"I said I was sorry," Gretchen reminds her as Claire is pushing open the front door to the retirement center.

Ignoring this for the moment, Claire smiles at the attendant behind the front desk and puts on her best normal girl act.

"Hi," she greets the attendant. "I'm here from California to visit my grandmother. Could you tell me her room number please? Her name is Velonia Masey."

"Of course," replies the attendant, smiling right back at Claire. "Just let me check the computer ... one second ... yes, here it is. Ms. Masey is in room 204. Just let us know if you need anything."

"Thank you so much," answers Claire. "And, have a nice day."

"Same to you," says the attendant.

As they turn around to find room 204, Gretchen leans in Claire's ear and says, "Velonia? Are you serious?"

"What alias would you expect a woman over fifty to go by?" hisses Claire in response. "Britney?"

Gretchen shrugs and continues to follow, until finally they find room 204, at the end of a hallway on the far side of the building. Claire puts her hand on the door-handle, but then freezes there.

"What's the matter?" asks Gretchen, seeing her hesitation.

"I haven't spoken to her since my father died," Claire explains, looking up at Gretchen with grief in her eyes. "And, the last time we talked, I was pretty nasty."

"You were nasty to your grandma?" replies Gretchen.

"Most people don't have grandmas like mine," says Claire with all seriousness.

"I'm sure she'll understand," Gretchen tells her. "I mean, she loves you ... right?"

Claire smiles up at Gretchen in the way people smile when they know someone will never understand what they are talking about. Like the way parents smile at their children when they ask them why the sky is blue.

"Angela Petrelli loves in her own kind of way," Claire finally says. "But ... it doesn't always feel like love when you're standing on the other side of it."

And, with that, Claire opens the door and walks in, with her eyes closed tight and her breath held, as if she is getting ready to rip a band-aid off.

Angela Petrelli, who is sitting at a desk with a book and a cup of coffee, looks up at Claire and smiles broadly.

Claire finally opens her eyes and takes a deep breath in preparation. "Hello, grandmother," she says, her expression blank and emotionless.

"Well, Claire," breathes out Angela, standing to greet her. "My goodness. Here I knew you were coming today ... and I'm still surprised to see you."

"What do you mean you knew I was coming today?" Claire immediately asks, looking concerned. "What did you see?"

Gretchen, who is trying desperately to follow the conversation despite her lack of understanding, comes closer to Claire. She stands directly behind her, watching Angela closely from behind.

"I see," says Angela, looking slightly disappointed. "No time for social pleasantries? Just straight to business, is it?"

"We have a traitor in our community," Claire tells her, surprising Gretchen by bringing this theory up at all. "And I want to know who it is."

"A traitor you say?" replies Angela, taking a seat on the end of her bed. "Well, I can't speak to that, necessarily, but I did know you were coming. For Peter ... am I right?

"Do you know where he is?" Claire demands to know.

"I do," answers Angela. "However, Peter does not wish to be found. Particularly by you, dear."

Claire looks taken aback by this news. "Why?" she asks.

"You should really go back to Hiro," Angela suggests. "This is no place for you."

"What do you mean?" questions Claire. "You mean back to 1954?"

"Hiro is a smart man, Claire," says Angela. "The past is a wonderful place to hide. And live, if you must."

"What is all this?" Claire questions. "Are you trying to protect me? Or Peter?"

"Both of you, of course," she replies. "You are the only family I have left, Claire."

"Well, I'm not going back to 1954, so you can forget about it."

"Would that have anything to do with the lovely woman standing over your shoulder?" asks her grandmother, a knowing smile crossing her face. "Were you going to introduce us, Claire? Or just allow us to stare at each other wonderingly?"

Claire looks over her shoulder briefly and says sarcastically, "Oh ... I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Gretch, Angela. Angela, Gretch. Now, what are you trying to protect me from? The government? If you know anything about this force that's after us, you should tell me ... NOW."

Angela shakes her head with a smile, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. "Oh, my dear Claire. You are so impetuous. Running around trying to find Peter when you should be staying put."

"I can't afford to stay put, Angela. Someone has to stop them, before they kill or capture us all!"

"And that's up to you?" asks Angela. "Why? Because without the answers you seek your little love affair might get stalled?"

"Excuse me?" says Claire, clearly offended by this line of questioning.

"Do not bullshit a bullshitter, kid," warns her grandmother. "I saw in my visions your reasons for coming here. You want to know if Becky is your traitor. If she is, then ... the door is open for Gretchen to come inside, is it not?"

Without hesitation, Claire pulls her hand back and slaps Angela hard across one cheek, leaving a mark. Angela does not look at all surprised.

"How dare you!" cries out Claire in indignation. "I am trying to save lives here! Your life, for one ... although I'm not really sure it's worth protecting."

"We are all lost causes this time, dear," Angela says simply. "The best thing for you to do would be to go back to Hiro. Take Gretchen with you. Live a happy life. But don't stay here looking for Peter. It will only bring you trouble."

"Cut the crap, old woman," says Claire with a growl, obviously pushed just a little too far. "Tell me where I can find Peter, or I'll find another way."

Angela takes a deep breath and stands again, giving Claire a tired smile. "I thought you might say that," she says with disappointment.

Her grandmother goes to the desk and gets out a writing tablet and pen. "I can get a message to Peter," she explains. "We have a system. But, Claire ..." She sits the tablet and pen down and gives her granddaughter a stern look. "Whatever you do, please promise me that you will listen to Peter. Do as he tells you ... please. Will you promise me that?"

Claire nods slowly, and Gretchen is taken back to the conversation they had themselves just minutes earlier, when Gretchen promised to listen to Claire and do as she said. Clearly, the chain of command was growing.

"I will tell him a place and a time to meet you, and he will come as quickly as he can," Angela explains, writing a note out on the tablet. "But, please ... be careful. I don't know much about this government force we are hiding from, but I know they have others like us ... with all kinds of abilities. Any one of them could find out about your meeting with Peter, which is precisely why you shouldn't be going."

"I have Rene with me," Claire tells her. "He can keep the ones with abilities from using their powers."

Angela looks past her to Gretchen. "Yes, but ... as for your friend here ... what will be protecting her? After all, unless you've met another self-healer, I'm assuming she is not impervious to bullets?"

Claire smiles up at Gretchen and takes her hand, squeezing it. "She'll be fine. She's promised to listen to me."

"Mmm, hmm," says her grandmother with a sly smile. "You mean, the way you listen to me?"

Claire rolls her eyes. "When can I meet Peter?"

"Today," says Angela. "Can you rent a car? Have you any cash, dear?"

"Uh ... no."

Angela reaches inside her desk and pulls out a set of keys, throwing them to Claire. "You can take my car. After all ... I'm not going anywhere. Am I?"

"Thanks," says Claire, turning to leave.

"Oh, and, Claire?" says Angela, as she and Gretchen are just about to walk out the door.

Claire turns back around, sighing impatiently.

"When you succeed ... if you succeed ... please don't be a stranger," says her grandmother, with a look of loneliness on her face. "I've missed you. You're the only granddaughter I have, you know."

"I know," replies Claire. "I will try. I promise."

"I'm going to keep you to that," says Angela with a smile.

Claire smiles back and turns around again, anxious to find her uncle and end this ordeal ... once and for all.

*to be continued ...*