Previously on Heroes (Storm Clouds Gathering): Peter finally shows up at the banquet, accompanied by an odd storm. Hiro and Sasha arrive just in time to hear Nathan's speech introducing Claire as his daughter. When the heroes begin to dance, someone watches them from the shadows. Claire dances with Nathan, then takes a break, and is approached by someone who won't let her see him. This mystery person hands her a folder of documents, including dossiers on John Shoe and Phoebe. The Company has been watching them. And something in Phoebe's dossier surprises Claire, something that Angela already knows. Meanwhile, Sasha is standing alone waiting for Hiro to return with cake when someone brushes past her, and she senses trouble...

This is kind of a short chapter. It's something of a filler, but there are some interesting revelations in it.

CHAPTER THREE

Phoebe and Peter finally stopped dancing. For a moment, they just stood there on the sidelines of the dance, and he found himself smiling uncontrollably.

"It was like flying," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded absently, caught up in the greenness of her irises, the glints of red in the gold of her hair, the way her eyebrows raised just before she smiled. That was always the tell…

"So…" She tilted her head to the side, clasping her hands in front of her. "What are we going to do now?"

Before Peter could answer, they were approached by Claire and Angela, an unlikely pair, Peter thought with a pang. Ever since Nathan had told him about Angela's plans for the explosion in New York City, he had felt awkward around his mother. He was sure Claire felt similarly cautious toward the domineering woman.

"Phoebe…" Claire glanced at Peter, then fixed her gaze on the other girl. "There's something I need to show you."

Phoebe's eyes widened, and the glow of romance fled from her face. "What is it?" she asked cautiously, glancing over Claire's shoulder at Angela, who had not moved her eyes from Phoebe's face.

"Here. Take a look." Claire handed Phoebe an opened folder, and the older girl took it with hesitant hands.

Peter moved closer to Phoebe. "What's going on?" he asked, addressing the question to his mother.

"Someone uninvited showed up," Angela replied, crossing her arms over her chest in a motion that reminded Peter of his brother. "And he gave this file to Claire. I don't know how he got in without anyone noticing."

Phoebe suddenly gasped, and Peter quickly turned his attention to her. "What is it?" he asked, placing a warm, comforting hand on her shoulder.

Phoebe looked up from the folder and met his eyes. "Peter… I--I have a sister."

Peter frowned, confused. "But… I thought you were an only child."

"I did, too." She swallowed, smiling weakly. "I was wrong." She looked quickly to Claire. "So you've met her?"

Claire nodded.

"And what--what's she like?"

Claire hesitated for a moment. "Well… You're nothing like her. And that's a good thing."

"What's going on?" Peter asked, moving between the two girls. "Phoebe, who's your sister?"

Phoebe met his gaze with bewildered eyes. "Peter, Claire is my niece, too."

"What!?"

Angela spoke up, then, in a calm, unsurprised voice. "Phoebe's elder sister is Meredith Gordon, Claire's biological mother."

"Hiro!" Sasha grabbed the little hero's arm. "Someone who is here has… bad intentions. He wants to cause trouble." She kept her voice at a whisper. "Do you see anyone around us, watching us?"

Hiro's eyes widened, and he looked around, taking Sasha's hands. "I see no one suspicious," he told her.

Sasha's hands tightened convulsively on his arm. "We've got to tell the others. We may all be in danger."

Sipping punch, Heidi looked over the rim of her glass at her husband, her eyes quizzical. He was surprising her tonight.

"What?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

She shook her head and swallowed the punch. "Nothing."

Surprising her once again, he moved closer to her and possessively took hold of her upper arm. "Darn it, Heidi, tell me," he whispered forcefully in her ear.

She met his eyes, and her own were wide. "I didn't--I didn't think you… cared… anymore…"

His grip on her arm loosened, his thumb absently tracing patterns on her skin. "I--I've always cared," he said softly, looking down.

Heidi frowned. "Have you?"

He looked up and into her eyes. "Yes. I just… Sometimes I didn't act like it." For a moment, his gaze was so intense, Heidi was sure he would kiss her, then suddenly, he looked over her shoulder and frowned.

"What is it?" she asked quickly.

"Something's going on," Nathan said. "Come on." He took her free hand and led her across the floor to where Peter, Phoebe, Claire, and Angela were all gathered around a yellow file folder.

"Peter Petrelli!" Hiro patted his friend's arm, eyes wide behind his glasses. "We may be in danger!"

Peter turned quickly to the little hero, feeling quite overwhelmed by the events of the night. "What do you mean, Hiro?"

Hiro drew Sash forward, and the blind girl spoke. "A man brushed past me, a stranger," she told the others, frowning. "And I felt… trouble in his touch. Mischief. Hidden intent." She shrugged. "I don't know where he went. If I touched him again, though, I would know."

Angela cleared her throat then, drawing everyone's attention. "There was a stranger watching the rest of you while you danced. A young man with blond hair."

At that moment, Nathan and Heidi joined the group. "What's going on?" Nathan asked quickly.

Mutely, Phoebe handed him the folder, and he narrowed his eyes on her. "What's going on, Phoebe?"

"Just read it," she said quietly. "It's the fifth bullet."

Nathan's eyes widened as he read. He looked up quickly from the file, first looking at Phoebe, then Claire, then narrowing his eyes on his mother. "Did you know this, Ma?"

Angela nodded shortly. "I've always known."

"So that's why--" Phoebe quickly cut her sentence short, biting her lip.

"So that's why what?" Angela asked, crossing her arms and glancing at Phoebe impatiently.

"When we--when we first met, you knew my last name," said Phoebe quietly. "And you, uhm, thought I was, uhm, Nathan's… Thought I was with Nathan." Gosh, this is awkward. I always slip up and say the most embarrassing things around Angela Petrelli.

"So what, exactly, is going on here?" Heidi spoke up, hands on her hips.

"Phoebe is my aunt," Claire said proudly, moving closer to said hero. "On my mother's side."

Heidi's mouth formed a silent "oh," then she looked at Nathan expectantly.

"I didn't know," Nathan told her.

"None of us did," Peter added.

"Except for our mother," Nathan finished.

"My parents never told me," Phoebe said suddenly, quietly, her eyes defocused. "I have a sister, and they never told me. Why? Why did they never tell me?" She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Hey, Phoebe, you okay?" Peter asked, sliding an arm around her shoulders.

She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. "Yes. I'm just… shocked."

"And also, there is danger," Hiro spoke up, turning to Nathan and Heidi. "Mysterious man has been watching us."

"He was probably the one who gave Claire the folder," Phoebe said, still keeping her eyes shut.

Nathan glanced around the circle, noting Peter's worried frown, Phoebe's paleness, Claire's eyes looking to him with expectance, Hiro's wide eyes, Sasha's utter stillness, and Heidi's wondering eyes, fixed on him, of course. "I think it's time to call it a night," he announced firmly.

"One more song," Claire spoke up, her voice pleading. "Just one. That is, if everyone feels up to it. Then we can eat and go... home and discuss all this."

The others all nodded, except for Nathan, who frowned, and Angela, who had quietly slipped out of the circle.

"I think it'd be a good thing to end Claire's party on a happy note," Peter said.

Nathan pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes on his little brother. Peter met his eyes unwaveringly. Nathan sighed. "Alright. You win. One more dance."

"I think I'll sit this one out," Heidi said quietly, gently touching Nathan's arm.

He looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Dance with your daughter," she said.

The final song was a beautifully orchestrated version of Elvis Pressley's "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You."

Peter held Phoebe gently as they danced, for he felt she was very fragile at this moment.

"Peter, I'm fine," she whispered in his ear.

"No you're not," he replied, reaching to brush a strand of golden hair from her cheek. "You're hurting right now."

She looked away from him, looked down at her silver high heels, biting her lip.

"I wish--I wish I could take it for you," Peter said quietly.

She looked back up at him and smiled. "I know."

"I'm sorry they never told you." He kissed her forehead lightly. He laughed a bit, then. "Wouldn't it have been weird if Nathan had stayed with… your sister? Then we would have been brothers dating sisters."

Phoebe giggled, a bit hysterically, and kissed Peter soundly.