Change One Thing, Change Everything.

Summer 2013:

Claire: I sought comfort from the turmoil of my life with Victor Armstrong. I had called him in a weak moment and was surprised to find out he was still in New York. We met for a drink that led to dinner and somewhere along the way I managed to pour my heart out to him. The whole story, minus the part about having superpowers. He was exactly what I needed. Gracious and kind; he listened to every word. He helped me begin to get over the loss of my place in the Petrelli family. He travelled a lot, but after that night we started to see a whole lot more of each other. I couldn't possibly have known the effect my new relationship would have on Peter.

"She's not a kid anymore, Pete."

"How can you not have a problem with it?" Peter's eyes were wild with frustration.

Nathan gave his brother a strange look. "Whether we like it or not Claire has always done things her own way-"

"But-" Peter interjected.

"And, as much as I dislike the idea of her dating Victor Armstrong, I don't have any say in the matter."

"Sure you do. You're . . . You're . . ."

"Not her Father anymore." Nathan raised an eyebrow.

"I know that."

Nathan stood up to face his younger brother. "I think you need to look at where this is coming from."

"What?"

"This need to interfere with her life. It has gotten you in trouble before."

"I don't have-" Peter stopped short, "I'm just concern about her that's all. What do we really even know about this guy?"

"Relax, Pete. I'm sure she knows exactly who she's getting involved with."

"I'm going to talk to her."

"Leave it be. She needs our support right now. The last few weeks have been incredibly hard on her."

Peter knew in his heart that his brother was right. Doubt crept into the corners of his mind. "Why does this bother you so much if you only want her to be happy?"

Peter: Why is it that sometimes no matter what we do, we always hurt the ones we love the most?

Peter's heart was cold, despite the warmth of the night. Sleep no longer came easily to him. By contrast, Caitlin slept soundlessly beside him. Blissfully unaware of the torment he felt. "How can I love you and still miss her so much?" he asked himself. He closed his eyes and imagined she was Claire. Even after all this time, he was certain he could still smell her perfume on his pillow. "No!" He fought the urge to cry out her name. He sat up angrily. With clenched fists, he walked into the moonlight streaming in his window. The light was a scythe that cut his face in two. Movement caught his eye and he turned to see Claire and Victor walking up the path to the pool house. His eyes grew darker as he surveyed the scene from above. The couple took one more lingering kiss before Victor departed. He had given her time, but could no longer tolerate the absence she left in his life. He caught the glimpse of a smile on her face as she turned away from him. Finally, it was too much for him to bear.

Claire stood in the doorway, lost in her thoughts, when she was suddenly confronted by Peter.

"Pete? Oh," she placed a hand to her chest. "You scared me. How did you-?"

"Can I come in?" he was breathing heavily.

"Of course."

"Have a seat." She eyed him suspiciously as he tried to appear casual. "So . . ."

"So . . . ?"

"Do you want a drink?"

"Sure . . . How was your date?" he asked.

"You don't have to do this you know." She selected two wine glasses from the cupboard and set them down on the counter.

"What?"

She raised her eyebrows. "It's getting kind of old . . . The whole protective Uncle routine," the words slipped effortlessly from her mouth before she had the chance to realise what she was saying.

Peter's eye's bulged. "I'm not your Uncle anymore."

"I know." She avoided his gaze. "So, what are you doing here?" Her hand was shaky as she poured wine into the glasses.

He shrugged and made another uncomfortable attempt to look casual. "I just wanted to chat. You know, see how you are."

"Victor took me out for an early birthday dinner. It was very nice. There are you satisfied?"

"He's not joining us next week?" Peter was a little too relieved.

Claire suppressed a little smile. "No. He's going to be in Dubai."

"Oh. That's a shame cos I was really looking forward to-"

"No you weren't." She handed him a glass and took a seat in the chair opposite.

"Okay, so maybe I wasn't."

"He's a nice guy, Pete."

"I'm sure he is."

"Why are you really here?" she gave him another suspicious glance.

"I don't . . . I feel like I never see you anymore," he blurted out.

"What? That's crazy. We see each other all the time."

"I guess. It's just since you moved out of the house and . . . Since you started seeing Victor . . ."

Claire froze. "No. No no no. I'm not to blame for this. If you weren't always off with little Miss Perfect picking china patterns or gravy boats or whatever the hell it is you do with her, then maybe you would realise I have a life of my own." Her blood boiled. "The nerve . . ."

"Caitlin has nothing to do with this. I only ever want to see you happy Claire."

"And that's why you came here?" She thrust her wine glass down and walked outside. He followed, ignoring her remark.

"I just don't ever see how a man like that could ever make you happy."

"It's getting old Pete, really old." Light from the pool reflected the unhappiness in her eyes. A mirror of the loneliness in her heart.

"What is?"

"This whole 'No one is good enough for you routine'. Newsflash: Nathan is not my Father, you're not my Uncle and I can see whoever I want to."

"Fine. Go ahead and screw up your life. Sorry for caring!"

Claire gave an angry squeal. "Screw up my life? I never asked for any of this. I ne-never wanted any of THIS! But, this is what I got and, I don't know about you, but I'm just trying to make the best of it."

"What would you have me do?" he demanded. "Go back in time and fix this?"

"Maybe . . . I-I don't know," she said exasperatedly.

"I can't do that, Claire . . . You know I can't. It just wouldn't be right. Change one thing and it could change everything. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. All those lives I've saved, hundreds of lives."

"Don't I deserve a little happiness, Peter? After everything that has happened to me. Don't I deserve someone who will love and cherish me? It's all I've ever asked."

"Of course-"

"I thought it was you," she cut him off.

"What?"

"When I met you. I thought you were going to be the one who loved me unconditionally and yet somehow when I'm around you all I always end up getting hurt."

"Don't make me responsible for your bad choices, Claire."

"God, would you just listen to yourself? You say you care, but you don't. Any time we get close to the truth you just throw it all back in my face, saying it's my fault we ended up here."

"That is NOT true."

"Then what do you want from me?" she pleaded with him. "Tell me please, because I'm getting sick you lecturing me and blaming me for all the problems in our relationship."

"If our relationship is such a problem for you then maybe we shouldn't have one anymore." His words swirled around them, before swiftly crushing her heart to dust.

Her eyes narrowed coldly. "I th-think you should go-"

"Claire, I did-" he started to protest, realising the true impact of his words. The pure agony and disgust in her green eyes reaching into his soul.

"Just go," her voice a menacing whisper.

Claire closed her eyes and fought the urge to cry. "I won't let you do this to me again." She took a deep breath and held it. The warm Summer night air surrounded and supported her. He was gone when she opened her eyes. She sighed thankfully as she made her way inside. She moved slowly to lock the door and close all the curtains. She undressed quickly before finally collapsing onto her bed. A sharp pain in one of her fingers made her sit up. Peter's ring. She stared at it, running her fingers back at forth across it. The ring was cold to the touch, despite the fact that she never took it off. Large wet tears dropped silently from her eyes. She stood up pulling the ring off as she went. She held it up to the light, taking in the design for the last time. "I'm finally going to be free of you." Satisfied, she slipped the into a box and placed it in her top drawer. She closed the drawer, wiped her eyes and vowed never to look at it again.

Peter: I told myself it was better that way. Better for me? No. Better for Claire. She deserved so much more than me. I will never forgive myself for leaving her there. I walked away that night a coward. A coward for realising that I was still in love with Claire; a coward for hiding the truth. It was a secret that almost killed me.

In the final chapter of Volume Six: Such Sweet Sorrow: Claire and Victor have a surprising secret. Peter believes Claire is lost to him forever. Will she forgive him when he takes the opportunity to apologise?