Title: Dark Goddess
Pairing/Characters: Noah & Claire
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Post 5YG with a little of Season 3 mixed in for color
Word Count: 1,112
She steps out in the alleyway and I have to do a double take. The last time I had seen my Clairebear she was naive with golden curls. Now she was a dark angel in black leather. I shivered at the hints of skin that was showing. The father in me screamed that she was wearing something that would get her raped... by me.
She levels the gun that looks way too big for her hands at me. I'm not scared, I've died three times already and I keep coming back, all because of this dark angel's blood. "Claire." I state simply as the wind blows and those long dark locks kick up. Her kohl-ed eyes are narrowed and I can't tell her eye color from here.
"It's been a very long time dad." She accentuates the word 'dad' and it makes me think that she's thinking very naughty things. I straighten my glasses and a memory of the horn rimmed ones I used to wear kicks up. She'd picked those out at age thirteen. Here she was freshly twenty-one. A lot of things had changed.
"What's the point Claire? Who is this serving?" Her aim never waivers and I should know, I'm the one who taught her how to shoot. No not shoot, I taught her how to kill. She smiles one of those half smiles that only lifts one corner of that pouty mouth. I think, unbidden, about who's kissed that mouth and I get a bit jealous. No not jealous, protective, fuck it, who am I kidding? I'm jealous.
"Peter did this. He has to pay." I shake my head at her logic. She was on the same side as I was. She knew... But who had gotten to her? Who had warped my bright angel into this dark Goddess? She sighed and my eyes are drawn to her tight bodice, a hint of cleavage making my face warm for staring.
"I am not Peter, sweetheart."
"Don't call me that!" Her snarl contorts her face into an ugly picture but even so she's still gorgeous.
"Who's done this to you?"
"You did this to me!" She screams it even as her gun remains perfectly still. She was emotional but it was not coloring her tactical decisions. She was a perfect solider, I had trained her well.
"I did not-"
Nothing what so ever. Nothing, you're right dad, you did nothing when they dragged me off. You did nothing while I was tortured for secrets I didn't know. You did nothing while Sylar took my perverted thoughts of you and twisted them. You did nothing." Each word sliced through me like bullets from her gun. I was doubled over just from her words. Tears in my eyes as I imagined her pain. I'm so sorry... All I could do was think it because it was far too late to tell her.
I fell to my knees, my eyes on the ground as I took the pain I should have. She was right, every word was true. I had done nothing. I couldn't blame Peter who had said he'd rescue her, I couldn't blame Hiro who had said he'd find her and prevent it from happening. I blamed myself because I had entrusted her rescue to others. Suddenly I hear metal against concrete as the gun skidded next to my hand. I look up and she's there. Tears making ugly black rivers down her cheeks. "I... I'm so sorry..."
She looked at me then looked up into the sky and screamed. It raised the fine hairs on my neck. I could hear all the pain and fear in that scream. She fell to her knees before me. I could see the defeat in her eyes. I wanted to enfold her in my arms, but dared not touch her. "Sylar told me you were dead." Her green eyes locked on mine. "He said the sick and unnatural feelings I had for you sickened you. That you ended up blowing your head off because of your guilt."
"You didn't look surprised to see me though..." I trail off as I remember coming face to face with Parkman, the struggle and how he'd tried to shoot me in the head. Thankfully Tracy had happened by on an errand from Peter. She'd saved my life, paying me back for a long ago debt.
"He's no Nathan and he's surely no you... You two were the only ones I could never tell when you were lying. Sylar is very easy to read... but at the times... I was broken... vulnerable..." She wraps her arms around her middle and doubles over, I suppose remembering the pain. She looks up awkwardly, fresh tears in her eyes, "I knew he only did it to keep my by his side... When... When I found out Nathan was dead..." This time I did make the effort and gathered this dark goddess in my arms.
Her hands wrapped around the back of my neck as I pulled her close. I sat back on my heels as I pulled her into my lap, cradling her like a lost child. "It's alright... Claire... Clairebear." I stumble over the pet name I'd called her so long ago. She rests her forehead against mine and I watched as the tears fell. Her fingers tightened on my neck and I couldn't help but feel that something was off. Not right.
"I thought you were dead... I saw you die twice with my own eyes. I saw you come back twice... But I thought you were really dead..." I felt her pain, I really did. I was an insane man when she'd been taken. It had taken me divorcing myself from my work to just let Peter and Hiro be her rescuers. They were the best after all. I could do nothing. I was still mortal. Still normal. I put my hands in her hair, delighted when the band holding it in a ponytail snaps. The brown locks float around us on the wind and I look into her eyes.
"I'm here Claire, I'm not dead. You saved me more times than I can count-" I'm cut off as an unusual emotion crosses her face and then her mouth his on mine. My senses as her father surface and I go to push her away, but find I can't. My fingers harden in her hair and pull her closer. She shifts her body on mine, straddling my waist which pushes me back onto my ass on the wet pavement. I don't care as I drink her in. She's not my daughter any longer. She's my dark angel now.