Disclamer : I don't own Heroes.
Author's note : I tried to write about Claire and Peter's interaction with people around them in this chapter. But they did not know that people together, so there is an introductory section. I always liked West, as an individual character rather than as Claire's boyfriend. I think West is very interesting characters. It's just the story about his relationship with Claire is less explored. I realized how similar West character with Peter. Not only by appearance, but also in character. So I tried to take the idea to write about. Beside that, there is Emma. Peter and Emma's relationship is still less explored in season 4. What will happen to them after Peter take Sylar to save her? What Peter goals related to Emma? Whether Peter actually have other feelings towards Emma. And vice versa.
Peter takes Claire to shopping the next day. He let Claire to pick all of the furnitures, electronics, kitchen appliance, even groceries. They went together all day. Peter didn't even come to work that day.
Claire was making dinner when the bell rings. She quickly opened the door. A women about Peter's age standing in front of the door. She looked confused.
" I'm sorry. This is Peter Petrelli's house, right?" She asked, looking uncertain if she got the right house.
Claire smiled and nodded. " Peter was in the shower." Claire hands out her hand to her. " I'm Claire."
They shaking hands. " I'm Emma."
" Sorry. Sometimes I forget my manners. Please come in." Claire said, apologizing. She stepped aside to let Emma in. Emma smiled and nodded, then stepped into the apartement.
" It looks different from the last time I came here." Emma said. She glanced quickly around the apartement.
" Probably because there are furnitures now." Claire grinned at her.
Emma turned to Claire. " I feel like I've seen you before. Have we ever met?"
" I don't think so. But yeah, you seem familiar." Her mind begin to spin trying to remember Emma. " Oh! You're that women. From the carnival. The one with the violin."
" You're in the carnival too?" Emma asked, surprised. Claire nodded. " So, you're one of them?" Emma asked. Claire understand what is she meant.
" One of us. It's one of us." Claire reminds her.
Emma looked at Claire. " Yeah, I suppose it's one of us."
" Are you one of Peter's friend? I never met any of his friends." Actually she was curious about this Emma. Who she is to Peter. And Emma also thinking the same thing.
" You've never met any of his friend? One of his friend, Sylar. He saved me."
Claire laughed bitterly. " Sylar is not a friend of Peter." Claire walked into the kitchen, behind the counter. " Please sit down. I'm cooking dinner. Care to join us?" Claire change the subject.
" No. It's okay. I thought I should just go." Emma said. " I just wonder why Peter didn't come to work today. After what happened yesterday, I was worried that something happened to Peter."
" He's fine. I just moved here. So today Peter helped me to settle in." Claire explained it to Emma. Emma just smiled. There's a lot on her mind right now about Claire's word that they lived together. Then her eyes saw a brochure of NYU on the table. " This is – "
" That's mine. I just enrolled today. I will start tomorrow."
" So you're a college student?" Emma was even more surprised about this latest discovery.
" Claire, I haven't turned off the water." Suddenly Peter out of the bathroom. He's half naked, just a towel wrap around his wrist. His hair was still wet. The water soaked his bare chest. " Emma – " Peter was surprised to see Emma there.
Claire approached Peter and tried to push him into the bedroom. " Shirt up, mister." Peter's face turned red. So is Claire and Emma.
" Sorry. I'll be back in a minute." Peter got into the bedroom and close the door.
" Sorry." Claire trying to apologize for Peter's behavior. Peter out of the room moments later. Fully dressed. " You guys talk. I'll take a shower." Then Claire got into her room, leave them both alone.
Peter walked over to Emma. " Once again I'm really sorry about that."
" No, it's okay. I came without notice." Emma said. " It just – you don't come to work today." Emma added.
Peter sat next to Emma. " Yeah. Claire just moved in. And here is not exactly a good home before." Emma smiled politely at Peter. " But I will come to work tomorrow."
Emma glanced around the apartement. Then she caught one picture of Peter and Claire on the table. " You both look perfect for each other." Emma said bitterly.
" What?" Peter confused with Emma's statement.
" I know it's not my place to say this. But we are friends, right? This is what friend doing for each other."
" What is it, Emma?"
" You both look perfect for each other. But – don't you think she was too young, Peter? She was still in college. That was too young." Emma finally said it.
And eventually Peter understand what Emma tries to tell him. " You think Claire and I – Well, you think she's my girlfriend?" Peter asked with amusement.
" She is your girlfriend, right? You two live together."
Peter laugh because it amusing. " No, she's not my girlfriend." Peter states. " But thank you. I'm flattered."
" What do you mean?" Emma getting more confused.
" Well, you thought she was my girlfriend. It means you think I could get a girl like her. I'm very flattered. You see her, right? She's way over my league." Peter explained. Emma doesn't understand. Peter said Claire wasn't his girlfriend, but it was obvious that he's highly appraising her. Emma could feel how important Claire is to Peter.
Claire out from her room. " So, have you decided? If you want to join us for dinner?" Claire asked Emma.
Peter is the one who answered for Emma. " Yeah, she will join us." Peter smiled to Emma. Claire looked at them, still curious about their relationship. Peter turned to Claire. " You know what Emma just said to me, Claire?" Claire approached them with puzzled look on her face. " She just asked me if you my girlfriend."
Claire laughed. " You think I could get a guy like him? Well, thank you." Claire and Peter smiled at each other.
" Okay, I'm officially confused. He just said the same thing. Are you two like secret admire of each other or something?" Emma gave to guess their relationship.
Peter and Claire laughed even louder. Emma's word make them feel amused. " Our relationship as plain as the others. I'm just a proud uncle." Peter smiled at Claire.
" And I obviously a proud niece." Claire also said.
" Peter is your uncle?" Emma asked Claire. Claire nodded. " And Claire is your niece?" Emma also asked Peter.
" It think it has work both ways." Peter said.
" You two don't look like uncle and niece." Emma's words made Peter and Claire look at each other in silence.
" But we are. We're related by blood." Peter said, more to Claire than Emma.
" Yeah, we're related." Claire also said. They only exchange gaze for a while. They have dinner together. The topic they were talking during dinner is about Emma. Peter and Claire avoiding talking about related to each other, although actually Emma still wanted to ask more. She don't know why, but she still felt that their relationship isn't that simple.
" You don't have to walk me here, you know." Peter walk Claire to NYU for her first day. Claire turned to Peter. " I really can take care myself."
Peter grinned at her. " I know, Claire. But I wanted to. Beside, it is dangerous for you to be alone."
" Peter."
Peter softly stroked her hair. " Just go to your class. We're can't discuss it here." Peter said as he pointing at people who are looking at them. Claire nodded in defeat. " I'll picked you up after class."
" Of course you are." Claire whispered to herself. Peter hear her, but he pretended not to hear anything, because he had promised her to turn off the super hearing power.
" I'll see you later, Claire." Peter touched Claire's hand slightly before he turned around and walked away.
Claire is just about to step into the building when someone called her. " Claire?"
She turned around to find the source of the sound. " West?"
West walked toward her. " Hi. What are you doing here?" He looks happy to see her. He smiled broadly at her.
" I just enroll here. This is my first day." Claire is also happy to see West again. She didn't know anyone here. So she was glad to meet West. " I forgot you're NYU student too."
West grinned at her. " We met so often this couple of months." She understands that what he meant was when she called him a few months ago for Peter. " The guy who had just with you. He is the same guy that 'borrowed' my power a few months ago, right?"
He notice that Claire's face turns red when he mentions Peter. " Yeah, that's him."
" So what major do you take? We don't have much time to chat the other day." Claire quickly changed the subject.
And it work. " I major in genetic." West said, as he stepped into the building. Claire followed behind him.
Claire turned to West as he said that. " Genetic major?" Claire asked again to be sure. West grinned at her.
" Me too."
" Well, we indeed have the same interest in that matter." Claire knew what he meant. The thing that bring them together in the first place is their power. " I suppose you still haven't stopped trying to be normal." West tease Claire.
" Never." Claire smiled at him.
" This is our first class. With Prof. Brown. You will love him." West stopped in front of a class. " He knows a lot about our different genetic." West whispering closer to Claire's ear.
" You mean he knows about us?"
" I don't think so. He doesn't seem too believe that there are people like us."
West walk into the classroom and approached two people sitting a corner of the classroom. " Guys, this is Claire. She is new." West turned to Claire. " This is Aaron and his girlfriend, Jen." They both waved at Claire.
" Hi. Nice to see you." Claire greeted them.
" Claire? Is she the same Claire with your ex girlfriend 'Claire'?" Jen asked West.
Claire looked at West. " Yes, she is my ex girlfriend. It doesn't mean we're not friends." West looked at Claire. " Right?" Claire smiled and nodded at him.
West isn't her first choice to be her friend in her first day in NYU. But it's better that none. Ever since she finds out about her power, she had difficulty making friends with someone normal. So she is glad that she find West. West is very nice to her. Because of Claire just started in the middle of the semester, she was a little left out in lesson. West lend his notes at class.
" That is very fascinating." Aaron comments after the class ended. " I hope to have that different genetic."
West and Claire secretly looked at each other. " It's not normal, you know." Claire commented.
" Normal is overrated." Aaron said. Claire just smiled. But West know what she's thinking about.
" Let's find something to eat! I'm starving." West changed the topic. West turned to Claire. " There is one café around here. They served the best burger."
Claire took a glance at her watch. " I think I'm going to pass."
" Come on, Claire. It just five o'clock. The day is still early." Jen trying to persuade Claire.
" Yeah Claire. The place is just around the corner. It's not that far." West was alos tried.
" It's not that. I'd love to." Claire turned to West. " I live with my bio family here. They have rules."
" Oh. You live with your bio family? Since when?"
" Some time. I will tell you about it some time." Claire took a glance at her watch again. " I really have to go now."
West nodded understand. " Okay. Maybe sometime, then."
Claire smiled. " I'll see you tomorrow."
Claire already ran out the class when West notice that her notes is left out in her desk. " She left this. I will give it to her." West sat up.
" She doesn't need that now. You can give it tomorrow." Aaron said, but West already ran.
" That's nothing to do with the notes. He still have feelings for her." Jen tell Aaron, as she looked West's shadow disappearing from the class.
West ran chased after Claire, but she runs so fast, like she late for something. When West's eyes finally caught Claire's sight, she already stepped out from the building, ran to Peter. He quickly hid behind a pole, so they can't see him. But he could see them.
He could see how happy Claire's expression when she saw Peter. Actually he is curious about their relationship since the first time they met when he realized how similar the looks between Peter and himself. But he's afraid to learn the answer.
" I thought your class ended five minutes ago?" Peter hands out his hand to carry the books that Claire brought.
Claire smiled and handed him the books. " I'm sorry. I caught in a conversation with my new friends."
" So you've got a new friend? That's why your mood is changed from this morning?"
Claire just smiled at him. Actually she was happy to see him. After spending half a day away from him, she was so happy to see him. And she has no intention to let him know.
Claire reached out to one of Peter's arms and clunched to it. " My friends said normal is overrated."
Peter laughed. " I bet you don't think the same way."
" I worked really hard to be normal. And he said it was overrated."
Peter pulled his arms from Claire and hugged her shoulders. " Let me cheer you up." Peter said, with his lopsided grin.
" What you have in mind?"
" I will cook for you tonight."
Claire raised her eyebrows. " How is that going to cheer me up?" Claire doubted Peter's cooking skill.
" Hey. Don't underestimate me. I'm a great chef. I'll prove it to you."
Peter take Claire to the market to buy some groceries. " What do you want to eat today?"
" What are the most delicious food you can make?"
" Anything." Claire frown at him. " Trust me, Claire. Just tell me what do you want to eat? What is your favorite meal? I never knew."
" Just cook the mac and cheese today." Claire still don't believe Peter's ability in cooking.
" Don't make me read your mind, Claire."
" Don't you dare do that!" Claire pouting. She sighed in defeat. " Fine. My favorite meals is curry."
" It settle, then. We're eating curry today."
Peter pushed the shopping cart and start putting groceries into it. Claire smiled at Peter's behaviour. " Let me help. I'm good at shopping."
" I notices." Peter grinned at her.
They passed every isles in the market. Their shopping cart is loaded with groceries. Claire is the one that put the most groceries into the cart. " I think it had enough."
Peter look at the cart, and smiled seeing that so much stuff in the cart. " Definitely."
Peter just want to pushed the cart at the cashier when Claire shouted. " We forget the potatoes."
" Claire, you're the one supposed to gather all the ingrediants."
" I know. I'm sorry. I will take it."
" It's on the first isles, Claire." Peter let go of the cart. " I'll take it. I'm faster than you are." Peter grinned at her.
Peter just going to be disappear with his super speed power when Claire grab his arm. " We can go shopping like normal people." Claire turnaround. " You stay here. I'll take the potatoes."
As soon as Claire disappearing in the corner of the isles, Peter turned around to the other side. " Come out!" Sylar come out from behind the isle.
" Sylar. Are you the one that have been following me since the hospital?"
" Wow. Your power is improved." Sylar walked over to Peter.
" Or your power is getting rusty." Peter grinned at him.
" Where is Claire? I just saw you with her." Sylar looking around looking for Claire.
Peter turned to Sylar. " She is picking up something. Why you looking for her?"
Sylar stared at Peter, observing him. " Are you sleeping with her?"
" What? No! Of course not! She's my niece, Sylar!" Peter shouted.
" So why your heart was pounding that fast? I have one super hearing power, you know."
Peter finally know where he got that super hearing power. " There is a scientific explanation for that. I'm exhausted." Sylar was going to say more about that, but Peter cut him off. " Why are you still in New York?"
" Looking for you." Peter just stared at him, demanding more explanation. " I don't know what I have to do now. What I'm supposed to do now? I lost my purpose."
" And that's a good thing consider what purpose you had before."
" I know. But I'm purposeless now. I think that word doesn't even exist." Sylar grabbed Peter's shoulder as sign of depression. " You have to help me, Peter. I need to find something to do here. How can I spend the eternity without doing anything?"
" What the hell is he doing here?" Claire shouted when she sees Sylar. Claire is back with 2 bag of chips in her hands. Sylar pulled his hand from Peter. Peter walked to Claire. " Don't say that you're friends with Sylar now."
" Claire." Sylar also walked to Claire.
" Don't you dare come near me!" Claire shouted at Sylar. So Sylar stopped walking.
Peter rubbing his head as he look at both Claire and Sylar. Claire doesn't said anything, just stared at him. But he could see the anger in her eyes. He didn't see that so often. He sighed. " Just give us a minute." Peter took the chips from Claire's hand. " Go grab the potatoes."
" He better be gone when I get back." Claire turned around and walked away.
Peter turned to Sylar. " She quite a pistol. That niece of yours." Peter stared down at Sylar. " I don't meant that as a bad thing." Peter still quietly stared at him. " Or dirty thing." Sylar added again.
" Don't you ever see her again like that." Peter clenched his jaw.
" Like what?"
" With lust."
" I do not!" Sylar denied it.
Peter still stared at him. " I can read your mind, you know."
" She hated me."
" After what you did to her, I can't understand why." Peter said, sarcastically.
" I know I've done terrible things to her. I will take it back if I could. But I can't. And I would not do that again. Not to her. Not to anybody. You know that."
Peter sighed. " You need to figure out yourself what are you going to do next. I can't help you. As you have seen, I have enough in my hands right now." Sylar understand that he's referring to Claire. " We talk again later."
Sylar get it. So he nodded. He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it out to Peter. " This is where I stay right now."
Peter receive the paper and read it. " You stay in a motel?"
Sylar shrugged. " I don't have a place to stay."
" How do you pay for the room?"
" From a pool game." Peter stared at Sylar. And Sylar knew what Peter want to know about. " Yes, I use my power to win the pool game."
" You can't do that."
" What I should do, then? I could not stay in motel at no cost." Sylar tried to defend himself.
Peter shook his head. " You owe me. Big time." Peter said as he pulled out his cellphone. " Mom. I need a big favor." Peter took a glance at Sylar. " Huge."
To be continued...
PS : English is not my first language, so I'm sorry if you have a difficulty reading it.