A/N: Five yeas later everything looks good, but only on the surface. They can never be the same again. Claire is living in the Petrelli Mansion. She's trying to have a normal life and she's about to graduate from the University. The dark side in Peter rises and their lives are about to be changed forever.

Note: It's AU Paire fic. It's not the typical Paire fic you're going to read. The dark notes here are highlighted. I've never written such Paire fiction before. It's dangerous and it's a challenge for me to write it, but I'm going to try it.

Rated: M

Couple: Peter/Claire

Warnings: Again, it's AU. I don't own Heroes, sadly. The dark themes here are highlighted.

Enjoy reading,

ArinnaVal

Chapter 1

Peter was flying above the city. It was almost evening and the Sun was ready to fall behind the horizon. He was trying to distract himself from his dark thoughts. He landed on the rooftop of his old apartment and sat on the edge of it. His legs were hanging in the empty space. He looked at the sunset and his thoughts brought him back in time when he was sitting back here, but he wasn't alone.

…

"I like it better here than down there." Claire said quietly and her eyes touched his face. Peter almost felt her look and a warm, fuzzy feeling spread along his body.

"I have a love-hate relationship with the rooftops." He managed to say, returning her gaze. His hand squeezed hers lightly. His heart skipped a beat. He wasn't so alone when he was with her.

…

He was alone now. All alone.

Peter looked up the sky as if he could sense his brother's presence. Usually, in the moments like this, Nathan was the one with the good advice. He was more like his father than his big brother. Peter had realized that too late.

The sky was quiet. It didn't give him the answer he was needed. Peter chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. Nathan's voice faded away a long time ago. Peter barely even remembered his brother's face now. He could only see it on the pictures and the portraits around the Mansion. Angela refused to let go of them.

However, Peter felt like he didn't care anymore. It hurt less and less every day. It stopped hurting from the moment he saw Sylar lying dead in his feet.

Then he felt alone. But he was better. He was way better than the person he was now. Now, he was as close to give up to his daemons as he had never been. Peter was tired of fighting.

A girl's laugh made him jump on his feet and turn around. His eyes narrowed when he saw who that was. Claire and her boyfriend walked out the door of the rooftop. She looked happy and her hand was resting in his. His thumb was skimming back and forth over hers. His eyes were looking at her as if she was something precious. Maybe she was, but right now Peter wanted to kill them. Both of them.

"Peter?" She finally had noticed him. In her eyes Peter read only surprise. Her beautiful eyes captivated him since day one.

"What are you doing here, Claire?" Peter jumped down and landed just few steps away from her. "You know it's not the right place for you to be."

Maybe something in his voice made her wince. Her boyfriend read it wrong though, because he let go of her hand. He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Claire just wanted to show me her favorite place in the city." Her boyfriend said, looking boldly at Peter. That made Peter's blood boil. The coldness in his eyes became visible, but he didn't answer the boy.

"It's okay, Andy." Claire flashed him a look. She swallowed hard when she looked back at Peter. "It was a mistake. We should go."

"Now!" Peter snarled.

She stumbled back and she would have fallen onto the ground if Andy wasn't there. He grabbed her arm and glared at Peter.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man?"

"It was a mistake, Andy! Let's go!" Claire didn't give the opportunity to Peter to answer. She grabbed Andy's hand and they turned around, leaving the rooftop and Peter behind.

She was unusually quiet in the car. Andy only threw her a look, but then looked back at the road. Claire didn't even try to talk. She leaned her head back on the seat, looking outside. Her thoughts were with Peter now. She couldn't recognize him right now. He wasn't the same person, saved her back in Odessa. There was something dark in him. His eyes were different, colder than before. His voice was lower and his bangs were gone.

Claire loved his bangs. He looked more like a boy than a man with them. The innocence in his eyes only highlighted this few years ago. Then he had changed. It wasn't a change happened over a night, but still. When Angela had called her for help, Claire thought it was going to be easy. Usually, she was the only person able to reach to him after Nathan's death.

She had failed.

Peter didn't even want to talk to her. He simply had pushed her away. His life was only focused over the hospital. He was working late and didn't have friends. He didn't go out or had dates. Claire could see him converting into a hermit.

However, as if no one wanted to be close to him. His whole attitude was cold and he always made sure to underline that he wanted to be left alone. Just as he had done few minutes ago.

"I'd like to know what are you thinking right now?" Andy's voice interrupted her.

"Peter." Claire was honest.

"Yeah, just how I thought." Andy tuned the car to the right and followed the road to the Mansion. "What happened between you two? Why's he always so hostile all the time?"

"I don't know." Claire said quietly. She couldn't look Andy right now. The memory of Peter, as he used to be, flashed through her mind and made the pain in her chest even bigger. "He wasn't like this before. He was… different."

"When was that before?"

"Five years ago." She sighed when she saw the lights of the Mansion when he stopped the car right in front of it.

"His brother died then."

"You know?" Claire looked at Andy with surprise.

"It was all over the media, Claire." He touched her face. "Nathan Petrelli was a famous person."

"Oh…yeah." She smiled weakly. "See you tomorrow?"

"I can't, have to study for the finals and then I have a family dinner." Andy said and he wished he could have been there for her.

"Oh, okay."

"You can come with me? You know my parents adore you."

"No, thanks." Claire leaned and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I have to study as well, remember? I'm going to be busy anyhow."

Andy just nodded, kissing her back. Claire got off the car and waved at him, watching his car disappear into the distance. A tired sigh escaped her lips when she turned around to get into the Mansion and almost screamed from surprise. Peter was standing there. His face was blank, but his eyes were looking at her with anger.

"I told you to stay away!" He snarled.

"I'm sorry." Claire answered with small voice.

"How many times I have to ask you this?" With the movement, imitating a snake, his hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. Claire moaned painfully. "How many times? Tell me!" He scowled.

"Peter, please…" She made a weak attempt to let go of him, but he was stronger.

"I only asked to be left alone, damn it!" His narrowed eyes met hers and she felt a shiver running down her spine. "Are you deaf or something?"

"You're hurting me, please." Claire tried to reach him again, but with no success. That Peter who was causing her the pain right now was a complete stranger to her. She got scared. For the first time in her life she got scared of him.

He pulled her closer, still holding her wrist in his iron grip. His breathing was fast and matching hers.

"Don't you ever go there again! Do you hear me?" He leaned closer to her face and snarled. Her hear started beating faster.

"What's wrong with you?" She whispered and her voice cracked. "Peter…"

"Save your pity to yourself!" He released her wrist and pushed her away. She looked at the place where he was squeezing her. The purple marks, left from his fingers slowly started to fade away.

"Let me help you, please?" Claire looked up at him again. His face was like a mask and his eyes kept watching her with anger. "Don't push me away!"

"Stay away from me!" He snapped and rushed back into the house.

"Please, come back." She whispered in the pregnant silence, sitting in one of the steps and wrapping her arms around her middle. "I miss my hero."

Nobody answered her and she closed her eyes with a heavy sigh.