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 27

When he stormed out of the room, Claire sat on the bed and pulled the sheets to her body. She'd normally curl up in two, but right now, because of the pregnancy she couldn't. So, instead she just stretched out her legs and crossed them in her ankles. Her hand rested on her belly and she stared to the window. Her life was a complete mess right now, she had to admit. Well, maybe not a complete mess, because she was with Peter and she had to be honest in front of herself. That was the thing she had ever wanted in her life. Somehow that wasn't the right thing though and she knew it. Still, she didn't feel the need to be saved from anybody. Yes, she felt trapped and all sorts of dark thoughts were crossing her mind. However, she'd snap in Peter's defense if anybody even dared to say something against him. Peter was hers and that was it. No matter how possessive and how bad he was at times. It didn't matter how many times he had hurt her and sometimes intentionally. Peter had changed. He had changed a lot.

She missed the times when he used to look at her and just smile. That crooked smile of his and the way his bangs were touching the side of his cheek, made him look like a boy. Yeah, she loved that side of his. She loved that innocent boy who had fought for her and had saved her from the monster. Claire knew that battle had changed him. However, she also knew that he had remained innocent in his soul long after that. Then, what had happened? How? When? Was it after he had killed Sylar? That was her suspicion and she knew that she wasn't the only one. Angela asked a special team of The Company to do the necessary research. Peter didn't know that and Claire found out about it by accident.

It was by the time she and Peter were still living under the same roof. It was the same night that he came back home after he had killed him. Claire wouldn't forget how he looked then. His clothes were ripped off and bloody. His face was all in scratches and his lovely smile was gone. Claire was the one who had seen him first. She was the one who had helped him to his room. Peter remained quiet. He hadn't said a word and that was the first time she wished she could read his thoughts. She didn't ask him anything though. She had prepared his tube sent him to his bathroom. Then she waited few seconds and knocked on the door. Few seconds after that, she pushed the door open and saw him in the tube and staring at the wall.

Claire wasn't sure what to do next, so she had acted on her instincts. She had taken the sponge and knelt right next to the tube. Her eyes were filled with tears when she started washing the blood from his chest. It was unnatural and she knew it, but at that moment she was taking care of her hero and not her uncle. Actually, she had never thought of him as her uncle. She knew they share the same blood, but somehow she couldn't feel it. She couldn't feel it that night as well. The next thing she did was to wash his hair and when her fingers slipped through his bloody hair, her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to heal him in that moment. That was her only desire and she didn't stop with her actions until his hair was clean again.

"C'mon, Peter," she had told him, touching his shoulder. "It's time to get up." He had looked at her and she had forced a smile. "I'm going to wait for you outside, okay?"

Claire waited for him to nod and then walked out of the bathroom. Peter appeared after her, wearing only his pajama bottoms. His hair was still moist, but at least he looked better than before. She had smiled at him again and waited until he climbed into his bed. Then she pulled the covers over his body and leaned to him.

"I have to go now," she had told him, her hand touching his face. "Try to get some sleep, okay?"

Peter didn't let her leave though. His hand had grabbed hers and he simply shook his head. Claire sighed and nodded as a response. He didn't want to be alone. So, Claire had sat on the bed, lacing her fingers with his and waited for him to fall asleep. That was the last time she had seen the innocence in his beautiful hazel eyes. After that, something had changed. She couldn't tell what exactly, but whatever happened had made him more ruthless and disturbingly careless than before.

Angela had taken a sample of his blood the same night. He hadn't felt a thing. She never told him either. Claire noticed this by accident. She had left his room only for five minutes that night. When she came back, she noticed Angela standing there and watching her son sleeping. She was just putting something in the pocket of her gray jacket. Claire didn't ask her a thing. She knew that Angela would lie to her anyway.

Then, few weeks later, Angela had received a call from The Company. Again, Claire didn't want to overhear anything, but she did. She was there, by the door of the library when the lab people arrived. They had found some changes in Peter's DNA. There was something different that made him stronger than before. They couldn't tell a thing about his emotional status though. And Peter had changed emotionally. His eyes looked different every time he happened to look at her. There was something in his behavior that made her shiver every time he happened to touch her. Still, he had managed to act almost normal back then.

Then she had met Andy and from that moment on, something in Peter had snapped. She couldn't tell what exactly, but she could feel it. Peter didn't like the guy since day one. Claire couldn't tell why exactly. Andy was a nice guy, who had accepted her for who she was. Claire didn't have secrets from him. Well, she didn't tell him that she was in love with Peter. She didn't tell him that Peter was in fact her uncle. She didn't tell him that she was in love with her uncle. It was a subject that she wanted to keep it to herself. Still, Andy was a nice guy, really nice. He was her breath of fresh air. He was her attempt to live her life as normal as she could.

Claire sighed and got off the bed. She walked to the window and shook her head. If she could understand Peter once more. If she was able to read him again… Maybe there was a key to his heart. Maybe that baby was that key? Or… maybe it was only her imagination? He had hugged her the other night when she had asked him to. He hadn't said a thing when she had told him that she loved him, but still. Claire knew that he needed that. He needed that reassurance from her side. He had to know that she was his and his only. Not to Andy or anyone else. Maybe this was the right way to bring the old Peter back. Maybe she was able to do it and Angela was right about that. Well, not exactly in this way. She hadn't approved their affair. She knew how wrong their relationship was. For the first time though, Claire was thankful that the Petrelli family hadn't confirmed the rumors that she was a part of the family. They hadn't said a thing that she was Nathan's illegitimate daughter. Peter was the head of the family now and he had to do it, but Claire knew that he wouldn't. He had even told that to Angela and Claire was sure that the only way she could become a Petrelli was by marriage.

Marriage… a dangerous word. She had to marry Peter?

"Why not?" Her betraying mind whispered. "You love him anyhow? Maybe he needs that reassurance."

Claire shook her head with a frown and didn't even try to argue with herself. The baby kicked inside of her and she rubbed her belly. Peter's baby. Her baby. Their own baby. Theirs.

Just then she got scared. She remembered the look on his face when she thought that he could hurt her. He felt… pain? This was why he ran away? Or maybe was it because of the guilt of keeping her here all alone. She chuckled bitterly. Peter and guilt were two different words in the same sentence right now. The old Peter would feel some guilt of sleeping with her. The new Peter didn't have the same problem. He was done fighting his feelings for her and simply embraced them.

The sound of a slamming door made her flinch and she turned around to see Peter storming into the room. He looked angry, even angrier than before. Claire didn't ask him anything when he looked at her. She simply furrowed her eyebrows with a question in her eyes.

"That son of a bitch made it personal!" Peter snarled and Claire frowned. "Look what he did!" He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

Andy appeared on the screen with a message to her. He was begging her to call him. Right next to him was standing Noah and on his other side Sandra. Claire frowned even more. Andy went too far, way too far.

"Peter..," she licked her lips.

"No!" He growled and turned off the TV.

"Maybe I should call him? I'm going to tell him that I'm okay." Claire tried to speak calmly.

"Talking to him?" His eyes narrowed and the hazel in them went black. Claire flinched. "I don't think so! I'm going to take care of him. I should've done that already!"

"He's just worried!" Claire insisted. "It's been six months…"

"He knows that you're with me, Claire!" Peter snapped again. "He knows!"

"He… loves me." Claire whispered quietly.

"That's a mistake," Peter tilted his head, staring at her. "A huge one and I'm gonna fix it."

"But I love you!" Claire walked to him, grabbing his arms. "You should believe me when I'm telling you this! You don't have to hurt him, please?"

"Oh my still innocent, Claire…" Peter trailed off and cupped her face. "You really think that you're going to change my mind?"

"Yes!" She said boldly, staring into his eyes. Then she took his left hand and placed it over her belly so he could feel the movements of the baby inside of her. "I could try."