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 30
A side of him wanted to go back. He missed these times when he was still young and naive sometimes. A part of him missed it, only a part. The other part was living in the present. That was the place where he had Claire. He had her and his unborn child. He had everything he wanted, just because he was the person he always thought that he would never be. His eyes were darker now. His hair was a bit shorter. His figure was thin and muscular. His skin was just as pale as before. It contrasted really nicely with Claire's tanned skin. She must've gotten it from Meredith. Peter still remembered his brother. Nathan's skin was a bit darker than his own, but not that much darker.
It was a strange thing to think about early in the morning. However, Peter had nothing else to do. The morning sun peered through the window and he was able to look at Claire's calm face. Her lips were parted and her breathing was steady. One of her legs was between his own and her hand was resting over his chest. His hand reached to touch her face, but he knew that she was a light sleeper and he pulled it back. Claire needed more sleep now. That was the thing her doctor had told him. More sleep and bed rest. More vitamins and less stress. She was strong, they had assured him. She was young and she was able to carry the baby until it was born. She should have no problems doing that.
Just then his eyes darkened. Nothing in his life was easy. Nothing in his life was coming the easy way. Nothing. Not even his life with Claire. Then why this pregnancy should've been easy? If he was his old self now, he would've let her go. He would feel so guilty that he would simply do it. However, he wasn't.
"No, you aren't!" A voice echoed in his mind and Peter knew that he was dreaming. "You are different because of me!"
"Get out!" He hissed and opened his eyes. Sylar was standing close to do window.
"Or what?" His old enemy chuckled. "You're going to kill me?"
"I'd do that gladly... again!" Peter dragged the word and looked up at him. "And you know that I'll enjoy in every second of it."
"Oh, I do know!" Sylar chuckled again. His eyes was just as cold as Peter remembered them. "Maybe you should thank me for this. I made you stronger, Peter."
"Oh no," Peter shook his head and got off the bed. "You didn't make me stronger. Your killing made me stronger. It gave me something that you can't even imagine."
Sylar tilted his head, "Claire?"
Peter was fast. With just a blink of his eye, he was already there. His hand wrapped around Sylar's neck and he pinned him to the wall. His eyes narrowed when he looked at his old enemy.
"Shut! Up!" He hissed.
"Or what?" Sylar coughed with ominous smile. "This is just a dream, Peter. I'm a fruit of your imagination and you know that. You can't do anything and you know it."
"I can have a good dream!" Peter hissed.
"Oh?" Sylar coughed once more when Peter released him. "So, that means you're not thankful?"
"Excuse me?" Petere leaned forward. "Thankful? Do you think I like who I am right now?"
"You are with Claire, aren't you?" Sylar tilted his head. "You've always wanted it, but you were too scared to get what you wanted. Now you have it, thanks to me!"
"You..." Peter hissed, but Sylar disappeared in front of his eyes and appeared right at the other side of the bed. He knelt and leaned his elbows on the bed, staring at the sleeping Claire.
"She's just as beautiful as I remember her," he said slowly. "And you're not happy with your life now?" He looked up at Peter. "I don't get it. You have everything right now. You have your powers, you are stronger than before. You have Claire... and soon your own son... or a daughter. What makes you so unhappy?"
"Get away from her!" Peter hissed, clenching his fists.
"Ah," Sylar tilted his head, looking up at him. "You can't control your temper now?" He smirked. "And that constant jealousy is going to eat you up. That's the problem? Tsk-tsk, Peter... You have to learn to do that. Do you want me to teach you?"
"I want you out of here!" Peter took a step closer to Sylar, but he didn't move.
"Only you can make me do that," Sylar said chuckling. "You know what? I don't think I've ever told you this... or Claire? She told you?"
"What?" Peter frowned.
"Oh, she didn't!" Sylar shook his head with amused smile. "That's priceless! Okay... I kissed her!"
"WHAT?" Peter yelled.
"Control your anger, Peter!" Sylar was still looking at him. He stood up. "Oh, but I forgot... You can't do that now! Thanks to me!"
"I'm so glad I've killed you!" Peter reached out his arm and clenched his fist. Then he waved that fist and Sylar's body slammed to the wall. He laughed when he got up.
"See? This is what I'm talking about! I made you stronger!"
"No," Peter shook his head, looking at his disappearing enemy. "You didn't make me stronger!" And just then Sylar vanished. "Claire... she did it." He whispered and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was still in the bed, hugging Claire. She was snuggling in him and her head was resting close to his chest. She had moved even closer.
Peter sighed and wrapped his arm around her waist. It felt so good, so natural. He could feel his child, moving inside her belly. His eyes closed again. He could control himself. He had to. He had to be stronger for her right now. Maybe there was a way to do it without going back to his old self. Peter didn't want that. He didn't like the person he was now, but he also didn't like his old weak self. Maybe there was a way to find something in between? Maybe he could be the person Claire deserved in her life. He could do it, for her.
Then... everything changed. Claire noticed it during the following week. Peter pulled away from her. He barely touched her. His behavior changed completely. The only thing she could get from him was a small kiss here and there. His eyes looked distant. His hands barely touched her. He spent most of the nights away from her. That influenced her right away. She lost her sleep, wondering where was he. Her imagination was drawing all kinds of pictures in her head. Most of them included Peter with a woman. A woman that wasn't Claire. She thought that she was not beautiful enough for him right now. She gain weight and she could see that every time she looked in the mirror. Her emotions were a mess. However, he was too distant to notice that at the moment.
If she was in better shape, she would probably follow him one of the nights he was missing. She was pregnant however and that was something she thought she could enjoy more. She wasn't and he was the main reason for this. Claire became angrier and suspicious. Her mood changed completely. But again, Peter wasn't able to notice that.
"I'm going out," he said one evening at the end of the week. "Don't wait for me, okay?"
"Sure," Claire mumbled. "What I was thinking?"
"Excuse me?" Peter looked at her strangely.
She was lying in the bed, watching the TV. There was nothing interesting though, she only did it because there was nothing else to do. Her eyes narrowed when she looked at him and she let her whole anger peer through them. Peter finally noticed. He frowned in return, but said nothing. Instead, he reached over for his blackj jacket, hanging over the chair in their bedroom.
"I think I know what I mean!" Claire snapped and got off the bed. "Don't pretend that you didn't read my mind just now!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" He said quietly and that pissed her off even more.
"Fuck you!" She took a step towards him. "Fuck you and your deceiving eyes!"
"Claire!" He grabbed her wrist in the moment she tried to slap him.
"I'm tired of this! I want to go home!" She spat the words in his face.
"You are home," Peter was still trying to control his emotions. "So, that means you're going to stay right here."
"I am not your fucking possession!" Claire tried to pull back, but his grip around her small wrist tightened.
"I thought we talked about this already!" His eyes narrowed, but he was still calm.
"If you want to go out and have fun without me... then I don't think we did!" Claire shot him a look. "I'm getting tired of this, Peter! If you got tired of me... then fine! But I'm not gonna sit here and waiting for you while you're... I don't even know where are you!"
"Claire..."
"Shut up!" She almost yelled. "I don't want more lies, okay? I asked you not to lie to me once, remember? Don't you dare lying to me!"
"Claire!" Peter tried once more.
"You're gonna listen to me!"
"No!" Suddenly he pushed her back and she fell onto the bed. He followed her. "You are going to listen to me!"
"Make me!" She challenged him.
"You're not fucking serious!" Peter mumbled before his lips could crash over hers. "Now tell me... I'm out having fun without you..." He said when he pulled back.
"I don't want you to go out," she said with a small voice. "I want you here."
"Claire," his hand lay over her cheek in slow caress. "I'm doing this for you."
"Stay," she insisted.
Peter didn't answer her, but she spend the night locked in his secure arms. He didn't sleep, but that was something usual these days. That was not a problem for him, not now. There was something else in his mind. He had seen Claire's eyes. He had seen her jealousy. He could feel it and that was something that strangely calmed his senses. She was just like him.