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 32

Something in Peter changed since that day. He became very thoutful and careful around Claire. His eyes were following her everywhere in the appartment and she could feel that. It was like he was hiding something from her. That made her nervous. She couldn't ask him though. She didn't feel strong enough for his probable answer. His eyes were scaring her. He pulled back inside some kind of a mask and that was something Claire had seen before. The difference now was that she didn't know what to expect from him. He didn't talk much. He wasn't there most of the time and even if he was, he was hiding his feelings from her. Maybe he was afraid that he was going to hurt her? That was not typical for him, at least not for the new Peter. The old Peter, the one she met in Odessa, Texas... he would've thought of her. He would've been more careful with her feelings and he would've cared for her wishes. This one was so different than the other, although they were the same man. Same man, but yet so different.

Claire had fallen in love with the new one as well. She could see his flaws, but she was sure that she could soften them. She was sure that she could find a way back to his heart, to his empathy. He wasn't the same and yet, he was. Claire almost thought that she had made it. She had changed him. She almost thought that his child could be that change for him She almost thought that his child could make him see the world with new eyes. He could see the good in the world again. She missed that Peter. He was so innocent back in these days. She could see his soul mirrored in his eyes. She could recognize the good in him, once her eyes lied on him. Not now. Now, she was nervous every time he looked at her. His touches made her shiver. It took her awhile to realize that she actually loved these touches. She loved him, all of him. She loved him not because he was this or that. She loved him, because he was Peter. He was her Peter. It took her awhile to realize that she had to fight for him as much as he had fought for her.

Yes, he had fought for her. Yes, she had tried to seduce him in the moment she had moved into the Mansion. She could tell that before herself right now. She could be honest. Claire knew that he was too good back then to do something. She decided to play the role of the villain in that play. The life had chosen without her, though. Peter was the villain, she was the innocent virgin. Sometimes that made her mad. Why? Why he had to be blamed for everything? Why they always had to blame him for everything that had happened? Why not her? She was an adult already! She was old enough to decide what she wanted and who she wanted in her life. She had made her choice a long time ago. Today was the moment she had realized that.

She didn't need Andy in her life. She didn't need any other boyfriend in her life. She needed only him. She needed Peter. It took her awhile to realize that.

"Fuck!" She cursed under her nose, standing on the balcony and watching the world below her. It was her favorite spot in their apartment.

Peter was out again and she felt the need to get off that bed. He didn't let her and Claire hated that behavior of his sometimes. If it wasn't for her love towards him, Claire would feel really pissed. She wasn't however. She wanted him to be happy and if that was making him happy, she was more than glad to do it. She was leaving their bed only when he wasn't around and was hurry to get back in, before his arrival back home. It had been a week already and everything looked just fine.

"What the fuck are you doing?" His angry voice made her shiver, and she turned around to see him standing by the door frame. "Bed! Now!" He hissed and Claire felt like a guilty child.

"You can't order me what do do, Peter!" She tried to be brave and her fists clenched besides her body.

"Yes, I can!" He took a step towards her and she was ready to run. "Bed! Now!" He repeated and his voice went dangerously low.

"No!" Claire frowned.

"No?"

"No!" She repeated. "I feel sick and tired already! I wanted some fresh air!"

"Claire!" He snarled and she almost jumped from his voice.

"Fuck you!" She said slowly and her eyes challenged him.

"Later!" His look fell on her belly and then back to her face. "Claire, please... go to bed. You have to!"

"Why?"

"You wanted that... child!" He hissed. "If you want to keep it, you have to listen to me! Now!"

"What?" Claire blinked. "What are you trying to say?"

"The last time I've checked, my English was just fine," his eyes narrowed. "Also, I have some experience in..," his look fell on her belly again, "that. So I'm telling you, back to bed!"

"You have some experience?"

"Did you forget that I was a paramedic once?" Peter frowned. "I saved... Why are you keep talking?! I told you something!"

"And I'm not your soldier or your wife to do whatever you want!" She snapped, but her hand lay on her waist and she rubbed the place.

"You can be, just say the word!" His eyes narrowed again.

"What? A soldier?" She looked at him with amusement.

"My wife," Peter lowered his voice again.

"Huh?" Her thoughts flew away for a moment and she stared at him. "What?"

"You heard me."

"And since when do you need my permission to do something or not?" Claire licked her lips. That came all of a sudden.

"That's right," Peter trailed off and took another step towards her.

In the next moment, she was in his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she sighed when they reached the bedroom. Then she felt the softness of the mattresses again and looked at him when he pulled back. He fixed the blanked around her without saying another word. Just then Claire thought of him. She realized how much in fact she loved him. She realized that he was the biggest part of her world right now, her other half. She needed him.

"Stop!" He hissed and she realized that he had read her mind again.

"What? Is it my fault that you're sneaking into my mind?!" Her voice was grumpy, but she wasn't really mad at him.

"You knew that I can do it!" Peter stared at her.

"You would've known if you were here the whole time!" Claire snapped.

"What?"

"Where are you going, Peter? Where are you? What takes you away from here?" Claire tilted her head and stared at him.

"I have to take care of... stuff."

"Stuff?" She furrowed her brows. "I hope some people are safe then?"

"The little puppy is safe and no, I'm not cheating on you!" Peter looked somehow amused.

"I didn't ask that!" Claire snapped again.

"But you thought about it," he mocked her.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you open your heart again, Peter?" Claire said quietly. "Why?"

His face went serious. "Once I do that, I'm going to turn into the person I don't like, Claire. I'm gonna be my old self again and you... you wouldn't like that."

"But you are so cold now, Peter!" Claire bit her lower lip and looked down on her hands. "I don't like that."

"What?" She felt him sit on the bed and looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"We don't talk anymore," she said quietly. "I miss that. I miss that Peter."

"You wanna talk?" The softness in his voice surprised her. "Let's talk then." Oh, he was there. Her Peter.