Downward Spiral (Paire) NC-17 [2/?]
Title: Downward Spiral
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes, or it would be on HBO
Pairing: Paire
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Peter’s been gone for 2 years, and in his wake he’s left a drug addicted Claire. Everyone is trying to help her, but he might be the only one who can get through to her.
Spoilers: Through the first few episodes of Season 2
Warnings: Drug Addiction, Angst, and Peter/Claire Canon
A/N: After Peter turned up in Ireland, he didn’t find out who he was until 2 years passed. That is where this story picks up. Just think: Claire and Peter fall in love, then she thinks she’s lost him forever.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
He finally tracked them down. Angela had been put in a mental hospital after he went nuclear, not that Peter cared much. Nathan was still living in the mansion, though his hopes for the Presidency were all but dead. Heidi and the boys had moved back in and they were trying to give their marriage one more shot.
Peter couldn’t believe it had been two years since he had seen his family. He couldn’t understand how he had forgotten those people who were closest to him. Most of all, he couldn’t believe that he’d forgotten Claire. She was his world, and now he was having a hard time locating her.
He asked Nathan, on the phone, if she was still living in Texas with her ‘dad,’ but Nathan dodged the question like only a politician can and set him up in a flight to New York. He missed his brother, but he needed to see Claire. He wanted her to know he was okay, and if she hadn’t moved on he honestly wanted to try to pick up where they left off, as selfish as that might have been.
Peter rang the doorbell, feeling strange about stepping into Nathan’s house unannounced. Things seemed to have changed since he was last home and he didn’t feel like that mansion belonged to him anymore. “Peter!” Nathan greeted, pulling him into a rarely seen hug.
Peter was overwhelmed by his brother’s show of emotion, but he had to admit that after 2 years of not knowing who he was, a familiar face brought chills to his flesh. He hugged his brother tight and allowed himself to be pulled into the house. “Heidi! Peter’s here!” he yelled.
When Peter saw Heidi descend the stairs, sans the wheelchair, he was awestruck. “A lot’s happened since you’ve been gone,” she said with a crooked grin. It was really the understatement of the century.
“Wow,” Peter said, lamely, “It’s just a lot to take in.”
“Let’s make a drink,” Nathan said, leading Peter into the study. Heidi followed them and Nathan made himself busy with the cocktails. He needed something to busy himself because having his brother alive in front of him was proving to be more surreal than he had imagined.
He handed Peter his drink, then Heidi, before he sat down on his desk and looked at Peter, a grin stretching across his features.
Peter didn’t want to seem preoccupied. He was happy to see his brother. But, he couldn’t keep Claire off his mind. He had to know where she was. He had to see her and try to explain where he’d been for the last 2 years. “What is it, Peter?” Nathan asked with a chuckle.
Peter smiled at how transparent he was before looking to his brother and asked, “Where is Claire?”
Nathan’s jaw clenched as he looked down at the rim of his glass and for a second, Peter’s heart fell into his stomach as he considered the very real possibility that she was dead and it was his fault for failing to be her hero.
Heidi remained quiet, but she had a strange look on her face that Peter didn’t know if he liked. “What’s wrong? Where is she?” Peter asked, more forcefully this time.
“You have to tell him eventually.” Heidi said, taking a large gulp of her brandy. Nathan sighed and nodded, knowing that no time was going to be the right time to tell Peter about the mess that Claire had become.
“She’s living in L.A.” Nathan started. Peter immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive. As long as she was alive they could overcome anything. “Don’t get to excited, Pete. She’s far from okay.”
“What do you mean?” Peter asked. “Stop talking in riddles and tell me where she is and why you look like you’re going to puke when you talk about her!” He was yelling, and he knew it wasn’t making matters any better, but he was starting to get very worried.
Nathan swallowed hard. This was difficult for him too. Claire was his daughter, after all. Even if he had done a piss poor job of showing it, it killed him to see he like she was. It was the main reason he chose to live in New York instead of following the group to L.A.
“She’s not doing too well,” Heidi said, trying to help both brothers out. “She’s gotten deep into drugs. She’s working as a stripper. She’s living with abusive men. She’s let herself go, pretty much after the explosion.” She explained.
Peter collapsed in the chair behind him. This couldn’t be happening. This was all some sick dream like when he woke up in Ireland. “What?” was all he could get his mouth to say as his head spun with the thoughts of his Claire as a drug addicted stripper.
Nathan didn’t know what to say, and all Heidi could do was try to calm Peter down by gently rubbing his arm.
“How do you let her get like that, Nathan?” Peter bit out. He knew his anger was misplaced, but it did seem a little odd that Claire was in trouble and Nathan was living it up in New York. She was his daughter, right?
“Don’t, Peter. Just don’t.” Nathan growled through gritted teeth. “You don’t know what it’s like to see her like that.”
“Well, I’m going to find her.” Peter said, getting up.
Heidi turned to Nathan. “Why don’t we all go?” She knew that Peter had no idea what he was in for with Claire and, truth be told, it was time for Nathan to face the music and try to deal with his daughter rather than just throwing money at her. It wasn’t helping matters. “I’ll get a sitter for the boys, and we can all go to L.A. The rest of the gang is there anyway.”
Peter didn’t care if they came or not, he just knew he was going to find Claire and be her hero again.
Nathan didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to see Claire like he saw her six months ago, but he knew Heidi was right. Peter was going to need them when he saw how bad she really way. “Fine, I’ll make some calls.”
TBC…