Where You Least Expect It
Title: Where You Least Expect It
Fandom: Heroes
Character(s): Nathan, Claire
Word Count: 767
Rating: PG
Summary: Claire goes looking for Peter, and finds Nathan instead.
Notes: Spoilers up to episode 1:18 - Parasite.
He had recognised Claire in an instant when she’d walked into the office. She had been hesitant, unsure, and she’d looked at him without recognition. It should have been a good thing.
“I’m looking for Peter Petrelli,” she said, and he hadn’t been expecting that. He stopped himself before he touched her.
“Claire?”
She looked up at him, uncertainty in her eyes, and gave a faint smile. “Did Peter mention me?”
Nathan hesitated, and he thought it must be catching, because he usually never hesitated. He put his hand on her back, and led her past a group of volunteers who were thankfully paying them no attention. “Can we talk in private?”
She nodded, and Nathan turned to her as he shut the door behind them.
“Why are you looking for Peter?” he asked, and Claire hesitated again.
“Peter’s my brother,” he supplied. He didn’t know if she’d known that, but she seemed to relax.
“Peter saved me,” she said. “In Texas.”
Nathan’s eyes widened. “You’re the cheerleader?”
She nodded.
“Wow.” He moved towards her, trying to choose his words carefully. He was a politician; he wasn’t used to being direct. But maybe she deserved that.
“Claire, I’m your father.”
She didn’t say anything for a long time. He reached up to touch her cheek. Claire flinched, and Nathan was almost too proud to admit that it hurt.
“How can you be …”
“Seventeen years ago, I met a girl in Texas.” Nathan’s voice was soft as he spoke.
“My mother.”
“Yes, your mother. She fell pregnant, and had a baby girl. Eighteen months later, there was a fire. I thought she was dead. I thought you both were. Then a couple of weeks ago, I got a call from her.”
“I remember.” Claire’s voice was bitter, and Nathan looked at her.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I really am. But I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“So you ran away.”
“Yes.” Claire was barely looking at him, and Nathan wanted to reach out to her, to touch her. “I ran away. I thought it was for the best.”
“The best for who?” she asked accusingly.
“The best for both of us. Things are … confusing right now, and I couldn’t give you the family you wanted.”
“I have a family,” Claire spat. “I just wanted to know where I come from.”
Claire had backed away across the room, and Nathan sat down. “What do you want to know?”
“I just want to know where Peter is.”
Peter. Of course. She hadn’t come here for him; she didn’t want anything to do with him. It was fair, but it didn’t make him feel a lot better.
“I’ll take you to him.”
-
“Claire!”
Peter had looked surprised to see her, and even more so that Nathan had been with her. Nathan just shrugged, and followed Claire into the apartment.
“I wanted to say thank you,” she said, looking at Peter with a warmth she hadn’t spared Nathan. “For saving me.”
“You’re welcome,” Peter said, but he was still looking at Nathan. He moved towards the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’d love some water,” Claire said, and Nathan followed his brother.
“I’ll help you.”
“What’s going on?” Peter asked, when they were inside the kitchen. “How do you know Claire?”
Nathan let out a breath. He wondered how many times he’d have to tell the truth today.
“She’s my daughter, Pete.”
“What?”
Nathan motioned for him to keep his voice down. “She’s my daughter. I thought … I didn’t know she was still alive until recently.”
“She’s your daughter?”
Nathan nodded.
“She’s the cheerleader.”
“Yeah, I gathered that.”
“Does she know?”
“I told her before we came here.”
“Well, have you talked to her?”
Nathan shrugged. “She’s not here for me, Pete.”
“Nathan, she’s your daughter. You have to talk to her.”
Peter looked up, then, and Nathan turned around. Claire was standing in the doorway.
“You’re my uncle,” she said, and Peter moved towards her. She didn’t flinch from his touch. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know.”
Nathan moved to leave the kitchen, and Peter caught him. “You two should talk,” he said, and left. Claire shifted uncomfortably.
“I really am sorry,” Nathan told her.
“You said that.”
Nathan stepped forward, and touched her shoulder. When she didn’t pull away, he put his arms around her.
“I thought you were dead,” he said into her hair. “I don’t want to lose you again.”
“You never even had me.”
Nathan pulled back a little. “I’m your father.”
It was the first time he’d seen her smile at him.
Fandom: Heroes
Character(s): Nathan, Claire
Word Count: 767
Rating: PG
Summary: Claire goes looking for Peter, and finds Nathan instead.
Notes: Spoilers up to episode 1:18 - Parasite.
He had recognised Claire in an instant when she’d walked into the office. She had been hesitant, unsure, and she’d looked at him without recognition. It should have been a good thing.
“I’m looking for Peter Petrelli,” she said, and he hadn’t been expecting that. He stopped himself before he touched her.
“Claire?”
She looked up at him, uncertainty in her eyes, and gave a faint smile. “Did Peter mention me?”
Nathan hesitated, and he thought it must be catching, because he usually never hesitated. He put his hand on her back, and led her past a group of volunteers who were thankfully paying them no attention. “Can we talk in private?”
She nodded, and Nathan turned to her as he shut the door behind them.
“Why are you looking for Peter?” he asked, and Claire hesitated again.
“Peter’s my brother,” he supplied. He didn’t know if she’d known that, but she seemed to relax.
“Peter saved me,” she said. “In Texas.”
Nathan’s eyes widened. “You’re the cheerleader?”
She nodded.
“Wow.” He moved towards her, trying to choose his words carefully. He was a politician; he wasn’t used to being direct. But maybe she deserved that.
“Claire, I’m your father.”
She didn’t say anything for a long time. He reached up to touch her cheek. Claire flinched, and Nathan was almost too proud to admit that it hurt.
“How can you be …”
“Seventeen years ago, I met a girl in Texas.” Nathan’s voice was soft as he spoke.
“My mother.”
“Yes, your mother. She fell pregnant, and had a baby girl. Eighteen months later, there was a fire. I thought she was dead. I thought you both were. Then a couple of weeks ago, I got a call from her.”
“I remember.” Claire’s voice was bitter, and Nathan looked at her.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I really am. But I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“So you ran away.”
“Yes.” Claire was barely looking at him, and Nathan wanted to reach out to her, to touch her. “I ran away. I thought it was for the best.”
“The best for who?” she asked accusingly.
“The best for both of us. Things are … confusing right now, and I couldn’t give you the family you wanted.”
“I have a family,” Claire spat. “I just wanted to know where I come from.”
Claire had backed away across the room, and Nathan sat down. “What do you want to know?”
“I just want to know where Peter is.”
Peter. Of course. She hadn’t come here for him; she didn’t want anything to do with him. It was fair, but it didn’t make him feel a lot better.
“I’ll take you to him.”
-
“Claire!”
Peter had looked surprised to see her, and even more so that Nathan had been with her. Nathan just shrugged, and followed Claire into the apartment.
“I wanted to say thank you,” she said, looking at Peter with a warmth she hadn’t spared Nathan. “For saving me.”
“You’re welcome,” Peter said, but he was still looking at Nathan. He moved towards the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’d love some water,” Claire said, and Nathan followed his brother.
“I’ll help you.”
“What’s going on?” Peter asked, when they were inside the kitchen. “How do you know Claire?”
Nathan let out a breath. He wondered how many times he’d have to tell the truth today.
“She’s my daughter, Pete.”
“What?”
Nathan motioned for him to keep his voice down. “She’s my daughter. I thought … I didn’t know she was still alive until recently.”
“She’s your daughter?”
Nathan nodded.
“She’s the cheerleader.”
“Yeah, I gathered that.”
“Does she know?”
“I told her before we came here.”
“Well, have you talked to her?”
Nathan shrugged. “She’s not here for me, Pete.”
“Nathan, she’s your daughter. You have to talk to her.”
Peter looked up, then, and Nathan turned around. Claire was standing in the doorway.
“You’re my uncle,” she said, and Peter moved towards her. She didn’t flinch from his touch. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know.”
Nathan moved to leave the kitchen, and Peter caught him. “You two should talk,” he said, and left. Claire shifted uncomfortably.
“I really am sorry,” Nathan told her.
“You said that.”
Nathan stepped forward, and touched her shoulder. When she didn’t pull away, he put his arms around her.
“I thought you were dead,” he said into her hair. “I don’t want to lose you again.”
“You never even had me.”
Nathan pulled back a little. “I’m your father.”
It was the first time he’d seen her smile at him.