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Elisabeth ([personal profile] dragonydreams) wrote2007-07-18 10:42 pm

Fic: Thirteen O'Clock 1/9 (Peter/Claire) PG-13

Title: Thirteen O'Clock
Author: Elisabeth
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: Peter/Claire, some Peter/Simone
Summary: Peter and Claire discover they're related, but in a different way.
Spoilers: through Distractions.
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Tim Kring et al.
Feedback: Yes please! It makes me happy and keeps me writing.
Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] kallie_kat for the beta!

A/N: Just pretend that Peter wasn't in a coma for several weeks; he just passed out for a few hours, then went back to New York with Nathan. Claire is 17 in this story.


Chapter One

Burnt Toast Diner. Fri Oct 15, 6pm. – P


Claire let out a breath she felt like she'd been holding for a week. Peter was coming for her.

Life had been crazy since Homecoming for Claire Bennet. She'd already known she was a freak due to her ability to heal from anything, even death. But now she was a freak whose former best friend had been killed by a psycho looking for her and her new best friend no longer remembered them being friends.

It was enough to make a cheerleader give up her pompoms.

Claire had begged the Haitian that worked for her father to give her Peter's number. He refused the first dozen times that she asked. On the thirteenth try he relented and handed it over. Thirteen was her new favorite number.

Of course, once she had his number, it took her several more days to work up the nerve to call him. She stayed late after school so that she could call him from outside the gym, a place she felt close to him. It was October 13th when Claire nervously dialed Peter's number and hit send.

"Hello?" came the wary greeting.

"Peter? Peter Petrelli?" she anxiously asked.

"Yes, this is Peter. Who may I ask is calling?"

"It's Claire Bennet; the cheerleader from Odessa," Claire informed him.

"Claire?" Peter's voice immediately grew warm, if a little worried. "How did you get my number? Is everything okay?"

Claire shook her head, despite the fact that she knew he couldn't see her. Tears of relief upon hearing his voice filled her eyes. "This guy that works for my dad had your number. I don't know how he got it, but he knows who you are. He's special too, like us, but different. I hope you don't mind me calling."

"Of course not," Peter assured her. "What's wrong?"

"Everything!" Claire wailed. "School's crazy now that Jackie's dead and that guy who tried to kill me is missing, probably still out there. My best friend doesn't remember anything about me healing or even that we were friends. At home I have to pretend that I don't remember anything about healing or how Jackie really died or anything."

"Claire, slow down," Peter said, wishing he were there to talk her down in person. "Now, what do you mean that you're not supposed to remember?"

"The Haitian, the guy who works for my dad, that's what he does. He makes people forget. He made my brother forget about me healing. He made Zach forget too. It was like one minute everything was normal, and the next thing he's saying we haven't talked in years. My dad told the Haitian to make me forget too, but he didn't. He said it was important that I remember."

"He's right. I don't know why you're important yet, but you are. I went to Odessa to save you, remember. There has to be a reason for it all."

"I don't know about all of that. I'm just a girl. What can I do?"

"I haven't quite figured that out yet," Peter admitted. "What is it that you wanted me to do about all of this?"

"I, um, I don't know," Claire said. "I just knew that I had to talk to you. You saved me from Sylar. I just knew that if I could talk to you everything would be better."

"I'm flattered. Has it helped?"

"A little," Claire said, a smile in her voice. "I just don't know how much longer I can do this, Peter. How can I keep looking at my dad every day as if I didn't know about freaks like us? I don't think that I can stay here."

"Are you talking about running away?" Peter asked. "I don't think I can support that. I know it must be hard for you—"

"You have no idea how hard it is," Claire interrupted. "My own father, well, adopted father, tried to have my memories erased. How am I supposed to live with the knowledge that he tried to take away part of who I am? He's a monster and it's getting harder and harder not to let it show how much I hate him."

"It's never fun learning about who your father really is, believe me, I know," Peter said, thinking of his own rocky relationship with his dad.

"Don't treat me like some kid," Claire hissed.

"I'm not," Peter hastened to say. "I just know what it's like to have issues with your father."

"Then help me," Claire pleaded. "I can't stay here much longer, Peter."

"Don't do anything yet," Peter said. "Give me some time to try to figure something out."

"Promise?" Claire asked, sounding happier already.

"I promise," Peter said. "I'll call you back at this number when I can."

"Thanks, Peter. Good bye."

"Bye, Claire," Peter said, disconnecting.

The next day she received the text from Peter with their meeting time.


Continued here

[identity profile] frellingblonde.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
Off to a great start! Those poor kids are in for quite the shock, aren't they? Can't wait for more.

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, you could say that. *grin*

[identity profile] ladycat713.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
Excellent start!

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you.
(deleted comment)

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 12:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks. The story is complete, so I'll be posting hopefully every other day, depending on how fast my beta gets the rest of the chapters back to me.

[identity profile] eowyn-girl.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
Poor Claire! She's always in so much trouble. Had forgotten how sad she was after Homecoming (that is, until she ran into Peter again).

I want to see what happens next!

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 03:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Claire was definitely in a bad place after Homecoming, especially after the Haitian started taking the memories of people she trusted.

I'll hopefully be posting every other day. Depends on how fast my beta gets the rest of the story to me.

[identity profile] ronniekins77.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
Ooh, interesting! I like the start of this. :)

Peter seems to be just the person she needs in this situation, but I love that you don't have him supporting running away (at this point anyway).

And I love that it took Claire awhile to muster the courage to call him. Talking to your hero has got to be a little nervewracking. :)

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm so glad that you liked that Peter didn't run right off to be with Claire. While he does have a tendency to just run off, he doesn't do it completely blindly. I think you're right, calling your hero out of the blue has got to be a little nervewracking.

[identity profile] shimmeree.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 04:46 am (UTC)(link)
Good start!

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks!

[identity profile] oreadno1.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 08:33 am (UTC)(link)
This is quite interesting! Can't wait for more!

Kathy

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! More tomorrow.

[identity profile] nayden.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 10:49 am (UTC)(link)
I really loved this, more soon would sure make me smile *hugs*

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 04:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! The story is complete, so I'll be posting as close to every other day as possible - after I get the rest of it back from my beta.

[identity profile] runawaycherie.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I like where it's going so far. Need more :P

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-19 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! I'll be posting more tomorrow (Friday).

[identity profile] comiskey.livejournal.com 2007-07-22 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
I like this so far and I like where you've chosen to branch off from canon - Claire was in such a tough spot at that point that it makes things really interesting. Off to read the second chapter!

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-22 07:20 pm (UTC)(link)
There really is a lot of potential at that point in time because things were so difficult for Claire. I actually have another (unposted) WIP that takes place around the same time, but with a very different plot.

[identity profile] comiskey.livejournal.com 2007-07-22 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I agree that there's a lot of potential there. I started a WIP ages ago that took place around that time, but the plot got thrown off by the reveal of Nathan being her dad and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go AU with it. I may finish it up one day, but I don't know. If you ever end up posting your other WIP, I'd like to check it out. :)

[identity profile] dragonydreams.livejournal.com 2007-07-23 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
I hope to post that one, but I'm going to wait until it's mostly finished before I do. I hate having WIPs that never get finished, and at the time it was my first multi-chapter fic in this fandom. I knew I'd probably get distracted from it, so I didn't want to post until there was more written.

[identity profile] comiskey.livejournal.com 2007-07-26 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I hate having unfinished WIPs too and I'm unfortunately rather apt to getting distracted from stories, which is why I usually try to write one-shots or wait until I'm almost finished before posting...so I completely understand. If you get around to finishing it, I'll definitely read it. Otherwise, I'm enjoying this story at the moment :)