Heroes Fan Fiction ❯ Girl in the Painting ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

AN: I suck majorly for not updating. I can't help it! I've been writing Heroes porn (that you can find at my LJ writing journal)! And Isaac lives on in my fic! Remember this is an AU from “Distractions”.

 

Girl in the Painting

 

Chapter Seven

 

Claire was barely seconds behind Peter when he crashed through Isaac's studio and had the disoriented artist pinned up against the wall. She screamed, calling out for Peter to stop, only Peter's mind was somewhere else, and he just wouldn't listen to her.

 

“You!” Peter raged at Isaac, his power coming to the forefront. Claire's eyes darted around the studio, watching canvasses and brushes vibrating in response to Peter's power.

 

Isaac met Peter's gaze, his face pale and gaunt from extreme grief. Claire could tell that Isaac was ready to give up, letting Peter beat him and have his way with him.

 

“Stop it, Peter! Don't hurt him!” Claire shouted out, but Peter continued to ignore her, coming face-to-face with Isaac.

 

“You should have protected her!” Peter lashed at him. Isaac squirmed under Peter's telekinetic grasp, and then he leveled with Peter's hard stare.

 

“Where were you, man? You were her boy. She left me for you. Where were you when Sylar took her?” Isaac growled at him, anger rising in his tone.

 

“Sylar?” Peter asked. “What would Sylar want with her? She doesn't have anything he wants!”

 

“I don't know!” Isaac barked, squirming to get free. Peter grew increasingly angry, and just as the artist was about to break free, Peter threw him back again. Claire squeaked as she heard Isaac's head make a `cracking' sound against the hard wall.

 

Peter exhaled heavily, the disdain still on his face. He grabbed Isaac's shirt, close to pounding his face. “You brought him here. With your deals with them, and God knows - with your deals with my brother and Dr. Suresh. He's coming right for you.”

 

“How is this my fault?” Isaac asked in a choked sob. “How? You're the `oh-so-great' Peter Petrelli, tell me what I should have done?” Peter wasn't expecting Isaac to fight back, and he didn't know how to respond to him. Instead, Isaac continued to meet him fiercely. “All I can do is paint, and even then, my paintings aren't always clear!”

 

Isaac chuckled, and Peter started to back down from him. “But you… you have all these amazing powers. Why didn't you do something to save your precious Simone?”

 

Peter's eyes fell to the floor, his face pale and blank. His powerful trap around Isaac diminished, and the artist's feet stood firmly on the floor. He met Peter challengingly and then poked a finger into his chest, pushing Peter backward. “Where were you, Super Boy?”

Peter's expression turned sour, and he looked torn. Inside, he could feel the weight of Isaac's words - that he was probably right. He did have all these powers, and he could even match Sylar if he wanted to - still, he was struggling to control his powers, and even Claude had said he wasn't ready yet.

 

Peter felt inept, knowing if he'd train more and been ready, he might have saved Simone. Peter might have saved both him and Isaac the heartache.

 

Finally Peter looked into Isaac's eyes, and then he glared at him. “This ends here, Isaac. I'm taking Claire, and you're never seeing her again.”

 

“Wha… What? You can't do that!” Isaac snapped at him. “She's here under my protection by your brother's request.”

 

“I will protect Claire from now on. I won't have you or your dealings bringing her the same fate as Simone.”

 

“You…You bastard!” And as Peter prepared to walk away, Isaac lunged at him, punching Peter in the jaw. On instinct, Peter punched back, sending Isaac a psychokinetic wallop that propelled him backward against the wall. Disoriented, Isaac shook his head and then jumped on Peter, turning him around and punching him again in the stomach. Peter coughed, and then with a flick of his hand, sent Isaac back crashing into a table of brushes and media.

 

Since Isaac refused to stand down, it was Peter's turn to come after him, though unfairly, he attacked him with his abilities. Isaac felt resistance against his body, and Peter came after him with a hard stare. He grabbed the collar of Isaac's shirt, raising him high toward the ceiling, and letting him fall to the floor.

 

Claire was frantic, screaming and pleading for the two men to stop fighting. She saw Isaac wildly throw a cart table of bottles at Peter, which her uncle had eloquently dodged with his telekinetic powers. Isaac seemed desperate, full of rage and grief, desperate to redeem himself by making Peter pay in some way for the pain of Simone's death.

 

Peter was far more powerful than Isaac, and although she cared about Peter, Claire was scared of Peter's power and by the dark, determined look in his eyes.

 

“Peter, please… it's not fair! You're going to kill him!”

 

“Back off, Claire,” Peter said in a low voice, echoing with a dark rumble. His voice chilled her to the bone. “This fight doesn't concern you.”

 

Isaac was fueled with adrenaline, his nose and face bleeding after being tossed around by Peter's powers. He grabbed a broken tool in the fragments from the fight, and he lunged at Peter - instinct and survival on his mind.

 

Claire gasped, and she realized that this fight was never going to end unless someone got terribly hurt. Both Peter and Isaac had a lot of pent up hatred and anger toward each other, and Simone's murder was bringing it out in full force. She knew the only way to stop them was to step in and do something.

 

As Isaac moved to stab Peter, Claire jumped in front of Peter. His expression was calm and cool, and he was ready to dodge Isaac's attack with ease. When Claire stepped in to shield him, his eyes widened and his power fell loose from his fingers. Isaac couldn't stop himself either, and he felt the tool pierce her flesh. He froze and watched as blood gushed from Claire's abdomen, and then she was sent spiraling away from them by Peter's unbridled attack.

 

She slammed against the wall, the broken tool piercing even deeper into her body upon impact.

 

Peter and Isaac watched the scene with horror. Claire lay motionless among the debris against Isaac's studio wall, and suddenly, Isaac and Peter both ran to her.

 

“Claire!” Peter was the first to yell, and Isaac remained speechless, horrified to what he had done.

 

“Oh no…” Isaac whispered, looking at Claire's blood spilling out onto his hands. Isaac looked up to Claire's face, and her lip was busted her forehead dripping with blood.

 

Peter's hand hovered over the tool that had run clean through her stomach to her back, and he wondered if he should pull it out.

 

“Claire…” Isaac whispered, feeling horrible guilt and shame for hurting such a young, innocent girl who only wanted to stop them in their foolishness.

 

Suddenly, Peter's face lit up and they heard Claire coughing, slowly lifting herself up off her back. She stared blearily at the rusty tool impaled in her stomach, and with a pained grip, she removed it, tossing it aside. Isaac stared in fascination as the wound on her body began to repair itself quickly, and the gashes on her face had completely disappeared.

 

“Claire, are you alright?” Isaac asked. Peter was silent, beaming in relief at her regenerative powers.

 

Claire looked over at Isaac and then to Peter, glaring. When she sat up, she lifted her hand and slapped Isaac and then jabbed Peter in the stomach.

 

“You're both idiots!” Peter and Isaac looked at her in awe. Isaac rubbed his sore cheek, and Peter clutched his stomach, watching her push away from them. She stood up, and she angrily planted her hands on her hips. “How can you act like this? This isn't some grade school playground! You shouldn't be fighting with Sylar at large! Do you think Simone would have wanted you to act like this? I can't believe you did this to each other! We're on the same side, aren't we?”

 

Isaac said nothing, feeling the weight of Claire's words. Peter shot him a distrustful, knowing glare.

 

“Claire… I'm sorry this happened to you,” Peter began. “There are a lot of things you don't know…”

 

“I don't care,” Claire said, walking away and cleaning up some of the stuff around Isaac's studio. She didn't look at them, but she continued to talk. “All I know is that Sylar is killing people like us, and I know that I'm not on Sylar's side, and Isaac's not on Sylar's side.” Claire turned around and stared at Peter. “I know you're not on Sylar's side. So I don't see the problem. I don't see how beating each other up and disgracing a dead woman's memory is justified.”

 

Peter and Isaac both grimaced to her sage words. Claire turned around and continued with her work. Isaac began to rise from the ground, and Peter started walking toward her.

 

“Claire… come with me, and I'll explain everything.”

 

She turned around, eyes flashing at Peter with anger. “I'm not leaving. I have work to do.”

 

“Claire…”

 

“No, I'm staying here to help Isaac.”

 

Isaac slightly warmed to Claire's intentions, but he felt a war raging inside himself. Peter was here, so no doubt he would have to contact both Bennet and Nathan with the information. It was true that Claire was probably safer with Peter, and since Simone's death, she was most definitely in more danger with him than hiding with Peter.

 

“Claire, you can't stay here. You need to be careful.”

 

“No, I won't go,” Claire responded stubbornly. She glared at Peter. “You should be the one that leaves, Peter.”

 

Finally Isaac said, “You both should go.”

 

Peter and Claire turned to him, and Claire looked at him with shock. Peter eyed him carefully, scrutinizing his expression.

 

“But Isaac,” Claire pleaded, and she walked slowly toward him, a genuine look of concern on her face. “This place is a mess, and… don't you want someone to be here because of what happened to …?”

 

Claire's voice trailed off, and Isaac turned his gaze from her. He appeared cold and distant. He crossed his arms and stared at the floor. “Please, just both of you leave me alone.”

 

“But…”

 

Peter took Claire's arm lightly, directing her to the door. She couldn't turn her eyes away from Isaac as she saw the suffering etched on his face. Deep inside, she wanted to be here for him while he mourned. She wanted to pick up the pieces, not just from the brawl in his studio, but the broken pieces of his heart. And where Peter's power had overtaken him, she wanted to be here for him in case he felt small, weak, and out of control.

 

She wanted to reassure him that Simone's death was not his fault.

 

When she wouldn't budge, Isaac turned to her and in a strangled cry he yelled, “Just go, Claire. Just go!”

 

Claire's mouth shut tightly and tears formed in her eyes. She began to cry, and then she broke from Peter's grasp, dashing through the open door. Peter ran to the door, hoping to catch up with her. Before he left, he looked back at Isaac and gave him a dangerous glare.

 

“Don't you dare hurt her again, or I swear I'll kill you,” Peter threatened, and then he disappeared swiftly down the stairs, catching up to Claire.

 

--

 

“Claire, wait!” Peter called out, finally catching up to her. She stopped on the streets, and he watched her from behind.

 

“I'm sorry, Claire. I'm sorry you got involved in that. I didn't want to hurt you.”

 

“It's okay. I'm not hurt.” She turned around and gave him a weak smile. “I can't get hurt, remember?”

 

Peter grabbed her arms and then looked at her sternly. “Claire, that's not what I meant and you know it. I know you can heal from stuff like that. I was talking about… getting hurt in other ways.”

 

Claire looked down at the sidewalk and away from his compassionate gaze. She felt tears brimming on her eyes, and she desperately wanted them to stop - to be strong in front of Peter.

 

“Claire, you need to listen to me when I say be careful of Isaac. He's not what you think.”

 

“Can you just stop it already about Isaac? I'm tired of it,” Claire replied sighing, wiping the tears from her eyes. She broke from Peter's grasp and turned around. “Just take me home, Peter. I want to see my mom.” Claire let out a weak laugh and said, “As crazy as she is, I think I need to see her now.”

 

“Claire…” Peter said, coming up from behind her and then embracing her. She fell back into him, muffling a cry. Peter sighed against her hair and then released her. “Alright, let's go.”

 

He walked ahead, and Claire followed behind him as they went to hail a cab.

 

--

 

 

“Yes, it's me again,” Isaac said, sliding his fingers through his unkempt hair. “I needed to talk to you immediately.”

 

Isaac looked around the war-torn studio as he talked on the phone, and then he sighed. “Peter Petrelli is still in New York, and he was just here today, unstable as ever.”

 

Isaac paused, listening to the response on the receiver. He responded, “And I did more paintings. Claire's in danger, and Sylar is coming after her again.

 

“You'd better come up with something quick.” Isaac got a worried look I his eyes, and he felt pain bubble in his stomach. He did not want Claire to end up like Simone, or even worse, with her head cut open and her powers in that madman's control.

 

Finally he said, “You need to get here and bring help, Bennet. I simply can not protect her all by myself.”