A/N: I'm sure many writers/readers have dabbled in their own ideas of what will happen next season in "Heroes". I'm not saying this is what I think will happen, but this is just my story, directly continued from the season one finale. It will involve all the familiar characters, and probably a couple new ones, but the main characters will be Claire and Peter (because they're my favorites). I hope you all enjoy, and please review so I can know if I'm just wasting my time or writing something that you really want me to pursue! Thanks bunches.

pairings: ClairePeter, ClaireOC, MohinderOC, and others...

Disclaimer: I own none of the familiar characters, etc. The show belongs to NBC, Kring, and all that. Anything or anyone that is new is my creation.

We Are Not Alone

By: Rainydaysunlight

Mohinder's final speech (in season one): "So much struggle for meaning, for purpose. And in the end, we find it only in each other – our shared experience of the fantastic…and the mundane. The simple human need to find a kindred…to connect…and to know in our hearts…that we are not alone."

NOAH & CLAIRE BENNET

KIRBY PLAZA, NEW YORK

"Let's go home." Noah Bennett draped his jacket around his daughter's shoulders with his good arm.

"Home where?" Claire looked at her dad, fighting against the tears clouding her eyes, as he sat beside her.

"Home is anywhere our family is together." Her dad's reply was sincere, but it had a slightly forced philosophical tone to it.

"You've got a plan right?" Claire asked through her sniffles.

"Always."

Claire nodded slowly, but then stopped. Her thoughts flashed back to the last time she asked him if he had a plan. It wasn't more than an hour ago that she had been on the phone with him, speaking quietly so as not to be overheard by the Petrelli's who were trying to whisk her away from what was going to happen with Peter. Her dad had assured her then that he had a plan, but whatever that plan may have been lead to her having to leap out of a window to escape her birth father and his controlling mother, as well as Peter blowing up in the atmosphere, while she stood helplessly staring up into the sky.

"What's wrong Claire-Bear?" He sensed a change in her mood as her shoulders tensed and her tears stopped suddenly.

"I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I can't just leave here and go back to Odessa with you like none of this happened and pretend to have a normal life. Everything's different now."

"Of course it is sweetheart." Mr. Bennett agreed. "I'm not asking you to forget about tonight. I know you probably never will…"

"Unless you try to have my memories removed again." She snapped quickly without processing her thoughts. The instant she said it, she regretted it. She knew her dad had only ever wanted to protect her, even though his ways of doing so wasn't always best.

"Claire, I just want you to be safe and happy." He told her softly. "There's no reason for us to stay here anymore tonight. Everyone's leaving, we have to too, and I just thought you might be able to recover emotionally a little better back home with your family…"

"What about my other family? I can't just forget about them." She persisted.

Mr. Bennett wasn't sure how to remind his daughter that her other family was very likely dead now, with their exploded remains filtering through outer space. Instead he tried to be optimistic for her sake. "When we get back to Odessa we can call them and maybe make some sort of arrangements…"

"Call them?" Claire shook her head, trying hard not to yell. "They just blew up!"

Clearly she didn't need him to remind her about that tragic fact. "Claire, sweetheart, I don't know what to say…"

She shook her head. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm saying all this like it's your fault or something. I'm just upset and confused…"

"I know you are and I wish I could say something or do something to help you through this better…" He paused. "I really think we should go home and you should just take some time to recover."

Claire frowned suddenly. "What about the people you work for. Aren't they like hunting me or something?"

Her dad hesitated. "That won't be an immediate problem."

"Why not?"

"Just trust me. The man who was leading the search for you won't be a problem anymore." He didn't have the courage to tell his little girl that he had just committed murder, so instead Mr. Bennett gave her a simple reassuring smile, hoping to offer some comfort, but she still looked skeptical.

"Can't we stay here for a while?"

"Here?" He glanced around the ominous square where he had just witnessed Sylar stabbed, Parkman shot, Peter near to nuclear, and his daughter seconds away from shooting her newly discovered uncle. "I'd rather not stay here…"

She smiled slightly. "I don't mean here literally, but in New York. I don't want to go back to Odessa right now."

He felt a little relieved, but still frustrated that she wasn't obeying him as willingly as she used to. He realized that nothing would ever be as it used to be. "What's here for you, Claire-Bear? Why would you want to stay here? Only bad things have happened since you've been here."

"Only bad things have happened in Odessa." She reminded him. Her tears were starting to return. "At least here I might be able to find some answers."

"Answers?"

Claire's eyes drifted over to the swarm of ambulances, which were occupied with the injured bodies of Matt Parkman and DL Hawkins. A few feet away from the busy paramedics a little girl was sobbing into the shoulder of a kneeling Indian man. Near to them a blonde woman was standing with a young boy; both of them were gazing desperately at one of the ambulances.

"They're like me." She stated finally. "I don't know how, but I know that they're special, like me and Peter and Nathan. They can do things, I'm sure of it. We were all here for a reason and I need to know what that reason is and what it means for my future."

"Your future is back in Odessa with your family." Her dad persisted.

"Dad…" Claire sighed. "I know you're not happy about any of this. You never wanted me to be involved with it, but I am now, and I can't just ignore it. I'm not normal and I'll never be able to have a normal life with my normal family. Please try to understand what I'm going through right now."

He gave up, realizing that his daughter was not the little girl that used to believe that daddy knew best. She was independent now with her own ideas and needs. Her life was changed forever and he would have to allow her to figure it out on her own, more or less. That wasn't going to stop him from trying to help her in any way possible though.

"We'll get a hotel here, in the city."

"Thank you dad!" She hugged him carefully, making sure not to bother his injured arm, which had been checked out and put into a sling by one of the paramedics.

"For tonight at least. We'll continue this discussion tomorrow when we've both gotten some sleep, okay?" Mr. Bennett stood.

"Okay." Claire gave into him for the moment, but fully intended to pursue her desire to remain in New York on a more permanent basis. She stood and allowed her dad to direct her away from the sculpture-decorated fountain that marked the center of Kirby Plaza.