Domino Effect-One Thing After Another

[alexander21]

March 23, 2008

Alexander was over at the Bennets residence only because Noah had trusted him and sent him there. Alex didnt know why yet, maybe it had to do with something going down on this exact day. All he knew was that he had to protect Claire and Nathan, as he was told by Noah. Alex had just got his mind set for anything to happen when he realized that no one was home. Then it hit him. Thats why Noah told him to go through the back door.

After walking around the house and entering the back door, he was sure no one was home. So he decided to wait on the couch in the living room for anything to happen.

[clairebear]

Claire had been living at the White House with Nathan for just over a week. She did feel much safer being there, and of course even in as little as a week she felt she had bonded with Nathan more than she ever thought possible. Sandra had phoned her and asked how she was keeping and told her she was missing having her around so much. Of course Claire immediately felt bad, because despite the fact she was a Petrelli, the Bennets had raised her from a small baby.

She told Nathan she wanted to visit Sandra and he had said he had expected it to happen, but that she was to make sure she came back. She had rolled her eyes at him with a bright smile telling him wild horses wouldn't keep her away from him. He agreed to fly her himself since the private jet was off doing something else.

A short while later he had touched down in the Bennet's back garden and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek before making his way back to Washington, telling her she was only to call the minute she was ready to come home. He couldn't stay because he had Presidential duties to do.

She made her way into the house through the front door as she still had a key, the Bennets had made sure of that, so she could visit any time she liked. When she walked into the living room however, she stopped and stared at the person sitting on the sofa. His face was somewhat familiar and she tried to place it and then she remembered, it was that one time she went on a mission with Elle and Noah.

What was his name again? Alex, that was it. She smiled, but with a look of confusion on her face, wondering why he was there, but apparently no sign of her parents.

"Alex right?" she began, as she approached the sofa where he was sitting, "What are you doing here? Where's Sandra and Noah?" she asked, as she continued to look at him in confusion.

[alexander21]

As soon as Alex got comfortable, he began to hear the front door click as it was being unlocked. He sat still staring in the direction of the possible intruder. Preparing to use his ability to prevent what was to come. As he gripped the cough in slight fear of who it might be, the intruder entered the living room. It was Claire. The girl that saved his life a couple weeks ago, from who she called Electro-Queen.

He loosened his grip as he realized it was her, and then gave her a slight smile as she asked him if he was Alex. He nodded as he smiled. She then asked where Noah and Sandra were. Honestly he didnt know who Sandra was or where she was. "Noah is off taking care of some business. He sent me here to watch over you, I guess." He shrugged as he stood up from the couch. "As of Sandra. I have no idea." he explained with a slight chuckle near the end."

[clairebear]

Claire continued to watch Alex curiously trying to figure out why he was here. Especially when there seemed to be no sign of Noah, Sandra or Lyle. It was fairly unusual for the house not to have somebody at home. Granted very rarely was Noah at home, but either Sandra or Lyle usually were.

"So dad, Noah, sent you here to protect me?" she asked as she raised her eyebrow questioning what he had said. It wasn't completely ridiculous, after all it was just over a week since she had been kidnapped and had her unborn baby ripped out of her. She still hadn't got over it, and it probably would take her a long time to do so.

She had so badly wanted to be comforted by Sandra right now, Nathan was wonderful, so was Peter, but today, today she had badly craved the mother's love and understanding which was Sandra.

She sat down on the sofa slowly, sighing, desperately trying to bite back the tears which were burning the back of her eyes. "Sandra, she's my mom" Claire began slowly and softly, as she tried to speak over the golf ball sized lump in her throat, "I really could have done with talking to her right now" she said as clear as her emotions would allow, as she just sat forward and stared into space.

[alexander21]

Alex nodded confirming that Noah did infact send him here to protect her. "I do not know from what though." he tried to explain. He then noticed that sadness over took Claire's voice, and he knew why almost immediately. He wanted to comfort her, but didnt know if he should. But he went and did it anyways, walking towards her and wrapped his arms around her. "I am sorry for whats been going on the past month. But the worst has yet to come." he said with a serious voice.

And with those words, his statement began to come true. A window shattered, breaking the short lived silence between the two of them. Alex quickly pushed Claire to arms length, both his arms on her shoulders and starring straight at her. "Claire. You need to listen to me. You need to go to your room and hide. I'll be up there when my work here is done." he said as he began to walk away but stop after his foot step. "Oh and cover your ears as well." he demanded as he pushed her of in the direction of the stairs. With those so called famous last words, Alex headed off in the direction of the kitchen to fight of the real intruder.

[clairebear]

Claire really, really wanted Sandra right now, the pain and emotion she was suffering right now, this guy wouldn't be able to fix and she didn't think he would be able to cope. She had to stop the tears from falling, she couldn't cry in front of Alex, she couldn't let him see she could be so vulnerable. He had agreed that Noah had indeed sent him to protect her but hadn't said from what. Well that was typical she thought, as she tried to get back some of her fighting spirit.

"Secret man!" she said in a deflated voice, "Always was a house full of secrets" she added, still wishing her mom Sandra was here, but suddenly she felt arms wrapping around her as Alex approached to comfort her. Alright, so she had already had this from Nathan and Peter, and she had badly wanted her mother, but this would do for now, as she allowed him to comfort her.

However, he ruined the moment by saying there was worse yet to come. What could he have meant by that. She looked up at him, feeling a little more spirited, "What do you mean by that?" she asked, as she watched him with her eyes wide. Because she already had her ability taken from her, twice, given up to the Bennets for what ever reason when she was a baby, two failed marriages behind her and her own unborn baby cruelly ripped out of her by a crazy woman with the phasing ability, really with those odds, how could it get much worse she thought.

However, just at that moment a window shattered and Alex stood with his arms outstretched in front of her, in what was definitely a protective way. He told her that she had to listen and that she was to go up to her room. "But what is this, I can fight it with you" she said in a demanding voice, but he pushed her to the stairs, telling her to cover her ears. So she decided to do as she was told as she ran up the stairs and lay on her bed with her head under the pillow waiting for him to come and get her. She was wondering what the hell was going on however.

[alexander21]

Alexander was glad she listened to him, as he passed through the doorway and into the kitchen. He noticed the back door was open and glass on the floor. Someone for sure had broken in. Just before he was going to continue searching the kitchen. He heard a noise behind him. With a quick turn of his head, he noticed that a mean dressed in black was about to hit him with something. With his quick thinking he turned his whole body, and grabbed the mans arm, just barely stopping him from attacking.

They both stared at each other for a short while. Then the man pulled his arm a way from Alex's grip and reached for his knife. Alex noticed this and knew it was time to use his ability. He closed his eyes as he began to feel the rage build inside him. But there wasnt enough rage to perform this. He knew he needed to be stabbed by the man to get the final boost. Just as he opened his eyes, he got what he wanted. He was stabbed in the abdomen. Slowly inhaling and exhaling, he was ready. Grabbing the mans by the arms, he began to roar at the man. The man squinted his eyes in pain, beginning to scream as his body began to lower to the ground and slowly became lifeless.

Alex stopped his attack just before he killed the man. Taking a breather, he noticed that he had to lock the man in a room. He threw him in the pantry and the shut the door. Propping a door under the door knob he felt it was safe to go check on Claire.

He made his way up the stairs and knocked on her door. "Claire?" he asked.

[clairebear]

Claire had for once done as she was told when Alex told her to get up the stairs and put her head under the pillow. Even with her head under the pillow she could hear the noise coming from the floor below. It was awful, and Claire hoped that Alex was alright. Not that he wasn't old enough to take care of himself, but just because Claire genuinely cared about people.

However, right now, she was still in a semi depression, what with the fact her baby was phased out of her just over a week ago and she had come here for some sympathy from her mother and she wasn't even here. Instead she got a half hearted bit of sympathy from the man who was now currently down the stairs protecting her with his life by the sounds of it.

Soon a knock was heard on her bedroom door and she heard Alex say her name. She took her head out from under the pillow and went to her bedroom door and opened it. "Hi Alex" she said and then saw the wound he had, "Oh Alex" she said as she thought this was all her fault. It wasn't helping her mood any at all.

"This is my fault, you need to get some of my blood onto that wound, it will help, I know it will, because, because..." she trailed off, the reason she trailed off is because it was taking her back to the day she lost her baby.

"I know because, the guy who kidnapped me, the day I lost my baby, smeared my blood from the torturing into his wound and he healed, cut me" she demanded as she held her arm out for him to do just that. She couldn't allow for Alex to be hurt because he had been protecting her.

[alexander21]

As he withdrew his hand from Claire's bedroom door. He did a quick look around that hall and the stairs. Just then Claire had opened her door and immediately said, "Hi, Alex.". Alex smiled at her. But that moment ended as soon as she noticed his wound in his chest. Claire began to blame herself for everything.

"I am fine." he lied as he pressed his right hand against the wound. "Don't go blaming your self now. It was my carelessness that was the result of this." he explained. Then Claire began to speak of that horrible night. Alex looked down, closing his eyes. "Claire, you dont need to talk about that stuff. You must move on. I know it hurts, buts that why you have a family and friends. They are there to help you get through this." he tried to enlighten the atmosphere.

[clairebear]

Claire just shook her head when Alex insisted that it wasn't her fault, it was his own carelessness which had caused him to be stabbed. But Claire knew that if he hadn't been sent here to protect her then it wouldn't have happened to him. "Maybe it's not my fault directly, but you were sent here to protect me and look at you?!" she exclaimed in a sad voice as she bit down on her bottom lip slightly.

Claire was still in a very emotional and vulnerable state after what happened to her over a week ago. Nathan had immediately flown his baby girl as he called her home, home to Washington even though she hadn't officially moved in with him by that point. She hadn't cared, she just wanted to feel safe and she felt safe with Nathan, she felt safe with all of her Petrelli relatives, she even felt safe with her mom Sandra, but Noah was different.

She loved him because of who he was, but she didn't feel safe or comfortable around him, too many lies revolved around Noah and Claire didn't like it.

"And stop lying, you are not fine" Claire said slightly hysterical, she wasn't about to have somebody hurt or dying because of her. She couldn't face it. Not on top of everything else. "I know I don't have to talk about it, just sometimes it's something I can't avoid" Claire replied as she looked down at her feet and folded her arms across her chest.

She had wanted to speak to her mom who obviously wasn't here, maybe she would have to start looking elsewhere, she had cried to Nathan for the past week, he didn't need an emotional break down daughter on him anymore. He'd had it long enough, it was somebody else's turn, but who?

"I know my family is here to help me through, but what friends Alex? I don't really have any friends, the only person I class as a sort of friend doesn't even like me that much" she was referring to Elle of course. Then she suddenly remembered the wound Alex had and he still hadn't done what she asked him. She sighed, holding her arm out again, "I said you were to cut me, now do it damn it Alex, because if you don't, I will" she said in a defiant voice, "I will not have you bleed out because of me" she added as she stood there waiting for him to cut her so he could get some of her blood. If he wouldn't, she would do it herself, she had a pair of scissors on her dressing table, she used them to trim up her fringe when it got to long for her.

[alexander21]

Alex shrugged as she finished speaking about not being her fault straightforward. But he knew that she was right on the part. Alex began to feel more out of place. He wasn't much for emotional times. But he had to get use to it if he was going to be there for her.

He pulled her close once again like he did before the break in. "Claire. I am here for you. Whatever you need, I will help." he said as he held her. As soon as he finished his cell phone began to vibrate from with in his pants pocket. Pulling it out, he noticed it was a text from Noah.

Is Claire okay?

"Yeah. Shes fine. Whats the plan?"

[clairebear]

Alex didn't seem to be listening to her about getting him healed, it was frustrating her. She had the ability to heal, and she knew just her blood mixed with another's could heal them also, so why was Alex ignoring her when she was telling him to cut her so she could allow her blood to mix with his. Alex had then pulled her close to him again and she once again allowed him to comfort her. Right now, he was the only younger man (that is other than Peter) in her life she felt she could trust. Alex could easily be a big brother to her. She liked that idea.

"If you want to do anything for me, you'll let me heal you" she said in a defiant voice, as she pulled away from his embrace and held the scissors to her wrist. The best place for enough blood to come out at force before the wound closed over.

"Please Alex, let me do this for you" she said, just before she heard his mobile vibrate. It was none of her business, so she didn't bother to ask who the text or telephone call was from. She just hoped he would let her heal him. It wouldn't take much, and at least she was doing it because she wanted to, not having to watch the man who kidnapped her, crawl about her blood for his own benefit.

[alexander21]

Alex, after putting the phone back into his pocket, rolled his eyes. "Fine, Claire. But I am not hurting you. You have already been through so much. I don't want to see any more pain in your eyes." Alex responded. Just then another text came, and again it was from Noah. Noah was only thanking him for protecting his precious Claire. Alex still didn't understand what was more important than protecting her. But he shrugged it off and slipped the phone back in the pocket.

He lifted his shirt and sweatshirt a little bit so Claire could give him her blood. He was still against this but she wouldn't stop, so he gave up. As he waited, he watched Claire hold up a scizzors above her wrist, just waiting for the blood to flow around her arm.

[clairebear]

Claire felt much better when Alex finally agreed to let her heal him. He had said he didn't want to see anymore pain in her eyes, he obviously didn't know she didn't actually feel any pain, at least not physical pain. She gave him a weak smile, "I don't feel pain anymore Alex, at least not physical pain, not since I had my ability taken from me, but don't worry I'll do it myself" she said in a firm voice, after all she had once cut off her baby toe and watched it grow back, mind you back then cutting off her toe hurt like hell.

She waited until he showed his wound off to her, and then she stuck the scissors into her wrist with force and dragged it upward from the edge of her palm and made a good three inch gash and then held it over his wound allowing the blood to swirl down her and wrist and watched as it flowed into Alex's wound, making sure enough came out and watched to make sure his wound started to heal, which it did. Not as fast as she heals herself, but she could see the wound closing over.

"There, now I don't feel so guilty about you getting hurt for my benefit" she said giving him a slightly bigger smile than the one she gave him earlier when he agreed to let her heal him.

[alexander21]

Alex watched as she pulled the scizzors across her arm. Side to side as the blood began to flow from the wound. She pressed her arm against his wound and the blood dripped slowly down into his wound. Seconds later it began to heal. Slowly closing. Alex watched as it did and was surprised that her blood could actually help anyone. He didn't know this. He smiled and looked up towards her. "Thanks."

He covered his disappearing wound back over with his clothes. Not knowing what to do next he stood there. Only to make an awkward moment. He hated these kind of moments, but what the hell was he suppose to do to prevent these kind of moments. There was a reason why it was led to this. He was just healed by Claire. Thankfully. But he and Claire didn't know much of each other, so thats where the awkwardness came from. He continued to smile. "So..."