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ship_manifestoTitle: "You're Totally My Hero": Peter Petrelli, Claire Bennet and Their Shifting Connection
Fandom: Heroes
Author: Viv (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eowyn_girl) & mab (missaliceblue)
Words: 5000
Pairing: Peter Petrelli/Claire Bennet
Spoilers: All of Heroes.
"You're Totally My Hero": Peter Petrelli, Claire Bennet and Their Shifting Connection
An essay bymissaliceblue and eowyn_girl
Introduction
The connection between Peter Petrelli and Claire Bennet on NBC's hit show Heroes has been the subject of many discussions, both official and unofficial. Whether for it or against it, repelled or intrigued by it, it is an undeniable fact that audiences have noticed and responded to the connection between these two characters, portrayed to perfection by Milo Ventimiglia (Peter) and Hayden Panettiere (Claire).
This essay intends to explore the connection between Peter and Claire that so intrigues and fascinates us. Disagreement between whether their interaction stems mostly from being family (uncle and niece), friends or something more leads most to agree about one thing - that there is something between these two.
What is it about Peter that Claire so gravitates to? That leads her to desperately seek him out in her time of need, that leads her to run from a life of hiding in France with a person of her father's choosing to go instead to New York to seek Peter out? What is it about Claire that Peter feels the need to protect, and why was she so important to him even after he saved her (to save the world)?
The Characters
Claire is a teenager from Odessa, Texas, who discovers she has the power of cellular regeneration (rapid healing). But this newfound ability does not extend to her soul, and Claire has suffered much disappointment and betrayal in her short 16 years of life. She grapples with her inability to “be normal” on top of the normal pangs of an adolescent teenager. Above all, Claire is searching for a place to belong in a world that so often confuses and hurts her.
When Peter first discovers his ability as an empath (permanent absorption of other powers), he is a 26 year old hospice nurse giving comfort to the dying on a daily basis. A kind and gentle man, Peter has struggled all his life being in the "big shadow" of his older brother, Congressman-to-be and former assistant district attorney, Nathan Petrelli. So when Peter discovers his unique gift, he only does not fear it, he embraces it as his chance “to be someone”.[1] His lifelong desire to be someone, to crawl from beneath his brother’s and family’s shadow, is what ultimately drives him to save the cheerleader, save the world. But even after saving his brother from certain death, we still get the feeling that all he wants, at the end of the day, is to be someone.
Peter Petrelli and Claire Bennet
1. Similarities
Before they are even aware of just how similar their lives are, Peter and Claire are living on parallel planes. This is best illustrated by three factors: family, isolation, and shared abilities.
Family Ties
Family is a theme that runs as an undercurrent throughout Heroes - in fact, show creator Tim Kring has often said that the caring nature existing between Claire and her father Noah Bennet is the true romance of the series.[2] Indeed, Claire and Peter are primarily driven by the love of their family members, which is often for the good and the bad.
Peter begins the series with the burning desire to prove to his family (and possibly the world), that he is special. He believes that he can fly, and when he wishes to prove it, whom does he call but his big brother Nathan – someone he has looked up to and loved his entire life. We are shown repeatedly that Peter is easily swayed and led by his family, as they prey on his desire to please them.
Claire is similarly led to protect her family when it is threatened, be it by the Company, Sylar, or her very own ‘special’ nature. Even when angry at her father for his secret-keeping and over protectiveness, Claire remains protective of her father’s identity when with her boyfriend West.[3] Claire has an often rocky relationship with her father, but her frustration never eclipses that which drives her almost every action: her family's well-being.
And finally, the point that is the stickiest to those that support this pairing: Peter and Claire are related by blood. Claire is the biological daughter of Nathan Petrelli, Peter’s brother.[4] Though they were not aware of this familial connection when they met, it exists (even as a rather nasty surprise to those of us who were supporting this pairing from early on in the series!).[5] However the Petrelli’s and Bennet’s have until now existed as two very distinct families that function in very different yet (usually) loving ways.
The Outsiders
Though they both belong to loving families, Claire and Peter have both shared the experience of feeling like an outsider. Peter was born and raised into a high-powered family filled with Type-A personalities. His father was an influential attorney, and his brother is a high-profile politician. Peter stands contrasted as the empathetic, kind, caring hospice nurse. Peter is often called ‘The Dreamer” and compared to his pragmatic, Machiavellian family, he certainly is![6]
Claire is a cheerleader – a position often considered the highest echelon of high school popularity. However, she remains apart from her peers. In her school in Odessa, she was all but ostracized by everyone but one similarly isolated friend.[7] Claire feels she has a secret that she must hide, and to let anyone close would jeopardize both them and her, hence her hiding her ability from friends and family. The end result for both Peter and Claire is a sense of isolation in groups where they feel they should belong.
If I Jump...
Peter’s power of empathic mimicry means that he can take on the power of anyone, and Claire is no exception.[8] Claire’s power of regeneration saves Peter’s life repeatedly; indeed it seems that even in death, Claire’s power is one that he retains. As he exclaims to Claude, “I don't have to cut her out. I have to remember her! How - how she made me feel!,”[9] it seems Peter finds Claire’s ability to be handy enough that she remains on his mind for most of the series – even when he had lost his memory in Season Two.[10]
His ability to rapidly regenerate provides an infinitely essential function for this pairing. Peter has always wanted to be special, and Claire’s ability certainly does that in being one of the most useful powers on the show. But more importantly, Peter acts as someone that Claire has been seeking all along – someone ‘like’ her, someone she could not find in her biological parents, schoolmates, or family members.[11] Peter is the only one who can understand what she feels, something that further cements the special, almost instant connection between Peter and Claire.
2. Instant connection
Peter and Claire do not meet on-screen until well into the first season in the episode 1.09 "Homecoming". However we are shown within just a very short frame of time just how quickly Claire and Peter have both formed an attachment and gained an incredible amount of trust between two people who know very little about one another. This is illustrated in three scenes from the episode.
The Eyes Have It
The scene that launched a million fanfics! Claire and Peter meet for the first time in the hallway of her high school. This scene is perhaps hardest to illustrate in words, but certainly anyone who has watched Heroes can attest to the palpable chemistry that exists between Peter and Claire when she first bumps into him. They share a short conversation, but in it we are shown not just two strangers who happen to meet. In their eyes is a sort of bemused recognition, an easily identifiable sort-of smile that certainly says much more than their words do. Again, their obvious connection upon meeting is difficult to describe, but it seems like an iconic, epic moment when it occurs on-screen as Peter's determined search for The Cheerleader is finally realised.
The short conversation between Peter and Claire upon meeting is often eclipsed by the unspoken chemistry between eyes, but it should not be discounted. An excerpt follows:
Claire: [Speaking of Jackie, a schoolmate who has taken credit for a heroic act that Claire herself performed.] You know, between you and me, she's not that special. Just your average teenage girl.
Peter: She rushed into a fire and saved a man's life. Sounds kinda special to me.
Claire: Yeah, you're right. I'm jealous. She's our town hero. Me? I don't win too many popularity contests. [Starts to walk away]
Peter: [Calls to her] Hey, it gets better!
Claire: What?
Peter: Life after high school. It gets a lot better.
[Claire smiles]
Why would Claire, usually so reserved, so careful to protect her privacy, open up to this stranger about her feelings? Why would Peter, who is indeed kind but also very pressed for time on his mission to save the world, waste time comforting a random high school student? Again, the look in their eyes at the end of this brief exchange says it all. There is an instant connection that sparks between these two upon their meeting in the high school, and if words fail in illustrating this, pop in Episode Nine of Season One. It will all make sense then.
Trust Me on This
Claire and Peter meet briefly in the hallway of Claire's high school, and together they escape from Sylar. They speak to one another in the jail cell in Odessa the next day.[12] Usually this would be enough of a connection with which to begin a friendship, to schedule a cup of coffee. However, we are shown in the episode 1.18 "Parasite" just how strong an impact this brief meeting had upon Claire.
1.17 "Company Man" ends with a wounded Noah Bennet entrusting the care of his daughter to The Haitian. The Haitian has taken Claire to the airport and given her an assumed identity under which she will hide until it is safe. This seems like a reasonable plan, certainly one that her father would have approved of. Claire witnessed The Haitian shoot her father, on his orders. Her father, whom she loves, trusts, and would do anything for. It would make sense that Claire would, by extension, trust The Haitian as well, but she does not.
Claire: There's nothing left of me. Everything I am is gonna disappear the second I get on that plane. My friends, my family...me.
The Haitian: I can make you forget it all, if that's what you would prefer. There's nothing left for you here. No one to trust.
[Claire looks at him.]
The Haitian: No, you cannot see him again.
Claire: Peter Petrelli is the only person I know I can trust. More than you. He cares about me. Why can't I hide in New York with him?
Claire is putting all of her trust in a man she has met twice, both times very briefly. Also, keep in mind that Claire does not at this time know that she is related by blood to Peter Petrelli. At the end of this scene, Claire ditches The Haitian (and her father, by extension), and runs to New York where she makes her way to Peter Petrelli's apartment. Claire seems to implicitly trust Peter instantaneously.
The Teenage Queen, The Loaded Gun
But what happens when this faith, this trust is shaken? Just because Peter and Claire are instantly connected doesn't mean that a mind-meld has occurred! Claire expresses frustration with Peter several times in the last few episodes of Season One. The most obvious rift occurs in the Season One finale, when Peter lies to Claire and trusts his brother over himself.
Claire: I actually believed you. You lied to me. You said you weren't gonna call him.
Peter: Yeah, I know, but think about it, Claire. We can't do this alone.
Claire: No, you think about it. We can't trust him.
Peter: Yes, we can trust him. Nathan has never let me down.
Claire: Nathan doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about anyone. He doesn't care about me, and I'm his own daughter. We do not need him!
Notice the use of "we" - Peter and Claire already refer to themselves as a unit. But the crux of this scene is really the conflict that exists between the burgeoning connection between Peter and Claire and the other loyalties in their lives. As stated before, Claire and Peter have strong ties to their family. Often they are pulled away from what they truly desire by their family members, be it by Nathan, Mrs. Petrelli, or Noah Bennet. At the end of Season One, Peter is convinced that Claire is the only one that can stop him from exploding, and he trusts her to shoot him if things get out of hand. At the end of the above exchange, Claire runs away from Peter, disgusted and angry at his insistence that they trust Nathan.
But, she comes back. Claire seems to always come back to Peter. Peter has put all of his trust in her - trusting that she will pull the trigger at that crucial moment, and save the world that he has fought so hard for. Claire fully understands the importance of her role in Peter's destiny, but as we see in the final moments of Season One, it's not that easy. Claire hesitates when she points the gun at Peter. She weeps and begs him to tell her that there is another way, even though she knows that each moment she waits is one that endangers millions of lives. At the last moment a steely sort of resolve sets over her face, but we will never know if Claire could have indeed pulled that trigger. There is clearly, however, a lot more at stake for her than the shock of killing a random someone that she has only known for a few weeks. Peter and Claire became much more than friends and newfound relatives. Their connection ran very deep in a short amount of time.
3. Destiny
“Save the cheerleader, save the world”[13]
So why the instant connection? After all, when introduced in the first episode, we see how different Peter and Claire are. Peter is from a well to do family in New York, his family and apartment (despite its questionable location) suggestive of old money. Claire is part of a seemingly wholesome nuclear family in Odessa who, on the surface, is a slightly spoilt popular cheerleader. What happens through the next nine episodes, culminating in their dramatic meeting, seems pre-ordained. Driven by impulse, his sense of decency and his desperate desire to "be someone", Peter hurls himself into the fray, jumping off a building to save the life of a cheerleader he met only moments ago.
Was Peter simply crazy or delusional, or was some higher power at work? We argue it was the latter, with destiny's helping hand coming in the form of the future Hiro Nakamura, gifted with the ability to manipulate time and space, who travels back in time to task Peter with the ultimate mission ("save the cheerleader, save the world"), and Isaac Mendez, with the ability to paint the future, who paints the scared, frightened face of a cheerleader Peter is destined to save.
Peter and Claire's connection begins not when they first meet at her school but the moment Peter lays eyes on the picture of the frightened girl running for her life.[14] From that moment, his life and everything he does becomes all about her. An easy going, relaxed man by nature, it propels him to action, drives him to instinctively absorb Isaac's precognition, painting a scene of a cheerleader decapitated at her school. It makes him realize that the key to finding and saving Claire lies in a painting Isaac previously sold through his then-girlfriend, Simone Devaux. It drives him to out-manipulate his Machiavellan older brother at a family brunch, enlisting Nathan's reluctant assistance to recover Isaac's painting from the shadowy, seemingly omnipresent Daniel Linderman, an old friend of the Petrellis and a contributor to Nathan's Congressional campaign.[15] Even when Nathan outflanks Peter by destroying the missing painting, fearing for Peter's life, destiny helps our hero along. Simone is able to produce a digital photograph of the painting, finally telling Peter where he must go to save his cheerleader: Odessa, Texas. The only catch is, it shows Peter dead by 8.12PM.[16]
Armed with the final piece of the jigsaw, Peter rushes to Texas to save Claire, believing it will cost him his life. Not only is he willing to sacrifice his life to "save the world", he is also willing to sacrifice himself for Claire. He willingly gives himself to her, succumbing to destiny and accepting their lives are inextricably entwined. His ultimate sacrifice for her, no matter how ancillary or incidental in saving the world, forever binds Peter and Claire together in a connection that will know no end.
“You’re totally my hero”: Homecoming
When Peter ultimately fulfills his destiny, that of saving Claire from Sylar, a wonderful thing happens. They finally meet and recognize each other for what they truly are: the savior and the savee (these roles are later reversed in 1.19 "0.07%").
But they are much more than that. We see their connection, manufactured by destiny, flower into life. The moment can best be encapsulated by a seemingly inconsequential exchange just after Peter hurls both himself and Sylar from the building to prevent Sylar from pursuing Claire.
Rather than running to safety, Claire decides to run back to Peter. Perhaps it is from a sense of obligation, but even at this early stage she appears to feel the tether that binds them. This connection increases exponentially when she sees him heal from his fatal wounds, seeing for the first time another person with a freakish ability like her own. Although she later finds out he does not possess this same ability, exactly, this knowledge serves to strengthen their already pulsating connection, hours after they first met.[11] For someone who felt as alone and isolated as Claire did, Peter showing up to save her in the nick of time felt like a godsend, a chance meeting that was meant to be. By showing up when he did, Peter also saved her life figuratively; his very presence showed that she is not the only person in the world with abilities that weren't "normal".
This habit of running back to each other is symptomatic of their growing connection and this is but the first of many instances where they do so. Perhaps they both recognize, instinctively or consciously, how rare their chance meeting and connection is. What exactly are the chances for the chain of events that led to Claire's salvation? The chances of two people, reasonably disparate in age, location, social connection and economic situation, meeting in a matter of life and death, propelled by extraordinary circumstances involving time travel, precognition and instant regeneration, were incredibly, infinitesimally small. So much so that the concept of destiny arranging their meeting in Odessa, Texas becomes not the mystical, improbable alternative, but rather the most likely of explanations.
There are tantilising hints that even when they were pulled apart by events, they were never far from each other minds. The first power Peter can recall/access without being in the originator's presence is Claire's.[9] This weaving of destiny and fate is further enhanced by the events of 1.17 "Company Man", which revealed Claude actually partnered Noah Bennet (Claire's father) when he was first initiated into the Company. And as discussed above, Claire's blind faith in Peter is just as strong. Rather than trust The Haitian (and by extension her father) she runs to Peter, trusting he will protect her.
Their destiny comes full circle in 1.19 "0.07%", where it is Claire's turn to save her hero. She is the only person who thinks of pulling the shard of glass from the base of Peter's brain, an ability-specific knowledge that only she has.[17] Without Peter, Claire would not be alive to later save him from his disastrous encounter with Sylar.[18] Without Claire, Nathan would not have been convinced to save Peter in the season finale, thereby saving the world. Peter and Claire's connection, once discovered, pulsates at the center of their lives.
Family
"I found you, in Odessa. We saved each other. You end up being my niece. This isn't just random okay, it's destiny."
As discussed above, one of the most talked about aspects (and a sticking point for potential Peter/Claire shippers) is Peter and Claire's familial connection.
Their connection can in some senses be easily categorised, in others, not at all. In the most straightforward of senses, we discover in 1.14 "Distractions" that they are, in fact, uncle and niece (well before the characters do). Far from being their only connection though, it is really yet another way they are connected by destiny. Peter ran half way across the country to save a young cheerleader's life, and that cheerleader happens to be his niece. What are the chances?
Destiny's machinations doesn't stop there though. What seems like a brilliant, perhaps coincidental stroke of luck, is instead revealed as the first in a series of events that prevent the destruction of New York. In the closing episodes of Season One, we see how Peter's actions set off a chain of events that culiminate in Nathan flying Peter away from Kirby Plaza, preventing his explosion at ground level.
Perhaps the actions of destiny is best be explained by the original title of 1.20 (later renamed "Five Years Gone") - "String Theory". The string theory of destiny operates thus: if Peter had not saved Claire from Sylar at Homecoming, then Claire would not have been able to convince Nathan to discard Angela Petrelli and Linderman's plans for the destruction of New York, and Nathan would not have flown in at the last possible moment to fly Peter away to safety. Originally, as the events in 1.20 "Five Years Gone" showed, Peter had exploded and the population of New York had been decimated.
Even Peter realizes they have a destiny together, saying as much in 1.19 "0.07%". It cannot be a coincidence that he saved her and they turn out to be family; asserting that it's "destiny". We would have to agree with him, given the manner in which Peter and Claire met, the high improbability of their meeting and the extraordinary circumstances that led to them coming together to "save the cheerleader, save the world."
Conclusion
Destiny and the universe lead Peter to save Claire at her Homecoming, propelled him to careen half way across the country from New York to Odessa to do so. What he found at the end of that journey was not just a mission to "save the cheerleader, save the world". What they found in each other was that they finally belonged, like they were part of something. That is perhaps the core of their connection. They were two souls lost at sea, tethered to nothing, each isolated in their own concerns. In the midst of chaos and destruction they found each other, an association of comfort and safety that will colour their relationship from now on.
Only time will tell how their friendship – their connection – will ultimately grow and evolve.
Fandom
These fan fiction recs are just the opinions of the authors and include fic which we think illustrate what we have highlighted above. Warnings for spoilers and ratings.
The Child's Shadow Stretched Out bytechnosage
Comeback bysvilleficrecs
Easy to Love bysweetbelle07
Full Circle byeowyn_girl
I'm Going to Stop Pretending bymissaliceblue
Lines byever_obsessed
The Long Wait till Judgment bymarble_rose
The Looking Glass by_stephernee
Nascent bysvilleficrecs
Obsession byeowyn_girl
Overheard in New York bysvilleficrecs
Rite of Passage bymiss_vacant
Through a Father's Eyes byeowyn_girl
Ugly Love bymissaliceblue
You can also find more fan fiction at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
paire_love (the Peter/Claire community) and paire_awards (a Peter/Claire fan fiction award community).
Footnotes
Sorry if this essay was too long-winded and analytical. Trust us when we say that this is us being concise!
Special thanks to Shadow Anthology for its transcript resources and to peterandclaire.net for the screencaps.
1 "It's my turn to be someone now Nathan." (1.01 "Genesis"). Peter says this when shouting down to Nathan from the roof of a 15 story building he intends to jump off.
2 He says this notably in the commentary to 1.23 "How To Stop An Exploding Man" (Heroes Season 1 DVD).
3 Claire only reveals the true identity of her father to West in 2.09 "Cautionary Tales", and only when she has no choice.
4 This was revealed in 1.14 "Distractions", when Claire's biological mother (Meredith Gordon), calls her biological father - revealed to be Nathan, Peter's brother.
5 Claire herself only discovers the biological connection in 1.18 "Parasite", where Angela Petrelli (Peter's mother) greets her at Peter's apartment. Their biological relationship is explained to us and Claire in 1.19 "0.07%".
6 Nathan to Peter in 1.01 Genesis: "It's not cute anymore, man. The dreamy kid sitting in the back of the classroom staring out the window. It's time for you to grow up."
7 An example of this ostracism can be seen in 1.09 "Homecoming". It is only through the efforts of her friend Zach that she is actually voted as Homecoming Queen ahead of Jackie Wilcox and her cohorts.
8 This is demonstrated spectacularly after Peter regenerates in front of Claire in the episode 1.09 "Homecoming", after he and Sylar fall from the Physical Education building at Union Wells High.
9 The ability Peter is able to first access without being in the originator's physical presence is Claire's, when Claude Raines throws Peter off a "thirty story building" (1.16 "Unexpected").
10 Peter demonstrates this when he heals from the wounds inflicted on him by Ricky and his gang in 2.02 "Lizards". Caitlin observes this when she is cleaning Peter's wounds. "Is it possible? I've just rung out ... a lot of your blood. You don't have a mark on you.".
11 Claire to Peter in his cell in 1.11 "Fallout": "All this time, I thought it was just me. Now there's you. Is that why you came for me?"
12 1.11 "Fallout"
13 “Save the cheerleader, save the world.” Hiro Nakamura from a future dystopia, later reintroduced in 1.20 “Five Years Gone”, tells Peter this is his mission in the subway car, after Peter and Mohinder Suresh fails to make contact with Isaac Mendez, in 1.05 “Hiros”.
14 Peter to Isaac in 1.05 "Hiros" as he sees Claire (as painted by Isaac) for the first time: "It's her - the cheerleader..
15 1.07 "Nothing to Hide"
16 1.09 "Homecoming"
17 1.04 "Collision". It is only when a tree branch is pulled from the base of Claire's brain that she is able to regenerate.
18 1.18 "Parasite". Peter is pierced with a shard of glass sent at him by Sylar during their encounter in Mohinder's apartment.
This message has been brought to you by The Mutual Admiration Society (M.A.M.S). The End.
Fandom: Heroes
Author: Viv (
eowyn_girl) & mab (missaliceblue)Words: 5000
Pairing: Peter Petrelli/Claire Bennet
Spoilers: All of Heroes.
"You're Totally My Hero": Peter Petrelli, Claire Bennet and Their Shifting Connection
An essay by
missaliceblue and eowyn_girlIntroduction
The connection between Peter Petrelli and Claire Bennet on NBC's hit show Heroes has been the subject of many discussions, both official and unofficial. Whether for it or against it, repelled or intrigued by it, it is an undeniable fact that audiences have noticed and responded to the connection between these two characters, portrayed to perfection by Milo Ventimiglia (Peter) and Hayden Panettiere (Claire).
This essay intends to explore the connection between Peter and Claire that so intrigues and fascinates us. Disagreement between whether their interaction stems mostly from being family (uncle and niece), friends or something more leads most to agree about one thing - that there is something between these two.
What is it about Peter that Claire so gravitates to? That leads her to desperately seek him out in her time of need, that leads her to run from a life of hiding in France with a person of her father's choosing to go instead to New York to seek Peter out? What is it about Claire that Peter feels the need to protect, and why was she so important to him even after he saved her (to save the world)?
The Characters
Claire is a teenager from Odessa, Texas, who discovers she has the power of cellular regeneration (rapid healing). But this newfound ability does not extend to her soul, and Claire has suffered much disappointment and betrayal in her short 16 years of life. She grapples with her inability to “be normal” on top of the normal pangs of an adolescent teenager. Above all, Claire is searching for a place to belong in a world that so often confuses and hurts her.
When Peter first discovers his ability as an empath (permanent absorption of other powers), he is a 26 year old hospice nurse giving comfort to the dying on a daily basis. A kind and gentle man, Peter has struggled all his life being in the "big shadow" of his older brother, Congressman-to-be and former assistant district attorney, Nathan Petrelli. So when Peter discovers his unique gift, he only does not fear it, he embraces it as his chance “to be someone”.[1] His lifelong desire to be someone, to crawl from beneath his brother’s and family’s shadow, is what ultimately drives him to save the cheerleader, save the world. But even after saving his brother from certain death, we still get the feeling that all he wants, at the end of the day, is to be someone.
Peter Petrelli and Claire Bennet
1. Similarities
Before they are even aware of just how similar their lives are, Peter and Claire are living on parallel planes. This is best illustrated by three factors: family, isolation, and shared abilities.
Family Ties
Family is a theme that runs as an undercurrent throughout Heroes - in fact, show creator Tim Kring has often said that the caring nature existing between Claire and her father Noah Bennet is the true romance of the series.[2] Indeed, Claire and Peter are primarily driven by the love of their family members, which is often for the good and the bad.
Peter begins the series with the burning desire to prove to his family (and possibly the world), that he is special. He believes that he can fly, and when he wishes to prove it, whom does he call but his big brother Nathan – someone he has looked up to and loved his entire life. We are shown repeatedly that Peter is easily swayed and led by his family, as they prey on his desire to please them.
Claire is similarly led to protect her family when it is threatened, be it by the Company, Sylar, or her very own ‘special’ nature. Even when angry at her father for his secret-keeping and over protectiveness, Claire remains protective of her father’s identity when with her boyfriend West.[3] Claire has an often rocky relationship with her father, but her frustration never eclipses that which drives her almost every action: her family's well-being.
And finally, the point that is the stickiest to those that support this pairing: Peter and Claire are related by blood. Claire is the biological daughter of Nathan Petrelli, Peter’s brother.[4] Though they were not aware of this familial connection when they met, it exists (even as a rather nasty surprise to those of us who were supporting this pairing from early on in the series!).[5] However the Petrelli’s and Bennet’s have until now existed as two very distinct families that function in very different yet (usually) loving ways.
The Outsiders
Though they both belong to loving families, Claire and Peter have both shared the experience of feeling like an outsider. Peter was born and raised into a high-powered family filled with Type-A personalities. His father was an influential attorney, and his brother is a high-profile politician. Peter stands contrasted as the empathetic, kind, caring hospice nurse. Peter is often called ‘The Dreamer” and compared to his pragmatic, Machiavellian family, he certainly is![6]
Claire is a cheerleader – a position often considered the highest echelon of high school popularity. However, she remains apart from her peers. In her school in Odessa, she was all but ostracized by everyone but one similarly isolated friend.[7] Claire feels she has a secret that she must hide, and to let anyone close would jeopardize both them and her, hence her hiding her ability from friends and family. The end result for both Peter and Claire is a sense of isolation in groups where they feel they should belong.
If I Jump...
Peter’s power of empathic mimicry means that he can take on the power of anyone, and Claire is no exception.[8] Claire’s power of regeneration saves Peter’s life repeatedly; indeed it seems that even in death, Claire’s power is one that he retains. As he exclaims to Claude, “I don't have to cut her out. I have to remember her! How - how she made me feel!,”[9] it seems Peter finds Claire’s ability to be handy enough that she remains on his mind for most of the series – even when he had lost his memory in Season Two.[10]
His ability to rapidly regenerate provides an infinitely essential function for this pairing. Peter has always wanted to be special, and Claire’s ability certainly does that in being one of the most useful powers on the show. But more importantly, Peter acts as someone that Claire has been seeking all along – someone ‘like’ her, someone she could not find in her biological parents, schoolmates, or family members.[11] Peter is the only one who can understand what she feels, something that further cements the special, almost instant connection between Peter and Claire.
2. Instant connection
Peter and Claire do not meet on-screen until well into the first season in the episode 1.09 "Homecoming". However we are shown within just a very short frame of time just how quickly Claire and Peter have both formed an attachment and gained an incredible amount of trust between two people who know very little about one another. This is illustrated in three scenes from the episode.
The Eyes Have It
The scene that launched a million fanfics! Claire and Peter meet for the first time in the hallway of her high school. This scene is perhaps hardest to illustrate in words, but certainly anyone who has watched Heroes can attest to the palpable chemistry that exists between Peter and Claire when she first bumps into him. They share a short conversation, but in it we are shown not just two strangers who happen to meet. In their eyes is a sort of bemused recognition, an easily identifiable sort-of smile that certainly says much more than their words do. Again, their obvious connection upon meeting is difficult to describe, but it seems like an iconic, epic moment when it occurs on-screen as Peter's determined search for The Cheerleader is finally realised.
The short conversation between Peter and Claire upon meeting is often eclipsed by the unspoken chemistry between eyes, but it should not be discounted. An excerpt follows:
Claire: [Speaking of Jackie, a schoolmate who has taken credit for a heroic act that Claire herself performed.] You know, between you and me, she's not that special. Just your average teenage girl.
Peter: She rushed into a fire and saved a man's life. Sounds kinda special to me.
Claire: Yeah, you're right. I'm jealous. She's our town hero. Me? I don't win too many popularity contests. [Starts to walk away]
Peter: [Calls to her] Hey, it gets better!
Claire: What?
Peter: Life after high school. It gets a lot better.
[Claire smiles]
Why would Claire, usually so reserved, so careful to protect her privacy, open up to this stranger about her feelings? Why would Peter, who is indeed kind but also very pressed for time on his mission to save the world, waste time comforting a random high school student? Again, the look in their eyes at the end of this brief exchange says it all. There is an instant connection that sparks between these two upon their meeting in the high school, and if words fail in illustrating this, pop in Episode Nine of Season One. It will all make sense then.
Trust Me on This
Claire and Peter meet briefly in the hallway of Claire's high school, and together they escape from Sylar. They speak to one another in the jail cell in Odessa the next day.[12] Usually this would be enough of a connection with which to begin a friendship, to schedule a cup of coffee. However, we are shown in the episode 1.18 "Parasite" just how strong an impact this brief meeting had upon Claire.
1.17 "Company Man" ends with a wounded Noah Bennet entrusting the care of his daughter to The Haitian. The Haitian has taken Claire to the airport and given her an assumed identity under which she will hide until it is safe. This seems like a reasonable plan, certainly one that her father would have approved of. Claire witnessed The Haitian shoot her father, on his orders. Her father, whom she loves, trusts, and would do anything for. It would make sense that Claire would, by extension, trust The Haitian as well, but she does not.
Claire: There's nothing left of me. Everything I am is gonna disappear the second I get on that plane. My friends, my family...me.
The Haitian: I can make you forget it all, if that's what you would prefer. There's nothing left for you here. No one to trust.
[Claire looks at him.]
The Haitian: No, you cannot see him again.
Claire: Peter Petrelli is the only person I know I can trust. More than you. He cares about me. Why can't I hide in New York with him?
Claire is putting all of her trust in a man she has met twice, both times very briefly. Also, keep in mind that Claire does not at this time know that she is related by blood to Peter Petrelli. At the end of this scene, Claire ditches The Haitian (and her father, by extension), and runs to New York where she makes her way to Peter Petrelli's apartment. Claire seems to implicitly trust Peter instantaneously.
The Teenage Queen, The Loaded Gun
But what happens when this faith, this trust is shaken? Just because Peter and Claire are instantly connected doesn't mean that a mind-meld has occurred! Claire expresses frustration with Peter several times in the last few episodes of Season One. The most obvious rift occurs in the Season One finale, when Peter lies to Claire and trusts his brother over himself.
Claire: I actually believed you. You lied to me. You said you weren't gonna call him.
Peter: Yeah, I know, but think about it, Claire. We can't do this alone.
Claire: No, you think about it. We can't trust him.
Peter: Yes, we can trust him. Nathan has never let me down.
Claire: Nathan doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about anyone. He doesn't care about me, and I'm his own daughter. We do not need him!
Notice the use of "we" - Peter and Claire already refer to themselves as a unit. But the crux of this scene is really the conflict that exists between the burgeoning connection between Peter and Claire and the other loyalties in their lives. As stated before, Claire and Peter have strong ties to their family. Often they are pulled away from what they truly desire by their family members, be it by Nathan, Mrs. Petrelli, or Noah Bennet. At the end of Season One, Peter is convinced that Claire is the only one that can stop him from exploding, and he trusts her to shoot him if things get out of hand. At the end of the above exchange, Claire runs away from Peter, disgusted and angry at his insistence that they trust Nathan.
But, she comes back. Claire seems to always come back to Peter. Peter has put all of his trust in her - trusting that she will pull the trigger at that crucial moment, and save the world that he has fought so hard for. Claire fully understands the importance of her role in Peter's destiny, but as we see in the final moments of Season One, it's not that easy. Claire hesitates when she points the gun at Peter. She weeps and begs him to tell her that there is another way, even though she knows that each moment she waits is one that endangers millions of lives. At the last moment a steely sort of resolve sets over her face, but we will never know if Claire could have indeed pulled that trigger. There is clearly, however, a lot more at stake for her than the shock of killing a random someone that she has only known for a few weeks. Peter and Claire became much more than friends and newfound relatives. Their connection ran very deep in a short amount of time.
3. Destiny
“Save the cheerleader, save the world”[13]
So why the instant connection? After all, when introduced in the first episode, we see how different Peter and Claire are. Peter is from a well to do family in New York, his family and apartment (despite its questionable location) suggestive of old money. Claire is part of a seemingly wholesome nuclear family in Odessa who, on the surface, is a slightly spoilt popular cheerleader. What happens through the next nine episodes, culminating in their dramatic meeting, seems pre-ordained. Driven by impulse, his sense of decency and his desperate desire to "be someone", Peter hurls himself into the fray, jumping off a building to save the life of a cheerleader he met only moments ago.
Was Peter simply crazy or delusional, or was some higher power at work? We argue it was the latter, with destiny's helping hand coming in the form of the future Hiro Nakamura, gifted with the ability to manipulate time and space, who travels back in time to task Peter with the ultimate mission ("save the cheerleader, save the world"), and Isaac Mendez, with the ability to paint the future, who paints the scared, frightened face of a cheerleader Peter is destined to save.
Peter and Claire's connection begins not when they first meet at her school but the moment Peter lays eyes on the picture of the frightened girl running for her life.[14] From that moment, his life and everything he does becomes all about her. An easy going, relaxed man by nature, it propels him to action, drives him to instinctively absorb Isaac's precognition, painting a scene of a cheerleader decapitated at her school. It makes him realize that the key to finding and saving Claire lies in a painting Isaac previously sold through his then-girlfriend, Simone Devaux. It drives him to out-manipulate his Machiavellan older brother at a family brunch, enlisting Nathan's reluctant assistance to recover Isaac's painting from the shadowy, seemingly omnipresent Daniel Linderman, an old friend of the Petrellis and a contributor to Nathan's Congressional campaign.[15] Even when Nathan outflanks Peter by destroying the missing painting, fearing for Peter's life, destiny helps our hero along. Simone is able to produce a digital photograph of the painting, finally telling Peter where he must go to save his cheerleader: Odessa, Texas. The only catch is, it shows Peter dead by 8.12PM.[16]
Armed with the final piece of the jigsaw, Peter rushes to Texas to save Claire, believing it will cost him his life. Not only is he willing to sacrifice his life to "save the world", he is also willing to sacrifice himself for Claire. He willingly gives himself to her, succumbing to destiny and accepting their lives are inextricably entwined. His ultimate sacrifice for her, no matter how ancillary or incidental in saving the world, forever binds Peter and Claire together in a connection that will know no end.
“You’re totally my hero”: Homecoming
When Peter ultimately fulfills his destiny, that of saving Claire from Sylar, a wonderful thing happens. They finally meet and recognize each other for what they truly are: the savior and the savee (these roles are later reversed in 1.19 "0.07%").
But they are much more than that. We see their connection, manufactured by destiny, flower into life. The moment can best be encapsulated by a seemingly inconsequential exchange just after Peter hurls both himself and Sylar from the building to prevent Sylar from pursuing Claire.
Rather than running to safety, Claire decides to run back to Peter. Perhaps it is from a sense of obligation, but even at this early stage she appears to feel the tether that binds them. This connection increases exponentially when she sees him heal from his fatal wounds, seeing for the first time another person with a freakish ability like her own. Although she later finds out he does not possess this same ability, exactly, this knowledge serves to strengthen their already pulsating connection, hours after they first met.[11] For someone who felt as alone and isolated as Claire did, Peter showing up to save her in the nick of time felt like a godsend, a chance meeting that was meant to be. By showing up when he did, Peter also saved her life figuratively; his very presence showed that she is not the only person in the world with abilities that weren't "normal".
This habit of running back to each other is symptomatic of their growing connection and this is but the first of many instances where they do so. Perhaps they both recognize, instinctively or consciously, how rare their chance meeting and connection is. What exactly are the chances for the chain of events that led to Claire's salvation? The chances of two people, reasonably disparate in age, location, social connection and economic situation, meeting in a matter of life and death, propelled by extraordinary circumstances involving time travel, precognition and instant regeneration, were incredibly, infinitesimally small. So much so that the concept of destiny arranging their meeting in Odessa, Texas becomes not the mystical, improbable alternative, but rather the most likely of explanations.
There are tantilising hints that even when they were pulled apart by events, they were never far from each other minds. The first power Peter can recall/access without being in the originator's presence is Claire's.[9] This weaving of destiny and fate is further enhanced by the events of 1.17 "Company Man", which revealed Claude actually partnered Noah Bennet (Claire's father) when he was first initiated into the Company. And as discussed above, Claire's blind faith in Peter is just as strong. Rather than trust The Haitian (and by extension her father) she runs to Peter, trusting he will protect her.
Their destiny comes full circle in 1.19 "0.07%", where it is Claire's turn to save her hero. She is the only person who thinks of pulling the shard of glass from the base of Peter's brain, an ability-specific knowledge that only she has.[17] Without Peter, Claire would not be alive to later save him from his disastrous encounter with Sylar.[18] Without Claire, Nathan would not have been convinced to save Peter in the season finale, thereby saving the world. Peter and Claire's connection, once discovered, pulsates at the center of their lives.
Family
"I found you, in Odessa. We saved each other. You end up being my niece. This isn't just random okay, it's destiny."
As discussed above, one of the most talked about aspects (and a sticking point for potential Peter/Claire shippers) is Peter and Claire's familial connection.
Their connection can in some senses be easily categorised, in others, not at all. In the most straightforward of senses, we discover in 1.14 "Distractions" that they are, in fact, uncle and niece (well before the characters do). Far from being their only connection though, it is really yet another way they are connected by destiny. Peter ran half way across the country to save a young cheerleader's life, and that cheerleader happens to be his niece. What are the chances?
Destiny's machinations doesn't stop there though. What seems like a brilliant, perhaps coincidental stroke of luck, is instead revealed as the first in a series of events that prevent the destruction of New York. In the closing episodes of Season One, we see how Peter's actions set off a chain of events that culiminate in Nathan flying Peter away from Kirby Plaza, preventing his explosion at ground level.
Perhaps the actions of destiny is best be explained by the original title of 1.20 (later renamed "Five Years Gone") - "String Theory". The string theory of destiny operates thus: if Peter had not saved Claire from Sylar at Homecoming, then Claire would not have been able to convince Nathan to discard Angela Petrelli and Linderman's plans for the destruction of New York, and Nathan would not have flown in at the last possible moment to fly Peter away to safety. Originally, as the events in 1.20 "Five Years Gone" showed, Peter had exploded and the population of New York had been decimated.
Even Peter realizes they have a destiny together, saying as much in 1.19 "0.07%". It cannot be a coincidence that he saved her and they turn out to be family; asserting that it's "destiny". We would have to agree with him, given the manner in which Peter and Claire met, the high improbability of their meeting and the extraordinary circumstances that led to them coming together to "save the cheerleader, save the world."
Conclusion
Destiny and the universe lead Peter to save Claire at her Homecoming, propelled him to careen half way across the country from New York to Odessa to do so. What he found at the end of that journey was not just a mission to "save the cheerleader, save the world". What they found in each other was that they finally belonged, like they were part of something. That is perhaps the core of their connection. They were two souls lost at sea, tethered to nothing, each isolated in their own concerns. In the midst of chaos and destruction they found each other, an association of comfort and safety that will colour their relationship from now on.
Only time will tell how their friendship – their connection – will ultimately grow and evolve.
Fandom
These fan fiction recs are just the opinions of the authors and include fic which we think illustrate what we have highlighted above. Warnings for spoilers and ratings.
The Child's Shadow Stretched Out by
technosageComeback by
svilleficrecsEasy to Love by
sweetbelle07Full Circle by
eowyn_girlI'm Going to Stop Pretending by
missaliceblueLines by
ever_obsessedThe Long Wait till Judgment by
marble_roseThe Looking Glass by
_stepherneeNascent by
svilleficrecsObsession by
eowyn_girlOverheard in New York by
svilleficrecsRite of Passage by
miss_vacantThrough a Father's Eyes by
eowyn_girlUgly Love by
missaliceblueYou can also find more fan fiction at
paire_love (the Peter/Claire community) and paire_awards (a Peter/Claire fan fiction award community).Footnotes
Sorry if this essay was too long-winded and analytical. Trust us when we say that this is us being concise!
Special thanks to Shadow Anthology for its transcript resources and to peterandclaire.net for the screencaps.
1 "It's my turn to be someone now Nathan." (1.01 "Genesis"). Peter says this when shouting down to Nathan from the roof of a 15 story building he intends to jump off.
2 He says this notably in the commentary to 1.23 "How To Stop An Exploding Man" (Heroes Season 1 DVD).
3 Claire only reveals the true identity of her father to West in 2.09 "Cautionary Tales", and only when she has no choice.
4 This was revealed in 1.14 "Distractions", when Claire's biological mother (Meredith Gordon), calls her biological father - revealed to be Nathan, Peter's brother.
5 Claire herself only discovers the biological connection in 1.18 "Parasite", where Angela Petrelli (Peter's mother) greets her at Peter's apartment. Their biological relationship is explained to us and Claire in 1.19 "0.07%".
6 Nathan to Peter in 1.01 Genesis: "It's not cute anymore, man. The dreamy kid sitting in the back of the classroom staring out the window. It's time for you to grow up."
7 An example of this ostracism can be seen in 1.09 "Homecoming". It is only through the efforts of her friend Zach that she is actually voted as Homecoming Queen ahead of Jackie Wilcox and her cohorts.
8 This is demonstrated spectacularly after Peter regenerates in front of Claire in the episode 1.09 "Homecoming", after he and Sylar fall from the Physical Education building at Union Wells High.
9 The ability Peter is able to first access without being in the originator's physical presence is Claire's, when Claude Raines throws Peter off a "thirty story building" (1.16 "Unexpected").
10 Peter demonstrates this when he heals from the wounds inflicted on him by Ricky and his gang in 2.02 "Lizards". Caitlin observes this when she is cleaning Peter's wounds. "Is it possible? I've just rung out ... a lot of your blood. You don't have a mark on you.".
11 Claire to Peter in his cell in 1.11 "Fallout": "All this time, I thought it was just me. Now there's you. Is that why you came for me?"
12 1.11 "Fallout"
13 “Save the cheerleader, save the world.” Hiro Nakamura from a future dystopia, later reintroduced in 1.20 “Five Years Gone”, tells Peter this is his mission in the subway car, after Peter and Mohinder Suresh fails to make contact with Isaac Mendez, in 1.05 “Hiros”.
14 Peter to Isaac in 1.05 "Hiros" as he sees Claire (as painted by Isaac) for the first time: "It's her - the cheerleader..
15 1.07 "Nothing to Hide"
16 1.09 "Homecoming"
17 1.04 "Collision". It is only when a tree branch is pulled from the base of Claire's brain that she is able to regenerate.
18 1.18 "Parasite". Peter is pierced with a shard of glass sent at him by Sylar during their encounter in Mohinder's apartment.
This message has been brought to you by The Mutual Admiration Society (M.A.M.S). The End.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-03 03:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-03 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-03 08:14 pm (UTC)(Btw, maybe adding a tag to this entry would make it easier to locate? :))
Again, great job, and thanks for writing this up on behalf of all Paire fans :)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 12:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 01:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 03:10 am (UTC)*two thumbs up*
Date: 2008-03-04 05:03 am (UTC)just wonderful.
Date: 2008-06-09 12:48 am (UTC)i've read very little paire compared to other fandoms i follow, but i'm going to go back and investigate your recs. thank you very much for the work you put into this - what a wonderful contribution to the community!
no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 05:55 pm (UTC)You explained perfectly why i love Peter/Claire so much. Why we ALL love them.
From now on, i'll use this essay to prove my points to the anti-shippers, and to convert others ;).