**Part Five**

Word Count: 1,044

Molly fell asleep somewhere during the airing of Groundhog Day they'd found on Family Channel after Sweet Home Alabama. Claire had liked the movie when she was Molly's age and figured it'd give the Haitian a break from chick flicks. She'd looked through her collection for a second movie and determined that was about all she had that were appropriate for Molly to watch. Funny, she cared about what Molly should and shouldn't watch. When she'd been Molly's age she'd wanted to watch anything her parents said not to.

The Haitian had taken Molly into his arms with ease and carried him to the spare room. Claire wondered how many times he'd done that in Mohinder's place. He was so gentle about it, as if he sensed that as powerful as she was she was still fragile. She had, after all, lost both her parents and had people in her head that probably weren't very fun to focus on.

Claire followed, pulling the blanket back while the Haitian slid her into bed. She grazed Molly's forehead with a kiss, drawing the blanket up around her hoping she'd sleep okay in a strange bed.

"So, do I get the couch or the pleasure of your company?"

She smiled, closing Molly's door behind them. "Well, I should tell you the couch because you look entirely too confident right now."

"I do?"

"Yes," she said, returning to the living room to clear the popcorn bowl and glasses.

"We don't have to go to sleep right now."

"We don't huh?"

He shook his head with a grimace. "I meant, if you wanted to watch another movie."

"I'm fine."

"I realize company isn't something you've had an abundance of since you got here."

"You two are the only ones who even know where I live. I'm sure my father and Nathan would want me to move now that you know, but I like it here."

"I would merely find you again."

"Yeah, I know and Molly could find me anywhere I go anyway. So, not much sense. I think they're more worried about my dad."

"Yes," he said, leaning against the kitchen doorway. "It was nice."

"What was?"

"Tonight, sitting with you."

"Yeah, it was," Claire said softly, rinsing the dishes out and setting them in the dishwasher with the ones from dinner. "You were probably incredibly bored."

"Not at all."

"Right. Just what every guy wants to do."

He stepped up behind her then, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm not every guy," he murmured against her ear. He was entirely too close now. She wouldn't be able to think with him like this.

"I know."

He kissed her neck and ear, causing her to whimper softly. "Come to bed with me, Claire."

"I," she tilted her head so she could look at him. "I'm not sure."

"You have not made a decision yet. I promise I will not pressure you to do so, but the damage as they say is already done."

She stepped away from him then. "So you want me to have sex with you because I'm already pregnant and can't get that way?"

"No, I want you to sleep with me. If you want to make love to me I would not complain. I asked you to come to bed with me not to have sex with me. I want you to need me because of me not because some event catapulted you into my room."

"It wasn't like that," she whispered. And she realized that is exactly what she'd done. She'd needed and she'd gone to him and taken it without really much consideration for him. Not that he wasn't a willing participant.

"You left that afternoon and I haven't heard from you since. I wasn't sure you even wanted me."

"Why do you think I went to you?"

"Who else did you know in New York who could have given you that?"

She opened her mouth to answer, and stopped short. There was no one.

"Molly."

"Has probably seen two people sleep together before. There are two beds here, it stands to reason I'll be in yours since you gave her the spare one."

She nibbled on her lower lip.

"So you came here not even sure I'd want to see you?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you come?"

He chuckled. "That should be obvious. I care for you."

"Enough to stay here?"

"I am staying here."

"No, I mean stay, stay. If I go through with this, have a baby, I'm not doing it alone."

"Of course not."

"I don't expect you to marry me or even live with me, but I would expect you to be here."

"If we're having a child together I would at the very least want to live with you."

"I'm just saying I don't expect it. It's not like we were in a relationship where you thought this could happen."

"I should have thought of the possibility before now. I do know how it works and obviously the possibility was there, one night or not."

She turned to face him then, resting her head against his chest. He rubbed her back. She really wasn't sure what the right thing to do was. About any of this. Baby or no baby? Sleep with him again or make him take the couch? She sighed softly, the last question was easier to answer than the first.

"I'd really like not being alone tonight."

"You're not alone. We're here."

"I mean…" She looked up at him then. "I've been alone since that night with you. I want to do it again, knowing I'm not going to go away the next day."

He shook his head slightly. "I wouldn't let you go anywhere tomorrow. I had no choice the first time."

"You have one this time?"

"I'm not staying under your birth father's roof."

She tilted her head up to look at him. "Yes, I suppose that was sort of inconvenient."

"Just a little. But now neither your father nor birth father is here, so I know I'll wake up in the morning and you'll still here."

"And Molly will be here."

"There is that." He picked her up then. "I could always gag you."

She laughed softly. "I'll make do."

Info. on icons used for background:
The non-illustrated icon is courtesy of lay-of-luthien @ LJ. She's got some nice work, and did this and 4 others very quickly! The illustrated icon is courtesy of: julietbunny who gave me this in addition to some other great goodies for the Heroes_Holidays Spring Hiatus project.

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com