WE BELIEVE THAT PETER AND CLAIRE SHOULD GET A CHANCE

Homecoming

(In front is a clipping of an article with the headline, "Odessa Honors Local Hero". The photo is of Jackie receiving an award.)

(He steps away from the trophy display and bumps into Claire.)

PETER: Ooh, sorry!
CLAIRE: Sorry.

(She drops her bag. He picks it up for her.)

CLAIRE: That was my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going.

(She starts to leave when Peter stops her.)

PETER: Hey, do you ... do you know this girl, Jackie Wilcox?

(He indicates the trophy display.)

CLAIRE: Uh, yeah, half-time show starts in about five minutes. She'll be out on the field. She's a cheerleader. (He smiles at her.) Are you a reporter or something?

PETER: Alumni. I'm just curious.

(Claire starts to leave, then turns back.)

CLAIRE: 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.

(She starts to leave again.)

PETER: Hey, it gets better!

(Claire turns around.)

CLAIRE: What?

PETER: Life after high school. It gets a lot better.

(She smiles at him, then leaves. Peter leaves as well.)

 (Claire runs out into the hallway and bumps into Peter who is standing in front of the trophy display.)

(He looks at her and sees the blood in her hair and on her uniform.)

PETER: Are you okay?

(Claire looks behind him. Peter turns around and sees Sylar step out into the hallway.)

(He and Claire turn and run toward the exit.)

PETER: Run! Go! Keep going! Run!

(They reach the end of the hallway. Claire runs out of the building. Peter stops and turns to face Sylar.)

(The door opens and Claire runs outside, screaming. A long shadow follows her. She starts running up the steps and trips. Peter catches up with her. Sylar shadow appears in the doorway.)

PETER: Hey, hey, hey! Run!

(He helps her up to her feet and they both run up the steps to the edge of the amphitheatre.)

PETER: Run!

CLAIRE: Aah ...

(They reach the top, turn and see Sylar exiting the building.)

CLAIRE: Who is it?

PETER: Go, to the stadium, okay? Find people, find lights. He doesn't want to be seen.

(Peter turns and glances over at Sylar who just stands there watching them.)

CLAIRE: What about you?

PETER: Don't worry about me. Just go!

(Claire doesn’t move. Peter shouts at her.)

PETER: GO!

(Claire backs away and runs. She leaves Peter behind. Peter watches her go for a moment, then turns to check on Sylar.)

(It is 8:12 p.m.)

(The front door opens and Claire runs out. She sees Peter on the ground in a pool of blood.)

CLAIRE: Oh, no ...

(She runs over to him.)

(Peter coughs and moves. His bones crunch as he heals. He pants with exertion.)

(Claire kneels, watching Peter with keen interest.)

(Peter grabs his twisted hips and legs and unfolds himself. He grunts, groans, and pants.)

(Claire’s eyes widen with surprise and elation.)

CLAIRE: You ...

(Peter continues to pant. The bleeding cuts on his face heal right before her eyes, skin mending, blood clearing.)

CLAIRE: How did you — do…

(Peter looks just as surprised. He turns and looks around expecting to see Sylar nearby, but there’s no one.)

PETER: (gravely) Where is he?

CLAIRE: I don't know. He ran away before I got here.

(Peter looks around.)

PETER: Police. Go get some help, okay?

CLAIRE: Okay. I'll be back.

(Claire gets up and starts to leave, when she stops and turns around.)

CLAIRE: Hey. What's your name?

PETER: Peter.

CLAIRE: I'm Claire.

PETER: Are you the one? By saving you, did I save the world?

CLAIRE: (shakes her head) I don't know. I'm just a cheerleader.

(Claire turns and runs to get help.)

(Claire runs toward the stadium.)

MR. BENNET: Claire!

(She turns and sees her dad.)

CLAIRE: Dad.

(She heads for her dad.)

CLAIRE: Dad.

(They reach each other and they hug.)

MR. BENNET: It's okay. You're okay.

CLAIRE: Dad, it was terrible, Jackie, she—

MR. BENNET: I know, I know.

(She pulls away form him a little.)
CLAIRE: (panting) We have to go back. We -- we have to go back, Peter --

MR. BENNET: No, no, no.

CLAIRE: -- he saved my life!

MR. BENNET: No, no, no, he'll be fine.

CLAIRE: But we can't leave him. We can't leave him. He almost died, but then he ... he ... (She turns and pulls him.) (desperate) We have to go back! We have to go back!

MR. BENNET: The police'll take care of everything. Look at you. You're lucky to be alive.

CLAIRE: It's not luck, Dad. I have something I have to tell you.

 

Fallout

(Peter sits in the interview room. He presses the tips of his fingers against his temples and looks up when the door opens. Audrey Hanson and Matt Parkman walk in.)

AUDREY HANSON: Your brother's pretty well connected.

(Matt closes the door behind him.)

AUDREY HANSON: Even down here. We had to climb over six lawyers to get to you, Mr. Petrelli.

(Peter rubs his eyes with the back of his wrists. Audrey notices.)

AUDREY HANSON: Are you okay?

PETER: My head feels like it's gonna split open.

(Matt steps forward and puts his aspirin container in front of Peter. He moves to the other side of Peter.)

MATT PARKMAN: Help yourself.

(Matt grabs a water bottle from the table behind Peter and puts it on the table as Audrey sits down next to Peter. Peter opens the aspirin bottle and takes out some tablets.)

PETER: I didn't kill that girl.

AUDREY HANSON: We know. The blood we found on you was your own. We checked you out, and you don't seem to have any injuries. Care to explain that?

(Peter takes a couple of tablets.)

PETER: If I'm not being charged, can I go?

AUDREY HANSON: What's a hospice nurse from Manhattan doing at a high school homecoming in Texas? You some kind of pervert?

(Peter looks at her. He doesn’t say anything.)

PETER: My brother said not to talk.

(Audrey looks at Matt.)

AUDREY HANSON: We don't need you to talk.

(Matt nods and concentrates on Peter.)

(Matt hears jumbled voices. So does Peter. Peter turns and looks at Matt. Suddenly, they’re hit with their thoughts colliding into each other and then some – feedback.)

(Peter flinches.)

(Matt continues to concentrate on Peter. Peter turns and again looks at Matt.)

(More feedback ensues. Both men flinch.)

PETER: Ohh!

(They both gasp from the pain. Peter puts his hands to his head. Something’s happening.)

PETER: What are you doing to me?

(Matt looks at Peter, then takes a seat at the table opposite him.)

MATT PARKMAN: "Save the cheerleader"?

AUDREY HANSON: (v.o. thinking) Too late for that.

(Matt turns and looks at Audrey.)

AUDREY HANSON: (v.o. thinking) The cheerleader's dead.

(Peter’s eyes widen. Yes, he heard that, too. He looks at Audrey.)

PETER: Claire's dead? No, that's not possible.

MATT PARKMAN: (v.o. thinking) (echoy) Did he just read her mind?

(Peter turns and looks at Matt.)

MATT PARKMAN: (v.o. thinking) (echoy) Is he one of them?

(Peter heard those thoughts as well.)

AUDREY HANSON: The cheerleader's name was Jackie Wilcox. (She looks at Matt.) What the hell is going on --

PETER: (interrupts) No, Claire is the one that he wanted.

MATT PARKMAN: Claire?

(Peter glares at Matt.)

PETER: You're not protecting her?!

(Peter surges to his feet.)

AUDREY HANSON: Why would you know who he wanted?

PETER: You wanna catch this guy? You need to find her. You need to protect her!

(Matt looks at Peter. There’s a whooshing sound as Matt reads Peter.)

MATT PARKMAN: (to Audrey) He's telling the truth.

AUDREY HANSON: Then we better find this cheerleader.

(Audrey and Matt get up. They head for the door. Peter rubs his forehead.)

PETER: You're not gonna let me out of here?

AUDREY HANSON: You get out when I get answers.

(Audrey and Matt leave the room. Panting, Peter sits down. He puts his hands to his head as he waits.)

(Claire talks with Audrey Hanson, mid-interview. Mr. Bennet sits at the table with her.)

CLAIRE: And then he grabbed her and -- and I tried to save her, but ... he was killing her, and ... (Mr. Bennet puts his hand on Claire’s arm.) She told me to run, so I ran. I left her and I ran.

INTERCUT WITH: 

[INT. (TEXAS) ODESSA SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT – OBSERVATION ROOM]

(Matt Parkman is in the observation room watching the interview.)

AUDREY HANSON: (through speaker) I'm sorry, Claire. I know you've been through a lot. I just have a few more questions.

(We know he’s trying to read her and he’s getting nothing. He moves to another window.)



[INT. (TEXAS) ODESSA SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT – INTERVIEW ROOM – DAY]

(Audrey glances at the window as if waiting for something from Matt. She continues.)

AUDREY HANSON: This man ... did he exhibit anything out of the ordinary?

(Claire glances at her father.)



[INT. (TEXAS) ODESSA SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT – OBSERVATION ROOM]

(Matt continues to try to get something from them, but he’s getting nothing.)

CLAIRE: You mean besides killing my friend?

(Audrey glances again at the observation window.)

AUDREY HANSON: No, like being able to fall five stories and walk away without a scratch.

CLAIRE: What?

AUDREY HANSON: Well, you said Peter Petrelli tackled the man who killed Jackie, and they both fell over the ledge. That's a pretty long fall.

(Matt continues to get nothing. He shakes his head with frustration, but keeps trying.)

CLAIRE: Is Peter okay?

AUDREY HANSON: He survived ... without a scratch.

(Matt continues to get nothing.)

AUDREY HANSON: How do you think he did that?

CLAIRE: All I know is he saved my life.

AUDREY HANSON: He's a very lucky guy. You didn't seem to get hurt at all, either.

CLAIRE: I guess I'm lucky too.

AUDREY HANSON: We found some of your blood at the crime scene.

CLAIRE: Look, I've told you everything I know, okay?

MR. BENNET: Do you have what you need, Agent Hanson?

(Audrey turns and looks at the window. Mr. Bennet follows her gaze. She turns back.)

AUDREY HANSON: Yes ... of course. Thank you both very much for your time.

CLAIRE: (to Audrey) Wait, can I talk to Peter?

(Peter is sitting on the bunk in his cell. He coughs a little. The guard walks up to the door. Claire and Mr. Bennet are just behind him. The guard unlocks the door and opens it for them.)

(Peter glances up and quickly gets to his feet when he sees Claire.)

(Claire walks in. She smiles at him. Peter’s just so happy to see she’s all right.)

PETER: You're okay.

CLAIRE: Thanks to you.

MR. BENNET: Mr. Petrelli, I'm Claire's father.

PETER: Hi.

(They shake hands.)

MR. BENNET: You saved my little girl. I owe you my life.

PETER: I was just in the right place.

MR. BENNET: Maybe one day I'll be in the right place and can return the favor.

(Peter braces his hand against the wall near him and coughs.)

MR. BENNET: Are you feeling all right?

PETER: Yeah. Fine.

CLAIRE: Hey, Dad, can you wait outside?

(Mr. Bennet looks at Peter.)

MR. BENNET: Of course.

(The guard lets Mr. Bennet out and closes the door again. Claire takes a step toward Peter.)

CLAIRE: How long have you known?

PETER: Known what?

CLAIRE: That you're like me. You would have died if you couldn't --

PETER: (realizes) Wait-wait-wait. Do you ... (Peter sits down on the bed.) Do you heal? Is that it?

(Claire nods.)

CLAIRE: All this time, I thought it was just me. Now there's you. Is that why you came for me? (She sits down next to Peter.) Is that why you ... asked me if I was the one?

PETER: No, I just -- I knew I had to save you.

CLAIRE: Why?

PETER: To save the world.

(Claire shakes her head, confused.)

CLAIRE: What do I have to do with the world?

PETER: I don't know. (adds quickly) Yet. I do know that I don't think I would be here if it wasn't for you. I think I’d die.

CLAIRE: I've died before. It's no big deal.

(Claire chuckles.)

PETER: I'm not like you, Claire. I --

(Mr. Bennet knocks on the glass, interrupting them. Claire turns and holds up her index finger – just one more minute. Mr. Bennet nods.)

(She turns back to Peter.)

PETER: This, uh ... this healing thing is kind of new for me.

CLAIRE: Wait -- you didn't know that you were gonna heal when you dove off the building?

PETER: No.

(Peter chuckles and coughs.)

PETER: (sheepish) That's kinda stupid, huh?

(Claire smiles and shakes her head, even more impressed by him.)

CLAIRE: No, it's not.

(Mr. Bennet knocks on the glass again. Claire turns and nods to him. She looks at Peter, then gets up and heads for the door. As the guard unlocks the door, Claire turns back and smiles at Peter.)

CLAIRE: You're totally my hero.

(Peter chuckles and smiles back. Claire leaves the cell. We hold on Peter.)