Peter had set the alarm on his watch so as not to wake Sylar; he set it thirty minutes early so that he could start breakfast before Claire needed to get ready. He wanted to be able to dine with her and chat since their most previous encounters had been a few minutes here and there with no real time for relaxing with family which he did crave.

Being Sylar’s guardian had isolated him from the fellow Petrelli family, not out of edict, but out of sheer impossibility to juggle them, work, and Sylar. They still made a point to visit Nathan and his family at least twice a month since their return, and Peter was happy for that amount of time spent if any. Angela had stayed away for the most part on account she didn’t feel ready to be cordial with a pint sized serial killer, and so, Peter had requested that she not bring her negative attitude around Sylar in fear that her attitude would push back the progress he had made thus far.

Peter went to the business of quietly making his way to the kitchen and using the fridge light for illumination began pulling the needed ingredients from the cabinet shelves and refrigerator racks. Turning the stove’s overhead light on, he then went to work throwing the contents together keeping careful watch on the time, so Claire did not oversleep.

Ever a light sleeper, Claire's eyes fluttered open to the noise coming from the kitchen. Yawning and stretching, she untangled herself from the blanket and padded into the kitchen, following the delicious smells of cooking pancakes. "Good morning," Claire whispered with an excited gleam as she eyed the skillet on the stove.

Peter returned the smile ruffling the girl’s hair, “You know, you’ve still got another ten minutes sleep you can get before six thirty?”

Beaming at him she said, "Another benefit of my ability: a little sleep goes a long, long way." Turning her eyes back to the skillet, she asked, "Anything I can help with?"

Peter nodded, “I have reaped the benefits of that little ability! I’m pretty close to being done here; why don’t you go ahead and grab a shower. By the time you get done, breakfast should be ready and on the table.”

Claire nodded and took off for the bathroom, eager for the relaxing feel of a hot shower. Soon a perfumed steam hung in the air from her body wash as she hurried so that she would not use all of the hot water. Soon she emerged and sat at the table, hair and makeup done, as her stomach growled.

The table had been set for three by the time Claire had finished showering, and Peter had attempted to wake Sylar, but he merely grumbled that he wasn’t hungry. After feeling his forehead, Peter noted he was a little warm and had gotten Sylar to take some medicine before going back to sleep. He had closed the door over leaving it cracked so he could hear Sylar call to him if he needed him and went back to finishing breakfast making a pancake on the side for Sylar in case he changed his mind. Peter smiled at Claire as she made her way over to the breakfast table, “Coming right up! I hope you’re hungry!” Peter turned off the stove and grabbed the syrup and butter out of the fridge and the huge stack of about ten pancakes on a plate before coming to join Claire at the table. Once all of the items in his hands were distributed on to the table, he sat down beside Claire and remarked with a small frown, “Gabriel says he’s not hungry; he felt a little warm, so I gave him some medicine, but I don’t think he’s going to be joining us for breakfast.”

Claire's face turned from extreme pleasure at seeing the pancakes to utter concern, "You don't think it's anything serious, do you? He got a little wet canoeing yesterday...is this my fault?"

Peter shook his head no, “He’s in a kid’s body; kids immune systems are susceptible to getting sick. He’s only slightly warm, and I’m sure he’ll be fine. You shouldn’t blame yourself. These things happen.”

Claire looked at him, a bit unsure but more settled, "Ok...I just hope he gets better soon. Dad wanted to know if Gabriel could spend the night once a week. I think they miss me." Taking on a more serious look, "I told him he has to be nice to Gabriel. I think it'd be good for them both." At that, Claire started serving herself, eager to eat some pancakes.

Peter had already served himself a small stack of pancakes and was currently taking a bite when Claire had voiced her suggestion. He nearly choked having to cover his mouth looking at her with wide eyed astonishment before swallowing and asking, “He what? Oh I don’t know about that Claire… I think it’s a little too soon for all that.”

Claire stared at Peter for a long moment, a bit shocked by his answer. But, she couldn't really blame him – she knew her father and the impression he could make. "Well, if that's how you feel then that's fine. ...but, I'd be there to make sure everything was ok, and if it got tense, we could always come back here." Well, she had asked and defended her view – it was all she could do. Taking a bite of her pancakes, she smiled and said, "Good pancakes, Peter. Thanks again!"

Peter smiled at Claire’s comment replying, “Glad you like them Claire. …And it’s not that I don’t trust you… it’s just this is all moving so fast. I will tell you what, let’s keep it this way for two weeks, and by the end of the two weeks, if things are still smooth, I’ll definitely consider it.”

Claire's eyes shot back up as she beamed at him, "It's a deal!" At that, she dug into her food – pancakes were definitely a great way to wake up. After a moment she asked, "So, what do I do with him if he's sick tonight? Will you leave instructions?...you won't stay home from work, will you? I don't mind taking care of him while he's sick."

Taking a moment to consider Claire’s offer, Peter agreed, “If you feel comfortable staying with him, I guess it’s okay with me. I’ll leave out the medicines and a note with time intervals to give it to him in.” Peter was going to stay home with Sylar, but he figured Claire could handle taking care of him as long as Sylar’s fever didn’t get too high.

Still feeling slightly guilty for Sylar falling ill Claire answered, "Good, then there we go!"

Peter’s smile broadened as he went back to eating his pancakes commenting, “I appreciate it Claire. I’m sure Sylar will enjoy your company as well.”

Claire smiled, finishing up her pancakes as Peter did as well. "Need help with the dishes?"

Peter waved his hand noncommittally shaking his head no, “Don’t worry about that; I’ll do them when you leave for school.”

"Alright," Claire said. Still, she stood and took her dishes to the sink. "I'm gonna get going. I've never driven to school from here, and I don't wanna be late. Thanks for breakfast, Peter!" Claire said, giving him a hug.

Peter followed suit with his dishes after returning Claire’s hug goodbye, “Yea, I don’t want you to be late, and thanks again for coming over; I really appreciate the help more than you know, and I think Sylar appreciates the change of pace and the company you provide.”

Claire shrugged, "It's helpful to me, too. I get to see my favorite uncle more, and I get to make a friend out of the person who scared me the most....and that's a good thing."

Peter grinned responding, “It is. I really missed you, even though I haven’t known you all your life, I still feel a unique bond is shared between us. Family is important, more so now than ever.”

"I know what you mean," Claire smiled before picking up her book bag and purse. "I missed you too. See ya in a few hours!" At that, Claire left the apartment for school.

Once Claire had left, Peter’s eyelids felt heavy and the need to catch a couple more hours of sleep on a full stomach beckoned. Cleaning up the dishes and checking in on Sylar, he got him to take a spoonful of children’s Nyquil before tucking him in and climbing into bed himself.