He put his arms around her in turn and felt some of the tension bleed out of him. He might not have spent four months away from her -- not really, not in his perception of time -- but considering how awkward she had been when he'd first awoken, it was a relief to know that little had really changed.

"He was trying to protect you," he said, shrugging. It was typical of Peter, really, even if Claire didn't exactly need protecting anymore.