I own nothing but the idea
This is a sequel to Reese Returns I highly recommend you read that first. This will be a short story. It is a dark fic and contains trigger warnings. It is rated M for a reason.
Sorry EClare fans but I'm not very fond of Eli right now and very much over EClare.
Ch. 1 Still There in the Dark Night
(CLARE)
"You know if you tell my mom you still can't sleep at home and you're still having nightmares she'll let you stay here. She'll probably get us a bigger bed and everything," Adam reminds me for the hundredth time.
It has become a morning ritual for the two of us, instead of saying goodbye or see you at school when I'm preparing to sneak out his window in the morning he pesters me to tell his mom I'm sleeping here. After the sentencing I'd successfully stayed in my house for about half ab hour with everyone with me. After that I'd try a little each day but being in that house was so hard. I had to force myself to go back to my house, to stay and sleep in my room, I didn't want to but around Christmas everyone was losing patience with me. Well my mom and Eli mostly but it felt like everyone.
"You don't have room for me," I argue like every morning, "you have Dallas living here now."
"Clare you know we'll make room, Dallas could move up here and we could share the basement. You sleep in my bed every night, sneak out every morning, you're hiding not dealing." Adam scolds but with a compassionate tone.
"Everyone else thinks I'm getting better, I drove Eli away and drove my mom nuts with my fears and neurosis I don't want to drive everyone else away too." I confess opening Adam's window but he catches my arm and prevents me from going out.
"Clare," he says in such a sad tone I bit my lip and feel a little guilty, "you didn't push Eli away that was his decisions. He promised to be patient and he wasn't."
"Yes I did I knew he was getting frustrated and I forced myself to do things before I was ready hoping it would just fix it all. You know face your fear that's what everyone said but it just made it worse. I did it with Eli and my mom, he got fed up and had sex with Alli and I can barely talk to my mom, she hardly looks at me, every time she sees a scar she gets disgusted and when I try to talk to her she changes the subject." I lament.
"You're mom just doesn't know how to deal and Eli was a moron. At least Drew and Owen beat him up for cheating and Bianca kicked Alli's ass." Adam reminds me and I smile a little.
"Yeah I know but I was in love, Eli was almost the only thing I thought about while I was in that cabin. He promised to be patient and wait but I knew he was getting frustrated, I saw how he looked at other girls, felt how he was distancing himself. I was afraid of losing him and I forced myself to have sex with him and it made things worse for both of us." I comment biting my lip in an attempt to bite back the tears.
"Clare this isn't your fault, you were stalked and kidnapped, raped and tortured and humiliated for two days. It takes time to heal, forget about Eli okay he's not worth thinking about anymore. And your mom well I'm sure she'll come around but even if she doesn't you have me and my whole family, Bianca, Maya, Jenna and the rest of the SSS." Adam reminds me.
"Yes but Jake and Mo are in Portugal until June with Katie and Marisol." I point out.
"Yeah but they e-mail every week a…" Adam stops when there's a knock at his bedroom door. "Just a sec," Adam calls.
"Just wondering if Clare's coming to school with us this morning," Drew calls through the door.
I've been sneaking into Adam's room for the last month, I thought no one knew but Adam. Of course Drew's room shares a wall with Adam's so he may have heard us talking or me sneaking in and out by climbing the trellis. Adam takes my arm and pulls me to the door before opening it. Drew is the only one standing there and he gives me a concerned look but filled with pity.
"How long have you known?" I ask the elder Torres brother.
"For a month, I didn't think you'd keep sneaking in so long without saying anything. I didn't want to push, figured you'd tells us when you were ready." Drew tells me.
"Does anyone else know?" I question as Drew takes my other arm and pulls me into the hallway.
"No, Mom would have said something and I only know because I can hear you two talking through the wall." Drew informs me.
When we get downstairs Dallas and Audra both look over at me, Audra is purely worried, Dallas is confused. Adam's whole family has become like a surrogate family to me. It's not as though my family abandoned me or anything, my dad and I had dinner once a week to check in and my mom…well she was trying her best but she has never been very good with the hard stuff. She doesn't want to talk; she's likes to believe that if she ignores it eventually the problem will go away. Problem was I was the problem this time. When Darcy became the problem she ran off to Africa but I didn't want to run I wanted to be here with everyone, so instead I was kind of running from my mom.
Adam was already my best friend and I guess I already considered him like a brother or something, yeah I know I think of him like a brother and we sleep in one bed but it isn't gross I just feel better with him there, he keeps the nightmares away. Drew was already protective of me but in the last month he'd become more and more like a brother. Audra and Omar were surrogate parents, they'd always been fond of me but now they were more like my parents than my real parents that is they actually talked to me about what happened and protected me from the reporters and such. Drew and I still attended the support group, not that I talked really but it did kind of help, if nothing else I knew I wasn't the only one to have gone through something horrible. Plus I kind of liked the time with Drew, I felt safe and not like a burden. Which is how the whole family made me feel, which is why I was sleeping here every night, well not just that but it's why I came here instead of going to Maya's or Bianca's or something.
"Clare Sweetie when did you get here?" Audra questions coming over to hug me tightly.
"How did you get in?" Dallas inquires.
I'd met Dallas when he first came in; he was part of our new junior pro hockey team the Toronto Ice Hounds. His family lived in Guelph and like most of the hockey team Dallas was being billeted with a host family. He seemed like an okay guy, he knew I'd been kidnapped and held but didn't know the rest.
"She called Adam after a nightmare last night, said she couldn't sleep so we went to get her." Drew lies smoothly.
"I thought you'd stopped having nightmares," Audra comments in a concerned tone as she puts a plate of breakfast for me on the table.
"Not all together," I reply quietly. "Not at all," I add in my head.
"You know you're welcome over here any time Clare, I'm sure the boys won't mind going to get you." Audra assures me serving her sons breakfast. Drew and Adam give me a smile and we start eating. "Were you having nightmares because of the riot at the prison?" Audra questions.
The prison where Fitz and Reese were serving out their sentence had been on lock down since yesterday because of a riot. Dave had called me when his dad found out but other than hoping Reese and Fitz were hurt in the riot I really hadn't thought about it since.
"No I don't think so, just a nightmare," I say while stirring my eggs with my fork.
Audra puts her hand on my shoulder and kisses my head in a comforting motherly way. Just after The Terror Twins sentencing it was Drew's birthday, he had a great big party, which I attended and tried to enjoy, anyway he received a car from his parents and thus he was driving us to school. Bianca and Owen were waiting on the stairs for us when we arrived; Bianca greets her boyfriend with a kiss and says hi to the rest of us. Owen gives me a smile and walks into school at my side. With the Terror Twins in jail most of the SSS had resumed their normal life. That is to say they no longer escorted me from class to class or stayed with me in the halls, or at my house. Of course Jake and Mo were in Portugal this semester but K.C. and Connor eased from being bodyguards to friends again. Drew had transitioned from bodyguard to adoptive brother and Adam was still my best friend. Owen on the other hand never transitioned out of bodyguard; I have to admit he was a good one and I definitely felt safe with him. He still waited for me on the steps, walked me to classes and spent lunch and breaks with me. If anyone pestered me, which happened a lot; Owen would appear suddenly and make them disappear. When Eli had cheated Owen beat him up, with some help from Drew, and then let me cry on his shoulder.
"I could have picked you up, you live closer to us than to Drew," Owen says as we walk into school.
"She spent the night," Adam clarifies.
"More nightmares?" Owen asks putting a hand on my shoulder.
I simply nod but Owen keeps an arm around my shoulders lightly. All of us walk to my locker and then they take me to class, science which I have with Adam. K.C. and Wes are already here and smile at me when I sit down.
"Any word about the riot at the prison or Reese and Fitz?" K.C. asks.
"No not that I've heard, I haven't seen Dave yet this morning though. Audra didn't say anything either and she tells me as soon as she hears." I reply.
"When did you see Mrs. Torres?" Wes questions.
"She slept at my place last night," Adam tells them just as Alli walks in.
"Skank alert," K.C. says with venom in his tone.
She shoots us a look but I know she was hurt by the comment, she deserves it though she cheated on Dave with Eli and she knew what she was doing, they both did and they've both been ostracized by everyone else. Jenna walks in and pushes Alli out of the way to get to her desk, Connor follows but doesn't push Alli. She doesn't look at us for the whole class, when class is over Adam and I leave the others to get to grade 12 AP English. It's the only class I have with Eli. Last year the three of us sat together, this year Adam and I sit in the front right corner and Eli sits in the back left corner.
"Just don't look at him," Adam whispers in my ear when we walk into class and Eli is at his desk.
It hurt to see Eli, to watch him in the hall with Alli. After I'd broken up with Eli and cut off my friendship with Alli the rest of the SSS, all my other friends and most of the school shunned them. Even the people that thought I was making up the stuff that happened to me at the hands of the Terror Twins got angry at Eli and Alli when they found out. So now they only had each other and on the first day of school I found out they were dating now! I sit at my desk and Adam starts a conversation about what we should do this weekend until Miss Dawes comes in. Miss Dawes gives us a writing assignment and we all begin working quietly until the door opens, a grade 9 comes in handing Miss Dawes a note and she looks straight at me.
"Clare you're needed in the office."
Adam gives me a quizzical look; I shrug and hear the other kids going "ooh" because they assume I'm in trouble. Not expecting to be gone long I leave my books and backpack in the class and walk to Principal Simpson's office, the door is open so I go to the doorway and see Officer Turner in the office.
"Come in Clare, close the door and have seat." Simpson says.
"What's going on?" I question as I get that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Reese and Fitz escaped during the riot, they finally got it under control but they found that Reese and his cell mate and Fitz and his cell mate are all missing." Principal Simpson tells me.
My breath seizes in my throat, my heart stops and then begins pounding out of my chest. When they were in prison there was at least a faint feeling of safety, the knowledge that they were under guard and lock and key, the hope that they were getting even a vague taste of what they put me through from some of the inmates. But now they were out!
"It's believed that they may have orchestrated the riot as a means of escape the facility was locked down just after the riot started so they would have only had about twenty minutes to get out. However they weren't discovered missing until after the riot was contained so they've been missing for nearly eighteen hours." Officer Turner tells me.
"They're coming…" I can't finish the sentence or the thought but I know right where Reese and Fitz are headed.
I feel like I can't breathe, my heart is beating so fast I feel like I might pass out. Tears rapidly build in my eyes and I bite my lip to hold them back, my body begins trembling and the rest of the world starts to go blurry. Reality starts to blur into this nightmare, a nightmare that I've been having for the last two months, ever since I was rescued from that cabin of horrors. The Terror Twins are out and they're coming for me! Reese always had a plan, a way to get to me; I should have known he'd find a way.
"I'll escort you home an…" Officer Turner starts to tell me but I cut him off.
"No!" I say firmly, the word comes out strong despite my shaking voice. "I can barely be at my house as it is. They spent so much time there, I can still see them. I can't be home, they know how to get in, they know…" my voice waivers as tears begin to fall and I shake more violently, the fear becomes overwhelming and I leap up to vomit in Principal Simpson's trashcan.
"Are you alright Clare?" Principal Simpson asks handing me a tissue to wipe my mouth.
"Yes sorry," I apologize.
"It's alright, Officer Turner can take you somewhere you will feel safe perhaps Adam's house?" Principal Simpson offers.
I'll admit hiding was tempting but truth was nothing felt safe anymore. They knew how to get to Adam's, they knew how to get into my house, the school and now they were out! As truly terrified as I was a determination came over me. I already live in fear; I can't let them keep me out of school, away from my friends. I wanted to stay at school, I wanted to at least have the appearance that they weren't going to scare me and I wanted to be with my friends, with Adam and Drew, Bianca, Jenna and with Owen, my ever present bodyguard.
"No I want to be at school, I can't run anyway if they want me they'll find a way." My voice starts out firm and determined but it begins to waiver and be choked by tears at the end.
"Very well, if you decide you want to go home or to the Torres' then just let us know." Simpson says.
"We're bringing extra patrols to the school and sending officers to your house." Officer Turner tells me.
"I'll call your parents and Audra as well to let them know what's going on, can you make it back to class alright?" Simpson asks.
I simply nod and force myself to get out of the chair. The secretary gives me an odd look as I take a few shaky steps past her desk. I'm certain she can hear my heart pounding in my chest, the only thing louder is the sound of the bell announcing morning break and it grates at my nerves. I start heading for my locker out of habit not realizing my bag and all my books are still in class. I make it as far as the bank of lockers where Reese and Fitz had me pinned, during their first attempt to take me from school, when Eli saved me. I can see it all happening before my eyes, like watching a horrible ghostly image. The pain, the fear and everything else I was feeling at that exact moment comes rushing back and I feel it all again like it's happening right now! The emotions begin to take over and my legs start to give way, I nearly fall to the floor but I get caught by a pair of strong arms from behind.
(OWEN)
Science lets out and I jump up from my desk, Clare's AP English class is just down the hall. Bianca and Dallas walk out behind me, headed for their lockers probably but Clare's class is on the way. Drew is coming out of his civics class and he joins us putting his arm around Bianca. I see Adam exit the classroom but Clare isn't with him, he is however holding her backpack. I'm not the only one who notices either.
"Hey bro where's Clare?" Drew questions.
"She got called to Simpson's office about twenty minutes ago," Adam tells us.
"I'm going to Simpson's office to see what the hell is going on," I remark and walk a little faster in that direction.
The others follow me and then I see her, not in Simpson's office but frozen in the hallway staring at a bank of lockers. She's shaking, looks like she's been crying and when she starts to fall I run over and catch her. She's trembling like a leaf and I can see that she has indeed been crying. She grips onto me as I try to stabilize her but she's shaking too hard so I simply pick her up.
"Clare what's wrong?" Adam inquires.
"What did Simpson want?" Drew asks.
The voices of the Torres brothers seems to bring her out of it, she stops shaking so violently and looks me in the eye.
"I can stand," she says quietly and I set her down.
She's not quite stable on her feet and remains clinging to me so I keep an arm around her waist. She looks past me at the others just as Luke, Becky, my brother, Maya, Zig and Tori join us.
"What's wrong with her?" Luke questions.
She turns her head again putting it nearly on my chest looks up at me and whispers, her voice shaking so much I can hardly hear her, "They' escaped!"
I tense up and tighten my arms around her, pulling her into me and becoming her shield. My jaw clenching, a low growl coming from the back of my throat and everyone else looks at me because I'm the only one that heard her.
"The Terror Twins escaped!" I inform everyone.
"What the hell do you mean they escaped?!" Drew and Bianca exclaim at the same time.
"How?" Adam questions coming around to put a hand on Clare's back.
She turns a little to look at Adam, biting her lip. "The riot, they think it was orchestrated so they could escape with their cellmates." She tells us managing a firmer and steadier voice this time.
"I'm calling Mom," Adam says stepping away a bit and pulling out his phone.
"They won't get you," I assure Clare.
"Maybe they're running," Drew tries but Clare shakes her head.
"What in the hell are you guys talking about?" Luke questions.
"The psychos that kidnapped her, they escaped from prison during the riot. They're both obsessed with Clare and they're probably on their way here to try and take her again." I explain.
"They think they've been gone for about eighteen hours, they're already here." Clare informs me.
"We won't let them get near you," Drew tells her.
"We'll reassemble the SSS," Bianca adds.
"Two members of the SSS are currently in Portugal," Clare points out.
"No problem, Dallas and Luke you two are now inducted into the SSS," I proclaim.
"What about me?" Zig speaks up.
"Yeah me too," says Tris.
"You two are in," I nod, if they want to help protect Clare I'm not going to argue.
"Count me in, whatever it is," Cam says.
"Good you're in too," I nod.
"What the fuck is the SSS?" Dallas queries.
"Secret Service Squad, it's the name we called Owen, Drew and the others when they were acting as bodyguards when Reese and Fitz first began stalking me." Clare explains with a very small and wry smile but at least she's not shaking so much.
"Mom says you're sleeping at our place tonight, she's already spoken to your mom and everyone's coming over tonight for a BBQ. A bunch of us can sleep in the basement like before." Adam tells Clare.
He's referring to the many sleepovers we had at the Torres house both before and after Clare was taken. She always felt safe there in the middle of all of us. She felt safe at my house too but my family was gone that weekend and we had the house to ourselves, plus the Terror Twins never found her there and it was a good place to hide her.
"Sounds good I'll be over right after practice." I announce but I'm really saying it to Clare.
"Clare will come home with me and Drew right after school," Adam says.
"I'll come over too," Bianca speaks up.
"Clare we just heard, are you okay?" Dave asks as he comes around the corner with Jenna.
"Clare the te…" Eli starts trying to get near Clare but I put her behind me and glare at him.
"Get lost she doesn't need help from you, we'll keep her safe you stay away from her! You've hurt her enough," I growl at him. "Everyone else come on," I say putting an arm around Clare and walking toward the storage room.
Jenna calls K.C. to meet us when she knows where we're going, Drew unlocks the door, I sit on the sofa, Clare between me and Adam. When the others find somewhere to sit we fill in Dave, Wes, Connor and Jenna on the plan for tonight. Clare doesn't say much and seems to be trapped in some terrifying image in her head. I keep my arm around her, doing my best to make her feel safe but I know they're in her head and I can't protect her from that.
"The four of us have free period," Clare says when the bell rings at the end of morning break.
By the four of us she means me, her, Adam and Bianca. The others go off to their classes but we remain in the storage room. Bianca, Adam and I start talking strategy, getting Clare to and from classes, out of school and such but she remains quiet, she hardly even moves except that every so often she would tense her body or start trembling and I'd just hold her more until by the time the bell rings I have both my arms around her and she has her hands on my arms. Clare has math this period with the other AP kids, the three of us walk her and I tell her that I'll come get her and she's eating lunch with all of us, however we don't even make it to lunch. I was sitting in English with Dallas and Drew when an announcement comes over the intercom for the whole school.
"Clare Edwards and the SSS to the office please."
"Trouble," Drew says as we both stand up and as Dallas is now part of the SSS he follows us out the class.
Miss Dawes doesn't even blink when we leave the class, I assume Simpson said something to Clare's teachers, or everyone has heard. Clare is in math with Wes, K.C. and Connor so I know they're walking with her. We see them walking just ahead of us when we round the corner and I run ahead to walk just behind Clare. She looks over her shoulder at me and gives me a small smile with one corner of her mouth when she sees me. Adam, Dave and the SSS niners join us, as does Bianca who seems to have appointed herself a part of the SSS but I suppose she is. Just before we make it to the front windows Turner stops us.
"The reporters know that Reese and Fitz escaped, they're all here and at Clare's house. Mrs. Torres is waiting out back with her van to get Clare and the majority of you to her house. You'll all be excused from classes for the rest of the day. The rest of you will be escorted out and can go to Adam and Drew's place as well if Clare wants," Turner says and Clare nods." We're sending uniformed officers to clear the reporters from Clare's house and they will not be allowed within three miles of the school by tomorrow but your lawyer and Mr. Torres are speaking to a judge now." Officer Turner tells us.
"Owen and Dave go with Clare in the van; I'll take Tris, Zig, Cam and Luke in my car." Bianca speaks up.
"That just leaves me, Connor and Wes," K.C. speaks up.
"You three will come with me, Officer Turner if you could escort us and the others out please," Mr. Simpson requests coming up behind us.
"Of course, the rest of you out the back and through the Lacrosse field." Turner tells us.
"Yep I know the way," I nod getting in front of everyone to lead the way.
Drew and Adam walk on either side of Clare while Dallas and Dave take the rear and we head out. Most of us didn't grab our bags or books but Jenna, Maya and Tori are still here and I'm sure Simpson and Mrs. Torres will probably deal with our books and bags. When we get to Audra's car she has it running and opens the door for us. Adam sits up front, Dave and Drew take the two middle seats and Clare sits between Dallas and I in the very back. Audra gets to her place in about five minutes, there are no reporters here I'm sure because Audra scared them all away. She goes in the front door and the rest of us escort Clare in to the basement. Bianca, Mr. Simpson and everyone is already here, the kids in the basement and Simpson waiting at the front door for Audra. Clare is just silent, she barely moves or speaks, she seems sort of trapped in her head almost in like a zombie state. She doesn't even sit on the sofa until I pull at her arm and then she moves. I sit next to her and Adam's on her other side but he gets his arm around her before I can.
"We won't let them get you Clare," Adam assures her.
"Maybe they're just running," Wes offers trying to be helpful.
"No," Clare shakes her head, "God knows why but they're obsessed with me. Reese and Fitz both think that I belong to them, that I'm property and even when he was caught and sentenced Reese had a smug look on his face. He always had a plan I have a feeling he's been planning this since they were sentenced. He's smart, I'm sure they're already hiding and they already have a way to get to me."
The more she talks the more anxious she gets and I worry that she's going to start having panic attacks again. Adam seems to worry too as he reminds her to breathe; I take her hand and squeeze it.
"I don't give a fuck what his plan is he's not getting to you, I'm not going to leave your side." I assure her just as we hear footsteps on the stairs and look over at Audra.
"I'll run out and get some pizzas for you kids for lunch but I need a couple helpers." Audra says.
Clare clings to me and Adam while she looks at Drew and Bianca shaking her head. I wouldn't have left her anyway and I'm pretty sure that Adam wouldn't either or Drew.
"I'll help Mrs. Torres," Dave offers.
"Me too," Connor speaks up.
"Good we'll be back in less than half an hour I've already called in the order." She tells us going back up the stairs followed by Dave and Connor.
"Maya is going to e-mail Katie at lunch to let them know," Tris says and Clare nods slightly.
"You're staying here, we won't let them get you Clare," Adam insists.
"That's what you all said last time," she reminds us very quietly.
"Okay movie time, we need a distraction, you like vampires right? I know they have Dracula, Interview with a Vampire and Dusk till Dawn. Or I can make all the guys dress up like sexy vampires for you." Bianca offers and this makes Clare crack a small giggle at the image in her head.
"I'm not dressing up as some sexy vampire," Tris shakes his head.
"Any of those movies will be fine," Clare replies.
Bianca puts in Dracula and we wait for Audra and the other two to get back with our pizza. Audra brings the boxes down, Dave is carrying plates and napkins, and Connor has three bottles of soda and plastic cups. Clare doesn't move from her spot, just looks at the pizza.
"You need to eat I'll get you a plate," I tell her getting up.
Everyone else crowds around the pizza and Drew grabs my arm pulling me back behind the stairs and toward Dallas' little room.
"So are you going to tell her you like her?" Drew questions me.
"I can't tell her now!" I whisper but also kind of yell, no one else hears what I say but they hear us talking and look over, so I lower my voice even more. "I was waiting until she wasn't so afraid all the time and now the Terror Twins are out! What the hell am I supposed to say? I know your last boyfriend promised to be there with you forever and then cheated on you with your best friend. I know you still haven't healed from what happened to you and now the Terror Twins have escaped and they're probably trying to take you but I've had a major crush on you since you were still with Eli and I really want to be with you."
"Sounds good to me," Drew shrugs and I look at him like he's insane.
"She's so worried she nearly went into a panic attack, so scared she can barely talk or move." I point out.
"Yeah but maybe if you tell her how you feel she'll feel a little better. I think part of the reason she's so worried now is she doesn't have Eli, she has all of us but it's not the same." Drew points out.
"Yeah I guess but not tonight she just found out, I just don't think it's the right time." I reply, Drew opens his mouth to speak but Bianca calls to us first.
"Hey are two eating or you going to keep conspiring in the corner?"
"We're coming," Drew says putting his hand at my back and we walk over to the others.
I put a piece of veggie pizza on a plate for Clare, put two pieces of cheese and two pieces of meat pizza on my plate and sit in my spot next to Clare again. I hand her plate to her, Drew hands us each a soda and she picks at her pizza while watching the movie absentmindedly.
(CLARE)
…It's dark but I can hear them breathing, feel the heat from their bodies next to mine. "You know you'll never get away from us Clare! You belong to us and you know it! Eli left you because he knows you belong to us! Now that we have you back we'll make sure you can never leave us again!" Reese taunts me as the darkness in the room gives way and I realize that I'm chained by a metal collar to the floor. I've been stripped of my clothes, I'm terrified and crying but neither of them cares of course. "Can we punish her for running now?" Fitz asks flipping a switch which sends a current of electricity through a wire to a wand in Fitz's hand that he sets against my skin! I shriek and then Fitz moves the wand up to my breast, I scream but they only laugh. "Put it on her clit I really want to hear her scream!" Reese orders. I fight against the chains but Reese hits me and they both start laughing again…
I jolt awake, sitting up quickly, panting hard, my heart is racing, and I'm sweating, my body trembling. Owen, who is sleeping on the other side of me in his own sleeping bag, sits up putting his hand gently on my back. Adam, who is used to sleeping next to me and having me wake up from nightmares, doesn't even stir. The three of us were sleeping in the basement with Drew, Bianca, Dave, Dallas and Cam. Tris had gone home along with Zig, Luke, Connor, Wes and K.C. but there was enough people here that I felt safe. Drew and Bianca were sleeping above us on the sofa; Cam was on the other end, Dallas in his bed, while Adam, Owen and I shared the air mattress on the floor and Dave was on a camping mat in a sleeping bag next to Adam.
"Are you okay Clare?" Owen whispers.
"Just a nightmare," I whisper back getting out of the bed as gently as I can so I don't wake Adam.
I walk to the washroom and Owen follows me. Ever since finding out Reese and Fitz escaped he's been more of a bodyguard, actually more like my shadow but in a good way. He didn't leave my side all afternoon and even when everyone was over for the Torres BBQ after school he stuck close to me. When it came time to figure out sleeping arrangements Owen insisted on sleeping next to me. He closes the door behind us and turns on the light; I squint and blink at the harsh change in lighting. Owen shades my eyes with his hand for a few seconds until they adjust. I sit on the edge of the tub still shaking and Owen puts his arm around me.
"I never stopped having the nightmares; I told everyone I was okay and getting better because I felt like I needed to." I admit to Owen.
"Why?" He asks.
"Mostly because my mom and Eli were losing patience with me, they didn't say anything but I knew that they were. At Christmas with my grandparents coming out was the worst, Mom made such a fuss out of me appearing normal and happy. If not for the fact that Jake was still around and Adam and Drew were always over I would have lost it. I started to at night; I couldn't sleep because I just saw them in my room like ghosts so I'd take the truck, sneak over here and into Adam's room. I knew Jake was going to Portugal and I knew if he knew that I was still having so much trouble he wouldn't go. I couldn't do that to him and I didn't want to disrupt your lives anymore so only Adam knew. My nightmares have been the same since they were captured. That Reese and Fitz and escape and capture me again, they torture me…and rape m…" I can't finish because I begin crying and Owen holds me.
"I won't let them get to you Clare, I will die before I let them get to you and if they somehow manage to get to you then I will find you. I found you the last time," he reminds me and I nod, taking a deep shuddering breath.
There's a soft knock on the door and I jump a little, Owen holds me a bit tighter.
"Clare?" Adam questions through the door sleepily. Owen helps me to stand, keeping an arm around me and he opens the door, Adam raises his eyebrows at us. "Uh?" He questions.
"I had a nightmare, I didn't want to wake you guys," I tell Adam in a shaky voice as I dry my tears.
Adam gives me a concerned half smile, puts an arm around me and the three of us walk out to our bed.
"Everything okay?" Bianca asks with a yawn.
"Clare had a nightmare," Adam tells her.
"You want to watch another movie? Or I can have the guys dress like sexy vampires?" Bianca offers and I crack a smile.
"I don't think even you can convince all the guys to dress up like vampires," I reply.
"I don't think she'd have to convince us to dress like vampires," Drew yawns.
"A movie is good," I respond softly, then bite my lip as I look around at everyone sitting up and even Dallas comes out of his part of the basement. "Guess we're back to sleepless nights," I remark in a regretful tone.
"You haven't been sleeping for months," Adam reminds me.
"The rest of us can handle a few nights without sleep," Owen says sitting down with his arm around me.
Drew puts on The Karate Kid and everyone else settles in on the sofa. Most everyone else falls back asleep after a while, in one pile on the sofa. Owen and Adam on the other hand stay awake with me the rest of the night. Owen, Dave, Cam, Bianca and I all had clothes and toiletries brought by parents or picked up yesterday afternoon, so we all take turns in the various washrooms getting ready for school.
"I'm not hungry," I shake my head when Adam sits me down at the table for breakfast.
"Oh no you're not doing that again, I don't care if you're not hungry you are eating. If the Terror Twins find you again then you will need energy and strength to run. You are eating if I have to put you on Owen's lap so he can hold you and I can force feed you." Drew asserts.
I sigh, picking up an English muffin and I eat about half of it. Then Owen makes me eat some fruit. Bianca and Drew go in her car, Audra drives the rest of us in the minivan, there are no reporters today but I'm still walked in surrounded by everybody.
"Reese doesn't go to the school anymore but that doesn't mean they won't try to get in. Fitz knows every way in and out of this school so you are not allowed anywhere alone. Not even the washroom, most of us will walk you to and from classes and we'll all stay together for breaks." Owen announces apparently deciding he's in charge of the SSS.
"What about Bianca, Jenna, Maya and Tori?" I question as we get near to my locker. "Reese and Fitz threatened to hurt Jenna and Alli before," I remind them.
"No they threatened to hurt them as a way of controlling you," Adam argues.
"Adam's right, they're obsessed with you, they might threaten to hurt us but it's only to control you. Too bad our kickboxing classes don't start until next month." Bianca remarks.
We've reached my locker and Adam's as his is right next to mine. Owen and the others make a sort of wall around me with about of foot of space between me and them. They have their backs to me for the most part as they discuss how to keep me safe. I open my locker and become instantly petrified by fear when I see a familiar sight in my locker. A red rose with a plain card attached and a printed message on it. I'd reach in and get the rose to read the card but I can't move, or breathe and all I can think is, "How did they get in?" My heart is pounding nearly out of my chest and all the breath in my body has left it. I start shaking but find my voice, at least enough to get Adam's attention.
"A…Adam," it comes out as barely a whisper and my voice is shaky.
He looks over at me and Owen turns around instantly, he's at my side in a milisecond and his arm goes around me.
"What's wrong?" Owen questions.
Adam sees the rose, reaches in and pulls it out, he looks at the note and his cheeks go a little red as his jaw clenches.
"What's it say?" Drew asks.
I know I'm so mean with those cliffhangers. Fridays and Sundays are now reserved for short stories and one shots so I promise to update this in January starting from here.