Welcome to this two-shot! Remember how I said the unfinished Asher story spawned a million plot bunnies? This is another one of those plot bunnies.

Legal: I own nothing but the idea.

Important things to know about this story:

*This story contains possible trigger warnings read with caution

*POV jumps around a bit in this chapter

*Mostly cannon through Waterfalls I changed some details which are explained in this chapter

*This begins a couple days after Clare and Asher in the car

*Fitz still works at The Dot but backed off after Eli crashed and he and Eli are civil to each other

Ch. 1 Don't Let the Darkness Swallow You

(DREW)

"I'm not going to know anyone here," I complain to Bianca as we approach the house.

"It's a party you'll mingle," she replies. The party we're at is being held by someone Bianca knows from the ravine. Owen and Fitz were invited too but Fitz is working and Owen is hanging with some of the Ice Hounds tonight for team bonding or something.

Bianca opens the door and we go into the party. I see a lot of faces I've never seen before and one I see nearly every day but would never expect to see at a party held by ravine kids. Not only is she at a party held by ravine kids but she's drinking heavily. Clare is sitting on the kitchen table, downing a shot of something. She's giggling and there's a couple guys flirting with her.

Bianca and I both freeze when we see her. Bianca doesn't know Clare at all and I only know her through Adam, she's been at the house many times but we've exchanged very few words. I know I don't know her very well but I know that she would never be at a party drinking that much. She doesn't even seem to be bothered by the fact that the guys are flirting with her, touching her hair and skin even though she's still dating Eli.

"Did we pass into an alternative universe?" Bianca questions as we're still watching Clare.

"I guess so. I'll ask Adam if something's up with her tomorrow but maybe she's just trying to get attention like when she ran into the woods. You want something to drink?"

"Just pop, I have a later curfew but I still can't be caught drinking."

I grab a pop for Bianca and a beer for me, Bianca starts chatting with people she actually knows the people here. I get a little bored and start watching Clare as she flirts with the guys as much they flirt with her. I wonder if Eli knows where she is and then realize he doesn't because he'd be here now dragging her out and killing every one of these guys. Although I don't know her that well I start to worry about how much she's drinking. There's drinking for teenage rebellion, teenagers wanting to have fun and experiment with alcohol, and then there's drinking to get over something. Clare is drinking pretty heavily and seems to be trying to forget something with the use of alcohol.

"Let's play grizzly details," one boy says.

"Okay, what's that?" Clare asks but follows the boys to sit on the floor so they can play.

"It's like truth or dare. You'll catch on real fast," another boy assures her.

I decide to play with them and keep a closer eye on Clare. At this point she's so drunk it wouldn't take much for one of the boys to take advantage of her.

"Hi Drew," Clare grins realizing I'm here. "You're so cute Drew," she giggles throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly.

"Hey Clare," I reply patting her head because I know she's quiet drunk.

One of the guys begins and it takes a few round to get to Clare but when it does she's asked about the first time she had sex.

"She's never…" I begin to tell them she's never had sex but Clare cuts me off.

"My co-op boss, his car, a couple of nights ago," she says and my mouth drops open as my eyes widen with shock. Part of me wants to believe that she's joking, that she's drunk and doesn't know what she's saying. But if she's saying drunk fantasies I'd expect it to be about Eli or something not her co-op boss. And when she said it she wasn't smiling or happy or giggly like she has been for the rest of the night she's somber and sad.

"Ooh an older man," one girl laughs.

"Nice," a guy grins but Clare cringes. They don't see the look in her eyes but I do. Whatever happened with her boss I have a bad feeling about it.

Clare doesn't look drunk anymore but she gets up and grabs another drink. She downs it in a few seconds and then takes another drink, and then a shot and then she passes out. She lies back on the floor and one of the guys looks at her with a carnal grin. If I leave her for even a second these guys will eat her alive. So I pick her up and start looking for Bianca.

"B I'm going to take Clare to my house she passed out."

"Yeah I can see that, I'll come with you," she says.

Bianca says goodbye to her friends and I put Clare in the backseat. When we start driving back to my place I tell her what Clare confessed during grizzly details.

"Shit her co-op boss raped her in his car?"

"That's what it sounded like but she was very drunk and I didn't get a chance to ask any questions. I don't think taking her home like this is a good idea."

"Yeah probably not, I wonder what Fiona will tell Eli when she finds Clare there in the morning?"

"Eli will freak if he finds out let's hope he doesn't," I reply.

We get back to the loft and I carry Clare up, B unlocks the door after fishing the keys from my pocket. I know Fiona is out with Imogen but I'm not sure when they'll be back so I take Clare into my room. There's a small sofa in this room and I set Clare on that. I cover her with a blanket and then Bianca and I watch TV in the living room. I consider telling my brother I have Clare here and she was drunk but I don't want to worry him and I don't want him to tell Eli. Bianca and I go to bed pretty early checking on Clare before we fall asleep. We sleep soundly until Clare groans the next morning. I know she's about to throw up so I grab the trashcan from near my bed and take it to her. She grabs it and vomits several times.

"I feel terrible," Clare complains.

"Welcome to hangover hell Babe," Bianca says as she stands up. "I'll grab her some water and put on some coffee."

"Do you remember last night?" I ask Clare.

"I remember getting to the party and drinking and…we didn't kiss or anything did we? I have a vague recollection if sitting next to you in a circle playing truth or dare or something," she comments just as Bianca returns with water.

"You hugged me and it was grizzly details. Someone asked about your first time and you said it was a couple of nights ago with your co-op boss in his car," I enlighten her and she suddenly goes green. She looks like she might vomit again but instead she bursts into tears.

"He kissed me first," she says between sobs and wipes her eyes. "Writing the article for Eli's play her kissed me after we finished. I was shocked and couldn't believe it was happening and then I pushed him away and ran out. I told Ali but no one else, I confronted Asher about it when I got to co-op and he told me it was a mistake and his fault and some other stuff. It sounded reasonable, we were working closely together and he lost his head for a moment. I believed it every word of it and things went back to normal, for a few hours. He invited me to cover the mayoral debate that evening and I wasn't worried at all. We were in his car, he showed me my article for Eli's play and then…" she pauses biting her lip as her eyes well with saltwater once more. "It happened so fast…it didn't seem real…I was sure I was dreaming…he was on top of me so fast…he moved the seat back…hiked up my dress…" Clare pauses every few words for a deep shuddering breath and to cry. Her thoughts seem fractured and she looks like she might break.

"He raped you," Bianca whispers and Clare nods.

"It hurt and felt like it was forever but it wasn't. When he was done he sat down again and started driving. I couldn't even cry I was just…sort of not there. He took me home; I didn't even know he knew where I lived. Before I got out of the car he told me if I cared about my career I'd keep quiet and then he drove off. I told Mom I wasn't feeling well and stayed home sick. When I went to co-op on Friday I went to Asher's boss and told her he assaulted me only to find out he already went to her and told her it was consensual and I am age of consent. I got fired for sexually assaulting him," Clare says between extreme rage and deep sorrowful hopelessness.

"You should go to the cops," I tell her but she shakes her head.

"His boss didn't believe me why would the cops?" Clare asks crying so hard again I can barely hear her. Clare cries for a while, curled up and without speaking and I'm not sure what to do. Bianca goes out to the kitchen and brings in some coffee for Clare and I look at my phone.

"I have to leave for work soon," I comment to Bianca.

"I don't feel well, I don't want to go home yet," Clare says.

"I'll stay with her," Bianca tells me.

"Okay I need to get ready for work, Clare you can rest in my bed," I tell her and she gets up moving shakily she lays in my bed. "You can rest here as long as you like, I'll check in later."

Bianca covers Clare up and I grab some clothes to change in the washroom. When I come out Clare seems to be asleep again in my bed. I kiss Bianca goodbye and leave for work but I spend the whole drive thinking about what Clare confessed to us. By the time I've gotten to work I decide Adam needs to know about this. He'll know how to help her, he won't overreact and Clare trusts him.

(BIANCA)

Drew leaves and I watch Clare sleeping. After a while I decide to bring in some food and water for her. She may not be hungry when she wakes up but she should eat and she will need water. I'm not so worried about Fiona finding Clare here I'm worried about Fiona not telling Eli. I know he's Clare's boyfriend but I don't think he'll take this well and if he freaks out it's only going to make things worse for Clare.

She sleeps for a couple of hours before waking again and asks to shower. She's in there for a while and I get her a pair of my sweats I have here and one of Drew's hoodie's so she doesn't have to wear her dress all day.

"Here you need to drink some water, I know you probably don't feel very hungry but start with some bread," I comment handing them to her when she sits back on Drew's bed.

"Thanks," she says quietly.

"I know what you're going through, not entirely but I was raped by Anson the first time. I know that you feel dirty, and ashamed and part of you never wants to be touched again."

"And scared, I'm terrified to see Asher again, to go to the cops, to look anyone in the eye ever again."

"It's going to feel that way for a while. It will feel like it's never going to get better and that you want to just crawl into a hole and never emerge. But eventually, slowly and with the help of people that care about you it will begin to wither away. It will take a long time but you also have to decide if you're going to let it swallow you and become trapped in the darkness of mistrust and hate or if you're going to be stronger than it and try to live not just to survive."

I don't often get to share pearls of wisdom but this is something I do know about. Something I've been through, more than once just by the lifestyle I led. Clare bites her lip, contemplating my advice. I watch as she rolls her lower lip between her teeth as her mind is probably going a million miles an hour thinking of all manner of things and probably fighting back a few memories.

"I'd like to go home before Fiona gets home," she says quietly.

"Okay I'll take you."

Clare gets her purse and dress and we go down to my car, I drive her home and see Jake's truck in the driveway. At least someone will be here with her.

"Thanks for the ride Bianca, and the advice, tell Drew thanks too," Clare says quietly before getting out of the car.

"If you ever want to talk or just need someone who understands you still have my number right?"

Clare nods and gets out of the car. I watch her walk inside and then I drive to the mall to see Drew.

"Where's Clare?" He asks when I walk up to the kiosk.

"She wanted to go home. I saw Jake's truck there when I dropped her off. She's scared and she's not going to go to the cops. I know how she feels, and I told her that."

"I'm going to get together with Adam after work and tell him. Clare might be mad but I'm not telling Eli and Adam can help her better than I can. It's not like Clare really likes me anyway," Drew remarks.

"I think telling Adam is a good idea. Call me later," I tell him leaning over the counter to kiss him before I leave.

After what Clare's been through I begin thinking about what I've been through. I begin inadvertently wandering to an old hang out, I place I used to come when things at home or with Anson got bad.

"Hey B," Owen calls tugging me out of my thoughts and I look over at him. "What are you doing out here?" He inquires. He's here with Fitz, they seem to be just hanging out.

"Just thinking," I reply nodding hello to the both of them.

"Sounds serious, thinking about what?" Fitz queries.

I'm not entirely sure why I do it but I spill everything to my two oldest friends, "Clare was raped. A couple of nights ago by her co-op boss in his car. Drew and I saw her at the party last night. She was drinking heavily and Drew watched her. They played grizzly details and she confessed it all and he told me later. We took her to his place, she slept on the sofa in his room. She woke up sick and told us the whole story as she cried."

"Where is she now?" Fitz asks.

"I took her home, Jake was there."

"Has she been to the cops?" Owen questions.

"She tried to tell Asher's boss and she didn't believe Clare. Asher had already told his boss that the sex was consensual and Clare's the age of consent and that she's been harassing him. So Clare got fired and now she feels like no one will believe her. It's hard enough for any rape victim to go to the cops but after getting fired and already having one authority figure not believing her I don't think she'll ever be convinced to go to the cops."

"We should get the team and teach Asher a lesson ourselves," Owen comments.

"That might just get you and the team in trouble," Fitz points out to him.

"No way," Owen shakes his head confidently.

"What did she tell you? How bad was it? Has anyone talked to her? Someone should be with her," Fitz says rapidly as he worries about Clare.

"I told her to call me if she needs to talk but the more people she knows she has for support the better. She needs all the support she can get right now. She needs to know people believe her and will listen," I tell him and Fitz nods but I can see how he's thinking, something worries him and I know he wants to be there for Clare. Owen on the other hand seems to have only thing on his mind.

"I'm going to gather the team, what was the name of her co-op boss?" He asks.

"Owen even if convince the rest of the team to hurt Asher you can't tell them about Clare she'd hate that. Besides I'm pretty sure most of your team either wouldn't care or wouldn't understand."

"I won't tell them it's for Clare just that we need to teach someone a lesson," Owen shrugs and I shake my head.

"Asher Shostak, Clare was interning with Asher Shostak at The Interpreter. I'm coming with you," Fitz says.

"You coming B?" Owen asks.

"No I'm going home but when you know what you're doing call me. I'll see you guys later," I reply.

We walk out together and then split up to go to our cars. Part of me hopes that they find Asher and just beat the crap out of him or worse for what he did. I have a feeling if he went that far with Clare he's probably done it before and I wonder how many other girls out there suffered silently because of Asher Shostak.

So the update tomorrow, which is the nice thing about One Shot Month, will begin in Adam's pov finding out from Drew.