Author's Note: Hi everyone. Thanks for checking out the story. So, I'm going to be posting the whole story right in one go, divided into chapters none the less. The first few chapters will be a little longer, but I thought the more fragmented format was better for this particular story. For a little background, this takes place on Vegas Night- with the primary difference being that Eli is indeed hurt. Alright, so I hope you enjoy the story and remember to comment and review. Criticisms, if helpful, are welcomed. ENJOY.
Clare's breath seemed to be caught in her suddenly dry throat. She pulled, as hard as she could, on Adam's shoulder as soon as she caught sight of him. "Where's Eli?" she murmured frantically, praying he was safe, away from Fitz.
"He's out there looking for you, he wanted to apologize for-" he never bothered finishing that sentence, Clare had already scurried away. Confused, Adam turned back to some friends, after all, it was never fun to get in between Clare and Eli when the happy couple was fighting.
Clare had already made her way across the dance floor in her haste. Finding a security officer, she grabbed frantically on his jacket, pulling at his sleeve. "Young lady, please, that is no way to-" he began authoritatively.
"Please sir, there's a student with a knife!" she tried to remain as calm as possible, but she was crying anyways, the first few drops of water splashing to her cheeks.
The man's eyes got wider, "Where?" he was suddenly at full attention.
"In the hall somewhere, I'm not really sure, I mean- I ran in here to find- He's after Eli! I mean, a friend of mine." Her words became more and more frantic as her scattered thoughts drifted to the weapon Fitz was wielding, the danger, that Eli wasn't even aware of. "He's going to hurt him, I know it!" She turned heel and headed for the door, intent on finding Eli while the cops took care of Fitz. She had to see it with her own eyes, hold him her own arms before she would believe he was safe.
"You can't go out there, miss. It's too much of a danger!" the officer was right behind her.
"You don't understand! I have to find him before Fitz, I mean the guy with the knife, does! He'll try to be brave and end up doing something stupid and then he'll get hurt, please, we're losing time!" She was frustrated, this guy didn't understand how these things worked. He didn't understand the psychology of Eli Goldsworthy, who was more likely to mock his attacker instead of using his instinct and running.
"I'm sorry, you're going to have to stay here. Go talk to him over there, he pointed to another uniformed man, and tell him everything you know. I'll try to find your friend, hopefully safe."
In a numb state, Clare made her way slowly towards the other man. By this time, a message had been radioed out to several other officers, calling in reinforcements. The lights flickered and came on, the music shredded to a silent halt and the true tears began to come, glimmers of hope darkening to a dull ache that was fear. An announcement was made about the lockdown, chaperone's began taking position by the entrances, containing the students in the panicked gymnasium that suddenly felt simultaneously claustrophobic and empty to Clare.
The stranger asked a slew of questions, they all seemed trivial. What did it matter if Eli had done anything to provoke violent retribution, if he was about to be killed by psycho with a knife? They had to save him no matter what.
If they didn't, she feared she might spend the rest of her life living in that world that was both claustrophobic and empty, with that dull ache never leaving. A world without Eli, a world where she hadn't even said goodbye.