Mentions of Eclare in this chapter, but none of the actual good stuff... I might be convinced to turn this into a 3, maybe 4, shot if I get a good response. Much love.

CRISIS OF FAITH

Part Two

"Hello? Anybody home?"

Clare looked up when she thought she heard a voice. Taking off the noise cancelling headphones her boyfriend had given her she listened carefully.

"Hello?"

A smile stretched across Clare's face when she heard the voice clearly. Throwing the headphones onto her desk –gently, they were Eli's after all- she hopped up from her desk and ran into the hall. "Darcy?"

"Clare!"

Squealing the sisters flew into each other's arms. "I can't believe you're here! What are you doing here?"

"I'm home." Darcy grinned, gesturing to the two giant suitcases at the top of the stairs.

"Like home home?" Darcy nodded. "But what about Kenya?"

Darcy shrugged, a serious look on her face, "The school's built and while it's not necessarily done… I got your last e-mail and thought you needed me more."

Clare felt tears well up in her eyes and hugged her sister again. "I do."

"Where're mom and dad?"

Clare sighed "Mom's gone for a few days with some church function and dad…" she shrugged "I don't see him much anymore."

Darcy stared into Clare's newly unobstructed eyes "It's bad, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

The sisters stared at each other in silence, until they both heard the sound of a car pulling into their driveway. "Maybe that's dad." Darcy guessed.

"Darce," Clare said pleadingly, "let's go get something to eat. We can go to The Dot; you can see all the renovations-"

"But-" the brunette looked back at Clare from where she stood at the window, "Who's the chick getting out of dad's car?"

Clare closed her eyes "Blonde?" Darcy nodded "That's dad's secretary, Mandy."

It didn't take long for Darcy to catch on "Seriously? He brings her here?"

"Sometimes." Clare responded grabbing her backpack "When he thinks no one's gonna be here."

"You're here."

The red head blushed slightly "I'm supposed to meet a friend in, like, 20 minutes."

Darcy raised a questioning brow when her sister blushed. "A boy?" That's when Darcy noticed "Clare Edwards! You're not wearing your purity ring."

Clare was about to respond when they heard the front door open and Mandy giggling. "Can we talk about this on the way to The Dot?"

"Sure," Darcy smirked "we'll take dad's car."

Clare followed her sister down the stairs, trying not to let the satisfaction Darcy's plan gave her show. "Darcy…"

"Hi dad." Darcy greeted, ignoring her sister completely.

"Darcy?"

"In the flesh." The brunette let the sarcasm soak her words.

"You're home…"

"And you're as observant as ever. Can I borrow your car? Clare and I are going out."

"But-"

"Who is this girl, Randy?" the blonde asked, twirling a long dyed lock of hair around her finger.

Clare rolled her eyes and Darcy snorted in disbelief "Well, let's see, I just called him dad…" Mandy stared at her uncomprehendingly and Darcy shook her head. The 19 year old glared into her father's eyes "She's a real winner, pop. Keys?"

Randal Edwards sighed and placed the car keys into his daughter's waiting hand. "Be back by-"

"We'll be back when we're ready. I hope mom doesn't come home while your car's gone."

She didn't wait for her father's reaction and dragged her younger sister from the house. "Darcy, mom's not going to be home for like 2 days."

Darcy shrugged as she started the car. "I'm sure dad doesn't know that, and I really want that blonde slut to have to walk home." Clare reached up to touch the silver cross that always hung around her neck, drawing her sister's attention to her hands once again. "So," the brunette said "the ring thing. Spill."

Clare looked down at the ring finger that used to be the home of her purity ring, which now sported a slightly ostentatious silver skull, and smiled. "I-"

"Have you had sex?"

"Would you think I was a bad Christian if I had?"

Darcy looked over at her sister as she stopped at a red light. "Of course not Clare. If there's one thing I've learned it's that sex isn't the end or the beginning of faith."

"But Darce, our circumstances are kind of different…"

"You mean the fact that you have a choice?"

"Yeah." The red head said softly as she unconsciously spun the skull ring on her finger.

"Clare…" Darcy trailed off as she pulled into The Dot's parking lot. "I'm sorry, but why is there a hearse at The Dot?"

"His name is Morty." Clare smiled.

"Who?" Darcy wrinkled her nose "Eww, Clare, you're sleeping with a guy named Morty?"

"The hearse's name is Morty."

Darcy quirked an eyebrow, "Clever."

"I'm contemplating sleeping with the guy that drives Morty."

Darcy's eyebrow rose further "Really?"

Clare nodded and turned to her sister "I told him I wanted to have sex with him and he told me we were going to wait until my 'crisis of faith' was over."

"And is it?"

Clare looked down at the ring on her finger and back up at Morty, a smile spreading across her face. "I think it is. I think- it wasn't God I lost my faith in, just... dad."

"There's good guys out there Clare."

"I know."

"So you should get out and meet your Morty driving, skull wearing, good guy."

"Come in."

"I wouldn't want to intrude on your date; especially one that could end up with sex in the back of a hearse."

Clare scoffed "I may have revised my policy on sex before marriage, but I haven't revised my policy on sex in the back of a car."

Darcy laughed "Go meet up with your boyfriend."

Clare blushed "You should come in Darce. There's a good guy in there for you too."

"Peter's in there?"

Clare nodded "Are you over your issues with men?"

Darcy smiled slightly "I think I am."

"So we've both restored our faith?" Darcy nodded. "Then let's go get our men."