"What do you mean 'it was Myrnin'?" Claire didn't answer Shane. She didn't think she could. "Claire, what did he do to you?" Claire looked up at him and the tears poured down her face in streams. She couldn't control it anymore.

"It was yesterday. I was just about to leave, to come home, and he stopped and said he needed to talk to me. And then he pushed me up against the wall and..." Claire didn't think she could go on. The memory still haunted her.

"And?" Shane probed. His face was full of kindness, a kindness Claire didn't think she deserved.

"And... he kissed me. I tried to fight him off, but he was too strong. He grabbed by arms and he was holding really tight. That's how I got the bruises." And then she broke down. Claire couldn't take it anymore. It was all too much for her. Shane wrapped his arms around her and held her, while she cried her heart out. When she started to calm down, he let go of her and looked her straight in the face. His eyes were full of worry.

"Was this all he did to you? I mean, he didn't... hurt you anywhere else, did he?" Claire shook her head, too overcome to speak. Shane looked relieved for a second and then he stood up and started pacing the room. He was pissed. You could tell it just by looking at his face. Eve and Michael walked in, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. Claire hurriedly pulled her sleeves back down, to cover the bruises. They stopped talking and looked at Shane first, pacing the room, and then Claire, with tears still fresh in her eyes.

"What's going on?" Eve asked. "Are you two having a fight?" Michael looked pissed then, at Shane. Of course they'd jump to the wrong conclusions. Claire should have thought of that before.

"No. We're not fighting." That was all Claire could manage to get out. The rest seemed to get stuck in her throat.

"Shane, what's going on?" Michael looked wary now, and like Eve, he was alarmed to see Claire in tears.

Shane took a deep breath. "It's Myrnin." He shook his head and looked at Claire, love and worry filling his face. "He..." Shane stopped and then had to start again. "He attacked Claire." There was silence in the room. Complete silence. Both Eve and Michael were in shock.

"What do mean, he attacked Claire?" Eve asked. She was starting to panic now.

"I mean he kissed Claire without asking and then he grabbed her arms. He could have broken her wrists. She has bruises, for christ's sake." Shane voice got higher and higher. The anger was starting to boil out of him.

"Bruises?" Eve asked. He face was lined with shock. She scanned Claire's body, as did Michael, but they didn't see any visible bruises. Shane walked to Claire and, gently, lifted both of her sleeves, so that the bruises on her wrists and arms were clearly visible. Eve gasped and Michael face changed from confused to horrified. Eve covered her mouth with both hands. They stared at the bruises in silence and then Eve ran to Claire and put her arms around her. You could see Michael trying to work it out in his head. He stood there, just staring at Claire's arms and then he said, quietly,

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday." Claire whispered, just loud enough for Michael to hear. There was silence and then Shane said,

"That son of a b-"

"Shane!" Eve's voice broke through the last part of his sentence. "That's not helping."

"Well it's helping me!" Shane yelled. There was silence and then Shane continued. "He hurt her, Eve. He hurt Claire. How are you expecting me to feel? I don't even know how to feel. I don't even know what to do." His voice broke at the end and the pain he felt started to seep through. None of them knew how to feel or what they should do. They all sat there, Eve on one side, and Shane on Claire's other side, both holding her hands. Michael paced. He couldn't seem to sit still.

"We have to do something." Michael said, not looking up from the floor, as he continued to walk back and forth.

"Well duh. Of course we have to do something." Shane said. "He is NOT getting away with this. EVER." The anger in Shane made his voice as hard as rock and as blunt as a knife.

"We should tell Amelie." Michael said. "She can't let this slip by. She has to see that this isn't right. We have to make her see that this isn't right." They all nodded in agreement, all except for Claire, who was to numb to do anything.

"Then let's go!" Shane said. "What are we waiting for?"

"Hold on, Shane. Claire, are you ok to do this? Do you think you can?" Michael asked Claire tentatively. She looked up at him. She was too numb from crying to have any other emotion. She nodded, or at least she thought she nodded. She couldn't really tell. "Let's go then." They left the house and headed straight to founder's square. The drive was long and silence. Shane and Michael were too pissed to talk. Eve was too upset. And Claire just couldn't seem to feel anything at all. She was numb and cold. She shivered, even though the car's heating was on. Shane scooted closer to her and put his arm around her.

"You're going to be ok, Claire. We're gunna tell Amelie and she's gunna sort this mess out. You don't need to worry. We're all here for you." Even though Shane was so angry he could burst, he couldn't be like that to Claire. She'd been tramatized enough already. By this time, they had arrived at founder's square. They left a message with the guards that they had to speak with Amelie urgently and, after talking to her personal secretary, they were allowed through to see her. Michael parked in the underground carpark and shut off the engine.

"Ok guys. We can't go in there all guns blazing-"

"Why not?" Shane said. He held up his hand. "I, for one, would fully support doing that, in the mood I'm in."

"Shane, we can't do that. Amelie won't like it and she'll see it as a threat. And we all know what happens when you threaten the founder..." He left it hanging. They all were fully aware of the consequences of that. Claire shuddered. "We need to let Claire do the talking. She may not want to..." He looked at Claire in the rearview mirror, and then continued. "... but she has to. It's about her, so she has to say it. We're only here for backup,ok?" He could see that Shane was about to protest, so he cut him off. "No I mean it, Shane. Don't argue with me now. We're here to help Claire. And what you're thinking won't help." Shane shut his mouth. He knew Michael was right. "So, are we all clear?" They all nodded and got out of the car.

By the time they got to Amelie's office, Claire had a pretty faint idea of what she was planning on saying. But the minute she got inside the office, and when she saw Amelie, she couldn't seem to summon up the courage to say them.

"Claire. Oh and the rest of the Glass house residents. To what do I owe this pleasure? My secretary said it was important?" Claire shuddered. Those were the same words Myrnin had used yesterday when she first saw him. Michael, sensing Claire couldn't talk, decided to go against his own rule and spoke for her.

"Amelie. We have a... problem. It's to do with Claire... And Myrnin."

"And what is this problem, may I ask?"

"Myrnin... He... He attacked Claire." Michael let that sit for a second. Amelie just stared at him.

"And what do you mean by, 'he attacked Claire'?"

"He kissed her and then grabbed her arms. She has bruises to prove it."

"You do, Claire?" Amelie asked, eyebrows raised. Claire nodded and lifted her sleeves to show her. Silence. And then Amelie let out her breath, slowly. "I see." was all she said. The silence stretched on and on and then Shane said,

"So what are you going to do about it?" Eve and Michael shot him quick warning glances. Amelie just continued to stare at Claire's arms. After a while, she looked up at each of their faces, saving Claire for last.

"What is it you want me to do about this?"

"Are you kidding me?" Shane asked, shock and anger clear on his face. "Are you actually kidding me?" His voice rose higher, until he was almost shouting. "What do you think we want you to do? What, nothing? Is that what you think? Well, let me tell you, lady-" Amelie's calm voice cut across his sentence.

"I assure you, Mr Collins, that something will be done. HIs actions will not go unpunished. I was merely aquiring as to what you suggest would be an appropriate form of action now. Oh, and the next time you even consider threatening me, I won't be so nice about it." Her gaze was cold as ice and Claire shivered, even though it wasn't directed at her. Amelie continued to stare at Shane, until she was satisfied that he wasn't going to answer her back, and then she continued. "I will be talking to Myrnin and I will get to the bottom of this... problem."

"Is that it?" Eve asked. "Is that all you can do?" She asked it nicely, but still Amelie focused her stare on her and Eve quickly amended, "I just mean't that talking to him isn't going to help. He's not a patient. This needs a proper punishment-"

"And this will have a proper punishment, I can tell you this. I know you may not think it, but I am also deeply disturbed by this. I just am better at concealing my emotions. But don't you worry. Myrnin will be punished as I see fit, you can count on that." She nodded, a clear signal that she wanted them to leave. With a glance between them, they started towards the door. "Claire." Amelie called her back. "You are not required to visit Myrnin until this... issue is resolved. Is that clear?" Claire nodded and left, closing the door behind her.