Hi there guys :) Thank you so, so much for the reviews, they're all so amazing! *Virtual hugs for all* I was going to end this here in a different way and just close this fic, but then i realised there was more i could do with it, so there you go.
I'd love to know what you think about this chapter and whether i should keep going with this storyline.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Morganville Vampires.
Michael was moving through the door at unbelievable speeds, but still the shot went off. A horrible, blinding pain ripped through one side of her body, but not where she expected. What the hell? The thoughts in her mind were angry, it was her wrist that was hurting. She was still alive. Michael had broken her wrist slapping the gun out of the way, the shot went wide and the tiny little bullet that was just about to end her forever was buried in the shower wall. A tiny line of blood was flowing freely down from her forehead where the metal had scratched her when Michael had pulled it away. Eve and Shane were crowding in now, heading for her, while Michael stood stunned with the gun at his feet. No! A horrible, silent scream ran through her head, the connection building up on last burst of power. NO! It screamed again, forcing the word to come out of Claire's mouth as well. It had been intended to do more than that, to make her body reach out and grab for the gun again, but apparently the connections power was dropping. Real Claire was swimming to the surface again, winning the battle.
'Claire..' Shane sounded like the word had been ripped out of his mouth, Claire looked up at him while she cradled her wrist against her chest. Shane could see obviously the battle going on in Claire's head with the way her eyes were flashing between terrified and defiant, until eventually, terrified won. Inside Claire's head, the tiny flickering part of her real mind won the battle and Claire turned those eyes on Shane, showed him that it was really her, and then the connection dropped completely. A few seconds later, Shane was fading away and the darkness overcame her.
Beep.
Well that's an annoying alarm.. Someone should turn that off.
Beep. This time a warm hand lay against her cheek as well. Claire drew in a deep breath, trying to figure out who it was. The scent was familiar.
Beep. That warm, familiar hand was now accompanied by a deep familiar voice calling out her name.
Okay, open your eyes. It probably time for college or something.
Slowly, carefully, Claire fluttered her eyes open and looked into the concerned face of Shane. Why was he looking at her like that? Oh god, the light hurts. Claire's head was pounding, her mouth was dry and her wrist was aching like she'd never felt before. That annoying, constant beeping continued on in the background. Claire shut her eyes again against the pain the light was causing.
'Claire, sweetie?' Shane whispered, his breath warm against her forehead.
'Mhmm.' She managed to whisper out, her throat scratchy. Shane realised and moved away to pick up a little plastic cup of water with a straw in it from the table beside her bed. Wait, bedside table.. Where am I? Claire opened her eyes again as Shane lowered the straw to her mouth, slowly she swallowed twice before trying to talk again.
'Shane,' Claire paused, taking the time to look around the room and finally feel all the stickers and wires attached to her body. 'Why am I in the hospital?' She looked up at him with what she knew was an incredulous look.
'You don't remember?' Claire shook her head. 'Okay then, it's probably just the drugs or something, but, erm, some vampires were using a device to sort of plant things in your mind.. And well, they tried to make you.. Well.. There was the balcony, and then there was my gun and the bathroom..' Shane stopped and looked down as Claire gasped and was shook with memories of everything that had been happening for the past month. Tears rolled down her face as her mind tried to deal with the bombardment of memories that had been the connections to have, things the real Claire had hardly even been there for. Eventually, she pulled herself together and stopped the sobs escaping her.
'The connection, it's… gone?' Claire asked quietly, not meeting Shane's eyes out of shame for what she had put them through. Shane put a hand under her chin and moved her face so that she was looking right at him.
'It's gone, and you're going to be fine. Oliver and Myrnin and Amelie.. Took care of the vampires. We're lucky Michael was there to break through the door or..' Shane had to stop as the thought of what could have happened marched their way through his head. Claire turned away from the look of anguish in his eyes to hide the tears that were threatening again in hers.
'Claire?' No response. 'Claire, please look at me.' Claire turned her head and looked at Shane's face, back to being concerned about her rather than anguished. 'It's going to be okay, now. You can probably even come home today now that you're awake and talking.' Shane smiled at her.
'How long have I been here?' Claire asked quietly, watching how beautiful Shane looked when he smiled.
'Almost two weeks. Amelie thinks it's because your mind was so violated…You had to sleep and get back to being you.' Shane looked at her, making sure she was really her again. He searched her eyes thoroughly, until he finally looked at her with his face filled with love and content with what he saw. Eventually, after he'd manoeuvred onto her bed for a very long, very tight hug, which just reminded Claire how thin she had gotten, Shane got up to find her doctor and see when she could go home.
Three hours later, after a thorough check over by her doctor and many forms being signed, Claire was on her way home with Shane in Eve's hearse, which apparently she had lent him for the day. It didn't take them long to get home, but Claire was impatient to get in, see the others, apologise, shower and eat. God, she was more hungry than she'd ever thought she'd been before. Shane had laughed with something close to joy when she'd told him that, and informed her that he'd already rang Michael who was now helping Eve make tacos at home
'Mmm.' Was all Claire said, she shot a bright smile at Shane, who returned it eagerly, reaching out to take her hand over the mid-seat panel. They reached the Glass house soon after that, and Shane was out the car, round to her side and helping her out quicker than she had even got her belt undone. The cast around the wrist the had been broken when Michael had slammed the gun out of her hand was impeding everything that she was doing. Shane had an arm around her as he slammed the door shut, and helped her walk up the stairs in front of the house. Eve whipped the door open just as they were reaching the last step, and she torn Claire from Shane's arms to wrap her in her own. Michael was not far behind, hovering and watching them, smiling broadly when Claire looked up at him. She fully returned that smile. Eventually, Claire pulled slightly out of Eves arms and looked over her into the house, inhaling deeply and finding the smell of tacos emerging from the house.
'So.. Tacos?' Claire asked, looking around at the others and smiling.
'You hungry?' Michael asked, looking at her a bit more seriously, taking in her thin condition and assessing how ill she still was. Claire just waited until his attention returned to her face, slowly, she smiled at him.
'Starving.' She replied, and the others all laughed with that same joy Shane had used earlier.
Conversation had been constant since she'd gotten through the door, with two weeks of things to be caught up on. Vampire stuff and work stuff and annoying house mate stuff. Apparently, Shane had spent pretty much all his time by Claire's bedside for the entire two weeks she was there. They hadn't told her parents about what had really happened, just that she'd had some food poising or something, which was good. Claire didn't think she could deal with that now. Eventually, Shane had pulled her away and led her upstairs, giving her time to shower, before meeting her again in her room. He was lounging back against her pillows, he bed perfectly made. Probably Eve had been in here cleaning the moment she knew she was coming home.
'Hey.' Claire said to Shane, who had sat up and was at the edge of her bed now.
'Hey yourself.' He replied, and you could practically hear the smile in his voice. He stood and walked slowly over to her, pulling her into his arms the moment he could reach her. Claire raised her head and met his lips as they descended upon hers, his arms pulled her closer to him and they let the kiss grow deeper and warmer. Somehow, they ended up on her bed, tangled up in each others arms and still kissing. Eventually, Shane pulled away and looked down at her. He held his body slightly above hers, keeping his weight from her but letting her feel his warmth.
'Not tonight, Claire. I've only just got you back. Plenty of time.' Shane rolled onto his side and opened his arms to her so that she could snuggle into him if she wanted to. She did. Shane's breathing eased and he began to relax, Claire pulled up the blanket to cover them and laid her head back down on Shane's chest. She was exhausted, full of really great food, clean and finally home and getting healthy, but still she couldn't sleep. A thought had been running around In her head, one of her own this time thankfully, ever since she'd had time to think in the shower. She wouldn't be able to sleep until she told someone about it.
'Hey, Shane?' Claire whispered against him, her warm breath flowing over his bare chest.
'Yeah?' He murmured back, wrapping his arms tighter against her again.
'The connection in my head.. It was kind of like a long range wave, right?'
'Yeah, when we asked Oliver he said it was like those secret ones that the military use in long range radios. Why do you ask?' Shane was more awake now, taking full notice of what Claire was saying.
'So, if that's the case… Shane I'm sorry to have to ask this, but surely something like that is detectable.. Right? So, why didn't Frank stop it?' Claire's voice faltered on the end, she knew how fragile the subject of Shane's dad as a vampire computer was. Apparently, Shane hadn't had that thought himself, and no one else had mentioned it if they had. He stiffened against her, his breathing changed into deep, thoughtful breaths. Like the ones he used when he was trying to defuse the anger-bomb that lived somewhere deep inside of him. Eventually, he had to let something out. His fists were trembling, clenched around her soft t-shirt.
'Motherfucker.' Shane whispered into the dark.
