Claire's pov

Michael lunged at me he obviously got the wrong idea. Mind you I probably wouldn't have thought any different if I had walked in on the current scene.

I pivoted and followed through with a roundhouse kick to his chest. It sent him flying in the opposite direction and into the wall. He shook it off and lunged again this time I ducked and slid underneath him, jumped up and booted him square in the back. I bent down and held the knife above his chest.

"Michael let me explain" I asked pleading.

"Explain what! I come home to find you wielding a knife at Eve and Shane! How could you Claire?" hurt made its way into Michael's voice.

"I wasn't. I was… I …uh" I struggled to explain the situation before Michael had arrived. He obviously thought that I was lying, I could see it in his face

"She's telling the truth Michael" Eve whispered.

"Don't defend her Eve. I get it if you're scared of her but she cant hurt you, just tell me the truth!" Michael pleaded.

"No Michael, she's telling the truth. She came home with her gang and one of her members overreacted and held me at knife point and another grabbed Eve, Claire pulled the knife from her boot and held it against his throat and ordered the other to let Eve go. She got a little blood on her knife, the guys blood not ours, and was holding up t look at it hats when you walked in" Shane told Michael.

"She protected us Michael, after everything she still loved us enough to protect us" Eve whispered and broke down crying. Through her sobs I could hear her saying "I want my Claire bear back".

Not realising I was doing it, I walked over to Eve and pulled her into a hug, she sobbed loudly on my shoulder.

"I just want the sweet, innocent, little Claire we used to know back!" she wailed.

"Shh Eve Shh" I rocked her gently as she sobbed. I began to feel uncomfortable so I let her go and stepped back. I tugged at my leather jacket to straighten it. I picked up the knife I had dropped by Eve and slid it into my boot. My beer had been placed on the table so I picked it up and took a swig.

"Hey listen im gonna head off to bed" I said to no one in particular. I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. I tucked in my body and rolled jumping up into a fighting stance, ready for anything that came my way.

"Jeez Claire I was just gonna hug ya" Michael chuckled.

"Yeah well" I said awkwardly.

"Where'd ya learn to fight like that. I mean you took me on and was completely vamped out" Michael asked.

"Gangs tend to be able to hold their own and to do that they need a strong leader. That's me Michael. Look after tonight I completely understand if you wanted me outa here, hell after the last few weeks I wouldn't be surprised if ya wanted me out, so im just gonna call Amelie, have her house me somewhere else" she was gone before any one could speak.

"But I don't want you gone!" I heard Eve scream.

"You're my best friend, Claire. Don't go" she whispered. I walked back into the living room.

"It'd be safer for you all if I did Eve. You saw what Brett almost did to Shane, and Cam could have easily hurt you the way he lifted you like that" Claire murmured to Eve.

"But what about you, Claire. You're so fragile" she looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Let me show you something" I got up and shrugged out of my jacket and dropped it to the floor. I had pulled the bottom of my shirt up a few inches before Shane interrupted.

"Uh Claire? We getting a strip tease or something"

"Yeah you'd like that wouldn't you Shane?" I teased back. I pulled the tank over my head and dropped it to the floor along with my jacket. The vest top joined it, leaving me standing there with only my bra covering the top half of my body. I pulled it aside just a little to reveal the scar that the .39 calibre bullet had left there.

"Holy Fucking Shit Claire! You've been shot" I laughed. A sad little laugh it was.

"Yeah and it was bloody painful, but that's besides the point. I can handle myself, the guy who shot me, well lets just say that I hope he rots wherever he is"

"He's dead!" Eve yelped.

"Yeah I got in a head shot before I passed out" I left it at that and picked up my discarded clothes and left them all staring at me as I left the room.

Shane's pov

God! She been shot!

I stared after her tears rolling hot and heavy down my cheeks. I didn't want her leaving again.

"Shane?" whispered Eve. I bent down to listen to her.

"Go after her Shane. Convince her to stay" that was all the encouragement I needed. I ran up the stairs and flew down the hall. I stood outside her door. I took a deep breath before knocking.

"Come in" came Claire's voice. I opened the door, remembering that the last time I had opened it I had found her gone.

"Listen Claire" I started but she cut me off.

"Don't worry Shane im not leaving. I really should, but I cant bring myself to. Shut the door" she said. I closed it firmly behind me. As soon as the door was closed she broke. She sank to the floor sobbing her heart out. I ran to her and gathered her in my arms and rocked her as she had Eve. I felt tears form in my eyes but I didn't hold them back I simply let them fall.

"Im so so so sorry Claire. You cant imagine how sorry I am" she turned in my arms to face me.

"Awww Shane" she wiped at the tears on my cheeks, I repeated the action on her cheeks.

"God you must hate me" she began quietly sobbing again.

"What!" I was absolutely shocked, why would she think that.

"Claire why would you think that?" I asked completely dumbfounded.

"I shouldn't have let him out me in that position" she wailed.

"No Claire! don't think like that. I should have trusted you, and when Eve explained to me what happened I raced right up here to apologise but you.." his voice cracked but he continued.

"You had already gone, I came in and sat right here and cried like a little girl. I haven't been in here since you left" we sat in silence for a little while.

"So how was New York?" I asked trying to lighten the mood.

"You're the only one to have succeeded in getting out. I wanna know what its like" she laughed a little.

"Its a scary and dangerous place out there Shane"

"Yeah I gathered that form the gunshot wound on your tit, you dunbass. Oh and next time you strip in front of another guy I'll kill you myself" we laughed and we fell asleep. Me with Claire in my lap. At last things seem to be looking up.

Hey guys. im thinking on ending this here but i still have a few ideas that i could use in this story let me know if you think i should or just leave it her. read and review plz!

Hannah L X:D