A/N* Ok so I HAVE to think everyone how reviewed/emailed me about the Note I posted! As you can see I got this out before August The lovelies that you are totally inspired me! I am still having a hard time adjusting, so writing is coming REALLY slow! Thank you all for sticking by me and the awesome words you give me! Reviews are like lil shots of happiness. And boy do I like these shots They go down real smooth! To the peeps that hit me up on Twitter, I LOVE YOU! Lol I am addicted to Twitter and it's nice to have people actual follow me :D This was a very intense chapter to write and very hard to revisit my tougher times. Please remember that I have put a lot of myself into Clara. A lot of my own life. While it has been therapeutic to write the hurt, it is also very hard. Enough of my talking Enjoy!

Chapter 25: Crash and Burn

Coley came to a little as Vince carried her into the ER. Her face strained as cramps racked her lower half. That was two hours ago and no one had yet to come let the crew know what was going on. Clara sat cuddled in Dom's lap. His large hands running up and down her back and arms while he tried to keep her calm. He could feel her heart racing in fear under his hands. Dom wasn't sure if Clara could bounce back if something happened to Coley. She had already lost one pillar in her life, losing another might push her over the edge.

Vince looked horrible. His face was ashen as he sat separate from everyone else. He rested his head in his hands; blocking everyone from his view.

Both Siofra and Clara tried getting some information, but no one would give them any, even with their hospital sway. Clara had to spill why Coley was in so much danger from a simple knee to the stomach; the hush that hung over the group was heavy on them all.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the doctor rounded the corner, and Clara jumped up to meet him at the end of the hall.

"How is she?" Clara asked impatiently, fighting the urge to bounce on her toes to let out some of the excess energy and worry.

The doctor rubbed a tired hand over her face. "Recovering. It was touch and go with the baby for a bit. We weren't sure if we could get the bleeding to stop. She needs to stay in the hospital a couple of days for observation. Clara, I am not gonna lie, there is still a big chance that she could still lose the baby."

Clara choked back her tears as she listened to what Dr. Watts was telling her. She was the best on his floor, and she knew that everything that could be done was being done to help Coley.

"Can I see her now?" Clara asked as the information she received sunk in.

Dr. Watts nodded her head. "She is in room 212. You know the rules." With that said, the good doctor finally walked off to her office to finish off her shift.

Clara turned to the group that had formed behind her. "Only two people at a time can see Coley, and they can only stay for fifteen minutes at a time, once an hour, and that is during the visiting hours. I have some spare clothes in my locker. I am going to stay the night with her and you guys can take turns seeing her tomorrow." Clara looked at Dom most of the time she was talking, drawing in some of his silent strength.

Mia came up to her and wrapped her in a hug. "It will all work out, sweetie. Remember, we are all here for you. You don't have to go through anything alone ever again!" Mia whispered in Clara's ear.

Clara took a deep breath and blinked back the moisture gathering in her eyes. "Thanks, Mia."

One by one, the crew gave Clara a hug and passed on their love and concern for Coley. Vince held on the longest, letting his eyes and body tell Clara what he wanted to convoy. He still wasn't ready to admit his growing feelings for the willowy woman laying in the recovery room.

Dom was the last to go to his Clara. "Come here, baby," Dom said softly, drawing Clara into his warm embrace. Clara let Dom surround her and rested her head on his muscular chest, letting the world go for a moment, concentrating strictly on how good it felt to be in her man's arms. Dom rested his chin on the top of Clara's silky head and closed his eye as he breathed in Clara's scent. After a few minutes Clara pulled away and placed a soft kiss on Dom's firm lips. They whispered their good byes and Clara took off to her locker to change out of her racing clothes.

The locker room was quiet and empty as Clara reached into her locker for her spare set of clothes and sneakers. As she sat down to take off her high heels, the glint off her locker mirror from her necklace caught her attention. As Clara fingered the always constant necklace, she felt the tears she was holding at bay start to fall. Coley had given her the emerald initial 'C' for her high school graduation present. Coley had the same necklace only in aquamarine, Coley's birthstone, just as emerald was Clara's.

Clara's fingers fell from the necklace as the tears started to come harder and harder. Soon she was struggling to breathe as the scalding hot tears poured out of her. All the pent up worry and stress that she had been fighting to keep at bay broke as the dam inside of her burst open. Clara shot up from the bench and yank her locker shut, slamming her hands on either side of her locker. Her thoughts were whirling as she fought to shut her feelings of anger and hurt off. Clara spun around and grabbed her sneaker off the bench and threw it at lockers on the other side of the room with all of her might. When that did nothing to help relieve the iron tight grip around her heart, she picked up the other one and threw it too, yelling loudly as she chucked it.

Clara's breath came raggedly as her feelings spun out of control. Pressure kept building and building in her chest, and she couldn't stop the pain. God the pain! Clara had managed to lock it all away, and had forgotten how much she could hurt. Clara turned back to her locker and rested her head on it; the cool surface reminding her how much was out of her control. Clara drew her hand back and punched the locker next to her in pure frustration as her control on her feelings and the situation at hand spiraled away from her, denting the weak metal and tearing her knuckles open. The physical pain exploded in her hand and helped clear her mind. Clara slowly slid down her locker, coming to rest on the floor.

As her hand bled, Clara got a grip on her feelings and shoved them deep down. She couldn't deal with them right now; she needed to be strong for Coley and the rest of family. Clara leaned her head back against the row of lockers and closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. Piece by piece, Clara locked her feelings back up and cleared her mind, shoving away all the bad till she could deal with it later. Clara's no fail method for dealing with all the tough times. Always pushing off dealing with her problems till tomorrow; effectively never having to really deal with them.

Clara weakly changed out of her clothes and into the spare clothes she had in her locker. Luckily, no one had come into the locker room during her little tantrum, and she didn't run into anyone when she left. Clara didn't feel like having to deal with the repercussions of her fit at the moment and if she was being honest with herself, she never wanted to deal with them.

Clara quietly entered Coley's room after taking care of her injured hand. The room was still, the only sounds coming from the machines hooked up to Coley. The baby's heartbeat being the loudest sound in the room. Clara watched the heartbeat monitor for a few minutes before her heart relaxed a little. The heartbeat was normal for how far along Coley was. Clara pulled the chair/bed closer to the bed and sat down, never taking her eyes off of Coley.

The rest of the night passed by slowly as Clara sat and stared at Coley, the last months running in a loop through her head. Coley woke up to find Clara staring off at the wall behind Coley's head.

Coley covered Clara's hand and squeezed. "Hey"

Clara focused her eyes and smiled back at Coley. "Hey yourself sister. You gave us quite a scare there."

Coley's eyes darkened with fear as she remembered why she was in the hospital in the first place. Her hands moved to cover her still taut stomach. "Is the baby ok?"

Clara brought her hands up to Coley's stomach and covered Coley's with her own small hands. "The baby is fine."

Coley let out the breath she was holding and took a good look at the room she was in and the machines she was hooked up to. When she got to the one showing a heartbeat her eyes filled with wonder.

"Is that the baby's heartbeat?" Coley asked Clara.

"It sure is and a strong heartbeat at that. Our baby is a survivor, just like its mommies," Clara told Coley with a genuine smile on her face.

Coley sighed deeply with relief. Her child might have been unexpected, but that did not cause her to love it any less. The longer she was pregnant the more attached she became to her unborn child. "How much longer do I gotta be in here?" Coley asked.

Clara shrugged. "I don't know; I haven't talked to your doctor yet. They should be making their morning rounds soon."

Coley stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She hated being in hospitals, as did Clara. They had both been in and out of them their whole life due to kidney problems they both had.

Clara's stomach let out a loud rumble and Clara looked down at it sheepishly. "I think I am going to go hit up the café now that you are awake. Are you gonna be ok for a few?"

Coley gave Clara a 'Are you kidding me' look and Clara laughed.

"I'll be back as soon as I am done eating," Clara leaned down and kissed Coley on the forehead. "Try not to get in any trouble."

Coley did roll her eyes that time and shooed Clara away.

"Are you sure you didn't bribe them?" Clara asked as she watched Coley sign her discharge papers.

Coley shot Clara a dark look. "Yes, Clara, for the hundredth time, I did not bribe, flirt, or threaten the doctor in any way shape or form."

By the time Clara had come back from her quick breakfast, Coley had been moved to a regular room and been given a discharge time for later that afternoon. Clara had texted Dom earlier to let him know to not have anyone come up to visit since the two girls would be home by dinner time.

Clara threw her hands up in surrender. "I am just making sure. Dr. Watts was pretty concerned last night, and now you are being released this afternoon."

Coley shook her head at Clara and slowly swung her legs over the bed so that she could stand up. "They said the baby's heartbeat was fine and the ultrasound was normal. I haven't bled since you brought me in last night and my stats are normal."

Clara rushed over to help Coley out of the bed and into the wheelchair the nurse insisted Coley be wheeled out in. "I just worry, Cole, you know that. I don't like when one of us is sick and I can't help."

Coley sat gingerly in the wheelchair. Her stomach was still sore from the knee she took, and her body ached from the changes going on inside her.

The ride to the hospital doors was quiet, and soon they were off in Clara's car that Dom had dropped off. Coley was asleep before they even left the hospital parking lot. Clara's mind was in a numb state after her minor breakdown last night. She had shoved every feeling she had into the back of her mind and locked them in a box.

Clara glanced over at Coley to make sure she was asleep and pressed the first number on her cell phone call log.

"Hey, baby."

Dom's deep baritone soothed Clara's nerves better then anything else could. Her shoulder immediately relaxed, and she took her real deep breath in hours. "We are on our way home from the hospital."

"Fuck!" Dom said softly as he ran his large hand over his hair stubbled head.

Clara leaned her head back on the headrest. "Do I even wanna know?"

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't think Coley was being released till later on this evening. I am down here at Harry's with Brian getting some parts."

Clara bit her lip. Damn that Murphy's Law, damn it all to hell. "It's okay, Cowboy. I don't know how she got them to release her so early. Can Jesse or Leon meet us at the house? Coley is passed out from some medicine they gave her and there is no way I can get her into the house by myself."

Dom rolled his eyes heavenwards and prayed. Clara was not going to like what he was about to say. "Jesse is on a date with Siofra and Leon is up the coast looking at some scrap cars."

Clara cursed under her breathe. Murphy's Law better watch the hell out, 'cause when she sees him, he is going to get his assed whooped. "What about Mia or Letty? Or hell, what about Rome?"

Dom just had to smile, when shit went wrong with Clara it went wrong. No half assing in Clara's life. "Only person at home is Vince. Mia is grocery shopping, and Letty and Rome are at the shop getting Troy's car ready for tonight's race."

Clara sighed over the phone line and didn't say anything.

"Come on, babe. You gotta get over Vince and Coley at some point in time. May as well be now."

"There isn't a Vince and Coley. The only thing there is, is a bad crush on Vince's part. Dom, you know as well as I do that Vince isn't one to settle down, and Coley isn't one to be a one night stand."

"Well, babe, he is the only one at the house right now, so all I can tell you is suck it up and get over it. Coley is a grown woman and doesn't need you playing guard dog. Vince knows how to keep his dick in his pants Clara, so stop thinking so bad of him."

Clara gripped the steering wheel hard as Dom laid down the truth. Clara knew she was acting like a lil kid about Vince's crush, but she couldn't help it. She was extremely over protective of her family and Coley was all she had outside the crew. Anyone else would have let Clara have her fit, but not Dom. He wasn't afraid to put her in her place anymore then she was him. This is why the two of them were such a good fit. They didn't let the other get away with shit.

Clara blew a stray piece of hair out of her face. "I hate it when you pull me back to the real world, you know."

Dom smiled, that was as close as an apology Clara was gonna say. "I'll call Vince and give him the heads up, babe. See you when I get home."

Clara hung up the phone with a sharp snap.

Vince was waiting for her on her porch when Clara pulled into the driveway. She eyed him as he walked down the short pathway, but didn't say anything. Clara stepped out of the car, and got the bag that held Clara and Coley's stuff out of the back seat. Vince carefully opened the passenger side door, and lifted Coley in his arms like she weighed nothing. They both walked quietly into Clara's house, Vince carried Coley upstairs to her room.

Clara stayed downstairs, and sat down on what was actually a very comfy recliner. She curled her legs in the chair and waited for Vince to come back downstairs. Which was a little longer then Clara really liked.

Vince slowed down when he saw Clara sitting in the cheap recliner she and Coley had picked up from Wally World. He came to a silent stop in front of the chair and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Let it out, Clar," Vince said in his quiet, deadly way that very much reminded Clara of a snake waiting to strike.

"Know what you are doing, Vince, and know it well. Coley gives me the word that she wants out, and I leave with her," Clara said softly, looking dead in Vince's eyes the whole time. "I know that it takes two to tango. If something does happen, then Coley will be just as guilty, but she is my sister, and we are both all we have. As much as I love you and the team, Coley needing me out shines anyone else. I know that if it came down to it, and Dom had to choose between me and the team, I wouldn't be the one winning."

Vince softened his stance and lowered his arms. Clara was right about Dom. Dom placed the team's life above his own. If the team needed out, Dom would leave in a New York minute and not look back. Dom would be miserable the rest of his life, but as long as the team was safe and okay, then that was all that mattered.

Vince nodded and leaned down to draw Clara into an awkward hug. Even though the Coley thing had them both thrown off track, it didn't change the fact that they both really did honestly like and care for each other. Things might be tense, but he got what Clara was trying to say.

Clara sighed and rested her head on Vince's chest. "Just please don't hurt her, V. I can't leave my family again."

Tears started to roll down Clara's face, as she tried unsuccessfully to stop them. Vince lifted Clara up and sat down in the recliner with Clara in his lap, hot tears pouring down her face as her exhaustion caught up with her.

Clara did something she had never done in her life outside of Dean. She cried herself to sleep in the arms of a teammate.

Dom jogged up Clara's porch steps, and silently entered what he was quickly starting to think of as another home, and stopped in his tracks when he saw the scene in front of him.

Vince and Clara were both passed out in Clara's gray recliner. Clara was curled up in Vince's lap with Vince's arms wrapped around her. Dom walked over to the couch and pulled off the old blanket Clara kept on the back that her Nana had made for her, spreading it over Vince and Clara.

Dom checked out Clara's kitchen to see what she had, pulling out what he needed for his mom's homemade spaghetti. Soon, he was in his own world as he cooked dinner for his family.

The smell of dinner soon filled the house, and Clara woke up to the feel of unfamiliar arms around her. She lifted her head and saw Vince looking down at her. They stared into each other's eyes and didn't say a word. After a moment of silence, Vince placed a soft kiss on top of Clara's head and lifted them both out of the chair.

"Come on, lil sis, smells like Dom cooked up a feast," Vince said as he ruffled Clara's hair.

Clara smiled and swatted Vince's hands away from her already messed up hair. Vince and Clara didn't get much talking in, but what words they did say carried enough punch to get the message across. There wasn't much going right in Clara's world, and she was glad that she had her honorary big brother back. She knew that it was going to be a bumpy road, but she was just along for the ride, and had no control over Vince and Coley.

"Why don't you go wake Coley up? She needs to eat," Clara told Vince after a short internal debate.

Vince understood that Clara was silently giving Vince her approval, and didn't bother to ask twice. He smiled a cheeky grin at his little sister and bounded up the stairs to the second floor.

Clara turned to go into the kitchen, and saw Dom leaning against the corner of the wall with his arms crossed over his wide chest, watching her. Dom smirked at her as she strolled up to him. He opened his arms, and Clara sighed as Dom's warmth penetrated straight to her soul.

"You did good, babe. I am proud of you," Dom whispered against Clara's neck as he kissed the spot right behind her ear that always caused her to squirm.

Clara's breath hitched as Dom's tongue swirled around the skin on her neck. Dom smiled as he heard Clara's breathing became shallow and quick. He nipped at her collarbone and slowly pulled away. He brushed her hair out of her lust filled eyes and pulled her into the kitchen.

Vince slowly pushed the door to Coley's door open and peeked in the dark room. His sharp eyes picked out Coley's still form on her bed in the middle of the room. Vince stealthy moved to Coley's bed, and gently kneeled beside it. A streak of moonlight filtered through Coley's window shades and bathed her face in sliver light, causing her already pale skin to look even more luminous. Vince traced Coley's cheeks with the tip of his finger, and closed his eyes as a swarm of emotions took over his body. Vince withdrew his hand from Coley's face, as he waited for his emotions to get under control again. Neither he nor Coley were in a place in their lives to be in a relationship, and Vince sure as hell wasn't going to mess up the friendship they did have going on.

Vince pulled out his phone, punched in Coley's number, and hit send. Within seconds, Coley's phone was singing Addicted by Saving Abel. Coley groaned at the interruption of her sleep, and rolled over to silence her phone. However, instead of finding her phone, she came face to face with Vince. Coley's eyes popped open, and she scooted back away from him. Vince watched in amusement as the fog lifted from Coley's mind.

"What are you doing here?" Coley croaked out as her brain started to click into place.

"Dinner is ready," Vince said plainly.

Coley nodded. "Thank you for waking me up. I'll be down there in a minute."

Vince got up and walked to Coley's door, but right before he could walk out, he turned around. "Coley you sure know how to make sleeping look good." Vince winked and walked the rest of the way out of Coley's room leaving her flabbergasted.

By the time Coley came downstairs, everyone was outside sitting at the new picnic table Rome and Letty had given Clara as a house warming gift. The yard was lit up with Tiki Torches and fairy lights that wrapped around the fence. Dom, as usual, was sitting at the head of the table, with Clara to his left. The table was filled with pots of spaghetti, loaves of garlic beard, bowls of salad, and bottles of wine. Coley sat at the only spot available, to the right of Dom and beside Vince. She noticed that a glass of Apple Juice was sitting besides her plate instead of the wine. She flashed Clara a grateful smile and sat down.

Dom looked up and down the table at his family. Love over flowed within him as he took in everyone's face. It was the first time in weeks that he had his whole family with him in one place. Dom squeezed Clara's hand and bowed his head to bless the food.

Dinner passed smoothly if albeit slowly since everyone was still a little tired from the day before. As the crew sat back and chatted over bowls of ice cream, Brian stood up and cleared his throat. Every one stopped talking and looked up at Brian.

"Mia and I have some news we would like to share with everyone," Brian said beaming down at Mia.

P.S. Wanna play a game? PM or Review what parts of Curve Balls you think might have been part of my RL & I will not only answer back yes or no, but the person with the most YESs gets a guest spot in Curve Balls