Adam and Clare didn't return home until three o' clock in the morning by the time the cops had organized a car to drive them home. The fact that they arrived in a police vehicle was unbeknownst to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards.

Clare begged Adam to sleep over, but it wasn't much of a plea since Adam was just as freaked out by what had happened as Clare was.

"Did you hear what they arrested him for? He didn't kill Bryan, Adam, he didn't." Clare was half sobbing in Adam's arms.

"I know he didn't kill him, Clare. Eli is too gentle of a person to do that. I know he has his share of problems, but he would never intentionally murder anybody."

Clare pulled away from Adam. "Then why is he in jail and not safely home with you? This isn't fair, this isn't fair!" Clare walked over to night table and threw her alarm clock full force across the room. Adam ducked as it just missed his head and with a loud slam it crashed into the door. Clare collapsed on her floor in a heap, moaning as she cried.

Adam made his way over to her and held her. "I don't know, Clare, okay. I really don't know. I want to know what low life reported him to the police."

"Who said anyone had to report him?"

"Come on, Clare, think about it. Eli left that town over a year ago and no one has ever nailed anyone for Bryan's murder. Then magically out of no where, Eli is the number one suspect. Someone had to have said something."

Clare couldn't find any words to make Adam's suspicions prove to be false. It was too random and unpredictable to just put Eli's name on the most wanted list. "Okay, so if this is true then who could have done this?"

Adam shook his head unable to find an answer. "Honestly, Clare, I don't know. This is the first time in a long time I can't think of anything. I mean before, it was obvious it was K.C. and Fitz, but this is way too out of their league and -."

"K.C. and Fitz wouldn't have the brains to do something like this and besides they don't know this deep into Eli even if they wanted to."

"Exactly, this sucks."

He stood up making sure Clare's head didn't hit the floor too hard. She stayed on the floor and the silence between them continued for at least a half an hour longer. They were both exhausted, scared, more like worried out of their own flesh and blood for Eli. They didn't know what was going to happen or how he was and that's what hurt them the most.

"Do you think he's okay?" Clare asked; her crying subdued to a minimal.

"Yeah, Eli's tough. I don't think they could shake him."

"I really hope so, Adam. " Suddenly, Clare began to scream. "This is my fault, all of it entirely. If I just talked my mom out of inviting him to dinner then he wouldn't have the nerve to make a good impression and speed home for me. The cops wouldn't have pulled him over and Eli would be here right now!"

"Clare you can't –"

But Adam's words were not heard. Clare was screaming like she was being tortured. She was wincing and wriggling around the floor. Her hair was looped in between her fingers and she was pulling so hard her head was jerking. "IT'S MY FAULT, IT'S MY FAULT." She kept repeating the words over and over.

Adam jumped on top of her and cupped his hand over her mouth. "Clare, you have to be quiet, you're going to wake up your parents. Clare, cut it out."

Clare had stopped screaming. She had stopped moving all together. Adam removed himself from Clare's body and sat beside her, watching her, his eyes trying to encase his shock. He didn't know what was worse; watching Clare slowly bring herself down, or Eli not being safe. Clare and Eli; two of the strongest people he known from day one were slowly falling apart around him.

"How heavy of sleepers are your parents?" Adam asked trying to get through to the unresponsive Clare. She said nothing.

"Clare, I want you to listen to me, and listen good. You can't put all the blame on yourself. It's not your fault. If Eli could talk to you right now he'd say the same thing. He does what he can for you because he loves you and out of all the people I've known, I've never seen a love stronger then what Eli has for you. Since he's been staying over all he does is talk about you. He told me how beautiful you are, how smart you are, and how he'd do anything, no matter what it does to him, to make you beyond satisfied to be with him."

Adam stopped talking and focused upon Clare. Her eyes had moved at least and were looking directly at him. "I know you feel horrible right now Clare, but you need to be strong just like Eli knows you can be."

"Eli – He really goes through all that trouble just for me?" Clare was rubbing her eyes with the side of her knuckle.

"Yes, yes he does Clare."

Clare let out a small laugh. "I'm being so silly right now." She cleared her throat. "I should be strong for him and instead I'm crying and acting like some freak. I'm sorry you had to experience that Adam."

"Please, Clare, -"Adam said pausing as he removed his sweater. "We all have a limit and I'm quite happy to see you have one too. For a minute, I was wondering how solid the real Clare Edwards was."

Clare playfully slapped Adam on the shoulder. "Pish, posh, Adam, I'm not that strong."

Adam grinned. "I know that now. So, what do we do?" Adam looked over his shoulder to the night table, but realized there was no alarm clock. It was smashed into pieces around Clare's door. "Right, there's no more alarm clock."

"Whoops." Clare said some what embarrassed.

Adam tipped his hat towards Clare and responded," I think that deserved an infamous boo – yah for being a badass Clare Edwards moment."

"Boo – yah," Clare said leaning her head against the side of her bed. She extended her legs out in front of her. "How do you do that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You always find a way to make someone laugh even in the midst of a disaster."

Adam smiled, the tips of his ears turning a pale shade of red. "I see things this way. If you find even the most microscopic thing in a bad situation funny, then you can find hope in about almost anything."

Clare let out a small applause. "That was really nice, Adam. I guess it's good to have you here in a time like this. I'm going to need a lot of support to get through the night."

"Then I will be here for you Clare not just for you, but for Eli as well. I may not know what time it is, but I think we should be going to bed if that's possible."

"Sleep quite frankly is the farthest thing from my mind." Clare crossed her arms and let out a small yawn.

"Well, if we're going to go down to the station tomorrow and find out what's going on with Eli we're going to need at least an hour, two if we're lucky."

Clare yawned again and crawled up onto her bed. She didn't bother to change into her pajamas. She just wanted to let her head hit the pillow, surround herself in darkness, and wake up with a call from Eli in the morning saying that he and Adam were having fun at his house. However, she knew deep down in her heart and throughout her whole body that wasn't the case.

"Adam, I'd let you sleep here but it'd be –"

"Clare, really, it's fine. I'll just crash on the floor. You have an extra pillow?"

Clare tossed Adam a large fluffy pillow from the opposite side she was laying on. "Goodnight, Adam and thanks for not flipping out earlier." She clicked off the lamp on her night table and her room was overtaken by nothing, but darkness and a tiny glimpse of moonlight from the window.

Adam adjusted his neck on the pillow and curled up comfortably on his side. "Goodnight as well Clare and no problem."