Claire slumped into the passenger seat of the car and let out a big sigh. "Holy shit, that was great!" Jon said as he got into the driver's seat. "I've never seen you like that! I didn't know you had it in you. I can't lie; I'm a little turned on…." Claire chuckled. "Calm down. He had it coming," she said as she put her seatbelt on. "He sure did," Jon said, starting the car. "And I'm glad you gave it to him." So am I. But will I be tomorrow? I've probably ruined everything. She rubbed her face with her hands. "Ready to see the real Cincinnati?" he asked her, with a cheeky glint in his eye. "Sure," she laughed, "so long as we don't get in anywhere near the trouble you did all those years ago." He revved the engine to accentuate her point, then slowly pulled out of the parking lot. Claire took a look in the side mirror, but there was no sign of Carl. Probably already on the phone to Allison.

Jon's lively commentary of the local attractions had Claire in stitches. He seemed to have a story for every street corner. He'd vomited outside that bar after his first encounter with bourbon aged 15; he had wrestled in that community hall parking lot for $20 and a hot meal; he went to see The Fifth Element on his very first date with a girl at that cinema. "You took a girl to see Fifth Element for a first date?" Claire laughed, shaking her head jokingly. "What's wrong with that?" Jon asked genuinely. "It was a sci fi/action combo and had Bruce Willis and explosions!" "Exactly!" Claire said. "Did you see her again?" Jon's silence gave away the answer and Claire cracked up. Thank god he didn't try that with me. They continued driving for a half hour or so before he slowed down outside Amelia High School. "This is where it all began," he said, telling her about how he joined the high school wrestling team. "Made good friends here, but hardly know any of them now. Most of them told me, when I'd been in the indies for a long time, to just let it go. Funny how those ones reappeared after The Shield took off." He scoffed to himself, and continued driving. He took her past the gym he'd lied his way into to start training, and past the park he would run around for hours to build his fitness. He took a few turns and the street lights became few and far between; Claire could feel the change of atmosphere in their surroundings. "Haven't been back here for a while," he said as he took a turn down a side street. "Looks like they've not done anything to joint since I left." She looked across at him, taking in the buildings around him. He pulled up alongside a series of three attached apartment blocks. One of the buildings had an outside light flickering, allowing a glimpse of the cracked front wall and overgrown grass out front. "This is it. This is where I put my head down each night, or was meant to." Claire's heart twitched. It hurt her to hear him talk about his youth this way. She had such wonderful memories of the house she grew up in; she loved all levels of schooling and was still in touch with many of her childhood friends. She had loving parents, who had a happy marriage, and an excellent relationship with her brother. She wished he could've had the same. She was just about to ask him if he wanted to get out and walk around, when he got in first. "Let's head back, huh? We've gotta get up early for the drive if we're going to get you to this meeting on time."

/

Claire had a relatively sleepless night. When she tried to take her mind off the meeting, her mind was filled with images of Jon growing up. Getting home from school to an empty house; empty kitchen cupboards and empty bedrooms. Heading to school with holes in his shoes and no jacket in the pouring rain. She wasn't much of a psychologist but wasn't surprised he'd had trouble forming adult relationships when he'd had nothing to model it on. The more she thought about it, the more she appreciated what they had together. Those thoughts then morphed back into the upcoming meeting and what she would do if they didn't give her her job back. Or asked her to work at HQ. When she eventually fell asleep, it was only thanks to watching Jon and listening to his deep breathing which calmed her mind. I'm not going to leave you, Jonny. I promise I won't be like them, no matter the outcome.

She and Jon were loading their things into the trunk of the rental car when Lucy screamed across the parking lot. "Don't go anywhere, you two," she yelled, storming across the lot. She did not look happy. Claire looked at Jon, who had a bemused look on his face. When Lucy got to them, she was red in the face. "Which one of you was it, then?" she asked, eying them both up. What are you on about? Claire thought, and was just about to say it, when Lucy continued. "Which one of you f—kers told Zane about me and Carl?" Oh shit. This is not good. Claire could feel her jaw had dropped. She turned her head to Jon, who was already looking at her. Surely he wouldn't. Especially not without telling me. "Luce, I swear, I know nothing about it," Claire said, turning back to her. "What has happened?" Lucy screwed her face up and shook her head. "Yeah, I didn't think you'd know anything about it, Claire," she said, leaning closer to Jon. "It was you, wasn't it?" she asked him, her fury plain to see. "You've never liked me, and didn't care if I went down as well as Carl." Jon raised his hands in innocence. "Well you're right about one thing, but I can honestly say it wasn't me either." Lucy breathed heavily through her nostrils. She looked like a raging bull. "I have no reason to trust you. Never have and never will." Claire could see tears building in her eyes. "Luce, what has happened?" she asked again. "Somehow, Zane has found out about Carl and I and now I have to be in Cleveland early to meet with him and some woman from Connecticut." The words were so sour. No no no, how has this happened? Claire searched her brain for anyone else who could know about Lucy and Carl, and want to see either, or both, of them suffer. "It doesn't make sense," she found herself whispering out loud. "Oh it makes perfect sense," Lucy said, bringing her attention back to Jon. "Your boyfriend here couldn't handle that Carl might actually be right in all of this, that he might actually win. So he played his dirtiest hand, even if that meant dragging me into it."

The two of them stared at each other for a long time, and Claire was mildly impressed at Jon's ability to hold his tongue. I can only imagine what he's wanting to say. "I believe you, Claire. I can see that you're just as shocked as I am," Lucy said, still staring Jon down. "I just hope you know now what kind of man he is." Woah. "Hey, that's enough," Claire said, reaching out to Lucy in attempt to calm her down. "You're never going to believe him, but I do. He's never lied to me, and I believe him when he says it wasn't him. I would've known about it." Lucy swatted her hand away. "Fine then. I'm so done with this," she said. "I'm done with him, I'm done with you, done with all of this shit!" She walked off, and Claire saw the shudder of her shoulders; an undeniable giveaway of tears. She felt a small twinge of sympathy for Lucy. She wouldn't have been expecting this, and Claire sure wasn't either. She turned to look at Jon. "I swear it wasn't me. And I haven't told anyone either," he said, and Claire could tell it was the truth. What happened to Team Claire? she wondered as they got into the car. But more importantly, what the hell does this mean for the meeting?