Claire isn't really that fat. I hope she didn't take it personally on what I said about her on Saturday. That she was pushing maximum density… she better not be cutter herself because of that. I started walking towards Andy, Allison and Brian.

"Bender man you need any help?" Andy asked seeing if Claire was too much for me.

"Nah I'm cool Andy but thanks…"

"Is she alright John" came Allison

"Yeah she's running a fever though."

"What happened? You guys weren't in class" Brian chirped in.

"Don't worry about it. I'll tell you guys later. I need to bring her home right now."

"We can use my car" said Andy.

"Alright lets go then." Bender said still holding Claire.

In the car:

Bender sat in the back with Claire still in his arms and Allison next to Claire's legs. She was going through her purse knowing that it was better that she was looking instead of Andy, Brian or even Bender for that matter. Guys are never EVER supposed to go through a woman's purse.

"You get her keys yet Aly?" Bender asked.

"Yeah."

Everyone was quite during the ride to Claire's house. Bender looked at the window trying to remember the street names and the surroundings of her neighborhood. Everything was beautiful here compared to his neighborhood. The houses were big and the lawns were kept nicely trimmed. "Damn…Princess lives in Pleasantville." He thought.

"Here we are." Andy said breaking the silence.

Claire lived at the biggest house on the block. There were no cars parked outside the drive-way and Bender hoped that no one would be home. Andy got out of the car and opened the door for John who was still holding Claire.

"Thanks man. How do you know where Claire lives?"

"Oh I live around here too but not in these nice homes. I live farther down. I run here every afternoon and see Claire on the porch talking on the phone."

"Well that's Claire for you…"

"Hahah yeah. Later John. Tell us what happens okay?"

Ansy was just about to close the door when Allison shouted "Andy wait!"

"Huh?" He didn't notice it but Allison tossed Claire's house keys and her purse to him and luckily he caught them both.

Andy and John walked up the steps and onto the porch. Andy opened the door.

"Goodluck Bender."

"Thanks for everything."

Bender walked inside and he almost dropped Claire. He was amazed at her house. Well duh! She was a princess after all. He fixed his hold on Claire and started to walk up the stairs. They were very long stairs.

After that hike up the mountain, Bender stood there for a while trying to catch his breath. Now he looked at all the rooms trying to find which one belonged to Claire's. He poked his head into one room and saw that everything was blue and looked untouched. Nope, cant be Claire's room he thought. Next room…

"HOLY SHIT!" Bender said aloud. He apparently found her room. The whole room was pink- the walls, the carpet, and the furniture. "DAMN…" he thought. He walked over to her bed which was a four-poster bed. He carefully laid her down trying not to make a sound. He found a chair and pulled it up next to her bed and watched her.

"Asshole what the fuck are you doing just sitting down and watching her? She has a fukcing FEVER!" said a voice in John's head.

"Well sorry! I'll get to it now dammit!" John said trying not to wake Claire.

He went into her bathroom trying to look for a medicine kit. He found one and opened it. He looked for a thermometer and an ice pack. No ice pack but a thermometer was there. He walked back to Claire.

"Princess you awake?"

Claire looked trying to open her eyes but all she felt was searing pain and closed them again.

"Ok ok don't move. I'm gonna take your temperature so just open you mouth for me."

Again Claire did as she was told opened her mouth and John put the thermometer under her tongue.

5 minutes later…

"Holy fucking shit! Claire you're 104!"

Frusterated John looked at the clock. It was 5:25pm. He walked back to the bathroom and found a small towel. He flooded the sink and dunked the towel in there. He wrung the towel and headed to Claire. Folding it quickly into a smaller piece, he set it on her forehead. Before he sat down, he took off his coat realizing just how hot it was in her house. "Fucking heater…it's making this worse." He thought.

He sat back down on his chair and looked at Claire. She looked so helpless and vulnerable. She wasn't dying but it felt like she was to John because she was in need and all he could do was sit there and watch. It was splitting him in two. He held her hand in his gloveless hands and laid his head on her bed and waited.

TBC

Please don't forget to Read and Review! Thanks…

nina