A/N First a big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review. You are all very generous with your praise. Next I may not update for a few days but more will be coming. I promise. One more time...I do not own the Breakfast Club.

"But nothing. Damn it Claire, I might not have shown it but I would have done anything for you. I loved you." Bender said. It was obvious that he was trying not to cry. I didn't know what to say. Suddenly Allison took my hand and gave it a small squeeze.

"You loved me? You didn't love anything but your drugs," she snapped at him. "If you loved me where were you? You should have been there and not Rob. That little girl sleeping upstairs should be mine not Allison's."

"I explained what happened, where I was. But no, poor little Claire as usual it is all about you. Yeah you were a real saint playing girlfriend to Craig but you couldn't even tell your parents it was my baby. No you went and told them it was Andy's. Shows how little you thought of me Claire. We had sex? I thought it was more than that." He stood and started pacing again. Fumbling with his cigarette pack he pulled on out and lit up.

"I told you I only said that because it helped me get through you not being there. If I thought of it as anything more than sex I would have never made it though. I would be more of a basket case than Allison ever was. Instead I had to deny everything. Deny anything I felt for you and anything I might have started to feel for the baby. Deny that I loved you too." As she said that he stopped pacing and turned and looked at her. Claire's eyes were red from crying.

"What did you say?"

Avoiding his eyes she said, "I said I loved you too."

"I can't change the past Claire. I can't change that Maddie isn't our daughter but she is my daughter and I love her."

I noticed Allison sort of fidgeting with the hem of her skirt while seated on the floor. Something was bothering her. As I was about to ask her what it was she spoke. "Do you think it has been easy, Claire?" Claire just looked at her not saying a word. "I love Maddie like crazy but do you know what I had to give up to keep her? I had to drop out of school for a year because I couldn't have her go to school and hold down a job. Then I had to find a job. The internship was good until someone found out that the father was John. That went over real well. I could have denied it like you did but I figured what was the point? If they found out I was lying that would have been even worse although I'm not sure how. So I worked a nice minimum wage job flipping burgers and then once she was born I gave art lessons but that wasn't the best solution because it seemed like Maddie never slept and was always crying. Do you think your life would have been all roses had you kept your baby? If you had defied your parents and kept it then what? Working as a sales associate in your favorite clothing store in the mall? Living with your brother? Do you know how hard it is to have a relationship when a man finds out you already have a child?" She laughed and shook her head. "Yeah it looks good when Maddie is showing off for strangers but you haven't had to have her say, 'but Daddy lets me.' She certainly knows how to make you feel guilty." She flashed John a look as though she knew he was teaching the little girl to favor him. "One of us has to be stable in her life and well it certainly isn't John."

"You think I'm trying to turn Maddie against you," he asked her angrily. She didn't reply. "You know all my life people have thought the worst about me even the people I cared most for. For once I have a clean slate. I have Maddie and she loves me just because I am her father. So I tend to spoil her so what? Little girls need to be spoiled."

She gave a condescending snort, "Yeah spoil her and turn her into the next Claire."

"Hey!" Claire indignantly crossed her arms. "And I never said that having the baby would have been easy but I would have liked a choice."

"What stopped you? You said it yourself you were afraid that daddy and mommy would cut off your money."

Claire looked as though she had been slapped.

"You are just mad because I love Claire and didn't love you." He said leaping to Claire's defense. Allison looked hurt. "Ally I didn't mean that." He realized his words stung and tried to take them back.

"No it's true. You may care about me like I care about you but there was no love between us. It was comfort, loneliness, despair, and deep friendship. It was sex for all the wrong reasons. You need….both of you need to sit down and find out why you are acting like this after all these years." She slipped easily into the role of counselor. Where before her appearance protected her she now used her job as a defense.

"You still love me?" Claire seemed surprised at his declaration although Allison and I didn't.

"I guess so," he told her.

Allison stood and left the room without saying a word. I followed her out into the hall where she was standing staring at the family photos, hugging herself. "You okay?" I asked her. When she turned I could tell she was trying to keep from crying.

"I don't know. Are you?"

"Lots of surprises tonight."

"Like Maddie?"

"Like Maddie. She seems to be a great kid."

"Most of the time she is." She paused as if gathering up all her strength. "I feel like such a bad mother. There I said it."

"Why?" I asked and led her to the living room. Claire and John needed some time alone and I needed some time alone with Allison. We sat on the floral printed couch and she continued.

"Lots of reasons. That I can barely afford to support her is the main one. I love my job but it doesn't pay much and Shermer isn't the cheapest place to live. I didn't want her growing up in a bad neighborhood in Chicago which is all I would have been able to afford, and John lives here so when this job came up I jumped at it. Rent out here take most of my pay and I have to tell her no for a lot of things. She is only four and as she gets older it will only get worse. Then there is John. I know he is doing much better and I am glad that he is but he tends to go over my head on a lot of things regarding Maddie. Don't get me wrong he helps out but…" I must have been staring at her because she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I just don't remember you ever talking so much."

"Is that good or bad?" When she asked I flashed back to standing in the library and being amazed at her makeover.

What happened to you?
Why? Claire did it... What's wrong?
Nothing's wrong... it's just so different, you know? I can see your face.

Is that good or bad?
It's good.

"It's good."

"I'm not boring you?"

"Not at all. You know I was really shocked when I found out Maddie was your daughter."

"I figured as much. Guess you were too in shock to go as nuts as Claire although she handled it better than I expected."

"I guess it wasn't so much that she was your daughter it was that she was your daughter with John Bender."

Smiling she said, "Yeah I was pretty surprised about that myself."

"I was thinking 'how could she sleep with him', but realized that I had no claim on you." I just looked at my feet. Finally I decided to try again, "I really am sorry for what happened that Monday."

She sat there cradling one of the throw pillows in her lap. For a moment she didn't answer then said, "I know. I am too. Deep down I knew things wouldn't change overnight. I knew that just because Claire talked to me on Saturday it wouldn't continue. She even said as much. And I knew that John wouldn't invite me to one of his heavy metal vomit parties, and I knew that learning to think for oneself takes longer than one day, but part of me wanted to believe that it could happen."

"I tried calling to apologize."

"I know that too," she smiled a wry smile. "It surprised my parents that I was getting calls from a boy. I didn't want to hear your apology. If I did I might have given…no I would have given you another chance and I didn't want to be hurt again."

"I wish I could go back and fix it."

"If wishes were horses…"

Leaning over I took her hands."True. But Allison, I really liked you."

Just then John and Claire came out of the office and to the living room. "There you guys are. Claire and I are cutting out."

"So soon," I asked concerned at first but then saw both of them were smiling.

"It's been a lot of fun," he said sarcastically, "But we have a lot to talk about and thought we would leave you two kids alone." Claire just smiled a large beaming smile and hooked her arm through his pulling him closer. "I'll be by your place about noon to pick Maddie up if that is okay, Al?"

"Yeah that's fine."

We all gave each other hugs. I was amazed that they let go of each other long enough to do so and Claire whispered to me, "Hope things work out for you and Allison like they seem to be working out for us," and gave me a wink. It was good to know that things were looking up for her. I showed them to the door shutting it behind them.

Allison stood, "You know I should be going too. I hate to wake Maddie up. Knowing her she won't want to go back to bed, but at least tomorrow is Sunday," she headed toward the stairs.

"You don't have to go."

She stopped halfway up and turned. "What?"

"You don't have to go. The guest bed is a queen and that should be enough room for you and Maddie. Then you don't have to wake her and you can get some sleep too." I hoped I didn't sound as stupid to her as I sounded to myself.

"I couldn't. I mean its nice that you are asking but it's your mother's house and I wouldn't want to impose." She started back up the stairs and I followed.

"Well you did drink. I wouldn't want you to get in an accident." I knew I sounded desperate but I didn't want her to leave.

"I guess that is as good of an excuse as any." We walked into the bedroom where. Maddie was still sound asleep. Allison sat on the side of the bed and stroked her hair.

For a moment I tried to imagine that they were my family. I never gave kids much thought. An image of Jessica popped into my head. Shit. I'd have to give her a call when I got back to the city. She was mad when I last talked to her a few days ago and I hadn't tried calling her back.