this love will be the end of me.

-Ruby Dhal

Clarice was getting so fucking tired of the triplets from hell.

Between them and Lorna, recruiting mutants to what was left of the Underground was growing more difficult and heartbreaking each time. She was tired of seeing Marcos walking around the base like a ghost. Tired of seeing John break objects in slips of frustration. Tired of seeing the shattered expressions what was left of the Strucker family as they tried to keep themselves busy…

She ducked behind a car as one of Andy's blasts flipped another over her head, shielding one of the children that hadn't been shuttled out in time. Clarice cursed as the little girl, Kara, began to cry, soothing her before yet another blast tore through the air.

"Clarice!"

Her head snapped up at the urgency in John's voice, eyes widening the building above her started to crack. She scrambled away with Kara, large pieces of stone and metal hitting the ground where she had been crouched moments before.

He ran over to help her up, guiding the girl to the tree line where Caitlyn Strucker waited with first aid for the injured and turning back to her. Dark eyes looked over her intensely, pausing on the bleeding cut just below her hairline. "You alright?"

She waved off his concern, "Nothing that can't wait 'till later."

John frowned.

"Seriously John, go get the others."

He nodded, running back into the building.

Clarice went to join Caitlyn, combing her hand through the girl's silver hair as the woman examined her scrapped-up forearm, both to comfort the girl and distract herself as she stared at the crumbling building where John had just entered.

She really had no reason to worry. He couldn't get hurt…physically at least…

The images of Sonya's body dropping flashing through her mind over and over again reminded her that John wasn't completely impervious. Try as he may, she knew how deep his love and duty ran for the mutants of the Underground. They were both his strength and his weakness…

A small hand urgently tugged on her shirt, Kara's solid white eyes looking up at her.

Clarice's stomach dropped at the fear that radiated off her.

Kara's abilities were that of an empath, able to read and sometimes even influence another's emotions. While she was, for all intents and purposes, blind, she saw the minute changes in someone's intentions mere moments before anything outwardly happened…

"Kara, what is it? What's wrong?"

"They're in his head." She clutched her head, "Painpainpain…"

Before she could ask Kara who she was talking about, she heard a scream come from inside the building. The sound itself was unfamiliar, but the voice was something she'd know from anywhere. "John…"

He cried out again.

Clarice ripped open a portal, "Caitlyn, take Kara and go."

"Clarice…"

She nearly lost hold of the shimmering ring. "Go, we'll meet up with you guys!"

Clarice waited until Caitlyn and Kara had gone through before opening another portal that showed her the dust-filled room. She jumping through without a second thought, his cries of pain instantly increasing in volume and Clarice had barely gotten her bearings before the wind was knocked out of her.

Esme, Phoebe, and Sophie were surrounding him, their eyes all glowing a vivid shade of blue. Their intent was clear as their voices spoke in unison, "You will tell us what we need to know…" one of them flinched back as his fist cracked the ground at his feet…

"Get away from him!"

They smiled down at John, one speaking, "Kill her."

Clarice watched in horror as he fought not to stand, seeing every ounce of strength it was taking him to go as slow as possible. She couldn't move, could barely breathe as he took one step forward, two steps… "John…"

He gasped, falling to one knee.

"Tell us what…"

"…we need to know or…"

"…she'll die by your hand…"

His hands broke apart the concrete as he clenched them into fists, "Clarice…go…"

She shook her head, "I'm not leaving you."

"Such guilt." It was Esme who spoke, smirking as her heels clicked on the floor. "For failing in your duty as a soldier…a leader…a brother…" she hummed, "so much death that you couldn't do anything about. You still feel their blood on your hands. Gus…Sonya…"

"Stop it!" Clarice growled, taking a step forward.

She laughed, another one of her sisters answering, "So strong-willed."

The third's brow furrowed, perturbed, "He's blocking us..."

Their voices echoed eerily, "Stand up, John."

"Stand up…"

"…and kill her"

Clarice wanted to punch them, to lash out at the smug grins. She wanted to portal them as far away from here as she could, but she would have to be close to him…close to them…to do that and she wasn't sure how much longer John could hold back all three of them. She did nothing, though, her eyes instead focusing on the tightness of his jaw and the white knuckles of his clenched fists.

"You will kill her…"

"…snap her neck…"

She finally took a step backward, noticing that he was struggling less with each passing second as he got to her feet once more and straightened his back. Clarice hated the pain…the pleading look that met her wide eyes…

She'd never once been scared of him. Not of his strength nor his invulnerability or even the occasional slip of anger that would break at least one piece of furniture without a mark or warning to show of it. Now though, Clarice felt the fear crushing her chest. She couldn't fight him off, everyone in the room knew it. Once he got a hold of her, he could grab her neck and snap it before she could blink…

She swallowed, tears stinging her eyes, "John…"

His intense gaze held her, "Get the others and go."

Clarice's steps faltered and she heard the unfamiliar sound of resignation in his voice, like in the moment following their return to the way station when he'd watched friends turn their backs on him. The reminder chilled her, "No."

"Tell us, John…"

"…tell us what we need to know…"

"…tell us and we'll spare her…"

Her back hit debris, blocking her exit, and she'd barely made a move to go around it when the air shifted. Clarice watched as the triplet's eyes glowed even brighter than before, not seeing him lunge forward until she felt the warm steel of his hand as it wrapped around her throat. She met his eyes, managing to choke out, "John…"

His arm trembled.

"Kill her."

Clarice managed a nod, "It's okay."

"No…" He gritted out, fingers flexing against her skin. "…it's not."

The Psycho Triplets decided to speak up, "Interesting, I've…"

"…never seen someone…"

"…hold out for this long…"

Black dots were dancing on the edges of her vision…

"Perhaps it has something to do with his…"

"…mutant ability. Or possibly something to do with…"

Clarice coughed, her lungs burned and hands sparking with her ability's last-ditch effort to get her out of the next few moments alive. The next words out of their mouths was a shock of clarity…

"Ah…" they spoke in unison once more, "You're in love with her."

Clarice let out a gurgling, gasping breathe as fingers dug deeper into her flesh. Tears dripped from her eyes, chest and throat alight as her lungs seized, agony spreading from where his hand now held her inches off the ground. Yet she somehow still managed a smile, trying and failing to reach out and just touch him… And before his hand completely cut off her voice, she whispered at a volume no one but him would hear, "I love you too, John."

Everything was starting to dim, her eyes slipping closed…

A bright flare of light had three identical voices cry out in pain and surprise.

Clarice landed on her hands and knees, hacking and choking on air as she pulled in one deep breath after another. She could barely hear anything over the blood rushing back into her head, but Marcos was plenty loud…

He held glowing fists in front of him, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Lauren knelt on the ground next to Clarice, "Can you stand?"

She tried to speak, the attempt like a knife through her throat, and nodded instead.

Lauren got her up to her feet, a hand on her elbow to keep her steady, turning to glare with hard, narrowed eyes on the triplets currently stumbling back.

"What is going on here?"

Clarice watched Marcos' stance falter as Lorna came onto the scene with Andy not far behind. She would've been happy to see the fear on the triplet's faces if she wasn't seeing Marcos' anger and Lauren's bravado crumbling. She squeezed Lauren's hand, trying to give her the strength to stand up in front of them all…and her brother…

"I would ask your little henchmen before you start questioning us." The girl's voice was biting, sharp with disgust and anger. Her gaze flitted to her brother, but she set her jaw and didn't look his way again.

Lorna looked at Clarice and the haunted, empty look on John's face. Her eyes might've widened in disbelief for only a moment before narrowing on the three telepaths. "What were you trying to do?"

Andy didn't do anything to hide his shock, "Lauren-"

Lauren turned, taking Clarice with her, silent tears trailing down her cheeks.

She was thankful when the girl sat them both down on a fallen tree and it wasn't until then that she realized her entire body was trembling. Clarice smiled when Lauren squeezed her hand, returning the gesture.

"I thought it would get easier…seeing Andy with them."

Even if she could form words, Clarice wasn't sure that there was anything she could say that would make this…fucked up situation any better. So she just sat with her in silence, waiting for John and Marcos to come out of that building.

Minutes past before the two emerged, the men looking like they'd been through the wringer. John seemed a million miles away and Marcos just looked so…lost. Their eyes were dim and neither looked at the girls.

"Clarice, can you…" Marcos made a portal motion with his hands.

She nodded, pulling one open and watching as Lauren went through first, followed by Marcos. Clarice saw John stiffen for only a second before stepping through, her neck throbbing at his momentary proximity as she closed the portal behind her.

Caitlyn immediately ran up to her, guiding her over the small room that served as a place for first-aid. She caught a glimpse of John as he walked away, everyone else giving him a wide berth as he disappeared out the back door and into the surrounding countryside…

Caitlyn didn't bother with questions as she examined the bruising with gentle hands, although judging from the heavy sadness in her eyes, she hadn't needed too. She stepped back a couple minutes later, "Well Clarice, I'll go check back in with you once the swelling has gone down, but as of right now there appears to be no lasting damage."

"You're in love with her."

Clarice couldn't help but think back to the words the triplets had torn from his head and her own choked off confession as his hand tightened around her throat. The distance in his expression was what worried her the most. It was like he wasn't all there…

No lasting damage my ass.

Author's Note: There will definitely be more parts to this storyline (two or three?). I will post the next part tomorrow.