Hello, everyone! I'm sorry that I have not been updating like I use to, but work has been taking up all my time and energy. And my laptop decided it was going to play "Hide the chapters" on me so yeah, and some of them were deleted which sucks. As far as updates go I can't really say, but know that this story will be completed. Okay shout-out time!

Special thanks to KellyJellyxo! Sorry I left you hang for so long!

Okay, I think you waited long enough. On with the story!

Chapter 12 Wounded Heart

Pregnant? Pregnant.

She was pregnant, and, where was I? Right, I was trying to be the hero and save her rather than being with her. Some leader I turned out to be I couldn't even protect Clarice or my unborn child. John looks over at Clarice who had her head down since she uttered that she was pregnant. John feels his chest tighten like it was getting hard to breathe.

He was upset, but not with Clarice, no he was upset with himself, had he not sent her away then maybe their child would still be alive. This is all his fault.

"I know what you're thinking and this is not your fault." Clarice says. John's head snaps up. "Nope don't even try and blame yourself. Selene would have killed it. If anyone is to blame John, it's me."

"Clarice-" John starts. "Please, don't try to convince me otherwise! I made the choice to abort the baby, not you! And I regret it to this day!" Clarice wraps her arms around herself as a trail of tears leaked out of her green eyes. "But, it's not Clarice. You did what you thought was right. You said so yourself that Selene would have killed it and maybe even you." He says as he stands making his way over to her. "I should have fought like all the others, but I didn't like at coward I ran, like I always do." She says shaking her head and backing away.

John stops trying to approach her once he realizes that he's literally backing her into a corner. "You are not a coward, Clarice." She looks up at him with hazy green eyes. "Whatever." She sniffs and walks over to her sleeping bag and wiggles in. She's out a few seconds later.

John decides to stay up just a few hours more just in case she wakes. Once that time is up he quietly gets out his own sleeping bag and places it down, but instead of getting in he lies on top just in case they need to make a swift exit. He falls into a restless sleep.

The next morning...

Clarice wakes up before John does, or at least that's what she thinks as she gets up and grabs some clothes to use musty shower. When she comes out and dressed she finds John wide awake and waiting. She quickly gathers her clothes and move out of his way. She begins to pack up her stuff as she hears the water running in the other room. She wondered if he had a full six pack now, she saw his arms and they were a hell of a lot bigger than last time. No Clarice stop thinking about his body he's not yours anymore. She scolds herself soon the water stops she quickly finishes gathering all of her things as he comes out not much later his hair still slightly damp. He gives her smiles at her as if he knows what she's was thinking.

Clarice rolls her eyes, "Can we go now? The sooner we get this done the sooner I'll be out of your hair." with that she leaves heading out to the old school and to his tan 2008 Dodge Durango. He emerges a few minutes later once they're both in they set out to get a light breakfast. John takes a back exit and stops the car in the middle of the road. He gets out and starts to track, but he gets nothing.

"This road we're looking for, do you remember anything about it?" John asks as he turns slightly in his position on the asphalt. "No, I don't. You're the one that saw it. I was unconscious. Okay? I was hoping that I'd able to find something about it in the news, but-" John nods. "Yeah, well, Sentinel Services is pretty good about covering up mutant incidents, so." He stands and walks back. "Well, then, I appreciate your little quest for redemption, but obviously, this is useless. So, take off and chase your next scent, or do whatever it is you do." Clarice says as she quickly walks to grab her bag. "Clarice, come on. Let me help you." John says. "No, you can't because there's nothing to track, no trail to follow." She says as he grabs her bag.

"Yeah, maybe, maybe not. You could have a trail inside you." John says. "John, I'm seriously not in the mood for some hippie New Age talk right now. All right?" She says with a roll of her eyes. "Listen to me. When an animal is hurt or scared, their instinct is to take themselves to a place of safety A nest, a burrow." John tries to explain. "I don't have a burrow, okay?" Clarice says. "Yeah, but you did. You had a place where you felt loved and you felt safe. Clarice, where was that?" John asks. Clarice looks away. It used to be with you, but before that. Clarice's eyes widen she immediately gets in the truck. "Get in, I know where we have to go." John smiles as he gets in and they head off to the opposite side of where the Underground is.

John cuts off the engine and they get out and walk the dirt path hidden by the trees. "This kind of looks familiar, but all these roads look the same." Clarice says as she does a 180 turn to walk with John. "What did the house look like where you grew up?" John asked. She shrugs, "I don't know. One story. Not too big. It was a home for mutant foster kids. The ones who couldn't pass as human. I was only there for a couple years, back when I was supposed to be in high school." She scratches her neck. "Why'd you leave?" He asks. "The couple who ran it, you know, they took good care of us, but their idea of keeping us safe was to hide us away forever. Which really sucks when you're 15." Clarice looks ahead and sees something. "Wait, that looks familiar. I remember this gate." as she and John get closer to the wooden gate it creaks open and they walk further in. "That's the farmhouse." She says with a smile. John sees the white one-story house and his pace decreases.

As Clarice gets closer John's senses pick up and he sees Sentinel Services agents have already been here, he gets a bad feeling. "Clarice, maybe you should wait here." He says. "What? Why?" She asks as she turns around. "I think something bad happened." That only causes Clarice to run toward the house with John not far behind. She tries to open the door and sees the red tape that says in bold letters: Sentinel Services crime scene. DO NOT ENTER. "Oh, no, get us in now!" Clarice says. John punches through the wood and unlocks the door. It squeaks open and they go in.

"Carl? Denise?" Clarice calls out. "Sentinel Services probably searched all the houses in the area." John says. Clarice runs to the left and down a hall. "Maybe they got away. Right?" She sounded hopeful. John continued into the kitchen area and on the wooden back door were multiple bullet holes and as he got closer, blood and it still looked a bit it couldn't be more than a day old. He looks down, "Clarice, I'm sorry." He says when she walks into the room. Her eyes begin to water. "Oh, man." Her voice cracks. John instantly pulls her into a hug. "No. No. No." She says as she tries to get out of John's hold, but he won't budge. After a few minutes her cries cease. "Wait out front for me, I'll be right back." Clarice gives him a stiff nod and walks out the way they had come.

John takes a breath before he opens the back door and follows the trial. He notices that some of the kids were able to get away, but Carl and Denise weren't so lucky, they sacrificed themselves to save those kids, John felt a great amount of respect toward Clarice's foster parents. The trail went cold about 50 feet away from the house. He heads back and walks around the house to see Clarice with her arms crossed she looks so defeated.

"I found whatever traces I could. Looks like they died defending some of the foster kids that were living there." John says once he's close enough to her. "My portals brought everyone here. This is all my fault." She says and looks back at the farmhouse. "No, it's not your fault. Sentinel Services pulled the trigger. You cared about them. I'm sorry." She starts to cry again He pulls her into another hug. "I'm sorry." He repeats. She hugs him back. He pulls back after a while. "You know what I said yesterday about this not being my fight? I don't know if it was before, but it sure as hell is now." With that she walks back to the truck with a new-found purpose.

Once they got in the drive back to the Underground was silent, John would every now and then glance over at Clarice. Her face was emotionless the whole way. When they returned it was nightfall Clarice grabbed her bag and got out John not that far behind. At the top of the steps on the inside they glanced at each other and then proceeded down the first flight of steps. Clarice turned right and headed in the direction of her space hoping it was still available. John stopped as she left. Then he heard, "Johnny." He looked to his left to see Sonia waiting for him at the bottom he gave her a stoic look then headed in the direction of his room. He placed his bag on his table he'd deal with it later. He decided that he should check on Clarice he needed to know that she way going to be okay.

As he made his way to her space he spotted Zingo already making her way there he smiled and continued on. Once he reached the space John saw Clarice in her bed sleeping and Zingo sitting on the floor. He quietly makes his way in the room and takes a seat on the floor, he's just going to rest his eyes for a minute.

So as always let me know what you think of this chapter I know it's short, but remember with the Flashbacks it's hard to tell how long or short these chapters will be. Should John feel bad for not knowing about the baby? How will this bring them closer together? Thanks again to those who are still reading. Until next time...