Chapter One-Hundred and Sixty-Eight

Clarissa wrapped John in a tight hug when he walked though the back door, gripping his arms so tight he would have bruises later. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" She peeled his leather jacket off, checking him over for any wounds or scratches.

"I'm fine…" He lifted her chin to look at him, noticing the worry in her eyes. "What happened?"

"There was a motorcycle accident on Ash Street." She let the first tear fall, hugging John close as she let herself break with relief. "I thought it was you."

He shook his head, rubbing her back as he motioned for Amelia to get a glass of water. "I'm okay Mom. It wasn't me. We stopped as Micky D's and got a coffee, and dropped by Toys R Us for a second. We weren't even close to Ash Street."

"I was so scared…" She sobbed, letting him sit her on the couch in the back room and hand her a glass of water. "I thought for sure it was you."

He nodded, letting Chance onto the sofa and lay on top of Clarissa's lap to help calm her. "We're alright." He smiled, showing her that he was just fine.

She hiccupped, taking a sip of her water. "Please sell that bike. I can't take it if you wreck on it."

He kissed her cheek, looking at her with soft understanding in his eyes. "I'll think about it." He smiled as Claire settled on the sofa beside them, resting an arm around her shoulders and kissing her lips. "But I still need my freedom."

Claire rested against John's shoulder, yawning as they watched an old John Wayne

movie. She could hear John's blood pumping through his veins as he scratched Chance's ears. "This is a good one." She smiled, kissing his neck as he became engrossed in the film.

John's eyes widened as the suspense grew toward the climax of the film, leaning forward slightly. "Fucking…" He whispered under his breath, swallowing as he began to get worried for the characters.

Claire shook her head, rubbing his thigh as Chance started getting excited. "Sugar. Relax. It's a movie."

He jumped as one of the Character's got shot, his grip tightening around Claire as he leaned farther into the couch. "I know… it's just a really good movie."

She rolled her eyes, glancing at the clock only to see that it was almost four in the morning. "Are you tired yet?" She yawned, knowing that he didn't like to be alone at night when he couldn't sleep.

He looked down at her, pulling the blanket farther up on her chest as she rubbed her eyes. "Are you?"

"It's four in the morning, Babe." She stated, closing her eyes as he adjusted to try and make her more comfortable.

He looked at the clock, his brows rising in shock at how late it really was. "Holy shit." He dropped his gaze to Claire, noticing that she'd already fallen asleep. "I'm sorry, Sweets." He gave Chance the signal to get down, gently picking Claire up bridal style and carrying her up to her room to sleep for the rest of the night. He smiled as she moaned in her sleep, brushing her hair back from her head as he kissed her lips. "Sleep well, Princess." He whispered, pulling her covers higher over her little body.