Chapter Three-Hundred and Twenty-Eight
Claire traced her fingertips over John's knuckles, feeling the raised scars on his skin from years of fighting. "So, if I hadn't gotten detention…"
He nodded, thinking back to his plan of how he would have done it. "I'm glad I didn't though." He gently kissed her head, walking with her down a small path they'd found.
She wrapped her arm around his waist, jumping back when she remembered about the cuts on his back. "Sorry."
He shook his head, pulling her back to him. "It didn't hurt." He whispered, tucking her hair behind one perfect ear. "Not like it used to."
She bit her lip, fighting back tears with the memory of the night she had almost lost him. "I never want to lose you." She cried, burying herself into his chest. "Not again."
His brow furrowed, a question racing though his head. "Again?" He asked, pulling her away from him.
"I mean-"
"No. Tell me what happened." He searched her face for a sign, fear causing his heart to race. "Claire?"
She swallowed, hiding behind her bangs as his hands gripped at her arms. "You, you were… dead for two minutes when you hit the peak of the meth detox."
John's breath caught in his throat, his world narrowing until he could barely see Claire. "Dead…?" His legs gave out from under him, his body going limp as he hit the ground with a thud.
Phoebe rushed to her brother and his fiancée, able to see that John's mind wasn't quite straight. "What's wrong?" She asked, taking his hand and shooting a Bender Glare at Justin as he tried to get closer. "Back off, fucker!" She barked, making the giant man step backwards.
Clarissa took John into her arms, making him sit in one of the little chairs outside of the bus. "What happened?" She asked, pushing his hair back. "A flashback? Seizure?"
Claire shook her head, shifting from foot to foot. "He asked about what happened when he hit the peak of the meth detox…"
Thomas's head snapped up, realization dawning on him. "You told him?"
She nodded, jumping as Phoebe touched her hand. "I can't keep secrets from him."
Justin watched for a long while as the family tried to pull John out of his funk. "Can I help?" He asked, jumping back as the little girl shoved him back.
"Back off!" She snapped, rushing to her brother's side as he finally snapped out of it. "John!"
He looked up at Claire, heaving a breath before he launched himself into her arms. "I'm so sorry, Sweets…" He cried, burying his nose into her hair. "I never would have left you."
She nodded, kissing his throat before she started to lead him inside; that is, until she caught a hint of the scent of sex and pushed him back outside. "I know."
Dominic rolled off of Jade, his body slick with sweat and his chest short of breath. "That, was… amazing." He gasped, swallowing as Jade snuggled into his side.
She sighed in contentment, tracing her hand over his hips, and stomach. "Yeah…" She purred, smirking slightly when she felt how limp he'd become, and that he was completely useless at the moment. "It was."
"Good God woman… I think it'll take a month before I can recover from that." He smiled at the small look of pride on her face. "You drained me."
"Not bad after just being pregnant with four babies, huh?"
"I need a Gatorade STAT." He smiled, curling around her as they both began to fall asleep.