Hello! Well, I'm so excited! I really love this chapter because it's Claire and Miss P! Finally, we will see how our beloved ymbryne reacts to what happened.

I just don't know what to say but thank you for every review and favorite and follow. They mean so much to me and they encourage me to write more. I'm so grateful.

For the guest who asked me about Jake, I'm so sorry to say that this story happened before Jake comes, so Jake will not be in this fic. But I wrote another fic about the ending scene of the movie verse with Jake in it, you may want to check it out.

As always, *in such a very pretty voice* pleaseeee, leave me some reviews, anything you feel, anything you want to suggest, anything you like. You have no idea how many times I read your reviews to kind of boost myself up when I lost my inspiration. That's why I say they mean so much to me, and I mean it.

Thank you again for reading my work. It's not perfect, I know. I'm trying my best to improve my writing skill, grammars, and vocabs, so I'm very sorry for any mistakes here. But please know that I put my heart and soul into this just for all of you! Now, just ENJOY!

Chapter III

It's almost 4 o'clock. Alma is waiting calmly at the same spot on the cliff not far from her house, a crossbow in her hands. She can feel the same gust of wind blowing pass her face, and can see the same blades of grass dance exactly like they did yesterday which is, theoretically, today.

Nothing changes, the sky, the cliff, the ocean, the air. Nothing. A little bird flies at 3 o'clock 55 minutes 16 seconds sharp, and another gust of wind which is stronger comes at 3 o'clock 56 minutes 1 second as always. The headmistress doesn't need to bring her pocket watch up at all. She can hear it in her heart, that tick-tock sound, along with her own heartbeat.

It's 3 o'clock 58 minutes 30 seconds now, and Alma looks at her watch just to make sure she's correct. There is no place for even a single mistake here for if that nasty monster can reach the house, the worst history might repeat itself, she might lose her ward again.

Miss Peregrine closes her eyes for a few seconds to shake that memory off. It always comes back when she's here, on this cliff, about to face the Hollowghast that took her child's life. She can feel Victor's blood on her hands like everything just happened yesterday, his eyes were gone, just empty sockets left.

Tick tock, tick tock, Alma lets that sound soothe her for a moment. Time heals everything, yes, but for her, time brings back everything as well, both good and bad. It never flies, never takes her anywhere. Time traps her here, pulling her back to her guilt and will never let her go. Admittedly, she can manipulate time, but time can manipulate her as well. She can't forgive herself for her failure. At least, not when that monster always comes back. Apparently, if one wants to own time, one has to pay a very high price. That's what Alma has learned from many decades she's lived here.

When Miss Peregrine opens her eyes again, it's 3 o'clock 59 minutes 58 seconds. She raises her crossbow up, preparing to give her visitor a very painful welcome, as painful as what it did to her child. Revenge isn't the answer for her peace, but Alma can't help seeing this as her redemption. Of course, there's no penance for her guilt, but at least, this is what she can do for Victor and also, for the rest of her children.

Its sound always comes first, followed by the shadow which certainly can't be seen at night. Then, its disgusting smell kicks her nose and she can see it makes its way through grasses. It's not fair at all that she can't see the monster but it can see her. Anyway, there's nothing Miss Peregrine can do to change that. So, she's never allowed any of her children to be out here at this time, just in case she missed it, but for her children's sake, she prays to every bird, please don't let that happens.

The monster screams at 4 o'clock 1 minute 2 seconds when it sees her. She can hear its heavy footsteps coming towards her with such a dreadful speed. When grasses in front of her move, the ymbryne shoots at the emptiness above her.

She knows by its shadow that she got it. The creature falls back, screeching at the top of its lungs. Alma stares at the shadow until the screech's gone for good. When she is certain that it's really dead, she turns her back and walks straight to her house at once. She doesn't want to linger around this foul creature even a second more because it keeps reminding her how she failed to protect her children, how she failed to be their guardian, how she failed to be their ymbryne. It makes her sick and dizzy like her head has been hit.

A sip of brandy may help, and still, there's a supper to be prepared, so Miss P picks up her pace. She uses the kitchen door instead of the main one and places her crossbow on the small table, intending to hang it in the corridor where it belongs after the drink. She washes her hands, grabs her brandy, and wears her half apron, ready to cook and ready to drink, but then, she's just realized there's no giant carrot in the room.

Bronwyn has never been late before. Every day after slaughtering that monster, a carrot waits for her here, not far from the door. But today, that spot is empty. Actually, if there's a carrot as large as Bronwyn herself somewhere in this room, Alma must have noticed. It's not something one can overlook.

Miss Peregrine looks around the room and that's the first time she spots Miss Teddybear, the one she knitted for Little Claire herself, on the kitchen table. Claire's never left it anywhere. Everywhere she goes, Miss Teddybear goes. But why? Why is it here when its owner isn't?

Something's wrong. She can sense it. Something must be wrong.

She furrows her brows, her hand on her chin, her eyes lock on the stuff, while stepping closer to it. But, before Alma could grab Miss Teddybear, the crunching sound at her feet makes her jolt back, staring shockingly at, first, scattered shards, but then, blood, drops of blood on eggnog colored tiles.

Her hawk-like eyes flash fear and anxiety. Her body turns numb for a moment. But, she can pull herself back in a minute. Someone needs her help now, but who? Whose blood is this? Who's injured?

The answer is sitting quietly besides her, smiling blankly like nothing happened. Alma stares at Miss Teddybear as if it could tell her something. Certainly, it can't, but when Alma turns to see what it's looking, the chair, the counter, and the opening cabinet, she gets every answer she wants. It's her Little Claire.

The headmistress rushes to the library first since it's the nearest room. She keeps calling her little princess like a maniac, tears sting her eyes. The little girl isn't there and Alma feels like something is stuck in her throat. Her heart is pounding so fast like when she flew around the island at her highest speed, but instead of feeling so free and fantastic, she's nauseated.

She paces into the parlor next, still calling Claire. Her voice breaks and she can barely hold on right now. Alma is built tough, of course, but everything regarding to her children's safety can always knock her down. Her breath's getting more shallow and rapid until she feels like she's drowning. Her chest burns like it's catching fire.

'Claire!'

'Miss Peregrine!'

Alma turns to see one of her wards. It's Emma, not Claire. The girl's face is so pale and she looks so nervous. Since Emma was brought here, the ymbryne has never seen that look on her face, except for once, when Abe left them. If what she's about to see is as horrible as that, Miss Peregrine's not quite sure she will be able to stand upright.

'Millard's just gone out to fetch you. They're in the conservat -'

Emma hasn't finished her sentence yet when her headmistress dashes pass her into the glass room. The floating girl followed her ymbryne and is there right on time to catch the lady before she collapses and breaks her head.

'Miss P!'

Someone's calling her. It might be Little Bronwyn, Alma isn't quite sure. She barely hears anything right now except the buzzing noise in her head. Her dizziness has gone from bad to worse. Her head is splitting. She literally stops breathing and her veins might have stopped sending blood to her brain as well, since it just shuts itself down completely. At that moment, she isn't an Alma Lefay Peregrine her children know, but a little Alma Lefay Bentham who is useless and cannot protect anyone. She failed again. She failed them.

'Miss P.'

It's not Bronwyn now since the voice is much weaker.

'Miss P.'

She's crying, the little girl who calls her.

'Miss P.'

Her leg, arm, and cheek are bleeding. A big shard is there.

'Miss P!'

Alma's consciousness comes back at last when she realizes who is calling her. The ymbryne's breathes again, filling her lungs with some fresh air, while watching her precious Little Claire struggle to get to her. Her maternal instinct comes back immediately when she can see pain in that pair of bright blue eyes. Her little girl needs her and she can't be weak now.

Miss Peregrine darts across the room to her Claire. She doesn't want to move the girl for she fears she may hurt her but Claire moves to the ymbryne's lap herself without hesitation. The little girl is sobbing on Alma's chest, her hands clenching Alma's collar, her whole body shaking.

'Shhhh...I'm here, my dear, I'm here,' Miss P rocks her Claire gently back and forth, her eyes move from some scratches on the girl's little cheek to some cut on the girl's little arm to some shards on the girl's little legs, all of them are still bleeding. Yes, Claire has grown up, but in Alma's eyes, she's still so little, so fragile like a pretty porcelain doll. Her legs are so tiny that the big shard seems to be ten times scarier and bigger. This is absolutely not what any little girls at her age, or in fact, anyone should face. It hurts Alma so bad just looking at those wounds, let alone the injured one.

'I..I'm..,' Little Claire stutters. She's too scared to look into her Miss P's eyes. Well, she's broken not just one or two, but more than ten of Miss P's dishes. In the little girl's opinion, that's quite serious, and she doesn't know what she should say to her ymbryne about the 'crime' she's committed.

'Shhh..sweetie, you don't have to say sorry at all. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I should have been there for you,' Alma cuts in, stroking Claire's golden hair.

'No!' The little girl leans back. She dares look into her headmistress's eyes now with such a confidence. Claire knows that it's all her fault. And although she fears to her heart Miss P will be angry or, worse, will abandon her, the little girl can't stand having her Miss P take all the blames.

'It's me. It's my fault, not yours!' she gasps out, but then she frowns and bursts into tears again. Still, she tries to apologize.

'It's..it's all my fault, and...and I'm sorry. I...I promise I'll be g..good. I p...promise I won't do it a..again. Pl..please, don't g..give me away.'

Alma just loses her word. She wants to say something back like how on earth can I give you away, but the headmistress just can't. She has never known before that the regulations she's come up with to gain some authority in this house could scare her little girl this much. She's too concerned with their physical safety that she has, unknowingly, ignored their mental condition, which, in fact, should have been the first thing she cares since they were all once traumatized.

The ymbryne gently cups the little girl's face, wiping drops of tear from little cheeks. Claire must be in great pain that Alma wishes she could take her princess's place. She wishes it would have been her who was cut not her little girl. She looks into Little Claire's eyes. If eyes are the window to one's soul, this poor soul must be in such a great fear that it will be unloved, will be hurt by those it trusts, and will be abandoned. Thus, Miss Peregrine does something unexpected that extremely goes against her strict rules and completely destroys the entire gap she's created in these many years. She leans forward and presses her lips upon Claire's forehead.

When she leans back, she smiles softly at her Little Claire. She can't hold her tears any longer and she can feel the first drop of it on her right cheek. Claire looks at that drop of tear. Her Miss P is crying. Is it because of her? The little girl raises her tiny hand up and touches Miss P's cheek, wiping that tear the same way Miss P just did to her. Her cheek is so warm! Little Claire can forget her pain at least momentarily.

'Claire,' Miss Peregrine calls her little girl. Her voice sounds less sharp, and her face isn't as stern as usual. The Bird has stripped off her armor, and become just an ordinary mother who loves her children unconditionally.

'Listen to me,' Miss P strokes the girl's cheek tenderly, 'no matter what you did, no matter what you do, or no matter what you will do, remember this, I will never ever give up on you, any of you, understand?'

Little Claire nods and buries her face in her headmistress shoulder. Alma hugs her little girl tightly to assure her that she's loved and will always be loved. She's vowed to herself that she will always be there for them, and will love them more than her own life until she closes her eyes for good since the day she helped Emma from the circus, brought Olive out of the girl's heartless family, adopted Enoch and the twins from the nearby loops, found Fiona and Hugh wandering in the field, heard Horace's screaming, caught Millard stealing food red handed, bailed Victor and Bronwyn out of jail, and also, since she 'bought' her little princess from one of the shop in London.

She ran into that shop many decades ago in one of the dark loops, and her little Claire was there, in the display window, crawling around. Alma never forgets that moment when she first saw the little baby girl. Her head was shaven roughly so that another mouth at the back could be seen easily. There was a very big price tag on her neck - special discount, buy now!

She can still remember how she could lose her normally calm demeanor so quickly. She almost broke into the shop and destroyed every bit of it, but she had to remind herself that doing so could make things worse. Usually, it took a couple of weeks before the ymbryne council could grant the warrant. Alma knew for sure she couldn't wait that long. Having another mouth at the back of one's head is quite peculiar even in the peculiardom. By then, the little girl might be sold already.

That's why she decided to break the golden rule of her own sisterhood. She bought the baby at such a very high price. When she lifted the little girl up, when those bright blue eyes looked into hers, she made a promise she would never let any harms come to this poor soul again. On that day, Alma left the shop with a part of her heart sleeping tightly in her arms, tiny hand wrapping around her forefinger. She named the little girl Claire, Little Claire, her always little princess, no matter how big she is now.

'I'll always love you, my dear.'

What do you feel? Please leave some comments. I really want to know what you think. Thank you very much again for reading it. You can't imagine how happy I am now!