Author Note: Hello!

I know this time I've gone for sooo long and I'm so sorry for that. My semester has just begun and there are a lot of things to do, so it's super hard to finish this as fast as I used to. Anyway, I'm proud to tell you that, obviously, it's done. Finally, I can give you this chapter and the good news (or the bad one, I'm not sure) is it's not the last chapter. Not yet.

As always, thank you so much for every support you all give to me. It's amazing and it boosts me up, keeping me on the right track and helping decrease my laziness, lol!

I'm sorry for the cliffhangers but believe me, when the story is getting more and more intense, it's just hard to end each chapter with…idk, a peaceful satisfying ending that won't urge you to read more. I'm also a reader of other marvelous authors as well and I know how it feels each time you reach the cliffhanger ending, but I'm not skillful enough to avoid it here. Sorry for that.

For marina p, I'm so sorry, dear. At first, I wanted to publish this on January the first to be a New Year gift for all of you but I couldn't make it on time. Anyway, here it is now. Hope you don't mind that it's quite late.

For Miss Gannett, thank you so much for your very sweet and kind words. I appreciate that. I'll try to come up with more Olive-Miss P moment, if I can, in the next chapters. I'll see to that, I promise. And please, you don't have to beg. Writing for my readers is what I love to do. I just don't have enough time to come up with a new chapter every day, that's all. Thank you again and love you as well.

For Ash Wave, I die to answer you but I just don't know how. I think this is your answer, right? Usually, I try to update this story in every 7 day, but sometimes, it might be a bit late and I'm sorry in advance for that.

For the guest who has asked me to do two more chapters, I'm glad to tell you that there might be more than that. Not as many as five though, still two, three, or four, depending on the length of each chap.

This chapter might not be so perfect as the previous ones since my personal editor, Yuna McHill, is on her vacation and the internet there doesn't work quite well. No matter what I still wanna thank her. Love you so much, dear!

Okay, I'll stop the chitchatting here and let you go. Please, consider this as your late New Year gift from me. Happy New Year!

Chapter XIII

Claire Densmore has never been in the big big world alone before.

Everything looks ten times larger, broader, higher, deeper, or longer when she has to face it alone. Her ferry reached the mainland an hour ago, but the girl is still lingering around the pier. She doesn't want to go anywhere and actually, she has no idea where to go.

Looking at her little pocket watch, it's 8.15. Miss P is about to reset the loop in less than an hour so the girl thinks she should find some shelter and wait to see the changeover. Tonight, the changeover will be the most beautiful one, if it happens, since it is the only way Claire knows her Miss P is fine. She is too afraid to imagine what will happen if it doesn't come. She doesn't know what she will do if the sky remains dark and the sun of September the fourth rises because not only does that mean her Miss P is in a big trouble, but also, it means her house, no, Miss P's house is gone for good as well and her brothers and sisters might get hurt or even, killed. That is all because of her.

Miss P.

That name hurts Claire. Tears begin to well up in her eyes when it comes to her that she might not see her Miss P or her brothers and sisters again. She has just left the Bird and other children but now she misses them so much that she looks at the ferry, contemplating whether she should come back.

No, she shouldn't. She must punish herself for what she has done and maybe, without her, Miss P might be a lot...safer. Without her, Miss P might not fall again, might not bleed. Without her, Miss P will be alright.

Claire turns back and marches towards the town. I have to be strong. She tells herself, though it doesn't really work. Miss Peregrine and her bigger siblings keep coming back in her mind. She can't forget their smile, their hug, and their face. This is what you deserve, Claire. The girl tries to erase them from her thought. Miss P will be safer without me.

She finds a wooden bench under the bridge. It's quite dim here but since there's a lantern and it's warmer, Claire sits herself down. From here, she can see the sky clearly. It's started to drizzle. If she hadn't run away, she would have been in the parlor by now, sitting beside Olive on the couch, watching Horace's dream. Miss P would be close to make sure we all get our hot chocolate. Miss P would talk to us and sometimes, sit beside us, beside her and if she fell asleep, she knows Miss P would carry her to her bedroom and tuck her in. Claire always wished that Miss P would love her more than that, would give her a kiss every night and a hug every day, but now, all she wishes is to be loved like yesterday, like before she tried to get that mug. Miss P doesn't have to give her a kiss nor anything at all. The only thing Claire asks for is that the Bird will not hate her.

It's 9.01 and Claire holds herself very tight. She doesn't like it here, but it's the only place she can find in this moment. The girl moves closer to the lantern. At least, she has got some light. She looks up to the sky and waits, praying in her heart to see what she wants to see. It's 9.06 and she closes her eyes. Little Claire takes a deep breath and when she opens her eyes again, the first thing she sees is a big moth, stops dead midair before her eye as if it were taxidermied. Then it flies backwards to the sky that changes from night to twilight to bright afternoon to gray dawn and then, to starry night, the night of September the second. The little girl blinks and although she isn't with her beloved ones, she smiles happily for she knows that her ymbryne is alright. Miss P is alright.

Little Claire looks at those twinkling stars she meets every day. Today they are a lot more beautiful. They would be even more beautiful, she knows, if she saw them from her yard and she would be able to tell their name since Mister Twinky is the biggest one above Fiona's centaur and Miss Spark is near Fiona's apple tree. She misses her yesterday so much. She misses Miss P, everyone, everything, and her stars. But never mind. She'll name them all here so that they will be her new friends. The girl points at the biggest one on the left and tries to come up with a name for him. Yes, it's him since he looks strong and tall like Enoch. I'm gonna name him Enoch then. The next one is thinner than the first and since it stands right next to Enoch, I'm gonna name her Olive. The one with many tiny stars around it looks like Hugh and his bees. Hugh then. And Fiona is there, holding Hugh's hand. That one is hard to see so it's Millard...and that one seems like...it's...floating around so it's...The little girl yawns and before she can name the next star, her eyes close.

'Are you sure, dear, you can carry that?' Miss Peregrine asked Little Claire who was carrying a rather large grocery bag filled with many loaves of bread.

'Yes, Miss P.' Claire answered with confidence, though it was not easy for her at all.

'I can carry that for you, sweetie.'

'It's okay. I can do it.' Claire gave Miss P a bright smile, thus the ymbryne smiled back and held an umbrella for Claire instead.

They were in the kitchen. Claire was sitting on a kitchen table, watching her Miss P cooking a pie, an apple pie, her most favorite. She loved to be here when Miss P baked because the kitchen would smell so good and Miss P usually allowed her to help cooking. Miss P made her a little apron identical to Miss P's bigger one and both of them were wearing oven gloves, ready to bring out their pie.

'Alright, ready?' Miss P asked and Claire gave her a nod.

When the Bird opened the oven, the first smell that kicked Claire's nose was the most amazing thing that could happen on earth. The pie looked perfect as always, with glistening and golden pastry. Miss P carefully brought it out and placed it on the kitchen table near Claire before raising her hand up, resting it on her chin.

'Umm...I wonder who is going to be the first one who tastes this pie.' The Bird asked sweetly, looking at her Claire.

'Me! Me!'

She chuckled and began to slice the pie, getting one piece for her youngest charge.

'Here you are!' She said. 'Be careful, dear, it's still hot.'

Claire touched her piece and quickly pulled her hand back. It was really hot.

'Ow. It's hot.'

Miss Peregrine smiled kindly and took Claire's hand in hers. She rubbed it gently and blew Claire's fingers before kissing them.

'Better?'

Claire smiled back.

'Here, let me.' Miss P said and used a fork to cut the piece of pie up. She blew it a bit before giving it to Little Claire who had already opened her mouth as if she were a little bird waiting to be fed by its mother on its nest.

'How is it?'

Claire always loved it when Miss Peregrine asked her since it made her feel like she was the greatest gourmet the world had known. She pretended to think for a minute, chewing slowly as though it was such a hard question despite knowing exactly what she would answer in the end. She knew if she remained silent, Miss P would lean forward until their face was just an inch apart and said something to urge her to answer.

'Well?'

Little Claire giggled and then she nodded.

'It's amazing!' She raised her hands up to show her ymbryne how amazing the pie was.

Miss P pinched Claire's little nose and shook it gently.

'What am I going to do without you, my little personal gourmet?'

Yes, what is she going to do without me? Claire has woken up already but she doesn't want to open her eyes. She just wants to cling to her sweet dream and if possible, stay there forever with her Miss P and everyone else.

Don't be stupid. Miss P will be fine without you, Claire!

She knows deep within her heart she doubts that. But since she needs to be punished for what she has done, she remains unmoved.

Go back to sleep, Claire, if you miss her. Just go back to sleep.

Little Claire hums a familiar tune she heard every day…Run rabbit run rabbit run run run! Usually, it quickly soothes the girl but it's no use now. Here, under the bridge, Miss Peregrine's love is hard to feel and the little girl has no idea whether that is because it's too far or the Bird has stopped loving her already. She just hopes it's not the latter.

She holds herself tighter and is about to fall asleep again, doesn't really care what time it is. She is so tired and although sleeping on the bench like this might not help, it's better than facing the reality where there is no Miss Peregrine. But just a second before the darkness kisses the girl again, Claire jumps because of a loud screech not far from here.

The little girl springs up and looks around. Although she isn't as clever and knowledgeable as Millard, Claire can tell right away whose screech it is.

It's a peregrine falcon's screech.

And although she is no bird expert, the little girl understands that screech very well.

Someone is in need of help.

And that someone might be…Miss Peregrine.

Okay, don't scream in my face, my dear readers. If I continued, the chapter would be too long and it would take me longer to publish it out for you. Besides, that peregrine falcon might not be Miss P, right? Just hang in there and don't try to murder me, that's what all I ask.