Claire's POV

In the middle of all this horror nothing should be even slightly funny, but the look on Myrnin's face was priceless. Ignoring all the nakedness, he looked like a kid who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar before lunch- well his hand was somewhere but I can certainly say it wasn't a cookie jar! I'm beyond relieved that Shane had a tight enough grip on Annabelle's sleeping form to hug her tight to his chest, just in case she in promptly woke. We honestly can't stop the laughing, I for one will never be able to un-see the expression on both Jessie and Myrnin's face; it was theatricality hilarious.

Annabelle is yet to wake from her slumber; and I will admit both me and Shane have checked multiple times to make sure she's still breathing! I don't know where to begin in explaining to a two-year-old why she won't see her mummy again; why she now has to learn to love people she is only just meeting. My eyes prickle with tears at just the idea of her reaction, of how heartbroken she will be; and how I'll have to try to console this beautiful little girl who has turned me within the hour into a parent. Shane is sitting on the couch, in our 'bedroom'; an ornate, probably priceless antique which is heavily decorated with flocked flowers- Annabelle is lying in his arms, he hasn't put her down since I handed her to him; he keeps looking at her as if she's a dream and will disappear at any given minute.

'Shane how do we tell her?' I croak, a lump forming in my throat.

Looking only at her he shakes his head, soothingly running his fingers through her brown curls. I watch my family in front of me and know that nothing would hurt me more than losing them, either of them. The innocence of Annabelle gives me something to fight for but losing Shane and her gives me the courage to face whatever is coming.

I don't know how much time has passed, but I can't take my eyes off the two people I love in the world napping; at some point Annabelle's arms came to rest around Shane's neck, as she hugs her face tightly into his shoulder, I think it was at this point I began to cry… whether it be sadness or joy I'm still unsure. I feel my eyes get heavy, and begin to droop; today of all days has been terrifyingly draining and I know it's probably not the best idea to be sleep deprived also.

I wake disorientated to the sound of sobbing, a tiny childlike sob. It's in these few seconds I realise what I've woken up to, I lift my head from the couch at the same moment Shane catches my eye; I can see a build-up of tears being quickly blinked back. I look down to Shane's lap to find Annabelle missing, instead she curled at the furthest corner of the couch, her whole body wracked with sobs, as she rocks back and forth her head on her knees; I feel my heart break. Shane reaches a hand towards her, only for her to raise her head quickly and back even further into the corner of the couch; he drops his hand in defeat, sitting up straighter in his seat.

I take a deep breath, pulling all the calm I can muster into this moment; I move to kneel on the floor next to the couch, making no sudden movement as if I was trying to calm an injured animal, or Myrnin back in the maddened days.

'Annabelle.' I whisper, my voice breaking at the last minute.

'Mama…' She whimpers, tears over flow my eyes; as I look at the blotchy face of my baby.

'I'm Claire, I know your mama…' I say trying to divert the conversation away from the piece which is ripping at my heart. I reach tentatively towards her, her eyes growing increasingly large; like orbs overflowing with tears; but I don't lower my hand till I grasp her tiny one. She shakes so violently with fear, as I grasp her hand, whining repetitively 'mama' under her breath.

Shane leans forward, his hands on his knees making no sudden moves. Her face is frozen still with fear, watching Shane with blatant fear. I move my other hand to rest it on Shane's leg; Annabelle's eyes watch my hand, as she hiccups back sobs.

'This is Shane Annabelle; he won't hurt you.' Shane doesn't move, doesn't make any attempt to come any closer, but I can feel how tense he is under my hand, how scared he is that this could all go wrong. Annabelle moves her eyes up slowly to look Shane in the face, staring intently as Shane smiles softly at her; she stares and stares before moving again to look back at me.

'Mama?' She asks, although this time her tone is more questioning than fearful.

'Your Mama… your Mama…' I stumble over my words, literally tongue-tied as to how I explain to this toddler that she won't see her mother again. That her mother chose us as worthy to raise her child. No two-year-old can understand that, no child can ever come to terms with the fact that their mother will never walk back into their lives and smile, or pull them close.

'She…' I can't do it; I physically cannot tell this child that she'll never see her mother again. Its breaking my heart, I can't seem to stem the tears that are rolling down my cheeks nor the pain in my heart. I look at Shane to see tears in his eyes too, I look at him in utter desperation for him too help, to say something to make it all better.

'Your mama said for you to stay with us now…' Shane begins his voice soft. Annabelle raises her dimpled hand, slowly finding Shanes and holding tightly looking at him full in the face. 'We're going to love you now, just as much as your mama.' How Shane is so calm I have no answer, my breathing is hitched with unshed tears. I feel Annabelle's hand leave my own as she moves from the corner of the couch crawling up to Shane, with a shocked expression on his face Shane opens his arms for our baby, who curls up on his chest her arms curling round his neck as she rests her head on his chest.

'Mama gone?' She asks Shane, looking up into his face.

'Mama gone.' He mutters. I don't as much see or hear her cry, I feel it a crashing sensation that rips at my heart and makes my lungs contract. The pain this child is in, is comprehendible as she has no way of understanding why her mama has gone.

'Your mama loved you, she wants us to keep you safe and love you Annabelle.'

And as if Shane's words were a balm to her pain, she curls up in his arms, as he tentatively places his arms around her, rubbing her back soothingly.

Just before she drifted off she murmured almost silently.

'Dada…'

Me and Shane are locked in a soul-searching stare; yet for not one moment do we regret the moment we became parents.

Reviews?