Woot here's Chapter 6

Little Clare repeated the word, "Pieta." The word sounded foreign to her. She said it a few more times before Teresa recovered from her stupor. "What if things have changed beyond your knowledge? How will we handle that?" Clare didn't answer. Her demeanor shifted to as cold as the ground they walked on. She began walking though. She headed toward the post where her comrades were staying in last.

After two miles of trudging through the snow, Teresa realized just how blindly she was following 47. She knew so little about this warrior…somehow she trusted her though. "What are you searching for?" she didn't convey her concern at least not enough to worry Clare. Clare still felt enamored by the whole trip. She kept gazing around in silent awe.

47 noticed the worry, however. Her cold voice weakened. She asked softly, "Can't you feel them? Five tiny yokis. They're old comrades - even if times have changed. They can help us." At that moment, Teresa wanted to sink below the snow. She felt so old and soft. Stupidly she had dismissed the yoki's as merely yoma. Out here in the middle of the snow, she wasn't worried about common yoma.

Teresa narrowed in on the five woman. She couldn't read anything else. The mystery of the whole ordeal unsettled Teresa's normally calm self. She felt completely out-of-control. Her fate fell in the hands of the future Clare…if only she knew.

Clare began slowing down as they neared a cave that she definitely recognized. She spent five years sitting down here with her team. How could she not remember it? Her feet slowed, however. Reluctance struck her as she realized how much could change by rescuing Teresa. She didn't want to face it. She wanted to just hide Teresa in the woods and keep her away from everyone else.

With a distant tone, Clare told her comrade, "I go alone first." Immediately a fire of opposition kindled in Teresa. Clare expected it though, so she sprinted for the mouth of the cave. Teresa shuffled her armored feet and glanced at the human at her side. Lightly she ruffled the child's hair. Clare looked up with a cute smile. A shout from the cave alerted Teresa to go scouting though. She edged forward until she could the words being shouted, "would you even dare screw with what we've worked for. How dare you screw with not only your fate, but ours! I know you didn't do it for the Organization, so why the hell did you do it?"

Teresa heard enough. She had heard exactly the same words, questions as she had repeated them in her own mind. Why would a stranger save her? Obviously the Organization had no pull on the girl, so why. Little Clare's eyes narrowed on Teresa. "You weren't supposed to do that." Innocent…Teresa shrugged, but inwardly she was glad Clare could distinguish between right and wrong. That was definitely progress from the speechless girl that clung to her not too long ago.

Soon 47's regal form shone from the cave's shadows. She silently beckoned the duo to enter. Hesitantly Clare and Teresa drifted toward the stony woman. They weren't entirely sure they wanted to meet the pompous voice's owner.

Subconsciously Clare reached for Teresa's hand for support. As they entered she gripped the bony appendage. Teresa's silver eyes instantly raked the five warriors. All wore pieces of the old uniform, but all appeared completely rogue. Teresa spotted their leader quickly. They all huddled around her, and her eyes were the only ones watching her without slipping.

47 casually announced as if the news would be nothing extraordinary, "This is Teresa, " Teresa nodded slightly, "and Clare." The air in the cave seemed to evaporate. Each woman gasped and their eyes centered on the child.

"Really? 47, is this really our comrade Clare?" Miria inquired with a forced calm. Her reaction had been significantly smaller than the others, but still she felt the shock. 47 merely nodded and backed away slowly. She leaned on the wall for support. No one noticed tiny beads of sweat draining from her face.

Teresa pulled the child closer to her body unconsciously trying to shield her from the prying women. "47 told me she was a warrior. Guess I didn't really consider it true. I'm glad she found friends like you though. Is she here? I mean…it would be nice to see her grown." The women's eyes turned downcast. No one wanted to speak suddenly.

However, Helen stepped up. With hatred in her voice, she explained, "My friend killed herself three years ago. She declared before that she had no reason to live without her mother. Strange thing was she never told us about her "mother". She was always quiet…always cold, but we never guessed depressed. She had no will to live." 47 really wanted to fade away now. No one expected this kind of revelation, alteration.

Teresa twitched. She merely twitched and ran her fingers through the child's hair. Clare didn't take the words well though. She bolted from Teresa's touch. She glared at Helen too. "I don't want any part in this. I don't want to make you die! I don't wanna even try to live if you're just going to die. You would've been fine if I hadn't made you take me with you. I…but how can I fix this, Teresa? How do I live without you? You're gonna die anyway - even though she stopped you. You should've just left me with the yoma!" None of the warriors had expected anything from the child. Perhaps they thought Clare had been detached her entire life, but at that moment they realized how vulnerable the child was.

Tears poured from the child's eyes…not tears for her death though. Do not misunderstand. No, she grieved over Teresa's coming death…maybe even over her own loneliness, but not over her death. She would welcome death if it meant Teresa would live. She at least had that sentiment in common with her future counterpart.

Deneve watched angrily. Clare's death had affected them all, and now to discover that the entire situation was actually Clare's fault, ticked Deneve off. Her words clashed down on Clare, "You are going to fix this, Clare! This woman cannot be important enough to ruin your life." Teresa's head jerked toward the short haired woman. She was about to reproach the woman for yelling at her child like that…but then, she noticed that Deneve wasn't looking at Clare. No, the angry woman was glaring at…47.

Rapidly Teresa understood all the hindering questions. She realized the why's. Her eyes swept over the statue of a Claymore. Before Teresa could react (reach out), Clare announced in a calculating tone, "I know what changed at least. I made Teresa avoid her execution. I bet I no longer have Priscilla to blame for Teresa's death.

For years, the only thing that has fueled my life was trying for Priscilla's head. That's why I train, why I even sleep or eat. I'm gaining strength to face her. But without that drive, yeah, I would've died a long time ago…especially sitting in this abyss. I still have to change it though. Seems Teresa died anyway. Guess I'll just try again." She pushed herself off the wall and strutted toward her smaller self.

Avoiding her comrades' eyes, she kneeled down to one knee. She whispered childishly to her self, "I'll protect her…don't worry." Clare didn't look at her savoir though. She couldn't. She could practically feel the disappointment radiating from the older woman. She couldn't live with herself if she didn't' fix everything. She couldn't live with the shame she felt under Teresa's watchful eyes.

Next the long-awaited confrontation between Teresa and Clare. Good or bad? Thank you for reading :)