"So, you got nasty with Gina and this is what happened?" Shane asked trying to be clear
Eve just nodded with a disgruntled look.
"Well, I can accept the issue, but not the timing." He said
"I know."
Claire just listened to them as she looked through the rubble for anything that could've survived. She wasn't finding much. The house looked worse now than it did before. There wasn't even a house here.
"Claire, stop digging through that. There's nothing left."
As he kept telling her, she saw something shiny. Dropping down to her knees she pushed away more rubble and grabbed for it. It was hot, really hot. She'd dropped it and her fingertips instantaneously throbbed and stung. She sucked on them then cloth from her shirt and picked up the metal piece. It danced in her hands until it cooled down.
She walked over to the other mopey two and held up the object to them. It was a key.
"We have somewhere to go. We should leave before anyone actually notices the house is gone. It could be pinned on us really easily." Claire said
They both looked at her stunned.
"Look who's taking the leadership role." Eve said sounding impressed
"It's quite the turn on." Shane said
Claire ignored the comments.
"Call Michael and let him know you'll be staying at my place." Claire said as she started for Sam's car
"You're not coming?" Eve asked
"Sorry Eve. I got to get back to the lab and wait for Myrnin."
"You can't." Shane blurted "He'll tear you apart."
"Just go." Claire huffed
She didn't have time for this.
"Claire I'm serious." Shane said
"So am I!" she exclaimed "You act like I'm the sixteen year old girl that left here. Well, I'm not. I am a totally different person who can handle her own damn problems. I can't do everything at once. You have to take the backseat on this one. They came first whether you like it or not."
Shane went quiet and his face went pale. Eve didn't say anything. She stood as still as a statue.
"We get it Claire." She said "We just want you safe to."
"I know. Everyone wants something though. There's only one me." Claire said "I just I have to do this. IT depends on everybody."
"Everybody?" Shane said sounding disgusted "How does this depend on everybody huh? The vampire's are dying…that means they die and leave us alone. No more dead people."
"Wrong Shane. Remember Myrnin? They more than likely turn out like him. They won't be able to control themselves. They will kill and it would be a freaking massacre. There wouldn't be anybody left by the time they all pass away." Claire said
"They'd be like him?"
"Yes." She said sternly "Now I have to go and see if Myrnin is at the lab and if he is we have to prepare for every single vampire to get the cure. Take the car and head over to my place and just stay there and try not to make a nuisance. I can't afford that to go up in smoke."
"Haha" Eve said flatly
Claire smirked.
"What about you?" Shane asked
"I take a different type of transportation." She replied
When Ada's in the mood, she thought. She thought about where she wanted to go and as she started to walk she felt a firm hold on her arm. She couldn't stop and was shoved right through. She hit her knees on the hard linoleum floor.
"What the-"
She didn't finish. She saw Shane on the floor beside her.
"You are a moron." she grumbled
"A moron that's concerned with your ungrateful ass."
"Ungrateful I am not. Determined I am." She said
"Who's here?"
Both Claire and Shane looked up to see Jake coming from an office.
"You took us here?" Shane said unenthusiastically
"I needed to get extra help." She told him
"But him?"
"Put you jealousy back in its box Collins." Claire said as she stood
Jake set aside his weapon that seemed glued to his fingers.
"I'm sorry. It's just that there has been a lot of rioting going on." Jake said
Claire helped Shane sit. He was even more of a mess than before. The blood had dried now and clumped up his hair and he had black smudges all over himself from the burnt down residence.
"You two look like hell." Jake said
"There's a good chance we just came from there." Shane said sarcastically
Claire smirked. He'd beaten her to the comment. She jumped up on the professor's desk and sat there. She crossed her legs. For a moment she just sat there. She breathed in and out. Her muscles were screaming at her in agony.
"Time to go." She then said
She smiled lightly then stood. A portal opened in front of her courtesy of Ada.
"He needs you Claire." Ada's voice said over the speakers in the room
"We're going now." Claire said
She turned to look at Shane and Jake then motioned them to follow. Jake gave her a questioning look.
"Go now. Ask questions later." Shane told him
The three of them walked through and as soon as Shane hit the other side his eyes had to adjust to the dim lit room. He saw Myrnin hugging Claire tightly.
"Claire you are a genius." He exclaimed "Certainly not as smart as me, but most definitely a genius."
"Thank you…I think." she breathed
Myrnin let go and started shifting things around his lab.
"We must hurry now. There is a lot to do."
"Hold up." Shane interrupted
Everyone turned and looked at him.
"There are a few questions. Is Bishop dead?"
"Very."
"And is Michael okay?"
"Probably a bit crispy from running through the sun after Bishop, but alive no less. Is that it or do you want to pester me more?"
Shane said nothing.
"Good. We have work to do." Myrnin said
Claire smiled. She actually smiled about it. Shane understood it now. She didn't live here her whole life and yet she'd seen the different sides of many people. She was willing to risk her life for each of them. They had a special meaning and she was different. He didn't know if he liked this different girl.
"Shane, I need you to go out and find Amelie and Oliver. I need you to tell them to round up the vampires and get them to town hall." Myrnin said
"Make Jake do it." He said childishly
"Fine." Myrnin growled "Go Jake."
"On it."
Jake left quickly. Shane just mocked him silently. Sure, Jake would do anything for Claire. That's what you did for people you cared for. The funny thing was that she didn't even notice. She seemed to be fumbling around for something while Myrnin shot off numbers of some sort at her. she came over towards Shane a few minutes later with a dusty box in her hands and told him to sit.
"You're not very useful if you're broken." She joked as she cleaned up the blood and patched him up
"Oh, I'm useful?" he inquired
"You have your moments. Like when you play bait." She said
He shuddered thinking about it.
"Not funny."
"Oh, you don't like being the slave?" she pouted
He chuckled.
"Not under those circumstances."
"Gotcha. Leave the chains at home." She noted
"You seem to know what you're doing." He said
She knew what he meant.
"Yeah. It's weird, but this is what I'm supposed to do. I left so that I could work for this." she said "It's hard to explain."
"Not that hard. You had reasons for being back here and you just fit perfectly here."
"How does anyone fit perfectly here?" she asked
Shane thought about it.
"It's hard to explain." He chuckled
She smiled and closed the first aid box. She walked away and helped Myrnin draw out his own blood. Shane just sat there and watched. He was drawing out tubes and tubes of it. There was determination in her eyes. The door bursted open suddenly and startled everyone, but Myrnin who remained calm. It was Sam. He looked banged up, but was slowly healing. Blood dribbled down his chin.
"I heard this was the blood back." He joked
Claire looked up at him and then at Shane. Shane nodded and jumped to his feet.
"Hear right." He joked back "Take a seat.
He grabbed one of the needles that Myrnin had laid out and picked it out. Sam just nodded and held out his arm. He looked away.
"I can't believe I'm still afraid of needles." He said