DISCLAIMER – I own none of the characters and all things Morganville are completely owned by the amazing Rachel Caine (:

NOTES – As always, thank you so much for the reviews xD And emalee3shane i like you're idea and i shall bear it in mind (: Sorry i don't think this chapter is particularly interesting or good at all, i found it a little bit harder to write than the others... i think my IF story is draining my muse ...but R&R anyway Please guys.

CHAPTER EIGHT ~

Once everyone was settled, with Shane, Claire, Eve and Michael grouped together on one side of the room facing Amelie and Oliver (who was refusing point blank to sit down), they waited impatiently to hear what this visit was about. Claire sat on the edge of her seat, Shane pressed up against her side, eyes darting between the two vamps before them both.

"Well...what is this about?" He asked as silence hung over them all, irritation clear beneath his words. Amelie's cold gaze flickered to Shane, quirking one eyebrow before returning her eyes to Claire.

"Perhaps it would be best if Claire's friends left the room for a second. After all, this had little to do with them." Oliver suggested in a lazily annoyed tone. Michael, Eve and Shane turned their heads to glare at him in unison.

"I'd hear every word. There's no point." Michael said, straight faced.

"And he'd tell me everything, of course." Eve, sitting beside him, nudged him with a grin.

"And Claire would just tell me, so go ahead – what's this about?" Claire glanced at Shane, noting the stiff way he held his shoulders and chewing her lip. Amelie sighed but made no other comment, instead she clasped her hands in front of her and glanced at Claire, ignoring the others completely for now.

"There is ... a dilemma." She hesitated, and before any of the friend's impatience wore thin enough to shout at her to hurry up and spit it out already, she continued. "You're in danger Claire...the whole town is. Though most of Mr. Collin's friends dispersed during the trouble we've most recently had, some stayed behind – and these outlaws have grouped together. They wish to disable to machine, to get our town back for what happened to Mr. Collins, and they know you're a key element to disabling the machine, Claire. Both you and Myrnin." There was silence for a long time as Claire processed this, and then she nodded.

"They're the one's trying to hack into the machine..." Amelie nodded curtly, and Claire frowned. "But we fixed it – the machine. There's a small loop...but otherwise it's defences are impenetrable." Claire glanced back and forth between Amelie and Oliver, trying to figure out what they wanted. Did they just wish to warn her? Or did they wish to use her? Amelie looked slightly uncomfortable, but it was Oliver who rolled her dark eyes and stepped forward.

"They are surprisingly and infuriatingly difficult to catch, and so what we request from you, is that you widen the loop hole that you say there is." Claire stared at them in horror.

"You want me to allow them to hack into the machine? They could do any sort of damage! It could become irreparable!" She opened and shut her mouth in astonishment...and fear. If the machine was offline for even a short time, a lot of trouble could go down...and if these villains were smart enough, they could damage it permanently.

"You do not need to worry about anything, Claire. We have already discussed things with Myrnin, and we have a plan in place – a plan you do not need explained to you. We came only to tell you the facts and to take care." That was too much for Shane. He stood up angrily, hands clenched into fists.

"That's it! You don't offer her protection or help at all? You just expect her to do something from you and then that's it, you're out the door with a crappy 'Good luck.'" Amelie turned her cool gaze upon him, raising her eyebrows.

"She already has my protection. But these humans are outside the law, they will not comply to it." Her gaze become shards of ice as she stared right back at Shane. He gritted his teeth, shook his head and walked out. There was a loud crack which caused Eve and Claire to jump – evidently, Shane had taken his frustration out on the wall.

Amelie watched him without expression, before standing up gracefully. "We must leave." She said, and was already in the hallway before Claire could blink. She shared a look with Eve and Michael before getting up to follow. Oliver flashed past them and by the time the others had reached the hallway, both Amelie and Oliver were outside the front door.

"Remember what you need to do Claire." Amelie paused long enough to set her cold gaze upon Claire, who nodded once and watched her and Oliver flit away before shutting the door. She sighed, leaning against it, gaze flickering straight to Shane who was standing right at the back of the hall in a similar position to her – back against the wall, head hung low. She gave Eve and Michael a half-hearted smile before moving around them to Shane.

"Hey, it'll be fine." She said gently, hand upon his arm and face raised to glance at his in worry. Shane turned his head to stare at her, disbelief upon his face.

"You're the one in danger...and you're the one telling me it'll be okay? Doesn't that feel a bit backward to you?" He gave an unwilling chuckle, one hand moving to touch her cheek gently.

"It will be, Shane." She smiled sadly. "Give me your hand." She said gently, and took the hand he'd punched the wall with, biting her lip at the already-forming bruising across his knuckles.

"I'll protect you no matter what Claire, i've promised before ... but i'll promise you again." His expression was intense, his eyes hardening as they traced her face, watching her bring his injured knuckles to her lips and kiss them lightly.

"I know." She smiled again, eyes watching him back for a second. "We should get some ice for your knuckles."

"I'll get it." Claire jumped as Eve spoke up for the first time since Amelie and Oliver had arrived, and she'd forgotten Eve and Michael had been in the hall too. Claire shook her head.

"It's okay, i'll go." She headed to the kitchen before anyone could argue, knowing they'd all want to hastily discuss what they were going to do. Claire knew they would talk about it – how could they not? But she didn't want to hear it.

She heard them move into the living room as she opened the freezer and impatiently searched for some ice, finally finding some tucked right into the corner of the bottom drawer and wrapping a couple of pieces in a towel. She was just heading back to the lounge when somebody knocked on the front door. Claire sighed as she headed out of the kitchen to get it, waiting for the chorus of 'i'm not getting it' from the lounge. But nobody said a word – not until she had her hand on the door handle and had unbolted the locks.

"Claire don't!" Shane burst out of the living room just as Claire opened the door wide, turning around with a frown and suddenly yelping in surprise as something stronger grabbed her roughly round the waist and yanked her backward out into the open. Claire twisted around in the grip, but only caught a flash of a man wearing a biker helmet before he forced her to turn back around. She struggled, eyes flashing to Shane who was already sprinting out of the door after her as she was dragged away.

"Let go of me you creep." Claire shouted through gritted teeth, still struggling and feeling her foot connect with the man's shin. He grunted and something connected hard with the back of her head, causing her to gasp out in pain.

"CLAIRE!" Shane was yelling, trying to reach her as another guy appeared from nowhere and tried holding him back. Claire blinked, and must have lost a few seconds, for suddenly Eve was there wielding a silver coated stake, and Michael was throwing another helmeted man out of his way. The man holding Claire threw her into the back of a van she hadn't known was there, and she tried to kick him again as he shut the door behind him. Something was off though. Her balance and strength were failing her, vision fading. The stickiness at the back of her head couldn't be blood, could it? Claire blinked again, her struggles weakening as she felt darkness threatening to drag her under. She could hear gruff men's voices but not make out the words. She could hear someone desperately shouting her name from outside.

And then she felt the van shudder, and a great, terrible ripping sound came from behind her. She cringed at the noise, trying to cover her ears. Cold air seeped into the van, confusing Claire. Was the door open? Someone was pulling her gently from the van. Why was the helmeted man not trying to grab her back? Her eyes managed to catch sight of something lying beside the van. A door? Was that the door? She blinked, loosing another couple of seconds so that when her lids opened again, someone was holding her tight to his warm, comforting chest, arms wrapped tight around her and breath in her ear.

"You're safe now, Claire." Shane's voice sounded shaken, but it was a comfort to her, and she finally allowed herself to fall into the abyss.