Claire's POV

As much as I love portals and all the practical uses of them, but sometimes they really do piss me off. Sometimes they make things too easy for the bad guys, they can just magic a portal and snatch you, all guns blazing. Or you could do a Myrnin and snatch that someone while they are eating cereal in the kitchen.

I also didn't appreciate the fact that the mirror was positioned in such a way, that when I came tumbling out my already bruised head hit the wall. Hard. My head hit the white wall suddenly, it seemed to zoom up on me out of nowhere and hit the crown of my head. I couldn't register the pain as the rest of my body tumbled after me, as if pushed through the portal. I seemed to rebound from the wall, pushed back by my own momentum, to crash back into the mirror between the small space of the wall and the mirror. This time I didn't go through as if it was a portal, it was simply a mirror that I probably cracked as well. Before I could moan or whimper, strong arms gripped me and lifted me gently to my feet. I was more concerned with my legs than the person who was lifting me. There was a warm tingling sensation running through my legs and my head was a scrambled mess.

"I'm so sorry Claire; I shouldn't have put the-"this soft voice held so much comfort and regret, only to be cut off by an intake of sharp breath. Strong fingers raised my face to this persons scrutiny, and I mentally kicked myself for not recognising his voice or his rather flamboyant pants. He held my chin up, his eyes widening at my bruised face. Probably not a good time to tell him what happened on the other side, but I couldn't feel guilty about meeting his eyes and holding the searching stare. His dark eyes flickered, probably looking at the multiple scratches and the newly forming bruise curtsey of the wall.

His mouth opened as if to say something, but he shut it quickly and sat me down on the bed, placing his hand on my forehead, checking the temperature? This simple gesture seemed strangely intimate, and as soon as raised voices echoed from downstairs followed by a trampling sound, it felt almost guilty as I jumped back from his touch. But what do I know, I was still woozy.

A flurry of bodies ran into the room, one of them launching themselves at me, ignoring the vampire sat near me. I breathed in the familiar homey scent and felt him squish me so hard that it hurt. There were words exchanged around me, but I didn't catch any of them or think of them as important. It was only when I made a small whimpering sound in the back of my throat that I was acknowledged. Shane drew back, keeping me at arm's length, his warm eyes passing over me and his brows meeting together in a worrying crease.

"What happened to you Claire? We were so worried." He didn't pay any attention to anyone else, didn't notice as Myrnin slipped from the room or how Michael wondered closer. All of his attention was on me.

"Well, um it was me. A copy of me took me to this weird room, to learn to control myself." Once it was out of my mouth I realised how confusing it sounded, how crazy and unbalanced I came across. Hell, I'm not sure that even I understood what I just said, and judging from the confused frowns, neither did they.

"The house liked me, because I protected it as I was... Anyway, it took a bit of my DNA or something and replaced this tiny fraction with some sort of magic. Some sort of abilities." I weighed in their expressions, probably thinking that I hit my head too hard.

"Abilities? Like that dangerous stunt you pulled with Eve and with Amelie?" He sounded more hurt than angry, somehow saddened that I couldn't change this part of me. I saw Michael creep out of the room, leaving just the two of us, and I didn't want to do this, not while my head hurt.

"I didn't know of what I was doing before, I had no control or any idea what was happening to me when I did those things. But I did them to help." I tried for that to come out softer, but it seemed my patience has grown thin, and I was cranky form the other Claire and the logic situated around it.

"Look, all that matters is that you're safe now. And home." Shane looked at me like he was looking at the sun, his longing clear on his face, like a toddler crying out to a mother. But I knew, deep down that this would be brought up again, would always rise up and somehow hurt us, maybe more in the future. It's like the world froze for the fraction of a second, my head clearer, letting me see what would really happen, what would be the consequences, what would be the loss.

"You're never going to let it go, are you?" the words flowed out of my mouth, catching him off guard, probably rattling around his mind in shock.

"What Claire? What? Can we just get some rest please?" Shane responded his eyes troubled and somewhat brooding as he saw where it was heading. He was being more polite than usual, probably knowing he was on thin ice. Ice that would inevitably crack.

"You never like it when I protect you or all of us. Never like it when I take risks for the sake of everyone! Look I love you but you have to understand I'm not the same girl that came to Morganville, not the same naïve student that wanted to finish my studies and leave. Then I met you, all of you, who provided for me and helped me, and I helped and put my ass on the line for you Shane, just as you had for me. All I'm asking is that you respect my choices, understand why I had to jump through hoops for that crazy bitch who took me." I finished my speech, eyes stinging, as a few traitor tears escaped. I looked over to Shane, who had his mouth partially open, amazed at my words, or maybe just processing what I said.

His eyes had a sheen of tears on them, the brown looking somehow bright in the rising morning light that was streaming through the window. I couldn't help but love this boy, but something has changed between us, and we have to change with it too.

"I kind of know where you're coming from Claire. Sometimes I get too protective, maybe I care for you too much or maybe I'm too much of a stubborn jackass to see it" He smiled at that, his half smile tugging the corner if his lips up "But I need to look after you. It's what I do. It's what keeps me going, what keeps me sane through all of this crap that adds to our lives. Maybe I just need to see you in a different light." He was trying to help, trying to make sense of this reality that was becoming our lives. This mess, it's so complicated, so twisted and strange that sometimes I yearned for a normal life.

He crushed me close, hugged me, making my body tingle from the surprise and the sensation of his body against mine. I didn't know what to make of it, until he placed a sweet kiss on my lips, nothing demanding or harsh, just an innocent kiss that seemed to restore some clarity for us. I let myself indulge in this moment, let the sweet scent of him wash over me before stepping back and letting go.

"It's just for a little while" I chided softly, and looked at the floor, overcome by the motion.

"Not too long" Shane responded.

We stayed like that, until a knock came at the door, hushing the house into silence.

So that was chapter 26! I think this chapter was sort of powerful, but that's just me. What about you guys?

Drop me a comment! Love you!