Clara sat on the edge of her bed in shock. She was shaking and as she tried to breathe, only worry and fear pulsed through her. Dean was waiting downstairs for her but she couldn't move. He had made it very clear that they needed a night away, and just have dinner like a normal couple. She had put on a nice dress and even did her hair, other than putting it in a ponytail.
She had been feeling off all day and she had no idea why. She counted the days on the calendar and it hit her like a tone of bricks when she noticed she was at least two weeks late. She prayed to any angel that what she feared was not true but as she looked down at the positive plus sign on the Clear Blue pregnancy test her whole world changed in three minutes.
"Oh no..." She breathed out quickly in a panic. "This can't happen..." She said staring at the plus sign.
Having Adrian was one thing but having a baby herself was a whole other story. She would actually have to raise the baby, and worse she would have to be an actual mom. Her head raced as she thought not only about her being a mom but having to tell Dean about this.
"Clara?" Dean's voice came from the door as he knocked lightly. She jumped with a bit of a yelp. She threw the test under the bed and tried not to look so panicked.
"Yeah?" She asked and Dean walked in.
He smiled as soon as he saw her. She looked a bit startled but amazing. "You know you will never cease to amaze me." He walked over. "I keep thinking one person can't be more beautiful but somehow you manage to prove me wrong every time." He smiled as he kissed her cheek.
Clara couldn't help but smile and blush as Dean spoke. "Well you don't look to bad yourself." She smiled at his suit. He nodded and grabbed her hand.
"Now can we go?" He asked with a sigh.
"Yes.. please." She nodded quickly taking his hand he left for her to take.
Clara's heart was beating faster than it ever has before as Dean drove. They sat at a table near the back of a really nice restaurant. Wine was poured for the both of them and light music played through out the room. Clara kept looked around with jumpy eyes.
"You okay?" Dean laughed as he passed her a glass of wine. Clara reached out to take it but then remembered.
"I'm fine..." She sighed taking the class but putting it down on the other side of her plate.
"Well good." Dean smiled.
The rest of the meal was shared with their usual talk and conversation. Clara decided to put the whole baby problem on hold for just one night. She tried to forget and as the night went on she actually found herself enjoying the evening. Dean was usually happy and talkative. She noticed how he kept checking his pocket every so often. She teased him about it a few times and he just made up something stupid.
When they reached the front door Dean had gotten quiet. She unlocked the door and before she could step in Dean reached for her hand and pulled her back. He placed an arm around her and kissed her passionately.
"What was that for?" She giggled a bit as he pulled away.
"Alright I gotta say something." Dean blurted out quickly. "And it's not something that comes easy for me but I've been waiting all night..."
"Oh while we are on that subject there is something I need to tell you too." Clara sighed as the events of earlier hit her again.
"Alright just let me go first." Dean said as he took Clara's hand.
"Okay..." She said with a small smile.
Dean took a deep breath and pulled her into the house. He walked them over to the couch and made her sit next to him. He turned to face her. He took another deep breath and looked up at her. "We've known each other for a long time... and this may seem weird for you to hear but ever since we were teenagers I didn't think it was possible for me... people like us to you know..." He started to stutter and shift a bit. Clara smiled at his nervousness and started to get confused. "Hunters don't get happy endings." He said quickly. "I mean.. most of them don't." He sighed.
"Dean?" She questioned as he started to get ever more nervous. "Why don't you just say what you need to say." She smiled. "Candy coating it isn't your strong suit." She laughed a bit and he smiled instantly.
"After Sam died I wanted to die too. But I made a promise and I am so glad I finally stuck to my word this time." he smiled. "You've never so much as hesitated to let me back in and you have no idea how much that meant to me." He sighed.
"That's what I do." She shrugged with a smile.
"I've been in love with you since I was 18." He said quickly and caught her off guard. "Everyday I used to wake up and see you and I wished I could wake up next to you for the rest of my life." He said as he slowly reached into his pocket.
Clara didn't realize what was happening until that small black box sat in his hands. "Oh God..." She panicked. She really should have told him her news first.
"So I would really like to do that." That Dean smiled brightly as he slowly slipped from the couch to kneel on one knee. Clara's heart rate instantly went up when he opened that box. Clara gasp a bit as he grabbed her hand and she noticed they were both shaking. "So..." Dean took a deep breath and got all this courage together to say the four words he had always imaged asking her. "Will you marry me?"
"Holy shit." Clara's breath escaped her a bit with a smile. "You're serious." She smiled and he nodded. Clara looked down at the ring. A smile came to her face when she saw it. It was his silver ring, with some modifications; a sparkling square diamond placed in the middle.
"Clara?" Dean questioned when he notice her staring at the ring but not saying anything else.
"Right!" She laughed. "Yes." She nodded quickly.
"Yes?" He had to ask just in case.
Clara nodded quickly as her eyes started to tear up. Dean smiled and slid the ring on her finger and she quickly launched forward and hugged him tightly. She leaned back and kissed him. Dean pulled her in quickly and didn't want to let her go.
"Wait." She said pushing away quickly a bit out of breath.
"What? you change your mind?" He asked with a nervous laugh.
Clara laughed and shook her head. "No." She took a deep breath and gathered all her courage to tell Dean what was really going on. But, as she looked into those ridiculously green and happy eyes she couldn't bring herself to make it complicated. That was the happiest she had ever seen Dean. She sighed and just leaned forward and kissed him again. "Never mind" She whispered as he wrapped his arms around her.
As that kiss deepened Dean's grip on Clara got tighter. He pulled away quickly and pulled her up. He smirked as she waited for him to do something. He bent over a bit and picked her up and threw her over his shoulders. She always giggled when he did that and when she did it just made him want her more. He quickly made his way upstairs and once he got to their door he nearly kicked it open. He dropped her on the bed quickly. Clara giggled again once she bounced off the bed. Dean hovered over her for a second and leant down to kiss her.
Once morning came the sun hadn't even risen yet and Clara was left lying awake. The sheets were draped over her and Dean, and his arm was wrapped tightly around her. Clara was staring out the window and she couldn't help but feel different. In the span of 12 hours her whole life had changed. To many times had her life changed but usually those changes started with a death not a baby. She took a deep breath when Dean's arm rested around her stomach. Her heart jumped and her mind wondered. How would he react? Would he freak out? Too many questions kept her awake.
Dean finally started to move and she nearly jumped. "Good morning." He groaned out when he noticed she was awake. She looked over her shoulder and noticed his eyes were trying to open.
"Well hi." She smiled at him.
"You been awake for a while?" Dean asked as Clara turned to face him. His eyes were still kind of closed.
"Yup." She answered.
"There a reason for that?" He asked with a sigh.
"Well you know my hand feels a bit weird." She smiled at Dean and he finally opened his eyes.
"Weird?" He questioned looking at her smile. Clara nodded her head and leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He smiled as he pushed some hair away from her face. "Taking that as a good weird." He smirked.
"Well I think so." She smiled looking down at her hand. Dean had worn that ring on his hand since he was a teenager and she never knew where he had gotten it. Anything Dean wore it always had a meaning. He used to wear a necklace Sam gave him, and a bracelet that he found a Bobby's when he was a kid. "Hey question for ya?" She asked looking at the ring.
"Anything for my future wife." He smiled.
"Kinda like the sound of that." She giggled. "This ring..." She paused. "You've had it for a while." He nodded. "Where'd you get it" She asked.
Dean sighed. "Uh found it actually." He said. "Sam and I worked a case in our old house a while ago. Found this old box with just a bunch of stuff in it." He shrugged. "I think it was my mom's, she's was wearing it in some of the pictures we found." Clara smiled at him.
It was quiet for a second as the sun finally poked through the window. Clara watched as Dean tried to wake up but his eyes always ended up closing. She smiled as she got up grabbing his shirt off the floor and wrapping it around her.
"Where are you going?" He groaned trying to shield his face from the sunlight.
"I don't know what you bother even trying to wake up... you've never been a morning person." She laughed at Dean. "Go back to sleep." She ordered and he sighed.
"Where you going?" He asked again as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Got a text from Derek about an hour ago. We got a case." Clara shrugged as she walked back over to the bed and sat next to him and smiled.
"Ah, off to fight crime?" Dean smiled and Clara nodded. "I don't know how I feel about my Fiance out there in the face of danger." Dean smiled as he snaked an arm around Clara.
"Hasn't anyone told you?" She questioned. "My middle name is Danger." She winked and he rolled his eyes with a laugh.
She smiled as he kissed her but when his hand lightly touched her stomach she jumped away. "You okay?" he asked quickly.
"Oh ya." She smiled. "I just... you know I should get ready." She smiled kissing his quickly. She still couldn't tell Dean what was going on. She flashed him a quick smile before she took off toward the bathroom to shower.
"Okay, but like what happens if there are two of them." Adrian said chasing Clara through the house as she tried to pack for her case. She usually had a go back ready but apparently everything was being washed. She laughed at Adrian's questions.
"Than you focus on one and deal with the other after." Clara said throwing her bag by the door and grabbing her keys. "Don't you think you should master dealing with one assailant first before worrying about a second one?" She asked and Adrian huffed.
"You never know what could happen to me on my way to school!" Adrian said following her to the door.
"Well stay out of dark allies and what not." She joked. Adrian sighed. "Alright tell you what, when I get back Dean and I will both attack you and see what happens." She smile.
"You think you're so funny." He rolled his eyes.
"Well yes?" She smiled. "Go get ready for school." She shook her head. "And don't be late again. I can't keep threatening the Principal." She sighed.
"Alright... I'll see ya." Adrian said hugging Clara quickly and then raced upstairs.
"Bye." she smiled as she watched him run away.
"The kid can't even throw a knife straight yet." Dean said as he came from the kitchen with a cup of coffee.
Clara laughed. "Well not everyone was born with amazing aim." She rolled her eyes.
"True." he smirked as he sipped his coffee.
"Make sure to take him to the doctor's tomorrow." Clara reminded him.
"Yeah you've told me that about three times." He laughed.
"Just making sure you don't forget." She defended herself.
"When have I ever forgotten something you've told me?" Dean laughed.
Clara had to think for a second. "Good point." She sighed when she couldn't think of a time he had forgotten something. She smiled at him as he walked over and kissed her quickly.
"Try not to get shot." He winked at her.
"Oh thanks." She laughed shaking her head.
Penelope was waiting by the elevator when Clara arrived. She had a wide smile and just stared at Clara. "What?" She asked quickly, confused by Penelope's strange behaviour.
"Let me see." She nearly squealed.
"See what?" Clara said trying to walk to her desk.
"Oh don't even try to get out of this!" She said reaching forward and grabbed Clara's left hand.
"Oh right." She tried not to smile.
"Oh gosh it's so pretty." Penelope smiled. "GUYS!" Penelope's called out once she grabbed Clara's hand and pulled her toward everyone's desks. Clara sighed.
"What's with all the yelling?" Derek stood up quickly. He always reacted when Penelope screamed.
"Look." She pulled Clara's hand forward and showed off the ring. "He did it." She nearly squealed again.
"Finally." JJ smiled as she grabbed Clara's hand. They all took turns complimenting Clara and congratulating her.
"Wait... what do you mean finally?" Clara finally asked. They all sighed and looked away. "You all knew, didn't you?" She asked quickly with a huff. "Oh come on!" she laughed.
"Well what did you want us to do?" JJ asked. "Tell you?" She asked.
"Maybe a little heads up would have been nice."
"Oh yea... Hey Clara you're boyfriend may or may not ask you to marry him..." Penelope said in a deep mocking tone. Clara rolled her eyes.
"How long have you known?" She asked.
"Few days." Derek laughed.
"He told you all?" She asked as they all walked for the conference room.
"Well yeah." Derek rolled his eyes.
"Pretty sure he asked Hotch's permission too." Spencer added. Clara smiled as they all sat at the table.
"Aside from the good news... we have a problem." JJ started as Hotch and Rossi joined the group. "New Hapsher has a serial killer and his victim pool is about to get a lot bigger." JJ sighed.
"Why?" Spencer asked.
"Well it's almost the fourth of July." JJ smiled.
"So?" Spencer asked.
"Some people like to go to the beach and party to show their patriotism." Clara laughed. "Kinda like spring break for adults." She sighed rolling her eyes.
"Spring break really?" Derek laughed looking over at her.
"Hey I did go to college." She smirked with a laugh.
"Four vic's so far... and come friday night there are going to be a lot more." Hotch said quickly. "That gives us a window of two days to at least compile a suspect list." Hotch said as he stood.
"That's not much time." Clara spoke up and Hotch sighed.
"Wheels up in twenty." He nodded than left quickly. Clara and the team watched as Hotch left the room quickly. They didn't even go over the victims or anything really and he had already left.
"Is he alright?" Penelope was first to ask. Everyone shrugged and when Clara heard Rossi sigh she looked over at him.
"What is it?" She ask standing quickly.
"Not my place." Rossi sighed. "We should get on that plane." He said leaving next.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Derek asked while everyone was quiet.
"Means something is wrong." Clara shook her head and left soon after.
"If this guy wanted to kill more people he should have choose a more efficient way." Clara was first to comment on the Unsubs methods.
"Efficient?" JJ huffed. "He's already killed five people." She shook her head.
"Yes but there are a hundred ways to kill a person... and the slowest not to mention most tedious is by strangulation. And it makes its harder if the person isn't drugged." Clara said as she sat next to Hotch who was listening to everyone go over the case. He had stood and leaned against a table and she joined his side. Everyone looked up at Clara with odd looks. "What?" She asked a bit put off by the looks.
"You speaking from experience?" JJ asked and Clara sighed.
"As some who has been strangled a few times yes." She said quickly and a bit angry. Ever since she told her friends who she really was, they always assumed the worst when she shared something. JJ and Derek were always the ones to look down at her for it. Apparently they didn't approve.
"Right... sorry." JJ sighed looking down quickly. "Well it's obvious this guys is strong then." She added.
"True..." Rossi nodded. "Some of these guys are at least 300 pounds of muscle." He sighed.
"Well anyone with the right training, could take someone twice their size." Derek said and everyone agreed.
"Very good training." Hotch added.
"Almost like professional training." Clara said reading over one of the autopsy reports. "Someone with powerful hands took these men down." She said. "Notice how the bruises around the victim's necks are wide and kinda uneven." She pointed out. "Our guy used his hands." She shook her head. "I bet if we looked we could find a finger print imbedded in the bruises." She added and Rossi nodded.
"Alright, JJ and Reid you head to the police station. Work on the geographical profile and a press release." Hotch sighed. "Rossi and I will talk to some of the victim's friends and the corner. Morgan and Walsh go to the crime scenes. See if anything stands out or is similar between scenes." He handed out the assignments than sat toward the back of the plane.
"Hey?" Clara followed Hotch after everyone had gotten quiet. "You mind?" She asked pointing to the seat across from him. He nodded as he rubbed his head. She let out a deep breath as she sat, folding her hands on the table and sat forward. "So you wanna tell me what's bothering you?" She smiled.
"What?" He asked in an impatient tone.
"You seem off, is everything okay?" She asked ignoring his short temper.
"Fine." He said to her quickly.
"If something is wrong you can tell me?" She tried to be nice. She figured it was better than jumping at him with questions.
"Everything is fine Walsh." He said inpatient again.
"Are... are you hung over?" Clara had to lean forward to see the bloodshot eyes and the tired expression.
"That's enough." Hotch looked at her with anger in his eyes. "I do not need to be interrogated by you." He huffed.
"Fine." Clara sat back and sighed. "Don't say I didn't try." She rolled her eyes.
"No one is asking you to." Hotch whispered angrily.
Clara sighed as she stood. She stepped closer to him and bent over. "No one needs to." She said with a sigh."We are supposed to look out for each other." She smiled with a shrug.
"We?" He mocked her and she tilted her head a bit hurt by his mockery.
"Yeah... we are a team." She said shaking her head. "Not to mention hunters always look out for each other." She said. She sighed and stood quickly. She was about to say something else when Hotch stood and stepped up to her.
"Stop." He demanded with a strong whisper. "I am your commanding officer and if I tell you to back off you do as I say. I am not a hunter and neither are you." He huffed. "That's who we used to be." He said.
Hotch was standing very close to Clara and she shook her head at him a bit confused by his sudden temper. She stepped back and rejoined the others. Something had defiantly happened. She looked over every so often and Hotch kept his eyes away from the team. He looked very distracted. Clara sighed as she and the other talked the case over trying to build a profile.
"So question." Morgan had broken the silence. He and Clara had been walking the beach talking to people all day and she hadn't said much. He had noticed her intense conversation with Hotch earlier and knew it bothered her how he snapped. They were headed to another crime scene and a question had been brewing in him for a while.
"Okay?" She smiled over ta him.
"What you said on the plane... being strangled in all?" He stuttered a bit.
"I didn't lie if that's what you're asking." She sighed noticing his nervous tone.
"Who? or what tried to strangle you?" He asked.
"Well there are a few answers to that." She smirked. "Foyett tried to strangle me but gave up, resorted to a gun instead. Quicker." She smiled. "Demons like to get their hands dirty, so they are known for pushing on the neck." She sighed. "Only they don't actually have to use their hands." She said probably confusing Derek even more.
"That it?" he asked.
"No... but my favourite... this one time when I was about 19." She paused. "Last year of hunting before college. I went looking for a Vamp, and when we found each other he thought strangulation was the way to go for some reason." She shrugged. "Then the smell of blood made him bite." She rolled her eyes.
"He bit you? and like drank your blood?" Derek was a bit disgusted by that. She nodded. "Wouldn't that make you... you know one of them?" He asked.
Clara laughed. "Nope." He tilted his head as the jumped in the SUV. "You have to mix the blood... like if had an open wound and a vamp bled into it then... then I would be sporting some killer fangs." She smirked. "Yeah I know it's very technical." She laughed a bit.
"If it is all so technical, how do you remember everything?" He asked a bit nervous. They had only been driving for a bit and she sighed.
"Well at first it was either memorize or die." She said and he looked over quickly trying to keep one eye on the road. "With the Winchesters it was remember or others die." She said and the look on Derek's face made her feel guilty. "Sorry that was very dark answer."
"I've gotten the feeling your whole life has been kinda dark." Derek's joke was meant to lighten their moods. She smiled.
"It isn't always so dark." She replied. "Sometimes there are lights at the end of a tunnel." She pointed out.
"And what happened when there wasn't a light?" Derek asked.
"That's usually when I ran." She looked away from him. "I became very good at it..." She paused then smiled. "But given enough time, light would start to shine again." She said as Derek parked at the police station.
"What about now?" He asked as they both stepped out of the SUV.
"I think the light will be shining for a while." Clara smiled looking down at her hand.
"He's very lucky." Derek smiled. "To have someone like you."
"Well we both are. To have found people who know everything and just accepts it all. Not everyone falls for their best friend." She smiled.
Derek smiled and they both walked into the station. Officers answered phones and filled out paper work as the team gathered around a white board and victim pictures. They all shared all they learned and when they had finally reached a conclusion they shared their profile.
"Our unsub is most likely a white male between the ages 30 or 40." Hotch started. "He is charming and very out going."
"He is also very strong. Probably has an extensive background in hand to hand training." Clara spoke up next. "It's not easy to over power someone especially if they aren't drugged." She mentioned again.
"It's also likely that he was abused as a child and is abusive to others around him." Derek spoke next. "Short tempered but is able to channel his anger."
"I'm going to talk to the media and ask for the public's help. We'll ask the community if they know anyone who fits the description and it will most likely draw our unsub out." JJ informed the uniforms as the wrote down what they said.
"How could you possibly know that?" One officer asked.
"Guys like this are violent but don't want the whole world to know." Rossi answered. "So he'll call or act out."
"Wouldn't that lead to more bodies?" Another officer worried.
"Don't worry we have a plan for that." Hotch said. "So be vigilant and do not engage this man alone. Like we said he is very strong and won't hesitate to put you down even if you have a badge." He said and everyone looked at him with wide eyes. He had just scared every uniform in the whole station.
"Alright..." Clara stood. "JJ will be talking to the press within the hour and the hotline will open once she makes her announcement." She said to the officers. "Don't worry we'll get this guy before he hurts anyone else."
"Walsh." Hotch barked quickly and she didn't even look at him.
"Thank you." She nodded to the officers who slowly started to go on with their searches and reports.
"What was that?" Hotch asked quickly taking Clara by the arm and pulling her toward the conference room where their boards were set up. The rest of the team followed quickly.
"Me?" he laughed pulling away from him quickly. "You just freaked all those cops out. How do you expect them to catch the guy if they won't confront the unsub." She said quickly.
"They need to know the risks." Hotch huffed. "That doesn't give you the right to make a promise you can not keep!" He raised his voice.
"You do realize it is our job to find him... so it's not like I lied." She barked back. "You're the one who would rather scare everyone." She huffed rolled her eyes. Hotch was quiet for a second. "And I think JJ making the announcement is a mistake." She pointed out. She knew she was pushing but it was true.
"What?" JJ spoke up quickly.
"Well think about it... our unsub is going after strong males." She said. "He isn't exactly going to react if a women half his size says something." Clara said. She slowly looked over to Derek who just looked at her.
"You think I should do it?" He asked a bit surprised.
"Why not?" She shrugged. "I mean you're his type." She smiled.
"JJ will talk to the press." Hotch interrupted her.
"Hotch she has got a point." Rossi added trying to stick up for Clara.
"And last time I checked I was the unit chief and I made the decisions." Hotch snapped at Rossi.
"But if we want to draw this guy out... why not give him what he wants to go after?" Rossi had no trouble talking back.
"Fine." Hotch huffed. "Morgan you and JJ deliver the news to the public. Then everyone get some sleep." He paused and looked at Clara. "Except you."
"Why not me?" She asked crossing her arms.
"You are going to stay here and answer phones, I'm the hot line will be busy." He said.
"Seriously?" She asked a bit confused as to why she was being punished.
"Yes." He raised his voice again.
The room got quiet as Hotch and Clara stared at each other. The tension was growing by the second and she knew if she argued it would only get worse. She clenched her fists and her jaw. She was getting very tired of his anger.
"Fine." She said through her teeth. "I'll be here if anyone needs me." She said as she turned and looked at the team. They all nodded slightly as she left the room. Everyone could sense the tension between her and Hotch and they knew it wasn't going to end well.
Clara sat at a desk staring at the phone. It had only rung about three times within the last two hours. JJ and Morgan released the profile to the public three hours ago and apparently only three people cared about what was going on.
She had been sitting in the same position for so long that her legs started to tingle and would soon go numb. She had her legs crossed on the chair and her head in her hands. There were only about three other cops at their desks and every time she looked around each one of them was about to fall asleep.
The sound of her cell phone ringing made her jerk. She reached into her pocket and answered it quickly. "Walsh." She groaned rubbing her face. She didn't even bother looking at he I.D.
"Wooh someone sounds tired." Dean's laugh made her sighed. She slowly looked over at the clock and noticed it wasn't even midnight yet.
"Well apparently showing concern for someone gets you put on the night shift." She sighed.
"What happened?" Dean asked a bit confused.
"Aaron Hotchner's stubbornness, that's what happened." She sighed leaning back in the chair.
"I'm guessing you pissed him off?" Dean laughed.
"Why would you assume that?" She had to laugh as well. "All I did was ask him what had him so distracted and angry..."
"And what else did you do?" Dean asked knowing she wasn't telling the whole story.
"Okay I may have pushed a bit to hard but come on! Nothing I said should have earned me phone duty." She huffed pushing her hair back. "Hey did you take Adrian to the doctor?" She asked quickly.
Dean laughed. "Yes I did." He answered. "His arm is going to fine. Healed nicely."
"Awesome." Clara smiled for the first time in hours. "Thanks." She said with a quiet sigh.
"Sure." He said. "When do you think you'll be back?" Dean asked.
"Um well that depends if this guy wants to show him self. Shouldn't be more then another day or so." She said with a small smile. "What? Miss me already?" She laughed.
"Not really." Dean joked and they both laughed.
Clara smiled as she looked at the clock again. "Well I should go... who knows when the phone might decide to ring." She sighed.
"Alright." Dean sighed. "I'll talk to you later... good luck with... well everything." He added.
"Thanks." She said and as she was about to hang up Dean spoke again.
"Clara?" He questioned and she hummed and waited for what he had to say. "I.. I love you." He said quietly.
A smile spread across Clara's face quickly and her cheeks turned red. She let off a small laugh. "I love you too Dean." She sighed and then he hung up.
It was about three in the morning when Clara felt someone push on her shoulder. She had put her head down for just a second and she fell asleep quickly. She jumped at the touch. "What?" She said rubbing her eyes quickly.
"Calm down it's just me." Morgan laughed as he sat next to her. "Were you sleeping?" He asked sliding her a cup of coffee.
She smiled at the cup and took a drink quickly. "No." She shook her head at his question. "Wait what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" She asked.
"Couldn't." He shrugged. "So I thought I'd come keep you company."
"Thanks." She said leaning back in the chair. "Hey I'm sorry I made you go on T.V." She sighed.
"Don't worry about it, it was a good idea." Morgan nodded.
"Well apparently not everyone saw it that way." She rolled her eyes as she drank her coffee.
"You have to know by now that when something is going on with Hotch you should just keep your comments to yourself." Morgan pointed out. "He can get very unreasonable when he's pissed."
"I've noticed but I don't think we should just sweep it under the rug." She argued.
"Why? It's his problem, I'm sure he can handle it."
"He shouldn't have to do it alone." Clara pointed out. "Plus, I'm pretty sure it's more then he can handle."
"How could you know that?"
"Because." She paused. "When hunters are in trouble, they lie and act like nothing is wrong when their whole world is collapsing." She said looking down at her cup.
"Speaking from experience again?" He asked and Clara looked at him and nodded. "Alright... tell me." He said.
"Long stories." She sighed.
"There is more then one?" Derek laughed and Clara nodded. "Well I think we have time for at least one." He smiled.
"Can we just talk about something else?" She requested.
"Okay then... what do you wanna talk about?" He asked.
"I have a question about you and Penelope actually."
"Well I'll do my best... she is usually in charge of answering questions about us." He laughed.
"You were together for almost two years before you got married and now you've been married for about a year." She pointed out looked at her coffee again.
"A year next week actually." Derek smiled.
"Do you two every think about having kids?" She asked slowly hoping not to attract too much attention.
"Kids?" He laughed. "Well of course." Derek answered. "She wants like five... I think I could settle for two." Derek smiled and Clara looked up at him.
"Do you ever worry about what kind of parent you are going to be?" She asked.
"Sometimes." He answered honestly. "But then I remember that Penelope would be their mother so it doesn't really matter." he smiled. "She will be the best mother any kid could have."
"You never get scared that you won't be there?" Clara asked. "That one day you won't come home and they'll be alone." She said her eyes starting to get teary eyed.
Derek looked over at her quickly. The tone of her voice made him worry. When he saw how upset she was he knew something was wrong. "Clara?" he questioned once she looked away. "Are you alright?" He asked quickly and when he saw that one tear fall his worry grew. "Clara?" He panicked a bit.
"I haven't told anyone this yet." She said quietly.
"What haven't you told anyone?" Derek asked.
She was quiet for a second. "I'm pregnant." She said softly.
"Oh my god." Derek almost yelled. "Clara that's amazing." He smiled and she looked at him with big glossy eyes.
"Amazing?" She questioned. "How is that amazing? I can't raise a kid... I can barley keep myself alive! How am I supposed to be responsible for a whole other human." She said all in one breath. "And with our job! We get shot at all the time... What happens if one day I just don't come home, or something comes after us." She sighed placing her head in her hands. "There are so many things out there that would want to see me and Dean miserable or dead. What if they decide to take action?" She huffed.
"Life is full of what if's Clara." Derek said placing his hand on her shoulder. "You have a knack for always assuming the worst..."
"That's cause the worst always happens." She interrupted.
"Well then for once think on the bright side." He smiled. "What if nothing happens and what if you have a healthy little baby?" Derek smiled and Clara slowly looked up at him.
"That poor kid... with me and Dean as it's parents." She had to laugh so the tears wouldn't fall.
Derek huffed. "I say that kid is the safest kid in the world. I think it he or she would be the most loved baby around." He smiled. "I mean how often do these things happen to your people?" Derek asked.
"Um about never." Clara answered staring at her stomach.
"Well I think it's pretty obvious you are the exception to every rule possible... I mean you've come back from the dead like twice." He added.
It was quiet for a second as Clara and Derek smiled at each other. She was about to say something when the phone rang. Clara reached to answer it quickly and when she did a deep and angry voice yelled. "HOW DARE YOU SAY THOSE THINGS ABOUT ME! YOU DON'T KNOW ME OR WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!" He yelled.
"Well why don't you tell me." Clara tried.
"SHUT UP BITCH!" He yelled. "WHERE IS AGENT MORGAN!?" He yelled.
"I'm here." Derek spoke up and Clara quickly called Hotch.
"It's Walsh... we got a trace working now." She said once he had answered.
"I SHOULD KILL YOU!" He yelled.
"Well I'd like to see you try." Derek taunted him.
"Morgan." Clara whispered angrily.
Morgan put up his hand and waited. "I'm at the police station if you'd like to try? I mean if you think you're man enough." He laughed.
"Derek we don't even know who this guy is." Clara tried to be quiet.
"That's right, you don't..." The unsub laughed. "But you'll find out soon." He said then hung up.
"We got anything on the trace?" Clara looked to the other cop who had started the trace the second the phone was answered.
"He's within a five mile radius... he hung up to soon." The officer sighed.
Before anyone could say thing the front door swung open and the three of them look up. There standing in the door way was a very large and angry man. Clara wanted to get a better look but all she saw was the shotgun and how it aimed for the cop next to her. One shot went off and the officer dropped to the ground. Derek and Clara pulled their guns right away and started to fire back. Morgan flipped the desk in front of them and pulled Clara to the ground.
"Walsh?! Morgan!?" Clara could hear Hotch's voice from her phone which had fallen far enough away that she couldn't reach.
"I TOLD YOU I'D KILL YOU!" The man yelled as more shots hit the desk.
"How many was that?" Clara asked.
"four." Derek answered.
"Good, that gives us about a minute." Clara sighed and pulled her gun and jumped to her feet.
"Walsh!" Derek whispered in a panic.
"Put the gun down!" Clara yelled as the man stopped to reload. He had just about put another round in the chamber when she yelled and startled him. "You don't want to do this... you've already killed four men and now you've injured a cop. Make this easier on yourself and just put the gun down!" She yelled getting her aim ready.
"SHUT UP!" He yelled.
"Come on man... you load that gun I'll have no choice but to drop you." She said quickly but calm.
"DO IT! I DARE YOU!" The man laughed but hadn't raised his gun.
"I don't want to shoot you. Just put the gun down and we can work something out... I'm sure your life has been hard enough." She sighed.
"What do you know about having a hard life... bitch." He smirked and Clara could just see the man raising his gun. Clara didn't want to shoot him. She had known nothing about this man or his life. And as she thought about everything she didn't know he had taken his aim.
"Down!" Morgan's voice snapped her from her daze and just as the man was about to pull the trigger about five shots went off. Clara dropped to the ground as the man fell forward. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were closed. She felt Derek's hand on hers as she waited till the shots stopped. "Clara?" Derek questioned her but she didn't move.
"Morgan! Walsh!" Rossi and the others came running. JJ rushed to the cop to make sure he was still alive and called an ambulance. Reid knelt beside Morgan and Rossi and Hotch walked over to Clara's side. She had opened her eyes but she was just staring past everyone. One arm around her waist and the other over her mouth.
"Walsh?" Hotch asked quickly but she did not answer. "Clara?" he finally shook.
Clara looked over at him but said nothing. The slight smell of gun powder had made her stomach twist and pull. She sat still for a second and as soon as Hotch shook the wave of nausea over came her. She stood quickly and rush to the bathroom. Everyone watched in shock and confusion. Derek sighed as he got up. "She's fine." he lied once everyone looked to him. "Bad food I guess." He shrugged.
The flight back was quiet. It had been a tough case for everyone. It always felt different when they put down an unsub when they knew nothing about him at the time. After he was dead Penelope got his name from his social insurance number and found out everything. Adam Flint. He was 45, divorced with a 20-year-old son who hated him. He was abusive and a drunk. His childhood was normal except for the knights his own father had come home drunk and abused him.
The sun was long gone and Clara sat in the back of the plane away from everyone. The others were still pretty tired and they had all found a spot to fall asleep for a few hours. Clara however couldn't sleep. All she could see was that shot gun pointed at her and then Adam falling to the ground. She had no idea who had actually killed him and she was again starting to realize she was carrying another life whose would have been cut fairly short.
She sighed as she pulled he legs up and her knees to her chin. She placed her head down slowly and tried not to let the nausea from the flight take over. Her eyes were heavy but wouldn't close. She kept thinking about Dean and how she was going to tell him. She was more afraid of what he would do once he knew than actually telling him.
"I think congratulations are in order." Aaron said quietly as he sat in the seat across from Clara.
"What?" She questioned quickly.
"You and Dean... you're engaged?" He asked sitting back a bit. Clara could only nod. "Well congratulations." He said a bit awkwardly. "You know he came to me." He smiled a bit. "He asked me if it was the right move."
"Really?" Clara had to asked because she couldn't believe it.
"Yes, apparently Bobby wasn't exactly thrilled." Aaron smirked and Clara laughed. "No guy is ever good enough for a man's daughter."
"I'm not really-"
"Just because he isn't your birth father doesn't make Bobby any less your father." Aaron stopped her.
"I know." Clara smiled with a nod. "I've always thought of Bobby like that. Just didn't think it would be that much of a change." She shrugged. "I mean I haven't spoken to Bobby in almost a year. He says it's to dangerous to keep coming back." Clara sighed. "I'm not really sure what that means but I guess it's easier for him?"
"For some people it is." Aaron nodded. "Especially for hunters." He sighed and looked down.
"You and Haley?" Clara asked quickly as she sat forward.
"Yes..."
"Is everything okay?" Clara asked again but was nervous at the reaction she would get this time.
"No actually." He looked at her. "She's leaving. Wants a divorce." He sighed. "That's why I was... she had just had the papers delivered and I was angry. I didn't mean to snap at you." Hotch said and Clara instantly felt guilty for being angry.
"It's fine." She said brushing it off. "What about Jack?"
"Ever since Foyett, Haley hasn't been the same. She just isn't the mother she was nor the wife she used to be." Hotch sighed. "We've been drifting for a while but we didn't do anything about it for Jack's sake." Hotch sighed again. "So she is going to live with her sister in Texas for a bit until she figures out what she wants."
"I'm sorry." Clara looked down at her ring and started to worry about her and Dean. Would they drift?
"When Dean came to see me I didn't know how to answer his question." Hotch said and Clara looked over at him. "On one hand it worried me. Hunters who get married never ended up happy, and they always managed to do a nose dive into the job." He paused. "But on the other hand it made me smile for the first time in a long time." He paused. "And the happiest I've ever seen you is when he is around so..." Hotch smiled.
"He asked for your blessing and you gave it?" Clara smiled.
"Well of course." Hotch smirked. "I don't think I've ever seen a hunter that happy or normal... who was I to deny him of being happier." Hotch smiled.
PLEASE READ! :)
Alright so this is the second last chapter in this instalment. I will be posting the last chapter within the next few minutes and then tomorrow I will be starting a new story! I want to skip a head a few years so that my plans can finally go ahead without having to build more back story. So hopefully you will tell me what you think about whats going on so far and tell me if you like the fact that Clara and Dean are having a baby and would you like to read about the wedding? I'm not sure whether or not to include that part because it would just take up time but hey if people want it I will totally put it in! The new story will be part three with the same title. But I need to hear from all you lovely people! Feel free to PM me if you want to chat about what's going on or just leave a review!
Thank you! Cheers xoxo