Shane

I bolted up the stairs faster than I ever thought possible, but I had to get to Claire. Eve and Michael were on my heels as I literally flew into the door. I grabbed the handle and twisted but it was locked, damn it! I pounded my fist into the door, ignoring the pain that shot up my arm, "Claire! Claire open the damn door!" There was no sound from the other side and my panic escalated. Michael shoved me aside, in any other situation, I would have been pissed, but now, I didn't care seeing as how he's the only one strong enough to blow Claire's door clean off the hinges, and that, he did.

He dashed inside the room and I ran in behind him, not paying any attention to Eve, but to Claire, sitting petrified on her bed. I stood beside her bed and yanked her up to stand beside me. I momentarily felt guilty for not paying attention to how roughly I'd handled her but she didn't protest and didn't look like she was in pain, so I left it alone to focus on keeping that stupid leech away from her.

I noticed as Claire's small hands gripped the back of my shirt, like she did in the hospital, and all I wanted to do was hold her in my arms and tell her she was safe, that everything was okay, but that could wait until she really was safe. When that bastard was gone. For good. I couldn't even bring myself to think of his name, not after everything he's done. To Eve, to her jack ass brother,— which really makes me realize why that kid is so damn screwed up— to me…

To Claire.

My Claire.

I could feel my temper flaring as my fist clenched around the stake. I would rip him to shreds myself if he touched her in any way like that.

Then I faltered.

What about Claire? She would have told us right? Maybe she was scared. I would still love her. I would always love her, no matter what. But, how would she deal with it?

I shook the thoughts away, I didn't even know that he did anything like that to her. Maybe nothing happened. I clung to that hope like my life depended on it. And, in a way, it did. Claire was my life.

"Don't touch her!" Michael growled. I wanted to shudder, but I felt Claire do before me and held it back to let her know that I was going to protect her and she didn't have to be scared.

Brandon actually looked freaked as his gaze twitched quickly between Michael, me and Eve, even though he was an older vampire and could probably take us all out. Not that we wouldn't fight with everything we had.

He showed his teeth, "This isn't over!" The words a hiss of air between his sharp teeth, before he disappeared.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Michael yelled and ran after him. Eve went too, looking pretty pissed, I really couldn't blame her.

I turned and began searching all over Claire's body, making sure she wasn't hurt.

Are you alright? Are you hurt? I swear, I'll kill that son of a bitch if he laid even a finger—"

"I'm okay, Shane." She interrupted quietly. When I looked at her face a little closer, I could see she was losing her color again. She mumbled something at me, I couldn't quite hear it, and quickly wobbled unsteadily over to her bed to lay down. I followed her worriedly and crouched down so that my face was level with hers. I watched her as her eyes danced around the room uncertainly and I wasn't sure if she was worried about Brandon, or wondering where Eve and Michael went. Probably both, I just hoped she wasn't scared.

I rand my hand over her hair again and again, "Don't feel well? You're getting pale again." she just nodded and I couldn't figure out what to do. Should I try and make her feel better, or stand guard to make sure Brandon doesn't come back?

God, I'm so useless! I settled for sitting at the edge of Claire's bed, rubbing her hair, or stomach, or back. Whatever worked, but stayed alert at the same time.

Damn it! I could have stopped this! But, no, I just had to go downstairs. I let my guard down. You never do that in Morganville. And she was okay! The medicine made her pain go away, her hair was wet, so obviously she was feeling well enough to get up and take a shower. If I had just been patient, stayed with her until she woke up, waited in her room until she got out, we could have taken Brandon. Having me in her room, instead of her would have caught him off guard. I knew where Claire kept her weapons, he could be dead by now.

Claire could have been safe.

"Shane?" her quietly tired and curious voice broke me out of my thoughts.

I turned to her and, just because she does that to me, I started to stumble over my words, "I'm sorry, Claire. I should have been there. If I had just stayed with you—if I hadn't gone downstairs— you would have— this wouldn't have—"

Claire cut me off, thankfully stopping my embarrassing rant, "Shane, it's okay. Nothing happened, I wasn't hurt."

I nodded and looked down, "I don't want him to touch you," I admitted quietly, "I heard about what he did to Eve, to her screwed-up brother. I can't imagine that being you." Just the thought that Eve's parents had allowed that to happen in their own house, leaving Eve to feel at fault for her brother's behavior, for what happened to him, because she thought she could have saved him, when really she was just as much a victim… the thought made me shudder.

The thought of that being Claire?

It made me sick.

Soo sorry guys L, also sorry for all the screwy typos on the A/N. I had to use my nook which is very hard to type on and I hope that contributes to my "Super busy" story considering I couldn't even get my computer to tell you guys about the delay. So this is where it ends tonight, but, because you guys have been awesome and patient, there will be a bonus apology chapter tomorrow! Thanks for the reviews and support J keep reading!