Chapter 23

After a few moments Clara opened her eyes and looked around. Elijah was in his office and it was after school hours for sure. There's no way they'd bring Clara's adoptive mom there during school hours.

Clara decided to sneak out of the health center. She was tired of being in there and not getting to move around. It hurt really bad but she couldn't just lay there any more. She kept her hand on her wound to make sure it didn't start bleeding again, well to the best of her ability she did that.

After a little she found a place to sit down and relax for a bit. It was nice to be outside of the health center for once and she wish she could have gone outside but she didn't want people to see her. Blood would probably freak them out a lot.

Once she'd settled down, she started crying. Clara could no longer hold back the tears that had been waiting a long time to come. Clara just let it all out. She was gonna lose her family and everything she remembers as normal again. So she cried and cried for all the time she hadn't when she first came.

Clara was probably sitting there for about ten minutes when the crying finally stopped and another two or three minutes before she heard footsteps in the hallways. "She really just walked out of the health center? Ugh why can't she just stay there?" it was Philip's voice she was hearing. He sounded almost disappointed in her, that she was burden and Clara felt like she was.

Clara stayed silent and hidden against the wall as she watched Philip run by looking around and calling her name. He couldn't track her unless she wanted him to, which she obviously didn't right now. Clara relaxed once she noticed he wasn't around anymore and the tears started again. At that point she really thought she had cried it all out. She wasn't crying loudly but she knew she needed to keep her emotions neutral, especially if Emmett was also helping because he might be able to sense her emotions and Maddox would too.

Clara realized she'd hardly talked to Maddox whenever she was awake but she would in time. There was no way the council would have given him an assignment after the trauma he went through. There were more footsteps but this time the person wasn't shouting her name or anything just wondering which was weird. She could hear everyone else shouting her name and running around the school looking for her.

Whoever it was wouldn't see her anyways. It was too dark in that area of the school at the time. No lights were on but Clara knew it was only a matter of time before they turned them on. Finally the person approaching her said something.

"Clara, it's Emmett." He whispered it so quietly. He must have known she was near by somehow. "I know you are hiding for a reason but at least tell me you are okay and I'll tell the others so you can be left alone. I don't understand what you are going through but I do get it must be really hard," he kept whispering it as quietly as he could.

"I am over here," Clara muttered into the darkness and Emmett walked right over to her from the sound.

"You're okay that's good," Emmett set his hand somewhat on her arm. It was a little awkward since there was no light. "I was really worried but I knew you wanted to be on your own. Everyone insisted we looked so I'm happy I found you first."

"I am sorry," Clara's voice was raw from crying and she wanted to cry even more now that she was talking to someone.

"No don't be sorry. You wanted to be alone and that's fine just tell someone next time okay?" Emmett rubbed her arm as he knelt in front of her.

"I know but I didn't think Elijah would let me go on my own in the school..." she was trying so hard not to cry.

"That's okay, I am gonna let everyone know you are alright but want to be alone. Do you want me to come back so you aren't entirely alone or just go home?" he was really be considerate about everything.

"It's late so you should just go home to sleep. I'm used to being alone for the most part Emmett and I don't want to cause more problems," she was curled up against herself tightly. Legs were up at her chest but it wasn't too tight or else it would have really hurt. Her head was somewhat on her knees as she sat there.

"I'll be right back if you want me to Clara. You will never be a burden to me no matter how much trouble you get yourself in," he wasn't joking either.

"Yeah I want you to come back," she finally said and he stood up.

"Okay give me a few minutes. I'll try to get everyone to go home too so there aren't ten people waiting at the health center," he left after saying that and Clara was left in the dark again. She knew he'd be back as soon as he was done but it would probably make the others mad that he wouldn't tell them where she was.

He came back a few minutes later and sat down next to Clara. "Yeah they were pretty mad but that's okay. No one is looking for you and they all went home," he was almost right against Clara.

"Thank you Emmett... I really appreciate you doing that. I don't want to stay out here too much longer cause I might fall asleep again," Clara laid her head on Emmett's shoulder. She laid her legs out too and it was much better that way.

"That's okay if you fall asleep. I'll carry you back to the health center if you do," he laid his head on hers. "So can I know why you wanted to be alone?"

"To cry," was all she said but that wasn't everything.

"Why did you want to cry Clara?"

"Because I am going to lose my world again. My adoptive parents raised me and the first time it was okay, I knew it was the right thing but now I don't know. They got hurt even when they didn't know so why not just let them know? I can visit them during holidays and over the summer and not miss them as much anymore," Clara sighed and then started crying a little again. "Why can't I have it that way? Then I'm always checking up on them to make sure they aren't hurt and I can spend sometime with them. I know it means a secret they have to keep but what if I can make it so I can lock their memories for only them to see. Like they have access to them but no one else does and all knew memories go there too so they are safe," Clara kinda explained it which stopped the crying. "But I don't know how to make that happen."

"Maybe enhancing you? You could work a way around it being a block from the person and just everyone else," Emmett suggested.

"Maybe.. I don't know I have to figure it out before I'm all better and can heal my dad and sister. I haven't even gotten to see them since they've been here," Clara was messing around with her fingers.

"They're doing alright. Your sister really enjoyed playing with the twins. It was weird though to have people interested in them and not freaked out," Emmett chuckled a little thinking about it.

"Oh yeah she must have been freaking out about it and wondering if they'd have the same abilities and so on. She's a little crazy sometimes and only being ten makes it even crazier." Clara smiled knowing exactly how her sister was with anything unusual. "My sister may have been one of the most annoying people in my life but I've probably missed her the most. Philip and I, we just don't really have a very good siblings bound. Like sometimes we do with the splotch game but other times there's nothing."

"Well he is still used to protecting you and all that fun but I get what you mean. He's not used to you being around either Clara. He's been a figure in the distance of your life for thirteen years and given incredibly big responsibilities at a young age," Emmett reached for her hand and she took his.

"I guess. I just don't want to lose my family all over again. I still haven't even gotten my foot down here and all of a sudden it feels like it's starting over," Clara moved her head and got up. She was a little unstable but she did it anyways.

"We can stay here longer if you want to Clara. I truly don't mind," he stood as well and pulled her into a hug.

"I know but you should go home and sleep a bit okay?" Clara hugged him back and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for listening to me rant Emmett. It really means a lot and even though it doesn't feel like home you have been a great help."

"Anytime Clara," Emmett grabbed Clara's hand and smiled. "What if I stayed tonight at the health center? Would that maybe change it up enough and make it like one big sleepover with all of us?"

"You sure you want to stay? Elijah has to explain what he meant earlier with my abilities being weird," Clara held his hand and was definitely blushing. It was weird to hold someone else's hand with interlocked fingers for the first time.

"I'll stay, maybe get you laughing finally." he said before realizing, "oh wait that's a bad idea.. maybe I'll get you to smile."

" You've already done that. Let's head back before they continue to worry," Clara began to walk but her legs were wobbly.

"I got you," Emmett picked Clara up so she didn't have to walk. "There now you don't have to focus on walking."

"Yeah thanks," she laid her head against his chest and after a moment actually fell asleep in his arms.

When she woke up she was back in the health center with Emmett in the bed next to her. She smiled to herself and looked over at Emmett. He was completely asleep which was good since it was late.

"You awake?" Avery whispered from his bed on the other side of her.

"Yeah I am. What's up?" she turned her head to look at Avery.

"You worried me a lot is all. I woke up to a frenzy of people running around and you were no longer in your bed.. I thought someone had grabbed you. Then ten minutes later mister hero over there told everyone you were fine but needed time and sent them home. I didn't realize he had went back to be with you though," Avery sounded jealous for once.

"I was upset Avery that's all. Plus we have a secret too but I want to talk to Emmett about it. He agreed to help me since the beginning and three brains is definitely better than two right now. All he did was listen to me rant about life," Clara's tone was easy and nothing harsh.

"Well you could have talked to me about what's going on Clara. I've been right here this whole time," Avery sounded so sad that she had gone to Emmett.

"I know Avery but you are injured and I just want you to heal and get better. Listening to me sob will not help that and plus you've done so much for me, you took a poison sword to make sure I was okay. You need a break from the dangers of me," Clara was kind of joking with the last part but not entirely.

"Clara, I don't need a break from you and nothing about you burdens me so if you want to talk about something we can okay?" Avery had reached his hand out and she did too, their hands barely touching.

"Okay Avery but it's also awkward with Elijah creeping around all the time too. No privacy, I went because of him," she knew he was listening but Avery completely forgot.

"Hurtful Clara. That was a real hit after me taking care of you," Elijah was teasing too.

"Oh well that was your choice," she said jokingly back. "But in all seriousness, thank you for everything Elijah. I literally owe you my life."

"Nothing I can't do for someone so harmless.. Well harmless isn't the word for you but maybe innocent? Who knows anyways you owe me nothing. I would do it over in a heart beat," Elijah smiled before slipping back into his office.

"There really is no privacy," Avery said as he let go of Clara's hand.

"Never will be," Clara smiled and drew her hand back. "I slept good this time though but I wonder if that's Emmett's doing. It finally feels like I've slept."

"Probably was. We've both been worried about you. The poison did a number on you truly," Avery looked sad but not for long. "You'll be better soon I know. Anyways you should sleep more with Mr. feelings here so he can let you rest easy."

"Mr. Feelings?" Clara laughed slightly and rolled her eyes. "I'm definitely sleeping more though." She did too, for another number of hours.