A Curators Dream (Claire)

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire let Fred guide her away from her sister - the only stable thing that she had to hold onto during all this craziness. It was time for Claire to keep her cool and just go with the flow. When they headed into a corridor she figured that was private enough but Fred didn’t stop there. Nope.. he just kept on walking toward the restrooms before stopping to open up a door. She wasn’t sure where that was going to lead but she went inside and found herself standing in a coat room. “...it doesn’t get any more private than this,” She commented with an awkward little chuckle as she stood there nervously but once Fred shut the door he started to get closer to her. ”Your sister can be such a bitch.” What?! Who did Fred think he was, calling Cheyenne a bitch? That was HER job!

“Alright Fred--” ”Jesus, you look beautiful tonight..” She stopped speaking and just stared at him like he’d gone a bit mad. She took half a step away from him getting backed into the wall, hoping that she could just blend in with the paint and disappear. The way he was looking at her definitely made her nervous. Was this why Cheyenne gave off the I hate you more than life itself vibe? Was he some kind of creeper who stalked them?! ”You always look beautiful..” “Whoa, okay then!” Claire tried to interject hoping that she could maybe stop him but he didn’t look like he was going to stop giving her hungry eyes. And for some reason Dirty Dancing popped into her head.. damn you awesome 80’s movies with your incredible soundtracks! One look at you and I can’t disguise I’ve got hungryyy eyeeeesss.. Yep. Claire had lost it. She was singing songs in her head now.

”I want you to come over tonight..” Why did he want her to come over tonight?! “I don’t know I think I’m going to be tired..” she said softly and rolled her shoulders in a shrug trying to change the mood but he looked like he was on a mission and he wouldn’t stop until he completed it! ”Can you escape the lion long enough to slip away?” “Lion? What lion? Heh.. heh.. I don’t know any lions!” This was getting really uncomfortable now. Fred leaned in toward her, his lips getting dangerously close to her own, making her eyes nearly bug out of her head. ”It’s been too long..”

“Listen I think you’ve got the wrong-- nope!” Claire didn’t want to kiss this stranger! She had never seen him before in her life and he was talking like a crazy-creeper-stalker-guy! Unlike most girls who would just try to give a guy a firm shove away from them that didn’t usually work to get them off Claire decided to just knock her own feet out from under her and slide down the wall until her butt hit the ground. She was awkward enough when it came to talking to boys all her life that she liked, but when one made advancements on her she panicked! Not to mention she was with Griffin-- well she thought she was with Griffin. She wiggled her way between Fred’s legs to leave him facing the wall and her crawling across the floor of the coat room trying to just put enough distance between the two of them! When she was sure that she left a good sized gap between the two of them she twisted around and sat on her butt again, looking up at him totally clueless.

“I don’t know who you are!” She blurted out from the ground, throwing her hands up in frustration. The ground was nice. Plus her feet kind of hurt from the shoes that Cheyenne picked out for her so sitting was definitely better right now. “This thing-” she pointed between the two of them, “-I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’ve never seen you before in my whole life!” Claire kicked off her heels and then pulled her legs up close to her body to hug them to her chest, burying her face into her knees so that she didn’t have to look at the cute guy that she was in the coat room with. “I just want to go home.. I want everything to be normal again..this isn't real..”

[CUPCAKE]

“Listen I think you've got the wrong-- nope!” Claire was not acting very Claire like, and when she avoided his kiss he was suddenly very hurt. Had Chey gotten to her somehow? What could she have said to change Claire's mind about him? Other than her constant bitching. He didn't know what Cheyenne had against him. Something petty from high school, he knew that much, but it had never come out in the open and whatever it was probably wasn't even true. But he never thought Claire would stoop to her sisters level.

The girl slid awkwardly down to the floor and then scooted through his legs. Fred wobbled and spread them, turning to look over his shoulder as his feet moved a little to accommodate the body slipping between them. "What..are you doing?!" He asked, confused and mildly annoyed with her strange behavior. Claire wouldn't do something like that, awkward as she was. She crawled halfway across the room and then stopped, turning and sitting on the ground. “I don’t know who you are!” The words made him flinch, and all he could do was stare at her in disbelief. How couldn't she know who he was? They'd been friends for literally a decade! He was sure she knew who he was by now, they'd shared plenty of secrets. Unless Chey lied and said something..

“This thing-” she said, pointing between them, “-I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’ve never seen you before in my whole life!” Fred froze, his lips twitching. How could she say that? Her words cut through him like a knife and he frowned suddenly. What the hell had gotten into her? He watched her kick the heels off and pull her scrawny legs to her chest, burying her pretty face into her knees. The sight alone made his heart drop more, this time out of pity. He cared for Claire, and seeing her like this unnerved him. “I just want to go home.. I want everything to be normal again..this isn't real..” Fred didn't know what to say or do. He stood in that coat closet watching Claire on the ground for a long moment trying to sort his thoughts out. She was definitely not acting like herself. Normally she couldn't wait to steal herself away with him, or so he thought. She seemed tense from the moment he saw her, but he'd assumed it was because of her sister. Now he wasn't so sure that was the problem.

Hesitantly he made his way to the girl on the floor, kicked his own shoes off and sat down beside her, pulling his knees up as well and turning his head to look at her. "What's going on, Claire?" He asked gently, not wanting to upset her. "Talk to me.." His voice was pleading, obviously concerned for her. He didn't want to tell her she was freaking him out, because it was clear she was freaking out enough without him telling her she was freaking him out.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire could hear the scuffling noises as Fred took off his shoes and peaked out from under her arm to see him take a seat beside her. Her eyes remained dry and she figured that was a good sign that she hadn’t cracked entirely. It took a lot to make her cry and the moment she let out the water works she knew she was done for. ”What’s going on, Claire?” She allowed herself to lift her head up and look at the man sitting beside her. ”Talk to me..” She couldn’t deny that he had a calming sense about him and a very sweet sounding voice. The way he looked at her she felt that he was truly concerned. It was a look that she’d gotten from Griffin in the past.. or at least she thought she had.. and maybe that was why she felt comforted by him even if he wasn’t someone she knew and she should really just run out of there screaming stranger danger.

“This afternoon I headed home to grab some fresh clothes to spend the night at my boyfriend’s.. I was an assistant at the museum..” She gave a sarcastic little chuckle and caught a glimpse of her wavy red hair out of the corner of her eye. “I was also blonde last time I looked in a mirror..” She knew she sounded crazy. “When I woke up Chey was banging on the door and rambling about this benefit and how my dad was here.. this morning I didn’t know who my father was.” She went quiet and took a good look at Fred. Is it possible she had actually been with this person before and just imagined that he looked like Griffin? She narrowed her eyes, concentrating on his face and really studying it. But no matter how hard she looked at him she couldn’t place him anywhere in her mind. She didn’t have any memories with him. “I know I sound crazy.. and maybe I am. Maybe I imagined everything. I wish I could say I know who you are.. I don’t.. I’m sorry.”

[CUPCAKE]

She was peaking at him which was a good start. At least she wasn't hiding her face from him anymore. “This afternoon I headed home to grab some fresh clothes to spend the night at my boyfriend’s.." He frowned a little, a lump forming in his throat at her words. He was her boyfriend.. or at least he thought he was. "I was an assistant at the museum..” An assistant? Claire was the most respected curators he knew. Then again, she was the only curator he knew, be Fred knew other museums had sought her out, but her life was in Scriptor Bay and the museum compensated her for staying with them instead. He was glad she hadn't moved on, though he himself might have considered following her..

“I was also blonde last time I looked in a mirror..” That actually made him laugh a little. Claire as a blond? She'd look like Chey. That didn't appeal to him all that much. “When I woke up Chey was banging on the door and rambling about this benefit and how my dad was here.. this morning I didn’t know who my father was.” She stopped talking, her eyes almost pleading with him to believe her. How couldn't she know her own dad? He knew they had it out sometimes, but for the most part Claire and her dad were on pretty good terms. Her mother, on the other hand.. Claire's mom was a whole other bat shit crazy story. It wasn't making sense, though. Her story.. the pieces weren't fitting together properly. She narrowed her eyes, studying him, and all Fred could do was silently watch her. “I know I sound crazy.. and maybe I am. Maybe I imagined everything. I wish I could say I know who you are.. I don’t.. I’m sorry.”

A heavy weight settled on his chest at her last words. He looked away, feeling hurt by the statement. Fred had no idea what to think. She sounded crazy. He'd never come across a case like this, never heard of something so obscure. Someone forgetting their whole life only to have it replaced with another? She knew her sister still, that was a start. Then again the tree had done some crazy things. Maybe this was the next step? It was still cracked wasn't it? The darkness had started it all off, then the camps.. maybe this crazy memory failure was part of it, too. How quickly would the hospital flood with people claiming this weird amnesia?

"You do sound a little crazy.." He offered softly, biting his lip and looking at the ground between them. "I've known you a long time, and I've seen you do crazy. This isn't your normal crazy." His smile was weak as he looked up into her sad, wild green eyes. "I don't want to believe you, but I've never seen you look so scared. If you swear that this isn't some weird trick Chey put you up to, I swear I'll believe you, I just.. I need to hear you say that." He listened as she swore she was telling the truth, disappointed that she was. Part of him almost hoped it was a cruel trick. He was quiet a moment before looking back at her. "Then I guess I better help you remember before they haul you off and lock you up.."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

”You do sound a little crazy..” She would have shot him a dirty look or turned into a cheetah and mauled him to death. But she knew that it might be true so she didn’t make a peep. ”I’ve known you a long time, and I’ve seen you do crazy. This isn’t your normal crazy.” Claire wasn’t sure what that meant.. was he talking about her rants? Did she still go on wild rants whenever she was nervous? Maybe she was a totally different kind of person than she thought she was. ”I don’t want to believe you, but I’ve never seen you look so scared. If you swear that this isn’t some weird trick Chey put you up to, I swear I’ll believe you, I just.. I need to hear you say that.” Man, this guy really had beef with her sister didn’t he? “I don’t know what this thing is between you and Chey.. but if you and I had this... thing.. whatever it is we had going on.. you’d know that I don’t let my sister manage my love life. I don’t take dating advice from Cheyenne.” And it was true. Chey knew it too.

When Claire mentioned that she wasn’t lying she could see Fred’s face. It was like he almost hoped it was just a game. ”Then I guess I better help you remember before they haul you off and lock you up..” He wanted to help her? She sat up and straightened her legs out on the floor so she wasn’t curled up like a child anymore. This guy wasn’t that bad.. “I don’t know how you can help. I mean I’m pretty sure that this isn’t my world. It’s like I’m in some parallel universe.” She figured that was the best way for her to try and explain it to him. She didn’t know what she could do to fix this. She still wasn’t sure what was actually broken! Maybe she should just get hauled off.. maybe they’d have pills that would take her back to her world even if it wasn’t real. Because that was what she knew.

“Before I forget can I just say thank you now? Chey pretty much just shook me around when I freaked out earlier and although you’re a complete stranger to me you’re willing to help me out. I mean.. you know me. It’s just really complicated right now. And it’s nice to have someone to talk to who isn’t going to tell me to just snap out of it, you know?” Maybe there would be a way to fix things without her checking into the nut house. Was this some kind of test? Maybe she was suppose to just go along with it.. but she still wasn’t going to throw the whole ‘I’m a crazy nutjob’ idea out just yet. Either way she didn’t have much of a choice in the matter and she decided she didn’t want to go the batshit crazy route. “Maybe I just need something to help trigger my memories. Do I have a favorite place? A food.. smell? I don’t know.” She had to laugh at all of her suggestions.

[CUPCAKE]

The way Claire uncurled her legs, sitting straighter eased him some. He was genuinely worried about her now, knowing her story wasn't one that made sense, but willing to help her regardless. "I don't know how you can help. I mean I'm pretty sure that this isn't my world. It's like I'm in some parallel universe." Fred swallowed hard, her words not sitting well with him. How much was different? Maybe sh was suffering some weird schizophrenia? He made a mental note to pull out some of his old med books later and do some research.

"Before I forget can I just say thank you now? Chey pretty much just shook me around when I freaked out earlier and although you're a complete stranger to me you're willing to help me out." Fred offered a weak smile. Why did he have to be a complete stranger? Why couldn't she recall only him? "I mean.. you know me. It's just really complicated right now. And it's nice to have someone to talk to who isn't going to tell me to just snap out of it, you know?" Fred nodded. "I'd never do that to you." He was serious and not his typical proud self. Despite his upbringing he wasn't a pompous boy, but he held his head high and worked hard, taking advantge of the life he'd been offered. "But you're welcome. If you can coun on anyone, it's me. You've always said that.." He turned his head, still uncomfortable with the situation.

"Maybe I just need something to help trigger my memories. Do I have a favorite place? A food.. smell? I don't know." Her laugh was the same and he was pleased to hear it. "Uhh.." He let out his own small laugh. "You wear yellow a lot." He offered, not really sure of her favorite color. "You like fish, and I know you lik going to the Blue Scallop, it's always been our favorite. You prefer sweet whie wines over reds.. You and your sister both like hanging out at the tree." He tried to think of more things Claire liked, but he wasn't sure if anything was ringing a bell or not. "Oh.. uh.. here.." Fred pulled out his phone and unlocked it, pulling up the gallery. "We don't take a ton of pictures together.." He explained softly as he slid through the gallery oh photos. "Here's one. This is right before the bird man exhibit at the museum. Right before it was stolen." It was a picture of Claire modeling with the avisaille skeleton, looking pleased and excited. "That was a while ago. Umm.. oh, here." He pulled up a picture of the two of them, a closeup that lookd like Claire had taken by holding her arm out. The ocean was in the background. "We went to Megsy on night, ate onion rings ad milkshakes." He smiled at the memory and bit his lip, offering the phon to her. "You like fast food. You know it's not healthy, but you love it anyway. You had a pet cat, but she died umm.. she died wen you were in a camp." He cleared his throat. "Do you remember the camps?"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

”But you’re welcome. If you can count on anyone, it’s me. You’ve always said that..” Did she? Was that something that she told him often? Not that she could remember now but if so that would explain why she was able to open up a little and talk to him freely instead of her sister. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Cheyenne, it was just that... well.. it was Cheyenne! They were sisters and they could talk about a lot of stuff but this was more than she thought that Cheyenne could handle. Especially since she had started questioning if that really was Cheyenne.

”Uhh..” Claire was hoping that he would make something up. That she could catch him in some kind of lie that would confirm her suspicions that this place wasn’t real. ”You wear yellow a lot.” Well.. that was true.. she did like the color yellow and even though she had pasty skin yellow did look good on her. ”You like fish, and I know you like going to the Blue Scallop, it’s always been our favorite. You prefer sweet white wines over reds.. You and your sister both like hanging out at the tree.” Everything he listed was true. But Claire still remained a skeptic. They were things that she liked but it wasn’t anything specific enough to truly verify that they knew each other. All it proved was that he knew a lot of her favorite things which he could have easily found out by asking someone or by being a creepy stalker. And it was that last thought that made Claire lean away from Fred. It was a subtle movement but it was a change in her body language nonetheless.

”Oh.. uh.. here..” Claire watched as Fred pulled out his phone and turned the screen towards her when he pulled up his photo album. She was a little afraid of what she was going to see. Were there pictures of her with her sister that were taking through suspicious shrubbery?! To her relief that wasn’t the case. The pictures that he began to flip through looked normal enough. ”We don’t take a ton of pictures together..” She wondered why they wouldn’t. If they were together then wouldn’t they have a bajillion pictures together? Then again her and Griffin didn’t. Hadn’t. If that ever actually happened... ”Here’s one. This is right before the bird man exhibit at the museum. Right before it was stolen.” She remembered that.. she helped steal it! “Yeah I remember taking it.. the uh.. the skeleton. Not the photo..” ”That was a while ago. Umm.. oh, here.” Claire was fascinated by the pictures that he was showing her. She couldn’t recall taking them but it was interesting seeing herself looking happy in photos. The next picture was one that she must have taken herself before of the angle of it. They were both in it, smiling with the ocean behind them. They truly looked happy... ”We went to Megsy one night, ate onion rings and milkshakes.” Claire’s eyes weren’t on the photo anymore but watching Fred. She could tell he was thinking of that night.. a memory that he had that she couldn’t find.. and a part of her actually felt bad that she couldn’t remember.

When he handed her the phone she concentrated on the picture to see if she could see any flaws in it. When she was positive that it wasn’t fake she moved through the photos trying to find more with her in them. Specifically her and him. If they were just her then that wasn’t proof enough. ”You like fast food. You know it’s not healthy, but you love it anyway. You had a pet cat, but she died umm.. she died when you were in a camp.” ...did he just say Luna was dead? “..why the hell is Luna dead?!” Claire flushed, upset at this news. Then again.. when was the last time she saw her cat? Poor Luna... maybe she should have paid more attention to her. That was just proof that maybe Claire should never be trusted alone with kids.. ”Do you remember the camps?” How could she forget the camps? No amount of brain damage could ever let her forget the camps.. She nodded and looked up from the photos she was shuffling through. “There’s no forgetting that.” So he knew about the ‘bird man’ skeleton and the camps.. there was no doubt he knew what she was. It explained the lion comment earlier. “Are you..? You know..” She dropped the phone in her lap and stuck her fingers by her mouth pretending they were fangs.

Claire’s left side boob started to vibrate. “BAH!” She cried out, nearly jumping out of her skin. Her hand went into her dress and she pulled out her cell phone, seeing she had a text from her sister. Typical Cheyenne.. she was texting to make sure that Claire was still alive. It was nice that Chey wanted to be sure that Fred hadn’t murdered her and chopped her up into itty bitty pieces. She rolled her eyes, sent her sister a quick text that said that she was still alive and breathing, then moved through her own phone. Maybe she had Fred in her phone.. maybe there were different contacts than there had been that morning.. while she scrolled through she kept glancing up at Fred. “So how did we.. y’know..how long have we been seeing each other?”

[CUPCAKE]

Fred was disappointed to hear she remembered the camps. He'd hoped if she forgot anything, it was that. "Are you..? You know.." She dropped his phone in her lap and stuck her fingers by her mouth pretending they were fangs. He offered a small smile and shook his head. "No. No, you told me about the guardians a few years ago." He explained as Claire's phone went off. She pulled her phone from her bra and checked the text. By the way Claire rolled her eyes, he knew i was her sister and he gave a soft, bitter laugh. Chey would always hate him. She texted back and then began scrolling through her own phone. She had some pictures of him in there, no many, but he knew she did. Chey had a habit of nosing around, so he knew Claire tried to keep proof of them to a minimum.

"So how did we.. y'know..how long have we been seeing each other?". The question hurt, but he tried to push it back, not wanting to lose her and know she had no one else to really talk to. He silently hoped this wasn't some fucked up game, not sure if he could forgive Claire if it were. "Officially about a year." He explained, his legs sliding out and his arms supporting him as he leaned back onto them. "Though we've been sort of dating longer." He lickd his lips and sighed, knowing he should start at the top, which seemed silly since it was their history, but it would help her, and maybe spark something.

"We've technically known each other since third grade which is when you and Chey came to our school. We weren't friends, but the private school wasn't large so we were in all the same classes. We didnt start actually talking until freshman year, but thats when Harrison slept with your sister and basically told the student body what a whore she was because she wouldn't stay with him." He could tell by the look on her face she was confused. "Harrison's my older brother. Same year as Chey. Anyway she hates him, and therefor hates me. Harrisons's always felt entitled because we have money. You guys didn't until your mom married your dad. They had you, split up, and when your dad graduated and came bck to town with a medical degree she was suddenly all over him. Harry's alway had some very, uhh.. colorful ways of describing your mom, things he said to get under your sisters skin. Either way we became good friends and stayed close through college. When I came home and started working in the hospital we got close again since we were in the same zip code. I practically begged you to give me a chance." He smiled nervously. "I thought you've been happy with your choice, even though our demanding schedules prevent us from seeing each other as often as we like. I've always cared about you, Claire.. I've always hoped your sister would hate me less for my brothers crimes, but it seem my adoration for her sisters only managed to make her hate me more." Fred laughed. "I think shes afraid of seeing him at the wedding." He eyed Claire with his dark eyes, "We're not engaged.. you've made it clear you're not ready to settle down, and I've been respectful of that. Mostly." His grin was almost playful and his eyes moved to her lips before he sighed and ripped his gaze away. "Does any of that ring a bell?"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire was finding out a boatload of information from Fred. One: That Fred was human. A human that she shared her secret with. Not an Avisaille. A human. Two: That she went to a private school instead of public. With her sister and Fred. Three: That even though her father and mother weren’t together when she was born, they got together later on. So she knew who her father was and he’d been in her life. And for four: That apparently she’d grown up friends with Fred.

Claire didn’t know how to process all of this information of a life that she couldn’t remember living. And the more he told her the more frustrated she became. Nothing was familiar. She listened to Fred explain why Cheyenne hated him and how he had an older brother who sounded like a complete tool. She wondered if she hated him just as much as he hated her sister.. then again Claire didn’t really hate anyone. She was easy going enough that she could find some redeeming quality in almost anyone. ”I thought you’ve been happy with your choice, even though our demanding schedules prevent us from seeing each other as often as we like. I’ve always cared about you, Claire.. I’ve always hoped your sister would hate me less for my brothers crimes, but it seems my adoration for her sisters only managed to make her hate me more.” That sounded like a typical Cheyenne thing. To hate someone by association. But at the same time she knew Chey and knew that if she just came out and told her about an affair that Claire had and how much it meant, Chey would be understanding and try. Even if she didn’t like it. It was what the McLeester sisters did for each other. Then again.. that was what Chey would’ve done if it was the Chey she still remembered. And it would help if she even remembered such an affair.

”I think she’s afraid of seeing him at the wedding.” Wedding?! What wedding?! Claire’s eyes went huge and her brows knitted together. Who was getting married?! ”We’re not engaged.. you’ve made it clear you’re not ready to settle down, and I’ve been respectful of that. mostly.” The way he was grinning made it pretty clear that he’d asked her to marry him and that he still wanted to. But her saying she wasn’t ready... that definitely sounded like a Claire thing to say. ”Does any of that ring a bell?” How could she forget someone proposing?!

“Is there a way to have selective amnesia?” She asked quietly and offered an awkward chuckle before frowning. This was really starting to upset her! She had pictures of the two of them in her phone, there were pictures of them in his phone. Hell, she even had pictures of her with the man that had her mother on his arm. The man that was her father. This was all just too much for her.. it was like an information overload and her brain was going to explode.

As much fun as it was sitting on the floor of the coat closet she needed to figure things out. She wanted to see Griffin, to have him tell her everything was okay.. but he didn’t know who she was. She had Fred instead. “Okay, plan B..” Him telling her about her life wasn’t working. No amount of stories whether they were fact or fiction was going to help her remember. There were tidbits of things that she remembered happening that he explained but others that she was clueless. It didn’t mean they didn’t happen though. Maybe she had been with Fred for over a year and just in her crazy head she imagined him being Griffin. She had to find out. Claire twisted so she could sit up on her knees and put her hands on Fred’s shoulders to steady her as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the lips. It wasn’t sweet or a lingering, loving kiss. It was a peck. But when she got nothing she hung her head and sighed. "I don't know what to do.." Couldn't there be some sign that this was real? Maybe a blimp with flashing lights spelling it out?!

[CUPCAKE]

“Is there a way to have selective amnesia?” Claire offered one of her famous awkward chuckles before frowning and Fred knew she wasn't remembering anything at all. "Anything's possible." He said softly, knowing it could be true, but amnesia alone didn't work that way. It would likely be schizophrenia, Claire making a whole other life for herself and being confused by this one. Then again, when people with that created alters they usually didn't share the same name as the person they were originally. He supposed it really was possible, though.

“Okay, plan B..” His dark eyes met hers again and he raised a brow. Plan B? What the hell was Plan B? Claire twisted so she was sitting up on her knees, her hands slipping to Fred’s shoulders. He wasn't ready for the pathetic peck she delivered, and he hadn't expected that out of her, especially after what she'd said. Pulling away almost as fast as she had come towards him, the redhead lowered her head and sighed as if disappointed. "I don't know what to do.." He felt a little agitated, as if she were trying to kiss him to see if there was a spark, when she didn't give it a chance. Fred brought his hands to her cheeks and pulled her towards him. She flinched and pulled back, but not enough to escape, or to say she really didn't want this. "Claire, stop.." He pleaded softly, and he was surprised when she did. He pressed himself up towards her and brought her down at the same time, his lips meeting hers.

He didn't want to kiss her for long, not wanting to freak her out more than she already was, but he wanted her to know he cared, that he wanted things to get better, and he wanted his girlfriend back. His lips moved gently along hers, and it was obvious he'd kissed her before, at least from his side. When he pulled back his eyes opened to hers, keeping her close. "I have a friend who's a neurologist. He can't see you tonight, but maybe he'll do me a favor and see you tomorrow. I'd really like if you talked to him, he might have more insight into what's going on with you, okay?" His voice was soft and pleading. Fred slid his fingers through Claire's hair, tucking the long locks behind her ear. "And as much as I want to get you the hell out of here, your did would be really hurt if you left now. You think you can make it through dinner? I can come over later if you want, or take you home if you're not feeling okay to drive. We can always get Chey a cab. Or you could come to my place? I'll give you the bed, we don't even have to sleep together tonight." He offered, sincerely wanting to help her.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Even Claire knew that the awkward little lip peck was.. well, awkward. There was no way of telling from that but deep down she felt like it would be wrong to truly kiss Fred. Not when she wasn't right in the head. She felt Fred's warm hands against her cheeks and her first reaction was to pull away and bury her face in her arms. "Claire, stop.." As she was instructed she stopped resisting and looked up to his soft brown eyes. When he came closer she moved in with his guidance, allowing him to kiss her. At first she didn't kiss back. She didn't do anything but look at him. But as the tension slipped her eyes slid shut and she put effort into the kiss.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was actually enjoying the kiss. It was new and exciting, causing her stomach to knot up. It was obvious that he was comfortable and familiar with kissing her even if she wasn't with him. Her right hand moved up to cup the side of his face, searching for familiarity but there was none. When he pulled away she almost wanted to drag his lips back to hers but resisted. Why did she enjoy that so much?!

"I have a friend who's a neurologist. He can't see you tonight, but maybe he'll do me a favor and see you tomorrow. I'd really like if you talked to him, he might have more insight into what's going on with you, okay?" She agreed with a silent nod, allowing him to brush her hair away from her face. "And as much as I want to get you the hell out of here, your dad would be really hurt if you left now. You think you can make it through dinner? I can come over later if you want, or take you home if you're not feeling okay to drive. We can always get Chey a cab. Or you could come to my place? I'll give you the bed, we don't even have to sleep together tonight." Her dad.. a man she never knew would be hurt if she didn't go out there and make an appearance. That was one of the main reasons she was willing to hide in the closet with Fred in the first place.

"I don't know him.." It was clear that she didn't want to go out there from the look on her face. If she could she'd stay in that closet for the rest of her life. "I can try to act normal though," she wasn't sure what normal was but she could definitely pretend that she knew the guy. As far as what she was going to do after this banquet was done she wasn't entirely sure. Maybe she could go back to Chey's place. Her own apartment was so familiar and yet so different that it genuinely creeped her out. She wasn't going to be able to sleep there tonight. It was going to take some time to get used to.

"When it's time to leave I'll figure it out. I don't know what I want to do yet.. I might crash at Chey's. I don't think I can go back home.. it's just too strange." Claire grabbed Fred's phone off her lap and placed it into his so that she could get back up on her feet and slip back into her heels. While she waited for Fred to get up and get his shoes back on she quickly checked to make sure her dress wasn't creased or wrinkled anywhere. "Okay.." She took a deep breath and then exhaled real slow like she was prepping to run a marathon or something. Oh how she'd love to just run right now! "I'm ready.."

[CUPCAKE]

"I don't know him.." It was those comments that unnerved him, but one look at Claire and he knew she was being genuine. She didn't know him. Not now. And by the look on her face she was afraid to, making Fred feel genuinely bad for her. "I can try to act normal though," He offered a reassuring smile, the best he could give and gave her a little nod. "I think that's best." He told her softly, not wanting to alarm her family. Who knew what her dad would do if she went out there acting all batty crazy.

"When it's time to leave I'll figure it out. I don't know what I want to do yet.. I might crash at Chey's. I don't think I can go back home.. it's just too strange." He tried to look supportive, but deep down he was hurt. He wanted Claire to come home with him, but he reminded himself that her sister was the only constant right now, and it would be mentally best for Claire to be with Chey, even if she was a bitch. There had never been a doubt in his mind that her sister didn't adore her. Then again, who couldn't adore Claire? She was the only one of the three children her mother gave birth to that was an actual decent human being. She had her flaws, as all people do, but she wasn't as bat shit crazy as her sister or obnoxiously entitled like her brother.

Claire got to her feet and Fred's eyes remained trained on her. "Okay.." She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly while Fred got to his feet. "I'm ready.." He nodded. "Alright, let's do this." He led her out of the closet, looking both ways before completely exiting. They walked silently for a moment and Fred could feel how tense Claire was. She genuinely didn't want to do this, and he didn't want to make her. But she was strong and she would get through this and they would find answers out tomorrow. "It's going to be okay, Claire." He said softly to her as they approached the room the benefit was being held in. "Just smile and nod a lot, look beautiful, that part will be easy." He turned his head to look at her, sighing softly. "If they ask what's wrong say you're not feeling well tonight or something. If you need me, I'm here. If you can't find me, text me. I know my numbers in your phone. Hell, it's in your favorites." He knew because he'd moved his number there himself.

Cheyenne was hovering near the door when they walked in, her baby blue eyes shooting daggers at Fred. "The hell were you guys doing?" She snapped, grabbing Claire's arm and pulling her free from Fred's side. "You know what? I don't care. Mom's asked me twice where the hell you were, and that pervy Mr. Jackson keeps staring at my tits." She growled, hauling Claire away from Fred, who was left standing at the door, watching her go with an anxiously nervous look on his face. "And get this! Mom told Jack he couldn't bring his girlfriend and he's sulking at the table already. He actually whined to me about it like I would somehow give a fuck. It's like, dude, I never got to bring a date to these things and I know you never did, not that you ever had a date to bring, but that's beside the point. Gawd, why does he have to be so fucking whiney? I hate these damn things!" Her mouth was going a mile a minute as she dragged Claire clear across the floor to the man with red hair and their mother, with her long, dark brown hair flowing elegantly down her back.

Daniel Manchester was speaking with a coworker when his daughter and step-daughter made their way over. "Ah, there she is." He stepped aside and leaned in, pecking Claire on the cheek. "I'll talk to you a little later, Bernie." He said to the gentleman he was speaking with before turning back to Claire. "You look a little pale sweetie, is everything alright?" He asked. Claire confirmed and he gave a soft smile and nod. "Alright, then. Let's go grab our seats, they'll be serving salads soon." Chey rolled her eyes and started walking to the table, annoyed as ever, but a firm hand grabbed Claire's arm, stopping her from moving with the rest of them. "Where the hell have you been?" Her mother growled, her dark eyes piercing Claire's as her grip tightened. Fortunately for Claire, the ushers were beginning to tell everyone to find their seats, not giving Sarai McLeester-Manchester ample time to really interrogate her youngest daughter.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire absorbed everything that Fred was telling her like a sponge dipped in water. She nodded and said ‘uh huh’ about a dozen times as they shuffled down the hallway. “I got this. I can handle it.. no biggie!” She offered her assurance that she could keep her cool and deal with her family. Now it didn’t mean that she believed it but she could pretend she did! And maybe she could pretend that she was pretending to know what was going on.. that was a lot of pretending. When they made it back out the way they’d come she could see Cheyenne standing there waiting like she was her warden. Why wasn’t Cheyenne off mingling and flirting with the hottest guy at the party?! ”The hell were you guys doing?” Her sister looked like she was going to take her head off. ”You know what? I don’t care. Mom’s asked me twice where the hell you were, and that pervy Mr. Jackson keeps staring at my tits.” Cheyenne snatched her away from Fred and Claire whipped her head back to watch the distance grow between her and Fred. Her sister was bantering on about how mom wouldn’t let Jack bring his girlfriend to the event. Who was Jack?! “Yeah, I don’t like these things either..” Claire offered, figuring she might as well just pick and choose what to respond to. It would be easier than asking Chey and having her throw a fit because Claire was acting like ‘a total fucking psycho’ again.

”Ah, there she is.” She looked up just in time to see the red haired man leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. It took all of her focus NOT to stiffen up, trying not to stare at the man who called himself her father. But she’d never met the man in her life. How could she not stare at him, study all of the features of his face and look for something familiar there. Some sort of resemblance other than the redness of their hair. ”You look a little pale sweetie, is everything alright?” Claire nodded hesitantly. “Peachy keen,” she offered, and when he smiled she saw signs of a smile that she saw whenever she looked in a mirror.. ”Alright, then. Let’s go grab our seats, they’ll be serving salads soon.” She was going to have to eat?! She’d probably hurl all over the table if she tried to force herself to eat right now.

Everyone started to migrate toward the tables and Claire was going to follow suit, wanting to stay close to Cheyenne’s heels but before she could chase her sister’s shadow, someone grabbing her arm stopping her. ”Where the hell have you been?” She opened her mouth to cry out but no noise escaped. Her mother was gripping her arm a little too tight for her liking. “What? Chey and I got here on time, didn’t we?” She could tell her mother was pissed but she didn’t know why. If nothing else made sense at least she still knew that her mom and her sister were still bitches. “We can’t leave them waiting, right? Come on, mom.. aren’t you hungry? I’m starving. I could eat a whole salad and then some. Is there fish? Or is it chicken? You know I like fish.. you know what I haven’t had in a while? Halibut. Think they’ll serve halibut?” Claire wanted to be smooth; be cool. She wanted to just slip away from her mom and go take her seat next to her sister. Maybe look around the room for Fred so that she knew where to run if she needed a secondary escape route. But instead.. she had word vomit. Just spewing out anything she could to her mother in hopes that it would be good enough to get her mom to let go of her arm and leave her be. Claire and her mom had never been close.. it seemed that didn’t change either. She squirmed a bit until she could get out of her mom’s grip. “What’s the problem?”

[CUPCAKE]

“What? Chey and I got here on time, didn’t we?” Sarai McLeester-Manchester gave her younger daughter a dirty look. They had come together, and then she had disappeared. “We can’t leave them waiting, right? Come on, mom.. aren’t you hungry? I’m starving. I could eat a whole salad and then some. Is there fish? Or is it chicken? You know I like fish.. you know what I haven’t had in a while? Halibut. Think they’ll serve halibut?” She squirmed a bit until she could get out of her mom’s grip. “What’s the problem?” The woman scowled and shook her head. "Don't disappear again." She warned before moving past Claire to the table. She took her spot next to her husband, leaving the spot on the other side open for Claire, putting her between her father and sister. On the other side of her mother sat a boy with dark red hair the same shade as Claire's. He was sulking, his deep blue eyes, so like his fathers, cast downward into his lap where his fingers were flying over the text pad of his iphone. "Put it away, Jackson." his mother growled softly under her breath and the boy huffed and slid the device into his pockets, continuing to sulk. His eyes came up and met Claire's and he grimaced, giving her his best what are you looking at look. "He's such a baby." Chey whispered into her ear before leaning back. The red haired man took his wife's hand in his and then turned to smile at his daughter. "Thank you for being here." He said softly as the MC started to speak.

The event was in honor of the surgical team at Scriptor Bay Memorial Hospital. Other doctors had been invited, but it was mainly to give recognition and some awards, one of which was going to Daniel Manchester. The hospital had the benefit every year, though not all of them were designated for the surgical team. Sometimes it was for oncology and cardiology and the likes. Dr. Manchester, however, was one of the top neurosurgeons on the west coast, a title which had brought the hospital a great deal of money and business in the past.

The MC spoke on about the great work the hospital was doing, and the strides it had taken that past year. Then he spoke a little of the goals for the hospital in the upcoming year, where some of the funds were going, about the new wing they were opening, about some of the new equipment they would be receiving as well as some of the studies the hospital was involved in. The room was quiet, all eyes on the MC though his words weren't all that fascinating. Jackson was twitching, Cheyenne looked more than a little bored, and truth be told, even the adults seemed to be glazing over. It was a good time for Claire to silently observe what was going on.

Salads came out as the the MC spoke, and the crowd ate quietly, giving their respect and attention to the man still speaking. Finally, as the salads were being cleared, the MC wrapped up his very long winded speech and exited the stage. The crowd applauded politely and small talk erupted around the table. Daniel and Sarai quickly picked up conversation with the other couple at the table, their son, who looked to be about fifteen, was sitting beside Cheyenne and kept peaking at her deep cleavage. The blond leaned into her sister, a wicked grin on her face. "I'm going to hurt this little shit next to me if he doesn't keep his eyes to himself, I just can't decide if I want to jam my fork into his thigh or lean in and whisper dirty things into his ear until he creams his pleated pants."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Once seated Claire looked around the table to see who all was sitting with them. At the table was her mom, her sister, a couple she didn’t know with a kid she was positive was theirs, the man who was her father and another boy. This other boy had hair the same shade as Claire’s with eyes that were similar in shape to hers. She stared at him for a moment, reaching deep into her mind and trying to figure out who he was. He wasn’t familiar but she recalled Chey complaining about someone named Jackson whining he couldn’t bring his girlfriend to this function and from the looks of it, the red headed boy looked to be sulking in his seat. Not only did she have a father but a brother too? Claire was surprisingly not as shocked about the brother as she was her father.. she knew who mother well enough. The woman had been a damn bicycle, everyone got a go with her so as far as she knew she could have 10 more brothers and sisters and it wouldn’t phase her.

Once the MC stepped up to the podium and began his speech, thanking different members of staff along with sponsors she took the time to really look around the room. Almost everyone was looking up in the MC’s direction, listening to what he had to say while the portion that wasn’t looking up just looked downright bored. Meanwhile she was scanning the room trying to find more familiar faces. She didn’t have a clue who anyone there was which only made her feel even more uneasy with the crowd. At least at the museum she felt like she was at home around a bunch of strangers. Maybe it was the fact that she’d avoided crowds ever since the camps like they were the plague but it just didn’t sit right with her. There was one woman two tables down who caught Claire’s attention and they made eye contact for a brief moment. But then the woman looked away unphased and Claire didn’t think twice about it. She could make out Fred a few tables away though, sitting with a group of people she didn’t recognize. She started thinking about what he’d said again about how him and Chey didn’t get along and she thought for a moment about telling Chey about their little closet chat. Maybe she’d save that for another time.

The MC seemed to drag on forever, taking his sweet time talking about the hospital budgets and whatnot. Half the people there probably didn’t even work at the hospital but were family of people who worked there. But at least the salads had come out and Claire managed to push some lettuce around with her fork a few times to make it seem like she’d at least touched it when in fact she hadn’t even brought her fork up to her mouth. She just wanted to get out of there.

When the MC finally wrapped up she let out a long sigh. ”I’m going to hurt this little shit next to me if he doesn’t keep his eyes to himself, I just can’t decide if I want to jam my fork into his thigh or lean in and whisper dirty things into his ear until he creams his pleated pants.” Typical Cheyenne. Claire scrunched up her nose in response to her sister before turning in her chair so that her back was to the blonde and she was facing her father. “Hey um.. dad? That’s.. that’s what I call you, right? Dad? Father? Mister.. person..?” She needed to know who this person was.. and she didn’t care if she was interrupting his conversation with whoever the other person was. “How’s it going? Did you like the salad? So listen, I’m not really sure why exactly I’m here but do you think I could skip out early? Must’ve been something I ate.. or something..” She wasn’t really sure what she was doing, but she just wanted to get out of there. Sitting there was making her squirmish.