It's Code For You (Parallel NurseryVerse Series)

Chapter 24- Made Up Of

(This chapter is shorter, and for that I am sorry. But the importance of the next chapter will make up for it!)

Claire tapped her thumb against the mirror on her car. She stared ahead at the flat complex, biting her lip with an intent look of anxiety. Autumn and Charlotte leaned against the side of Autumn's sports car, exchanging anxious glances. It had been this way for about twenty minutes, silence looming over the three women like a blanket. Autumn cleared her throat, the first to break the silence.

"So... are we going to go inside or-"

"You know, when we were sixteen, my parents sent me to that same facility.." Autumn pressed her lips together tightly, keeping her words in her mouth. Claire clearly had something she needed to get off her chest, and it was better she did it now rather than with Siobhan. "Her father..." Claire bit her lip with a sad smile. "Daniel paid for me to be sent away so I wouldn't continue to 'infect Siobhan'... He found us sleeping in the same bed one night and thought we were just a little too close." She laughed with tears filling her eyes. "Then he found the letters..." Charlotte tucked her hair behind her ear, a lost look in her eyes as she listened.

"The letters?" Charlotte echoed. Claire turned her attention back over to the pair leaned against the car and nodded.

"To keep my parents happy, I started seeing some boy in my algebra class. His name was Joey. I obviously wasn't interested but, it was easier to keep Siobhan safe and to keep my parents happy. But it meant a lot less time that I got to spend with Siobhan. So we started writing." Claire pulled the letters Charlotte had given her out of her pocket. "This one here-" She held it up in the air. "This was our second to last letter. It was two weeks before I left... I brought it with me to give back to her when I said goodbye-... I never thought she'd keep it."

"Why didn't you take it with you? A memory to get you through it all?" Charlotte asked softly, shaking her head in almost curious disbelief.

"They would have ripped it to pieces the minute they checked my bag..." Claire looked back towards the complex. "I had Siobhan locked in my mind where they couldn't take her away. Nothing physical could ever compare to that." Silence had once again taken over the conversation as Autumn and Charlotte processed the information they had been given. Charlotte fought herself on whether she should speak, if she would cross the line by doing so. But she couldn't accept that that was all it was.

"Why didn't you try to find her when you got out?" Charlotte spat out before quickly covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide when she realized the severity of the question she had asked. Claire wiped a tear from her face and stepped away from her car.

"I feel like that's something I should explain to Siobhan first..." Claire looked back over, connecting eyes with Charlotte. "Don't you?" Charlotte sunk backwards into the metal of the car. Autumn reached over and placed her hand on Charlotte's shoulder.

"I think we should get inside, yeah?" Autumn gave Charlotte a small smile before nodding at Claire.

"Lead the way."

**

Marjorie peeked through the curtain on the front window, seeing Autumn, Charlotte and Claire conversing in the car park. Vivian sat in her armchair, cradling Siobhan in her arms. Something about all of this gave her anxiety about the future. She knew that prior to this whole ordeal, Siobhan had been in love with her. But they had never truly even said the words to each other. What if Claire walking through the door brought her back, but not in the way that Vivian wanted? What if the memories that she unlocked pulled Siobhan back into her arms? Vivian dug her fingers into the fabric of Siobhan's shirt at the thought, pulling her as close as she could get her. Siobhan was humming softly, a tune that Vivian couldn't recognize. She was curious what had Siobhan in the state she was in, but it was all overshadowed by the panic that came from Marjorie's words; "Here they come."

"Marjorie-" Vivian said as Marjorie headed for the front door. She stopped quickly, turning back to the raven haired woman.

"Yes, my love?" Marjorie tapped her fingers together rhythmically as she looked Vivian's face over for signs of what could be wrong.

"I-" Vivian shook her head. "Forget I said anything. I'm okay." Marjorie raised an eyebrow, slowly stepping back down into the living area. She crouched down next to the chair to be eye to eye with Vivian.

"Viv, what is it?" Vivian bit her lip to try and suppress the tears as she curled her head into Siobhan's shoulder.

"I'm scared." Her voice cracked as she let her secret slip. Marjorie let out a defeated sigh, placing her hand onto Vivian's thigh.

"My love, you have seen so much in the last few weeks. It's no surprise you are afraid right now. But there's a chance this may not change anything." Marjorie tried to comfort her, but her words weren't landing the way she needed them to.

"But what if this changes everything?" Vivian swallowed back the sob sitting in her throat. Marjorie looked down at the floor with a sad realization in her eyes.

"It could, Viv." She whispered. "But it also could be just enough to bring her back-" Marjorie looked up, moving her hand to point into Vivian's legs instead. "-to you." Vivian nodded, trying to let Marjorie's comfort engulf her worried soul. But just as she had calmed her racing heart, there was a knock on her door. Vivian all but whined, anxiety coursing through her veins. Marjorie took a deep breath. "I'm going to answer it- okay?" Vivian nodded slowly, standing to her feet to set Siobhan into the chair. She set her down softly, planting a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you, Siobhan.." She whispered into her hair. Siobhan let out a small content hum, despite no change in her emotions. Vivian moved to stand next to the chair, preparing her heart for what was about to come.

"Hello my loves.." Marjorie soothed as she let in the trio. Vivian's heart stopped when she saw Claire enter the room. She stood almost as tall as Autumn, her black hair draping down to her mid back. She was stunning, a sight to behold. Vivian felt her chest tighten, covering her body with her own arms insecurely. Marjorie held a hand out to Claire, introducing herself quietly so as not to draw Siobhan's attention to the door. Claire looked around the flat slowly, before her eyes landed on Vivian and Siobhan. Her body stiffened instantly, but her eyes weren't on Siobhan. Marjorie looked between the two women anxiously before glancing at Autumn at the door. Autumn shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to be involved in any more emotional territory. The redhead was tired, and it was starting to show.

"She's been humming today." Vivian blurted out, pulling all attention over to her and Siobhan.

"Humming?" Marjorie asked.

"I can't tell the tune." Vivian locked her eyes onto the anxious eyes of the woman in the doorway. "Maybe you know it." Claire looked between the group at the door then back to Vivian. She cleared her throat quietly before slowly making her way into the living area. Every step she took echoed against her own ears, reminding her that just meters away was someone she once saw every future with. Someone who was now a stranger. Would she remember her? Would she react? Would she scream and cry and lose more of herself or would everything fall into place? The weight of it all was heavy on her shoulders as she stepped toe to toe with the chair. She inhaled a deep shaky breath as she crouched down to Siobhan's level.

"What are you humming, hm?" Claire brought her hand up to take Siobhan's into her own. Siobhan continued to softly hum, her eyes vacantly staring off beyond Claire's head. She tilted her head, listening to the notes. She let out a soft breathy laugh as it clicked in her head. Vivian clutched the back of the chair as she watched the interaction unfold before her.

"Do you know it?" She asked after a moment of silence. Claire nodded, tears lining her eyes as she sighed out a breath of relief. She ran her thumb along the back of Siobhan's hand.

"I know your fears and you know mine. We've had our doubts but now we're fine.." Claire sang quietly along to Siobhan's humming. Her voice was cracking as tears freely flowed from her eyes. " And I love you, I swear that's true...I cannot live-" Claire reached up to brush Siobhan's hair out of her eyes. Siobhan's head slowly turned, her eyes locking with Claire's. "... without you." Claire smiled softly as Siobhan's lip trembled.

"W-with...out.. you." Siobhan stumbled over the words, her eyes welling up with tears as the realization hit her. "Cl-..aire?"

"Hi, Shibs.."