I never know why. I only know who. (AU)

Chapter 25

*Gasp* an update? What is this? I know I've been bad with this story I'm so sorry but if you enjoy, which I hope you do, leave a comment and please vote - Megan.

Clara wouldn't have said her bump was particularly big at all. In fact, she sometimes felt like she had just put on a bit of weight recently. Or at least she would have done if it wasn't for the fact the rest of her body was pretty much still the same.

Even for someone so small, she was shocked that she wasn't showing more. She had looked it up on Google images plenty of times to see if she was in some way abnormal, but it seemed it was common for first time children. And for that she was plenty grateful.

She still hadn't told any other classmates at school yet and she was willing to keep it secret for as long as she possibly could. She'd heard the rumours going around about how much "weight" she was gaining, but she hadn't heard anything yet about being pregnant, and even Olivia and Louise were sticking to teasing her about putting on some "puppy fat."

Mr Wind had decided that he would be the one to inform the Headmaster about the pregnancy. Clara had agreed to that and it had all been kept secret for her benefit. It was for the best that the Head knew, just in case anything went wrong while she was in school and they needed to take her to hospital. Also because she would most likely need to go on maternity leave for her last two or three weeks.

It really didn't help that her due date was the end of April, and her exams would be starting less than two weeks after that. She could imagine the stress was going to be unbearable, although she tried her hardest not to even think that far ahead. She still had a long way to go yet.

But that didn't mean she was excused from telling her family about the "issue" as her father liked to refer to it as. And that included David when he got back from Uni.

He'd come home a week early before John and Clara broke up for their Christmas break, which meant they would have to tell him before he sussed out the massive elephant in the two households. It wasn't too hard to see after spending less than an hour amongst those guys.

It had been decided by Diana that they shouldn't tell David until he was there in person. That way it could be all be explained and it would save everyone an awkward phone call.

Clara had spent as long as she possibly could getting ready before she trailed over to John's house. She was really not looking forward to being there as John told, but she supposed he had been there with her when her Gran found out and it was now her turn to sit through the awkward conversation.

Dinah had practically begged Clara to be there, as she knew David wouldn't beat John up if she was in the room. She guessed the moment she would leave he would probably do so anyway, but it was better to hold it off for a short while.

John was waiting by the door as Clara knocked, opening it with surprising haste to meet a room full of stares. It seemed David had been told Clara was coming over for something urgent, and they had left him hanging until she arrived.

To say he was shocked was a little bit of an understatement, but anger seemed to fill his veins more. He was furious at the idea his little brother had the nerve to ruin someone's life.

That was how he saw it, and in Clara's mind he really wasn't far off, except the fact that she blamed herself and not John.

Even with Clara in the room, it had taken Diana's  firm hand and a fair bit of arguing from Clara to stop David punching John into unconsciousness. Out of the two boys in the family, it had always been David who was the ladies man and way more likely to get a girl pregnant, but somehow the quiet and innocent one of the two had beaten him to the punch.

After the atmosphere had calmed down some, Clara had managed to keep a civilised conversation with David over dinner. He had always been kind to Clara, at least when he hadn't been in a mood, and he had always strangely admired her. Not just for being such a strong and clever person, but also for giving her brother someone to hold on to. John had never had much commitment in his life. He'd never fully trusted Diana, despite the long years she had been his mother, simply because she was someone who he would have to leave some day. And as much as it pained David to know it, he and his brother weren't very close, leaving him no-one who had been their as a constant throughout his life.

Clara had provided that constant, and now it seemed they had given themselves another that would stick with them for eighteen years.

David had spoken to Clara about the future mostly. Everyone else kept quiet, even though Clara had been silently begging John to speak too. But David wasn't getting at her in any way, his curiosity more friendly than rude.

He felt sorry for the poor girl. Even now when he was living at University, David panicked at the idea that his girlfriend could be pregnant. He couldn't imagine what John must have thought when he was told.

For Clara, the night managed to end quickly enough and she made sure she was home by ten, not wanting to scare her Father or Gran. Her Dad had perked up his behaviour somehow since his Mother had moved in, although their conversation would often still turn sour. It was evident that he worried about Clara, but he seemed too lost to actually do anything.

Gran had spent a whole night trying to say this to Clara. She wanted her granddaughter to know that her son really did love her and he was trying the best he could. It was more than clear that their household was still mourning Ellie every second of every day, and there was not much room for anything else in there.

In a night of tears from Dave, he had told his Mum about how he truly felt. It had broken her heart to hear the words about disappointment and fear leave his mouth, but he needed to let it go.

But he still wouldn't help Clara in the way that she needed. He was still treating her how he had done shortly after Ellie's death, and she seemed to be okay with that mostly. It allowed her plenty of time alone to do as she pleased and it really didn't shock Gran that she'd had enough time on her hands to get pregnant, considering there were never any adults around to keep an eye on her.

But John was there mostly and that was a comfort to them all. He kept the place a little bit happier, making Clara smile whenever her eyes betrayed her facade and showed that she was truly wanting to cry. He was good at making Clara happy, and that was often the most important thing.