Clawen • What comes next

|| CHAPTER 20 ||

           

           

The whole house woke up by Claire's terrifying scream. She jumped up into a sitting position, breathing heavy with tears running down her cheeks. Owen was by her side in a heartbeat. He knew exactly what had brought on the screaming which led him to automatically wrapping his arms around the woman. Her small form shaking in his arms, rocking back and forth. It was hard to watch, for both Maisie and Owen. The girl had crawled over from behind Owen, taking a hold of the one of Claire's hands that weren't clutching Owen's bicep. She took a hold of the small hand as her body continued to shiver and sob out of control.

In a matter of a small minute, Karen and Gray came stumbling through the door. Of course, the boys had their fair share of nightmares, but they had calmed down after three years and were relatively rare. Owen and Maisie were used to waking up to screaming, either their own or one of the other's. "What's going on?" Karen half yelled out of breath. Looking around the room, finding her sister and her boyfriend in only underwear, she quickly tried to push Gray back out. Owen saw what she was trying to do and closed his eyes with a shake of his head. Signaling for Karen that it didn't matter.

Claire had barely acknowledged their presence. Karen was still looking at them for an answer for her previously asked question. "Nightmare" Owen whispered and kissed Claire's hair. She was slowly starting to calm down and shake less. Still rocking back and forth in Owen's arms tho. The tears had stopped and were now dried out on her cheeks. Maisie was squeezing Claire's hand with her smaller ones, rubbing circles like Claire had done to her so many times before.

"Is she going to be okay?" Karen asked, holding on to Gray who was peaking from behind her. Owen nodded slowly and said. "You can go back to sleep, we got this" Referring to himself and Maisie. Karen gave them a smile and ushered Gray out of the room to go back upstairs.

Owen removed some hair from Claire's ear and whispered. "Claire, baby it's okay" Over and over again, leaving small kisses around the side of her face. "It's okay mom" Maisie whispered and leaned into the woman to give her a hug herself. Claire welcomed the girl and turned to nuzzle her nose in her brown locks. "I'm fine" She said with a sob before leaning back to wipe off the many tears that had fallen. She took at hold of Maisie and pulled the girl towards her before she leaned her own body into Owen's. "God, I love you guys so much" She said with a dry laugh. "We love you too mommy" Maisie said and leaned up to kiss her cheek. Claire smiled and chuckled. "Let's go back to sleep okay" Claire said and started to maneuver herself down.

Claire woke up early and found Owen and Maisie snuggled together, still sound asleep. She decided to go make herself some coffee. Making her way to the kitchen she jumped back when she spotted Karen. Not expecting her there, she might as well have screamed again. "Karen wha...What are you doing up?" She asked her sister and made her way towards the coffeemaker. Already brewed, thank you Karen. "I always wake up early, you know that" Karen said taking a sip of her coffee. "Yea I know, I know...Just haven't had a look at the time yet. Claire said and poured herself a cup.

"So last night" Karen started and Claire sighed moving the mug to her lips. "Yea?" Claire asked and took a sip, bliss making its way across her face. "You okay?" Karen asked and Claire nodded. "Yes, I'm fine, we're used to it now, however depressing that might sound" Claire told her sister and moved to lean against the counter across from her. "You guys were in your underwear" Karen stated. Claire lifted her eyebrows and took another sip. "You have good eyes sis" She said as she put down her mug. Karen hesitated, not knowing if she should continue with what was on her mind. "Owen..." She started. Claire looked up at her sister, a questioning look in her eyes. "What about him?" Claire asked, pretty sure she was going to get a whole speech on how perfect Owen was or how horrible he was. It could go either way. "Why did you never tell me that he looked that good?" Karen said and hid a grin behind her mug. Claire sighed and let out a laugh. "It didn't come up Karen" She said, utterly surprised by her sister. Karen chuckled with a lift of her eyebrow. Letting out a slow whistle followed by. "Lucky you" which erupted a laugh from both of them. "Oh, don't I know it Karen" Claire said still laughing a little and picked up her mug again.

Later on, in the day, they all went to the city. Everyone thinking it was a good idea to get out and about. Walking around town, Maisie hand in hand with Claire as the sisters did some catching up. Gray almost jumping enthusiastically around Owen. Never having anyone to geek about dinosaurs with, he was ecstatic to now have Owen around him.

While they were visiting Karen, Owen had hired someone to work some more on the house. Mainly the stuff he wasn't the best at and that couldn't be done by one man.

Karen received a call from Zach, telling her that he was arriving at the train station in town soon, and that he would then take the bus home. Them already being in town and not too far from the station, decided to make their way to meet him. Maisie slowly put more and more weight in Claire's hand. She realized the girl was getting tired and asked Owen if he could carry her the last part of the journey to the station. "No, it's fine, I can walk" Maisie assured. Claire looked down at the girl who could barely hold herself up on her two legs. "Sweetie, you can barely walk. Let dad carry you" Claire said after having taken both the girls hands in hers, giving them a squeeze.

Calling Owen dad to their kid, their daughter, wow what a feeling, Claire thought. The thought of that happening at some point, had occurred before but it actually being reality, caused some feelings Claire had never experienced. Heat slowly rising in her cheeks and warmth filling her whole body. The feeling being close to the feeling she got when she felt proud of something. When she felt like she really achieved something. She was looking forward to hopefully a lifetime of this.

The girl sighed and gave up, she was too tired to argue and that probably meant she was too tired to walk as well. Taking the few steps over to Owen she said. "Fine" and reached her arms up for Owen to pick her up. Yes, she was 10, not 4 but both Claire and Owen knew that Owen could carry three Maisies at once if he had to.

They walked the rest of the way, with Claire holding on to Owen's arm.

When they reached the station, Owen found himself a bench and went to sit. Maisie didn't move herself off of Owen after he sat down, she just stayed on his lap. Having gotten way too comfortable to move at all. Claire went to sit by Owen who reached down to grab one of her hands in her lap. Giving it a squeeze, she looked up at him and kissed his cheek. He quickly shook his head and reached down for a real kiss. Claire giggled into it and they kissed again and again. Though it hadn't crossed any lines yet, they still got interrupted. "Déjà vu" Zach said as he appeared in front of them. He gave his mum and brother a side hug and went over to Claire who got herself up on her two, now slightly wobbly legs. "Hi Zach" She said with her head tilted to the side. He gave her a shy smile and walked over to give his aunt a real hug. "I missed you" He whispered into her shoulder, before he let go. Owen had gotten Maisie off of him in the meantime to go say how to Zach who looked at him and the girl questioningly. "Owen" Zach said and took another step before Owen wrapped him in the most appropriate hug he could come up with for a teenage boy, who they say are ashamed of emotions. "Hey bud, you doing alright?" Owen asked and Zach nodded. "Yea, I'm alright" He said with another shy smile.

Turning to his left he found his aunt with her arm around a girl he had never seen before. Of course, his mom had given him a heads up, that he had gotten a new cousin in the matter of a day, to them. He nervously put his hands in his sweatshirt pockets. "Hey" He said, not really knowing where to look. For a confident young man, he sure was insecure at the moment. "Is this Zach?" Maisie looked up at Claire and asked. She gave the girl a nod and a smile. Maisie turned her eyes back on Zach. "Hi" She said with a big smile. Inside she was extremely nervous and scared. She wasn't the most outgoing girl, never had been but she was trying her best.

"So, should we perhaps head home? Pick some food up on the way?" Karen asked as an attempt at breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen upon them all. Everyone nodded enthusiastically and headed towards the cars.

I have plans in the making and I promised a special someone to add some drama. And I'm going to uphold that promise and try my best.

I think you know who you are ;)

:D