Welcome to Monday's new Clowen story! Two story premiers on consecutive nights!

Legal: I own nothing but the idea.

Important things to know before reading:

*This story begins right after "Drop the World" and the beginning of March Break.

*Fitz still works at The Dot.

*Everything else cannon through "Drop the World".

That should do it the rest is explained in the chapter enjoy the Clowen fluff.

Ch. 1 The More I Learn the Less I Know

(CLARE)

"I'm here for the Krav Maga class, the beginners class," I tell the man at the front desk.

"Lady's locker room is that way if you need to change or stash your stuff. Instructor is in gym two," he says.

"Okay," I reply walking to the lady's locker room. I lock up my purse but take my towel and water bottle with me. From the locker room are three doors, the one I came through a sign says Lobby, then two on the opposite wall marked Gym 1 and Gym 2, so I go through the second door and am surprised to see someone I recognize. "Owen, are you taking the class too?" I question. I don't know Owen at all but he's hard to miss around school.

"Actually I'm teaching it, I'm a level five brown belt and I passed the instructor test two months ago. What are you doing here? I didn't think this was your type of thing," Owen replies.

"Well after the dance I started doing some thinking," I begin and Owen butts in before I can finish.

"You mean after Eli crashed his car so that you'd come and see him."

"Yeah after that," I nod. Eli's crash and the dance were Friday night and it's now Monday and the start of March Break but of course rumor travels fast in high school. "And thinking about Fitz having the knife and Vegas Night, Eli overacting to Fitz because he was worried."

"Eli was possessive," Owen butts in again.

"That too. And the fact that my sister got raped when I was twelve and brought a pedophile to the house when I was eleven."

"Shit I knew your sister had issues but geez," Owen comments interrupting me again.

"Yeah well after what happened Friday and thinking about the rest of it I decided it would be good to learn how to defend myself. So I did some research and decided on Krav Maga," I reply but now more people have entered the gym so we stop talking.

"Welcome everyone to level one I am your instructor Owen; you call me Owen. There are belts but you don't wear them in class they are for marking rank. Krav Maga is the official self-defense and fighting system of the Israeli Defense Forces and U.S. law enforcement agencies. It is a unique and original method that was developed and refined during years of conflict. Krav Maga emphasizes easy to learn techniques that have been battle-tested in real life threatening confrontations. There is nothing flashy about the system. It's literal translation is close combat. We'll warm up with stretches and get right into stances," Owen instructs.

I've never actually talked to Owen, all I really know about him is rumor and hearsay so my opinion of him is not good. In fact, I really thought he was nothing but a homophobic ass. So I have to admit that I'm rather impressed by how disciplined he is, how skilled and what a good instructor he is. Seeing him this way in this environment he seems to be almost the exact opposite of what he's like at school.

After we do a little warmup stretching Owen begins teaching us stances, normal stance and fighting stance. Then we practice moving while in a fighting stance. And last we work on balance before Owen ends class.

"On Wednesday we'll start working on upper body strikes. If you want a white belt to take home you can purchase from the front desk, just remember you don't wear the belts in class. Nice job everyone," Owen says ending class.

I head to the lady's locker room with the other girls to get my purse from my locker. It doesn't seem like we did that much but I'm sweating.

"Who knew the instructor would be so hot," I hear a girl saying.

"Yeah I hope he teaches with his shirt off next week," another girl grins.

I shake my head and grab my purse from my locker going out to the lobby.

"Clare you want a lift home?" Owen calls catching up to me.

"Uh yeah that would be good thanks," I smile. I follow Owen out to his car and he opens the passenger door for me.

"So did you enjoy the class?" Owen asks.

"Yeah I did, I'm in for a lot of hard work aren't I?"

"Yeah but it's worth it. If I hadn't gotten involved with it years ago I never would have learned the control and discipline I have."

"You were a good teacher; I was surprised at how disciplined you were but you don't show a lot of that at school. I'm not sure you show any at school, not even in the sports you play sometimes."

"School is different, ever since I was in kindergarten I was seen as a bully because I wouldn't back down and had a bit of a temper. It didn't take long for me to start hanging out with the bad kids even though I didn't really fit in with them. They all came from bad homes and had tough lives, or came from fairly good homes but were poor. I came from a good home and we're not poor, my dad works a lot but that's really my own complaint. Over the years it just kind of got worse, I was one way at school and it would get away from me. Then at eight my mom signed me up for karate. I did that for a short time but after seeing krav maga I wanted to do that. It's not as centered or as disciplined as karate, krav maga means close combat and it teaches you how to take someone down fast. Still it gave me somewhere to push the anger and frustration, well usually anyway. And it helped with all the sports I play. Last year I became determined to get qualified to teach and this is my first class so I hope I'm doing okay."

"I think you did great, you were a good teacher, very patient and I was impressed. And most of the girls in the class think you're hot, they're hoping you teach shirtless," I tell him and he blushes slightly which makes me bite my lip. He's so cocky at school it's nice to see that he has some humility still.

"I think I'll save shirtless teaching until we get to the more advanced stuff," he says.

"I get what you mean about the way people perceive you though. I'm always seen as the good Christian girl, quiet and shy, naïve and innocent. Well I am Christian but I don't think I'm any of the others, not anymore anyway, not after all that's happened but it's still how people see me. I've been through a lot. You know I'm pretty sure my innocence ended sometime between the time Darcy brought home the pedophile and when she tried to commit suicide. I'm not sure what was worse knowing that she did it or everyone trying to protect me from it and pretending like nothing had happened."

"You're the younger sister of course they protected you. You're what three years younger than Darcy, my brother is three years younger than me and I protect him from everything I can too."

"You have a brother? I guess I never really thought of what your family would be like," I comment as Owen parks at my house but I don't get out of the car.

"You'd never be able to guess by the way I am at school. I have one brother, Tristan he'll be starting at DeGrassi next year and he came out at the beginning of this year," Owen admits and my mouth drops open.

"Hang on you have a gay brother?!" I exclaim. "You tormented Riley and Zane, you threw Adam into a door for being trans!"

"I got carried away with Adam. Bianca was offended and embarrassed and we were protecting our friend. I swear I never meant to throw Adam into that door it just happened, I felt awful afterward and I've left him alone since then. As for Riley and Zane when Tris came out I didn't take it well, I was angry. Not that he was gay, and for the record I'm not homophobic, I mean I don't quite understand it but I don't hate them. Subconsciously I've known for a while that he was gay but hearing him say it out loud was still shocking. I can't really explain the way I reacted, I was afraid for him I think because I knew it wouldn't be easy. I would never hurt my brother but I did take it out on Riley and Zane. I do feel bad for how I treated them. Since football season ended I've stayed away from them and left them alone."

"Maybe if they saw the Owen I saw in class they'd know there was more to you than the homophobic bully they see in school. Maybe you should let people know more than the bully, people besides Bianca."

"Honestly after tonight you know me better than most people," Owen admits and it makes me smile.

"Well I should probably get inside and let you get home. I'll see you Wednesday. Goodnight Owen and thanks for the ride," I say before getting out of the car.

(OWEN)

"Have a good class," Tris says as I leave the house Wednesday night.

"Thanks," I call back before locking the door.

I spend most of the drive thinking about the class I taught on Monday and what to teach tonight. My mind always seems to wander back to Clare however, we talked a long time in my car, she's easy to talk to. I told her things I never even told Bianca and I'm not usually one to open up.

I park at the center and go in, I'm already dressed for class but I lock up my wallet and cell in the locker room. Going out to the gym I start warming up while waiting for my students.

"Hi Owen," a girl smiles. She was at Monday's class but I didn't exactly get names, she has short red hair.

"Hi ready for class?"

"Yes definitely," she grins batting her eyes.

"I'm ready for class too, I practiced what we learned on Monday," another girl grins, this one is blonde.

"Good I told you to practice what you learn in class," I reply.

"You're so strong, can we see your muscles?" The first girl coos.

I grin and flex my arm muscles for them. Both girls giggle and ooh, feeling my muscles while I grin. Clare comes out of the locker room while the two girls are feeling my muscles. She looks at us and shakes her head. I realize that the girls are stroking my ego and I'm playing right into it. I stop flexing and stand straight clearing my throat.

"Uh you should warm up class begins in a few minutes," I tell the girls. I start warmup exercises, as the other students come out of the locker rooms and join us they just hop into the warm up exercises. "Now that we're warmed up we'll begin with upper body strikes. Get into a fighting stance," I instruct.

I show them straight punches from a fighting stance and then straight punches from passive. Then I have them break into pairs, one person has the target mitts on while the other does ten punches from each stance and then they switch. Everyone is working up a sweat by this point so I let them break for some water before gathering in a circle again. Then we do palm heel strikes, I show them a few times myself for each stance and I have them break into pairs to practice those with each other. Then I have them work on combinations of the two punches as I call out a punch and a stance. That's all we have time for with this class.

"Nice work everyone, on Friday we will continue with upper body strikes. Remember to practice what you learned and I'll see you Friday," I tell them ending class. Clare goes straight to the locker room but the two girls from the beginning of class stay behind.

"Owen can you show us the palm heel punch again?" The blonde one asks.

"Will you make sure I'm doing it right?" The redhead asks.

"Practice what I showed you in class, we'll review on Friday I have to get going," I tell them. I go to the locker room to get my phone and wallet. I go out to the lobby and wait for Clare to come out of the girl's locker room. I only have to wait for a couple of seconds before she walks out. "Want a lift home again?" I ask her.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather be giving those other two girls a ride home?" She asks.

"They can find their own way home," I reply and Clare smiles brushing one of her curls behind her ear. Watching this simple action makes me smile, something in the way she does it.

"You seemed pretty content having them oohing and awing over your muscles. They do seem to be your type, I think they're even cheerleaders, very Anya like, both of them," Clare comments when we're in my car and I'm driving to her place.

"Yeah because that worked out so well, Anya burnt me good and thinks I'm disgusting," I sigh.

"Maybe if you hadn't been so brash and cocky she wouldn't have been repelled. You could invite her to watch you teach class, if she saw that Owen I bet it would change her mind. Or at least make her give you a second glance," Clare comments.

"Yeah maybe," I nod slowly. "So you're enjoying the class?"

"Yeah I really am. I feel good afterward and strong," she smiles and it makes me grin.

"Are you guys remodeling or something?" I inquire when I see the truck bearing the Martin Construction logo in Clare's driveway.

"Not that I'm aware of, guess I should get in there. I'll see you Friday," she says before getting out of my car. She waves just before going inside and I drive home.

Dad is not home for dinner which is pretty typical, in fact we all kind of eat separately which is also normal. I spend Thursday working out and chilling because soon school is back in session. Mom has me run errands Friday but I still have time to kick back before I leave for class. As soon as I get into the gym I see those two girls that were flirting with me on Wednesday.

"Owen we've been practicing watch," the blonde one says before striking a punch on the dummy.

"Can we see you do some more advanced moves?" The redhead asks.

"Sure," I shrug and show them some punches and kicks until more people come in for the class.

I have them warm up for a moment and then review the upper body strikes we did on Wednesday. We spend the rest of class working on straight punches with advance and retreat and straight punches to the lower body.

"Clare wait up," I call to her after dismissing class. The redhead and the blonde linger behind as well. "You were hesitating today when I had you paired up with a guy for punching. You can't hesitate, lower body punch on me," I tell her and she bites her lip.

"I'll do it, I can practice with you," the blonde volunteers.

"Um I should get home anyway," Clare replies nervously and walks to the locker room.

"You two did great no hesitation I don't need to work with you. Practice what you've learned this week and I'll see you both Monday," I tell them before I grab my bag and leave the gym getting out to the lobby just as Clare leaves the locker room. "Come on I'll give you a ride again," I assert.

"You know those two girls think that I'm teacher's pet," Clare comments with a sardonic tone but I grin.

"I don't see anything wrong with you as my pet," I reply and Clare straight punches my arm. "Ow see you are learning," I remark as we get in my car.

"Where are we going?" Clare asks when she realizes we're not going to her place.

"My place," I inform her.

"Why?"

"You're going to work on your punches. School is back Monday and Eli will be there."

"With a broken foot I doubt he'll be able to attack me."

"He can't run at you but in close quarters he could still attack you. I don't want you to hesitate," I insist to her parking at my house.

"Nice place," she says looking at our house.

"Thanks we like it," I reply getting out of the car. She follows me to the front door and inside, she looks around the living room. "Come on the gym is this way."

"Of course you have a gym at your house," she comments.

"Gotta work out somewhere when I can't sleep," I grin. I take her back to the home gym, it's not that big but I have mats, a punching bag and some equipment in here. Clare puts her stuff down and I put my bag down. "Okay come at me with a low body straight punch," I instruct her.

"I feel silly," she replies.

"Why it's just the two of us?"

"Come on hit me," I goad her but she just bites her lip. "Come on Pet hit me," I tease and she twists her face before striking a low body punch. Using my hands as target mitts I start calling different punches and she hits my hands. "You're doing great, now you want to try something a little more advanced?" I ask her.

"Okay," she replies with a reluctant tone in her voice.

"I'm going to advance on you, I want you to duck and do a low body straight punch."

She nods and we get into our stances. I advance, she ducks and hits me in the hip with a straight punch. She uses a lot of force but doesn't keep her footing and it sends her into me. I fall back and she falls on top of me. Instinctually my arms go around her and she grips my shirt. That mats keep us from getting hurt but we land with our lips almost touching and our eyes lock…

Was that a mean cliffhanger for a first chapter? The update next Monday will pick up from right here and include the return of school and Clare seeing Eli again after the accident.