Hey guys, so i've just finished re-reading the Morganville Vampire series and thought i'd give this a go. It's set between Bite Club and Last Breath.

I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, reviews wouldn't go amiss.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Morganville related!

Claire slipped, she threw her hands out towards the concrete floor to break her fall but felt them sliding through a slick, warm liquid on the floor. She knew that feeling and shut her eyes tight so that she wouldn't have to look. Oh god, what if it's Shane's? Her mind screamed at her, and she opened her eyes again to look down. Claire's arms, up to the elbow, were covered in thick red blood and just beside the puddle that it had come from lay a still body. She looked slowly up, taking in the tall, toned upper body covered in painful bruises, the strong jaw line, perfect mouth and straight nose. The eyes were wide open and blood seeped down from a deep cut somewhere in all of that shaggy brown hair.

'Shane!' Claire screamed.

Claire sat up straight, the duvet falling away from her as she struggled to contain her pain and horror once again. Shane's strong, warm arms circled behind her, his head rested on her shoulder as he whispered soothing words into her ear. It took a long time before Claire calmed down again, but Shane stayed wrapped around her like a security blanket, waiting until she was calm enough to talk again.

'Claire,' Shane whispered lightly, questioning, 'You're going to have to tell me what these nightmares are about soon, they've been happening for almost a month now.' He was forced to move his chin away from her shoulder as she shook her head over and over, he watched as new tears worked their way down her pale, hollow cheeks. Shane was worried, she was hardly eating, barely talking unless spoken to, these nightmares where getting worse. He had to know what was going on.

'Come one Claire, baby. Tell me.'

'I can't,' Claire whispered so quietly he had to strain to hear her,' I can't Shane, because it's silly. It's all silly. It won't happen. It's in the past. Why is it still haunting me..' Claire's voice cracked and she broke down into sobs. Shane moved around on the bed so that he was knelt in front of her, he took Claire's delicate face into his hands and lifted it until he was looking into her eyes. Pain, horror, anguish, loss. Everything that echoed in her deep brown eyes threatened to break his heart, he remembered when his own eyes had looked like that, after Lyss had died. Slowly, the sobs subsided again and Claire looked back at him, composing herself.

'You've been saying that for nearly a month now, Claire, not anymore. You're scaring us, me, Michael and Eve are so worried about you. You have to tell me, or someone. This can't go on. You need to tell one of us what is bothering you.' Shane said to her shaking figure, as gently as he could. What he was saying was the truth though, they were worried, she was making herself ill and no one knew why. Even Myrnin, of all the people to contact him, had called to express a concern. He watched her as her eyes darted around, looking for an excuse in her brain, but not finding one. Eventually, she just took a deep breath, get herself together and then looked up at him.

'I dream about you dying, over and over and over. About Eve dying, about Michael dying. My parents, Myrnin, Amelie. All I dream about is death, but the ones about you are the worst Shane, because my mind is drawing on things that have happened, times when I thought we'd lost you, and making it so that I have lost you. I can't deal with it anymore. I can't.' Tears looked like they were going to spill again, but Claire blinked and they were gone. She carried on, 'I can't eat because I'm too worried, I can't talk because every time I try to I feel like all that will come out is all this pain and horror I'm feeling. I'm scared, Shane. Not for me, but for all of you. I'm never strong enough, never fast enough. I can never save you, any of you.' Claire's delicate shoulders shook, her entire body began to finely tremble and she spilled her secrets to Shane in the darkness, in the wake of yet another nightmare.

Shane gathered Claire up into his arms, cradling her close to his chest as she got those fine sobs out of her system, felt her relax a little against him. Slowly, he leaned down and laid a kiss against the soft down of her head, leaving his lips there as he got his own emotions under control.

'Claire, baby, you should have told us sooner. I know why you couldn't, I'm just glad you did now before this got any worse. There are people you can see to help with these things, y'know. Or maybe we could ask for some time away from Morganville, get you some down time away from all of this.' Shane whispered this into the top of her head, wondering if she'd heard him. Her warm breath was regular against his chest and for a second he wondered if she'd fallen asleep.

'With you?' She whispered back.

'I don't know, we can see about that. Maybe we can all get away for a while. We can ask Amelie in the morning, if you'd like.' Shane replied, a kind of relief settled over him now. He felt her slight nod against his chest and her little, sad sigh echoing through her body. Slowly, he pulled her back against the pillows, and they fell back to sleep until the sun rose just a few hours later.

It had hardly felt like she'd slept at all, but that was normal for Claire now, she'd woken when she felt Shane slip out of bed and leave the room. The knock on the room down the corridor was light, but she heard it, everything seemed louder recently. All her emotions and senses heightened. Michael opened his door and stepped out, closing it behind him. Eve must have stayed there last night. Claire thought absently to herself while she listened to the male voices float down the corridor. She heard Michael ask what was up and Shane began to explain that Claire had finally spilled the beans about what had been wrong, what was still wrong. Shane told Michael about his idea to get them out of town for a while, get her away from everything. He sounded so sad, so awfully sad for her. Michael sounded like her agreed that getting Claire out, even for a little while would be a good idea. It sounded, from where Claire lay listening, that they were just about to discuss asking Amelie, when there was the sound of compressed air being released, small heels clipped onto the floor In the hallway. Claire made her way to the door and inched it open slightly as to not draw attention to herself and watched as Amelie descended the stairs from the secret room and stood In full view of Shane and Michael.

'No need to apply for new exit passes, Shane. We had them written up yesterday. Myrnin suggested it.' Amelie paused, listening, and then continued, 'Dear Claire, do stop hovering in the shadows and come out. This obviously involves you too.' Claire let out a sharp intake of breath and Shane's eyes moved to follow her as she walked along the corridor towards him.

'You're letting us.. Leave? All four of us?' Claire asked timidly.

'Not permanently, of course, you must return. And you will be taking an escort, but yes. All four of you may take leave of Morganville. We can not have you here like this Claire, it just will not do.' Amelie replied, with more emotion that Claire thought she'd ever heard from the founder. A slow, relieved smile washed over Shane's face as he absorbed the news, Michael looked shocked but took the thick white envelops from Amelie's outstretched hand.

'You leave at nightfall, take as much time as you need away from here Claire, but know that once I know you're recovered. You will come back. All of you.' With that, Amelie turned and retraced her steps into the secret room, disappearing from sight. Shane whooped, high-fived a stunned Michael and then gathered Claire up in his arms. Slowly, deeply, happily, for the first time in a month, Shane kissed her. Kissed her so hard and so long that she felt herself going dizzy. It felt good. Eve had woken at all of commotion and was now stood with an amazed expression as Michael explained to her what was going on. For the first time in a long, long time. There was pure happiness and relief in the Glass house, and they were determined to make it last.