The Baby Project. C.H. (A.U.)

Forty // Taking Sides.

A/N: Is it just me or does that picture scream Galum?!!

The silence surrounding us all was suffocating. Nobody knew what to say or do, I mean everyone was still processing what we had just heard.

Did Claudia get an abortion and if she did how did Luke even find out? Why didn't she just tell me the truth? Why would she lie?

There were way too many questions that needed to be answered and I knew that none of those would be getting answered today.

I swear everyone jumps at the sound of Alyx's cries coming from the baby monitor that was situated next to Emma. I guess that was one way of breaking the silence.

Ashton and Emma share a look before Emma sheepishly exits the room, leaving the rest of us in the exact same position that we were just in.

"I'm sorry." Claudia speaks up, she had managed to stop any fresh tears from falling but that didn't make much of a difference to her appearance. Her eyes were puffy and red and I felt bad.

Claudia looked so great when she got here. It was as if all these months away had breathed new life in to her but now it was like she was back to being that broken girl and it was a shame.

I was at that point now where I didn't think Luke and Claudia could even be friends. Too much had happened between the two of them, too much had been said and of course too much had been felt.

"I should go. Yeah. I'll go." Claudia says more to herself than anyone else. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know where Calum had taken Luke and I didn't know if they would be coming back here but I suppose just in case they did, maybe it would be good for Claudia to go.

"It's not your fault Claudia." Ashton tells her and she gives him a grim smile before shaking her head.

"I think this time, maybe it is." Claudia mutters then proceeds to make her way to the door and within a few seconds I'm following after her.

I couldn't just let her leave without saying anything. It was my house after all where this ambush had taken place. I was responsible in some way.

Right?

"Claudia I'm sorry about that." I tell her genuinely. I didn't have all the facts but I knew that Luke going off on her like that was wrong, that whole discussion needed to be just between them.

"So am I." Claudia says letting out a sigh. I could tell she was doing her best to hold it together and I hated that she had to do that. I knew what it was like to be falling apart inside and I knew how hard it was to pretend everything was okay when it really wasn't.

I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. No matter what they may have or may not have done.

"I'll call you tomorrow okay?" I tell her then give her a hug. "I'm happy your home."

"You might be the only one." Claudia mumbles and it's then that I wish that her homecoming wasn't like this. We had all missed her, things weren't the same when she wasn't here and I wanted her to know that.

I guess I just worried that maybe after all of this, the next time that she went away she just wouldn't come back.

Claudia leaves a few seconds later and I go and rejoin everyone.

"Well that was....intense." Sam says stating the obvious. None of us expected a Luke and Claudia show down quite so soon.

"That's one way to describe it." Aria lightly laughs try to make light of the situation, the air around was still so tense and I was sure we all wanted that to go away.