Freeing Clara

7. Hideout

A/N:

Not edited, not even checked for spelling errors. I wanted to get this out to you guys ASAP. Enjoy.

Lots of love.

-Annelie Leddy

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Clara feels the car come to a halt as Flint parks in the parking lot of The Port. Slowly she sits up and begins to pull off her seatbelt. Her head hammers as it tries to pull her back to sleep. A soft groan escapes her as she exits the vehicle. Flint meets her at the bumper where he swiftly pulls her to him. Clara leans against him for support as she groggily walks and follows him, not sure what direction their headed.

Flint directs a sleepy Clara to the alleyway between The Port and the neighboring building, a small bakery. They pass the dumpsters and make it to a metal staircase. Taking their time due to Clara's clumsiness and her tired state, they scale the staircase which is similar to a fire escape.

Once at the top they are met with a door causing Flint to pull out his keys. Flint unlocks the door and swings it open instantly putting his hands around Clara once more to direct her.

"You must be exhausted especially after your heart palpatations today. Its not good that your still awake," Flint says worriedly as he directs her through the entryway. Kicking the front door shut behind him, Clara begins to wonder away.

A small kitchen is on their right, a bathroom is far down the apartment on the left. The rest of the apartment was open. Najeem decided to make the apartment more desirable by including furniture, such as a couch, a recliner, bar stools in the kitchen, a washer and dryer. Najeem failed to purchase a bed frame eventhough he did purchase a matress.

Clara goes straight for the matress. Her body laying down, her muscles relaxing, her head becoming light. She feels her shoes being pulled off then as she turns onto her back, Flint pulls off her pants. Her shirt leaves next and then Flint works on his own attire. Once he is in just boxers, he grabs a throw blanket from the couch and climbs onto the matress. Clara mindlessly cuddles close to him just as he spreads the blanket out over them. His muscles relax, the intensity in his body fading away but not from sleep or mere relaxation but from holding Clara close.

***

Due to the lack of curtains and blinds, Clara awoke from the sun hitting her eyes. Instantly she feels panic. Anxiety arises within her as she feels the absence of Flint's arm. He'd always grip her tight throughout the night, holding her to his body like she was a doll and he was a child unable to sleep without her. Now, the arm was gone.

Slowly, Clara sits up and looks around. The bathroom door is open, the light off, meaning he wasn't in there. Her chest heaves as if she is experiencing a nightmare.

Without another second to fear, the sound of jingling keys and the cracking of the front door has Clara standing up from the bed.

Flint walks through the front door, attempting to not make a sound as he juggles coffee and donuts. Clara shakingly but hastily approaches Flint and just as he begins to shut the door behind him Clara runs into him. Her arms around his thick muscled waist, his arms up in an attempt to prevent the breakfast from falling.

"Wake me up next time, please," she says with a sigh of releif.

Flint chuckles as he reaches over the small girl to set the coffee and donuts on the counter behind her. Once his hands are free, he wraps his arms around the girl and pulls her tightly to his chest.

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd be scared if you woke up alone," he explains.

"Under the circumstances, its terrifying."