Chapter 26

Claire cameinto the kitchen wearing Dana's clothes. The oversized black sweater and leggings only made the girl's slim frame look even smaller. Dana wanted to say something flattering, but she'd never been the flattering type.

Instead, she offered, "I can take you to pick up your things from storage tomorrow if you'd like."

"Thanks," Claire replied, taking a seat at the kitchen island.

Dana placed a piping hot bowl of butternut bisque in front of Claire. "Speaking of tomorrow, Dr. Dvita said he's having a group meeting at St. Ann's if you're interested. He's opened it to all his patients from Passages."

"Yes. I'd like that."

Dana served herself a bowl of soup and took a seat next to Claire. She stirred her spoon, wondering how best to start a conversation about Claire's rehab. She didn't want to come off as prying, but she wanted Claire to know she could talk to her. Dana blew on her soup, wishing she'd had more time with her own mother, so she'd be better equipped to handle difficult discussions.

Dana was only thirteen when she lost her parents. Their memories faded with each year that passed. She was determined not to let that happen with Claire.

Her friend was right here in front of her, and Dana was going to fight to hold on to their memories, so they'd have a chance at making more.

"Anyone particular you're hoping to see at St. Ann's tomorrow?" she asked.

Claire shrugged.

"Do you think Max will be there?"

Claire's gaze slid to meet Dana's. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Like what?" Dana asked.

"Like you think I know something I'm not saying?"

Dana put her spoon down. "I don't think that."

Suspicion crept into Claire's voice. "What did Dr. Dvita say to you?"

"We discussed the importance of continuing your treatment, especially after what you just witnessed."

She huffed a bitter laugh. "Let me guess, you think it made me more damaged than I already am?"

"No one thinks you're damaged, Claire."

"You do. It's why you're lying to me right now. I despise liars. I thought you did, too. That's why I wanted to work for you. To shed light on the darkness. Isn't that what you always say? Or was that a lie, too?"

"Claire … I …" Dana stammered, at a loss for words.

She'd been so shocked by Claire's sudden mood swing that she hadn't even heard Jake come in, but his booming voice preceded him. "There's my favorite girls." He strode over to Dana and Claire and gave their shoulders a squeeze. "What's for lunch? I'm starved."

Claire shoved back from the counter and stood. "I'm not hungry," she muttered before stomping down the hall and slamming her bedroom door.

Jake raised his eyebrows. "What was that all about?"

Dana slumped in her seat; her appetite gone as well. "I don't know what's going on with her, but it's not good."

Jake picked up Claire's spoon and started shoveling the barely touched soup into his mouth. "Let me guess?" he muttered around a spoonful. "Dr. Doom filled your head with a bunch of nonsense psychobabble that's got ya second guessing our girl."

"Jake, he might be right."

It was Jake's turn to push back from the counter. "You're kidding, right? He's known her for all of a few weeks. This is Claire we're talking about. The girl who's saved our asses more than once. Hell, Dana, we're the reason she even needs help. If it wasn't for our cases, she wouldn't have been dragged through hell and back."

"You think I don't know that?" Dana whispered. "I regret every moment of her involvement, but I can't change the past. And the truth is, after what she's been through, we might need to accept that she might not be the same person we knew."

"That sounds an awful lot like what I said to you about Meredith. Do you remember what you said to me?" Jake reached over and took her hand. "You said, we don't give up on the people we love. We don't give up on family."

Dana had to bite her lip to keep her tears at bay. She pulled her hand from Jake's and stood. She paced over to the window, crossing her arms tight enough to hold herself together. "What if I was wrong?"

Jake moved behind her and pulled her into his arms. "Hey." He turned her to face him and gently hooked a finger under her chin, lifting it until she met his eyes. "You're not wrong. And whatever this is with Claire, we're going to fight through it together, okay?"

Dana gave a feeble nod.

"Now," Jake said. "Tell me exactly what Dr. Doom said to mess with that beautiful mind of yours."

The alarm on Dana's watch buzzed, saving her from answering. Silencing it, she reached for Jake's hand. "I will. I promise, but it's not something we can discuss with Claire in earshot. Besides, I have an appointment to go see Meredith, and I don't want to be late."

Jake squeezed her hand. "Okay, I'll hold down the fort and work on chasing down some of my old DOJ contacts."

"The DOJ is handling the case now?"

Jake nodded, scrubbing a hand over his stubble. "I just came from talking to Hartwell. He gave me a peek at the crime scene evidence. Right now, they don't have any solid leads. He said he'll do his best to feed me any new leads, but there might not be any now that DOJ's taking over."

"And did you see Congressman Hayes?"

"What's left of him." Jake sighed. "You were right. I don't feel any better, but I'm not in the mood for an ‘I told you so.'"

"I wasn't going to say that." Dana hated that he thought she would. "I understand the need for closure after loss."

Jake's eyes softened. "I know you do."

"We can talk more when I get back."

"Okay but do something for me."

"What's that?"

"Try to focus on what we have going for us. Claire is safe. She's here with us." He took a step closer. "Things can go back to normal. We just need to give it some time."

Dana wanted more than anything to believe that, but normal had never been her reality. She studied death for a living, and Jake ran headlong after it. With those parameters, normal seemed impossible. And so did all hope of them finally getting their timing right.

She wanted to be with Jake, but if it would put Claire's mental health in jeopardy, she'd have to lock her heart away again. It was something she was used to by now, but the fleeting glimpses at what she and Jake could have been was like teasing a death row inmate with a pardon.

"We've got this, Dana. One step at a time."

Dana met Jake's gaze, his bright blue eyes steady and reassuring. "One step at a time," she answered.

"Now go get some answers from Meredith."

When Jake pulled her in for a kiss, she let him, stretching up on her toes to savor every moment, knowing this kiss would have to be their last for a while.

Dana turned to go, but Jake pulled her back.

"When you get back, let's do movie night. Claire can pick the movie. I'll make the popcorn. You pick up the takeout."

She nodded and forced a smile before leaving the warmth of her home and heading out into the windswept day.