Hi guys, so sorry for the wait :)

Dedicated to the lovely EmmaCowsarecool for all your lovely messages recently :) Thank you so much x

Hope you enjoy...sort of *winces* you'll see.

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~Clara~

"So you're alright, yeah?" I whisper, afraid to wake Nona up in the other room. After the long flight and car ride home it really drained all the energy from her. I grip my phone to my ear, my eyes heavy with fatigue as I stare up at the ceiling. I run my hand over the white furry back of Ruby and she purrs in response, unlike me, being really close to sleep and all.

"Clara I'm absolutely fine, this job makes me feel like I'm about to split in two or throw myself off a cliff sometimes, but I love it and I love my little family here, just like you said. It's not like your Nonno didn't warn me" Dad's deep, soothing, but slightly electronic due to the call being over sea voice streams through the phone.

"I just like it here" I breathe, the guilt growing in my stomach to the point where I begin to feel nauseous. "I'm sorry Dad, I feel like I've let you down" I curl my hands in the soft, freshly laundered sheets, breathing out a sigh. Tears start to well up in my eyes, which only makes me angrier at myself. I sniff and he must've heard me because he coos down the line.

"Please don't be angry at yourself Clara. Because I know bella, a change of scenery and culture can be exciting. You've got some good friends around you, well at least what your Nona and Milo have told me"

I sit up slightly, my eyes widening as he chuckles lowly on the other end, I clear my throat and struggle out a weak laugh. An anxious laugh of course. Because not only does Nona find my relationship with Elliot suspicious but so Milo had his eyes trained on him and I for pretty much his entire stay.

"Wait...what did they tell you?"

"Oh nothing really. Told me about all your little school chums. "I finde myself mentally breathing a sigh of relief, as I sink back against the mattress. To which Ruby decides to shift and move to the other side of the mattress.

"Okay Clara, I'll let you go, time differences and all that. Lucky I'm working late but no so lucky for you after a long journey home. But you should call more often, I'll get the number of the new base to you soon alright?"

"Why are you moving bases again?"

"Milo seems to think that there is evidence to prove that someone knows our location, our computers shut down the other day, there seemed to be hacking in everything from case files, to private emails and security cameras. But we don't think any serious damage could be done by that, most of what we do is done in person"

"Fair enough"

"Ciao Bello"

"Buonanotte papà, dormire bene"

"It's sort of refreshing to my own flesh and blood speak her native tongue. But yes, goodnight to you too my darling, make sure you study hard an-"

The line buzzes, I lean away from my phone then press it back to my ear again.

"Hello? Helllooooo?"

Dammit.

"Your current call seems to have been disconnected, please try again later, for more information go to-" I press the end call button, feeling slightly frustrated. I roll my eyes and practically throw the damn thing onto the bedside table, cursing over sea calling and phone battery life as I turn my light off and snuggle down into my freshly laundered covers.

***

Tap, tap, tap.

I stir in my bed, the sound waking me slightly, but not enough that it isn't hard for me to fall back asleep. I refuse to open my eyes, accepting that I must've imagined or dreamed up the sound as it has stopped. I begin to fall back into unconsciousness, when it sounds again, this time accompanied with someone's hushed speech.

"Clara...Clara?!"

I scrunch my eyebrows up in confusion, I wait for a second, waiting to see if it comes again. When it does, I sit up in bed, twisting to place my feet on the floor.

Who would be throwing rocks at my window at this hour? The only person who knows where I live is...well, Elliot.

I walk cautiously over to the window, which has fogged over in the early January night air. I wipe over the condensation on my side and I can just make out someone standing at the bottom, looking up at my window.

My hand grabs for the handle and I pull at it, greeted immediately by a gust of strong icy wind. I ignore the sudden change in temperature and stick my head out of the window, I squint in the dark trying to make out the figure who is now waving frantically up at me.

"Uh...Hello?"

"Clara it's me" the voice whispers, I frown, rubbing at my tired eyes as I lean against the windowsill. Are they actually serious?

"Me who?"

"It's Hugo" he whispers again up again into the empty space that hangs between us. He raises something and then his whole face is illuminated with the false harsh light of his torch. His whole face is stretched in a grin, I roll my eyes but can't help the smile that spreads across my face.

"Yeah can you come out?"

"Outside?"

"Yeah... you can't exactly invite me into your house now can you? And I need to talk to you Clara" his smile falters for a minute, a sight so rare that it kind of makes my heart ache. I nod in agreement, signalling for him to give me a minute. I push the window down and throw on a fresh set of clothes, I brush my hair back into a high ponytail and I slip my phone into my acid washed jean pocket. I open my door as quietly as I can, slipping past Nona's room. Although she did sleep through the mass shoot out of '72 and the gang raid of '92 so I'm not really stressing it. I still feel slightly guilty for leaving without her permission.

So much guilt for one night. Way to go Clara.

I rummage around for my keys in the small table draw in front of the front door, I unlock the door as I grab my bomber jacket, I step out with haste, making sure to close the door as quietly as I can and locking it. I turn and nearly scream when Hugo is standing there, he laughs as I catch my breath.

"Don't...don't... do that!" I huff between breaths as he stifles his laughs with his thin sweatshirt sleeve. I glare at him as he calms himself down, finding an able resting post on his knees as he pulls himself together.

"Anyway. Hi Clara, how was Italia?" he grins, pulling my arm to lead me down the drive and along the pavement, which of course I don't protest against, because Im pretty sure I trust him.

Clara. He's calling me Clara. Not Torta, something's up.

"Italia was fine, how was Christmas here? I take it you caught up with everyone"

He falters in his step, his smile slipping from his face again, but this time it doesn't return. He looks down and away from my prying arms as his arm slips from my shoulders. I raise an eyebrow as he clears his throat.

"Ah...um, no I didn't"

"Any reasons why?" I trail off as he begins to speed up, getting quite far ahead of me, I shake my head and pick up my pace to follow him. He grumbles something, his hands stuffed into his pockets as we cross through the highstreet.

"Come again?" I ask.

"I just didn't. I had some things to figure out, and I wasn't feeling too good"

"You seemed fine at that Christmas party that was posted all over Instagram"

"You don't even have Instagram"

Yeah okay I don't, privacy reasons, do you think I'm stupid or something? I could be dead by tomorrow if I did. Those social network sites are so shady with how they can access information.

"Chloe showed me"

"Whatever. Let's not talk about the party"

"Well then what do you want to talk about?!"

He pushes his way through a sketchy looking park, I wasn't even paying attention so I didn't realise this was where we were heading. He slumps down on a bench to which I hesitantly sit down next to him. There is a heavy silence as I look at him, but he still seems off, staring straight ahead at the roundabout.

I decide to change the subject, since he seems to be working his way up to telling me whatever it is he wants to talk about. Whatever it is, it really seems to be troubling him.

"So why are we here?" I look around at the dingy, badly spray painted park activities, all still and eerie looking in the dark light. I scoot closer to him as the gate creaks in the wind, he chuckles at this so I don't feel too embarrassed.

"El and I used to come here all the time as kids" he shrugs "He only lives over the road and we used to come here after school or when we were at his house, I've been coming here a lot recently, just to sit and think...gather my thoughts, that sort of thing"

"Hugo, are you okay?" I ask, placing my hand on his arm, he turns to me with tears in his eyes and my heart aches again. I've never seen Hugh cry, to be honest I don't think I've ever seen him unhappy, whatever this is it's eating him alive, I can just tell by his expression.

He shakes his head and I pull him into my shoulder as he begins to cry, his whole body shaking from each sob. And he really cries; tears continuously falling down his face, he cries like he has needed to cry for so long, his arms gripping at me tight as his harsh breathing hits my ear. I try to stop myself from tearing up as I try to soothe him with small 'shhh' sounds. He begins to sniff and the shaking stops, but he still holds me, as if he is afraid I'll let you go.

"Clara..." his voice seems caught up in his throat as he struggles to form just the single syllable of my name, he pulls away to look me dead in the eyes. Let me tell you, it does not look anything like the Hugo I know, he looks so pale, so worn out in an almost sickly way. Not only that, but he looks scared, anxious and worried. I don't know what comes over to me when I take hold of his hand.

And to my surprise, he grips it tight.

"I think I can trust you...not that I can't trust Elliot, I just don't think I can face him right now, all my suspicions have been confirmed. All at that one Christmas party, I needed to think and I need someone to trust, and I'm afraid of what he'll think"

"About what?" I press, but in a soothing tone, it's better for him to get it all out while he can, his hands are shaking, he licks his dry lips and breaths out, water vapour evident in the icy air. I smile encouragingly.

"Okay...okay, I'm going to tell you, just bear with me"

I nod, wrapping both our hands together in the space between us. His usually so full of life brown eyes look up at me, he looks so helpless and to be honest? Absolutely petrified.

And then he explains everything to me, me nodding throughout, then he gets to the 'punchline' as he describes it, uttering four words that make my mouth fall open in shock. Then he begins to well up again and I pull him into the tightest hug I can manage.

"Oh God Hugh. You did it, you're okay, it's all going to be okay, I'm so proud of you" I whisper, staring at the sky wondering how on earth I found myself in this position.

---

*Hides*

Told you Hugh was hiding something now didn't I?

AND YOU STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, let me know, what do you think it is?

How do you think Elliot will react about all this? Will he find out?

I'm sorry, I felt so bad doing this to Hugo, he's like al little energetic puppy of warm happiness or something like that. I could feel myself getting all emotional for him (but of course I know why).

-Lx