[center]Of all things that Clara could have expected him to have wanted of her, his request had hardly been on her radar. She'd almost expected him to ask of some other task from her; ask for her assistance on whatever the hell they were going to do now that their town had been pulled apart, but instead the man before her expected her to do – well, what she'd wanted to all along. And yet, now that she stood in front of him, she felt deflated. She had attempted to brush away the surprise on her features as he spoke, and instead chose to take a slow, long sip of her coffee as she pondered her choices and options. 

He'd stood there like someone had just killed his kitten and it was unsettling… 

"You're shitting me…" Clara murmured as she finished her sip and had moved to place the cup on one of the chairs closest to her. Still, she hadn't quite moved further into the room, unsure if this was a trap or a test. She did not trust him in the least bit, nor could she bring herself to trust him even if she wanted to. His request was odd – something that still did not sit well with her even though she should have taken the opportunity immediately. 

She'd wanted to hurt him so badly – make him [i]feel[/i] it – because she truly doubted he could ever begin to understand what he'd put her through. 

"To fight someone who is unwilling to fight back is not only uninteresting– but it's pathetic."  Clara suddenly bit back as she eyed him carefully, still choosing to keep her distance. "And if you think for one instant that [i]that[/i]…." She paused and shook her head after a quick moment. "Beating the hell out of you with no defense will not fix a damn thing." 

Oh, but she really should have. She was itching to – only, what good would it do her if he just stood there and took it? If he just allowed it? There would be no fulfillment out of it and Clara understood that. Hell, she would have been better off beating the hell out of a punching bag if he'd just decided to stand there and take it. What kind of a man does that? No – He needed to fight back, damnit!

"And don't pretend like you suddenly [i]care[/i], either. I will not fall for such lies." 
[/center] [@Arista]