"Well...." Clair didn't want to sound threatening, but, "She'd better not mess with you, Kaede or Rumi whilst I'm here."

"Yeah.. I'm sorry I didn't tell you.." Lori said softly, smiling at her.

"It's OK, given the circumstances, I understand completely," said Clair.

She gave Lori a comforting hug.

Lori nodded, appreciating the hug. "Thanks, Clair." She said with a soft smile.

Clair smiled too, but suddenly broke away.

"Oh, sorry," she said, "Y-you didn't hear that, did you?"

"Hear what?" Lori asked, blinking a few times.

Clair began to look embarrased again, and then she looked at her watch.

"This" she said, pointing to it.

"Huh?" Lori asked, looking confused for a moment.

"Oh, I'll explain," said Clair, "If it starts to get quiet in a room, I start to hear my watch ticking, and sometimes so do other people. Whilst I was hugging you, it got all quiet and I thought I could hear it."

"Oh, no. I didn't hear it at all." Lori said softly, nodding in understanding.