Claire Radcliff

Claire Radcliff is the wife of Dylan Radcliff and the mother to Emily Radcliff. Moved to The Gates from New York six years ago, after adopting Emily. She and her husband decided not to feed from humans anymore instead they drink the blood that he supplies from his lab but isn't exactly satisfied enough by that. She has befriended

Season One
As Claire is pruning roses near her drive way she observes her daughter Emily skateboarding without a helmet. The board gets away from Emily and she goes chasing after it as it rolls down the driveway heading for the street. Claire sees a SUV speeding toward her child. In a panic Claire rushes forward to save Emily (but not using any apparent powers). The SUV swerves at the last second and strikes a concrete mailbox near the Radcliff's driveway instead. The driver whose name we later learn was Mark Woodbury, suffered a minor head injury that resulted in a open gash above his left eye. The bleeding wound got Claire's attention after making sure her daughter was safe. After Emily went off to school being driven by a neighbor, Claire invites him into her home perhaps under the pretext of patching up his cut. Woodbury is a contractor working jobs inside the Gates. There is flirting between her and Mark. Mark backs down when he learns she is married. Claire then stares at the blooded cotton balls used to daub his wound. Claire expresses disappointment that he gave up so easily and makes it clear her husband will be gone for quite sometime, which causes Mark to kiss her neck with passion. Claire returns his kiss but quickly bites him and drinks his blood. She drained the rest of him putting his remaining blood in the porcelain kitchen sink. She later does her best to clean up the place and then takes a shower in which she cries, seemingly genuinely remorseful for killing the man. She puts on some kind of sunblock all over herself except a spot she misses on her knee. She is burned painfully when a stray ray of sunlight hits that spot.

The next day after she welcomes Sarah Monohan to the neigborhood (the Monohans arrived earlier that day) by going to her house with a traditional casserole pot of Lasagna (and likely trying to get a feel on how the new Chief was progressing in the case) she puts Woodbury's blood into wine bottles for later consumption and has hid his body in the wine cellar refrigerator. Later when Dylan comes home early he smells fresh blood on a wine glass and then physically slams his wife against a wall and confirms by smelling fresh blood on her breath. He physically forces his wife to confess what she has done. He is not pleased with his wife's lack of self control, especially since Woodbury's disappearance causes tension between the Radcliffs and Nick Monohan the new Police Chief of The Gates after he questions the Radcliffs about Woodbury's disappearance in front of their home and detects evasion when he interviews the Radcliffs mere moments after Dylan discovers what his wife has done. Later that night Dylan and Claire sneaks both Woodbury's body and his SUV out of the Gates pass security by drugging the guard at the gate with spiked cookies and stage his death to look as if wolves had eaten him outside The Gates near a lake while he was drunk. The next night Claire almost kills Chief Monohan after she spots him snooping around her house after a judge turned down his request for a search warrant for insufficient evidence. Dylan intercepted him first with Monohan lying about a prowler being about. After that incident Dylan lectures her about almost killing the Chief and why she can't be satisfied with the blood he brings home from the lab. She says it isn't that; it is the book clubs, carpools, dinner parties and all the other aspects of suburban life that she is dissatisfied with she says in great disdain. Dylan threatens that if she can't assimilate for Emily's sake than he will do something about it. Claire counters that he doesn't take responsibility for anything, that he made her what she is. More understanding he embraces her.

The next night Claire mets her friend Peg Mueller a witch and the town doctor at the The Gates Harvest Festival and begs her for something to control her blood cravings. Devon Buckley, another witch and the ex wife of the The Gates founder Frank Buckley, over hears and tells Claire that Claire's neighbor, Jessica Cooper, saw Claire put Woodbury's truck in her garage. Devon says she helped her forget but intimates that it could wear off. Sensing the veiled threat Claire threatens her with sudden instant death. Devon isn't intimidated in the least as Peg leads Claire from the confrontation. (Pilot)

A couple of days later Claire met Devon at her spa to confront her about the box of "Vine of the Soul" garland garlic she sent to her with the cryptic calling card "Got cravings?" Claire took it as a veiled threat but Devon reminds her the real threat is Mrs. Jessica Cooper and the fact that the spell she put on her to forget that she saw Claire putting Mark Woodbury's SUV inside her garage is only temporary. She will eventually remember. To make the spell permanent Devon said a vial of Claire's blood is needed to cast a spell over. Later that night Clair comes back to the spa to give Devon the blood as their agreement. "If you're lying, I will kill you," Claire says and again Devon doesn't appear to be concerned replying "Yes, I'm well aware" and she draws the blood with a large hypodermic needle as Claire gives her a hard look. As Claire gets up and walks out the door Devon says "Claire, do stay out of trouble." Claire stands still for a moment without looking back as if she was maintaining control of herself. Then she walks out without saying a word. (What Lies Beneath)

As Claire watches a woman who cut her hand on her stroller with temptation a old friend, Christian Harper, approaches her in a parking lot of the supermarket she was shopping in. After he leaves her his calling card, they later meet up and catch up at a restaurant. It is revealed that they met by 1961 and both were vampires at the time. Christian later invites Claire to join him in feeding on a woman outside the bar. (Breach)

With her husband at the Father/Daughter Dance, Claire sneaks off with Christian to feast on another unsuspecting blood donor, however the woman Christian has locked in his sights is Barbara Jansen, the biggest gossip in The Gates. Claire quickly ends the evening's meal saving the womans' life but dissuading Christian from feeding off her and killing her. She again turns down Christian's offer to kill her when she tells him that her encounter with him at the restaurant will become common Gates knowledge with her husband inevitably learning about it. (The Monster Within)

The next day she and Nick's wife Sarah was at the site of the upcoming art and auction at the high school Barbara ran into them as she was making a donation of art supplies for the up coming event. She talked to them about the previous night's Dance, saying how tiring it must have being for Claire particularly since she did look tired to Barbara and said that Claire was burning the candle at both ends despite Sarah having the both their daughters at a sleep over after the dance, a broad hint referencing she running into Claire the night before with Christian. Claire, knowing full well what she meant, glared at her. Barbara further said that the two of them are lucky since they "...both have such wonderful husbands". Claire glares at her. She goes on saying she was looking forward to the party Frank Buckley was having for Chief Monohan that night. Barbara glances at Claire and said "It should be interesting" then turned and left saying "bye now". Sarah says "She's a piece of work". Claire, with hidden meaning says "Yes she is", while glaring at Barbara's retreating back. (Repercussions)

Later that same day Dylan told her that he killed Teresa and why (Deputy Jordan told him he will interview Claire to confirm an alibi he presented. Jordan didn't get a chance.) and express the fear that "The Others" will kill him and banish his wife and child. Claire is understanding and regarding Nick not understanding she says Dylan can be very persuasive. (Repercussions)

At the reception for Chief Monohan that night Claire sees and overhears a slightly inebriated Barbara telling another party goer enthusiastically about how a man named "Gil" spent $15,000 on a hair transplant and how he was $65,000 in debt. Perhaps picturing in her mind Barbara telling the story around town of how she saw Claire with another man. In a heighten state of anxiety, she calls Christian but gets his voice-mail. She gives him the message of how Barbara could be a problem for her; she said she was thinking...then she cut herself off, seeming to realize the gravity of she was doing. She leaves a further message saying don't call her back, she will handle it herself and ends the call. Meanwhile unknown to Claire Frank Buckley is revealed to have a DVD recording with her name on it, presumably with her in a compromising postition. (Repercussions)

The next night Barbara Jensen was found dead in the dress shop she co owned by Chief Monohan. The body had evidence of being bitten by a vampire which Dylan confirmed when he examined the body at the pathologist office with Monohan but totally denied it was him. Claire who heard about the manner of Barbara's death suspected immediately Christian Harper of killing her for her despite her changing her mind; but when she confronted him in the Red Door night club he steadfastly denied it saying she asked him to leave her alone and he did just that. After that, Harper all but declared his love for Claire, but she told him never to contact her again. Harper also came under suspicion for the murder by Dylan when Monohan gave him a list of suspects that included Harper's photo. He had told Monohan earlier that Barbara had to have been murdered by a vampire out side of the gates because of the strict rule against hunting within them. Much to Claire's chagrin Dylan after meeting Harper at the "Red Door" and unknowing about the previous meetings between Harper and his wife invited Harper over for dinner. In a private moment Claire made Harper understand in no uncertain terms she didn't want to see him again by pinning him against a wall.

Meanwhile, after examining several suspects including Gloria Bennett another vampire living in The Gates it was determined that Jensen's ex husband Alex Dupree killed Barbara by accident. Gloria did bite Barbara, her business partner in the dress shop and former lover, but it was in a failed attempt to turn her to save her life. She was almost killed by the "The Others" The supernatural enforcers of the rules for the supernatural residents of The Gates, while under suspicion of killing Barbara for hunting and killing in the Gates. The arrest of Dupree cleared her. (Jurisdiction)

A few days later Claire would attend Sarah Monohan's belated house warming/pool part at her home. In an naive attempt to bring the factions together (which at this time she still believes are only snobby cliques and not a supernatural spices rivalry) Sarah Monohan invited to the party not only Claire but also Karen Crezski. As she was getting ready to go-and complaining about the so-called "rancid smell" of the werewolves like Karen, her husband Dylan received a call from Chief Monohan about an urgent matter. At the Pool party Claire tried to mingle and relax despite the barbed insults between her and Karen. Claire at Sarah's urging attempted to make a good faith effort to get along with Karen and say "Hello", but as she was heading toward Karen she would find out that Sarah also invited Devon to the party. After Devon made a few comments about Claire taking a swim in the pool and "playfully" trying to splash Claire with pool water knowing full well that the sunblock lotion the vampires like Claire wear could wash off, Claire made her mildly distraught apologizes to Sarah saying to her "I can't do this" hastily leaves the party. (Digging the Dirt)

After the disastrous pool party, that night Claire caught Dylan trying to sneak into the house. She smelled the graveyard he was in on him. He had to tell her about the attempt of both Dylan and Chief Monohan to find black mail material on Frank Buckley since he was apparently extorting them with the video of Dylan killing Amanda in Nick's presence. Claire frighteningly wanted to know if it was money Buckley wanted but Dylan just said all he wanted was cooperation and silence but they are trying to get leverage. Claire surprised that Dylan would jeopardize their lives over Buckley's simple and fair demand: "'Leverage?' Frank Buckley: The man who welcomed us here with open arms, caught you murdering a woman inside The Gates and what he's asking is that you follow the rules.....and you want to fight him?" Claire says that Dylan is the one who usually says think of Emily and to imagine the consequences. She says that he should heed his own advice and should "try to put an end to this". He did when he called Monohan the next morning to inform him that he was pulling out of their blackmail plan.(Digging the Dirt)

Later that same day Claire would get a bouquet of flowers from a harassing Christian Harper, which she would hurl the bouquet, complete with vase, against a wall. She would leave a frantic voice mail for him to .."stop the flowers and the phone calls". Just then Karen arrives at Claire's house. After disregarding Claire's clear desire to be alone and her not being invited in Karen ignores her pushing her way pass saying that unlike vampires she doesn't need an invite to enter a house. She then sees the smashed vase. Karen wonders what happened and then suddenly becomes uncharacteristically sensitive to Claire, asking almost rhetorically why do the two of them have to fight the way they do, meaning vampires and werewolves. Claire ask her to leave again but Karen tells her she can't because Sarah is in trouble. In a show of mutual solidarity in concern for their kind human friend that they are both very fond of she tells Claire that Sarah was drinking Devon's tea. Claire ask what they should do and Karen says that they should talk to her, but after she helps Claire clean up the flowers. Later in their talk with Sarah Karen and Claire hints heavily to her that Devon's tea is drugged. Later Sarah is seen throwing out Devon's tea in a garbage pail but much like an addict she then fishes it out and brews another pot with a clear look on her face that she understands that she is hooked on it. Meanwhile Claire would get another text message from Christian. This one saying cryptically "Last chance". (Digging the Dirt)

Days later Claire attends the Gates Homeowners Association Monthly Gathering with Dylan and would witness the fight between the werewolf Simon Ford and the fellow vampire Ben McAllister. Dylan would break up the fight between them with the help of Chief Monohan who was also in attendance. The next day as she was doing housecleaning Dylan would tell her about Simon being assaulted the night before. Claire fears that it could had been a vampire but Dylan assures her that none of the vampires would break the truce without sanction. He speculates correctly as it would later be revealed that it was "some internal power play. They're always fighting among themselves aren't they?" Later Christian would enter the Radcliff's residence unannounced and play with Emily to Claire's horror. After sending Emily to her room. Christian complains that Claire wouldn't get back to him after all the messages he left, ignoring Claire demands to leave. He then blackmails her into accepting a dinner invitation with him otherwise he would tell Dylan how she was hunting with Christian. That night she complies but to tell him in no uncertain terms that she was with Dylan that she won't break the bond. She correctly guesses that all of what Christian was doing was to get her back into the life of a "legitimate" vampire but can't figure out why he wants to destroy what she had. He says he isn't trying to destroy her but to save "us". He then gives her a ring that was in his family for generations, perhaps as a symbol of marriage. She tells him that he can't accept it and points out that Dylan wouldn't like it. Christian grows more desperate saying that he should had been the one to turn her but to his regret hesitated. She tells him that she never felt that way toward him. More desperate he tells her that he loved her. Momentarily taken aback she tells him "I don't love you Christian, I love Dylan". This pains him. She further says that if he wants to tell Dylan about the hunts then go ahead "...but it can't and it won't break the bond between us! Goodbye Christian!" She turns and walks away. In a fury, he then follows her and accost her from behind pinning her against the side of a spiral staircase. Teeth bared, he says "The bond can be broken". "I don't want this! I want..to be..with Dylan" is Claire's response fangs emerging. He lunges for her neck and then spins her down to the floor. "When Dylan finds out, he won't want you" he says and then as she screams bites her on the neck and drinks. This was not long after 8pm. Several hours later once Christian achieved the breaking of the bond, miles away in The Gates, Dyan jars awake with his fangs fully bared and snarling. He looks over to where Claire should be sleeping and doesn't see her. He jumps out of bed. (Dog Eat Dog)

The next morning Claire comes home. Dylan is waiting up for her. She is holding her trench coat tightly around herself. She is acting much like a rape victim would. Oblivious to her distress he tells her that he was waiting up all night for her. He knows in a general way what has happened that the bond has been broken. He walks up to her and almost savagely moves the trench coat's turned up collar to reveal the fang punctures in Claire's neck. She doesn't look at him as he turns from her. "It wasn't my choice" she says and he asked who did it she doesn't answer. He asks again. A pause and she admits it was Christian. He looks pained and is in tears; He ask with skepticism if this just supposedly happened and she had nothing to do with it. Claire hesitates and tells him she had been hunting with Christian. This pains him even further. She tries to explain that she tried to put a stop to it and him but he wanted more, he wanted her. Then Dyan acts exactly how Christian predicted he would act and he rejects her "Yeah? Well you do...he's the only one who wants you.....he's the only one who wants you!!" as if it was all her fault, her willful idea. Crushed, Claire tells him that is precisely what Christian thought Dylan would say, but Claire told him he was wrong. Then a look of realization plays on Dylan's face and he gets up quickly. Claire backs away slightly but he only ask for Claire's cellphone. "Why?" she asks and he again asks for the phone. She gives it to him with his left arm and her right arm fully out stretched to each other as if they were barely bridging a chasm that has emerged between them. Then he turns and leaves the house not answering Claire's question as to what he was going to do. Alone, she then sags into a decorative chair sobbing. (Dog Eat Dog)

That night unknown to Claire at the time Dylan would text Christian using her cell phone to ostensibly meet at Christian's place at 9pm. Moments later Dylan attacks and knocks out Christian. He would tie him to a tree to ostensibly kill him by sun exposure the next dawn after he washed the sunblock lotion off of Christian. Later Claire is waiting for Dylan on the steps and asked him where was Christian, and then with dread what did he do? He tells her that he "fixed it" and despite all the lies and sneaking around she was still his wife and he goes upstairs leaving Claire crying. (Dog Eat Dog) Several days later there is tension in the Radcliff's home and Emily notices it at the breakfast table. She tries to break the mood by mentioning her spelling bee. Both are doting to her but Dylan is still cold to Claire. He gets up from the table to go to work and says "I love you" to Emily and kisses her. Emily notices that he doesn't say "I love you to Claire and kiss her and points it out to her father, but she says to Emily while looking Claire in the eye with a tone and subtext that would probably be obvious to an adult "Your mother knows exactly how I feel about her!" Later the tension continues as Claire comes back from shopping to a Dylan that roundly ignores her and ask him if he wanted to know where she was. Dylan believed it didn't matter for it was probably a lie that she will tell him anyway. Claire semi seriously offered to show him the receipt from the bakery she went to. To her chagrin he tells her to leave it on the kitchen counter seemingly in all seriousness. With a mixture of exasperation she acknowledges to Dylan that he was hurt emotionally but she was hurt as well and she needs his help. He still doesn't look at her prompting Claire to demand the does so. Why?" he asked sardonically. "What do you mean WHY?" she asked astonished. He says that what Christian did was break the bonds between them, and he can't guarantee everything will be okay if he didn't believe it himself. Claire didn't respond. Then the phone rings. It is Sarah Monohan. She tells them that Emily was at her house. Dylan, between the marital problems and the concern that a FBI agent may obtain the client list of a vampire document forger who has the names of many vampires including the Radcliffs, he clean forgot about her spelling bee and didn't even pick her and Dana up at school. Sarah did it for him. A dejected Emily had won the 1st place blue ribbon. Mortified, he rushes out to the Monohans. (Identity Crisis)

Later that night the Radcliffs have a tension filled dinner Emily is disappointed in Dylan to the point of not being hungry for dinner and didn't come down for it nor accept food brought to her room. The silence continues. Claire ask if this is how it is going to be them for now on. "I don't know" he says, going on to say he was sorry for what happened to Claire but she betrayed him. Her tryst with Christian broke the bond between them, and not only the actual psychic bond but the bond of trust he felt for her. She says he could fix it.He says yes, referring to the psychic bond "....but do you honestly think that will solve what's wrong between us"? he says. He tells her he loves her, but then asks for a separation. Claire gasps but then sees and understands and acquiesces without argument. "How should we tell Emily?" she asks. They go up to her room. "Em? Daddy and I have come to talk to you" Claire says as the enter. No answer. She calls out to her again. No answer. Then she sees the bed without the form of a body. "Em!!" she calls out and pulls back the covers. Emily is gone but in her place is the ring Christian tried to give her the night he assaulted her. Christian is still alive and has taken Emily. At that moment Emily was in a car with "Uncle Christian" asking him were they were going. Affable, he tells her not to worry and it will be fun. (Identity Crisis)

Desperate to find Emily the Radcliff ask Nick's help. They discover with the help of Vanessa Buckley that Christian owns a house in the gates where they find him a brutally interrogate him but he refuses to say where he hid Emily and tells Nick the truth of who Claire and Dylan adopted Emily. In 2002 when Claire and Dylan still hunt living humans Claire found a couple of junkies and kills then only to find out they have a baby who reminded then about being humans and adopt her. After saying that Christian beging to enumerate all the killings that the Radcliff did to Nick and taunt him for allying with then saying that Emily is in a better place now. He then offer to tell Dylan where Emily is if he kill Nick to prove that they are not humans and Dylan then attack but not Nick but Christian and almost kill him but Nick remenbers he said that Emily is in a "better place" and realizes that he left her with her biological family.

Claire, Nick and Dylan go to the house of the sister the junkie that Claire kill and find Emily safe and happy. Claire and Emily's aunt have and argument about Emily and should take her in with Claire lies and says that she never knew Emily's mother and she and Dylan adopted her after the police found her left behind with infuriates Emily's aunt who claims that her sister will never do that and Claire comes close to attack her but Nick stop her and explains to Emily's aunt that at the eyes of the law the Radcliff are the parents of Emily and makes then give her back.

With her family together again Claire goes after Christian and kills him. (Little Girl Lost)

Personality
Claire appears as the perfect Gates housewife and mother on the outside. With a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and a daughter she loves dearly, everything seems to be in order. However, beneath the flawless exterior, Claire is struggling with a certain... "addiction." This secret she hides has the power to destroy her family and everything she holds dear if she fails to keep her primal urges in check.

Quotes

 * "It's not about the blood! It's about... the car pools, the school committees, the dinner parties, the book clubs... No matter how I hard I try, I'm never going to assimilate like you want me to, not with these people." (To Dylan Pilot)
 * "I could end you, and you'd never see it coming." (To Devon)