Disclaimer: Did you know that writing a disclaimer at 4:21 in the morning is boring? It is. Oh, not for me. So I guess that should be: Did you know that reading a disclaimer written at 4:22 in the morning is boring? Sorry at the moment I can't think of anything funny about the characters not being mine right now. And I'm still not making any money on these.
A/N: Fifth in the What? Series. Aaron's turn. For those that are wondering: I don't know how many of these I'll do. I'm not even sure they'll all be different people. So far they are. I might turn them into a real story someday or write one with these as a guideline. I'm not even sure what to call this kind of story. I guess it's a type of character study. Oh, well, I guess it doesn't matter. On with the story.
What Aaron Saw
Aaron Pittman had never considered himself an overly observant man. Sure, sometimes he saw things that other people missed but that was just human nature, wasn't it? Everyone missed the obvious things at times. Aaron was sure he missed stuff sometimes though no one had ever pointed it out to him.
He saw the looks Priscilla covertly gave Sean. He knew she loved him and not Sean but she admired the other man. He saw the resignation and pity in her eyes when he couldn't hunt or protect her. He'd never hated the loss of electricity more than he did the night he left her.
He had wanted to die when he'd left his wife in the care of others more capable than he was. But fate had not been kind since the black out and he survived. He hadn't wanted too but he was to useless and weak to kill himself.
Then he met the Mathesons. Ben had nearly forced him to join them in their journey. Aaron didn't know why and he was fairly sure Ben didn't either. Rachel didn't much care. All she cared about was Danny and keeping the child safe. He knew he was missing some crucial point about Charlie but he couldn't put his finger on it.
He saw the way Rachel sometimes looked at her daughter. At times it was a look that said she thought Charlie was a puzzle that she needed to figure out and at others as though Charlie had a monster underneath her skin just waiting patiently to claw its way out and devour them all. Ben never saw the second type of look.
Aaron saw the longing looks Rachel cast around their house and on Danny the morning she left. It wasn't until a month had passed with no word from her that he realized those looks meant she wasn't coming back. Ben had them pack up and move not long after that.
Aaron saw Charlie looking at the postcards when she thought she was alone. He understood that she wanted to see more of the world. He saw the wondering looks she threw at the horizon.
He saw the looks the doctor in their new town tossed at Ben and the looks he sent back her way. He saw the pain and joy mixed in Maggie's eyes when she looked at Ben's kids. She wanted them to be hers and then they kind of were. She loved the three of them fiercely. Aaron found his own house.
Aaron saw the desperation, fear and acceptance in Ben's eyes when the soldiers came. He made the promise Ben needed and then watched his best friend die. He watched his surrogate niece's heart break. But he had a mission. He had to deliver the letters Ben had given him. He didn't know all the people the letters were for but he'd find them.
Ben had given him a family and now a purpose. A use. Maybe he wasn't as useless as he'd always thought he was.
He saw Charlie's expression run through a gamut of emotions as she read her mother's letter and was unsurprised when she started shouting. Charlie had always had a temper on her. Rachel's revelations were a surprise more in that is finally showed him what he'd missed seeing before. He should have known.
Charlie's quick leap to Miles was unsurprising. She would make the connection quickly. The desperate hope in her eyes though was surprising. As surprising as it was heart breaking. He only hoped Miles was like Ben and would help them.
He saw the boy's, Nate's, confused looks to Charlie and found them amusing. It was as though he'd only just discovered that girls were different from boys and that they were something to be admired. He saw the fierce determination to protect her. He also saw the way he rubbed at the inside of his right wrist and wondered if he was injured.
Aaron saw the resemblance between Charlie and the man at the bar long before he told Nate that she was his niece. He saw the pain and grief that Miles carefully masked at the news of Ben's death. He saw the memories swimming in Miles' brown eyes when he looked at Charlie. When Miles took Charlie to the back to talk he saw the way he guided her protectively through the crowd. Miles would help them.
Miles came back out a while later and Aaron saw the hope, pain and hint of tears in his eyes. Miles knew about Charlie now. When Nate challenge him on Charlie's whereabouts and Miles exposed his wrist Aaron saw the shattered look in Nate's eyes. Nate hadn't wanted to betray them but he would because he had to.
They followed Miles back to where Charlie was and Aaron saw how close Miles stayed to her, nearly hovering. He saw the tears Charlie hid when Miles sent them away. He saw the grief in Miles' eyes because he had to protect his daughter.
Aaron saw a great many things on their journey that he never wanted to see and prayed he never would again. But he also saw things that gave him hope. The way Miles looked at Nora, an incredulous joy like a kid on Christmas that got something they hadn't known they wanted. The way Charlie looked at both Miles and Nora, a shining smile that spoke of no longer being lonely.
They found Danny and with him Rachel. Danny had been so pleased and relieved to see them. Rachel, not so much. Sure, she was more than happy to be rescued but it was obvious she didn't like or trust Miles. Aaron couldn't understand that. Though maybe…yeah he could. Miles wasn't a nice man. But Charlie and Danny adored him. Rachel didn't like that either. Apparently Danny hadn't been very receptive to her mothering and Charlie was even less so. She didn't like it that they accepted and loved Miles so easily when they couldn't bring themselves to forgive her.
Aaron saw Rachel sneak away after Danny's death. He kept his observations to himself as he always had. Rachel would do whatever it was she wanted to. He tuned back into whatever it was that his cobbled together family was talking about and gave a chuckle at Jason's quick wit. It was so much more interesting to see things when you were in the middle of them. Harder but more interesting.