Title: Pacing
Spoilers: season one
Original post date: 12th January 2006
Summary: Every time she's needed to be saved he's been there – even if she didn't think she needed rescuing. Now it's her turn to rescue him.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this but the Plot Bunnies sure wish I did…
Pacing was an excellent way to burn off tension and nervous energy. When the insistent buzzing of your brain was simply too much, all you had to do was start moving until the pace of your body matched the pace of your brain – a difficult thing to do sometimes but it was possible.
Unless your mind was going at a million miles an hour like Claire's was at this moment.
From within the tent she could hear a vast array of horrible noises.
Groans.
Gasps.
Half-screams.
And worst of all, Jack's voice calmly directing Sun when Claire felt like she was liable to explode from all the tension, which was steadily building up in her body.
'Why don't you sit down?' John suggested for the fifth or sixth time. He was sitting in the sand, one comforting hand on Aaron's shoulder, looking very grandfatherly and Zen at the same time – a stark contrast to Claire's dithering state.
'John, if I don't keep moving – ' Claire paced one way then turned to go back the other way, biting her knuckle. Hard. ' – I'm going to explode.'
She paced back. And forth. Back. And forth. Back. And forth.
John sighed. Aaron watched his mother's progress with interest but didn't say anything – there wasn't anything much for him to say that wouldn't earn him a deep frown at the moment.
Claire paused in her pacing and stood still for a long moment, practically quivering with energy. John and Aaron gazed at her expectantly for a moment and then jumped simultaneously when she spoke, quite suddenly and quite shrilly.
'Why is it that he continues to try and be a hero even when he knows he's going to fall on his arse?' she demanded of them. Both of them stared back at her rather blankly. She needed to vent and they were able to nod and smile simultaneously. In other words, the circumstances were perfect for all involved. 'I mean, he's not strong or clever or anything like that, he's not a hero type – and it's not like things have ever been easy with us – why the hell hasn't he given it all up as a bad joke?'
Aaron and John shared a raised eyebrow then turned their attention back to Claire who had resumed her pacing, still muttering aloud to herself – apparently without realising she was doing so.
There came a particularly loud yell from within the tent and Claire visibly flinched.
'This is what I'm always talking about!' she muttered furiously to herself. Aaron and John continued to watch Claire debate with herself as she paced, heads moving back and forth like they were watching a tennis volley. 'I don't know why he even – ' Claire swung around suddenly and glared at the two of them. 'ARE YOU TWO EVEN LISTENING TO ME?'
Aaron looked startled and then to John for guidance.
'I thought we weren't supposed to be,' John said delicately. 'Would you like us to?'
'No I would not!' Claire began to pace again, folding and unfolding her arms only to fold them again. Aaron shook his head, trying not to smile. His mother always amused him when she became agitated – it had gotten him in trouble a few times when she had been yelling at him and he had burst into fits of giggles. 'The last thing I need is people eavesdropping…' Claire continued. '…No respect for private affairs - '
'Mum…'
' – Not that there's ever been any of that here anyway. Everybody knows everybody else's business and – '
'Mum?'
' – You're damned if you want to keep any secrets to yourself...'
'Mum!'
'What?' Claire snarled but then a moment later she realised as well and her hand flew to her mouth.
Silence.
Jack began to emerge slowly from the tent, a crumpled body draped over his arm.
Claire turned slowly towards them and waited for her queue.
The body straightened up slightly with Jack's help and grinned crookedly before croaking, 'Hullo love,'
There was a pale blur and her arms were around his neck. Jack stepped back a little but kept a hand on his back to help support him.
'Hey ouch!' Charlie's voice was horribly hoarse and his face was completely ashen beneath his beard. 'That would be my sore arm you're squashing there love…and while you're at it, I do still need those internal organs.'
Claire pulled back a little and looked at him very seriously. 'Charlie? Can I ask you a very serious question?'
Charlie blinked; he was still a little dazed and this sudden interrogation surprised him; but he nodded all the same. 'Sure.'
'Are you in love with me?'
Aaron choked.
Jack's head snapped around to look at Charlie so fast his neck almost cricked.
Charlie blinked several times.
And John broke into the biggest grin in existence.
'What would you say if I said yes?' Charlie sounded a lot more responsive all of a sudden.
'Do you or not?' Claire repeated impatiently. 'Because I've been trying to understand why you…and the only explanation is that you …' Claire raised trembling fingers to touch his chest. 'Do you?'
'Do you?' Charlie returned.
Aaron turned to glance at John and in that moment he somehow missed seeing the initial contact – except for in his peripheral vision of course. Jack looked away, slightly embarrassed as the two of them kissed and he disappeared back into the medical tent very quickly.
Aaron glanced at John again and the two of them shared a long look before breaking into gales of laughter. Charlie and Claire glanced around, only just realising that they actually had an audience and their faces coloured quite spectacularly.
'You two certainly took your time didn't you?' John chortled as he and Aaron got to their feet. 'Come on Aaron, we'll leave these two to figure themselves out shall we?'
Aaron gladly took John's hand and the two of them trotted off down the beach together leaving Charlie and Claire staring after them both, rather gob smacked.
'Did you tell them?' Claire poked Charlie accusingly but he only shook his head perplexedly.
It seemed that everybody else had seen it but the two of them.