"You're not my mommy! She is!" Aaron screamed.

Claire flinched and he took the opportunity to wriggle out of her arms and run towards a bewildered Kate.

Claire could feel something inside her shattering, the pressure of one too many cracks finally setting in. Her eyes fell upon the scene before her. Kate held Aaron close to her, whispering into his ear and glancing back at Claire apologetically. She held him confidently, completely sure of herself. There were no signs of hesitation from either her or Aaron. They belonged together.

She however didn't. This wasn't her place.

I don't know what I've done
Or if I like what I've begun
But something told me to run
And honey you know me it's all or none

Unaware of it, Claire began to back away from the room, shaking. Her stomach was in a knot, throat dry. No words were able to slip out. Instead, her mouth hung open in disbelief.

"Claire." Kate said quietly, shrugging as if this incident meant nothing. As if it weren't further proof of her incompetence to be Aaron's mother. 'Just a bump in the road', she would say.

There were sounds in my head
Little voices whispering
That I should go and this should end
Oh and I found myself listening

She couldn't do this. She couldn't be a mother anymore. It was no longer her place. She had spent too many years in the jungle, her mental stability slowly slipping away while Kate raised her son. While Kate became the mother Aaron wanted and needed.

Claire turned on her heel and ran for the door.

"Claire!"

'Cos I don't know who I am, who I am without you
All I know is that I should

Claire felt her feet pounding on the gravel outside as she ran, the rain soaking her small figure. For a few moments, she found herself back in the jungle, sprinting away from the Others, the humid air fogging her mind. Kate's desperate cries could be heard from a distance but she didn't care.

And I don't know if I could stand another hand upon you
All I know is that I should

At the moment she hated Kate. She hated everything that she was, with her sympathetic smile and those caring eyes as she sang Aaron to sleep. Singing to her child. Singing her song. She should be grateful but she couldn't find the strength inside her to be. Kate had taken away the only thing she had left and made it hers. Aaron wasn't hers anymore. And while she hated it, hated the whole idea of it, she knew she had to accept it.

'Cos she will love you more than I could
She who dares to stand where I stood

Kate would do much for Aaron than she could. Kate wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night, screaming. Kate wouldn't wince at the sight of peanut butter, Aarons' favorite. Kate wouldn't forget when lunchtime was or how he preferred his bottle.

There was a sudden screech and the distinct sound of a gruff voice yelling at her. Claire fell over on her backside, splashing on the wet concrete. The door of the car in front of her swung open. "You coming in or not, lady?"

Panting, she glanced up and noticed it was a taxi. Her heart started thumping. "I…y-yes."

Propping herself up, Claire slid into the comfy taxi and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Where to?" he grunted.

And I won't be far from where you are if ever you should call
You meant more to me than anyone I ever loved at all

"Um…" her voice quavered. "T-The airport."

But you taught me how to trust myself and so I say to you
This is what I have to do

Her head dipped to the side, against the cool window and tears began sliding down her cheek. She loved Aaron so much. On those days when everything seemed hopeless and lost, she would picture the times that she would hold him tightly against her or when Sawyer and Charlie would speak to him comfortingly. The thought brought on a fresh set of tears.

She had to do this for him. All she ever wanted for him was the best and this was it. Kate was the best. Not a woman who twitched at any sign of movement. It had been a whole month since they had departed from the island. A whole month worth of incidents. Aaron's yells, Kate's apologies, and her own whimpers rang in her ears.

She chuckled darkly at the irony of it all. Three years looking for Aaron and it took just one month for her to break down, to finally decide to leave. Maybe she was just looking for an easy way out. Perhaps she wasn't being as selfless as she thought. Wiping her eyes, Claire glimpsed through the window at the rainy sky. The dark clouds swayed and wisped and she quickly had to look away. It was resembled smoke too much for her taste.

Author's Note: So if you felt this was too OOC for anyone let me know. Constructive criticism is accepted.

This will be continued. It will evolve into a look into the other survivor's lives from Claire's POV. I'd like to thank my friend Becky (sanepsycho-supergoddess) and Sillycritter for encouraging me to continue this. Becky, your empath powers are great. Seriously.

Thanks for reading!