Man of the World --- Written by Camacho
Chapter II – Stolen
Disclaimer: Still don't own anything but Adeline. The song is a Dashboard Confessional song off the latest CD Dusk and Summer. It's an amazing CD and everyone should get it. Everything else is owned by ABC, Disney, J.J. Abrams, etc.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Three weeks had passed since my arrival. Many of the other "losties" had welcomed my updates from the outside world, but there were still a few who were wary of my sudden presence, mainly the scraggly haired Southerner. Sawyer, the man who might have known the whereabouts of my little brother, would barely even speak to me. All I heard from him were monosyllabic grunts and sarcastic remarks. Something about him seemed eerily familiar, so I was just fine and dandy with the fact that he wouldn't talk to me.
"Addie! Oh, Adeline…"
A bright smile lit up my face at the sound of my new best friend's voice. Claire and I hit it off the second I opened my mouth to speak with her. I had a baby sister at home so my previous knowledge with the wee one helped her out a lot. I provided a babysitting service when she wished to nap or spend some time with friends, namely Desmond. At first, I assumed she and Charlie had a thing going, but apparently, she can't stand the man. Too protective, she said. I got a hunch that she really dug Desmond and Des gave off the vibes that he may be crushing on her, as well. You never know, his superhero instincts just may be kicking in and he could probably just tell that she needed a friendly guy like him around.
"Yes, Claire?"
"Could you watch Aaron for a little while? We're running low on food, so Charlie and I are going on a scavenger hunt." She rolled her eyes. "He says I need an escort so the smoke monster won't get me."
"Well, he's probably right. We wouldn't want you to get eaten by ol' Smokey." I took the baby boy in my arms and was greeted by a toothless smile. "You're such a cutie, Aaron. Yes, you are!"
"Thank you so much, Addie. I'll bring you back some chow."
"Thanks a lot, Claire. I could always use some mangoes."
"We'll be back in a few hours," she called over her shoulder as she and Charlie ventured into the jungle.
I began cooing to the bundle in my arms, his weight against my chest bringing back memories of the house and family I'd left behind. I hadn't seen my brother at all, despite spending a few hours each day with Des and Jack, searching the island for Jacob. There were no trails, no scraps of clothing – nothing. I racked my brain for a picture of my family, but couldn't find one. It's not that I'd forgotten, it's just that my family wasn't much of a family: my father left right after I was born and my brother and sister each had a different father. I had pretty much raised my little brother by myself. Being six years older, I felt that I held enough responsibility to cook, clean, and care for Jake. However, when Elizabeth was born (I was 16), Jake was old enough to help out around the house while our mom was searching desperately for a father for her children.
"You look good with a baby on your hip. Natural."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Desmond," I told him, handing the baby to him.
"But, sweet Adeline, it was a picture perfect moment. I'm not a baby man."
I sat down on Claire's bed and Desmond plopped down next to me, laying the young boy on his chest and starting up a game of Peek A Boo. Despite what he says, Desmond was great with the baby, always playing with him or quieting him down when he got upset.
"So, where's Claire?"
"Why, you wanna stare at her a little bit?" I smirked at his childish reaction of sticking out his tongue. "She's getting food with Charlie."
"Charlie… I don't think I like this Charlie fellow."
"I'm not so sure he likes you, either. It's a little love triangle."
"There's no triangle." He began to stroke the boy's downy soft hair, coaxing him to sleep. "She belongs with Charlie."
"Nah. She doesn't mind Charlie, but I think she likes you."
"Yeah?" He didn't sound too interested, which surprised me.
"Do you like her?"
"Yeah, she's a nice girl."
"But…?"
"Years ago… no, weeks ago, I would have loved her. She's beautiful, smart, a wonderful mother, but she deserves better. I've realized I'm not right for her."
"Are you kidding me?"
His brown eyes searched mine, looking for the hidden meaning I would never tell him. Even though I'd only been on the island for a few weeks, I've found myself drawn to Desmond, not just because he was an intensely interesting person, but also because he was a genuine human being. He helped out those who needed it, entertained when he needed to entertain, and chose solitude when he knew he wasn't needed. Plus, he wasn't too bad to look at, especially after he let Claire and me cut his hair. Though his "luscious locks," as Hurley called them, were indeed "luscious," he claimed it was an annoyance. So we rid him of his annoyance and now I find it so hard to tear my lusting eyes away from the Scotsman.
"What do you mean?" he asked softly.
"Nothing," I said quickly. "Aaron's fallen asleep. We should put him…"
"Aaron's fine." Desmond put a gentle hand on the tot's back, rubbing slow, calming circles to keep Aaron quiet. "Is there something you'd like to say, sweet Adeline?"
"Not necessarily."
"May I say something?" His tan face had lost all sense of amusement and was replaced by a serious shadow.
"No." Before he could counter, I added, "Because you'd want something in return."
"Adeline, just let me tell you and then, when I'm done, I'll let you know what I want."
"Desmond, just drop it."
"I will not just drop it," he whispered harshly so as not to wake the baby up.
"Yes, you will." I stared at him for a moment, noticing how his eyes darken and his cheeks take on a scarlet hue when he gets upset. I refused to be the one to break eye contact and was relieved when he returned his attention to Aaron.
"We should put him in his cradle, then."
"Yeah." I picked Aaron off of Desmond's firm chest and placed him gently I his crib, pausing when he began to stir. Remember a song that I used to sing Elizabeth when I put her to sleep, I pulled up a handcrafted chair and began to sing to Aaron.
We
watch the season You have
stolen my heart Invitation
only You have stolen my heart And from the ballroom floor Sleep Well You have stolen Watch you spin around You have stolen my
Pull up it's own stakes
And catch the last
weekend
Of the last week
Before the gold and the glimmer have
been replaced
Another sun soaked season fades away
You have stolen my heart
Grant Farewells
Crash the best one
Of the best
ones
Clear liquor and cloudy eyed
Too early to say
goodnight
You have stolen my
heart
We are in celebration
One
good stretch before our hibernation
Our dreams assured and we
all
Will sleep well
Sleep Well
Sleep
Well
Sleep Well
You have stolen my
You
have stolen my heart
In your highest
heels
You are the best one
Of the best ones
And
we
All
Look
Like
We
Feel
You have stolen my
You have stolen my heart
And in the glow of the setting sun, Desmond stood in front of me, his lips parted slightly and the impression of love left in his eyes. I knew what should have happened and I knew what would have happened, if Charlie and Claire hadn't returned earlier than expected.
"Addie, what does your brother look like?" Claire questioned, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.
"He's got dark brown hair… kind of short… pretty tan…"
"My God…" Charlie breathed. "I think we've found him."