Ponyboysgirl: Yeah, the whole abortion law accrued to me after the fact, I felt a bit silly. But oh well, its not reality right? I'm glad you liked it and thank you so much for the reply! Hope to hear more from you soon.
Lostlorenzo: Well, as you clear noticed, there is a whole lot of drama in this fic. And plenty more to come, I might add. But as you said, things get worse before they get better, and mark my words, they will get better. So hang in there.
Catch a Falling Star
Thomas's apartment, one week later:
Claire thumbed to her knees, feeling the mud agenst her legs. Her hands gripping her stomach, witch ached in pain. "I won't let you hurt my baby!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She could here the sound of something being dragged across the mud. "You here me?" She demanded, threateningly , receiving no reply.
The silence sent a chill down her spine, and she quickly ripped away her blind fold. The rain stung her eyes, makeing it hard for her to see. She looked around in confusion, glancing behind her to where the sound had seemed to be coming from. "won't let me hurt your baby, huh?" a voice questioned mockingly, fallowed by an eerie chuckle.
"Where are you?" Claire demanded, looking around in confusion. "You really love it that much?" He continued, ignoring her question. "Yes" Claire gulped softly, feeling a sudden chill of vulnerability. She spotted the discarded serenge over by a tree trunk, and slowly reached for it. "You'd do anything for it?" He questioned, from his hiding place. "Yes" Claire answered, strugling to reach the serenge. It was to far. She lifted herself off the ground, feeling a rush of pain swim through her as she rose.
"Even sacrifice your own life?" he questioned, with a hint of sarcasm. "Yes!" She confirmed, grabbing the serenge off the ground. "What about the life of someone else?" He questioned, his voice sounding strangely close. Claire turned around, feeling the cold slap of his hand grabbing onto her wrist as he appeared before her. He held both her wrist, squeezing them with extreme strength. She could feel his thumb bruising her wrist, pressing down hard on the gathering of her vains at the stem of her palm.
She felt her fingers go numb, and twitch until the serenge fell from her grip. "Answer me" He instead, jerking her arm forcefully. "Yes.." She choked out, tearfully. Refusing to look him in the eye. She felt his grip loosen and finally let go. Slowly, she turned to face him.
"Done" he uttered simply. Claire blinked in confusion. Before she could speak she felt herself being knocked to the ground. She hit the mud hard, knocking the wind out of her. She whimpered in pain as she felt the baby inside her kick, sending another wave of pain through her. She looked to her right, where the serenge had fallen. Ethan knelt down and picked it up, then stood up straight again.
Claire's eyes fallowed him to her left, and a gasp escaped her lips. Charlie lay beside her, a black piece of cloth tied around his face. His skin was pale, and she could make out the trace of bruises beneath the cloth. The word "done" echoed in her mind, as the situation came into hand.
"Oh, god...Charlie" She whispered softly, stareing in terror as Ethan knelt over him. "Claire?" Charlie questioned softly, not knowing what was going on. Then Ethan grabbed hold of his shirt, and lifted him up. "I'm sorry...
I'm sorry..." Claire sobbed into Thomas's shoulder as he held her close. His arms pulled around her, gently rubbing her back. Her tears wetting the front of his shirt. "Claire, what's wrong?" He questioned softly, cupping her face in his hands, lifting her chin so her eyes meet his. "I'm so sorry" She sniffed, in reply. Thomas sighed, and wrapped his arms around her again, feeling her shake as she layied her head on his shoulder. "Its ok, Claire. It was just a dream" Thomas explained, comfortingly, as he stroked her long blond hair.
"No, no...its real! It happened" She insisted, looking up at him frantically. Tears pouring down her cheeks. "Claire, its over. I swear. Your safe" he assured, holding her shoulders. Claire looked down at the blankets. "Why am I having these dreams!" She questioned, softly, not expecting him to answer.
"Its postpartum depression, Claire. Its very common in pregnet women and people who've suffered from trauma" Thomas explained, rubbing her back soothingly. Claire continued to sob, holding her stomach as she rocked back and forth. "It'll all be over once the baby is gone" He added, in an attempt to comfort her.
"What?" Claire questioned, looking up at him in confusion. "Born, once the baby is born" he reapplied, as if repeating himself. Claire sighed in relief. "You must think I'm crazy" She sniffed, whipping her eyes with the back of her hand. "No. I don't" he assured, taking her hand and holding it in his.
"I love you Claire" he explained, stareing deep into her eyes. "You know that?" he questioned, letting his other hand run down the side of her cheek, whiling the tears away. "I know" She replied, nodding softly. She felt his hand trail down the side of her neck, brushing her hair away before leaning in to kiss her.
The next afternoon:
Thomas walked inside to see Claire asleep on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her. Her bag lay open on the floor. He spotted a little blue book that lay beside it. "Claire?" He questioned, checking to see if she were awake. Claire didn't budge, or even twitch for that matter. Thomas made his way over, stareing at the book on the floor that seemed to be calling his name.
He considered it for a moment before kneeling down and picking it up. He flipped to the middle until he found the last page with wrighting on it.
Nice long bubble bath, a comfortable bed,
my pillow, a proper toilet, some slippers,
and of course, peanut butter.
These were the things I said I missed today
when me and Charlie were playing our game.
He always know's how to keep my mind on the good.
Theres just something about
Charlie that's so adorable and sweet.
In a scarey place like this,
he makes me feel safe...
"Thomas?" Claire questioned curiously, sitting up on the couch, as best she could with her stomach getting in the way. Thomas looked up, shutting the book quickly. "Were you reading my diary?" She questioned accusingly, throwing the blanket off her.
"Well you shouldn't have left it out like that!" Thomas exclaimed in his defense. "What? That doesn't give you the right to go reading my things!" Claire protested, rising to her feet. "Well I'm your boy friend, I have a right to know.." he defended, though he sounded as if he didn't even believe himself.
"Thomas, I can't believe you would do this. You know full well I've kept a diary since I was seven years old. No one has ever read it-" Claire began, in amazement, finding it hard to stand up while holding her heavy stomach and walk at the same time.
"Who's Charlie?" Thomas questioned, cutting her off. "What?" Claire questioned, as if she hadn't heard him. "I heard you say something about a man named Charlie last night and you wrote about him in your diary" Thomas recapped, his voice in a firm tone she hadn't heard him use before.
"Oh, don't change the subject-" Claire began to argue. "Who is he!" Thomas demanded, throwing the book down. Claire jumped back suddenly, startled by his words. "He's was on the island after the plain crashed. He was really nice and helpfully with the baby-" Claire explained, innocently.
"Did you fuck him?" Thomas questioned accusingly, his voice low and dark. "Excuse me?" Claire questioned, stareing at him astonishment. "Oh right, of course not. That might hurt the baby!" Thomas exclaimed mockingly, gesturing angrily.
"but who knows! Maybe all that doesn't matter! After all he's so sweet and adorable!" he continued to rant angrily. "Thomas, what the hell has gotten into you?" Claire questioned, eyeing him strangely. "I can't believe you Claire. We get in one little argument and run off to another fucking country, and screw some stranger just because he makes you feel safe!"
"Thomas!" Claire exclaimed, grabbing his attention. "For gods sake, stop it! I didn't sleep with Charlie or any one else on the bleeding island! But that had nothing to do with me being faithful to you!" Claire explained, bitterly, letting her emotions get the best of her.
"Then why did you leave, Claire? Make up some story about adoption and run away! You obviously weren't going to go through with it, after all, you love your baby way to much to ever give it up!" Thomas protested angrily.
"You left me, Thomas! Don't you dare try to make this my fault-" Claire interrupted, bitterly.
"It is your fault, Claire. You drove me away! You did every thing you could to piss me off until I couldn't handle the thought of living with you! You made my life miserable, all because you wanted that damn baby to your self! Or better yet, to raise it with your perfect fucking man! So you go and run off as soon as I'm out of your way and fuck the first guy you meet! Before my baby is even born, at that! You were suppose to be my girl friend! My girl friend! You fucking whore-" Thomas exclaimed, accusingly, cut off when he felt a firm hand smack him flat across the face.
His head turned to the side, feeling the skin on his cheek sting. "This is not your baby. And I am not your girl friend. You left us alone-" Claire exclaimed, her voice low and rumbling with anger.
"Don't you dare touch me like that" Thomas interrupted, bitterly, grabbing a hold of her wrist. "I'm not finished" Claire exclaimed, ripping her hand out of his grip. She took a deep breath before continuing, stareing him dead in the eye. "This is your fault, Thomas. And I'm not going to let you hurt my baby, or me any more" Claire finished, bitterly, before picking up her diary and her bag.
"Claire, what do you think you doing?" Thomas questioned in a sigh, watching her as she lifted her things. "I'm leaving" she confirmed, pushing past him to the door. "Claire, don't do this." He persisted, turning to her as she unlocked the door. Claire ignored him, and pushed out the door.
"Claire, please, come on. Come back inside" Thomas insisted as he fallowed her down the hall. Claire was to busy struggling with the wight of the bag and her stomach to even acknowledge that he was speaking to her. She just kept going straight.
She could feel the baby kicking frantically inside of her, sending a sharp pain through her body. She ignored it.
"Claire!" Thomas called again, fallowing her down the hall. Another pain shoot through her, makeing it hard for her to walk. She turned the corner, reaching the stair case. "Claire, come on, please. This is ridiculous!" Thomas insisted, flowering her as she headed down the stairs. She could feel the sweat beading at her pours, her breath growing short in her lungs. Her whole abdomen ached, and her legs were shaking under the pressure.
"Claire, come on your going to hurt your self" Thomas begged, almost mockingly. Her temples throbbed, and her eyes felt strained. Her eyes were growing blurry. Am I crying? She couldn't tell. But the throbbing in her head was growing faster, and the twisting pain in her stomach was overwhelming. She took another step, forcing herself to go on. Just get away.
Her foot slipped on the edge of the step, causing her to lose her balance. She dropped the bag, grabbing onto the railing, but couldn't hold herself any longer. He eyes and knees both gave in, and everything went black.
The hospital:
"Claire? Claire, can you hear me?" A voice questioned, bringing her back. Claire's eyes flickered open, blinded by the bright lights over head. She flinched at the sudden white beams shooting down into her eyes, and turned her head to the side. "Claire, Claire look at me" Jack insisted, trying to grab her attention.
"What?" She questioned tiredly, still squinting from the light. She didn't know where she was, or what was going on. All she new was that she felt very hot, and very sleepy. "Claire, listen to me. Your going into labor, ok? You're having the baby" Jack explained from beside her.
"I am?" She questioned in confusion, her eyes finally adjusting to the light enough so that she could look around. She became awake that she was on a stretcher, witch was being rushed down a hall. "Yes. Now, I want you to relax. Just lay back, and breath ok?" Jack instructed, as the stretcher was pulled into a room.
"Ok" Claire nodded, starting to become aware of the pain in her stomach. she was more bothered by the sweat that covered her. She wished they could turn down those lights, or atleast turn on some air condition. The nurses lifted her from the stretcher to the hospital bed, helping her get her feet in the stirrups.
"Do you feel ok, Claire? Can I get you anything?" Jack questioned, smoothing back the little strands of hair that clung to her forehead. "Yeah, could you turn those lights off?" She questioned bluntly, letting the morphine take effect. "No, I can't" Jack explained, apologetically, trying not to laugh. "Its really hot" She pouted, disappointed.
"I can get you some water, or an ice pack" Jack offered, continuing to pull back her hair. "Ok" She nodded. Jack gave a glance at one of the nurses that told her to go get the materials he'd just listed. "Ok, Claire. Do you feel any pains at all?" Jack questioned, turning back to her.
"No" Claire answered simply, speaking to soon. "Yes!" She corrected, as a contraction came into play. Her stomach were trying to cave in. "Ok, just breath, Claire. Focus on your breathing" Jack instructed in his gentle doctor's voice. "Ok" Claire nodded, and began breathing. In and out, in and out...
The nurse returned with a wet rag and a plastic cup of water. Jack had moved down to the other end of the hospital bed. "How's she doing, doc?" the nurse questioned, dabbing the damp rag agenst Claire's forehead. "These contractions are coming way to fast" Jack explained.
"What dose that mean?" Claire questioned, in a panic, straining her neck to see him over her stomach. "Its ok, it just means the babies coming real soon" Jack explained, reassuringly. "No, no. He can't be coming now. I want and epidermal!" Claire explained, frantically, trying to sit up.
"I'm sorry Claire, but the babies coming now. Your gonna have to do this the natural way" Jack explained, in a calm and simple manner. Claire pouted as the nurse gently laid her back agenst the pillows. Claire breathed, and winched as another contraction came. "Ok, Claire. I want you to breath ok. I think this is it." Jack explained, getting ready.
The nurse held Claire's hand, doing her best to comfort her. "Ok, Claire. Now when I tell you to push-"
"I push" Claire finished, cutting him off. "...right" Jack nodded, a little slowly. "Yeah, doesn't take Scooby Doo to solve that mystery" Claire muttered sarcastically. Her words were cut off by a painful scream as another contraction came.
"Ok, Claire. Push"
Claire obeyed, and three minutes and twenty five seconds later, a baby was born. "He's beautiful" Jack noted, passing him to Claire after getting the little guy cleaned up and wrapped in a soft blue blanket. Claire smiled, unable to find the words as she stared down at the screaming baby. Slowly, he began to quiet down. His eyes opening up fully for the first time, big and blue like his mothers.
"He's perfect" She beamed, shifting the blanket so she could see him better. His tiny had gripped onto Claire's finger, and she had to bite her lip to keep the girly, high-pitched aw from escaping. As she looked around the room, she noticed something was missing.
"Where's Thomas?" Claire questioned, softly, as if she already knew the answer. "He...he left, Claire. I'm sorry" Jack explained, sympathetically. Claire looked back down at her sun, who had a tiny little smile across his face. "Its ok" She assured, without removing her eyes from him.
Jack smiled, relieved. "Can I get you anything?" He questioned, helpfully. Claire thought for a moment. "No, I'm alright" she replied, unable to think of anything. "Ok, I'll leave you two alone for a little while" Jack explained, fallowing the nurse as she headed to the door.
"If you need anything, just press the little button on that thing by your arm" Jack explained, using the perfect term to describe the band on her arm rest that had a little white button to buzz them in. "Ok" Claire nodded. Jack smiled before pulling the door shut behind him.
"Hey, little guy. Its just you and me" Claire explained, speaking to the infant as if she were talking to an adult. Claire was not one for baby talk, all though she knew with a boy as adorable as him it could not be avoided. Him, boy, little guy...
"You need a name" Claire decided, out loud, still talking to him as if he could respond. Claire thought for a moment, trying to come to a decision. She'd never really worried about names. After all, until about a month ago he wasn't hers.
Claire looked around the room, rocking him gently as she tried to think. Her eyes fell upon her bag, witch sat neatly in a chair along with her cloths, witch were folded up beside it and her jacket, witch was laid over the arm rest.
"You'll be letting me know when the little one comes?"
Charlie's voice popped into her memory out of no where. She turned to the baby, who was slowly falling asleep in her arms, then to the button beside her. Carful not to disturb the little one in any way, she slid one of her arms free and pressed the button. Moments later, Jack's head popped in through the door. "Yes?" He questioned, stepping in fully. "Hi" Claire smiled, embarrassed, "do you have a phone I could use?"
"Yes, of course" Jack replied, and disappeared. He returns moments later with a white cordless phone and set it down beside her. "Thank you" Claire smiled, aprecativly. "no problem" Jack assured. He turned to leave once again.
"Oh, Jack. Could you hand me my coat?" She questioned, grabbing his attention before he left. "Sure" he replied, and lifted the coat from the chair, laying it on the bed beside the coat. "Thank you" She smiled once again, this time letting him leave without interruption. Claire slid her free hand into the pocket of her coat, pulling out the folded piece of paper where Charlie had written his number.
302-746-9776
Charlie
Claire smiled at the paper for a while, turning it over out of sear curiosity to find the word "heart" written on the back. before she picked up the phone and carefully dialed the numbers, still holding the sleeping baby in her arm. The phone rang atleast five times before a scruffy, low voice answered on the other end.
"hello?" the man questioned. "Hi, is Charlie there?" Claire questioned, telling right away that the man wasn't him. "No, Charlie doesn't live here any more" the voice replied. "Oh, ok. Sorry to bother you-" Claire began, but the man had already hung up. Claire bit her lip, not knowing how to react. Slowly, she lowered the phone back onto the cradle.
She shifted In the bed, trying to get comfortable. She slid her arm back under her baby, who was now fast asleep. "Its just you and me" Claire repeated softly, as she brushed her hand over the soft little head. She kissed her baby gently, before laying back agenst the pillow.
The Next Day:
Claire had been searching for someone to call all day. There was no where she would be going back with Thomas, that was for sure. She didn't have any money to fly back to Australia, and the only number she had of any one she knew living in L.A. was the one Charlie had given her, witch was now useless.
Finally, Claire gave in and took a cab to a motel. She didn't have enough money for her and the baby to stay, but the man at the counter was nice enough to let her slide. She made her way to the room, strugling to open the door with a baby in one arm and her bag in the other, witch had grown heavier with the baby supplies Jack had given her.
Finly, she managed to get the key into the door and unlock it. The room was very small, the only furniture being a dingy bed and a wooden dresser. Not even a tv. A lamp hung over head with a chain dangling down, and a door stood in the right corner, witch lead to a tiny bath room. The walls were all wood, and the floor was carpeted in a plain tan. In the entire room, there was only one window.
Claire ignored all this, refusing to look around, despite her usual ritual of wanting to take a room in right away. But she didn't want to take this room in at all. She tossed her bag onto the bed, and kicked the door shut behind her. A gust of wind came in through the window, witch was still half open. The baby in her arms began to cry from the sudden chill.
"Shh, its ok" Claire comforted, rocking him as she tried her best to pull the window shut with one hand. After a good fight, she managed to pull it down. Once the cold air was gone, so were his cries. "That's my boy" Claire smiled, giving the baby a kiss on the forehead. She moved over to the bed, kicking off her sandles before climbing under the covers. Her head fell back onto the pillow.
Slowly, a sob escaped Claire's lips, and tears began to roll down her cheeks uncontrollably. She felt her hands begin to trembled as she held the tiny infant in her arms, wrapped snug in his blanket. Claire closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears from flooding down. But it was no use. Trapped in this small, dirty little room, her new born in arms, alone...the tears just fell.
Soon, the little one had begun to cry as well. "Shh, its ok" Claire tried to comfort him, her voice cracking with the strain of crying. "Its alright, don't cry" She whispered, softly, rocking the baby in her arms. "Its ok..." she whispered her eyes, forcing all her focus on the baby as his cries echoed through out the tiny room. "Shh..." she smoothed down his soft little hairs, trying to stop her hands from shaking. But the baby continued, hopelessly. Claire took in a deep breath, grabbing controls of her self.
She slipped back out of bed, pacing back and forth about the room, gently rocking him in her arms.
You can do this Claire, you can be a good mother, she told herself, breathing in and own until her breathing pattern was normal. The tears had stopped, though she could still feel their damp trails on the sides of her face. Her lower lip trembled as she opened her mouth to speak, searching for her voice. She'd stopped infront of the window, the black sky stretching out before her, lit with thousands of tiny white stars, shining in the darkness. Then it came to her.
"Catch a falling star
and put it in your pocket
never let it fade away
Catch a falling star
and put it in your pocket
save it for a rainy day"
She sang softly, unable to give much power behind her voice. But it was loud enough for her one audience. Slowly, his cries fadded beneath her words, as her voice became more clear, and soon he was silent. A dreamy smile across his face. Claire laughed, for no apparent reason, simply revealed that he was alright. She brushed a strand of hair back form her face, smiling down at her sweet little boy.
His big blue eyes were on the stars before him, and a giggle escaped his happy little mouth. Claire laughed with him, unable to keep herself from being happy. But slowly, his tiny smile faded once again, though his eyes remained glued to the window before him. Slowly, Claire began to notice the red and blue lights that danced across his face as well as her own.
Claire's eyes trailed up to the window, where she spotted ambulence outside. The men running back and forth, calling to one another. Their voices muffled by the glace. What ever sent them was in the room to her left. She watched as the men rushed in, and then back out, until finally a long white stretched rolled out with them. Claire squinted, trying to see through the beads of rain that had gathered on the glass.
Claire squinted, trying to get a better look. She shifted the boy in her arms, holding him over her shoulder so that he could see nothing of what was going on before them. The air had grown cold, and a chill ran up her spine. But as the stretcher moved past her window, her eyes opened wide in horror, recognizing the man who laid upon it as they pulled him across the gravel to the ambulance, and lifted him into the back.
She was blind once again, feeling her head jerk back as the blind fold was pulled around her eyes. She reached up, attempting to pull it off, but her hands had already been tied down. "Charlie!" She screamed, helplessly, feeling tears poor down her cheeks along with the rain. She couldn't seem to get up, let alone move. She could hear the branches snapping and breaking around her. The leaves rustling, the cold slap of feet agenst the mud along with something being dragged across it.
"Charlie!" She scratched again, though she'd almost lost her voice completely, so little more than a squeak escaped. She heard the leaves rustle more, the rain beating down around her. The branches above her shaking violently. Then a loud snap. Something around her seemed to shift, her heart skipped a beat.
"Charlie?" She whispered softly, hearing something drop to the ground behind her. Two strong hands grabbed hold of her, wrapping around her waist and some how lifting her off the ground, even with her pregnet stomach, so that her feet could not meet the floor. She let out a scream, kicking her legs and waving her arms frantically.
Grabbed a hold of her blind fold and ripped it off, eyes wide in terror. A finale shriek escaped her lips as she looked up at Charlie's motionless body, hands limp at his side, rain poring down around him. The blind fold dark around his eyes, a tangle of blood red vines in a noose around his neck.
Claire rushed to the door, pulling the handle desperately on the knob. It wouldn't budge. She found the key on the top of the dresser and grabbed it, opening the door without even thinking. The door flew open, and Claire rushed out into the rain, holding the baby close to her chest.
They were lifting him into the truck, arms limp at his side. An oxygen mask strapped to his face. If eyed the color of bruises. "Oh my god" She whispered softly as she ran, bare foot across the gravel of the parking lot.
"Ma'am. Please go inside" One of the medics instructed, stopping her by holding at his arm as a block in her path. "Please, I know him!" She insisted, her voice shrill. "You know him?" the man questioned, eyeing her strangely. "Yes" Claire nodded, hurriedly. The man considered her for a moment.
"Alright. Get in" he sighed, helping her up into the ambulance. The doors pulled shut behind him. Claire rocked the baby in her arms, feeling her whole body shake from the cold rain that covered her. The ambulance started up, and Claire could not take her eyes of the body that laid on the floor before her.
The medics knelt down beside him, checking his pulse on both his neck and his wrist, shining a flash light into his eyes. "His heart beats low" one of the men noted, holding a stethoscope to Charlie's motionless chest. "So his pulse" Another medic added.
"He stopped breathing!" Called a third. Claire's breath jumped in sharp, jagged patterns, trying to keep herself calm. Her whole body was trembling. "Ma'am. Do you know what happened to him?" the medic from outside questioned, turning to her.
"Ma'am?" he addressed her again, trying to grab her attention. "No" Claire whispered softly, shaking her head.
"No"
Authors note: That's the end of second chapter.. Thanks for reading and I hope to hear more from you all soon!
