Lostlorenzo: I'm really proud of myself, i think i actualy learned how to spell on my own since i've been wrighting without spell check. Glad you liked the chapter, and sorry about the lack of kissing and suck, but i can promis there's some action comeing up soon. I haven't decided how long i'm going to make this story yet, its probly going to be at the most ten chapters because i'm gonna have my hands full with the third section of FATE. So it'll be kind of long, but not as big as the FATE. I loved your idea with the whole Kate's death thing! I'm totaly useing it! Still can't wait untill the next episode, its on tommarow! (squeels) I don't know what i'm gonna do over the summer when its off...oh wait, yes i do. Buy the DVD! I've got a few things already jotted down for the third fate story, but i haven't time to get anything typed up what with me being a drama kid and all (plays this week) but after this week i won't have anything after school so i should have alot more free time, witch means more time to wright.Well, thats all for now. Peace!
Leaviel: Hey, glad you like it, and thanks for the offer for helping with the spelling.
The Last Thing
"Hey" Claire smiled, stopping infront of him. "Claire" Charlie looked up in suprise, a smile crossing his face. "What are you doing here?"
"Shannon and Leo dragged me out here" She explained with a roll of her eyes in Shannon's direction. "i thought she was with Sayid?" Charlie questioned, eyeing Shannon curiuosly as he watched her dance with Leo. "She is" Claire explained simply. Charlie looked confused for a moment, then shrugged.
"...i see" Charlie nodded, playfully. "You never told me you were in a band" Claire noted, crossing her arms as if offended. "You never asked" He replied smartly. Claire rolled her eyes.
"So, did you ever here from Thomas?" Charlie questioned, takeing a seat ontop of a near by table. "Nope" Claire replied, simply. "What? So you don't know what's wrong with Skyler or anything?" He asked in concern. "I haven't been able to get a hold of them" Claire explained, hopelessly, arms still crossed over her chest, partly in an attemp to keep the button up shirt she wore over the outfit Shan had picked out closed. Danm halter tops...
"Did you go to the house?" He asked curiously. "...no" Claire replied, feeling a bit dumb for not haveing thought of that. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Charlie hoped off the table with a grin. "Come on"
"What? Wait, i can't leave. Shan will kill me-" Claire protested as he took hold of her arm. "I don't think Shannons realy paying attention, Luv" Charlie explained, giving and indicating glance over to where Shannon was over at the crowd getting 'ten kinds of nasty'. Charlie had a point. "Alright, lets go" Claire agreed, and walked with him out the door.
"Hey, Charlie, can i ask you something?" she questioned as she opened the door to her car. "Shoot" Charlie replied with a shrug. "Not to sound ungratefull or anything, but why are you doing this?" She asked, curiously, climbing inside.
"Doing what?" Charlie questioned in confusion. "Hepling me" Claire explained. "Well, there's alot of resons" He replied casualy, not really giving an answer. "Thomas live's a half an hour away, you've got time to name a few" Claire reminded playfully.
"Well, first of all, I ow you" He explaine thoughtfully. Claire shoot him a confused look. "And I like helping" He added, pretending not to notice.
"Why?"
"Well, for a long time i was always the one who needed help. I was the baby in my family and i got into alot of trouble. Since i was always treated like the baby, i never really got a chance to help any one, myself included. So natruly, i want what i can't have, witch is to be able to take care of someone, and your just the lucky girl" He explained, museingly.
Claire smiled and blushed, not knowing what to say. For a while it was silent. "You think Skyler will be happy to see me?" Charlie asked after a moment, a playfull grin on his face. "I was just thinking that" Claire explained with a laugh. "I know. I'm pathatelic" Charlie replied proudly.
"Telapathic?" Cliare corrected, trying to hold back a laugh. "What ever. But, i knew what you were thinking" He explained, sarcasticly. "Sure..." Claire muttered skepticly. "You don't belive me? Go on. Think of something." Charlie challenged playfully. "Are you concentraiting?"
"Yes" Claire exclaimed, trying not to giggle. "No your not" Charlie rolled his eyes. "I am" She asssured with a laugh. "Your laughing!" He noted, insistently. "Come on, now. Close your eyes. Concentraite"
"I'm driving!"
"Well, pull over"
"Charlie, I don't really think its nessisary-"
"Please?"
Charlie stared at her with round, blue, pleading eyes. How could she resist? Claire sighed and pulled the car over as they entered the neighborhood. "Go on, close em" Charlie insisted playfully. Claire closed her eyes, a skeptic look on her face. She waited for Charlie to speak in silence for a moment.
She opened her mouth, about to speak when Charlie closed it with his. At firtst, Claire was so suprised she nearly jumped out of her seat. But she soon melted into his kiss as she'd done once before, only this time, it was real. He pulled back only seconds later, leaving her in a breathless state of slight disapointment. His hand lingered on her cheek, his face less then inches from hers, their forheads pressed together.
He was trying to say something, but couldn't seem to get the words out. He would open his mouth, ready to talk, but then suck in a breath, or gulp, and lose his train of thought once again. Only Charlie could make chokeing after a kiss look good. Of course, the kiss itself was no bummer. Claire couldn't help but laugh when he tried to speak a third time. Charlie laughed along with her, a real one. Not the awqard kind of laugh that usualy fallows the first kiss. It was like, well, it was almost like he had read her mind.
CHARLIE AND CLAIRE WALKED up the steps to Thomas's front door. The lights were off inside, no suprise since it was almost eight o'clock. Claire stood infront of the door and took a deep breath. "You know, its kind of late...maybe we should try this tommarow?" Claire sugested, weakly.
"Were here now" Charlie reminded, stepping up beside her. Claire looked away nervously, the rush from their kiss still flooding through her. His slightest movement trigguring a replay in her mind. And now he stood inches away. A part of her wanted to kiss him again, right then in there.
"I'm right here if you need me" He assured sweetly, wraping his hand around hers and giving it the sligtest squeeze. Claire took in a deep breath, ignored her erge to jump on him, and knocked on the door. silence. After a moment, she knocked again, a bit harder then before. The crickets saranaded around them. Claire knocked a third time, sligtly flustraited.
"Danmit" She muttered under her breath, giving the door one last thud with her balled up fist. "They'er not home"
"Are you sure?" Charlie questioned curiously. "We'll, they'er not answering the door" Claire reminded, in flustration. "There's no car" Charlie noted with a sigh, looking over his shoulder at the drive way. "What do we do now?"
"I guess, we leave" Claire shrugged, disapontedly. She took a few steps towards the yard before the emotion choked her. She let out the lightest sniff, feeling tear well up in her eyes. Charlie came to her side imidately, and she felt the weight of his arm around her, comforting her.
She turned into him, burrying her face agenst his cotten T-shirt. He pulled his arms around her and layed his head on her shoulder, doing his best to comfort her.
After a moment, Claire had regained controll of herself. She still did not move away from the warmth Charlie was giving her. She pulled her arms around his waist, feeling the mussles of his stomach tensen when her arms grased agenst it.
He held her for a long time, untill Claire began that strange, perpousless laugh for no reson witch normaly fallow's crying. His smile returned. "Come on, lets go" He sugested, giving a little nod in the direction of the car. Claire smiled, and made her way back with his arm around her.
Goodness Claire, what have you gotten yourself into?
CLAIRE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW in confusion as they pulled up to an unfamilar little house. "Uh, Charlie...where are we?" She asked, turning to him in confusion. "You'll see" He explained with a sneaky little grin. Claire eyed him skepticly for a moment before openind her door.
Charlie lead her into the crowded little room, floding with people. Alcohal lined the tables, and Steppenwolf blaired over the a speaker, witch was no where to be seen. Claire looked around, worridly for a moment before hearing someone call " Baby brother!" from out of no where.
The man soon emerged from the crowd, a bottle in his hand. She reconized him from the stage. "Claire, this is my brother Liam. You'll have to excuse him. He's drunk" Charlie explained, playfully.
"Most of the time" Liam explained, admittingly, shakeing her hand. "So this is the girl you told me so much about? She looks alot nicer then some of those other birds you dated" Liam noted, contenuing to shake her hand long after the expected time. Claire turned to Charlie, questioningly.
"Alright Liam, lets not take a walk down memery lane" Charlie insisted pasivly, giving his brother a little nudge in the oposit direction. "Fine. Fine, i know when i'm not wanted" Liam slurred, heading off into the crowd, and tripping on his way. Claire couldn't help but laugh.
"You have an...interesting family" Claire notted, playfully. "you should see the rest of them" He sugested sarcasticly. The music changed to a slower song, and the voices of the crowd lowered. "Come on"
Charlie took her hands in his. Claire looked a little confused as he stopped after only moveing a few feet, just enough so they were in with the crowd. "You look confused" He noted playfully. "I am confused!" She confirmed in reply. Charlie leaned his head down close to hers and smiled, laying his hands on her hips.
Claire blushed as she realized what it was they were doing. She hooked her hands behind his neck, nervously trying not to laugh. But the attempt faild, and she couldn't help but giggle. God, Claire, yours such a school girl, She could hear Shannon's voice in her mind. Slowly, Charlie moved his hands to the small of her back, all the while keeping his eyes on her as they moved with the music.
Every one else disapeared. All he could see was Claire, lost in her big blue eyes witch were beaming up at him. She pulled her arms around his shoulders and leaned into to his kiss, contenuing on long after the song had ended.
AT WORK, ClAIRE STAYD QUIT. Leo was at his desk beside her, nermously looking in her direction, ready to attack her with questions, but then shut himself down before he could get a word out. Each time, Claire felt releived. Telling Leo what happened last night would be admitting it to herself, and she was not ready for that.
After all, she had enough to deal with. The last thing I need is a relationship, she thought. No matter how sweet Charlie was, or how cute, or how good of a kisser...
Claire shook the thought from her mind, glanceing up as Shannon walked out of her office along with Sayid. "Alright, i'll see you tonight" He explained, still holding her hand. "I love you"
"I love you more" Shannon replied flirtatiously, giving him a peck on the cheek. And she say's i'm the school girl. Leo leaned over the side of his desk where a little trash can sat and made vomiting noises. Claire couldn't help but giggle. "Bye" Shannon kissed him on the cheek once again, ignoreing the gesture.
When Sayid had gone Shannon went back to her office with a huff and closed the door behind her. Claire and Leo giggled once again.
"So where did you disapear to last night?"
The question snuck up on her out of no where. "Let me guess, you were with Charlie" He asumed sugestivly. "Yes" She answered honestly. "Where did you go?" Leo asked curiously.
"To Thomas house" Claire explained, smartly. Leo let out a sigh, and shook his head. "What?" She questioned inocently.
"You know, if you keep dragging him around in all this ex-boy friend buisness, he's never gonna kiss you again" Leo explained teaseingly. "Maybe i don't want him to" Claire replied, contridictingly, lieing through her teeth.
"Yeah, right" Leo scoffed skepticly. "Look, Charlie's a nice guy but i'm really not interested" She lied again, trying to convince herself more than anything.
"Why not?" Leo gasped, questioningly. Claire eye'd him curiously. "What? He's a good looking guy! And, he cares about you alot. He'll, if i were a chick i'd date him" Leo explained honestly.
Claire rolled her eyes. "Leo, you are a chick" She explained, teasingly. "Good point. Hey, he's not gay is he?"
"No, friad not"
"Danm"
Claire shook her head, trying not to laugh. For a while Leo left her alone. "Atleast admit you wouldn't mind kissing him again" He insited, about ten minutes later. Claire ignored the question inocently and contenuied wrighting, avoiding eye contact.
"Claire?"
Her pin scribbled across the page and her ponny tail bobbed as she wrote. "He kissed you again, didn't he!" Leo exclaimed acuseingly, jumping out of his seat and landing beside her desk.
"...maybe" Claire admitted, inocently. "I KNEW IT! How did it happen?"
Claire turned her chair in the oposit direction. "Claire Renet Littleton, you turn you but around and tell me what happened right now!" He insested in a fatherly mannor. Claire turned back to him blushing.
"It was in the car" She explained, innocently. "And?" Leo insted, impatently leaning over her desk. "And at the party"
"Party? what party?" Leo asked in confusion. "It was out his brother's house-"
"Wait, he kissed you twice!" the blub went on in Leo's head, a strobe light no doubt. Claire nodded, innocently, her cheeks bright red. "AW! your dateing!"
"No, were not" Claire confirmed. "Well, you've kissed three times and he took you to a party. What do you call that, missy?" Leo teased, putting his hands on her hips. "...Friends?"
"Yeah, he sounds real freindly" Leo scoffed sarcasticly. Claire rolled her eyes. "Its five o'clock. I'm going home" Claire explained, hopeing up from her desk. "Why? Gotta go home early to get ready for your date?"
Claire flipped him off before sliping out the door.
WHEN CLAIRE REACHED HER APARTMENT, she was suprised to see Charlie sitting on the door step. "Hey" He looked up at her with a some what nervous smile. "Hey...?" She replied, eyeing him questioningly.
"I don't really know why i'm here" He explaine honestly, standing up and meeting her on the sidewalk. Claire cracked a smile. "It's because you missed me, right?" He teased. "You can't live without me?"
"Yeah, something like that" He replied playfully, and bent his head to kiss her. Claire had be prepared to stop him, to end this whole ordeal before someone got hurt, but as soon as his lips touched hers she lost her voice, her breath, her mind. She couldn't say no to him, even if she wanted to.