Author's Note: This chapter is for Saraiyu, who convinced me there should be more Boone in this story. Hope you like it!

Memories of Hope

Chapter 4: Gift of Possibility

"You seem distracted." Sayid observed gently as he and Hope were finishing their evening meal, provided by Locke and himself.

"I'm sorry." Hope smiled apologetically, "I'm probably not the best company right now."

"You're fine," Sayid assured her with a smile, "but if there's something on your mind, perhaps it would help for you to talk about it…"

Sayid let his comment hang in the air, and Hope gave it some quick thought. But how could she possibly explain her dream when she didn't yet have it figured out herself?

She gratefully declined, "Thanks, Sayid, but I really wouldn't know what to say. But I promise I'll keep you in mind as my choice applicant for the role of listener. You seem like you've had lots of experience." Hope gave him a small smile, and stood, ending the conversation. "I think I'm going to head to the beach for a walk – you're right, I am distracted, and I should really clear my head before we all settle down to sleep."

Sayid nodded his agreement as he watched her head off on the path towards the beach, before looking around for Jack. Perhaps he would have some idea what was on Hope's mind.

Hope wandered slowly through the trees, feeling her feet sink gently into the sand when she reached the beach. The sun was setting beautifully, and Hope could see the outline of people around the beach camp. She turned to her left, away from the others, and headed out to the water.

She was ankle-deep in the surf, and a short run from the beach camp when Hope heard the steady breathing of a runner behind her. He was running slowly towards her, holding a thick, spiral bound book, lifting his head and eyebrows slightly in acknowledgment as he caught her eye.

"Hey," Boone greeted, slowing as he reached her. "I'm glad I caught you."

Hope wondered briefly if she was needed at camp, but was put at ease by his calm smile. He changed his gait, and walked in step with her. Hope realised that she was to have a walking companion.

"Was there something you needed?" Hope wasn't quite sure why everyone thought she needed so much company lately.

Boone started slightly, torn from his own thoughts, "I'm sorry. Did you want to be alone? I didn't mean to…"

"No." Hope cut him off before he could backtrack too far, smiling her reassurance. "It's just that you said you were glad to catch me. I kind of thought that meant you needed me for something."

"Well, yeah." He held out the book, smiling like the Cheshire Cat in a film Hope could barely recall. Hope reached out to take the book, not quite sure what the gift meant.

"It's a book," she stated, hoping Boone would fill in the blanks in her understanding.

"It's a notebook," he said, still smiling. "For writing in."

"So it is," Hope acknowledged, flipping through the pages and finding them all blank, and a little warped as though they had been wet and then dried out. She looked at Boone, who was looking more proud of himself than she had ever seem him, and she feared that she had missed something very obvious about the situation they were in.

"I'm sorry." Hope stopped walking and turned to face him. "Boone, I don't get it." she admitted. "I mean, you're looking at me like I should know why a notebook is so great, but I don't, and I'm kind of lost, here. Could you give me a clue, maybe?"

Boone's smile faded, and was replaced by a look of understanding. "You don't remember anything before when?"

"Before waking up on the beach. Why? I still don't get it." Hope laughed at her own confusion in an attempt to dissipate her growing irritation with herself, waiting for Boone to help her out.

Boone sighed, and started to walk slowly again as he explained. "I saw you on the plane. You were sitting next to an empty seat, with some old guy on the other side of it. Shannon and I were a few rows behind you, and sort of diagonal, so I could see you sitting on the aisle."

If ever Boone had had Hope's attention, he had it now. Anything she could learn about herself from before the crash was something she wanted to know, even if it was from as recent as the flight.

"Anyway," Boone continued, "you were writing like crazy. You had a huge book and you just kept writing and writing. I walked past you once, and had a look – it was like a diary. Pages and pages of what was happening on the plane, observations on people, your thoughts – all kinds of stuff. I thought maybe you could remember some of you past if you started writing again. You know, like, maybe it's in your muscle memory or something."

Hope was touched by the gesture. Boone wasn't just giving her a notebook; he was trying to give her back her memories.

"Maybe it's stupid," he said. "But I found it while I was exploring some new parts of the jungle with Charlie and Hurley, and I thought you might like it." Boone looked at her for the first time since the beginning of his explanation, and Hope stopped walking again to look at him.

She smiled widely, her first true smile in days, and reached up to hug him. "Thankyou," she said softly into his shoulder, "This is great."

Boone hugged her tight, and reluctantly let her go. "I'm glad you like it."

"I do." Hope smiled again, and started walking in an arc, leading them back to camp. "It's getting late, we should get back."

"Yeah." Boone agreed, disappointed that their time together was about to end. "Let me know how you go, okay? With the writing, I mean."

"Sure." She looked up at him, smiled, and turned her attention back to their destination. "Hey, you know, if I write the Great American Novel, you're not getting any money out of me after I'm published." She joked.

"What?" Boone laughed, "I should get a HUGE percentage! I mean, providing you with the writing materials – what's that worth? There wouldn't even BE a novel if it weren't for me!"

They laughed together, and then Hope realised a problem, "There still might not be..." She frowned at the book in her hand, looking at it from all angles and checking inside the spiral. "No pen."

Boone frowned too, sighing and thinking back. "We didn't find one with the book."

Their walking slowed as they approached the beach camp, and Boone smiled, his eyes focussing on a small shelter in the distance, "I bet I know where you can get one…" he trailed off, leaving Hope to follow his line of sight.

Hope hung her head and sighed quietly, as she realised she would soon be making a deal with the devil.