Characters: Shannon, Claire
Rating: K+
Summary: End...? No the Journey doesn't End here...
Author: mortaldarkness
Disclaimer: See main page.
A/N: the story didn't really turn out the way I wanted, and it may not make any sense, or be that plausible. I just had the idea of Claire quoting Gandalf for Shannon, because it helped her when her father died. Meh...enjoy. And reveiw...
End…?
Shannon stared dismally out at the water. It was so constant, moving in and out each night and each day, there was nothing to stop it, it couldn't die, couldn't fall. It was probably the only thing that could bring her any comfort, with it's steady flow: Shannon had begun to believe that it was the only thing that she could really rely on, the sea wouldn't die like he had.
A part of her was angry at him, for dying. Without saying goodbye, without letting her say goodbye to him. She shunned everyone, and as much as she longed to fell Sayid's arms around her, and hear his rough voice murmuring gentle words in her ear; she dared not go to him: she couldn't beg. Not him- and she doubted that he would even forgive her.
She had reverted back to her old self, the girl who was a useless, spoiled brat who did nothing but lay on the beach all day.
She was aware, vaguely, of someone sitting down beside her, but she knew that if she spoke she would only break down crying, and she wasn't big on weakness. Shannon continued simply to stare out at the waves and knew that her unwanted guest was waiting for her to acknowledge them.
"What do you want?" she didn't even try to hide her annoyance, instead letting the bitchiness creep into her words. The person was silent, as if mulling over what to say.
"I—when my father died…I was a mess. I kept it hidden inside, just smiling and appearing to be happy on the outside. A couple of years ago…I've always been a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies, you know the ones—"
"Yes, I know the ones." Shannon cut in irritably. She had always been a fan of the books, ever since she could read, but as she grew up and she joined in with the more socialite groups who thought the books were for nerds; she kept up the façade, hiding the books whenever her friends came over. She never got a chance to see the movies, and after awhile began to think that they were for nerds and went as far as throwing her precious trilogy out.
"Well, I never got to see the whole of the third movie, only a scene of it on television and I've never forgotten it. I guess it's funny, to have found comfort in Gandalf's words of all things, three years later. But they really helped me…and when I saw you here I just kinda remembered them, you know?"
A silence fell over the two, one that wasn't all that bad. Together they watched the waves and enjoyed each other's company, once in awhile broken by the soft coos of the baby and the voices of the other castaways that seemed to have somehow become so far away.
Shannon watched the Australian woman out of the corner of her eye, semi-interested in what she had to say. And the fact that Gandalf had been her favorite character in the books heightened that curiosity.
"End…? No the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey-rain curtain of this world pulls back, and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it…"
Shannon couldn't help herself, through eyes that were rimmed with unshed tears, she half turned towards Claire.
"See what, Gandalf, see what?" her eyes widened; she had just called Claire, Gandalf. But Claire hadn't noticed. In fact it seemed as if Claire was no longer Claire, but rather Gandalf.
Claire—Gandalf—got a faraway look in her eyes.
"White shores…and beyond. A far green country under a swift sunrise."
Shannon smiled sadly, imagining Boone walking among the green lands outlined by the setting sun.
"Well, that doesn't seem so bad."
Claire smiled.
"No…no it isn't."
And then, it was Claire sitting beside her on the hot sand, and the moment was gone, fading into the shadows of time. But the words and events that had just passed were still fresh in the girls' minds and they found themselves wishing to be able to see those lands again, see the ones they lost. Through eyes blurred by the tears that she finally unlocked from deep within her; Shannon held onto the image of Boone in those lands, and at last she found herself able to let go. This was her chance at saying goodbye, the chance that Gandalf had given her.
"Thank-you…thank-you…" she closed her eyes, letting the tears fall and mix with the sand, "Goodbye, Boone."
Shannon could almost hear his voice, carried faintly on the wind, as if he was speaking to her many miles away, perhaps worlds and ages.
End…? No the journey doesn't end here…