Author's note- Hey Faran, just wanted to say thanks for your fantastic detailed reviews, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. So long as your still reading I'll carry on with this. I plan to look over your stories today and return the favour, it's the least I can do. And Paradigm Shift is my favourite story too, it's a brilliant piece of work.
Thanks for my other reviews too, I really appreciate it. Okay, on with the next chapter...
"Shannon, can you hurry it up a bit?" Boone shouted up the stairs.
"Yeah, I heard you the first five times, Boone," Shannon called back, not sounding the least bit interested.
"You're gonna be late. Do you know how embarrassing it is to turn up to an appointment late?" Stupid question, Boone thought to himself. "Of course you do, you're never on time for anything," he added, almost to himself.
Shannon came out of the bathroom and stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at him.
"Will you chill out? It's not you're appointment. And even if we set off now, you're still gonna be early to meet Jack," Shannon stated. "Unless you want to get there early so you can drool over him for a while." She gave him a wicked smile. Boone chose to ignore it.
"I'm thinking of you. And Sayid, who's probably sat there waiting for you right now," Boone pointed out.
"It's not easy to get ready when you're this size, you know," Shannon retorted, but Boone could tell it was a last ditch attempt. Either way, he really wasn't in the mood to start something with her.
"I'm gonna wait in the car," he replied wearily, heading away from the stairs, not bothering to look if Shannon was relieved or disappointed.
As Boone guessed, Sayid was already sat in the waiting area when Boone and Shannon arrived. Boone noticed a flash a relief when he finally saw Shannon coming towards him. He checked his watch. Yep, as usual Shannon was running fashionably late.
"You haven't gone in yet?" Shannon asked, taking a seat next to Sayid.
"No. Apparently they are running later than you are," Sayid stated rather good naturedly. "Anyway, it's not like we could start without you."
"No, I guess not," Shannon conceded.
Boone looked around the hall but there was no one else around.
"Well he's not gonna be up here is he?" Shannon stated, as though he were stupid. And apparently he was cos he couldn't quite connect what she was saying.
"Huh?" he asked distantly as he turned to face her.
"Jack," she replied matter-of-factly. "Why don't you go look downstairs for him?"
"Oh, no, he won't be ready yet, I'll just wait with you guys for a while," he said as he sat down. He then realised that that was probably highly inappropriate and maybe they wanted some couple time to talk about whatever it is you talk about before you go see your OB-GYN. He stood up again. "Or I could just go now. I'll go now."
"Boone, sit down, you idiot," Shannon said offhandedly as she picked up a magazine from the table in front of her.
"Right, okay," Boone replied as he sat back down and wondered when he stopped having the ability to think for himself.
Shannon flicked through the magazine, not looking particularly interested in any of it. It was probably all last season, Boone concluded. She then turned to Sayid.
"Sayid, I'm thirsty, could you get me soda?" she asked.
"But they could call us in any minute," Sayid replied.
At least someone around here respects appointments and schedules, Boone thought.
"But I'm really thirsty. Please?" Shannon was giving Sayid the Shannon Rutherford 'Do what I want and I'll make all your dreams come true' look. Boone thought back to how many times he'd fallen for that one over the years. Too many, he concluded.
"Okay," Sayid replied a little begrudgingly as he got up and went in search of a vending machine.
Shannon turned to look at Boone briefly before scanning the magazine again. "You okay?" she asked, directed more at her reading material than him. "You seem a little... insane today."
"I'm okay," he replied.
"Cool," she said, the conversation apparently ended.
He looked at her sideways, trying to work out if she was still listening, still interested. She brought up the subject, he reasoned. He figured she was trying to take an interest, maybe he should reward that. Or maybe she didn't really want to know, maybe she was being polite. No, this was Shannon, Shannon didn't do polite.
"Hey, Shan, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot," she replied, still not looking up.
"Have you, erm..." he began, realising phrasing such a question may pose a slight problem. "Since we got back. From the island. Have you and Sayid, y'know, been... intimate?"
"You mean like sex?" she asked easily, looking up at him.
Of course Shannon wouldn't be embarrassed by that. "Yeah, sex," he replied. "Have you? I mean, I don't want details, just a yes or no."
Shannon looked amused. "What do you think I'm going to tell you?" she asked. "And 'yes' to answer your question," she replied, a little incredulous.
Great, Boone thought, I'm a freak and my relationships a sham. "Oh," he replied simply trying not to give anything away. But this was Shannon and judging by the way she was looking at him he'd just given everything away.
"You and Jack haven't, I take it," she said, kinder than he expected. She really was getting better at this.
"Not quite," he admitted. Though even that was stretching it. They hadn't gotten close to anything remotely good since they got back.
"Well, y'know, I guess things are different now, I'm sure you guys just need a little time," Shannon suggested.
"Yeah," Boone replied vaguely. Like that wasn't something he'd told himself a million times. It was starting to wear thin.
"Jack hasn't been into it since you got back?" Shannon asked, suddenly being far more intuitive than Boone liked.
"Not really, I guess," Boone shrugged. "I mean, there's been all the kisses and cuddles and touching and stuff but I'm just getting a little restless for something else. But I can't blame it on Jack, I haven't exactly been into it either. I just keep, kind of, waiting for my libido to get back from the island."
"Maybe it's a little jet lagged," Shannon considered.
Boone smiled. "Maybe," he conceded.
"Or maybe you and Jack could play a little game of doctors and nurses," she suggested.
Boone rolled his eyes at her. "That wasn't exactly what I had in mind, Shan," he replied.
"What did you have in mind? Don't build it up, let it happen. I bet your just making too big a deal out of it and you're psyching yourself out. Make it fun, lighten it up, then maybe you can enjoy it," Shannon said, turning back to her magazine, her job apparently done.
Boone thought about Jack in his hospital scrubs and allowed that he did look hot in them. Maybe he could get him to wear them at home.
Sayid came back down the hall carrying a can of soda. He sat down and handed it to Shannon.
"Thank you," she with a butter-wouldn't-melt smile, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She went to open the can but then turned back to Sayid. "It's not diet," she said, not sounding too happy.
"Shannon, I hardly think it matters right now," Sayid replied.
Oh God, Boone thought.
"What?" Shannon asked, all niceties now thoroughly out the window. "You mean because I'm fat?"
"Shannon, I never said you were fat. You're not fat, you're pregnant," Sayid explained patiently.
"Pregnant and fat," she replied. "Why else would I not need a diet soda?"
"Shannon, you know that's not what I meant. Surely if I thought you were fat I would give you a diet soda," Sayid continued, his voice level.
Boone stood up, looking at his watch. "Yeah, I think Jack should be ready now so I'm just gonna head downstairs, I'll catch you guys later." He didn't wait for a reply as he was fairly sure he wasn't going to get one.
He headed over to the elevator and pressed the down button, trying to tune out the background noise of the argument. Could you call it an argument when Sayid remained level the whole time? Boone didn't know how he managed it, Shannon could make anyone lose their rag, she knew exactly what buttons to press. But this argument wasn't really about him, it was about her. It was about being insecure but being too proud to show it. But that was just Shannon all over. She was getting better, but she still needed a little room to grow.
The elevator arrived and Boone stepped inside, pressing the button.