Summary: She felt complete.
Characters: Boone, Claire.
Pairings: Claire/Boone friendship.
Distribution: lost-forum
Disclaimer: Don't own them, don't sue.
Feedback: Completely necessary if you want the next part.

Note: I told you guys once I got three reviews I'd post another part and here it is. You should know I've actually finished this series, so every time I get three reviews, I'll post a new part.

Boone grumbled under his breath as he dug into the sand with a thick stick. Claire approached cautiously, a bit worried about his temper, but she still sat beside him. He glanced over at her, and for a moment it looked like he'd snap at her, but he relaxed when he realised who it was and sighed deeply.

"Are you okay?" Claire asked nervously, biting lightly on her lower lip and sweeping her hair over her shoulder. Boone shrugged and threw the stick towards the ocean, smiling with satisfaction when it landed several metres away with a thud. "Do you, um, want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Boone growled, causing Claire to flinch. He glanced over at her and sighed again, placing his hand over hers. "I-I'm sorry." Claire smiled tensely and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

A edgy silence fell over them, and Claire turned her head to stare out at the ocean.

"Shannon and Sayid are...involved," Boone admitted after several minutes. Claire turned to Boone and frowned.

"Oh. And you're upset about this?" Claire asked, a tinge of confusion in her tone. Boone shrugged and glanced out towards the water, closing his eyes for a moment. When he turned back to Claire, she had a knowing gleam in her eye. "You love her." Boone's eyes widened and a soft blush tinged his cheeks.

"Wh-What?" Boone stammered, glancing around wildly while Claire smirked at his nerves.

"You do. You love Shannon," Claire insisted urgently. Boone hung his head, unable to look Claire in the eye. A guilty look flickered in Claire's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by raw determination. "Why didn't you tell me? I may not understand, but I would've listened." Boone sighed for the third time in a few minutes and glanced up.

"Shannon isn't my sister, she's my step-sister. And yeah, I've been in love with her since I was twelve," Boone murmured, still avoiding Claire's eye. She nodded slowly and lifted Boone's chin up so he was looking at her.

"Boone, nothing I say or do will ever help you get over Shannon, you have to do that on you own. But don't you see? Shannon is with Sayid. God, I've seen them around the past few days and they look pretty damn love-y dove-y. You have to move on Boone, or this will eat you up inside," Claire rambled. Boone's grip on her hand tightened and tears sprung in his eyes, but Claire wiped them away. "I think we've done enough crying lately." Boone nodded and leaned into her embrace, her arms reaching around him in a comforting hug.

"I love you," Boone choked out, his voice raw with emotion. Claire smiled and rubbed his back soothingly.

"I think I love you too."

Those five simple words felt so right to Claire, and she felt complete.