Disclaimer: I think we've established pretty firmly that I don't own Lost.
A/N:Yes, it's me again. I know what you're thinking, another new story when she already has another one up that being neglected? Yes, that's very true, Confluence has been neglected...it's been, what, a month since my last update? Well, I'm going to try and keep that going, but right now I like the one that I'm putting up right now better so if I continue updating, it'll most likely be on this one. But Confluence will be back...just might be a bit. Anyhow, I wrote this in the dead hours of night, so if it's really confusing, or really bad, I blame it on that. Oh, in case you're wondering the title, Romanza, means romance and is pronounced: rohm-on-za. Piano is my life, and Romanze is my favorite song to play. Cookies for anyone who knows who composed the song!
Romanza
A sunrise with a brilliant display of blood reds, burnt oranges, deep golden yellows, and light purples greeted Flight # 815's remaining passengers as the cruise liner that had rescued them from the island docked in Sydney.
Tears, hugs, laughter, and cries of 'Oh, thank god you're alright!' surrounded Claire. Her 9-month-old son, Aaron, was fast asleep against her shoulder despite the flurry of activity. Claire scanned the faces of the crowd, hoping to see someone, anyone, from her past to com and see her after 10 months of being 'presumed dead'. But no one was there, not her parents, not her friend Abby, not even Richard Malkin, the person singly responsible for getting her into this whole predicament. Well, she supposed Thomas had a lot to do with it, for getting her pregnant, and Abby a little bit, for dragging her over to Malkin's.
The lack of a person she knew presented Claire with a problem. She had no where to stay, no money, and a 9-month-old to care for. Her only option was to ask one of her friends from the island if she could stay with them. But as she watched all her friends get reunited with their friends and family she couldn't pluck up the courage to go over to them and disturb their newly found peace.
Hurley was giving an older woman a bone crushing hug, hugging her so fiercely that her feet weren't even touching the ground. A huge grin was spread over his face, the happiest Claire had ever seen him.
Sun was with her husband who was hugging and elderly Korean man with a weathered face. Jin had a mixed expression of shock, joy, and grief on his face. After Jin released him he turned to Sun and immediately embraces her which, Claire observed, seemed to shock her a bit. Claire knew, because of the 10 months she had spent with Sun, that in the Korean culture you usually weren't so intimate and Claire wondered who the man was to them.
Kate was talking to an elderly man with a fake arm. They hugged and Claire got a good look at Kate's face. She had a look of surprise and happiness on her face and Claire could see that her eyes were glistening, filled with tears. Kate was a very guarded person and Claire wondered how this man opened Kate up like she seemed to be with him.
Shannon was talking to a woman in her lat e 50's, keeping a distance from her although she was crying into her hands. Shannon herself looked grieved, but couldn't quite bring herself to tears. Claire's only guess was that this was Boone's mother.
Then she saw the last, but best of her friends. Charlie was clinging tightly to lanky man who was clinging just as tightly to Charlie; both were crying. She could hear the man's loud, boyish voice ring out: "I thought you were dead, and it was all my fault!" in a British accent, thick with emotion. This must be his brother. She couldn't just walk up in the middle of this emotional reunion and ask to live with Charlie.
Then she heard a voice shout: "Claire!" from behind her. She turned around and saw the last person she wsanted to see right now.
Aaron began to fuss now, he had been sleeping peacefully until HE walked back into their lives. Aaron was crying and flailing his little limbs about.
"Shhh…" Claire comforted him, moving him to the crook of her arm and rocking him gently flitting her eyes up occasionally to look at the man who was fast approaching her. "I see you know when your father's around," Claire said in an undertone as Aaron's wails rose higher and higher with each step he took towards them.
"Claire," he said now two feet in front of her, the closest they had been since he left her.
"Thomas," she replied, trying to keep eye contact and appear stronger than she felt. But she couldn't ignore her son who was now screaming louder than thought possible for a person his size. She looked down at Aaron and continued to comfort him. She felt Thomas's eyes fall down to look at the baby too.
"Is this our baby?" Thomas asked.
Claire wished that she had the courage to scoff at him, roll her eyes, and say sarcastically, "No, it's a different baby." But she didn't have that courage so she simply said, "Aaron", leaving even the 'our' part of Thomas's comment uncorrected.
Claire looked up at Thomas and watched as he looked down at Aaron. What was that, a look of amazement on his face? A look of fatherly adoration? What was this whole act anyway? Coming to get her, acting as if he cared about the baby. Was this just some act to make up for what he did? To win her back?
"Could I hold him?" Thomas asked, glancing up at Claire.
"No, he's already all worked up and an unfamiliar face would scare him," Claire said, noticing with some satisfaction that Thomas cringed a bit as she ever so subtly reminded him that he had been missing in Aaron's life.
"So, Claire, do you have a place to stay?"
Claire didn't know how to answer. If she told him the truth, that she didn't, he would have her come to live with him, not taking no as an answer. And the last thing she wanted to do was move back in with him. But if she lied, he would probably detect it in a second, she was a horrible liar, and the problem of where to stay would still be unsolved. But suddenly, come luck finally came her way.
"She's staying with me," a warm British voice answered, wrapping an arm around Claire's waist. Aaron quieted immediately seeing Charlie's face and smiled up at him.
"Who's he?" Thomas asked, noticing the grin on Aaron's face and the arm around Claire, both of whom Thomas felt were his. That anger streak began to shine through Thomas's sugary great-dad-and-wonderful-boyfriend act.
"This is Charlie. Charlie, Thomas," Claire said watching Thomas look at Charlie with obvious dislike.
"Her boyfriend," Charlie said, completely throwing Claire for a loop and doubling Thomas's anger.
Claire looked up at Charlie trying not to look as surprised as she felt, knowing that Thomas would see right through this lie.
Charlie took advantage of the fact that Claire's face was turned up to his and leaned down and kissed her. Everything was happening so fast and thoughts were flying wildly through Claire's head: What's Thomas thinking? Will Charlie really let me stay with him? Why is Charlie doing this, that it took a bit for her to respond to Charlie's kiss. But when she finally came to, she really reacted. She stopped thinking about Thomas, she nearly forgot he was there, she stopped worrying about where she and Aaron would be sleeping, all she thought about was Charlie and kissing him back. All the romantic tension that had built up on the island crumbled and came tumbling down as Charlie ended the kiss with a couple quick pecks. After the kiss ended Charlie and Claire continued to look at one another, the passion and truth about the feelings they felt for one another throbbing in their hearts, pounding through their veins and finally spilling out of their eyes.
"That was a lovely performance," Thomas said sarcastically, finally peeling Claire and Charlie's eyes off of one another.
"Is that a call for an encore?" Charlie responded sarcastically and turned his face back towards Claire.
"Claire, I want you to come back with me. We'll get married, buy an enormous house, have lots more kids, raise them together, watch them grow up, and love one another until we die. We'll have the life you've always dreamed of," Thomas pleaded with Claire, ignoring Charlie's comment.
But Claire had finally found her courage, thanks to Charlie. "I'm afraid that's no longer an option. You've long since turned from that life with me."
A/N: That's all I've got for now. I'm not sure when the next update will be. I like to write really late at night so I'll see if I can write some more tonight. Reviews would be nice...hint, hint.