Disclaimer- See Chapter 1
A/N- No, I haven't died. I'm just a horrible, horrible hypocrite. I thought that I would be able to get this chapter written up soon because I knew what I wanted to do with it, but sometimes when you know what you want, it just won't translate onto paper. But I finally got it written and typed up as soon as possible, to not keep you all waiting even longer. Just so you know, I'm going to be on vacation from July 24th to August 4th so I prolly won't get in a new chapter, but maybe I'll be nice and write up a lot so that I can post lots of chapters really soon and you'll all love me! But as we just established, I'ma hypocrite, sodon'tget your hopes up!
Chapter Three
Claire woke in a sleepy stupor. The mattress she was on was so soft after the hard cave floor she had used for a bed for 10 months, the dreams she had were so much sweeter than the horrors that had been reality on the island, and the morning sun's rays were much more comforting then the damp stuffiness that had suffocated her in her island bedroom.
Too soon she was jolted from her sleep-induced musings as she gazed over to the handmade cradle to watch her son only too see that it was empty. Maybe it was just from the last hazy stages of sleep, maternal instincts, or that her mindset was still that of the island but her first thought was, "He's been kidnapped!"
As quick as lightning she stripped off the blankets, sprinted down the hall and down the stairs to the kitchen, figuring she'd find Charlie there and then he would be there to help her to get Aaron back (as always).
The sight that met her was better then the drama that was unfolding in her brain, however. Aaron sat in a highchair slowly eating sliced bananas and strawberries, getting most of it on his chubby cheeks. Karen was bustling around him trying to prepare breakfast while Megan was getting underfoot.
"Morning, Claire, Charlie and Liam are out getting some milk, they'll be back in a couple minutes," Karen said, glancing briefly up from her cooking. Claire hardly registered Karen's greeting at all, she was so centered on Aaron and the fact that he was alive and well and completely perfect. She lifted him out of the highchair and twirled him around so that he giggled wildly.
"He was fussing this morning and I took him so you could sleep. I hope that his absence didn't scare you," Karen said, still preoccupied by the pancakes and bacon that she was preparing and Megan, who was pulling on Karen's jeans.
"I was a little scared," Claire said, feeling too stupid to admit that she had thought that she would never see her son and his innocent perfection again, which now seemed absolutely insane. "I'm so paranoid after 10 months on the island," Claire explained returning Aaron to his chair and breakfast and then going to help Karen with breakfast.
"Yeah, Charlie filled us in with everything that happened on the island. Among other things," Karen said, finally looked up from her tasks to smile suggestively at Claire.
"Oh?" Claire said trying not sound overly-curious as to what Charlie had told his family about her, be it good or bad, for it was undoubtedly her he had talked about.
"Yeah, about the way you two got rid of that Thomas guy," Karen explained.
"Oh, that," Claire said blushing wildly, trying to hide it by busying herself by beating the pancake batter Karen had abandoned.
"Yeah, that," Karen said nudging Claire playfully. They lapsed into silence, Karen looking hard at Claire, trying to get her to crack and dish all the details, while Claire was trying to ignore her by beating the batter, which was more than beaten already.
"What?" Claire said, trying to sound innocent, and looking up at Karen, which proved to be her downfall.
"I know he went to your bedroom at the dead of night last night, now tell what he said! You guys are together now, right!" Karen said, bearing a huge grin.
"No, he actually made it quite clear that we're just friends," Claire said, trying not to show the disappointed in her voice. Karen scoffed disbelievingly. "No, really, Karen!" Claire said with a small, humorless laugh. She wasn't exactly sure why she was admitting this to someone she hardly knew, she didn't even like to admit it to herself. But she had no one else to talk to, not even a journal to write it in, and Karen seemed like the best candidate.
"What exactly did he say to you?" Karen asked, as if she was a detective, completely foregoing the meal she was making and her daughter who was trying desperately to earn her mother's attention.
"He said "It was nothing" and "That's what friends are for"," Claire quoted, emphasizing friends and nothing, which was what she now was to Charlie.
"How exactly did he say it?" Karen question further, stressing the exactly, uncannily reminding Claire of all those detective shows she used to watch.
"Umm…In English?" Claire said, unsure what exactly Karen was getting at.
"No no no. Was it how he normally talks to you or was it fast and high-pitched?"
"I don't know!" Claire cried exasperatly, "I don't analyze everything he says! I generally just accept it as the truth."
"Oh, hon, he was lying!" Karen exclaimed with a laugh. Claire gave her a skeptical look. "Claire, I've heard him talk about you. It's not in a strictly platonic way," she argued her case.
"Well, maybe that's true, but he doesn't act that way around me, so it's going to stay 'just friends' until he does," Claire said stubbornly.
"Claire, he does act that way around you! You're just in denial!" Karen said, then added after a pause, "Or maybe you just don't want to see it."
Claire lowered her gaze and mulled over the thought. Was she not wanting to see it? But she did want to be with Charlie, so how could not want to see it? But maybe subconsciously she didn't want to see it because of all of her past failures.
"Charlie told us about Thomas," Karen said gently, guessing Claire's train of thought. "Do you think maybe because of him you're scared of starting something with Charlie?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Everything's just so messed up in my mind and nothing makes sense!" Claire said miserably. "Why can't Charlie just tell me how he really feels?"
"That's not built into male DNA, unfortunately," Karen sighed, patting Claire on the shoulder. "Maybe you should make the first move?"
"That's not built into my DNA."
"Then you're stuck in this misery until Charlie gets the courage to make the first move. That could be awhile," Karen said, turning back to breakfast and Megan. Claire sighed and thought through all that she and Karen had just been over.
"Liam, the reason I came with you is because I…um, you see, I need…I need you to…help me," Charlie finally spat out with difficulty, a look on his face as if an internal struggle was raging on inside him.
"With what?" Liam asked, not trying at all to hide his smug, self-satisfied smile. Charlie noticed it and tried to ignore it, knowing that if he let it get to him he wouldn't be able to get through this mess.
"Well, with Claire," Charlie said slowly not willing to concede too much information to his brother; he was prone to using it against him.
"What could possibly be wrong in the paradise that is you and Claire?" Liam said, not able to resist teasing his brother. Again Charlie let the comment bounce off of him, but kept it built up in his mind so that he could make Liam pay for it later.
"Well…okay, I told you, and I'm sure you saw anyway, about how I kissing Claire. Well, I figured after that, you know, we'd just get together. But last night Cliare asked me about it and I told her that it was nothing and that I just did it as a friend," Charlie said, refusing to look Liam in the eye.
"Why did you tell her that?" Liam said, putting on his serious side, knowing that Charlie really needed and wanted his advice and help.
"I panicked! What else was I supposed to tell her?"
"I don't know, the truth?"
"Well, I hardly know what the truth about everything is!"
"The truth is that you're hopelessly in love with her and you want to sweep her off her feet and ride into the sunset and then you'll have lots of sex and babies and live happily ever after."
"How did you know that?"
Liam laughed, "Everyone knows that, well, maybe not Claire yet, but it's your job to tell her."
"But I already screwed it up!" Charlie cried, "It's too late!"
"Well, what happened after you lied to her and totally messed up a situation that seemed almost impossible to mess up, even for you?"
"Thanks for making me feel better," Charlie said sarcastically, then sighed, "Well, truth be told--"
"As should have happened that night!" Liam cut in, earning him a punch in the shoulder. "Hey! I'm driving here!"
"Shut up, stop being such a girl!…Okay, well, anyway, she sounded a little upset. She sent me away right away."
"Okay, that's not the greatest sign," Liam said then seeing Charlie horrified expression, hastily added, "But it's still fixable." Relief crossed Charlie's face as Liam continued on, "Well, if she got disappointed it means that she wanted the sex and babies too. So, right now she might be a little crushed and might hate you a little bit, but if you tell her the truth quickly you'll still have a shot at the sex and babies. Just tell her the truth, and fast!"
"Liam, look who you're talking to!" Charlie said, the horrified expression back on his face.
"Right," Liam sighed, "This might be a bit more complicated than I thought."
A/N- That little scenerio that Liam painted out for Charlie (ride into the sunset, lots of sex and babies)I once said to a friend of mine, and I had to put it in there, to humor her if she ever decides to read this.
To my lovely reviewers-
Butterfly Butter- You're such a sweetheart! But you know, maybe you're English isn't that good if you like my fic so much...no, I'm just kidding! I'm soo jealous of the fact that you know two languages!Americans are soo ignorant, it drives me up the wall! I guess I do know sign language, does thatcount as a language?Well, you are the person who motivated me to write this chapter so thanks for that much needed boost!
Mia- Coolest story ever? Wow, that's quite a title! But thank you so much for that, I'm glad it's well liked, because most of my stories I won't post until I've scrutinized every little thing, and they rarely make it on this site but this one I didn't do that to and have since been worried that it's not good enough, but yourcomment makes me rest assured, so I'll definitely keep writing it!
jou65- I'm sure the truth will come out soon, she's started admitting, by talking to Karen so the next step will to be to finally tell Charlie! Believe me, I'm dying with anticipation for the moment too, because I don't know when it's going to happen either, and I'm the one in control! So, keep reading, it'll come up soon!
Takako- Charlie and Claire moments do seem to make the day, or mine at least. I mean, who can resist them! Of course I'll continue, when there's a shortage of Charlie/Claire moments, I tend to write my own, so for once that will actually be productive!
Charlie & his Claire- First off, love the name! And thanks for the compliment. I hope the way that I write the characters is a good way, and I don't make them to weird, as products of my imagination too often are! And yes, the kiss has changed the way they see each other, hope I'm doing okay with that!
Mome-wrath- To my ff dot net best friend (I've dubbed you that, hope you don't mind) Yes, the chapters ARE plotting against us, I hope this one showed up for you, because Chapter Three of your story showed up for me, it's only fair that mine does the same for you! Yes, Liam rocks my socks too, and he's in this chapter too, though not as much, so I hope he rocked the socks right off you...if you're wearing any, summer and socks doesn't really go together. Naming your kid Turniphead, haha, I think when they got older they might rebel and kill you though, if your mom doesn't do that first! Love ya, keep reading, and you know I will!
CCLover4Ever- Yes, I think most of us all do want Charlie! Who could deny him in his utter perfection? Not me, that's for sure! Thanks for the review and keep reading! I'm really looking forward to seeing your reviews!
Eyeris- You reviewed the first chapter, and I hope that you're still with me! Since I didn't respond last update I thought I would now (obviously...haha) Yes, the Thomas/Charlie dynamic could be interesting, don't think you've seen the last of him!
EllaJ.W- Yes,it'sveryeasy to get worked up over Thomas, and I completely agree that Charlie did the right thingin getting rid ofhim!Hope you're still reading!
angelwriter2492- Thanks so much,and I hopeyou readmy two new updates!