Shannon woke in the morning covered in goose flesh, naked and shivering on the carpeted floor. It wasn't that the room wasn't warm enough, as well as the regular heat they'd even fallen asleep with the fireplace on; it was more that she was completely exposed. She was curled up in a little ball with her hand under the pillow that cushioned her head. Momentarily disoriented, she didn't immediately recall the circumstances that lead to her current situation.
She opened her eyes slowly; Boone was lying beside her on his side, facing away from her, warmly bundled up in the afghan. He'd obviously rolled off her at some point in the night and had taken their sole covering with him. She frowned in irritation and reached out and poked him, calling his name softly. Getting no response, she tried a slightly harder poke and louder voice. Boone continued to breathe regularly, though he did twitch his shoulder.
Shannon sat up and chafed her hands up and down her arms a few times to warm herself before reaching out and quickly snatching the blanket completely off him.
He reacted immediately, jerking awake and spinning on his knees to face her, his right hand groping beside him for the knife that hadn't been there for over nine years. His eyes were frighteningly focused and filled with the promise of violence.
He blinked in confusion at seeing her and flicked his gaze around at their benign surroundings. She held the afghan protectively in front of her, her eyes wide at his unexpected reaction. He slowly sat back on his legs, his breath hitching, shaking from the adrenaline rush.
"Don't do that again," he warned, "ever," an uncharacteristically dangerous edge to his voice.
"Jesus Boone, I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd react line that." Shannon apologized.
"Then use your head for more than a hat rack, and think before you act." He was really pissed.
"Me think before I act? What about you? Jesus, what kind of threat did you think you were going to face in our own bedroom?" She shot back.
"I was sound asleep, for fucks sake. I didn't think at all. You know what a deep sleeper I am. Suddenly someone snatches the covers off me, I react by instinct. I didn't have time to think about where I really was or what was actually going on." His voice was getting louder. "Fuck Shannon." He looked at her accusingly.
"It's not my fault that you're an idiot." She excused herself.
"No it's not your fault; nothing's ever your fault." He rose, looking down at her contemptuously.
She surged to her feet, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Never mind," Boone went over and sat of the edge of the bed, she just glared at him.
"Well, isn't this week turning into a fan-fucking-tastic trip down Craphole Island Memory Lane for me?" He commented bitterly. "First I'm forced to remember being dead, then I have to recount how scared shitless I was when we realized we had ESP and now you've very kindly reminded me what it was like to be attacked by The Others in the middle of the night. What delightful occurrence could possible be next? Hmmm?" He sneered at her sarcastically.
"How about when you killed that guy?" It was out before she could stop herself, immediately regretting it, her eyes widened in horror, knowing how badly she'd crossed the line.
Boone stared at her, the hurt in his eyes giving way to fury, two bright red spots appeared on his cheeks, his jaw muscles worked.
"You fucking bitch. God damn you. That's low, even for you." The words came out from between his clenched teeth. He stood slowly, his eyes boring into hers' unwaveringly.
"Boone…." Her mouth worked, but no words came out, her brow was furrowed, her bottom lip trembling. 'God what have I done?' she wondered. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him like this, if ever and it was because of her, adding yet another entry to the long list of hurts she'd inflicted on him.
"Boone," she started again, reaching her hand out to him
"Don't touch me." He said in the same tone of voice as before.
"You're scaring me," she whispered.
"Like I care, like you care every time you hurt me, God, I really am an idiot. You're just the same, aren't you?" He moved towards the door, but she blocked him.
"Boone, we don't mean any of this. Please listen to me, just stop and listen to me." Shannon pleaded.
He closed his eyes but came to a standstill. Tears were starting to form at the corners of her eyes; she wasn't surprised to see the same in his.
"We always let things get out of hand. Well…I do, and you just get swept up in it." She put her hand up to touch his arm, but stopped just short, certain he'd pull away if she did, and she'd lose him out the door.
"I need to be alone." He said quietly; then bit at his lip.
"No. No you don't." She took a chance and stroked her palm against his upper arm. He pulled his shoulder back, but stood his ground. He opened his eyes and blinked the tears away.
"Boone, we've played too many different roles in each other's lives, sometimes the lines get blurred; you know that. I was being the bitchy sister, and I apologize. I'm sorry I said what I did, I'm sorry I made you remember…well, I'm…I'm sorry." She waited for his reaction.
"You hurt me, why do you always hurt me? Why do I let you?" The last was almost to himself but his voice had lost his edge.
"Because for some unfathomable reason, you love me, after everything I've done to you, you still insist on loving me." Shannon answered. "Boone, I already apologized, what else can I do?" She asked.
"Hug me?" He suggested; the fight in him, gone.
She pulled him into her arms and pressed their bodies together, then stroked her hands up and down his bare back, the entire confrontation having taken place while they were, unconcernedly, entirely naked.
At breakfast Andrew noticed how careful they were with each other, all polite and refocused glances. He'd heard the yelling earlier, and had assumed they'd had another blow out, but this one seemed a little bit more serious than usual.
The same forced politeness continued through the ride to the hill, changing to awkwardness when Boone offered to carry her board for her. They played a bit of tug-o-war with it before she wrestled it away from him; then tried to shove it back into his hands. It fell on the snowy surface of the parking lot and started to slide away, into the path of a passing car. Boone stuck his foot out to try and stop it, but ended up putting his weight on it, only to have the board shoot out from under him. He did the splits for a second before losing his balance and falling hard on his ass. Andrew struggled to contain a fit of giggles, as he went to collect the fleeing snowboard.
Boone managed to scrape together as much of his lost dignity as he could muster as he stood, Shannon fumbling to help him, and brushed himself off.
Brian greeted them at the foot of the hill, noticing that the two were unusually subdued, avoiding looking at each other. He recognized the signs from his own marriage, and figured that they must have had a fight. He'd already had a game plan mapped out for the day, luckily now it seemed even more fitting, and excused him from having to deal with the after effects of a lovers' tiff. He took them up the chair lift once and back down the hill; then announced that he wanted Boone to spend the morning by himself, so he could focus on the other two less accomplished students. Boone looked a bit uncertain, but Brian assured him that he was more than capable of being on the board without his supervision, and assigned a few things that he wanted him to work on. It was more to keep his mind occupied and his efforts focused; Brian had noted that Boone dealt best with specific instructions, rather than broad guidelines.
After two hours, he was back though, waiting for them at the bottom of the hill, his board stuck in a snow bank behind him. They immediately headed over to him, Brian asking if he was okay. Boone, sheepishly, admitted that he was just lonely, and could he, please, rejoin the rest of them? Shannon smiled softly at him, as Brian agreed.
Boone pulled his gloves off and stuffed them in one of his pockets as he closed the few feet between himself and Shannon. Reaching her, he put his hands up, capturing her face, and leaning in for a kiss, one of her hands snaking up to the back of his head. Andrew smiled to himself, knowing that whatever had happened between them that morning was well and truly forgiven and forgotten.
They continued for a few more hours; then broke for lunch. Brian waited eagerly in anticipation of whatever it was that Boone was going to present them with that day, feeling like a bit like a kid waiting to see what he was going to get for his birthday. Man but the guy was spoiling him.
He served them a Thai noodle salad tossed with spicy strips of chicken satay and vegetables, with a thermos of hot fragrant jasmine green tea. He placed individual small containers of finely diced chiles, chopped peanuts and cilantro in the centre of the table, so each person could garnish their meal to their own taste. Boone wasn't surprised when Andrew reached immediately for the chiles, an unusual choice for someone his age, but he'd developed a taste for hot and spicy years before. Boone smiled shyly when Brian complimented him on yet another amazing spread.
After lunch he pulled the container of oatmeal pecan cookies that he'd made the night before, out of his back pack and peeled back the lid, offering them around. Brian seemed more than a little disappointed as the last of them went to an adjoining table, Boone didn't bother to tell him that he'd made a double batch, the rest slated for delivery at dinner that night.
Back outside Brian again suggested that Boone head off on his own, telling him that he was more than ready to try the half pipe. Boone looked a little reluctant until the guy suggested he take Andrew with him. The boys' eyes lit up as he begged his dad to let him come with him, the magic words 'half pipe' enticing him.
"You sure this has anything to do with snowboarding and that you don't just want my wife all to yourself?" Boone joked.
"How do you know that I haven't set this all up, just so I can have Brian all to myself?" Shannon spoke up before the guy could answer.
Boone shot her a look, "True," then turned back to their instructor, "Good luck with that, I'll send her belongings over in the morning. Oh, and she likes the left side of the bed." He ducked as she threw a snowball at him.
Boone and Andrew spent a fantastic afternoon together, competing against one another, trying increasingly advanced tricks in a private game of one-upmanship, and then boasting about them on the chair lift back up to the top.
As the afternoon drew to a close, Boone started to get a little quiet.
"What's wrong Boone?" Andrew sensed the shift in his mood.
"We haven't done anything, just the two of us, since Shan got back," he shrugged. "I guess I kind of missed it, without even realizing it. I really like spending time with you. Sorry I'm being such a sap. I hope I'm not embarrassing you," he added, remembering what it was like to be Andrew's age, though by that time he didn't have a father any more to be embarrassed by, and Adam hadn't entered the picture yet.
"I like you too. You're definitely the coolest dad. And give me till I reach my teens to be embarrassed to be seen with you." He knew how much his older friends hated going out in public with their parents.
"Glad to know I've got a few years yet, then." He hugged the boys' shoulder. "Let's go see if Shan's eaten Brian alive yet."
The man seemed to have survived the afternoon alone with Shannon without too much trauma; she must have been on her best behaviour Boone guessed. They got directions to Brian's home, his phone number, and then parted company.
Boone stopped at a gift store on the way back to the chalet, he'd already bought a couple of bottles of wine, one red, one white, just to cover all the bases, he hated not pleasing everyone. Though, should he take sweet or dry? He suddenly started obsessing, second guessing himself in a bit of a panic.
"Jesus, could you freaking be any more OCD." Shannon picked up on his sudden fixation. "Fuck Boone, it's just dinner, if the wine isn't to their taste they can re-gift it. Any just why are we picking up a gift if we're already taking wine?"
"I want something to put the wine in." He explained.
"How about a grocery bag?" She suggested.
"I'll remember that the next time I give you a gift. Your birthday's coming up, hope I have some Safeway bags under the sink." He mused.
Andrew suddenly found something interesting on a shelf, trying to look like he wasn't listening as they continued their petty bickering.
Boone found a basket to his liking and paid for it. Back out in the SUV he slid behind the wheel.
"What do you think they're going to serve for dinner?" Shannon wondered out loud, looking at her brother, a sly smile on her face.
"I don't know," he shrugged and started the car.
"Maybe a nice roast beef," she suggested. "Or steak! Yeah, that's company food."
"You really think they'll give us steak?" he asked tentatively, making a face.
"Sure! A nice juicy steak! Rare!" She nodded smiling, totally getting into baiting him. "No…no…wait. They'll cook it the way they like, probably blue rare, all bloody and almost raw. Brian looks like a rare meat kind of guy, and he did mention something about steak when we were alone this afternoon."
Andrew reflected again how T.V. wasn't really necessary, given the show his parents regularly put on.
"Blue rare?" Boone looked a bit nauseous.
"Well, if it's a good piece of meat," she stressed the word, "you certainly don't want to overcook it."
"I guess," he was frowning so hard, Andrew figured the wrinkles were going to be permanent.
"You'll eat it right? I mean, how can you not? It wouldn't be good manners." Shannon pushed another one of his buttons, Boone would never dream of appearing rude.
"I'll eat it," and then I'll throw up afterwards, he thought to himself.
She continued describing their possible dinner choices, having her fun, getting so much mileage out of it that she didn't bother informing him that she'd already told Brian that he didn't eat red meat.