Chapter 4, part 1

After their fight earlier there was a tension between them and they both did their best to avoid each other. At this point, their "living arrangement" was for practical reasons only.

Boone spent his time buying food and other essential things they might need, meanwhile Claire, despite having to walk down the stairs, decided to go for a walk around the neighbourhood. She had called Jack and he had said that it wasn't anything serious and that she could go on as usual, to her relief.

When Boone returned to the apartment, Claire flew up from the sofa.

"Hey! Look at this!" Claire showed him a gossip magazine with their picture on it. They were both on it, together. He realised that the picture was from last night.

"I found this while I was walking and you know what?"

Boone shook his head.

"Now I know what you were talking about earlier," she paused. "That whole publicity crap," she looked right at him, showing no sign of hurt or embarrassment. He was surprised that she could talk about their fight like it had happen ages ago, that it was in the past.

"I said…" Boone was stopped by Claire.

"Just listen to me, okay?" she sounded determined.

"I found a quote in here and now I know why you thought all those things about me" He let her continue:

"You remember me telling you that I felt like I was being followed yesterday?"

"Yeah" Boone wondered where this was going.

"I was, I guess… Because I was talking for myself and what I said is quoted in here. Someone must have wanted to sell a story," She looked away "It wasn't me"

The truth sank into him and he felt really embarrassed for even thinking all those things about her. What the hell had flown into him?

"I want you to listen to me now, Claire" He needed to say this.

"You have to know that I'm sorry for questioning you. I should never have doubted our friendship," he said truthfully.

"Forgive me?" he asked, nervously, waiting for her to say something.

"You are forgiven," she said almost instantly (to his relief), not even giving it a second thought.

"So what was the quote?" Boone asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing," she was getting embarrassed.

"Let me see," he teased, moving close to her to try to steal the magazine. She held it tight, not wanting him to have it but Boone knew some tricks and he tickled her until she burst into laughter.

"Stop it" she giggled "It tickles!"

Somehow she let her guard down and he was able to grab the magazine from her. He read the page, looking at her every now and then. She was staring at the floor, wishing that she could vanish through it.

"You said this?" he asked, tenderly. Touched by what was written there.

"They quoted me wrong" she said, breaking the moment.

He decided to change subject.

"Hey. I know what we can do for the rest of the day" he said, sounding as excited as a kid on Christmas Day.

"What?" Claire said, a flicker of curiosity passing over her face.

"We are going shopping" he paused. "We need to buy some things for the baby"

Boone was surprised by what he had just said. Somehow he had thought that it would be a couple of years more until he would say that sentence and that it would be his baby, not another mans.

"What!" Claire said, repeating the same word as before but now she looked at him like he was crazy.

"Don't you give me that look, missy" he said mockingly. He went on:

"Your baby is going to arrive sooner than you think" Boone emphasized the words.

"You have to be prepared"

Claire looked away.

"Okay. I guess you're right" she said, meeting his eyes again.

"Let's go then" he said, obviously proud of himself.

She rolled her eyes, sometimes he behaved like he was a little boy, but she didn't complain – it was cute as hell.

On their way out she said:

"Shopping can't take up the rest of the day." She wondered what else he had in mind.

"What are we going to do later?"

"Cook" he said, without giving her anymore details. Claire smiled, she loved how unpredictable he was.

"Look at this one" Boone said, shoving her a teddy bear, he even made it dance by moving it from left and right over and over again.

"It's kinda cute" she admitted.

"And it's green!" When Claire didn't respond he went on:

"Green as in neutral, since we don't know the sex of the baby"

"I'm fairly sure it's a boy" she told himconfidentially.

"Oh" Boone put the green teddy back on the shelf.

"Then I know exactly what you need" he said, putting a blue one in the baby carriage they had picked out together, walking to another section. Claire followed him.

"How come you know so much about baby stuff?" she asked, thinking about him knowing about false labours and what to buy.

Laughing, he replied:

"I have this cousin, Stephanie, who was talking a lot about everything when she was pregnant" Boones face lighted up as he walked down memory lane.

"Used to think that she was the worst drag ever"

"So why going through it twice?" she asked, pointing at her stomach.

He gave it a thought.

"Because I think that you're worth it," he said, softly.

Claire was surprised. She looked around at the shelves trying to hide the fact that she was unnerved by his statement.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"You need one of these" Boone put a baseball outfit for baby boys in the baby carriage, which worked prefect as a basket, and Claire grabbed a couple of packages with diapers and they went on with the shopping.

For the next 1 and a half hour they found themselves really enjoying each others company. Claire really liked the fact that Boone knew exactly what to buy and he made her feel so comfortable that she could just be herself.

"Do you think I can pull this off?" Claire joked, holding up a dress for babies in front of her . Boone pretended to consider it.

"No offence, sweetie, but I think you need to lose a couple of tons first" he said, trying to look serious but it only took a couple of seconds before they were both laughing and so it continued all the way up to the cashier who seemed less amused by their behaviour.

"Guess that you are one of those couples that are really looking forward to having a baby", she said, sounding bored, and scanned another item.

Boone and Claire both felt embarrassed.

"Oh, he isn't the daddy," Claire stammered.

"We haven't even" she blushed.

Boone took over. "We aren't involved. Just friends" he said, sounding casual, but looking uncomfortable.

"That's 600 dollars," the cashier, who according to her nametag was named Amanda, said.

Boone gave her the money.

"Either we can argue about it here or you just let me pay," he sounded determined and unwilling to cause a scene, Claire nodded.

On their way home, Boone decided to take Claire to Venice Beach, after all it was her first time in L.A. and it was quite close to home.

They sat down and looked as they waves rolled in to the shore, both happy that the bad weather had only lasted a short while; the sand was dry at most places.

"Can't say I've missed this" Claire said, putting a piece of hair behind her ear.

"The beach, after being on the Island, I mean"

"Same here," he said, with a trace of smile.

"But I do miss some people…" she said, looking a bit sad.

"Yeah? Who?" He asked.

"Well not Jack that much since I talked with him earlier today, but Kate and Sun" she paused "and Charlie"

Boone somehow felt like he had been stabbed. He couldn't pin point why but then it hit him. Charlie. Of course she missed him. He was jealous, for the first time in his life, he was really jealous.

Claire looked at him, he seemed hurt somehow. Her heart skipped a beat, was it possible that he had feelings for her? She made a mental note, not to mention Charlie again.

"Give me your hands" she said, eager to get back to having fun again.

"Why?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Just give me them!" she tried not to laugh.

Boone gave into her wish, reaching out both hands, waiting to see what would happen next.

"This game I used to play with my friends" she said, putting her hands under his.

"So how" his voice faded away, interrupted by a slap on his hands. Boone looked at her, surprised.

"You were supposed to move them" she said, sounding proud with a smile dancing on her lips.

"How was I supposed to know that?" he asked, whining, to make sure that his point came across. He was clearly not upset about her "cheating", instead he just pretend to play hurt as usual.

"You're just showing off" he laughed "My turn"

"Sure"

They did another turn, this time Boone won.

"Got ya!" he said, sticking out his tongue, teasing her.

Claire raised her eyebrows, challenging "Best of three. Starting now?" she said, daring him.

"Are you up for the challenge?" What had begun as a game had now grown into a competition.

"Depends, he said. What's in it for me?" He smiled.

"The loser has to do the dishes tonight" she said, knowing that he would be up for that.

Claire won the first one, managing to slap Boone's hands but when it was his turn to slap hers, she was so mesmerized by the expression on his face that she completely forgot to move her hands.

"Ha!" he said.

"I won", he said and continued with a satisfied grin.

She pushed him so that he fell backwards.

"Just rub it in" she said, trying to sound pissed but her eyes showed amusement.

He admired her for having a playful side and to his surprise he'd enjoyed spending time with her more than he had thought he would.

Claire reached out her hand to him to show that he wanted to help him up.

"Don't you even try to drag me down" she said, sounding dead serious.

"I'm a big lump," once again she pointed at her stomach to make her point.

"Forgot that" he admitted and she pulled him up.

Boone was serious; sometime during the time they had spent together he had begun to see her as more than pregnant. He almost laughed at the paradox; it was almost ridiculous that he had begun to see her as more than pregnant when the last hours had more or less revolved around the baby.

Claire was touched by his statement. The last couple of months she hadn't been just Claire, she had been the pregnant girl. She was sick and tired of it and the fact that he could see beyond her pregnant exterior moved her in so many ways.

"We should go back," Boone said, standing up.

Claire nodded, standing up as well.

"What are we gonna cook?" she asked, curiously.

"Well, we're having my sister over so it better be good" he said, sarcastically, when he mentioned Shannon.

Smiling, Claire said:

"I warn you. My cooking skills are terrible" Boone looked at her, seeing that she really meant it.

Knowing that he could tease her, he replied.

"Guess that you have to do the salad then"

"Don't want you to burn down the house" he continued.

"You just love to make fun of me don't you?" Claire asked, her voice sounding way more hurt than she appeared to be.

"Well this could be fun" Boone said, pushing the baby carriage -with all the bought things in it forward.

---------------------

"Do I smell something burned?" Boone shouted on his way from the bathroom to the kitchen.

"Let's just say that if you want to see your sister dead, then just give her this" Claire said, as he entered the room, showing him the burned fish.

Boone laughed at her disappointed expression.

"Hey. I do this", he said, starting over with the fish.

"Why don't you do the Pêche Melba? The peaches and raspberries are in the refrigerator"

"The…what?" Claire gave him a confused look.

"Pêche Melba," he repeated. "It's a French dessert and it's delicious"

"Can't burn it either," he said, humouring her.

"Should take you there, when the baby has come" he said, without really knowing what he was saying.

"To France?" she asked, hesitantly.

"That was what I meant" he replied in a slow drawl.

"You want me to come with you to France?" she repeated, not believing what she had heard.

He didn't reply, already regretting that he had mentioned the future. He flipped the fish instead, concentrating on the food and having a reason not to look at her.

"Boone. You know that this thing is temporary right?" she said with a low voice.

She went on.

"Eventually I have to move" she shifted until she stood right next to him. She didn't stop looking at him until he met her gaze.

"Who knows about the future" she said, quietly, not wanting to say it.

"Yeah" he said through gritted teeth.

She shot him a look full of sadness, causing his anger to subside, making him feel a million things at once.

"Claire," he said, touching her chin. He looked her deep into her eyes, not knowing how many feelings he woke up inside of her by just one look. She felt like she could dive into his eyes and happily drown.

Claire wetted her lips, her eyes unavoidably moving from his eyes downwards his lips. She could feel his breath on her skin, causing a chill down her spine. They were only inches from each other and the space got even smaller when Boone leaned in to kiss her.

Claire backed away.

"Boone we can't" Her voice held strength but her lips trembled and he realized that she was trying hard to do the right thing.

"I need more time" She didn't sound so strong anymore.

He looked into her tearful eyes. He wanted her more than anything else but she was right. It was too soon.

"I understand" he said, trying not to sound disappointed.

He turned back to the frying pan, continuing with the fish. She walked to her side of the kitchen, a tear falling down her cheek. Once again she was able to keep him from seeing it.

"Don't put on to much cream" Boone said, casually and they continued to prepare the dinner in silence…