"Hey, loser."
He turned to see Shannon standing a few cars away, smiling at him.
"Coffee?" he asked.
Shannon nodded. "I'll follow you."
They headed back to Boone's house and settled themselves in the living room with their drinks.
"I had a scare last week," Shannon said.
Boone looked at her. "Scare?"
"I thought I was pregnant," Shannon explained. "Got one of those home pregnancy kits, you know, the whole pee on the stick thing. It was negative though."
"Didn't anyone ever teach you about birth control, Shan?" Boone asked.
"Shut up," she replied, giving him a look. "That wasn't the part that scared me though. The scary part was that when I thought I was pregnant I was actually kind of... well, I thought it might actually be kind of nice. I was a little disappointed it was negative."
"I thought you hated kids," Boone pointed out.
Shannon nodded. "It's different when they're yours."
"Yeah, it is," Boone agreed. "I want another one," he added as casually as he could.
Shannon looked at him. "You want another kid?"
Boone shrugged.
"Are you and Jack looking into it again?" she pressed.
"I haven't spoken to Jack," Boone said. "I've just been thinking about it. It's just that, ever since Noah started school full-time this year I've been kind of..."
"Bored out of your brain?" Shannon provided.
"Yeah," Boone agreed.
"Tell me about it," Shannon commented. "So you want another kid to keep you company?"
"Is that selfish?" Boone asked. "I mean, is that the wrong reason to have a kid."
"Don't ask me," Shannon shrugged. "Maybe you should try talking to your husband about it."
"Yeah but the timing's all off for Jack," Boone explained. "He just got this new promotion and he's working really long hours and I'm sure the last thing he wants to come home to is a screaming baby that's gonna keep him up all night."
"Won't know until you ask him," Shannon persisted. "He loves kids."
"Yeah," Boone agreed distractedly. "So you gonna start trying?"
"I don't know," Shannon replied. "Pregnancy is so not fun. But I wouldn't be on an island for the bulk of it this time so that's gonna be a bonus."
"Yeah, imagine being able to use a toilet for your morning sickness," Boone commented.
"Yeah, that'd be a new and exciting experience," Shannon agreed. "But I don't know if I could do it all again. The nine months of feeling crappy cos someone's stealing all my nutrients, that childbirth part which, can I just say, is horrendous, and then there's all that energy with the feeding and changing and just trying to stop them crying. I don't think I'd mind if it happened but I don't think I'd try for it either."
Boone nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Maybe I should get a hobby."
"Maybe you should get a dog," Shannon suggested.
Boone gave her a look. "Don't you start."
"Snoop keeps me company while Zara's at school," Shannon explained. "They're cute and loyal and they don't talk back, unlike my six-year-old."
"She picking up your bad habits?" Boone smirked. The thought of that being Shannon's comeuppance for years of acting like a brat was actually kind of funny.
"She doesn't get it from me," Shannon dismissed. "And she's not that bad really. There are far worse kids."
"Yeah, you were one," Boone pointed out.
"Hey, I wasn't all that bad," Shannon argued. "When I was six I wasn't. When I was older, sure, but not when I was six. You didn't know me when I was six, I was a cutie, a total angel."
Boone laughed a little. "I find that kind of hard to believe."
"So maybe I wasn't as obedient as you but you were like a pod child," Shannon replied.
"'Children should be seen and not heard', that's what my mother taught me," Boone said.
"Your mother's a freak," Shannon countered.
"No arguments over here," Boone stated. "She's better than she used to be though, even if Noah is a little boisterous for her tastes."
"I'm surprised she lets destructo-boy into her house at all," Shannon said.
"Hey, don't call him that," Boone complained.
"Last time he had dinner at my house he broke a plate and a glass," Shannon stated.
"Oh, that reminds me, Noah wants to come play with Zara and Snoop after school, you busy?" Boone asked.
"No, bring him round," Shannon said. "In fact I can just pick him up if you want, you can stay here."
"Yeah, even more time to sit in my empty house, that's exactly what I need," Boone replied sarcastically, giving her a look.
"Will you talk to Jack about this?" Shannon asked. "I'm used to being bored, I know how to entertain myself being a lady of leisure, believe me. You, not so much. You don't understand the concept of free time, you never did."
"What am I supposed to say to him?" Boone asked. "'Hey, Jack, I'm bored', what's he gonna do about it?"
"You suck," Shannon said. "You're sucky."
"Thanks," Boone said sarcastically.
"Just talk to him, Boone, that's what he's there for," Shannon told him. "And a whole bunch of other fun stuff too but sometimes the talking is what you need."
Boone sighed. "I can work it out on my own."
"You're gonna work out how to have a kid on your own?" Shannon asked. "That's quite special."
Boone gave her a look. "I only said I was thinking about having another kid," he stated. "Maybe I'll get a job. Just a part-time thing. I could work in the mornings and then come home and do some housework then pick up Noah, make dinner, full day."
"Yeah, but didn't you get the house and the kid cos you couldn't decide what you wanted to do," Shannon pointed out.
"I wanted the house and the kid," Boone insisted.
"I'm not saying you didn't," Shannon replied. "But they did help you conveniently put off the career search."
Boone sighed. He didn't know why he bothered trying to argue with Shannon anymore.
"So what do you wanna do?" she asked him.
"I don't know," Boone admitted.
"Ooh, I know, talk to Jack about it," Shannon suggested once again. Boone gave her a look. "Just trying to help my big brother. God knows you spent enough time looking after me."
"Is that a thanks?" Boone asked.
"Don't push your luck," Shannon told him.
"See, having siblings is nice, isn't it?" Boone said. "I hated being an only child."
"Of course you did, you were stuck with no one but Sabrina for company," Shannon commented. "I didn't mind it so much."
"You didn't?" Boone asked.
Shannon shrugged. "It was me and my dad against the world, it was kind of nice." Boone nodded. "It was kind of nice to have a big brother too though," she added.
Boone smiled at her. "Well it was definitely nice to have a little sister."
"Yeah, I know, you perve," she quipped, giving him a smile in return.
"You think Noah would like being a big brother?" Boone asked. "Or do you think he'd feel jealous, he's used to being the centre of attention. And if I do have another kid is it like pushing him aside? Cos I know if he was still at home with me I wouldn't really even be thinking about this."
"I don't know, Boone," Shannon replied. "He seems to take after you so I reckon he wouldn't mind being a big brother. But everyone's different, right? He's not totally spoilt or anything so I guess he'd adjust."
Boone nodded. "Yeah."
"Anyway, I should probably get back, Snoop'll be wanting his walkies," Shannon stated, putting her cup down.
"You're gonna leave me for a dog?" Boone asked.
"I'm telling you, you should get one," Shannon said. Boone gave her a look. "Fine, your loss. Maybe you could get a cat or something."
"I don't know, I'm not big on pets," Boone said. "Noah's asking for a goldfish now."
"Oh, come on, you can't deny the kid a goldfish, Boone," Shannon stated, giving him an incredulous look.
"Goldfish die all the time," Boone said.
"Not if you feed them," Shannon pointed out.
"If I'm gonna get my son a pet I want it to have a longer life span than the average goldfish," Boone explained. "I already gave him the sex talk, I don't want to have to give him the death talk too."
Shannon looked at him. "You gave a five-year-old a sex talk?"
"He was asking if he had a mommy, we had to explain things to him," Boone justified.
"Well, if he goes out and starts getting girls knocked up you've only got yourself to blame," Shannon said with mock seriousness. Boone gave her a look. "Okay, I seriously have to go now," she stated, getting up. Boone followed her movement and they headed for the front door. "I'll see you this afternoon though, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, so long as you don't mind," Boone agreed.
Shannon shook her head. "Totally cool. Sayid's working late anyway."
"Okay, guess I'll see you later then," Boone said.
Shannon nodded. "Be sure to enjoy the rest of your fun packed day," she smiled.
"Get out of my house," Boone said, giving her a friendly shove.
Shannon rolled her eyes. "Later."
"Yeah, bye."