Chapter 7- After the Panic
For a few minutes no one said anything. The children mostly seemed confused, except Aaron who was torn between fear and curiosity, and the adults all seemed to pale. An impending dread filled the air and Claire coughed as though it clogged her lungs. She reached over to Aaron and took her baby into her arms, clutching Adah against her as though she was afraid of cradle robbers. Charlie reached over and swept up the little blonde girl that was clutching at Claire's legs. The two boys edged over to Aaron who put an arm around each of their shoulders. Sawyer's grip on Sam tightened. Ana-Lucia went into mother-mode and put an arm around her daughter, petting the girl's hair as Jack had a hand on his son's arm.
The family's were instantly tense, waiting for the tidal wave to hit, for the lightening to strike, for the attack…but long moments passed and the only thing that happened was Adah began to cry. As Claire was shushing her, rocking her back and forth, she winced.
"Something wrong Claire?" Jack sprang into doctor mode. At least it took the focus off the lingering fear in his chest.
"My ankle…it hurts a bit." Her face was unconvincing; it hurt more then a bit.
"Why don't you put down little…" He waited for the prompt.
"Adah." Claire was already handing her baby back to Aaron, as though the sand would swallow her.
"Adah…alright. Let's see how bad this is." He poked and prodded her, gauging her reactions. Eventually he wiped his hands, "Looks like you twisted it…its going to be sore but if you don't stress it too much it'll be fine soon."
Claire smiled and forced a laugh, "Not stressed with five kids? Who are we kidding…you'll have to amputate it, Jack."
He smiled back, "Yeah I noticed you had quite the –"
"Zoo is the term most often used." Charlie cut in, settling next to his wife on the sand so she wouldn't stand up.
Everyone laughed a little, the air was loosening. Everyone felt comfortable talking about their favorite subject: their children. And as it seemed that conversation on this subject (particularly from the Pace's) would not slacken, they all dove in. It was better then fretting at any rate and delayed the inevitable dread of asking questions that they couldn't answer.
"Well this is Adah." Claire motioned for Aaron to hand her back her baby, she was convinced the girl wasn't safe unless she was being held by her mother, "She's one year old."
Jack reached out and shook one of Adah's chubby fists.
"This is Keely." Charlie motioned to the little girl clutching fearfully to his shirt as though he would stop breathing again, "She's normally a bit more rambunctious but…well I've no doubt her spirit will recover. She's our little diva. Five years old going on fifteen, eh Claire?"
Claire rolled her eyes then motioned for her two younger boys. They wouldn't leave Aaron and dragged him down to kneel next to his parents as Seth sidled up with Claire and Ewan joined Charlie.
"Ewan," Charlie continued, "is eight and the resident trouble-maker. If you find yourself the victim of a night-time face-painting job or find your shoe-laces knotted together it probably means you've been struck by Ewan."
Claire petted the hair of her first Pace baby and cooed, "This is Seth. He's eleven. One of the brightest in his grade, just got promoted to an advanced science class…even won at the science fair!"
Seth gave a shy wave as Charlie thumped Aaron on the back, "And you remember Aaron, don't you, Jack?"
"How can I forget?" Jack reached out a hand and shook Aaron's, "You were smaller then Adah last time I saw you….Kate do you remember that? You helped deliver him after all."
From her position against Sawyer Kate gave a nostalgic nod, "I remember…you were such a chubby baby."
Sam suddenly shook her head as though she'd been hit with cold water.
"Oh my….that's him?" Sam suddenly cocked her head at Aaron. He was not what she expected. Obviously she'd seen pictures of him, snaps of him on the CD cover or on Teen People but she didn't exactly have access to computers or televisions where she could stalk him properly…and he looked different than she recalled from the CD jacket.
"Oh you know him, do you?" Charlie seemed proud but Aaron blushed a little as though the fame was not necessarily the topic he wanted to be discussing right now. Charlie turned to Jack, "Aaron's a singer too! Got a good name, top selling record. Quite popular on the charts…and with the girl's…"
"Dad!" Aaron put his foot down, "I'm sure they don't want to hear about me…" His attention shifted to Sam, "We can talk later, if you like."
Sawyer cleared his throat and pulled Sam closer…he didn't like how the boy suggested the talk. If Sawyer knew one thing it was cheap ways to get a girl alone long enough to figure out if her bra unhooked in front or in back…and he was not going to let some chump pop star try that on his little angel. Sam was aware of his father's position and cocked an eyebrow suggestively, "I'd like to talk."
Jack recorded the exchange with amusement…even more amusement when he realized that Christian go really red in the face and clenched his jaw at the look Sam had thrown Aaron.
"I guess it's your turn, then, Sawyer. Kate…" The way he looked at Kate and passed his eyes between her and her daughter, taking note of how similar they looked and maybe having a moment of 'what if'-ing, "Care to introduce everyone?"
Sawyer glared at Jack, old resentments resurfacing with a new passion. Kate took the incentive to speak but stumbled over the words and blushed, "Well….this is our….our daughter. Samantha. Sam, we call her…she's almost eighteen…next week actually is her….her birthday." She bit her lip, "I think that's pretty much it."
"Eloquent Elmer Fudd." Sam snorted much to Sawyer's approval.
"Obviously you've got a little of him in you." Ana Lucia finally cut in, "Great. Two resident assholes."
Sam's reaction was to get defensive but to her surprise her father let out a rough laugh, "I see motherhood ain't softened you up, Cupcake. Sharp as a tack and cold as ice…suppose some things never change."
He motioned to Sam's cheek, which was beginning to show a bruise, "Guess you taught J.Lo over there you're right hook?"
"Marita doesn't need me to teach her how to fight, she does it fine on her own." Ana clapped a hand on her daughter's back with a tone somewhere between pride and frustration, "Fifteen."
Sawyer eyes became slits as they took in the miscreant that had jumped his daughter then moved over to the other child where they presently widened in surprise, "Shit…they cloned Jack."
Christian was looking at Sam in the same way his father used to look at Kate and Sawyer didn't fail to notice.
"Ain't that just beautiful?" He growled almost to himself.
"Actually it's Christian." Jack piped up, crossing to his son as though he could deflect the look that Sawyer was giving him, "And he's the same age as Sam. Turns eighteen in a couple of months."
There was a strained silence between the two alpha males until Kate cleared her throat and made a peace offering, "Is he? You know I do remember seeing clips of your wedding…I didn't know how far along you were at the time but I was pretty big at that point."
"Yeah…never thought of you as a shotgun man, Jack-O…" Sawyer turned his gaze to Ana-Lucia, "But you…you were always quite the sharpshooter, weren't you?"
Kate elbowed him, hard, "Stop it."
Jack stiffened at the blow and nodded to Sam, "At least you were able to shoot straight once in your life."
The tension was murderously high, Sawyer was seeing red and if his daughter wasn't in front of him he would've been at the doctor's throat. He had not stayed with Kate all this time to have Good Saint Jack come in and try to win her over again.
"I'm hungry." Keely's voice cut through the thickening air, "Daddy, I'm hungry!"
"Me too, dad!" Ewan echoed.
"Mom…I'm hungry." Seth whispered. Adah tugged at her mother's sleeves and pointed to her mouth, squealing excitedly. She didn't really talk yet but everyone was convinced she understood every word they said.
"I don't have any food to give you, darlings." Claire tried to sooth Adah who, at not being given what she wanted with some swiftness, was fast approaching a small fit.
"There's probably still fruit in the trees. We should go get some…everyone's going to need to eat sooner or later." Kate responded, breaking away from Sawyer's iron grip and looking around wildly, "Is there anything to carry it in?"
Jack shook his head as though clearing it, "I've got this jacket, we could tie off the sleeves and….Chris, do you need that sweatshirt? It's pretty warm…thanks buddy. Ok. Well Kate you should go get the fruit as you're the best climber. Maybe, Ana? You want to go? You've got the best sixth sense for trouble and it's not like you're unfamiliar with trees." They shared an odd moment at that statement that caused Ana-Lucia to blush, rarity in and of itself.
Kate nodded at what Jack said, "And you guys should find some downed branches and see if there's any scraps left over from last time…start building some kind of shelter. We need to keep the kids out of the sun…and we need something to keep water in…Are there still supplies at the cave? Ana and I could go look…"
Ana, for once, did not fight for control. She was still standing in between her two children, petting Marita's hair with one hand on Chris' shoulder as though ensuring that they were still there. She only paused in her ministrations to say, "Shelter? We need a defense too."
"Honey there aren't any…" Jack tried to calm her but she cut him off, "We don't know that. We don't know anything and I'm not risking it."
"I'm not risking them." She whispered through gritted teeth, nodding at her children.
Jack was still for a moment then nodded, "Right, you two should check the caves. There were some water bottles and last time I checked…there was a broken Halliburton with nine working guns and a little ammunition."
That being said everything was arranged in a few minutes. Kate and Ana-Lucia, armed with their wits and their fists, ventured into the jungle for food and supplies. Claire, Adah and Seth sat under a leafy tree while the others organized a building committee.
"We can use Sam," Sawyer suggested, "She's strong as a horse."
"Thanks for making me sound like a fat, beast of burden dad." He ruffled her hair and she fumed further.
"I'll help." Christian volunteered, rolling up his sleeves.
"Me too…stop it Ewan. I'll play with you later if you go keep mum company…and don't prank Seth." Aaron sent off his little brother before the pesky little boy got too underfoot.
Eventually they dug up some metal framework from the plane crash. Even the remains of a tarp. As they were dragging it Christian tried to help Sam lug her piece but she snapped at him, "I can do it, get your own piece."
At that moment Jack was rushed with memories of Kate asking to come on hikes, asking to help organize a search party, asking to have a gun…
"Well, well, well…" Sawyer followed Jack's eye line, "Déjà vu, déjà vu….now where have I seen that before?"
Shaking his head Jack retorted, "Some things never change, Sawyer. Some people never change."
"You're right…I'm still the man giving her the gun." Sawyer handed Jack a rod roughly, "Don't you have your own little arms dealer to keep occupied?"
"Ah, excuse me…hate to break up the reminiscing but could I have a hand?" Charlie was staggering under the weight of a particularly burdensome tarp that was rolled up into the size of a small Volkswagen. Aaron took a step to help but before he could get there Sam was already lifting part of it onto her shoulders.
He took a minute to look at her, not sure how he felt about being cut off. Meeting his eyes she winked, "Big-time star doesn't want to get his hands dirty?"
"Bitchy chit doesn't want to break a nail?" He came back.
Appraising him she nodded and moved over so he could help her with Charlie's tarp.
Christian picked up two long polls and balanced them on his shoulders, walking past the tarp-bearers. As he put them down he wiped his hand across his forehead. The island was significantly hotter then Boston. He stripped off his shirt to reveal a flat chest, not particularly defined but nothing flabby.
Sam made no secret of cocking her head to the side for a better look…which prompted Aaron to nonchalantly strip down.
Meanwhile Kate and Ana were returning with their supplies being pulled behind them in another tarp. As they approached they saw the scene in front of them and Kate couldn't suppress a laugh.
"I know…they're acting like complete idiots." Claire piped up a few feet to their right, "But their teenagers…what did we expect?"
"So what's the story?" Ana knelt down and tickled Adah under her chin.
"It seems that Sam batted her eyes at Aaron, which made Christian take off his shirt, which made Sam look at Christian, which made Aaron take off his shirt…"
"As long as she keeps her pants on they can be as stupid as they want to be." Kate quipped offering Claire a water bottle and handing Seth, Ewan and Adah eat half a mango.
"Aaron's not as hairy as the other boy…but Aaron's got bigger muscles." Ewan commented as he bit into the fruit and the juice spilled all over his chin, "The ladies like Aaron's muscles."
"Where did you hear that?" Claire laughed.
"Teen People."
Ana Lucia and Kate joined in the laughter.
"At least he reads the decent tabloid." Ana Lucia patted Ewan's knee and stood up, motioning to Kate that they needed to pull their tarp further. As they were moving she asked, "Why are they acting like that? I mean…they literally just met."
Kate shrugged, "I don't know…I guess boys will be boys and Sam will be…Sam. She'll play with any fire that comes her way and teenage boys are suckers for competition. Especially for girls… I grew up in this tiny little farm town and if two boys saw a girl within 2 miles of them they'd start fighting over her. Even if they didn't want her! I guess that's just how it goes."
"How it goes? Well it's about to go somewhere alright." Ana motioned to the camp where the makeshift shelter, nearly complete, was being perfected by Christian and Jack as Aaron, pulling a white tee over his head, approached Sam and then disappeared into the jungle. Kate didn't know whether she should be concerned for Sam or concerned for Aaron…who appeared to be in serious danger of Sawyer castrating him.
He approached Kate and angrily bit into a mango she offered, stating, "It's sick how fast things fall back into place!"
"What do you mean?" Kate asked as Ana walked over to help her husband and son.
"That smart-ass and the doctor are going after the girl…and the smart ass is winning!"
Kate laughed, "You didn't seem so upset about it last time!"
"Yeah well…" He couldn't think up a quip and growled, "It's different!"
TBC
Author's Note: hmm….not where I was going with this chapter but it took itself here nicely and is prompting another interesting chapter (which might just reveal what the jungle sex stroll is going to consist of).
I think Marita has spontaneously disappeared from this chapter… oh well, don't like her much anyway. BTW- when I get a chance I will upload pictures! One my friend drew of Sam and one I sketched of Marita (I even have one of Aaron, Sam and Christian but I'll have to see if I can make it bigger)
So…I really didn't think I'd be able to update this week….I guess miracles happen! Long Con is tomorrow and I updated!
PLEASE REVIEW!