Hey there! New chaps... We're almost there people, stick around for the end of this story, you'll like it, I promise, and there are still questions to be answered...

Enjoy ;)

Chapter 43

Claire was doing the dishes whilst Aaron and Charlene were playing outside. Brett was hanging with them too. Margo was visiting a friend a couple of blocks away. Charlie was still in London and Hurley was out on a date.

Claire had been very concerned about Jack. He was completely isolating himself. She had talked about it with Margo, and they'd come to a conclusion. This girl Jack was seeing, this Brooke chick, he wasn't seeing her anymore. That thought really saddened both women. Not only because that meant Jack was lonely again, but also because they could feel the anger and hatred growing inside him. He was totally disheartened.

But what worried Claire the most was Jackie. She was resenting her dad's mood a lot. She wasn't doing so well at school as she used to, and she had lost her appetite. Her teacher had already asked Jack for a meeting, but he told Claire to go in his place. The teacher had showed Claire some drawings Jackie had been painting. They didn't make any sense. And when Jackie was asked what her drawings were about, the teacher said she refused to tell.

When Claire glanced at the garden, she noticed Jackie was not playing with the rest of the kids. She was sitting alone on the grass, facing the horizon. Claire went out and sat beside her.

– Hey sweetie, why you're not playing with the gang huh?

– I don't like that game. –she retorted.

Claire knew Jackie was a very smart girl, so she cut to the chase. – Jackie, why you've been so blue lately?

Jackie sighed. – Because my spell didn't work.

Claire frowned, puzzled. – What spell?

– I put a spell on my daddy, but it failed.

Claire tried to follow Jackie's game to keep her talking. – Uh-huh, and what was the spell for?

– To fix my daddy's heart.

Claire's look went sad. – Honey, your daddy's heart is fine, you don't have to worry about it.

– It's not fine. And I don't know what to do. Mommy isn't talking to me anymore. –Jackie affirmed with sorrow in her voice.

Claire sighed, now she was really worried. – Jackie, sweetheart, you don't have to do anything. Your daddy's okay.

– Then why he's not playing with me anymore?

– It's just… sometimes we grown-ups have troubles. He's probably having a lot of work and…

– He's not having a lot of work. –Jackie affirmed, cutting Claire off. – He needs someone to take care of him.

– Sweetie, we all take care of him.

– No, we don't. He takes care of us and he thinks he has to do it by his own. That's why he left Brooke.

Claire's jaw dropped. – Did he tell you that?

– No.

– Then why you say so?

Jackie glanced at her aunt, hesitant about telling her or not. – I just know.

Claire bit her lip in concern. – Jackie… these drawings you make… what they're about?

– I don't know.

– How can you not know?

– I see things when I sleep and then I paint them. But sometimes I don't know what they are.

– But the person you're drawing is your mommy?

– No. It's Brooke.

Claire shivered. She knew her niece was special, but this time it was overwhelming. She was getting obsessed with her daddy's issues. – Uh… Jackie… You're right, your dad's been sad lately. But if you get sad too, then you won't be helping him. You have to lighten him up. We all have to. Maybe you can put a new spell on him. Or a potion! Why don't we go inside and make a potion to cheer up your daddy, huh? –Claire suggested, trying to digress Jackie's thoughts.

The little girl smiled widely. – Yes Auntie Claire! But he doesn't have to know, because then he won't drink it!

– Okay, come on… –and then she took her niece inside, still concerned.

When the day was over, Claire walked Jackie and Brett home. Margo was back and opened the door. She greeted the kids with hugs and kisses, then took them inside to feed them dinner. After asking Margo where Jack was, Claire went to his studio. The lights were off and he was sitting in his armchair, facing the window, holding a glass of scotch in his hand. Claire stood in front of the desk and spoke. – Jack?

He turned around. – Claire… what you're doing here?

– I brought the kids.

– Oh thanks, I thought mom was picking them up.

– It's okay. Um… can I talk to you? –she asked nervous. To this day, sometimes she couldn't help but feel intimidated by her brother.

– Sure…

– Jack, we're worried about you.

– Worried about me? Why? –he asked with an insolent voice. He was definitely drunk.

– Why you're drinking so much lately?

– Oh come on! Dad drank all the time and no one cared. What's the big deal?

– But you're not dad. Please Jack, talk to me. I know you're upset. Let me help you this one time.

– You can't help me Claire. Nobody can. See, the great irony here is I can fix everything but nobody can fix me.

– Why don't you try me?

Jack laughed wryly. – What do you want Claire?

– I want to help you.

– You know what? That's exactly the problem. Everybody wants something from me. "Jack, I want to dance at my wedding", "Jack, bring your father home", "Jack, I want to meet your mother", "Jack, I want to help you". The thing is, sis, I'm just fucking sick of pleasing everybody around me. I'm done. I just don't give a shit anymore.

Claire shook her head in disagreement. – Jack, why are you so hard on yourself? Why you keep beating yourself up? –she questioned.

– I don't beat myself up, sis. I just don't have what it takes.

That statement annoyed Claire. – Don't you ever say that Jack! You know that's not true!

– Oh really? Then why I'm lonely? Why people stay with me just because they need me? And once they don't need me anymore, they just leave me. –he said standing up.

Claire got it all clear. This was about Kate again, and Sarah, and their father, and all the shadows remaining in Jack's heart. – Jack, stop. Don't do this.

– Oh but I can't complain. I can't lose it. Leaders don't do that, they can't fall apart, because everybody freaks out. Don't worry sis, the world's not going to collide because I'm having a rough time. You'll all see your hero again in the morning, okay? Now, please, leave me alone. –he snapped.

– You don't have to be so mean Jack. You think I don't understand you? You think I stay with you, and Charlie, and Hurley, and your mom, because we need you? That's so not true! We stay with you because we love you. That's the only reason for us to be around you. We've all been through a lot Jack, we all crashed on that island. We all have pain in our hearts. And we all miss Kate too, because we all lost her. She was my best friend. And dad… he hurt me too. But we all try Jack. Everyday, we try to move on, we try to be happy. So, I just don't get why you can't try.

– How can you say I don't try?

– Maybe you do. But you're always reluctant and wary. You're so scared of giving in. Maybe if you just opened your heart…

– Every time I do that, I get hurt. I'm done. But it's okay Claire, really. I know that's the price I've got to pay for being a great man. –he assured laughing scathingly.

Claire sighed and knew the conversation was over. Jack was drunk and probably wouldn't remember a thing she said the next day. – Okay Jack, I'm leaving.

– Yeah, you go. –he snapped.

Claire started walking away but turned around to face him once more. – You try Jack, for once in your life. Stop being so hard on yourself. Stop trying to fix everything. Just let it be. –she pleaded.

– Get out, please! –he demanded. And so she did.

The next day, Claire talked to Margo about her encounter with Jack. Claire also told her about Jackie being blue and feeling responsible of her dad's sadness. But what concerned Margo the most was the drinking. Once Jack and the kids were gone for school and work, she went to his room. She was looking for something, though she didn't know what it was exactly. She sneaked in his drawers, his closet. Nothing.

Then she went to his studio. There it was. She found a phone bill. What was so special about it? It was a phone bill of Jack's former apartment. Margo couldn't believe it. She always thought her son had sold that place. Now she knew not only he had not, but also that he was making phone calls from there, and paying for them. She knew she had to go.

When she got to the condo, she had no choice but to ask Mrs. Florence to open the apartment for her. Before doing it, Florence had no trouble in telling Margo every single thing that had happened in that apartment in the last months. She told her how she met Brooke that first time she spent the night there, giving an exact description of her. She also narrated how they arrived every Friday with Brooke's luggage and how she used to go buying groceries down the street. Margo learnt that Brooke probably cooked, since Florence could always get the smell of tasty food coming from the apartment. She also told her the time when Jack drove Brooke to the airport every Sunday.

Florence described how Brooke dressed up for Halloween and gave treats to the kids in the building. She told Margo how they walked to the park holding hands and that they used to go to the movies or dinner on Saturday nights. But that, Florence stated, was before they "went physical". She even had the nerve to tell Margo Brooke was "very indiscrete" when she was in the bedroom with Jack. Margo also learnt about the Christmas dinner they shared and the golf clubs Brooke got for him. And finally, Florence narrated with almost exact words the big fight they had, and how Jack left looking "terribly upset". Then she affirmed Brooke had left 2 hours later carrying a lot of bags with difficulty, with her eyes puffed up and a distorted face.

She assured she didn't see either of them in a week. But then Jack had been going every day, staying for a while and then leaving in the middle of the night. Once inside the apartment, Margo was through with Florence's narration. She thanked her and asked her politely to leave, impressed and disgusted of how much she knew about her son's life.

Margo wandered the apartment. She found a bunch of papers and magazines, all about fashion. She went to the kitchen and found the plates, glasses and casseroles Brooke had bought. She also noticed the empty vases. Jack never had vases before. Then Margo walked to the bedroom. There she found and empty photo frame at the night stand and the closet open. Then she saw Brooke's sweater on the bed and lifted it, scanning it with her sight. Straight afterwards, at the foot of the bed, she found the empty bottles of scotch and beer and wine Jack had been drinking. Her concern grew more when she kneeled and looked under the bed. Jack was drinking a lot.

That was enough for Margo. This time she wouldn't allow it. In the past, she had seen her husband's fall due to alcohol and a missing love. She wouldn't let that happen to her son. Not to him, she repeated in her mind. Not to her beautiful, talented and great son. Over my death body, she swore…