Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Author's Notes: Not a very long chapter, but I wanted to get it posted. I also updated my cover picture for this story to give you guys a visual of the next chapter to come. Hope you like it.

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Kate closed the front door quietly behind her and pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. Claire's house was eerily quiet and experience told her that Aaron must be down for his afternoon nap.

Feeling right at home she sauntered into the kitchen, got herself a glass of iced tea before she walked to the glass sliding doors that lead out to the backyard.

She pushed the door open and stepped outside. Claire and Miles both quit talking the moment she came into view and her first instinct was that she must've been the topic of their discussion.

"Hey, Kate, how's the sprout doing?" Miles asked as he glanced at her approaching them.

"We're good, how are you guys?"

"Fine." Claire replied and smiled up at her.

"Just dandy." Miles replied with a tone of voice that told her he wasn't in the best of moods today. But then his eyes caught hers again, "Any news from Richard?"

Kate pulled a chair back and sat down, stretching her jean glad legs out and propped them on the chair beside her, "He says James is still not answering his cell. It goes straight to voicemail every time he calls, so he said he'll drive out there today to check up on him."

Miles lowered his gaze, "How long has it been since he talked to him?"

"Three days." Kate answered unable to keep the worry out of her voice and from showing on her face.

Miles snorted, "It's just taking too damn long. Seems like he's been gone forever."

Kate nodded, "I know. I just can't wait for him to come home."

Miles emptied his drink and got up, "Well, I got a couple of errands to run. I'll catch you guys later."

And with that he disappeared into the house without as much as a good bye kiss to Claire.

Kate looked after Miles' retrieving form and looked back at Claire who rolled her eyes in a dramatic fashion, which caused her to chuckle back at her friend, "No kiss? Trouble in paradise?"

Claire nodded, "He's mad at me."

"What did you do?" Kate asked with a glint of amusement in her voice, welcoming the distraction.

Claire hesitated for a moment, but then she pushed her chair back, stood and turned her back towards Kate and spoke as she lifted the bottom hem of her shirt, "I did this."

Kate gasped, recognizing the tattoo that adorned the lower half of Claire's back, "That's the symbol that was on Charlie's ring, isn't it? DriveShaft."

Claire nodded and smiled as she sat back down, "Yeah."

"I assume it's permanent."

Claire nodded again and smiled brightly back at Kate, "Yeah, it's forever. It's an early birthday present to myself."

Kate nodded and smiled, "So he's mad that you got a Tattoo?"She took a sip from her iced tea.

"Among other things?" Claire replied.

"What other things?" Kate gave her a curious look, glad for anything that would take her mind off of James even for just a few brief moments.

Claire shifted a bit uncomfortable in her chair, "I've lied about some things after we got back."

Kate laughed and snorted unladylike, "Haven't we all?"

Claire gave her a forced smile and hesitated, "When we first got back, my mom and I went and got all the necessary paperwork taken care off. You know, Aaron's birth certificate, our visas to stay here with you guys and such, and I was just so beside myself … I was so happy to be back, but it was so bittersweet because Charlie wasn't here with me, you know?"

Kate propped one leg in front of her and hugged it as she nodded her understanding so Claire continued.

"Anyway, to make a long story short, I decided to put Charlie's name down as Aaron's father."

"Wow." Kate was clearly surprised, unsure of what to say to that.

"Well, Miles didn't know about all that, until Thomas – my ex – decided to show up unannounced and demanded to see his son."

"Wait – what?" Kate dropped her leg and sat up straight, "When was this? He just showed up, just like that?"

"He showed up when you were with Sawyer. So I presented him with the birth certificate. He – of course – thought I was lying, but then I told him that I had cheated on him and had a one night stand with Charlie Pace from Drive Shaft, and that Charlie was the father."

"And he bought it?"

"Well, that's not really clear yet. He said something about going to court to get a DNA test done, but honestly I don't think it's going to happen because he's flat broke."

Kate nodded, "But what if he comes up with the money?"

"Well, if that happens I guess I have to ask Hurley for help." Claire took a sip from her drink and leaned back in her chair, but winced at some pain caused by her new tattoo. "He doesn't care about Aaron. He didn't care then and he doesn't care now either. I imagine he's hit rock bottom and thought that I was still that stupid naïve little girl I was back then and would take him in with open arms … pretend to be a happy little family and of course share my Oceanic settlement with him."

"So you think he's just after your money?"

"I really do. I mean, we've been back for a year and a half and he just now decides to show up to meet his son? Where was he when we first got back? My face was all over the news, it's not like he could've missed it."

"Yeah, I guess." Kate agreed, but deep down she wasn't entirely sure she agreed with what Claire had done, because she'd been a child who grew up believing somebody was her father when in truth it hadn't been so. "What about Aaron?"

"What do you mean?" Claire didn't understand.

"What did you tell him?"

"Uhm … I haven't told him anything yet, but I think I will because … you see, Miles is mad because I contacted Liam and he's coming for a visit."

"Who's Liam?"

"Charlie's brother."

"Oh, wow." Kate was surprised. "He's coming here?"

"Yeah, next month. I just want Aaron to have some kind of extended family, you know."

Kate wasn't sure what to say to that, but one thing was undoubtedly true, Charlie had loved her and Aaron more than anything, so maybe this wasn't that bad of an idea. "I hope it all works out alright, and I hope you won't hear from Thomas again."

"Me too." Claire leaned back and eyed Kate for a moment, "Guess you found some jeans that fit."

Kate stood and grinned at her before lifted the long hem of her shirt, showing off the rubber hair tie she'd looped through the button-hole and hooked over the button, revealing some fabric behind the gap and laughed, "I improvised."

Claire laughed too, "We need to go shopping."

Kate settled back down in her chair and took a sip before she answered, "I just don't want those darn paparazzi finding out about this. I'm glad to finally have them off my back about that affair."

"How is that going anyways?" Claire asked somberly, the smile suddenly vanished from her face.

"My lawyer seems to think we have enough to go forward with it."

"That's good." Claire proclaimed and nodded along with her words. "What about the other thing?"

"That's good too." Kate nodded, "I should be free and clear to leave California by the time James get's back."

"And are you?" Claire looked up at her and met her eyes, fear in them reflecting back at Kate, "Are you going to leave?"

"I … I don't know yet, Claire." She wanted to … but she wasn't sure she could just up and leave Aaron like that.

Claire nodded and lowered her gaze as she folded her hands in front of herself on the glass surface of the patio table.

Kate leaned forward and reached across to cover Claire's folded hands with one of her own, "We could all go. I mean, wouldn't it be nice to just leave all the drama of L.A. behind us? All those damn reporters?"

Claire looked up at her and nodded, "Yeah, maybe."

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Pain!

Tremendous pain was all he felt and recalled over the last couple of days. He vaguely remembered getting dragged and thrown into the bed of a rusty old pick-up truck before he passed out again. Then he awoke to the sting of a needle in his arm, prying his swollen shut eyes open just long enough to see the bright lights above him and a nurse adjusting the drip hanging up next to the side of him. He wanted to smile, wanted to say something, wanted to say her name … Kate … Freckles … but his throat felt raw and he couldn't even manage to utter the words.

The nurse looked right at him then, when she'd noticed that he was awake and began to speak to him. First in Spanish, but then in broken English, but before he could make out the words the image of her disappeared into a grainy black and white form before the black consumed it all.

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Richard stared at the contents of the box before him. A video tape, a woman's dress, a set of rings – his and hers –, a sonogram picture and an envelope that was folded in half.

What the hell was this?

He closed the flaps of the box up again and stared once more at the words that marked the top of the box.

"Richy, hold this for me until I get back!" Richard read the words out loud and shook his head in disbelieve.

"Where is he?" His driver inquired from his position in the door of the trailer.

"I don't know." Richard dryly replied and picked up the small cardboard box before he turned towards the other man. "Who knows what he's up to now?"

Irritated he brushed passed him and exited the trailer towards the pick-up truck they'd arrived in, "Lock it up and let's get out of here."

The man did as he was told and quickly got behind the wheel and started the engine. Richard glanced at the disappearing trailer behind them one last time before he casted a look at the man sitting beside him, "We need to establish communication with Hugo and Ben."

"We're trying, but –."

"Try harder!" Richard interrupted with a shout and his driver simply nodded in agreement.

He tossed the cardboard box on the floor by his feet and buckled up. Just then his phone rang and the name Kate flashed across the screen, but Richard simply chose to ignore it for now.

He'd call her back when they were no longer in Mexico. He wasn't sure what he was going to tell her just yet. James was missing but he obviously had plans to come back, hence the box for him to keep.

So maybe he wouldn't tell her anything, at least not until he knew more himself.

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A few days later in Palm Springs

Kate stood in front of the full length mirror and stared at her own reflection with an equal mixture of disbelieve and awe.

The dress was breathtaking. Simply beautiful.

The top was halter less, complimenting Kate's arms and shoulders in a flattering manner.

The skirt was long and full, and was conveniently concealing her slowly growing baby bump. There was just one little problem with it...

… it was pink.

Surely, they didn't call it that. They had some fancy flower name for it, but the end result was the same. The damn dress was pink. And the longer Kate stared at it in the mirror the more she was shocked as she realized she actually liked it … even in pink!

She still thought the dress was just over the top though. It looked a lot fancier and more expensive then her actual wedding dress had looked, that much was sure. But Cassidy loved it and who was she to argue with the bride-to-be.

Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by Claire's voice right outside the curtain of her dressing room, "You got it on yet?"

"Yup." Kate answered and stepped outside. A shy smile crossed her face when she saw Claire's stunned expression and even Miles stepped up closer and admired it.

"That's a hell of a dress."

"It's a bit much though, don't you think?" Kate said and turned to get another look of herself.

Claire stepped up beside her and their eyes connected in the mirror, "It's beautiful. Makes me just wonder what Cassidy's dress looks like if yours looks like this."

"Makes me wonder too." Kate answered honestly and turned towards her friends. "Aren't you going to try something on?

Miles had a suit all picked out, Claire had a few dresses put aside, and they both went off to try them on.

Vivian, the sales clerk, stepped up just then and admired Kate as well, "It's a stunning dress."

"I know." Kate agreed and smiled back at the older woman.

She bend and fluffed out the skirt, inspected the hem length before she looked up and nodded her head at Kate, "And I don't think we'll need to do any adjustments either. It fits as if it was made just for you."

They smiled at each other but then something caught Vivian's eye as she looked back and forth between the mirror image of Kate and Kate herself, "Oh dear, what happened here?"

Kate blushed, her cheeks flaming in an instant when she realized that Vivian was talking about the small scar on her shoulder. "Oh, that." She muttered. Unable to think of a better explanation, or maybe she was just tired of lying she simply said, "I was shot … once."

"Goodness gracious." Vivian exclaimed in shock, but instead of fear and judgment there was sympathy in the older woman's eyes. "Thank the lord you are okay, Sweetheart."

Kate nodded, making a mental note to herself that she'd have to conceal the scar – front and back – on the day of the wedding, because she didn't want to spend the entire day explaining herself to Clark's and Cassidy's family and friends.

Vivian had disappeared again and Kate stepped into the dressing room to change back into her own clothes when her cell phone rang, with a number she didn't recognize

She hesitated for a moment, fearing it would be a reporter again, but then on second thought decided to answer after all.

X

Kate ran out of the dressing room in such a hurry that she nearly stumbled into Miles and Claire that had both appeared to show off their outfits.

Beside herself she looked from one to the other as tears streaked down her cheeks, "They found him."

"What?" Miles and Claire said in unison.

She stopped just long enough to kick out of her matching pink heels and gather up the dress so she'd be able to run better, "They found HIM!"

"Oh my god." Claire gasped when the words finally registered with her and both women took off leaving Miles standing there dumbfounded.

The sales Clerk yelled after them as the alarm system sounded, then looked back at Miles for some sort of explanation.

Miles shrugged apologetically, but quickly gathered all of their belongings from the dressing room and rushed up to the counter, almost stuttering, "It's a … it's a family emergency. We really have to go, so … here you go."

He handed his credit card to the lady and headed for the door.

"Sir, your card."

Miles waved her off, "I'll come back for it. Just hold it for me."

And with that he disappeared out of the store, triggering yet another alarm to go off since he still wore the suit he'd tried on just moments ago.

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Miles drove, since neither Kate nor Claire seemed in the right mind frame to do so. Kate sat beside him in the passenger seat; Claire sat in the back, both of them eerily quiet, except for the occasional sigh that would escape Kate's lips.

Miles cursed at the traffic ahead of him before he turned his attention back to Kate, "I thought Richard was going to give us a heads up? I mean, wasn't that the god damn plan? Being caught off guard like that while all three of us are out of town … that wasn't supposed to happen like that!"

"Maybe … maybe Richard did it to make it more real … you know, for authenticity in Kate's reaction."

Miles' eyes connected with Claire's in the rearview mirror, "Yeah, maybe. But he also said it'd take another month or so … things are just not adding up. Something's just not right about this. I don't believe it until I actually see him with my own eyes, that's all I'm saying."

"You should call Cassidy." Claire chimed in again, but this time directing her words at Kate.

Kate clutched the phone in her hand and looked at it for a long moment before she turned to cast a look at Claire, "You don't think I should wait until I saw him?"

"What's there to wait for? It's him, Kate! LAPD wouldn't have called you and told you if they didn't' think it was him. I'd think Cassidy would want to know, for Clementine's sake!"

"You're right!" Kate nodded and with trembling hands and her heart pounding uncontrollably in her chest, she dialed Cassidy's number and listened to the ring.

End Notes: Please leave a comment or a review if you can. Do you still like where this story is heading? Any Claire and Charlie fans out there with a thought about this chapter? Let me know what you think. Thank you so much for reading! xoxo