Author's note: Happy really late Valentines Day! I was so going to post this Thursday, but I was sick and decided to sleep instead. Sorry. It's been a LONG week. Anyway, I love you all! :D

Sunlight was flooding in from the windows of Claire's apartment. The chirping of the birds outside woke Claire, giving her the perfect start to her day. The fact that Piers was laying next to her, his face looking almost child like as he slept, didn't hurt either. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, pulling the covers over his shirtless torso, then made her way to the kitchen to cook them both breakfast.

She had just finished cooking the bacon, and by the time the eggs were on the frying pan, Piers stumbled out of the bedroom. "Hey, you." He smiled at her lovingly, pulling his arms around her stomach. She couldn't help but giggle, turning around to stare into his eyes. They kissed each other before Piers took a seat opposite of her.

"How do you like your eggs?" She asked, slightly blushing as he watched her.

"I'm not particularly picky. However you usually make them is fine." He didn't take his eyes off her as he spoke.

"Okay then. Scrambled it is." She worked her magic, and within a few minutes, everything was done and ready to eat. Piers delicately took a bite of the food, unaware of Claire's culinary talent. Once he realized he had been wrong, he shoveled in the food, only stopping to savor the last bit of it.

"Damn. Your going to make a good wife someday." He pondered on that thought a moment longer before dismissing the idea from his head. "So, what are your plans for the day? I don't know your scheduled, but since it's Saturday, I'm free if you want to do something."

"Well, I was just going to sit around all day and watch Pride and Prejudice, but if you want to do something else, I'm all for it." The moment the words escaped her lips, Piers was on the floor laughing. It surprised her to see him in such a state.

"Was it something I said?" She stared at him in confusion, piecing everything together in her mind.

"I find it funny that even though you try to act tough, your still a girl. I mean, come on. Lifetime movies? Chick flicks? None of those scream 'I'm an expert zombie killer' to me." All she did was look at him, her eyebrow raised, to get him to shut up. He quickly took a sip of his coffee. I was just saying.

"I can't help it.. I liked those things before, and I take comfort in them now." Piers could tell she was lost in her memories by the distant look in her eyes. He did his best to bring her out of it.

"I'll watch it with you if you want. I don't mind a good romance movie every now and again." He didn't understand just what he volunteered for until it was too late. After Claire had cleaned up and put the movie on, she snuggled next to him on the couch.

"What exactly do you like about me?" She asked out of nowhere as the opening scene unfolded.

"Hmmm. Do you mean personality wise or look wise?" There was tension in the air as he realized he had said the wrong thing. He decided to answer for both questions to be on the safe side. "I like your strong will and your scene of humor. It's also a plus that you know how to fight. I always thought girls with guns were sexy. Now, look wise I could go all day on. Your eyes are the most amazing shade of blue and your lips are soft to the touch, but you have to remember, I am a guy. What I REALLY love is your ass. Sorry if that upsets you for me to say, but damn. You have the most perfect ass I've ever seen!" He stopped, hoping he didn't offend her. Much to his surprise, she was smiling.

"Yea. I know. I've been told before I have a great ass. I take pride in it." She settled on the couch, laying her head on Piers's chest. They sat there, occasionally chatting about random things as the movie progressed. When it was over, Claire fell silent.

"What are you thinking about?" Piers knew it was a good idea to let her rant about what was on her mind.

"I was just thinking about when I was younger. Me and my mom use to bond over things like this." She trailed off. It took her a while to speak again. "They died when I was in middle school. A drunk driver crashed into them on their way home. It killed them both instantly." She took a deep breath, letting him know she wasn't done, then released it in the form of a sigh before continuing. "After that, Chris and I went to live with with our grandmother. She also left us when I was a freshman in high school. At that point, I was pretty much old enough to fend for myself. Chris took me in, but he eventually signed up for the military. He was hardly ever home, but when he was, he made sure to make up for lost time. He would come home and tell me about his experiences and such about military life. We would talk for hours on end about what each other had missed while we were apart. It was lonely at times, but when I went off to college, I really missed our late night talks. It's funny how we take the small things for granted." She paused again, letting out another sigh. "I remember the first time he told me about S.T.A.R.S and how they had offered him a job as their Point Man. He was indifferent about it, especially when he was told he would have a partner." It surprised Piers to hear Claire suddenly burst out in laughter. "You should have heard what he said when he first met Jill! He called me and was like 'How do they expect me to work with someone that cold hearted?' It's so weird to think of how they are now!" She continued to laugh, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Eventually, she calmed down, an almost bittersweet look now on her face.

"Thank you for that. I'm glad you could open up to me." Piers hugged her to him, kissing the top of her head. "Whenever you need someone to confide in, I'll be here. You don't have to carry your burdens alone anymore."