For lunar_temptress
Title- Time to Grow
Rating- G
Pairing- Claire/Locke
Spoilers- None really, vague season 1 and 2 spoilers
Written for- lunar_temptress
A/N- Sorry, Nika, hun that this took me forever to write. To tell you the truth, I don't think that "Lost in Translation" is a classic love story per say, but it inspired me to write this because I think it fits so well with Claire/Locke. I hope you enjoy it hun! Happy belated Valentines day!
Today was the day everyone that had decided not to stay in Australia was leaving; Claire had come to see everyone off. She had made her goodbyes to almost everyone heading off: Jack’s had been a deep hug, a whisper to send him e-mails of her and Aaron, Kate’s had been a quick smile a rueful shrug when Claire inquired about the status of her arrest, and Charlie’s had been a clipped goodbye, his eyes hovering over her shoulder at the press he desperately wanted to return to. Names, faces and goodbyes blurred together, until now only one person remained for Claire to part ways with.
John Locke stood a little ways from the main center of goodbyes, watching with a bittersweet smile the entire proceedings. Claire approached him, trying to form the words that she needed to say to him. He had taught her so much, captured a piece of her heart, and he was leaving now, going because he said the United States was his home; hers was here with the rest of her family.
“Hey John,” she said, getting within a couple feet of him before stopping short, staring up into his clear eyes. “I guess this is goodbye.”
His smile twisted just slightly before he nodded slowly. “I’m afraid it is,” he agreed. “You going to be all right, Claire? Now that you’re back home.”
Claire nodded, looking away from his face, focusing her attention on Bernard and Rose making their goodbyes to Jin and a pregnant Sun; she smiled gently. “It’s strange,” she said, turning back to his face. “To see everyone leaving; in some ways, these people taught me more than anyone else I’ve ever known. Especially you, John.”
John smiled at her, a genuine smile not clouded with doubt and confusion. “I’m not anything special, Claire,” he told her softly. “There’s hundreds of guys out there who would have told you the same thing, been there no matter what; you just happen to choose me.”
Claire opened her mouth to protest, but John placed a finger to her lips. “You’re an amazing woman, Claire. You’ll find that one person someday, and when you do, you’ll learn to be that extraordinary woman I’ve always seen,” John informed her, a slight tremor to his voice.
Claire shut her mouth and stared at the man in front of her. He was going to leave soon; leave her behind as he moved on in his life. She would never been the same because of him, of that she was sure. Never probably meet someone that could look into her eyes and read her soul the way he could, but he was leaving, had to go. “Thank you, John,” she whispered, hoping her realized how much her had meant to her, holding back the tears. “I’ll keep in contact, send you pictures of Aaron.”
“I’d like that,” John said. He took her into his arms, held her as she breathed in his scent, committing it to her memory. “Take care, Claire.”
“You too, John,” she muttered back. She stepped back and bit her lip. “Bye John.”
She turned away; if she stayed, she would just make a fool out of her self, say something she shouldn’t, cry tears he did not need to see. It was best she left now; allowed her heart to move on.
She had hardly made it twenty steps, when a hand gripped her shoulder, turned her around. John stood there, his eyes desperate and fiery. He lowered his lips to hers, kissed her right there in the airport, gave her a piece of his heart in return for the piece she had already given him.
He broke the kiss and pulled her tight to him as he frantically whispered in her ear. “I love you Claire; don’t think that I don’t, but I have to go now. I need to give you a chance to move on without me, but if you ever decide that you need me, cannot live without me, just call me, tell me, and I’ll be here. Promise me.”
Claire let a few stray tears slip down her face as she nodded. “Yes, I promise.”
John released her, cupping her face in his hands, brushing away her tears. His hands lingered for a long moment, before a voice called out over the intercom, “Seating rows 32-42, everyone in these seats please make your way to the desk.”
John smiled one last time before his hands dropped to his sides and he made his way to the ticket counter. Claire watched him the entire time; she smiled just a little. Before she too turned away, went to find her mother and Aaron, ready to move on with her life, give herself some time to grow, live, before she thought to contact the one person that had affected her life more than anyone else she had ever know.
Rating- G
Pairing- Claire/Locke
Spoilers- None really, vague season 1 and 2 spoilers
Written for- lunar_temptress
A/N- Sorry, Nika, hun that this took me forever to write. To tell you the truth, I don't think that "Lost in Translation" is a classic love story per say, but it inspired me to write this because I think it fits so well with Claire/Locke. I hope you enjoy it hun! Happy belated Valentines day!
Today was the day everyone that had decided not to stay in Australia was leaving; Claire had come to see everyone off. She had made her goodbyes to almost everyone heading off: Jack’s had been a deep hug, a whisper to send him e-mails of her and Aaron, Kate’s had been a quick smile a rueful shrug when Claire inquired about the status of her arrest, and Charlie’s had been a clipped goodbye, his eyes hovering over her shoulder at the press he desperately wanted to return to. Names, faces and goodbyes blurred together, until now only one person remained for Claire to part ways with.
John Locke stood a little ways from the main center of goodbyes, watching with a bittersweet smile the entire proceedings. Claire approached him, trying to form the words that she needed to say to him. He had taught her so much, captured a piece of her heart, and he was leaving now, going because he said the United States was his home; hers was here with the rest of her family.
“Hey John,” she said, getting within a couple feet of him before stopping short, staring up into his clear eyes. “I guess this is goodbye.”
His smile twisted just slightly before he nodded slowly. “I’m afraid it is,” he agreed. “You going to be all right, Claire? Now that you’re back home.”
Claire nodded, looking away from his face, focusing her attention on Bernard and Rose making their goodbyes to Jin and a pregnant Sun; she smiled gently. “It’s strange,” she said, turning back to his face. “To see everyone leaving; in some ways, these people taught me more than anyone else I’ve ever known. Especially you, John.”
John smiled at her, a genuine smile not clouded with doubt and confusion. “I’m not anything special, Claire,” he told her softly. “There’s hundreds of guys out there who would have told you the same thing, been there no matter what; you just happen to choose me.”
Claire opened her mouth to protest, but John placed a finger to her lips. “You’re an amazing woman, Claire. You’ll find that one person someday, and when you do, you’ll learn to be that extraordinary woman I’ve always seen,” John informed her, a slight tremor to his voice.
Claire shut her mouth and stared at the man in front of her. He was going to leave soon; leave her behind as he moved on in his life. She would never been the same because of him, of that she was sure. Never probably meet someone that could look into her eyes and read her soul the way he could, but he was leaving, had to go. “Thank you, John,” she whispered, hoping her realized how much her had meant to her, holding back the tears. “I’ll keep in contact, send you pictures of Aaron.”
“I’d like that,” John said. He took her into his arms, held her as she breathed in his scent, committing it to her memory. “Take care, Claire.”
“You too, John,” she muttered back. She stepped back and bit her lip. “Bye John.”
She turned away; if she stayed, she would just make a fool out of her self, say something she shouldn’t, cry tears he did not need to see. It was best she left now; allowed her heart to move on.
She had hardly made it twenty steps, when a hand gripped her shoulder, turned her around. John stood there, his eyes desperate and fiery. He lowered his lips to hers, kissed her right there in the airport, gave her a piece of his heart in return for the piece she had already given him.
He broke the kiss and pulled her tight to him as he frantically whispered in her ear. “I love you Claire; don’t think that I don’t, but I have to go now. I need to give you a chance to move on without me, but if you ever decide that you need me, cannot live without me, just call me, tell me, and I’ll be here. Promise me.”
Claire let a few stray tears slip down her face as she nodded. “Yes, I promise.”
John released her, cupping her face in his hands, brushing away her tears. His hands lingered for a long moment, before a voice called out over the intercom, “Seating rows 32-42, everyone in these seats please make your way to the desk.”
John smiled one last time before his hands dropped to his sides and he made his way to the ticket counter. Claire watched him the entire time; she smiled just a little. Before she too turned away, went to find her mother and Aaron, ready to move on with her life, give herself some time to grow, live, before she thought to contact the one person that had affected her life more than anyone else she had ever know.