DISCLAIMER: Lost and its characters are the property of JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, Touchstone Television, ABC and Disney. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SPOILERS: 6.03 What Kate Does, 6.05 Lighthouse.
Running Parallel To You
By gilligankane
She meets her with a scowl and a flash of familiarity in those sea-blue eyes, but when Kate blinks she's staring at a woman she doesn't know, a gun hanging between them.
The woman looks panicked, stricken and her eyes dart around the space they're in, looking for any escape route, but Kate has her backed into the corner of a moving taxi and by the looks of things – the swollen stomach and the round face – there's nowhere for her to that Kate can't chase her.
She's not running anyway; she looks like she has the fight instinct that Kate never seems to be able to find.
Her name is Claire Littleton and she's the prettiest thing Kate has seen in a while.
And Kate should be running, because there's a Marshall after her and driving a pregnant girl around in a stolen taxi is exactly what she shouldn't be doing, but Claire is smiling softly and telling her to take lefts and rights and her hand lingers on her stomach as she talks.
Kate should be running, but her foot eases off the gas pedal a little and she finds herself answering Claire's intrusive questions and smiling at Claire's accent and wondering how she missed her on the plane and then she's pushing on the gas pedal harder and faster and she's speeding – God, this is such a bad idea – and there's a nurse with a wheelchair.
"Are you with her?"
It's too easy to say yes so she doesn't try to say no.
Kate gets her first look at Aaron Littleton and she wonders what he'll look like when he's older; if he'll have Claire's eyes, or her smile, or her hair.
Claire's hand grips her own and she smiles.
"It's going to be okay," she says, eyes lingering on the monitor.
"Of course it is," Claire murmurs back, her eyes asking a question her mouth isn't.
But Kate can't stay, especially since Claire is asking her, with the line of her smile and the light in her eyes, that she could stay. She doesn't know this woman and she would probably only ever let her down and Claire looks like she doesn't need this kind of mess in her already messy life.
So the nurse turns her back and Kate makes her break, tearing through the halls and out to the parked taxi cab and she gets as far as a mile before she slams her palms against the steering wheel and she turns the car around.
"What are you doing?" Claire asks in a whispered hush as she slips back through the door into her seat by the bed.
Kate shrugs, because she's not sure she has an answer for that question.
Not an answer Claire wants.
"I bet he's going to be perfect," she says instead. "He'll look just like you."
When Claire's eyes start to shine, Kate looks away.
She meets her with a smile and a flash of familiarity in those sea-blue eyes, but when Kate blinks she's staring at a woman she doesn't know, a gun hanging between them.
The woman looks panicked, stricken and her eyes dart around the space they're in, looking for any escape route, but Kate has her backed into the corner of a small clearing of the jungle and by the looks of things – the sunken stomach and the gaunt face – there's nowhere for her to that Kate can't chase her.
She's not running anyway; she looks like she has the fight instinct that Kate never seems to be able to find.
Her name is Claire Littleton and she's the prettiest thing Kate has seen in a while.
And Kate should be running, because Claire has a gun and is screaming at her and she looks like she knows what she's doing with it, but underneath it, she can almost see Claire on the beach, smiling softly and telling her about thinking of giving the baby up for adoption and the way her hand lingers on her stomach as she talks.
Kate should be running, but her feet stay rooted to the jungle floor and she finds herself trying to talk Claire down and grimacing at Claire's hoarse words and wondering how they never went looking for Claire when they got back to the island and then she's walking forward quickly and with intent – God, this is such a bad idea – and there's some Other sweeping down on the them, catching them off guard.
"Are you with her?"
It's too easy to say yes so she doesn't try to say no.
Kate gets her first look at where Aaron Littleton is supposed to be, and she wonders what he looks like now that he's older; if he still has Claire's eyes, and her smile, and her hair.
Claire's hand grips her own and she grimaces.
"It's going to be okay," she says, eyes lingering on the empty crib.
"Of course it isn't," Claire murmurs back, her eyes asking a question her mouth won't.
But Kate shouldn't stay, especially since Claire is telling her, with the line of her mouth and the glint in her eyes, that she should go. She doesn't know this woman and she's only ever let her down and Claire looks like she doesn't want this kind of mess in her already messy life.
So the Other turns his back and Kate makes her break, tearing through the jungle and out to the first clearing and she gets as far as a mile before she kicks out at a tree and she turns around.
"What are you doing?" Claire asks in a hiss as she slips back against the tree, into the rope she escaped out of.
Kate shrugs, because she's not sure she has an answer for that question.
Not an answer Claire wants.
"He's perfect," she says instead. "He looks just like you."
When Claire's eyes start to shine, Kate reaches over and touches her cautiously and refuses to let go.
The End