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[hightail]

It would not be difficult to discern why Kate, as a rule, made it a point to drink as little as possible. The daughter of a violent alcoholic, she knew better than most how ugly things could get when alcohol became part of the equation, and given how her life had ultimately turned out, she invited as few similarities between herself and Wayne as

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[hightail]

Kate never wanted children, never intended to have any, and she never expected to want a child. There wasn't a motherly bone in her body and any child she brought into the world would be better off without her. These were the thoughts that originally drove her to leave Kevin, and the same which filled her head on the other island, if only for the briefest of moments during which she entertained the worry. But Aaron had needed a mother and Sun was already pregnant with her own; it was up to her to care for Claire's son, and that she had. She just hadn't known how attached she would become, and now every moment she spends apart from him hurts, just as much as the sinking feeling which warns that she might not be able to rescue Claire after all.

Such were the thoughts which clouded Kate's mind at the mere sight of a pregnant woman, although this one seemed far more confident than Claire ever had, and happier, too. Most people who chose to settle on the island were; it was those whose thoughts remained forever elsewhere who really suffered. Kate was convinced she would remain among the latter forever, but it didn't have to keep her from enjoying the mindless celebrations just like everyone else here.

"Is this your first?" she asked, almost apologetic for the obvious direction in smalltalk. Still, there wasn't much else she could say, was there?

[agirlnamedchuck]

The girl named Chuck was still fairly certain that having a child was going to end in disaster. She had never had a mother and was only partially certain of what they did. Her own mother had left her in the care of her father, up and walked out of her life and back to her career. She didn’t blame Aunt Lily for that, not much anyways. After all Lily had been protecting Vivian as well as herself. But that did not make the upcoming idea that soon she would be a full-fledged mother any easier to take. No amount of reading could fully stamp out those fears.

With a nod and a bright smile, Chuck merrily picked up the thread of small talk. That was part of the charm of parties and one of the many reasons she loved working in the kitchen. There were so many fascinating little tidbits about people’s lives that could be learned just by looking and listening. If she had to go through a little chitchat to get to them then it was no trouble for her. “It is. I’m terrified, but I think it is going to turn out alright. I hope at least.”

She was taking the whole thing quite a bit better than Ned, the poor dear.

[hightail]

"I'm sure it will," promised Kate, who, if nothing else, had a fair amount of experience in the realm of reassuring frightened women with child. Although the circumstances were in few ways alike - Claire had given birth on a desert island with only one doctor (who had not been present) and no operating room to speak of - there were also some similarities. Doubtless that this woman was in no way fearful about giving birth so far from home; starting a family on an island where nothing was certain and few things permanent.

At least it wouldn't have to be Kate delivering the child, this time around. On that note: "You must be due any day now, huh?"

[agirlnamedchuck]

Being pregnant was something that Chuck knew was a luxury that could only be given to her here. Back home not only was she in that mysterious medical and legal category of being alive-again, but she could not touch the one person that she could fathom having children with. Childhood sweethearts or not, Ned was special and she was glad to have him in her life in any way but especially this one.

Taking a sip of her drink, she nodded. "The second week of January, so it's closer than not. I don't think the whole thing has fully sunk in yet, which is a little troubling given that it is so close."

[hightail]

"I can imagine," nodded Kate, although at the same time, she really couldn't. Although both were incredibly moving experiences, helping deliver a child and actually giving birth were nowhere near the same.

"I'm Kate, by the way," she offered, though it still felt strange to be this open with herself. Granted, she hadn't often been in a position to introduce herself since becoming one of the Oceanic Six, but being back on an island - even if it wasn't the island - changed a lot. In many ways, she felt as if she had been set back once more, whatever progress she had made all but forgotten because the likes of Alex and Sawyer couldn't remember it to be true. Because no one knew that she had grown, no one except herself.

[agirlnamedchuck]

"I'm Chuck. It's nice to meet you."

Now that she was considering Kate's face, the girl named Chuck was able to pattern it onto the memories she had of those who came in and out of the kitchen. She had seen the other woman before but had never really been introduced. While she tried to at least get names down, it had become less of a priority over the past few months. She was determined to change that as soon as she got back on her feet.

"Oh I always like this time of year, do you?"

[hightail]

She did. Or, rather, she had, back in Los Angeles, back in her old life. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Kate had discovered that she was indeed the kind of person who enjoyed the holiday season, and the promise of a new, better year to come. She enjoyed telling the tale, convincing Aaron of the existence of Santa Claus and surprising him with its' apparent truth on Christmas morning. She missed the magic of it all, the magic the only the belief and innocence of a young child could inspire in most.

This, however, real magic or not, could hardly compare. This she had to try to enjoy, where before, it had been effortless, if a bit surprising. "Yeah," she answered anyway, because it was at least partly true. "For the most part, it only reminds me of home, but... yeah, it's nice."

[agirlnamedchuck]

“Ah,” Chuck said with a knowing nod. The memory of home could be both a good and a bad thing -- rarely was it one or the other. When the girl named Chuck thought of home, she thought her father whom she had loved and the man whom she (still) loved who had killed him as a boy (on accident of course). It was bittersweet, much like the thoughts of the aunts and all the life that she never quite got to live.

Without much prompting she found herself unexpectedly tearing up. Setting her drink on the table she reached for one of the napkins and offered Kate a rueful smile. “Sorry. This sort of thing just keeps happening to me. Hormones and all of that.”

[hightail]

"No, no," objected Kate with a frantic wave of her hand, setting her flute of champagne aside immediately as she stepped forward. This sort of thing she had rarely been in a position to deal with; it was Charlie who formed a target for Claire's outbursts, and that had been for the best, even if it hadn't been easy on the two. That he could love her so unconditionally even while she screamed at him reinforced Kate's belief in the idea of love as a whole, and theirs in particular. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to... Are you okay? Can I get you anything?"

[agirlnamedchuck]

With a deep breath, Chuck closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. It would pass quickly. From what she had read her emotions would continue to be a bit haywire even after the baby was born.

"It's okay. I promise." With a wave of her hand, she smiled brightly. "Hormones. Home can make me either laugh or cry these days. As can pretty much anything. I'll be fine. I am fine."

[hightail]

"I can hardly blame you. I feel the same way, most of the time," admitted Kate, "and I don't even have a good excuse." This, of course, she didn't quite mean. Being relatively new to this island seemed a fine enough excuse, and in general, she didn't think there was much need for excuses when everyone here had essentially been ripped from their homes and loved ones. If there was any one thing she could admire about this woman, it was how brave she was to start a family here, and how happy she seemed as a result.

[agirlnamedchuck]

The girl named Chuck had always been good at putting on a brave face. Bravery had a way of wearing a lot of faces and therefore it was perfectly acceptable if bravery resulted in tears. She could do this, both motherhood and everything else. A little fear was good for a person and she was no exception. It just made her more determined to do the best that she could.

"I think almost everyone does. It's not good or bad, it just is. I wouldn't say that being pregnant is a good excuse." Chuck laughed and shrugged. As far as excuses went it was fairly unclever.

[hightail]

It just is. It was almost an alien thought for Kate, someone who had spent most of her life trying to change things for the better, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She had never been the kind of person who let things just be; she always had to do something, no matter what, and the island was no different. Unfortunately, doing much of anything here was deemed unnecessary, given how much was already readily available to them. Any effort to escape or be rescued or even learn more about the island was deemed pointless, something she still had trouble coming to terms with.

"Maybe 'being stuck' is excuse enough of on its own," suggested Kate, who felt stuck in more ways than the literal. Stuck in progress, even after having made it so far.

[agirlnamedchuck]

Chuck considered how that sounded. Scrunching her face up slightly, she decided that she didn't quite enjoy it. Not one to be biased against any particular word, she instead shrugged her shoulders.

"I think stuck works," she admitted in the end, nodding her head. "I don't like the finality in stuck, but I can't really think of a better word."

Picking up a handful of pretzels off the table, she munched on a few before shrugging her shoulders. "I'll go with it."

[hightail]

"How about 'paused?'" Offered Kate, who was herself a fan at once. There was something strangely hopeful about the word, which didn't suggest finality in the least, yet made no promises, either. Paused, as if they were all taking a break from their lives, a vacation in what no one would argue was the ideal location. They would be returned to their lives eventually, that was an inevitability, but for now, the island had offered them all a much needed breather.

[agirlnamedchuck]

"I like paused. Paused is good." The more that Charlotte Charles thought about, the more that she liked it. It did not seem to be so formal or final, but rather implied that maybe this could last forever or it could be undone. There was still some movement involved, stalled out as it might be.

"Paused until further notice." She munched on a pretzel before holding out a hand. "Want one? I feel kind of rude just eating like this."