Never Be The Same Again
Title: Never Be The Same Again
Characters: Boone, Shannon, Charlie, Cindy.
Rating: PG
Pairings: implied Boone/Shannon
Warnings: mentions of the plane crash, but not really that graphic.
Summary: For Queen janie_tangerine, who requested Boone. In the last moments before Flight 815 crashes, Boone reflects on his relationship with Shannon and whether things can ever go back to how they were as Shannon had claimed.
Shannon yawned widely. “These long-haul flights are so boring,” she stated.
Boone nodded distractedly, not really knowing what to say to her. During the whole process of checking out of their hotel, then checking in for their flight, they’d at least had things to talk about, or rather argue about. They’d gone through the motions, juts as they always had before. But now they were actually on the plane, awkwardness had begun to set in between the two of them once more.
“Now, if you’d just got us seats in first class,” Shannon began, but Boone hurriedly interrupted “Just let that drop, okay? They wouldn’t upgrade us. End of story.”
Could she really just go on about something as stupid as first class seats, just like everything was normal? Clearly, she could. But Boone knew that in spite of Shannon’s words to him in the hotel that morning, it wasn’t going to be that simple to go back to how they were.
She had to understand that, somewhere inside. Surely she must feel something. Could what had happened last night really have happened if Shannon had felt nothing at all?
Actually, he hated to admit it, but it probably could, considering how Shannon had conned him all those times before, taken his money without a second thought.
“Will you quit that?” Shannon snapped, breaking in on his thoughts. “Stop drumming your fingers on the armrest. It’s driving me crazy.”
“Sorry.” Boone apologised. He had been so lost in thought, he hadn’t even realised he was doing it. “You’re right about these flights. I wish I’d brought my copy of Watership Down in my carry-on luggage instead of checking it in.” That had been a mistake. Boone realised now he needed the distraction, not just from his thoughts but from the memory of last night, images previously imagined but now permanently emblazoned on his brain. He fidgeted in his seat, hoping Shannon wouldn’t realise what he was thinking.
“I didn’t know you could read, Boone,” Shannon fired back automatically, slipping into their old routine once more.
Boone turned around to face her. “You know, I didn’t have to come out and get you, Shannon,” he reminded her.
Shannon smiled. “I know. But I knew you would.” And Boone knew this too, knew that even now he’d do exactly the same, even as he’d vowed to himself that he should start making her stand on her own two feet a bit more, yet knowing full well this vow probably wouldn’t last even as long as the flight.
“You do understand that it wasn’t entirely true, what you said earlier?” Boone eventually asked. “We can’t just go back to how we were.”
He hadn’t told Shannon, but Sabrina already knew. She’d had her suspicions anyway, but Boone had spoken to her on the phone not long before Shannon had arrived at his hotel room ,and told her what had happened. Sabrina had said “I told you so”, of course, but had also said she’d be there for Boone when the flight landed. Boone wasn’t entirely convinced that she would be there, however. It had happened so many times in his childhood where Sabrina had promised to be there for him, but hadn’t been. In some ways, Boone thought it might be easier if she wasn’t there today.
“What do you mean?” Shannon asked.
“I mean, you won’t be able to pull that con on me again,” Boone said at last, knowing there was so much more he wanted to say, but reasoning that he still had plenty of time before they got to LAX.
“Is this about the money?” Shannon snapped. “Look, Boone, I’ll pay you back, with interest.”
“What with, Shannon?” Boone asked.
“I’ll get a job, okay?”
“Doing what? I think you’ll find that lying by the pool sunbathing doesn’t pay very well,” Boone retorted before he could help himself, wishing he could take back the words as soon as they were spoken. He’d always known how Shannon had thought she was useless at everything, and in the past, he’d always tried to tell her she could do anything she put her mind to. He couldn’t believe he’d just said that.
“Is that all you think of me?” Shannon gasped, but Boone was saved from replying by some English guy mumbling “excuse me” as he barged past them, pursued by the Australian flight attendant Boone had noticed earlier.
“Did you see that?” Shannon exclaimed when they’d gone by. “Idiot almost knocked my mineral water into my lap.”
“I don’t think it was entirely his fault, Shan,” Boone replied as the plane gave a sudden lurch, and Cindy asked for everyone to return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts.
“Boone?” Shannon whispered, instinctively grabbing for his hand as the plane lurched again.
“it’s going to be okay,” Boone reassured her. “I’m here for you, Shannon.” Just as he had always been, and always would be.
Maybe Shannon hadn’t been so far wrong after all.
Characters: Boone, Shannon, Charlie, Cindy.
Rating: PG
Pairings: implied Boone/Shannon
Warnings: mentions of the plane crash, but not really that graphic.
Summary: For Queen janie_tangerine, who requested Boone. In the last moments before Flight 815 crashes, Boone reflects on his relationship with Shannon and whether things can ever go back to how they were as Shannon had claimed.
Shannon yawned widely. “These long-haul flights are so boring,” she stated.
Boone nodded distractedly, not really knowing what to say to her. During the whole process of checking out of their hotel, then checking in for their flight, they’d at least had things to talk about, or rather argue about. They’d gone through the motions, juts as they always had before. But now they were actually on the plane, awkwardness had begun to set in between the two of them once more.
“Now, if you’d just got us seats in first class,” Shannon began, but Boone hurriedly interrupted “Just let that drop, okay? They wouldn’t upgrade us. End of story.”
Could she really just go on about something as stupid as first class seats, just like everything was normal? Clearly, she could. But Boone knew that in spite of Shannon’s words to him in the hotel that morning, it wasn’t going to be that simple to go back to how they were.
She had to understand that, somewhere inside. Surely she must feel something. Could what had happened last night really have happened if Shannon had felt nothing at all?
Actually, he hated to admit it, but it probably could, considering how Shannon had conned him all those times before, taken his money without a second thought.
“Will you quit that?” Shannon snapped, breaking in on his thoughts. “Stop drumming your fingers on the armrest. It’s driving me crazy.”
“Sorry.” Boone apologised. He had been so lost in thought, he hadn’t even realised he was doing it. “You’re right about these flights. I wish I’d brought my copy of Watership Down in my carry-on luggage instead of checking it in.” That had been a mistake. Boone realised now he needed the distraction, not just from his thoughts but from the memory of last night, images previously imagined but now permanently emblazoned on his brain. He fidgeted in his seat, hoping Shannon wouldn’t realise what he was thinking.
“I didn’t know you could read, Boone,” Shannon fired back automatically, slipping into their old routine once more.
Boone turned around to face her. “You know, I didn’t have to come out and get you, Shannon,” he reminded her.
Shannon smiled. “I know. But I knew you would.” And Boone knew this too, knew that even now he’d do exactly the same, even as he’d vowed to himself that he should start making her stand on her own two feet a bit more, yet knowing full well this vow probably wouldn’t last even as long as the flight.
“You do understand that it wasn’t entirely true, what you said earlier?” Boone eventually asked. “We can’t just go back to how we were.”
He hadn’t told Shannon, but Sabrina already knew. She’d had her suspicions anyway, but Boone had spoken to her on the phone not long before Shannon had arrived at his hotel room ,and told her what had happened. Sabrina had said “I told you so”, of course, but had also said she’d be there for Boone when the flight landed. Boone wasn’t entirely convinced that she would be there, however. It had happened so many times in his childhood where Sabrina had promised to be there for him, but hadn’t been. In some ways, Boone thought it might be easier if she wasn’t there today.
“What do you mean?” Shannon asked.
“I mean, you won’t be able to pull that con on me again,” Boone said at last, knowing there was so much more he wanted to say, but reasoning that he still had plenty of time before they got to LAX.
“Is this about the money?” Shannon snapped. “Look, Boone, I’ll pay you back, with interest.”
“What with, Shannon?” Boone asked.
“I’ll get a job, okay?”
“Doing what? I think you’ll find that lying by the pool sunbathing doesn’t pay very well,” Boone retorted before he could help himself, wishing he could take back the words as soon as they were spoken. He’d always known how Shannon had thought she was useless at everything, and in the past, he’d always tried to tell her she could do anything she put her mind to. He couldn’t believe he’d just said that.
“Is that all you think of me?” Shannon gasped, but Boone was saved from replying by some English guy mumbling “excuse me” as he barged past them, pursued by the Australian flight attendant Boone had noticed earlier.
“Did you see that?” Shannon exclaimed when they’d gone by. “Idiot almost knocked my mineral water into my lap.”
“I don’t think it was entirely his fault, Shan,” Boone replied as the plane gave a sudden lurch, and Cindy asked for everyone to return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts.
“Boone?” Shannon whispered, instinctively grabbing for his hand as the plane lurched again.
“it’s going to be okay,” Boone reassured her. “I’m here for you, Shannon.” Just as he had always been, and always would be.
Maybe Shannon hadn’t been so far wrong after all.