A/N: This chapter took me like an extremely long time to get out. Not because I didn’t know what to do with it, I’ve had this chapter in itself planned for awhile. It’s just been difficult for me to actually get on my laptop and type it out. I’m sorry it has taken me so long and hopefully my next wont take quite so long.

Disclaimer: Don’t own.

Summary: Getting married to a successful doctor was a part of my parents plan. But meeting HIM was not apart of their plan. A KaixClairexDoc fic. Because we all love triangles

Jean Cooper: I guess it seems that way because I’m basing some of my characters (and parts of others) off of people I know. O.o That’s the only way I can explain the phenomenon of my characters being realistic in any way. xD Well I always base my characters off of something I like… you do too. :P

supernae: I’m glad seeing my email makes you happy then. :D I used to get like that when stories I really really liked and was anticipating updated but I haven’t had anything like that in quite awhile. I hope this chapter surprises you… o-o And I hope that you, especially you… like it.

10Join-Fei: Yes, you were correct… I did! O: But I did manage to fix that little problem… I should say that she isn’t really good at free style drawing but she can draw/ sketch things she sees really really good. I hope that cleared that up.

Flying Gummybears: Lol. I actually quite enjoyed the rambling on our similarity of anti Kaipuri ness. I personally just find Popuri plain annoying… what with her, ‘I want to be treated like an adult’ and then come by your house for candy on Winter Thanksgiving. It’s so… aggravating. v.v And yes, I fixed some of my grammar/ spelling errors after you mentioned. They need to come up with some super high tech form of word that can pin down every error! Dangit! Hope you like this chapter, Kai’s real first chapter.

Muu-chan: Yup I finally brought Kai in! Took me long enough, eh? I feel bad for making everyone wait so long for the initial Kaire response to each other but here it finally is.

Jake: Lol. Mary… The librarian’s name is Mary and yes I love Mary too. I don’t know who doesn’t love Mary she’s so sweet but I gave her a little twist and decided to give her OCD just for the heck of it. Makes her more then just simple and sweet! I plan on making her get super grouchy about things that are out of place or picture frames that are crooked… stuff like that. Dark Mary will come out all: RAWR RAWR, TAKE THAT! I’m also glad you liked Ann’s POV it was my favorite part of the chapter.

Blue Cupcakes: Usually if something happens and it says I can’t review or whatever I’ll type out another review as close to the last one as I can remember… copy… paste and keep trying. xD I love Ann too, and I know you’re a JackxAnn fan… so… :D

becca: Sorry the update took so long. :( It was actually your review that finally encouraged me to finish this chapter and update. I hope you like this chapter.

Hello, Goodbye

Chapter 6 – Hello Kai

Claire’s POV

First day of the summer, Beach Day! The day all the young adults in the town gather on the beach and race for their target. Or so I have been told, several times in fact. The winner gets the glory of knowing they’re the fastest swimmer in town… if that means anything special.

A day I could not participate in.

It was hard to keep a smile plastered on my face as Jack and I continued towards the square, me wearing a freshly dried pair of jean overalls and my blue bikini top and Jack… well Jack had on his swimming trunks and a white shirt. His towel hung around his neck and head hat free for a change revealing messy brown locks of thick hair to the greedy sun.

As I turned to look at him again, I couldn’t help but to cup my hand over my face in attempts not to laugh again, in fear that he might scold me again. But it was too late, he had already noticed and an irritated look stretched across his white sunscreen smudged face.

“Wouldya quit it already?” He huffed out, crossing his arms over his chest to reveal his annoyance.

“I can’t help it Jack, why don’t you just rub it in?” I asked, staring at the white goopy substance all over his neck and arms. Sunscreen… Jack had put on sunscreen this morning and hadn’t rubbed the cool liquid in. So it instead rest over whatever skin he did reveal, thick and noticeable.

He scoffed. “Once you’ve had a mole removed you’ll understand.” Was all I got in reply before we neared the stairs and he stopped and took my hand in his, smiling at me, the thought of his reply still running through my mind, “Mole?” I replied quietly.

He nodded stiffly. “Worse pain you will ever feel in your life.”

“Worse then getting hit by a car?”

He seemed to think this over for a moment, scratching his chin with his free hand before nodding. “Worse then getting hit by a car…” He agreed. Of course I had never been hit by a car so I wouldn’t know. I didn’t think I wanted to find out though, thank the Goddess I was in the country, middle of no where now. I was sure more then half of the citizens didn’t even know how to drive a car… maybe even never even seen a car.

“Worse then… getting stabbed in the shoulder?”

Jack seemed to stiffen at my question slightly, he of course had both been hit by a car and been stabbed in the shoulder while he lived in the city. Getting hit by the car was a pure accident… but when he was stabbed in the shoulder he was being mugged.

Look at it this way, you’re a man who owes someone more money then you have or can even count too, do to the loss of schooling, and you see a young man dressed in an expensive business suit walking the streets alone at night after leaving work late. He looks rich… he looks sophisticated… and… he looks strong. Strong enough to handle his own in a hand to hand combat situation.

So you decisively take your Buck knife from your back pocket, come at him with a strained war cry, and shove it hard in his shoulder, pressing the tang down to rip a large some of skin. You hear the sound of skin and tissue slicing under the force of which the blade enters and it sends a shiver down you spine. But the man is no less hurt and it gives you the advantage. You don’t care if he’s hurt, you don’t care if he dies. The only thing on your mind is that large sum of money you owe this man who could send someone to whack you at any moment.

After more struggle from the man that you thought you’d receive you manage to punch him hard enough in the chest to knock the wind out of him, and knock the man cold to the floor. You shake your hand slightly, the action of punching him causing a certain reaction that can be described in one word: Pain. After searching his pockets, you find exactly what you were looking for, a check book and seemingly expensive pocket watch. Both which are now yours. You stand, not even turning to give the man a second glance before walking away. You think you’ll never get caught, you’re wrong.

That man you left lying on the ground is an intelligent man. That man you left lying on the ground is my brother. That man you left lying on the grounds name is Jack Austen, and though you manage to steal a small fortune from him, he has the last laugh.

He comes to visit you in jail one time, bruises completely faded and shoulder near healed but a large scar bared on it for all to see. He now has the last laugh.

“Definitely not worse then getting stabbed in the shoulder.” He smirked down at me before wrapping an arm around me and helping me down the large stone stairs, making sure each step is light which I am thankful for before we continue towards the beach and a large group of people. Most in their swimming suits and ready to go.

I stared down at the freshly wrapped gauze around my foot in annoyance. Sand had collected inside it and I could feel it between the pad of my foot and the bandages. We had just started trekking down the beach and I was already aggravated at the sand.

I glared down at the sand darkly for a moment, as if the sand would cower in fear at my gaze and leave me alone. Of course, I knew it wouldn't and I sighed to the thought before turning to look up at my brother. He was lucky, he'd be able to compete and swim and all that nonsense... I got to watch for the sidelines... from the pier... Well at least I had Tim to keep me company...

Kai’s POV

As Popuri continued to tell me how the rest of her year went without me around, I looked towards the entrance to the beach. Two figures walked down the steps. The taller, hat clad man had an arm wrapped around a smaller blond haired figure. I grinned as I saw really, what was my only male friend in these parts, Jack and waved carelessly at him.

I briefly wondered who this girl was that he appeared to be holding onto so tightly and if I had been listening to Popuri, I would have heard that her name was Claire… and she was Jack’s younger sister… and that she was engaged to Tim. But the moment I laid eyes on her, everything around me seemed to stop and I completely turned the bubbly girl off. Not that I think she even noticed, I vaguely heard her over my thoughts. Even as they neared and I noticed the extremely agitated look on her face, I couldn’t help but to gawk at her and briefly wonder how she was connected to Jack. I knew that she had to be new, by series of elimination. Not here last year equaled new.

As I looked her over, I noticed that her foot was wrapped in gauze and seemed to be taking in sand with every step she took, causing her to cringe and glare down at her foot every so often.

I stared at the girl as she stood with Ann and Karen. The other two seemed to be involved in a deep, but rather funny conversation because of the fact that every five minutes they would burst into giggles. But she seemed to be distracted. She was staring off in the opposite direction of where I was standing and I couldn’t help but to turn my head and follow her gaze… straight to the doctor who had been standing next to Elli and Lillia. He was looking at Lillia with concern etched across his face.

He probably came to take care of Lillia, her body was fragile after all. But why had she been looking at him? I furrowed my eyebrows and turned my gaze back to the blond girl who seemed to have been picked up in the conversation. She wasn’t speaking, but she was smiling and nodding. I wanted to know who this girl was, and I simply would.

I wondered if Jack was perhaps interested in her. I averted my gaze to the cute brunette nurse, Elli. Hadn’t Jack been interested in her the last year I came? Well, if Jack were interested in this beauty of a blond then I guess that would make him and me rivals, right?

I think I stood a pretty good chance against Jack. I mean, so what if he was slightly taller and stronger. So what if he was intelligent and charming… I cringed at the thought. Well I had… I have a killer smile! Yup, I could definitely win her over… I could!

I stared over at the blond once more and watched her as she finally spoke her first words since I had first seen her.

“Goddess no!” She was looking at Karen now; I supposed Karen had said something to her. I watched as her gaze lowered to her wrapped foot and her features scrunched slightly. “I wear this thing to look sexy! Really, I'm just trying to create a fashion statement. I know everyone wishes they had gauze like mine!”

I chuckled to myself as the three girls burst into a fit of laughter. Her tone seemed sarcastic. Well, at least she had a sense of humor, of some sorts. Perhaps when it came to her, that little bit they say about blonds wasn’t true. But I'd find out soon enough. I tossed my towel over the bench by the snack shack, trying to think of a good conversation starter. I wanted to impress her, but not over do it. I rubbed my chin as I thought, watching the blonde and her every move, and trying to pick up on her name in the conversation… unfortunately no one was saying it.

I was about to make my way over to the girls and just settle on introducing myself, allowing my natural charm to take over when I felt a large hand clap my shoulder. “Man, you will never guess how many rows of pineapple I planted this morning…” His voice trailed off and he grew silent. “See something you like over there?” Jack asked smugly, he must have realized I hadn’t been able yet to peel my eyes from the blond’s backside.

I nodded dumbly in reply to him. “Yeah actually…” I began, my eyes trailing whatever little curves of her body that were revealed under the baggy overalls she wore. She was wearing a bikini top so… at least there was a bit of creamy skin revealed to my hungry eyes. “Who’s the blond? Your girlfriend from the city or something?”

Jack snickered, but I ignored. He was probably mad I was interested in his girl or something. He would get over it later. Though I did feel a pang of guilt, Jack was my friend, my best friend and I wasn’t looking to try and upset him. I had lost many friends over the years, but I refused to lose Jack. “Her name is Claire.” He responded dryly. “There’s no point Kai. She won’t respond to meaningless flirtation.”

I furrowed my brows. Who the hell ever said my flirtations were meaningless? I usually did it for a reason, a damn good reason! “Jack, nothing I ever say is completely meaningless. Plus… what if she like… comes onto me?” I asked stupidly, and then mentally berated myself for even saying the words.

“Doubtful!” The taller brunette responded and I finally looked up at him, annoyed with his negativity. It was dampening my mood. That’s when I did the stupidest thing I could have ever done…

“Oh yeah?” I asked and left Jack’s side, sauntering over to the threesome of girls, my trademark grin plastered across my face. Looking back on it, I wonder if Jack had set me up that day… I arrived at my goal, winking at Karen and Ann as I gave my best grin. “Hey girls, did you miss me?” I suavely acted like I had just noticed the blond’s – Claire’s existence and I turned to her. “Hello, you must be new. My name is Kai and I open the Snack Shack for the summer, and you are?”

She turned to the other girls, seeming to look for approval to speak with me and I couldn’t help but to smirk at the small smile on their faces, Karen was even blushing. I brushed my long purple trunks, yup, still got it Kai. “Claire…” She replied slowly with narrowed eyes. It was as if she was trying to figure out if she should trust me or not.

I smiled toothily at her and turned my whole focus on her. “Claire huh? Pretty name for a pretty girl…” I trailed off and cheered myself on mentally. “Well… I’m here all summer, and if you're ever around the beach, drop in and I'll give you a snow cone on the house. I could use some pleasant company for a change... so... yeah you should definitely stop by and we can have some fun.”

She looked to her left, then her right, the pointed to herself. Her face went through a few different emotions as far as I could tell. Blank, and then shocked, and then completely flustered. “Me? Oh-my-Goddess… you mean me?”

I felt my grin growing, having gotten used to a certain pink airheads similar comments and nodded my head vigorously. Even if she was a dumb blonde, she was still very easy on the eyes. “Yes you, gorgeous.” I said encouragingly, inwardly doing the happy dance as I cocked my head to the side, pleased with my obvious skills at wooing the women folk.

She crossed her arms over her chest, her face still ecstatic as she seemed to think this over. She looked over once more at Ann and Karen who seemed to be as shocked as she had been a moment before, but instead of staring at me… they were staring at her. She rubbed her shoulder tenderly for a moment, her cerulean eyes never leaving my own. It was then she said something I had never expected to here come from any females mouth. “I am so flattered! I must be so lucky that I, out of all these girls caught YOUR eye. How could I refuse? You know what? I can already tell you’re a great guy and I just have to thank you because you know what, I am not smart at all or anything!”

My eyes must have widened larger then they ever had before. This… this wasn’t going the way I wanted… at all.

“Wow Claire! I’ve never heard any girl talk to Kai like that!” Karen said, a giggle escaping her lips.

Her eyes took on a dark glare and I couldn’t stop myself from gawking. I knew that I must have looked incredibly similar to that of a fish. And I found… that for the first time in nearly twelve years I was completely speechless in the presence of a female.

So there was life in there. She wasn’t a dumb blond after all. In fact, she seemed quite the opposite. She stalked away and I continued to stand there as I continued to feel the open wounds of the daggers she had shot at me.

It was hard for me to take it in… to except the fact that I had been shot down…way way down, maybe to the pits of hell themselves. How could she just so harshly put me down like that? Me! Women die to go out with me! I was supposed to be some… irresistible… charming… sex god to women. So what was it about her? What was it that made her turn me down and possibly despise my existence? I swallowed the lump in my throat, refusing to turn my back and look at her, fearing the thought of more daggers.

I felt a hand pat my shoulder sympathetically, wincing as if the touch burnt me and looked to my left to meet a pair of victorious brown eyes. “What did I tell you?” Jack asked, amusement ringing clear in his voice.

Way to rub salt on an open wound, Jack.

“Did I just get... not shot... but... blown out of the sky with an atomic bomb?!” I muttered, looking at Jack. Goddess, I was loosing my touch!! What the hell! Plenty of girls would be all over that opportunity!

Jack smirked once more, “Don't take it personally... she doesn't respond to guys that don't seem to…” He paused for a moment, running the pad of his thumb over his chin thoughtfully. “Come on to a girl like its nothing...”

Might as well write 666, mark of the devil on his forehead… And might as well rubbed a raw slab of steak all over my body, tied me up, and thrown me to the wolves. He was getting some sick, twisted pleasure out of this. What a friend…

Jack’s POV, 15 minutes before

“Jack, nothing I ever say is completely meaningless. Plus… what if she like… comes onto me?”

I raised both of my eyebrows as his gaze continued to follow my sister’s backside, trying to ignore the unsettling feeling it gaze me within the pits of my very being. But I knew Claire wouldn’t dare come on to Kai, she was engaged to Tim. Not that she would even if she wasn’t though. Claire had had her fair share of flirtatious, egotistical men to know she didn’t want another. But I didn’t see any harm in not telling Kai that, “Doubtful!” I responded after a moment of thinking it over and deciding Kai would just have to learn for himself.

“Oh yeah?” He seemed to be slightly more motivated, as if I had challenged him to act on his impulsive feelings towards my sister. If there was one word I could use to describe Kai, that would most certainly be it, impulsive. He was now far enough away to where hearing become difficult but I saw him look at the two girls across from my sister then turn on her. Now able to see his face, a very large smirk seemed to have slid across it which showed me that he was quite sure of himself.

My sister looked between her two new friends, as though she wasn’t sure if it was quite alright to talk to someone who was so outright. Her lips moved slightly and though I’m no expert on lip reading but I was shocked to see what was certainly a ‘Claire’ escape her lips. She was amusing him… she had to be.

It was only a few moments more until it happened… the eye widening, jaw dropping onslaught that I had originally thought I would see before my eyes. Looks like I was right, one for Jack. Zero for Kai.

“I am so flattered! I must be so lucky that I, out of all these girls caught YOUR eye. How could I refuse? You know what? I can already tell you’re a great guy and I just have to thank you because you know what, I am not smart at all or anything!” Those words that came out of my sister’s mouth were as clear as crystal and I’m sure had every one on the beaching stopping whatever it was that they had been doing to turn and look in surprise and she stormed away from an extremely shocked tan traveler.

After watching the show go down, I found myself chuckling in amusement and I stepped next to my slightly shorter, tanned friend once more placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Goddess, it was so hard for me to resist the urge to just blab out, ‘PWNT!’ in Kai’s shocked looking face. I instead settled at an amused smirk and saying in an ‘I told you so’ sort of form, “What did I tell you?”

Kai’s face was priceless, like it was something he never personally saw coming his way in a million years. Of course Kai… being much more experience in flirting then my little sister literally looked like someone had just tried to pound his face in with a shovel or something. The disbelief… the complete an utter disbelief… that a woman turned him down was all too apparent.

“Did I just get... not shot... but... blown out of the sky with an atomic bomb?!” I heard him mutter over my thoughts.

Maybe this would be some good for him…

I smirked once more, blown out of the sky would be one of many ways I would personally explain what had just happened that left every on the entire beach with mouths hung open in some form of shock. Ricky boy seemed rather pleased on the other hand though and that in it self only caused my smirk to widen. “Don't take it personally... she doesn't respond to guys that don't seem to…” I paused for a moment, running the pad of my thumb over my chin thoughtfully as I tried to think over the best way to end the sentence and not insult my friend. “Come on to a girl like its nothing...”

Normally I would have felt sorry for him… I would have felt very sorry for him… but for some reason when it revolved around Claire… I felt a slight older brother protectiveness kick in. I couldn’t help it, I had always been this way. I may or may not have scared away a few of her past boyfriends, but they were all douche bags anyways. Totally and completely not worth her time and I knew she could do better.

Of course I had to deal with an angry Claire for a few hours to even a day sometimes but of course she’d forgive me. Goddess, I never expected any less. We drove each other up the wall but we loved each other fiercely. I always just supposed that that’s what brothers and sister do.

Claire’s POV

Hands clenched in fists I found myself storming away from this Kai and in the comforting direction of Tim. At least I knew that if I was around him I would be harassed by some idiotic purple bandanna wearing pervert!

I stopped in front of my not by choice fiancé and almost immediately pressed my head into his chest, relieving myself of a frustrated groan that I had been harbingering for the passed five minutes since the idiot entered my personal space and made me feel like I was any other blond bimbo he had seen on any other beach.

It felt Tim stiffen slightly, and assumed it was from not being used to such physical contact from a woman besides maybe Elli. I was sure Elli had been there through a lot for him, there to support him as he needed her. It must have been nice to have someone there for you like that. It had been awhile for me… I used to have a pillar of strength, I used to have Jack… But my own pillar had crumbled and was in need of his own pillar. Jack never got his own pillar.

When I finally tilted my head up, I noticed a slightly nervous and concerned look on his face before he brought a warm hand to my equally warm forehead. “Are you feeling alright Claire?” He asked his voice soft and soothing. I guess you’d have to have a soothing voice in order to be a doctor. I’d imagine if they’d have a gruff one it maybe scare away patients.

“Yeah…” I heaved out, finally pulling away from the tall raven haired man. “I think I’m just going to stay over here with you the rest of the day.” I began, but then felt a sudden serge of mental panic. “That is uhm… if you want me too. If you don’t I understand and and-“

I heard Elli giggle and Tim placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’s alright Claire, we don’t mind…” He began to say, but I cut him off, continuing my rant.

“-Are you sure because I can just stand over there. The view of the race will be slightly better and I could sit under the umbrella it’s alright really…” I pointed towards the beach umbrellas. Of course I preferred to be over here with him over being over there. I still had so much to learn about Tim, after all. His studies intrigued me, he in general intrigued me.

“Claire.” He said, he voice a bit more stern and his grip on my shoulder tightening in the slightest. “Really, I want you here.” Those words left all arguments I had planned to use rendered as I gaped at him for a moment, the nodded my head.

I turned to look forward and instantly honed on a purple bandanna from the crowds, my eyes narrowing. I hated people like him, people that loved you then dumped you. People that didn’t take anyone’s feelings into consideration, they have there fun and move on to the next thing more interesting.

Maybe I was being a bit harsh, heck I didn’t even know the guy but that’s only what I was used too. And seeing the look on Ann and Karen’s faces when they saw him… it said one thing. Women loved him, and a guy which women loved could only lead to trouble and heart ache… am I not right?

At that thought I shuffled closer to Tim, closer to security, grabbing the hand which had fell to his side and sighing slightly as I entwined our fingers. He looked down at me, a curious look on his face but smiled none the less. The race would be starting soon, and I was not a part of it.

A/N: So yeah, a short chapter but I over all loved it. I hope I surprised a lot of you with the initial KaixClaire meeting. xD I’ve had it planned for awhile. I already know what I want with most of this fic and keep in mind that it will probably be 20+ chapters. Which is a firsty for me.

I feel like this chapter could have been better, but I haven't updated in so long I may have rushed it a bit. v.v I am over all satisfied with it though.

I’m honestly not certain what to do with this next chapter so it might be a bit until I get it out. I’ll be working on my other fics as I go over the plot bunnies in my head for it though.

Prologue