A Curators Dream (Claire)

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire headed into the closet and sifted through Fred’s clothes that were on the hangers. She spotted a few items that were a little too brightly colored in her size. She had a really good feeling they belonged to her. She found a tank and short pajama set that were obviously hers and decided to change in the closet while she heard Fred in the other room. The orange and yellow striped shorts with the yellow tank were something that only Claire would actually wear to bed. Not that they were going to bed yet, but still it didn’t hurt to get comfortable!

When she finally came out of the closet she noticed that Fred also decided to get a little more comfortable in just a t-shirt and his dress slacks. Well.. she could definitely see why she would have liked him.. he looked like he took care of himself when he had free time but wasn’t a muscle head like other guys she’d seen her sister hanging around. ”Food will be here soon. I set up Ferris Bueller.” She made her way over to the couch, spotting her wine glass close by she scooped it up as she plopped herself down next to him on the couch. She made sure to keep a bit of space between them, unsure of how they usually were. She had a feeling it was the way it had been with Griffin.. well.. he was Griffin in a sense, right? She’d done all these things but she just pictured him as another man. Was she growing tired of Fred? They’d known each other for such a long time did she wish for something new? Different, maybe? That was probably why she gave him a new persona.. but she couldn’t say that to him. She wasn’t even sure if that were true and she didn’t want to start voicing her assumptions.

”Am I still required to get up and dance during the float scene?” Claire was in the middle of taking a sip of wine when he asked that and her eyes got noticeably wider. “What?!” She set down the glass and stared at him with awe. “You do that? Oh you SO have to do that this time! How could I forget that? This is happening!” She tried to picture it in her mind, digging deep down to see if she could find any possible recollection of him dancing along with Ferris Bueller during the parade scene. Of all the things that she could wish to remember, nothing was as important as this memory!

The pair of them sat there as the movie played. Claire did silly little imitations and recited the dialogues going on along with the movie like the 80’s geek she could be. When Ferris was trying to hail a cab to escape before his father spotted him at the same restaurant as him the doorbell rang letting them know that the chinese had arrived. They had already started a second bottle of wine when the parade scene began. “Mmm!! Mm!” She had a mouthful of noodles and was pointing at the TV with her chopsticks before she poked Fred in the arm with one of her wooden utensils and quickly swallowed down her food. “You said you would! Show me your moves, Fredster!” There was something about 80’s movies that made her feel young.. maybe it was just that she wished her time in high school had been directed by John Hughes.. but she acted like someone without a care. “Come on, I’ll do it with you!” She set her takeout carton down on the table and reached for his arm to help him up to his feet then backed up a bit, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she grew a little hyper. And buzzed. Definitely buzzed. When she was free and clear of all objects that she might end up bumping into or knocking over she started to dance, kicking her feet out and twisting in a Molly Ringwald sort of way like she did in The Breakfast Club. Because why not? She was a redhead who couldn’t exactly dance either.

[CUPCAKE]

“What?! You do that? Oh you SO have to do that this time! How could I forget that? This is happening!” And so began their movie night. Fred tried not to squirm his way closer to Claire as they watched. Normally she was all over the couch, leaning against him, laying with her head in his lap, turning so her feet were dangling in his lap and occasionally she would make him lay so she could snuggle between his legs, but she hadn't wriggled into that position in a while since the last time she claimed he hurt her back with his knee. But there was none of that this time. Claire still copied the movie, quoting parts she always did while they they shoved noodles and chicken and eggrolls down their throats.

When Danke Schoen started Claire began flipping out and Fred groaned rolling down the couch into a petulant slump. “You said you would! Show me your moves, Fredster!” She was clearly drunk, and clearly not letting him off the hook. He shouldn't have opened his mouth, but he knew if he was going to be forced to do this, he'd have to do it right. “Come on, I’ll do it with you!” "Alright, alright.." He grumbled getting to his feet, trying to hide the little grin at his lips. This was the Claire he loved.

They started dancing to Danke Schoen and when Cameron and Sloane started talking he stopped. "I'll be right back." He jumped over the back of the couch like he was slick and slid to the bedroom. In a moment he was back with a leopard print vest on, looking almost like the Ferris on TV. Of course he wasn't wearing leopard print and his vest didn't belong to his 80's, cat obsessed girlfriend, but he looked good enough for Claire. He danced with her as she laughed, and when Twist And Shout came on he grabbed the remote and jumped on the couch, putting on a show for her as he lip synched and danced along, pulling Claire onto the couch to dance along with him. He had to admit, it was fun, and they both needed this moment. It certainly helped that they were in the process of polishing off their second bottle of wine. They'd both seen the movie well enough that he had most of Ferris' part down, and with his cut the way it was he almost looked like him, except his hair was much darker and curlier.

Claire didn't hold back, either. She danced a little more wildly, nearly falling off the couch a few times, but Fred had to admit the best part was when she shook her ass. He himself got a little distracted watching her hips go, and with the slight intoxication it made not touching her all that much more difficult. As the song came to its finale he grabbed her and pulled her down onto the couch, collapsing with her in a strange sort of heap, the pair laughing and slightly panting from dancing on the couch. It was hard not to kiss her, his eyes meeting hers as his face hovered close. "Do you remember when we.." He stopped himself, knowing she probably wouldn't, and if she didn't then it would be something she would enjoy, since she was the one who had suggested it last time. Instead of finishing his sentence though, he gave a big grin and shook his head. "Nevermind. Want to go bake a cake with me?" He asked playfully, his smile broadening a little at the thought of them making cake in their current state.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

When Fred came back out in his vest Claire couldn’t contain herself, laughing and staggering all over the place. He looked just like Ferris! Even the moves that he did when he jumped up onto the couch using the remote as his microphone, getting into it from what she could tell. If this was a normal night then it wasn’t something that she would have forgotten of her own free will. This was just too much fun getting drunk off wine and dancing around to a movie. She used to do this when she was a little girl, minus the wine part. She’d pop The Breakfast Club VHS into the VCR and play it over and over again. Rewinding those tapes always took an eternity and if it got jammed? She’d freak out and cry until Chey would fix it for her. Good times.. good times..

She didn’t show any reluctance when he tried to pull her up onto the couch with him. She couldn’t get steady footing, her arms flailing all over the place but she was doing the drunken twist! She would jump and spin her body around in the air before doing the twist again, her hips shifting from left to right in the famous twisting fashion before she’d do a jump spin again, facing him and then her back to him. When the song came to a close she wasn’t expecting him to grab her and pull her down to the couch causing her to yelp out in surprise before bursting into a fit of laughter. But when the laughing settled she noticed just how close they were. When they tumbled to the couch she didn’t try to scoot away or get awkward. She realized she had a handful of his vest to keep him close and she tried to swallow but her mouth decided it wanted to dry up. ”Do you remember when we..” Before he could even finish she was biting her bottom lip with her brows knitted up nervously. It was about to be really awkward if he asked her if she remembered something that they’d done together in the past. She admitted that she remembered him asking her to that dance back in high school but that was it... she couldn’t remember when they started dating or why they chose to date in the first place.

Fred didn’t finish the sentence he started. Instead he started grinning and Claire couldn’t help but grow curious, waiting to know just what it was she was suppose to remember. But instead of telling her he decided to change the subject it seemed. ”Nevermind. Want to go bake a cake with me?” ….he wanted to bake a cake... She really hoped that wasn’t some kind of secret freaky sex code that they had. Because all she could think of was actually baking a CAKE. The kind you put in the oven and then stuffed your face with after it was done. But the way he was grinning she knew it wasn’t something kinky and twisted. Why her mind had even gone there was beyond her. “You want to bake a cake? Right now? It’s like,” She lifted her left arm and looked at her bare wrist as if she was trying to gauge the time on her nonexistent watch. “Half past a freckle,” she grinned and dropped her arm back down before nodding. “Let’s bake a cake! Do you have everything for it or do we have to go get the stuff?” She was too excited about actually baking a cake, something that she knew she could probably handle if it was the boxed kind, something that didn’t require a whole lot of memory since the directions were right there for everyone to see.

She got up off the couch and with a hop and a skip she was heading for the kitchen, opening up drawers and cupboards trying to find where everything was. The measuring cup was the easiest to find but a mixing bowl was a lost cause. “Okay so what all do we need to make a cake? Eggs.. you need eggs! You have eggs?” She opened up the fridge door and poked her head inside finding the grey carton. “You’ve got eggs, all systems go!” She pulled out the eggs and set them on the counter and then tried to maneuver her way around the kitchen while Fred did his thing, pulling other items out that were necessary. She couldn’t deny that she was definitely buzzed and that this cake was probably going to turn out crappy unless he did most of the work. “I feel like I should warn you. I’m not the best cook but I make a great taste tester!” She found the flour and a baking dish, setting the dish down and then getting out a small amount of flour to coat the bottom of the dish. That’s when she got the genius idea, eyeing Fred trying to stealthily stick her finger in the flour on the bottom of the dish and then she tapped her finger on Fred’s nose making a little ‘boop!’ sound and laughing. This was way better than sitting at some stuffy benefit.

[CUPCAKE]

“You want to bake a cake? Right now? It’s like...half past a freckle,” Fred laughed, shaking his head. There were moments when she was still his Claire, and moments when she was acting just off the wall weird, but now wasn't one of those moments. Now was one of those moments when she was the girl he'd been best friends with for years, who he'd managed to capture the heart of somewhere along their decade long journey together. “Let’s bake a cake! Do you have everything for it or do we have to go get the stuff?” He rolled his eyes. "You always make sure I'm well stocked in cake mix." He teased. It was one of the things they did on movie nights, make cake or cupcakes or some other sugary dessert to enjoy while they watched her idiotic 80's flicks. Not that Fred complained, he enjoyed it all as much as she did. Who didn't like funfetti?

It was still strange watching Claire navigate his kitchen, as though she had no clue what she was doing or where things were. She managed to find measuring cups and eggs, and Fred pulled out the oil and cake mix and bowls. “I feel like I should warn you. I’m not the best cook but I make a great taste tester!” He offered an incredulous look. "Oh, trust me. I know." He teased with a grin. He'd watched her burn eggs and ramen in the past, which was why she was never allowed to really cook on her own. It was a shame she hadn't inherited her dads ability to navigate a kitchen, instead taking after her mom who also couldn't cook well. He thankfully never witnessed her cooking, but Claire had told him enough horror stories to put him off ever wanting to end up at her kitchen table.

While Fred started mixing the batter, Claire went ahead and readied the pan, spraying and flouring it. At least that part was hard to screw up. For the most part, anyway. Suddenly Fred felt a finger poke at his nose, hearing the little "boop!" before the raspy giggle started. He turned on her, looking almost appalled. "Did.. did you just boop me?" He asked accusingly, stopping what he was doing and taking a threatening step towards her. He backed her into a corner where the counter bent, trying to hide the smirk tugging at his lips. When she had nowhere to go he quickly grabbed her hips and hoisted her onto the counter, his hand moving to the side as he forced his way closer. "Now.. I understand you're having some memory issues, so let me remind you." His hand found the bag of flour and dipped inside. "I don't play fairly." He smiled and tossed a handful of flour at her, backing up a little as the powder smoked around her, hitting him in the crossfire as it bounced off of her. He had a bad feeling he would be spending the morning and afternoon cleaning his kitchen..

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

”Did.. did you just boop me?” Claire opened her mouth like she was shocked that he would accuse her of such a thing but the laugh proved that she was the guilty party. Fred moved closer and Claire stepped back each time he got closer, afraid he was going to get her messy with powder. Because she wasn’t familiar with his kitchen layout she ended up backing herself right into a corner and hip checked both sides of the counter trying to turn one way then the other trying to find some means of escape but there was none! When he grabbed her she squealed and kicked her feet out but he sat her down on the counter. She was definitely stuck now. ”Now... I understand you’re having some memory issues, so let me remind you.” Claire watched his hand go into the flower bag and she let out a squeal trying to draw her legs up so she could curl up in a ball but there wasn’t enough room for her so it was a total fail. All she could do was sit there and watch with amused horror his arm that was inside the bag of flour. ”I don’t play fairly.”

“No! Ahaa!” Claire put her hands up to shield her face but he was faster than she was and he managed to get the flour all over the front of her. Luckily he didn’t get a direct shot to her face and she only had a small bit on her left cheek. However her left shoulder and all down her front was caked in the white substance. The powder cloud from him throwing the flour seemed to linger but once it faded she noticed she had a light layer of it on her legs as well. This meant war! Claire pushed her butt off the counter and stuck her hand inside the bag of flour. “You want to play dirty? We’ll play dirty!” She told him and sucked in a sharp breath to stick her chest out like she was tough. Her white hand came out of the bag and she moved quickly so he couldn’t get away. She grabbed the front of his white t-shirt with her clean hand and pulled it toward her then lifted up her flour filled hand and released her fist above his head so that the flour would rain down over his head, aiming more so into the front of his shirt. She was probably going to regret that though..

“No no!” She cried out, having a feeling that he wasn’t going to let that be the end of it. She turned and high tailed it away from him as fast as she could! She needed to put something in between them! She picked up the wooden spoon and held it out in front of her like a sword. “Hiyah!” Okay, maybe ninjas didn’t use swords or even cry out ‘hiyah’... but she whipped the spoon around with a flick of her wrist trying to keep him at bay. All the while trying her best to keep from laughing too hard but that was a failed attempt. “Aw you got it in my hair! Maybe I should bake you instead of a cake! Muahahaa.. and everyone knows I burn everything I bake!” She gave him a ‘you don’t want that, do you?’ look by raising a brow with a sidelong glance before poking him in the side with the wooden spoon playfully. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. Well.. a real memory where she had this much fun. “I mean it, I will cook you!” She didn’t really mean it though.

[CUPCAKE]

Claire wriggled her ass off the counter and stuck her hand in the flour before he could stop her. He took a protective step back but it wouldn't really matter far he stepped back if she a fistful of flour. "You want to play dirty? We'll play dirty!" she lunged at him, and he bumped into his breakfast nook just as her fist clenched his shirt, dumping the flour of his head. He groaned loudly and tried to wriggle away, but nothing came of it other than a head full of flour.

"Oh, you're gonna get it!" He growled as she backed up now. "No no!" she yelped, turning and running off. She grabbed a wooden spoon and turned on him, making him stop in his tracks. "Hiyah!" Fred raised a brow at her and then let a little laugh. "Hiyah?" He repeated and shook his head, already trying to figure out his next move. "Aw you got it in my hair! Maybe I should bake you instead of a cake! Muahahaa.. and everyone knows I burn everything I bake!" he offered another seriously? look in her as she poked him with her spoon. "You know.. you're right. You would burn me, soo.. I guess truce." He held his hands up in surrender and backed towards the cake. "I'm just gonna put his thing in the oven, okay?" And he did. Fred poured the batter into the floured tin and slid it in the oven before setting he timer.

"There." He said brushing his hands off on his pants. He smiled at Claire and used the moment of distraction against her. He lunged, leaning down and scooping her up over his shoulder, feeling the wooden spoon smack him. "Ah!" He yelped, grabbing the flour and pulling her pants down some so he could pour the contents against her backside. He felt it rain down his front as she shrieked and wailed on him with the spoon. He dumped her on the counter and darted out of the kitchen to the mini dining room, putting the table between them. "Okay..okay real truce?" He asked with a big smile on his face. " we need to shake on it!"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

”You know...you’re right. You would burn me, soo.. I guess truce.” Claire eyed Fred suspiciously and waved the spoon at him to make sure he knew that if he tried anything then she’d whack him again! ”I’m just gonna put this thing in the oven, okay?” She watched him pour the batter into the baking tray, leaning against the counter casually just waiting until he was done putting it into the oven. Then she stood up straight again with the spoon still in her hand.

”There.” Fred dusted his hands off on his pants and Claire grinned at the flour handprints on his black slacks. She didn’t even have time to react when he dove at her and scooped her up off her feet onto his shoulder. “WAHH!” She cried out and started kicking her legs, smacking his back with the wooden spoon. ”Ah!” When he grabbed her shorts she started to freak out. What was he trying to do?! But then she felt the soft powdery flour running down her shorts and she wailed on him with the spoon, shrieking and laughing all at once. When he dropped her down onto the counter she wiggled and squirmed until she got off and landed on her feet, taking off after Fred who was already in the dining area. ”Okay..okay real truce?” She wasn’t sure whether or not she could trust him.. did he have something else up his sleeve? Was he going to take advantage of how trusting she was without her memory and try another trick? ”We need to shake on it!” Holding the spoon out she considered making him shake the spoon instead of her hand but finally she set the spoon down on the table and reached for his hand giving it a quick shake before she backed up a couple steps just in case. But slowly she started to ease into a relaxing stance and huffed out a quiet sigh. “You’re crazy,” she finally said and shook her head while her eyes roamed around the kitchen and dining area. Everything seemed to be covered in a white layer of flour. It was going to take a while to get everything cleaned up, especially anything small that was on the counters. “I hope you pay for a cleaning service.. if not then I would suggest starting now.” Yep, no way was she going to clean all of that. Not tonight anyway.

Claire thought about how she couldn’t remember him, her father or even her brother again and how she’d do anything just to have those memories once more. She wasn’t too sentimental of a person but what were you if you didn’t have your memories to remind you? How could you grow and adapt from mistakes and love when you couldn’t remember ever making any. Then again making mistakes wasn’t her problem, it was just the people in her life and any memory that held them in it had vanished. She still knew who she was. Or she thought she knew who she was based on the fictitious memories that she’d obviously put into her own mind, being how she was crazy and all. She wondered if she would have to take prescription meds now that she was a nutter. The thought soon slipped her mind though since she realized that Fred was still looking at her. Whatever memories she lost she could always make new ones with him, right? And she was having a great time so she wasn’t going to dwell on it anymore.

“I feel like I should just stand still right here until someone hoses me down..” she teased and held her arms out away from her sides and looked down to gauge just how much damage the flour had done to her, but like Fred she was covered almost head to toe. “We’re going to get flour everywhere..”

[CUPCAKE]

Fred took Claire's hand and gave it a good shake once she'd put the damn spoon down. "You're crazy, she said while shaking her head and he had to snort at the irony of who was calling who crazy. Claire was always the crazy one. Even tonight, she started the flour fight. Sort of. His eyes moved to the kitchen which still had a white haze to it, all the counters and cabinets covered in a light dusting of flour. "I hope you pay for a cleaning service.. if not then I would suggest starting now." he had to laugh, running a hand through his hair and brushing flour onto the floor by accident. "I guess that might be a good idea." He said knowing he would probably clean it on his own in the morning, unless he could find someone to come in on a Saturday. It would cost a small fortne, though.

"I feel like I should just stand still right here until someone hoses me down.." Her words were teasing but there was a part of him that wondered if she half expected him to do that. On a normal night if something like this happened they would strip, wipe each other down and take a shower together but something told Fred that Claire wouldn't go for that tonight. "We're going to get flour everywhere.." he nodded, trying to think. "Alright, just trust me a second." Fred shook his head out, flour flying everywhere. He pulled his tshirt off and then his pants, stripping to his boxers. He left his clothes there and carefully treaded through the apartment, trying to keep it clean. He came back a moment later with a towel, bringing it to Claire. "I'll turn around while you undress. Then you can shower and relax while I take a shower." Fred licked his lips. "I guess you're not ready to shower together, huh?" It was a shy, almost teasing queston, one he could try and pass as a joke if she declined, but just serious enough that she knew he'd like that. By the time she was done the cake would be also. A zap in her bain madeher falter a moment in her reply, but Fred only thought she was considering her answer.

---

They were sitting in Fred's apartment, everything looked the same as it did now. Fred came in as Claire was curled on the couch, wine glasses in his hand as he took a seat beside her. They held their glasses out for a toast, both wearing radiant smiles. "To the best curator Scriptor Bay has ever seen!" Claire giggled and clanked her glass to Fred's, the pair taking a sip. "You know, I have to have the job for more than three hours t be considered the best." Fred smiled and shook his head. "You're being modest. You were born for this, you're going to be phenomenal." Claire's lips quirked up as Fred gazed at her. "Yeah, I guess i am." She teased. Fred sipped his wine, quiet taing over for a moment before he said anything. "Let's make it official, Claire." He said suddenly, her green eyes coming up to meet his, skepticism written all over her face. He knew she couldn't, knew Chey would literally disown her. How many times would he make her break his heart? "Fred I--" "Wait, before you say no, just.. hear me out." Claire sighed but relaxed, giving him a nod. "I don't need you to tell your sister. We can keep it secret, work on her. You know her reason for hating me is bullshit, maybe we could get her to calm down some. We can make this work, and if it doesn't.. Claire I just want to try. I want to be with you. I -need- to be with you. Please.. be mine.." There was pain and pleading in his eyes, and Claire hersef couldn't deny wanting to be with him. He'd always been there for her, been a great friend, a trustworthy confidant.. How long could she make him stay in the friend zone? "And we don't have to tell Chey?" She asked and Fred shook his head. "Not until she can handle it. Besides maybe it won't work." His smile showed h was teasing, having every intention of making it work. Claire couldn't help but smile. "Alright." She finaly said, smiling wider. "Yeah?" "Yeah." Fred leaned forward, grabbing the back of her head and pulling her into his lips for a deep kiss..

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

”Alright, just trust me a second.” Claire put her arms up to block her eyes while Fred shook the flour out of his hair and then started to undress. “Whoa!” She averted her eyes while keeping her hands up so that she was censoring him from her sight though she might have peeked once or twice.. but she didn’t have too much time to secretly gawk at him because he was heading toward the bathroom from the look of it. When he came back she noticed the towel which he handed over to her. ”I’ll turn around while you undress. Then you can shower and relax while I take a shower.” It made sense for her to just strip out of her clothes right there instead of treading flour all over the apartment but it didn’t mean she liked it.. ”I guess you’re not ready to shower together, huh?” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other feeling like she was being put in an awkward position. Her and Fred had been secretly seeing one another for a very long time and it was perfectly normal for him to want to do something intimate like showering together. She was going to try and play it off when she felt the sharp sting in the back of her mind again.

The memory that zapped back into her brain was just like the others. It was nothing more than a glimpse of a time she was with Fred, celebrating her new position as a curator at the museum. They were sitting on the very same couch that they had just danced to twist n’ shout on. ”Let’s make it official, Claire.” She recalled how skeptical she had been about making it official. Cheyenne would surely freak about it! But then they agreed that maybe they should just keep it all to themselves. Chey didn’t have to know! No harm no foul, right? She could recall how relieved she was when they finally decided to make it official between them.. she had been skeptical but she’d wanted it for a long time.

At least that’s what she got from that sliver of a glimpse..

“Turn around,” she spoke softly, mulling over what she was remembering, trying to make sense of it. When he wasn’t watching her she slipped out of her top and shorts, leaving them with the flour while she wrapped the towel around her body so that he didn’t look at her paleness. She’d probably blind him with how white she was. Chey’d smack her upside her head for not being able to get a tan. “I think it would be best if we just shower separate..” She had a feeling he wasn’t going to try and talk her into it but she still couldn’t help that she felt weird about getting that close to him. No matter what she remembered she couldn’t shake the feeling she didn’t know him the way he knew her. Tip toeing she got out of the hazard zone and hurried toward the bathroom clutching the towel close to her body until the bathroom door was shut and locked. She’d just take a quick shower to get all the flour out of her hair and off her body then she’d be good to go. It would take her no longer than five maybe ten minutes total.

___________________________________________________________________

When Claire was done with her shower she wrapped the towel back around her body and stepped out of the bathroom and scuttled across the floor toward the closet. “Shower’s open!” She called down the hall, not sure where exactly Fred was in the apartment but she needed to put on some clean clothes. After sifting through all the clothes that were on hangers in the closet she pulled down a plain t-shirt and a pair of boxers that she found, knowing they belonged to Fred but she didn’t care. They were clean and she didn’t want to be naked!

By the time Claire was done getting dressed she was pretty sure that Fred was in the shower by now because the timer in the kitchen was going off letting them know that the cake was done in the oven. She tossed the wet towel in a hamper full of dirty clothes and hurried out into the kitchen, searching for a dish towel or oven mitts so she could take the cake out. She found a small dish towel and used it to cover her hand as she pulled the pan out of the oven, dropping it down on the stove she turned off the timer and then the oven. “Cake’s done,” she said out loud unsure if he could hear her or not. The cake smelled delicious and she was glad to see that it wasn’t burnt to a crisp.

[CUPCAKE]

“Turn around,” A big part of Fred wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn't. He politely turned his back to his girlfriend, letting her undress so she might have some privacy. “I think it would be best if we just shower separate..” He nodded, letting out a soft laugh. "Yeah, I figured, that's fine." He offered, and he meant it mostly. Sure, he would rather shower with her, but it wasn't a big deal if they didn't. One day she'd remember, hopefully, and he could make up for lost time then.

The patter of feet descending down the hall told Fred that it was safe to turn around again. His dark eyes settled on the mess at hand and let out a long, slow breath which kicked up some flour on his face and caused a cloud of dust to hover around him. He coughed and waved it away, deciding he should at least clean some of it up, if not all, so they wouldn't get dirty again. He spent the next fifteen minutes sweeping up the floor and vacuuming it. He would need to mop tomorrow, but for now at least the floors were semi clean. He wiped most of the counters off, but the flour on the walls remained, and the mess in the sink did too. It still looked a mess and it would still take a long time to clean up all of it, but at least it was sort of presentable. Sort of..

“Shower’s open!” By the time she called out to him, Fred was ready for that shower, and he deserved it! He made his way to the bathroom and began to strip. He put the water on, which was already warmed up, and got in. There was nothing like a warm shower at night, and the water sobered him up some more. Yeah, he was still a bit buzzed, but he was a lot less now. He took his time showering though, and after a while climbed out and threw his robe on. He made his way out of the bathroom and to his room to put on some fresh pajamas; a white t-shirt, boxers and navy plaid pajama bottoms.

“Cake’s done,” Claire called and he ran a hand through his damp hair as he made his way from the bedroom. The smell of cake hit him the second he started towards the living area, overpowering the apartment it seemed. It was a good smell to have lingering around, though. "Smells good, and you didn't even let it burn!" He teased as he made it into the kitchen. It was hard to resist grabbing her around the waist and playing around with her, but he held back, unsure where her comfort level began and ended. He did, however, walk past her and nudge her gently with his shoulder as he went by. "Let's go eat it." He grabbed the forks and slid his hand into the oven mitt, picking the cake up and taking it to the table. He slid it in the center and then climbed onto the table, sitting on one side and leaving the other side open for Claire. He shoved the forks into the cake and then pulled one out with a piece of steaming, fresh from the oven cake skewered on the tip. "Sorry, I'm out of birthday candles this time." He told her, shoving the cake into his mouth. He could see the confusion on her face and then smiled. "Sixteen Candles." He explained, though he was sure she got the reference, just not what he was doing. "You once decided we needed to act this scene out, and we did. You had so much fun with it that you've begged we do it again sometime, but sometime just never seemed to happen. So.. here's sometime." He explained, grabbing her fork and extending it towards her. "You gonna come eat with me or do I have to eat the whole damn thing myself?"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

”Smells good, and you didn’t even let it burn!” Claire stuck her tongue out at him as he stepped into the kitchen before she stepped out of his way but not before he nudged her with his shoulder in what she assumed to be a playful way. ”Let’s go eat it.” When he scooped up the cake and some forks she gave him a clueless look as he walked over towards the table, climbing up on top of it and sitting there with the cake in front of him like a total weirdo. When he dipped his fork into the cake she took a slow step toward him, ”Sorry, I’m out of birthday candles this time.” A light suddenly went on in her head and she stood there in awe as she realized what he was doing. He was re-enacting the finale scene from Sixteen Candles, another one of her favorite movies. She was a total 80’s sap. ”Sixteen Candles.” Oh, she already knew what it was from alright. ”You once decided we needed to act this scene out, and we did. You had so much fun with it that you’ve begged we do it again sometime, but sometime just never seemed to happen. So.. here’s sometime.” They seemed to have such a sad relationship from what she could get from the bits and pieces that she remembered.. she knew that she cared deeply for him but they always had obstacles in their way that made it difficult for them to be together. If it wasn’t Cheyenne then it was their jobs.

”You gonna come eat with me or do i have to eat the whole damn thing myself?” For a second she forgot how she felt their relationship was on the depressing side letting a big smile spread over her lips and she let out a little squeal as she hurried over to the table and hopped up across from him with the cake the only thing between them. She took one of the forks and dug into the cake pulling a big piece out on her fork and holding it up to inspect it before she took a bite. It was as delicious as it smelled! “So is this the part where I thank you for getting my undies?” Claire asked with a wide grin, knowing all the lines from the movie like the dweeb that she was. How could she not love Molly Ringwald in that movie with her red hair and awkward life. If they’d done this before then she was sure that Fred knew just what she was talking about. It sounded like a pick up line that Cheyenne would use to get a guy and that made Claire laugh at herself for saying it.

She grabbed another forkful of cake but this time she didn’t eat it, instead she held it out for Fred to feed it to him. The more time she spent with him the more she wished she could remember more.. she was no longer upset about the life she knew but wanted to know the life she had forgotten. “From what I remember and what you’ve been telling me.. it sounds like we don’t have a lot of time together. Like we keep passing each other in life almost.. trying to make time for things but we never do. Is that how it is?” She hoped he would tell her that she was wrong. “Maybe we could change that. Starting now.. Chey knows so we don’t have to sneak around. We could do anything we want.” She couldn’t deny that Fred was one of the sweetest men that she had ever known in her life.. him and Griffin.. she offered him a sad sort of smile as she tried not to think about Griffin too much.

“So what did we do last time? After we ate the cake, did we watch the actual movie or was that what we did before we ate it? I bet we watched it first and then I got the genius idea to do this, huh?” Claire asked just trying to talk about something that would keep her mind occupied. “And you didn’t think it was too geeky to do? Sit on the table eating cake like in a movie? I remember I tried to get Chey to do it with me one time when we were little and she said I was stupid and I smelled. So yeah... we didn’t do it when we were young,” she had to laugh at the way she was rambling about wanting to play out this scene as a kid. Barbies? Psh, Claire wanted to use her easy bake oven and sit on the table to play out Sixteen Candles!

[CUPCAKE]

Fred grinned as she climbed across from him on the table and dug in. These cakes always tasted better hot, especially if they didn't have frosting. "So is this the part where I thank you for getting my undies?" He'd seen the movie enough times to get the reference without thinking much of it. Fred nodded and chuckled, looking down at the cake as he felt his groin stir a little at what she'd said. "Don't thank me just yet.." He teased very softly, not entirely sure if what he said was inapropriate or not yet. He chanced a glance up at her and she held out some cake for him. He hesitated for a second before leaning in and taking the bite, his stomach clenching. Was she remembering? Was the weirdness over?

"From what I remember and what you've been telling me.. it sounds like we don't have a lot of time together." Fred almost sighed, knowing the weirdness wasn't over yet. "Like we keep passing each other in life almost.. trying to make time for things but we never do. Is that how it is?" Fred gulped and nodded. He didn't like it, and it sometimes caused tension, but that was their life. What he wasn't expecting was for the next words to slip out of her lips. "Maybe we could change that. Starting now..". Fred sat up a little, looking into his girlfriends brilliant green eyes. "Chey knows so we don't have to sneak around. We could do anything we want." Fred simply stared at her. This wasn't the Claire he knew. She was bold but she would have died before telling Chey. She had always been semi content with the way their schedules didn't match, it had been Fred who was more interested in seeing her more, but it didn't make either of their schedules coincide. Slowly he nodded in agreement. Maybe they could try and work something more out.

Quietly Fred looked back down at the cake, reaching for aother forkful. "So what did we do last time? After we ate the cake, did we watch the actual movie or was that what we did before we ate it? I bet we watched it first and then I got the genius idea to do this, huh?" either she remembered or knew herself too well. "No, this is what we did after the movie. We were a little drunk by that point, and the cake had already been made." He explained, reaching the fork out for her to take a bite. "And you didn't think it was too geeky to do? Sit on the table eating cake like in a dovie?" He rolled his shoulders and gave a look that said he did a little, but maybe not enough to sa it. "I remember I tried to get Chey to do it with me one time when we were little and she said I was stupid and I smelled. So yeah... we didn't do it when we were young." He didn't remember that story, but it didn't surprise him. Chey had always been a bitch to her sister. "You sort of run the show with us." He explained after a moment. "It was one of the requirements of our relationship; you call the shots. Mostly so I wouldn't do aything to make you uncomfortable or get you in trouble with your sister. You, uh.. sometimes take advantage of this and insist we do things, like reenact scenes from cheesy 80's movies, but usually I'm rewarded for the geeky things you like, even though I secretly don't mind doing them." He chewed the inside of his bottom lip and took another bite of cake.

Claire stumbled through the apartment. Her sister got invited to some of the most insane parties, and this shindig was no different. Booze, drugs, beautiful people left and right and a sound system that would have the cops knocking before the night was through. Claire was getting tired and that last cosmo had her practically seeing double. She just wanted to find Mark and go, though he probably was no more fit to drive than she was. "Hey, did you see Mark?" Candi, who was as tall and thin as Claire, but carried herself ar more confidently, shook her head. Was that guilt in her eyes? "No.." She said too quickly looking away. "Sorry" Claire pursed her lips an continued on. He mentioned wanting to talk to Alex about something, maybe they found a quiet place to talk? Were there any in this place? Claire moved down the hallway, opening up a bedroom but no one was in there. She moved to the next, pushing the door open and flipping on the switch. Two people were going at it on the bed and she felt her cheeks flush sarply. She started rambling out an apology, moving to shut the door when realization slapped her hard across the face. The slut on the bed was her sister, and the guy ramming into her with the deer in the headlights look was none other than her boyfriend. "Fuck!" Mark growled, pulling out and tripping over his pants as he came towards her, but she as already backing out and shutting the door. "CLAIRE, WAIT!" he was yelling, but the damage was done. Her boyfriend was cheating on her...with her sister. The pain brought her to tears, though she did her best to keep them at bay until she could storm out the front door, barely making out the sound of her name being screamed over the deafening music.

"I can do the lift from Dirty Dancing. That took a lot of practice.." Fred laughed. "We once did it all day at the Y's pool. I guess you don't remember that though, huh?" There was amusement in his eyes. "You almost drowned a few times." He laughed again, shaking his head. "Jeez, I'm like a waking 80's movie because of you."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

”You sort of run the show with us.” That didn’t sound like Claire at all.. she wasn’t the type to take control of a relationship. She could hardly take control of a conversation with her own sister! ”It was one of the requirements of our relationship; you call the shots. Mostly so I wouldn’t do anything to make you uncomfortable or get you in trouble with your sister. You, uh.. sometimes take advantage of this and insist we do things, like reenact scenes from cheesy 80’s movies, but usually I’m rewarded for the geeky things you like, even though I secretly don’t mind doing them.” As much as she liked the idea of having a boyfriend who would reenact John Hughes movies with her she didn’t like the idea of being the one who ran the show because if she knew herself - and she liked to think that she did - she was likely to screw everything up or be reserved. Relationships didn’t go anywhere if Claire was in charge! She didn’t know how to progress a relationship and honestly she was perfectly fine with a relationship not going anywhere if it was in a good place. She’d date someone for years without ever even discussing moving in or marriage if it was left up to her.

Claire’s brows knitted together when she felt the small pain of a fresh memory that made its way to the surface through all the fake memories that she had from the past. She was at a party where she had enough cosmos to knock her flat when she’d get home. She didn’t come to the party alone though.. she needed to find her boyfriend! She couldn’t drive herself home and she definitely wasn’t going to leave without him, they had come together, right? She thought so anyway. She tried asking around if anyone had seen Mark but all she got was a funny look and denial. Searching the different rooms she managed to find her boyfriend alright, her boyfriend and her sister having a go at it like two dogs in heat. ”CLAIRE, WAIT!” Claire was too shocked to say anything.. she just backed out, closing the door and then hurrying to get out of dodge.

When the memory was over it was as if she felt the pain for the first time.. that feeling of being cheated on.. the betrayal from her very own sister.. if it wasn’t for Fred’s voice bringing her back to the present she might have started crying right there. It was a gut wrenching feeling and definitely something memorable.. how could she forget that?! ”I can do the lift from Dirty Dancing. That took a lot of practice..” Fred laughed and Claire looked up at him looking puzzled for a split second before it all came back to her. 80’s movies and her geekiness! Check. ”We once did it all day at the Y’s pool. I guess you don’t remember that though, huh?” She really wished that she did. ”You almost drowned a few times. Jeez, I’m like a walking 80’s movie because of you.” Claire offered him a weak little laugh, still thinking about that memory but trying her best to stay in the moment. Why did she have to remember something like that right now?!

Claire looked up to meet Fred’s eyes and bit down on her bottom lip like she was trying to consider something vital before speaking - or acting. Was that memory the reason that she didn’t want Cheyenne to know about Fred? Was she afraid that she’d sleep with him too? Would Fred cheat on Claire if he had the opportunity to? She sure hoped he wouldn’t! Without giving much thought for what she was about to do she leaned across the cake, her hands just in front of his knees to keep her propped up as she went in for a kiss. Ugh.. why did his lips have to be so soft?! Why couldn’t she remember them?! She held the kiss for a long moment, giving it her genuine best effort before she pulled away slowly but not entirely. She still hovered over the cake and looked at Fred almost like she was about to pout. "I wish I could remember.. really, I do. This is just as frustrating for me as it is for you." She really didn't want to ask her next question but she felt like it should be asked otherwise she was going to drive herself mad. “You and Cheyenne never had a thing, did you? Like, anything at all?”

[CUPCAKE]

The look in her eyes made his smile and laughter dissipate. Why had she suddenly gone so sullen? Suddenly she was leaning up and into him, her lips on his and he felt his heart clench in that exciting way it did when Claire did something like this. His hands crept along her arms, kissing her back and wanting to take things further, but she was pulling away before he had the chance to. She still looked so sad when his eyes opened to hers and he almost asked what was wrong, when she finally spoke. "I wish I could remember.. really, I do. This is just as frustrating for me as it is for you." He almost teased her for rhyming when she continued with a statement that mad his gut wrench. “You and Cheyenne never had a thing, did you? Like, anything at all?” She didn't have to say anything about Mark for him to know exactly where her sudden insecurity had bloomed from. Nothing but the memory of her boyfriend cheating on her with her sister could spark a question like that, and he immediately felt bad that of all the wonderful things she could remember, it was her sisters betrayal that stood out. But wasn't that the way it was? Didn't people always remember the bad stuff?

His eyes were sad and he shook his head, his own brows knitted. "Baby, no." He told her in a gentle, but firm, soft voice. "Even if she didn't despise me, I wouldn't want to be with someone like her. You're the only one I've ever wanted." And it was Fred's sad truth. Sure, other girls had come and gone, and he sure had liked some of them, but Claire was the only one to make him feel that weakness. He put up with a lot of bullshit because he simply loved her, and if she decided that things weren't working, he would likely fight to try and keep her where with most girls he would probably let them go out of anger.

Fred slid his fingers through her long red hair, wishing he could erase that memory forever, along with plenty of other ones. He didn't want Claire to hurt. "I will never leave you, unless you want me to. And even then you're going to have to fight pretty damn hard. And I'm more than content with just you. You give me enough of a run for my money that I never need to consider someone on the side, alright?" If anything, her history with being cheated on gave Fred some piece of mind. She knew what it felt like to be hurt that badly, and he knew she would never do that to him. It was one of the few things he didn't worry about. Sure, she could find someone else, but he knew she would break things off with him before really pursuing something else. His hand crept to her cheek and cupped it, pulling her back into him to kiss her again. Fred quickly deepened the kiss, wanting Claire to remember more of the good stuff, more of him.. wanting her to want him, to have things back to normal.. Even their normal was better than this. "I love you.." He breathed against her mouth, a pained sigh leaving his lips as he kissed her again, drawing her more into him and hoping to not be pushed away.. not sure he could handle it.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

”Even if she didn’t despise me, I wouldn’t want to be with someone like her. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.” She had a feeling from the way he answered her that Fred knew about Mark, so this probably wasn’t news for him. She wondered how many insecurities of hers did he have to put up with? Also, Claire couldn’t believe that she had actually forgiven her sister for sleeping with her boyfriend at the time.. but then again, Claire had always been a very forgiving person. How many times had she forgiven Chey for the stupid stuff that she would do? She had lost count so it made sense that she would forgive her sister for this as well.. probably chalked it up as she was too drunk to know who she was having sex with. That was typical Cheyenne.

When Fred’s fingers moved Claire’s hair she became aware of the fact that her hair was red again. It was weird seeing it red even though she’d had red hair her entire life, she had colored it blonde almost a year ago and she was used to it being light now. But here, it was red as if she’d never dyed it in the first place. Was it a psychotic breakdown where she desperately wanted to change who she was? That’s what she was going to say it was until she was told otherwise. ”I will never leave you, unless you want me to. And even then you’re going to have to fight pretty damn hard. And I’m more than content with just you. You give me enough of a run for my money that I never need to consider someone on the side, alright?” Claire felt like she didn’t have to try and explain to him that she was the same way even if she didn’t remember 98% of their relationship. She could never cheat on someone. She couldn’t lie without revealing that she was lying! But even if she could lie she knew that she would never do that.. she always thought about how she would feel if the roles were reversed whenever she did something that would affect someone else.

When Fred kissed her she didn’t pull away like she had earlier that night and when he tried to deepen the kiss she obliged, letting him kiss her any way he pleased since it seemed to calm her down making the harsh memory of Chey and Mark fade back into the abyss. ”i love you..” And just went she was starting to loosen up! She stiffened up almost instantly and pulled away just enough so that she could look at him, the fact that she was searching for the right words was apparent in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say..” She admitted with a small shrug to show just how awkward she felt about his words. She was flattered but she couldn’t remember them ever saying it before.. it was new to her. “What do I say that won’t make me sound like a jerk hole? I mean.. we’ve been dating for a while.. I’m sure we’ve said it before, right? It’s just that it’s new for me because I don’t remember anything because.. my memories.. I don’t... remember.... memories.. yeah..” She was rambling, the words just sort of lost to her.