The Lucky Ones

by pacejunkie

Charlie and Claire have a jungle adventure when they attempt to return to the hatch. Post Live Together, Die Alone fluffy humour.

Title: The Lucky Ones

Rating: PG/K+

Pairing: Charlie/Claire

Summary: Charlie and Claire have a jungle adventure when they attempt to return to the hatch. Post Live Together, Die Alone fluffy humour.

Disclaimer: Lost characters are not mine, but that doesn't mean I can't play with them.

The morning after the explosion, or whatever it was that had caused the hatch door to crash land at Claire's feet, she had woken up with Charlie sleeping next to her. She didn't mean to invite him back so soon, but he had been dazed and slightly concussed and she didn't think he should be left alone. Her maternal instincts kicked in along with her long repressed feelings for him. Those came roaring back like a bullet train the minute she kissed him. Now it was as if Charlie had never left.

He seemed momentarily confused when he awoke but when he saw Claire he smiled. It was already late morning and Claire had been up for hours with Aaron.

As Charlie sat Claire caught him up with the island news. "Locke, Eko and Desmond still haven't come back from the hatch. Some people are putting together a search party to go back there."

Charlie stood, as if invigorated by the mere thought of something useful he could do, "I should go."

Claire looked him over dubiously. He seemed alright, but it was only just yesterday when she thought she'd lost him. She wasn't taking any more chances on whatever was out in that jungle. "I'll go with you."

Charlie shook his head. "No, Claire. You should stay here with Aaron."

"Rose is here helping with the cleanup on the beach," she countered. "She can watch him. After yesterday, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Charlie grinned as his own protective instincts backed down in deference to hers, "I like the sound of that. You convinced me."

Claire rarely went out into the jungle. The last time had been when she went in search of the place where Ethan had held her captive. She never told Charlie about that, but somehow she guessed he knew. The information could have reached him through Libby and Hurley.

As it turned out Aaron had been fine. There was no vaccine to be found, and the incident would have faded into memory if not for Charlie's surprise gesture the other day of the very vaccine she had been searching for. He seemed to know nothing about it, but Claire wasn't sure. Maybe he just didn't want Claire to know that he had been receiving information about her during his forced exile. They never really discussed their time apart, but his thoughtfulness reminded her of what she loved most about him.

By the time she made arrangements for Aaron, the main group had already set out for the hatch and Charlie and Claire were trailing behind, hoping to catch up. Claire felt badly that she had held Charlie back, but he told her the site had been in such disarray, they would need all the hands they could get to go through it, even if they were a bit late.

Claire still had an incomplete picture of what had actually happened at the hatch. "You never really told me why you went to the hatch in the first place, Charlie."

She had asked him last night, but his nonsensical answers were either deliberately evasive or the result of his head injury.

Today, Charlie seemed a bit clearer. "Eko came to me and told me he was thrown out by Locke and that Locke was going to stop pushing the button. For some reason, Eko thought that if the button didn't get pushed, everyone on the island would die. Well, I didn't know about that, but he seemed to believe it anyway, so I went along to help."

"Help with what?" asked Claire as she hiked, pushing leaves out of her path and ducking low branches.

"He wanted me to show him where the dynamite was so he could blow open the door and get inside to the computer. I really don't remember much after that. There was fire, then I woke up and my head felt like it had an alarm clock inside. Then things just started flying around. It was mad. I was chased out by a washing machine with a mind of its own."

Claire had been hoping for enlightenment, but she was more confused than ever. Still, it sounded horrific, and she gave thanks silently that Charlie hadn't been killed. They tromped on in silence for a minute, with Charlie two steps ahead, beating a path to make it easier for her.

She didn't remember the jungle being this dense. "Where were you when that noise happened?"

Charlie turned to look at her. "I was in the jungle trying to get back to the beach. I think I felt it more than I heard it. I fell down, and I might have blacked out for a minute. I got up and then I went on. I felt weird. I wasn't even sure if I was heading in the right direction until I saw Bernard…..and you of course."

He smiled and Claire recalled the moment he had stumbled out of the jungle, bloodied and filthy--the most beautiful sight that Claire had ever seen. "I was so worried about you," she said.

Charlie looked down shyly. He was clearly uncomfortable with her admission, so he did what he always did in a candid moment. He made a joke. "Well," he shrugged, "you probably say that to all the guys who rescue your baby and bring you vaccine."

Claire laughed and the conversation was over. They continued on through the jungle, Charlie reaching out to her occasionally to help her over the terrain.

After a few moments they crossed a small stream and Claire mused, "This reminds me of going hiking back home, all those nature trails I used to go on as a kid."

Charlie offered up a rare nugget from his past in response. "I grew up in the city. My idea of nature was the weeds that grew between the cracks in the pavement."

"Didn't you ever go on holiday?" she wondered.

Charlie seemed to be thinking back, deciding what to share. "We went to the seaside, but if we ever get off this sodding island, I don't think I'll ever want to see another beach again."

"No, I suppose not." Claire was a bit saddened at the realisation that at some point rescue had been reduced from a 'when' to an 'if'. She decided to lighten the mood. "I guess we'll have to stick to cities then. I've never been to England. I'd like to see where you grew up."

Charlie seemed surprised at that. "Oh, so we're going on holidays together now, are we?" he said playfully. "You must think I'm easy. Well, alright, but I must insist on separate rooms."

Claire played along. "We'll save money by rooming together."

"Hmm. Good point," Charlie conceded, "and we'll save water by sharing baths."

Claire went to smack him but then froze and grabbed his arm instead. Charlie stopped and waited for an explanation. She heard a strange sound. "Did you hear that?"

Charlie slapped at his ear. "No, I've still got this bloody ringing."

Claire listened some more. "It could be the wind but it sounds like……voices whispering."

"What?" said Charlie, alarmed with sudden comprehension. He spun around.

Just then the whispering was replaced by a large creaking sound, and they both knew what it was.

"Run, Claire!" Charlie grabbed her hand and they both took off.

Charlie was fast and Claire had difficulty keeping up, but he pulled her along, leaping over the slopes and fallen tree trunks, dangling vines whipping at her skin. The sounds grew closer. She heard banging and the earth shook like the footsteps of a giant. She knew it might slow them down, but Claire just had to look back.

She turned her head and saw trees being torn out of the ground like vegetables harvested from some enormous garden--and they were the pests. Claire screamed as she stumbled over a branch in her path and fell to the ground. Luckily, Charlie still had her hand and he was there in an instant, lifting her up and dragging her towards safety.

They ran until they hit a dead end where the ground gave way beneath them. Charlie skidded to a stop, grabbed Claire around the waist and pulled her back to prevent them both from careening over. The drop was about six feet straight down, but there appeared to be an opening at the base of the cliff to hide in.

With the monster in hot pursuit, Charlie decided quickly for the both of them. "Jump!" he shouted and leaped off the cliff to the bottom, taking Claire with him. She didn't have time to even think about it before they were down. They didn't quite land on their feet; Claire landed half on Charlie, but at least the ground was soft. Charlie scrambled for the opening and pushed her in first. "Get in!"

Charlie clearly had experience with this thing and knew just what to do. Claire crawled into the space which was barely big enough for the two of them, and curled up into a ball. Charlie got in after her, filling up the rest of the space easily, and put his arms tightly around her, guarding the entrance with his back. They sat with their heads down and eyes closed listening, waiting for the sound to pass when the thing gave up. Nobody moved.

Finally, there was silence. Claire opened her eyes. For a moment she thought Charlie was asleep. He still held on tightly behind her and she could feel his soft, steady breathing on her neck and the tickle of his whiskers. He felt warm and comfortable with a musky smell. "Is it gone? I think it's gone."

She began to loosen her grip on her own knees, but Charlie still clung. She began to wonder if he really was asleep, or just more frightened than she had been. But he wasn't shaking, he felt relaxed. "Charlie?"

"Hmm?" he answered, his voice vibrating on her neck.

"You can let go of me now" she said.

He nuzzled in deeper. "Do I have to?"

Claire smiled and turned to look at him. He was devouring her with his eyes, complementing his gaze with a mischievous grin. Claire returned the look and Charlie leaned in to her waiting lips. His arms still hung loosely around her shoulders and Claire put her own around his back. They kissed each other softly, and Charlie upped the ante by teasing her lips with his tongue. Claire didn't protest, but returned the exploration with some of her own as they tasted each other. As frightened as she had been, here in their cocoon, she suddenly felt safe as houses.

They both pulled back at once. Claire teased, her eyes twinkling, "Do you kiss all the people you rescue like that?"

Charlie brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers, admiring her like a work of art. "No, love. Only you. Besides, I don't think Eko would appreciate it."

Claire laughed. It was just like Charlie to ruin a romantic moment with a joke, but she loved him for it. "Speaking of rescue, the hatch, remember?"

Charlie sighed, disappointed. "Oh, right. Let's go." He stood and offered his hand to her and they went on.

They were thrown off the path by the black smoke and had to double back a bit to pick it up. Finally, they were heading in the direction of the hatch once again, but hadn't yet made much headway.

Claire felt her stomach rumble. "Did you bring any food?" she asked Charlie as they hiked.

"No, I thought we'd be at the hatch by now."

"Even if we were, I don't think there'd be a hot supper waiting." She looked around on the trees and the ground for something edible. "I'm famished."

Charlie began looking too, and stopped when he found a small tree with several small, oddly shaped, rust coloured fruits hanging off of it. Smaller than a mango but larger than a kiwi, it was like nothing Claire had ever seen.

They studied them on the tree for a moment. "What do you suppose that is?" Charlie asked her.

Claire peered suspiciously at the strange looking fruit. "I don't know, I've never seen it before. Just when we thought we'd eaten everything that grew on the island, right?"

Charlie reached out and picked one off. He dangled the fruit in front of her by the stem with a devilish grin. "Well, exactly how hungry are you?"

Claire was more cautious. "Do you think we should? I mean, we don't even know what it is. What if it's poisonous?"

Charlie seemed doubtful as he inspected the fruit in his hand more closely. "I doubt it. Plants maybe, but fruit?" He considered for a moment, then began peeling the thick skin and smirked. "Tell you what, I'll have a go. If I die, don't eat it."

Claire decided she wasn't going to let Charlie be her royal taster. She grabbed the fruit from his hand and split it in two. "Oh no you don't, give that to me. We'll try it together."

They both looked at the pulpy greenish center and then at each other, daring to see who would go first. Finally Claire said, "Alright now. Ready, steady, go."

They both bit into the fruit. At once Claire's taste buds were assaulted by the most bitter, horrid thing she had ever had. She screwed up her face and then smiled when she saw that Charlie's reaction was the same as her own.

Their voices rang out in stereo. "Blech!" They tossed the rest of the fruit on the ground.

Charlie spit out the remains of the offensive taste and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Whose idea was that?"

"I think it was yours" Claire reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. Well, that will teach you to listen to me. Let's get out of here." He pointed to the tree. "I need to get as far away from that thing as possible."

She agreed and on they went.

Claire continued to scan the ground and the trees for edible fruit as they walked. She stopped when she spotted something in the grass and slowed to look more closely. It was a book, like the ones they had in the hatch. She bent to pick it up. "What's this?"

Charlie seemed to become airborne as he lunged for her arm, pulling it back. "No! Wait!"

Claire was confused. "What's wrong? It's just a book."

"It's a trap," Charlie explained. "One of Rousseau's. She has them all over the jungle." Charlie pointed as he spoke to a large bag of rocks hanging from the branches above her. Claire looked up in surprise.

Charlie pointed to the scar still prominent on his forehead. "That's what happened the last time I fell for one of those. Watch your step and don't pick up anything."

He took her elbow gently and guided her back, away from the offending trigger. Charlie took a few steps backward with her and then Claire heard a snap and his fingers were torn from her arm. She turned in time to see him yell as Charlie was suddenly yanked from the ground and suspended upside down by a rope that had snared his ankle.

"Oi!" He yelled, arms flailing. "Claire get me down!"

Claire searched frantically for a method of rescue. She knew she needed to find the end of the rope and untie it but that would only bring Charlie crashing down several feet straight onto his head. "Hang on, Charlie. I'm trying to think."

"'Hang on?'" He hollered. "Ha bloody ha, now stop thinking and get me down! Untie the rope!"

"Charlie you'll land on your head"

"Well you can't bloody well leave me here, so what choice do I have?" he argued back, frantic.

She thought some more. "Maybe I can make a bed of leaves or something for you to land on."

"Claire," Charlie was clearly seething but trying to control his voice, "my head is pounding. Stop trying to redecorate the sodding jungle and just get me down!"

"Alright, calm down." She followed the path with her eyes until she saw the tree it was tied to. It was awfully high. She'd have to climb to get to it. "I have to climb that tree."

"Brilliant!" Hanging upside down did nothing for his sarcasm. "Now will you please go?"

Claire went to the tree and began to climb. Luckily she was a good tree climber and this particular tree had plenty of low branches for getting a leg up. She got to the branch where the rope was tied and crept out onto it, finding herself high above where Charlie hung, wriggling like a fish on a hook. She studied the knot and it was fairly simple.

She could do this, but she wanted to give Charlie some warning. "I'm going to untie the rope now. I'll try to let it down slowly but in case I can't, put out your hands and get ready to catch yourself."

Charlie put his hands straight out over his head and waited.

She wrapped her legs tightly around the tree branch and balanced herself with her elbows while she worked the rope with her fingers. She knew she would need to grab it quickly when she got it loose or Charlie's weight would pull it right down. "Okay. Get ready."

Claire pulled the end of the rope free and grabbed on, but instead the rope pulled her down sharply and burned right through her hands. She had to let go to hug the branch she was on or fall right out of the tree, and she was several feet higher than Charlie was.

She watched in horror as Charlie fell straight down. He landed with a cry and a dull thud.

"Charlie!" As quickly as she could Claire slid down the tree and jumped to the bottom.

Charlie was writhing on the ground, both hands on his head as if they were the only things keeping it attached. "Ow! I didn't need that."

"Sorry." Claire sat down next to him. "Are you alright?"

Charlie pushed himself up to sit, still rubbing at his head. Claire looked down at the rope burns that painted her own palms and felt the sting. Charlie took her hands carefully and looked at them.

Then he buried his face in his hands and started to shake and it took Claire a minute to realize he wasn't crying but laughing. "What's so funny?"

Charlie looked up with a chuckle and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Fine heroes we turned out to be. At this rate I don't think we're going to make it to the hatch"

Claire smiled, "I think you're right." Her vision was clouded by a deep blue haze and she looked up at the sky. "It's getting dark. Hopefully the others had better luck than we did."

"Oh I don't know about that." Charlie put his arm around her shoulder. "I consider myself quite lucky."

THE END