Ok, so Charlie one of my favourite losties has been killed off :( As we all know he died to save Claire and Aaron because of Desmonds flashes, but this is lost were talking about here.. something tells me there wont be any helicopters for a while, so I was inspired to make the oneshot :)
Summary : Charlie dosent know what he is, a spirit, a ghost? But whatever he is, he knows that he wont pass to death until he can rest in peace, and to do that he needs to see his work through.
Disclaimer : I dont own Lost! Prove it? Because if I did, Boone, Shannon and Charlie would be alive, and Kate & Sawyer would have hooked up long ago! Ok, so maybe Sawyer would be in the show if I owned lost.. cause I would have kidnapped him and took him home with me ;)
Charlie woke up in a daze, he opened his eyes and blinked in the bright sunlight which shone down on him. Slowly he sat up and took in his surroundings, he was on the edge of the beach, he could just make out the beach in the distance…
But wait – he shouldn't be here, he should be dead! He sat and thought back, the last thing he could remember was writing the message to Desmond on his hand about the boat not being Penny's… the floating away back into the water, yet when he looked down at his clothing, his top, jeans and shoes were completely dry.
After that he carefully checked himself for injury, but there was none, all he had was a dull ringing in his ears, but nothing else. He was breathing fine, he checked for his own pulse, it was there beating as strong as ever. There was no way around it, he should be dead, but yet here he was, very much alive.
Had Desmond somehow rescued him? Charlie clenched his fists in anger, why had he done that? Most people would think Charlie crazy for being angry with a man who saved his life, but he didn't want to be saved, this way Claire and Aaron would never be rescued, for that to happen he had to drown, he had to be dead.
Charlie shook his head. No, if Desmond had rescued him, he wouldn't have left him hear on the shore, he would have taken him back to camp. Deciding to see what it was all about he headed over to the camp.
He could see even from this distance Claire sat in her shelter, her back was facing him, her golden blonde hair shining as the sunbeams bounced off it.
He ran along the beach, no one seeming to notice him at all. He skidded to a halt outside Claire's tent.
"Claire!" He exclaimed excitedly "I'm bloody well here! I'm alive! Claire… Claire?"
He was now stood in front of her and she had taken absolutely no notice of him, she was sat with her head bent down, looking at something in her hand.
"Claire?" He said more softly, kneeling down in front of her.
Tears were streaming down her beautiful face, flowing thick and fast from her bright blue eyes, yet she sobbed in silence as she gazed at the object in her hand.
Charlie let his gaze travel down to her hands and saw his Driveshaft ring clutched tightly in her palm.
"Oh Claire…" He said sadly gazing up at her.
Then it hit him. He wasn't really here, he was dead. He waved his hand in front of Claire's face, directly in her view line and she didn't even flinch. What was he? He was here but she… everyone didn't know it. He must be a ghost, a spirit, a something.
He sat back in the sand and wondered what this could all be about. He was obviously in the present time of the island, what was this for him? Purgatory? No it couldn't be, there wasn't anything he had to do, make right, no secrets he held, he'd done his last good deed, he had saved Claire and Aaron.
Then he realised. He was here, because he knew that he could never really rest in peace until he knew that his deed had paid off, that Claire and Aaron were safe, rescued and home, he needed to know they were ok before he could move on.
He didn't know how long it would be until they were rescued. Half of him wished it was as soon as possible, right now even, before anything else could happen to them, but also a part of him wanted it to not be yet, later – much later, because he didn't want to leave, although Claire couldn't see him, he could see her, he didn't know if he ever would again.
And also he was scared. He hadn't been scared to die, because he knew something good would come of it, Claire and Aarons rescue, but if he was here right now, as a ghost or whatever he was, that meant there must me something else waiting for him after this, and he was scared for what that might be.
He sat for hours, just watching Claire. Watching as people spoke to her, watching as she cared for Aaron, watched as she cried. He just watched and it broke his heart.
There was no concept of time or of day or night for Charlie now, he never slept, never ate, never drank, he didn't need to anymore. He didn't really miss it, stupid really how people say they would miss a certain food or drink if they died and couldn't eat anymore, stupid because there were much more important things to miss.
Things such as people.
People such as Claire.
"Claire?" A soft female voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see that Sun had arrived, placing a gentle hand on Claire's shoulder she softly whispered "Claire… they're back"
Claire didn't say anything, she just looked up at Sun, her eyes glimmering with a slight hope but still shining with tears.
"They found him… Jack says it's best you don't see him… he got a bit… anyway that doesn't matter Sun said carefully.
Charlie immediately realised who they where talking about. They were talking about him, or rather his body.
"They've dug the hole out now… everyone's ready to, say goodbye" Sun said sadly gazing at Claire.
"Thank you Sun" Claire nodded slightly standing up and walking to Aarons crib, he was sleeping softly unaware of the loss around him.
"Would you like me to stay with him?" Sun asked.
"Thanks but no" Claire said scooping him up carefully "Charlie… Charlie he adored Aaron, he was the closest thing he ever got to a father, so I'm gonna take him" She said her voice breaking slightly on Charlie's name.
Charlie's eyes shone with tears, his throat burned as he cried for the first time since he well… died. Claire was going to his funeral, and taking Aaron, she had said… that he was like a father to Aaron. He had wanted to be.
Claire and Sun set off down the beach towards the graveyard where a large group of people gathered.
Well I suppose it would be rather rude not to show up at my own funeral, Charlie joked with himself lamely as he followed them.
People always say that they would like to have a seat at their own funeral, just to see who came, who missed them, who loved them and who hated them.
Charlie could see that he was rather loved. Jack, always the leader, led the funeral, saying how Charlie will have died for a reason, to save them all from this island, and saying he just hoped it would be soon.
"Rest in peace Charlie Pace" Jack said, many of the other castaways joining in with the words.
Claire was asked to speak, she tried to started but she began to sob inconsolably. Kate gently took Aaron from her as Sun comforted her as much as she could.
Not many people could here what she said, but a few around her and Charlie did.
"I never… I never told him I loved him" She whispered through the tears.
"I love you too Claire" Charlie cried looking on at the scene as Sun led Claire away and back to her tent.
He watched as Hurley, Jack and Sawyer began to fill in his grave. Hurley was struggling with the heavy labour, Jack tried to stop him but Hurley pressed on saying it was 'something he had to do'.
When the grave was full the three headed back down to the beach. It was now getting late, a dusk light had settled around the camp and the fires flickered brightly.
He got to Claire's tent and found Aaron sleeping gently in his crib, Claire curled up on her bed asleep.
He sat down in the sand between the two sleeping people, the people he loved most in the world, and prepared to wait as the night passed by.
The next morning Hurley came running up to Claire's tent, a huge smile on his face.
"Claire! Claire!" He shouted lumbering over "Claire?" He said more carefully waking her from her sleep.
"Yeah?" She replied sleepily.
"There here, were rescued!" Hurley shouted "The helicopters have landed!"
"That's great" Claire smiled, but then looked sadly down the beach to where Charlie's grave was.
"He would have been happy you and Aaron were going home" Hurley said gently, knowing what she was thinking.
"I know" Claire nodded smiling sadly "So you wanna help me pack?"
"Sure" He smiled.
Charlie watched the whole thing with a huge grin on his face. He had done it, it hadn't been for nothing. Claire and Aaron were going home.
He stood on the shoreline and watched as someone took Aaron into the confines of a helicopter then helped Claire inside.
He sat on the beach as he watched the helicopter glide up into the clouds and smiled.
Now he could truly rest in peace.
Hope everyone enjoyed that! R.I.P Charlie! Ill miss you!
Also, if you liked this, I have another oneshot comming out soon called 'A Friend' which will be a conmama friendship, but dealing with Charlies death in Through the Looking Glass, so will have PB&J too :)