Chapter 1

Let's Talk

Disclaimer – I do not own LOST

Don't look back... Don't go back... It was for the best...

You just saved his life...

Claire kept telling herself this as she ran out the airport and into a taxi. She was panting and her palms were beginning to sweat.

She was about to inform the cab driver her destination when a man tapped on the window and opened the door, "Could we fit one more?" He asked politely.

"Of course." Claire responded, trying to cover up her teary eyes. This man was wearing a dark leather jacket with a brimmed hat and a very large pair of sunglasses. Something seemed very familiar about him, but not in a good way.

"Could you take me to the local café, please," the mysterious man asked the driver. "Are you feeling okay, ma'am? This café down the street is very relaxing, if you are feeling stressed. I would be glad to buy you an espresso or whatever fancies you."

Claire turned towards the man and just nodded, she had nowhere else to be and nowhere else to go.

During the whole car ride no one spoke a word, except the little whines or movements from Aaron. Once they arrived in front of the tiny café, the man slipped the cab driver a twenty and opened to door for Claire and Aaron. Once the cab drove away, Aaron skipped his way over to the door of the café, but he slipped and fell, scraping his knee on the pavement. Claire rushed over to him, and soon he erupted into tears. Claire tried to calm the child but instead the mysterious man walked over to Aaron, kneeled by him and spoke in nonchalant whisper, "Come on Aaron, you were born on the island, your strong."

Claire took Aaron's hand and glared up at the man, "Who are you?" She demanded.

The man slipped off his sunglasses and hat revealing his bug eyes.

Ben.

"I think we should continue this inside, don't you agree?" Ben suggested.

"What do you want from me, Ben?" Claire questioned, demanding an answer, "and how did you get off the island?"

"Claire, please lets continue this in the coffee shop."

Claire looked around wary about if she should actually trust Benjamin Linus.

As Claire entered the shop she heard the bell ding, that rings whenever someone leaves or enters the shop. The lights were dimmed and Ben flipped the sign that sat on the door from open to close. Behind the counter stood Richard Alpert and Tom Friendly.

"Why don't you have a seat," Ben said gesturing to the table, where four seats sat.

"Um, I don't know if this is a good idea," Claire said worriedly.

"Trust us, Claire. We would never try to hurt you," Tom Friendly said, in a not-so-reassuring type of way.

"Why should I trust you? You don't even know what I've been through these past couple hours! And I do also recall you capturing me and trying to steal my baby while I was drugged!" Claire began to scream.

"Yes, our apologizes again for that. But, we have been following you because a couple of you survivors have managed to screw the island." Ben said, then pulled out a gun, finger on the trigger and pointed at Claire. "Sit…"

"Claire, what happened earlier today?" Richard questioned.

"It all happened too quickly. I... I just did what Desmond said to do, because of what... of what he saw."

…

The airport was still flooded with paparazzi and flashing cameras. Claire couldn't find any familiar faces and people were beginning to bombard her with dozens of questions. "How were able to find rescue?" "Were you the woman who delivered a child?" "How did you find food?" "How many people died?" "What was the first thing you thought when you knew you were going to crash?" "What was …"

Claire began to block out the flashing lights and all of the questions because she had found the one survivor that truly mattered at the moment, Charlie.

As she made her way over to him, she realized he was saying his goodbyes to Hurley. Before she could take one more step someone tapped her on her left shoulder. "Hey." It was Kate. Kate and Claire had become great friends on the island and had almost bonded like sisters, and Claire was really glad to have a friend that close.

"Hey, I was just heading towards Charlie."

"Yeah, so this is really it? All that time on the island, all of our encounters with The Others, or running away from the smoke monster, it's all done."

"I know. I am really going to miss you and everything."

"Yeah, I am really going to miss you too Claire. You can always call Jack and I up, you know if you ever want to come over for dinner?"

"Definitely."

"He proposed. Right when he knew we were going to get off the island."

"I am really glad for you Kate."

"Maybe someday Charlie will too pop the big question."

"Maybe… Hey look I've go to go get Charlie before he runs off. Hope to see you soon Kate, and I'm really glad we became such great friends."

After the two hugged, Kate ran back towards Jack, while Claire took Aaron by the hand and headed back to Charlie, who by now was standing alone in the airport. "Hey, Claire." Charlie said as Claire approached him. Claire had seemed a little out of it because she was trying to keep her eyes off of Charlie's. Off of the eyes she feel in love with. "Is everything all right Claire?" Charlie was starting to seem worried.

Claire looked up at him and what came to mind weren't the times Charlie lied about drugs or the time he had attempted to steal her baby, but the times where the three of them were together. Charlie had turned a tragic accident into a new life for Claire. A new life where even in the darkest of moments, Charlie could give Claire a thousand reasons to smile. All their laughter, all their love, all their memories, soon that's all that would be left. "Charlie, this is so hard for me."

"Claire everything will be okay, I am here for you."

"Sometimes I used to think what would happen if we didn't crash. But at one point I just couldn't, because I couldn't imagine a life without you." Claire began to cry. "You acted as a father for Aaron, and you protected both Aaron and I like you couldn't live without us. I remember the day when you returned Aaron to me after Danielle stole him, and you risked your life for him. And you told me you would do whatever it takes, and that moment I knew you loved me … and I loved you. I'm … s… sorry, Charlie."

"Claire I am here and always will be."

"But Charlie… some love … isn't meant to be." Claire could tell by his expression that his heart had broken into two.

But, what really broke Claire's heart is when she grabbed Aaron to leave, and before Claire could take one step Aaron ran over to Charlie and gave him a hug. Claire saw Charlie whisper to Aaron, "I love you Turnip Head and I always will, even if this is really goodbye."

…

"What did you do after that Miss Littleton?" Richard asked Claire.

"I got out of there. I couldn't stand to see Charlie like that."

"Now can you –" Richard's question was cut off my Ben's, "Do you love him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you … still love Mr. Pace?"

"I don't see how this is relevant."

"Answer the question."

"Fine, yes I still do love Charlie, and I always will."

"Now then can you explain to me why you left him?" Ben continued to question Claire.

"You know why Ben. I wouldn't have left him if there wasn't a good explanation."

"Yes, you are correct I do know why, because of these certain flashes your friend Desmond Hume is seeing. What if I were to tell you that performing and proceeding with Mr. Hume's flashes will put all of the Oceanic Survivors' life at stake."

"You can't be serious, these flashes don't affect any other survivors besides Charlie."

"That is where you are wrong, when Charlie swam down to the underwater station and survived, about two and a half years ago, it changed everybody's fate. And you simply can't change fate. Tom over there, well he is supposed to be dead, your friend Sawyer was supposed to shoot him, but that never happened. And only six of you were supposed to be rescued, and Claire, you weren't one of those six. Following those flashes can only result in danger towards everybody's fate, and when you mess with fate nothing good comes of it."

Richard moved forward and explained, "We must go back. You, Mr. Hume, and Mr. Pace have to fix this."

"What happens if we don't? What happens if we really did change fate?" Claire asked.

"You don't understand, no one is allowed to change fate, the island had already decided your fate. You broke the rules and you do not want to suffer the consequences." Ben replied.

"Okay, if I did want to fix this, how would we?" Claire asked.

"There's only one way, and we must do it soon in order to save everybody and the island. We must go back." Ben said as if his life depended upon it.

"And once we go back then what? How can we fix our fate?"

"Earlier, I mentioned that Charlie survived when he swam down to The Looking Glass, well that was never supposed to happen, he needs to die, he needs to drown there and inform Desmond that the frater is not safe. We are going back, and making sure he does not survive that mission."

"Why would I agree to this? Agree to go back, and let the man I love die?" Claire questioned.

"You know what Desmond sees, either way Charlie . . . he can't live, the island just won't let him." Ben replied, "And as for why you would agree, well Desmond knows the answer to that."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! This story is so fun to write and I hope it is fun to read. Thank you for reading! Reviews are welcomed! :D