Disclaimer: I don't own Lost or any of its Characters.

It's been 12 hours since the helicopters came to rescue the survivors of Oceanic flight 815. But to Charlie Pace its felt like an eternity, since he and his fellow survivors were getting into the helicopters and taking one last look at that horrible yet somehow wonderful island that they had called their home for those six excruciatingly long months. For some of them it has been the only home they have ever known and for others it has been like a purgatory, a place to start fresh, a place where nobody knew what had happened in your past and nobody really cared all that much either.

They are all a family even if some would never admit it willingly. No one else in that world knew what they had been through and no one else would ever understand. In this way the survivors had formed a bond that nothing could ever break.

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"How much longer is this going to take" called Charlie from somewhere near the back of the small plane where the surviving 29 passengers of flight 815 were packed in the best they could.

"I'm very sorry sir we are almost ready for take off" replied the flight attendant "I know how anxious you must be to return home."

"You have no idea" Charlie said with a smile as he looked next to him at Claire who has fallen asleep on his shoulder of pure exhaustion and Aaron snoozing in his lap. Charlie was so happy to be bringing his new family home with him. He couldn't wait to show Claire around LA and to bring them home to his apartment so they could start their life together. But the only way that would happen was if this plane ever took off. They had been sitting in this bloody plane on the runway of this bloody ship for about 13 hours now, if Charlie's count was correct. And despite what the flight attendant told him he realized that it would be at least an hour longer so he decided to do as everyone around him was doing and get some rest.

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Charlie woke up about five hours into their six hour flight. "Wow" he said with a yawn "I didn't realize how tired I really was… and look at this little guy" he said to the now awake Claire, gesturing down at Aaron who was still peacefully asleep in Charlie lap.

"I know… I guess all that crying he did before we left the island really tired him out" Claire said with a laugh.

"Yeah I suppose so….." they sat in silence for a few minuets smiling to themselves.

"So… you nervous?" he asked.

"No…well yes and no I guess" Claire replied. "Its going to be weird you know, being back… we've talked about it a lot obviously and of course I thought about it…but to be honest I never believed it would happen." As Claire said this, her eyes began to well with tears, seeing this Charlie put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. She snuggled under his arm and for the thousandth time since they met she felt like everything would be all right as long as Charlie was by her side she felt complete. Claire looked down at her beautiful son sleeping on the lap of the only man who had been there for them since the beginning. She knew that he would never know his real father but for some reason that didn't bother her anymore. As far as Claire was concerned Charlie was Aaron's father, maybe not biologically but Charlie was his father none the less and that's all that really mattered.

"Attention the Captain has switched on the fasten seatbelt light, please prepare for your long awaited landing" Said the stewardess voice from the sound system.

At hearing this atmosphere in the cabin was full of excitement everyone close to a window leaned towards it to see their, and the stewardess had so rightfully stated," long awaited" destination.

"Here we go" Charlie said with a grin while giving Claire's shoulder another reassuring squeeze.