Title: The Great Unknown
Rating: K+
Summary: Three missing scenes from 3x03 Further Instructions. Charlie and Claire set a few things straight after which Charlie surprises Claire. Consider this story wishful thinking on my part.
Characters: Charlie and Claire
Disclaimer: I don't own Lost, I don't own Charlie, I don't own Claire and the bloody hatch has imploded.
Looking out from her tent, she could hardly believe the day felt so normal. After what had happened the previous day, Claire couldn't imagine ever feeling normal again, and yet the sky had cleared, the vibrations stopped and that was that. No one had any explanation for what they had experienced, not even Charlie, who Claire was fairly certain had been at the source of the event. She was also fairly certain he had hit his head pretty hard because when he had returned, he hadn't been able to provide a germ of information that made sense. Claire didn't know why, but it irked her. She was glad he was alright, but when it came to Charlie, she always felt slightly in the dark, like he had her on a permanent need to know basis. She hoped after a night's sleep, he might be more lucid and willing to talk to her.
As surprised as she was to see the sunrise, she was not at all surprised to see Charlie walking towards her with a smile he was fighting hard to suppress. His eyes gave off that look she'd seen before, like he wanted to devour her, and he seemed to be working hard at appearing nonchalant. Claire got a little thrill at the sight of him, and she wondered when that had happened. It had been a long time since she had felt anything but anger and hurt over Charlie, but Claire knew she didn't feel that way now. She returned his smile like a co-conspirator, blushing slightly at the unspoken words between them. If she didn't know any better, she would swear he had a swagger to his walk. It was a confidence she couldn't recall ever seeing from him.
"Morning, Claire," he sang.
"Hey, Charlie. How are your ears today? Has the ringing stopped?"
While Jack was off trying to get Walt back from the Others, everyone at the beach had been left to fend for themselves. Claire was relieved that Charlie wasn't more seriously hurt. Without a doctor, it felt like walking a tightrope without a net.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he assured her with a shrug, holding out his battered knuckles and elbows as he sat on the bench in her tent. "Just a few scrapes. I've had worse."
Claire looked at the rather large abrasions on both arms that were already scabbing over. She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. "Are you ready to tell me what happened now?"
Charlie's brow tightened. "What do you mean? I told you everything I know."
Claire snorted with a smirk. "What? About flaming fireballs and flying forks?"
"Yes," he answered firmly, appearing slightly insulted by her mocking tone. "Then I woke up in the jungle and came back."
Claire paused to study him, then shook her head. "But that doesn't make sense. How did you end up in the jungle?"
His tone turned sarcastic, slightly bitter. "Well I would like to help you out but I'm not sure what part of 'I don't remember' you fail to understand."
Claire turned away, uncomfortable with Charlie's defensive posture. Then Charlie spoke again, tossing out another possibility, "or is it that you don't believe me?"
Claire crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned back to him. They stood still, locking horns. It was Claire that broke the impasse. "Are you trying to protect me from something?"
Charlie rose slowly from his seat, mouth half open and eyes wide. The look on his face reminded Claire of how he had looked that night when she had slapped him. She immediately wished she could take back her words but told herself instead that it needed to be said.
"You don't believe me." Charlie affirmed, his words a revelation. Then his look of open shock turned to something harder. He raised his voice. "Did you think I stopped to get more drugs on my way back or something?" Charlie flew up his hands, "Come on Claire, I thought we were past that after you…" Charlie's tirade stopped mid-sentence and he froze.
"After I what?" she asked, more curious as to where Charlie was headed than angry. Something inside her wanted to know what he was about to say, perhaps more than anything, but Charlie shut down.
"Nothing," he said with a sigh. He lowered his voice again and for the first time Claire noticed how tired he seemed. "I just thought we were starting over," he said, "or did I get the wrong impression?"
Claire glanced out from her tent as she thought of what to say. She felt a bit self-conscious over their semi-public row and wondered if they were attracting attention, but people were busy going about their own business. Then she saw Locke walking in their direction with purpose, stopping at his nearby tent.
"When did he get back?" she asked Charlie, forgetting their conversation. Not surprisingly, Charlie had no answer for her.
They both watched as Locke began to dismantle his tent, cutting the lashings and pulling down the tarp roof. "What's he doing?" she wondered aloud, certainly not expecting an answer this time.
She turned back to Charlie. "Well, where's he been, where's everyone else? Don't you think you should go find out?"
It seemed like the perfect opportunity to put an end to the unpleasantness between them. Charlie looked annoyed, but he was likely looking for an out as well so he didn't resist her urging. "Yes, ma'am," he mumbled and turned to leave in the direction of the church frame where Locke had gone.
Claire watched Charlie go as her stomach tightened with intense regret. It was not the morning after she had hoped for.
Charlie hurried back in the direction of Claire's tent. He was anxious to try again. Here she is finally giving me another chance and I blew it, because I'm a stupid git. He knew she was waiting for answers and he wanted to be able to provide them. If he couldn't remember what had happened to him at least he could fill her in on what had happened to Locke and his bizarre spirit trip. After that he needed to go help Locke save Eko.
He saw her from a short distance, running towards her tent from the opposite direction. Charlie entered the tent ready to start apologizing, but when Claire looked up at him he stopped. She looked slightly flushed and more than a little spooked.
"Claire?" he asked with genuine concern. "What's wrong? You look like you've had a fright."
Claire inhaled and smiled slightly. Charlie was glad to see her smile. "Oh, it was nothing. I was just checking Jack's tent to see if he had come back as well when I……saw Nikki and Paulo there."
Charlie was confused. "So?"
Claire was struggling to find her words. "They were in there. I walked in on them."
Charlie's mind raced with possibility but he still had too many options. "Well, what exactly were they doing?" he asked slowly.
Claire rolled her eyes at him. "You know. I walked in on them," she repeated more firmly.
Realization dawned and Charlie's smile grew until it broke open with laughter. He immediately recalled the times he had "walked in on" his fellow band members and their groupies. Hell, he had been "walked in on" himself a few times.
Claire was not sharing in his amusement. She looked downright mortified, which struck Charlie as even funnier because she was hardly inexperienced herself if Aaron was any indication. Charlie didn't know what it was about Claire that always struck him as chaste, almost prudish, but there it was.
"What's so funny?" Claire asked with her hands firmly planted on her hips.
Charlie shook his head, unable to resist being cheeky. "Did it get you all hot and bothered?"
"Charlie!" She scolded in mock surprise, but behind it all Charlie saw a glint of humour in her eyes as well. She wasn't that uptight.
As amusing as it all was, Charlie remembered he was in a bit of a hurry. Locke was a few feet away gathering his things together for their trek and he had to be running along as well. Reluctantly, he changed the subject.
"Anyway, I just came to tell you that I'm off with Locke to find Eko. Locke thinks he's in trouble."
Claire's expression sobered. "In trouble like how?"
"Like having something to do with a polar bear," he winked, "but don't worry about me."
Claire wasn't playing along. "Does he really need you to go?" she stammered. "Can't Locke handle it on his own?"
Charlie looked at her completely baffled. "I thought you wanted me to go find out what happened to them."
"Well, I did" she moaned, "but now you have. Why do you have to go back out into the jungle again? What are you going to be able to do about it?"
Their conversations lately rose and fell like tidal waves and Charlie was beginning to feel decidedly seasick. He frowned, wounded. "You don't think I could do anything to help?"
Claire began backtracking, "I didn't say that."
"No," went Charlie, full steam ahead, "I'm just useless Charlie, what could I possibly do to help the fantastic Mr. Locke."
"Charlie, I didn't mean…"
"Why did you kiss me?" he blurted.
By her expression he could tell his words had caught Claire completely off her guard. "What?" she asked.
Charlie took a step closer to her and tried again. "Last night. Why did you kiss me? Was it because you really care about me or were you just hard up?"
Claire's eyes went from shocked to furious, a shade of blue he didn't think he could imagine. Still Charlie couldn't help but wonder if he had touched a nerve beyond just making her angry. Charlie took the liberty of interpreting her silence.
"Right. Well then, I have to go," he said firmly. "Locke's waiting for me. I want to help Eko. Maybe if you're lucky I'll get eaten by a polar bear."
He turned and left, wishing he could contain his pent up frustration with just the clenching of his fists.
They had been gone for hours and Claire was scared to death, mostly because of the way they had left things. Did Charlie really believe I thought he was incompetent? Didn't he see that I was just worried about him, that I'm afraid to lose him again? Maybe the reason he thinks I don't care is because I've never told him.
Claire had all afternoon to think about it, and by the time they returned, she was no longer angry. She couldn't be when Charlie and Locke were pushing through the sand struggling to carry an unconscious Mr. Eko between them. Just like at Ana-Lucia and Libbys' funerals, Claire was reminded of the fragility of life on this island.
As they placed Eko under the shelter of a nearby tent, Hurley appeared, along with Nikki and Paulo. Their earlier escapade forgotten, they scrambled for information and rushed to help. Someone suggested getting Jack and that was when Hurley told them he hadn't returned. Claire felt a cold chill.
Locke spoke next, assuring everyone that they were going to go and bring their friends back. Claire felt reassured by his words, then hurried to get towels and water for Eko.
After she had seen to Eko she turned her attention back to Charlie, searching for him among the shelters. She found him sitting in the sand a few feet away, very still, pensive, staring at the tent where Eko lay. He no longer seemed angry either. He looked like he felt lucky to be alive.
She approached him slowly and sat down, placing a hand on his knee.
"What happened to Eko, Charlie?" she asked gently.
A distant look came over him. He gave a faint smile, but sounded far away. "Like I said. Polar bear."
"Are you alright?" she asked.
He looked at her and nodded. Placing his hand on top of hers, he spoke. "I saw the hatch. Or, what was the hatch anyway."
"What happened to it?" Claire asked.
Charlie's voiced hitched, and he sounded as if he couldn't believe his own words. "It was a crater. It imploded, just……caved in on itself."
Claire couldn't imagine the sight. "How on earth did you all get out of there?" She asked. No wonder he's acting so strange, thought Claire. He only narrowly avoiding getting crushed to death. They all did.
His voice rose barely above a whisper and Claire felt him hold her hand tighter. "I don't know. I don't remember it happening."
They sat silently for a moment, gathering strength from each other. Claire had no idea what to say next. Then Charlie spoke again.
"Claire, I'm sorry for what I said before."
Claire looked at him, full of sympathy despite what his angry words had done to her. "I'm sorry too. But you're right. You deserve an answer for why I kissed you. It was because I care about you and I want to start over and see where things go."
Charlie seemed to come back to life before her eyes. "I want that too." Cautiously, he leaned in to meet her lips and they kissed. This time it was more than experimentation, it was promise. They took their time, savoring the closeness they both had desired but denied themselves.
When they parted, Claire asked, glancing back towards the tent to where Eko lay still. "Is Eko going to be alright?"
"I can't say. Not without Jack here."
Claire searched her mind for a scrap of hope. "Well, Locke said he would bring everyone back. I'm sure he will."
Charlie spun back to look at her, as if he couldn't believe what she had said. "No, he won't," he insisted. "Jack's not coming back."
Claire looked back at him, returning his shocked expression. "How do you know that, Charlie?"
But Charlie seemed just as surprised by his own words. He blinked and shook his head in confusion. "I don't know. I just do."