Timeline: Set soon after Fire and Water.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way shape or form with the show or the people.

"But I don't want to do it," even to her own ears Claire knew that she was sounding petty.

Jack obviously thought so as well because he sighed heavily. He glanced down to his get that he shuffled on the ground before looking back at her. "I know it seems like a lot to ask…"

"It is a lot to ask! I can't stand him Jack, and I don't want my baby to be around him!"

"Aaron doesn't have to be with Charlie, okay?" Jack paused, offering her the chance to air her opinions but she remained silent, her arms folded over her chest. "You might be his only chance to get better, he loves you."

Claire nodded, she still wanted to refuse Jack's proposal but she didn't know how to do so without everybody hating her. Jack patted a hand absent-mindedly on her shoulder before leading her into the hatch.

The smell of blood threatened to overpower her and she was thankful she had left Aaron with Sun back at the beach. She swallowed hard, she could still leave, she could turn and run back, she didn't have to do this.

She laid her eyes on Charlie though and she felt the guilt overwhelm her. Charlie was laid out on the hatch bed, Kate sitting beside him. The stitches were running down both his arms and his face lit up the moment he saw her. He tried to get up but Kate gently pushed him back down.

"Kate," Jack's tone was authortative and she got up instantly, smiling half-heartedly at Claire before walking to another part of the hatch, accompanied with Jack.

Claire sat down next to Charlie and he took hold of one of her hands, she fought off her instincts to pull it away.

"Hey."

"Hi Charlie."

"I'm sorry, you know? About this."

"No, its okay," she patted his hand with her free one. "Just promise me you won't do it again Charlie."

"I wouldn't need to, you're here now."

The guilt swept through her again. When Jack had come to her tent stating that Charlie had attempted suicide she hadn't felt guilty, she'd barely even felt sad. But when she'd been told that the note said 'I can't live without her' she had begun to blame herself. Jack had instructed her to keep Charlie placated so she smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm here now."

"I'm going to kill him." Jack ran a hand through his hair, feeling his blood starting to boil.

"Who, Charlie?"

"No, not Charlie."

"Maybe you need to calm down, here," Kate held out a glass of water and he shook his head.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Who?"

"Locke, Kate, Locke!"

Kate sighed, putting the water down. She could understand that Jack was angry, but she didn't know how he'd managed to blame Locke for something yet again.

Jack picked up on the sigh and glared at her, "think about it, a few days after Locke assaults him, humiliates him, causes Claire to leave him, he tries this. It's Locke's fault." He looked through at Charlie and began to storm towards the exit.

"Jack!"

"Stay here, keep and eye on Charlie, Claire and the button. Let Claire go when she wants but don't leave Charlie unattended. I'm going to go calm down, I'll be back later."

With that, he left. Kate drank some of the water; she didn't want to disturb Charlie.

Charlie had fallen silent, still holding onto Claire's hand and she was starting to feel panicked about Aaron. She tried to remind herself that Sun would be coping but she had already had her son stolen once and she didn't want it to happen again. She had to go back, no matter how much Charlie needed her.

Jack hadn't calmed down when he left the hatch, and he hadn't calmed down on the way to the beach. Seeing Locke sitting, watching the ocean was the final straw. He began to storm towards him, hands already drawn into fists.

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