Disclaimer: don't own this stuff.
Bonfire night, Daniel remembered his mother vaguely explaining the story behind it when he was very small. Something about Guy Fawkes planning to blow up the houses of parliament, but that wasn't really the most important thing on his mind at the moment.
He needed to get rid of the contents of his bag and the giant, roaring fire seemed like a fantastic candidate for the job.
After making sure that no-one was paying him any attention he slid the pack of cards out of his bag and cautiously tossed them into the flames. His heartbeat firmly within his chest as he watched a precious memory burn. He didn't need to remember that anymore.
Next came a faded picture of himself and Theresa, from back at his time in Oxford. There was nothing…nothing he could do for her, she was lost forever. So he watched as her face faded in the flames.
He knelt down beside his bag and delved deeper in, beneath an extra jumper and a scarf he found his journal. For one last time he flicked through its pages. This book contained the most important findings of his professional life. It Didn't matter, he could get another job.
There was a time when he would have destroyed himself with even the thought of what he was about to do, but now it came easy. The book burned fastest of all.
Daniel took out the final item,he unwrapped the fabric he had hidden it in and placed it on to of the flames, he used a stick to push it deeper in.
It was a difficult artefact to acquire, and yet not as difficult as he had suspected when he first sought it out. The tricky part was beating her to it.
As the Dharma symbol for the Hydra station turned dark and unrecognisable in the flames, a weight was lifted from his shoulders.
"Its bloody cold, come here you."
He didn't even hear her footsteps in the thick mud as she approached him from behind.
"Hey, uh, having a nice time?"
"Yes, but to think I should have been in sunny Tunisia right now, instead I'm in freezing England." she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.
"Heh, sorry about that." Daniel couldn't resist stroking her hair.
"Oh don't be silly, it isn't as if its your fault. I don't think I would switch places now anyway, It's almost as if this is the first time I've ever really felt at home here, which is absurd as I grew up here." she replied, an almost confused tone hidden under a slight shiver.
"Charlotte, why don't you put your gloves on?" suggested Daniel, he was eager to change the subject.
She grinned up at him, a sly look in her bright eyes "Because… if I were to put my gloves on then how would my sisters be able to gaze jealously at my rather splendid engagement ring."
"Ah, I see, that…that is a good point." he returned her grin and brushed the stray strands of red hair from her face, she stood up on her tip toes and kissed him.
She sighed softly as they broke away, "The display will be starting soon, so don't wander off. I'm just going to get us some hot chocolate."
He smiled as he watched her dart off through the small crowd. She was alive, so alive, and it thrilled him into dizzy highs. It reminded of the first time he ever told her he loved her, he left that tent walking on air. Charlotte would never know that day now, she would always remember the second time he told her as the first. Her smile was as breath taking the second time as it was the first.
After the incident with Theresa he swore he would never return to England, but England was safe and far, far away from the Island. It also held within it the one person who really mattered to him. He tried not to think about the Island and the people who's lives it effected, time wasn't supposed to be messed with.
Then again beautiful, intelligent women were not supposed to die in a flurry of madness on the merciless jungle floor so it wasn't too hard to justify his actions. It wasn't as if anybody would ever know how selfish he had been.
"I know who you are," came a voice from beside him.
"Mrs. Lewis, we were introduced earlier." his voice cracked with nerves, she was a particularly stern woman.
"You know what I mean, I remember you, and I know what you've done."
Daniel swallowed hard.
The older woman stared into his face, her eyes were almost as startling as her daughters.
"I had too." came a desperate whisper from between his lips.
"Thank you. You may be an American, but you have my blessing to marry my daughter. Not that you asked for it I might add." came her curt but sincere response.
Charlotte returned with the hot chocolate, she handed a cup to Daniel. Her mother gave her a warm smile, this seemed to concern Charlotte slightly. She looked from her mother to her future husband and decided that as long as her mother wasn't making a fuss it would be better not to question it.
He held her hand tightly in his as they watched the fireworks display. She would never find her true home and he would never prove to the world that he was a respected physicist, instead they would get to have a life, a life together and that, for Daniel, made it worth it. It was just up to him now to make sure that he made everyday worth it for her, because she could never know the truth.
a/n: Charlotte's death is unfair *pout*sulk*, just some fic i wrote late at night, please review if you want