"Saved" by S. Kiley
Disclaimer: ABC owns, I borrow. I make no money.
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She was wrong.
Charlie wanted to say something to her. He could feel the words burning hot in his mouth as he looked at the sweet smile on her face as the baby kicked. He was treated with the sobering image of her face contorted in pain, and the thought of speaking his feelings aloud died.
Wanting her for her baby? The idea was ludicrous. He knew an awful lot of women who would find the idea of Charlie Pace: baby hunter either terribly funny or pathetically sad.
He did want to rescue her. He couldn't say she was wrong about that. But in reality, he more needed her to rescue him. The cave in had put everything into perspective for him.
Who did he have?
No one.
His brother was right. Who was he without the band?
Nothing. Nobody.
Christ, of all the people on this island, he was probably the only one who could stay lost and not have anyone miss him.
But when he looked in Claire's eyes . . .
When she smiled at him like she was doing just now, he caught a fleeting glimpse of what he could be.
He had been reborn, like the moth. He didn't have to be a band, a rock god, a drug addict. He could be . . . Charlie. Someone important because he someone loved.
He hadn't been lying to her when he said she didn't scare him. She didn't. Her "responsibility" as she had referred to it, terrified him beyond belief. He was no father. He could probably use a bit more fathering himself. But he was pretty sure he still remembered how to love a woman properly—how he'd loved Angelina before rock and drugs and too many women had gotten in the way. Looking Claire in the eyes, he knew that he wanted to love this woman very much indeed.
And if she would let him love her, she could save him. Not from a monster or a polar bear or drug addiction, but from being so alone and so scared.
That's what he really needed. Someone to keep him company and say 'It's all right, Charlie, I'm here with you. And I'm scared too'.
If she would let him care about her, she could save him from himself.
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Fin.
I swear I'm working on Chiaroscuro 4 . . .