"Would you, er, like to go for a picnic?" Charlie rehearses this line over and over.
"Sure, but as friends. I'm not into that Brokeback stuff." Sawyer's voice interrupts Charlie.
Charlie rolls his eyes. "Not you, you idiot!" he snaps.
"Well, then Shorty, who ARE you talking to? That piece of grass?" Sawyer teases, taking a seat beside him.
Charlie scowls at the southerner. Sawyer always found a way to tick anyone off. "I'm asking Claire out." Charlie states.
Sawyer looks around. "Claire isn't here."
"I'm PRACTICING asking Claire out."
"Oh, well, ain't that cute." Sawyer smirks, nudging Charlie in the shoulder.
"Shut up."
"You're actin' like a teenager. If you wanna ask her out, just do it!"
"You think so?" Charlie inquires.
"Yeah, limey. It'll work." Sawyer states, leaning back on his elbows. "So, when are you gonna ask her, loverboy?"
"Er, later...?"
"It's almost afternoon! Ask her now!!" Sawyer asserts.
"It was kinda gonna be tomorrow--"Charlie begins, but Sawyer cuts him off.
"Well, now it's gonna be tonight."
Sawyer stands, pulling Charlie up by an elbow. The Tennessee man looks around before spotting Claire. He drags Charlie down the shoreline. "NO! I-I dunno what I'm going to say! Let go! Lemme go!" Charlie squeals in protest. Sawyer rolls his eyes. Never in a million years would he imagine himself playing match-maker for a limey runt and his girlfriend. Sawyer shoves Charlie at Claire, smiling. Charlie trips forwards and nearly knocks Claire over. Sawyer's laughter echoes throughout the camp. Charlie pales before blushing quite noticeably. Claire smiles up at him, readjusting her laundry basket in her hands.
"Hey, Charlie. Did you want something?" she asks.
"Yeah, er...yeah." Charlie stutters, nervously fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt.
"Yeah?" Claire asks.
"Well, I was wondering if you...uh, if you would like to go on a, um, picnic with me...for supper." Charlie trips over his words.
"Oh, well--" Claire begins.
"You can't? Sorry. Sorry." Charlie cuts her off.
"Noo. I was going to say yes. I just have to arrange it so Sun will take care of Aaron." Claire giggles.
"Oh! Oh, okay...Great. I'll come get you when it's ready. Okay." Charlie beams.
Charlie turns and begins to walk off. Sawyer catches up with him. Charlie sighs. He had thought Sawyer had left.
"So, Nike, did you 'just do it'?" Sawyer asks.
"Yeah. Right after I nearly tackled her, thank you." Charlie smiles.
"Well, did she say yes?"
"Yeah," Charlie blushes.
"I told you it'd work. You kids have fun...Wait!" Sawyer states, racing back to his tent.
"What now?" Charlie utters under his breath.
Sawyer is gone inside his tent for a minute before he reemerges with something in his hand. Charlie squints, but cannot see what it is. Sawyer finally reaches Charlie. He hands him a bottle of grape juice. Charlie smiles, taking it. He smiles up at Sawyer.
"Thanks, mate," Charlie grins with a laugh.
"I thought maybe you could use it."
"Thank you, Sawyer," Charlie repeats, turning and walking off.
Charlie spends the entire rest of the afternoon perfecting the picnic spot. It was down the beach. Far enough so that they couldn't be seen, but a close enough jog if they were desperately needed. Charlie sacrificed his bedsheet even though he knew sandfleas would probably get on it. He had gathered wildflowers from the jungle and set them in a bottle of water like a vase. He had prepared fish and boar and had smuggled a jar of peanut butter from Hurley's stash. When dusk began to fall, Charlie races back to the hut he shared with Claire. She wasn't there, so Charlie quickly changes into a clean black shirt and jeans. He waits anxiously for Claire to return. She does and is wearing a beautiful white dress Sun had packed. Charlie's jaw drops.
"Are you ready to go?" Charlie asks.
Claire nods and links arms with Charlie. He leads her down the beach. People stare after them. Claire leans her head on Charlie's shoulder and gazes up at him. He smiles down at her. They finally reach the picnic spot where they see--
"Sawyer?!" Charlie exclaims, surprised to see the southerner lighting torches.
"You forgot lighting. I got you covered." Sawyer smiles, lighting the final torch before racing off.
Claire laughs briefly. "That was nice." she smiles.
"And weird." Charlie jokes.
They take a seat on Charlie's blanket. Claire immediately spots the flowers. She admires them and smells them. Charlie smiles before bringing out the grape juice. Claire giggles and gratefully accepts the glass Charlie pours her. They eat their fish and boar quietly, smiling giddily at each other every now and again. Charlie smiles, looking at the peanut butter, eager to surprise her with it. Claire finally eats her last bite of fish. SHe thanks Charlie before he says, "I have something else."
"What?" Claire asks.
Charlie pulls out the peanut butter and Claire laughs. She watches as Charlie opens it and holds it out for her. She sticks her finger in it and gets a glob of peanut butter. Charlie smiles at her before setting the jar down between them. He scoops some out with his finger and sucks it off. Claire and him eat and talk.
"So, you've never wrapped a house?" Charlie asks.
"Nope. Never." Claire responds.
"You were a good girl!" Charlie laughs.
"At least I wasn't a rebel child!" Claire states with a giggle.
"I was a choir boy! I did the laundry at my house! My brother just dragged me out with him!" Charlie states.
"You were a good boy!!" Claire mocks.
"Haha." Charlie pretends to laugh.
"Well, all the same, I still like you."
"Good."
"Even though you were a laundry boy!" Claire snickers.
Charlie scoops a small glob of peanut butter on his forefinger before plopping it onto Claire's nose. "Ha." he laughs triumphantly.
Claire wipes her nose before hitting Charlie lightly on the shoulder. Clairte laughs hysterically as Charlie tickles her in defense. Claire is finally able to grab his wrists. This stops him from tickling her. "I've got you now!" she smiles, catching her breath. Charlie smiles before leaning forwards and softly kissing her on the lips. Claire sighs into him. She slowly lays Charlie back.
Raising her head up, she aks, "What do you think?"
"About?" Charlie asks, looking up at her.
"Us. This."
"I think it's bloody perfect. You're bloody perfect." Charlie smiles flirtatiously.
Claire grins back. She kisses Charlie again. Suddenly, a noise in the forrest breaks them apart. It was the crackling of a bush. Claire sits up quickly. Her eyes dart around, but she sees nothing. No one. Charlie slowly sits up, too.
"Did you hear that?" Claire whispers.
Charlie nods. "It's--It's probably just Sawyer." he tries to reassure her.
Claire's breath is shaky as she holds tightly onto Charlie's hand. Charlie squeezes her hand comfortingly.
"Hello?" Charlie calls out.
"Hello," a voice says behind them.
They turn around to see a bearded man. Charlie scrambles to his feet, blocking Claire.
"Now, Charlie, please get out of the way so I can see Claire?" the man asks.
"No." Charlie hisses.
"Charlie, move out of my way." the man states just as calmly, pulling out a handgun.
"No." Charlie grumbles.
"Charlie, move." Claire hysterically says upon seeing the gun. "Don't shoot him?"
"I won't if he would move." the bearded man says.
"Leave us alone." Charlie threatens, his hands balling into fists.
The man laughs. "Don't do anything stupid now, son."
Charlie swings at the man. He directly hits the man right between the eyes. The bearded man stumbles back before raising his gun and pulling the trigger. Charlie falls to his knees, realizing the agonizing pain in his stomach. He falls onto his back and hears Claire's voice. The bearded man grabs Claire by the arms and hauls her into the woods.
"NO!! CHARLIE!! LET ME GO!! CHARLIIEEE!!" Claire's screams enter Charlie's ears.
His world blurs in and out of focus. His head felt wobbly and he felt the color drain from his cheeks.
"Claire...?" he mutters softly before his world smashes to black.