Title: And The Bottom Drops Out
Rating: PG
Status: Completed
Summary: Chana fic for the Chana Challenge
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I wish I did, but God's cruel like that so I don't own it.

The baby brother of Liam sat on the beach absently plucking away at his guitar. It was something he did often on days like this; when storms brewed off shore and activity in the camp was little to none. At first all he played was random chords and notes but soon took on a pretty little melody he had written many days before, during a time when things in his life had finally began to look up; a time when the chaos in his life had finally started to settle and peace was beginning to fill his heart. Sadly that time was over, and the sunshine in his life was now covered by dark deceptive clouds; much like the ones that were billowing toward the shore at this very moment at an alarming speed.

His thoughts were interrupted however when he heard sand crunch behind him. He was too lost in his own world to realize that he had an audience of one. He stopped playing, and turned to his left to see the other so-called criminal of the camp sitting next to him.

"Did you write that yourself Charlie?" The rock god nodded, "It's beautiful."

"I wrote it for Claire, a few weeks back. It was going to be on my album I was going to make when we were rescued. I figured it would be a hidden track that was purely instrumental. Just for her." Charlie confessed, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could catch them. He laughed to himself at the subtle irony, "All the things I did for her are apparently hidden in her subconscious, beneath her hate. So I guess it doesn't really matter now does it Ana-Lucia?"

Ana flinched at his mention of Claire, she had seen him suffer after the whole baby snatching situation, and wanted to reach out to him, but he wasn't letting anybody in. She knew what it was like to be ostracized by the group of survivors on this hypocritical beach, and thought she had some sort of common ground with Charlie, no matter how annoying he was most of the time. A low rumble echoed from off shore signaling that the storm wasn't going to be a happy one.
"You shouldn't dwell on it all the time Charlie, if and when she's ready she'll come back to you." He shouldn't be in this funk, she thought. He was supposed to be happy, sarcastic and annoying Charlie, not depressed and sulky.

"You know, I don't really care anymore. She can stay with Locke, hate me and think that I'm using all she wants, but I know the truth. I haven't touched the stuff since I threw it into the fire. God knows I wanted too though…" He blurted it all out just like before, turning his attention back to his beloved guitar.

Ana took notice of a gun in the back of his pants. Where was he getting them? She'd save that question for another time. But now was time to change the subject, she didn't like talking about Claire, Locke and the stupid heroin.

"Do you always carry a gun with you or is today a special day?" Even the ex-cop was capable of snark every now and then. Lightning illuminated the dark mass of clouds in the sky; they were now almost covering the beach, the sun had long since said farewell.

"Oh I always have one with me. It's kind of like my security blanket, except my initials aren't embroidered in the corner and there aren't any drool stains, or the orange juice stain that somehow put up residence on the middle. Told Mum it was Liam's fault." he snarked back rambling, but trailed off in the memory. Ana-Lucia rolled her eyes. God he was random.

"Sure."

"What's it to you anyway? You're not exactly in charge of the gun stash around here." He said fiercely.

"And you are?"

"Not exactly. Anyway, don't you have Jack to complain to or something?" He snapped standing up and slinging his guitar over his shoulder. Thunder crackled in the sky, almost above their heads.

"No, last time I checked Jack was trying to flirt with Kate. I didn't want to interrupt the teen drama." She stood up defensively, her ego taking a blow.

Charlie laughed softly, "Oh yes, the doctor and the fugitive, a star crossed romance they are." There was an oh-so subtle hint of sarcasm slipped somewhere in that sentence. He needed to get to his poor excuse of a tent before the storm broke, but she just wouldn't shut up. Women. "Any who, I'm sure Locke would love for you to do button duty, so if you excuse me, I'm going to get under shelter before that," he pointed to the black sky, "unleashes it's fury on me."

"Do always have to act like an ass towards everybody you know?" She asked before he could turn away. He was annoying the hell out of her right now, but she couldn't leave. Part of her still wanted that connection between the two of them, even if she had to fight him to get it.

"Hmm, well today's Tuesday right? Yeah that's usually my day of being a total arse. I've put it on my calendar the whole month." He spat back making another attempt to walk away. His demons had almost been stirred up today, and he wasn't having anymore of that: especially from her. What did she ever do for him?

God, why was he being this way? Oh, yeah that's right, he's Charlie, Ana thought sharply in her mind. She looked toward the ground for a moment, and saw him begin to walk away. All no he wasn't. The humidity in the air had thickened in the last few minutes, only reminding her more than ever that the storm was about to break loose. She took a step closer to him, and gave him a hard look, not knowing if she should or not.

He stopped in his tracks, as he once again heard sand crunched behind him. He turned around to see Ana still standing there, but a step closer. Why? He stared right back at her. What happened next he would never be able to explain, their lips met in a flurry of emotion and competitiveness. It had come completely out of left field, but Charlie wasn't complaining; for once. As if on cue for dramatic effect, the bottom dropped out of the clouds and rain began to pour heavily from the sky.

When they pulled apart for air, Charlie cheekily smiled back at Ana, as if a new person, "I knew you couldn't resist the manly powers of Charlie Pace."

Ana frowned, she did all that for nothing but an ego boost for Mr. Rock god himself. She sighed and turned on her heal to get out of the rain. But he reached for her arm, and kept her from moving.

"Ok I guess that was a bit much." He apologized.

"Damn right." She shot back.

"Sorry…" He looked around at the sheets of rain that were pounding the beach. "How's about we get in out of this rain huh?" He suggested in that tone that only Charlie could pull off.

Ana arched an eyebrow, "Sure."

He sprinted down the beach with Ana at his heals; he had to get his precious guitar out of the rain after all.