Claire sat on the beach, watching the waves gently roll up unto the sand. She sighed loudly and squished the sand in between her toes. Looking over at the wooden crib beside her, she had to smile. It was so sweet of Locke to make that for her and her little Peanut. She hadn't decided on a name for her baby yet, but she had fallen into the habit of calling him Peanut. Claire had a feeling that nickname would stick with him all of his life.
Yes, Claire thought it was really sweet that Locke had been so kind to her, even before he found out that it was her birthday, but there was someone she would have rather told about it. Charlie. Claire's smile widened as she thought of him. That's who she wished knew that it was her birthday. They could share some imaginary peanut butter, and the night would be just perfect.
As she told Locke, bits and pieces of her memory were slowly coming back to her. Almost all of these memories were of Charlie looking out for her, talking with her, making her laugh. Her diary had helped a lot, too. She had been pretty faithful about recording the events of her life in it. And her dreams at night… It seemed almost every night Claire would have dreams, not like the ones she had dreamt before she was kidnapped, though. The dreams would start out bad, with Thomas leaving her and Claire just collapsing on the floor in tears. However, then Charlie would show up. He'd wrap Claire in his arms and assure her that everything would be alright. Claire would wake up feeling comforted and safe, but she'd always be sort of disappointed that he never kissed her. In her dream that is.
"Claire?"
She nearly jumped as she heard a voice call out her name. Looking around, she saw Locke standing right beside her. It was amazing how stealthy and quiet that guy was. Claire hadn't even heard him coming. If he hadn't been so kind to her, he would probably creep her out. But he was definitely on her good list now. Claire smiled and attempted to get to her feet while saying, "Hello, John!"
"Whoa, there, Claire!" Locke exclaimed. He grabbed her arms and helped her up. "There's something you need to see," Locke continued, quite seriously once that Claire was steady. The man released her arms and began to walk in the direction from which he must have come, certain that Claire was going to follow him. She had intended on waiting here until Charlie returned from his little adventure into the jungle, but she figured that he'd be in good hands with Jack and Sayid. Shrugging her shoulders and placing her right hand behind her back, Claire followed after Locke.
The man had stopped by the time she reached him. Locke was staring at some sort of drawing on the ground. Claire looked down, also, but she couldn't quite distinguish what the figures were supposed to be. "What is it?" Claire questioned, looking up at Locke and then down back at the drawing in the sand.
"Looks to me," Locke replied slowly, "that this thing is a stick of butter." The man pointed at a long rectangle. Then he motioned to the other shape. "That appears to be a peanut."
Claire started giggling. "Did you draw this?" she asked, pretty certain of the answer.
"Nope," Locke answered, "but I think there are more if you'd like to investigate."
With those words, the man spun away and walked off. Eyebrows raised, Claire watched him until he disappeared. Peanut butter. Her giggling intensified as she vaguely saw another drawing a few steps away, in the direction of the forest. Biting her lip, she walked forward. Unlike the other, this drawing had writing in it. It read, "I love how you make me smile."
Claire just stared at that little drawing for about a minute until she realized that there was another drawing a little farther up the beach. Walking up to the new one, she read, "I love how beautiful you look when I make you laugh."
She was already starting to get teary-eyed, but she spied another drawing and moved forward. This new one said, "I love how you say peanut buttah." The tears that were in the process of forming stopped, and Claire returned to laughing. She looked around, but there was no human around. There was, however, another drawing in the sand slightly closer to the woods. It appeared that was were she was being led. Walking up to the next drawing she could see the words, "I love how kind and uncomplaining you've been, when you have the most reason to complain out of everyone."
Where was he? Claire looked around again only to find no one again. Unless she had a secret admirer/stalker among the survivors, there could only be one person leaving her these messages. But she couldn't see him. Instead she just walked up to the next peanut butter drawing which read, "I love how you've already inspired my two favorite songs that I've ever written." He was writing songs about her now? The giggling stopped and the tears started to well up again. In an attempt to keep from crying, Claire moved to the next picture. It was a bad idea, because the tears really fell as she read, "I love how you've helped me to learn that I have a purpose in life, that I'm not a waste of a human being."
Claire rubbed her eyes furiously, but there really was no way to stop the tears. Sniffling, Claire walked up to the next picture which read, "I love how I need you to survive more and more everyday."
That did it. If she hadn't been pregnant, Claire would have collapsed to the ground, pulled her knees to her chest, and just sobbed. No one had ever made her feel this way, that she was truly loved and wanted. This was so completely sweet, and Claire didn't even know if she deserved it. She had memories of her pushing him away with the fear that she would get hurt again. Something now told her that she had no need to worry.
There was another drawing right outside the forest. Thinking that no sentence in the world could possibly top the last one in the peanut butter, Claire slowly walked forward, almost blinded by her tears. The newest picture read, "I love how you are the best thing that's ever happened in my life."
And he did manage to top it. Claire didn't think it was possible, but he did it. Claire was absolutely beaming through her tears. The last time she had cried this hard was when Thomas left her, but this now was a different type of crying. It was an amazing feeling, to be crying because you loved someone so much and you finally figured it out.
"Happy birthday, Claire!"
Using her shirt, Claire wiped the tears from her eyes to see Charlie standing a few feet inside of the forest. Locke must have told him it was her special day. And he had found a way to make it the absolute best it could possibly be on this island. Her smile widened as she walked up to him. She would have run up and jumped him if her stomach would have permitted it. Charlie was grinning back at her, but his foot was coving part of the final peanut butter message. Claire could read, "I love…" but nothing else. "Would you like to see the rest of it?" he whispered.
Claire nodded her head. She was really too emotionally for words. Charlie moved his foot to disclose "you." So the final peanut butter picture read, "I love you." Claire flung her arms around Charlie's neck. She was absolutely crazy about him. Claire must have known it for awhile, but this was the first night it was positively clear.
Charlie wrapped his arms around her, just like he always did in her dreams. Only this time he kissed her. And it was even better than the one she had been hoping for.