Everything Charlotte Lewis needed in her new life was an adventure. She stopped having adventures many years earlier when a man, a friend of her father's, told her that there was no point searching an island that probably she just made up. At the beginning she was disappointed of hearing words like those and just decided to walk away from him, sure that that was the right thing to do. Suddenly she found a trail, that she was hoping would take her to the mysterious island, and then an accident happened: her father died and her mother asked her to come back to England and stay with her, because she felt alone. Charlotte was disappointed, sad and she lost the trail, so she just came back to England, where the same man told her to leave her mother alone and go with him to America and start working at the museum. And then a new, sad, alone and so much different life started. It wasn't easy for her, working in a museum, with all that people, children or old ladies that just wanted to be guided. She started dating with many men, because the feeling of being alone was so hard that she tried many times to find a man with which stay the whole life. Those weren't adventures, not that kind of that she knew before. Someone would call 'em "adventures of one night", but the truth was that she needed a real adventure. An adventure like the ones she had many years ago. The point was that she was feeling really alone and after years of dating with men without any victory, she felt like she didn't want to have it all alone. The problem was finding a man who would like to have adventure with her that wouldn't be in the bed. And that wasn't easy.
And here her problem started, because, of course, she wanted that adventure, but after she met a guy, Charles Widmore's son, whose name she couldn't even remember, she began to have some visions, like memories of different live where she never stopped searching that damn island and where she was that guy's friend, or something even more. That made her think that maybe her subconscious was trying to tell her that he was the one, even if she didn't meet him never ever again.
This evening she was all alone at home, watching some romantic movie – and she hated that kind of movies – with a pizza on the table and some coca cola in a big 2L bottle. She wasn't a lover of wine, beer and any other alcohol, her favorite drink was coca cola, and well, in the morning, an Italian cappuccino. Of course, as she was a British woman, she loved drinking some cup of tea, but she wasn't really up to drink one in the night so she just bought a coca cola.
It was already 1am when she heard her phone ring and when she looked at the screen and found out who was calling, she was really surprised. Never happened before that her friend Miles Chang would call her at that time, so immediately she answered.
"Mhm? Miles? Why are you calling me at 1am?!" she exclaimed at the phone, watching at the movie characters kissing.
"Don't talk to me this way, like I just woke you up. I can hear from here what they're saying in your TV. 'I love you' - 'Oh, I love you too!'" Miles repeated the words of the two characters in a sweetie way, joking with Charlotte. The redhead disappointed turned her TV off. "Okay, now better!" admitted the man.
"So? What did you call me for?" asked gently Charlotte, bored.
"I need your help. There's a guy, at the police station. Well, Daniel Widmore and... here's the problem. He's talking about some hydrogen bomb and I'm not really up to- Daniel stop it!" screamed Miles out of the phone "Sorry, he was trying to destroy my phone, sayin' that I don't trust him but I must! And well, I was saying: I'm not really up to call his father and his sister disappeared and since we're good friends, Charlotte, I thought you could help me, taking him with you!" finished Miles.
"Are you crazy? And what is up with him? He didn't look insane when I met him. But okay, I'm gonna do it, but if he'll cause any trouble I'm gonna call his father." Charlotte was staring at the rain out of the window; she stood up, coming closer to it and touched the glass, to feel the cold while she was waiting for an answer.
"Alright, come!" said quickly Miles and suddenly he closed the call.
The redhead smiled at the rain thinking about a crazy Daniel. Daniel, that was the name of the guy she met and she was seeing in her visions. Daniel Widmore.
She turned back and coming closer to the door she wore some shoes and a jacket. She took the keys for her home, she came out of the door and she closed and locked it with the keys; then she hided the keys in the pocket and let a sigh of worry. She assured herself that the door was really closed and then she just walked on...
Daniel Widmore, his whole life, loved the piano, it was always his dream to can play during a celebration and when, after years of asking his father, Charles Widmore, the last one said 'yes', Daniel was amazed. He knew who was going to come, he had the full list of the guests and when he read the name of "Charlotte S. Lewis" he was so excited that he almost let the wind take him his hat. During the celebration they met each other, and after days of staring at her far away from her look, he was so happy to see her so close to him, smiling at him, with the most beautiful smile he's ever seen. He stared at her all the time after he played the piano. He loved her gorgeous eyes, her red hair, he was amazed by her. Her laugh was so amazing that he felt like he could fall in love with her, but then, the same sensation he explained to that Scottish man, Desmond Hume, assailed him and just made him think that he has already loved her, in another life. They never met each other again and Daniel was a little disappointed. He just stopped playing the piano thinking about her and about some mysterious visions that after that meeting he started having, about another life where he didn't live with his father, he didn't play piano and he was a physicist. He wasn't sure what did that mean, but suddenly he began thinking about a hydrogen bomb too, that we wanted to blow up or maybe he already did. All those thing were driving him crazy and he started to draw a hydrogen bomb in his note-book, even if he already did and he didn't remember, once. He didn't remember, actually, that he already talked about a hydrogen bomb to that man, Desmond, because he was losing his memory many times and when he found two hydrogen bombs drew in his note-book he thought he must've drew it before. And then he just decided to tell it to his friend, Miles Chang and he just walked on to the police station, in the midnight – well, he didn't actually want to take a bus (and at that hour that wasn't even possible), so he walked there, on feet, so she came there at 1am, lucky of being alive! There she was caught up by Miles that when he saw the friend, was really disappointed.
It all happened fast, for Daniel. Miles took his hands and tried to put on 'em the handcuffs and Daniel, worried, started to slap his face and kick him, trying to escape. He wasn't acting like he always did, but he was just trying to say something and Miles wasn't really up to listen to him.
"You need to listen to me! That's not our life! We were in another life!" exclaimed Daniel trying to get the attention of the friend – that was trying to call someone – on himself.
"Another life? And tell me, how would it be possible? We were flying monkeys or maybe unicorns?" asked sarcastic the detective and the way Daniel stared at him isn't even possible to explain.
"No... We were just like we are now... This life, this isn't real! I'm not sure how it is possible, but I think we blew up a hydrogen bomb that moved us here, instead of being dead forever... I don't know what's this place, I'm not sure where we are, but... I think this is Limbo.. or maybe Purgatory...!" replied the pianist like he was really sure – or half-sure – of what he was talking about.
"Limbo? Purgatory? What? We're dead but we're alive? Don't tell me... You read the Divina Commedia! But wow, you're really amazing, boy! Let me make my call now!" made fun of the friend Miles, without even thinking of listening the stupid talk of the man.
"NO! You need to listen to me! You need to trust me! This is not our life! I'm starting to remember and you too need to remember, I'm not insane! I'm not insane! I'm telling the truth, we're here for good, yes, but this isn't our life! TRUST ME!" screamed Daniel, but Miles was already making his call.
Someone answered at Miles's phone, but Daniel couldn't hear who he was talking with. Then Miles said to the phone-person: "Don't talk to me this way, like I just woke you up. I can hear from here what they're saying in your TV. 'I love you' - 'Oh, I love you too!'" with a joking tone of voice.
Daniel, of course, didn't actually understood who he was talking with, but he guessed he must been talking with some friend, not with his father – Daniel's father.
The person who was talking with Miles, surely must've done something the detective was amused of, because he said: "Okay, now better!".
"Who are you talking with?" asked gently Daniel, but Miles just moved his hand like he meant he wasn't up to talk about it in that exact moment. Daniel rolled his eyes and sat on the chair next to the Miles's table.
"I need your help. There's a guy, at the police station. Well, Daniel Widmore and... here's the problem. He's talking about some hydrogen bomb and I'm not really up to-"
In the exact moment, Daniel stood up and tried to destroy his phone, screaming: "NO! Don't say that, you need to trust me! You don't, but you need to!", but luckily Miles threw him back, exclaiming: "Stop it, Daniel!". The pianist, disappointed, sat down again, watching at his friend talking with the mysterious person at the phone. "Sorry, he was trying to destroy my phone, sayin' that I don't trust him but I must! And well, I was saying: I'm not really up to call his father and his sister disappeared and since we're good friends, Charlotte, I thought you could help me, taking him with you!" – Charlotte. He was talking with Charlotte and hearing her name made feel some heat in Daniel's stomach. It never happened before, and he wasn't pretty sure what did that mean, but he wasn't worried about it. He was happy, he was feeling happy, because that meant that maybe Charlotte would come for him and he would go in her home and stay with her.
"Alright, come!" said quickly Miles and suddenly he closed the call. Daniel stared at him, smiling like a fool, guessing that Charlotte said 'yes'. "What is she supposed to do with you, huh?" asked the police officer staring at the friend who was trying to hide some spot of red that appeared on his cheeks.
"Um... I guess nothing... What is she gonna do, I mean? Why would she do something?" stammered Daniel, blushing.
"Oh, well, I don't know, I'm asking you, mate. You know? You're gonna cause her trouble and I'm gonna piss your ass off, so better don't. She's my friend and so you are, but she's a woman, so trust me, man, I have to protect her!" warned the friend Miles and the other man blushed even more than before.
"Okay..." he said hiding his head in his hands, embarrassed. Miles smiled at him and sat next to him, and they were both waiting for Charlotte's coming.
When Charlotte was already out, she just noticed that she forgot her phone so she couldn't even call the taxi, so she had to come back home to take it. She didn't even look around, sure she didn't forget anything else.
It was already 1.30am when she called a taxi and at 1.35am she was already in it. She was a little worried about what to do with Daniel, and she was brought back to reality by the voice of the driver. "Lady? Where do I take you?" asked the man and Charlotte stared at him for a while, thinking about where tell him to take her.
"Um.. I don't- The police station... Well, you know Jim LaFleur or Miles Chang, don't you? Take me to their police station, I don't actually know where it is!" stammered the young woman, staring at the man, with a white beard.
"Of course, young lady! By the way, I'm Tom!" talked the man, smiling at her, but she didn't smile at him back, worried about Daniel. She thought he was a normal human being, but it actually didn't look that way.
Tom turned the car on and he didn't try to talk anymore, leaving the redhead alone with her thoughts.
After ten minutes of driving, he stopped the car.
"We're here!" announced the man, quickly and Charlotte looked at the count, noticing that she just forgot the money. Terrified she thought she'll might ask it to Miles.
"Wait here, I'm gonna be back soon!" exclaimed embarrassed the redhead, that was already out of the car, running to the police office. She opened the door and quickly ran to the light, in a room where she found Miles and Daniel, quiet and worried, sitting next to each other.
"Charlotte!" stood up immediately Miles coming closer to her. "He's all yours now and I warned him: he's gonna cause you any trouble and I'm gonna piss his ass off." Charlotte laughed hearing those words.
"I already told you I'm not gonna do anything" said Daniel standing up and coming closer to Charlotte too.
"Great! And now, I got a problem... I forgot the money and I came in a taxi!" Charlotte blushed as the two men burst into laugh.
"Only you can end up in a situation like this! Here! 20 dollars, but you gotta give me 'em back soon!" smiled Miles, winking, giving the money. "I hope it's enough!"
"Yeah, it's enough! I gotta pay him 9 dollars for the first trip, so I'm gonna pay the double! Thank you, Miles! Truly!" she hugged the friend and turned to Daniel "Now, Daniel... We gotta go!"
"Lead the way!" joked the pianist, looking into Charlotte's blue, blue eyes, blushing. The woman blushed too as she felt something looking into eyes.
"Um... There!" she showed him the door, but he wasn't up to go first.
"Ladies first!" he said and Charlotte burst into a crystalline laugh.
She walked on, making a 'hi' with the right hand to Miles – that was standing there in a mini-shock – and of course, Daniel followed her smiling like a fool.
When they arrived to the door, like a gentleman, Daniel opened it letting Charlotte go out first and making her smile with the most beautiful smile he's ever seen.
The driver was waiting in the taxi and when he was them, he shook his head and exclaimed: "Hey, love-birds, why don't you keep each other for a hand and just come here faster?!"
Charlotte looked at Daniel, blushing and walking faster, first, she opened the door of the taxi.
"Wanna sit first?" she asked, her voice was bored, but she was just trying to don't feel, as he was just an insane man that she didn't even truly know.
"No, sit down!" he answered, sadly, and opened the other door sitting down at the other side. Charlotte sat next to him letting out a breath that she hadn't realized she's been holding. "By the way, I'm not insane! What I'm saying it's true!"
"Can I turn the motor on?" asked Tom, creeping into their conversation.
"Yeah, sure!" replied Charlotte to the man with the beard, then she turned to Daniel and shook her head. "Only because you believe it's true, it doesn't really make it so."
"Well, then I believe it is! And surely something true it might be there!" he admitted making her smile sadly.
"What am I supposed to do with you now?" she demanded with a worried light into her eyes. "Leave you on the road? I wouldn't ever do that. Bring you home with me letting you sleep there? I just have a room! I could let you sleep in the living room, but... What am I supposed to do?!" she was up to cry, and Daniel really felt like a bad person. He didn't try to touch her to put her up, because he knew that wouldn't be a good thing to do.
"I don't know. I'm sorry..."
"We're here! 18 dollars, lady!" interrupted the driver.
"Here, bring 'em all!" Charlotte gave Tom all the 20 dollars and quickly she came out of the taxi.
Daniel followed her and waited as she opened the doorway.
"Are we gonna use the elevator?" asked Daniel embarrassed; Charlotte turned to him raising an eyebrow.
"Wanna climb the stairs? You can do it! But it's gonna be thirty floors, so... I don't know, do what you want to do, but I ain't coming with you!" answered the woman, she was talking with him with a terrible distance and Daniel didn't really like it.
"Why are you treating me like this?" exclaimed Daniel fed up. "Listen, I'm saying the truth! I really am! I'm sorry, but if you didn't want to stay with me here, now, you should have said 'no'!".
"I know. But... You don't understand. I don't know if what you're saying it's true or not, but what I know it's that when I stay with you I feel like I remember something!" replied totally angry the young woman.
Daniel eyes widened, terrified. Charlotte blushed and entered into the elevator, waiting for him to join her.
"And sorry. It's just... I think I have a headache and I react really... bad at it." She pushed the bottom of the thrity floor and then there was a flash.
"How are you feeling?" asked Daniel, worried. They were in a jungle and they were together, following someone else.
"Actually worse. I have a headache and I'm a little dizzy... but as we're escaping to save our lives I'm not saying nothing" answered Charlotte. Her face was white, the cheeks red and it looked like she was really feeling bad.
"You've seen it?" asked Daniel. He was worried and when he saw that Charlotte lost his senses helped her to stand up and found her keys, to open the door. He went out of the elevator and he found her apartment, opening the door with a key he supposed was the right one. He brought her to the living room and ran to the kitchen to find a glass. When he found it, he took a bottle of water and he poured some into it. He ran again, to the living room where he tried to wake her up.
"Charlotte! Charlotte! Wake up!" screamed Daniel, slapping loudly her face. Finally she coughed and opened loudly her eyes. Her forehead was almost burning of the warm, it really looked like she had a strong headache.
"Daniel... Did you see it?" she tried to stand up, but immediately she felt a strong headache and she had to lie down.
"Yeah, I did. I don't know what that means, but it's what I was talking about to you earlier! I have visions of that hydrogen bomb and I feel like this life isn't real... What we're doing isn't real! I don't know why we're here, but it's true!" answered Daniel holding Charlotte's hand. The woman just noticed it, but didn't do nothing. She felt good with him holding her hand. She felt protected.
"Maybe you're right... I'm sorry that I doubted it... Your intensions were good!" she said and then added "Please, help me to stand up and take me to my room, I'm dizzy and I need to sleep, it's really late. I'm sorry I can't make you a bed, I hope you forgive me, but I'm really feeling bad!".
"Don't worry for me! But... you're gonna sleep in this dress?" Daniel was a little embarrassed and he wasn't really sure why did he ask her that.
"No, help to take off- my jacket. And my- my shoes." She begged him, almost crying. He smiled at her, but she didn't smile at him back, even if she tried.
"Sure" assured her, taking off her shoes, gently and slowly. Then he helped her to take off her jacket and laid it on the table. Charlotte closed her eyes and he helped her to stand up, taking her right arm and putting it over his shoulder, then he picked her up letting her head lay on his shoulder. When he came in her bedroom, he opened the door with a hand and with the other he let Charlotte stand up on her own feet.
"Daniel?" she whispered with a really loud voice. He looked at her and she looked like she was begging him something. "Stay with me tonight, please."
Daniel eyes widened and taking her arm, he brought her to the bed, where he laid her on it. Charlotte was still waiting for an answer, so he took off his own shoes and lied down next to her on the bed, embracing her. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, felling into sleep. He kissed her forehead loudly, closing his eyes too and trying to sleep.
In the morning, Daniel woke up still embracing Charlotte, like he could remember from when he fell asleep. He stroke her hair, looking at like she looked cute and gorgeous while she was sleeping. Her eyes closed, her face younger, without any worries, smiling at her dreams, her breath regular. Daniel found her perfect.
"If you only knew how I feel when I am with you, Charlotte. If you only knew..." he whispered, staring at her all the time. He caressed her cheek, hoping she won't wake up. He blushed when he caught himself staring at her body: her breast, her hips, her legs. He really felt like he was falling in love with her.
"Are you done staring at my body?" the crystalline voice of the redhead brought him back to reality making him blush more than before. She looked into his eyes, making him feel some heat into the stomach, as he realized how her beautiful eyes were. He's never been so close to her, it was the first time he saw her eyes so close to him, her mouth so close to his. She smiled at him, making him want to kiss her. He immediately shook his head, taking that idea off of his mind.
"I may be done staring at your body, but I'll be never done looking into your eyes." Admitted Daniel, smiling at her. "Are you feeling better?" he demanded worried stroking her hair in a lovely protective way that Charlotte liked.
"Yeah, the headache passed. It must've been the stress!" answered Charlotte, shaking her body and sitting on the bed. "Thank you for staying with me, yesterday, when I asked you to." She added.
"You begged me to, I'm not so evil to leave a sick woman alone!" he joked making her laugh and he sat next to her.
"You're not evil at all! Listen... Wanna some breakfast? I have some cereals and milk... Or some pancakes... I don't know, tell me, what you'd like to eat for breakfast?" she asked, a little embarrassed. He touched her right hand like he wanted to calm her down, but he just made her heart beat faster.
"I'll love some cereals!" he smiled at her and she smiled back, standing up and walking to the door. Before she went out of the door, she turned her head to him and she winked.
Daniel smiled to himself when he saw her walking away, happy to be with her. She was as perfect as he hoped.
He didn't have to wait very much, because she came back after just five minutes, with a box of cereals and a glass of milk.
"I'm sorry I brought you the box, but I didn't know how much you wanted and I didn't know if I'd take enough" said Charlotte embarrassed, sitting next to him.
"It's alright, Charlotte. Here. Eat with me. I mean, it's enough for us both" smiled Daniel giving her the whole box of cereals.
"No." she laughed embarrassed. "I don't eat in the morning... Or well, not every day! When we figure out what to do with you now, we go out and I buy just a cappuccino, for myself."
"Oh, come on, seriously?" Daniel was shocked and she showed her the box of cereals laughing. "Don't you wanna eat? Aren't you hungry?"
The redhead burst into laugh. "Don't you dare! I'm not going to eat!" She tried to defend herself.
"I know you aren't! I'm not doing anything..." he took a whole hand of cereals and he put it all in his mouth. "Mmm... they're so yummy... Mmm I love 'em".
"Daniel!" exclaimed the young woman slapping his left hand.
"What?" he asked, innocently, with all the cereals still in the mouth.
"You asshole! Okay, give me box!" said Charlotte disappointed and Daniel gave her all the box immediately. She, following his actions, took a whole hand of cereals and she put it all in her mouth.
They didn't try to talk anymore, they just drank from the same glass and they are from the same box, laughing at each other funny faces when all the food was in the mouth.
"It's time to take a shower! Wanna go first? I take the empty box and glass to the kitchen!" she said, smiling at him. Daniel found her eyes gorgeous when she smiled. He touched her hand and shook his head.
"I can go to the kitchen, let's take a shower you first!" She, smiling and toughing her hair, stood up and she opened her wardrobe. Daniel had to admit to himself that Charlotte wasn't the kind of woman who could stay with him just for his money: she was acting like she really she meant what she did. He smiled in his mind trying to imagine a date with her. He thought it would be amazing ask her for a dinner together, some kind of date, as he owed a favor, after she accepted to take him with her in her home.
"Daniel? Daniel?!" Charlotte's hand and voice brought him back to reality. He shook his head and looked at her eyes blinking. "I go to take my shower, I thought you were going to the kitchen!"
"Oh, yeah, sorry... It's... um... I'm going, yeah..." he stammered, blushing. She smiled at him and with some clothes in her hands, she went to the bathroom, leaving him in the bedroom alone.
He stood up and taking the box and the empty glass he went to the kitchen still thinking about Charlotte. She was in his head all the time and this time he didn't remember nothing new, only her face, her smile, her blue, blue eyes and her red hair in his mind. He wasn't sure what to think about it, he didn't know if that was love or... obsession?
He came to the kitchen, he washed the glass and he put the empty box of cereals in the trash can. He turned and when he found with his eyes a chair he sat on it.
After half an hour, he heard the door of the bathroom opening and he stood up to see the young woman going out of it. She was dressing a normal grey t-shirt and jeans. She may was looking so normal, but he found her perfect. That shirt was perfect on her and those jeans made her even more beautiful.
"I'm sorry that it took so long but I love take a hot shower and then I just stay under the water and relax..." Charlotte smiled thinking about her shower.
"It doesn't matter... I was thinking so I didn't notice that it really took so long!" he assured her smiling at her. She winked laughing. Daniel found her so gorgeous when she laughed.
"What were you thinking about?" she asked, winking again. He blushed, coughing.
"Um... About..." he stammered. Charlotte came closer to him, touching his shoulders with her both hands and she smiled at him.
"You can tell me if you thought about me... Or maybe you didn't think about me and you don't want to upset me, because you know that I'd like to hear you saying that you were thinking about me?" she laughed, looking into his eyes. He shook his head giving up. He just lost himself in her eyes, like she hypnotized him.
"I was thinking about you and about... asking you for a dinner together." He said, still looking into her eyes.
"Well, if that was a question, I think I have to say that that would be a honor to go for a dinner with you, Daniel" she answered, staring at him like she'd like to do something.
Daniel, for a second thought to come closer to her and just lay his own lips on hers, and kiss her but then he shook his head and turned, trying to don't think about that. He didn't even really know her, he asked her for the first date and that was just the beginning, he was a slow man, he shouldn't be reacting faster this time. She was driving him crazy, he never would think about something like that with another woman; she was different.
"Great... um... I go to take my shower..." stammered the pianist, embarrassed. Charlotte burst into laugh, making him blush.
"Yeah, go to take a shower!" exclaimed the redhead with a joking tone, going to the bedroom. Daniel stood there staring at the wall thinking about her, and then he went to the bathroom.
"So, he really asked you for a dinner?" asked Miles, shocked, playing with his distinctive. Charlotte blushed, sitting better on her chair.
After she took Daniel at his home and he assured her to come for her at 8am and to take her somewhere, the woman decided to visit Miles at the police station and talk with him about what she did next with Daniel.
"Yes, of course..." answered the young woman, breathing heavily.
"And... you really said 'yes'? You barely know him!" Miles couldn't believe that his friend said 'yes' to a total stranger. "I mean, he's my friend, we're friends since we were really young, but... You don't know him! I do, and I know he's not a bad person, but he's a little crazy... Are you sure to know what you're doing?"
"Oh, come on, Miles! He's nice and cute, he didn't look crazy to me!" defended Daniel the woman. She smiled at herself, thinking about Daniel funny face when he asked her to go out for dinner.
"Don't tell me... You're falling in love! And tell me... How it was, your adventure in the bed? It's really surprising that he's been so fast with you..." added Miles winking. Charlotte screamed, and burst into laugh, slapping Miles's arm.
"I told you that we slept together, I never said we had sex! I had a strong headache and I just asked him to stay with me for the night and we just slept... literally!" she replied, blushing. He smiled at her, winking and making weird movements with his arm.
"May I trust you?" laughed Miles, making her laugh too. They were good friends, and Charlotte knew that if it was for Miles, he would already piss Daniel's ass off because with him Charlotte lost her senses, but she was good in keeping him.
"Of course! We didn't do nothing, really!"
"And this morning? When you woke up? You didn't even kiss when you were so close?" Miles wanted to be sure, but this whole thing was making Charlotte a little angry.
"No... He looked like he was up too, but he didn't kiss me and I didn't want to do the first step" admitted Charlotte "But once I wanted to...".
"He's really a fool. Why didn't he kiss you?!" Miles's shock was becoming bigger. The redhead wasn't really up to answer to all his questions, because she was really embarrassed of her contact with Daniel.
"Miles... Come on, stop it! Today we're going on a date, that's a big step!" she smiled at the idea of a date with Daniel. She liked him and with him she felt so protected and she really felt like she remembered something. Like that vision that made her lose her senses.
"Yeah, you're right! Well, go, then... You need time to cloth and maybe bath and... well, you know, you need time!" said Miles watching at the watch on his left arm.
"That's right! Well, Miles, we'll see!" Charlotte stood up and so did Miles, coming closer to her and hugging her.
"See you soon, Ginger!" he joked.
"Don't you dare calling me that way never ever again!" exclaimed Charlotte disappointed.
"Of course, Ginger..." said Miles rolling his eyes and smiling at her.
"I better go!" replied disappointed the ginger, breathing heavily. She walked to the door and she went out of the police station, smiling at the idea of a date with Daniel. She was really excited and she really didn't want to wait.
Daniel let Charlotte go out of the taxi first, showing her a beautiful restaurant . She smiled at him and she waited as he went out of the taxi too.
Charlotte was wearing a beautiful dress: it was red, and not really long. It stayed amazingly on her; Daniel loved the way she dressed it. Daniel, by his way, was wearing a black suite, it really stayed good on him.
"So, here we are!" said Daniel, nervously. He wasn't really so ready for that date and he was afraid to make a bad impression on her. She smiled at him and taking his hand she kissed his cheek.
"Don't be worried" she said, making him blush a little, and he was really hoping that she didn't notice it.
Daniel leaded the way, keeping her hand very strongly, like he didn't want to lose the contact. They entered into the local side by side and they both blushed when someone exclaimed: "What a wonderful couple!".
"Hey, Daniel!" exclaimed an old man, with already grey hair; he looked like he really knew Daniel and the other, when he saw him, wasn't even surprised.
"Frank!" replied Daniel, hugging the man and letting go Charlotte's hand.
"So, you finally found a nice lady, huh? Are you here on a date?" asked the old man, looking at Charlotte too.
"Um... We're... it's..." stammered the pianist letting Charlotte take his hand again, to make him courage.
"Yes, we're on a date!" said the woman looking at Daniel with a wonderful smile. The man thanked God that she had more courage than he had.
"Oh, well, then love-birds, there's your table! Number 15!" announced Frank, smiling at them.
Daniel looked a while at Charlotte and then he leaded the way to table nr. 15, with a wonderful view on the ocean. He was a little embarrassed of a date with a woman so beautiful like Charlotte, but as she looked embarrassed too, he tried to have courage and he barely smiled at her, letting go her hand and moving her chair to make her sit. She smiled at him like she wanted to say: "thank you" and she sat on it, and then waited for him to sit too in front of her.
"So... um... What will you take?" asked Daniel, blushing and laying his hands on the table. Charlotte touched his hands trying to calm him down.
"I'll like the same thing you'll take!" assured the redhead stroking his hand. "Don't be nervous... Just calm down..."
"Yeah... right... It's just... you look so beautiful and... and I feel like I'm not good enough for you, like... We barely know and I don't know... I feel like you will see just how boring I am and you will stop dating me.." stammered Daniel blushing. He was nervous and the feeling of being always chosen for the money was the wrong feeling during a date.
"Dating you? You mean there'll be more dates?" demanded Charlotte laughing. Daniel's cheeks became totally red and he really hoped that Charlotte wouldn't see that. Unluckily she did and she smiled.
"Um... I don't... You..."
"You fool! Of course there'll be more dates! I won't stop dating you just because you're a stammering fool! I like you!" admitted the woman laughing. He burst into laugh with her.
"Love-birds... Do you want to order or I better find you a good hotel to sleep together?" asked Frank appearing without any warning. Charlotte burst into laugh blushing and so did Daniel, still looking at how she was beautiful when she laughed. He thought she was more even beautiful in that moment than the other days. If that was even possible.
"I'd like to order... um... French fries!" ordered Daniel a little embarrassed.
"Well, then French fries! I love them!" assured him Charlotte taking his hand.
"French fries for the love-birds! Lovely!" exclaimed Frank staring at the hands of Daniel and Charlotte. He really thought they were cute, even if he heard that the woman said that she "liked" him, not loved. Well, he knew that was a big step, also because never any woman told that Daniel.
The old man left them alone going to the kitchen and then Daniel breathed heavily, nervously.
"I really don't like when he calls us love-birds..." said Daniel shaking his hands.
"I do! It's so sweet!" Charlotte blushed saying that thing, but as she was so sincere, he admired it and he didn't think about her red cheeks, just about how she looked cute.
"You really do? I mean... we're not even a couple..." started Daniel, and he was stopped by Charlotte, that stood up and over the table she laid her lips on his. He sat there, shocked for a while, but then he replied to the kiss, tasting her sweet flavor. She smiled and breaking the contact, she sat again.
"Aren't we? Stop babbling and accept the fact that I really like you" said the woman blushing. Daniel was still there, looking at her and blushing all the time more and more.
"You... I... Um..." he stammered, still couldn't believe in that kiss. He really thought it might have been just a dream. Because it was like a dream, the feels that he felt when she kissed him. All that heat in his stomach, all those thought in his head that he couldn't get way and couldn't even understand. He felt so happy when she kissed him, and shocked, because he didn't expect that coming.
"Congrats love-birds!" exclaimed unexpectedly Frank, bringing them two plates with French fries. "French fries for you both!"
"Thank you, Frank!" said the redhead smiling at the old man, keeping strongly Daniel's hand. Frank laid the plates on the table, so Daniel and Charlotte had to break their hands-contact.
When Frank already went back, Daniel said: "Charlotte... The kiss... You know, I think... I didn't expect that coming, really... But um... Know that I like you too, very much!"
"I know you do, you fool!" laughed the woman making him blush. "I know you do and I'm glad for it, really."
When they already finished to eat, Daniel coughed like he wanted to take the attention of Charlotte on him.
"So, did you like it?... You know, French fries?" demanded the pianist, smiling at her and trying to have more courage.
Charlotte smiled at him too and she laid her hands on the table, moving the plate at the center.
"Of course I did! French fries are delicious and since you didn't know what else to choose, I liked it!" joked the woman, laughing and making him laugh too.
"The next time you'll choose!" announced the man and immediately she burst into laugh.
"You'll eat chicken and chips and you'll really ask me to choose yourself!" exclaimed Charlotte and she blushed, because she just said what she'd like to eat.
"Chicken and chips?!" Daniel burst into laugh, making her blush more than before. "Wow... It's so..."
"Normal. I know, so random, but I love chicken and chips, I really do!" she laughed looking into his eyes. He felt again some heat into his stomach and so she did. Her eyes were like the sky, Daniel loved them. He loved the way she smiled, she laughed. He was falling in love and he couldn't help it. When she kissed him, he knew better he was, but as she assured him to like him, he felt like it was worth it, like he had some chance to stay with her, one day.
"I love it too, don't worry!" assured her the pianist and she winked at him, slowly.
"Great!"
Miles eyes widened staring at Charlotte's red cheeks and her eyes so far away from the reality, as she was thinking about something else.
"Wait, repeat, please... You already had so many dates with Daniel, you spent all these weeks with him and even if you didn't really date, you were together and at the first date you kissed him?" demanded the friend trying to understand better what she just told him.
"Yes... I kissed him! He didn't want to stop talking and he was so cute, I felt like I had to, and... I liked it!" admitted Charlotte with a voice like she was in love. She was staring all the time at the walls and she was thinking about the dates she had with Daniel. She was thinking at their last kiss, that they finally shared after those dates. It was a long kiss, and he started it, making Charlotte really shocked. He just wrapped her in his hand and laid a tender kiss on her lips, without any warning. She, of course, replied immediately at it, making it longer than she thought, letting him embrace her, because she felt really protected in his arms. Then, after he told her something cute, of course, she laid a kiss on his cheek and she went home, telling him to call her soon. She was in love with Daniel Widmore and Miles was simply shocked.
"You're in love, Ginger! But you know what's shocking? You didn't even call me, you just called me yesterday and told me to come to you today! And so I'm here, in your living room trying to understand, but I'm really... Shocked!" said Miles shaking his head and his hands, sitting better on the sofa.
"I'm sorry, I had many things to do and maybe we weren't really dating with Daniel, but he brought in many places, we took a photo that shows that we were in Venice... But we weren't! And we ate Chinese and... You know, I hadn't time and... I'm so sorry, I was so enjoying the time with him and today I found some time to talk with you!" related Charlotte, smiling like a fool.
"You're annoying, a little, you know? Anyway, after that first kiss, did you kiss anymore? Don't tell me that in all that time, you never kissed anymore!" exclaimed the detective, making her blush.
"We kissed... Yesterday." Whispered Charlotte embarrassed. "And when we kissed I saw something..." She thought about last night, about the kiss and about what she saw. She saw herself in a jungle, lying on the ground, with some nose-bleeding and some blood from the mouth too. She was there, dying and there was just Daniel with her, they were talking about something and all that looked so real, so terrific... But she didn't want to talk about it with Daniel, she was afraid of it and as she had some visions with him and it always finished with a headache, she didn't just want to talk about it. It was weird and she was afraid, but this time she wanted help by someone else, someone different.
"What did you see? Was it... you or something else? Or you saw a hydrogen bomb?" joked Miles, winking.
"No, please, don't be kidding right now... I saw me and Daniel, we were in a jungle... And I was dying and we were talking about something... And then... I saw us again in here and just... Nothing. I think those are memories, of another life." Told him Charlotte, worried. She suddenly stopped being so happy, she was just thinking about those visions and she didn't really like it, as she was always dying in there.
"See, Charlotte, I don't know what that means, but... Don't worry, I mean, maybe it's nothing, maybe you just see those visions because... I don't know. Maybe you're afraid of dying in his arms and so you see it!" proposed Miles, trying to calm his friend down. She looked at the wall trying not to cry.
"I'm afraid I'm already dead." She sobbed, still keeping the tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, but I think you have to talk about it with Daniel... Maybe he knows better what's going on!" Miles tried to hug her, but she shook herself and she stood up, going to the window and touching the glass. This day wasn't raining, and the glass was hot, so she shook her hands and she turned to Miles.
"I'll do it. I will."
"You know what? I call him now! I call him and when he comes, I leave you alone, okay?" smiled Miles and Charlotte accepted it, just making a 'yes' with her head.
Miles took his phone and he stood up going somewhere, leaving Charlotte in the living room alone. She moved to the sofa and she sat on it, hiding her face in the hands. She didn't want to cry, but the tears just went on alone and she started crying. She was thinking about how amazing it was being with Daniel, how she felt protected and how much she didn't want to lose it. Because her problem wasn't dying; her problem was losing all she had. She knew one day she was going to die, but she was afraid to be alone there, in the other world, so she was crying, like she never did. She didn't want to die if Daniel didn't die too and it may was selfish, but she was in love with him and she couldn't imagine her life in another world without him and his life without her here, either.
"He said he's coming. He's here close- Oh, did you hear that? I bet he was really close." The bell actually was ringing and Charlotte looked at the door happy. "I bet the main door was already open..." Miles opened the door and he saw Daniel, that like every single day, was wearing a tie and a white shirt, with black pants. "When you said you were close to here, I didn't think you were... SO close."
"I was in a bar under here and when you called me I immediately entered here and when you finished, I already was out of the door. How is she feeling?" asked Daniel worried after he related it all.
"Daniel!" exclaimed Charlotte looking at him with her wet and sad eyes. He looked at her back, smiling and he went to her, sitting next to her and embracing her. She laid her head on his shoulders and she started sobbing.
"Um... I leave you... Bye Charlotte, bye Daniel, have a... Nice day" stammered Miles embarrassed feeling like the third annoying person. They didn't even look at him, as Daniel was trying to calm her down.
"Charlotte... What happened? Why are you crying?" asked Daniel kissing her hair, and still embracing her. She sobbed on his shoulder and she looked at him.
"Dan... When we kissed, yesterday- I had a vision... We were talking... And I was dying." Charlotte was still crying, and Daniel wasn't even sure how to calm her down. He kissed her eyes, he stroke her hair, he embraced her stronger, trying to make her feel protected. "What does that mean? Am I... dead?"
"It's complicated, Charlotte... Do you remember the hydrogen bomb I was talking about long time ago?" demanded Daniel and Charlotte nodded. "Well, I think that in another life, there was some event that we had to stop, some event that we knew would cause something really bad and the only way to stop it was blowing a hydrogen bomb. Maybe we wanted to stop some death, many deaths and so we blew up a hydrogen bomb that brought all of us, not only those who were already dead... here. Like, that hydrogen bomb killed us all and brought us in a better place. And so this life, this isn't real and the only reason why we're here it's because we don't remember our first life. And that's why, I think, Jim LaFleur, Jack Shepard, my sister Penny with Desmond Hume, and all that people... aren't here anymore. They remembered and they moved."
"Where?" cried Charlotte, looking into his eyes. He cleaned her tears from her face and he smiled at her.
"In a better place. Where all our problems... Don't exist. Where we all can he happy!" said Daniel trying to make her a little happy. "Come on, don't worry sweetheart..."
"So... we're dead? And what we're doing now it's not real? I don't wanna move, I don't wanna remember!" Daniel shook his head and he kissed her sweetly.
"We're not moving yet, we don't remember yet-" and there was a flash.
"Wait a minute" pleased Daniel looking at Jack and Kate that were ready.
There was a little girl, on a seesaw, red hair, blue eyes. She was beautiful and she was maybe five years old. She was eating some chocolate. Daniel was going to her.
"I'm not allowed to have chocolate before dinner" said the little girl with a lovely British accent.
"It's okay sweetheart, I won't tell." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
"My name's Charlotte. What's yours?" she asked. He sighed.
"I'm Daniel. I'm new here. Listen. Do you know Dr. Chang?" he demanded her and she nodded.
"Uh-huh"
"Yeah? Hopefully really soon Dr. Chang is gonna ask a bunch of people to get on the submarine and leave the island. When he does, you and your mommy... You're gonna have to leave. In case, what I do doesn't work, you cannot be here. You have to leave." He started sobbing and so she did. "I tried to avoid you telling you this. I didn't think I could change things. But maybe I can."
"That was you. You... you talked to me, in the past. I remember you now." She looked at him, into his eyes and he really tried not to nod, but he did.
"I'm sorry. It's all happening for a reason..." she shook herself, couldn't believe in his words, she stood up and she looked out of the window.
"You said 'I tried to avoid you telling you this'... What did you mean?" she asked, trying not cry anymore. She was trembling for the anger and sadness and he felt like a bastard knowing that for a little part it was for him too.
"I don't know, Charlotte. I don't remember neither. I don't know, but I think... that that's true... You're already dead, Charlotte" sobbed Daniel, with the tears in his eyes. Charlotte sighed and sat on the sofa again, letting him embrace her.
"If I'm dead... What you said it's true... This is not our life... What did you do to change things?" she exclaimed, crying.
Kate, Daniel and Jack were in a jeep. Kate stopped the motor and Jack went out of it.
"You remember the code?" asked Jack looking at Kate.
"Yeah, I got it." She went out of the car too and she went to the pilons to enter the code.
Jack came closer to Daniel and he looked at the blood that the other man had on his neck.
"All right, I'm gonna take a look at that." Said Jack. "Yeah, good. It's just a graze."
Daniel sighed. "Whew."
Kate was entering the code. "This is gonna sting" warned him Jack.
"Yeah. Ah."
"Yeah, you're gonna be fine", assured him the doctor.
"I guess I'm lucky" admitted Daniel.
"What's luck have to do with it? I thought you said whatever happened, happened." Daniel looked at him sighing.
"You gotta understand Jack, This is our present. When we met, did I have a scar on my neck? No. 'Cause I hadn't been shot yet. We can't be so naïve as to think nothing can happen to us. Any one of us can die, Jack."
"Okay, it's off!" Kate interrupted their talking.
"What were you trying to do? Why were you going to the jungle?" she was still angry, and he really didn't know how to calm her down.
"Charlotte... You gotta understand... I don't remember everything yet. I remember what you remember. This things you're seeing now. Those are not your memories. They are my memories. And you need to believe. I don't know what's happening yet." He tried to convince her and she sighed, looking into his eyes.
"I believe you." She said and she kissed him, trying to find help.
"The result of the release of this energy, would be catastrophic. So, in order to contain, they're gonna have to cement the entire area in, like Chernobyl." Jack nodded, Daniel was still talking. "And this containment, the place they built over it—I believe you've called it "The Hatch". The Swan Hatch? Because of this one accident, these people are gonna spend the next twenty years keeping that energy at bay by pressing a button. A button that your friend Desmond will one day fail to push and that will cause your plane—Oceanic 815—To crash on this island. And because your plane crashed, a freighter will be sent to this island, a freighter I was on, and Charlotte was on and so forth. This entire chain of events—It's gonna start happening this afternoon. But... We can change that. I studied relativistic physics my entire life. One thing emerged over and over—Can't change the past. Can't do it. Whatever happened, happened. All right? But then, I finally realized..." he shook his head. "I had been spending so much time focused on the constants, I forgot about the variables. Do you know what the variables in these equations are, Jack?" he asked and Jack smiled embarrassed.
"No." he admitted.
"Us. We're the variables. People. We think. We reason. We make choices. We have free will. We can change our destiny. I think I can negate that energy... under the Swan. I think I can destroy it. If I can, then that hatch will be never be built, and your plane... Your plane will land, just like it's supposed to, in Los Angeles." He related.
"And just how exactly do you plan on destroying this energy?" demanded Kate, not really sure. Daniel looked at her.
"I'm gonna detonate a hydrogen bomb." Said simply Daniel. Kate eyes widened, looking at Jack, that opened his mouth shocked.
"You wanted to detonate a hydrogen to save me? To save my life? But... why?" she was shocked and worried, he embraced her strongly and he laid her head again on his shoulder. He shook his head.
"I don't know. I don't know, Charlotte. And I'm sorry for it." He admitted, kissing her head and stroking her back.
They were walking through a jungle. Daniel, Miles and Charlotte. Miles was the first one, Daniel and Charlotte were side by side behind him.
"You okay? You wanna take a break?" asked worried Daniel to Charlotte, laying a hand on her back.
"Let's just get there.." she replied, a little busy.
"Yeah. So, you speak any other languages?" demanded the man, looking at her.
"Just Klingon. Dan, is this gonna work?" she looked at him, still walking.
"It-it does make empirical sense that if this started at the Orchid, then that's where it's gonna stop. But as far as bringing back people who left in order to stop these temporal shifts, that's where we leave science behind." Charlotte was white and her eyes were red, he looked at her worried. "You okay?"
And then there was another flash.
"Oh, no!" exclaimed Charlotte with a broken voice. She started breathing heavily and then there was another flash.
"Come on!" screamed Sawyer angrily. The redhead screamed closing her eyes and after the flash, she dropped to the ground.
"Charlotte!" exclaimed Daniel, falling next to her. She controlled if she was alive and Juliet fell next to him, trying to help him. "Charlotte" Daniel was stroking her face, that was white and she was having some nose-bleeding...
Daniel was doing some stuff in his kit, but when he saw Sayid and behind him Charlotte, he immediately stood up.
After some talking of the other guys, Daniel went to her and he laid his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey." He said, and she said that back. "You all right?" he asked and she smiled at him. She whispered something.
"All right. That give us a room for one more. Charlotte?" Frank looked at her.
"Go back, with all the fun that I'm having here? No." she replied, drinking some water. "I've got work to do."
"Seat's yours if you want it, Daniel." He looked at Daniel.
"I-no, thank you." Answered Daniel, shaking his head. "I think I just probably should stay with Charlotte."
It was already late, and Charlotte and Daniel were playing with the cards together. It was a British game of memory.
"Time. Okay, tell me. What do you remember?" asked Charlotte, looking at Daniel, that thought a second about it.
"Okay. Uh.. queen of diamonds." He indicated the first of the cards. "Then we... six... of... clubs. Sorry." Charlotte almost smiled, looking all the time at him. "And we have the red 10 of... hearts, maybe?" he wasn't really sure.
Charlotte showed the cards, not really happy of the result of it.
"It's two out of three. It's not bad. It's progress." She smiled at him.
"Three cards, Charlotte. Is that progress?" Daniel wasn't really appointed with her.
"Charlotte?" whispered Daniel, looking at her. He felt, for the first time, like he really knew her. She smiled loudly at him, recognizing him. She took his face in her hands and she kissed him, embracing him. He tried to keep her even more close to him, replying to the kiss.
"Daniel! Do you understand? We're both dead! You got yourself killed, you fool, to save me!" she started sobbing again, so he kissed every single part of her face, convincing her that nothing was going to happen now to them.
"I did what I did, because I love you, Charlotte. I always have and I just couldn't accept that you were dead. I tried to do something good, sweetheart." He looked at her and stopping embracing her, he took her hand. "I know we're going to move, but... Would you marry me, Charlotte? Now, that we remember, maybe... If you want to... I mean, we can marry and when it's time, just move on and there be together forever."
"I never told you I loved you back." Noticed the woman, smiling at him. He eyes widened at her and he let her hand, blushing. She burst into laugh. "You fool, I'm joking! I love you, too and I wanted to tell you that on the island... I just was really proud and I was afraid and then the flashes started and I started dying... I never had time to tell you that I loved you back." She admitted, kissing him again and making him fall on the ground. He groaned, stroking his head, laughing.
"Ahi... That hurts!" he exclaimed, taking her head in his hands and kissing her again. "So, would you marry me?"
"You know what my mommy would think about marrying an American?" he burst into laugh, and so did she. She was really in love with him and he didn't want to negate it. He was in love with her eyes, her nose, her mouth, her body, he loved her all and as she was on him now, he felt some heat into the stomach. "I'm joking... Yes!" she laid her lips on his and she kissed him.
They didn't think what would happen next, because they were happy together.
