A/N: Muahaha! I had to have the peanut butter scene. It also gave me an excuse to figure out where the heck Charlie got the jar. Seriously...where'd he get it? Anyhoo, remember when Charlie is all "Banoffee pie. Mmm...toffee and cream..."? Yeah. I totally got my mom to make some banoffee pie after i found a recipe. Though i don't love it, i do think it's okay. Why am i rambling about food again? Next chapter is...OH MY GOD! O.O NEXT CHAPTER IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TEH PLOT. -gasp!- So you'd better look out. Please read and review! :D
Chapter 10: Peanut Butter
The next morning, Charlie looked better. When she mentioned going down to the beach, he was gung-ho about it and they left instantly. Throughout the entire fifteen-to-twenty minute walk there, Sophie wondered if she should ask him. About the drugs, about him being sick, and mainly about what he said yesterday. The whole thing about not having anyone on the island. Does it take rock stars longer to truly consider a person a friend or something?
Sophie laughed to herself and heard Charlie say, "What's so funny?"
She stopped and looked at him. "Nothing." They were almost at the beach and Sophie took off in a run. Behind her, she could hear Charlie cursing as he chased after her.
Once her foot touched the sand, she took a drink from the water bottle she had in hand after skidding to a stop. Charlie walked up to her, panting. "Did you run track or somethin'?"
"No, but I ran a lot when I was younger," she told him. Her eyes scanned the beach's landscape. The sun was bright and the sand sparkled under its rays. Even the ocean seemed to shimmer.
"You think we should check on Claire?" Charlie asked.
Sophie nodded. Who knew if anyone else had checked on her lately…
The two of them wandered around, looking for the very pregnant looking Claire. Charlie spotted her facing the ocean and leaning against a few cushions and half a suitcase.
"Morning delivery," Charlie announced as they got closer to her. He held out the water bottle he had brought along.
Claire looked up at them and said, "Thanks." She took the bottle and set it in the sand at her side.
"Well I figured, in your condition…" Charlie began as he sat. Sophie sat too.
"I can still walk," Claire told him with an eye roll.
He let out a stifled laugh and said, "Barely."
"We're just worried about you," Sophie said. "It's kinda hot and stuff out here."
"Very sunny. Sandy too," Charlie added as he smacked at a bug that seemed to be on his arm.
She put a finger on her hat. "Thus my hat. Besides I like the beach."
"Who wouldn't wanna spend the day with sand fleas?" Charlie asked sarcastically.
"I wanna be here. When we get rescued," Claire said optimistically.
Sophie looked at Claire, then Charlie. "Rescue… Right…"
---
Charlie and Sophie passed a little time by telling Claire about the caves, trying to persuade her to move up there. Nothing seemed to be working on her though. Claire eventually asked them to take her to the small shelter she had made with the help of Kate and two others.
Once Claire was safely in a chair by her homey shelter, Sophie asked where the clothes were being kept. Claire directed her a few feet over. She scampered over and picked out a new set of clothes.
Sophie then went into the nearby tree line to change into the blue jeans and a red t-shirt. She left her old clothes on what someone said was the dirty laundry pile, then returned to where Claire's shelter was.
Charlie and Claire were walking back and she heard him say something about pie as they hung wet clothes. "Is food the only thing that you miss?"
"You're pregnant. I mean, do you not crave anything? Pickles, fried ice cream chocolate-"
"Peanut butter," Claire cut him off as she sat. "I'm the only Australian who loves peanut butter."
Smiling and walking closer, Sophie said, "We could get you peanut butter."
Charlie looked at her wildly. "We can?" He crossed his arms.
Claire smirked and shifted in her seat. "Yeah. Sure you can."
"It's true."
"And if we get you peanut butter you must vacate these sandy shores of depression and move to the caves," Charlie added.
Sophie held out her hand. "We got a deal?"
Claire shook her head and said, "Deal."
That being said, Sophie grabbed Charlie's wrist and pulled him off. "Be back when we got peanut butter!" she shouted over her shoulder to Claire.
"Where the bloody hell are we gunna get peanut butter?" Charlie hissed as she dropped her grip.
"Uh… I don't know," Sophie grinned nervously. "We could ask around. I heard that Sawyer guy hoards stuff."
"Good, you go bug him. I think I know where to look."
"Meet you back here," Sophie said as she walked off. Rumor had it that when Jack vacated the tent he created, Sawyer moved in. Sophie made her way to the large tent.
When she got to the makeshift tent, she knocked on a small piece of fuselage. Sawyer was reading a book with a brown bunny on the cover. Looking up from his book, he said, "What can I do for ya red?"
"Red?"
Sawyer shut the book and said, "Your hair looks red in the sun." He looked at her with a smirk.
Sophie rolled her eyes. "Would you happen to have any peanut butter?"
"Why would I have peanut butter?"
"People said you hoard stuff and I thought maybe-"
"Maybe I'd have what yer lookin' for?"
She looked at the ground and said, "Yeah."
When Sophie looked at him again, he was reading the book once more. "On top of the luggage bag."
Her eyes went wide. "Really?" Sophie walked over and only saw an empty glass container. "Is this it?"
Sawyer chuckled and said, "Sure is. I'll even let you have it, free o' charge."
"Thanks," Sophie said while rolling her eyes and moseying back to the spot where she and Charlie agreed to meet. She sat down in the sand and thought she saw him near the trees. She was right and Charlie walked towards her, his hands in his pockets.
"Find any?" he called.
Sophie stood up and said, "Sawyer told me he had some, but all he gave me was this." She held up the empty jar.
Charlie took it out of her hand and grinned. "Claire's moving to the caves." He started towards her shelter.
"But how?" Sophie asked as she followed him. They found Claire was sleeping and Charlie picked up her duffle bag. He slung it over his shoulder and began putting clothing that were hanging on the strung line into the bag.
"Trust me."
His words made her nervous. He still hadn't mentioned anything about drugs at all so how could she completely trust him?
"What're you doing?" they heard Claire ask. Sophie turned and saw her sitting up carefully.
"Packing your stuff," Charlie said.
Going along with him, Sophie told her, "You're moving to the caves."
The look of shock on Claire's face made Sophie smile. "You didn't! Peanut butter? No way!"
"Just like you ordered. Oh…there is one thing," Charlie said. "It's extra smooth…" He got down to his knees and Sophie saw Claire laugh.
"That's okay."
Charlie pulled the jar from a pouch in the bag he had hid it in. He opened the lid and Sophie noticed the look of disbelief on Claire's face. "I-It's empty," she said.
He looked at her and said, "What? No… No it's not. Right Sophie?"
Sophie sat down next to the two and said, "Nope. It's full." She smiled at Claire.
Charlie made a movement as if he was really getting some peanut butter from the jar. "Full to the brim with stick to the roof of your mouth, oh god rich makes you want a drink of milk extra smooth…" He stuck his finger in his mouth.
Sophie thought it looked kinda childish, but he did tell her he had a plan. And it looked to be working.
"It's the best bloody peanut butter I've ever tasted," Charlie finally said. "Want some?" he asked while holding out the jar towards Claire.
She giggled and stuck her finger in, then hesitantly put it in her mouth. "Is it good?" Sophie asked.
Claire giggled again and nodded. "Why don't you try some?" Charlie offered. Sophie smiled and held back a laugh as she repeated the same process as them. "Good?" Charlie asked her. She nodded her head and he said, "Best finish packing." He handed the jar to Claire and got up. Sophie got up too and helped him pack Claire's things.
---
After packing her bags, they each took one and started off towards the path to the caves. Claire was asking questions about the caves and Charlie and Sophie answered them. Sophie smiled at the two. She was just happy Claire decided to move.
Sophie realized, at that moment, that she hadn't thought about whom…what she saw the entire day. This made her smile even more.
"You're lookin' mighty cheerful," Charlie commented. She just smiled at him in response.