Across Enemy Lines

by Dreamality

Disclaimer: Lost and all related characters, settings, plots, etc. belong to J.J. Abrams and ABC. I claim no ownership and make no money from this venture.

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Chapter Six:

"What are you doing to her?" Sayid yelled, grabbing Charlie by the collar and dragging him away from Claire. She fell back onto the sand now that her support was gone and turned her head to the side as warm, wet tears streamed down her face.

"Gerrof me you lug!" Charlie yelled. "I wasn't doing anything to her! I was helping her, since no one else seems to care about her!"

"What's going on with you? Did he hurt you?" Sawyer asked Claire as he crouched beside her. Claire shook her head and tried to sit up, failed, and fell hard onto the unforgiving ground.

"Claire! Oh, God, Claire… let go of me!" Charlie shouted at Sayid. He gripped the man's shoulders and threw him back, using strength he hadn't known he possessed. Sayid let go of him as he lost his balance and fell. Charlie shoved Sawyer aside and grasped Claire's hand, using his other hand to push back the hair sticking to her sweaty brow.

"Charlie, I need a doctor!" Claire gasped.

"Don't you see?" Charlie said to Sayid. "She's in labor! Someone needs to go get Jack!"

"Jack won't help us! Jack hates us! Why should he care enough to help us?" Sawyer yelled.

The noise and commotion had attracted the attention of most of the other sleeping survivors. They gathered around, staring stupidly at Claire as she struggled to breathe through the pain. Charlie turned to look at them, his eyes wild with both fear and anger.

"Don't any of you care? This woman needs a doctor, and the only doctor we have is at the other camp! Someone go get Jack!" Charlie screamed.

"We don't know the way," Shannon said. Charlie looked at Michael, who remained silent but looked at Sawyer and shrugged.

"He won't come!" Sawyer yelled.

Charlie turned to Sayid, whom he suspected was the only one who was capable of intelligent thought. Pleadingly, he appealed to him. "Sayid, if Claire doesn't get a doctor, she will die. Jack wouldn't turn his back on a woman who needs his help this badly. Please, go get Jack."

Sayid heaved a heavy breath. The moment he made a decision was well illustrated on his face and Charlie let out a relieved sigh. "We do not have much here. Not much water, not much medicine, not enough to help her. Going through the jungle to get Jack and bring him back would take too much time. We need to bring her to Jack."

"I'm telling you, Sayid, it's all going to be for nothing. Jack has made up his mind. His loyalty is to the jungle camp. He ain't gonna help you." Sawyer stepped over Claire so he could stand in front of Sayid. "Her only chance is to stay here."

"Keeping her here is murder!" Charlie yelled. Sayid glanced from Claire's pale, pain-stricken face to Charlie's desperate face to Sawyer's hardened, glowering face. He took a step towards Claire and was blocked by Sawyer.

"Don't do it, Sayid," Sawyer said warningly.

Sayid took a deep breath and clenched both of his fists. "Sawyer, I will not let your grudge against Jack get in the way of an innocent woman's life. I'm sorry." He drew back his arm and punched Sawyer squarely in the face. As he fell, Sawyer's face was one of shock until he hit the ground and his face went lax. He was completely unconscious.

"Charlie, help me," Claire whispered. Charlie kissed her hand.

"I will, love. I'm doing all I can," he answered.

"All right, Charlie, we need to get moving quickly. Michael, we need you to help us get her through the jungle to the other camp," Sayid said, barking out orders as if he were born to it. Michael glanced hesitantly at Walt. Sayid looked at Shannon, who was watching Claire with something like horror, or perhaps disgust. "You! Shannon! Watch over Walt while Michael is gone. None of you are to leave the beach until we return. Charlie, get your arm around her and I will help you pick her up. Michael, go into the tent and get a few bottles of water and the pocketknife."

"Already way ahead of you, mate. I've got it all in my backpack. Come on, one, two, three, lift!" Charlie and Sayid heaved Claire to her feet and started off towards the jungle with Michael trailing them. The flashlight Sayid held provided enough light to guide Charlie, though the rising panic within him did not help matters much. The absolute darkness of the jungle was a feeding ground for imagined terrors that always seemed to be right on their heels, propelling them forward and yet making them wary to go on. The silence was broken only by their own puffing breaths and Claire's heavy, labored breathing and groans of pain.

After a few moments, a thought came into Charlie's head. He looked at Sayid from over Claire's head and suggested, "Someone should run ahead and warn Jack that we're coming. He's probably sleeping now." Charlie, however, was not about to volunteer. His grip on Claire was strong and unbreakable. Sayid nodded and glanced at Michael.

"Yeah, I'll go, but will Jack believe me or trust me?" Michael asked. "I don't know how much Sawyer said last night, but I'll guarantee none of it was very flattering of us."

Charlie cursed under his breath as he realized that anyone from the beach camp would be less than welcome at his own camp. He knew the way to the caves best and would be believed when he arrived. Although he hated to leave Claire, he knew it was for the best for him to go ahead. With only a brief pause in their pace, Charlie and Michael switched places so Claire was supported between Sayid and Michael. She looked at Charlie with wild eyes as he began to back away.

"Charlie, don't leave me!" Claire pleaded, choking the words out between sobs.

He briefly cupped her face in his hands. "Claire, you'll be fine. I swear I will come right back to you." He turned a hardened, warning gaze on Sayid and Michael. "You take care of her."

"Go, Charlie!" Sayid urged with a little push to his shoulder. Charlie locked eyes with Claire and stumbled backwards a few steps before turning around and taking off at a dead run. His body drew on reserves of energy that had never been awoken before but now worked to light a fire beneath his feet.

The pitch black jungle was lighted in only certain areas by sporadic beams of moonlight that found ways to shine between the treetops. It was not enough to make Charlie sure of his path and without the flashlight it was even harder. He paused and looked around wildly, trying to force his eyes to pierce the darkness that was impenetrable. Dread began to cloud his judgment further. To stifle a scream of frustration, Charlie bit down on his tightly clenched left fist.

Very slowly, Charlie lowered the fist until it was at waist level and looked upon the words written across the knuckles. FATE. Locke's words entered Charlie's head. "Everything happens for a reason." Then Claire's voice was there. "Whatever happens will happen, right?" His own voice, broken and weak, was the last to come. "Que sera, sera."

Charlie took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily, murmuring a quick prayer to an unseen guide above. Then he opened his eyes and began running blindly, trusting only his instinct. Occasionally something caught his foot and sent him tumbling to the ground. A coppery taste filled his mouth, which he spat upon the ground as he pulled himself up and continued running. His face and arms were scratched by branches but his mind blocked the pain. Every ragged breath tore through his lungs and the muscles in his legs screamed in protest. Yet Charlie ran on, right to his camp and into the cave. He ignored his body's insistence on collapsing and concentrated only on his mind, which was telling him to go get Jack. He was aware of Boone calling his name and following him into the cave but ignored him in favor of locating Jack.

"What's going on? Did you get the stuff? What's wrong with you, man?" Boone asked. Charlie shook his head and fell to the ground beside Jack. Murmuring his name in a barely audible voice, Charlie shook Jack's shoulder until he jolted awake.

"What the hell–?!"

"Jack. Need your help, mate. Got to help her. It's Claire. Jack, she's going to have her baby," Charlie gasped out. Jack, still trying to wake up, sat up and put a hand on Charlie's chest to quiet him, or perhaps hold him at bay. Charlie was sure he looked frightening, with wild eyes and sweat pouring off of him and panic evident on his face.

"Hold on, Charlie. Say that again. Who needs help?" Jack asked.

"Claire!" Charlie shouted. "It's Claire, she's going into labor!"

Jack's eyes widened in realization. "Where is she?"

"In the jungle. They're bringing her here. Come with me, I'll take you to her." Charlie grabbed Jack by the arm, hauled him bodily to his feet, and had him halfway to the cave entrance before Jack could stop him. Boone followed, as well as Locke and Kate who had been awakened by the commotion.

"Whoa, Charlie, hold on a minute. We can't just go charging off into the jungle. You're not making any sense," Jack said.

Charlie's jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed in anger. Very slowly, as if speaking to a young child, he explained, "Claire went into labor about half an hour ago. Sayid and Michael are carrying her through the jungle to these caves. You need to come with me so we can find her in case something goes wrong. Now come on, damn it!"

"Charlie, just shut up for a second!" Jack yelled, ripping his arm from Charlie's grasp. With the young Brit momentarily stunned silent, Jack turned to the small audience that had gathered. "Locke, please go heat up some water over the fire. Kate, find some clean clothes or blankets or something to make Claire a comfortable bed in the back of the cave. Boone, go to the medicine supplies and see if you can find any of those little bottles of vodka we found in the wreckage. Then I'll need some scissors, and heat those over the fire to disinfect them. Charlie, I want you to sit down for two minutes and drink some water. You'll only cause more problems if you pass out."

Charlie nodded and sank down onto the log beside the fire. Someone pressed a bottle of water into his grateful hands, which he drank in about thirty seconds. He sat there for another minute to catch his breath. His fingers worked furiously to take off the Oceanic label on the bottle and rip it into tiny shreds while his leg jiggled impatiently. When Jack finally came towards him he leapt to his feet.

"All right, Charlie, show me where she is," Jack said.

The two men set off at a jog into the jungle. Jack, being possibly the smartest or at least most logical person on the island, had a flashlight in his hand. Charlie took the lead, dodging trees as agilely as a cat. Jack trusted his guidance and simply followed as closely as he could. In the back of his mind he thought of other mad dashed through the jungle when it was dark or raining and he could only rely on carnal instinct to escape danger. He felt the fear rising up within and quickly pushed it down, refusing to let it take control of his body or mind. Still, he couldn't stop the flood of relief that came when another flashlight beam was sighted and he heard his own name shouted by a familiar, yet long unheard, voice. It was Sayid, and soon he, Michael, and Claire came into view.

Suddenly, an unearthly roar erupted through the silence of the jungle. The two separate groups both stopped suddenly and looked around for the source of the noise. It was soon accompanied by loud, earth-shattering footsteps that were far too close for comfort.

"Jack!" yelled Sayid's fearful voice. "How will we get her through?"

"Charlie!" Claire screamed. Charlie looked towards her, then back to Jack. The doctor saw the decision on his face and opened his mouth to protest but got cut off quickly.

"Go take care of her. Forget what Sayid and Michael may have ever done to us. Only she is important." Charlie swallowed hard. "I'll distract it." He looked at Claire for a split second, his eyes full of longing, and then ran off. A second later, Jack heard him yell, "Hey! Hey, you! Yeah, c'mon, you great bloody wanker, chase me!"

The footsteps retreated. Jack closed his eyes momentarily as a grim expression came over his face. Michael and Sayid, with Claire between them, approached at a slower pace.

"Where did Charlie go?" Michael asked. Jack looked at him, then at Sayid, who seemed to have already guessed what had happened.

"He went to distract the… the monster."

"Charlie! Come back, Charlie, I need you!" Claire screamed.

"We think she's becoming delirious due to the pain. She doesn't seem to know where she is. She just keeps yelling for Charlie," Sayid explained to Jack.

"How often are her contractions occurring?" Jack asked. He picked up her legs so the three men could carry her through the jungle.

"About every seven minutes, give or take," Sayid answered. They picked up the pace a little while Claire moaned and thrashed. None of the men spoke as Claire began to cry softly. Her eyes were glazed over with pain and her skin shone with a layer of sweat. It seemed to take forever to reach the jungle, and Jack became increasingly worried that Claire would need more assistance before they ever did, especially when her water broke and her contractions began to come every four or five minutes. He was also trying very hard not to think about what might be happening to Charlie.

When they reached the caves, Jack did not allow himself to feel relieved. He knew the real test –the baby's delivery– was yet to come. Kate ushered them to the small area set up for Claire and the three men carefully lowered her to the ground. She had long since left the world they saw and had recessed into a trancelike state induced by the intense pain of the contractions, the fear of the jungle, and worry for Charlie. Jack used a cloth soaked in warm water to mop off her forehead and Kate used a rubber band to pull her hair back.

"Someone get me a bottle of water for her to drink," Jack said shortly. He heard footsteps hurry away and return quickly. He was handed a water bottle and Sayid tipped Claire's head back so Jack could pour in a few small sips. Claire choked and coughed and spit most of it up.

"Jack. What happened to Charlie?" Locke asked in a low voice. Jack's shoulders tensed and he exhaled sharply.

"He went running into the jungle after the monster. He wanted to distract it so it wouldn't go after Claire," Jack explained.

Locke nodded. Jack's explanation only confirmed what he already believed. Decisively, he said, "I'll go find him."

"What?" Jack turned around quickly. "No! Locke, we can't lose you, too!"

"Don't worry, son. I know how to take care of myself all right," Locke answered. He glanced at Claire, who appeared to be having another contraction. "Your responsibility is to her. We can't lose her."

Jack nodded. He knew arguing would get him nowhere with John Locke. The old man went to his briefcase and selected a few lethal-looking knives from the arsenal he had. As he strode from the jungle, a faint song echoed through the cave. Jack and the rest of the people in the cave turned to stare at Claire in surprise.

"Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see. Que sera… sera…"

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Charlie sat on the edge of a cliff that towered over the surface of the ocean. Far, far below him, waves crashed against the rock with alarming force, and Charlie felt the reverberations in his bones. His blue eyes looked out towards the horizon where the twinkling stars burned bright fires against a velvety black backdrop. Within him there raged a great battle of thought and feeling, yet outwardly he appeared calm.

He was not surprised in the least when quiet footsteps approached him from behind, nor did he find it odd that Locke had known where he was. When the man sat beside him Charlie did not look at him, but a slow smile did spread across his face.

"How is she?" Charlie asked.

"She needs you," Locke stated simply. His observant eyes noted that they were sitting in a depression in the ground, as if an animal of abnormal size had walked there. He saw the very faint vibration running through Charlie's body, as if the effects of a powerful burst of adrenaline still lingered in him. Locke asked him softly, "What happened to it?"

"Fell off the cliff. Almost took me with it, the prat. I ducked," Charlie responded.

"But you saw it?" Locke asked.

Charlie laughed. "Did I see it? Yeah, I saw it. Looked right into the bugger's eyes, straight on, man-to-man. Or animal-to-man, as it were. Animal-to-boy, maybe?"

"And what did you find in its eyes?" Locke pressed.

Charlie looked him straight in the eyes and for the first time since the crash, Locke was able to glimpse Charlie's true soul, pure and untouched by heroine and the evils it wrought on his young body. Charlie smiled as he replied, "Answers."

"Are you ready to go back?" Locke asked.

"I'm scared," Charlie admitted. "I couldn't even take care of myself. How can I take care of her? And a baby, for God's sake?"

"But you know it is your destiny."

Charlie nodded. Locke stood and helped him up. As they walked back towards the caves, Locke heard Charlie sing something, partly out loud and partly to himself, that was almost eerily familiar.

"Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see. Que sera… sera…"

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"Where is he?! Why didn't you go after him?" Claire cried. She struggled against the strong arms that held her down and failed. Her head turned from side to side on the makeshift pillow beneath her head while her eyes closed momentarily, then opened wide very suddenly. Her breathing became shallow and a low, guttural moan rose up out of her throat.

"Claire, look at me. I need you to listen. When the next contraction comes, you have to push hard. Can you do that, Claire? It's up to you. The baby is relying on you," Jack told Claire. He glanced worriedly, who was holding down Claire as she was half-crazed with pain. Another contraction came and Claire made no move to push. Apparently she hadn't even heard Jack.

"How do we make her push, Jack?" Kate asked desperately.

"I don't know," Jack said angrily. "I'm a spinal surgeon, Kate, not an obstetrician!"

"Where did Charlie go? I have to help him!" Claire shouted. She began to cry, a miserable, wretched sound that brought tears to Jack's own eyes.

"Claire, Charlie's not here right now. You can't help him, you have to worry about yourself. Please, Claire, push!" Kate coerced. Claire's eyes were bright and her hair was dark with sweat. Every nerve ending in her body tingled and she was hyperaware of everything that touched her. None of it was soft enough, nothing soothed the fear. She wanted Charlie's touch. She didn't want to be a mother anymore. She didn't want to go through such pain or be responsible for the life of another. Why couldn't she just be normal, like Kate or Shannon or any of the other women on the island? Then maybe she might have helped Charlie better, or maybe he wouldn't have even noticed her and he wouldn't be running around a dark jungle being chased by a monster just for her sake.

"Push, Claire, push!"

The voices were indistinguishable to her. Be it Kate or Jack or Thomas or her mother, nothing could bring Claire out of the dark place she was locked in. She knew her baby would die if she didn't do something soon, but for the life of her she couldn't muster the strength. Every feeble attempt to push at all made spots dance before her eyes and blackness edge in on her vision.

Suddenly, someone else was there. Another presence was at her side, pushing Kate out of the way and wrapping lovingly familiar arms around her. A soft thumb brushed away the fallen tears and cleaned the tear tracks with a kiss, roughened with stubble but still gentle.

"Come on, then, love, give us a push," a voice whispered in her ear.

Claire pushed.

The sound of the squalling infant was the loveliest sound Claire had ever heard.

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To Be Continued…