Love.
Family.
Children.
Charlie looked down upon the babies scrunched up little face and smiled. He hadn't really opened his eyes yet but he liked to blow bubbles with his spit. And even though he wasn't looking around, you could tell by his facial expressions that he was wondering where he was. Charlie gave way to a sigh.
"Sorry, your stuck here, kiddo." he spoke softly, rocking the boy back and forth to calm him. He couldn't have Claire waking up to take care of him yet. She was still too weak and needed rest. And Charlie wasn't ready to give the little one up. "Your mum wanted to give you a better life. Thats why she was going to America, I guess. But things don't always go as planned. But just because something doesn't go as planned it makes it wrong," he corrected himself, knowing that the baby himself obviously wasn't planned, "just makes it different." The baby wriggled around and nestled in close to his chest.
"Your mum loves you," Charlie added gently,"and you've got me. Uncle Charlie." Charlie frowned for a second. He wanted to say Dad. Why was he bonding so well with this baby? And why did he keep wanting it to be his? "I wish I were your Dad, boy...but your Mum, she deserves better."
The baby cooed.
"Why? Well, its grown-up stuff. Your too little to understand yet." Charlie glanced down at Claire, resting on her side with a blanket tossed over her. There were bags under her eyes and her face was flushed pink. Jack said she might run a fever for a day or two after the birth but he gave her some Tylenol and he said it would reduce it and take some of the pain away. It must have worked because shortly after taking it, Claire was finally able to go to sleep. Charlie talked to her alittle before she nodded off. She held her son for awhile, rocking him and talking to him. Charlie had never seen a girl so proud in his life. She looked so content. And when she fell asleep thats when Charlie took him. And here they were, 3 hours later, still chatting. Charlie chuckled at the kid.
"You know, your an inquisitive little fella." Charlie laughed, as the baby opened and closed his eyes at him, squinting. "I wonder what your mum will call you." he thought to himself, trying to remember any previous conversations he had had with Claire about the name of the baby, "Suppose we can't call you Bump now, eh? Your not a Bump, your a Baby. An adorable baby! I mean, look at those mincers you've got. Gonna make the girls go wild..."
"You putting bad thoughts into my babies head already?" spoke Claire, still in the same position she was asleep. He looked at her and grinned.
"Somebodies gotta corrupt him. Might as well be me."
"I dreamt about you," she said softly, looking at him. Charlie nearly fell over.
"Me?"
"Yeah, we were back in Austrailia, all three of us, and you were taking us to the zoo."
"Ah, the great Down Unda..." Charlie replied, using his best Austrailian accent. Claire giggled.
"And in my dream, you kept calling the baby Grant." she said with a bright smile, "So thats what I am gonna call him. Grant."
"I get to name him? Well, your manifestation of me." Charlie bounced the baby in his arms and stood up, "Grant. I like it."
"Do you think he will?" Claire asked worriedly as Charlie lowered the baby into her arms. She cuddled him close to her and smiled, "What do you think? Grant, love?" The baby squirmed and made a bubble with his spit. "He likes it!!" she reported excitedly. Charlie never felt happier. And for some reason, he felt the need to spread his happieness.
"Jack! Kate! Hurley, Micheal, everybody!" he ran into the camp shouting, and of course they all just kind of looked at him like they always looked at him-like a lunatic. "The babies name is Grant!"
"Hey, thats kind of nice." Shannon spoke up first, a big smile on her face. Charlie was kind of set back by her cheerfulness to the news but smiled anyway.
"I have a cousin named Grant. Works as a mechanic in Delaware." Hurley added. Boone, interested in mechanics started chatting with Hurley.
"Fine name, Charlie." Jack told him, patting him on the back. Boone, noticing, spoke up.
"You guys all act like it was his kid." Boone said. Charlie could feel his blood boiling again. But Jack spoke for him.
"Charlie helped in the delivery. I think he has some right to brag."
"Yeah, least I did something around here..." Charlie grumbled. Boone sat up.
"Whats that supposed to mean? I didn't see you chopping logs all day." Boone added coldly. Charlie looked around at everyone. Of course they all were now listening. Trying to be the bigger man, Charlie began walking away. "Where you going?"
"Leave him alone, Boone." Jack said, irritated.
"You gonna let Jack here fight all your battles for you?" Boone added, interragating him. Charlie stopped. He knew he should have just kept walking. He knew it because every fiber of his being told him so. He didn't want to spoil the joy of today by beating the living crap out of Boone. He knew it wasn't right. But the revenge was too tempting. And the thought of it too sweet.
Charlie charged into Boone like a rugby tackler. He didn't even see it coming. Jabbing his palm into Boone's shoulder, Charlie held him down as he gave him a few good hits to the stomach and face. No wonder Sawyer beat the crap out of the guy so easily. He barely had any strength. Charlie was in control and it felt good. Obviously comparing himself to Boone was folly. The guy was a wimp. Charlie could finally feel the leverage bar escalating.
"Charlie, cut it out!" Jack yelled pulling him off of Boone. Charlie jarred away and gave one last jab to Boones jaw.
"Charlie, let him go!!!" he heard a voice call from behind. It was sad. And followed by a babies cry.
"Claire..." Charlie breathed, loosing his muscles and letting Jack pull him away. Guilt rushed over him. What had he done? What had he done...