Note: I am so sorry it took me so long to get this one out. My grandpa died just recently and unexpectedly so I haven't really been that inspired to write. If there's another chapter, I'll try to get it out sooner. 

"Please don't tell Jack," Charlie said quietly after moments of stunned silence from Sawyer.

After sitting a few more moments staring at Charlie incredulously, Sawyer managed to spit out "She did?"

Charlie nodded. "I saw her…with the knife. When Kate died…I tried to chase her, but she got away. And then I found her…she was forced to, Sawyer. Forced."

"You're serious?"

Charlie nodded, saddened. "We have to save her," he insisted. "Before Ethan makes her kill someone else."

Sawyer leaned forward. "Ethan?" Charlie nodded. "You're serious?" Charlie nodded again, sadly. "Charlie, I'm no bounty hunter…I can't track nobody…you got the wrong guy."

"But you're the only one I can trust!" Charlie protested as Sawyer got up. "You have to help me…wait…where're you going?"

"Going to tell Jack," Sawyer said over his shoulder as he walked into the jungle.

"We can't! We can't tell Jack! Don't you get it? He'll ruin everything…he'll kill Claire."

"What do you think I want to do, son?" Sawyer said. "Man, I don't care who made whoever do whatever, now that you're girl is a hired thug…" Sawyer trailed off and continued walking.

Charlie kept walking. "Claire would never do something like that unless she was forced!"

Sawyer spat on the ground. "Maybe Claire got a bit jealous of Kate, eh? Did you ever think of that? Kate's stealin' Claire's prospects as a good father, you know how pregnant women can get."

Charlie stared unbelievingly at Sawyer. "No, I don't."

"Maybe she an' Ethan have somethin' going on, maybe she didn't want to hurt your feelings." Sawyer fell from behind as Charlie leapt on his back. He rolled over immediately and pinned Charlie down. "Wouldn't try that."

Charlie tried worthlessly to move his arms to punch Sawyer. "I hate you!" he cried in frustration.

Sawyer laughed. "What you gonna do about it?"

"Let me go and I'll do something!" Sawyer laughed again.

"…stop," a quiet voice said. The two men looked over and saw Claire leaning against a tree. She was wearing a navy blue suit, kind of like a flight attendants uniform. Sawyer got off of Charlie and shuddered. He made the connection, too.

"Is…is that her?" Sawyer asked, gesturing at Claire.

"I told you she was real," Charlie said scornfully as he stood up. He went over to Claire and hugged her. Claire hugged him awkwardly back, looking over his shoulder at Sawyer. "Did you tell him?" she asked.

"He's gonna help me free you!" Charlie said excitedly.

"Did you tell him what I did?"

Sawyer instantly remembered, then remembered his task. "Yeah, he told me what you did," he said, standing up. "And now I'm going to the caves to tell everyone."

"Sawyer, you can't," Claire said to Sawyer's turned back.

Sawyer stopped and turned around. He and Claire stood twenty feet apart. Charlie felt as if he was witnessing a western shootout. "And why is that?"

"You just…can't," Claire said. "I can't tell you, but you can't. Please Sawyer," she begged.

Sawyer began laughing, then stopped suddenly. He closed his eyes and smiled, then fell on the jungle floor, a knife sticking out of his back.

Claire turned to Charlie. "Charlie, run," she said.

"I can't! I can't leave you with that man!" Charlie said, flailing with his arms.

"I'll be fine, just go," she said, pushing him away. "Just don't tell anyone, or this will happen to them too!"

"I love you, though," he protested.

"Yes, yes, I know," Claire said exasperatedly. "Just go." Charlie began to hear the telltale thumping signs that everyone in the jungle had come to know. "Go." He went.