Title: Found
Author: bookworm835
Category(s): Drama/Angst and so many other things too that I cannot include...
Summary: Yah, blah blah blah you already know... summary of last chapter, though -- Charlie wakes up in a hospital bed and can't remember anything. The doctor says the plane crashed but they were all immediately rescued after that. He asks the doctor for an empty mason jar so he can visit Claire.
Disclaimer: WAAAH I DON'T OWN LOST!!! I wish I did, though. ;) It's the most awesome show, like, EVER! I'd have it play at least twice EVERY SINGLE DAY!!I justcan't wait A WHOLE WEEK for another episode!!! It's killing meee!!!!!! Er, ehem.
A/N: Rather emotional chapter... I hope. Maybe even a bit funny. Pay attention to ALL the stuff that he sees, does, says, and so on. It might be important later, hint hint. Oh, and sorry if I forget to make them eat or something... I mean, really! Charlie's been sick in the hospital for at least two days and he hasn't eaten a thing yet. I apologize, I forget. ;) Well, so we continue... sorry if I overdid it with the drama...


Charlie wearily limped off the bus, gazing up at the almost mansion-like white house.

Terrific, he thought.

He sure hoped this was the right house. There were roses in the front yard, soft and red -- simply beautiful. Like Claire. They crept up close to the house, smooth green vines wrapping gracefully around the railing of a picket fence. The flower bed bordered around the rest of the house too.

Bloody hell, Claire, who's your friend? Bill Gates??

Shaking his head disbelievingly, he clutched at the mason jar, his fingers slightly sweaty, slipping around. Fearing he would drop it, he held it tighter, making his palms ache. It was glass... it was fragile. He couldn't let it go, it was his memories. He gazed into it and found it overflowing with -- not peanut butter, but -- love, hate, pain, joy, confusion, doubt, assurance, life, death. All of the jumbled emotions that he had not yet been able to sort out -- he'd give them to Claire. He regretted not giving them to her earlier.

The emotions were strange and almost undescribable, some looking wispy and whitish, others solid and black -- black as night itself. Black as the unconciousness that Charlie had come to know very well. Yet they were all so real. He couldn't see the peanut butter when he had made it up for Claire but he could see these things.... Shrugging off the thought, he gave the jar a last embrace, feeling almost reluctant to let it go, and lightly stepped up onto the porch.

He rapped his knuckles on the brightly-painted wood (it was decorated with red roses too) three times, each one corresponding with his racing heartbeat.

Thump.

Knock.

Thump.

Knock.

Thump.

Knock.

Trying to calm himself, he took a few deep breaths, staring at the door expectantly. Blinking, waiting. He saw someone stirring around darkly through the tinted windows. They moved around a bit, sat behind something, and didn't move again.

Charlie knocked again.

"Oy," he called. For some reason, the words "open up!" clumsily fumbled past his lips. What was he doing?? Hmph, some way to wheedle a girl to open up her house (or her friend's, in this case) to him.

After a moment of uncertainty, Charlie boldly put his hand on the door and rattled it around. It was unlocked!

Trying not to alarm anyone into calling the police and arresting him, he slowly opened the door a crack. "Hullo?" he said. "Claire... you there?"

Through the silence a tiny "eep!" was heard from behind the luxurious velvet sofa.

Charlie stood in the entryway for a few seconds, scanning the room for a phone of any sort. There it was, an antique dial phone sitting innocently on a mahogany-wood coffee table, the legs spindled and flawless. The house was almost too perfect. It made him uncomfortable.

I'm a rock god, Charlie mused to himself, and I don't have this much sodding money. Shit, Claire, seriously... who actually lives like this? There must be a butler around here somewhere too, a house maid....

"Claire...?"

Keeping an eye on the telephone, making sure it was a good distance away, he peered over the top of the couch. And there sat Claire, one hand subconciously rubbing her swollen belly, her wavy hair tumbling in a gold waterfall over her face and down her shoulders. She was absolutely beautiful, exactly as Charlie had remembered her.

"Hey," he mumbled softly, raising an eyebrow. "You alr --"

Her head snapped up, her face full of fear. With one arm she protectively hugged her stomach. She heaved herself up and let out a screeching shriek.

"Aiyeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!"

Charlie stumbled backwards, tripping over the Persian rug and falling flat on his back, cursing as pain coursed back through his broken bones. His eyes scanning the area frantically. Finally they rested on Claire.

Her bright, sapphire eyes bore into his grayish-blue ones. She screamed again, picking up a porcelain vase filled with fake fake violets. Raising it above her head, she stood above Charlie, her eyes bulging.

Charlie flung an arm up. "CLAIRE, WAIT!"

She stared at him, breathing heavily. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously but she looked more frightened than menacing. The Aussie was too pretty to be scary, after all. She dropped the vase. It shattered on the polished wooden floors. "How do you know my name?" she whispered fearfully.

Gulping, one hand still gripping at the empty mason jar, Charlie's mouth went dry. "Claire... I -- I don't --"

He shook his head. He couldn't explain it. She didn't know him. So instead, he propped himself up on his elbows, shifting his feet around.

Claire nervously put her foot on his ankle, looking around for another weapon. She couldn't find one. "D-don't get up," she said almost pleadingly.

Not wanting to scare her further, Charlie obliged. With shaking hands, he unscrewed the lid of the mason jar and put it in his mouth, clenching to it tightly with his teeth. The lid flipped up and whacked his nose. He snorted and held the jar up, waving it around temptingly.

"C'mon, it's good," he said earnestly.

Claire stared at him like he was crazy. And... who knows, maybe he was. "What do you mean?" she said, her face becoming curiously puzzled. She was struggling to keep her 'mean face.'

He put on his best silly, sappy grin, trying to recall how he had smiled at her on the island when he had first presented the empty jar to her. He looked inside. He didn't see the emotions anymore. He had thought they had been real before... but he guessed that he was just being a bit paranoid. Of course, he didn't see peanut butter either. He dug his finger into the nothingness, swirling it around inside. He spit the lid with a sort of disgusted "bleah" noise. She jumped uneasily away from the top and stifled her giggles as he made a sort of grimace.

Then, blood pounding in his ears (what would he do if she didn't remember??), he brought his bare finger up to his lips, stuck out his tongue comically and licked his digit. "Mmm," he said, trying to sound convincing. "It's not poisoned or anything," he added when she continued to goggle at him. He stuffed his finger into his mouth, sucked it for a few seconds, watching Claire's every move. Then he brought out his clean finger (actually, it was dirtier, he supposed... it had been clean when he put it in, now he only coated it in his spit).

"You're crazy, now get outta this house before I call the police," she warned, gazing wide-eyed at his jar.

His eye twitched. "Just try it, please, love," he said in his sweetest voice.

Her brow furrowed. "... What did you call me?" she whispered back.

Now he was getting somewhere. She let him rise to his feet. He flinched and grimaced, holding his rib. Her expression softened.

"Are you alright?" she asked suddenly, reaching out tentatively. He grinned back at her. She recoiled, realizing what she was doing. She cast her eyes downward. He put his finger gently under her chin and coaxed her to look up.

"One lick," he said. His smile lessened slightly and his eyes went cloudy. He put on his best seductive grin and added, "It's the best bloody peanut butter you've ever tasted... just one thing, though. It's... extra creamy...." He couldn't keep a straight face. Laughing gently, he held out the jar. Would she accept it?? If she wouldn't... he'd curl up and die, he decided.

She gave him a small smirk. "Alright," she said.

He felt his heart skip a beat and he let out a sigh of relief, trying to steady his shaking hand. She shyly put the tip of her finger into the jar and brought it back out. Looking nervously up at Charlie, she put it in her mouth. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she gasped, pulling her finger out, gawking at her fingertip.

"I-i-it tasted like -- it was -- and then --!"

He gave her a satisfied nod, trying not to look too smug. He didn't want to overdo it but he felt a sort of pride welling up in his chest.

But she pushed the jar away. "I -- I can't... this is too weird. I'm sorry," she added, sympathy growing on her face when he deflated, his jaw dropping slightly. "I... I won't call 9-1-1 if you leave now... but if you come back... I'm sorry," she ended lamely, her head hanging.

"B-but, Claire --!"

"Please," she implored, looking almost heartbroken with the face he was giving her. Almost... not quite.

He swallowed, opened his mouth and closed it again in a fish-like manner. His face burned and the happy feeling in his chest had left. "C-Claire... you have to listen... we were on a plane and --"

"You were on the plane??" she asked incredulously. Then she shook her head viciously. "No, I can't.... Go! Just go!"

Bowing his head, he pushed the jar into her hands. "Keep it..." he muttered, his vision blurring.

"I'm just looking after the baby, it'd be best if we didn't see each other...whoever you are.... I don't understand you, please don't be mad.... Maybe you could go to the doctor's?"

He gaped wordlessly at her.

"Erm... I'm sorry... I'm just looking after you."

That was a mistake.

He glared up at her. Oddly enough, he wasn't surprised when her face had been replaced with his brother Liam's. He hadn't expected it... but it didn't shock him in any way whatsoever.

"You've never looked after me!" he shouted. "You don't know me!" All of his memories of that godforsaken island rushed back to him... and everything before that. He remembered his niece Meghan's expression when he had stormed off... and when he thrust the jar into Liam (or was it?)'s hands and stalked off, he saw Claire's face flash back into view, her face the same expression as little Meghan's had been.

Skulking off, he walked about until he got to a park. It was empty and slightly windy. Sitting down on a bench he pulled his hoodie up over his head and stuffed his fists deep into his pockets.

His eyes widened.

Slowly, just ever so slowly, he pulled his hand back out of his pocket, his hand clenched into a ball. Then, he uncurled his fingers. There in his hand rested a little baggie full of brown powder.

Looking around, he made sure he was alone. His hands were shaking uncontrollably and his stomach squirmed. He stared at it greedily, suddenly feeling a strong lust building in his mind, his body, his soul.

He opened it and sprinkled it into his palm. It felt so good yet so very bad at the same time, making the skin on his hand tingle underneath the heroin.

All the raw pain and sadness that had been growing in him ever since he woke up in the hospital was making his mind misty; it was obscuring his senses, making him groan and sob at the very thought of it.

Everything he knew was a lie.

Claire hated him, his brother hated him... in fact, Charlie hated himself.

As his dispair engulfed his mind, his body, his soul...

As everything that had happened to him came crashing down on him all at once...

As salty tears streaked his cheeks, filled with grayish wisps of unwanted emotions...

He pinched a bit between his fingertips and brought it up to his lips.


YAY! Wunnerful reviews, people. Thankee!! Hope you liked this chappy. ;) Another five reviews please before I go on! Umm, shout-outs, are they called?? Here we go...

FanOfLost: Wow, thanks for the first review!!! Glad you liked.

CCLover4ever: Favorites list?? THANK YOU!! (sniff sniff) I am so touched...

Alatariel10: You love Dom too? Yay for you!! Isn't he hot? Hehe. Er, glad you liked, hope you enjoyed this chapter too.

Mythology: You think? Aww, thanks. Was this soon enough? :D Thanks for contributing to the goal of 5 reviews.

Mina aka: Mockingbird: Wow, you really liked?? Loved your enthusiastic review! XD

Esmarelda Gamgee: I hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter! Glad you loved the first chapter, it boosts my... um, self-confidence...? I think that's what it was called, I can't think right now. ;)

Remember, NEED ANOTHER FIVE REVIEWS! Thanks to those who already reviewed, maybe you'll review again?? CHARLIE FOREVER! Lol