Lostlorenzo: AHH! I know! I was highly upset about the no kiss thing. The kiss on the cheek totaly got my hopes up! Yes, Sun and Boone will be makeing apearances, as wells as Michale, Walt, maybe even Jin. That would make things interesting wouldn't it? Oh, by the way, yes, Sun is marrying Michale. This next chapter is pretty amuseing, takeing the edge off the last Chapter a bit. Well, i'm gonna get wrighting it. Peace!

Lostobsesivefreak: Hey, sorry to keep you waiting. Seems like its been takeing me forever to get these things updated. But I'll have more time to get them done, specialy since its summer and i can stay up alot later. I love Charlie, obviously, thats why i write about him. But, well, you know what i mean! Keep on keeping on.

Fate: Growing Pains

Claire sat on the bed in her hotel room with the phone clutched to her ear. "How's everything going?" She questioned curiously. "...Good" Charlie lied, not wanting her to worry. Things wern't going good. It was now wensday night, Liam had been goon since yesterday afternoon. Michelle went off to look for him, didn't have much luck. She'd been begging Charlie to go look, thinking he might have a better idea of where his brother would go. Charlie told her if he knew Liam was he'd tell her, but that was a lie too.

The truth was he was to stuborn to go look for him, and Liam was to stuborn to come home. Sooner or later his brother didn't come home, he'd have to tell Claire. But right now, he just wanted to talk to her. To hear her voice. "Are you alright? You sound sick?" Claire questioned in concern.

"No, just tired. Had a long day" He explained reasuringly. "Yeah, kids can be a hand full" Claire nodded understandingly. "No kidding. I don't know how you do it every day" Charlie explained honestly. "I know it seems difficult, but I'm sure your doing just fine" Claire assured optimisticly. "lets hope" Charlie replied, modestly. "How's every one doing down there?"

"Good. Sun looks amazeing! She's got that pregnet-women glow thing going on" Claire explained hapily. "How's Michale?" Charlie questioned curiously. "He's...he's doing ok. Stressing a bit, but i think he'll be alright" Claire replied. "Have you heard from Shan?"

"Yeah, she was hear yesterday. She'll be there tommarow." Charlie explained, becomeing aware that Shannon would infact be there tommarow. He was also aware that Shannon was there during him and Liams little fight. Great, now I have to call her. Later. Call her later.

"Ok, more important question, how are you?" Charlie asked playfully. "I'm good. I miss you though, and the kids" Claire explained. "I know. We miss you two. Exspecialy Geni. I don't think she likes me very much" Charlie replied.

"I don't think Geni likes any one very much" Claire explained, "She has quite the attitude"

"no kidding"

He could hear her laugh on the other end of the phone. It seemed like it'd been forever since he hered her laugh. "Hey, Charlie. Shan's here. She wants to talk to you" Michelle explained through the door. "Alright" He replied. "Hey, luv, Shannon's here" Charlie explained to Claire over the phone. "Oh, alright. Well, call me tommarow ok?" Cliare sugested. "Can't wait" Charlie Assured. "I love you"

"I love you two" Claire replied. The two hung up and Charlie headed downstairs. "Hey, whats up?" He questioned to Shannon who sat on the couch. "Well, i know you've kind of been stressed" Shannon began. "And you being here helps that...how?" Charlie asked playfully. "Well i thought you might want to go get a drink or something, but aparently my presence is unwanted" Shannon replied, sarcasticly.

"Shannon, your presence is always unwanted, how ever, a drink is not" Charlie explained jokenly. "So your in?" Shannon asked, raseing an eye brow. "Yeah, just let me change into some decent cloths" Charlie assured, looking down at the shirt he was wearing. He'd had it since the plaine crash, and it looked pretty rough.

"Wow, i remeber that shirt when it had sleves" Shannon noted playfully. "Yeah, me two. I'll go change" Chalire explained. "You don't have to. I mean, its just a bar. Besides, grungy works for you" Shannon assured nicely. "Thanks...i think" Charlie replied, slightly confused. "Michelle, you got the kids?" Charlie asked, grabbing his hoddie. "Yeah. No prob" Michelle assured. "Thanks"

"Can I come?" Megen questioned with a hopefull look. "No" All three replied. Megen looked disapointed and plopped back down on the couch. "Come on Charlie. I'm gonna drink you under the table" Shannon declared as she pulled the front door open. "I'd like to see you try" Charlie replied chalgingly.

At the bar:

"I Hate bar bands" Shannon noted, stareing at the group on stage in bordom. "Thanks" Charlie noted, reminded her he was still there. "You guys arn't a bar band. You used to be famous, but now you've got to tone it down a bit. Besides, you guys play clubs, not bars. These guys are just wannna-bes" Shannon explained. "Good point" Charlie agreed, and took a sip of his bear.

"Any word from Liam?" Shannon asked curiously, after doing the same. "Nope" Charlie answered simply. "Wow. He really is stuborn" Shannon noted. "Yeah. We both are. Its genetic or something" Charlie explianed, looking at the botle in his hand. "Did you say gin and tonic?"

"No, genetic" Charlie explained. "Oh...I like Gin and tonic better" Shannon confirmed. "Me two" Charlie agreed. "What time is it?"

"Ummmm, i dunno. Let me look at my watch...wait, i don't have a watch" Shannon explained, a look of confusion crossing her face. "Don't you have a flight tommarow?" Charlie raised an eye brow. "Oh yeah" Shannon answered, just rembering herself. Charlie couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe you should stop drinking then"

"But I like drinking" Shannon protested playfully. "So do I, but I'm good at it. Your not" Charlie reminded before takeing a sip. "I am not. I could kick your ass at drinking!" She replied defensivly. " Wanna bet?" Charlie raised an eye brow. "Is that a Chamalanege?" Shannon questioned in a slurr.

"Chamalnge is not a word, Shannon" Charlie explained. "Oh...your not a word" She replied after a moment of delay. "No, but i'm a slang. Well, my name is" Charlie explained. "Slang for what?" Shannon questioned after takeing a sip. "Herine" Charlie replied after doing the same. "hm, thats ironical" Shannon noted with a laugh.

"Ironical's not a word" Charlie reminded teasingly. "Oh, shut up. What do you know about english?" Shannon questioned defensivly. "Well, for starters I am English" He explained. "So am I" Shannon shrugged, downing the last of her bottle. "No your not. Your American, your the people who killed english" Charlie explained.

"Oh, your just mad becuase I can drink better than you" Shannon noted teasingly. "Excuse me? I'm on my fith glass and I haven't even begun to make up words. You on the other hand on on your third glass and have already made up twelve" Charlie reminded. Shannon thought for a moment(i know, its a mirical! j/k) but could think of no come back except, "your mean"

"Your drunk" Charlie replied with a smirk, before takeing a sip of his bear. "Not for long" Shannon declared, before opening up her new bottle and takeing a gulp. "That made absulutly no since" Charlie noted, eyeing her in confusion. Shannon thought for a moment.(another miricals!)

"You make no since"

"Fair enough" Charlie shrugged and took another sip.

A few hour's later:

The band had left and the Bar was half empty. Both Shannon and Charlie had begun a protest agenst bar stools and chares, for they were both to inebriated to keep that much balence, so the floor cliamed the two as their friend. "You know, Charlie. I think you'd look good with blond hair" Shannon declaired, one arm leaning on the seat of the chair, the other losely swaying the bottle in hand.

"I...have blond hair" Charlie noted in confusion. "I know. But I mean blonder. Like...like my blond." Shannon attempted to explaine. "You know, without all the brownish parts"

"Oh, so you think I'd look good as a fake blond" Charlie confrimed sarcasticly. "Hey, i'm not a fake blond!" Shannon scoffed definsivly. "I'm natural. But then i went brown, so now technicaly I'm a fake blond. But still natural...or something" Shannon clairifired before takeing a sip.

Charlie nodded in understanding. Then he realized he actualy understood what she was talking about and looked confused again. "I know! You should let me die your hair!" Shannon sugested in excitement, trying to hop up and failing. "Hell no" Charlie assured with a laugh.

"Why not?" Shannon questioned with a pout. "Because your drunk" Charlie reminded playfully. "So?" Shannon questioned, not quite graspeing the point. Charlie concidered it for a moment. "No"

"Oh, come on" Shannon insisted, grabbing a hold of his arm. "No, i like my hair" Charlie confrimed. "Come on, i won't mess it up, i promis. Pl-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-s" She shook his arm persistantly.

Charlie sighed. "I'm gonna kill you for this tommarow. Your lucky I'm drunk" Charlie explained, pulling himself up off the floor. "YAy!" Shannon quilled happily and managed to bounch up without falling. They both grabbed their things, including the bottles, paid their tab, and were off to the house.

It was pich black when they came in. Every one else was asleep. "Wow, your house is scary" Shannon noted, looking around with wide eyes. "Shh" Charlie reminded as he flicked on the light and pulled off his hoodie. "oh, right" Shannon nodded in wisper, carfully pulling the door shut behind her.

"Alright, lets get this over with" Charlie sugested, looking a little nervous. "Right" Shannon nodded in agrement, "You go to the bath room. I'm gonna get the stuff together. I'll meat you their" she instructed.

"Ok" Charlie began to turn, then stops, "You sure you know what your doing?"

"Yes!" Shannon insited, and gave him an nudge towards the door. Charlie sighed and marched himself to the batheroom. Shannon opened up the bag that she'd grabbed from her apartment (In a cab, because well, driving would not be cool) and pulled out the hair die bottle. "Ok, now...how do i do this again?"

"Shannon-" Charlie managed to hear her and turned in the door way. "I'm just kidding" Shannon assured with a smile. Charlie rolled his eyes and stepped into the bathroom.

Next morning:

Charlie wondered down stairs, still wearing the same jeans and striped shirt from last night. He was still half asleep as he walked into the livivng room to find Michelle, Megen, the twins, Ben and Logen all stareing back at him. "...Morning" He stopped in his tracks, a look of confusion on his face.

"Wow, your looking very bright this morning" Michelle noted with a snicker. Charlie's bewilnderment contenuied a moment before he remebered. "Oh, right" He ran his hand through his hair, trying to hide his imbarassment. "Shannon's idea. How bad is it?"

"I think it looks cool. You look like a nazi" Megen confirmed with a smile. "uh...thanks" Charlie replied, eyeing her curiously. "So, hey, i thought since you wanted to talk to Ms. Adams, you could just come to her class when you drop us off. I'll show you where it is" Megen sugested, gathering up the kids plates from breakfast.

"Good idea" Charlie agreed, "Do I have time to change?"

Megen looked him over. "yes, please do" She insisted, teasingly. Charlie hurried upstaires to his room and pulled off his cloths. He tossed them onto the floor and pulled out a difforent pair of jeans and a brown button up shirt, nothing fancy, but as long as it didn't have rips, blood and bear stains on it, he was good to go. As he buttoned up the shirt he cought a glance of himself in the mirror. Wow, I really do look like a nazi. Note to self, do not speak German today.

He finished the last couple buttons and headed down stairs. "Ready?" He questioned, turnning to Megen as he grabed his hoodie and pulled open the front door. Megen simply held up her left arm in a hail-hitler fasion and walked out the door. "Ha, ha. Verry funny. You do that when we get to the school I'll kill you" Charlie declared, fallowing her out the door along with the line of kids who fallowed them down to the car like a row of babbie ducks. Megen pulled open the door and climbed into the driver seat.

"Ha, you wish" Charlie scoffed as he helped the kids one by one into the back seat. "But you can't drive. Your hung over" Megen noted teasingly. "Whats hung over mean?" Gabby questioned as Charlie lifted her into the car. "It means he's drunk" Ben explained. "No, it means I was drunk" Charlie corrected, then thought for a moment, "...Witch i wasn't"

"You were drunk enough to let Shannon bleach your hair" Megen reminded as she slid into the pasenger side. "Shh, I'm driving" Charlie declared and started up the car.

They arrived at the School early, and waited for the teacher in class room. Ben had gone off to his own, while the girls and Logen had taken their seats. Well, except Gabby, who was being held by her dad in a plea for attention. She idley played with his hair as he leaned agenst the teacher desk.

"This is the most under decorated kendergarden class room i've ever sceen" Charlie declared, looking about the room. "You are such a metro" Megen teased. "Well look at it! No pictures or posters, no little borders around the chalk board, no color chalk, no gold stars, its pitifull really" Charlie explained. "Well Ms. Adams is right over there. Maybe you can give her some decorateing tips" Megen noted sarcasticly. Charlie turnned to see the women in the hall, who was talking to a man in a suit.

She was middle aged and thin with light blond hair. She also looked extreamly familiar. Then it dawned on him. "Thats the teacher?" Charlie questioned, turning to Megen with a look of panic. "...yeah" Megen explained, giving him a confused look. "Shit"

"What?" Megen raised an eye brow at him. "I know her" Charlie explained, looking around the room for an alternitive way out. "You do? From where?" Megen asked quriously. "From...from a long time ago" Charlie explained in a panic. "As in a before-you-met-Claire long time ago?" Megen questioned.

"Yes. Actualy it was a day before i meet Claire" Charlie explained, clearly freaking out. "You slept with the teacher?" Megen gasped in amazement. "Shh" Charlie reminded, trying to keep himself from being noticed. "Ok, here's what were gonna do. Were just gonna walk by." Charlie explained in a wisper. "Don't you think she'll see us?"

"Probly. But I doubt she'll reconize me" Charlie elaborated, slowly migrateing towards the door. He took a deep breath and stepped out into the hall way. Megen fallowed quickly behind. They waited untill they reached the end of the hall and turned to start talking. "Ok. That was close" Charlie noted, letteing out another breath.

"Why? Whats wrong with her?" Megen questioned curiously. "Well, last time I'm saw her she kicked me in the stomach then walked out of my hotel room with my shampane in her underwear" Charlie explained in a wisper. "Oh" Megen nodded, mildly suprised. "Ok, just go to class" He told, heading for the front door. "Alright. Don't forget to pick us up" Megen reminded.

"I wont" Charlie assured, and walked out to the car.

Before the Wedding:

"how do I look?" Sun questioned, turning from the mirror to face the grils. "Your dress is prettyer than mine" Shannon noted with a pout. "You suck"

"Excuse her. Thats just Shannon for "You look amazeing" Claire explained with a smile. Sun smiled back. "So, are you nervous?" Shannon questioned, walking over to the chair beside her. "No. Just excited" Sun assured happily. "Really? I was nervous as hell when I married Sayid" Shannon noted bluntly.

"I rember. I was the one who pulled you back in the window, rember?" Sun reminded teasingly. "Oh right" Shannon blushed. Claire simply smiled. "I helped"

"Hey, the point is I went through with it" Shannon reminded, defensivly. "Exactly." Claire agreed with a nod. "You two should go get dressed" Sun sugested, in excitement. "Good idea" Shannon nodded and grabbed onto Claire's wrist, dragging her and the dresses into the dressing room.

" I can walk on my own achord you know" Claire reminded once they were behind the curitan that seperated them from the rest of the room. "I know, but you walk slow" Shannon replied teasingly, pulling off her shirt. Claire just shook her head and began getting undressed herself. "So, I talked to Charlie last night" Claire explained as she unbuttoned her shirt. "When?" Shannon questioned, a look of worrie on her face.

"Around nine. He said you came over" Claire explained. "Oh, yeah" Shannon replied, a little relived. "Well...why were you there?" Claire questioned, curiously. "Oh. He was a little tweaked out because of the kids, so i though I'd get him out of the house" Shannon explained casualy.

"And take him where?" Claire questioned, suspicously. "A bar" Shannon answered simply. "A bar? On a wendsday night? When he has to drive the kids to school the next morning?" Claire questioned angrily. "Oh calm down. If he crashed he would have called you" Shannon assured, pulling her dress off the hanger.

"i'm going to kill him" Claire declaired, crossing her arms over her chest. "No your not" Shannon noted skepticaly. "Yes I am! I'm gonna go home, walk through the front door, jump his ass and kill him" Claire confirmed violently. "Well when you see him your gonna jump on his ass for a whole difforent reson" Shannon explained with a sugestive grin.

"Why?" Claire questioned, a look of alarm crossing her face. "You'll see" Shannon assured secretivly, and pulled on her dress. Claire's eyes widened. "What did you do?" Claire insisted, a worried look on her face. "Nothing" Shannon replied innocently. Claire didn't buy it for one second. "Shannon-"

"I didn't do anything" Shannon insisted with a sweet little smile. Claire grimaced. "Screw Charlie. I'm killing you first" She declared. "No you won't becuase I'm dressed and your not!" Shannon reminded teasingly, hopping out of the dressing room. "So unless you want to chance me into the hall, i guess your screwed"

"Fine. I'll kill you later" Claire pouted and pulled on her dress. Sun watched Shannon beam triumphently. "Whats going on?" She questioned curiously. "Oh nothing" Shannon answered in a sing song voice. "how do I look?" She did a little twirl and watched the pale green skirt twirl around her. "You look great" Sun assured with a smile.

"Shan. zip" Claire instructed, turning around. Shannon walked over and sipped up the back of her dress. "Thanks. Ok...now I can kill you" Claire explained. Shannon made a run for the door and Claire chased after her. Sun watched with wide eyes. Walt stood in the hall way and watched as the grils ran past.

"Woo..." He noted simpy as he watched them fly by. Sun smiled at him aqwardly. "Man, girls are weird" Walt noted, shakeing his head as he wondered off down the hall.

When Charlie came home, the house apeared empty. Any other time, the living room would be flooding with people. Kids would be yelling, girls would be gossiping, Claire would be telling him and Shannon to stop arguing, but now it was silent. "Michelle?" He called, makeing sure she wasn't hideing around some corner. He heard something move in the kitchen. He shut the front door and walked over. "Oh, hey." Michelle walked out of the kitchen, arms crossed over her stomach.

"Hey" Charlie replied, giving her a worried glance. She looked cold, and frail. He could tell she'd been crying. She looked down, trying to hide it. "How'd it go?" She questioned softly, trying to avoid the subject. Charlie simply walked over and wraped his arms around her. After a moment she hugged him back. "This is my fault" He noted guiltfully.

"No" Michelle assured, pulling back, "You were right. Your absolutly right"

"I over reacted-" Charlie insisted. "No, you were angrey. And you had every right to be." Michelle interupted. "Liam's just to stuborn to come home. But her will"

For a moment a tear rolled down her cheek and she looked as if she doubted her own words. "He will come back" Charlie assured firmly, looking her stright in the eye before folding her into his arms. She hugged him back and tried to keep her self from crying. Charlie heard the door open and looked over her shoulder to see Liam standing in the door way.