Chapter 8-------------- To Fight the Dark

Yes, it's me AGAIN… I was slow posting AGAIN! Sorry…WELL have been downloading episodes of Lost lately, so I have been very bored while waiting for them to get done. I don't know why I didn't post sooner. I guess I wanted to build the suspense! LOL… OR I could just have been too much of a procrastinator! Oh well… I'll stop rambling, SO here it is.

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"Claire! Wake up!" Kate said tapping her cheeks. There was still no response. Kate looked over to see Jack holding his head in pain.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked worried.

"Yeah…" Jack looked down at Claire. "What Happened?" Jack shouted running over to Claire and checking to see if she was breathing.

"She fainted after Charlie went after Ethan."

"Charlie went after Ethan?"

"Yeah, he just ran off."

"Okay, Claire is the first priority right now. The chances of Charlie finding Ethan are slim. Once I find out what's wrong with Claire, then I will see if I can find him."

"Alright."

"Claire… I need you to wake up." Jack said checking her pulse.

"What… what happened?" Claire asked groggily.

"You fainted." Kate said looking down at her.

"What… oh my god… Charlie." Claire said attempting to stand up. Jack helped her up slowly.

"You need to take it easy." Jack said, knowing it was impossible.

"I need my son… I need Charlie… I need my family. Adam and Charlie are the most important matters right now." Claire said starting to cry. "We need to find them."

"Claire, I need to find out why you fainted." Jack said demandingly.

"Isn't it just stress?" Kate asked confused.

"Most likely, yes." Jack said looking at Claire as Kate hugged her.

"What do you mean by most likely?" Kate asked.

"I need to rule out other possibilities." Jack said in a doctor's tone.

"What possibilities?" Claire asked confused.

"Is there any chance you could be pregnant?"

"What?" Claire asked not believing what she had just heard.

"Could you be pregnant?" Jack repeated.

"It is just stress." Claire said trying to convince him and herself at the same time.

"Claire, most likely it is just stress, but I'm a doctor. I need to make sure that I am absolutely sure that it is just stress. Right now… I'm not convinced."

"Yes… Jack… there is a chance." Claire said mumbling.

"Alright, then we need to see if Sawyer has one of those home tests." Jack said looking at Claire.

"I'll go." Kate said walking off.

"Good luck!" Jack shouted after her. Kate looked back and smiled, then looked forward as she walked again. Jack and Claire were left in silence.

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"Adam!" Charlie yelled out. "Adam!" Charlie repeated. Charlie stopped, heard nothing, and then he ran on in hopes of finding his and Claire's son.

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"Here." Kate said handing Jack the test.

"How did you get him to give it to you?" Jack asked surprised.

"He made me tell him who it was for. Sorry Claire, that's the only way I could get it."

"That's alright. It's just Sawyer. He doesn't socialize with everyone else." Claire said with a small laugh.

"Are you ready to take this?" Jack asked smiling at Claire's last statement.

"Yeah…" Claire said taking the box from him.

"Alright, go into the jungle, but not to far… When you are done, bring the test to me." Jack said, once again in his doctor tone.

"Okay." Claire said as she walked into the jungle.

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"Adam!" Charlie screamed. He heard a twig snap, and he turned around to see Ethan holding Adam.

"Let him go!" Charlie yelled walking towards Ethan.

"Why would I do something like that?" Ethan said staring at Charlie.

"So we can settle this."

"You mean give me another chance to kill you? And to get it right this time?" Ethan said still staring at him. He put Adam down and walked up to Charlie.

"Time to finish what I…" Ethan was interrupted by Charlie slamming him into a nearby tree. Charlie pounded Ethan's head into the tree over and over. Ethan grabbed Charlie by the throat and pinned him against the tree. He started to choke him. Charlie was gasping for air. He felt like he was hanging from the tree again. Charlie couldn't think clearly. He raised his knee up to Ethan's stomach and kneed him. Ethan fell back, having the wind knocked out of him. Ethan started to get up.

"Adam, stay back bud." Charlie yelled. Adam seemed very frightened by the way Charlie was acting. He was scared of Ethan more though.

"Adam, close your eyes." Charlie said, not wanting the toddler to see what was going to happen. The toddler did as told.

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"Done." Claire said walking out of the jungle and giving Jack the test.

"Alright." Jack said setting it on the box in the sand. "We will wait for awhile. I will tell you when to look." Jack said with a reassuring smile. Claire nodded and looked at Kate.

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Ethan was now on top of Charlie, trying to choke him. Charlie reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife Locke had given him. Ethan continued to try to cut off Charlie's breathing, then Charlie made his move. He dug his knife into Ethan's abdomen, then removed the bloody knife. Ethan looked down at the wound in shock, then punched Charlie. Charlie stabbed the knife into Ethan's heart this time. Ethan gasped, as he choked on as much air as he could manage to breath in. Charlie was breathing rapidly, but he never took his eye off of Ethan. Charlie watched on as Ethan took in his last breath, and then stopped breathing. Ethan was dead.

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"Okay… I think it's time." Jack said looking at Claire. Claire nodded her head and took a deep breath. When she had calmed herself, she walked over to the test.

"What's the verdict?" Kate asked with a comforting smile.

"Guilty… I'm pregnant." Claire said sitting down. She started to cry as she started to stare at the jungle.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked sitting next to her.

"Yeah… I'm fine." Claire said wiping away the tears that trailed down her cheeks.

"Don't worry, Claire. Charlie will be fine." Jack said looking down at her.

"You don't know that for sure." Claire said, still looking at the jungle.

"No, I don't… But I am going to go look for him. I will do my best to keep him safe."

"What if it's too late?"

"Don't think like that." Kate said softly.

"I can't help it…" Claire said as another tear slid down her cheek.

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Charlie picked up Adam and kissed his forehead.

"I'm sorry I scared you bud. I love you. Let's go see Mommy." The toddler rested his head on Charlie's shoulder and started to fall asleep. Charlie rubbed his back and kissed his cheek. It was so nice to have his son back in his arms. Charlie knew he would never let this precious little boy get hurt again.

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"I need to go gather up a group to look for Charlie and Adam." Jack said standing up.

"If you find them, tell them that I love them." Claire said tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"No need." Charlie said walking out of the jungle, and holding a sleeping Adam.

"Charlie…" Claire whispered as she ran up to him. Claire took Adam form him and kissed the toddler's cheek. Then she looked at Charlie and kissed his lips softly.

"Where is Ethan?" Jack asked curiously.

"He is lying dead in the jungle." Charlie said looking at Claire. Claire looked up at him as her eyes widened.

"Where he should be." Kate stated.

"So that's his blood on your clothes?" Jack asked making sure.

"Yeah." Charlie said looking at the bloody clothes he was in.

"Thank God." Claire said quietly.

"I am going to go change. I can't stand being in these clothes for much longer." Charlie said walking to the tent.

"Alright… I will meet you at our tent." Claire said shouting back to him. Then she looked at Jack and Kate standing there.

"Are you going to tell him?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, when the time is right." Claire nodded.

"Alright, we will take Adam for you." Jack said smiling.

"Thanks." Claire said giving the toddler to him.

"No problem."

"We will come by your tent soon." Kate added as Claire walked away.

"Do you think she will tell him right away?" Jack asked smiling.

"No." Kate said looking into the jungle. "We will have to make her."

Jack laughed at the remark and smiled at Adam in his arms. He was so tired.

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Hoped you liked it, and I will try to update soon...