That Happy Story

By:

LiL Pippin Padfoot

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Disclaimer: This one isn't all Charlie and Claire. Uh, I don't know. I'm just trying to update I guess.

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Chapter 3

Telling

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Hurley had been thinking. Her wasn't a tattletale. But Claire should know. He tried to justify it.

'Yeah, she should know that the guy she was hanging out with is a druggie.' thought Hurley.

He watched Claire, and waited till Charlie left to go get some water.

"Hey Claire." said Hurley

"Hey." she said, smiling, like she always did. "I'm sorry, but you are..."

"Hurley." he said "I want to tell you something." he said "That dude, that Charlie, do you know everything about him?"

Claire shook her head, blushing. "I can't help but trust him." she said "Almost everyone else ignores us."

Hurley nodded, he had seen that. "I have something to tell you. About Charlie."

"What?" she asked "I already know he, he, killed," she whispered 'killed' "Ethan."

"Besides that." Hurley said "Dude, I'm sorry, Charlie's a druggie."

"What?" asked Claire

"Dude, I said I'm sorry, Charlie told me last night. I'm sorry, Claire. I thought you should know."

Claire was quiet, she turned pale. "Thank you, Hurley." she said.

Hurley nodded and turned around and walked away. Jack came up to him.

"What did you tell her Hurley?" he demanded.

Hurley hesitated. "Charlie's a druggie." he said

Jack put his hand on his head, as if to run it through his hair, if he had any. "Hurley...why would you do that? How'd you find out?"

"Oh, Dude, you knew? And you didn't tell her? Dude, she's pregnant!"

"Exactly." said Jack "And now, Charlie...oh man." he said "Oh man."

"So, rockstars a druggie. I could have put two and two together." Sawyer sauntered up.

"What are you doing in the Caves?" asked Jack

Sawyer held up a water bottle. "I need water too."

'Likely story.' thought Jack, but didn't say. "Fine, you know. Don't tell anybody." said Jack

"And why not?" asked Saywer.

Jack sighed 'Why do I have to make all the decisions?' "Because, Charlie's clean now."

"What?" asked Hurley "I thought he was still on them!"

"Why?"asked Jack

"He told me last night. He said he was a drug addict."

"He must have gotten more." said Jack.

Charlie returned to Claire, and handed her a bottle of water. "Here you go." he said "Fresh water."

"Thank you." she said, avoiding Charlie's eyes.

"What's wrong?" asked Charlie

"Charlie, are you on drugs?"

Charlie jumped up. "Claire.." he said, at a loss for words "No! I'm not." he said "Who told you?"

"It doesn't matter." said Claire. "You didn't tell me."

"I didn't want to hurt you Claire." said Charlie "I said it, just before, we were kidnapped."

"That happy story." said Claire bitterly "What happened then Charlie?"

Just then Jack, Sawyer, and Hurley showed up.

Charlie spun around. "You." he said "You told her." he said

Hurley took a step back.

"I trusted you!" he yelled

"Charlie." said Jack "We need to talk."

"What the bloody hell?" asked Charlie "You already knew."

"Charlie, we need to talk." repeated Jack.

"Sod off." said Charlie, who then walked away.

Claire looked at them.

Jack sighed again. "We need to find him. He most likely went back to the beach."

They walked into the forrest, and ran into Locke. "Looking for Charlie?" he asked

"Yeah," said Saywer "You seen him?"

"No." said Locke "And if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Dude." said Hurley "Why not?"

"Because," said Locke "I don't believe he's on drugs."

"How do you know?"

Locke looked at them. "I was the first to find out Charlie was on drugs. I took them from him. He's not on them anymore."

"Well, we don't know that." said Sawyer

"I know it." said Locke "But I can tell you don't believe me. So I'll let you get on your way." And Locke slipped between some trees and disapeared.

"Let's go." Jack said.

Charlie sat on the beach. Knees up to his chin, arms holding his knees, rocking back and forth. He had his hood pulled over his head.

He was trying to think, but it wasn't working. It was as if he was on drugs again. Everything was blurring before his eyes. Everything he knew seemed to be falling out from under him. What did he do to deserve this?

"Oh, so you're back." the black lady sat down next to him.

"Yeah." said Charlie "Yeah."

"Still feeling sorry for yourself?"

"No." said Charlie "And I really don't need this right now." he said

"I think you do." she said

Charlie turned toward her. He remembered that night, when she had turned him back to God, with a prayer.

"No." he said.

"God forgives all." she said

"Men don't." said Charlie. "The reason I was like that...I used to be on drugs." said Charlie "And just Jack knew, and then I let it slip to Hurley, and some one told Claire, and now, she hates me."

"I don't think she hates you honey. She's most likely just surprised, is all."

"No," said Charlie "I've seenthatlook she gave me."

"Why'd you take the job then, Charlie? Why?

"I guess, I just wanted to take care of you."

"You'll never take care of anyone Charlie, ever!"

That memory was like a slap to Charlie. He squeezed his eyes shut, tryng to forget.

"You'll never take care of anyone, Charlie, ever!"

"I just wanted to take care of her. I, I, she's my friend." said Charlie "Used to be."

Jack, Sawyer, and Hurley emerged from the forest, and spotted Charlie rocking on the beach.

They walked up to him.

The lady had her hand on his back.

"Charlie." said Jack "Give us the drugs."

Charlie turned and stared at them, then looked away.

"I don't have any." he said

"Then why did you tell Hurley you were a drug addict?"

"I said, I was, had been, a druggie. I'm not. Though, I'm starting to wish I still had some."

"Charlie," said Jack

"Leave him alone." she said

"Ma'am, we're just trying."

"I said leave him alone." she stood up. "I think we all need to leave him alone for awhile."

"Fine." said Saywer, who spat on the ground "I got better stuff to do than this." he walked off in the direction of the raft that was being rebuilt.

Jack walked off, and Hurley was left.

"Dude, I'm sorry. Sorry for all of this. I told you, I'm bad luck."

Hurley stood there, waiting for Charlie to say something, but Charlie just stayed there, he had quit rocking, and was just staring out to some invisible location at sea. Hurley eventually gave up and walked off.

I just wanted to take care of her. That thought echoed through Charlie's mind.

I just wanted to take care of her.

Just to prove her wrong...

I thought I could do it.

I just wanted to tak care of her...

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