Note: Some angst is coming up.

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A few weeks has passed. No rescue had come yet and some of the people, including Claire, were starting to feel restless. Charlie had tried to help her, but she had refused to.

So there he stood, watching her. She was staring out over the ocean, almost motionless. Sun was taking care of Aaron; actually she had been doing that a lot lately. Charlie knew that something was wrong with Claire, she loved Aaron and she wouldn't just leave him with someone like she had done lately.

Heaving a sigh, he walked up to Claire. He didn't touch her or anything, he just stood behind her for a while, admiring the view and he took a deep breath before opening his mouth.

"Claire, are you-" Charlie said slowly but Claire cut him off, shaking her head.

"You don't have to look after me," she simply said on the verge of tears. "I am fine, Charlie, really…" Claire bit her lip, turning her head to the side, getting a small glimpse of Charlie.

"Hey…" Charlie said and softly grabbed her arm, turning her gently around. She looked down, crossing her arms. "Whatever's wrong… we'll get through it… yeah, okay?" he said, insecure at what he said. She seemed to be so vulnerable and he sincerely wondered what was wrong.

He stroked her arm carefully and she shivered. What was going on in that mind of hers? That was his only thought right now. Charlie didn't fall for women like her and he definitely hadn't counted on falling for Claire. But there was something that had made him fall for her anyway, maybe it was redemption, maybe it was the thought of taking care of someone. But Charlie felt so much more for Claire, more than she should know, at least for now.

"Not this, Charlie… no…" Claire said and turned around, heaving a small sigh, followed by her swallowing. "I can't help but to think… when we get rescued… what the hell am I going to do, Charlie!" Claire spat out and turned to look at him. Well, at least she seemed a little but more relaxed now, but frustration and anger were written all over her face.

"I've already given you a place to stay, with me," Charlie tried helpless but he could see that it was not working nor helping for that matter. "Just calm down, okay?"

"I-I can't take care of Aaron, Charlie, it wasn't supposed to be this way…" Claire said with a shaky voice. She was going to put him up for adoption, no the psychic had already gotten a family for Aaron… a good family; well at least she had thought so. But there's no way she would have been able to give Aaron up after giving birth to him, never. But right now? Honestly, she doubted her ability to take care of him in the real world.

"Why are you saying this, Claire?" Charlie asked, feeling a slight shock from what she had just said.

Claire looked down and chuckled sadly and then she looked up at him again. "You just have no idea… you just, you don't," Claire said with a harsh voice, meaning every word she said. She was really loosing it, Charlie thought and he backed away a little.

"L-Look maybe you should think about-" Charlie started but Claire cut her off.

"I am thinking about what's best for Aaron if that's what you were going to say! But he's not your son, okay? He's mine, my responsibility so unless you know something about us, like we've been married before or he's yours, then stay out of it!" She spat out right in his face and she took a deep breath, noticing that the whole beach had heard her. Claire heaved a sad sigh and rushed past him against her tent.

"Claire!" Charlie yelled after her, trying to recover from what she had just said.

Kate, who had seen it all, rushed to Charlie and gave him a look, meaning that she'd talk to Claire. Then she moved on to Claire's tent and she got in, finding Claire. She was lying on her 'bed', crying her lungs out. Kate softly sat down at the edge and she stroked her back.

"Hey… Claire… sweetie?" Kate tried but Claire continued on lying there, crying and sobbing. "Everything's going to be okay, you just need to talk to someone,"

"Yeah," Claire said through her tears. "There is no way this is going to be 'okay'! I said some terrible things, and you know what, Kate? I don't even regret it. So much for Miss Sweet and innocent…" Claire said softly and sobbed quietly.

"I know what you mean, Claire…" Kate said softly. "You don't regret what you said 'cause in your heart, you mean it. I'm sure Charlie'll understand as soon as you talk to him,"

Claire looked up in horror at Kate and she swallowed. "No, I need some time away from him… please just leave me alone, okay?" Claire said seriously and looked at Kate. She nodded and left the tent.

Claire lay back down and closed her eyes, trying to refuse more tears to come. She needed to get Aaron and she needed to get through the camp without everyone looking at her like she was crazy. And most important of all; she needed to avoid Charlie. Funny, she never could have thought that this day would ever come when she would avoid him.

Charlie sat in the sand with his guitar. He was playing a little on it, but he wasn't really coming up with anything right now. All that was on his mind was Claire and all the things she had said. She had shown another side of herself; a side he really would have avoided. But of course, she wasn't herself and she was stressed out, he would have been too, just the thought of having to take care of a child alone frightened him.

He wanted to see her, but he was certain that she'd rather not see him. And as much as he tried, he couldn't feel even a little bit anger about what she had said.

Claire took a step out from her tent, making her way to Sun. She got looks from the people; some sympathy looks and some "what-kind-of-person-are-you" looks. As she arrived, Sun tried to start a conversation, but Claire just took Aaron and left. She looked at her son as she slowly walked. Claire loved him so much, it was undeniable that Charlie obviously cared a lot about Aaron, she thought. Not even Claire could avoid that. But Aaron was her son, not Charlie's and she had to raise him.

TBC…