Summary: CharlieOC. Alex, a 16-year-old, openly gay survivor, seems to find his new life on the island, away from his boyfriend, stressful. His new life in LA got shot down the minute the plane went in the air. Can Charlie cheer him up? Or will Alex go unnoticed by the group because of his sexuality?

Soul Survivor

Chapter Twelve

Alex Discovers

Alex and Charlie were sat around a fire, snuggled together to keep warm on what seemed a chilly night. Alex appeared to had fallen asleep. Charlie got up and walked off silently into the night, behind some trees. The night seemed to race in quickly, after Alex and Charlie's little debate about him staying on the island. It seemed to cut through the atmosphere between them. Alex, go away on the raft! That was stupid! He couldn't go, he'd have nowhere to stay! Sure the police would bother him for a bit, asking the usual questions, but what about after that? What if the rescue wasn't successful at first, and Alex had to wait for weeks until Charlie was rescued?

Alex shook his head at those thoughts. He had to remain positive, even if that did mean going onto the raft on the wide, open ocean. The thought had never really crossed his mind, until recently, that in two days, Alex could be on some raft with people he hardly knew, trying to a make a desperate leap for freedom. He wasn't going to go, he was safer with Charlie, and anything could happen to him out at sea.

He got out of his trance from the flames and looked around; Charlie was nowhere to be seen. He stood up, had he really been asleep that long?

"Charlie?" he said, whispering slightly "Where are you, Charlie?"

He took a few baby steps forward, the beach around him was deserted, he could only hear the gentle rustling of the trees, and the waves lapping against the shore. Alex shuddered, it really was a cold night.

Suddenly, the bushes behind him started shuddering madly. He froze with fear, he turned around slowly. He saw the darkened outlined of the leaves, as they swung madly, with no breeze in sight. Suddenly, a hand shot out of the bushes, grabbing a branch and pulling a body out. Charlie suddenly leapt out of the bushes. Alex screamed

"You idiot!" He shouted, holding his heart, and breathing deeply "You scared the crap out of me!"

"Oh, sorry," replied Charlie, not really taking notice of what was going on around him

Charlie started walking to the fire

"Are... Are you ok?" asked Alex, catching up with him "You seem a bit... Off tonight..."

"Me?" asked Charlie "Oh, me? Nah, I'm fine..."

"Ok..." replied Alex, looking doubtful "Well, where did you go to?"

"Me?" asked Charlie again "Oh, I went to do my business"

"Oh..." replied Alex, it was probably his imagination what he was thinking off...

They settled by the fire, Charlie leaned against a sleeping bag, Alex laying over Charlie, as Charlie held him tight. Once again, Alex felt safe in this man's arms, as he slowly fell asleep...

-------------------------------------------------------

Alex awoke the next morning, felling the hard ground, he looked around, once again Charlie was gone

"Oh, for God's sake," he said to himself, stretching "Where could he have gone?"

He looked around again, people were rushing about on the beach, still pleading with Michael to get the final place on the raft

'Go ahead,' Alex thought to himself 'Give them my spot, I don't wanna go on no stupid 1-star cruise anyway... We'll probably starve to death...'

Alex saw Charlie walking up to him, again, Charlie seemed a bit weird that morning

"Morning!" said Charlie, he was holding a plate of some sort, a bag strapped to his side

"Erm... Morning..." replied Alex, forcing a smile

"I give thee... Breakfast!" said Charlie, placing the food down

It was nothing special, only some scraps left from the earlier meals eaten by others

"Er... You can have it," said Alex, pushing the plate towards Charlie "I'm not really hungry today..."

"Ok," replied Charlie "More for me!"

Alex saw the bag strapped to Charlie's side

"Um..." started Alex, staring at the bag "W-What's in the bag?"

"In here?" asked Charlie, holding the dull-grey bag up to his face "Nothing realy, just some essentials..."

"Essentials for what?..." asked Alex, getting more suspicious

"Erm... Just tablets in case I get ill, plasters, Y'know" replied Charlie, putting the bag down and continuing eating

"Oh... Ok..." said Alex, looking down at the sand, doubt surging through his body

Later on, Charlie had finished the meal, and took the tray back. He walked back to Alex

"Um.. I'm gonna go do take a crap, be right back" he said, walking off

"Like I even wanted to know," whispered Alex

Alex watched as Charlie walked off, but he looked around nervously and headed into the trees. This was it, Alex had to follow Charlie, he was up to something...

Alex got up and followed Charlie's footsteps. He saw Charlie's distinctive grey jumper sticking out from the bright greens and browns of the trees. It seemed Charlie knew where he was going. Maybe Alex was wrong, maybe Charlie was going to use the toilet, but Alex wanted to be sure...

Alex seemed to have been walking for five minutes, Charlie definitely wasn't doing what he said he was going to do. Finally, Charlie came to a stop at a tree. Alex kept a distance, but so much so that he could see Charlie's every move. Charlie shifted nervously, he moved some branches from the ground, and pulled out a bag. He opened the bag and pulled out a porcelain statue of the Virgin Mary. Alex sighed, but Charlie wasn't praying, he lifted the statue in the air, and slammed it to the ground, smashing it into a million pieces with a distinctive smash. Alex gasped in horror as small clear packets rained out of the statue's shattered remains. Charlie picked each one up and placed it into his bag. He kept one out and opened it. Alex had to act, so he ran out

"Charlie! No!" he shouted, running towards Charlie

"Alex!" shouted Charlie, staring at him, he knew he'd been caught

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" shouted Alex "I knew something wasn't right about you! I knew it was a wise idea to follow you! You're a bloody drug addict!"

"It's not like that!" said Charlie, putting a hand in front of him

"Don't move closer to me," said Alex "I don't want you anymore. I may be a 'man whore' to some, but I'm not prepared to be some drug addicts guinea pig to drugs!"

Alex darted forward, grabbing the bag of drugs with him

"Hey! Come here you little bastard!" shouted Charlie, chasing after him

Alex ran as fast as he could, the bag was heavy and it only weighed him down more. The trees seemed to get closer to each other, making an escape much more harder. Alex ran for what seemed a life-time when he went out onto a cliff. The cliff stood about 200feet over the raging water below

One thing Alex couldn't explain, was how he'd gotten so high up... But that thought faded away as Charlie burst through the trees.

Charlie moved forward, in turn Alex walked back, closer to the edge of the cliff

"Listen!" shouted Alex "I don't know what got you into drugs, but you've gotta stop! It's killing you!"

"I can't give it up!" shouted Charlie "I tried, and it didn't work!"

"Here's a scenario for you," said Alex "You've got a choice! You either pick me... Or the drugs, but whichever one you choose, the other will go over this cliff"

"What!" shouted Charlie "That's a really hard decision!"

"It's me or the drugs, Charlie" said Alex, looking for over the edge, and gulping "You gotta choose one"

"Uhh... Um..." stuttered Charlie "...I..."

"What!" asked Alex, leaning forward, sarcastically "Make up your mind now, ors I'll throw both of us over!"

"I can't!" shouted Charlie "The choices are too hard!"

"It's either the one you love, who loves you back, or the one you crave, and the other supplies death! We all meet these circumstances in life, Charlie! It's a life-changing decision! Now choose... NOW!"

"The drugs!" shouted Charlie

Alex gasped, suddenly, his idea had turned into his death. Never had he ever thought Charlie would choose the drugs over him

"Fine!" shouted Alex, tears in his eyes, throwing the bag to Charlie "Take your stupid drugs! And go kill yourself! I tell you what, I'm not gonna give my life so you can feed your addiction!" Alex walked up to Charlie, grabbed the bag, and threw it over the edge

"You don't need them Charlie," said Alex "You need me, you need someone in your life to make you feel worth living... C'mon let's go back to the beach"

"Let's forget this ever happened" said Alex, grabbing Charlie and hugging him as they walked

"Sure," said Charlie, hugging back

The sun was setting over the beautiful mountaintops as Alex and Charlie headed back to the beach... Little did Alex know, Charlie still had the drugs in his strap bag to spare...

(A/N: LONG chappie, but I like this one... Check back soon for more!)