Tile: Capable 5/5
Original post date: 5th November 2005
Summary: Reconciliation could be just around the corner for Charlie and Claire...
Disclaimer: Lost is not mine and no I didn't create/write/direct/star in the series at any point in time sigh
Soundtrack: Belief by Gavin DeGraw

Tonight you rest in my mind
When you came to my defence
With a knife in the shape of your mouth
In the form of your body
With the wrath of a god
Oh you stood by me
Belief
-Gavin DeGraw "Belief"

She knew he was there before he even said a word. It was late, so late that she would normally be asleep but she had known he would come back and so she had waited, not wanting him to have to wake her up.

That would after all require a close physical proximity, something she didn't want right now; she was confused enough.

'Hey,'

'Hello Charlie,' she said stiffly. It's been so long since they've conversed that even greeting each other feels stilted to Claire. She hears him take a step forward and then he appears at the corner of her peripheral vision, arms crossed tightly over his stomach and even though Claire knows it's a subconscious thing worked into instinct she still can't help but smile a little knowing that he's feeling as insecure as she is, although she isn't displaying it quite so physically.

'I wanted to come and thank you,' when he finally speaks his voice is quiet. 'For sticking up for me after … well you know.'

'Well I couldn't very well let him beat you to a pulp could I?' Claire regarded her fingernails intently. 'Not that I'd have let him do that to anyone but that's beside the point.'

'Right,' Charlie hovered awkwardly for a moment and Claire wanted to shout "Sit down if you feel the need to you great daft idiot!" Charlie seemed to read her mind however because he took a sudden step forward and, still keeping a prudent distance from Claire, crossed his legs, curling his hands around his ankles and staring out into the night with her.

They sat there for a good few minutes until she finally glanced over at him, trying not to wince at the sight of the bruises and abrasions on his face. The sand and blood had been cleaned away; this however was both a blessing and a curse as Claire could now quite plainly see the extent of the damage. An abundance of bruises had come to light in the final hours of daylight. Charlie had spent the afternoon with Sun (Jack had assigned her to looking after him because he had other more pressing matters to attend to) having cool compresses applied to his face to keep the swelling down.

They had worked to a point, but nothing could have kept all the swelling down with the amount of force behind the punches and the repetitive motion of being punched in the same places over and over. Claire suspected that if she hadn't stepped in when she did, Charlie may have ended up with his nose broken.

'What was his name?'

'Sorry?' Charlie said distractedly.

'The guy who attacked you,' Claire clarified. 'What was his name?'

Charlie paused. 'Dunno.'

'Oh,' Claire said.

Another long silence ensued.

Claire began to fiddle with one of her rings.

'I wanted to tell you,' she glanced sharply at him and he looked back at her solemnly. 'I just – I just didn't know how to say it.' Pause. 'Sorry.'

Claire sighed heavily and Charlie began to babble.

'I mean obviously it's just a stupid situation all round because I didn't even take any of it and I wasn't planing on doing any of it anyway and I would never deliberately do anything to hurt you – but you know that anyway don't you? And I promise I would never have put it anywhere near Aaron even if I was using it which I wasn't and…'

'Charlie?'

Charlie's voice stumbled into silence.

'Calm down.'

Charlie took a great gulp of air and exhaled slowly. 'Okay, I'm cool. I'm cool.'

'Good,' Claire rolled her eyes and, finding nothing else to say, fell silent, gazing out at the horizon which had just barely begun to lighten. Charlie watched her for a while but then he too looked out into the hazy morning.

'Can I ask you something?' he asked presently.

'Sure,' Claire didn't take her eyes off the sky. 'Anything.'

'Well I just did but another thing,' Charlie tried for a smile. Claire didn't respond however and he hurried on. 'How did you know I didn't steal his watch?'

Claire barely even hesitated before answering. 'Because you didn't.'

Charlie looked as though he might be about to answer back but then he thought better of it and instead looked down at the ground.

'Claire? Can – can I ask...?'

'Charlie,' Claire said exasperatedly and he looked up at her, slightly sheepish. 'You don't have to ask if you can ask questions or not. Just ask them.'

Charlie nodded and then paused to look directly at her. 'Will you ever forgive me for all this?'

Claire went to answer but then stopped, mulling his words over again. Will you ever forgive me? Not 'forgive me?' or 'please forgive me?' or even 'will you forgive me?'

Will you ever forgive me?

Charlie watched her closely as she bit her lip and managed a tentative smile.

Charlie returned it uncertainly as Claire nodded slightly and smiled a little wider.

'I'll think about it.'