To: Stroppy-teenager
Me – Yeah, he is on heroin (heroine is a female hero) in the flashback. Oh, I know that Liam does and that Charlie does not get off until he gets on the island. The flashback was set before Liam came clean and after Charlie tried to quit on his own, but he is on the drugs. However, the drugs that Liam has are not his, so in essence he is not lying they are Liam's drugs. He never says that he is not on drugs. He says that they are not his, which is the truth. She is mad at Charlie in the 2nd season, yes. This fan fic is an alternate universe fan fic – the flashbacks and reasons for Claire's anger, how Charlie quits and the fact Claire has all ready had the baby, Cirn and I are making it all up.
Cirn - nods Yep. what she said. Claire is very confused with her emotions raging in her mind and hormones in her body. Plus, you'll find another reason later in this story that might explain why she reacted the way she… reacted.
To: Ernil i Pheriannath
Me – Why do you say no? I am glad you do.
There are so many instances…moments…that I would change. Like the first time I tried heroin. Like the time I beat up that girl. My lies I told, especially to Claire. If I could do anything, I would, to change the memories – to change what happened. I screwed up. I screwed up so many times I cannot even count them. Can I ever fix what I did wrong?
Charlie stood at the entrance to the tent watching sadly as Claire left. Slowly, he turned. He heard a sound. The French woman had followed! "The baby, where is he," she asked.
The recovering heroin addict gulped and ran forward. He ran away from the tent and to Claire's dwelling. No one was there, except the baby. He swept the child up into his arms. "You'll not have him," Charlie whispered.
Claire breathed in the salty smell of the sea. She was walking near the water, trailing the coastline, thinking on what Charlie had said. On some level, she could understand why he didn't tell her. The fear of nobody trusting you would make anyone think twice before trusting someone themselves. But understanding it doesn't make it hurt less. Claire still wished that Charlie had told her. She would have understood. At least, that's what she told herself. Slowly, she walked back to her tent. She needed to hold her baby. She needed reassurance.
Kate was on her way back to Claire's tent with some water for the baby when she saw Charlie up and holding the baby close. But what shocked her the most, was that a strange woman was advancing on them with a crazy glint in her eyes. Dropping what she was holding, she ran over to Charlie and the baby and shot the strange woman a warning glare. "Go away!"
"Laissez-moi l'avoir. Il m'aidera à récupérer Alex," cried the woman. She continued to advance towards Charlie. She didn't seem to hear Kate yelling at her.
Charlie slowly backed away. He held the baby close to his chest. "You can't have him," Charlie whispered. There was fear in his eyes and his breath was fast and shallow.
Kate just kept yelling at the strange lady to go away, even though she did not listen.
Claire arrived at the scene and panicked at the sight of her baby being threatened. With a flare of maternal instincts rising up in her, she ran over to Charlie, grabbed her son back and held him tightly against her. She still hasn't sorted out her feelings towards the young man. Turning to face the dangerous looking woman, she gave her the most dangerous looking glare she had. "Stay away from my baby." she hissed in a low voice.
"J'ai besoin ton bébé," the woman screamed. She turned suddenly, realizing she could not take the child, at least not yet. "I will be back. There will be prices to be paid," she warned and ran into the forest and out of sight.
Charlie looked at Claire and her son. He let out a little wince as he did. His chest hurt. The man looked to where the French woman had come and sighed. He knew something bad was about to happen.
Claire and Kate both breathed a sigh of relieve when the French woman left, but a feeling of apprehension still lingered in their minds. Claire turned back to her baby to sooth him as he had been woken up by all the notices the adults were making.
Kate suddenly turned to Charlie and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Hey, aren't you suppose to be mortally wounded?" she asked in a confused voice.
The pain in his stomach was starting to flare up and the painkillers were wearing off. Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah," he said, slowly sitting down in the sand and wincing. The wound really hurt, but he had more on his mind than to think about the wound.
Kate looked at Charlie's wound in concern. "I think I'd better get Jack. Wait here," she said and ran off to look for Jack.
Claire looked uncomfortably at the young man while trying to soothe her son. She clearly didn't know what to say.
Slowly, Charlie nodded to Kate. "Will do," he whispered and then looked up at Claire. "I wasn't going to let anything happen to him, Claire," Charlie whispered, "I won't let anything happen to you. It's why I left. I know me, Claire. I'd hurt and not mean it. I wish I wasn't like that, but…" Charlie's voice drifted off and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I fucked things up. I know it. It's all so I wouldn't hurt you," His voice was a whisper and Charlie did not even know if the woman had heard him.
Claire heard it allright. Loud and clear as if it had been screamed in her ears. Claire wanted to be angry, she wanted to be angry and just not have to think about it anymore, but she knew she couldn't. Turning her back to Charlie, Claire decided that she needed more time to think and she told the young man so. "I don't know, Charlie. It's just I just need some time, okay? Give me some time to think."
Slowly, Charlie nodded. Sorry, I am only/Human you know me…My days always/
Dry up and blow away…But you know I'll defend/The tragedy that we knew as/The end, Charlie thought sighing and watching the sun set and the people go to sleep.
In the night she came. Silent as the night that surrounded them. Like the wind she swept down and took the baby.
Claire woke up with a start. Something was wrong she could feel it. Her baby, where was her baby? Claire stood up and looked at the cradle. It was empty. Claire did the first thing that came to her mind. She screamed. "MY BABY! SOMEONE STOLE MY BABY! HELP!"
There was frantic screaming far off. What was it about, Charlie thought in his sleep. It then hit him. Charlie sat bolt upright. Pain rippled through his abdomen, but he did not pay any attention to it. The recovering druggie had fallen asleep where Kate had left him. She had not returned with Jack. Hastily, he got up and ran over to Claire. He clasped his hands over his mouth in horror. The feelings of horror were replaced by anger. How dare that woman. Charlie thought. "I'm going to get him back," Charlie whispered. As if his legs were going by themselves, he started for the forest. He thought he knew where to look for the French woman.
Charlie was stopped however. A dangerously thing, yet pregnant woman had stumbled out of the woods in front of him. Charlie backed up involuntarily and the woman screamed from terror and pain. Charlie recognized her instantly. It was the girl he had unintentionally beat up and called 'Bessie', but she was no longer chubby. She was pencil thin, except for a small budge in her mid-section. "You," she sobbed, "Ohh...owe." The woman bent double. Her long, light brown hair was matted with dirt and had sticks in it and part of her hair stuck to her forehead. She was sweating from the pain she had. Charlie stepped forward and tried to grab her bare arm. "There's a doctor at the camp, he will help you," Charlie said looking at the amber eyes which were filled with hurt and fear.
"I'm not going to let you touch me," the woman whispered as she backed away. Her dirty orange tank top and a loop on the back of her light colored jeans got hooked on a branch behind her and she was stuck.
"You're in labor. You need help. Trust me just this once, OK? I am sorry for what I did to you. I'm sorry for a lot of things," Charlie whispered as he got her unstuck.
The woman didn't say anything, she just grimaced as another labor pain hit her. Charlie supported her waist and shoulders and managed to maneuver the anorexic pregnant woman to the camp. "Someone get Jack," he ordered.
Luckily, for him, Jack and Kate were just on their way to give him a check up. Kate could not find Jack at first, but it turned out that he went into the forest with Locke. Seeing the pregnant woman, Jack immediately ordered someone to help her into the 'hospital' tent. "Charlie, you come with us too. I'll give you a check up afterwards," he ordered, then hurried after Boone and Locke, whom helped carry the woman.
"I need to go," Charlie said, "I have to go find Claire's baby." Charlie strode to his tent, grabbed a shirt and threw it on. He winced and bit his lip. The man did not pay any attention to the pain though. He grabbed his backpack and threw it over his shoulder. He glanced back at Claire and then went into the forest.
"Charlie!" Kate yelled after him, but the young man ignored her. He glanced back at Claire and then went into the forest.
Claire just sat there, numb after the disappearance of her baby, tears running soundlessly down her cheeks. One some level of her mind, she was worried about Charlie, but the worry about her baby was stronger and overcame the worry for the young man.
For six hours Charlie went. The ache was extraordinary. He had never felt anything like it. However, he did not focus on the pain. Charlie figured he could later.
Meanwhile, back at the camp, the eighteen-year-old woman was having a very difficult labor. The baby's head was stuck. She had barely gotten out of her jeans and into a skirt before the baby's head crowned. She was now lying on the ground, following the doctors' instruction. Her thin hands gripped the blankets tightly and sweat poured. She screamed and leaned her head back, closing her amber eyes.
Just as the woman rested from pushing, Charlie wandered into a familiar spot. His foot tripped a wire. Something swung at him, but he ducked and it missed him. "I know you're here," he yelled, "Give me the baby."