Author's note: A new chapter, LET THE HEALING BEGIN! I will tell you, in the seven chapters of the story there is only ONE line I think sounds like Charlie (the real um fictional one on the show, not just what's my head) and it is in this chapter. He's referring to the women on the island. Oh, I am terrible with accents so there is a reason why Claire calls Charlie Chahlie. Just so you know. No Beth in this chapter sorry.
Thanks Jessie, babybrothalova, Jarlie, Lauren for your feedback. THANKS SERIOUSLY THANK YOU.
By the time Claire woke up, Charlie was gone. He was off to live his second and more rewarding life. She munched on one of the cookies Charlie had left her. The air was lighter and the sun was brighter, even the water seemed clearer. Today was the day, Claire told herself, and she was going to speak to Charlie. It was the perfect day for a second chance.
Charlie sat in Jacob's office, munching on the shell filled cookies of the first batch. Jacob smirked, "now what did we learn about baking with children?"
"Don't let them break the eggs or pour the flour." Charlie answered.
"Anything exciting happened when you returned?"
"They all thought I was going to stay here."
Jacob touched his lips with his fingers, "Interesting, have you given any thought to my offer."
Charlie leaned back on his chair, sighed deeply, "I have, but I would like to take a while before committing one way or another. Still, I don't want you to think I'm not grateful for all that you've done."
Jacob waved his hand. "No, of course not, it's a standing offer, no pressure, just another option for you."
"I would like some more time with the piano, if that's not a problem."
Jacob nodded, "Beth said you were writing again. Take as much time as you need." He leaned in and wiggled his eyebrows. Charlie knew where the conversation was leading, "So is there any change on the Claire front?"
Charlie, trying to play it cool in front of another man tried to suppress his giddy glee, leaned in, "She spoke to me last night."
"Really?"
"She said she liked my hair and that she was glad I was back."
"Well, well, well, isn't that interesting." Jacob shook his hand and told him to have a good day.
The rest of his time with The Others was spent between Daniel, building the house and with the piano.
The sun was at its peak in the sky; Claire had fixed her hair for the fourth time and repeated the words she wanted to say for the eighth time. She was growing more nervous with each passing minute. A part of her was ready to chicken out.
Charlie had stepped out of the jungle and onto the beach. He put his hand over his eyes to block his eyes from the sun.
Her legs wouldn't move, locked, statue-like as she watched him. Aaron pulled at her hair, creating a jolt of energy, waking her out of the trance she was in
"Chahlie?" She called quietly, hoping he could hear her over the wind and crashing waves. If he did, he didn't react. She stepped forward and called his name again.
This time she was sure he heard her because he turned and started to blush slightly. A small smile appeared on his face, "Hi."
She started to walk towards him, "Um, do you want to go for a walk?" She had practiced the question, but suddenly realized how wrong it was. She wanted to smack herself in the head, but holding Aaron was preventing it. "God, that's so stupid, you just came back from like a four mile hike, and you don't want to walk anymore." She turned away, "Forget it."
His arm reached out, but she was out of reach, "Wait, no, I like to walk, it keeps me, you know, fit."
She looked over her shoulder, "Really?"
He nodded, "Uh huh. Where do you want to walk?"
"Um the beach?"
"Sounds great, it's been a while since I saw the, um, sand and water."
Of course an exchange like this couldn't go unnoticed. Kate poked Jack, "Look. How could two adults be that immature?"
Jack shrugged, "I don't know, have you met Sawyer?"
Charlie and Claire walked side by side for a while, both sets of eyes solely focusing on the shore line ahead of them. Their silence was louder then the waves crashing against the shore. Charlie started to tap his thumbs against his leg.
"So did you have a good day?" The both said in unison, which immediately lead to a flustered, no you go first argument.
Hurley tapped Sayid in the shoulder, "It's like watching a train wreck."
"I want to pull my eyes away, but for some reason I simply can not do it." Sayid smirked.
Claire finally spoke, "My day was fine, uneventful. Oh! Aaron attempted to stand."
A mixture of pride and pain filled Charlie's face as he looked down at the child, "Really? Way to go, Turnip Head!"
"He started that about a week ago."
Charlie nodded, "That's great." His heart broke a little to think he had missed a major event in Aaron's life, but there was very little chance Aaron would remember it.
"What about you?"
"Same old, same old. I hung out with Daniel, he drew, I wrote, he banged the piano keys just to hear the noise they make, taught a few lessons and help Michael build his house."
She blinked for a few seconds, "I don't know what confuses me more, that Michael's building a house or that you're helping."
"Hey, I'm a very good helper. We got the frame up last week, it just a matter of it saying up."
"What?"
"Yeah it fell and nearly killed the small army of midgets the Others have been gathering to come crush us at night."
She looked at him curiously, "You're kidding right?"
"About the falling frame or the army?" He shrugged, "I guess you'll never know."
The first smile of the day crept across her face. "So who's Daniel?"
"A little chap, who's taken a shine to me. I discuss Marxism with him, he colors pictures of dinosaurs."
Her hair hides her increasing smile, "So you've found a friend, that's sweet."
"Yeah, it's nice to have a mental equal."
Her smile face changed a little as she asked the next question, "What about those women who helped me and Aaron?"
"Who? The Little Woman? Oh we're just friends." Charlie dismissed the notion, when his brain was hit with a lighting bolt, "Why? Have you been talking to Jack?"
She raised one eyebrow. "No, why?"
"He learned a new phrase and has been finding reasons to use it in sentences."
"So you and Beth are just friends?" Claire asked with a little more certainty. Charlie nodded. A devilish smirk crossed her lips, "What happened? She wasn't into the whole rock star thing?"
"There are an alarming number of women on this island who aren't impressed by that." Charlie frowned.
"She wasn't wooed by your vast knowledge of music far and wide."
Charlie pretended to be shocked and insulted, "No! Bloody ridiculous if you ask me."
A small sound that could be mistaken for a laugh left Claire's lips. "How could she not be fascinated by the Beatles' recording session? Or your contempt for "Oasis"? She sounds like a loser to me."
"That's my opinion too, but I'm just too nice to tell her."
The walked for a few minutes in silence, the awkward tension seemed to be washed away like this footprints. Claire adjusted Aaron in her arms. There were so many things she wanted to him, but the words come. "Did you know there's, like, ten different monsters on this island?" She stated causally.
"Really?" He seemed genuinely confused.
"Yep, there's a giant turtle, one that changes into different animals and one that makes someone hallucinate and kidnap his friend's baby just to have it baptized."
Charlie scratched at his five o clock shadow, "Really? That seems like a very specific niche."
She pushed her hair out of her face and behind her ear, "It wasn't your fault."
Charlie shook his head, "No it was. I lied to you, I lost your trust and worst of all I scared you. You had every reason to act the way you did. My grandmum used to say, "It's easier to trust a thief than a liar, you know a thief will steal from you, but a liar you can never believe a word they say." But a junkie, he'll steal and lie to you."
"Chahlie?" She questioned. "I want to trust you again. You didn't really do anything wrong…" She tried to rationalize that a part of her wanted them back like they were, but another part of her didn't think it should be this easy, either.
"Sorry, Claire, I'm Catholic, we're big on that whole penances thing. Trust needs to be earned."
She nodded. He wasn't comfortable with picking up where they had left off because there was too much damage to the foundation. They would have to start over and rebuild, but with the knowledge they had acquired the first time, their new relationship would be stronger. Or at least she hoped, "Ok we'll take baby steps. Here, hold Aaron for ten seconds." She shoved the baby in Charlie's arms. Serenity washed over Charlie as he held the baby; the piece of him that had been missing for so long was filled. Claire counted to ten, and Charlie handed Aaron back. "See, that's wasn't too hard. We'll keep doing little things and we can build up to the big things."
He nodded, pleased with this new arrangements. "I'm sorry, by the way, if that matters at all."
"I know, and it does." They both turned around and started to head towards the camp. In a low voice she admitted, "I missed you."
Charlie smirked, "I know, I'm so gosh darn lovable." She nudged his shoulder and laughed a little. She had heard him speak to her like this before, soft, genuine and kind, but this time it was different, harder to place his emotions, shy, maybe, "I missed you too. You look nice today."
"Thanks" She said softly, "Thank youfor everything."
Charlie's smirk turned into a full smile as they walked side by side returning home.
During the next few days, Charlie increased his time around Claire and the baby. She would let him hold Aaron for longer lengths of time. He told her about Daniel and the other kids; she watched the way he glowed when he told her about the tiny rocks Daniel had given him. One day he returned with artwork from Daniel. To Claire it looked like a green squiggly line with teeth. Charlie explained it was a T-rex and pointed to the head, tail and tiny legs. Claire still didn't see it.
Even with the vast improvements with his life, there were still rough days, days that tore his soul out of his chest. Days when thoughts of his old life, life before the island, crept into his mind. Then old wounds opened up and brought pain, though temporarily.
Charlie sat on the beach after a long day with the Others, strumming his guitar, singing the song that had been lingering in his head all day.
When I was a kid I thought
I wanted all the things that I haven't got
Oh. I learned the hardest way
Then I realized what it took
To tell the difference between
thieves and crooks
A lesson learned to me and you
Give me something that I need
Satisfaction guaranteed
Because I'm thinking about
a brand new home
The one I've never known
cause now I know
it's all that I wanted
Claire sat down next to him, "You changed the words." He looked up at her, "It's supposed to be, "a brand new hope." What's wrong Chahlie?"
He looked out to the water, "It's April 15."
"And?"
"I buried my mother ten years ago today." His voice was hollow.
Charlie didn't talk about his family, save a few vile comments about his brother. Until this moment Claire wasn't sure of the fate of Charlie's mother. He sighed deeply, "She's just another person on a long list of people I've cared about and let down."
Claire placed her head on his shoulder, "The list is getting smaller." He didn't seem to be relieved by her statement; he still stared off into the water. She tried a different tactic "I saw Green Day in Sydney few years ago, one hell of a stage stow."
Charlie's face lightened, "Really?" They spent the next hour talking about concerts and music and her Charlie came back to her.
They had perfect moments in between the chaos of normal life. The sun set, turning the sky shades of red and pink, Aaron played in the sand, while Charlie and Claire spoke. Sometimes they talked about life on the island, other times it was about the about their life before the island. Rarely was it personal, rarely did they discuss family or major events in their lives. It was always safe topics, both Charlie and Claire were teetering on the edge and neither wanted to be the other fell off.
This night was much like any other, Aaron dug in the sand, while Claire and Charlie spoke. But what was different was their proximity. Normally, they sat at arms length, circling the baby, but currently Claire sat with her back to Charlie resting just slightly against his chest. He spoke quietly of the places he had been while touring. He had seen the Sistine Chapel, David, even Mona's Lisa mysterious smile. He described the Alps in the spring and the water roads of Venice. She asked him if he would ever take her there, "Not if you plan on flight Oceanic Air," he responded. She laughed and it was the most glorious sound to him. His hands were planted deeply in the sand, supporting both of them. He couldn't trust his hands, they wanted to touch her, and he wasn't sure how she would react. There were lulls in the conversation; their eyes studied Aaron's movements.
His breath skimmed on her neck, warming brief patches of her skin making the surrounding skin frosty. She shivered. "Are you cold?" He questioned, "You can wear my sweatshirt." He offered.
"Nope. I'm fine." She shook her head and settled back deeper into his chest. He breathed in deeply as their bodies warmed each other. Aaron crawled closer to Claire and she took him in her arms. The three sat together under the deepening hues of the sky. Charlie's minded flickered with the song which had haunted his mind earlier.
Because I'm thinking about
a brand new hope
the one I've never known
cause now I know
it's all that I wanted
Everything was falling into place. It wasn't perfect but it was on its way. Then Claire said, "Chahlie, I think we should have fight."