A/n: Wow! It's been awhile since I updated this story! I hope people are still enjoying! I can't believe the finale still! it's overwhelming. sigh. Anywho here's chapter 9! and thank u still for the reviews! I cannot lie and say i hate them! hint hint. lol.

Chapter 9 :Taking Off

Tomorrow I can start again
With back to earth and carry on
The same as I did yesterday
Yeah I'll pick it up once more
And morning I'll be onto it
From square one start
And push it for a bit
Like I do everyday...
I'll get it down for sure
But tonight I climb with you
Tonight
So high with you
Tonight I shine with you
Tonight
Oh I'm so alive with you
Tomorrow I'll begin again
With heavy head to hold it
As I do it all like yesterday
Yeah I'll break it out again
And morning I'll be there in time
For clock back move
And make it for awhile
To get through everyday...
I'll roll it out the same
But tonight I climb with you
Tonight
So high with you
Tonight I shine with you
Tonight I'm so alive...
With you it's always here and never there
With you it's always here and never where
With you it's always here and never how
With you it's always here and always now
Yeah tomorrow I will start again
With back to earth and carry on
The same as I did yesterday
Yeah I'll pick it up once more
And morning I'll be onto it
From square one start and "bit a for it push"
Like I do everyday...
I'll get it down for sure
But tonight I climb with you
Tonight
So high with you
Tonight I shine with you
Tonight

-Taking Off by The Cure

Claire sat in her shelter trying to brush her hair, she wasn't doing such a good job of it since it was hard to do anything while pregnant. Throwing down the comb and sighing she looked around the beach looking for a detraction. Her heart rate sped up and her hands became fists. She bit her tongue to keep from saying anything and tried to tare her eyes away from the handsome ex-rocker.

Charlie was walking across the beach right past her shelter, probably knowing she was in there watching him like a hawk. Ever since she came back from...where ever she had been and Charlie had killed the guy who had kidnaped her, called, Ethan, he had been taking daily walks past her shelter. She hadn't talked to him or even let him catch her looking at him, but she was sure he knew, somehow, that she was looking at him and wanting to talk to him.

The people on their side of the island barely talked to her, she wasn't sure if they talked to her before her abduction but they didn't now. She usually sat quietly in her shelter or at a waterfall writing in her diary or picking fruit. She wondered if they'd even notice if she disappeared again, she doubted it, except Charlie would notice.

Charlie walked past her tent everyday at the same exact time. People talked to Charlie, they didn't keep their distance from Charlie. Of course! Everyone loved Charlie! Except Claire, maybe that's why the stupid people on the stupid island didn't talk to her, because they all took Charlie's side. Stupid Fu—

"Claire?"

Claire looked up surprised someone 1)knew her name and 2)acknowledged her. "Yes?" she asked a little confused.

"We met before, but I guess you don't remember, I'm Locke."

Claire smiled and nodded. "Hi, I'm sorry I don't remember you. I don't remember a lot of people."

"Except Charlie."

Claire paused regarding the older man, "except Charlie." she repeated quietly.

"What are you doing now?"

Claire raised an eyebrow getting more surprised by the moment. "Sitting, waiting for my bladder to tell me it's time to take another pee break."

Locke laughed softly, "well can you tare yourself away?" Locke asked her.

Claire nodded and got up with difficulty. "So, do you need me for something?" Claire asked following Locke into the jungle.

"Well, yes."

"Um...Mr. Locke—"

"Just Locke is fine."

"Ok, Locke, you see, I'm kinda...pregnant and see I can't do much so—"

"you can handle this, Claire, don't worry." Claire bit her lip confused as she followed Locke deeper into the jungle. Finally as she was starting to get tired they came to a little clearing with some wood already cut.

"Here, you can sit here, your job is very easy. You just need to saw, can you manage that?"

Claire nodded sitting in the spot he had pointed to.

"So Claire, do you remember anything?" Locke asked as he sat down.

Claire shook her head as she began to saw. "Nothing."

"Not even the crash?"

"The crash is where everything stops."

"How do you know Charlie then?"

"I've known Charlie for years." Claire said her voice clipped.

"Where did you—"

"Can we please not discuss Charlie." Claire whispered feeling the tears in her eyes.

Locke looked at her for a few minutes then nodded, "sure." And they both went back to their jobs.

Claire looked out the window blankly, not seeing the palm trees and large buildings they passed. She had a small amount of luggage, whatever she had scooped together after the spectacle she had seen only mere hours before.

She still saw Charlie's face and she still felt the emotions that it had triggered in her. She felt numb and cold despite it being 90 degrees in Los Angeles. She glanced at the driver of the taxi and sighed leaning back into the seat.

No one knew what she had witnessed, it was weird, to her it felt as if her entire world had crashed around her but to the taxi driver nothing had changed to him, his world was in the correct place. She felt so small, so broken, so hurt.

What was she going to do when she got back? No one knew anything and she had been gone for almost a year, would anyone even take her back? What had happened with Thomas? Would he open his arms to her even though he had another women now? Would he hit her? Should she go stay with Kelly her other best friend? Would Kelly even still be in Australia? Claire rubbed a hand across her forehead.

"Here's the airport, that will be $21.99."

Claire nodded and took her purse out passing him the money and getting out with her luggage. She was glad she kept her passport in her purse at all times if not she'd still be in Charlie's apartment.

She walked into the chaotic airport and braced herself for the flight ahead. The flight that would start her new life without Charlie. A flight that would trigger a new beginning.

Claire walked back to her shelter with Locke next to her helping carry her new cradle. She was smiling uncontrollably, until she got to her shelter to find Charlie sitting in front of it. She looked over at Locke who set the cradle near her feet and muttered a 'bye' then walked away leaving Charlie and Claire alone.

"Hi." Charlie said after a long pause.

Claire looked at him wondering what to say but decided on tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Hi." she wheezed back finally. She tried to ignore the small smile that had spread across his face but couldn't, that small smile made her feel warm inside.

"Happy Birthday." Charlie said standing up in front of her, blocking the entrance to her 'house.'

"Thank you." she whispered trying to walk around Charlie.

"I made something for you." Charlie said after a moment. "I was going to give it to you earlier, but—here it is." Charlie said handing her a package wrapped in leaves. "Sorry they were all out of star wrapping paper." Charlie said seeing her eyeing the wrapping job.

Claire bit her lip to keep from smiling and took the present. She didn't meet Charlie's eyes as she slowly opened the present and she gasped as she saw what it was. "It's beautiful, Charlie!" she said holding it in her hands.

She touched the seashells to her fingers savoring the soft shell feeling against her finger tips. She found the clasp and opened it sliding it onto her thin wrist. It was a seashell bracelet, not a bracelet that looked as if it took about five minutes to put together but one that would take days to find all the right seashells then days to put them all on the string, string that Claire had no idea where to find on a desert island.

"I love it." she said quietly almost forgetting how badly he had hurt her and how much she hated him. "I really do." she said again finally looking him directly in the eye.

"I'm glad you like it." he said quietly smiling widely at her. "Claire, I...I...do you wanna do something, sometime?" Charlie stuttered rubbing his neck and looking at the sand.

Without thinking Claire said 'yes' and he left a huge smile on his face and a small one on hers. Later as she lay in bed that night thinking about Charlie and the date she realized he could still hurt her, even though they were on a deserted island there was always a chance to cheat and that thought stuck with her until she fell asleep and into her dreams.

As Claire woke up that morning from a strange dream about peanut butter she looked around the bright beach and smiled slightly. Today was the day she and Charlie would go on their date, maybe.

It depended he never told her when they would go out, it was guessing on her part they'd go out today. Claire sighed and got up to go get some water and fruit for breakfast. As she walked across the beach she noticed less people were staring at her, it was like they were waiting for her to talk to Charlie to stop staring.

She walked into the water tent and opened the cooler to quench her thirst. "The water's fresh today."

Claire looked over towards whoever said that and smiled. "Hello, Sawyer."

"You remembered my name, blondie." Sawyer said smirking at her.

"Of course, besides talking about me, people talk about you too, Sawyer."

"Of course they would, we're gossip in these parts." Sawyer said walking towards her.

"So, have you remembered anything, yet?"

"Of course not." Claire said sighing.

"You sure remember the hobbit."

"Who? Charlie?" Claire asked moving her arms to cover herself.

"Yeah, Charlie." Claire wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not but she felt like instead of saying Charlie's name Sawyer spat it.

"Where do you know him from?"

"We met long ago."

"Where?"

"I don't think that's any of your business." Claire said frowning at him and his pushing.

"I think it is, living on this island its like living with a whole big happy family. It makes me cheery inside seeing your smiling face all day." Sawyer said in his usual Sawyer way.

Claire rolled her eyes and took her water bottle to walk away. "I'll see you around Sawyer." she called to him walking into the jungle to get some fruit.

"It was good talkin to ya blondie!" he called back towards her.

Claire took several deep breaths in and braced herself to press the doorbell to his apartment.

"Come on up." he said pressing her in.

Claire clutched her luggage and walked into the building and up the stairs to her ex's room.

"Hey...Claire? I thought you were in America!" Thomas said surprised when he opened his door. He reached out and hugged her surprised when she let him.

"Where's Charlie?"

"Oh, we broke up?"

"Why?"

"He...wasn't a good boyfriend." Claire said lightly and pushing past him to get into the apartment. "Um...can I stay here a few days? Will your girlfriend mind?"

"Nah! We broke up too."

"Oh."

"And you can stay here a few days."

"Cool, and thanks." Claire said smiling and going over to the couch.

"Do you mind staying on the couch? Cause I could take it—"

"No! No! It's fine! I'll be fine!" Claire said as Thomas joined her on the couch.

"That's good." Thomas said leaning in close to her. "I've missed you a lot." he whispered so close to her.

She bit her lip not knowing what to do, wether to kiss him or move away. He was being so nice though. Oh so nice...and he kissed her softly at first then harder more possessive.

She noted his kisses were so different from Charlie's. She banished that thought immediately though, Charlie was out of her life for good, and Thomas was back in.

Claire was surprised when midday came and Charlie was standing in front of her shelter smiling at her and reaching a hand out to help her up.

"Can I help you?" she asked surprised.

"Why yes, you can." he said smiling.

"With...?"

"It's our date!" he said a little hurt she didn't remember.

Claire felt a little confused at first because she didn't even know when their date was. "Ok." she said taking his hand and getting up. "Let's go." she said starting to walk.

"Claire, love, it's this way." he said taking her hand and leading her into the jungle.

She hide her smile as she felt the warmth of Charlie's hand in hers. She loved his hands. They were nice, strong and calloused. They fit into hers perfectly.

"Where are we going?" she asked giggling.

"You'll see." he said gripping her hand tighter.

"Is it exciting?" she asked.

"You'll like it, I'm sure of it."

Claire smiled again and gripped his whole arm. She noted when she grabbed his whole arm there was a smile as big as the earth planted on his face. She liked that smile and wanted to keep it on his face, even though he didn't deserve it.