Author's Note: This is the very last major chapter, tomorrow the epilogue will be posted. The bit with Charlie and Spongebob is based off of me. EVERY freaking time I see Spongebob, I see the same damn episode. There are a few tiny Season 3 spoilers in this chapter but it doesn't play a huge role the story, but just a few fun touches for a fan.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you to anyone who has been reading this story. You completely rock.

Love and Memories

Chapter 9

Charlie's POV

Tying Up the Lose Ends

Un-bloody- believable, I've been trapped on an island for six months, turn on the telly and find the only damn episode of Spongebob I've ever seen. Why would Spongebob allow the jellyfish into his home? I don't know what's worse, the fact that this show isn't as good when you're sober or that it took three people to write it.

Still its nice to be on a bed, watching a telly, and knowing in a few hours I will see Claire. My head still hurts from Ben's attack, I should have been more preparing for it, and after all I knew it was coming. I feel awful leaving it the way I did between us. Hopefully I'll be able to set things right.

There's a knock at me door and Sayid, Hurley, Locke and Desmond enter. They look around my cabin making comments that theirs is similar. I glance over at them, then back to the telly.

"Is that the one when the jelly fish take over Spongebob's house?" Hurley asks.

"Yeah." I mutter

"That's the only one I've ever seen, maybe there is only one episode to this show."

"That's what I was just thinking!"

Locke shrugs, "I don't know, the show just isn't as good if you're not stoned."

I cock my eyebrow at him if only to savory the irony of the situation that Locke used to get stoned. He clears his throat and announces the reason why everyone is in my room. "So how are you doing Charlie? That encounter with Ben was pretty intense. Do you know why he was so mad at you?"

I shrug and turn off the TV. "He thinks I knew we were going to leave the island."

"Did you?" Sayid asks.

I flash a quick smile at him but say nothing.

"Did you mean it?" Hurley questions, "did you mean what you said to Ben about why you stayed behind?"

"I never once lied to him about the reasons why I stayed behind, I wasn't going to leave my friends, I didn't finish the church, I was afraid I would mess up my life with Claire and mostly because if I didn't come back to the beach, the Others would have been killed."

Desmond doesn't say anything but he watches me intently. I shift uncomfortably under his eyes.

Hurley slaps me on the shoulder, "We just wanted you to know that we'll help you find Claire. I'm sure there is still time to save your relationship."

Desmond clears his throat, "That won't be necessary, will it, Joseph?"

He knows! He knows everything,

Hurley pulls his arm away from me, "Who's Joseph?"

Desmond points to me and my stomach flips, "He is, go on tell them."

I snap as my darkest secret is spilled so everyone can see, "You bloody bastard, how dare you sell me out."

Locke finches, "I don't understand, you're not Charlie Pace? But I saw you play. I'm a fan of your music."

I ignore Locke and launch towards Desmond, "I defended you! When Penny was about to marry that prat Evan, I screamed at her. I yelled and swore her out of my life. How dear she give up on you? Just because you were in jail didn't mean you weren't coming back for her. I had your back and you sell me out now? You air my dirty laundry out for everyone to see. You bastard. How long have you known?" I ask.

"That you knew Penny? About three weeks ago, when Hurley told me you were in DriveSHAFT. Penny used to talk about her favorite band because she was a friend with the bassist. I used to tease her, because he was so young. Also She used to talk about her godson, Joseph, how she was worried about him because he refused to seek the drug treatment he needed. She was worried he was headed down a path he might never return from."

Yeah, I know, and my guilt crushed me for years. I say nothing, finding it hard to look at anyone.

I clear my throat; "I didn't even tell Claire until we were engaged. Why should I tell anyone else?"

"I just thought your friends might like to learn the real reason they left the island." He says softly.

"When did you figure out I was Joseph?"

"About three hours ago." He smirks.

"And you couldn't keep you mouth shut?" I snap and roll my eyes before sitting back down on the bed.

There is silence in the room.

"Charlie, how are you the reason we left the island?" Sayid asks quietly.

I like that he still calls me Charlie. "Well, if I had to make my bet, I think it has more to do with Desmond and I then just me. Penny Wedmore is on the board of directors to the Hanso Corporation, she just happens to be the love of Desmond's life and has been searching for him. Penny's my godmother. With her shares of the company and mine we own over well 50 of the corporation."

"Well who are you?" Locke asks.

"I honestly don't know. I just know my mother shagged some rich guy and now I'm the heir to a whole lot of money."

So I wait for the judgment to pass; for my relationship with my friends to change, for the angry cries and the yells of betrayals. Hurley becomes quiet as he thinks about the new information he's learned.

"Dude, you're like a millionaire?"

"Um I think it's more like a billionaire." I correct him

"Hmm and you gave me crap about winning the lottery when your story was three times more unbelievable?"

I shrug. "Sorry about that."

"But you're the reason why we got off the island, right?" He squints his eyes at me.

"Yeah."

His arms swallow me, and I struggled to breathe as I get the most intense Hurley Hug ever. He yells in my ear, "Dude, I don't care if your Hitler's grandson, we're going home and it's because of you."

I feel the grin on my face before I fully comprehend why I'm happy. Hurley lets go of his grip, plays it cool and goes back to his spot in the cabin.

I glance around the men in the room. "So are we cool?"

Desmond's face softens, "is that what you were afraid of, that you would lose all your friends if they found out the truth?"

I stick my hands in my pocket and kick at the floor. I nod and feel like I'm in grade school.

John laughs at me, "you have some serious issues."

"Yeah like anyone here was room to talk when it comes to their issues." I laugh and the tension in the room is gone.

Desmond smiles, "Hey, Charlie, I'm having a small problem with something and I was hoping you could clear up some confusion." He winks at me. So, he knows what is going to happen when we get onto the dock. I guess he knows that I know too.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Who's Hugo?"

"Hurley, mate, you didn't know that?" I smile.

"Hmm, well that explains the small Hispanic woman yelling his name." He smirks as his eyes dance over Hurley's confused expression.

"Well was that all you had?" I try to pry out more information from him.

"Gee, I figured out how Nadia is, I mean she was easy." Desmond scrubs at his beard for a moment as he looks at Sayid's unreadable face just before he continues, "Oh, who has the cute little girl in pigtails named after the fruit."

I laugh, "Think about the last person you would want to see pass his genes down to another generation."

"Bloody Hell, Sawyer?" His eyes grow wide in horror.

"I've been struggling with who that Helen bird, who's she hanging around for?" I shrug, but from the expression on Locke's face, I think I just learned my answer.

Hurley scratches the back of his head, 'Dude, can you see the future too?"
I turn my eyes to the telly, "I'm not sure but I guess we'll find out in a few hours now won't we? If I'm wrong, does it really matter? I mean you're still off the island and one step closer to seeing your family. If I'm right. Well, maybe you guys should take another shower."

No one speaks for a moment and then instantly my room in empty. Hmm maybe I should take another shower too.

The cruise ship can't dock near the island so we're taking a smaller boat the rest of the journey. After five showers and finally getting all the salt off my skin, feels like a wasted effort, now that the boat speeds over the surf and spraying ocean water over me. The boat slows down and I hear Sawyer mutter, "Gee an island, a beach and sand… I haven't seen that in a while."

"Yeah, but it's the resort on the beach that new to the eyes." Jack added.

The resort we can see from far away but once the prepares to dock, that's when I see her. Standing on where the beach and dock meet. All light is attracted to her. She glows. I can see her smile from here. "CLAIRE!" I yell and jump off the boat and not so gracefully land on the dock. I sprint to her, my muscles burning. My smile is hurting my face.

She bits her lower lip for a moment before yelling, "Charlie!" She doesn't move to me, encumbered by Aaron. God is that Aaron? He's so big.

Is this the longest dock ever made or what? This is getting ridiculous, am I still running? What is taking so long? You know if she took one or two steps towards me this whole process would go a whole lot faster.

Finally I scoop her in my arms. I am whole once again. I'm ashamed to admit I've forgotten how good she feels against my body. I whisper her name over and over again. I just need to hold her now, I need to know she's real; a kiss would be far too much of a dream right now.

She whispers, "I've missed you so much."

"Me too."

Aaron starts to squirms a little, trying to get some attention himself. "Hullo, Turnip Head, have you been a good boy for your mum?" I pick him up and I'm completely unprepared for how heavy he is. "Whoa, you've gotten so big! And you look smashing in your clothes, it's a vast changed of pace from running around naked like you used to."

"It took some time for him to get used to idea of clothes." She smiles proudly down at her son. "Aaron, sweetly, you remember your Da, right?"

I honestly don't expect him to remember me. I mean why would he? I though baby's have the memory span of like three minutes. But he looks at he for a moment, then back at Claire. His eyes get wide and he shakes his head for a moment, smiles and laughs. His hands reach out for me. His giggle turn to cries, as he is overcome with emotions. I laugh through my tears, "I know how you feel, kiddo." I hold him close to my chest; Claire starts to rub his back. The three off us form cocoon of support for each other. After being apart for three months, its really amazing how quickly we all far back into place.

"Charlie you could have waited until they stopped the boat." Locke laughs at me, as he approaches Claire and kisses her lightly on the cheek. "You look great, Claire." Wonderful, he's kissed her and complemented her, two things I haven't done yet. Now I feel terrible like a very neglectful boyfriend.

"You really do." I whisper in her ear, brushing my lips lightly against her cheek. She quivers slightly in my arms, and shoots me a look with her bedroom eyes. I don't think I've ever wanted anyone as much as I want her right now. Where the hell is the closest bed?

More people approach us, hindering my ability to tear off her, oh god that little blue dress I've dreamed of so many many times.

"Well Mama, you're a sight for sore eyes." Sawyer smiles at Claire.

"Thank you Sawyer." Claire smiles politely at him.

"Charlie has been a wreck since you've been gone Claire." Kate says with her arm tightly around Sawyer's waist.

Claire blushes and tenderly puts her hand on my face. "I know how he felt."

Ok I'm not going to be able to hold out too much longer.

Sayid, always reserved, approaches us. "Hurley says he's not getting out of the boat until we're all off the dock and he's holding Desmond up. So we need to move."

Once we're all off the dock then Hurley steps off the boat. And a Desmond shaped blur races passed to the top of the beach and screams for Penny. She approaches from behind him. I don't think I've ever seen Penny this happy in my life. She says his name. He turns to grab her in his arms; they kiss and disappeared into the resort.

I really hope we're on opposite sides of the hotel, because I really don't want to hear Penny and Desmond shagging. It's just far too yucky.

Hurley, in a rare moment of seriousness touches Claire on the arm, "If you ever need anything, please just let me know. I'm indebted to you for life."

She smiles. "Honey, all I want is for you to take Aaron for a few hours so I can shag Charlie's brains out, then we can all it even."

YES! YES! YES!!!!!

Hurley's eyes grow wide as he pulls Aaron out of my arms. Claire hands a baby bag over to Sayid and leads me to the top of the sand dune where the hotel is. About half way there she calls down instructions, "Look follow the signs to the pool, there will be a man there, just give him your name and he'll give you a room key. There's food and drinks at the pool and I'm sure some of you will enjoy the company. Charlie and I will join you in a few hours. Bye!" She starts pulling me harder.

A small girl with her hair in pigtails comes out of the space between the beach and the pool. She looks at me and Claire then looks at the people on the beach heading her way. She runs back into the space she came from, "MOM! THEY'RE HERE!"

A woman with dark hair runs after the little girl, "Clementine, you come back here right now."

The child pulls on her mother's shirt, "Which one is my daddy?"

From my vantage point, I see Sawyer's face fall from the smile he has when he's with Kate to some uncertain look. From the look of it, he's accepting the responsibility he spent years avoiding. The woman gave Sawyer a small wave; he nods at her and loses his grip on Kate and walks to his family.

A very tall redhead comes out from the opening to inspect the commotion. Her mouth drops as she calls, "NADIA! GET OUT HERE!"

A stunning Middle Eastern woman joins her, "What is it Helen?" Together the women scan the crowd on the beach. Their male counterparts; Sayid and Locke screamed their names and reunions they waited years for finally occurs.

Claire whispers in my ear, "Um, do you want to watch this?"

"I believe someone made mention of shagging my brains out." I smile at her.

"Oh thank god, because this whole reunion thing could take a while."

The next hour is filled with frenzy and passion. Claire's dress that she spent a fortune on is torn to shreds on the floor of our room. We catch our breathes between tender kisses. Now that the inferno has burnt down to a soft flame. I roll onto my elbows, resting my head in my right hand, while my left hand draws little circles around her belly button. She pushes her hair out of her face and bits her lower lips. "Hi." She whispers.

"Hi, yourself." I smile down at her and laugh, "So what took so bloody long?"

She grins embarrassed and covers her face with the pillow, "it took me two and a half months to figure out Penny was a nickname for Penelope."

"Oh you're kidding right?" I groan.

"Well it also took me a few weeks to find your porn stash."

"Really? That wasn't the first thing you did when you got into my apartment? Search for my porn? It would have been the first thing I would have done." I tickle her side. Her laughter is the most amazing sound I've ever heard.

She lifts the pillow off of her face, her skin pink from blushing and laughing. She's radiant. "I love you so much, Claire."

She leans up and kisses me, "I love you too, Charlie, er, um Joseph." She furrows her eyebrows and rests her head back on the pillow, "I don't know what to call you."

My heart sinks and breaks as I roll onto my back and stare up at the ceiling. "I don't know what you should call me either." Reality sucker punches me. A whole new set of problems had just arrived. Well not new problems, there were just things that worried me in an abstract sort of way, but now they're real and they've formed into problems. "I guess we have a lot to talk about. I mean, what if we only worked in life and death situations. There's just so much that could go wrong. God, you could do so much better then me."

She rolls over and touches my cheek with her fingers, "Are you worried you're going to fall back into drugs?"

I close my eyes and admit, "Petrified." In the darkness behind my lids, I admit, "What if I just ruin your life? Aaron's life? Maybe your better off without me?"

Her lips touches mine, "Charlie, you're the only one I want to be with. Charlie, Joseph, whatever your name is, all I want is you. I've been so lost without you and everywhere I turn, there were people who loved you and willing help me in order to help you. I have no idea why you think so little of yourself that you would even consider for a moment to fall back into the drugs. I won't let it happen. Charlie you're the only family I have."

I ask her about her mum, she breaks down and starts sobbing that her mother is better off without her. She signed her death certificate and took the money Oceanic offered her and bought a new house. Tend to my lovers tears, kissing them away and telling her everything will be all right. We make love for the second time, loving, soft and healing all the old wounds.

We're us again.

After my sixth shower of the day, I get dressed in the clothes Claire brought from my flat in LA. We discuss the logically aspects of my fears and vow not to discuss a wedding until we've been living off the island for six months. But I promise to buy her Harry Winston engagement ring; she refuses, until I bring up a picture of one from the Internet. (Thankful she brought my laptop with her.) Once she saw a picture she quickly changed her mind.

We walk out of the room, hand in hand to go get our son; apparently she lied on the birth certificate and said I was the father. I'm perfectly fine with that.

I see a couple pinned up against their hotel room door, but their hands are far too busy with other things to worry about little things like a doorknob.

Claire smiles and rests her head on my shoulder shyly. I clear my throat, "You two need a little help with that door?"

Kate gasps from lips of some other guy. KATE! But I thought she was with Sawyer? Kate in a raspy voice "thanks Charlie." I unlock her door and the man grunts his thanks. Kate lights up, "By the way, there's a guy sitting by the pool bar, he says he knows you."

"Oh, thanks, have fun in there." I called back to her. Claire slaps my arm and rolls her eyes while I ask, "So who was that guy?"

"Her husband." She grins evilly with gossip.

"Wow how scandalous." I laugh and wrap my arm around Claire's waist while we start to see our friends, our family for the past six months. Hurley, Jin and Sun are fawning over Aaron. Jin introduces me to his father and his father-in-law, apparently this is the first time the four of them have been together ever and with the expect arrival of Sun and Jin's baby, it makes the experience even more meaningful.

Hurley introduces me to his mother as his best friend. I rant and rave to his mother about what a great guy her son is and she should be very proud of him.

I pat him on the back and look over at the bar.

My stomach drops down to my feet. I freeze, hoping if don't move, maybe I'll become invisible. Claire must have seen this, because she grabs my arm, "Charlie, I had to call him. I don't have anyone, but you still have family. He's been worried sick. Please, please don't be mad at me."

I glance at her, the only women I've ever loved, her eyes watering; teardrops are caught in her eyelashes like morning dew on a spider web. I kiss her lightly and I tell her I'm not mad at her, But it doesn't mean I'm not mad.

Hurley stands in front of Claire. "Dude, I've got your back, you give me like thirty seconds and I'll get Sayid and Locke here. You just give us a sign if you need us. Do you want to come up with a sign?"

I shake my head and slowly walk over the bar. I know the back of my brother's head and I stare at it for a few seconds trying to come up with something clever to say. "You know, I kinda of hate you."

He spins around on the stool. "Yeah but you kinda love me too." My brother. He looks tired, like life has been harder then he expected. He stands up and waits for me to make the next move.

"Rumor has it, I'm a billionaire." I say.

"Yeah but I've still got better hair." He grins. I've spent years hating him. But seeing him now, in front of me, it all disappears. After all, in the past 6 months, I've survived a plane crash, I was kidnapped, hung from a tree, kicked heroin, chased by a polar bear, fallen in love and watched my son being born. Some how my tiff with my brother seems a little petty.

"I missed you, little brother." He says.

"You, not so much." I laugh.

He sits down at the bar and offers me a beer. I scratch my neck, "Um I'm not sure what the rules are with a former drug addict and drinking alcohol, I guess I'll just have apple juice."

Liam stares at me, considering, "She's the one Charlie, you know that right?"

"Yeah."

Liam shakes his head, "No, she's the reason why you quite the heroin. She's what makes your life worthwhile. I'm just really glad you found her. I sort of wish it could have been in a less dramatic way, like Internet dating or something."

The bartender hands me my juice. I take a sip thinking about my next statement. "Aaron had a lot to do with it too."

Liam smiles, "kids really changed you huh?"

"Yeah."

"You get it now don't you, why I couldn't go back on tour with you."

I drink about half of my juice before answering, "I didn't, at the time, but now I do."

He nods his head for a minute. Sayid takes the stool next to me and orders water. "Claire spent a king's ransom trying to Nadia for me. I've spent years of my life searching for her. I was speechless when I saw her today. Seriously if you ever need anything, let me know."

I nod at him. Soon Hurley and Locke come over and sit next to Sayid. No one speaks but we all turn our heads when he hear, "Clementine don't run near the pool." Sawyer sighs and rubs his head as he next to Liam.

"Charlie is this dad thing worth it?"

"Good enough to stop chasing the greatest high in the world." I say.

Liam smiles, "I used while having sex with two or three girls at once. Now parenting isn't really the same thing but its still pretty cool." Then he slaps himself in the head and looks at me with grave concern, "Since you really didn't go through proper drug treatment and went cold turkey, you might start to get itchy for it. When you do, tell Claire first. Then call me, wherever you are, I'll fly there to help you. I wasn't there for you in the past, but I now that you've come back from the dead, I've got your back."

Sayid puts his hand on my shoulder, "After you call Liam, you will call me."

"Dude, me too."

Locke smirks, "forget this, we'll start a phone tree."

"Oh like that movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman?" Hurley asks.

Sawyer sighs, "I saw that movie, and I watched the whole damn thing, hoping for some lesbian action."

Liam and I catch eyes and start to laugh, we had the same reaction, just as I'm about to say that. Locke slams his hand down on the bar. "I thought the same damn thing."

It comes to time for Penny to break the news. Joseph Mittlewerk's net worth is nearly 300 million dollars as well as a seat on the Hanso Corporation. If I stopped being Charlie Pace and starting to become Joseph, money would never be an issue. Aaron and Claire would be set for life. Liam and his child would be set as well. Hell if I really wanted to I could pay for Sawyer's kid and Jin and Sun's kid. Hell I could pay for like all the children in the world to go to college, But Penny tells me, if I choose to be Joseph, I can't ever pursue a music career again. See as Joseph, I would keep a VERY low profile, living in exclusive places and staying out of the public eye. Therefore a career performing music would be out of the question.

This breaks my heart. I try to explain to everyone that music was the only thing I am good at.

But the choice is pretty obvious when I see all the different projects the Hanso Corporation is into, and a lot of it is pretty shady. Someone needs to step in and stop it. Looks like it has to be me.

I only make one request. Between Jack's knowledge of medicine and Hurley's background in the crazy house, I'm set up pretty nice. Everything else is easy to buy; well anything is really possible if you have enough money.

It takes one month to set everything up. One month to make the phone call. But it's totally worth it. Claire sits on my lap, just as excited for as I am. She glanced down to her new engagement ring and kisses me. She is still wearing the DriftSHAFT ring around her neck and she calls me Charlie instead of Joseph, because that's whom she fell in love with.

"Are you ready, Love?" I ask her.

She bites her lip as I start dial. The phone rings. It rings again.

Someone picks up.

"Ben?"