Chapter 2

Not Supposed To Be This Way

Disclaimer – I do not own LOST

(A/N: This chapter is taken place on the island, around the time of the episode Greatest Hits. The song lyrics are from the song called To Build a Home by The Cinematic Orchestra. I hope you enjoy!)

Nobody could keep his or her feet still on the ground for more than a minute, because there was panic in the air. Juliet, Jack, and Sayid were hunched over, staring down at blueprints. While, Rousseau was beginning to attach wire to dozen sticks of dynamite. They were preparing, and for once they knew The Others were coming, and they were ready.

"Do you really think it's going to work Charlie?" Claire asked with her breathtaking Australian accent.

"Well, I think by now Jack should know what he is doing, for all we have been dealing with The Others for a long time now." Charlie replied.

"But if it doesn't work, then what? We aren't safe on their island."

"Claire, do you remember that first night of the crash?"

"Yeah."

"And I told you rescue is coming and that we will all be fine." Claire nodded and Charlie leaned in closer, "Claire, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you or Aaron, I would do anything for you. Claire, I … I love you."

"Charlie, I love you too." Then they both leaned in and kissed, their kiss was full of true love, like they were always meant to be. Like it was their fate.

Charlie looked up and Hurley was standing fifty-feet behind Claire giving him the thumbs-up, and mouthing 'Nice'. Charlie laughed and rolled his eyes at the loony. It had been a while since Charlie had felt like this, felt like they weren't totally screwed, and it was nice. As he looked around and absorbed all of the wonderful memories he had made on the island, he realized the crash had given him something miraculous, and he would never change a thing.

"Claire, it seems Hurley needs me, I will be back love," Charlie said, laughing to himself.

"Okay, bye," Claire replied, laying down Aaron in his crib. Claire sat down on her bed and looked down towards her beautiful, amazing son. How could she ever think to put him up for adoption? Her thought was interrupted by loud groans coming from a nearby tent. As she began to approach the tent, she had noticed that the person inside the tent had fallen down and was kicking at the tarp. As Claire lifted up the tarp, revealed inside was Desmond. "Desmond, Desmond, are you okay?" Claire asked, kneeling down beside him.

Desmond just laid there for a few seconds with his hand clasped over his eyes, as if he were trying to shield out light. He began to sit up with his hand across his forehead. "Desmond, are you okay? Are you feeling dizzy?" Claire asked with much concern.

"Something happened, I don't remember falling, its like I was somewhere else." He replied with his jaw dropping Scottish accent.

"Are you feeling better now? Do you remember where you are?"

"Aye brotha', just a little dizzy, and well confused."

"Desmond … you had another flash, didn't you?" Claire asked hesitantly.

Desmond nodded, "Claire, this one was different though, like it needed to happen."

…

Claire and Charlie, together holding hands, walking up and down the beach.

…

Charlie is swimming down deeper and deeper and all he can think is, 'I am doing this for Claire, for her.' Then he finds the opening, large enough for a submarine to dock.

…

Rescue is here, because Charlie saved them. The helicopter lands and Claire and Aaron are being escorted into it. They are finally leaving the island.

…

Charlie enters a code, and the light flicks off. But water begins to fill the room and he is trapped, soon he drowns.

…

Claire looks out the helicopter, tears in her eyes knowing that Charlie loved her and did this to save her … just like he promised.

...

Desmond explained the series of flashes, "But it all happened so quickly, I might have missed something."

"But your sure Charlie dies again?"

"Aye."

"Des, you can't let Charlie do this. You can't tell him about these flashes, if you do he will go through with this one, he will die… just to save me."

"Claire, something was different about those flashes. I have never fallen before, I have never been this dizzy, and I sure as hell know these bloody flashes are his fate!" Desmond said, waving his hands in the air to prove his angst.

"Desmond if you go through with this, I won't want to be rescued … not without him."

"What about fate? Maybe I have been having these flashes because he is supposed to die. The island demands strange things and I can't control it brotha'."

"Well, maybe these flashes were different because maybe they were your last ones. Maybe, you were supposed to save him, maybe the island wanted to see how worthy you were. And once you save him this time, it will all be done."

"Then what Claire? The island is just done with me?"

"Fate knows what it's doing, and your right you can't control it and you never know what's going to happen, we will just have to see."

Desmond just stood there, glaring down towards the sand. "Okay, I won't tell Charlie, I'll … just tell him that I haven't seen another flash since."

"Thank you Desmond, thank you so much," Claire began to have tears filling up in her eyes, knowing that her true love would be safe … for now.

Claire walked back towards her tent after her talk with Desmond to find that Aaron had decided to take a nap. She thought she could use a little rest too, so she laid down on her airplane-seat-bed. She was staring up at the roof of her shelter when she heard something she hadn't heard in a while. Music.

Claire perked her head up towards the source of the wonderful music; it was coming for Hurley's tent. "Hurley!" Claire hollered.

"Who called?" Hurley said, popping his head out of his tent.

"How are you listening to that music?" Claire questioned.

"Oh, dude I found some extra batteries for my music player!" Hurley said with much enthusiasm.

Claire nodded and Hurley went back into his tent to turn up the volume. Claire sat there very relaxed, taking in all the lyrics;

There is a house built out of stone
Wooden floors, walls and window sills
Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust
This is a place where I don't feel alone
This is a place where I feel at home.

And I built a home
for you
for me

Until it disappeared
from me
from you

And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust…

They were all brought to this place, because they were uniquely and miraculously special. The crash was their fate, and they made a sandy beach their home. Some of them were ready to leave … but some of them didn't want to move on. They all talk about getting rescued, but waits for them when they get back home? Nothing. Because this is their home.

Soon, Claire began to hear screaming and shouting from down the beach. She began to follow the crowd that was heading towards the commotion, when she got a better view she saw that Sayid was tackling an unfamiliar face, while Sawyer was telling him to stop. "I know this kid. What are you doing hear Karl?"

Claire didn't have a chance to hear the rest of the conversation because she had heard Aaron beginning to cry. As she turned around she noticed that Charlie was cradling Aaron in his arms. "What's going on over there?" Charlie asked Claire as she walked up to the two of them.

"An Other is here."

"What does he want?"

"From what I could tell, he is helping us."

"Yeah, good idea, let's just trust an Other." Charlie replied sarcastically.

"I don't know what they're going to do about him, but I guess we are going to figure out because it seems Jack is calling everyone together."

Once everyone gathered around their makeshift kitchen, Karl began to explain why he was here. He began to explain that The Others have decided to capture the pregnant women in the marked tents a day earlier than expected. Once Jack and Sayid figured that they would have to shoot at the tents that were set up with explosives, rather than trigger them, Jack also made it clear that everyone, but the three shooters, were to head up to the radio tower for a signal to get in contact with the frater eighteen-miles off shore. Then, Jack turned towards Charlie and asked him, "Charlie, you still up for a swim?"

Charlie nodded, "Yeah, I believe I am." Trying to not to make eye contact with Claire. Then Desmond added, "I'll go with him."

Claire gave Desmond a questioning look, and after the meeting she approached him. "Des, I thought you weren't going to tell him?"

"I didn't Claire, fate has a way of working itself out."

"Be careful, I know what's supposed to happen down there, please make sure it doesn't." Claire pleaded.

"I won't Claire, I'll keep him safe."

They both nodded and Claire shot Desmond a 'thank you' smile. Now, there was only one thing left to do, keep Aaron safe.

While Claire was packing, Charlie came up to her for his last goodbyes before he left on his mission to The Looking Glass. "You need some help?" Charlie asked.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to do this?" Claire asked.

Charlie sat down beside her, "I didn't want you to worry."

"Well, its dangerous isn't it? Swimming into some underwater station?" Claire questioned, acting like she hadn't heard about Desmond's flashes.

"Its what needs to be done to get us all rescued," Then he added, "I'll be fine Claire. But you got to promise me something; while I'm gone … don't worry about me."

Claire nodded in response, then smiled and added, "K." Aaron began to cry and Charlie offered, "I'll take him." Knowing that he had to say his goodbyes to Turnip Head.

"Thanks," Claire replied and continued packing.

"Hey." Charlie said cradling Aaron, "All right Turnip Head, now you take care of your mum … while I'm away, okay?" Charlie said placing Aaron down in his crib.

"I love you," Charlie said and he meant it with all of his heart, because Aaron was now practically his son.

Once Charlie got back up, he sat beside Claire again, "See you soon."

"Be careful Charlie, k?"

"Yeah."

Then they both leaned in and kissed, a kiss to remember and never forget.

Charlie got up and Claire waved goodbye, and Charlie made his way to the out-rigger, where Desmond stood preparing for their departure. "It's not goodbye, you know? You will see her again, Aaron too." Desmond informed Charlie.

"You sure you didn't see anymore flashes?"

"Aye brotha'," Desmond lied, "I am going to get you back to Claire." And that was a promise.

Once they pushed the out-rigger past where the waves break, they both hopped in and began to paddle. No one said a word, they both sat there in silence waiting for fate to reveal itself. Once Desmond thought they arrived at the location of the wire, they paddled ashore and Desmond began to kick at the sand in search for the wire. "This is it." Desmond affirmed, "Ready?" he asked Charlie, and back into the sea they were.

"We're here." Desmond said, eyeing The Looking Glass Station that sat at the bottom of the sea. "Charlie, why did you come out here?" Desmond asked, turning back towards Charlie.

"I don't know … I just had a feeling like maybe, it was my fate." Charlie laughed to himself about his remark.

Desmond nodded agreeably. Then the flashes began to happen again.

…

Charlie reaches the surface of The Looking Glass, but he is not the only one. They tie him up and call for Mikhail, the eye patch man.

…

"Desmond!" Charlie shouts. Desmond is too late, he sees a flash of Penny's face, but now Charlie begins to drown.

…

Charlie stared at Desmond, "You okay there?"

"Aye brotha', just fine. I have feeling when we go down there, we won't be the only ones, you know it being an Other's station and all, so be as silent as possible."

Charlie nodded. They both stood up and with the last glance of the island, took a huge breath and plunged into the deep sea. They swam side-by-side until Charlie managed to find the opening large enough to doc a submarine, just like in Desmond's flashes. They both raced forward in need of air, once they both got to the opening they swam up and were welcomed by oxygen. They began to hear shouting coming from a room with a yellow blinking light, so Desmond and Charlie slipped out of the water as silent as possible and hid in gray, metal lockers. From what Desmond could see, there were only to women.

They would have to make a move soon and quick before they were found. One out of the two women in the other room barged out complaining, "You heard what Ben said, we must keep the signal blocked."

The other lady soon followed saying, "I know what Ben said, but you heard what Mikhail said too, and how he found one of our out-riggers docked in the middle of the sea, someone is coming and we have to make sure we stop them from whatever they are planning to do. If it is some of the survivors from flight 815, they will be planning to unblock the signal to get in touch with that frater."

"Well, they can't do that without the code."

That's where Desmond made his move. He swiftly barged out of the locker with a harpoon gun in hand, "Hey!" and then shot one woman in the chest and threatened the other. Charlie ran out of his locker and grabbed the dead woman's gun and threw it in Desmond's direction. "Hey, hey Des, don't shoot her yet, we need that code."

Charlie ran over beside her, "Give me that code or your death will be much more painful than your friend's." The women began to rabble off numbers, "Hey, wait repeat that, start over."

"He was a musician, good vibrations, each number is a note, by the tune of good vibrations." That was all they needed to know, then Desmond shot her.

Desmond informed Charlie that he was going to go prepare the scuba diving gear for their departure and that Charlie was to go enter the code and turn off the blinking light. That's when another flash of Desmond's came true, but this time he won't be late. About five-minutes later, after Desmond had heard Charlie cheer with glee that he had cracked the code, Charlie hollered from the room filled with equipment, "Desmond!"

Desmond stopped right in his tracks, dropped his scuba gear and sprinted to the other room. Then Desmond saw her, he ran into the control room and moved Charlie out of the way, "Penny… is that really you?"

"Des!" Penny said, tears filling up in her eyes.

"I thought I would never see ya' again, Pen. I'm so sorry … for everything, I love you Pen, and I will never leave you again."

"Desmond, I am going to find you, love. I've been searching for you, I need you Des and I miss you. I love you."

"I love you too. But aren't you on the frater eighteen miles off shore?"

"No mate, she isn't," Charlie said.

"Naomi? She knew about you?" Then Desmond turned towards Charlie, "Who's boat is it then, brotha'?"

"Des? Desmond? Are you there?" The screen began to fuzz up and they were beginning to lose connection.

"Penny, I'm here … I love you and once you find us, I'll never leave you again."

"Bye Des, I will see you soon."

"I love you," they both said in unison, and then the screen went black.

Desmond wiped away his tears and Charlie said, "Naomi, she has been lying to us, we have to tell Jack and quick."

They both quickly grabbed the scuba gear and began to prepare for their departure. Once both Charlie and Desmond were ready, they looked at each and nodded, "See you up there," Charlie said then jumped right back into the sea.

"Aye brotha'," Desmond said laughing to himself, and he too plunged back in.

Just like Desmond had promised, Charlie was safe, but their fate was not. Everything since that day, that hour, that moment changed. The island no longer had control of their fate, now it was in the hands of the survivors and only one thing awaited them. Danger.

(A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Much more to come, hope you keep reading and reviews are always welcomed! :D )