A/N: I think it's pretty clear which ending I decided to take after this chapter ;-) There will be at least one more chapter to finish it off, I hope you all enjoy it!

Clarie stopped walking and watched as the approaching person came clearly into view.

"What is it?" Charlie asked.

"That's my ex-boyfriend... that's Thomas."

"Aaron's father?" Claire nodded, and Thomas finally reached them.

"Claire, aren't you gonna say hi?" His eyes were red and watery, he was clearly drunk.

"What are you doing here Thomas?" He didn't immediately answer Claire's question, instead focused on Charlie.

"Who's this bloke?"

"Don't talk about him like that. He's my boyfriend." Claire looked cautiously at Charlie, who's eyes never left Thomas'.

"Where's the baby? You've had 'im by now right?" He swayed slowly back and forth, barely able to stand.

"You've been drinking. You need to go home now," Claire told her ex calmly, though secretly she was a little afraid. She didn't know what he was capable of.

"We should still be together, for the kid." His words were slurring now, and he stepped closer to them. "I want to see him." He was so close, Claire could smell his breath. It stank.

Charlie, who had been silent until now, protectively put his arm around the petite blond and spoke to Thomas, "Come on man, you need to get out of here."

"I wasn't talkin' to you!" Thomas nearly shouted. "Claire, I'm sorry. Come back to me." He grabbed Claire's wrist and she jerked away.

"Don't touch her ever again," Charlie told him, his voice low and serious. He stepped in front of his girlfriend and pushed Thomas back a little bit.

"Charlie, don't touch him. Let's just go," Claire had a bad feeling about where this was going. Both men ignored her, however, staying where they were.

"So that's how it's gonna be is it?" Thomas took another step back, then reached into his jacket removing a handgun.

"Thomas, no! Put it away, please!" Claire's eyes widened and she stepped back to Charlie's side. The drunken Australian payed no attention to her and aimed the gun. In that moment, Charlie knew. His time was up, it was over, just like Richard had said.

"Got anything you wanna say? Any last words?"

"Get out of the way Claire," Charlie said softly.

"No! Charlie don't do this! Thomas, I'll do anything you want, please, just put the gun down, put it down!" She looked frantically for anyone else around. Why was the damn park so empty? The rest all happened in a blur; Charlie shoving her to the ground, the sound of a gun piercing the perfect air, once, twice, three times it went off, then Charlie collapsing. Claire rushed to the body of the man she loved while Thomas just stood there in shock, as if he couldn't believe what he had done. "Somebody help!" Claire screamed as loud as her lungs would allow and she propped Charlie's head up in her lap. "Anyone!" Thomas suddenly took off, running down the street as fast as his legs would carry him.

It seemed like hours had passed, though it was probably only minutes, maybe seconds, before someone finally saw them, the image of a young woman sobbing and desperately holding her dying boyfriend's body. The man who had seen them immediately pulled out his cell phone and called for an ambulance before running to them. "Charlie?" Claire asked through her tears, "Can you hear me? Please wake up. Please, please wake up."

His eyelids fluttered, making her heart leap and then his lips moved to form one final sentence, "I... love... you."