"Charlie?" At the sound of the voice, Charlie's head snapped up. It was just a question, but something in Richard's voice seemed different this time. Urgency, fear, and doubt; masked behind centuries of practice in lying. The large canvas tent they were in, alike to everyone in the "others'" camp in every way, swayed slightly in the wind.
"I'm just thinking," It was all Charlie could say. How did Richard expect him to respond? With joy? Richard shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but remained silent. Charlie sighed.
"Are we really doing this tomorrow?" Charlie asked.
"You are doing this tomorrow," Richard corrected, "If you choose to. Jacob still needs an answer." Jacob. There wasn't a day that went by that Charlie didn't wish he'd never met the nutter. Three years later, and here Charlie was, working for Jacob, third in command only to Eloise. Three years.
"When the time comes, and Richard will tell you when, I'll need you to do something for me Charlie." They both stared out at the endless ocean as Jacob spoke. "Three years from now, your friends are going to make a mistake. When Jack tries to detonate that hydrogen bomb, it won't work. If they stay at the sight of the Incident, they will die of radiation poisoning."
"I know all of this already Jacob, but what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Three years is a long time. I -I don't know if I can do this. What about Claire and Aaron?"
"If you do what I say, they'll be fine. In the meantime, you are going to go live with my people. I believe you call them 'the others'."
Charlie shook the memory away and sighed. It was as if Jacob was lecturing him from the past. Typical.
"Alright, Richard, you've got yourself an answer. Tell Jacob that I'm ready." As he spoke the words, Charlie felt as though he'd signed a binding contract with absolutely no loopholes or take-backs.
"Good," Ricard replied steadily, "Good. I already told Jacob that you'd said yes." He allowed himself a small laugh. Charlie laughed as well. Not because it was funny, because it wasn't, but because he felt trapped and needed to lighten the mood. Richard must have assumed the former, that Charlie wasn't screaming inside, and he got up and left.
Charlie took a deep breath and looked around his tent for the last time. It was almost empty, due to all the moving around to avoid the Dharma Initiative. He packed what he had; a compass, canteen of water, shirts and jeans, and then left leaving it as though it hadn't ever been used. Someone else would need it, maybe another Dharma defect like little Ben. Now that had been a shock. If flashing through time wasn't enough, the universe had to torture Charlie further by bringing the monster who would order Claire's capture into his camp. Worse, finding out that Sayid had shot him. No. Worse was knowing that a baby Ethan was sleeping snugly at the barracks.
As Charlie walked through camp, the 'others', Charlie's friends, waved at him happily. Last time I'll see them, he thought as he went on. Little Ben came running up.
"Hi Charlie! What are you doin'?"
"Just walking, Ben. Aren't you going back to the barracks soon? Richard said you had to wait." Ben didn't respond, but he was obviously upset. Charlie knew the question, for him at least, was redundant. He knew that Ben would 'join' back up with the Dharma blokes, just to murder them all when he grew up. Charlie walked past Ben without looking at him, thinking to himself how nice it was to know the future.
For some reason, the sky seemed bluer, the grass greener. Charlie breathed deep, and, sure enough, the air was cleaner. Not for long. Charlie was ironic that way; happiness in the face of impending doom. Just make it to the orchid, just get inside, just-
"Hey Charlie! Stop a moment!" Charlie sighed in exasperation, but slowed down. Charles, or Charlie number two, as Charlie liked to call him, looked suspicious. Charles got upset, and insisted on his own name, as both of them were English and too alike anyway.
"What do you think you're doing?" He began, not even trying to mask his false sense of superiority.
"I'm running off to the store, want something?" Charlie joked. Charles wasn't in the mood. He glared, then questioned Charlie again, enunciating each word with like it was his last. Charles didn't like Charlie.
"Where. are. you. going?" Charlie just stared at him for a moment, then turned, and walked away. A giddy smile crept across Charlie's face as he listened to Charles complaining to Richard like a child in distance and Richard's response, "Bother someone else." Charlie walked on as the sun beat down and the trees swayed.
He passed rivers where he loaded up his canteen, patches of jungle, mountains, and beaches in the distance. It all passed by in a blur like he was passing it in a car. The day wore on, and Charlie grew more and more tired. Finally, he came to a clearing where he could camp for the night. He looked around for a shady spot, when he saw a ratty old tent. Charlie stopped dead in his tracks and his blood ran cold. Time seemed to slow. He was standing in a place that he recognized completely. That memory had been burnt into his mind, recurring frequently in his nightmares.
The rain was coming so down hard, Charlie could barely see. He almost wished for another flash- just so the rain would go away, but they had stopped almost two years ago. The map that Jacob had given him had all but washed away. It should be around here somewhere... he thought unsteadily. Jacob had instructed Charlie to look for the Black Rock, to retrieve dynamite. Alone. Charlie often volunteered for solo trips like this, making him the likely candidate for them all. Being alone on these treks was the only time he could think. He thought of his old friends and what they were doing, he thought of how long he had left, he thought of Aaron, but mostly, he thought of Claire. Charlie wondered how she and Aaron were doing back in the real world, if she even missed him at all anymore. Right now, he was remembering the night they had met. He smiled as he trudged on.
In the gloom, he saw smoke rising in the distance, most likely from a campfire. Charlie walked forward cautiously, not wanting to bump into someone unfriendly. No one he knew lived all the way out here, and, as far as he knew, the Dharma blokes weren't building any hatches out here.
"Hello?" he called out, immediately regretting the decision. "Is there anyone there?" There was a long silence, in which Charlie almost turned to leave. Then, out of nowhere, a gunshot hit near Charlie's feet. "Oi!" He cried out and jumped back in alarm.
"Don't move!" A voice yelled. Someone came running over to where Charlie was while he put his hands up in defeat. Through the rain, he saw a small figure approaching. Rousseau? He thought. The stranger moved closer, and suddenly, it wasn't a stranger, it was Claire. Claire, who used to love going for walks, and who was now pointing a gun at Charlie's heart. Claire, who had been so kind and gentle and who now looked so rugged and wild. This is wrong, Charlie thought, This can't be right; Jacob told me she and Aaron were home. What is she doing here?
Charlie walked forward a step, and Claire, now able to see his face, panicked and raised her gun. Even though she was glaring at Charlie like she wanted nothing more than to do him harm, Charlie couldn't help but feel overjoyed just to see her. Despite his panic, Charlie found that he was smiling slightly.
"How could you do this to me?!" She yelled, "You said that you wouldn't, you promised!" She began crying hysterically, and for a second Charlie saw a hint of the old Claire. The Claire that he loved. "Why do you look like him?" she continued, "It's bad enough that you pretend to be my father!"
"Claire," Charlie started, "just put that down, and we'll talk, okay?" Claire shook her head and Charlie raised his hands higher. "Claire, what's wrong? It's me, it's Charlie!" He kept his voice as kind and sincere as possible, while smiling warmly to show her that he wouldn't do her any harm. "It's just me."
"No! Charlie is dead!" she wailed, "Just stop it, okay?! You left me! You promised me, and you lied!" Charlie's head spun; Claire didn't even seem like Claire anymore. She was wearing ratty old clothes and her hair was in tangles. She looked like she hadn't seen another person in years. Who could she possibly think that he was?
"Claire, I'm fine, I'm alive, I'm here now. Just calm down." Charlie cautioned her with an outstretched hand. For a brief second, she lowered her gun. The rain pounded down as they stood there; so close, yet so far apart. Suddenly, a thought struck Charlie so fast it overwhelmed him and every other thought he'd been having. Had she been abandoned? He didn't want to ask, but he was too scared not to.
"Claire, how long have you been out here?" His throat constricted. "Are you alone?" Claire raised her gun again, and began shouting utter nonsense at Charlie through tears. Charlie was almost crying himself. What had happened to her?
"Tell me where he is! You said you'd help me find him! You lied!" Her face became an expressionless mask as she said something Charlie would never forget. "I hate you! I don't want you to be my friend anymore, I want you to leave!"
"Claire, don't, please" he began. He struggled for something to tell her, something to make her come with him. This was all wrong, Jacob said that Kate would raise Aaron, he never said that Claire would be abandoned. Claire hands trembled, but for some reason, was unable to shoot. She gave in and lowered her gun to the ground while wiping tears from her eyes.
"Just go!" Claire turned around to leave. Out of nowhere, Charlie heard excited shouting. Someone was running through the jungle at a tremendous pace. Both he and Claire turned to face the noise. Charlie's heart started pounding in his chest; he needed to get Claire out of there.
"Claire, come with me, I can help you." Charlie told her. Claire's head whipped around to face him. Her eyes widened in panic.
"You brought them here! You tricked me!" Her face was screwed up in pain and anguish. The voices got closer. Charlie tried to get to Claire, but every step he took to her, she took one back. Charlie noticed her eyeing the tree line.
"No. Claire, listen." It was too late. Claire turned and ran. Charlie ran to follow her, but he slipped and fell. His head hit a boulder, hard and his vision darkened. He heard screaming, but he couldn't tell from where. He felt his world slipping away, far away. He struggled; he had to help her, he needed to save her. He managed to open his eyes just enough to see two of the 'others' from the temple closing in on Claire. She backed against a tree like a caged animal, unable to escape.
"No...," Charlie mumbled, "Stop. She's my friend" It was no good, the others didn't hear him. Even if they had, Charlie doubted they would have listened; the 'temple others' didn't tend to listen to anyone but Dogan, Lennon, or Jacob. To them, Richard was a joke.
Charlie stretched out his hand, trying to reach Claire. The others made a grab and pinned her down. Charlie watched in horror as they bound her hands while she kicked and struggled. He knew full well what those nutters did to people they captured; how they 'tested' them.
Claire hit the floor and made eye contact with Charlie. Just at that moment, while he was looking at her desperately, hoping she could get away, she seemed to recognize him for who he actually was. Her eyes widened as the two others pulled her to her feet. He smiled, and though he knew she couldn't hear him, and they it wouldn't help, whispered "I love you." Then, his world faded to black.
One year later, Charlie stood at an abandoned camp that he knew was Claire's. He felt hollow, empty, and alone. Even though he knew that she had escaped, he felt responsible for what had happened to her. He had been to late to stop the tests and only regained consciousness after she got away. None of it mattered now, he'd be gone soon anyway.