Charlie made his way to the airport to board Oceanic flight 815 and when he entered, he was immediately stopped by two people who introduced themselves. The man said "Mr Pace, I am Matthew Abaddon, and this is my partner Naomi Dorrits, were here to escort you to where you need to be".

Charlie said "thanks but I've already got a flight to LA".

Naomi told him "I think you misunderstood us Mr Pace. We need you to come with us, because you are not getting on that plane".

Charlie asked "says who".

Matthew answered "our employer Mr Widmore".

Charlie replied "well you can tell Mr Widmore to bugger off because I have a plane to catch".

Matthew said "well we'll have to do this the hard way then". They both grabbed Charlie and dragged him out of the airport and into an awaiting car. Charlie was driven far away from the airport and to a warehouse in Sydney.

They dragged him out of the car and in front of Charles Widmore who greeted him "hello Mr Pace, I'm so glad that you could join us".

Charlie responded "join you, you kidnapped me".

Charles Widmore replied "come now really, I just saved you from being in a plane crash".

Charlie replied "what plane crash".

Charles Widmore stated "the plane crash that is about to happen, Oceanic flight 815 will soon fall out of the sky and crash on the island".

Charlie replied "what island and how do you know that a plane will crash".

Charles Widmore told them "Because we do, we were told a long time ago about what will occur and that you cannot be on Oceanic 815".

Charlie replied "why, why did you save me from the plane crash".

Charles Widmore answered "because it's needs to happen, and what also needs to happen is that you need to go to the island but not yet, only when the time is right".

Charlie asked "okay I'll bite, when will the time be right".

Charles Widmore answered "December 21st, 2004".

Charlie asked "well, that's a specific date".

Charles Widmore says "you'll find out, when you go to the island".

Charlie said "what if I refuse".

Charles Widmore said "don't worry Mr Pace, you'll end up there but for now you can't be seen on the outside and will come with us".

Charlie asked, "why can't I be seen on the outside".

Charles Widmore laughed a little "Mr Pace, it's better for everyone you remain unknown until we go to the island".

Charlie remarked "great, at least captured by you people, I'll be able to get clean".

Charles Widmore said "now goodbye Mr Pace, have a great time with my associates until it's time to leave".

The next couple of months were spent with Charlie locked in different rooms, his addiction made it worse. He was constantly sick and being tied up made it far worse, and his new friends Matthew and Naomi didn't seem to feel sympathetic to his plight. Charlie eventually became better and was kind of thankful that the harsh conditions were the thing that actually got him off heroin. Naomi eventually came in and turned the television on telling him, "Watch this".

The news reporter said "Oceanic 815 was found today with all passengers aboard, the mystery of what happened that day has one answer and that is the fate of all 324 passengers aboard the flight. The plane split into three and fell into the Ocean, there were no survivors".

Charlie asked "so that's what you saved me from huh. I thought you said that it would crash on this island you always babble about".

Naomi replied "very smart Mr Pace".

Charlie then said "since they said, all bodies were found; do they know that I never made it aboard and thus not dead like the rest of them".

Naomi replied "as I said, smart. Mr Pace. But we need to go because we are about to assemble a team to go to the island and you're on it".

Charlie joked "great and when we do, I can be the one to say Avengers Assemble".

Naomi sighed at his comment and dragged him out of the room and said "were going to Fiji".

Charlie was dragged onto a plane heading towards Fiji and when they landed, Charlie was led aboard the boat called the Kahana and told "this is the research crew that will go to the island with us. Meet Frank Lapidus our helicopter pilot, Daniel Faraday our physicist, Charlotte Lewis acultural anthropologist, and Miles Straume he has a unique ability".

Charlie questioned "really a unique ability".

Miles answered "yes and why are you here".

Naomi answered "this is Charlie Pace, he's very special to this mission and extremely needed for our purpose".

Charlie asked "can I know our purpose".

Naomi said "were after a man called Benjamin Linus and your sole purpose is going with us to the island".

Lapidus asked "really that's Charlie Pace because I read the 815 manifest inside and out, and I".

Naomi interrupted "that's enough Frank, we'll talk about it later, but we are each all needed for this mission".

Charlie was confused about what Frank Lapidus meant and they set sail after all the crew had boarded. They sailed for a couple of days and anytime he was on deck he would notice one of the deck hands named Kevin Johnson staring at him. Kevin then decided to introduce himself "hey I'm Kevin Johnson".

Charlie responded "I'm Charlie, Charlie Pace".

Kevin was shocked at the answer but returned to normal saying "good to meet you, but may I ask what your purpose here is".

Charlie answered "I don't really know but just going to some island".

Kevin replied "well good luck with that mate".

Charlie replied "thanks".

Naomi later took one of the helicopters to the island but never made contact or returned. George then managed to make contact with some of the island survivors and Charlie, Miles, Charlotte, Daniel, and the pilot Frank all got ready and went to the helicopter. Frank said "you ready kid".

Charlie replied "never had a choice, so yeah I'm ready". They all loaded into the helicopter and flew to the island. They soon were able to see the island and then the helicopter began to fail and crash.

Everyone started to panic, and they all rushed to get their vests and Charlotte said "I can't find my vest".

Miles insisted "check under your seat".

Charlotte responded "I already did".

Frank yelled "get ready".

Miles told Charlotte "here, just take mine".

Frank told them "everyone out now".

Miles grabbed Daniel and said "hey genius, go".

Miles pushed him out before bailing himself. Then followed by Charlotte, and finally Charlie while Frank stayed to try and land the helicopter.

They all fell to the island and pulled their shoots. They fell on different parts of the island with Daniel being immediately found by Jack and Kate. Daniel told them that he came he with 4 others including the pilot. They travelled until they found Miles who demanded that they take him to Naomi. Charlotte was found by Locke's group and after talking to them and explaining the transponders and that the rest of her team will find them. They sent Vincent away with hers but as soon as they did, they all heard rustling and a phone bleeping, Charlotte exclaimed "lucky for us, that no longer matters because that's one of them now".

Charlie came out exclaiming "my god Charlotte, you could have warned me about the landing". Charlie then walked into the clearing and took his helmet off saying "ow my head is so sore".

Everyone saw Charlie and stood still in bewilderment at seeing Charlie standing in front of them, a man who they all believed to have died yesterday. Claire thrusted Aaron to Hurley and rushed towards him and kissed him on the lips before saying, "Charlie, your alive. I thought you were dead but your back".

Charlie said "man Charlotte, if you told me the woman here give warm welcomes, then I would have come a lot easier".

Claire stood back and said "Charlie, you do remember me don't you".

Charlie said "sorry love but am I supposed to".

Claire said "No. No, this can't be, you have to remember me. You have to remember us".

Charlie said, "I'm sorry but I don't, did I meet you at a concert". He then turned to Aaron and said, "please tell me that isn't your baby, and it was a year ago where we went back to my hotel because I'm not father material".

Claire went over and took Aaron back smiling at Charlie thinking that he was Aaron's father and said "no, you're not but how did you survive the Looking Glass. Desmond said you died yesterday".

Charlie told her "I was on a boat yesterday, as I've been since it left dock days ago and before that I was held captive by a man named Matthew and a woman named Naomi, all at the orders of Charles Widmore". Ben recognised the name but stayed quiet.

Claire asked "how long did they hold you captive for".

Charlie answered "ever since Sydney airport where I was supposed to board my plane, but they stopped me from getting on".

Sawyer assumed "I'm going to guess Oceanic 815".

Charlie told them "yeah".

Claire asked "what's going on here, why doesn't Charlie remember us and why does he believe that he wasn't on the plane".

Charlotte said "because he wasn't, he's been with us the entire time".

Claire said "but how, Charlie was here, he was right here on the island".

Sawyer said "now this place is really getting weird because how can chucky have been in two places at once".

Charlotte said "well if that's the case then there's only one person that can help us, Daniel. He came with us on the helicopter".

Locke said "no, we are trying to get away from you people and the danger that you bring. So, we are not going back to look for them".

Claire said "John, we need to. We need to find out what happened to Charlie and that's more important than wherever we were going".

Locke said "no, it doesn't matter how Charlie came back, he's back and that's that. We are going to keep ourselves safe away from these people".

Charlie said "I would like to know because I literally know nothing, and it's annoyed me for months and now I'm on an island where everybody knows me, and I'm dead apparently".

Hurley said "Claire's right we need to find out what happened because we do want to get off this island but only when it's safe and we need to know when that is".

Sawyer responded "okay me, Claire, Hurley, and Charlie will go and find the rest of the helicopter team while the rest of you go continue to follow Locke"

Locke insisted "James we need to stick together".

Claire raised her voice "no, we're going, I need to find out what the hell happened to my boyfriend because five minutes ago I thought I would never see him again but he's standing right here, alive".

Charlie remarked "boyfriend, to that hottie, hell yeah, I'm on easy street at the moment".

Sawyer said "were going and we aint asking for permission".

Locke relented and Charlie, Hurley, Claire, and Sawyer left to find Daniel. They made their way until they saw a signal flare. Charlie said "well that has to be one of them right there", all of them went to it.

Hurley exclaimed "wait" before giving him a massive hug.

Charlie responded "thanks and I guess I'm going to get a lot of them hey".

Sawyer remarked "not from me sport, I don't do hugging".

Hurley said "come on Sawyer".

Sawyer relented "fine" before he hugged Charlie.

Charlie said to Claire "well you've already given me a lot more than a hug".

Claire said "yes but I need to say that I'm happy to see you anyway and you need to meet someone, Charlie this is Aaron".

Charlie tickled his cheek saying "hello Aaron", Aaron smiled, and Charlie remarked "seems he likes me".

Claire said "yeah, he does because you two were very close".

Charlie said "well that's nice since I'll be in his life a lot with dating his mother and all".

Claire smiled before saying "let's go to that flare and find out what happened to you".

Jack's group had found Vincent and were about to find the next teammate when they saw the flare as well, they also went towards it and saw Frank Lapidus. They made it toward him and asked "Frank where's Charlotte and our final crew member".

Lapidus said "they bailed out just before we went down. I don't know where they are".

Miles asked "Frank where's the chopper".

Lapidus told them "I saw a cow".

Miles asked "hey Lapidus where's the chopper, where did it crash".

Lapidus retorted "crash, what the hell kind of pilot do you think I am. I put her down safe and sound right over there".

They all went to see the helicopter and where happy to see it but then Jack turned and demanded "okay who's this final team member because you seem very careful not to say their name or anything about them".

Daniel said "ordered not to, until you saw them for yourself".

Kate asked "why would that make a difference because we have no idea who they are, like we don't know you".

Daniel told them "It's just our orders but I'm going to guess there's a reason behind it, and we'll find out because we don't even know why they came but it was essential that they did".

They went down to the helicopter and Sayid did a quick examination of it when Jack asked "well".

Sayid remarked "there is some minor damage, but the mechanical systems are intact".

Jack questioned "so it'll fly then".

Sayid responded "absolutely".

Miles was about to ask to have the phone from Jack when it began beeping and Miles said, "well that's our final member who we've been dying to figure out why the hell they were brought".

Jack remarked "let's meet them and see because I really want to know what you guys are doing here".

Jack saw on the phone that it was coming from the hill, and he then saw four figures walking towards them. Jack went to get a better look at them when he saw that one was holding a baby which was Claire holding Aaron and both Sawyer and Hurley walking to the right of her but the person on the left couldn't be real because that was Charlie, and he was dead. Jack exclaimed "everyone you need to see this". They all came over and saw the four of them walking towards them and they were all shocked at seeing Charlie because he is supposed to be dead.

They made it to the group and Sawyer asked, "where is this, Daniel. We have a situation that you need to explain".

Daniel asked "yes what is it".

Sawyer said "explain why the munchkin is alive and not dead like he was yesterday".

Everyone turned to Daniel, and he said "oh, so, that's why he was brought here". He then muttered "he was always meant to be here and this version of him is supplementing the previous one because of this one's arrival, hmm".

Sawyer demand "speak up scientist, oh and make sure that everyone can understand".

Daniel asked "was Charlie always here, did he crash with you".

Jack answered "yes, he's been here all along, but he died so how is he here now".

Daniel asked "Charlie did you board Oceanic 815".

Charlie told him "no, I was about to, but I was taken by Naomi and Matthew for a man named Charles Widmore".

Daniel said "I see well then this all makes perfect sense".

Jack said "I'm sorry but it doesn't".

Sawyer agreed "the doc is right, no is doesn't".

Daniel told them "when Charlie didn't board Oceanic 815, a paradox was created because he was supposed to board and crash here. But since he didn't it created a second Charlie. One who came to the island and the other who didn't, but the universe doesn't like paradoxes so, it fixed it. Which means this Charlie is here alive and the other one dead and most likely was in an act of getting us here".

Claire said "Desmond's vision. Desmond had visions of Charlie dying".

Daniel responded "yes, the universe didn't like two Charlie's and had to put it right by getting rid of one while the other came here".

Jack said "Desmond had what".

Hurley told him "Visions, he kept seeing Charlie die and I'm guessing he had one about him going to the Looking Glass".

Jack replied "okay but I still don't get this whole paradox thing".

Daniel said "I can show you if Charlie has something that he had, and the other one would have".

Charlie said "my ring, I rarely take it off and I would still wear it even here".

Claire said "but Charlie wouldn't it have been on you, when you drowned".

Charlie said, "maybe but I don't know, I wasn't here". He then asked, "was I".

Claire said "I don't remember".

Charlie replied "then it's our best chance to see this paradox thing in action because I'm living it, and I don't understand".

Jack said "well that solves the mystery of how Charlie is alive, but we need to find out about the Looking Glass because Desmond went with him, so we need to bring him here"

Juliet said "I'll get him Jack and bring him back here, as soon as I'm done with this guy".

Miles then demands "can I have the phone now".

Jack tells him "Tell you what, I'll give you the phone if you tell me what you people are doing here because I know you knew nothing about Charlie and that he was only here to fix this paradox thing but you and what you guys are doing here, I have no idea".

Miles said, "I'll tell you what we're doing here if you give me the phone".

Jack relents and gives him the phone telling him "Don't say anything about your sister".

Miles called the boat, but George couldn't come to the phone and Daniel was trying to take Naomi's body back on the helicopter, Miles rejects this and Lapidus agrees with him but promises to take her on the next run. Juliet continues to patch up Lapidus up when he realises that she wasn't on the plane when she tells him her name. Lapidus informs Miles of this, and Miles demands to know where Benjamin Linus is and that he is the reason they came to the island. Juliet goes to get Desmond, and the rest decide to actually greet Charlie. Jack tells him "It's good to have you back man, the island was depressing without you".

Charlie said "well, I guess I'll need to do a lot of catching up then with a lot of people".

Jack tell him "Yes you will" before giving him a hug.

Kate give him a hug saying "welcome back, we all missed you".

Then Sayid gave him a hug saying "good to have you back, it was sad thinking that you were gone".

Sayid decided to investigate the freighter and to that agreed to get Charlotte back if Lapidus took him back to the freighter. Lapidus agreed and Sayid went with Miles to go to the Barracks and get Charlotte back. Daniel set up an experiment and was panicked about the results. Desmond and Juliet returned, and Desmond nearly fell over in shock at seeing Charlie under a tree with Claire. He rushed over shouting "Charlie" before crashing into a hug and happily asked "how in the hell did you survive you jammy bastard, how did you get out of the Looking Glass".

Charlie told him "I didn't. I died there apparently".

Desmond confused "then how are you here now".

Charlie said "something about paradoxes and correcting the universe because there can't be two Charlie's".

Desmond more confused "what does that mean".

Claire said "Charlie never boarded flight 815, which caused there to be two, but the universe corrected itself and now there's only one".

Desmond pleased "well I guess that's what the visions were for, to reset the paradox but why didn't you get on".

Charlie said "because of a woman named Naomi and Matthew who were working for a Charles Widmore".

Desmond angrily remarked "of course it was Charles Widmore, that would explain the photo, Naomi, the boat, everything".

Jack said "Desmond can you explain this all then".

Desmond went to Naomi's bag and got the picture of him and Penny together. Desmond informed them "Naomi had this, this is a picture of me and Penny, we were together, and Naomi used that to get me to believe it was her, but it wasn't it was Charles Widmore who is rich, powerful, and Penny's father so whatever he's here for can't be good". Desmond then went to Lapidus "I need to get on that boat, you need to take me there because if Charles Widmore's involved then I need to be there".

Daniel said "if you're going to the freighter tell me was Charlie wearing a ring when he died".

Desmond answered "I don't remember seeing a ring".

Daniel asked "did he know he was going to die".

Desmond answered "yes he believed a vision that Claire and Aaron would get on a helicopter and fly away if he went there to drown".

Daniel said "there see the universe was trying to get you to make him go down there by showing him a thing that would make him go down there, make himself sacrifice himself".

Desmond asked, "so the vision of Claire and Aaron was just to get me to force Charlie down there and for him to sacrifice himself for those he loved".

Daniel asked "this ring, if you believed you were going to die, would you wear it".

Charlie answered "not if I went down there to sacrifice myself for Claire and Aaron because if I did, then I would leave the ring with them because this ring is supposed to passed down from father to son, so I'd leave it with Claire".

Claire said "you never gave me the ring".

Charlie suggested "maybe I left it somewhere for you to find because if my death was going to save you then I wouldn't say it because you would probably stopped me".

Claire said "yes I would".

Daniel said "when we get back to your camp, we'll check Claire's tent".

Sayid was captured by Locke but used Miles to barter in exchange for Charlotte, they returned to the helicopter and Lapidus flew Sayid, Desmond, and Naomi's body away from the island and towards the freighter.

Jack, Kate, Juliet, Hurley, Claire, Charlie, Sawyer, Daniel, and Charlotte returned to the beach camp and made in there the next morning. Jack insists "Charlie stay here, I'm going to need to explain them before I get to you because to them, your dead".

Charlie said "Got it. Don't scare the living shit out of everyone".

Jack said "well not just yet". Jack, Kate, Juliet, Hurley, Claire, Sawyer, Daniel, and Charlotte entered the camp and after Jack said "this is Charlotte, Dan. Their helicopter already took Sayid and Desmond back to their freighter. They can make arrangements to get us all of this island".

Sun asked "what are they doing here, I thought they went with Locke".

Jack told them "okay everyone listen up; I need you all not to freak out because this is as scary for him as it is to us, and they came back because they found him". Jack screamed "come on out Charlie".

Charlie walked out and said "hello everyone".

The camp was silent in shock and Jack told them "Everyone Charlie is back, explaining it will be impossible but he's back and alive, but he doesn't remember any of us so be gentle".

The entire camp greeted Charlie warmly and Sun asked "but how Jack, how did he come back Desmond said he died".

Daniel said "don't worry I'll explain".

Sawyer insisted "make sure everyone can understand and not just you".

Daniel told them "Okay so Charlie never boarded flight 815 and so never crashed. He was taken and hidden for months until he was brought to us to bring to the island. Because Charlie never came here but was supposed to, it created a paradox which caused two Charlie's, one of the island and the other one. The universe doesn't like paradoxes and set it right by bringing this Charlie here and killing the one already here. So, it's the same Charlie just with no memory of you or this place, understand".

Bernard answered "no"

Daniel told them "Well I can't do better, but I can show you", Daniel asked Claire where's your tent". Claire led them to her tent and in Aaron's crib saw the glinting of Charlie's ring. Claire showed them the ring and Charlie took his off. Daniel then grabbed both and said, "watch this". He then brought the ring together and as they touch, they combined into one. Everyone was shocked at what they saw, and Daniel said "paradox, one thing turned into two and when brought together combined into one. That's basically what happened to Charlie, he's here and the other died".

Bernard said "I've seen a lot of things on this island but nothing like that".

Daniel handed Charlie his ring and Claire lowered Aaron into his crib and asked Charlie "hey can you sit next to me on the bed".

Charlie did and Claire said "Charlie, thank you".

Charlie asked "for what".

Claire told him "For giving your ring to Aaron".

Charlie said "well I'm thankful for that to because now I know that I truly saw him like my son". Charlie then said "only if that's okay with you of course".

Claire told him "It's okay he doesn't have one and I'm glad you care for him because that's all I really want from a man. To care about me and my son and you've definitely proven that".

Charlie joked "it's very easy when a different version of yourself has done most of the work".

Claire responded "but it's still you and although it will be an adjustment, we'll do it together and I have the perfect tool to help right here". Claire grabbed her book and said, "When we get back to the Barracks, I'll read what I wrote about us".

Charlie asked "aren't we staying here".

Claire said "we can but I'm unsure about the people on the boat, and I want us all to get off and we need to stay safe until we can actually leave safely".

Charlie told her "These guys are fine and don't know anything. I wasn't told anything, but these guys seemed to not been told a lot to. So, I think it's wise to stay where it's safe"".

Claire said "plus there are actual houses".

Charlie remarked "actual house well let's go because if the options are tent or house, I chose house".

Claire responded "same, plus it can give us practice for the future because were getting off this island together and staying together".

Charlie remarked "man this relationship's easy for me, when I've done literally nothing".

Claire told him "You sacrificed yourself me and my son; that's more than enough and when I thought you were gone, I was devastated that we would never have a future together and I wanted it, I want a future with you".

Sawyer went up to Kate and said "you coming back to the Barracks with me".

Kate said "no, why".

Sawyer told her "Because do you really want to get rescued, sure Charlie and Claire might come with us, but they will go when it's safe".

Kate responded "I want to get rescued, why wouldn't I".

Sawyer told her "Because of the future. You and me have none of the outside. There we can have roofs, power, freedom but on the outside, I'm just a conman who'll go back to my ways and you will be locked up".

Kate told him "how long do you think we can play house together James".

Sawyer told her "Let's see then because we don't have a future unlike that lucky bastard over there".

Kate asked "you mean Charlie".

Sawyer answered "yeah because he's fine, he and Claire will get off this island, go to Australia and be mom and dad to Aaron. Because look at them Freckles, a perfect family and she technically has only known him for a few hours. It's a happy ending but we will not get that because of what we've done so come with me to the Barracks and have freedom, and we literally couldn't ask for a better place".

Kate responded "okay James, I'll go with you".

Sawyer told her "Good choice freckles because we don't have a lot of other options, so I'll just check if burger king, the former drug addict rockstar and his girlfriend want to come along".