|
Gone Fishing
****************************
Claire frowned as she heard Shannon and Boone fighting while Charlie stood there. She didn’t understand Shannon using Charlie like that, couldn’t she see what an amazing guy he really was. She watched as the Englishman walked away dejected. Sighing Claire walked off towards the beach until she found a secluded spot. Today hadn’t been easy and she sat down holding the wedding planner’s book. She opened the tattered white album and stared at the picture of the young couple. She didn’t even realize she was crying until she heard his voice. “Claire, are you alright? Is it the baby?” Looking up she smiled, a blush tainting her cheeks. “Charlie, no…no I’m fine, he’s fine.” “He?” he asked with a grin. How was it this girl always made him want to smile. Claire smiled as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, I don’t know why but I think it’s a he. He has one heck of a kick too, could give David Beckham a run for his money.” Charlie laughed as he sat down next to her. “So why the tears?” She held up the book a little for her companion to see. “I was looking at this. The couple behind me were planning their wedding,” she explained as more tears hit her. “Why did we live and the others died?” Charlie stared into her blue eyes and unconsciously reached out to wipe away her tears. “I don’t know why we lived and they died. Sometimes I think the Big Guy picked the wrong person to make it when it comes to my sorry ass.” Claire shook her head. “Oh Charlie, I didn’t mean…I don’t know what I meant but I’m glad you made it.” He smiled slightly, “I’m glad you made it too.” She smiled shyly at the handsome musician. “And you’re too good for her.” She whispered. “What?” Charlie asked, clearly not expecting that last statement. Claire blushed, “I’m sorry. I heard what Shannon and Boone said and…and you deserve somebody better than that. Somebody who can appreciate you.” Charlie stared at Claire. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t say he deserved it. Deserved to be used, to be punished for all the pain he had caused his family and friends with his drug use. He opened his mouth to tell her she was wrong but was stopped when Hurley joined them with his hands behind his back. “Hey Claire, pick a hand?” The curly hair young man said with a broad smile on his face. Standing up Claire smiled and taped his right arm. “This one.” “Taadaa!” He exclaimed as he pulled his hand out from behind his back and showed her the large fish he had caught. “Oh my God!” She laughed as she clapped her hands together. “You’re going to have a feast.” Hurley ducked his head, “well I got him for you actually. I figured you should eat something more than peanuts with the baby and all.” “We,” she said as she rubbed his arm. “I’ll only eat if we share.” She told him before looking over at Charlie and adding, “and that includes you too Charlie.” “Oh no, I can’t there isn’t enough and you should eat more with the baby and all.” He rambled, embarrassed that he hadn’t even thought to catch a fish for Claire. She needed to keep up her strength. “Dude,” Hurley called to Charlie. “You don’t think I just caught one fish do you?” He joked as he took his other hand out from behind his back, holding two more fishes. “See there’s plenty for the three of us.” Claire announced. Charlie smiled and nodded his head. “Yeah there is.” He held his hands out towards Hurley. “Here I’ll clean since you caught them.” Grinning the other man handed the fish over. “Cool, I’ll go get us some firewood. Claire, you sit and rest.” “Well I’m not going to argue with you.” She joked as she sat back down in the sand. “I feel like being pampered.” Charlie smiled as he headed down towards the water with the fishes. He had snagged a pocketknife out of a bag this afternoon. Of course he had taken it with the intention of using it to clean a fish for Shannon. What an idiot he had been today. It had to be the drugs. He knew her type, hell he always went for girls like Shannon. A quick lay and then on to the next one. But today, today he had let himself be made a fool of by Shannon. Maybe it was payback for all the girls he had used in the past. Crouching down at the shoreline Charlie began cleaning the first fish. Every few seconds he found himself turning to look back at Claire. She was sitting on the beach, rubbing her stomach. He let his mind drift for a few seconds and imagine what it would be like to kiss Claire. To feel her tongue glided against his. His hands itched to cup her firm breast, kneading them until she begged him for more. ‘Stop it!’ He shouted to himself. She was a single woman on a deserted island expecting a baby. She certainly didn’t need him and his shit touching her. She deserved better. He laugh at the irony of Claire’s comment earlier that he deserved better than Shannon. He wondered if she would feel that way if she saw him for who he really was, a loser drug addict. Shaking his head he finished cleaning the fish. By the time he was done Hurley had come back and had a pretty decent fire going and had even manage to make a spit with some branches. “Here, I’ll cook them since you and Hurley have done so much.” Claire told him as she reached out for the fish. “No…no you don’t want to get fish guts on you. I’ll do it.” He argued. “Well will somebody please shove the stick up the fishes asses and get them on the fire. I’m starving.” Hurley announced. Claire bite her lower lip before raising her hands in mock defeat. “Alright, Emeril let’s see what you can do with the fishes.”
***
“I think my stomach is going to explode.” Claire sighed as she leaned against the log behind her. “Dude, that was pretty good.” Hurley said as he got up from where he sat. “I have to go, I told the Doc I’d help start the fire. I’ll see you two there, right?” Claire nodded her head, “yeah, I told Jack I was going to do the memorial. If you want to help…” Hurley nodded his head. “Yeah, sure. I’ll see you over there.” The other two watched Hurley head over to the plane. Claire turned and smiled at Charlie. “The fish really was delicious.” “Thanks.” He said as he ran his hand up and down his thigh. He need to leave, the craving was getting worst. She watched the way he seemed distracted and she sighed to herself. ‘Of course he doesn’t want to be sitting with you. He’s a musician for crying out loud, he certainly doesn’t want to hang with the pregnant girl.’ “Charlie if you need to go and…” “What?” He asked. Was she trying to get rid of him. “It just seems like you’re mind is elsewhere. You don’t have to keep me company.” She told him softly. ‘Yeah I need to find a tree to hide behind and get stoned.’ He said to himself in disgust but managed to smile and lie to her. “It’s just…well you know nature is calling.” “Oh!” She laughed, embarrassed at how paranoid she was being. “Well you…you know and then come and join us at the memorial.” “Wouldn’t miss it.” He told her as he stood up and reached down to help her up. “Oooohhhh, he’s kicking,” she told him as her hand flew to her belly. “Here you have to feel this.” She said as she grabbed his hand and placed it where the baby was kicking. “WOW!” Charlie said in amazement, his need for his heroin fading for a brief moment. Grinning Claire looked down at their hands. She frowned for a second. “FATE?” She asked as she read the tape on his knuckles. “Oh it’s a bad habit I got into. I just try and come up with different words with three letters the same.” He explained, feeling a bit embarrassed. Nobody had ever asked him about the tape before. “Cool.” She said with a nod of her head and asked with a teasing smile. “Have you used D for DATE?” Charlie grinned and shook his head. “Not yet, but I think I will tonight.” Claire returned Charlie’s grin. “Glad I could be of assistance.” He had to fight to keep himself from kissing her. He couldn’t do that to her, she really was too sweet for him. Swallowing he jerked his thumb towards the forest. “I gotta…well you know.” “Right.” She said as she looked over towards where they had started the fire. “I have to get over there too. I’ll see you later, right.” Charlie nodded his head. “Yeah, of course.” “Good,” she told him before leaning forward, closing the space between them and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Thank you for today.” She whispered before turning and hurrying towards the others, leaving a stunned Charlie standing there watching her, his fingers reaching up to touch his mouth. When she was finally out of his sight he turned towards the forest to find a place to good place to hide and get high. That’s what he did best, getting high. Then when he was feeling like he like Superman, he would go out and join the other…join Claire and be the charming bastard they all expected. The difference this time was he wished he was that guy they all thought he was. He just wished he could be that guy , the guy Claire had kissed tonight. The End
|