All You Had to Do Was Ask
Jan. 1st, 2005 01:29 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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teffy's C&C Snuggly Fic Challenge. Quite a luffly little piece of Lost fanfic if I do say so myself.
Written formariadeluca who asked for Hurley, cute awkwardness, post baby-birth, and very little Jack. No Shannon. No Shannon at all. She's icky.
Title: All You Had to Do Was Ask
Pairing: Charlie/Claire, but of course
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Of course I don't own them. Do you think if I owned the Lost characters I'd be in debt right now???
Summary: Charlie finally caves in and admit he wants to truly love both Claire and her baby...
A blood curdling scream ripped throughout the island. All around, people looked up. Some cringed, some sighed. One woman started crying. Walt, the youngest one on the island, held his dog closer. What was happening was completely natural, but that didn't make it any easier to hear.
Charlie glanced down to notice that his knuckles were white. The moment he'd heard her, he'd stopped his pacing. He'd heard the scream before, but in entirely different circumstances. Before it was a scream of fear. Now it was one of pure pain. Absently, he chewed off a thumbnail before realizing what he was doing.
A scattering from the bushes near by made everyone jump, but then Sun peered out, spotted Charlie, and darted towards him. Speaking in Korean, she tugged on his shirt sleeve and pulled him towards the woods she'd just come from. It didn't take a degree in interpretation to follow her point, and he fell in step behind her.
Moments later, they reached the clearing, where Jack sat in front of Claire's bent knees. He looked up the moment he saw Sun return with Charlie.
"She's been asking for you. I wasn't about to tell her no."
Charlie felt his heart swell in a way that was completely unfamiliar to him. Despite never having been around for a birth, Claire had asked for him to be at her side. Sun resumed her place on the ground next to Jack, but Charlie suddenly felt completely insecure.
"What do I do?" He asked, in between Claire's cries. Instinctively he went to her, kneeling beside her.
"Just hold my hand." Claire whispered between panting breaths.
He did. He took her hand, and she squeezed it desperately. He could actually see her stomach wrenching as it pushed to relieve itself of the child inside of her, and another scream escaped her lips. Not knowing what else to do, he stroked her hair gently and murmured the lyrics of a Drive Shaft ballad into her ear.
It seemed to be working, and he added, "Come on, Claire. After everything your little one has been through, this will be his easiest journey. You've both survived a terrible accident, and we've removed him from the hands of evil. Now all we have to do is put him into your arms, and the worst will be over."
He had no idea where the words had come from. He wasn't known for being the well spoken type. Usually he was the one who fumbled for words. But it came spilling out of him, trying to gently coax Claire and her unborn child through this treacherous entrance into the world. He couldn't help her before, but he could help her now.
From that moment on, Claire seemed to be determined to bring her child forth. Only three more pushes, and Jack announced that the head was through, and one more should do it. Suddenly, along with Claire's final wail, another, tinier plea rang through the night. Again the infant cried, and Jack placed him on Claire's chest. Sobbing, she held her child, and Charlie grinned uncontrollably. He'd never seen anything like it, and he suddenly felt himself in tears, too. Impulsively he kissed her forhead, and she turned to look him in the eyes.
"Charlie, I'd like you to meet my son. Sweetie," She said, addressing the baby in her arms, "This is Charlie. He's a very good friend, and he's going to love you just as much as I do. I would imagine between the two of us we have enough love for you."
Cheers could be heard coming from the camp, where obviously they'd heard the newborn's announcement of his own birth. Jack was quickly finishing the delivery and cleaning Claire. Sun was rushing around, finding some natural herb that was supposed to help instead of stitches. But at that moment, Claire and Charlie and the baby only knew of each other.
********
Charlie was taking his turn baby-sitting. Most people around the camp had offered baby-sitting services, to help Claire have some free time between feedings. Charlie had signed up for many shifts, fascinated by this new life. When his niece was born, he'd still been using, and had barely been around for the experience. Now he had a chance to truly enjoy the miracle of babies, and took every chance he could. The fact that it was Claire's child certainly didn't hurt.
"Dude, are you gonna play with that kid all day?" Hurley said, coming up beside Charlie.
"I had thought about it. He's pretty cute." Charlie held the baby up to eye-level. His eyes were still that incredibly pale infant blue, and somehow Charlie knew they would deepen to be just like Claire's.
"Has she picked a name for him, yet?" Hurley was referring to Claire's indecisiveness about the baby's name. Every man's name on the island had come up at least once, and even a few of the women's. So far there was nothing. Something about the perfect name leading to his destiny or something.
"Nope, not yet." Nuzzling the baby, Charlie tucked the airline blanket just a little closer around him.
"I've told her I think Hugo is a perfect name. Strong and sensible." Hurley grinned, and Charlie had to glance at him skeptically. He could never really tell when Hurley was joking.
"Not for an Aussie bloke. The poor kid would be teased relentlessly on the playground."
"Hey, man, I know a thing or two about teasing. It's good for the soul. Makes you find your true calling faster and stuff. Wow..." Hurley interrupted himself. "That was a total Jedi moment. I'm getting really good at those."
Charlie laughed, and the baby gurgled. Apparently he liked the sound of laughter. Charlie imagined that was very easily possible, considering he'd been living inside of Claire. She had a beautiful laugh. He liked to make her laugh. If he tried hard enough he could hear her laughter already. He was imagining it so well that he jumped half a foot in the air when a hand was laid on his shoulder and it was hers.
"Charlie!" She giggled. "What's wrong? Nothing to be scared of." A silence hung in the air for a moment, as both of them knew that there was most definitely something to be scared of. But that was over.
"I know, I was just...well, I mean I..." Why couldn't he ever make words flow easily? Like he did during the baby's birth?
"What?" She prodded gently, sitting next to him in the sand. Her bucket hat was pulled firmly over her forhead.
"I was just thinking about you and then there you were." He admitted, blushing.
"Ooooookay...on that note, I'll leave the two of you alone." Hurley pulled himself up, then looked at their two blond heads nuzzled together. He sighed deeply. "All that blond hair makes me crave twinkies." He teased, then headed over to try and talk Sawyer into loaning him the sunglasses.
"So what were you thinking about me?" Claire asked, leaning over to nuzzle her baby's tummy. Having her head so close made Charlie tense. No girl had ever caused that kind of reaction in him.
"How much I love your laugh." He admitted softly. God, how could he have not kissed her yet?
"Good, because I like laughing. Especially when it's you that makes me laugh." Her voice was so soft, so sweet...it was admittedly the first time she'd truly let him in. First with all the Ethan business and then the baby's birth...they hadn't had a moment to confront what had been happening between them. Charlie held his breath as Claire looked at him deeply.
Claire was the first to break the stare, as she glanced down at the infant who had started squirming in Charlie's arms.
"Looks like it's time for him to eat." She said softly, reaching for the baby. Charlie turned his head away while Claire got the baby in position to nurse. Strange how he'd seen so many women in all their glory before, but with Claire he had to respect the tender moment of mother and child.
"Does it hurt?" He asked over the babies suckling sounds. He then immediately blushed and looked at the sand when he realized he'd been staring at the baby's tiny mouth.
"No, it just tickles a little. He's all gums right now. I don't even want to think ahead to teething. Think he's too young for boar's meat?" She asked with a smile. They shared a laugh, then Claire looked up at him with a serious expression. "Charlie, I never thanked you. For everything. For helping Jack, Locke, and Sayid find me. For helping me when I was in labor. For baby-sitting so much when most people here have a hard enough time taking care of themselves."
Charlie stared at his hands. Then up into Claire's blue eyes. Then out at the ocean. "I had to, Claire. I want to be a part of your life. It's the only way I knew how." His breath caught in his throat, as Claire laid her well-fed son on the blanket next to her, and took his chin with one finger. Tenderly, she turned his face to look at her. With a moment of hesitation that seemed to linger, she brought her lips to his.
"All you had to do was ask."
********
Charlie stood, hands in his pockets, looking pensively towards the ocean. It was time to turn back to the cave to take another turn at caring for little...well, Claire's child. A child he someday hoped he could care for as his own. Along with Claire. His Claire. It was undeniable now. At first it was just an attraction to a pretty girl. Then it was a feeling of being young and single on the island. Most recently it was simply an overwhelming need to protect her and her unborn child. Now he couldn't deny it any longer.
He was in love. He'd never felt that before. The band had always stopped any lingering feelings of love, and replaced them with a purely physical attraction. Then the drugs had come, and even the lines of women hadn't interested him. Sadly, landing on the island had been a blessing. Without the crash, he'd have never have met Claire. She was his inspiration. He'd tossed the last bag of smack into the fire, not only so she'd be willing to be with him, but also to make himself worthy of being loved. Not only by Claire and her son, but also by himself.
An arm slipped around Charlie's waist, and he didn't have to hesitate a moment to know who it was. Turning around, he embraced her and looked in her eyes. She had that half a smile that he loved so much.
"What are you doing out here all alone?" Claire asked softly. He knew it was more than an inquiry. She was always nervous about either of them being alone. She probably always would be.
"Just thinking. Thinking about your tiny baby who still has no name." Absently, he pushed a piece of hair off of her face. The wind pushed the stubborn piece right back where it had been.
"He has a name now." She announced. Charlie's eyes flew open in surprise.
"Oh, does he now?"
"Yes. Elliot Charles Littleton. Unless, of course, someday he were to be adopted by a new daddy..." The hints in her voice sent a shiver through him. He'd never thought in terms of forever before, but he rather liked the sound of it.
"Are you suggesting...?" Charlie's voice drifted off. Claire's smile drifted into an expression of complete seriousness as she nodded slowly.
"Charlie, I named him after you. I know I've never had the nerve to say it, but...well, I love you. And I think it's more than just being stranded on the island together. It's just this connection I feel with you, and that fuzzy feeling I get everytime you're holding my son." She paused to collect herself. "Our son. He may as well be, you love him as much as I do and do everything but feed him."
"The little chap does need a daddy." Charlie caressed her cheek gently with one hand. The baby...Elliot...looked so much like her. He certainly hoped so. She didn't need a lingering reminder of the man who'd left her behind. Not when she had him around, finally ready to stand tall and proud by her side.
"Elliot Charles Pace." Claire whispered, so quietly that she could barely be heard over the ocean's waves.
"I rather like the sound of that." Charlie said, a grin breaking out on his face. He leaned down to kiss her, and her arms entwined around his neck.
"And I like the sound of that!" She murmured with a giggle, pulling him in for another.
With a smile, he regarded her and whispered in her ear, "All you have to do is ask."
teffy's C&C Snuggly Fic Challenge. Quite a luffly little piece of Lost fanfic if I do say so myself.Written for
mariadeluca who asked for Hurley, cute awkwardness, post baby-birth, and very little Jack. No Shannon. No Shannon at all. She's icky. Title: All You Had to Do Was Ask
Pairing: Charlie/Claire, but of course
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Of course I don't own them. Do you think if I owned the Lost characters I'd be in debt right now???
Summary: Charlie finally caves in and admit he wants to truly love both Claire and her baby...
A blood curdling scream ripped throughout the island. All around, people looked up. Some cringed, some sighed. One woman started crying. Walt, the youngest one on the island, held his dog closer. What was happening was completely natural, but that didn't make it any easier to hear.
Charlie glanced down to notice that his knuckles were white. The moment he'd heard her, he'd stopped his pacing. He'd heard the scream before, but in entirely different circumstances. Before it was a scream of fear. Now it was one of pure pain. Absently, he chewed off a thumbnail before realizing what he was doing.
A scattering from the bushes near by made everyone jump, but then Sun peered out, spotted Charlie, and darted towards him. Speaking in Korean, she tugged on his shirt sleeve and pulled him towards the woods she'd just come from. It didn't take a degree in interpretation to follow her point, and he fell in step behind her.
Moments later, they reached the clearing, where Jack sat in front of Claire's bent knees. He looked up the moment he saw Sun return with Charlie.
"She's been asking for you. I wasn't about to tell her no."
Charlie felt his heart swell in a way that was completely unfamiliar to him. Despite never having been around for a birth, Claire had asked for him to be at her side. Sun resumed her place on the ground next to Jack, but Charlie suddenly felt completely insecure.
"What do I do?" He asked, in between Claire's cries. Instinctively he went to her, kneeling beside her.
"Just hold my hand." Claire whispered between panting breaths.
He did. He took her hand, and she squeezed it desperately. He could actually see her stomach wrenching as it pushed to relieve itself of the child inside of her, and another scream escaped her lips. Not knowing what else to do, he stroked her hair gently and murmured the lyrics of a Drive Shaft ballad into her ear.
It seemed to be working, and he added, "Come on, Claire. After everything your little one has been through, this will be his easiest journey. You've both survived a terrible accident, and we've removed him from the hands of evil. Now all we have to do is put him into your arms, and the worst will be over."
He had no idea where the words had come from. He wasn't known for being the well spoken type. Usually he was the one who fumbled for words. But it came spilling out of him, trying to gently coax Claire and her unborn child through this treacherous entrance into the world. He couldn't help her before, but he could help her now.
From that moment on, Claire seemed to be determined to bring her child forth. Only three more pushes, and Jack announced that the head was through, and one more should do it. Suddenly, along with Claire's final wail, another, tinier plea rang through the night. Again the infant cried, and Jack placed him on Claire's chest. Sobbing, she held her child, and Charlie grinned uncontrollably. He'd never seen anything like it, and he suddenly felt himself in tears, too. Impulsively he kissed her forhead, and she turned to look him in the eyes.
"Charlie, I'd like you to meet my son. Sweetie," She said, addressing the baby in her arms, "This is Charlie. He's a very good friend, and he's going to love you just as much as I do. I would imagine between the two of us we have enough love for you."
Cheers could be heard coming from the camp, where obviously they'd heard the newborn's announcement of his own birth. Jack was quickly finishing the delivery and cleaning Claire. Sun was rushing around, finding some natural herb that was supposed to help instead of stitches. But at that moment, Claire and Charlie and the baby only knew of each other.
********
Charlie was taking his turn baby-sitting. Most people around the camp had offered baby-sitting services, to help Claire have some free time between feedings. Charlie had signed up for many shifts, fascinated by this new life. When his niece was born, he'd still been using, and had barely been around for the experience. Now he had a chance to truly enjoy the miracle of babies, and took every chance he could. The fact that it was Claire's child certainly didn't hurt.
"Dude, are you gonna play with that kid all day?" Hurley said, coming up beside Charlie.
"I had thought about it. He's pretty cute." Charlie held the baby up to eye-level. His eyes were still that incredibly pale infant blue, and somehow Charlie knew they would deepen to be just like Claire's.
"Has she picked a name for him, yet?" Hurley was referring to Claire's indecisiveness about the baby's name. Every man's name on the island had come up at least once, and even a few of the women's. So far there was nothing. Something about the perfect name leading to his destiny or something.
"Nope, not yet." Nuzzling the baby, Charlie tucked the airline blanket just a little closer around him.
"I've told her I think Hugo is a perfect name. Strong and sensible." Hurley grinned, and Charlie had to glance at him skeptically. He could never really tell when Hurley was joking.
"Not for an Aussie bloke. The poor kid would be teased relentlessly on the playground."
"Hey, man, I know a thing or two about teasing. It's good for the soul. Makes you find your true calling faster and stuff. Wow..." Hurley interrupted himself. "That was a total Jedi moment. I'm getting really good at those."
Charlie laughed, and the baby gurgled. Apparently he liked the sound of laughter. Charlie imagined that was very easily possible, considering he'd been living inside of Claire. She had a beautiful laugh. He liked to make her laugh. If he tried hard enough he could hear her laughter already. He was imagining it so well that he jumped half a foot in the air when a hand was laid on his shoulder and it was hers.
"Charlie!" She giggled. "What's wrong? Nothing to be scared of." A silence hung in the air for a moment, as both of them knew that there was most definitely something to be scared of. But that was over.
"I know, I was just...well, I mean I..." Why couldn't he ever make words flow easily? Like he did during the baby's birth?
"What?" She prodded gently, sitting next to him in the sand. Her bucket hat was pulled firmly over her forhead.
"I was just thinking about you and then there you were." He admitted, blushing.
"Ooooookay...on that note, I'll leave the two of you alone." Hurley pulled himself up, then looked at their two blond heads nuzzled together. He sighed deeply. "All that blond hair makes me crave twinkies." He teased, then headed over to try and talk Sawyer into loaning him the sunglasses.
"So what were you thinking about me?" Claire asked, leaning over to nuzzle her baby's tummy. Having her head so close made Charlie tense. No girl had ever caused that kind of reaction in him.
"How much I love your laugh." He admitted softly. God, how could he have not kissed her yet?
"Good, because I like laughing. Especially when it's you that makes me laugh." Her voice was so soft, so sweet...it was admittedly the first time she'd truly let him in. First with all the Ethan business and then the baby's birth...they hadn't had a moment to confront what had been happening between them. Charlie held his breath as Claire looked at him deeply.
Claire was the first to break the stare, as she glanced down at the infant who had started squirming in Charlie's arms.
"Looks like it's time for him to eat." She said softly, reaching for the baby. Charlie turned his head away while Claire got the baby in position to nurse. Strange how he'd seen so many women in all their glory before, but with Claire he had to respect the tender moment of mother and child.
"Does it hurt?" He asked over the babies suckling sounds. He then immediately blushed and looked at the sand when he realized he'd been staring at the baby's tiny mouth.
"No, it just tickles a little. He's all gums right now. I don't even want to think ahead to teething. Think he's too young for boar's meat?" She asked with a smile. They shared a laugh, then Claire looked up at him with a serious expression. "Charlie, I never thanked you. For everything. For helping Jack, Locke, and Sayid find me. For helping me when I was in labor. For baby-sitting so much when most people here have a hard enough time taking care of themselves."
Charlie stared at his hands. Then up into Claire's blue eyes. Then out at the ocean. "I had to, Claire. I want to be a part of your life. It's the only way I knew how." His breath caught in his throat, as Claire laid her well-fed son on the blanket next to her, and took his chin with one finger. Tenderly, she turned his face to look at her. With a moment of hesitation that seemed to linger, she brought her lips to his.
"All you had to do was ask."
********
Charlie stood, hands in his pockets, looking pensively towards the ocean. It was time to turn back to the cave to take another turn at caring for little...well, Claire's child. A child he someday hoped he could care for as his own. Along with Claire. His Claire. It was undeniable now. At first it was just an attraction to a pretty girl. Then it was a feeling of being young and single on the island. Most recently it was simply an overwhelming need to protect her and her unborn child. Now he couldn't deny it any longer.
He was in love. He'd never felt that before. The band had always stopped any lingering feelings of love, and replaced them with a purely physical attraction. Then the drugs had come, and even the lines of women hadn't interested him. Sadly, landing on the island had been a blessing. Without the crash, he'd have never have met Claire. She was his inspiration. He'd tossed the last bag of smack into the fire, not only so she'd be willing to be with him, but also to make himself worthy of being loved. Not only by Claire and her son, but also by himself.
An arm slipped around Charlie's waist, and he didn't have to hesitate a moment to know who it was. Turning around, he embraced her and looked in her eyes. She had that half a smile that he loved so much.
"What are you doing out here all alone?" Claire asked softly. He knew it was more than an inquiry. She was always nervous about either of them being alone. She probably always would be.
"Just thinking. Thinking about your tiny baby who still has no name." Absently, he pushed a piece of hair off of her face. The wind pushed the stubborn piece right back where it had been.
"He has a name now." She announced. Charlie's eyes flew open in surprise.
"Oh, does he now?"
"Yes. Elliot Charles Littleton. Unless, of course, someday he were to be adopted by a new daddy..." The hints in her voice sent a shiver through him. He'd never thought in terms of forever before, but he rather liked the sound of it.
"Are you suggesting...?" Charlie's voice drifted off. Claire's smile drifted into an expression of complete seriousness as she nodded slowly.
"Charlie, I named him after you. I know I've never had the nerve to say it, but...well, I love you. And I think it's more than just being stranded on the island together. It's just this connection I feel with you, and that fuzzy feeling I get everytime you're holding my son." She paused to collect herself. "Our son. He may as well be, you love him as much as I do and do everything but feed him."
"The little chap does need a daddy." Charlie caressed her cheek gently with one hand. The baby...Elliot...looked so much like her. He certainly hoped so. She didn't need a lingering reminder of the man who'd left her behind. Not when she had him around, finally ready to stand tall and proud by her side.
"Elliot Charles Pace." Claire whispered, so quietly that she could barely be heard over the ocean's waves.
"I rather like the sound of that." Charlie said, a grin breaking out on his face. He leaned down to kiss her, and her arms entwined around his neck.
"And I like the sound of that!" She murmured with a giggle, pulling him in for another.
With a smile, he regarded her and whispered in her ear, "All you have to do is ask."
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-06 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-06 11:19 pm (UTC)Awww. Sweet without being too mushy. And still aware of the danger they're in. Nicely done.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-07 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-07 04:24 pm (UTC)Yeah, I do wonder why people have them completely unaware in fic.
They're not on Fantasy Island.
And yeah we can't feed Shannon to a polar bear now that she's finally becoming something resembling a human.