Lostlorenzo: Hey there. I accidently deleted your reply just after I read it, before I had a chance to reply so I can't exactly recall everything, so if there was a question that I'm forgetting due to my lack of sleep-slash-intelligence, please ask it again either hear or on Fate, witch ever you prefer. Hope to hear from you soon.

CharlieLOVER: Thanks for the review. Shot and simple, but straight to the point.

Catch A falling Star:

The Hospital:

"Claire? What are you doing here?" Jack questioned, spotting Claire standing in the middle of the hall with her baby in her arms, tears rolling down her cheeks. "What happened?" he asked in concern, quickly running over to her.. "Its Charlie. He's in there, Jack!" She explained, frantically, her voice raw from crying.

"Charlie? What happened to him?" Jack questioned in confusion. "I don't know.." She sobbed, shaking her head. "I don't know.."

Jack sighed, and folded her in his arms. "Ok. Claire, I want you to take a seat, try to calm down. I'm going to go see what's going on with him." Jack explained, calmly. "I won't let anything happen to him, ok?" He questioned, lifting Claire's chin so her eyes meet his. Claire nodded, unable to speak. With that, Jack headed into the ER where Charlie had been taken.

"What happened?" He questioned hurriedly, coming to the side of the bed where Charlie laid, unconscious. "He was at a hotel. The manager found him like this, why?" The other doctor questioned, in confusion. "Because I know him" Jack explained, pulling on his gloves.

"Got any ideas on what's wrong with him?" one of the nurses questioned. "Yeah" Jack nodded, simply. The doctor and nurses exchanged a few confused glances before looking back at him, awaiting an explanation. But Jack didn't say another word.

A few hours later:

Charlie woke up to find a extremely bright light in his eyes. He turned his head to the side, feeling a sudden pain in his temple. Slowly, his eye adjusted to the harsh lighting and he realized where he was. A hospital? How the fuck did I get her? He thought to himself, looking around in confusion.

Slowly, he tried to sit up. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" A voice warned from beside him. Charlie looked over to see Jack standing not to far away, arms crossed over his chest. Charlie sighed, and laid back down. "What happened?" he questioned, his voice raspy and strained.

"You over dosed on Herein. Medics came to your hotel after the manager found you" Jack explained in a cold medical tone. Charlie looked down, not knowing what to say. "You wanna tell me what happened?" Jack questioned, sounding much like a father figure.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked in reply, still not awake enough to fully understand what was going on. "I mean what happened that made you do this?" Jack questioned, trying his best to hide the anger in his voice. "I didn't do it on purpose!" Charlie explained defensively, trying once again to sit up. He felt a sharp pain shoot through him and quickly laid back down.

Jack looked a bit skeptical for a moment. "Are you sure?" he questioned, sternly. Charlie nodded in reply. "So the overdose was an accident?" Jack questioned, trying to make sure. "Yes!" Charlie explained, insistently.

"Where did you get the drugs?" Jack asked, after a moment, changing the subject. "I was staying with my old roommate. We got in an argument. I left, took the drugs with me" Charlie answered, with a sigh.

"So...you stole them?" Jack confirmed in the form a question. "Yes" Charlie replied, as if it were nothing. "Charlie, you were doing so good on the island. You'd gone a whole month without any substance abuse. Why would you go back to that now?" Jack questioned, finally loseing his doctor tone and becoming human.

"Because I'm not on the bloody island, Jack!. I don't have you or Locke or anyone else to help me! I don't have anyone" Charlie explained, showing a bit more emotion then he'd intended. He looked down at his hands, that laid before him on his stomach, an IV taped around his wrist.

"That's not true, Charlie" Jack corrected, calmly.

"Oh yeah? Then please, in lighten me." Charlie replied skeptically. He watched as Jack stepped to the side, revealing the short hall that lead to the waiting room. It wasn't long before Charlie spotted Claire, pacing back and forth in the distance. For a second, his heart skipped a beat.

"Charlie?" Jack questioned, in concern, after Charlie went silent. "Why is she here?" Charlie asked in confusion, turning to Jack, a hint of anger in his voice. "She was in the room next to you" Jack explained sympotheticly, knowing the sight of Claire had hit him harder then he had meant it to.

"Why? What was she doing in a hotel?" Charlie questioned, now able to sit up without pain. "Her and Thomas got into a fight, I believe. She had the baby, and never went back" Jack explained, cautiously. "This is bloody insanity" Charlie muttered, angrily. "I know, its-" Jack began to speak, but found himself being interrupted.

"When can I leave?" Charlie questioned, cutting him off. The question caught Jack off guard. "When can I leave?" Charlie repeated, firmly. "Don't you think you should talk to her?" Jack questioned, eyeing him in concern. "Why? Its bad enough she just got dumped by that ass whole, again, and has to raise her baby in a fucking motel. Why the hell would talking to me do her any good?" Charlie questioned, bitterly.

"Because she loves you, Charlie" Jack explained. Charlie rolled his eyes skeptically. "Look. She just watched you almost die a second time! You think your just going to walk out of hear and let her lose you again?" Jack questioned, angrily. Charlie looked down, and was silent for a long time.

"Fine. Don't talk to her. You can leave when ever you want." Jack explained in aggravation and walked off down the hall. After a while, Charlie caught one of the nurses attention and got her to help him with his IV. The whole time, she refused to make any sort of eye contact with him.

Who could blame her? After all, even if she did decide to look up, all she would see was a druggie. A fuck up, an idiot. That's all any one ever sees.

After that, Charlie got up with out a word, rubbing his wrist as he walked down the hall. He was half way out when a voice came from behind him. "Charlie?" the girl questioned softly. He recognized the voice immediately.

"They're letting you leave already?" Claire asked in confusion. Charlie took a deep breath, and forced himself to face her. "Yeah" he replied in a low, distant tone, keeping his eyes on the floor. Just the thought of her crying was enough to tear him apart, and now she stood before him with tears in her eyes, and they were his fault. He couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"Can you atleast tell me what happened?" She pleaded, sympathetical, he could hear the sadness in her voice. He took a deep breath, and shoved his hands into his pockets. It was all he could do to keep from throwing his arms around her. "Jack can explain" Charlie replied coldly, and began to turn away.

"Charlie-" Claire called after him, and he felt her hand touch his shoulder. When he turned around, her eyes hit his like a tun of bricks. "Please, talk to me" she choked out. He had to force himself to look away once again, unable to bear seeing her like this.

"Charlie, look at me" She insisted, laying her hand agenst his cheek. Her skin was like ice. "Claire, don't..." he begged softy, laying his hand over hers. "What happened to you?"She insisted, ignoring his request. "Please, Claire. Don't make me do this" he pleaded once again, shaking his head. Fighting the tears that were forming in the corner of his eyes.

"Charlie, what are you talking about?" She questioned in confusion, forcing him to look at her. He took in a deep breath. "I'm a drug addict" he explained, letting the words fly out without warning. Claire's hands dropped to her side, a look of surprise across her face. "I'm a drug addict. I'm hear because I overdosed on heroine" he explained, keeping his eyes on the floor.

He didn't want to see the way she was looking at him. Claire said nothing, witch was a bit of a relief. "I'm sorry" he added, his voice so soft she could barely hear him. Everything around them was silent. Slowly, he began to turn away once again.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" She questioned, after a long pause. "I did. You...you just don't remember it" Charlie explained, nervously. "Why didn't you tell me again, Charlie? God, don't you think I have a right to know?" Claire questioned, defensively, the sympathy fading from her voice. "I'm sorry" he apologized once again, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"Your sorry? For what? For lieing to me, again?! For letting me watch you almost die again! You know, I trusted you Charlie!" She exclaimed, letting her emotions get the best of her. "That's not my fault" he replied, defensively.

"What do you mean its not your fault? You said you wanted to protect me!" Claire reminded him, angrily. "Yeah, on the island! And I couldn't even do that, could I?" Charlie questioned, bitterly. "Hell, I can't even keep my self alive! How the hell would I ever take care of you?" his voice broke off.

"Charlie, please-" Claire began, sympotheticly. "Don't, ok? I don't need you to sit here and feel sorry for me. You've got enough problems of your own." Charlie explained, and turned away from her a third time. "Charlie!" Claire called after him, fallowing him out the door. "Go back inside, Claire" He insisted, refusing to turn to her.

"No! Not until you listen to me!" She confirmed, grabbing his arm. Charlie stopped, and after a moment he turned to face her. "Charlie, this isn't like you-"

"You don't know me!" Charlie interrupted, angrily, pulling his arm away. "Like hell I don't!" Claire scoffed, sacracsticly. Her words caught him off guard. "I spent almost and entire month with you for Christ sakes! And yes, I remember it. I remember the peanut butter, and diary jokes, and how you were the only person on that whole damn island who would look me in the eye! You saved my life, Charlie. I owe everything to you" she exclaimed firmly.

Charlie didn't reply. "So no, I don't know your whole life story. I don't know about 'Charlie Pace the rock god' or who ever you were pretending to be! But I know the real you, Charlie... I love you" She explained, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks. The words came out without warning, but for some reason, after saying them out loud, Claire didn't feel surprised.

Charlie looked up, suddenly, his eyes meeting hers. He'd been crying as well. Slowly, Claire moved forward, cupping his face in her hands. "I love you, Charlie" she whispered once again, and could barely keep herself from smiling. This whole time, she'd wanted nothing more then to tell him how much she cared for him. How did I not realize it?

Before she could even tell what happened, Charlie's arms were around her. His lips pressed agenst hers in a kiss that made her heart jump. A kiss that took her breath away and made her feel like she were floating on air. The kind of kiss she'd only heard of in fairy tales, and until now didn't think they existed.

She slid her arms around his neck, holding him as close to her as she possibly could, knowing now that she would never let him go. The two stood outside the hospital for what seemed like hours, ignoring the rain that poured down around them. I won't lose you again, Charlie, Claire thought as there lips parted, only to be pressed together a second time.

I won't lose you, Charlie...

...and she never did.

A Day Later:

"How old is he?" Charlie questioned, glaceing up from the tiny baby in his arms that looked so much like his mother. Soft blond curls, big blue eyes, an adorable smile, the works. "Three days" Claire answered, her hand gently resting on his shoulder. The three all squeezed into one booth at a tiny restaurant that looked like it fell out of the fifties.

"Three days, and still no name" Charlie tisked, jokenly, a playfully smile across his face. It was good to see him smile again. "Well, your suppose to be helping me" Claire reminded, giving his arm a little nudge. "I did! I wrote it on the paper with my number" He explained in his defense. For a moment, Claire looked confused, and pulled the little piece of paper out of her pocket to check.

"Where?" she questioned, curiously, stareing down at the paper in confusion. "Other side, luv" he instructed, teasingly, watching as she tuned the paper over in her hand. "Heart. That's a girls name. No, that's not even a name at all" Claire explained, sacracsticly.

Suddenly, she felt Charlie finger tips graze the palm of her hand as he turned the small scrap of paper in a circular motion until the word was backwards. "Trah. Like Tray, only spelled different." He explained, watching the look of realization cross Claire's expression.

"Me and my brother used to sit around and write down random words, seeing what they spelled backwards. One day, I came across the word heart...don't remember why I wrote it down exactly, but I told my self if I ever hand a kid I'd name him, or her, Trah." he continued, smiling down at the baby in his arms.

Claire felt her cheeks go red as she watched him. Why am I blushing? She leaned over his shoulder, watching her son's grin widen as he looked up at the two. "So what do you think?" Charlie questioned hopefully, turning to face her. "I love it" She answered brightly, before closing the space between them with a kiss. "Excellent" Charlie grinned, after their lips had parted, the look on his face causing Claire to blush once again.

"Why are you blushing?" he questioned, teasingly, letting his thumb gently graze over her reddened cheek as he brushed her hair away from her face. "I don't know" She replied honestly, laughing to hide her embarrassment. She turned her head away from him, trying to stop her face from turning red completely.

Charlie brushed the hair away from her face, placing a kiss on her cheek. And she couldn't help but giggle once again, feeling her self go warm all over. He pulled his arm around her waist, letting her rest her head on his shoulder as she leaned back agenst him.

"Why is it that for the past week, my life had seemed pointless, and then all of a sudden, you come along, and every thing has meaning?" Charlie mused, thinking out loud as he laid his head agenst hers. Claire sighed happily, idly running her hand back and for across his arm that sat around her waist, considering his question. A smile crossed her face as the answer came to her.

"Just handy, I guess" she replied simply, turning to face him. Now he was the one blushing. "Yeah" he nodded, in agreement, lifting his hand to the side of her face. "I guess so" He leaned down to kiss her again. They parted as soon as they heard Trah began to fuss between them.

"Aw, come here sweetie" Claire cooed, lifting him into her arms. She began rocking him gently in an attempt to comfort him. It didn't seem to be working, because he continued to fuss, on the edge of crying. Claire bit her lip, trying to think of a way to calm him. She glanced over at Charlie, in hopes of finding an answer. A smile crossed his face about the same time as one crossed hers, both sharing the idea at the exact same time. Claire turned to the infant in her arms, and began to sing.

Catch a falling star

and put it in your pocket

never let it fade away

Catch a falling star

and put it in your pocket

save it for a rainy day

Slowly, the crying died down, and his tiny eyes fell shut to the sound of their voice. Claire smiled up at Charlie, feeling his arm tighten around her. He placed a kiss on her temple before resting his head agenst hers, gently tapping his fingers agenst her shoulder. Being a rock god was good, being a falling star was fine, but nothing could ever beat being a dad.

The End

Authors note: Well, that's the end of this fic. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know.