Author: Subwoofer26

Title: Love and Memories

Pairing: C/C

Category: Suspense, romance

Spoilers- Set in Season three. Lots of "Others" stuff. Many of my theories nothing confirmed.

Disclaimers: Lost and all its many characters are not mine… although I wish they were. I'd be driving a much better car.

Author's note: This story isn't like anything I've ever written, I am trying something new. Each chapter will be from a different characters POV. There will be plot hole in the beginning but everything will be tied up in the end. Most of the chapters will take place on the island while other chapters will take place off. The title of the story comes from an OAR song… "Love and Memories" Please read and review, it means the world to me. Reviews are my life blood. Thanks

Summary: Charlie and Claire stop a bloody battle and therefore they are rewarded. Ben lets Claire leave the island, he offers to let Charlie go, but Charlie refuses. But he insists that Claire move into his place in LA. When she gets there, she discovers that Charlie isn't who she thinks he is. And his forgotten past may be to the clue to getting everyone off the island.

Prologue: Visions and Futures

Charlie's POV

I lie on my back, the sun slowly soaking into my skin. My bones and muscles are sore from a long day of hard work building Eko's Church. I only knew him for a few weeks but still this was something he wanted to build and I feel like I should finish it for him. I owe him that much, don't I?

Aaron is nestled on my chest, sleeping and drooling. Lovely. Baby drool is one of the stickiest substances on the planet. Still he makes little sleepy noises like his mum and I smile despite my gooey shirt.

The image pops into my head. It started the night Claire kissed me, the night after the hatch exploded. The same image, the same feelings, same smells. I thought it was just a dream, one that lingers long after you wake. Every day the image becomes brighter, sharper, and vaster. Dear God does it feel real. Like if I reach out I could touch it.

Something blocks my light and I am shaken back into reality. "What are you grinning about?" Claire asks. I open my eyes to see her crossing her arms around her waist.

"Just daydreaming."

"About what?"

"You."

She smiles at me and points to my chest, "You've got drool on your shirt."

"Jealous?"

"You know it." She sits on the side of the bed, "Do you want me to take him from you?"

"No, he's fine." I pat his warm fleshy back. "I've got room for one more… you wanna go get Hurley for me?" I smirk. She rolls her eyes and crawls into bed with me. My right arm goes around her waist as she places her head on my shoulder and drapes her leg over me. The three of us breathe in unison, a perfect unit. Her breath dances over my neck.

God this feels perfect. I nearly intoxicated by euphoria how everything just fell together. Jack Kate and Sawyer have been gone for nearly a month. With Locke hunting Mr. Eye Patch, there just aren't as much distractions as there had been. More time for Claire and I to rebuild our relationship. It took a week for me to move back home. I still kept my tent; it's always good to have a backup plan. But for the most part Desmond lives in it; I just keep my guitar there. A week after that, Claire and I made love for the first time. It wasn't perfect; not confessions of deep passion love or life or death situation, it just sort of happened. The next morning over breakfast I told her I love her. She smiled and told me she knew. She had known for a very long time. She knew, Locke, Hurley, Sayid, The Crazy French Lady and even the Others knew it. She said I was terrible at keeping a secret. She laughed and said that was what she loved most about me.

"So tell me about it?" She whispers.

"Tell you what?"

"What you were daydreaming about."

She catches me when my guard is down and I start to describe the vision to her. I neglect to tell her I've seen it before. "You're standing on a dock, the wind is blowing your air out of your face. It makes your dress billow and flap."

"I'm wearing a dress." She delights.

"Its light blue with tiny straps, its forms perfectly to your stunning breasts."

"Why thank you."

"No thank you." I smile at her and kiss her nose. "Your smile I can see from far away and everything else fades away as I run towards you. Aaron's gleeful laughter is the only noise I hear, aside from my feet on the wooden dock. I wrap your into my arms and kiss Aaron because he's gotten so big. I kiss you like your ice water and I've been lost in the desert in lost in the desert for forty years."

"Why?"

"hmm?"

"Why? Have we been apart for a while?" She questions lazily.

"It feels like a lifetime. We pass Aaron off to Hurley. Because you and I have business to attend to."

"Really, naughty business?" She coos.

"Very naughty business. After all I know what you are wearing underneath." I wiggle my eyebrows and speak in a husky voice.

"Really? What is it?" She's very interested as she strokes my chest lightly and moves her hips against me.

"It's all my favorite things, white thigh highs, very lacy panties and a equally lacy bustier. You look like a vision of pure beauty."

" A bustier? They are impossible to get on. So many latches." She frowns and pouts.

"Yeah but its twice as fun to take off." I whisper in her ear. She giggles.

"So is there a reason for the dress and naughty knickers?"

"We're celebrating."

"Our reunion? You know you've got quite an imagination in there."

Her hair tickles my neck and Aaron nestles deeper into my chest. Her fingers trace my chest and my eyes flutter close. "Our engagement." I whisper lost complete in her touch and in the moment.

There's a sharp intake of air and a gasp. "What?"

Oh Bullocks, did I just say that aloud?

"Huh?" Ok I have to play it cool. Like I didn't just say that.

"You said in this little day dream we were engaged."

"Um," Great "um" is the best I can do? No wonder why she's pissed, a complete retard is in love with her. Bloody hell. "Why would that be so bad?" Christ Charlie SHUT UP! Just kiss her, distract her with the baby. Act like the monster is coming. Just stop talking!

"Its not that is would be bad, it just, so soon. You know. I don't think we should be talking about this." Her voice becomes quiet.

My stomach starts to twist but my mouth doesn't seem to want to stop. "Why shouldn't we talk about this?" Great there goes my mouth speaking without talking to my brain first.

"Well I guess its just silly." Her muscles tense under my touch.

"Silly? What's silly about it?"

She laughs, "You know I'm not interested in anyone else, you don't have to worry about me running off with Desmond or something. Besides, Charlie you're already shagging me, you don't need to make an honest woman out of me."

See, I know she's joking. I know she dig herself into a hole and she's trying to get out of it. Logically I completely understand, but she's just ruined my good mood and she strikes a deep nerve with me. "Oh, really is that what you think, that I'm just in it for the sex. To lay my claim to you, mark my territory on you and I'll be off. Bloody Hell Claire." I move my shoulder and push her off of me. It stirs Aaron from his sleep. His eyes adjust to the light; he blinks a few times. Babies are extremely sensitive to mood, and feeling the tension and angry in the air, Aaron starts to cry. I roll him off of me and flop him on his mother's chest. I sit up and glare out to the ocean my back to and the crying child. "Dammit Claire, I'm not that guy anymore. Or at the very least, I am trying with all my heart not to be him. " I stand up and leave the shelter. She calls after me. I hear her curse. We're both too stubborn to speak to each other for now.

I spend the rest of the evening milling around, talking to Hurley and Locke. Desmond pats me on the shoulder and assures me everything is going to be ok. Hurley pulls me aside and asks, "So Desmond gets see into the future for like a good 24 hours, Locke gets talk to the island. Eko got dead. What did you get? I mean you were in the hatch when it blew up too, weren't you?"

"I guess I got Claire." I shrug.

The sun sets and tiny fires provide the light for us. The beach looks like the sky, small sparks of light surrounded by darkness. I'm sure there's song lyric in there somewhere. I stare at the base of the fire, where the light isn't as bright and blinding, but soft, red and blue. The image flashes into my mind again. Expanding. The lenses are wider, not only can I see more details but I see other people, standing behind and near Claire. In the past whenever I saw the vision I focused solely on Claire and Aaron. But now I see a woman next to Claire, shinning bright and familiar. She's someone I know from a lifetime ago. Someone I shared secrets with or at least she knows my secrets. Her copper blonde hair catches the light; she's smiling at me and whoever is just behind me. I try to concentrate on her. I know her.

Bloody Hell.

It's Penny.

What is she doing there?

"Charlie?" Claire's voice startles me. She sits down next to me; leaving space between us, but sitting close enough I can feel the heat from her body.

"Hmm?"

"Come to bed." She whispers. Being humble is a new thing for her, I'm sure it doesn't 't feel too good.

"I would rather not. I think I'm just going to stay out here tonight." I stare into the fire.

She nudges me with her shoulder, "Come on Charlie, you're freeze to death out here."

"I think your underestimating the climate I grew up in. I'm used to cold weather, you, on the other hand, are not and you want me to come to bed to keep your warm." I smirk slightly since I saw through her little scheme.

"Maybe that's true and maybe its because I don't like going to bed with you mad at me." She inches closer to me.

I sigh deeply, the last remnants of the image wisps away from my mind as I think about my issue with Claire. "I know you've been hurt plenty of times and I know you might think I'm not the most responsible of people. But I like whom I am when I'm near you. I like whom you've made me. And what's wrong with wanting to be with be with you for the rest of my life."

She rests her head on my shoulder, "I'm sorry, it was a terrible thing for me to say. I know you're not the "bloody rock god" any more." She smiles and I feel it through my shirt.

"No, I'm not." I rest my head on hers and together we watch the fire dance and the embers disappear into the darkness. I swallow for a second, as I ask the question that has been bothering me for a while now. "Why is it silly as you said earlier? Why is it foolish to talk about the future with you?'

She shrugged, "I guess because this horrible island is filled with so many mysteries, too many unknowns and dangers. Why get invested in something that may not last?"

"Because the island IS filled with unknown dangers that isn't important to have something or someone you can depend on?" My fingers search out hers, to twist and entwine.

She sits in quite contemplation thinking about my words. For a few minutes we continue to watch the fire. She whispers, "Come to bed."

"Ok but if you think you're getting laid, Missy, you are mistaken." I pretend to be serious. But as soon as she starts kissing my neck, I know as well as she does, she's getting some tonight.

In the morning, the sun is my alarm clock. My hand is resting quite comfortably on Claire's back. I try to get up, but she's being extra snuggly this morning. Each time I try to sneak away, she places more of her body on me until I have a Claire blanket. It s morning like this, that makes me grateful for Oceanic Air's crappy service.

As the day gets brighter I head towards the church. We're making good progress on it. Sayid's been helping out, although I don't know what the spiritual ramification will be to have someone who doesn't believe in the same god building His house. We've got maybe about a month left of work to do. Now that the frame is up and half of the roof, it seems to be moving faster.

It's about noon when I hear Claire call my name. I walked out of the shelter and greet her. She's shifting her weight for leg-to-leg, biting her lower lip and twisting her fingers together. Her eyes busy counting the grains of sand at her feet. "Charlie."

"Yes Luv?" Now I'm getting worried. She's never looked like this before. Is she breaking up with me?

She looks flustered and blushes slightly, "You know that thing we talked about yesterday?"

"Yeah?"

Her eyes meet mine and dance. "If you asked nicely, I will probably say yes."

My heart stops, my brain stops, my stomach drops to my feet and back up to my mouth. But most notably my face hurts from grinning.

"Really?"

She tries to suppress her smile by biting her lips hard as she nods.

My knees hit the sand much harder then I'm expecting, "Well, Claire if you aren't busy for the rest of your life, you wanna spend it with me?"

She rolls her eyes, "That's the best you can do?"

"You caught me off guard!" I attempt to rationalize. She huffs and I try again, "Claire Littleton, you make my life better when you're in it. I'm happier and stronger when you're near. I've cheated death to be by your side. You and your many different smiles are the best part of my day. I love you more then I ever thought possible and I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to keep you and Aaron smiling, happy and safe. Will you marry me?"

She squeals and jumps into my arms. Vaguely I hear cheers and clapping in the distance but all of that is ignored, as I am overwhelmed by personal bliss. After we finish snogging a lighting bolt hits me, "I don't have a ring for you."

She smiles and laughs, "That's ok."

"No, not its not. I could go into Sawyer stash and go see if he stole any rings off of the bodies…"

She shakes her head and violently, "yuck, no thank you."

Then I remember, yank off my Drive shaft ring, "here you can have this." It's far too big on her finger but she just giggles. "We'll get you a string or something to put it around your neck for now." She spins it around her finger, staring at it and then at me.

"Thank you Charlie, I love it and you too."

So I think I'm done with the church for today. The rest of the sunlight is spent with congratulations, questions, comments and well wishes. Claire's glowing like the day she had Aaron.

After dinner I wrap my arms around Claire and kiss her shoulder as she talks to Sayid and Desmond about what seems to be the topic of the day: love.

Sayid admits that Shannon was not the love of his life. His heart would always belong to another. Claire asks, "The woman in the picture." Sayid says nothing but nods.

I am far to busy with the tender details of Claire's neck to focus on what Desmond is saying, at first, when Claire asks him about his life. Very little is still known about Desmond, aside that he's Scottish, ended up naked after the hatch exploded and was in the army. "I had the misfortune of loving a woman who was in a much higher class then I. Nothing I did was good enough for her father. I broke down and join the Army in order to prove myself. Then I tried to sail around the world to prove myself again."

"How very Odysseus of you." I comment, and yet something gnaws at me. Something like I've been here before, heard this story once before.

"Yeah well look where my pride got me." He motions with his hand as I look up my lover's neck. My mouth goes back to its task as I pull Claire body closer to me. Desmond nods at us, "You two are the lucky ones, because all you need in the world is someone who loves you."

"That, money and patience's and you can do anything." I whisper as I echo a conversation from my past. Desmond looks up at me like he's heard the comment before.

"What was her name?" Claire asks in a dreamy state.

"Penelope Wedmore." Desmond answers.

Oh bloody hell. BLOODY FREAKING HELL. Are you kidding? The guy who's been living on the beach with us, is Penny's Den? The guy she's been spending a small fortune trying to track down. Oh my god, someone is looking for us. Someone with a brain is trying to find us. A new swell of hope rises inside me.

So I throw Desmond a little bone. "He's dead you know."

"Who is?" Sayid asked.

"Wedmore, he passed away about two years ago. It made all the papers back in London." I watch as Desmond's face lights up briefly and then falls back down.

"A lot of good that does me now, huh Brother?"

I shrug, "I just won't lose hope is all."

"Well I guess everything looks good when you're in love." Desmond mocks.

I don't say anything to Desmond about knowing the love of his life, because mine is looking at me with sleepy and seductive doe eyes. "Charlie let's go to bed."

Paulo walks by and makes the cracking sound and a hand gesture, "Wow you're wiped all ready, Bass Boy." Ok there is no justice on this island, Eko gets eaten by the monster by THIS guy gets to live.

"I'm getting laid tonight, and you're only company is your right hand, so laugh all you want." I flash him my devil smile and help Claire on her feet. Normally she might disapprove of that little announcement, but she's too enamored by her ring and the engagement to really care.

The image comes back, in full and perfect detail. This time I even get to see the date on my watch. That provides me with no comfort. For the first time since the vision popped into my head, I completely understand what I'm seeing. It terrifies me.

Claire rolls over and places her head on my chest, sleepy-eyed and adorable. "Morning."

"Yes it is." I smile down at her. Aaron starts to stir in his cradle; he has the same alarm clock as his mother. "I think your son is hungry." I kiss her forehead.

She rolled over and lifts him out of his bed. "Our son," she says once he's with us. Inside I glow and all terror of the vision has vanished. Sure I've always considered Aaron as mine, but it's nice to think that Claire thinks the same thing. She puts the child to her breast to let him feed. I used to look away, like I was intruding on a private moment between mother and son, but now I just watch the tenderness. She smiles down at him and looks back up at me, "Do you think it will be ok? I mean, will it be strange for him to be raise by someone who isn't his father?"

I shrug, "It didn't hurt me any." Bloody Hell, why did I say that? Liam doesn't even know. How does she do that to me, making me spill all my naughty little secrets like that?

"What?" She furrows her brow in confused concern.

I scratch my head and try to keep cool, "Um yeah, my dad isn't my father. It isn't a big deal, I only found out a few years ago. Just before Mum died she told me. It makes a lot of sense, why Da didn't like me very much, why I was smarter then everyone else, why Liam and I don't look alike."

"Your Da didn't like you?"

"He loved me, he just didn't like me. I guess every time he saw me he saw my mum affair. Look it isn't a big deal, don't worry about it."

"Well, do you even know your father?"

"Nope he died." His brakes were cut a few months after I was born, Mum didn't tell me that, I had to do some research. "My grandfather passed away too."

"Charlie that's horrible."

I grin, "Not really, it left me the heir to a billion dollar company."

She rolls her eyes at me, "be serious."

I sigh, "How 'bout this, you and Aaron are the only family I have and I will do anything for you two." She beams and kisses me lightly. I repeat, "anything," for emphasis.

For a day or so everything is perfect. No sudden rain clouds. No attacks from "the Others", nothing. Then John announces to everyone it's time to get the family back. Its time to save Jack, Kate and Sawyer. Honestly I grumble a little about saving Sawyer. John wants to start his little war and from that time of the announcement, I get a near blinding headache.

The vision of Claire standing on the dock smiling at me isn't the first one I had. The first one came the moment the hatch imploded. The vision bombarded my brained and felt like it was crushing my lungs. It was so horrible I blocked it out the moment I returned to the beach and say Claire smiling at me.

But now that vision is back the vengeance.

I feel nauseous as I look at Claire getting ready for the day, at what she's wearing and how she did her hair.

It's going to happen today. She will be sobbing, the Others will be watching, my soul will be torn in a million pieces as I see her get on that tiny boat and leave this island forever.

I have a choice; I can do everything in my power to keep the vision from happening. To keep her here with me forever. Mine.

Or I can let fate and the visions take its course, knowing full well, I will never see Claire Littleton again.