Come Back Soon

"Where are you going, Charlie?" asked Claire when she walked up upon him filling his backpack with supplies.

Charlie glanced up at her, slightly ashamed, then went back to packing. "Hurley has this notion that he needs to go into the jungle to find the French woman."

She nodded, remembering Charlie mentioning there was some French woman on the island that Sayid had found. "You weren't going to tell me you were leaving?"

Charlie's head snapped up, the backpack suddenly forgotten. "Of course, I was! I was going to find you right after I finished packing."

"Oh, all right," Claire said, sounding a little upset.

Charlie moved to stand in front of her, taking her hand in his. "Hey, I'm sorry for leaving you. Hurley asked me to go, and I couldn't refuse him. Nothing will stop me from returning to you."

Claire finally raised her head to look him in the eye. "I'm still working through all the memories I losted that are coming back in bits and pieces. I need you here." The sadness in her voice burned Charlie's heart.

"If you need to go, be careful." Claire stretched up, and placed a soft kiss on Charlie's scruffy cheek. "Come back soon."

"I will, Claire," he replied, trying not to break into a million pieces.

Half an hour later, Hurley, Jack, and Sayid were ready to go.

"Will you hold down the fort, John?" Jack asked Locke.

"I'll do what I need to do," Locke answered in his gentle yet strong tone.

"Please keep Claire safe while I'm gone" said Charlie, stepping beside Locke.

The older man nodded, a grandfatherly smile appearing on his face. "Don't worry, Charlie. She'll be safe."

"Thank you."

With that, Charlie's worries eased a little as the group walked off into the jungle. Though Claire would be on his mind the entire time they were gone, and the kiss she had placed on his cheek would delight his dreams every night. He'd come back soon.