Living is easy with eyes closed.

It was a strange sensation. He knew he was dead - the memory of his burning lungs still ached in his chest, like a flickering phantom reminder that his time here was now very much the epitome of impermanence. Still, he was there, and Charlie wasn't dumb. If he didn't need to be, for some reason or another, he wouldn't be. But what was it? Some divine purpose, or simply that the Island really was as John had thought all along? A magical mystery tour of weirdness.

The woman that had come into view was someone that he hadn't expected to see again. The only time before was on a tiny, grainy, screen...moments before his death. But he knew of her before that. She'd been the one Desmond had told him about - his girl, the woman that he loved. Charlie had felt bad, shutting the door so quickly, his friend realizing that it had been her on the screen... but if he hadn't, Desmond would have died too - and they both knew that it wasn't in the plans for him to. As bad as it had been, Charlie had done it to save him. To save everyone.

Hesitating for a moment, he tried to assess the best way about this, assuming that she was the one that he had come back to see. A little curly headed boy was by her side, and Charlie immediately felt a ping of guilt for leaving Aaron behind. While he wasn't biologically his son... Charlie drew in a breath.

Giving the woman a sort of half wave, Charlie stepped closer, never really knowing how these sort of things were going to go. Hopefully she wouldn't run from him like Hurley once had.

She noticed something was bothering him - and as she watched him for a moment she saw his gaze drift to the others. She moved a bit closer to his side, eyes softening. Keeping up the lie wouldn’t be the easiest thing in the world, but it was far better than telling the truth about the mysterious island filled with hostiles, polar bears, and a smoke monster. She didn’t mind not having to talk about some of the things they had witnessed there; she doubted she’d ever be able to forget, but she hoped she would be able to move on and be happy with Aaron, and hopefully Charlie as well. 

She also hoped Thomas wouldn’t be causing too much trouble. Maybe he had come to his senses, maybe he really did want to be the father he should’ve been, but something about it didn’t feel right.

Claire pushed aside the thought as Charlie led her over to his brother, and she smiled at the man, shifting Aaron in her arms. “It’s nice to meet you.” After speaking to Liam for a while, she was happy to say he was just as pleasant to be around as his little brother. Every once in a while she would glance over at Charlie, smiling all the while.

It was so surreal, really, having Liam right in front of him, Claire and Aaron right beside him. Like two different worlds clashing together. He could tell his older brother was looking at him with concern every moment or so, trying to assess just how badly he was doing without the drugs. The last Liam had seen of Charlie he'd been strung out - ready to board the plane. It was no wonder his brother still thought the worst of him in that aspect... but now, here, in this strange new life, Charlie didn't need a hit to feel something more. He had overcome that. He had finally become the one that Liam always seemed to have faith in him that he could. And would. Grown up... with a family.

Glancing towards Claire, he gave her a soft smile, wondering just how they'd make this all work. Get a nice apartment somewhere - settle down. Gesturing lightly to the blonde as she spoke with his brother, Charlie motioned for him to take Aaron from her and give her a break.

Noting the soft change in his brother, Liam now looked at Claire a little more inquisitively. Something certainly seemed to be the pair of them, and while he didn't know the full story, he was thankful for her, whatever she had done to cause this change within his baby brother.

Caroline held onto Charlie as they walked, or rather, slowly limped toward her  tent. She kept an arm around him (glad that the two of them were similar in  height, she would have hated to stretched to reach a taller man’s shoulders)  before she finally looked toward him, letting her eyes move around for a moment.  “Well, if Kate’s here, then I’m sure that Jack’s gotta be around somewhere,” she  pointed out, smirking a bit. Usually if Jack or Kate were somewhere, the other  would be nearby.

As they reached her tent, Caroline reached for her bed, letting go of Charlie and  lowering herself to sit down. “If it’s not a problem for you, I wouldn’t mind if you  got the message out somehow,” she then said. “If Kate knows, I’m sure Jack will  know eventually. I’m just gonna keep off of this until he looks at it.”

It was pretty likely, either Jack being near Kate, or her at least knowing where the  oh-so-popular doctor had wandered off to. Charlie only hoped for Caroline's sake that it wasn't a time where the jungle of mystery had beckoned the man for whatever cause. He didn't have much luck in that jungle, and certainly didn't really fancy a stroll through  it now. Still, she needed help and he wasn't about to let her go without it.

Making sure that she was settled down, Charlie stood for another moment more, making  sure she didn't need anything moved or adjusted for her to be comfortable. After that, it  was only a matter of finding Jack. Wherever it was, that he was.

                ❝Life’s too short not to learn as many trades as you desire.❞ Hunting had                   been something that Anthony Cooper (he refrains from thinking of him                   as his father as best as he can, as the memories attached to him brings                   bile to his mouth) had taught him as a form of bonding. Actually the                   bonding was all apart of his con, but nonetheless he had picked up a                   lot of knowledge on the subject and as he got older, he was determined                   to use it in his life. He had hoped he would be more useful on the walk-                   about but…that never panned out the way he hoped. 

               ❝My foster mother raised children…babies,❞ he clarified. ❝I never had                   the chance to become a father but I remember as a child watching her                   take care of my younger sisters. It’s where I learned how to swaddle.❞                   He flashes the younger a kind smile before tending to his own side of                   the board, following suite to Charlie.

                       There had definitely been a sort of devil-may-care attitude that Charlie                        had adopted in the later years of his life. There had only been one                        passion that he had ever really wanted, ever loved and lived so fully,                        and it nearly destroyed him. Of course, once upon a time it had only                        ever been about the music. But that had a hefty price tag that he hadn't                        meant to pay. Did that mean that it was too late now, for him to learn?

                       Looking down at the board for a long moment, Charlie thought. Hard. If                        they ever got off the Island he knew that he wasn't ever going to let                        himself get the way that it had been ever again. But what about the                        music? What about Claire and Aaron? Was his life too much of a waste,                        too astray that he couldn't put it back on track? He'd like to think, that                        for them, he could. For them, he finally wanted to.