Lost fanfic: You, Me, And The Baby; chapter 14 FINALE

[jemmalynette]

Title: You, Me, And The Baby (14/14 FINALE)
Rating: Just in case, M (16+)
Genre: Angst, humour, romance, H/C
Pairings: Charlie/Ana, Charlie/Claire, Claire/Desmond
Summary: A year after being rescued from the island, Charlie and Ana-Lucia are raising their three month old love child whilst Desmond helps Claire look after a fatherless Aaron. As Charlie struggles with his relationship with Ana, Claire must battle with her feelings towards Desmond, whilst they both try to cover up their long-term love affair that leaves both Ana and Desmond very tired and suspicious…


Desmond shut the door behind him as quietly as he could, aware that Aaron would probably be asleep but also hoping to avoid his inevitable confrontation with Claire. The house was silent but, as he had expected, Claire emerged from her bedroom with much the same expression he had.

They exchanged awkward smiles and tragic gazes from opposite sides of the room. Des cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," he told her guiltily.

"No, Des. I'm sorry." She neared him. "I should have been honest from the start."

He swallowed and gazed at her listlessly, realising that his whole world was about to change. He sighed and glanced down at the floor. "This isn't working, is it?"

Claire bit her lip, a line forming on her pale forehead. "I wanted it to," she said honestly. "A lot."

"Me too. I thought I did. I thought this could be it, you know?" He smiled mournfully. "You and Aaron. But this isn't me…it isn't my life; where I'm supposed to be."

"I understand, Des. Perhaps…perhaps we weren't a good match. I always thought you were too mature for my unsophisticated humour anyway," she laughed slightly and he did too. She swallowed back tears as she approached him closer and put her hand on his arm. "I will always love you, Desmond. As a friend. You've been so good to me and I appreciate that. I always will." She embraced him.

"I hope things work out for you, Claire," he whispered as he held her close and breathed her in for the last time, and silently, she hoped so too.

Charlie sat uncomfortably on the ground beside Ana's bedroom door. She was on the other side, her head against the door frame and her knees pulled up to her chin. The door formed a barrier between them and Charlie was failing to communicate with her.

"Are you going to talk to me?" he questioned through the wooden door, leaning against it and fidgeting absentmindedly with his ring.

"I don't feel like talking about it, Charlie," he heard a muffled voice say. She was tired and embarrassed. The last thing she wanted was to discuss it with him.

"I'm sorry if I upset you," he said after a moment, glancing down at his hands. "I was angry."

She hugged her knees and almost buried her head in her lap. "Well, you were right," she admitted miserably. "And once again I screwed up."

"You're not the only one who screws up, remember?" he pointed out, half-humorously and half serious. "We all make mistakes…get in to difficult situations."

She inhaled shakily, pausing for a moment to consider the newest issue that had landed smack-bang in the middle of their lives. "What are you going to do?" she asked. "About Claire."

A long pause followed before a cough and a quiet I don't know. He asked her what it was she wanted, but she refused to answer him then and the apartment fell silent. Realising this was a decision he would need to make on his own, he pulled himself up and planned to make a brief escape to think over his options.

"I'm going out for a bit to clear my head," he told her, unsure if she were even listening anymore. "Take care of Paige while I'm gone, yeah?"

Ana didn't respond, but she buried her head in her hands when she heard the door of the apartment shut.

Charlie felt a bit like a ghost as he drifted through the streets; everyone seemed to walk through him. He felt transparent, as though his problems and secrets could be read by the whole world. He shielded himself and crossed his arms over his chest, breathing in the cold air and finding his eyes drawn to the dark blue of the sky. The sun was setting and the Christmas lights illuminated the streets, reminding him of yet another year that had sped past him. He thought about his future and wondered where he would be this time next year. What family would he have? And would he be happy? He sighed and found himself in the one place where he had been doing a lot of contemplating over the past year.

Leaning over the bar, he ordered himself a drink. Some may have thought he were drowning his sorrows, but this time he was merely here to be alone and to think. His place of solace: it was rather pathetic. Still, it was a place where most men found themselves when they weren't wanted anywhere else and it had sadly become a place of familiarity and comfort.

And Charlie hated it.

He thought about leaving; all those bad memories and terrible feelings resurfacing like a dreadful illness. He shouldn't be here. But his gaze caught a familiar face and he felt he couldn't walk away without saying something to him. He approached the man, noticing a travel bag at his feet. He frowned.

"Hello, Desmond," he said in a quiet voice.

Desmond looked up from his drink and surrendered a sad smile. "Hello, Charlie."

"Thought you were done with coming here," Charlie added, remembering the other man's words from earlier. He knew that they had both suffered from a terrible reliance on alcohol before, but Desmond had since battled the cravings. Charlie feared whatever had happened between him and Claire had caused him to fall back in to old habits.

"I am. I just came here to think really."

Perhaps they had some things in common after all, Charlie thought. Apart from a mutual interest in Claire Littleton. Charlie couldn't be mad. He could see Desmond was in a certain amount of pain -helplessness. He knew what that felt like.

"Everything okay?"

He hesitated, shooting Charlie a look of suspicious uncertainty. He glanced back down to his drink and replied "Claire and I broke up and…I thought it would be best to leave."

There was a short pause. Charlie wasn't overly surprised, but he still felt a pang of guilt and sympathy nonetheless. "I'm sorry, Des."

"Why? It's what you wanted, isn't it?" Desmond mumbled.

Charlie bit his tongue after a short sigh. "I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time," he told Desmond sincerely. "And I'm sorry for hitting you the other night. I shouldn't have taken that ring - if you wanted to marry Claire then it was none of my business…"

"Marry Claire," Desmond repeated, his brows furrowed and his head shaking as he faced his former friend. "Charlie, that ring wasn't for Claire."

A line formed on Charlie's forehead as he looked at Des, bemused. "It wasn't?"

Desmond released a frustrated sigh before taking another swig from his glass. He wiped the moisture from his lips and leant forwards. "I bought that ring shortly after we got off that bloody island," he started. "I bought it for Penny. But since I couldn't find her, I kept it. I had it the other day because I was going to return it…because I thought things with Claire were getting serious."

Charlie's jaw hung open, having felt as though a large crate had fallen on top of him. He felt like the biggest bastard ever. "I'm sorry…I had no idea…"

"I know," Des smiled cheerlessly. "It's okay." He turned back to his drink. "Deep down I knew that Penny was going to be the one. But she was gone, I couldn't find her…and then Claire called me asking for help. I didn't mean to interrupt what was going on between you two." He rubbed at his stubble awkwardly, clearing his throat. "And I didn't mean for that to happen with Ana. I have no excuses. I'm sorry."

Charlie nodded sombrely. "Well, you can't undo what's been done. I should know that." He glanced down at the wooden bar, staring intently at the many chips and scratches that decorated it. "Are you leaving town?" he asked quietly after a long moment.

Desmond shrugged. "I'm not sure, mate. I'll probably rent a place out for a little while, sort my life out, think about what I'm going to do next." He paused. "But in case I don't see her again…will you tell Ana I said goodbye?"

Charlie smiled slightly. "Of course."

"Thanks."

"So…are we okay?" Charlie asked him cautiously.

Des grinned and patted him on the back. "We're okay, brother. Past is past. I'll get you a drink, shall I?"

"Just one more," Charlie replied. "Then I should probably go."

And just like that, over a year's worth of bitterness and jealousy had been erased as though time itself had just been altered.

Claire had been checking on Aaron, wiping away the last of her tears when she heard someone at the door. She feared it may be Desmond again, or even worse Charlie. She couldn't handle anymore emotional confrontations tonight, she had decided. All she wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep; escape the drama of reality. Nothing could have prepared her for who was on the other side of her door, standing awkwardly with a small baby in her arms and a suitcase at her feet. Claire's blue eyes widened with surprise and curiosity.

"Ana? What are you doing here?"

The woman looked down and sucked in a breath of cold air, holding on to the wrapped-up baby securely. "I know I've not been your favourite person, Claire and I've made it no secret that I'm not too fond of you either…but…I know you have a good heart and I know you make Charlie happy." She looked away then, pouting slightly and her eyes settled on the child, her eyes large and currently a bright blue. Ana-Lucia brushed Paige's little cheek briefly, the warmth of her skin a strange comfort before she held her out towards Claire. "Would you take care of Paige for me?"

Claire hesitated. She was confused by Ana's words and still somewhat shocked at her sudden appearance here. "Where are you going?" she demanded.

"Please," Ana said, holding out Paige in her arms. Claire sighed and collected the child in her own arms, securing her so that she was comfortable. Ana smiled sadly at the sight; the image of Paige with Claire, the baby grabbing at her blonde locks and looking serenely up at her. "She deserves someone like you to be there for her," she told the other woman without resentment. "And so does Charlie."

Claire's mind spun but she was beginning to see what Ana was getting at; her appearance here, the suitcase, her apparent offer of peace. Claire looked up from the baby girl and anxiously in to Ana's eyes. "Ana, if you're doing what I think you're doing then please - don't."

"I'm making things easier for him," she answered bluntly.

"You don't understand - this will crush him!"

"He's miserable and so am I," she almost snapped. "They're both better off without me. And for now I think I'm better off without them." She paused, suppressing tears. "I can't breathe," she explained. "I need some space…at least for a while. Can't you understand that?"

Claire swallowed. "I understand. But Ana, are you sure? This is your daughter you're leaving. Your family."

Ana's frown deepened and she shut her eyes for a moment. "We weren't a family," she almost whispered. "I have to go." She gave the baby one last glance, picked up her suitcase and headed off down the dark street.

Claire rocked Paige gently as she began to fuss. As she looked in to those tiny little baby features, she wondered whether she was aware that her mother had just abandoned her, and whether she cared at all. Would she ever come back? Claire thought, and wondered if Ana would regret giving up and running away. She had almost done that once herself and it would have been one of the biggest mistakes of her life. She hugged Paige close to her and bit her lip at the realisation that she would have to tell Charlie the bad news.

"I don't know why I feel so protective of her," Charlie mused as he wrapped his fingers around the cold surface of his glass. "Ana, I mean. I try and make her happy but she doesn't think she deserves to be. It makes me feel…guilty." He swallowed. "I guess it's because I feel responsible…I'm to blame for her misery."

"Charlie, you're not to blame," Des assured him, watching him sympathetically.

"Aren't I? If I hadn't of felt so sorry for myself that night then I wouldn't have taken advantage of her. She wouldn't have gotten pregnant and we'd be perfectly happy living our separate lives."

"Would you?"

"What?"

"Would you both be happy?" Desmond clarified.

Charlie paused, his nose wrinkled with thought. "I guess…I'm not sure. I always assumed Claire would have eventually forgiven me and we'd be together by now, raising our own family."

"But what about Ana?" Desmond asked him, raising his drink to his lips and taking a quick swig. "Do you really think she would have been better off without you?"

Charlie reflected over his time with Ana-Lucia; the good times balanced with the bad. Charlie had offered her support, a home, family, friendship - all when it seemed like she had no one else. He had never really seen it that way before and had doubts as to whether Ana saw it that way too. Maybe the experience had been more beneficial than he first thought.

"I should probably go and speak to her," he mumbled, leaning back. "We have some big decisions to make and we should be making them together."

The Scot offered him a brief smile. "Good luck, mate. I'll see you around."

Charlie nodded him a thanks and with one last glance, turned and left him by himself. Desmond leant back over the bar, taking another sip from his glass, trying to figure out what the next stage in his life was. Was it going to be a life of loneliness, a life he had become so accustomed to? Where was he going to stay? What was he going to do? He caught a glimpse of a girl with brunette hair, standing not far beside him. He turned to see her standing upright, watching him with wide, solemn eyes. It took him a moment to recognise her.

"Tracy?"

Her lips parted and she nodded, seeming anxious. "Hi, Desmond."

"I almost didn't recognise you without wet hair," he laughed, but she didn't smile in return. He straightened up, suddenly becoming curious. "What are you doing here?"

"I think you should meet a friend of mine," she said seriously, though her expression had softened slightly. "I believe you two have already met…"

His eyes fell upon a figure behind her. His mouth ran dry. The world stopped and for a moment he felt as though he would be swallowed up by it. The figure approached him; a woman with light brown hair, tanned skin and beautiful dark eyes. His muscles tensed and he held his breath.

"Penny," he breathed, shock written all over his expression. She didn't smile. She looked as though she were on the brink of tears. She took another step closer, tilting her head to the right as she took him in for the first time in years and studied his pleasant face.

"Desmond," she spoke, and her voice made him tremble.

"What…what are you doing here?" he stuttered, swallowing hard.

"I've been looking for you, Des," she told him, her hand reaching for his face, her touch soft and comforting. "I finally found you."

He closed his eyes, momentarily savouring her touch. How he had missed those hands, those slender arms, those silky lips he longed to kiss. But the shattered pieces of his heart stabbed in to him like a painful reminder. He felt betrayed. Confused. "What do you mean you've been looking for me?" he questioned, swallowing down his tears and turning his head away from her. "I've been right here. I'm the one who went looking for you. I couldn't find you anywhere, Penny!"

"Please," she whispered. "I had to protect you from my father. He had people watching me and I couldn't let anything happen to you."

He inhaled, his eyebrows knitted together. "What are you talking about?"

"The island, Des." Her voice was quiet and she approached him further so their faces were almost touching. "I know about it and so does my father. He wants it and he knows you've been there. Don't you see? I didn't want you to get hurt."

He took a moment to absorb all of this, his eyes wide and moist. His lip trembled. "Why now?" he demanded. "Why not a month ago? Or two months ago?"

She looked up at him, her gaze still somewhat shocked and relieved at the same time. "I read an article about two Oceanic 815 passengers who crashed on that island with you. I thought…if I could find them, I could find you…I came to Los Angeles and stayed with a friend. Tracy. It just so happened she recognised you from the picture I showed her."

She pulled a photograph out from her bag, the one of them both in London in front of the scene with the boats. He stared at it through blurred eyes and he sniffed, smiling very slightly.

"You kept it."

"Of course I kept it. I love you, Desmond. I always have. I don't want to lose you," she cried, her tears finally falling. "I was so afraid you had moved on. Forgotten all about me."

He looked down at his feet a moment, his eyebrows furrowed. All this time they had been separated, and the woman he truly loved was finally here in front of him. So much had changed…so many hearts had been broken. Was it really too late to repair it all? But when he looked at her tearful face, her gorgeous eyes, the answer seemed pretty clear to him.

"I could never forget you, Penny," he said softly. "I love you."

She smiled through her tears and he wiped away the moisture from her cheeks. Feeling happily overwhelmed, she wrapped her arms around him and disappeared in to his chest. He held her close, his arms embracing her tightly, his face in her hair. This felt like a dream. He breathed a shaky sigh and closed his eyes. He would need time, he knew that. Penny probably did too. But for now, he just needed to hold her. Needed her with him. Because she needed him too.

When Charlie arrived home, he came back to an empty house. There was no sign of Ana or Paige anywhere. He looked in all of the rooms and searched the flat for any notes. There was nothing. He started to feel his heart thud a little louder, an unpleasant feeling of nerves swirling around his gut. He began to fear the worst as he paced the room when he heard a knock at the door and he sprang for the handle.

The door swung open and he took in a deep breath. He wasn't prepared to see Claire standing there, Aaron in his pram and little Paige in the makeshift Bjorn around her neck. Instinctively, Charlie reached out for the baby and held her close to him, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Oh my God!" he exclaimed, looking down at the child as if he had forgotten what she looked like. "What happened? Where was she? Where's Ana?" he questioned, addressing Claire who stood at the door nervously.

"Charlie," she said slowly, apprehensively. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it? I don't understand." He shook his head and looked at Claire, bewildered as he propped the baby up in his arms.

"It's about Ana. She came to see me earlier."

He paused, mouth opening gradually. "Why would she do that?"

She glanced away from that pained face. She knew on some level, he already knew what she was going to say. He had expected it and feared it for a while now. She sniffed and raised her eyes to meet his. "Charlie, I know you don't want to hear this…but…Ana, she…" She froze at the sight of him. His mouth was open, his eyes a mixture of child-like confusion and distress.

"She's gone. Isn't she?" he said sadly, glancing at the small child he had in his arms, now motherless and totally oblivious to what was going on around her.

She closed her mouth and nodded gently. "I'm sorry."

He nodded too, processing the words in his head, his jaw stiffening. "I didn't want this for her," he mumbled, stroking Paige's little head softly. "I didn't want her to go through what we went through."

Claire knew what it was like not to have a parent in her life. She also knew what it was like to decide to give away a child. She understood the pain both parents must be feeling, but she wasn't sure what was best for them now. She only knew that Ana was gone and she wasn't coming back.

"I can find her," Charlie said adamantly, looking around desperately. "She can't have gone far. I'll make some phone calls."

"Charlie," Claire frowned, her hand reaching for his shoulder. "It's too late. You're tired and you've got a baby to look after. You need to rest. Ana will come back when she's ready."

Charlie bit his lip, his mind rattling around with hundreds of different thoughts and fears. "What if she doesn't come back?"

She smiled a sympathetic smile and rested her head against him. "Everything's going to be okay," she told him. "We're here for you, remember? Me and Aaron. You're not alone."

He tried to smile but it only showed for a brief moment before disappearing altogether in to a sad frown. His forehead rested against hers. He heard Aaron gurgling in his pram. Claire ran a comforting hand down his chest and opened her eyes gradually.

"We can stay if you want," she whispered, pulling away slowly.

"It's okay," he replied, smiling gratefully. "I think I need some time…"

"Sure." She offered him a supportive smile and stepped away. "I'll see you later. You'll be okay, won't you?" she asked as she took hold of Aaron's pram. The infant sucked his thumb, falling asleep, blissfully unaware of the drama going on around him.

"I'll be fine, Claire. Thanks."

She nodded and left him without another word. When Charlie closed the door, the flat was immersed in silence. Not even Paige made a noise, only sucked on her fingers and stared vacantly in to space. Her father was much the same as he contemplated what to do next. He couldn't sit there and do nothing. He couldn't let Ana make one of the biggest mistake of her life. And God knows where she had disappeared to. She could be in danger.

He carefully placed the baby next to him on the sofa as he grabbed the phone and started to dial. He called everyone he could think of, which didn't take long. The hospitals hadn't heard of her so he could breathe a sigh of relief there; at least she hadn't been hurt. Doctor Finley hadn't seen her, only expressed his sympathies and offered one last piece of advice - that perhaps all she needed was time.

Teresa was furious and only blamed him for making her daughter run away again when she had only just got her back. A few days later she would call round and apologise, explaining that Ana often ran way from people who wanted to help her. It was nobody's fault. But Charlie couldn't help taking the blame anyway.

He stayed up for hours making phone calls and waiting to see if she would come back. He spent a lot of that time just thinking. Was it finally over? Playing happy families with Ana; trying to make everything okay when it clearly wasn't? When it clearly couldn't be.

He should be happy, shouldn't he? Now he could be with the woman he loved and who loved him back. He could raise his children with her, be a family with her and the babies. There was no Desmond, no Ana-Lucia in their way anymore. But when he looked at Paige, asleep in her blankets, he couldn't be happy.

Once again he had failed to keep his family together. That's what this had been, an attempt at fixing past mistakes. He had failed with his parents and Liam, failed with Claire and Aaron, and he had failed with Paige and Ana. Maybe she hadn't been the best mother, but she was Paige's mother and that counted for something. Didn't Ana care? Didn't she think how this would affect Paige when she was older? The blaming herself, the heartbreak of missing a parent. He thought Ana knew what that felt like as much as he did. He never wanted his child to experience that.

But it was too late now, he thought as he lowered his head in to his hands and swiped at his pink and tired eyes, the tears sliding down his cheeks. It's always too bloody late.

It was like this for months afterwards - the waiting. Charlie guessed he was holding on to that last glimmer of hope that she would come back. She didn't. He continued working at the music shop and earned enough money to keep going with Paige's treatment. Claire happily looked after Paige when he was busy. He came round often to spend time with her and Aaron and not long later, after all hope of Ana returning had since vanished, he moved in with them.

The couple had been out to dinner one evening when they had bumped in to Desmond and Penny at a table not far from theirs. They saw each other several times after that, and then they left to go live abroad, keeping in contact by phone or - of course - instant messaging.

Charlie saw Doctor Finley one last time about Ana's disappearance and his plans for the future, and then he never saw him again. He didn't really need to.

Teresa visited occasionally to see her granddaughter but often she was too busy to come round, so Charlie sent her photographs and video clips of Paige's first words, or her first steps and other things like that. He would always quiz her about Ana, but Teresa would always say she hadn't heard from her.

It was almost half a year later when the letters started to come. From Hawaii, New York, Seattle, Detroit, and several other places. There was a long apology in the first one and images of Ana-Lucia in various places around the country. She wanted him to show them to Paige. He did, but only because he hated the thought of his daughter not knowing what her mother looked like. He wished she would just come home and then the letters wouldn't be necessary. She wouldn't come back for another year, and even then the visits were more or less annual. No matter how much he asked her, she would never stay.

Paige got used to having an absent mother, but she had the best father ever to make up for it and a wonderful stepmother to love and care for her. Of course, she would also have Aaron as a stepbrother and an adorable baby sister to play with.

The baby, Caroline, was named after Claire's mother who called and flew over for visits as often as she could. Caroline was a healthy little girl, with a pretty combination of dark blonde wisps of hair and light blue eyes. She was born on the fifteenth of August which, if put the American way, would be 8/15. They ignored the eerie coincidence, but it would serve as an ironic inside-joke for years to come nonetheless.

They were the kind of family that Charlie and Claire had always wanted; the kind of family they had missed out on when they were younger. And if it took all that drama, heartbreak and angst just to get there then it was all very much worth it.

Three Years Later.

Blue eyes opened to the sound of birds singing harmoniously outside the window, the morning sun shining through the closed curtains and creating a pleasant glow throughout the room. Charlie rubbed at his tired eyes and checked the time. 8:23am. He supposed he should get up.

A slim arm looped around him then and a warm body snuggled up to his back, blonde hair draping over his face and making him smile.

"Morning," said Claire, kissing him on the cheek. He rolled on to his back and she rested her head against his chest.

"Good Morning," he replied, stroking her soft curls. "Sleep well?"

"Very." She sat up and grinned at him, taking in his handsome features; his cute little nose, his gleaming eyes that would never seem to stay one colour. It made her giggle for some reason. Perhaps the sight of him made her so giddy that she had to laugh. "Look at us," she said, her head tilted to the side.

"I know. We're sickeningly sweet."

"No, I mean…I'm happy."

He smiled at her, his face lighting up. "Me too," he said before kissing her again. "Fancy some breakfast?"

Her smile grew but before she could answer, the phone rang. "I'll get it. You pour the cereal," she told him humorously and she bounced out of the room towards the phone.

Charlie heard some excited squealing from the other room as he poured the milk in to the bowl of cereal. He set the bowl in front of Aaron, now a sweet little boy of four whose head was now covered with a thick mess of blonde hair. "What do you say?" Charlie asked him.

"Thank you," he mumbled, rubbing at his large blue eyes before grabbing a spoon in his little hand. The boy's accent was mainly Australian, as Charlie thought it would be. He hadn't picked up on a strong American accent despite being around them since birth, but sometimes Charlie noticed the odd word sounded more like Northern English among anything else. "Why is mummy screaming?"

"I don't know, mate. I'll ask her, shall I?"

Claire walked in with the phone pressed to her ear and a large smile across her face. "That's wonderful news! I'm so happy for you, Des. Really, I am. Take care, okay? See you soon!"

"Good news?" Charlie asked curiously.

After putting the phone down, Claire spun around and grinned at him. "Des and Penny are getting married," she announced. "He's invited us to the wedding."

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "About time."

"You do want to go, don't you?" she questioned him before kissing her son's head and wishing him a good morning only to have him wipe his face with his arm and exclaim a disgruntled 'Yuck!'

"Of course I want to go. He's one of my best friends. I'm happy for him," he told her, grabbing another bowl of cereal and placing one in front of little Paige, now three years of age and as beautiful as ever with her silky curls of brunette hair and pink little cheeks. "There you go, love."

"Thank you, daddy!" she smiled, looking up at him with large hazel eyes. Recently, Charlie had noticed, they seemed to have settled on a mixture of blue, brown and green but from a distance they gleamed a pretty shade of brown.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." He ruffled her soft curls before reaching over for a mug of hot coffee, which he handed to Claire. "Oh, that reminds me," he added, taking a sip of his own drink, the warm liquid sliding down his throat pleasantly. "I bumped in to Jack again the other day and he wanted to know if he could come round this week. I told him it'd be fine. The kids would enjoy seeing him again."

"Uncle Jack!" cried Aaron with excitement. "Is he going to bring me presents again?"

"I want presents!" Paige pouted.

"Uncle Jack would have no money left if he gave you presents every time he saw you," Claire laughed, holding her mug to her lips and smiling. "But that'll be nice," she told Charlie brightly. Her ears were suddenly overwhelmed with the familiar sound of a baby's cry. "Caroline's awake," she sighed. "I'll see to her. Can you help Aaron get ready for school?"

"Absolutely," said Charlie. "Hurry up and finish your cereal, Turnip Head. Don't want to be late."

Aaron sipped the last of the milk from his bowl. "Mummy says not to call me that anymore. I'm notta turnip. They sound yucky."

"What's a turnip, daddy?" asked Paige, licking her spoon.

"Nevermind," he chuckled, clearing up their bowls. "Come on, Trouble. Let's get you ready for school."

Claire carefully approached the cradle and scooped the little child up in her arms. For two years old, she was a champion at screaming the house down. "Hush," said Claire, rocking her gently. By now, her eardrums were immune to the incessant screams of infants. She did not give in to tantrums. She made sure her children were happy and healthy and always did as they were told. She had resolved that she lived up to her reputation as Supermum after all.

Caroline quietened and began to doze against her mother's chest, her little eyes and mouth closing and her paleness replacing the agitated pink in her cheeks so that her face looked calm and peaceful. Claire held her close and stroked her short blonde locks of hair, entranced by the little girl's innocent beauty. She had always wanted a daughter, and now she had two. She was proud of her family and she loved them all unconditionally. Things had finally fallen in to place, she thought, eyeing her wedding ring with a saccharine smile.

Outside the baby's room, Charlie had left Paige playing with her Barbies whilst he helped Aaron put on his jacket. "There you go, mate," he grinned, kneeling in front of him. "Looking smart as ever. Well - smart enough for playing anyway. What are you doing today at school?"

"We're going to learn about the ocean," said Aaron brightly. "I'm drawing a picture of it."

"The ocean?" Charlie's eyebrows knitted together playfully. "Never heard of it. What is it?"

"We've been to the ocean before, dad," he giggled. "It's a big blue puddle of water!"

Charlie pouted in thought. "Doesn't ring any bells. Maybe you can show me your picture and it'll jog my memory?"

"Okay," the boy laughed, holding his hand out for Charlie to take hold of. Charlie stood and took his little hand, calling to Claire that he would be back in a short while. His plans changed, however, as soon as he opened the door.

A few moments before, a woman had climbed out of a car to examine the house. She took off her sunglasses, pushing back her long dark hair and inhaling deeply. She hadn't been here for a while and it was clear her nerves were overwhelming her. The walk along the pavement lasted an eternity when at last she arrived at the front door. It felt like several minutes before she gathered the courage to knock, and then the door swung open anyway. Standing there was a cheerful-looking man and a little blonde toddler holding hands. She tried to force a smile but failed miserably. He would probably recognise her better this way anyway, she thought.

"Ana?" Charlie breathed, his eyes wide with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Ana told him irritably. "We need to talk. Is that okay?"

"I'm in the middle of something," he admitted, but upon seeing the disappointment in her eyes he changed his tune. "Let me just get Claire to take Aaron."

Claire wasn't bitter about seeing Ana again. In fact, she was very pleasant, greeted her and asked her how she was. Ana smiled back politely before noticing the young girl propped up in Claire's arms. She held her breath. "So this must be Caroline," she said in a quiet voice, almost in disbelief. "She's gotten so big."

"I can't believe how fast they're all growing," Claire said cheerfully. "It feels like just yesterday that this one came in to our lives," she added, tapping the sleepy child's nose.

"She looks like you," Ana said. "Both of you."

When Claire and the children disappeared in to the other room, Charlie turned towards Ana, his expression solemn. "Haven't seen you for almost a year," he said. "How have you been?"

"A lot better since the last time you saw me," she revealed. "I met a guy, actually. We've been seeing each other for a while now and…we're moving in together."

"Really? That's great. I'm happy for you," said Charlie.

Ana smiled briefly, glancing down at her jeans for a moment. "That's kind of what I came here to tell you. I'm going to be around a lot more. We're moving here, to L.A."

Charlie's face changed but Ana couldn't tell if he was happy or perturbed by her news. "Is this a permanent move?" he asked her.

She nodded. "I've had a lot of time to think, Charlie. I've figured out some things and…I'm ready to do what I should have done years ago, if I'm not too late."

There was a long pause which seemed to stretch out to infinity, much to Ana's dismay. She feared Charlie would reject her, but the worst thing was knowing she would deserve it. It was a huge relief to see that cheeky smile on his features again. "You're not too late."

Breathing a sigh, her lips formed a smile. "Thank you," she said. "I know I've got a lot to make up for, and I don't expect everything to magically work out. I'm really going to try this time. Make up for what I missed."

"Good," Charlie responded more seriously. "Let's just…take it one step at a time, eh?"

Ana nodded understandingly, her lips still in a solemn sort of smile.

"Are you happy?" he asked her, catching her off guard. She swallowed and stared at those caring eyes, blue like the sky and bright like the sun. She had missed that.

She raised her head and nodded again gently. "I am." A smile formed on her tanned features, her neat curls resting against her cheek bones. "You know, I really am."

His shock at seeing her again reformed in to relief and happiness for her. He was still disappointed and somewhat angry that she had left, but she deserved to be happy. She was beautiful inside and out and she deserved somebody to make her realise that, so if she had finally found that person - that light that brightened the darkness in life - then he wasn't going to be bitter about that. He was glad for her.

Her eyes sparkled a glint of anxious excitement. He knew what she was waiting for.

"Would you like to see her?" he asked, smiling.

Ana held her breath again but nodded. It had been several months since she had seen her daughter - she hadn't yet hit three. Charlie called her name and a pretty little girl skipped around the corner, her brown curls bouncing at her shoulders and her round lips in a pleasant smile. Ana took her in. She hadn't realised before how much the little girl looked like her. She felt her heartbeat start to pound inside her. This was her daughter. She couldn't believe how much she had missed out on. Her first words, her first steps. She only hoped her baby would remember her from her occasional visits and frequent letters.

Charlie stepped aside. "Look who it is, Paige."

The girl's eyes widened, and Ana noticed how hazel they looked. "Mommy!" she squealed and ran as fast as her little legs would let her. Ana knelt down and Paige shot in to her arms. "I missed you, mommy."

Ana, recovering from her shock, was instead overwhelmed by this reunion - overwhelmed in the best way possible. She breathed in the clear summer air, swallowed back her tears and then tightened her grip around her beautiful daughter. "I missed you too, baby. Did you get my letters?"

The girl nodded vigorously in her arms. "You're pretty in your pictures," she told her mother, hanging on tightly. "Can I come with you next time?"

Ana pulled back and placed a strand of Paige's brunette hair behind her ear, examining her pretty features. "Well, that's the thing. Mommy's not going to be travelling much anymore. She's going to stay here in the city."

"Really?" Paige exclaimed with excitement. She looked at her father as if for conformation, and he grinned at her. "You can come visit anytime?" she addressed her mother again, those hazel eyes as big as saucers.

Ana laughed and nodded, her eyes welling up. She never thought she would be ready for this. As Charlie observed her, he could still notice some tension whenever Ana communicated with the kids, but he was visibly impressed by how far she had come and how much more comfortable she was around Paige. Maybe all she really needed was some time after all.

She embraced Paige again, holding her small frame closer this time. "I love you, mommy," the child said, her accent a strange mix of English and American which was only noticeable on certain words. Ana didn't mind. It had taken her too long to realise it, but she loved her just the way she was. She looked at Charlie and smiled, aware of how well he had looked after her in her absence and grateful that he hadn't let Paige forget her.

"I love you too."

Charlie watched them both. Mother and daughter, family, together; the way it should be. He concluded that perhaps the best things in life were accidents, even when they were disguised as mistakes. Meeting Claire and Ana happened quite by chance. Aaron, Paige, Caroline - all three terrific little accidents. He couldn't imagine a life without any of them.

They had all made mistakes in life, Charlie reflected as he observed his daughter and her mother together, but this might have been the best one he had ever made.

The End.