Lost Fic: Two Dreamers at the End of the World (Dan/Charlotte)
Title: Two Dreamers at the End of the World
Pairing: Daniel/Charlotte (slight Juliet/Sawyer)
Words: 1,229
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Angst. Implied character deaths.
A/N: Written for Queen roseys_fics. I wanted to write you fluff, but this plot bunny tackled me this morning. I hope you like it anyway.
When he opens his eyes she is kneeling beside him on the damp grass of the jungle, there is a smile on her lips, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I was hoping you would come one day, but I never wanted it to be so soon.”
Daniel reaches out a shaking hand to touch her face.
“Am I dreaming?”
She shakes her head sadly.
“Fraid not, love.”
I’m dead then, he thinks. But Charlotte’s there in front of him and he is tracing the bridge of her nose with his finger and he doesn’t feel dead at all.
***
“How?”
They’re walking through the jungle, their hands entwined. Daniel can’t help but try to make sense out of the situation.
“It’s not logical, when the brain dies…the electrical impulses stop…there’s no more cognition. This,” he gestures to her and the jungle around them. “It’s not possible.”
Charlotte rolls her eyes.
“I knew you were going to have a problem with this.”
She laughs and squeezes his hand.
***
She takes him to the barracks. Despite their emptiness they look warm and inviting. She guides him to a little yellow house near the swing set.
“This is where we lived when I was little.”
Daniel nods. “I know…I saw you.”
“It’s our house now.”
***
“There are so many things I never did. My Mother, she always knew how it would end. My whole life was guided to bring me to this point.”
Daniel’s voice breaks. “It seems like a waste.”
Charlotte pulls him to her, wrapping her arms around his small frame. He buries his face in her red hair.
“What did you want to do?”
She feels him smile against her neck.
“I wanted to play the piano.”
He pulls back and she’s grinning at him.
“Come on then, what are you waiting for?”
“I don’t…”
“We have a piano, Dan.”
She points across the living room to the Baby Grand sitting in the corner. It looks new, as if no one has ever touched the keys. As if it was waiting for him.
He walks across the room and runs a hesitant hand over the smooth wood. His fingers hover above the keys not daring touch them.
“Sit down and play something for me,” she urges.
“I can’t, I don’t remember how…”
“Just try.”
He sits on the bench and closes his eyes. He feels her beside him, watching. After a moment, he lets his fingers find the keys. He’s surprised when he hears music fill the room instead of false notes.
“Chopin,” Charlotte says happily.
Daniel looks at her with wonder.
“My mother always said there wasn’t enough time.”
Charlotte rests her head on his shoulder.
“Plenty of time now. Play something else, something happy.”
***
Daniel thinks he can hear people talking sometimes, but when he looks for them there’s never anyone there. He asks Charlotte about this one morning as they sit on their porch swing, gently swaying back and forth.
She just shrugs.
“You can see them, if you really want to. I saw you sometimes, before you came.”
“You watched me?”
“Every now and then. You were always so sad.”
“I couldn’t move on. I tried…”
“I guess I’m hard to forget then,” she jokes.
Daniel tilts his head slightly to look at her. His voice is soft when he speaks, “Impossible.”
She wrinkles her nose and kisses his cheek softly.
“No need for flattery, love. I’m not going anywhere.”
***
They lay together on the grass one afternoon, their faces turned to the sky. Daniel stares into the sun until spots dance in front of his eyes.
“Stop that, you’ll go blind,” Charlotte chides.
“It’s just…the light was so strange before. It seems different now. Normal.”
“Has anyone ever told you, you think too much?”
“Yes,” he says absently.
Charlotte runs a hand under his shirt. “I’m going to have to distract you, aren’t I?”
Daniel’s breathe hitches as her fingers slide down his chest.
“That would be nice.”
***
“My mother always said I made this place up.”
They’re curled against each other in the dark, it’s raining outside. Daniel’s hand is trailing over her stomach, tracing patterns on her skin.
“She said it was just a dream, that we had always lived in England. I always knew she was lying.”
Charlotte propped herself up on one elbow to better look at Daniel.
“I’m glad I found it again.”
Daniel shook his head.
“But you died.”
She sighed and leaned back against the pillows, running a hand absently through his hair.
“I know, but nowhere else ever felt like home.”
***
One morning Daniel sees someone standing outside. He hasn’t seen another soul besides Charlotte in…well he’s not sure how long it’s been exactly.
It’s Juliet.
She seems to be waiting for something. His heart beats a little faster as he runs to the front door. He calls to her from the porch.
He’s surprised when she doesn’t turn.
Charlotte must have followed him outside because she’s beside him now.
“She can’t hear you, Dan.”
“Why not?” Daniel asks confused. He watches as Juliet begins walking away.
“She’s just passing through.”
Daniel feels his chest tighten. “She’s dead?”
Charlotte nods. “I suppose.”
“Where will she go?”
“I don’t know,” Charlotte said. “But I’m sure something’s waiting for her. She’ll be fine. It’s best not to worry about it.”
Charlotte is tugging him back towards the house, but Daniel won’t be moved.
“Will she wait for James, like you waited for me?”
Charlotte sighs. “Maybe. Or maybe it’ll be something else entirely. It’s hard to say, Dan, I’m not an expert on this. I just died the once, you know.”
“I hope she’s not alone.”
Charlotte tugs his hand again and this time he lets her lead him back into their house.
***
After awhile Daniel begins to notice the whispers are becoming louder. Charlotte notices too, but she won’t talk about it. She shushes him every time he brings it up.
Sometimes he can hear distinct words. Sometimes he can recognize the voices. Jack and Kate and James.
This is war, Sawyer. We have to fight, we don’t have a choice.
There’s always a choice, Freckles and I ain’t got nothing to fight for anymore.
Daniel thinks he can almost see them. He hears Charlotte approaching from behind him.
“Please don’t, Dan. Don’t listen to them.”
Her voice sounds desperate, but he can’t turn away.
“But…something’s happening…”
***
The air feels strange one morning. He turns to tell Charlotte this, but the words fade away when he sees her. She’s shimmering in the light, flickering like a flame.
“Charlotte! You’re…” he can’t find the words to describe it.
She’s crying, but her voice is steady.
“I know. It’s happening to you to.”
He looks down at his own hand in amazement; it seems to be fading away.
He can hear screaming in the distance and the ground feels unsteady beneath his feet.
Charlotte takes his face in her hands, forcing him to focus on her.
“Never mind that, Dan. Play me something, okay?”
He nods, trying not to let her see his fear. They sit side by side at the piano, his fingers on the keys.
“Is there time?”
Charlotte leans against him.
“Always.”