Just Remember Peanut Butter

"Food!"

Charlie had just finished up his daily work with Sayid on the soon-to-be kitchen when he heard the shout from his small setup at the edge of camp. He didn't register a name or face to go with the voice but it was, as every single out on the beach would be, familiar.

At first, he didn't pay much mind to the monosyllabic proclamation; some overly enthusiastic prat probably found a couple extra mangoes on a rather picked over tree. There was only one voice amongst the forty-some that he yearned to hear. And that wasn't it.

Charlie went on strumming thoughtless melodies on his guitar for a few minutes until he couldn't help but notice the commotion and chatter becoming evident amongst his fellow castaways.

It wasn't too long until a number of them set off into the jungle. Curious, and without anything better to do, Charlie made the choice to join them.

After walking for a short time, the group came across what they had been promised: food.

A huge package filled with enough boxed food to refill the Hatch pantry sat before them, attached to a flaccid parachute. After a momental pause to take in the sight, people quickly made up for the delay. Digging into the bulk of boxes, generically labeled boxes and jars quickly appeared in hands.

Charlie was right there with them. Picking up a box to make sense of what he could hardly believe, he read the label, DHARMA INITIATIVE BREAKFAST O's. He knew from the hatch that Cheeto's were inside.

The wonder amid the group soon drew close to chaos, or at least the cusps of it. Charlie suggested that order could be achieved through distribution of someone trustworthy. Looking about, he naturally suggested Hurley, who had a strangely strong aversion to this nomination.

Hurley then, even more strangely, indiscriminately dashed alone into the jungle. Charlie didn't even have the time to try to figure out what was going on there.

Without much contemplating, Charlie began searching through the mass for peanut butter.

What he found was even better than he'd previously seen from the Hatch. The container was larger than his head. He remembered seeing ranch in a container this size before during the big feast they had, back before he ruined things with Claire.

He saw a few more canisters beside the place of the one he had picked up. He knew he could manage to carry at least two back, but swiftly decided against it. People had gotten extremely touchy when it came to food; he didn't need to get into it with anyone over an extra colossal jar of peanut butter.

In any case, it would take Claire a year to finish one jar of this by herself. She really does love peanut butter though. Charlie smiled to himself. This container should last her until they were all rescued. Hopefully.

He began heading back to the beach, wondering how to give the peanut butter to Claire without bothering her. He wanted more than anything to make up for what he did.

He'd been trying to keep his distance and leave her and Aaron alone as to not made things worse. He hated what he'd done.

First carrying around that stupid statue filled with his own personal kryptonite, then, even worse, ten thousand times worse, starting a fire that could have taken out the entire camp and stealing Aaron out of his crib and almost drowning him in the ocean. Twice.

He didn't think he could ever come back from that. He didn't think he deserved to. Even though whatever psychotic episode he had suffered from had passed, he knew he'd hurt her enough. Too much. How could a mother ever forgive or trust someone after endangering their child?

He didn't anticipate her forgiveness or renewal of their relationship. But he still cared so deeply for both her and the baby. He just wanted to see her happy. That's all he that ran permeated his mind when getting the peanut butter for her. He knew one sodding jar of peanut butter, no matter how big, couldn't atone for his sins.

When he reached the treeline backing the camp, he fixed his gaze to Claire's shelter. It was unoccupied. He let his eyes wander over the beach to find that she was taking a stroll down the shore with Aaron in her arms.

He decided to make his move while she was away. Walking towards the tent, he found that everything looked more or less the same as the day he'd come back to find his bags packed.

He sat the peanut butter on the small, rounded table by Aaron's crib, where he knew she'd see it as soon as she got back.

He stepped back quickly after sitting it down, not wanting John or Kate or anyone else to think he was trying something.

After making it far enough away, he turned back to take one last look at the shelter. The sight of the quaint little place brought back memories of some of the best moments of his life.

He loved her. He had for a long time. Probably from the moment he met her.

And he loved Aaron. As if he was his own son, he realized. He missed his little fingers wrapping around his and big blue eyes that mirrored Claire's looking up at him.

He just wanted them to be okay no matter what, with or without him.

After half an hour or so of getting to stretch her legs, Aaron started getting fussy. She knew that was her cue to get back to her tent. He was hungry.

The closer she got back to her home base, the more people she came across with Dharma labeled boxes, eating various packaged food. Various kinds of cookies and cereal, chips, meals and drinks. She knew the camp seemed to have had a bit of a commotion when she first started on her walk and this must've been the cause.

Someone must have found a stash of the stuff hidden away somewhere; probably in another weird underground hatch someone fell into when wandering through the jungle. Maybe this one was in the side of a mountain.

Nothing that happened on this island could truly surprise her anymore. A nonsensical man living underground pushing a button every 108 minutes? Sure. A mysterious loud monster in the jungle? Old news. A deranged native kidnapping her and planning to take her baby? Of course. Or, seemingly most shocking of all, her closest friend on the island, who from day one had been nothing but sweet and chivalrous, transforming overnight into a manic baby snatcher. No, it would take something real out there to stupefy her these days.

With Aaron flustered, she didn't bother to ask about this newest development. Moreover, she knew she'd learn the entire story soon enough; it was a small beach with no walls. And if Hurley knew, she knew to brace herself for the details any second now.

Claire had been so preoccupied with Aaron and the mystery of the food that she didn't even see it until she was at the opening of her shelter.

She was surprised. Actually surprised when she saw the bulk-sized jar of peanut butter in front of her.

Maybe she shouldn't have been surprised. Maybe she should have known he'd have to get it for her. But she didn't know that because he hadn't appeared to be that person anymore. The one who got her imaginary and then real peanut butter.

There was no question that this was a gift from Charlie. She hadn't divulged her pregnancy craving or straight up love for the stuff to anyone else here.

She stared down at the canister, feeling a plethora of emotions. She was still mad, and she hadn't forgotten what he had done. But now she knew he hadn't forgotten anything either.

It was just peanut butter. Creamy, stick to roof of your mouth peanut butter. Full to the brim.