Coffee Break

Characters: Charlie, Kate, Jack. Mentions of Aaron and Hurley.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Nope. Nothing is mine.
Summary: Charlie, Kate, and Jack meet for coffee in LA. Post-Island.

Note: Written for Challenge #1: The Original A-Team at charliepacefic.

He was drumming his fingers on the table, glancing at the glass door, checking the time on his new cell phone.

When he first got that thing, he had been confused. Of course he had owned a cell phone before, but this was a newer model. More buttons - smaller. It was just strange. But, then again, everything was stranger these days…off the Island.

Starbucks was different. Since when did Starbucks have booths? It had been years. Years since they left. He should’ve been getting used to it all by now. But things still caught him off guard every now and then. Like the way Claire’s tent wasn’t just a few strides down the beach.

Everyone in Starbucks wasn’t paying much attention to him. Usually Starbucks customers minded their own business, anyway. They were the quirky artsy types. The ones that hammered away on their laptops, studied thick college text books, or talked with their hands while they had a conversation with a friend as they sipped grande mochas. They usually wouldn’t notice other customers. But soon, Charlie knew the curious glances and the question: “is that him?” would start.

Time seemed to trudge through mud. It felt like a millennium had passed before Kate pushed open the glass door and walked inside, glancing around the café for him.

Her hair was shorter and straight, but there was still a hint of wave to it. Her face was no longer tan - but pale and no freckles or sun damage. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and Charlie could tell that the muscles in her arms - products of steroids, he had joked once - were gone and that she had lost much of her tone. She had put on a bit of weight, maybe. But nothing drastic. She looked normal - healthy. She had lost a lot of her tomboy characteristics and seemed rather professional…and…well…motherly.

Charlie stood up from the booth and their eyes locked across the room and they smiled.

“I still can’t get over seeing you in a skirt and makeup,” Charlie said as he approached her.

Kate smiled at him fondly and hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder. “This week is your week with Aaron.”

Charlie froze and nodded slightly. “Yeah, I know. You, uh, you could’ve-”

He was cut off when a flash of light blinded him and he and Kate stepped away from each other, blinking. When they could see again, they saw a man with a camera around his neck quickly leave the café almost as soon as he had walked in. This caused a small murmur to erupt in the Starbucks. People started to recognize them.

“I hate that,” Kate muttered. “We’re turning into celebrities because of this. I mean, at least you’re…at least you’re used to it.”

“Was used to it,” Charlie corrected. “I never really liked it, anyway. It was more for music, you know?”

Kate smiled at him slightly. “Really? You were all about being recognized on the Island.”

Charlie frowned slightly and led her back to their booth in the corner, away from everyone else. “Weird transition, you know? I was…it was a hard time.”

“Yeah,” Kate agreed, sliding into the booth. “What were you saying? About Aaron?”

“Oh,” Charlie shrugged, glancing down at the tabletop. “Just, uh, you could’ve brought him here, you know…”

Kate’s face darkened slightly. “Charlie, you know I don’t like to bring him out in public. The media…they’d totally jump right on him. It’s hard enough keeping him so secluded, and even harder to arrange his weeks with you without anyone catching on.”

“I know,” Charlie sighed, raking a hand through his hair and resting his elbows on the table. “But I just…sometimes a week isn’t enough. It’s never enough, actually. I miss him all the time. And I…” he paused. “Never mind.”

Charlie and Kate never talked about Claire. It was like a rule of theirs. Some cruel, sick rule. They had tried to talk about her - sometimes. But it only ended in fights and screaming and, on most occasions, crying. So they decided to keep the peace…and everyone won. Charlie agreed that he wouldn’t tell anyone the truth about Aaron, who had turned into Kate’s ‘get out of jail free’ card. And Kate agreed to let Charlie have Aaron during the week. Aaron never asked questions about who Charlie was - he was just Charlie. Aaron’s friend. The man that played with him and had a room for him at his house and told him he loved him. But Charlie wished he could’ve been viewed as his father.

Kate noticed Charlie’s sudden distress and her own eyes teared slightly.Not here. She blinked back the flood and outstretched her hands across the table, grabbing Charlie’s and pulling them towards her so their hands rested together at the center of the table. She squeezed them briefly and met his eyes. “We’re getting through this together.”

A similar sentence had once been Claire’s - but that wasn’t Kate’s fault. Charlie frowned suddenly and pulled his hands away a little too quickly.

“Jack’s coming, yeah?”

That would be the last time that day they got even remotely close to mentioning Claire and the others they left behind. It had gotten that bad.

“Yeah,” Kate said, glancing behind her at the door that remained closed. “Said he was, anyway.”

Charlie desperately wanted to ask why they hadn’t just met at Kate’s house. It would be private. And Aaron would be there.

“Jack has issues with my house,” Kate said as if she had read his mind. “Because…you know. Grabbing coffee was his idea. I said no at first. But I changed my mind. I thought the three of us should do this together. It’s either you and Jack or me and you. It’s never the three of us. We haven’t really done this since dinner during the first month we got back.”

“Yeah,” Charlie nodded, remembering their awkward dinner about three weeks after leaving the Island. They had been unusually quiet. There really wasn’t much to remember, though. Nothing too memorable had happened. Jack had to excuse himself a couple times, and Kate got fed up and left the table. Jack never came back, and Charlie was left with the bill. Since then, the three of them never got together again. It was always one with the other. And Kate and Jack rarely saw each other outside her trial.

“So I hope he shows up,” Kate sighed. “It won’t be to see me, you know. It’ll be for you.”

Charlie frowned. “Kate, we’ve gone through a lot but he doesn’t hate you for it.”

Kate didn’t respond.

They sat in a brief silence for awhile. And then Jack walked through the door. A grin that he hadn’t been expecting erupted on Charlie’s face and he stood, making a beeline towards Jack, Kate following slowly and unsure.

Jack seemed older these days. A little more tired, and, surprisingly…a little less “doctor.” He didn’t appear to be a determined, educated, spinal surgeon. Someone who could take the long nights and the stress that came with the medical field. He appeared to be a man who wanted to sleep and stay that way forever. He was wearing a windbreaker and expensive jeans with a pair of aviators perched on the top of his head.

Charlie threw his arms around Jack and buried his face in his friend’s shoulder. That was inevitable, considering the height difference. Charlie’s hugs had never really been this enthusiastic - except the one he gave Hurley when he thought he was leaving to die. But the hugs he gave Jack on the Island had been brief ones from the side. In fact, the only hug he remembered clearly had been the one they shared when Jack first returned from the Others’. Charlie found himself wishing he had given everyone else from the Island the hug he was giving Jack now, considering their circumstances.

It frightened Charlie when he realized he hadn’t seen Jack in two weeks. Just two weeks. Not long enough for Jack to receive a hug that Charlie had strictly reserved for suicide missions and the like. The Island had made him used to their closeness. Two weeks was too long by their standards.

Charlie pulled away, a little embarrassed now. But Jack looked equally happy to see him. He clapped Charlie on the back and glanced over his head at Kate. They shared a poor excuse of a smile and then the three of them stood in the line that had formed behind the barista’s counter.

“What have you been up to?” Charlie asked Jack. Kate stood behind them, examining her split ends absently.

“I just got back from Santa Rosa,” Jack answered, yawning. He seemed exhausted. “Hurley…he’s doing good.”

Charlie nodded. He had visited Hurley the day before and had spent literally the whole day there with him. From right when Santa Rosa opened their doors to the time they closed them. It had been a sad day - seeing Hurley in that condition - but a great one, all the same.

“Well, phone me sometime and we’ll go together,” Charlie offered. “Me and you.” He nodded behind him at Kate. “And Kate. Hurley would like to see us all together.”

“Sure,” Jack agreed, but Charlie wondered if he’d actually follow through with it.

They stepped up to the barista and Jack ordered for them. “Coffee is on me,” he said before Charlie or Kate could object. “I’ll have a Cinnamon Dolce, a Green Tea, and a Vanilla Bean frappuccino.” They stepped off to the side to pick up their drinks and Jack smiled back at them. “Did I get it right?”

Charlie rolled his eyes. “Tea. Thanks for stereotyping..”

Kate laughed slightly and nodded. “Vanilla Bean is fine, Jack.”

They took their styrofoam cups and walked back over to their booth. But before they got there, they were stopped by two giggly, blonde, typical LA girls.

“You ask him,” the taller one snickered, nudging her friend.

The other one laughed and smiled at Jack. “Can we have your autograph?”

Jack frowned slightly, but took the piece of paper and pen anyway. He rested it on the hard surface of the table and signed it.

One of the girls - they were practically clones - shoved a silver digital camera in Charlie’s hand and the two of them stepped back with Jack, pulling him into the shot.

Charlie knew this was the part where he was supposed to take a picture, but Jack didn’t look comfortable. He was staring down at the floor, so the picture wouldn’t turn out too great, anyhow. Charlie frowned and shook his head, lowering the camera.

“Sorry,” he told the girl who had handed him the camera. “I can’t.”

Jack stumbled away from the two girls, who pouted. The taller girl jerked the camera away from Charlie and he blinked in surprise. Then they stormed off.

“Thanks,” Jack said, giving him a relieved smile.

Kate and Charlie slid back into the booth to face each other. Jack paused on Kate’s side - long enough for them to notice his hesitation. But then he slid in next to Charlie. Charlie caught the upset glint in Kate’s green eyes and noticed how Jack’s jaw tensed. Charlie sighed loudly and set his cup down on the table.

“Oh, please guys.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jack muttered.

“Sure I do!” Charlie objected. “You guys have, like, multiple personalities! Don’t pretend like I don’t know how you guys feel about each other.”

Kate winced slightly. “Charlie, don’t-”

“You pretty much gave it all away the first day I met you, Kate! Jack and I disappear, and you’re all - ‘Jack! Jack!’ No, I’m fine. It’s just the monster. I wasn’t nearly mauled or anything.” Charlie turned to Jack now. “And you! Kate slips a few inches down the aisle in the cockpit and it’s a complete disaster. I nearly get knocked down by a dead body half my size, and-”

Jack suddenly started laughing, catching both Kate and Charlie off guard. It was a happy, genuine laugh. Not a forced one or a mildly amused one. It was real. Charlie grinned slightly and Kate smiled down at her frappuccino.

“Seems so long ago, doesn’t it?” Jack asked, not directing the question to either one of them. “That day.”

Kate and Charlie nodded in agreement. It was a long time ago. All of it. It was more like a dream than something that had actually happened to them.

“So stop being ridiculous,” Charlie told them softly, his voice much more gentle.

Jack glanced at Kate and then back down at his lap. At this angle - and the way the light hit his face - Charlie finally noticed his friend’s stubble.

“Oh, Jack…” Charlie sighed, shaking his head. “You’re not trying to grow a sodding beard, are you?”

Jack touched his cheek self-consciously and shifted uncomfortably. “Must’ve just forgotten to shave…”

Charlie smiled slightly. “Right. Trying to grow a disguise…”

“I just forgot to shave, Charlie.”

Charlie decided to stop pressing the subject and nodded, finishing off his tea. Jack and Kate’s eyes met and stayed locked for awhile. Jack opened his mouth to say something, but-

Kate’s phone rang. She dug it out of her leather purse, flipped it open, and pressed it against her ear. “Yeah? Hey.” She smiled up at them apologetically and held up a finger to indicate she’d be done soon.

Jack slumped. Charlie didn’t think he had ever seen Jack slump. But he had lost his bravado and was now staring at Kate blankly.

“Uh-huh. The Dr. Seuss books are in his playroom. He likes Green Eggs and Ham. I’ll be home soon and I’ll pack his bag for Charlie’s then. Yeah - ok. Thanks.” Kate snapped her phone shut and set it on the table. “That was Aaron’s nanny.”

Charlie felt his chest tighten and he stood up. Jack did as well, letting him move past him and out of the booth. Once Charlie was out, Jack rested a hand on his shoulder.

“You ok?”

“Yeah,” Charlie answered a little stiffly, smiling at Jack and then at Kate. “I just think I should go. You two catch up.”

Jack sat back down and he and Kate shared a look that automatically warmed Charlie up. It was a look that they hadn’t shared in a long time - but some things never changed.

“I’ll bring Aaron by tomorrow,” Kate said, smiling up at Charlie. “See you then?”

“Yeah,” Charlie smiled, relaxing a little. Hearing about Aaron’s nanny - or anything about Aaron, really - usually made him tense up. Kate knew this. Jack knew. And yet they still never talked about it. Someday, they would have to.

And yet, after everything, Charlie couldn’t forget what they had gone through together. He owed them both so much. Somehow, he knew they’d go back for the others. For Claire. They had silently promised each other this. And Charlie planned to see it through.

Feeling better, and with the insight of a hopeful future, Charlie smiled. “I love you guys.”

Things wouldn’t always be this way. He just had to keep reminding himself.

The End