title: New Life
fandom: Lost
pairing: Jack/Charlie
rating: NC18
series: none
sequel to: none
spoilers: S1
author: nancy
email: the_tenth_muse1@yahoo.com
website: http://www.thetenthmuse1.madbrilliant.com/
feedback: yes, please!
archive: let me know!
summary: Jack and Charlie start a new life together on the island...in more ways than one.
warnings: angst, graphic m/m sex, mild violence and language
notes: Happy Birthday Weezy!
disclaimer: so obviously that they're not mine, never will be, not making any money, damnit.
---------------------------------
New Life

It was hard to think, sometimes, being around the others. Jack couldn't find a moment to himself. After weeks of being trapped on the island with people who seemed to need constant attention of one kind or another, he was pretty sure that he would go crazy at any time. Not the kind of crazy he'd gone thinking that he'd seen his father's ghost, thank God. Just a temporary insanity that would result in breaking Sawyer's nose after one more insult...maybe his jaw.

Truth be told, everyone was getting on his nerves. Locke and Boone's daily mysterious disappearances. Kate's hot and cold attitude towards him. Sawyer's selfish, rebellious attitude, as if Jack had somehow taken on a parental role with him. Jin and Michael sniping at each other despite the language barrier. Shannon was worse than Sawyer, and Claire was too nice. Only two people in his immediate circle didn't bug the crap out of him: Hurley, and Charlie. Hurley because, well, Jack wasn't sure the big man could bother anyone even if he tried. And Charlie because...

That's a little more complicated, Jack thought with a sigh.

Scrubbing fingers through short hair, Jack closed hot, tired eyes and rested his head against the tree that supported him. There'd been so much going on in the last few weeks that he'd only recently been able to figure out why Charlie didn't bother him.

Bad idea, Shepard, he repeated firmly to himself for the hundredth time. There's no way in hell there can be anything between you. He might not be completely straight, but he's your friend and depends on you.

Jack always fell for someone in need; it was his a serious weakness. He knew that and understood it. But in this kind of situation when the population was so limited and danger literally lurked around every corner, forming...bonds...was best left for a later time when they'd all gotten to know one another much, much better. And yet, despite that decision, made that night when Charlie had been suffering through the DTs, Jack still hadn't been able to resist falling for the other man.

"Jack? Everything okay?"

Sighing at Charlie's hesitant question, Jack opened his eyes and offered a weary smile. "Just tired, Charlie. Taking a break."

"Ah," Charlie paused. "You want some company?"

Jack opened his mouth to say no, but instead, "Sure," is what escaped. Charlie looked pleased at the response and plopped down beside Jack, all awkward angles and lack of grace. Jack had the same thought then, that he had a few times before... For a musician, he's not very coordinated.

They're silent for a few minutes and then Charlie asked, "Are you sure everything's okay?"

A faint smile twisted Jack's lips because he knew that Charlie wouldn't be able to stay quiet for very long. Silence made Charlie very uncomfortable, though Jack didn't know why. Maybe it was part of being a musician. "I'm fine, Charlie. Just a little...claustrophobic...I guess. Needed some time alone."

"Oh, well, I should go then," Charlie protested, immediately starting to get up.

Jack instinctively grabbed Charlie's arm, stopping him. Staring into pale blue eyes, Jack shook his head and said softly, "It's okay. Stay."

"Um, okay then," Charlie agreed, just as quiet, settling back down.

Jack hadn't removed his hand and went to do so when Charlie put his other hand over Jack's. And even though he knew it was a bad idea, he couldn't stop from moving even closer and leaning in a very obvious fashion. He paused only centimeters from Charlie's mouth and, when there was no protest, closed the distance. Kissing the pliant mouth was sweeter than anything Jack could remember for a long time and he groaned, wanting more and pushing his tongue against the dry lips insistently.

Charlie opened his mouth to the invasion and Jack could taste the salt of ocean water therein, making him wonder if Charlie had been taking another swimming lesson from Locke. The thought sent a surge of jealousy through him and the kiss turned aggressive, demanding more from the smaller man. Gasping, Charlie's hand gripped Jack's shirt as he returned the kiss, but continued to let Jack lead.

In no time, they were on the damp jungle floor with Jack covering Charlie almost completely, devouring his mouth hungrily. The kisses broke only to allow short draughts of air as they pulled at clothes and twisted out of them. Skin to skin at last and Jack shuddered, taking a moment to look down at the slender man beneath him. Flushed and panting, the blue of Charlie's eyes were almost totally consumed by the black pupil.

Raking his nails lightly up Jack's sides, Charlie hooked both legs over Jack's hips and demanded, "Fuck me, Jack. God, I need you."

Jack grinned, teasing, "I think I'm going to take my time with you, Charlie. Make sure you're in good enough shape for this."

"I always knew you were a sadist," Charlie muttered, even as humor laced his voice.

Leaning down for another kiss, Jack rubbed their cocks together and thrilled to Charlie's soft, needy sounds. He shifted down, licking a path down the sweat-slicked chest and lingering on his new lover's nipples. Charlie's fingers gripped his head and he arched up into the caress, Jack's name escaping him in a gasp. Determined to leave him a wreck, Jack went back and forth between the hard nubs and continued to thrust his cock against Charlie's. Surprisingly strong legs tightened around the backs of his thighs as Charlie unexpectedly came with a sharp cry of release before collapsing against the ground.

Jack grinned fiercely at the sated look on his lover's face and waited as patiently as he could for the other man to come back to himself. His own cock was hard and throbbing, desperate to find a home in Charlie's body, but he wouldn't take the other without permission.

"God that was good," Charlie finally murmured. Stretching languorously, he smiled shyly up at Jack and said, "Thanks."

"Not completely altruism, Charlie," Jack teased, rubbing lightly against him.

Startled, Charlie looked down and licked his lips before returning Jack's gaze and saying, "Well? What're waitin' for, a written invitation?"

"Something like that, yeah," Jack replied, turning serious. "I wasn't really planning this, so I don't have anything to prepare you with. We could do this another time."

But Charlie shook his head and said, "I want you so, you know, use whatever's at hand."

Jack frowned, then realized that Charlie meant his own semen. The thought sent a bolt of lust through Jack and he shivered a bit before nodding. Scooping the come up into his hand, he knelt back and said, "Turn over."

Charlie did and Jack had to take a moment to brush the dirt off and then grabbed his water bottle, dumping it over Charlie's ass one- handed to make sure he was as clean as possible, under the circumstance. He was so hard it hurt, and so it was with shaking fingers that he finally pushed into the tight hole of Charlie's body. It wasn't much in the way of lube, but it would be better than spit and he wasn't sure that he could stop now unless Charlie ordered him to.

Groaning in minor discomfort as Jack prepared him, Charlie encouraged him with soft, dirty words, enflaming him even more. When he slowly pushed inside, it was in fits and stops, not wanting to cause any more pain than necessary. Charlie jerked and shuddered in his arms, gasping his name over and over again. It seemed forever before Jack was fully seated and he had to take a few long seconds to regain some of his control. All he really wanted to do was fuck Charlie until they both saw stars, but he couldn't do that the first time and sure as hell not without real lube.

"Jesus, Jack, oh shit," Charlie moaned, ass tightening around the shaft which impaled him. "Jesus please, just do it, God, just fuck me already, need you so bad, Jack."

Sucking on the hollow of his lover's throat, Jack obliged with a slow, pumping thrust that stretched carefully. It felt better than anything he'd had in a long time and Jack gasped helplessly as instinct took over and moved him faster. He needed this, needed Charlie, needed the connection, no matter how brief. The world seemed to just fall away as his thrusts grew stronger and harder, his focus narrowed down to the tight heat into which he rutted with abandon. He heard Charlie's cries of passion, felt him shoving back on Jack's cock, but was centered solely on filling Charlie, driving as deep into his lover as he could, and planting his seed into the oh-so- welcoming body joined to his in the most primal way possible.

Charlie howled in a second orgasm, the shout breaking through Jack's fog along with the clamping down of Charlie's ass around his dick. Biting without thought, Jack's teeth broke through skin as he came, the coppery taste of blood startling him and driving him over the edge. His own shout of release was muffled as he humped rapidly into Charlie, spilling as deep as he could while the smaller man hung limp and shaking in his arms.

Finally allowing them to drop carefully to the ground amidst their clothes, Jack stayed spooned up behind Charlie, his cock lodged inside his lover's body. Arms tight around waist and chest, Jack licked the slowly bleeding bite until it stopped, wondering vaguely if he'd gone crazy in an entirely different fashion than anticipated.

* * * *

Charlie groaned as he tried not to throw up for the fifth morning in a row. Jack's hand gently rubbed his back and he stayed very still, hoping that that would be enough. At least they were in the privacy of their own little lean-to; Jack wouldn't let Charlie return to the beach to live and Charlie had refused a cave, still having horror memories of Jack being buried alive. They'd compromised by building a lean-to against the outer cave.

Amazing what a difference a couple of weeks makes, he thought in dry humor.

Absolutely no one had put up any kind of fuss at the two of them literally shacking up together, which still surprised Charlie. Though really, he was pretty sure that Locke sharpening his knives in front of Sawyer might have a lot to do with the younger man keeping his mouth shut. Kate could occasionally be bitchy, but mostly she was happy for them and Charlie tried his best to be a gracious winner. When he and Jack fucked, it was outside of hearing range to be considerate of the others. When they made love, it was in their new, odd little home. Charlie never had any trouble keeping quiet then, usually because Jack was kissing him breathless when he came.

"You okay now?" Jack asked, continuing to rub his back.

Charlie thought about it, then cautiously re-rolled onto his back and nodded. "Yeah. That should do me."

Shaking his head, Jack said, "I'm getting a little worried about this, Charlie. This is the fifth day in a row."

"Y'know, I told Sawyer you could count, but he didn't believe me," Charlie teased, hoping to get his lover into a better mood.

From the downward turn of Jack's lips, it didn't work.

"I want you to stay here today, make sure that you didn't get some kind of food or sun poisoning. Or maybe you're having an allergic reaction to something," Jack replied, covering Charlie's forehead with his palm.

Smiling up at him, Charlie combed his fingers through the still short, but getting longer, dark hair. "I'll be fine."

"Just, stay put, okay? Humor me," Jack requested.

With an eyeroll, Charlie nodded and agreed, "All right, y'can stop with the puppy-dog eyes."

Jack frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Your eyes. They get a distinctly `puppy-dog' look t'them when you're worried," Charlie informed him gleefully.

Snorting, Jack shook his head and gave him a lingering kiss. "I'll be back in a couple of hours to check on you. Go back to sleep."

Charlie yawned and said, "I might, at that. Night, Jack."

Jack smiled, brushing his hand over Charlie's head. "Night, Charlie."

* * * *

"I've heard of sympathy pains, Charlie, but this is ridiculous," Claire teased a couple of days later. "Much as I appreciate it, you really don't have to throw up every morning."

Charlie sighed and thought, Should've known Jack wouldn't be able to keep that to himself. Out loud, he replied, "Thanks, Claire, but that would take more potency than even Jack has. Ah, I mean, well, not that he isn't..."

Claire cracked up laughing as Charlie's face flushed deep red and he groaned. When she calmed down a bit, she apologized, without a bit of sincerity, "Sorry, Charlie."

Shaking a finger at her, he observed, "One day, you're not going to be pregnant. Then you'll feel my wrath."

"I'm scared spitless," she countered, eyes twinkling. "In the meantime, you thirsty? I could get you something to drink. Sun's made some juice."

Charlie waved her off and said, "No, don't worry. Jack's just being overprotective. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me."

Reaching out to squeeze his hand, Claire told him, "I'm glad. You deserve someone to look out for you, Charlie, honest."

Touched by the sentiment, Charlie squeezed back.

* * * *

The `morning sickness,' for lack of a better thing to call it, finally ended about a week later. A few days after that, Charlie had trouble buttoning his jeans and sighed.

Jack came up behind him, arms sliding around his waist, and asked, "Problem?"

"I'm getting fat, somehow," Charlie answered sourly. "I don't know what the hell's goin' on wi'me, but you know what? I'd really rather it stop."

Pulling free, Jack turned him around and demanded, "What else is going on with you?"

Caught, Charlie just sighed as he related, "I'm tired all the time and hungry, too, like you wouldn't believe."

"How did I not know about this?" Jack questioned, hurt and angry.

Gripping his lover's hands, Charlie replied, "I didn't want to worry you. Locke's been dropping by with extra food, and I catch cat naps on the beach, so it's no big deal."

"`No big deal?' Charlie, what the hell were you thinking? That could indicate a number of problems!" Jack exclaimed, pulling his hands free.

Charlie tried to placate him by saying, "I feel fine, Jack. Just, hungry and tired. If I were a woman, you'd probably just ask if I had my period or give me a pregnancy test."

The joke fell surprisingly flat. So flat, that a frown sprouted on Jack's face, and it had nothing to do with anger or being hurt. Wary, Charlie waited while the other man thought about what he'd said.

"Charlie, we haven't used any protection since we got together," Jack said at last.

"Well no kidding, Jack, but it's not like I have to worry about..." Charlie's sarcastic comment trailed off as dark eyes met his, utterly serious. Swallowing nervously, Charlie continued, "You can't be serious. Jack, I'm a man, no matter how often I take it up the arse. The plumbing's all wrong!"

But Jack countered, "We've seen a lot of inexplicable things while here on the island, Charlie. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that you're, well, pregnant."

Reeling from the thought, Charlie shook his head and stepped back. "Forget it. I am not pregnant. It's not possible."

Before he even knew it, he was running, just as he always did when things got impossibly difficult and painful.

* * * *

Jack stood there after Charlie took off, partially stunned that he could seriously be contemplating it, and partially stunned that he might be a father in nine months.

Unless it doesn't follow the same pattern, he thought, mind racing. This is something that's never happened before. Impossible anywhere else on the planet. It should be impossible even here, but it all fits. The morning sickness, the irritability, the mood swings, the tiredness, and now being hungry all the time. This is...incredible!

Shaking himself out of the fog, Jack pushed aside all his confusion and questions and fears to go after Charlie. Fifteen minutes and ten people later, he had to concede that Charlie had gone into the jungle and not down to the beach.

Sighing, he set about finding Locke to track down his errant lover. Fortunately, Locke didn't bat an eyelash when Jack explained what he thought was going on with Charlie. Of all the people there, he'd known that Locke would be the most accepting. The older man had his own strange ideas about the island, only now Jack had to admit they weren't so strange. Not after figuring out what was going on with Charlie. The tracker did look a little worried when Jack told him that the musician had run off into the jungle on his own, though.

"I'll find him," Locke promised.

Jack corrected him with, "We'll find him. I'm going with you."

Looking less than pleased, Locke only said, "Let's go then."

"Locke?"

They both turned at Boone's call and waited for him to catch up.

"Hey Jack. What's going on?" Boone asked.

Jack hesitated, looking at Locke. The tracker walked over to Boone and said something too soft to hear, but when he was done, a faint flush lined the young face and Boone was nodding. Without another word, Locke simply turned and walked towards the jungle. Jack hurried to catch up, suddenly sure of just why Locke's support for Charlie and Jack had been so rock-solid all along.

They found Charlie's trail pretty easily, or, Locke did, but for some reason, they could never seem to catch up to the other man. When sunset came with no sign of him, Jack's worry had shifted into outright fear for his lover.

"We need to camp for the night," Locke announced as the sun went behind the horizon.

The darkness was thick enough that Jack couldn't argue, but he wanted to, desperately. Once they were settled around a small campfire, Jack studied the other man curiously.

Locke arched an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"You and Boone?"

"Not yet. And maybe not. He has some...problems to deal with first."

"Shannon."

Locke's mouth twisted as he nodded. "Until he's got his place in her life settled, and vice versa, he can't move on."

"Strange thing, those two," Jack observed, finally giving voice to his suspicions, shaking his head.

Shrugging, Locke replied, "Not really. They aren't blood, you know."

Jack had hoped as much, but hadn't been sure. "Still."

"That's why I'm waiting."

"You're a patient man, John."

"No, I'm not," Locke countered, flashing him a predatory grin. "But Boone's worth waiting for."

Jack's stomach rumbled, but he ignored it and stretched out, even though he knew he wouldn't sleep. It was going to be a long night.

* * * *

It was midmorning that they finally found Charlie and Jack's heart just about stopped when they did. Trapped beneath a few hefty tree limbs, Charlie was pinned to the ground by a thin branch piercing his right shoulder. Charlie was so pale and still, that for a few moments, Jack couldn't move, positive that his lover and unborn child were both dead.

"He's alive," Locke snapped, striding the rest of the way to Charlie. "Move, doctor!"

Jerking out of his mini-trance, Jack leaped into action, stopping beside Locke as they inspected the stake in Charlie's shoulder. "We can't remove it, it's probably all that's holding his blood inside."

"I'll cut around it," Locke agreed. "Once we're back, you can remove it properly with bandages on hand."

They worked quickly to remove the unattached tree limbs and then found a long, strong branch to use as a lever. Jack used it to keep the pressure of the remaining piece from Charlie as Locke worked. It was a good thing that Charlie didn't wake while Locke used his smallish machete to saw off the wood, because Jack could see the wood moving in his shoulder, the blood flow restarting, if slowly. Finally, finally it was done and they took turns carrying Charlie back to camp.

Now that they knew where they were going, it didn't take a full day to get back. They made it to the caves in relative peace, with only Boone waiting for them in the lean-to. Bandages were neatly folded by the bundle of blankets that made up their bed, and Jack's medical instruments, such as they were, were lined carefully on a clean shirt.

"I boiled them this morning, when you didn't return," Boone hastened to tell him, giving Locke a worried look.

Locke smiled at him, approving, and the young man seemed to relax a bit.

Not having any time to spare on them, Jack got to work and ordered, "Make sure no one comes in here."

Boone hurried from the lean-to and Locke stepped closer. "Clear your head, Doctor. More than one life is resting in your hands. I'll be right outside if you need me."

Jack gave him a grateful look and then turned back to Charlie. He took a moment to kneel beside his lover and kiss his forehead. "Fight for me, Charlie, don't you leave me here alone."

Then Jack did what he did best; started surgery.

* * * *

A throbbing agony in his shoulder and the dull pain in his midriff told Charlie that he was very definitely alive. It was a few seconds before he could force his eyes to open and, when he did, it was to the sight of an obviously exhausted Jack sacked out beside him. Smiling tenderly, Charlie just looked his fill for several long minutes. He'd known that Jack would find him and save him, the doctor had never let him down before.

Jack sighed and yawned, his eyes opening slowly to meet Charlie's. Pure relief blazed through them.

And love, Charlie realized with some surprise. Jack loves me?

"God, Charlie," Jack whispered, scooting closer to press his lips against a bare shoulder. "You scared me so bad. Please, don't do that again."

Charlie wished that he could move to return the caress, but was afraid it would hurt even more. "Sorry, Jack. I just...freaked out."

"I know," Jack replied. "I know, and it's all right. If, if you don't what to go through with it, I completely understand. I'll find a way to, to perform an abortion. I have no right to ask you to carry this baby, simply because it's been thrust upon you."

At that, Charlie risked the pain to reach up and cradle Jack's face as he said, "I want it. I do, Jack, honest. This is...us...something that never would have happened anywhere else, and I'll take my miracles as they come."

Jack's brilliant smile almost stopped Charlie's heart and the exquisitely soft kiss brought tears, even as they were quickly banished.

Sighing deeply, Jack said, "I should have told you this before, but I do love you Charlie. And I'm not just saying that because of the baby. I want to be with you until we're old and gray and retired somewhere in Miami. Because we will, one day, I swear it."

When Charlie looked into Jack's determined gaze, he could only smile and agree, "We will. And I love you too, Jack."

Jack carefully lay an arm over Charlie's hips, curled up flush against Charlie's side without actually putting any weight on him. "Get some sleep, Charlie. We'll talk more later."

That was an order Charlie was all too happy to obey.