Hi everyone! I'm sorry this took so long to write, but there's times when you just don't feel like writing and blah, blah, blah. Anyways, I finally finished it, and though most of the people who read the original when it was put up, probably don't even like Lost anymore, it was a demon of mine that I had to tame and ride like Cerebus through the gates of Hell! And boy did I ever ride the hell outta this one. Anyways, you know the drill, seperation means a different POV.
The Locke Problem
His arms were warm around her body, hugging her to his chest protectively as the trees whipped by. She could hear the others' traveling less than a few feet behind them, shouting to Jack to be careful, to watch his step, but he was graceful on his feet. He shot through the brush as if he'd finally gotten used to the unnerving terrain.
Her head bobbed against his shoulder as he dashed, her legs dangling limply like the creepers that hung from the trees. The sound of his heart pounding among the crunching of leaves becoming all too familiar to her.
Another recognizable sound bellowed from behind her, screeching and clinking as trees became uprooted and tossed aside like weeds. The billows of smog rose from it, merging with the other swells of black smoke growing from the beach. From the Others. The whole night sky was almost suffocated by the haze.
Kate chanced opening her eyes a slit from where they were hidden against the sweat soaked collar of Jack's top. Her view was distorted by the constant bouncing of his body and the tears of fear that were welling in her eyes. The other three were no longer behind them, she vaguely remembered Jack hollering among the monster's cries that they should split up. And now it just seemed as if she and Jack were running for their lives.
She mindlessly clutched him tighter as the monster drew closer to his footsteps that barely touched the mucky ground that seemed to have turned into cement in the heavy rain that now fell. Closing her eyes once again, she hid her face in his shoulder, terrified of what she might see. The images earlier that day of Locke being dragged away into the woods repeated in her mind. But Jack saved him, and she forced herself to believe that he would save her.
The rain clouds grumbled over the roar of the monster and the monsoon winds blew them over the moon, covering the only light source they had. The sudden darkness made her stomach sink and her heart rate quicken. "Jack," she whispered into his ear, her voice was light and trembling.
"Don't worry," he reassured as he ran through the trees blindly. Kate nodded against his chest and wondered if he knew his way around this part of the jungle well enough to escape the monster in total darkness.
Then while still barreling through the verdant trees, his warm hand came up to protect the back of her head and he held her tightly as he dropped to the ground. She could hear his feet scraping against the earth as tiny bits of dirt shot up and ricocheted off her arms and back.
In the darkness the air abruptly changed, becoming more compact and recycled. She noticed that the monsters deafening roars of protest were now becoming muttered and the heavy rain was no longer pouring relentlessly over her body like water from a kitchen sink.
The ground felt dry and soft against her elbows as Jack wriggled around, trying to get into a position that would allow her the best stance for her legs. Her head was still against his chest as he propped himself up against something.
"Jack?" she questioned after a few moments of required silence, the only sound filling it was the furious growls of the monster some ways back, and Jack's constant pants for air, "Where are we?"
Her voice shook with uncertainty and terror. As a child she'd never been a fan of the dark, she had insisted on keeping a nightlight in her room until she was thirteen. Now, if it weren't for Jack's rhythmic gasps, she'd surely have run out to the monster, rather then stay put.
"I found this tree earlier," he wheezed as he quickly fanned his shirt which was permeated with sweat, "it's hollowed out, so we should be safe here until it's gone."
His voice was serious, but offered her hope, as it always did, "okay," she agreed, not wanting him to know of her doubt. But that insecurity was instantly extinguished when the ground shook with the movement of the monster. Its roar bellowing throughout the silent jungle as a calm rain fell.
The noise startled her, and she found herself once again wishing for his comfort in the eerie darkness. Her hand bunched up the loose material of his shirt as she buried her head next to his. She knew it was ridiculous and weak, in the last two hours she'd become completely dependent on Jack, but somehow she felt safer in his presence, like she knew deep in the back of her mind, that he'd defend her.
His hand dropped to around her waist, "It's going to be okay, Kate," his voice drifted into her ear delicately as his hot breath caused her neck to form goose bumps. With another rumble from the monster, he hugged her as his hands ran over her hair.
"Count with me," he whispered as the monster began to snarl around the tree. For a moment she didn't comprehend what he was asking of her, but as he spoke the first number, the very first day she met him came flooding back into her mind.
"One," she whispered a few moments after him, a shudder of pent up tears ripped through her as they continued, "two."
The tree swayed violently as the monster began ramming it from the outside. It screeched with frustration along with its mechanical clinking, then started to repeatedly slam into the shelter. Large pieces of bark began to fall from above where the tree was being ripped apart and hit the ground with a brute force.
Quickly, Jack maneuvered himself so he was covering her, getting the brunt of the hailing debris, "Jack," she whispered confusedly, her perspective had gone topsy-turvy in the dark and she no longer felt him by her side, "Jack?"
"Three," he counted; his voice strained but very close, "four."
"Five," The number seemed to enrage the monster more, pressuring it to bang the tree savagely one last time. There was a vociferous crack above as the slamming stopped and instantly his arms were once again around her grabbing her and lifting her up.
"What's going on?" she asked agitated by the jerkiness of his movements and his sudden rush.
"The tree's going to collapse inward," he spoke speedily as he turned around in a complete circle, "I have no idea where we came in." She could feel his heartbeat quicken and knew this was no word of a lie, "Kate we have to get out of here now."
The last sound that echoed through the forest was the deafening snap of the strong, sturdy limbs on the old tree fracturing under the pressure of the monster's impacts. Without a word, he dropped her to the ground.
"Jack," she knew what he was going to do, and it wasn't worth it, "Jack don't do it," she pleaded to him.
"I'm not leaving you," he reminded as he hugged her head to his chest and shielded her body with his. There was a rumble and then the sound of the tree collapsing from the outside in. She closed her eyes and held onto him with all the emotions she felt towards him, fearing that she'd never get a chance to now, but somehow knowing he understood and felt the same way about her.
The last thing she felt before she passed out, before the air became grimy and heavy, before the mighty tree crashed to the ground in the middle of the forest two hours before dawn, was his lips gently leaving a loving gesture on her forehead.
The air was becoming cleaner and fresher, the warmth was beginning to grow and he welcomed the sounds of Sayid's strenuous grunts. He could stare upwards and see the midnight sky speckled with early morning stars; he could smell the crackling torches and could almost taste the salt of the sea water.
Almost hesitantly he threw a glance over his shoulder, his hazel eyes scanning the dark as though if he looked long enough, everything would begin to unravel. His arms unconsciously tightened around Kate as he let out a sigh of relief. He didn't want to think about what would've happened if Sayid hadn't pulled them out when he did.
"Jack," she whispered when they were only a few feet from the top. The whole trip from the cement bottom to the open top had almost been completely silent, "They wanted me."
"What?" he questioned as he pulled away from her a little.
"The Others, they wanted me," she informed, her voice shaky and muffled against his chest, "They're going to come after me."
"They're not going to do anything to you," Jack replied seriously, his eyes cast down over her as she let out a shaky sigh.
"They got Claire," Kate reminded sadly as her scratched hand came up to her cheek to wipe the remains of an already dried tear, "And she was the one who came back to us."
"They're not going to get you Kate, because I'm not going to let them," he stated sternly as his hand rubbed up and down her back. Her eyes were so sullen and dull, the hope in them had long since been extinguished and it hurt him to observe her this way, "I promise."
"I can see them!" Charlie shouted happily from above, "I can bloody see them! They're all right!" His head turned away from Kate's worries and up to where he could see Charlie's beaming face staring down at them. His hands were waving madly until Hurley voiced, "Well then maybe you'd like to help with the pulling, Dude."
He disappeared and then Jack saw the walls of the shaft end and the tip of Sayid's boots. Jack smiled optimistically and looked down, hoping Kate perceived the situation the same way, but her face was hidden away against his shoulder and she neither said a word nor moved an inch.
"Tie the rope up against the tree Rousseau indicated," Sayid instructed Hurley, whose shirt was covered in sweat.
"How are you guys," Charlie questioned with elation as he poked his head from around Sayid, "Nothing's hurt to bad I hope."
Abruptly Kate's head fell limp against Jack's chest, and once again a wave of panic overtook him. While one hand stayed stationary on her bottom, the other flew up to her neck, and expertly check for a plus which he found, "I think she's asleep," Jack informed.
Still suspended from the rope, he shoved one of his shoes into the space between the few stairs, and began to climb up them, while Sayid allowed all the rope which was needed. After a few short minutes he had reached the ground, and a wave of relief flowed through him.
"Is she okay?" Charlie questioned, immediately running to stand beside him in the flickering light of the clearing once Jack had fully ascended from the hatch.
For a brief moment, he chewed his bottom lip, "She's not in good shape," he muttered as he began fumbling with the belts that bonded Kate and himself together. Charlie stared at him with silhouetted fright, and Jack knew he would have to elaborate further, "She has two broken legs, one split right down the middle of her shin bone, a dislocated knee, she's broken three ribs, cracked four and her liver has bruising."
He watched as Charlie's eyes widened with shock as he looked to Kate's sleeping form ensconced against Jack's chest, then back into his eyes, "Are you serious?" His eyes clamped closed from irritation and infuriation and he could only hear Charlie mutter a small apology.
"Your arms must be tired," Sayid pointed out after grabbing a bottle of water from the group of abandoned bags, " I can take her if you'd like," he offered with a fragment of an almost invisible, playful grin like he knew Jack would never give her up.
"It's okay," Jack stated politely, "But I think we're going to have to rest up here for awhile." His arms were beginning to shake with overuse, the muscles cramped and the blood seemed to run cold.
"I think we could all use a rest after that," Charlie agreed, being sure to voice his opinion after carrying a bag over to where Jack now stood under the low lying branches of a tree, "She can rest her head on this," he offered lifting it up for Jack to examine, "It's my bag, it's just full of clean t-shirts and sweaters."
"Thanks," Jack said as he gently placed Kate on the ground, trying to move her legs as little as possible. He lifted her hair and positioned her against the soft material of Charlie's backpack.
"What did you see down there my friend?" Sayid pondered as Jack moved into a spot beside Charlie and let out an exhausted sigh.
He took a long drink of water, then with the back of his hand, wiped the sweat off his forehead. "There was a long dark hallway, at least twice the length that it takes to get to the bottom. I didn't really take a good look at it, but," he breathed hard and sent a sideways glance towards Kate, then leaned closer, "The Others were down it."
"What?" Charlie exclaimed, his face contorted into a look of confusion, "How the bloody hell did the Others get down the hatch?"
"I don't know," replied Jack truthfully as his finger moved around the lip of his water bottle.
"Jack," Sayid questioned, he glanced up to him, his face serious, "What did they want?"
He sighed once again, and ran a hand over his hair, "They wanted Kate," he answered, his eyes drifting over to her slumbering form.
Her lungs screamed for air as her eyes shot open, and adjusted to the unnaturally bright moonlight. She heaved in a large inhalation, her body was on fire and her head dizzied.
Suddenly her body was lifted off the ground, and slumped against something warm for support. "It's okay," he told her, his voice echoing through the damp, empty jungle, "Take it easy." His hand was rubbing circles on her back as she painfully brought up one of her arms to loop around his neck.
The jungle was illuminated in a pale blue color from the darkened moon. She could see the sweat glisten against his cheek, and the dark blue lines of blood stream down her arm.
He pulled away from her and rubbed her cheek gently, "God, Kate," he whispered, he pulled his hand away and wiped his eyes free of tears, "You had me scared," he told her with a weak smile.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice rough and scratchy. Her body trembled and her eyelids dropped a little as she swayed uneasily.
He put up a hand to stable her, "The tree collapsed and you got the air knocked out of you," his voice was jumpy, "you weren't breathing."
His voice was placating, as she absentmindedly rubbed her fingers together, feeling the slick texture of blood. Her eyes closed gently as her body leaned into his hand for support.
"Kate!" He called her as she felt his left hand clamp down on her arm, "Kate you can't lose consciousness!" he told her frantically, "You've got to stay awake."
She felt his arms grip around her back as he lifted her off the ground once again, "I'm going to get you back to the caves," he told spoke in her ear as his feet began to move in awkward steps over the ground, "But you've got to stay awake."
"I'm tired Jack," she mumbled from where her head was lolled against his neck. Her arms had gone cold, but her legs were burning with pain.
"I know you're tired," he whispered to her, she could feel his body take clumsy steps, "But you can't go to sleep, you've got to keep me company."
Her throat let out a dry laugh, "Are you that desperate for company?"
His eyes slipped open, accompanied by a wave of pain. The aroma of earth filled his nostrils as he took a deep inhalation. He was lying over Kate, his back covered by bows and limbs of the ancient tree. A large one lay diagonally covering a good portion of his back, and his head. It pushed his face into the dirt, pinning him in place.
"Kate?" he groaned as he shrugged his shoulders, the branch moved along with his action. "Kate can you hear me?" He waited minutes and still received no acknowledgement.
His head was above her shoulder, turned away from her face. Unless he got the bow that fixed him to the ground off his back, he wouldn't be able to move.
Moving his arms, so that each one lay on either side of Kate, he pushed himself off the ground. Pain shot through the back of his legs and up his back in a constant stream. His skin was bruised from the falling debris, and the branch was heavy, yet he didn't once consider giving in.
Once he had pushed himself up high enough, he began to turn his body slowly directing the limb away from Kate's unmoving body. It rolled off his body and to the ground beside him.
His chest heaved, the fresh air more than welcome in the split second he took to recuperate and acknowledge his injuries. Accompanying his minor scratches and bruises, was a dull pain that floated up his back whenever he tensed up.
Jack grimaced, hurting his back was probably not among the smart things to do on an island, it would take a few weeks to recover from an injury such as this.
But in a single second, his mind abandoned the thought of pain as his eyes scanned over Kate's body. She was paler than before. Her skin was the exact color of cream, only large portions were covered by dark areas caused by bruises. Her bottom lip was split in the middle; he could clearly see where the blood had crusted over, and where it had run down her chin in a grotesque stream.
Fingers slithering to her neck, he pressed firmly to find a pulse. When a soft beat greeted him, his attention moved to her legs. Before the damage was severe, now it was almost beyond repair. Morbid bruises and cuts gathered on them like war medals. The injuries didn't seem to heal, and her pallid appearance made her legs look like that of a corpse.
He knew that the odds were not in his favor, but Jack had preformed miraculous surgeries before. Repairing spinal cords severed almost in half. If he could do that before, for Kate he could certainly do it now.
A sputter from her lips caught his attention, it was almost a gasp, but not quiet strong enough. Furrowing his eyebrows he moved his gaze up her body and to her torso, where he noticed the ragged raise and fall of her chest had suddenly stopped.
"Kate?" he called, the urgency rushing back into his voice as he pushed himself up and over her body. She lay still, as he put his head to her chest. Her heart was still pumping indolently, but she wasn't breathing.
Without hesitation he tilted her head backwards, plugged her nose and placed his mouth to hers. The stale taste of blood clouded his mouth as he breathed. He felt the coarse, cracked skin on her lips glide against his and for one moment, one tenth of a second, he imagined what it might be like to kiss Kate.
Pulling back he laced his fingers together and maneuvered them to the correct spot over her chest. Just like he'd done with Charlie.
And just like Charlie, he was going to save her.
"Come on Kate," he grunted her chest buckled under his weight.
She convulsed under him, causing him to stop the repetitions. Her eyes flew open, as wide as he'd ever seen them. The whites of them gleamed like pearls in the moonlight while she wheezed for air.
Instinctively, he sat beside her in a position that allowed him to pull her to his chest and proved to ease her breathing. Her back was ramrod stiff and ice cold as she shook in his arms.
"It's okay," he whispered against a clump of her matted hair that pressed into his cheek. Her shaking seemed to fall under control as he comfortingly rubbed circles on her back, "Take it easy."
Somehow, even in the coolness of the night, he found himself sweating. The collar of his shirt was permeated with sweat that rolled down from his face. He hadn't even noticed until now.
Kate grunted as her arm moved up awkwardly, like a baby deer taking its first steps. She wrapped it around his neck for a more comfortable position.
Moving back, he looked her over. She was in the worse condition that he'd ever seen her in, but she was alive, and that was enough for him. At the warming thought of Kate's immanent safety a surge of emotions coursed through him.
There was so many actions that Jack wanted to take, finding out what it was like to kiss Kate was at the top of them, but somehow all of them boiled over at the mere gesture of him rubbing her cheek. Tears from the overflow of thoughts rushed at his eyes, "God Kate," he stopped caressing her ivory skin to wipe at his own tears of relief, "you had me so scared."
Mustering a rueful smile, he watched as she sat up the best she could, he could practically hear her teeth gritting. She watched as an expression of puzzlement crossed her face, "Why, what happened?" Her voice was raspy, she swayed clumsily in his arms as her eyes fell half closed.
Jack's hand shot to her back, stabilizing her as he stumbled to explain, "The tree collapsed and you got the air knocked out of you," it was a blatant lie. He looked right into her beautiful eyes and he spoke untruthful words directly to her. A pang hit him as his back stiffened unnaturally, "you weren't breathing."
An overbearing part of him worried that she would see through his lie. She always had. But he noticed that she was barely paying attention to him. Her eyes were closing as her fingers restlessly rubbed together. In less than a minute her body was leaning into his hand for support as he eyes closed.
"Kate," his voice was loud in the dangerously silent jungle. She couldn't fall to sleep; she might not wake back up. His hand clamped down on her arm, "Kate, you can't lose consciousness," he voice was erratic and crazed, "You've got to stay awake."
They were wasting too much time. They could both rest at the caves, where the medical supplies were. They could both make small talk after he fixed her.
Slipping his arms around her back, he swooped her off the ground in exactly the same arrangement he'd been carrying her in before the monster attack. Her eyes parted halfway at the sudden movement, "I'm going to get you back to the caves," his voice was low, but confident as he whispered into her ear, "But you've got to stay awake."
As he moved over the uneven ground he found it difficult to differentiate between chunks of tree, and muddy earth, it was slowing them down.
Her head rolled to the side, her frozen cheek barely touching the side of his neck, "I'm tired Jack."
Taking another step his foot became ensnared between several branches, "I know you're tired." His voice was just as low, but lacking the confidence. He couldn't have a single doubt. More importantly, he couldn't let Kate know he had any doubts.
Pulling his leg free, his mind scrambled and thought of a witty remark, "But you can't go to sleep, you've got to keep me company."
A croaky laugh came from her, though it sounded more painful than mirthful, "Are you that desperate for company?"
Her eyelids were falling closed more frequently, and it was becoming more difficult to open them. Each time she swallowed the metallic taste of blood remained. Her left hand twitched spontaneously, her body had been doing that for the last fifteen minutes Jack had been walking, she didn't know what caused the quakes, but they were becoming far too common for comfort.
Kate focused her strength on trying to lift her hand, but it wouldn't move. It lay like a wilted flower across her stomach, on her shirt which was drenched in blood. Her eyes drifted up to gaze at Jack, the waning moon making him look sickly as his footsteps never ceased.
They had entered a clearing in the jungle that she recognized, it was only ten minutes from the cave, "Jack," she spoke, though her voice was weak and barely above a whisper, "Jack, stop walking."
He bit his lower lip and shook his head, "We're almost there Kate, once we get to the caves, I can give you pain medication, and you can sleep."
"Jack," her entire body seized at that moment as a wave of pain tore through her. This time her hand moved up to the neck of his shirt, she balled the material in her fist as the pain didn't end.
"Kate?" he questioned as he stopped his movements. She felt him lower her to the ground; it was icy and stiff from the recent rain. She inhaled deeply, knowing that the jerky movements would no longer distract her, yet when she opened her eyes, the dizziness still remained.
"Jack," she moaned, her hand twitched sporadically as tears glassed over her eyes.
His fingers wound their way through hers like the laces on a running shoe, but she couldn't feel his warmth, her hand had gone numb.
"Kate," he whispered, she looked up to him, but her vision was becoming darkened, "Kate, you have to stay awake." She could hear the tears that she couldn't see.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, her face wet and her entire being cold, "I'm so sorry, Jack."
"No," he told her sternly, and his hands came to rest on her cheeks, "Kate," he called to her as her vision continued to darken. Her legs were no longer aching, and her arms felt like limp noodles.
Her head rolled to the side, "Jack," she whispered to him, looking at him sideways.
All the words he may have said after that were lost on her. Her eyes were simply too heavy to open, her chest to weighty to lift for a breath of air. After her vision became completely dark and her entire body numb, the only sound she heard was the soft beating of her heart. After a few seconds, her heartbeat slowed, until it halted.
With one final exhalation her mind stopped, and then there was nothing.
The camp was less than ten minutes away-- that was if he kept up the slow amble he was moving at now. His arms burned, from being frozen in the same position for a good part of the night, his throat was dry, and even though his skin was covered in sweat, the cold night air dried it with speed, giving him a chill.
Kate was quiet in his arms, she hadn't said a word in the last fifteen minutes, but every time he glanced to her, her eyes were open and alert, so he didn't pressure her. Her silence didn't concern him as much as the spasms she seemed to be having ever few seconds. He didn't know if they were caused by the pain or the cold, but there was nothing he could do to stop it until he was at the caves.
A harsh breath escaped him as he placed his foot on the top of a slimy rock. It knocked him out of step, making him stumble for a pace or two, but he regained his composure.
The clearing was a nice change from the jungle, even though the moon wasn't as strong as it usually was, it was brighter in the flat field than the jungle and here he could see where he was going.
"Jack," Kate abruptly spoke, her voice was frail, but it sounded nervous, "Jack stop walking."
He looked at her pale face, gray circles were forming underneath her fatigued eyes, he bit his lower lip and spoke, "We're almost there Kate, once we get to the caves, I can give you pain medication, and you can sleep."
Her body suddenly flinched, her back arching in his arms, as she let a small cry of pain loose. Her hand pulled the free fabric on his shirt as she winced, "Jack."
The blood in his veins ran cold. Without thinking he stopped moving and lowered her to the ground to examine her. His eyebrows furrowed when he didn't see anything different, "Kate?"
Her green eyes opened only half way, and soon tears were collecting in the corner of them, "Jack," she groaned as he saw her hand twitch. He grabbed it and held it tightly between both of his.
Swallowing harshly he managed to bring himself to speak, "Kate, Kate you have to stay awake." Warm tears slid down his face freely.
"I'm sorry," she apologized to him feebly. The moonlight made the tears on her face glow like she was ethereal. Like she was an angel. Her body shook as she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Jack."
"No," he shook his head violently and grabbed the sides of her face, her skin was like ice against his, "Kate," he called to her as he rubbed her cheeks with his thumb.
In his hands, her head lolled to the side, her eyes almost entirely shut, "Jack," she whispered.
"Kate," he called to her, "Kate," he started shaking her vehemently, "Kate you have to stay with me. We're almost at the caves," his own voice trailed off as her body went limp in his arms.
"Kate," he cried, his tears unceasing, "Oh God, Kate."
Her body was stone cold when he pulled it to him, cradling her in his arms and muffling his tears in her shoulder.
"Jack should've been back by now," Charlie's eyes moved upwards as he took in the stars. The sky was beginning to lighten as the moon made its slow descent over the horizon.
Dropping his head he looked to his two comrades. Sayid's warm eyes met his for a split second, but they sunk back to the fire that blazed between them.
"Maybe they just got lost or something," Hurley offered as he shrugged his shoulders, "I mean more lost than we already are. They ran off into a totally opposite direction with nothing. We had all the bags with the flashlights and matches and everything."
Charlie nodded in agreement, "Yeah, yeah," his dramatic pause was met with a weak smile from Hurley, and when he realized the man thought he agreed, he added, "Or maybe they're monster kibble. We shouldn't have just left them. We could've gone back to help," his voice was incredulous as he berated.
Sayid let out a long sigh and placed his head to rest on his hand, "The monster was unforeseen by any of us. Jack wanted us to split up."
"Yeah, well, I'm starting to think that maybe Jack wanted to be the monster's yummy treat," Charlie huffed as he crossed his arms.
Hurley's eyebrows furrowed as he raised a finger with thought, "Maybe Jack just wanted alone time with Kate," he mused aloud, a grin coming to his face, "You know those two are always flirty-birdy."
"Yeah, except Kate's legs are broken, Hurley" Charlie reminded with a scoff.
"Dude, it was the happiest explanation out of them all, just go with it."
With an abrupt gust, the wind picked up around them, harshly blowing the branches in the trees nearby. Small motes of sand picked up and swirled in miniature twisters around the cave.
"Ugh," Hurley stuck out his tongue in disgust, "I think I swallowed some sand, that was nasty Dude," his eyes screwed such as the taste still resided. Opening them once again, he saw Charlie staring past him, "What?"
"It's Jack," he raised a hand and gesticulated towards the man across the camp. "He's back."
As Hurley turned to look, Charlie had already shot past him towards the figure, "If that's Jack," his eyes squinted, "Than where is Kate?"
Beside him, the silent Sayid cautiously rose from his place, "That is not Jack," he spoke almost inaudibly as his hand reached back and grabbed the handle of the gun sticking out of his waistband.
Charlie stopped running a few yards before the person he had mistaken for Jack. His face twisted with revulsion and his words were acid tipped, "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"
Locke smiled simply, "Last I remember, I live here Charlie," he let out a chuckle at the end of the sentence and placed his bag down before his shelter.
"Oh," Charlie let out a dry laugh, "Really?" he paused as the elder man watched him carefully, "Because last I remember you dropped Kate down a sodding hatch and left her for dead."
Locke's smile faded as the lines of this lips pursed, "Charlie," his voice was smooth like the incident had bounced off of him, "Kate was a necessary sacrifice to the island, there's no need to get worked up over nothing."
"Dude," Hurley groaned as his plodding footsteps came to a stop a few feet behind Charlie.
Charlie's eyes narrowed into slits as he took several steps towards Locke, "That wasn't nothing. You dropped Kate down the hatch like she was a lucky penny, you know her. We all do. Tell me Locke, is that why you wanted the bloody hatch open so bad? So you could toss us all down like yesterday's rubbish? You're a murderer."
Locke looked down to the smaller man, "This isn't civilization Charlie," he reminded, his words having enough edge to cut, "this isn't London, or Los Angeles. There's no police coming to get me, and there never will be. Actions have different consequences here, and it's time everyone learned that."
"You're wrong Locke," Sayid's sudden voice caused all three men to start. As Locke glanced over to the former soldier, he aimed the gun at him, "There may be no police, but you shall be punished accordingly."
Locke chuckled and sent another glance off to the side, towards the jungle and the trees, before moving his eyes back tot eh barrel of the gun, "And who bestowed you with the power to distribute that punishment?" Locke questioned, amused by the situation, "Jack?"
Without uttering a single word, Sayid cocked the gun.
In a single movement, Locke thrust Charlie away from him, and into Hurley. Both men stumbled on a direct path to block Sayid's shot. In that time, Locke darted off through the thriving tree line and into the jungle.
Jack's body was numb, he couldn't feel a thing. His knees dug into the rocky dirt in the clearing that had dried as morning became more apparent. His skin was soaked with drying sweat, but he didn't feel the chill.
He didn't know how much time had gone by since Kate had passed, but he hadn't moved a single inch. Kneeling in the dirt beside her he watched as she did nothing. As she ceased to be before his very eyes. It was like her entire life was unraveling before him.
The police would never catch her now. Her wanted poster at different post offices would be covered up with something else. She would never be rescued; her body would never make it off this island. People would never know her. He would never know the real her.
A persistent sob escaped his mouth as his eyes stayed glued to her, they would never share one kiss. Never truly explore the relationship they'd both just come to grips with.
As ridiculous as it sounded, the thought of her never getting married struck a nerve with him. She'd never have that normal life, the husband, fancy house, two cars, and two point five kids.
His mind came to a screeching halt.
Kate would never have kids. She would never change a diaper, or kiss a booboo better. She would never make lunches with notes or attend school recitals.
Fresh tears started their trek down Jack's face. About a month ago, they were strangers. He didn't know who Kate was, didn't know about her shady past, or the toy airplane she carried with her all the time.
Now he couldn't imagine the life he was forced to live without her.
She wouldn't be there in the mornings to inveigle her way onto another boar hunt. Or to come back early with bushels of fruit gathered from trees.
He watched her.
Through mottled vision he watched her.
Tears clouded his eyes and he could still see the details on her gorgeous face. He could see her closed eyes, eyelashes fanned from left to right. He could see that rebellious piece of stray hair that was constantly in her eyes. He could see the curve of her nose and the speckles of freckles that dotted her cheeks. He could see her lips, slightly parted, the pink skin frayed and split, the river of dried blood running down her chin.
He didn't want to forget her. Not one detail. Not one syllable.
It was light now. Light enough for the birds to start chirping, like they did everyday, like nothing had happened.
Looking down, a cool wind brushed pass him as he stared at her hand entangled with his. The light scratch along her third knuckle, the dirt caked beneath her fingernails, the way her pinkie finger was curled.
Still clasping her hand with his, he reached forward and tucked the unruly piece of hair behind her ears, "I'm not going to forget you, Kate." His voice was loud even to himself as he spoke barely above a whisper.
In the distance heavy footsteps could be heard. The unevenness of them became more evident as they drew closer. They rang through the jungle like summoning clang of a church bell.
Jack leaned forward and adjusted her top so it covered her stomach. Something about it didn't seem right.
Branches broke nearby and within seconds Locke had stumbled into the clearing. He drew in a deep breath before he saw Jack, one that explained he wasn't as out of breath as he could be, but he should stop just in case.
When he noticed Jack staring at Kate's body, his entire body tensed.
Moments later, Charlie and Sayid broke through the trees, followed by Hurley, who at this point was gasping for air.
The four of them stopped in place. Finally getting the visual of what they all knew happened and for what seemed like the longest pause in history, the only sound heard was the talkative birds.
"Is that what you wanted," he heard Charlie's voice, full of poison, and he reached out and smoothed Kate's hair once again.
Locke breathed in deeply, "it's not about what I want," he reiterated. Jack raised Kate's hands to his lips and placed a chaste kiss on the outside of her limp hand.
"It's about what the island wants," Locke's voice was calm, like the waves lapping against the sandy beach.
With pains in his side and his back, Jack reluctantly let go of Kate's hand, knowing that with that action, all the memories they had, or would've had were gone in a swift movement. His hand was left cold, as was his entire body.
Jack rose to his feet rather easily after being in the same position for so long. He was imperceptible to the others who were bickering with Locke. None of them even gave a second look to what he was doing before it was too late.
In the same movement, Jack grasped the butt of the gun from Sayid's waistband, and fired the entire round at Locke. Bullets cascaded out of the gun like rain from the clouds, and in the same minute that Jack pulled the trigger; Locke was dead on the ground.
The others stood as still as statues, expressions of shock and distress sat plastered on Hurley and Charlie's face, while disturbingly enough, Sayid's eyes held understanding.
With no words uttered, Jack turned, and gathered Kate in his arms; her body was once again folded against him. As right as it felt, it would never be. Her face, her body, her personality would be buried away underneath six feet of dirt.
One last step before he entered the jungle, Jack spoke, "Leave him." His voice was monosyllabic, and his face stoic.
Sayid gave a stiff nod. He waited until Jack was a good way back to the caves to motion to Charlie and Hurley to follow him and they disappeared back into the jungle.
And there you have it. After two years of slaving, this mother's finally complete. And it probably wasn't the ideal ending for most of you. But I like my fiction like I like my night...Dark.
I have other plans for stories, some in other categories, and others in Lost. They probably won't be this long, because I have trouble finishing things (Like you didn't already know). So check out my profile for my to-do list (it's not generally in the order I'm gonna do it in), and if you have any ideas, or requests or you want a certain story finished, let me know, because I'll do it.
Oh and please remember to review. It means a lot to me. And it makes me happy.