A/N: LOST does not belong to me.

Thanks guys for all the great reviews from the last chapter. I understand a bit as to why not many people have reviewed. Overall this is a JATE fic, but as of right now the only JATE happening is in the flashbacks of the flashfowrds (if that makes any sense). And even after that when they finally meet up and start their voyage back to the island, JATE will not happen right away, their encounters will be tense, and very angsty.

Well that's my two-cents for this chapter, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Three: Dead Men Talking

Swirling the light brown liquid in his half empty glass, Jack felt sick to his stomach. He hadn't had a moment of piece since his conversation with the representative of Oceanic Airlines.

"You don't mind if I join you?"

Jack turned to look at Sayid standing behind him, holding his own half empty glass of alcohol.

"I didn't know you drank."

Sayid took the seat next to Jack and smirked down at his glass, "Neither did I, but with everything that happened, a drink wouldn't really kill me."

Brief flashes of what happened on the island, on the helicopter and to the freighter came to Jack's mind, making him drink the remaining bit of scotch.

"Let me get another." Jack told the bartender, who simply nodded at his request.

Sayid bewilderedly looked at him and the exchange, "I didn't think you would be the type to drink either, you being a doctor and all."

Jack chuckled at his assumption, "It comes with the job, well in my family's case anyways."

Sayid nodded and both men spent their remaining time starring of in space, occasionally taking a drink from their glass.

"Sorry to interrupt tonight's local programming, but this just in, six of the presumed dead passengers of Oceanic 815 came forward today on a local beach in Sumba, Manukangga."

Both Jack and Sayid looked at the small television screen in the corner and watched as individual pictures of them were being showed.

"We will broadcast further information as its given."

Jack turned to look around the bar to see if any of the hotel's inhabitants had caught the breaking news. They had no such luck, the few people that were still sitting around enjoying their drinks, had their eyes on them both. Jack quickly took out the few dollars that Penny had given them and turned to pay the bartender, sliding the worn and torn bills on the countertop, the bartender stopped him.

"No need sir, its on the house."

Not liking the response and the attention, Jack quickly stood up and left the bar, not bothering to wait for Sayid. The only thing he wanted to do was get as far away from the hotel.

"Jack, there you are, I went to your room but no one answered."

He turned around to see Kate coming towards him, holding onto a sleeping Aaron.

"Why? What happened?" He asked, taking a longing look at the entrance doors.

"Ms. Decker called, apparently one of the coast guard pilots who were going to fly us out of here, leaked out information to the media. She wants us all to meet up at her room." Kate said.

Jack turned his full attention to Kate, seeing how much this news affected her. If the media knew who she was, it wouldn't take long before someone came looking for her.

"If you want Kate I'll take Aaron and you can run away, giving you a head start. Once everything is clear and taken care of I can wire you some money anywhere you want." Jack said after catching her gazing at the entrance doors as well.

For a brief moment he watched as she thought about it, but Aaron stirred in her arms, snapping her out of her thoughts. She gently rocked him back to sleep.

"I'm tired of running Jack; I made my bed, now I have to sleep on it. Plus I can't leave Aaron," She paused starring at him, ". . . or you."

Jack didn't know what to say to that. Kate had never been so forward with him, never giving him the impression that she cared for him as much as he cared for her.

Don't be silly Jack; you're the only person she has left. Now that Sawyer is no longer in sight.

The simple thought of the young southerner made Jack think back to that day, when he scarified himself for them, for Kate.

"Sayid is at the bar, I'll go get him and we'll meet at her room." Jack said looking away from her and towards the entrance of the bar.

"Oh . . . okay, I understand." Kate said, her voice deflating from the upfront and confident tone she had earlier before Jack had blown everything away.

He didn't turn back to look at her as she walked away with Aaron in her arms.

Present

Jack maneuvered the car into the small garage space. Once he was parked he turned off the ignition and turned to Ben, silently asking him what he should do next.

"Their isn't much space in the house, so you and the rest will have to make due until I come back."

He leaned back into his seat, he didn't mind sharing a small space with people and he was tired of being alo

"I should go before I miss my flight. You see the freezer against the wall; you can put John in there." Ben said pointing to the white icebox against the wall.

It took a moment for whatever Ben had told him to register in his mind and his moral conscious. By then Ben had already exited the car and was heading towards the house.

Jack exited the car and slammed the door shut, following Ben.

"Why do I have to put Locke in the freezer? Why not you?" Jack asked, turning back to look at the car, pointing at the passenger side door, blocking their view of his dead body.

Ben stopped walking towards the door that lead to the main house, to turn back at him.

"Because I've done everything I could for Jacob, the island and John. I am not going to waste any more of my time with him. There are greater things I must focus on." Ben said resuming his way towards the house.

Jack unwillingly walked back towards his car, stopping only when he got a glimpse of Locke's body. His hands itched to grab hold of a bottle or a few pills.

"By the way Jack, there are no drugs or alcohol in my house." Ben said to him before closing the door behind himself.

Jack tiredly turned away from the image of Locke's dead body and leaned against the car.

"I don't know why you beat yourself up over his death. I mean he didn't beat himself up over mine."

Jack's eyes snapped open to stare straight at someone he had personally seen die someone he had failed to save.

"Boone?"

The young sandy brown haired man walked closer to him, stopping to peek inside the car, smiling at the image of a dead Locke. Jack moved to the side, not wanting to make any unnecessary contact with the young man.

"I did tell you I was going to come back and pay you a visit, you know when you were sobered up. So don't act all freaked out." He said, turning his attention back to Jack.

"Y-you're dead . . . I-I was drunk that night. I'm a bit drugged up now." Jack said lamely to himself, avoiding any visual contact with the figment of his guilty imagination.

"I know that I'm dead, you don't have to rub it in my face that the island prefers the rest of you worthy of nine lives."

Jack backed away even further from the annoyed dead man.

"I'm clearly losing my mind here." He muttered to himself.

"Man you wish, because maybe then you would probably take all of this in and accept it for what it is."

Jack laughed harshly at what he was hearing, "Yes because seeing dead people is very easy to accept. See no one seems to understand that all this can't possibly be true. That you standing right there talking to me, when you have been clearly dead for over three years, is completely impossible."

"Hey no one is judging you, I get what you're going through, well probably not seeing as I'm dead and all, but if I were in your situation I would probably get what you're going through." Boone said turning his attention once again to Locke's dead body.

"Ever since we got back I haven't been able to get them out of my mind. I failed in so many ways. And then to make everything so damn perfect Hurley starts getting visits from a dead Charlie telling him to tell me I'm not fit enough to raise Aaron, who just happens to be my damn nephew." Jack finished his rant at the mere mention of his only nephew that topic still a bit tense to say the least.

"Yes well about that, the Island doesn't mean no disrespect. It thinks you're quite capable to be a father, just not Aaron's. Claire is supposed to be the one to raise him. Kate is simply being used right now to benefit our cause; she's more of a stand-in mother for him right now. Until you all return back to the island." Boone said turning towards him.

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. If he was angry and confused before all of this started, he was now furious on top of confused.

"Kate is a great mother. She's done her best in the situation she was put in. Who does the Island, or more like Jacob think he is?"

Boone raises his hands in surrender, "I'm not the one making the plans Jack. I'm just the messenger. But again with no disrespect here, the Island isn't saying Kate is a bad mother, its just saying she doesn't fit the mold to be his long term mother like Claire would. Anyways this really isn't what I came here to talk to you about."

"Oh yeah, well then please get to the point, because if you haven't noticed I have a dead body back there that needs to be put in there." Jack stated angrily pointing at both the back seat and the icebox.

"What I'm going to tell you Jack has to stay between the both of us, you can't run along and tell Ben or the rest, especially not Kate. Do we have a deal?" Boone warningly says.

Jack smirked at him, "Yeah we have a deal. Its not like she'll . . . they will believe me."

"Ben most likely will, but he's not to be trusted right now. He hasn't proven himself that he's worthy of the Island's support."

"And stealing a dead body isn't considered worthy enough for the Island's support?" Jack asked sarcastically.

Boone shrugged, "I don't make up the rules here Jack. Anyways back on track, when you reach the island, and you will, there are certain things you must do, one of them is to watch your back at all times, don't trust no one to do it for you. Secondly you have to find Claire, and once you find your sister your father will take you to speak to Jacob. From there on I have no idea what the big guy will have in store for you."

"That's it? Watch my back? Find Claire? And let my dead father lead me to Jacob? That's all I have to do? What about Locke?" Jack asked once again pointing at his car.

Boone shakes his head also pointing at his car, "Resurrecting Locke is not your destiny, that's Ben's. Your destiny lies with Claire, with your father, with Aaron, and in some twisted way, with Kate. Now I have to go. See you on the island Jack. Oh by the way before I forget, your father will be paying you another visit, this time he'll say a few more words than last time."

Jack frowned at what Boone had said; nothing that he was saying to him was making any sense. Not to his logical side anyways. Turning to face the young man to ask further questions, Jack found that he was no longer there.

"What the hell is going on with me?" Jack asks himself as he rubs at his tired eyes.

"I would ask you the same question, seeing as you just stole a dead body? I didn't think you had it in you to commit a crime like that."

Jack turned to face Sayid, "How long have you been standing there for?"

"Not long, Ben just told me and Hurley you were down here struggling to put him in the icebox. I decided to come down and give you a hand. Hurley would have come along but he said he had his full with seeing the dead."

Jack nodded in agreement, "It takes a toll on you."

Sayid raised his brow curiously.

Realizing what he had said and compared to what Sayid knew about Hurley's predicament, he quickly amended what he said.

"I mean seeing actual dead cadavers takes a toll on you and your mind."

Sayid took his half ass attempt at a lie.

"So where is he?" He asked walking towards the his car.

Jack pointed at his car for what seemed like the umpteenth time, "He's back there."

"You go on the other side and gently maneuver him out of the backseat; I'll take hold of his legs." Sayid ordered in his true nature.

Jack did as he was told; he no longer cared if he saw Locke's face. He just had a conversation with a dead Boone. He had to constantly get drunk and drugged up so he wouldn't see his dead father walk around and tell him that Claire is waiting for him and Aaron. He even managed to ruin his relationship with Kate, the only women he had truly and honestly fallen for. Nothing that happened now would faze him anymore, he was passed that.

Once both men had dealt with putting Locke into the icebox, Sayid led Jack into the small house. Sayid gave him a brief tour, pointing out where he would be sleeping, the locations of the two out of three bathrooms, where the kitchen was at, he then ended the grand tour in the small library where both Hurley and Ben where at.

"Hey Jack, I see you followed your plan for the beard." Hurley pointed out.

Jack rubbed his beard, "I guess I did, but I'm considering shaving it off."

"You three will have to keep a minimal to no appearance out of this house. I have a feeling Widmore will or already has a few of his men spying on us." Ben said as he was rummaging through a few of his papers.

The name Widmore sounded a bit familiar to Jack, as if he heard it before.

"Widmore? Dude isn't that Penny's last name?" Hurley asked both Jack and Sayid.

The latter gave him a look, "Hurley I think you made a mistake."

Jack wanted to disagree with Sayid, but the look both he and Ben were giving Hurley made him shut his mouth.

"You've met the young Ms. Widmore, Hugo?" Ben asked the curly haired man.

Hurley looked nervously from Sayid, to Jack and to Ben.

"Its okay Hugo, you can tell me, right Sayid?"

Jack watched as Sayid against his better judgment, nodded his head.

"Yeah I met Penny, actually we all did. She was the one who found us after the helicopter went down. She's Desmond's girlfriend." Hurley said.

The sinister smile that spread through Ben's face brought familiar shills down Jack's back. It felt like they were back in the armor locker or more like they were back in the underground aquarium tank in The Hydra station.

"By any chance do you happen to know where they are?"

Before Hurley could respond Sayid intervened, "That's enough Ben, he's told you everything he knows."

"I highly doubt it, but I'll let it go for now. I'll be back in three days, and when I come back we'll deal with your girl troubles, Jack." Ben said grabbing hold of the few papers he had put aside, and a black duffle bag he had at his side.

Sayid chose to walk him out, leaving Hurley and Jack on their own. Jack curiously paced around the small den, glancing at few items every now and then. He could still remember the size and the smell of his own father's den. He hadn't been in it since the day of his wake; his mother had locked it, only letting the maid in to dust it.

"So how's Kate and Aaron doing?" Hurley asked trying to make small talk.

Jack placed the book he was leafing through, and shrugged at his question, "I honestly wouldn't know. I guess she's doing fine."

He realized that he hadn't even bothered to ask her how she was, how Aaron was. He was to consumed with the location of the island, the guilt of Locke's death, and the urge to kill himself to care about anything or anyone else.

"Actually we broke up." Jack found himself admitting to the young man.

"Dude, I'm sorry, I know how much you cared for her."

Jack shook his head, "Its not your fault Hurley. If theirs anyone to blame its me. I've done and said some horrible things."

"That's not true man, if I hadn't gone and lost my mind you would have never gotten those messages from Charlie." Hurley said disagreeing with him, knowing that he was partly to blame.

But Jack wasn't having none of that, after all whatever Hurley had said wasn't what really drove him of the edge. He was going to eventually lose his sense of mind and his relationship with Kate, Jack just wished he had a bit more time.

"You know I had a very long day today, I think I'll just go lay down for a while. I have to go to the hospital tomorrow and give them an excuse to let me off for a few weeks." Jack said before Hurley could say anything else. He just wanted to be alone right now.

"Alright dude, I'll tell Sayid. See you in the morning."

Jack walked out of the small den and down towards the room he was given.

"I want you to keep a good eye on Jack. He's unstable to say the least. Make sure that his contact with Kate and the boy is non existent until I get back." Jack heard Ben say from behind a half opened door.

"I will do my best, but I have other matters to attend to. The two men watching Jack's every room have to be taken care off immediately. So far they haven't made a call to Widmore; they're waiting for you to make an appearance." Sayid said.

Jack frowned at what he was hearing. If he was being followed then maybe Ben was right, someone has it in for him.

But who?

"Well make sure they don't ever make that call or any more calls for that matter. Now I have to go, I doubt your friend Sun would take it lightly if I don't arrive on time."

"You're going to Korea?" Sayid asked a bit surprised at his travel plans.

Jack was too; apparently Ben was a very busy man.

"Yes, she wanted to meet there, she doesn't like being to far away from her daughter. Don't forget to transfer Hurley's money into a private account; we need it to get our own freighter."

Hearing footsteps coming his way Jack quickly but quietly walked towards his sleeping quarters, once he was safely in his room, he realized what he had just heard. Sayid was working for Ben, doing more than just simple errands. He didn't know how to feel about that. They may not have been good friends, but Sayid had never come off as a killer. Catching his reflection in the wall mirror made him stop his train of thoughts.

No one was the same anymore. The crash, their time on the island, the deaths, and the rescue missions that had gone horribly wrong, had taken a toll on them.

Laying on the bed, fully clothe, Jack fought the urge to drown himself in a bottle of scotch with a few painkillers on the side. As he closed his eyes he hoped Kate and Aaron had a better night than him.

Summary for Next Chapter: We deal with Kate the following morning after her visit from Claire. She decides to pay a visit to Jack, bringing Aaron along who's missed his Uncle.