A/N: The story starts after 4x03, so some spoilers if you haven't seen season four yet. Reviews greatly appreciated!
"So am I free to go?" Kate asked innocently, giving Sawyer a playful glance as the two exited Ben's house. She closed her eyes and tilted her head skyward, glad to be outside again.
"Well that depends now Freckles, typically you can get out of a sentence early if you exhibit a little good behavior," he replied, suddenly grabbing one of her hands. As she looked up at the smirking man before her she couldn't help but laugh. Pulling away from him she started striding across the green grass of the barracks with no particular destination in mind.
"Now hold on a minute, don't you go leavin' me here!" He cried out after her, jogging to catch up.
"Oh, yeah and why is that cowboy?" she asked, slightly slowing her pace.
"I don't want you to call in the cavalry to have Mr. Roboto rescued. Locke wouldn't like that," he explained.
"So you do answer to Locke," she mused, raising her eyebrows at a now infuriated Sawyer. Pleased with his reaction she continued on her trek across the barracks' campus. "Besides," she continued, taking a seat on a picnic bench, "why would I care about Miles. The guys a jerk."
"So what am I, a saint?" He snapped back, his anger residing. He scowled as Kate simply smiled up at him. A sudden commotion erupted from a house not too far away from the bench where they sat. Kate craned her neck around Sawyer, searching for the cause of the disturbance. Soon she saw Hurley emerge from the house, hunched over and walking backwards out the door. It became apparent he was dragging what appeared to be a body from the house.
"Hurley, what the hell is going on?" Kate shouted.
"Umm, nothing?" he responded, struggling to get the unconscious Miles across the threshold of the door. He looked up at Kate for a second, then quickly averted his eyes back to the floor in front of him.
"Hurley…"
"Look dude, just ask Locke. I gotta take him to the rec room now. No questions, alright?" He stated, never looking up from the unconscious form of Miles. Locke emerged out of the house moments later and glanced at a perplexed Kate.
"He wouldn't talk," he simply said, brushing the sweat from his forehead.
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A throbbing pain greeted Miles as he slowly came into consciousness. His head in a fog, he tried to assess just where he was. A sharp pain jolted through his body, and he fell back to the floor in resignation.
"Another new roommate. At least I can't say I'm not meeting new people," a voice somewhere in the distance sounded. Miles groaned, and made a second attempt to sit up. Finding success he stumbled around what appeared to be a game room. His vision slowly returning, he noticed a man sitting across the room from him. He shut his eyes closed again, and shook his head.
"And you must be Miles. I'm Benjamin by the way, but I figure you already know that," the voice elaborated.
"Yeah and why would you say something like that?" Miles groggily replied. Ben just chuckled and turned his head towards one of the windows.
"I'm guessing you didn't tell our kind host what he wanted to hear," he responded, dodging Miles's question. "You of course wouldn't want to enlighten me with your travel plans?"
"Oh I'd love to! I was hired by a polling agency to conduct research on the general happiness levels of the islands inhabitants. Of course my data is a little skewed, but so far the numbers are pretty depressing," he responded sarcastically. He gave Ben a ridiculously phony smile before slamming a fist against the door.
"That's an odd job for someone who has so much experience talking to the dead,"
"What?" Miles slowly turned his head away from the door, lowering his arm. "If Charlotte said that, then she has no idea what she's talking about!" he frantically explained, his voice increasing both in volume and in speed.
"I didn't say anything to Charlotte. I did shoot her though. Twice," said Ben, in a monotone, calculating voice.
"Well that's a shame," Miles muttered, "still leaves me wondering where you got that idea from."
"What idea?" Miles spun around and slowly advanced towards Ben.
"I get answers, or you get your ass kicked. Simple, huh?" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the man in handcuffs sitting in front of him. Suddenly, a click was heard and the door at the front of the room slowly creaked open.
"I'm coming in," John Locke proclaimed, poking his head around the opening in door. Seeing he was in no immediate danger, he proceeded to enter the room with a pitcher of lemonade on a tray. He began pouring a glass, while keeping his eyes fixed on his two captives on the opposite side of the room. "I'm sorry Miles; I didn't mean to treat you like that. I just lost my temper, and would really appreciate some honesty. Being stranded on an island will do that to you," he explained, outstretching a hand with a glass of lemonade towards Miles.
"Thanks! Lemonade! I hope it heals my broken nose," he responded, but grabbed the glass nonetheless.
"John, when do I get some lemonade?" Ben whined, a frown forming on his lips.
"When you start giving me some damn answers,"
"Well, I am pretty thirsty. You know Miles? Well, he has a lot of experience contacting spirits. He spent a majority of his working years as ghost-hunter in LA, and is highly recommended," Ben replied, staring intently at John. Miles whipped his head around toward Ben, and threw his lemonade against the wall, shattering the cup.
"He lies! How would he know anything about me?" he shouted, storming over towards Ben. John gazed perplexed at Ben, than at the fuming Miles. He took another cup from the tray he brought in, and began to slowly fill it with lemonade.