Disclaimer: I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

Author's Note: This story takes place directly after the first episode of season three.
Chapter 1: A Choice

The fishy tuna bar left an unusual and nauseating aftertaste in Kate's mouth, but she was glad to have something in her stomach. Even after Ben had offered her strawberries and eggs and bacon for breakfast, she was unable to stomach the food. She had lost her appetite when Ben said that the next two weeks would be "unpleasant". What does that mean? Kate asked herself.

But she didn't want to think about that now. Right now she was with Sawyer, someone who was going through the same thing she was: being taken prisoner by the mysterious Others. Although their situation might be precarious, Sawyer was still able to joke about it. That made her smile. He always had a way to brighten the times when she was scared.

Kate looked around her surroundings, still munching on the dried tuna bar. It was an eerie place. At one time it had obviously been used to house animals, possibly the polar bears that they had discovered on the island. But where were all the animals now? Why were they using the cages to hold humans? The tall trees surrounding the makeshift zoo cast a shadow over the cages, even though the sun was at its zenith. It was an empty place. Kate couldn't see anyone but Sawyer. Wait…where's...

"Where's Jack?" she asked him, forgetting her half finished tuna bar.

"Is that all you can think about, Freckles? Jack? Hardly seems like he's our biggest concern at the moment," Sawyer said with a slight frown on his face. "We need to focus on getting the hell out of here. I don't give a damn where the Doc is."

Kate didn't say anything, but gave him a cross look. Sawyer sighed and raised his hands in a defeated gesture. "I don't know where he is. Haven't seen him since I woke up."

The frown on her forehead deepened. Where is Jack? Why isn't he out here with us? Why are they keeping us separated?

Sawyer noticed her expression. "Don't fret it Freckles, I'm sure Lover Boy is just fine." After a pause he added, "He can take care of himself."

Kate gave him a small smile, but before she could say anything else, a band of four Others appeared from around the corner.

"Hello again," the leader, Tom, said. "Time for a field trip." He smiled and then signaled them to split up so that two Others would go to each of the captives. Tom and another man went over to Sawyer's cage, while the other man and the girl Kate recalled as being named Alex approached hers. Both prisoners were handcuffed before they were allowed to open the cage doors.

As soon as Sawyer's cage door was flung open, he pushed his way over to Kate. "Don't worry Freckles, I won't leave you," he said in a very serious voice, giving her a little bit of reassurance.

"Thanks," she managed to whisper as her chafed wrists rubbed against the unforgiving metal of the handcuffs.

The Others guided them along a dirt path, and then led them down a flight of stairs buried in the sand near the coast. The stairs reminded her of a war bunker or bomb shelter. It was dark and dank and smelled like the ocean. The walls were damp with water, and small puddles gathered in spots on the floor. It almost seemed like it had rained.

Sawyer was in front of her, being led through what seemed an endless tunnel. Suddenly the procession stopped. Kate kept going and bumped into Sawyer's back. His warmth spread over her body and she felt oddly at peace. She felt like everything was going to turn out all right. She would be safe with Sawyer.

They entered a large but dark room. The only indication of its size was the echoing of footsteps along the walls. Kate felt herself being pulled away from Sawyer.

"Kate!" he yelled, clearly fighting his captors in an attempt to get to her. She was touched by his concern. But still, his weakened body was no match for the strength of the Others and they were pulled apart.

Then another voice was heard in the room.

"Kate?" It was weak and unsure, but she knew who it was.

"Jack? Jack! Is that you? Where are you? Are you hurt?" His voice was farther away, on the opposite side of the hall, and she almost ran toward it, but her captors restrained her.

"I'll be fine. What about you? Did they hurt you? Where's Sawyer?"

"I'm over here Doc," Sawyer chimed in, almost sounding annoyed.

Kate's captors forced her to stop in the middle of the room. Then, they attached her hands to a chain above her head.

"Hey! What are you doing? What's this for?" she questioned, but she was ignored. "Ow, you're hurting me!"

At the same time, Jack and Sawyer were also chained; Jack to the wall on her right and Sawyer to the one on her left.

"What's the big idea?" Sawyer said, cursing to himself as he tested the strength of the bonds. They were almost too tight to move.

The Others that had brought Kate and Sawyer in left the room without saying a word. All of a sudden, a light flickered on, illuminating the room. She closed her eyes and blinked rapidly to try to adjust to the blinding light.

"Welcome Jack, Kate and Sawyer," came the voice of Ben from over an intercom. "Glad you could all be here."

"Let us go you son of a bitch!" Jack shouted at the intercom. A soft chuckle was all he received as a response.

"Kate. Let me just begin by saying how delectable you looked this morning. You're very beautiful underneath the mud and grime." His comment sickened the brunette woman to her stomach.

"Sounds like the Great Oz thinks you're yummy enough to eat Freckles." Sawyer's laughing tone made her wonder if he grasped the seriousness of their predicament. She thought not.

"Shut up Sawyer," Jack said. "Get to the point Ben."

Ben's voice was slightly offended when he continued. "You may recall that I said the next two weeks would be unpleasant for you. I just wanted to inform you that the two men beside you will also have an unpleasant experience these first two weeks."

He paused to let the information sink in. "However, you have the power to bestow a gift of sorts upon one of these two men. They will both be put to the test, but one will have to work harder to appease us."

"I don't understand," she said, frustrated and worried.

"What if really comes down to is who you think is weaker. Whoever you pick will receive…special treatment. The other will suffer more trials, like you."

"But…" she began to protest.

"It's quite simple," he sighed over the intercom, interrupting her. "You pick whoever you think can't handle more extreme circumstances. But keep in mind," he cautioned, "that these trials are not always going to be physical."

Two men entered the room before Ben spoke again. One went over to Sawyer, and the other went over to Jack. Both had wooden bats in their hands. They gave a silent threat by menacingly dropping them into their hands.

Kate didn't like the look of this. She glanced at Sawyer who was already sizing up his opponent, then at Jack who was gazing back at her.

"If you'd like, we can test to see how strong they are physically now. Perhaps that will help you in your decision. Unless, of course, you've already made up your mind. It's easy, just choose one: Sawyer or Jack. So...who'll it be?"

This story is complete, but I will be adding more chapters over the next few days. Everything should be uploaded shortly. I hope you liked it. This is my first fan fiction and I would greatly appreciate reviews and comments, both positive and constructive.

In the next chapter: Who will Kate choose? Sawyer or Jack? You'll have to keep reading to find out!