Title: Promises Kept
Rating: T/Pg13
Summary: After recovering from her recent gunshot wound, Ana sets off to fulfill a few
promises she made. (Spoilers for TFTR and some parts of S3)
Warnings: Some language, general Anti-Kate content
Status: WIP
Authors Note: I do not own Lost, if I did S3 would be LVS! I make no profit, unless you count
personal enjoyment as profitable, from writing this fic.
This is really only the beginning of the fic, I'm hoping it'll get better…
Chapter 1
A Daughter's Promise
The surf moved languidly along the beach, bearing green ribbons towards the glistening sand. A tranquil sound pervaded the area; it was the sound that people back home would pay money for. It was a sound that relaxed the average person, and brought forth a picture of a serene beach and margaritas. It was the picturesque Corona video type of view meant to influence people into buying alcohol. For the survivors of flight 815, the sound was just a continual reminder that they were trapped.
Sitting with her feet buried in the sand, the grains surrounding her ankles were cool against her warm skin. Knees were drawn up and were used as a place to settle her arms.
The sun was rising slowly, taking it's time to ascend. The tendrils of its light lit the sky with a rainbow of color. The moment was almost poetic, but of course the story of her life would be written in any form but rhyming verse.
"G'morning, Sunshine!" The voice rang out from a decent distance away, and was ignored by the figure. He probably wasn't talking to her anyways.
"You wake up on the wrong pile o' sand today, Chica?" Okay, so he was talking to her, and he was coming over. This was not the way to start a new day.
"Well, since you didn't wake up on my pile of sand, I s'pose you got a reason to be blue." She could hear the smirk in his voice; it was the smirk that meant he was trying to get her goat. Today, would be the only day it would be a futile attempt.
"What do you want, Sawyer?" Her head tilted toward her shoulder as she turned it to look at the southerner. He was much closer then she'd thought, and he had his poker face on.
"What's wrong with you? Got a little sand up yo' skirt?" Ana sighed and turned back to look at the horizon.
"Do you know what today's date is, Cowboy?" Ana knew the look he'd be wearing now, brows drawn together in thought, but his eyes would hold a look of confusion.
"Can't say that I do. Can't be our anniversary…don't tell me it's yo' birthday!" Ana glared at him and her jaw clenched in annoyance.
"We don't have an anniversary, and no, it isn't my birthday."
"Oh, we have an anniversary, Muchacha, an you know it." His tone was husky and she could feel the heat of his gaze as it slid down her spine. She squashed the sensations he provoked and steered clear of the thoughts that rushed into her mind.
"Did you know it's December?" The abrupt change of topic threw the blonde off.
"So?" She turned to him again.
"Christmas is in three days." Sawyer looked unaffected by the fact, but to Ana it was monumentally important. The Latina levered herself out of the sand and onto her feet, she set off down the beach.
"Where yah goin'?" Ana glanced backward to see Sawyer standing with his hands thrown up in question.
"I got a promise to keep."
.xXx.
"Mama?" The young child stood in the pool of light coming from the kitchen; she hesitated, waiting for permission before she crossed the threshold into the room.
"Come here M'ija." Her mothers arms spread and her daughter moved swiftly to fill the empty space between them.
As she cuddled her daughter the woman forgot about the half-full glass of Tequila that sat just a few inches away. Her eyes were red rimmed and her cheeks were still moist from the tears she'd cried.
"What's wrong, Mama?" Brown hair curled down from the mother's hair to blend with her daughter's, the little girl tucked her face under her mother's chin as if sensing her mother's need for comfort.
"I want you to promise me something, m'ija." The girl pulled her head back and met her mother's gaze.
"I want you to promise me that you'll always come home, Ana. Promise me that, no matter what, you'll always come home to your mama." The young girl couldn't understand why her mother would ask such a thing; she couldn't even fathom ever leaving her family.
"I promise Mama."
"Good girl, now how 'bout we get you back to bed, hmm?"
That night Ana's mother tucked her into her bed and went back downstairs to finish that glass of golden alcohol. She would tell her daughter in the morning. Tell her that her father had left them, but for tonight she'd let her have her sweet dreams.
.xXx.
Jack secured the bandages with precision; he could feel the weight of someone's observation on his back as he deftly maneuvered the body on the thin mattress.
"So how does it look?" Jack lifted his head and met the man's eyes. The sadness was etched into his retina like a map, Jack could see it. The doctor stood to his full height, running a hand over his bare head.
"It's not infected, so that's good, but she still may not wake up for a while." His gaze told the young man that waiting around wasn't going to help, but he knew it was a futile effort.
The large man pulled a chair up next to the bed and settled himself in it; his vigilance hadn't wavered since the girl was injured. Jack understood this man's need to be near someone he'd almost lost, he'd felt that need himself. He left the small room, intent on washing his hands, when he saw her.
She'd avoided the hatch up until now, so her presence was unexpected at the very least. She was staring fixedly at the brown spot on the old couch in the corner.
"Ana." She spun around to face him, only to stand unsurely under his scrutiny.
"Jack, I..." She stopped and swallowed, trying to come to grips with her request. Then she firmly stated, "I need to see Michael."
"Why?" It was the word at the forefront of his thoughts, and it slid past his lips with ease.
"I need to know about the 'others,' and Michael can tell me." Jack nodded in understanding; it had to be important if Ana was willing to face the man who'd wronged her so grievously.
Jack led her to the cell, previously known as the armory. He opened the thick metal door, inside the dim room sat to figures. The two men both raised their heads to see who had come to visit. Michael's face went pale when he saw the Latino woman standing nearby; he couldn't help but think that he was just moments away from certain death.
Jack maneuvered into the small room and helped Michael to his feet, Henry's beady eyes followed him intently as he moved the man out into the living room. To Michael the sound of the door being shut was ominous in the quiet that transcended the occupants of the room.
Ana's jaw was clenched as she stared at Michael. Jack sat Michael in a chair and Ana looked at the doctor; he nodded in acknowledgement and stepped out of the room. Michael swallowed and met the dark gaze of the woman he'd almost killed.
"You tried to kill me, the only reason you're still alive is because of your son. Walt won't be reason enough for me to stay my hand if you fnck with me again, understood?" When Michael nodded, Ana leaned back against the kitchen counter.
"You're going to tell me everything you know about the others, you're going to help me because if you do I will guarantee your son's return." The dark man's brow furrowed in confusion, was she serious?
"Start talking." The order was short, but it held authority, it was all the prodding Michael needed.
.xXx.
"Mom, I don't think I'll make it home in time. I'm sorry." The pay phone handle was cool against her cheek; she looked over at the car garage as the tow truck pulled in.
"Its okay m'ija, you tried." Her mother's voice sounded fuzzy in her ears. "I wanted to be there, no one should be away from their family on Christmas, Ma."
"It's okay Ana, you can't change it, so there isn't any use in feeling bad about it," there was a short pause. "I love you."
Ana smiled, "Love you too mama."
Placing the black plastic in the cradle Ana started to walk over to the shop. She couldn't stop the car from breaking down, she couldn't stop her mother's loneliness, and she couldn't stop feeling like it was her fault.
With a sigh Ana looked at the 'closed for Christmas' sign in the dingy garage's window. She should have taken a plane.
.xXx.
When Ana walked onto the beach her arrival was pretty much written off but when the community saw the person trailing behind her there was a ripple of shock.
A Pair of eyes was dragged away from his reading by the commotion. His face immediately drew tight in anger; the man stood quickly and abandoned his book and glasses on the seat before striding away with purpose.
Ana prevented him from striding right up to the traitor, stepping into his path and refusing him passage. His blue eyes were sharp with anger and they pinned Ana to the spot. "What's he doing here?!" His statement was accompanied by a wide gesture of indication in Michael's direction. The man in question stood a few feet back, studying the sand intently, avoiding the looks the other survivors were sending his way.
"He's with me." Ana crossed her arms over her chest, daring Sawyer to make an issue of it.
"With you, he's with you! He tried to kill you!" He was standing just inches from her now, the anger and incredulity in his voice made Ana sigh. She tilted her head defiantly and looked at the Southerner through her eyelashes. "Why do you care? He's with me, and we're going somewhere."
Sawyer's jaw clenched so hard the grinding of his teeth could be heard from where Michael stood. He spoke between gritted teeth, "you ain't goin nowhere alone with him."
Ana leaned close to him so she was looking directly into his eyes. "Watch me." With those two words she shouldered past him leaving Michael to follow, or not. Sawyer caught his arm as he passed by. The look the con man gave Michael was warning enough, and when his appendage was released he almost ran after the retreating Latina.
Sawyer watched them go; he somehow knew Ana was up to something. Something that would probably get her killed. The southerner could feel someone's gaze and he turned around to see Eko watching him intently. The man bowed his head in greeting before walking off in the direction Ana had gone.
Sawyer ran a hand through his hair. Damn woman was more trouble than he was.
.xXx.
Sayid swung the axe down deftly splitting the wood into two equal pieces. His eyes caught movement, he rubbed his forearm over his eyes to remove the sweat. Seeing that it was Ana he drove the axe into the large trunk he was using to cut the wood on.
The looking back toward the approaching figure he realized that she was not alone, but had Michael with her.
"Sayid." She said it as a way of announcing her intent to speak with him. It was unnecessary given the fact that there was no one else nearby for her to be visiting.
"Ana, Michael." He inclined his head to each of them in turn before taking a deep drink from his bottle of water. Wiping away the lingering water he inquired, "What can I do for you?"
Ana seemed to contemplate his question seriously for a moment. "You can help me make a plan."
"Perhaps I too could be of service in this planning." Ana spun quickly around to see Eko standing a few feet behind her. She nodded in acquiescence, she could trust him, he could know what she was planning.
"Okay, but what are we planning?" Sayid asked calmly. Michael was about to speak when Ana glared at him. "We can't talk about this here."
Michael gave her a look that said he thought she'd lost it. Eko surveyed the surrounding forest with his eyes. Sayid just nodded, "So where then?"
"The hatch is out, how about the cave?" Ana looked to the men and upon seeing their agreement they headed of toward the cave to discuss Ana's mission in privacy.
