Title: Fools Day Lost

A red head banged two rocks together, and then again, and finally a spark flew and the sticks in the fire circle lit on fire. The fire revealed that she was in a grove of trees. The tight canopy of trees keeping most of the torrential rain out, though their trunks let a cool breeze in. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She'd let the fire go a bit and then she'd start dinner.

She leapt to her feet as a noise came from outside the ring of trees. She brought the walking stick she used in front of her and croaked a bit, "Show yourself." She rarely spoke, there was no point in talking to herself, and her voice paid the price when she did need to talk, "I said..."

A blonde woman stumbled forward and did a face plant, barely missing putting her face in the fire. The red head limped over to the woman and put fingers to the blonde's neck.

She got flipped to the ground for her troubles and a gun was stuck in her face. "Wha..." A cough, "Who are you?"

The red head held her head, "Good move... I am Weaver."

The gun didn't waver. "That's a last name, your first name?"

Weaver shook her head, "Weaver is my name, yours?" The blonde stared at Weaver, the gun totally still. Weaver slowly rolled to her knees and stood with a gritting of her teeth. "Would you like something to eat? You look hungry."

Weaver went about skinning the rabbit and put it on the fire before the blonde spoke, "Juliet."

"Juliet. I've never seen you on the island before."

Juliet sat down across the fire from Weaver. "I haven't seen you either." Juliet frowned, "I've been here for three years. Well, on the other island at least. Brought to find out why the women on these islands die when giving birth. I'm a fertility, why am I telling you all this?"

Weaver wasn't really listening to Juliet though, "Linus... the poser who believes he knows this island."

Juliet regarded Weaver, "Do you know this island?"

Weaver shrugged, "Not really. I kill a few animals, catch a few fish, cut down some trees. I never use something I don't need, and I use everything. I keep to myself except when Linus feels the need to mess with my head. I don't appreciate it."

They fell silent, "How did you know this stand of trees was here?"

"I know the island."

Juliet frowned, "But you said..."

"Geographically."

"Oh..." Juliet watched the rabbit cook, "Have you ever tried to get off the island?"

"Why?"

"So..." Juliet looked confused, "You'll simply live here until you die?"

Weaver looked around, "It's not a bad place. A little rainy. You..." She glanced at Juliet's face, "But you want to go home. I can see it in your eyes."

Juliet closed her eyes and put her gun on the ground. "I have a nephew, a sister... I... I don't know if they're even still alive, but... this isn't my place. It isn't."

"I think the rain has stopped, I can take you back to your people, or..."

Juliet stood and stretched her arms to her sides. "Or?"

"I'm... I think I could get you off the island, but..."

"I will do anything..."

Weaver shook her head, "That's not what the but was. It's a long journey, to a specific point, only you could go..."

Juliet stood there, perfectly silent for what felt like a long time. "What about the people I'm with, the survivor's of 815?"

Weaver shrugged, "What about them? Are they friends, lovers, family?"

"Not... exactly. They don't totally trust me." Juliet was silent again, "Okay. Lead the way Weaver. So, do you know how to weave?"

"You're funny..."

Juliet winced, "Ouch... you cut me to the quick."

"Wow..." They were on the crest of a hill and the sun was coming up. "Do you mind if we stop here for a moment? To rest?"

Weaver set her things down and sat. She took a leather water skin out and took a drink from it. She handed it to Juliet. "You are a gentle soul."

Juliet snorted a laugh and water, "No, I'm not. I shot a man I'd known for three years because I made a deal with the devil to get off this island. Not to mention I haven't saved one woman who needed it on this island. No, at one point I may have been, but not anymore. Not anymore."

Juliet felt warmth on her hand and looked down. Weaver had moved next to her and had a hand on hers. "People are not judged by just a few actions. You have helped people as well."

Juliet stared at Weaver's hand and then looked up at her face. "Do I... have we met before?"

Weaver gave a pat to Juliet's hand and stared out at the sunrise. "We have all met in one life or another."

Juliet tilted her head to one side, "VCR..." Weaver's head didn't move, "CD..." Still no reaction, "9-11..."

Weaver finally turned towards Juliet. "Are you giving me some sort of test?"

Juliet shook her head, "Just trying to figure you out. Have you always lived on the island?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

Weaver shook her head, "I don't... remember clearly a whole lot... before."

"Before?"

Weaver shrugged and tried to find something to better explain it, but she couldn't. "Before."

"Hmmm..."

Weaver stood, "We should get moving again."

Juliet stood a bit more slowly, "Where are we going?"

"Building materials."

There were large logs as well as bamboo and other materials laying along the beach. Juliet frowned, "You aren't building a boat."

"Weren't, now I am."

Juliet shook her head and caught Weaver's shoulders, spinning the shorter woman around. "You were building a house, a shelter. You have something wrong with your leg. I... you can't use those to build a boat. It must have taken you..."

"Shut up woman."

Juliet blinked.

"They're my materials, I'll do what I want with them. I will need help... and will need to get... creative to launch it."

"Creative?"

"We're two people... it needs water."

"Oh... right."

Juliet stared at Weaver, "I... I don't think I understand you."

"They are just things Juliet. I collected them, cut them before, I will do it again."

"Call me Jules."

Two Weeks Later

"You should come with me."

Weaver took a bite of her food. "I can't. We would likely starve. You will be fine. I gave you the coordinates."

"I don't care..."

"You should."

Juliet knocked the food from Weaver's hand and jerked her to her feet. "Something bad is going to happen, either here or maybe on this hunk-a junk we created. Please, come with me."

"No Jules."

Weaver tried to pry her hands away, but Juliet wasn't letting go. "I feel something for you. More than what I felt for my ex-husband, or anyone on this island. Come with me. We'll get your hip healed properly, I'll introduce you to Julian and Rachel. And we..."

Weaver jerked her hands away, "And what would I do in your world? I can keep myself alive... I may not know a lot of your world, but I know that's not a needed skill there."

"So, learn something new?"

"No Jules."

Juliet frowned and moved away. She sat a ways away and stared at the different parts of the boat. Juliet thought that Weaver's idea had been pretty smart. They were going to wait for low tide, and then assemble the boat before high tide.

Juliet sat there and just stared out at the water. She wanted to get home, needed to get home, but another part of her was screaming that she had to be with this Weaver. She had a thought and got up.

She went over to Weaver's things and searched for a moment. Weaver looked over and spoke, "What are you doing?"

Juliet found what she was looking for. The compass, she took it out and slammed it against the tree, over and over. Weaver rushed over and tackled Juliet to the ground, but she was too late. "Damnit woman, you just stranded yourself here."

Juliet lay under Weaver with a smile on her face, "You seem to know where you're going on the island without a compass, I think that's how you're... special... So, I'll be fine if you go with me."

"Jules..."

"Oh, shut up..." She lifted her head up and met Weaver's lips in a kiss. At first Weaver's lips were simply there, but after a few seconds of shock Juliet was happily surprised when Weaver started kissing her back. They both separated after a moment, but it was only temporary.

"We missed low tide..."

"Lucky for us, like clockwork, it will come again."

Juliet blinked and looked down at Weaver. They were both naked as the day they were born with sand in places they didn't want to think about. Weaver was sprawled halfway on top of Juliet, her head on the blonde's shoulder and the rest of their bodies mingled together.

"Just like that? You weren't going, now you are?"

Weaver closed her eyes, "My life is my own. Have you rescinded your offer? It would be smart."

Juliet tangled her hand in Weaver's red hair, "I haven't been smart since I came to this island. Why start now?"

"You have a mind. You've made your choice, I've made mine. So... we wait until this high tide leaves and put our boat together."

"And then..." Juliet flung a hand above her, "We sail." Weaver chuckled despite herself.

The boat rocked and bumped, "What if I hadn't come with you? After you broke my compass?"

"You wouldn't take all that time, build me a boat, and let me not get home. You're too good a person Weaver."

The boat gave a gigantic rock and all of a sudden Juliet was over the side and sliding under the water. Weaver scrambled to the edge of the boat, "Jules, Jules..."

Kerry gasped as her eyes flew open, she was drenched in sweat, her heart nearly beating out of her chest.

She reached blindly to her left and a squawk came from her bedmate, "Oooh, boob."

Kerry sagged back into the bed. "God, that... that was horrible."

Kim gave a harrumph, "I thought you liked my br..."

"The dream Kim... the dream. I was some... native on some island. You... you were a fertility doctor."

Kim pushed herself up in bed "Do you think it meant something? Do you want more children?"

Kerry really didn't want to talk about it then, but she was the one who had had the dream. "Sandy wanted a whole team, baseball." Kerry paused, "I... I don't know. The native part? Weird." Kerry shook her head.

Kim pulled Kerry towards her. "You know as well as I do that there is never one meaning for any symbol in a dream. Or... here's a scary thought Ker, the anchovies did it. C'mon, anchovies, on pizza, pizza is meant to be cheese and meat, none of the... vegetables should touch the top of the pizza."

Kerry closed her eyes, "Maybe you're right."

"Oh, love, I'm always right. And you shouldn't insult my boobs..."

A silent laugh bubbled through Kerry, "Ah, little warning about Henry and April Fool's Day. He goes crazy."

"Oh?"

Kerry snuggled closer to Kim. "Oh yes..."

"You're not going to tell me what?"

"Nope."

"Kerry..."

Kerry smiled.

For the record, Juliet got back on board but had to be warmed up by Weaver. Two days later they threaded the needle and were free, free, free. As for the rest of the Losties and Others... well, I mean... who really cares? (Except for Charlie, I liked Charlie :( )

Fin ~ February 9th, 2008