Author's note: sorry it took me so long to update, but the website didn't seem to help anyway. Was it only me who was having trouble in updating stories? Well, read and enjoy. )
Chapter 2
"Come again, James?"
Sawyer sighed and repeated the words no one away from the beach seemed to believe.
"There's a damn japanese boat on the coast. We're rescued."
"Now that's good news!" replied Locke, with his typically scarry grin. "And who's gonna push the button?"
The con man opened his eyes widely.
"Forget the damn button! We're getting out of this god forsaken island!"
"Yes. But who's gonna push the button?"
"It's a button, for christ's sake! Nobody's gonna care about that once we're outta here!"
"The button is here for a reason, James. It's important. It could be a major disaster if we stopped pushing it."
"Well, maybe someone put it there to see if an idiot like you would push it!" Sawyer snarled, annoyed.
"I'm sorry but I'm not leaving the island."
"You gotta be kidding me!"
"I have the right to decide what I want to do. And what I want right now is to stay here. I found my true self on this island."
"That would explain a lot" Sawyer hissed through clenched teeth.
"You don't know me, James. Don't tell me what I can or can't do." Locke whispered in a threatening tone.
"Whatever." Sawyer turned around to face Eko, who was listening to the conversation leaning on his stick. "You wanna stay around too, Baltazar?"
"I found my brother on this island, the man who saved my life. I owe this to him."
"Why do I even bother?" Sawyer shrugged. "Have a nice life you two. Beware of the evil button!"
He was about to leave the hatch but something prevented him.
"What about the creepy man inside?"
"Maybe he'll take us to their people" Locke suggested. "That sure is a mystery we still have to unfold."
"Doesn't he have the right to decide if he wants to leave the island?"
"I do not think so" Eko declared.
"For all we know, James, maybe he even lived all his life on this island."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Howard Carter. I'll see you in another life."
Sighing, he stormed out of the hatch.
"You have got to talk to them, Jack."
"Why would I?" The doctor looked up. Sayid was standing next to him, his arms crossed. Apparently, the word of Locke and Eko's decision had spread quite fastly. "They're old enough to know what they want to do with their lives. I'm sure Sawyer did his best trying to convincing them to stay."
"You know Sawyer... He probably just agreed and left the hatch!"
"Even so. What do I have to do with it?"
"It is not reasonable, Jack! We are being given the chance to return to our normal lives!"
"Maybe they prefer this abnormal one." He stared a few feet away, where Sun and Jin were trying to communicate with a group of sailors who had come to land. "Right now, I have more important things to deal with."
"Like what?" the iraqi insisted, exasperated. "Everything is fine now, Jack. You have to do this or it will be on you!"
"Look, Sayid, I really like you, you've been a good friend since the first day on this place. But I really don't care what happens to Locke or to Mr. Eko. In fact, I'd be surprised if they wanted to join us and leave with the japanese."
Sayid opened his mouth to object, but Jack interrupted.
"I know you're concerned. I am too, believe it or not. They wanted it this way. They love this island. I don't know what it is about this place, but it does something to people and it certainly did something to Locke!"
"Jack, you should at least..."
"If it were Kate or Charlie, even Sawyer!, you had me worried. But these two..."
"I'm staying on the island too, Jack" a calm voice announced behind them.
The doctor left his bag and stood up, staring awkwardly at the person who had spoken.
"Rose... You can't do this. It's not safe."
"I'm not leaving. This island brought me something I hadn't felt in years: peace. And happiness."
"It is dangerous. You have seen what happened to people around here! Claire kidnapped, Boone falling off a plane, Shannon..." Sayid gasped and lowered his eyes. "Shannon getting shot."
"Accidents happen, son. I'm sorry. I know here I have something I'm not sure I'll have anywhere else. And I'm afraid I'll lose it if I leave."
"What is it, Rose?" Jack asked. "Maybe I can help you."
"You can't help me, Jack. No one could and I tried everything!" the black woman replied, fiercely. "I was dying of cancer but the island healed me somehow."
Both men frowned in disbelief.
"Rose, that is not very likely to have happened..." Sayid tried to explain.
"I know what I feel!" she exclaimed, passionately. "I know what I feel now and what I felt back then. I don't want to go through all that again..."
"Does Bernard know of this?" the iraqi questioned.
"He does and he agrees."
"Do you think this is fair to him, Rose?" Jack demanded, unpleasingly. "Do you think he's willingly staying in this end of the world kind of place?!"
"He was surprised and probably not very happy about this matter" she admitted. "But he knows my story and understands my reasons. I'm not forcing him to stay here with me, that was his choice."
"By the look of this, we'll end up having more people staying than people leaving!" the doctor hissed.
Rose smiled knowingly.
"For all I know, many more wouldn't mind to stay, they just don't have the willingness to risk it."
Sayid nodded and left them, intending to join the gathering of people around the japanese men.
Sawyer had knocked down his makeshift tent and all his stash was scattered around him. He was having a hard time trying to decide what to take with him and what to leave behind. So far, he had a suitcase full with his clothing and another half filled with alcohol and food.
"Hey, Sawyer."
He turned to face the voice and a large grin dimpled his face.
"Howdy, Rambina! How've ya been?"
"Hurley told me you wanted to talk to me."
"Well, well, well... I do want to talk to ya, but I never expected ya to come look for me, honey!" he confessed, with a mocking tone.
"Cut it!" Ana Lucia spat, infuriated. "I can go faster than I came."
"Easy there, Mata Hari! I'm just making conversation."
"I don't like your way to do it. What do you want?"
"Straight to business, hu?" Sawyer asked, growing more serious. He got closer to her and leaned his face so close to hers she could almost breathe the air he expired. His expression was, however, very solemn and Ana Lucia could tell that, whatever it was he wanted to talk about, it was an important matter to him. "I want to buy your silence."
