Chapter 2

Thoroughly ecstatic you guys liked the first instalment and without further adieu here's the next one.

Enjoy

(A couple of days ago)

No matter how much he dared to look at himself in the mirror, he always saw the same outcome, a failure. He looked emotionally and physically drained to the point where he didn't feel like going on, and to be honest he didn't know why he still wanted to.

Kate.

Her name was enough to drive an impressionable wedge through his already fragile heart, and the very thought of Aaron being affected as a result made his heart break completely. They were the two people he didn't want to fail in any way whatsoever, but he did through his paranoia of assuming the worst of her at the time. In his defence though his heart had been stepped one too many times and having Kate added to that list was just a little too much for him to take.

Now all he was left with was the grave consequences of his actions. That and the light knocking he could now faintly hear being made on the door to his dishevelled and dingy apartment.

Half contemplating between grabbing the half empty liquor bottle he spotted and answering the door; he grudgingly went with the latter, still hoping on some level that it would perhaps be her on the other side.

"Morning Jack. Bad time?"

Any other time and Jack would have immediately responded by slamming the door in his face, but desperate times called for desperate measures and if Ben truly knew of a way to get back there then he was all ears to the ideas. Besides this seemed to be the only way he could protect both Kate and Aaron from whatever he was warned was coming.

Still he kept a wary eye on anything that came out of Ben's mouth, cause if there was one thing he knew about the man it was that he usually did things to benefit him and him only.

"Nice place." Ben commented and Jack decided to completely ignore whatever intention the comment had. All he wanted to focus instead was a feasible plan to somehow get back to the island, wherever it presumably channelled itself to.

"Have you…." Jack mustered up the courage to ask but was cut off by Ben's current line of thought.

"How's Kate?" Ben took the chance to ask as he turned to face a physically sunken and barely recognisable Jack. This was certainly not the self acclaimed Hero he once knew and was expected to fear according to what "Jacob" had warned him of.

However he couldn't help but wonder whether Jacob was warning him of the danger or discretely asking for the message to be passed on instead. If so it would be no surprise to him because he was well aware of Jacob's significance to the "island hero".

-------

The very mention of her name verbally stumped him and the emotion that naturally stung made it all the more harder for him to say anything. The only thing he could do was cower in shame of what he clearly wasn't brave enough to face and later convince to hopefully come out with a successful outcome. All he had achieved so far was a sharp slap in the face followed by a heart wrenching revelation of what his actions had indeed caused. The words still stabbing his heart to the point of suffocation.

"I still have to explain to him why you're not there to read to him anymore."

"You nee d to act fast Jack cause you and I both know that he'll go through any lengths to get what he thinks is rightfully his." Ben cautiously warned the defeated and mentally distracted man before him, personally knowing what a certain Charles Widmore was perfectly capable of doing to satisfy his inhumane need for power as Ben saw it, especially after what happened to Alex.

In some ways witnessing such a tragedy not only strengthened his hate but it readied his vengeance as well, and what better way to act it out than by doing this. He just wanted to make Jack and the others believe that he was helping them out of the goodness of his heart. Although the truth of the matter was that his heart had shut down and shattered the day he held Alex's dead body in his arms. The realisation of it all hitting him a lot more than he could have estimated even if she wasn't his biologically.

"I'll talk to her." he attempted to assure more so to himself and Ben was somewhat content with knowing that something would be done about it. There was just one other thing Ben felt might help Jack's case in a big way.

"Stop hiding behind this disguise and then maybe she'll listen." Ben offered clearly implying the obvious and Jack didn't know whether to feel insulted or understanding of his comment. He reluctantly went with the second option, seeing some sense in it to a certain extent.

Maybe she would listen if I cleaned up my act. Besides what could I really get out of living this kind of life, especially if it's without her?

"Wait, what about the others?" Jack suddenly realised half way through beating himself up.

"I'll take care of it." Ben assured him and then made his way out before Jack could argue with it any further.

( Few days later)

The successful physical transformation awarded him with nothing but a feeling of hope, and in some ways he also hoped it would show the very lengths he would go to show her just how much he wanted both her and Aaron back in his life. No matter what happened between them in the past.

Getting back to the island wasn't his top concern like every other day was ever since he saw what he still tried to wrap his mind and sanity around. However that line of thought was abruptly cut short when his entire apartment was suddenly pillaged with bullets moving at a frantic and relentless pace, nearly getting him a couple of times but he was quick enough to run for cover and collide straight into none other than….

"Sayid?" he barely had the time to question in shock before they were welcomed with another shower of bullets.

"FOLLOW ME!!" Sayid loudly instructed while barging through the now broken backdoor. Jack close in tow and unconcerned about anything other than figuring out what the hell was going on.

They ran a couple of blocks and then came to an immediate halt in front of a parked blue van with the words "Canton-Rainier Carpet Cleaning" printed on it's sides.

"What's goi …." Jack attempted to find some clarity within this confusion but he was rendered speechless the next minute when he not only saw Ben vacate the rear end of the vehicle, but a few other people he never thought he'd see again.

"Nice to have you back." Ben commented in his usual creep filled way but Jack just accepted it with a barely audible nod right before he focused his mind on what had just happened.

"We have to go." Sayid hurriedly confirmed and Jack had no other option but to follow through with it, especially when he caught sight of a speeding car heading their way and two armed figures sticking out on both sides of the car.

"NOW!!" Jack found himself being reminded and frantically pushed into the van so that they could make their escape.

After spending at least the next twenty minutes of swerving away from their attackers, they finally managed to gain the upper hand and now their were being led by Ben to a presumed safe hideout where they could discuss the next stage of their plans.

Halfway through the journey though and Jack's phone started going off. Ben simply offered a look that told him not to answer it, but Jack failed to listen, especially when his eyes surveyed the caller display.

"Kate? Wait, what do you mean he's gone?" Jack started out in a genuinely confused manner and expression, but within seconds it turned into nothing but fear when the realisation set in.

"I'll be there." he confirmed in a sure and determined tone, and for the first time Ben agreed with him though allowed his mind to formulate some sort of alternative plan now that they had him.

"Where is she?" Ben asked and for some reason Jack still felt weary about being honest with him, especially if Aaron was involved.

"Turn here." Jack then instructed to the person at the wheel, evoking a confused expression from them but never the less they followed through with it.

"What are you doing Jack ?"

"Saving my family." He answered Ben a little harsher than intended, but Aaron meant a lot to him and the sheer amount of defeat and worry in Kate's voice was enough to add fuel to his fire.

"Jack, maybe you need to think this through." Sayid attempted to appease a troubled Jack who just ignored him and stayed determined in what his mind was currently planning.

Ten minutes later and they were pulling up in a fairly populated street, and when Jack spotted the proposed meeting point, he attempted to vacate the van, but Ben stopped him half way by convincing him one last time that this was a bad idea. Of course he still failed to listen and all Ben proposed then was the destination he, Sayid, Desmond and Hurley were currently heading towards.

By the end of it Jack begrudgingly accepted and affirmed Ben that he and Kate would meet up with them as soon as they could.

"And Jack, remember they will say anything to convince you that they're the good guys but they aren't. We're the good guys!" Ben strived to get the message across and Jack was sure to catch Sayid's immediate look of absurdity to such a statement, but of course Jack didn't think too much of it at the time.

(End of flashback)

"Oh God." He exclaimed in shock of the fact that he along with the others were clearly being played all this time.

Did Sayid know? Was he possibly in on it too?

"Jack, what is it?" Kate naturally asked and grew scared when the person beside her failed to offer her an answer in return. That was until he turned to face her while saying…..

"Ben."


The final instalment will alternate between dealing with the Ben problem and a few other problems as well, but don't worry cause the part about them checking into a Hotel will still play out like I had planned ;)

If you guys are confused with anything then please let me know and I'll be more than happy to explain things along with a few other tid bits that might be hinted at in chapter 3 hehe