Episode 2

The Letter

Tracy sat on one of the airplane seats which were propped up on the beach, gazing out of the ocean. Steve walked over to sit down beside her. She hadn't said a word all day and he was growing worried about her.

"I can't believe Joanna drowned. Just like that, she's gone. I didn't really know her that well, but…Dammit! Why haven't we been rescued yet?!" Tracy vented, "She'd still be alive if they had gotten here already."

"Tracy, it… it may be a while before anyone comes for us," Steve said.

"Why do you say that?"

"They should have been here already," Steve shook his head, "Something's wrong."

Tracy smirked at him. "Thanks for the pick-me-up Steve."

"Sorry…," said Steve abashedly, "But there is reason for concern. We've already run out of food and we're relying on that crazy bald guy to hunt boar for us. Yesterday I saw Charlie and the fat guy splashing around like idiots trying to catch a fish with a spear. And the bottled water from the plane is not going to last long. I'm really regretting leaving Australia now."

"I'm regretting ever going to Australia," Tracy mumbled.

* * *

Back in L.A., Tracy was walking down the busy street with one of her girlfriends, shopping bags in hand.

"There's nothing like a little noon hour shopping to make a day better, is there?" she mentioned to her friend as they chuckled together.

"Nothing spruces up the office like four new pairs of shoes!" her friend replied.

As they passed by a restaurant with a large outdoor patio, Tracy's friend tugged on her sleeve and pointed to one of the tables. "Tracy, isn't that Kent?"

Tracy looked to where she was pointing and saw her husband having with another woman. She was around the same age as Tracy, mid-thirties, and beautiful.

"Yes, it is," Tracy answered through her teeth. What was he doing there with her?

* * *

Water was becoming scarce and the whole camp had known it by now. What was left of the water was missing and it was starting to affect the group. The pregnant girl Claire had collapsed due to dehydration and the doctor was running off somewhere in the jungle. No one knew where he was.

"Shouldn't there be some way that we can just drink the ocean water?" asked Neil, a skinny, big-toothed guy whom Tracy thought had an annoying voice, as some of the castaways stood around in a circle on the beach discussing the problem.

"You can't be serious," Dr. Arzt said in his usual sarcastic tone, "You obviously don't need a high school diploma to sell frogurt."

"I know we can't drink salt water, obviously" Neil got angry, "But isn't there some way to, I don't know, filter it or something?"

"Oh of course," Arzt snapped back, "Let's collect some and I'll take it back to the laboratory."

"Okay, okay, calm down," Craig said in his soothing Australian accent, "We'll figure something out."

"Yeah, Jack will think of something," Jill piped in with her young, squeaky voice.

"Jack, of course," Scott started to get annoyed, "Why do we always seem to be relying on Jack?"

""Yes, why is he our savior all of a sudden?" added Paulo, a young Brazilian guy.

"He's done more here than you have Paulo," argued his talkative blonde girlfriend, "He's a doctor. He's smart."

"I think we need to trust in Jack," spoke Rose, the older black lady who spent the first few days hardly eating or drinking.

Tracy didn't say a word. She was unsure of who here on the beach they could place their trust in. Jack seemed like the most likely, but where was he now?

* * *

That evening, a commotion suddenly stirred in the camp. Tracy was just starting to fall asleep when she heard Arzt running along the beach like a mad man, yelling "It was Boone! Boone's got the water!"

Tracy got up to check out the commotion. She stood beside Steve and Scott as others were confronting Boone, whom, it appeared, had taken the water and appointed himself caretaker. But before the confrontation could carry on any further, Jack appeared and put a stop to it.

"Leave him alone!" Jack shouted, bringing all eyes on the beach to him. Tracy looked behind her to see Jill, Craig and Jerome join them. Others were behind to, until almost every one on the beach was gathered around to hear what was going on.

"It's been six days, and we're all still waiting. Waiting for some one to come," Jack continued on, addressing the gathering survivors, "But what if they don't? We have to stop waiting. We have to start figuring things out. A woman died this morning just going to a swim, and he tried to save her and now your about to crucify him?"

Tracy felt a small pang inside her for Joanna. That could have been her. That could have been any of them.

"We can't do this," Jack's speech went on, "Every man for himself is not going to work. It's time to start organizing; we have to start figuring out how to survive here. Now I found water, fresh water up in the valley. I'll take a group in at first light. If you don't want to come, then find another way to contribute!

"Last week most of us were strangers," he said, as Tracy looked over at Steve standing beside her, "But were all here now, and God knows how long we're going to be here. But if we can't live together, we're going to die alone."

Tracy watched Jack, moved by his speech. He was right. And as he stood in front of all of them, he looked like a leader; like their leader. Tracy wondered if they could all rely on him, if they could all trust him. She hoped they could.

* * *

Tracy came home to be greeted by her son and daughter at the door. They were six and four, almost school age. They ran to her with their arms up, calling "Mommy, Mommy!"

"Hey kiddos," she said as she picked up her daughter, "Is daddy home yet?"

"Yeah, he's upstairs," her son told her.

"Alright, I'll be back down in a minute," she said as she put her daughter back down, her face becoming hard as s steel, ready for confrontation.

"Hi," she stood in the doorway of their bedroom as he was changing out of his work clothes.

"Hey, I was thinking of lasagna for supper. What do you think?"

"Kent, I saw you at lunch today," she decided to lay it all out, "Who was she?"

Kent looked up at her with a moment of surprise and, Tracy thought, panic.

"That was Vanessa," he told her.

"Vanessa, like, your best friend from high school Vanessa?"

"Yes, she moved to L.A.," he explained, "Wanted to get together for lunch. She's a friend, Tracy. A very good friend. I've told you about her a lot."

"Yes, I know."

"You have nothing to worry about," he said as he put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a kiss, "Trust me."

Yet Tracy still wasn't sure that she did.

* * *

Tensions in the camp were rising. The issue of water had begun to cause a debate in the camp as to whether they should stay at the beach or move to the caves where Jack had found fresh water. Jack was talking to many of the people on the beach, trying to recruit them.

"We can take care of ourselves there, protect ourselves," Jack explained to Craig and two other survivors; a young man with short black hair named Doug, and an older, wiry man with glasses named Sullivan.

"Sayid thinks the fire is going to work though," Sullivan argued nervously.

"I know," Jack sighed, "But we've been waiting for days. How much longer can we just sit on this beach?"

"I don't know Jack," Craig said, "It seems too soon still."

"Well, alright then. I'm leaving with a group later tonight. If you change your minds…" Jack nodded sadly, and walked off.

"I don't want to leave the beach," Sullivan said as they watched Jack go, "But I think it would be a good idea to be wherever the doctor is."

"I'm waiting to see what that bald guy is doing," Doug spoke his opinion, "If he can get us food, I'm sticking with him."

"I'm not leaving the beach," Craig said, "It's too early. But I'll tell you, I don't like this. It's going to split the camp apart."

* * *

Tracy wandered through the jungle close to the beach searching the ground for deadwood to be used in the fire. As she searched, she was met by Jack who stumbled out of the trees with a look of deep frustration on his face.

"Hi Tracy. Collecting firewood?"

"Yeah," she answered, "Sayid says we're running low. He asked me to look for some more. Anything to get off this island, right?"

"Tracy, I don't want to give up on hope, but we may have to start thinking about more than just the fire. The caves will provide us with everything we need. I'm going to be taking people back there with me tonight to settle."

Tracy thought about it for a moment. "Have you talked to Scott and Steve yet?"

Jack sighed. "Yeah."

"And they're staying on the beach?" she asked, followed by Jack's nod.

"Well, I'm going to stay as well. Sorry Jack."

Jack just gave a sad smirk and continued his march through the jungle. Tracy watched him and began to wonder if she was making the right decision.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Tracy muttered to herself from the front seat of her car. She was parked outside a restaurant where she had followed her husband to. She didn't know why she was here, but she had her suspicions.

Her suspicions were soon confirmed as she saw Kent walk out with Vanessa. She gritted her teeth as she watched the two of them share a long, deep hug and them walk away. Tracy's eyes burned as she watched her husband get back in his car.

When she got home she found him in the kitchen. She slammed her purse down on the counter, startling him and making him turn around.

"I know where you were. You were with her."

"Tracy, listen, it's not what you think-"

"Oh no? I know what I saw."

"Tracy, I swear. I am not having an affair. We just met because, well, she's moving again."

"Oh? Where?"

"She's going to Australia. She wanted to meet with me again before her flight left. So you're not going to have to worry about anything anymore, alright?"

"I thought I didn't have to worry anyways?"

"Tracy…"

"Listen, fine. Whatever. Look, Kent, I need to get away for a bit. Work has asked if I wanted to go to Orlando for a conference. I'm going to go this weekend."

"Tracy… we need to talk about this. Work it out," Kent said, "Can't you tell them you need to stay?"

"No Kent, this will be good. I need to catch up on my thoughts right now."

Kent nodded with a defeated look. "Alright."

That Friday, Tracy packed her bags and headed off to LAX. Three was no conference in Orlando. She needed an excuse, and that was the best she could think off. She wasn't going to run away from this problem. She was going to confront it.

"Can I help you ma'am?" The lady at the ticket desk asked as she approached.

"One ticket to Sydney please."

* * *

As Tracy came out of the trees with her arms loaded with wood, she noticed the Korean guy handcuffed to a piece of plane wreckage. He looked angry and hot as his wife brought him some water.

Tracy dumped her pile of wood onto the larger pile near the fire and sat down next to Steve who was trying to fashion a fishing rod out of a stick and some twine.

"What's with the Korean guy?" she asked as she settled in beside him.

"You didn't see the fight?"

"Fight? What fight?"

"The Korean guy, what's his name again? Anyway, he just ran at Michael, the guy with the kid, and started wailing on him. They needed two guys to get him off and then locked him up with those handcuffs, wherever they came from," Steve explained.

"There's been a lot of fighting lately," she commented.

"Well, that's what happens when you throw a bunch of strangers on a deserted island together," Steve shrugged.

Tracy watched closer as the Korean woman gave her husband a drink and carefully dabbed the sweat from his face.

"Do you think they're happy?" she asked Steve, "Do you think they have a good marriage?"

"I don't know. Who can tell these things, right?"

"I'm married, you know," she admitted. For some reason she hadn't bothered to tell anyone yet.

"I didn't know," he said in an almost disheartened tone, "And trust me, sometimes when you're in a marriage you can't tell whether it's good or not."

* * *

The next day, Steve and Scott were talking together on the beach. About a dozen people had left the night before for the caves but most had remained on the beach, including Sayid who seemed to take over Jack's leadership role in his absence.

"So what is going on with you and Tracy?" Scott asked his best friend.

"Tracy? I don't know man. She's married. She just told me yesterday," Scott answered.

"That's surprising. She sure seems to be into you. Besides, we're stranded on an island. Anything can happen," Scott said with a sly smirk.

"You think I should go for Tracy? Even though she's married?"

"What happen on the island stays on the island," he grinned.

"Stop talking as if you would do it if you were in my shoes," Steve jabbed back.

"Hey guys," Jerome waved to them as they approached him, "What's the plan for today."

Scott and Steve both laughed at this for a moment. "Wait for water, eat some coconuts, maybe a little boar. Then sit around a hot beach. What else?"

Suddenly they saw Charlie the self-proclaimed rock star crashing through the trees and onto the beach. He was crying out to Michael about something about Jack and the caves. From what Steve could gather, Jack seemed to be caught in a cave in.

"Hey you, Scott!" Michael called out for them."

"I'm Steve."

"I'm Scott."

"We've got an emergency. Grab a couple more guys and come on."

Steve, Scott and Jerome ran off behind them. As they ran by Doug and Craig they called out.

"Hey guys, come on! Something's happened!"

Doug and Craig followed and Craig called Boone over as well. They all headed off to the caves to dig out Jack, leaving everyone else on the beach worrying and wondering what was happening.

"What happens if we lose Jack?" Jill asked as she stood next to Tracy, "He's our doctor."

"I don't know," Tracy shook her head as she watched Steve disappear into the jungle with anxiousness.

"He's going to get himself killed one of these times," they heard someone grumbling behind them. It was Arzt, the beach's resident crank.

"Jack and his friends are always off doing something and they always end up getting killed. First they got o find the cockpit, and almost get eaten by… whatever that thing is. Then he trekked of to-"

"The cockpit!" a sudden revelation jumped to Tracy's head, "I almost forgot about the cockpit."

"What do you mean? What's so important about the cockpit?" Jill asked her questioningly.

"Nothing. Nothing, I just… I need to find it," she mentioned casually as she walked off.

"Find it? Wait, Tracy! What??" Jill followed after her.

* * *

Tracy looked down at the Sydney address she had written in her pocket book, and then looked up at the house her taxi was parked in front of. This was the place. She paid the fair and got out of the car. Nerves swelled inside of her as she approached the front door.

As she rang the doorbell she suddenly realized that she didn't know what she was going to say. How was she going to approach this woman? Suddenly the door opened as she was face to face with the same woman she had seen her husband secretly having lunch with a couple weeks before.

"Can I help you?"

"Um, yes, I-" Tracy stumbled, "I'm Kent's wife."

"Oh, is he okay?" she clutched her hand to her chest.

"Yes, yes he's fine. But I need to talk to you about him," she said rather forcefully.

"Come in," she held the door open more," I just moved, so it's a bit messy."

"Listen, I'm just going to get to the point. Are you having an affair with my husband?"

The look in the Vanessa's eyes was one of devastation and shock. "How dare you come to my house and accuse me like that! Who do you think you are!?"

"His wife," Tracy stated plainly, "I have a right to know."

Suddenly Vanessa turned around as if she was hiding tears. Tracy sighed and glanced around the room. Her gaze landed on an opened letter on a nearby coffee table, still in its envelope. It was written from her husband.

"No. We're not having an affair," Vanessa said finally as she turned around, "Are you happy? Did this trip satisfy you?"

"Then why are you crying?"

At that moment the phone rang and Vanessa looked slightly relieved. She took a deep breath and retained her composure. "Excuse me a moment," she said as she walked back into the kitchen to answer it.

Tracy looked down at the letter again. She wasn't going to get the whole truth from this woman, but she may from that letter. She glanced back to the kitchen quickly to see Vanessa tied up on the phone. She then darted her hand towards the table, snatched up the letter, and quickly left the house.

* * *

Tracy woke up bright and early the next day and began to gather a bunch of things in her backpack. She took a couple bottles of water and a sleeve of crackers she still had saved from the plane. As she packed, she saw Charlie and John Locke bringing more water from the beach. Charlie looked to be in really rough shape.

Tracy watched as Charlie sat down next to the pregnant girl Claire and handed her some water. Tracy had been waiting to talk to him for a while and walked over to where they were.

"Charlie, you went out with Jack and Kate to the cockpit a while back, right?"

"Yes, sure did. Cheery place, that," he joked in his British accent.

"Do you think you could find you're way back there?" Tracy asked bluntly.

"Perhaps," he looked at her bizarrely, "If I had a death wish maybe. Perhaps you didn't hear, but the last time we were chased away by some pilot-eating creature. I don't plan on heading back anytime soon."

"Could you at least map out how to get there?"

"Could do. Why do you want to find the cockpit? We've already tried the radio."

"Please Charlie. I just need to get back there. I'll owe you," she begged.

"Alright, alright. But if I were you, I wouldn't plan on going alone."

Tracy decided to take Charlie's advice to heart and sought out the one person she would want to go with her. She found Steve standing with Steve just on the edge of the ocean. They were testing out their homemade fishing rods.

"Steve, I need your help."

"Now? I'm trying to get this fishing thing down. Jin, that Korean guy, went to the caves, so someone's gotta start bringing in the fish."

"I'm going out to the cockpit. I would like you to come with me, but you can't ask me why."

"The cockpit? Tracy, I… I don't think we should go marching off into the jungle. We don't know what's out there."

"Steve, I'm going with or without you."

"Alright, I'll go. Scott?"

"Yeah, I'll come along I guess," Scott said.

"Hey!" they heard a female's voice calling after them. A skinny, good-looking blonde walked up towards them with a dark-haired man trailing after her. "Tracy, right? It's Nikki. I heard you tell Charlie you wanted to find the cockpit. I'd like to join you."

"Nikki, we need to think about this-" the man grabbed her arm.

"No Paulo," she shrugged him off, "They might be there. It's worth a look. If you don't want to go, fine. Stay here and sulk."

Paulo stared at her with a mix of anger and sadness and wandered off back to the camp.

"Alright. I want to leave in an hour," Tracy agreed.

* * *

Tracy, Steve, Scott, Nikki, and Charlie met at the edge of the beach. Charlie had managed to map out a route to the cockpit on the back of a business form he found in one of the unclaimed briefcases.

"I can't really claim for the accuracy, as I was a little too busy running for my life," he explained as he handed Tracy the map, "But it should give you somewhat of an idea how to find it."

"Thanks Charlie," Tracy said, "You sure you won't come? It would be a huge help."

Charlie took a longing glance back at Claire who was sitting comfortably on the sand. "No, no I think I'll stay right here," he said.

"Alright, well, let's head off," Tracy motioned and the four of them trouped off into the jungle.

The day suddenly seemed darker now that they were under the large canopy of the trees. High grass scratched their legs as they trudged across. Tracy looked down at Charlie's map wand doubted whether or not it would be any help at all. They were supposed to look for a clearing here, a large rock, there; it was all so vague.

Scott and Steve walked behind the girls as Scott spoke his concerns softly to his best friend.

"I can't believe you. If you want to go off into the mystery forest after your new girlfriend, that's your concern. But why did you have to rope me into this?"

"Hey, you didn't have to come," Steve shrugged.

"Well, if I didn't whose knows what trouble you'd get yourself into," Scott mumbled.

As they guys argued behind them, Nikki jaunted up to talk with Tracy.

"So, you seem to be getting along pretty well with that Scott guy, hey?" Nikki asked with a nudge to Tracy's ribs.

"You mean Steve?"

"Sure, whichever."

"Yeah, I don't know what's happening there," Tracy admitted, "So what are you coming on this little quest for, anyways?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me," Nikki smirked. Tracy just glanced at her and then glanced away.

"That's what I thought. Well, whatever we're looking for, hopefully we both find it."

All four of them suddenly stopped in their tracks as a faint noise drifted through the trees. It sounded like some sort of heavy stomping, but it was so weak they had to strain their ears to hear it.

"What was that?" Scott asked, "Should we turn back?"

Tracy thought about it for a second and shook her head. "No, I'm going to keep going."

She lifted straightened her backpack straps and continued forward. The other three cautiously followed behind.

About an hour later they finally reached their destination. In a small clearing they saw the nosed front section of the plane lying on the ground with its windows smashed and vines hanging all around it. The back was completely open and the metal around it looked like jagged teeth.

"Well, we're here," Steve said as the four of them stood together beside the broken piece of 815, "Now what do we do?"

"You two wait outside," Tracy said, "We'll be right back."

Tracy took off her backpack, took a swig of water, and walked towards the open-end of the plane with Nikki. She braced herself as she took her first look inside.

* * *

The whole flight from Sydney so far had been excruciating for Tracy. She had taken Vanessa's letter but had not yet read it. Almost the entire time she had just sat in her seat staring at the envelope. Her Husband's named and their address sat in the top left corner.

What did the letter say? In all likelihood it was a love letter; roof that her husband was cheating on her. She had suspected it, but she held the proof in her hands now. She just couldn't bring herself to read it.

Tears trickled down her cheek as the crumpled up envelope sat in her fingers. Maybe he did cheat on her, but this woman was in Australia now. Perhaps it was better not knowing. Maybe she shouldn't read it. Perhaps having proof would wreck her.

Tracy wiped the tears from her cheek with the back of her hand and crumpled the letter up in her fist. She saw the stewardess rolling by with the drink cart. As the cart passed her seat, Tracy tossed the letter into the small garbage bin on the back. It was gone now, out of her hands.

* * *

Tracy was revolted by hat she saw inside. Dead bodies which reeked of rot still sat in the chairs. Luggage was scattered around the aisle and oxygen masks still dangled from the roof.

"Yuck," Nikki squealed behind her. They looked at each other and then climbed in.

It began really dark all of the sudden as the clouds passed over the sun. It was even darker in this cockpit. It was like out of some horror movie, Tracy reflected. She almost threw up whenever she glanced upon one of the shriveled faces still strapped to their chairs.

Nikki was rummaging through the suitcases and packs behind her, but Tracy was only looking for one thing; the drink cart. She found it lying on its side near the door to the actually cockpit. She hurried over towards it and rummaged through the garbage bin. And just as she had tossed it in over eight days ago, the letter was still there.

She may die on this island, she knew. She may never leave. She had to know. She couldn't take it any more. Tracy uncrumpled the envelope and took the letter out, opening to read it. Tears streamed down her face as she made out Kent's handwriting on the creased piece of paper.

Dear Vanessa,

I am writing you because I must make my feelings and my intentions known. It is true; I love you. I always have since we were teenagers and my love for you has never diminished. But I cannot be with you; not now, not ever. I have made a commitment to Tracy to be loyal to her always, and I plan on keeping that commitment. We have a family now, two children who I love. Perhaps it is best we do not see each other anymore, for I must resist my feelings for you. I am sorry things turned out this way.

Love always,

Kent.

Tracy began to weep openly as she read the letter. Conflicting feelings rushed through her like a flood. She had not expected this and didn't know what to make of it. He had not cheated but he was in fact in love with another woman. He didn't know whether to hate him or be overjoyed.

Her emotional confusion was however interrupted as a dreadful sound filled the air around them. Whispers. Whispers which seemed to come with the wind which hissed throughout the cabin. The whispers were muffled and no words could be made out, they were certainly there.

"Um, girls? I think we should go now," Steven called to them from outside.

"yeah, Tradcy, lets get out of here," Nikki urged ass he herself backed out of the cockpit.

The whipseres seemed to engulf them. Then they rose like a crescendo and Tracy could hear only one word clearly.

"Tracy…"

"Run!" Tracy cried out on instinct as she bolted outside. The four of them spritined off back towards the beach as fast as they could, the eerie murmurs hovering all around them. Tracy darted through the trees trying to get away, until the noises stopped and allw as quiet again. She looked around for the others as she cried. Only Steve was theree, coming out of the woods to find her.

"Tracy, are you okay?"

"Steve, I just…"

"It's okay. Nothing happened. We're fine," he assured her, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Tracy nodded as her eyes poured. "Steve, hold me. I need you to hold me."

She collapsed into his arms as she cried. He ran her hands over her back soothingly.

"Don't let go," she mumbled, "Please don't let go. Promise me."

"I promise. I'm not going anywhere," Steve said as they embraced in the shady shelter of the jungle.

L O S T