The Strong Will Survive
Disclaimer: Don't own, Taylor would be voted off the island, some background from F29D books that I've expanded on, blah, blah, blah…
Author's Note
WARNING! Boringly longer than usual, but PLEASE read.
People, I appreciate all the support I've gotten so far, I really do, but a few more reviews would be really lovely. PMs are always welcome as well. Also, I'm trying shorter chapters (okay, short for me), I split this one up, not sure if I like it this way, but let me know what you think.
Alert/Teaser: I'm thinking about writing a companion piece for this story about what's happening with the 'Club 29 Downers'. I love Nathan, Daley and Lex and Taylor would be fun to write but they just don't inspire me like Jackson and Melissa (I mean, just look at Jackson, how can you not be inspired?). I know this will please some of you (if I choose to do it). But don't look for it soon, I want to finish this first. And if the movie comes out before I finish, it would be AU and I don't know if I want to do that...Oops! Sorry. Maybe I got some of your hopes up for nothing...we'll see.
You may think some of the characters are OOC. I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low. Remember, this is just my little version of one possibility. Abby's behavior in 'One Breath Away' and 'See Ya' really inspired my version of her character in this fic.
Poetic license, suspend disbelief, all that rot, blah, blah, blah...
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The story thus far: Jackson, Melissa, Eric and Abby have been trekking for some time looking for the others, rescue, civilization, anything. They're in the jungle now, scaling the mountain.
Abby's become super scary: the former peace-loving vegan ruthlessly snaps the neck of a bird, eats its raw liver, licks the blood off her fingers and stabs any creature within reach. She has developed an unhealthy relationship with her shiny knife and she'll push anyone out of her way to survive. (Yikes!)
Eric has stepped up (finally!) and is more than pulling his weight. He just wishes Daley could see him now.
Melissa who has been working hard as usual, was on the receiving end of Abby's 'survival of the fittest' mentality resulting in a sprained ankle. She likes to fantasize about Jackson (who doesn't?) and is working her alone time with him. (Go girl!)
Jackson's still working harder than anyone, providing most of their meals. He feels responsible for everyone and is worried about "the Abby situation". He still thinks about Taylor once in a while but he's getting busy with Melissa. And what is that damned scent that he keeps noticing?
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Two sets. Close together. One right print was fainter than the others. Melissa. He started following the tracks and calling Melissa and Abby's names. They went awfully far from camp just to do their business. Jackson continued walking and calling. He was getting worried. Finally he heard a faint 'over here'.
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Chapter Four
Jackson took off running, following the sound. He finally saw them slowly approaching. "Here, let me take her," Jackson said to Abby. "Are you guys okay? You were gone an awfully long time."
"We're fine," Abby said stonily. "Can't a girl have a little privacy? You know, we can't just stand there and aim like you." She unceremoniously dumped Melissa on Jackson then led the way back to camp.
Jackson looked at Melissa but she wouldn't meet his eyes. "You okay?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, fine," she said. She finally raised her eyes and mouthed the word 'later'. She had a strange look on her face and he noticed leaves and sticks in her hair and dirt on her face and shirt.
They soon arrived back at camp. Eric watched them as they approached the fire. Abby was wearing her normal hard look but Melissa looked weird. Wonder what that's about? he thought. Jackson carefully lowered Melissa to the ground and took a seat next to her. He passed her some food as Abby walked over, scooped up her portion and walked to the far side of the camp, sat down on the ground and started shoveling it into her mouth.
Eric noticed that Abby kept staring daggers at Melissa and Jackson. What the heck is going on?
They ate in silence. Soon everyone was finished. Eric went about the business of filling up the canteens and water bottles preparing for the journey the next day. Jackson cleaned up the mess from dinner. Abby was still sitting at the far end of the camp and now she had her knife out. How many times can you clean and sharpen a knife that doesn't get much use? Eric wondered.
Jackson was thinking something completely different. I think we need to get that knife away from her.
"Um, Jackson," Melissa interrupted his thought. "Do you think you could help me to the stream? I'd like to wash up a little bit."
"Sure," he said. Jackson grabbed Melissa's towel and an Ace bandage and helped her to her feet. With her arm over his shoulder they slowly limped out of camp. There's that smell again Jackson thought.
Abby watched them go with a sour look on her face. Eric watched as Abby's expression hardened into what is that, hatred?! he thought. He quickly ducked his head and lowered his hat over his eyes so she wouldn't catch him watching her. What the hell is going on in that crazy head of hers? He could hear her running her knife rhythmically over the whetstone again and again. That sound was really starting to get to him. Eric busied himself with the water and tried not to think about it anymore. Too scary!
Melissa and Jackson had arrived at the stream and Melissa had stripped down to her tank top and was washing her face and neck. Jackson looked away to give her a little privacy but also because he was starting to feel his heat rise. Whoa! Down, boy! Think of something else. Anything. Um, Abby. What she did to Mel. His heat continued rising but now it was a totally different kind. Jackson squatted down and splashed water over his own head. Then he looked over at Melissa.
"What's going on? What happened when you and Abby left camp?" he asked. Melissa looked him in the eyes. Fear. That upset Jackson further.
Melissa looked slowly all around them before answering in a very quiet voice, "You won't believe me."
Jackson had to move closer and lean in to hear her. "Try me. I think I could believe almost anything after seeing Abby push you."
Melissa took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "We walked away from camp. I said we'd gone far enough but Abby said she'd found a perfect place to do our uh, business and it was just a little farther. We came to this small ravine that had rocks scattered along the bottom and the next thing I knew, I was tumbling down the side of it," she said in a small voice. Jackson leaned in even closer. He raised Melissa's face so she was looking him in the eye. Two big tears traced down her cheeks. "Abby pushed me."
Jackson was horrified. "What?! Are you sure ?" he exclaimed.
"Sshhh! She may be listening," Melissa pleaded in a whisper.
"Okay, okay," he said. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I have a few scratches, that's all. Jackson, if you hadn't come looking for us I don't know what she would've done."
"What do you mean, Mel?"
"She seemed really disappointed that I'd missed hitting any of the rocks at the bottom and she was making her way down to me when you called out. She...she had picked up this big rock and I...I...I think she was going to do something horrible," Melissa said through her tears, reliving the scene in her head.
Jackson shook his head, "No, Mel. C'mon. No way."
Melissa was shaking now. Jackson took her in his arms to comfort her. "You didn't see the look on her face, Jackson. Her eyes were just, I don't know, wild," she said into his chest. "When she heard you calling her face changed, she dropped the rock and she said she'd slipped and lost her grip."
"Mel, are you sure that isn't exactly what happened? She just lost her grip and dropped you?"
"No," she said forcefully, pushing away from him. She looked him in the eye, "Jackson, you didn't see her face. I can still feel her hand prints on my back where she pushed. And, there's more."
Jackson didn't want to believe Abby was capable of purposely trying to hurt Melissa or anyone for that matter. "What?" he asked holding her at arm's length so he could watch her face. "Tell me."
Melissa looked him straight in the eye and told him what Abby had said earlier about pushing her and how the strong survive but the weak don't. She also told him about the fruit Abby gorged on and hoarded for herself. "Jackson, I think we have a serious problem."
Just then they heard a rustling sound and Eric stepped out of the jungle carrying some wood. Both heaved a sigh of relief. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Where's Abby?" Jackson asked quickly.
"Back at camp playing with her knife again. We were low on wood and I knew she wouldn't help so I decided to get some then I heard your voices."
Melissa lowered her injured ankle into the cold water and let it stay there. She looked around again and motioned for Eric to hunker down with her and Jackson. She quickly recounted everything she had told Jackson.
"Whoa! Man, I thought she'd get over this little 'survival of the fittest' thing but I agree, she's getting worse. Oh, oh!! You should've seen her face when you two left camp!" Eric exclaimed as he described the look on Abby's face. "Seriously, it was scary!" he added.
Jackson's head was spinning. He couldn't believe all he'd heard. No way. Abby wouldn't purposefully try to hurt Melissa. The ankle was an accident. She...no, she couldn't have...or did she?
"So, what do we do about her?" Eric asked. "Personally, she really gives me the creeps with that knife of hers. The way she is always sharpening it and cleaning it. Ugh!" He gave an involuntary shudder. I don't even want to think about trying to take it away from her, that would be one ugly scene he mused.
"Jackson?" Melissa said quietly. He looked at her. "I'm scared."
"Yeah, me too," he said.
"Well that's not very reassuring," Eric said somewhat sarcastically.
"I don't know what to do," Jackson said running his hand through his hair and ignoring Eric's comment.
"You don't believe me," Melissa said sounding hurt.
"No, I do believe you, Mel," he said looking her in the eye. "That's the problem. I just have no idea what to do about it. I think we could all be in danger."
"No, only me," she replied calmly, comprehension suddenly dawning on her features.
"Why do you say that?" he asked.
"What does Abby always say? 'The strong survive, the weak don't' and right now, I'm the only weak one."
They all pondered that for a minute. "She's right, chief. She's the injured gazelle and Abby's the lion going after her," Eric said slowly nodding. "We need to get that knife away from her."
"Look, we've been gone a long time, she may be getting suspicious. I say we head back to camp, act normal and watch her like a hawk. That's all we can do for now. If we try and take her knife away, God knows what she'd do," Jackson said.
"I'll go first, I think I have enough wood," Eric said.
"Okay then. We'll be there shortly. If Abby asks…"
"Unlikely," Eric interjected.
"…Melissa is soaking her ankle in the stream and we'll be back soon," Jackson finished.
"Got it."
Eric walked back toward camp picking up wood here and there. Jackson sat back down and carefully lifted Melissa's ankle out of the stream. The swelling had gone down considerably and now it was just a mixture of colors: purple, black and blue.
"How am I going to be able to climb and hike tomorrow?" Melissa asked.
"Well, if you keep it elevated all night and we wrap it good tomorrow I think you'll manage. You'll have me and Eric to help you," he said.
"Yeah, but Abby won't be happy with how slow we're moving."
"You let me worry about Abby," Jackson said giving her shoulder a squeeze. All of a sudden his face lit up. "I have an idea. You wait here and put that ankle back in the water. I'll be back in a bit."
Melissa watched him hurry off wondering what he was up to. She took this opportunity to wash herself a little more thoroughly now that she was alone. She removed her tank top and splashed water over her head, shoulders and chest. The cold water felt so good on her skin. She thought about Jackson kissing her and touching her. It sent shivers down her spine. All right, Melissa. Knock it off before you drive yourself crazy! You have serious things to worry about. I can't believe you even went there at a time like this! She toweled off and pulled her shirt back on. Abby wants to do God knows what and you're thinking about some boy's lips? And hands. And... STOP!!! Well, that's preferable to thinking about someone wanting to hurt me. Enough! Melissa suddenly worried that having an internal argument with herself wouldn't be considered "healthy". Maybe I'm the one cracking up, not Abby. No, I don't want to hurt anyone. Just make out with someone. Melissa smiled to herself.
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A/N: OK, that's all you get for now. Want more? PLEASE review! I have the next several chapters already written and waiting. More Mackson action. Soon. Want it? Review! Please! (Sigh) I'm just curious to know what you all think. OOC or not, are you: (Circle all that apply) Liking? Bored? Scared? Turned off? Turned on? Disappointed? Entertained? All of the above? None of the above? A,C and E but not B? Tell me! Please. Thank you.
