Chapter Six: House of the Rising Sun
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"So, where are you from exactly?"
Faith shoved another papaya in her bag and turned to see Locke moving to sit down on a fallen tree log. "Taking a break already old timer?"
He smirked at her as he dug a piece of fruit out from his own bag. Slipping his knife from his belt, Locke began to carve away at the peeling and cast his gaze downward in concentration. "You gonna answer my question or slyly step around it again?"
Faith slid her bag to the ground and took a seat on the log across from him. She was silent as she retrieved her water bottle. "Here and there," Faith answered twisting off the cap and taking a sip, "I've never stayed in one place for too long."
"No place you call home?"
Faith snorted. "No. There was a place I kept returning to because I had nowhere else to go but it wasn't home. It never will be."
Locke nodded. "You must have had an interesting life moving around so much."
"Not really. I took odd jobs while I traveled; whatever I could get my hands on. You know, stealing, turning tricks for pimps, that sort of thing." She caught his gaze, chuckling at the sight of his raised eyebrows. "I'm just kidding Locke."
He placed a piece of papaya into his mouth and chewed, smiling as he swallowed. "Now, if you had said something creative like bounty hunter, I might have been more inclined to believe you."
"What makes you say that?" Faith eyed him and took another sip of her water.
"From the way you handle yourself." Locke shrugged looking back down as he continued carving. "You took down the first boar with no problem, you're not hesitant with a hunting knife, and I probably don't have to mention that show of acrobatics I saw a couple days ago. Shall I go on?"
She twisted the cap back on the bottle and shook her head as she stood back up. "All this from a guy who carries four hundred knives."
Locke chuckled. "I like to be observant." He stood as well. "So what'd you really do?"
Faith slung her backpack onto her back again with a sigh. "I told you, odd jobs."
"Odd jobs?"
"Yeah," She looked down as she straightened her bag straps. "I worked one time for this guy, made me do all his errands, but I ended up in a coma so there wasn't much need for me after that." Faith turned without another word and began walking deeper into the forest. She was aware of Locke instantly following close from behind.
"A coma?" He questioned. "Were you in an accident?"
"That's mine!"
Buffy smirked as she held up the knife towards Faith. "You're about to get it back."
Faith ducked as Buffy swung at her and she dodged the knife. She maneuvered herself out onto the terrace, blocking the other slayer's blows and managed to attach herself to Buffy with a smile. "Man, I'm going to miss this B."
Buffy broke the grip and shoved the knife straight into Faith's abdomen. She was wide-eyed as she was punched away, Faith clutching at her side.
"You did it B. You killed me." Blood covered her fingers as she pulled her hand away, "You killed me."
"Yeah, I accidentally rammed my knife into my gut." Faith stopped short and turned around, cocking an eyebrow as Locke stopped directly behind her as well. "Look, I'd rather not dig up old bones alright? I don't even know why I've even said anything at all. My past isn't something I wanna revisit any time soon."
"You can't run from who you are forever Faith."
"I'm not." She looked away shaking her head, "I'm just trying to be a better, updated version."
"Come on." Locke clasped her on the shoulder as he passed and took the lead. "Let's get what we came out here for."
"Right." Faith glanced down at the Jackal resting comfortably on her hip. "Let's go kill something."
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She was staring out at the ocean when Jack appeared.
"See anything?"
Faith smirked. "Sky, ocean, the sun… Same shit as yesterday and the day before."
He chuckled and nodded. "I think we're all set to fetch water now if you're ready. Everyone's getting pretty antsy."
"Alright." She turned towards him squinting. "We're?"
"Yeah," He nodded again motioning over his shoulder with his thumb. "Kate and Charlie said they'd help out too."
"Ah, not mad at her anymore for the marshal fiasco I see."
Something flashed in his eyes but it disappeared as quickly. "We all have secrets that we'd like to stay that way."
"I have a feeling she'd like to tell you hers. Surely you're curious about what she did."
"I could say the same thing about you Faith." He blushed, rubbing at the back of his neck as she cocked an eyebrow, "Your secret I mean. I like guessing though, let's see…" Jack studied her. "You're a professional gymnast?"
Faith chuckled. "Nope. Guess again."
"Professional bodyguard?"
"You been talking to Locke or something?" She eyed him.
"No, why? Am I -"
"Hey!"
They glanced behind them to see Charlie waving his arms, Locke standing beside him.
"Come on already! The great white hunter here is getting restless!"
Faith nodded watching as Kate appeared from behind him, slinging a bag onto her back. "Right then, let's go."
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"So how'd you find this place?"
Faith glanced over her shoulder at Kate and repositioned her backpack down at her feet. "Dumb luck." She shrugged glancing at Jack to find him staring at the cherry coffin in the center of the cave. "I'm assuming that's yours."
"Yeah," Jack cleared his throat. He seemed unaware that all the eyes were focused in on him at that very moment. "It's my father."
"He still in there?" Charlie winced as Kate slapped him hard against the arm, throwing him a sharp look. "What? Well, is he?"
Jack moved towards the coffin and was hesitant as he reached out, taking his time in opening the lid.
It was empty.
Faith turned away as she noticed Jack begin to cry and moments later, the loud sound of him busting up the wood echoed through the caves. It grew quiet and Kate shifted closer to him, reaching out to rub his back.
"Someone should look through the bags," Charlie suggested. "There might be something useful in them."
Locke nodded, looking at the side of the plane and the luggage scattered around it. "Good idea Charlie. You and I can do that."
"It is? I mean, we can?"
Jack came up behind Faith, Kate still watching him with a sympathetic gaze, and he nodded. "I agree. We'll take the water back to the beach while you guys do that."
"You and Kate can handle the water." Faith spoke up shifting her bag onto her shoulders.
"And what will you do?"
She looked at Kate with a smirk. "I'm gonna go look around."
"I don't think that's altogether safe."
"Well then it's a good thing you're not being paid to think."
"Wait a second," Jack interrupted. "Kate is right. It's dangerous and we don't know exactly what we're up against yet. That thing we heard from the beach could still be out there. No one should go anywhere alone."
"Maybe it has wings and flew back to fairy land."
"You're not honestly-"
"I don't think you-"
"Enough!" Locke spoke up suddenly, his voice vibrating through the caves. "I'm not saying whether she should go or stay but Faith is a full grown woman and more than capable of taking care of herself. It's up to her to decide."
"Damn straight." She flashed an irritated look at Kate and Jack. "I'll be fine. I'll go scope out the area and…" Faith paused with a frown and Locke immediately noticed.
"What is it?"
"Where's Charlie?"
The other man had completely disappeared during their heated debate.
"I'll go look for him."
Faith and Locke exchanged grins as they spoke simultaneously.
Jack sighed, "Kate and I will start filling up the water bottles then. Come get us though if you need any help or stumble across anything I need to know about."
"You do that. I'll let you know if I find a Taco Bell." Faith ignored the look he shot her and nudged her head at Locke. "Ready?"
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"Is fighting with Jack is really necessary?"
Faith grunted as she continued walking a good ways in front of Locke. "I was debating with Jack and Kate to be completely straight but if you want to label it fighting, sure. I've never let anyone tell me what I could or couldn't do and I'm not about to start now."
"You sound a lot like me." Locke chuckled. "And he's just concerned."
"No," Faith turned to face him, bringing them to an abrupt stop. "He's not just concerned. I've seen his type before. All he is, is one man that knows just a little bit more than everyone else and uses that to his advantage in order to stay one step ahead of them." She tapped herself on the chest, "I'm in charge of me, not some rich pretty boy doctor."
"Faith…"
She raised her hand, demanding his silence as she looked over her shoulder. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear-"
"Bees! Bees!" Charlie broke through the dense brush behind them, waving his arms as he continued to yell. "Bees everywhere!"
"Shit, go!" Faith shoved at Locke and they took off running, the angry swarm following.
"Damn it!" Faith gritted her teeth as she slapped a bee off her arm, heading back to the cave and she narrowly missed running into Kate as she dove into the entrance, her footsteps soon followed by a panting Locke and Charlie.
All were thankfully devoid of bees, the air suddenly clear, and Faith growled at Charlie in unmasked annoyance as she rubbed at her arm. "Thanks Charlie."
"Hey, I got stung more than just a few times myself you know." He protested, "So no thanks are in order I don't mind telling you."
"What were you doing?"
"A man has a right to privacy!"
"Not here." Faith shook her head. "Not when there are bigger things out there or in your case," She smirked, "small ones."
"Oh, so it's okay for you to be Amelia Earhart and journey alone but I'm not allowed?"
"I can take care of myself."
"And I can't?"
Faith snorted. "Obviously not."
He started to retort back when something else caught his attention from behind her. "What's that?"
She turned spotting Jack and what had captured Charlie's attention, a skeleton. Her eyes narrowed as she took a step forward.
"Two of them." Jack nodded. "Man and a woman." He spoke up as he studied them, "Amazing. It takes almost fifty years to decompose like this."
"Our very own Adam and Eve."
Faith shot Locke a look from over her shoulder to find him smiling, his eyes on the skeletons as well. She glanced back at Jack. "We should bury them."
"Good thinking. I don't want other people to see this."
Kate frowned as she looked at him. "Other people?"
Jack nodded. "There's plenty of water, shelter from weather and predators, it'd be the perfect place to live."
"How are we gonna be rescued Jack if we -"
"We need to start thinking about survival Kate. We can't drag enough water back every single day for everyone that needs it."
"I don't know."
"Why don't you two discuss that on your way back to the beach?" Faith suggested. "I'll bury the bodies and Locke and Charlie can start going through the luggage."
"It'd be my pleasure," Charlie grumbled.
"Okay," Jack agreed reaching down to grab the bag at his feet, "Just keep an eye out for any drugs or tools that might be useful okay Charlie?"
"Drugs, right." He nodded. "Drugs, I can do that."
Jack and Kate zipped up their bags, slinging them onto their backs, and both nodded at Faith as they passed.
She kept her gaze forward on the corpses.
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Faith wiped the sweat from her forehead and continued to dig at the second hole. One of the suitcases lay beside her. She slung the makeshift shovel down towards the ground again, watching the dirt shift.
Satisfied, she threw the tool to the side and climbed from the hole. She hesitated before wiping her hands on her jeans. "You can come out now."
"How'd you know?"
"I could hear you, how else? I'm not Superwoman." Faith glanced over at Charlie as he came out of the clearing to stand in front of the hole. "What are you doing out here?"
He shrugged. "I didn't know if you needed any help or not."
"I got it. Where's Locke?"
"Still shifting through the luggage like a bloke possessed." Charlie leaned nervously back and forth on his feet. "Where's the body?"
She pointed a finger at the suitcase.
"You've got to be bloody kidding."
"What's the matter?" Faith chuckled, "You think they're gonna complain about being cramped or something?" She stepped forward and jerked the case into the hole. Faith turned, grabbing the tool once again and began to shift the dirt back. She was mindful of Charlie hovering and shot him a look over her shoulder, opening her mouth to speak.
"Charlie!"
They both looked over to see Locke and he motioned to Charlie then at the forest.
"Let's take a walk!"
Charlie hesitated but nodded, shooting one last glance at Faith. "See ya."
"Have fun." She quipped shortly, concentrating again on the hole. She covered the grave, dusting dirt off her hands again and paused, glancing at the caves before she directed her attention back to the trail that lead to the beach.
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The thick tension was the very first thing she noticed when she arrived back on the beach. The second thing was the sight of the Korean man handcuffed to a part of the plane. She squinted as she approached, watching as Michael bent down in front of the man, ax in his hand. He was talking vehemently as he shook the tool in the man's face and it was obvious the Korean man didn't understand, shaking his head as he tried to back away.
Right as she reached them, Michael lifted the ax and cut the man free, one handcuff still locked around his wrist.
"What the hell was that about?"
He glanced over at her. "Jin and I just had a little disagreement that's all." Michael turned to walk off and Faith glanced down at Jin. He didn't look up at her as he rose, rubbing at the red skin of his wrist. She caught sight of Jack past them shaking hands with some of the other survivors and moved quickly after Michael.
"Are you gonna tote that around all day or do people have to thumb wrestle you for it?"
"What? The ax?"
"No, that gigantic magic wand in your hand." Her lips twisted, "Of course the ax."
"I was chopping wood with it earlier but if you need it, by all means, be my guest."
Faith shook her head. "Not really. I just wanted an excuse to stall you so I ciykd ask a few questions." She glanced over her shoulder to see the Korean woman joining Jin and their eyes caught just as she swung her attention back to Michael. "So I'm guessing the Korean woman told you why her husband was pissed at you?"
Michael took a step back, eyes wide. "You knew about… I mean… How did you, when did you…"
Faith chuckled and shook her head. "I didn't really. I bumped into her at the airport, long story there," She waved nonchalantly, "No big deal really."
"She doesn't want anyone to know."
"Alright," Faith shrugged. She glanced past him again to see Jack approaching. "Excuse me." Faith edged around him and walked towards Jack, shoving her hands into her pockets. "What's up Doc?"
He motioned behind him. "I talked to all of the survivors and a lot of them want to come to the caves. We're heading that direction in the next couple of minutes. You coming?"
Faith glanced around, spotting Kate and Sawyer side by side at the fire that was burning. Sayid, Boone and his sister were there as well. Small groups of people, some she recognized and others she didn't, were looking towards Jack as they packed and began to get ready for the long trek to the caves. Her eyes connected with Locke's as he slung his backpack onto his back and he nodded.
"Yeah, I'm right behind you."