A Different Place and Time – Ch. 8
Authors Note: Sorry for the gap between the last update and this one. Totally meant to keep the updates coming…but as always…life got in the way. Anyway, the end is getting closer!! Enjoy!
"We're all walking a fine line and I'm
Walking towards you, and I
Hope that I'm right in thinking, I'll never walk alone
I'm always running from something
Now I'm running towards you
It may not be the right thing, but it's what I want to do
I'll be biding my time, and I'll be
Watching my step, 'cause I don't want to
Be starting something here that I might live to regret
'Cause I have learnt my lesson
And I have learnt it well
There are some things in this life best left for time to tell
I believe I could safely lay my life down in your hands
I believe that's what I'd do if you gave me half the chance
In a different time, in a different place
I could see myself with you
And in a different time and a different place
I believe you could see yourself there too"
Different Time, Different Place ~Julia Fordham
1977
Sawyer was starting to panic. He knew Juliet was bored out of her mind being stuck at home all day, but it wasn't like her to just leave without a clue as to where she was. He had talked with her that morning about convincing Jack and Kate to take the night off so that the two of them could enjoy some time together; the last thing Sawyer expected was to come home to an empty house.
After he'd checked each room he ran outside once again and headed towards Jack's house. Before he could make it there however, he was stopped by a small figure in the middle of the sidewalk.
"What're you doin' here?" He sneered at the little boy. He didn't mean to come off harsh; he was just surprised to see Ben. Things had gotten so crazy over the past few weeks; he forgot the boy was even gone to begin with.
Ben audibly gulped and took a step backwards.
"Hey now kid," Sawyer coaxed, remembering how skittish he could be. "Sorry for scarin' ya." Ben looked up at him. Those eyes. James thought. He took a step back and put his hands in the air, the eyes staring back at him weren't a child's eyes, and Sawyer didn't want to do anything to offend him. He knew to tread lightly. "Just wasn't expectin' to see ya there is all." Sawyer explained.
"S'okay." Ben replied.
The boy and the man stood in silence for a few seconds, neither sure what to say to the other.
"Well," Sawyer started, "I better be gettin' on, got somethin' important to find."
With that he went to move past the boy, hoping that'd be the end of their encounter.
"He took her." The boy stated simply.
Without knowing why, Sawyer knew Ben was talking about Juliet.
"Who? Where?" He demanded as he whirled around and grabbed Ben by the front of his shirt, quickly forgetting his promise to keep his distance.
Ben visibly shrunk away from him and Sawyer immediately let him go. Kid probably got enough of that at home he thought to himself.
"Sorry," Sawyer muttered. "Not your fault, just tryin' to find her is all."
Ben nodded in understanding. "He said his name was Ben, same as mine!" Ben said excitedly.
But Sawyer was anything but excited to hear the boy say that. "Ben?" He questioned. "Goofy lookin' bastard?"
Little Ben nodded.
Sawyer couldn't even imagine the encounter the two must have had. But he didn't have time to think about that right now.
"Do you know where he took her?" Sawyer asked hopefully.
"I heard them say something about the Orchid." Ben responded. "I was supposed to be in the house, but I listened to what they said instead."
"Did they say anything else?" Sawyer asked.
Ben shook his head. "No…" and after a moment, "But when they were leaving Ms. Burke turned around and looked at me funny."
"Looked at you funny?" Sawyer questioned.
"Yeah," Ben responded. "The other Ben seemed nice enough, but it was like Ms. Burke didn't want to go with him."
Sawyer's panic struck up all over again. He had to get to the Orchid and fast.
"Listen Ben I need you to do me and Ms. Burke a big favor okay?" Sawyer asked.
Ben nodded his head.
"Now this is real important," He began. "Go to that house over there." He pointed towards Jack's house. "The man who lives there is named Jack. Tell Jack that Mr. LaFleur went after Juliet because Ben has her and is taking her to the Orchid. Do you think you can remember that?" He asked the boy.
Ben nodded. "Yes sir I can."
"Okay," Sawyer responded. "Ms. Burke will be very happy you helped her."
At that Ben smiled. That smile made Sawyer sick to his stomach. He couldn't even begin to think about all the things they'd been responsible for in this boy's life…things that probably made him into the person he'd become.
"Okay go!" Sawyer prompted, and with that Ben started running towards Jack's house.
Sawyer turned and started running in the opposite direction.
Juliet was in excruciating pain. She tried her best to keep up not wanting to show Ben weakness, but her leg was simply throbbing. The sun had long since set, the darkness slowing their pace some, but now Juliet knew why James, Jack and Kate wouldn't let her go with them during the day; she simply wasn't ready to be up and walking around. She wanted to believe her leg was nearly healed, but this little stroll through the jungle was proving otherwise.
Ben didn't quite seem to care however; he was a man on a mission. More than once Juliet lost sight of him ahead of her and contemplated simply turning around and heading back, but she knew he'd fulfill his promise of hurting her friends—and he always ended up backtracking to come get her before she could turn around anyway.
About two hours into the hike she'd simply had enough. Without even consulting Ben, Juliet picked out a nice rock and sat down. The throbbing lessened immediately, but the dull ache in her bones wouldn't be going away any time soon. She wished like hell she had some water, and thought longingly about the dinner she had been preparing back home. Her stomach growled in response to her thoughts, but she quickly shoved them down. She should be thinking about how to get them out of this situation, not about food. But then she thought about how she was eating for more than one these days, she thought briefly back to a few nights ago how James had teased her mercilessly about the third helping of pasta she had taken. She wanted so badly to tell him then, but she knew she had to put it off just a little longer—she hoped like hell they'd get back to where they were supposed to be before he figured things out for himself.
"Just what are you doing Juliet?" The intrusion of Ben's condescending voice snapped her out of her revere and she turned to look up at him.
"My leg isn't quite up to a hike through the jungle yet Ben." She retorted. "If you want to get me there in one piece you'll have to give me a minute here."
"Fine." He responded. "Five minutes, but Juliet? That's it; we're not waiting around any longer than that."
The look she gave him before he turned and walked through the trees, it was almost if he knew she'd…and then she realized. He remembered her being taken away by a 'bigger Ben'. She shuddered. Whether little Ben ended up helping her or not, Ben remembered it…and he knew what was coming next.
2007
"Who exactly are you people?" Sun asked Ilana as they continued on their hike towards the orchid.
The group had been walking for about an hour, an hour that had given Sun a lot of time to think about what was happening. She realized that while they had originally pushed to come on this little adventure to help their friends, as they hiked deeper into the jungle, Sun felt they were simply being led blindly to a place they knew nothing about.
And to have to return to 1977—two days ago she would have been completely on board with that, knowing that it was highly possible that that was where Jin was. But now she had him back, and the last thing she wanted to do was go time traveling and risk losing him again. Before they agreed to do anything else, Sun wanted some answers.
"We're the good guys." Ilana responded.
"No! That's enough!" Sun shouted, startling the rest of the group and causing them all to stop. "That may appease other people but it's not working with me." She heaved out a breath and continued. "Where are you taking us and why do you need us to go there?" She pushed. "We don't know who you people are or what you're trying to do. For all we know you're going to send us all back in time and leave us there, or worse—get us killed."
Hopping on board, Jin, Miles and Hurley stepped up behind her.
"Yeah dude," Hurley agreed. "Just what is the plan here?"
Richard stepped forward and put his hands out in mock surrender, but Sun didn't let him speak.
"Richard when I showed you that picture of my husband you said you watched him and my friends die." Hurley and Jin looked at each other and then at Richard, clearly surprised to hear this bit of information. "Yet here they are alive and well, can you explain that?"
Richard shook his head. "No, Sun I can't." When no one responded to that, Richard continued. "Ilana and Bram are the good guys." He continued. "They were brought to the island just as you were. A war is coming and we need to make sure the right side wins."
"And we're the right side?" Jin asked.
"Yes." Richard responded. "Something happened that didn't happen before." Looking at Sun, "When your husband came back to 2007, it was because something changed, your friends somehow changed the course of time, and because of that, whatever happened, is no longer going to happen."
"So like, what is going to happen?" Hurley asked.
"That's the problem," Richard said. "I don't know what's going to happen. All I know is that we have to get to the Orchid and get back to 1977 where the rest of your friends are. Whatever is going to happen, it's going to happen there. If we don't get there, the wrong side is going to win and all of this," He waved his hands around, "it will all be different."
Sun still didn't fully understand the situation, but she understood the seriousness that was in Richard's eyes.
"So what is it you think we are going to be able to do?" She asked. "It's not like we know how to fight a war."
Jin and Hurley nodded in agreement, Miles was simply watching the interaction.
"It's not that kind of war." Bram stated.
"What does that mean?" Sun asked
But before she could be answered, the wind kicked up and angry clouds quickly rolled in.
"We have to keep moving!" Richard shouted over the roar of the wind. "It's starting!"
1977
Sawyer had been running for over 20 minutes and although he didn't want to slow down, his lungs protested. He slowed to a fast walk and took a swig of water. It was pitch black out and while he was headed in the general direction of the Orchid, he had no idea if he was following Ben and Juliet or not. It took almost an hour to walk to the Orchid when you had use of both your legs, he had no idea how long it'd take Juliet with her cast, but he also didn't think to ask little Ben how long it'd been since they'd left.
Just as he was about to pick up the pace again he heard a rustling in the trees behind him. Crouching down he drew his gun and waited.
"Sawyer?" He heard Kate whisper. He immediately lowered his gun and stood up.
"Here Kate." He responded.
Kate and Jack emerged from the trees, both breathing heavily.
"You move fast when you want to." Kate smiled at him as she continued to take deep breaths.
"Ben has her." He responded. "We have ta find her."
"We will." Jack said. "Kate picked up another trail about 50 yards to the East of us. It's definitely Juliet and Ben.
Sawyer looked longingly to his left and Kate put her arm on Sawyer's shoulder.
They're only about twenty minutes ahead of us." She reassured him.
He nodded absently.
"You ready?" She asked.
"Yeah let's find this bastard." Sawyer responded.
TBC!
