Disclaimer: I don't own Lost

Sorry it took a while for me to post, but I had issues with my computer. Also, I kind of fell away from Lost just a bit as I focused on another favored genre of mine, plus, I'm still working on my original series, so my attention may be a bit divided. It helps to know that people are still reading otherwise I might think people have lost interest. Either way, here's chapter 8.

Chapter 8: Lost and Found

"Ben! Ben!"

Kate couldn't take silently searching for him. She had to risk calling his name.

"Will you be quiet!" Miles hissed. "You don't know what's out here."

"I don't care. I have to find him."

She had pushed the search farther into the jungle. She didn't believe Ben could have wandered off so far, but he was no where close by. There weren't even traces of him for her to follow. A voice in the back of her head kept saying he met the fate of his older self, but she wouldn't believe it until she combed the whole island.

"What are you gonna tell James?" Miles asked.

"I won't have to tell him anything," she remarked, "because I'm going to find him. We're going to find him."

"Yeah, thanks for including me." Kate paused near a tree to retrieve a water bottle. She tossed one to Miles, signifying it was time to take a break. Miles took a long drink, then decided to bring up a curious topic. "So...?"

"So what?" Kate asked as she looked at him with suspicion.

"What do you make about this candidate thing?"

"I don't think anything about it," she confessed. Her thoughts were solely on the boy and James. She didn't feel up to sorting out anymore unatural situations when it came to the island.

"You really don't care if you're one of them or not?"

"Nope."

"Well that's good, cause you're not," Miles told her.

Kate found she suddenly became interested.

"How do you know that?"

"I talked to Ilana about it before I left. I'm not on it either, so I guess we're free to do what we want."

"Doesn't matter," said Kate with a shake of her head. "I've got more important things to deal with."

She packed up the water and placed the pack back on as she began to take up the search again. Miles followed right behind without being told.

"Okay," said Miles. "But, I'm starting to think that chick might be on to something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," Miles admitted. "Just the way she was talking about lists, and Jacob, oh and Locke who's supposed to be dead. And now Ben and the kid are gone."

"So what are you saying?" Kate asked as she tossed a curious look at him.

"Nothing," Miles said with a shrug. "Just throwing it out there."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows at him, but saw nothing in his expression that told her he knew what was happening. As far as she was concerned, the situation of the candidates was something she shouldn't bother to understand. She didn't believe it had anything to do with Ben or James, even if one of them was on the list.


He raised his balled fists to his eyes as he cried quietly from his seat on the jungle floor. He had no idea where he was, or how he had really gotten there in the first place. All he knew, was that he was far away from the Kate woman, and his dad. Never had he wanted his mother more.

"Mommy," he whined in between his cries.

He was sure nothing could relieve his fear except her. Strangely enough, he felt something that caused him to stop his crying. He tensed and took in the sudden silence of the jungle.

Ben had the feeling he was not alone. Slowly he dropped his hands from his eyes, and gasped in surprise. He wanted to run and even cry again or scream, but he was frozen as he stared back at what seemed to be some kind of monster staring at him. It was a large pillar of black smoke hovering so close, that Ben wasn't aware of anything else around him. He gave a few sniffles as the odd smoke observed him. He was no longer sure whether he should be afraid or not, but something in the back of his head found the smoke familiar.

After several minutes of them observing one another, the pillar of smoke pulled back and darted into the jungle. Ben was stunned. He got to his feet and stared in the direction where it had left. He didn't have long to contemplate it as he heard something rustling in the foliage behind him. He turned and fell back in surprise when a man stepped through.

"Hi there," he greeted politely, but Ben didn't respond. He simply took in the bald gentlemen who reminded him of an adventurous hunter he once saw on t.v. He even carried a small knife in one hand. The man smiled at him as he came forward and crouched to his level. "Looks like you got yourself good and lost."

Again Ben couldn't say anything. The man pocketed the knife then turned to observe him.

"No need to be afraid. My name is Locke, what's yours?"

"Ben," he managed to answer quietly. His mother had always warned him not to talk to strangers even though he had broken that rule a few times. It wasn't like the time he tried talking with the man known as Sayeed. In this case, the stranger was approaching him when neither of his parents were around.

"Well Ben, how did you get out here?"

Ben honestly didn't know. He felt like he had fallen asleep and was being gentlly rocked, but he didn't know how to explain it. In response, he simply shook his head.

"You don't know?" Locke guessed. "That's okay. It doesn't matter, because I'm going to help you, the way you helped me."

Ben didn't know what to make of this.

"Daddy," he said quietly. It was now Locke's turn to frown.

"You miss your daddy?" At that, Ben nodded. "Well, how about we go find your daddy."

"And mommy?"

"I'm afraid I can't find your mommy Ben. You've never really had one." Again, Ben was stumped by his words. "But maybe, I can help you see her again. Come."

Without waiting to gain permission from him, Locke bent down and scooped Ben into his arms. Ben felt the fear starting to come back and he started to whimper.

"Hey, hey, it's alright," Locke said soothingly. "You're alright, okay. Don't you remember me?"

Ben shook his head.

"Well that's alright. Most people don't." Locke smiled at him once more. "You're an interesting case Benjamin. Jacob may have been wrong to overlook you."

The name floated through Ben's mind with the tiniest hint of familiarity. When Locke slowly placed a hand on top of his head, he felt a shock of fear and witnessed a flash of a dying man burning in a fire. He stifled a cry, but his eyes widened as he continued to gaze at the smiling man.

Locke secured his grip on the boy as he turned and moved deeper into the jungle, farther away from Kate and Miles.

Well there you go. The fake Locke has taken Ben. I know it was kind of a short chapter, but it is the beginning of much much more! Thanks you guys for the latest reviews! Keep keeping me posted that you're reading!