I suck. I beg your forgiveness. If you recall…

Derek looked hesitant, but he didn't press the subject, knowing that Noe wouldn't listen to him anyway. "We have to go, now," Sayid said to them.

"Stay safe," Derek said.

"You too," Noe said, kissing him quickly on the cheek before allowing Sayid to help her into the Zodiac, and they all looked back as the Zodiac sped out of sight.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Looks like you're not gonna die after all…yet," Keamy said to Lilly, and pulled her off the ground by her shirt and pushed her forward. "Now we now where to go."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………"Tina, Valeria," Abby nodded to them. "Meet the newest member of the Taylor family-Alice Charlene."

……………………………………………………………………………………………

"It's your birthday?" Simone questioned.

"Well, no," Rocco said uneasily. Simone laughed through her tears. "But what's that for anyway?"

"From my mother," Simone said bitterly. "I never knew her. I was raised alone with my dad. And this—this explains everything."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Don't waste your last breath…

The lyrics he messed up so many years ago. The memories of his whole life were flooding back as clear as if they were happening at that moment, the collapse on stage, and Claire crying after Charlie's death. Now she was crying for him

Don't waste your last breath…

And he didn't plan on it. A shaking hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a shining silver locket shaped like a heart, pressing it into Claire's hand. He wanted the last thing he saw, he felt, to be her.

Don't waste your last breath…

"I…"

It was getting harder for Brad to talk. He looked down briefly at his bleeding abdomen and was shocked to see how much blood she had lost. He returned his gaze to Claire.

"I…"

He wished she wasn't crying. He didn't want to feel broken physically and heartbroken when he died.

"I love you."

Things to clear up. 1, I'm still sorry about Brad and Golden-Black Dragon, I love your new character. And you didn't pick a character flashback so I'm using Johnny and you can pick next chapter. And I'm not sure how the whole "blood brothers" thing goes so forgive me if I make a fool of myself. 2, Dance in the Moonlight, sorry, but I'm making up the part of Simone's past on the letter. 3, I totally skipped over the freighter/Team Jack stuff last chapter, so I'll be doing that first. 4, Claire doesn't wander off with her zombie-dad in this story. Sorry again! Enjoy!

"They left already, Deacon, did you know about this?" Johnny interrogated his workmate.

"Keamy's gone insane, man, we have no choice, we got to team up with these people," Deacon argued. "For their safety and ours."

Johnny paused. He couldn't argue with that. "Game plan. Which one of them stayed?"

Deacon hesitated. Johnny was a nice, clever guy in his way, but he wasn't sure they got along too well. Fine, of course, but there was something about him…

"Hume and Murray," Deacon answered, interrupting his thoughts. He had to concentrate. He, as his own words, had no choice.

Johnny immediately set off and Deacon fell into a quick pace behind him. The two men sitting on bunks discussing quietly looked up quickly.

"Hi, I'm not sure we've met-," Johnny began immediately.

"No. I know you," Derek said, examining the newcomers. "Johnny Hayes. Guitarist for Dead Aces. You must be here for Brad."
"That's right," Johnny smiled in surprise.

"Oh, he'll be so glad to see you, I mean, a friend and a rescuer, if I were you I'd never let him live it down," Derek grinned as well. Desmond and Deacon exchanged exasperated glances. "He's got the biggest crush on this girl there."

"Does he?" Johnny said mischievously. "That sounds like him. So how's-?"

Deacon cleared his throat. They looked at him. "Game plan, remember?" Deacon muttered.

"Oh! Right," Johnny recalled. "Listen, our mercenary Keamy has gone off his rocker. We have reason to believe-,"

"That they're going to kill everyone on the island because he's already killed your captain?" Derek interrupted. Johnny and Deacon nodded. "We don't need to believe. We know it's true. Noe found the instructions how to do it."

There was silence just for a moment before Deacon whispered; "Well now that changes everything."

Johnny had no particular feeling for new students. Usually he just left them be and they went off with some other clique. But this time was different. Through the curtains of long blonde hair he happened to notice the new kid was wearing an Appetite for Destruction t-shirt. You wouldn't find many people with a Guns N Roses shirt round their school.

"Hey, I like your shirt," Johnny said as he passed.

He looked up. "Thanks. Yours too," the new kid said, eyeing Johnny's Hells Bells shirt.

"Thanks," Johnny said. "I just love music. If a shirt doesn't have a band name on it, it's not worth wearing."

The new kid laughed. "That is so true. I'm Brad."

"Johnny."

"Why'd you bring him back?"

"We had to," Claire sobbed and sat by Brad's body. There was a knock on the door.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Ben warned. Danny ignored him and answered.

"Miles?" he questioned as he stumbled inside. He quickly bolted the door shut again. "Who let you out?"

"The people who gave this," Miles said, holding up a walkie-talkie. Corey, Danny, Hurley, and Claire watched Sawyer, Ben, Locke, and Miles argue until Miles, frustrated, yelled that they're hostage was Lilly.

Without hesitation Ben grabbed the walkie-talkie. No one could hear the conversation. Soon enough Ben was at the window. Corey cautiously followed him with Danny right by her side.

Lilly was bound at Keamy's feet and tears were streaming down her face. Corey wasn't a fan of the Others, but the moment she saw Keamy's face her heart skipped. Calmly, without a word, she went back into the other room and knelt by Brad's body searching him.

"What are you doing?" Claire gasped.

Without a word Corey pulled the gun he had while he was trying to save Claire off of his person and walked back to the window, yanking the walkie-talkie out of Ben's hand. "Hello Martin," she said, failing to keep the hatred out of her voice.

"Who is this?"
"You probably don't remember, because my father is just another face you've killed," Corey said, her voice shaking.

"Corey, stop," Danny said warningly.

"Get Benjamin out of the house and you won't go like your dad."

"I'm not going anywhere," Corey continued. "You see, Martin, the first time I ever used a gun was on this island. That was for hunting. This isn't."

Without warning Corey lifted the gun and with surprisingly good aim fired immediately Keamy dropped his hold on Lilly as he grabbed his arm in pain. She hurriedly broke through the binds and Ben ran to the door to let her in.

"Lilly, thank God, are you-?"

She rushed past him in full intent of making up for what she had done. Ben looked on, confused, until he saw her push past a bookcase and into a room in which a large steel door slammed down behind her.

"What the hell was that all about?" Sawyer questioned. "What is she doing?"
Danny, however, had other things on his mind. "What's up, Corey, how do you know that man?" She wouldn't answer.

After a few minutes of hushed conversation Lilly reappeared, still speechless. "Lilly, why…?" Ben managed to say.

"We don't have much time," Lilly announced. "I need you to do exactly as I say…"

Lilly dished out some orders very quickly. Everyone else looked completely lost. Before they were able to get their thoughts in order a huge cloud of black smoke rushed by the window to where the mercenaries were positioned in the trees. Ben gave a quick shout to run outside.

"What did you do?" Corey shouted.

"Did you just call that thing?" Hurley said in disbelief.

"Get to the trees," Ben said softly. Most people ran to the trees.

"Wait, we have to go back for Brad!" Claire shouted over to them. No one turned around.

"Claire, we can't!" Corey said sympathetically. "I know you miss him, we all do, but we have to go!"

After a few moments Claire nodded and followed her to the tree line where they found a heated discussion going on. Sawyer was saying, "I'm going back to the beach, and Claire and the kid are coming with me! That good with you?"

"Yeah that's good with me," Claire answered shakily. She turned to Corey and Danny. "What about you?"

They glanced at each other. They were both clearly interested in what the cabin was all about. Corey threw a cold look at Miles. "I'm staying with Locke."
Danny looked at his friends standing waiting for his response. After what seemed like forever he said. "I'm going back to the beach."

She hugged him good-bye, looked away, and both groups went their separate ways.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Okay, where are we?"

"That's a question I've been asking since we crashed here, Valeria," Apple answered curtly.

"Wow, Apple," Valeria rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant. This is not the way back to Locke's camp."
"It could be."

"Yeah, if you knew where we were!" Valeria argued.

"Please, lower your voices, you're upsetting Alice," Tina said as the baby began to fuss.

"Sorry," they both whispered. "Look," Apple went on. "We're bound to find it sometime."

"Yeah, when we run out of gas and have to walk with the newborn. This is awful. Maybe we should head back to this place you came from."
"The Others' place?!" Abby demanded. "That's bloody mad. They were going to…to…cut this baby out of me. We can't."

"We have to go somewhere," Valeria reasoned. "At least then we'll know where we are. You said it was in the mountains, right?"

"She has a point," Tina said. "I mean, we don't even have to go back. If we just go in that general direction, then we can have direction. As long as we go and they don't know we're there."
"That's an idea," Apple said. Abby still looked uneasy.

"They always know where we are, though," she said quietly. And no one could deny it.

"Dude we're already like brothers. This is insane."

"You're insane," Brad said. Johnny shrugged his approval. "But this is totally normal. People would do it all the time. I just never found anyone to be my blood brother…until you."

Johnny smiled. "You're right. This is cool. Brothers at heart and brothers at blood, yeah?"

Brad didn't respond and just made a swift cut on his right palm and handed the knife to Johnny, who did the same on his left hand.

They grasped hands quickly. "I love you, man, you're my best friend and brother," Johnny said.

"Because the men on that helicopter have every intention of killing us all," Sayid explained while Noe stood at his side.

Mattie sighed. "Jack and Kate just went running after it."

"Can we catch up?" Sayid asked, already walking toward the tree line.

"You can, but she can't," George intervened, putting a hand on Mattie's shoulder and pushing her back slightly. She looked insulted. "Look, I'm sorry, you're pregnant, you look exhausted, and it's fine. I'll go."

"We can all go," Mattie argued.

"Look, I don't care who's going, I just need to go, now," Sayid said impatiently.

"We should get these people off the island while you're gone," Nat said.
"Sun and Mattie are pregnant. They should go first," Juliet added.

"See?" George said. "She's right. You need to leave."

Mattie sighed. She could tell she was going to lose this argument. "Be safe."

"You too."

"I'll start taking them over," Noe volunteered.

"Don't forget about the bearing…3-0-5," Daniel reminded her. She nodded her thanks.

"Sun, Mattie…after you," She offered them the boat. They both stepped in, Jin following them. Three others stepped in after them. "We'll come back for you all!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"That helicopter is our only way off this island," Jack was saying.

"Don't. Please. They killed Brad. They would have killed us, too," Claire said quietly.

"We have to try," Jack said sympathetically.
"We'll die trying!" Danny shouted. "This is stupid. If you feel it's your responsibility, fine. But you're not going alone. I'll come. That way if one of us doesn't survive…well, we have a warning."

"Unless you both don't survive," Sawyer muttered.

"Just take Claire and Kate back to the beach," Danny ordered. Sawyer looked insulted, but turned around, muttering to come on to Miles, Claire, and Kate, to come with him.

As Danny and Jack began walking, Danny noticed Jack's shirt had a large blood stain on it. "What happened?"

"Juliet took my appendix out a couple of days ago," Jack explained.

"What?" Danny explained. "You're serious?" Jack nodded. "You shouldn't be up. Let me keep going. You head back."
"No," Jack stated clearly. "I said before, it's my responsibility. I made the choice of putting them on that helicopter. I'm making sure they get back safely."

Danny could see that he wasn't going to convince Jack to go back.

Johnny sat with his feet up on another desk, leaning back with his guitar in hand, strumming a few random chords to whatever song popped into his head.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," Isaac said immediately.

"Ah, not a grunge fan," Dave said.

"You and your excuses," Isaac said. "Go on, Johnny. Play us another one."

Johnny played a part of another one. This time they all answered at the same time. "Ziggy Stardust!"

"I think Brad got it," Johnny said and played another song.

"Crossroads," Brad said quickly.

Johnny nodded and played some more. "Oh, dude, I love this song!" Brad said and started singing along. Dave started playing the drum beat.

"Crazy, but that's how it goes, millions of people, living as foes, maybe, it's not too late, to learn how to love, and forget how hate," Brad sang along.
"You've got a great voice," Isaac said. "And Dave's a good drummer…and Johnny sure can play."

"What are you thinking, man?" Johnny asked suspiciously.

"I'm thinking I play bass, and that's what makes a good band," Isaac said. They looked at each other in deep thought.

"Sounds good to me," Johnny was the first one to say something.

"Hey, Johnny, they're back," Deacon said into Johnny's room as Johnny was playing his Les Paul Stratocaster absentmindedly. He jumped up immediately and ran with Deacon up on deck.

Six survivors piled on the deck with Noe. Derek was already there. "Hey, González," Johnny yelled. She looked over. "I'm coming back with you."

"No!" Noe shouted. "They're going to kill everyone. You have to stay here."

"You don't understand," Johnny said. "My brother's there. My brother. I have to save him."
Derek and Noe looked at him sympathetically. "I'll go too," Deacon offered. "But this isn't so personal. I'm going to try to save your friends."
"You don't have to do that, we've got it covered, we're bringing them back here," Noe said, grateful for the offer.

"Yeah, but where do you think Keamy's going to bring Linus once he's got him?" Deacon argued. Noe couldn't answer. "I never liked Keamy. Time he's got what's coming to him."

"We can't stop you?" Derek asked. He shook his head.

"I'll bring you two back," Noe said and began climbing back into the Zodiac.

"Wait!"

They turned around to see Mattie. She looked straight into Deacon's eyes and started crying. "I want to come."

"Mattie, you're pregnant, you can't," Noe said. "George and Juliet insisted you come here."
"I know, believe me, I'm really thankful," Mattie said. "But my brother and sister are there. Just hide me. Pretend I'm here. Please. I'm coming whether you let me or not. I only came so George wouldn't worry."

"Hey, we going or not?" Johnny said impatiently.

Noe hesitated. "Yeah. All of us are going."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I spy something green," Edward said.

"Green?" David questioned. "Um, the leaves?"

"Damn," Edward said. "You're good."

"Do you hear something?"

"Yes," Edward answered. "Actually no. Not at all. Wait…" He paused and listened intently. "It sounds like a car."

They stood up hesitantly and soon a Dharma Initiative van pulled up. Three people rushed out of the van. "Oh my god, what are you doing here?" Apple shouted.

"Better question, why did you just pull up here in a Dharma Initiative bus?" David asked hesitantly.

"Abby had her baby!" Tina announced. "They're in the car!"

"Good answer," Edward muttered.

"Well, me and Abby were at the Temple, with the Others, right?" Apple explained. "So I heard this conversation and they were going to hurt Abby so we stole the bus and left, and Abby went into labor, and then they came along!"

"Yeah, and me and Tina went looking for them and about four hours later we found Abby with Alice!" Valeria told her side of the story.

David and Edward exchanged confused looks. "Can't argue with that logic," David said. They both followed the girls to the van to see the newborn.

"Congrats, Abby," David grinned.

"Oh my God, she's adorable!" Edward said.

"Thanks, guys," Abby smiled.

"Rocco and Simone are in the little shack, they should be out in a second," Edward said and explained what had been happening with them.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rocco asked.
"I don't know," Simone said. "We've been here for a while. We should go out and get David and Edward."
"We got time," Rocco said. She shrugged. "Well anyway…this place is weird, isn't it? It has a bunch of, I don't know…personal kind of stuff. I think this is how those freaks…I mean, Others know so much about us."

"What has happened to you guys?" Simone asked before she could help herself. She never knew the whole story, and witnessing the survivors with the problems they've faced. But they never trusted her enough to say anything about it.

"It's sort of a long story," Rocco said.
"We got time," Simone argued. Rocco laughed.

"If you insist," Rocco said and started explaining as much as he could about the experience on the island so far. She looked as if she'd been slapped in the face by the time he'd finished.

"No wonder you guys are so…I don't know, you don't trust us," Simone said. She looked hesitant. "And-and with good reason."

"What?" Rocco said sharply.

"I'm not supposed to know this," Simone whispered. "They're coming for some guy…Ben. And when they have him they're going to kill everyone. Everyone."

Now it was Rocco's turn to be speechless. "I'm sorry," Simone said, tears running down her face again. "Wow, I'm really sorry. This isn't like me."

Rocco grabbed her hand and led her towards the door. "Then we have to get out of here. Now."

YEAH! So I didn't update before school like I planned. But I got a nice long chapter for you. I'm so sorry! I'll update more frequently! I hope!