A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I enjoyed the feedback. Thanks again to Tangler for the help and beta!

"Bravery can only come from having something to be brave about." -Katherine Center

It was dawn. Warm sunlight streamed into room through the slats of the blinds. A neighbor's dog barked, rousing him from sleep. He yawned and stretched before opening his eyes.

Jack rolled over to wrap his arm around Kate. His arm found nothing but air and cool sheets beside him. His eyes popped open. Her side of the bed was empty. He remembered Ben visiting the previous night and sat up alarmed. "Kate?" he called out, hoping she was in the bathroom or maybe downstairs. He sat up.

Something dark caught his attention. It sat on her side of the bed on the nightstand. His head whipped around to see her cell phone next to hand gun. He didn't know Kate had a gun. What was it doing out? His heart started to pound. Fear made his scalp prickle. "KATE!" he yelled. "Where is she?" he asked himself, hoping she was either sleeping in the other room or downstairs. "KATE!"

He disconnected himself from the IV and heard a door open and footsteps racing towards him. He glanced up with a glimmer of hope despite the fact Kate's tread was light. Marc ran in, disheveled from sleep.

"She's not here?" Concern marred his features. He ran into the bathroom and came out. "Let's check the house first before we panic, okay?"

Jack was panic-stricken, his forehead wrinkled in distress. "KATE?!" He stood up and ran down the stairs while Marc checked the spare bedrooms. Marc followed him, racing down the stairs.

Jack had already made a loop through the kitchen and living room. They exchanged looks near the kitchen entrance before Jack ran to the security alarm panel. It was off.

Marc was at the patio door. "Jack, the patio isn't locked!" he called out. He flung it open and looked outside. Jack ran out past him and saw the ladder. He ran over and climbed up one rung before spotting the second ladder on the opposite side. Neither belonged to Kate.

He jumped down and briefly covered his face. "Oh, God! Where the hell is she?!" He could hear the blood rush through his head. He stepped up to Marc. "WHERE IS SHE?!"

"I don't know!" Marc held up his hands. He was upset about her absence after everything he saw and heard. He knew Jack was going to go ballistic shortly and it wasn't going to help find her.

He gestured for Jack to come inside. He promised Kate to keep things secret and didn't want the neighbors to hear. He slid the door shut, latched it and turned to Jack who was leaning hard against the kitchen counter on his palms. "Last time I saw her she was headed for bed. We talked after Sayid called her. He said Widmore's assassins went after him. One had Kate's address in his wallet."

Jack's face turned pale. Ben must have taken her. Now Marc was talking about assassins? His anger escalated into rage. He swiveled and marched up to Mark. His face was flushed and muscles tense as he got in his face. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO DRUG ME!" He grabbed Marc by the front of his shirt. "SHE'S GONE! I WAS SNOWED UNDER AND HE TOOK HER!" He was combative. He drove Marc backwards and pinned him against the kitchen wall.

Marc broke his grip and pushed Jack away. "You want to seize and die in front of your girlfriend?! Do you have a fucking deathwish?! I'M NOT YOUR ENEMY, JACK!" Marc took a deep breath and met Jack's glare.

He closed his eyes briefly. They both needed clear heads to deal with this.

"You know how Ben wants all of you to go back with him? Kate thinks Widmore wants all of you dead. Sayid was supposed to come over and watch the house. He told her to lay low and lock up the place. Can you call him? Maybe he can tell you more."

Jack thought a moment. Something came to mind. The gun. Her cell phone was next to it. He ran blindly upstairs, stumbling a bit onto his hands and knees as he tried to regain his coordination. It didn't slow him down. Marc followed on his heels.

Jack reached the nightstand. His stopped suddenly and saw a note lying askew by the gun's barrel. He picked it up, his brows lowered.

Jack,

I had to go with Ben. I have a plan.

He threatened to take Aaron and kill Veronica (she doesn't know). Call her a.s.a.p. She'll tell you what happened. Marc will fill you in on the rest.

Don't listen to Ben or go back! Keep Aaron safe for me and Claire.

I have always loved you, Jack.

Kate

"NO!" he cried out. His hands shook as he read it again and eyes filled with tears. There was a round, dried splotch over the last sentence that smudged the ink and warped the paper. Was it a teardrop? He clasped the note tightly, willing it to say more.

"Ben has her!" he muttered. He handed the note to Marc who stood a few feet away waiting. He clenched his fists. "BEN HAS HER! HE THREATENED TO TAKE AARON AND FUCKING TOOK HER!" A wave of fury took over. He turned and punched the wall, putting his fist through it.

Marc had already read the note. He quickly set it on the bed and grabbed Jack's hand to see if he hit a wall stud. Jack's fist was covered with white powder and flakes from the damage but appeared uninjured. He was oblivious and covered his face with both hands before raking them down. "I'm going to kill him, Marc! I'm going to fucking kill him!" Jack paced frantically.

"She wants you to call Veronica. Sounds like she has more information." Marc picked up Kate's cell and held it for him.

"I'll follow that piece of shit through hell to get her back!" Jack's anger made him want to beat Ben to death this time. He battled the urge to destroy everything around him and paced quickly between Kate's nightstand and armoire. A sheen of sweat appeared on his face again and began to drench the front of his t-shirt.

He agonized over something happening to her. The pain and hatred he felt was not only for Ben, but himself for failing her again. It made his heart pound and chest ache.

He was snowed under when she needed him.

She was the one protecting Aaron and Veronica. She was still sick and recovering from concussion. Ben was a twisted psychopath who didn't care about Kate. Who knows what he did with her?

"I can't just stand around, Marc. We have to do something!"

Marc held out Kate's phone silently in response.

He stopped, grabbed it and scrolled through her call history. There was a late call from a foreign number and an unknown call at 3:21 a.m. She dialed Veronica soon after.

He dialed Veronica first and continued his frenetic pacing. She answered right away.

Jack's face was damp and still scowling when he talked with Veronica. He put her on speaker so Marc could hear.

Veronica told Jack everything as instructed. Nobody had bothered them since last night. Kate wanted her to call the police before getting an escort to the house.

Jack agreed and told her to pack a bag to stay at the house.

Aaron wanted to speak to Jack badly. Jack was in a rush. His heart hammered. He was about to say no but heard Aaron sobbing. It struck a chord deep within him. Kate would have taken a moment to speak with Aaron. "Put him on," he said gruffly.

"Unca Jack? You sick?" Aaron sniffed. His voice hitched every few seconds.

"No buddy, I'm feeling a little better." Jack tried to speak calmly.

"Owca help you?"

"Yes, thanks for sharing him." The line became muffled. He could hear Aaron tell Veronica that orca helped. "Aaron, hey! I love you, buddy. I need to go."

"Mommy! I want my Mommy!" Aaron started to cry again.

"She can't talk now but loves you. Be good for Veronica. Give her the phone." Jack felt his throat close a little and tried to swallow. He wiped his damp forehead then wiped the moisture on his shirt.

Veronica took the phone. "Jack, what do I tell the police? What if they ask questions?" She was afraid.

"A stalker showed up on our doorstep yesterday. I got rid of him. Did Kate tell you about it last night?"

"No. She said she would talk to me later and for me to tell you everything. Is she okay? I've been so worried about her." Veronica sounded bewildered.

"She probably didn't want you to worry and thought you were safe. If the police ask, tell them the truth. We've been sick. You brought Aaron down for a night or two and just found out a stalker was here. If the cops have questions they can call me later." Jack stopped. He wanted to end the call but remembered people needed hope. It was something he learned on the island.

Jack took a deep breath and released it. He forced his voice to sound calm again. He reassured Veronica for Aaron's sake knowing her state of mind would affect him. "Things will be okay. Do what she said and come home. Tell Aaron he gets to see a real police car. I'll call with updates."

He hung up and looked at Marc and resumed fuming. "Kate wanted to save Aaron and Veronica. That fucker got into her apartment and left a dead, stuffed rabbit in there! She knew he wasn't bluffing." Jack clenched the phone and wished he could throw it, but it was Kate's. He wanted to hit something again. "Dammit!" He was on the verge of exploding.

Marc paced slowly. "So, what do we do? Why can't we tell the police she's been kidnapped?"

"Not yet. They'll ask questions and put out an APB on Ben Linus. He has her and will go underground," Jack said bitterly. "Kate told you about The Lie and Widmore? Did she tell you about Ben?"

"Some. She said he's from the island. Leads a group who did bad things to the Oceanic survivors and leaves 'damaged' people to die in the jungle or on the beach. You said things last night too. He caged and held her hostage because he wanted to do an experiment on her." Marc internally cringed at his own words, especially the latter crime. What was he going to do to her?

Jack stopped pacing and looked over. A flash of surprise and fear crossed his face. He pointed at Marc. "You need to tell me everything Kate said after I call Sayid." He pressed a button to call back the foreign number.

Sayid picked up quickly.

He had spent the evening casing Kate's house from down the street. He occasionally did a sweep around it and returned to his spot across from and a few houses down in his rental car.

Before dawn he figured nobody was coming by at night. The chances of a daytime attack were less with witnesses. He saw an early morning jogger and took off immediately for a hotel.

He was surprised Kate was calling him back so soon. He picked up the phone. He was not expecting Jack to be on the end and angry. Sayid could hear the underlying panic in his voice when he asked if he saw Ben kidnap Kate.

"I saw nothing. Are you sure it was Ben?" he asked. He drummed his long fingernails on the desk in his room in irritation. How could he have missed it? He wanted to rid the earth of Benjamin Linus. Ben used him to kill Widmore's people, all in the name of saving his friends from being attacked. Sayid stirred the hornet's nest based on Ben's lie and vendetta.

"Yes, I'm sure. Kate left a note. Said it was Ben and he threatened to take Aaron and kill Veronica. It looks like she slipped out to meet him but the ladders out back aren't hers." Jack had trouble keeping his anger at bay. "He's using her as bait again, Sayid. She just got out of the hospital. I'm gonna kill that little bastard! Do you know what he's up to or where he is?"

There was a silent pause. "I don't know where he is but I know what he has been up to. He is settling a score with Widmore."

"How do you know that?!" Jack demanded. "What does that have to do with Kate?"

"It doesn't involve Kate. It might be part of the reason he is in town."

"He's trying to get all of us to go back on a flight together to return to the island shortly," Jack snapped. "Do you know how he's going to 'settle the score'?"

"Possibly." Sayid had a long time to think of Ben's campaign against Widmore, wiping out his key employees using Sayid as a weapon under a lie. Ben was the one that almost got him killed. "There is one person Widmore cares about. Someone he would do anything to protect."

"Who?" Jack was impatient. He needed a target to run towards. He had to find and save Kate.

"His daughter. If Penny is in L.A., Ben will find her." Sayid stood and peered through the sheer curtains of his window, a habit born from vigilance. "Does she still live on the boat with her husband and son?"

"As far as I know. How in the hell do we find them? And how do you know he hasn't already found her?" Jack wasn't surprised at how low Ben would go. Penny was innocent and had nothing to do with her father.

"Ben would make sure it was splashed across every headline to torture Charles." He spoke with confidence. "Ben will not go back until he finds and kills her. She must be here. Desmond and Penny's boat is named 'Our Mutual Friend.'" Sayid flipped open his laptop and started typing.

"There are only a few marinas in L.A. that will permit a large sailboat to rent a slip for a few days instead of longer-term. It will be near shopping and amenities for them to restock." He pulled up a list of marinas, eliminating several immediately. "I will make the calls. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to find Ben Linus."

Jack hung up from his call with Sayid. Ben not only had Kate but he was going to kill Penny. He felt sick to his stomach. Marc was in his room changing.

Jack insisted on going back to his condo to get his Bronco. His cell phone was in it. He didn't want to miss any calls, especially if Ben tried to reach him.

He closed the door. Anger burned in him, but it was giving way to the underlying frustration, sadness and the feeling he had utterly failed the woman he loved. He leaned against her dresser and looked at himself in the mirror. He hated what he saw, a grief-stricken, outraged man that let everything good slip through his fingers.

He would do anything, absolutely anything to get her back. He dipped his head. In blind rage, he shoved everything off the surface of the dresser. He heard some odd clinking and papers scatter.

Jack looked at the floor. A decorative box covered in pale green silk had opened and spilled its contents. Its slip knot had unfastened. Something caught his eye.

He knelt down and sifted through the small collection amassed inside. There were concert ticket stubs, movie ticket stubs, pictures, seashells, and lucky pennies she picked up. He recognized them. The stubs were from the concerts and movies he took her to. The pictures were of him and Aaron and others were of them together or Aaron alone. The shells were from their trip to the beach. A charm bracelet he bought her at Santa Monica pier lay on top of the shells.

He grabbed the item that originally caught his eye and held it in his palm. It was a small box. He flipped it open. A knife pierced his heart. The diamond engagement ring he gave her the night he proposed sparkled in the sunlight. It cast scattered rainbow patterns on the wall.

He broke down.

A few minutes later, he replaced the contents of the box and placed the ring box on top. He vowed to bring her back.

He would make things right with Kate, no matter what it took.

Jack washed off and changed in five minutes and was ready to leave. He was unyielding. He wanted his car and phone right away.

Marc had the towing company's card from the police to give to Jack and Kate after the car crash. Her Volvo was totaled. He had Jack's old Ford Bronco hauled to his condo the next day.

During the ride over, Jack gleaned every detail he could from Marc about his and Kate's conversation. Marc was agitated but reasoned with himself this was the real Jack. He was intense and focused with purpose, not the lost soul wandering the halls of the hospital less than a week ago. Marc was infuriated Ben had Kate. He couldn't imagine what his friend was feeling.

They pulled up to the condo. Marc still had the door key in his car. Jack asked him to hang on to it since he had what he needed at Kate's.

Both men quickly rode the elevator up and raced down the hall. As Jack put the key in to turn it, he remembered the state he left it in. "Oh, God," he said, feeling overanxious. He turned to Marc. "The place… It's trashed. He looked at Marc, his eyes sad and lips pressed together. He had no words.

Marc gave him a nod. "You're climbing your way out of a hole, buddy. It wasn't you. It was the substance abuse." He glanced at Jack's tight grip on the key. "You're telling the same person who saw your room as a teenager. Open the damn door!"

Jack swung the door open. It hit papers and slowed down, but allowed them to get in. Marc was overwhelmed at the sight but masked it to spare his friend's feelings. Jack's once pristine condo was a disaster. His floors were covered in a blanket of papers, dozens of maps of the Pacific Ocean and islands and empty coffee cups with lids were strewn on top of then.

Compasses and measuring tools lay on top of maps on his large dining room table. At least a dozen used Oceanic airline tickets were still in their envelopes, splashes of blue scattered across the top layer. The couch had crumpled sheets and a pillow on it. He had stopped using his bed and found it easier to stumble or crawl to the couch when drunk.

Plates were stacked under the dripping faucet in the sink along with empty booze bottles, an empty bread bag, the loaf of molding bread and leftovers in the sink. The place smelled sour with an undertone of rotten food coming from the kitchen.

Marc was glad Jack gave him a heads up about the place. He closed the door behind him.

Jack's shoulders were slumped in shame. It was in ruins. He had an enviable condo in a prime Los Angeles location. It had a gorgeous view of the city. He destroyed it, like his life. He was mortified to have his best friend see how he lived. It reflected his state of mind until recently and now made him uncomfortable.

Marc stood beside him and clasped his shoulder. "Go plug your phone in and charge it. I'll grab a couple of trash bags."

Jack lightly pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "It's my mess, Marc. You don't have to."

"I told you before. You're not alone. We're going to make a dent in this until Sayid calls. Together." He squeezed his shoulder and gave him a good shove to get him moving.

Kate's cell rang. They had already made two runs to the dumpster with multiple trash bags. Jack picked it up immediately.

"Sayid."

"Marina Del Rey. They are docked off the main boat ramp a few slips down."

Jack's pulse picked up. "We're headed there now."

"I'll see you there." Sayid hung up. He put his gun in the inner pocket of his suit jacket calmly and headed out the door.

Jack and Marc rode in Marc's SUV to utilize the carpool lanes. Marina Del Rey was southwest of where Jack lived. They were still over 45 minutes out. It was an hour south west of downtown Los Angeles.

They were going fast but it was a typical weekday morning. That meant traffic was patchy on the highway. They had to navigate Highway 10 to the 405 South then to Highway 90. The back streets wouldn't buy them extra time. Jack wanted to beat his head on the console. "I could get there faster by running, damn traffic." The words came out through gritted teeth. He was beyond frustrated and tapped his foot.

He brought his cell phone and car charger. It was dead when he found it in his Bronco. He had a few missed calls including one unknown number.

The only thing on his mind was tracking Ben down and finding Kate. Jack wished he had Kate's gun on him. He wanted to beat Ben to death and finish what he started on the island near the radio tower. He was vengeful but apprehensive at the same time. Was she okay? His gut told him something was wrong with Kate.

"What are we going to do if he's there?" Marc honked the car horn as a small sedan cut him off to get in the carpool lane. "Damn idiot! This is why we see so many MVA's in the ER."

Jack's phone started to ring. It snapped him into the present. He didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"

"Jack, this is Penny! We're on the way to your hospital. We have Kate. She's... I don't know what happened to her." She sounded distressed.

"What's going on? Can she talk?" Jack's brain started to go into overdrive.

"No. She won't wake up." He heard her call Kate's name again and Desmond talking in the background.

Jack felt powerless, a feeling he hated. He wished he had her in his arms to hold, to asses her. "Do you see any visible injuries on her?"

"I'm not sure. She has long sleeves and pants on. There are red marks around her wrists. I think he tied her up."

Jack could hear Penny's concern. She sounded shaken. "Where are you at now? Do you know what happened to her? Was Ben there?"

"He was. Jack, we're at the hospital and need to get her in. Can you meet us? We can tell you about it then." Jack heard the parking break and door ding as someone got out and left the keys in the ignition.

"We'll meet you there." His voice was firm but he felt his heart drop.

Jack turned to Marc. "Turn around. She's at St. Sebastian's."

Sayid closed his car door and headed down the Marina. He saw Desmond and Penny's car take off but they didn't see him. Penny was in the front and talking to someone not visible in the back. Sayid hoped it was Kate.

He saw a car with the door open and glanced in quickly. The back rest of the rear set had collapsed and a pile of cut, natural filament rope was visible along with strips of duct tape in the trunk. Bindings.

Heat burned his cheeks. Only a coward would do that to a woman. Ben deserved to die but he would have killed him just for abducting Kate again.

He kept his hand on his gun and hurried towards the dock. He spotted the boat easily but it was locked up and covered. His eyes traced the path to the boat and spotted something. He ran down the dock. A few smears of blood were on the planks. He looked in the water and around. He saw a figure swimming towards the launch ramp.

Sayid ran to intercept him.

Ben Linus stumbled and slipped up the ramp. Sludge made it treacherous to walk when his feet touched the ground underwater. Seagulls sat on the top of wood posts squawking while others cried out over his head. He made his way slowly up the side on his hands and knees and stood when he was almost out of the briny water. His face was already bruised and swelling while blood oozed from open wounds on his head and face.

Sayid was patiently waiting for him at the top. He gazed at him mercilessly with his dark, fathomless eyes.

Ben saw him. His expression normally didn't deviate much from the blank, intense look, serious or deadly one. Sometimes he managed to look pleasant, even pleased but his emotive range was limited. This time, he actually looked surprised, then disappointed.

He made it to the paved parking lot and held on to a pole for support while his clothes dripped and made a pool of seawater around him.

"Well, I suppose you've come to finish me off, Sayid," he commented with resignation. He looked as if he was expecting him.

He knew Sayid had at least one gun. Sayid was a killer and had a lot of reasons to end Ben's life. Ben had glanced around previously as he surveyed the area. People were hiding after the conflict and the manager's office was open but nobody was at the door. He suspected why and needed to buy time.

"Is there any other reason that I should be here, Ben?" Sayid asked. His face hardened. "Where is Kate?"

"How should I know?" Ben asked. He looked around. "She's obviously not here."

"Who was bound up in your trunk earlier?" Sayid's eyes burned fanatically while the rest of his body stayed relaxed.

Ben sensed a weakness. "I think you know who." He cocked his head slightly, his blue eyes gleaming. "Do you still have feelings for Kate? I know you were fond of her after the crash. Ethan told me. But then you and Shannon, well, poor girl, and then there was Nadia. Seems like you are unlucky in love. Or at least your lady friends were." He released an exaggerated sigh.

"Do not speak their names. What do you know of love, Ben Linus? No woman has loved you." Sayid knew the games Ben played. The words were meant to get under his skin. And they did. Just hearing the names of women he loved cross those foul lips was a sacrilege to him. Despite this, Sayid remained relaxed but his eyes were not. They were dangerous.

Ben ignored Sayid's retort. "Well, do I get any last words before you execute me in public?" He felt his bruised and swollen face with one hand. His skull felt like an eggshell after the beating. He didn't move otherwise.

Silent cars entered both sides of the lot simultaneously.

Sayid sensed them. By the time he turned around Ben had limped a few yards away with his hands up yelling loudly at Sayid, "Don't shoot me! I didn't do anything!"

Sirens erupted, drowning out the tranquil sounds of the boats touching the docks as the waves rolled in and lapped at them. Seagulls scattered with cries. Police were standing behind the open doors to their cruisers with weapons drawn. "Put your hands on the back of your head and kneel."

Sayid complied but said quietly to Ben, "This is not over."

Ben gave a small smirk that changed immediately back into a panicked look as the officers cautiously approached both kneeling men.

Earlier that day…

It was morning. Ben parked discreetly near Marina Del Rey. He checked it thoroughly to make sure Desmond's rented SUV was gone. He had been tracking the couple and knew they didn't stay docked more than a few days. The timing couldn't be better.

Ben blinked owlishly. He needed to wrap this up quickly so he could focus on other matters starting with Kate. He needed Jack and the others but was running out of time. He thought Jack would be an easy mark with his addictions. Kate and the doctor friend, Marc Silverman, obviously got to him first. But Ben had a plan. He always had a backup plan. A failsafe.

Penny was alone on the sailboat they called home. "Our Mutual Friend" was named after the Charles Dickens' final novel Desmond was fond of it. He had kept the book in the Swan Station along with a picture of them both and letter.

Mikhail had enlightened him about its presence when reporting in on Swan Station activities. Desmond was under surveillance for three years. Kelvin Inman had dragged him in. Inman was isolated with Stuart Radzinsky before the latter took his own life.

Replacements never came to relieve those two. Ben considered them to be a threat to his people. They were Dharma members the gas didn't euthanize. Kelvin was a late recruit. He knew isolating them with no relief would lead to dire consequences. Losing them was his gain.

He was surprised Desmond lasted alone as long as he did considering his biography. He was unable to stick to commitments and moved from one thing to another, all in the quest for self. Apparently, he found it with Penny. Too bad he was going to lose her, but once again, it was for Ben's gain.

This time Ben wanted justice. An eye for an eye. It was the rule of his people.

Charles Widmore broke the rules by killing Ben's daughter, Alex. The Others were punished in equal measure if they inflicted harm on another group member. Alex was off limits, especially as a child. She was a teenager and not considered a full-grown adult.

Children were precious to them, especially since 1977 when pregnancy became a death sentence. They had to send the women off-island by submarine as soon as it was found they were pregnant but Ben put a stop to that after he took over. Some of the couples stayed on the mainland permanently, especially as the power struggle grew between Ben and their leader, Charles. Ben finally managed to overthrow and ban his nemesis from the island for having an offshore relationship and child, Penny.

Widmore should have kept a tight rein on Keamy. Now he was going to pay. Ben almost smiled with satisfaction. He was about to finish what Widmore had started.

He popped the trunk to check and see if Kate needed more sedative. She was out cold. He noticed the pallor beneath her fair skin. He leaned down to listen to make sure she was breathing. It was slow and labored, but she was alive.

He almost felt bad for her. Almost, but not quite. He touched her hand briefly. It was cool. Her hands weren't swollen from the bindings. He lifted her sock to check her ankle below the binding to make sure there was no swelling in her feet.

He needed to keep her healthy for the baby's sake. He deliberated briefly if she should be given another shot. She would wake up soon but he gave her a higher dose than needed. He had to calculate it based on her island weight and added five pounds for the pregnancy. He didn't know she had lost weight. He would check her again before he left.

Ben closed the trunk and tucked his gun in his pants, concealed by his jacket. He walked steadily down the metal ramp attached to the dock. The boat was tied in a slip close to the parking lot. It was conducive for a quick get-away.

Kate's eyes open as soon as the trunk latched and blinked a few times. Her vision was blurred. She was already partially awake but feigned sleep when she heard the car door close. She knew the little worm would check on her.

She rolled up her sweatshirt and t-shirt with her tied wrists to retrieve the knife in her bra. It fell out into her shirt. Her movements were slow and clumsy as she lay on her side.

She nudged it down with her wrists until she could hold it in both hands and opened the folding blade. She knew she was impaired. She was cautious as she sawed at the ropes on her ankles with both hands. It was a struggle to stay awake. She kept blacking out. Her head would fall to the side and she would wake with a jerk.

When her legs were free, she trapped the knife between the top of her shoes. The blade was up facing outward. She cut one of the ropes binding her hands. The rope snapped and loosened the other loops that she pushed off. Idiot. He must've been out of handcuffs, she thought sarcastically.

Kate was light-headed. She tried to take a deep breath but found it impossible. It felt like a weight was sitting on her chest. She took shallow ones instead. She rolled on her back then gripped and ripped the duct tape off her belly while stifling the urge to shriek in pain.

Her head sagged as she fought to stay conscious. She was livid he injected her with something. She was afraid for the baby. It made her more determined to stop him. She had to get help.

She was losing time. She pulled the hand-held stun gun from its pouch and positioned herself to kick the backseat hard with the bottoms of her gym shoes. It finally it folded over and daylight poured in.

Kate crawled out. She woke seconds later with the side of her face on seat's back. She raised her head slowly to look out the rear window. Ben was to the right on a dock below her. She spotted Penny standing on the back of a sailboat. She looked terrified. Ben had a gun and raised it slowly while approaching her.

Kate pulled her uncooperative limbs out of the trunk and prepared to get out of the car. She turned off the safety and slipped her right hand and weapon under the long sleeve of Jack's sweatshirt. She tumbled out the car door and tried to stand but could only stoop due to dizziness. She used her left hand to balance on the car, then the fence as she made her way to the dock.

Kate wanted to run but found it hard to even walk. She still couldn't stand upright. Her body and head crashed into the fence a few times and made a little noise. Her legs weren't working properly either.

The world tilted dangerously with every step she took. The concrete came close to her face a few times as her eyes closed when she momentarily blacked out. She caught herself on her hands just in time. The pain from falling helped her continue to moving forward. She was tempted to crawl. Have to stop Ben, she repeated in her head. Sheer willpower was the only thing sustaining her as she fought the drug to keep it from taking over.

Ben was focused on Penny and didn't see her. Kate quietly held the fence with her left hand and reached the railing to the dock. Her heart was rapping against her ribs, ringing in her ears. He was 20 yards away but her vision was still blurred. She had to save Penny. Where's Desmond? The thought quickly flashed in her brain and was gone.

Penny glanced up and saw her but looked at Ben again quickly to avoid drawing attention to Kate. She pled with him that she had nothing to do with her father and turned, trying to coax little Charlie to go below in a calm voice. Her voice quivered with fear.

Anger bloomed in Kate's chest. Ben threatened Aaron, wanted Jack and her baby and now was going to kill Penny. He would probably kidnap Charlie. She bit her lip hard to force wakefulness.

She slowly made her way down, losing her legs a few times. Her left arm was hooked over the metal railing. She stepped onto the wood dock and it tilted like the pavement. She walked a few steps due to momentum and fell forward, momentarily losing consciousness again.

Ben heard the noise and swiveled to see Kate. She was a few yards away. She had fallen face down and was pushing herself to her hands and knees. She sat on her feet and was hunched over, head down with her arms around her middle. "Ben, help! The baby. Pain." Her voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. She struggled to take in air.

"Oh, dear Lord!" He lowered his gun and ran over. She was still curled over. If she lost the baby...

He stood over her little body and stopped. She looked so much like Alex; the hair, her small figure. He was momentarily confused. It made him to lean over and touch her back gently.

Kate fought hard to stay conscious. The touch of his palm on her back activated an "on" switch in her system.

Her right hand automatically shot up and jabbed him in the chest. She lit him up with 1 million volts of electricity. The gun fell with a clatter.

His eyes rolled back as his body twitched and spasmed, then fell backwards on the dock where he continued to do the same.

Kate didn't watch. She gave in to the wave of darkness, letting it overtake her. She keeled over and was still.

"PENNY! PENNY!" Desmond's voice rang out. He was racing down the ramp.

"Over here. Ben tried to shoot me! He had Kate!" Penny had climbed off the boat and was already by Kate's side. She turned her over and patted her cheek while tears fell. "Kate! Wake up, dear! Kate!"

Desmond's eyes burned in rage. His face was contorted and red. He passed them both and leapt heavily on Ben's chest. He sat on him and pummeled his face. He wanted to see him bleed.

"Ya lil' bastard! Didn't think I'd be around to catch ya?!" He punched Ben in the face and body repeatedly and didn't stop there. "Ya threatened my wife with a gun?! I'll kill ya!" He heard some ribs crack and broke his nose before picking him up and tossing him face first in the water.

He turned to see to see his wife trying to revive Kate. Penny brushed her hair from her face. Kate didn't respond. She struggled to breath and made a slight wheezing noise with each shallow breath. She patted her face again. "Please wake up, dear."

Penny and Desmond's eyes met, mirroring the other's distress.

"Des, quick!" Penny urged.

Desmond scooped her up. "Kate, love! It's Desmond. Can ya hear me? Kate? What did the bastard do to ya?"

Kate was limp as a doll. Her arm and legs dangled loosely.

"Where to Pen? Should we call an ambulance?" He asked. He wasn't sure what Kate needed.

"To the hospital. She's pregnant, Des! She asked for help for the baby and was in pain. Put her in the car! We'll call Jack on the way." Penny gingerly picked up the pistol and stun-gun. Desmond nodded towards the water and she dropped both in letting them sink. They made a point of avoiding police and paper trails.

Desmond loaded her in the SUV as Penny locked up the boat and grabbed Charlie. She ran up the dock, her son on her hip and cell phone in hand.

In no time they were on the road. Desmond drove quickly. "He works at St. Sebastian's. Punch it in the navigation system, Pen."

She found it quickly under the "Hospitals" category and selected it. She turned to keep an eye on Kate. She saw angry, red marks on her wrist. She checked the other one. "He tied her up. She's got marks on her. Poor thing."

She looked at her husband. "She came towards him and fell. He said he was going to kill me because my father killed his daughter. He bent over to check on her and she shocked him with the stun gun." She turned and reached back to stroked Kate's hair, tears falling from the whole experience. She was so frightened, mostly for Charlie when Ben arrived and now for Kate.

Kate was lying next to Charlie. He sat in his car seat and looked at his Mummy. His attention was drawn back to Kate. He watched her with curious eyes. "Her nap?"

"Yes, Charlie, love. She's napping." Penny smiled at him for his sake, trying to sound normal and wiped her face.

Penny liked Kate from the moment the petite, curly haired woman stepped onto her boat, The Searcher, and hugged her with baby Aaron in her arms. Sheer gratitude poured off of Kate in that embrace. She was the only one in the group to hug Penny immediately. It touched her.

She had bonded with her and the tiny infant that week. It made her want a baby. Desmond was thrilled. He would have sailed her to the moon and back if she would have asked, or at least tried to. He hardly left her side since and was overjoyed to be a father.

She continued to stroke Kate's cheek and forehead, hoping to get a response. As they neared the hospital, Penny suddenly remembered to call Jack. She fumbled with her phone. He answered quickly and said he would meet them there.

She hung up. "Kate? Hear that, love? Jack's on his way." She watched as Desmond scooped her up again and followed them with Charlie through the emergency room doors.