Disclaimer: I make no profit from this. Ben and all of the other Lost characters do not belong to me. Helena, however, is mine.

A/N-This is set in season 3 after "The Man Behind the Curtain"

Chapter 21-Love

Helena still sat on the floor looking blankly at Isabel's dead form across the room.

"I'm sure. I love you Ben. I feel nothing for Mikhail." She claimed.

Ben stood a few feet away as he paced back and forth. He refused to look at her, "I don't believe you."

"You never do."

"Don't mistake my meaning Helena." He warned, "I believe that you love me and I am happy to hear it. But I don't believe for a moment that you have no feelings for Mikhail. The fact that you didn't tell me he was still alive speaks volumes. You wanted to protect him and that shows that you care for him."

Helena looked up at Ben, "What are you going to do?"

"I'll bury Isabel in the morning. It is unfortunate that I had to kill her but right now you are much more valuable to me than she was. I'm quite disappointed that she took it upon herself to come here."

"I meant about me Ben."

Ben hesitated. Finally he looked at her and Helena was surprised at the unguarded pain in his eyes. He walked to where she sat and kneeled next to her.

"Do you truly love me?" he asked meeting her eyes.

Helena didn't hesitate, "Yes, I do."

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know." She answered truthfully. "I know that I shouldn't. By all means, I should hate you. But, I've found that I can't. I love you despite who you are. I can't help but love you."

Ben took her hand in his own. "Would you want to be with me forever?"

"Of course." Helena nodded.

"If I could make that possible. If we could be together on this island until the end of our days; that is something you would want?"

"Yes Ben." Helena said becoming confused at his words.

Ben looked relieved. In the long months she had been on the island she had never seen him show so much emotion.

"Then I need you to ask me." He stated.

"Ask you what?"

"Ask me to leave it all behind. To abandon my role as a leader. To leave the island to defend itself. Ask me to stay with you and never leave your side."

With his words Helena understood. Ben had found two things that he loved but was unable to have both. He loved the island and Helena equally but was unable to love them both at the same time. Helena knew how he felt. Only, she wasn't torn between a man and an island. She was torn between two men who in turn loved her.

She knew the next words she spoke would be the most important of her life. Her decision would change their lives and ultimately the island forever.

Jacob had told her she would need a companion on the island and he hadn't been lying. Helena knew she couldn't survive if she was alone. Her sanity would crumble within weeks if not days if she was left again. So she made the most selfish choice she had ever made in her entire life. She put a higher value on the fate of two than of many.

"Stay with me. Don't ever go back to them. Stay by my side and we can make each other happy. Please?" she pleaded as tears came to her eyes.

At her words Ben smiled, "Okay."

"You'll stay?"

"I will. Because you asked me too." He nodded.

Helena wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, "I love you so much. Thank you."

"Thank you Helena, for sacrificing your freedom for me." He said returning her hug.

Helena froze, "What do you mean?"

"If you had told me you didn't truly love me and wanted me to return to my people I would have set you free. You would have been able to leave the cabin and surrounding areas and go you own way. I'm thrilled you chose to stay here with me."

Helena pulled away from Ben and one look at his face told her he was serious.

"You would have let me leave?"

"Yes. I wouldn't want you to remain here if I thought you didn't feel anything for me."

Helena could have kicked herself. She should have known that there would be a twist. Ben was devious to his very core.

"You're punishing me." She claimed.

"Of course I am." He said standing up. "Did you really think there would be no repercussions for what you have done? What you've been doing?"

"I never did anything wrong." She said standing up herself and crossing her arms in front of her.

"If you didn't feel what you were doing with Mikhail was wrong then why did you hide it? Why did he run away every time I came near?"

"You sent him to his death!"

"I did nothing of the sort. I sent him to take care of a problem. Not once did I tell him to sacrifice himself. Though that is not really the point seeing as he is so damn hard to kill with his fierce loyalty to the island."

"Jealous Ben?" Helena mocked.

"Hardly. After all Mikhail isn't the one with the pretty girl locked up is he?" Ben spat.

Helena gasped, "You bastard. Is that what I am? Some play thing? Has anything you have told me been the truth? Do you even have a heart?"

"I assure you I do. And you hold it despite how insufferable you are at the moment. Maybe I should have listened to Jacob and left you in the jungle to fend for yourself."

"Then why didn't you? Why didn't you just leave me so none of this would have ever happened? I could be relaxing on the beach right now."

"Most likely you would be dead." Ben offered.

Helena shook her head, "I hate that I love you."

"Trust me," Ben said turning away from her, "the feeling is quite mutual."