Disclaimer: I make no profit from this. The Lost characters and universe do not belong to me.

A/N: This story started out as an RP on a forum I visit. This is the part that I wrote for the RP. Yes the plot jumps around and yes it is full of drama like a soap opera, but that is why I love it. Credit also goes to my fellow writers; tigerlilly, benlinusisagoodguy, and fearandloathin for their input and genius characters.

Chapter 38

Mel stayed close to the back of the house as she looked around. There weren't many people around and she thought she could make it to the jungle without being seen. She looked down at the bandage wrapped around her abdomen. She was amazed that her wound wasn't hurting like it should have been. She must have been fueled by adrenaline.

Mel took her chance and ran for the jungle. She was able to make it there without being seen. She walked and walked not exactly sure where she was going but she felt a pull all the same.

Soon enough she found herself standing in front of a run down cabin. She was scared but she knew she couldn't turn back now. She stepped up to the door and turned the door knob. She walked into the dim cabin and shut the door behind her.

When her eyes adjusted she saw a man sitting in a chair behind a table. Something told her to sit down across from him.

"I want to know what happened to me, Jacob. I want my memories back." she told him.

She heard him chuckle, then the entire room began to shake. Mel felt something sickeningly familiar about the situation. She wanted to bolt out of the cabin but she made herself stay put. Finally the room stopped shaking and through the resounding silence, Jacob began to speak.

"One person can't have been through that much in such a short time" Mel breathed.

"You are different Mel." Jacob chuckled. "You've been given these hardships for a reason and no matter how much pain they have brought you still have prevailed. This island is ingrained in your very being whether you realize it or not."

Jacob had told her everything. Every tiny detail about her life since she met Ethan on the sidewalk back home. He'd told her some things she hadn't known about either. Like how Ethan had been married before and what had happened to his wife. He also told her plenty about Ben, she now knew that he truly had been lying to her. Just about everything he had told her after she woke up wasn't true. He'd also spoken of a possible plan for Ethan. One that she knew Ben would approve of since Ethan had kidnapped their son. She only hoped she could get to Ethan first.

Mel was still trying to process everything that Jacob had explained to her when she stood up from the table.

"You have any questions?" Jacob asked her.

"Only a million but I need time to sort them out. I do have one though." Mel trailed off.

"What is it?" he wondered good naturedly.

Mel tilted her head to the side, "Did I really blow up an entire island?"

Sophie and Richard walked up to Ben's house just as he came out the door. He had panic written all over his face.

"What's wrong Ben?" Richard asked.

Ben looked between them both, "It's Mel, she's gone."

Mel left the cabin in a sort of daze after she finished talking with Jacob. Since he had told her everything that had happened to her, bits and pieces of her actual memories were starting to come back.

She stopped to rest and sat down on a fallen log. She reached down to the bandage on her stomach and pulled it back to look at the wound. She was amazed to see it was fully healed. The only indication that she had been shot was a small, round scar.

"What a trippy place this island is." she said to herself as she pulled the rest of the bandages off. "I guess this means I am forgiven for defying orders." She laughed.

She sighed and pushed herself off of the log. It was time to get moving again.

Mel was still walking through the jungle when she heard a suspicious sound. She fell still as five armed men stepped from the brush to surround her.

"Hello Mel." Richard called to her. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

"Walking." Mel shrugged. "Don't tell me all of this is for me." she said motioning towards the other men.

"Well, we wanted to make sure that you weren't harmed." Richard said sarcastically.

"I bet. So Ben found out that I was gone?"

"He did. He is terribly worried about you." Those words, Mel believed.

"And what about you Richard? Were you worried as well?"

Richard smiled and shook his head, "The only thing I'm worried about is wondering how many guns it is going to take."

"Take for what?" Mel wondered knowing that Ben wouldn't have ordered any harm to come to her.

"To take you down of course." Richard said as he raised his gun. "Take aim boys!"

"Here we go again." Mel said out loud.

Mel ran. She ran from Richard and his men and all of the guns they held. She really didn't have that much of a choice. She knew she wouldn't survive against six guns when she didn't even have one herself.

She could hear them chasing her but she thought she was widening the gap between them. Things were going well until she tripped over something on the jungle floor.

"There you are." Richard said from behind her. "Grab her." he ordered.

Two men came up behind Mel and grabbed her arms. "Tell me Richard, when did you become such a jerk?" she asked him.

"When you started threatening the people I care about."

"I guess I should tell you congratulations." Mel spat.

"For what?" he asked.

"You and Sophie are having a baby. I would think you would be thrilled."

Richard looked at her closely wondering how she could have possibly known about Sophie when she herself had just found out. Finally, he shook his head, "Take her away."

"Why are you doing this Richard?" Mel asked for the tenth time as they moved through the jungle.

"You've become a danger." Richard answered casually.

"It's not like I killed her!" Mel yelled. "I didn't kill Sophie, he wanted me to but I didn't."

"But you considered it. That is enough."

"Ben didn't tell you to do this."

"How do you know? He was been lying to you since you woke up."

"I know Ben. He may have told you to find me but not to hurt me, to shoot at me!"

"Maybe Ben isn't thinking so clearly now. Maybe we're going to give him a break and take care of things ourselves."

Mel tried again to break free from the men holding her but it was no use, "Where are you taking me?"

Richard looked at her and actually smiled, a shiver ran down Mel's spine, "We're taking you to the Temple."

Mel felt her blood run cold at Richard's words.

The Temple. He was taking her to the Temple.

She needed to get away and she needed to do it quickly.

"I know what you are planning to do Richard." Mel said when they stopped to rest.

"Do you?" he asked condescendingly.

"The Temple hasn't held a sacrifice in decades. Doing so without Jacob's instructions could create chaos."

Richard stormed up to Mel and held his gun to her head, "Stop talking like you know all about this island. You've been here mere months, I've been here my entire life."

"Which has been quite long, hasn't it? It must get old, not being able to die." Mel mocked.

"Are you trying to give me another reason to kill you?"

"What do you think Ben is going to do when he finds out that you killed me? That you sacrificed me. What do you think Ethan will do?"

Richard laughed and pushed her away, "I'm not worried about Ethan. As for Ben, I'll be doing him a favor. For months he hasn't been able to decide between you and Sophie. This way he won't have to choose."

"What are you talking about? Ben and I haven't been together for a long time. He doesn't love me like that anymore."

"Are you sure about that?" Richard wondered.

Mel sat for a moment and thought, "It doesn't matter. I turned away from Ben to be with Ethan. Ethan is who I want to be with."

"You don't even realize what damage you have caused do you? Every time Sophie sees Ben even look at you it gets to her a little bit more. She doesn't deserve that."

"Why are you so concerned with Sophie Richard?" Mel asked. "Well, besides the obvious reason, of course."

"Shut up. You don't know anything."

"I know you and Sophie are having a child, one that no doubt you'll try to pass off as Ben's."

Richard pointed his gun at her again before lowering it in frustration, "Get her up. We've wasted enough time."

As they continued to walk Mel watched for any possible chance of escape but Richard had covered his bases. She was stuck.

"Ah. Here we are." Mel heard Richard sigh from up ahead.

The men holding Mel captive stopped and looked in front of them. Mel did the same.

There is was standing proudly like it had for years. Before Richard was even born. The Temple.

One might think it was a place of worship or of peace by hearing its name. But Mel knew better, she knew what happened here hundreds of years ago and it was about to happen again.

Mel finally felt the horror of the situation grab her as the men hauled her up the rock steps.

"Tie her up." Richard ordered pointing to a massive stone pillar behind him.

Once she was tied to the pillar Mel really started to lose hope. She knew she couldn't get out of this one by herself.

Mel tried in vain to pull her hands from the ropes tied around them.

She watched Richard walk up to her slowly with a large hunting knife in his hand.

"They are going to kill you when they have found out what you have done." Mel warned him.

Richard chuckled, "Ben will be upset for a while, but he will get over it. And Ethan? I doubt you would be counting on Ben quite so much if you knew his plans for Ethan."

"I know Ben planned to have him killed."

"How?" Richard asked.

Mel knew that she probably shouldn't tell Richard but she figured she didn't have anything to lose. "Jacob told me."

"No he didn't."

"I don't care if you believe me Richard. That is what I heard."

Richard held his knife up to her throat, "You can hear Jacob? That's just one more reason to kill you."

"Fine! Then do it." Mel spat. "You keep talking about it. Just do it already."

Mel saw Zoe walk out of the jungle and argue with Richard and his men.

"Zoe." Mel called. "I know you're tying to help and thank you for it, but you should leave."

"No, I'm not going anywhere until they let you go."

"He'll just hurt you too and I don't want that to happen. You still have your kids to worry about."

Zoe shook her head, "No. I'm going to stay right here until Ben arrives."

Richard smiled and shrugged, "Fine, but Mel will be dead by then."

"Will she?" They all heard and Mel nearly cried from relief. Out of the jungle, from the opposite direction of Zoe, stepped Sophie followed by Ben.

Mel took a breath of relief.

"Ben?" She called.

Ben looked up at her and gave her a reassuring glance before turning to Richard. "Would you care to explain?" he asked him.

While Richard was preoccupied Zoe dashed behind the pillar to untie Mel.

Mel moved her arms to the front of her body and massaged her sore wrists. "Thanks Zoe."

Richard looked between them and Ben as his face contorted in anger. "No!" he yelled and grabbed Mel. He wrapped his arm around her neck and held his knife to her throat.

"Any one of you comes any closer and she dies."

"And why do you want her to die so badly Richard?" Ben asked as he started slowly up the steps.

"She deserves to." Richard answered.

"Or, maybe you think she is going to hurt Sophie. Maybe you have stronger feelings for her that you are allowing yourself to realize."

Richard shook his head as he looked at Sophie, "She has nothing to do with this."

"I disagree." Ben went on. He continued to talk as he moved closer to Richard and Mel. She could tell Richard was becoming distracted at Ben's words. Mel was lucky she was watching Ben closely or she would have missed the small nod he sent her way.

She took a deep breath and nodded back. It took all of her courage to move even the slightest bit with a knife held to her throat but she did as Ben wanted. She leaned back and elbowed Richard hard in his stomach.

As he moved backward in pain she felt the sharp knife bite into her skin before lifting from her neck. She turned around to see Richard regain his balance and come towards her again. She pulled her fist back and punched him square in the jaw.

"You bch!" he growled at her as he moved closer. But Zoe was faster. She drew her gun and shot him in the leg. Richard fell to the ground, cursing them.

Ben walked quickly to Mel and pulled her into his arms.

"You came for me." she cried. "Thank you."

Ben pulled her back and smiled, "Of course I did. I wouldn't have left you to his mercy. It's all thanks to Zoe though. If she hadn't radioed me, I wouldn't have known what was going on."

Mel turned to Zoe; "You're making a habit of helping me out of tight spots aren't you?" she smiled. "Thank you."

Zoe smiled back, "Hey, you would have done the same for me."

"What are you going to do with him?" Mel asked Ben as they looked down at Richard.

Ben quirked an eyebrow then looked at Sophie, "I'm going to let her decide. I believe she'll be the most forgiving of the group. Though I don't see much reason to forgive him."

Mel shook her head, "I just want to get out of here."

"Come on." Ben said to everyone, "Let's go home."