Thanks for being patient guys! I really needed the support and you've all been fab!

Chapter 38: We're Doomed

Jack and Kate were dragged out to the school gardens by Sawyer and Charlie. They weren't even given an opportunity to co-operate before thier shoulders were pulled out of their sockets in an attempt to kidnap the couple. Kate looked rather ashemed when she saw Mr Locke's amused face as he watched the group. She did wonder briefly whether he had anything to do with it, but she reminded herself that this was the headteacher, and that he would never have such a part to play in one of Charlie's plans.

Outside, they were sat down on one of the benches. Kate sometimes came and sat on these benches when she needed to be alone. The school gardens were really beautiful, especially at this time of year. Nothing was dying yet, but you could tell that autumn was in the air because the flowers were giving one final spurt of energy before they would wither. The whole garden was a twist of paths that garanteed privacy for every bench (something that Jack and Kate had taken advantage of through the week but realised from the looks they got upon returning that it couldn't become a habit).

They were alone on the bench, but they could hear the others just around the corner, talking. Unfortunately, they couldn't hear what was being said, because they were just that tiny bit out of earshot, but they could see their shadows moving on the corner of the path. Another unfortunate matter was that the only way to get away from them was to go down the path they were blocking.

So they sat, obediently, awaiting their doom, whilst Charlie explained his plan to the Others.

"Well," Jack said after a minute of silence. "We told them."

Kate nodded, agreeing with him, but not taking her eyes off the corner. She had been staring at them hoping that if she did it long enough, she'd magically be able to hear them, but it wasn't working. "What do you think they're planning?" She asked him.

Jack shrugged. "No idea. It can't be that bad." He said.

"It couldn't be, right?"

"I mean, we've both got to do it."

"Yeah, we'll do it together."

"Good idea."

"Nothing can go wrong then."

"Right."

As they fell into silence again, Jack picked up Kate's hand, cradling it in his as he caught sight of her necklace glinting in the moonlight. He couldn't help feeling that it was the best money he had ever spent. It was almost as beautiful as she was.

Now, however, they had over-assured themselves. They were just kidding themselves when they were thinking that things would be fine and that no dignity would be harmed...if only they knew...

"This is going to be terrible, isn't it?" Jack realised.

Kate nodded, speaking so quickly that she almost cut him off. "Absolutely."

Jack sighed heavily, looking at the shrubbery infront of him. "We're doomed."

----------

Sawyer and Charlie had been sent inside, whilst the others focused on the other details of Charlie's plan. They were on the prowl for a certain two people who Shannon had suggested for a very special job.

"You'd think that twins would be easy to spot, wouldn't you?" Charlie said as they weaved in and out of the dancefloor.

"Yeah...there they are!" Sawyer said, pointing out the two girls that they were looking for.

Unwillingly, they detatched the girls from their dance partners, and removed them from the dancefloor. It was all Sawyer's idea, of course, because Charlie would never dream of treating Jack's relatives that way. They stood face to face with Jack's twin cousins.

Liz and Katy were fourteen, in their junior years of the high school, and weren't impressed at all that they had finally been able to dance with the boys that they fancied, and had been dragged off only thirty seconds into the song. Neither were very happy that the boys had started dancing with other girls as well.

Liz, the younger of the two twins by only eight minutes, had brown curly hair, which came to a stop at her shoulders. Her brown-green eyes were complimented by the outfit she was wearing. It was no secret that the tomboy in her was going to reject the idea of a dress for the dance, and instead, she had chosen to wear a teal green shirt with spaghetti straps, and a pair of faded jeans which were saved for special occassions like this.

She had been dancing with Liam, a boy that Sawyer knew vaugely, and Charlie didn't know at all, but Liz knew, and liked very much. Liam had hair almost identical to Liz's, the same dark chocolate colour, but it was in a short cropped style, much like himself. With Liz's small heels, she was easily half a head taller than him.

Katy, on the other hand, had embraced the idea of getting so glammed up for the dance. She was different to her twin, and often spent a lot of time explaining to people that twins didn't have to be identical. Katy's hair was a lighter brown than Liz's, and also longer. She had blue eyes, like thier mother, rather than Liz's, which matched their father. Katy's skin was light, almost pale, but still with a healthy glow that came from her summer tan. Her freckles were usually hidden, but because of the summer, they were almost bouncing off her cheeks.

She had chosen to wear a dress, and had spent the usual hours getting ready to impress at the dance. Even though she was several years younger than Shannon, her dressing habits were the same, and she had spent a long time before the mirror. She had taken care with her hair, bringing it into a bun on the back of her head with a few single locks hanging down across her shoulders. It was a spaghetti strap gown in a beautiful mid-blue, and diamante patterns which sparkled under the disco lights. The accompany the outfit was a pale blue shimmering shawl which she had wrapped around her arms.

She was dancing with Logan, a friend of Liam's whom she had long had her eye on. It was no secret why, he was definately attractive, with his dark curly hair and pale blue eyes. Any girl would be a sucker for him. It was no surprise that she wasn't happy with Charlie's proposed plan compared to dancing with Logan.

"So, let me get this straight?" Katy said, her arms folded over her chest as she ran Charlie's plan over in her head. "You want us to be in on this pathetic little plan, and for no money whatsoever?"

Maybe it did sound a little strange when they worded it that way.

"You're family!" Charlie reminded them. Family...the ultimate blackmail.

"You're insane." Liz spoke up from beside her sister. Although they weren't indentical, they both wore matching expressions of irritance.

"You haven't even got a-." Katy assumed, but Charlie cut her off.

Charlie gave her a tired look. Why did this have to be so difficult? He was starting to warm up to Sawyer's original idea of putting bags over their head and dragging them kicking and screaming with gags in their mouths out to the gardens. Mind you, that had been Sawyer's original plan to any plan involving transport of people. "For your information" He told her, "Claire and Shannon are covering of it."

Liz looked at him incredulously. "You mean, the girls are in on this too?"

"Of course they're in on it!" Charlie told them.

"And they're actually letting you do this?"

Why did girls always assum that every idea with the tinest flaw in it was completely male organised?

"It was mostly their idea." Sawyer told them.

"Look, will you do it, or not?" Charlie asked irritantly.

Katy and Liz looked at each other, thinking it over. They had known Kate for as long as they could remember, because whenever there was family parties, she would always be invited along with Jack. They actually got on really well with her, but she probably wouldn't appreciate their participation in Charlie's plan. Neither would Jack, but on the other hand, they needed revenge for Jack 'just happening' to be looking through the girls baby photos with their mother when they had brought their boyfriends home for the first time.

"We're in." They decided in unison.