Chapter 28

Hey, next one. Tried something a wee bit different... let me know what you think. We are backtracking - always something I loved about the show. Happy New Year when it comes.

10 days earlier…

"Can you believe… he caught 5 fish this morning?" Jack looked over when Hurley spoke, his gaze then leading to Jin. He was walking around the shore, another fish in his hand. Jack smirked.

"The guy's a machine. You seen Kate?"

"Over there… has he just got another one?" Jack left Hurley to his show, smiling to himself as he turned and walked away. As he moved further up the beach, he saw Kate talking to Rose. She was smiling, they were joking. It made Jack smile. The closer he got, his eyes drifted ahead to the crowd up the beach. Sawyer, Mike, John and… is that Walt? His eyes were drawn back to the women now close to him with the sound of his name.

"Jack! You ok?"

"Hey! Yeah. I was just at the caves, Jin has caught a lot of fish… apparently."

"I was just saying to Kate…" But whatever Rose had been saying suddenly became inaudible. An explosion of noise blasted from the group at the end of the beach. Something was kicking off.

As Jack reached the group – closely followed by Kate then Rose – Sawyer was shouting at those around him.

"What the hell do you think you're…"

"What am I doing? What the hell were you doing man? He's just a kid."

"And he was raking about in my stuff."

"What's going on?" Jack stood looking at the two men, Mike had squared his shoulders to Sawyer and Sawyer looked ready to pounce. "What's happened?"

"The kid was going through my stuff."

"I was just looking for…" Walt was behind his dad, looking scared.

"I don't care, don't go through my stuff!"

"Don't you shout at my son!" Mike took both his palms, pushing Sawyer away, with Sawyer pushing him back. John stepped in the middle of them, before anymore damage could be done.

"What is all the noise?" Sayid emerged from the trees, unfazed by what he had walked into.

"He's a kid who was looking around, that's it. Nothing sinister," Rose had walked over to Walt and put her hand round his shoulders. Sawyer shook his head, walking back to his makeshift tent.

"Mighta guessed you'd agree. You people are all the same."

The silence that followed was eerie. Sawyer continued to walk to his tent, unaware of the reactions of those behind him.

"What… what the hell…. What the hell do you mean by that?" Mike's stare was dangerous. But Sawyer just laughed. As he looked back, all eyes were on him. So he stopped.

"Woah, I meant New Yorkers. You know… the whole defending each other thing…"

Everyone continued to stare at him. A hint of hatred in their eyes.

"You people?"

"No… not like that…"

"Get out," it was Kate who spoke, looking Sawyer in the eyes.

"What?"

"You heard her, leave. Go down the beach, or in the jungle. We've put up with you for long enough, we don't want you here anymore. Leave."

Sawyer stared at them, all staring at him, Walt huddling into Rose, scared. He didn't say a word, turning into his tent, picking up what he could carry, and walked into the jungle, being swallowed by the trees.

"What's wrong with him?" Walt was the first that spoke.

"Some people just don't have a good bone in their body. But that's not our fault. It's his," Rose answered, leading Walt away, still talking.

As the sun began to set, Mike was still annoyed by Sawyer, wanting more than anything to never see him again. Walt hadn't said much, sitting with Rose, looking at the stars.

"Mike, I'm going to get more fire wood. Wanna come… bring him with you? Jack was standing – blocking the little sun that was left – axe in hand, nodding towards Walt.

"Yeah, course. Not like the day can get much worse."

As they walked into the jungle, Sayid entered the trees further along. He was looking for fruit, maybe a boar to kill. He hadn't gone far when he heard a rustle in the trees. Without thinking, he grabbed the gun in his waistband. He raised it and turned, coming face to face with another barrel, Sawyer standing behind it. For a second, they just stood there. Sayid was on edge, feeling the nervous energy pulse off the man in front of him. He was ready to argue, but Sawyer lowered his gun, almost unfazed that Sayid hadn't lowered his, relaxing slightly when he finally did.

"What are you doing?"

"I live here now… remember? I've been exiled."

"Well you did say…"

"It… wasn't what I meant… I just…"

"I do not care."

"Charming… really I just…" but his sentence was drowned out by a quick series of screams and shouts. The two men stared at each other, Sawyer turning to run towards the noise. But Sayid grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?"

"What'd'ya think? That was the kid."

"It may not have been."

"What? Of course it was. I'm going, you can stay," he turned in a run, hearing Sayid close behind him. He tightened his grip on his gun, heart pounding.

The closer he got, he could hear voices and the sounds of flesh hitting flesh. He quickened his pace, suddenly coming to a small opening. Before he had time to register Jack and Mike hooded, bound and lying on the ground, or Walt with his arm in a tight grip and gun to his head, he had four guns pointed at him. He felt Sayid beside him, both with guns raised. There was silence.

"Leave them alone, or we shoot you," Sayid broke the silence, he felt Sawyer's nervousness radiate off him. With a quick glance, he saw the anger in his eyes, saw him stare straight at Walt, like nothing else mattered.

"No, you won't. You shoot me, they kill the boy. Right here, right now."

"No!" Mike and Jack's shout acted almost like an electric shock. Sawyer dropped his gun as though it had hurt him. Sayid didn't want to give in. But when Sawyer looked at him, the fear in his eyes said it all. "What are you doing, put it down."

"I'd listen to the Hick. Put it down Sayid, or we kill him in front of his father." Sawyer looked unfazed by the expression used against him. He just stared. Sayid reluctantly dropped his gun, annoyance all he felt. Sawyer, on the other hand, looked relieved.

Two men walked over, taking their guns from the floor, straightening up to drive their knees into each man's stomach. Sayid went down, feeling Sawyer fall beside him.

"Are you ok?" Sawyer's whisper was almost inaudible, but Sayid nodded all the same. The guy must have noticed, coming over, putting his foot into Sawyers stomach at full force, causing him to land heavily on the ground. But that didn't stop him. "We did what you asked, let the boy g-." He received another kick, finally he yelled out with the pain. Sayid edged forward to help him, a gun to his face stopping him.

"Get them up and tie them up. We're moving out, before their friends come. We've got what we need." Their arms were pulled behind them, tied tight and they began to walk.