Homecoming
Chapter Three

Twenty minutes later, Jack stopped, leaning against a tree for support. A tree that looked awfully familiar.

Okay, we just past this tree thirty minutes ago, Jack said, rounding on Sawyer, who had opened a bottle of water he had snatched from the caves. Where the hell are you leading us?Destination Kate, Sawyer shrugged, so we went in circles. We're getting close.We better be getting close or it's your skin that's going to pay! Jack shouted, shoving Sawyer back, knocking the bottle of water and spraying Sawyer in the processes.

Sawyer's eyes got wide as he wiped the water off of his face with his sleeve, and he was about to punch Jack square in the jaw when Charlie came in between them.

Hey! Hey! Charlie yelled.

Jack and Sawyer turned to him, wondering what he could want.

Kate, remember? Charlie said.

Jack nodded, getting ready to set off again. Sawyer glared at Jack, then reached down and snatched the now empty bottle off the ground.

Let's go, Sawyer said.

Picking his bag up off the ground, Jack continued on, though not knowing where he was going. He hated being led by Sawyer, but they had no choice. And what didn't make things any better was the voice inside his head that was telling him that they were too late.

he heard Sawyer mutter as he walked on.

Jack stopped, but chose to ignore him, knowing they didn't need any more holdups.

......

Back at the caves, Boone was beginning to feel a taste of Jack's pressure. It hadn't even been made official that Boone had been put in charged, but yet, every head ace, every scrape, every decision had come to him. And it drove him crazy.

How're you holding up?

Boone had finally managed to draw away, hiding out in a small, unoccupied cave, to small for one to live in. He looked up, surprised to see Shannon standing in front of him.

As if you care, Boone said, go back to sleep.It's noon, Shannon pointed out.

said Boone, but I'm not the chief.I didn't come for food, Shannon said, slowly losing her patience.

Then what? Boone said, standing up. Because I really don't have the time.Why did Jack put you in charge? Shannon asked, catching him off-guard.

He never figured anyone would care why, as long as they had someone to tell them what to do, and help them with every little thing.

I don't know, said Boone, grabbing a small bag that he had brought with him, there was no one else.No one else? Shannon repeated. So what, I'm just a ghost?Basically, yeah.You don't think I could take charge of anything, do you? Shannon said, following him as Boone tried to leave the caves.

He said. No. You've never been able to do anything without someone else's help.Oh yeah? Shannon said, her patience long lost and anger taking over. Name one time.How bout the past fifteen years? Boone said, trying to stay ahead of Shannon.

Shannon said, easily catching up with Boone. Don't take my help!

Boone spun around, unable to ignore her this time.

Your help? Boone shouted. Oh and what would you do?Oh you think you're all big and bad now, don't you? Because you're in charge? But that's how you always think, isn't it? Shannon shot. You think you're so perfect, don't you? Perfect job, perfect place, perfect life-My life is not perfect! Boone cut in. You have no idea what my life is like-And you have no idea what my life is like! Shannon argued. The past three weeks have been nothing but hell!And whose fault is that? Boone said. I warned you about him, but you didn't listen! You just had to go and be the stuck up selfish brat that you are!But you just had to be the hero didn't you? Shannon yelled, not ready to admit that he was right. News flash Boone, I don't need you in my life! I don't need you there every second to tell me what to do!You'd be dead if it weren't for me! Boone shouted, unable to believe his sister was actually saying these things. You would've been dead a long time ago, and you know what, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea, because right now, you're about as worthless as those corpses we burnt two weeks ago!

They stared at each other, both wanting nothing more to murder each other cold-blooded. Having nothing else to say, Boone turned in silence, leaving. On a late reaction, Shannon though of a comeback, and said it proudly:

Yeah? Well at least I'm not the one whose been living off of drugs for the past eight years!

Boone stopped dead. Shannon had touched a nerve, big one. Slowly, Boone turned around, staring at Shannon, surprised and shocked she would have the nerve to say that. But Boone still couldn't say anything back. He was actually thinking, did that make him as bad as Shannon? He could've driven himself mad eight years ago, was that such a bad thing. Engulfed with these thoughts, Boone just shook his head, turned, and continued walking. Suddenly, his foot got caught on something- a tree root, he thought- and he fell. But he didn't fell forward. He fell- through the ground.

......

If you've been leading us the wrong way on purpose, Jack said to Sawyer five minutes later, I swear to God the first thing I'm gonna do when we get back to the caves is kill you.You'd wait that long? Sawyer smirked. We're close.How would you know? Jack said.

To him, the trees still all looked the same.

Because that was the hill back there! Sawyer yelled.

Hey, wait, Charlie said suddenly.

The other two stopped, turning around.

Sawyer said, impatient.

Charlie was staring at something, pointing at a tree stump.

Jack froze, and then managed to regain his strength as he bent down beside Charlie, staring at the spots of blood on the wood.

Don't get excited, Sawyer said from behind them, clearly not worried, that's mine.

They were silent as a little relief was taken off Jack shoulder. And that's when they realized: they had to be close. At the same moment, the three of them took off running down the hill at full speed, shouting Kate's name at different times. They came to a spot where the leaves were oddly formed in the ground, as if someone had been laying there, and Sawyer stopped, remembering the area.

This is it, he said in one breath.

But Kate was gone.