Shannon didn't wait around to see that Claire had started to run, no she instead ran straight for the monster, whatever it was. It had started to move again and once she knew she had its attention (it was heading for her instead of the caves which was where Claire had begun to run) she changed direction and began to head for the beach.

Unfortunately, the beast was faster than her. She could feel it closing in on her and as she dodged between the trees and rocks, she could have sworn she felt it's breath on her neck, but she managed to stay ahead of it.

As she drew closer to the beach, Shannon realized that this was the singularly self-less act she had done in her life. And she hadn't even thought about it. She'd just done it. No thinking at all. All she knew was that Claire and the baby were in danger and that she wasn't going to let them be eaten. For a few precious seconds Shannon could feel a smile break her face. Then she got the wind knocked right out of her.

From behind a tree an arm streaked out and grabbed her right around the waist. The speed at which she'd been running slammed her into the arm with such force that when it gripped her it swung her around and right into a tree. Shannon grimaced and watched as Locke peaked around the huge tree. She was bleeding! She could see it just outside her vision! And she could feel it trickling down the side of her face.

"Damnit Locke…"

"Shhhh! It's coming." He whispered as he slammed his hand over her mouth. Though she was tempted to bite him she withheld. He was right of course. It was coming. She could hear it slamming through the forest. It was very close now but it had slowed down. Shannon began to panic and when she panicked she had an asthma attack!

Shannon concentrated on breathing, not even noticing that the beast had arrived and was sniffing around. She did notice when a very large, very bright polar bear head peaked around the edge of the tree. Opening her mouth to scream, she was jerked back against Locke who held a knife to her throat.

Looking into the blonde's panic filled eyes Locke mouthed to her, "Scream and I will slit your throat."

Shocked Shannon could only acquiesce. Together they watched as the bear continued to sniff around, then turned and galloped back into the forest. As Locke let her go, Shannon realized that she had not had an asthma attack.

"It's the plant." Locke said, nodding to a leafy plant nearby. "It's the same one Sun used to help you a couple weeks ago."

"You threatened me!"

"I'd have done more than that. Have you ever seen what a bear will do to a person?"

Shannon pouted a bit, already sensing that she was going to lose this argument. "No."

"Well, rest assured Shannon, it's not pretty."


(Flashback)

"It's beautiful, ma petite! Très magnifique!"

Shannon turned to her husband of one year and smiled. "I know! I'm great at wallpapering." Shannon gloated in success as she looked around at the room. She really had done a great job. Sure, lately she'd been tired and just wanted to eat and sleep all day, but she was glad that she'd made the effort to fix this room up.

"So, chère, wad do y'say we get dinner and go dancin'?" Shannon turned to glare at her husband Jean Frances.

"I'm not really feeling good, and you know I hate to go dancing looking like this!"

Jean wrapped his arms around Shannon and pulled her close. "And if I promise no drinking? Jus' you, me, and a dance floor." Shannon wanted to compromise. She did used to love to dance. And she had been uncertain it was a good idea. Whenever Jean Frances got drunk he wasn't nice. He was fine all the other times, it was just alcohol that got to him.

"Nah, I really am not feeling good."

Jean acted forlorn and fell to his knees. "My amore no longer loves me! What shall I do?"

Shannon laughed and kissed him on the top of his head. "Get over it I suppose?"

Downstairs the phone began to ring, and Shannon sent Jean to get it. Turning she again looked around. She and Jean didn't have a lot of money but they were happy! This little house on the outskirts of Paris was all she wanted and needed.

"Shannon, bebe? I must go. I got a call from work. Dey needs me." Shannon nodded and turned to her husband. He looked troubled and had a look on his face that told Shannon he was lying. Shannon thought of asking him about it, but knew he wouldn't tell her. Whenever Jean lied, he lied for good reason and never gave anything away.

Jean kissed Shannon on the lips, then knelt down to kiss her protruding belly. Jean was almost as happy as she was to be seven months pregnant. "I will call you before I leave the office."

Shannon watched as Jean left in his car. It was silent again in the house. Unsettling silence though. Whatever he was doing was bad, she knew. It wasn't often she had these feelings, practically none existent since she began to live here in France. Shannon lifted her hand to the teddy bear nursery wallpaper she had applied not an hour ago. Suddenly she didn't feel they were as pretty as they seemed.

(End Flashback)


"I hope you know I can't walk." Locke ignored her and continued to walk away. "Hey, old man! I can't walk."

Locke sighed and turned around. "And why not?"

"Well, when you so kindly threw me into a tree I hurt my ankle." Locke came back to Shannon, who was leaning on a tree, and bent to look at her ankle.

"Looks swollen. I don't think it's broken, but it might be sprained."

"Great, another fuck-up in Shannon Rutherford's history. Or at least that's how your little buddy will put it."

Locke chuckled and looked up at her. "Little buddy?"

"Yeah, little buddy. You know…Gilligan's Island? The skipper is you, and Boone is the little buddy. Cute, huh?"

Locke nodded as he looked around. Spying what he wanted, Locke grabbed two hard pieces of bark and some vine. "This will work."

Shannon began to back away. "For what?"

"A stilt." Shannon relaxed. So he was not going to be tying her up and using her for food anytime soon. "It will last until we get to the beach. There, Jack will make you a better one."

"Cool."

Locke wrapped the vine around the bark, which was set against her ankle to keep her from moving it. "Okay, try to put some weight on it." Shannon did so and could barely stop herself from screaming. "Maybe not, guess I'll have to help you back to the beach."

"Whoopee!" Shannon said through her teeth. Together they began their trek back to the beach. Between Shannon's swearing and Locke's cheesy jokes they made it.

As they finally came in sight of the camp, Shannon turned to Locke, who was in the middle of another joke.

"Why did three blondes jump off a building?"

"Locke, why are you telling me bad jokes?"

"To get your mind off the pain. So…why did three blondes jump off a building?"

Shannon smiled. "That's really sweet."

Locke looked at her expectantly.

"Okay, why did three blondes jump off a building?"

"They wanted to see if their maxi-pads really had wings." Locke began to laugh outrageously as Shannon looked at him like he was crazy. Finally, she just gave in and laughed too.