"Faster."

"Listen, Danielle. I don't know if you've noticed this but I HAVE A SPRAINED ANKLE! I can't go fast." Shannon stopped, breathing heavily. They'd been walking for hours. Now they were going steadily uphill. This was too much for the asthmatic blonde.

Danielle lowered her weapon before offering Shannon some water. "I saw what happened yesterday. You were very brave. You have been subject to much heartbreak. Losing your child like that. It makes you strong. I need that strength."

Shannon steadied herself against a tree. "So you need me for something?"

Danielle turned and looked into the horizon. Though trees surrounded them, there was one bare hole in the canopy, and through that you could see the ocean. It seemed peaceful from way up here, but in reality it like everything else on the island was deceptive. "We must hurry on."

Instead of aiming the gun at Shannon again, Danielle strapped it across her back. Then, she wrapped her arm around Shannon's waist and helped her to begin walking again. Shannon hobbled with her for a few feet before the urge to ask something over came her.

"Where are we going?"

Danielle did not look at her, only answered. "Home."


Back at the beach, Shannon's disappearance went for the most part unnoticed. People bustled about, doing the million mindless things that they did everyday to occupy their time. Some worked on the raft, some gathered food. A few assisted Hurley in trying to catch some fish, seeing as Jin had stopped fishing in order to work on the raft. Sayid was brooding in his tent when Claire walked up.

"Have you seen Shannon? She said that today she would go with me to the caves but I can't find her, and I'm not supposed to be walking around the forest alone."

Sayid didn't look up. "No."

Claire wanted to say something but decided against it. Sayid looked like he was in no mood to deal with anyone. Instead she decided to get Kate to walk her to the caves. She probably needed an excuse to go see Jack anyways.

Sayid waited until Claire had walked away to relax. Shannon. She hadn't been here when he got back from his "walk" nor had she been anywhere in camp. It had still been early so that was surprising. Sayid had just figured that she was avoiding him. It was to be expected. Now, though, he was worried. Sure, he was still a little upset over what Shannon had told him, but it's had nothing to do with her. Okay, so it did kinda.

When Shannon had told Sayid what had happened with Boone, his first reaction had been jealousy, swift decapitating jealousy. On the heels of that had come disgust. That Shannon would do something like this. After that had come an array of emotions, but the one that stuck out the most was betrayal. He felt like Shannon had betrayed him. He'd known that she hadn't been the good girl she portrayed, but he hadn't expected this.

You've done things worse than this. Need I remind you of Nadia? His subconscious whispered.

No! I didn't betray my family like that.

What do you call Nadia?

She was…something else.

His subconscious laughed. Just like Shannon is something else. You care.

It happened before I could stop it…

Would you have wanted to stop it?

Sayid shrugged inside. No. I do care, but can I get over this?

Yes, you can and already are. Sayid knew his subconscious was right. Even now he was working to understand Shannon, and the decisions she'd had to make. He couldn't picture the young, innocent girl she'd have had to have been.

Sayid stood and wiped the sand from his clothes. Maybe now was time to have a talk with her, they'd work this out.


Shannon was sweating profusely by the time the sun began to set. They'd trekked all day through the hills of the island but according to Danielle they were almost to where they were going. Shannon had to admit that curiosity was getting the better of her now. Now she wanted to know what it was that Danielle wanted to show her, wanted to know what Danielle knew. Most of all though she didn't want to deal with the accusing looks from Sayid should she choose to go back now.

"We're here." Danielle said from in front of Shannon. Shannon levied herself up off the ground and onto…concrete?

Not only were there concrete steps, there was a house! Sure it was made of bamboo and stuff but it was a house nonetheless.

"I haven't been back here since…well since twelve years ago. That was when they started to come after me."

Shannon wanted to explore the house, but decided Danielle's story was more important. "Who?"

"The others. The former members of my crew. My family." Danielle lowered her self to the steps and visibly wilted before Shannon's eyes. "When we first arrived on the island we were all psychically fine. Other than a few scratches from the crash we were fine."

"Your plane crashed like ours?"

"No, our's was a boat crash. We were stranded, and no one knew where we were. Hell, we didn't know where we were. So we began to build. We built a house, a way of life. After two months we were all getting accustomed to living on this forgotten paradise. Then the sickness came." Shannon sat down on the step below Danielle. Her story was captivating. "It started with the nightmares. We were all beginning to relive the most horrible moments from our lives. Then the emotions came. Rage, jealousy, lust. All the negative emotions we were feeling were amplified and spread out among us. The first to go was my husband." A tear slipped out of Danielle's eye. "Damn him!"

"Who?"

"Jeffrey. The American. I knew he'd had a crush on me, and I knew that my husband knew. But the sickness made everything worse! They were arguing and fighting, and then suddenly he was gone. Jeffrey had pushed him off of that cliff." Danielle looked with dull eyes to the west. "There. That night I left. I left my son, my friends, everything. They'd all been infected and they were unsafe."

"Why weren't you infected?"

"I don't know. I just wasn't. I've spent the last twelve years avoiding this place."

"Why twelve years?"

"Actually, I left the first time a full twenty years ago. But I came back to see my boy. And each time he was worse. Ethan was…"

"Ethan! As in the Ethan who took Claire?"

Danielle focused on Shannon for a moment. "I don't know. Ethan was my son."

"He most definitely was. He's…dead."

Danielle pushed away and began to pace. "See! The island takes everything you love! My boy, my precious boy!"

Shannon stood and hobbled over to Danielle. "It's alright…"

"NO! IT WILL NEVER BE ALRIGHT! WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I left you all warnings! And none of you get it!"

"The warnings? You mean the boar?"

"YES! And many more! You all just ignored them though. Now, most have already been contaminated! Oh, you poor girl. Don't you see? You and I are one and the same! We have both lost our children and men."

"Sayid? I haven't lost him."

Danielle gripped Shannon's shoulders. "But you will. I have seen this Boone watching you too. He feels the same way Jeffrey felt for me. He will attack."

"No, he…"

Danielle stared into Shannon's eyes. "The sickness has him. He will."


Sayid stalked through the forest, heading for the caves. Shannon had not returned to the beach, nor had anyone seen her. He was worried and the others were too. They'd sent him to the caves to see if anyone there had seen her but he didn't hold out hope. Sayid rubbed his palm across his chest, where a knot of panic was beginning to form. The island was dangerous, and to be alone was made it more so.

"Sayid?"

Sayid turned, unprepared for the fist that slammed into his face. "What did you do that for Boone?" He asked calm as ever.

"I warned you to stay away! Shannon is mine!" Sayid dodged as Boone tried to hit him again.

"No. You must calm down Boone. We can discuss this later. Shannon is…"

"DON'T SAY HER NAME!" Boone yelled as he finally struck Sayid again. Sayid fell against the tree, slamming his head. He was disoriented for only a few moments but it was enough. Boone jumped on top of him and began to beat his head into the ground. Sayid grabbed Boone's hand and buck up with his legs, flipped the boy over his head and onto the ground in front of him.

"I am restraining myself for Shannon, but my restraint lasts only so long."

"I don't want your restraint. I want you to leave her alone!" Boone struggled underneath Sayid's stronger arms.

"I cannot do that."

"No, you will not do that!"

"I love her Boone." Boone stilled. "What happened in Sydney was a mistake. She has told me everything. I love her and she loves me." Boone was breathing heavily but had calmed down.

"I just wanted to protect her. After what happened in France… and it was all my fault…I…the guilt…"

"It's alright Boone. She's getting over it. So should you." Sayid let Boone up. He lay there for a few moments before slowly rising and dusting himself off.

"Is she…good? I mean, you know, is she mad at me?"

Sayid sighed. "She is angry but she's getting over it. Right now I cannot find her though. I fear she is missing."

Boone looked down. "I'll help you look."

Sayid smiled. "I'd like that."


"Okay, back to the point. So you're Ethan's mother, there's an illness on the island, etc. etc. What about the monster?"

Danielle sighed. "The monster is dangerous. It was here before we were, and before those who came before us. Stay away from black rock, that's where it haunts."

"But what is it?"

"It's…" CRACK!

Shannon looked around to see where the startling noise had come from. She turned to ask Danielle but Danielle was past talking. She was sinking to her knees, reaching for Shannon.

"Danielle? What… Danielle! You've been shot!" Shannon cradled the older, now surprisingly fragile looking woman. Her blood flowed over Shannon's hands and onto the ground. She was whispering.

"They're coming. Watch for the signs. They're…they're…coming…tower…watch…" She was gone. Shannon felt the hot tears running down her face but ignored them. Danielle was dead. The only person on the island who could possibly understand her was dead. Shannon looked around and felt terribly alone. She wasn't though. On this island, no one was ever alone.

Sayid and the other searchers found the trail in the morning. They'd have found it sooner, but by the time anyone realized Shannon was missing it was already nightfall. Kate was following the trail into the forest when they came upon the sign. Hanging in the tree was a body…or rather a skeleton.

"In some African countries, this would symbolize a 'Do Not Trespass' sign."

Sayid pushed past the ever-informative Michael. "We go on."

Everyone agreed and followed. They walked for many hours before they came to house. At first all they felt was shock; a house? In the middle of the island? It was Kate that spotted Shannon's shirt.

"Look! It's Shannon's." Kate picked it up and passed it to Sayid. He gripped in his hands until his knuckles turned white. The shirt was covered in blood.

"Shannon." He whispered. Everyone looked away. Almost all of them had felt sad for the people who had died, but this was the first to die that had meant something to them. They had actually known this person.

"I think we should look around. Maybe we'll find the…erm…body." Jack said, not wanting to be on the receiving end of the rage boiling in Sayid's eyes. Boone looked shell-shocked, not aware of anything but that shirt.

The others left Sayid and Boone there, both of them so still. They began to look in the surrounding area, and it was Kate who saw her first.

"SHANNON!" At her scream everyone came running, all assuming the worst. They were pleasantly surprised however when they found Shannon not dead, but caught in a huge bear hug by Kate.

"Jesus! Get off! I can't breathe! Please!" Shannon yelled, not knowing that they'd all thought her dead. She managed to get Kate off, only to be swept up in a hug by Michael…then Jack…then Boone. Locke deferred hugging her, instead slapping her on the back and commenting that he was surprised she'd survived alone.

"I wasn't alone." They looked at her questioningly. "I was with Danielle."

"Where is she?"

Shannon pointed to the grave over her shoulder. She'd buried Danielle Rousseau next to her husband, in a pre-dug grave. Whoever had shot Danielle had already prepared it for her. Shannon had put her there, hopefully in peace with her husband. The others went o check it out, leaving her with Sayid.

"Shannon?"

She turned to Sayid to see what he wanted but she didn't get the chance. He pulled her close and kissed her, a passionate, wild possessive kiss. One that rocked her bones and made her knees weak.

"What was that for?"

"Never, ever do that to me again."


Next Chapter: Ice Cream

Last part of this act is next chapter…BUT NO WORRIES. Act Two will be up…oh…one day after that. Same place, same time. FYI next chapter is a music chapter. You know the ending sequences where they always play a really good song to end the epi?