Oenone, I'm sorry if it seemed graphic. I was actually trying to be NOT graphic. If I offended you, all apologies. Remember, if anything I write you don't like or is offensive, please tell me.


Shannon didn't really get why she was feeling bad. She listened with half an ear as Claire went on and on about basically nothing. She was just making idle chitchat. She had felt great after being with Sayid, but on the way back doubts began to rush in. Did he really care for her or was he, as Boone had implied more than once, using her? Had having sex ruined what little relationship they had?

"Shannon?"

"Huh?" Shannon jerked out of the semi-trance she'd been in and turned to Claire. In the fire's light she looked positively glowing. Shannon could scream.

"What's wrong? Ever since you got here an hour ago, both you and Sayid have been brooding. Did something happen?"

"You could say that. Where's Charlie?"

Claire rolled her eyes at Shannon's obvious attempt to change the subject. "He's over there with 'the boys' talking about something."

"What?"

"I don't know…guys things?"

"This was unnecessary. I told you months ago that if we were going to be stuck on this island then we were going to need more permanent structures," Sayid scolded the others.

"Well, we've all been busy. The raft, the attacks, and then that whole thing last month. There hasn't been time," Michael defended.

"We have the caves," Jack interjected before the two men could start arguing. "They'll work for now."

"For now, but they are not the best place to live, Jack. There's mold, and insects, and germs in there. It's unhealthy to live in the caves."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Muhammad?" Sawyer said walking slowly up behind them.

"I discussed with Michael a few months ago the possibility of building huts. We have plenty of material on the island."

"What about nails and hammers and stuff, dude?" Hurley asked, confused as to how this would be possible.

"We could use vines as rope and then we wouldn't need very many tools," Michael said. "We would have to find sturdy ground, and a lot of vines, as well as find something to make the walls from, but it could be done."

"And it needs to be. From what I've gathered we're somewhere in the southern hemisphere, close to the equator."

"So?" Charlie said from where he sat with Adrian, Claire's baby girl.

"We're entering the rainy season of this region."

"He's right. We're going to be heading right in to monsoon season with no protection. While some of the rains won't be this bad, most will," Locke stated matter-of-factly. "We do need some sort of shelter, and the caves aren't suitable. I recently, while on a hunt, saw a meadow. It's not far from the beach, nor from the caves. It's perfect."

"Good. Okay, we can talk about this tomorrow. It's late and we're tired. Get some sleep." Jack stated, rising to join Kate at a nearby fire. Sawyer watched them both with shuttered eyes. Mr. "I'm-Too-Tough-To-Admit-I-Like-Kate" was obviously hot for Kate and mad that it was Jack who "had" her.

"If you spoke with her, this situation might get better Sawyer."

"What you talking about?" Sawyer turned away from the oh-so-touching scene and stared hard at Sayid. Sayid had a feeling that Sawyer wanted to say something but wasn't about to.

"The situation with Kate. There is obviously some kind of tension between you two. You might as well speak with her about it."

"Yeah, yeah." Sawyer started to walk away, but turned back to Sayid at the last moment. "Tell Shannon I'm sorry for hurting her earlier. I was…startled."

Sayid stared hard at Sawyer, controlling the anger inside at the thought of the slick Southerner having his hands on Shannon. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing between you and me. Just tell Shannon, huh?" Sawyer smiled and walked off in the direction of where he had placed his things. Sayid turned and sought out Shannon with his eyes. She was talking with Claire and Charlie. She had baby Adrian on her lap and something inside Sayid tightened at the sight. Unbidden he thought things he had no right to think. He thought of Shannon ripe with his child, her large grin mirrored in a small tow-headed babe, of nights filled with her. Sayid shook those thoughts out of his head and looked at her harder.

On her arms were bruises. Bruises he'd thought he put there. It was a reason (not all the reason but part) that he'd backed off from her. He'd thought he'd hurt her and automatically guilt filled him. He was good at that, hurting the women he loved. The vicious possessiveness he felt for Shannon startled him. He was used to being calm, he'd always had to be. But Shannon brought out a side of him that Sayid hadn't known before. Every day he spent near her, every moment he was with her, made him want her even more.

Sayid started through the sleeping people. He needed to speak to Shannon before they went to sleep. Sayid stooped down and quietly asked that Shannon take a walk with him. She nodded and stood. He grasped her hand and began to pull her away from the caves. They definitely needed a talk.


(Flashback)

Bring, bring!

"Goddamnit! Is that my phone or my father's, Anita?" Shannon shouted as she ran down the hall. She barely heard the maid, Anita, mutter something about stupid Gringos before she grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Higgs?" Shannon froze. This was her father's phone. Damn, she was going to get her ass kicked. Shannon and always been told throughout her sixteen year old life to never, ever answer her father's phone. This was his business phone.

"No…ummm…he's not here. Can I take a message?"

"Tell him that Sawyer called. Who is this?"

"Shannon…" she blurted out before mentally smacking herself in the head. Good idea, Shan, tell him who answered the phone.

"Not little Shannon? Why girl, you must be all grown up by now!"

"Only sixteen." Shannon replied, relaxing a bit. "But I will be seventeen soon."

"Wow! Seventeen. You must be a beauty!"

"Well…yeah! Actually I am."

"That was to be expected, darlin'. You were a cute kid."

"I look like my mum…" SHIT! No mommy talk, Shan, no mommy talk! "Ummm…well, I got to go."

"Bye, duchess." They hung up and Shannon slammed her hand against her chest as if to make her heart start to beat again. How strange that she had to be so distant with her half brother, but was forced to be friendly with her stepfamily. Shannon laid down her father's cell phone, and oh-so-briefly thought about joining Bobby (a.k.a. Sawyer) on the road. They could be thieves. Best friends, and siblings who looked out for one another.

Just as quickly she dismissed that thought. She didn't want to be a thief. She wanted to be a stewardess. No, maybe an actress. Shannon thought about that for a while, as she returned to her room and wrote an e-mail to her pen pal. Her pen pal was cool; she was doing time in jail though. But Kate sounded cool, even for a bank robber.

(End Flashback)


Sayid stopped underneath a large tree, so that they were moderately protected from the rain. He had much he wanted to talk about and he didn't want to be heard, so they were a little ways away from the camp.

"Shannon, what happened to your arms?"

Shannon looked down and for the first time she noticed her bruises. "Damn, when did that happen? I supposed when Sawyer…" Shannon looked up and caught Sayid's knowing look. "Okay, Sawyer and me had an argument. He grabbed me but I totally kicked his ass, so no problem."

"What were you arguing over?"

Shannon switched from foot to foot, not answering his question. "Shannon, what were you arguing about?"

"My father."

"Your father…?"

"Is a thief, Sawyer's partner, and a general all-around bastard."

Sayid is silent.

"Did I also mention that Sawyer and I have the same mother but he doesn't know? Damn, I'm tired…Bye!" Shannon whirled and started to walk away but Sayid grabbed her arm and brought her back to facing him. Unwittingly he'd grabbed her bruise and there was a grimace on her face when she looked at him.

"I'm sorry," he said letting go immediately. "About you and Sawyer…"

"You can't tell him. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone and now I told you. He can't know."

"Why is this so important to you?"

"I let my father down all the time. This is one of the few promises I've managed to keep for a long time. I don't want to fail him. Besides, it would only hurt him to know. He thinks that his mother died trying to protect him. Instead, she ran away and was unable to get him back. Think about what that could do to someone if they suddenly found out everything they know was a lie."

Sayid cradled Shannon's face in his hands. "I won't tell if you don't wish me to. You can trust me."

Shannon relaxed at his words. She realized that indeed, she could trust him. "So, why were you all broody when we got here?"

Sayid let go of her face and traced his hands down her arms to hold her hands. "I thought that I'd hurt you. I saw the bruises and shut down."

"Oh, Sayid! If you hurt me I assure you I enjoyed it."

Sayid smiled. "I know, but…it shocked me. To be so primitive is not what I am like. I had not wanted the first time we were intimate to be like that."

Shannon closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh? What did you picture?"

Sayid blushed. "Not that."

"Okay, next time we'll go slow."

"Next time?"

"Oh, definitely."