Request

Chapter Three

Author's Note: Boone's a little out of character at the beginning in my opinion, but that's only because he's shouting 'eureka' and thinks he's a genius.. oh, and for you Shayid fans- some major fluff headed your way second scene, I REALLY like writing a romantic Sayid. I don't know, it's just something bout him that makes him seem like he can be romantic and sweet if he wants to be. I hope it doesn't get too 'fluffy', but you guys like that, don't you?

"Has it been four months yet?" Boone muttered sarcastically, not meaning for Locke to hear him, but he did anyway.

"What was that?" Locke asked, glancing his way.

No one could understand how difficult for Locke to sit so long next to the man who he knew had murdered his wife and child and pretend like it was nothing. But he forced himself to give Boone a second chance, as he had done with everyone else, and, besides, he had known the boy for almost two months, and besides the meds, he had shown no signs of being anything he'd expect a murder to be.

Boone, who had been resting his elbows on his knees, and head in his chin, set up.

"We've been staring at this thing for almost a month and a half," Boone said, "we need to stop dreaming and start facing reality- we're never going to get it open. Or at least not without trying."

"Then what do you suggest?"

Boone stopped suddenly, the statement catching him off-guard. Realizing he really didn't have a clue about what he was saying, Boone began to get the feeling of a kid being shunned down by his parents. A feeling that he knew all too well. Finally an idea came to him.

"What if you can't open it?" Boone said, like the realization was finally hitting him.

"I thought we established that," Locke said, as close to puzzled as he had ever been.

"No," Boone said, standing, "I mean, what if you can't physically open it?"

Locke watched him as Boone moved around the hatched, and bent down next to some numbers that had been engraved onto the side: 4815162342.

"Like these numbers," Boone said, and then recited them for the dozenth time, "it just seems like every time I say them, there's this feeling, you know."

"What kind of feeling?" Locke said, one step ahead of Boone, but he wasn't going to ruin Boone's fun yet.

"Like I'm getting somewhere," Boone said, excitement overwhelming him, "like I'm so close to the answer-" his voice dropped in sudden disappointment, "-but I can't hit it."

"What if I told you that you weren't the only one that felt that way?" Locke said, relieved that Boone had finally caught on. "What if I told you that maybe I know what that means?"

Boone studied him for a moment, trying to decide if he should be frightened or excited. He chose the positive side.

"I'd say what do you know."

Locke broke out into one of those mischievous smiles he was notorious for developing on the island whenever he had a plan.

"Follow me," Locke said, standing up and turning paths, leaving Boone to do just that.

(space)

Shannon waited anxiously by the jungle line, trying to fight the urge to role up onto the balls of her heals as a person normally did when anxious, because she knew if she did, it would make her twist to the side, causing her to fall forward. And covered and sand was not the way she wanted Sayid to first see her on the way to wherever he was leading her.

Not only had Sayid been acting strange and uncharacteristic all evening, which hadn't gone past the others(she could've sworn hearing Charlie's sarcastic comment 'pretty boy' directed towards him, a name usually reserved for Boone) but hadn't spoken to her since the castaway's meeting regarding the newly found toy plane. She was about to give up and go up to Sayid himself demanding for an explanation, but Sayid beat her to it, though telling her only to 'meet him at the jungle line on the west side by seven, and- oh- to wear something nice'. The request had seemed somewhat difficult for him as she watched as he tried not to blush- something Shannon found amusing. It was all so out of character for him, but she had decide to let the worry slide and just go with it. So she had.

"Shannon?"

Shannon turned around to find Sayid approaching her, smiling behind a flower that looked freshly picked. But instead of the usual kaki pants and sleevless shirts he wore for days on out, which were now stained in mud, he had settled for something nicer, just as he had advised her, and had cleaned up himself as well. Now in dress slacks and a new shirt, he walked towards her, and she suddenly realized what he had been planning. A date. How had she let Sayid beat her at her own game? She smiled in appreciation as she took the flower in her left hand and let him take her right.

"What-" she began as Sayid covered her eyes with her hands

"It's a game of trust," Sayid said, smiling to himself, "I won't let anything happen to you."

(Space)

"Don't be nervous Ashley-" had 'Ashley' not been drunk, she would've groaned once again at another one of her fake names- she told herself she'd one day write a book- "they'll see the gun and hand the money right over."

Ashley looked out the window of the dark black van, she caught a glimpse of a man storming out of the bar and grill, a man who looked in fits with himself. The only thing that had kept Ashley going was by saying that there were people who had it worse or just as bad as her: she wasn't alone, and she had a feeling that the man walking past her was one of those people. Her heart leapt as the man looked her way, and they locked eyes. Even though he was a stranger, and the glance only last a moments, it seemed as though he was trying to send her a message. Trying to tell her not to do this. The foreshadowing was killing her as she looked away, breaking the stare.

"So are you trying to find out if the China rumor is true?" Kate restrained herself from jumping at the sound of Jack's voice coming up behind her.

She had taken a guilty liking to his 'secret spot' one that Kate knew he had hardly visited since she had discovered it. She knew this because she had not left it. There was just something about the view, the sound of silence that surrounded the one area that made it seemed like if she were to move just a few inches over, it just wouldn't be the same. And Kate was noticing that no matter how over-stressed Jack had seemed, he had respected that, and had unspokingly given Kate her space.

"Because in order to dig a hole," Jack continued, "you have to move."

Kate smiled as Jack sat down beside her.

"I was just thinking," she said, staring out to sea.

"You do a lot of that," Jack complimented.

She turned to him for the first time, and offered a small smile before saying:

"I think I've seen you before"

It had spooked her, the memories of the restaurant floating back to her in a wave. Getting drunk, the van, the man she had locked eyes with- who had to be Jack. And somehow, that brought both comfort and guilt to her. Comfort in knowing that even when they had no clue who each other was, Jack was willing to guide her, protect her, a skill he had managed to keep. Guilt, though, came next, in knowing that she had always denied that. Realizing that silence was hanging at the end of a thread in the light of the conversation, Kate convinced herself that she was trying and as long as Jack was going to give her that chance, she was going to take it, and try to return the same to him.

"Oh yeah?" He said in light humor.

He didn't believe her.

"Where?"

When Kate looked back out into the ocean, the spark seem to both leave and remain in the conversation. Funny how that always seemed to happen.

"At this bar and grill some place in L.A," beside her, she knew Jack was stuck in realization, "I think it was this place called Roscoe's."

Jack hid his surprise with another question.

"So where were you?"

(Space)

It felt to Shannon like they had been walking forever, and the only thing keeping her from fearing the leaves she could hear crushing below her feet was the calm touch of Sayid's hands on her shoulder. Suddenly, the ground turned from rough to smooth, and waves crashed somewhere nearby. But that didn't make sense. Weren't they just at the beach?

"You can look now," Sayid said, trying to hide the nerves that were eating him up.

His fingers traced the line of her face as her vision cleared from the momentary darkness, and she almost gasped at the unexpected site in front of her. Buried into the sand were two lit torches that sent the night air into a romantic blend of blew and orange. A few salvaged plates were placed upon a blanket, which plaid, unlike the airline blankets that were usually seen laying around. On the plates were food- some meats, Shannon could she, and some kind of vegetable. Besides the plates sat two bottles of water and a bowl containing fruit. The perfect makings of a romantic date, without the expense.

"Happy birthday," Sayid whispered into her ear, and began to lead her towards the set.

(Space)

"So where are we going again?"

Boone too felt as if though he had been walking for hours, though this time it was literate. He hadn't remembered it being so dark when he and Locke had left the hatch, and it seemed like they were now headed in an entirely different direction.

"Locke?"

Stopping, the silence of the night engulfed him along with the smell of distant smoke as he looked around, only to find that he was alone.

"Locke?" He called as he begun to panic.

No answer, distant call, or even a moan came.

"Locke!"

Boone didn't think twice before running back the way he came, backtracking his own path.

(Space)

Shannon and Sayid were relaxed on the blanket, finishing up the last of the closest thing she had had to a feast since a Christmas buffet at a local bar and grill two years ago. Sure she ate at expensive restaurants, but this was completely different. This was for her, from someone. Reality had it that she hadn't even remembered her own birthday, and it took her a while to realize that she was now twenty-three, two years past the drinking level which Sayid had remembered and surprised her when what she thought were two water bottles were actually two bottle of wine.

"I don't get it," Shannon said after swallowing a very edible wild berry, "how did you manage to pull this off? And how did you even find out that it was my birthday?"

Sayid thought about it.

"I little birdie told me," he said finally, "and I made a few deals."

"Even with Sawyer?" Shannon asked, eyebrows raised.

Sayid smiled, devious.

"Sawyer isn't the only one who's been hoarding drinks."

Shannon wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but she didn't have time to decide as Sayid began to pull her up.

"Tell me you didn't find Hurley a clown costume," Shannon said, risking that Sayid might not know what she meant.

Apparently he did.

"Not quite," he said, "I wanted to teach me something."

"I'm not exactly the fishing type-"

"No, a dance," Sayid said, already moving her slowly with imaginary music.

"Like a foreign thing?" Shannon guessed.

"Just follow me."

She hadn't expected it, but Sayid turned out to be a pretty decent dancer, switching cultures every few beats. Though the still night air set the mood, creating imaginary rhythms, Shannon had to admit that it was kind of awkward dancing to no music, and Sayid read right through her thoughts, and she was startled when he began singing in a low voice, and even though she couldn't understand a word of the language he was speaking, the sound calmed her, and she knew that there was no where else she'd rather be then where she was right no, right here in his arms.

Crunch.

Sayid immediately stopped singing at the sound of leaves crunching nearby and trees snapping as somebody ran through them. Reaching down, Shannon grabbed the shoes she had taken off an hour ago, and followed as Sayid crept towards the jungle, entering it. There was an erupt scene change as the sounds grew closer and closer, and as pants were heard, Sayid led Shannon in an subconscious step back, but they were both relieved to find it was Boone running towards them. The quick sighs of alleviation only lasted so long, when they saw what state he was in. Boone was exhausted, sweating, out of breath, and as he placed his hands on his knees, gasping for air, neither could tell if Boone was running from something or to something. Finally, Boone stood back up, though his face was still speckled red.

"Locke-" he said, voice rasped, "Locke- he's in trouble."

Shannon and Sayid exchanged glances. Neither wanted to end their date, or anytime they were together for that matter, but if someone was in need of help, and Boone hadn't been able to find anybody else, then they knew what they had to do.

"I'll go find Jack," Shannon said, offering a sad smile of goodbye to Sayid.

"Just make sure you put the fire out," Sayid said softly, knowing that that would be a sight to see.

Knowing what would come next, Boone turned to the ground, trying to control the feelings of jealousy that were fighting against him. As expected, the moon glowed against Shannon and Sayid as he touched Shannon's cheek lightly, and caressed it as both leaned forward, and brace themselves for the kiss, and when it came, neither wanted to let it go. So they held onto it as long as they could, drawing in moment after moment, until one of them heard the light shuffle of Boone's feet against the ground. They broke apart, each more content the moment before, and headed off their separate ways.

Author's Note: I just have to say that I LOVE writing Shayid romance, and I don't really care if yall liked it or not(lol, mean, aren't I?) because I like writing it so..yeah. I know it isn't realistic for them to kiss in front of Boone(and it was also kind of mean) but it was the only place that it fit in. Oh, and sorry for the annoying (Space). Stupid formatting won't let me do double space, stars, or even parenthesis. Next chapter should be up soon. I think it's safe to say that I have anywhere from one to three chapters left. Either way, I have more stories planned(two, three counting an off-island fic) and as soon as new summaries come out, maybe those. Well make that three and an off-island fic. Who knows? If your bored, I'd really liked some feedback on my fic 'Whatever the Case May Be'. Lots of little Jate moments, though I took the 'choking' spoilers literally. Thanks for all the reviews, glad you enjoyed it and hope you still are!

Until next time..

October Sky