Wish You Were Here
Chapter Ten
Claimer:
Author's Note: This really should've been at the end of chapter nine. Just letting you know for the sake of confusion.
But the kiss didn't last as long as Alex had hoped. The boat gave a rough rock, causing Adam to bit down on her lip. She tore away and pain, and Adam leaned over and shouted:
"What the hell was that for, Travis?"
When no answer came, Adam turned, moving toward the front of the ship.
"Travis?" Adam repeated, this time in worry.
Adam slowly approached the front of the ship, Alex following, wiping the blood from her lip as she did. They turned the corner towards the main part of the ship, and both stopped in horror of what they saw. Both Travis and his right hand man, Jem, were gone- completely. Water drenched the ship in a small pool of blood.
"Oh God," Alex murmured, feeling sickness developing in her stomach.
"What the hell?" Adam said to himself as he stepped forward, but was stopped by another jerk, and Alex was thrown to the side, her head hitting the cool interior of the boat, and she felt blood drip down her forehead as her boyfriend shouted her name from the other side, as she slipped into darkness.
However, what Alex was seeing now was nothing compared to the pool of blood. She was on the same shoreline as before, but this time, she wasn't alone. She was staring at a body that had washed up on shore, clothes torn in a mixture of blood and salt. Unable to move, Alex just stood and watched, as she realized she recognized the body, but no..that was impossible.
"Sayid I found her!" Alex heard Jack yelled from somewhere behind her.
She felt Jack's calm hands touch her shoulder, forcing her to face him.
"Are you all right?" He asked her for what seemed to her like the dozenth time that day, but Jack hadn't seemed to mind at all.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Alex said in a forced whisper.
Jack knew she was lying, but also knew there was nothing he could do about it here, so he held on to her as he led her once more back to camp.
Alex had been laying in the darkness for what must've been five minutes, listening to the sound of crashing waves and the calling of what sounded like very distant seagulls. Something soft brushed underneath her back, and she knew she was holding something as Alex groaned, trying to move, and finally gave up, resulting in trying to open an eye. After three tries, she was able to, and had to blink away the blood before she saw what she was holding: A single, human hand.
"Alex!"
Alex was beginning to hate her name. It was all she had been hearing for the passed few hours. Jack coming up behind her every few minutes, making sure she was still all right, and handing her water and small amounts of aspirin, assuming that she was in pain. Behind her, she could hear the gossip of other survivors. Apparently Sayid had never returned, and she begun to worry about him, remembering whatever it was that had come towards her in the jungle. Now she sat at her usual spot on the beach, figuring that she was safe.
"Alex!" Kate called again.
Great, Kate. The last person she wanted to talk to. She wasn't even sure if Kate had remembered what she had done, but wasn't about to press it, fearing that she was the only person who knew something of Kate's past, and not sure what the results of that would be. Especially with Kate and Jack. That was something that she never wanted to ruin. She turned her head to see Kate walking towards her.
"I wanted to talk to you," Kate said, her tone a little to motherly for Alex.
Kate stood behind Alex for a moment, obviously waiting for a response.
"Can I sit down?" She asked when she didn't get one.
"Sure," Alex said, "it's not my beach."
Sitting down, Kate tried to observe Alex's current state, like Jack would, before jumping into a conversation. But despite the days events, Alex seemed perfectly fine. Of course, Kate herself had put on that act before.
"What is it that you have against me?" Kate asked, cutting to the chase.
Alex turned and looked at Kate.
"You don't remember?" She asked in disbelief, not receiving an answer. "You shot me."
"What?" Kate asked, her mind taking a toll. "I- what?"
"A few months ago," Alex said, "at this bar and grill. I think Jack was there too."
Kate caught her breath in her throat as she remembered.
"Yeah," Kate said after swallowing, "that was Jack. Look, Alex."
"Don't tell me that your sorry," Alex interrupted, turning to look at Kate.
That was when Kate got the same feeling that Jack had, as well as Sayid. The feeling telling them that in reality, this girl was far more older than fifteen. Her eyes were worn and exhausted. She had probably been through more in the past few days, Kate thought, then some people went through in a life time. Then again, hadn't they all?
"I don't need pity," Alex told her, "I've had enough of that. I just want to start over- like everyone else got to do. Like you got to do."
"Jack knows," Kate decided to tell her, "he knows about my past."
"And he still trusts you?" Alex said in astonishment.
"Yeah," Kate said, nodding, "he does. Even after I told him- everything- he still trust me. Or at least, I think he does."
"Why don't you just ask him?" Alex asked.
Kate laughed a little.
"I don't work like that," she said, and after a pause, continued, "I just wanted to let you know, that if you ever need anything, someone to talk to, whatever, I'm here for you. We all are. I just hope that somehow, you can forgive me."
Standing up, Kate left Alex with that message, and stood up, heading towards the cave.
"Hey, Kate!" Alex called back to her at the last minute.
"Yeah?" Kate asked, looking back at her.
"I just thought you should know," Alex said, "that I can be a very forgiving person. Just promise me one thing."
"What?" Kate said, her lips curling into a small smile.
"Don't let Jack beat himself up to much," Alex said, smiling a little.
Kate grinned.
"Why?" She asked, curious. "You don't- like him do you? Because I know you have a thing for older guys and-"
"No!" Alex said quickly, embarrassed.
"It's just that," Kate continued, "if Sawyer ends up winning me in the end, Jack will be up for grabs-"
"You're forgetting one thing," Alex said, in more of a good mood than she remembered being in for a while.
"What?"
"I'm younger than you," Alex said, mischievously.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Kate asked, puzzled.
"I'm probably faster than you," Alex smirked.
Kate smiled.
"I got it," she said, "see you around. And I'll keep an I on Jack."
Alex considered telling Kate that she wouldn't be the only one, but let it slide as Kate headed back toward the caves.
(Space)
"I just had a talk with Alex," Kate said as she entered Jack's cave.
He had changed clothes and was now wearing an old gray sleeveless shirt and tattered and torn blue jeans.
"Oh yeah?" Jack said, hiding some medicine under a blanket. "Did you tell her not to stay out past ten and to eat all her vegetables?"
"No," Kate said laughing, "I got her to forgive me."
Jack stopped what he was doing and looked at her.
"For what?" He asked, not sure if he wanted the answer.
Kate looked down before speaking, and decided it would be better if Jack met her eyes as she talked.
"There are some things about my past that you don't know about," Kate said, and corrected, "and still don't know about. But I'm willing to let you trust me.
She stepped forward, only inches away from Jack.
"I want you to trust me," she told him, staring into his eyes as she tried to reach for her hand.
To Kate's surprised, he jerked back.
"Kate, I can't," Jack said quietly, stepping back, "not now."
"Why?" Kate pressured. "Why can't you let yourself live a little? Give yourself the second chance that you know you deserve?"
"I have some things that I have to take care of," Jack said as he threw a shovel over his shoulder, "some things I have to get over, before thinking about anything else. Because I know that I can help the others, until I've helped myself."
Kate smiled at the repetitive quote.
"I thought it was 'save', Kate tested.
"Yeah, well heroes are overrated these days," Jack said, giving Kate a small smile.
"Yeah," Kate agreed, "they have flaws."
Jack and Kate met eyes once more, trying to send each other the same message of understanding and future hope.
"I've got to go," Jack said at last, "if I'm not back by nightfall- don't come looking for me."
"All right," Kate nodded, "but I'll be out there on your trail first thing tomorrow morning."
Jack smiled fully this time.
"I know."
(Space)
"I've got something for you," Charlie said, smiling as he sat down beside Claire.
"What?" Claire asked, returning the grin.
Charlie handed her the piece of paper, and let her read it. Eyes trailing over, Calire scanned what she found to be song lryics:
Claire looked up at Charlie, confused.
"A little foreful, isn't it?" Claire joked.
"That was for another girlfriend," Charlie explained with a smile, and was cut off when Claire leaned forward as best as she could, and kissed him.
After locking lips for a moment in the beautful atmostphere, Charlie broke it off.
"Claire," he began quietly, "you didn't have to."
"I know," Claire said, and leaned forward, giving him another small kiss on the lips, "I wanted to."
Lifting herself up, Claire waddled away, leaving Charlie red and blushing from where he remained frozen at his spot in the caves.
(Space)
Sweat soaked into Jack's damp eyes as he buried his head into his dripping arm. He had been digging for the past three hours, and had finally had his father buried. He had told no one exactly where he was going, but at the sight of Jack carrying a shovel, they all had their suspensions.
Burying his father had been like giving himself an entire new level. He felt completed, like he could really put it behind himself. Jack knew it wouldn't be that easy, but he was willing to do it, or at least try, and he knew that he had help when he needed it.
"Hey, Doc!"
Jack jerked up from where he stood resting against the shovel, hands filthy with dirt and eyes red from tears, face pale. He cursed himself for not hearing Sawyer come sooner.
"I- just wanted to give this to you," Sawyer said, reaching from behind him, pulling out the last thing Jack expected Sawyer to have:
He was holding a wooden crossed, perfectly cut from the jungle's bark.
"I found it in the wreckage and thought I'd give it to your cause," Sawyer said, "I have no use for it myself and.."
Sawyer trailed off of his lie. Jack could see right through him, and for the first time, saw the most human in Sawyer he had ever seen. He was actually tempting an apology, and maybe even asking for trust. Or had Sawyer just driven himself mad in self-guilt?
"I guess I'll just let you get back to.." Sawyer didn't finish as his voice broke off, and he turned toward the ground before slowly walking away.
Jack watched him go, and had almost let Sawyer get away before-
"Hey, Sawyer!" Jack yelled after him.
Sawyer turned, caught off guard.
"Thanks," Jack said sincerely, holding up the cross, "I appreciate it."
"Yeah?" Sawyer said, his dimples showing as he cocked a grin. "Well don't expect more where that came from."
"I wasn't asking," Jack said as Sawyer walked away, "oh! And Sawyer?"
Sawyer turned again, slightly impatient this time, but he dealt with it. For the first time, Sawyer found himself feeling sorry for Jack. It wasn't even his fault that he was on this island. It was his father's. And where was he now? Dead. Great twist of fate that was.
"You wouldn't of happened to found him near a stream would you?" Jack asked, fighting to hold himself together. "Just a few miles east of here, with some luggage?"
"How'd you know?" Sawyer said suspiciously.
"Lucky guess," Jack said, and let Sawyer go again.
He had begun plotting the last of the dirt back into the crave, and was about to lay the shovel down when Sawyer caught him again.
"Oh, and Jack?" Sawyer said, getting his attention.
Jack looked up.
"You gonna finish that eulogy of yours?"
The eulogy. Of course. Jack had completely forgotten about it, though he knew he had still placed it in the back pocket of his jeans along with a pen he had found.
"Some things are better left unfinished," Jack replied, and left Sawyer with it as Sawyer finally turned, and left.
Sighing, Jack sat the shovel on the ground and rested his back against a tree, closing his eyes in relief. He sat there for a minute, letting his thoughts and minutes take over him before reaching back into his pocket and taking out the yellowing sheet of paper, and stared at it, taping the pen against it as he tried to think of what to say next.
He hadn't been sure of what to think of this island experience, what kind of message someone was trying to send him, but he knew that fate had at least a few answers. Kate, for example, who was willing to be there for him whenever he was about to go over the edge, no matter how often it happened, and he had a feeling that it would be happening a lot in the future. Jack knew he'd just have to get over it, let the grief take him and he'd have to force himself to fight back. He wasn't going to give up, like Boone, but accept the help that was offered. He'd just have to stop being brave. With that, he realized what Kate had said- some heroes did have flaws.
Jack bit on the pen a little longer, before finally bringing it to the page, clicking it on, letting the black ink touch the paper where four single words lay written-
My father, Christian Sheppard..
and ran his pen across the letters, correcting it..
My dad, Christian Sheppard..
Author's Note: What an ending, huh? Well I'm beat. Thanks for all the reviews and hope you all come back! And ANY ideas and suggestion for Boone/Sayid's jungle trek next fic, which should be up soon! Sorry that I get repetitive in my writing, I'm trying to fix that! Thanks again, and hope you liked it!
Summary for next fic: The Impossible:
Tension rises as Sayid and Boone search for the missing Shannon, something that Boone blames on Sayid, and Kate worries for Sawyer, who's been getting abnormal headaches.
Thanks again and again!
October Sky
