Shannon lowered herself to the ground and realized that everyone was staring at her. "What?"
"What did they want with you?"
"Oh, nothing much."
"Nothing much?" Kate asked incredulously.
"Yep."
"Really?" Sun and Kate asked at the same time.
"Really."
"Are you hiding this to protect us?"
"Definitely. You don't want to know."
"I want to know," Sawyer said quietly. It was evident he was still pissed at Shannon; he could barely look at her without sneering.
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"Don't."
"DO!"
"Fine. All the guys on the island have been infected with a virus that will turn you into the man-creatures outside…oh and you suck."
Everyone stared at Shannon. It unnerved her enough that she had to ask, "Why are you staring at me?"
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Seriously?"
"YES!" Once again, Shannon is met with dumb-founded looks. "Alright, I'm done." Shannon leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.
Kate crept closer and whispered to her. "Tell me what else happened."
Shannon opened one eye. "What do you mean?"
"Obviously something happened."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do. Look, no one can hear us. What happened?"
"Okay," Shannon sighed. "Who knocked you up Kate?"
"What!"
"Who knocked you up? Cause according to psycho bitch in the tent over there you and Sun are knocked up."
"That's not…no…I…oh, god." Kate got up and scurried back to Sun where they spent the next hour arguing in quiet tones.
"Are you alright Shannon?" Claire sat down next to Shannon.
Shannon though about telling Claire what she'd learned, and instead decided she'd tell her about her secret plan.
In the morning, the sun rose and bathed the prisoners in light. It was curious to note that Sawyer and Kate were sleeping in each other's arms. Something told Shannon that Sawyer was daddy to Kate's baby.
As for Sun, well Shannon had no idea. It could be Jin, or it could be Michael. Lord knows they've been spending a lot of time together as of late. They also gave each other very…loving looks. But she also gave those to her husband. Jin, for his part, was ignoring Sun. No one quite knew what had happened but they all knew that something had. Jin had moved to the beach and Sun had pointedly not been with him.
Shannon shook off the strands of grass that had blown onto her in the night and turned to wake up Claire. "Are you ready?"
"Yes." Together they crept slowly to the edge of the cage, where bamboo plants formed the bars. There, out of the sight of the creatures that continued to sleep, they began to use the nail file Shannon always kept in her pocket to saw at the bamboo. As the others began to wake, Shannon and Claire kept working. The others saw what they were doing, but wisely decided to keep quiet. They did keep shooting sneaky glances at them.
They were all surprised to see that it was Shannon and Claire doing the escaping bit. Shannon, most perceived, was useless, and in the months they'd been on the island, Claire had been very quiet and had stayed away from the others. Why would they be helping the others now?
Well, for one part, helping the others was only as side benefit. For Claire it was helping the others by helping herself. Shannon didn't really care what happened to the others. She was worried for Sayid. He was walking into a trap.
(Flashback)
"It's a trap. A snare if you will. I set the bait, and without fail he comes."
Brian settled his feet on the table and studied Shannon's face. "So, you basically betray your brother…"
"Step-brother."
"…in order to hose him for a couple grand?"
"More like a couple dozen grand."
"And what do I get out of helping you with this?"
"Half the cash."
Brian leaned over the table and grabbed Shannon's ankle, which had been swinging in impatience. "And us?"
Shannon smiled as she extricated her ankle from the pawing man's hands. "We'll be over. It'll hardly do to have him see us together after he's paid you to leave me alone."
"So you're basically breaking up with me?"
"Got it in one."
"That sucks."
"Yeah."
"So I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Wait," Shannon said, "there's one more thing. Boone will be here tomorrow."
"So?"
"Do I look beat up moron?"
"Who you callin' a moron?"
Shannon sighed and gestured for him to come closer. "Hit me."
Brian stepped back as if he was scorned. "What!"
Shannon pushed him back further, an effort to piss him off. "Hit me."
"I can't…"
"You can." Push. "And you will." Push.
"But I don't…" Push. "…want to! I'm…" Push. "…not like that."
"You have to!" Shannon yelled, finally stopping pushing him. "Just once. A nice small bruise to give him the evidence he needs."
Brian tottered as he put switched his weight from one foot to another. "Okay, how do I do this?"
"Just…hit…me." Brian punched her arm softly. "Please, don't be an idiot."
"I can't!"
"You can." Brian took a steadying breath and pulled his arm back to hit Shannon. "Not that hard! You trying to kill me?"
"NO! I…"
"Don't say you can't. Just don't hit too soft or too hard." Brian, finally, did as she told. He didn't hit her chin, or even her eye. In an effort to not hurt her too bad, he hit her on the side of her head, and ended up knocking her against a light fixture in the hall.
"Ow!" Shannon exclaimed. She reached up to feel the left side of her head (where he hit her) and was unhappy to see that it had happened in her hair. Boone wouldn't be able to see the bruise! She turned to yell at Brian when she saw that he had bruised her. On her temple, where she'd struck the fixture, was an already blue bruise. "That's perfect."
(End Flashback)
Shannon and Claire worked until mid-day. When their jailers brought them all lunch, they sawed through almost half the bars. They couldn't saw through the top, so Shannon and Claire figured that a good running jump would break the bars, with the bottom already sawed. They'd also need the opening to be wide, because breaking through the bars would make a lot of noise, and that would attract the beasts, and all the prisoners needed to get out quickly.
Shannon was just about to settle back down to saw again when Sawyer gestured to her. He was standing a little ways from the others and was staring through the bars into space.
"What?"
"Hey, sticks. How you doing?"
"What?"
"Oh, nothin'. I was just watching you and I saw your birthmark."
"What…oh, you mean my heart?" Shannon asked, though she knew what he was referring to. It was a medium sized birthmark on her should that greatly resembled a heart.
"Yeah. And then I got to thinkin'. Did you know my mother had one exactly like that, in exactly that spot? And then I got to thinkin' some more. Your daddy knew my momma, and well that's a mighty big coincidence. So right don't you tell me the truth before I get really mad sticks?"
HAHA! Great chapter right? I never though Sawyer would get it. He's so dense.
