Here you guys go. Again sorry it takes so long. With work and
school i hd just enough to get thsi up. This chapter is kinda blain,
but it's important. And to those who get picky about my mistakes sorry.
Ibarely have time to read this over. So i just pass over things. Thanks
to everyone who reviewed. Enjoy.
Living Beyond
Grief was the mood of the day. That night they buried Walt along side the other six survivors they had buried in the last six months including Boone. After they filled in the grave a couple of them stood around the grave to pay respect. Michael stood at the foot of the grave looking over where his son now lay. Locke stood next to him leading the short ceremony. The others stood to the side silent with the sound of tears here and there. Claire stood with Christopher in her arms, with Charlie to her right and Kate to he left.
She was at the end of the line with Jack at the other end farthest from her with Charlie, Claire, Hurley, Sun, and some other between them. She stood with her head down looking up every once in a while. Jack on the other hand stared at her for the longest time. Just looking to her and then over to one of the others. There was no acknowledgment of his presence. She pretended as if he wasn't there. And she had every right to after how he treated her.
As they all stood there in the light of the torches surrounding them all that could be heard were tears. After Michael, Claire seemed to be the most emotional. She began to cry as Charlie rested his arm around her. Christopher became fussy at the sound of his mother's sorrow. Everyone turned their attention to the two trying to calm the baby.
"I'm sorry you guys." She apologized sniffing back her tears.
"Maybe we should take him back.' Charlie suggested. Claire shook her head.
"I'll come with.' Kate announced truly having enough of death.
Charlie and Claire expressed their deepest sorrows and said their goodnights before slowly heading off waiting for Kate. Walking over Kate left a gentle hand on Michael's arm. Looking up he gave her a tearful smile. Turning away she walked past Jack not even noticing his intense stare. She headed after Charlie and Claire with Jack's full attention on her as she walked away.
A little while after the three had made it to the caves the others began to walk in. Christopher had been put down to sleep, while Charlie and Claire were nestled around the fire talking. Kate stood over in the supply area folding clothes. As she folded each person's clothes she walked over and placed the pile on their other belongings. Soon enough she came to Jack's. Picking up two or three dress shirts and some plain gray t-shirts she folded them into small rectangles and placed them in a pile. Picking up the pile when she was finished she walked over to where his stuff was sitting. Laying them down she turned around and bumped into Jack.
"Whoa." Jack said as he caught her.
Looking up Kate gave him a half stressed and disgusted look. She was tired and was caught off guard. He could tell she wasn't in the mood for games. Giving a smile he simply let he go and walked away. Standing there for a minute she watched him go about his business wondering what that was all about. Pulling herself away from the though she turned, walking over to the rest of the clothes.
Three days passed after Walt's death. Michael secluded himself from the others and stayed to himself. Like Jack said everyone tried to get on with their lives. It wasn't exactly as easy as Jack put it out to be. He tried to put what happened past himself. He couldn't forget promising Michael Walt would live. Claire and Charlie were quiet and stayed away from the others.
They went about what they normally did, but like everyone else their minds were on the danger and sorrow surrounding everybody. Kate did as Jack. Putting what she could behind her, but the fear of what could happen to her haunted most of her thoughts. The others along with her sat in ever growing fear of what could happen next and which one of then will live to see tomorrow.
On the forth day life went on as it normally did. Jack joined Locke on a walk to the beach. Michael headed out on his own early before everyone else. There was no word said about it. Claire and Charlie woke with the baby, but soon after Charlie was called away by Hurley. Kate woke soon around noon. No one had thought to wake her up. As she got up and looked around she noticed it was just she, Claire, and one of the other survivors neither knew.
Getting up, she walked over into one of the caves with a clean pair of clothes in her hand. Her and Jack had rigged up a curtain so people could change without lack of privacy. Coming out and heading out for the day dressed in a black wife beater from one of the boys and a pair of ratty old jeans, she began to go through her mind what she needed to do that morning. Setting her clothes in the dirty pile she turned around to Claire holding Christopher.
"I'm trying not to be a bother here." Claire started.
"But I was wondering if you could watch Christopher for a moment while I go get something." She wondered.
"Sure." Kate obliged.
"It'll only before like tow seconds." Claire exclaimed as she handed Christopher over to Kate.
"Don't worry about it." Kate smiled.
"Thank you." Claire said as she turned around and wondered off.
With Christopher in arms Kate walked over to the small area Claire and Charlie had made for themselves. Sitting down she looked at the infant wondering what to do.
"Well I guess its me and you for alitttle bit." Kate said playing with his hands.
She just stared down to him watching him look around his somewhat familiar surroundings. Trying to get comfortable she moved him around in her arms. Immediately he began to get fussy.
"Oh shh." Kate said trying to calm him down. He began to get louder. Kate looked around for any sign of Claire or Charlie.
"Dammit!" She muffled under her breath.
Having no idea what to do she stood up and put Christopher against her shoulder. Thinking back to what she had seen Claire do two things came to mind. She started to bounce him up and down and pat him on the back.
"It's ok." She whispered.
Claire must have had some sensitive ears. She came rushing into the caves with a look of worry on her face.
When she looked over to Kate she stopped. There Kate stood with Christopher laying on her shoulder sleeping peacefully as she whispered a song in his ear. Claire had a smile ear to ear as she walked over to Kate.
"Hi." Kate smiled as she looked up to see her.
"Was he ok?" Claire asked as Kate put him back in her arms
"Yes. A little angel." Kate smiled looking down to Christopher.
"Thank you so much." Claire said walking over to Christopher's crib.
"Your welcome." Kate smiled as her eyes turned over to Locke who walked in with boar in his hands.
Keeping her eye on him she walked over to where he stood suddenly realizing Jack wasn't with him.
"John.' Kate called his attention. He turned around.
"Kate?" He asked looking at her with puzzled look on his face.
"Anything that needs to be done?" Kate sighed sticking her hands in her pants pockets. Locke put down his knives and rubbed his head.
"Uhh Jack and Sayid are going through some wreckage one of the other survivors found." He said going back to go through some of the other knives.
"They're out about half a mile east." Locke said pointing in the direction they were in. Kate turned and started for her stuff.
"Kate." Locke called. Kate stopped and turned around. He held out the knife to her.
"Incase." He said. Kate hesitantly took it from him and stood there as he turned away.
Off a half-mile east, Sayid and Jack were carting along some things they had found in a small part of the wreckage. It looked like part of the cargo from all the luggage that was scattered around.
"It's odd that after as long as we have been here now we find all these useful items." Sayid said as he picked through undamaged clothes and blankets among the many things.
"Everything recently has been a bit odd." Jack blurted out picking through small bags.
Sayid looked up at him with a look of question. Jack paid no attention and went on with what he was doing.
Jack looked down at the ground spotting a baby bottle. Bending down he found another. He came to a small bag of nothing, but baby items.
"This might come in handy." Jack joked sarcastically picking up the first bottle.
"You see how conveniently we found that a week or so after Claire came back with Christopher?" Sayid said in total seriousness.
Jack shrugged it off and picked up all the bottles and put them in the bag with the baby stuff. "Well it's useful no matter what." He said as he continued to rummage through the things.
While searching through the luggage Sayid couldn't help but notice Jack's odd behavior. He pretended to not care or listen to anything that he said. He just tried to get off the subject. But Sayid saw why he was acting so strange. After the week they all had anybody would be distant and trying to put it behind themselves.
"So how is Kate in all this?' Sayid asked.
Jack jumped at her name. He quickly stopped what he was doing and looked over.
"I guess she's all right. Haven't talked to he much in the last couple of days." Jack nearly mumbled looking back through the rubble.
Sayid watched how he acted around the thought of her. He seemed nervous at the mention of her name.
To change the subject Jack turned to the state of people on the beach.
"How is Shannon holding up?" Jack asked. Sayid dropped what was in hand.
"She's doing better. She just keeps talking about how she remembers Boone." Sayid sighed.
Jack shook his head as he went back to the luggage. Everyone was slowly become unhinged and falling apart.
"So you guys found the buried treasure." An inviting voice came from the other side of Jack.
Both looked up to see Kate walking towards them.
"Kate.' Jack whispered as her sudden voice caught him.
"Your ears must have been ringing." Sayid joked.
"Is that right? Where you talking about me?" Kate smiled walking up to Jack as she stared at Sayid.
"Good things I hope." She said as she glanced up to Jack who looked down to her in a trance.
All three seemed to be feeding off each other's nervousness that was fueled by Jack and Kate's awkwardness.
"Well have you come to help?' Jack asked breaking the silence. She looked up to him in somewhat defiance.
"Sure." She said staring him down as she walked past him.
He stared at her as if he were going to jump on her and do only god knows what. Sayid saw their ways about each other and it put him off guard with how the acted like they hated one another.
After going through and salvaging what they could, they gather what they had and headed back. Sayid saw the growing tension between the two as they walked back to camp.
"I have to get back to the beach." Sayid announced knowing the two being alone might do them good.
The two stopped and looked at him. The both seemed to be surprised.
"I'll drop these things off later." Sayid said as he turned and headed off towards the beach.
Kate and Jack stood there looking off in the direction Sayid was heading.
Walking along the barely visible trail with bags hanging off either arm, the two still spoke no words to each other. They could feel past tensions growing. But no matter they both glanced to one another. Finally they caught each other. Nervous smiles provoked them.
"So how's the doc doing?" Kate smiled looking back and forth between Jack and the ground.
"Good. Exhausted, but good." He answered.
"You?" He asked.
"Accomplished." She smiled proudly.
"Accomplished? As in?" Jack started.
"I watched Christopher today." Kate said pulling the loose bag over her shoulder. Jack just laughed.
"What?' Kate asked trying to hold in her laughter.
"Just the thought of you and child is weird." Jack said furrowing his brow.
Kate stopped causing him to. She looked up at him searching his eyes. Simply smiling and kept her eyes on him as she turned and then walked a head.
Continuing on they became silent again still looking back and forth between each other. As the trail started to become wider and the trees receded the two slowed down as the saw that the trail fell off. Standing at the top of the 50-foot drop off cliff the two stared down at the ground contemplating how to get down. A dense border of trees stood close and as tall as the cliff to where they could reach out and touch the tops of the trees.
Kate turned and looked back down the trail behind her. They must have taken a wrong turn and went off the original trail. Looking back she say Jack at her feet already climbing down the side of the cliff.
"What are you doing?" She asked putting down her bags and squatted down.
"When I get down toss the bags to me." Jack instructed. Kate smiled as she stood up and gathered the bags.
Like he said once he got down she tossed the bags to him.
"Your turn." Jack laughed. Squatting down she climbed over.
Positioning her self with leverage she began to climb down.
As she climbed she looked over her shoulder to she Jack looking up waiting for her. Nearing the bottom Jack's hands came up around her waist. She paused for a second as she looked down to him realizing she had forgotten why they had been mad at each other. That was always how it happened between her and Jack. Once look at either of them and a smile came about them and all was good again in the world.
Turning back to reality she grasped onto his shoulders as he lifted her and put he on the ground. Their eyes met and were broken as Jack turned to pick up the bags. Kate still kept her gaze on him. She just watched him pick up each bag. As he turned to her he caught her.
"What?' He asked.
In a daze she only saw his lips move. Seeing him become confused she woke up.
"Huh?" She asked.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Yeah." She said turning around trying to avoid a further conversation.
Starting off again through the trees surroundings began to become familiar again. Making meaningless conversation they were just trying to keep silence from condemning them. As sudden oddity in the ground stopped Kate. She had felt something like it under her feet before. As her heart beat rapidly as she looked under her foot. There sat a lone shoe.
Jack had stopped noticing she had. He saw the shoe she was entranced with. Walking over to her he bent down over the shoe.
"It's Michael's" Jack whispered.
"What?" Kate asked as he focused at the ground.
"It's Michael's shoe." Jack repeated as he rushed off.
"What's Michael's shoe doing way out here?" Kate asked heading after him. By now Jack was too far ahead of her for him to hear.
"Jack!" She yelled as she jogged away in his direction.
Coming to where he was she stopped as she saw him fall to his knees.
"Jackā¦"She started and stopped as she looked down to the ground.
There lay Michael before them on his stomach with one arm twisted behind his back and the other sprawled over his head. Footprints were scattered al around his body. Jack rushed over to him and started looking him over.
"Is he?" Kate asked holding back tears as she walked over to where Jack knelt next to Michael.
Jack didn't answer as he checked for a pulse. Brining his fingers to his neck Jack pulled back. Blood covered his hand.
Jack sat there staring at his hand. Turning back to Kate his face was full of sorrow and shock. She let go of her tears as she came to his side. Wiping her eyes she wrapped her arm around Jack. He became cold pulling away the instant she wrapped her arm him. She stared up to him in puzzlement as he got up. He looked around with tears welling in his eyes.
"Jack it's ok." She tried to assure him as she got up.
Looking down and away from her he sniffed back his tears. Trying to be strong he looked up and away from Kate.
"Hand me the tarp." Jack instructed pointing to the bags.
Kate turned around and picked up the tarp. Jack went and laid it down next to Michael's body.
"Help me.' Jack ordered grabbing Michael's arms.
Kate hesitated, but grabbed his feet. Picking him up they placed him on the tarp and wrapped it around him. Kate stood across from Jack watching him as he stared down at the body.
"What are we gonna do?' She asked.
"The caves aren't far. We'll leave him here and go for the others." Jack sighed. He acted as if it was nothing now.
Was he trying to act lie this wasn't happening?
Kate stood as he walked past her picking up the bags he had dropped.
"Kate." He called her out of her daze.
She stayed for a moment and then turned away. The thought aggravated Kate reminding her with every step she took further away. Neither said a word. There were no looks between them either. It was silence filled with thought.
Getting back to the caves most everyone was there. Charlie and Claire were joking about where they always sat. Hurley sat with Jin as they gutted fish. Locke stood over cleaning knives as usual. The others went about their business not even taking a thought to the two walking in with grief on their faces. Jack immediately noticed Locke.
"John." He called. Locke could see the pain in both Jack and Kate's eyes as he walked over to them.
"What's wrong?' Were the first words out of his mouth.
Jack couldn't say and neither could Kate. She stood with her head down.
"What?" Locke asked with increased worry in his voice.
The two led him to where they left Michael. Walking over to the tarp Locke already knew a body was inside. Taking a deep breath Jack bent down and pulled back the tarp. Locke's eyes went wide.
"Michael.' He whispered.
Both he and Jack looked back as they heard a small crying noise.
Kate stood looking down at the body covering her mouth as she cried.
"Did he kill himself?' Locke asked.
"He was murdered." Jack announced with a sullen voice.
"Murdered? By whom?" Locke asked as he looked back and forth between Jack and Kate. Neither had the answer.
