A/N: Thanks so much to all who have reviewed my story so far. Behold the memories! I'm thinking that soon I will wrap it up in a neat little package, so please stick with it. Keep letting me know what you think, I love getting your reviews. Enjoy! Gitania

Memories of Hope

Chapter 13: Deep Dark

"I'm really trying to be civil, Sawyer!" Hope had been in the doorway of Sawyer's shelter for a mere five minutes, and already she was reaching the end of her tether.

"I know you are, Peaches, that's why I'm so amused." he laughed at her and closed his eyes again, pulling his sunglasses down to cover them and snuggling deeper into the aeroplane chair he had dragged into his den.

Hope was losing her temper, struggling with vindictive thoughts of running straight to Sayid and asking him politely to recover her property from Sawyer using any and all force he deemed necessary. Instead, Hope took a few deep breaths, trying to ignore Sawyer's obvious delight at her situation.

"You know," she said sarcastically, "I feel like we've been here before. It may be my less-than-completely-reliable memory, but this is feeling mighty familiar."

"That it is, precious, so what are you going to give me this time?" he raised the glasses from his face and pushed them onto his head, gesturing for her to enter his domain and take a seat.

Hope sat on the sand, knowing she had nothing to offer that could be as valuable to him as holding this over her, "Any chance there's a song plaguing you?" she joked dryly.

Sawyer smiled, enjoying the non-accusatory conversation, "Not this time, I'm afraid, but I'm sure you'll think of something better."

"Look, Sawyer," Hope started, trying to figure out how she would explain her need for her father's badge without giving him more ammunition to use against her. She decided to fight him in his own style, "I know you like a good piece of blackmail..."

"As much as the next man," Sawyer smiled broadly at her, "Unless the next man is the Doc, in which case I like it a whole lot more than the next man!"

"So, how about you give me back my father's badge and I'll let you keep your dignity and all-important bad-boy image."

Sawyer knew better than to look ruffled, and instead fixed her with a challenging stare. "Come again?"

"I know all about you," Hope said softly, looking up at him from her seat on the sand. She smiled in a motherly fashion, "You're just a big softie, aren't you?"

"What!" Sawyer was unimpressed, sitting up straight and giving her the most menacing look he could muster. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Story time." Hope said simply, "I've seen you there. You arrive right after Kate most nights, except you don't want anyone to know. Do you come for the stories, or is it just too lonely to be out here, knowing that we're all safe, warm and enjoying each other's company?"

Hope wondered if Sawyer could see right through her bluff. While she had a strong suspicion that she was recounting the truth, she had never actually seen him during story time. She had no proof.

Sawyer sat still for a long time, weighing up his options. Was a shiny badge really worth being outlawed from the caves at night? He knew that Sayid, for one, would hardly be impressed by his presence, and it would annoy the Doc especially that he followed Kate to the caves each night.

"How do I know you can keep a secret?" he asked, and Hope knew that she would soon be walking back to the caves with the treasure she came for.

"I guess you don't." she replied seriously. "Maybe you'll just have to trust me."

"Trust you?" Sawyer was sceptical. "I don't think so, Peaches. I'm going to need something a little more solid than that."

Hope shrugged, "I don't have anything else – just a fun little secret about you and your softer side." She stood up to leave, and held out her hand for the badge.

Sawyer stood up and reached into his back pocket, retrieving the small golden object.

"Here you go," he said good-naturedly, handing it to her as though they were old friends settling a bet.

"Thanks." She turned to leave as he sat back down, taking the sunglasses from his head and putting them back over his eyes.

"Sawyer?" Hope turned back quietly.

"Mmmmm?" He looked up at her and raised his eyebrows in a bored manner.

"If you want to come to story time – you can. Nobody will mind. It might help if you made an effort to get along with everybody."

"I doubt that the fairytale experience will be made more enjoyable by the presence of their very own 'bad guy'." Sawyer said, "But thanks, Peaches."

Hope smiled sadly at him and left Sawyer to his own devices, gazing happily at the badge in her hand. As it reflected in the light Hope was struck by a strangely familiar feeling of sickness, and felt herself moving rapidly towards the sand beneath her feet as darkness swallowed her.

"I've booked a hotel in Sydney for you, under an assumed name. As long as you're there, you're going to be Leslie Miller, do you understand? Your airline bookings are under the name of Robyn Forge – listen to me!"

Hope's mind was spinning as she tried to take in her father's wishes. She felt like a fugitive. Her eyes snapped back to her father, as she realised she had followed him into her room, and he was throwing her things into a large white suitcase and handing her a smaller version to use as hand luggage.

Suddenly he buckled, sitting heavily on the bed and taking his head in his hands. Her father – her idol – was crying.

"Dad," Hope said helplessly, sitting beside him and holding him close.

"Honey, listen," he said, pulling himself together and holding both of her hands, "This is big. Something huge is happening at the precinct, and I found out about it. Did you see their faces – the people that shot your mother?"

Hope nodded, knowing she would never be able to erase those faces from her memory.

"Good," he said nodding, "Never forget them. These people are cops – cops that I work with. They killed your mother because I know what they've been doing and I was going to turn them all in. They're working with criminals – big time criminals – buying and selling weapons all over America. This could go right to the top of the ladder of the police force, honey, so you can't stay here. They'll get to you, too, and then we'll never be able to put them away. You're the only witness."

Hope was panicked, fearing that any moment her mother's killers would burst through her bedroom door and shoot them both. "Dad, I'm scared," she confided.

"I know, honey, but I'm taking care of you. I won't lose you, too." He pulled her into a hug, and then released her saying, "Now pack. Take anything you need, I don't know how long you'll be away. It's only until we get a court date, and then I'll send for you to come home and testify against these people. We're going to get them, honey. Then we can be a family again."

Hope held back tears as she packed her things, placing her notebook carefully into her hand luggage, along with the family photo that sat on her nightstand.

At the airport she refused to cry as she hugged her father tight, and as she pulled away he handed her a passport and a small gift, wrapped loosely in a handkerchief. She handed her boarding pass and the passport to the air hostess as she boarded the plane, and tried to hide her surprise at seeing the name "Robyn Forge" next to her own photograph.

After settling herself into seat 26 D, Hope built up the courage to open her father's last gift to her. She cried bitterly as his police officer's badge was revealed from within the folds of the handkerchief. As the plane took off Hope held the badge in her hand, watching it reflect the sunlight that shone in through the double-paned window. She felt sick with fear, wondering if she would ever be with the people she loved again.