A/N: Thanks to Feckles-101, Evermore, Taylor47, Jess, Oreata, bwcheer, suspencer, Tatiana, Rockin' Flute Trumpet, candyclouds, and Pink Pinker. I'm glad that chapter was worth the wait and I just want to say a big thanks for all my reviews so far, I enjoy them very much! I apologize for the shortness, but the next part is getting stuck and I didn't want to make everyone wait forever, so this'll have to do for now.

Bushes scattered, Boone could hear it as he landed in the clearing. Birds screeched and flew into the sky as his eyes searched for the rock from his dream in the settling darkness.

"Shannon!" Boone yelled as he rushed over to the sagging, blonde form on the ground and knelt beside her, two of his fingers instinctively touching her neck, begging for a pulse.

There it was; the steady rhythmic beat under his fingertips. Boone began to breathe again as he pulled his hand away. She was unconscious. He could deal with that. Jack would be at the camp, he could just take her there and then-

"Boone?" A quiet, bewildered voice broke into his thoughts and he looked down into the grey eyes that were staring back up at him, "You're here?" They looked one way, than the other and then the eyes fell back on him, "What happened?"

"Of course I'm here," He said, shrugging off the almost bitter surprise in her voice indifferently, "I always have to get you out of trouble, why should it be any different here?"

"Boone, get over yourself." Shannon groaned, "What happened?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Boone retorted, crossing his arms as she leaned up on her elbows and flinched, blinking, "I got here and you were gorked out on the ground. What're you doing out here anyway? I thought I told you it's-"

"Shut up, alright, I'm not eight anymore. I can take care of myself-" Shannon snapped, her eyes adverting to her hands quickly.

"Fat chance! You couldn't ever take care of yourself. You're a helpless, worthless waste of space!" Boone was almost yelling again, although his reasoning now was at the opposite end of the spectrum then it'd been earlier. He couldn't believe this! After all he'd gone through that night, the worry, pain, and fear, and this was his reward for doing the right thing?

"Boone, just shut up!" Shannon rubbed her forehead with frustration and she slowly sat up, "What, do you think I just passed out for the hell of it? There was something there!" Putting her hands against the rock for balance, she stood shakily, swaying until she found her balance, "I'm leaving."

"What? Alone?" Boone interrogated as he rose, "No, sorry, no way."

"Oh yeah?" Shannon asked defiantly, "I'm just a waste of space anyway, right Boone? Why do you even give a damn?"

Leave it to Shannon to shove his words right back down his throat.

"Fine, you know what? I'm glad we agree for once, I don't give a damn. Go out there and get yourself killed, for all I care, I'm finished." Boone turned, shoving past her and storming towards the trees, fully intent on leaving her stranded to wander for however long it took her to get her stupid, blonde head straightened out.

"Boone-" Shannon's voice called him from back by the rock.

"Not this time, Shannon." Boone whispered, letting his words hang with a weighty finality.

"No, Boone, I'm-" Shannon called out and Boone noticed, with some morbid enjoyment, that her voice had begun to sound upset. He knew that tone, it was the one he'd felt for the last ten years of his life. It was about time the tables were turned.

He couldn't resist the urge to throw back a final scathing comment as he turned around, "Now you know how it feels. It's hell, huh? Wait, what the?"

Shannon was on top of him, throwing him to the ground and then pinning his side there with agility Boone had never seen in her before.

"What the? What're you doing?" Boone yelled, but before he could hear anything from Shannon, she was thrown off him.

Flying backwards, her body connected to the rock with the sickening crunch of shattering bone. Something else flew right behind her, but it stopped short of hitting the rock, landing feet away from it.

It padded forward, a low rumbling shaking the ground. Boone scuttled backwards.

It was a polar bear; a huge, furious polar bear that hadn't noticed him yet. Crawling backwards he watched in horror as the creature stepped closer to the rock.

His mind was numb in shock. Every nerve in his brain snapped trying to fathom what had just happened.

If he'd been standing up when that polar bear had jumped in, he would've been snapped in half. After everything he'd just said, after almost leaving her alone in the forest she'd just… saved his life.

Come on, come on! Boone's mind yelled as he felt around the ground. From what he could see in the dark, the polar bear would be next to her any second.

He had to help.

His right hand grasped a rock and clenched onto it as he stood and smashed it as hard as he could onto the back side of the animal.

"Come here, you big furry…bear!" He yelled at the polar bear, his blood pumping through his veins as his fingers stung, sending shivers up his arm, "Over here!" He smacked the rock against the beast again.

The bear's head swung around. Snarling, it turned around faster than Boone had ever imagined a thousand pound animal ever could. It lowered its head and began to snort at him and Boone suddenly wished he'd paid a lot more attention in sixth grade bio.

Backing away slowly, he held the rock between him and the slowly following creature. He could count almost every tooth outlined in the bear's mouth. Still shouting at it, he backed up, trying to take careful steps.

The bear followed cautiously at first, obviously confused at the attack. Soon, though, its mind came back to one thing, the deep hunger gnawing in the pits of its stomach. It picked up the pace.

Boone moved back faster, still holding the rock out in front of his body as a meager defense. If he didn't think of something soon, though, it'd be about as effective as a twig trying to dam a river.

He picked up speed, trying to get his distance from the bear, but it wasn't working. The creature matched his pace and then some.

Even as Boone began to run, one glance back showed the pounding pads of the animal easily stayed at his speed.

The faster he moved the less attention he gave to terrain. Tripping, he fell backwards and landed on his back, the bear's gaping jaws closing in. Boone covered his face with his arm and closed his eyes.

It's over. Weird, I never would've thought it would end like this… I hope someone finds Shannon before the polar bear gets her too. Boone thought in the kind of calm only impending death could bring. But as time passed, he slowly lowered his arm and looked over it hesitantly. Why wasn't he dead by now?

The bear was feet from him, but had started to back away fearfully.

Instead of growling, it began to whimper and yelp until it twisted its body around and lumbered off, still mewling and falling over just trying to get away from him.

Boone watched it leave and then took a deep breath before his mind finally started to recognize he was still alive.

What the hell just happened? I didn't scare it off. But if it wasn't me, then…

Warily, Boone began to turn his head so he could look behind him. He almost caught a glimpse of something before something struck the back of his head and the jungle turned to blackness.