Wow, so we're finally here: We're Saved! vol. 1 2. This is chapter 9. I really like this next section (vol. 2), I had a lot of fun brainstorming about it, and a lot of other plots and things will come out of the castaways' experiences in this volume.

So, please enjoy!

Romen

9. 'The Odyssey' Was Useful After All

Kate sat down on a rock, biting her lip, perspiration sliding down her face. She looked up at Boone, Sawyer, and Jack. They were all staring at her expectantly. She hugged her haliburton a bit tighter.

"What's in that thing?" Sawyer asked, reaching for the suitcase. Kate jerked away.

"I'm trying to think, all right? Give me some space."

"Fine, fine, Freckles." Sawyer rolled his eyes. "We've been on this island for over 40 days. You'd think that you'd have already made you decision."

"Important decisions take a long time," Kate retorted. "If you knew that maybe you wouldn't have already tattooed my name onto your arm."

Sawyer frowned. "But I thought that you said that you loved me."

Kate sighed. "I do."

"You're not choosing him, are you?" Jack and Boone cried, leaping forward.

Kate smiled softly. "Of course not. I'm still trying to decide which one of you that I love more."

"Oh." They all continued to stare at her, until Locke interrupted.

"This is getting ridiculous," he said, stepping over a sobbing Hurley and Shannon. "We've been trying to figure out what to do about this Sawyer-Jack- (and now) Boone problem ever since we arrived on the island."

"I hear you, brother!" Sawyer raised his fist.

"And for some reason, we've all depended on Kate and Kate alone to make that decision." Locke stepped over to her.

Kate was clueless. "What, are you saying that there is some way to make the decision without me having to decide?"

Locke nodded. "Have you ever heard of 'The Odyssey?'"

They all groaned, remembering how they had wanted Odysseus to just GO HOME.

"It's all about the journey and not the destination," Jack remembered aloud. "Life is the journey, not the destination."

Sawyer looked disgusted. "You actually retained that information?"

"Anyway," Locke butted in again, "when Odysseus finally made it home, he was surprised to find his wife surrounded by greedy, money-grubbing suitors. His wife, Penelope, set up a series of tests that the suitors should have to go through. The man that won would be worthy of her heart."

Kate nodded. "And Odysseus won."

"Wait; I thought that he was dead!" Boone looked confused.

"Everyone just thought that he was dead," Sawyer snapped. "Heck, even I knew that."

"So, John, you're saying that I should be like Penelope and set up a series of tests or challenges that all of the eligible men on the island should pass through in order to be worthy of my heart," Kate stated, after taking a deep breath.

"Exactly." Locke smiled his freaky grin.

"Hold on here, just wait a minute." Sawyer put his hand out. "All of the eligible men on the island? I thought that you said that you only loved us."

"Well, Sawyer," Kate began slowly, "if none of you are able to pass the challenges, none of you are worthy. I need at least one other contestant."

"Hmm, why didn't I think of this?" Shannon wiped tears away. "Oh yeah, I didn't read 'The Odyssey', I just bought the E-Z-Read Notes."

"I thought that you said that didn't read the E-Z-Read." Boone turned around to look at her. Shannon nodded, finally remembering.

"You're right! It was too much work, so I just copied off of yours. No wonder I got such a bad grade...I should have known that it was a bad decision when I saw that you had spelt 'Calypso' K-a-y-l-i-p-s-e-w."

"Locke, let's send out messengers throughout the island to tell them about the contest!" Kate said excitedly. She turned to Sawyer. "Would you mind...?"

"Of course not," he replied sarcastically. "It ain't like I don't go anything else that I got to do." He was about to leave. "When should it start?"

"In one hour."

"Okay."

The responses:

lordoftheringsfanficreader: I hope that you liked this one too. I wanted to post it yesterday, but there's something wrong with the phone line…

Imzadi: Huh, I didn't know that about old Harold. Did you know that Daniel Dae Kim also had like two lines in Spiderman 2? Yeah, that was the only reason Locke wanted them to go on the VQ. Sayid's already found Danielle, but could there be another inhabitant on the island? Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well.