Hey all! Thanks for the reviews; please keep them coming.

I wanted to get this chapter out here sooner, but it was a bit slow in the coming. I kept struggling with finding a way to start it.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Romen

Disclaimer: nothing is mine

Chapter Four

They're Going to Kill Someone

"So how long does it take this stuff to grow?"

Sun felt the sides of her mouth twitch as she looked up at Walt, continuing to tend the garden. "These are passion fruit seeds, so it will take them about three years to fully grow."

Walt grimaced, his eyebrows rising in amazement. "Three years? That's a long time."

She chuckled, nodding. "Yes, it is. My halmoni, or grandmother, taught me everything she knew about gardening. Many of the plants in her garden took more than one year to grow."

"What're you up to, little man?" Michael strode over, glancing down at Sun as he put his arm around Walt's shoulder.

"I'm talking to Sun," the child replied, gesturing towards her. "She said it will take three years for those seed-things to finally grow."

Michael frowned. "We won't be here anyway. Go on, you get down to the beach and help Hurley with the raft. I'll be down there in a minute."

"Okay." Walt, surprising his father with his sudden obedience, raced off, Vincent trailing along beside him.

"You are so lucky to have a son," Sun breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, well...Parenthood, you know; a blessing and a curse."

Sun looked down, smiling. "I see only the blessing. Walt is such a pleasant child."

"He can be stubborn though." Michael knelt down, crossing his arms. "He gets it from his mother."

"Oh really?"

"Really. Susan could be very stubborn. Although she preferred to say 'determined'."

"Where is she, Susan?" Sun leaned back, running the back of her hand across her forehead. "She was not on the plane?"

Michael suddenly sobered, his jaw tightening. "She died."

"Oh." Sun looked down, biting her lip. "I am sorry. I did not know."

"Don't worry about it; it's fine. We weren't together anymore."

"Oh." She nodded as an awkward silence came over them.

"I should get going." He stood, crossing his arms. "Good luck on this garden project of yours. Hopefully it will sustain everyone until we get back with help."

"Thank you." She watched as he walked away, his back disappearing into the green surroundings.

(Space)

Jack stumbled forward, his hand landing against the rough trunk of a tree for support. The only sounds that he could hear were those of his own ragged breaths and the pounding in his ears. He forced his leg to move forward, tripping and landing on his knees. He cursed under his breath, running a hand over his face as he glanced up. He heaved a sigh of relief.

A glint of sunlight reflecting off of hard metal could be seen from underneath a few green leaves. He crawled forward, pulling the haliburton towards him and running his hands over the surface, as if looking for new scratches or dents. There didn't seem to be any on the front, so he flipped it over, observing the backside. Nothing that hadn't been there before. He took in the lock. From what he could tell, no one had tried to tamper with the case at all.

"Jack!"

The word sounded so far away. He glanced behind him. It was only Hurley and Kate. He shoved the case back under the natural nook, sloppily covering it as he turned to face them. "Yeah?"

Kate's brow knitted a she cocked her head to the side. "What were you doing?"

He shook his head, too breathless to speak. "Yeah?"

Her eyes flashed, but she didn't press the matter anymore. "It's Boone."

Jack shrugged in confusion. "What about him?"

Kate hesitated. "It's just that- He's been out there for a while..."

"Dude, he's starting to smell. Bad," Hurley interjected. "People are starting to get sick, and with Claire's baby and all...We need to do something about him fast."

Jack nodded, rising slowly to his feet. "All right. Let's go."

(Space)

Sawyer emerged behind from behind the tree as soon as the three of them were out of ear shot. He gestured to Shannon, watching as she dove for the haliburton, her hands groping through the leaves of the bush. She finally stood, her chest heaving, holding it against her like it was her baby. He didn't say anything about it, but simply held the key in the air.

"If you want to get into that case, you're going to have to loosen your grip."

She flinched, her blue eyes flashing before her hand shot out for the key. He pulled it away just in time, his eyes widening in shock.

"Calm down woman!" He took a step backwards. "If you want me to go along with this little endeavor of yours, then I get the key and you get the case. Sounds like a fair deal to me."

"Fine." She threw the haliburton, watching as it landed on the ground a few feet away from her.

Sawyer shook his head. "Temper, temper, temper."

"Just open the thing already."

He knelt down beside it, quickly twisting the key in the lock and listening to the satisfying pop as the lid opened. He reached inside, feeling the smooth metal of the nozzle of a gun.

"Listen, we don't have time for you to sit here and play around..."

"Patience, Sticks. I'm just making sure they're all in here." He lifted the lid the rest of the way, taking out two guns and hurriedly checking the magazine before slamming the lid closed and holding the nine millimeter out to her.

Her brow furrowed as she stood, chewing on her lip. She gingerly reached out, her hand nearly closing around it, but Sawyer pulled it away. Her lip curled. "What was that for?"

"You do know how to use a gun?" His question hung in the air.

She paused, her eyes losing their usual flare before she was back in her normal manner, her chin thrust out. "Yeah, a little. My dad, he used to go hunting and sometimes he would take Boone and me with him."

"I was just making sure." He thrust the gun at her, watching as she gently took it, feeling it with those smooth, soft looking hands.

Everything about her looked soft, from the fine, angel-blonde hair to the pale-pink fingernails, perfectly filed. Heck, she even painted her face up every morning. It wasn't like he didn't notice. Everyone noticed. Shannon was the Barbie doll of the island, and her vain reputation preceded her. So did her reputation for laziness.

She glanced up at him, her eyes cold. "Good job. Come on, let's go."

She turned to leave, trudging through the jungle ahead of him as he tossed the suitcase behind the bush, a wry smile creeping up his face as he fingered the revolver he had taken for himself.

Shannon Rutherford may have been tricky, but she wasn't always the best liar.

(Space)

Michael frowned, scanning the beach with one hand shielding his eyes from the sun. "Walt! Walt!"

"What is it?"

He turned around, surprised to be faced with a rugged looking Jack, a weary looking Kate, and a solemn Hurley. "I'm looking for my son," he said hesitantly. "He was supposed to be down here to help me build the raft."

The sound of feet padding through the sand caught their attention. Walt was running towards them hastily, a small, square shaped object clasped tightly in his left hand.

"Sorry, Dad," he breathed, digging his heels into the soft ground. "I was just playing with..." His voice trailed off hesitantly.

"Playing with what? Vincent? And what's that in your hand?" Before Walt could reply, Michael pulled it from his grasp, running his fingers over it. His lips pursed as his arm flopped down to his side in exasperation. "Where did you get this Gameboy?" he finally said, his eyes holding the look of a man who is having a hard time controlling himself.

"Sawyer gave it to me," the ten year old explained.

"What did you have to give him in return?" Hurley caught Kate's eye.

Walt shrugged. "All he wanted was some key."

An expression of terror crossed Jack's face. "A key?"

"Yeah, just this key I found in the caves. He didn't say why he wanted it, but he gave me the Gameboy."

Kate put her hand on the doctor's shoulder as he began to turn away. "Jack..."

"I can't- believe it," he gasped. "I let him get it."

"Jack," Hurley protested, but he was cut short.

"I have to find them." He stumbled towards the jungle.

"What's so important about it?" Michael couldn't help but ask. "Is it the key that goes to the haliburton? Why would Sawyer want it?"

Jack turned around slowly, his face grey.

"They're going to kill someone."

TBC...

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