a/n: Again, thanks for the reviews. Please keep them coming!

This chapter is kinda short, due to the lack of flashbacks.
Enjoy!

Romen

Disclaimer: Unfamiliar; mine. Familiar; not mine.

Chapter Seven

Confusion

"Jack, you need to rest."

The doctor ignored Kate, frantically searching for some sign of a trail. His hands slipped over the wet and muddy ground.

Michael nodded. "Yeah, man. Besides, Locke can take care of himself."

"I know." Jack paused, swallowing. "It's not just Locke I'm worried about."

Kate looked perplexed. "What do you mean?"

"Sawyer has access to the case, Kate. He's armed."

She scoffed. "You can't possibly think he'd be dangerous to anyone."

He shrugged. "I don't know. But we still can't risk it."

Michael cocked his head to the side. "Speak of the devil."

Sawyer entered the clearing. The gun was clutched firmly in his hand. They all stood for a moment, just staring, before Jack finally stood.

"Where's Shannon?"

Sawyer's eyes flashed. "How am I supposed to know? I thought she was with you."

"But- you two left together." Kate eyed the revolver warily.

"She got mad and left. Thought maybe she went back to the caves, but it seems like I'm wrong."

Jack frowned. "Did you find Locke?"

Sawyer shook his head. "Nope. I didn't expect we would, either. Just thought she looked like she needed to blow off some steam."

The doctor reached for the gun. "Give it to me."

Sawyer looked down at it, grinning wryly. He reluctantly handed it over, watching as Jack examined it. "Still don't trust me, Doc?"

"No." He handed it to Kate. "I don't."

The two glared at each other. Michael broke the uneasy silence, clearing his throat.

"So is anyone going to go looking for her, or what?"

Jack turned away from Sawyer. "We should go back to the caves and beach first, just to see if she's returned."

Kate's eyebrows rose. "Then let's go."

(Space)

Sayid ran one hand over his face, heaving a sigh.

"It doesn't matter anyway. He's dead and you can't do anything about it."

He wished that he could do something, something that would ease her pain, something that would show her that he knew exactly what she was going through. But she just kept pushing him away, turning from him, refusing to accept any comfort he offered her. And now she was missing.

He could only hope that she was all right. He didn't know what he would do if they brought her back to the caves, injured. Or dead.

He shut his eyes. 'Don't think that way. She is probably just sorting things out alone.'

He knew he didn't believe that. He remembered the emotions running through her that morning, the grief in her eyes. Shannon was like a forest fire; it didn't take much flame for her to cause destruction. He hated to think of it that way, but it was true. She was impulsive, her emotions strong.

That was what he loved about her.

The sound of voices caught his attention. He stood, hurrying over to Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Michael as they entered the caves.

"Any sign of her?" he asked quickly. "I waited for her here, then I went to the beach. No one has seen Shannon."

"We didn't find her in the jungle," Kate replied promptly. "Sawyer says she ran off, and he thought she came back here."

Sayid was taken aback. His eyes darkened as they turned to Sawyer. "What was she doing with you?"

Sawyer rubbed the side of his nose. "She wanted to go after Locke, so I offered to take her. She got mad and ran in the other direction some time ago, and she's been missing since."

"You let her go after Locke?" Sayid's voice was hard. "She could be hurt. She could be lost."

He felt a lump build in his throat. She could be dead.

Jack shot him a glare. "Calm down. What we need to do is split up, and go looking for her."

"It's too dark," Michael disagreed. "We're not going to be able to see anything."

Kate crossed her arms. "All the more reason to go looking for her. If she's out there alone..."

Claire held her baby closer to her, watching the five debate to the side. "What do you think they're talking about?" she asked softly, her blue eyes worried.

Charlie sat down next to her. "Knowing them, probably something that has to do with the end of the world. Here." He handed her a bottle of water, watching the baby. "Have you thought of a name yet?"

She glanced down at him and chuckled. "No. But I was thinking maybe-"

Her words were interrupted by a shout.

"We cannot waste time doing this!" someone was yelling. It sounded like Sayid. "We must search for her!"

And the debate went on...

(Space)

Shannon drew in a shaky breath, sliding one eye open. Obviously she was still alive. She didn't think that she would have the pounding in her head if she was dead. She tentatively pushed herself up, leaning against the hard, cold wall of the cave and pressing against her eyes with the bottom of her palms.

Wait a minute...She was in a cave!

"What?" Her voice echoed off of the walls. She glanced about her. She could see a small prick of light in the distance, probably the mouth of the cave. A torch lay on the ground next to her. She swallowed before crawling forward.

Who had brought her here? She obviously couldn't have made it herself. She felt her heart skip a beat. Had it been the Others? She remembered hearing Sayid say that the French woman had spoken of them, and Ethan hadn't been on the plane...

"Oh crap," she muttered to herself.

"I see you're awake then."

Shannon froze. She slowly turned around, her eyes finding the face that belonged to the voice. Even in the dark she could make out the scar, seemingly livid. It was the last thing that she wanted to see on earth.

The face belonged to John Locke.

TBC...

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