a/n: Heya, everyone, I'm back! Sorry, sorry; I know I haven't updated in over a month. I'm bad, okay? But, nonetheless, here I am (I also have a PotC chapter in the works, just fyi). Anyway, thanks for all of the reviews. Unfortunately, I don't have time to respond to them right now, but I will be able to come...June! Duh-duh-DUH!

Please keep up with them though; they're great and they mean a lot to me. Sniffle. :brush away imaginary tear:

Please enjoy!

Romen

Disclaimer: nothing is mine, and I do not own the lyrics or anything associated with the song "Another Suitcase in Another Hall". It just belongs to someone else.

16. Poor Shannon & a New Contestant

"Oooooooooo, Mr. Sawyer I just know that I'm gonna win this contest!" Walt sang, continuing his dance.

"Calm down, child!" Sawyer exclaimed, flushing as Jack sniggered at him. "That was a ten character 'oo'!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Sawyer." The kid became still. "I just know that I'm"-

"'Gonna win this contest'. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know." The red neck rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as Boone rushed into the clearing, looking flustered. "What's the matter, Moneybags? Boar chasing you?"

Boone's eyes narrowed, and the atmosphere suddenly became very heavy, and the sky very dark. A fork of lightning flashed through the inky blackness (and there was some creepy choral music playing somewhere, too). Everyone in the audience glanced at the yuppie warily.

"You think you're so clever," he growled, his voice guttural. "Someday you'll see who really has the power around here."

"Oooooooooo, Mr. Sawyer, he's scary!" Walt breathed. "Stop that, Little B.! You're freaking me out!"

The phenomenon ended as soon as it had begun, as if on command from Walt. In fact, some people simply believed that they had just imagined it (but it did have lasting affects; Sawyer actually shut-up for a minute).

At that moment, Kate entered the clearing with Locke, except she was being carried on a palanquin fashioned from bamboo and adorned with fancy cloth and other finery. Dott and Steve (who were the ones carrying it) gently set her down. Boone rushed over to her side, looking worried.

"Katherine darling, how doth thee fare?" He stroked her cheek lovingly.

"Wow, Boone! You should talk like that all the time! Now, about the Second Task..." She cleared her throat, pushing all of the pillows away from her and stumbling off of the palanquin uneasily. However, Boone was there to catch her before she fell (suck-up). She blushed. "Thank you dear. Now, where was I..."

"The Second Task?" Locke hinted helpfully, standing very far away from Boone.

"Oh, yeah! The Second Task!" She grinned, going over to the makeshift table and gently setting her haliburton down on the surface (she loved that thing like it was a pet dog). "Well, you already know what it is. Now I guess we should go over the rules..."

"Walt! WALT!"

Kate cocked her head to the side. "That sounds like Michael, searching for Walt because he found out that he joined the contest without his father's permission."

"Oh, :profane word:," Walt muttered, running to hide behind Sawyer.

Locke gasped. "Walt! You just said a bad word!"

"Mr. Sawyer taught me all about bad words," Walt explained. "They're not bad unless you say them in front of your parents."

Before Sawyer could defend himself, Michael burst into the clearing, his face as red as the red shirts that Boone and Locke used in "All the Cowboys Have Daddy Issues" to help them find their way back to the caves.

"What did I tell you about joining this contest?" Michael's eyes widened threateningly as Walt looked down at his feet. "You are too young for this sort of thing."

Walt paused before looking up at his father. "Mr. Sawyer said I could," he replied coolly, pointing at the convicted for emphasis.

"Now just wait one minizzle," Sawyer said quickly, coming out of character as Michael rounded on him.

"What gives you the right to tell my son what he can and can't do?"

Sawyer rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Daddy; it isn't like he's gonna win..."

"I am gonna win!" Walt protested. "Oooooooooo I just know that I'm gonna win this contest, Mr. Sawyer! You just wait and see! I'm gonna be in first place!"

Michael pushed his son out of the way, accidentally knocking him over but not noticing it in his rage. "This doesn't concern you Walt. You're already out of the contest. But 'Mr. Sawyer' here needs to learn that he just can't get off with getting my son to undermine my rules."

The red-neck scowled. "Listen, I didn't even know that he wasn't supposed to join the contest..."

"You wanna take this outside?"

Kate, annoyed that her contest was being stalled due to their dispute, couldn't help but make an interjection. "I think you are outside. Anyway, Michael, it's too late now. Once you join Kate's Contest, you can't back out."

"Can you not speak in third person?" Michael cried. "It's really irritating! And what do you mean, you can't back out?"

"I'm not speaking in third person; that's what it called. Didn't you read Chapter 12: The First Task!"

"Calm down, love," Boone said soothingly. "I'll take care of this for you."

But Kate was a woman on a mission, and she was offended that Michael would dare to put her contest on hold. "There's no way I'm letting Walt drop out of this contest! So if you want to keep an eye on your kid, then you're just going to have to join yourself!"

Michael hesitated before shouting, "Well then I guess I will!" He stomped over towards the others, thrusting his chin out defiantly.

Kate clapped her hands, deserting all negative feelings and happy to have another contestant. "Good for you, Michael!"

"That's no fair!" Jack whined. "He doesn't have to do the First Task..."

Kate banged her gavel on the haliburton, bringing order back to the contestants and the audience, who was a bit disheveled. "Pipe down, will ya?" She regained her composure. "Anyway, let's get back to business..."

Meanwhile, back at the caves...

Shannon heaved a sigh, looking about desperately. "Jin! JIN!"

"Oh, hey...Shannon." Hurley glanced at her sideways. He didn't really like Shannon. "Are you looking for Jin?"

"Yes, I can't find him anywhere. Do you know where he is?" she added hopefully.

Hurley bit his lip. "Sorry, Shannon, but...he told me to give you a message."

"You speak Korean?" Shannon asked incredulously.

"No, but all men speak a common language with which we are able to communicate."

"What? Beating on your chest and grunting?"

"Of course not," Hurley snapped, wondering how she knew about the secret code of males. "But that's not the point. The point is that he wanted me to give you a message."

"Well, spit it out!" she shrieked. "I wanna watch the next contest!"

"Okay, okay." He paused. "He said...that he broke up with you."

Shannon gasped. "No! No! This can't be! We're in love with each other!"

Hurley shrugged. "I guess it was just a one-sided romance, Shannon." He gave her a soft pat on the shoulder before walking away. "Sorry. I gotta go. I want to get a good seat for the Second Task!"

She watched his back disappear into the jungle before slowly pitting on her heel, listening as Charlie began to play a melody on his guitar. As if on cue, she began to sing.

"I don't expect my love affairs to last for long!" She wandered over to the side of the cave. "Never fool myself that my dreams will come true. Being used to trouble I anticipated, but all the same I hated, wouldn't you? So what happens now?"

"Another suitcase in another hall," Charlie couldn't help but put in.

"So what happens now?"

"Another suitcase in another hall," he repeated, still wearing that same goofy hat.

"Where am I going to? Where am I going to?" She allowed Charlie to play the chorus before sitting down dejectedly next to Vincent who flopped on top of her lap immediately. "Time and time again I've said that I don't care. That I'm immune to gloom, that I'm hard through and through. But every time it matters all my words desert me, so anyone can hurt me, and they do. So what happens now?"

"Another suitcase in another hall!" Charlie sang as Vincent howled mournfully.

"So what happens now?"

"Another suitcase in another hall!" Charlie and a howl from Vincent.

"Where am I going to?"

"You'll get by you always have before."

"Where am I going to?"

As she stopped once again for the chorus, Claire waddled in with Sun trailing along. They observed Shannon pityingly. She turned her face towards them, her eyes tear filled.

"Call in three months time and I'll be fine, I know," she assured them. "Well maybe not that fine, but I'll survive anyhow. I won't recall the names and places of each sad occasion, but that's no consolation here and now. So what happens now?"

"Another suitcase in another hall," Claire and Sun sang in unison.

"So what happens now?"

"Another suitcase in another hall."

"Where am I going to?"

"You'll get by, you always have before."

"Where am I going to?"

At that very moment, Sayid was at the top of the giant loop. He looked down and saw Shannon. "DON'T ASK ANY MOOOOOORRRRRREE!" He cried, just as they flew downwards.

Shannon's ears perked as Charlie stopped strumming abruptly. "What was that?" he wondered aloud.

Shannon shrugged, pushing Vincent off of her and standing. "I don't know. But let's go to the clearing! I don't want to miss the Second Task!"

Thus they hurried off together (and Charlie was still mysteriously wearing that ridiculous looking hat).

TBC...

Don't worry; the Second Task starts again in the next chapter. Again, I apologize for the super late update (you poor PotC fans; I have to finish that chapter!). This may be the last update for a while, but don't worry; I'll keep writing on this story. I can't stop!

Anyway, if some of you didn't understand the whole singing thing... That's a song from "Evita". But wasn't it very appropriate it for Shannon? Yes? No? Tell me in your reviews.

Romen