Disclaimer: I don;t own lotf.

He stared at his younger self across the way. There is sorrow in his eyes as he realizes the pain the much younger him is about to go through. Though they had the solution now, the time machine, it stay did not take away the years after the island that he experienced. The bad dreams and sleepless nights. The images of Piggy skull crack opened and his final expression of shock and sadness. Or Simon on look of panic and fear that fateful night. It had haunted him.

And though according to Jack they could save Simon, joy iy stay did not lessen those years ahead before this moment where his younger self would suffer.

"We look so innocent." Jack muttered from his right. Ralph had not heard him approach him. His attention completely focused on his younger self. If the red had wanted to kill him he would have seen it coming.

"Yes." Ralph answered, there was bitterness in his mouth at the thought of what was about to taken place in a week. A bitterness of the things to come. Right now it appeared the younger vision had not yet begun their fights and the eventual darkness that was coming. "We do look innocent like normal British school boys. Forever proper and civil." He said the last word in the tone that broadcasted his thoughts, his bitterness at the whole situation.

"Hmmm…."Jack said, not adding anything then that, before drifting off from Ralph's side. Ralph guessed to find Roger or something. They were best mates after all.

A few seconds later a different boy, man, took his place. This time it was Bill. He knew Bill like he knew Jack and Roger and all the others in the choir as well. Once upon a time before they came to the island and the plane crashed, they had had classes together and even once had choir together. He had never told Piggy. That once upon a time when he was much younger he had been part of the choir that Jack was a part of. That he knew each of the boys in said choir. Jack nor any of the other boys in the choir had outed him during their stay while he had pretended to not know them. Their school was a small one after all. There were 500 of them on that plane when it crashed, grade k to 6th. 71 of them had been 6th graders. Most of them were in the choir. Piggy had been new to the school that term. It was why Ralph had sided with him. He had not been part of the choir just like him. Just like a couple of the other older boys, just like Thomas from math class. It was rare however to not be part of the choir at their school at their age.

"He had not meant for it to get so far." Bill said after a few minutes of silence between them. Ralph guessed he was there to defend Jack for what had happened on the island 10 years ago. The blond boy,man, didn't think Jack needed it. Jack was a big boy he could speak for himself.

"Yeah?" Ralph answered. He was not happy that even years later the others stayed defended Jack. What about him? What about Simon? What about Piggy? Were they,he, not worth defending as well? The blond boy smiled a little when he remembered what Jack had said about him killing Roger a couple of hours ago. It must have hurt a lot to lose someone the red hair found to be important to himself. Good. Because it was how he felt about Piggy and Simon lost.

"Yeah. He is not a bad bloke, Ralph." Bill finished. "I mean he even learned to build a time machine for Pete's sake just so we can save Simon. And you know how Jack is with some of his classes."

Ralph frowned. Right, the red hair had not been the smartest in their grade. Though he was a good leader outside of the classroom, in class the red hair had failed a lot. He would know. Before the island he had been tutoring him at his house. They don't talk about that though. They don't talk about a lot of things.

The blond frowned. Was he reading the other boy wrongly? Did he really cared for Simon even if he had not cared for Piggy much? Simon was their childhood friend after all. Did Jack care for Simon? Did he care for Ralph? Was he really sorry for what had happened? He never showed it not even after the island. It had just been back to normal as always once the boat had come. He had not told on Roger and neither had any of them either told on Roger for his killing of Piggy. Not because they had liked Roger more but Ralph guessed many years later because Jack had mostly had a conversation with them before they had hunted him to the beach. Because it was odd how no one told on the other boy.

"You know he really didn't need to bring you on this trip." A second voice joined the group, it was Maurice. Beautiful Maurice always picking Jack side just like when they had been in the choir together in the 4th grade. It was why….it was why he had left the choir for came the 5th grade and had never since returned. Jack always won. It was just a matter of time. He was starting to see that. "But he wanted to because he thought Simon might like that."

"Yeah?" Ralph said, his eyes widened for a moment as a thought came to him. He was allowed to come back with them because of Simon. Simon had been the only one in the choir who had joined him and stay with him despite being a member of the choir. Same as in the 4th grade when they had had that fight and he had left the choir. Simon had always been defying Jack even back then and had chosen Ralph's side. But Ralph guessed it was fine, Simon was Jack's cousin after all. He could afford to be on the red hair bad side and not get affected too much.

"Yeah." Maurice finished before he began to walk away. "Come on. Robert caught some fish with the other boys and we are having a meal. Jack is thinking about using the machine again to go back and grab some blankets and other things. Told me to tell you early but I forgot."

Ralph nodded, tossed a glance at his younger self once more before turning to follow Maurice retreating footsteps.