A/N: Jaye: Welcome back to chapter five! This story is really fun, and right now we are writing on pure caffeine and insanity because it is 11:56 PM! BWA HA! I have received the Ultima Keyblade and almost beat Sephiroth! YAYS! SUGAR HIGHNESS! Also, I got the lyrics to Sadie Said on on a memorial thingy for Charlie, so yeah.

Lils: As Jaye said, welcome to chapter five! Haha! AND WE BOTH HAVE BEAT SEPHIROTH SO BOO YA! Oh yeah and this is important as well: Our guest writer, sadly, will be absent for this chapter, so now italics represent thought, normal italics for me, and bold for Jaye. And now to reply to reviews!

Luthien and Tari Oronar: You're confused? HA HA! No, just kidding…we meant it to be confusing.

Mizzle fo' Rizzle: It JUST got weird interesting? Wasn't it interesting before? ((huff)) but we will answer your questions in good time, my friend. And yes, two of us are from MO. Court and I are in Lee's Summit…BUT THAT'S ALL I CAN TELL YOU! Hee…and good thing you're a girl…because if you weren't and acted all enthusiastic about seeing cute Charlie and his guitar I'd be like…WEIRDO…and yeah.

Dandan2300: We're crazy? Thank you. And the thing with Marshall…eh…I was really in an odd mood that day…but I'm glad it amused you.

Irionelissa: Lost in your own mind? Oh that's not good…thanks for reviewing!

Jaye Black: Yes, we all know that…AND GUESS WHAT? SO ARE YOU!

Lils Evans: Yes well…I AM the smart one. ((ducks as Jaye tries to knock my head off))

Lils: NOW! ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

Chapter Five: Arrival of the Others

Charlie sat, looking into the fire, gently plucking the strings of his guitar and singing "Sadie Said".

"Why is it you consume me?

I can't think, I can't breathe

Without the feel of your skin

The touch of your mouth is everything

I am lost in loving you, in needing you

In wanting you silently and secretly…"

"That's a beautiful song," Claire said, surprising him and causing him to jump slightly.

Charlie smiled. "Thanks."

"It's called Sadie Said."

Charlie jumped again and turned. Mel was sitting there, bouncing her feet against the rock she was sitting on.

"Yeah…that's right."

"You wrote it, huh?"

"Yes…"

"I like that song, too, Claire. Oh, do you guys want me to leave and give ya some space?" Mel giggled. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get that a lot. Later, lover birds."

As she walked off, Charlie and Claire both blushed bright red.

"So…" Claire cleared her throat. "What do you think about…all this?"

"About all what?" Charlie set his guitar down.

"About…what's been going on lately."

"A lot has been goin' on lately," said Charlie. You just don't remember most of it.

"D'you think it was those agents?" Claire asked. Charlie was taken aback.

"W-what do you mean?"

Claire pulled her legs up to her chest, and crossed her arms over her knees.

"I know…I don't remember…" she said sadly. "But I do know that ever since those guys came, things have been…happening."

"But…Sydney…she saved my life!" Charlie cried. Claire stayed quiet for a while, until she sighed.

"But he came with them, Charlie. The one who did that to you."

Charlie felt the stinging sensation around his neck. "They're outsiders, Charlie."

"And what's bad about havin' two bloody agents with us?" Charlie argued. Claire shook her head and stood up, trudging off without another word. Charlie put his head in his hands, but never realized who was standing behind him. Never noticing Sydney as she turned and left the beach.

Sydney sniffled. Vaughn walked up and sat down next to her. "What's up?"

"It's just…some of them think that we're…outsiders. That it's our fault that all of this is happening…and in a way…it is, Vaughn. If we hadn't come, if we'd protested against Sark coming…Charlie wouldn't have been kidnapped. He wouldn't have been drugged and cut open by Sark."

"Syd…who said that?" Vaughn asked, seriously.

Sydney held her head in her hands and let the tears fall.

"I hate this island," she said finally, glaring up at the sky and everything around her as if her gaze could destroy it.

"Hey," Vaughn patted her back comfortingly. "We won't be here for long," he said firmly. "They'll come for us and take us home, along with everyone else here."

Sydney nodded and smiled, but on the inside she was just as dismayed. Somehow, Vaughn saw through her…he always did. "Syd. Look at me. They'll come."

"Who?" Sydney chocked.

"Our agency. Our friends. Who knows? I'll bet Nadia, Weiss, Marshall, and everybody back at APO are running around like…like chickens with their heads cut off trying to figure out a way to get us off this place."

The analogy made Sydney laugh.

"Jeez…But…I guess that you're right. Nadia and Weiss would be looking for us." She rolled her eyes. "If they aren't out bowling for the tenth time this week."

Vaughn snickered. "True."

Sark stomped through the jungle, throwing the lush green plants out of his way as he went, his wrist throbbing.

So now what? What was the plan? He realized suddenly that he didn't have a plan anymore. He also knew he couldn't last long in the jungle without supplies…good thing he had hidden the gun case, though. Maybe then he could hunt –

He started. Something in the jungle was moving ahead of him. He shivered. Maybe it was that monster he had heard…The leaves rustled just a head, and Sark found himself moving back. He stumbled over a root just as a bald head poked through the leaves.

He struggled to remember the name.

"Locke!" he said finally. The bald man just stared at him. It was then Sark noticed the man had a knife on his belt. His eyes slid toward it, and Locke's gaze followed.

"Oh don't worry," he said as he pulled the knife from his belt. It was shockingly long and sharp. "I only use this to…ah…well I was hunting, actually. You know this island has a large supply of wild boar. You know what boar are? They're like big pigs. Only meaner, faster, and harder to find."

Sark didn't know what to say. He just stared, numbly. "I've been hunting them for a while now. Funny I should run into you. The one everyone else is hunting." Locke gave his knife an expert twirl. "But you don't need to worry about this. Just come back to the camp – "

"I see where this is going," Sark hissed, standing and pulling himself up to his full height. To his dismay he was still much smaller than Mr. Locke.

"You do? Then there's no use – "

Locke froze in mid-sentence. His head turned toward the sky. Soon Sark heard it too…the beating of helicopter blades.

He put his head down and ran before Locke could say another word. More agents were coming…he had to get away…

If only they knew the "agents" weren't who he thought they were.

Sydney's head jerked up at the sound of the chopper blades. "It's a helicopter!"

Vaughn followed her gaze. "It is! See? I told you that they would come for us!"

Jack came sprinting out of the trees and out onto the open beach to get a better view of things, the rest of the survivors coming out behind him. Sydney and Vaughn tromped out last, followed by a slightly harassed-looking Hurly as he struggled to keep up with the rest of the group.

"Dude…what's goin' on?" he panted as Sydney bobbed just ahead of him. She was smiling widely, feeling the happiest she had sense…before she had stepped into that office to find Sark waiting for her.

"I think our agency is here!" she gasped, coming to a skidding stop in the sand. She stepped beside Vaughn and braced herself, waiting for the chopper to come to a landing somewhere near by.

But it never did land.

"Wha – we have to follow it!" someone from the crowd called. Sydney thought it was Michael, but she couldn't be sure. "Maybe they can't see us here!"

"Hang on a second….it's getting farther off!"

Gasps circulated throughout the gathering. Sydney felt her heart sink.

"Wait!" she screamed, plowing forward.

"Sydney!" Vaughn took off after her, but couldn't go fast considering his stitches, but Sydney didn't mind him. She sprinted down the beach, waving her arms at the fading noise, her heart pounding.

"WAIT! DOWN HERE! WAIT! WE'RE DOWN HERE!"

Suddenly, the chopper was illuminated. It was hovering just above the trees, shining a spotlight down into the forest. Sydney recognized that maneuver…they were dropping something – or someone – off. But –

"SYDNEY! OVER HERE!"

Sydney drew away from the sight reluctantly and ran right into Vaughn. His eyes were wide and confused.

"Vaughn?"

"Syd…wait up!"

"But – that helicopter – " She turned around. There was no sight of the chopper or any noise whatsoever. The night was still. "What?"

"Syd…"

"Vaughn—they were dropping someone off. They had to be. Didn't you realize that—?"

"Well, then let's go find them and tell them to bring the helicopter over here," Vaughn said.

"I don't think so." Jack was shaking his head.

"Why the hell not?" Syd asked bluntly.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You're both injured. I'll go—anyone else that wants to come can. Except for you two…and Charlie."

Charlie shrugged. He wasn't exactly eager to go tramping off into the jungle of mystery at the moment anyway. Not with Sark on the loose… Nutter.

"But—" Sydney protested.

"NO," Jack said firmly. "Unless you want them to find a casket waiting. You guys are insane, jumping up after injuries like that."

Sydney drew herself up to full height—wincing as she did so—and looked Jack in the eyes. "Listen. I got shot, I got buried alive—and guess what? I was at work the next day, getting briefed for the next mission. You can't stop me from coming. Besides, I want to see whom they sent to get us. My sister could be there."

Jack held his ground. In the end, him, Sawyer, Michael, and Kate were the ones that got to go find the helicopter. Kate gave Sydney an apologetic look.

As they were about to vanish into the jungle, Jack turned around. "It's for your own good. Just know that."

Then they were gone. The crowd dispersed until only Sydney was left to sulk. She waited a few minutes, and then grinned recklessly. "No one's been able to stop me before…" she whispered.

She snatched up a water bottle from the cooler and followed the path the other four had left.

Carter sat, tossing a hacky-sack that he'd pulled out of his pocket. He had his back against a tree, and was throwing the ball up and down, thinking.

What does he have that I don't? He thought. Why does she like him more than me?

Locke was gone. He didn't put up a chase, and frankly, Sark was beyond caring. He ran through the jungle for a while, then came to a full stop.

What am I doing? He wondered, and shook his head, cradling his wrist. He gazed numbly around the forest in which he was in, listening to the faint beating of the chopper blades. They seemed to stay in a relative position…not heading for the beach.

But why not? He was sure the other survivors would be gathered there, so why did it seem the chopper was neglecting them?

What if they had a different purpose?

His thoughts were interrupted by a disturbance that sounded very near. Instinctively, he ducked down, but could not seem to be satisfied with cowering on the ground. He crouched, peering over the tall underbrush…

And there, marching through the jungle, were Agents Santos and Weiss. They seemed to be making a trek to the beach, but then why hadn't they just landed the chopper there?

Feeling lost and confused, Sark stepped back and snapped back a huge leaf. It hit him in the back of his head with an audible thuwump, and instantly, the two agents turned toward him.

"Hello Julian."

"Hey, Charlie, have you seen Syd?" Vaughn asked. Charlie looked up from his guitar, and shook his head slightly. (A/N: Jaye: So it didn't hurt his neck any more than it had to. Poor Charlie.) (A/N: Lils: AWWW! POOR CHARLIE!)

"She gone missing again?"

"Yeah…" Vaughn said slowly. "Oh no."

It suddenly dawned on him. Sydney had never let herself be left out of a mission. And this would be no different.

Jack, Sawyer, Michael, and Kate hiked through the jungle.

"Do you think we're getting closer?" Michael asked.

"Yeah," Kate nodded. "I think we are…hey! Did you hear that?"

"Did we hear what?" Jack asked, stopping and turning around.

"I thought that I heard a gun shot…"

"The All-Mighty Kate, losin' her grip," Sawyer smirked.

"Shut up," Kate hissed. "I heard it. I know I did."

"You just keep tellin' yerself that, sweetheart."

"No…" Kate shook her head, frustrated. "I know a gunshot when I – "

A booming sound rang through the jungle, echoing through the silence that fell instantly after the report. Jack looked back at Sawyer and Kate, both of which had turned their heads toward the noise. "This way!"

"KATE, WAIT!" Jack cried. "Stop! You can't just run out there! You'll get yourself killed!"

"Jack, let go of me!" Kate screamed, and tried to pull herself from his grasp. "We don't have much time, we have to follow it!"

"Kate – "

"Jack!" Kate looked close to tears now, and she struggled even harder. "Don't tell me what I can't do! I can do this, Jack! LET GO OF ME!"

Jack let go and Kate took off, Sawyer and Michael taking off after her. After a few moments, Jack followed their trail, the leaves whipping at his face, arms, and legs. He had sprinted for about a minute or so when Michael suddenly stopped a head of him.

"What – " He leaned forward and saw the leaves rustling a little ways in front of Kate, who was in front of the pack. He strained his ears and heard shouts, desperate shouts. He recognized the voice and gasped.

"YOU!" Kate shouted. "Sark!"

The Brit turned around. He looked extremely battered and pale. "Agent Austen. We meet again."

"Why did you hurt Charlie like that?" Kate demanded. "What did he do to deserve that?"

Sark raised an eyebrow at her. "Agent Austen—Kate."

"Don't call me by my first name like you know me," Kate snarled.

But somehow Sark didn't seem to hear her. "Hey, I'm talking to you, you hear me?"

"I'm afraid we don't have much time," he said, and Kate noticed for the first time he was shaking, and catching frequent glances over his shoulder. His right arm seemed to be a bit crippled, and he was breathing heavily.

"Oh," said Kate, laughingly. "I think we have all the time in the – HEY!"

Sark had turned again, only to run directly into Sawyer's quite solid, outstretched arm. Sawyer's fingers quickly closed like iron around Sark's jacket collar. "Slow down there," he said, his face dark. "Where's the fire?"

Unfortunately, Sawyer's question was answered by another barrage of bullets, sounding this time closer than it had ever been.

"Who's shooting?" he demanded of thin air, because like him, no one else had an answer. No one, it seemed, but the shooter themselves. This time a near-by group of thick leaves was blown apart. Jack screamed, his hands over his head. Sark struggled to get away from Sawyer with no avail; the man's grip had now moved to his throat, intent now on throttling him.

"Sawyer, stop trying to strangle him and – " But Michael was cut short. Two figures emerged from the forest. Sark gasped for breath and squirmed now more than ever. "Hey, are you guys – "

"GET DOWN!" Kate screamed just as the female of the two drew her handgun and pointed it at Michael.

All of them hit the dirt in seconds. Sawyer had given Sark's neck a final squeeze, and then all but thrown him onto the ground.

"Where are Bristow and Vaughn?" the gun wielder snarled.

"Don't answer!" Kate whispered.

"Oh, you'll answer!" the male said, cocking his own gun.

"Drop the gun and step away!"

The sharp voice caused everyone to stare into the jungle. Sydney pushed past the leaves of a tree and stepped forward, gun in hand.

"I don't know who you are, or why you're pretending to be Eric and Nadia—but you aren't them. Back away, and drop the guns or I'll shoot!" Sydney growled.

"But…Sydney," said the woman, Nadia. "We just thought…Syd, it's so good to see you!" Nadia ran forward as if to give Sydney a hug, but she quickly staggered away.

"The helicopter wasn't real!" she cried, knocking her half-sister's hands away. "You can't be here!"

"You know these people?" Kate asked, her voice quivering. She was now looking at Sydney, her expression the same as all the other survivors on the ground: horror-struck.

"No," said Sydney earnestly, backing away further. She closed her eyes, aimed, and pulled the trigger of the handgun she had stashed, feeling as though she would need it before setting off after the group. Turns out, she was right in thinking so.

"AHHHRRRG!"

Nadia fell to her knees, clutching her leg. When she looked up at Sydney again, her face had changed. It was…blurry…her eyes hard and unseeing. Weiss moved behind her, pulling up his own weapon, oblivious to the hissing screams of his partner.

"RUN!" Sydney screamed, and turned, only to see that most of the others had already regained their feet. Sawyer was wrestling with Sark, who was fighting to run in the opposite direction, back into the heart of the jungle his presence had haunted. If Sydney didn't know any better, she would have thought Sawyer was rather enjoying twisting his right arm in a way that made him scream. "SAWYER, TAKE HIM AND RUN!"

It was obvious Sawyer did not like taking orders from anyone, especially Sydney. "GO!" she shrieked still louder, her own gun aimed at the fake Weiss's forehead. Finally, with rough persuasion from the doctor, Michael, and Kate, Sawyer turned and ran, the three of them pushing Sark along with them.

It was only Sydney and the others now.

"Who are you, who do you work for, and what are you doing here?" Sydney shot.

"Syd—"

"WHO ARE YOU?"

Charlie was sitting in the sand next to Hurley, not really saying anything or doing anything. He was just watching the waves roll in and out, in and out.

"Dude, you okay?"

Charlie's head twitched as he slowly turned his neck, feeling the dried scabs crackle. The pain was dull; he hardly even noticed it above the weird crackling sensation.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

Charlie fought annoyance toward Hurley and managed a smile.

"You know, if they find the helicopter, we could be getting off this island today." He turned back to the sea, smiling faintly, his eyes distant. "We could finally get off this place."

"Dude, that's kinda weird, don't you think? I mean, we've been callin' this place home for a while now."

"Yeah," nodded Charlie. "I know."

"CHARLIE!"

The scream cut through the calming roar of the waves, and Charlie turned to see Claire running at him, her blonde hair streaking in front of her face. "They brought him back, Charlie!"

Sawyer, Kate, Michael, and Sark burst through the forest and onto the lightly beaten trail that led to the caves. They didn't stop running until they heard the sound of the waterfall.

"Let – go!"

"Fine, if that's what you want." Sawyer grabbed Sark's shoulders and flung him across the caves and into the rock wall. Then he took off after him, first raised above the horrified terrorist's head. "I can't tell you how badly I – "

"What's going on here?"

Sawyer turned to see an assortment of shocked-looking survivors standing at the far end of the caves. Jack and Sayid stood at the group's head.

Charlie stood behind them; an arm around Claire and a strange look on his face—somewhere between being terrified and wanting to stay strong for Claire, who was currently cutting off the circulation in his arm.

"Sawyer—quit it!" Jack shot.

Sawyer stared at Jack in disbelief. "After every thing he did—you want me to quit it? Are you insane, doc?"

"No, Sawyer—just listen! We can fix the handcuffs—or if Vaughn and Sydney brought some, we can use those. We handcuff him—both hands—around a pole or something, and then we guard him—make sure he can't…hurt anyone else." He glanced at Charlie, who was staring at Sark.

Sark met his gaze and sneered. Charlie turned and walked away, eyes wide. Claire followed. Sark started to sit up. Sawyer pulled the gun out of his pants and pointed it.

"No way, Agent boy, not for one second!" he snarled.

Sark lied back down on the ground, looking more terrified than Vaughn had ever seen him. Vaughn stepped forward, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. Vaughn jerked Sark to his feet, pulled his arms behind him, and snarled, "Try something and I swear you'll regret it."

Sark was too weak to fight back after his encounters with Fake Nadia and Fake Weiss and Sawyer.

He kept his eyes down while he past Sawyer and the rest of the group, headed for a thinly forested area at the edge of the waterfall. He heard the southern man shout something like, "You think you can?" and, "Not the boss," but he wasn't really listening. It wasn't until agent Vaughn spun him quickly around did he seem to snap out of his trance.

"Why'd you do it?" Vaughn demanded. "You could have stayed in the caves in the first place. You could have avoided all that."

"Ah, but that option didn't seem very exciting."

"I asked you for an answer, not lip," snapped Vaughn, looking furious. "Why'd you pick him? Charlie? Why not me?" Vaughn unhooked one of the handcuffs, swung it behind the nearest, sturdy-looking tree, and viciously tightened it again around Sark's crippled wrist.

Sark met Vaughn's gaze, ice-into-fire, it seemed.

"In your haste it seems you have forgotten someone." He raised an eyebrow, eyes dark, and nodded toward the forest. "She's still out there."

"She's where?" Vaughn was suddenly eccentric. "Sydney's out there – "

"Alone? Yes."

Vaughn looked longingly at the jungle around him, and then back at Sark. "Since I know how much you and Sawyer are getting along, I'll let him guard you." He watched, satisfied, as the smirk melted off Sark's face.

"You'd better watch your back, Agent Vaughn," he hissed, but the agent, it seemed, was past hearing. He was running back toward the gaggle of people, his mind far away.

Sydney gave a roundhouse kick to the fake-Eric. He took the brunt of it on his arm, wincing slightly, but kept fighting as if nothing had happened. Sydney's wounds had reopened, and she could feel that she was weakening.

And suddenly they weren't alone. Fake-Eric's eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell to the ground as someone smacked him over the head. Vaughn was revealed behind him, looking concerned. "Hey Syd."

"Vaughn, that – those aren't – " But then Fake Nadia stood up, screeching inhumanly, and grabbed a handful of Sydney's hair. She yanked back, and tears welled in Sydney's eyes.

"SYD!"

Sydney dropped to the ground and kicked up, knocking Fake Nadia off her feet and onto the ground. After that she felt she couldn't move. She crouched there in the mud, her hands gripping her stomach, tears of anguish streaming down her face.

She suddenly felt a warm hand on her shoulder and looked up. "Syd, c'mon, we've gotta go!"

"No…" she sputtered. "We've got to finish them – "

But then, out of nowhere, Sydney's world went dark. She went limp in Vaughn's arms, who, breathing heavily, had begun to carry her through the jungle.

"Charlie…you can't…"

"I have to, Claire. It's my only hope."

Charlie walked over to Sark and stared at him with hatred etched on every part of his face. "Sark. I want to know why."

"Back off, VH1," Sawyer shot. "You're within his reach."

Charlie, surprised that Sawyer was giving a care about anyone but himself, took a few steps back. "Why?" he repeated.

"Because you found me. And you looked pathetically weak," Sark spat.

"Well at least I'm not the one handcuffed to a tree, now am I?"

"No," said Sark slowly. "It doesn't seem so, does it?"

Charlie looked as though he might say something else, but Sark beat him to the point. "But you are the one with the scars around your neck. It seems someone before me thought you were exceptionally feeble as – "

Claire marched forward, her eyes blazing, and smacked him across the face. Sawyer did nothing but stand and stare in awe.

"DON'T CALL HIM WEAK! HE WAS PROTECTING ME!" she screamed hysterically.

"Hey…"

"HOW DARE YOU COME HERE AND – "

"HEY!" Sawyer stepped in between Sark and Claire. "I didn't ask for a shouting match, now did I?"

"Yeah well, I'm not finished with you!" Charlie growled, trying to side step the large southern man.

"Go, VH1!" Sawyer shouted, glaring at him. "You want somethin' worse to happen?"

Charlie drew himself up to full height—he still only came up to about Sawyer's nose—and stared at him. "Is that a threat?"

"Get outta here, idiot," Sawyer said in disgust. "It's not like you can do anything about it anyway."

Charlie fumed. "What's that supposed to mean? I'M NOT USELESS!"

"Jeez, VH1, calm down!"

Just then, as Charlie was debating how he should act next, Kate came crashing through the trees, her eyes wide. "What?" Sawyer sighed. "More of – "

"You haven't seen him, have you?" Kate asked feverishly.

"Who?" Claire asked, wiping the tears from her eyes, refusing to look at Sark, who was gazing absent-mindedly at Kate.

"Carter," Kate replied. "Mel and I have been looking and we can't – "

"Kate!" A teenage girl stumbled into the clearing. "It's Jack, he says he wants you!"

"But…Mel…aren't we supposed to be looking for Carter?"

The girl turned pale, but she seemed to hold her own. "But…it's Sydney and the other agent, Vaughn! They're back and she's hurt. Anyway," she added, going even paler. "I – I'm sure Carter's just at the beach…"

"Okay, well you go look then," said Kate, and then she turned to Charlie and Claire. "Come on. Get away from him." She glared at Sark and then took off back toward the caves, thinking of how busy the past few days had been.

"Jack, I'm here!" she called, running up to where Jack was standing over the "hospital bed", his back to her.

"Jack! What happened?"

He turned slowly, and Kate noticed that his face was white—as was Vaughn's.

"What happened, Jack?"

"Kate…she's gone."

END OF CHAPTER FIVE!

Jaye: HA! CLIFFHANGERS RULE! Review people, review!

Lils: (evil laughter) I'll have to agree with Jaye on that one. Cliffhangers are so funny! For us, anyway…I'm sure some of you want to rip our heads off right now…but you know what? To get an update you must review!