A/N: I do not own Lost, as common sense would tell you.

Thanks to all who reviewed, I wasn't expecting that many! I hope you all like this chapter!

Sawyer sat up watching the sunrise. Back in his life before the crash he rarely had the chance to appreciate the beauty of everything. He had always been preoccupied with other matters, more or less conning. Nobody else was awake yet on the beach, and Sawyer preferred it that way. The other survivors didn't really annoy him, but he saw the looks they gave him.

The last thing he expected at that particular moment was Jack, hero of the survivors to come bursting into his tent for the second time in two days. In his haste he had failed to see Sawyer sitting outside, and bypassed him completely. Sawyer, outraged at his audacity to enter his quarters uninvited, followed him, but stopped when he saw the look on the doctor's face. Last time he entered, he had been vexed because his precious Kate wasn't around when he needed her. Now, he expressed nothing but panic.

Both men just stood there inside the tent, tension cutting through the silence like a knife. "What?" Sawyer finally got out, although he already knew the answer.

"Kate's missing," Jack said simply, his voice cracking through his fear.

"What?" Sawyer asked incredulously. Since when had Kate, of all people, become prey to the jungle? She was much too strong for that.

Jack gave him a knowing look. Sawyer sighed exasperatedly, knowing he was right. He knew full well that if Jack said Kate was missing, then it was true. As much as he hated to admit it.

"So what am I supposed to do?" he asked, sitting down on his chair, trying to answer his own question.

"First we assemble a search team. As many people as we can. She's had at least a half day's head start. I need you to help me lead because you're the only one who knows which direction she was headed."

"Whoa, wait a second, Doc. I followed her only so far, then I turned back. I can take you to the place we split up, but only that far. Anything after that is only speculation," Sawyer explained, trying to remain calm, but his own fear was palpable as well.

Jack nodded. "Yes, but anything is better than nothing," he said, then looked down, rubbing the back of his neck in a strained way. "You're the only one I know who can help me. You're the only one who saw her inside the jungle."

"Hey, I never said I wouldn't help. I'll help you lead the search team, and do anything beyond that. But you've got to trust me. Okay?"

Jack looked him square in the eye, searching for any signs of mistrust, but he nodded. "Okay, it's a deal. We need to gather everyone up and start right away, we can't afford to lose any more time. I'll get Locke and Eko on it," he said, the panic wiped from his face, setting into the role of leader once more.

Sawyer said nothing, but watched as Jack made his way back towards the hatch, hisplan set in motion. Yeah, it was a good plan, probably the best one they could've mustered even with more time. But he wasn't about to admit that to Jack.

So what choice did he have but to follow his orders and gather the search team? With a heavy heart full of mixed emotions, he set about the task. No matter what the cost, they had to bring Kate back.

Jack marched to the hatch, determined to have everyone left on the island up into the jungle with whatever they needed in order to find her. She would never have left them willingly, he knew that about her. Someone or something was putting her up to this, he just knew it. The question was, who? And why?

Kate had proved on many occasions to be a natural leader. She was a strong woman, probably one of the strongest Jack ever had the pleasure of knowing. Why she would take off into the jungle on her own was beyond him. There just wasn't any logical explanation.

True, he was feeling better, and much more confidant know that he had enlisted Sawyer. No matter his ill-feelings towards him, he was certain that he would do his task.

The hatch came into view, and he sped up a bit. The door was still open from when he had previously burst from it that morning. Apparently Locke and Eko were still inside. Good.

"Locke. Locke!" Jack called, running into the room with the computer where he knew the man would be as usual.

Locke only looked up when Jack came into his line of vision, and even then, it was only a spare glance. "Did you find her?"

Jack shook his head. "No. I went out and talked to Sawyer. He's going to set up a search party. I need you to help. You're our best tracker."

Locke smiled and let out a small laugh. "That's awful nice of you, but with all due respect, I don't really think enlisting the aid of a search party is the best idea."

This time it was Jack's turn to be incredulous. "'Not the best idea?' Locke, Kate is out there and hasn't shown up since yesterday afternoon. She wouldn't just leave of her own free will. She could be seriously injured, and if that's the case then we need as many people as we can get so she can be treated."

"Yes, but we both know that's not true. She's not injured, people all around have been saying they saw enter the jungle alone. In all the time we've been on this island, has she ever gotten hurt? Has she ever let herself be talked into going somewhere that she knows is dangerous without any of us?" Locke asked, in his usual know-it-all voice that Jack had learned to hate yet respect.

"Either way John, we need to find her. Anything could've happened to her by now. If she's fine great, but then at least we would know. Are you going to help or not?" Jack asked, his final word settling into Locke's ears.

"Of course I'm going to help." Locke stood up and walked over to Jack. "Mr. Eko's out at the moment. With all the people down at the beach, I think we can afford to leave someone here when the alarm sets. Someone needs to stay here and push in the numbers."

Jack contemplated this, but then nodded. "Okay. Let's go," he said, and they headed off back to the beach.

By the time they got there, nearly two thirds of the survivors were standing, waiting for them to arrive. All looked determined, with only one thing on their minds.

Kate needed to come back.

Sawyer didn't have to do much in order to get anyone's help. They all knew something was wrong just at the look on his face. They were observant enough to know that Kate was really the only person Sawyer truly cared about on the island. The grim expression on his face only set their suspicions to facts.

They all promised to do whatever they could to help bring her back, or at least the ones who were capable. Sawyer stood at the front of them, watching as Jack and Locke descended down towards them.

"Thank you all for helping. I realize that this is very short notice, but the earlier we start the better. How many of us are there?" Jack announced, looking at Sawyer.

Sawyer shrugged. "Probably twenty or so."

Jack nodded knowingly. "Alright. Sawyer will lead us up to the spot where he last saw Kate. Once we're there we'll split up into teams. Ten of you will go with me, the others will go with Locke. You find anything, anything at all no matter how insignificant you think it is, you yell. Any questions?"

No one answered. They all had heard this before when Claire and Charlie had gone missing. Some had even taken brief glimpses at the couple, who were standing among the crowd, eager to help. If they noticed this, they didn't show it.

"Great. Sawyer, if you will," Jack said, extending an arm towards the jungle to indicate that he could take the lead. Sawyer stepped forward anxiously and everyone else followed obediently.

Jack and Locke followed him closely, searching in every direction for anything, although they knew the odds of finding anything this early on were slim to none.

Every so often they would take a glance at the back of Sawyer's head. They knew he was being just as astute as they were, but all the same….

Twenty minutes later they were stopped by Sawyer, who had stopped short, looking around. Jack knew he wasn't mistaken. This was the last place Kate had been seen.

"Okay Doc. This is as far as I can take you," Sawyer told him, sounding sincerely apologetic.

Jack turned around, temporarily ignoring Sawyer before answering. "You bunch," he indicated the five people closest to the left, "You go with Locke. The rest of you will go with Sawyer and me. Remember what I told you. Good luck."

The group split up accordingly and, with a last glance at Jack, Locke took his group left. Jack was then left with the space straight ahead.

Kate woke with a start. At first she had forgotten where she was, but then she remembered. She was in the jungle. Deep.

She crawled out of the little cave she had found at sunset, wiping away the dirt that now caked her clothes and skin, but it was a futile attempt, and she knew it. She reached into the backpack she had taken, and grabbed an apple that would serve as her breakfast. She knew she had to get moving before somebody found her. It wasn't time. Not yet.

She finished the apple within seven minutes, and absent-mindedly threw the core into the patch of trees to the side of her. Everything was deathly silent, but she knew she wasn't the only one wandering around. Besides the French woman and the dreaded Others, she knew that by now Jack was probably going insane with worry. It brought a stab of guilt into her heart, and her mind was brought back to the previous day when she had sat beside him in the sand. She had meant to tell him that she was going to leave for a while and to not look for her, but she couldn't.

He had been so relaxed, so at ease, and it was a rare sight to behold. She couldn't break that feeling by telling him she was leaving.

She could make out that conversation in her head already. 'Why are you running, Kate? You don't have to keep running.'

What did he know? Yeah, he had felt his share of pain and loneliness in the past, and she knew that deep down he understood how she felt, but what he didn't understand was her need to move.

She had to keep running. Running was the only thing she could do with certainty. It was the one thing that always made sense. Did it make her a coward? No. It made her strong; at least that was what she had convinced herself of long ago. Running had saved her life more than once. Sometimes physically, sometimes emotionally. It didn't matter how many times she explained it to Jack. He would simply never understand.

And with that thought in mind, she quickened her pace, and continued running into the distance, destination unknown.

He had a good feeling as they made their way straight ahead. She had been here, he was certain of it. Jack didn't express his certainty to any of the other survivors he had taken with him. In fact, his thoughts were the complete opposite of the others judging by the looks on their faces.

They had looked hopeful and confident on their trek inside, maybe even when they were an hour in. Their path continued way beyond their eyesight would allow them, and he knew as soon as he saw it that they were on the right trail. If Kate had gone of her own free will, then this was the direction she would go, assuming that Sawyer had lead them right.

"Jack," a relatively familiar voice came from the back of the group. Everyone turned around to the unexpected speaker. It was Rose.

"It's getting to be evening. We haven't eaten, and there is no trace of her. We need to go back. We can continue tomorrow."

"And come all the way out here again tomorrow just to stop at the same place? If you want to go, then go. No one's stopping you," he said, more harshly than he intended.

Rose stopped, and nodded. "Alright. Good luck. You'll find her. She's out there somewhere. I can feel it."

"Thanks for helping, I really appreciate it," Jack called after her. Everyone was staring after her, trying to decide if they wanted to go back with her or continue with Jack and Sawyer. The two men ignored them and continued. They were getting deeper and deeper, and they knew that as far in as they were already, Kate was even further.

And they couldn't give up. They just couldn't.

A/N: Drop me a line!