A/N: Nope. Still don't own anything on Lost.

"What are you doing?" Jack heard the voice, but didn't respond. Sitting in a pile of leaves, listening to the sound of nothing except the occasional bird helped little in trying to get his mind off everything. He didn't really want someone sitting beside him trying to figure out what he was thinking or trying to make him feel better. That was Kate's job.

"We need to keep moving. Every second we waste resting is a second more we could have to find her," Jack said stubbornly. It wasn't his decision to take a break and set up camp for the night, and if he had done what he had originally intended to do in the first place, he might have even made some progress.

Sayid let out a little chuckle. "Jack, everyone here wants to bring Kate back. But it doesn't do to keep trekking into the jungle on nothing but determination. You also need your senses on full alert; something you cannot have unless you have had the required amount of rest."

"She's out there, Sayid. She's out there and she's probably still running deeper into the jungle. She knows we would stop like we're doing now, and she's taking full advantage of that."

Sayid hesitated for a moment, not wanting to upset Jack even more than he already was, but started again. "Jack, Kate is not stupid. She's smarter than that. She knows the dangers of staying out here for days at a time without rest. If anything, she stopped hours before we did."

"How do you know that?" Jack demanded, setting his eyes on Sayid for the first time since the start of their conversation.

"Because I know of her abilities as a tracker, and so do you if I am not mistaken. She knew what she was getting into." With that, Sayid stood up and headed back to the campfire the other survivors made, a good fifteen feet away from the grieving doctor.

Deep down Jack knew that Sayid was right. He knew Kate better than that. He knew that she wouldn't dare to keep walking deeper into the mass of unknown terrain in the middle of the night by herself. Yes, she was more than capable of doing it, but she wasn't stupid enough to let herself do it. Jack knew all too well.

"Jack!" At the sound of his voice he jerked to life. He was taken aback only for a brief second at the sight of daylight. He realized that he must've fallen asleep dwelling too much on Kate, and that they had a duty to continue.

"Are you alright?" Sayid asked, genuine concern written on his face.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."

With Sawyer at his side, he took the lead of the search party, hunting for any clue as to her whereabouts, and if they were even still on the right trail. They hadn't heard from anyone in Locke's group, and Jack didn't know whether to take that as a good sign or a bad sign. He almost wished that Locke was with them right now, because he was a much better tracker than he or Sawyer were.

Against his will, he found his mind drifting to their last conversation, however brief, on the beach. She had sat beside him, and they had made small talk, like anyone would've.

"So how long do you expect to stay here?"

"As long as I can. Why?"

Of course! Why the hell hadn't he seen it before? She had entered the jungle immediately after that conversation. Why hadn't he seen it before? She had wanted to tell him something, and he had been so distracted that she couldn't. Or wouldn't.

Something was amiss. What the hell was it?

They were close. Every so often she would hear whispers. She knew Jack would form a search party and do everything he could to find her. She just hadn't expected it to be so soon.

How had she become so careless? Had almost two months in this vast, unknown region really lowered her proficiency to get away? Three years on the run had to mean something, right?

Kate prayed for rain. It never came when she wished for it, but whenever she wanted the sun to be out, to have a beautiful day, the rain came. Tracking Ethan in order to find Charlie and Claire had ended, almost fatally, because it had rained. When she was trying to get away, it didn't rain. She didn't understand it.

As she picked up her stride, she strained her ears to the whispering. It didn't go away, as she had hoped it would. If anything, it got even louder.

And, as if an invisible brick had collided with her head, she knew the whispering wasn't coming from Jack's search team. No, it was coming from someone, or something, else.

Forgetting what remained of her astuteness, she ran. She pushed her already tired legs as hard as she could, the need to get away never as real as it was just then. If she got caught up in the whispers, then those that made them would be there, ready for her, and if they took her, than there would be almost no chance of her ever finding her way back to Jack.

But wasn't that the reason she left in the first place? To get away? If she could continue telling herself that, than maybe she would start to believe it. The truth was, maybe she was starting to go crazy. Maybe the only way to get away was to run from the only safe place she had ever truly known, with the safest people she had ever known. She had been a fool to leave, she saw that now, and if she got away from the whispering, than she would turn around and go back.

But nothing was that simple. She saw that as soon as she tripped over an invisible branch, fell face first into a pile of dirt, rendering her unconscious as a group of four or so lifted her into the air and took her to their version of civilization.

All she saw was darkness. She didn't even know if she had opened her eyes. She couldn't feel anything. She opened her mouth to speak, but found she couldn't do that either. She was left to form silent questions in the back of her mind instead.

Where am I?

What am I doing here?

Who are you people?

As if hearing her questions, a deep laugh came from a man sitting silently in the corner of what could only be accurately described as her cell.

"Glad to see you're finally awake, Kate." The man's voice was gruff, holding nothing but amusement, which Kate found incredibly unnerving.

"Wh-What? How do you…"

"Shh. Be quiet. You'll feel better if you just listen to me right now. Your obvious questions can come later."

"B-But…"

Out of nowhere, Kate felt the sting of a slap across her cheek. The man she hadn't noticed sitting beside her was glaring at her with anger she hadn't seen since Wayne.

"He told you to be quiet!" This man's voice was much younger, but still held an air of hardship, like the man with the beard sitting in front of her. What had these people been through in their lives?

"Greg, that's enough!" The first man snapped, causing Greg to jump back in his chair, silent once more.

"You'll have to forgive Greg here. He still hasn't quite gotten used to the whole manners thing," he apologized.

Kate didn't show any response, except for the growing anger in her eyes, which the gruff man could read quite easily.

"I know you wish to know why you were brought here, and I assure you that your questions will all be answered in time. For the time being, I'm afraid that you are to remain here so you can let the grogginess dissipate."

He stood up and headed for the door, the man known as Greg right behind him. Kate made a somewhat feeble attempt to follow, but she couldn't move, and actually preferred that she couldn't.

"Wait…" she let out, but no one could hear. She sat back in her chair, angry and confused, but most of all scared. Scared that she would never see Jack, Sawyer, or anyone again. Scared that she would never get a chance to explain herself and her reasons or actions to them. Sure, they showed just temporary fear and then a couple days later everything was back to normal.

She owed it to them to explain herself and her situation. Even if it didn't matter anymore and they were stuck on the island for the rest of their lives, she didn't think they deserved to spend all that time wondering what the hell she did. They were probably all still wondering just how dangerous she really was.

But she would never get a chance to unless she at least tried to get out of there. And she would try. And when she did, there would be hell to pay.

"Jack! Over here!" The unexpected sound of Locke's voice came from the clearing three yards away. Jack was the first one running in his direction, not expecting the two groups to meet up so soon.

Locke was standing in his usual posture whenever he found something, and for the first time since in the short time he knew the man, he was happy to find him.

"What is it?" Jack and Sayid asked at the same time, squatting down to Locke's level to find what he had.

"Footprints. And, an eaten apple core just a few miles south of here. From the look of it, it was eaten maybe a day ago. These footprints are fresh, maybe an hour old if that. We're close." Locke looked up, smiling into Jack's hopeful eyes.

"Then let's go!" Jack said, and headed the team once more, everyone else at his heels.

They were close. She was close. They would find her soon, it was only a matter of time.

But this bout of joy lasted for only ten minutes when Locke spoke up again. "Jack, hold it."

The doctor stopped in his tracks, his patience wearing thin. "What? You said she was close! If we don't continue then we'll…"

"No. We were closer probably five minutes ago. Look at the footprints now." Everyone put their heads down to look at the ground to listen to what Locke had to say.

"To the untrained eye, only our tracks can be seen since they're everywhere. But if you will look here," he put his knife down on the ground to a track made by a hiking shoe, like the ones Kate was wearing, "here," he pointed his knife to another track, this one made by bare feet, "here, and here. Do you all remember anyone taking off their shoes to go exploring in an unfamiliar jungle?"

Everyone shook their heads, knowing where the man was going with this. "This is where Kate met up with, I'm guessing three or four people. And here," he walked over to a spot three inches from where Jack was standing, "is where Kate's tracks disappear and the other tracks start."

For a moment nothing Locke was saying was comprehending, then the same conclusion was reached to them all at the same time.

"You mean to say…" Sawyer started, but didn't finish.

"Yes. I don't think I have to say it. What we need to do now is not find a trail, but a camp. A camp probably another couple days walk at least. Whoever doesn't want to come with us doesn't have to, but at this point it would be silly to turn back, especially if you don't know how to find your way back."

"We're going," Charlie stated obviously, determination in his voice. Murmurs of agreement soon followed, and Jack couldn't help but be amazed at the concern they all were holding. If they got out alive, he would have to remember to thank them later.

"Let's go," Locke said, and this time he led the way down the trail into the part of the jungle no one had yet to explore.

A/N: The weird stuff is yet to come! Drop me a note!