Notes: New chapter up... Its been forever since i updated...blame school... this chapter inspired by Tom DeLonge...the man of my dreams
Jack and Kate carried Michael back toward the hatch, almost dragging him. Though he was unconscious, he seemed almost unwilling to cooperate-like something was holding his limp body back… but maybe it was all in Kate's mind. Why would he want to stay with the Others? Why would he want to go back to that place?
Finally they arrived at the hatch, where Locke Ana-Lucia was guarding the cell of "Henry Gale", who had previously nearly killed her- he hadn't, thanks to Locke, who had since left the hatch and gone back to the beach.
"Any new news?" she asked when she heard Jack come in, then suddenly became quiet as she saw Michael's drooping body bent over Kate and Jack's shoulders.
She had actually been a bit worried about him since he ran off. They had almost gotten to know each other a little bit during the trek from the other end of the island where the Tailies had landed… he was the one who finally made her believe that there were really good people on this island. Jin wasn't much help, seeing that he could only speak Korean and Sawyer was constantly making sarcastic comments despite the fact that he was only half there due to a major gun wound in his side and he might be dying- Michael seemed to be her only lifeline to this other side of the island.
She was almost glad to see that he was back. She was almost sure that he had been killed by the Others, as she was sure all of those that had disappeared during the island crossing were now dead. At the same time though, she didn't wish he was back. There was something wrong-something she couldn't out her finger on.
Jack and Kate carefully set Michael into the lower bunk of the bed. Ana walked up to the side of the bed, concerned. "What happened?" she asked, with a sense of urgency.
"Michael just ran out of the jungle," Jack answered, "he passed out right in front of us. I think that if he just gets some rest right now he'll be fine soon. But the rest of the camp needs to be alerted, so one of us needs to go and tell them that Michael's back and that he's alive."
Kate and Jack looked at Ana as if she was the one that Jack meant should go. Ana begged to differ. "Well, I'm sticking around here, so it'll have to be one of you," she declared.
Jack almost opened his mouth to get her to leave, but before he could Kate butted in. "I'll tell them," she said, picking up her backpack and getting ready to leave.
"Kate…" Jack began.
"No, I'll go," she said and then left.
Ana-Lucia sat in a small chair beside the bunk. Jack paced behind her, trying to figure out what was going on. Ana wasn't sure what she was trying to accomplish, but she opened her mouth and began to sing:
When we landed here
There's no one I knew I could trust
I thought the end was near
I did some things I thought I must
-
Because I accused someone
He disappeared without a trace
A thousand times I wished to run
But there was no end to that race
-
And then you guys washed upon our shore
We almost thought we were starting up a war
Didn't trust you so I threw you in a hole
Now it seems to you I'm spilling out my soul…
-
"What's that?" Jack asked from the counter behind her.
"Nothing," she whispered, then continued on.
I know you better right now
Then anyone else
And I don't know quite how
But now you're not yourself…
-
"What do you mean he's not himself?" Jack pressed.
"What… oh, I don't even know what I'm singing about. You know how this whole singing thing is…" she trailed off.
"No, I don't," he responded, almost angry that she wouldn't give him a straight answer. "Why don't you explain how this singing thing works?"
"No wonder she likes Sawyer more than she likes you…" Ana said under her breath, speaking of course of Kate.
"What was that?" Jack fumed.
"Nothing…" she muttered, and nothing else was said until Kate returned.
What just happened… It's was all just a memory now for Sawyer. He was just minding his own business, picking some mangoes, when she came around. Not Kate, who he hoped it would be, and who he had kind of hoped he would be able to give some of the mangoes-but Ana-Lucia.
Not that he hated that it was her. She seemed to have a little thing for him, as he almost had for her… but things had gone too far. He was just playing around when he pinned her there on the ground- he had done the same thing to Kate before and she had done what he expected her to do-push him off and call him a pig.
But not Ana- she was off a different breed, she was. The way she grabbed him, forced him to do his will- he hated it. And at the same time he relished in it. He had never been the one under control before- he was used to dominating. For a few minutes, he had been the subjugated.
But-it wasn't supposed to be that way. From the moment he and Kate had played "I never" in the jungle that one night, he knew that he and Kate were supposed to be together. Maybe she would be the one who would give Sawyer what he felt that he was missing since his childhood… She could love her, and he knew for sure that he loved her back.
And in his eyes, they whole Kate/Jack dynamic didn't even work… he was such a goody-goody. He could never understand the things that Kate had been through- murder and running away from the law- Jack was just some surgeon who had probably lived a comfortable life with a rich mommy and daddy… he thought he knew Kate but he had no idea.
When Sawyer felt a song welling up inside of him, he didn't even try to hold it in:
Why can't I just understand this
I hate this feel of feeling helpless
I've never felt this way before
I almost feel I'll have to settle the score
-
And I can't believe what I did
And I don't think I meant it
I never wanted to hurt Kate
And now I feel repentant
-
I know she'd never understand
I still feel she should know
But I don't think I ever can
Can't do it at all, and so
-
I just might have to be a better person
I just might be forced to change myself
Cuz since I find that I must seek redemption
I know that this ain't for myself
I'll have to change, it's for her health
I can't stay this way if I want her by my side…
-
"Damn…" he said to himself. He couldn't change. He was the person he was- and he didn't want to change. Not because he was stubborn-which he was- but because it was what Jack wanted to see and he couldn't let Jack get what he wanted. But what else did Jack want? Kate. And if he could get her, losing out to Jack wouldn't be too bad.
Hurley cursed to himself under his breath as Libby walked away from him. Rose and Bernard don't even have the wine… he thought to himself as he realized that the girl of his dreams was running away from him. He thought that she should know very well that Sawyer had taken all of it for himself- even thought that wasn't exactly fair- maybe he shouldn't have listened to her. Maybe it wasn't possible for a bunch of people stranded on an island to really take only what they needed- he was proof of that.
The world seemed to freeze around him, the waves crashed blue against the sand stronger but more slowly, and the sky grew darker, though there were no clouds in the sky. The wind gusted and, not quite gone from Hurley's view, Libby's hair blew, though nothing else seemed to move.
Though he could move, he remained still and sang:
Not once in my life
Has anybody looked at me
The way you do
The way you move
It drives me crazy
-
Not once in my life
Has someone ever made me feel
The way you do
You're something new
The reasoning's hazy
-
And I don't know what I'd do
If I ever had to live without you
I'm not sure how I'd feel
If I wasn't sure this was real
-
So I thank you every day
Cuz you can make things A-OK
And I'm so glad that you're here
I know I'm safe when you are near
When you're around everything's clear…
-
By now Hurley found himself in front of Libby-quite close actually, and when the motion of the surrounding world resumed once again and the ocean's music returned to the normal resonance of waves against sand, Libby almost screamed out of fright.
"Hurley!" she yelled as she jumped back. She stared, wondering how he had gotten ahead of her, when he had been so far back just the moment before.
"Well, I was singing," he decided not to lie.
"What did you sing about?" she asked, curious.
"About… how much I need you," he responded truthfully.
"Aw… that's sweet," she said and smiled softly. She noticed that he wasn't turning around to get the wine. "Would you like to come with me?"
"Huh?"
"To the hatch? To get some blankets?" she asked, inviting him for a short stroll.
"Yeah!" he obliged to take the invitation. "Sawyer's hoarding all of the wine anyway…"
"Well, we'll have to make a short visit to his tent then before our picnic, won't we?"
"Sure," he responded and the two looped arms heading toward the hatch.
"I'm sorry," Michael said, emotionless, and pointed the gun at Ana-Lucia. The sound of a shot being fired echoed through the hatch.
Michael dropped the gun and fell to the ground in shock-he had no idea what had just happened. He writhed on the ground in pain- not only in the physical pain of the bullet that had just been burrowed through his shoulder-he could deal with that- but what would be done to Walt when he didn't accomplish his mission? He could do nothing but yell out in pain.
Ana jumped up in surprise as soon as she saw what had happened- if it weren't for Sayid now, she would be dead. Sayid lowered the gun to his side.
"You missed," Ana mustered up, carefully snatching the gun away from the now disabled Michael, also being careful not to get too close to the struggling body of the man she formerly trusted.
"I was not attempting to kill him," he said, reminiscent of what Rousseau had said to him when Henry Gale was captured. "I don't believe he wanted to harm us."
"Didn't want to harm us?" she yelled at Sayid. "He nearly shot me dead!"
"Michael is not himself," he responded simply. "I will question him later." He bent down beside Michael and tied his arms together at the wrists with rope made of tightly knitted jungle vines-they would hold unless someone with a very sharp knife got at them. And Sayid would make absolutely sure that no one would.
Ana opened her mouth to argue, then realized that Sayid was probably right. She had gotten to actually know and trust Michael-and she never trusted anyone unless she knew that the person was worthy of her trust. Michael had been changed while he was away, and perhaps there was a way to change him back.
Sayid helped Ana-Lucia lift Michael into a stationary chair and tied him to it with more chord. Michael was trying to weasel his way out of the situation.
"What… what's going on?" he asked, almost convincingly, but not quite.
"We know, Michael. You do not have to lie about what is happening," Sayid assured. "Just tell us why you tried to kill Ana."
Michael winced, then closed his eyes. He began to cry, though the other two knew not why.
"Michael," Ana tried. "You can trust us." Michael looked straight into her eyes and there was no lie. Still, he remained silent.
"Michael…" she started again…:
I know you've done some things to hurt me
You ran away, you've lied expertly
We know you didn't do this on purpose
But we know we can help you through this…
-
Sayid joined in:
-
You came back with murder in mind
But we both know you're not that kind
You're doing this to find your son
But you can't do it with a gun
-
The only way you will succeed
Is with your friends, in times of need
And we're you friends, so please take heed
I'd be dead if it weren't for Sayid
-
Because we are the ones that you can trust
We'll get you through, not leave you in our dust
They promise that they will help you get Walt
You want him too
We'll help you through
It's not your fault…
-
"I'm sorry…" Michael finally said through sobs. "I'm sorry…" he choked.
"It's okay man…" Ana tried to calm him.
"Don't… don't let them know… they'll kill him… they'll kill him," he whimpered.
"We won't let them know," Ana promised. "Just tell us what you know."
"I can't… if you find them-if you go after them- if you know what they're really like…"
"What?" Ana-Lucia tried to get an answer.
"They'll kill Walt."
While Sayid and Ana tried to absorb this information, a creaking sound came from outside the hatch, and Libby and Hurley came strolling in nonchalantly. Their stroll came to an abrupt stop when they saw that Michael was tied to a chair.
"Um… what's going on?" Hurley asked.
Ana, Sayid, and Michael knew not what to say. Each of them turned to Hurley to answer, but Hurley received none.