(Disclaimer: No own. Sorry for taking so long. And sorry this chapter's kinda long. Once I got done I thought about making it two chapters, but I disided against it. So here is all chapter eight. PS: Thanks for the reviews! I really love them. They make my day!)

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Bill had taken a break from building the hut already. It'd only been an hour or so since they started, but it didn't really matter, Jack was off in his own little world. He and Ralph said little. Jack stared into the distance, and Ralph was banging on rock against another. Every so often Jack would look over, trying to guess what Ralph was doing, but he couldn't. He didn't want Ralph to catch him looking, so he quickly looked back to the hut and thought some more.

Bill had knocked Jack out of his daydreaming. "How's it looking, Chief?" Jack and Ralph both looked at Bill, who was already sitting next to them.

"It's good." Jack said, looking at the hut. It was turning out alright, better than the ones everyone made back on the beach.

"So what are we going to do today, Chief?"

Jack thought. "I'm going to teach Ralph how to hunt..."

Ralph paled. "No, Jack. That's fine. You don't have t—"

Jack grinned his insane grin, but his eyes were the same as the night before. "You're learning and that's final." His voice sounded forced.

Ralph had to hold back from laughing. "Yes. Of course I will."

Jack smiled.

Bill looked nervous. One didn't have to be a genius to know that Jack favored Ralph, and if he'd talk to Ralph like that, he must be furious that Bill was sitting out already. "I'll… uh… just get back to work."

Jack nodded and stood up. "Good." He watched Bill leave, "Ready, Ralph?"

Ralph nodded, taking one of the rocks, now sharpened to a point, blowing on it, to get the dust off of it, and followed Jack down the mountain a little way, to the stream they bathed at the other day, to practice hunting.

Jack wasn't as good as a teacher as he was a hunter. He was very impatient and Ralph was only half heartedly throwing Jack's spear. (Not his good one, of course, he didn't want Ralph to ruin that one. This was his first spear, and if Ralph wanted to go hunting, he could use this spear too.)

"No! Ralph. You've gotta go like this!" Jack took the spear from Ralph's hand, their flesh touching momentarily, in the transition, causing both boys to blush slightly. Jack quickly recovered and threw the spear, perfectly, hitting the tree they were aiming at.

Ralph sighed. "Jack, why are you even bothering? I'm never going to be a good hunter. I can't kill anything."

Ralph froze as he saw Jack's eyes light up. He use to take that for Jack's bloodlust, but it seemed lately, it was a look of a great idea. An idea where he benefited something.

"Well…" Jack smiled. "A lot of the time the spears don't kill the pig, and then we have to wrestle it to the ground…"

"Like you did last night?"

"Yeah."

Ralph grinned. "I thought you were showing off."

Jack walked to the tree and pulled out his spear, his voice full of sarcasm. "Ha. Ha."

Ralph laughed. "Yes, so what about wrestling the pig?"

"Oh yes." Jack continued as if never interrupted. "Well you gotta just get the pig down. Think you can get a pig down?"

Ralph rolled his eyes. "And what? You've got a pig handy for me to wrestle."

"No. You can wrestle me." Jack blushed softly, but grinned. He obviously liked the idea.

Ralph thought about equating Jack to a pig, verbally, to get Jack flustered, but decided against it. Jack threw the spear down, over to a spot they wouldn't be wrestling on, so neither boy got seriously hurt, and got on his hands and knees.

Ralph blushed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm a pig." Jack said, crawling about on his hands and knees. "So come on, wrestle me."

Ralph laughed. "Pigs aren't usually that tan, and they usually haven't got red hair."

Jack grinned. "And hunters usually have spears and aren't the pig's playthings. We'll have to act here, Ralphie."

Ralph grinned back and jumped at Jack. Jack wasn't expecting it so soon, so he was knocked over, and within seconds Ralph was sitting on his stomach, his hands clenched Jack's wrists, and pinned them down too. "Pinned ya."

Jack's eyes showed his surprise, even if his facial expressions didn't. "Well I wasn't ready. Get off and let's try it again."

Ralph grinned. "I don't even get a prize for capturing the pig?"

Jack grinned back, he knew what he'd like to give Ralph for the prize, but he was pinned. "The pig won't ever give you anything, Ralph. Lesson number one: You have to take what you want."

Ralph looked down at Jack, he was panting slightly, from the small fight, and there was sand on his chest that had mixed with sweat and clay. Ralph moved one of his hands off of Jack's wrists and put it on Jack's cheek as he leaned down to kiss him.

Jack grinned, putting his free hand on Ralph's side, and easily flipped him over, with Ralph paying more attention to Jack than the actual pin. A few seconds of struggling, and Jack had Ralph down so he couldn't move.

"Lesson number two. Don't ever let your feelings overcome you."

Ralph groaned, and lay limp under Jack, not even bothering to fight. Jack let his guard down a bit. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"Sorry for what?"

"That I'm not the hunter you wanted me to be." Jack sat up, straddling Ralph's stomach, and Ralph put his hands over his face. His words became muffled. "I didn't mean to let you down."

Jack looked shocked. "No. You didn't let me down." Jack wasn't sure what to do to comfort Ralph. "You'll get it… I promise."

Jack ran his fingers over Ralph's chest, trying to comfort him, but was surprised again, when Ralph threw his weight to one side and pinned Jack down more efficiently, but this time by the shoulders, because he liked Jack to fight back.

"Touché" Jack said, grinning. "See. You've got it. Except, you can't manipulate a pig, like you can me." Jack let his hands go to Ralph's hips, resting them there, grinning mischievously up at the boy. Ralph didn't know if Jack was letting Ralph be on top, or if he was trying to get him to be distracted.

If distracting Ralph was what Jack was going for, he definitely got that.

"Jack?" Ralph's voice was strange, even to himself.

"Uh huh?" Jack didn't seem to be paying much attention to anything but Ralph's hips, then his lips when he started to talk.

"Well… uh…" Jack licked his lips, and Ralph couldn't tell if Jack was even listening. Maybe whatever took over him last night was taking over him again. "Jack?"

"I said what." Jack's eyes weren't looking at Ralph's, they were fixed on his lips. His fingers tightened slightly on Ralph's hips, trying to pull him down a little, and Ralph felt Jack's heart quicken underneath him. From feeling the hunter's heart speed, his own heart began to follow.

"Are you trying to distract me?" Ralph blushed slightly.

Jack didn't even seem phased. "You're distracted, I can feel it. Had I wanted to flip you over, I would have." Jack's eyes wondered back up to Ralph's eyes. He smiled. He looked sane.

"Well what are you doing then?"

"I'm waiting."

"For what?"

Jack grinned. "Just kiss me, Ralph."

Ralph blushed, but Jack's hand moved up farther and pulled on the small of his back, pulling the younger boy down on top of him.

Ralph moved one arm under Jack's head, propping it up, and kissed him.

The anticipation almost killed Jack, so he was hardly able to control himself when they started to kiss. Jack was pushing up as much as he could, with Ralph pushing down. This time wasn't as clumsy; they both knew what they wanted, and they both knew what the other wanted.

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Eric shivered. Something was waking him up, but he couldn't even remember where he was. He thought he was home, with a fever, his mother at his side, running a wet rag over his chest to get the fever to come down.

But what he felt wasn't a wet rag, and he smelt the sea. So what was this on his chest?

"I know you're awake, Eric. Open your eyes." Roger's voice. It was hard to tell if it was friendly or angry. It was always hard to tell with Roger. But obediently, Eric opened his eyes. "There's a good boy." Roger sounded, and looked, more like he was talking to a dog. His fingers hand been running over his chest; petting him, teasing him.

Eric thought that Roger might want him to start panting and barking like a dog.

"What'd you come for, Eric?" Now Roger seemed bored, old, and he stopped stroking Eric's chest. He sat back, brought his knees to his chest and hugged his legs, looking at twin.

"Um…" Eric thought. Why had he come here? "Oh yes. I… uh…" Did Roger want to hear about Jack? What if Roger didn't like Jack? Eric would look like an idiot.

"Tell me… You know what telling me things gets you." Roger grinned, but Eric blushed, thinking back to that night. "Are you afraid, Eric? Afraid I'll be disappointed with your information and send you from my cave and from my life?" Roger leaned closer, teasing Eric further. "Are you afraid I'll get a new toy? A new thing to kiss and throw away? I will. You know I will."

Eric couldn't tell if Roger was bluffing or not. Sure, he could beat any boy into submission, but he had a boy who would beat himself into submission. Roger knew Eric would. But Eric knew of the pain Roger would bring him… the pain of boredom, Eric could handle that. If Roger wanted to hurt Eric, he could handle that too. But if he made Roger angry… then he'd really be on the receiving end.

"It's about the chief."

Roger suddenly looked like he was possessed. The thought of Jack, Jack and Ralph, made Roger angry. Eric had seen Roger angry before, but angry didn't even begin to describe the look of fury on his face. "Yeah?" Roger's voice was like venom in Eric's ears. "What about him?"

"Well…" Eric was nervous again. After a few seconds of not answering, Roger snapped and grabbed his spear. He grabbed Eric's hand and threw him against the cave wall. Eric whimpered, his back getting ripped from the jagged rocks. Roger quickly put his spear to Eric's neck, pressing, making him bleed. Eric gasped.

"Tell me." Roger's eyes seemed completely black. "Tell me, Eric, or I'll cut it out of you."

Eric closed his eyes and said, "Jack doesn't like Ralph… they're not anything more than…" Eric didn't need to finish. Roger had dropped his spear and walked over to Eric. The anger was gone.

Roger turned Eric around, looking at the bleeding wounds on his back. He didn't apologize. He never did. But Eric knew that it was okay. Roger frowned. "Why do you think I care?"

Eric shrugged, pretending to be oblivious to the fact that Roger's arm was cut and that Jack's bloody hand prints on Roger's chest had been touched up. Roger never bled himself for anyone. "You never seemed to like Ralph."

Roger scoffed at the understatement and sat back down. Eric faced Roger and ran his fingers over his throat, it wasn't bleeding bad. 'He never pushes hard enough to kill you.'

Eric shook the voice away and got on his knees in front of Roger and held out his hands. "Do you want this?"

Roger looked down. It was the necklace he'd made, Roger's now on Jack. Roger felt strange. It wasn't guilt, exactly. Here was this boy who left the comfort and safety of his brother, of his tribe, to keep Roger company. The boy who's done anything Roger asked. Anything from the simple 'Kiss me back' to the 'Pick up that hot ember, Eric. Entertain me.'

He didn't feel bad for hurting this boy. Eric wasn't human to Roger, Eric was a play toy. He was a "my sized GI Joe", and Roger was the sadistic boy who'd gotten him for his birthday. He'd love him; he'd break him, but the toy was always there.

Always ready for more.

Roger nodded and bowed his head for Eric to put it on. The shells were aligned differently than Roger's was to Jack. A lot more thought went into it. It had to be perfect.

Eric let his hands drop off Roger's shoulders but Roger put them back on. For the first, and probably the last time, Roger let Eric choose. And Eric chose to stay with Roger.

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"Well you've got that down. Even if you aren't a very good hunter." Jack's words were light and dreamy through heavy pants as the boy lay on his back, looking up at the sky. Ralph, was lying on his back, too, a few feet away just grinned.

"I think I know why you like to kill pigs."

"Why's that?" Jack rolled to his side, looking at Ralph.

"The feeling you know. For you, it's bloodlust. The need to kill something, feel the blood on your hands. Well, for me it's just lust. No blood involved."

"No blood involved?" Jack sat up. "You bit me!" Jack ran his fingers over his shoulder. It wasn't bleeding badly, and that wasn't the worse place they were bleeding. Both of their lips had blood on it, from kissing too hard.

Ralph sat up and put his hand around Jack's neck, pulling him closer. Jack expected Ralph to start again, but surprisingly, Ralph leaned over to the wound and licked it. Jack shuddered.

"God, Ralph. You tease."

Ralph leaned back, let go of the chief and stood up. He stretched and Jack watched him. "So what's next?"

Jack stood up too. He was taller than Ralph, and stronger. Ralph noticed the way Jack's muscles moved while he stretched. Had Jack been rescued, Ralph doubted that he would look like that. Nobody spoke of being rescued anymore. It was a waste of time and energy. That's why everyone was pairing up. Nobody wanted to go through puberty alone, with no one to take out their… frustration on.

Jack finished stretching; a show he dragged on, just to show off for Ralph, a stage Ralph thought would be over by now. Not that he minded, or anything. "I think we should bathe. Get off the blood from your face… and my paint."

Ralph nodded. "You put the blood on there."

"I know. I like how it looks. You look good with a mask." Both boys blushed softly, at the verbal form of their feelings.

"Thank you." Ralph couldn't even be sure that Jack could hear him, he was so quiet.

Jack walked into the river, already naked to the waist, and Ralph followed. The water wasn't cold. It never was. Jack went underwater and when he came back up, he ran his fingers through his hair, getting it behind his ears and out of the way. Ralph grinned. Jack always seemed to do that.

Jack continued to wipe the blood from his hands and the paint on his face and chest. "I liked that, you know?"

Ralph was forced to look back on Jack's eyes, not wanting Jack to know he was watching him. "Liked what?"

"The way you did the paint."

"Oh."

Ralph started to clean himself off. Most of the hand and chipped off, from drying and from sweat, and when he got it off, he looked back up at Jack. Jack was watching him, grinning.

"What?"

"Did you kiss a lot of people back in Britain?"

Ralph was dumbfounded at the question. It wasn't that it was a hard question, besides his mum and daddy, and a few other family members, Ralph hadn't kissed much of anyone. Kissing was gross to a twelve year old boy in Britain. He couldn't figure out why Jack wanted to know, and why Jack was bringing up their old home at all.

"Kiss like how?" Ralph thought that was a safe answer.

"Kiss like we kiss." Jack rolled his eyes. "I don't mean did you kiss your granny."

"Uh…" Ralph didn't want to seem childish and say no, but he didn't want to lie and say yes. Either way, he was felt like he'd lose. "How do we kiss again?"

Jack grinned. It seemed like he was expecting this. He pushed the water away and made his way for Ralph. He put his blood free hands on the sides of Ralph's head, and pulled him in and kissed him, another time. Pushing hard, causing their chapped lips to bleed once more. It didn't matter. The taste of blood in their mouths only made them kiss harder.

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Roger walked to the camp, Eric right behind him.

Roger didn't fully believe Eric. He wanted to. God knows he wanted to. He wanted nothing more than Jack to kiss him. Roger wanted Jack to treat him how he treated Eric. Maybe not so forceful, but he wanted to be the one who ran around, with orders given to him, and show Jack that he'd do anything for him.

Eric and Ralph didn't play much of a part in Roger's fantasy. Eric would probably still be there, for Roger's frustration, but Ralph would not be there. And if Ralph were there at all, it would be skinned and used as a trophy. But Roger didn't think Ralph was worthy to be a trophy. He'd probably decay and stink the place up.

Roger grinned at the thought of it.

Besides a few pained noises, Eric was silent. Usually Eric was completely silent, to the point were Roger would forget he was walking with him, and when Eric did say something, he'd jump.

Roger hated to show fear. Even if it was just surprise. So when Eric talked, Roger would smack him. Eric learned the lesson fast. Don't talk unless spoken too.

Roger didn't care Eric was sobbing. It was probably just the cuts on his back that was hurting him. Nothing Roger could do about it, anyway.

But Eric was sobbing for himself. He was going to lose Roger. The only person who cared, and didn't at the same time. Roger was protection. Nobody messed with Eric, besides Roger. And Roger he could handle. He liked being beat on by Roger. But now Roger was going to Jack.

Eric knew that if Jack accepted him, Roger would join his side and there was no need for Eric. And he also knew that if Jack denied him, Roger would beat Eric. Probably to death. It was a lose, lose situation.

Still he went with Roger, to the camp, to find Jack.

But Jack wasn't there. The hut was almost finished and Maurice and Robert were looking restless. They were giggling beyond sanity, just from looking at the other. Bill looked like he was ready to stab the pair.

"Where's the Chief?"

All the boys froze at Roger's voice. Roger was still there second in command. He was just absent for a while. He did that a lot, though. He'd take off and come back at will. Usually similar to this: with Eric, bloody, behind him.

Bill was the one to answer. "He's teaching Ralph how to hunt."

Roger threw a look to Eric, who gulped. Sam looked over at Eric, his bloody brother, and frowned. He hated Roger. Roger had messed with Eric. Something in Eric's brain wasn't right. Sam couldn't even feel what Eric was feeling anymore.

If Eric was feeling anything. He looked like a dead person.

"Do you know where?" Roger's voice had such an authoritive boom to it that all the boys answered. They shook their heads.

"Damn it." Roger turned and started to walk toward the stream. If he knew Jack, and he did, that's where he'd take Ralph.